Q:What are the most effective lead generation strategies for health care consulting companies?
Dr. Kennedy Ononaeke Managing Consultant and CEO, Winning Edge Consulting, Ltd. Lagos, Nigeria
A: Most, if not all, business managers in the service industry are wondering the same thing. We all want to attract more new clients to our businesses, but are unsure of the most effective strategies for lead generation. And who has time to waste on ineffective marketing?
Fortunately, there are no-hassle ways to increase your new client leads. By increasing your business’s visibility with potential clients and positioning yourself as the expert, you will increase your business’s appeal and improve your lead generation. Here’s how:
Be visible in your prospect’s industry. While networking is important, it does have it’s limitations in that you can only create visibility on a slower one to one scale. You can gain much greater traction in your visibility by getting your articles published in targeted industry journals, newsletters and targeted websites. You can also add greater visibility through speaking.
Since you are in the healthcare consulting business, effective lead generation tactics for you would include:
•Writing articles for journals, magazines and websites targeted to hospital groups where you address solving one specific problem that is high on their “pain” list.
•Delivering workshops, keynotes, seminars and webinars to hospital Association groups and to banking groups and other industry association groups of those who would make strong referral sources for you. The key to making this a lead generation tactic is to make sure you end all of your articles and your workshops with some sort of offer to capture names and contact information of those who want to receive ongoing communication with you.
Now, if you’re a service professional – like an attorney, financial advisor, CPA, etc – writing and speaking may be something you have already started to do. But, what if you’re a landscape designer or an interior decorator? Yes, you can still adopt these same strategies. Consider launching how-to workshops for specific target audiences like “How to Create Serene Spaces for Mothers of Pre-Schoolers” … “Keep Your Restaurant Buzzing with the Right Landscape Design” … “Interior Design Strategies to Enhance Your Law Firm Branding” …
Ask for client referrals and testimonials.Client referrals can be your best marketing tool. In fact, there are many businesses that rely solely on client referrals for lead generation. Why? Because who knows your business better than your clients? Asking for a referral is easy. Simply say something like “It’s been a pleasure doing business with you. I always enjoy working with clients who are so motivated and excited to try new ideas. Who do you know in the pharmaceutical industry who you think may be interested in our quality services?”. And don’t forget about testimonials. Client testimonials may be the deciding factor for new clients shopping for a consulting firm. Include your client’s rave reviews on your website and in your advertisements and newsletter.
Share your knowledge and expertise. Give potential clients a free taste of your expertise with a blog, video tutorial, or e-newsletter (like the wonderful one that you’re currently reading!). Sure, you’re giving away a tiny bit of knowledge for free, but think of it like a big slice of chocolate cake. If you give your clients a small fork-full of frosting, they’re going to want to eat the cake too. By sharing a taste of your knowledge, potential clients become aware of your expertise and will be grateful for your helpful tips. They will inevitably come to you, the expert, when they need personalized assistance.
If you’re feeling lost when it comes to marketing, you’re not alone! Many business owners are great at their business, but not necessarily great at marketing their businesses. If you’re ready to win the game of marketing once and for all, then take a look at my Marketing Action Small GROUP Coaching program.
Just shoot me an email and I’ll send you the complete information about this game changing marketing system. YoonCannon@ParamountBusinessCoach.com
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Business Growth Expert Yoon Cannon has helped thousands of CEOs, entrepreneurs & small business owners achieve dramatic results in sales, productivity and profits. Over the past 20 years, Yoon has started 4 other companies and sold 3 of them. She is the author of numerous articles published in major print media and magazines. She is also a popular keynote speaker. Get Yoon’s free video “How to Find Your WOW Factor” at https://www.ParamountBusinessCoach.com. Call Yoon direct at (215) 292-4947. Leave a Comment Through Facebook
Remember the movie The Devil Wears Prada? In case you don’t, it’s the one where Meryl Streep plays the single minded magazine editor. She lives for her power within the fashion industry. She can make or break an upcoming designer’s career as well as the ones of her subordinates. Self serving and arrogant, she epitomizes the “bad boss”. She demeans her staff with a withering look and expects them to do whatever it takes to please her quixotic requests. Get a yet unpublished copy of J.K. Rowling’s latest Harry Potter tale by 3 p.m. today?
Hopefully, you’ve never had to deal a boss quite this arrogant but what kind of boss are you? If you don’t care to know, you should. Because your boss ratings have a high impact on your people’s productivity level and in your people’s level of loyalty. That translates back to you not only to dollars and cents, but also to unnecessary stress and wasted time. (more…)
Question: Dear Coach Cannon: What can restaurants learn about successful marketing strategies from other industries?
