One makes big money for a 60-minute speech. The same speech every time, nearly word for word, with little room for customization. While he knows his current audience, he is not going to take time to care about the dynamics of his audience, or to engage about what they are thinking.
The other refuses to take a speech unless the person hiring him WANTS interaction. He doesn’t give the same speech twice, and won’t consider that he’s done his job unless he’s come to understand the dynamics within the audience, and helped to address them.
Both make great money. Different brands, different models.
The first makes tons of money selling books – his name is Larry Winget. He has 
several best sellers, all sporting his mugshot on the front of them. He ensures his audiences have a chance to personally purchase one of these “souvenirs” at the end of his talk, and he spends a percentage of his marketing effort promoting his books when they launch. He does a lot of media appearances, and is a celebrity/ personality brand. While I secretly know he has a big heart, his business is business, and he doesn’t care if anyone changes as long as he gets paid
The second makes a bit of money selling books, mainly books purchased by the companies who hire him. They give them to the employees he is hired to engage. He likes to makes companies think, and talk. He wants to make lasting change in how a company does business. His name is Joe Calloway. 
He doesn’t even put his photo on a book jacket. I picked up his book, “Be the Best at What Matters Most.” I look forward to reading it – seems like “my people.”
Personality-wise, Joe and Larry appear to be night and day.
Larry is larger-than-life in his cowboy shirts and custom boots. He sells his opinion. He shifts the energy in a room, and makes individuals think, without much concern for what they think about him. He says the things that most people don’t have the guts to say, and that’s why people pay him.
Joe is unassuming and down-to earth in his Brooks Brothers suit. He makes companies think. His point of view is “Win on the Basics and You Win.” He is thoughtful and approachable. He doesn’t believe that his personality is important at all. “I’m just a reporter, sifting through information looking for what works.”
Both Have Picked A Lane
Both Joe and Larry are crystal clear about who they are, what they believe, and what they will or will not do. In their talk last week in Denver as a team, I loved to see them challenge each other on their opinions. Neither budged, and neither took anything personally. Both were solid in their Truth.
Larry stated that the biggest problem people have, that will cripple them, is a lack of clarity. “You need clarity on what you do, and what you sell.” He said, “When someone asks you what you do, stop using the word ‘AND.'” 
I love that.
When you are clear about who you are and what you are about, you will by default create a business model that works.
What You Say “No” To Defines Your “Yes.”
Wikipedia defines a business model as….
To be clear about these decisions, it is much simpler to look at what you DON’T do and what you don’t believe. Try it from a place of ZERO fear about not enough clients and watch what emerges.
A Story of Giving Up to Get
Larry tells the story about the day he changed his career. He’d been doing the regular speaking gig circuit, following the unwritten (some are probably written) rules of a “work your way up” speaker career. He was doing pretty well, and burnt out and tired. He heard people talk about what it would take to get ahead and he thought, “I’m not willing to do any of that.” So he stopped completely. I would call it the ‘dark night of the soul’ people talk about.
One night he was watching TV and Dennis Miller was on talking about his career. Dennis said, “Most comedians go on stage to be endearing to the audience, and I thought, ‘I’m not very endearing,’ so I gave it up.”
And Larry said that in that minute, he gave it up too. He hung up his suit and put on his current attire,
including his earrings, and started to be himself, and everything changed. He asked us, “What will you give up?”
Business Models Are Abundant
I’m contrasting two business models here. Business models are abundant. I make the bulk of my money in coaching clients directly. There are three ways clients can work with me. My fees and payment plans are very well defined. I know how people find me, and I have damn good idea of where people are in their business progression when they decide to buy from me. I recently had someone propose to me a different working and payment structure. I turned it down without a thought because I know what works for me and the structure that works for my clients.
Another coach with a different personality, different gifts, and different desires may create their model in a completely different way. They may choose not to work with any clients directly. Some may work with more clients for less time, or fewer clients for more time.
I love intimate events – its a great way for people to get to know me. My people always know I’m their right next coach – they know it because they have experienced it through one of my teachings. My lowest investment program is $2000. (I do have one home study for $200). I want people who are invested, and I have no doubt they can quickly make back their investment.
Another coach may offer lots of smaller programs for people to acquire different pieces of their knowledge in small chunks. They may market to the masses without concern about working with the most targeted audience. That’s their model. And it can work for them.
Just as Larry and Joe have different models, your model should be unique to you – fitting with your personality, your genius or gifting, your mission or what you care about, and how you want to live your life. Don’t settle and don’t hold back!
If you suspect that holding back has been holding you back from the business model you love, check out my new “Believe Yourself Business Model Bootcamp” here: www.alignandprofit.com/bybc