Someone asked me today about how we might go about marketing something like a small engineering firm.

Professional service businesses are sometimes a challenge for their owners to market. This is because they often feel as though they are marketing themselves personally, rather than corporately. For this reason it can be difficult to gain credibility with clients, or command profitable fees. In addition, technically-oriented people often see themselves as weak salespeople, which is a difficult mindset to overcome.

At START Marketing, we can provide a great deal of assistance to professional services businesses. The first phase is to do some strategic planning around what sort of vision the entrepreneur has for his or her company. This means, aside from “who you are today,” we determine “who you wish to be” down the road, and what will make the business distinct.

For example, an engineer might wish to be known as a specialist in environmental engineering, reservoir engineering, or one of many different fields. From there, we must determine HOW this business is going to be different from others also in that field (what is “uniquely true” vs others within that niche). Typically this involves conducting research with clients/associates, getting to know the engineer very well through discussion, and analyzing key competitors. When the vision is determined, we work to flesh out the plan in detail. This means we refine/build service offerings, define pricing structures, and select very specific targets, i.e. characteristics/needs of businesses, and the personnel roles within them that need to be reached. We then determine the best ways to reach these targets, and build a marketing budget and targeted revenue forecast.

Once the plan is ready and approved by the client, we launch into marketing projects such as branding (being careful to create a proper corporate name/logo/slogan/personality that reflects the corporate vision), web site(s), internet marketing, advertising, and other marketing materials. We can also provide customized sales training to help the entrepreneur or his/her staff better learn how to use telephone, email and social media to connect to the people he or she needs to reach. Along with this, we design and write letters, proposal templates, and presentation tools make the company project a well-established, credible image.

When all that is said and done, we monitor the client’s success, fine-tune the plan, and make sure the business is achieving its goals. Are you ready to START Marketing?

Argh! I was just writing an email, and I noticed that every time I put a “u” into a word that is supposed to get a u, the American computer software I am using “corrects” my spelling. No, it’s not “colour” it’s not “neighbourhood” – and heaven forbid, we spell to Christmas carolling with two “ll’s”. It truly makes me wonder if our southern neighbours are going to stamp out Canadian spelling for good. After all, it is pretty disconcerting for a person who is not confident in spelling in the first place to refute the suggested correction of an all-powerful spell checker. Sigh! I’ll keep my Canadian COLOUR, thanks very much! To me, “donut” instead of “doughnut” is just too Homer Simpson…

Today, we’re all probably feeling too fat, too tired and too lazy.  Well, I’m assuming you are, because that’s how I feel today!    It makes me think of that woman in the Office Space movie who gets a big pout on her face, and then says, “Aww, sounds like somebody’s got a case of the MONDAYS!”  (shudder!). But so what, so we’re tired and foggy. That just means we actually became relaxed over the holidays, and in this relaxed mental state we’ll be creatively refreshed to try some bold new things in 2011.   So how can you breathe some new life into your marketing in 2011?   I think it starts with a little reflection – and I’ve written a brand new article on our tips page for you to consider.  Meanwhile, my personal resolution is to get outside for at least 20 minutes every day and actually, physically breathe the fresh air.  I figure that if I can at least get fresh oxygen into my head, it can’t be a bad thing for the marketing creativity, my health and my business.  After all, we business folks spend WAYY too much time in front of out laptops – and isn’t it funny that when the concept of laptops was sold on us years ago, that the IDEA was to get us OUT of the office – when in fact, it meant we were taking the office everywhere?  Strange but true – so you can bet that when I get my 20 minutes (or more) outside, I will NOT be taking this dang laptop.

