Professional development Archives | Jim's Marketing Blog

It’s never the money. Here’s what REALLY stops people buying from you!

July 26, 2017 by Jim Connolly

Your prospective clients or customers absolutely can afford your products or services.

Here’s what really stops people buying from you.

You’re attracting enquiries from the wrong people.
You haven’t given them a powerful enough reason to buy from you or hire you.
They don’t trust you, so they don’t believe your message.

Let’s look at these in a little more detail… Plus, how to remove these barriers so you make more sales or attract more clients.

1. You’re attracting enquiries from the wrong people

No matter how great your products are. No matter how outstanding your services are. You will never make a sale if you’re talking to the wrong people.

For example, if you provide a premium product or service, which rightly has a premium price tag, you’re wasting your time marketing to the bargain basement crowd. Yes, very occasionally you may be able to change someone’s world view. However, you’re far more likely to sell premium services, if you market to those who value premium service.

The key phrase here is this: Market to the dissatisfied, not the disinterested.

It’s never about the money. It’s always true that your prospective customers can afford your products or services.

Here’s why: If someone can’t afford what you offer, they were never a prospective customer!

Identify who your ideal prospective customer is and make them the focus of your marketing.

2. You haven’t given them a powerful enough reason to buy from you or hire you

The word motivation comes from a fusion of the words motive and action. When the motive (or reason) is powerful enough, we take action.

Most small business marketing is terrible. It’s generic. It’s predictable. And it’s extremely ineffective.

It’s all about attitude: Many small business owners dabble with marketing. They will pay an expert to cut their hair, but they’ll willingly risk their financial future with lousy, DIY marketing.

This is great news if you want your business to thrive! That’s because you can crush your competitors, simply by being professional enough to invest in expert marketing.

3. They don’t trust you, so they don’t believe your message

For your marketing messages to work, people need to believe them. They need to trust you enough, to accept that what you’re telling them is true.

Sadly, many sales are lost through a lack of trust, even though the marketing message is 100% true. Even though the promises and guarantees are completely legitimate.

So, why does this happen and what can you do about it? Trust is lost when there’s a disconnect between:

What the marketing message says.
And what the prospective client feels.

Here are some common examples:

Promising an expert service, yet charging a low or average fee. People have been warned from childhood that if something sounds too good to be true, it is too good to be true. So they don’t believe it. This is why some service providers find they can attract more clients, simply by increasing their fees. Here’s what happened when we increased my client’s fees by 300%!
Promising a professional service, yet having an amateur image. It’s like a restaurant serving a delicious meal, but on a dirty plate! Prospective customers are greatly influenced by what they see. Low quality logos, poorly designed websites, amateur marketing copy etc, totally destroy trust. And it does so in seconds! Once they’re gone, they’re gone.

If you notice anything that could cause a stranger to get a negative impression of your business, fix it. And fix it today. It’s that important.

The success of your business, (of any business), is simply a decision. It’s the decision to do the right things, correctly. So choose success. Then act accordingly.

No ifs. No buts. They absolutely must hire you. Here’s why!

July 24, 2017 by Jim Connolly

It’s really important that your prospective clients (or customers) hire you or buy from you. And not for the most obvious reason!

Allow me to explain.

If your prospective clients go to one of your competitors, you have no way of knowing what kind of lousy service they could receive.

Anything could happen to them!

On the other hand, you know for certain what will happen if a prospective client hires you.

You know that you will look after them.
You know they will receive outstanding value for money.
You know that you will care, really care, about them and the service they receive.
You know that you will go the extra mile for them.

In short, if they choose you, you know they will be delighted.

A powerful marketing mindset

I have clients today, who first hired me 2 decades ago. This marketing mindset is what attracted them, and my total commitment to their success is what keeps them coming back.

I recommend you do the same.

You see, I truly believe you have a professional obligation to ensure that your prospective clients hire you or buy from you. Why? Because it’s the only way you can guarantee for certain that they will not be disappointed.

Now consider this:

How do you think your marketing message will improve, when it’s based exclusively on what’s best for them, rather than self-promotion?
And how do you think your results will improve, when your marketplace knows you’re looking out for their best interests?

Like me, you care passionately about your clients. You take huge pride in the quality of your work and the happiness of your clients. So let the marketplace know. Show them that their total satisfaction is your goal. Make that message the cornerstone of your marketing.

Because it’s exactly what they want to hear… and you know that what you’re saying is the truth.

Be more interested in your client’s success, than your own success

July 22, 2017 by Jim Connolly

There is a powerful success factor behind every great business, which you can implement starting today.

