In case you didn't get to the video introducing MarketPower, here is another way of saying howdy. MarketPower is a different kind of business! We work in an advisory role, and an execution role, to help you produce the results you need. We're media agnostic — we work with email and direct mail… websites and social media marketing … Keynote or billboards. Any medium..we work with you to do whatever's right for your business right now, and for the future. Let's grab a coffee..

Breakfast meetings can be a wake-up call, especially when the presenter and attendees are experienced and masterful at their crafts. When Jim Weber of ITB Partners presented his perspective on selling consulting services, even the most experienced among us sat up and took notice. (This post combines Jim Weber’s presentation, and with his endorsement, some framing with my own perspective.) Anyone who is a good consultant wants to do a good job, and differentiate their services for their prospects and clients… that’s natural. Sometimes, however, we can miss the point — which is making the connection to our client, and understanding their world fully, through their eyes. We sometimes miss some of the subtext of the business or sales conversation hich may be about the client’s unstated needs. So good consultants must be connected to their client. They must value the client interests. And the context of selling consulting services must be reframed to focus on the client’s interests. And it must be framed within the context of coordinating the thinking and efforts of sales and marketing teams. (Okay, there, I said it! And one of my own biggest victories was by doing just that... I can tell you about it.) There’s also an additional bit of healthy schizophrenia involved — while you must understand the client need, you must also ensure that your own consultant’s assessment adds up. Here’s the link to the original video, as Jim Weber presents Selling Consulting Services: https://lnkd.in/eXPbePR Here are some takeaways from that talk on sales secrets Inside Your Prospects Head At just about any company, the person hiring you will want to know two essential questions — “Do You Understand My Problem?” and “Will You Make Me Look Good?” If you can’t get past these questions, all the great work you might do… might not happen. Other key questions will likely include “Can You Work Within Our Culture?” While the culture may be cool, calm, and collected…or mad as a March hare, most clients expect No Drama. You Are In Front of Viable Prospect A key step in developing the plan is making sure there can be a plan. Is the prospect qualified? Are they just fishing around, or do they have a defined need? Are they looking to you to define this need? Do they have a budget available to pay for the project? To understand and frame your client’s expectations you can ask: “What’s important around here?” This will help you determine if they are looking for a certain type of program response, or profitability, other KPIs or “soft” goals. Sizing Up The Project And Expectations Asking the right questions here may make the difference. You may ask “What have you done” in regard to the project, and this will offer insights into the client’s approach, plus success or failure at that endeavor. And you will want to know “how” they executed the project — “How did you execute that?” will also tell a lot. The consultant can check out expectations by asking a question such as “If we found new ways of thinking through this issue, would you be open to that?” Your Goal – Close The Deal! When discerning the client’s needs, and their framing of it, you’ll want to Validate The Client’s Diagnosis. This step is key for producing later success. You’ll also want to understand the company culture, and how your work and style fits into it. Then, essentially, you will be validating your fit for the work. The Presumptive Close I presume there are all kinds of “presumptive close” styles, but part of the subtext of the selling conversation will be to continue building the relationship. You’ll want to demonstrate what it’s like to work with you, and your Closing Strategy conversations are the beginning of your work. How To Scare Off Your Prospect Sometimes we can scare off the prospect by identifying all their landmines. And we suggest solutions. I take this one personally, I do it often — my rationale, likely yours, too — is to help the client, direct the conversation, and to provide value even in that initial selling process. While those insights might be correct, the client just wanted to solve a particular problem. Other times, in the spirit of being a hero and showing how much we know, we can come up with a premature diagnosis – which is not fully informed, and off-target. We can also be too surgical in our technical techniques and conversation — even if it’s right, it just doesn’t build rapport. A Successful Sales Close While a consultant needs to map the terrain, and understand where the client is at, if all the questions asked serve the consultant… then you might as well hire yourself. Jim reports that some consultants were “dying” when they focused on the mechanics of their job. But-but-but when they switched to issues that were important to the prospect… they arose like Pegasus. That’s a way better end result! Another interesting bit of perspective from the meeting and discussion, regarding agenda and expectations, was the insight to “assume the worst going in” to a meeting. That doesn’t mean being a pessimist, it means that we live in a fast-paced world, and everyone may not be prepared for the meeting, or you might not expect the unexpected — so you may need to set expectations and guide the agenda. Jim’s presentation had us focus on being connected. Valuing the prospects interests. Playing their role. Not just understanding what they say they want, and selling the value of your services… but absolutely ensuring we meet their interests. Sounds good to me! - - - - - - - - - - - Would you like to see the narrated .ppt presentation? Here’s the link, as Jim Weber presents Selling Consulting Services: https://lnkd.in/eXPbePR Joel Alpert of MarketPower is a branding and marketing consultant who has developed branding, strategic thinking, direct marketing and more, for Fortune 500... SMB... and one person consultancies, in just about every conceivable category of business. Connect with Joel: www.LinkedIn.com/in/JoelAlpert123 Connect with Jim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimweber/ Find what you need...take a quick tour: www.MarketPowerOnline.com .