The More Clients Blog

Harry Potter Marketing - Pt. 2

By Robert Middleton - Action Plan Marketing

As I said last week, marketing action plans are like magic wands that produce wondrous results if you know how to use them.

Once you've created the foundation for your plan (see last week's issue on the blog - http://tinyurl.com/pot-mkt ), your next step is to develop the actual action steps.

I went to the new Harry Potter movie last week and it validated my theory: Exact steps get predictable results. Harry found a book of magic potions that had been altered by a student (The Half Blood Prince) with some startling results. 

The Half Blood Prince had made copious notes in the margins of the book with his tweaks or improvements on the potion formulas. Harry followed these directions to the letter and got better results than any of his classmates.

The lesson here is that even if you are given a plan, you have to test and tweak it yourself. It's all about the details.

So as an action plan example, let's work on a marketing action plan for Speaking Engagements.

Step One - Target Market: Identify and contact ideal organizations that could host your talk. Make a list. A LONG list and be persistent in contacting them all.

Step Two - The Outreach: Ideally, call these organizations by phone and tell them that you have a talk on "Growing Your Business in a Down Economy." Make it results oriented. If they are interested, they'll ask for more information.

Step Three - Written Materials: Send a "speakers kit" by mail or email as mentioned in last week's eZine. Make sure they look professional. Lots of benefits and no typos!

Step Four - Follow-Up: Call or email a few days later to see if they got the materials and if they have any questions. If your topic is current, interesting, and valuable you're likely to book some talks from this approach. Again, contact many organizations.

Step Five - Prepare the Talk: There have been books written on this so all I'll say here is write out the whole talk, create an outline for participants, and practice it out loud several times. I am not a big fan of PowerPoint.

Step Six - Promote the Talk: This is the job of the organization but you can help them by writing the copy for their announcement. Make sure it includes all the benefits that people will receive from the talk.

Step Six - Give the Talk: Make it exciting, dynamic and fun. Engage the audience. Do an exercise or two. Make three or four "pithy points" instead of giving a long laundry list of ideas. Make time for questions at the end.

Step Seven - Call-to-Action: This may be the most important part of the talk. Find a way to collect cards for follow-up after the talk. My favorite way: "Here's an article I've written that covers the key points from today's talk. Who would like a copy? Great, please give me your business card and I'll send it to you."

Step Eight - Follow-Up: After the talk, send a pdf of the article to everyone who gave you their card. From there you can make offers for your service, invite them to speak to you, etc. Don't leave out this vital step or you'll get very few new clients for your efforts.

OK, that's a pretty detailed step-by-step marketing action plan. You can produce similar plans for networking, social media, joint ventures, direct mail, etc.

The difference between a marketing action plan and most marketing activities is that it's systematic. One thing leads to another. From initial contact to final follow up, you have a direction and a purpose. You are proactive, not passive.

But remember, no formula will do it all for you. You design the steps the best you can and then test and tweak until you can produce a consistent result every single time.

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The More Clients Bottom Line: Just like Harry Potter's potion formulas, marketing action plans follow a definite sequence. That's the key. If these steps are followed randomly with no clear intention to produce a result, you can be certain that they won't.

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What marketing action plan will you develop and implement? Please share on the More Clients Blog. Just click on the comments link below.

Harry Potter Marketing - Pt. I

By Robert Middleton - Action Plan Marketing

If you're into Harry Potter (as I am), you may be intrigued by the use of wands. Sure, wands have amazing power, but you need to know how to use them to get results. You need to point them in a certain way, you must have a clear intention, and you often need to use certain words (spells) in order to get the desired result.

I know this might sound dumb to you, but I think of planning as a magic wand. You create an intention, wave the wand, take action and produce a result. And if you have the right wand, you can consistently and repeatedly produce the results you want.

I have a magic planning wand I use all the time.

It's called the "marketing action plan wand." And it indeed does produce consistent results: a never-ending stream of clients and customers.

But I've also noticed that Independent Professionals have a tremendous fear and resistance to using this wand. Why? Because they don't know how to use it. They don't have an instruction manual. So it doesn't produce the desired results.

Imagine Harry Potter having no instructions on how to use his wand. He'd wave it around randomly and it would tend to produce haphazard results such as breaking something or hurting someone.

