Ep 50: Get the Proof First - Sarah Davies on Winning Work Beyond the Hourly Rate

IAF Road to Geelong: Welcome and Meet Sarah Davies Hi, welcome to the IAF Oceania Road to Geelong podcast. I'm Carolyn Smith and today I'm talking with Sarah Davis. Welcome, Sarah. Speaker 2 Thanks, Caroline. Great to be here. Speaker 1 Lovely to have you. And so this is all part of our counting down to the 2026 IAF Oceania conference in Geelong from the 14th to the 16th of October. And it gives listeners a chance to check out who's going to be there and who they might like to connect with. And also it gives us a chance to hear from those that have generously supported our silent auction, which is part of the conference. So, Sarah, we're going to get into your generous donation to the auction in a moment. But before we do that, can you tell us a bit about yourself? Where are you based and what is your area of focus? Speaker 2 OK, so I am based in Auckland, although I'm originally from England. I've lived in New Zealand for more than 20 years now, and my area of focus is training facilitators who want to be recognized and booked by their ideal. Speaker 1 Clients, Fabulous. So that is a very strong relationship to facilitation. And So what first drew you into this? The Moment That Sparked Her Entrepreneurial Journey Field OK, so when I was a first time mum, I, I was working for an, an agency and as a consultant and they were a family, family friendly agency. And there was this one day when my, my daughter, who was a, she was probably just over a year at that point where she was sick. And I rang in to tell them I couldn't come in. And I was met with this immense pressure of, is she really that sick? And can't you just send her to the daycare? And then the worst one was, can can we pay somebody to look after her so that you can come into the office? And that day my trust broke in, in in that agency. And I realised that I needed to take ownership of my career. And so then I, yeah, I was working, I, I, I was working as a contractor for them, but I was kind of like a permanent contractor and just realized that I needed to take a different pathway and start my own businesses. And so that led me into the entrepreneurial route. And I found it really, really hard as a consultant to land work. I'd never had to find my own clients before. I'd never had to win work. And so it was really, really tough. So many times I was on the brink of giving up. And basically my business accelerator beyond the hourly rate is everything I wish I had back then to, you know, support myself. Everything that I that I had to learn the hard way so that other people can have a career, continue their career. And if they don't want to be answerable to a boss and have freedom over their time, then they've got another option and they can learn the business skills they need to match their expertise. The Indispensable Role of Purpose in Business and Facilitation I love that and I hear from what you're saying that really strong why. So you, we talk a lot about having a why and for you, what compelled you to start a business was that, you know, wanting to be able to put your family 1st and to not be at the beck and call of a boss. How important do you think it is for people in business to have that strong sense of purpose? Speaker 2 I think it's incredibly important because that's what that's what keeps you motivated, that's what gets you out of bed in the morning. It can't just be about the money. It's just, it's not enough for it to just be about the money. It's, you know, whatever your why is, has got to be, has got to be really, really strong. Because especially as, as a business owner, we're so often put outside of our comfort zone. You know, we've got to get, we've actually got to get comfortable with the uncomfortable. And so when you have a strong why or a strong purpose, that is what that's what pulls you through. Speaker 1 And so initially it was about family and then obviously your business is morphed into beyond the hourly rate and working with facilitators and service, so service providers. So what would you say is your why for what you're doing now? Speaker 2 My why for what I'm doing now is to create, to create that container. So I, I see so many people with fantastic expertise who really, really struggle to make their business work. And it's because they don't, they, they, the difference between having really good expertise and running a business, 2 completely different skill sets. And so my purpose is to create a container so they can learn this, those skills. So we don't keep losing good people. We lose good people. And behind those good people when we lose them is somebody's self belief in themselves. They give up on the dream. They, there's, there's also their future clients who actually need them. And because they haven't got the positioning right, they that they end up thinking that they're not good enough and, and give up all that the, all that the work isn't out there. And I think that that is a real shame because, you know, without like facilitators make such an impact. The ripple effect that facilitators have. If you think as a collective, the ripple effect of every workshop that they do and the people who are in that workshop and what those attendees then take home for their families, all that gets lost. And we don't want that. We don't want that. Speaker 1 I can hear the passion and I love that. Uncovering Opportunities and Building a Validated Strategy So it just seques beautifully into asking what is it that you really love about what you do? Speaker 2 I really love working with clients to help them discover new opportunities. So for example, one clients Donna, she, she, she's the gap between the Maori world and the Parky health in New Zealand, teaching parking hard people how to do business with