Regardless of the industry, especially in service-centric organizations, there are only three parts of a business. We have to find work. We have to get the work, and then we do the work. Finding, getting, and doing. Those are the three critical parts of business. Everything else is merely support (or support functions to those three pillars).
- Finding is marketing
- Getting is selling
- Doing is operations (the ‘black box’ or secret sauce of what we do for patients/clients)
Of the three critical parts of business mentioned above, the most challenging is finding (marketing). We went to school to learn the ‘doing’ part of business. Thankfully, our future customers are predisposed to using our services when they sign up for them. If they have been referred to us, they are pre-qualified by those who referred them. Accordingly, ‘getting’ is mostly answering questions. There is no hardcore selling. Selling takes care of itself.
Marketing? That’s hard. Marketing is not about maximizing the benefits of Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram. That’s tactics and advertising (for the most part). The best starting point for learning marketing is to begin with three powerful questions.
Doug Hall’s Three Great Questions
One of the best marketing books I’ve ever read has stuck with me for over a dozen years. I loved his material so much that I interviewed him a few years ago.
His book titles are cheesy, especially Jumpstart Your Business Brain. He asks the three most proactive marketing questions I’ve ever heard:
- What is your overt benefit?
- What is the reason to believe?
- What is the dramatic difference?
What are the primary advantages of a customer working with you regarding overt benefits? There can be no quick answers. This takes a great deal of thought.
Once you have documented your overt benefit, why should anyone believe you? If you need help with this question, start reviewing old, unsolicited endorsements from past customers on Facebook or other internet platforms.
My favorite question is the last one. There are thousands of service-based firms across the country. What makes your business special? How is it dramatically different? I appreciate Doug for adding the word ‘dramatic’ to emphasize this question.
The Answers Make a Difference
According to Doug, when we can clearly articulate the answers above, here are the odds of success compared to those who don’t do this:
| Questions | Success |
|---|---|
| High Overt Benefit | 38% |
| High Reason to Believe | 42% |
| High Dramatic Difference | 53% |
If you find the percentages abstract or difficult to understand, my focus is on clearly articulating the answers. If I can, my odds for success from a marketing perspective jump significantly.
The Replacement for Strategic Planning
If you do an annual offsite every year, consider including these questions at the top of your agenda. Do not be surprised if this exercise takes a full day to complete. If so, the results could result in a dramatic difference in your business for a very long time.
