Tonight I interviewed Dr. Ira Bloomfield for his teleseminar about the top four marketing mistakes physicians and urgent care owners make.  He did an awesome job and one of the points he talked about what the chase for always trying to get new people in the door, at the expense of keeping happy your old customers/clients/patients.

Let’s look at this…

Most business owners spend the bulk of their marketing time and money on trying to find ways to get new folks in the door.  But do you know who your very best sales force is?  The loyal folks that are currently your clients.  These are the ones that you should be spending your money on so they know that you appreciate them.

Now for the biggie – do you regularly ask your clients to refer to you?  Do they even know you want to take on more business?  (This is where some business owners start squirming…this asking for the referral part.)

You can do it a few different ways.  The best is in person.  Say you are speaking with your client and they tell you how much they have gained from doing business with you.  In that moment, you ask, “Do you know of two other people who would like to get these results as well?”  Notice I said to ask for a specific number.  If you ask for “anyone you know” that is too broad.  Give them an easier time by asking for one or two names.

The next way is the more indirect way.  You can write up a short blurb in a newsletter, or send out a mailer with a few business cards.  Think about how people love to share when they find a great resource.  Why would you happy clients not want to tell others about  you?

According to Ira, you sort of owe it to the world to get your work out there, and most of your clients would love to share what great service you gave.  Your task?  To get up enough courage to create a referral system and begin to ask.

Another way to get some momentum in your biz?  Go back through your old customer list.  Again, no use in using the resources you have with trying to get new business if you have not made contact with folks who have used you before.  You can call, send an email, or maybe  a postcard.  The best thing to do is obviously to call and let them know you are thinking of them.  Maybe you share a new program or service, but mostly…just call to say ‘hey’ and see how they are doing.  You’ll be surprised at how many come back if you approach this with a genuine interest in their well being.

The final piece?  You’ll want to calendar this.  Make it a system, a scheduled task and a “must do” and you will begin to see some great results.

Blessings!

OK, here’s the deal…

You are going to spend at least one third to one half of YOUR LIFE working. So why not make it something that gives you joy?

Today’s article is about looking at your business not just as a ‘cash machine’ or a form of revenue generation, but more of something that becomes an extension of you…and your life’s mission. Deep stuff I know, but since we are gonna be putting in all those hours, at the end of the day, let’s find a way to make it matter.

Since this article is not your basic Marketing 101 type of article, I want to set up in the beginning who I’m writing to.

If you are the kind of business owner who understands that in some ways your business is like your ministry, I’m talking to you. If you feel called to fully express your gifts through your business, I’m talking to you. If it’s important to you to serve as many people as you can, I’m talking to you. And if you are passionate about leaving a legacy – then you are my people…So let’s get going…

Business as Your Ministry –

I’m not referencing here the traditional or religious sense of the word ministry. To me it means that you know that your soul’s purpose is being expressed through your business and the services that you provide. One of the definitions of ministry is “the act of serving.” You may be a coach or speaker or own a store. Your work can be done consciously or unconsciously. You can look for ways where you can show up more fully and be of greater service, or it can just be a way to collect a paycheck. You get to decide.

That’s the absolute first step. If you have the sense that your business is like your personal ministry, you stand in the knowing that you are here to serve and are committed to that. From that level of commitment and decision, everything else falls into place.

Fully Expressing Your Gifts –

We are here to make a difference in people’s lives. (OK, that may be my belief, but I like it and am keeping it!) Your business becomes effortless when you express your gifts in the world, instead of trying to be what other people want you to be. This is where fulfillment lives, where passion lives, and its cute little down the street neighbor, Fun, lives!

First you have to know what your gifts are. And a big hint…what you think is easy and comes naturally and likely gets overlooked as “Doesn’t everyone have that?” – That’s YOUR gift. Take an inventory of what you do easily that your clients are really blown away by. Notice your passion-meter. What gets you juiced to talk about or do? Show up more fully in your business and you’ll not only enjoy it more, but you’ll also attract the RIGHT kind of clients who will resonate with your unique energy, AND you’ll also make more money doing it.

Stuck on what your gifts are? Ask! Survey your clients or close friends/mastermind partners and ask what they see that you are gifted at. You will probably be surprised at what they see that you have overlooked. Next – assign a value to what they say that your gifts are. You have to really own how much impact you have, so discovering what your gifts are worth is a huge step in gaining entrepreneurial confidence! When you really get clear about how much value you bring, raising your rates and being paid what you are worth will be easy.

Leaving a Legacy –

What will your footprint be? When you are gone, how will you be remembered? By the lives you touched? For the contributions you made? From the children you so tenderly raised?

Is legacy something that you strive for, or a thing that just happens when you show up and do your work in the world?

It’s my belief that sometimes we get so bogged down with the daily ‘to-do’ list that it’s easy to forget that we are here to make a difference. What would change in your business if you regularly tapped into that place in you that could hold the longer vision of what’s possible.

This legacy stuff on one hand feels a bit big and scary. But on the other hand, it can be energizing when you tap into the knowledge that your ideas and contributions will outlive you. I remember years ago meeting a copywriter and her big dream was “to be an influence.” It hadn’t occurred to me at the time that my scope was any broader that the local folks I was working with, but her soul knew that her purpose here was to influence how people thought and to help them open up to new possibilities.

What will it be for you? It’s not something I want you to ‘work’ at or stress over, but do give it some thought. If you create that new product, can you see the ripple effect? Imagine that 100 people work with you, and that work effects 10 of their friends, and five more down the road, in their networks. Can you see the endless possibilities?

So my wish for you, my dear reader, is to really do some thinking about the meaning of your business and the difference you make in the world because of it. Own your vision in a big way! We need that from you.