GUERRILLA MARKETING FOR CONSULTANTS Breakthrough Tactics for Winning Profitable Clients JAY CONRAD LEVINSON MICHAEL W. McLAUGHLIN JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC. ffirs.qxd 7/20/04 2:44 PM Page i Copyright © 2005 by Jay Conrad Levinson and Michael W. McLaughlin. All rights reserved. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. Published simultaneously in Canada. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600, or on the web at www.copyright.com. 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Business consultants. I. McLaughlin, Michael W., 1955– II. Title. HF5415.L4762 2004 001′.068′8—dc22 2004042253 Printed in the United States of America. 10987654321 ffirs.qxd 7/20/04 2:44 PM Page ii For Sally The road continues . . . ffirs.qxd 7/20/04 2:44 PM Page iii ffirs.qxd 7/20/04 2:44 PM Page iv v Contents Acknowledgments vii Introduction ix PA RT I MARKETING FOR CONSULTANTS THE GUERRILLA WAY Chapter 1: Why Consultants Need Guerrilla Marketing 3 Chapter 2: What Is Guerrilla Marketing for Consultants? 10 Chapter 3: Thirteen Guerrilla Marketing Secrets 19 Chapter 4: Anatomy of a Marketing Plan 32 Chapter 5: The Guerrilla’s Marketing Road Map 47 PA RT II GUERRILLA MARKETING AT WORK Chapter 6: Beyond Web Sites: Create a Client-Centered Web Presence 61 Chapter 7: Boost Your Web Presence with a Zine 79 Chapter 8: Talking Heads: The Cost of Free Publicity 92 Chapter 9: When It Pays to Advertise 108 ftoc.qxd 7/20/04 2:43 PM Page v vi CONTENTS ➤ Chapter 10: Write This Way 119 Chapter 11: Five Steps to a Winning Speech 129 Chapter 12: Book Publishing: The Guerrilla’s 800-Pound Gorilla 144 Chapter 13: Survey Said! Make Surveys and Proprietary Research Work 160 Chapter 14: The Power of Giving Back 170 PA RT III GUERRILLA SELLING FOR CONSULTANTS Chapter 15: All Projects Are Not Created Equal 179 Chapter 16: “Send Me a Proposal”: Create Proposals That Win 194 Chapter 17: The Price Is Right 211 Chapter 18: The Guerrilla’s Competitive Edge 227 Chapter 19: After the Sale: Selling While Serving 242 PA RT IV PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER Chapter 20: Put Your Plan into Action 259 Notes 269 Resource Guide 277 About the Authors 285 Index 287 ftoc.qxd 7/20/04 2:43 PM Page vi vii Acknowledgments There’s pure joy in thanking those who helped bring this book to life. None of this would have been possible if my good friend, colleague and confidante, Marty Rosenthal, hadn’t taken a chance and hired me as a consultant. Over the past 20 years, my partner at Deloitte, Mike Deverell, taught me the art and craft of consulting and showed me how integrity, professionalism, and value draw clients to a consulting practice. I’ve been fortunate to work alongside some of the finest consul- tants in the profession. A very special thanks to Tom Dekar, John Demetra, Peter Gertler, Erik Gilberg, Greg Seal, Phil Strause, and Jack Witlin. Hundreds of others at Deloitte also shaped my thinking about this book. I wish I could thank each of you personally for your gen- erosity and collegiality, but you know who you are. Most of all I learned from clients. They always let you know when things are right and when they’re not. From our first conversation, my co-author, Jay Levinson, pro- vided the glue that holds this book together. From the roughest pro- posal outline to the completed manuscript, Jay steered the project with his experience and keen intellect. No problem was too big or small for Jay’s attention. All I had to do was ask and Jay was there to lend a hand. It was a rare treat to work with my agents, Michael Larsen and Elizabeth Pomada. They knew exactly when to apply the right pres- sure to keep the project moving, and they never gave up on the idea. Without their guidance, this book would still be a pile of notes. The team at John Wiley & Sons made the editing and production of the book seem like magic. My editor, Mike Hamilton, was there to answer every question, solve any problem, and keep the book on the right track. Deborah Schindlar, my Wiley production editor who worked with Pam Blackmon and her team at Publications Develop- ment Company; Kimberly Vaughn; and Michelle Becker brought the flast.qxd 7/20/04 2:43 PM Page vii viii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ➤ book from rough manuscript to the bookshelves, and I owe each of you a debt of gratitude. Mark Steisel, my friend and colleague, contributed his blood, sweat, and tears to this book. Mark has a feel for the language that most of us simply dream about. His perseverance, editorial touch, and inspiration helped bring this book to a whole new level. Every author has a secret weapon—that one person who is there to do