Behavioral Marketing Spurs [Book List]

Posted on 2015/09/26 by Jerry Fletcher

I asked, “Was anyone else listening to Public Radio on the way over?”

“Let me guess, Rick said, “the piece about behavioral marketing rang your chimes. The thing that got me was the breathless description of the ‘new discovery’ that a P.S. on a letter or e-mail improved response rates from a person who had obviously never won her spurs in the direct marketing arena!”

“Right. The person being interviewed was talking about basic stuff as if it was discovered yesterday. She and the interviewer were both completely oblivious to the entire history of marketing, direct or otherwise.”

Chris said, “Everyone knows that a P.S. can increase response.”

“Apparently not,” Kate remarked. ” Time and again I run into this phenomenon. It happens in sales all the time. I have to teach people new to the profession how to shake hands and take notes and basic techniques. The other side of that is when they start trying to emulate the flavor of the day from the latest book published without knowing the stuff the new approach is on top of.”

“Chris,” Rick said, “You’re one of the few youngsters I know that has done his homework and tried to learn from some of the masters. Off the top of your head what three or four books would you recommend to anyone trying to understand direct marketing?”

Chris replied:

Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins (originally published in the 1930’s I think, but reprinted in the last couple of years)
Ogilvy on Advertising by David Ogilvy (a classic about print advertising)
Convergence Marketing by Richard Rosen (for a quantitative look at brand vs. direct)
Give ‘em one white sock by Rapp & Collins (a bunch of ideas for ways to get a message opened)
Dotcom Secrets by Russell Brunson (Contemporary take that applies the classics to on line marketing)

You’ll find that most of them talk about their mentors, colleagues and competitors as well as what they had to do to earn their spurs. They became successful by doing what the behavioral marketing crowd thinks they are discovering,

The Takeaway
A little reading can take years off your learning curve. Direct marketing that works follows a pattern: It convinces, persuades and moves prospects closer to the sale by trying something, measuring it, establishing a control, testing details and new concepts against it. Successful direct marketers keep using the control until it is beaten. Then they start the entire process over.

Jerry Fletcher’s blog recaps conversations with clients, prospects and the unruly mob of business development professionals he consorts with. They discuss marketing that works from solopreneur to enterprise level. Jerry Fletcher is the ringleader and “Watson” of the dialogue. Subscribe to the blog at: www.JerryFletcher.com/Profit.html

Jerry has been researching and implementing small business marketing that builds businesses, careers and lives of joy for 25 years as President of Z-axis Marketing, Inc. Learn more at www.JerryFletcher.com

Schedule a personal appearance. Jerry speaks internationally on Networking, Marketing and Contact Relationship Magic. www.NetworkingNinja.com

It Ain’t All About Brand

Posted on 2015/09/19 by Jerry Fletcher

Kate looked like she was ready to blow a fuse. Normally, our sales strategist is as calm as a mountain lake at dawn. Today her dark brow was furrowed and her multi-hoop earrings sounded like castanets as she shook her head back and forth.

Bubba asked, “Wha’s stuck in your craw m’dear?”

“Don’t m’dear me,” Kate exploded.

Then, shamefaced she said, “I’m sorry I jumped you Bubba. You’re probably the one that can solve this conundrum.”

Rob, our branding Buddha perked up and responded, “How so?”

“I met with a prospect this morning. Let’s just say he was hard over on brand. When I told him how his untrained sales force was perceived he said it didn’t matter because his brand was so ‘in’ that nothing could stand in the way of success.”

Rick, who runs a world-class direct marketing operation sat down his drink and said, “Walk away.”

Kate shot a questioning look over her glasses.

“I mean just what I said,” he continued. “Don’t bother trying to change his mind. It doesn’t matter whether it is Brand or Sales or Margins or Promotions or something else. When an entrepreneur gets hung up on a single business element it is only a matter of time until that business is no more.”

Bubba blustered, “Mos’ folks think that brand is all about being a flamingo in a flock of pigeons. Believin’ you can control it is like a banty rooster thinkin’ the sun comes up to hear him crow! No way! No how! Brand is the sum total of all the interactions folks have with you or your product or service. You can’t let any part of the business fall behind and dependin’ on getting the business without having an up-to-scratch sales force is just dumb.

