I recently met with a potential client that has seen his business shrink every month over the past year. He’s marketing in the same way he always has. And every time he contacts a potential customer through one of his old methods, he is finding they’ve been contacted by many of his competitors, or simply aren’t interested in what he has to offer anymore.
So I proceeded to spend an hour with him educating him on the benefits of using a strong online presence. We talked about social networking, blogging, and offering a free report for lead generation.
I told him this isn’t a “get rich quick” formula. It does take time to set up and get it into place. But if you plan on being in business five years from now, why wouldn’t you implement a new method that will help grow your business into the future?
He almost became a client on the spot – but he wanted to check in with his business partner first. His business partner had doubts, and they decided to put the whole thing on hold, and continue doing what they’ve always done.
I’ve seen this happen many times before. In fact I’ve gained many clients over the years who come back several months later because their business continues to decrease, and they finally reach the point where they have no choice – either shut it down or try something new.
When it comes to believing in building up your online presence, I’ve found there are 3 limiting beliefs that hold most people back from business success.
1. It’s just the economy, it will come back around.
Have you ever read the book “Who Moved My Cheese?” I love that parody. It spins a tale about two different types of mice: one who will stand by the old way no matter what, believing things will eventually return to normal; and one who understands things change, and sometimes you need to move on and look for other ways of doing things.
Sure the economy has completely changed things over the past couple of years. But its not just the economy. Its also about doing business differently. People simply don’t accept old ways of marketing. They have found ways of avoiding television and radio commercials with things like Satellite radio and Tivo. The more advertising surrounds us, the more we ignore it.
Twitter has shown us we want something new. People spend more time on Facebook than any other online application. They like building relationships online. They enjoy the benefits of talking to “friends”. And if you’re not learning more about this for your business, you’ll continue to watch it fall.
2. I just don’t get the online world.
Many people have a website because their company or franchise offers them one – for a fee – that’s attached to the main company’s site. And they feel comfortable with that because they simply don’t understand much about technology, and don’t want to invest any time into learning more.
The problem with company attached websites is they do you know good. They give you a tiny presence that’s impossible to find without knowing exactly who you are. They give you know leverage when it comes to growing your business in your local community.
Technology is difficult for all of us. But it’s not an option anymore. You have to know about it or you’ll never survive as a business. Don’t ignore it, find someone to help you through it. Don’t go with a company who handles it all and tells you nothing. Go with someone that believes in teaching you along the way to make sure you understand it a little better. It’s the only way to successfully grow for the future.
3. I have nothing to say.
I see small, five page websites all the time, with very little information on the business. It’s basically an online brochure.
When your customer is searching online, they don’t want to find a brochure; they want to find a solution to their problem. They don’t search for:
“a brochure for coaching”
They search for:
“a career coach to help me get a new job”
They want answers. They want solutions. They want to find an expert that offers enough information to make them realize they’ve found the right company.
So the only question now is, “Will you be that company?”
When I created my Social Networking Strategy program, I wanted to find a way to help businesses get the most out of new technology without having to understand all the nuances. I help them create the content and get it into the social realm in a way that will help bring business to them. Yet because I believe in education, I also include coaching as a part of the program. I want you to understand what I’m doing and why it works. I want you to be able learn new strategies along the way. And become a better business person in the process. If you want more information, I’m ready to start helping your business grow in a new direction.