You are free to use the material from these articles in whole or in part on your web site or eZine (email newsletter) as long as you include the attribution below and also let me know where the article will appear. "This article is by Robert Middleton of Action Plan Marketing. Robert's web site is a comprehensive resource on marketing for Independent Professionals. For free marketing resources and valuable marketing tools visit http://www.actionplan.com"

Marketing Articles on Planning Getting Off the Dime On a recent Tele-Clinic call (my marketing workshop by telephone) the hot topic was not how to implement specific marketing strategies but how to "get off the dime" and implement ANYTHING! It's been my experience working with professional service businesses for over 15 years that this has always been (and may always be) the case. People become literally paralyzed when it comes to taking any action that is outside their current comfort zone. I suppose that this is human nature and that if some people don't have goals or aspirations and want to spend their lives maintaining mediocrity without risking their comfort, that's up to them. The real tragedy, however are people who do have goals and aspirations, really do want to accomplish something meaningful and actually put some effort towards the realization of their dreams but still get stuck and never make any significant forward progress. A long time subscriber to this eZine recently bought my Client Magnet Workshop on Tape and just sent me an e-mail about her progress in launching her eZine. She said... When I hit that "send" button last night to send it out, my hand was shaking. I was so worried people were going to write back pointing out mistakes or to even laugh at me--maybe I'm not really the expert I think I am. This is a very real fear for me. But send it out she did and ultimately received very favorable comments. I'll assume that if you're reading this eZine you have an issue or two about marketing and that getting off the dime, overcoming your fears and jumping into the void, so to speak, are not the easiest things for you. But honestly, what's the worst thing that can happen if you step outside your comfort zone and risk yourself by starting to really market your services? Nothing. That's right, about the worst thing that can happen is that you won't get any response to your marketing efforts. I promise you that your prospective clients won't send out hit men when they receive a marketing piece from you. (Although to many that might be a relief - your marketing problems would be over.) But if you sit around procrastinating nothing is going to happen anyway, so doesn't it make sense to give it a shot? So where do you start? Here's some ideas that may help. 1. Set a Goal Yes, I know that's a mundane suggestion that you've heard a million times before. But if you haven't done it, it's time. To set a goal you must WRITE IT DOWN. Make it specific and realistic. For instance, you may have a goal to attract more clients so that your income increases by 20% in the next six months. That's specific and realistic. Vague goals get vague outcomes. You also don't need dozens of goals. A few focused ones will get you started. 2. Make a Plan You need a strategy and a list of steps to put your goal into action. For instance, you realize that if you are going to increase your business by 20% you will need more focus and more visibility. I usually recommend a "5 P Marketing Plan" as a starting point. You can write it on one sheet of paper. For details on creating your own 5 P plan go to http://www.actionplan.com/6psmarkt.html (yes I used to have 6 Ps!) 3. Make a To Do List Your strategy will have several action steps. For instance, if you decide you're going to network more, your action steps might include: - research networking groups, prepare marketing materials to bring to groups, visit several groups, join one or two groups, attend groups regularly. - Now go to your to do list for today and put the first action item on that list and get it done. But what if you're not sure how to do what you want to do? 4. Get Knowledge The more you know about the ins and outs and how-tos of a particular marketing strategy, the better off you'll be. My website and business is set up to provide that knowledge. For instance, If you're focused on doing more and better networking, then first learn more about successful networking. The resources I have available include: Links Page to marketing articles on the web: Marketing Bookstore with ideas on any marketing issue you can imagine - InfoGuru Marketing Manual - I happen to think my "InfoGuru Manual" is pretty good, but of course, I'm biased. It covers the complete range of marketing strategies for a professional service business. 5. Get Support I know that as a professional service business owner, you're an independent type. You want to do it your way. I understand. I'm like that too. But sooner or later you need to admit that you don't know it all and that getting some ideas, insight and inspiration from someone who's been where you want to go might not be a bad idea. In other words, you need an occasional kick in the butt and someone to listen to you during tough times. How can I help? Whether or not you reach your marketing goals is up to you. The information and support is available. No more excuses. No more complaining. It's time to take action! Some Lessons Learned Traveling You'd think while on vacation I wouldn't think about marketing but of course I did. What struck me was that the same things I learned as a traveler in Italy (my first long overseas vacation) were just as applicable to marketing a service business. Here's my "Top 9 Traveling Tips" and how you can apply them to marketing. 1. Make a Plan. If you don't know where you're going, anyplace will do. Where do you want to go with your marketing? What are your goals for income, for new clients, for the kinds of projects you want? Very few set specific marketing goals but this is about as smart as landing in Europe and asking, "what do I do now?" A clear plan will make your marketing journey much easier and much more productive. 2. Pack Lightly - no kidding In marketing this refers to your marketing budget. You don't have to spend a fortune to get good marketing results, in fact, many service businesses who market successfully spend very little on marketing. Big ads, direct mail, expensive brochures and other cash-intensive marketing are often less effective than networking, a good web site and writing for publication. When you "pack light" you don't have to lug around a huge monthly marketing expense. 3. Be Flexible - things change. Once you have a plan you need to be able to change your direction or your strategy if what you're doing isn't working. Perhaps you've settled on a few marketing activities but they're talking too much time, money and effort and not producing the results you want. Sit down and reevaluate your strategy. Don't get stuck in a plan that isn't working for you. (But don't give up your plan entirely without replacing it with another.) 4. Get on the Road Early One of the best ways to fit marketing into your busy schedule is to do marketing activities the first thing in the day. Make calls to past clients, write that newsletter article and make contact with organizations where you'd like to speak. Just a few minutes a day will give you momentum and with these activities out of the way you'll be energized, not drained thinking about all those marketing things you know you should do but never get around to. 5. Use a Guide and a Map You don't need to reinvent the wheel. Other people have been where you want to go. Books, tapes, workshops and coaching can save you huge amounts of time and money with ineffective marketing activities. I've observed that most people don't have much enthusiasm about marketing because they simply don't know what to do and where to start. This shouldn't be an excuse. 6. Use the Most Appropriate Transportation We learned that sometimes a train and sometimes a car were the best transportation. What vehicles are you using to get to your marketing destinations? Different things work for different businesses and different people. Cold calling is not my favorite vehicle but I've seen it work very well for many clients. You'll only learn your best vehicles by trying many and seeing what works for you. 7. Learn the Language For many, marketing gets lumped into one big undifferentiated mishmash. It all sounds the same and none of it makes much sense. That's what Italian sounded like to me and it often made my trip frustrating. By learning the basic vocabulary of marketing (The 5 Ps) and understanding the fundamental terms and practices of marketing you'll be far ahead of the average service business. 8. Learn the Local Customs What are your competition or your professional associates doing to market their businesses? What can you learn from them? Success stories abound but few dig deep enough to learn anything really useful. Where do they publish? How did they get published? Where do they speak? How do they maintain their mailing lists? Borrow the best ideas for your marketing plan. 9. Have Fun! Marketing is fun if you follow these basic guidelines and are committed to making marketing work for you. The key is gaining basic marketing knowledge, making a plan and implementing one idea at a time until you get results. Return to Marketing Articles Index These articles give just a taste of what you'll find in the InfoGuru Marketing Manual. Check it out!