What if Your Marketing Works?
We spend hours, days, sometimes months trying to come up with the perfect marketing strategy. We create posts, check our social media every minute of every day. We do videos, watch other people’s videos and send out emails. We call our friends & family to tell everyone they know. We even go Live on various platforms, do webinars & masterclasses…all the things.
Then one day everything clicks. You have found the marketing formula for your business. You cracked the code to sell your service or your product. Everything looks great from the front to your customers/clients. People actually want what you’re offering. Life is grand!
As new customers begin to approach, ask yourself, “Can I handle new business, new clients.” As business begins to come in, what’s happening in the back ground. “Am I prepared to receive people, can I get product out in time?”
While you’re pushing and pressing on the front line, be sure that the background is prepared and organized in a way that will allow for smooth service or product delivery.
Here are a few things to consider:
1. Do you have an onboarding policy/procedure? One of the quickest ways to kill a customer relationship is to not be ready when they arrive. Think about it for a minute. When you have company at your house, you get ready ahead of time. You don’t have them walk in while you’re still cleaning the bathroom…it’s not a good look. When you get new customers, be ready to receive them…whether it’s a service or a product you’re offering, they need to know that you took time to prepare just for them. This means having clear instructions as to how you will begin the service or when they can expect the product. This means finding some sort of communication (automated email, text, phone call) that makes it crystal clear what they will be getting an when. This means offering a way for them to ask questions, get clear on the process, etc. This means making sure that you have a way to collect the information that you need in order to get the ball rolling. What is your standard procedure and have you documented it. Consistency across customers/clients is critical and helps you stay on track without forgetting any details or offering “special arrangements” that may come back to bite you later.
2. Are you tracking your numbers & reviewing analytics. Be careful not to fall into the “as long as I have ‘Likes’ on social media, then I’m good. Likes are just that…likes. You need to look for conversions. Who’s buying what you’re offering and who isn’t. Think about which platforms are converting potential buyers into buyers. What are you doing right on those platforms. Are you spending time on other platforms that don’t house your audience. You can only know this by looking at the numbers. This is the part that most people don’t want to review, but it is necessary and will save time in the long run. Who’s checking you out AND purchasing, and from where. Just because you’re converting on a platform, doesn’t mean you quit putting in effort there. See what posts capture more attention…do you need to do more videos or reels. Look closely at what’s moving and what isn’t.
3. What are you doing to retain your customers? We love when we get new customers/clients…especially when they aren’t related to us. Capturing someone’s attention and getting them to convert is great. But what are you doing to ensure that they will return for your product or purchase a package of services. How are you interacting with them. Have you built a relationship that will keep them intrigued enough to see more or to come back for more. Nurturing the customer relationship can happen via follow up emails to check on your clients or offers for special prices for those that are returning. The list is endless. Let your customer know that you appreciate their support. Getting a customer is one thing. Keeping them is another.
4. Can you handle the load? It’s a great feeling when business picks up. Orders are coming in. People are requesting your service at record speeds. Great, right? Or is it. Can you keep up. Do you have systems or people in place to handle the load? Realistically, you don’t want to jump the gun and employee folks when there isn’t work for them yet. However, you do need to have a plan of action to scale your business as it begins to grow. If you are a solopreneur, you only have two hands and the same 24 hours in the day as everyone else. You don’t want to burn yourself out of your own business. Start thinking early how you will handle everything. Maybe simply automating some processes will help, or maybe you need to bring on a team. What does that look like for you? Start planning so that you can hit the action button when the time is right.
Remember, marketing efforts that work are fantastic, but what’s going on in the back office? Are you prepared. Too many small business take the approach of “I’ll worry about that when it happens.” When things take off, there may not be time to scramble to get things in order.
Think ahead. Be positive. Be ready.
Want to know more about how you can be ready behind the scenes in your business and how we can help? Book a discovery call and let’s chat. Don’t forget to follow us on social media for more tips.
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