Got a new website, but getting no emails? Got new certifications but your phone still doesn’t ring? Got your business cards printed, but all those that you passed out at the last event haven’t turned into business? It could be you have a weak link that needs fixing in your marketing process.
Here are five of the most common weak links to evaluate in your company.
1. Your photo, or lack thereof.
Ask yourself three things about your photo:
- 1. Is it well-lit?
- Are you smiling, and do you look approachable?
- Are you dressed professionally for your industry (and no matter what – no skin showing)?
If not, get a professionally shot photo done immediately. If you paid big money for a website, but have an amateur photo, it looks to the client like you’re not willing to go the extra mile; you’ve cut corners.
If you don’t have a photo these days, it looks like you’re hiding something. Get one, and shore up that weak link.
In any case, you simply don’t want your photo to be holding back your potential business.
2. Your phone message.
Many people do business out of their homes. If you have your 7-year-old record the greeting, that’s cute, but not professional. If you haven’t recorded a greeting at all, most people will hang up, wondering if they dialed the right number or if you are still in business.
Some people have left a vacation message on that’s a month old. Or if you record a daily message stating the date, have you ever gotten behind? Client might think: if they forget about that, what deadline will they forget of mine?
The worst thing that can happen is for a prospect to get a mailbox full message. It’s more common than you think: there’s an Apple iPhone bug going around that triggers that message because there’s a glitch when you delete messages and the deletion is not uploaded to your phone carrier. Test this now by calling yourself! It just happened to me a month ago.
Action item: Listen to your greeting now and fix it if it’s your weak link.
3. Unprofessional (or no) marketing materials.
The quality of your business cards, stationery, and prospect kit reflects directly upon your business. I often go to networking events where people don’t have cards or have ordered those glossy ones you don’t have to pay for. You might as well paste a sticky note to your forehead that says, “I’m going to try this entrepreneur thing out and see if it works.”
The higher the quality of marketing materials, the more easily you can ask for higher fees.
4. Out-of-date email address on materials.
I am working with one of my clients on search engine optimization so that he can increase his leads via his web site. Due to staff changes, the email receiving all of the leads was bouncing. All of my work was going down the drain because of this back office booboo.
Be sure you have the processes in place (updated, working, and everyone cross-trained) to receive the leads you’ll be getting from all of your marketing efforts. And also make sure the leads are not going into spam.
5. No testimonials or online reviews.
The fastest way to look like you have no clients is to fail to list testimonials on you web site and marketing materials. I know it can be uncomfortable asking your clients for testimonials, but when you get them, you’ll wonder why you waited so long. Posting testimonials and encouraging clients to post online reviews greatly reduces your marketing costs; it’s the closest thing to word-of-mouth that you can get. And nothing beats word of mouth.
How did you stack up? Shore up your weak links, and watch your marketing results soar.
Sandi Leyva, author of Insightful Accountant's Accelerate Your Practice series, is hosting a webinar called 'How to Close More Clients and Earn More Revenue in Less Time,' on August 1 at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time. For more information and to register, click here.
Sandi Leyva
Author Bio: Sandi Leyva, CPA, CMA, MBA, and founder of Accountant’s Accelerator, has helped thousands of tax and accounting professionals earn more, work less, and serve their clients better through her innovative marketing, training, and coaching services. Author of 30 books and hundreds of CPE courses, Sandi has won 12 awards for her thought leadership. Visit her at accountantsaccelerator.com and acceleratorwebsites.com.