Up to this point we have been discussing the best ways for you to understand your unique value and how to identify your potential buyers.
Which has lead up to the point where we can now realistically talk about how you are going to market your professional services, or anything for that matter.
All marketing is about attention, expertise, and action…
Now if you have done the work of understanding the value you deliver and the people that will buy it, your task is much easier.
But…here’s the secret of marketing and selling your professional services:
It is based on consistency, relevancy, and adjustment!
So how do you apply this to your own work?
1. Focus on only a limited number of actions:
In too many instances, we can get overwhelmed with all of the actions that we should be taking.
This is especially relevant when it comes to marketing because we have access to tons of well meaning information and ideas about marketing.
The truth is that if you know who your buyers are, and have a CDP system (like this one — https://us.epsilon.com/epsilon-peoplecloud-overview/customer — or similar others) in place to store relevant customer data, you are likely to find that more likely than not many of them are only in a limited number of places to reach them. Or, even if they are in lots of places, their attention is limited to being really targeted in a couple of spots.
So you need to understand that and aim your marketing efforts at the spots that are most likely to pay off for you.
Let’s say that you are selling a consumer product, maybe email marketing and web ads are a good idea.
If you are in the professional services world, depending on your target company, that same strategy might make little or no sense.
Instead, you might find it a lot more effective to focus on writing for the magazines, blogs, or publications that your buyer reads. Or, you might find a way to speak at a conference that your buyers attend.
Or, you might be able to network, get referrals, use a direct mail and event campaign…
The key is to pick one or two things that you are willing to commit to and deliver on consistently.
Then, do it! And, do it!
2. Always be testing:
While I said to focus on a limited number of things…I don’t want you to operate in a vacuum.
You should be taking the things you learn from your marketing efforts and adjusting your focus and your process to reflect what you have learned.
So with each action, measure the reaction.
Is it what you wanted?
What worked?
What didn’t work?
What can you do better?
What can you do more of?
What do you want to do less of?
Take all of this and apply it to your marketing efforts…
And, instead of being frustrated about something not working, use that as good sign…that you aren’t just mindlessly doing things because you feel like you “have to.”
3. Revisit your entire strategy periodically:
The starting point of this whole series was that you shouldn’t wait until the end of the year or January to start planning and thinking about your strategy.
In fact, too many places make it a once a year kind of operation.
Instead, you should plan to review everything you are doing periodically, maybe once a quarter or so…
Learn from what you are doing and apply it.