Ben Appiah Poku

Author: Benjamin

  • 7 Quick Actions You Can do Today to Double Your Sales

    1. Know your Dream Buyer

    Knowing your target audience is really the single most important thing when it comes to setting up a business.

    The best way to do this is to know where you can locate your audience in the cheapest possible way.

    To locate your dream buyers in volume, you need to be able to identify them.

    I know you are thinking.

    But Ben, everyone who wants to buy is my target audience.

    This is an extremely costly idea.

    Not everyone is your audience.

    To identify your dream buyer you can ask these 5 basic questions

    1. How old is your target group?
    2. Where do they live?
    3. Are they mostly men or women?
    4. How do you promote your products to those individuals?
    5. Where do they get their information? Social media or News?

    Great! Now that we know who your dream buyer is.

    We can think about how we locate them.

    Are they on social media or can we find them at Shopping Mall?

    Let’s look at some of the strategies to build your target audience.

    2. Develop a Godfather offer

    Does your business have an offer?

    That is an enticing offer to attract new clients.

    For your business to grow.  You would need to have an offer.

    Not just an offer. A Godfather offer.

    An irresistible offer. “An offer people cannot refuse”

    How do you develop such an offer?

    Here is a list of some of the best offers for your products and services

    • Cash Discounts
    • Discount vouchers
    • Contests and Giveaways
    • Free 30 minutes consultation
    • Free Quote
    • Free 40 minutes Assessment
    • Flash Sales
    • Discount Sales

    Practical examples of good offers are

    • “Guaranteed Google rankings in 90 days or we work for free!”
    • “A fresh, hot pizza delivered in 30 minutes or less, guaranteed
    • “Your pizza will be delivered in 30 minutes… or it’s FREE!”

    Here are also 4 questions you can ask yourself to derive your offer

    1. Why should a customer listen to you? – Is it a unique service, market, product, “whole experience is unique”, or price?
    2. Why should a customer do business with you instead of anybody and everybody else?
    3. What can your product do for a customer that no other product can do?
    4. What can you guarantee a customer that nobody else can guarantee?

    I would highly recommend you carve out an enticing offer for your business.

    It would be your single biggest driving force in your business.

    Its the secret to attracting endless amounts of clients and customers for your products and services

    3. Build a Phone list of customers from Day 1

    As a small business, your most important business asset is not a great product or service, but your customer phone list.

    You should be aggressively focused on capturing leads on your phone.

    Every single person who is slightly interested in your products and services should be on your phone.

    For instance, a client of mine gets an average of 5-10 calls a day from new and existing clients inquiring about his Kente products.

    How did he achieve this?

    He decided when he started his business 10 years ago to build a customer phone list.

    He is now enjoying the value of word-of-mouth advertising and is constantly being contacted by leads.

    4. Leverage your WhatsApp and Facebook groups

    Another effective way to increase your leads is to send your offers and promotions to your WhatsApp and Facebook groups.

    The key here is to send only offers and promotions.

    Not simply displaying all your products or services.

    Remember, you don’t want to spam your WhatsApp and Facebook groups.

    Keep them to only your enticing offer and promotions.

    5. Exhaust your Facebook personal profile for leads

    What about using your Facebook profile to generate leads?

    Facebook allows you to grow your personal profile up to 5000 friends.

    This is a gold mine for you to generate leads.

    I know you may be thinking you want to keep your personal profile personal.

    I get it.

    But using Facebook profile stories can drive a lot of traffic to your business.

    Another important tool to drive native traffic is the reels on Facebook and Instagram.

    There is a lot of organic reach and viewership with reels on Facebook and Instagram.

    Take the opportunity and build leads.

    6. Create a WhatsApp Broadcast list

    You have now accumulated a good list of customers.

    What do you do with it?

    We have now built a valuable business asset.

    We have clients we can follow up on.

    How do we follow up with these clients?

    The easiest way is to create a WhatsApp Broadcast list.

    You now have the option to market to your group whenever you have something to offer.

    Promotions are not the only form of messages for you to send.

    Messages should be a mixer of valuable content (⅔) and promotion (⅓).

    7. Set up your shop in a high foot traffic area

    If you are selling a product, a great idea would be to set up shop in a place with high foot traffic.

    A client of mine selling health products has her office inside a High-end salon for middle-class women.

    That’s a solid idea. She is located where her clients are coming and going.

    While a client is waiting to get her nails done.

    She is offering free samples and trials of her products.

    It pays to be in a high foot traffic area especially when you can engage your target audience.

    8. Bonus growth strategy #1: Provide your current customers with a Premium offer

    You have now acquired some new leads and improved your sales.

    There is room for you to make some more money.

    The key is to sell a premium offer to your existing customers.

    The truth is your customers will spend their money somewhere if you don’t have a premium offer.

    The most convenient time to make a sale is when a customer has bought something.

    It is a golden opportunity that should not be missed.

    Always call up your existing customers and  promote  your premium offers

    9. Bonus growth strategy #2: Print media advertising

    Flyers are a great way to quickly get the word out about your product or services for a local business.

    For instance, you have set up a new laundromat in your locality.

    Your next step is to create and print flyers for both offline and online distribution.

