Why you should STOP building a funnel and what to do instead
Why You Should Stop Building A Funnel
And What To Do Instead
I was thinking today about the time that I thought about starting my business, the time that I came up with the idea and realised there was more than working in the corporate 9-5.
I was sitting one day in my grey cubicle.
I'd rushed to work. It had been a manic attempt to get there. Dropping the kids off at daycare, arriving late, running, swapping flats for heels, getting to my desk and just feeling like I'd already done a day's work by the time I got there.
I leant across the partition and chatted to a friend of mine. Both of us said in unison "There's got to be more than this!"
Fast forward to my escape from cubicle nation, and in those first few months of being a solo business owner, I was excited and inspired.
You know the feeling like you're the only one in the world pioneering this exciting new path!
And then you get sucked into the online marketing vortex, frantically subscribing to so many email newsletters and following ALL the things that you 'should' be doing.
One message that I hear loud and clear and on repeat is; "You gotta go as fast as you can."
Growing as fast as you can
Making sales as fast as you can,
Getting clients as fast as you can,
Upping your prices as fast as you can.
But I want to ask you.
In all this noise, And, In all this doing.
Are you focusing on building the right thing?
Or are you so focused on selling that you forget your brand?
Are you making a quick buck over creating a relationship?
Because if you think of all your favourite businesses or brands, maybe Lululemon or a personal brand like Oprah or Rachel Hollis. All of them have focused on building their brand for the long haul.
They've been intentional about creating communities, about building relationships and cultivating those relationships over time.
“It’s about focusing on building the right thing”
Sometimes we can get distracted by the tactics, we start to focus on the fancy funnels, and we're shoving people in the top and hoping someone comes out at the bottom and buys.
We're ignoring the fact that people want connection. People want to be understood.
They need to know, like and trust us.
Internet marketers everywhere are touting solutions that skip the essential groundwork.
And it's tempting, I know when you want to make money, and you're hustling to make a go of things. Sometimes you're desperate to take out the hassle and find a quick fix.
But what's even better than a shortcut is a long term sustainable business, that consistently brings in profit and has a loyal audience.
There's one nugget of advice I believe all fledgling business owners should follow.
"Take the time to be strategic about your brand."
Understand why people should buy from you and keep coming back for more.
Scratch the surface and uncover their deepest desires and what keeps them up at night.
If you focus on building your brand over making a quick buck, I can promise you that over the long term, you will have more sales and success.
So if you feel like you're being getting yanked in a million directions, overwhelmed with all the marketing things you SHOULD be doing. Go back to the vision for why you started your business and the mission that you want to fulfil.
Go back to serving and listening and serving some more.
