For independent practitioners, the “personal touch” still rules in business development.
Despite the numerous channels available today – blogs, mobile, web, social media and email marketing – the personal touch remains the most effective way for independent practitioners and freelancers to develop new business.
That was the consensus from the speakers featured at PRSA-LA’s April 9 Independent Practitioners Alliance (IPA) luncheon: Robert Alaniz, senior partner and chief media strategist for Milagro Strategy Group, and Christy Noel, an accomplished B2B and B2C marketing and operations consultant at her firm, Christy Noel & Co.
Pulling from their unique perspectives and experience, they offered several valuable tips for how independent practitioners can build their business:
- Find creative, personal ways to differentiate yourself.
- Use the telephone, snail mail, cards and promotional items that keep your personal brand top-of-mind. Don’t let email become your default communications vehicle.
- Use Google Alerts to research prospects, remain current on their latest organizational news, follow trends in their sectors, and identify opportunities to continually re-engage them.
- Look for high-visibility platforms, such as speaking opportunities and training programs, to position yourself as a subject matter expert before potential clients.
- Network – personally and through LinkedIn – with professionals, such as attorneys, CPAs and other advisors, who have relationships with potential clients.
When pitching new business, Alaniz and Noel stressed that, for independent practitioners and freelancers, their value is their brand.
- Focus on results and what was accomplished for current and previous clients.
- Go “the extra mile” with new business research. If appropriate, use the opportunity to outline your strategic and tactical thinking.
- Offer solutions to the prospect’s problems. Find out where the prospect wants to be in six months – then explain how that will happen.
Managing a practice and servicing client accounts are fulltime jobs. Business development needs to be another one.
- Stay current on the prospect’s industry. Follow general news, trade publications and blogs. Consider using com as a monitoring tool.
- Make networking with a business contact a weekly priority.
- Ask for referrals and references from current and previous clients. They are the best sources of new business opportunities.
- Continually measure performance and results, and build them into all marketing and networking materials, including résumés and LinkedIn profiles.
Too much new business is a good problem to have, but be sure to maintain a network of other independent practitioners and freelancers who can help you handle that business.
The next IPA luncheon (focused on subcontracting with big agencies) is scheduled for Thursday, June 11.
PRSA-LA IPA forums offer independent practitioners and those providing freelance services an ideal setting for developing partnership opportunities, accessing resources, and learning the best practices that will help them grow their businesses. To learn more about IPA, contact committee chair David Garcia.
