November 21, 2023
Ep 51: Being Known & Valued With Innovative Methodology with Erika Klics
November 21, 2023
Ep 51: Being Known & Valued With Innovative Methodology with Erika Klics
Ready to be known in your industry as the thought leader you are? Want clients who instantly understand your value and happily pay you? The answer to both are found in developing Innovative Methodology that clearly communicates your innovative advantage.
On this episode inside the Business Real Talk, our Special Guest Erika Klics will share:
- How Erika went from being an option to having clients who came to her knowing she was the only solution
- How developing her Inevitable Edge Method allowed her to 2x her prices and sign more premium clients
- How High Intent Messaging allowed her to know exactly how to articulate her value and become the known thought leader
To learn more about Erika and her Inevitable Edge Method, go to https://www.erikaklics.com/
And if you want to fast track your success, book a Growth Optimization Call here.
Hey, it's Nas!
LET’S CONNECT!
Business Real Talk Transcript:
Nas: Hey, hey, we are joined here with the amazing, incredible Erika Klics and sharing her Client Spotlight about working with me and the Easy Yes Method.
So I’m going to turn it over to you, Erika, to share a little bit more about you, what you do, all the magic that is your work.
Erika K: Yeah, sure. So I am Erika Klics. I am a Job Search Strategist for tech industry leaders, so directors, VPs, startup heads.
I live in the world of tech and I help people who have a vision for their careers and want to really grow and continue to challenge themselves so that they can really feel satisfied in the work that they do. I help them find their next thing.
Nas: I love that. I love it. I love it. So this is going to be the first question we have for you is, did you always know you wanted to be a job strategist or kind of, how did this come about?
Why did this become your passion and what you are supporting your clients in doing? Yeah.
Erika K: So I have lived in the tech industry since 2010 and I was a recruiter and I originally started kind of shifting what I do and where I focus based on a lot of frustration that I was having with the industry more generally, but also, so I always worked for companies, right?
I always helped them find people for jobs. And so I saw how things worked on the other side. I saw how decisions were made. I saw how You know, what the process really look like and where people were winning or where people were landing the job where they weren’t. And I realized that that wasn’t really information that was.
Easily, not even information. It was just something that wasn’t really understood from. So I originally, I started, I fell into it kind of by accident. I had a friend who asked me to help write her resume for her boyfriend’s resume. And I was like, yeah, sure. Whatever. I did it. And then she like sent me a hundred bucks and I realized, Oh, there’s a business in this.
But once I started working with people and seeing what they were seeing on the other end, I realized. Ah, like I can help folks. I can ask people. And then from there, once I, once the seed was planted, I couldn’t get it out of my head. I had to grow it into what I do today.
Nas: I love that. And I love that story because I think it’s so powerful.
I think a lot of times people don’t recognize, especially with innovation. We think of it as like we sat down at a desk and we decided what innovation was going to look like. And that’s how it like, that’s not how it works. Typically, like when we as innovators, what we’re doing is we’re doing something we naturally do.
It’s something that just comes inherently and we just start to see the seeds of, well, why are we doing it like this? And why aren’t more people doing it like that? And you start to see this gap and it’s just so natural. And I will tell you. After doing this for so long, so many people don’t even recognize the gap to begin with.
They think to themselves, well, just doesn’t everyone do it like this? So it’s so powerful that you actually understood that. And you were like, why is no one talking about this? Why is no one doing this? And then identified that and just kind of. Put yourself in there and couldn’t stop thinking about it.
So I absolutely love that. And I say this to you all the time and you know this, but like your innovation truly is the way that you look at things. It’s the, for you specifically, I love the way you address it, the way you look at how people are looking at jobs, but even further, like understanding the big outcomes they want to be able to create, it’s not just like, I want to land the job.
Like you and I had that conversation about how. They want to land a job, but it’s not just any job. It’s a job that truly like expands them and makes them feel like there’s a reason they’re waking up in the morning. And it’s really truly when we understand those types of outcomes. And I always like to say everyone’s outcomes are going to be what drive them.
Outcomes by working with the Easy Yes Method
Nas: And with that being said, I’d love to hear like when you and I work together, what were some outcomes that you had, some results that you saw that you’re the most excited about as a result of working together.
Erika K: Yeah, I mean, honestly, the best thing is just that I have clients who come to me and they already know that I’m different and they already know that they want to work with me.
