CHECKLIST NUMBER SIX
CONSULTING SERVICES POTENTIAL

CHECKLIST NUMBER SEVEN
LINKED BENEFIT POTENTIAL

7.01    What services offered by our competitors, which we do not possess, could we include by becoming Linked Benefit Partners ourselves?

7.02    What commission/introduction fee could we consider to give a Linked Benefit Partner, considering the savings on normal sales costs?

7.03    Can we ethically offer a payment for introductions?

7.04    What would we have to invest extra to what we pay out now to introduce Linked Benefit Marketing?

7.05    Who sells to, or is retained by, our potential clients whom we are not in direct competition with?

7.06    What services/products can logically be linked to ours without being competitive?

7.07    Who would we like to recommend us to their clients?

7.08    What access do we have to the potential Linked Benefit

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CHAPTER SIX

IMAGE MARKETING

Image Marketing is a tool to present you, or  your firm, in the best light to those you have not yet had the opportunity to work for or with.  Just like we are on our best behavior and dress up for certain occasions — so Image Marketing is used to present your talents to those who have not yet employed you. Image Marketing is used to make potential clients want to employ you because they can associate with your ability as a professional, or feel they will benefit with you as their advisor or supplier.

INFORMATIVE PUBLIC RELATIONS

Informative Public Relations can use articles, interviews, advertising, exhibitions, brochures, newsletters, marketing literature and letters. Its sole aim is to inform potential clients of your existence and capabilities.  This method is an investment in the future.   It relies upon planting the belief of your expertise in the minds of those who will one day be your potential clients. ;

ADVERTISING 

There are many in both commerce and the professions who feel that advertising is undignified, or too expensive.  If you can, and want to survive without it, well and good, but it is a little old fashioned to throw business away.  The more potential clients who know what you do, where to find you, or even that you exist, means the more probable it is your work will be commissioned. In fact, the only difference between advertising in a national business magazine and being interviewed by them (in the business gaining sense) is that they are more likely to take your money for advertising than to interview you. In some cases, if you need to reach a particular audience you may well have no alternative but to advertise.

For those who do not already have a national or even international reputation, there is today, more than ever before, a greater need to consider advertising, due to the increase in competition we can expect in the future, if it does not exist already, from local and international sources. Perhaps more important is the mobility of business and people today, and the growing communication problems of urban centers.  (Today, many of your potential clients are more likely to be newcomers to your area than would have been probable 25 years ago.)  If you rely on word of mouth and recommendations, in the true sense, then you can expect to miss 90% of the new business opportunities around you.

There can be no better advice than to suggest that anyone consider­ing venturing into advertising should consult a professional, and always remember that you are marketing quality, talent, service and profits; and realize that bad advertising, or grabbing the limelight, can only harm the future of your profession. Points to consider, however, include the following:

1.   Coupons on advertisements guarantee a savings in following up non-productive leads and can increase reply rates.
 

2.   Make sure your reply to an inquiry is fast and of high quality, comparable to that which other advertisers in the same medium use.  (If you want to know how high the quality is, just reply to several advertisements prior to placing yours, and check it out.)
 

3.    Most business magazines have local circulation edi­tions you can use that can reduce the cost.
 

4.    Check out the smaller specialized journals in your catchment area for prices, circulation figures and readership evaluation.
 

5.    Research where "the successful companies" advertise and who manages their account — not the firm they retain, but the actual person!

EXHIBITIONS

Designers design exhibition stands, but rarely occupy them.  It is surprising that so many firms are against taking part in exhibitions, when you consider that most of their potential clients attend at least one exhibition a year.  Perhaps, once again, it is seen as undignified.  Consider for a moment, however, the effect a small stand at a trade exhibition or professional conference would have. Imagine the feelings of a footsore business executive invited to sit down and watch a ten minute slide show on an alternative subject, after a day of wandering around looking at heavy machinery, row upon row of work stations, or whatever.  It is not exaggeration to suggest that a properly organized traveling exhibition unit could double the business of any specialist, quality or professional service firm.

The cost would be relatively low because the size of stand you would need would be small, and the contact rate in one week should equal the work of a traditional salesperson for a year. In ten-years time it is probable that even very small firms with stands at exhibitions not put together for their "professions" will be a quite normal business practice, for the very reason of escalating sales costs in traditional sales methods.

There are few firms that do not consider they can gain a definite advantage if they can entice a potential client to visit their offices. A good exhibition stand can do everything an office can do to excite or impress a potential client.  A small stand equipped with an impressive desk and small seating area, a never empty coffee pot, good quality chinaware and friendly talk, will impress anyone in an exhibition hall.  Walls hung with pictures of completed projects, a prominent client list, and strategically placed model here and there will interest most people.  Add a good supply of marketing literature and business cards, and you are equipped to talk to anyone and collect business cards from potential clients by the box full.

A good tip here is to instigate a coding system and mark the back of each business card before it is filed away, e.g.,

1 = Immediate Business,

2 = Presently using a Competitor,

3 = Potential Excellent,

4 = Low Potential,

5 = Low Priority.

Also have each salesperson put his or her initials on the card so you know who saw the visitor.

MARKETING LITERATURE

When a single sheet of paper with insufficient attention to detail or even quality is produced to describe a product or a high dollar expenditure project, the reaction of a potential client must be that the firm responsible just does not have enough pride or confidence in their work or product to promote it properly.

It is hard to understand why so many business people refuse to acknowledge the skills of others who specialize and are expert in the skills of print, graphics, photography, typography and presentation, and do all the things they complain of in their clients — as if there were two sets of rules. Many will state that they have the talent in-house to produce their own literature, and there are others who will announce that photography is their hobby, and then insist they shoot the photographs for their marketing and public relations.

The best and most successful firms and individuals in the world have always hired the best professionals available.  The reason is simple, three good photographs of a project are worth 300 mediocre ones. A good photographer, in fact, can get shots which make the most ordinary product or job look fantastic as it jumps out at you from the pages of a magazine.  It is also a fact that many really talented people and firms lose opportunities because their portfolio is full of rather mediocre snapshots of their products or work. 

It is also worth remembering that few people actually walk around a building and make a definitive statement of opinion, just as few people ever study the trees which line the path they are walking along.  However, show someone a photograph and they feel obliged to make a statement of their opinion.  Therefore, unless the photograph is superb, it is counter-productive nine times out of ten, and as photographs also last longer than design schemes or products, study every photograph of your work that exists, and then lock all but the superb away (or destroy the bad ones!).

It would also seem logical that printed graphics should be left to experts who specialize in the subject, and yet those who spend most of their waking hours debating the need for innovative thinking, courage to experiment and leading design development, with few exceptions, produce brochures and descriptive literature that is geometric and simplified to the point of being plain and uninteresting to the potential client in most cases.  Abstract treatments like counter-screening and cutaway images are all but unheard of in most firms, and it is rare when something is produced without neat little borders or columns of print balanced like bricks in a wall.  If the aim is to impress your competitors, who think the same way, or just gather a personal record of your work, well perhaps it does not matter if your brochures are boring.  But why should you care what your competitors think of the literature and brochures you produce?  They are not likely to employ or recommend you, or give you one red cent towards the costs of what you print.  If marketing literature is unable to bring potential clients to your door, why bother to spend money producing it in the first place?

