Your prospects probably don’t just turn up and buy. That is unless they’ve come via a recommendation and they’re already nicely warmed up for you.

Generally, your audience needs to get to know you first and gain some reassurances that you are the best person to help them with their particular problem.

This process, which is a marketing activity, takes time and effort, so the easier you make it for yourself, the quicker they will come to a decision to buy from you.

So, how can you make the process of building relationships easier and more fruitful for your bank account?

Firstly, let’s look at the signs that indicate you might have a problem with building meaningful relationships:

  • Lack of enquiries. Too many blank spaces in your diary.
  • Ghost enquiries. You respond immediately (plus a few follow ups) but never hear from them again. They weren’t serious in the first place.
  • Naff enquiries. Ones that aren’t quite your area of expertise or don’t fill you with joy. Don’t be tempted to say yes to fill the gaps in your diary. These turn into nightmare clients.
  • Requests for discounts. Prospects who quibble about your fee and don’t see the value you deliver. To add insult to injury, they ask you for extra things without expecting you to charge for it.
  • Marketing is a chore. Lack of inspiration for content and it takes ages to create, so audience building stalls and existing contacts don’t really know what you do or how you can help.

Why is this happening and why does it seem so hard to generate quality enquiries and attract perfect clients?

Relationship building experiment

To explain why, here’s a quick, fun (imaginary) experiment!

Imagine you enter a room of complete strangers. Your task is to chat to as many people as possible to find something you have in common.

Perhaps this is a nightmare scenario for you. Your palms start to sweat, and your heart rate rises.

You force yourself to walk up to the first person who catches your eye and start the small talk.

But it’s hard work as you run out of questions to fill the pregnant pauses.

Next you get stuck with someone who won’t shut up and has absolutely no interest in you.

Finding something in common is like searching for a needle in a haystack.

How do you feel?

Exhausted, disheartened and dreading having to do this all over again with the same result – no one of interest and nothing in common.

Later you enter another room of complete strangers.

However, within a couple of minutes you realise that you have something in common with everyone you speak with.

The conversations flow and you feel yourself relax.

You’re finding out all sorts of interesting things out about these people.

Stories are being exchanged about families, work and health.

Problems are being shared, solutions suggested, advice given.

The time flies and you’re surprised at how much you’ve enjoyed yourself.

How do you feel?

Exhilarated, energised, motivated, delighted with the new relationships and staggered at how quickly a bond has been created.

What’s the point of this imaginary relationship building experiment?

The first session of the experiment, in niching terms, illustrates how hard and soul destroying it is trying to build relationships (not even meaningful ones) when you are casting the net wide, being far too general and wishing to appeal to and help everyone.

The second session illustrates how easy it is to build meaningful relationships when there is a simple common factor and a connection.

The same applies when you niche.

You don’t choose your niche randomly. You choose the area and the people you wish to work with based on:

  • What you love to do
  • Who you love to work with
  • The types of problems that you are brilliant at resolving
  • With clients who choose you for your expertise and appreciate the amazing value you deliver

You choose your niche with care and because of that laser focus you create an audience who you have much in common with. You understand their fears and dreams and it’s easy to create content that engages and inspires. Connections deepen swiftly and naturally.

You can relax knowing that when the time is right, it’s you they’ll choose.

Niching is a short cut and fast track to building meaningful relationships.

How clear are you about your niche?

Do your key marketing messages convey your niche, so you attract the right type of people into your audience and continually nurture the relationships?

Or is it all feeling a bit woolly and hazy?

If so, now is a good time to explore, discover and develop a niche, so you can create marketing content that builds meaningful relationships, generates quality enquiries and sales from dream clients.

And if you’d like my help to nail your niche, then please book a marketing coaching session (£125) by emailing me or calling on 07565 382803.