Recipe for Building a Business: Part 2

Image Credit: Getty Images

Building a business is a bit like planning a dinner party. There are a lot of details to think about. You have to set the date, decide on the guest list, send out an evite, determine the menu, buy groceries, prepare the food and then you finally serve the finished product. 

Starting a business has a similar feel. There is a lot to get done before you even open your doors. One of the key ingredients to success is figuring out how to bring people to the table. Unlike a dinner party, getting people to walk through your doors is not as simple as sending an evite. When you are trying to get the word out, you have to employ a variety of strategies to build your clientele. In addition to having a marketing plan and accessing all that social media offers, we believe that there is another important skill to cultivate:  

The power of personal connection. 

In the business world today, understanding how to foster and maintain connection is an essential tool. G2 Solutions has developed a six-step process which leverages personal connection and we have used it to build multiple businesses. We discussed the first four in our last post:

• Target

• Frame

• Foster

• Timeline

Now we will talk about the last two key elements of this process.

Pink Spoon: What is the best part of an ice cream shop (other than getting the ice cream)? It is being able to ask for a little taste of several flavors. A long time ago, we participated in a seminar where the leader referred to it as the pink spoon approach. You know those little pink spoons that the ice cream purveyor, Baskin Robbins uses. They give you enough to experience the deliciousness of their product while at the same time leaving you wanting more. 

In G2 Solutions’ process we encourage budding entrepreneurs to develop their own pink spoon. It could be a free offering, free consultation, or a simple download. It needs to provide value in the moment AND promote what else you can do. The best type are ones that include an in-person feature. The pink spoon can be incorporated into your other marketing efforts. 

How We Put It Into Action: After G2 Solutions provides an initial consultation call, we send the potential client a pink spoon. It is not just a pro forma offering. We send something that directly relates to our conversation. For example, if we are being vetted for working with a management team, we send them some of our blog posts directly related to management development. We also include one of our handouts to share with their team that directly references our discussion.

In our private practices, we partnered with pediatricians to offer several parenting classes to their patients over the course of a year. This in-person pink spoon resulted in at least one new client every time we held a session.

How You Can Put It Into Action: Write down some possible pink spoons you can offer. Think not only of new offerings, but resources that may already be at your disposal. Use that target list we talked about in the last blog. You might be able to work with someone on the list to develop a pink spoon that could be beneficial to both of you. 

Developmental Perspective: The last ingredient in our recipe is to think of your business in developmental stages. Each stage will require different skills and different relationship development. The actions you take as you are building your business will not be the same things you will do later when your business is more mature. 

Using the power of personal connection is strategic. At the beginning of a business venture, building clientele can make people feel a little desperate. It can energize a little voice in your head that says, “If I meet their every need then I will keep them as clients and my business will grow.” Unfortunately, this type of attitude is a definite path to burn out. 

Viewing offerings through a developmental lens provides a framework that can help you be more effective. Think about the value of offering a particular service at a particular stage in your business’ development. This is an intentional process that requires continual review and adjustment.

How We Put It Into Action: When we were young social workers starting our private practices, we worked late nights and Saturdays because not a lot of other therapists do that on a regular basis. Not the greatest for work life balance, but good for building relationships and filling our schedules. Over time as our practices matured, we were able to pull back on how much we offered these types of hours so that our personal and professional lives could be more aligned.

When we started G2 Solutions, we offered some discounts that we do not offer now. This incentivized clients to buy more services reinforcing the value we provide and increasing their connection to us.

How You Can Put It Into Action: Think of the stage your business is in.

• Are you at the start-up phase? 

• Do you have a solid client base and are focused on growth?

• Is your business well established?

  
  

Now, think about ways to deepen personal connection. Brainstorm offerings that align with your current stage of development. For example, a start-up gourmet food business might begin by operating stands at local farmers’ markets, creating opportunities to connect directly with customers. As the business matures, that personal connection strategy can evolve into reaching out to repeat customers for feedback and continued engagement.

Viewing your business in developmental stages can be a helpful tool if times get tough. You can revert to strategies that helped grow your customer base that may allow your organization to weather the storm.

Building a business is about curating experiences people want to return to again and again.

Like any memorable dinner party, you want to pay careful attention to each ingredient, creating something that feels both intentional and inviting. That feeling of genuine connection keeps dinner guests engaged long after a meal is over and will make your customers eager to come back for more.