Part 15 (1/2)

Introducing new services and entering new markets

Words of wisdo difference At et the list of attendees for preshow o to a shoith 1,000 attendees ”hoping to s il be there” Why not cal the 100 bigwigs beforehand and set s with 20 of them?

Your fol ow-up from the show can often mean the difference between success and failure

Work the trade shoith the sa you do

Aggressive and forward-thinking coy But beware: Many a company has lost a lot of money and spent a lot of time for little return because it wasn't careful

Couy is there; being there because you have to ”do soo to or exhibit at a trade show You've got to have a strategy for each show Don't just go

Not working the show Too many people show up at a trade show and look forward to a vacation away fro solely on trade shows to the detri tactics Make sure trade shows fit in yourunrealistic or no expectations Shows can be good for lead generation and exposure, but you have to work to get theshows Make sure your target buyers are in attendance

Identity, Collateral, Presentations ”Sounds interesting-can you send et these questions, and we al like to have good answers for theood as we put our first foot forward

Brand identity and colateraland business develop differerence in a firet in the door and win new business

Typically good for:Creating emotional connections and positive i

Connecting with and educating clients, prospects, and internal teanition and articulation

Providing a backdrop for deeper interaction for your firraphic design define what league you're in Buyers need to connect with you before they buy Regardless of the specific es you want to communicate, does the quality of your brand look and feel world-class or simply classy or done on the cheap?

Calibrate the a at your firm For some firms, al they have is a business card and a web site No other materials are necessary For other firms, elaborate presentations and various pieces of support ner and art director, and let theestions, don't try to take over the design process yourself If you don't like their work, diset a new team Don't try to do their jobs yourself That doesn't usual y turn out wel

Co col ateral materials as crutches Especial y people who are new at business developh-qualitytooProfessionals often feel the need to walk people through theiron for 40This typical y isn't helpful for connecting with people and developing business

TooFiros, neeb site designs, and new materials Then the ain Col ateral et out of the way so you can focus on activities that wil actual y rowth

Overreliance in the sel ing process BuyersCan you send me some info?” This can be serious, but it can also be a brush-off When you send et back to me” Send it Wait the appropriate a the relationshi+p and winning business Don't expect col ateral n needs incorrectly If you're sel ing to world-class firms, your o and a trifold brochure are enough, and you don't need to spend serious budget n But keep in mind, as Dad always said, ”Dress for the job you want, not the one you have”

Paying too little attention to your web site For most fir their web sites as good as they possibly can be

Advertising Traditional advertising is typical y broken down into five major areas: TV, radio, print, outdoor, and direct Now, of course, there is also online We cover directin other areas For our purposes here, the questions are: Should you advertise in traditional ood for:Brand recognition and articulation

Overal fir to reach a large, hard-to-pinpoint, diverse audience

Words of wisdo to advertise in print, TV, radio, and so on at al is the first i to be amix Yet, when they feel the need to e Typical y that's aca mechanics

Media choice and placeatepoor choices in easy-to-identify publications that may not be the best for them Choose your media wisely

Have an offer, and h to say, ”coke is it” or ”Wendy's-It's better here” Take a cue froer Woods ads from Accenture Each of those ads has an offer similar to, ”For a deeper look at our research and experience with the world'sour landh performers, visit accentureco too heavily on advertising Fir for the benefit of ”getting our na tactic choice analysis points to greener pastures elsewhere

Advertising that is focused only on brand If you're going to advertise, you should coeneration

Disproportionate an aspects versuses that are too broad (eg, ”We are a different kind of firm,” ”We offer solutions, not just services,” or ”Here are our 15 practice areas”)

Poornot connected to the rest of theand keeps going Few fir right

Publicity ”I'ht leader,” says the person from the firm ”Oh, where have you been published, and what media have picked you up?” asks the buyer

”Oh, I've been published on our web site, but I don't have anyrole in the professional service fir mix, as it can lead to a veritable cornucopia of positive outcoood publicity is expensive and hard to coreat

Typically good for:Building credibility in your targetactivities

Co a reputation as a thought leader

Generating actual leads (so Web traffic and overal impressions of you and your firm

Words of wisdomMake sure your content and stories are of supreme interest to the media, prospects, and buyers-news has to be neorthy What many firms think is neorthy the press doesn't

Iers pick up your stories is a different process froet a story placed in tradelinks to your web site

Iorously It takes financial and huet theperiods of time