HOW TO BRING IN NEW BUSINESS DURING THE pandemic lockdown
It’s been a year and we are only at 25% open here in the US. Face to face networking is essentially dead, but you still need to meet new people and bring in new projects just to maintain your revenue. So what can you do? Don’t let the pandemic lockdown your ability to bring in new business. Try these ideas instead.
Step 1: Mindset
Before we talk tactics, you need to get into a growth mindset. Here are two tips for helping you do that.
Tip 1: Don’t let your perfectionism hold you back from getting in the game.
To be an effective marketer, you absolutely have to get comfortable with trying new things. Even if you’re running the same strategy for 20 years, you have to change things up to stay relevant.
Trying new things means that failure is imminent. You have to swing and miss a few times if you ever expect to get on base, let alone hit a home run.
Fear of failure will hold you back from playing to win as a marketer because success in marketing is in the iteration. If you don’t put your ideas to the test, you never get to the part of figuring out and optimizing what works.
Playing to win requires the courage to fail and try again. Don’t let your perfectionism hold you back from getting in the game.
Tip 2: Use Models to formulate your approach
One of the things I admire about engineers is how they use models to formulate their approach. Models can be based on science, ancient wisdom, or a combination of both.
Scientific models tend to be quantifiable and data-based.
Ancient wisdom models are essentially personal experiences passed down through the generations.
Using models to formulate your approach removes some of the confusion when trying to understand feedback.
For example, was it the message that didn’t land or was it the offer or target customer? Using a model will help you sort this information out.
Step 2: Tactics
Below are the two tactics that I’m personally working on; one is scientific and the other is experienced-based.
Tactic 1: A No Brainer Sales Promotion
This is a common tactic for launching a new business or new product offerings that can also be used to encourage past customers to come back. The idea here is to remove cost as a potential sales objection to determine the viability of your business idea.
How do you determine if your marketing theory is correct?
A no brainer sales promotion is a path to get you the data you need to decide if this business direction has the potential you expect.
Specialty service providers are notorious for pushing back against a sales promotion. Reasons range from feeling too salesy to not wanting to attract the wrong type of customer.
These are excuses that can all be mitigated with the right promotional strategy based on your specific business model. If you don’t have a low-cost way to get your foot in the door with new prospects, this could be a game-changer for your marketing funnel. By making it easier to get started with you, you reduce the risk for the customer and increase the likelihood that they want more of you in their world.
Here’s an example of a sales promotion that we just launched for our studio. It’s a great deal for creative professionals or independent media production teams.
Tactic 2: Asynchronistic Video Networking
Got Zoom fatigue but still want to get face time? Try Asynchronous Video Networking.
This is an experiment I’m trying based on a tried and true strategy that specialty service providers have used for decades; face to face meetings.
During these networking meetings, the goal is to invest time in getting to know and building trust with someone who could potentially be a client someday. They can lead to referrals, partnerships, and friendships.
Due to the pandemic, face to face networking is essentially dead. Leaving you with trying to get a commitment to a Zoom meeting.
However, Zoom fatigue is real.
We do video calls at work, with families, and even with doctors. I took Ryuu to puppy training online.
But, video calls are not the problem. They are a huge reason why many people can continue to do their work uninterrupted by the pandemic.
There is another way to keep in touch. It saves time and gives people back control over how they spend it. It’s called Asynchronistic Video. I’m suggesting using it for Networking.
What is Asynchronous Video Networking?
Pre-recorded video that combines the benefits of video calls with the best parts of email or chat. Ready to have one less meeting, but still engage in a human and friendly way? Asynchronistic Video Networking is where it’s at.
You can try it out with me here: