Marketing Checklists for Consultants

We know many of you find checklists, templates and forms useful and that’s why we included many of our favorite custom ones in our Consulting Success System.

The web has many great resources and we wanted to share some of them with you.

Here are some of the best marketing checklists we found for you that are online today:

25 Items for a Marketing Checklist

Marketing Campaign Checklist

New Year Marketing Checklist

Word of Mouth Marketing Checklist

The Attraction, Marketing and Publicity Toolkit Checklist

Word of Mouth Buzz Marketing Checklist

If you know of other marketing checklists, please send us an email or a note in the comments below and we’ll consider adding them to our list.

Like this post you’ll love our Essential Business Checklists for Consultants and Freelancers PDF guide. You can get it for free when you sign up for our Consultants Toolkit.

Consultants Need to Go the Extra Mile

The other day I got a bit upset with a contractor I was working with. I’ll tell you what went down and share a piece of advice that has served me well over the years.

I was preparing for a monthly client strategy session and asked this contractor, we’ll call him Tom, to complete some research and put it all together so I could use it at the meeting.

Where the Problem Starts

When Tom finished the work he sent it over to me. I wasn’t happy. While he had gathered some information and had done the research, it sat disorganized on the page and wasn’t complete.

Little pieces of critical information were missing. A price here, a stat there. They made up maybe 15% of the contents – but without them the document wasn’t ready for the meeting.

A 2 Minute Fix

It wouldn’t have taken Tom long to add this other information in. In fact, he just needed to access the websites that he had already listed and spend a couple more minutes writing down a few more numbers.

So why didn’t he do it? Because Tom is lazy. (more…)

Digital Content Creator – Kate Trgovac

Kate is digital marketer and part-time lecturer that has been designated one of Canada’s Most Influential Women in Social Media. She is co-founder LintBucket Media, a boutique marketing agency that specializes in online marketing strategy, social media marketing, and digital content creation. Kate’s blog is at MyNameIsKate.ca and she also writes about Funky, Chic and Cool Laptop bags. You can get in touch with Kate at KateTrgovac.com or follow her on Twitter at @mynameiskate

1. What is the best part of your job?

Meeting interesting people who are passionate about what they do – I then get to share what I’m passionate about (interactive media) which can help them do their jobs even better! I love the moment when a client moves from being skeptical of digital media to seeing the possibilities for their business.

2. What does “work-life balance” mean to you and in your eyes do you have one?

Well, work is a part of life – especially when you own your own business. I look at the balance as trying to attain the highest level of happiness for the people who are the most important to me: my family, my clients and myself. Some days I get up at 5AM for a conference call on the east coast – and other days we spend a weekday afternoon at the dog park. I think I have balance because I feel like I can choose and manage my priorities. Sometimes when we feel we don’t have a balance I think it’s because we feel there is no choice and our priorities are out of control.

3. What’s your view on personal branding and what role does it play in your business?

Personal branding – I’m not a big fan of this phrase because I worry that it attaches “marketing speak” to something incredibly fundamental. “Personal branding” is about character, integrity and expertise – it’s your reputation. Will I do what I say? Will you get my best effort? Will I treat your business as my own? Will I deliver on my commitments? My integrity, my character and my expertise are the foundation of my business – I could not do business without my reputation.

4. If you could offer one tip on pricing to consultants on their way up, what would it be?

Understand the true value of what you are providing. What is the ultimate outcome of what you are providing to your client: increased revenue? Increased reputation? More efficient workflow? Your pricing should align with your value. Sometimes that is on an hourly basis – but often it isn’t.

5. What’s the biggest mistake you see other consultants/marketers/bloggers making and how can they fix it?

Most of the consultants I know are engaged in social media, and the social media fishbowl encourages a lot of over-sharing, particularly when it comes to projects we are working on for clients. I see Tweets and status updates from new and experienced consultants alike that play very fast and loose with their clients’ business information: “just got out of a strategy session with XYZ” or “showed the most recent creative for ABC’s upcoming product launch”. While these updates are intended to increase one’s personal status, they do so at the expense of keeping a client’s business private. I wouldn’t want my consultant or agency tweeting about work they are doing for me (unless your Twitter account is part of the launch strategy). It sounds a bit old-fashioned, I suppose, but I’d like to see more respect for clients’ business. (more…)

Increasing Customer Trust: How Two Small Additions Can Make a Huge Difference

Daniel Offer is involved in the Facebook messaging project Chit Chat for Facebook. Chit Chat is a  Facebook chat program that let’s people login to Facebook Chat from their desktops.

