SBX 20: How to Get Customers Coming to YOU

The hardest part of being a business owner is getting people who need you to notice you.  And then, once they notice you, getting them to overcome their natural skepticism and buyers remorse to purchase from you.  *Sigh*  What if there was a way where you could accomplish both without feeling sleazy, salesy, or scummy?  What if this method didn’t cost you an arm and a leg?

It sounds like a bold promise.  But the reality is that thousands of companies use white papers, e-books, reports, and content marketing (note: worst name ever) to get customers coming to them.  You don’t need to go out there and become the world’s greatest blogger.  You simply need to share your expertise with the people that need it.  Many owners scoff at this strategy because it seems unremarkable or too simplistic.  But what’s ordinary to you is extraordinary to others.  So help us out and share your know-how with the world.  Disclaimer: while it may not be a method for immediate gratification?  Creating a report to showcase your expertise is an ethical way to build your brand as an owner worth doing business with.

Every customer has something they’re thinking about before they become a customer. This report is your contribution to the conversation. The *thing* that will get them coming to you.  (Click to Tweet)

Listen and Learn…

• What is a white paper and how can it benefit your business?  How do these things differ from free-reports, e-books, and all the other “stuff”?
• The most effective way to get customers coming to you, whether you’re selling digital services or water filtration systems.  This stuff works.  Get the necessary instruction so your biz can start working it!
• How to narrow down your focus so you’re not overwhelmed by all the things you *could* write about.
• Why customers will actually be DELIGHTED when you start talking about yourself (versus how they react to companies that just try to sell-sell-sell, push-push-push)
• Offline or online business: get your hot little content piece into the hands of people who are just looking for a reason to buy.  Gary and Mike share some of their favorite strategies to do just that.

Action Steps from this episode:

1. Decide the 3-13 things people should be thinking about before they purchase a product or service in your industry. This content piece you’re creating is going to be educational in nature.  People buy from businesses (and business owners) whom they respect, like, and trust.  They should walk away from this content piece RESPECTING your knowledge, LIKING your style, and TRUSTING your business. Educate to dominate. Make it useful and keep it all about your customers by creating advertising that (as Sonia Simone says) “is too good to throw away.”

2. Decide how you will make your transition. Once you talk all about their problem (“don’t talk to me about your weed killer, talk to me about my crab grass!”), it’s time to speak a little bit about yourself.  You’re not just doing charity work here. You’ve earned it. Keep it short, sweet, and to the point. The goal isn’t to present options and to sell, the goal is to get them to take the next step in your sales funnel. Drive them to take action by offering them an incentive and communicating WHY you’re giving this to them.  More details in the show about how to do this effectively.

3. Decide the medium of your report and how you’re going to get it in front of people.  Don’t be shy about spending a little bit of money to get your amazing creation in front of the customers who need it.  Make sure you’re being smart about how you’re getting it into people’s hands and you are READY and PREPARED when customers take that next step that you’re asking them to do.  There’s nothing worse than spending time, energy, and money to get somebody’s attention and then not knowing what to do with it once you have it.  Listen to the show to determine some effective ways to get your new report some really great attention.

Links and Resources:

1. Mike’s latest e-book project (talked about at the beginning of the show).  This no opt-in download “is a handbook for business growth” according to one second-year business owner.  Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or just thinking of putting your hat in the ring, these 15 brief exercises will definitely pop an AHA moment.

2. If you can’t come up with a sexy title for your next project after reading Jon Marrow’s headline hacks?  It’s possible that you have your eyes closed.

3. The greatest marketing piece ever created on the subject of water quality for your home.  You’ll have to fill out your info, but it’s worth it to see an example.  Mike has kept this piece of “junk mail” for 5 years and counting.

4. So you made a cool thing that acknowledges people’s problem and proves that you’re an authority — that’s great!  But your thing is only as cool as people know about it.  If you missed Episode 8 of SBX, then dl it today and catch up on how to make inbound and outbound work together.

5. Some great digital examples of white papers.  The gang over at marketo does it right!

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