Want Quick Results? Turn to Your Existing Client List

One of the 8-Core Business Strategies of The Achievement Gym is called, "Create A Low Cost Marketing Funnel." It's a very important strategy because all of us who are solo-entrepreneurs do not have the mega dollar advertising budgets of the Fortune 500 firms. The past two weeks I was reminded of a lesson I learned a long time ago about generating marketing success in a small business. The secret to long term success, with less stress, lies within your existing client database.

Because a couple of members of The Achievement Gym were coming to the end of their year- long commitment in April, and were replaced by some others in my marketing funnel who have been waiting to step in, it was time to re-visit the status of my pipeline that was feeding the funnel to make sure my reservoir of prospects was being refilled (more on how I approached this challenge a little later).

First, let's talk about the key to making the marketing funnel work for you. The key to success is to build a reservoir of prospects who are at varying staging of the buying decision process. Some will be at the opening of the funnel, just becoming aware of who you are, some will be familiar with you and your business and you may have some type of relationship with them, but they are not yet really prospects for you. Some you may have had a deeper conversation about what you do and how you might be able to help them, and they may be considering using your product or service at some point in the future. Others are deeper down the funnel and closer to making that buying decision.

It's important to continually work your marketing funnel to effectively bring your prospects down through it, and check-in with each at regular intervals so it will lead easily to sales success when they are ready to make a buying decision.

How do you do this? You create what's called a "drip" campaign with a tickler system, whereby you consistently send your prospects information of value at varying intervals to keep in touch with them. This does a couple of things, one - it shows them you care about them, their business success, and that you value them as a potential customer, and two - it will begin positioning you as the trusted advisor to whom they can go to when questions about your industry arises.

I'm bringing this up because when I began evaluating some people who had been in my reservoir for a while, some who had been clients previously, I noticed I hadn't "tickled" them in a while and it was time to re-connect. I got on the phone and made some calls.

The results - 2 lunch appointments, 1 breakfast, and 2 regular appointments with no meals within the next 2 1/2 weeks. All of those I spoke with were excited to hear from me and open to discussing their present situation to see how I might be able to help. Today was my first appointment and it immediately resulted in interest in not just joining The Achievement Gym, but possibly an entire staff development workshop for a team of 14. A significant contract if it comes through. And, that was just my first appointment. I'll keep you posted.

So, there are two morals to this story. One is that the key to stress free selling is to mine the GOLD in your present reservoir of contacts and former clients, by connecting with them on a consistent basis. The second moral, is that it is important to constantly fill your reservoir with contacts that will enter your marketing funnel at varying stages depending on their situation.

This week take some time to review your past clients and identify the ones you did great work for, review the list of those that showed significant interest some time ago but just weren't ready at that time, but you haven't been in touch with in a while. Next make a plan to give them a call and invite them out to lunch. Let me know how it goes - you can e-mail me at Info@TheAchievementGym.com

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