Double your turnover by working on what matters most

I’m currently working on a new programme for a group of individuals who are looking to double their turnover in the next 12 months. For some that means getting to 6 figures in their business for others it means becoming a million-dollar speaker. It’s very exciting. So, this topic is top of mind for me at the moment.  But what about you, are you looking to multiply your turnover? If you are this missive might be of interest, read on.  

Growing your turnover isn’t always about doing more, it is often about doing less. What do mean Maria, I can hear you shout at your screen?  If you focus on the 20% of activities that generate 80% of your results, you can spend your time far more efficiently.

The 80/20 Principle created by the clever Italian, Vilfredo Federico Damaso Pareto (we Italians always have long names to keep all the relatives happy 😂), states that roughly 80% of effects come from 20% of causes. In your speaking business, this means that a small number of your activities create most of your results.  If you can identify the 20% of activities that generate 80% of your revenue you can focus on these to dramatically grow.  

Here are examples of what these might be (notice how short this list is):

• Delivering powerful keynotes that generate referrals and repeat bookings.
• Building relationships with decision-makers and industry influencers.
• Creating strong marketing materials and content that showcase your unique value proposition and speak directly to your market.

Then you want to look at eliminating some of the tasks that drain you, or that aren’t contributing to your success, so that you can free up more time for the important work.

See if any of the following resonate:

• Answering every email or social media message, even if it’s not on topic.
• Going to networking events, conferences, meetings that don’t help you get to your goals.
• Growing several social media channels at once because everyone is telling you that you should be on TikTok, and Instagram, and X.  Instead of focusing on the one/s that bring results (hint – for most people it’s LinkedIn)
• Spending hours on admin that could be automated or delegated
• Accepting low-paying or off-topic speaking opportunities

If you can remove low-value activities, you can free up time and energy to focus on the 20% that really matters. Be brutal, these activities are not helping you. 

How to start?  Let me help you out with some suggestions:

• Keep a diary for a week/fortnight/month (depending on how repetitive your weeks are) and note down exactly how you spend your time, then go through it and cross out anything that you can either stop doing altogether or give to someone else to do.

• Use a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system to track your leads, bookings, and client communications.  I use Pipedrive, so far of the many I’ve tried it’s the most intuitive and easy to use.  I have a link if you want to try it for 30 days https://aff.trypipedrive.com/viaMaria
• Outsource non-essential tasks, like bookkeeping or website updating, etc.  If you don’t have a team find someone on ffiver or People per hour.
• Create templates for your proposals, contracts, and follow-ups.

Wherever you can, reduce the time you spend on repetitive tasks and focus on the high-value work.

Management guru Peter Drucker said, “[only] what gets measured, gets managed.”  As you make changes and apply 80/20 you want to continually measure and refine.  Track your results, see what’s working and focus on those activities.  Let go of what is not.

Final thought. Consistency is key.  That’s why the programme I’m creating is 12 months in duration, it’s no good working on something for a day, a week, a month, you have to do it, every day, every week, every month for an extended period of time.  

Good luck.  I'm excited to be on this journey with you.

PS Need some help to be more bookable and charge higher fees?

1. Download one of our free how-to guides here.
2. Book a free consultation with me here.
3. Binge read previous missives here.
4. Join our free Speaking Business community here where you'll get inspiration, support, advice, and more.
5. Grab our online training programme to be more bookable and make more money here.