How to Attract Your Prospects and Make Them Care

• Hi,Don

  No body wants the prospects are not showing up. Unfortunately, this happens all the time. When this happens, It is our human natural tendency to work harder using the same strategy. The result is disappointed.

  I agree with you that many online and offline businesses are lack of messages. In order to develop the message, we have to ask ourselves ‘what business are you really in?” Until we really grab hold of that question, we will not be able to have clarity on the solutions for the clients’ problems.

  Don, another great post about lack of message. Love it a lot!

  Have a great week!

  – Stella Chiu

  • Hi Stella,

    You are absolutely right. My new client in DC was experiencing that exact symptom! Few were showing up and the ones who were, were not able, willing or ready to buy from him.

    I appreciate your comment and value you. Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your thoughts!

    ~ Don

• Hey Don! Congrats on being published here!

  You know what I love about you? You’re so consistent. You’re the “what business are you really in” guy.

  Having a signature idea like that really sets you apart from the rest of the players in your niche, so I’m not surprised at all that it’s been working for you.

  Well done!
  Brittany

  • Hi Brittany,

    Thank you! It’s good to be here in the B2C community.

    Consistenty is a product of clarity, and clarity is a product of knowing “what business you’re ‘really’ in”. It’s funny, because it was Ryan Biddulph who actually coined me with that term 20 months ago, lol.

    I embraced it fully!

    Thanks so much for your comment Brittany and for stopping to support me here.

    ~ Don

• Hey Don,

  Things are changing alright and the sooner people realize that the better off they’re be. No one wants to wake up to no readers, no emails, no subscribers and no income.

  Having worked with you last year I realized that my message wasn’t clear. The sooner I learned that the better off I am now. My business has really taken a turn for the better due to having worked with you because you’re right. People are searching for information that will help them with a specific problem.

  Again today I got an email from a potential client who I’ve never seen before. We’re doing a consulting call on Wednesday and they keep coming out of the woodwork because they’re finding my content, reading it and really resonating with my message. They are tired of failing and are eager to make things happen.

  I’m glad that this community had you write a post for them, they’re very fortunate to have you share this information because I know it will be a life changer for many.

  ~Adrienne

  • Hi Adrienne,

    That is absolutely awesome news my friend!!!! I’m very excited for you!!!!!!!

    You are so right, people are tired of hoping and praying and the results stay the same.

    The clearer we are about our business and as importantly our prospects the greater the opportunities. You’re living proof my friend!

    Thanks so much for your kind words of affirmation and encouragement Adrienne.

    I hope you have an awesome week!!!

    ~ Don

• GREAT ARTICLE DON! Building a business online can be tough. I feel like we all naturally assume that once we are online that droves of people will just find our website and the money will just flow right to us. This is simply not true and can become a frustrating fact that we were not prepared to deal with. A lot of people don’t realize that to build a business online takes time. It is a marathon, not a sprint. I love how you not only pointed out the fact that your business is not going to be magically found, but that you also tell us some great ways on how to bring more awareness to our websites (some tactics that I am going to have to try). I also love how you ask the question “what business am I really in?” This is a question that not only gives you clarity about your business, but also allows you to set proper and realistic goals for your business that will help your business to succeed. GREAT POST DON! I will be sharing!

  • Hi Todd,

    Thanks so much for your gracious comment! Absolutely, clarity does amazing things for our businesses.

    I see so many people who are frustrated by the lack of traffic and sales online. They end up chasing all the wrong things.

    When you discover “what business you’re ‘really’ in” you learn how to speak the language of our prospects. You understand their problems, needs or desires and can speak directly and specifically to them in a relevant way.

    Thanks for your comment Todd!

    I hope you have an awesome week.

    ~ Don

• Hi Don,

  Love the specific note. Get clear on the problem you’re solving and your customers can see it. Always an inside-out game because as you get clearer and clearer your customers will reflect your clarity back to you.

  Observation is such a biggie in this area. Watching, recording and spotting patterns gives you the blueprint around which you grow your business.

  Attracting prospects is the way to go. No chasing. No stalking. No prey mode LOL. Nope. We are magnets. All of us. We need not run around like mad dogs or headless chickens to run a successful business. Business flows to us. Prospects are starving for solutions. Get super clear and these folks will find you.

