how to attract new clients to your firm
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Attract New Clients To Your Firm - Traditionally & Digitally
Paul Banks – Standout
www.standout.ie
6 Business Development Tactics
New Clients
Existing Clients
Courting
Broadcasting
Nurturing
Superpleasing
Listening
Brand
Brand
Brand
Brand
Marketing to New Clients
“Supply exceeds demand for Professional Services. Marketing has become critical for growth. The firm with the best marketing culture has the greatest chance to survive and thrive.”
Bruce W. Marcus
“To compete the culture must shift from an abstract professionalism to an aggressive
market centred orientation”
Bruce W. Marcus
Agenda
1. Strategy
• Marketing vs Selling
• Importance of needs
• Positioning
2. Tools
• Traditional
• Digital
What’s The Goal ?
To acquire new clients
How does a Professional Service firm win new clients ?
One by One !
No marketing activity can win you a client !
No seminar, no advertisement, no Facebook page
Two Stages (skill sets) to winning a new client
Stage 1
• Marketing that attracts enquiries and starts conversations / sales opportunities
Stage 2
• “Practice Development” or ssshh sales that wins the day
• Always the professional that closes the sale !
• Requires a new skill set - RAIN selling
Today’s focus - Marketing
How to market a firm to attract enquiries and to start conversations.
Client Acquisition Process
Prospect NeedProspect looking for a solution/ open to be marketed to
Service ProviderMarketing
Sales Meeting
Client Won or lost
The need comes first. You might be the best divorce lawyer in the country but (hopefully) you can't persuade a happily married couple to get a divorce.
The needs comes first.The marketing challenge is to be top of mind when the need arises !
Marketing a Professional Service firm starts with understanding the prospects needs
David Maister calls it “Listening”
Needs drive your marketing
• The fact that needs change is probably the single most important issue for Professional Service firms
• and … the reason that marketing has become so important
• So keep selling what got you to where you are today or modify your practice to deliver a service that clients need today and in the future
What are the changing needs ?
• What are the needs of your prospects todayo Start with your existing clientso Implement a client research programme for insights
• How have they changed over the last five years
• What will they be in five years time
• Consider changes in the economy, technology, Social Media, Hourly Billing, Importance of Marketing
What are the future needs of your prospects ?Exercise 1
Positioning
Positioning• What do you want your prospects to think about you
• Informed by your understanding of your prospects needs
• Foundation of your marketing programme
• 3D’s - Distinct, Desirable, and Deliverable
Start with your Targetsand their needs
• Who do we want ? Hand pick them if possibleo Your reputation will largely be based on the clients
you serve
• Are there different segments ?
• What do they need (Desire) in terms of your service ?
• What’s your reputation? o Have they ever heard of you ?
Tailored Marketing Solutions• Different Targets require different marketing strategies
o What do they need, want and value
• How do we get themo Direct Calls
o Build the right referral network
o Client Introduction
o Open an overseas office
If you don't know exactly who you are targeting, what marketing should you do ?
What makes you Distinct
• Important to standout from the crowd o Why should a prospect give you their
business
• Not much unique in PS world - so how do you do it ?
• Think of your competitors - Do an analysis
• Specialisation and focus are the strongest sources of distinction.
People and Sectors over Firms
• Its difficult to say interesting or unique things about a firm without meaningless platitudes
At Standout we put our clients first (and so you should !)
At Standout we deliver results (I should hope so)
• Promote the partners over the firmo Because clients don't work with a firm. They work with individual
partners who help them with their problems.
• Market sector by sector
Reputation is the ultimate Distinction
• In Professional Services Building a strong reputation is the ultimate source of distinction
• Hard to build reputation through traditional product marketing tools eg advertising or brochures
• Reputation management is achieved through word of mouth but also blogging, speeches, writing articles, , books, careful PR ie through demonstration.
and finally ….Can you deliver
• What are your competencies
• What do you need to change ?
