Client Attraction Workbook

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A practical guide to developing a results-oriented marketing program for your business

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Create an effective marketing system to attract more clients and increase revenue

Client Attraction Workbook

http://www.marketingnous.com.au

mailto:[email protected]

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Introduction How can I get a regular supply of quality clients? As a business owner, independent professional, or service provider, this is one of the most important questions you will ever ask yourself. After all, without new clients your business will not survive. In our competitive business environment it is not enough just to do the best job you can for clients, and wait for referrals. Countless businesses never gain the momentum they need to succeed. Unfortunately, for many business owners the whole concept of marketing can be hazy and difficult to understand. Marketing jargon can be confusing, and it can be daunting to make a start. The fear of failure can be paralysing. Or maybe you have been frustrated by the poor results from your previous marketing efforts. Just thinking about the wasted time and money is enough to make your stomach churn. It’s not surprising then that many business owners get turned off marketing and try to ignore it. As the old saying goes “once bitten, twice shy”. But that is not how you create a successful business. You must find the right combination of marketing tactics that work for your business. The key to marketing success In reality the key to effective marketing for services businesses lies in understanding the process of attracting and educating potential clients on how you can help them achieve their goals. There is a process – a model – you can use that will produce results for you. This workbook introduces the 8-step Client Attraction Strategy, which will help you create an endless stream of clients for your business.

1. Get focused on your goals. 2. Identify your “pockets of revenue”. 3. Clarify your difference. 4. Package your services. 5. Develop supporting documents. 6. Create a marketing schedule. 7. Automate and delegate. 8. Sell with confidence.

If you need help to fully develop and implement the techniques presented in this workbook I suggest you consider joining my online business development program at www.BusinessDevelopmentStudio.com.You’ll receive practical resources and ongoing support to attract more clients and increase sales.


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1. Get Focused on Your Goals Marketing never happens in a vacuum. Marketing decisions must be made with an understanding of what the business is trying to achieve. In fact, making marketing decisions without considering the future of your business is a really bad thing to do. That is why ‘reactive’ marketing decisions – like last-minute advertising, panic-driven flyers, or me-too Yellow Pages advertising – often fall flat and produce very poor results. What are your objectives for your business? For a service business objectives may be categorised as:

• Financial (revenue, sales etc) • Operations/Processes (how your services are delivered) • Services/Products (new services or products to sell) • People (staff required, or training for existing staff) • Marketing (promotional activities to attract and retain clients)

Clearly, in this workbook we are focused on one objective – Marketing. But as stated above you need to consider your overall business direction and requirements so you can make the smartest marketing decisions. Use the spaces on the next page to list your business objectives. Remember… the best goals are SMART ones: Specific Exactly what do you want to achieve?

Measurable How will you measure the result?

Actionable Can you take the necessary actions to make it happen?

Realistic Don’t make it a wish-list. You must be able to commit to it.

Time-based What is your deadline or milestones?


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2. Identify Your Pockets of Revenue Not all potential clients are equal in value. When you are planning which tactics to include in your marketing schedule you must pay attention to the value of your prospects. Do you know where your most likely clients will come from? I have coined the term “Pockets of Revenue” to represent the various places (or pockets) from which you will attract revenue. Clearly, some pockets are going to hold more potential for you than others. And some pockets may already be attracting the attention of your competitors, and therefore might be less attractive to you. Pockets of Revenue may be chosen in one of many ways, or by using a combination of criteria, such as:

• Geographic • Lifestyle • Occupation • The problem they have • Income (or sales volume/turnover for a business)

List your Pockets of Revenue below. Make sure you choose wisely as you will develop specific marketing tactics to reach into each pocket. 3. Clarify Your Difference If you have done any reading of marketing information you have probably heard about the need to “position” your business. Or the idea that you need to find a “niche”. Or that you should develop a USP (Unique Selling Proposition). All these concepts come down to one thing… Give your potential clients a compelling (and hopefully unique) reason to buy from you. For most service businesses I recommend trying to focus on “how” you do your business, or the special knowledge you have available that will benefit clients. It is usually a mistake to talk about “what” you do – such as being a:

• Mortgage broker • Personal trainer • Business coach • Software technician • Carpet cleaner • Marketing consultant


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• Environmental engineer • Employee productivity consultant

All these descriptions are generic. They do not really give your potential client any indication at all that you have something different to offer. Equally, claiming you have the ‘best customer service’ or that you have ’15 years experience’ isn’t really a point of difference. How many others claim the same thing? If your potential client were to line you up with your competitors, how would this generic description help you? It wouldn’t. Clients need to know “how” you can help them, not just “what” you do. Define your point/s of difference on the following page. NOTE: You might have a number of reasons why you are different. It is OK to list more than one. Just make sure you can identify how your client benefits from each. My business is different because I/we…. Clients benefit from this because they get… 4. Package Your Services It is much easier to sell a “package” than it is to keep adding on individual services. When considering the range of products and services you are selling, think about how they can be packaged, or bundled together. Often you can package a service and a product together. Or you can include various services together as one item to purchase. Many firms have intellectual property they can capitalise on by developing into high-impact programs and systems that will really get the attention of prospective clients. Think about the range of services and products you provide. How can they be packaged in a way that will be appealing to your potential clients? Give your clients a choice of what to buy from you. Rather than offering only a Yes/No decision, you should be providing a Yes/Yes decision – giving clients a choice of Yes’s.