This is what happens when people don't have instructions on creating marketing action plans. They try to put them into action and they also create all kinds of haphazard results. Either they attract no clients or they actually push clients away.

So we give up the magic of creating marketing action plans and retreat to the default plan: "Do a great job with existing clients and pray for referrals." (Notice how well this has worked!)

If you're tired of that, here's a basic guide for creating effective marketing action plans.

1. Define the service you want to offer. Marketing action plans aren't for "general services" but for specific services such as "A six-month coaching program," or "A complete business makeover program."

2. Target Market. Who are your ideal clients for this particular service? What are their specific challenges and needs?

3. What is the price for this service? Also how will it be packaged and delivered? What does your client actually get?

4. What marketing activity will you choose to implement? Will you use networking, speaking, email, joint ventures? Pick just one. Each marketing activity needs a plan; you may have several plans that are similar, just don't mix them up.

5. What is the main objective or outcome you want to produce with this marketing activity? It should always be a specific result related to generating more business. I.e., "Through giving speaking engagements I want to attract 10 new clients this year that each pay me an average of $10,000."

6. What additional results do you want to produce with this activity? Other than immediate financial results, with speaking you might also accomplish the following: Increased personal confidence, better exposure in the community, build your brand and reputation as an expert, increase your email list, expand your business network.

7. Materials required. For speaking you may need the following: A web page describing the various talks you give, a list of organizations where you could speak, a "speaker's kit" with a talk outline, biography, testimonial list, and perhaps a CD with a sample talk. You'd also need handouts for the talk, and a form for participants to fill out if they were interested in your services.

8. Resources required. Resources include, time, money and manpower. So you'd have to budget a certain time to contacting organizations and giving the talks. You'd have to spend a little money for your speaker's kit and perhaps hire a writer and/or a graphic designer for your materials.

These eight steps comprise the initial planning stage.

You now know what you're offering, who you're offering it to and what it will cost. You've chosen a marketing activity and have outlined the main objectives and results you intend to produce using this marketing activity. Finally, you have determined the materials and resources required to put this marketing activity into action.

You now have the foundation for your plan.

Next are the action steps to actually get the word out, connect with prospects and set up appointments with those who are qualified to purchase your services. I'll cover these steps in detail in next week's More Clients.

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The More Clients Bottom Line: Like Harry Potter with his wand, to get consistent marketing results, you need knowledge and a plan. First you need to understand the basic steps of creating an effective plan that will produce the results you intend. If you don't follow these steps, nothing will happen.

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Do you follow a marketing plan process in any systematic way? Please share on the More Clients Blog. Just click on the Comments link below.

Is Your Marketing Too Basic?

By Robert Middleton - Action Plan Marketing 

Last week I talked about making your services more tangible.

This week I want to expand on this theme as I did on the teleclass I led last week on this topic.

In developing this teleclass I became aware of a new distinction about marketing for Independent Professionals. What I realized is that Independent Professionals, if they are marketing themselves at all, are primarily engaged in Basic Marketing.

Basic Marketing includes these three components:

1. Development and use of a Marketing Message. You clearly communicate who you work with, the challenges they face and the solutions you provide.

2. Development of Marketing Materials. You have a web site that effectively communicates about your business and your services.

3. Marketing Activities. You are regularly engaged in implementing one or more marketing strategies such as networking and speaking.

That's Basic Marketing. And of course, some do these three things a lot better than others. What most don't realize though, is that Basic Marketing is essentially passive. That is, you communicate to the best of your ability about your service and then wait for prospects to contact you.

In a good economy, Basic Marketing can work, often quite well. In a down economy, it's not enough. You need to be more proactive. Advanced Marketing takes things to the next level.

Advanced Marketing includes these three components:

1. Your Marketing Message is much more outcome based. You don't just talk about what you do, but you make promises of what your clients will get if they work with you.

3. Your Marketing Materials outline tangible services and programs. You don't just "help managers become better leaders," you have an in-depth "Leadership Transformation Program."

4. Your Marketing Activities are not a random collection of strategies designed to "get you out there." Instead, they are intentionally designed campaigns which qualify prospects and consistently convert them into paying clients.

Look, I understand; Basic Marketing is hard enough! And Advanced Marketing can be lot harder. It takes more thinking, planning and acting.

