Rebuilding Progress: Half-Year Check-in and an Update to Two No’s and a Possibility

I started this year with the intention of rebuilding. Now it’s summer, it’s time for a half-year check-in. I am keeping with the Spades theme so while I don’t have a Boston, I am winning hands.

What Happened to the No’s

Progess, not perfection” – Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)

Guess what? I didn’t close any of the proposals. The reasons were simple. One potential client kept moving the goalpost as to what he wanted. Another partner’s opted out and the last kept pushing back on meeting. This is why having a steady pipeline is key to success. Purchase my 30 days of growth program to create a pipeline for your company.

No’s Are Just an Opportunity

I admit, getting a no or even worse a non-answer is hard. I’m an optimist, astrologically and realistically, and even I have to regroup from the moment. As entrepreneurs, a no could make a real difference in our lives. However, we must accept a “no” as part of our regular business operations. Also, we need to will make it a part of your sales processes.

My no’s turned into let’s start with a branding workshop. Branding is the beginning of any marketing strategy. After a two hour conversation about your business and it’s mission and vision my team and I can begin to work. Your brand is especially crucial to a customer-first and brand promise philosophy.

Getting Paid

The rebuild also included increasing my prices. For me to reach my financial goals over the next 10 years, it had to be done. However, as my close rate prior to this change was between 70-80%, all those “no’s” reinforced in my mind that my pricing was too low.

This change also included changing my target audience for Customer 1st. While I love working with start-ups and smaller, their budgets are too small for the quality of work I deliver. I will continue to start-ups wherever possible. I am targeting small to mid-size companies, preferably in the tech space, that have been in business at least 5 years.

My Second Word of the Year: Purpose

Rebuilding is another way to remember why I started Customer 1st Marketing. It’s a marriage of my skills and ability with my desire to help businesses, especially in technology, to survive and then thrive. KUUBOB is the next iteration of that purpose, except it is focused on black-owned brands.

My friend, producer and co-host of Leading With Purpose podcast, Dr. Sharon, said it best when we were wondering why the What Now Movement wasn’t getting the momentum we expected. I’m paraphrasing but her suggestion was that we need to continue with the mission of the company. WNM’s mission is to coach people to be ready for their ‘what’s next” moment. In marketing terms, this is your brand promise.

I have started to really think of the brand’s promise as the next iteration of my customer 1st philosophy. I am excited to speak with Terry Beltran about this topic. I can’t wait to share her podcast interview with you.

Firing Clients

Leaning into this idea of rebuilding, and a brand’s purpose and promise, I want to fire clients. The idea of it still seems foreign. To do so, I need to position myself in a way that attracts to the clients where I can provide the most value. The pipeline becomes more important.

That is something I have never ever done. As I write this I am getting butterflies in my stomach. 🦋😬😅 But I absolutely love when I hear consultants say, “I had to fire that client.” That is a company that clearly knows who their clients are, has defined their brand, and has built a successful pipeline of opportunities.

M is for Momentum

I am happy to report that in May/June and July, I was finally able to sell new marketing services and on KUUBOB. Plus, this blog’s view and visitors has reached triple digit growth over 2023.

All the metrics for every business was UP!

And the momentum continues. More leads have started to come in. The new sales processes and help, I expect to report great sales numbers.

Thank you readers for your clicks, saves and shares! By the end of this rebuild,

• I will have reimagined my Customer 1st philosophy and added the importance of the brand promise to the mix.
• Built a team who passionate about marketing, goal-oriented and agile.
• Created a pipeline of IT clients who need my unique skills.
• Rebranded and relaunched my 30 days of growth program.

Let’s Talk Marketing

How are you doing this year? Building? Growing? If you need more that a blog to get you motivated let’s talk and restart your marketing strategy,https://meetings.hubspot.com/mhoye?uuid=bf3e2362-4fd5-4332-930e-da09dbb1ba4a

Don’t forget to post your comments and questions below.