Tags |
|
|
Links |
|
|
Hub You - Painless Marketing for People Who Hate to Market
Today’s consumers are bombarded with thousands of products and services on a daily basis through advertising, in-store displays and store shelves among other vehicles. The probability that a consumer will notice your product among the herd, well, let’s just say it gets tougher everyday. The good news is that it is not completely out of your control. It takes a bold initiative and a willingness to buck whatever the current trends are, but the results can be nothing short of spectacular.The only way to get your product noticed is by breaking your category's unspoken rules. While there are several ways to break category, there are two fundamental characteristics you must possess in order to "break out" successfully. Th
The key to these five laws is that all aspects of marketing must pull in the same direction. So if you have one vendor doing direct mail, another your website, and another your ads – particularly before you’ve built your base (laws 1 through 4) – chances are they’re all pulling in different directions. You must have a holistic plan that keeps your firm and your vendors pulling together.
Making it Happen
Knowing what to do is not the same as making it happen. That’s where most busy professional service firms fall down when it comes to marketing.
Whether you do it yourself or hire an outside firm to help you, here’s the basic process you should follow: Make a research-based plan of action that’s strategic, contextual, and seamlessly aligned with your firm’s business goals; set priorities.
Establish a process to stay on track and motivated.
Use an approach that
I remember reading one of the books by Catherine Ponder. If I remember correctly, it was the one titled "The Dynamic Laws of Prosperity".In that book, the author said something worth remembering, "The ungrateful never prospers''. According to the author, your ungrateful attitude is pushing abundance and prosperity away from you.In his seminar tapes and CDs, author and lecturer Anthony Robbins mentions the great impact gratitude had in his life.Author Marc Allen mentions in his book "Course for millionaires" how gratitude has made his life so much better.How many of you take a few minutes every day to be grateful and thankful for all the good things you have in your life right now?
If we’re good enough, clients will find us or we’ll get plenty of referrals.
We don’t have time – we’re busy enough and have to maximize our billable hours.
We can’t afford to market – we have no extra money.
We have brochures and a website – isn’t that enough?
We don’t know where to start, even if we do want to attract more clients.
We can’t get key people inside our firm to agree on how – or if – to start.
Promoting our firm is unprofessional, unethical, and tacky. These are all legitimate perspectives and shouldn’t be minimized. But what if there was a painless way to get the following results? High-quality prospects seeking you out and coming to you, instead of you having to seek them out.
Your firm reaching and helping more people with what you have to offer.
Increasing the volume of clients from which you can choose, allowing your firm to be selective and work with only those you truly want.
Differentiating your firm from your competition and articulating what makes you and your firm special.
Tapping new networks that don’t know about your firm yet.
Wasting no more money on ineffective brochures, flyers, web sites and other marketing materials – better yet, knowing if the investment you make is worth it.
Raising your fees and being paid what you are worth.
Learning how to grow and sustain your practice in any market. My guess is that you’d be willing to take a closer look at some basic marketing principles and practices, if they could generate these results for your firm.
The Ugly Truth
Here’s the ugly truth about attracting more clients: you have to make it a priority constantly, consistently, and carefully. So what can you do to make it less painful…or even painless?
The answer depends on your firm’s view of marketing. Many of the professional service firms we work with tend to fall into one of two camps. Some firms are committed to using internal resources (i.e., partners, designated business development staff, or junior marketeers), and some won’t or can’t. Either way, marketing systems must become a core part of your day-to-day business practices.
Look Before You Leap
In both cases, you have to spend some time thinking about, developing, and testing what happens before you print brochures, develop a website, introduce yourself at a networking event, or write an article for a trade publication. Robert Middleton’s Five Laws of Marketing captures this well:
Build your base (careful attention to your message):
Get Attention: what you say and write to grab your prospects’ attention, introduce yourself, headline a talk or article, etc.
