How to attract a steady stream of customers

How to attract a steady stream of ideal customers!

Presenter Danielle MacInnis

www.macinnismarketing.com.au

Agenda: Keys to attracting ideal customers Why are you here?

What’s in it for you?

Your business strategy Who are you?

Who needs to know?

Why should they care?

How will they find out?

Great marketing resources and tools.

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Why are you here?

Tip: Got a burning marketing question, now is your chance to ask.

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Why are you here?

1. Your biggest challenge is to attract more customers.

(44% of 1,700 SMBs surveyed by flyingsolo.com.au) 2. You want to communicate in a compelling way.

SMBs have difficulty communicating true value position to their key target.

3. You want a plan.

Most SMBs are doing marketing in an inconsistent way, getting inconsistent results.

4. You want to be savvy with your expenditure.

SMBs cut corners and do things on the cheap and try and do it themselves or market at the wrong times.

5. You want to be selective about what you do.

SMBs haven't defined their target, value proposition, objectives or measures.

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What marketing are you doing?

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What's in it for you?

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What's in it for you?

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Understand what is currently not working and why

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Better approach to marketing and sales for your business

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Tools and templates to use

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Learn from others in the room and their experience

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What you might do differently to attract your ideal customers

Tip: See something you want to know more about. Jot it down on the feedback form

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My background IT

TRAINING & HR

CONSTRUCTION

SERVICES

CONSUMER

CERTIFICATION

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Marketing...what is it?

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Marketing is... “ ...It is an integrated process through which companies build strong customer relationships and create value for their customers and for themselves.�

Wiki

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Buyers Journey

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Your business strategy

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Your business strategy?

TARGET MARKET

YOUR BUSINESS VALUE

YOUR SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & THE PROBLEM YOU SOLVE

Tip: Are you just grabbing any business that walks in your door? Or are you targeting the market you want to serve and that you are designed to serve?

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Making selective marketing decisions What can we do?

What do our customers want?

What are we good at?

Can we do this?

Will they value this?

What do we want to do?

How attractive is the market?

Where do we want to go?

Will this get us there?

Will the market support this?

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Who are you?

Tip: set up google alert for your company, name and competitors name

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About Us I don’t know who you are I don’t know your company I don’t know your company’s product I don’t know what your company stands for.

I don’t know your company’s customers I don’t know your company’s record I don’t know your company’s reputation Now what was it you wanted to sell to me?

Tip: People want to know who they are dealing with. Make it easy for them to find out and contact you.

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Case study: Man with a van Creator

Facts

Tim Bishop Business

First branded removal company in the world.

A relatively pedestrian service

Started the business whilst at Uni

(removalist) delivered as a

Used a business partner to expand the business.

recognisable, youthful and interesting brand.

Idea conception Acknowledgement of gap in the market place that there were no Other References

removal services specifically targeted at his demographic.

Brand personality

The first van was purchased for $1500.

There are no investors. They grew at a pace they could afford.

The Man With A Van logo was done by a housemate in return for going down the street and getting him a slurpee and sausage roll.

Fun Attractive Youthful Approachable Aussie sense of humour Recognisable

Tip: People buy of people they like, know and trust

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Who needs to know?

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Target ideal customers, not everyone

You want your ideal customer to say: “That’s for me”

NEWSFLASH: It is not about YOU. It is about THEM.

Where do most of us have our focus most of the time?

Our problems, issues, challenges, predicaments, worries, and pain are where we are focused.

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Why should they care?

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Step into your customers’ shoes

What is their problem, issue or challenge? Set your mindset to think "What is in if for me FM? Tip: set up online survey, and ask customers about your service, how they found you etc

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What your prospect is thinking 1. Do you work with people like me?

2. Do you understand my problems, issues and challenges?

3. Do you have solutions and results that actually work for people like me?

4. Do you have some free information that can help me immediately? I don’t want to pay for anything yet!

Tip: Look at your web and ask yourself how well do we answer these questions for our customers?

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Worksheet 1 Summarising your core marketing message Target market / ideal client (demographics + psychographics) Problem/Issue/challenge Where is the pain? Where does it hurt?

Solution/Outcome Success story

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Does this service really work?

Solution / Outcome

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Success Stories (Proof) Who else has used your service and what were the results?

What’s an actual story of working with a client and moving them from where they were to your ultimate outcome?

Tip: How can you provide proof, guarantee, testimonial, trial, pr, awards, success story

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Sell the benefits not the features Save time, money, return of investment

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Worksheet 2 Marketing Message What do you say when someone asks you what you do?

The formula is: What do you do?

We work with ________________(This Target Market) Who ___________________(Have this Problem or Challenge) How do you do that?

We help them get __________________(Ultimate Outcome) Tell me more...

A good example is __________________(Success Story)

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What is your elevator pitch? “ I’m a coach who works with couples who are having relationship issues that they don’t know how to solve on their own.” “ We work with companies who want to sell their business and aren’t sure what to do to get the best price.” “ I help companies who aren’t getting enough traffic to their web sites.”

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Why should they care?

Expert

Problem they solve

Management Consultant

Management problems that are costing the client money

Marketing Consultant

Struggling to attract enough clients

Business Coach

Not consistently reaching your goals. Missing important business opportunities

Financial Planner

Worried about not having enough money for retirement and college for the kids

Web Designer

Missing business by not being on the web

Accountant

Paying too much in taxes

Executive Recruiter

Not finding the people who can grow your business

Trainer

Employees who don't have essential skills and are costing your business

Writer

Your written communications do not have the impact they could

Therapist

Spousal problems are destroying marriages?