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5. Develop Supporting Documents Have you got a typical “sales brochure”? Maybe it is an A4 sized flyer (folded or not) that rambles on and on about how good your services/products are. If you get the feeling that I don’t like them… you would be right! Throw away the sales brochures and create some marketing materials that help your potential client make a decision. In the service sector, education of clients is often a high marketing priority. Clients need to understand how you can help them, and why they should choose you. Believe it or not, when a prospect considers buying your services they will base their “purchase” decision on the basis of What’s In It For Me? They are not really interested in your long history of success, your highly trained staff, or your dedication to customer service. They are focused on their own needs. Your marketing material must be educational, informative, and of value to the client. By doing this you will also increase your own credibility. Supporting documents could include:

• Fact sheets • Case studies • Testimonial sheets • Technical specifications • A ‘Service Delivery Model’ (see link below for details) • Service descriptions • Client list • Your personal profile at social media sites (e.g. Facebook)

Education is the key. Find out what your potential clients need to know, and provide marketing material that provides the answers. Which supporting documents do you need to create?


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6. Create a Marketing Schedule The secret to getting more clients is to be seen by more people. You need to get “in front” of more potential clients and referrers. You need to “be there” when a prospect is looking for your type of service, or the type of benefit that you can deliver. A service business needs to build a great deal of trust with potential clients to encourage them to make a decision to buy. There is definitely a cycle that all prospects move through: AWARE è KNOW è LIKE è TRUST Your marketing schedule will contain a series of activities that are designed to move prospects through this cycle and convert them to paying clients. The following 7 promotional strategies are the most effective for service businesses. Combine them to create your own marketing schedule focused on reaching your important Pockets of Revenue.

1. Networking 2. Speaking 3. Writing 4. Outbound Contact 5. Referrals 6. Web Site 7. Advertising

• Networking o What is your 20-second introduction (or ‘elevator pitch’) that

distinguishes your business from your competitors, and gives people a reason to contact you?

o Which networking opportunities are available in your area? Examples § Chamber of Commerce § Leads groups (e.g. BNI) § Industry groups/clusters § Social groups – school, church, sport § Community service/volunteer organisations

o Consider online social networks such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Plaxo, and Ecademy.

o How often will you participate? o System for following-up and leveraging contacts.


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• Speaking – Establishes you as an expert authority on your subject.

o Which topics will be of most interest to your target audience? o How will you prepare a professional presentation? o How will you promote your talk and attract interest? o How and where can you get booked for talks at local groups,

industry meetings, or conferences? o How will you multiply the benefits to your business?

• Writing – builds credibility and articles often have a long life.

o What will you write about? Which topics are suitable? o How can you attract attention by using powerful headlines? o What is the best way to write an article, report or newsletter that

others will want to read, and find suitable to publish? o Who will you contact to get your articles or reports published? o Which web sites and article directories will you use to leverage

the value of your articles? o How will you ‘package’ your written reports and articles to

generate extra sales and attract more clients?

• Outbound Contact

o This is effective when you know who you want to reach, and you have something of value to tell them that is relevant for their situation.

o Activities include cold calls, direct mail, and email marketing. o How will you select the prospects you wish to target? o What will you need to know before you contact them? o How will you contact them?

§ Printed letter, email, telephone, fax, personal visits? § How will you get their attention?

o How will you follow up? o What marketing material do you need for this strategy?

• Referrals Generating referrals is something you need to continually work on. Quality referrals rarely happen on their own. Referrals will come from satisfied clients, other service providers who are aware of what you do, and other people who know of you through your reputation, or from your marketing communications.


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Key factors in creating referrals include:

o Providing a consistently high level of work that provides true value for clients.

o Being able to communicate clearly about your services and the benefits your clients can expect.

o Being recognised as a “player” in your particular field. The people who will refer you must respect your standing within your industry.

o Actively participating in online social networks and using social media to demonstrate your expertise.

o Asking for referrals in an appropriate way so that your clients will be happy to cooperate.

o Rewarding clients and others when they make a referral. You need to set your guidelines about how and when you will reward someone when they refer a client to you.

o Can you fast-track referrals by working with a joint-partner in a complementary (not competitive) business?

List your action steps to:

o Consistently deliver high value outcomes: o Communicate your services clearly: o Be recognised in your field: o Ask for referrals: o Reward people who refer others to you: o Fast-track referral opportunities:

• Web Site A web site is an essential marketing tool for all service businesses and companies that sell a complex or customised product. Research has shown that over 70% of business buyers use internet search before making a purchase decision. And the use of local search terms (such as a postal code or city name) is increasing as people seek the most relevant results. An effective web site is one that generates leads for you, or sells your products. Forget the fancy technology. The prettiest web site in the world isn’t any good if it doesn’t generate more clients for you.


