When it comes to finding business, effective marketing leaves remarkable clues. Prospects looking for a product or service will look at the available options and mine for clues. Before committing, clients need a sense of assurance. Clues will tell them whether they should hire or avoid you.
Why is this important? Many of your potential customers have made uninformed decisions in the past. They’ve been disappointed, misled and some even got ripped off.
This time though, they will use the lessons of the past to get this hire right. That is why, before they commit to your service they will need to know if:
- You’re trustworthy and keep your promises.
- You have the experience required to solve their problem.
- You offer value for money and the flexibility they need.
- You make it easy to do business with you.
- Your fees match your offering. (Asking for average fees to solve complex problems with an exceptional service is the fastest way to scare them off).
- You are so passionate about what you do that you will take great care with every commission.
- And a lot more.
You get the concept? Prospects are looking for clues, to enable them to paint a picture. Here’s why that picture matters. If it’s a picture they can depend on, you win and if not, you lose. People make buying decisions all the time, based on the clues you would have provided. Digest that for a moment.
Where are these better clues?
All will do but here is the least they will do. They’ll scan you on google, visit your website and observe your social media profiles. They will ask others who have dealt with you in the past about your approach. When you speak with them, they’ll look for the clues in what you say. They may go several levels deeper especially in the case that there’s a lot of trust and confidentiality involved in the services sought.
So what picture do your clues paint?
As you know, every business claims to offer a professional service. However, many operate from an unprofessional and cheap looking website with DIY branding and shoddy copywriting, this instantly turns prospective clients away.
Does it REALLY matter? Yes. It’s extremely important. And here’s why.
I’ve met some superb service providers over the years, who leave lousy clues. If you didn’t already know them, you’d never hire them. Even if people recommended them to you, after checking them out online for a few minutes, you wouldn’t consider contacting them. They just don’t look like serious professionals and it’s costing them a fortune.
Here’s the thing: No small business can afford to leave money on the table like that. It’s such a waste. You know you’re a capable professional. You also know you care deeply about your clients and deliver an excellent service. But unless your clues leave prospective clients feeling confident about contacting you, you’ll lose a fortune. And it’s 100% avoidable.
Try looking at your business through the eyes of a stranger. A stranger who eagerly wants to hire a service provider in your industry. Unless you’re fully confident that your clues paint the right picture, start leaving better clues. Make hiring you easier.
When hiring you is easy, more people will do it.
