Great Turnout at "Marketing Plan" Webinar
Mike Cummings and I had a great turnout at today's Webinar "Composing Your Personal Marketing Plan for 2005." As we all know, you can't count on your firm or your partners to supply you with new business, and professionals need to bring in their own clients. We had an estimated 225 attendees who learned the tricks that rainmakers know.
We plan to present the program again later in the year because there is a real need for education of professionals on this topic. Among the point we covered were:
- Professionals see the relationship with their client as being based on their technical expertise. Clients, however, base the relationship on personal chemistry and whether the professional is a business adviser. Client already assume your are technically proficient.
- You need to turn your clients into your sales force. Word of mouth is the best marketing there is, and nothing tops an introduction by a client. Professionals should seek introductions, which are like a matchmaking service offered by clients.
- You've got to have your "30-second commercial" ready at the tip of your tongue.
- When you are networking, look to give and not receive business.
- Become a celebrated expert in your field. Then you don't have to sell as hard and you can command premium prices.
I ended with a quote from : "What you do with your billable time determines your current income. What you do with your nonbillable time determines your future. Mike wrapped up with a quote from Peter Drucker: "Marketing is what you do so you don't have to sell." Our program is tidily summed up in the book Best Practices in Building Your Personal Network, by Mike Cummings and Allen Boress. You can order a copy of the book online in the Professional Marketing Store.
That's great to here Larry. You do an excellent job with the Webinars and the word is obviously spreading.