Molly and I. I use a proof first method where we get evidence upfront of exactly who your ideal client is and what they want to invest in. And my clients go through a validation process. And when she went through that validation process, she discovered 2 great opportunities for partnerships that she hadn't seen at all. 11 with a huge organization and the other with a government agency. And those had not been on her radar at all. So you know, it's kind of like, well, well, when you're doing business on your own, you can feel like all the doors are closing. But actually when you're in community and when you're when you're working on your business and you're following a road map, suddenly more and more opportunities start coming to you and, and, and you're seeing them. Speaker 1 Yeah, I love that. I love that. And I think when people understand their goal or their why, it helps them to see opportunity. I do a lot of facilitation around strategy and often people get stuck on on what they're going to do, but they don't, they find it really hard to describe why. And so I see when they put a goal that's actually an action, you've kind of closed down the creativity straight away. If you have a goal that's actually somewhere you want to be or something you want to achieve, there's many pathways. Do you? So you talk about kind of helping them to to develop that pathway. What's involved in creating a pathway? So we've talked about that strong goal that why that purpose that holds you there? What are some of the other things that you think are important? Speaker 2 So values aligning, aligning your, your strategy with your values. So we've got our purpose and then we've got our values. The values are really important in decision making because suddenly you see all these opportunities and then, you know, you can kind of then, then you've got to decide what's actually going to work for you, right? And and fit into your life. So we use values for decision making, then going through the validation who the ideal client is, what they want to invest in and then from, from the validation process, that's what we then create the strategy or the road map from. And so there's no more kind of guesswork or making assumptions. You're actually working from, from real evidence and creating the road maps. The next part of the road map is a line that's about creating a really, really strong identity so that people are like, Oh yeah, she's exactly who I need to work with. And and then creating your service, so all your offers. So that's really, really clear what you're offering and you know from your validation that it's actually what people want to invest in. Then we get to the marketing part because too many businesses, they jump to the marketing 1st and then it can just be like, you know, and I say this with love, but making noise. So it's not actually, you know, getting being effective, bringing in the clients and getting you the work that that that you're so capable of doing. Speaker 1 Yeah, yeah. I described once to someone when you jump in and do marketing without any clear sense of who you're actually marketing to and what you want to say is like throwing thousands of darts in the air and hoping some of them land somewhere useful and not on you. So what's the question that keeps coming up when you're working with self-employed facilitators? Speaker 2 What's my niche or how do I stand out? How to Stand Out in a Saturated Market with Proof First And you know, facilitators can feel like it's a saturated market. Everybody's offering the same. But that's not true. That's not what I see. I work with a lot of facilitators and I see that each one is unique. Each one is different. When they have gone through the process, they've all got very, very different unique messaging that they're using. They've both got different, they've, they've all got different areas of expertise or how they deliver. For example, I've got 2 clients. Tim, he's a, he, he, he's called the everyday leader. He works with, you know, he does the leadership facilitation. And then Susie and Sharon, who have a company called Amped and they're, they were working with leaders, but in a completely different way. And they've got their own methodologies and their own, you know, way of delivering. And, you know, different clients be attracted to different, different people for different reasons. But when you've done the validation upfront, when you've got proof first, then you've got the confidence in what you're delivering and you don't feel like you are, you know, just another person in a saturated market. Speaker 1 Yeah, yeah. So if you could give one piece of advice to self-employed facilitators from all the experiences that you've had working with so many different types of facilitators, what would it be? Speaker 2 It would be to get the proof first. Like stop the marketing, get the proof 1st, and then build your strategy or your road map from the evidence, from the data that you get from your validation process so that you know that you're not going to be wasting time and money going in the wrong direction. And a lot of facilitators are solo operators, so they can't afford to make expensive mistakes where they're not getting the return on investment. And I think that this is really important. I don't even get the website until you've done the validation and then you'll know exactly what to put on the website. Don't until you've done that. And I think it's so, so important. And yeah, yeah, a lot of people, if you're already established, you may kind of feel like you've got gaps, but you don't know where the gaps are. I've created a 2 minute quiz called Win More Work and that actually goes through and it will help you identify the where the gaps are in your business. Because if you're kind of established, it can feel a bit like