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... This sentence - give or take a few words - comes up in nearly every client conversation of mine.

BUT once we dig a little deeper, it becomes clear: Selling isn’t the real issue.

What we uncover almost immediately:

👉🏻 My clients are brilliant at what they do. The problem isn’t expertise.

It’s the ABSENCE OF A STRATEGIC MAP.

❗️This isn’t a “sales skills” problem. It’s a clarity gap: They don’t know who they’re speaking to (target audience) and/or how to speak about what they offer (targeted messaging). Surprising or not, it all circles back to one foundational question: Have they built a business plan? You can probably guess the answer…

“I can’t sell” isn’t a confidence issue. And it’s often not even a messaging issue.
It’s a system issue.

📚 Research backs this up:

• Entrepreneur: Sales isn’t persuasion - it’s problem-solving. Most people pitch too early, before they truly UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR BUYERS WANT.

• Forbes: One of the biggest mistakes? Not KNOWING WHY PEOPLE BUY. It’s emotional.

• Brian P. Swift: Sales stalls when entrepreneurs are too close to their product and can’t THINK LIKE THEIR BUYER.

This spiral is all too common:

1️⃣ No clear audience →

2️⃣ No insight into their mindset →

3️⃣ No real connection →

4️⃣ No positioning →

5️⃣ Hollow communication →

6️⃣ No sales, no results →

7️⃣ No feedback →

8️⃣ No growth = stagnation

This isn’t about brilliant and entertaining copywriting.

❗️It’s about strategic self-definition.

💡 Your audience isn’t a demographic - it’s a decision logic.

💡 Communication isn’t content - it’s a framework for understanding.

💡 Positioning isn’t marketing - it’s a reference point.

Without these, there’s nothing to MEASURE. → And if we can’t measure, we can’t learn what works. 🟰 That’s where stagnation, improvisation, and “let’s just try something” creep in. 😣 And we all know: when effort doesn’t lead to results, it drains more than just our finances! It chips away at motivation, confidence, enthusiasm, and resilience.

👆🏻That’s why we don’t start with selling. We start by making your value understandable - to you and to your audience. And that’s the cornerstone of a well-built business plan. (See my earlier post on why your business plan matters.)

📩 Book a free discover call to see how I can help! Based on my clients'' feedback: One consultation = three months’ worth of strategic fuel to get aligned, get moving, and start seeing results.

Let’s be honest: running a business solo is thrilling… aaand exhausting.

You’re not just making products, organizing client data, or prepping for your next consult. You’re also:

🤓 the idea machine,

👷🏻 the builder,

🧠 the strategic and creative brain,

🏦 the financial department

✨ the marketer… and sometimes

🦉 the late-night overthinker too.

But success doesn’t come from pushing harder. It comes from THINKING AND ACTING SMARTER.

The most successful solopreneurs share a few key traits:

🧠 STRATEGIC THINKING - zooming out beyond the daily grind to ask, “Where am I really headed?”

📈 INTENTIONAL PLANNING - setting goals that flex with market needs.

🔄 ADAPTIBITY - knowing when to pivot, pause, or go all in.

📚 CONTINUOUS LEARNING - staying curious about trends, customers, competitors… and themselves.

And here’s what many forget: being a SOLO entrepreneur DOESN’T mean doing it all ALONE.

When you’re building from scratch, it’s game-changing to have someone who gets what you’re trying to do. Someone with real strategic depth who helps you think clearer, refine your ideas, and reminds you just how brilliant you are. 😉

Not a guru.
Not a critic.

But a creative PARTNER. A thought ally who reframes your current situation, your vision, your real (or imagined) roadblocks and helps you move forward with actual solutions.

That’s SELLevator LLC .

Not a platform. Definitely not a cookie-cutter service.
It’s your “business coach-in-crime” 😉 - the one who rolls up their sleeves and digs deep into your unique situation. Because I only succeed when I help you succeed. 🤗

Whether you’re launching your first offer or refining your tenth, there’s always room to sharpen your strategy, hashtag#plan smarter, and align your value with your market.

✔️ I ask the questions you haven’t thought of yet.

✔️Spot the patterns that might be slowing you down - or speeding up your hashtag#breakthrough.

