Serve First, Sell Later Marketing
Serve First, Sell Later Marketing
#32 Six Game-Changing Strategies to End the Year Strong
As we are more than half way through the year, it's time to reassess and refine your objectives to ensure they remain impactful and attainable. In this episode of the Serve First, Sell Later podcast, we unpack six game-changing strategies to end the year strong!
First, we discuss the significance of regular self-check-ins and the benefits of breaking down larger goals into manageable tasks. Additionally, we share insights on client outreach and follow-up to maintain and build crucial relationships that boost your business throughout the year.
With practical tips and strategies, you'll be well-equipped to end the year on a high note, setting the stage for continued growth and success.
Resources mentioned:
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#11
Key Takeaways:
- Revisit your goals regularly to ensure they remain relevant.
- Prioritize high-impact tasks using the ABC method.
- Enhance client outreach through personalized communication and follow-ups.
- Build and strengthen referral networks through joint marketing initiatives.
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00:00 - Sylvia (Host)
Hello everyone, and welcome back to episode 32 of the Serve First, sell Later marketing podcast.
01:35
So let's face it, we're really in the back half of the year and, if you're like many professionals, you might be feeling the pressure. Maybe you set ambitious targets back in January, but life and work and a thousand other things be feeling the pressure. Maybe you set ambitious targets back in January, but life and work and a thousand other things got in the way. Well, I don't want you to panic because we've got you covered. In today's episode. We're diving deep into six game-changing strategies that can really help you recalibrate, refocus and really move towards your goals. So I guess the question is why is meeting these year-end goals so crucial? Well, first off, I think it's not just about the numbers, because, for legal and financial professionals, ending the year strong really sets the tone for the next, and I think it builds momentum, it enhances your reputation and it can significantly impact your bottom line. So this is why I want to talk about this today and I think, more importantly, it's about fulfilling the promises that you want to make to yourself and to your practice. So it's about growth, both professionally and personally. So let's walk you through everything, from revisiting and refining your goals, to hosting impactful workshops and webinars, and so, by the end of this episode, you're going to have a really clear roadmap to turn those year-end goals into a reality and to really allow you to reassess where you are right now and how far you have to go. Where you are right now and how far you have to go so, whether you're listening in your office, during your commute or while taking a well-deserved break, grab a pen and paper or open up notes on your mobile phone, because you don't want to miss a single tip. So let's get started.
03:20
So, number one, the first thing I want to talk about, or how I want to kick things off is is all about revisiting and refining your goals. So we've all been there. You set big, ambitious goals at the start of the year, but now you're wondering if they're still the right goals. So well, guess what? That's totally normal and it's actually a good thing. So here's why reviewing your goals is so important Simply because life happens, markets shift, priorities change and, of course, new opportunities are always popping up. So I think, by taking a step back and looking at your goals, you're making sure that you're on the right track.
04:02
Okay, so let's break this down into simple, actionable steps. So, firstly, you want to schedule regular check-ins with yourself. Maybe it's once a month. I like to check in once a month. I think that's a really good time frame to do that, or maybe for some of you it's once a week. So, doing these check-ins, I want you to ask yourself are these goals still relevant to what I want to achieve? So think about that. Secondly, don't be afraid to break those big, scary goals into smaller, bite-sized pieces. So, instead of saying I want to increase my client base by 50%, try setting a goal to reach out to maybe five new potential clients each week. So that's your goal. So this way it's less overwhelming and easier to track. Because when you say, when you talk about a vague goal like increase your client base by 50%, it really needs to be broken down into what that could look like.
05:02
And, as an aside note, if you have a team, you may want to get them involved in this process as well. So in some situations, depending on your team's roles, they could actually lead this check-in with you each month to keep you accountable. That's a great way to do that. Put them in charge of that. They're going to go back and do all the numbers and come back to you and reassess each month or each week, however you want to do that. Lastly, you need to be flexible. So if something's not working, change it up.
05:32
Your goals aren't set in stone. They're just there to guide you, not restrict you. So I know what some of you could be thinking. You know, especially if you're saying to yourself but I've already fallen behind on my goals. Is it too late? And my answer to that is absolutely not. In fact, now is the perfect time to reassess and get back on track. So remember, the point of goals is not to stress you out. They're there to motivate and guide you. So if you're feeling overwhelmed, take a deep breath. You've got this. I want you to do something for me right now. So take out a piece of paper or, as I said, open a note on your phone, write down your top three goals for the rest of the year. So just write down your top three goals for the rest of the year Now, under each goal, jot down one small step that you can take this week to move closer to it. So you've already started the process of revisiting and refining your goals. So keep this up and you'll be amazed at what you can achieve by the end of the year, and so the point I'm trying to make here is it's about taking small steps that will lead you to helping you achieve those bigger goals.