#sellingtips #sellingsecrets #strategicselling #managementconsulting #sellingconsultingservices #managementconsultant #strategicplanning #newbusinesspresentation #ITBpartners #marketpoweronline #marketpower #atlantabusiness #atlanta #brandconsultant #brandingconsultant #brandstrategy #atlantarebrand #atlantarebranding #atlantabrandconsultant #atlantabrandingconsultant

The Good Guys built a fake copy of the town of Rockridge, so they could set a trap for The Bad Guys who were chasing them. Your business, however, must be built on a solid foundation… a facade just won't do. Think about this, cowboys and cowgirls… When you create “Branding” — what’s under your ten gallon cowboy hat— what are you thinking about? Should you think about definitions and perspective, such as what are the business tools you use? Should new company or existing company branding include a new logo? Do we need a new tagline and branding statement? Should it freshen up colors and use a new website design template? You can round up and define those criteria. And the answer may be "yep!" But if this is the corral you’re working in... HOLD YOUR HORSES! You’re not rounding up most of the herd! You need to get them into one corral! What moves prospects to do business with your company, pardner? You can — and should — go beyond those basic definitions. You must consider “WHAT” actually moves your prospects into your barn…what turns them into customers. When you do branding work, it’s not created in a vacuum. A good logo or tagline or website with good color choices is vital for flagging the interest of your target audience. But if all you did was attract them, and the "back end " and website are weak — you won’t get the opportunity to tell them more about your company products and services , and you won't keep them in your barn. As important as the branding facade is you don’t want to ride into a western town movie set…only to find you’re looking at storefronts propped up by 2x4’s, like the fake Western town in Blazing Saddles! There must be a deeper level of branding the company, that includes more. Branding Strategy and Business Strategy are not separate exercises. They are a continuum. They are not just cowchips to kick around in an annual review…they are feed-and-grain for your daily planning and marketing. They both have to be done well, and they should be done together. Not sometimes. Not when it’s convenient. But always. If not, all your cowboy brand yodeling that draws them in, is going to seem like caterwauling, when they see yer barn doesn’t have good horses and cattle inside, as promised. And your prospects ride on into the sunset. A quick overview from the hilltop: HOW you bring your products and services to the market with your brand messaging…and WHAT you do as a product or service offering, become much more powerful when you integrate your business and branding thinking. When you think about this process as a continuum, you will not only refine your message, but also will likely find opportunities to refine your products and services. When you put all this into one corral, it makes for a powerful posse! Branding: Changes Perception + This Perception Should Change The Way You Deliver Your Products & Services! Okay, you want to stand out and be a horse of a different color. You want to differentiate your cowboys from the other ranch hands. You want to think about the whole ranch, with Business Strategy and Branding as a continuum. So how can that play out in the substance and style of your products and services? Here are some branding/strategy continuum examples: I work with a client whose insurance clients jump through the hurdles of complex and varied state compliance regulations. Their clients sell products in 50 states, and they have many variations of many products. Keeping track of all of these multiple nuanced technical compliance processes was a nightmare. We had already painted the facade of their consulting business with our branding work, and the marketing strategy and branding had added new life to that dusty ol’ tumbleweed company town. But there was still a mismatch between what was outside and inside the barn. We realized that customers needed a more efficient way to access the status of their multiple programs in multiple states, beyond the calls to the albeit attentive staff. So we recommended that they bring the highly confidential internal records system online, under military-grade password protection, creating a dashboard that makes it easy to keep track of a silo-full of programs in 50 states. This was beyond “well received”….it was the reason why many prospects turned into clients. We didn’t reinvent the product/service...we repackaged it on a functional level, so that it matched the interests of buyers. That was a big deal change — altering the actual service, based on the overall strategy and branding,. And it helped create a steady little stampede of new and renewed clients. Another example, with