You’ve relied on your network and reputation to establish and grow your business. But revenues have flat-lined and growth has slowed to a stop. In addition, other firms in your area have merged and have aggressively started marketing efforts to find new clients – your clients.
Niche firms are in a tough spot today. It’s tough to remain small when the rest of the world seems to be merging and growing. You can no longer count solely on referrals to grow your business. So it’s time to start doing some marketing to get your name out there.
Marketing not your forte? Understandable. Digital marketing today is a vast and scary place for a novice. Your firm might already be sending out an e-newsletter to existing clients, however sending an email out to prospects is a bit more involved.
So how should you get started? Before spending a nickel on any marketing initiatives, we recommend the following 3 steps:
- Step 1: Speak to your existing clients. Have an open and honest dialogue about your services and value. You are not looking for pats on the back here. The goal is to have a clear understanding of why your clients use your firm and ways you can deliver additional value.
- Step 2: Speak to your staff. Your front line staff is closest to your clients. They are likely to know the mind of the customer better than anyone in the firm. They hear the good and the bad – listen to them.
- Step 3: Fix what’s broken. It’s likely you will learn about opportunities for improvement from both your staff and your clients. Take action and make the improvements. It will help smooth your service delivery and result in happier clients.
These steps will create a solid foundation to begin marketing your firm. What should you do next? Stay tuned….