Professional Service Providers (Accountants, HR Consultants, Dentists, Physiotherapists, Business Coaches, …) face a very difficult challenge when trying to attract clients. There are so many options for your prospect to choose from!
Even if they look among their own acquaintances, most of your prospects will have several options so they follow one of these paths:-
- Pick the last expert they talked to;
- Choose randomly the person they like or trust most;
- Ask friends for a recommendation – which makes their list even longer;
- Do nothing because they have too much choice;
- Research online for opinions and information.
Does Online Search Help You Get Clients?
“It should.” With the increasing use of smartphones online research is often the first thing people do and businesses which have a strong presence online are benefiting tremendously from it. You may not be able to compete with the really big names in your professional services niche, but that’s not a problem. Most of these companies are just not an interesting option for your prospects – the Big Four Accountants, McKinsey, etc – because they want personalised service and don’t want to be a minnow in a sea of giants. Actually, some of the really big names also do a terrible job online because they rely on their reputation to do their marketing for them.
Content Marketing Helps You Differentiate.
In most fields it is fairly easy to the top of organic searches for your specialty via content marketing. The real advantage of content marketing is that it is far more cost effective and permanent than any other form of online promotion. Once you have put your content out there properly it goes on attracting links, views, and shares, and its power of attraction grows over time.
By sharing your answers to the problems your clients and prospects face, you become more visible in search engines, but you also become a trusted advisor to your prospects – even before they talk to you. In addition, you don’t waste your time on inappropriate.
What Do You Mean? … Aren’t All Inquiries Good?
“Well, … No.”
Let’s talk about a friend of mine who coaches businesses. He works mostly with private companies and the owners are struggling to get the business to support their dreams. Their business may be profitable – but it’s sucking all their time and energy because of structural or staff issues. He is very straightforward and makes sure his clients know that they are the people who need to take action – he help them uncover the problems and find solutions, but they are the people who need to act.
If you want to make excuses about why you can’t change, complain about your miserable life, and bemoan the pressures of business, he’s not the coach for you! If you are willing to change, however, he probably is.
So, how can he stand out from all the other Business Coaches you’re looking at – even the ones you know?
- He can talk about his values;
- He can share his strategies;
- He can use examples and stories that resonate with readers;
- He can answer the questions he hears most often;
- The list of things he can talk about is really endless.
And, this will do two things:-
- It will make him visible in search engines;
- It will help you understand his values and decide whether you would like to work with him.
The reality is, when it comes to business coaches, accountants, medical professionals etc. people don’t necessarily want to work with friends because of confidentiality and privacy, but they do want to work with people they know, like and trust.
Most of Your Knowledge Is Not Classified Information
– Its value lies in your experience in applying it, and your ability to analyse specific situations.
What if some of your readers do apply your ideas themselves? – – they were probably never going to be your ideal customer …
What if readers disagree with your position? What have you lost? Were they going to be a great client for you?
Because other readers will say, “This is the person I want to work with! I like their values, I agree with their approach.” And they’ll pick up the phone and initiate a relationship – but they will never do that if they don’t find you online and have no way of learning who you are, how you work, or how you think.
So get out there, and tell people who you are, what you stand for … and particularly, what problems you solve! Create great content for your website, share it freely, and invite customers to find you. They’ll be grateful, and so will you!
