January, February, March and April are HOT months for landing new clients if you're in marketing or the world of business-to-business.
Marketing departments have their new budgets for the year, the holidays are past and goals are set, and marketers are anxious to meet them.
A more than cursory reading of marketing trade mags points to optimism for 2010. In fact, there is agreement that marketing budgets are up for 2010. Want to see the stats for yourself?
Although this is from November 2009, BtoB offers the best statistical survey on the outlook for 2010, with the cheery front-page article headline, "2010 Outlook Survey shows marketing budgets to grow." In fact, almost 40 percent of marketers are upping their budgets!
Other news from both DM News and BtoB is that hiring is up for high-level marketing positions, always a strong indicator of better times to come.
And for those of you who completed the MARLOW Marketing Method™ for
Copywriters — where you learned advanced lead-generation — you'll be thrilled to know that according to this survey, the top goal of B2B marketers in 2010 is client acquisition (61 percent). You are ideally equipped to help these marketers go after more suspects, prospects, and clients!And while my end-of-year reading revealed plenty of cautious optimism, (e.g., "With the economy beginning to pull out of the deepest downturn in generations..." — Internet Retailer), this month's DM News was like a breath of fresh air!
The January issue reports that Pepsi abandoned Super Bowl advertising in favor of direct marketing (this is momentous in the history of direct marketing, a major brand like this abandoning the Super Bowl!).
Top trends are showing an increase in marketing to international markets (and higher open rates for direct mail overseas).
Mobile marketing is fully here as a marketing medium (after years on the back burner).
And with all of this digital information floating around, marketers are able to target more robustly than ever. (And yes, the FTC is watching!)
Here are more marketing highlights for 2010:
http://www.dmnews.com/editors-choice-2010/section/1369/
So, my friend... do you want more clients? Do you want your first client? Then it's time to get on the horn...
I teach my students how to do prospect mailings and then follow up on the phone. Lately I've been doing lots of role-playing. Later this month we'll role-play follow-up-call scripts in my Coffee Klatch coaching program, which is exclusive to MARLOW Marketing Method™ for Copywriters graduates.
But in February, my esteemed colleague Pam Magnuson and I will conduct an intensive workshop on how to land clients using proven follow-up phone call tactics. Be sure to watch for the email with details!
In the meantime, here are some tips I can share from the work I've done with students this week:
• Keep your script short. Try to limit it to four or five bullet points on a 3 x 5 card.
• Remind your prospect of your benefit, e.g., that you can help her increase her marketing ROI.
• Do not be overly thankful or subservient. You've done the hard work of targeting correctly. (In reality, they should be thanking you for doing the work that it took to make a relevant and potentially valuable connection!)
• Do not engage in long conversation unless it pertains to an actual job, otherwise you'll look like you have lots of free time and the potential client will assume you're not good enough to be busy.
• Stand up when you make your calls. You'll be amazed at how much more confident you sound!
• Have the potential client's website up so you can feel connected if you should get him on the line. It's also very handy for coming up with connecting words on the fly. I was once able to use the phrase "enterprise-level" judiciously in a conversation, since it was prominent on the website of the prospect I was speaking to.
• Have three scripts: one for voice mail (leave your phone number twice and speak slowly when you do); one for the gatekeeper (a powerful person you want to become friends with!); and one for the actual contact.
• Keep meticulous records of your contacts and call back when you say you will.
• Make personal notes and reference them when appropriate (e.g., "So how was that trip to Lausanne?"). Your prospect will be very impressed by the fact that you care enough to "remember" details.
• Don't follow up your best potential clients first. Do 20 or 30 follow up calls and save your most prized potential clients for when you're polished, confident, and smooth.
• Understand that when you are doing follow up calls, you're not a web designer or a copywriter or a consultant... you're a sales pro whose job it is to get the client for the web designer or copywriter or consultant.
• Think in terms of numbers. If you make 100 follow up calls, direct response statistics say you'll get at least one new client. (A 1 percent conversion.) Stay focused on the numbers and you will blast through the "no's" and occasional rudeness to reach the person who has been eagerly waiting for you to call.
My students usually gain two clients per 100 calls. That's because of what they learn in my coaching program.
So let's get going and get on the phone... make the new year and the new momentum work in your favor. How many new clients do you want for 2010? Think about it.
Because I have a gift for you, and that is my own coach, Gary Ryan Blair. Gary is The GoalsGuy and on Wednesday, January 27, 2010 at 12 noon Pacific Standard Time, I'll bring Gary to you in a FREE Teleseminar!This is the right time for you to hear his message and tap into the powerful methodologies and motivations he uses to enact positive change in companies as large as Ford, Coca-Cola and IBM, and even individuals such as myself.
Mark your calendar now for January 27 from 12 to 1 pm PST, and watch for more exciting information to come on this must-attend FREE event!
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