Sandra Bledsoe knows all about business. After all, she has successfully run Revenge MD, a medical clinic, for years in Las Vegas, one of the most competitive cities in the United States. Her business has even scaled through the pandemic, offering at-home consultations for its customers.
She recently spilled some of her secrets for business success and interestingly, she tells entrepreneurs to focus on not just their physical product or service but also on telling the story of their business. This, she says, is the key to truly connecting with your customers and keeping them coming back.
The Story of Revenge MD and How You Can Create Your Own
Bledsoe first recommends that your business know its mission as this is an integral part of your story, believe it or not. The mission of your business cannot simply be ‘sell clothes’ or ‘sell laundry services’, in the same way, Revenge MD’s mission is not simply ‘offer cosmetic medical services’. Instead, Bledsoe states Revenge MD’s mission statement as helping their clients “transform and improve their confidence”.
A basic statement like ‘offer cosmetic medical services’ tells your clients that you want to make money off them but Revenge MD’s statement tells them that you want to make their lives much better, which is more compelling. Do not make the mistake of underestimating the importance of a mission statement.
Millions of businesses may exist in your niche but none can have your mission statement as Bledsoe says, “Without the essential knowledge of story telling your brand message is undefined and very much like a sailboat without a sail to catch any movement.
Next, you have to tailor the products and services you offer to match this mission statement.
It is one thing to say what your mission statement is but what you offer your customers must be reflective of this or else it will come across as ingenuine. In the case of Revenge MD, they offer anti-aging and wellness procedures which include weight loss, hormone balance solutions, botox, fillers, and PDO thread lifts. All these match their goal of transforming and improving appearances and as Bledsoe herself says, looking your best is the best revenge you can get.
Look through your current roster of products and services and make sure that everything offers indicate your mission statement to your customers and the wider public.
Beyond this, it is important that your mission statement is communicated as much as possible and put at the center of your branding, as recommended by Bledsoe.
“As a small business owner with decades of experience, I’ve made sure to relate to my target audience using storytelling. My most successful and current endeavor, Revenge MD in Las Vegas, helps people look and feel their best with medical programs made special for each patient. For my business I’ve branded everything from billboards, magazines, and TV commercials; but none of that matters without a story made special to my audience. For me that story is, “Success is the best revenge,” she says.
Tapping into Your Audience
A rule in business is that an organization is nothing without its customers and this does not only refer to making an income off them. Part of telling your brand story is knowing the experiences that your customers have had with your brand and amplifying these experiences. This tells potential customers that your business actually delivers results and this will compel them to patronize you.
As per Bledsoe’s experience, “An entrepreneur can engage their story telling skills by developing personal relationships with their audience and sharing the success they’ve had with your business or product. When my audience learns of Revenge MD and hears our story it sparks excitement knowing there’s a company dedicated to medically helping them achieve the healthy look they need to reach their goals.”
Even after your official business with the customer is finished, Bledsoe recommends staying in touch with them. Revenge MD send hand-written notes to and follows up. As she puts it, “As they stay in touch and evolve with my medical programs, my story also evolves to include the success stories of the many that depend on Revenge MD.”
Ultimately, your business’ storytelling can make or break it and Bledsoe knows this more than anyone, having run a successful business with storytelling, a strong brand mission and attention to detail.