Three months ago, you had your calendar for the year all planned out. You knew where you would be and who you would be meeting. You had flights booked, meetings scheduled, events planned. Then the unimaginable happened. Just like that, you couldn’t make good on any of those plans. The safest place to be was at home. With each week that passed, though, you couldn’t help feel the anxiety mount. What would happen to your business? How would you manage if you couldn’t be where you needed to be?
That’s what this article is about. There is no denying that the world is changing and what worked three months ago is pretty much irrelevant now. While you’re unable to conduct business as usual, there are still some steps you can take to ensure that your business stays afloat.
Here are 3 things you can change right now for your business to survive and thrive.
Change Your Language
This is the first and simplest of all three steps. It goes without saying that how you speak to your clients – both potential and existing – matters. Find out what kind of speech they are using these days. Check what key phrases they are using to search for the services you offer. However, words mean nothing without context, so find out what the context is for these searches. Let’s give you an example.
Before the pandemic, your language would have worked very well if it conveyed a message of abundance, growth and enlightenment. Now, those same concepts are a little out of context. You and your client share a core experience – survival. From here, you can narrow it down to a more specific context. What does survival look like for your client? What is their most pressing pain point right now, and how do they express that?
It can take you anywhere between 30 to 60 minutes to get the answers you need. When you have the answers, you can then change the language you use in your sales copy to suit the client you wish to serve. You will be able to talk directly to them and show that you have a deep understanding of their needs. They will remember you for this and will be more interested in the solutions you offer.
Update Your Lead Generators
Now that you know what language your potential and existing clients are using, it’s time to update your lead generators. If your business heavily relied on face-to-face interaction and physical meetings, it is more than likely that leads dropped through the floor due to the current situation.
Don’t despair, though. Now is the time to move your systems online (if you haven’t already). There are simple formulas you can look up to get you started with making a transition to online marketing. This whole process is about making your digital assets work for you. Where you once relied on face-to-face interaction to build trust with your clients, now you’ll need your digital lead generators to do that for you. If you’ve done step one, you are already on track.
Please understand, this is not about cold-selling to people or trying to take advantage of the situation. We know you have something valid to offer, a genuine service that people are in need of right now. Updating your lead generators to suit the situation will help you get in front of the people who are already looking for you online. It sparks a conversation with these people, and with some skill and technique, you can turn these people into your leads.
Adjust Your Closing Strategy
If you were used to closing a deal with a handshake and a pat on the back, you might be feeling a bit overwhelmed now. After all, that’s how you were able to build trust with your clients. With physical interaction severely restricted, this sense of being overwhelmed is understandable.
However, now that you have your lead generators updated and working online, your chances of closing the deal are significantly increased. Set up systems and processes that allow you to connect with your leads online. Examples of this are Zoom meetings and Messenger chatbots. Setting up these tools is simple enough, and within an hour you will be able to talk to your leads.
Remember, this is not about selling your leads something all the time. It’s about serving them in the best way possible. Your job is to guide them through the journey of being merely interested in your service to gaining confidence that you are the best solution to their problem. There are various ways you can achieve this online, from screen-sharing to live demonstrations.
And that’s it. These three steps are simple, and you can get started straight away. If you need help with any of this, leave a comment below, and we’ll be in touch with you. We can help you figure out how to best connect with your clients online and get you back on track for growth this year. 2020 is a challenging year for everybody, but it’s not canceled. With these simple adjustments, your business will not only survive but will also thrive.
If you find that you need a little help along the way, 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 Facebook Think Tank Group where you can 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲-𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 through your journey.
