Good Marketing, Good Business
Have you noticed so much business and marketing content out there is so abstract and airy fairy - what they’re saying sounds good, but what do you actually need to DO?
That’s where the Good Marketing, Good Business podcast comes in, this is where I share practical strategies to help you grow your service based business. Everything from exactly where to find more clients through to how to follow up properly without pestering.
Your host, Shannon Stone is an award-winning business and marketing consultant and for the last 10+ years she’s been diving in deep with small business owners, helping them to make more sales and get more done in less time.
The Good Marketing, Good Business podcast is here to make your life and business a whole lot easier as long as you’re ready to put in the work - if you’re a good-hearted business owner who wants to grow, this is the podcast you'll want to call home.
Good Marketing, Good Business
075: Cash Flow At Christmas For Service Businesses
While our retail counterparts are generating up to 80% of their annual revenue over a few short months over the festive season, the service business sector can sometimes be left high and dry with B2B services in particular taking a cruisy (much-warranted) break, causing them to push back decisions, proposals and investing in your business.
That is, if you buy into that BS. Don’t worry, I did too once upon a time…
By listening [and taking notes], you’ll learn:
- The year that changed everything for me
- How stereotypes and narratives like “noone is buying” are total BS
- How getting organised early is your key to making sales before Christmas, listen as I share exactly how you can do this
Enjoy!
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: I’m doing a masterclass on November 20th to help service businesses generate sales before Christmas, register here → www. shannonstone.com.au/masterclass
Resources:
If you’d like to work together with me as your 1:1 business and marketing consultant, book a call here.
H ey guys. Welcome to the podcast.
Shannon Stone:Super, super excited for this episode and what I will be sharing with you today. I am talking about how service businesses can secure more cash flow and clients at Christmas time, which is typically a really hard time for a lot of businesses or service-based businesses. If we compare it to something like retail, they're generating up to 80% of their annual revenue over the course of two or three months. So service businesses, it can be quite different, and so in this episode, I want to share a bit of a backstory that led me to, I guess, generating more clients at Christmas than any other time, and I also want to share a few different ways that you can apply this in your business. And lastly, and very importantly, I will be doing a masterclass on this topic where I share the strategy from end to end. So there is a strategy around how a service business can generate more cash flow at Christmas. It's something, as you'll hear, that I discovered for myself first and then I was able to share with other people. So if you would love to come along to that masterclass, there'll be a link to that in the description. It's happening on November 20th at 1pm, but there's definitely a replay. So if you do hear this before then, I would definitely suggest that you register. If you can't attend, you will definitely get the replay.
Shannon Stone:Okay, so let's talk about how I personally, as a consultant, generated the most number of clients to date at that point in time, at Christmas time, which is typically in inverted commas a time that is more difficult to make sales, especially for B2B service-based businesses. And I was able to do it, and I'll share some details around that. And not only that I was still able to take time off at Christmas, so I was able to take a two-week break, and in this break, I already knew I had clients ready to start with me after that two-week break. So this sounds like nothing, unless you're a business owner. If you're a business owner, this sounds like everything and more. This sounds like all of your Christmases coming at once. You've got clients, you can take time off, your mind can rest at ease knowing that you've got clients to start with. You have that security and that stability into the new year. So I would only imagine business owners are listening to this. So I would imagine that is a dream team and everything that you're looking for and more.
Shannon Stone:So a bit of the backstory. So when I first started my business 2015, in those early years, I think, like a lot of us, you know we're just finding our feet and I there was so much I didn't know. I didn't know what I didn't know, and one of the things that I didn't know was this I guess narrative that I would explain that businesses in Australia go to sleep in December and January. We've got Christmas, we've got school break, we've got summer break. All of that is January. We've got Christmas, we've got school break, we've got summer break. All of that is happening. We've got New Year's as well. All of it is happening.
Shannon Stone:And this is, in some regards, there is a lot of truth to it. Businesses often don't really return back to normal ways until about February, and like it took a couple of years to see this pattern happening, and so I have a lot of connections in business overseas and so I was like this is really weird. This is what's happening here. It doesn't happen for you guys. For them Happens generally in August if they're in the UK or the USA, but it was definitely an Australian thing that was happening Until one year.
Shannon Stone:I basically said, well, actually there's a couple of things that happened when I picked up on this pattern. Then I did something with it. I started to get more proactive around making sure clients were secured on that tail end of the year before Christmas, having those retainer clients signed up and that security there. So I started to do some proactive things. The other thing I also would do is because I noticed that other parts of the world didn't go to sleep as much. I would make sure that I would generate clients in other parts of the world as well. So I started to diversify just the people that I would work with, and that was just one of the ways that helped me to have those clients under my sleeve and give me that security in business as well. So that is one of the things that I did.
