©2007, Solid Oak Consulting, LLC1 Guerrilla Marketing for Consultants Thomas E. Long, President Solid Oak Consulting, LLC SolidOakConsulting.com Certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach

©2007, Solid Oak Consulting, LLC2 Topics For Today Introduction What is Guerrilla Marketing? Strategic Issues in Guerrilla Marketing Why is Today Such a Challenge? Guerrilla Marketing Tactics Some Examples of Guerrilla Marketing Weapons

©2007, Solid Oak Consulting, LLC3 What Is Guerrilla Marketing? “A company must learn to think of itself not as producing goods and services but as buying, creating and satisfying customers. This approach should permeate every nook and cranny of the organization.” Theodore Levitt, Marketing Myopia Marketing is everything you do to promote your business, from the moment you conceive of it to the point at which customers buy your product or service and begin to patronize your business on a regular basis. Jay Conrad Levinson, Guerrilla Marketing

©2007, Solid Oak Consulting, LLC4 What is the Key To Guerrilla Marketing? It is a body of unconventional ways of pursuing conventional goals. It is a proven method of achieving profits with minimum money. In the words of the Father of Guerrilla Marketing, Jay Conrad Levinson, this describes guerrilla marketing: “I'm referring to the soul and essence of guerrilla marketing which remain as always -- achieving conventional goals, such as profits and joy, with unconventional methods, such as investing energy instead of money.”

©2007, Solid Oak Consulting, LLC5 Customers vs. Clients? Customer per Merriam-Webster: one that purchases a commodity or service Client: one that is under the protection of another How do you treat those you sell – like a customer or like a client?

©2007, Solid Oak Consulting, LLC6 Strategy vs. Tactics? Strategic – work smarter Tactical – work harder 95% of all companies will not reach $1million in sales 85% of companies fail in the first 5 years Can you double your sales by working twice as hard? Do you have a clear identity for your company?

©2007, Solid Oak Consulting, LLC7 Challenge Today 1992 – 3,000 messages/day Today – 30,000 messages/day How can you rise above the noise and the clutter? Since 1992 the cost of getting in front of a prospect has tripled

©2007, Solid Oak Consulting, LLC8 Buying Pyramid Audience For Any Product/Service 4% Buying Now 6% Open To It 30% Not Thinking About It 30% Think They Are Not Interested 30% Definitely Not Interested

©2007, Solid Oak Consulting, LLC9 What Are Your Strategic Objectives? To have clients not customers? Create desire? To be most respected? To build client loyalty? What is your ‘long-range goal’? What is you desired market position? What is the strategic objective of each tactic?

©2007, Solid Oak Consulting, LLC10 How Much Should I Spend On Marketing? US average for all businesses is 4% of sales revenue Some companies such as P&G spend more than 30% What are you spending today? What can you afford to spend? What is it worth to you to get a new client?

©2007, Solid Oak Consulting, LLC11 Client Value Do you know the “lifetime value” for your average client? How long does someone typically stay a client? How much does a typical client spend with you each year? How much are you willing to invest to get a new client? How much to keep an existing one?

©2007, Solid Oak Consulting, LLC12 Guerrilla Marketing Weapons Guerrilla Marketing identifies over 100 Marketing Weapons Most of the 100 are free or low cost Most business owners use fewer than 12 of the weapons Even fewer track the effectiveness of their weapons

©2007, Solid Oak Consulting, LLC13 Key Weapons for Guerrilla Marketing Consultants Competitive Advantage- Differentiation Follow-up Marketing Calendar Marketing Plan Free Consultations Website and Online Presence Research Studies/Surveys Public Seminars/Lectures Testimonials/Case Studies Write a Book

©2007, Solid Oak Consulting, LLC14 Competitive Advantage-Differentiation Product/Service Benefits What benefit or benefits do clients derive from your product or service? What is the difference between a benefit and a product/service feature? Ultimately your client determines what constitutes a benefit. How do you find out what your clients see as benefits?

©2007, Solid Oak Consulting, LLC15 Follow-Up This is the key to building long-term client relationships. Do you have a standard process for follow- up with prospects and clients? How many different ways can you use to follow-up? How often are you in contact with your prospects and clients?

©2007, Solid Oak Consulting, LLC16 Guerrilla Marketing Calendar What is it? Why use it? What is its ultimate value?

©2007, Solid Oak Consulting, LLC17 The Seven Sentence Guerrilla Marketing Plan Write one sentence for each question below: 1.What is the purpose of your marketing? 2.What are the benefits of your product/service? 3.Who is your target audience? 4.What is your marketing niche? 5.What marketing weapons do you use (this may take more than one sentence)? 6.What is your business identity? 7.What is your marketing budget?

©2007, Solid Oak Consulting, LLC18 Free Consultations Free samples are better than “coupons” You can limit the amount of time that is free Real value must be delivered It is also your chance to “test drive” the client

©2007, Solid Oak Consulting, LLC19 Website and Online Presence Study by the Information Technology Services Marketing Association indicates that 77% of decision makers now find service providers using the Web. Clients use the Web to make preliminary assessments of consultants. Nearly 75% of buyers find consultants through their own research on the Web not from contacts initiated by the consultant. Your Web presence can establish you as a serious player – or not.

©2007, Solid Oak Consulting, LLC20 Research Studies/Surveys Just ask. This doesn’t require a specialist if you keep it short. If you wish to make it a long survey, explain why the data is needed. Check out Web resources such as Survey Monkey Do you need to have a reward for responding? If you are prepared to spend “real money”, hire a pro for research and analysis.

©2007, Solid Oak Consulting, LLC21 Public Seminars/Lectures The goal is to establish credibility, not sell Talk on what you know Get training/practice if you need it from something like Toastmasters Package your topics – develop compelling content Target organizations just as you would target prospects

©2007, Solid Oak Consulting, LLC22 Testimonials What is the value of a testimonial? How do you get client testimonials? Limit the number of testimonials on your website. Consider posting a list of client for prospects to call – they choose.

©2007, Solid Oak Consulting, LLC23 Case Studies Tell a story not just facts. Place client’s success (not yours) at the center. Define the client’s problem. Describe the solution emphasizing the role of the client and their team. Don’t overstate results. Keep it short. If possible, provide access to a reference.

©2007, Solid Oak Consulting, LLC24 Write A Book The 800-pound Gorilla for a Guerrilla Ideal book: –Focuses on a topic you know cold –Solves a problem –Promotes the services you provide Traditional publishing vs. self-publishing Remember your book is a means, not an end Hire a writer if you need to.

©2007, Solid Oak Consulting, LLC25 It’s Far Better to Implement One Thing to Completion Than Ten Things to 10%

©2007, Solid Oak Consulting, LLC26 Questions?