What a coffee shop taught me about losing clients without knowing it

Coffee me? Yes, I am an avid tea drinker but I do enjoy a coffee every now and again.

And I also love supporting local independent businesses.

Every time I drove past, my curiosity was peaked.

‘I wonder what their coffee is like.’

But guess the burning question I most wanted them to answer before I paid them a visit?

What’s their opening times?

I didn’t want to go there to find it closed.

Who would?

But their opening times remain a mystery.

Nothing on their website.

Nought on their social media either.

So I haven’t been. Yet.

It’s not because I don’t want to but because they haven’t answered the question I need them to answer so I know when to go.

Please don’t be this coffee shop.

Can’t see what you can’t see

I know when you’re deep inside your own business it’s not easy to spot what’s missing.

You know everything about what you offer and do for your clients.

You’re on the ball with how it works, who it’s for, not for, what it costs and why it’s abso-blinking-lutely brilliant for them.

It would be your chosen subject on Mastermind.

We fall into the trap where we assume our ideal client knows too, don’t we?

They don’t.

They’re not in our business.

They’re relying on us to tell, to explain and help them decide if we’re for them, or not.

And if they have to work out waaaayyyy tooooo much on their own?

They won’t see you as a solver of their problem.

Instead they’ll see you as a puzzle they can’t be bothered to work out and solve.

And off they’ll pop to someone who has made it easier.

Unanswered questions are costing you clients

There are folks out there who would benefit from working with you.

They’re looking for you but when they can find what they need to feel confident enough to take the next step towards you…

An unanswered question introduces doubt. They wobble.

These wobbles become uncertainty which can lead to them doing nothing at all with you.

What to do instead

What are the questions your fab and ideal client would absolutely love you to answer about your offer?

Start with the ones that feel straightforward.

• What will this give me that I don’t currently have?
• What problems does it solve?
• Who is it for?
• How does it work?
• How long does it take?
• Why should I trust you?
• Who else have you done this for? How did they get on?
• Will this work for me specifically?
• Okay I’m interested so what’s my next step?

When you answer questions like these you’re making it waaaay easier for the right folks decide you’re the one for them.

But you’re not done there.

There’s questions they’re asking that might make you feel a tad wee bit uncomfortable but if they’re asking it makes good business sense to be answering them.

Questions like:

• Why is it so expensive?
• Why is it so cheap?
• Why does it take so long?
• Why do I have to complete a questionnaire before you’ll work with me?
•  How are you different from everyone else offering something similar?

Let’s reframe them from awkward shall we?

These questions are honest and they’re being asked.

Answering these little beauties is a powerful thing you can do for your marketing.

A wee exercise to help you get better at answering those unanswered questions (cuppa and biscuit optional)

Think about and pick one unanswered question your fab and ideal client very likely has about your offer.

Answer it.

Don’t then give yourself a pat on the back and pop the kettle on.

Get the answer out there.

On your website, a post, an email.

Get it in front of your ideal client.

Don’t stop there.

What other questions are you leaving unanswered?

Because there’s someone right now who is curious about your offer.

They’ve got questions so make sure your answer is there when a-looking they will go.

Why knowing and doing this stuff makes a difference

Taking the leap to work with you can be a big decision for someone.

You want to work with folks who are happy they’ve picked you.

Your ideal client also wants to be happy they’ve picked you.

When you answer their questions you’re removing their doubts and replacing it with trust.

When they have trust making the decision to work with you is easy.

Coffee anyone?

Fancy a chat?

If you’re ready to find out what’s working, what isn’t with your marketing and you’re ready to fix it, let’s have a chat about what us working together could look like.

Want more marketing insights?

Here’s some more blogs for you:

How to create and use content to build trust and authority

A question that will change how you sell: Get more yeses than maybes

You’re not talking about your offer enough (and why it’s costing you clients)