Friday, December 29, 2023
Thursday, December 28, 2023
Sunday, December 24, 2023
Wednesday, December 20, 2023
Is your website cutting it?
I don’t need to preach to you about the importance of a web presence. A long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, you might have even been able to get away without having a website. But in today’s world, the consumer market literally expects it.
A whopping 84% of today’s consumer market believe a website makes your business more credible than companies who just only have social media pages.
People who can’t find a website for a business will automatically discount it as NOT LEGIT.
There is no doubt about it. People are going to check you out to answer this big question in their mind:
“Is this person for real?”
They’re going to check out your website. They’re going to search for you on Google. They are going to try and find out all the information that they can on you.
When they do find you, they will start looking for anything inconsistent (it’s just human nature).
What we’re ALL looking for is TRUST when we are looking to buy or invest in something important.
Like it or not, people are constantly making decisions every time they’re watching a video or they go to a page on your website. They are looking for answers to these questions:
“Is this person for real?”
“Can they really help me?”
“Can this product or service really solve my problem?”
“Is this the company for me?”
“Are we aligned?”
It’s incumbent upon each of us as Entrepreneurs and business owners to make that decision a NO-BRAINER for them.
So the most important question you should be asking yourself now is…
How effective is MY website?
We wondered the same, so we threw an offer out to our list. The offer was to get their website evaluated by our expert team and get at least 3 immediate wins to help them convert more leads.
Here’s what happened…
- Ben discovered how to optimize his prospect journey so his visitors are 100% confident they have landed in the right place, AND how to make it crystal clear to his audience exactly what he wants them to do.
Our strategist also revealed what Ben’s prospects REALLY want and how to convey that message and positioning in a way that resonates with his target audience at a high level.
Hint: No matter what you think, the truth is, your prospects really don’t want what it is you sell… What they really want is the result your product or service will provide them.
- Brad was surprised to learn he had no clear CTA on his website…He also discovered an incredible way to showcase the power of transformation when it comes to leveraging his social proof. Our strategist also revealed one of the biggest missing elements on Brad’s site that most others don’t consider either…
Hint: People buy from people. Erasing the human-to-human element can definitely dissuade your audience and hurt your conversion rate.
Now you may be asking yourself, “Why would I watch a critique of someone else’s website?”
Short answer: The same advice our expert team gave to another business owner about their website, could very well apply to you and yours.
Always remember, sometimes the smallest hinges swing the biggest doors.
To your success,
David
P.S. Recruitment and Hiring is the #1 Entrepreneurial Blind Spot which is why most avoid it like the plague…
Let’s face it, the entire process can be utterly frustrating & time consuming, AND often results in attracting and hiring the WRONG talent for your team and/or business.
But what if ALL the heavy-lifting was done for you, and you were only handed the highest qualified candidates that checked every box you were looking for?
Head to this link to see if Nitrogen Hiring Network™ could be your talent recruitment solution.
P.P.S. Not sure how to find and attract more of your ideal clients? If you have a proven high ticket offer, we know EXACTLY how to fill your pipeline with a constant stream of qualified and highly-motivated leads through our exclusive Leads on Demand™ program.
Simply click this link for more details.
Tuesday, December 19, 2023
Monday, December 18, 2023
Rate Your Client Value Meter
You’ve likely heard that it’s less expensive to retain an existing client than it is to acquire a new one, right?
Believe it or not, it’s a pretty notable difference…
The first sale always takes more time, energy, effort, and investment. Acquiring a new client can cost up to 5X more than retaining or growing an existing one.
Plus, there’s an increased success rate of selling to a client that has previously bought from you…
A 50% increase!
So why do so many companies get so laser focused on attracting new clients that they essentially ignore their current clients?
To understand better, let’s first get crystal clear on what client value is…
Client value is the level of satisfaction your clients feel towards your business. It can be calculated in several ways, but for this particular case let’s think of it as how much are they spending with you year-over-year.
As far as cost of acquisition vs. the cost of retaining. If you’re always burning through ad revenue and other acquisition channels, it adds up.
Some of those allocated funds could go to new product development, R&D, better software, incentive bonuses, client appreciation, etc.
There are a lot of ways to spend money to grow a business. Acquiring clients is obviously a crucial one, but sometimes solely focusing on that directs money away from some other very important activities too.
I knew two partners at a bank in Tampa years ago. One of the partners was always hustling new clients. Because he was spending so much time chasing new business, many of his existing client relationships suffered, and therefore migrated elsewhere.
His partner, a veteran Entrepreneur who had actually built and exited a few companies in his life, had four main clients that he catered to EVERY week. He rarely got involved with chasing new business.
To some it would seem pretty static, but year-over-year the veteran Entrepreneur outperformed his partner just by focusing on his core clients, their investments, their needs, their portfolios, etc.
It may seem counterintuitive to think this way, but good clients that you keep delighting can help create the ultimate advantage for a business.
