Jim Connolly Marketing

The marketing power of curiosity

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marketing curious, marketing blogs

You’re going to love this!

Today, I’m going to share the single most important thing you need to know, if you want to attract regular sales leads and business enquiries.

To begin, I need to ask you a question:

Why do prospective clients call you, email you or ask you questions?

It’s because they’re curious!

They need to know something and their curiosity motivates them to get in touch. So, you get a sales lead or business enquiry. This creates a dialogue between you and them. And a chance to convert them into a new client or customer.

  • Ineffective marketing tries to explain everything. To answer every possible question. To eliminate as much curiosity as possible. And as a direct result, it attracts very few sales leads.
  • Effective marketing provides just enough information. Enough information to inform the prospect and ignite their curiosity. And as a direct result, it regularly attracts high quality sales leads.

Think about it. Every enquiry you have ever had or will ever receive, is because the other person needs to know something. So, if you want your marketing to attract more sales enquiries, it needs to create more curiosity and answer fewer questions.

3 Proven ways to attract massively more customers

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attract sales leads, attract clients

If you want to attract far more sales leads or client enquiries than ever before, today’s message is for you.

I’m going to share the 3 main reasons why sales leads dry up. More importantly, I’m going to give you some ideas, tips and recommendations on how to put things right.

So, let’s get March 2017 off to a flying start.

How to open the floodgates

When sales or client enquiries slow down, there’s always a reason. This is good news. Because once you identify the reason and put things right, the sales and enquiries come flooding in.

Since starting my marketing business in 1995, I have seen the same 3 causes of this problem repeated over and over again. Here they are, along with some ideas on how to open the floodgates!

1. The marketing message you’re using isn’t good enough

In which case, you need to create a more motivating message. You need to start by making sure your service is as valuable as possible. Then communicate that value to your marketplace with crystal clarity.

Tip: I want to help you avoid a common mistake here. Spend some time reviewing the guarantees, promises and range of services offered by your competitors.

Why?

Because without knowing what you are competing against, you don’t know how compelling your guarantees, promises and range of services are to a prospective client.

It’s possible that competitors have copied your U.S.P. Or perhaps something that was rare or unique when you first offered it, is now commonplace.

It’s also possible that competitors have “upped their game” and you need to improve your service accordingly, to regain a competitive advantage.

You need to know. Then you can adjust and stand out from the crowd again.

Tip: A cornerstone of successful marketing, is to have expertly written, motivating copy. It’s not enough to offer an outstanding service, if you’re failing to get that message across powerfully. You need marketing messages, which inspires people to buy from you or compels them to hire you.

Relax. You don’t have to do a thing with this one. I can do it all for you.

2. The message is fine, but you’re not reaching enough new prospective customers with it

In which case, you need to find a more effective way to reach them. The best advice I can give you when it comes to reaching your prospective clients is this: Be where their attention is.

  • What do they read?
  • Where do they go?
  • Who do they listen to?
  • What do they watch?
  • Whose tribe are they members of?

Find out. Then look for opportunities to reach out and connect with them.

For instance, I built the initial readership of Jim’s Marketing Blog from a newsletter I’d started back in 1998. However, after switching to blogging in 2008, I got my NEW readers from outreach on Twitter. Back then, Twitter had a massive and active community of small business owners – the exact market for my services.

I connected with small business owners on Twitter, then placed useful information on my blog, which I shared on Twitter. It worked. By being where their attention was (Twitter), I was able to build a large blog readership, which has generated regular client enquiries ever since.

Important: Today, Twitter is far less effective as an outreach tool. You’ll get much better results from a Facebook Page, Instagram or Linkedin.

I share lots of tips and ideas, which don’t appear on my blog, over on my Facebook Page. Join me!

Then there’s frequency.

Frequency is extremely important, if you want to reach a growing number of new, prospective customers. You need to make sure you’re getting your message out there often enough.

For example, if you publish blog posts or newsletters, make sure you’re publishing them regularly. If you want to get more leads from your blog, start publishing useful posts at least a couple of times a week. If you use newsletters to reach prospective clients, publish something useful every 10 to 14 days.

