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Casual Articles - Attract More Clients by Raising Your Profile
Studies indicate that entrepreneurs are born, not made. As a serial entrepreneur myself, having worked with dozens of successful entrepreneurs, I can confirm that this is a truism. No two are exactly alike, but they are different from those who fail, or worse, never try.I am often asked what makes an entrepreneur. In answering, I use the quote made by Supreme Court Justice Harlan when asked how he defined pornography. “I know it when I see it”. Entrepreneurs have a demeanor that separates them from the herd. They are different. Ready to take risks, fearless, passionate, problem solvers,
And don't be put off by the nature of the task. Building the profile of your business means getting in front of people. You'll need to do this at networking events, at speaking events, publishing your thoughts, or by directly contacting prospects. If you really dread any form of "self promotion" then you might have to change your thinking.
Key Point: Networking works. So use it!
However, as a starting point, if you need some tips on the art (and manners) of networking Australian-style then I recommend a visit to Robyn Henderson's site http://www.networkingtowin.com.au/ and Robyn's e-book "Networking for Success" has some great tips on how to do it right.
Recent statistics show more and more people are leaving corporate jobs (by choice or force) and
The point at which you decide to look for a new job is a great time to take stock. After all when you move to a new job you are going to be in a different company in a new role which will take up a considerable part of your life. It make sense to ensure that it matches what you need at a personal level as well as meeting your economic and career development goals.Getting clear about what it is we really want, what’s important to us, is not something most of us spend much time on. This can be particularly true if we’ve worked for the same company or in the same industry for a long per
This is an important issue no matter how small or large your business may be.
For example I'm working with a client in Brisbane who is well established in their industry. They've been operating for many years and have a very good client satisfaction rate. However, their flow of new clients is very unpredictable. And there's still a heck of a lot of potential clients who don't even know this firm exists.
So I've worked with them to create a program that will lift their industry presence, but in a way that emphasises their highly professional approach and expertise.
This means they'll be:
> Exhibiting at key trade shows where they'll get to meet prospects in person.
> Speaking at industry events.
> Pro-actively arranging personal meetings with major corporate prospects.
> Promoting the business to previous clients and industry contacts.
> Creating a follow up plan for all contacts.
> Updating marketing material to address important client concerns (identified through in-house research), including the creation of fact sheets to help clients make the best decision for their circumstances.
> Advertising in niche trade publications.
You might notice that the first five points all revolve around personal contact. Because many service businesses gain clients through recommendations and networking, it's vital that personal contact is the centre of a service business marketing strategy.
Key Point: You must "Structure-in" points of contact.
Researchers have shown that prospects buy after having had from 7 to 12 contacts with a business. A contact may be a personal visit or receiving information in the mail. So it's important to try and structure-in as many points of contact as possible with prospects and referrers.
I use the term "structure-in" as it makes us focus on the planned nature of the sales process. We need to carefully assess how we can create meaningful points of contact, and how to advance the level of interest clients have in our services as we progress.
Another example is a small web design firm based in Sydney. The partners in this recently established business approached me because although they have great web design credentials, they lacked the industry contacts and 'visibility' to attract new clients. As you might guess, their top priority is to get in touch with suitable prospects and start making points of contact.
Initially this means:
> Quite a deal of networking.
> Telephone calls to prospects.
> Creating simple yet functional marketing material.
> Developing a structure for their sales process.
> Conducting informative presentations to small groups of prospects.
> Writing topical articles for inclusion in industry specific publications.
This type of marketing program concentrates efforts on the key service marketing concepts of:
* Networking
* Generating referrals
* Speaking
* Writing
* Direct approaches
When working on ways to raise the profile of your business, remember prospects are trying to identify a service provider they can rely on to give them the result they are looking for.
Key Point: Focus on your knowledge.
So don't just focus on your 'technical' skills. Many service providers provide similar services at a technical (or functional) level. Give prospects a good reason for choosing your service over others. Build your profile on your knowledge and insights - show how you can help your clients achieve their objectives.
And don't be put off by the nature of the task. Building the profile of your business means getting in front of people. You'll need to do this at networking events, at speaking events, publishing your thoughts, or by directly contacting prospects. If you really dread any form of "self promotion" then you might have to change your thinking.
