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51). IT Marketing: Get Your Expertise Across Two powerful tools to influence your target audience are case studies and your website. These tools show your potential customers that you are their best solution. In this article, you'll learn how to use case studies and websites to help with your IT marketing. Case Studies A case study is a really fancy testimonial. It ... 52). IT Marketing: Good Elevator Speeches IT marketing requires you to give “elevator speeches,” or short little descriptions of your business. In this article, you'll learn how to get the maximum effectiveness from your elevator speech. If you go to a chamber of commerce luncheon, you might find yourself (and everyone else) having to give their 30 second commercial. If there... 53). IT Marketing: How to Ask for Referrals Referrals are a great way of IT marketing. In this article, you'll learn how to ask for them. The Question The key IT marketing question to ask your clients is “Do you know anyone else who could benefit from our services?” Write it down on your hand. Write it down on your PDA. Look at it every morning before you talk to c... 54). IT Marketing: Improving Postcard Response One of the biggest mistakes that I see when people are doing postcard mailings is there's no urgency. What does that mean? That means that even if I'm interested in hiring you, there's no compelling reason to do so now. I will just file your card away with my other computer related stuff. Now if I got that postcard and it said this co... 55). IT Marketing: Join Organizations In IT marketing, personal referrals you're going to find are by far the most powerful way to get great prospects. Personal referrals are already in a lot of ways pre-sold and they already trust you. In the IT services business, unlike just selling a product, trust carries a tremendous amount of weight. In this article, you'll learn how to get more ... 56). IT Marketing: Join Organizations to Build Relationships IT marketing requires knowing lots of people and getting them to trust you. One way to do this is by joining and becoming active in a couple different types of organizations. In this article you'll learn the three different kinds of organizations that most computer consulting businesses do really well in. Don't join more than one of ea... 57). IT Marketing: Know the Decision Maker Know exactly whom the decision maker is that you're trying to target before you start your IT marketing and prospecting. In this article, you'll learn why it's extremely important that you define as tightly as you can who the decision maker is, and how to do that. If there's a particular industry you're trying to reach with your IT ma... 58). IT Marketing: Mailing to Your Current Customer Database Doing a mailing to your current customer database is a really great place to start. In this article, you'll learn why this IT marketing strategy can be so effective. Your Customers Already Know You Doing an IT marketing mailing to your current customers is a great place to start because, for one thing, you already own the... 59). IT Marketing: Measuring the Response A really important part of the whole IT marketing effort is tracking and measuring. In this article, you'll learn how it’s really important to track what the response is and ultimately you want to track how many of the responses converted into sales. At the absolute minimum, you want to see what kind of inquiries come in from the diffe... 60). IT Marketing: Multi-tasking is Key When you do a direct mail campaign, it is very important that you know exactly who you're trying to reach and that you come up with some kind of targeted message. If you are just getting started, you may feel overwhelmed when you realize that there are up to 30 IT marketing tasks that you are capable of doing. Look at the list and fin... 61). IT Marketing: Postcard Case Study Sometimes you won't get the results you hoped for with your IT marketing. In this article you will learn about some common problems with postcards and how to avoid them. IT Marketing: The Case “I've sent out over 300 postcards offering general computer troubleshooting services, automated online data backup and wireless ho... 62). IT Marketing: Rewarding Referrals People in some professions, like accounting, can be great people to partner up with. You may even be able to develop a more formal revenue sharing arrangement where your accountant would have a financial interest in connecting you with their existing clients. This could be in the form of: o A finder's fee o A referral fee o... 63). IT Marketing: Sell Your Expertise How do you differentiate yourself from others in your local marketplace? One of the best ways is by focusing on your unique expertise in your IT marketing. Your clients are really buying you, not a box or a server or a software license. In this article, you'll learn how to differentiate yourself. Don't Become a Commodity ... 64). IT Marketing: Successful Seminars An important part of your IT marketing is seminars. In this article you’ll learn how to get the most of the seminars you hold. IT Marketing: Registration is Very Important Most seminars that you offer should be free, but to make these IT marketing events successful, always require registration because you have limited sea... 65). IT Marketing: The Benefits of Direct Mail Postcards The great advantage to using direct mail postcards is you don't have to worry that they'll get tossed in the trash without being read. They are already opened. Additionally, postcards are less expensive than other types of direct mail thereby saving on your IT marketing budget. In this article, you'll learn how to make your direct mail postcards wo... 66). IT Marketing: The Multi-Pronged Marketing Approach Approach your IT marketing and advertising with a multi-pronged approach. Think about your retirement account or your investment portfolio. Would you really want to put all of your money into one stock? You probably wouldn't have wanted it to be Anderson or Enron! As you'll learn in this article, you don't want to put all of your marketing eggs in ... 