Who would you buy from? The person who says he has the experience and knowledge to help you, or the person who proves she has?

The world is awash with advertising. There’s so much of it that we’ve become quite used to tuning it out. We switch channels on TV during the ads or we block banners on the web.

That means it’s getting increasingly difficult to get through to potential clients.

The fact is, it’s simply not enough to make idle boasts without backing up those claims with some kind of proof. Boasting without proof makes clients say “yeah, right” before moving on. That’s the worst kind of response you can get.

On the other hand, if you can back up your claims with proof that you actually have the chops, then you can cut through the clutter.

I think there is a three-step process for doing that.

Decide what you are an expert at

It’s probably not enough to say you are an expert at real estate or insurance or whatever else you do. Lots of people say that. Instead, think hard about what you do that sets you apart from others. If you are in real estate, it might simply be that you are expert at real estate in a particular neighborhood, or you understand the needs of seniors or first-time buyers. By carving out a smaller slice of the world, it’s easier to become the number one expert in that niche.

Share your expertise

It’s one thing to claim you are an expert at, for example, financial planning for boomers. It’s another to prove you are. I think that one of the best ways of offering proof is to share your expertise with others. It puts that proof in black and white, right there on the page or on the screen. So get your knowledge down on paper. Don’t worry if your articles aren’t New York Times standard; just commit what you know to the page. Imagine you are talking with a client; simply write down what you would say. By creating a series of articles or reports or blog posts you are providing proof that you really are the expert you say you are.

Show what you have done for others

The final stage is to show that your expertise works in the real world. To do that, gather case studies or testimonials from happy clients and share them with the world on your website or in print. If you have clients who have done what you said (or used your services) and got a good result , you owe it to yourself and to others to share that.

This is the system I use myself. I decided that I am an expert in using newsletters to build real, long-term relationships with clients (rather than as just another keep-in-touch tool); I share my expertise in this newsletter and on my blog, in articles and videos; and I prove my success with testimonials and case studies on my website.

Now, I realize that all this takes a bit of work. But frankly, the days of money coming in the door automatically are over. It’s those who make the effort who are surviving and thriving.

I was talking with a potential client this morning. He’s someone who really “gets” the value of newsletters when you personalize them a little and use them to really connect with clients.

So I got to thinking…what concrete article ideas would be helpful? Here’s a list. (Don’t just read the one from your profession – they all contain great ideas!)

For real estate agents

How I got into the business: Why did you become a real estate agent? Was it because you love houses? Or was it because you have experience from a previous job that you think can make you a great agent (and what was that experience?). Or did you see what other agents were doing and think that you could do better?!

My best real estate experience: Can you tell the story of a transaction that went really well, where you solved a client’s problem and they were super-happy? What about it was so great? Why did it make you so happy?

My worst real estate experience: Try telling (with humor!) a horror story. Maybe you were trying to show a home that had a giant, hungry dog. (Good lesson, there!).

What I am doing when I’m not selling real estate: OK, so you answer the phone at 7pm on a Saturday. But you have a life, right? How about you share it? From golf to baking cupcakes…share your passions with your clients.

What you love about your town: Share your passion for the place where you live. But don’t just write about the usual stuff…share your thoughts from the heart about why you love living where you do. Maybe your passion will spread to your clients!

For insurance professionals

Why I love insurance: Most people think insurance is boring, but I don’t! Why insurance is so important and how it makes lives better…and why I love working in this industry.

What I think about the direct sellers: Why I believe that clients aren’t being served by the direct sellers, and how I (truthfully) can make you happy with my personal service.

How I saved someone’s life with insurance: A true story about how you sold a policy, someone had to claim on it and how they had a great experience (and how it would have been a nightmare without that insurance.)

For mortgage professionals

Why I got into this business: Do you have a genuine desire to help people into new homes? If so, tell your clients about it! Or did you look at the mortgage industry and think that you could be of better service that anyone else? How do you offer better service? Why is it important?

My best closing ever: Tell the story of a client you got financing for, and how they were so happy and how you felt on the day the transaction closed. How has that client’s life changed since?

What you really think about the housing crisis: Lenders have got a lot of bad press recently. Is it justified? Maybe you truly believe that the image of mortgage financing needs to be lifted up because, after all, you provide a really valuable service that makes people’s lives better. Share that!

For accountants

Why I’m not just here at tax time: Tell a story of how you helped a client one October by looking at their P&L or balance sheet and giving them some really get advice that made their business more healthy.

Why you love accounting: A lot of people might think you’re crazy to be an accountant. But you know better! You know how important numbers are to a business…and how understanding the numbers will make a business run better and make that business owner happier.

The secret life of an accountant: So you’re not just the guy with the Excel sheet…you have a life too. How do you fill your weekends? Maybe you’re a secret sky-diver! Share your passions and connect with your clients at a deeper level.

For everyone else

Why I do what I do: Describe what gets you up in the morning. Reveal your hidden passion for your job – and why you think what you do is so important to society.

