Years ago we sold our services right from the start. We offered a variety of marketing services that we still offer today. But there was a big problem.
We did our part and clients were happy with our marketing services. Over a few weeks or months we would learn about a variety of other things, marketing, advertising, print and digital, that our clients were doing. We had clients who would buy a new “shiny object” or expensive media purchase then email us and say, “Check it out…isn’t it great?”
Sometimes the answer was “yes,” but other times it was, “Ooops. That was a waste.”
So we added Discovery & Diagnosis Consultation and it allowed us to dig deeper into our new client’s business.
Here is what happened:
- I often find places within the client’s existing business to boost their profits without any extra spending. I call this the “Hidden Profit Analysis”.
- I find areas that the client could save money or spend it more effectively…none of which has anything to do with our services, unless it’s a perfect fit.
- Clients are steered in the right direction instead of running and spending aimlessly in the wrong direction.
It worked out great for clients and for us. Sometimes (but not always) clients end up saving money over and above what they end up investing in our services(if we move forward together.) So it’s like our services are free.
There are a few reasons why I was inspired to write this article:
- There are media salespeople out there who are very good at hyping and selling their media to you…but they are not good at analyzing whether you will even benefit from what they offer.
- There are wannabe marketing people who have 500 friends on Facebook and decide they are a social media expert — or worse — a marketing expert.
- There are people with impressive technical skills for social use, website tweaking, graphics creation and more…but they have no real business savvy.
All of the above may hurt your business or your wallet; and quite frankly, it ticks me off. They take advantage of business owners who are too busy running their business to fully grasp what marketing works today…and it makes real marketing and advertising experts look bad.
So before you dive into services or buying media, talk to someone who takes a consultative-advisory approach to find out what you really need. If someone truly wants you to succeed, they should ask about your business and NOT just sell you their services. If they are really good they may be able to help you make more money or save money and effort that is currently heading out the door.
Check out our Discovery & Diagnosis Consultation.
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