Don’t expect an infrequently updated blog or occasional newsletter to be a frequent driver of new sales or client enquiries. Regular contact with your marketplace allows you to be “front of mind”. This is marketing-speak for being the first person or provider they think of.

That’s exactly where you need to be.

Here’s more information on how to be where their attention is.

3. Your clients, former clients and contacts are not sending you enough referrals

In which case, you need to find out why. The answer is almost always connected to the customer experience you provide. Allow me to explain.

A remarkable customer experience gives people a story worth sharing. It gets them talking about you.

Here’s the good news: It’s never been easier for people to recommend you. Plus, their reach has never been larger. There are currently almost 2 billion people on Facebook alone. These people are actively looking for interesting stories (or experiences) to share with their friends.

Our job as business owners, is to provide those share-worthy experiences. They already have the sharing tools. What they need from us is the story! Need help?

Moving forward

If you improve in those 3 key areas, it will transform your business. It has to.

The key is to get moving.

To take action.

So please, don’t just find these ideas interesting. Use them.

Don’t let greedy amateurs get you down

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marketing , help, advice

Martin (not his real name) emailed me with a great question. I promised to answer it here, as it’s a marketing problem that a lot of people struggle with.

He wanted to know why only a tiny fraction of his newsletter subscribers ever hire him. Martin’s an experienced, professional copywriter. It’s important to point out that I looked at Martin’s newsletter and it’s superb. His range of services look compelling too.

He explained: “They grab all my free advice Jim, but lack the decency to even say thanks for the hours I put in. I’m just about ready to quit.”

Martin wanted to know if I have the same problem and how I deal with it. Here’s my answer. I hope you find it useful.

This is exactly as it should be

First things first. This happens to everyone who uses content marketing. And the more successful you become, the more visible the issue becomes. I know the writers behind some of the world’s most successful newsletters and blogs. In every case, it’s only a tiny minority of their readers who hire them, buy from them or thank them.

And that’s EXACTLY as it should be.

Most people who read this message have zero intention of ever hiring me. A tiny percentage will even bother to thank me for the free information I provide to them. The vast majority just grab it. They have no interest in the thousands of dollars I spend every year, to get the “free” advice out there. No thought is given to the fact I help their business. They just take.

And that’s EXACTLY as it should be.

Why? Because it’s what they’re supposed to do! Remember, these people are not the prospective clients I write for.

No.

These are the amateurs. The freebie crowd. Those who lack the entrepreneurial sense to invest in expert help. So they’re attracted to “free stuff” like moths to a flame. (read this)

You can’t use content marketing and not expect to attract them. You can’t ask people to subscribe to a free newsletter (or free anything) and not be inundated with freebie hunters. To think otherwise is naive.

Expect the freebie crowd to arrive. BUT never write for them. I don’t write for the freebie crowd. Neither should Martin. And neither should you.

  • I write for people who take their business seriously.
  • I write for people who are commercially intelligent enough to invest in their businesses.
  • I write for people who have respect for themselves and for others.

To put it another way, I write for professionals. Professionals are the people who show appreciation for your work. They’re the people who hire you. They totally get it.

Where it gets tricky is this: Professionals are ALSO attracted by free stuff. That’s why content marketing is extremely effective, when used correctly.

Content marketing and intent

The key difference between the 2 types of people who consume your content can be summed up in one word. Intent.

  1. When a professional consumes your content, they do so with an open mind to hiring you or buying from you. If they see enough value, they’ll get in touch or make a purchase. These amazing people contact me throughout the day, every day. Sometimes to ask about hiring me. Sometimes to say thanks. Sometimes to tell me how my ideas have helped them overcome a problem.
  2. When an amateur consumes your content, they don’t have that same intent. The amateur sees the free stuff as the end result. It’s the much mentioned entitlement mindset. That’s why they never bother to thank Martin, me or any other content marketer. They believe they’re entitled to it.

Once you understand the intent behind the 2 groups of people who consume your content, everything makes sense. It also frees your mind to focus on generously contributing to the marketplace.

