This ‘make valuable assets’ malarkey I’m always talking about is great if you’ve got business coming in, things are going well, you’re comfortable and have time to think… but what the bleepedy bleep do you do if you’re short on business? Or nothing you’re doing seems to be working? Or you just finished a contract and you hadn’t been following my asset path?

Well, you make people an offer they can’t refuse.

You are going to do something with your time (whether that’s whining and wining, or lamenting the evilness of the world with your mate down the pub), so why not do something visible and valuable.

Don’t hide – I know the tendency if things are going bad is to hide away, disappear, keep your head down. DON’T DO THIS – the fight, flight, freeze or faint mode is real*. Choose fight.

Remember, it happens to everyone (a piece of work falls through, a major client disappears) – you are not alone and unfortunately, you’re not that special (I know you are special , really special, but you get my point, sh!t happens to all of us!) Have you got assets? Things to sell that aren’t only your hours? Do you have books, courses, groups, products, SAAS, apps?

No Assets? Let’s check…

1. Have you done an inventory of unfinished assets you may be overlooking – things you started but didn’t finish?
2. Do you have any IP you can quickly/easily reproduce in a new format and sell? For example, written to video? Video to audio? Book to video? Book to course? Course to book?
3. Have you contacted ALL previous clients and told them you have availability right now?
4. Have you asked all happy previous clients for a referral? (try this wording: Hi, I really loved working with you on Y, do you know any other companies who have that need right now? An introduction from you would really make things easier for me…)
5. Have you reached out to your more general contacts (friends, colleagues) and told them you have availability?
6. Think about contacting specific companies/people who you would LOVE to work with and offer them something for free – this gets their attention and triggers reciprocation. You don’t even need their permission – just do it!
7. Have you finished/updated your website HOMEPAGE with a specific OFFER (what you do and how they can buy it)?
8. Have you shared your offer (from previous) with everyone you know? On social, LI, twitter, your newsletter…
9. Have you looked for partners – people who may have more business than they can handle who might want to use your services? Influencers, communities?

Now your current clients:

10. Have you looked sideways – who else is like client X?
11. Have you looked down – what extra, deeper projects, programs could I sell?
12. Have you looked up – what bigger projects, how else can I bundle?

My client, Andy Bass, discusses a brilliant strategy in his book Committed Action: The three-step method to inspire your people to take ownership and get results, the car wash framework. You can get his book from www.CommittedActionBook.com and you’ll find more ways of developing bundles of action.

1. Do you have a simple, clear pitch – I help X do Y without Pain in 3 weeks (my Thought Leadership Canvas™ can help you create that if you’re stuck)
2. Have you looked locally? Have you looked further away? (Remember the close up and far away episode on Father Ted).
3. Have you thought about doing a kickstarter or crowdfunding? Not only to test an idea, also get paid in advance (though don’t underestimate the effort needed to produce a good kickstarter campaign.)
4. Have you got outside your normal circles / channels / echo chambers? Only on facebook? Try LI or twitter. Only social media? Try magazines or newspapers.
5. Get out of your head – do something energetic. Get away from the business for an hour, a week.
6. Give value first – break the neediness (see number 6).
7. Can you do a pop up? A hackathon? A party?
8. Host an event, people pay to join you in a local venue – have a theme, invite guest speakers – make your own table.

Most important: reach out to other people, you’re not alone,
you might find they’ve gone through something similar!

I know you can think of other ways to get out of a slump – let me know your favourite or what’s worked for you…

Remember, we’ve all had slumps, you’re not alone.

Ciao for now,
Debs

* Apparently there are 7 Fs, one of them is F&@k, I’m not going there…

PS: If you want a copy of the Thought Leadership Canvas™ get your copy of my book (click on the picture of the book) and you’ll find out how to use it, and get a free download!
PPS: Watch this clip if you want a giggle: Cows: Small Or Far Away? | Father Ted