Too often folks hear all about the clever ideas and the thing that goes viral and they think that is all there is to it. That lasts about as long as a whiff in a whirlwind.”

“I’m with Bubba on this one,” I said. “The problem is that people think brand is logotypes and slug lines and clever ads but that stuff isn’t what sticks with customers and clients and prospects looking for your product or service.

A brand is deeper. It is capricious. It connects unpredictably. It is fickle. It bonds with one psyche yet not another. It is a capricious summary not a single statement. It is a total of random touches and not a trump card.”

Kate said, “I just figured out what to do. I’m going back at him and ask if he’d like to have lunch with you guys and share his expertise.

The Takeaway:

It ain’t all about brand as a singular way to build a business. It is all about brand if you understand that it is the joint perception of everything you say and do.

Schedule a personal appearance. Jerry speaks internationally on Networking, Marketing and Contact Relationship Magic. www.NetworkingNinja.com

Put Your Mouth Where The Money Is [Free Takeaway]

Posted on 2015/09/12 by Jerry Fletcher

The temperature was in the 90’s again so we decided to dine alfresco. We trooped outside, pushed a couple of tables together and became observers of the passing scene until Chris dropped a verbal hand grenade in the middle of things.

He asked, “have you guys heard the latest research on headlines and click Through Rate (CTR)?”

Gail, our writer/editor snorted, “now what!”

Rick just covered his face with his hands, moaned and said, “In direct marketing there is only one measure of what works and what doesn’t and it is not based on Click Through Rate!”

“That’s why I brought it up,” said Chris. “All of us are going to catch flack on this so we need to be ready when clients and managers start trying to push us around.”

“Anyone who has ever written a headline that got people to make a buy is going to love some of these findings,” Chris began. “The report says the words easy, how to, credit, cure, magic and free decrease CTR. But wait, there’s more” he continued. Using You or your or you are also reduces the CTR. And don’t try giving me tips or tricks or telling me it’s simple or amazing. I don’t want to know the secret. And don’t think you can get me to take action quickly I’m not about to act Now.”

“I may be a country boy.” said Rob our branding Guru that hails from Georgia, “but I can tell you somebody’s been sippin’ grannie’s hard cider when she ain’t lookin’ if y’all believe that nonsense. I been getting paid to write for a lotta years and click throughs don’t hold a candle to conversions. Y’all don’t need to go preachin to all them folks outside the tent. The ones that are inside is where the action is. And that is what works across all the media I know.”

Kate snorted and said, “Hear, hear. Bubba. It’s the same in sales. We do a little cold calling but most of the time we are talking to people that want to be talking to us. I figure a prospect is someone that has a problem I can solve, can pay me to do it and is willing to talk to me. I don’t need to convince them to talk to me. I just need to understand their problem so I can help solve it. I’d rather work with folks that want to see me any day!”

“That’s the thing about this report,” Chris said. It’s 28 pages and it took 17 before they started talking about conversions.”

“Then, what did they say?” I asked.

“Suddenly, all those low CTR performers became more important. Being new and meeting a need Now paid off. Suddenly Amazing had power to open wallets. And funny thing, FREE managed to get more orders when used in headlines directed to real prospects and especially when it became part of the close.

The one thing that came out of this study that appears to work across the board is putting brackets in the headline. What helps close the sale in brackets? Here are their top five examples: Template, Quick Tip, Free Download, Infographic, FAQ.”

The Takeaway:

Add a bracketed item to your headline while using the words that have proven useful since promotion began to convince, persuade and generate sales. Conversions are always more important than Click Throughs.

Schedule a personal appearance. Jerry speaks internationally on Networking, Marketing and Contact Relationship Magic. www.NetworkingNinja.com

Huggin’ and Chalkin’

Posted on 2015/09/05 by Jerry Fletcher

I arrived a little late and found our branding Guru in the middle of one of his southern fried soliloquys.