• What could change to meet prospects needs now and later
What's your Positioning
Exercise 2
TraditionalTools and Techniques
Professional Services are delivered by people !
As opposed to products where the buyer never meets the maker
PS marketing is most effectivewhen professionals
Demonstrate CompetencePeople showing that they know their stuff
• Demonstration one to one and face to face is the idealo Not always possible
• Demonstration face to face but one to many
• One to one demonstration but not face to face
• Judge all activity against the holy grail
Tier 1 Traditional - Tried and Tested
• Small scale seminars
• Speeches at target industry conferences
• Articles in client industry media
• Proprietary research - practical innovationo Forms a great platform for speeches and articles
Tier 2 - Traditional
• Networking with potential referral sourceso Bank Managero Fellow professionals
• Newsletters
• Community / Civic Activities
Less direct & more time consuming
Tier 3 - Clutching At Straws
• Direct Contact - Call, Mail, Callo Do they have a need ?o Have they heard of you ?
• Advertising
• Publicity/PR
• Brochures
• Direct Mail
• Sponsorship – sports or cultural events
Less effective because they fail to demonstrate competence
“Professional services are not a mass business – clients are acquired one at a time and any marketing programme must reflect this”
David Maister
What traditional marketing activity will you do in 2014
Exercise 3
“Social Media is a medium not a message or a strategy. However it has changed the world of PS marketing because it puts marketing directly into
the hands of the professional”
Bruce W. Marcus
Attract New ClientsTo Your Firm -
Digitally!
The Digital Bit
➢ Youtube
➢ Google+
➢ Blogging
➢ Email Marketing
➢ Digital Advertising
➢ Podcasting
➢ Running Webinars
➢ Website Design
What to cover?
What is it:
● The largest Social Network
● Founded in 2004 (Zuckerberg, Saverin, et al)
● Floated 2012 - “FB”
● 120 Billion
● 1 in every 13
● 2.25 million
Facebook Facts
● Young people
● Older people
● Human face on a professional presence
● Relatively inexpensive media
● Targetable | Measurable | Efficient
Why Use It: (How professional services can benefit from it)Why Use It
● Supplement to a formal website● Timeline to highlight firms history● Informative updates● Use ‘Events’ to publicise presentations and client events● Use ‘Groups’ to
○ Publicise an area of practice○ Reach a target market○ Interactive Newsletter
● Use the ‘Personal’ elements of Facebook to put a human face on a professional presence
● Efficient Advertising
How it’s being used
International Best Practice
Local Examples
How you can use Facebook:
● Internal groups | Intranet of sorts for staff
● Demonstration of Competence
○ Sharing of reports
○ Sharing of relevant industry information
○ Sharing of Presentations (Slideshare)
○ Sharing of Short Form Video
○ Sharing general client advice
○ Showing the ‘human face’ of the firm
○ Digital ‘contact’ point
○ Vehicle for Testimonials
○ Recruitment
○ Community Involvement
How it can be used
● Sign up to Facebook
● Establish and populate
personal profile
● Establish a business
page and assign
ownership
‘Three Things’
LinkedIn has "become the de facto tool for professional networking"
- TechRepublic
● The professionals social network
● Founded in 2002 | Launched May 2003 | IPO May 2011 - “LNKD”
● 20 Languages | 260 million members
● 175 million visitors globally per month
● 1 million Irish members
● Applications | Mobile | Groups | Jobs | Influencers
● Talent Solution | Marketing Solution | Premium Subscriptions
LinkedIn Lessons
● Research
● Networking
● Obtaining Referrals
● Contact Information
● Obtaining relevant industry news
● Obtaining leads
● Getting hired
● Demonstration of your expertise
● Attracting visitors to your website
● Recruitment tool
Why use LinkedIn?
