The 7 crucial steps independent professionals need to take before marketing their services
The 7 crucial steps independent professionals need to take before marketing their services
1. Identify your ideal client and claim your niche. Hone in on the type of person or business you can get the best results for. Get really clear on the market segment or type of problem you solve. Get really specific, don't be afraid that you might be eliminating 90% of the population, the more specific you get, the easier it will be for them to recognize themselves and know you're the right choice.
2. Pinpoint their pain. What are the things that keep them awake at night that your product or service can help them solve or eliminate? People buy when there is a need. The more urgent the need, the faster and easier it is to make the sale. Recognize their pain, hit a nerve and help them understand that they need to solve it!
3. Understand what their customers really want. What are the results that your ideal clients are looking for? What are the REAL reasons they'll want to buy from you? Avoid talking about features here; concentrate on the results they'll get from working with you and things that will motivate them to buy (like make money, save time, etc.)
4. Get clear about what makes you different from your competition. Identify your USP. Give them a reason to say YES! With so much competition out there these days, you really need to stand out. Don't forget about this critical step.
5. Create a compelling values proposition and USP. And use them in all of your marketing communications - your website, business card, sales letters, brochures, sound-bites etc.
6. Develop a powerful message. And make sure that your message matches your target market and customer, and your market matches the medium (the vehicle you're using to reach your customer.) This way your message will hit the people who need you the most.
7. Position yourself as an expert problem-solver. Write articles, do workshops and seminars, publish a newsletter etc. to let your ideal customer know you're the person who will best help them solve their problems.
Once you've taken these 7 critical steps, you'll have a compelling marketing message that will help you attract the customers your business needs
The 7 crucial steps independent professionals need to take before marketing their services - To learn more about this author, visit Susan Martin's Website.
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Are you an independent professional who needs more customers? You don't need a large marketing budget to generate sales for your product or service. But you will need to take some important steps in order to "position" yourself in the marketplace. Here are 7 steps you won't want to skip:
1. Identify your ideal client and claim your niche. Hone in on the type of person or business you can get the best results for. Get really clear on the market segment or type of problem you solve. Get really specific, don't be afraid that you might be eliminating 90% of the population, the more specific you get, the easier it will be for them to recognize themselves and know you're the right choice.
2. Pinpoint their pain. What are the things that keep them awake at night that your product or service can help them solve or eliminate? People buy when there is a need. The more urgent the need, the faster and easier it is to make the sale. Recognize their pain, hit a nerve and help them understand that they need to solve it!
3. Understand what their customers really want. What are the results that your ideal clients are looking for? What are the REAL reasons they'll want to buy from you? Avoid talking about features here; concentrate on the results they'll get from working with you and things that will motivate them to buy (like make money, save time, etc.)
4. Get clear about what makes you different from your competition. Identify your USP. Give them a reason to say YES! With so much competition out there these days, you really need to stand out. Don't forget about this critical step.
5. Create a compelling values proposition and USP. And use them in all of your marketing communications - your website, business card, sales letters, brochures, sound-bites etc.
6. Develop a powerful message. And make sure that your message matches your target market and customer, and your market matches the medium (the vehicle you're using to reach your customer.) This way your message will hit the people who need you the most.
7. Position yourself as an expert problem-solver. Write articles, do workshops and seminars, publish a newsletter etc. to let your ideal customer know you're the person who will best help them solve their problems.
Once you've taken these 7 critical steps, you'll have a compelling marketing message that will help you attract the customers your business needs
The 7 crucial steps independent professionals need to take before marketing their services - To learn more about this author, visit Susan Martin's Website.
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Jay Kubassek(Jay's Full Bio: EvanCarmichael.com/jaykubassek) In five years, Canadian-born entrepreneur Jay Kubassek went from selling mufflers at a Midas franchise to revolutionizing Internet marketing with the 2004 launch of CarbonCopyPRO, a online marketing education company, now worth over $20 million with customers in over 160 countries.
As an independent film producer, his upstart film fund Aliquot Films is currently producing a films with Spike Lee and Abel Fererra (starring Ethan Hawke and Dennis Hopper.)
Jay's entrepreneurial spirit is irrepressible. He’s the owner of five companies, a professional speaker and trainer, international real estate developer/investor, extreme sport enthusiast and emerging philanthropist. Jay resides in NYC with his wife Jamie, son Milo and dog Cooper. Visit Jay's official website: www.JayKubassek.com - Visit Jay Kubassek's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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