Episode 110 - Why Your List Isn’t Growing (Leading vs Lagging Indicators Explained)

1 00:00:00,000 - > 00:00:02,080 SPEAKER_00: You know that moment when you check your email list 2 00:00:02,240 - > 00:00:06,000 and it hasn't grown, and your brain immediately says, cool, 3 00:00:06,160 - > 00:00:07,519 something must be broken. 4 00:00:07,759 - > 00:00:10,320 So you start tweaking everything: your content, your 5 00:00:10,320 - > 00:00:13,679 offer, your messaging, when in reality, you might just be 6 00:00:13,679 - > 00:00:15,039 measuring the wrong things. 7 00:00:15,199 - > 00:00:17,199 Today, we're gonna fix that. 8 00:00:18,640 - > 00:00:21,120 Ready to grow your online business without losing your 9 00:00:21,120 - > 00:00:21,359 mind? 10 00:00:21,519 - > 00:00:23,120 You're in the right spot, my friend. 11 00:00:23,280 - > 00:00:25,760 Welcome to Create Your Online Business Success. 12 00:00:25,920 - > 00:00:29,519 I'm your host, Tracy Beavers, and this show is all about 13 00:00:29,519 - > 00:00:33,200 practical strategies, creative ideas, and sanity saving 14 00:00:33,200 - > 00:00:35,200 solutions that you can use right now. 15 00:00:35,359 - > 00:00:38,719 Let's crank up the dial on your business growth and make it fun. 16 00:00:38,880 - > 00:00:42,079 Let's create your online business success. 17 00:00:42,799 - > 00:00:45,439 So we're going to talk about one of the most important shifts you 18 00:00:45,439 - > 00:00:48,079 can make in your business if you want consistent visibility, 19 00:00:48,320 - > 00:00:50,960 steady email list growth, and actual leads coming in. 20 00:00:51,119 - > 00:00:52,320 And who doesn't want that? 21 00:00:52,479 - > 00:00:55,200 We're diving into leading versus lagging indicators. 22 00:00:55,439 - > 00:00:58,880 Sounds like a snooze fest, I know, but essentially it's a 23 00:00:58,880 - > 00:01:02,399 what we can control and should be measuring versus what we 24 00:01:02,399 - > 00:01:03,200 can't control. 25 00:01:03,520 - > 00:01:07,120 And once you see this, you can't unsee it, because it explains 26 00:01:07,120 - > 00:01:10,319 why so many smart, experienced entrepreneurs feel like they're 27 00:01:10,319 - > 00:01:12,879 doing everything right, but not getting the results they 28 00:01:12,879 - > 00:01:13,599 expected. 29 00:01:13,840 - > 00:01:15,599 So I want to make this super simple. 30 00:01:15,920 - > 00:01:20,480 Lagging indicators, it's a super fancy name, for your results. 31 00:01:20,719 - > 00:01:24,400 Those are things we cannot control, like sales, new email 32 00:01:24,400 - > 00:01:26,719 subscribers, booked calls, revenue. 33 00:01:26,959 - > 00:01:29,519 They tell you what already happened in your business. 34 00:01:29,680 - > 00:01:32,799 Now the leading indicators, another fancy word for saying 35 00:01:32,799 - > 00:01:35,200 what you can control, those are your actions. 36 00:01:35,359 - > 00:01:38,319 Things like posting content, inviting people to your email 37 00:01:38,319 - > 00:01:42,239 list, starting conversations in your DMs or your inbox, being 38 00:01:42,239 - > 00:01:44,879 visible in groups and communities and networking, 39 00:01:45,120 - > 00:01:47,519 inviting people to your free Facebook group or to listen to 40 00:01:47,519 - > 00:01:50,959 your podcast, or subscribe to your YouTube channel, join your 41 00:01:50,959 - > 00:01:54,640 program wait list, the fun ways we get our subscribers to reply 42 00:01:54,640 - > 00:01:57,040 back so we can have deeper conversations with them. 43 00:01:57,280 - > 00:02:00,159 These are the things that actually create your results. 44 00:02:00,400 - > 00:02:02,239 But here's where most people get stuck. 45 00:02:02,480 - > 00:02:05,680 They're focused almost entirely on lagging indicators. 46 00:02:05,920 - > 00:02:08,800 I see this all the time with my business visibility made easy 47 00:02:08,800 - > 00:02:09,199 students. 48 00:02:09,360 - > 00:02:11,280 You guys know that's my eight-week group coaching 49 00:02:11,280 - > 00:02:12,159 accelerator. 