Shannon Stone:But when I wasn't doing that, there was one year in particular where I basically said well, f that I'm going to, I'm just going to put together a campaign, I want to work with some more clients. I had my, I had existing clients, but I wanted to definitely work with some more and I thought I don't really care that it's Christmas time, I'm just going to do this and see how it goes. So it was a bit of an experiment where I just kind of threw the narratives out the window, threw the stereotypes out the window, and said I'm just going to do this and I'm going to see what happens without knowing what was going to happen. So, one part scary do this and I'm going to see what happens without knowing what was going to happen. So one part scary, one part exciting. But long story short, it worked out Like I said at the start. I was able to sign the most number of clients I had to date, I was able to take two weeks off and I was able to start the new year with clients scheduled in, ready to work with me and as you would feel as a business owner, these are some of the best feelings you can feel, because when you do take time off, you could actually take that time off rather than stressing about like how am I going to pay for things now, or and or the work that's ahead of you to get your business to where you want it to go.
Shannon Stone:And business can be up and down. That can be the nature of things sometimes, but to me it was like the greatest gift of all, the greatest Christmas gift of all. So let me share three things that can help you to secure more cash flow at Christmas and, even if it's not Christmas, any other seasonally quiet time in business that you might be experiencing. So definitely keep this episode handy.
Shannon Stone:So the first thing is number one throw the stereotypes out the window, and we hear this a lot at the moment, I really think since the pandemic and just the economic times that we have been in, you'll hear a lot of things like no one is buying that's a really big one or they're buying less, or they're holding onto their money a lot more, or, you know, there's a lot of this constraint around people actually investing in their business or investing in your services. So we have to throw the stereotypes out the window. There is one part of yes, you do have to acknowledge what is going on, and I shared that in the past episode, talking about when there's tougher times in business. You can't ignore the elephants in the room, but at the same time, we can't just fully buy into the stereotypes. If you've heard the saying zig when they zag, I think that's one of the best ones, the best quotes to apply to business. Because if you think about it, if you succumb to something like no one is buying and everyone in your industry is acting the exact same way, then think about who that marketing is hitting. It's hitting all the same people.
Shannon Stone:So if you adjust and you think, well, I'm going to not buy into any of those stereotypes. I'm going to do things my way and I don't care if it's Christmas time or you know X, y and Z and things are happening. I'm just going to do it the way that I would like to do it and see what happens. And that's essentially what I did when I had what I would say one of the greatest successful campaigns in my business across the last nine years. So number one is to throw out the stereotypes, because I think when you accept statements like that, you're being really submissive to results. It's like you're taking the power away from yourself. You're limiting your potential and just by doing that, you're going to limit the results that you achieve in your business.
Shannon Stone:So imagine if you just didn't buy into that and you just said well, I don't care what day of the week, day of the month that it is, or what is happening in the industry. This is my business and I know I can help people and I'm going to zig when they zag. And I know still and this is one of the big things I always kept in mind for myself and my clients there's always people buying. It doesn't matter what is going on in the world or in your industry, or what month it is or what is happening. There's still going to be people that buy. So why should they not buy from you? And that is something zig when they zag. So keep that in mind and throw the stereotypes out the window. That is number one.
Shannon Stone:Number two so topic and this is focused around securing that cash flow around Christmas. So number two is to get organized early. So, yes, december really is a busy time. It is something we can't ignore. That is, it really is a fact of the matter. But in saying that, we don't want to let that deter us from achieving what we want to achieve and going after our goals. So you have to get organized early If you want to generate clients at Christmastime or leading from now, leading up into that December 25th season. I would really encourage you to get your marketing organized today. That's why the masterclass is happening as soon as possible, so November 20th. So you'll still have time to get your marketing organized, because the closer it gets to Christmas, the more busier it is going to be.
Shannon Stone:Yes, it's probably going to be harder to it can be harder and it can take longer to get a decision from someone to book in a call with someone because they're going to events, they're going to Christmas parties, they're doing all the at-home things getting organized for Christmas. They could be starting to go away. All these things are realistically happening. But just because that's happening, it doesn't mean you cannot sign clients, it doesn't mean it's impossible and you should kind of throw it all on the back burner and ride out this season. I think take the power within this and just get organized early and start to get going as far as particulars around what the strategy could look like. I'll share more of that inside the masterclass, but I would definitely say you've got to get organized early. Whatever like, you might have strategies that you use in your business already that help to generate clients. So the thing around that is well, we'll do it. You know, ignore the fact that Christmas is happening. We still want to do the things that do work, regardless of what is happening seasonally.
Shannon Stone:Okay, that is number two. Number three and this is more of a strategic one, something that can really help you, and it is to have an angle, urgency and reason that people should buy now. So your services. I would imagine that you're probably selling the same services all year round, right? A website designer sells websites every day of the week, or they could every day of the week same like any other business. It doesn't matter. You're selling the same services all year round.
Shannon Stone:So why should someone buy from you now? Why should someone buy from you just because you want to make sales in your business? Like, imagine saying that to your clients Buy from me because I want to make sales. Like that is never going to fly, maybe for some people if that's a very on brand for you, but I think for the general consensus that's probably not what is going to work. So we need to have a valid angle, urgency and reason that people should be buying from you now.
