50 tips in 50 minutes how to attract new...
TRANSCRIPT
How to Attract New Clients: 50+ Tips in 50 Minutes - Rick Telberg
7/10/2013
AccountantsWorld www.accountantsworld.com 1
EXPERT WEBINAR SERIES (2013)
Download the PDF slide deck at
www.accountantsworld.com
How to Attract New Clients – 50 Tips in 50 Minutes!
Presented by: Rick Telberg
Bay Street Group, CPA Trendlines
Website: www.cpatrendlines.com
Twitter: @CPA_Trendlines
Expert Webinar Series 2013
To register please visit www.accountantsworld.com
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•Rick Telberg, CPA •July 10
Technology Update 2013
•Randy Johnston •July 31
10 Strategies to Improve Client Accounting Services
•L. Gary Boomer, CPA.CITP •August 21
How to Drop the Struggle & Thrive
•Rick Solomon, CPA •September 18
Moving to the Collaborative Team Model: The New World of Productivity
•Sandra Wiley •October 9
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•Bob Torella, MBA •October 23
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•Divya Bhansali MBA •November 13
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How to Attract New Clients: 50+ Tips in 50 Minutes - Rick Telberg
7/10/2013
AccountantsWorld www.accountantsworld.com 2
How to Attract New Clients:
50 100+ Tips in 50 Minutes
By Rick Telberg
cpatrendlines.com
prepared specially for AccountantsWorld
July 2013
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General Ideas
1. Never let a day pass without engaging in at least one biz-dev activity.
2. Determine a percentage of gross income to spend annually on marketing.
3. Set specific marketing goals every year; review and adjust quarterly. Maintain a tickler file of ideas for later use.
4. Carry business cards with you (all day, every day).
5. Create a personal nametag or pin with your company name and logo on it and wear it at high visibility meetings.
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How to Attract New Clients: 50+ Tips in 50 Minutes - Rick Telberg
7/10/2013
AccountantsWorld www.accountantsworld.com 3
Target Market
6. Stay alert to trends that might impact your target market, product, or promotion strategy.
7. Read market research studies about your profession, industry, product, target market groups, etc.
8. Collect competitors’ ads and literature; study them for information about strategy, product features, benefits, etc.
9. Ask clients why they hired you and solicit suggestions for improvement.
10. Ask former clients why they left you.
11. Identify a new market.
12. Join LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook.
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Product Development
13. Try a new service, technique, or product.
14. Offer a simpler/cheaper/smaller version of an
(or existing) service.
15. Offer a fancier/more expensive/faster/bigger
version of your (or existing) product or
service.
16. Update your services.
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How to Attract New Clients: 50+ Tips in 50 Minutes - Rick Telberg
7/10/2013
AccountantsWorld www.accountantsworld.com 4
Education, Resources, and
Information
17. Establish a marketing and public relations advisory and referral team composed of your colleagues and/or neighboring business owners.
18. Share ideas and referrals and discuss community issues.
19. Meet quarterly for breakfast.
20. Get employees involved. (Monitor activity, not results)
21. Train your staff, clients, and colleagues to promote referrals.
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Education, Resources, and
Information
22. Hold a monthly marketing meeting with employees or associates to discuss strategy and status and solicit marketing ideas.
23. Join an association your clients or prospects belong to.
24. Get a marketing intern / student to take you on as a client; it will give the intern experience and you some free marketing help.
25. Maintain a consultant card file for finding designers, writers, and other marketing professionals.
26. Hire a marketing consultant to brainstorm with.
27. Listen to colleagues about what’s working for them.
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How to Attract New Clients: 50+ Tips in 50 Minutes - Rick Telberg
7/10/2013
AccountantsWorld www.accountantsworld.com 5
Pricing and Payment
28. Analyze your fee structure; look for areas requiring modifications or adjustments.
29. Establish a credit card payment option for clients.
30. Give regular clients a discount.
31. Offer discounts to members of certain clubs/professional groups/organizations in exchange for promotions in their publications.
32. Give quick pay or cash discounts.
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Marketing Communications
33. Update your website. Do it quarterly.
34. Publish an e- newsletter for customers and prospects (it doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive).
35. Try snail mail promotions.
36. Develop a brochure of services.
37. Include a postage-paid card or email survey with your deliverables.
38. Remember, business cards aren’t working for you if they’re in the box. Pass them out!
39. Give prospects two business cards and brochures one to keep and one to pass along.
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How to Attract New Clients: 50+ Tips in 50 Minutes - Rick Telberg
7/10/2013
AccountantsWorld www.accountantsworld.com 6
Marketing Communications
40. Produce separate business cards/sales literature for each of your target market segments (e.g. government and commercial and/or business and consumer).
41. Create a poster or calendar to give away to customers and prospects.
42. Print a slogan and/or one-sentence description of your business on letterhead, fax cover sheets, and invoices.
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Marketing Communications
43. Create a signature file to be used for all your e-mail messages. It should contain contact details, including your Web site address and key information about your firm.
44. Include testimonials from customers in your literature.
45. Test a new mailing list. If it produces results, add it to your current direct mail lists or consider replacing a list that’s not performing up to expectations.
46. Offer free info or special offers in your direct response campaigns.
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How to Attract New Clients: 50+ Tips in 50 Minutes - Rick Telberg
7/10/2013
AccountantsWorld www.accountantsworld.com 7
Media Relations
47. Update your media list often so that press
releases are sent to the right media outlet and
person.
48. Write a column for the local newspaper, local
business journal, or trade publication.
49. Publish an article and circulate reprints.
50. Send timely and newsworthy press releases
as often as needed.