Key Point: Networking works. So use it!
However, as a starting point, if you need some tips on the art (and manners) of networking Australian-style then I recommend a visit to Robyn Henderson's site http://www.networkingtowin.com.au/ and Robyn's e-book "Networking for Success" has some great tips on how to do it right.
Recent statistics show more and more people are leaving corporate jobs (by choice or force) and
All of us in the business world understand the importance of marketing. It is a strategy to get your product or service known to a target market. It is done in an effort to increase sales and generate revenue. However, many small businesses get caught in a catch 22. They don’t have money to advertise and market their business, so they aren’t able to generate more sales and revenue. Since they aren’t able to increase revenue, they continue not to have money to invest in marketing strategies. Yet consumers can’t purchase products they don’t know about.Don’t let the myth that big budget ma
> Promoting the business to previous clients and industry contacts.
> Creating a follow up plan for all contacts.
> Updating marketing material to address important client concerns (identified through in-house research), including the creation of fact sheets to help clients make the best decision for their circumstances.
> Advertising in niche trade publications.
You might notice that the first five points all revolve around personal contact. Because many service businesses gain clients through recommendations and networking, it's vital that personal contact is the centre of a service business marketing strategy.
Key Point: You must "Structure-in" points of contact.
Researchers have shown that prospects buy after having had from 7 to 12 contacts with a business. A contact may be a personal visit or receiving information in the mail. So it's important to try and structure-in as many points of contact as possible with prospects and referrers.
I use the term "structure-in" as it makes us focus on the planned nature of the sales process. We need to carefully assess how we can create meaningful points of contact, and how to advance the level of interest clients have in our services as we progress.
Another example is a small web design firm based in Sydney. The partners in this recently established business approached me because although they have great web design credentials, they lacked the industry contacts and 'visibility' to attract new clients. As you might guess, their top priority is to get in touch with suitable prospects and start making points of contact.
Initially this means:
> Quite a deal of networking.
> Telephone calls to prospects.
> Creating simple yet functional marketing material.
> Developing a structure for their sales process.
> Conducting informative presentations to small groups of prospects.
> Writing topical articles for inclusion in industry specific publications.
This type of marketing program concentrates efforts on the key service marketing concepts of:
* Networking
* Generating referrals
* Speaking
* Writing
* Direct approaches
When working on ways to raise the profile of your business, remember prospects are trying to identify a service provider they can rely on to give them the result they are looking for.
Key Point: Focus on your knowledge.
So don't just focus on your 'technical' skills. Many service providers provide similar services at a technical (or functional) level. Give prospects a good reason for choosing your service over others. Build your profile on your knowledge and insights - show how you can help your clients achieve their objectives.
And don't be put off by the nature of the task. Building the profile of your business means getting in front of people. You'll need to do this at networking events, at speaking events, publishing your thoughts, or by directly contacting prospects. If you really dread any form of "self promotion" then you might have to change your thinking.
Key Point: Networking works. So use it!
However, as a starting point, if you need some tips on the art (and manners) of networking Australian-style then I recommend a visit to Robyn Henderson's site http://www.networkingtowin.com.au/ and Robyn's e-book "Networking for Success" has some great tips on how to do it right.
Recent statistics show more and more people are leaving corporate jobs (by choice or force) and
Ten years of competitive hell!That was the title on the seminar brochure I received recently. As I survey some of the forces flowing through our economy, and witness the way in which they effect my clients, I have to agree. The Information Age is certainly one of the most turbulent times business people have ever seen.And the force causing the greatest turbulence is rapid, unrelenting change. Consider this. In 1900, the total amount of knowledge that mankind had was doubling about every 500 years. Today, it doubles about every two years. And the pace continues to increase. One fu
I use the term "structure-in" as it makes us focus on the planned nature of the sales process. We need to carefully assess how we can create meaningful points of contact, and how to advance the level of interest clients have in our services as we progress.
Another example is a small web design firm based in Sydney. The partners in this recently established business approached me because although they have great web design credentials, they lacked the industry contacts and 'visibility' to attract new clients. As you might guess, their top priority is to get in touch with suitable prospects and start making points of contact.
Initially this means:
> Quite a deal of networking.
