tanya geisler Archives - Tara McMullin

Taking Your Message to A Bigger Stage with Tanya Geisler

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The Nitty Gritty:

Why speaking could become an integral part to your business
Where to pitch your speaking services and get speaking gigs
Why the Imposter Complex is a good sign

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My guest this week on the Profit. Power. Pursuit. podcast is Tanya Geisler who is a leadership coach, TEDxWomen speaker and writer that teaches women how to step into their starring roles, own their authority and overcome the Imposter Complex in their lives and in their work.

We talk about how Tanya has actively grown the speaking segment of her business, how she and her team pitches her speaking services and why experiencing the Imposter Complex is a good sign.

Reach a Larger Audience Through Speaking

Speaking and sharing her message to a larger audience was a natural fit for Tanya. It was something she knew needed to have as an element of her business because she always loved the stage even from a young age. It was always her favorite responsibility even in jobs she didn’t like. Today, Tanya mostly does keynotes that are 45 minutes long with a 15-minute Q&A. Since the Imposter Complex is her body of work, she primarily speaks on that subject but collaborates with the event host to co-create the talk based on their learning objectives. It takes time to experiment and refine the message you want to deliver, even if you are gifted at speaking.

How to Pitch your Speaking Services

I can trace back every last speaking gig that I’ve had to a podcast interview that I’ve done.

–Tanya Geisler

Tanya and her team actively pitch associations and conferences as well as certain companies if she has a contact there. She rarely cold calls an organization. Being a guest on podcasts is a very effective way that Tanya gets speaking engagements; in fact, she can trace every speaking gig that she has had to a podcast interview she has done. Since Tanya is a coach she is able to find a moment in each interview where she can “coach” the interviewee, and that’s a really important moment of resonance. Ultimately, when that happens people lean in and listen more closely, and it’s in those moments that they realize they might want to book Tanya to speak to their organization.

The Imposter Complex: It’s a Good Sign

Nobody is ever fully ready for anything, but you’re ready enough.

–Tanya Geisler

There are 12 lies the Imposter Complex really wants us to believe. If you aren’t feeling the Imposter Complex you’re not pushing yourself hard enough. When something really, really matters to you, that’s when the Imposter Complex is going to show up and you don’t really want it to go away. When you don’t want to feel like an imposter you go to one of six coping mechanisms. You must always remember if you know more than the audience you are speaking to, it makes you expert.

Learn more about why the “pencil can never be sharp enough,” the process Tanya has developed to determine the goals of the audience she’s speaking to, Tanya’s Starring Role Academy and ways to overcome the Imposter Complex when you listen to the full episode.

I invite you to subscribe to the Profit. Power. Pursuit. podcast on iTunes so that you can tune in each week to learn from today’s savviest entrepreneurs.

Want to know the 3 things every woman with unshakeable confidence has in common? Join Tanya for her Unshakable Confidence Masterclass on November 30th. Click here for more information.

It’s time to raise your rates… now what?!

Art of Earning

Your clients won’t give you an annual raise like an employer might. If your rates are too low, few people will tell you. So how do you know?

It’s time to raise your rates when:

you resent your customers or your work.
working is killing your creative drive.
you question whether the time you put into work is “worth it” at all.

Check, check, check? It’s time. Now to face the raising-your-rates music!

How do you justify the increase?

First, know that discovering you need to raise your rates means that you’ve been gaining valuable experience along the way. You know what value you create for your clients.

Holly Neitzel, an accountant who specializes in small business clients, was concerned the first time she sent out her new rates (doubled!) to a client:

“The client had no qualms about my new rate. I think it made him feel secure in the fact that he was hiring a professional. You know, you get what you pay for?!”

When you’re trying to justify your own rates, you often forget that inexpensive is often seen as “cheap.” Raising your rates can be a sign that you’re ready for new responsibility and more challenging clients.

Second, consider how you can further differentiate yourself in the market. Few clients are looking for jills-of-all-trades. What’s your expertise? What clients do you work best with? What specific & tangible problems do you ease?

By claiming your unique strengths, you make it difficult to challenge your higher rates.

What if you lose clients?

How would you like to earn the same amount of money and work less? That is a reality for some who raise their rates. Unfortunately, I’ve never experienced this myself. Each time I’ve raised rates, I’ve gained clients. And that’s not uncommon.

Raising your rates singles that you have something of value and many potential clients find that highly attractive. Sort of like a pair of Louboutins.

Bridget Pilloud, a life-shifter whose clients work with her to enact positive change in their lives, raised her rates this summer:

“The quality of my clientele went up immediately. I found myself working with people who could really take advantage of my advice. However, the number of clients that I served went down much more than I expected.”

Bridget discovered that in order to attract customers who would pay her rates and benefit most from her services, she needed to adjust her branding. Clearly an easier choice than getting by with less.

If you do lose clients, you might finally have the time & energy necessary to create more leveraged streams of income like workshops, digital products, or masterminds. Raising your rates may just give you the breathing room you need to take your whole business to the next level.

How do you handle existing clients?

Use this as an opportunity to evaluate which clients you’d hate to lose and which you’d hate to keep. You could offer a discount to favorite customers (and ask for a testimonial). If you can’t afford to fire your tough customers, maybe offer them a grace period–or let them go.

Tanya Geisler, a life coach who helps clients step into their starring roles, has been on both sides of the price increase dilemma. She suggests approaching clients directly:

“You could try to explain how your rate increase means you’ll be working with fewer clients and providing them with better service etc, but truthfully, when I’m on the receiving end of this speech, it rarely resonates. I get it. You’re in business. And you deserve to be compensated.”

Just communicate how your new rates affect your existing clients.

There are countless combinations you can use to make your work & life easier while providing great service to your clients – new & existing. Raising your rates is about taking care of yourself and your clients. Make sure you do it in a way that feels honest and full of integrity.

What’s holding you back from raising your rates?

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If your relationship with the not-so-almighty dollar is holding you back from raising your rates, check out my digital guide on radically reframing your money mindset. Get the pdf package & name your own price. Or grab the Kindle version for Amazon!

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A shortened version of this piece was featured yesterday on The Daily Worth. Not a subscriber? You should be! Sign up here.