The marketplace is increasingly competitive. Many professionals desire the old days of running their practice completely off of referrals, but this reality has completely shifted. The reason is that potential clients are not encumbered by previous inefficient buying systems. The new economy has empowered the buyer to educate themselves, shop quickly and find what they want.
Just Google your area of expertise and you will see the competition plain and clearly. The options make it easy for a buyer to move down a list with relentless capitalist tendencies. They want low price, responsiveness and expertise now. Marketing has become critical to compete. Companies that understand this can separate themselves quickly from the old economy guard.
Assuming that you are able to shine in an initial consultation, the challenge is not how to win a client who has pain. The challenge is being remarkable and building trust quickly and predictably. This requires a system for attracting, nurturing and leading your potential client. Pure charisma will not work when buyers are buying through a digital process in conjunction with the eventual personal touch you offer at the end of the buying process.
If your buyer has choice, this dilutes your offering. If your buyer has ease of accessing choice, then your positioning is critical and your system must keep pace with the speed of the buyer’s decision process. The system must be automated and dialed into the specific psychology and action steps of your potential client. It’s the best return on investment you will realize if you are committed to a strategy of predictability rather than hope.
