You will hear me very often say, "You are the business." The Lone Wolf is a solo business operator, an individualist that would rather be creative, adventurous, and find his own way over joining the pack.
If you want to become a Lone Wolf, you should execute your business as though it is an extension of yourself. Your company is built around the skills, knowledge, education and passion that make up your life.
So in terms of both subject matter, and executing the daily business operations, you are the business. Without you, the company is nothing.
The subject of your business is so familiar and important to you, the owner, that you base your company on your own ability to share what you know about the niche with your like-minded customers.
Because your business is very personal, it's most effectively delivered to your clients in a one-on-one relationship. You have the control and power to turn complete strangers into your friends and you can deliver your business as if you were sharing a close and treasured secret between friends.
It's on that basis, that I'm suggesting you need to learn to become a story-teller if you're not already one. It's not really difficult.
You see, some business owners feel that they need to keep a formal, very professional relationship in place with their customers. They treat their clients as if they were visiting dignitaries: they get the hands off, but white glove attention without ever getting too personal.
The trouble with that approach is that most customers don't want to be treated that way. They prefer a more sociable, friendly, neighbor-across-the back-fence relationship.
They would rather have you as a trusted friend than an arms-length acquaintance that never gets too close. Friends, especially close and trusted friends, are able to enjoy and relax with one another.
This type of informal, pull-up-a-chair-and-chat-for-a-spell relationship isn't appropriate for all business. You wouldn't expect to deal with some professionals, like your attorney or the mortgage company in this way.
But for a solo business owner that is most likely sharing his passion, his fun, his experience with his friends, it is the best and most profitable approach on the Internet.
Tell stories, like one close friend would tell another, in your advertising, your web copy, and in your communications with your customers.
Don't just list features and benefits and specifications . . . tell your customers how you enjoyed using . . . (whatever it was) and explain by using personal examples how it solved your personal problem.
Instead of making a sales pitch to a prospect, you are simply making a personal recommendation to a trusted friend. There is a huge difference in these approaches.
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Post#149 |
