Tuesday, January 11, 2005

Systems Are The Key To Long Term Success

Hypnosis Marketing Tip of the Week
By Craig Eubanks


Do You Know Where Your Next Client Is Coming From?

If you don't, then you most likely don't have a system, unless you count hoping or praying as a system. We all need marketing systems, you need them, I need them, any business that hopes to survive and thrive needs them.

A system that is so predictable, so consistent, and so reliable that you can go to bed at night knowing, not hoping, that within a known range of variation, how many leads and clients are going to come to you the next day.

A true marketing system delivers a predictable number of quality leads to you every day, month after month, year after year, so you only spend your time with people who already understand what it is you do and who have sought you out and asked you to help them solve their particular problem.


Like A Thermostat, You Control It

A marketing system is like a thermostat. You can turn it up or down depending on how much business you can handle. Going on holiday? Turn it off till you return. Need extra money to pay for that next Hypnosis convention, turn it up and work a couple Saturdays to handle the extra business.

To develop such a system, you will need to test what works in a variety of areas. Lead generation ads, referral programs, direct response advertising, Yellow Pages, coupons, publicity, public speaking, direct mail, web sites, writing articles, there are so many ways to get your message out in the world. Each requires new learning, possibly new skills, and most importantly testing until you maximize the results.

It's the beginning of a new year. If you were to work with one new marketing method each month, by the end of the year you would have twelve different new ways to bring clients into your office.


The Power Parthenon Of Business Growth

This concept is based on the very simple and all too common fact that most businesses generate the vast majority of their income from one primary revenue activity. This is just plain dumb. It's putting all your eggs in the one proverbial basket. Because with just one pillar supporting the entire revenue stream it is very, very, risky. Imagine the Parthenon in Greece with only one pillar to hold up it's roof... how long do you think that would last?

I was at a business seminar with a client of mine for his industry. Someone asked the question of the speaker, "Do you know a way that will bring in 30 new clients a month?" He smiled and said, "No, but I know 30 ways to bring in one client a month!"

That was the secret of his success, and if you only take that concept with you and implement in your business, you will be a success too. Think of each new idea, each additional revenue generating approach as another pillar providing a powerful base for your business. Each new idea may only add one more client per week, but when you have ten of those in place, you will have ten new clients a week.


So... Where Do You Start?


There are 3 keys to a successful marketing system and they are as follows, you need to have the right message, you need to say it to the right people (the market), and you need to use the right delivery system to get it to them (the media).

One of the most common mistakes hypnotists make is starting out with the media, without having any idea what the message is they want to communicate and all to often they don't even know who it is they want to communicate to.

In the coming weeks, I will cover each of these in it's own tips article, but for now I want each of you to think about a key aspect of the message you tell your prospective clients. This is the most important part of your message, and it will be the answer to this question:


Why should I do business with you
versus any and every other option available
to me in your category?


Someone seeking your type of services may not actually ask you that, but it is in their mind. It is why people seek out information to make a buying decision, it is why you must educate them as to why you are the best possible choice. You must leave them no doubt as to this answer.

The answer to this question is known as your Unique Selling Proposition (USP). It is what sets you apart. It is what makes price shopping irrelevant. It is what makes you superior to any other choice they might be considering.

You may want an example of a well known USP, so here is one for you. "When it absolutely, positively has to be there by 10AM the next morning." You probably already recognize that as Federal Express. When they came out with that USP and their service, there was no business would guarantee such an outrageous delivery promise. It made them the worldwide business they are today.


Your Assignment Should You Choose To Accept It

You may not want a global empire but you do want to be a successful hypnotist. And that includes not only doing good in the world, but also getting paid well for what you do so you can take care of your family, and enjoy your life. So, the first thing for you to do, the first little homework assignment of this new year, is to go home and think about how you can answer that important USP question.

It's not necessarily an easy thing to do. Some businesses spend months answering the USP question. However it is essential for you to do this. Begin to ponder this question and write down the ideas that come to you. I will cover USP in an upcoming tips article, along with some ways to come up with unique answers to that question.


The Next Pillar

Begin now to think about the next pillar you will add to your marketing system. Look at other industries for ideas. I will discuss many different marketing techniques and tactics over time in these tips articles, though you should not wait, go ahead and do something new.

Schedule a talk, give a free seminar, work a joint venture with a business that has similar clientele, write an article for your local paper, call a local corporation and offer to do stress relief for the employees, there are so many possibilities.

The most important thing is for you to decide that one of your goals for this year is to build a system you can rely on to provide you with a steady stream of business. You will be glad you did.




Till next time, all the success possible to you!

Craig Eubanks
Director Sleepwalkers International
Hypnosis & NLP Practice Groups


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.





Comments:
Enjoyed your blog.
Please visit
Advanced Business Marketing

And leave your comment.
 
Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]





<< Home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?

Subscribe to Posts [Atom]