Every business owner has a big vision for their company and wants to make it happen.
In a recent LinkedIn post, I asked what was the one thing you wish you knew before you started your business? A business owner replied, “Starting a business is easy, but scaling a business is hard.”
In our last 2 blogs, we talked about how people and processes help your business grow fast. If you missed them, you can read both articles here. This week we’re going to talk about strategy. Marketing should be your main strategy for driving sales and revenue.
If your business is the car, marketing is the accelerator. However, many business owners don’t follow a unified strategy to reach their business goals. This is made worse during a pandemic when revenues fall and owners go into crisis mode. The frustration level is high. Many become anxious or overwhelmed. It shouldn’t be so hard to build a business that others aspire to become. I get it.
My friend, Gregg Burkhalter, the LinkedIn Guy, says “Relationships First”. It frustrates me when people reach out and express interest in starting a LinkedIn relationship only to use the invitation as a platform to sell me something. All of a sudden, they’re proposing their product as a solution to a problem I didn’t know I had.
Having spent 43 years in business, I’ve found “people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Relationships First means people have to get know each other, and then like each other, before they’ll try the product or service. Even after they try the product/service, there still remains a level of trust to be established, which takes time. People hate to be sold, but they do love to have their problems solved.
Curiosity, Enlightenment, Commitment
Marketing is kind of like dating. When you first start dating, you’re curious about each other. You get to know each other. As the relationship continues, you’re finding out what this person is like at their best, but also at their worst. You discover their strengths and weaknesses. You become enlightened about the other person.
They say opposites attract. Many times, we choose someone that is strong where we’re weak. When marriage is proposed is often after a long period of dating when you know each other, like/love each other, and are ready to commit to each other. Commitment doesn’t happen on the first date, it takes time.
Your Marketing Plan
Your client’s journey will follow the process I mentioned above. People will check out your LinkedIn profile and go to your website because they’re curious about who you are and what you do. You enlighten them with content, emails, blog posts, and LinkedIn posts explaining what problems they encounter and how you and your products/services might solve their problems. I’ve read that 80% of your client’s decision is made before they talk to you. There is typically an emotional event that occurs where a potential client sees how you are the exact solution to their problem. At that moment, and only then, will they commit. Trying to force that commitment before they’re ready will only frustrate them and you.
Bill McDermott, The Profitability Coach
770-597-3136
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