International Best Practice
PROFESSIONAL USE
●Introductions●Joining Groups○Publish
■ Articles■ Papers■ Getting involved
●Research
HOW YOU CAN USE IT
ORGANISATIONAL USE
● Increased Visibility○ Brands, Services, Goals
● Research ○ Competitors
○ Potential Partners○ Suppliers
● Tell the company story*
* Aligned with overall strategy
RECRUITMENT TOOL
● Post Jobs● People Search
● Matching Specifics
Can be more effective than traditional recruitment
techniques.
THREE THINGS
o Improve/Update your profile
o Publish a paper / article / PDF
o Join an Industry Group
● MicroBlogging site that sends ‘Tweets’ (or text messages) online
● Founded in 2006 (Dorsey et al) | IPO Nov 2013 - “TWTR”
● 500 million registered users in 2012
● 340 million tweets daily
● 1.6 billion daily searches
● One of the top ten most visited websites
● “the SMS of the Internet”
TWITTER TEACHINGS
● Breaking News
● Tracking Trends
● Company / Brand Contact
● Mostly used by
○ Politicians
○ Journalists
○ Celebrities
○ Tech Industry
○ Early Adopters
WHAT IT DOES
Irish Twitter Accounts - The Top 10( and why I think it not suitable!)
Top 10 Twitter Accounts in Ireland!
YOUTUBE
● The Video Sharing Website founded by two guys from Paypal
● Est. in Feb 2005 | Bought by Google Oct 2006 for $1.65 billion
● 1 billion unique visitors per month
● 4 days worth of video uploaded per minute
● YouTube Partner Program
● 4 billion views per day | 25% of those on mobile devices
You Tube
● Provide useful and relevant content (and dumb stuff too!)
● SEO (videos keywording)
● Grow your audience
● Powerful branding tool
● Advertise ( as part of Google Adwords)
● Relatively Inexpensive to produce
● Videos play better on mobile
WHAT IT DOES
● Information
● Client Testimonials
● Short Form Advertising
● Public face of the firm
● Create engagement
● Share it across many platforms
● Google loves YouTube!
HOW IT IS BEING USED
BEST PRACTICE
Lavelle Coleman online advertAlan Lewis Accountants YouTube Channel
● Sign Up
● Record a short video
● Upload it
THREE THINGS
BLOGGING
Simply put, it’s a website (or part of a website) containing articles, observations and opinion alongside relevant images and links to other websites
BLOGGING
TWO WORDS:
CONTENT & FREQUENCY
Benefits of Blogging
1. Connect with customers
2. Connect with partners
3. Generate traffic / SEO
4. Establish authority
5. Increase reach
6. Email Capture
7. Get (and stay!) customer focussed
8. Generate publicity
9. Give your company a ‘controlled voice’
HOW IT IS BEING USED
Establish a wordpress blog (or talk to your web guy)
Establish a Blog calendar
Assign responsibility
THREE THINGS
EMAIL MARKETING
Benefits 1. Reduce time & effort2. Real-Time messages3. Personalised messages4. Segmentation of database5. More frequent communication6. Test Marketing7. Information spreading8. Reduced overhead9. Ability to track sales/user engagement10.Save the planet!
Newsletters & Email Marketing
• ESTABLISH A CLEAN DATABASE• First Name• Surname• Email
• SOFTWARE
• DETERMINE• FREQUENCY• CONTENT• RESPONSIBILTY
THREE THINGS
DIGITAL ADVERTISING
Top 5 PLATFORMS
● Google Ads
● YouTube
DIGITAL ADVERTISING
● Reach
○ Mass or Niche audience
● Brand Building
○ Build your brand in the most engaging environment with pre and post roll ads around video
content.
