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My success story as a young marketing coach who earned over six figures online by the time I was 24 would not have been possible without these important lessons.
My journey has taught me the importance of balancing ambitious vision with actual execution, the importance of consistent lead generation, the power of direct messaging (DMs), and the true intention behind content creation as a service-based business owner, which has allowed me to scale with an email list of less than 300 people and a few thousand followers on Instagram and Facebook without paying for ads.
I grew to over six figures in sales primarily through one-on-one customer sales. The key was not to have a huge audience, but to build meaningful connections with an existing audience. And I know I’m not delusional when I say that the lessons I learned will help you on your journey to over six figures no matter how young or older you are on paper.
But a little delusion never hurts.
Related: The secret to earning a six-figure salary: How to turn your knowledge and experience into a profitable online business
The importance of delusional vision backed by practical implementation
It took a bold leap of faith to launch a coaching business at age 22 while also holding a full-time job. From day one, my goals were lofty. As a Chinese immigrant who moved to America at age 8 without understanding a word of English, I thrived on defying expectations, bullying, and making myself feel small.
Even when I felt like I didn't belong anywhere as a Chinese girl growing up in America, I wanted to claim my place in whatever field I was involved in, whether it was school, work, or entrepreneurship. So in my first month as a new coach, I declared to my then-business coach my goal to make $50,000 in the next 30 days. I didn't achieve this ambitious goal. Still, two months after starting my coaching business, I made $13,000.
But ambitious goals are only half the equation. A practical strategy is essential to achieving those goals. Many service-based entrepreneurs looking to grow to six figures or more have big dreams but never follow through. Without actionable steps and a strategy, lofty ambitions remain just dreams.
To bridge the gap between your delusional vision and reality, don't be afraid to seek advice from people who have been successful before you and who have helped many people achieve the same level of success you desire.
Focus on generating leads rather than chasing dopamine hits
Many online service-based entrepreneurs, especially those who sell coaching, consulting, or some sort of representation package, place too much emphasis on vanity metrics.
I always liken business to dating. You (hopefully) won't date everyone who pays attention to you, so don't try to do business with everyone who pays attention to you or gives you a dopamine rush. Likes, comments, and impressions are not leads. They only count as leads if they qualify as a potential customer for your offering.
The key to effective lead generation is understanding your ideal customer. How and where you find your leads can have a huge impact on your trajectory to a profitable and sustainable business. I focused on Facebook groups for the first year growing my coaching business because that's where my ideal audience was. Facebook groups remain a goldmine for online service-based businesses and coaches.
But don't stick to a particular platform just because you're comfortable with it – adjust. Be adaptable, like the market. Be where your ideal clients are. For example, Instagram works great for creatives and online entrepreneurs, LinkedIn is great for career professionals, TikTok is great for Gen Z and the younger generation, etc.
Once you have determined who your target audience is and how you can help them, you need to show who you are to them. Remember: if no one knows you, no one can hire you. If no one knows you're selling something, no one can buy it.
Related: I made $10,495 in one month as a freelancer while working less than 16 hours a week What I did made a huge difference.
Leverage the power of direct messaging to boost sales
Having a pool of leads is great, but what really matters is converting them. Direct messaging (DMs) is an effective tool you can use in this process, but many online service-based business owners don’t take advantage of it when looking to grow beyond six figures.
Again, this approach is like online dating: show interest, establish a connection, build rapport, and then pitch an offer or call if it seems like it would make sense to the right person. This strategy alone has grown my business from zero to six figures. By making my audience feel seen and listened to, I no longer had to make the cold pitch. The right connections in DMs naturally led to discovery calls and then paying clients. It's that simple.
Just like you don’t need to force a first date, sales conversion in our business works the same way. DMs also provide a wealth of marketing insights that can be reflected in your content and services.
Having intimate conversations with your audience will help you understand how you can better support them, whether that’s elevating your messaging to cover their pain points or even refining your existing offers to better meet their needs.
Direct mail, especially for one-to-one offers, is like a more personalized version of a content marketing strategy. You can personalize your message and customize how you present your offer to the specific potential customer you're speaking with. Instead of cramming your entire offer into one email or one piece of content, you have an entire conversation around which to frame your offer.
To get the most out of DMs, be observant and curious. Use DMs as a two-way communication channel. Pay attention to your ideal clients' problems and what they're looking for, and constantly refine your strategy.
Related: 5 Daily Habits of Entrepreneurs Who Earn Six-Figure Income
Spend less time creating content
To achieve a six-figure income, I had to completely silence the perfectionist in me. Instead of obsessing over perfect content, I saw it as a way to express my values, thoughts, and wisdom.
Some of my best content has come from real conversations in DMs with potential customers, which allowed me to provide actionable advice to my audience without investing too much of my time.
This allowed me to focus on building personal, intentional connections with a small number of followers, typically through DMs and discovery calls. These personal connections, not the perfect content, were essential to driving consistent sales. Additionally, as social media evolves and becomes more pervasive in our daily lives, human attention spans are becoming shorter and shorter. What is the best way to capture your audience's attention (which cannot be easily replaced by AI)? Do you think it's a piece of content, or a meaningful conversation with your ideal client?
The bottom line is this: embracing delusional goals, focusing on actionable lead generation, leveraging direct mail for sales, and avoiding content perfectionism were the keys to my success. The same principles can guide you on your entrepreneurial journey, especially if you're looking to grow your service-based business to six figures or more. Enjoy the journey.
