The Internet has and will always be a great source of getting clients.
However, if you notice, it’s also a very crowded space. There’s a place that’s a lot less busy. It’s called “the world offline”. Here’s why you need to do some exploration away from your computer.
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With 90 films to his credit, you could easily call Tom Hanks a household name.
Since 1970, actor Tom Hanks has been turning out film after film, many of which have turned out to be huge blockbusters. He is one of the only actors to win two consecutive Oscars. So what's on Tom Hanks' to-do list when a new movie is promoted?
Quite a lot, it seems.
On average, he might have to be part of 15 to 20 daily interviews. On top of that, he'd have to attend talk shows in several countries. There is the issue of attending premieres, film festivals, red carpets and multiple fan events. All of his popularity doesn't necessarily sell a film. Instead, he has to get out on the road to ensure things happen. And Tom Hanks is not alone.
A presidential race involves about 100 to 250 events.
Depending on the length of the campaign, a presidential candidate will have to attend rallies and town halls, be a part of fundraisers, debates, interviews, and meet community groups. Despite being on every news channel and endless blogs, videos and podcasts, they still have to show up in person. They might have budgets as enormous as $300-$400 million, but it still does not give them enough excuse to sit back and relax.
Yet, the average business owner does quite the opposite.
The business owner will often buy into the idea that they only need to get on social media or write some blog posts. Somehow, the business owner will convince himself they are doing enough to promote the business. Unsurprisingly, businesses struggle quite a bit, especially when times get tough. The reality is that unless you get out and meet with clients, you face enormous disadvantages.
It doesn't matter whether you sell a product or a service; if you don't go out and meet with prospects or clients, you lose out on three fronts.
The first and most evident is the connection with your client or prospect.
It doesn't matter how many Zoom calls you've been on or where you appear on social media; there is nothing like meeting somebody face-to-face. Once you meet with a client, a connection is formed that is far superior to anything you can achieve online. This is why salespeople will cross a continent just to meet with their clients when they can achieve something seemingly similar through a Zoom call.
The second reason it's crucial to get out is the possibility of getting feedback.
When you are sitting in front of a prospect or client, they tell you what's wrong with your message, product, or service. They give you feedback on what you need to improve your offering. If all you're going to do is send another survey, it's unlikely that you will get an authentic enough response to fix your product or service.
The feedback becomes crucial on the product/service front and when you need to get across your signature story. When you tell the client about your product or service, how do they react? Getting ongoing feedback is crucial, and it's powerful when it's given in person.
Finally, leaving your office is usually quite uncomfortable.
It's easier not to put yourself in the firing line, yet the more you meet with clients, the less you feel intimidated. Getting over that level of discomfort is crucial when selling a product or service. To achieve momentum, you need to move out a lot more than you'd expect.
However, the Internet has made a lot of people extremely dependent on social media. It seems plausible to simply put out some content and hope that the client will show up. And they do! There are tens of thousands of podcasts, videos, and articles on YouTube that attract clients on a daily basis. However, all of that content is only part of your strategy. Getting out of your comfort zone and meeting with clients is crucial.
The good news is that you don't have to do it forever.
You might have to go around the block several times if you're a politician, movie star or auto. However, a smaller business doesn't necessarily need to keep on meeting with clients. Take, for instance, our business at Psychotactics.
In the years between 2004 and 2011, we made multiple trips both within New Zealand as well as the US, Canada, Australia and Europe. I once flew across to Pittsburgh. A flight from Auckland takes 12 hours to get to the West Coast of the US. And then it's another five hours or more to get to Pittsburgh. When I arrived, I had to speak to about 15 people at a local networking event.
We also made trips within New Zealand, where sometimes just three people would show up. Probably the most trying event was a trip to Melbourne, Australia, where just one person showed up. Those slightly depressing events are somewhat balanced with other more successful ones. Yet, sitting at home would have been much easier and cheaper.
In the last decade or so, this running around has not been as critical.
Once we had enough clients, we found we could avoid much of the travelling locally and across the seas. Even so, we will have at least one or two workshops or meetups a year. When you think about staying home, remember that presidential candidates, movie stars and authors go out for a reason. But there's another reason, which boils down to a single line.
The line: A ship is safe in the harbour. But that's not what ships are built for.
Go out. Meet real people.
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