| Whether you are a professional in a
solo-practice or own a small business, chances are you feel
overwhelmed when it comes to marketing.
While you may be an expert in your field, consistently attracting
new clients probably isn’t one of your strengths.
Here is just a short list of
"marketing culprits" that are likely keeping your
business from reaching its full potential:
- Unclear Target Market.
It absolutely makes my marketing blood boil when I hear "our
service can help everyone". How on Earth do you find
everyone?
- Confusing, Self-Centered
Marketing Message.
Since the early 1900 marketing geniuses like Claude Hopkins
have been telling us that shouting "we are the best, come
buy from us" doesn't work - no matter how loud you scream!
Amazingly, over 90% of all marketing materials out there are
doing exactly that!
- 'Hop-And-Drop' Approach.
Any worthwhile skill takes practice. Yet most small business
owners abandon each marketing tactic after just one try,
without giving themselves a chance to get good at it. It's
like a running rabbit - switching direction with every hop!
- On and Off Approach.
Spending a lot of time and effort on marketing when the
business is slow, but then giving up on almost all promotional
activities when business gains momentum!
- Not Preaching To The Choir.
Most businesses make the mistake of chasing new markets all
the time instead of maximizing profits using their existing
database of current and prospective clients.
If you can put a "yes,
guilty as charged" checkmark next to any of those statements,
chances are you are not profiting from your business as much as
you could. To help unleash the extra profits currently hidden in
your business or practice here is a simple Six Step Marketing
Model.
1. Create a MAP!
You don’t need to kill a tree
to create an effective Marketing Action Plan. Simply describe
your target market, their problem, and the benefits your service
or product offers. Identify five to ten ways in which you can
get visibility and generate new leads. Finally, list all the
action steps you need to take daily, weekly and monthly and assign
specific deadlines and outcomes to each step.
2. Craft Your Magnetic
Marketing Message!
Potential clients don't give a
hoot about your titles, awards, and prestigious office location!
All they want to know is that you understand their problem and
have an effective solution to it. Communicate those two things
clearly and new clients will flock to you like bees to honey!
3. Develop Attraction Tools!
Forget about the self-focused
brochures! You need promotional materials that intrigue
interest and generate response. Today’s technology allows to
easily and inexpensively assemble and distribute information
products - like special reports or CDs - that illustrate your
capabilities and effortlessly promote your services.
4. Generate Leads.
Getting all the visibility in
the world will not do any good if you are not giving your
potential client an irresistible reason to contact you. Try and
test several marketing messages and media to see what
promotional strategies bring in the biggest bang for the buck.
The key here is testing - tweak
your approach multiple times before you decide to completely
abandon it. What might have been a big flop at first, with a bit
of tweaking can turn into a total goldmine!
5. Follow-up, follow-up,
follow-up!
Studies show that over 80% of
all sales are made on or after five contacts with the prospect.
However, more than 80% of follow-up ends after just three attempts!
Creating and automating a systematic follow-up process is a
must to maximizing your marketing ROI.
Develop a series of 12 to 24
meaningful communications
each addressing something of relevance to your prospects and find
a way to periodically distribute them to prospects and clients.
6. Learn To Sell!
The thought of selling causes
most professionals to cringe. Fact is, effective selling is not
about memorizing hundreds of closings tactics or becoming an
attack dog that corners prospects into saying “yes”. Instead,
study a consultative approach model and become a master of
asking powerful questions that compel others to action!
c) 2004 Adam M.
Urbanski |
