Have you ever felt completely out of your depth? You know where you want to get to, but you just aren’t sure how to get there. That was me.
When I first started my business I had no list, no clients and no idea which methods of marketing were effective in this ‘new age’ of social media. The traditional newspaper and radio advertisers were well out of the price range of a typical start-up enterprise.
I’d moved from a corporate job where I was in control of a million dollar plus marketing budget to having to spend my own business dollars. I had taken time out, reconnected with my kids and entered the business owning world following a short stint of working for someone else.
I realised that I was no longer employable (and didn’t really want to be employed anyway!) and that my path was business ownership through my marketing consultancy & coaching practice (http://marketingpractice.co.nz/) and more recently my own digital marketing agency (https://newsletterready.co.nz/).
My purpose was to help my clients achieve the success they desire.
My Journey
In February 2016 I got to work in my new business (at the time it was called http://newsletterready.co.nz/). Networking was the name of the game.
I attended everything I could between Auckland and Taranaki from free meet-ups, to group business meetings and live events. It was my mission to put myself in the place where my kind of people would be (business owners/salespeople and other entrepreneurs).
ButI struck a big problem. It was limiting my growth and chances are, it is limiting yours too.
Without a system to follow up with the people you meet – you’re forgotten once you walk out the door. It’s not on purpose or anyone’s fault. It’s just the way it is.
It’s because people get on with their own lives and they are continually exposed to advertising messages when they are at work, on their computers, on their commute or at home with their family.
Even though you have the solution to their problem – you fail to make an impact.
I had to change and work smarter, not harder.
The Turning Point
The turning point for my Groundhog Day was building an email list of every business person that I had met who had given me a business card.
At first, I sent an added-value newsletter every month and it was nice to hear back from the people I’d met along the way.
Then after a while, I sent an engagement email and BOOM! The floodgates opened. I had more leads than I knew what to do with.
Having an engaged list is great, it means you can turn on the tap for leads and referrals whenever you like.
Perhaps you’re having a slow month and need some extra leads – BOOM! It’s a simple 2-step formula, having a warm list and sending out a message that requires a response.
Laying The Foundations
Getting the foundation right was key to building engagement. Serve your list with good quality content and when you ask for a reply, it comes. Be consistent with your communication and letting your contact database know you’re there – otherwise they will forget you.
It takes a series of contact points to develop a relationship with a potential customer – moving them from subscriber to valued client.
Research suggests that 80% of sales are made between the fifth and twelfth contact points and so it’s essential that your business has a communications programme in place.
I worked hard attending up to 5 meetings or events per week – that’s a lot of time away from my family. On top of those events were the one on one meetings I had; over 1000 meetings – that’s a lot of coffees!
The Crucial Realisations
I’d left the corporate world and created a situation where I was wearing out the soles of my shoes and the tread on my car tyres.
I’ve had 3 crucial realisations in my business journey:
- Firstly, networking does work to grow your business however it is time consuming, labour intensive, and costly as it lacks efficiency. The main limitation is the inability to scale this method of marketing and can lead to burn out of your key people.
- Secondly, list building is an essential component of any business. Stay in touch with your database on a consistent and regular basis. Your readers will start to anticipate hearing from you.
- Thirdly, get attention from the people who know, like and trust you. When you send a newsletter, post on social media and attend networking events – it all helps reinforce that you’re open for business. It gives your existing customers a reason to stay with you, to buy more from you, to refer your business to others and safeguards you, that they’re not shopping with your competitors.
You must have a proven process to ensure the value of your marketing efforts are not wasted. All people who enquire with your business go on the list and I’ll tell you why …
63% of people requesting information on your company today will not purchase for at least three months – and 20% will take more than 12 months to buy.
So the truth is, we are all playing the long game in business. Being consistent and staying in touch is absolutely the best strategy I could recommend to you.
Your Next Steps…
The world has changed. There are those businesses who are embracing technology and those that are not.
If you don’t change, your business will fade into obscurity.
The good news is I can help. I’ve put together a Road Map that shows you the exact system I used to turn my business around in the last 2 years.
Download the 15-point Roadmap to a Steady Flow of Leads here
It’s transformed my business and has the power to do the same for yours.
If you’re a motivated business owner, sales professional or service manager who wants to retain and/or grow your business, and be able to stop relying on ‘the hope’ your customers will return, then this is for you.
Want the fast track? Book straight into my calendar here