I have an exercise for you. I need you to take a vow. You know the kind where you put your left hand on a bible and the right hand in the air. I’m going to assume you don’t have a bible handy, so raising your right hand will do. Please recite this statement:
My business, is not different from yours.
So many clients I work with get this wrong. They believe that because of their location, their practice area, their client base, their staff, the color of their skin or the language they speak that for some reason their practice is different from others I’ve worked with.
Hogwash, I’ve proven too many times that all businesses are the same at their core when it comes to making the phone ring and turn those phone calls into clients.
Every firm needs to attract prospects by developing a marketing plan that maximizes the return for every dollar invested. Those marketing efforts must make prospects raise their hand whether they do so by calling, walking into your office (yes, it does still happen), sending letter by snail mail or carrier pigeon, sending an e-mail or talking to someone via on line chat feature.
The business then has to convert those prospects to an appointment.
From there we have to convince the prospect that it's in their best interest to actually show up to the office.
Once they arrive to the office, the firm must do its best to convince the client that they are the solution to their current conundrum.
Once the client hires the firm we have to serve them so well that they are willing to tell their friends, relatives and business associates who are going through similar problems that they too should call the firm.
Along the way the firm must charge enough to have profit available to continually serve the client better, market the firm and provide the owner with free flowing cash flow to enjoy freedom that only a solid business can provide.
This is what I call the Perfect Client Life Cycle and it’s the foundation of all that I do.
I’m begging you to remember your pledge. Because the lessons to be learned from it can reduce your learning curve and speed your way to success faster than a kid runs to the siren sound of an ice cream truck on a midsummer day.
