Why Your Results Don't Match Your Efforts

A few weeks ago, I had the chance to catch up with one of my favorite online biz buddies -- a sharp and brilliant coach, whose advice I soak up like a biscuit does butter. For months now, I've been binging-out on her content, marveling in her genius insights, unique business and fabulous personality (can you tell I'm a big fan?). And for months, I've watched her and thought, "Damn, this woman is ROCKING it!" 

So, you can imagine my dumbfounded confusion when she opened up to me that she still isn't getting the results she wants in her business -- more sign ups for her offers, a steady flow of clients and income, and so on. 

Beyond being utterly befuddled, I was also genuinely frustrated for her; because I know how needed her services are and, of course, because I want to see her succeed. 

After our chat, I couldn't stop thinking about her situation. I wondered how it could be possible that a business like hers hasn't caught on like wildfire in her niche yet; and why, even with all of the great work she's been putting out consistently, her results still don't match her efforts.

If you find yourself in a similar mind-boggling pickle -- wondering why the outcomes you're getting don't match the effort you're giving -- here are a few possible reasons to consider:

There aren't enough of the right people who know you exist yet

Your results could be as simple as a numbers game (and by "simple" I mean frustrating as hell). Statistically speaking, for every 1 client you want, you generally need about 100 people who are familiar enough with your work -- half of whom are at least intrigued by what you do. Of that half, about 20 of them need to be able to make the investment. And of that 20, 4 of them need be ready to commit. 

But even with the 4 that are interested, able and ready to work with you -- it's still only probable that 1 of them will actually say yes.

How to fix it: There are, of course, a few exceptions to what I like to call "the 1 percent rule". But rather than resist it, focus on how you can make this rule work for you and how you can align your efforts to attract your 1 percent.

Your people aren't ready for what you offer yet 

Another frustrating reason you're not getting the results you want could be that the people who'll benefit most from what you have to offer aren't personally ready for it yet. They're probably drooling over your work right now, thinking, "When I get to [insert aspirational level here], I am SO gonna hire her."

The good news about this? It's a fairly easy fix.

How to fix it: First, consider where there might currently be barriers for your people to work with you. Is it that they aren't financially ready? Do they not see the immediate value of the investment? Or do they just believe they can wait a bit longer before they really need what you're offering? Then, consider how you can address those barriers with content and lower-level offers.

A word of caution, though: Offering a high-value service (like 1-on-1 sessions) at a super-low price does not necessarily help people decide to buy your higher-priced services. Consider an alternative that allows you to give the same kind of support without diminishing the value of your time and expertise.

Your people don't see the impact of what you do yet

If you're finding that lots of people are interested in what you offer -- perhaps even inquiring about your services -- but rarely signing up, it's possible that you haven't yet established the reason why they should pay to work with you.

To do that, you have to understand what they desire, because it's their desire that's linked to their sense of need and their values.

How to fix it: Understand that people will put their money where their values are. So do some digging. Uncover what your people want to accomplish and why. Then show them how you can help them make it happen.

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People will put their money where their values are.
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You're not targeting the right people yet

On the contrary, if you're finding that hardly anybody is interested in what you offer, you might not be talking to the right people. It's possible that you made a big ASSumption when you decided on who your ideal client was (or maybe you haven't made it that far in your business planning). So if you're certain that your services are right-on-time for someone, perhaps you need to go back to the drawing board to make sure you know who that someone really is.

How to fix it: Try not to be too pissed off about this one (it happens to the best of us). Take another look at what you're offering, your objectives and what you're charging for it. Ask yourself who would be interested, able and ready to jump on your offer as it is. Then tweak your messaging and copy to speak to those people.

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If the results you're getting don't match your efforts, here are 4 reasons to consider.
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Over to you

So what do you think -- do any of these reasons stand out to you? What's one thing you plan to do differently in order to get the results you want? Let me know in the comments.