People like to feel that they are dealing with real people. You go into a store and interact with store staff – it may not always be a pleasant experience but this sort of business transaction has been the norm for many years and people have become comfortable with it. Online transactions, and business, are now becoming socially acceptable, but there is still a feeling of impersonality that many people still feel uncomfortable with.

There is something about dealing with an actual physical person that makes people more likely to commit to a sale. Yes, sales staff can be devious and tricky, but you can accept their imperfections because they are real people with real personalities. It’s easier to form an opinion, whether good or bad, if you are dealing with an actual person.

The faceless aspect of online business can be detrimental to customer relations and is the reason why many people still refuse to purchase anything online. So how can a business, or marketer, inject a human element into their practice and persuade consumers that there really is a trustworthy person at the other end of that internet connection?

Two Simple Methods That Add a Human Element into Online Sales

1. Show Them You Are Real
People want to see that they are dealing with a real person. It does not matter if they actually believe that the person they are seeing is really the person they will be buying products from – it is purely psychological. It’s like a dating website – members expect that some people will use a fake picture but they still prefer to see a picture over a ‘No Image Has Been Added’ icon. It is the illusion of speaking to a ‘real’ person that is the attraction – not the authenticity of the actual image.

By placing a picture of yourself, your sales team, or your store and its contents on a website, a consumer will get the impression that they are dealing with real people and a real store. Even a simple headshot offers the customer the feeling that someone is actually present at the end of that email address, or order form. (more…)

Why True Visionaries Often Don’t Reach Success

I recently realized that someone very close to me is a true visionary.

They really can see into the future. Not in the fortune teller sort of way, but rather they see trends and ideas years before they come to market.

A $10 Billion Idea
One idea they shared with me around the health business 5 years ago is just now starting to become a hot topic. If someone was to jump into this area of business right now they’d still have many opportunities … yet imagine the person that saw this coming half a decade back…

This lady isn’t a one time wonder – on several occasions now she’s made predictions and they’ve come true.

However there’s a big problem with all of this. All of these ideas remained just that – ideas.

The Missing Ingredient
Without taking action, investigating, developing and implementing these ideas nothing came of them for her. And I can say the same for myself. Five years back when I heard the health business idea, I thought “I think you’re right, that makes sense” but that’s where I left it.

I’m sure there are countless cases like this across the world. If deep down you have an idea or believe in something NOW is the time to act on it.

Sure, all actions involve risks, and when you’re at the front of the curve there is always more risk involved.

Making It Work
That said, no one is twisting your arm forcing you to make a drastic change in your life. You can still keep your job or consulting business going as you pursue your new idea. (more…)

SEO and Ecommerce Consultant Everett Sizemore

Everett Sizemore has been involved with SEO as an e-commerce business owner, marketing agency employee, independent SEO consultant and as an in-house SEO manager. He has managed the SEO department at Gaiam, Inc. since 2007 and continues to provide consulting to select businesses from time to time. Everett writes about SEO on www.Esizemore.com, and industry publications like Search Engine Journal. He has been a panelist and speaker at industry conferences like SMX, RMDM, and Denver SEMPO.

1. What is the best part of your job?

The best part of my job is being able to work from anywhere. I currently work from my home office on a 15-acre farm in rural Virginia. While I am tucked away in the Blue Ridge Mountains, my employer is in Boulder, Colorado. I can take my laptop to a beachside condo in Florida for a month when the snow gets too much to handle here, or I can go to Ohio and stay with family for a few weeks. As long as I have Internet access and a phone, the world is my office.

