12 Marketing Mistakes
See this list for mistakes you could be making and can avoid with some strategic forethought. Most of them create confusion for your client, or don’t honor the relationship you want to build with them through your soul-driven business. By using the information here, you can create a guideline or action plan to start creating positive shifts in your business right away.
1. Not letting clients know what to expect before services are provided.
This references how the process works, what they will be getting, how to pay, what happens after the service is provided, what their next steps are, how to be prepared (if applicable) for your services.
2. Asking for non-specific donation / love offering / fees.
Having a clear pricing structure takes the pressure off your client from deciding your value, and also does not potentially reinforce that they are in scarcity by charging them your stated fee. Do not ever assume that people know your pricing; by being clear and up-front, people can self-select or ask you for additional options.
3. Trading.
If you decide to trade services, it can be challenging to decide how to make the trade favorable to both parties. It should be only for what you would pay for anyway, and it’s important to limit the number of vendor trades so that you don’t end up really busy with no money to show for it at the end of the month.
4. Negotiating after starting the delivery of services.
This is extremely painful for both of you, and happens when your arrangement was not fully explored or understood in advance. It can also happen if circumstances change, such as the scope of work expands; however, you can have a clause in your agreement for such a situation which protects both of you by at least acknowledging the possibility and how you will handle it as it presents. Do not start work or deliver services until you have clarity in your arrangements, and, ideally, that’s in writing somewhere (either on your website, in an agreement, in an email).
5. Giving more time or service than your customer paid to receive.
This doesn’t honor you as a business person, nor the customer who expects to receive what you’ve clearly stated previously. At the same time, make sure to honor your customer; if there is any problem or misunderstanding, you need to take responsibility for that as the provider who needed to be clear in your communications. (And, all that being said, I am one who generally gives a lot, so know that I am not your best role model here…) ;+)
6. Not accepting compliments, tips or referrals.
This is about blocking your own abundance, and isn’t allowing your client to give back to you in a reciprocal sort of fashion. The Universe acts through the people and circumstances in your world, so if you want to know that you are in track, receive abundance and grow your business, you also need to know how to receive gracefully.
7. Not making / keeping appointments.
If you aren’t making appointments, take a look at why it happens – is it a systems thing? Do you have call reluctance? Do you leave it to your clients to make arrangements with you? Not making appointments is the same thing as not building your business proactively. And not keeping your appointments could be sabotage, resistance or some level of limiting pathology that is unconsciously blocking your business growth. If something legitimately comes up, give as much notice as possible and reschedule asap.
8. Letting your client leave without written documentation.
This is particularly important if you are providing virtual services, like coaching, healing, transformational services or virtual assistance. Make sure that you “tangibilize” your experience so that your client can physically relate to the value they are receiving from your solution.
9. Not being available post-sale / service.
If you appear to take the money and run, it’s unprofessional, detracts from your ability to build relationship with your clients, and creates frustration all the way around. Be sure to let your clients know how to work with you beyond the actual service delivery.
10. Not knowing your value.
If you don’t know your value, your clients won’t be able to ‘get’ it either. Be clear on the value you provide through your products and services in order to claim it professionally.
11. Not having purpose to your marketing materials.
If your marketing materials leave people wondering what it is that you really do, don’t incite them to take action and are unclear as to what they are supposed to do with them, you are wasting time, energy and resources. (This may be the biggest mistake that I see most commonly on websites.) Refine your marketing materials so that people can get their proverbial hands on what you do, why it matters to them and how to connect with you further.
12. Self-centered information.
If your marketing talks about you, what you do and how you do it, how you learned it, using the word “I” to start each paragraph, you are making this mistake. Your marketing information is about your prospective client, not about you. Don’t sell the service; instead, sell what the service brings to them as their result(s). Get into the place of being your prospective client, with beginner’s mind, and see if you feel a conversation happening that’s about you and your needs as a prospective client. If not, it’s time to revamp your approach.