Have a listen below to the continuing (Mis)adventures in Consulting starring Stanton Newhouse III, senior partner at Marginal Profit Partners.
Review: Constant Contact Email Services
February 21, 2011 By 5 Comments
In response to questions about how we manage our email list and deliver Management Consulting News, I thought I’d give you a review of the service we use, Constant Contact.
I started using Constant Contact more than five years ago to manage this newsletter list and the one for my other newsletter, The Guerrilla Consultant. We use the service to sign up new subscribers and to send out the newsletters each month.
Overall, I’ve been very satisfied. When it comes to technical skills, I know just enough to be dangerous. Even so, I’m able to manage most aspects of my list maintenance and newsletter delivery without any trouble.
The Constant Contact system is cost-effective, easy-to-use, and it can handle most any sized email list with ease. You can test every email before you send it, the email delivery reports are comprehensive, and your options for cleaning up your list are good.
You can probably find a less expensive or more feature-rich system, as there are lots of choices on the market. For me, Constant Contact has one unbeatable feature: it’s reliable. Since I started using the system, I’ve had only one minor problem that Constant Contact caused.
Like any such service, Constant Contact isn’t perfect. There are some annoying “features,” but that’s to be expected. Over the years, I’ve found three areas that could be improved.
Constant Contact offers a library of newsletter templates that you can use as a starting point. Most of those design templates are pretty cheesy. You could use one of these off-the-shelf designs, but it’s likely that you’ll be happier–and so will your readers–if you design your own. Also, be aware that if you use your own newsletter template, the Constant Contact support staff won’t be able to help you with HTML issues.
Second, the support for the system is about as good as you could expect for a high-volume operation. I always get answers to my questions, either by phone or via online chat. But sometimes the response is slower than I’d like. You’ll probably be satisfied with the support process if you don’t need help with a complex question ten minutes before you have to publish.
Finally, when I first converted my list to Constant Contact, the service treated my existing subscribers as though they had signed up via a single opt-in process, even though they had done a double opt-in. This meant that Constant Contact hosted my initial list on a server with other single opt-in lists, which had a higher probability of being blocked by ISPs. I understand the company’s policy, but it was a nuisance.
Still, I’d recommend Constant Contact for email list maintenance and delivery. My needs aren’t overly complex, so the system works well for me. It’s easy to learn, the cost is reasonable, and the support is good. Constant Contact offers other services, including event marketing and survey management. Since I haven’t used those services, I can’t comment on their quality.
Clueless Consultant on Marketing with Twitter
February 18, 2011 By 5 Comments
Don’t get me wrong–I really like Twitter. It’s a great platform to learn from others, share ideas, and, in some cases, waste a little time.
As I’ve witnessed how some people use Twitter to build their businesses, though, this short parody suggested itself to me.
Hope you enjoy it.
Snarketing
January 14, 2011 By 1 Comment
Snar•ket•ing (noun): Marketing communication with a sarcastically critical, testy edge.
As I was catching up on some reading last week, a print ad for a consulting firm caught my attention. Unfortunately, it stopped me for all the wrong reasons. The ad opened with a blistering (and groan-worthy) indictment of the firm’s competition. Once the ad made its case for the complete incompetence of others, it shifted gears to tell the reader about the subject firm’s value to the market, which was actually well-written, relevant, and engaging.
Problem was, I couldn’t get my mind off the ad’s snarky lead-in. Why would any firm feel the need to use the kind of scorched-earth advertising we’ve (sadly) come to expect in last-minute political ads? The tone of the ad seemed oddly out of place in the consulting world.
When a firm resorts to snarky marketing, or snarketing, readers usually learn more about the ad’s author than about the firm in question. And I’d bet that readers are not nearly as enamored with the firm as the ad writer thinks.
Snarketing is a betrayal of the intent of good marketing, which should be to attract the clients you want to contact you. Make your case to the market by proving your own value, not by trying to diminish others.
Why I Loathe “Hover” Ads
November 30, 2010 By 3 Comments
By now, everyone has seen those “hover” ads on web sites. Usually, a few seconds after you land on a site, the page you’re reading fades to gray, and your screen fills with an in-your-face ad imploring you to buy something, subscribe to a newsletter, or take advantage of a “free” offer.
