The Marketing Approach You Should Start Doing #114

The message remains clear: whatever program you are creating or perfecting, do not build it in a cave! We want to remind you of the importance of speaking to people and collecting useful feedback on your offers. This all comes under the umbrella of the idea of permission marketing, an approach championed most famously by Seth Godin, in which you use past clients, peers, and colleagues, to develop a more impactful business. The basics of the process are speaking to people who will be interested in what you offering and using the feedback about your offer to direct your decisions and testing. The system also allows you to create a network of invested individuals who feel a real connection to what you are doing, which is a great foundation for any venture.

In This Episode

Reaching out to colleagues in a different way [0:04:02]
The conversations that can help you find out what is important [0:22:20]
Building your programs based on conversations with experts [0:27:41]
Scheduling a time and having an impactful first call [0:30:41]
Creating buy-in and bringing people along on your journey [0:35:41]
The process of iteration and going live with an offer [0:37:35]

“If you start marketing something when that something is ready, you are four to six months too late.” — Jonathan Goodman

The Initial Outreach

Once you have identified people that you can speak to, you can reach out as early as possible, before you even have a request to make. If they seem interested, then when the time comes you can ask them to share and spread the word about what you are doing. The first steps are just about gathering information and getting some feedback from different levels of expertise. Speaking to people enables you to learn about your offer in a way that is not possible on your own.

Narrowing Down Your Offer

These conversation can be quick and to the point. You are refining your idea, and getting specific about the most powerful parts of what you are offering. By adopting an accommodating and forthright attitude you can lead the communications in way that is inclusive and mutually beneficial. This is all part of a more general approach to networking, and you can utilize whatever platforms that you have at your disposal. The important thing is to get out of the 'cave' and connect with others to keep learning and iterating!

Following Up and Moving Forward

It can be very diligent to mention how things will move forward from the start. Including your network in the process allows you to set out a roadmap for the growth of your program. You can also consider offering early or trial versions of the service in order to really test your work. This will all lead to more talk and knowledge of what you are doing in the lead-up to any official launch. You are creating a real investment and community, something that can be built organically and slowly, and continually improved upon!

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