I think I’ve been spending far too much time in the social media-driven world of online marketing. I say that because my head is full of conversation that you may not be listening to at all.
Yet, I’m going to share the conversation because I think you may have similar voices in your head.
The conversation goes like this: “Oh my God, that blogger over there has 10,000 readers, and I only have six! How come they have so many?” Or, related, “It looks like the only way to make money online is to help people making money online.”
I’m going to make three statements to add to this conversation, and I want you to listen to them very carefully. I want them to sink in, even if you’ve heard them before, which you may have. Your mind might have trouble believing one or the other, but your heart knows they are true.
You can get clients and make money, even if you don’t teach people how to make money. And you may or may not ever have 10,000 people reading you, and it doesn’t matter if you do or don’t.
It’s okay. Take a gentle breath. Come back to your heart. And let’s dive in.
First Statement: Big Numbers Do NOT (Necessarily) Equal Lots of Clients
I could name half a dozen folks off the top of my head who reach thousands of people and are still scraping by. They have 4,000-10,000 email subscribers, 10,000+ Twitter followers, thousands of Facebook friends. Anemic responses to class offerings. Openings in their client schedule.
Can you imagine that? Having THOUSANDS of people who have opted in to listen to you, yet very few respond to your offers? It’s demoralizing. It’s heart-breaking. All these people and what’s going on?
Notice I’m not saying that numbers are unimportant. Clearly if you have 1,000 people on a list, you will have a better chance of filling your schedule then if you have only a dozen.
I’m just saying that there are two different, albeit related, skill sets involved. One is getting attention, and the other is bringing clients in.
What gets attention? Planting a flag, and networking like crazy so that people are willing to share what you say with their own audiences.
What gets people to buy? Oh, there’s a lot here, but safety is a big one. And the two statements below.
Second Statement: People Buy What They Want and Need
It’s easy to think, “Oh, you sell marketing and business advice that helps people make money, so, of course, you can sell stuff.” Truth be told, it’s really nice to be able to let potential clients know that we could help double or triple their revenue. It definitely is one safety factor.
However, it’s not the only thing people want and need. People want and need health. People want and need comfort. People want and need relationships.
Yesterday, I spent money on my acupuncturist. She’s not helping me make money, but she’s helping me regain my health after a cold settled into my nose and throat.
It’s a really simple thing, and it’s been said a million times and a million ways, yet people still miss it. What is it that your potential clients want and need? In their own words. From their own perspective.
For your business to work, please provide a product or service that people want or need.
How do you find out? Ask. Talk to folks. Don’t, though, ask them if they want your really cool whatever it is, like “ayurveda” or “Sufi marketing course.” Ask them about what they are struggling with, and what they are wanting to achieve or get to that they can’t. Then provide them something that gets them there.
Note: When I called my marketing courses, “marketing courses” they didn’t sell so well. Someone called me on it in an email, “You can’t fill your own marketing courses? I’m not signing up.” That was a bad day. Never mind.
Third Statement: People Buy When They Feel Safe
One of the under-appreciated factors in business is how much safety someone needs to spend money on your offer. A LOT of safety, especially if you are asking for a lot of money. Likability provides some safety, so being human and approachable is a big plus. They need to really trust you, beyond just liking you (one reason big numbers don’t always equal big sales.)
But trust. Whence comes trust? Trust is built through consistency of presence over time, doing what you say you’re going to do, or if you don’t do it, owning it and making it right, like when clients reminded us that we forgot to deliver something we promised, so we apologized then delivered it, even though it took big chunks out of my schedule when I had been planning to do other things. Oh well.
Trust can come in a moment. There are people who just seem to glow with trustability, and you just trust them. It’s because Trust is one of those Divine qualities, like Love or Strength or Compassion that people can carry in their hearts.
The experience of trust in those circumstances can be profound, yet to the ego it’s still fragile. It took me awhile, years really, to trust my spiritual teacher at such a profound level in my personality, despite trusting him immediately the moment I met him.
The more “proof” you can provide, the more trust is available. That often means, when you have a complicated or significantly-priced offer, that you really need to let folks know everything you can about it.
Give the people testimonials from others. The details of what’s involved and how you deliver. The process you use that makes it so cool. The philosophy behind it. Statistics and numbers. How many happy customers you have. How long you’ve been doing it. Assurances of all sorts will begin to build up trust.
Combine all of those details with someone who likes you and has come to know you over time through your presence in writing or another format? Then your offer totally meets an important need and want.
That right there is what you call a “client.”
Questions To Ask Yourself
Are you willing to be memorable with what you’re doing? Stop saying things so safely, and maybe taking a stand? And are you willing to network with influential people to get the word out?
Are you willing to be humble enough to ask your people what they need and want? Not about your thing, but about what they are struggling with and where they are trying to get to?
How much safety and trust are you building? Are you showing up consistently? Are you offering proof to folks? Are you taking time with your heart so it can access trust and love more easily for yourself, so you can share it with others?
Big questions and lots of ’em, I know. Let’s talk—where is your business strong in these areas, and where is it time for you to focus?
