Connecting With Your Clients

Many service professionals tell me that they are uncomfortable with the idea of marketing -- like marketing is a bad word! For some, "marketing" brings up images of telemarketers, aggressive sales people, and feelings of resentment at being invaded. But marketing is really about connecting with your customers. In service businesses -- particularly ones where you are very personally involved with the client -- you must build up a rapport with your prospects before you can ever hope to turn them into clients. Here are seven basic principles to remember if you want to really connect with potential clients and turn them into loyal customers:

KNOW YOUR CLIENTS

How can you sell to your clients -- much less help them -- if you don't know what their problems are? Marketing is all about SOLVING PROBLEMS -- whether your prospect wants to get a stain out of the rug or have 10,000 copies made by tomorrow or find a better way to manage paper. When you market your services, your job is not to "con" people into buying something they don't need. It is to show them how you can solve a problem for them. You're not selling a service -- you're selling a solution.

So how can you possibly know what your prospective customers need? The easiest way is to put yourself in their shoes. Since my specialization is Professional Organizing, I pretend that I am a disorganized client -- then ask myself why I would hire an organizer. Maybe it's so I can create more free time to spend with friends and family. Or it might be because I need to reduce stress and feel better about yourself. Or I might just want to be more productive during the day. That answer tells me what I need to sell -- the solution to the problem.

DESCRIBE YOUR BUSINESS IN TERMS OF BENEFITS -- NOT FEATURES

One of the biggest mistakes we make as business owners is to tell prospects all about the terrific features of the services we offer. I might tell a client, "I can help you set up a paper management system and clean out that closet and re-organize your daily schedule." So what? Clients don't care about any of that, because it seems vague and distant and not at all related to their situation. If you want to make an impact, tell your potential clients how their lives will improve by working with you. I'll make a greater impression on my clients if I say, "Once we are finished organizing, you will get your daily chores done faster, have more time for yourself, and find yourself in a less-chaotic environment." Those are BENEFITS.

PAINT A PICTURE

I don't mean literally paint a picture -- but if you want to market yourself successfully, you need to bring out the artist inside. What's the best way to show clients how you can solve their problems? Paint a visual picture of what life will look like after you have helped them get organized. "Imagine what your home will look like once we have it organized -- a place for everything, the piles of clutter are gone, and you are able to relax and enjoy just being in your house." That's a lot more effective and convincing than, "I can help you get your house organized."

EMOTION SELLS

Think about the last time you made an important purchase -- what really made the final decision for you? Was it logic or emotion? If you said "logic," congratulations -- you are in the minority! Emotion governs most of our behaviors and decisions -- including our purchases. Fear, joy, a sense of excitement, worry -- this is why we buy what we buy.

You might think that using a client's emotions to create a sale is manipulative. But you aren't creating a false emotion -- you are simply bringing existing feelings to the surface and illustrating how you can either enhance or dissolve those emotions. Let's look at an example: you describe how much (in dollars or time or stress) that client's current problem (a car that doesn't run right or a slow computer or disorganization) are costing a potential client -- you have connected with that person's fear and stress. Then you describe how wonderful life will be once that problem is solved -- you've tapped into hope and joy. By moving your client from a negative to a positive, you have automatically attached value to your services.

FOCUS ON THE CLIENT

What's everyone's favorite word in the whole world? Our own names! Human beings love to focus on themselves -- it's a natural trait and nothing to be ashamed of. But, as a service provider, your goal is to learn to focus on your prospect's needs. Learn how to practice active listening -- listening in a way that lets your clients know you really "hear" them. Along the way, you should ask questions for clarification and occasionally rephrase what the client has said to make sure you've got it right -- "So what I hear you saying is that you are feeling really stressed because your computer always seems to conk out on you at a crucial moment." And whatever you do, hold off on offering advice until your client has poured it all out. The quickest way to kill a sale is to jump in too quickly with the answers when you haven't heard all of the problems yet.

SHARE "WAR STORIES"

Sometimes, the best way to connect with a potential client is to let the person know that you've seen it before. Share a story of another customer you worked with who suffered from similar concerns -- and how you helped that person to solve his or her problems. Your goal here is not to make yourself out to be the hero -- blowing your own horn too much will turn anyone off. You also want to be careful about trivializing your client's experience -- don't be glib ("Oh, that's no big deal -- I've taken care of that problem before!") or dismissive. What you want to do is reassure your prospects that they are NOT ALONE. That others have been in the same situation and triumphed. Show your client that it can be done.

