Guerrilla Marketing for Consultants

Anatomy of a Web Marketing Makeover – Spilling Statistics’ Secrets

(Note: this is part of a series of posts on the marketing makeover of a consultant’s Web site.)

When you’re looking at what key phrases for which to optimize your site, your Web stats can be a goldmine of information.

Fortunately, my client’s Web host collects information on what phrases people typed into search engines to actually find her site. Unfortunately, her traffic is so low and her search engine rankings so sparse that there’s not a lot of data to go on.

It does tell me, at least, that one of the phrases for which she already does rank isn’t actually pulling in any searches! To boot, it’s a phrase that seems to make so much sense. This is why it’s so useful to look at all the data. What makes sense in your mind may not make sense in your prospective clients’ minds.

I looked at the top 20 search strings for each month of 2006. Other than people searching for her name, there aren’t a lot of repeats. (Her name is unique enough that it’s not hard to rank for it.)

The stats also show some searches that aren’t really relevant to her business – names of clients in testimonials, for instance. I’m not surprised. I find weird things in my own site’s stats all the time. For example, “fat, dumb, happy” is a phrase I find a lot because it appears in one of my articles. What in the world are people searching for when they type that into a search engine? Whatever it is, I’m not selling it!

Once a site has been optimized, looking at the stats shows you if your phrases are pulling in the traffic you want. They may also show combinations of words you never thought of, and give you an incentive to optimize a page even more thoroughly for them.
SEO is an ongoing process, and looking at your stats and making tweaks to improve your rankings is part of that process.

-Andrea Harris, Minerva Solutions –

Anatomy of a Web Marketing Makeover – The Nuts and Bolts of Keyword Research

(Note: this is part of a series of posts on the marketing makeover of a consultant’s Web site.)

My client gave me a wish list of phrases for which she wants her site to rank when people type them into search engines. Naturally, she’s got some very broad and impossibly competitive terms on her list. It’s very common for people to think they want to rank for broad terms. Then they realize that even if they ranked highly for the broad terms, they wouldn’t be getting targeted traffic.

For instance, if you’re an HR consultant, it wouldn’t do you much good to rank for the word “consultant.” What are people looking for when they type just the word “consultant?”  A management consultant? An IT consultant? You’d be getting traffic but not customers.

Plus, some terms are impossibly competitive. Here's an eye-popping example. Because of lucrative asbestos lawsuits there are lots of lawyers who would like to come up first in a search for “mesothelioma attorney.” But from what I can see on Google, there are over 322,000 pages are already optimized for that phrase. The Wall St. Journal reported a couple of years ago that firms were paying $100 per click to buy the phrase on Overture. It would take big bucks to compete in that kind of arena.

There are lots of tools that help you do keyword research, but the most important tool is your brain. You have to think about what makes sense for your business and your clients. They will be searching for things from their perspective, not yours. So it may make sense to use phrases based on what they need rather than on what you offer.

Assuming your brain is on board for the art side of keyword research, here are some free tools for the science of it. (Professional SEOs also use for-fee tools, which I won’t get into here):

• WordTracker (has a free trial, otherwise you pay) 
• Digital Point’s Keyword Suggestion Tool (combines free results from Wordtracker and Overture. I’m more apt to trust Wordtracker if they differ.)
• NicheBot (one tool that does it all)
• Google AdWords Keyword Tool
• Also, you can always Google your phrase, Google the phrase in quotes, and Google “allintitle:your phrase” to see how many other pages are already using it

Some of these help you find out how competitive or widely-used certain key phrases are. Others give you suggestions for related or similar key phrases that may work better. A definitive trick SEO consultants use is to run a Google AdWords campaign for a few weeks to see how phrases really perform. If you’ve already been using Google AdWords, you can certainly apply what you’ve learned from it to your SEO.

Back to my client. Because she is targeting a certain part of the country, and tends to specialize in a couple of industries, we can narrow down her search phrases so they’re more specific. This means that people who reach her site after searching these phrases are more apt to buy from her. Also, because these targeted phrases are less competitive she’s got a better chance of ranking well with them.

I also look for the most often-searched phrases (which are often extremely competitive) and use them along with my client’s geographic or industry specialties.  Every phrase I analyze makes me think of others, so I check them out too. After lots of searching, clicking, copying, and pasting I’ve got a huge spreadsheet of phrases I think will work best.