50 00:02:12,319 - > 00:02:16,000 And they are totally focused on those lagging indicators. 51 00:02:16,159 - > 00:02:18,560 They wake up and check, did I get a new subscriber? 52 00:02:18,719 - > 00:02:19,599 Did I make a sale? 53 00:02:19,759 - > 00:02:22,800 And when the answer is no, they assume something is broken. 54 00:02:22,960 - > 00:02:25,759 So they come to our live strategy call and they want to 55 00:02:25,759 - > 00:02:26,639 try to fix it. 56 00:02:26,719 - > 00:02:28,560 And they want to try to change everything. 57 00:02:28,800 - > 00:02:33,199 But here's the truth: you cannot control, I cannot control, my 58 00:02:33,199 - > 00:02:34,159 lagging indicators. 59 00:02:34,319 - > 00:02:37,439 You cannot control your lagging indicators because the market 60 00:02:37,439 - > 00:02:38,560 decides those. 61 00:02:38,800 - > 00:02:41,120 Your subscribers, your audience, your market. 62 00:02:41,520 - > 00:02:44,800 You can only control your leading indicators, the things 63 00:02:44,800 - > 00:02:47,039 that you are in charge of, your actions. 64 00:02:47,599 - > 00:02:50,479 So let's talk about this through the lens of list growth because 65 00:02:50,479 - > 00:02:52,080 this is where I see it all the time. 66 00:02:52,319 - > 00:02:55,919 Lagging indicators sound like my list isn't growing, I'm not 67 00:02:55,919 - > 00:02:58,000 getting leads, I'm not making sales. 68 00:02:58,240 - > 00:03:01,599 But when we look at the leading indicators, we can start asking 69 00:03:01,599 - > 00:03:02,560 better questions. 70 00:03:02,800 - > 00:03:05,520 I'm asking my students, how often are you inviting people to 71 00:03:05,520 - > 00:03:06,319 your email list? 72 00:03:06,479 - > 00:03:08,000 Are you promoting your lead magnets? 73 00:03:08,159 - > 00:03:10,000 Are you promoting your free Facebook group? 74 00:03:10,080 - > 00:03:13,120 And you know I teach that that should grow your list. 75 00:03:13,439 - > 00:03:15,280 How visible are you every week? 76 00:03:15,439 - > 00:03:17,039 I mean, are you really visible? 77 00:03:17,280 - > 00:03:20,879 And are you actually starting conversations in the inbox and 78 00:03:20,879 - > 00:03:21,759 in the DMs? 79 00:03:21,919 - > 00:03:24,400 Or are you waiting for people to come to you? 80 00:03:24,719 - > 00:03:27,120 Are you giving people a clear next step? 81 00:03:27,360 - > 00:03:30,400 Because here's the thing: our content will only do so much 82 00:03:30,400 - > 00:03:31,039 work for us. 83 00:03:31,199 - > 00:03:32,879 After that, it's up to us. 84 00:03:33,199 - > 00:03:35,039 We have to maintain that visibility. 85 00:03:35,199 - > 00:03:37,360 We have to be inviting people to join us. 86 00:03:37,520 - > 00:03:40,879 We have to be having conversations because visibility 87 00:03:40,879 - > 00:03:42,639 alone does not give you leads. 88 00:03:43,199 - > 00:03:46,319 So here's a simple framework that I want you to remember. 89 00:03:46,719 - > 00:03:51,680 Visibility is the invitation, it's the connection that gives 90 00:03:51,680 - > 00:03:52,240 you leads. 91 00:03:52,719 - > 00:03:55,919 If you're showing up but you're not inviting, you'll stay stuck. 92 00:03:56,159 - > 00:03:58,639 If you're inviting, but you're not connecting, you're gonna 93 00:03:58,639 - > 00:03:59,680 struggle to convert. 94 00:03:59,840 - > 00:04:02,159 And if you're not visible, none of it works. 95 00:04:02,319 - > 00:04:05,199 This is why things can feel inconsistent even when you're 96 00:04:05,199 - > 00:04:06,960 like, Tracy, I'm doing all the work. 97 00:04:07,680 - > 00:04:10,560 So instead of asking, why isn't my list growing? 98 00:04:10,719 - > 00:04:14,080 I want you to start asking, what am I doing consistently each 99 00:04:14,080 - > 00:04:15,120 week to grow it? 100 00:04:15,360 - > 00:04:18,399 Because that's where your power is, that's where my power is. 101 00:04:18,639 - > 00:04:20,959 Your power is not in checking your numbers. 