Let’s never forget that raving clients turn into cheerleaders.
Cheerleaders create referrals.
What is the cost of a referral?
In most cases, absolutely nothing.
Let’s also not forget what we Entrepreneurs are pretty infamous for…Shiny Object Syndrome.
My team teases me all the time when I go off on a tangent in the middle of discussing something else on our agenda…“Squirrel!” is jokingly uttered amongst my team.
Let’s face it. It can be fun to chase the next big client. It can be fun to rebrand and do interesting creative things with your business. It can be fun to be “out in front.” All those are good things (and of course should be done), but to focus on them completely and ignore other core business building principles is NOT going to get you where you REALLY want to go in your business in the time frame you want to get there.
Plus, remember, the constant “chase” can burn out your team (always chasing something “new” and never allowing them to finish what they’ve started).
Here’s another biggie…Opportunity cost. The time taken away from your existing clients…Who are primed for repeat purchases and upsells if they trust you.
All this said, there is something else that matters too.
Your Branding.
Sometimes people interchange branding for client value, but I’m here to tell you, they are VERY different.
Here’s a question…Do you solely base every one of your purchasing decisions on the item’s functional value (i.e., what can it do for you)?
Of course not.
Products and services are purchased for reasons much more complex than simply because you “need” them.
As human beings we’re more likely to make our purchase based on the emotions the product or service stirs up inside of us (i.e., what does it make me feel like)? As far as buying decisions are concerned, our logic informs, but our emotions persuade.
There are three factors that come into play when determining what products and services you purchase and who you trust to deliver them:
These are Emotional, Functional, and Social components.
Now, when you position your product or service in relation to each of these components, what you are accomplishing is what us marketers call “branding”.
Branding allows you to resonate with your target market on a much deeper level. Not only that, statistics have shown time and again that people are willing to pay more for brands they recognize and have positive feelings towards.
My team works a lot on branding with Entrepreneurs and their organizations, and I’m here to tell you what you stand for does matter. How you present your company to the world matters. How you resonate with your clients and prospective clients matters.
So ask yourself this…If you have the sleekest, most beautiful brand in the world, and you don’t take care of core client needs, how long is your business REALLY going to last?
Your branding might get them in the door, but it sure as heck won’t keep them there.
A while back, American Express found 33% of customers will consider switching companies after just one instance of poor customer service.
Your sustainable, competitive advantage is right there in your client value.
So how do you focus on client value more?
Honestly, it begins with eating your own “dog food”.
Start by going through some of your processes.
Look at your client onboarding. Look at your client journey. Look real hard at your value ladder.
Listen to how your clients are communicated to.
Send emails with surveys and get feedback.
Send some marketing assets and written communications to friends and family and get their feedback.
Does it tell a clear story? Is the CTA clear?
Does it represent you as how you want to be seen?
Working on your own process will identify where the gaps might be.
Then ask yourself if you’re creating a connection with your clients beyond just the products themselves. Would they have a reason to care about you and what it is you sell?
Are you telling them cool, interesting, relevant stories?
Are you greeting them on their birthday? (Seems small, but it can feel huge in your client’s mind).
Listen to them. Schedule 30-minute conversations with existing clients. Take the time to understand their needs. Put off some internal meetings to understand your clients better.
Don’t stop connecting with the people who have trust in you.
Do you stop focusing on branding?
NO!
Focus on both and realize there’s an interplay between them – branding helps reel them in, and their experience with you helps keep them there.
No one cares about a funny IG photo when they can’t get their core questions answered; and in this day and age of infinite competition, no one even cares tremendously about category dominance if the customer experience suffers.
Many giants have been slayed in the past 20 years in part because the upstarts found better ways to engage customers–faster and more intuitive.
How can WE help you drive client value?
We’ve worked with many clients solely on their client value efforts.
That means workflows, emails to customers, communication style, offerings, and even the hiring side of the business. Think about it. If you hire C-players, expect they will act like C-Players and treat your clients that way. If you hire the right team members, they will value your clients—creating a symbiotic ecosystem.
However, most Entrepreneurs I know aren’t very good at hiring for their businesses. They are too busy and focused on other things. Some that are forced to hire their own team members (left to their own devices), really don’t know what to look for (in some cases they don’t know who or what they really need). We can help with that too.
Both directly and indirectly, having the right team in place will not only help your company grow and scale, your client value will reach a new level.
To your success,
David
P.S. Recruitment and Hiring is the #1 Entrepreneurial Blind Spot which is why most avoid it like the plague…
Let’s face it, the entire process can be utterly frustrating & time consuming, AND often results in attracting and hiring the WRONG talent for your team and/or business.
But what if ALL the heavy-lifting was done for you, and you were only handed the highest qualified candidates that checked every box you were looking for?
Head to this link to see if Nitrogen Hiring Network™ could be your talent recruitment solution.