a very unusual client service. I worked with a professional services practice which specializes in “sound therapy,” using high-tech and traditional sound tools to resonate within the client’s body to enable relaxation and healing. We tried out the process… and saw gaps in the service, between what might be possible, and what the practitioners were doing. And the series of recommendations on the environment, working process, and customer experience revolutionized the practice. It didn't come about by accident. It came about because we had established a clear vision for the result of the work and the process…and we just caught up with ourselves as we altered the delivery of the service. Branding Should Influence Marketing Strategy, too We worked with a home services company, and when evaluating what motivated prospects during our branding focus, we realized the product shouldn’t be sold directly to homeowners, it might be better off sold via homeowners associations, since the service was good for the associations, too. We thought multiple sales might be made to homeowners in one fell swoop. That premise proved true. And sales went up over 60% in 8 months, as costs of marketing decreased by over 50%. This wasn’t a change in the product, but an alignment in market and marketing strategy, based on real immersion in the process. "Branding" used to be done on cattle, identifying your herd. And it sure made impact… especially if you were a cow. Your company branding (and your personal branding, too) must quickly identify and differentiate…and drive a prospect to the green pastures of client status. Most knowledgeable people will say your brand has a major impact on the financial value of your organization. That’s true. But when your products and services are on the same continuum of customer motivations and value…you’re going to keep lots more cattle in the corral! To make this work you need this kind of holistic orientation. You need to be willing to think freshly…and not just "fill in the blanks" as if your answers come from an existing database of knowledge. "Thinking" is different. And you need the patience to pull down the rim of yer cowboy hat, shut off your text message alerts, and work through the process. Is it worth it? Yep. It'll streamline your sales process, and bring in new customers. So round ‘em up…and move ‘em out! Yee-hah! - - - - - - - - - - Joel Alpert is a cowboy from the wild plains of Brooklyn who moved out west (okay, “south”) to Atlanta. He does Branding, Business Strategy, and Marketing using a unique integrated process, which can include product and service revamp, and more. Say howdy. Tip yer hat and flash a smile to a random stranger today.

Know What To Say, And When To Stop! This Copywriting Is About A Pair Of Socks ! I’m usually not inspired or rankled by a pair of new socks. So when I bought of bunch of Gold Toe socks at the outlet mall last week on the tail end of a road trip, I didn’t expect to want to talk back to the little gold tag and say “Shut up!” But I actually did. I said "Shut Up!" out loud. The rankle with these ankle-covers was in the little gold tag, attached. It said the right thing, but didn’t stop when it was ahead. In addition to the expected description of the constituency of said socks — “Combed Cotton”…”Freshcare® Moisture Control”…..and “Reinforced Toe" — the sock sell said: “Gold Toe® has been the gold standard of quality for generations.” I agree. No problem. “One look, one touch, one wear gives you all the confidence you need that Gold Toe® is the brand for you.” Okay. I now have the confidence I previously lacked, I now know this is the brand for me. But I have to tell you, any character flaw that I might have, or not, won’t be based on this pair of socks. Yes, you wear them, and they’re good socks. But we could really skip the confidence thing, and not wax poetic, or wax my legs. Really, let’s skip it. But the little gold tag goes further (gasp!) — beyond ”Comfortable, consistent, and durable” (which they are). The copy continues: “Gold Toe® is for people who know who they are and know what they like.” Um, yes…I like a good pair of socks. But I wasn’t getting any clarity about my identity from these socks. When copy getteth so pompous, it swelleth to ankle-chain proportions. As a marketing guy, I’ve written only rarely with a "grandiose copy style," once whilst I was romanticizing the prize of a trip to Hawaii, for a Kimberly-Clark sales incentive program. I’ll submit that painting a picture of this extraordinarily beautiful and relaxing place for harried sales producers worked in that instance. That was about Hawaii. This is about socks! In most cases, clear, simple, conversational straight talk beats marketing babble. Additionally, “verisimilitude” is a key concept for successful marketing communication The seminal direct response copywriter Herschel Gordon-Lewis introduced this concept in his brilliant lectures years ago. Your copy needs to have “the appearance of truth.” So even if it’s true, if it sounds bloated or BS-y, it’s going to be a turn-off. And that’s not why you’re writing copy, whether it’s creative, strategic, or editorial style. So let’s keep our copywriting conversational. And straightforward. Know when to stop, and not over-gild the lily. Otherwise, your prospect will think you’re stepping on their toes! Ouch! P.S. — The socks are really quite excellent. I’ve had Gold Toe socks that show little wear, even after 8-10 years. They’re made well and stand the test of time. They’re a shoe-in. ---------------------------------- Joel Alpert is a Branding and Marketing Wizard, who has worked with very big and very small companies on Branding, practical Business Strategy, and award-winning Copywriting and Creative Direction.

