The Online Marketing Newsletter
for Independent Professionals
from Action
Plan Marketing
and Robert Middleton
-
Good Information = Easier Selling -
Want
selling to be easier? Provide your prospects
with
more of the right information.
A
couple weeks ago I talked about how important
marketing was to the selling process. If you do
good marketing, selling is relatively effortless.
However, most Independent Professionals, in their
heart of hearts, don't really believe this. Do
you?
Most
believe that selling is inherently difficult, an
uphill struggle. Explaining what you do and
persuading people to do business with you is hard,
distasteful work. Well, isn't it?
Well,
no it isn't.
If
you wholeheartedly embrace the concepts of InfoGuru
Marketing, you'll discover that selling becomes
a whole lot easier. I just got an email from a past
client, Dave DeWalt, with whom I consulted and
designed a web site a few years ago. Dave is living
proof.
Here
is what he told me:
"My
marketing program is finally hitting on all
cylinders.
"Between
the website, eZine, articles, book that comes
out next week, and a potential software product,
my phone is ringing with "warmed up"
prospects. If there is one message I could
amplify for my fellow Action Plan followers, it
is "stick with it!"
"Just
like you say in the manual (Infoguru Marketing
Manual), a prospect told me the other day
'Your website is great - it gives away a lot
of good information, but not too much!'
"
A
very big part of successful InfoGuru Marketing is
providing the right information. You see, once
you have someone's attention and interest, they
want to know more. And if you don't give it to
them, they'll look elsewhere. They won't give you a
chance.
However,
If you give them enough (but not too much) over
time, they'll stay interested until their need
catches up with what you offer, and the phone will
start ringing. And selling is relatively easy when
informed, qualified prospects are contacting
you.
There
is perhaps no other concept that is more Important
than this in InfoGuru Marketing. But exactly
what information do you need to provide to
prospects? What works and what doesn't?
In
both the InfoGuru Marketing Manual and the Web Site
ToolKit I give concise details on what kind of
information you need in order to turn
uninformed prospects into informed ones (who are
now much closer to buying your services).
Let
me give you a quick summary below.
Tell
them who you work with
Seems
obvious, but many miss this completely.
Prospects want to know that you understand them,
have worked with clients like them and can
succeed with them. By the way, I'm talking a
page or two of solid information here, not a
couple bullet points.
Tell
them what they can expect and how you
work
If
they work with you, what actual results can they
expect to get? Be specific. And also include
something about your beliefs, philosophy and
approach to working with clients. Give a real
sense of what it's like to work (and succeed)
with you.
Tell
them what services you offer and how they
work
If
you're selling a professional service, a few
terse sentences won't do the job. Often it
takes several clearly written pages to outline
exactly what problem your service addresses, the
solutions it provides and how it is structured.
Tell
them who else has succeeded with you
Case
studies and success stories are your most
persuasive tool of all. Look back to your
client successes and write up half a dozen or
more stories that tell what the situation was
when you started, what you did for the client
and the outcomes that ensued.
Tell
them about who you are
This
isn't the first thing people want to know,
however many prospective clients are interested
in your background, education and
accomplishments. Demonstrate in a page or two
that you are a competent, successful,
responsive, and authentic person they will feel
comfortable working with.
Tell
them how you start working with
clients
On
your "Contact Us" page you want more than an
email address and phone number. Include
those, of course, but tell your web visitors
what happens between the time they call you and
when you start working together. Show them that
it's easy to work with you and that you are
following a clear plan.
Give
away some valuable, free stuff
This
is why people come to web sites anyway. They
want to get some free information that could
help them. So don't disappoint. A free report,
several articles and other resources, and of
course, a sign-up for your eZine are all
essential.
This
is the essence of what should go on a web page.
But don't stop there. Publishing on the web and
in industry publications, speaking engagements,
teleclasses, blogs and eventually, books are going
to establish you firmly as an InfoGuru.
And
again, for true InfoGurus, selling is relatively
effortless. Those who have willingly consumed
your information and are seeking more assistance
won't throw up many objections. They'll be more
interested in knowing if you can fit them into your
busy schedule (as Dave DeWalt is
discovering).
For
more detailed information on how to develop and
market your professional services as an
InfoGuru, please check out the InfoGuru
Marketing Manual and the Web Site ToolKit. I don't
do consulting or web development anymore, but in
these two products, you'll have everything you
need.
InfoGuru
Manual: http://www.actionplan.com/infoguru.html
Web
Site ToolKit: http://www.actionplan.com/wstk.html
*
The
More Clients Bottom Line:
If
you want to make selling effortless and get the
phone ringing with people ready to do business with
you, you must provide the information your
prospects are looking for and keep this information
in front of them until they are ready to take the
next step.
*
The
More Clients Blog - Please comment on today's
More Clients
http://www.actionplan.blogs.com
*
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Until
next week, all the best,
Robert
Middleton
ACTION
PLAN MARKETING
Helping Independent Professionals Attract More
Clients
www.actionplan.com
210
Riverside Drive
Boulder Creek, CA 95006
831-338-7790
Contact
by email
©
2006 Robert Middleton, All rights reserved. You
are free to use material from the More Clients
eZine in whole or in part, as long as you include
complete attribution, including live web site link.
Please also notify me where the material will
appear. The attribution should read:
"By
Robert Middleton of Action Plan Marketing. Please
visit Robert's web site at http://www.actionplan.com
for additional marketing articles and resources on
marketing for professional service
businesses."
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