06:48
I hope this is making sense. All right, let's move on to number two. So number two is all about how to prioritize your tasks to make the most impact. So I know that the word ruthless might sound a bit intense, but what I'm really saying here is, when we talk about prioritizing ruthlessly, I'm not talking about being mean or pushy. I'm talking about being laser focused on what really matters. So think about it this way Every day, we're bombarded with a million things to do emails, meetings, phone calls, not to mention that growing to-do list.
07:30
So it's easy to feel overwhelmed, but here's the secret Not everything on that list is equally important. So how do we sort through the noise and focus on what really counts? So I want to break this down into two simple steps, because I really want you to implement this. So first is, identify the tasks that directly contribute to your goals. So these are your high impact activities. Ask yourself if I could only do three things today that could move me closer to my goals, what would they be? And those are your priorities for the week, plain and simple. So the second thing you want to do is you know this is where the ruthless part comes in, and that is to delegate or reschedule less important tasks. I know it's tempting to try and do it all, but, trust me, that's a recipe for burnout, and for some of you, you've probably already experienced that. So it's okay to say no, to postpone or to hand off tasks that aren't crucial. So here's a process I like to use. It's called the ABC method.
08:38
So you want to label your tasks A, b or C. So let me break this down A tasks are must-dos. They're directly linked to your goals and they have real consequences if they're not done. B tasks are should-dos and they're important, but they can wait if necessary. And C tasks are nice-to-dos. So these are the ones that you can do if you have extra time, but they won't derail you if they're left undone.
09:09
So I want you to focus on tasks A first. All right, so A is what you want to focus on first. Then you're going to schedule tasks B and then C tasks. Well, they're there if you have time, so don't sweat it if you don't get to them. So I want you to remember that prioritizing ruthlessly isn't about working harder, it's about working smarter and it's about making sure your energy goes to where it matters most. So here's your challenge for the week Take a look at your to-do list, be honest with yourself. What are your A tasks? I want you to find those A-tasks, what can be delegated or postponed, and I bet you'll find that a lot of what's eating up your time isn't as crucial as you thought, and that could save you some more time and help you move faster towards reaching those goals.
10:06
Okay, number three. So let's dive into one of the most effective ways to boost your business as we approach the end of the year, and that is client outreach and follow-up. So let me explain this one about drumming up more business. It's about building and maintaining those relationships, because when you reach out, you remind your clients of the value you bring and you keep your services top of mind. So I want to break down a few actionable steps that you can take right now to really enhance that client outreach.
10:46
So the first thing you can do is you can send personalized emails and newsletters. So tailor your messages to reach each client and make it customized right. So mention their past interactions with you and offer relevant updates or services. So these personalized emails can significantly improve your open and your click-through rates. The second thing you want to do is you want to make follow-up phone calls. Yes, that's the phone. It's picking up the phone, so a personal touch can go a long way. So call your clients to check in, see how they're doing and remind them of your services. So keeping these calls brief but informative is really the key here.
11:33
The third thing you can do is you can share success stories and recent achievements. So you can do this simply by highlighting your successes. That can build trust and showcase your expertise. So you want to share stories of how you've helped other clients achieve their goals and how this might apply to your clients as well, to the clients that you're reaching out to. How can this help them specifically? So I think reaching out to past clients is really a game changer and it's really often overlooked, and it not only brings in repeat business, but it also generates referrals as well, and I think you know the key thing here is the trust has already been built because this is a past client, so they know how you work and supposedly, if you've done a really great job, then that time frame to cross-sell them something else has just been shortened because the know like and trust factor is there. Okay.
12:30
So one strategy that works well for me is sending personalized emails that really addresses specific client needs and, of course, following up with a phone call to discuss how I could offer further help. So let me share a quick example. I had a client who engaged with my services for over a year and I sent a personalized email highlighting some new services that I thought could benefit them, based on their past needs. So I followed up with a call and it turned out that they were looking for exactly what I was offering and this came out more in the conversation on the phone call and that outreach led to a significant new project. So I don't want you to underestimate the power of a personal touch Whether it's a handwritten note or a phone call showcasing that you care about your clients as individuals can really make the difference. So the important point here is that client outreach isn't just about making a sale. It's about building lasting relationships, and so your outlook should be exactly that. I don't want you to think about how you can make more sales, but more about how you can add more value that makes sense to that particular client, so that it makes their life or their work easier. Okay, I hope this is resonating with you and I think that this strategy can really help you move much more quickly towards reaching your year-end goal. So if you want to learn more about how this process works and how cross-selling can, how you can further understand cross-selling, I created an episode on this, and that's episode 11. I'll link it for you in the show notes. I think you'll find it very valuable.
