With increasing competition for products and services, entrepreneurs have to discover how they can stand out from the crowd and be an expert. Writing a book is a great way to do this, but there are some fundamentals that you need to get right first. Author and business book mentor Karen Williams shares her top ten tips to start and grow your successful business.
Karen Williams
1. Be an expert
In many professions, being clear about where you are an expert is essential. Rather than being a jack of all trades, what are you good at and what do you want to get known for? When you understand what makes you different from your competitors, it makes it easier to define your distinct offering and powerful message.
2. Understand your clients
Once you know where you're an expert, the next step is to get clear on your ideal clients. Who are they, what are their problems, and what do they want from you? When you know what you do and who you work with, it not only makes it easier for you to find the right clients who need your help, it also gives other people the information they need to be able to refer new leads to you too.
3. Develop clear and easy to understand packages
Now you understand what your clients want from you, it makes it simpler to define your products or services, packages or programmes. Get to grips with the problems that they want you to help them to solve, and the benefits of working with you. Then once you're clear on what you are selling, and the results your clients are likely to get, it will be easier to sell this to them.
4. Get online and build your community
Having a website where you showcase your message enables your prospective clients to find you. Combining this with social media, video and email marketing, allows people to get to know, like and trust you.
5. Get out and meet people
Although an online presence is a must, attending networking groups, meeting contacts for coffee, or speaking about your expert subject will help you to grow your business. As well as helping you to attract new clients, it will build your list of contacts, colleagues and friends, enabling you to support each other.
6. Focus on three key ways to market yourself
Now you understand your clients, focus on three main ways to market yourself and do it well, rather than do everything and feel overwhelmed. Use mediums where your clients hangout and be consistent with your message. A mixture of online and offline methods are the best way to get started.
7. Don't do the same as everyone else
If you really want to create the wow factor in your business, in taking these actions, don't do the same as everyone else. Be quirky, unusual, and do something different from your competitors.
8. Have clear and measureable goals for your business
If you don't know where you're going, you'll never get there. Spend time doing those important, but not urgent, items like planning or building your community. These will ultimately enable you to develop and grow your business, although may not give you immediate results.
9. Don't do everything yourself
Even if you work by yourself, it doesn't mean you have to struggle and do everything yourself. You are the business owner after all and a team will help you to grow quicker than you can by yourself. Outsource the tasks where you're not an expert, get specific training where you need it, and a business coach or mentor can help you to grow your business more quickly.
10. Write a book
Once you've followed the other tips in this article, you'll be ready to write a book. You'll have all the materials, community and message in place, and this will really help you to grow your business. It will allow you to demonstrate your expertise, and where they are other people doing something similar to you, it will truly help you to stand out.
Writing that expert book where you can take people step by step through your process, or share some of the nuggets that you keep solely for your individual clients, will help you to get noticed, and set you aside from others in your profession.
About Karen Williams
Karen Williams works with business experts - coaches, therapists and consultants - who want to stand out from the crowd and write a non-fiction book that helps them to grow their business. She enables them to create and market their best book that increases their confidence, raises their credibility and attracts higher-paying clients.
She is the author of Your Book is the Hook, How to Stand Out in Your Business and the Amazon number one bestseller The Secrets of Successful Coaches. She has contributed to four other business books, regularly speaks on business and book topics, and features in the media. You can find out more about Karen and sign up for your free 'How to write your book' Checklist at www.selfdiscoverycoaching.co.uk.