That’s the biggest thing. I had clients before who were interested in coming to work with me, but it was really unclear to them why it was different. Yeah, and it was unclear to me why it was different. So now I know what exactly why I’m able to articulate it. And also, you know, because I have, because I’ve been talking about it because I’ve built structure around it because I have something that I really like that anchors me to what I do, no matter who I’m working with.
It’s just a lot easier for people to understand and to get to the point of whether it’s either for them or it’s not. And that is Perfect for me.
Nas: I love that. And that’s kind of the point, right? We want that. And I think people are so scared of hearing that. But the reality is, you want people to just as much as they know that you are exactly who they need, for some people to say, you’re not who I need.
Because that’s what eliminates that back and forth and us constantly like, trying to get people to where they need to go and convincing them. And I know, I think that one, one of the things people don’t often realize is when you understand Your value. You can communicate that value. It spills into every other area of your business and of your life.
Like your confidence increases. And some of the things that I’ll share, if that’s okay with you, is that you’re now creating a group program. And I remember one of the conversations when you sent me a DM and you’re like, after creating my methodology, I now can see that like this group program and how I can create it so easily.
So if you’re open to it, I’d love to have you share a little bit about that as well.
Erika K: Yeah, I mean, when I first started working with you, I worked one on one, and I still work one on one with folks, and I love that one to one work, but so much of what I do is very similar from person to person, and I know that there is value in those people seeing it for themselves and seeing the similarities.
But I just didn’t know how to do it, because in my mind, no, they need me, they need my attention, they need everything. Like, there’s no way I could possibly do it. But once we built a framework out then I could see how the framework applied to everyone, and how the steps of the framework are, like, really aligned for, for most people.
And then I get a chance to, to go deeper, because I have this framework, because I have these steps, you can now go deeper with. Everyone to one client and every group person or every person in the group program, and I can actually scale this thing and expand it and ask, you know, I charge, I don’t know, at least twice as much now as I did when we started, you know, there’s so much more that I could do because I have so much more clarity around how I help people and what the result is going to look like for them and how they’re actually going to get it for themselves.
And it’s not just me telling them what to do all the time.
Nas: Yeah, I always joke that it’s like us just saying, just trust me that I’m going to get you some great results and then I do it really well, but not actually being able to communicate it. And I love that you shared that you doubled your prices.
You’re able to now really create scalability in your business. And I think that again, that’s a huge piece is like methodology isn’t just some intangible thing we create that makes us feel good. Yes, there are some great benefits to that as well. That way we feel really confident. But ultimately it is the tangibility of how we apply that in everything we do.
And so often I tell everybody in my programs that like the offer is the easy part. Once you understand the methodology, it’s just finding different applications of that offer. And for you, you had clients that you were working with one to one and it was sucking a lot of your time. And I was like. Why can we not systemize this a little bit better?
And the methodology helps you do that. And then it helps you create a system so that you can actually have a group program that’s now not fully dependent upon you. And even on your calls, like all of those pieces get to now be systemized because you are anchored in a methodology. That clearly communicates your innovation, what you do, how you do it, and why you do it in a way that nobody else can.
So I just love that you shared that because I think it’s so incredible to watch you revolutionize that job search industry and really be able to showcase that rather than you, you were doing it. It wasn’t like I brought this new side, you were doing this with your clients. You just didn’t know how to communicate it with those clients who are coming into your world.
Erika K: Yeah, and I didn’t know, and I think one of the best things about your program, right, you have, you have structure, but you also have opportunity, at least in the Sustainable Profit Academy to work through it because I’m, you know, we get in our own heads, we don’t see it. And so I would put it out there and you say, no, no, this is this, you have the process, you have it here’s X, Y, Z.
And then as soon as I, as soon as it was reflected back to me, I was able to then go and take it and run with it. But sometimes you just need a little bit of that.
Nas: I agree. And it’s funny that you say that because that’s the difference between the way I run strategy programs versus coaching programs.
And I think it’s an important conversation that I’ve like, really committed myself to sharing with the world is that oftentimes with the coaching industry. No shame. I think there’s coaching is such a valuable asset, but I think that when it comes to the way I run strategy programs, it is that. We need to really be able to have those open conversations where we can reflect back and we can really talk through what you need versus me just putting it in and say, well, no, just keep doing what I told you to do and achieving where we need to go because there’s only one pathway.
And every time you’d come to me and we’d have a conversation, I’d be able to say to you, Hey, well, maybe this is happening and maybe we can shift this and we could really work through that together. So I love that you shared that.