It can be summed up in just 4 words: It’s all about them!

It’s all about them

The most successful business owners have figured it out. They know that their success is always going to be an extension of what they do for their clients. So, they consistently look for ways to be of greater value.

In short: They are more interested in the success of their clients, than they are in their own success.

That may sound counter-intuitive, but it isn’t. Allow me to explain why.

Why the me, me, me approach doesn’t work

The least effective business owners are focused on what they can get from their clients or customers. This mindset manifests itself in many different ways. Here are just a few common examples.

They talk about closing the sale, rather than opening the relationship.
They talk about up-selling, rather than upping the value they provide to their clients.
They focus on what they can get, rather than what they can contribute.

That approach comes across in everything they do. As a result, their client retention is poor and they get few referrals from their clients. That’s because we don’t recommend greedy, self-obsessed people to our friends.

Some ideas for developing the ‘them’ approach to business

It starts with an understanding that it’s all about what you do, not what you say. That’s because every business owner claims to be client focused. So, you need to demonstrate that you are passionate about the success of your clients. You need to step up and walk the walk.

For example:

Keep in regular contact and if you find they have a problem, offer to help. Over the years, I have helped clients overcome major problems, which weren’t part of the service I provide. I have a huge, international network of top-level contacts, spanning pretty-much every area of business. I can almost always get my client any answer they need, and fast, from a leading expert. So that’s exactly what I do.
Help your clients to make extremely valuable connections. Think of people you know, who you can introduce them to… then do it!
Take a little time out every day, to help one of your clients in a way they were not expecting. This can be something as simple as sharing a useful article or video with them.
Find something valuable, which has a low delivery cost to you. Then add it to the service they receive from you… at no extra cost. My new clients are always amazed at the number of additional things I do for them. And I do this at every possible opportunity.
Keep your promises. Surprisingly few service providers can be totally relied upon. I started my business in 1995 and today, I’m still in contact with people, who I worked with in my first year. Deep, long-term relationships are a cornerstone of every excellent service provider. So, keep your promises and be there when they need you.

22 Years after starting out in business, I can confirm that Zig Ziglar was right: “You can have everything you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want”.

This isn’t just an effective way to build a successful business. It’s also a wonderfully rewarding way to build a business you’re proud of, my friend!

The New Proximity: Your endless supply of clients

July 21, 2017 by Jim Connolly

marketing advice, marketing help

This is easily the most valuable post I’ve written this year. It’s one of the most valuable I have ever shared with you. I strongly recommend you read it in full.

How would you like an endless supply of clients?

Moreover, how would you like an endless supply of clients, whilst making your business totally immune to any downturns in the economy?

Well, now you can have all that and so much more. This is not a play on words. I’m being 100% serious.

It’s all about something I call the new proximity. And it can transform your business, if you want it to.

The way things were

Until recently, the proximity of your business to your prospective clients was measured by their geographical distance from you. As a direct result, your marketplace was limited to those with a need for your services, who were within a certain number of miles of your location.

In 2017, this is no longer the case. At least it isn’t, for the majority of people reading this.

The new proximity

Today, the proximity of your business isn’t measured by how close you are in miles from a prospective client.

Today, the proximity of your business is measured by, how closely you are aligned with their needs, mindset and values.

So, if a prospective client sees your work and wants to hire you, thanks to low cost (or free) global digital communications, they can.

In other words: Geography is no longer a barrier for many business owners. In 2017, human proximity, not miles, is what determines the size of your marketplace.

For example:

Imagine you need a copywriter who really “gets” what you want to say. If you find one, but they’re based 900 or 9000 miles away, it’s no problem. You can work together just fine.
Imagine you need a graphic artist for a project and find one who’s right on your wavelength. It makes zero difference that they’re based overseas.
Imagine you need a translator. If you find one whose work you trust, you’ll hire them regardless of where they are.
Imagine you need a web designer who totally understands your unique needs. If you find one whose work you love, who can provide exactly what you need, you’ll hire her regardless of how many miles there are between you.

What counts today, is how closely a service provider is aligned to exactly what a client needs. That’s the proximity that matters. For example, in the past week alone, I’ve worked with clients in Australia, Canada, the UK and US.

These people are aligned with my work and the way I work, so we share proximity, even though were miles apart geographically.

Yes, if you’re a dentist and you physically must be in the same room as your patient, geography matters. Of course, you could still provide products and services, using the new proximity model. You could create videos for people with an irrational fear of dentists, and sell them globally. If your dental business is successful, you could sell the business model to dentists everywhere, who need to grow their dental business.

