When I run training sessions, I start by asking:
- What is the main thing you’d like to learn today?
And the number one answer always is: How can we get more customers?
But this is the wrong question.
Because most businesses are like leaky buckets: and they are asking: ‘How can I turn the tap on more’?
There’s no pint in turning on the tap into a leaky bucket.
Instead, the best thing to do is to make the bucket as watertight as possible FIRST…
(And then, and only then, to find ways to fill it with water).
And, if your bucket is good enough, it might just attract rain, so you rarely need to turn a tap on so much.
In other words: make your business as recommendable and remarkable as possible before trying to find new customers.
Turn it into a ‘rainmaking machine’.
Because if you get new customers, and you’re NOT remarkable enough, they will only stay for a short while …
And then, not only will you have to keep paying to turn the tap on, but also, those customers you used you and then left you, will spread the word …
You’re NOT remarkable or recommendable…
and then it will get harder and harder to turn any taps on.
And that’s why most small businesses fail.
They’re so busy trying to fill their bucket, they don’t have time to make sure their bucket is fit for purpose!
It’s NOT because they can’t find enough customers, it’s because they’re not good enough to KEEP customers and to PERSUADE those customers to talk about you for the right reasons.
And you know that’s the case with businesses YOU deal with as a customer…
- Tradespeople who don’t turn up on time
- Suppliers who let you down
- Enquiries who don’t call you back
- Pubs or cafes that were ‘adequate’ rather than ‘great’
- Businesses that could have done a bit better, but never stopped to ask your opinion, so you’re left with a bad taste in your mouth
You get the picture!
It’s easy to see in others, but what about how YOU deliver what YOU do?
Are you good enough to earn unhesitating customer loyalty and recommendation?
Because, if not, your bucket will have leaks.
And you’re not only wasting time and money trying to fill it up…
you’re also filling the world with people who don’t think you’re that great!
So, in a nutshell, this is why most small businesses struggle to get customers: and what can you do about it?
#slowdown
Start employing the principles of Slow Selling step by step, using our free resources. (Available at www.slow-selling.org )
Then get further support as you need it.
Because filling up leaky buckets is stressful and annoying for both you and your customer.
And nobody wants that.