Marketing Secret Number 2: Do Workshops for Clients and Friends

Posted on February 16, 2010 by Cordell Parvin

My blog post yesterday Marketing Secret: Create a Guide or E-Book, focused on a way of becoming visible to potential clients who do not know you.

My post today focuses on ways to solidify your relationship with your clients.  I think of the best ways is to offer to do an in-house workshop for a client. For construction contractors it was always easy to come up with a topic. I did programs on contract administration, negotiation, design-build, ethics and compliance and a variety of other topics.

Here is a second marketing secret: Instead of doing a workshop for a seminar company, do it for specific targeted potential clients. I remember getting roped in to do a workshop for a seminar company. They took care of all the logistics and sold the seminar. They told me it would be a great marketing opportunity for me. I spent many hours getting my 1/2 day program put together. When I arrived at the seminar facility I discovered that the attendees were either with companies that could not afford my rates or were not the decision makers in companies that could afford my rates.

After that awful waste of time I offered to do workshops for clients for whom I had not recently worked and friends I had met at industry meetings. That really worked well because I re-connected with my old clients and because my workshop covered a timely topic, I was able to get work from those clients.

If the kind of work you do lends itself to teaching your clients, I urge you to do workshops. If you do them, make sure they are interactive and that participants are learning by doing.

 

Tags: , ,

Great Way to Reach Out to Clients

Posted on January 26, 2010 by Cordell Parvin

A lawyer I coach sent me a question that I know is a common one. "We hear all the time that we need to reach out to our clients. Pick up the phone, email, etc. I often find that I am hesitant in doing so when it's not related to an ongoing piece of work. The question is...'What do I say?' I feel silly calling to just say hello." What are some talking points I can use during these 'casual' catch-up conversations?"

I sent the question to lawyers I coach and friends. I got too many responses to post here. But, if you would like to get a copy of the responses contact Joyce. Here is what Ronna Cross with Patton Boggs shared with me.

Unless a reason to follow up has been created either:

  1. By circumstance ~ something reminded you of the client, their child, something they care about etc.
  2. By you ~ you track their press, their company/industry data or something they care about etc.

I think you have to be real and tell the truth. "Hi, we haven't talked in a while, so I thought I'd call and see what's new/how you're doing/how things are going. " And then ask: "what's new? how are you doing? how's it going?"

The subtle difference is that I'm asking for direct feedback, as opposed to just saying "hello" or "just calling to catch up with you," which might not start a conversation.

The most important thing to remember is that you're developing your relationship, not your sales pitch. That should take some pressure off. And if you're not already, you should be putting systems in place to create reasons for you to follow up like those mentioned above. Then it's a non-issue.

The key is to genuinely care. That way, whether you have a reason or not, you're authentic. So put a smile on your face and pick up the phone. The more you do it, the easier it gets.
 

Tags: ,