According to John Jantsch in his post, How To Make Your Competition Irrelevant, you can grow your business 10% by adding some features, improving your SEO, or by getting good at social media. But if you want to double or triple your business, you need to change the way your audience sees your business.
Most businesses try to focus all of their attention on selling, servicing and talking about where their market is today. They create products and services to sell to people who are already demanding those products and services.
He groups people into three categories: Hunters, Catalysts and Trailblazers.
Hunters are probably your customers today. They had a quantifiable need and found you and your solution through some sort of search.
Catalysts offer the greatest near term growth as these are business and individuals that will have a need triggered soon by some type of life cycle change, calendar event, budget refresh, office relocation, etc. (Hint: focusing on identifying what these triggers are with your current hunter clients is the best way to immediately grow share of wallet.)
Lastly, Trailblazers are those odd freaks that are very, very passionate about all things related to where your industry is headed. They buy early, they evangelize, they go to great lengths to have things before others. It’s easy to call these folks early adopters, but it’s more than that – they have passion for anyone and anything that helps them validate their journey.
To gain market share, you practically need to give away what the hunters want.
The key to massively growing your business is to understand how to move your brand where the trailblazers reside. By doing so, you are rising above those who are fighting for the same hunter space.
Not an easy task, but bold growth only comes from bold thinking.
Great read, Cheryl. Now lets tickle you to boldness…..What would your trailblazers be looking for? Where would you find them? [evil grin]