This post is one in a series of five guest posts authored by the super star bloggers pictured below. As part of a celebration of National Small Business Week we are asking readers to match all five guests posts up with the contributing blogger to be entered for a chance to win an iPad2. Read all five posts in today’s series and come back each day this week for five new posts in this great educational series and another chance to win.
Michael Port
Called “an uncommonly honest author” by the Boston Globe and a “marketing guru” by The Wall Street Journal, Michael Port is a New York Times Bestselling author of four bestselling books including Book Yourself Solid, Beyond Booked Solid, The Contrarian Effect and The Think Big Manifesto. For free chapters of his books go to BookYourselfSolid.com.
I Hate Selling, So Now How Do I Convert Leads 5
This strategy works! Of the 93 percent of my clients who successfully book themselves solid, all of them use it in one form or another.
People generally hate to be sold, but they love to be invited. You thought I was going to say buy, didn’t you? Nope, I said invited—as long as the invitations are relevant and anticipated.
When I started my business, I offered a teleseminar event each week on the same day, at the same time (I still do). The purpose is to help people think bigger about who they are and what they offer the world (and, yes, to get more clients as well).
Participation is free. If I meet someone I think will benefit from the call, I simply invite her to join. Also note that there is no selling on this call.
The folks on the call get the opportunity to participate in something that adds value to their life and test me out at the same time. And I get the opportunity to offer really great value at no risk to them.
I’ve calculated, that roughly 80% of the people who attend this weekly call more than 3 times, buy my products or services within the next 6 months. How do you like them apples?
You might worry that if you give away too much of yourself or your content for free, then no one will buy what you sell. Wrong—as long as you have other compelling products and services to sell, products and services that solve specific problems and produce specific results, then you’ll stand in the service of your clients AND build a brilliantly booked solid business.
There are many ways you can set up this kind of always-have-something-to-invite-people-to-offer. You are limited only by the scope of your imagination. However, there are three important factors that make an always-have-something-to-invite-people-to offer successful.
1. It’s consistent. Consistency builds trust and earns credibility.
2. It’s frequent. Once a year may be consistent but it won’t help you stay top-of-mind to the people you want to serve; monthly is good, weekly is great.
3. It brings people together. You’ll leverage the power of communities. When you bring people together, they create far more energy and excitement than you can on your own. Your guests will also see other people interested in what you have to offer, and that’s the best way to build credibility.
If you create a consistent and frequent always-have-something-to-invite-people-to-offer that brings people together, you’ll be viewed as a really cool person. Seriously. If you’re known in your community as someone who stands up and make things of value, you will build your reputation and increase your likeability, an essential component of getting booked solid.
Finally, to make this work in a big way…please remember to give away so much value that you think you’ve given too much, and then give more.
