Consulting is a fun but challenging business. Why? Because clients come for marketing advice to build a strong strategy and it becomes my job to tell people things they might not actually want to hear.  The most annoying questions you get about your business are the ones I encourage you to think about.  They indicate where there’s a disconnect between what you do and how you understand it and how other people hear what you do and how they understand it!  Have you heard any of these questions from well-meaning people around you?

“I don’t understand your business name”
People have all sorts of business names for all sorts of reasons. In a world where people are looking for a reason not to give you their precious time, you need a business name that works for you.  It becomes the beginning of your story. Why is my business Lucky 13? Because I don’t believe luck is so random – it’s tongue in cheek.

(See also: “I don’t get your logo!”)

How to get it right: Take a step back; remove ego from the conversation.  Oftentimes we name our business because it means something personal or we thought it was cute, or it’s our own name.  But be willing to leave the breathing room for your business name to do some of the work for you. Be willing to rebrand it if it isn’t working for you and doesn’t seem likely to.  Remember, the biggest brands in the world have changed names, logos, or packaging to create stronger marketing foundations.  If they did it, so can you.

“So…I don’t really get it. What do you do?” 
This one hurts, particularly since, whatever you do, you probably do it well.  Unfortunately communicating that to others is part of helping them identify their need for what you do. Simply put: If people don’t actually understand what you do, they can’t support it. Worse: they can’t spread the word about it for you. And this is the foundation of the best marketing; creating an impression so clear that others carry the torch or spread the news for you.

How to get it right: Get your Elevator Pitch down pat.

“Your website is difficult to navigate”
Your website is your 24/7 storefront.  If it doesn’t make information easy to access and then easy to act upon, you have failed. I don’t care how beautiful it is, how much you paid for it, or how much your friends and family ooh and ahh when they see it.  We’re not focused on the people who are personally invested in enjoying it. I want you to think about the people who came to your website and left (“bounced”).  If your website hides key information, it is a #fail.

How to get it right:  Consult with a web strategist before building your site.  If you go straight to a designer, their focus is on aesthetics; their job is not to know what will work best for your business.  If you talk to someone who understands your goals both short-term and long-term, they can help you figure out how to organize information for a great user experience. The benefit of a great user experience? Users STAY and they DO. That’s what you want – an audience who is finding what they need on your site and acting on it.  It’s worth laying the groundwork and, as a bonus it will make the entire web development process go faster.

“You will have to put some effort into marketing”
For many people, this is shocking.  Years ago, you were good at what you did, whether it was running a nice restaurant or medical practice, providing a service or selling a good, and word of mouth did the work for you. Now, as communities are more dispersed and people are presented with numerous options, we have to be craftier and contribute to getting the word out.  Here you spent your time getting to the top of your game in what you do, and now you have to learn the marketing game?  It’s unfair and it’s frustrating, but it can be done with minimal stress.

How to get it right: Build a custom marketing strategy that plays up your strengths, that hits the outreach most likely to give you big payback (read: use your time wisely) and include elements you enjoy doing. There are a number of different ways to market, but if you go with the items/medium that interest you, you’re more likely to stick to it. And, as we all know, sticking to it is most of what makes for success.

Have you heard one of these questions or do you think you’d like to “get it right”?  Contact us to request a complimentary marketing and communications consultation and we’ll see how Lucky 13 Strategies can help take something off your plate!