2. Your website says “Farmer of Organic Vegetables & Keywords”, what’s that all about?

The last thing in the world that I want is to be stuck in a cubicle or living in suburbia. I don’t want a high-paying job in Silicon Valley. I don’t need to drive a BMW. I have a pick-up truck and a little farmhouse instead. I’d rather see our cows, donkeys, chickens, guineas, dogs, cats, rabbits, deer and turkey than the CEO of the latest startup. I’d rather spend my spare time pulling weeds in my garden or making my own soap than paying to walk in place on a treadmill.

But I’m also on the Internet at least eight hours a day. I subscribe to dozens, possibly hundreds, of blogs. I stay up-to-date on the latest SEO and Internet marketing trends, attend and speak at technology and business-centric conferences, enjoy strategy meetings in the corporate boardroom… So my life is sort of a dichotomy, and the “Farmer of Organic Vegetables & Keywords” phrase is meant to keep me grounded. As for the “organic keywords” part, I’ve never really been that into PPC. I see the value in paid search, but I don’t like the idea that once you stop paying you stop showing up. It’s the same reason I like growing perennials in the garden. Plant them once and they come back every year.

3. You are now working full-time for one of your past consulting clients, how did that happen and was it a hard decision?

Yes, it was a VERY tough decision. Our contract had run out and they offered me the job. They had been a great client to work with and the terms of their offer were very appealing. I was a little frazzled at the time from having to deal with sending out invoices, bookkeeping, proposal writing, and all of the other stuff that goes along with running your own consulting business. But I also liked my freedom, and I’m an entrepreneur at heart. I weighed health insurance against the feeling of being my own boss; 401k against the potential for unlimited income; a steady paycheck Vs the monthly anxiety of collecting checks to pay the bills…

My consulting business had gotten to the point where either I had to hire some people to help out, or just stop taking clients for awhile. Everyone gets to that point if they are lucky. But I was offered a third option that seemed the right one at the time, and I haven’t regretted it since. That was back in 2006.

4. What was most effective for you in landing new clients? (marketing technique, networking, blogging, or something else) (more…)

Consultants Should Publish a Book

The Internet and airwaves are overwhelmed by too many messages. You want to cut through the clutter and reach your core client, but how can you do that in a way that is credible, direct, and impactful? The best way is to publish a book.

According to Alan Weiss, bestselling author of How to Establish a Unique Brand in the Consulting Profession, a book is “the best branding technique of them all”—particularly for consultants.

A book lends instant credibility to the author. It is also a powerful communication tool, one that both educates your client and demonstrates the philosophies, tools, and skills you incorporate into your business.

More powerful than a brochure or white paper, a book is an in-depth presentation in a portable format that is always ready to play.

After reading your book, clients and event coordinators know what kind of message you will deliver should they hire you as a consultant or book you as a speaker.

Mary Lou Quinlan—expert marketing consultant, founder of Just Ask a Woman, and author of three books, including her latest release, What She’s Not Telling You—uses her books not only to educate clients, but also to raise her company’s profile. “Thanks to my books, we have attained the highest awareness among our relevant competitors, attracted new clients, penetrated new markets, and garnered paid speeches,” she says. (more…)

Marketing Consultant Jay Ehret

Jay Ehret is a marketing consultant, speaker and owner of The Marketing Spot and blogger at The Marketing Spot Blog. He works with his clients to build their brands, create memorable customer experiences and develop effective advertising. A love of wine and poker player, when Jay is not speaking around the USA, you can find him just outside of Waco, Texas where he calls home.

1. What is the best part of your job?

The best part is that I love what I do. I love working together with clients to build a marketing plan. They let me inside their business and I get to positively influence the future of their company.

2. Tell us a bit about The Marketing Spot and how you started the company?

I worked in radio advertising for 17 years but knew that I wanted to be an entrepreneur. However, I really didn’t know what type of business I wanted to own. Believe it or not, I thought I was going to open up a coin-laundry facility and even did a business plan for one. But I thought the return on investment was too low, and coin laundry owners have to know something about maintenance, and that’s not me.

So in the spring of 2001 I went to an Entrepreneur Magazine conference/showcase in Fort Lauderdale to get some inspiration, and I did. The event was not well run, some of the speakers didn’t show, the ones that did weren’t very good. My inspiration was that I could teach this stuff more effectively than Entrepreneur magazine. I was already a sales trainer at Clear Channel Communications and my m.o. with clients was to educate them as I helped them. So that’s when I decided I would start my own marketing company with an emphasis on education.

