Marketing & Sales Strategies for Consultants FEI Chicago Chapter 3/29/2011

2 Clark Neuhoff 30 Years in Marketing & Business Management Founded The Sextant Company in 2003 Helping Teams Execute Faster Business Planning, Marketing, and Exit Planning Bob Lambert 30+ years in Strategic Business Development, Marketing & Sales Co-Founded Samurai Business Group in 2001 Sales Training for the 21 st Century Sales Mastery & Sales Management Training Who We Are

Clark Neuhoff The Sextant Company Navigating Next Level Growth External Marketing For Consultants

Why are We Here External Marketing – Clark Filling the Pipeline – Bob Next Steps - You 4

Why are You Here ? Make a Decision Grow your Practice Most important thing for a Consultant? 5 Clients !

Required Reading The E Myth Revisited – Michael Gerber Million Dollar Consulting –Alan Weiss Brand Harmony –Steve Yastrow Put the Win Back in your Sales –Dan Kreutzer 6

Marketing - Where Do We Start 7

Why do I need marketing? What will it do for me? How long will it take? Can I do it myself? Where can I get help? Is it working? 8

Marketing Cant… Make you competitive Make customers need your product/service Make up for poor quality 9

But it Can…. Create Awareness Educate & Inform Differentiate Reinforce Beliefs Position or RE-position You Shorten the Buying Process 10

What is Positioning? The way in which we present ourselves, our company, and our offers to a prospect in order to achieve our desired outcome. How are you positioning yourself today? 11

Brand vs. Products? Who owns them? Where do they exist? Products and Services are what we offer –Customer will decide their value –Can be cross-compare –Commoditize 12

Who Owns Your Brand? You can own the trademark Brand exists in the mind of your customer –Sum total of every experience with you You CAN impact this You can increase the VALUE 13

Starts With What Are You Known For? Your Positioning? Brand or Corporate Identity –Logo –Website –Stationary & Collateral –Customer Service 14

Every Campaign has 4 Elements M essage – What we say A udience – Who we reach D elivery – How we reach them E valuation – Is it Working 15

Message What customer problem(s) do we solve –WII-FM –Benefits NOT Product Differentiate Permission to Believe –Evidence & Education –Success Stories & Testimonials Brand 16

Audience Current Clients Referrals Prospects – Ideal Market Segments New Markets Central Database 17

Ideal Customer Profile Who is the best fit Who do we want to do business with Who can we help the most Location? Size? Culture? 18

Delivery Advertise Events E Mail Direct Mail Public Relations Social Media Website SEO & SEM Marketing MIX Frequency Calendar Control Budget 19

Evaluate Value of a client? What would I invest to get a new one What would you invest to keep one 20

Evaluate How long is your Buy Cycle ? Whats it worth to shorten it ? 21

Evaluate How are you tracking results? Where do your inquiries come from? –Ask –Call to action –Google Analytics –Unique landing page Best conversion rates 22

Every Campaign has 4 Elements M essage – What we say A udience – Who we reach D elivery – How we reach them E valuation – Is it working 23

Exercise - Differentiation 1.Target 2.Triggers to Buy 3.C ompetition 4.Parity 5.Exceptional Build your message on how you are EXCEPTIONAL 24

Bob Lambert Samurai Business Group Turning Sales Mastery into Competitive Advantage Prospecting for Consultants

A Human Being Is Buying… One Constant Throughout All Of Selling…. 26

Todays Reality of Selling Market dynamics are continually changing Market dynamics are continually changing Customers are more informed and sophisticated Customers are more informed and sophisticated People do not like to be sold – they want to buy People do not like to be sold – they want to buy Salespeople need to be more than order takers. They must be business advisors Salespeople need to be more than order takers. They must be business advisors Trust is a must! Trust is a must! 27

Buyer Process Management Marketing Sales Customer Loyalty 28

Go to Market Strategy Marketing Lead Generation Sales Prospecting 29

Trust Focus QI Referral Professional Alliances Targeted Direct + 90% Leverage Networking Off/on line 30 Prospecting One to One

Networking Offline 31

Where to Network Business networks –Chambers, Trade Associations, Rotary Club Charity/ social events Affinity Groups – Alumni, Neighborhood Associations, American Legion, Hobby & Interest groups Trade shows, Conferences, Seminars Faith based organizations Volunteer organizations Political events Its not about know how… its about know who. 32

7 Secrets to Great Networking 1.Understand the goal 2.Get out 3.Ask good questions 4.Read voraciously 5.Follow up 6.Give favors 7.Ask for the return of favors. 1.Understand the goal 2.Get out 3.Ask good questions 4.Read voraciously 5.Follow up 6.Give favors 7.Ask for the return of favors. Who is honored? One who honors others Aon 33

34 F.O.R.M. People dont care how much you know, until they know how much you care. Family Ask your prospect about his/her family. People enjoy talking about family… their talented spouse, straight A or athletic child etc. O ccupation People enjoy talking about what they do. You might ask… How did you get started…? What do you enjoy most…? R ecreation People love talking about their recreational activities. Does he/she ski, play tennis, bicycling or something else. Message What is it they value? Are they involved with a charity, religious or political activity? You can discuss it… just dont argue about it. Be supportive.

Great Networking Questions? What in your business brings you the greatest happiness? If there was one thing you could do better in you business what would that be? Of the trusted business relationships you currently have, what qualities do you look for in a new relationship? 35 Can you name a couple of organizations you belong to? If you could share one piece of networking advise that would make me more effective what would that be? Who do you know that I should talk to? Networking Help Questions?

Leverage On-line Networks Linked In 100 million Facebook 400 million Twitter 200 million Craigslist go to source 36

Law of 20 touches Average person knows 250 people , phone, fax, snail mail, carrier pigeon Secret to hidden connections 20 touches per week X 48 weeks = 960 X ,000 37

Key Concepts Building trusted relationships foundation to prospecting success Consistent offline and online prospecting effort important Leverage trusted relationships for quality referrals & introductions Quality online introductions from trusted relationships = sales Trust is a Must! 38

Buying Decision Model QI Referral 39 Sustainable Business Development

40 Recommended Resources The Speed of Trust The one thing that changes everything – Stephen Covey Never Eat Alone & other secrets to success, one relationship at a time – Keith Ferrazzi The Go-Giver Most people just laugh when they hear that the secret to success is giving… – Bob Burg and John David Mann 40

Next Steps Q&A Thank You! Clark Neuhoff – The Sextant Company Bob Lambert – Samurai Business Group