Access is the New Currency
May 16, 2011
Guest post by Lena L. West, Social Media Strategist
The other day I was having a conversation with one of my new Advanced-Level Authentic Influencer clients and she was telling me all about how she had purchased coaching programs from two other VERY well-known Internet marketing specialists. She mentioned that while she liked their systems well enough, the one thing she didn't get was enough one-on-one time with these experts.
Now, partly, she's to blame because if someone is asking me to drop thousands on a coaching program, you had better believe that I'm going to know EXACTLY how much one-on-one time I'm getting, if I know that's what I'm looking for.
But, here's how these Internet marketing experts missed the train:
The more I thought about this and the implications of it, the more I realized that what's working right now in Internet marketing can be summed up in one word: access.
It used to be that a program would sell and sell with little to no access to the expert. Not so much anymore. People want YOU. They want time with YOU. They want to talk with YOU and they want answers to their questions from YOU, specifically as relates to THEIR businesses.
Ok, and for some experts, that would mean telling people, "No problem! Pay me $x more per month and you'll get all the one-on-one time you want!" Which, to some degree, is a good approach and, if done the right way, would be a great way to leverage their time, except....
What I'm finding is this: the more these people put a barrier between themselves and their audience, the more people are going to find someone else to work with - someone who WILL give them access AND the larger the barrier, the more time they have to spend marketing, creating and giving away free "online university" preview videos and calls, etc. etc. I'm not sure why they don't see that the SAME time (ok, at least SOME of it!) they spend jumping through the latest Internet marketing spastic hoops, they could spend deepening the connection with existing PAYING clients by offering enhanced one-on-one time.
Now, I FULLY realize that you can't work with EVERYONE one-on-one, that would be ridiculous, but there are smart, affordable ways to bundle in one-on-one time with you so that your clients feel they're getting the time they need and you're still in control of your schedule. People who actually take the time to take a break from listening to the latest Internet markting white noise and THINK about their businesses and what their clients actually need, will see VERY clearly how to do this...all you need do is LISTEN.
I fully comprehend why someone wouldn't want to give solid access to someone who's NOT paying them, but shouldn't things shift a bit once the person becomes a paid client? I think so.
In light of my realization and as my team and I are *THIS* close to lauching the new Influence Expansion site, I'm revisting my own programs and massaging them ever so slightly with this new form of currency -- ACCESS -- in mind.
People want less theory and more SUBSTANCE nowadays - actually, now more than ever. The question is are you going to be trained marketing seal jumping through the latest marketing hoops or are you going to focus on delivering on what you already KNOW people want?
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