Archive for Marketing
3 Buying Triggers Every Service Professional Should Know
Posted by: | CommentsThis month I’m sharing my ideas and comments from Harry Beckwith’s Selling the Invisible . . . services.
Services are in fact invisible – you are selling a promise to your client that you will help them get or achieve something in their business. They are buying into you, your expertise, and your promise. But do you know their decision triggers?
We like to think those triggers are a logical process of research, comparison, and rational decision making. But because we’re people, it doesn’t always work out that way, does it?
There are 3 triggers Beckwith describes that you have to remember when creating visibility for yourself and marketing to potential clients:
Familiarity. Do you ever notice that some service professionals or companies are everywhere? They’re on social media, at networking events, being written up in the local paper, and making client calls. This isn’t magic – it’s about a marketing plan that creates familiarity with your potential and current clients. Potential clients, because they get to know you as a credible resource. Current clients, because it validates they made the right decision in hiring you, and will refer you to others.
Ask yourself, how familiar are you to those in your market? And how familiar are you with alliance partners that can refer business to you?
Recent Exposure. This is all about follow-up. How many times have you engaged with a potential client and then there was no regular exposure, or follow-up? It’s OK to be honest here, we’ve all done it. The very successful create a follow-up plan and work it consistently. First, get clear on how you want potential clients to engage with you. Is it via your website, a free consultation, a monthly education session?
For example, in my coaching practice – I like for people to engage with me via my website. There they can get to know me through my blog and other free resources I provide. They can opt-in to my community and receive regular communications from me. Remember to keep it simple – but create and follow through on your follow-up plan.
Good Enough. This one was eye-opening for me. Beckwith explains that “people do not look to make a superior choice; they want to avoid making a bad choice.” In other words, they are looking for a service that is good enough to meet their needs at the time. I always figured that people want to make the superior choice – but when I analyzed my own buying patterns, I realized that often times I made choices with the best information I had in front of me at the time – the good decision to get me where I wanted to go next. Your clients are doing the same thing. Instead, we need to be looking at the fears holding our clients back from making a buying decision, and address those.
For example, on the training development side of my business – one common fear is that because I’m an outside firm, I may not understand the nuances of their business in creating their training course ware. So it’s my job to eliminate that fear – with business results I’ve achieved in similar situations, describing the process I undergo with each new client, my ability to create a partnership with their company.
Get to know these triggers, because more often than not, it’s exactly how your clients are making their decisions.
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Do You “Go Where They Ain’t?”
Posted by: | CommentsI’m currently reading Selling the Invisible by Harry Beckwith. The book is over 10 years old – but it’s amazing how relevant it still is to those of us who are service professionals.
And as business owners, we need to have the clear understanding that selling services (read: selling ourselves) is way different than selling a product. Why? Because offering services is like offering the invisible – it’s simply a promise that you will do something for your client.
So for the rest of November, I’ll be posting my thoughts on Beckwith’s various tips as I read through this book.
Do you have a “Go Where They Ain’t” strategy in your business?
Do you go where they ain't?
What does that mean exactly?
Beckwith uses Wal-Mart as an example. When Sam Walton founded Wal-Mart, he decided to go where his competitors at the time wouldn’t dare go – to small towns that seemingly couldn’t (or wouldn’t) support a large discount store. His first store was opened in a tiny Arkansas town. He expanded from there into other small towns, ultimately dominating those towns and their surrounding areas. That profitability allowed Walton to then expand into larger and larger communities. Because Walton “re-framed” his strategy to go where no one else would . . . you know the rest of the story.
Let’s apply this same idea to your consulting practice, because “Go Where They Ain’t” could mean many different things. When you examine your business:
- Could you find a unique niche that no one else is serving, or create a true specialty? If you’re only calling on the exact same customers, or you’re always in the same circles as everyone else, this is a sign you might need to get creative.
- Can you create a partnership or alliance that puts you in front of a new audience? For example, one colleague runs a training company, and her programs were traditionally all classroom based. She partnered with an e-learning company to transition some of her courses into a new format – and now has new markets of interest.
- Are you saying yes to new opportunities that might stretch you a bit outside of what you’re used to? The best growth places are typically right outside of your comfort zone – so don’t automatically say no to an opportunity that is new or different.
- Are you doing your research? Usually we equate this with interviewing or researching members of our market. But what about this? Interview trusted colleagues or others outside of your market. Ask them where you might “go where they ain’t.” It’s amazing what an outside perspective can do.
Other ideas to share? Please leave a comment.
3 Simple Tips to Recharge Your Presentations
Posted by: | CommentsI delivered my third Toastmasters speech today, cold and all!
Because I’m in training and development and I’m a business coach, I often find myself speaking to groups – whether live or virtual. It’s easy to fall into a rut with the way we present ourselves and our content to others.
