Big Time Marketing For the Microbusiness
I’ve spent most of my career working with big, famous companies. However, when it comes to marketing my own company, what works for the big guys doesn’t work for me. Over the last eighteen years or so, I’ve learned a few things that I’d like to share with you about marketing and sales for the micro business.
Define your Universe
The first thing you need to do is define your universe of suspects. A suspect is someone who has not necessarily heard of you but fits your profile of someone most likely to buy. I talk to entrepreneurs everyday who say that "Anyone is a potential customer. Everybody needs my product or service." That might be true but it’s too general to be executed. The key is to establish specific criteria so you can limit your universe of suspects to a manageable size – big enough to support growth initiatives but small enough to manage. This criteria might be based on certain industries, spending patterns, geographical area, size of a business, income levels, or a combination of these attributes.
Once you’ve defined your criteria, you can easily buy a list of all of the people in your market area who fit this profile. Import that data into ACT! or some other contact manager and your mission becomes instantly clear. Instead of "How do I possible reach everybody in the entire world?" your mission becomes, "Over the next twelve months, these 800 people are going to know who I am, what I do and why I’m better than the next guy." Now that’s a strategy that can be executed.
The Brand of "Me"
While the concept of branding is often misunderstood and abused, the micro business needs to apply the principles of branding differently from the Harley Davidson’s of the world. Simply put, your brand is everything you stand for in the mind of the customer. By specifically defining your personal brand, you can effectively differentiate yourself from similar competitors. The idea is to be different than everyone else. For example, there are a lot of "me too" strategies in the real-estate business. It seems that everyone got an ‘80’s haircut and went to Glamour Shots. All of the slogans claim "Honesty, Integrity and Excellence." However a few smart professionals tout specific benefits "I can sell your house in 30 days or you don’t pay me", "I specialize in high end homes", or "I only represent buyers". If you are trying to be everything to everyone, you might want to rethink your strategy.
Find something to specialize in and then deliver it with your personal style. Above all, just be honest and show your integrity in all you do. Always keep in mind that customers are buying "you", not your company.
Network with the goal of helping others
A lot of small businesses participate in networking activities. However, many feel that "networking" equals "socializing". I once had a salesman who took lots of meetings. He was always having lunch with somebody. He was a networking animal. However, he couldn’t sell his way out of a wet paper bag and after eight months of taking meetings and running up expensive tabs, his total sales amounted to zero. He was socializing, not selling. His goal was to "schmooze" people into buying; it was all about what other people could do for him. He should have focused on learning what the other person was trying to do and help them by making introductions or providing information. Networking is a powerful component for any marketing and sales program. But, like most things, you have to approach it right. It’s not glad-handing and collecting business cards or "leads". The best networkers have a goal of helping as many other people as possible. In return they receive the same help many times over.
Personalize your web site
Your web site is a critical part of your sales and marketing process. Potential customers use your site to decide if you will make the short list. They visit the site to answer three fundamental questions:
• Do you do what I think I need?
• Are you credible?
• Can I trust you?
It’s easy to write your web site from the standpoint of a company or firm. But if you are a one person company, keep in mind that people are hiring YOU, not your company. I admit, I’m guilty of this myself. After one of my clients asked me if I had a mouse in my pocket, I rewrote my own site (www.claritymarketingsupport.com) eliminating "we", "us", "our" and other pluralities and replacing with "I" and "me" and "my". The site also features photos of me designed to put a face to my company (how embarrassing). It may make you a bit uncomfortable when you first start taking ownership of your personal brand. However, once you realize that your customer believes in you. They are hiring you because of what you personally bring to the table.
Write a blog
Blogs are great for positioning yourself as an expert in your field. It’s a platform that you can easily leverage to educate and communicate with your key audiences. Customers typically are looking for information. They want to make educated buying decisions and actively seek out the information they need. A blog is an accessible and simple way to offer this information while building credibility and trust. In my business, the more my customers understand what I do, how it works and what they can expect, the easier it is to establish a mutually beneficial relationship. A case in point is my recent experience replacing my furnace in my home. Out of four contractors who came out to quote the system, only one was clearly being honest and took the extra time to answer my questions and help me understand what was required. He didn’t use any cheesy sales manipulations and was articulate about his business. He freely shared information without hesitation. Who do you think will get the business?
Use an email signature
This is an easy and small thing but it is surprisingly effective. Every email program allows you to create a "signature" that is automatically appended to every email you send. Most people only include their contact information in their signature. However, this is a perfect place for you to make a statement – perhaps your elevator pitch, selected customer outcomes, links to your blog and/or web site, etc. Think about how many emails you send out in a year. Each one of these messages is an opportunity to send a message about your business. And it’s free.
You don’t need a huge budget to market and sell your micro business. However, you do need to plan the effort and execute consistently. Proper planning will allow you to concentrate your limited budget only on people who are most likely to buy. Consistent execution will build momentum and credibility. Start with a solid understanding of how and why people buy your services and then help them buy from you.
