Vol. 2 No. 1 January 2005

From the Editor: In this issue we give you more tips for getting the most out of your new year. Special thanks to Bob Bly and Ilise Benun for their continued interest and support with this newsletter. This month’s issue includes an excerpt from Ilise’s upcoming book on promoting your consulting services. And thanks to Gary North for contributing his article on why one needs a career exit strategy...particularly useful if you are considering launching your own consulting business.

"It's not how much you do, it's how often you do it. It simply doesn't matter if you make some monumental effort at any given time. You have it in you to give that extra little bit. You know that you could add that finishing touch. You know you can take that extra step."
--Marilyn Moats Kennedy

You’re offering a great service that everybody needs, right? But so are many other people. So what separates you from the pack? Though you may feel that your work speaks for itself, your work can’t dial the phone, send out a letter or log on to the Internet. Marketing your services and products depends on your ability to talk about them – otherwise, what your prospects don’t know can hurt you. It is essential that you know how to translate the facts about your business into benefits your prospect can see and respond to.

Aside from the impression others may have about what you do, there are objective, concrete facts – the nuts and bolts about your business – which can begin to bridge the gap between you and your potential clients. But facts alone are not enough. Your prospect has a need and what he wants is to hear how you can satisfy his need: the benefits of your facts will tell him this.

Working with Facts and Benefits
Facts are concrete and they include details about the products and services you offer: your area of specialization, your primary markets, the location of your company, the materials or equipment you use, as well as your professional background and business policies.

Benefits are subjective and may be different for each prospect, depending on their needs. Benefits illustrate to a prospect why she needs you and how you will help her. The benefits you show her will compel her to work with you instead of with someone else.

Finding the Facts and Identifying the Benefits
Facts are so elemental to your work that they may be hard to identify. You can find facts about your business by asking yourself some simple questions.

Q: How long have you been in business?

Fact: I’ve been in business four years.

Each fact has at least one benefit, but often many more. To find the benefits, put yourself in your prospect’s shoes and ask, “So what? How will that help me?” She must hear the answer to her need, reservation or hesitation in order to make the choice to work with you. Here are a few of the benefit statements created from the fact, “I have been in business 4 years and….”

Listen to your prospect’s needs and tailor your response to her, pointing out the benefits most relevant to her situation. Be sensitive and listen underneath her words for what she really wants. She may say she wants a brochure, but does she want you to take the project off her hands, or does she want to be involved in the process? Those are the details you have to listen for, and respond to.

Your prospect may or may not know a lot about computers, but she can understand the importance of compatibility and a quick turnaround from idea to product.

To find more benefits, again, put yourself in your prospect’s shoes and answer these questions:

How will this product or service help me?
How will this fulfill the need I have?
How will this save me time, energy and money?

Facts and benefits can open the door to a greater understanding of and appreciation for your time, effort and creativity. The knowledge you gain from this process will allow you to take an active part in nurturing client relationships, instead of feeling powerless as they make their decisions. Having the verbal skills to translate your talents into facts and benefits, which, in turn, gives you a competitive advantage.

When used in tandem, facts and benefits can have a surprising power to demystify your business and bring people into a working relationship with you. The business-owner or salesperson who can communicate clearly and professionally will fare better in tough times as well as prosperous ones.

Ilise Benun, author of “Self Promotion Online” and “Designing Websites for Every Audience,” writes, consults and gives workshops about online and offline self promotion. Sign up for her Quick Online Marketing Tips here: http://www.artofselfpromotion.com/tips.html

When you're talking job security, hardly anything beats being a Rolling Stone. While nobody understands how the Stones have done it, everyone understands what they have done. They have kept their audience. Their fans aged along with them, but the music the fans loved in 1967 is what they will still pay to hear, live and on stage, today.

Everyone who goes to work each day has an audience. Most people have a layered audience: a manager, his supervisor, and the boss. There may be more or fewer layers. The paying audience of customers is represented by the intermediaries. So, the worker's audience is not direct; it's represented.

This is not true in my case. I have far more direct contact with my audience than most employees do. I communicate with a traditional medium: written words. But the Internet has altered the distribution of words. For the first time in human history, the Internet has eliminated the gatekeepers. Nobody can limit my access to readers because he controls paper, ink, or a distribution system. E-mail is essentially free of charge. This has changed the world, and it will continue to change it.

What e-mail has done for me, it can do for anyone who can write and who has something relevant to say. Let me give you an example of how this can work. Recently, I spoke with a youthful salesman at a major electronics-retailing store. He sells computers. He isn't working on commission, so he will never make a good living at that store. He will have to quit.

He knows about computers. He is dealing with newcomers who know very little about them. Herein lies an opportunity. I told him that he should start a free e-mail newsletter for his customers. He should offer to everyone who buys a computer from him the right to sign up for information on how to get started. He needs a business card that offers a free report, sent automatically on request by an autoresponder.

There are two ways that he can continue to communicate with these people. First, for $10 a month, he can use a sequential autoresponder service, such as biz-reply.com, to send them a series of brief reports.