  Lay out those breadcrumbs guys, and folks will find you.

  Don, awesome post!

  Ryan

  • Hi Ryan,

    The better we know “What Business We are ‘Really’ In” the clearer we get about how to attract those who ready, able and willing to buy from us.

    Those patterns are a big deal. I think that’s a great point you’re making. If we have clarity, the patterns are a lot easier to spot.

    Like you said, it’s a lot easier to attract than it is to chase when it’s done right.

    Thanks for your comment.

    I hope you have a great week!!!!

• Hey Don,

  It all stems from the message!

  Hey Don, I didn’t understand how important the message was until I met you.

  Yes people want solutions to their problems and you want to make sure you put your blog/website on “Speed dial” for those people who have the specific problems that you have solutions to. Especially those that don’t have a lot of time to do a lot of research.

  You want to be able to known among the minds of your target market. This is the importance of know “What business you’re really in” because without it, you don’t get the results you want.

  Once you have your message and implement in whatever marketing strategies you choose, then it becomes less of a challenge to get traffic, leads and sales. As Ryan said, attracting prospects is the way to go, and laying out this foundation will do the trick.

  Great post Don! Have a great week!

  • Hi Sherman,

    You are spot on, it all starts with the message. The IBM study I quoted could not have made it more obvious. LOL…

    It’s always better to attract than to hunt. But in order to do that well one has to have the attractive message that speaks to one person.

    Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing Sherman. I appreciate it immensely!

    ~ Don

• Hey Don,

  Superb post here.

  It’s so true. When you do have a clear roadmap, you put yourself in a much better situation to succeed.But, more importantly, you’ll put yourself in a better position to spread a clear message.

  And having a clear message is Uber important. If you don’t know what business you’re in and the message you’re trying to get across, you’ve already lost in whatever you’re trying to achieve.

  Great post and congrats for getting on here as well.

  – Andrew

• Hi Don,

  What a great first post!

  It is vital to get your message clear, and that means going back to basics to decide on your strategy and set your SMART goals. Planning is key, and time well-spent at this stage will help everything else fall into place afterwards. Then you can start to build your business profile and the message you are going to share.

  BTW, I love the Codelocks company example you shared above.
  Good to see you here at B2C and I’m sure folks are going to learn a lot from your experience!
  – David

  • Hi David,

    I’m amazed every day how many businesses do not have a clear, conscise and consistent message and then wonder why their plans and goals don’t work out.

    Message and foundation first, then strategies and smart goals; this is the recipe.

    I appreciate your kind words, Codelocks was a lot of fun to work with!!!

    Thanks so much for stopping by and for your comment David!

    ~ Don

• Hi Andrew,

  Many are chasing the shiny objects, traffic and creating other distraction they are not aware of. The beauty of getting really clear in your business is that it affects the whole business. It helps streamline processes, systems, aids in hiring the right people.

  It’s the most foundational thing a business owner could do!

  Thanks so much for your comment and for sharing Andrew!

  ~ Don

• Hi Don,

  Really great post.

  Well you know I agree with everything you’ve said here. I mean I’ve followed your blog and your advice for some times now, and I’ve implemented a lot of your teachings into my business. It has certainly paid off I have to say that much, so thank you! It just goes to show that the value you provide over on UTW is just awesome.

  Anyway I loved this post, because every day I come across websites that lack in having the right message and any real clarity. I’ve even worked with clients myself, that have websites that appear to have a message, but a message that is aimed at totally the wrong audience, with the wrong types of offers and everything else to go with it.

  I can’t begin to imagine though how daunting all of this might sound to folks that are getting into online business for the first time. Not only do they face the challenge of learning and adapting in an ever changing environment, but also the challenge of growing their business, building a network of loyal followers and convincing people to buy from them.

  For anyone reading this, listen to Don’s advice here. Knowing what business you’re in, or what business you want to be in will definitely help you to get your message across better to your prospects. And this combined with a great looking website design, you’ve got the perfect combination for a very profitable and healthy long business.

  Great post again Don, thanks for all that you do, will share straight away.

