my best negotiation ever

Hint: what do you spend a third of your life using, so it pays to have a good one? Right around when Stephen and I got married, I made the biggest single purchase of my life. (At the time.) It was, *drumroll*... A mattress. Stephen had spent the year before trying to convince me why a really good—translation: expensive—mattress is the best investment you can make. (“Your sleep affects everything else! Most people spend 30% of their time sleeping. And for you, Luisa, it’s probably more like 40%!”) Honestly, I wasn’t convinced. But he cared so much I figured this was one of those times you prioritize your partner’s happiness over your own logic. Turns out he was right and I was wrong. So now, I get that ROI from sleeping on our wonderful investment every night. AND I also get a huge shot of satisfaction every time I think of how we got it. ‘Cause you know how you’re always supposed to negotiate when you’re buying a mattress? Well, since I didn’t really care what price we ended up paying, and I didn’t even really care if we actually got the mattress or not… I went for it. Which is how, about 20 minutes and 4 phone calls to “management” later… We got the mattress for 30% less than what Stephen had been about to pay. (Apparently he didn’t know that you don’t pay full price, ever, for a mattress.) My best negotiation ever. But NOT because I had any negotiation skills. Nope, I had something way more powerful on my side. I simply didn’t care. (Worst case scenario we’d go home, sleep on our existing mattress, and try again another day.) Bringing us to one of the many contradictions of the human experience: The less you “need” or are attached to getting something, the easier it is for you to have it. And guess what? It’s true for business too. If you want to make more money, one of the best things to do is to not “need” to make more money. Yes, Luisa, brilliant. Lol. I know it’s easier said than done. But it is absolutely possible. In fact, it’s one of the guiding principles I’ve used to build my own business, and help my clients build theirs. Here’s one of my top ways for doing it: Stabilize ONE revenue stream first. From end to end, that includes one product, delivery method, sales system, and traffic source. So that sales are consistent and predictable. A few common examples of how that can happen… …Partner traffic → webinar funnel → sales call → group coaching program …Paid traffic → course funnel → course(s) …Social media → DM/sales call → 1-on-1 coaching program …Outreach → Proposal/sales call → consulting/done-for-you retainer Just one of these methods (which one to use depends on your business, personal strengths, and industry) is usually enough to get to $20K per month or more. And once you have that, well, you’ve got your bills covered and you’re starting to enjoy some nice profit. Which means you no longer “need” that next client or sale. Which means you instantly become a lot more attractive (because you’re confident, know what you’re doing, and aren’t “needy”) to more clients and sales. Which also means you have a lot more space, energy, and time to focus on growing your business to $30K, $50K, or more, per month. Or, sitting back and simply enjoying what you’ve built. At that point, it’s your choice. You’ll have earned it. Fair warning though: Most entrepreneurs get distracted (“Oooh a new strategy to try! Maybe this will be easier/faster/better!”), or give up, before they’re able to reach this point. It takes dedication, hard work, the right mindset, and real business skills to get here. But if you have all those—or at least the willingness to develop them—then yes, it’s absolutely doable. As I always say: It’s not magic, luck, woo-woo, or a scam. It’s just *business*. And when/if you’d like my help with it, here are the different ways I can help: If you want to build a business to replace your 9-to-5:[The 4-Step Formula I Used to Build My Coaching Business and Replace My Salary BEFORE I Left my 9-5]() If you’re ready to grow your business while working less:[Successfully create & sell your own online course for true financial freedom]( And, if you’re at 6-figures ready to scale to multiple 6- or 7-:[Go from Hustling Coach/Course Creator to 7-Figure Business Owner](=) Luisa Zhou [Facebook]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( [Unsubscribe]( Zhou Ventures, Inc. P.O. Box 2545 New York, New York 10163-2545 United States