He can also write a monthly newsletter on whatever interests him that might interest them. If he thinks that a product his store sells is good, he can mention it at some point. Get readers back into the store to buy something. This way, his manager won't get upset about his newsletter. The company won't send down a directive calling a halt to it.

The whole idea is to keep in touch with his readers. That's because at some point he will want to quit his job -- and will then be able to use his newsletter to sell information or computer-related services to them.

For my monthly (or more often) Christian economics newsletter (ice@add.postmastergeneral.com), I use a service called Mindshare Design. You can use this service to start a newsletter free of charge. Up to 30 people can subscribe before you have to pay a monthly fee. Then it's under $20 per month. The software is very easy to use. And they don't send out an automatic ad attached to your letter.

You could use Outlook Express or Eudora to do the same thing. (Note: If you know how to manage a newsletter with Outlook Express, write up a brief manual and I'll promote it to my list.)

Initially, maybe you will do no more than occasionally send out links to Web pages or otherwise inform your readers about useful, interesting things. But, over time, your list will grow. And because these people will have come to trust you, you will have a receptive audience for anything you wish to sell.

One "master" of this strategy writes a free e-mail newsletter that reaches 100,000 people. He uses the free newsletter to sell a second newsletter for $49 a year. At last report, he had (get this!) 50,000 paid subscribers.

People say they want financial freedom. The way to get it is to get 50,000 paying fans. Even 500 would be good enough, if they paid enough. By distributing your sources of income, you reduce your risk. This is what is called diversification. It's diversification within a very narrow market. It's investing your time in an area where you have a competitive advantage: specialized information. Then, within this narrow market, you try to find people who will become fans and pass along your information.

Think of that computer salesman. He meets people all day. He sells expensive equipment to them. They could become his initial base of fans. It is as if he were standing at the side of the road. At his feet is a gutter. Down that gutter floats an occasional $1 bill. If he were to buy a scooper, he could do very well. Get a large enough gutter, and the money is substantial.

When your source of income is one person -- a manager -- you are at extreme risk. If he changes his mind about you, you're toast. If he is fired, or quits, and his replacement has his own agenda into which you and your talents do not fit, you're also toast.

From 1945 to 1980, there were tens of millions of Americans who thought they were immune to the ax. They worked in large corporations with fixed hierarchies. People rarely got fired. Then, one by one, those large companies were replaced by leaner, meaner firms that used computer technology to scrape away several layers of management. The flow of information got much cheaper and more direct, so those employees who had served as information gatekeepers found themselves unemployed.

I tell young people today that they should begin to build up their own personal mailing lists. They need to become part of a networking system. They need to develop an audience of people who trust them.

That's why long-term career strategists join the Rotary Club or other civic associations: to build up a network of friends who can, in a career crisis, help them.

If you look ahead at the potential of being fired, or being asked to move, or some other bump in your career path, you should begin to make exit plans. Every major plan in life deserves an exit strategy. This includes your career.

Conclusion: The Internet is just getting started. Mailing lists are being established daily. They can serve as independent businesses or supplements to existing businesses. Most won't be standalone profit centers, but they can all be used to create name identification and trust. There is no doubt in my mind that a person with a mailing list of 200 people of like mind is in a good position when a recession, or some other career disaster, hits. He has his own network.

You should begin thinking carefully about this. What could you do to convert your existing mailing list ("addresses") into a more systematic one? To what uses could you put a list of 200 people? Do you have something to say (or forward) that would be worthwhile to recipients? If not, why not? How can you begin to extend your influence?

If your career depends on one person, you're at risk. Start thinking about ways to broaden your audience -- even if it's only by creating an occasional forwarding service for interesting items on the Web.

(For more information about Gary North's economic newsletter, Gary North's "Reality Check”, go to: www.dailyreckoning.com/sub/etr.cfm.)

Introducing your consulting services to a brand new market
By Ilise Benun

Whether you are just starting out or simply feel it’s time to branch out, January is the perfect time to introduce your consulting services to a brand new market. Either way, know in advance that introducing yourself to a brand new market takes time and effort, so it is best done parallel to marketing efforts already in progress in the market (or markets) where you have a foothold.

Rather than start completely from scratch, build your new market on something that already exists, such as a recent project for a new client. This often happens organically, as it should. You are approached about a project by someone you wouldn’t have thought to contact. You do the project, you enjoy it, do a good job, the client is satisfied and you start wondering how you can use that experience to generate more like it.

If that isn’t the case, you can also start from scratch by saying to yourself something like, “I want to work in the entertainment industry. It looks like a lot of fun and I think I would enjoy it.”

