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A good follow-up will change everything. Here's a short story that makes the point. I was working with several mortgage brokers. We were developing a large-scale lead generation process. Part of this process was to gain leads from companies like Money Supermarket. The process worked like this. Someone looking for a mortgage fills in their details on Money Supermarket. They expect to get the best quote. However, Money Supermarket sells their data to one particular broker at a time. The data then instantly arrives with the broker. As soon as they get the data, they call the prospect. Sometimes, it is so quick that the prospect is still on the Money Supermarket website. Here is the crucial point. They follow up so quickly the prospect, in most cases, does not continue to look for mortgage offers. So, the broker gets the deal. And just by following up super fast and satisfying the prospect's needs. So, follow up quickly and get the deal. If you found this useful, give it a like. If you want to generate valuable leads from your ideal clients, DM me, and let's chat to see if we can help. #brandmarketing  #professionalservices  #marketing

The Art of following up The odds are you miss gaining new contracts because you do not follow up well. Let me explain. Companies spend much time and money on advertising, messaging, and website development. In many cases, this is the focus of their marketing, which is odd. The initial advert is the biggest hurdle to getting clients. So when you have sparked interest, following up well will convert more to clients. Here is a short story that makes the point. Several years ago, I purchased a new home. It was a new build, and the garden was a real mess. It still looked like a building site and was unsuitable for a family. So, I called 3 landscapers about turning the ground into a garden. Nobody replied to my messages. So, I called another 3, and then another 3. I will show my age here, but the phone book was nearly empty! I finally got 3 companies to give me an estimate. But only 1 turned up! Guess who got the gig? The kicker is that things have not changed much since, except we message and not call. Messaging is more manageable than calling, so there should be no excuses. My top tips. 1. Follow up within an hour of getting the message. 2. Provide them with the information they have requested, plus more. 3. Offer to speak to them when it is good for them, not you. 4. Don't just follow up once! It may take 4 or 5 touches. 5. If they don't reply, message back with the offer of help, nothing more. No sales. 6. No reply again? Ask if they are okay. 7. No reply again? Tell them you're sorry you did not hear from them, but this is the last message. 8. You must not appear desperate, even if you are! These simple messages will get you more deals. If you would like to know more about our process, DM me, and I will be happy to have a coffee and chat about what would be good for your company. #brandmarketing #outsourcing #marketing

This story is about how Kylie demonstrated how to sell. Would you expect Kylie to be a marketer? No, I would not have expected it either. However, several years ago, I was working with Warner Bros. One afternoon, I was asked if I would like to attend an event with Kylie. She was massive in the UK then, so the answer was YES! It was not a public event but an internal promotion launch. The launch was with, well, you would call them influencers today. All to promote her new movie. As I was with the Warner team, we met before the start. She was polite, charming and very engaging. Even to me, who she did not know from Adam. After the introductions and small talk, she turned to the director in charge and said. "OK, who are the important people I need to meet?" The director then reeled off the top influencers who were attending. No big deal? But then the magic started. For the next hour, Kylie made a point of meeting everyone on the list. She was charming and engaged in conversation with each influencer, talked about them and made each feel special. You could see from their faces how much they enjoyed meeting her. All without talking about her new movie. On leaving the event, the managing director of Warner Bros leaned over to me and said. "That's how you sell!" She focused on promoting her brand, and it created a fantastic experience. The sales would follow. #brandmarketing #professionalservices #marketing

A successful marketing strategy requires focus. Getting caught up in the excitement of reaching out to everyone is easy. Here is a short story that makes the point. I went to a local networking event, where I met a lovely lady. Her business is baking cookies for lactose-intolerant people. I asked her who her target customer was. She replied, "well, everyone!" So I asked, "How many people are lactose intolerant?" She replied, "About 65%!" I asked, "So in the UK, that would mean about 45 million potential customers. Could you supply them all?" She replied, "Err, no, that would be too many." So I suggested, "In Derby (Her town), I there are around 270,000 people, which means 175,000 perfect potential customers close to you". "If you could supply 1% of those in Derby, that would be 1750 regular customers. How does that sound?" She replied, "That would be amazing!" She understood that a narrow search would still provide a prospect pool and be much easier. If you want to transform your marketing and focus on your ideal clients, DM me, and I will explain our process in detail. #brandmarketing #professionalservices #marketing