102 00:04:21,120 - > 00:04:23,920 Although we do need to check our numbers and track our analytics. 103 00:04:24,240 - > 00:04:26,639 I do those once a month at the end of every month. 104 00:04:26,959 - > 00:04:30,399 The power is in the actions, the things that we can control, 105 00:04:30,560 - > 00:04:32,160 those leading indicators. 106 00:04:32,399 - > 00:04:34,959 And we also need to normalize something that people don't talk 107 00:04:34,959 - > 00:04:35,759 about enough. 108 00:04:36,160 - > 00:04:39,040 Lagging indicators, those take time. 109 00:04:39,279 - > 00:04:41,439 It takes time to grow an online business. 110 00:04:41,759 - > 00:04:45,519 I personally am tired of people thinking they can come into the 111 00:04:45,519 - > 00:04:48,079 online space, throw something out there, and it's gonna sell 112 00:04:48,079 - > 00:04:50,240 like hotcakes and they don't have to do any work. 113 00:04:50,480 - > 00:04:53,680 This is a business we are building, and it takes time, 114 00:04:53,920 - > 00:04:55,360 patience and consistency. 115 00:04:55,600 - > 00:04:59,040 You can do all the right things this week and still not see 116 00:04:59,040 - > 00:04:59,920 immediate results. 117 00:05:00,079 - > 00:05:01,680 That doesn't mean it's not working. 118 00:05:01,920 - > 00:05:04,399 It just means your results haven't caught up yet. 119 00:05:05,040 - > 00:05:08,399 So this is a long game, not a 24-hour feedback loop. 120 00:05:08,639 - > 00:05:11,680 Building a business takes time, patience, consistency. 121 00:05:11,839 - > 00:05:14,480 I know you're so sick of me saying that, but it's the truth. 122 00:05:14,800 - > 00:05:17,600 And this is exactly what I focus on inside my programs. 123 00:05:17,920 - > 00:05:21,680 Not just be more visible, but what are the right actions? 124 00:05:21,920 - > 00:05:23,439 How often are you doing them? 125 00:05:23,759 - > 00:05:26,319 Are they actually leading to list growth and leads? 126 00:05:26,480 - > 00:05:30,800 Are they leading to connections, conversations, relationships? 127 00:05:31,120 - > 00:05:32,720 Because that's what converts. 128 00:05:32,959 - > 00:05:35,839 Because once you look, you lock in those leading indicators, 129 00:05:36,000 - > 00:05:39,600 those things you can control, your lagging indicators will 130 00:05:39,600 - > 00:05:41,040 start to take care of themselves. 131 00:05:41,360 - > 00:05:42,639 And it's really cool. 132 00:05:42,879 - > 00:05:46,160 So here's the thing: if things feel slow right now, before you 133 00:05:46,160 - > 00:05:48,720 go change your content, before you throw the baby out with the 134 00:05:48,720 - > 00:05:51,360 bathwater, changing your content, changing your offer, 135 00:05:51,439 - > 00:05:55,199 changing your entire strategy, pause and ask yourself, what am 136 00:05:55,199 - > 00:05:58,399 I actually doing consistently and be honest? 137 00:05:58,639 - > 00:06:00,560 That would create the result that I want. 138 00:06:00,720 - > 00:06:03,920 And is what I'm doing leading to conversations with my audience? 139 00:06:04,160 - > 00:06:06,800 Because that one question can change everything. 140 00:06:06,959 - > 00:06:09,839 And if you want help turning up your visibility into daily list 141 00:06:09,839 - > 00:06:14,240 growth and actual leads, that is exactly what I teach inside my 142 00:06:14,240 - > 00:06:17,199 eight-week group coaching accelerator called Business 143 00:06:17,199 - > 00:06:18,399 Visibility Made Easy. 144 00:06:18,480 - > 00:06:22,240 And it's also what I teach my elite one-to-one private 145 00:06:22,240 - > 00:06:23,199 coaching clients. 146 00:06:23,439 - > 00:06:26,240 You can grab your spot on the wait list for the next round of 147 00:06:26,240 - > 00:06:28,800 BVME by going to tracybeavers. 148 00:06:29,279 - > 00:06:33,680 I'm sorry, Tracybeavers.biz forward slash VIP wait list. 149 00:06:33,920 - > 00:06:36,800 If you can't tell, your girl is not 100% today. 