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Jane Brown has been at the top of her game for a long time. She built a remarkable electrical contracting business – driven by a good idea and powered by capable people.

And yet, it seems like nobody has ever heard of the business.

How to tell if you’re a best-kept secret

While Jane recognizes that something needs to change, she can’t immediately identify the issue – and some of the common symptoms sound deceptively positive:

• Most of her new business comes from word of mouth / referrals.
• Her internal culture is strong – employees are energized, engaged, and like what they do.
• She has low client attrition – once a client is in the door, she’s gained a loyal fan for life.

But there’s a shadowy side to these early indicators, and when you dig a little deeper they become problematic:

• Historically, referrals and word of mouth marketing have been a reliable source of new business – but that network has started to become saturated.
• She has a strong internal culture, which is something to be proud of – but nobody else knows about it and she struggles to find new candidates.
• Her client turnover is low, but the problem is gaining new clients.
  We call this being a best-kept secret.

The problem, and when it matters

Of course, there are times when best-kept secrets are desirable – like when you’re traveling and seeking a destination off the beaten path.

Take, for instance, a gelato shop in the back streets of Rome. When the shop was founded, it was probably with a vision for producing handmade, artisanal ice cream with only the purest, locally sourced ingredients. For a lifestyle business like this, being a best-kept secret might actually be preferable.

But for many other businesses, the opposite is true: Jane doesn’t want to be tucked away in a quaint, cobbled alleyway. She wants to be front and center – so that anyone who could benefit from her service has visibility and access.

Why leaders struggle to get the word out

This issue boils down to two main challenges: 1, You know you have something special, but struggle to articulate exactly what sets your business apart, or 2, you have a strong value proposition, but need to get the message out.

It’s possible that business leaders are hesitant to share their secret because they’re afraid of growth – that it will force them to compromise the values that brought them this far. (I’m sure the aforementioned gelato shop owner wouldn’t want to dilute his product to become the next Baskin-Robbins.)

That said, there is a happy medium to be found. Take Salt & Straw – a Portland-based artisanal ice cream company that has found ways to scale its core identity: rather than compromise its value of locally sourced ingredients, the company sources locally in each new city it enters. Leaders have stayed true to what makes them remarkable, while also building a sustainable, controllable business. If you’re familiar with Salt & Straw, you know this strategy has worked: there is often a line out the door at every location.

Spilling the beans on a best-kept secret

If you, too, want Salt & Straw-like success, there is a path forward. Start by asking yourself the following questions.

1. Are you tracking the right marketing metrics?

Part of not being the best-kept secret means getting the word out – and one way to measure the success of that effort is to track performance via marketing metrics.

2. Have you grown your network of referrers?

Formalize and systematize your referral program to encourage even more word of mouth.

3. How successful are your recruitment efforts?

Look for ways to re-energize your recruiting program so that prospective candidates know how great it would be to work for you.

4. Do you have a strong value proposition?

Why would your ideal customer purchase from you rather than your competition? Think about what sets you apart, and then be ready to shout it from the rooftops.

The takeaway

While this problem is a pervasive one affecting many small businesses, the good news is that it’s entirely fixable. If your business has made it this far, it’s probably because you’re doing something worth sharing – congratulations!

Now, with the right preparation and resources, you can take your organization from being the best-kept secret into being the next best thing.

Shawn Busse is founder and CEO of Kinesis. Contact him at 503-922-2289 or [email protected].