We were lucky to catch up with Gernae Alexander recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Gernae thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So, let’s imagine that you were advising someone who wanted to start something similar to you and they asked you what you would do differently in the startup-process knowing what you know now. How would you respond?

If I had to start my business from scratch, I’d keep things super simple and focus on 4 pillars.

1. Message: I’d get in touch with the people I want to serve to truly understand their needs and desires. I’d use that information to refine my brand message and make sure it was niched to speak directly to this audience. I’d write down positioning statements that were clear, concise and compelling to help me articulate the value of my offer.

2. Market: Since I wouldn’t have numbers of my own, I’d focus on finding and connecting with someone else’s engaged audience who were a part of my market. I’d choose one platform where my ideal clients are active and start building genuine relationships by sharing valuable content, engaging with them, and showing up consistently.

3. Methods: I’d leverage lead generation methods that made sense for my current stage of business. Automation isn’t feasible if you can’t comfortably pay for the subscription with revenues. I’d focus on strategies like networking, because it is accessible for all stages and there’s very little overhead.

4. Offer: I’d add 7 layers of value to my solution, showing my audience how it solves a priority need, what the monetary, social and emotional ROIs are, and that it’s a strategy they can implement simply.

These pillars would help me grow quickly because I’d be creating value for my audience from the start.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

What I am most proud of is the balance I’ve discovered as a wife, mother, friend and entrepreneur. I’ve pinpointed strategies and best practices that allow me to nurture my relationships and build my business without feeling like I’m failing anyone, or myself. This level of freedom is magic, and I love helping other women discover the same success in their own lives.

I’m an Author, Speaker and Sales Strategist. I help entrepreneurs win clients, contracts and collaborations without running themselves raggid. I have a Bachelor’s degree in psychology, a Master’s in business and 11 years of experience in sales, operations and learning and development.

The number one reason entrepreneurs struggle closing new business is because their sales efforts contradict their sales goals. Oftentimes, I see entrepreneurs, making one or more of the following mistakes:

1. They create solutions for problems that their ideal client doesn’t care about solving.
2. They create powerful solutions that will help their clients, but keep attracting the wrong audience.
3. They are sacrificing their personal life to put in crazy hours, but are producing very little results.
4. They are constantly promoting their business but rarily selling anything. Their audience is familiar with them, but has no idea what their program is about or how it can help them, hindering them from making a buying decision.
5. Some make the mistake of selling outputs instead of outcomes.

If you want to win more clients and opportunities without wearing yourself out, then you have to simplify your sales strategy and align your efforts with your sales goals. My program increases your income without increasing your efforts, so you can enjoy the life your business was created to support.

What sets me apart is my proven step-by-step framework, the OMG method. It’s designed to help you align your offers with an engaged niche market, convert leads into clients with tailored messaging and achieve your sales goals with strategies that are appropriate for your current stage of business.

Currently, I offer VIP days and 1:1 coaching programs. I’m also excited to conduct workshops and keynote addresses for organizations with entrepreneurial audiences.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Networking, hands down.

Networking helped me build genuine relationships with my market in a way that social media never could. My audience is able to experience me first hand, feel my energy, and really get to know Gernae the person, not just the business consultant. Trust is built so much faster this way and referals come without me even asking, because I’ve focused on building win-win bonds with my community.

Most people don’t fully understand how important networking is to their success or how to leverage it, especially early in their entrepreneurial journey. It’s not just about clients, it’s about connection. It’s about who knows YOU and understands what you can do. It’s about making an impression that makes people bring up your name in rooms you’re not in. It’s about building influence, creating opportunties for others and yourself.

Networking is about giving. And when you give, you receive.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Pivoting is a constant friend in business. I know it’s challenging because people are “watching” you. You’re worried about what people may think if you change things up, but trust me; they’re not watching that closely.

My mantra is to pivot fast, and change slow.

Last year, I pivoted by changing my title in order to reach more people and refined my message. Since then, lead generation is so much easier and when I tell people what I do, it immediatly clicks. People are so excited to learn that they can be authentic and still win in sales, but they wouldn’t have known about me had I not made those changes.

Just because you need to pivot doesn’t mean you’re failing. Change is normal, heck, it’s a necessity.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://gernaealexander.com
• Instagram: @networkwithnae
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gernaealex/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gernae-alexander-mba

Image Credits

Gernelle Nelson Lifestyle Photography