Expand Your Reach by Kicking It Old School
Here’s a newsflash for you: You don’t need Facebook ads to expand your reach. You don’t need sales funnels or complicated formulas.
All the latest sales and marketing fads won’t help you if you have no idea who you’re serving or why. If you also don’t know how you’re different from everyone else out there who is doing what you’re doing, any ad or post you put out there will just seem like white noise. It’s time to kick it old school!
An interesting shift
Millenials have told me that they’re having trouble growing their businesses. They felt that they don’t know how to connect with people and have a conversation. Regardless of age, this is a by-product of social media.
Do you know how I grew my first two businesses, Next Stage Educational Services and Next Stage Entertainment? I’ll give you a hint: I didn’t have a website for either business and social media didn’t exist. Yes, I’m that old! My businesses grew by word-of-mouth. I connected with the schools or the venues directly. They met me, they got to hear about my mission, what I had to offer, and how I could help them. It was that “know, like, and trust factor.” I never needed to advertise.
Maybe it’s time to shift things back and truly connect with people to see what they need and how you can help. This applies to entrepreneurs, job-seekers, and those who wish to advance their careers. What in your wheelhouse makes you ideally suited to solve their problem or provide the right service?
The power of a “one-on-one”
Your assignment this week is to identify five people whom you’d like to connect with. These could be people whom you’d like to partner with, provide a service for, or it could be an ideal client. Instead of pitching your services or talents, ask them to tell you a little about themselves, what they need, and whom you can connect them with. You’d be amazed at what it might lead to! I’ve connected many people this way and in turn, they had leads or ideas for me as well.
For example, my friend Sheyenne Kreamer sells products that promote heath, wealth, and peace of mind. Two products that I highly recommend are called Legal Shield and Identity Shield. Both are musts for entrepreneurs and have paid for themselves many times over. Sheyenne and I met many years ago through a very connected networker. We’ve since worked and taught together many times. All because of a phone call many years ago.
Give it a try and keep me posted!
Dori Staehle, MBA is from the Raleigh, NC area and owns Next Stage Drumming. She’s a mentor, motivational speaker, and a Musician on a Mission: To help kids and adults activate their potential so they can rise up and rock the next stage of their lives! Dori is also the best-selling author of Find Your Divine Rhythm: A Creative’s Success Formula and has another book on the way. To book Dori or request more info, click here.
