Times are tough but are the same issues affecting business today as they have always been. Are they the same issues just different solutions?
What’s holding your business back right now? What are your frustrations? What do you need to start moving forward again? Is technology a help or a hindrance?
Below are just some of your answers…
· Finding prospects with $ to spend
· Implementing a complete marketing plan
· Time (working efficiently/effectively)
· Customer base – getting to the right clients
· Focused thought or lack of it
· Understanding
· New business without credit
· Getting the word out that we are here
· Why use us instead of other (company)
· Determining the next step
· Lack of recognition in the community
Here are a few tips to be getting on with…
To find the right prospects with $ to spend, you need to find ways to get in front of your target audience. This is where niching comes in to its own. The tighter your niche the more relevant your offer can be positioned. Do you need to sell a few items or many? If you need to sell many lower value items think how can you get others to distribute for you? What larger businesses might be interested in your offer? The sales effort can be the same to sell one or sell many - so think BIG! Always have a few BIG BANG prospects in your pipeline or marketing plan at any one time. That’s one strategy to be most efficient with your time. Can’t think BIG! on your own? Then brain-storm with others. Getting together with others in business to do this can be more valuable than you can ever imagine!
How can you determine ‘who has the dollars’? Never, never, never, measure others ability to pay by your own poverty. You need to discover what your potential clients or prospects see as ‘value’. Build your proposition around the value your customer sees or values your prospect has and it becomes an easier ‘sell’. Find out where your prospective clients hang out – on-line and off-line. Offer something that will help you to build relationships, trusted relationships. That way you’ll start to build a business with a few, repeat customers who can then help you build your business.
If you are a new business without credit, you need to find the most cost effective ways to get your word out. That should be in your Visibility Plan.
Follow these 3 simple steps:-
· 1. Identify who your customers are and how you can reach them, in the most cost effective way possible. (Remember: EVERYONE is the WRONG answer here)
· 2. Plan, plan and plan with the end in mind. Then follow the plan. Getting crystal clear on WHO you want to attract, how you can get in front of them and how you can capture their interest. Ask who do I know who…, who do you know who…(at networking events and of colleagues) and what can I DO with what I have now…
· 3. Build relationships with them, offer something just for being interested. Keep them ‘hooked on you’ because when they are ready to buy, they will buy from you, not a competitor, just from YOU. You’ll leave them no alternative.
I trust you find these tips of help. I’ll be sending out more Tips from the British Academy of Solopreneurs, to help you focus and keep you moving forward in your business.