Consistency in Business

One of the biggest factors in determining if you’ll succeed in business, is simple. It all boils down to consistency. It’s not about the newest marketing trend or some magic trick…it’s about being consistent in all aspects of your business. There are two sections that you’ll want to examine to see just how consistent you’re really being. 

So the two areas of consistency we want to focus on today:
First…Front End Consistency

The front end of your business is everything your potential and current clients see and experience. This is the part that, if not homogenous, can really throw off some clients. Consider your branding, your client experience, your follow-ups, your digital presence, your community presence, your communications, and any other way a client may see or interact with your business. Is that experience consistent in all aspects?

An example of this is your branding and messaging. I had a therapist reach out a while back about the trouble they were having growing their business and building up their local network. So, he gave me the rundown of what he was trying to do and it was completely centered on pain relief and clinical techniques, trying to make connections with doctors, get referrals from all kinds of health professionals and athletic companies, etc. Great! But then I took a look at his digital presence. It was all over the place. Some was pain-focused, but a lot of it was on relaxation techniques and dealing with stress. Now, here’s the thing, those things are important too of course, they’re not mutually exclusive either, but when you’re building that brand, when you’re trying to send a message to a very specific clientele and networking community, it needs to be crystal clear. And that means ONLY touching on the things that present that very specific message. For this therapist, every single social media post, blog entry, email, and service offered, should be about pain management, stretching, exercises, orthopedic conditions, etc. This is how you build consistency in your branding so that you’re attracting only your ideal clients and turning away those who don’t fit that. This consistency builds trust and a feeling of expertise within not only your client base, but also your networking connections and other professionals. I’ve seen businesses who make statements about being centered on medical massage, but their logo displays chakras and they struggle to get clients who take them seriously from a medical perspective. I’ve seen others who have the same generic marketing as every other therapist in their town, while trying to build a clientele built on luxury but never being perceived as such. Be clear and consistent about your messaging.

And secondly…Back End Consistency
This is the part I think most struggle with, even if the front end is great in their business. This is all the stuff your clients don’t necessarily see directly, but it sure does affect them. This includes the things like tracking your finances, scheduling social media posts, writing those newsletters and emails, paying the bills, setting up online booking, and otherwise all the administrative tasks that keep the business going and growing. You have to show up in your business consistently; you have to keep those things taken care of every day, week, and month. Slacking on this back-end stuff can lead to major issues on the front end as well.

For example, if you’re not consistent in your bookkeeping and tracking your finances, then you might run over budget every once in a while, so you start to cut your marketing. That means less exposure to your ideal clients. They’re not seeing your business around as much, which means you’re no longer on their radar. You may also get discouraged when those finances get out of hand and stop showing up in the same way for each of your clients, no longer creating that amazing experience you want to be known for. This type of inconsistency on the back end can directly and indirectly effect the front end, leading to even more issues in the business.

So, take a good look at every front-end and back-end aspect of your business and determine where you’re showing up consistently, and where you need to improve. Then make a plan and start showing up for your clients, for your business, and for yourself.

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