Make the client want to buy from you. Aim at the client — appeal to the potential client — that is how you gain success and grow.  Put excitement and innovation into your brochures, employ the best photographers, delegate literature production to experts and, even if you do not like it personally, learn to judge by results.  Be sensible, review the graphics of your potential clients, not those of your competitors.

SUCCESS PUBLIC RELATIONS

Success Public Relations — There is a lot of truth in the old saying that, success breeds success, but what is often overlooked is that apparent success can breed real success.  The potential client is really looking for a firm or individual who has proven ability, trustworthiness and professionalism, and there are two main ways that you are able to prove success:

1.   Your past clients recommend you.

2.   Professional magazines publish articles about your work.

The first way is discussed in several of the other methods of marketing in this book (especially Organized Referral Programs).  The second way of proving your success depends almost entirely upon your working to achieve publication as a regular marketing activity.

There are three main tools you need to have:

1.   excellent photographs

2.   first rate writing ability

3.   perseverance and hard work

If you do not have these attributes then you can hire a qualified photographer, a writer who understands your field, and a public relations agent to place the product.  Remembering that few editors have the time to visit the actual project or to even ask to see your product, these three assets are even more important than the quality of the project itself.  This may not be a happy or even a wanted state of affairs but, as it exists, perhaps it is wise to learn to live with it.

We have already covered the need for excellent photographs and renderings, etc., (the requirements of written communication are considered at the end of this chapter) so let us assume you have managed to overcome those prerequisites, and consider how to achieve success in getting your work published.

First of all, there are the Trade magazines and journals, which are devoted to your particular profession or business; that is, those publications which are read for the most part by your competitors rather than your clients.  The real value of articles in these publications, from the marketing point of view, is their reprint value.  Your potential clients are not likely to read these publications, their employees may, but the person who signs the orders and the contracts is rarely a reader of Trade Literature outside of his or her profession.  Therefore, to put your success before that person you will need to send him or her a reprinted copy.  Obviously, you do not want to send the whole magazine.  (The likelihood that a competitor who is also featured in it might get chosen is, of course, thereby made possible.)  Nor can you tear out the relevant pages and still look professional. Therefore, it is necessary to plan your reprint as you produce the article.

The formula is simple:

1.   Analyze the magazine you are aiming at, and study the way they lay out their feature articles. How many photographs do they use per page? Do they use more color, or more black-and-white photographs? How many columns do they lay out in a typical page?  Do they tend to run stories through the pages?  In other words, do you have to turn to page —, and have half of the page taken up by advertisements?  What is the average word length of a feature? (This means counting the words so that you know how many to submit to the editor.)  What subject matter or opinions does the editor seem to favor?  When you have analyzed what a publication uses, you can then produce your article to meet the guidelines established.

2.   Now you need to identify what you can use in reprint form. (A two-page feature article can be reprinted with your cover front and back, to tie it into your marketing program.)

3.   The next step is to find out what the magazine intends to feature in forthcoming months. This is simple as most publications produce editorial schedules for anything up to a year in advance. Obtain a copy and try to match one of your recent projects to meet the magazine's needs.  Remember, in most cases you will need your articles to be on the editor's desk at least two or three months prior to the issue it could be used in.

4.   The most important part of any article is the opening paragraph.  If you get that right, you are halfway to being published.  Styles and approaches vary, so take a past issue and cut out all the opening paragraphs.  Paste them onto a board and read them over and over again until you can produce your opening paragraph to be indistinguishable in style and word usage from that used by the magazine's own writers.

5.   To pick your title, study those used by the publication for similar articles, but only for style and approach. Remember that an article that is new or aimed differently is what all editors are looking for.

6.   In your article take the stance of an observer, if you try to boast it will be counter-productive.  Describe rather than list and try always to limit the number of times you use your name or the firm's title.  It must not look like PR.   Also, most trade editors like to list supplier sources, so make sure you include a separate listing of what materials were used and who produced or distributed them, and who else was involved in the project described. In the case of a product, send a list of major clients (three to five maximum) now using your product, the more famous the clients mentioned, the better.

7.   An article is also the best inducement to a client to give a reference, so obtain some quotes you can use in the body of the text.

8.  Many firms retain publicity rights within their contracts with clients (a necessity in most cases), however, gaining the client's cooperation is always a wise move.

9.  Remember all the points outlined in Written Communications (later in this chapter) and present your copy to the magazine in a way which will interest them from the outset.

1.    Always mail your submission in a large white envelope.

2.    Never fold copy to fit a small envelope.

3.    All typed copy should be perfect (no corrections in ink or pencil) and it should be double-spaced.

4.    Black-and-white photographs should always be 8" x 10" with a glossy finish.

5.    Color positives or slides should be enclosed in see-through plastic protectors.

6.    Descriptive titles of what the photographs are, and a return address, should be typed on white labels and affixed to the back of black-and-white photographs, or the plastic covers of color positives or slides, so that they can be identified should they get separated from the main package.

7.    The whole unit should be enclosed in a presentation folder, with a submission on your letterhead for identification purposes. It is a wise move to ring the editor (or his or her secretary) the day before you post your submission. This way you can evaluate its chances and prepare its anticipation by the magazine concerned. Check a week later to see that they received it, and that someone has read it or that someone will read it and get back to you.

IMAGE RESPECT MARKETING

Venues to use are many, including (but not restricted to):                                        :

1.   Business magazines and journals
2.   Trade-orientated publications
3.   Seminars
4.   Association meetings and conferences
5.   Business luncheons
6.   Academic research
7.   Radio and television
8.   Environmental and community programs
9.   Trade and business conferences
10. Reference papers, reports and books
11. Advising manufacturers
12. Advising law-making bodies

The following checklist will help you isolate the subject which might afford you a way to fame.

8.01    In your field and experience, which subjects or areas lack immediately recognizable experts?

8.02    If you can discover an area without recognized experts, what do you know that might help others?

8.03    What obvious points or data are you not conversant with in your chosen subject?

8.04    Who or what could help you increase your knowledge?

8.05    Is there sufficient interest in the subject you have chosen to afford your effort?

8.06    Who wants or needs to know about the subject you have chosen?

8.07    How long will it take you to become an "expert," and be able to provide real advice to others?

8.08    Will the effort be worth the reward, and can being an expert in your chosen subject bring you real and profitable business growth?

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EDUCATIONAL MARKETING

a)   Interior design is seen by the general public as an artistic and interesting subject.

b)  When and where are the most promising (from a business or contact point of view) members of the general public likely to be most receptive to hearing about interior design?

c)   After a lot of thought (and discarding 90% of brainstorming development) the following progression of ideas developed

The third method needs little explanation, for once you have pre­pared a few half-hour or one-hour presentations, you merely approach any local organization which holds luncheons, or other meetings, and offer to do your act.  From Chambers of Commerce to church institutions, all have a constant need for speakers, just choose which you are most likely to develop business from and approach them.

BORROWED RESPECT MARKETING

The theory behind this method is that sooner or later everyone who visits the offices of an organization will give an opinion of that experience to a potential client, and should therefore be converted into an ambassador for your organization. The need is to promote the most professional, friendly and efficient image possible to every visitor to your place of business.

