In her second book called Money, Meaning and Beyond, Andrea writes about Desire Lines. Urban planners use desire lines when they use the natural paths that spring up in parks as sensible places for sidewalks. Desire lines show a yearning on the part of the walkers as they are walking where they want to walk.
Our clients show us desire lines as well. They yearn for us to offer them more—more classes, products, services, or information. However, if we are not listening closely, we may miss the signals, passing up the opportunity to do more for our existing client base.
One of the easiest ways to grow your income is to sell more to your current customer base. Desire lines are subtle neon signs pointing out additional products or services needed by your clients.
How to discover desire lines? Pay attention to the email requests you say decline. Are you often asked for things that you don’t currently provide? What questions do you repeatedly answer?
When you get several questions on the same topic, your clients need more education. Consider creating a teleclass, ebook, or group coaching program to provide that information. If you do a teleclass or group coaching program, record it and create an audio product.
Notice the blocks that your clients consistently face. Can you create a product, service, or program to help them past that block?
Ask. Simply ask by sending a short survey to your clients. Andrea suggests keeping it short so that it is easy for everyone to respond quickly. One quick question, “What is your biggest challenge about xzy?” can give you a wealth of good information.
In fact, a quick question by email generally produces much better responses than a formal survey. Bear in mind Andrea's teaching point - that people answer survey's using their logic, whereas they buy with their emotion. So if you want to ask a question and generate the best responses, do it without triggering logic by emailing instead of surveying.
Finding new customers is an important task for any business person. The forward thinking coach also pays attention to the desire lines of her current customers, finding ways to serve them more robustly and generate additional streams of revenue.
Brainstorm with these questions:
- What do you know that your clients wish they knew?
- How could you teach them that information?
- What are the biggest obstacles to implementation that plague your clients?
- Could you create a system to remove them?
- What questions did you clients ask you this week?
- Can you find any common themes?
- When could you send an email query to your current customer base?
Post your thoughts and answers...if you so desire!
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Comments
Outstanding blog..information.
I have a green business and so much of this just smackes me right in the thinking cap.
I look forward to learning more and more from visiting here and getting better aquainted with your offerings.
To your Mighty March day!
Posted by: Bea Kunz at March 13, 2008 1:34 PM
Love your blog and quick hits one after the other!
such a visionary!
I read the following and my ears perked up:
"In fact, a quick question by email generally produces much better responses than a formal survey. Bear in mind Andrea's teaching point - that people answer survey's using their logic, whereas they buy with their emotion. So if you want to ask a question and generate the best responses, do it without triggering logic by emailing instead of surveying."
(Dusting off my market research hat *koff* *koff*)
Actually, surveys done Effectively can evoke emotion (I've done a lot of segmentation and brand health surveys to test what emotions, "personalities," are evoked by one brand or another ... and they actually worked, showing interesting relationships)
The question of whether or not to use a survey depends more on factors other than logic vs. emotion ... like convenience and desired number of respondents ... want answers from just a few - an email works just fine. 5000? uhm, a survey form lends itself to easier compilation of info.
I do wholeheartedly agree with you that purchasing is heavily influenced by emotion. In fact, I just read a cool research article showing that people in sad moods spend more ... which inspires me now to get myself out of stores and off amazon on a blue day :)
thanks for offering the opportunity to chime in!
Posted by: suzanne carter at March 20, 2008 8:57 PM
Well, I think from the brainstorm questions, it is noted how important a proper documentation system is. It is through this system that you keep track of those information.
"One of the easiest ways to grow your income is to sell more to your current customer base"
The phrase above is so true and I think you referred "Cross Selling".
Thanks,
Eric
Posted by: Eric Go at April 28, 2008 7:26 AM
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