whatever is needed, no matter what. My generous sister-in-law, Mary Dillon, is my secret weapon. Thank you, Mary, for tending to just about everything when writing and editing took over my life. To my wife, Sally, you stuck by me when the going got the tough- est. You gave selflessly of your days, nights, and weekends editing and reediting every last chapter of this book. I have no words to describe what your devotion has meant to me. You are in my mind and heart at all times. This book is for you. M.W.M. The Guerrilla Marketing brand has grown in 20 years from a single book to a library of books available around the world. One of the main reasons for that success is authors such as Michael W. McLaugh- lin who bring the spirit, the wisdom, and the practicality of Guerrilla Marketing to vibrant life. I want to acknowledge Mike’s painstaking work and superb writ- ing. It is not easy to write a Guerrilla Marketing book. But he has done it with grace and aplomb. I also single out for gratitude some of the same people that Mike has identified–Mark Steisel, writer and editor extraordinaire, and Mike Larsen and Elizabeth Pomada, the shepherds of the brand–who have been my literary agents since the first book–and will be my agents for many more books. Finally, I thank Jeannie Huffman, president of Guerrilla Market- ing International, who has built the brand, as people like Michael and I have crafted the words. J.C.L. flast.qxd 7/20/04 2:43 PM Page viii ix Introduction Are you a consultant? That title applies to professionals from actuar- ial advisors to Web site designers, including management consul- tants, accountants, architects, investment counselors, lawyers, public relations consultants, engineers, human resources experts, executive coaches, professional speakers, technology consultants, internal con- sultants, and others. All consultants are different and each specialty requires unique skills. One of those skills, though it may not say so on your business card, is marketing. If you’re not a top-notch marketer, expect an up- hill road all the way. And don’t expect that road to lead to the bank. Professional service providers need powerful marketing now more than ever. You may be a brilliant advisor or strategist, but in our highly competitive world you must convince clients that your services are head and shoulders above the competition if you want to stay in business. This book was written from the perspective of a management con- sultant—coauthor, Michael McLaughlin. But the message of guerrilla marketing is equally relevant for all professional service providers. Whatever consulting you do, guerrilla marketing can separate your practice from the pack. That’s not to say that classical market- ing principles have no validity. But they are not a potent enough re- sponse to the rapidly changing demands of today’s clients. Guerrilla marketing strategy and tactics will take you to the next level, where profits flow abundantly. Guerrillas use their time, en- ergy, creativity, and knowledge to maximize the return on their mar- keting dollars. This book isn’t about good marketing. It’s about great marketing and long-term success—an investment in your future. Think of Guerrilla Marketing for Consultants as an owner’s man- ual for your career and your practice. In these pages, there is a wealth of information on why, where, when, and how to push your consult- ing practice to new performance levels. flast.qxd 7/20/04 2:43 PM Page ix x INTRODUCTION ➤ The guidelines in this book are prescriptive but flexible. Work through them on a step-by-step basis to create a guerrilla marketing program that fits your objectives, markets, budget, and skills. You can find strategies and tools for handling every aspect of marketing a con- sulting practice—from building market visibility to creating winning proposals and pricing your services. We also include unbeatable guerrilla strategies for selling your services and creating profitable client relationships once you’ve been hired. Those relationships are keys to building a sustainable and prof- itable business. If you want to review recent practices in just one area of market- ing, you can simply flip to that chapter. Whichever way you use this book, you have access to the latest intelligence for creating a prof- itable guerrilla consulting practice. If you are a consulting client or are thinking about becoming one, this book offers you many insights on how consultants work with clients. You might want to focus on the chapters about projects, proposals, and pricing. These and the other chapters can help you identify the traits you should look for in a consultant. We look forward to seeing you in the trenches—and at the bank. flast.qxd 7/20/04 2:43 PM Page x [...]