"Um, I'm not sure this is what you do, but..." or "Do you
do...?" This kind of call comes into my office at least
three times a week. The frequency of this kind of
conversation opener proves that indirect marketing works.
Without fail, the person who starts off this way has an
immediately pressing problem, has read something by or about
me that has provoked the notion that I might be someone
holding the solution, and has called to find out if that's
the case.
I call this gentle but effective method of gathering clients "pull" marketing, in contrast to "push" marketing,
where you have some specific, set product or service to
offer and go out into the world aggressively trying to
convince people to buy it. Vehicles for "pull" marketing
include media appearances, articles you've written, non-
promotional information you've placed on the Internet,
speaking engagements and word of mouth from satisfied
clients or colleagues who know you. "Push" marketing works
primarily through advertising, direct mail and cold calls.
When someone makes that telltale "Do you have the solution
to my problem?" call, my most important response is to get
them to outline their problem. If I do have a product or
service that can meet their need, I describe it in terms
that match the way they described what they were looking
for. Or I name several options that might each address
their concern.
Rarely do I have to spend much time in this kind of
conversation explaining and defending my credentials, or
persuading them that they really do need what I'm trying to
sell. When they called me, they'd usually already taken the
leap of believing that I was qualified to help them. The
conversation doesn't always end in a sale, because I may not
after all have the appropriate solution, my price may not
feel right to them, or they might not be ready just then to
whip out their credit card or set up an appointment. Yet
it's always a pleasant, positive exchange.
Contrast that with the frustration expressed to me by a
business acquaintance recently, who was trying to get her
consulting practice off the ground again after a long
illness. She was finding conversations with the executives
she managed to reach by phone humiliating, because their
attitude seemed to be, "Why haven't I heard about you?," and
hard, because even when she had good grounds to believe that
they had a need for her expertise, they didn't necessarily
agree with her reasoning. A pleasant, positive conversation
was the exception for her rather than the rule.
"Pull" marketing methods such as publishing articles,
speaking to trade industry groups and word of mouth would
work better for her than cold calls, except for one factor.
"Pull" marketing tends to work slowly and cumulatively.
Given her imperative of finding paying clients soon, she
couldn't send bait out into the world designed to lure the
people who realize that they need what she has to offer --
bait that also pre-persuades them that she has the stuff to
solve their problem. For the long term, she should get that
kind of marketing program up and running, but for the short
term, she has little choice but to ferret out people who,
logically speaking, should be feeling a certain kind of
pain, get them to listen to her pitch and try to hurry their
decision along.
In addition to this column, which inspires people to look
for my work at their local bookstore or to place one of
those "Do you do...?" calls, I've found teaching workshops
and giving talks to business groups especially fruitful
methods of attracting inquiries and earning a reputation. A
good number of other clients have found me from informative
articles and Frequently Ask Questions (FAQ) files posted at
other people's sites on the Internet, at no cost to me.
Another of my favorite magnetic techniques is using press
releases to spread the word about free or nearly free
reports available by writing to me. Anyone who takes the
trouble to send for a report has thereby identified
themselves as a live prospect in that arena.
Yet I use "push" marketing as well in the form of postcards,
sales letters or catalogs with special "buy this now" offers
directed to those who have already in effect raised their
hands as promising prospects. Each approach has its
strengths. Make sure you factor in your time and money
pressures along with your personal preferences in
determining precisely how you'll propel yourself along the
road to success.
Copyright 1998 Marcia Yudkin. All rights
reserved
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