Get All Access for $5/mo

Here's Why You Should Stop Being Nice to Your Clients Skip over the niceties and work on giving your clients what they really want.

By Kim Walsh Phillips

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Thomas Barwick | Getty Images

Are you super nice to your prospects? If so, then stop that immediately.

The problem with how most people approach their market is that they are super caring, well-meaning, and kind. When what they should be is fantastic marketers instead.

Most businesses start their messaging with what they know their prospect needs ... the retirement plan that has 18 steps to retire wealthy before you are 60, the mindshift you need to finally be happy, the 45 minutes of cardio and 1,000-calorie reduction five times a week to get in shape.

Yes, these things are part of your product, program or service, but they are not what your audience wants. This is not how you are going to get their attention. And if you can't get their attention you are never going to get to help them with the thing you have.

It's why when hotels promote their resorts, they show pictures of the gorgeous pools and beaches. They show you want you want. Why you'd go. Why you'd take action. They don't show you the steps to get there, like buying your plane ticket, packing your suitcase, getting someone to watch the dogs, or putting on your snarky out-of-office message.

Hotels focus on what you want. The destination. The pleasure. The final outcome for all of the steps you'll need to take.

You should do the same with clients in your business.

Truth be told, I don't love my company's marketing campaign. I kind of hate it. But, we do it because that is what my perfect prospect wants, and if I can't get them to pay attention in the first place, then I can't serve them any other way later on.

Most social media marketers turn their noses up at our strategy because "it is too simple." (And they do turn up their noses ... wooo, honey child.)

But, advanced social media marketers aren't my audience. Entrepreneurs are. And what they want is an audience, a tribe, a group of people they can communicate with, folks who are there to listen and to buy. They want an audience.

So, we start with a simple campaign that teaches how to get 10,000 Facebook Fans in 72 Hours. That's it.

Is getting fans all they need? Oh, heck no. An initial free livecast doesn't even stop there. Step one is getting the fans and step two is getting them to buy from you 24/7.

But, the message we put out into the marketplace is about audience-building, because that is what they want. 10,000 fans.

I don't love talking about fans or leading with this message. As someone who grew a marketing agency from bankruptcy to millions and sold it and started a coaching and training business and brought in over $1 million in sales in six months, I want to share the "whole story." It takes so much more to see an ROI in your business, to grow without sacrificing meaningful moments with your family or yourself and to serve others and profit while doing so. These are my passions, not 10,000 fans.

But, in order to have the conversation with my perfect prospect, I have to get them to pay attention so I can build trust. Then they are ready for "what's next." So, I start not with what I want to give them but what they want. And that is 10,000 fans.

It works.

In the last 90 days this one campaign brought in 17,004 new contacts and $384,000 in initial sales. Since the beginning of the year, it has brought in 47,996 leads and $1.18 million in sales.

From that initial point I've been able to introduce them to other programs like our G.U.R.U. Academy that teaches how to develop the important story they feel called to share and spread it with the world. And a Mastermind that coaches people to achieve their big hairy audacious goals. And Powerful Professionals Business Coaching, a marketing association focused on scaling members' businesses without sacrificing family and faith.

But, I never would have been able to have those conversations nor serve those markets if I didn't first start with something they wanted. And so should you.

If you want to have a conversation eventually about all that your clients need, you need to start the conversation first around what they want. So ask yourself: What does your market want? Are you giving it to them?

Reach your clients now where they are so you can give them later what they need. Grow your audience and grow your business.

Kim Walsh Phillips

Founder of Powerful Professionals

Kim Walsh Phillips went from 32 clients to over 11,000 in less than a year and founded Powerful Professionals, a business coaching company that has been scaling consulting and coaching businesses. Phillips is the best-selling author of The No BS Guide To Direct Response Social Media Marketing.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Leadership

7 Telltale Signs of a Weak Leader

Whether a bully or a people pleaser who can't tell hard truths, poor leadership takes many forms.

Franchise

Kick-Start Your Small Business With These Cost Effective Strategies

Starting a small business is an exciting adventure, brimming with both opportunities and challenges. A key to success is effectively managing costs from the outset.

Living

70% of Small Business Owners Experience Monthly Burnout. Follow These 3 Rules to Avoid the Same Fate.

Here are three guidelines to help entrepreneurs achieve balance, growth and success in both their professional and personal endeavors.

Side Hustle

'Hustling Every Day': These Friends Started a Side Hustle With $2,500 Each — It 'Snowballed' to Over $500,000 and Became a Multimillion-Dollar Brand

Paris Emily Nicholson and Saskia Teje Jenkins had a 2020 brainstorm session that led to a lucrative business.

Growing a Business

How to Build, Grow and Make Money With Ecommerce

To grow your online business, you need to develop a strategy and invest your time wisely. These actionable tips can attract customers and increase online revenue.