The #1 Question You Must Answer BEFORE Marketing Your Business

When Bob and I work with a client, there is one question we need to answer before we start marketing their business.

While the question seems simple, you’d be amazed at how many of our clients and prospects are not able to answer.  This leaves them paralyzed in their ability to turn a profit and run a successful business.

It doesn’t matter if you run a home based business or sell carpet cleaning services, buy and sell real estate or have an MLM that promotes better health.  Your inability to simply answer the question, will leave you broke and frustrated.

The question is;  “Who is the Who.”
Notice how we aren’t asking about the product, place or the promotion. We aren’t concerned with sourcing, or why your product or service will make their lives better. Or why the customer ‘needs’ your product.

The reason why we don’t ask about those things first, is simple. They don’t matter, at least not on the front lines of getting clients. The only thing that does matter is finding out the Who.

Let me illustrate this with an example. Recently Bob and I did a call with a client who had paid for us to review her existing site. It’s called our audit process.  She was an exceptionally knowledgeable person, with great ‘stuff’. She is a coach who works with clients and has had tremendous results for her clients.

Her problem was simple, she was unable to consistently and predictably make money. She was interested in our opinion on marketing and driving leads… you know the usual stuff people think they need.

In reality, we spent 42 minutes of a 45 minute call digging down into the ‘Who’. She did not have a very clear picture of her client. What they ate, what shows they watch, are they male or female, bricks and mortar business owners, new business owners, or long time owners, rural or urban, what age group… the list goes on an on.

She was focusing on the ‘what I offer is great and people need my stuff’ syndrome. Successful business owner’s focus on the Who then the What the customer wants.

Let me tie this up with an example from The Bible. Jesus and Paul really understood this principle better than the rest of the apostles.

Jesus and Paul always understood the condition of their prospect. They understood their issues, the longings of their hearts. In turn, they would make their message or dress (Paul) to be more like them. It allowed them to be perceived more like the prospect, in turn gave them a more open door to share the truth.

They focused on the who, then the what the customer wanted. (Better life, less stress, living water, etc.) And showed them how to obtain these things.

Paul and Jesus gave them something at first that they wanted. They understood the ‘Who’ first (a hurting world that wanted the pain to go away.) and then gave them what they wanted.

It is a valuable lesson to understand when you market your business.

Focus first on the ‘Who’, not the product. Next week we’ll focus more on finding out what they ‘Want’.

In His name,

Matthew Gillogly

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