Marketing Your Consulting Services.pdf - epiheirimatikotita.gr

More documents

Recommendations

Info

42 ASSESSING YOUR CLIENTS The second aspect of external research is assessing your clients’ needs and their level of satisfaction. It goes beyond just knowing what they need to knowing what they desire, what motivates them, and how satisfied they are. Client research will give you insight into what your clients will purchase and why. If you have been in business for any period of time, you should have some customer data from evaluation forms, testimonial letters, client satisfaction reports, or just informal comments from your clients. You may want to take time now to conduct a more formal client needs assessment or customer satisfaction survey. Are you thinking about conducting a needs assessment? You do not have to have sophisticated software to track the results. You can use a simple Excel® spreadsheet to track responses. Our first collection process utilized colored index cards. What is more important is to ensure consistency. Ask the same questions in the same way to a large enough sample of clients. Answers to open-ended questions are always delightful to read and provide ideas and insight. The problem is quantifying the responses so that you have some baseline established for comparison the next time. You can use “yes” or “no” questions or provide a 1-to-5 rating scale to quantify level of agreement or satisfaction. The solution is to use a complementary mix of both kinds of questions—open-ended and quantitative. What might you ask about? • The kinds of services they need now • What they anticipate needing in the future • The criteria used to select one product/service over another • What process is used to make purchasing decisions • What they expect to happen within their own organizations • Their preferred marketing methods for finding consultants or learning about your services • Who your competition is • Their past experience and satisfaction with you and/or others • Their ideas and suggestions for improving the quality of service Marketing Your Consulting Services
If you decide that the survey will focus mostly on customer satisfaction, you may want to consider asking a two-part question. First, how well does your company meet customer expectations and, second, how important is it to the customer? For example, you may ask about how well you do on speed and meeting deadlines. Clients may rate you as excellent, but they may say that speed is only slightly important. That may be hard to imagine in this day of speed, but it may be a message that suggests that your clients want you to spend more time with them, rather than being totally focused on the job. You might also hire an external resource to conduct focus groups for you. If you decide to do this, think about a time when many of your clients might be in the same area at the same time—at an industry convention, for example. One last idea is one that I prefer because it is personal and we are a small company: I write a letter to our clients letting them know that we are gathering information that will help us improve our services. I enclose a second sheet with four questions and ask them to take a couple of minutes to complete it and place it in the self-addressed stamped envelope that is also enclosed. The questions are: • What do you like about working with ebb associates? • What would you like us to do differently? • What would you like us to continue to provide for our clients? • What would you like us to add to what we do now? We thank them and let them know that they do not need to sign the page, but that we would like to talk to them if they are interested. Never stop asking your clients questions. They are the best source of information for ensuring that you offer and deliver the things that they want. Luick tip . . . Need to conduct customer service research, but don’t have the time or resources? Contact your local college or university to utilize business students to design and conduct the research. Be sure to plan far enough in advance, since it may take longer than if you hired a marketing firm or if your company completed the research. External Assessment: How Do Your Competitors and Clients Stack Up? 43