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The key pages of your web site should be: Home page: providing a summary of the services and benefits you offer. This page needs to be key-word rich, including words or key-phrases that your prospects will enter when they use search engines. About page: Provide background on yourself, your staff, or your operations. Services/Products page: This page (or pages) gives an overview of the different services you offer, who they are intended for, and what outcomes can be expected. Testimonials page: Listing testimonials from clients, client list, or case studies of your successful projects. FAQ page: The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page is where you pre-empt any concerns or questions a prospect may have by answering key questions about how you work with clients, or what the benefits are. Resources page: This is where you list your newsletter, articles, reports, or other educational material that would be of interest to clients. Contact page: Include an easy-to-use form for prospects to complete, as well as your business contact details. • Advertising

Many service providers, especially professionals and those in technical service fields find that advertising doesn’t work for them. Sometimes this is due to the advertisement being badly written, or being published in the wrong place. But often the poor response is because advertising is not effective at creating trust. When developing advertisements, answer the following questions: 1) What is the key benefit you are offering? 2) Who is your target audience? 3) Where are you going to advertise? 4) What will be your attention-getting headline? 5) What will the copy say? 6) Will using a picture or photo produce better response? 7) What will be the “call to action”? 8) How much will this cost? 9) How will you monitor results?


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Advertising can produce good results (that is, create inquiries) for many service businesses. It works especially well for consumer-oriented services that produce a physical result for the client. Advertising works less well for services that are relatively intangible such as consulting and other professional/advisory services. 7. Automate and Delegate In these days of email, internet, smart phones, MP3 players, blogs, social media and online services, technology has a very important part to play in your marketing program. By using the right combination of processes and services you can create a continual flow of quality leads, and have systems in place to manage those leads for you. You don’t have to do everything yourself! Use technology to do the following:

• Create your web site using a template-driven Content Management System.

• Use email service providers to manage your list of names and email addresses for your newsletter or e-zine.

• Set up your web site to automatically deliver white papers and capture the contact details of your prospects.

• Use an auto-responder to send a series of email messages to new prospects.

• Use a form on your web site to qualify all leads, saving you valuable time talking to everyone who might want to contact you.

• Create your own blog to communicate your activities, useful information, or industry insights – and position yourself as an ‘expert authority’.

• Create extra traffic to your web site using Pay Per Click advertising. • Use social media to expand your reach (increase your ‘digital footprint’)

and draw prospects to your website. • Utilise online payment systems to process immediate payments for

your services, information products, or online store. • … and more

Which tools will you use to accelerate your business growth?


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Delegate those administrative tasks that take up to much of your time, or that make you feel depressed, or that distract you from generating revenue. Free up your time to work with clients and to do more marketing. Try contacting one of the many “virtual assistants” that are now operating in most countries. You can hire them to complete your writing, accounts, and general communications. You can also outsource the production of your marketing material, web site and email newsletters to other service providers, such as – copywriters, web site designers, graphic designers, and marketing coaches/consultants. 8. Sell With Confidence If you follow the previous 7 steps you will definitely generate more inquiries. But what will you do when someone calls, or when they contact you through the form on your web site, or through your social network pages? This is “crunch” time. Will you know exactly what to say? How will you get the relationship off to a productive start? Will you meekly ask, “How can I help you?” or will you boldly tell your prospect what they need to know? Will you ask questions first, or will you send further information before you explain your services in greater detail? How much should you say? This is where ‘marketing’ becomes ‘selling’. My motto is “Marketing creates prospects, Sales creates clients” You must have a process (or method) of converting your “prospect” into a paying “client”. Otherwise you are wasting your marketing efforts. Unfortunately, most service providers and business people don’t like selling. Often they see it as ‘below’ them, something that is a bit underhanded and sleazy. After all… no one wants to be a pushy sales person! Often the thought of “selling” conjures up an image of a fast-talking, high-pressure, used car salesman. But selling doesn’t have to be the uncomfortable situation you might expect. You can use ethical trust-based sales skills to effortlessly convert your prospect into a happy client. No tricks needed! For most service businesses you must address the following steps to create an effective sales process:

• Which questions will you ask to make sure you really understand what your client wants?


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• At which point during the sales encounter will you ask for permission to present your recommended solution (or make your suggestions on how you can help)?

• How will you present your solution/services? How will you gain a commitment from your client?

• Which methods will you use to following up with each client to ensure satisfaction and repeat business?

IMPORTANT Want to be a confident marketer, attract more clients,

and increase revenue? This Client Attraction Workbook gives you a practical structure to follow when developing your marketing strategy. But it doesn’t contain all the answers you need to fully implement your new strategy and win more business. That’s simply not possible here.

Take the next step… Join the Business Development Studio www.businessdevelopmentstudio.com

To your business success, Stuart Ayling

Founder and Managing Director



Client Attraction Workbook

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Transcript of Client Attraction Workbook