What is a Marketing Breakthrough?

In my "Fast Track to More Clients" workshops I'm promising a "breakthrough in your ability to attract more clients." Is that just marketing hype or is a breakthrough something that is both real and possible?

One dictionary definition of breakthrough is: "a significant and dramatic overcoming of a perceived obstacle, allowing the completion of a process."

So if you had a marketing breakthrough, any perceived obstacles that were stopping you would be overcome in a significant and dramatic way. The breakthrough would allow you to market yourself more successfully and with better overall results.

I think I can safely say that everyone reading this eZine wold be open to some kind of marketing breakthrough! The thing is, for the most part, we don't behave as if breakthroughs are possible. We are resigned to slow and gradual progress.

But it's that very resignation that preludes the possibility of a breakthrough. Not only that, we think that breakthroughs are only achieved by geniuses like Einstein and Edison.

This isn't the case. When I talk about marketing breakthroughs, I'm not talking about a brand new discovery, but a personal insight, understanding or realization that changes everything.

Let me give you a few examples.

When a past client, Phil Hamilton, discovered the power of changing the "Ultimate Outcome" of his service from "doing a business valuation" to "selling the client's business," His income went from $10,000 per project to $150,000. (With a higher close rate and less work on his part!)

I think you'll agree that was a breakthrough!

Another example are the many testimonial letters I've received from people who followed the proposal format in the InfoGuru Marketing Manual. For instance, Paul Browning closed a $390,000 deal just a few days after getting the manual and following the proposal process.

Phil and Paul's breakthroughs came from applying proven, time-tested formulas to their marketing. What seemed impossible before became relatively easy when they were exposed to and then implemented this knowledge.

Making the Leap

But what does it really take to have breakthroughs of this kind?

Breakthroughs come when you can make the leap between a current, ineffective marketing practice and a new, effective marketing practice.

One of my favorite examples is generating leads after giving a talk. Let's assume the talk is great and the audience is ideal. You have laid the groundwork to convert some of the participants into clients. Here are two possible scenarios:

Scenario One.
After the talk, you thank the audience, hand out your cards and encourage anyone who needs your expertise to give you a call. Then you wait and see if anyone calls.

Scenario Two.
After the talk, you thank the audience, then hold up a special report you've written and ask "I have a report that covers many of the ideas in today's talk. Who would like a copy?" After a show of hands you say, "Please give me your business cards and I'll send you a copy by email."

Then you say, "In addition, I offer a complimentary "Productivity Strategy Session" valued at $295 to anyone who attends one of my talks. Who might be interested in receiving a complimentary session?" After a show of hands you say, "Please fill out this form and give it back to me before you leave and I'll set up a session with you."

I promise you that Scenario Two will result in more leads, more prospects and more clients - even if the talk and audience are identical. And for most, that would be a marketing breakthrough.

Marketing breakthroughs ultimately come from doing things differently. But the genesis of any breakthrough is the realization that what you are doing now is not getting the results you want and you feel "there must be another way."

The good news with marketing is that there are hundreds of other ways that can create substantial and dramatic breakthroughs in your results. And most of them are relatively easy to implement.

In the "Fast Track to More Clients Workshop" I focus on the top seven high-leverage principles and practices that consistently produce marketing breakthroughs and attract more clients with less struggle and effort.

The good news is that you don't need hundreds of ideas. These top seven are enough to make a dramatic shift in how you engage in the game of marketing and ultimately win the game.

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The More Clients Bottom Line: Marketing breakthroughs come when you shift from using marketing strategies that don't work to ones that do work. It's as simple as that. What strategy isn't working for you now? Are you committed to having a breakthrough? What will you learn and do to make it happen?

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Share a breakthrough you've had in your marketing by doing something differently. Please share on the More Clients Blog.

Comments

[Monique Caradine]

Robert,
I'm finally getting over that sick feeling when I have to call people back. A quick personal story: Today I received a call from a potential client who had received some marketing material from me. Initially I just asked her how things were going, she said fine and we said goodbye. I realized that I was missing an opportunity and falling back into that dangerous comfort zone. Instead of kicking myself, I called her right back and asked who was doing her PR. She said "no one." I then asked if I could send her my free publicity e-zine and she said "sure." Now that was breaking out of the comfort zone! I'll let you know when she becomes a paid client. I'll keep pushing myself to break free of that 'zone.' Thanks for your insight.

[Barbara Ruth Saunders]

Years ago, I worked as a personal trainer. I made the wise investment of paying my business mentor to lead me through sessions as if I were his client. I came to understand that he didn't sell his "service" at all. He led me through a distinct experience and then told me directly how what I felt connected to the results I wanted to get.

I chucked my standard spiel and started conducting my introductory sessions the way he did -- I "read" what people were confused about and created an experience that pointed to that area of confusion. I told them where I thought clarity would lie for them. My business took off. Within six months, people were approaching me on the gym floor based on the way they saw me working with other people!