We know it sounds like a contradiction of terms, but marketing really doesn’t need too many bells and whistles and it certainly doesn’t need to be complicated. All you need are FIVE key resources, a dash of EDM and social media.
In this article, we’ll cover the FIVE key marketing resources and how to use them.
1: a memorable brand
2: an up-to-date website
3: a professional profile
4: a business brochure, and
5: a case study (or a few)
Together these FIVE key resources will indicate what you do, who you do it for, how you do it, and why.
Here’s where most business owners go wrong…
Once your FIVE key resources are completed, they need to be put to work. However, rather than ACTIVELY using them day in and day out, many business owners forget about them.
At the very minimum, your FIVE key resources need to work together.
That is, all FIVE key resources should consistently wear your brand and your website should be uploaded with your professional profile, business brochure and your case study.
Your professional profile should be linked back to your website and your business brochure should refer to your case study to demonstrate how you create successful outcomes.
There are numerous other cross-referencing combinations for your FIVE key resources – I’m sure you get the idea…
When you write your resources for your audience rather than for yourself, you’ll never go wrong. Qualifications and technical expertise are important, but it’s likely these attributes are more important to you than your prospective client. Prospective clients assume or expect you to be qualified. When choosing a service provider, most prospective clients rely on their gut feeling – a lot!
If you are likeable and relatable in the first instance, then they’ll want to know more about you professionally and technically.
ACTIVELY use your FIVE key marketing resources to build relationships…
Whether you are aggressively looking to secure new business or perhaps your approach is a little softer, your FIVE key resources will come in very handy in the early stages of building relationships with prospective clients.
Prospective clients (or referrers) will research you and your services. This is part of the ‘know, like and trust’ phase and it involves them learning about you prior to making their contact decision. They’ll be looking for consistency, quality and good character.
Fast forward a little, and let’s assume you have arranged an introductory meeting with a prospective client. These are the simple steps for actively using your FIVE key marketing resources with prospective clients.
Step 1: Prior to your introductory meeting
Send an email confirming the meeting details and include links to your website and your professional profile. This very simple step creates a pre-introduction so you won’t need to explain your credentials and background. The ‘conversation starters’ included in your professional profile can provide the ice-breakers needed to get the discussion started.
Step 2: During the meeting
Structure your meeting to identify your prospective client’s needs and how you will match those needs with the solutions you provide. Utilise your business brochure to highlight your process for achieving outcomes, then refer to your case study to demonstrate the successful outcomes you can achieve.
We recommend you use coloured marker pens to write directly on your brochure. Underline or circle important points during your discussions. Then give this ‘working’ brochure or case study to your prospective client to leave a lasting impression of your knowledge and the value you offer.
Step 3: After the meeting
We acknowledge you may not feel comfortable defacing your business brochure, so always send a fresh PDF version by email as part of your follow up and thank you process. This will enable your prospective client to keep your key resources on file (and on-send to others).
We also recommend you invite your clients to ‘follow’ your newsletters and blogs by offering to subscribe them to your database. Then invite them to connect with you on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (or other channels as appropriate) if they prefer social media to email contact.
You should of course, reassure your client that your communication will always be relevant and helpful.
In our next article, we’ll discuss maintaining engagement through EDM – email direct marketing.
