Market to the top of the game or the top of your industry. Make your clients know what your strengths are and you can increase your business volume and improve your profits. And what are the best ways to market yourself?
Get your clients to know YOU. Attend trade shows and become an exhibitor. Meeting and greeting at a trade show is an excellent way of building relationships and establishing a network of industry contacts. Join local trade associations and don’t JUST join, but be truly active. Become known as someone who participates and contributes, not just a hanger-on. You will get to know other industry leaders specific to your field of interest and share experiences with them.
Volunteer to help with events in your local community. Offer to work a registration desk at events or make membership calls. Help with holiday celebrations. Make yourself an appreciated and valued member of the community and recognition and rewards will compensate you many times over for your efforts.
Write articles that are industry-specific and send to industry publications. Editors are often actively seeking professional content. Share with industry groups your accomplishments, recognitions, and awards. Express your willingness to sponsor meetings, source speakers, and assist with logistics. The simple and kind gesture of giving an out-of-town guest speaker a ride to/from the airport is an excellent opportunity to get to know another industry colleague.
Good marketing means good communication. Make sure your website and contact information are current, legible, clear (tells what you do), and complete. A prospective client may spend mere seconds on your website or perusing your emails or hard-copy mailings, so make the most of this limited time. Minimize the fluff and maximize your chances of a successful contact. Send out informational emails, marketing literature, letters of introduction by hard-copy. Hand write envelope addresses to emphasize the personal touch in hard-copy mailings, then follow up with emails and personal phone calls. Limit your contacts to what is necessary without becoming a nuisance.
Always act with professionalism and integrity. Your reputation both precedes you and follows you. Your best marketing tool is a referral by those who know YOU. Stay on the professional high ground and you will be MARKETING TO THE TOP…FOR TEMP AND CONTRACT PLACEMENTS!
