Question’s All business owner’s should ask themselves.

21Jun07

If you are a business owner, every day you are going to meet other business owners, with the opportunity to network. To effectively promote and network your business, there are 6 questions you need to be able to answer, separately- and as an elevator speech that covers all questions. Your elevator speech should consist of one short sentence that answers one of the below questions after the other to form a short paragraph. But for ongoing planning, you should be able to succinctly answer each question. Below you will find the 6 questions, and I will give advice on how you should answer them.

1. Why do you do what you do? – This could be considered almost like an elevator pitch. (An elevator pitch means being able to describe your business in to someone that doesn’t know you or your business in the time it takes to ride an elevator.) You need to explain why you are in business from the perspective of your customer. This could also be your mission statement.

2. What can clients expect from working with you? - What will you do for your customers? What key values do you have that align with a customer’s key values? You can’t just use phrases like “value for money” or “save you money” or the like, you need to be able to back up what you are saying by describing how you may provide value for money, or save a customer money etc

3. What do you believe? – You will have got into business with some key values or beliefs. Everything you do in business should be related to these beliefs, and this should show through in how you do your business- every aspect of your business.

4. How does your business work? - If a potential customer becomes a customer, what do you do for them? What are the processes?

5. What are your qualifications? – This is not just about tertiary qualifications. They can sometimes be irrelevant. It is about credentials. What makes you able to do what you do? Explain your knowledge and experience, and be able to back it up with a resume, references or testimonials.

6. How are you different to any competitors that might be out in the marketplace? – You may be in a competitive market place, but there are things that make your business different to your competitors. Play to these differences as they can become your unique selling proposition. You must have a point of distinction or you won’t have loyal clients.

Spend some time thinking about these 6 questions- write down some answers or your thoughts to help you increase your business, and make for happier lifelong customers.