One of the big shifts you can make in your business is to switch your marketing from a "riding-shotgun" approach to a strategic campaign. Many of my business-coaching clients find that it's actually simpler than what they were previously doing. Let me show you what I mean, and you, too, can create your own successful marketing campaign.
First, a marketing campaign is simply a series of steps leading to an outcome. For example: let's say your outcome is the promotion of a new coaching group, training program, or product launch. Perhaps you want to fill a few openings in your schedule, or fill a whole seminar.
Next, select a specific outcome date that you will focus on as your launch date.
Once you have set your launch date, the third step is to create a preview—or a "showcase" (as one of my HorseWise Brilliance Unbridled business coaching clients calls it.) In your preview, you'll unveil your new product or service. Your preview should be free, or very modestly priced.
The purpose of your preview is to accomplish three objectives. The preview makes it easy for your prospective clients to:
#1: Say "yes" to attending. Why? Because at this point, you’re not asking them to make a buying decision, you’re simply inviting them to a forum where they can get more information.
#2: Get comfortable with you. The preview gives your prospects an opportunity to know, like, and trust you.
#3: Gain a clear picture of the results they will achieve by hiring you.
Now, instead of trying to fill your program or seminar, your job is to market, market, market. Your objective is to get people to attend your free (or modestly priced) introductory event! All you need to do is design a series of email or written invitations.
For example: right now I'm in the middle of two campaigns. One is for a free teleseminar series, which launches a new HorseWise Brilliance Unbridled VIP business-coaching program. (By the way, you're invited to join me, your personal marketing coach, for these free preview calls!)
To promote my teleseminar preview calls, I have designed a carefully timed email campaign to encourage as many registrations for the live call as possible. With over 200 people registered so far, my plan is working.
The second campaign is for my husband, Richard's success coaching business. His preview is a modestly priced in-person, half-day introductory seminar.
For Richard's event, we mailed two hundred printed invitations. His plan includes follow-up phone calls to each person invited, with the goal of filling forty seats at his introductory success-coaching preview.
Preview events work because you give your prospective clients something easy to say "yes" to. Just be sure that, even though it's a preview, you deliver a generous helping of valuable content while minimizing the sales pitch. Aim for 80% content and 20% sales information, and your audience won't mind a bit.
So, switch your focus from marketing your final product or service to promoting a preview. Plan a series of invitations, and then see how much easier it is to launch your next important program, product, or service!
