I have a client who is truly a dynamo. She is a registered dietician who is passionate about helping others become fit and healthy. She came to me for help BEFORE she launched her coaching business, which in and of itself illustrates her incredible forsight.
So, we got to work preparing her business for launch.
- We registered a descriptive domain name.
- Her talented son created a logo.
- We launched an attractive and professional blog.
- She had a professional portrait taken and we put it on the site.
- We set up a newsletter with a "legal bribe" to encourage blog visitors to sign up to hear more from the client.
- We created a compelling "warm" letter for distribution detailing the specifics of my client’s new business.
Last weekend, a collegue of hers contacted this client to let her know about his own radio talk show on Sirius radio. His show is on a health related topic so it’s a perfect fit for her nutritional behavioral coaching business. She sent him to her web site (a.k.a. blog) where he saw not only an attractive, professional design but he also saw relevant content. The result? He mentioned her web site address on the show and encouraged his listeners to visit the site. As a result, her traffic figures showed a significant spike.
Now, a traffic spike isn’t hard to achieve. However, what made this traffic spike especially interesting is that the log files showed that these visitors were voracious consumers of her blog. On average each visitor read 6 posts. This client has resolved to start devoting even more time to blogging.
Compare this story with another one. In the Sunday paper, there was an article about a high tech business incubator project. The write up mentioned a new business which deals with computer issues. A web site is listed after a thorough rendition of the service offerings.
Today, my trusted 4 year old Toshiba notebook beeped at me as I was closing a program. It won’t write DVD’s anymore and it’s showing other signs that it’s close to the end. I purchased a desktop in December but can’t seem to tear myself away from my trusted old friend. One of the services offered by the company is data recovery and back up. Well, since Norton Ghost isn’t "ghosting" anymore and I the DVD write isn’t writing….I’d rather contact him before than after the crash. So, I type in the domain name. (The paper is long since thrown away, but I took mental note of the URL in the article.)
The result… there’s no web site there. Tried another spelling…. nope, not one there either. A business incubator won’t help the business that isn’t prepared.
My lucky, lucky client. She was "lucky" enough to be mentioned on a national radio program because of contacts she’s made previously in her prior professions. She was "lucky" enough to have a web site ready and able to provide information for interested listeners. And some day, when her coaching practice is full and she’s working full time delivering seminars and speeches on a subject she loves… people will point to her and comment on how "lucky" she is to be making a fine living doing work that excites and energizes her. Meanwhile, the computer budda guy will never know that a customer was seeking him and not finding him. I imagine that you might even say that luck was against him… after all, he got his media coverage and missed at least one opportunity to capitalize upon it.
Thomas Jefferson once said,
"I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it."
Anne Tyler’s definition is a bit more pointed:
"People always call it luck when you’ve acted more sensibly than they have."
My ebook "Creating Marketing Magic" is all about making preparations which will enable you to increase your "luck" as well.
My client openly acknowledges that had she NOT been preprared, this opportunity would probably not have come knocking again. The Boy Scouts motto is "Be Prepared"…. is YOUR business web site (or blog) is ready for the media spotlight?
