Question

Topic: Strategy

Marketing Coaching Services To Business Owners

Posted by Anonymous on 7/9/2007 at 12:34 PM ET 250 Points
I offer advisory services to small business owners, particularly strategic planning and leadership development.

I currently market my services through a variety of promotional activities including the web, direct mail, newsletters, professional networking and several other activities.

Owners are very difficult to get to and I have found it extremely difficult to find prospects, selling them and making them happy has not been a problem, but I just cannot seem to get an opportunity to see them.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to get to small business owners?
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by CarolBlaha on 7/9/2007 at 12:45 PM Accepted
    Your existing activities are good, but you need to add some activities that aren't so passive. You need to call the owners directly. Create a non commercial statement and do some public speaking. Create your own marketing plan, with daily action items that will get you in front of their face.

    Carol
    Sell Well and Prosper tm
  • Posted by telemoxie on 7/9/2007 at 6:18 PM Accepted
    Have you read the book, "Selling to VITO" ? This book has been highly recommended... I read it a couple weeks ago, and plan to read it again, and to make several of it's recommendations a part of my marketing process. It is filled with ideas about marketing and selling to the Very Important Top Officer (VITO).
  • Posted on 7/9/2007 at 6:47 PM Accepted
    Reference Marketing would be the best way to produce results; It would be a good idea to get business owners who work with you to quote the benefits of the work. Potentially get them infront of prospectives, like proposed in the forum at chamber meetings etc. - potentially offer customers a refund/free sessions if referrrals are made ...
  • Posted by Chris Blackman on 7/10/2007 at 5:43 AM Member
    Mike

    I think you're looking at the problem from the wrong perspective. If you look at it right, you'll see all your prospects are simply hidden in plain sight.

    "Small business owners" isn't a primary segment or category that can be meaningfully addressed. the only reason your targets are small businesses is maybe because you haven't met them and helped them grow yet.

    But your targets are actually owners of small businesses like dress shops, cafes, restaurants, delis, motor mechanics, web designers, training companies, builders, architects and interior designers, doctors, chirpractors, gyms and dentists...

    They don't see themselves as being in "small business" - they see themselves as owning a business in a particular profession, category or industry. It's only a small business because of its size, not becauise of what they do there!

    Check the categories in the yellow pages with which you feel comfortable coaching. Go through and start calling - ask for the owner. If the person who answers the phone doesn't know who the owner is, they're probably not a prospect. You say you have no problem selling once you get to speak to them.

    I think you just need to redefine and resegment your market. "Small business" alone is far too poor a description to be able to see who you're really looking for.

    Hope that helps.

    ChrisB
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