I’m not afraid to admit it. I’m a 34-year-old guy and I’ve watched EVERY series of Love Island. I actually on started with series 2. And then proceeded to binge-watch the first series on Netflix when I could no longer get my daily fix.
Sue me.
There’s actually a valuable lesson to be learnt from the show that’s relatable to business owners. And it’s not “don’t have sex in public” although you should avoid that too, for obvious reasons.
Grafting.
The term “grafting” gets used on the show a lot. It’s describing the process of one person putting in the effort to win over someone of the opposite sex. At the end of a short period of time, usually a few days, they have to make a decision about who they want to couple up with.
Here’s where the similarities to business come in. When more than one single guy/girl is grafting and they’re targeting the same girl/guy (ideal client). This is like you and your competitors targeting the same customer. On Love Island, with all things being equal, the one who tends to come out on top is the one that puts in the most time and effort. Thus making a connection or resonating with them the most.
I’ve decided this is the same as being present on social channels, your blog and any other medium you’ve posted on in the past. If you’re not out there making your ideal clients feel special and like you want them, then someone else will. It’s so important to keep on top of your content.
Showing up on the platforms your clients are hanging out is paramount in business. But showing up isn’t enough, you have to provide value to your audience too. You can’t put out thoughtless posts or sales posts all the time. You have to research what your ideal client needs and solve their problems for them.
For example:
I’ve done a lot of work helping window cleaning businesses grow their client base. I found that a lot of people use google to find out how to clean the insides of their own windows. That’s a problem that can my clients can address. Not by selling to them as you might think. That’s where people go wrong. What we did instead was to create a guide to help these people clean their own windows. No catch. No sales pitch. Only helpful advice to get the job done.
Why?
People are more likely to buy when they trust you. And people rarely buy at the first time of asking. Selling immediately is pointless to new customers (some caveats but a general rule of thumb). By providing them with a solution to their problem, a little trust gets built up. If they continue to do that over a period of time then the next time they’re in the market for a window cleaner my client will be front of mind.
Show up and be consistent online
Don’t be the guy or gal that gets left on their own at the recoupling (buying process). Leaving you looking on, wondering how they clinched the sale and you didn’t. You need to stay at the forefront of your potential customers’ mind at all times. You never know when they’ll be ready to buy so you need to be ready. ALWAYS.
You’ll have noticed that I now focus my efforts on LinkedIn as that’s where my ideal clients hang out. I’m posting there most days now. I’ve also put a lot of effort into creating a regular podcast. This goes out every Monday at 6 am. You can check that out by searching for “Journey To VA” in your favourite podcast app or checking it out on my website here.
That’s my consistency. Daily posting on social media and weekly podcast episodes. That’s what works for me but may be different for you and your clients. Do what works best but most importantly do what you can realistically commit to doing consistently.