What Experience Is Your Business Giving Off?

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Marketers LOVE messages. Avis had “We Try Harder”. Wendy’s had “Where’s the BEEF?”

But sometimes, in fact, more often than not . . . your ‘message’ isn’t some really well-crafted message that appears in the media.

Nope! It’s the ‘message’ communicated by what Jan Carlson, CEO of SAS Airlines called the “Moments of Truth” . . . moments where customers, clients, or patients come into contact with your business or practice.

Ivan Meisner, founder of BNI just posted about such a ‘Moment’ . . . and, truth be told, he didn’t get what you might call a ‘warm fuzzy’ from a recent contact with an insoucient front desk clerk at a Marriott Hotel.  I learned about Ivan’s horrific treatment through a post on Linkedin.  It was a repost of Ivan’s from his blog.  There were a lot of people retweeting and reposting his sad ‘experience’.

Think Marriott Hotels should be happy?  I don’t think so!

KEY POINT:
The messages customers get or, your staff gives out . . . can make you or break you — especially in this day and age of social media and twittering customers who believe in sharing their good (and, bad) experiences of your business with the rest of the world online!

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Demographic Profiling

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Demographic Profile
If you’ve ever read a book on marketing, you know that sooner or later it suggests you profile your ‘ideal client’ by using what is referred to as ‘demographic’ characteristics.  Basically, that’s actually what it sounds like — a picture (graphic) of the kind of people (Demo) that you’d like as clients . . . based on characteristics they share in common.

Characteristic categories include ‘age’, ‘gender’, ‘occupation’, ‘geographic location’ and so on.

Why Bother?
The value of a demographic profile comes when the characteristics begin to reveal your target market in a way that helps you promote your services to them.  For example, if ‘businessowner’ is one of your common characteristics, that suggests opportunities for how to best connect with them — perhaps through a local business organization such as a Chamber of Commerce, a civic organization such as Rotary, Lions, Kiwanis, etc.

KEY POINT:
A demographic profile is a key step in understanding not only WHO you want as a client, but WHERE they may be found and HOW you can best reach them.  Work on making your profile as detailed as possible and you’ll find it is very helpful in marketing your services.

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I’m Sorry, You Do WHAT?

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If you attend a lot of business meetings, you’re probably meeting a lot of people. Meeting a new person means asking (or, being asked), “What do you do?”.

Most of the time, the other person’s response when I ask this question leaves me wondering:

  1. “What do you do, really?”
  2. “Who (do I know who) can best appreciate your doing that?”

If I don’t get a good response, it’s frustrating and wastes a great opportunity.

KEY POINT:
 Communicating what you do for a client . . . in a clear and meaningful manner . . . is no accident.

It takes work to craft a response that helps a qualified person understand, value and appreciate what you do. But don’t forget . . . it’s worth getting it right!

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It’s Value, Not Uniqueness

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The term, “Unique Selling Proposition” has been used way too much.  Especially so if you’re selling a service more than a product.

If you’re selling a tangible product, OK.  It has it’s place.  That’s where ‘New and Improved’ comes from!  But it’s more about the hard features of a tangible product than anything else.

If you’re a service provider, you want to be VALUE-able.  Being able to communicate — and deliver — the VALUE you offer is key.

Ironically, being able to communicate a meaningful value to a prospective client — is actually pretty ‘unique’.

KEY POINT:
As a service provider, where your greatest asset lies between your ears and above your shoulders, you must be able to do two important things:

  1. discern what your target market wants (and, values!), and
  2. communicate your ‘value’ clearly, concisely and effectively

Doing this will cause you be ‘stand out’ from a crowd of competitors who haven’t figured out:

  1. what their real VALUE to a client is, or
  2. how to convey it in an initial conversation so it becomes a RESPONSE-able conversation!
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Got Referrals??

A client just told me how he learned about a HUGE opportunity for another firm. He gave the owner a referral to contact the EVP at the other company.  All the information needed to follow-up — name, need, phone, etc. was provided.