Answer: In a down economy when budget is tight a great low-cost marketing strategy is in planning PR Events:
PR EVENTS: Plan special PR events targeted to very specific market niches.
1. Define your niche
2. Establish the emotional appeal
3. Choose the attraction
4. Decide what to use for retention after the event
5. Have an email capturing strategy during the event
6. Cross promote with other local businesses.
For example: a restaurant could have a Cinderella Party. The niche would be mothers of pre-schooler’s through 3rd graders. The emotional appeal is something like: Bring your little princess to the Cinderella Party dressed in her princess costume at ___ Restaurant on ___ date/time. The attraction: Dance with Cinderella, glitter glam makeup center, free cotton candy, prizes for wearing your costume! There are a number of creative ways for retention to keep your restaurant top of mind from all those who attended the event through useful promotional products. This Cinderella party is only one example of a niched PR event. You can plan events, themes and attractions to niche to any subset of your community.
PR Events are very successful for many industries because it not only brings additional foot traffic to your business, but the press releases before and after the event leverage a ton of FREE advertising! Submit a collection of photos and the newspapers will often dedicate a full page color spread on covering your event. To kick it up a notch, bring in a local celebrity to your event.
Got a question about your business? Submit your marketing, branding, advertising, PR, hiring, firing, staff training, customer service, sales, business management, leadership development, and other business questions to yooncannon@paramountbusinesscoaching.com.
QUESTION: I am doing a trade show next month. How do I create a stand out booth?
1. If you have never exhibited at the particular trade show before ask the event organizer for any photos of booths from the previous year. Evaluate what the majority of booths have in common and seek to create a design that stands out from those styles.
2. Avoid the “mom and pop” version of a display table. You don’t want your booth to resemble a yard sale with just brochures laid out on the table. If you are not naturally creative solicit the help of those you know who are creative. If you don’t have the budget to purchase professional trade show structures from supply vendors you can still create a professional looking booth from simple wood structures covered in fabric you can build in an afternoon.
3. Choose just 3-4 words to position your company. Too often small businesses try to get their entire features and benefits written all over their booth, but attendees don’t have the time or interest to read wordy booths. Also, when you only have 3 or 4 words to work with you can display those words much larger. Letters ideally should be 2′ in height for attendees to read easily from an aisle away.
4. Meet their immediate need at the trade show. You want to drive traffic to your booth regardless of whether they are all from people in your target market. When you have a small crowd at your booth it creates a buzz and creates an even bigger crowd. Here are popular needs you can meet:
a. a sturdy shoulder bag for the attendee to put all of their brochures in. (make sure it has your company name, tagline, website and phone on it)
b. a treat for their sugar cravings
c. a snack to curb their hunger
d. a few massage chairs or regular chairs with massage pads to give their tired feet and backs a break
e. balloons, a cartoon video, a costumed character for their bored kids
f. a compelling raffle drawing give-away
Got a question about your business? Submit your marketing, branding, advertising, PR, hiring, firing, staff training, customer service, sales, business management, leadership development, and other business questions here or send an email to yooncannon@paramountbusinesscoach.com.
Question: “How do you get them to “buy into” your company vision/goals and carry them out effectively — not just having them understand what the goals/vision are, but really believe in the value of the goals/vision and carry them out in motivated fashion?“
1. Have a higher purpose vision: most of my construction – home improvement clients either do not have a specific vision for their companies, or their vision is merely in terms of sales figure goals. While you the owner may be motivated by the growth of your company’s sales figures that doesn’t mean much to your workers. Part of having your people “buy into” your vision is that vision has a greater purpose for existing. What you are all about as a person greatly influences what you company is all about . What crusade — what mission can you accomplish using your construction company as the vehicle to carry that out?
2. Communicate your vision constantly: It’s not enough to just verbalize your vision to your people once or twice. Let them see it in print written in your employee handbook, written on the walls, written on their performance evaluation forms, attached to their paycheck envelopes, communicated at your weekly crew meetings. It’s hard for people to buy into something they only hear about briefly once or twice.
3. Help them achieve their goals and vision: Workers often perceive their bosses (the owners) as only being concerned about how the workers can benefit them. But, people by nature are self serving. The starting place to motivating workers to carry out your vision for the company is for you to find out how you can help them carry out their career goals through your company. This gets done 1 on 1. Some of your workers greatest need may be for stability, while others may desire the perks of leadership roles of crew leader, foreman, general manager or operations manager. Find out the what and the why behind their goals and together map out the “how” you can help them get there.
Got a question about your business? Submit your marketing, branding, advertising, PR, hiring, firing, staff training, customer service, sales, business management, leadership development, and other business questions here or send an email to yooncannon@paramountbusinesscoach.com.
