By Michael Killen from Sell your service.
For those who know anything about me and my business, I would have spoken about Troy Dean and WPElevation. I was recently lucky enough to spend a few days with Troy and other WPElevators in Thailand. The experience was almost overwhelming. This post is about how the Thailand Masterclass, Troy and WPElevation have helped my business.
Disclaimer: I’m not under any kind of affiliate scheme or sales funnel. This is literally just a post about how important it is to find a business to model on and learn from. Both for myself and for others.
How it started.
When I first started designing with WordPress, I was pumping out several websites a month. More and more customers needed training on how to use their new CMS. So I started looking for video user guides. Stuff on YouTube, Vimeo etc. Something that I could embed within the site and my customers could use for reference, 24 hours a day, without emailing me.
Sure enough I came across Video User Manuals (no affiliate links, promise). The solution was pretty awesome. If you haven’t checked it out, I suggest you do. It’s a plugin that has 99% of the questions your customers will ask about the WordPress dashboard.
Anyway, because one of the owners of VUM is a VERY talented digital marketer. I received an email saying something like “If you think this makes your life easier, how about charging more money for it?”.
This is when I met Troy Dean. Troy runs WPElevation (no affiliate links, promise) as well as a few other bits and pieces. Long story short, after a quick interview on Skype and reading EVERYTHING free I could get my hands on, I joined WPElevation.
How WPElevation works.
For those who don’t know, WPElevation is a business dedicated to helping WordPress consultants make more money. Members get access to a business model, step by step blueprint. As well as regular webinars and a members only forum.
The webinars talk about tactics, business improvement methods and how to do all the cool stuff you wish your business could do. The members forum is where pros, veterans and noobs all come together to solve each others problems. All in all, my web design business and this business, would not be in the shape its in without WPElevation.
How did it help me?
WPElevation taught me one thing over everything else. If you know the value that you’re delivering, and that you can prove that value, you can charge whatever you want.
Literally, that’s the mantra I took away. £30 000 for a website is cheap. Especially if that website delivers £60 000 worth of business. Once you learn how to prove that value and how to position that value to the customer, you’re golden.
So with that I devoured the WPElevation blueprint. I looked at the 101 ways e-book and presentation, listened to podcasts, downloaded e-books. Most of this stuff was available for free, the podcasts are easily the best thing you can check out. It’s why I love doing my one’s so much.
WPElevation connected me to WordPress, website and marketing professionals that I never would have met. They’ve carved me into a confident, capable marketer, who has a vast network of professionals.
Particularly as I live in rural Devon in the UK. No one really does what I do. So finding a group of people that I can talk heavy, deep WordPress marketing and development with, is a huge deal to me. Also, having a role model like Troy is important too. He’s introduced me to some of the most progressive marketing and digital guys out there.
Kim Doyal, Brent Weaver, Ryan Deiss but to name a few. When Troy and I talked about Frank Kern being up there, it was cool to know that someone in the same industry as me, looked up to the same people I do.
The Thailand Masterclass.
I can’t even remember when it was announced, but on a WPElevation webinar, Troy mentioned a 3 day masterclass in Thailand. After umm-ing and ah-ing, Troy sent me an email saying I should do it. So I told my girlfriend, booked two tickets and started getting very excited.
We had 3 days on the beautiful island of Koh Samui, talking about nothing but WordPress business. It was bliss. I don’t even care how nerdy that makes me sound. We talked about how to improve, market and change our businesses. I was surrounded by other Elevators and people that I look up to. We were lead by Troy Dean. It was f***ing epic.
It was like a group workshop on steroids. I came away with a 3 step business plan. Not just ideas, an entire business plan that was designed for my exact business.
What I learnt from the Thailand Masterclass.
First of all, I learnt that what I do in my business, is pretty much spot on. That was the biggest shock. That I’m doing the right things. I just needed to make my own life a little easier.
I learnt that no matter how big or successful you are, you still have problems. You have to work with people to solve those problems. I also learnt that people who run businesses, are awesome. Especially if they dedicate time to improving their business.
Aside from everything, I got a chance to present a Ryan Deiss and Frank Kern model, with Troy Dean, to a group of businesses that I look up to. I don’t care how much of a groupie this makes me look. It’s pretty much a marketers dream
What’s next for my business and WPElevation?
Well, number 1 on my list. Troy doesn’t know this but he is on my list to interview. For the podcast. This would be a huge win for me. I’ve already had talks with Kim Doyal and Mike Little about interviews. So Troy, if you’re reading this, watch out for an email (:
Next, my web design business, Devon Digital Design is under-going a radical change. Nothing to the core of the business, just who we’re targeting and who we’re building for. One thing I came away with was to build and hire a team. After talking to the WPElevation guys, Troy Dean and Kim Doyal, I’ve begun to put together a team of developers and designers. I’m very excited about this massive step for my business.
On the Sell your service side, SYS is going to move into membership and webinars. We’ve designed marketing plans based on our success. Specifically for digital creative businesses. We want to generate leads for digital creative businesses, and show them what to do with those leads.
Conclusion
So to wrap up, WPElevation is a VITAL part of my business. It not only helps my website business, but it’s introduced me to a world of digital marketers. With so much snake oil out there, so many terrible information marketers, it’s great to see a community of designers, developers and marketers really working hard.
In fact, you can even download the marketing plan I’m talking about, below. It’s free and is definitely going to TRANSFORM your business.
