How to start marketing yourself…
First things first. Without sales you don't have a business. In fact one of the first things you should do when you are thinking of starting a business is be sure that you know how you are going to make sales.
Marketing is a process...there are steps...and you need to do them in the right order. If you are not enjoying sales it's probably because you are not doing the right things in the right order.
If you present ideas in the wrong order they don't get the response you want. Marketing is the process of getting messages in the right order to get the response you want.
It's just like making a cake, if you put the ingredients in the oven before you put them in the bowl then you'll get a mess - same things, different order. You have take the eggs out of the shell first!
To make a start you'll need some paper, something to write with and some time (how much is up to you).
When Someone Asks “What Do You Do?”
You step into the lift, minding your own business, and then someone you vaguely know steps in too. You begin a polite conversation during which he says “What do you actually do?” You only have a short time to leave him with something memorable, hence the elevator pitch.
You are shopping and bump into an old colleague who does not know about your new business, you're at a family wedding and people are curious about what you are doing, you're in a meeting with a potential client who wants to know what you do or at a networking event you meet someone who you want to impress.
In all these situations you are likely to be asked a question along the lines of “What Do You Do?” How do you ensure that your response helps your ‘word of mouth’ marketing?
The tips and examples in this brief come from Robert Middleton of Action Plan Marketing and Perry Burns of Sales 101.
The first mistake
The first mistake many people make when a customer or contacts asks them this question is to assume that customers actually want to know what you do.
In reality they don’t. They are barely interested in what you do. Instead, what they are really asking is “Tell me something relevant or interesting to me” and sometimes they are really asking “Talk about me, talk about me”.
This seems harsh but it’s only a recognition that most people on planet customer are communicating on the WiiFM frequency (“What’s In It For Me?”) so when they ask about you, they are really on an unconscious search to find out whether there is something in it for them.
You have to make sure that you answer the real question rather than the apparent question.
Four Responses
There are four possible responses to the question “What Do You Do?”:
Use A Label
“I’m an accountant”
This approach is very weak. If you simply label yourself then you risk other people adding their own interpretation of what you do. Notice your reaction to someone who says “I’m an accountant” and avoid using your job label if you can.
Describe Your Process
“I process tax returns for small businesses and do their bookkeeping”
Again, notice what is happening inside your head when someone gives a simple process description. You can describe your process much later in the conversation after the customer has worked out What’s In It For Me.
Outline Your Solutions
“I provide a one stop shop for all your accounting needs”
Solution based responses rely on you trying to put your service into the customer’s language and promising the ultimate solution. The big drawback with this response is the liberal use of similar promises by every other business and the equally widespread failure to keep them.
Sadly, many businesses and advertisers have trained us to discount much of what they promise as fake or spin. You do not want to risk being labelled as just another business making empty promises of the ultimate solution.
Far, far better is the fourth possible response…
Builder - I work with people who are fed up with being let down by builders
Accountant - I work with small business owners who have want a decent service and no longer want to pay through the nose for it
Coach - I work with managers who wish their team would work together more effectively
Event Organiser - I work with people who have to come up with exciting ideas to a tight budget in a short amount of time
Chiropractor - I work with people who have had back problems for years and no matter what they do they can't seem to get rid of it.
Printer - We provide printing for people who are tired of always getting their jobs delivered late
Marketing Guru - I work with independent business consultants who are struggling to attract clients.
Here are some questions to help you..
- What is causing your clients some pain?
- What is an intractable issue for them.
- What's a common problem in their industry?
- What's missing for your clients.
- What are their nagging issues.
- What do they keep facing that they can't solve.
- What are your clients frustrated about?
When you know their pain, then talk about their pain. Customers want to know how you can help them not all about your great product or service. Show that you know and understand the problems they have and THEN they will start to become interested in you...
Once you have this opening line, you’ll find it invites further questions about what you do, so the next stage is to be ready to list three, short, punchy descriptions of the solution you provide.
“I help them get…
Solution 1
Solution 2
Solution 3”
As the conversation develops you may get asked for examples. Stories, case studies, testimonials or even photos are all helpful here.
“A good example is (tell a short story - start with the problem and describe what you did and the result).”
Elevator Pitch - version 1
“I work with [this kind of person] who has [this kind of problem]. I help them get [solution 1], [solution 2], [solution 3]. A good example is [story]”
That should be enough to get the attention of a potential prospect. Here’s an example for a Project or Programme Manager.
“I work with the COO of blue chip companies who have complex, outsourced projects to manage. I help them get a programme office that works, a clear view of deliverables and a tracking system that speeds up results. For example I recently worked with xxx on a European change project that saved £xx in 2 years.”
Or for a Chiropracter
“I work with people who’ve had a back problem for years and not been able to find a workable solution. I help them get a deep understanding of what the real problem is, a series of exercises that work and a way to make lifestyle changes easily. For example, Robert who was taking painkillers for three years following a car accident has recently stopped taking them because of the work we did together”
Elevator Pitch - version 2
Here’s an outline script suitable for initial meetings at business networking events or other high speed conversations where maybe you only have time to exchange business cards and you want to make enough impact to justify calling them later.
“I’m a [label] and what I actually do is help my clients to [get this] and as a result they [enjoy this benefit]”
“I'm a recruitment consultant and what I actually do is help my clients find highly skilled consultants so that they can bring projects in on time.”
Elevator Pitch - version 3
If you have a little more time, then you may want to use a more problem centred approach which briefly describes a typical customer problem and positions you as the solution.
“You know how [people] struggle to [put typical problem here] and as a result they [describe the pain here]? Well, what I do is help my clients to [get this] so that they can [enjoy this benefit].”
“You know how new business people struggle to answer the question ‘what do you do’ and as a result they sometimes miss word of mouth opportunities? Well, what I do is coach people on what to say at networking events so that it is much, much easier to follow up with potential prospects”.
Moving the conversation forward
There are times when you want to move the conversation forward to the next stage and it can be useful to have an outcome in mind for every conversation. With a clear outcome, you then have something to point the conversation at. This might be as simple as getting them to agree to see you or getting their permission to call them. How do you get to this point?
If you are looking for help
One approach is to use an oblique question. An oblique question asks them for help without asking them directly, like this…
“Do you know anyone who [can do this, has this, knows this etc.]?”
If you ask someone an oblique question like this it means they can safely turn you down without the embarrassment of hurting your feelings, after all you didn’t ask them for anything, you only asked if they knew anyone who could. More importantly, they are very likely to say something along the lines of “I can’t but you ought to talk to Fred because he can”.
“Do you know anyone in your organisation who deals with the new suppliers list?” “Do you know anyone who’s starting a change management project?”
If you want permission to move the relationship forward
If you want to move the relationship forward with this person, a nice way to do it is to offer a gift. In the old days this might have been alcohol, entertainment or even money but these days most business people welcome the gift of information. Offer to send them an article you have written, a free ebook, a link to an interesting resource or a list of top tips you blogged about.
Your aim here is to secure permission to get in touch again. Ask for their card. Send the promised information and then it’s perfectly OK to ring later to ask if they received it and suggest a further meeting.
