Guerrilla Marketing for Consultants

Can You Hear Me Now?.....Now?

 

When my old cell phone died for good, I wasn't at all prepared for the byzantine experience that would surround its replacement. It wasn't just replacing the phone, as much as it was the naked attempt by my wireless provider to load me up with "a great deal" on a new phone, a new calling plan, and a multi-year commitment.

I was more than a little put off when I learned that my "great deal" was actually more expensive than the offer available to anyone who visited the company's Web site. Of course, the sales rep quickly corrected me by pointing to exceptions and exclusions buried in the fine print of the Web contract.

Eventually, I got my new phone and was back in action. But, as I quickly learned, that new phone was defective. I won't bore you with the details, but my attempt to replace that phone should go down in the customer service Hall of Shame.

With more than 180 million cell phones in use and vicious competition for customers, you'd think the wireless companies would be beacons of customer service. Not so, according to Consumers Union researchers, who yanked consumer satisfaction information from the FCC in a Freedom of Information Act request.

Consumers are livid over spotty coverage, mind-boggling cell phone bills, and one-sided contracts. The number of complaints filed about wireless phone service leapt 38 percent from 2003 to 2004, according the FCC. Complaints rose from 21,357 in 2003 to 29,478 in 2004. The real level of dissatisfaction is tough to estimate given that you have to get consumers pretty riled up before they'll call the FCC to complain.

How does your cell phone service provider stack up?

Provider	Complaints per 100k Customers	Customers
Cingular Wireless	4.6	50 million
T-Mobile USA	4.3	17.3 million
Sprint PCS	3.6	21 million
Nextel	2.3	15 million
Verizon Wireless	1.4	43.8 million

Source: FCC and Consumers Union

Here's a marketing tip for wireless service providers: Divert some of your investments from television ads, direct mail, and mall-based sales to something people really care about--responsive, effective service. You'll draw more new customers and retain the ones you've got if you view customer service as a marketing investment, rather than overhead.

The Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, has a Web site devoted to the issues facing cell phone users at www.CellHell.org.

 

Marketing Combinations

It should be axiomatic that marketing combinations--not single, or one-off techniques--are the fastest way to drive market visibilty and lead generation.

Brian Carroll has assembled a great mind map illustrating a host of lead generation techniques. He's also asking for feedback if you have other techniques to add.

You'll find his lead generation mind map by following this link.

If you're interested in learning more about mind mapping, check out my interview with the inventor of the technique, Tony Buzan.

Don’t Shoot Yourself in the Foot

Every consultant knows that one false step during the sales cycle can mean the difference between winning and losing. And many of those potential pitfalls lurk in the proposal process.

Consultants start giving each other "high fives" when clients ask for proposals. After all, it’s exciting to have a chance to show your stuff and move closer to the client, and the prospect of a new sale is always tantalizing.

But creating a great proposal isn’t easy, and the process will consume your time and energy.

Nigel Edelshain, from Ivy Tech Partners, has been blogging on these topics recently. His posts on handling the RFP process and the proposal process do a good job of summing up the challenges we face in the business development process, and he has some good tactical advice. 

Blogging for Dollars?

While we're on the topic of the ROI of blogs (see post below) I thought I'd point out a brand new case study over at Marketing Sherpa on one small business's experience with using a blog to increase leads and sales. (Access is free until March 18.) While this is about a real estate agent, not a consultant, it still shows how a blog can be used to generate leads for a professional service firm.

Time,  energy, writing ability, and blog-versus-email-newsletter debates aside, it's becoming evident that search engines really love blogs.  If you can manage to cough up some good content for your posts, a blog can help attract prospects and clients.  And, if you do a blog and an e-newsletter, and post the archived issues on your Web site, you're giving the search engines even more ways to find your site.

Naturally, you've got to write about topics your prospects care about so your blog has relevant key phrases. As Cathy Moore at Authentic Voice points out in her comment to Michael Katz's post, she sometimes gets people searching for, among other things, "dumb British people."  I'm sure Cathy hopes those people never call her.

But if someone Googles "consultants hourly rates," guess what blog is at the top of the list?

-Andrea Harris-

Thoughts From a Blognostic

When it comes to "blogs as marketing tool for small business," I have to admit that I don't really understand what all the excitement is about. 

As a journalistic alternative to the media powers that be?  Absolutely.  As a neat way to hear what's on the minds of industry gurus from Seth Godin to Mark Cuban to Tom Peters?  I'm on board.  But marketing tool for small business? I remain unconvinced.  I guess you could say I'm a blognostic.

Granted, I'm an E-Newsletter consultant, so I may just be so enamored of my old approach that I'm blind to this new one.  That said, here's my problem with blogs:

In terms of what I'm told they offer -- puts a human face on the company; allows two-way interaction with the customer; easily published without needing a web master by your side -- I've already got all that with an E-Newsletter.  What's the blog incremental value?