The point is that you are in the driver’s seat here. It’s your consulting practice, so why not choose a market that you want to work with and people you get along with. So where do you start:

Step 1: Do your homework. Find out who are the major players in your industry of choice. Read industry publications. Make phone calls to strangers. Attend industry events to see if what you believe about that industry is in fact true. (Often, it isn’t.) Search out other consultants who are already working in the industry and find out what the environment is like for them. Some may not be willing to share information with you but you will certainly find someone who is, so keep looking and don’t approach them from a competitive point of view. Instead, approach with questions, from a research point of view as if (and this may in fact be true) you are considering entering the market but not sure yet whether you should. Approach them for help and ask what their business is like. Is there room for more? Is the industry expanding or diminishing? Is this a good time to enter that particular industry?

Step 2: Join the trade group. Once you have done your research and decided this is the industry for you, find the market’s trade organization and join it. If there are several groups to choose from, find out which is most active, has the best reputation and draws the specific people you need to meet. For example, in the cable industry, there are several groups (Women in Cable and Telecommunications, National Association of Broadcasters, National Association of Minorities in Communications, and many, many more), but only one that brings together marketing people in the cable industry -- Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing. That’s obviously the one to join if you want to interact with marketing people.

If you can’t find a trade group for the market you’ve chosen, you should seriously consider choosing another market. If there is no trade association dedicated to it, it may not be a serious market, and therefore not worth your time. If there’s no group that has a line of communication to your prospects, organizes events for your prospects (and through which you can meet them in person), your workload will multiply tremendously.

Step 3: Attend a few events. Continue doing your research and interviewing people you meet to find out what the industry is like, whether these people are open to using consultants, whether it’s a close-knit industry and therefore difficult to break into or whether they are open to new resources. These are questions you have to ask directly of the people you meet. You can’t divine the answers from surfing the web site or reading their monthly newsletter. Making contact with actual members is essential and will provide you with information you wouldn’t even know to look for otherwise.

Step 4: Get involved. Don’t think that simply sending your money and reading the monthly email newsletter will get you new clients. Once you’ve determined that this is the market for you, you must get involved in the life of that market. Here’s how:

2. Attend an educational event -- even if the topic isn’t of particular interest to you -- to find out what kind of people attend the events. For example, you may join the American Marketing Association with the assumption that you’ll easily find marketing directors of corporations at their meetings. In fact, however, many of the AMA chapter events are attended by consultants and owners of market research firms, most of whom are also looking for prospects. This means you’ll have to do a little more digging to find out where and how to meet your actual prospects. Maybe they attend the annual conferences or participate on the listserv operated by the trade group. This information is not readily available and you will need to develop a relationship with someone at the organization in order to find out.

3. Volunteer to be on a committee. People get to know each other by working together on projects, which is why a trade association is the perfect catalyst for getting to know new prospects. The structure is already in place for you; all you have to do is make the effort to work within it. It’s crucial that your prospects see you work. So find out what needs to be done, especially as it relates to your expertise, and then volunteer to do it. For example, if the group needs someone to interface with local press to publicize meetings, raise your hand to do that. If they need someone to write copy for event invitations, raise your hand to do that. If they need someone to organize an event, raise your hand to do that (but get help). Choose tasks that will bring you into contact with other members, members of the press or big wigs in the industry. This can give a door opener that you wouldn’t ever have otherwise and can put you in the vicinity of people who wouldn’t take your call otherwise.

Step 4: Introduce yourself to the administrators of the group. Let them know who you are and what you do. Ask what opportunities are available for you to interact with your prospects. Find out whether you can teach a workshop, conduct a TeleSeminar or web cast or submit an article for their online and offline publications. Don’t be shy and secretive about why you are joining the group. There is nothing shameful about wanting to promote your services to them. After all, they just may have a need for them.

Step 5: Get the member directory and use it to make cold calls. Many trade groups are turning their offline directories into online-only directories, but no matter the format, make it your business to use this list of qualified prospects to make your cold calls. Warm the call up a bit by introducing yourself as a fellow member of the organization, let your prospects know where you got their name and then tell them why you’re calling.

This is an excerpt from an upcoming publication on promoting your consulting services, written by Ilise Benun, chair of the ACL Board, as well as being a national speaker, the author of Self Promotion Online and a Marketing Mentor. More info here: www.marketing-mentor.com

I had one episode of terrible back pain in the early 1990s -- the result of twisting while bending over to pick up a pair of socks. Since then, I've been careful to maintain good posture. In addition...

Stay active even when in pain. Studies show that back pain gets worse when patients give up exercise or daily activities. Move around as much as you're able. Daily walks are ideal.

Take over-the-counter painkillers. I recommend anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen or naproxen, as soon as the pain begins. These can reduce the inflammation that causes back pain to linger.

Don't be captive to your computer. Change position once an hour to stretch your muscles and improve circulation.

David Borenstein, MD, is a rheumatologist and clinical professor of medicine at George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC, and author of Back in Control! (Evans).

Like what you see? Have suggestions for topics that you would like Board members to address? Send us your comments and suggestions to: American Consultants League, c/o Early to Rise

Consulting Tips Newsletter
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Editor: Denise Ford

ACL Board Members: Mark Amtower, Ilise Benun, Bob Bly, Tony Narinesingh, Ruth Stevens, Valerie Young, Deeba Jafri, Michael Masterson