Are Your Prospects Prepared to Take Action?
People on step 1 of the awareness ladder know they have a problem. To move to step 2, they need to be aware of solutions to their problem. Are your prospects ready to take action? (This is a post from the circuit questionnaire sequence, fourth element – Problem. I omitted this post from the problem sequence by oversight a few months ago.)
Preparedness to take action leads to an active search for solutions. People need to know there is likely to be more than one solution to most problems. They need education to avoid the dash to the first solution to hand.
A Case Study
Here’s a case study. An organisation had a very poor website. Based on old-fashioned technology, it looked dreadful and did not begin to market their services.
They knew they had a problem and acted out of ignorance. They went to a website designer. He was the person who serviced their IT systems and produced a technical solution. Not interested in the organisation, he knew nothing of marketing. Indeed he was actively sceptical of marketing. They now have a website that looks superficially better. It does not use the latest technology, it looks dreadful because it is poorly maintained and still does not effectively market their services.
The big difference is they have wasted several thousand pounds on a system that can never serve their needs. They have learned nothing from their re-design and continued ignorant of how their website and the Internet can support their business.
This is not uncommon when it comes to websites. Indeed, it is not uncommon when it comes to business in general. You may be brilliant at delivering your service or product. But you are wasting your time if you can’t sell it!
Anyone in business needs to learn how to market it. Are they ready to take action?
Will They Pay to Solve the Problem?
If prospects are willing to pay, you have a market. There don’t have to be many to make a viable market but there needs to be enough.
The big problem with marketing, including websites, is many people resist sales and marketing; they really don’t want to go down that road.
But it is the only road in town! There are many options available to those who set out on that road. Many people have set views about marketing and sales. They don’t understand marketing as education or sales as communication. They have an image of pushy sales people and don’t see their offers as their contribution to the world’s benefit.
The truth is there are solutions that don’t work this way; they need to be learned. Usually, to get the practice you need, some type of mentoring helps. An initial outlay to get yourself orientated in the marketplace is worth every penny. The alternative is random activities that can cost a lot more in time as well as money. I tried many things before I found approaches that really helped.
Resistance like this is not restricted to marketing. Dieting and exercise is not something that appeals to everyone who is overweight. Indeed the idea of exercise used to put me off because I was so heavy. Now I start to get twitchy if I don’t get out and walk!
Usually, if you have a problem, you need to own it and bring the solution into your routine. Most people need help to do this. More accomplished people recognise they need help and are willing to pay for it. They know they can save a lot of time with the right support.
So, I know I have to pay for help with some problems and I can get by without help for others. This puts me in some markets and not in others.
How Much Can You Charge?
There are many factors to consider:
- The urgency of the problem
- The benefits of finding a solution
- The qualifications of the person offering the solution
Perhaps the most important thing to understand is you’re not offering information. These days people find information online. Your role is to curate information; that is organise and interpret it. It is to support your clients as they experience using information and for accountability.
If you are known for doing these things well, you are likely to do well.
Let me know if you find this post helpful and where you would like more information.