I have a request for professional service providers using this advertising method: Please stop.
Interrupting your visitors in this way broadcasts two unfortunate messages. First, you’re saying, “I don’t care why you’re here. You will watch my ad because I know better than you what’s important.” Some of your visitors may not want to hear about your free, 92-week e-course on achieving blissful client relationships. Still, you force them to see it.
Second, you’re demonstrating that your immediate intent is to lasso your visitors into your buying process or into your automated marketing system, even though you have no idea what they want or need from you.
Plus, you run the risk of alienating repeat visitors. As a reader, I can tolerate your hover ad once or twice. But I find it annoying–and I’m not alone—when I have to close a hover ad every time I come back to your site.
I know research suggests that the click-through rates on hover ads far exceeds those for traditional banner ads, so web site publishers love to use them. And maybe you think the hover ad seems like a harmless way to get your message out there.
You may believe that your offer is so valuable that everyone must know about it, no matter what. Keep in mind, though, that value is in the eye of the beholder. If the content on your site is truly valuable to your readers, you don’t need to force-feed them with hover ads.
25 Things You Can Do During the Holidays
November 26, 2010 By 1 Comment
For many of us, the next four or five weeks will be a great time to catch our breath, reflect on the past year, and plan for what’s next. As you start the Holidays, here are 25 things you could do to make 2011 better for your business and your life.
1. Call your clients and thank them for their business, even if you’ve done it before.
2. Get started (or restarted) on that article you promised yourself you’d write.
3. Plan some quality time with your family.
4. Consider a new service offering for 2011.
5. Find an opportunity to volunteer some time to those who need your help.
6. Catch up on your industry reading list.
7. Take a vacation.
8. Ask your best clients for a referral.
9. Scrub your web site of outdated content.
10. Find a new source for publishing your articles.
11. Make a point of meeting three new people within your existing clients’ organizations.
12. Create a concept for that book you’ve been thinking about writing.
13. Ask three clients for testimonials.
14. Draft your 2011-2012 marketing plan.
15. Identify three skills you want to improve on and get to work on them.
16. Assess all the elements of your web presence in terms of what’s working and what’s not.
17. Reestablish contact with three past clients.
18. Set client-specific goals for 2011.
19. Draft some new case studies.
20. Commit to a regular exercise routine.
21. Learn a new productivity technology.
22. Eliminate one bad habit.
23. Plan your speaking strategy for 2011-2012.
24. Start a blog.
25. Stay out of airports.
Targeting
November 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Last week, I received a press release announcing the debut of a new, bioactive bone regeneration product for the European dental market. While it was fascinating to learn about this boon for Europeans’ dental health, I was scratching my head as I tried to figure out how I got on the list to receive this press release.
I know that publicists are notorious for blasting out press releases to the world, no matter who is on the receiving end. Still, it served as a good reminder about the power of targeting. Like you, I receive lots of “business proposals,” solicitations, and other marketing communications that make no sense. Most are either poorly targeted, amateurish, or completely irrelevant, like the bone regeneration announcement I received.
If you plan to use direct mail or email for marketing, take a close look at your mailing list. Ask yourself a few questions before you send anything. Is the communication really relevant and current for those who would receive it? Will the recipients know exactly why they are receiving your message? Does your communication have a clear call to action?
If you answer no to those questions, sending out the communication would be a waste of time and money. Your goal is to move your readers to open, read, and act on your communication. You’ll fail to achieve that goal, and just annoy people, if you blanket the world with your message.
Use your scarce resources wisely and focus on your target market. Oh, and don’t forget to ask your dentist “if bioactive bone regeneration is right for you.”
Notable Blogs for Consultants
September 17, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Want some noteworthy blogs to add to your newsreader? Have a look at these four exceptional blogs.
Andrew Sobel is an authority on the skills and strategies to build resilient, long-lasting client relationships. In a recent post, he offers four steps for adding more value to your client relationships.
Fiona Czerniawska is a keen observer of trends and issues impacting the global services industry. Recently, she asked, “What on earth does the consulting industry have in common with the golden age of Hollywood?” Her insightful post makes a case for how the organization of consulting firms is inching toward something that looks like the film industry.
