Shaking Things Up

If you’re reading my blog you know that I am an entrepreneur at heart and my heart is focused on helping other entrepreneurs. I am so grateful to be able to work with others who are passionate, eager to get their own businesses off the ground and are willing to work to get results. For many years I ran a successful business and my clients were happy and had healthy bank accounts to go along with their hard work. Lately, however, I’ve not seen this happening as often and I’ve not had the success that I had before. I’ve realized that there are two things that I need: a compelling and relevant service, and the ability to let people know that that service is available. I have the first in spades, but where I need work is on the second — letting the right people know and providing them with the correct message. Hard work has been happening and I’m getting there. Now, it’s time to get you there too! In other words, it’s time to shake things up!

Being unique, standing out and getting noticed in this very noisy world is what’s important today. Doesn’t matter if you’ve been in business for 35 years or for 35 minutes. If no one knows you exist, or if they don’t know that what you do is worth their time and energy, you’re either not going to be in business for long, or you’re not going to be making as much money (or as successful) as you could be.

The first thing you have to do to stand out is figure out who your target market is. Once you have that down, you have to decide what exactly that target market wants and is drawn to.

1. You have to focus on what solutions you have that will support the client. Those products and services that the client wants, are already halfway sold.
2. Make sure that your message is clearly understood by the target market. If there is confusion, then the purchase is harder to get. The market doesn’t know whether they really want/need it and so they won’t buy it.
3. Do you have a hook? When you offer something, like a white paper, a free webinar, an ebook — from that point it is easier to get the customer to buy the “REAL” product or service.

These all should become part of your marketing program. This is the part where people know what you do, but you still have to get them to know that they want to work with YOU. They need to know, like and trust you. Being honest and trustworthy, open and friendly, sharing and caring — these are all ways for people to get to know you. I must tell you, though, while this is the best way to gain clients, it’s not the easiest or the quickest. My coach, Vicky Knee, of http://vickyknee.com tells me constantly to be patient, darn it all anyway.

But when you work as hard as you can ON your business as well as providing the best you can for your customers, you will find that in the long run, you will have a successful and supportive business.