Touchpoints are anything a prospect or client sees about your company or service. Your touchpoints are; Adverts Messages Brochures Automation Newsletters Your website White papers Landing pages leads magnets Email signatures Social Media Posts Social Media Profile Company Documents And more, but you get the idea. Each touchpoint must; Tell a story. Showcase your brand. Sync with all your other touchpoints. Lead the viewer in the direction you want. Provide the benefits the viewer is looking for. Your brand is represented by your touchpoints. So how do they work? Bill views an article you wrote on LinkedIn. That is the first touchpoint. Touchpoint 2 is when Bill looks at your profile. Touchpoint 3 is when he looks at your website. Touchpoint 4: He may also look at some of your blogs or articles. Bill forms an image of your company and the services you may offer as he reviews your touchpoints. Creating these touchpoints to work together to tell your story can instil trust in your brand. Bill will be a warm lead when he calls you because he has built confidence via his interactions with your touchpoints. Random touchpoints that are uncoordinated and off-brand have the opposite effect. They sow confusion. If you want to transform your marketing and focus on your ideal clients, drop me a line, and I will explain our process in detail. #brandmarketing #professionalservices #marketing

Some years ago, I had a contract with Guinness. I was lucky enough to meet their global head of marketing and was privileged to spend time with him. Everyone instantly liked him. He was charming, thoughtful, understanding, and a brilliant cookie; he was one of those people. And yes, you would have liked him too!   One Friday afternoon, I asked innocently, “Will you be spending time doing the garden this weekend?” His reply was one of the best advice I have ever heard. He replied. “No, Ian. That’s not my thing. My thing is to provide global marketing. If I need a gardener, I get one. If I need a decorator, I get one. I just do my thing”. He explained that he could pay other people to do their jobs because he became so good at his job. He was better off financially because of the value of his time, and he got a better garden because it was done by people doing their thing.   He later moved from Guinness to one of the world’s largest blue-chip companies, still doing his thing. From this, I focused on one service or skill. My thing is Unify clients' marketing. Finding their ideal clients Creatively outreach Create our clients’ profit What’s your thing? If my thing sounds interesting to you, DM and lets have a chat! #brandmarketing #outsourcing #marketing

Here 6 testimonials from prospects who didn't become clients. "By all means stay in touch. I hope you don't mind me saying, but I thought your approach was much better than the ones we normally receive." Neil. "Thank you so much for your email - which I have to say is one of the best "reach out" emails I have read!" Suzzane. "Great message Ian haha might steal this!" Fenella "Won't lie your reach out msg was too infectious to ignore." Farhana. "Well that pitch did it for me!" Ashlea. "That's truly novel!" Leandro. Not everyone will be ready to buy. That does not mean you cannot start a relationship. In a world of noise, a good message stands out. Make every touchpoint and message count. If you want to transform your marketing and focus on your ideal clients, drop me a line, and I will explain our process in detail. #brandmarketing #professionalservices #marketing

Why be niche? This story will explain what happens if your ideal clients do not believe you are a good fit for them. During my early marketing career, I worked for a multi-million-pound dentistry practice. They were pricey, but they were brilliant. They provided procedures that were more like surgery than dentistry. I created the website, marketing materials, CRM, and sales training. In their own words, this is what they said. "The results of working closely with Ian have been nothing short of astounding." The practice expanded from two to seven additional dentists. When you consider how many patients a dentist can have, there is a significant number of additional private patients. Then, out of nowhere, the owner contacted to announce that they had hired another company to construct a new website. He explained why when I inquired. "Because they just do websites for dentists." It didn't matter if our approach had made hundreds of thousands of pounds and was proven. When clients believe you are an expert in a particular field, you will be considered one. If you want to transform your marketing and focus on your ideal clients, drop me a line, and I will explain our process in detail. #brandmarketing #professionalservices #marketing