Valentine’s Day, on February 14, is associated with romantic love, a time to shower your sweetheart with a card, flowers, chocolate, even a marriage proposal. But for people in a relationship that’s not working out, it can have the opposite effect.
Research has shown that these couples don’t want to celebrate something that doesn’t exist, so they end their relationships ahead of time to avoid being pressured into a false declaration of love. Hence the origin of Red Tuesday, the Tuesday before Valentine’s Day.
And guess what? This dreaded phenomenon of Red Tuesday can happen in business as well, any day of the year! Professional services firms that don’t pay attention to client engagement can risk having their clients drift away to find solutions to their needs elsewhere.
Steps to take to avoid Red Tuesday in your business
- Create a compelling service proposition – Do your clients and prospects know what you do, why you do it, and why you’re the best fit for them?
Everyone and every business have a unique value proposition or UVP, and it’s a powerful tool to open a compelling conversation, either as a reminder to current clients or when speaking with prospective clients. Know what makes you different in the market and why that difference benefits your clients.We assist our clients to determine their UVP using the Kolbe assessment tool, a powerful confirmation of your Mode of Operation (MO). Learn about here.
- Establish an effective way to be known and heard – How are you keeping in touch with your clients?
Implementing a regular communication schedule, tool or method will allow you to touch your clients with valuable and relevant information on a predictable schedule, and invite them to have conversations on these topics, for their benefit or for the benefit of someone they know. Being consistent is key, whether it’s a bi-annual check-in call, a quarterly virtual event, or monthly newsletter.
- Build a positive reputation for your firm – Do you know what referral sources say when they refer you?
The best way to ensure that clients, fans, and referral sources share exactly what you want others to know about you is to ensure all your communications, including online and digital assets, clearly promote your key message. This can be as simple as adding it to your email signature, your LinkedIn profile or other social media, and your website. Where possible, ask for and share testimonials or online reviews. Other’s words are so powerful.
- Develop an efficient process for selling – How long does it take you to prepare for a sales conversation? Do you feel overly eager, or intensely worried that you’ll lose the opportunity?
Our clients used to spend hours, if not days, preparing for a sales conversation. Now they spend five minutes. Want to know why?
Because they know who they are, who they serve, and their compelling ‘why’. They also know how to qualify a prospect. And they can walk away from a wrong-fit conversations gracefully. They have the tools they need to communicate their UVP. Confidence and ease naturally stand out—which is attractive to clients and prospects.
Let’s put these tools to work!
If you want to avoid the dreaded phenomenon of Red Tuesday, you need a strong team working together with aligned goals. Reach out to us for a and find out how your business could benefit from powerful tactics for attracting more clients.
