5 Hard Truths All Founders Need to Hear

Some of the most brave people I know are entrepreneurs. 

And I can see why. 

Starting a business or nonprofit is an act of courage. It's the belief that you can build a business around your knowledge, skills and expertise. 

As an entrepreneur, you take what you know and work to scale up the operations of your business.

Unfortunately, this act of courage comes with a large gap of knowledge.

This bravado is especially common among founders who've seen early success- where sales came fast and easy with the initial launch. 

Now, disclaimer when you're launching something it's important to go with what you know. You have to figure the rest of it out along the way. That's ok.

I believe that clarity comes from execution. The best learning comes from taking action. 

But as a fellow business owner and marketer, I have to give you the other side. Business growth doesn't happen by chance, it's by intention. 

So, let me get in my KRS- One bag and share some hard truths with you. 

A strong marketing strategy is omnichannel. It provides content tailored to the various parts of the customer journey.

The customer journey consists of 5 stages; awareness, interest, desire, consideration, and purchase.

Most people don't buy things just because they saw them on social media. Unless it's a fresh pair of sneakers, a cute outfit, or something eye-catching.

It will take more convincing before they're ready to take the next step with you.

A well designed marketing strategy guides the customer through the purchasing journey. 

Selling is a transference of belief. Once you believe that what you have to offer will help your client, you sell that belief.

My business coach says "selling is serving." Selling is not a sleazy tactic. Done with integrity, selling is serving your client at the highest level.

Within every market, there are sub-segments of customers. These customers are diverse and have different needs and desires.

You need a range of marketing and sales efforts to reach a wide and diverse demographic of customers. This can become expensive and time consuming.

Narrow down the customer segment you want to serve and watch your profits grow.

This same thought process guides customer purchasing decisions. They are trying to decide if they can trust you.

When your business does not have a strong brand, it creates a lack of trust for your customer. The lack of trust makes the buying process longer.

Your brand does the heavy lifting in selling your business. It tells the customer who you are, what you do, and conveys a sense of trust.

Without a brand, your customer has to figure it out themselves. Instead, they will find a competitor whose brand does the work for them.

Marketing is vital to the growth of your small business. A set budget to market it is mandatory. Marketing can be possible at all budget levels. The trick is to be consistent in your efforts.

Your brand must be visible to customers. Your business must remain top of mind. The goal of marketing is to be top of mind when the customer is ready to buy from you.

To do this, market your business.

At CJL Consulting Group, we provide breakthrough marketing strategy sessions to clients who need a cohesive plan to market their business or organization.

In each session, we build customized plans that work for your specific business. We don't believe in tactics for the sake of it. We create action plans that honor your team size and budget, letting you do more with what you have.

Now, I'm not here to snatch edges, but I do want y'all to clutch your pearls just a little bit. 

Five hard truths in marketing that will set your business up for long term success. 

Growing a business is a long game that requires strategy and skills. Allow these truths to set you free to build your empire on solid ground.

Sight Seeing is a newsletter for diverse founders. The visionaries who change the world with businesses that choose not to accept the status quo.

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