Howdy  folks! I was doing some research today into codes, and came across QR Codes, which I’ve seen in advertising here and there, but had not gotten into using yet.  So I went online and learned a little.  I discovered that you can take any website address and quickly and instantly convert it into a QR Code (I just Googled for “generating a QR Code.”  I also discovered you can download a free app (there are several, I chose Bakodo) for your iPhone and then it will scan these codes, and you can then go and visit the linked information. If you imagine that newer phones will come with this capability pre-installed,  you realize that it’s really a much handier way of getting people to your website, rather than them having to type in your website address (which is an awful pain – especially on an iPhone – I typo almost every word!). A bit more research into QR Codes revealed that they are very commonly used in Japan, with entire billboards and signs being filled with nothing but a QR code.  As a marketer, I would say that’s not the best use of a billboard (because you still have to give people a REASON to bother scanning it – at least a quick headline or grabber statement) but still, what a powerful, easy way to get people to investigate for more information.  You can also use QR Codes to link people to text information.  Here are a couple of samples you might want to try after downloading your own QR Code reader.

QR Code which links to START Marketing's website

Naheed Nenshi I were on the business teams together in University, but I really didn’t get to know him well back at the University of Calgary in 1992 (he was on the labour relations team, I was on the marketing team).  But I always remember our business team coach, Dr. Bob Schulz, telling me he was one of the finest labour negotiator competitors he’d ever seen.  ”Dr. Bob” as we called him (and I still do), always used to say that Naheed had the best possible style for labour negotiation – cool, calm, and well researched….full of numbers, facts, and that given enough time, he could out-factualize the other side…and just bury his opponents.   This is a sharp fellow who bothers to do the work.  And, I must say I was extremely impressed with the marketing work he did on his campaign.  In the information age, people want and expect details – not vagueness!  In other words, give us the cake, and not just the frosting  (suggesting it’s also refreshing to have someone that doesn’t look or sound too polished all the time.)  But the biggest factor was that Naheed had his homework done – and he presented the facts and the plans with such transparency that people could see he was serious, and well thought-out.  With a clear message, he then was able to transmit those ideas through the most modern techniques available in social media – a great website with up to the  minute twitter updates, and even the use of crowdsourcing for public opinion.  His final move of the social media campaign?  Asking his followers and fans on Twitter and Facebook to vote for one of three possible necktie choices!  And I voted too – and within minutes he’d had his votes in and chose the very tie I’d voted for.   Now that’s what I call including people in your decisions.  Clearly, Naheed Nenshi was able to show the citizens of Calgary that he is the mayor of tomorrow – the mayor that a modern city like Calgary needs in order to maintain its global competitiveness.    Calgary is a youthful, energetic city, and Calgary needs to stay that way – and keeping ahead of the curve means knowing something about modern marketing.  Way to go Naheed Nenshi!

Recently, we completed our first two websites based on WordPress open source code. This has created a new need – the need for training for our clients as to how to update their websites, which we have just begun to get a handle on!  Even though WordPress is fairly simple to use, there are some tricker aspects – such as sizing/inserting photos to display properly, and getting links from various pages to function.  So, it takes a little learning and getting used to.  The great aspect is that we are really hoping our clients will embrace the NEW way of using their websites, and keep them constantly updated…because once you know how to do it yourself, there is really no reason you can’t keep them fresh!

Hello folks!  I met with some new prospective clients yesterday – and they told me they’d really enjoyed the articles on our website.  I chuckled to myself, because I had a client who was a photographer years ago, and he always said to me that I used “too many words, and not enough pictures” in my marketing.  Probably not a bad comment for a photographer to make – but in these new days of the web, I have really found that the more clear information you can put out there about your business, the more people will have the specifics they need to trust you.  In fact, the anonymity of the web really demands that you provide lots of detail…and that it is indeed appreciated.  Many people who have become clients of ours have said that they spent 2 hours or more on our site – reading ALL the material!  So don’t be afraid of writing lots of words – and giving lots of details about your business – it really does help your electronic presence reflect the real, flesh/blood and bricks/mortar you.

In attempting to outsmart spammers, we are removing links on this blog that are left by SEO companies who leave generic comments.  We understand this is something you’re doing to boost link-backs to your page, but we think you should at least READ the blog and make real comments in order to EARN your link backs!  (You know, instead of automatically spamming this blog!).  I don’t mind linking back to your page if it is a) clean and decent and b) if you make a comment that shows you actually read the page.