✔️ Celebrate your wins with you.
And yes,

✔️ nudge you when you’re tempted to hide from your own goals.
Because like I said: solo doesn’t have to mean lonely!

Let it be bold.
Intentional.
Energizing.
Successful.
And centered around YOU.

If you’ve been telling yourself “I’ll figure it out eventually”… maybe it’s time we figure it out together.

Let’s brainstorm.
hashtag#Strategize.
Build.
Together.

✨Let’s put you on the fast lane!

Ready for your breakthrough?
👉🏻 Book a free discovery call!

These days, no matter where you scroll, you're bound to stumble across a loud promise:

"Join my free webinar and learn how I made 7 figures from my couch!"

Or:

"Today only! The complete 'Online Empire Builder' package value: $497 value, but just today, just now, just for you $9!" ...hmmmm 🤔

⁉️ The question is valid: are these really golden opportunities, or just another clever marketing hook?!

Let's dig a little, why are there so many?

🫰 1., Because it's cheap and easy to start:

With all the new tools and AI "in action" all you need is a license or maybe a free account on these tools and you are "ready" to "create" and run a webinar. And sadly, only a few focusing on creating Real Value...

💻 2., Because how the market works had shifted:

During COVID, online learning became normal, and demand is still growing.

Because digital products = high profit. Once it's created, you can sell it over and over with zero extra cost.

🤖 3., Because it's easy to automate:

Ads + email sequences + pre-recorded "live" video = passive revenue stream.

💴 🧲 4., Because (unfortunately) illusions sell better than reality.

"Quick wins, easy money" = click magnet.

🔎 And what's the REALITY?

Yes, you can make money with online courses, but the 7-figure stories usually come with:

👉 Min 5 - 10 years of expertise

👉 an existing large audience or strong personal brand, and

👉 a most likely a professional marketing team in the background

☝ FYI - but I am sure deep down you know... - :

- That "$9 kit" is not magic – it's the first step in a sales funnel. Next comes the $97, then the $997 offer. 🙄

- Most "free" webinars are 70% sales pitch, 30% real content – and the real value is often locked behind a paywall. 🥱

✨ How to spot real value? (A - not complete, but good to start with - mini hint-list)

👆 Check the speaker's background! Do they have proven results in the field, or just teach "how to teach"? What they claim is backed with facts – here comes my fav "lil" hashtag#marketresearch… 😉

👆 Read reviews. Not just on their website, but on independent forums too. (ta-daam, again, market research and hashtag#criticalthinking cannot be undervalued 😉

👆 Watch the webinar's structure. Example: If the first 10 minutes are self-praise, and every other sentence is "you'll learn this in the program," that's a red flag.

👆 Know your goal. If you want practical skills, look for a WORKSHOP-style, interactive session, not a passive sales presentation.

👆 Expect the upsell. "Free" or "$9" is almost always just the entry ticket… Be strategic with your time!

Learning should empower, not manipulate! Choose wisely!

One of the reccurring "fear" or "block" for my clients is > selling <. Even the word bothers them, when we talk about … "SALES" … frequently associated words like: "pushy", "aggressive", "unsolicited". 😣

Unfortunately, I understand why. A lot of people in sales (and yes, just now I feel the negative connotation) are really about: "hey, … you…buy… this… NOW…!" 🤔💬 - when they don't even know anything about the prospect.

During my brainstorming and consulting sessions, I often apply the following "let's walkthrough the facts" process with my clients:

👉🏻 what you are offering (service or product) is helping them (saving costs, saving time, saving space…)

👉🏻 improves something (efficiency, productivity, self-awareness…)

👉🏻 or prevents something unwanted (downtime, bad reputation, burnout, conflict…)

👉🏻 makes things easier for them (makes it faster, maybe totally eliminates something that was causing redundancy…)

🤝 In that case (IF THE TARGET GROUP IS WELL SELECTED = you have done your homework on to "whom" and "why") you are educating them about a possibility that creates a WIN-WIN situation.

So what really happens: You are helping them, which they acknowledge and honor by paying for it.

The decision is theirs.

❗️YOUR RESPONSIBILITY is to ensure:

👉🏻what you are offering is relevant…

👉🏻 truly helping/needed, and…

👉🏻 you are presenting it to the right audience…

👉🏻 in the right way = translated to their situation and language…

No "sales", only improvement offered!

