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We’re all too familiar with webinars. And we know that when we get on a webinar, someone is undoubtedly going to try to sell us something. Fair enough. But what if you change the medium?

Suppose you invite a handful (let’s say, 24) of your best customers, or your most recent customers, onto a Skype conference call?

The attendance percentage will be much higher than what you would get with a webinar – often close to 100%.

The perceived value of a coveted spot on the call is also greater – after all, a webinar holds 1,000 people, whereas a Skype call holds just 25 including the moderator.

It’s perceived as being different – and that is often a good thing all by itself. It raises interest and provides a bit of intrigue.

You can actually use the names of every single one of your attendees. Talk about making them feel special!

So what would you talk about on a Skype conference call?

Anything you might cover in a webinar. The point is to give some good information or coaching to a small group of your best customers.

And at the end? Of course you’ll give them the opportunity to get more information, more coaching, buy a product, join a membership, etc.

No, you won’t make 200 sales. After all, you only have 24 people on the call, max.

But you could sell close to half of those or more. You could definitely form relationships with all of these 24 customers, making you stand apart from any other competitor in their minds. And you can do this as often as you like.

The marketers who are using Skype conference calling in this manner are making excellent money, 24 people at a time. It’s definitely something to consider.

And one more thing – if you’ve been trying to build up the courage to do webinars but the thought of speaking to hundreds of people at once is too scary, why not start with 24?

Once you do it a few times, you’ll have your talk optimized. You’ll have gained plenty of confidence, and you’ll be ready to jump on that big conference call and make those sales.

It’s simple. Partner up on projects. Now, just to be clear – I’m not necessarily suggesting you take on a full time partner for your entire business. At least, not at first – not unless you already know someone really well who is the perfect fit in every way.

What I am suggesting is partnering on individual projects.

For example, you have an idea for a software product. But you’ve never taken a software product to market before, so you call up your friend who’s done it several times.

You talk things through, and decide to work together because:

1. His skills and strengths complement yours – you bring different assets to the table and together you make a better team than either one of you working alone.

2. Two heads are better than one. Together you come up with improvements in both the marketing and the product itself that you likely never would have thought of on your own.

3. You can keep each other accountable for getting your tasks done.

4. And together, the two of you bring more affiliates to the table than either one of you can individually.

In the process of working on this project – which is a success – the two of you come up with great ideas for your next project, and so forth.

Partnering can be a great way to get more accomplished in less time, to defeat the procrastination monster and to make things happen, fast.

Just be sure to choose your partners and your projects wisely. 😉

Whatever your sticking point for not growing your business is… I’m here to suggest it might be something else entirely.

Not enough money?

You could use credit cards or borrow from family. Or you could sell some stuff. Or get a part time job to build up a little nest egg, quit the job and start your business.

You don’t know how to set up the websites and software you need?

Hire someone to do it for you.

You don’t know how to create a product to sell?

Hire someone to create it for you.

And on and on.

Just about anything you need for your online business, you can hire someone to create or do it for you. And if you don’t have the money, there are ways to get it.

S… what’s REALLY holding you back from starting or growing your business?

That one little, lousy 4 letter word – fear.

Fear of what, only you know.

But maybe it’s fear of starting. After all, it’s a big project, right?

Easy solution: Break it down into small steps.

Then do one step every single day.

Maybe it’s fear of failing. Oooohhh, that’s a BIG one.

You are 100% responsible for the success or failure of your online business.

It’s a success? Good for you!

It’s a failure? No one to blame but yourself.

Solution?

I’ve got two for you:

Try to fail.

Yes, I know that’s crazy. You’re afraid of failing so you’re going to TRY TO FAIL? Actually, yes.

We’re talking about a shift in mindset here. Instead of worrying about failure, we’re going to embrace it. After all, most self-made millionaires failed over and over again. It’s because they kept trying that they were so successful.

So embrace failure. Know that it’s actually your friend and not your enemy. Do everything you can to avoid it, but if it comes knocking, you know your life isn’t going to end.

Instead, you’re going to sit down with failure and discuss how you can avoid it the next time around.

Think it through.

Ask yourself, “What’s the absolutely, positively WORST thing that could happen?”

Oh yeah, that you do the work and don’t make money. That’s it. Your face won’t fall off. Your life won’t be over. The world won’t end.

Yes, maybe you’ll feel some embarrassment. But do you know how many times professional ice skaters fall in their lifetime of learning? Me neither, but I guarantee it’s a BUNCH of times. Do they sit on the ice and cry about it? Maybe.

But then they get back up and start skating again. Failing isn’t death, it’s a learning experience. Embrace failure so that you can succeed.

One more thing…

Start with a proven plan and work from there.

You are much less likely to fail if you take a path that has already proven to get you where you want to go.

So don’t reinvent the wheel. Instead, choose something proven time and time again to work – list building maybe?

And start with that. Then once you taste success, you can start taking roads less traveled if you want to.

Here’s the bottom line…

All those ‘reasons’ for not starting or growing your business almost always boil down to one thing – fear.

It’s so much easier when you get home from your job to park yourself on the porch with a beer or in front of the TV with a bag of chips.

And that little voice of fear in your head will tell you that you should be doing ANYTHING but working on your business.

So take little steps.

Embrace fear.

Start with a proven plan.

And enjoy the ride.

Because once you come out on the other side, you’ll wonder what took you so long to get started.

And you’ll have more confidence in yourself, your abilities and your choices to continue growing your business into the 6 and 7 figure income you’re dreaming of right now.

Best of luck.