The reasoning behind Reception Marketing is the simple application of the fact that everyone wishes to associate with people they like and can feel comfortable with.  So many of us in the day-to-day rush of business are tempted to forget the golden rule, that most buying situations end up at the last fence of personality factors.  The Personality Factors, which influence buying decisions probably more than anything else, are continuous in their effect throughout any relationship, and writing out a list of how to overcome them is the oldest standby for all teachers of sales techniques. No matter how many photographs, samples, renderings or models you show the prospective client, or even how many past projects you walk them around, the buyer must logically see your offices or facilities as the result of your success and the best of your character, and they will examine every detail while you are concentrating on your presentation. The design profession has of course recognized this; the proof is in the neutral, non-controversial way most architects, etc., decorate their own work place in grays, neutral browns, olives or white and, nine times out of ten, the place looks like a public museum or college classroom, with a few plants and non-controversial sculptures.

With apologies for quoting the obvious, I suggest that once a week you walk through your premises, as a prospective client looking for anything that you could criticize if you were considering placing an order with or hiring your firm. Inspect the paint work, the woodwork and every other finish treatment. Consider the lighting and the state of cleanliness. Compare the signage, traffic lanes and furniture to what the client will see elsewhere. Then, try to see your staff as the client sees them; rate them as assets or liabilities to your chances of clearing the Personality Factor fence.

Remember, your clients buy from or hire not just you, but everyone who is on your team, and they will consider everyone they meet in your organization in comparison to their own employees or friends and all the other experts to whom they go.  One firm I know used to hold a staff meeting every month, and I observed two of them before I realized that none of this open exchange of ideas ever mentioned how potential clients could be better received, dealt with or impressed by the firm's professionalism.  I am well known for being blunt on occasion, and so my hand went up and when asked to speak, I inquired if anyone present knew of anything which might be beneficial to clients who visited the facility.  The results were amazing and the clients who visit that firm today can thank my innocent question for the new reception area, the immaculate almost hotel quality of welcome, and even the new signs which direct the stranger to the restroom.)  It is probable that every firm could benefit far more than they would ever think possible just by holding such a meeting every month.  From the receptionist to the cleaner, there is no one who cannot contribute to such a program.

2.   The second way is to write letters to newspapers or selected magazines in answer to  letters or articles, e.g.,

Further to your correspondent _____________ who wrote to you last month complaining of cleaning costs, I would point out that there is much concern about this subject, and we have found our new service ____________ which was introduced recently has met great demand, etc., etc

or In your article ________ in _____ I was amazed how little was said about ________.  We have recently introduced a new service to meet this need a short while ago, and the demand has proved it is a very important issue in many peoples minds, etc., etc.

3.   Another method is a Newsletter, which not only introduces new staff and services, but can describe your successes and maintain contact with past clients and friends. The newsletter is one of the most profitable tools a firm can employ to increase the general knowledge of their capabilities amongst existing it can be used equally well by the largest multi-discipline firm right down to the individual operating out of his or her own home.  The format and quality can be adjusted to fill the needs of any business and to justify the level of expenditure available.

NEWSLETTERS

To explain the impact of a newsletter, it is necessary to understand how the receiver of such a publication reacts.  In most firms, newsletters are produced because the company employs so many people, or has so many clients, it is the only way to communicate with them.  Receivers of your newsletter will, nine times out of ten, apply that reasoning to your newsletter!  So it is also worth bearing in mind that a newsletter every two or three months costs far less than a salesperson, and can reach many more people for the investment made.  To the client or potential client, a newsletter implies you have more clients than you can reach by other means for the circulation of general information.

In human terms, the past or existing client will usually react with gratitude that you include them in the growth of your business.  The reasoning for this can be explained in very simple terms, and in a way few executives even consider.  When you realize that the supplier/client relationship is more intense on the part of the client, the use of a newsletter becomes a very important service.  The supplier firm may have many clients, but usually the client only has one supplier in your field — you; therefore, the client has a vested interest in you or your firm.  The client wants to know you are successful, mainly because it vindicates his or her belief in your ability. The newsletter both protects and exploits this singular interest and concern of your past and existing clients while, at the same time, helps you to increase your image and introduce other services to past or existing clients.

Format is, of course, important and the image you wish to promote must be the overriding factor of both content and design. Involving a consultant (public relations, graphic or your printer) can pay good dividends, however, insist upon seeing several examples of their work, comparing their past work and such things as cost, time involved and circulation factors.

There are several formats and levels of quality, and deciding upon the approach to be used is probably the most important factor towards producing a successful program. Of all the methods available there are five which can be generally recommended depending upon your size of operation and the budget you have available.

1. Four-Color Magazine Format                                           ;

For the large firm, this impressive image builder format may be almost dictated to describe international and prestigious projects. (For the small firm, however, a once-a-year publication on this scale is often valuable and very worthwhile.)  Layout is usually "letter size" pages (8 1/2" x 11" for the USA, A4 8 1/4" x 113/4" international metric size for foreign markets) on quality gloss paper.  In this case, where the majority of recipients will be business people, it is wise to follow the popular Business publication's layout and style for print and graphics.

It is also worth pointing out that important savings can be made by using color separations from published articles you have obtained in the past. Most publishers will allow you access to their material of your work, at a nominal cost, provided you allow them credits, as will your suppliers.

For the creative or high quality supplier, following the accepted format of the more prestigious magazines can add status to your work. The first item in such a newsletter should always be a letter from the Principal or Chief Executive Officer outlining progress and future goals.
 

2. The Quality Two-Color Newsletter

Experience suggests the tabloid format of a 11" x 17" page size for the USA (A3 11 3/4" x 16 1/2" international metric size) on a quality gloss paper to be the best vehicle for this newsletter.  Using a grid of five columns of text 2" wide, and a spot color for titles, backgrounds, or screenings allows a very professional effect to be developed at an economic cost.
 

3. The Newspaper Format

Using the same tabloid layout format as example two, but on a cheaper non-gloss paper, and with only one color (black)
 

4. The In-house Format

A letter size layout using only black and white, this is the cheapest method of all, and can be successfully run on a photocopier and then stapled together in-house.  One tip for lifting the quality is to have the cover pre-printed in the company's color, with logo and title, before photocopying on the text. Even the typesetting in this case can be produced in-house. If this format is chosen it must be obvious that it is an in-house publication, in content as well as format, so be sure to include news of new hiring, staff weddings, vacations, etc., just to make this fact clear.
 

5. The Journal Format

Using a letter size format this production should be voluminous (20 pages at least) and cover every possible fact of interest since the last issue (new services, reprints, promotions, etc.).  Its face value is to record every development since the previous issue.  It is a reading piece, an educational tool, and should be academic in presentation.

Whichever format is right for you, the newsletter should be used to strengthen the relationship between your firm and your past clients, and to interest potential clients in using your products or service.  Therefore, it is just as important to develop a mailing list of who should receive it, as it is to produce the newsletter itself.  You should also produce sufficient copies so that you have enough to leave with potential clients after the first meeting with them.

Finally, and most important, make sure all the addresses and telephone numbers a potential client might use to make contact with you are prominently displayed in your publication.

6. Email Newsletter

Today it is easy and far less costly to develop an Email Newsletter and send it out to your email list once a month.  You will have no printing costs and you can add links in it to your web site and latest offerings.  A word of caution however, do not send it out too often, or your clients and potential clients will consider your email to be spam and may not only block your mailings, but might well take offense for being bombarded with information they do not presently need.

