Concise Marketing Advice

About a month ago, I agreed that a local financial adviser could call me to potentially set up a meeting.

Fast forward a couple of weeks, when the phone rings. I glance at the caller ID, see it’s not a client and not answer because I am working to meet a deadline. The person (who is the financial guy) doesn’t leave a voice mail. Repeat this scenario every day for three days, until I finally pick up the phone.

At this point, I am annoyed. Why? Because he couldn’t even leave a voice mail, giving me the option to call back.

And then, when I am not ready to meet, he pushes, “When? Six weeks? Two months?”

And he offers nothing else . . . He didn’t even ask why I wasn’t ready to meet.

Now, this is not about buying tickets for the local school raffle. This conversation is about me (possibly) letting him manage my hard-won money.

He hasn’t established any credibility, provided any information about him or his firm, or offered useful suggestions or resources.

My reply? I said, “I’ll call you when I am ready, okay?” (A reaction which is usually the kiss of death, for a sales call.)

As an independent service professional, whether it’s coaching, money, marketing or travel services, the onus is on you to prove your worth. “Showing up” whether it’s on someone’s doorstep or phone line isn’t enough.

Ask questions, how can you help them move forward? And then play a positive role in that process. Based on their needs:
* Send ‘em a list of practical resources or an article you’ve written or discovered online;
* Take a minute to mail them a handwritten note, thanking them for their willingness to talk with you;
* Leave an upbeat voice mail with something interesting and relevant, or;
* Refer them to a trusted colleague for a service they need, that you don’t provide.

In other words, help your prospects with their challenges and livelihood first. Prove your credibility, sincere interest and reliability before asking them to help you with your bottom line.

And I guarantee, you’ll gain clients far faster than going straight for the “dollar-sign” jugular.

Recently, I attended a meeting chockful of real estate investors. Now I am quite the extrovert, but a party stuffed with real estate entrepreneurs is frenzied enough to make even me quail for a few minutes.

But I ignored the urge to fly, and plunged into meeting and greeting. As a freelance business writer who loves working with business owners, I couldn’t resist.

It was a fascinating evening. There were young guys and gals (I define “young” as under 35 mind you) who are charging ahead with a collection of real estate businesses including buying and selling homes, setting up private lending ventures, and creating profitable venues for advertising homes for rent and for sale. I felt the adrenaline wafting off them like a shot of raw whiskey.

The more experienced business people also gathered together, talking avidly . . . The bourbon crowd. Each one with a smoother walk and talk to ‘em, as they worked the room. Their curious but friendly intensity was discernible as they tried to figure out who I was, at this get-together.

This evening was a “sneak-peak” event showcasing a new Internet and face-to-face business networking community. The two founders, who are my clients, had invited me to attend so that I could meet these small business owners and see the web site, along with everyone else.

But until the presentation started I was networking, which this evening meant getting to know a few individuals and maybe finding some new clients. I wandered around the room, stopping in to talk with various people, and introduce myself while asking about their businesses. I learned some new things about real estate investing, enjoyed the energy of the room and hopefully began some new business relationships.

I’ve learned over and over, you never know where business will come from. I’ve gotten work at a yard sale, an airport gate and a science fiction convention.

While you certainly shouldn’t push, asking someone about their profession usually leads to mentioning yours. Offering relevant information or a potential business connection shows that you genuinely care about their success.

But sincere interest is the most valuable thing you can offer when speaking to someone. And that conversation could lead to a friendship, worthwhile business or personal connections, and maybe . . A new client.

I usually read about one business book a month. My most recent book is “Never Eat Alone” by Keith Ferrazzi and Tahl Raz. It’s a book about building your business success with networking based on strong interpersonal relationships (versus mostly acquaintances).

In the past, I’ve strictly separated my personal and professional relationships. I am not sure quite why I did that, but I did. But my recent experiences with networking groups such as Business Network International, in conjunction with reading this book, have changed my practice.

I’ve also changed because I don’t particularly care for working alone.

It’s ironic considering my career choice, but true. So I am slowly building strong personal and professional relationships with individuals who I genuinely like and admire. These friendships help me survive my day-to-day work alone in my office, give me an extra nudge when I need it, and . . . Are great for getting me out of the house for lunch occasionally.

For a self-employed writer and consultant, it’s sanity.

There is no doubt that building these relationships have already helped my business. But my primary reason is because I just enjoy these friendships as a person, business owner, and writer.

A couple of weeks ago I talked about the gifts I was giving my favorite clients this year.

I recently heard holiday gift tales of big boxes of chocolates and booze from one of my colleagues. As a rule, I prefer holiday cards (which I pop up on my fireplace mantel, with a smile) and smaller gifts that don’t make a distinct thump! when they land on my office floor.

After some thought, I came up with a dual gift idea:
* A couple of gourmet, handmade chocolate truffles from Tammy’s Tastings, in the holiday flavors of cranberry, pumpkin and salty caramel, and;
* A sincerely-written “thank you” letter offering the recipient 20% off of their first project in 2008. They could use this for themselves or refer this opportunity to one of their clients or colleagues.

The two-four chocolates were wrapped in tissue paper and tied with a ribbon along with a thank you card and letter (tucked into the envelope).

I called each client and specifically asked them to meet with me, saying that I had a “Thank you gift” for them. I wanted our “get together” to be special, outside of the day-to-day hustle of business and work. Based on their responses, I could tell that each client looked forward to our meeting with curiosity and appreciation.

The responses to the discount were good, but the reaction to the chocolate was better:
1) One client tore open the package the second it was in their hands (I wonder how long the chocolate lasted, after I left?).
2) One client ate a chocolate 30 seconds after seeing the package.
3) Two clients commented that their spouse might hear about the chocolates, and another said it would provide energy for his next meeting that day.