Objections from working with Nas
Nas: My next question for you is, what was an objection you might have had, what, if you almost didn’t work with me, what was an objection that you might have almost had that may have kept you from working with me?
Erika K: Yeah, it had to be, well there’s two really. One was the financial commitment. It’s a commitment. And it’s a commitment that it was hard for me to see in the moment because I was only making so much money. And I’m like, well, that, how could it possibly change? I’m already, I have clients, I’m doing all these things.
How can I possibly change? But there was something in, in me that knew when I talked to you that I was getting in my own way and I need something needed to break me out of that. So being able to invest in your program to do that. And as soon as I met you, I was like, Oh. She’s gonna, she’s gonna help me do it.
Because you had a framework and because you had a methodology and because of just your general style. I think there are certain people I know I will work well with others that I don’t think I would. And, you know, but that was, that was a big, the big one. And I remember talking about it with my husband and me like, oh, do I do it?
Do I not do it? Do I do it? And him being like, if you really think it’s going to grow your business, go do it. So I did.
Nas: I love it. I love that. And it’s true because I think I always tell people, I want this to feel like a sound decision that you’re making, not just like a risk. And I think when it feels like just a big risk or a bet that we’re making is when there’s not methodology and there’s not a framework and you’re kind of trusting that person and saying, well, hopefully this pays off in the end versus like, Oh no, I can see exactly what’s going to happen in order to achieve that.
So I love that you shared that. What for you, when it came to like you entering into my world, what was it that you were searching for or what was it that you wanted to be able to achieve that kind of led you in my direction?
Erika K: Yeah. So, and this is funny cause this actually is the other reason that I had a little bit of an objection at first because I was investing so much into messaging and I’d hired a copywriter and I had all of these things that were like already going on in my business.
And so I was assuming that those would. Like just keep going and you know, I, I didn’t know how to figure out how to invest in this, which wasn’t really a new direction, but I knew I was going to be doing something different. Yeah. But the, the, one of the biggest challenges was I was doing these, these one on one programs.
I wasn’t necessarily charging as much as I was charging what I think. Was the right amount for what I was offering at that time to the person that I was serving. And I loved the people that I helped along the way, but as I was helping those folks, I was realizing there’s a, there’s a type of client that I want to be able to lean into.
And I don’t know how I didn’t know. And I think I came into your, to your world because you did a workshop. It was a workshop on I’m really like finding that the, the ready to buy client, I think it was right. And that was so clear to me when I went through and I’m like, Oh, I’m like, I’ve been speaking to the wrong person.
And so that was it. That was the big, that was the big indicator for me that I knew that this was going to help me and then help me go in. And, and, and it’s true. I actually really, when I, you know, I introduced myself as somebody who helps startup lead, like who helps leaders in the tech industry. That was not clear to me.
I was helping people. I was helping people who weren’t beginners, but like really figuring out who that person was and why I helped them and why I liked helping them. That’s what we really worked on through the year. But that, that was the position I was in. And when, once we were able to dial in on that and the why and start filling the framework out, all of the other pieces then kind of fell into place.
Nas: And I think that’s one of the hardest pieces of the puzzle. Like, it sounds so good on paper. Like, oh, I’ll just speak to high intent leads and it’ll be easy peasy. And she’s laughing because she knows that she struggles with this and probably every single person who joins my world. It is a hard, tough shift to make because on paper you think to yourself, well, yeah, that’s easy.
I’ll just speak to my high intent mass, my high intent people. But then you realize all those baggage that comes with it, whether that’s like, well, can I actually say that? Can I actually support these people? And then two is like. Well, I’ve been taught to do this completely differently for so freakin long.
It’s an unlearning journey. And when I tell people that, they laugh. They’re like, oh yeah, yeah, I can do that. And you can attest to the fact that it is a huge freakin unlearning journey to really, really recognize that We’re speaking to people who we can’t speak to everyone. We all know that. That’s, that’s a key concept.
But I think it’s also recognizing that speaking to our elevated level of clientele, someone who does have that high level of intent shifts our entire message. It shifts how we speak to them, shifts how we position ourselves. It shifts how we show up in our business. It just changes the way things happen.
But I’m going to turn it over to you because I saw you giggling about that. Like anything you want to share about that at all?
Erika K: Well, I was smiling because I put up a post today and the very first person like, and it was, it was, you know, pretty polarizing post or something. I think not a lot of people would agree with.
