Win by Making Your Marketing Complex

Business owners sometimes visit me at my office to pick my brain about marketing. Typically, I’ll bring them in and show them all of the things I do to get a client. I’ll take out a blank sheet of paper and draw the flow chart of all the things that occur to get a client to raise their hand and say “I’m interested” and then all of the things that happen to them once they do. I’ll show them the steps I force clients to take before they can meet with me.

Most leave disappointed. They were looking for the magic bullet—the ONE thing they could do to get more clients. The easy thing. The tweak in their yellow page ad that would make the phone ring or the quick tips for internet marketing that would help them dominate Google in their market area. They can’t believe that I don’t meet with every client who wants a free consultation and that my marketing material dissuades certain clients from even calling for an appointment.

Getting new clients, customers or patients can a complex problem, especially in a recession. No matter what your business, there’s usually a ton of competition out there. By and large, consumers don’t know how to buy what it is you are selling, particularly if you sell professional services. For some, ethical rules appear designed to make your entire marketing program look just like your competitor’s. Finally, your marketing message competes with 3,000-5,000 other marketing messages a day.

Most business owners look for the simple solution to this complex problem. They add color to their yellow page ad, buy huge print ads with their business name as the headline and they let web designers design the prettiest websites that brag about the business but don’t get on the first page of Google and don’t entice consumers to start a conversation with you.

Problem is, there are no simple solutions for complex problems. There are only complex solutions for complex problems.

A multi-step, multi-media marketing system that is complex can help any business not just survive but thrive by serving to:

(1) differentiate you from the lawyers/doctor/flower shop owners who rely on the old two-step marketing approach that consists of buying and ad and shouting “here I am;”

(2) establish you as the wise man/woman at the top of the mountain in your profession/business without you having to say so;

(3) ward off those “C” and “D” clients that you hate by clearly defining who you are looking to work with; and

(4) increase the transaction value to you of each client, thus reducing your total work load in order allow more time for family and other things you really like doing while you make more money.

First, I suggest that you start thinking about marketing in an entirely different way. Shed the belief system that says that you must market to “all-comers,” meet with everyone and accept all business that walks in the door. Get over the fear that if you start rejecting people through complex marketing that you won’t have any more clients/customers.
Here’s how you do it:

(1) Start with a different message. Begin by studying the marketing messages of your competition. For example, if you were a personal injury lawyer you’ll likely find that most personal injury advertising uses messages like: “Injured?” “We Care for You” or “25 Years Combined Experience.” A different message would be: “Injured? Before Talking to the Adjuster, Hiring a Lawyer or Signing Any Forms, read the new free book about [name your state] personal injury claims written by attorney Jim Smith.

(2) Become an author. That’s right, write a book. It takes some time, often as long as 90 days, to go from book idea to finished product but it is well worth it. Have you ever noticed how book authors are respected as experts? Do you think people like Robert Kiyosaki (Rich Dad, Poor Dad) or Jack Canfield (Chicken Soup For the Soul Series) waited around for someone to ask them or appoint them to write a book? What do you think happens when you hand a prospective client a book instead of a business card?

(3) Make an audio CD and/or a DVD of information about your business area and about your business in particular. Answer questions that you know are running through your prospects head. It’s easy to create these products. You can either “go solo” or have someone interview you.

(4) Teach the prospect how to shop for a [insert your business or profession.] They are shopping yet 99% of them don’t know what they are looking for. If you fail to educate a consumer as to how to find the right person their need they may well choose the business or professional who happens to be closest to them, or who’s TV ad they saw last night.

(5) Prepare a brag book. Yes, go ahead. Do it. If you have testimonials, newspaper articles about you or articles you have written that have appeared in publications, use them. I’m talking about having a nice thick brag book that you have and your are prepared to mail or hand to people who request more information about your company (because you showed them that an effective way to shop for someone in your line of work is to ask for the book of testimonials, , newspaper articles and publications!)

(6) Prepare as many other special reports or booklets as you can think of. You already know the topics because you know what keeps your customers/clients up at night. You know the questions they have. For example, reports for a personal injury lawyer might include: How to Deal with Your Doctor, Why a Referral from a Lawyer to a Doctor May be the Kiss of Death to your Case. A dentist might write on the newest teeth whitening product. A financial advisor might write about the myths of mutual fund investing.

(7) Design a multi-step, multi-media response to anyone who, following your directions, reads your public advertising and begins the process of requesting free information from you. In my case there are 11 steps that go into action when someone contacts my law firm and the steps DO NOT BEGIN WITH “come on in for a free consultation.” The steps include several mailings (real mail, delivered by the mailman) of large packages packed with information, CD’s and DVD’s, emails which include electronic versions of some of the free reports and books that are being mailed to them. Then we call to ask: did you get our information?


Benjamin Glass is a practicing personal injury and medical malpractice attorney in Fairfax, Virginia (BenGlassLaw.com). He is the founder of Great Legal Marketing, LLC, (GreatLegalMarketing.com) and the creator of the Ultimate Personal Injury Marketing and Practice Building Toolkit. He runs mastermind and coaching groups for lawyers across the United States and in Canada. You can follow his blog at SoloandSmallFirmMarketing.com.