It’s important for professionals not to neglect the marketing side of their business.
Why? We often get so preoccupied with work at hand that we lose sight of managing future gaps in workload later.
Many professionals do not consider marketing their domain as a practitioner. Unfortunately, every business needs a “rainmaker” and quite often the business suffers when that person leaves.
A healthy organisation needs a good balance of personalities, and experience to challenge and champion ideas.
Marketing is not the role of one person. In fact, successful marketing involves everyone within an organisation from your receptionist and back office staff right through to management level.
Set your business goals and gain staff input throughout the process to develop and implement your marketing strategy. Delegate responsibilities to create ownership for marketing the business.
Sir Peter Blake had a simple strategy for winning the America’s Cup. For any task or idea, he asked “will it make the boat go faster?” If not, then don’t do it. The same is true for marketing, keep your goals simple and stay focused on your priorities. Don’t get distracted by producing glossy brochures, running advertisements or events if they don’t contribute to your business goals.
There is no silver bullet for marketing success. In terms of marketing spend, don't put all your eggs in one basket.
Remember, people do business with people. Most professionals get business via referrals, therefore spending your marketing effort on sources of referrals is a viable option in today's tight business climate.
Here are some marketing tips on referrals to consider for your business…
Tip #1 Do a great job for existing clients
Don’t expect clients to appreciate the value of your work unless you clearly explain how this benefits their business. Be a better marketer of what you do, but don’t over promise and under deliver!
Tip #2 Stand out from the crowd
You need a clear marketing message that differentiates you from competitors. Write a brief list of what you offer clients that your competitors cannot offer – be honest. It might be job turnaround, service guarantee, specific industry expertise or personal service. Take your existing clients out for a coffee and ask them why they chose you – their answer might surprise you!
Tip #4 Word of mouth marketing
You need to be top-of-mind when someone is searching for a professional like you. My advice is get out of the office and meet key people who could refer client work to you. Contact them, shout them coffee and make a point to keep in touch regularly. Reciprocal relationships work best, so ensure you refer them work too!
Tip #5 Ask
Many professionals feel too awkward to ask for referrals. But if you do a great job then being upfront with a client or other professionals is one of the simplest methods for more business. Again, a reciprocal process works best for you in the long term.
Need further marketing advice? Simply email Brent Strong, General Manager TEO Training with your marketing problems. Email address: bstrong@teo.co.nz.
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