Adam Hartung offers market-savvy insights on how organizations can innovate and grow. His posts usually examine the competitive dynamics in specific markets (or companies), and he lays out what organizations can learn from understanding the strategies of others. Last month, for example, Hartung wrote about the fallacy of the “fast-follower” strategy, using Microsoft’s stumbles in the Smart Phone market and Amazon’s success with the Kindle to illustrate the point.
Social Media Examiner looks at the trends, issues, and implications of using social media for businesses. Technorati and AdAge rank it as one of the world’s top 100 business blogs. Recently, the blog’s authors published a case study showing how Cisco used social media applications to trim more than $100,000 from a product launch initiative.
If you know of other relevant blogs or newsletter, feel free to send them along to me.
Is Your Thought Leadership a Waste of Time?
August 25, 2010 By Leave a Comment
My colleagues at SourceforConsulting.com spend a lot of time sifting through the “thought leadership” work that consultants send into the market. I empathize with one of their contributors, Zoe Stumpf, who wrote, “I’ve recently spent some time looking at the thought leadership produced by a selection of global consulting firms and, to be quite frank, I now need a bit of a lie down.”
Why? Because too much of the so-called thought leadership in the market is an uninspiring mix of old ideas and unsupported claims. That’s unfortunate, especially given that Source for Consulting research shows that thought leadership plays an important role in clients’ hiring decisions.
In the context of a selection decision, clients will most likely check out a firm’s thought leadership–that is, if the work has relevance to their business and industry. Source for Consulting found that 62 percent of thought leadership fails that important test and doesn’t focus on a particular sector. Of the remaining 38 percent of thought leadership material:
- 82 percent isn’t eye-catching or topical enough to attract a client’s attention
- 74 percent doesn’t say something sufficiently new or different to make a lasting impression
- 85 percent is not based on enough hard data to convince a client to take it seriously
- 99 percent doesn’t create an effective link to the firm’s consulting services.
The message: If you’re engaging in a thought leadership strategy, ask at least these three questions before you publish:
Does the piece say anything new or different? Or does it offer a new insight on an old idea? If you’re just offering me-too ideas, you’re wasting your time.
Do you have proof for your conclusions? If you make specific recommendations for changing the direction or methods of a business, you need evidence to support your ideas.
Is there a connection between your thought leadership and your service offerings? If your clients can’t see how your ideas tie to your capabilities, you’re squandering the marketing opportunity that thought leadership offers.
In the last month or so, the largest 25 consulting firms in the world published almost 500 new books and articles. And their websites contain more than 16,000 pieces of thought leadership. You can save yourself from drowning in that sea of words, but you must focus on client needs, be rigorous in your analysis, and make the connection between your ideas and your work.
Can Social Media Pull Consultants into the 21st Century?
July 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment
When it comes to adopting new trends and technologies, it’s not unusual for consulting firms to lag behind everyone else. And the rise of social media platforms for marketing is no exception.
After clients paved the way with their own programs, consultants now seem ready to get on board. That’s according to a study of 74 consulting firms conducted by Bloom Group, BlissPR, and the Association for Management Consulting Firms.
“The study shows that consulting firms are beginning to use social media to rethink the very marketing practice they pioneered years ago–what increasingly is referred to as thought leadership marketing,” said Bob Buday, president of Bloom Group.
Two of the study’s findings caught my attention. First, according to the study, consulting firms are expanding their budgets for social media to an estimated 18 percent of marketing expenses. This run up is happening even though “…a majority of consulting firms are still unsure about how to best market their ideas,” said Meg Wildrick, managing director at BlissPR.
Second, the emergence of social media could transform how consulting firms market their businesses. Five years from now, social media programs are projected to account for about a third of consultants’ marketing budgets. That’s about the same amount as firms currently spend for offline and “traditional” online thought leadership marketing initiatives.
If you’ve hesitated to add elements of social media to your marketing mix, this study should be your wake-up call: Thought Leadership Rewired: How Consulting Firms are Using Social Media to Market Their Ideas.
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