If you’ve ever felt like you’re fighting the chatter of your critical inner voice, you’re not alone. Holly MacCue fought the same battle. More importantly, she came out on the other end!
“Who am I to call myself an expert?
Who am I to call myself a go-to person?
I’m a fraud and somebody is going to find out sooner or later!”
Strikes a chord?
It’s the sound of imposter syndrome. And you’re by no means the only one who’s in pain with it.
Battling Imposter Syndrome
Just like many of us, Holly MacCue found herself battling the destructive chatter of her critical inner voice.
And yes…
She has a degree in English Literature.
AND she successfully worked as a Marketing Strategist for global brand corporations like Unilever and Procter & Gamble.
But things came to a head.
Holly calls it her ‘quarter life crisis’.
To find a way out, she set out to do some serious personal development and felt especially inspired by her NLP experience. As a matter of fact, she was so over the moon about it she wanted to share what she learned with other people.
So… she set off on a journey to become a certified business coach.
Becoming a Sales and Messaging Coach
As a recovering perfectionist and with a new certification in her pocket, Holly was ready for a career change.
Goodbye marketing. Hello HR.
ONLY…
She may have been ready for a new chapter. The business world certainly wasn’t. With a CV that screamed marketing, the opportunity Holly was craving didn’t eventuate.
So Holly took matters in her own hand. First as a side-hustle that she kept secret out of fear of not being taken seriously by her part-time corporate work colleagues. Until in a brave moment, she confessed…and found out she did what others are dreaming of!
But it wasn’t until she allowed herself to be called a Sales and Messaging Coach that things really ramped up.
Authentic Selling Wins The Game… ALWAYS
Holly discovered she wasn’t the only one holding herself back by the mind bully inside her head.
Her clients did too.
For far too long, Sales has been a dirty word associated with icky and pushy practices. It’s off-putting, if anything. And her clients, realising the pitfalls… ironically refrained from doing any selling or marketing!
Holly, however, stands for nothing that smells of pushy sales tactics.
Her motto is:
“People are going to buy from you when they buy into you.”
What she is saying is that you have to meet your audience in their needs.
The question is NOT ‘What do you offer?’ The question is ‘What is the client searching for?’
Whatever the answer is, meet them there!
Make them say:
‘Oh, my Gosh! This is exactly what I need! How do I work with you?’
The Freedom That Comes With Creating Clarity
Holly practices what she preaches.
She meets her clients in their search for a sales solution; a search for their ideal client.
In their quest for the slam-dunk YES from their audience, her clients rarely realise that the signature on the dotted line of the sales agreement is only the last step in an entire process.
So Holly offers them the pathway that will lead them to the effortless sales solution they are searching for.
She knows the answer lies in creating clarity around their brand, clarity around their messaging, and clarity around who they want to serve (aka their ‘niche’). It’s all the things she knows from her past career in marketing. Often, she ends up chiselling away at her client’s mindset too.
Little did her clients know that was what they needed!
As for meeting her clients’ expectations? Her clients over the moon with the experience AND the results. Â
AHA!
And just like that…
Of course, all of this is wisdom that comes with being an expert, an authority in your field who’s also done the soul searching and the growing.
But here’s the home-run.
When you ask Holly about imposter syndrome today, she says:
“Rather than asking who we are to call ourself an expert, maybe we should ask ourself who we are to deny our clients our expertise!”
NOW….! Talking about shutting down the tiny little voice in your head!
And just like that, Holly’s business has moved on from being a secret side-hustle. These days she is a mum of two and her days are what she calls an eclectic mix of client meetings and drum banging during toddler music class.
And because Holly serves other service based entrepreneurs, her good vibes in turn change other people’s lives, who in turn…
There’s plenty more wisdom from Holly on the podcast, in case you are wondering. We also talk about motherhood, what makes up a support team in business, why you sell an experience, and why defining a niche doesn’t mean you’re being boxed in. Plug in the earphones! You’re in for a treat.
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And, of course, let us know how you deal with that inner critical voice. The more we support each other and share our journey, the stronger and wiser we all become.
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Grab the Holly MacCue’s FREE cheat sheet “20 Fuss-Free Ways to Find Clients” (without paid ads) www.hollymaccue.com/gift
Connect with Holly MacCue
www.facebook.com/hollymaccuecoaching
www.facebook.com/groups/empoweredentrepreneursconnect
www.instagram.com/hollymaccue
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