#snOMG, But Seriously

It’s been a flurry of craziness during the anticipation of Storm Jonas. Will there be snow? Will there be ice? Will there be freezing rain? Will there be a blizzard? Will school be closed? By the way, don’t forget to stock up on your milk and bread! I never had and may never actually understand why the milk and bread are the first to be depleted during a winter storm?! Um…wine please?!

So in the midst of all this storm talk, the excitement grew and people prepared. Before one single snowflake fell in Charlotte, American Airlines cancelled all of their flights in and out of Charlotte for today. Before one single snowflake hit the ground, Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools were cancelled for today. The City of Charlotte sent salt trucks out to prepare the streets, which will most likely only be used by those same salt trucks because no one in Charlotte leaves their house when there is even the threat of snow or ice. No, I’m not being facetious, that’s a fact!

So I went to bed last night expecting to wake up to a beautiful white blanket. Expectations crushed. Technically, I live just outside of Charlotte in South Carolina. Yes, Charlotte is that close to South Carolina. And at my home, not a single snowflake had landed as of 7am. Major snowpression started to set in. I was angry at the meteorologists. How could they lie to me? But it did get me thinking…why don’t people prepare for their prospects the way they prepared for Winter Storm Jonas?

How to prepare for prospects like a snowstorm:

1. Think Smart – It’s not just another day in the office when a snowstorm is brewing, it’s a high-alert, take all precautions, think of everything that could go wrong, and create plans A, B, and C. Now that is thinking smart, and it is precisely how you should be preparing for your prospects. Make a grocery list of needs that you must get before the storm (prospect) hits. Do you need to put salt down so you can gain traction during the storm (meeting)? Have you set accurate expectations? Should the prospect expect a snowfall of 1 or 10 inches? I’m just saying, maybe if you focused as much energy on potential clients as a potential blizzard, your business would see a snowstorm of profits.
2. Create a Media Flurry – Yes, the media outlets go overboard anytime Mother Nature has the prospect of wreaking havoc. When they do, it creates a buzz of excitement (sometimes annoyance – but that is usually only when #3 doesn’t happen). The flurry of excitement takes us to a place of childlike joy, where the anticipation of a major snowstorm is unlike anything else. Don’t you want your prospects to feel like that when they are considering doing business with you? So, what are you doing to create a buzz and excitement around your products and services? Do you take the time to create a media, perhaps social media, flurry to get your prospects growing in anticipation at the opportunity to work with you? It’s simple: post valuable insights, testimonials, success stories, and business tips that align with your company and services that will make your prospects run out and immediately buy your milk and bread, because they want to be hit by Storm (insert your name/business here!)
3. Deliver – Storm Jonas may be unpredictable, but you can’t be. This is the number one area I see most businesses and entrepreneurs fail, you talk up what you are going to do, create excitement with your prospects, and then you don’t follow through. Epic fail! You have to be ready to deliver on the expectations you’ve created for any prospect. If you tell them your products and services are going to deliver a blanket of snow, you better make sure not one single blade of grass is showing. Execute your plan and exceed their expectations, it’s how you successfully convert prospects to clients. Oh – and please don’t promise me something that is out of your control…ahem – you are not a meteorologist and don’t get a pass for inaccurate predictions.

The magic of a snowstorm doesn’t lie in the falling of each snowflake, it starts well before then with the combination of anticipation, excitement, planning, and execution. That’s the magic you can offer all of your prospects. That’s the magic formula of transitioning your prospects to clients in a #snOMG minute.

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