Weeks later, he discovered that the prospect was never contacted and a very, very large sale went to . . . a competitor.  (Ouch!)

Why did this happen? Simple. The company he referred the introduction to either:

  1. has no referral processing process in place, or
  2. no one who can use it effectively, and probably
  3. no one (or, mechanism) to monitor if it’s working

KEY POINT:

Referral management, like all things that contribute to your business’ success must be managed. That implies that you have:

  1. a process in place to accept, process and track all referrals that you receive
  2. the people who know how to use the process to manage referrals
  3. a mechanism (CRM?) to monitor referrals and leads to ensure they are processed effectively

Question:
How well is YOUR business set-up to address this important, revenue-building opportunity when it comes along?

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Qualify!

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Marketing efforts are an investment of your time, money and energy. Nothing to be taken lightly.

So who deserves all that attention from you? Simple. People who ‘qualify’ to get it.

And how can you tell who that might be? Good question. Two factors to consider, actually . . .

BUY . . . can someone, sooner or later, buy what you offer or sell? If so, marketing to them is a good idea. If they can’t or won’t, it’s not. Simple.

REFER . . . can someone refer you to people who might buy what you offer or, refer them to you? If so, they qualify for your attention as a marketer. But if they can’t refer . . . you defer!

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POINT:
Marketing is an investment of time, money and energy. To ensure a decent ‘return’ on your investment, make sure you market to people who can buy what you’re selling and/or refer you to others who can.

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How To Be a Preferred Provider

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Being a ‘preferred’ provider, relative to your competitors, is good. It means you’re more likely to end up winning the ‘roses and tiara’ whenever you’re in a competitive situation.

Years ago a major accounting firm wanted to differentiate their audit services. It’s not possible. You have to be both unique AND beneficial. Ted Levitt, the Harvard Business School professor told them that. But he did interview their clients who hired this accounting firm to do their audit.

Ted learned these audit clients didn’t hire the firm because of how well they did an audit. They hired the firm because, “all things being equal” the prospective clients just liked their experience with this firm’s staff better than the other firms’ staff.

POINT:
Standing out, favorably, to a prospective client depends less on your capabilities than on how prospects perceive you whenever they have an experience with you. Create the right impression – the one prospects want and expect – and you’ll be a ‘preferred’ provider every time!

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Seeking New Clients?

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A common desire of small business owners and solopreneurs is to find new clients. This is a noble and essential goal. But it’s more likely a symptomatic result of doing some other things first.

Specifically, I would urge anyone seeking to find and develop new clients to be very clear about three things:

  1. Ideal client / Target Market
  2. Value Proposition
  3. Competitive Position

Ideal Client / Target Market
A man once offered $50,000 to the first worker who could go out and return with a Rippitz. All the workers were excited at the prospect of making $50,000 and ran out of the office.  Suddenly, one asked, “Hey, what IS a ‘Rippitz’, anyway?”

The problem with not being crystal clear about WHO you want as a client is that your marketing will only be as effective as your profile of an ideal client or target market is accurate.  Clarity is key.  And muddle is trouble!

Value Proposition
What is it that you do FOR your prospective client?  What’s the ‘beneficial difference’ you can create in the life of your client?  Is that what they say they’re seeking . . . but haven’t found?

If you’re not conveying the benefit you offer a qualified individual, why would someone respond to you and your marketing?  They won’t!  And here’s a secret . . . your value is not described in terms of how you do what you do.  It’s all about what you do for someone that they want, don’t have and haven’t a clue how to get.  Get focused on that and you’ll really have something valuable.

Competitive Position
Most professionals and other service providers are not truly different in terms of their professional abilities.  True, there are variations but they’re effectively irrelevant. Afterall, earning your CPA or JD or MD or DC, etc. and being licensed by the jurisdiction in which you practice is viewed by most consumers (prospects) as evidence of your ‘acceptable competency’.