Shannon Stone:I'll give you a couple of the reasons. It could be that and I will say it's got to be authentic, it's got to be true to you, it's got to be non-marketing fluff Like I'm not someone who's like what's like what's like the angle of like. How could we make this work and happen? I always think the best and I have found the best successes come from authentic strategies happening in the business. So it could be that your prices are increasing in the new year, so now is a great time for people to secure working with you now. Maybe you're a website designer and if they put down a deposit now they pay 50%, now they pay for the whole thing, now they get to secure it at the 2024 price rather than it going up in the new year. That could be one of your angles.
Shannon Stone:Do you have limited spaces? So maybe your business you know you're capped you've got a certain capacity. There's only so many people that you can work with, so do you have limited capacity. Another reason could be is it in your client's best interest to act now rather than later? So, depending on what you do, is there something or for some reason that by them making a decision now and even potentially starting to work with you now, it's going to be more beneficial to them. So that could be a really valid reason as well. Another one could be the longer they leave something, is it causing more cost, more pain, more problems to them by not getting it sorted or solved? So that could be another reason as well.
Shannon Stone:And I will just say I guess, overall on this strategy and just coming right back to the start, when I shared my backstory, I was able to sign the clients and have them committed either payments down or deposits down before Christmas, but we didn't start work until the new year and that is one of the beauties of this strategy and you don't have to do it this way. You can work whenever you want to work. If you want to work over the break, you totally can. But that was one of the ways. That was the way that I did it. So just keep that in mind with how you want to roll out this strategy, because a lot of that can apply to the marketing that you have as well.
Shannon Stone:Say, for example, you are a fashion stylist or a dance studio. Maybe you would typically do an intake of new clients in the new year, or enrollment starts maybe January, late January, early Feb, when school goes back. But maybe you could do an incentive now. You're going to do that intake anyway, late Jan, early Feb. But what if you did it now and gave people a reason to buy now? Maybe it is because of that limited capacity, maybe it is that classes don't start till early Feb, but there's like some pre-work they can do or they'll get access to something where you know they can use December and January to get prepared to get organized. There's so many ways. And just apply that strategy to whatever prepared to get organized. There's so many ways. And just apply that strategy to whatever it is that you do. Not everyone runs a dance studio or not everyone's a fashion stylist, but whatever your business is, how could you apply that? So these could be things that you're not doing currently.
Shannon Stone:Maybe you don't have something where clients do pre-work before working with you. It's not inauthentic, but if that sounds like something you could do or something that would actually be a really good idea to do. Adopt that into your business and create whatever you need to create in order for that to match your business. So then you can use it in your marketing as well. It is a really good marketing angle, gives people a reason to buy now and imagine if they go through that pre-work, it's going to make the work that you do with them even better, so so much value add is happening. So there are a couple of ways that you can have, I guess, a really good angle urgency and reason people that should buy now, reasons that are beyond just the fact that you want to make sales. We want to be really authentic with that. So I will say, as you are starting to tell, I hope you can generate clients any time of the year, whether it's Christmas day or any other day.
Shannon Stone:I think the real reason, the real intention around all of this is that you can generate clients. You can grow your business anytime you decide you want to, Anytime you decide and choose and say you know what? And that's what happened to me. This is where the birth of this campaign and this strategy all came from. I just said I'm not going to do it that way. I'm deciding that I want to work with some more clients, and that is where the strategy started to unfold. So you can grow your business anytime that you want to. You have to decide when that is and then obviously you need a strategy and some good old fashioned elbow grease and execution to follow that as well. So, as far as action steps go for today, the best action step I can give you to really help you secure that cash flow at Christmas being that you're a service-based business is to come along to the masterclass.
Shannon Stone:It is on the 20th of November at 1pm. I will be sharing very openly what the strategy is. It's something that I've done, it's something that other people have been able to replicate as well, and if you do come live, you will be able to ask any questions or we can personalize it to your particular business. Do a little bit of brainstorming if we do have time. If you can't make it, definitely register anyway, because you will get the replay and just a little hack that I do for anything that I participate in. I always do the playbacks on like 1.25, 1.5. So I speed up the replay, so we might be doing the live recording for 45 minutes, but you might be able to watch it in 30 minutes, depending how quickly you put the replay on. You can do the same for the podcast as well. So if time is of essence for you, then that's a little hack.
Shannon Stone:So I hope you found this useful. I hope you found this really supportive of your business and to give you some ideas that you don't need to succumb to industry norms or what anyone says. Throw the stereotypes out the window. That was number one. Number two was to get organized early and number three is to have an angle, urgency and reason that people should buy now. If you do have any questions, definitely reach out.
Shannon Stone:The masterclass link will be in the description. If you cannot see it there, find me on LinkedIn. You'll definitely see it on LinkedIn, or send me a message on LinkedIn. If you're not on LinkedIn which I found out someone wasn't the other day you can always email me, shannon at shannonstonecomau. Alrighty, I will leave it at that for today. I hope you have an amazing week and I'll talk to you really soon.