“So you see,” he said, “the answer is like my old friend Charlie would put it: You got to go to huggin’ and chalkin’ if y’all are gonna get anywhere in that situation.”

The others all looked just as confused as I felt so I asked, “huggin” and chalkin’ what does that mean?”

“Fletch,” he replied, “I was just talkin’ about solutions to the problem of getting a business from start-up to gettin’ profitable and how it was like my friend Charlie and his romantic intentions.”

“Okay,” I said, “I’ll bite. What’s the story Bubba?”

“We were talkin’ about that story you told last week about the company trying to get to a sustainable level of business and I allowed as how you don’t always have to go whole hog. It’s like my buddy Charlie’s approach to romance.

Charlie is a big ol’ boy He must be about 6 foot two barefoot and tips the scales somewhere about 220. He’s got rugged good looks, played a little football well enough to get a pro look. But he wasn’t interested in that so he took his degree and then went to law school. He’s practicin’ down in Atlanta these days.”

Kate asked, “Bubba what has all that got to do with building sales for a company?”

“Everything, Madame Sales consultant,” he said. “You see Charlie has a different viewpoint about women. As you might expect he is what is considered a very eligible bachelor. But he’s not into all those gals that are continually on diets. Evah hear of Plus size models? Charlie likes Rubenesque women. And his approach to them is what he calls huggin’ and chalkin.’

Just about like any woman, the ones he prefers like to be kissed all over but ever so often time doesn’t allow or other things come up or some distraction interferes so what he does is tell the lass that he’s goin’ to put a little mark on her where he had to leave off and come back to it later.”

There was a chorus of “What’s the point, Bubba?”

“Okay y’all, the point is he calls that Huggin’ and Chalkin’. It’s the same when you’re tryin’ to build a company on limited funds. You go as far as you can to build trusted relationships with the time and money you have making sure that anyone that becomes a customer knows you really care about them.

When you have more time or money or both you go back to huggin’ and bringing more folks to the party. But you never forget where you were. You put the current customers into a regular follow up process. You touch them regularly. You treat them with kindness, courtesy and make them feel loved. You find a way to be there for them. You can chalk all that up to building a brand and a business.”

The Takeaway
Building a business with limited resources can be done. You can reduce your acquisition actions but never eliminate them. Keep contacting your current customers regularly in order to retain them.

Schedule a personal appearance. Jerry speaks internationally on Networking, Marketing and Contact Relationship Magic. www.NetworkingNinja.com

Launch!

Posted on 2015/08/29 by Jerry Fletcher

“My Composer tells me that sometime this week my new theme music will deliver,“ I said to Kate as the others wandered in.

Our sales specialist asked “Why do you need theme music?” and then said, “Oh yeah, you told me you were going to have something written and arranged to use for opening speaking keynotes… you were calling it Launch as I recall.”

I responded, “It will deliver in the same week as the final results of the national launch for my client’s referral marketing program. That has turned out to be successful beyond my greatest expectations.”

“Well, there’s success and there’s success,” said Rick, the Direct Marketing Pro in our midst. “If you get it off the launching pad that is success but can it climb out of the gravity well? What kind of numbers do you have?”

“In this case I said, we had a list of the top 200 clients of another firm and their backing as strategic partner recommended to all the companies on the list. Going in they had 5 or 6 folks that were referral partners. We dropped a letter to the 200 and then called the list down.”

“You’re the expert Rick,” said Gail, our business writing doyen. “What kind of results would you expect in that situation?”

He said: “A letter and a call down will get you 1 to 1.5% but since you had a tight list and a referral of sorts that would get you from 2.5 to 5% in my experience. Anything more is remarkable. So how did your campaign do?

“We added 40 new referral partners to their list,” I said.

Chris, the digital marketing guy that meets with us whistled. Everyone turned to him. “Guys,” he said, “That’s a 20% response. That is incredible. You don’t get that unless you’re sending out a package!”

Rick said, “I totally agree. I haven’t seen anything like that since we did some very expensive packages for Disney. Are you sure it was just a letter and a call down?”