Psssst! Direct Mail programs gain leads, conversions and sales at a much higher rate than email, banners, retargeting, or other online methods. It's the most powerful medium of Direct Marketing. ​ Yes…Direct Mail. Many people have used it, and say it's not cost effective. Agreed… if you use it improperly! David Ogilvy said Direct Mail is hsi secret weapon. Yep ! It's a discipline that takes time and money to learn, so it's often been the red-haired stepchild of ad agencies and companies, and marketers who like to show "glitzier" things in their portfolios like TV and web animation.. Few companies explore or master its tools. Those that do swear by it (good swearing!). And if you've explored "Direct" and it hasn't worked, it may be because — faceplant! — key fundamentals or nuance were missed. ​ But is direct mail worth the investment? Does Direct mail really gain a strong ROI? ​BURIED SECRET ALERT: Proof is most successful companies employ direct mail for strong ROI in their marketing.. Just ask digital kingpin Google... it's one of the world's heaviest users of direct mail! The check into almost any Fortune 500 company's promotional mix, and see if it isn't a profitable segment of their lead generation, brand-building, cross-selling, and more. No, it's not good for every company, or every program. That's why training and experience is critical to approaching this powerful beast. So what's some secret perspective about Direct Mail Marketing? Glad you asked! LOTS OF BURIED SECRETS ALERTS: In fact, many survey results prove that direct mail… conveys information and is easier to understand than online advertising… it uniquely has the recipients full attention at that moment converts prospects to customers much faster produces a stronger emotional response has all kinds of killer techniques to help you build your brand… and sometimes get the sale in the same communication gives you an infinite range of 2-D and 3-D formats to tell your story your way (more and bigger images, infinite folding formats, multi-pages, paper textures and finishing such as foil stamp and embossing, even scrent)…and create major impact. Done well, it can be incredibly creative and "glitzy" it's more memorable -- it gives you more than double the recall breaks through the media overload of the internet, and puts something physical — and credible — in the hands of your prospect response rates are way higher than email and online the best way to heat up C-Level and top executives, and cold or warm contacts? Go with on-target messaging via Dimensional mail (3-D boxes)... where the response rate goes way higher than regular direct mail, and breaks through the clutter big-time! (Plus, we have an additional Secret Weapon that we've developed that is so effective that we can't even tell you about it until we've working with you!) is a key marketing component of the most successful companies in America. We've produced strong results for a wide range of clients, and we have multiple certifications in Direct Marketing, Inbound Marketing, and more ​ Our Chief Lightbulb, Joel Alpert, is multi-certified in this realm — with huge print and digital experience in email and direct mail, producing results for Fortune 500 and SMB companies. ​ BURIED SECRET ALERT: And, yes, direct digital or print can — and should — be used in an integrated program, driving leads right onto online systems. That integration of print and online media is absolutely the best ninja tool for marketers, getting your prospects and customers involved with your business on multiple channels! You reach them intrusuely… they respond interactively… and you get to craft your drip campaign or SQL program on stronger footing. If you've used Direct Response Marketing before, and it's only given you ho-hum results...there are lots of wires that might not have been hooked up right. It's time we connected, so you can energize your marketing! ------- More on Direct Mail Marketing, plus examples of our work.