... marketing tactics will prosper Guerrilla marketing will show you the way 2 Chapter What Is Guerrilla Marketing for Consultants? Marketing is everything —REGIS MCKENNA1 Although marketing has many definitions, for guerrillas, marketing is a full-time business that includes every aspect of a consulting practice It begins the moment you decide to become a consultant and never stops Marketing involves more than... MARKETING THE GUERRILLA WAY only are expensive, but also emphasize the sharp differences between traditional marketing programs and guerrilla marketing ■ SIX PRINCIPLES OF GUERRILLA MARKETING FOR CONSULTANTS Open any marketing textbook and you are likely to read about the classic Four Ps marketing model, which advocates using a mix of product, place, price, and promotion to create customer demand For. .. marketing The time is right for consultants to adopt guerrilla marketing techniques The battle in consulting is no longer just about vying for projects; it is about competing for relationships with those who award those projects This book focuses on how to win profitable work from a new, more discerning breed of consulting clients Guerrilla marketing can overcome the obstacles that many consultants face: clients’... plans for success 18 ➤ MARKETING THE GUERRILLA WAY ■ WHAT GUERRILLA MARKETING ISN’T Although guerrilla marketing is low cost, it certainly isn’t free Be prepared to invest time and money You may need professional help for elements like Web site design, computer programming, copywriting, graphic design, or even marketing; but your goal should be to get the biggest bang for your marketing buck, every... skepticism Why Consultants Need Guerrilla Marketing ➤ 9 ➤ Compete for client relationships, not just projects ➤ Demonstrate what clients want—results ➤ Use the stockpile of their ideas—their intellectual assets—to their advantage ➤ Wield the right mix of marketing tactics to build and sustain a profitable consulting practice Consultants who understand and take full advantage of guerrilla marketing tactics...Part I Marketing for Consultants the Guerrilla Way 1 Chapter Why Consultants Need Guerrilla Marketing New business will be won only to the extent that the client believes that the professional is interested, cares, and is trying to help —DAVID H MAISTER1 For decades, consulting seemed like a dream job The promise of challenging, satisfying... all the angles Guerrillas also have insider information Okay, maybe the details guerrilla marketers know are not exactly secrets, but they might as well be for all the attention they get While some of the following thirteen guerrilla secrets may strike you as intuitive, too many consultants consistently overlook them These rules lay the essential groundwork for the guerrilla approach to marketing ■ SECRET... you ➤ Principle 3: Consulting Is a Contact Sport Relationships are the lifeblood of a consulting practice Most consultants spend considerable time in contact with clients but fail to build enduring client relationships Forging long-term relationships can take months or even years Guerrillas invest in building those relationships as the core of their marketing strategy GUERRILLA CONSULTING RELATIONSHIPS... provide you with more business with less effort at a lower cost A superb performance record and strong relationships will have a multiplier effect on your marketing efforts They will position you at the head of the pack for new consulting projects You will be invited to work on projects before your competitors even hear about them, and you will receive recommendations for other highly prized assignments Be... What is Guerrilla Marketing for Consultants? ➤ 17 Begin with a few well-crafted sentences Once you sift through your options and make critical marketing decisions, identify and launch the guerrilla marketing weapons that will move your practice in the desired direction After you get started, you can broaden your plan or embellish it with analyses, charts, and appendixes ■ FOLLOWING YOUR PLAN Marketing . WAY Chapter 1: Why Consultants Need Guerrilla Marketing 3 Chapter 2: What Is Guerrilla Marketing for Consultants? 10 Chapter 3: Thirteen Guerrilla Marketing Secrets 19 Chapter 4: Anatomy of a Marketing. Page 9 10 2 Chapter What Is Guerrilla Marketing for Consultants? Marketing is everything. —R EGIS M C K ENNA 1 Although marketing has many definitions, for guerrillas, marketing is a full-time business. eventual famine. Guerrilla marketing provides the cure for this destructive syndrome and enables consultants to sustain the feast and forestall the famine. ■ WHAT YOU WILL GET For consultants who