Build your own small network. Look for other professionals who server
the same clients you want to reach, but who don't compete directly with
you. Get together formally or informally to share business tips,
referrals, leads and even mailings.
Give talks related to your area of expertise. Talk to libraries and
industry associations and get on their list of presenters for meetings. It
will usually take several months to get scheduled, so plan ahead.
Use your slow periods to write articles about subjects your practice
specializes in and contribute them to appropriate web sites and
newsletters published by local associations. Be sure to include not only a
byline, but also your email address and a link to your web site. Then,
remember to read your email and respond to it daily. Most publications
have several weeks to several months lead time, so plan in advance.
Get prospects and clients to talk about their businesses and personal
lives. And listen to what they are saying. Are they pressed for time? Are
they worried about some particular problem? Use what they tell you to sell
potential clients what they really want to buy. Although you may be
offering tax preparation services, Mary Smith may really want the
time-saving benefits of your service. And, John Jones may want the peace
of mind that comes from knowing that all his tax work is done properly.
Make yourself known to the media. Let them know about your area of
expertise and that you are available for interviews or to be a guest on
local cable TV shows or local talk radio. To set yourself apart from other
experts in your community, don't just send one press release and forget
about it. Compile a series of press releases containing brief tips or
information about your specialty. Then send one release a week over a
period of a month or two to make your name familiar. Call ahead and find
out what reporter or show host should get your press release.
Keep in touch with contacts you've made in the past. Call now and then
just to say hello or to pass along some general piece of industry
information. Ask how projects they are working on are going, mention news
articles you've seen about them, and congratulate them on any recent
successes they've had. Keep the details straight by making notes in a
contact manager each time your talk to a client or prospect. Remember,
sales grow out of relationships, and this is a good way to establish
relationships with key contacts and prospects.
Attend local industry trade shows. Even if you don't have a booth at the
show, be there to meet and greet people in your industry. If you do have a
booth, get there early and stay late. Networking with other vendors at the
show can be a good source of business and leads.
Follow up on leads. All the leads in the world are worthless if you don't
follow up on them. Make notes on the back of business cards to help you
remember specific contacts. Make the phone calls or send the information
you promised. Then, follow up at regular intervals just to stay in touch.
Marketing isn't a one-time hit-or-miss proposition. Building a successful
practice takes patience and ongoing marketing.
Don't forget to ask for the business. Like it or not, selling is part
of any business.
About the author
Janet Attard is the founder of
the award-winning Business
Know-How small business web site and information resource. Janet is
also the author of The
Home Office And Small Business Answer Book and of Business
Know-How: An Operational Guide For Home-Based and Micro-Sized Businesses with
Limited Budgets. Follow Janet on Twitter at
http://www.twitter.com/JanetAttard.