Every time you speak, write an email, post a blog, or use social media – you’re in fact making a presentation. That directly relates to how you and your message are received, and your credibility. And as a business owner, I believe your ability to attract clients and close business.
So I chose to talk about simple ways to recharge presentations and selected 3 tips that could be applied in most any situation.
While these tips are specifically geared toward presentations – whether live or virtual – they can also apply to other aspects of your communication with others.
Create a hot start with a compelling introduction. Your audience will make judgments about you, your message, and your credibility within the first couple minutes (maybe even less). That impression tends to last throughout their experience with you. Make the most of that time by creating a compelling introduction. Before you even get to that opening content, you want to pique curiosity, create surprise, and grab your audience. A simple way to do that is with a poll question. Formulate a question that is relevant to your audience and the content, and also creates conversation.
Stir emotions and improve engagement with stories. Our brains simply can’t remember boring things! We are programmed for stories. Why? Because stories attach meaning to the details, making them more memorable. Look for places in your content where storytelling may better convey your point, rather than just pure information telling.
Use the 10-minute rule. No matter how engaging you are, or how interesting your content – it’s human nature for people to tune out after about 10 minutes. Solve that by introducing a change at 10-minute intervals. That could be a poll question, a story, or simply a transition to a new topic. This keeps your audience with you and looking forward to what’s next.
Just implementing one of these techniques in your next presentation, virtual meeting, or informal interactions will make a difference in how your listener perceives you and your message – you’ll be credible and memorable!
Balance the Scales of Features and Benefits
Posted by: | CommentsFeatures and benefits – you can’t really have one without the other – and be honest about what you’re selling and delivering to your clients.
A recent article came across my desk about features and benefits, and making sure you’re sharing the benefits of your product or service. Which I agree is important.
But let’s take a look at the value of features. It’s a balancing act in the creation of your marketing collateral and your sales processes. When the scales are out of balance, you risk turning off your clients and losing sales.
Do your offers have balance between the features and benefits?
Why?
Benefits do matter – you have to clearly demonstrate to your potential clients what the end result is in working with you or your organization. But, people still need to know the components of what you’re offering – otherwise they might think you’re just doing a sales job on them. If you’re considering buying a product or program, and there’s this huge long list of all the benefits it offers . . . but the actual features that provide the path to those benefits aren’t described well, what does that say?
Know your audience – what is most important to the person/decision maker you are speaking to? For example, men and women may respond differently. Organizations and individuals may respond differently. This is where having your target market profile is key. When you can visualize the person or group you are writing to and know their decision-making factors, it can make a huge difference in all of your copy – web copy, emails, voice mails, autoresponders. I forget where I picked up this point – but it really resonated with me – everything you write (and say) is copy. So take care in what you’re putting out there.
Ultimately – your end goal is to create confidence and inspire action. Your benefits should inspire that action, because that person wants what you have, they want the end results you’re describing. It helps them reconcile their emotional need to buy. But seeing a well-constructed list of the features that will get them to that result – it can help reconcile the logical side that says, “OK. I can see this person has thought this through and is offering the ‘how’ of getting to those benefits.” People want confidence that you know “how” to get them there – your features.
What’s your take? Leave your comments.
Are you using V+C = P in your business?
Posted by: | CommentsHere’s some new math to memorize for your business: V + C = P. (Credit to Mark Storey for the idea! @mastorey on Twitter).
Join us for a free telesummit! http://fourwaystoflourish.com
It’s simple but powerful.
Visibility + Credibility = Profits
In this equation, both visibility and credibility have an effect on profit. You can’t have just one and hope to create a profitable, sustainable business. And both increase, so do your profits.
Let’s look at each one individually:
Visibility. Think of visibility as showcasing your expertise in a way that makes others want to learn more. But here’s the thing: your target market needs to know you exist, and you have to know where to find them. Some strategies include public speaking, article writing (online and offline), offering free teleseminars and workshops. One big one? Your website. It’s your hub where people can get to know you, and you can always direct them there from any of the visibility strategies you use.
Credibility. Visibility gives you the opportunity to prove you’re credible. Think of your own buying experiences. Trace your steps from the time you became aware of someone through making your first purchase, and then any subsequent purchases. How did they do it? Through a thoughtful sales cycle. When your sales cycle includes a range of low-barrier to entry offering through your most expensive core offerings, you’re allowing someone to get to know you over time at a pace that’s comfortable to him or her.
Profitability. Combining visibility strategies and the credibility built through your sales cycle leads to better relationships with your target market. Better relationships over time lead to profitability, not just from a one-time sale, but multiple sales with the same client over time.
Learn more about one of my visibility and credibility strategies.
