Passive or Proactive Marketing?

One way to think about your marketing is whether it's passive or proactive. That is, are you just sitting there, waiting for clients to come knocking on your door or are you getting out there and doing the knocking?

There are many marketing activities you can do; and you can either do them passively or proactively. Let me count the ways. 

Networking

Passively - Go to networking events. Hang around with those you already know and talk about non-business matters such as the results to American Idol. Complain how networking doesn't really work to generate new business.

Proactively - Go to networking events. Make it a game to meet at least five new people. Get to know about their businesses, engage in "Marketing Conversations" (see last week's eZine), and offer to send them some information about your business and follow-up.

Web Site

Passively - Put up a web site and make sure to never make any changes to it. Talk all about you and your services, but don't have any kind of offer or clear path to contact you. Complain that your web site doesn't bring you any new business.

Proactively - Put up a web site and keep updating it and tweaking it. Put the focus on what results your clients get, not what you do. Have something free to give away and sign-up people for your regular eZine. Let visitors know exactly how to work with you and offer an initial complimentary session or consultation.

Speaking

Passively - Get speaking engagements at local, professional groups and chambers of commerce. Don't do anything to help promote the event, just show up. Have a skimpy handout and a tepid presentation. At the end, hand out your cards, and ask people to call you if they need your services. Complain how ineffective speaking is as a marketing tool.

Proactively - Get speaking engagements at organizations that have your targeted clients as members. Put in extra time helping to promote the event. Prepare the best presentation possible and have a professionally designed handout. At the end, ask who would like an article you've written and get the participants' cards. Offer a complimentary individual session and have them fill out a request form telling something about their business.

If you haven't gotten it yet, ANY marketing activity can be done either passively or proactively.

Passive marketing activities are what 90% of Independent professionals engage in. Those who make their marketing activities proactive generate more attention, interest and response in their services. They also get more clients.

Proactive marketing takes a different mindset than passive marketing.

Passive Marketing Mindsets

All business comes from word of mouth. 

Wait for prospects to ask you, don't ask them. 

Don't toot your own horn; it's rude and looks desperate. 

Look aloof, not excited or enthusiastic; that's not cool.

Proactive Mindsets

All business come from clear and benefit-oriented communication. 

When a prospect shows interest, find out more about their needs. 

Positive visibility is the key to getting known. 

Show your enthusiasm and excitement, it's contagious.

Where do mindsets come from?

Passive Mindsets come from a place of scarcity, inadequacy and fear. If you believe you will fail, be ridiculed or rejected, you'll avoid marketing at all costs or do it half-heartely. You'll find reasons why marketing doesn't work.

Proactive Mindsets come from a place of abundance, adequacy and fearlessness. If you believe you will succeed and generate new business, you'll keep finding new and creative ways to market yourself and attract more clients.

Passive or Proactive? It's your choice. But only one of them will give you the marketing results you really want.

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The More Clients Bottom Line: Look at your current marketing activities and notice where you are being passive, holding back, being fearful. Is that working for you? If not, work on making just one of your marketing activities more proactive and notice the difference. You just might get hooked on proactivity.

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Is your marketing Passive or Proactive? Please share on the More Clients Blog.

Comments

[Eileen Elliston]

Thank you for that wake up call- I have been in a passive mind set for about 6 months. I go through these cycles of passive/proactive mindsets.
Today I am working on new proactive strategies to market my business.
Thanks for always sending acticles that encourage me stretch.

[Shama Hyder]

Way to be proactive with your website and eZine Robert. ; )

-Shama Hyder

[Sheryl Schuff, CPA]

What you said about passive marketing used to describe me almost perfectly. About six months ago I started reading your newsletter and some from other folks who share your views.

Now most of my marketing activities fall in the active category.

To promote my training courses which teach small business owners how to lower their taxes, I have a couple of free reports and I publish a weekly ezine.

And I recently started a blog.

The results I'm seeing prove that what you're saying is absolutely correct.

Thanks for the encouragement.

[Kim Duke]

With my sales training business, The Sales Divas, I've always lived by the words of Mae West:

" It's better to be looked over than over-looked!"

You're so right - being pro-active in marketing actually reduces stress...as you're driving the bus of your business.

Recently, I jumped into podcasting with itunes and the results have been amazing. Definitely one of the rules of proactive marketing is being willing to try something NEW - even if you're not good at it yet.

Kim Duke, The Sales Divas

[Phillip Sheahan]

I was intrigued to read your piece on passive and proactive marketing. Success in the later is rooted in making it a habit to think about 'failure' as a virtue. If you're speaking to a hundred people at a presentation and only five want to know more about your business that's a 100% success rate ... not a 95% failure.

[Tohami, "The Success Pharaoh"]

Hi,

I was holding myself back from delivering teleseminars, because english is not my native language.

Now, I've decided to put this marketing strategy into action, because I believe it is one of the best ways to build powerful bond between me and my subscribers.

Regards,
Tohami,"The Success Pharaoh"

[Warner Carter]

I find getting out on Facebook, Twitter, Mixx and others the basis of my proactive marketing