As my dog and I headed out for our morning walk, my neighbor Jim was outside observing the demolition of his concrete driveway. When I asked Jim what was happening, he told me that he was making an investment to avoid a big home repair bill. His contractor told him that the newly-observed water in the basement was caused by the house settling, leaving a separation between the driveway and the garage. Jim was replacing the driveway and sidewalks to eliminate the cracks through which water entered the basement.
A few days later, I admired the pristine uniformity of Jim’s freshly-poured concrete. I will admit to having driveway envy. I saw the cracks in my own driveway with a fresh set of eyes.
The next week, loud construction noises interrupted the webinar I was delivering. (Sorry if you attended that webinar and heard the din.) My next-door neighbors had decided to upgrade their driveway.
I wanted a fresh driveway, too! I walked over to my neighbors’ house and asked for a quote to replace my sidewalk and driveway. The driveway guys said they would deliver the bid when they returned next week to replace a third neighbor’s driveway.
That’s at least four new driveways poured in a cul-de-sac with 16 houses in the middle of a COVID pandemic.
And the driveway guys did not ring a single doorbell, distribute a single brochure or approach a single neighbor.
Here are some ideas to help you duplicate the driveway company’s client acquisition success.
Make a plan to connect with prospects who NEED you. Jim got the name of the driveway guy from his contractor. To whom do doctors turn first as they think about managing their finances? Here are a few “power partners” with whom you can build relationships:
- The executive directors of medical associations that are offering financial leadership
- Outsourced medical billers
- Malpractice insurance sales reps.
Make a plan to connect with prospects who WANT the outcome you deliver. Wants drive purchases. At least 75% of the driveway guys’ new clients in my neighborhood wanted the look of a new driveway. What do your doctor prospects really want?
Make the invisible value visible. The beauty of Jim’s new driveway created longing and inspired neighbors to get new driveways. If you help doctors legally and ethically lower their tax bills, give them two sheets of paper–one with the tax bill they would have paid and another with the tax bill they will pay after implementing the strategies you recommended. Circle the numbers in red. Write “tax savings of $53,400” in red. Now doctors have visible reminders of the value you delivered.
Harness the power of people influencing people. Doctors influence doctors just like the neighbors in my cul-de-sac influence neighbors. Give your doctor clients the language to talk about you with their colleagues. Recruit doctor evangelists. They make a huge difference!