doing a renovation versus a new build. And you know, hard to see well, well, where are the problems you know and to actually identify them and also know what the next actions are to take. Speaker 1 Yeah, I know that at at the moment, you know, there's been a lot of pressure and tough times for a lot of people. And we've seen in New Zealand, like I work with, not for profits. So yeah, that's been quite a hard space with lack of funding and for, yeah, working with government or different agencies. Sometimes the kind of work that maybe facilitators provide can be seen as the nice to have. Transforming Facilitation from Luxury to Essential Investment What are you seeing and what gives you hope in what you're doing with people who are working in this space? Speaker 2 Yeah, so I'm actually seeing movement in this space. I'm seeing movement, but what I'm seeing is that we've got to come away from the nice to have or seen it as a kind of luxury, you know, team building. Jolly, what is the actual transformation like where where when you can show a prospect what the return on investment is for them working with you, then it becomes a no brainer, right? It's but if it's seen, if it's seen as a bit of a jolly, then they're not going to see it as as something that's a priority right now. So that's really about creating a really strong identity of the transformation that you create and why you should invest. And then when you're writing proposals, making sure that you're asking the right questions so that your proposal then reflects is, is kind of a mirror to answer the problem that they're trying to solve. Because nobody's kind of in a space now where the, you know, their, their, their focus is on must haves right now. Speaker 1 Yeah, so becoming a must have. Speaker 2 Yeah, yeah, yeah. Speaker 1 Yeah, that's great. So let's talk about the lot that you've donated to the IAF Oceania's Silent auction. Yes, OK, donated. The Silent Auction: Win a Spot in Sarah's Accelerator It's actually a. Speaker 2 A, a place in my business accelerator beyond the hourly rate to work with myself and the other experts in the business accelerator for 12 months. So my business accelerator beyond the hourly rate. We, we actually, we support you to create a validated strategy and then implement each piece of that strategy over the 12 month period. So working with top level coaches and myself to make sure that you're fully supported and actually working on the vital tasks in your business that are going to make a difference. Speaker 1 Wonderful. That sounds like an amazing opportunity. So who do you think will most gain or get the most out of this? Speaker 2 OK. So I think the people that that will get the most out of it are people who are being overlooked, who are missing out on opportunities or who feel like they're in a saturated market. Alternatively, it's somebody who does something quite different and needs to educate the audience. It's something that, you know, that's quite new and they they're people, they all need to get a strong identity and you know, so that they can get in that short list and then prove themselves through through their proposal or pitch, etcetera and get chosen. And so we cover the, the validation a line, which is creating a strong identity deliver, which is all around creating a methodology at being priced for profit and everything to do with delivering your service. And then marketing, we have lots and lots of different marketing tactics that we that we train people in, but we want you to choose those tactics that align with your value, strength and skill set. And then the last one is around convert and that's about sales training, but sales with integrity. So it feels like a win win for everybody involved. Speaker 1 Excellent. So we're IAF Oceania, which is Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Why This Accelerator Stands Out for Facilitators Globally So who is this available to? Everybody? It's. Speaker 2 Online. So all of our work is online and so it's available to, to any facilitator who feels, you know, that that sounds like a good fit for them. Yeah. Speaker 1 Nice. And you've, I've heard you talk about finding that point of difference. So finding that you know what sets you apart, so putting you on the spot, Sarah, what makes your course stand out where there are other types of business courses available? Speaker 2 So this is tailored specifically for people who sell their time, who have the expertise and it's end to end. And so we cover everything that you need to that you need to know to go, to be recognised by your ideal clients, to be booked by them, to be in demand. A lot of the other courses that I have seen are only off. A part of it was this is, you know, everything that you need. Also being in a community, being in a community. Speaker 1 Of. Speaker 2 People who are just like you, but who are, you know, making big, big moves, being bold. And really you have a shared goal. There's a huge momentum that that gets created. And we find that, you know, success becomes inevitable when you're in that environment. We've all heard the, the saying about you being kind of the, the what, what the five people around you are, you know, kind of being the culminative of the five people around you. And when you're in this environment with other founders who are also working on their business and, you know, making big moves, then you'll start to think, oh, if they can do it, I can do it too. Speaker 1 Nice. Yeah. So being with people who share their passion and drive to to succeed and to support each other. So when people complete your course, what is your hope? Driving Success: Client Confidence, Personal Inspiration, and Business Curiosity For them, my hope for them is that they have confidence that because it mindset is such a big thing when you're, when