In this series, I talk about why having quality content matters even in a world that is overly saturated with information, maybe especially in a world that is overly saturated with information. With so much free information, just a Google search away, how do you stand out from your competition? The answer—valuable, original content.
Reason #7: Content Speaks Directly to Customers
Have you ever found yourself on the business end of a firehose of sales speak?
These days, fortunately for us, most of this crap comes at us in the form of email (or even text message)—All praise be to the caller id gods!—from that tone-deaf person we exchanged business cards with once at that networking thing. So, it’s pretty easy to ignore.
Do yourself a favor and unsubscribe from all those annoying little email gnats.
But if you ever read them, you’ll find that a whole lot of empty words being hurled at you at 100 miles per hour. And it feels like someone is spraying you with a firehose because that’s the strategy.
People who use this tactic have been told that sales is a numbers game (and they aren’t wrong about that, just slightly misguided). Their strategy is to send the same email to 5,000 people hoping to get 100 to bite. I don’t know how well it works. Maybe it works well enough for some of them.
But it’s not my style and it’s probably not your style either.
If you ever feel freaked out about not contacting or “touching” (shiver) enough potential customers, relax and take a deep breath (“om” if you like). Out with the bad air, in with the good.
Consider this:
1. You probably don’t need to get 100 new people to bite on every offer you send out. If you’re playing your cards right, you’re charging enough for your services that you only need a relatively small number of clients.
2. You know that repeat customers are worth more to you than prospects. It’s way easier to get current clients to buy again. So, you are free to focus on keeping your current clientele happy like clams.
3. Your time is better spent researching and analyzing the data you have so you can figure out how your ideal customer wants to be engaged. Get this one right and you’ll never be at loss for work. When you do find the tank running low, you can whip up a quick, but pinpoint accurate, offer and fill ‘er up in no time.
Cool? Cool.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it:
- Make a list of your current clients.
- In one column write the product or service you provide each client.
- In the next column write the dollar amount you receive from each client. Use whatever measure makes sense (e.g., per month, per week, per year, per project).
- Now start another list and consider what each of your current clients would buy from you in an ideal world. What else can you provide?
- Finally, brainstorm the issues or problems in need of solutions that could be the catalyst for moving those clients to the next level. Then think about how you can create content that speaks directly to those issues.
It could take some time to see results from these efforts, but if you are consistent and track your progress carefully, you’ll be surprised at what you learn. “Mission accomplished” is right around the corner.
Your words are powerful and precious. Use them to your advantage by addressing your current customers’ biggest issues and challenges. Original content gives you the opportunity to speak directly to these things. It takes more time and thought. But, I promise, any effort in this direction is more worthy your time than creating and sending firehose messages that most simply ignore.
If you need a little jumpstart, let’s talk. I love to brainstorm! Sometimes another perspective is just the spark you need to get moving.
