A watering hole is a place where you are likely to find your Most Aligned clients gathered in their greatest numbers.
Becoming aware of where your potential clients are most likely to be found helps you to select the marketing tools and communication channels that suit your business and to focus your marketing actions upon is a vital piece in the business building puzzle.
I encourage you to adopt the golden rule to always track the source of every lead you receive, as this is one of the primary ways of establishing your richest watering holes.
Keeping track also allows you to evaluate the effectiveness of the tools and channels you do utilise.
Before you read through this post, grab yourself a pen and paper so you can capture the thoughts and ideas you have – then you’ll have a whole list to consider implementing when you’re done! Inspired action is what will grow your business every time…
It’s also important to realise that everyone goes through their own Buying Cycle and thus, when they first encounter you, or you them, they may not be ready yet to invest in themselves. This is why it’s really important to have a Progressive Engagement Plan in place that provides valuable ways in which your potential client can engage with you and you can begin a nurturing relationship whereby you are being of service, adding value, building trust and desire until they are ready to Elevate themselves or Embrace you and your work (see last weeks post about this PEP Plan for your business – you can read it here)
Ideas to Consider
- Consider your Most Aligned Client – what blogs is she reading? What newsletters is she subscribed to? Where does she go for entertainment? If she has children, where might she take them? Is she searching for solutions online? Does she visit tradeshows? Attend seminars? Who else might she be visiting? (strategic alliance ideas often start here)
- Go back and look at your past clients and work out – where did they come from? You are very likely to find some commonalities there that you can follow again – repeat your successes!
9 Potential Watering Holes in which to find your ideal clients
1. Current and Past Clients
When you have a new program or product, it always helps to ask current or past clients if they’d be interested. They already know, like, and trust you, and have hired you before. It’s likely that your newest offering would be a natural fit or next step for some of them and as they are familiar with your style and work, they may even have a friend or colleague that they know needs your help too. But you do need to let them know!
 2. People Who Expressed Interest In Working With You In The Past
Keep a list of people you’ve spoken to about working together in the past who, at that time, didn’t move forward for whatever reasons (not the right timing, not the right service, etc.). It’s a great idea to contact these people again to let them know when you have new things to offer. Also, if a certain amount of time has gone by and they haven’t been able to change things, they might have moved through to the spot n their own sales cycle where they are now ready to work with you.
3. Your Circle of Influence List
Draft up a list of all of your friends, colleagues, and anyone else who you are in contact with and you know would be happy to hear from you and hear what you’re up to. Take a look at the list – who do you already know that could benefit from your services? Reach out and extend an invitation. And also, proactively ask these friends and fans for referrals – people are usually happy to make connections and to help if we have the confidence to simply ask.
4. People From Local Networking Groups
If you’re not already attending local networking groups, start! You’ll meet all kinds of people, and some of them may be perfect for what you offer. Also, as they get to know you, they’ll know others who could use your services, and they’ll refer them. Simply start with googling t find local groups and choose one or two and go along to feel if the style is a fit for you. And here’s another idea– at one networking meeting, ask people what OTHER networking meetings they attend that they find valuable. I’ve been introduced to some wonderful new groups as a result of this alone.
5. People In Your Email Database
You’d be surprised how many people you have in your email database, many of whom you haven’t thought of in quite some time. Go through the list and, again, look for those you know who might be ideal clients for you. Then, reach out and offer a complimentary Discovery Session so you can reconnect, see where they are at and feel as to whether or not you are able to help them at this time.
6. Social Media Contacts
Don’t overlook Facebook friends, people following you on Twitter, and Linked In contacts. If you participate in social media, you’re connected to many people, many of whom might be perfect to work with. I often refer to my “Alter Ego” – what I’m up to in my business on my personal Facebook Page as I have a tonne of people on my profile who are not necessarily in my business community yet and so I invite them across if there seems to be a natural fit. This is all about finding and facilitating an authentic fit that may lead to you being able to extend your services at some point.
7. Professional Groups or Associations To Which Your Most Aligned Clients Already Belong
Where do your ideal clients hang out? What groups do your ideal clients attend? What memberships or organisations do they belong to? Is there a logical and desirable place where you could also attend to mix and mingle and also learn more about the issues that are of interest to your clients? Empathy and understanding is certainly a vital part of wholehearted marketing!
8. From www.MeetUp.com
You can go to this website, enter your postcode and a few keywords, and see dozens of gatherings and groups in your area based on those specific topics. See what’s available when you enter your location and the keywords relevant to your niche – there are bound to be groups you can attend and/or speak at. I created my own Meetup in the past and have connected with wonderful entrepreneurial women – and yes, some of these lovely ladies have become my clients as we are so beautifully aligned.
9. From Referral Partners
When I had my Marketing Agency, we had website developers, copywriters and social media experts who referred their own clients to us and vice versa. Who do you know that caters to the SAME audience you do, but serves them in a different way? Who could be a referral partner for you? Reach out – that’s where collaborations are born…
How is that list of ideas looking?
Now imagine if you developed, implemented and followed up on just one or two each week?
Imagine the positive impact on your business growth!
The beauty of all of the concepts above is that they all need just two vital ingredients.
1. A business service that you are wholeheartedly proud of and happy to provide (Tick!)
2. Your ability to take inspired action (tick!)
So, over to you. Let’s make sure more of the people who need you and can benefit from what you have to give are aware of you so they have the opportunity to step into a new possibility with your help.