  – Fabrizio

  • Hi Fabrizio,

    First, I want to thank you for your incredibly kind words!

    Yes, it is extremely daunting. However, if someone will take the time to learn “what business they are ‘really’ in” and develop their message; it will simplify the online experience greatly.

    Your message will act as your guide. It will gain you clarity and that’s vital because you actually learn who the specific audience/target market is, what their problems are, the results they can get and how your business can be a part of that.

    By having that information you can then dig deeper to know where they are hanging out and how to reach them with relevance.

    Again, I appreciate your kind words Fabrizio. Thanks so much for your comment!

    ~ Don

• Hi Don,

  Well, for those of us who are familiar with what you do and teach we are now well aware of the fact that plain traffic alone does necessarily result in sales, and if half of that traffic is confused when they get to your site, then they’ll leave in a matter of seconds.

  Acquiring potential customers and clients requires efforts, and the steps that you mention here work really great. We can’t just wait for things to happen, we have to go the extra mile and build those connections.

  It’s an eternal involvement. We can’t be detached from the very people we want as clients or customers. It doesn’t work this way anymore.

  We can’t just write a blog post, and let it be. We need to share it, discuss it, reply to comments, even make videos about the topic and so forth, and so on. But on top of that, we need to contribute to other blogs, comment on them and share them as well.

  When we do this right, we usually get great results.

  Very informative guest post, especially for those who are new to this concept.

  ~Sylviane

  • Hi Sylviane,

    You are spot on! We have to become pro-active and that happens on the front end. When we develop the right message for the right people, we have a guide and a means to be pro-active instead of re-active.

    I think you really nailed it Sylviane. How many are creating content and then just waiting?

    As you said, it doesn’t work this way any longer. It’s time for every business to get clear about what business they are ‘really’ in and create a relevant, inspiring and engaging message.

    Results are for those who earn them.

    Thanks so much Sylviane!!!

    ~ Don

• First off Don I want to congratulate you for getting published on Business2Community! Super awesome stuff.

  Secondly … I dont even know where to begin. Prior to working with you, I was totally one of the folks that you have described in this post. Using this tool and that tool without a clear understanding of what business I was in or who I wanted to get my message in front of.

  I cant even begin to tell you how much of a difference it has made with my new brand.

  Key thing for me: Know what business youre really in. I still have work to do but I am definitely headed in the right direction thanks to your guidance.

  Have a great one Don!

  • Hi Kim,

    Thank you, it is pretty awesome. I’m just getting started!

    You have come an incredible distance over the last few months. It’s awesome to watch you as you gain new opportunities in many different ways as your clarity comes together and you present it.

    It just goes to show you that a 5% increase in clarity can yield a 100% increase in growth.

    Thanks so much for sharing Kim!

    ~ Don

• Don,

  Things change so fast online that anyone who is new or does not spend a lot of time online very regularly is completely lost by how to do most anything.

  The old ways do not work anymore and by old ways I mean they way it was being taught 6, 12 or 18 months ago. It is not all about website traffic anymore. In fact it is really more about networking than anything else right now.

  Networking is done with real people so in order to network you have to know what business you are really in so you can communicate that to other people.

  What business I am actually is what you helped me figure out. Now I know to write my post to one person, about one problem and with one solution. I can connect to that person and one person at a time I can build my business online.

  Great post and explanation of where people are going wrong online. This should help many people now how to get business online successfully.

  Dee Ann Rice

  • Hi DeeAnn,

    There is definitely some changes in the air and yet no matter how much things change, many things stay the same.

    One can never go wrong networking either offline or online. It’s how I’ve grown all my businesses and been highly successful.

    The key to great networking is having a great message through clarity. Clarity will help us determine when someone is worth networking with and not with.

    Thakns so much for stopping by and sharing your thoughts DeeAnn!!!

    ~ Don

• Don,

  I’m going to share this post all over the place.

  I’m in the business of helping enterprising people quit their day jobs to build an online, service-based business… one that will afford them freedom, flexibility and financial independence, even if they have minimal experience or contacts to begin.

  And can I be honest with you Don?

  I’m actually going to go on record and put this in writing:

  You are the one person I have connected with over this past year who has had the biggest impact on my content strategy.

