Are You in the Way of Growing Your List?

Yeah, yeah, yeah…you’ve heard it all before. Your list IS your money.

But, is your list is growing slowly? Does it seem to attract non-buyers? Are you missing something to make it click with those you really want to attract? Or, maybe there’s just an energy problem there that needs to be solved?

The answer is yes…and yes…and yes.

Yes, you need to have specific strategies to grow you list. But, if your list isn’t growing the way you want, there’s likely to be some energetic reason as to why it is so slow.

Too woo-woo for you? Before you turn me off, I know this sounds way out there. However, list building is not just about the mechanics. If it were, everyone would have a beautifully expanding list. But, let’s be honest, this isn’t what most micropreneurs experience, particularly if you’re of the female persuasion.

Consider this: there were two micropreneurs. They both market to the very same audience. One has a smallish list, yet makes tons of money. The other, although having a larger list, makes less. Now, why is that?

My premise (and that of other better known) is that there’s more to it than doing the mechanics.

What follows are some of the tips I’ve learned about lists and list building from the many gurus I follow. Some are mere common sense. Others are more about mindset than most of us like to admit to.

How does becoming bigger and better known really make you feel?

Many of you secretly fear becoming successful. The thought behind the feeling is that you won’t be able to “handle it.”

No, it doesn’t make sense logically. But the mind and the heart are not always in agreement. Check in with yourself. If you feel this fear (or something like it) then it’s unlikely your list will grow.

Remember, there’s no fairy godmother (or father either). No one is going to wave a magic wand to make your business grow like the pumpkin into Cinderella’s coach. I wish it would, boy, have I been praying for that! But, face, it ain’t gonna happen.

Growth happens in increments and stages. This is a good thing. How? Well, it allows you to develop your mindset, tools and resources as you need them. You will have them just in time for your next spurt. Stop worrying about “handling growth.” If you’re willing to let that fear go, watch what happens.

Stop comparing you to anyone else

I attended a holiday party once in NYC. The men got very drunk and quite competitive in their drunkenness. They decided to hold a contest to see who could pee the farthest. Gross, isn’t it?

Well, that what you’re doing when you compare the size of your list to someone elses. It is not a good thing; it doesn’t result in anything productive.

Instead of comparing with others, focus what counts: how much is each person on your list worth to you in sales?

Simple to say, but maybe difficult to know how to do it.

If you want to know how to calculate this number, divide the total amount of income you generated last year (before expenses, taxes, etc.) by the total number of people who were on your list at the end of that same time period. Voila! This calculation gives you what each person on your list is worth to you as a potential customer. Knowing that, you can figure out the value of the list. And that, in the long run, is more important than how big the list is.

If your list is worth less than $100 per person, maybe it is time to figure out how to increase their responsiveness. What do you think?

Who are you gonna upset if you grow too “big for your britches?”

Are you addicted to approval, as Amy Pearson says?

It is hard to admit that there is someone from your past whose opinion of you still matters that much. No worries. Recognizing this, who the person is and that their approval matters is a very important step. It will help you to release your addiction to outside approval.

The lesson to be learned (and be warned, this is a process) is that you have to give yourself permission. To do what? Well, first to leave needing external approval behind. Then, to grow your list.

Becoming successful and feeling fantastically fabulous about who you are is what is really important. Other people operate out of their own emotions. Whether they approve of you or not says more about who they are than who you are.

Leave that crap behind, pardon my language.

Do it quick…but do it!

Like anything else, list building works well when it is done with a plan.

Break down the goal of building your list into small chunks. Instead of setting a goal to double your list in the next six months, focus on doing activities that will increase it by 20 percent over the next two months. Once you reach this goal, set a new one, and so on. Incredibly large goals become doable this way.

Taking the time to “chunk it” also provides a great strategy for giving yourself time to adjust. It will enable you to grow to your new success inwardly.

As you reach a goal, it will feel comfortable and “normal.” The next goal becomes easier to reach. As the saying goes: success breeds success. Before you can say gesundheit, you’ll be looking back and saying “Wow! I really did all that!”

Leave your comment below.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lilia Lee is the owner and founder of Simplify and Manage. She is an expert on business process development and process improvement with 20 years experience in the field, working at major corporations. Prior to this experience, she was the Controller & CIO of a marine insurance company. She has a B.Sc. in Accounting from Hunter College of CUNY and a J.D. from NY Law School. She is a certified coach from Coach Training Alliance.

Simplify and Manage is a company dedicated to helping business owners simplify to get things done. We use our system to plan, implement, take appropriate action, evaluate any process, project or money-making idea. And then, we manage the ongoing operations of the business.

Our mission is to support others in getting things done on time, every time, when they are not able to do so on their own. We care for your business as it were our own. We protect your interests wholeheartedly. We help you to be free from slaving in your business 365/24/7.