POSITIVE CHALLENGE MARKETING

As everyone knows who is involved in marketing any product or service, there is always the point in the conversation with a potential buyer when he lays down his idea of 'perfect service.'  It is also, of course, the ambition of every sales and marketing executive to get to that point where the potential client moves into the position where he is 'ready to hear what you have to offer.'

Taking that most basic of facts, I decided years ago that if I could come up with a method whereby I could actually challenge the potential client with an offer of 'perfect service' which met his guidelines rather than those of my own production and delivery people, then in theory he would have no alternative but to give me the chance to 'get in on a trial basis.'

perfect service' is a combination of many factors in the eyes of many individuals, but at the time I had time to spare and I was meeting a lot of people through my lecturing engagements, so I started asking questions and sure enough, after several months I came up with a possible approach. The next problem was to find someone willing to risk a few thousand dollars to try the system out, because like the cobbler and his children's lack of shoes, I never felt that it 'was suited' to my own business. As it was, I got lucky, and I was approached by a company that did not have a lot of time or money to reverse a situation of falling sales. I made the offer, laid out the principles of the system, and the price was right.

The results were so much better than anyone ever expected, including me, that I have since used the system several times with the same effect. I even proved to myself that it did in fact apply to my business, to my amazement I confess, and to date it has never failed.  For those of you who have worked with 'mailing campaigns' it might interest you even more when I tell you that to date, the lowest response rate when the program was managed the way I am going to lay it out for you has never produced less than a 37% response rate leading to an actual meeting being arranged!

To explain it completely I am going to use examples:

1.   My own program, including the complete artwork for illustration purposes.

2.   The 'Reasons' for a very specialized Non-Destructive Testing Service.

        Warning:   Be absolutely sure that everything you say you will do is well within your known
and tested capabilities. Your own and your organization's future reputation depend upon it!

Step 1. The first step is a simple one. Call all of your clients and ask them what they like about your business, products, service, people, pricing policy, etc. (While you are doing this, you have a perfect opportunity to ask for references from those who say the best things about you and your organization, etc.). (See Organized Referral Marketing.)

Step 2. Call some of the people you have recently lost on proposals when they awarded the contract to someone else. Ask them politely why they chose the other bidder.  Ask them what they would con­sider to be 'perfect service' from a company such as your own.  Even ask them what they did not like about your way of trying to get work from them.

Step 3.  Make a list of 'reasons to consider doing business with your organization' from your own experience in the business or profession you are in. If, after this 'self-examination' you are still sure you want to be in the business you are in, and working for the firm that gives you your check at the end of the month, you can now develop a set of 'Reasons to Consider.'

Remember you are putting yourself on the line with this program. You are making promises, or challenges if you wish, to get someone to listen to you explain why you are at least as good as, and probably better, than your competition.  Therefore, you had better be able to live up to, or be better than, everything you say about yourself!

The Program consists of four printed items:

1.  A top-quality envelope. (If you have ever considered improving your stationery graphics, do it now)

2.   A custom-printed Rolodex Card.

3.   A 'Return Paid' postcard.

4.   A 'Fold-Over' card on quality stock that will measure 4" x 8 1/2" when folded.

Remember, the best quality is the most economical with this program. I suggest you use exactly the same card stock for everything except the envelope, which of course should be the paper-weight version of the same stock. The color of everything must match for visual effect.

 

Increase the print size of your telephone number (which, incidentally, should be one or a series confined to handling this program). Using the same ink color as you have used to print the main type content of the package, either use larger 'bold' typeface or reverse the words out of a solid color block that best describes the service or product range you are offering.  As you will soon recognize, either of the answers provided for your prospect to 'tick' give you the opportunity to call him or her. The first is to set up an appointment, and the second is to check that they have enough data to be able to judge you by, when they come across a situation where they might consider your product or service.  The information asked for will also assist you and should they omit something, you have the perfect opportunity to call his or her secretary and establish a relationship for future dealings with them.

 

You will need to contact the Post Office to arrange a license to pay for the cards that will be returned to you. This is a simple matter, but it should be done as a first priority as you will need the license number before you can even begin the artwork for this program.

As I mentioned before, emboss, use foil stamping or the latest in print technology to make sure your cover is the highest quality the receiver has ever had cross his or her desk.  Use the back page to list 'past clients,  references or any other data that will increase the 'belief factor' of the piece.  Make sure that the address and telephone numbers shown are as complete as it is possible .

1.   Use the complete postal zip code.

2.   NEVER abbreviate words: 'Avenue' - never 'Ave.' and 'Suite' never '#' or 'Ste.'.  Every word must be as complete as it can be on the understanding that if you shorten words for convenience, you put visual proof in front of your prospective client that you will 'miss or cut things' for convenience or lack of over­sight when doing their work.

3.   Make sure that the folding process does not leave a bad appearance to the piece as a whole.  Edges should meet at all sides, and the fold should not damage the ink or the cardstock itself.

 

Now you should be able to see the reasoning. You are offering your prospective client everything he or she ever dreamed of in service and assistance. You are challenging that person to use something they always stated did not exist. You are asking them to 'prove you wrong.'   Who could resist such an offer?  Could you do so if a potential supplier approached you in the same way?

All you have to do is develop your own 'Reasons to Consider' along the lines of the examples given. To manage the program, use the Marketing Plan Control Sheet included in this book. You can make copies on a weekly basis for management purposes.  Do not 'mass mail' these pieces, for if you were unable to follow-up on replies the total program will react against you. Instead, I suggest that you begin with ten a day for two weeks, and then reevaluate the number you send out each week to maintain a level of activity you can service properly. Also, keep a check relative to the days you make mailings; you may discover that mailing on a particular day of the week or month will provide far better results than other days.

As a last suggestion, I have found that by using hand-applied 'special issue' stamps I have achieved better results than by using a meter machine or ordinary stamps.

WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

1. Keep it simple and understandable.

Professional people tend to develop their own language with which they converse with each other.  The problem often forgotten is that the potential client usually does not understand the terminology.  Therefore, keep such phrases and words to a minimum, dispense with them altogether, or explain what they mean where possible.

When communicating with a potential client, bear in mind their background and use phrases and words from their vocabulary or business jargon where appropriate.  The foreigner (nationality or discipline) reading a proposal which he or she is mentally translating will be favorably impressed by your attempts to make understanding easier.  Never take anything for granted — for example, in working with clients on an international basis, I have even translated terminology; simple cases — even in English — exist to prove the point: a saddle in New York becomes a threshold strip to an English designer; door hardware becomes door furniture in the same exchange.)

Yet another laughable, but serious example was a company director who was most upset after taking time to hear a lunch-time speech on Space Planning only to find it had nothing to do with communication satellites.  Perhaps it sounds far­fetched and relatively unimportant — but the truth is that the client is paying, and therefore can demand that you talk in their language, or they can always go out and hire someone who will.

2. Keep it short and interesting.

While advising that all written communication should be kept short, to the point and interesting, it is also important that everything which needs to be stated is included.  The easiest way to solve this paradox in advice is to rely upon editing to create the right compromise.  Follow the steps below and, nine times out of ten, the improvement can double the effectiveness of your written communication.

