Marketing Your Consulting Services.pdf - epiheirimatikotita.gr

office and will return at 3 o’clock. Please let me know that you have called and I
will return your call at that time.” Finally, at the end of the day use the same opening
and add, “Our office is closed at this time and will reopen tomorrow morning
at 8 o’clock.”
Why all of this? First, it shows that you care enough about your clients to keep
them informed about your whereabouts. Second, anyone who heard your messages
will know exactly when to call you. Third, it adds credibility to your professional
image. One last thing, refer to your message system as “voice mail,” not
“answering machine.” And please don’t refer to the signal to start speaking as a
“beep”; use the word “tone” or don’t use anything at all. Most people know when
to start talking.
Websites
You need a website. Most of my new clients assume we have one and ask if they
can obtain certain information off of it. If you can’t create a website yourself, hire
it out. If well done, it could be a great substitute for a brochure. Keep your website
up-to-date and refresh it with something new at least monthly. A later chapter discusses
websites in more depth.
Forms
Personalize your forms. Yes, you can print a fax sheet and an invoice off your computer
program, but it isn’t the same as displaying your logo and using your corporate
font. You don’t even need to hire a designer to do it. Get a black and white
of your logo or use the one the designer has provided for your desktop. Use your
favorite graphics program to design both forms. We have a master fax sheet from
which we make copies (see Exhibit 4.2). The invoice form resides on the desktop
ready and waiting to bill clients.
Luick tip . . .
Enhance your image by sending handwritten thank-you notes. Don’t
even bother with a thank-you e-mail. If someone has done something
that deserves a thank you, a minute on e-mail is not enough.
Marketing Image: What Message Do You Send? 67