Elaine Biech Building Your Consulting Practice for © 2011 ebb associates inc

Survey Says... Marketing, Marketing, Marketing! Top five Finding clients Marketing Writing winning proposals Developing marketing plans Building client relationships Others: characteristics, expanding, time, finances, strategic and personal planning © 2011 ebb associates inc

If Elaine Could Answer Most important thing about proposals? How do I work less and earn more? Should I narrow or broaden my range? How to find “big time clients?” How do I find clients who have money? How to change my career after 35 years? Why am I still doing this? © 2011 ebb associates inc

Objectives This session will: Discuss an easy process to prepare a marketing plan. Provide a sure-fire way to prospect. Generate marketing ideas & answers. Help you focus on planning for your future. Answer your questions. © 2011 ebb associates inc

Consistent with Yesterday* To Be Successful at Marketing: Know your expertise areas Know where your clients are Send a consistent message Have to make time to market Deliver content, not ads Remember, it’s about them Keep your pipeline full; keep leads flowing Study your competition * Thanks Paul & Marcy © 2011 ebb associates inc

What have you gotten yourself into? © 2011 ebb associates inc

Why Do YOU Want To Be A Foodservice Consultant? ?? ? ? ? ? ? ? © 2011 ebb associates inc

Why?  Get rich consulting?  Avoid politics and paperwork?  Be seen as an expert in your area?  Have more free time?  Be in a respected profession?  Easily break into the field?  Easy business to start? © 2011 ebb associates inc

The most important reason to become a consultant is because you want to. © 2011 ebb associates inc

Entrepreneur Attitude Do you have what it takes? © 2011 ebb associates inc

What Value Does a Consultant Add? © 2011 ebb associates inc

Dollars and Sense How much will clients pay? Plan with the end in mind. The 3x rule. Where to start; when to increase. Bidding proposals. Add a guarantee. © 2011 ebb associates inc

How Much Will Clients Pay? ? ? ? ?? ? ? ? © 2011 ebb associates inc

Pricing Ethics Determine a consistent pricing structure No bargains Find an equal trade off © 2011 ebb associates inc

Your reputation will be built by thousands of actions, but may be lost by only one. © 2011 ebb associates inc

$ Tips to Stay in Business Look like a million from day one. Acquiring a new client takes 10x the effort. You can be profitable and still go out of business. Go for the big fish. “So what’s this going to cost?” Practice, partnership, or a company? Be compulsive about billing your clients. The time to market is all the time. The most important time to market is when you’re too busy. © 2011 ebb associates inc

Do Everything You Can to Grow Your Business! © 2011 ebb associates inc

The best way to predict the future is to invent it. Alan Kay © 2011 ebb associates inc

Predict Your Success? Guarantee Business Success High quality product/service customers want or need Efficient business processes in place Ensure customers know about you Create a solid business/marketing plan Implement the plan © 2011 ebb associates inc

ABCs of Marketing A Assess The Situation B Build a Potential Client Base C Contact Potential Clients © 2011 ebb associates inc

Why a Plan? Focus Pace yourself Achieve your goals Measure progress Financial tool © 2011 ebb associates inc

Why a Plan? Focus Pace yourself Achieve your goals Measure progress Financial tool © 2011 ebb associates inc

Minimums You Should Consider Commitment Consistency Creativity Three Cs of Marketing © 2011 ebb associates inc

Marketing is a combination of intuition and logic. © 2011 ebb associates inc

M U M U M U M U The MUMU Measure Memorable Unique Mailable Useful © 2011 ebb associates inc

Sending a Keeper Why and when? Who? How much? What? From where? What message? How? © 2011 ebb associates inc

Marketing: It’s in the Bag Let’s “bag” your concern Complete the statement: I need an idea for how to __________ © 2011 ebb associates inc

Prospecting Take the Chill Out of Cold Calls 1 Identify 20 Candidates 2 Complete Company Profiles 3 Gather Information About Each 4 Compose Letters 5 Mail Letters and Follow Up as Promised © 2011 ebb associates inc

The larger the client, the larger the discretionary funds available. © 2011 ebb associates inc

Uniqueness How Can You Stand Apart? Know Your Customer Needs + Add Your Special Touch = An Edge on the Competition © 2011 ebb associates inc

Your First Meeting Constantly Improve: Evaluate your contracting meetings Identify what you can do better next time © 2011 ebb associates inc

Your personality, not your expertise, will land many contracts.

A sale is not something you close; it closes itself while you are busy serving your customer.

The 4 R’s Relationships Referrals Reaping New Business Repeat Business © 2011 ebb associates inc

Clients will ask you to discuss your skills... © 2011 ebb associates inc

However... they evaluate your character. © 2011 ebb associates inc

Marketing on a Shoe String Budget © 2011 ebb associates inc

Tightwad Marketing What have you done? © 2011 ebb associates inc

Creativity Flourishes Someone you have not worked with Select one item Identify 3 ways your creativity could flourish... © 2011 ebb associates inc

Marketing ebbvice Wallow in Your Junk Mail Go for the Big Fish; You’ll Spend the Same Time Baiting the Hook Mail a Lumpy Envelope Personalize Your Marketing The Time to Market is all the Time Keep yourself in Front of Your Clients © 2011 ebb associates inc

In the End There’s only one time to market: all the time © 2011 ebb associates inc

You’re Always Marketing As a Consultant you are always “on” and marketing: When you deliver service on time and under budget If you are honest, ethical, and easy to work with If you have given more than you promised Marketing and selling your services NEVER stops—you are selling YOU! © 2011 ebb associates inc

Fast Fourteen to Do Today © 2011 ebb associates inc

ebb’s 13 Truths 1. You need clients more 2. Listening is imperative 3. Do your homework 4. Believe in what you do 5. More specialized The time to market is all the time 7. Most important time to market is when you are too busy to do so © 2011 ebb associates inc

ebb’s 13 Truths 8.A billable day is a billable day 9. If you’re in it only for the money 10. Satisfying your client is most important 11. Your personality, not your expertise will prevail 12. Dress for success © 2011 ebb associates inc

ebb’s 13 Truths Most Important © 2011 ebb associates inc

Quality First, Last, and Everything In Between © 2011 ebb associates inc

And now it is time for you to just... © 2011 ebb associates inc

Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! © 2011 ebb associates inc

Elaine Biech Marketing Your Consultant Practice for © 2011 ebb associates inc