“Certain. The letter was solid and built to display a box that had an implied testimonial and recommendation. A copy of a card with an offer for the referred end users was enclosed. It offered a telephone or on-line method to get quantities of cards for the customer local sites.”

Rick said, “So you got it launched. What’s next Fletch?”

“Now we’re going to build out a sales program that touches those from across the country who have raised their hands to become referral partners. They, along with the remaining folks on the list will get a monthly newsletter. On top of that they will get two or three other touches a month via phone, letter, handwritten notes and e-mail to build the relationship so we become the automatic referral. But we need more referral sources to reach escape velocity.

We will continue to promote to the entire list we have with html e-mail messaging as only 8 of the titled individuals we’ve gone out to have opted out and those were because they could not use our services.

My guess is that we’ll have about 50 ongoing referral sources by year end.”

Rick said, “I hear it in your voice. That won’t be enough will it?”

“Based on the current data the company will be profitable at the end of September but just a few additions won’t matter. They need to invest in broadening their referral base by buying, mailing to and calling down another list of 1500+ with the titles we need to be effective,” I said.” If we can get just 10% of that list to sign up we will have escape velocity.

If they agree to buy the list and mail to them they can soar. If they don’t they will go down in flames.”

The Takeaway

The launch isn’t over until you have escape velocity. Invest to reach sustainability.

Jerry Fletcher’s blog recaps conversations with clients, prospects and the unruly mob of business development professionals he consorts with. They discuss marketing that works from solopreneur to enterprise level. Jerry Fletcher is the ringleader and “Watson” of the dialogue. Learn how to profit from all his publishing at www.JerryFletcher.com/Profit.html

Schedule a personal appearance. Jerry speaks internationally on Networking, Marketing and Contact Relationship Magic. www.NetworkingNinja.com

The Expert Content Formula

Posted on 2015/08/22 by Jerry Fletcher

“I’ve been thinking about last week’s guest, “I said.

Chris, our Digital Marketing expert, asked, “Why’s that? Jennifer was delighted with our help.”

“All of us gave her good advice I think,” said Gail. “Each time we have a guest it seems like all of us learn as well. It makes the session a little more focused and each of us tries to be more concise. I try to concentrate on writing and editing advice and each of you dive into your individual expertise.”

“Thas true,” said Rob with a dollop of southern syrup. “Y’all expect me to concentrate on Brand at those times so that’s what I do.”

Rick, Mr. Direct Marketing, as usual, direct in every way said, “So why were you thinking about Jennifer and content?

I responded, “She’s an expert, right?”

There were nod’s and sounds of agreement around the table.

“So if you’re an expert, my research suggests that the way you market depends on the phase your business is in: Startup, Growth or Established. We didn’t take the time to figure that out. Early on the critical elements are Networking and Direct Contacts. When consultants get to the Growth Phase there’s more of a balance. Referrals become dominant but are closely followed by Direct Sales, Prior Experience and Networking. In the established firm Referrals and prior experience account for about 65% of the business.”

Kate, our sales doyen who knows how to listen asked, “So are you saying we somehow let Jennifer down? I think there’s another way we could have been more cogent for her. There’s research from Hinge that shows the impact of most of the content techniques used by experts are separated by less than two percentage points. She pulled a whitepaper from her oversize bag and read:

Books 8.1%
Speaking (non-keynotes) 7.3%
Keynote 7.2%
Company Website 7.1%
Blogs 8%
Articles 6.4%
E-mail Marketing 6.3%
SEO 6.3%
Regular Column 6.1%
Personal Website 6.0%

There all pretty much the same. And notice there is no social media in that list.”

“True,” Rick said, “In addition, I can guarantee you that speaking is the most powerful if you can do it well.”

“I think you’re right,” I said. “In both my personal and consulting experience speaking is the single most powerful way to reach a large audience with a personal touch. If you do it well it is the one activity that creates Referrals and Word of Mouth for you in a way none of the other possibilities can.

Kate nodded and added, “there’s one more thing I read in the research that Jennifer should know:

When buyers were asked what convinced them someone was an expert over a third of them answered,

The ability to make complex topics simple.”

