You need to be nice to your customers and your potential customers. It is called helpful marketing and it’s cool that, it’s not really a well-known term but it’s the easiest way to describe it.
Very very very simple. Be helpful.
Now what most of us do is we try and get people to notice us. We try and stand out. We want to be different we want to have a better looking ad.
We want a different color die. We want a bigger one. We are trying to attract them, we are trying to disrupt there day to get their attention.
But how about this as a way to do it. How about instead of focusing on getting them to notice you, why don’t you offer to help them?
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Why don’t you focus on helping them? Then you can build a reputation as an expert who helps people. Not only do you get to help them, but you get information, you get research, you learn stuff.
You get to know their problems. You get to know what solutions they need. You get to know the insights, they can give you and you will get sales.
Now I’ve said before, I’ll say it again, you are an expert you may not think of it whether you are a dentist, whether you’re a plastic surgeon, a landscape gardener, it doesn’t matter what, you could be installing windows you could be in construction, you are an expert off all those things I’ve mentioned.
I can’t do any. I could probably read a book, lookup some YouTube videos and have a quick look and have a go but I wouldn’t be very good. You are doing it for a living. You are an expert.
Your Customers Need a Solution
Now people, you have a service, you have a company, you have customers. People are coming to you because they have a problem, they need a solution.
So for example if you are a dentist the problem they have is they I need to make sure, they need to know if their teeth are healthy. They need their teeth to be cleaned.
They need their teeth to be whitened. They have an issue, a cavity may be beneath their teeth to be filled. Something like that. They have a problem, they go to a professional. That is you.
You can help them. now I am suggesting that you go about giving free fillings and so on, but how about having a helpline online where people who have an issue can contact you and speak to you to find out where, whether they need to come to visit, when they can come and visit?
You can advise them what to do, or if it is something they can just go to a chemist or pharmacy and get some oil or clots to put on and it all get better.
Now this is an off the topic, of my head solution and an example so all of you dentist are saying, ‘O, it’s more important and it’s more difficult than that and we can’t just give information over the phone.
Figure it out. Don’t make excuses. Figure out what will work for you. Have a live chat. Have helpful, just offer it in the locality. You don’t have to offer it worldwide.
If you are a landscape gardener why not put out things and say, ‘if you have any plant or soil problems, call me, let me know. I’ll tell you how to fix it.’
Then tell them how to fix it. People will find out that you are the expert. People will give you feedback and testimonials, you can put all over your website, all over your emails, all over your literature, about who said you are wonderful. Because it’s a reciprocal thing.
If you have read ‘Influence’ by Robert Cialdini. It’s a reciprocation thing. If you give somebody something they feel obliged to give you something back.
So if you have given someone free help, they and you ask them, would you mind giving a testimonial about that. If I send you a quick email, would you mind filling it in and sending me back.
Most people will say, ‘Yeah, sure. Of course.’ you might get someone, who says No. but 9 out of 10 will say yes. This works.
This is not something that’s been made up. In recent interview with an Andy Crestodina, he has open office hours, which means you can just get on their website, www.orbitmedia.com, go and find Andy’s open office hours.
Book a time on his scheduler. Book a time from anywhere in the world and ask him whatever you want on Skype.
You can do the same with me. Go to www.marketingforowners.com/freetime. Free time is a one word all lower case.
Go there, you will find a scheduler. It’s not to sell you something. It is not a sales pitch. You can book, I think a 25 minutes or half an hour. Don’t get enough do another one.
You can ask me anything. It doesn’t have to be about marketing. It can be anything about running a business. Yeah, its, I am not going to do you dentistry.
But it can be anything. I will help you. I will give you the time gladly. Because I want you to see that I know what I am talking about. That I am helpful. That I am nice and at the time, in future when you may wish to pay for such a service that have more of that.
Perhaps you’ll think, ‘oh, he’s a nice guy. I would go to him because I’ve spend with him and all the other people, I don’t know them at all. I don’t know if they know what they’re talking about.
Do you see what I mean? This really does work. Helpful marketing. Help people and then they then become customers. I guarantee it. Try it and if it doesn’t work, I will give you money back.
Drive Time Podcast
So today is Thursday. It is time for a drive time podcast. And today we are recommending the show called ‘Disruptive Entrepreneur’ it’s by Rob Moore.
According to his podcast intro it says — If you want a boring comfortable safe existence, where you’re never challenged and you slowly rot away amid all the negativity existing, rather than truly living.
Then close Rob’ podcast down. There are 100s of other podcasts that will pump out the same spill about entrepreneurship and property investments and all that kind of stuff.
But if are still here and clearly you are looking for more than life, you know you can be something much bigger and greater.
A great entrepreneur and a great business person. You have so much to give and this is what Rob does. He is disruptive, he is successful, and he is good.
Well worth a listen. Let me know what you think. Don’t forget to give a rating.
And whilst you’re on Apple’s iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud, or on all of those, please please please tap that little ratings and review.
I put all this effort in everyday just for you. Let me know what you think. I’d love to hear. Ok. Have you self a fun Thursday. I’ll speak to you again. Soon.
