True Stories about Perception

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a gazillion times… Empty and lifeless social media pages are killing your conversions.?

You might be busy. You might be putting chocolate hobnobs in the tin and you might even be shopping in Waitrose every other Tuesday but when it comes to the perception of your business…

Well, that’s in ruins.

The growth of any business relies on people outside of your immediate circle being able to validate your brilliance. So whilst Susan up the road and Jeff from the tennis club have been passing your name around and generating a bit of business…

The big wide world outside of JeffySue thinks you’re either closed. Shit. Or both.

A man cutting grass.

Last week, a man slipped what looked like a folded-up piece of paper through our broken letterbox, waking the dog and almost causing a biscuit breaking in my tea moment.?

The reason it looked like a folded-up piece of paper is because that’s exactly what it was. A handwritten, poorly worded excuse for a sales flyer offering ‘Landscap Gardening’ services in the local area.?

Yes, I meant to write Landscap because as you can see from the image below, that’s how it was spelt.?

Now, let me get something straight. I am all for people trying to make a few quid. I also admire the fact that people are going old school and instead of doing what I would do and starting a social media page, they are getting their steps in.

But, in 2024, when competition in every industry is rife and Cyril up the road has been trimming Harriot’s bush for over 25 years without complaint, you need to get the basics right if you’re going to take the business.?

The basics of sales and marketing

Now, some may argue that said green-fingered lawn lover is only canvassing in the local area because he is down on his luck with no spondooly to spend on marketing materials such as flyers and Grammarly.?

But what about a Facebook page? What about knocking on the door and shaking hands with a few people to build trust??

Let me give you a comparison.?

This year, my brother started his own gardening business having done it on the side for around 6 months while still employed. I taught him well.?

Before even picking up a set of sheers, he’d built the Facebook page (free) and invited all of his friends to follow, explaining that he was just gauging interest levels before he went balls deep and left his job (also free).

With the first few quid he made (from being on Facebook and sharing some pics of his own immaculate garden), he paid someone to create a basic website so that his professional front was solid. This was all about the keyword in marketing your business…

Presentation.

6 months on, almost all of his new business comes from people being recommended to him and before committing, checking him out on Facebook to see how he handles a hoe. Once they see the content and presentation of the business online, coupled with a recommendation from a friend, the deal is done.

And not a screwed-up piece of paper in sight.

A man about a dog

We needed a dog trainer for our new puppy. The first port of call for my wife who is a serial researcher was Google where she found one that was very local. Winning.?

But because almost everyone in the world has now lost the ability to dial numbers on a phone and speak with words, she was not ready to just call without a lot more investigation. This meant a trip over to Facebook to see what people were saying and how active this person was. Maybe even see some nice doggie pics coz you know…

Cute.

Oh dear. No content for over 2 years and that was the first one in 6 months. Her heart sank as she concluded what so many others do when faced with similar situations…

“So they’re closed. Or maybe just shit. Maybe they closed because they were shit.”

Basically, her perception of this business wasn’t exactly setting her world on fire, which meant she didn’t take the next step and another business lost out because of poor social media presence.

People aren’t what you think they are

These are just 2 examples of hundreds I could give where ‘Perception’ has got in the way of a very good business securing a deal. And there are millions more where they came from.

The challenge for us as business owners is that we assume people will just pick up the phone. We assume they will take Google's word for it. We assume they will even just blindly go with a recommendation without doing any background work.

In 2024, people won’t.

Your social media pages are your connection to an audience that doesn’t shop the way it used to. They are the shop front everyone needs to see before they push the door open and come in for a look.

Yet so many are left unloved and unmanaged.?

The examples in this story are very much B2C, but the exact same rules apply in the B2B world and when it comes to LinkedIn, that validation through an effective content strategy is even more essential.?

If you are a business owner who isn’t distributing content in your space for your ideal buyer to connect with, you are missing the greatest opportunity for growth there is in 2024.?

Your buyers aren’t on the end of a phone anymore, nor do they have to settle for anything less than perfect because of the amount of options they now have. To secure the business of the people you desire the most, you must meet them in the places they spend the most time.

Stay Unconventionall.