Lately I've been thinking about the various forms of marketing that affect a business.
Anyone who starts a new venture should have a plan in place to attract clients for their company. And since most of us are in the marketing business already, we should know the ins and outs of how to find new customers.
Offline consulting is all about helping your own clients bring in more leads. However, many new entrepreneurs who are just starting out still run into trouble when it comes to prospecting.
It's true that being a newbie can come with some advantages. But it's also true that many young entrepreneurs still struggle to find clients and grow their offline consulting business even after years of trying.
Why is it that some people “make it” as entrepreneurs, while others don't? Then it hit me.. Literally everything we do is marketing!
Little things that matter: it's all marketing
Let's say you have a smart plan in place to grow your business. And by that I mean, let's say your goals are all Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and they can all be achieved in a Timely manner.
Do you think that's enough to attract new leads? Do you really believe that a list of marketing tasks to check off periodically off a list is all you need to do to find more clients?
Owning a business is very different than having a 9 to 5 job. At a job, you come home after you've worked all day and you can “switch yourself off” until tomorrow. As a business owner though, you have to understand that everything you do, every day, is marketing:
- Every time you answer the phone, it's marketing;
- Every time you send an email, it's marketing;
- Every time someone uses your product, it's marketing;
- Every word you write on your website is marketing;
- If you build software, every error message is marketing;
And the list can go on!
- If you're in the restaurant business, the way you decorate your dining room is marketing;
- If you're in the retail business, the way you design your fitting rooms is marketing;
- If you're in a service business, your invoice is marketing.
It's not easy being an entrepreneur, but it's not impossible either. Just make sure you pay attention to the little things. There's always a way to get more people interested in your business. All you need to do is think outside the box and be creative.
Don't let your guard down if your goal is to become successful
If you really want to succeed as an entrepreneur, you gotta understand that everything you say, or do, or even write is a reflection on how you do business.
Recognize that all of these little things are more important than what your email signature looks like or how much you've spent on your latest ad campaigns.
Marketing isn't just a series of a few individual events. It's everything you do, every day. It may not be easy to “cut through the noise” nowadays, but it's up to you to find a way to be creative when it comes to marketing your business.