The Takeaway

To stand out as an expert make complex topics simple and do it in front of large numbers of people via speaking, a book and regularly released materials.

Jerry has been researching and implementing small business marketing that builds businesses, careers and lives of joy for 25 years as President of Z-axis Marketing, Inc. Learn more at www.JerryFletcher.com

Schedule a personal appearance. Jerry speaks internationally on Networking, Marketing and Contact Relationship Magic. www.NetworkingNinja.com

Content Schemes

Posted on 2015/08/15 by Jerry Fletcher

Chris our digital director type announced, “I need some help with a content problem.”

Gail, the writer/editor that joined in our luncheons asked, “What seems to be the difficulty?”

“Maybe you better introduce your guest and explain what you mean by content first,” I suggested.

“This is Jennifer, he said. “She’s a consultant who works with companies to bring them into the digital age and understand the benefits of business intelligence.

Jen, this is the lunch bunch: Jerry Fletcher is the one that got us all together and he does the blogs you’ve seen. Next to him on his left is Kate. She’s the most knowledgeable sales consultant I’ve ever met. Next to her is Rob. Do not be fooled by his syrupy southern drawl which is why we call him Bubba. He is the Buddha of branding in this group. Next to me here is Gail. She’s run ad agencies, radio stations and is our resident writer and editor. That empty seat next to you is usually filled by Rick who runs a world class direct marketing firm. There are some less frequent attendees but that is the usual group that comes together here each Friday.”

“So what do you mean by content?” I asked.

Jennifer said, “Like I told Chris, I believe I can be more successful if I do Content Marketing instead of the old fashioned pitching of products and services. The problem is I have to generate all this stuff and I’m not sure what will work and how to find the time to do it. I figure I have to do it well or not at all. Is there some sort of template or basic scheme that will work for me?”

Rick, who had arrived as she was explaining, said, “There’s a Roper Poll that says 80 percent of business decision-makers prefer to get company information in a series of articles versus an advertisement. About 60 percent say that information they get from companies helps them make better decisions.”

“That may be true,” I said but let’s do a round robin for Jennifer and each come at it from our area of expertise. I’ll start. I think you need to a have a strategy that is written down, followed religiously and that you need to measure the results regularly”

Kate said, “You also need to be darn sure of who your customer is and how what you do can be differentiated. I mean in benefit terms but more importantly the outcome the buyer gets from you.”

“It is a pleasha to have such radiance at the table with us, Bubba drawled. Y’all need to remember that theahs a Brand piece of this pie to be considered, too. You might could change your brand if you’re not careful. Make sure your brand is in sync with the differentiation that Kate was talkin’ about. Think your way through possible problems and make sure all your content is aligned with the singular brand your customers and prospects are lookin’ to buy into.

Gail, shaking her head said, “Radiance at the table…you have no shame!”

Jennifer blushed.

Gail continued, “I was looking at this another way. In order to provide information in a form or multiple forms that communicates you have to define the targets in depth. Demographics. Psychographics, Anecdotes. You have to understand where, when, how and most importantly why they want to engage with you. And knowing those things never do anything once. If you write an article think about how to turn it into an audio presentation, a video, a slide show, an infographic…whatever way your target might like to get it.

“I guess it’s my turn,” said Rick. “Two things. First, I think you have to consider the channels you’re going to use to get the word out. I understand that time is a concern so do you have to minimize some social marketing or change your emphasis from say a blog to a newsletter or vice-versa? Second, even though you’re trying to get the prospect to move through the Know/ Like/ Trust cycle you still have to ask for the order. Include a direct call to action in everything you do.

The Takeaway:

Successful content strategies are documented. You need to decide:

How it fits into your business plan
Who you’re talking to and what they want to know
What impact it has on your brand and how to cope with that
Which channels you’re going to use to connect
When to tell them how you’re different and ask for the order

Schedule a personal appearance. Jerry speaks internationally on Networking, Marketing and Contact Relationship Magic. www.NetworkingNinja.com

Music Maestro

Posted on 2015/08/08 by Jerry Fletcher

My questions, as I took my seat at an alfresco table where the others were already gathered was, “What is the musical theme of our group? Do each of us have a couple of notes that might identify us? What is the melody of this group?”