Each gift was fun to give . . . Recognizing the difference my clients make to me and my business is important. I truly enjoy our work together, and it is because of them, that I can do, what I love to do.

I’ve taken the jump and hired a web design firm to help me finish designing and tightening up this business blog.

I selected a company that I’ve worked with before. I worked with Gary Galvin (the founder) Galvin Creative Technologies around six years ago when we joined forces to create the copy and web site for Trasys, one of the top IT staffing firms in Cincinnati. I really liked Gary, he was straightforward, easy to work with and very competent. I’ve watched his company grow (from a far) from two to eight people. It’s wonderful to see business colleagues succeed.

So, tomorrow I’ll talk with Cory who is their ongoing support person. Since my project doesn’t require design from the ground up (I started with a WordPress template designed by blogcut.com), this makes a lot of sense.

Hiring companies to help me do a better job of marketing my business is scary but quite exciting too!

Here’s a new song which I am just starting to put to music. The lyrics were first inspired by two friends of mine, Tony & Vixy (the copper bright verse . . .) when I saw them last September during my vacation trip to Seattle.

The last verse refers to my musician and contra dance friends. I have played music and written songs for 14 years and I have contra danced in the Cincinnati contra dance community for 10 years.

We Belong Together
Words & Music by Andrea Dale, September 2007

The first time you held me, my shoulders relaxed with relief
The next time you held me, my heart sang out “home;” I didn’t want to leave
And now when you tuck me close against your chest, my chin under your arm
I am content and cherished, knowing my heart is safe from all harm.

No one belongs to another
But in our souls, we belong together

When my son Nick was born, I was afraid to be his Mom
Insecure and unprepared, I struggled with self-acceptance far too long
But after putting aside my fears, I finally understand it’s me he needs, and not another
Nick is my firstborn son, and I am his loving, stubborn and devoted Mother

No one belongs to another
But in our hearts, we belong together

At first their love shone copper bright, glittering in their eyes
Reflecting myriad discoveries in each other’s hearts and minds
Years later, their shine has deepened into simmering gold with nicks and messy dents
Showing off the wear and tear of love, which empathy and communication cements

No one belongs to another
But I can see they belong together

When we gather as a community to sing, dance and share
The room hums with music and laughter, an understanding all too rare
Many of us miss it so when we’re at home in our daily nickel and dime lives
Recalling with lingering wistfulness, memories of late night tunes, spins and rhymes

No one belongs to another
But it’s obvious, we belong together

During a recent meeting with one of my referral partners, we talked about advertising your services on the web, using Google AdWords. The gist of it, is that you earmark a bunch of words related to your service, that potential clients might use to search for businesses like yours on Google. Once you’ve selected the words along with what type of spending program you want, your short advertisement appears on a sidebar when someone uses those words on Google. You are charged only when someone actually clicks on your advertisement which leads to your web site.

I have been trying out that service, for the last two months, using a budgeting program that constrains the cost to not more than $50 a month.

There are programs that don’t constrain the amount per month and/or determine how often your ad appears based on how much you’re will to pay per click (the higher you pay per the click, the more your ad appears).

I haven’t gotten any new clients with this service yet, but I am really doing this more for education and experience than pursing sales. As a proponent of economical, effective marketing methods, this potential source of business for my clients appeals to me, but I didn’t know enough to suggest it. So, I am trying it out myself first.

Looking at the results, which show you how many times your advertisement has appeared for specific keywords, and how many clicks are generated per word, is fascinating. I am about to condense my list because it’s obvious that some of the words really don’t relate and aren’t going to generate sales based results.

I have gotten clients from two other web sites, which are Linkedin and wordworker.com, which is why I am willing to give AdWords a shot. It may be too broad or I (and my smaller clients) may have to spend too much money to get results, but either way, the time and money is well spent.

Many of my clients are small to medium-sized business owners. They struggle to find enough time to work on their business versus working in their business.

Activities such as marketing, competitive research, analyzing sales, and developing new skills often fall by the wayside. Short term concerns like sales, ordering more inventory, filling new orders, and helping customers, typically rule every minute of their day.

When they are time challenged, I offer a couple of suggestions to help them complete the tasks and provide the information needed for their marketing. Typical tasks include reviewing copy and answering questions.

My suggestions include:
1) Set a timer for 30 minutes and review one - two pages of copy (with comments) or answer my questions. When that 30 minutes is up, take five minutes to review your comments and answers, and then send it off to me via email.

2) We set up a phone appointment with a very specific goal in mind and use that as a deadline.

3) After so and so date, I’ll send you a gentle email or voice mail to “nudge” you for what’s needed.

Using these suggestions, my clients discover and implement easy to use methods for getting their marketing done and out the door.

Recently, I attempted to find the telephone number for someone who I wanted to network with. They had contacted me via Linkedin, but I don’t add people to my electronic “network” until I have met or spoken with them. As such, I sent that person an email, saying this.

So, I was going to call them today to set up a time and date for coffee or lunch. Based on this person’s business, I have several contacts who might bring them new clients.

When I visited this individual’s business site, there was an email address, but no telephone number. No “contact us” web page, and I could find nothing on the web. Huh?

Please put a telephone number on your business web sites. Encourage potential clients to contact you in the way that suits them best. New sales could be just a phone call away!

With the end of the year just around the corner, I’ve decided it’s time to thank my favorite clients for working with me. I’ve ordered a special gift for each one, to accompany my thank you letter.

After more than eight years of freelancing, with the last two as a full-time endeavor, doing this feels really good . . . And it’s long overdue.

I am looking forward to sitting down with each individual, and presenting them with my little thank you gift. Of course, you and my clients, will have to wait and see what that little gift is.