That was May and for the next four months I laid the groundwork for The Marketing Spot (the name was chosen because that web domain was available). I decided my start date would be October 1, 2001 and I would give my employer two weeks’ notice on Monday, September 17th. Then came the tragedy of 9-11 and I had to make a decision whether or not to move forward. After talking about it with my wife, and worrying about it all weekend, that Monday morning, the 17th, I decided to turn my notice and move forward

3. Give us a glimpse into what your typical day looks like and what you do to keep a solid work-life balance (if you feel you have one)?

I mostly office from my home office, so I’m usually at my computer by 6:30 in the morning. My early mornings are spent reading and creating content such as blog posts, podcasts, articles, learning courses. By mid-morning I may be meeting with a client or working on client projects.

Two days per week I play basketball at a lunchtime businessman’s game. Then back to the office for more client projects or out in the field meeting with clients. I also meet with several clients by Skype. By mid to late afternoon my mind is a little fried, so I will pack up my laptop and either head to my satellite office or to a Starbucks to do some thinking, reading, working. In the early evenings I may work out or go to a local civic function. At night, I will usually sneak in to my office to do a little work. But mostly nights are spent with my wife.

I work a lot of hours because I mostly work from home, but I have a pretty good work-life balance. I spend a lot of time with my wife, we usually watch the grandkids some on the weekends. And every Friday or Saturday night we go out on a date. My wife and I will also travel 3-4 times per year. We are very active in our church and that keeps us busy too. (more…)

Calling All Consultants: It’s Time to Fail

There’s no time like now to fail. Yeah, I know what you’re thinking, “Damn, Michael, what’s up with all that negativity?”

Here’s the thing, there’s nothing wrong with failure itself…it’s the way you handle it that makes it a negative or positive experience.

Babe Ruth, the grandiose home run star of the baseball world was famous for striking out more than most. He took more chances … and as a result he hit more home runs than anyone else at that time.

And it’s not just Babe Ruth!

Take a look at the list of baseball stars famous for their high level of performance – many of them are at the top of baseball’s most strikeouts list. (more…)

Blogger & Consultant Chris Garrett

Chris Garrett is a professional blogger, online marketing consultant, writer, and speaker. He co-authored ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income and is the creator of Authority Blogger, a course on blogging for business and professionals. Chris travels extensively, was born in Calgary Canada, and now lives in the UK with his family.

1. What is the best part of your job?

The fact that it is not a job in the traditional sense. I have freedom to choose – my hours, who I work with (or not), and so on, and I get more rewards the more I put in.

2. What does “work-life balance” mean to you and in your eyes do you have one?

It is something I have to continually keep an eye on. Lately I have done some restructuring to give the family more time. That said, I don’t have to miss any of my daughters school events, can drop work for family emergencies etc, and right now I am typing this on a “business trip” but my wife and daughter are right with me in the room. We just arrived in Melbourne via Dubai, as a family.

3. If you had to choose one thing that’s been the most effective in helping
to grow your business, what would that be? (a kind of marketing, a book,
networking, social media, etc) And how did that help you?

My network. Networking is the source of my opportunities and my support when things haven’t gone the way I expected.

4. Career wise how did things change after you co-authored the PRO Blogger
Book?

Some people take you more seriously when you have a book in print, but I had a couple of books before Problogger came out, and at the same time there were some family issues that meant I couldn’t take full advantages of the doors that opened up. It has been great for me though, no doubt. I’m very grateful to Darren for having me on board.

5. What’s the biggest mistake you see other consultants/marketers/bloggers
making and how can they fix it?

There are so many! I guess thinking they are the center of the universe is a biggie. (more…)

Getting and Using Consulting Testimonials

Are you collecting testimonials from your consulting clients? What a shame if you’re not.

Testimonials are one of the most powerful forms of proof you can offer prospective clients.

Not only that but the media enjoy them as well.

When they hit your website looking for an expert opinion what do you think is the first thing they look for to ‘verify’ you know what you’re talking about? That’s right, testimonials.

