It’s not enough to ‘Build your List’! Turn them into CLIENTS!
List-building is a super hot topic with most folks in our coaching, healing and author community – you’re probably being told ‘you’ve got to be building that list’!
And yes, I would agree it’s important to do it, but also to know why you’re doing it, how you’re doing it, and when you’re going to do it. In other words doing it in a considered and purposeful way.
The trap folks can fall into and often do, is getting out there and being visible and gathering emails for your list, but doing it in a random fashion, and then not doing much with the folks on the list after they land there.
Firstly it’s important to make sure that you’re building your listed in a targeted manner. Who are the people you feel most aligned and do your best work with? Focus on being visible to them. Invite them to join your list.
Secondly, once you have your ‘ideal clients’ on your list, the key here is to nurture them, as well as help them take action.
By nurturing them, you continuing the conversation beyond the initial one that got them onto your list! You’re providing content that gives them great information, and they feel nourished and excited to hear from you. It’s important to have that balance between selling in your content and giving valuable content – and not be doing one way more than the other.
Nurturing means providing value through articles, email communication, your newsletter (really important to get this going early on) and also revealing who you are and what you stand for in your interactions.
Thirdly, you want to help your list take action. So if they sign up for a specific focused reason i.e.: for a free gift you gave that speaks to a specific issue or challenge – create a sequence of communication that continues to provide value but will also take them to an offer of some kind.
Here’s a caveat though…
Caveat: Some folks will be ready to take action. Some won’t be and that’s ok. They might be ready in 6 months time or even 2 years time. What we do want to do, is connect with those who do want to take action as soon as possible, and help them to take it.
You’ve already identified a need they have, and so it’s quite possible that they are ready to take action on that specific challenge they are experiencing. That offer could be a conversation with you (your strategy session) or a program (an entry point /self-guided online) that is simple and easy for them to step into.
This means that you’ve created a way to have a pipeline of leads – that actually lead somewhere!
When you’re just gathering any person who will say yes onto your list and then haphazardly sending info and offers out, chances are you’ll haphazard response. Focused action on your part, will create qualified leads of amazing clients!
As you can see, there is a sequence to how you do list-building and what you do with it beyond those folks joining your list. Think carefully about what you want to do with these folks, how you want to nurture them, and what action you’d like them to take.
So here’s to your purposeful list-building!! 
