The Sonaya Williams Group helps small businesses streamline their teams, so the owners have more time to make money and enjoy their lives. Sonaya Williams, President of the Sonaya Williams Group, works with entrepreneurs who have been in business for over three years and are making over $350,000 a year, but have come to a point where the ideas they’re throwing at the wall just aren’t sticking. These entrepreneurs want to do more—launch a new revenue stream or create a new program, for example—but realize they need better teams and better infrastructure in order to do so.
Challenge
All the coaching programs Sonaya had previously tried were better suited for different businesses and business models, whereas she needed specific coaching aimed at her consulting business. She was trying to find a better way to get new clients and work with existing clients, but was never able to get a lot out of the coaching programs or grow with the coaches she previously had around her. In several cases, the coaches she worked with would try to force her into using a business model that didn’t work with her consulting business.
She went to her ideal clients and interviewed them, an exercise she learned through the coaching program, and was able to pull in more clients based on the information gathered during the interview process.
When Sonaya came across Michael Zipursky’s coaching program at ConsultingSuccess.com, she saw it as an opportunity to finally work with someone dedicated to consultants. The main challenge for Sonaya was figuring out how to create consistent income, as her income was always fluctuating, leaving her in a constant state of uncertainty. The root cause of her problems was that she wasn’t clear on who her ideal client was, and wasn’t speaking the language that current or prospective clients wanted to hear.
Actions
Working with Michael has allowed Sonaya to really get clear about who her ideal clients are. She went to her ideal clients and interviewed them, an exercise she learned through the coaching program, and was able to pull in more clients based on the information gathered during the interview process.
Sonaya even gave the profile of her ideal client a name: Kayla. Whenever the Sonaya Williams Group writes articles, they do so with Kayla in mind. Whenever the company is looking at attending events, they make sure to see if Kayla will be there. Sonaya knows who Kayla is, what Kayla’s thinking, what Kayla says, and what Kayla wants in life.
Results
“I’ve doubled my business in less than 12 weeks. Michael helped me to re-package my offerings and improve my pricing structures which lead to a 40% increase in my fees and I’ve already landed 2 new projects at my new rate and I’m confident many more to come.”
– Sonaya Williams, President
Sonaya Williams Group
The targeting is specific to the point where Sonaya now gets on sales calls with people, and if they’re not “Kayla”, then Sonaya refers them to a different company, or redirects them to someone else internally. Prior to working with Michael, Sonaya would take on any client. Sonaya now says “yes” to the right clients, and “no” to the wrong ones.
The precise targeting and working with the right people has made Sonaya feel confident in increasing her prices, and confident in knowing how to increase fees with existing clients as well—knowing how to communicate the true value of her services so clients agree to the price changes.
In the past, Sonaya would throw marketing initiatives out there and see what would work. She had a profile on every social network, and spent a lot of time being active across all these networks—even though prospective clients may not have been using any of these networks to begin with. Now, she’s being more targeted, taking the time to focus her efforts, review the results, and make changes accordingly. And it’s working. She’s doubled her revenue and no longer spends time or money on marketing campaigns that don’t serve a purpose or produce results.