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Mastering "Marketing Conversations"
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I think it's very useful to break down marketing into its
component parts and then study the details and how-tos of each
of these parts.
My "Marketing Ball Model" breaks the client-attracting process
into the following four parts:
Think Baseball when you think Marketing Ball - taking your prospective recruits around the bases.
Part 1. Developing your marketing message, identity and
materials that communicate the essence of your business.
Part 2. Engaging in marketing activities, from networking and
speaking, to eZines and blogging (utilizing the messages and
materials from Part 1).
Part 3. The Marketing Conversation, where you interact (usually
verbally) with a prospect as a result of engaging in marketing
activities.
Part 4. The Selling Conversation where you move on from the
Marketing Conversation and explore the actual needs of a
prospect, and then present your services.
Today, I want to focus on the Marketing Conversation.
The Marketing Conversation has four distinct steps. Most people
have some practice with the first step (getting attention and
interest), but usually fall down on the last three steps.
Marketing Conversations - The Four Steps
Note that all of Robert's steps assume that you're having a phone conversation - that's huge in itself. This kind of thing doesn't work as well when you're just dealing with emails.
1. The Audio Logo. This is the initial interaction with a prospect
where you get their attention and interest. This includes talking
about who you serve (your target market), the problems and
issues that challenge your clients, the solutions and outcomes you
provide, and stories that illustrate all of the above.
2. Qualification. These are the back and forth questions and
answers you and the prospect engage in to feel each other out for
a possible match. It also includes sharing in more depth about
how you work with clients and the results you produce. We'll go
into this step in more detail below.
3. The Offer. Once you have the attention and interest of a
prospect and you've qualified them, you need to have a call-to-
action, or nothing will happen. The best way to do this is to offer
more information related to your business (an article, for
instance) and an offer to follow up (usually by phone and/or
email). Again, more on this below.
4. The Follow-Up. After you've provided information, you need to
follow-up and explore with the prospect if there is enough
common ground to engage in the Selling Conversation. I
discussed follow-up strategies in detail in recent eZines.
If you master the four steps of the Marketing Conversation, you
will jump much faster from marketing activities to Selling
Conversations, and ultimately to new closed business.
If you miss one or more steps in the Marketing Conversation,
marketing will usually be a struggle. You'll talk about your
business, even generate some interest, but you won't have a clear
path from the initial connection to a Sales Conversation.
Step Two Secret
One of the biggest mistakes we make in the Qualification Step is
talking all the time about what we do. The prospect asks a
question and off we go, a mile a minute. Then at the end, you
hand out your card, they walk away and you wonder. "Wha'
happened?!"
Here's the secret. Simple, but not so obvious. When a prospect
asks a question, answer briefly and then turn around and ask a
question of them.
Annette's comment - This is HUGE and when I figured this piece out (and when I remember to do it!) it made a huge difference in my business - answer briefly and then ask a question! Brilliant!
Prospect: What process do you use to increase retention?
You: We use various processes, with our main focus on hiring the
right people to begin with. Can you tell me the biggest issue your
company has with retention?
With several of those exchanges you are informing your prospect
about your services (in bite-sized pieces), and you are learning
more about their needs.
Step Three Secret
Once you've qualified the prospect and they seem to be a good
potential client, you need to find a comfortable transition that will
lead to a Sales Conversation. Once a prospect is interested, they
want one thing: more information. So offer it to them.
"I've written a White Paper on retention called, 'The Seven
Biggest Mistakes Companies Make in Retaining their Best People.'
I think you'll find it very interesting. Can I send you copy?"
The answer to such an offer is almost always "Yes." Remember, if
you've interested them, they WILL want more information. This
relevant information makes you stand out immediately as a
valued professional. (Time to start working on that article!)
Then you reply, "Great, I'll send it to you by email. Then I'd love
to get your reaction to it and find out a bit more about your
business. When's the best time to reach you?"
End the conversation by agreeing on a time you'll make a follow-
up call. This works a lot better than saying, "Okay, I'll send it to
you and please give me a call if you have any questions." That's
called "dropping the ball." It's YOUR job to follow-up!
If you work at mastering the Marketing Conversation, you'll go
way beyond getting attention and interest; you'll end up with a
lot more Selling Conversations and, ultimately, more clients.
*
The More Clients Bottom Line: When it comes to Marketing
Conversations, you can't "wing it." You need to "script it." Know
which step you're on in the conversation and have answers,
questions, and offers ready to insert into the conversation at the
right moment. You'll be amazed at the results you get.
*
By Robert Middleton of Action Plan Marketing. Please visit
Robert's web site at www.actionplan.com for additional
marketing articles and resources on marketing for professional
service businesses.
What do you all think of this?
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