The most often asked question from most of my students who are starting the marketing consulting businesses is "How do I get my first client?" This question was the catalyst for this series of audio interviews between Richard, myself, and existing HMA Consultants about how they got their first clients. Each interview is a gem in itself with the HMA Consultants relating their personal experiences with prospects, their first client, and their plans for the future.
Each HMA Consultant comes from a different background and had different reasons for becoming an HMA Consultant. As such, you'll hear the various ways they are using the HMA System in their businesses. By listening to each of these consultants, you may discover some new tactics to obtain clients for your own Marketing Consulting business. Enjoy!
David Part One Audio
David is a seasoned sales person and has done business consulting and development both online and offline for small to medium sized companies. He has a lot of experience in all facets of business consulting but was intrigued by the philosophy of the HMA System.
By becoming an HMA Consultant and using the materials provided, David has found that the HMA System gives him a "system" that weaves all of his other sales, marketing, and consulting skills sets together, maximizes his business, and make doing business easier and more effectively. You'll hear David tell us how he now approaches prospects and closes deals. He also discusses
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Pricing strategies for his services
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Qualifying prospects
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How a whole career can be made out of just one of many pieces of the HMA System
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How easy it is for David now to approach new prospects
Pete Part One Audio
Peter was a student of Jay Abraham and Chet Holmes for ten years. He owned and operated several businesses before becoming semi-retired.
Peter studied all of the free material about the HMA System and Marketing Consulting available on my web site hardtofindseminars.com. After becoming quite astute and well-versed with what he had learned, he actually got his first client before becoming an HMA Consultant and obtaining all of the tools that Richard and I make available.
His first HMA client was a long-time friend who owned three businesses. The business that they wanted to focus on for growth was a light manufacturing business. You'll hear Peter talk about his current association with the lighting business to find sales representatives in several states.
Learn how Peter uses the USP when he works with their sales representatives to help them to sell the lighting products more effectively. Peter has found that the HMA System gave him a template for his Marketing Consulting business. He states using the Opportunity Analysis has been very, very successful with prospects. Peter enjoys having a systematized approach that the HMA System provides.
Also, listen as he talks with Richard about the importance of looking for motivated prospects. Dealing with people who are ready to make a change and grow their businesses is the only way to operate.
Bill Part One Audio
Bill has been a consultant for many years in the areas of accounting and business IT systems for small to medium sized businesses. His specialty has been mainframe and minicomputer applications. Unfortunately for Bill, these types of systems are being phased out and are being replaced with technology that Bill is not familiar with.
In trying to plan a new direction for his career, Bill realized that, over the years, he had developed a great amount of expertise in filling the needs of small businesses in the way of marketing. Again, the systematized approach of the HMA System was very appealing to Bill and prompted him to become an HMA Consultant
Bill frequents a restaurant where he has become friends with the owner. One day, he struck up a conversation with them about growing their business. Having recently bought the restaurant, they had already implemented some small promotions that yielded a good amount of growth for the restaurant. However, they wanted to grow it even more.
Bill suggested a couple of ideas that would grow the business without increasing the cost of their advertising. Bill tells us that, throughout his career, the majority of his clients were referred by word of mouth. Because of this, Bill has offered to do the first two projects for the restaurant free of charge in hopes that he will get referrals from the restaurant owner. He is currently in the first stages of the USP and implementing the USP into the restaurant's current business processes. Check back soon for more first client stories on Part Two. What are you waiting for? You have all of the tools you need in the recording on this page to get your first client. I hope to have your story here soon!
Matt Part One Audio
Matt is an accountant by trade but has always had a passion for marketing. In fact, before he became an HMA Consultant, he used the knowledge he'd gained from studying the work of Jay Abraham, Dan Kennedy, and other marketing gurus to help friends who owned businesses to grow their businesses.
Yet, he always felt that one thing was missing - a way to put all of his knowledge together into a systematized approach to Marketing Consulting. He had called me for a consultation some time ago to learn more about the HMA System and subsequently became an HMA Consultant after learned about all of the resources made available to all HMA Consultants.
Another of Matt's passions is EcoNatural foods and diet supplements. He had become very familiar with the owner of a company that he had been purchasing products from for many years. After studying the HMA System materials, Matt felt that the HMA System had provided him a turnkey system and all of the tools necessary to make a formal presentation and to conduct an Opportunity Analysis with the owner of the EcoNatural foods business.