67). IT Marketing: Use Trusted Business Advisors Another way to get your name out there for IT marketing is through trusted business advisors. These are people that small businesses look to for advice. Their customers put a tremendous amount of trust in the reliability of their recommendations. In this article, you'll learn how a referral from them can be worth their weight in gold. These might c... 68). IT Marketing: Using Speaking Engagements Speaking at business organizations is another great form of IT marketing. In this article, you'll learn how speaking can help you connect with your potential customers. Speak at Other Groups' Meetings The great part of speaking at other people's meeting is you have a captive audience there. They're already going to the ch... 69). IT Marketing: Using Your Elevator Pitch Elevator pitches are effective, quick ways of practicing your IT marketing daily. They key is to say something memorable and quick, and to use it whenever appropriate. In this article, you learn how to make your elevator speech stand out for effective IT marketing. For example, you get in the elevator on the 20th floor and you see a ma... 70). IT Marketing: Ways to Grow Awareness of Your Company In order to sell a solution, you have to build awareness that there is a problem. Once you have built that awareness, you need to build awareness that your firm can solve that problem. Then you need to build awareness that your solution is relatively pain-free, seamless, affordable, and gives companies good return on investment. This article will s... 71). IT Marketing: What's the Time Frame for Business Success? Success with your IT consulting business won't happen overnight. In this article, you'll learn when you can expect to start bringing in some good profits. IT Marketing: It's a Systematic Process Ok, so you’ve joined the chamber, will be attending your first networking meeting this week, have participated in venture capita... 72). IT Marketing: Who Should Be the Lead Generator? Lead Generation is the most crucial step in your IT marketing. In this article, you will learn that lead generation is the future of your company and the most important strategic activity you should be working on. Be very careful delegating this task to anyone except possibly a spouse or business partner. Your clients aren't buying pr... 73). IT Marketing: Your Elevator Pitch An elevator pitch is basically a quick introduction that doesn't sound too canned. You want to work on fine-tuning something that is anywhere from ten to twenty seconds. You use this speech whenever you meet a prospect that you meet at any kind of event. Your pitch should talk about what your company does, what makes you unique, and why they want t... 74). IT Sales Calls: Getting Past the Gatekeeper IT sales calls require connecting with the right person in order to be successful. However, getting past the gatekeepers is no easy feat. In this article, you'll learn some techniques to help get you in touch with the person you need to for your IT sales calls. IT Sales Cold Calls are Difficult How do you get past the sec... 75). IT Sales: Determine Your Clients' Needs When you first meet with IT sales prospects, you'll want to get them talking about their top 3 problems. You may learn that the problems your prospects have aren't ones you or your network of partners or subcontractors can help with. In this case, you are barking up the wrong tree and should move on. But it's very important to get your prospects ta... 76). IT Sales: Discover the Urgency of Their Needs During an initial IT sales consultations, you want to take your clients to the next step, like a site survey. Sometimes prospects will jump right on that. But, what if they say, "I’ll let you know; I’ll get back to you," and that’s as far as you get? You shouldn't even get to this reaction. In this article you'll learn how you need to find out how ... 77). IT Sales: Handling the Initial Call IT sales calls can be handled with ease if you prepare adequately ahead of time. First, do your background research and get a sense of the urgency of the situation. Then you will be able to increase your odds of closing IT sales by finding out what your clients' biggest needs are. In this article, you'll learn why you need to be the solution to the... 78). IT Sales: It's about Relationships and Benefits IT Sales aren't automatic--you have to put in the time and effort to make the sale. In this article you will learn that showing your clients the benefit of your services and developing a relationship with them will help your IT sales. What Benefit Can You Give Them? If your prospect has an IT problem you can't solve, the... 79). IT Sales: It’s All About Relationships Developing the bond and the relationship with your clients is very important. In this article, you'll learn how your relationships are your assets with IT sales. It's not about the size of your customer list necessarily. It's not even about the revenue. It's about the longevity and the long-term relationships you build with your customers. 80). IT Sales: Move them From Free to Fee When you are in the process of your initial IT sales consultation, it is likely that you will be asked to take a look at something while you are there, For example, they may say, "We've been having a problem with this router. Could you just take a look at it please?" Don't Risk Doing More Harm What should you do? If it onl... 81). IT Sales: Moving Beyond the First Sales Call The IT sales call or initial consultation is mostly about qualifying the lead. If you don’t, you may waste a lot of time on prospects that just want to pick your brains and really have no intention on hiring you. This can happen real easily when you’re moving into small businesses IT sales. In this article, you'll learn how to move on to the next s... 82). IT Sales: Put Your Best Foot Forward Prior to making the first IT sales call to your client, you need to prepare for it. In this article you'll learn how to get ready for meeting with a client for the first time. IT Sales: Do Your Homework Before you even arrive at your first IT sales call with a client, make sure you've done your homework. If the prospectiv... 