Today I don’t have the answers.  I am not going to give you three quick tips or five easy strategies.  I’m sitting in the question.  So today I’m going to pose for you some deep questions that need to be asked.…….

If you read this blog from a couple of days ago, you will remember that I am conducting a survey, asking for people’s opinions about what they would like to see in a marking makeover program.   (The survey is http://bit.ly/8gkwb here by the way if you want to add your two cents)

It’s been really awesome to see the answers as they roll in.  I’m so grateful to all who have participated, but the last response that came in is the one that really struck a cord with me.

This person talked about taking another coaches very high end program.  They got great content, but after it was all over, the person was left feeling like, “Now what?”  The foundation was in place, ideas were generated, but there was no follow system or next steps in place, so after spending tons of money, the writer doesn’t feel like they are moving forward because they need more support.

It got me thinking.  As I work to design my program, what happens three months after the program ends?  What do my clients get if they have a questions down the road?  Am I going to avail myself to them, or will they have to wait till the next program rolls out?  It really is a discussion about what our role as information marketers or service providers is.  When people entrust us with their confidence and make investments in themselves through working with us, how much do we owe them?  I know myself and the folks that I like to hang out with tend to ‘give away the farm’ a bit, but then there are those who you can only get some face time if you are paying BIG BUCKS to.

It’s a tricky question, that’s for sure.  Is there a way to do a 90 day program but then offer three more months of some kind of additional support?  Is that for free, or for a fee?  (Maybe its kinda like the warranty on your car – “six months, six product launches, or 6 sales pages later….here’s what you get…” )

The question becomes when is a program enough?  And when should clients pay to keep getting more of you?

Probably more questions than answers, but I’d love your ideas to how you have handled this situation.

And thanks so much for the writer who shared (anonymously) with me on the survey.  May your words inspire us all to do a better job serving the people we are blessed to serve.

Blessings!

While that was an amazing movie, and I usually love the concept of building first in your mind, as a marketer I have to warn you that it may bite you in the butt!

I was recently talking to one of my mastermind buddies, Natasha Allrich, about this very concept.  We were sharing the programs we were providing, and I told her about one I had done earlier in the year that truthfully, didn’t get the results I wanted.

Natasha asked one powerful question….

“Did you ask your market what THEY wanted, or did you just create a program based on what YOU wanted?”

OK, she busted me!  That is exactly where I went wrong.  I loved my concept, wrote killer copy, threw in loads of value….but never did the research to see if the offering and price point were what my fun lovin’ business owner types would want.

Have you ever made this mistake?  More than likely, yes.  We all do.

The secret is to go to your ideal clients and have them tell you what they would pay for.

I want to give you some tips on how to survey your audience.

1.  Online Survey – I use www.SurveyMonkey.com – Super easy and very low tech!  Make it short, but ask a few questions about price, content, and how to best deliver the program.  Example, would they like a day time workshop live or an evening virtual teleseminar?

2.  Pick up the darn phone – Calling your old (and ideal) clients about what they would want is a great strategy.  You have to stay away from folks who aren’t your market.  Example, your brother the plumber doesn’t get to tell you that you are charging too much….unless you are serving plumbers, that is!

3.  The power of social media – using Twitter or LinkedIn polls to get answers is another effective way.  You are getting access to way more people that you probably have in your neighborhood, so this is a no cost and easy way to gain some valuable information.

4.  Offer an incentive – you can add something to your newsletter or survey that if folks take a few minutes of their time, you will gift them with xyz.  It could be a free report, a $25 off coupon, entered into a drawing for a session with you, etc.

5.  Make sure you keep it short – no one is going to answer 47 questions.  But if you can come up with 3-5 questions that will get you the info you need, you are probably going to be able to get some good answers.

And finally…I’m gonna ask, because I’m not making the same mistake again!

Can I get your two cents?  I have a quick 3 question survey that I’d love you to answer to help me better design my 90 Day Marketing Makeover Program.  You can grab that here:

http://bit.ly/8gkwb

If you fill it out and email me telling me that you read this on the blog, I’ll enter your name into a drawing for a strategy session which is valued at $297 – cuz I REALLY appreciate you taking the time!

Now go out there and start asking your market what THEY want.

Blessings!