So how do you ‘stand out’ from a crowd of ‘equally good’ options or alternatives?  THAT . . . is what a good ‘position’ will do for you!

Years ago, AVIS rental cars said, “We’re #2.  We (have to) try harder”.  Their main competitor was Hertz.  Hertz was #1 in terms of everything.  Avis had to position itself relative to its main competitor (Hertz) to help prospects see them as a viable alternative.  Did Avis become #1?  No.  But by positioning itself as an underdog (#2), Avis gave prospects a way to see it as both beneficial (they try harder) and distinctive (they’re not the biggest rental car company but they’ve got a scrappy attitude).   Sometimes, that’s all you need . . . a way to help your ideal clients (prospects!) to see you in a way that gives you an edge, however slight, in a competitive situation.

SUMMARY IDEA:

These three elements . . .

  1. a clearly defined Ideal Client / Target Market,
  2. a potent Value Proposition, and
  3. a competitive Position

form the foundation for what your marketing is supposed to be . . . effective!

For more information on developing your ‘Foundation’ . . . check out The Marketing Club™ . . . a simple, effective and affordable way to gain the skills and support you want to make your marketing . . . and you . . . very successful.

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Following Up is Key

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Marketing is commonly associated with finding and generating new clients. That’s important. But an equally important marketing opportunity is to keep-in-touch with prospects, clients and centers-of-influence after you initially connect with people of interest to you and your business.

Keeping-in-touch is powerful. It’s also a challenge. Two factors will make it easier for you.

First, get permission to do this. Having permission means having the attention of someone. That’s key. Without attention to your message, your marketing will fail.

Second, automate your ‘touches’. Use some kind of email autoresponder to regularly ‘drip’ information of relevance to qualified individuals who have so kindly invited you to keep-in-touch.

Together, permission and automation make keeping-in-touch a SYSTEM . . . and a system will bring you much greater success in marketing your services than if you don’t use one.

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Actually, Failure IS An Option, IF . . .

Success in your business or professional practice is prone to risk-of-failure.  It’s also prone to risk-of-success.

Which outcome — success or failure — is more likely for you? It reflects how you handle six key aspects of your business:

  1. Finances:
    Management of money — from income to payout is very important
  2. Technology:
    Relying on outdated or inadequate technology is like running in lead boots
  3. Leadership:
    Every firm needs a vision and a CEO who, like Moses, can lead the troops toward that ‘Promised Land’
  4. Employee Management:
    The difference between your people and your profits is their performance . . . think about it and invest in their skills training
  5. Experience Management:
    What separates you from any other firm is the ‘experience’ prospects have with you.  Make yours the BEST available!
    And finally . . .
  6. Marketing:
    Identify, attract, convert and retain relationships with people who want what you do or . . . you’ll be in BIG trouble!

report-cardMARKETING is what makes all the other functions relevant and your business successful.

Without cash flowing into your business or practice, it doesn’t really matter if:

  • you’re using QuickBooks or not — there won’t be anything to put through it
  • your computers, smartphones, website, autoresponders, etc. are working — no one will notice
  • you have a vision, mission, strategic and operational plan . . . you’ll never get to carry them out
  • your staff can perform effectively in the positions you’ve created for them in your business — they’ll have ‘no work’
  • you’re ready to deliver a great experience or not — no one will know about you nor will they ever get to do so!

It really starts with your marketing.  EVERYTHING starts with your marketing, doesn’t it?

Are you honoring this truth by the amount of time, energy and resources you’re putting into marketing your business or practice relative to all the other ways you can invest your time, money and energies?

Should you be making any changes in this area?  Would a marketing coach or advisor help you make better decisions and experience better results?

POINT:

Know your priorities.  In business, it’s marketing.  Marketing makes everything else possible.  Even if it doesn’t, you’ll be better able to afford to fix your technology, people, and operating systems than if you don’t!

Fail to do your marketing and you know what will hit the oscillating aerator machine faster than you’ll probably like!

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