As a hands-on practitioner, you’re probably a lot more focused more on your clients than you are on your “business.”
If you’re like the practitioners I’ve worked with over many years, there’s probably a little voice telling you it would be a good idea to follow up with people — but you’re busy, you’re absorbed with things that interest you more, and you may not have much idea about how to do it.
So it slides.
Let’s look a little bit at why follow up is so important, and why it’s so important to build your email list.
No matter who you’re here to serve, there are some fairly predictable statistics about whether or not they’re ready to commit the first time they speak with you.
Before you look at the numbers, promise yourself that you’ll read to the end, because I want you see that there’s a solution to the obvious problem!
3% are actively looking for a solution to the Gateway problem you solve.
7% are aware and open to you and what you offer, but aren’t looking for you.
30% are not aware of their problem or your solution.
30% may know you exist, but it’s not the right time.
30% are simply not a fit.
Yikes! As I said, this can look like a major problem… and it is, if you’re not following up with people. That’s because you’re leaving behind the 67% of people that might be ready to work with you sometime in the future, even though the first time you talk with them, they don’t commit to do that!
When you follow up consistently, you will stay in front of these people. When they are ready, you’ll be at the top of their mind and therefore you’ll be the one they call — instead of someone that didn’t follow up. (And you can see from the numbers—the people who don’t follow up are in the majority!) But how can you follow up effectively, if you don’t build your email list? How will you contact them?
Imagine how much more impact you could have with people who really need you just by staying in touch with those 67% of people who didn’t initially jump into your classes or your appointment book!
The easiest and most effective way to follow up and nurture those relationships until your prospective ideal clients are ready to take the step…is to build an e-mail list of clients and potential clients who have “opted in” and given you permission to send them e-mails.
When you focus some attention on building your email list, you can follow up easily with your Ideal Clients. In addition to giving them the kind of value that makes them love to open your emails, you can:
● Fill your classes and workshops
● Attract more clients you love to work with as private students
● Turn current clients into raving fans and
● Build a great referral base
Building your email list is like taking advantage of compound interest. The sooner you start, the better. And the longer you give your list great value, the more rewarding it will be for you, too!
You may not have a huge email list right now. You may think you don’t have anything to say to a bunch of people you may not even know. You may think you’ve missed opportunities to get people onto your email list.
I’m here to tell you that
● It doesn’t matter if your list is small right now.
● You have a LOT to say, and what you may need is a little help getting clear on what your ideal clients want to know. And
● Especially if you think you’ve missed other opportunities to grow your list, you don’t want to miss the event I’m about to tell you about!
Here are 5 concrete steps you can take to build your list:
- Invite everyone who calls you about your work to receive your information—whether they book with you or not as a result of that call.
- Change your email signature to include a link to one of your blog posts, and make sure you have an email sign-up form on that page.
- Make sure you offer everyone at the local talks you give to receive valuable follow-up from the talk, and ongoing information.
- Include a link to your email registration on your Facebook or other social media page.
- Create a free gift that your best clients would love and offer it on your website, then deliver it by email.
Your list won’t swell out of proportion overnight, but it will grow if you tend it!
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I blog about topics like this so that it’s easy for you to take the most important details into your practice and use them. Subscribe to make sure you don’t miss anything!
