I recently had the opportunity to be a panelist for a group of entrepreneurs and executives in the process of starting a service business. Since so many people are considering making the leap from corporate
With the onset of technology, it’s easier than ever for a small business to market as effectively as a larger one. A professional-looking e-mail newsletter is a great way to share knowledge and track the interest level of your prospects. LinkedIn is a wonderful tool for sharing your expertise, gathering testimonials on your service and connecting with potential clients. Building solid strategic partnerships with other companies going after the same market and tag-teaming your offer is a great way to double your reach, plus it’s extremely cost-effective. Also, building your personal brand through speaking and writing is a great way to earn credibility in your field.
Please share with us why you have a passion for selling and/or marketing, and describe a specific experience where sales and marketing won the day.
I enjoy seeing small business owners reach their goals. It’s great to be able to provide new low-cost ideas that may make a big difference to a business owner on a tight budget. One of my clients was able to decrease their marketing budget by 25 percent and still increase their sales by $25k that year. They were pretty stuck on traditional advertising. I introduced them to several other ways to market including a better web presence, pay-per-click, online ads, pay-per-lead services, in-store customer events, e-mail marketing to existing clients, a referral program, etc. By diversifying their marketing with a combination of traditional and new media, they saw tremendous results.
What does sales and marketing mean to you? Is there a difference between the two? Marketing is the umbrella top that upholds the strategy. The spokes are all of the campaigns leading you use to execute your strategy. Selling is the handle that touches the customer personally and closes the deal. You need to have solid marketing direction in place, along with solid marketing campaigns, before you can successfully sell your service.
Are there techniques that large companies/organizations use that are just as applicable to the small business? What are they, and how can they be learned?
Successful large companies take the time to do market research and really know their customers’ needs. Before executing any marketing effort, find out what your customers are looking for and how your service can address their specific needs. Also, understand that marketing is not a one-time effort, but rather a series of “touches” that get your message across.
How do you “psych yourself up” for this work?
I focus on how I can help a business owner get to a better place. Rather than thinking about the sale, I concentrate on the positive outcome my service has to offer. This strategy makes asking someone to do business with me a lot less intimidating.
What sales and marketing ideas are in the top three today that would NOT have been here if we were having this conversation exactly one year ago?
1) Getting virtual “introductions” to people you want to connect with via LinkedIn versus the old way of asking someone for a referral.
2) Text messaging specials/offers to prospects and clients. This is quickly replacing permission-based e-mail marketing.
3) Changing your businesses’ message to reflect value and meet customers’ immediate needs in response to the recession.
Many of the participants here today are considering marketing themselves as consultants, i.e. human or intellectual capital. Are there differences in marketing a service (vs. a product), and what are they?
Yes. When marketing a service in which you are the brand, showing your expertise is imperative. Therefore techniques such as article writing, speaking engagements and serving on boards/committees are very important in your personal positioning. With a product it’s less about you and more about how you engage your prospects with what you are selling.
When someone says, “marketing and advertising are the same thing,” how would you counsel that individual?
It’s very similar to the sales question. Marketing is the large umbrella and advertising is one of the pieces holding it together. Advertising is one way to execute your message, but it’s only one of many.
Many of us whose expertise is not in selling are concerned about frequency of contact. Can you shed some light on this important question?
Don’t contact someone just because you need to make contact, but have a concrete plan in mind for how you will make contact and how often. This may depend on how strong you classify the lead and what you are selling. A sales process is important. Tools such as CRM can help with this as well. The point is to communicate the importance of your offering on a regular basis, but make sure your message is compelling.
Some members of today’s audience will be selling their consulting services to c-level executives. Do these folks require a totally different approach, or are they just human beings who likely respond to the same things a non-titled customer would respond to?
I think it depends on the personality of the executive and whether they have a gatekeeper or not. In general, c-levels are much more difficult to reach. Make sure your benefits are clear, concise and to the point and that you are respectful of their time.
Do you have specific tools that you prefer to manage your sales and marketing/potential clients and contacts?
While it’s not the most sophisticated system, I manage a lot of my clients and prospects in Constant Contact. I group them by type and usually note how I met the person so I can go back if I need to contact them individually later. For a more sophisticated customer relationship management tool, consider Salesforce.com or ACT.
Can you recommend some sales and marketing books, websites for our clients just starting out on their own?
Seth Godin has written many books on branding including Purple Cow and Meatball Sundae and has one of the most popular marketing blogs in the world at www.sethgodin.com. I also recommend Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad, Poor Dad series of books. He claims he is not the best writer, but the “best selling author”. The E-Myth is another popular book for entrepreneurs.
