“Silence is golden”, according to the classic Sixties song, echoing the old proverb “speech is silver, silence is golden”. Profound philosophy, perhaps, but definitely not a philosophy to be applied to your business.
Silence isn’t golden so much as likely to cost your weight in gold.
Getting the Word Out
You can build your business, but does that mean they’ll come? Well, sometimes that might be true, but that only applies to certain situations. If you open a new shop in your local high street, for instance, it’s likely some regular passers-by will drop in to see what you’re about, and you’ll have the chance to impress them.
Even then, though, you can’t really rely on this model to grow, and for most businesses the opportunity simply doesn’t exist. If you’re a printer, an electrician or a business coach (or a copywriter), no-one’s going to simply pop in because they’re passing. You have to get the word out there.
There are many ways of getting the word out, and which you use will depend a great deal on your business model. Business networking, social media, Google Ads, direct mailing — these are just a few of the ways you can shout about your business from the rooftops. The important thing is to make plenty of noise.
The Right Noise
Of course, the noise you make has to be the right noise. Even worse than silence is annoying your prospective customers by pestering them or coming over as targeting them randomly. Research your market carefully and do your best to announce yourself to the people who’ll want your services, when they’ll want them.
And what are you going to tell them? Whether you’re introducing yourself at a networking event, writing a blog or sending out a targeted email, your message is crucial. That doesn’t just mean the content, although content is certainly important. It also means getting the voice right, both for your brand and for the person you’re addressing.
Why not get in touch with me if you want to find out more about making the right noise? Because silence isn’t golden — it’s pouring your gold down the drain.