Here are 5 Simple Ingredients for Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners to Rock Your Profits in 2020
- Get laser focused on your WHO
- Expand your reach
- Create community
- Be unforgettable
- Stop limiting your success to one brain
Get laser focused on your WHO
If you are for everyone you are for no one. In 2020 specialists will reign as more and more people seek out people they connect with, experts who have specific solutions to solve problems or bring pleasure to their businesses and lives. They want people that know what they are dealing with, what they go through on a daily basis, have lived what they live or help others that have.
When looking at your brand, your website, your content on social media, do you speak to one person or try to impress everyone? Remember only one person is reading, watching or listening to your content at a time. Speak to them. Relate to them. Talk about THEIR specific problems and give them solutions they can use to decrease pains or cause pleasures. In fact, price becomes less of a hurdle when people find a specialist, they feel comfortable and confident with. People will actually PAY MORE for specialist – don’t you?
Homework: Create your avatar (buyer persona). Give them a name, age, marital status, parental status and all the good specific demographics. Also list out their pains, goals, dreams and objections. Give them as much life as possible. This avatar is now your filter for everything you do. Every email, flier, talk, introduction, website and social content has to pass through the avatar filter.
Let’s say your avatar’s name is Sara. How would Sara see your branding? Would it talk to her or turn her off as boring or not for her? Would your content intrigue her? Would she join your Facebook community or listen to your podcast? Do your sales materials or emails talk to her – have interesting things that can give her a quick win – so she continues to read them?
Does anything and EVERYTHING you put out in the world either solve a problem for Sara or create more pleasure in her business and / or life? If not, redefining your brand, language and marketing is a MUST ASAP so that Sara feels at home knowing YOU are the expert she needs in her life. Also be clear about where Sara should start with you, if she has to work at it, she won’t. Having a clear starting point and a series of targeted products that cure very specific problems for Sara are essential for success.
Do your products fix the issues of your avatar? Are there other products / services / packages you could create that could bring in additional revenue? Your avatar has multi levels of issues and goals. They are constantly changing. We have found new revenue opportunities with every company we have ever worked with because it’s impossible to see everything yourself – you’re too close to it. Outsiders looking inside your business can uncover opportunities and new revenue that could help you pivot and explode your revenues in 2020! Being part of a Mastermind Group can uncover these opportunities and save you a lot of heartache in the future.
Expand your reach
Unless you live in Buford, Wyoming (population 2) it is nearly impossible to reach and meet everyone in your own town. Not every person in your target market attends networking events. In fact, MANY people you really would LOVE to meet, don’t have time to attend events or don’t care to. They also don’t respond to print ads, so how do you reach them?
The number of people tuning into podcasts is growing exponentially with over 32% of the US population – nearly 109 million people – listening to podcasts every month. 72 million listen weekly as they clean the house, wash the car, drive, etc. Podcasts are easier to digest for the consumer and MUCH easier to produce for you.
People buy things for two reasons: (1) It cures a pain in their lives or business or (2) it causes pleasure in their lives or business. What could you tell people that could do one or the other – or both? Don’t think of yourself as an expert? You only have to be 10 minutes ahead of people to share what you did and how they could do it too.
Don’t think people would listen to a podcast about your industry? That’s okay. It’s not HOW you build a following, it’s that you build a following. You could do a podcast about a hobby, sport or Team you follow, food, wine – whatever you can share tips or entertain people with. Since people buy people, your following that loves you for your podcast will be exponentially more open to buying whatever you sell professionally.
Example: Let’s say you own an insurance brokerage. Doing a podcast about insurance won’t excite people. You also love to fish and you’re pretty good at it. You could start a fishing podcast sharing tips, tricks and stories about fishing. How to catch more fish. Where to find them. Beginner tips and advanced tips for seasoned fishermen.
You could have guest on your podcast sharing their stories. Local pros, charter Captains, or just great fishing story tellers. You could have companies that sell lures as guests telling people the story behind their company and the success of using their lures. You could build a HUGE following!
How do you cross from fishing to insurance? Your podcast can be sponsored by your company. Add in a short commercial in the podcast at the beginning and middle and WHAM, you’ve now linked the two. Also, since people like you for your podcast – they are exponentially more open to any other business you have.