And somebody put like a laughing face on it. Like this is ridiculous, like a response. And, but I also then I got two people who reached out for, took a client call. So like, I know, not that I’m trying to be polarizing, but that message reaches a certain type of person that I want to work with. And the other one, the laughing, the person who thinks that’s ridiculous, I don’t want to work with them.
Nas: Yes. And I think, I think you are giggling a little bit because I always tell you, shake shit up more. I’m like, why are we not shaking shit up more? And it’s not in that polarizing just to be polarizing. It’s polarizing in the sense that you recognize that when people are at a certain level, the conversations we’re having shift.
The way we speak to those people shifts. And so you’re exactly right that that’s the power of your message speaking to the right person and ideally understanding that person who’s doing the laughing emoji absolutely is the wrong person and I’m glad that you were able to like push back on them and there’s a little bit of fear that gets associated with that of like well I’m going to say something that’s going to piss people off and some people aren’t going to like what I have to say and I think that is a difficult conversation to have about disruption and innovation and being able to do those things is that yeah you are not on purpose it’s not like we’re out there just like you.
Let’s be mean and annoy people. It’s that we recognize the conversations that we’re having, the way that we shift our message is going to help us ideally attract the right people and repel the wrong people. So I think that’s an important conversation and one that we have a lot in a Sustainable Profit Academy about having those deeper conversations that are going to speak to the right people.
Big Results with working with the Easy Yes Method
Nas: So with that being said. If you were to look at our time working together and everything that we did, how would you say, like, what was the big shift that happened for you and how we solved your problem? Like, where do you feel like I really nailed X, Y, and Z? What were those things for you?
Erika K: Yeah, there were definitely a few of them.
It was figuring out who the Who that ideal client is like reaching for that ready to buy client. That was absolutely number one defining the framework in a way that was like, just easy to understand and relatable and really laying that out. The framework was the foundation for everything else. And then the other thing, which I don’t know if a lot of people, if you talk a lot about, actually, I know you do, cause I feel like podcast, but the sales process of like going through a sales call that simple, I was already getting sales.
I had lots of sales calls. So figuring out first off how to actually like trim them down. So I could, it’s only talking to those highest intent folks and the people who really were the appropriate, but then once I was on those calls, going through that process of. Like really the system that you’ve laid out really changed the, not just the outcomes, but just the expectations.
Cause when you get through the end of the call, everyone’s on the same page around what this really is and where you’re going with it. Which I think was a real game changer before that I was just really poking and prodding about somebody’s job search the way I would as a recruiter. And I wasn’t getting the results.
I would, you know, be really frustrated where I’d be like, well, I thought it went well, or we would dive in the end and somehow I would have solved their problem already or thought I had solved their problem and then they wouldn’t invest. So the sales call process was a huge game changer for me.
Nas: I love that. And I remember that we did a sales call audit where you had submitted your sales call and I went through it and, and now, and I think a lot of people don’t realize that is a part of the process of what we do. Like we really do diagnose and identify where, where things are going wrong.
And there was a certain point where we’re like, okay. You’re booking a ton of calls. What’s happening? Can we not increase the conversions? And it’s not that you were, I think you had maybe 50 to 60 percent of conversions. And I was like, I think we can up this. I think we can even make this better. And looking at your sales call process, that’s one of the things we realize.
We realized that one, you were still getting to a point where you were taking calls with people who weren’t necessarily qualified more because we didn’t have a system that could support people that weren’t quite ready and how to direct them which oftentimes happens. Sometimes we get into a. Great.
We can pre qualify and pre qualifying is important, but at the end of the day, what do we do with clients who maybe aren’t quite ready and we feel like aren’t a good fit? And so I know we talked about that and how we can actually direct those people who aren’t quite the right fit and or to leverage that opportunity and how to direct them on the call either way, knowing that there’s a direction and recognizing your time value of what you want to do with that.
But then with that being said, and what she mentioned is. We have a whole sales call system and it’s not scripts. It’s there are scripts and things that go into it, but it’s not scripts. Ideally it’s really mimicking decisions, even in the sales call process. And I tell people, there’s a reason we talk about mimic decision making so much as it’s in every single thing that we do from the marketing to the sales system.
To inside of the actual sales call process as well. And one of the things that we recognize when we were doing that audit was the fact that you were spending a lot of time coaching and that your call, your questions that we were actually directing with weren’t in a leadership style. They weren’t in a way that you could position yourself in the best way possible.
