Why You Need a Sense of Urgency In Your Business

Back when I was in the publishing world, urgency was a way of life.

Everything had a deadline and wasting time just wasn’t an option.

But maybe I wasn’t cut out for that fast-paced career path because there were many days where I broke down crying from the anxiety and extreme pressure.

Urgency made me nervous, and I was thankful to be rid of it when I left corporate America and started my life coaching business.

But then a funny thing happened.

While I was detoxing from urgency by watching TV on the couch and reading magazines all day, my business was…well, it wasn’t going anywhere.

In today’s video, we’re talking about why you need a sense of urgency in your business.

The video transcript is below for your convenience.

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Video Transcript

Hey there! I’m Sage Grayson, a former book editor turned life coach. I help ambitious career women edit their habits, routines, and mindsets to balance their happiness at work and home. I’m a Life Editor…and so are you.

Today, we’re talking about why you need a sense of urgency in your business.

Let’s go!

Back when I was in the publishing world, urgency was a way of life. Everything had a deadline and wasting time just wasn’t an option.

I distinctly remember one of my managers used to zip through the hallways of our office building like she was trying to catch a bus. There was only one way to get to the next meeting or appointment—fast!

And in college, I soon realized that I wasn’t cut out for the ultra urgent position of newspaper reporter where I’d often be given 2 or 3 hours to research, conduct interviews, get a photo, and write an article.

There were many days where I broke down crying from the anxiety and extreme pressure.

Urgency made me nervous, and I was thankful to be rid of it when I left corporate America and started my life coaching business.

But then a funny thing happened.

While I was detoxing from urgency by watching TV on the couch and reading magazines all day, my business was…well, it wasn’t going anywhere.

Focusing too much on getting stuff done as quickly as possible will set you up for major burnout in the long run. But if nothing’s urgent, then nothing gets done.

And honestly, my Type A brain kind of missed the hustle and bustle or of publishing. I was tired of feeling like a slacker.

I learned my lesson and was able to maintain a fine balance between meeting deadlines and being flexible.

Now when I talk with my clients who run their own businesses, I recognize the same mistakes I used to make. “Sage, why aren’t I getting sales?”

Well, I’ll tell you. You must create a sense of urgency in your business. Here’s how!

1. Create Urgency Through Time Limits

Let’s say you have a product that is absolutely perfect for your audience. It’s going to help them live their dreams, make money, or whatever it is they’re looking for. So you put it in your shop or on your website and you wait for the sales to roll in.

And you wait…and wait…and wait…

Why aren’t they buying? Your product is always available so there’s no need for them to buy it now. They can buy it next week, next month, or next year. And when a customer knows they can always get it, they end up not getting it at all.

Make them want to buy your product NOW by setting a time limit.

In your marketing, tell them that this amazing product is going to disappear next week. Or bundle all your old products and have a retirement sale where they only have until the end of the month to get them before they’re gone for good.

For example, I do a birthday sale every February, but it’s only good for the week of my birthday.

You could also stagger your time limits such as having Early Bird pricing until this date and then the price goes up, or they’ll miss out on a super cool bonus item if they don’t purchase it by Friday.

Add a time limit and your customers will feel the pressure to buy.

2. Create Urgency Through Quantity Limits

Let’s say you have a service where your customers get one-on-one help from you. It’s a form of active income. If you don’t know what active income is, watch my video “The 3 Kinds of Income Your Business Needs.”

It’s really tempting to say, “I’ll take as many people who sign up. 10 people, 100 people, a million people!!!”

There are 2 problems with this: (1) you might get more people than you can handle and have to work long hours meeting their demands, or (2) you might price yourself extra low so that you can get as many sales as possible, but then your service looks cheap.

Here’s a better idea. Your customers will definitely take notice of your service if there is a limit on the number of spots available. You can charge more, and there will be this urgency for them to buy now so they won’t miss their chance.

For example, my Life Editor Academy mastermind group is for 10 ambitious ladies, and that’s it. I can’t take more than that number or else they wouldn’t get the individualized attention that’s a the foundation of the program.

Give yourself a break and limit the quantity on the services that demand the most from you.

That’s it! Create urgency in your business this week by putting limits on time or quantity. Don’t let your customers drag their feet.

If you believe in what you’re selling, then it’s your responsibility to get it out there to the people who could benefit from it.

If you want to learn more about urgency, then you gotta check out Startup In 60.

This 9-week time management course is for busy women who are ready to finally start their own businesses whether they have 60 days, 60 minutes, or 60 seconds. That’s right! You can have a successful, money-making business even if you only have 1 minute a day to work on it.

Don’t miss your chance to take your business from 0 to 60.

Click the link below this video for all the information on Startup In 60.

If you like this video, be sure to give it a thumbs-up and subscribe on YouTube. Then come on over to SageGrayson.com and sign up for my free Editor’s Toolkit. You’ll get weekly updates from me plus sage advice that I only share in email.

Thanks for watching. I’ll see you soon.

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