83). IT Sales: Stop Selling Commodities and Start Selling Knowledge The first piece of advice in marketing to strangers is to stop selling products as your lead entrée, as your foot in the door with IT sales. It's not about selling products. It's about selling “you incorporated.” In this article you'll learn how to get away from selling products and start selling your expertise. IT Sales: Where Can You... 84). IT Sales: Stopping the Free Consultation It’s critical to make sure that your IT sales call doesn’t become an extended free consultation. You’re not there for unlimited brain-picking. In this article you'll learn how to move the sales call to IT sales. It’s not about proving how smart you are or proving your technical expertise or showing all your certifications. You’re only... 85). IT Sales: What is Your Unique Offering? What benefits you can give your clients that will be different from the average Joe Consultant? In this article, you'll learn some ways to differentiate yourself from your competition to increase IT Sales. XYZ Consulting: A Case Study XYZ Consulting moved into a new location in a 27-story building full of high-end firms. ... 86). IT Service Agreements: Identify Your Terms IT service agreements require advance planning to inspire confidence in your customers. You need to know what benefits and prices you will offer to your customers ahead of time. This will be your compelling case for why your future clients need to be on IT service agreements. Make a Rate Card A rate card is a simple one-pa... 87). IT Service Agreements: Know Your Clients In addition to knowing your skills and being moderately qualified, keep an eye on the size of companies you want to target for IT service agreements. Going after 60 stations, 100 stations, or 150 stations is not the best place to start. Start Small Start with something that’s more comfortable and more approachable for you... 88). IT Service Agreements: Living Up to Your Promises If you are new to the service model, you may be concerned about your ability to live up to your IT service agreements. Let’s assume that you have eight clients who will book $165,000 in yearly revenue. The greatest fear for many new consultants is getting significant IT service agreements and not being able to support their clients in the short-ter... 89). IT Service Agreements: When To Offer Them Right after emergency service calls is a good time to offer IT service agreements. You’ve just saved the day and you’re at the high point. Customers have to like, know, and trust you. After an emergency, they love you! They love you because you saved the day; they now know you of course because you just spent the last 16 hours working... 90). IT Service Contracts: Practice Makes Perfect What happens after you have your IT service contracts? Are you scared that your customers are going to stump you or you won’t be able to provide the response time you promised? IT Service Contracts: Confidence Comes with Experience Just start offering and selling your services. Go slowly until you build up that confidenc... 91). IT Service Contracts: Qualifying Clients Some clients are simply not the right type for IT service contracts. In this article, you'll learn how to determine if they are interested in these agreements. Prepare to Screen Your Candidates When you are preparing for the sales call, be sure that you ask enough questions to figure out whether they’re a good candidate f... 92). IT Service Contracts: Recurring Revenue is Absolutely Critical One-shot deals are for amateurs. The pros insist on IT service contracts. Otherwise you’re going to have a whole bunch of people that call you once or twice a year and in the meantime, you’re sitting by the phone waiting for it to ring. You’re doing nothing proactive. They’re taking none of your advice. They’re doing no long-term fixe... 93). IT Service: Handling Prepaid Blocks of Time The prepaid block of time is different from the service agreement. The IT service agreement is specific about the kinds of things you will do – maintenance, upgrades, etc. The prepaid block of time is simply that – time. For example, the customer recognizes that your normal hourly rate is $100 an hour. In return for prepaying 20 hours... 94). IT Specialist - Information Gathering is a Must IT Specialists must reach their intended audience to be successful with their marketing. As you'll learn in this article, your first step needs to be gathering information about your niche. IT Specialists Should Study What their Niche Clients Do For instance, to reach small medical offices, get up to speed on the business ... 95). IT Specialist: Better Than a Generalist Now how do you become an IT specialist, when to provide virtual IT you need to be a generalist? As an IT specialist, you will still need to provide a lot of different services. You may be: · network design · helping clients with procurement · managing relations · dealing with the phone companies, the Web hosts and the... 96). IT Specialist: Replicating Your Client Successes Often, the best way to be unique as an IT specialist is to narrow down your industry focus. Though it may sound like a daunting task, this article will show you how it can be quite simple. "Model" Your Best Clients Find more clients that are just like your current best clients. To do this, take your active client list and ... 97). IT Specialist: Why Narrow It Down? If you're trying to grow your business, why would you turn away potential clients? In this article, you'll learn that as an IT specialist, your marketing efforts are less about turning away other clients and instead about finding if you have enough prospects to market to. If you know that your best clients are small accounting offices,... 98). IT Specialists: Are Non-Profits a Viable Market? Yes, non-profits are viable. But there are certainly more financially rewarding sectors for IT specialists. Let's first take a look at the pros of non-profits. o It's easy to reach non-profits because they belong to trade groups and you can get your hands on the publicly available directories. o You can get a lot of tremendous e... 99). IT Specialists: Branding Your Company As IT specialists, a big way to differentiate yourself is to make sure that you're branding your company. Focus on selling your company name with its new industry twist. In this article, you'll learn why branding your company is so important for IT specialists. Don't go in flashing the certifications and vendor logos because that redu... 100). IT Specialists: Finding Your Niche Finding a niche is an important step in becoming an IT specialist. In this article, you'll learn about how to develop your niche. A Horizontal Niche Instead of all your ideal clients being in the same industry (a vertical niche), maybe you realize that most of your clients' main contacts are office managers. What do you d... Browse Pages: [1] 2 [3]