Is 2019 going to be the year you get rich? It seems everywhere you look there is someone on social promising you a way to effortlessly earn 6 and 7 figure sums of money. If I am honest, I have almost fallen for it – with compelling messaging and stories of how the writer was poor until they discovered this one magical method, that no one else is doing – and now they want to share it with you………for a fee (of course!).
Here is such a message I received today ‘Learn …5 ways to hit a million in 2019…!!!’
Yet if it seems too good to be true, then undoubtedly it will be. It’s one of the harsh realities I have learned since I have been selling my online leadership & management courses – that being, there is no such thing as a quick rich scheme and if you are considering clicking on one of the many promises of ‘6 steps to earning a 7-figure income in the next 30 days’ then let me save you the disappointment and tell you it will fail.
The secret to success
There is no magic bullet, just loads of marketing hype that fails to deliver, and lots of new channels to reach your audience (just think of the days before social media, AdWords, Facebook ads etc. etc.). Yet the same methods for successful sales and marketing 10 years ago, still apply today. The only activities you need to focus on are finding your niche audience, offering a truly value added service or product to them, and then be really consistent about communicating with that audience.
Remember you need to take your target customer on their buyer’s journey:
- That starts with building awareness of you and your product/service
- Then build empathy by showing them you really understand their challenges
- Then build trust and credibility by discussing previous clients you have solved this for
- And FINALLY, you can start selling to them (because they will be aware of you and be interested in what you have to say)
The reality
So, sorry to burst your bubble if you have been enticed (as I have) by sexy promises you read on Facebook or LinkedIn, they won’t work (or they haven’t told you the whole story). To help me find the best and most successful methods for marketing, I always use this equation: ‘is the effort in less than the results out?’. If this answer is no (e.g. investing a lot of time going to twice weekly networking events that deliver little in the way of opportunities) then I stop doing it. If this answer is Yes (e.g. sending out regular useful and thought provoking emails (as I hope this one is!)) then I do more of it and do it consistently.