So many small businesses I know struggle to generate leads and close sales. Most of them aren't struggling because their work is low quality. In fact, talking to their customers would reveal them to be "hidden gems" in their fields.
They try every marketing tactic that comes along. Facebook ads. Groupon. Appointment setting services. People standing on the sidewalk in costumes. You name it, they've tried it.
And worst of all, they start cutting the price.
For the most part, none of this stuff works.
Why?
They're looking for a solution in the wrong place.
There's a truism in marketing that says this:
A great offer can succeed with mediocre marketing, but the best marketing in the world can't save a bad offer.
Is your marketing just putting lipstick on a pig?
These small business owners were focused on the marketing and sales. They should have been focused on offering something people wanted to buy. Or, more specifically, buy from them.
If you're having a hard time getting buyers interested or closing sales, do this. Look at what you're offering them before trying the next marketing gimmick. Strengthening your offer is the fastest, cheapest way to increase your sales.
Here's a short list of reasons your offer isn't as strong as it could be, and what to do about it.
1. You aren't solving a problem buyers care about.
As the saying goes, people don't buy drills. They buy holes in things. Same goes for your product or service. Your buyers aren't paying for a thing. They're paying for a solution to their problem.
Your job is to figure out what problem you're solving. And if that problem is important enough to someone to pay for a solution.
2. You spend too much time on "what" and not enough on "so what"
I've heard far too many sales pitches where the features are front and center. So many salespeople think the way to build value is to tell prospects about all the stuff they're going to get.
It's not.
People care a lot more about how your product will benefit them than they do about what's in the box. You need to connect your product to an outcome the buyer wants. After you've done that, then you can tell them about what's in the box. The "what" should only be the explanation of how you're going to get them the benefit they want.
3. You don't stand out.
If you live in a city or town of any size, you aren't the only person who does what you do. And, thanks to the Internet, buyers have instant access to other people who do what you do anywhere in the world.
So why should they buy from you?
You need to identify how you are different than all the other choices your buyers have. Those differences could be just about anything, but here are a few examples that just don't cut it.
"We have great customer service."
"Our work is top quality."
"We're reliable."
What's wrong with any of those? Well, nothing is wrong with them. It's just that they fail the "Well, I would hope so." test.
Here's how to use that test on your differentiators.
Have someone else say the thing that makes you different out loud. If your natural response is "Well, I would hope so." it's not a differentiator.
See how the three examples I used fail that test miserably?
Put your time and effort into creating a great offer
I can't overstate the importance of a rock solid offer to your success. If you're not getting the leads or the sales you want, I can guarantee the root cause of your trouble is your offer. So look there first before trying yet another marketing gimmick. Or worse, offering discounts.
Need help with this?
Work with me and a small group of other small business owners to craft and launch the perfect offer. The next class of my Perfect Clients Now program starts on July 22, 2019. Check out the details here.