Measure Your Success by Your Calls, Meetings and Sales
It’s been an interesting few weeks working as a business coach. It doesn’t seem to matter the industry, clients are having a very difficult time opening doors and getting accounts. I realize there are three things that are most important to attract business:
1. You must have accurate messaging and positioning; how you talk about your business is too often very overwhelming and too verbose. Is your marketing message reflected on your website? Most websites talk about the services provided, whereas the correct marketing message addresses the visitor’s challenges and makes them say “wow, that’s me!” They then see you as holding the solutions to their challenges.
2. Getting the conversation and making sure you are talking to the right person that actually needs what you offer.
3. Getting the meeting and starting to build the know, like and trust relationship that leads to sales.
The absolute three most important goals in building a business are getting the conversation, getting the meeting and obviously the third thing is to close some business!
The Case Study:
Networking and websites are essential marketing strategies for every business owner. Clients tell me all the time “I handed out 50 business cards and no one called me,” or “I went to that event and there was no one there to meet for my business.” I have a website and it brings me nothing.” It is very important to have a clear strategy for selling and connecting to “right fit” contacts. In order to do this it is equally important to understand the difference between networking, sales and building relationships. Too often we find that small business owners are more anxious to just make the sale before developing effective messaging, building rapport and trust and ensuring they are talking to a true potential lead who actually needs them.
The Outcome:
There are 3 major factors to keep in mind when seeking connections to potential clients/ customers.
1. Psychographics: The client’s needs and wants match the solution, product or service you are selling.
2. Demographics: This includes age, gender, location, and likes and dislikes.
3. Economics: Can they pay for your services and/or products?
The real key to finding out if you are talking to the right person or are at the right event is to consider the factors above and to make sure you are not jumping in and talking about yourself and your services before you have these factors sorted out.
The more clarity you have about you own business and who you are looking to meet, the greater likelihood that you will either meet a “right fit” client or contact, or that your conversation will result in an introduction to a “right fit” client or contact.
Does your messaging attract buyers? Do you have a sales process for calling and obtaining “right fit meetings?”