Uniqueness: what makes you stand out from your competitors, such as a specific promise, standard, or guarantee; you must be very clear on who you do and don’t serve
Value: what you demonstrate through information that you share before you get hired – free articles, white papers, survey results, workshops, etc. – so that when the need arises, the client thinks of only you
Authority: the proof that you’re qualified to deliver what you say you can do; demonstrated via case studies with measurable results, media appearances, testimonials, bios, company background, etc. Reach out to the market (being constant and consistent):
Relationship Building Systems: networking, direct outreach (personal or mass mail); keep in touch systems; centers of influence (banker, advisors), joint ventures, client relationship strategy, customer creation system, relationship selling strategy, value-based pricing strategy, next level strategies
The key to these five laws is that all aspects of marketing must pull in the same direction. So if you have one vendor doing direct mail, another your website, and another your ads – particularly before you’ve built your base (laws 1 through 4) – chances are they’re all pulling in different directions. You must have a holistic plan that keeps your firm and your vendors pulling together.
Making it Happen
Knowing what to do is not the same as making it happen. That’s where most busy professional service firms fall down when it comes to marketing.
Whether you do it yourself or hire an outside firm to help you, here’s the basic process you should follow: Make a research-based plan of action that’s strategic, contextual, and seamlessly aligned with your firm’s business goals; set priorities.
Establish a process to stay on track and motivated.
Use an approach that
Since some people might not be sure what a paradigm is, let's just define it a little before we start, and then we'll talk about the relative sizes of Texas and New Jersey, and why you don't inspect cattle wearing high heels.Although the term "paradigm" can take on different shades of meaning depending on the subject and the people involved, the basic point of view is that a paradigm is the pattern within which you live, think, and operate. Since so many of our actions and reactions are based on the paradigm we are operating under, you can see how there is a possibility for a gross misjudgment on someone's part if their paradigm is incorrect or skewed. In other words, if your paradigm is one that assumes you are i
Your firm reaching and helping more people with what you have to offer.
Increasing the volume of clients from which you can choose, allowing your firm to be selective and work with only those you truly want.
Differentiating your firm from your competition and articulating what makes you and your firm special.
Tapping new networks that don’t know about your firm yet.
Wasting no more money on ineffective brochures, flyers, web sites and other marketing materials – better yet, knowing if the investment you make is worth it.
Raising your fees and being paid what you are worth.
Learning how to grow and sustain your practice in any market. My guess is that you’d be willing to take a closer look at some basic marketing principles and practices, if they could generate these results for your firm.
The Ugly Truth
Here’s the ugly truth about attracting more clients: you have to make it a priority constantly, consistently, and carefully. So what can you do to make it less painful…or even painless?
The answer depends on your firm’s view of marketing. Many of the professional service firms we work with tend to fall into one of two camps. Some firms are committed to using internal resources (i.e., partners, designated business development staff, or junior marketeers), and some won’t or can’t. Either way, marketing systems must become a core part of your day-to-day business practices.
Look Before You Leap
In both cases, you have to spend some time thinking about, developing, and testing what happens before you print brochures, develop a website, introduce yourself at a networking event, or write an article for a trade publication. Robert Middleton’s Five Laws of Marketing captures this well:
Build your base (careful attention to your message):
Get Attention: what you say and write to grab your prospects’ attention, introduce yourself, headline a talk or article, etc.
Uniqueness: what makes you stand out from your competitors, such as a specific promise, standard, or guarantee; you must be very clear on who you do and don’t serve
Value: what you demonstrate through information that you share before you get hired – free articles, white papers, survey results, workshops, etc. – so that when the need arises, the client thinks of only you
Authority: the proof that you’re qualified to deliver what you say you can do; demonstrated via case studies with measurable results, media appearances, testimonials, bios, company background, etc. Reach out to the market (being constant and consistent):
Relationship Building Systems: networking, direct outreach (personal or mass mail); keep in touch systems; centers of influence (banker, advisors), joint ventures, client relationship strategy, customer creation system, relationship selling strategy, value-based pricing strategy, next level strategies
The key to these five laws is that all aspects of marketing must pull in the same direction. So if you have one vendor doing direct mail, another your website, and another your ads – particularly before you’ve built your base (laws 1 through 4) – chances are they’re all pulling in different directions. You must have a holistic plan that keeps your firm and your vendors pulling together.