Kate, our sales doyen put a hand on my forehead and said, “His temperature feels normal, but crazy doesn’t generate a fever, does it?”

“I’ve been thinking about this for a week,” I said. “I had my ears opened last Saturday. Arthur is one of my valued resources. He runs a very successful web site development company.

He is also a composer. (listen in here)

Last Sunday he revealed his work for a composer’s contest to a group of friends in a home concert. About 25 of us squeezed into his living room around a baby grand and were taken into his creative process.”

Rick asked, “What do you mean, taken in?”

“He literally walked us through how he developed a composition for this contest. This was one of those fortuitous situations when I was already thinking about music because a friend asked me what one thing I was going to do as a result of attending the National Speakers Association meeting in Washington D.C.My answer was I’m going to add intro music to my speaking website and my speaking introduction.

I’ve already got Arthur working on it.”

“Y’all know I couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket with a lid on it, said Rob, our branding wizard. But there’s things that music can do for a brand you cain’t do no other way. I may be a child of the south and I do like country rock but every kind of music can put a hex on you if it matches up with your perspective on a product or service. If it’s right, jus’ one or two notes touch the “wareness and preference centers in your brain.”

“You’re right on, Bubba,” I said. Arthur did variations on the theme that included a ragtime immediately followed by a tango. He made it silly and sad and joyous. In just a few minutes his composition took us on a life journey. Along the way he used that elusive ability of music to take us to places all of us have been and to show us how those emotions can be tapped into with as little as two notes.

”Gail asked, “Did he prompt you or just let you guess about the scores?”

“No prompting was required. He played two notes and all of us could see the fin breaking the water. He talked about how Star Wars had re-introduced the idea of a full movie score. He let us hear why we knew something foreboding was on its way and how music could help us envision someone on screen thinking about another character.”

Kate leaned back, took a pull on her iced tea and said, “So you’re suggesting that each of us has a theme and that somehow they combine to make a mini-symphony each time we gather.”

“No, I wasn’t but if I were producing these blogs as radio plays that would be a brilliant idea!”

The Takeaway:

Music has the ability to use your emotions to build memory hooks that resonate regardless of how long it has been since you heard as little as two notes.

______________________________________________________________________

Schedule a personal appearance. Jerry speaks internationally on Networking, Marketing and Contact Relationship Magic. www.NetworkingNinja.com

Bubba’s Newfangled Branding

Posted on 2015/08/01 by Jerry Fletcher

Bubba, who still looks like the Gerber baby, said, as he was taking his seat, “All this newfangled digital stuff makes it harder and easier to build a brand.”

Kate, who could sell just about anything said, “There’s lot of things about branding I might agree about with you but I’m not buying this. You can’t have it both ways!”

He responded, “Mamma always said you cain’t never do sumpin like that but let’s see if we might could get that knot outa your tail. It makes it harder as y’all are bein’ measured way quicker than before so sometimes folks don’t give the strategy time enough to work. On the other hand some of the things you can do today are quicker than stirrin’ up a wasp nest under the eaves.”

“Rob, Take off that beret and put that drawl away for minute or two and tell us what you’re talking about!” I said. “I know you do that on purpose some times. I’ve seen you present and sound like a Midwest announcer. So just tell us would you?”

Sorry,” our branding guru mumbled, “I figured with friends I could be natural.”

Rick and Gail each patted him on a shoulder and said. “That’s okay. What were you saying?”

“I’ve got a bunch of ‘em but I’ll start with one you couldn’t do a few years back:

Blog your brains out… as a guest for other blogs. Start small and work your way up to the big guys. If you do that enough you wind up being seen and repeated all over the place especially if someone actively tweets quotes from your guest blog. I saw this a week or two ago with one of the articles Fletch does for Small Today.

Build a community. This can be done old style. Think baseball cards and Barbies. The new way is to put the trading and comparing and talking about on line. For the latest entries there is no physical item involved. But it still works. Thing is, it takes time. Yelp added reviewer profiles and now has accumulated over 47 million reviews but it took them 5 years.