Page 3:
About Pfeiffer Pfeiffer serves the
Page 6 and 7:
“In her new book, Elaine continue
Page 8 and 9:
“Elaine has done it again—a boo
Page 10 and 11:
Copyright © 2003 by John Wiley & S
Page 13 and 14:
CONTENTS Dedication ix List of Figu
Page 15 and 16:
SEVEN Prospecting in All the Right
Page 17 and 18:
LIST OF FIGURES AND EXHIBITS ONE Fi
Page 19:
Figure 9.5 Expanding the ABCs: Addi
Page 22 and 23:
xx almost hands-on guidance, she in
Page 25 and 26: PREFACE It is rare that I am writin
Page 27 and 28: • I promise to teach you creativi
Page 29: One Last Thing I have lots of last-
Page 32 and 33: xxx Celia Rocks, publicist, thanks
Page 34 and 35: 2 Market Research and Market Plans
Page 36 and 37: 4 receive something to put in a box
Page 38 and 39: 6 it that. Whether you like it or n
Page 40 and 41: 8 add value for your clients? Do yo
Page 42 and 43: 10 6. If your attitude about sellin
Page 44 and 45: 12 A: Assess the Situation Assessin
Page 46 and 47: 14 tools available to you. Try to s
Page 48 and 49: 16 • Start a file of marketing id
Page 51: Assess the Situation L part ONE
Page 54 and 55: 22 As mentioned earlier, a marketin
Page 56 and 57: 24 Luick tip . . . Subscribe to the
Page 58 and 59: 26 My customer base suggests that:
Page 60 and 61: 28 Marketing Your Consulting Servic
Page 62 and 63: 30 Luick tip . . . One of the easie
Page 66 and 67: 34 • If you are currently using a
Page 69 and 70: External Assessment How Do Your Com
Page 71 and 72: 5. How do your competitors’ prici
Page 73: Where to Get the Scoop Where can yo
Page 77 and 78: keting, authors Ries and Trout clai
Page 79 and 80: It doesn’t have to be that diffic
Page 81 and 82: you are known for and of what you a
Page 83: 2. Most consultants offer similar s
Page 86 and 87: 54 may start out with a white busin
Page 88 and 89: 56 You may also serve on advisory b
Page 90 and 91: 58 Luick tip . . . If you might use
Page 92 and 93: 60 through your logo. I have had pe
Page 94 and 95: 62 • Produce just enough brochure
Page 96 and 97: 64 Your Bio Sketch If you’ve been
Page 98 and 99: 66 OTHER IMAGE BUILDERS Sometimes t
Page 103: Build a Potential Client Base L par
Page 106 and 107: 74 dozens of personal notes, or you
Page 110 and 111: 78 Demonstrations or Showcases Demo
Page 112 and 113: 80 • Once your basic presentation
Page 114 and 115: 82 Considerations: • Select a cau
Page 116 and 117: 84 • Select something that is eas
Page 118 and 119: 86 professions it is appropriate to
Page 120 and 121: 88 Luick tip . . . Three of the mos
Page 122 and 123: 90 Website Your website should be s
Page 124 and 125:
92 • Be sure to check the copyrig
Page 126 and 127:
94 • Be aware of the many variabl
Page 128 and 129:
96 Considerations: • Identify the
Page 130 and 131:
98 Obtaining Information • Reques
Page 132 and 133:
100 “We’re getting ‘around’
Page 134 and 135:
102 reason is so that they will see
Page 137 and 138:
Your Marketing Plan Can You Market
Page 139 and 140:
You could also save time by finding
Page 141 and 142:
Commitment also means that you cont
Page 143 and 144:
What’s the Minimum I Need to Know
Page 145 and 146:
Listen. Listen to whom? Everyone. T
Page 147 and 148:
Exhibit 6.1. Your Marketing Plan, C
Page 149 and 150:
products and services, position, pr
Page 151 and 152:
You need to determine whether you w
Page 153 and 154:
some that require the entire year.
Page 155 and 156:
mail do not work very well for prom
Page 157 and 158:
azine advertising or sponsorships,
Page 159 and 160:
process that ensures you can comple
Page 161 and 162:
one phone call after five months. Y
Page 163 and 164:
Exhibit 6.2. Annual Marketing Plann
Page 165 and 166:
quarter. Contract amount is also li
Page 167 and 168:
6. List your company in free direct