● Relevance
○ The right ad for the right audience at the right time
○ Contextual | Demographic | Content | Behavioural | Location-Based
● Creative
○ Endless opportunities now vs ‘12k GIF banner Ad’
● Engagement
○ Online can gets attention and retains it
‘Volvo & Van Damme’Nov 13th / 30 million views
‘Wheelchair Basketball’ Sept 3rd / 7.5 million views
BENEFITS OF DIGITAL ADVERTS
● Social
○ Online has found its feet overtaking radio and TV
● Accountable
○ online offers measurement of campaign effects and ROI of every euro
● Interactive
○ Enables brands to respond to consumers
● Real-time
○ Update and improve campaigns in real-time, unique to online
● Mobile
○ Building your brand in the palm of their hand
‘Volvo & Van Damme’Nov 13th / 30 million views
‘Wheelchair Basketball’ Sept 3rd / 7.5 million views
BENEFITS OF DIGITAL ADVERTS
DIGITAL ADVERTS
DIGITAL ADVERTS
DIGITAL ADVERTS
PODCASTING & WEBINARS
Podcasting
is the creation of audio and/or video files for distribution to subscribers.Podcasts today are what underground zines were in the '90s. They can be produced and packaged at home (or surreptitiously at work), just about everyone seems to have one, they are distributed free or at low cost, and there is the promise, if not the reality, of making money with them.The attraction of podcasting is that you can create content which people can receive easily and automatically.
Podcasts today are what underground zines were in the '90s. They can be produced and packaged at home and they are distributed free or at low cost.
The cost comes in the production time!
Webinar: (web+seminar)
A presentation, lecture, workshop or seminar that is transmitted over the Web.A key feature of a Webinar is its interactive elements -- the ability to give, receive and discuss information. Contrast with Webcast, in which the data transmission is one way and does not allow interaction between the presenter and the audience.
Podcasting & Webinars
● Reach a new audience
○ People like to consume media differently, so including another media option could help you reach new audience.
● Build a relationship with your listeners
○ Podcasts put a voice to your company/website and help you avoid being just another logo.
● Highlight your authority
○ Giving away useful information can highlight your expertise in your field.
● Respond to customer feedback.
○ You can use your podcast as a chance to address any customer concerns or feedback you’ve received.
BENEFITS OF PODCASTING
● Short Lead Time
○ No physical planning etc
● Numbers don’t matter
○ No parking, catering or venue issues. Run a webinar with small or large numbers
● Loyalty build with existing clients
○ Easy, low cost leveraged way to add value and maintain relationships
● Conduct Market Research
○ Prior to webinars questions, concerns and issues can be submitted. This provides invaluable research for your business.
● Create instant products
○ Record the webinar and suddenly its a DVD, video podcast or online video!
Benefits of Webinars
● Invite prospective clients
○ Let potential clients ‘experience’ you before they ‘buy’ you.
● No geographical boundaries
○ No physical constraints so you can reach beyond borders
● Provision of service support
○ Answer customer questions and get feedback for future service provision
● Expose attendees to guest experts
○ Bring guest presenters and experts. Same market but a different area of expertise.
● Makes you more accessible
○ An inexpensive way to interact with many people at the same time whilst still offering value.
Benefits of Webinars
WEBSITE DESIGN
Content
●Who is the website for?●What do they want from the website?●What can you realistically provide and maintain?
Visual Design
ToneTone tells the world what kind of business you are.
Accessibility•Avoid Flash!
•Use alt attributes for relevant graphic images.
•Don't rely on icons or images to communicate,
especially in navigation.
•Enlist differently-abled people to test your site and
give feedback on its usability.
Formal Academic
Creative Business
Easy to readThink about
graphics!
Colours reflect personality
Does everything have a purpose?
WHAT IS GOOD WEB DESIGN?
All roads lead to Rome
WHAT IS GOOD WEB DESIGN?
www.YOU.com
SO WHAT NEXT?
SO WHAT NEXT?
SO WHAT NEXT?
X
X
X
X
IN SUMMARY
Profile RefreshPublish somethingExplore Industry Groups
Sign UpRecord somethingUpload to You Tube
Establish a blogDecide on frequencyAssign Responsibility
Conduct Website AuditDefine Keyword ListLink to Blog
Cormac O’Kelly@cormacokelly
(087) 6811507
(01) 4930123
QUESTIONS
THANKS!
Paul Bankspbanks@standout.ie086-2352054
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