I invite you to register for a complimentary tele-summit, “Four Ways to Flourish for Solopreneurs,” beginning 9/29/2009.
Four well-known entrepreneurs will share their how-to’s on overcoming procrastination, self-doubt, distraction, and small thinking – things that can stop entrepreneurs in their tracks. Even addressing one of these behaviors will make a difference in your business!
Hi [blank], what makes you actually read an email?
Posted by: | CommentsI belong to Aweber and there was a great post on email personalization.
Let me ask you two questions:
- What prompts you to take the time and read an email? (Rather than open, see it’s just a marketing message, and quickly close.)
- How many chances will you give someone before unsubscribing?
You get a gazillion email messages a day . . . which ones do you actually open and READ?
I subscribe to many lists and personalization is almost always there is some form, and usually in the subject line. But many times the body of the message itself doesn’t always have a personal feel to it.
I really believe the key is to focus on the message first! And then a subject line that grabs the reader.
Some observations from others in the post that I thought were worth sharing with you:
Focus on the personalization in the message itself. If you’ve done your homework and created a target market profile, you should have a crystal clear picture of who you’re writing to – keep that person in your mind while you write.
Test the message by reading it aloud a few times. One reader commented that this would prompt her to re-edit because the reading just didn’t match the tone or level of personalization she was going for.
Consider not using the person’s name in the subject line of the email. Maybe use it in the body instead. When you send emails to friends, do you put their name in the subject line? No! So why do we think if we do that in our email marketing that it’s really doing the job of personalizing? This is making me reconsider the value of using someone’s name in the subject line.
Communicate consistently with your list so they get to know you. Too many people go through the effort to build a list, and then don’t communicate consistently enough with those who volunteered to get information in the first place. If you’re not consistently providing value they won’t remember you anyway!
One last thing I’ll mention. There’s a line between consistency and overdoing it. When I start getting multiple messages a week and the majority are promotional, I begin to wonder if it’s worth being on the list anymore. An increase in frequency can often lead to a decrease in relevance.
I’ll answer those questions above:
- I read emails from those I deem likeable, credible, and who have gained my trust through sources other than email. I also love wit and humor in a message.
- I usually give someone a month.
Thoughts? Would love to hear from you.
My marketing evolution (or revolution?)
Posted by: | CommentsI realize Permission Marketing might be an oldie (10 years is light years in the marketing world!), but in just a few short chapters Seth Godin has already taught me a few key things:
I used to be an interruption marketer. Or at least an interruption seller. In my corporate selling days, with 600+ prospects across the state, interruption marketing and selling were it. I would try to get more clients with a low-priced deal, hoping that something would stick. Or there would be cold calls trying to get in front of a new prospect. In both of those cases, it wasn’t unusual to be interrupting a client’s already happy (or at least not unhappy) relationship with another vendor. There was pressure to close end-of-quarter deals which always heightened the interruption marketing mindset.
I’ve evolved into a permission marketer. I appreciate Seth’s comment that even in permission marketing the first step is an interruption of some sort. You still have to get someone’s attention initially. But from there, I get to create a relationship with people who actually want to hear from me. I love that! It’s like I’ve been given permission to take the pressure off – of myself and my potential clients – and build trust over time. I can revolt against this all out, pushy, flash-in-the-pan interruption style, that isn’t really me anyway!
I want to grow into a one-to-one-marketer. This is where I get to take the relationships created in permission marketing, and grow them into fiercely loyal customers. It’s a win for them, it’s a win for me. Why? First for them – this type of marketing focuses on a smaller set of more profitable customers, so the stakes are much higher – they know I’ll treat them like gold. Second for me – I have an opportunity to sell additional products and services to those people I’m meant to serve. They’re less likely to drop out of the proverbial “product funnel.” They will hopefully allow me to serve them for years to come!
Social media, meet my marketing plan
Posted by: | CommentsYesterday I was a webinar panelist on the topic of social media for a group of women business owners, hosted by Women for Economic and Leadership Development (WELD) in Columbus.
It was apparent that social media was a source of angst and uncertainty for many. We talked about social media strategies, how to better manage the tools at our disposal, and making something meaningful out of all of it.
Are you at the end of your rope with social media overwhelm?
My goal with social media is two-fold:
- Create conversations and meaningful connections, especially with my target market, self-employed women.
- Encourage (through the value I provide) women to subscribe to my site, creating a high-quality community who may want my services at some point.
Because writing is one of my key marketing strategies, social media can be easily integrated.
Here’s my plan – pretty simple, and hopefully it sparks some ideas for you.
- Go to where my target market hangs out. I use LinkedIn and Twitter consistently. I have yet to venture into Facebook, but plan to this year. I’ve found that these are the main places my market, women entrepreneurs, spend their time. I’ve signed up for other social networking sites, but realistically I know I’m not using them and intend to scale back so I can make use of the ones I feel will make a difference for me professionally.