Page 169 and 170:
Prospecting in All the Right Places
Page 171 and 172:
into someone who frankly cannot use
Page 173 and 174:
Exhibit 7.1. Five-Step Prospecting
Page 175 and 176:
Luick tip . . . Examine your mailin
Page 177 and 178:
How can you select another industry
Page 179 and 180:
If you have not conducted this kind
Page 181 and 182:
July 12, 20xx Exhibit 7.4. Sample I
Page 183 and 184:
Letter Mechanics The mechanics of t
Page 185 and 186:
will be in your area next Tuesday o
Page 187 and 188:
How About Results? I enjoy the proc
Page 189 and 190:
tion, a proposed approach, a timeli
Page 191 and 192:
Figure 7.1. Prospecting Is Being a
Page 193:
Contact Potential Clients L part TH
Page 196 and 197:
164 RAINMAKER? The term rainmaker c
Page 198 and 199:
166 YOU HAVE AN APPOINTMENT—NOW W
Page 200 and 201:
168 Exhibit 8.1. What to Ask Potent
Page 202 and 203:
170 First, it seems too sales-like
Page 204 and 205:
172 for what is working well or for
Page 206 and 207:
174 Ask About Money During first me
Page 208 and 209:
176 • Wrap-up close: Summarize th
Page 210 and 211:
178 After Your Sales Call Follow Up
Page 212 and 213:
180 much will it cost? How long wil
Page 214 and 215:
182 4. The last paragraph of this c
Page 216 and 217:
184 Gerald Weinberg, author of The
Page 218 and 219:
186 do so. The ebb associates visio
Page 220 and 221:
188 service, hot food, and a friend
Page 222 and 223:
190 In Closing As you end your work
Page 224 and 225:
192 One of the most important thing
Page 226 and 227:
194 Individuals at the “take-char
Page 228 and 229:
196 Individuals at the “task-orie
Page 230 and 231:
198 of the styles on both sides of
Page 232 and 233:
200 for someone they met coming in.
Page 234 and 235:
202 tude gives them an upbeat focus
Page 236 and 237:
Figure 9.4. Adapt to Your Client’
Page 238 and 239:
206 How Much Time Can Referrals Sav
Page 240 and 241:
208 Build Relationships Figure 9.5.
Page 242 and 243:
210 Exhibit 9.4. Continuously Impro
Page 244 and 245:
212 4. Determine how many of your c
Page 246 and 247:
214 ESTABLISH A WEBSITE What can yo
Page 248 and 249:
216 Your website is the only market
Page 250 and 251:
218 Luick tip . . . If you have wri
Page 252 and 253:
220 MARKETING: TAKE ACTION 1. Visit
Page 255 and 256:
Marketing Can It Be Fun? As a consu
Page 257 and 258:
Compare and Combine Risk Taking Exp
Page 259 and 260:
The year Babe Ruth hit the most hom
Page 261 and 262:
Asking “What if?” can be just a
Page 263 and 264:
A friend of mine who had never serv
Page 265 and 266:
8. Incubate Remember all those time
Page 267 and 268:
Personally I like to sit down with
Page 269 and 270:
most were probably unaware that the
Page 271 and 272:
Ask What’s Good? and What If? The
Page 273 and 274:
The company remembers the first tim
Page 275 and 276:
MARKETING AND CREATIVITY: A PERFECT
Page 277:
Where to Look for New Ideas Sometim
Page 280 and 281:
248 Do Things Differently Marketing
Page 282 and 283:
250 Marketing Your Consulting Servi
Page 284 and 285:
252 3. Share the load. Find someone
Page 286 and 287:
254 ebb’s THIRTEEN TRUTHS I intro
Page 288 and 289:
256 for your clients, you will see
Page 290 and 291:
258 red to connote power, or making
Page 292 and 293:
260 • Research by September 10
Page 294 and 295:
262 September 30-November 5 • Wor
Page 296 and 297:
264 Goal: Bring in Six New Clients
Page 298 and 299:
266 Now read the letters a second t
Page 301 and 302:
READING LIST Beckwith, H. (1997). S
Page 303 and 304:
INDEX A ABCs of marketing: descript
Page 305 and 306:
your client’s, 153; marketing pla
Page 307 and 308:
Learning International, 239 Learnin
Page 309 and 310:
Out-of-town clients, 179-180 The Ov
Page 311:
179-180; rainmaker concept of, 163-
Page 314 and 315:
282 Newport News Shipbuilding, Kohl
Page 316 and 317:
• Participant’s workbook Contai
Page 318:
MODEL A graphic depiction of a syst
show all

Marketing Your Consulting Services.pdf - epiheirimatikotita.gr

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?