HOW TO DEVELOP LOYALTY WITH YOUR Soul Clients

We’ve all been there. Needing a service or product, but dreading going online because there’s always that one person that just won’t let up or take no for an answer when you sign up for their freebie opt-in or contact them about their services.

The last time I went online looking for something I needed, I actually had one entrepreneur send me five marketing emails in one day asking why I had not signed up for the course or bought a service. I immediately unsubscribed and will not visit that website again!

When I did decide to make a purchase, it was because of the knowledge and reputation of the person, the value of their services, and the overall non-pressure and ease of the online experience.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of woo-woo at heart transformational businesses out there that tend to ignore our needs, peddling their goods and services, marketing day and night, and just putting on the air of desperation.

What’s the real difference here? Push versus pull marketing...

What is push marketing?

Push marketing is like a desperate salesperson that is working on a commission. They need sales to make their quota, so they cold call people, stalk them via email and social media, and are forever handing out business cards at networking events.

This takes a lot of effort and by the of the day, they might have closed a few deals, but they have lost a lot of valuable time that could have gone into investing in their reputation as an entrepreneur and the credibility of their services.

What is pull marketing?

Pull marketing is like the laid back masseuse. They need sales to make a living, but they know that the brand of the day spa and the type of services they offer precede everything else.

These people spend a lot of time building a rapport with their potential clients, adopting a no pressure attitude, offering sales materials that provide benefits and features, and doling out the white glove service no matter if they get the sale or not.

The difference between marketing and branding

Simply put, marketing is actively promoting a product or service. It’s what the online marketing world calls a “push tactic”. It’s pushing a message out via any avenue of promotion like a magazine ad, radio spot, commercial, or social media post where the main goal is to get a sale as a result.

Branding is not a push tactic, but rather a pull tactic. Branding is the expression of the value of a business, product or service. Having a brand will help encourage someone to buy a service or product, not by pushing but instead by attracting those that need it, simply by answering the following questions:

What is it? Why is it offered? Who does it help? And why would I want to purchase it?

Branding is what sticks in your mind about a service or product, no matter if you buy it or not. It is what determines if someone will become a loyal customer. The marketing may convince someone to buy a service or product, but it is the brand that will determine if they will only work with you or buy from you there on out.

In other words, marketing can bring in sales, but it’s the branding that brings in the soul client loyalty.

Why pull marketing through branding works

With the pull strategy, you focus your marketing efforts inward by spending time building your skills, value and brand credibility rather than searching for your next sale. This takes time, but with discipline and remaining highly focused on what you do best, you can actually build a reputation that attracts clients to you in a relatively easy way.

There are no guarantees with any type of marketing or branding, but with a little time investment and focusing in on what makes your transformational brand valuable, the return from building a business with the pull strategy is much stronger and lasts longer.

So which type of marketing are you spending your time and energy on?

Using pull marketing versus push tactics is the difference between always searching and waiting for your next client and knowing you will have a steady stream of loyal clients and referrals.

If you want to attract ideal soul clients and avoid the endless cycle of feast or famine, networking and throwing money away on Facebook ads, you need to develop your brand and a strong pull marketing strategy. That means investing time in honing your skills, narrowing your focus by developing a niche service, and demonstrating your knowledge by sharing valuable content on a consistent basis.

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