If you want to attract more clients, sales or sales leads, you’ll LOVE today’s article.
I need to start by sharing one of the cornerstones of great marketing. It’s simply this: Focus on your prospective clients and their needs, rather than your own needs.
Some call it paying it forward.
Others call it contribution.
You can call it whatever you like, but it’s the same thing. Focusing your efforts on the other person and not on yourself.
Why?
Bring the marketplace your seed, not your need
I live in a rural village. It’s coming to the end of harvest time. Ask a farmer about the harvest and she’ll tell you this: If you want a bountiful harvest, you need to bring your seeds to the soil. Not your needs. You can tell the soil how much you need a great harvest. You can pester the soil for months with selfish requests… and nothing productive will happen.
The marketplace is very similar. It doesn’t give a shit about what you need!
This is why pestering people for leads at networking groups is such a soul-destroying waste of your time. It just makes you look needy. The same is true of sending strangers marketing emails they never asked for. Ditto, posting needy marketing messages on social networks. All of these are super-low leverage and reflect poorly on you and your brand.
That’s what self-focused marketing looks like. You see it every day. And it has never been less effective.
Here’s a way better alternative for you to consider.
Attract sales, leads and clients
The thing is, you don’t need to pester anyone. Your prospective clients present you with an opportunity to plant as many seeds of contribution as you want to. [Think about that for a moment.]
For example, I reach tens (and tens) of thousands of prospective clients daily, by giving away as much useful information as I can via my blog and social networking channels. Without pestering anyone, I generate sales, leads and enquiries from new clients every day.
However, to earn that privilege I have to consistently focus on you. I have to uncover your needs, so I can deliver valuable, free information that will be of use to you and your business.
The bottom line is that the process of giving and receiving, starts with the giving part. If you want to receive more, give more. They say: “The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is today.”
So start today
Give value, not pitches.
Be useful, not annoying.
Offer help, not deals.
Attract attention, not scorn.
Repeat tomorrow.