Over and over again, I’ve seen how business owners try tactics that are costing them not only the ability to get new clients (and the money that goes along with it) but their reputation. Often times, they don’t realize that they are even making mistakes. They believe that they are just working hard. What they do know is that they don’t have the sales or the number of clients they were expecting.
The comments I commonly hear, even from the most seasoned business owners are, “Lisa, if only I could just learn how to convert prospects to clients,” “If only I had my website…” or “If only I had my brochures done”. Then, after they implement these tactics and are unsuccessful, they just figure it’s the economy, maybe they’re having an off year, or assume nobody has any money. I see hard-working entrepreneurs making excuses and it breaks my heart.
These same business owners are trying desperately to execute tactics, but they are missing the point that it’s their approach that prohibits them from making powerful progress. What they are doing is taking a bits-and-pieces approach with each tactic working in isolation from the other.
How do you know if you’re taking a bits-and-pieces approach?
- You spent countless hours getting your website up and running and discovered it did absolutely nothing for you, doesn’t connect you with your preferred client, and isn’t set up to capture prospects.
- You think you need brochures but you’re not sure why and you spent a lot of money on a high-gloss marketing leaflet that people just toss in the basket anyway.
- You spend more time prospecting than you do working with your clients and are frustrated because you know you have it in you to make more money and make a difference in your client’s lives. Worse yet, you don’t have any idea of how to pre-qualify them before you even talk with them.
What to do?
Acknowledge that you might be implementing your tactics without a strategy. When you implement tactics without having an overall plan, it’s like getting in your car to drive somewhere, but you don’t know where you’re going. Instead, take time to map out how you will get from where you are to your desired goals.
Each and every action or tactic should be mapped to an overall objective and every objective to one of the three to five goals you intend to meet each year. When you take a more strategic approach, you will grow your business with less effort, spend productive hours with your ideal clients, better determine where to invest your marketing dollars, and relish in the sheer joy that you are converting more prospects into paying clients.
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