4 Powerful words that attract clients like a magnet!

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content marketing, powerful words, attract, words attract

I have an idea to share with you today, which is one of the most powerful I have covered on Jim’s Marketing Blog. If you want to attract more clients, I’m sure you’ll find it extremely useful.

When I speak with a prospective client, I have a 4 word phrase that always captures their attention.

It’s simply this: “Bring me your problems”.

Bring me your problems

The moment a small business owner hears those words, I can almost feel the stress leave their body. Many have wrestled with their business development problems for years. Now, they finally have the help they need, from a renowned marketing expert.

They’re no longer guessing. They’re no longer alone. They’re free again, to really enjoy their business and to look ahead with total confidence.

Note: That same 4 word phrase is also exceptionally powerful, when used within a marketing message.

What this means for you and your business

If you’re a service provider, you are a professional problem solver. This is true regardless of the kind of services you offer. With that in mind, I have a question for you.

Do you clearly ask your clients (and prospective clients) to bring you their problems? If those 4 words do not appear in your marketing, you’re missing an amazing opportunity.

It’s hard to overstate how powerful those 4 words are and how attractive they are. Why? Because it’s what everyone wants to hear.

No one wants to struggle with a problem. However, when was the last time someone explicitly asked you to bring them your problems? When was the last time a piece of marketing grabbed your attention, not by trying to sell you something, but by asking you to bring them your problems? It almost never happens in business, yet everyone wants to hear it.

And that’s why those 4 words have such a massive, immediate, positive impact.

Improve your email marketing by getting the basics right

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marketing email, content marketing, digital marketing

Here’s a quick tip, to help you increase the effectiveness of your email marketing or mail shots.

I was prompted to write this for you, after an email I received last week. It was a poorly targeted marketing email, from someone I hardly know.

Here’s how the email started:

“Hey guys, sorry for the email blast, but I want to reach a lot of people and this is the easiest way for me to do it”.

When someone starts a marketing communication with an apology for what they’re doing, it tells us that they believe they’re doing something wrong. Yet, they’re still going to do it anyway! That’s a toxic message, which creates a damaging, negative picture. That negativity then drowns out whatever their marketing message is. It turns a potentially effective marketing activity into a low-leverage waste of time.

Here’s a far better alternative

If you’re proud of what you do. If you know that the person you’re marketing to has a pressing need for what you provide. If you have a compelling reason for them to purchase from you. And especially if you have their permission to send them information… don’t start off with an apology. There are situations where it’s right to say sorry — this definitely isn’t one of them.

Instead, use a highly targeted list and send a highly targeted message. The reader will then feel as if you are writing for them, rather than writing at them. With no apology required.

Here’s a free, 2 part email marketing series with some useful email marketing tips:

Does email marketing work? Part 1.

Does email marketing work? Part 2.

Success leaves clues

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marketing advice, marketing help

When it comes to marketing, success leaves clues. By following these clues and learning from them, it’s possible to significantly improve your marketing. Allow me to explain.

Consider the following:

  • The last marketing email, which you were motivated to open because it had a powerful subject line.
  • The last marketing email you read, which persuaded you to take action. (To ask for information, pick up the phone, make a purchase, etc.)
  • The last blog post you read, which you were motivated to bookmark, save or share.
  • The last advertisement you saw or heard, which motivated you to make a purchase.
  • The last service you experienced, which impressed you so much that you wanted to tell your friends about it.
  • The last newsletter you received, which you forwarded to your contacts.

How to turn clues into results

Each of those marketing examples motivated you to take action. And they each contain a clue, as to why the marketing worked. To uncover the clue you need to answer this question:

What can I learn from this example of marketing success, which I can adapt and apply to my own marketing?

Next, write your answer down. This is really important, as you don’t want to risk losing your best ideas. Also, by writing your answers down, you’ll start to develop a gold mine of useful marketing notes.

Is this approach as effective as hiring a proven marketing professional? No. Not even close. But if you can’t afford expert help, it’s one way to make better marketing decisions.

P.S: To get you started, here are dozens of proven marketing ideas.