Over the past few weeks, we’ve been looking at the power of accountants being visible experts. But what if you’re doing everything right, and still no one is coming to you, or discovering your expertise?
I was discussing this with Steve, one of our content writers.
‘Even getting great content and design is just the start,’ we were agreeing. ‘It’s tempting to believe that just because you have a great new ebook, or infographic, or website, that the leads will start pouring in. That’s just not how it works.’
‘Yeah – it’s like having a brilliant house that you’re trying to sell,’ Steve said. ‘You’ve done a lot of work, doing it up, repainting, maybe some interior decorating or tidying up so the rooms are impressive – but still no one wants to buy.’
‘And that’s because you haven’t put a sign out front of your house!’ I said. ‘You need to tell people, ‘Amazing house here, for sale’, so that they can turn in and see what it’s like – or at least glance at it from the street and wonder whether they should take a closer look.’
‘Actually,’ said Steve, ‘What you need to do is stand on a nearby wall – and get a bunch of friends to stand on the wall with you, and wave to passers-by and tell them that this is the most amazing house if they would only stop in and see!’
The analogy can go on.
What if you have a cottage, and you’re trying to sell it to someone who wants a millionaire’s home? (Your small accountancy firm being promoted to someone who wants a big corporate.)
What if you hold an open house, but it’s a sunny day and everyone is at the beach? (You run a webinar on a bank holiday.)
I trust our enthusiasm hasn’t run away with our analogy, and you can see what we’re saying here.
The order of things is:
- Be amazing. Be that expert you already are. (Done.)
- Be very clear about the audience you want to be in front of. (Niche, target, issue, focus area. Read more.)
- Identify the issues and problems that are unique to that group of people, that niche.
- Provide helpful, relevant information for them.
- Make sure that information is in a format that is clear, easy to read, and well designed.
- Share that information in places where your audience will be.
- Keep sharing it.
- Get friends and partners and clients and employees and strategic partners and colleagues to share it, too.
- Keep sharing it.
- Share it some more.
- Keep adding to that bank of helpful information.
- Keep sharing it.
Following that order of things will mean that you don’t just sell one house (one service that you offer) one time – you sell it over, and over, and over, and you get really good at it, and everyone comes round to see the next one because you’re very good at what you do.