-Andrea Harris, Minerva Solutions –

Anatomy of a Web Marketing Makeover – Putting Search Engine Optimization (SEO) into Perspective

(Note: this is part of a series of posts on the marketing makeover of a consultant’s Web site.)

Years ago when I suggested that a client consider search engine optimization (SEO) to attract qualified traffic to his new consulting site he said “I’ve been told that’s not necessary; it will happen on its own.”  Not only was he misinformed, but I have to say it’s insulting to have someone suggest that you’re charging for something that will happen all by itself anyway. (His site did not get optimized and it never attracted the traffic he wanted.)

I’m a big fan of SEO, but I’m the first to admit that it has a bad reputation. Why? Disappointed customers. Many SEO firms will promise to get your site to rank highly, and then proceed to optimize it for non-competitive phrases that no one is searching for.

Plus, they never tell you that plain old high rankings won’t do squat for your business. That’s right. Nada. What does help is ranking highly for the actual phrases that your clients are typing into search engines. Then, your site copy and design have to be compelling enough to turn those visitors into prospects who become interested in what you have to offer.

SEO isn’t just a numbers game. It’s part of a holistic approach to getting traffic and converting visitors.

One of the tenets of SEO is that it’s going to change your site. The biggest change is in the words used on your site – the copy. The copy has to use the phrases that people are searching for. It’s as simple as that.

But what are those phrases? How do you know if anyone is using them? That’s what I’ll discuss next time as I go through the process of keyword research for my current client and her consulting Web site.

-Andrea Harris, Minerva Solutions –

By the way, anyone who wants to learn more about SEO can get a complete education reading the back issues of Jill Whalen’s High Ranking Advisor newsletter and her SEO copywriting guide.

High Performance Teams -- Enrolling Support

So far, this series on Building High Performance Teams has covered chartering, launching teams, sponsorship and key stakeholders.  Based on a few activities I have been involved in during the last couple of weeks, and “how do I address this” questions I have also been asked during that time, I realized I should talk about how to enroll support for your team’s work — whether that is enrolling the resources you need on your team, enrolling the managers of those resources or enrolling key stakeholders.  As a consultant, this can be particularly difficult (and important) if the resources you are trying to enroll are the client’s, since you are just a passing phenomena (a nice way to say a pain in the ….) who they can outwait.  But it is also important if you are competing for resources within your own firm or need people on a project that they are not interested in being on (remember that project from hell last year that you told the team they would love…) I’ll start with the most fundamental… enrolling team members (yours or the client’s).

It’s actually a very simple conversation… simple because you let the person do most of the talking.  The basic format for the conversations is:

• Explain what the team is about and why this person is important to the team… “this is why I want you…”  This should be short and to the point.
• Then ask: “What would it take to have you excited about being on the team?”… at which point just be quiet and listen.
• Once they are done, you can ask questions for clarification.
• Then, based on what they say, you may be able to talk about how some of the things that excite them can be met on the project or concerns can be mitigated, things you may need to consider or look into and things that you cannot address.
• If appropriate you may also discuss: “Here’s where you may have to stretch… and how I will support you.” 

Why is it so important to be quiet and listen without interrupting?  In cases where the person has concerns, you will typically hear those first. Great… you are letting the person begin to work through their concerns by expressing them.  You may also be learning about things that can be easily addressed.  More importantly, once the person finishes expressing their concerns (dumping their angst), they usually begin talking themselves into all the positive things that can come from being involved.  They may caveat it with expressions like “This could never happen, but if it could…” but they are beginning to explore the possibilities.  Let them go, and focus on what you can learn… what is important to them, how could participation help them get there, what concerns can be mitigated.  Often, you don’t even have to say anything; the person will have talked themselves into being excited and enrolled.   Much of what you discuss can be built right into the charter. This demonstrates to the team member that you are taking them seriously, and ensures you don’t forget about it.

How often have you had problems getting the support of the manager that person reports to?  They probably also see you as a “passing phenomena”. It can have major impact on your team member’s performance if their manager is supporting having them involved. (You have probably been on a project which your manager agreed to have you participate in, but didn’t really see it as one of your priorities… remember what that was like!)  The enrollment conversation with this resource manager follows the same pattern:

• Briefly explain what the team is about and why this person is important.
• Then ask: “What would it take to have you excited about “Jane” being on the team?”
• Once they are done, ask any questions for clarification.
• Then, based on what they say, make any necessary commitments, such as coaching the resource in a particular area, agreeing that they will get certain training or exposure, etc.
• If appropriate you may also discuss where ”Jane” may have to stretch… and how you can support her.