1.    Begin by adopting the frame of mind that you have been asked to fully explain whatever the subject is you are going to write about.
 

2.    List all the subjects, statements and opinions you wish to include.
 

3.    Allow the prose to take over and write for yourself, fully expounding everything you wish to, using analogy, metaphor and poetic license.

    

4.    Go through your completed masterpiece and underline or yellow highlight the obvious mistakes, use of the same word repeatedly, and spelling mistakes.

 

5.    Have the corrected copy typed out and then underline the main points and blue pencil anything that is not necessary to your communication.

 

6.    Use a thesaurus to make sure no words are used too often, and to make meanings stronger.

 

7.   Check the final proof  for spelling and grammar mistakes and layout.

You should then have a tool for communication that will do what you created it for. 

3. Keep it effective. 

In your initial synopsis for any written communication, there is a need to consider what all marketing literature, articles and letters are expected to achieve, and that is to interest the reader or convince potential clients to hire you.  The three parts of all written marketing material can be summarized as:

i. Ego-satisfaction for the reader.

Ego-satisfaction for the reader simply means that you should endeavor to build a situation where the potential client can agree with you, and feel that you want to work with them on the terms they wish.

ii. Hooks to create two-way communication opportunities,

Hooks are words or phrases which you plant in the piece to build satisfaction with your ability, knowledge and professionalism.  Hooks are also used to make the reader want to know more, to want to associate with you, and to believe you know the subject you are writing about.

 

iii. Window dressing to hide or develop the former two parts.

Window dressing is used to soften these first two parts from immediate recognition, hard sell, or even rejection for disagreement on reasoning.

The reader should feel interested from the outset through to completion and find reasons to share your opinions.  The potential client does not want to be told anything, even if they recognize that they need to be told. What they want is to be able to:

i.   Learn for themselves.

ii.  Increase their understanding and knowledge,

iii. Reach their own decision (based on good advice),

iv. Retain control of the situation.

Therefore, throughout your written material you should maintain the position of advisor.  To explain these points consider the following:

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Dear Mr. Whatever:

As you know, there is hardly a publication or authoritative report today which does not forecast severe difficulties ahead for what we have come to know as "the expansion economy."

Many businesses have, of course, come to rely upon the benefits such an economy produces, and any variation or setback to accepted patterns or developments could provide a reverse to the fortunes of those companies.

We have lately spent a great deal of time analyzing the best actions available to counter such a setback, should it take hold, and the results are quite interesting and in some cases, surprising.

We would therefore be most grateful if you would allow us a little of your time to describe our findings, and gain your evaluation of them.

 

Joseph H. Smith

Vice President

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This presentation could be used to gain interest in just about anything (I do not care what you are 'selling' - send out the letters and you will see this for yourself). The ego-satisfaction assumed the reader is up-to-date, well informed and is important enough to receive such authoritative reports, etc.  The hooks were potential problems and that you might have the answer in return for a no-obligation short amount of time required of the client to listen.  The rest was window dressing — nowhere did we mention what we were selling, although the letterhead of course told the reader who we were.  There was no hint of low level (that is less than executive) contact.  All the letters were title signed by an officer of the company; in other words, no hard sales.  The letter was designed only to open the door; it was produced to be followed by a phone call to gain an appointment to explain the ideas raised in the letter on a face-to-face basis.  Of course, just getting the potential client to see you does not mean they will hire you. However, unless you get to see people you will not even get the chance to sell your products, ideas or services.

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CHECKLIST NUMBER NINE
IMAGE MARKETING (2)

Any company can develop more business if they present the right image to their potential clients.  The problem is that many firms promote an image geared to their opinion, rather than to the understanding and philosophy of their clients. It is wise therefore, to explain to the client from time to time how your existing clients see you, and to determine how other firms are seen by the market place as a whole.

9.01    What is the general public's image of our trade or pro­fession, and how do we compare to it?

9.02    What image of us do our suppliers have?

9.03    What image does our staff have of our firm?

9.04    How do our competitors see us?

9.05    How often do we review the matter of our image?

9.06    What image do our advisors have of us? (Our bankers, relatives, accountants, consultants, etc.).

9.07    What image would we like to promote?

9.08    Should we spend more or less time on developing an image?

9.09    Do we need a definite image policy?

9.10    What changes in image could benefit us, and how?

FORMS

The forms in this book are the result of many years development and adaptation, and as far as forms are able to be general in application, they can be used to perform the management tasks of almost any marketing investigation. The need for careful analysis is essential in the development and monitoring of any marketing program, and using the examples described and illustrated as models, I believe it will enable you to create more precise forms and analysis programs to meet your own particular needs in any given situation.

PUBLIC RELATIONS DATA FORM

To assist your public relations effort it is wise to prepare a synopsis of every completed project, assembling all the relevant facts which are releasable.  This report should be related by code or file number to the relevant files and photographs, etc., and then kept in a separate publicity file for use by the sales team, public relations department or consultant, and those engaged in research for new promotional programs.

FILE REFERENCE CODE

This entry will relate each form to the relevant file and records, and it can use any series of letters and numbers to meet your requirements for fast information. For example:

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CN	--- 4	--- 1234	---/1981
Initials of  sales executive	Office	proposal number in issue order	year

Office   If you operate from more than one location or have geographic territories for sales management purposes, enter the relevant office or territory in this box.

Date   Enter the month, day and year, and the week number that this form was started.
 

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NAME OF THE CLIENT

Enter the full name of the client (as it appears on their letterhead).
 

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ADDRESS OF CLIENT

The full postal address should be entered and the telephone number should include all dialing and extension codes. Remember, sometimes the editor or contact you send releases to will need to confirm details with your client.
 

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CORPORATION OR GOVERNMENT LINK

It assists your image and the importance of your release in the eyes of an editor if the project has wide appeal or importance. Therefore, if your client is owned, involved with, or controlled by a more well-known name, you can use this fact to gain attention.

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LINK LIAISON ADDRESS

As you have already noted the corporation or government link involved, the first box in this entry should be the full or official title.  The address should be complete and the telephone number should include all codes. (This link, including the name of your contact and his or her telephone number and extension, should be entered in the first entry of Question - 14 regarding sources of further information.)
 

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NAME OF PROJECT

Enter the name of the building, department, or a title that could be used for an editorial release in this box.

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ADDRESS OF PROJECT

If the project is at a different location to the Client's Address noted in answer to Question 2 - enter the details here, if the address is the same enter N/A as for 2.

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INVOLVED PARTY

This firm or person could be who gave you the introduction, your agent or dealer, an architect or broker, or anyone who needs to be kept informed or can help in building your public relations release.  Mark the relevant box as to their occupation or write it in the box other if it is different from the examples shown.  Then enter their full address and telephone number.

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RELEASE DETAILS

It is often necessary, or even imposed upon you, that certain involved parties need to check your releases before they are submitted for publication or release. If this is the case, enter the details of these parties and ensure you receive written agreement releases, copies of which should be attached to this form before any release is made.

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IN-HOUSE RELEASE

If certain officers of your company need to agree or check your releases, enter their names in this section and follow the advice given in relation to Question 8 above.
 

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PROJECT DESCRIPTION

This entry should be as complete as possible and backup material should be attached to this form. Product numbers, codes, colors, etc., should be accurate and everything you might need in relation to information should be noted here, for example:

1.  Project description

2.   Brochures

3.  Client's PR "news clippings"

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SALES EXECUTIVE

The name of the person who negotiated or was in overall charge of the project, order or contract should be entered in this box, including their extension number.
 