  Dude, I don’t know if you kept up with my re-branding and relaunch, but almost everything I did… every line of copy I wrote, every blog topic planned, every piece of content, every video… all of it was based off your idea of creating one solution for one problem for one person.

  And most importantly, staying true to what business I’m “really in”.

  And what you’re describing in this article…? Boy, that’s a big group of people. So many tired and frustrated folks who want to make money online… so they follow all the free (and paid) advice they can handle, and none of it works.

  The only thing that’s rocket science is rocket science… and aside from the skill you display in repeating your message over and over and all over the place, it also happens to be a very simple message.

  Your success is proof positive that taking that one simple message intended for one single person works!

  Keep up the great work, and thanks for sharing this post with me, Don.

  Have a good one,

  Brent

  PS: If you want to reproduce this comment in part or full as a testimonial on your own website, feel free.

  • Hi Brent,

    WOW! Thank you for sharing that with me here an those who will read your comment on this article.

    It’s interesting, I’ve met so many businesses owners over the years that had a great message and got bored with it.

    However, the audience wasn’t and they kept coming as a result.

    Then the business changed the message and the customers went away. They blamed everything but themselves for changing the message.

    The message is who you are and how you make a difference for your audinece and prospects.

    I will never change my core message and I will never stop repeating it wherever I go… even though there are a million other ways to say it.

    How is my message supposed to sink in for my audience if I say something different all the time?

    Hum… there may a video and article coming on that topic!

    I appreciate your extremely kind words Brent and you can bet I’ll be using your post as a testimonial!!!!

    ~ Don

• Hello from Thailand Don,

  When I read that part of your excellent post about the “real reason your prospects are not finding you” I knew I was having one of your famous “OMG how did he know” reactions.

  Only about 6 weeks ago was I privileged to learn from you the critical importance of clarity of message.

  Initially I thought yes I understand this BUT on looking at my blog I quickly realized that my message not not only not clear but not even visible to my blog visitors.

  This was a real wake-up call for me as I then had come up with the answer to the question of what business was I really in? And not only that but what values do I offer, what problems can I solve and who can I solve these problems for?

  I had to completely relook at my target audience.

  This was indeed a huge break-through moment for this Aussie blogger and I thank you for that Don.

  This post reinforced the belief I now have in the critical importance of clarity of message. By the way thanks for sharing one of your strategy details re connecting with influencers. This also taught me a great lesson – the process is simple but it requires consistent and persistent action to make it work.

  The name of the game is now to find, meet and engage with your target audience online (and offline via Skype for example for me) in a clear, sincere and ethical manner

  Who ever said blogging was easy?

  But I do relish the thought of creating an even bigger engaged target audience.

  Many thanks for sharing your expertise Don – always very much appreciated

  Best wishes from a remote Thai village blogger

  Peter

• Hi Peter,

  How exciting to hear of your breakthrough moment!

  I have one client who literally had 88 pages of organized, immediate blog articles that were highly specific and relevant to her audience.

  When you can develop the clarity that creates a consistent and specific message it’s a massive game changer!

  In the days and months ahead you will have many more of those moments.

  While it’s not easy, it doesn’t have to be overwhelming or impossible. In fact, it can be very exciting.

  Thanks for sharing your story and for your amazing comment Peter!

  I’m excited for you!!!!

• You know you are speaking my language when you write about this topic Don. It’s so hard for business owners to shift their focus from themselves to the end user problems they solve because most have not been taught before how to do so.

  As you question them about “What Business are you Really In?” and then guide them with specific examples, the light bulb switches on! Add to it an outline of the “how to” develop new online habits, marketing structures, messaging mindset – and you’ve given business owners something tangible to hold on to and run with!

  In my coaching and consulting work I often find that this exact topic is the sticking point for so many of my clients. As we dive into it and start to literally dissect the solutions they provide to specific customer/client problems, it’s as if a curtain has been pulled back from the doorway to a secret room of clarity and understanding. Once they step into that room, I can see their marketing language and focus shift . Even our coaching conversations begin to change in a noticeable fashion.

  Great job sharing such a crucial topic with the business to community world Don!

  Warmly,
  Deborah Tutnauer

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