One thing to understand is that Advanced Marketing is built on the foundation of Basic Marketing. It's virtually impossible to jump into Advanced Marketing if you first don't have the fundamentals in place.

If you want to maintain your business in a down economy you must continually work on improving your Basic Marketing. However, if you want to actually increase your income, you need to add some Advanced Marketing approaches to the equation.

To solidify your Basic Marketing:

http://www.actionplan.com/actionplanclub.html

To move into Advanced Marketing:

http://www.actionplan.com/paradigmshift.html

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The More Clients Bottom Line: The days of just doing great work for your clients and praying for referrals are over. In a challenging economy you need to communicate about your business with even more impact. Make a commitment to master the fundamentals of Basic Marketing and only then will you be ready to successfully tackle Advanced Marketing.

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What results are you getting from implementing Advanced Marketing in your business? Please share on the More Clients Blog. Just click on the comments link below.

Intangible Services or Tangible Programs?

By Robert Middleton - Action Plan Marketing

Imagine walking into a car dealership looking for a new car. As usual, a bunch of salespeople are standing around and one of them comes up to you and asks if they can help you.

You say you're looking for a new car.

And they respond as follows: "What we sell here is transportation. We provide an enclosed metal vehicle which is powered by an internal combustion engine. This technology was developed in the early 1900's and now has advanced considerably. How much transportation are you looking at getting today?

You: Well, I'm just looking for a car. Can I take a look at some?

Salesperson: First we'll need to talk to you about all your needs, the specifications for ideal transportation and then put together a proposal that would meet your needs. We'll have that within a week and then help you choose the best transportation options.

You: Er... let me think about it. (to self: get me outta here!)

I know this is ridiculous. You'd never sell cars like that. But if you really think about it, this is very much how professional services are are marketed and sold.

What was missing in our example was an actual, tangible car that you could see and touch and test drive.

And what's missing in marketing and selling services is something tangible, measurable, and even test drive-able.

One of the things you should strive to do in marketing and selling your services is to make your services more tangible. When they are tangible you'll tend to see the following results:

1. Clients and customers will make decisions more quickly. They will know what they are getting, and it will be less confusing to them. You can more easily demonstrate what they'll get.

2. You will sell more of whatever service you are offering. A tangible service usually sells faster because it feels simpler. You'll also increase your word-of-mouth.

3. You will save a lot of time because you don't have to keep re-inventing the wheel. Sure, you can still customize services (as you can a car) but there is always a base package.

4. You can sell at higher prices in many cases. A tangible services is seen as a more valuable service. In addition, you can get longer commitments from clients to work with you.

5. Your overall cash flow and success will increase. Because you are packaging and offering high-end services, your business will become more stable and predictable.

I'm sure that this is exactly what you want in your business. But how do you go about making it happen? Here are the basic steps:

1. Commit to packaging at least one of your services. Work at developing that package or program. Who are the ideal clients, what are the main outcomes, what is the structure and process and price? This could be anything from a 2-day workshop to a one-year program, or anything in-between. What will give your clients the results they are looking for?

2. Write a detailed description or sales letter for that program. Tell your prospects exactly what this program is, why they need it, what they get, and how it works. When you go through the process of writing about your program, your focus, clarity and excitement about the program will increase.

3. Develop a step-by-step marketing plan to get the word out about this program. This can include everything from networking and speaking, to PR and publishing. But remember, when you have a specific program to promote, your marketing is both easier and more effective. You can launch focused marketing campaigns to sell that particular program.

Yes, all of this takes some time and serious effort.

What follows next is implementing some of the zillion marketing ideas I've presented in this eZine for years. But those ideas are useless if you don't have something valuable and tangible to sell.

What program or package of services will you design, develop and market? When will you start? How about NOW!

Please Note: I am doing a TeleClass on this topic on Thursday, July 9. The title is "Three Keys to Increasing Your Income in a Down Economy." You can make a reservation at this link:

http://www.actionplan.com/tc_increase.html

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The More Clients Bottom Line: If you think you're in the business of selling coaching or consulting or financial planning etc., it's like being in the transportation business. That's not a business. It's not real or tangible to your clients. Be in the business of offering a particular package of services or a program that is designed to produced a measurable outcome.

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What intangible service will you package into a tangible program? Please share on the More Clients Blog. Just click on the comments link below.