Making it Happen
Knowing what to do is not the same as making it happen. That’s where most busy professional service firms fall down when it comes to marketing.
Whether you do it yourself or hire an outside firm to help you, here’s the basic process you should follow: Make a research-based plan of action that’s strategic, contextual, and seamlessly aligned with your firm’s business goals; set priorities.
Establish a process to stay on track and motivated.
Use an approach that
In the Industrial Age the main skills you needed to survive and prosper in the business arena were loyalty and strong work ethic. You could set your watch by annual pay raises. Seniority was the standard for upward mobility, but that was long ago.Survival today takes a lot more. If you have a job, you’re probably working harder and longer than you were ten years ago, earning fewer pay raises, benefits and languishing on the promotion stepladder.People used to have career master-plans: Get a degree, get a job, and retire with a pension and full benefits. Today, career planning is an oxymoron. Technology, reengineering, and a global economy have altered the career landscape. To survive, you have to learn to man
The answer depends on your firm’s view of marketing. Many of the professional service firms we work with tend to fall into one of two camps. Some firms are committed to using internal resources (i.e., partners, designated business development staff, or junior marketeers), and some won’t or can’t. Either way, marketing systems must become a core part of your day-to-day business practices.
Look Before You Leap
In both cases, you have to spend some time thinking about, developing, and testing what happens before you print brochures, develop a website, introduce yourself at a networking event, or write an article for a trade publication. Robert Middleton’s Five Laws of Marketing captures this well:
Build your base (careful attention to your message):
Get Attention: what you say and write to grab your prospects’ attention, introduce yourself, headline a talk or article, etc.
Uniqueness: what makes you stand out from your competitors, such as a specific promise, standard, or guarantee; you must be very clear on who you do and don’t serve
Value: what you demonstrate through information that you share before you get hired – free articles, white papers, survey results, workshops, etc. – so that when the need arises, the client thinks of only you
Authority: the proof that you’re qualified to deliver what you say you can do; demonstrated via case studies with measurable results, media appearances, testimonials, bios, company background, etc. Reach out to the market (being constant and consistent):
Relationship Building Systems: networking, direct outreach (personal or mass mail); keep in touch systems; centers of influence (banker, advisors), joint ventures, client relationship strategy, customer creation system, relationship selling strategy, value-based pricing strategy, next level strategies
The key to these five laws is that all aspects of marketing must pull in the same direction. So if you have one vendor doing direct mail, another your website, and another your ads – particularly before you’ve built your base (laws 1 through 4) – chances are they’re all pulling in different directions. You must have a holistic plan that keeps your firm and your vendors pulling together.
Making it Happen
Knowing what to do is not the same as making it happen. That’s where most busy professional service firms fall down when it comes to marketing.
Whether you do it yourself or hire an outside firm to help you, here’s the basic process you should follow: Make a research-based plan of action that’s strategic, contextual, and seamlessly aligned with your firm’s business goals; set priorities.
Establish a process to stay on track and motivated.