👂🏻Have you heard about this expression? Maybe…

😣 Have you experienced it: FOR SURE - even though you weren't aware…

In hashtag#Sales… hashtag#Branding … hashtag#Marketing… we all know how frustrating is when we did "our job", we nailed the presentation, or the testing went well, or got great questions during the meeting and the customer expressed their interest… yet … crickets…

The ***"Rule of 7" *** is not just some old and dusty marketing myth. It is a "secret but needed method" that works!

So, what is the "Rule of 7"?

Simply put, it means your potential customer needs to be exposed to your - marketing, or product, or branding - message at least seven times before they take action - whether that's signing up, buying, or even just remembering you.

🤔 Sounds like a lot? - It is.

🤔🤔 Even if you showed up extremely well prepared? - Yes!

People are bombarded with thousands of messages and impulses every day. A single shout in the crowd just won't cut it.

😳 But Really?! 7?!?!?!?!

Well, it is not exact number, but per marketing researches and psychology, seven exposures help build:

🤩 Familiarity: People buy from brands they recognize.

🤝 Trust: Repetition helps break down skepticism.

🤗 Recall: The more they see you, the easier it is to remember you when the need arises.

What does this mean for you?

If you're posting once on social media and hoping for a flood of customers - hmmm… that's wishful thinking…

Instead, you need a hashtag#consistent, messaging and hashtag#multichannel presence. Think emails, social posts, ads, webinars, blog posts, and even other on- and offline events.

Here's how to put the Rule of 7 to work for your business:

1. Map your customer journey: Where and how do they hang out?
2. Create multiple touchpoints: Mix content types and platforms.
3. Be consistent: Show up regularly, without spamming!!!
4. Track and adjust: See what works, double down on it.

💡A quick real-world example

Imagine you run a fitness studio. You post a video once, aaaand… nothing.

But if you:

• Share that video on Instagram and Facebook,
• Send a newsletter about it,
• Host a free live class,
• Share client testimonials,
• Run a targeted local ad,
• Post a behind-the-scenes story, and
• Engage in comments and messages…

your audience sees you everywhere. And when they're ready to commit to fitness, guess who they'll think of first?

Don't underestimate the power of "showing up"!

Marketing, brand and trust building isn't a one-shot game.

It's a marathon of hashtag#meaningful, hashtag#strategic and hashtag#consistent connection. So put on your running shoes and start showing up … at least seven times. 😉

The highlight of my work - without a doubt - is when I can ignite the spark, rekindle the fire, and show my clients the many paths to success… often faster than they expected.

No one enjoys giving bad news, especially when you’re in a “creative support” role where you genuinely believe anything is possible - and you do everything you can to make your client’s dream come true. But sometimes, it’s necessary to point out the pitfalls, the potential mistakes, and the risk of failure. Because, if we want to stay true to ourselves and take our “mission” - supporting others - seriously, then HONESTY is essential.

The Value of “NO”
There are times - backed by clear reasoning, naturally - when I have to tell my client: “This just isn’t going to work (as is).” And often, this “bad news” saves them thousands of dollars in research, marketing, and development - and frees up valuable time that they can invest in something truly unique and viable. Something that could actually lead them to success.

I work with solopreneurs and aspiring individuals with great ideas, with one goal: to help transform those ideas into real, thriving businesses. One of the very first steps I always recommend - and apply myself when preparing for my consultation sessions - is THOROUGH MARKET RESEARCH:

• Know your competitors!
• Look into current trends in the field of interest!
• Analyze your target audience (by geography, interests, and challenges)!
• Identify how your idea - whether it’s a product or a service - connects to their needs and solves real problems!
• Aaaand even if it does - do they have the time… the interest… the willingness to actually use it?

Of course, I always want to help! That’s why, during my prep for today’s consultation—despite personally questioning the viability of the idea - I challenged myself to a “creative duel” and examined the concept from every possible angle. So, while I highlighted all the counterpoints, I also built out a "Plan B". I pulled together my ideas as if I had no other choice but to make this project a success. 😅 Marketing suggestions, investor angles, brand strategy - you name it- to make sure my client has the full picture yet wouldn’t walk away empty-handed and would feel equipped if she decides to move forward.