My best experience in my business: Share a success story. Tell that story from a position of passion. Describe how you helped someone and how happy they were with the results.

My worst nightmare: Tell the honest story of something that went horribly wrong, but how you fixed it in the end. People know you’re not perfect, so tell a story with humor that reveals how you can make things right.

By Simon Payn

If you don’t know me well, you might not realize that I am the shy, retiring type.

I would prefer to sit in front of my computer all day rather than go and make presentations to clients…or even go to a party.

I was talking to one of my mentors about this the other week.

I told him that I didn’t want to go speak at seminars, for example – putting myself out there on the stage.

This is what he said to me:

If you believe in what you are doing and if you know that the information you provide will benefit people, then it is your DUTY to go out there and promote it.

That really got me thinking. And right there and then on the phone, I started a rant about how important I believe newsletters are to a business and how I wished that more people would understand this…and that more people would keep in touch with their clients.

I ranted about how many businesses were leaving thousands of dollars on the table – and the owners of those businesses were not getting enough satisfaction from their enterprises – because they were not keeping in touch with clients.

I can tell you, I became quite passionate about it. It was a real rant rant.

Indeed, it was this conversation that kicked off the series of articles I have written about finding your “why” – your motivation for being in business.

So here’s the thing:

If you really believe in what you do, and if you know that people will benefit from hearing your advice and buying your product or service, then it is YOUR DUTY to go out there and tell people about it.

Because if you don’t, you are failing to be as much service to your clients as you could be.

This isn’t about self-promotion, it’s about sharing what you know so that you can help others.

Ways to spread the word

1. Your newsletter, of course! It comes with ready-made content, but you can also edit it to add your own material.

2. Your blog and website. You can use your articles from your newsletter on your website. It’s a waste not to, really!

3. Seminars and talks. Think of it as spreading useful information rather than just as a vehicle for self-promotion.

4. In information booklets that you provide to clients and potential clients. For example, a buyer’s guide that shows them what to look for when they buy a product or a service.

5. In videos. I’ve found video to be a very effective way to connect with clients – it’s a lot more personal than text. I often get comments from clients who have called me after watching the YouTube videos on my websites.

Reading business books or getting a business education can seem a bit like browsing through the downstairs part of Ikea.

Your senses are overloaded by all that interesting stuff. So you end up filling your cart with rugs and glasses and can openers – when all you came in for was a Poang chair.
Big shock at the checkout.

In the same way, there are lots of ways to grow your business. But if you fill your cart with all the Twitters and referral strategies and online advertising programs on offer, you’re likely to get confused, choke on the variety and end up doing nothing.

So that’s why it’s important to think about your ‘Why’. If you didn’t read my previous article – What is your ‘why’ – then go back now and do the exercise at the end. It’s super-valuable (I got some great “whys” from some people who took the time to do their homework. These people felt newly energized and excited about their businesses.)

When you know your “why” – the reason you are in business in the first place – it’s much easier to focus on what you need to do to grow your business. You don’t end up with a cartful of junk.

Imagine, for example, that you are a real estate agent. After figuring out your “whys” you came to the conclusion that you believe that home ownership is one of the joys and rights of life today, and that it is your duty as a real estate agent to make sure that as many people as possible can enjoy owning a home, without the stress that can accompany the purchase process.

In this example, the real estate agent has figured out that she is there to serve people (rather than serve herself). She then will work out ways in which she can serve. Which might be:

• Providing educational material on buying a home.
• Making sure that her focus is on the client relationship – removing the stress and uncertainties of the home purchase.
• Finding ways to open up home ownership to as many people as possible by working with financing experts and by finding ways to reach people who are renting a home but could benefit from owning a home.

So, to accomplish all that, she might:

• Fill her website with useful articles that educate her clients.
• Send out her newsletter on a regular basis. The newsletter would contain articles that educate her clients and assure them of her attention to their needs.
• Consider where the main “stress points” are for her clients in a real estate transaction and work out ways to minimize them, either by the retooling her work processes and/or by finding partners who can help. Then she would make sure she communicates all this to her clients – perhaps by providing a “stress-proof guarantee” that shows all the ways she will make her clients’ lives easier.
• Finding financing experts and asking them to provide articles for her newsletter and website that educate clients about financing options.
• Using newsletters and social media to reach out to renters and other people who might benefit from owning a home.

You see how she has moved from a self-centered way of marketing herself to one that focuses on the needs of her clients?

And can you see how much more attractive she becomes to her clients now that she has positioned herself like this.

So here’s an exercise for you: How can you better serve people to bring your “why” to life?

Today I’m going to talk about something that will help you grow your business more quickly and – perhaps more importantly – make it easier for you to get up each morning and go to work. 

I’d really like you to do the exercise at the bottom of this article – and put the results in your newsletter. 

Here’s the thing: 

People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. 

This isn’t my idea. It belongs to Simon Sinek. You can see him talk about it in his presentation at a TED conference. I urge you to watch the video below (click on the image to go to Youtube to watch it). 

