Here’s what I know: When you really care about what you do and you are deeply passionate about the experience and transformation you are offering to your clients… the standard marketing tips feel disingenuous and gross.
So, you do nothing. You put off Facebook posts, forget about your email list, and sit around hoping for a referral to come your way soon.
There truly is a better way to look at marketing your business, and it feels so good I can’t wait to share it.
Because, when the right clients find you, and you know exactly how solve their problem, it feels amazing. You feel like your experience and hard earned knowledge means something. You feel valued, and are able to charge accordingly.
There is a way to create a marketing flow unique to your business!
Marketing flow is defined by the removal of barriers for good clients to buy your services, and the ability to nurture potential clients to clients, to referral sources.
Here are nine tips to creating marketing flow in your business:
Find Your Stream
1. Have a clear purpose for your business
Also known as the “BIG Why,” a clear purpose is a big enough reason for you to do the work that will build a steady marketing plan. Business owners that are clear on their why not only attract better clients, they tend not to chase money making opportunities that aren’t in alignment with their purpose and follow through on the activities that are. If you would self describe yourself as a “squirrel personality,” chasing all ideas that sound good, a clear purpose will help you focus.
2. Define how you help your clients survive and thrive
Seems a bit dramatic; however, business owners who rely on referrals, and don’t trust online marketing often miss how to articulate for themselves how they help clients survive and thrive. If you are getting referrals, it means that you are known for solving a problem, and the people who are referring you recognize that and share. Now, develop a statement of value for your potential clients. This will be the primary message when creating your marketing flow.
3. Setting goals both short and long-term
My passion working for business owners is not only helping them earn money from their talent and experience, but transforming a business into a tool that fits in with their lifestyle. It is not every business owners goal to make more money; some of us want to have influence and also work an incredibly flexible schedule. Whatever your goals are, they should be reviewed before committing to any marketing effort.
4. Align your services to your goals
Are the services that you offer and the price point you offer the services going to help you reach your goals? Your clients? Many businesses I work for have gone away from hourly fee, and instead, are offering a flat-rate model because they want to design a package that guarantees the outcomes clients desire. For example, a massage therapist that specializes in car accidents that offer no less than ten appointments because that is how long it takes for clients to get relief.
The Rising Tide
5. Identify where your clients are before they are likely to buy
Before I was looking for a hypnotist for weight-loss, I was looking at healthy meal prep on Pinterest. Where are your clients looking to solve the problem that you solve online? If you have a client that you enjoy, ask them the options they considered and where they looked before deciding on your services.
6. What do your clients need to know before they buy?
Buyers remorse doesn’t just happen after a sale. Before a potential client ever contacts you, they are looking for reassurance that by buying from you, they aren’t going to feel stupid or dupped. The more premium your service is, the more you need to communicate counter-arguments to common objections. You can do this with an advertisement, displaying testimonials of other happy clients, and by having a thoughtful, frequently asked questions section. By addressing commonly asked questions online, you also free up your time repeatedly answering questions, and those who do contact you are ready to purchase.
7. Nurture is the key to feel good sales
You have to earn support. While I understand that “earning” seems harsh, your business isn’t entitled to clients because you exist. The nature of being in a service industry is a relationship between provider and client. We earn support by educating potential clients in a way that moves them closer to their goal. Marketing, when done right, is about content that supports, educates, and inspires. How can you nurture people before they become clients? How can you set up this content to help as many people as possible without exhausting you?
A Steady Stream
8. Automate the sales process
We have limited resources, especially when marketing efforts are working, we have a full book of business and a waiting list of clients. Take a look at how clients are coming to you, by phone, email, or on social media. Create email templates and system that can run independently of your efforts. These systems take a while to craft. However, they’ll save you a lot of time in the long run.
9. Create a referral system
You’ve set up a marketing flow, and you have clients coming into your business, congrats! How are you capturing reviews and referrals from current clients? I recommend having a standard email that goes out to clients, thanking them for working with you and asking to write a review for your business. Online reviews increase a business’s visibility online, and that leads to digital referrals.