1. Getting Testimonials Isn’t Hard

The easiest ways to get testimonials is to simply ask for them…

If you’re doing good work your boss or client should have no problem giving you a great testimonial. The key however is to make it easy for them.

Here’s how to make consulting testimonials work: (more…)

3 Tips for Staying Productive in Summer Weather

Do these amazing summer days affect your consulting productivity in a good or bad way? Well I’m not sure about you folks, but over the years as a freelance business consultant based in Vancouver (a city known for its cloudy, cold, and rainy weather) I find that when these extraordinary summer days hit the city really want to spend more time outside enjoying life, patios, good food, and the nature the city offers.

I’ve already realized that even though the weather is great, business has to go on as usual. So how have I dealt with this? Well I’ve come up with a few summer fixes so that I can enjoy the weather and still get tons of work done.

1. Arrange Meetings in Good Spots
Vancouver is known for it’s outdoor eateries, patios, and cafes. So what do I do so I can get a piece of the action and still keep the biz moving? I logically offer up meeting spots that have outdoor seating, are near the ocean or a park, or have tons of sunlight and summer breeze passing through the place – this technique alone works wonders.

2. Schedule Your Day Differently
During these lovely summer months I change up my work schedule a bit. So what do I do that’s different? Split my work day into different parts. The first stage is about 8am – 3:30pm, then I work out and enjoy the sun for a few hours, then work a few more hours in the evening after dinner and the sunset. (more…)

How to Get Consulting Referrals Part 2

In my last post we explored the power or referrals for consultants. Let’s dig deeper in this post…

The best way to get referrals is to be extremely specific about the kinds of referrals you want.

In my 2nd or 3rd year as a consultant, after returning from consulting with companies in Asia, I went around meeting with different business owners and successful entrepreneurs. I was hungry for information and asked family and friends of anyone I could meet with that they knew who might be interested in my services.

This led to several introductions and meetings. At some point during each meeting the business person I met with would say, “so what can I do to help you? What kinds of clients are you looking for?” I replied by saying that “I’ve worked with companies in all different industries, from technology, financial services, pharmaceutical and more. So I’d be happy to work with any kind of company…..etc”

I was covering all my bases, right? Wrong. In these first couple of meetings when I used this reply it got me nowhere. I mean these business owners were willing to help me, but I was making their offer a very hard one to fulfill.

If you think about this, it makes perfect sense. I wasn’t giving any guidance nor pointing them in the direction I wanted to go. So these guys were left trying to scan through every company they knew – which was hundreds or thousands. Their brains were getting overloaded with information. The result: they shutdown and no referral was given. (more…)

Secret to Getting Consulting Referrals

Ask any successful consultant how they currently get their clients and more than 90% of them will tell you they come from consulting referrals.

A referral is when someone, whether a friend, family member, acquaintance or client, refers another prospective client to you.

They do this because they care for you, respect you, trust you or know you can get the job done. Meaning you know how to get results.

And sometimes it’s all of these reasons combined.

But by far the biggest reason is that a past or current client was or is satisfied with the work you did for them. And when someone they know asks if they know of anyone that can help them with their PR, marketing, management, etc… your name is the one that comes up.

Referrals are not only the most common way of receiving business they are also the most effective and cheapest… (more…)

Business Card Science for Consultants

How many of you have business cards and use them regularly in your business promotions and networking? I’m sure most of you will answer yes to this question.

As consultants, small business owners, and freelancers business cards play a big role in our self promotion and are a handy little tool. If used properly that is…

What am I getting at here you ask? Well since moving back to North America from living and doing business in Japan for many I’ve noticed something – our business card etiquette sucks!

I’m not one to complain without doing something about it so today I thought I’d share 3 simple yet effective tips I picked up while living in Japan on giving and receiving business cards.

1. Wait a Few Moments
This first tip applies more to when you are out networking and meeting potential business contacts. I’ve noticed before I even speak to many people I meet while networking their card is being pushed into my face. This is no way to do business!

Before you hand out your business card have a small conversation with the person. When the time is right then give out your card. Not only will you come across more relaxed and professional but waiting a few moments will also give you a chance to decide not to give out a card if you meet someone that you’re sure you don’t want to follow up with and have further contact with.

2. Show Interest (more…)