Post date: Sep 24, 2010 10:5:33 AM
Just a few months ago I was helping an entrepreneur who has
many talents take a look at her business to figure out why
she wasn't making the income she wanted to make. As we
talked, I realized that she had the same problem many solo
professional entrepreneurs have. She wasn't clear about
what she offered her customers. She knew she added value
for them but she was having a hard time explaining who she
was and what she did to me. I knew, then, that she was not
clear to potential customers (prospects) either. And more
than likely, her copy (the words on her website or in any
brochure she had) were not compelling, not pulling in the
people she could serve the very best.
As an entrepreneur, you have certain experiences, expertise,
and wisdom to offer your customers. What tends to happen
over time is that we forget what we are really good at,
because it is second nature to us. Here's a half-hour
exercise for you that will help you make sure you are
putting all your goodies on the table for prospects to see.
1. Answer these questions (write down your answers):
A. What are your life and work experiences that you draw
from when you work with your customers?
B. What is your expertise, and what is your proof of that
expertise?
C. What wisdom do you bring to the table from your life
experiences, your own personal growth, your spiritual
development?
2. Ask yourself "are these what I am known for?"
A. Would current or former clients agree that you are known
for these?
B. Does your website's copy (or copy in brochures) reflect
these?
When I asked my client what she is known for, we came up
with these attributes:
* Building successful businesses Looking at a client's
ground, the place from which they operate and make
decisions.
* Challenging clients to change where they are stuck and
hurting their business or personal success.
* Being supportive and offering encouragement.
* Seeing the possible, often before clients see it.
* Taking people from a job to their own work.
* Wisdom
* Intuitiveness
* Instilling confidence in others.
* Fearless stepping out.
* Solid experience and training in guiding and mentoring
others.
* Creative and low-cost marketing strategies.
Some of her copy reflects these, for sure. But we needed to
sharpen her "who and do what" statement and add in things she
had not even realized she offers.
There's a third part to this exercise, which is to ask
current and former clients what they think you are known
for. It's a good test, to see if what they see is the same
thing as what you see. You can do a quick survey on Survey
Monkey (it's free). You can then blend their comments in
with your own list, and build your "who and do what"
statement from that. Being positive about what you are
known for as an entrepreneur gives you solid ground and
attracts the people you work with best.
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