To get more clients, don’t just focus on selling – it might not give you the kind of sales you want. Focus on this one word instead and you’ll grow your sales.
How would you qualify a best friend?
Is it the person who holds your hand, listens to and helps you solve your problem? Or the one who couldn’t care less?
I’m pretty sure you chose the first.
We’re all human. Although, technology may separate us, everything we exhibit offline still holds online.
Such as building relationships, hanging out…
Even dating.
Despite this fact, we’ve become less human in our online communications. We only believe the internet is a place to sell…and sell some more.
Coming back to the basics, it’s just a place to make more friends – to connect with more people.
What am I driving at?
To get more clients, don’t just focus on selling – it might not give you the kind of sales you want.
This is what you should focus on instead…
Making New Friends
I once had a personal development blog on positive thinking. Although I wasn’t selling anything related to personal development (which I realized didn’t make sense in the long run), my email list wasn’t just full of leads I was probably going to sell off one day.
It was full of friends.
Due to several email exchanges, I found myself knowing really personal stuff about my leads. Such as;
- Why they hated their lives.
- Their biggest fears.
- Their plans for the future.
- Their suicidal attempts.
In fact, a subscriber sent me an email telling me how she hated her grandmother. Now how many businesses get to know these intimate details about their leads?
In my opinion, almost none.
Marketing says you have to find the pain point of your leads so you can create a solution that solves that pain. But how do you do this if you run your business with a sales first approach?
There’s the period where you build the loyal audience who would tell you almost anything. And then there’s the time where you build loyal customers who would buy anything.
So here’s my question? How do you make new friends with your leads?
Show them that you CARE.
Yeah, I know it sounds simple. It actually is. But do you have the patience for it? It’s something I’m working on.
How Showing CARE Differentiates Your Business
People approach sales pitches in three ways:
- Oh crap! This guy is here with one of his pitches again.
- Hmm…let’s see. This might just be what I need.
- This guy rocks! I can’t wait to check this out.
For the first response, the subscriber knows that your pitches and emails have no value. For the second response, the lead is actively looking for a solution, but is still not sure about you.
For the third response, the lead already has a preconceived notion that anything you send makes sense. So, when you bring out a future product, he’s more than ready to try it out.
Which one would you prefer?
The third one of course. But you can’t get there overnight.
You determine how long it takes. Your leads need to realize that you care.
Caring Breaks All Rules, Including Marketing Rules
Take for example the rule that says, “Use compelling email subject lines”. Your subject line determines whether people open your emails or not. That’s why a lot of marketers spend time trying to craft the perfect subject line.
When your leads learn to like and trust you, this rule no longer applies.
I’ve opened several emails with terrible subject lines simply because I’ve grown to like the sender.
When you show that you care for your audience, whenever they scroll through their numerous messages, their eyes won’t focus on subject lines.
Instead, they’ll look for YOUR emails. And on days when they miss your emails, they’ll search for your name.
Then, they’ll scroll down to the beginning, get a cup of coffee and start an email reading session.
That’s what caring does. It gives you a loyal audience.
What To Do Next – Shift Your Focus
I know you run a service business and are trying to sell to as many clients as possible.
But in your content – your emails, your messages – value isn’t defined by just tips and tricks. You need to give something more.
Give something your audience can connect with. Give something that shows that you’re there for them, and not just for their money.
Caring is the new kind of value you should give in everything you do. There’s a ton of information online. So, don’t be the next shiny-object entrepreneur.
Be the next friend your leads can run to whenever they need help. And be available for them.
By doing this, they’ll be more than willing to listen to anything thing you have to say. And when they fell they’re ready to buy, it’ll be easier to convert them to repeat clients.
What should be the priority in marketing? Share your thoughts in the comments.