What about you?

Almost every business owner reading this can either switch 100% to the new proximity model or develop products and services for it.

However, in order for it to work for you, you need to adjust your current business model.

You see, it isn’t just a case of doing what you do now, but accepting clients who you’d have previously ruled out, due to the distance between you. If you do that, little if anything, will improve for you.

Why?

Because your marketing will still be the same and your services will still be the same. So, you won’t suddenly attract all those new, prospective clients. If you want to embrace the new proximity, you need to adjust things accordingly. This will change slightly, from industry to industry.

You will also need to make it a core part of your marketing message. Here’s an example of how I integrate it into one of my marketing messages (read this). My prospective clients are fully aware that my services are specifically designed, to be offered worldwide. As a result, I work with far more clients overseas, than in my own country. I’m proud to say this includes every state in the United States.

The wonderful opportunity in front of you

With hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of new prospective clients, those who fully embrace the new proximity, have almost limitless growth potential. Also, they no longer need to worry about the impact of the economy on their business.

When the UK decided to leave the EU, many UK based marketing providers recorded a drop in business, as the domestic marketplace cut back on spending. My business thrived, because the drop in the value of the UK Pound, suddenly made my service massively more affordable to overseas clients.

You may have also noticed an additional huge benefit of this approach to business: Freedom to live anywhere you want!

My wife and I relocated from London, to a small village in the north of England. Our son was born and raised here, he attended the tiny village school and we love our community. But we could equally have relocated to the mountains, the beach… anywhere.

Yes, it takes intelligent planning if you want to benefit from the new proximity. You need to do the right things, correctly. It may also require you to shift your mindset, if you’re too used to the old proximity.

But it’s worth it my friend. So give it some thought.

2 Ways to grow your business without attracting any new customers

July 19, 2017 by Jim Connolly

The most talked about way to grow your business, is to attract new customers or clients, (herein called customers).

However, it’s not the only way. It’s certainly not the fastest way. In fact, if your main focus is just on attracting new customers, you’re needlessly leaving money on the table every day.

So, here are 2 additional ways to quickly and significantly boost your revenues and profits.

Increase the average transaction value

No, I’m not suggesting you simply increase your prices or fees; though if these are too low you certainly should.

Instead, I’m suggesting you find out more about the needs of your customers and provide new products or services, which address those needs.

It’s massively easier, less expensive and quicker to sell a 2nd or 3rd product to an existing customer, than it is to attract 3 new customers.

The essential thing here, is that the new offering is based on satisfying their needs. It’s all about them. So, look after them and their interests. When you do this, you will be offering your existing customers, people who already trust you, highly valuable new products and services.

That’s a sustainable, high profit way to grow a business.

Increase how frequently they buy from you

Think about it: If your existing customers were to buy from you twice as often as they do now, your revenues would be twice as high. Often, profits would be more than twice as high… depending on the kind of business you own.

The process of increasing the purchasing frequency of your customers is relatively easy. You just need the right marketing strategy.

For example, when a local coffee shop started providing a book club on Tuesday evenings, people who seldom visited now came at least once a week. Bookworms quickly told their friends. It became very popular, very fast. Of course, because these customers now know the team at the coffee shop and how great the coffee is, they use it as their regular coffee shop.

Another example is the phone industry. People used to keep their phones until the phone stopped working. Today, thanks to Apple, Samsung and others, millions of people buy a new phone every year. The phone makers add new features, which are irresistible to a very profitable subset of their marketplace.

Whether you increase the transaction value or transaction frequency, or both, remember that it’s all about them. Put the customer first. Always. Deliver value that’s so good, they can’t resist it.

Bonus

If you get this right, you’ll also unlock 2 additional ways to build a great business. You’ll attract more word of mouth referrals and you’ll retain more customers too.

What’s better than outsmarting your competitors? This is!

July 17, 2017 by Jim Connolly

Here’s a thought: Instead of simply outsmarting our competitors, what if we decided to outcare them as well?

Think about it.

We could care more about client satisfaction than our competitors do.
We could care more about ethics than our competitors do.
We could care more about making a difference than our competitors do.
We could care more about earning a great reputation than our competitors do.
We could care more about quality than our competitors do.
We could care more about service than our competitors do.
We could care more about professionalism than our competitors do.
We could care more about building relationships than our competitors do.
We could care more about leadership than our competitors do.

It’s hard to think of a more effective, profitable and enjoyable way to grow a great business.

P.S: Here’s some advice on how to build a successful business. It contains lots of examples to get you started.