A podcast is YOUR show. Have guests on your podcasts that add expertise or provide entertainment to your listeners. Invite interesting people you would like to meet onto your podcast – they are normally VERY responsive. In fact, podcasts have been a HUGE lead generator for Rock Your Business, because we have used it as a door opener to get on the phone with dozens of people, we would otherwise not get a response from!
Make sure that your Avatar (Sara form earlier) would listen and find enjoyment, tips and quick wins from your podcast. If she enjoys it, she will be likely to share it with other people like her. Going viral is easy if you are talking to your avatars and providing great content. It makes a lot of sense to jump on this in 2020 before everyone else does!
Create community
I just mentioned it’s not HOW you create a following, it’s that you create a following – a community of people with similar interests or goals (a community of your Avatars would be amazing right?!). Podcasts are an amazing vehicle for you to share your expertise, but then you need to give your listeners, social media contacts and networking contacts somewhere to land. A place where they can share experiences, knowledge, support each other, laugh, live and grow.
Facebook Groups are a fantastic way to create a community of people that have similar interests or goals. People LOVE to be part of clubs and communities – to surround themselves with like-minded people. Creating a FB community is fairly easy, and it gives you a place to again share your expertise, grow your following and help people love you. And if people buy into you, they are exponentially more interested in everything you do personally and professionally.
Similar to your podcast, your group doesn’t HAVE to be directly connected to your business. Yes, a physical therapist or chiropractor could create a PT community, where people interested in therapy could gather. They would get a much larger community if it was focused on achieving overall health goals including eating well, exercise, knowing what pain in different body parts could mean and more. They could have guest contributors posting info, asking questions, encouraging engagement and creating…community.
Not sure what type of content your community is hungry for? Ask questions about their goals and their pains. They will tell you exactly what they need to help them. Not an expert in those fields? Post articles from other people who are- ask them to be guest contributors and feed the need of your community. Get your group members talking, and it will give you a huge insight into more services or products they might be interested in.
Case Study: Your Facebook group could also help you sell more products! Pangolin laser systems is a world leader in laser software and hardware. They created a Powered by Pangolin Facebook group where their customers from around the world can post the laser shows they have created using the Pangolin software. Group members also commonly ask questions of each other, for you have a collection of experts in one place supporting, sharing and promoting the Pangolin products.
If people have any questions about how the software may work for them or its capabilities, the Pangolin sales team can simply point the prospective buyer to the Powered by Pangolin group. Where they can see what other people have done with the Pangolin products. It’s a home base of like-minded users sharing experiences and kudos for Pangolin. Absolute marketing GOLD!
Starting your own Facebook community attracts people to becoming part of your “inner circle” and creates a place for them to connect with like-minded people. It’s a win-win for everyone!
Be unforgettable
If people forget about you after they leave a networking event, then you have wasted your time at the event. Being unforgettable, being memorable, where someone just has to come meet you is incredibly rewarding and productive. What you say, how you dress, how you act, your confidence and demeanor are huge contributors in being unforgettable.
When you have a chance to introduce yourself to a crowd at networking events, be unforgettable. How do you do this? Instead of making your intro all about you, make it about them. In fact, this piece of advice works for EVERY situation in networking whether you are in front of a crowd or one on one. Given 5-10 seconds to introduce themselves, most people will simply state their name and job description. How does this help you or anyone else in the room?
Stand out, be different be unforgettable. What you say as your intro should cause emotion in the room. Gasps, laughter, intrigue – something, anything but yawns. People buy people, and they gravitate to energetic people that could have solutions to help them resolve pain and increase pleasure.
State your name then give one very quick tip that can give people a quick win. Also, make people laugh – it breaks the tension AND shows your personality!
Given 5-10 seconds I will intro myself this way: “Hi, Steven Placey, and yes I am standing. (Everyone in room laughs – and I definitely have their attention now). “Podcast are one of the hottest lead generators for small business and now is the time to grow one before everyone else does.” The name and joke part remain the same, but I will insert a new quick fact that can give people quick win.
If you have 30 seconds to intro yourself, use a case study. Tell people about someone you have helped. People connect with case studies and they are unforgettable. For the greatest effect, use as many specifics as possible. Tell people the type of person you were dealing with or situation you were resolving, what you did to resolve it and what the RESULTS were. BE as specific as possible without giving real names. Use as many numbers as possible – they are memorable and EASY TO SHARE.
