When you’re small, it’s tough to get noticed. Big-name marketing firms want to charge you big-time prices. And there’s no guarantee what they do works.
Smaller firms are unproven. Yeah, they want your business. They need it to survive. But it’s really hard to tell if they can get you results.
Their references and success stories come from friends and close business contacts. Every business has at least a few. But you can’t tell exactly how well this business would market your company.
So, that leaves you with yourself.
How can you get your name out there so you attract more prospects? Here’s a simple strategy:
- What’s Different About You?
In every business, it’s better to be different than good. So what can you do differently than your competitors?
Can you take on certain types of work (aerospace) and produce parts faster with greater precision?
If you aren’t differentiated, you’ll have a difficult time getting noticed. So focus on defining your message – what really sets you apart from all other shops who do a similar thing.
- Define Who You Want To Attract
You should have a tight definition of your niche. It should be something like auto parts manufacturers with $20 – $100 million in revenue. And you should know what role you’re chasing at the company (production managers?).
That way you can learn exactly how to speak to them to help them realize you’re the perfect fit for them.
- What Problem(s) Do You Solve?
The companies you target must have a problem you can solve in a different way than anyone else. A bonus goes to you if you can solve more than a single problem they have. But one will suffice.
- Reach Out with Extreme Consistency
Try a combo of phone calls and emails. Make a phone call the first month. Then follow up by email once every couple of months for the next year.
The first 2-3 sentences in your outreach attempt should be defining your prospect’s problem. Then, offer 2 provocative ways they could solve it. Tell them you have a third, but they’ll have to contact you to find it out.
If they’re really impressed with the first 2 solutions you offer, they’ll reach out. If they don’t, it means they’re busy. So, that’s why you stay in touch for a year. You never know when the exact right time will be for them to act.
Yes, You Can Win New Customers
And if you don’t get them immediately, continue refining your differentiation, how you communicate your prospect’s problem, and the solution you have for it.
Eventually, things will click. And they may even click right away. Much of it is a numbers game. The more consistent you are over time, the more likely you are to succeed.
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