MARKETING IS SELLING YOURSELF

In any service profession, you are selling more than your services -- you are selling yourself. You must convince the client that you are the proper person to help solve their concerns. That means being GENUINE -- not putting on a facade just to win the sale. Try too quickly to be a client's savior, and you will alienate a potential customer. You will earn your clients' trust quicker by showing your true self than by being a "salesman."

Selling yourself also involves building credibility -- by following through on your promises, being punctual, respectful, professional, and compassionate. Certainly, showing off your many glowing testimonials will impress your clients -- but actions always speak louder than words.

Ramona Creel is a Professional Organizer and the founder of OnlineOrganizing.com -- a web-based one-stop shop offering everything that you need to get organized at home or at work. At OnlineOrganizing.com, you may get a referral to an organizer near you, shop for the latest organizing products, get tons of free tips, and even learn how to become a professional organizer or build your existing organizing business. And if you would like to read more articles about organizing your life or building your business, get a free subscription to the "Get Organized" and "Organized For A Living" newsletters. Please visit http://www.OnlineOrganizing.com or contact Ramona directly at ramona@onlineorganizing.com for more information.

---

The REAL Key To Successfully Marketing Any Product!

The REAL key to successful marketing of any product is... Read More

How to Earn the Right

"How to Earn the Right..."Marketing your professional services is a... Read More

Ready, Aim, Fire...Oops...Wheres The Target?

Everywhere you go on the Internet you find the words,... Read More

Ten Deadly Proposal Preparation Pitfalls

Let's face it, the name "proposal" is a great misnomer,... Read More

Bridging the Chasm from Lead to Loyal Customer

Bridging the Chasm from Lead to Loyal Customer: A Step... Read More

10 Start Up Marketing Tips

This list has been compiled as a result of years... Read More

Baby Boomers - Marketing to the Me Generation

Unless you've been in a dimly lit cavern for the... Read More

The Words That Sell

What You Say, Who You Say It To, How you... Read More

Peddling Your Own Wagon Through Local Exposure

In my e-book "Articles That Sell", I've shared the secret... Read More

Creating Assets: Spark Your Thinking With These 16 Comprehensive Questions

Here are some questions to get your thoughts and cash... Read More

How To Market Effectively Even If No One Understands What You Do

So how do you effectively market your product or service... Read More

Top Five 2004 Required Marketing Tips Needed to Succeed

When marketing your practice, as well as designing yourbrochure, web... Read More

Getting the Maximum Marketing Mileage Out of Your Nametag

As a small business owner, you must always explore creative... Read More

To Be Successful Sell to Wants not Needs

My mother used to tell me, tongue in cheek, that... Read More

How Much Is Your Popcorn Worth? Powerful Lessons In Marketing & The Psychology Of Selling - Part 1

In the following 'special report,' I will reveal some very... Read More

Overcoming Resistances To Marketing a Practice-Part 2

In Part 1 of this article, "Resistances to Marketing a... Read More

4 Steps To Increase Your Job Sign Marketing

It's no secret that using a job site sign can... Read More

Large One?

Here's a proven, and truly easy way to start increasing... Read More

Design Does Matter

The idea that good design can improve how people perceive... Read More

5 Ways to Give Your Web Site a Big-Company Look and Feel

We all DO judge a book by its cover, and... Read More

How Nearly Going Broke Taught Me The Value Of Niche Marketing

If you want to learn how effective Niche Marketing can... Read More

The Value of a Customer

The Driver of All Marketing EffortsYou need to determine what... Read More

Flesh Eating Spiders And Other Marketing Horrors

After a friend was bitten by a spider, I decided... Read More

10 steps to promote your business

1) Word of mouth is the most cost-effective, powerful form... Read More

10 Tips For Packaging That Sells Products To Boomers

Boomers are a prime and growing target audience. Does your... Read More

Are You Ready To Research Your Market?

Picture this. You develop some product or service, spend countless... Read More

Non Products Exist in this World

"Both the market and the distributive channel are often more... Read More

Keeping Pace with Business Marketing

Today's business marketing rules are different than they were in... Read More

The Art of the Business Card

Use a business card as a note pad for recording... Read More

Where Are Your Leads Coming From?

Most B2B marketers spend a great deal of time analyzing... Read More

Directional (Not Direct) Marketing

Those who believe the web is not a direct response... Read More

Incestuous Relationship Between Football and Marketing

Thousands eyes were fixed. Hearts were beating hard against the... Read More

Top 3 Reasons Why Your Headlines Fail

Many professional copywriters estimate that the headline contributes to 80%... Read More