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Media Relations
51. Publicize your 500th client of the year (or
other notable milestone).
52. Create an annual award and publicize it.
53. Get public relations and media training or
read up on it.
54. Appear on a radio or TV talk show.
55. Create your own YouTube TV program on
your industry or your specialty.
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How to Attract New Clients: 50+ Tips in 50 Minutes - Rick Telberg
7/10/2013
AccountantsWorld www.accountantsworld.com 8
Media Relations
56. Market the show to your local cable station or
public broadcasting station as a regular
program.
57. See if you can air your show on an open
access cable channel.
58. Write a letter to the editor of your local
newspaper or trade magazine.
59. Take an editor to lunch.
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Media Relations
60. Get a publicity photo taken and enclose with
press releases.
61. Consistently review newspapers and magazines
for possible PR opportunities.
62. Submit tip articles to newsletters and newspapers.
63. Conduct industry research and develop a press
release or article to announce an important
discovery in your field.
64. Create a press kit and keep its contents current.
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How to Attract New Clients: 50+ Tips in 50 Minutes - Rick Telberg
7/10/2013
AccountantsWorld www.accountantsworld.com 9
Client Service and Relations
65. Ask your clients to come back again.
66. Return phone calls promptly.
67. Ask clients what you can do the help them.
68. Take clients out to a ball game, show, or
another special event just send them two
tickets with a note.
69. Hold a seminar at your office for clients and
prospects.
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Client Service and Relations
70. Send handwritten thank you notes.
71. Send birthday cards and appropriate seasonal
greetings.
72. Email interesting articles to clients and prospects
with a note.
73. Send a book of interest or other appropriate
business gift to a client with a handwritten note.
74. Redecorate your office or location where you
meet with your clients.
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How to Attract New Clients: 50+ Tips in 50 Minutes - Rick Telberg
7/10/2013
AccountantsWorld www.accountantsworld.com 10
Networking and Word of Mouth
75. Join a Chamber of Commerce or other organization.
76. Join or organize a breakfast club with other professionals (not in your field) to discuss business and network referrals.
77. Mail a brochure to members of organizations to which you belong.
78. Serve on a city board or commission.
79. Host a holiday party.
80. Hold an open house.
81. Send letters to attendees after you attend a conference.
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Advertising
82. Advertise during busy season.
83. Get a memorable phone number, such as 1-
800-WIDGETS.
84. Obtain a memorable URL and email address
and include them on all marketing materials.
85. Promote your business jointly with other
professionals via cooperative direct mail.
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How to Attract New Clients: 50+ Tips in 50 Minutes - Rick Telberg
7/10/2013
AccountantsWorld www.accountantsworld.com 11
Advertising
86. Write an ad in another language to reach the non-English-speaking market. Place the ad in a publication that market reads, such as a Hispanic newspaper.
87. Distribute advertising specialty products such as pens, mouse pads, or mugs.
88. Mail bumps photos, samples, and other innovative items to your prospect list. (A bump is simply anything that makes the mailing envelope bulge and makes the recipient curious about what’s in the envelope!)
89. Create a direct mail list of hot prospects.
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Advertising
90. Consider non-traditional tactics such as bus backs, billboards, and popular Web sites.
91. Consider placing ads in your newspaper’s classified section.
92. Consider a vanity automobile tag with your company name.
93. Code your ads and keep records of results.
94. Improve your building signage and directional signs inside and out.
95. Invest in making your office signage visible at night.
96. Create a new or improved company logo or recolor the traditional logo.
97. Sponsor and promote a contest or sweepstakes.
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How to Attract New Clients: 50+ Tips in 50 Minutes - Rick Telberg
7/10/2013
AccountantsWorld www.accountantsworld.com 12
Special Events and Outreach
98. Get a booth at a fair/trade show attended by your target market.
99. Sponsor or host a special event or open house at your business location in cooperation with a local non-profit organization, such as a women’s business center. Describe how the organization helped you.
100. Give a speech or volunteer for a career day at a high school.
101. Teach a class or seminar at a local college or adult education center.
102. Sponsor an Adopt-a-Road area in your community to keep roads litter-free. People that pass by the area will see your name on the sign announcing your sponsorship.
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Special Events and Outreach
103.Volunteer your time to a charity or non-profit organization.
104.Donate your product or service to a charity auction.
105.Appear on a panel at a professional seminar.
106.Write a How To pamphlet or article for publishing.
107.Produce and distribute an educational e-book.
108.Publish a book.
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How to Attract New Clients: 50+ Tips in 50 Minutes - Rick Telberg
7/10/2013
AccountantsWorld www.accountantsworld.com 13
Sales Ideas
109.Start every day with two cold calls.
110.Read newspapers, business journals, and trade publications for new business openings, personnel appointments, and promotion announcements made by companies.
111.Send your business literature to appropriate individuals and firms.
112.Give your sales literature to your lawyer, accountant, printer, banker, temp agency, office supply salesperson, advertising agency, etc. (Expand your sales force for free!)
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Sales Ideas
113.Follow up on your direct mailings, email messages, and broadcast faxes with a friendly telephone call.
114.Use broadcast email messages to notify your customers of product service updates.
115.Extend your hours of operation.
116.Remind clients of the services you provide that they aren’t currently buying.
117.Call and/or send mail to former clients to try and reactivate them.
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How to Attract New Clients: 50+ Tips in 50 Minutes - Rick Telberg
7/10/2013
AccountantsWorld www.accountantsworld.com 14
Thank You
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Rick Telberg cpatrendlines.com