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Spread The Word
I firmly
believe in the inside-out approach to communications. That
is, make sure those audiences closest to you - employees,
business associates, current clients - understand who you
are and what you do and get them to help you spread your
message. Think of the pebble dropped in the pond. The pebble
hits at your target audience epicenter. Then, those
audiences with the most to gain from your success will carry
the message outward.
Call it
word-of-mouth,
buzz, or referral marketing. The bottom line is that the
best business comes to you through some personal connection.
Why? Because if the people who know you best refer someone
to you, it is almost certain that the prospect will be the
type of person you serve best. Those referring you
understand your positioning and the audiences you have
defined.
This is the way I get virtually all of my business. It's a
classic PR approach that works best when give away something
before you can expect to receive something in return. So,
when I went into business for myself three years ago I
developed a content-rich website and this newsletter, both
of which freely give away my knowledge.
I began writing guest articles. I spoke to groups and then
connected them to my website or my newsletter. Over time,
they got to know me, what I do and who I serve and they
contacted me or referred someone to me. It's a slow,
controlled approach that is perfect for the professional
services business. You don't have much client turnover, thus
cutting your business acquisition time and costs.
When I look back on the clients I have served in the past
three years, only one came through cold calling. That
relationship lasted about three months. The client and I -
despite my best efforts to educate them on the way I do
business - never got into synch so I fired them and moved
on. You must have the courage to fire a client that does not
meet your needs, so that the account doesn't sap your time
and energy.
So, if you are developing a program for your organization,
don't overlook the benefits of this inside-out approach.
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