" We work with these kind of people, with this kind of problem, who want this kind of outcome or solution."

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Who wants to share their elevator pitch? " We work with these kind of people, with this kind of problem, who want this kind of outcome or solution."

Tip: Remember there are prizes! Those that share often get the benefit the most ! Be brave.

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How will they find out?

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How will they find out?

Not ad-hoc! Marketing and sales process.

Not everyone is ready to buy when you meet them but might be interested in over time.

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Lead Generation System Not passive but active.

Don’t sit and wait for referrals!

Build relationships with your ideal customers.

People do business with people they know, like and trust.

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Worksheet 3 UNAWARE

AWARE

Don't know anything about you or your company

Becomes familiar with you.

Association referral, meet you

Ideal Target Market

Build a Connection

ATTENTION

INFORMATION GATHERING

EXPERIENCE

At this stage, They want more they may be They want more information and ready for a information and are are ready to "taste" or an ready to explore explore working "EXPERIENCE" working with you with you prior to purchase

Prospect

Lead

MARKETING, attract, educate, interact, nurture, manage, track

Qualified Lead

SIGN UP/SALE

REFERRAL

The customer is happy to The lead refer you after becomes a experiencing customer when great service they sign the and wants to agreement and tell your story pay. and REFER you to their network Customer then Client

Advocate

SALES, qualify, present proposals, answer objections, close, manage

Ideal Target Market to build a connection

•Joining the right / Professional Organizations •Online – Joining forums and discussion groups •Search engine strategies, e-newsletters sign up •Articles/Publishing (offline and online) •Special Events (Tradeshows, Workshops) •Advertising, PR, online, SEO

Connection to Prospect

•Networking, Industry Affiliation, Conferences •Online Networking (Web site, blog, forum "commenting") •Face-to-face meetings •Telephone meetings, email exchanges •Referral (WOM, Viral Marketing) •Community involvement, volunteer work •Refer others

(strangers/ people that donʼt know you exist yet but might have a need for your service) Prospect to Lead (building awareness and familiarity)

Lead to qualified hot Lead (giving information and building relationship)

Hot Lead to Customer and then client (build relationship further by tailoring the information to their needs, provide a taste or sample)

•Keep in touch (Newsletter or e-newsletter, postcard mailings) •Recordings, podcasts, videos •Material and resources on web site •Online (Blog, LinkedIn, Facebook, forum "commenting") •Direct Outreach (Letters or email, follow up calls) •Follow up with others with phone call, invitation for coffee or appointment •Invitation to Presentations, Briefings, Workshops •TeleClasses and Webinars •Joint Venture presentations •In-depth online interaction •Strategy sessions •Survey questionnaires •Follow up calls and emails – exploring interest, qualification, •and appointment-setting. See “The Art and Science of •Telephone Follow-Up.” •Complimentary session

Client to Advocate (delight them with your service, ask for feedback, invite the referral)

•Thank you card •Referral program •Ask for testimonial •Ask for customer success story •Incentive for referrals

Lost lead or cold lead

•Keep in touch (Newsletter or e-newsletter, postcard mailings) •Recordings, podcasts, videos •Material and resources on web site •Online (Blog, LinkedIn, Facebook, forum "commenting") •Direct Outreach (Letters or email, follow up calls)

(keep them in the loop so when they do need your service they think of you first)

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Effective marketing

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You need to go where your audience is "86% of Australian internet users are looking to their fellow internet users for opinions and information on products, services and brands" Melanie Ingrey, Director for Nielsen's online Business

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Joining the customer conversation

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Choose where you play

Monthly average 2010 MacInnis Marketing Blog Web Twitter Podcast Auto-email campaign Networking sites Linked in Articles Slideshare

Social Media Marketing Visitors or views 500 500 103 300 90 30 60 630 121

Leads 15 40 3 5 14 10 3 2 0

Customers 0 3 0 0 3 1 0 0 0

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Content is King

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Cool stuff

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So who is doing it well?

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Key Take aways 1.

Do an audit, where are you, who are you and where would you like to be?

2. Know what your customer, looks, feels and acts like.

3. Listen to your customers. Understand what problem you solve for them.

4. Speak to them in on your web, brochures, etc language so they know you understand them.

5. Create a lead generation that targets only these customers and that works for you.

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Learn from the best Customer insight

Your story is important

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Resources Best Books

Best Podcasts

• 4 Hour work week – Timothy Ferriss

• Duct tape marketing -Small business general

• I love you more than my dog by Jeanne Bliss

• Professional services marketing - Rain today Professional services marketing and selling

• Peak – Chip Conley • The 8th Habit – Stephen Covey • The Five Book by Dan Zadra • The five dysfunctions of a team – Patrick Lencioni • The little big things – Tom Peters • Think like your customer by Bill Stinnett • Tribes – Seth Godin • Trust Agents – Chris Brogan and Julien Smith • What's the secret – John R Dijulius • Who's got your back – Keith Ferrazzi Best Websites Flying solo Enterpreneur Hubspot Kochie’s Business Builders Linkedin

• Hubspot TV - Internet and social media • SmallBusiness Big Marketing - General small business marketing tips • Power to the small business - branding and marketing tips • Six Degrees of Seperation - Internet and social media • Dishymix - Thought leadership and business strategy marketing • 10 Golden rules of Internet Marketing - Internet ideas and marketing tips • MacInnis Marketing - Marketing basics • Help my business sucks - Business basics

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Do you feel like this?

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Want more...?

Fill out form for: • Complimentary Strategic Audit - attract ideal customers.

• Fast track Workshop - 1 day • MacInnis Marketing Minute Tips - Join on web site home page

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Thank you