And I know that you came back and you were like, I made these shifts and it was like. It was like night and day being able to do that. And you led the call versus you kind of coaching and like being on this call and, and feeling like, well, I don’t know where the call ended. It was very like, like you said, you don’t know where it ended.
And it was just like, and that’s frustrating to feel like you’re spending and you were spending a good chunk of time. I want to say like 40 plus minutes.
Erika K: Yeah, I was doing, I was doing half hour calls, but we were like almost always running over. Because we would get into somebody’s problem on that call, and then they would come out feeling awesome, like, like I solved the problem, but then it was hard for it to see the big picture, just like for me, my own business, you know, yeah, I was spending a good amount of time and now I would say my conversion rate is still 50 to 60%, but I’m happier with that because I’m taking a lot fewer calls and I’ve really up leveled the clock, the type of client.
So, It’s a fantastic conversion rate for the type of person I’m going for.
Nas: Yeah. And I think that’s a key thing. Like a lot of people don’t realize it is like at a certain point you get to the, that area of scaling where it’s either, I’m going to take a ton more calls and then how am I going to be able to do that?
And you’re kind of just stuck in this, like I’m constantly on calls or what I always tell people is like, we want to ideally make it where you can take less calls and sign more clients. And it’s really being able to recognize that on yours. So I love that you shared that.
Reason for working with Nas and the Easy Yes Method
Nas: My last question for you is if someone was on the fence, someone was saying to themselves, should I or shouldn’t I take this next step and in applying the Easy Yes Method and working with Nas, what would you say and what would you suggest to those who are thinking about working with me?
Erika K: Yeah, I think you talk a lot about innovation and that is something that is like true to me and of like a value that I have is that, you know, if you’re doing something, it should be innovative. And I think that that’s the approach that anybody coming into working with you should have is that you have something, whether or not they know that they have it, having that appreciation for innovation, I think is important to, for this to work, but you have so many aspects of your program, the framework, the framework builds on everything, but from the sales calls to messaging to positioning to the demand angles, like all of the different pieces of it really bring. You can really create a whole business around it. And my business looks totally different from other people who’ve been in your program, who, who’ve gone through this, but the components are what really lay a foundation for you to be able to take it and run with it and make it all of your own.
So if that’s something that people want, they should certainly work with you, but they also should be ready for some like direct feedback. I think that’s an important thing to know.
Nas: It’s not always fun, right?
Erika K: So I appreciate that. Feedback isn’t supposed to always be easy. If it’s easy and fun all the time, then, you know, maybe it’s not necessarily direct enough.
Nas: We joke. I think I tell almost everyone who gets on a call with me. I’m like, there’s going to be a point where you hate me for what, during the process. And every single client who goes through that call with me is like, no, I can never hate you. You’re so awesome. And without fail, there’s a point in the program where people will be like, Oh my gosh, I do hate you.
This is so hard. And I think that’s a tough pill to swallow in a day and age where. We want the easy button on everything. And I’m like, this is going to be hard. It’s going to dive deeper. It’s going to have me telling you things that you don’t always want to hear and calling you out on stuff. You don’t always want to really recognize for yourself.
And I think that that’s a big conversation that I think. A lot of people don’t want to hear or don’t want to recognize that we are looking at sustainability and the longevity of your business. And that means doing the hard things that’s going to allow you to accomplish that rather than just saying, Oh, we can get some great success in a short period of time, but I can’t sustain it.
So I love that you shared that because I always like to keep it real about getting into and you’re working with me.
More about Erika Klics
Nas: So with that being said, if someone wanted to learn more about you, what it’s like to work with you, if they were looking for a job or had someone that they can refer you to, where can they learn a little bit more about you and your methodology?
Erika K: Yeah, I am at erikaklics.com and I’m the only K L I C S and Erica with the K. But I’m also the only Erika Klics on LinkedIn and that is my channel. I barely have any presence anywhere else. Yet but LinkedIn is, is my channel and you can always find me there. I love it.
Nas: Well, thank you so much for being with me here.
And if you are listening and want to learn more about how the easiest method works, you can always head on over to easyyesleads.com/call and book your Growth Optimization Call, or head on over to easyyesleads.com just to learn more about how our three parts series breaks down how you can actually get leads to sell themselves using the Netflix effect and the Easy Yes method.
But thank you again, Erika, for being here with us and sharing your story and spotlighting on the revolution that you’re creating in the job search industry.
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