in addition to Bobs suggestion have a glance at these books.
I've only just purchased them so cannot comment yet as to how good they are :
Three by Michael Schiffman :
Cold Calling Techniques that really work Sales Presentation skills that really work Closing Techniques that really work
Book Yourself Solid by Michael Port
Grow your own Service firm by Robert Craven
On initial flick through the last two definitiely seem the best of this acquisition batch and the last one will be the first that I read..
I'm on a mission at the moment as I'm not having a problem finding clients but I'm not getting the clients that I necessarily want for my business for which I really need to hone up on my cold calling and closing techniques (presentations are fine so long as it's to an audience of five people or less. More than that and I turn to jelly).
Shaun.
-- Edited by Shamus on Sunday 17th of June 2012 08:11:38 PM
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Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
I'm working with a marketing consultant who is developing a "Marketing Without Money" training/coaching programme.
The training will not be free, but it will be the cheapest marketing system in the world to implement. The idea is that this will a) save you thousands of pounds in wasted marketing spend and b) increase the sales.
He is consideting various segments and I wonder in bookkeepers would be interested. Would anyone be interested free Webinar with a taster?
What other segments do you think would work for him?
sounds a good idea provided that the consultant understands that for the most part the audience that he's pitching too here won't have deep pockets.
The selling pitch is that the audience is to get something for free so if they are simply front loading their costs by paying a consultant rather than paying another source it's not really doing what it says on the tin.
However, I do appreciate that there is no such thing as a free lunch and this may be useful provided that the consultant is up front about the exact costs to people for the entire course so everyone is able to do their own investment appraisal against their current marketing spend (#1).
In the current economic climate it's difficult to think of anyone whose putting much money into the training budget even if such reduces costs downstream Bob (everything at the moment seems to be short term thinking for immediate survival). If I think of any though I will post a followup,
kind regards,
Shaun.
#1 For any readers not sure what I'm talking about when I mention investment appraisal i'ts about using the simpler techniques of Residual income (RI) and Return on Investment (ROI) to analyse the investment in the training against one's existing marketing spend to return.
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Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
We have spoken about prices and I think there will be different (maybe five) price points to cater for different budgets. We have discussed results linked pricing with payment from new cash.
Shaun - having read your reply, my concern is that I don't think many bookkeepers spend much money on marketing.
having read your reply, my concern is that I don't think many bookkeepers spend much money on marketing.
I think that's true but the bulk of bookkeepers are looking to appeal to their local market rather than a national one so a large marketing budget really isn't necessary.
Even with a small marketing budget people are still trying to achieve as much a possible with the limited resources at their disposal so the thought of something for free is going to appeal but if then to achieve free marketing it's going to set them back more than they would have invested in the next year anyway without substantially improved results then they would be foolhardy indeed to opt for a change to their existing marketing method.
Anything more than a couple of hundred pounds and I think that you will get very little if any take up unless it can be shown conclusively that :
a) the method works, and
b) if a lot of people took it up and operated exactly the same method the method would still work
c) Employing this marketing method and considering all costs involved in the training course they would definitely be better off than they are at the moment employing their existing marketing methods.
On the whole question about Marketing in general, to quote Lord Sugar, "I've written books about Marketing... Cheque books".
My view is that marketing is necessary for our businesses to survive and prosper. The issue is though ensuring that marketing is effective.
Personally I prefer the approach where someone writes a book on the subject which I'll read, decide whether the person is right or wrong and if I agree with them then I will implement their approach.
Using my method there is a small controllable initial outlay (purchase of the book) so if it proves to be a load of hockum which so many methodologies are (dont' get me started on Matrix management or Agile development methodologies) then it's easier to write off the cost of a £15 book that several hundred pounds of training course.
Please don't misconstru this response with saying that there is anything amiss with the presentations on marketing that your associate is going to give. They may prove to be a eureka moment for attendee's / viewers. I'm just giving the reasoning as to why marketing spend is as it is for many businesses and giving the reasoning why such is not necessarily a bad thing.
kind regards,
Shaun.
__________________
Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