150 00:06:36,959 - > 00:06:38,800 I've got a bronchial thing going on. 151 00:06:38,879 - > 00:06:41,759 It's it's a whole thing, but here we are, we're doing it. 152 00:06:42,000 - > 00:06:43,680 Also, I have an awesome newsletter. 153 00:06:43,759 - > 00:06:46,079 If you are ready to grow your email list and attract your 154 00:06:46,079 - > 00:06:49,439 consistent clients without relying on paid ads, pop into my 155 00:06:49,439 - > 00:06:50,079 newsletter. 156 00:06:50,240 - > 00:06:53,519 I share practical visibility strategies, simple list building 157 00:06:53,519 - > 00:06:56,639 ideas, and real-world insights you can actually use. 158 00:06:56,800 - > 00:06:59,519 And I also share a bunch of stuff that you didn't ask me 159 00:06:59,519 - > 00:07:01,279 about, but hopefully will entertain you. 160 00:07:01,439 - > 00:07:04,639 You can go to tracybeavers.biz forward slash forward slash 161 00:07:04,639 - > 00:07:06,000 newsletter and grab that. 162 00:07:06,319 - > 00:07:08,720 As always, I want to know what you want to learn. 163 00:07:08,959 - > 00:07:12,160 Tell me, YouTubers, tell me podcasters, podcast listeners, 164 00:07:12,399 - > 00:07:15,519 DM me, email me, get into the comments, tell me your thoughts 165 00:07:15,519 - > 00:07:18,000 on this episode, and tell me what you'd like to learn more 166 00:07:18,000 - > 00:07:18,240 about. 167 00:07:18,399 - > 00:07:20,480 And remember, you hear me say this every week. 168 00:07:20,639 - > 00:07:21,680 Don't go it alone. 169 00:07:21,839 - > 00:07:23,439 Being an entrepreneur is freaking hard. 170 00:07:23,600 - > 00:07:26,160 Some days everybody wants to buy what you're selling, and other 171 00:07:26,160 - > 00:07:27,759 days nobody can remember your name. 172 00:07:27,839 - > 00:07:30,319 And if you think you're alone in that, you are not. 173 00:07:30,480 - > 00:07:33,040 Come join my free Facebook group to get more support than you 174 00:07:33,040 - > 00:07:33,920 could ever imagine. 175 00:07:34,079 - > 00:07:37,040 You can promote your offers, join our free networking events. 176 00:07:37,120 - > 00:07:39,040 It's called Be a Confident Entrepreneur. 177 00:07:39,199 - > 00:07:42,319 The links are for for everything are in the show notes, waiting 178 00:07:42,319 - > 00:07:42,639 for you. 179 00:07:42,800 - > 00:07:45,040 I want you to have a great balance of the week and weekend, 180 00:07:45,120 - > 00:07:48,000 and I want you to remember that when one of us rises, we all 181 00:07:48,000 - > 00:07:48,319 rise. 182 00:07:48,399 - > 00:07:51,439 So that is why we have got to keep cheering each other on. 183 00:07:52,720 - > 00:07:55,680 Hey, thanks for tuning in to create your online business 184 00:07:55,680 - > 00:07:56,000 success. 185 00:07:56,399 - > 00:08:00,000 I hope you found today's episode packed with actionable tips and 186 00:08:00,000 - > 00:08:00,639 inspiration. 187 00:08:00,800 - > 00:08:03,759 And listen, if you want to dive even deeper with me and connect 188 00:08:03,759 - > 00:08:07,360 with a community of like-minded entrepreneurs that totally get 189 00:08:07,360 - > 00:08:10,639 you and understand what you're building, then join us in my 190 00:08:10,639 - > 00:08:11,759 free Facebook group. 191 00:08:11,920 - > 00:08:15,199 You get to promote your offers anytime, network with other 192 00:08:15,199 - > 00:08:18,639 entrepreneurs just like you, and possibly find some lucrative 193 00:08:18,639 - > 00:08:19,600 collaborations. 194 00:08:19,839 - > 00:08:23,439 Just search for Be a Confident Entrepreneur, get visible, grow 195 00:08:23,439 - > 00:08:26,079 your email list and your income over in Facebook. 196 00:08:26,240 - > 00:08:29,519 Or, if it's easier, just click the link in the show notes. 197 00:08:29,680 - > 00:08:31,600 We cannot wait to welcome you in. 198 00:08:31,759 - > 00:08:35,600 Let's stay connected so we can create your online business 199 00:08:35,600 - > 00:08:37,200 success together.