|
|
|
Can I Advertise My Site with a $150 Monthly Budget?
Assuming all other bills are covered; web hosting, list building, affiliate programs, your own ezine, etc., you only have $150 a month to spend specifically on advertising. What are the best ways to stretch that dollar to its fullest ...
How To Start a New Business
While it is tempting to just leap into a new business because of it’s exciting possibilities, a few key planning points will vastly increase your chances of success. These steps aren’t difficult, but they’re easy to skip. Many businesses ultimately...
New Uniforms Could be the Gold Charm for the Golden Arches
New designer uniforms could be the gold charm McDonald’s needs to connect their new hip marketing campaign to their fast-food restaurants. This possible gold charm for the fast-food chain has the ability to let the actual fast-food restaurants...
Reality Branding - Are You Taking Advantage Of The 40 Year Social Pendulum?
I watched Roy Williams in a quite literally amazing presentation about society's 40-year Pendulum recently. His presentation was a delightful hidden bonus in the agenda from the Call to Action seminar hosted by Bryan and Jeff Eisenberg at the Wizard...
Want More Money & Less Stress?
At 2pm last Wednesday, I got a call from one of my clients. Before I could barely utter my "hello," she launched headlong into her story - "I am so frustrated! I have this client who has been dragging her feet at every stage of our...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Brand Your Consulting Business
Today’s competitive marketplace for consulting services is no longer responsive to the marketing strategies that worked in the past. The services you provide should speak volumes about your consulting business. Think about what happens when you hear phrases such as, “the ultimate driving machine”, “Don’t leave home without it”, and “Just do it”. Chances are good that you can immediately associate them with BMW, American Express, and Nike. These companies have mastered “brand brilliance.” Brand your consulting brilliance because the future of your business depends on it.
There’s an old adage; “Perception is reality”. Simply stated, the perception of a brand lies in its ability to influence a client’s behavior. When you have successfully branded your business, in the client’s eye there is no service in the marketplace quite like your service.
All consulting businesses should have a distinct, sustainable, and competitive advantage to differentiate their services from the competition. I call this process of identifying your advantage “Brand Your Consulting Brilliance”.
Here are six simple steps to brand and differentiate your services in the current business environment.
1. Think client focus first.
The client’s reality: Consulting businesses exist to serve clients. Develop a client visitation calendar and schedule in-person visits. Look the client in the eye and say, “I am here to serve you.” Follow up and follow through on all client related matters in a timely manner.
Create a client questionnaire so clients can rate the performance of your services. You want them to tell you how you’re doing and what you can do to serve them better. It’s also a way to discover what challenges they are currently facing. Be relentless in your client retention efforts.
2. Discover a distinct advantage that will set you apart from competitors.
Start by articulating your “unique marketing proposition”, a statement of all of the qualities and characteristics that set your services apart in the marketplace. Analyze your services: What skills and services do we provide that are distinctive, measurable, and add value? Which of our past successes can we leverage in the marketplace? And don’t forget to ask colleagues what they see as your competitive strengths.
Communicate these messages reinforcing your unique marketing proposition any time you have an opportunity to write or speak about your consulting firm and what you have to offer to prospective clients.
3. Generate publicity.
What others say about your brand is much more powerful and
credible than what you can say about it yourself.
When it comes to branding your consulting brilliance, favorable publicity in the media or word of mouth is far superior to advertising. So how do you generate the publicity “buzz”? Create a buzz about your brand by being visible: Speaking at seminars, publishing a newsletter on your website, participating as a host or guest on television or radio talk shows, writing a column in a reputable trade journal, and networking.
4. Promote a powerful perception of quality in the client’s mind.
What is quality if not a perception that resides in the mind of the client? You build quality intangibles around trust, reliability, excellent people, and innovative client services. Show clients that you can interpret and process their information to convert it to results oriented solutions. What you say is important, but what you do is even more important for reinforcing their perception of your brand quality.
Keep the lines of communication open. The goal of branding your consulting brilliance is to convince the client that your brand is worth their trust and worth a premium price.
5. Establish your credentials as an industry leader in the field.
Clients like to know they are doing business with an industry leader. Make clients aware of your consulting acumen, presence, and commitment. Know your clients’ businesses inside out – what they do, why they do it, how they do it. Tout your firm’s successful track record of accomplishment in working with companies like theirs.
Build and sustain credibility with clients by strengthening your client relationships, developing a client retention strategy, demonstrating that you value your new clients, and going the extra mile for them.
6. Practice consistency in building your consulting brilliance.
Stay focused on implementing the branding of your consulting brilliance. Keep abreast of marketing trends in your profession and position yourself as a recognized expert. Make the most of your unique marketing proposition. Accelerate and elevate the perceived value of your brand in the marketplace.
In short, to brand your consulting brilliance, know what you have to offer, know how to differentiate it, and know how to market it.
About the Author
Robert Moment, Author and Business Coach. Author of best selling e-books, “27 Powerful Networking, Branding, and Prospecting Tactics for Your Business” and “The Truth About Winning Federal Contracts”.
Robert@federalcontractsforsmallbusinesses.com
http://www.federalcontractsforsmallbusinesses.com
|
|
|
|
|
|