Get Out There!

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“Should I attend a business event?”
Business events — a chamber meeting, a BNI open house, etc. are prolific.  So the issue isn’t where do you go to meet prospective partners and clients.  It’s DO you go to meet them, isn’t it?  And yes, it’s a choice.  You don’t have to go.  But I suggest you do.

Our Breakfast Club — New Haven, CT
Today I got up early and drove 45 minutes to attend a monthly business meeting.  As I left there, I was reminded why I need to take an obstacle course and get over myself — especially when I find myself debating whether I should go to an event, or not.

Lunch, Article, Prospect, Insight, Introduction, Social
These are all things that came from a morning meeting.  I scheduled a meeting for lunch with a prospect whom I also introduced to two people later in the day, I found the basis for a great article for my monthly column at TNNW, I gleaned great insights from the speaker, Joe Grushkin of InLineAdz and for social affiliation, I got a hug from one of the best there is at that — Peaches Quinn.  All this because when I had a chance to say, “No” . . . I said “Yes!”

KEY POINT:
Say “Yes!” and watch the miracles happen!

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Service is a Differentiator

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Despite the image of today’s post, I am not being pessimistic. Quite the contrary, actually!

Today’s post is inspired by a conversation I had with a very competent and caring professional who has just decided to leave the firm he has been employed by for several years and start a practice as a solo-practitioner.

“Your Service Sucks!”
That’s essentially what this provider ‘s clients told him. OUCH!  But the ‘service’ was not what the provider did, it was what his firm’s ‘support system’ did.  Or, more accurately, what they did NOT do.  Errors in billings, delays in processing, apathetic attitudes, etc. all made working for this firm a ‘non-issue’.

The Good News of a Bad Service Experience
I told this provider that, while he won’t have the overhead of a big office and staff, he will be able to offer something the big firm can’t match — an ability to operate his practice in a manner that is not only client-centered but, as a result, more attractive to his target market of small business owners.

KEY POINT:
Service is a differentiator and makes you a ‘preferred provider’ if you offer it better than others!

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Why Do You Drip?

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A few years ago I was privileged to attend a workshop conducted by the legendary Seth Godin.  Seth, as you probably know, is a serious marketer and thought leader in his field.

At one point he discussed the purpose of ‘drip’ marketing. “OK. Consider what happens when you’re being admitted to the hospital. A skilled technician (phlebotomist) starts an I.V. by finding your vein with a needle so a benign fluid can keep the vein open until some doctor uses the line to shoot $500 into his or her back pocket”.

“Look, all cynicism aside, that’s pretty accurate.  The ER staff is like the sales staff of a business — they find the vein the way a salesperson finds a prospect and opens a case.  No one on the floor (i.e. administrative staff) could pop a vein (make a sale) if they had to so they make sure the needle is taped down really good.  And yes, once the line’s established in the vein, drugs can be given to the patient because access has been established earlier and maintained until it was needed”.

I have to agree with Seth.  What a ‘drip’ marketing campaign does is keep the prospect’s brain open the same way as an I.V. drip keeps the patient’s vein open.  In both cases, if you need to ‘get in’ with a useful drug or response-able information, having a quick and easy access could spell the difference between a good and a not-so good outcome for the patient or the marketer!

KEY POINT:
Keeping-In-Touch and Staying-in-Mind with prospects for your business or practice is a good practice to practice regularly!

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Give and Ye Shall Receive

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When you ask someone to engage with you . . . a conversation or a click . . . you’re asking them for two valuable commodities . . . their time and their money.

If you ask, you presume (or, hope) there’s some value in that connection, potentially, for you.  But where’s the value for the other person . . . i.e. your prospective client?

Feed First, Ask Second
Whether you’re trying to make friends with a neighbor’s new dog or a new prospective client, offer them something for the effort they must make to connect with you.

Special Reports and Special Relationships
A valuable commodity to exchange is your expertise in the form of a white paper or special report.  Not only is it an item of value — which generates reciprocity towards you, it also helps to build the perception that you are, in fact, an ‘expert’ in your field.   Creating these ‘gems’ once may be difficult but once you have them, you can use them again and again.  Sweet, non?  Here’s one of my own as an example.

KEY POINT:
Create Items of Value to build goodwill, reciprocity and position yourself as an expert in your field.

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Choose Service Over Price

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In the property & casualty insurance business being ‘competitive’ and the basis for that position is often built on having a good (euphemism for ‘low’) price — just think of the lizard who’s always touting that, “15 minutes could save you 15% or more”.

Lately, major players, like Progressive and State Farm are getting back to basics . . . and focusing on providing good SERVICE and ‘fair’ pricing . . . as this ad cleverly reveals:

In order to thrive, you want to focus on getting clients who appreciate you for something other than the lowest price. Service is a competitive position that comes at a price. If that price is fair to pay for the value received and affordable to provide, you have yourself a competitive position and a winning strategy.

KEY POINT:
Compete on your great service, not on a low price — that’s a sucker bet

 

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Warm Calling is Better Calling

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In a RainToday article, various methods of LEAD GENERATION were cited, based on surveys of professional service firms.

While the most effective method chosen was “presenting at conferences, seminars and trade shows” the second most effective offline tactic was “making ‘warm’ calls on existing contacts”.

