In the world of business, there are good books and then there are great books! I discovered a great book entitled, “Get Clients Now!” by C.J. Hayden.
Marketing is one of the key pieces to being successful in business.
In this book, there are four simple action plans that can transform your business in the next 28 days. I know firsthand as a business coach that these small shifts are worth their weight in gold . The small shifts start with discovering what is holding you back from your ultimate success .
When you discover your greatest fear, you can challenge the fear and realize it wasn’t as big as you thought.
The 4 steps discussed in this book are :
- Filling Your Pipeline
- Following up
- Having Sales Conversations
- Closing Sales
If you feel that your business has hit a plateau or is not generating the income you would like it to have , you definitely want to take a look at where you are not giving 100% accountability to these four areas . Why wait until your pipeline is dry to step out of your comfort zone and achieve what you want ?
The magic formula lies in the universal marketing cycle.
Think about the ways you are filling your pipeline with clients. How are you reaching out to them? Remember your client is listening to , “What is in it for me ?” They do not want to hear about every accolade you have. Yes it is important to share your successes and accomplishments with your followers , however , if the message is one-sided or not coming from a place of service – they will just tune you out .
They want to know that you are able to help them achieve the results that that they want.
Take a look at your newsletter and ask yourself, if you are you writing it from the perspective of giving a hand up versus putting your hand out.
Follow-up tends to be one of the weakest links in the sales cycle. There was a time when I would feel weak in the stomach when it came to follow up and I would talk myself out of it due to the fear of rejection. I also learned that if I don’t follow up and offer to help someone achieve their dream with my knowledge and skill, I am robbing someone of the greatest gifts I can give. If you if you can relate, imagine the impact you would have by not only helping one person achieve what they want but many. This can also create a ripple effect. Many of the people that you impact, will want to share their experience with others.
One of the greatest actions that you can take is having the sales conversation. The actions can be as simple and asking for an appointment, sending follow-up letter or email, or soliciting testimonials . See a pattern here – everything is about relationship marketing and caring about people and what matters to them.
Finally, who could resist the topic of profits and closing more sales, especially if you are running a business. There are some people who are afraid to talk about wanting money in their business for fear of being labeled as materialistic or greedy . Businesses are meant to make money providing a solution to a clients problem or pain. If you are not making money , perhaps, you are dabbling in a hobby and not as serious about running your business and you say you are.
Build the relationships in your network and discover ways you can help others get to their goals. The more you help others in the process, the more you will attract clients to your pipeline.
Go out and make a difference like I know you can!