Know That Customers Are More Than Just Credit Cards
Many new Indie Business owners start a business thinking that generating sales is about getting people to buy stuff. I hear people say all the time: "I set up my website and people are coming, but they are not buying anything." What does this mean?
It usually means that you are looking at each website visitor as a credit card number instead of as a human being. In doing so, you're stressing yourself out by focusing on the wrong thing.
Over the years, I have been amazed at the number of people who email me "out of the blue" to become a client or a member of the Indie Beauty Network. That is, I think they are "out of the blue," but when I ask how they heard about me, they frequently say they've been a newsletter subscriber or blog reader for 2 or 3 years, and they finally decided they could put my services to good use in their lives.
This is what it's all about. Connecting with people, initiating and maintaining relationships.
Sales Are Your Rewards
Sure, I want to make a sale. But before I can expect to be rewarded with one, I have to pony up the goods. I can't just say I care about my target customer, I have to actually show that I care about my target customer. I have to demonstrate relevancy and consistency over a period of time. I have to show that I want to be considered as a serious option for Indie Business owners.
You can never launch a business and then just sit around waiting for people to show up and hand over their credit card numbers. First, that's unrealistic in any business environment. Second, it's unrealisitic in today's economy. Third, too many other people who do what you do are wooing your customers, showing them that they care, making them feel valuable and seeking to connect with them in authentic ways.
The disctinction is between a business that sets out to make a sale and a business that sets out to earn a relationship that may result in a sale.
Generating sales is first about creating something of value, and then selling it based on the value you have created.
Question: How do you create consistent value that translates into consistent sales?
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