Deletra Hudson, MBA – “The Financial Educator”
Not all online business owners experience immediate success. In fact, when I started my financial management business as an online service, I made very little money. Although, studies have proven that the reason 80% of new businesses fail within the first 18 months of business is due to a lack of financial management, access to money and a lack of a clear vision. I still had difficulty convincing my online followers that they needed my financial management services. Even when they believed they needed the services, they were not easily convinced that financial management needed to be a top priority; not a last resource. Therefore, I knew I had to create a different strategy for developing and marketing my online business.
During my assessment of my online business strategies, I found that I had to connect face to face with real people. I also knew I had to meet them where they felt comfortable, because I needed them to know that they could like and trust me enough to join me in my business programs.
Here are three ways I take my online business offline to draw successful client connections:
Host live events
I create and host two live events per year. I promote my events online and offline. This is a great opportunity for me to meet my online friends in person. I even have online friends, who are not local, travel to attend my events. These live events give my followers an opportunity to get to know me personally, hear my message in person, and develop an emotional attachment to me as a person, which permitted them to trust the information I was provide and the services I offer them.
Attend networking event with others who are in my target market
Face to face meetings and networking confirm to people that I am a real person with a real business. It also gives me the opportunity to meet other business owners in my field and hear their messages about their businesses strategies and opportunities. These exchanges open doors to partnerships, collaborations, and new client relationships.
Intentionally attend events of other business owners I desire to collaborate or develop relationships with
I learned that if there is someone I am interested in collaborating with, but they work primarily offline, that means I need to go offline to make that connection. I connect with them by attending some of the events or projects they are hosting, join their mailing list, and stay visibly connected with them via social media. This demonstrates to them that I was an interested supporter. Thus, I start to build a trusting relationship. A true professional notices my support, reciprocates the gestures, and starts supporting me, then tells a friend, who may also tell a friend. This helps to grow my circle of connections exponentially, as well as your clientele. It will do the same think for you.
Taking your online business offline may help resuscitate your business’ income. Give it a try and keep me posted on how these strategies work for you.
For more information on how to create additional income, improve your financial management skills and make sound financial decisions, apply for a 30-minute Complimentary Financial Empowerment Session with me, “The Financial Educator”.
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