That’s Great News!  Why?  Because you’re a lot more likely to be able to call people you know than get invited to give a keynote presentation at a trade show, aren’t you?

But, just because you know WHAT works pretty effectively doesn’t mean you know HOW to make it work effectively for your practice.  Or, maybe you do. (if not, see me!)

Regardless, the tactic of calling people you know and who know, like and trust you . . . should be an essential part of your marketing.

KEY POINT:
Calling people you know is an effective way to generate goodwill, leads and revenues.

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A Great Experience Builds Client Loyalty

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I have a great CLIENT EXPERIENCE that I must share with you.

This is Kelly Kerr.  Kelly works at The Rain Group — a marketing consulting firm outside of Boston, MA and the principals of that firm — John Doerr and Mike Schultz — should be so proud of her.

I needed help finding an article I wanted but couldn’t locate. I called The Rain Group to see if they could direct me to a source for it.  Kelly answered my call and said, “Let me see what I can find and I’ll get back to you”. Believe it or not, she did.  She really did!  Not only did Kelly track down the article (from my old friend, Ian Brodie in the UK no less!) but she called me back within the hour!  I was flabbergasted.  Delighted.  And definitely flabbergasted.

Thankfully, The Rain Group had the brains to hire this delightful young lady.  Then, they had the confidence to leave her in a ‘front line’ position (most of the staff was out of the office when I called).  They also empowered her to ‘do the right thing’ to keep the clients happy.  And I bet her parents and teachers had a lot to do with instilling in Kelly a sense of stewardship for her ‘guests’ happiness and well-being.

If you have any interest in great content and thought-leadership in the area of service practice marketing, I urge you to visit their website and become a RainToday.com member.  I just renewed my membership and it’s a better ROI than the money I put in the market these days.  If you’re so inclined, maybe you should just call The Rain Group at 508-405-0438 and speak with Kelly Kerr. You’ll be very impressed.  Just like I am.

KEY POINT:
Hire ‘natural stewards’, empower them to act ‘as if’ they’re the COO then get the heck out of their way!  Your clients will think you’re a genius!  Thank you Kelly Kerr –– you’re my inspiration of the day!

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21 Ways You Mess Yourself Up

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Ever get a FLASH . . . of insight?  Sometimes you find a bit of wisdom that’s so ‘spot on’ that you swear someone had to be watching your life and how it was going (or, not going!) just before they gave you a FLASH of wisdom that you couldn’t deny and you needed to remember.

Here’s a list I feel meets that standard. “21 Ways To Self-Sabotage”.  Enjoy . . . reflect on it and act accordingly.

  • Fear of failure
  • Fear of taking risks
  • Fear of making mistakes
  • Inability to listen to instructions carefully
  • Inability to plan ahead
  • Inability to say “no” to others
  • Inability to consider the consequences of our actions
  • Inability to think carefully before making decisions
  • Inability to think critically or practically
  • Inability to think flexibly about problems
  • Inability to admit mistakes or errors
  • Worrying constantly
  • Having unrealistic expectations
  • Critically judging self or others
  • Constantly comparing self to others
  • Always complaining about people, life, circumstances or perceived bad luck
  • Habit of procrastination
  • Habit of perfectionism
  • Accepting people’s advice without question
  • Limiting beliefs, emotions and attitudes
  • Limiting thoughts focused on what’s not working or on wishful daydreams

Get a beautiful MINDMAP of all these ‘self-sabotaging’ moves from a wonderful website.

KEY POINT:
Download The Mindmap!

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Word of Mouth — The Book

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Andy Sernovitz is a genius.

He’s also the author of this great book (revised) that’s truly ‘New and Improved’.

What I like about Andy and his company (Gaspedal — is that cool or what!) is that he’s got a SINGULAR focus.

You never wonder, “What does Andy do?”.  It’s clear as a bell.  He helps his client companies generate and leverage Word-Of-Mouth as a means of promoting their business, products, services, brand and . . . as a result . . . generating more business and profits for his clients after they spend time and money with Andy.

This is a good guy, folks.  He’s got great ideas.

Do yourself a favor and buy this book.  It will change your business.  And only for the better.

KEY POINT:
Buy this book!

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Do You Know Me?

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“You should.  It’s me. I’m sorry, what did you say?  How do I know your name?  HOW do I know your name?  Are you serious?  Really!

Well, I’ve spent a lot of money with you in the past . . . actually had a great experience, too . . . by the way, is that young man, Mark (oh I can’t remember his name) . . . still working with you?  Oh that’s great.  Good kid.  That’s nice to know.”

Why Don’t You Know Me?
Are you so busy building transactions you fail to remember to build relationships . . . bridges . . . between you and your clients?  I’ve got a lot more revenues IF . . . you stay-in-touch!

Don’t Assume
Like a marriage, a client-advisor relationship needs to be nurtured.  Watered.  Cultivated.  And yes, even weeded from time to time.  Do you have a Client Cultivation Plan or System in place to do things to build your relationships AND your business revenues?

KEY POINT:
Don’t let relationships die from apathy. Cultivate the potential in every prospect, client and center-of-influence that you can.  You’ll BOTH be much better for it!

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