- Block short amounts of time to spend on social media sites. I’m committing to spending 1 hour twice per week on LinkedIn, short 10-minute bursts of time several days a week on Twitter, and 2 hours per week on high-traffic blogs (keeping it in between 5-10 sites). It’s on my calendar, and I’m setting a timer! I’m also committing to shutting it down regularly and working to remove that “nagging feeling” that I should always be online!
- Leverage tools. For example, this blog is tied to my LinkedIn profile, and my twice monthly e-zine and online articles are tied to my Twitter account. I look for ways to tie everything together. I set this up one time, and it takes care of itself.
- Remember the goals. When I get off-track, come back to the goals and re-focus my energies on why I’m out there in the first place.
Direct Outreach to a Best-Selling Author
Posted by: | CommentsA core self-promotion strategy within the Book Yourself Solid system is direct outreach. Direct outreach is many things, but I see it as your “list” of well-known people within your field or the target market you serve. Over time, your goal is to develop loose relationships with those people.
But wait . . . they’re too busy, too well-known, too many people want their time, right?
In one situation I learned not only is that not the case, but the author I was reaching out to enthusiastically welcomed me and thanked me for helping spread her message to my audience.
One of my favorite books about women and communication is Lois Frankel’s best-seller Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office. Dr. Frankel has a thriving coaching, writing, and speaking business, with over 30 years of experience. She’s been interviewed by the Today show and Larry King Live (just to name a few).
I wanted to bring the concepts of the book to women business professionals in my area. So what to do?
I did the one thing I knew how to do . . . create a class! I taught a complimentary class to a group of local professional women, with great reception. I knew I was on to something. After garnering some testimonials, I wrote a 1-page letter to Dr. Frankel outlining my wish to teach the concepts in her book, including the testimonials.
I didn’t know where the letter would land. But sure enough, it landed right on her desk! After a follow-up phone call and discussion with her assistant, I received an email from Lois herself. She thanked me for my professionalism and enthusiasm and granted me the permission I was seeking to teach her concepts. She was warm, friendly, and genuinely appreciative that I reached out.
The lessons here?
- I’ve come to believe that many well-known thought leaders welcome calls and emails from their audience and take it as a sincere compliment.
- I could have let my own fears stop me from reaching out, but I did it anyway. I knew Dr. Frankel’s message was one my audience needed to hear, and if I let fear stop me, I wasn’t serving my clients to the best of my ability.
- Do your homework before reaching out. You may not teach a class like I did, but make sure you’ve researched the author and that you’re naturally spreading that person’s message as part of your own work.
- Look for other opportunities to build the relationship. This experience led to a wonderful phone interview with Dr. Frankel, where we talked about the concepts of Nice Girls in the context of women business owners. (Which I’ll share with you soon!)
Make that list of well-known people you want to reach out to – one at a time, develop and implement a plan to contact them – whether it’s to comment on their blog, post a review their latest book, or to let them know you follow and appreciate their work.
Desire to write + challenge = valuable marketing strategy
Posted by: | CommentsThree months ago, the Twitterverse came calling with an article-writing challenge, Hundred Articles Hundred Days. The goal was to use article writing to boost website traffic by submitting 100 articles in 100 days to EzineArticles.
Now I love to write and always wanted to use article writing as a marketing strategy, but just didn’t know where to start. So here was the Twitterverse calling me out to do something about it. I couldn’t refuse, even though it seemed daunting!
Below are the lessons I learned along the way:
- Well-written articles with valuable content absolutely will make a difference in your marketing efforts. Period. In just this short amount of time I have received over 2,500 article views and have had many published.
- Social media is very powerful. This challenge began on Twitter and then morphed into a community of over 1,000 people on a Ning network. It all started with a few people tweeting back and forth about creating the challenge and went viral from there.
- Consistency is critical in any marketing effort. There are so many ways ways to market a solo professional business on the Internet, that it’s easy to get your attention drawn to the next latest-and-greatest program or strategy. This challenge helped me to focus on one area long enough to see positive results.
- Imperfect action beats over-planning any day. I barely had an EzineArticles account set up when this challenge came my way. Like many solo professionals, I planned to take the tutorials and then write my articles in Word, perfecting them before posting them. Not in this challenge! It was quite alright to dive in and get started, learning lessons along the way.
- It wasn’t really about getting to 100 articles. As of this writing, I have 47 articles completed, and I’ll get to 50. Now the perfectionista in me normally wouldn’t have signed up for the challenge if I knew I wouldn’t get to all 100 articles. But guess what? It really doesn’t matter. What matters is that I’ve developed a consistent article-writing habit that is getting results!