Define your Universe
The first thing you need to do is define your universe of suspects. A suspect is someone who has not necessarily heard of you but fits your profile of someone most likely to buy. I talk to entrepreneurs everyday who say that "Anyone is a potential customer. Everybody needs my product or service." That might be true but it’s too general to be executed. The key is to establish specific criteria so you can limit your universe of suspects to a manageable size – big enough to support growth initiatives but small enough to manage. This criteria might be based on certain industries, spending patterns, geographical area, size of a business, income levels, or a combination of these attributes.
Once you’ve defined your criteria, you can easily buy a list of all of the people in your market area who fit this profile. Import that data into ACT! or some other contact manager and your mission becomes instantly clear. Instead of "How do I possible reach everybody in the entire world?" your mission becomes, "Over the next twelve months, these 800 people are going to know who I am, what I do and why I’m better than the next guy." Now that’s a strategy that can be executed.
The Brand of "Me"
While the concept of branding is often misunderstood and abused, the micro business needs to apply the principles of branding differently from the Harley Davidson’s of the world. Simply put, your brand is everything you stand for in the mind of the customer. By specifically defining your personal brand, you can effectively differentiate yourself from similar competitors. The idea is to be different than everyone else. For example, there are a lot of "me too" strategies in the real-estate business. It seems that everyone got an ‘80’s haircut and went to Glamour Shots. All of the slogans claim "Honesty, Integrity and Excellence." However a few smart professionals tout specific benefits "I can sell your house in 30 days or you don’t pay me", "I specialize in high end homes", or "I only represent buyers". If you are trying to be everything to everyone, you might want to rethink your strategy.
Find something to specialize in and then deliver it with your personal style. Above all, just be honest and show your integrity in all you do. Always keep in mind that customers are buying "you", not your company.
Network with the goal of helping others
A lot of small businesses participate in networking activities. However, many feel that "networking" equals "socializing". I once had a salesman who took lots of meetings. He was always having lunch with somebody. He was a networking animal. However, he couldn’t sell his way out of a wet paper bag and after eight months of taking meetings and running up expensive tabs, his total sales amounted to zero. He was socializing, not selling. His goal was to "schmooze" people into buying; it was all about what other people could do for him. He should have focused on learning what the other person was trying to do and help them by making introductions or providing information. Networking is a powerful component for any marketing and sales program. But, like most things, you have to approach it right. It’s not glad-handing and collecting business cards or "leads". The best networkers have a goal of helping as many other people as possible. In return they receive the same help many times over.
Personalize your web site
Your web site is a critical part of your sales and marketing process. Potential customers use your site to decide if you will make the short list. They visit the site to answer three fundamental questions:
• Do you do what I think I need?
• Are you credible?
• Can I trust you?
It’s easy to write your web site from the standpoint of a company or firm. But if you are a one person company, keep in mind that people are hiring YOU, not your company. I admit, I’m guilty of this myself. After one of my clients asked me if I had a mouse in my pocket, I rewrote my own site (www.claritymarketingsupport.com) eliminating "we", "us", "our" and other pluralities and replacing with "I" and "me" and "my". The site also features photos of me designed to put a face to my company (how embarrassing). It may make you a bit uncomfortable when you first start taking ownership of your personal brand. However, once you realize that your customer believes in you. They are hiring you because of what you personally bring to the table.
Write a blog
Blogs are great for positioning yourself as an expert in your field. It’s a platform that you can easily leverage to educate and communicate with your key audiences. Customers typically are looking for information. They want to make educated buying decisions and actively seek out the information they need. A blog is an accessible and simple way to offer this information while building credibility and trust. In my business, the more my customers understand what I do, how it works and what they can expect, the easier it is to establish a mutually beneficial relationship. A case in point is my recent experience replacing my furnace in my home. Out of four contractors who came out to quote the system, only one was clearly being honest and took the extra time to answer my questions and help me understand what was required. He didn’t use any cheesy sales manipulations and was articulate about his business. He freely shared information without hesitation. Who do you think will get the business?
Use an email signature
This is an easy and small thing but it is surprisingly effective. Every email program allows you to create a "signature" that is automatically appended to every email you send. Most people only include their contact information in their signature. However, this is a perfect place for you to make a statement – perhaps your elevator pitch, selected customer outcomes, links to your blog and/or web site, etc. Think about how many emails you send out in a year. Each one of these messages is an opportunity to send a message about your business. And it’s free.
You don’t need a huge budget to market and sell your micro business. However, you do need to plan the effort and execute consistently. Proper planning will allow you to concentrate your limited budget only on people who are most likely to buy. Consistent execution will build momentum and credibility. Start with a solid understanding of how and why people buy your services and then help them buy from you.
posted by Pete Monfre at 9:06 AM
0 comments