As an example: A printer I was working with wanted to get more leads and grow their profits. We helped them to redefine and target doctors, created branding and marketing that would speak to doctors, make them feel like our client was the BEST solution, and get them to take action. This resulted in $50,000 in new sales in the first 2 months and it’s been growing every month afterwards. Something like this causes reactions, gasps, WOW’s and always has at least one person asking for my card and when we could talk about if we could do that for them too. WIN!
Know your audience. What one piece of advice could you give people to intrigue them to come talk to you, to find out more, to thank you for the quick tip? What case study could you tell people to cause emotion? Get some WOW’s, cause people to HAVE to come talk to you? Don’t fall into the trap of boring intros just because everyone else is simply stating their name and job. Stand out, be unforgettable and you will prosper!
Be unforgettable online as well. Post tips that can give people quick wins. Invite them to your new communities. Post your podcasts. Content – constantly giving tips, advice, sharing knowledge experiences, wins and losses – attracts people to you, builds your communities and creates leads. Don’t be fake. Don’t try to impress people with your new big house or car. BE REAL. Be authentic. Be giving. Be consistent.
You only have to be 10 minutes ahead of someone else to show them what you know and how to do what you just did. Do that with great content and the followers, leads, customers and sales will follow.
Stop limiting your success to one brain
Nowhere in any success or business book does it state that you have to build a great business on your own. Yetmany Entrepreneurs drive themselves crazy trying to trudge through growing and sustaining success by themselves. They try to have all the answers, do the planning, create new ideas, manage, provide customer service and sell. They lay awake at night hoping they are making the right decisions – feeling alone and sometimes as if the world is against them. We’ve all been there. Ever ask yourself why you are torturing yourself like that?
Being part of a GOOD mastermind group can help you sleep better at night knowing you ARE making the right decisions. Imagine a group of people just like you OR even more successful, combining their hundreds of years’ experience to solve problems for YOU. Helping you see opportunities for growth that could be right in front of you, but you are too close to see. The other mastermind members will also be supporting you, introducing you to their contacts, doing marketing projects together and sharing their good and bad experiences.
Imagine taking a short cut that could expedite higher profits or cut losses. Since your mastermind partners have been there, done that, they can help guide on what they did that was great and what they wish they hadn’t done. This piece alone is worth ANY – I mean A-N-Y investment you may have to make to be a member of a GOOD mastermind. Employee issues driving you crazy? Your partners can give you valuable insight – from multiple perspectives – that could save you from making a bad decision – or supporting you on a great one.
I’ve run Mastermind groups for a decade and the ideas that have come out of them for the various members have created tens of millions of dollars in new sales, tens of thousands of customers and record-breaking profits. Having outsiders look inside your business to uncover opportunities is a must for anyone that wants to thrive. The group members are impartial – they aren’t employees – so their insight will be open, direct and eye opening. They will find areas you could improve – as you will do for them.
Masterminds aren’t for everyone. If you like to talk more than listen or have a huge ego, then most likely you aren’t successful anyway, but you will not like – or be invited to many masterminds. Be open to input, criticism, support and ideas. The truly successful people get that – and so can you!
Stop limiting your success to just the abilities of your brain. Surround yourself with amazing, driven people with similar goals who can share their brains with you and watch your 2020 ROCK!
There they are: 5 things you can do in 2020 to expand your reach, attract new customers and rock your sales! Don’t just read this and go back to what you were doing last year (and the year before). Knowledge is not power; applied knowledge creates better results. Implement one item this week or this month then move to the next one.
If I was going to add a #6 to this list is to get help when you need it. Most people let their ego stand in the way of asking for help. Egos have kept people broke and stagnant for thousands of years. Put the ego away and get help. No one ever said you have to build a great business alone….Get help and get rockin!
About the author
Steven Placey is the founder of Rock Your Business, Inc., a branding strategy and business development firm for small business and entrepreneurs. Their services are designed to clarify your positioning, expand your reach, and increase your revenues.
Steven is a highly recruited speaker and best-selling author on topics from branding, innovation, business development, business networking and more.
Rock Your Business offers 20-minute complimentary strategy calls where you and the RYB team can chat about your goals and generate a few ideas that could help you attract target customers and create higher sales. You can request a free strategy call at www.RYBinc.com