At the end of the day, I’m “just” the advisor in this partnership - but I’m committed to delivering value. Even if that sometimes means saying NO, hence saving my clients from wasted costs and time so they can focus on something more viable. Their success is my success, but the final decision is always theirs.

If you’re self-employed - a solopreneur, freelancer, or small business owner - you really know this.
Wearing multiple hats and juggling everything at once can get overwhelming. Every single minute counts. Especially when you’re deciding how to spend your limited time between revenue-generating work, admin tasks, and self-improvement.
I would like to highlight: CONTINUOUS LEARNING AND GROWTH ARE ESSENTIAL, no doubt. But filtering WHAT and HOW you spend your time on learning is critical!

The Webinar Mirage: Where Marketing Masks as Mentorship…
I’ve been researching the market for a while, and I am already overwhelmed with the sea of “free business webinars”, and the ‘How to build a 6-figure business in 2 months with 8 easy steps’ methods promised…
Interestingly, the very first question when registering for these events is: your email address. And yes, here’s the truth most won’t say out loud: While some free webinars/seminars genuienly aim to educate, many are primrily designed as lead generation tools with the true goal being to enter you into a sales funnel, where you keep getting sales pitches, not tailored advice or customized guidance. That’s not learning. That’s marketing.

Here is another reality about most of these free webinars:

• Based on informal surveys, client feedback and broader industry observation only 20–30% of participants say the content was truly new and useful for their specific business situation.
• In my experience - and echoed by many fellow business owners - even fewer - about 10–15% - actually apply what they learned effectively after the session.
• Many feel these webinars are too generic, too sales-focused, trying to sell them something else or simply don’t speak to their niche or target customers.

So, while many entrepreneurs and small business owners spend hours or days on these sessions weekly/monthly, only about 1 in 5 find real value, and only about 1 in 10 applies some knowledge towards their business. For the rest, it’s lost time, that could have been spent on revenue generating activities and direct business growth instead.

The “Youtube Allure” - Hours of Watching... zero ROI. Welcome to Edu-tainment
If you want to learn more, there are tons of great webinars and tutorials and excellent content on YouTube for free, with no email required. But HERE IS THE CATCH: You could spend hundreds of hours searching, selecting and watching free content… feeling you are “doing something” for yourself and for your business, yet you can still stay stuck — because you don’t apply or you don’t know HOW TO APPLY it to your unique business and challenges.
Information isn’t the problem anymore — the internet is full of it.
The real gap is:

• Finding the truly relevant and valuable material for your unique situation
• Turning that information into a clear, actionable path forward
• Knowing what and how the information actually applies to your business - and what’s just noise.
• Lack of “human touch” and real-time insights = someone who helps you think sharper, act faster, and move with confidence answering Your questions right on the spot

Again… time (well?) spent?!

Here is a little analogy for you:
I bet you wouldn’t walk into a random salon, sit in the chair for a free “one-style-fits-all-bowl-cut,” and walk out convinced this is exactly the change you needed. After all, hair grows back in a few months, so if you’re not happy, it’s not the end of the world. Yet you’d still prefer to go to a real stylist, someone who listens, understands what works for you, and helps you walk out with something you’re actually proud of.
The same goes for your business! But in that case, it is about YOUR TIME INVESTED, YOUR REPUTATION, YOUR INCOME! … Those don’t “grow back” so easily. If you wouldn’t take that chance with your hair — something that does grow back — why would you settle for generic advice that doesn’t fit you?
Whether it’s a slick webinar or a deep-dive YouTube "rabbit hole" - free learning without clear application is the same trap in a different outfit.

For time well-spent BE STRATEGIC!
That’s where a well-chosen business advisor makes all the difference. It’s not about watching. IT’S ABOUT DOING — TOGETHER! Either you are just about to start, collecting ideas and direction to launch, or if you are already “in action” but looking for a “booster”, custom-tailored, thoughtful but affordable guidance helps you grow - sustainably, confidently, and on your terms.
Your time is your most valuable currency - and unlike money, you can’t earn it back once it’s spent. Spend it where it moves your business forward, not where it just fills your inbox.

Curious what it means to stop passively collecting ideas and start building real momentum?
Book a free 30-minute clarity call with me to see what's POSSIBLE.