Share the experience with thought leaders. One of my clients calls this the Johnny Appleseed approach. He’s not looking to get known by everybody in a hurry. His preference is to have one perfect customer tell the next until his product is the most desired in the category. It’s working at the enterprise level.

Create an infographic. Subway posters in the old days were the prototypes of this approach but they were nowhere as heavily packed with information. We know that over 80% of the American public is visually oriented so this is an obviously powerful way into their hearts and minds. The newfangled flip on this is that you can send them to a landing page and sign them up to get more!

Partner with another brand. Borrow that brand’s awareness to kick yours up the driveway. If you’re design-oriented get a deal with the local art museum to let your customers or prospects attend one evening a week or at a special time for a special showing with tickets or vouchers you provide on line. You can go to a broader audience with a coupon for ice-cream or pizza. Just make sure you pick a brand that people think highly of.”

Kate asked, “So what’s the takeaway?”

The Takeaway:

Brands are still built one customer at a time but you can now build a personal relationship with them faster than ever before.

Schedule a personal appearance. Jerry speaks internationally on Networking, Marketing and Contact Relationship Magic. www.NetworkingNinja.com

Act Your Age!

Posted on 2015/07/25 by Jerry Fletcher

Kate, our sales doyen, sniffed, “Sometimes I think clients are like unruly kids!”

Gail asked, “How so?”

Kate responded, “Jonathan, a client who has been in business forever and over the years volunteered to advise start-ups is going through a life change. He’s retiring from his old business and about to start a new one. He’s so fired up he is overlooking all the basics that need to be done before a launch.”

Rick, Mr. Direct Marketing, asked, “What kind of business is he starting?”

“Consulting,” Kate said. She went on, “He just doesn’t want to do the work he needs to do to increase his chances of success.”

“Could it be an age thing?” I asked. “I don’t mean his age although that is important for consultants but rather a company’s age. Is he thinking like an ‘old-timer” when he is actually a newbie in the new business?”

You’ve updated your Company Phase research again, haven’t you brer’ fox?” said Rob, the Georgia born branding expert.

Chris looked puzzled so Rob continued, “He’s been surveying successful B to B businesses for more years than you’ve been alive. As I recall there are three phases:

Start up
Growth
Established

He’s figured out what marketing works in each phase and because he’s done so much work with consultants he can streamline recommendations and jus’ plain put a jack under your ROI.”

Kate jumped back in asking, “What should I tell Jonathan other than to come talk to you, Fletch?”

“He’s pretty definitely a start up from what you said, so maybe the thing to do is take him for a trip down memory lane. Every business starts the same way whether we want to remember it or not. The differences over time can be put into a 3D matrix. All that changes is Time, Money and Staff. In part, those variables control what you can do to market a firm. But they don’t really change what is effective.”

Chris asked, “So different things are more effective in each phase?”

“You got it. When anyone starts out, especially consultants, they have to get to Trust. There are three ways to get enough trust to get a contract:

Sell a previous employer
Sell someone referred by a previous employer
Network to a previous contact familiar with your work and sell ‘em

Over time, every successful consulting organization, comes to rely on referrals.

Every successful organization.

The Takeaway:

Here are the key ways consultants get business in each phase in order of importance:

Start Up Growth Established

Direct Sales Referrals Referrals

Networking Direct sales Prior experience

Referral Networking Direct Sales

Prior experience Prior experience Direct Marketing

Direct Marketing Direct Marketing Everything Else

Everything else Everything else Networking

Schedule a personal appearance. Jerry speaks internationally on Networking, Marketing and Contact Relationship Magic. www.NetworkingNinja.com

Jerry Fletcher's Secrets of Small Business Marketing

How to build your business, your brand and a life of joy…on and off-line.

Behavioral Marketing Spurs [Book List]

It Ain’t All About Brand

Put Your Mouth Where The Money Is [Free Takeaway]

Huggin’ and Chalkin’

Launch!

The Expert Content Formula

Content Schemes

Music Maestro

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Act Your Age!