In today’s “information overload” society, people do not want to be “sold to.” In fact, always attempting to sell, sell,sell can be the biggest turnoff for a potential prospect. Rather than attempting to sell a client, think about how you can be of service at no cost and how you can begin building a relationship with your prospect.
The most basic form of what I call your “irresitible free offer” is simply to offer an invitation to something that has no barrier-for-entry (zero cost). It can be a free report, free e-book or even better, what my mentor Michael Port (author of Book Yourself Solid) calls “the always-have-something-to-invite-people–to offer” or “AHSTIPTO” for short.
Mine is a complimentary webinar that I call Claim Your Spotlight Hot Topics. I offer it monthly, and it’s designed to help people learn strategies to become the expert in their niche, generate more leads, attract more clients and make more money in their businesses. Sometimes I discuss a topic that is specifically related to getting more leads or clients, and other times I discuss different principles and strategies that will help the attendees be more successful in business and in life.
Note that the webinar is FREE and has no-strings-attached. There are no up-sells, no pitches, no bait and switches. If I meet someone who I think will benefit from it, I invite them to join. I’d like to invite you. You get an opportunity to participate in something that should add great value to your life and test me out at the same time. And for me, it’s fantastic because I don’t have to sell anything. I can offer really great value to the lives of potential clients and customers at no risk to them. And then they have the opportunity to ask me for more business help if they are so inclined AND I build my email list in the process.
At the end of every webinar, I invite them to apply for a complimentary 1-1 strategy session with me. I call it my “Spotlight Strategy Session.” I require people to apply by answering a few short questions on my website – https://www.claimyourspotlight.com/apply. This way, I am able to review the applications and only select the people who fit my ideal client profile.
There are tons of ways that you can set up this kind of always-have-something-to-invite-people-to self-promotion strategy. You are only limited by the scope of your imagination.
There is another added benefit of this kind of always-have-something-to-invite-people-to offer. It can serve as one of the most effective ways of establishing your personal brand. The Hot Topics webinar is an extension of my personal brand identity. It alsow allows me to share a little bit about what I know and helps to establish me as an expert in my field. People get a small taste of what it would be like to work with me.
Consider another example: I worked with a woman who is a personal trainer and a yoga instructor. When we started working together, she hadn’t yet created relentless demand for her services. As you might imagine, this caused her to be anxious over what the future held.
After we established the fundamental elements of her marketing foundation we created her always-have-something-to-invite-people-to offer: the Fitness in the Park. One Sunday evening a month in the summer, she would host a free yoga class on the beach (she was lucky enough to live in a small city right by a Lake Erie).
She’s able to help them stay fit and give them a quick sample of what she does. She only had one requirement to attend…each guest was also asked to bring someone new to the event, thus creating a new audience for his work. She’s able to help them stay fit and give them a quick sample of what she does. After she made her first round of invitations, she barely had to market herself. It was magical. People loved it and they loved her for doing it. And they hired her because of it.
You could do something similar… and better too! Are you beginning to get your own ideas on how this could work for you? Good! Please note: You don’t need to spend a ton of money (or any money) for these either, especially if you collaborate with others.
The value you add in your offer meets the needs and desires of the people you serve. Then you continue to build trust over time and you follow up and by offering additional value and creating awareness for the services you provide.
You’ll notice that the always-have-something-to-invite-people-to offer above is done in a group format. There are three important reasons for this:
- You’ll leverage your time so you’re connecting with as many potential clients as possible in the shortest amount of time.
- You’ll leverage the power of communities. When you bring people together, they create far more energy and excitement than you can on your own. Your guests will also see other people interested in what you have to offer and that’s the best way to build credibility.
- You’ll be viewed as a “connector.” If you’re known in your marketplace as someone who brings people together, that will help you build your reputation and increase your likeability.
Oh, I almost forgot… if you are interested in generateing new leads, getting more clients and making more money, please do register for the next Claim Your Spotlight Hot Topics webinar here: https://www.claimyourspotlight.com/events. See how easy that was? No selling, just a relevant invitation.