"Building your Business for Success in 2002."
"Building your Business for Success in 2002."
By Paul Barrs. (c) 2001
It's a strange anomaly.
Most people who set out to start their own business, no matter
what type, build it for failure, not success.
Crazy isn't it? But true.
The saddest part in all this, is that they don't even know that
they are destined for failure long before their dreams shatter
and break apart.
Statistics tell us that within 5 years of start up 90% of all
small business will go under.
My personal experience shows me that 98% of all home based
business will do the same.
Why?
Because they lack the fundamental skills, education and
development to plan ahead, foresee the pitfalls, and capitalise
on gains.
Here is a key secret to business success. It's "Easy to Do",
it's also "Easy not to Do."
That applies to everything. It's easy to do a business plan.
It's also easy not to do one.
It's easy to create a marketing plan, but it's also easy not to
create one.
It's easy to pick up the phone and call a new potential
customer; it's also easy not to do it.
That one thing will determine your success, or measure your
failure.
However, on a brighter side, there are three specific things
that you must focus on doing if your want to develop a
powerhouse and dynamic business in 2002.
Those three things are:
1. Get potential customers to your business. 2. Get those same
people to come back. 3. Get them to refer their friends, family
and associates.
Sounds simple doesn't it?
It's aasy to do, it's also easy not to do. And if you're not
consciously aware of this business reality, you're probably not
doing these three things.
Let's look at them.
1. Get potential customers to your business.
It does not matter what your business, your product, or your
services. Whether you are online or offline makes no difference.
You absolutely must focus 50% of your time and energy on gaining
new customer enquires. (Initially 80% if you are just starting)
Use every method available to you. Utilise every single
resource. Study and learn what it takes to get people to call
you, or visit your website, or mail you a form.
I know I'm pointing out the obvious, but if your head is stuck
in product development, or management and accounting you won't
be able to see the trees from the forest.
Customers are your lifeblood. They are your bread and butter.
They represent every reason why you go into business in the
first place - to make money.
So get them and get them quick.
2. Get those same people to come back.
It's a proven fact that most people will not buy from you on
their first contact. There are no exceptions to this rule. A
prospective customer must have exposure to your business an
average of 5 - 8 times (depending on your products and services)
before they will even contact you.
The world of professional selling tells us that most sales
closes take place on the 7th contact.
What does this tell you?
If you work so hard at getting new people to your business
front, but then not getting them to come back - you're building
for failure.
Don't do it!
Stop right now and look at your sales systems. Do they make
allowances for automatic or semi-automatic follow up? Do you
offer Autoresponders from your website? Do you have an offline
sales letter follow up plan. Do you use contact management
software so that you don't loose track of potential customers?
Why do you think the Pro's in your industry are the top income
earners? Think about that. They keep in touch with people.
3. Get them to refer their friends, family and associates.
This is the cream of the crop.
When you set out in your business, you must focus 80% of your
time on getting new contacts. As your business develops, you
must then change that focus to 80% gaining referrals.
Referrals are the sweetest prospective customers of all. They
are already pre-qualified. They already want what you have to
offer.
And you don't have to spend a cent getting them!
If your business is online, you can do this with a simple, click
and refer a friend script. If you're not on the web, you can do
this by using a business card referral system.
But even more - are you ready for the kicker?
You must ASK people for their referrals!
When you've got a great product and a great service, it
fantastic. But there is really no point in working really hard
to get a brand new fresh customer at great expense when all you
have to do is ASK your existing customers for a few referrals.
Don't be shy. You ask, and most of them will happily give.
It's that easy. Easy to do, easy not to do.
Can you see the pattern developing here, the difference between
success and failure, those that do and those that don't?
All these things are easy to do. They are, really. But most
people opt for the easier choice - not to do.
The choice is yours. Build your business for success in 2002
with qualified customer flow and you will reap the rewards.
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