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Marketing:
Push or Pull?
In
traditional marketing parlance, there are
two primary ways of filling your professional
practice. You can push your message out
to the public, or to your narrower niche
market. You can send letters, announcements
of your new services, or call people on
the phone.
The
second way, the way that is more comfortable
for most of us, is to have your phone ring
because of all the things you are doing
that aren't really traditional marketing
activities. Have what you do with your current
clients, your professional network, or even
the community events in which you participate
as just one of the folks, not necessarily
in your professional role, pull potential
clients to you.
It's
called pull marketing.
Potential
clients see what you've done for others,
or what you can do and want to engage you.
Current clients are so pleased with what
you have done, they want more. Word gets
out about you. Your phone rings out of the
blue, with a request for service from folks
you don't even know you!
A
couple of examples from colleagues and friends:
A
colleague was 3 days out from the big all
hands kick off for a series of programs
for a state agency. The state legislature
hasn't approved the budget, and all the
monies for any outside services has been
held. He told the client he'd do the kick
off meeting anyway, even though he wouldn't
be paid. She guaranteed he'd be the first
consultant back on the payroll once the
budget was passed.
A
woman who's doing subcontracting training
is treating every client as if it were one
of her full fee training sessions, even
though she's paid a fraction of her fee.
When
I announced I was automating my coaching
newsletter, I was asked if it weren't too
much trouble, could I add a few more names
to the list. Another asked why wasn't I
charging for what I was offering. She'd
gladly pay for it. I told her to just subscribe
all of the managers in her department.
In
each of these examples, the professional
was showing, not just telling, clients,
and potential clients how dedicated, generous,
and accommodating they could be. The focus
was on "how can I best serve you, my
client." It is a focus that will come
back to you multiplied many times over.
Joe
Vitale, in his most recent book, The
Greatest Money-Making Secret in History,
demonstrates with one case study after another
the power of generosity and accommodation
in building your business, driving the sales
of your products, and developing more meaningful
personal relationships.
Pull
marketing...drawing prospects to you, and
developing additional business with current
clients by being generous and accommodating.
How
can you incorporate pull marketing activities
into your strategic marketing plan?
Reprinting and
Reposting
An
electronic version of these articles is available if you
wish to reprint or repost one of them. Please contact Dr.
Pat Wiklund for permission to reprint, and to see if there
is a royalty required for reprint.
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