Marketing a professional services firm to identified prospects can be daunting. It’s even more of a challenge to get the firm’s name out to the world at large. But it can be done, and it’s not really that difficult.
If you need a reason why you should do it, think of it this way. Your clients right now are the people that pay your bills — the ones you send out and the ones that are sent to you.
Because there are no guarantees they’ll be with you forever you have to plan for their replacement. It’s also true that unless you get new clients your firm can’t really grow.
There are lots of reasons to start marketing your services to those you haven’t yet met. Here are some ways to do this:
Word of Mouth is Still the Most Effective Way
When you have existing clients that are pleased with your work you have a powerful marketing tool you can leverage. Just ask your clients informally to refer you to their acquaintances and business colleagues, and if they do so reward them with something nonfinancial but enjoyable — like a lunch or a pair of tickets to a big game.
By the way, the reward is for the referral and not a commission on your revenues. Even if you don’t land the business, just having the opportunity to meet a new prospect is worth a reward to your present clients. And it won’t do your relationship with them any harm either.
Volunteering Extends your Marketing Reach
There can be many reasons for joining volunteer groups like a local theatre company or school committee. One of these reasons is to network with others and those with professional qualifications are well-placed to do this.
Any volunteer organization usually welcomes offers of financial or legal assistance. An accountant volunteering to look after the finances of a youth club, for example, is unlikely to be refused.
This kind of position leads to meeting others in the community and many of these will be prospective clients for your services.
Network in a Business Association
Join a chamber of commerce, local business association or industry group and you’ll be meeting lots of people in business that use a professional for more than just their personal matters.
Attending events put on by these types of organizations is a great way to enjoy networking that brings in new clients, especially if you’re a bit on the gregarious side and don’t mind conversing with new acquaintances.
Don’t Forget a Website
This is truly the age of the internet. A professional services firm needs a website to be truly accessible to the world at large. It doesn’t have to be very expensive or high-tech; it just has to be professionally-styled and contain information that somebody looking for a new service provider would want to know.
This is a good place to put case studies and testimonials from your current clients. They’re excellent ways to introduce yourself to prospects, and that’s why you see so many website addresses on business cards these days.
Bartering
It may sound inappropriate at first, but there are ways to give your services away and profit from it. One of the best ways is to trade your expertise for services provided by others.
Here’s how it can work. You meet the owner of a appliance retailer who’s possibly interested in changing his provider of accounting services. You can demonstrate your capabilities by exchanging accounting work for home appliances on the basis of your usual hourly rates and the recommended retail prices of the goods.
The ultimate aim is to acquire a fee-paying client, but in the meantime you’ve had a chance to show your qualities and still received something of equal value in exchange.
Become a Public Speaker
As a professional you possess a body of knowledge and lots of experience not shared by many others. This gives you the chance to promote yourself using this expertise.
Offer your services as a guest speaker to people planning an event in your area. It might take a bit of research to whip up an interesting and relevant presentation to a group of toy retailers or medical practitioners but can impress people who will later come to you for individual attention.
None of these are big multi-million dollar marketing strategies but each is appropriate to your profession and can have a big impact on your firm’s revenues, especially over a period of time.
Copyright 2004, RAN ONE Inc. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from www.ranone.com.
Chris’ combination of academic credentials, career experience and temperament ideally suit his calling as a business development advisor. Clients say he has a mind for business and a heart for service.