**** **********
NB: This newsletter is published every Monday. Point your browser to www.tayosolagbade.com/sdnuggets to read at least ONE new post added to my SD Nuggets blog on a different category from Tuesday till Saturday (sometimes even Sundays) in line with this publishing schedule 
**********
IMPORTANT NOTE: THIS newsletter is published online on the “reincarnated” version of my Self-Development (SD) Nuggets blog. I continue to put finishing touches to the content. If you encounter ANY bad/dead links, and you can spare the time, email them to me via tayo at tksola dot com. Thanks in advance
No. 178: To Achieve Marketing Success at Low Cost, You Need a List of Potential Buyers
The more I “data-mine” my website mailing LIST of subscribers, and some actually go ahead and buy my products/services (sometimes years after signing up), the more I tell other business owners this:
“The money is IN the LIST”!
Curious to know what I mean? Keep reading then!!
Incidentally, I first read that phrase (“The money is in the list”) above 10 years ago, in an article written by an American Internet Marketing expert (his name misses me now), who pointed out the importance of channelling ALL of one’s marketing efforts towards BUILDING a list of potential buyers.
Even with established brands, sales rarely happen instantaneously!
It’s funny how some business owners, when they have to buy from others, act the exact same way their own target audience do, and yet, they forget to THINK the same way when they want to sell.
Let me explain.
I suffered the same affliction for years as a start-up. To find a way out, I read widely, and paid attention to what I was doing, based on what I read, until I identified where I was going wrong.
In trying to sell a service or product, the typical business owner, confident that s/he offers “good quality” simply announces to a potential buyer, that it’s available, (wrongly) expecting the other part to readily believe him/her!
Imagine a public speaking training service provider, who starts posting Facebok page status updates of his products descriptions and prices, with little or no other details to help prospects make up their mind(like the example below):
E.g. “Attend my 2 day workshop of Public Speaking –and become a Star Speaker earning 6 figure speaking fees in no time. Pay <amount> to <bank account number>. Then Send SMS to <phone number> with your bank teller details.”
The question is why should anyone believe s/he can do this for them?
Except a prior relationship exists, most people would have difficulty BELIEVING such a promise, especially when there are others who offer something similar (and there are countless others who offer public speaking training with promises of all sorts)!
Even if he publishes a list of events at which he has spoken, along with raving reviews/testimonials from attendees at his speaking events, it may not be enough to win majority of the target audience over.
In fact, he could publish a lot of testimonials with photos, to support his claims that may still NOT convince majority to take him up on your offer.
Why?
Well, it’s because many others who offer similar solutions do the same thing…and the prospect has limited means to verify their claims!
Don’t get me wrong though. The above listed steps could make some people come forward to contact you and even enrol for his program.
However, they may do so with a tentative disposition – to give him a try and see how it goes…
In other words, they may not come in with a readiness to confidently invest in what he offers, based on a firm conviction that he can solve their problem (which could mean fewer sales for him).
To make potential buyers take a full leap of faith to trust you, and make big purchases, FIRST “build a relationship” with them!
That’s the key to selling profitably in any field.
Trust is crucial for making sales, as well as for earning repeat business, and word of mouth recommendations.
The process of building relationships helps to EARN trust in the minds of potential buyers.
That’s why my experience based recommendation is that you minimize giving “come and buy” invitations, and instead focus on putting out information and education, likely to be considered VALUABLE by your target audience via as many channels as possible!
Your WMS will make those who encounter your work, over time, “feel” pulled to reach out to you. If properly setup, the WMS will ensure such people rarely leave without dropping their contact details with you, with permission for you to reach out to them in the future.
Every time that happens, you add to your list of potential buyers, and will then be able to take the relationship to the next level, by following up with more useful information, laced with attractive sales offers.
Over time, if you deliver good quality in the content you send out to those on the list, they will come to see you as a valued/trust advisor, indeed an authority, at what you do. For each person, the process will happen at different rates – they will NOT all arrive at that reckoning at the same time. This is not batch production of beer or poultry!
What is however certain is that once they arrive at that stage of conviction, about you, they will be more willing to BELIEVE you can deliver on ANY promise you make to them.
This is why, for those of us who have mailing lists of prequalified prospects (or potential buyers) selling tends to be a most fulfilling experience for both parties
Today, I’m growing membership of my Inner Circle by making special offers to subscribers on my mailing list (within and outside Nigeria/Africa) and it’s been exciting to have them say YES.
Many of those subscribers will get THIS issue of my newsletter, and read what I’ve said above.
Some of them run their own businesses part time, while still in paid employment. Others are still in full time employment. A few a 100% self-employed.
Final Words: If you run a business, you CAN get the same benefits of selling more via YOUR own mailing list!
We all know it’s EASIER to sell to people who already know you.
But that does not mean you should go chasing down you friends and relatives…
Indeed, many times, you’ll find that few of them fit your target audience profile, and most would NOT make good clients!
That’s why I recommend, in this article, that you cost-effectively make potential buyers who often start as strangers, get to KNOW you well, till they can confidently buy from you.
If you need help putting the ideas shared above to use, let me know HERE.
*************
Learn about Burt Dubin’s speaker mentoring products (books, audios etc) below…
If you need help purchasing ANY of Burt’s products (like “Presentation Magic”), call me on +229-66-122-136 (in Benin Republic, my base) or +234-803-302-1263 (in Nigeria) or email tayo@tksola.com
Have a great week :-))
*************
SPECIAL PRODUCT FEATURE
“Inside Speaking Business Success Secrets”
In this offer, Burt Dubin promises to show you how to generate PASSIVE incomes streams WHETHER YOU SPEAK OR NOT.
Plus, you learn a proven shortcut to top level speaking business success across corporate markets.
So, with diligent persistent application of what you learn you’ll start (as Burt says)…”bringing home high speaking fees”…whether you speak or not…in a matter of weeks….
Sooner than later you’ll find you’re ready to go for Burt’s mentoring at Diamond or higher Inner Circle membership level.
The best part is: every cent of your fee to purchase this product counts toward your membership in Burt’s Inner Circle.
In other words, you effectively get to eat your cake and still have it!
CLICK HERE to get full details of what it takes to make yourself a true speaking business champion in Burt’s Boot Camp V: Inside Speaking Business Success Secrets
*************