You’ve heard people say “You only get one chance to make a first impression.” You can ignore that if you like. But if you’d like your LinkedIn Profile to be a powerful tool in the business world...and you don’t want to continue being a SuperWimp, keep reading. LinkedIn gives you the opportunity to make a good first impression, and network, 24/7. However if your profile is weak, that ho-hum “bo-ring” first impression will register just as fast, 24/7. If you’re treating your LinkedIn profile like a resume, cut it out. This medium gives you vast opportunities to do far more. You might think of it as an introduction on steroids– an opportunity to supercharge that vital first impression, and beyond — because you have huge flexibility in the way you develop your profile and your networking. Here are some tips to get you going in the right direction. 1) BE FOUND MORE EASILY ON LINKEDIN You need to be found by folks searching for you, whether you have a business, are a consultant…or in job search mode (overtly or in stealth mode). So using your keywords powerfully really makes a difference. Those areas are throughout your profile, but the most important spots are like real estate – think “Location. Location. Location.” The first 4-5 words after your name, and your former work position titles are some of the strongest positions you need to nail, in a coordinated way with mirrored wording, in order to get found be people searching for your type of experience. 2) MAKE YOU LINKEDIN PROFILE VISUAL. If your knee-jerk reaction was “but my work and profession aren’t visual,” I will throw Kryptonite ping pong balls at you in rapid succession. Those visuals can include photos, video, slideshows...start using your visual thinking....it’s the most powerful sensory medium, able to leap tall and short people in a single bound. I have been challenged to find a profession that can’t produce a profile that includes visuals, and have never failed my native Krypton. You’d be surprised how many options there are, from all kinds of graphics to videos. And if your lack of visuals includes no photo, I will throw more ping pong balls at you. Can you imagine doing in-person networking with a bag over your head? Without a photo, you’re doing the same thing. (Do you mean you can’t find a friend with a camera-phone, and get this up in the next 20 minutes?) 3) YOU CAN RE-ORDER YOUR LINKEDIN PROFILE. Most folks don’t even know that you can play your strongest cards first, by displaying your profile in the order that works best for you. When you’re in edit mode, the “drag me” boxes appear the upper right of each section. Grab ‘em and drag ‘em. 4) YOU CAN EXPAND YOUR NETWORK QUICKLY ON LINKEDIN. If you don’t know the value of an expanded network, you’re probably rationalizing that “I don’t want ‘just anybody’ in my network.” Some people are also concerned that they’ll get a lot of junk email in their inbox. The numbers show that if you expand your network (first-level contacts), your “reachable” network – via connecting to hard-to reach people via your existing network – expands exponentially and it’s worth it. How else are you going to try to reach those busy executive types who don’t readily accept people into their network? (They frequently require you to know their email address, just to contact them.) In years of doing this, I haven't had problems with connecting with people I don't know (and may have dropped only 2 or 3 contacts). It pays to grow your network, because it grows your “reach.” 5) JUST DO IT. Start. (Now would be good.) You want to network more strongly, but it doesn’t happen by itself. When you join groups and get active in discussions (and have a good profile that introduces you), you gain credibility and contacts. There’s lots to learn, and a number of profile tweaks and networking approaches can have very high impact quickly, to go beyond “just sitting there.” Get the basics right, and update your profile regularly.Once you get started, you’ll get the idea. Up...up...and away! - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - Joel Alpert used to have a weak profile, but is now wearing spandex and a cape– he’s developed private coaching and a unique, practical workshop: “LinkedIn: Turn Your Profile Into An Effective Business Tool…In Just 1 Night!” available to businesses as a powerful value-building and conversation-starting tool. Plus, he does works with executives on unique LinkedIn profile makeovers which include Personal Branding, getting found, profile writing, and graphics. When off-duty as LinkedIn superhero, Joel is a Branding + Marketing Wizard, who generally prefers 100% cotton outfits. Check out our video post here in the PowerBlogosphere about what Russell says about our LinkedIn Workshop — now offered privately for business and trade associations.