Sunday, February 13, 2011

Are You Invisible To Your Prospects?

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One of the first challenges I hear when working with business owners is how to get more clients so that they can make more money. While it's an important focus, I think it's the worse place to start. And I know, because I started there when I began my business years ago.


Where should you start? On the front end of the process of growing your business, systematically, consistently, from leads to profits. You begin by creating a lead generation system that brings your business front and center to those who need to know you exist!


I'll give you an example where not doing this costs you time and money. During a recent networking event, I met a woman who has a consignment shop. She was disappointed that she wasn't getting more traffic to her store. I asked her how she let people know about her business. She said, she places Ads.


Without going deeper on this strategy, i.e. who is her client, what did the ads say, how often were they appearing, where were they placed, what's been the return on each ad/placement, etc. Yes, I could have gone deeper.


I asked if that was her only marketing strategy for her business. You guessed it, it was. Yet somehow she expected that this one strategy would flood her business with clients.


Are you doing the same thing? Are you forgetting to generate leads by marketing your business effectively?


Give your business a "lead generation check up" and find out. Ask yourself…



#1 Are you BROAD-casting your business so that people can find you?


You can't expect to place one ad in several places and expect people to show up. You can't even send one really "juicy" email to prospects and think "ok, here they come!" First, people need more reminders today than usual that you exist and have something "juicy" for them. Next, you have leads, prospects and clients - GLOBALLY, unless you're truly a local business. So your voice has to be large and inviting to get more leads to pay attention to who you are and what you're saying.


#2 Who knows who you are and what business you're in?


Seriously, who does know? Make a list. Really. Right now, sit down and make a list of the people/businesses who know you, who know who you are and what business you're in. I'm hoping this is a really difficult exercise for you. Because, if it's easy, then you're in trouble. It cannot be friends and family…there better be some strangers in there too! And by strangers I mean those who find you via ads, blogs, email, etc. So check in and see what your list looks like, really. You don't have to tell anyone…however that may be the problem.


#3 How many strategies are you using to generate leads?


One size does not fit all. Leads can come into your business from just about anywhere. It could be online, offline, referrals, parties, networking, business cards, blogs, newsletters, speaking, tweets, status updates on Facebook…anywhere. And that's a shortlist! So your next exercise is to list the ways in which you are sharing who you are and what you do so that more people can find you. You cannot assume that if you have a retail store that your lead generation is limited…it is not. But your awareness of available strategies may be. So open the floodgates by opening yourself to more opportunities to share who you are and how you help!


If this brief check up gives you pause, and you want to connect with a "specialist" to diagnose and prescribe a solution for using more lead generation techniques specific to your business.

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