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PRODUCTION

The name of the executive responsible for production, installation or construction should be entered in this box.
 

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DESIGN BY

The name of the person who designed the product, was responsible for the design, or drew up plans or working documents should be entered in this box. Include their extension number.
 

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GRAPHIC MATERIAL INCLUDED

By noting what graphic material is available, there is less chance of it being mislaid.  Extra material should be indicated by marking other and inserting the file numbers to show where it is held.

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FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE FROM

Enter the names of the firms, organizations, etc., who have more information, noting the name of the person to be contacted and his or her telephone number.

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CONTRACT/ORDER SIGNED

Enter the relevant date.

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CONSTRUCTION/DELIVERY START

Enter the relevant date.
 

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CONSTRUCTION/DELIVERY COMPLETE

Enter the relevant date.
 

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SIZE OF PROJECT

Enter the number of items, area, etc., that constitute the contract, order or project.

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VALUE OF PROJECT

Enter the release agreed sum which all parties involved have agreed to make public, or the words 'Not for Release.'

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RELEASE DETAILS

1.   Submission Date

The month, day and year a submission was made.

2.   Name of Publication

Enter the name of the paper, magazine or other media channel the submission was sent to.

3.   Published

Month and year of publication. If the article or release was rejected enter this fact across the last three boxes.

4.   Tear

Mark to indicate that a Tear Sheet or a copy of the published release or article was obtained.

This form is essential for efficient Public Relations Management and will make the systems described in this Chapter regarding Image Marketing more controllable for all concerned.
 

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CHECKLIST NUMBER TEN
IMAGE MARKETING (3)

Clients and potential clients are really evaluating intangibles such as taste, opinion, style and to some extent fashion, and they are dealing with trust, presentation and individual reaction as the main components of the agreement.  Therefore, it is imperative that you develop your presentation to give you the opportunity to prove your ability. In other words, you must sell to prove you can perform, and so the reasons why you or your firms were not chosen are important to discover and remedy.  The following checklist (from which you must formulate questions to ask the lost client or yourself) can identify mistakes and give you the input to overcome them.

10.01    Who was present when the order was lost?

10.02     Is it possible that personalities were overplayed or mismatched with the client, and how so?

10.03    Was the lost project of a type we usually lose or gain?

10.04    Did we lose to a competitor we regularly lost to/beat, and what were the reasons?

10.05    Was our presentation too detailed/average/or not de­tailed enough?

10.06    What advantages did the competitors have, and can we reverse the situation in the future?

10.07    Did we do enough research into the client's background and needs before making our proposal?

10.08    How many of our staff met the client compared to the numbers put forward by our competitors?

10.09    Do we know the point where we lost the contract, and how will we overcome that weakness in the future?

10.10    What tools, people, research or other input might have won the contract for us?

10.11    What was the client's motive for buying and did we present enough proof of our ability to satisfy it?

10.12    What benefits or service did our competitors offer which we did not? 

10.13    Was our presentation more/equal/less professional than that of our competitors?

10.14    Knowing what we know after the fact, could we have presented our case in another way and won?

10.15    Do we need to change our presentation?

10.16    Do we need to change our research methods?

10.17    Do we need to polish our communication skills?

10.18    What is the most important lesson we have learned by losing this client?

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CHAPTER SEVEN

CONSOLIDATION MARKETING METHODS

 

The following methods of marketing rely upon time and track record, so the sooner the gathering of material is put in motion, the sooner they can be implemented.  These methods provide the marketing tools for your negotiations, or for your sales staff to use during business meetings with potential clients.  The product of these methods will make it easier to convince the client to choose or commission your firm.

PRICE BENEFIT MARKETING

Price Benefit Marketing is based on the theory that everyone wishes to use their capital in the most efficient manner.  It can be used to inform clients that for some reason (i.e., bulk purchase), it is possible to supply them at a price cheaper than other suppliers are able to, without loss of quality.  It is not price cutting, but rather a more quality for a reasonable price reputation builder.  It can also be used as a system of purchasing management in that your clients are able to employ your experience and expertise to better manage their use of capital expenditure.

Many firms do in fact have a role they can play to the benefit of their clients in purchasing management, due to their experience in their own area of business. Contrary to the sometimes voiced opinion that professional buyers do not welcome advice from outsiders and suppliers, the fact is that buyers are usually very pleased to receive any help they can get in those areas outside of their own day-to-day experience.  Most buyers specialize, to some extent or another, even if their methods have the same roots of education.  Therefore, being able to rely upon someone with in-depth knowledge in a buying area they are not really conversant with, to ensure proper preparation of orders, specification of details, experience in delivery planning, and obtaining the best maintenance, service, installation or warranty contracts, etc., is a very valuable service that they are usually very keen to employ.

Experience proves that many firms and individuals provide this service by way of friendly advice to their clients to some extent, but do not fully exploit its new business gaming potential.  Most firms already have systems for organizing purchasing management and reference libraries full of maintenance procedures, relevant techniques, or advice listings. This information can provide assistance in areas which the client will appreciate far more than any other long-term trust building tool can provide.  An occasional bulletin put out by your office on new products, maintenance methods or tools, or other such information will do as much good as any expensive lunch for the buyer, or bouquet for his or her secretary.

This method is in fact a strong strategy in long-term exposure, and will convince potential clients that your service is able to provide them with better for less than they might achieve employing another organization.  The need is to constantly work to the point where you can assert (and prove) that the use of your service is at least economically sensible for the client to employ, and might actually reduce the clients capital expenditure without reducing quality or product life. 

QUALITY BENEFIT MARKETING

Quality Benefit Marketing is aimed at the knowledgeable prospective client.  The theory being that these people purchase goods or services to lengthen the return of their investment or to increase their status and image.

There are two methods of employing this system, the first is simple  —  issue a guarantee or warranty for a period of time longer than expected by the client and more comprehensive than the guarantee of your competitors or imposed codes and legal requirements.

The second method is to build a reputation for quality work, which is proven by documented examples well known to the client.  You must be able to convince potential clients that:

1.    Clients continue to use your products or services in preference to your competitors because experience has proven that you are the best.

2.    Experience shows that your products or work outlasts your competitor's as the quality is higher.

3.    Because of your experience and expertise, you are chosen by the most professional and successful companies and organizations more often than any of your competitors.

Implementation

Establish examples which fall into the three categories, with as many names as possible of international or well-known clients. Develop explanatory sales plans in an audio-visual or graphic concept, making up a history of your performance over a period of years.  It should become something which can be seen as a history of your organization (and part of the history of the total philosophy of your profession or business) where you can show your development of expertise.

The problems which arise from the client talking budgets, while the sales executive talks about aesthetics, function and design considerations are probably the greatest contributor to client/supplier frustration.  There can be no quick or true answer to the client watching a slide show of past projects, who inquires the square-foot price of each shot as it appears on the screen.  Few things can be judged on quantity or price per square foot, and yet if we exchange places with the potential client for a moment, it does seem to be the only logical question for them to ask to arrive at a budget.  The point is that quality is something the client will always want  —  without writing a blank check.