14:19
All right, moving on to number four, number four, so boosting your referral network, so strengthening relationships with referral partners, can be another game changer. So for most of you, as legal and financial professionals, referral partnerships are the lifeblood of your practice, and so referral partners can really send clients your way and in return, you want to do the same for them. So it's really a win-win situation that can significantly expand your reach and your client base. So let's break this down once again into actionable steps to build and strengthen your referral network. So the first thing to do, obviously, is to, you know, continue looking for those key referral partners. So you want to look for professionals whose services complement yours. So this could be realtors, financial advisors, accountants, lawyers who don't specialize in the same area, mediators. The key is to find partners who serve a similar client base but aren't direct competitors. So I want you to schedule meetings or coffee chats this is a second thing that you can do so, once you've identified those potential partners, reach out to them, schedule some time to chat and discuss how you can help each other, talk about your services, your ideal clients and how you can mutually benefit from a referral partnership. And you know so.
15:45
Let me give you a quick example here. So let's suppose you are a family lawyer. You could partner with a divorce financial planner who works with clients going through a divorce. So by referring clients to each other, both of you can provide more comprehensive services to your clients while growing your own businesses. Now, this doesn't result in new clients right away. Your own businesses Now, this doesn't result in new clients right away. Okay, it takes time and it takes effort to grow these relationships because the trust has to be cultivated.
16:18
So a way to expedite this approach is to do a joint marketing initiative of some kind. So perhaps you decide to put a joint webinar together where your referral partner invites their email list and other contacts and you do the same. So you come together to educate your audience. You hold this you know joint marketing event. So what I want you to do is I want you to assess what was it like to work with this referral partner on this joint event. Was it a smooth process? Are they organized? Did they live up to their commitment? Were they well-versed in their area of expertise? So doing something together to co-market can really strengthen the relationship and build trust. So I want you to look for ways to build trust with referral partners first, before expecting that new business, and I think that's a really critical point to consider when doing this. But if you can start fostering those relationships now, this can contribute to helping you reach your year-end goals. It just takes a little bit more time, but if you start today, you will have the time to be able to reach those year-end goals, because this process, you know, takes a little bit to settle in and when it does, you're that much closer to reaching your year-end goals.
17:44
So if you want to dive deeper into referral partners and strategies, then I recommend you check out episodes number three, number 17, and number 20. And I'll link them in the show notes for you. I hope this is making sense for you. All right, let's move on to number five. So number five it's all about optimizing your online presence.
18:05
Now, I know some of you might be thinking I'm a lawyer or I'm a divorce financial planner, I'm a mediator. I'm not a tech guru, but stick with me, because having a strong online presence isn't just a nice to have, it's really essential. So think about it. When someone needs legal or financial advice, what's the first thing they do? They Google it right. So if you're not showing up in those search results, you're missing out on potential clients. So I want to, you know, break this down into simple steps so that you can really boost your online game.
18:38
So the first thing I want to talk about is your website. When was the last time you had it updated? So take a look at it. Does it need updating? Make sure it's easy to navigate, is it mobile friendly and does it clearly explain your services? Of course, don't forget about SEO, which is your search engine optimization. You want to use keywords that your potential clients might be searching for, so seeking out an SEO expert is important. Just to give you a quick example, if you're a divorce lawyer in Chicago, making phrases like Chicago divorce attorney appear on your site, that's part of making the SEO work better, right? So, once again, seek out the support of an SEO expert to really help you with that.
19:21
So let's chat about social media, and I know I know you're very busy without having to, you know, put out that tweet or to post on Facebook or on LinkedIn, but I want you to hear me out here. Social media is a powerful tool for connecting with potential clients and you don't need to be on every platform. I just want you to think about, you know, which are the one or two platforms that make sense for your practice, that make sense for where your ideal client hangs out. You want to post regularly. Make sure you share some tips related to your field, or comment on a recent legal or financial news. Lastly, consider starting a blog on your website. This is a really great way to showcase your expertise and, of course, that really does improve your SEO at the same time. So write about topics that you know your clients really care about. That's super important. Keep it simple and keep it helpful. So I think the goal here isn't to become an internet sensation overnight. It's about making sure that when potential clients are looking for your services, that they can find you easily and they see that you know your stuff.
