Whitney A. White is CEO & founder of Afara Global and creator of the transformational coaching program, Take Back Your Time.
Many of us love fantasizing about achievement in the form of big moments. Playing in the Super Bowl. Winning an Oscar. Delivering a visionary TedTalk about your hot product launch.
What we don’t tend to think about as much is all of the hours of turmoil, sacrifice and work that often go into achieving anything great. Unfortunately, we too often put the cart before the horse, focusing on the image before diving into the substance of the business, product or audience itself. I know because I learned this lesson firsthand.
When I first launched my innovation firm, Afara Global, I was focused on all the wrong things. I had a website, business cards and fonts all custom-made for my brand.
You may be thinking, “Wait, aren’t those things necessary for a great business?” They might be at some point, but I didn’t have any customers yet. Without any money coming into my business, all of my branding materials were just for show.
So what are some ways you can ensure you’re putting the business before the brand?
1. Focus on your ideal customer.
In the beginning stages of your business, it’s critical to have most of your energy focused on understanding your ideal customer. You need to understand the competitive landscape you’re entering and what sets your solution apart from the other options your audience might be considering.
Before you start building the perfect website, branding materials, and social media strategy, build in-depth knowledge on the needs of your ideal customer and what they’re most willing to pay for. Otherwise, you’re keeping yourself from taking action that will ultimately give you a better return on your investment.
2. Perfect your solution.
Take it back to basics: What is the specific pain point you are trying to solve for your target audience? How can you get in front of your target audience through imperfect action to build traction and close sales?
By shifting your focus toward the actual mechanics of your business, you’ll see where time, energy and resources are most needed in order to build a profitable business.
In my coaching business, I found that the initial investment of my time was best put to use developing a highly effective curriculum and continuing to test and iterate on it until I was confident in my product. Ensuring you have a high-quality product that truly addresses your ideal customers’ most pressing pain point is critical before any branding materials can come in handy.
3. Sell like crazy.
When it comes to my work with Afara Global and my coaching business, I see selling like crazy as serving like crazy. I know that the work I do impacts organizations and people’s lives, so I am unafraid to put myself in front of those who may benefit from it.
I really started to see traction in my businesses when I made sure my personal and professional networks were aware of my businesses and the pain points I was solving. I also started to develop thought leadership to share via social media, blog posts, speaking engagements and workshops I hosted.
So, take a break from designing the sleek website for your business and reach out to someone in your circle who you know could benefit from what you’re offering. That’s the real key to building your business.
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