“But I don’t want to bother people.”
That is the common response I hear when I ask clients why they are not attempting to remain more visible in their marketplace.
Here are a few unpleasant facts that you need to come to terms with if you plan to become more successful in your business. Your biggest problem is that not enough of the right people know you are alive. I refer to this as your visibility quotient. Your VQ is lower than it should be and in all likelihood I slower than it needs to be. Not enough people know you are alive.
Every time I send out a notice reminding people I am alive, I get a handful of emails requesting to be taken off my mailing list. “How dare I contact people offering my services?” “How dare I try to help people?” “How dare I care for more than one millisecond if somebody does not want to read my emails or accept my phone call?”
The truth is the faster you ask to be taken off my list, the better I like you. Why in the world would I want to talk to you if you do not want to talk to me? I am not in business to hurt you…cheat you…manipulate you…or lie to you. My ONLY interest is to learn whether I am in position to help you or not. Period!
I must admit, it took me a while to learn how to keep these brush offs in check. Playing to the “few” makes little sense. Allow them to opt off your list if that is what makes them feel better. Allow them to fight their battles…alone. That’s not your problem. Your challenge is to go find more people you can help and who are receptive to your professional advice.
And that, I am afraid, is a challenge that will remain on your to-do list. It is you who has to grab the bull by the horns and “do something.” You have to consistently remind your targeted audience that you are alive, prepared and eager to demonstrate that your skills and experiences can be used to enhance the well-being of your clients.
What your audience chooses to do next is up to them.
Bottom Line: Keep on spreading the word. A few disgruntled people will be the price you pay.
Mike Marchev has plenty of stories, strategies and tactics to keep you on top of your game.
Mike will be conducting his 5th annual Travel Sales & Marketing Business Development Cruise, sailing the Freedom of The Seas from Ft. Lauderdale. Email him at mike@mikemarchev.com for complete details. Five cabins are still available.
Mike’s daily column is made possible by AmaWaterways.