The conversation with a key stakeholder is also similar to the team member enrollment conversation, but in this case you are asking for the key stakeholder’s support in certain areas (and possibly involvement of them or some of their resources if necessary.)

Even if the person does not have a choice, this can be a powerful tool to get them more engaged and supportive… and it takes so little time for what you get from it. 

Try it… you’ll like it.

Anatomy of a Web Marketing Makeover – Charting a Course

(Note: this is part of a series of posts on the marketing makeover of a consultant’s Web site.)

Now that I know my client’s problems and challenges, it’s time to think about how her site can help mitigate them.

One point to make before I get too deep is that guerrilla consultants shouldn’t totally rely on their Web sites to achieve their marketing goals. As anyone who has read Mike and Jay’s book can attest, there are plenty of offline things consultants should do: networking, speaking, writing articles, etc. The Web should be part of an overall strategy. Some consultants may not even try to get leads from their Web sites – relying instead on methods such as referrals, and using their sites to demonstrate their expertise to prospects.

But in the case of my new client, she does want her site to generate leads, so we’re going to take a several-pronged approach to make her site attract and convert more clients.

• Use search engine optimization (SEO) to bring in more traffic from people searching for terms that are related to my client’s business.

• Rewrite the copy on her home page to clarify what she offers and encourage people to learn more. The copy will incorporate key phrases to attract search engines, but also has to work equally well for humans.

• Direct traffic to her free assessment, as well as other programs to which she wants to draw attention and generate immediate business.

• Encourage more subscribers, not just on the home page, but throughout the entire site. Subscribers may not be interested in purchasing her services now. But as she nurtures them via regular emails that share her knowledge, we hope that she’ll slowly win them over.

• Do some general site housekeeping – she’s been letting a few dust bunnies accumulate under the couch and it’s time to sweep them out!

-Andrea Harris, Minerva Solutions –

Banish the Cold Call

“Ms. Patterson, you have a cold call from some consultant on line two.”

That message probably rates as much excitement as a call from an IRS auditor. So, what usually follows is a quick brush-off from the “prospective” client.

Never mind the stiff-arm response, the consultant thinks. We cold callers know that a thick skin is table stakes, and we expect rejection. I’ve got to keep dialing for dollars.

Wrong.

With all the high-impact marketing and sales strategies available to consultants, it’s time to put the cold call out to pasture once and for all.

Read the article in this month's issue of The Guerrilla Consultant.

One Piece of Sales Advice You Can't Live Without

Well, there are actually eleven pieces of advice in RainToday's free, 34-page ebook titled, The One Piece of Sales Advice You Can't Sell Without. The eBook was authored by eleven people--me included--who have opinions on what it takes to sell professional services.

What's great about this eBook is its focus on selling professional services, not cell phones, copiers, or twin screw extruders. You'll find insightful articles by Keith Ferrazzi, Alan Weiss, Jill Konrath, and many others in this handy book.

So grab a copy. It's free for the asking.

Read The One Piece of Sales Advice You Can't Sell Without.

Anatomy of a Web Marketing Makeover – What’s the Problem?

(Note: this is part of a series of posts on the marketing makeover of a consultant’s Web site.)

My client has wisely packaged her consulting services into several packages. Among her business goals in working with me is to increase sales of some of these services. It’s clear that her Web site will play a role in her ability to reach these goals.

Her Web site looks fine. It’s well designed and professional-looking. It doesn’t have any of the outdated gimmicks (like a splash intro page) you sometimes see on a site that’s been around for a few years. At first glance, you might wonder why she wants to change anything.

But she knows it’s not working for her. For one thing, her email subscription list is only getting one subscriber a month. She’s not getting many, if any, leads from the site. What she thought would be a big lead generator – a free assessment – isn’t getting any takers. And to top it off, site visitors aren’t even aware that she offers one of her main consulting services.