Here’s the thing. 

Lots of people sell insurance. 

Lots of people sell real estate. 

Lots of people sell whatever it is you sell. 

And…there are lots of people who need what you have to offer. 

BUT…to stand out from the crowd and to become the go-to person in your town, you need to do more than match a commodity to people who are looking for a commodity. 

As Sinek says: The goal is not to do business with people who need what you have – the goal is to do business with people who believe what you believe. 

That’s because our brains are wired to respond to emotions, not logic. 

Your passionate “whys” will slice straight through to the limbic brain, bypassing the rational mind. 

And that’s a good thing, because it destroys the competition. 

So, you might have some logical ideas about why people should buy real estate, insurance or whatever from you. 

But what their brains really respond to are the emotional “whys” behind what you do. 

With that in mind, here are my “whys” – the reasons why I make newsletters. 

When you’ve read them, I want you to think about what your “whys” are – and them write them down and put them in your next newsletter. 

By reading our materials and buying our products, I want the following to happen for my clients… 

• I want to help my clients to become famous in their markets so that when people think of real estate, insurance or whatever it is they do, they think of my client.
• I want to help my clients build life-long, satisfying relationships with people who know them, like them and trust them.
• I want my clients to experience what it is like to have people coming to them for business, rather than them having to go out and hunt down business.
• I want my clients to get pleasure marketing their businesses by sharing their knowledge and experience with others.
• I want my clients to be secure, knowing that they have a list of people who will want to do business with them.
• I want my clients to love their work because they will be in a business with long-term, satisfying relationships.

These are the things I want for my clients. 

This is why I do what I do. 

Write them down. Send them to me, if you like. 

And then put them in your next newsletter. 

I promise you will feel better about what you do and your customers will love you for it.

 

How to Use an Automatic “Machine”
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and Win More Customers

Now you can benefit from the same system
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Congratulations to David and Ann Kaseman, who have won our Newsletter Marketer of the Year contest for 2011. They win a $500 American Express Gift Card.

Congratulations also to our runners up: Phyllis Adam, Sheri Brown and Tom Larsen. They each win $100 Amazon.com gift certificates.

It was quite hard choosing the winner as we had so many excellent entries. Thank you to everyone who took part.

We will be featuring the runners up entries later, but below is David and Ann’s entry.

They won because:

• Use of the newsletter to attain one of their goals – a strong connection to the community (because after all, most businesses are relationship businesses and it pays to have strong personal connections with your market.)
• Excellent financial results
• Multiple methods of newsletter distribution, including walking it to their neighborhood (sounds like hard work, but many of our clients have reported similar results by hand-delivering their newsletters.)
• Modification of content to include coupons, real estate listings, local information and personal, relationship-building content

Here is their entry:

Describe your business before using newsletters

Tell us about any issues you had about getting clients, making sales or developing your business.

I never felt I was making a very strong connection to the community I was focusing on. I certainly was not connecting regularly and consistently. I was not reaching new people nor did I feel this was possible via internet or email. Direct mail was a possibility and I used this but did not feel any impact.

Describe your business after using newsletters

 

Tell us how your business changed. Did you get more clients? If so, how many? How much extra income did you make? Did they benefit your business in any other way?

David talks about local businesses and non-profits in his newsletter.

 

With newsletters I know I am tending to my farm area which is 700 households. I hear all the time from my neighbors that they appreciate the letters and that they would use me as their Realtor.

I have picked up two listings in 7 months in the farm area and I have made 2 sales. I see much more business on the horizon.

I use the newsletters at open houses as an introduction to who I am.

I pick up buyers almost weekly from open houses. I know the newsletter helps.

I advertise my listings in the newsletter, so sellers can also experience how their house would be marketed.

The biggest benefit is meeting people as you walk the neighborhood distributing the newsletters. One month I left out my daughter’s joke and a man stopped me to offer his friendly “complaint”.

 

 

 

Describe how you used newsletters to get these benefits

Tell us how you distribute your newsletters, how often, and who to. Tell us anything else we need to know about your newsletter program.

Every month, their daughter provides a joke for the newsletter. It’s the most popular part of the newsletter – a client “complained” when one month the joke didn’t appear.

I walk the newsletters to 700 households monthly. I distribute another 100 or so by mail and hand them out at open houses and to for-sale-by-owners. I know I have made impressions on the community when one FSBO listed with me due to seeing my newsletter and me walking them. It was a $465,000 listing.

My broker appreciates what I am doing and she pays for the copies and I use staff in the office to assemble the copy.

It is a family affair. My wife walks 1/2 of the route and my daughter helps. Her joke is what many people wait for.

I have also connected to local business owners by including gift certificates and coupons in the newsletter.

Through the newsletter I am able to become a “brand” for I concentrate on what I am about other than real estate. I constantly talk about supporting local businesses and growing your own food and eating out of your garden. This theme is ever expanding. I even take fresh grown herbs to houses other rather than cookies!