Running a successful business can be tough at the best of times. It's a constant uphill battle to make more sales and land more clients. And all while trying to juggle the other demands of "adulting". So let's get some clarity on why you might be struggling in the first place + how you might be able to overcome these obstacles.
1. Wrong target market
Spending up big on advertising and reaching hundreds of potential buyers might sound impressive, but you won't have much luck if you go after the wrong target market in the first place. For instance, you wouldn't take a full page ad out in the local newspaper if your target market was Millennials.
Imagine your ideal customer or client. And I mean everything! What they look like, how they dress, what they value in life, what they can't stand. Once you put yourself in their shoes, you can can start to plan how you are going to get their attention and how they won't be able to live without the product or service you're trying to sell them.
2. Boring + basic branding
Branding is everything when you're trying to showcase a business to potential customers and clients. It's all about that first impression and how to make it count. You wouldn't turn up to a first date wearing Ugg boots and trackies, so why would you skimp on how you "dress up" your business to the outside world?
Branding includes everything from the key colours you decide to use on all marketing and signage for your business, right down to the style and font or your writing.
3. Poor sales pitch
Once you work out who your ideal customer is, you need to work out what you're going to say to them. People hate when they know they are being sold something in an unauthentic way. The key is to come up with a message that isn't a blatant sales pitch. You want your product or service to be irresistible to the customer without them even realising it.
You'll see this type of subtle messaging in car advertisements. Often it's not the car that's being sold to potential buyers, but the kind of lifestyle (fun, convenient and adventurous) they can have while owning the car.
4. No problem to solve
How exactly does your product or service help to solve a problem for your customer or client? One of the basic building blocks of business is to offer something to people that helps them improve their life in some way. It could be as simple as a takeaway food delivery service. What do busy people want at the end of a long, tiring day? A convenient and affordable meal delivered straight to their door.
Make sure you are crystal clear on what problem you are solving for people, especially on how you communicate that to your potential customer or client. This problem-solving message should be clear, concise + at the face of all your marketing + signage, so people aren't left guessing as to what exactly you do or sell.
5. Ignoring digital
I get it, the internet can be a scary place if you don't have the knowledge or experience to get your business online. But you're missing out on so many potential sales if you continue to put the world wide web in the "too hard" basket. Think about how you personally look for new products or services when you need
them. More often than not, you will grab your smartphone and use Google without even realising it! At the very basic level, you should consider launching a simple website and getting your business listed on Google Business. This way when people are searching for a product or service you offer, you won't completely miss out on being seen + heard. If you want to take things to the next level, digital marketing is a fantastic way to tap into a much broader audience. And depending on what it is you're trying to sell, you might even start reaching overseas buyers.
And remember...
Clarity is power. The clearer you are about what you want, the more likely you are to achieve it. Don't just survive - thrive!
Clarity Collaborations is here to help businesses change how they communicate with their customers + clients. And it all starts with clear + concise words and creative design.
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