She also knows that her site isn’t ranking highly in the search engines. This not only means she’s not getting much traffic, it means she’s probably not getting the right kind of traffic. The right kind of traffic would be from prospective clients – people who might subscribe to her email list, ask for a free assessment, or download one of the PDFs on her site.

No doubt about it, her site is not doing its job to support her business. In my next post I’ll provide an overview of how we can turn her site’s performance around.

-Andrea Harris, Minerva Solutions –

Anatomy of a Web Marketing Makeover – Introduction

One of the most important marketing tools for guerrilla consultants is a hardworking Web site. Not just a pretty or cool (or pretty cool) Web site. But a site that actually does something for your business. 

It’s hard to find a consulting firm, even a one-person shop, that doesn’t have a site these days. But how many of those sites aren’t fulfilling their potential to attract clients and nurture relationships? Plenty.

The owner of just such a site contacted me recently. She knew it was time to whip her site into shape so it could help her meet some specific business goals. As I was outlining the work I was proposing to do on her site, it occurred to me that much of what I’d be doing would apply to other consultants’ sites as well.

Why not discuss on the Guerrilla Consulting blog what I was experiencing while turning my client’s site around? The objectives, tactics, implementation, and yes, the inevitable frustrations. My new client agreed, although I decided to keep her identity and exact specialty private.

So, over the next couple of months, I’ll post here once or twice a week with thoughts about Web marketing and updates on our progress. Perhaps it will help you come up with ideas to make your own site work better. Regardless, I hope you’ll chime in with any comments or questions.

And many thanks to Mike for letting me play in his blog!

-Andrea Harris, Minerva Solutions –

The Sponsor Can Make or Break You

Building High Performance teams... continued

A project team without an effective sponsor is like a child trying to grow up without an effective parent… it can be done but it sure is hard. 

How does this relate to your client projects? Well how often have you made the sale to Mr. / Ms. Big and then got assigned to an underling as your key contact… rarely seeing Big again until something blows up? In the mean time, Underling has a very different view of what the project needs to accomplish, has you down in the details instead of at the strategic level you are expected to be at, and you find yourself doing a lot more work while not delivering on Big’s expectations?

The problem is that while Underling may be the right person to be working with day-to-day, you have no sponsor.

Having the right client sponsor for your project requires having the right person focused on 8 key activities that allow them to have maximum impact without a major investment of their time. The 8 activities are:

• CHARTER a project team to solve a critical strategic priority
• ENROLL a leader, key team members and key stakeholders
• ASSESS progress with the team and agree how to ADJUST as needed
• Help the team and greater org LEARN from their experiences
• CHAMPION – ensure the org understands why the project’s important
• INFORM the team what else is going on that can impact them
• RECOGNIZE individuals and the team when they stretch
• Ensure the results have impact… INTEGRATE them into the mainstream

Back to the example with Big… s/he was probably heavily involved in framing the project to solve a critical strategic priority. Now you need to keep Big involved in the rest of the Chartering process… getting shared vision with the team on how the team will accomplish the goals. This can be done by involving them in strategic points in the team launch process. In the same way, you want to establish a process up front (during the sales and contracting process) about how you will keep Big informed and in control of the process. Be clear that this is important for your business to be successful as well as for Big’s business.

Setting the expectations that they will be involved in key tollgate reviews helps you keep them involved in Assessing, Adjusting and extracting Learnings. It also provides venues in which they can Inform the team about what else is going on that can impact their work and gather information and insights that helps Big Champion the work to others and Recognize great performance.

If you successfully keep Big involved periodically throughout the process, you minimize getting out of synch, provide a venue for them to maintain ownership of the results, provide opportunities for interaction between the team and Big, maintain your direct link to Big and increase the odds that the results will be Integrated into the mainstream and have the intended strategic impact. Well worth the effort.

Other important factors to consider in establishing the sponsor’s role include:

• Getting a sponsor with the appropriate level of “clout”
• Getting a single sponsor — not a steering committee — to work with the team
• Ensuring that the sponsor is not stepping into the role just because they want to ensure they have final say on all decisions.  The sponsor needs to be accountable for the success of the team.

Setting up the right sponsor, and ensuring they understand the role you need them to serve is just as critical for your internal project teams.  Make sure you have someone who is passionate about the necessary results and has the right level of clout.  Then set them up for success by contracting their involvement in the 8 activities and how you will support them.