What’s one thing ALL businesses have in common no matter what they offer, who they sell to, or where they are located?

They need customers in order to keep their doors open.

In fact, if I were to pull up all of our application forms to date at The Awakening, I would bet that at least 80% of them mention a desire for an increased customer base. We all want customers to serve, and we would prefer an abundance of them versus a scarce amount.

As we’ve kicked off a new year with our students and clients, we’ve begun crafting profit simulations, omni channel plans, and of course client acquisition plans.

We’re filling up pipelines around here.

And because I’m sure you’re seeking to do the same, I wanted to pull some key pieces from a recent client call and share them with you (of course updated in order to be applicable for your business):

Before we dive into the phased-out checklist I’ve created for you, here are some things to note about the current online climate. These are important and should inform your approach to generating leads for your business during this season:

1. People ARE buying. This may sound like a no-brainer. But the amount of Founders that are convinced people somehow aren’t buying right now (due to the economy, inflation, etc) is insane. Although people may be buying differently right now, it doesn’t mean that they aren’t buying at all. This isn’t the time to pull back and get quiet. This season is a massive opportunity.

2. You may want to allow for an increased timeline in the rapport-building phase. Yes, people are buying, but they may take a little longer during the rapport-building and consideration phases (depending upon the type of offer). If you’re used to converting leads in 30-60 days, adjust your expected timeline to 90-120 days (especially for higher-ticket experiences) and ensure that people feel supported throughout the entire sales process.

3. Buyers are seeking to form deep connections with the people they give their money to. Over the last few years, many people felt like “people were throwing their money” at them. Sure, it’s not the full context, but in a way, it’s kind of true. Buyers were extremely eager to leverage the extra time on their hands when the pandemic hit, and they were making quicker decisions. Now people are becoming more and more protective of their money and who they trust with it. Your ability to communicate distinct and powerful company stories, values, and stand-out qualities will be essential in building trust that leads to conversion.

With that understanding in place, let’s take a look at your checklist:

Phase 1: Leverage Low-Hanging Fruit

• Reference your Sales CRM and see all past potential accounts that didn’t move forward. Reconnect and see if there’s a way you may be able to serve them.
• In the same Sales CRM, see all past clients that closed their accounts with you. Reach out, reconnect, and see if they’re in need of any support.
• Take a look at your current client roster and see if there’s an opportunity for account expansion and/or extension. If so, present the idea to the client.

On a recent call, our client shared that she wanted to increase her monthly revenue (and fairly quickly). The first thing we did was look at low-hanging fruit opportunities. She began tapping into her existing network, and in two weeks she was already 80% of the way to her goal! There is so much power in getting scrappy and leveraging those low barrier to entry options.

Phase 2: Leverage an Ongoing Sales System

• No matter how powerful attraction-based marketing efforts may be, they never replace a Sales System that you have constant access to and control over. Choose a platform and prioritize daily outbound marketing. This doesn’t have to be cold messaging. It can take a nurture and rapport-building approach (which is recommended in our current climate).
• If you have any low-ticket experiences, feel free to use these as a “database” of potential leads for other offers in your offer suite. Take note of engaged customers and connect to see if they could receive further support in another container.

This is something we encourage every single one of our students and clients to do (at every stage of business). Yes, as you scale and become more established, you may outsource some of this, but it needs to be prioritized. We recently onboarded a new client, and one of the first things we did was integrate an ongoing sales system for her. To her surprise, she landed a sale almost immediately with her newly increased rates! Imagine if she hadn’t reached out and offered to be a resource for this person. She may have never gotten that sale!

Phase 3: Broaden Your Reach

• Let’s get additional eyes on your company through PR efforts and collaboration initiatives. Start by tapping into your current network for those “easy yes” opportunities. Then we can build more of a proper media hit list and delegate the pitches to a team member.
• Note: Let’s prioritize this last as Phases 1 and 2 may yield quicker results and enhance your ability to land desired PR opportunities.

Another one of our clients recently started a PR tour for the year. She’s pitching podcasts, writing placements, and, of course, implementing casual collaboration opportunities. The long-term effects of this will be incredible. But even in the short term, she has already received several referrals from the connections she’s making and driving traffic to her passive products and funnels. This option is incredible for those of you who are established and have the bandwidth.

Seeking to grow your visibility, pipeline, and profits? Click here to learn more about Private Coaching with The Awakening. We love to provide holistic coaching and support for those seeking to sustainably scale, and we’d be honored to connect with you.

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