Scott McKelvey Copywriting & Marketing

How Doing Less and Turning Down Work Can Help You Grow Your Business

When I first began formulating a plan to take my company from side business to full-time business, I considered expanding my services as a way to attract more customers.

Instead of focusing solely on content writing, I kicked around the idea of learning about website development and design. I thought about offering social media management and public relations.

But I didn’t. And here’s why.

First of all, I didn’t know how good I would be at any of those things, or if I would even like doing them.

Second, and maybe most importantly, expanding my services would also increase my competition. Many of my clients are marketing firms, ad agencies, web developers, social media consultants and PR companies that hire me to write content for their clients.

It would have been royally stupid of me to compete with these companies for business. Instead, we’ve become partners.

Some people have said to me, “Why do you limit yourself like that?”

It’s not a matter of limiting yourself. It’s a matter of focusing on what you do best.

For example, I know how to use Photoshop and can find my way around WordPress, but that doesn’t make me a designer or a developer. Granted, some people take one class and then claim to be an expert, but I’m not one of those people.

To become truly qualified to offer those services mentioned earlier would require me to spend a lot of time educating myself. I have neither the resources nor the inclination to go through that.

On the other hand, I know I’m a pretty damn good writer.

I’m capable of blending the right words with sound marketing strategy and capturing the voice of my clients. I know how to take complicated subject matter and present it in a way the average person can understand.

I know I can do all of these things when writing blogs, website content, press releases and pretty much anything marketing-related.

So I focus on that.

That doesn’t mean someone else can’t offer a wide variety of services, like a full-service marketing, social media and PR company.

If you have or can acquire the expertise and can make it work from a business standpoint, that’s great. But you can also sustain a business by focusing on a very specific product or service.

It may seem illogical, but reducing the number of products and services you offer, not introducing new ones, will often help you grow more quickly.

Look at what recent history has taught us about the impact of expanded product offerings:

Procter and Gamble (P&G) announced it will look to sell off as many as 100 brands so the company could focus on the 70-80 core brands that account for 90 percent of sales and 95 percent of profits.

The announcement sent P&G shares up about four percent.

After expanding its menu by 70 percent since 2007, McDonald’s has begun to streamline its offerings. Instead of boosting sales, the new menu items contributed to long wait times and added costs for extra ingredients and equipment.

Dell became the world’s largest selling brand of personal computers as a result of a singular focus – direct sales of personal computers to the business market.

Then Dell got into line extensions.

A line extension is a strategy that involves launching and marketing a new product with an established brand name. For example, Google+ is a line extension of Google. Diet Pepsi is a line extension of Pepsi. All of the Star Wars sequels are line extensions of the original movie.

Dell’s line extensions included consumer products like mp3 players, televisions and smartphones.

Last year, Dell was sold for $13.65 a share. 15 years ago, the stock price was about $45.

Look at Coca-Cola, the unofficial king of line extensions. Remember New Coke, Vanilla Coke and the allegedly healthier Coke Zero and Diet Coke Plus?

Aside from Diet Coke, launched in 1982, have any Coca-Cola line extensions really moved the needle?

On the other end of the spectrum, you’ll find Apple. If you look at the navigation on Apple’s website , you see their core products – Mac, iPod, iPhone, iPad and iTunes.

Apple is now the world’s most valuable brand. With five products.

Apple wins with fewer products because each product is exceptional.

Look at it this way. When you introduce new products and services, you have to pay to develop them, make them great, and market them.

That ain’t cheap.

Multi-billion dollar companies can afford to launch a new product, have it bomb, lose their shirts and pretend it never happened.

Can you? I sure as hell can’t.

As a small business owner, it makes much more sense to develop strategic partnerships with companies that offer products and services that complement yours.

I recently spoke at a local chamber of commerce event. The chamber president asked if I could help him write a book.

I declined.

I told him I’ve never done it before and wouldn’t feel comfortable making him my guinea pig. I said I would introduce him to a fellow writer who specializes in that kind of work, and I explained my areas of expertise should the need arise.

It’s okay to turn down work if it’s not in your wheelhouse. You’ll be doing the customer a favor and earn their respect.

And you’ll probably earn their business when they have a need for what you do best.

The same principles apply to marketing.

For example, if you’re struggling to gain traction with social media marketing, getting involved with more social channels isn’t the answer.

Try dropping a social channel or two and focus more energy and resources on improving your presence on fewer channels.

You know the saying. If you try to be everything to everyone, you won’t be anything to anyone.

Offering new products and services and taking on any project that comes your way won’t automatically translate to growth and prosperity. Without proper planning, this approach is just as likely to put you out of business.

Focus. Simplicity. Being exceptional. These are the keys to developing and growing a successful business.

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