On the down side, one thing keep gnawing at me: getting around to it.  I work with my clients to help them publish one newsletter each month.  It's only because we have an absolute, inflexible publication schedule that I can get them to take time away from their full time jobs as attorneys, financial planners, recruiters, etc., and write something.  As a group, these people dislike writing almost as much as they dislike marketing, and it's the once a month schedule that provides the necessary framework.  If instead they had the "freedom" to drop in and post a thought whenever it came to them, I'm not sure it would ever happen past the first couple of posts.

So that's where I'm at with blogs -- waiting for the big "a-ha."  Right now, I think of them the way I do chain saws: cool technology, I'm just not sure I need one.

Learn more about Michael Katz.

What Does Google Think of You?

My colleague Catherine Weber isn’t a porn star, but you might get the wrong impression by Googling her name. Surely no one who Googles this respectable marketing consulting firm owner would really mistake her for the other Catherine Weber. But still, it’s somewhat embarrassing for her.

(And by the way, trust me; you really don’t have to go check!)

This goes to show how important it is to make sure that a Google search of your own name will yield the results you want clients and prospects to see. If your name is Bob Smith you’ve got a lot of competition, so don’t expect to show up high in a search for the name alone. This doesn’t mean you have to change your name to Bob Lardschnitzel to stand out. Someone who understands how to optimize Web sites for search engines can figure out what your chances are for decent rankings, and how to maximize them.

Not that Catherine’s plight is that bad. If you just add either the word “consulting” or “marketing” to her name, as a prospect is likely to do, she’s on the first page. And, now that I think of it, she really doesn’t want to attract traffic from people who were looking for you-know-who.

Do you know what Google thinks of you? Go take a look and tell us what people think they’re finding out about you and your firm.

Many thanks to Mike McLaughlin for letting me guest post here.

-Andrea Harris- (definitely NOT the big-time blogger, artist, musician, Regional Vice President for the South Caucasus, professor, author of Notes from a Housewife, or Candidate for Cupertino City Council, as Google may lead you to believe)

Stop talking About Yourself!

You see it all the time. It’s amazing they continue NOT to get it. As a freelance marketing copywriter, it’s one of the most common mistakes I see made by many companies when presenting themselves in their marketing materials (and I'm guessing many consultants are just as guilty of it): they talk about themselves too much.

They forget (or never learned) a fundamental of sales and marketing: The Features/Benefits Equation. Features are about a company and the products/services it sells. Benefits are about what’s important to the customer. Stop leading with how great your services are, how much experience you have, or how long you’ve been in business.

Talk about the things that matter most to clients – increased profitability, competitive advantage, enhanced reputation. Or in the case of a consumer product – convenience, freedom, flexibility, a “cooler” image. And then tell your customers how your products and services deliver all those things.

Once they get that YOU get what’s really important to them, they’ll be more willing to listen to the details (features). Begin with benefits, follow with features.

Peter Bowerman is a freelance copywriter in Atlanta (www.writeinc.biz) and the author of the award-winning Book-of-the-Month club selection, The Well-Fed Writer and TWFW: Back For Seconds, both “standards” of commercial freelancing. www.wellfedwriter.com.

One Man's Ceiling Is Another Man's Floor

For those of us who use email as a marketing/promotional/relationship-building tool, the question of "How much is too much?," (aka, "How do I know if I'm spamming my list?") lurks ever-present below the surface.  Even assuming we're over the bar regarding what the CAN SPAM act of 2003 allows (click here for a review) the range of what the general population considers "acceptable" is all over the map.

Last month I asked the readers of my newsletter to respond to a few simple questions regarding what was appropriate when it comes to contacting them.  I knew opinions would differ, but I had no idea how wide the range or how strongly held the various points of view would be.

Is there consensus on how, how often and under what circumstances readers may be contacted?  The short answer is "No."  For the long answer, click here to read 31 points of view from around the world.  Like me, I think you'll be amazed.

Learn more about Michael Katz.

Getting Paid What You're Worth

Clients and consultants alike usually dread fee discussions. The new article in The Guerrilla Consultant gives six strategies to help you preserve your profit margins and your client relationships as you work through pricing discussions.

Take a Deep Breath before You Answer These Questions

As you go through the sales process with a client, you'll face an endless stream of questions about your background, experiences, and project approach.

The client is simply trying to decide whether or not to hand you the keys to the project. You'll handle most questions with ease, but seemingly innocent questions can trip you up if you wing it.

Try to hold back on answering some questions until you're sure you know what you're getting into. You will hear these, or related questions, on almost every sales call:

• How much will the project cost?

• What is your rate?

• Will you send us a proposal?

• How long will the project take to complete?

You will answer all these questions eventually. To avoid a potentially unprofitable project or an unhappy client, first get a complete picture of the situation. For example, you shouldn't crank out a proposal unless you believe there's a good chance of winning.
And, until you understand the client's real problem (not just the stated objectives), the complexity of the project, and something about the company's culture, it's tough to say how long it will take to complete a project.

Many clients will push you to answer these questions before you should, and you'll be tempted. It's up to you to make clients recognize that it's in their best interests to wait for informed answers. Plus, taking the time to do it right also protects your interests. If the client balks, you should rethink whether or not this is the right client for you.