20:37
So here's your challenge for this week. I want you to take a look at your online presence. Is your website up to date? Are you active on at least one social media platform? Have you shared any helpful, valuable content recently? If the answer to any of these is no, pick one of these areas to focus on and please make it a plan to improve it. So if you want to dig more into how to build a stronger online presence, then you definitely need to check out episodes 21 and 25 of our podcast, and once again, I'll put a link for that in the show notes.
21:14
All right, so conducting educational sessions online can be a game changer for your practice. So this brings me to number six. Number six online workshops and webinars, and what they do is they allow you to share your knowledge, build trust with potential clients and really position you as an expert in your field. So how I'd like to define the difference between webinars and online workshops is that webinars tend to be shorter. Online events, like maybe 60 minutes could even be 30 minutes, whereas online workshops. They run for longer periods of time, like maybe two hours plus, and they can be done over days or in a full day, right, so it's a much longer type of event. So how do you do this? I think when you're looking at hosting successful workshops and webinars, the key thing you need to do is really hone in on the relevant and hot topic. So I want you to think about what your clients are most interested in, what audience needs or those audience pain points or the common questions that you get asked.
22:36
You're going to want to then promote these events through various channels. So, once you've planned your event, it's about time to get the word out, and this is really, I think, the most time-consuming and the most challenging for professionals is promoting the event. So you can use things like your website, your social media channels, email newsletters, email, word of mouth. You can go to your referral partners, ask them to help you spread the word. So the more channels that you use, the more people that you're going to reach.
23:10
Okay, so let me give you a quick example. So suppose you're a divorce financial planner. You could host a webinar on tax strategies for divorcing couples, so you can promote it through your email list, social media and even partner with local businesses to help you spread the word. And I think during the webinar, you really want to provide valuable insights and actionable tips and, at the end, offer some kind of consultation to the attendees, because this not only showcases your expertise, but it gives them a direct way for potential clients to engage with you. Okay, I hope this is making sense for potential clients to engage with you. Okay, I hope this is making sense.
23:50
So, hosting educational online events is really a fantastic way to connect with potential clients and demonstrate your expertise, and we help our clients do this all the time. In fact, our clients run a lot of webinars and online workshops to really help them quickly reach their goals. So if you haven't tried this, definitely check it out. If you're not sure how to go about this, set up a consultation call with me there's a link to that in the show notes and we can help walk you through what this could look like for your practice. Also, I want to share a quick example for my practice and how it works. So we host online marketing workshops regularly and it not only attracts a large audience but, as I said, it leads to several new client consultations.
24:39
So my biggest tip for you is this Focus on providing real value first. On providing real value first. Don't just talk about what you do. Show how you can help solve your audience's problems, because that's all they really care about. So don't forget to engage with your audience. Encourage questions and interaction to make the session more dynamic and helpful. So, for example, in my online workshops, I always leave time for open Q&As, so I open the mic so that everyone can ask their questions. I know that a lot of participants really value that part, because they get to get their questions answered in real time.
25:21
So, once again, if you haven't done any of these, don't be afraid to start small. Okay, your first event doesn't have to be perfect. The important thing is to get out there and start sharing your knowledge, and you will improve with each session. I promise you that. And so if you want to learn really more powerful ways to get the best results out of webinars and online workshops, then a few must-listens are episodes seven and eight. I'll link that for you in the show notes and I really believe these episodes will be well worth your time, especially if you're using this type of platform to help you reach your year-end goals. So, as we approach the end of the year, I want you to remember it's never too late to make significant progress toward your goals. Don't be discouraged. You can do this.
26:12
And so here's a quick recap of the six game-changing strategies that I think you need to implement. So the first, as I mentioned, was revisit and refine your goals right, regularly check in on those goals to ensure that they're still relevant. I want you to prioritize ruthlessly, focus on high impact tasks that directly contribute to your goals and use the ABC process that I explained in this episode. You need to enhance client outreach and follow up, reconnect with those past clients through personalized emails, follow-ups, phone calls and really sharing those success stories. You need to strengthen those referral networks. If you haven't done that in a while, it's time to reach out, identify and nurture those relationships with those key referral partners.
27:04
Optimize your online presence. So go back to your website. Does it need to be updated? Do you need to change the way your services are listed? Ensure that it's SEO friendly and, of course, be active on social media Super, super important. And you want to host those educational workshops and webinars that can be a game changer. So think about how you can do that. So these strategies will not only help you finish the year strong, but also set a solid foundation for the year ahead. And who doesn't want that? So remember, it's all about taking small, consistent steps, and you've got this. You can do this. It's never too late. So thank you for tuning in today and I hope you found this episode valuable. If you did, I have a favor to ask. I'd be really honored if you could subscribe to the show rate or review it and, of course, share it with others who may find it valuable. Have a great day.