Stephen Hilgart on LinkedIn: 2004: Homeless - sleeping in my car. 2024: Building my 4th 7-figure… | 51 comments (2024)

My honest advice to double your revenue with less stress:(the 3 ways I teach my coaching clients.)This is the easiest framework I know to 2x or 3x your revenue:1. Do more of what's working.2. Do what worked in the past.3. Stop doing what's not working.Here's what I want to do over the next 3 months:Something's working? → Double down on that. Something's worked in the past? → Do it again. Something's not working? → Stop focusing on it.More clients/customers is not always the solution.You are just a right strategy away from your desired revenue.PS. And no you don’t have to DO more to MAKE more. Agree?

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Let's talk time travel.⁣Specifically to fix your mistakes.⁣⁣I remember a call to fly up to Boston for a last minute speaking gig.⁣⁣"There will be 500 people here."⁣⁣I'll be right there!⁣⁣I failed to ask why the other speaker canceled.⁣⁣Flight.⁣Hotel.⁣Rental car.⁣⁣Seating for hundreds.⁣2 people showed.⁣⁣I'm livid.⁣I wanted to blame my partner.⁣I wanted to blame the promoter.⁣⁣Time lost.⁣Money lost.⁣Opportunities lost.⁣Now stuck in Boston (of all places)⁣for the weekend.⁣⁣It wasn't the first (or last) time a promoter was full of sh*t.⁣⁣I couldn't go back in time.⁣But... I was already there.⁣⁣There was literally nothing that could be done the day of to make that event a success.⁣⁣So I learned the lesson:⁣⁣The only way to go back in time to fix your mistakes is to plan, strategize, and ask the right questions ahead of time.⁣⁣And apparently that's a lot less stressful.⁣⁣➡️ Easier to prevent cancer than it is to cure it.⁣➡️ Easier to prevent war than to stop it.⁣➡️ Easier to prep for a sale than to try and save it.⁣⁣Just my 3 cents for the day.⁣⁣P.S. Boston sucks. 😂

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I don't know what new marketing guru is teaching everyone how to write emails -- but they're horrible.⁣⁣They all look exactly the same AND they have all the same mistakes...⁣⁣Fire them.⁣⁣I'll teach you free right here:⁣⁣1. Subject line (get it opened)⁣2. First line (explain subject line)⁣3. I've got a thing⁣4. Here's a link ⁣5. Here's what it'll do for you⁣6. Here's a link to get benefits⁣7. Handle objection⁣8. Here's a link ⁣9. Sign off⁣10. P.s. (another objection, and/or scarcity or urgency)⁣⁣No need for another 2k course.⁣⁣Do this instead.

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Boring strategies make the most money.Would you rather be rich or chase shiny objects?I have a marketing consulting practice.I can promise immediate (and usually significant) returns.How?We start with the simplest no-brainer things:1. We do more of what's working now2. We do more of what's worked in the past3. We stop doing what isn't workingI know a guy who spent $3MM 𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳 on TV advertising.(Yeah, TV ads... in 2024)His social ads? Crushing it. 𝙒𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣.In the past? A special promo that had an 80% take rate.So we systemized that offer for every new customer.Sales skyrocketed.But the best part?After digging into the numbers... there were zero attributable sales from TV.He was scared to stop those ads.But he trusted me.Month one?Sales stayed the same.Month two?Sales went up.Month 3, 4, 5?Sales went WAY up.Profit shot through the roof because he literally got to take home $3MM extra.I've got a short exercise to walk you through these steps if you'd like:stephenhilgart.com/classI'll walk you through exactly how you can scale... with less stress... and zero overwhelm!P.S.That thing that worked for you so well in the past... are you still doing it?

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You might think marketing is all about selling. (But it's not 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 that)⁣⁣Ever wonder why doing business with some people just feels... 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩?⁣⁣It's authenticity.⁣⁣I've been writing about marketing strategies every day...⁣⁣... 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧.⁣⁣Some consider that a mistake.⁣⁣But I think authenticity is a super power.⁣⁣𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙖𝙮.⁣⁣I care about people... but I'm unapologetic.⁣⁣I crack dark jokes... but they're true.⁣⁣I point out uncomfortable mistakes... so we can improve.⁣⁣I'm not everyone's cup of tea -- but I'm me.⁣⁣... 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙔𝙊𝙐?⁣⁣My recent post about (yet another) disastrous sales call highlighted a young man who was trying his best to be who he thought he was supposed to be... instead of just 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜.⁣⁣I have a horde of network marketing friends who put on a mask thinking they can sell a business opportunity by tricking people.⁣⁣I have hundreds of internet marketing friends who have no qualms about creating fake testimonials and reviews.⁣⁣(𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘛𝘊 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮)⁣⁣Here's the point: what if you were just authentically you?⁣⁣What if you weren't apologetic for what you did or what you sold?⁣⁣What if you just told the truth?⁣⁣Food for thought.⁣⁣P.S. Do you focus on authenticity in your marketing? (Be honest)⁣

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Horrible sales calls from this week...... all have these things in common:1. They're unprepared.2. They don't listen.3. They don't ask the right questions.I can't stand the "let's hop on a call" folks.Especially when it could've been an email.But I made the mistake of scheduling 3 "hop-on-a-calls" this week because friends asked me to.(Yes, you guys are all getting signed up for Cat Facts)All 3 were god-awful.In each situation, the salesperson didn't even bother to Google me beforehand. I, on the other hand, found their website, social medias, recent posts, and everything else I could find...Pro-Tip: research everyone on your calendar. Have a list of questions prepared. Find something that connects you to them.I can't stand telling "my story" to someone when first meeting them. It's awkward.What 𝘙𝘌𝘈𝘓𝘓𝘠 pisses me off is if you finally convince me... and you don't listen to a word of it.On the last call I was obviously being way too polite. I repeated myself 3 times. I even said "my man, you're making me repeat myself for the third time. Are you listening?"His response?"That's great. Yeah, really cool."Pro-Tip: listen. Listen. LISTEN. Are you HEARING ME? Listen!!Their scripts were also horrible. It was like the first time they were seeing them. But they just didn't make any sense in... well... ANY context.Pro-Tip: if you're reading from a script you better practice it a thousand times before you get on that call so it sounds natural.Even-More-Proer-Tip: don't use a script. Use a framework so you can actually engage in a dialogue.I would never tell another human being that they are hopeless...... but man, some of you guys are pushing it.I apologize in advance, that, after this week -- nobody will be able to schedule a call with me without either A.) Paying lots of money, or B.) Filling out a LONG application.P.S.I'm not the only one, right? Has anyone else recently made the mistake of "hopping on a call" even though you know better?

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Large corporations run circles around small entrepreneurs.⁣⁣But the right strategies can level the playing field:⁣⁣𝟭. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆:⁣⁣Large teams have 12 people⁣focusing on 1 big problem.⁣⁣Entrepreneurs try to solve 12⁣problems... 𝘢𝘴 𝟷 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯.⁣⁣Find the "one big domino" in your business that -- 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 -- everything else would fall into place... and laser focus on that.⁣⁣𝟮. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆:⁣⁣Building an audience is hard.⁣Everyone and their mother is trying to get attention on social media.⁣⁣𝘽𝙪𝙩 -- somebody already has access to every customer you could ever want or need.⁣⁣Most people who have audiences...⁣... have no way to monetize it.⁣⁣If you have a great product for that audience... create a win/win/win situation... and effectively communicate that to them, you will have access to all those people.⁣⁣𝟯. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆⁣⁣Somewhere along the line people forgot the teachings of Edwards Deming. ⁣⁣Quality 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 wins in the long run.⁣⁣Large companies forgot this a long time ago.⁣⁣You're paying more, for less.⁣Everywhere.⁣⁣No wonder consumers are pissed.⁣⁣Small entrepreneurs -- trying to compete -- create subpar products and struggle to sell them as fast as possible.⁣⁣But marketing and selling subpar products will only put you out of business faster.⁣⁣Yes, it's more expensive.⁣Yes, it takes more time.⁣Yes, it's hard work.⁣⁣But... ⁣⁣You'll get higher margins.⁣You'll get less returns.⁣You'll get more referrals.⁣You'll succeed long term.⁣You'll compete with giants....𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙣.⁣⁣P.S.⁣⁣There are 11 more strategies every entrepreneur needs to implement to win.⁣⁣We practice them on The Path.⁣⁣You can join us at:⁣⁣www.pathmembership.com⁣⁣See you at the top!⁣

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Your fake persona + LinkedIn = disaster.The real you + polite societal filters = better.The morning routine is looking for puppy reels while waiting for the caffeine to soak in.And of course, someone posts "𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚'𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝟴 𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙄 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜."... wut...?What's next? "𝟳 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗼𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗽𝘆" ??"𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻?" ??"𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗺 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿?" ??I mean, holy hell, guys.Get your proverbial sh*t together.My "content" is not perfect by any means -- 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗺𝗲.I write copy.I make up my own grammar.I use slang.I tell stories.But more importantly -- I connect.Here's the difference I see between Facebook and LinkedIn:1. Facebook is an utter cesspool of conspiracy theories, disinformation, political bootlickers. It's where people are going to post the most asinine thing they can think of at any given time or share a stupid meme that says, "Bananas don't grow in Antarctica because of Byron. Really makes you think."2. LinkedIn is where you fake your entire personality to try and appear professional (for opportunities). But you're not even faking what you think is professional. You're not faking what your potential client/customer/employer thinks is professional. You're faking what you think, they think, is professional...So you end up with stupid ass posts like these.𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝟰 𝘁𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗳𝗳 𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗜 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘀𝘂𝗻𝗯𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁:1. You shouldn't be posting your political views. Politics has become a religion. Religion is like having a dick. It's fine to have one. It's fine to be proud of it. But when you whip it out and shove it in everyone's face -- you've gone too far.2. You're not "polarizing your audience", you're just being a douche. Don't post publicly what you wouldn't say in person. Don't post something about someone you wouldn't say to their face.3. There's nothing wrong with a little self-promotion or bragging on a platform designed for bragging about your work/business/career accomplishments. But when you try to hide it behind something else it makes everyone want to puke.4. We're all insecure, hurt, damaged humans. Everyone's just doing the best they can with the cards they've been dealt.Thank you for coming to my Linkedin TedTalk

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Set your prices right. Here's 4 questions to stop comparing to other service providers... and start guiding client budget conversations!