By Charlie Cook
Marketing is like rowing. You pull hard on the oars to go forward,
then lift them out of the water and push them back to finish the
stroke and get ready for the next pull. Once you've got the
sequence of the stroke right, you and your boat slip forward
through the water and build speed and momentum. If you push when
you should be pulling, the boat goes backwards, or, even worse,
you lose your balance and fall into the bottom of the boat.
One of the biggest mistakes people make in marketing their
services is to simply PUSH information about their services and
themselves out to prospects and hope that this will result in
attracting prospects. Unless you are already a household name
and in such demand that your phone is ringing off the hook, this
approach rarely attracts the numbers of new clients you want.
The result is that most marketing falls into the bottom of the
boat instead of propelling your business forward.
An alternative to the typical push and hope approach to marketing
is to PULL prospects in and then in the context of a growing
relationship, PUSH useful information out to them. If you want
prospects to remember your firm when they have a need for your
services, start by attracting their interest.
Generate interest by focusing on what your potential clients
want and the problems they need solved. Use this client centered
marketing strategy to pull prospects in so you can push your
expertise out to them. Give them ideas they can apply instead of
information about credentials, or past clients. Like rowing your
boat, you won't move very far unless you repeat the sequence
again and again.
 |
Add Your Site to 1,500 Search Engines and Classifieds!
Your site will be submitted once a month to 1,500 search engines,
announcement services and classifieds for a whole year. Also,
with just one click you can do a re-submission of your site any time you want.
For example, if you are updating your site often, you can re-submit
every time you change it. Every submission produces a detailed
report on the results.
Click here for more info!
|
|
Are you pulling prospects in or just pushing your information out?
Review your marketing materials to see if you have the sequence
right. Take a look at your web site, brochures, newsletters,
correspondence and proposals.
PULL TACTICS - 'Client' Centered
Do your marketing materials
1. Begin with a clear identification of the niche market(s) you
work with?
2. Lead with client problems and concerns?
3. Use the two elements above to create a picture that your
target market can identify with?
4. Provide useful ideas that your target market can use and that
demonstrates your expertise?
5. Offer something for free that is also useful to your target
market and demonstrates your thinking?
PUSH TACTICS - 'You' centered
Do your marketing materials
1. Focus on you, your services and staff?
2. Focus on glowing testimonials and your client list?
3. Use business speak, instead of language that anyone would
understand?
Which works best? Both. The challenge is getting the emphasis and
order right. The pull then push marketing sequence that works to
move your business forward involves the following:
1. Create resources that pull prospects to you and your firm
2. Get prospects to give you their contact information (Most firms
let over 99% of the people who see their information go away and
never follow up)
3. Push useful information out to self-selected prospects on a
regular basis. (Remember the majority of buyers won't make a
purchase until they've had a minimum of 5-6 contacts with your
firm.)
When your prospects have a compelling need, they will turn to the
firm that they've had regular communication with, know and trust.
At some point prospects will want more details about your services,
credentials and testimonials. But this is often the last
information you need to provide.
Use the pull then push strategy to get your marketing moving.
You'll be amazed as you watch both your prospect and client lists
grow and your business gains momentum.
About the Author
The author, Marketing Coach, Charlie Cook, helps independent
professionals and small business owners who are struggling
to pull in more clients.
Get a copy of the marketing guide, 7 Steps to Get More Clients
and Grow Your Business. Get the FREE marketing guide now:
CLICK HERE ==> http://www.charliecook.net
mailto:ccook@charliecook.net
2003 © In Mind Communications, LLC. All rights reserved.
The Add Me! Newsletter is a high quality newsletter created
to help everyone promote their website and business on the Internet.
It is one of the largest newsletters available
on the web focusing on this topic.
This newsletter is sent to you with permission as part of the
free Add Me! submission service you have used recently.
The contents of this newsletter do not necessarily reflect
the opinions of Add Me, Inc. Add Me, Inc makes no warranties,
either expressed or implied, about the truth or accuracy of
the contents of the Add Me! newsletter.
To unsubscribe, just reply to this email.
(c) Copyright 1998-2003 Add Me, Inc
