The fundamental flaw of struggling businesses

If you’ve been going around in a circle trying every marketing trick and hack, this article might help you get some clarity and focus. A path towards a successful business and the life you imagine it will bring.

A couple of weeks ago I had a conversation with a friend of mine who is a face-yoga instructor and an entrepreneur. She was telling me, that the more success she has, she is discovering that money is less and less important to her. Much less important than she thought it would be when she didn’t have it. That the results and the changes she brings to her clients are so much more important to her.

But one directly connects with the other.

How much money you earn depends on the impact you create. If you are impacting people, the money will follow. It cannot be any other way.

You can then ask me, Lan, why then doesn’t she just give away her materials and stop selling her online courses and just give them away? That would create a bigger impact no?

But would it?

First, you still need to eat and survive. And second, who cherishes and gives value to anything that comes free? At least not as much as it is worth.

How many free books, pdf e-books, videos or courses do you keep on your shelves or your hard drive you downloaded but never read?

You probably even own some paid materials you never looked at. 

But what if the material was expensive? What if you craved it, wanted it badly?

And after you got your hands on it your devoured it, you internalized it. You lived and breathed it… You watched it 10 times, noted every single detail. Even went through the boring stuff to squeeze as much as possible out of your investment.

This is a different story. This material made an impact.

This is change. You are a different person after you recieve this knowledge.

It is very rare that something like this happens over something free. It can. But it’s much rarer.

But what does this have to do with our tour businesses?

Everything.

Bare with me.

Let’s take an example you sell multi-day hiking tours.

Your clients have fun, new experiences, joy, adrenaline, new places, new people… that’s all great.

But ask yourself

How can I make an even bigger impact on people’s lives?

If we go back to my friend, face yoga entrepreneur.

After her normal live classes and online course plus some other consulting work, she started selling and teaching other people to become face yoga instructors.

And many were interested in this even with a hefty price tag.

But… what kind of impact will this make on these people’s lives?

The students taking part can change careers, change their lifestyle, find new joy, find a new spark in their lives, have more confidence, self-esteem,… possibilities are endless.

Is that a huge change, a huge impact?

You bet it is!

If you sell hiking tours your service already creates a change in people’s lives that people will pay for.

More health, vitality, energy, joy,.. at least for the time on the tour.

But what else can you do for your clients? How can you make more impact and change their lives even more? Even after the tour. Forever.

Yes, the hiking tour was amazing, the impressions will stay with the traveller for her whole life.

But what else can you do?

How can you challenge them to increase the quality of their life even more?

Maybe by giving a free class on how to properly climb Via Ferrata?

Or how to save yourself from injury so you can hike until you are 90?

This depends on what you believe and what you know.

But share this with your clients.

Let them in on everything you know. Share with them, bring them forward.

A good question to ask here is:

What would you like your clients to achieve?

What do you want for your clientss?

Maybe you can show and spark some enthusiasm in them for the things you care about even more.

Enthusiasm is contagious. 

And it makes life awesome.

Share it with your clients. Make them more alive.

Make them want to tell everybody about your tour because you have made such a profound impact.

Or make them want to go hiking with you to other mountains because they want to be around you, soaking your life energy.

So they also become part of the tribe and really live.

Help them create a change

This is marketing your business. This is business growth.

How financially successful your tour company will be is a simple equation.

SUCCESS =  IMPACT CREATED X NUMBER OF PEOPLE IMPACTED   

What about if they haven’t yet bought your product?

So what about those that don’t yet know you, haven’t had the pleasure of meeting you, be influenced by you.

Why would you want to impact and change the lives of non-buyers?

If we check the equation, this is still “impact”. Still counts. Even if no money exchange has yet happened. It will.

Be in service.

Whatever “marketing” you are creating to bring in new leads and sales, stop thinking about it as marketing. 

It’s not content marketing, it’s not social media marketing, it’s not video marketing,…

Think of it as serving!

Be in service to everyone that gives attention to you.

The attention of people is precious. They have little of it. Even if they have bought nothing from you yet.

Expect nothing in return.

Give an opportunity for them to make a step forward of going on a tour with you, becoming a part of your tribe but that’s it.

You did your job after you deliver your help. This is serving. Otherwise it’s sort of opportunism. Or some other word.

Publishing a photo or video of people having fun on your tour? SERVICE (you are helping people see how fun life can be, creating tension in them, so they will also do a step forward).

Publishing a blog post? SERVICE (Those that read it will know more, be more educated, able to make better decisions).

Whatever you do from the position of helping and educating is service.

If you are coming from the philosophy of service and try to have an impact and change lives, your “marketing” will work.

Stop focusing on yourself and put your attention on the client.

Don’t do things because you think they will just help you. Don’t do it for yourself.

Get over yourself. It’s not about ME ME ME but what you do for others.

Impact and change of others.

This article I am writing now is not for me.

I am sharing my beliefs, my world view, hoping that it’s helpful to you.

Being in service is my marketing.

I would like to share probably one of the most important videos you will see as a business owner.

The strategy of preeminence by one of the most well-known marketing guru Jay Abraham

What is the strategy of preeminence?

We can sum it up in these words business owners should take to heart:

“Make it a point of deciding you’re not going to wait for money to change hands before you start contributing, guiding, counselling, advising, and protecting your clients”

“Install yourself in the eyes of the marketplace as their most trusted advisor. Never let somebody buy less than they should, a less quantity than they should, less quality than they should, with less commitment than they should or in less combination because they will be the loser, they will not be served by doing it. You must see them as your client, not your customer.”

The essence of the philosophy is that it’s about establishing yourself as THE ONLY VIABLE SOLUTION for their tour. 

Changing their beliefs that you are the only fit for them.

It connects with the right messaging to create high quality leads for your business.

Check the video (link above), it is worth the time.

What kind of promise are you making to your potential clients?

What will you do for them?

Think of the possibilities you can do for them if they go on a tour with you.

The possibilites of their lives being different.

What matters is the change you will make. If they have this in mind, the price of going on your tour is no longer as much of an issue. Even if you are much more expensive than your competitor. At least not as a big issue as you think it is.

This is the EMOTIONAL PART where you absolutely have to win your client. Seduce their heart. That you will take them somewhere. To a better place. –

Only after that the reviews, social proof come and your credibility comes to play. The logical part where they can say to themselves that “I believe this guy can deliver on his promise”

This is true marketing that makes selling unnecessary.

Let’s say you do “social media marketing” to “get the word out”. You post nice photos etc…

Even if million people like and share it and you get the word out, without a promise of a change from the philosophy of service, you cannot be successful and grow.

Because your impact will be minimal, you will struggle and just jumping from one marketing hack to another until you burn out.

This is what I believe.

Hope this was helpful.

Would love to hear your comment. What do you think?

Thank you.

Lan

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