In the past few months I’ve had many people add me to their mailing lists without my knowledge or permission, and it got me thinking about the many subtle ways people sabotage their business success – things they do or don’t do that are incredible sneaky forms of self-sabotage.

So today I would like to share with you 3 of the more subtle ways you may be sabotaging your own business success – without even realizing it. And simple solutions for turning that sabotage into more income and impact!

Sabotage “Strategy” #1: Handing your business card to everyone you meet. This is a really sneaky one, because it’s so common and people have actually been taught to do this as a form of business networking! It’s been programmed into us. Here’s the sneaky way this sabotages your business. When you hand someone your card – even if they ask for it – you have just put the decision of whether you will ever talk to that person again in their hands. And 99 times out of 100 you will never hear from them again. For any number of reasons.

Solution: Get their business card, so you can call them.

Even Better Solution: Schedule an appointment right then and there to talk with them after the event. Now you have a serious business lead instead of a “hope” (that they will actually call you like they said they would.)   And if they don’t want to schedule with you, you just saved yourself a bunch of precious time that you can use talking to serious prospects!

Sabotage “Strategy” #2: Adding everyone you meet to your mailing list. Sounds like a great idea, right? You meet someone, get their business card, maybe even have a casual conversation with them, and then you hop on your computer and add them to your mailing list. Great way to grow your list, right? Wrong!

What you haven’t taken into consideration is the subconscious, energetic message this sends. Since they haven’t asked for your help in any way, the energy they feel is that you need them more than they need you. And they won’t buy from you, because they will only invest their money with people they need. Keep in mind, this “conversation” may not even be conscious to them – it usually goes on energetically or subconsciously. I do also need to mention here that there are legal consequences to adding people to your mailing list without their permission, which could also end up impacting your income.

Solution #1: If they’ve mentioned a problem you can help them solve, ask them if it would be helpful for them to receive information from you. If they say yes, they are energetically agreeing that you have something they need. Now you’re positioned as a person who can help them. And now they might actually buy from you.

Solution #2: Make sure it is clear on your website that when people opt-in for your free offer, they will also receive your ezine. This will protect you both legally and energetically.

Solution #3: Have a posted sign letting people know they will receive information from you in the future when you sponsor events and have people drop their business card in your raffle bowl.

Sabotage “Strategy” #3: Believing that clients who want to check with their partner/spouse, but “are sure they will be on-board” with their decision to hire you will indeed call you back and say yes to working with you. This sounds so reasonable, doesn’t it? Especially when this is “your story,” too. From their perspective, it’s guaranteed to get you off the phone, but in a “nice” way, where you feel good about yourself because you think you just made a sale. It’s not until you receive the email or phone message from them in a few days saying they’ve decided against buying from you that you realize how you subconsciously sabotaged yourself.

Solution: Address all objections right then and there, including the idea that the potential client actually requires permission from another person to make an investment in themselves or their business. The partner/spouse objection is almost as universally “accepted” as the “I don’t have the money” excuse that sends most business owners packing.

You must remember that if you’re selling any kind of life-transformation service or product, people will subconsciously “test” you to see if you can really help transform their life. If you buy the same excuses as everyone else does, they question your ability to change their life in any significant way. And – they probably don’t even know they are doing this – it’s all going on in the “conversation under the conversation.”

Sadly, there are about as many subtle ways to sabotage business as there are business owners. But I’ve addressed three of the more common ones I’m seeing lately here!

Ready to increase your business success?

1. Honestly assess your own behavior in each of the 3 areas above.
2. If you’re currently doing any of them, choose a solution.
3. Start implementing that solution immediately.
4. Notice how your results start to change!

Be sure to share your new results in the comments area below. I would love to celebrate your new successes!

Ready to stop sabotaging your business results for good?    Apply here for a 2015 Income & Impact Breakthrough session with me.

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