Organized Marketing should create a situation where the client wants to buy your product or to hire you or your firm, and to achieve this you must in turn create a knowledge rather than a feeling of trust in your advice.  One of the easiest ways to show potential clients your interest in quality is to create a series of Comparison Alternatives.  There are two ways to do this while your competitors are still trying to evaluate the client's needs, the first — Comparison Boards are relatively easy and quite inexpensive to produce. The second is far more effective, time-consuming and costly, and it is called Model Alternative Comparison (MAC for short).

1.   Comparison Boards

Creation: (related to commercial interior design as an example here, but other services can be illustrated in the same way of course).

1.     Draw a plan of a 1,000 square foot space.

2.     Choose from relative cost examples — e.g., $75, $100, $150 per square foot.

3.    Calculate your fee percentage (as an extra) in varying sizes of say 1,000, 3,000, 10,000 and 50,000+ square feet in each of these categories.

4.    Choose the components, e.g., floor coverings, drapes, furniture, accessories, seating, plants, etc., which would total to the square footage costs you have estab­lished (Item 2) for each example.

5.    Produce a schedule for each scheme, with probable delivery dates, etc.

6.    Make up sample boards for each scheme.

7.    Make up available product Comparison Boards for each price range.  The reason you will need both sample boards and Comparison Boards is that the client might like the $75 scheme but reject it because of the chairs, or some other item.  The Comparison Board takes each scheme and shows alternatives using manufacturer's photographs within the same price range. For example, let us imagine your $75 scheme, for which you paste up photographs of every item you have used, you would then need to also paste on that board (say) four other chairs of approximately the same cost, and so on for every item. 

2.   Model Alternative Comparison

This method is expensive but was long ago recognized as very productive by showrooms and stores.  It merely transfers your Comparison Boards alternative schemes to real life (room displays). If you have the space, then the real thing is very effective; but few businesses or firms do have the space, therefore, either of the following methods can be used instead.

1.   Rent a space and create a set like film companies do, and install your schemes.  Then record them on film and dismantle them.  Many manufacturers will loan you products to do this.

2.   Build scale models of the schemes you have designed, backed by an elaborate sample board for each showing your choice (and several alternatives) by using Comparison Boards.

Both the Comparison Boards and the Model Alternative Comparison systems allow the client to visualize why and how his or her money will be used, and the negotiator can more easily explain the reasoning for any budget and the design implications. You are not trying to sell the schemes as examples, but just visualize for the client the relative cost factors.

There was study some years ago which concluded human understanding was influenced by our five senses to the following levels: SIGHT - 60%, HEARING - 30%, and TOUCH, SMELL and TASTE — 10%.   With this in mind, Comparison Boards should increase the potential client's recognition of your quality awareness by at least double.  There is always the tendency to credit a client with an ability to understand when in fact there may be less understanding than there is trust.  Trust in your capability, taste, experience, etc., etc., which could mean that real communication breaks down.  Therefore, if it is possible to create "visual explanations" of comparison, not only is communication made easier, but it also allows you to provide the very service you have assumed — true explanation.  

1.   They have a terrible record of staff turnover.

2.   Their shares are dropping faster than rain drops in a monsoon.

3.   Their sales have dropped recently.

4.   They are beset by rumors (take-over, bankruptcy, etc.). In many cases however, the potential client for this type of approach is not in any immediate financial trouble.   Also, it is not unusual that the top management have never considered your solution to their daily problems.  (If the company is in financial trouble, then obviously your invoices must be guaranteed by a third party or payments must be made 'in advance.')

Obviously, the aid of a qualified and experienced behavioral psychologist to help you word your questions would be an asset, and if you wish to do the job fully, then such help is essential. 

There is, of course, another time when the image of a potential client can be used to advantage. This opportunity to employ Image Benefit Marketing arises when a major unit of an operation is about to be sold.  Spending a little to improve something prior to its being sold, can be a very small percentage of the actual selling price and can mean a faster sale and, in fact, command a higher price that could produce extra profit as well as covering your invoice.  Once a promotion package has been developed, the most interested potential contacts would be other interested parties who would find such a service very helpful.

ORGANIZED REFERRAL MARKETING

Organized Referral Marketing is gathering and utilizing references of the expertise, quality and usefulness of your product or service from past clients to interest potential clients. First, it is necessary to identify those areas of business which you have recently found to be profitable, providing regular clients, or producing better than average payment.  You then approach the highest executive you can in past client companies within this sector, with the sole intention to gain a written recommendation of expertise. There are several ways to do this, all usable and equally valuable:

1.    You ask for the president's opinion of your work.

2.    Explain what you aim to do and ask for a reference.

3.    Collect all news clippings and media coverage, obtain good high standard photographs, and build case histories.

4.    Produce articles and obtain reprints.

Then build an audio-visual or slide program, which consists of three parts:

a)    A general introduction to your methodology and systems.

b)    A selection of photographs of projects in this particular sector.

c)   References from past clients produced in slide form, with the logo of the company concerned (providing that you have already gained the client's approval in writing).

The next step is to isolate potential clients in the given sector and write them a letter offering to show them the presentation, relying upon their curiosity and their wish to gain an insight into what the rest of their industry is doing, to encourage them to invite you to show your presentation.

This program of organized referrals can also be developed into an advertising campaign, beginning with a simple one-line hook, for example, is your image the image you require?  Followed by a list of logos and recommendations from your past clients, with a catch line at the bottom of the advertisement advising interested parties to contact you to see your presentation.  These advertisements would then be placed in the relevant magazines of the industry concerned (for example, banks would be approached through professional banking magazines).  Of course, and it cannot be said often enough, you must gain the permission of your past clients to publish their recommendations and logos.

Consolidation Marketing can be summed up as using your past success and experience in an organized manner to create trust with potential clients, and the methods explained in Image Marketing can provide many tools for this ongoing activity. The need, therefore, for anyone who wishes to control growth is to also ensure access to past performance. Cataloging experience into types and categories from the outset of any business is the best way to ensure future access. Imagine that one day someone was going to write a history of your business, imagine what they would need — photographs, prototypes, models, project synopsis reports, etc., etc.  Gather this material together and you have the components of a Consolidation Marketing Program ready to be put to use.

Marketing is a Management Profession, yet more than almost any other it relies upon the ability and the imagination of individuals to open the way to innovative and conceptual thinking.  If everyone followed the same path, or even style, then little would be accomplished. The exploration of new ideas, however, needs careful monitoring, analysis and evaluation if they are to make any return on investment. It all begins when one accepts that, "where there are potential clients, there is a Market to be developed"; then, all one has to do is evaluate which of the million or so opportunities that arise every day will be the most profitable (in every meaning of the word) to develop and accomplish.
 

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CHECKLIST NUMBER ELEVEN
PRICING POLICY

Possibly one of the most common areas of debate in business is the method of pricing and cash flow. The following checklist of questions to be asked can assist in arriving at agreeable solutions for the client and supplier alike.

11.01     How do we evaluate our prices, charges and fees?

11.02     Relative to our main competitors, how does our pricing policy differ?

11.03     If we use varying methods of pricing, what part of our total income does each generate?

11.04    Why was our present pricing structure decided upon, and when? Are the reasons why we adopted  the present method of pricing still relative to the market place?

