1. Not knowing what your customer's needs and wants are. Your growth will only come from delivering what people want. First and foremost, your clients must be immediately happy. You'll get very few second chances without complete and total satisfaction.
2. Not having more products or services to sell after the first sale. You'll make more profit on the second sale because of your fixed costs of getting that initial sale. Backend sales are vital to the growth of your business. Call or send a letter or email to your new client offering additional products or services within 14 days of your first sale.
3. Not being unique. Growth comes from separating yourself from other insurance professionals. What makes your business or sales style unique? It may be your location, service, or product variety. If you have trouble figuring out what's unique, ask your existing clients why they come to you. They hold the keys to your perfect marketing and sales message. Listen and learn from them.
4. Not testing. Strong incremental business growth comes from testing everything: your pricing, headlines, offers, opening line on a sales call, guarantees, sales copy, and media that deliver your message. Test your email copy and subject lines. Without testing, you're just guessing. I've seen a simple one-word change to a collateral headline and watched responses go up 357 percent. Each successful test brings growth.
5. Quitting too soon. When you test and discover your most profitable marketing message, it would be insane to stop using it, even if you're bored with it. It's great to test different ideas, but it's not wise for your business growth to switch what's working for the next great thing that comes along.
6. Not making it easy to do business with you. You've seen ads with no phone number, address, or Web site. Try finding a customer service phone number on many Web sites -- some are buried so deep in the site that they can't be found. Not making it easy to find and do business with you will hurt your growth. Be easily accessible to all your clients and prospects.
7. Not being in love with your products and services. People have a sixth sense. They know immediately if you believe in what you are offering them. They know if you are being honest with them. Your business growth will come from the feeling people get from doing business with you. Your passion will be your signpost and will illuminate the way to your door.
Sanford Jay Barris, founder and president of Business Marketing Services, is an author, small-business owner, entrepreneur, consultant, and marketing expert. He can be reached at 248-335-8080, sjb@97MarketingSecrets.com, or by visiting www.97marketingsecrets.com.