you're a, a business owner, that they have confidence in themselves that they, they see the value that they bring, that they are in demand and they're being recognized for their expertise and, and being booked. Speaker 1 Nice. And coming back to, you know, being involved and setting up this business, what or who inspires you in the work that you do? Speaker 2 My clients, actually my clients inspire me so much because I, I get the privilege of sitting in the middle of this community of amazing people with amazing expertise and seeing them big lips and you're stretching themselves. And I, I find it really, really inspiring to, to be part of that. And their, their success is what actually what drives me. I love it. We do a meeting on a Monday morning called the power hour, which is the injection of motivation for the week. And people show up and share their wins and everybody congratulates them. And it's just, it's just so cool to see people being paid, paid well for their expertise, actually creating a life that they that they love. Speaker 1 Wonderful. That's a great thing to be inspired about. So what keeps you curious in this work? What's what's your curiosity around Sarah? Speaker 2 My curiosity when I'm working with a client is what is the quickest way to get to financial certainty? And there's so many different ways to build a business, there's so many different ways to become in demand. But what is the quickest way? What is going to align with that person? What are the opportunities that we're not seeing right now that are going to be uncovered in that validation when they're using the proof first method? And it's never the same. So it's always really, really exciting. And it might be. I, I had a client, Meredith, she's a facilitator. She works with, she works with companies delivering workshops on menopause in the workplace. She went through the validation process and she said something came up she would have never, ever anticipated. And I think out out of the 15 interviews she did, 12 people said, what's this got to do with me? If it's if it's menopause, shouldn't they be going to their doctor? And she had some great research around actually why it is relevant to them. And then that's something that has it. It's kind of really helped her to move forwards in her business, understanding what's going on in somebody's head and and now being able to get breakthroughs. So yeah, that kind of stuff is really, really cool and you're not going to read it anyway. It's going through the process that is going to uncover that. Speaker 1 Excellent. Get Proof, Build Identity, Boost Self-Belief: Connect with Sarah So you've covered a lot of different things and really what I'm hearing is find out who your clients are, be clear on you know what your market is, who your market is, what your point of difference is before you start getting out there and throwing those marketing darts around the world and having a process and support in a network and a community around you. And I really hear that, you know, passion from your own experience, Like, I don't want people to go through what I went through. So for our for our listeners, if you thought of three things you would love them to take from our conversation today, what would they be, Sarah? Speaker 2 My 3 three things that I would love them to take would be get proof upfront, create a strong identity. And from that strong identity, get yourself belief. Because I think that's, that's the thing, self belief. And actually, you know, when they get the validation, they get the self belief because they've heard it externally from, you know, from their future clients. But that self belief is so, so important because a strategy without the mindset, a strategy, it's very hard to implement a strategy if you if you don't believe in yourself. And so that's something that we support our clients with as well. Speaker 1 Wonderful. Thank you. So how do people connect with you, Sarah? If they want to learn more about your course or what you do, what you offer? Speaker 2 Yep. So you my website is beyondthehourlyrate.com or you can connect with me on LinkedIn. Sarah Davies, business coach. Yeah, that's probably the two the two easiest ways to come into my world. Speaker 1 Paul and you're also going to, so we'll have a link, we have a link for people to follow if they want to do the short questionnaire to find the gaps. I know you've talked about and and I've had the privilege of jumping on to one of those sessions and you talk about the messy middle. So yeah, that you're really good at defining the different places people might be at. Speaker 2 Yes, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's it, It's hard when you're in the messy middle and you know, when we how far we've come, you're kind of like, I'm never going to never going to get there. There's always more to do in front. But also actually learning to love the messy middle and seeing what you have achieved as you as you progress in your business. The two big things that I see that keep people stuck are not having a plan and being in isolation. Speaker 1 Great, thank you. It was been lovely talking to you. And so if people want to go in and bid on your getting us place in your course, they can jump onto our website, which is facilitation and action.com dot AU. You'll also find information about the conference, so and Geelong from the 14th to 16 October. You can learn more about IAF Oceania as well and being part of the IAF community. And you can connect with Sarah through LinkedIn and on her website and also jump on and do that quiz. So thank you so much, Sarah, for being on the program today. Speaker 2 You're so welcome. Great to chat to you, Carolyn. Speaker 1 You too and thank you for all those that jumped in and listened. We look forward to seeing you on future episodes.