11.05     How often are our profit predictions met?

11.06     Do we regularly earn less/more profit than we predicted at the signing stage and why?

11.07     Who has the authority to change or modify our regular pricing policy?

11.08    Is our pricing policy significant to our image and position in our field of  business?

11.09    How has our income to overhead costs changed in balance over the last year, or five years?

11.10   What reasons slow the payment of our invoices, and what immediate steps or management changes could prevent slow payment?
 

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CHECKLIST NUMBER TWELVE
NETWORK OF CONTACTS

A network of contacts able and willing to refer new business to an individual or a firm, is one of the most beneficial advantages available. Developing and increasing these contacts is something which should be reviewed at regular intervals. The following check list may help

12.01   How many of the projects that we have gained in the last few years were referred to us?

12.02   What percentage of our invoiceable work was made up of referred business in the last year?

12.03    Is referred business more/equal/less profitable than our sales developed business?

12.04    Which four or five contacts provided us with the best referrals leading to new business?

12.05   What percentage of our total business did our best five contacts each provide of our total workload last year?

12.06    Compared to each other, which of our contacts provided the most profitable new business?

12.07    Are there any of our contacts who used to provide us with a lot of new business leads, but have not recently done so?  If so, why did they stop helping us?

12.08    What is the best source of new contacts for us, social clubs, business organizations, relatives, past clients, etc.?

12.09    Do we have good contacts who do not provide us with any/the number of leads which we would expect them to, and why?

12.10     Do we spend enough time cultivating or keeping up-to-date the contacts we have?

12.11     How often do we meet/talk to our contacts relative to referrals from them?

12.12     Do we need a program of open-house, exhibitions, parties, etc., to retain our contacts?

12.13     What ethical incentive is acceptable to our contacts which might increase our business?

12.14     Are we making more/the same/less new contacts than we were a year ago, and why?

12.15     Which manufacturers give us business leads, and why?

12.16     How do we improve our amount of referral business?

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CHAPTER EIGHT

TREND MARKETING METHODS

The methods of PRIMARY MARKETING, IMAGE MARKETING and CONSOLIDATION MARKETING which have been covered so far, are easier to accomplish than the methods of TREND MARKETING which follow.  The main reason for this being so, is that these methods of marketing need a great deal of delegation of management to separate marketing units.  In other words, an on­going commitment is required to support the research and development of systems, tools and information base.  Success, more often than not, is a matter of being in the right place at the right time, and this is what justifies the investment for the methods of Trend Marketing.

RELATED GROWTH MARKETING

This method is used to establish those areas of business which can be expected to produce potential clients for your organization due to the increase in activity or growth of their clients. Put simply, Related Growth Marketing isolates those organizations which are about to experience a sudden increase of business.

In any business, if you could know in advance who will need you, and when, before your competitors can find out, you would soon be number one in your field, if only in profits earned.  Related Growth Marketing can give you advance knowledge of potential clients about to enter the market. The best way to describe it is learning to predict by logical progression how events in everyday life can provide new business opportunities, or knowing and preparing for the right moment when your offer of services will be welcomed by a potential client, before they go out to search for such services.

Later in this book I will cover the system of Analysis of Capability the value of keeping records, the methods of identifying past or existing clients, their main business activity and the dates involved, are also established as important. From such information it is possible to begin to answer the questions of:

1.   Why did they buy then?

2.   What market situation created a need for your product or service?

3.   Who were their clients who provided the cash to pay you?

4.   If they were expanding, why then?

The end result is that the decision to hire you is usually the result of many things which might never have been discussed, or even considered in depth, at the time.  The main question is not why your clients picked you instead of your competitors (or your competitors instead of you) but why they were in the market at that particular time, and what was the economic and need situation in their market at that time?  Very little business is done on a whim of the moment.  Almost all business decisions are the result of a chain of events and associated circumstances ruling at the time.  It is also very probable that if one firm increases, changes or contracts its operations, then the domino effect takes hold and many other firms are affected.  So you need to know who will be in the market for help due to this action you are, will be, or were part of.

A simple example would be:

Company A sees its market increasing, so it decides to expand.  Companies B, C and D supply parts and raw materials to Company A, so in time they will have to expand to supply the increased needs of Company A.  The firms who supply services to Company A will also have the opportunity to expand to match Company A's growth (accountants, lawyers, cleaners, caterers, etc.) and can expect more business from Company A's expansion.

Therefore, by knowing that Company A is considering expansion, you can predict those associated with it will grow also.  In some cases, you will find that Company A will be very helpful towards you, if only to protect their own future.

One can also use recognized changes to promote business. For example (and it is only an example, and very simplified):

If there was a lot of speculation that the increase in dental education and use of fluoride toothpastes might reduce the number of people seeking dentists' services — and it could be linked to the fact that the number of dentists graduating each year was increasing — and there was "belief" that the standard of managing and furnishing of dentists surgeries had a lot to do with a person's choice of dentist . . . .

Therefore, by approaching dentists and informing them of these facts, you might interest them in buying your product or service to increase the standard of their surgery.

Another approach, and you were able to prove (or reason) that office costs and inflation would eventually mean dentists would have to share costs by uniting to form dental centers, it could be profitable to use some of the Image Marketing methods in this book to inform them of the trend and thereby expect to gain benefits by taking an active part in the creation of dental center buildings which could be purpose designed. The information needed for Related Growth Marketing is readily available to every one, including: 

1.  Newspapers

2.  Trade magazines

3.  Chambers of Commerce

4.  New legal code publications

5.  Radio and television news programs

6.  Local and national government reports

By applying logic to present developments in relation to recent historical events, and maintaining a system of management and analysis to understand the implications of such development, it is possible to predict where your services will be needed sometimes even before the potential client even recognizes the fact.

The display advertisements for executive staff appointments in Newspapers and Trade Journals, etc., can often be a useful guide to change, and therefore potential business.  Just by leaving it a week or so, and then calling the company involved can give you an introduction to a valuable new contact.  The advertisement will give you the job title and responsibility and some background on the company itself. Call the company's general number and ask the receptionist something like:

I wanted to speak to your (whatever the job title) but I hear you are going to appoint someone new anytime now.  I wonder if you could help me, and save me phoning every day.  Can you give me some idea of when they are expected to take up the position?

If you get put through to a secretary, run the same sort of introduction and try to establish as much detail as you can about developments in the company.  Be open — and inventive, e.g.,  Well, we are "Company A" and I heard you were about to expand — is that right?  or, You seem to be taking on a lot of new staff, you must be expanding faster than anyone around here?  In other words, question, be friendly, take notes and prime your future approach to the new executive.

There are also the New Business & Contract News Reports from which developments can be assessed.  Of course, everyone approaches the listed names, but very few firms delve into who else might be about to grow as a direct result — e.g., competitors, suppliers, distributors, agents, etc.

An often unused source of potential new business information is the staff of your firm themselves. The paradox of this situation is that the costs involved are so low, yet can be truly rewarding.  To overcome the problem, organize a buffet lunch once a month for every member of your staff who can be considered intelligent, ambitious or mature (which of course means everyone in one of the categories or another), having prepared them to come ready to discuss "potential new business opportunities."  Then, record the interchange and spend some time later extracting worthwhile comments and leads, never forgetting that "he who cannot link past, present and potential into a chain of understanding, has nothing save the moment in which he denies the link itself."