©2007, Solid Oak Consulting, LLC1 Guerrilla Marketing for Consultants Thomas E. Long, President Solid Oak Consulting, LLC SolidOakConsulting.com Certified

©2007, Solid Oak Consulting, LLC 1

Guerrilla Marketing for Consultants

Thomas E. Long, President

Solid Oak Consulting, LLC

SolidOakConsulting.com

Certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach


Topics For Today

• Introduction

• What is Guerrilla Marketing?

• Strategic Issues in Guerrilla Marketing

• Why is Today Such a Challenge?

• Guerrilla Marketing Tactics

• Some Examples of Guerrilla Marketing Weapons


What Is Guerrilla Marketing?

• “A company must learn to think of itself not as producing goods and services but as buying, creating and satisfying customers. This approach should permeate every nook and cranny of the organization.” Theodore Levitt, Marketing Myopia

• Marketing is everything you do to promote your business, from the moment you conceive of it to the point at which customers buy your product or service and begin to patronize your business on a regular basis. Jay Conrad Levinson, Guerrilla Marketing


What is the Key To Guerrilla Marketing?

It is a body of unconventional ways of pursuing conventional

goals. It is a proven method of achieving profits with

minimum money.

In the words of the Father of Guerrilla Marketing, Jay Conrad

Levinson, this describes guerrilla marketing:

“I'm referring to the soul and essence of guerrilla marketing

which remain as always -- achieving conventional goals,

such as profits and joy, with unconventional methods, such

as investing energy instead of money.”


Customers vs. Clients?

• Customer per Merriam-Webster: one that purchases a commodity or service

• Client: one that is under the protection of another

• How do you treat those you sell – like a customer or like a client?


Strategy vs. Tactics?

• Strategic – work smarter• Tactical – work harder• 95% of all companies will not reach $1million in

sales• 85% of companies fail in the first 5 years• Can you double your sales by working twice as

hard?• Do you have a clear identity for your company?


Challenge Today

• 1992 – 3,000 messages/day

• Today – 30,000 messages/day

• How can you rise above the noise and the clutter?

• Since 1992 the cost of getting in front of a prospect has tripled


Buying PyramidAudience For Any Product/Service

4% Buying Now

6% Open To It

30% Not Thinking About It

30% Think They Are Not Interested

30% Definitely Not Interested


What Are Your Strategic Objectives?

• To have clients not customers?• Create desire?• To be most respected?• To build client loyalty?• What is your ‘long-range goal’?• What is you desired market position?• What is the strategic objective of each tactic?


How Much Should I Spend On Marketing?

• US average for all businesses is 4% of sales revenue

• Some companies such as P&G spend more than 30%

• What are you spending today?

• What can you afford to spend?

• What is it worth to you to get a new client?


Client Value

• Do you know the “lifetime value” for your average client?

• How long does someone typically stay a client?• How much does a typical client spend with you

each year?• How much are you willing to invest to get a new

client?• How much to keep an existing one?


Guerrilla Marketing Weapons

• Guerrilla Marketing identifies over 100 Marketing Weapons

• Most of the 100 are free or low cost

• Most business owners use fewer than 12 of the weapons

• Even fewer track the effectiveness of their weapons


Key Weapons for Guerrilla Marketing Consultants

• Competitive Advantage-Differentiation

• Follow-up • Marketing Calendar• Marketing Plan• Free Consultations

• Website and Online Presence

• Research Studies/Surveys

• Public Seminars/Lectures

• Testimonials/Case Studies

• Write a Book


Competitive Advantage-DifferentiationProduct/Service Benefits

• What benefit or benefits do clients derive from your product or service?

• What is the difference between a benefit and a product/service feature?

• Ultimately your client determines what constitutes a benefit.

• How do you find out what your clients see as benefits?


Follow-Up

• This is the key to building long-term client relationships.

• Do you have a standard process for follow-up with prospects and clients?

• How many different ways can you use to follow-up?

• How often are you in contact with your prospects and clients?


Guerrilla Marketing Calendar

• What is it?

• Why use it?

• What is its ultimate value?


The Seven Sentence Guerrilla Marketing Plan

Write one sentence for each question below:1. What is the purpose of your marketing?2. What are the benefits of your product/service?3. Who is your target audience?4. What is your marketing niche?5. What marketing weapons do you use (this may

take more than one sentence)?6. What is your business identity?7. What is your marketing budget?


Free Consultations

• Free samples are better than “coupons”

• You can limit the amount of time that is free

• Real value must be delivered

• It is also your chance to “test drive” the client


Website and Online Presence

• Study by the Information Technology Services Marketing Association indicates that 77% of decision makers now find service providers using the Web.

• Clients use the Web to make preliminary assessments of consultants.

• Nearly 75% of buyers find consultants through their own research on the Web not from contacts initiated by the consultant.

• Your Web presence can establish you as a serious player – or not.


Research Studies/Surveys

• Just ask.• This doesn’t require a specialist if you keep it

short.• If you wish to make it a long survey, explain why

the data is needed.• Check out Web resources such as Survey Monkey• Do you need to have a reward for responding?• If you are prepared to spend “real money”, hire a

pro for research and analysis.


Public Seminars/Lectures

• The goal is to establish credibility, not sell• Talk on what you know• Get training/practice if you need it from

something like Toastmasters• Package your topics – develop compelling

content• Target organizations just as you would

target prospects


Testimonials

• What is the value of a testimonial?

• How do you get client testimonials?

• Limit the number of testimonials on your website.

• Consider posting a list of client for prospects to call – they choose.


Case Studies

• Tell a story not just facts.• Place client’s success (not yours) at the center.• Define the client’s problem.• Describe the solution emphasizing the role of the

client and their team.• Don’t overstate results.• Keep it short.• If possible, provide access to a reference.


Write A Book

• The 800-pound Gorilla for a Guerrilla• Ideal book:

– Focuses on a topic you know cold– Solves a problem– Promotes the services you provide

• Traditional publishing vs. self-publishing• Remember your book is a means, not an end• Hire a writer if you need to.


It’s Far Better to Implement One Thing to Completion Than Ten

Things to 10%


Questions?

Documents

©2007, Solid Oak Consulting, LLC1 Guerrilla Marketing for Consultants Thomas E. Long, President Solid Oak Consulting, LLC SolidOakConsulting.com Certified