How well can your clients, customers and prospects explain what you do?
This is one of the questions that every business owner needs to be asking themselves all the time.
Too often, we focus so much on developing our business that we forget why we’re developing our business in first place. Sure, we want to make a profit – that goes without saying. Yet the most likely reason any of us got into business is because we believe we have a unique and better approach to solving a people’s problems.
Take a moment and think about all the products you see advertised in mass media. Each one tries to solve a problem. Think about Gatorade, IcyHot or Midol and I’m sure you can tell me what problems each can solve for me – even if you haven’t used the product yourself.
Sure, each of these products have massive marketing budgets, catchy slogans and world-wide mass appeal (what women doesn’t want relief from her symptoms around her period). Yet they’ve also clearly communicated the problems each can solve. And they do it so well that you’d have no problem explaining to someone else that IcyHot can relieve muscle pain.
But what would your clients and customers say about your business? Is it clear what problems you can help them solve? Not just clear to you, but clear to them. And clear enough so they’d have no problem explaining what you do to someone else?
If they don’t know, why would they work with you in the first place? And if your clients can’t explain how you’ve helped them, how can they tell their friends?
I followed a couple of links and read Judy Murdoch’s post . It reminded me of a question I’ve asked you before: What are you doing to develop passive income? It seems to me doing one-on-one consulting can only take you so far. It’s time-limited. Are you planning to develop products to spread your expertise further?
Hi Dawud,
Excellent article! Your question provides an great test to see if you are really communicating your benefits to your customers.
Also, thanks for the link! I think your article does a great job making the same point with less stuff and more simplicity. Well Done!
– Mason
Jean,
Interesting question. I have some products in the pipeline. But truthfully, it’s not my focus. I have a much different idea for allowing for business growth that’s not based on passive income. I’m unable to give details at this time, but there are other ways than developing a product line.
And, remember that products aren’t entirely passive. First, you have to create them in the first place – and they need to add clear value to your niche market’s business/life. Then, you have to market them in some manner – which can take a bunch of time. Lastly, they will likely need updating from time to time to keep up with changing trends.
Truly passive income would require no maintenance, in my opinion.
Dawud, thanks for the link, and a great article. I think that anyone, in business or not, should take a moment each month to review what they want to accomplish, and remember the passion that created that desire to accomplish.
xoxoxo JohnOnSales
You’d have to say an understanding of what you do is most important for prospects … customers and clients should definitely know!