Attracting Clients With Incremental Marketing

Do you ask prospective clients to go too far?

Must your new clients take a “leap of faith” when they engage you?

Or do you gradually draw them closer using a series of pre-planned contacts designed to address their concerns and build their trust in you.

Too many service providers wait for potential clients to take that leap of faith. And in doing so, they force their would-be clients into making an all-or-nothing choice.

Prospects either say, “Yes, we want you” or they never contact you.

This is a high-risk strategy for both your prospect and yourself. It is risky for your prospect because they could feel as though they have to make a decision before they feel comfortable about working with you. They haven’t got to know you yet. Do they have all the information they need? How do they know if they do?

It’s a risky position for you because all your effort in attracting a prospect is hanging on this one all-or-nothing decision. Have you spoken with your prospect and impressed them with your insight and expertise? Have you had a chance to understand what your prospect really wants to achieve? Probably not.

A more effective way to attract clients is to create a path of contact points. At each point you give your prospect a reason to proceed to the next point.

I call this “Incremental Marketing”.

When you practice incremental marketing your focus should be on helping your prospects make incremental steps towards engaging you. At each step you build trust, enhance your credibility, and answer any concerns.

Get them to take the next step, not a leap of faith.

With this approach you’ll also have the opportunity to explain how you work with clients and suggest the best starting point for that particular prospect, such as – signing an agreement; conducting an evaluation or assessment; interviewing key stakeholders; making an appointment; conducting a demonstration etc.

Incremental marketing is about creating a structure for prospects to make smaller, safer steps towards finalising a commitment with you.

The “path of contact points” will vary from business to business, depending upon on the services you provide, and the type of clients you are working with.

Examples

A business management consultant may create this path:
Article published in industry journal.
Link to web site for more information.
Contact page on web site (or a phone call/message from prospect).
Personal contact #1 - initial discussion with prospect over telephone (or in person); and arrange appointment for detailed meeting.
Send supporting documents (such as business profile or report).
Personal contact #2 - meeting with prospect in person.
After meeting provide service agreement, notice of engagement, or additional detail as required; suggest starting point.
Client agrees to commence.

A computer support technician may create this path:
Referral from client or networking contact.
Personal contact #1 - by phone. Ring prospect to:
- Request meeting.
- Provide introductory information/background.
Send additional written information via post or email (a report, profile, or link to web site information).
Personal contact #2 - meeting with prospect. Discuss the clients computer environment; suggest a “System Diagnosis” as a starting point to identify areas that need attention.
Client agrees to commence.

Remember, in most cases prospects are looking to minimise their risk in choosing a service provider. They want to feel secure with their decision. Incremental marketing helps you to work with human nature, instead of fighting against it.

Don’t force prospects to take a leap of faith to choose you, because usually they won’t.




Attracting Clients With Incremental Marketing - To learn more about this author, visit Stuart Ayling's Website.

Like this article? Share it with your friends

E-Mail | Print | More

Related Articles
Attracting Clients With Incremental Marketing
	Do you ask prospective clients to go too far? Must your new clients take a “leap of faith” when they engage you?
Why would someone come to work for you?
	Most small business marketers think in terms of marketing as a way to get a keep customers. While that is indeed correct, effective marketing is also a great way to attract and keep great talent to your business. No...
Move from Mild Success to Wild Success
	Referrals, Repeat and Reactive new business is the revenue base that funds your current company. With that being the case, what is the funding mechanism that fuels your future growth potential?
How To Attract Clients: The Magic Formula
	Ah, those magic words – "Attract Clients". Virtually every professional I know loves the idea of attracting clients, and would be even happier if there was a “magic formula” for accomplishing it. Well, actually ther...
How Women in Business Can Better Succeed
	Even though women launch more businesses then men every month their failure rate is still high. Below are tips to help increase the success rate of any woman in business or momtrepreneur, as well as mentrepreneur.

---

Related Forum Posts
	Different Hats
	Re: Who Did You Learn Most From and Why?
	Re: Best Internet Marketing Strategy
	Re: Mompreneur Magazine - good read
	Re: Should Evan add a "Social Media Marketing" category to the f
	Re: Let’s talk about the ways of marketing your products, servic
	Mompreneur Magazine - good read
	Re: Should Evan add a "Social Media Marketing" category to the f

---

Related Businesses - Evan Elite Authors

Anne Barr Anne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website

Dave Kurlan Dave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website

George Ludwig George Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website

Leanne Hoagland-Smith Are your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales success or one of the many who have failed to change? So what are you doing to change those results? Let’s be honest, with companies moving globally and at lightening speeds, the traditional business solutions are outdated and dead. My approach moves your business out of its comfort zone and secures your competitive advantage now. If you are seeking to increase sales, build customer loyalty, create a culture of great attitudes or just achieve some sleep filled nights, then we should talk because my clients have experienced exactly those types of results. Learn more about customer loyalty at http://www.processspecialist.com/customer-loyalty.htm Give me a call at 219.759.5601 for a free strategy session. P.S. If you are seeking a motivational speaker, sales trainer or small business expert that will leave your audience smiling and remembering, please feel free to contact me at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website

Kim Castle With nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website

Vwodek Wojczynski Business Coach and Consultant Vwodek Wojczynski (pronounced Voy-chin-ski) brings fun, awareness, accountability and fresh perspectives based on his diverse experiences in life and business. Born in Poland and educated in Greece and Canada, he is trilingual with 8 years experience in business development with clients in Canada, USA, Switzerland and Poland. His approach is systematic and process-driven. He fuses the know-how of proven business methods with his commitment that entrepreneurs experience satisfaction and joy based on their values, motivations and strengths. He believes that businesses succeed based on their ability to generate value by providing what’s needed and wanted. Ultimately, he trains executives and true business owners - people who work less, produce more, own businesses that run automatically after a while and make a difference globally. His current research focus is the development of intelligent business systems and the application of emerging artificial intelligence technologies in business. He is also an avid traveler, spoken word performer and visual artist. He resides in Toronto, Canada. - Visit Vwodek Wojczynski's Website

Accessible Business Consultants Dave Turkin, President, of Accessible Business Consultants is a full service business consultant that has over 32 years of experience working with small-medium size businesses. Dave has designed and implemented numerous business and marketing plans, designed internal programs for accounting and operational procedures. He has analyzed businesses and prepared strategic plans setting budgets for growth, expansion and business restructuring. He currently sits on the Board of Directors of various corporations as an advisor. For many years he has been the Business Coach to many executives offering advice and guidance from old and established companies as well as new companies just getting started. Dave has the ability to analyze a business quickly and get a strong indication as to the necessary steps to improve operations, productivity and profitability. - Visit Accessible Business Consultants's Website

The Evan Elite Authors program is currently in beta phase. For details please contact us.