P.P.S. Not sure how to find and attract more of your ideal clients? If you have a proven high ticket offer, we know EXACTLY how to fill your pipeline with a constant stream of qualified and highly-motivated leads through our exclusive Leads on Demand™ program.
Simply click this link for more details.
Saturday, December 16, 2023
Thursday, December 14, 2023
Friday, December 8, 2023
The Multitasking Myth
Ever been guilty of answering text messages during a meeting? Or checking email while you’re on a video call?
MOST OF US do it.
And if you said yes, who could blame you? Growing and scaling your business comes with a seemingly never ending to-do list.
In our minds, it’s simply smart thinking to make the best use of our time, right?
When your company is growing fast, we’re forced to find ways to “fit it ALL in”.
But here’s something that may shock you…
On average, people who try to multitask take 50% longer to complete a single task and make 50% more errors in their work than people who stay focused.
Suddenly multitasking doesn’t sound like such a great way to get more done, does it?
But, we were brought up believing that in order to be productive we must learn to multitask to reach our goals and get things done…At least I was.
Here’s the problem with that…
When you are moving the needle on multiple projects at one time instead of focusing on making significant headway on one or two, you’re less likely to reach the goals you’ve set in the time frame you’ve set for yourself.
All those little strides you make for each project become shorter and shorter until you are now moving at a snail's pace to reach the END result of each.
Plus, when you only focus on one or two projects at a time, it's amazing how clear priorities become. Your mind is forced to choose which projects are most important and you can stop allowing the small stuff and “noise” derail you.
I know you’re thinking…. “But…I’m really busy!”
Trust me, I get it. Being as busy as we are, there will always be temptations pulling at our focus…
Emails, text messages, other opportunities, “do you have a minute” meeting requests, etc.
These are called distractions, and we will always have them.
The key is to limit distractions as much as possible.
Think about it this way. There are distractions within our control and there are distractions out of our control.
Here’s a few things I do that help me eliminate the distractions I CAN control:
- Put yourself in an environment that is distraction free. If I need to focus, I’ll turn my phone off or leave it in another room so I won’t be tempted to answer calls or texts that come in. If you have an iPhone, put it in Privacy Mode as I learned how to do last week. I’ve also been known to close my office door so I’m not distracted by sounds or commotion going on in other rooms in the house.
You know what distracts you. So make a conscious effort to remove them altogether, or remove yourself from their presence.
2. Set 3 main objectives for the day. By limiting the number of daily “goals” to 3, you’ll know exactly what your focus is and you’ll work with greater intention towards achieving those objectives.
TIP: I like to set my goals for the day the evening before, that way I know before I go to bed exactly what I’ll be focusing on the next day (this also allows my subconscious mind to work on those goals while I’m sleeping). When you wake up, work on the most difficult project first, even before calls or checking your email.
3. Give yourself a shorter time frame to accomplish things. Parkinson’s law states that “work tends to expand to fill the time we have available for its completion.”
What happens is, the more time we give ourselves to complete something, the more likely we are to fill any time remaining with distractions. Our mind is programmed to conserve energy when possible.
And speaking of mastering your time, one great tip a colleague shared with me a long time ago was a process called the Pomodoro Method.
It’s an exercise that helps train our brains to stay focused by gradually working up our concentration. The goal of this method is to strengthen one’s ability to focus for longer periods of time.
How it works…
Basically you set a timer (start with 30 minutes and gradually work up to 45 minutes). Within that 30 minute time frame, completely focus on the task or project at hand with no interruptions or distractions.
After the 30 minutes is up, allow yourself a 8-10 minute break (In a 45 minute stretch, you allow yourself a 15 minute break afterwards). Challenge yourself to work diligently on your task or project until the timer goes off, then give your mind the break to indulge on whatever distraction you’d like! Continue practicing this until it becomes a habit. Then, gradually increase your focus time from 30 min to 45 minutes.
Avoiding distractions will definitely help you increase your accuracy and ability to complete tasks and projects faster…
When you integrate some of the tips I just mentioned, you’ll be closer to focusing on what you really need to be focusing on to move the needle in your business at an accelerated pace.
Here’s what I know…People aren’t really pulled in a hundred different directions. They allow themselves to be pulled in a hundred different directions.
They know exactly what they need to do.
They just need to TAKE ACTION and change it.
To your success,
David
P.S. Recruitment and Hiring is the #1 Entrepreneurial Blind Spot which is why most avoid it like the plague…
Let’s face it, the entire process can be utterly frustrating & time consuming, AND often results in attracting and hiring the WRONG talent for your team and/or business.
But what if ALL the heavy-lifting was done for you, and you were only handed the highest qualified candidates that checked every box you were looking for?
Head to this link to see if Nitrogen Hiring Network™ could be your talent recruitment solution.
P.P.S. Not sure how to find and attract more of your ideal clients? If you have a proven high ticket offer, we know EXACTLY how to fill your pipeline with a constant stream of qualified and highly-motivated leads through our exclusive Leads on Demand™ program.
Simply click this link for more details.