How to Earn the Right

"How to Earn the Right..."

Marketing your professional services is a lot like dating: you haveto earn the right to be intimate.

In both endeavors, you can't skip or rush through levels of intimacyfor the relationship to work. Whether it's a new flame or a newclient, you have to build trust that leads to deeper levels ofcommitment.

Think about it: people that you want for clients start out asstrangers. They don't know about you and your firm. So you can'texpect them to jump into a long-term relationship with you beforethey move from stranger, to acquaintance, to friend, to lover, andthen to loyal partner.

I don't need to spell out the analogy to dating in detail for you toget the idea, but this point is key: don't expect strangers to committo your professional services until you move them through the trust-building phases of developing a relationship.

Think of marketing as a path to earning your clients' commitment.For definitions of each phase, read on. For ideas on how to movethrough each phase, read the rest of this article.

Strangers. Strangers don't know who you are and don't see thedifference between you and others offering your same service. Atfirst glance, you might be another pretty face in the crowd, butthat's about it. The key here is to catch and hold attention from theright kinds of prospects.

Acquaintances. In the business world, Acquaintances shop based onprice and availability. They won't pay for value and want the goodsfast. Off-the-shelf is fine, with no customization required. You getlittle or no loyalty from Acquaintances. While not the way to grow aprofessional service firm, there are ways to serve this market, aswell as move through this segment.

Friends. At this phase, you might be working closely with a client,or you might still be earning their trust. In general, Friends tendto have some kind of working agreement in place that includespricing, service and deliverables. Whether you've done one project ora small amount of work for a Friend, there are still other fish inthe sea.

Lovers...are highly bonded business partners in explicitlynegotiated, contractually defined relationships of commitment andtrust. They enjoy all the benefits of a trust-based relationshipincluding regular, frequent and open communication, insider benefits,discounts, and customized solutions.

Loyal Partners...have been working together for some time, usuallyyears. They easily refer business back and forth to each other andtruly believe that they are the best solution in the market for theniche they serve. They've learned a lot from each other and each isbetter for having known and worked with the other.

To move your prospects and clients from Strangers to Loyal Partners,give these things a try:

To catch a Stranger's eye: You've got to turn heads. This meansknowing whom you want to attract, and then communicating the rightthings to get and hold their attention. In other words, you've got toposition yourself well against the competition, and speak (or write)in terms of your target audience's WIIFM (What's In It For Me?).

Get the first 10 words dead right, or it won't matter how brilliantyour next 100 words are because your prospect won't stick around.It's like the difference between a cheesy pick-up line and athoughtful conversation-starter. When you introduce yourself, putcontent on your homepage, or write the headline of an article,communicate with your target audience's interests in mind.

To move from Strangers to Acquaintances: You've attracted attention, so now what? You must keep your prospectengaged. The best way to do that is to ask them questions aboutthemselves, related to problems you can solve. At this point in the"conversation" (while networking, on your website, in an article,through direct mail, on the phone, in a sales meeting) it should beall about them, not about you.

Instead of going on about your services, use short questionnaires,self-assessments and attentive questions to...

* Ask about what they struggle with, wish they could do better, orwant from your kind of professional service;

* Learn as much as you can about their world and reciprocate slowlyby answering their questions;

* Let them control the pacing, without overwhelming them with toomuch information that they haven't asked for.

* Determine if you can send an article related to their needs thatthey might find of value.

Basic (but effective) relationship-building tactics include a hand-written follow-up note, sending the article you mentioned, andpolitely gauging interest in more contact. At this point, it may beappropriate to take another step to get to know each other better (afirst date!) in the form of a follow up call, meeting over coffee, oroffice visit.

To move from Acquaintances to Friends: This may be where a prospect decides to buy your services, butprobably not. It's too early - you haven't built your case yet forhow you're uniquely qualified to do a better job at meeting yourprospect's needs than anyone else in your field.

To build your case, you need to demonstrate your reliability,staying power and visibility (i.e., through a WIIFM-oriented e-newsletter); authority (through credentials, testimonials, casestudies, and awards); value (by clearly communicating outcomes andresults, and demystifying how you'll work together); and minimize thebuyer's risk (through guarantees, references, follow through).

This could be when a prospect is willing to spend a little bit ofmoney with you on something perceived as low-risk. For example, youcould sell your expertise packaged into information-based productssuch as workbooks, lessons or talks on tape or CD, and premiumreports. All of these things let prospects get to know you better,deepen trust, and help move their confidence in you to the next level.

To move from Friends to Lovers:You've built your case, demonstrated to your client's satisfactionthat you're a safe bet, and continue to stand out from the crowd.You've discussed the tough things like money, decision-makingauthority, and possible derailleurs. Deepening the commitment withyou feels natural, safe and like the right thing to do.

As Lovers, you'll be engaged in regular and long-term business.You'll learn a lot about each other, communication preferences, howto navigate conflict, and how to manage expectations. You'll onlysustain the relationship at this level if you keep it fresh bycontinuing to gauge and meet their needs. You can't take theirbusiness for granted. Innovation is important, based on what yourbest clients ask for or struggle with.

To move from Lovers to Loyal Partners:Newer, flashier competitors may come on the scene, but your LoyalPartners aren't going anywhere. You alone are their number one choicefor the professional service your firm provides. If someone elseapproaches them, they'll let you know about it and give you a chanceto meet their needs first. As with any successful long-termrelationship, you've learned to use conflict constructively, don'ttake their loyalty for granted, and continue to reward them for theirtrust and commitment.

In a worthwhile relationship, you can't rush something good. Thinkabout moving through these phases over time - not in one conversationor even two meetings. When it's too good too soon, relationships areusually hollow or troubled (with clients and in love!). I've learnedto slow down, pace the conversation, and ask a lot of questions. Theresults are consistently better and longer lasting.

Whatever you do, your message and actions have got to be authenticand in your clients' best interests. Any smart prospect or clientwill see right through the "lines" of a Player - someone who's onlyout for the score. I doubt that's how you want to be positioned inthe marketplace, and it's certainly no way to build a business.

If this sounds like a lot of work, you're right. But consider thepayoff: rock solid, long lasting relationships with clients thatdeepen and enrich everyone over time.

(c) 2004 TurningPointe Marketing, Inc. All rights reserved.
Marketing educator, Kelly O'Brien, is creator of the "Create a
TurningPointe!" Marketing Bootcamp. To learn more about this step-by-step
program, and to sign up for FREE how-to articles and 20-page marketing
guide, visit http://www.turningpointemarketing.com