    Most importantly, visit all the high foot traffic areas in your locality and distribute them.

    For example, marketplaces, Banks, commercial areas, schools, restaurants, fuel stations, churches, etc.

    10. Bonus growth strategy #3:Post videos on Facebook & Instagram

    With social media marketing, your most effective medium for advertising is videos.

    Video performs better than any form of communication medium online.

    Posting your videos on Facebook reels, stories, Instagram reels, IGTV, etc are all solid ways to improve and build your brand awareness online.

    You can use your iPhone to shoot the videos.

    The most important thing about the video is whether it is providing value.

    Wrapping up

    Starting and growing a business is hard.

    There is no doubt about that.

    The truth is you don’t have to go through the struggles all by yourself.

    As outlined above, these are ways you can employ to have an effective do-it-yourself advertising campaign starting at $0.

    Which of the ways are you going to start with?

    Leave a comment and let me know

  • 3 Mistakes I Made as a First-Time Business Consultant (So You Don’t Have To)

    When I first launched my consultancy, I felt ready to take on the world. Armed with skills, knowledge, and a supportive network, I thought success was inevitable. But the reality of building a business from scratch quickly set in. Looking back, I made several key decisions I wish I’d handled differently – mistakes that cost me valuable time, money, and momentum.

    In this post, I’ll share the top three mistakes from my early consulting days. My goal is simple: by understanding my missteps, you can avoid these common pitfalls and build your own practice more effectively from day one.

    Mistake 1: Saying Yes to Every Client

    Why It Was a Mistake As a new consultant eager for revenue, my instinct was to accept every project offered. The logic seemed sound: more clients equal more income. However, this approach quickly spread me too thin. I ended up taking on work outside my core expertise or long-term vision, struggling to deliver consistent quality, and spending my days firefighting instead of leveraging my strengths.

    What I Learned

    • Clarity Attracts Quality: Understanding your ideal client and niche isn’t just a late-stage luxury; it’s crucial from the start. While tempting to cast a wide net initially, focusing on clients whose needs truly align with your expertise leads to better outcomes and more fulfilling work.
    • Excellence Over Volume: It’s far more effective (and sustainable) to serve a smaller number of clients exceptionally well than to juggle too many projects mediocrely.

    Actionable Insight

    • Ask yourself: Does this potential project truly align with my core strengths and business goals?
    • The first step: Define your niche and ideal client profile. What problems do you genuinely enjoy solving? Who do you serve best? Make this focus clear in your positioning and marketing.

    Mistake 2: Lacking a Structured Service Offering

    Why It Was a Mistake In an attempt to be flexible, I started without clearly defined service packages. This created confusion – both for potential clients and for myself. Clients weren’t always sure exactly what they were getting or what results to expect. Internally, I wasted countless hours customizing proposals and figuring out pricing, often leading to undercharging or over-delivering without clear boundaries.

    What I Learned

    • Structure Builds Trust: A well-defined service offering makes it easy for potential clients to understand your value proposition. It clarifies deliverables, sets expectations, and reduces friction in the decision-making process.
    • Clarity Enables Fair Pricing: When your services are clearly packaged, you can establish transparent, value-based pricing much more easily.

    Actionable Insight

    • Consider this: Can you clearly articulate the specific problem your service solves and the tangible outcomes a client can expect?
    • A simple way to apply this: Develop 2-3 core service packages. Outline the process, key deliverables, expected outcomes, and pricing for each. Think of it as a menu that makes it easy for clients to choose.

    Mistake 3: Neglecting Client Management Systems

    Why It Was a Mistake Early on, managing clients and projects happened primarily through email and spreadsheets. This worked fine with one or two clients, but as the business grew, it quickly became chaotic and inefficient. Deadlines were missed, communications got lost, and the lack of organization undermined the professional image I wanted to project. I realized I desperately needed repeatable systems.

    What I Learned

    • Systems Create Leverage: Implementing the right tools and processes (like a simple CRM or project management software) automates routine tasks, tracks progress reliably, and frees up significant mental energy.
    • Organization Signals Professionalism: Smooth, organized client management enhances the client experience. Consistent communication and clear tracking build confidence and lead to better relationships and results.

    Actionable Insight

    • The first step is: Choose one core tool to streamline your process (e.g., Notion, Trello, Asana, a dedicated CRM). Start simple – focus on tracking client communication, key project milestones, and deadlines.
    • Ask yourself: What is the biggest point of friction in my current client management process? Identify that one area and build a simple system to address it first.

    Conclusion: From Mistakes to Momentum

    Starting a consulting business is a journey filled with learning opportunities – often disguised as mistakes. The three lessons I’ve shared here – focusing your client acquisition, structuring your services, and systematizing your operations – were pivotal shifts in how I run my business today. Mastering them earlier would have saved significant effort and accelerated my progress.

    To recap the core principles:

    • Be intentionally selective about the clients and projects you take on.
    • Create structured service offerings that clearly communicate your value.
    • Build simple systems to manage your work and scale effectively.

    By integrating these ideas from the outset, you can avoid common roadblocks and build your consultancy on a stronger, more sustainable foundation.

    Reflection Prompt: Which of these mistakes resonates most with your current situation or concerns? What is one small step you can take this week to address it in your own practice?