How's
your marketing going? Do you have a list of potentials in your
pipeline? Or are you just winging it and hoping businesses will
contact you? Maybe it's time to systemise your client contact
process...
Client Contact System
Are
you yawning already? Thinking you have to purchase some special,
spendy, software to do the job for you? Yes, that was just my reaction
until I created a simple system that works perfectly! (Goodness it
sounds like a sales pitch).
Tracking where I was with potential clients however was a little more tricky. There was no obvious way to see exactly where I was in terms of contact aside from following the email trail.
It couldn't be simpler: an Excel spreadsheet with a worksheet for "Clients" and a worksheet for "Potentials". Everything is in one place, you can create as much detail as you find useful, and most importantly, you KNOW where you are in the new client process.
Before you put lots of time into setting up a shiny new system, you might want to think about the following...
Are you targeting the right potentials in the first place?
This
is a big one, and all too easily overlooked. If you're targeting the
wrong sorts of potentials you may want to re-consider your niche or
you'll never create a financially viable business.
Right, before I scare the bejeezus out of you all, I'll explain where I'm coming from...
In a recent social media workshop one of the useful links we were given was to the website for "Duct Tape Marketing". I'd not heard of John Jantsch before, but it seems he's quite a phenomenon in the small business sector in the USA.
Generously
he offers a free download sample of the first 33 pages of his book:
"Duct Tape Marketing: The World's Most Practical Small Business
Marketing Guide" which seriously got me thinking this week.
The
first step is to identify your ideal client. I know, you've heard it
all before: who are they, what demographic ddo they come from, what do
they do when not working, where to they congregate on and off-line etc.
etc.
However when did you last ask these three essential questions:
1. Is the market large enough to support my business growth models?
2. Can I easily promote my business to the decisions makers in this market?
3. Does this market value what I do enough to pay a premium?
Ah
ha...it's all too easy to get excited about working with clients that
share your values, are running businesses in a sector which interests
you and in which you may already be an expert...perfect right?
However,
if there aren't enough businesses in this sector to enable you to
attract enough clients to grow your business; or, you can't reach the
personnel that make the decisions to hire; or, they won't pay your
prices...you are sunk!
If you are unable to answer "yes" to the
three questions above, I advise you to start thinking about expanding
your niche or creating a new one...no paying clients = no VA business.
To
take action you first need to recognise you have a problem - with that
awareness you have the choice to broaden your horizons. It's time for
a bit of creative thinking - get out of the office and away from your
usual surroundings to give yourself scope to come up with new ideas.
An alternative physical viewpoint makes all the difference, honest!
Why
not get together with other local businesses or colleagues, meet for
coffee and brainstorm ideas...different minds come up with different
ideas.
Good luck and let me know how you get on...and don't
forget even if you are currently busy with clients you MUST make time
for marketing, it's an ongoing process!
Comments