Have an audience that is engaged & interested
For many service professionals and coaches, there’s a time when you say to yourself:
“I love my one-on-one clients, BUT…”
And that sentence usually ends with a curiosity about offering a group program with a lower price point.
Let’s be clear: a group program is typically NOT what you offer first.
You fill your business with 10-20 private one-on-one clients.
Because it’s easier to find 10 people to work with your privately over time, than it is to find 10 people who all want to start working with you on the same day.
But once you’ve done THAT, you’re probably pretty busy.
And you probably realize that, although you’ve got consistent monthly income, you want more of the L-word.
No, not THAT L-word.
Leverage.
For me, I reached this point after a year in business. I’d been writing my backside off for my private clients, and realized that I’d just created a great job for myself.
It was time to leverage my business model.
I’ve posted before on my numbers, so you can know what to expect. Sure, some people knock it out of the park on the first go, but I’m going for sustainability in my business, so I am content with building over time.
Now, this is where you get a competitive edge—I can’t tell you how many business owners I talk to who aren’t connecting the dots around what I’m about to share.
You’ve got to be sending out valuable content on a regular basis FIRST in order to fill your group programs using email marketing.
In other words, if you are planning to offer group programs in 6 months, you need to be sending a great newsletter and writing your blog regularly NOW.
Because that free content is your meal ticket.
It’s how you build relationships. It’s how you get known as a solver of problems and an opener of doors. And sending a weekly newsletter shows you have your act together, and you aren’t some flaky outfit that’s not built to last.
When you want to take that step from JUST working with clients 1-1, to offering a group program, that’s when your marketing really matters.
Because no longer are you connecting with people one-on-one. You are communicating with people “one-to-many.” And for many of us, that is often a new way of relating to the world.
So, what does this mean for you? Align your marketing with your intentions. Do you intend to roll out a group program in the next 6-12 months? If so, how’s your newsletter? Are you out speaking in public? How are your sales conversations?
For that matter, the same holds true if you dream of selling a product—you need to have someone to sell it TO. Before you spend hours and hours perfecting your content, make sure you have an audience who’s engaged and interested.
For those of you who are in this boat, I’m hosting an event to get your marketing mojo working next week, November 5-9th. I’ve asked 12 of my friends and colleagues to share their tips and tools for building an audience and reaching out to new potential clients. It’s the “Sleaze-Free Marketing Event”. There’s no cost to attend, and I’m making sure each speaker gives plenty of practical tips. Attend as many talks as you like. To register: www.sleazefreemarketing.com
So go ahead, leverage your business model. Just remember to build out your marketing as you do it, so you’ve got an audience that’s ready and excited to work with you.
Mighty thanks to opensourceway flickr photostream for leveraging 21st-century