> Telephone calls to prospects.
> Creating simple yet functional marketing material.
> Developing a structure for their sales process.
> Conducting informative presentations to small groups of prospects.
> Writing topical articles for inclusion in industry specific publications.
This type of marketing program concentrates efforts on the key service marketing concepts of:
* Networking
* Generating referrals
* Speaking
* Writing
* Direct approaches
When working on ways to raise the profile of your business, remember prospects are trying to identify a service provider they can rely on to give them the result they are looking for.
Key Point: Focus on your knowledge.
So don't just focus on your 'technical' skills. Many service providers provide similar services at a technical (or functional) level. Give prospects a good reason for choosing your service over others. Build your profile on your knowledge and insights - show how you can help your clients achieve their objectives.
And don't be put off by the nature of the task. Building the profile of your business means getting in front of people. You'll need to do this at networking events, at speaking events, publishing your thoughts, or by directly contacting prospects. If you really dread any form of "self promotion" then you might have to change your thinking.
Key Point: Networking works. So use it!
However, as a starting point, if you need some tips on the art (and manners) of networking Australian-style then I recommend a visit to Robyn Henderson's site http://www.networkingtowin.com.au/ and Robyn's e-book "Networking for Success" has some great tips on how to do it right.
Recent statistics show more and more people are leaving corporate jobs (by choice or force) and
One of the best things you can do for your business is to ask new customers how they found out about you. But when you do this, don’t expect to get accurate information.I know this sounds strange, but it makes sense, I promise.If you make decisions about how to promote your business, then obviously you want to know how your customers find out about your business. So, you ask. The trouble is the information you get when you ask this questions is not always accurate. In fact it’s mostly inaccurate. My estimate is that it's about 25% accurate at best.There are two reasons for
> Developing a structure for their sales process.
> Conducting informative presentations to small groups of prospects.
> Writing topical articles for inclusion in industry specific publications.
This type of marketing program concentrates efforts on the key service marketing concepts of:
* Networking
* Generating referrals
* Speaking
* Writing
* Direct approaches
When working on ways to raise the profile of your business, remember prospects are trying to identify a service provider they can rely on to give them the result they are looking for.
Key Point: Focus on your knowledge.
So don't just focus on your 'technical' skills. Many service providers provide similar services at a technical (or functional) level. Give prospects a good reason for choosing your service over others. Build your profile on your knowledge and insights - show how you can help your clients achieve their objectives.
And don't be put off by the nature of the task. Building the profile of your business means getting in front of people. You'll need to do this at networking events, at speaking events, publishing your thoughts, or by directly contacting prospects. If you really dread any form of "self promotion" then you might have to change your thinking.
Key Point: Networking works. So use it!
However, as a starting point, if you need some tips on the art (and manners) of networking Australian-style then I recommend a visit to Robyn Henderson's site http://www.networkingtowin.com.au/ and Robyn's e-book "Networking for Success" has some great tips on how to do it right.
Recent statistics show more and more people are leaving corporate jobs (by choice or force) and
There are several definitions of accounting. Accounting may be defined as (1) a service activity wherein its primary function is to supply quantitative information essentially financial in nature that is all about economic entities which may be significantly useful in decision making for top management. Another definition Accounting may also be defined as (2) the art of recording, classifying and summarizing in a considerable manner and in terms of money, business transactions, activities and events, which are part of a financial character and later on interpreting the results of the reports
And don't be put off by the nature of the task. Building the profile of your business means getting in front of people. You'll need to do this at networking events, at speaking events, publishing your thoughts, or by directly contacting prospects. If you really dread any form of "self promotion" then you might have to change your thinking.
Key Point: Networking works. So use it!
However, as a starting point, if you need some tips on the art (and manners) of networking Australian-style then I recommend a visit to Robyn Henderson's site http://www.networkingtowin.com.au/ and Robyn's e-book "Networking for Success" has some great tips on how to do it right.
Recent statistics show more and more people are leaving corporate jobs (by choice or force) and moving into self-employment. In the U.S. alone, a new business is formed every 11 seconds. A similar trend is occurring in Australia. So you're not alone in your quest for visibility.
Client ahoy!
All hands on deck. Hoist the mainsail. Put yer back into it now…
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