It really doesn’t matter how good the products or services you sell are, or how low your prices are. The image and reputation of you’re your suppliers or manufacturers don’t really amount to much when you get right down to it, either. And location? That really doesn’t matter that much, either. You don’t have to be located in a highly visible, high traffic area to be the best or to be successful.
What really matters – what really counts – what really makes the difference, is how you market your business. That’s it. How you let others know the benefits and advantages they’ll gain from doing business with you, as well as what they’ll lose if they don’t do business with you.
The plain and simple fact is…
Marketing Is The Most Important Activity In Your Business, By Far
Everything else in your business can be the greatest. You can have great products, the lowest prices, a wonderful reputation, good name recognition, the best customer service – but if you don’t have anyone to sell to, what good are these things?
On the other hand, even if you don’t rate number one in all those categories, if you have a steady stream of qualified prospects seeking you out, wanting to know more about how you operate, and nearly standing in line to do business with you, it’s nearly impossible for you to fail.
If you were to list everything you could think of that could contribute to the success of your business, then rank them in order of importance, the number one item on your list would have to be…
How To Cost-Effectively Get A Consistent And Never-Ending Stream Of Qualified Prospects Wanting To Do Business With You On Your Terms, Then Keeping Them For As Long As They Need The Products Or Services You Offer.
Let’s take a closer look at that statement, because it’s very powerful.
Question: Who do you want to do business with?
Answer: Qualified prospects, of course. You don’t want to waste your time with a prospect you can’t sell to. You’re not in this business for the practice. Your time is valuable. So, attracting and dealing with qualified prospects only, will increase your efficiency and profitability.
Next, you must get a consistent and never-ending stream of these prospects. For sure, you don’t want your source to dry up. You want to be able to turn on your system any time you need additional business, and then turn it off (or turn it down) when you get too busy.
But merely attracting a bunch of prospects isn’t enough. You’ve got to do it cost-effectively. If you spend more in acquisition costs than you’ll make in profits or commissions, you end up with a losing proposition.
“On your terms.” Here’s a unique concept. Too many business owners and salespeople bend over backwards trying to be all things to all people. They figure that if a person can fog a mirror, and have the money to pay for the product or service they’re selling, that that person is worth having as a customer. But that’s not always true. Not by a long shot.
There’s a big difference between being “eligible” and being “desirable.” Just because a prospect can qualify (eligible) – or have the ability to pay, doesn’t mean that they will make desirable customers. Some people can be more trouble than they’re worth, and can cause frustration, stress and discord among you and your staff. You want clients who work within the parameters you set – not what they were used to (and may demand from you) with some other business owner, salesperson or company.
Finally, you want to be able to hang on to these customers for as long as they need the products or services you sell. People’s lives change. Sometimes their need for certain types of products increase, and at other times, the changes in their lives eliminate the need for certain products. But as long as they have a particular need, you want to keep them doing business with you, and not seeking out one of your competitors.
I’m sure you’ll admit, it’s a big order to be able to do everything we’ve just described. Once you accept that, the question arises, “How does one go about accomplishing all those things?”
Well, one of the big things we hear so much about today is the concept of “Branding.” That is, establishing your business or your name as a recognizable brand so when people think of the products or services you sell, they automatically think of you.
Sounds good, doesn’t it? But “sounds good” doesn’t pay the bills. You need more.
As a small business person with a limited amount of money to spend, and an urgent need for business and the profits it can bring you, you can’t afford to take on the task of branding like the corporate giants do.
Instead, you need hot, qualified prospects who seek you out wanting to know more about the benefits and advantages of doing business with you – and you need them now!