Use an approach that
Incorporating online is probably one of the easiest ways to incorporate your business. Incorporating online generally only requires standard information such as the names and addresses of the initial officers, and sometimes their titles. Incorporating online helps take care of all the steps required for the initial filing with the Secretary of State.By incorporating online many steps are taken care of on your behalf. Typically this includes a thorough corporation name search, the preparation and review your articles of incorporation, submission to the Secretary of State’s office, and payment to the Secretary of State’s office.Often times people will chose to incorporate their business online so that they d
Uniqueness: what makes you stand out from your competitors, such as a specific promise, standard, or guarantee; you must be very clear on who you do and don’t serve
Value: what you demonstrate through information that you share before you get hired – free articles, white papers, survey results, workshops, etc. – so that when the need arises, the client thinks of only you
Authority: the proof that you’re qualified to deliver what you say you can do; demonstrated via case studies with measurable results, media appearances, testimonials, bios, company background, etc. Reach out to the market (being constant and consistent):
Relationship Building Systems: networking, direct outreach (personal or mass mail); keep in touch systems; centers of influence (banker, advisors), joint ventures, client relationship strategy, customer creation system, relationship selling strategy, value-based pricing strategy, next level strategies
The key to these five laws is that all aspects of marketing must pull in the same direction. So if you have one vendor doing direct mail, another your website, and another your ads – particularly before you’ve built your base (laws 1 through 4) – chances are they’re all pulling in different directions. You must have a holistic plan that keeps your firm and your vendors pulling together.
Making it Happen
Knowing what to do is not the same as making it happen. That’s where most busy professional service firms fall down when it comes to marketing.
Whether you do it yourself or hire an outside firm to help you, here’s the basic process you should follow: Make a research-based plan of action that’s strategic, contextual, and seamlessly aligned with your firm’s business goals; set priorities.
Establish a process to stay on track and motivated.
Use an approach that
Every business is trying to improve profitability, after all this is why the business exists. To achieve this goal there are only two paths that can be taken – increase revenue or reduce costs. The path of increasing revenue is typically seen as the most positive step. It is exciting, involves expansion and creates opportunities. Conversely, reducing costs is seen as negative and backward and so this approach often gets much less attention that it deserves.The problem with continuous improvement is that it can be really hard work. But, just like its glamorous sibling, achieving lasting and positive cost reduction requires creativity and imagination. Most continuous improvement initiatives begin as a last minute and
The key to these five laws is that all aspects of marketing must pull in the same direction. So if you have one vendor doing direct mail, another your website, and another your ads – particularly before you’ve built your base (laws 1 through 4) – chances are they’re all pulling in different directions. You must have a holistic plan that keeps your firm and your vendors pulling together.
Making it Happen
Knowing what to do is not the same as making it happen. That’s where most busy professional service firms fall down when it comes to marketing.
Whether you do it yourself or hire an outside firm to help you, here’s the basic process you should follow: Make a research-based plan of action that’s strategic, contextual, and seamlessly aligned with your firm’s business goals; set priorities.
Establish a process to stay on track and motivated.
Use an approach that gets your team aligned and all working toward the same goals.
Factor in support, guidance, and resources for the hard work of implementation.
This Won’t Hurt a Bit!
You don’t have to tackle all of this at once. Take it one step at a time. Effective marketing takes hold organically and grows over time. A steady pace lets you experience and evaluate any changes thoughtfully. You can reasonably expect to put all of these things in place in about six to nine months. You’ll see results much sooner if your first steps are thoughtful, strategic, and carefully focused on building your base.
Want a prescription that will keep your business pipeline full of high-quality clients? Decide to add a little painless marketing to your weekly business routine and call me in the morning!
References
Levinson, J. Guerrilla Marketing. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1984.
Middleton, R. Laws of Marketing TeleClass. Action Plan Marketing, Inc. 2003.
Putman, A. Marketing Your Services. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1990
HTTP = HTML link (for blogs, profiles,phorums):
<a href="http://www.iadvice.info/article/30051/iadvice-Painless-Marketing-for-People-Who-Hate-to-Market.html">Painless Marketing for People Who Hate to Market</a>
BB link (for phorums):
[url=http://www.iadvice.info/article/30051/iadvice-Painless-Marketing-for-People-Who-Hate-to-Market.html]Painless Marketing for People Who Hate to Market[/url]
Related Articles:
Jumping on the Brandwagon - How to Give Your City a Motto Makeover in 10 Easy Steps
Bookmark it:
|