Needless to say, the EcoNatural food manufacturer became his first client. Matt says that it was easy to close this client because he already had a relationship with him from purchasing his products and having the same passion for EcoNatural foods.
In fact, Matt's advice to new HMA Consultants is to study and learn the HMA System and its tools and then to approach businesses that you are already familiar with and have a relationship with. After working with these types of clients, you will have the confidence that you need to step up your own marketing efforts by approaching unfamiliar prospects.
In this interview, you will also learn about:
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Potential problems in proceeding with additional projects with current clients who are too busy
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Making bartering arrangements with clients who may not have enough money to hire a Marketing Consultant
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Reducing your price per project by obtaining good referrals from companies who cannot afford your services
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…and more little gems of advice!
Jez Hunt Part Two Audio
Jez has been a self-employed graphic designer for the past eight years. He purchased the HMA System about eight months ago but had not really focused on it due to his other business. However, he did spent a lot of time going through all of the materials made available to HMA Consultants in an attempt to learn the system and be well-prepared to begin his new Marketing Consulting business.
He met an accountant through a networking meeting that he regularly attends. As the two gentlemen became more familiar with one another, Jez found that the accountant had referred Jez to the owner of an auto repair center who wanted to grow his business. In fact, the auto repair center's owner was actually expecting Jez's call! During the call, Jez set up an appointment for the following week to do an Opportunity Analysis.
You'll hear how Jez planned for the meeting and refreshed himself on the process of doing an Opportunity Analysis. Jez found that it was very easy to take his prospect through the Opportunity Analysis. Further, he found in this and other Opportunity Analyses he has done since, that using the Opportunity Analysis Worksheet appeared to impress his prospects because he came across as being more professional because he had a "system."
During the Opportunity Analysis with the auto repair shop owner, it became clear that the business had several hidden assets. Taking the advice that he learned from the HMA System materials, he closed all the way through the presentation. It certainly paid off because his prospect was very excited about the possibilities of growing his business throughout the entire meeting.
And yes, he was able to close the client! Instead of charging on a per-project basis, Jez offered to perform his services on a retainer basis. Not only does it appeal to Jez to have a regular cash flow, but the client was happy that he didn't have to come up with a large lump sum payment.
Jez now has two clients and you will hear him talk about his work with his second client to date. This client, a design and printing shop, was also referred to him by his friend, the accountant. In fact, all of his prospects have been introduced by word of mouth.
Jez has done a few Opportunity Analyses that Jez has done that did not result in a close. Listen as Jez gives his thoughts about possible reasons that they he was not able to close these prospects.
Jez talks about his plans for the future of his Marketing Consulting business and how it is important to work with prospects who are eager to grow their businesses. Jez and his two current clients are, indeed, partners in growing their businesses.
Lastly, Jez offers some advice for new HMA Consultants
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Watch and study the DVD's and/or listen to audios provided with the HMA System.
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Absorb yourself in what Richard teaches and the advice that he gives
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Study the Opportunity Analysis and practice it on friends and family to become familiar and comfortable with the process
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Don't become disheartened if your Opportunity Analysis does not close every prospect.
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You must look at it as getting practice and more experience. Besides, not everyone is going to be a proper client for you anyway. Being an HMA Marketing Consultant is fun - so enjoy it!
Simon R. Part Two Audio
Simon, a sixteen year old student from New York, has to be one of the most enterprising young people I've ever met. Although he is not an HMA Consultant yet, he plans to be one very soon. What he's done is study all of the free material on the subject of Marketing Consulting available and, using the knowledge he's gained, he's gotten two clients for whom he will be doing long term work as their Marketing Consultant.
Simon met his first client at his synagogue. Each week, he would talk to the businessmen there about how he was studying marketing. One of the gentlemen he spoke to was intrigued by Simon's tenacity and offered Simon a job as a Marketing Consultant with his fence business. Simon was up for the challenge. He figured that, even though he was young, he should be able to use his knowledge just as well as someone three times his age.
You'll hear what Simon proposed to the business owner and how he set up his pricing terms. Listen as Simon tells the story of his initial ideas about growing the business and how those ideas were rejected by the business owner. Taking an alternative approach, Simon put together a plan to quickly grow the business without his boss having to do a thing. The plan was extremely successful and put lots of money into his boss's pocket. This tactic established Simon's credibility so that his boss felt more comfortable trying Simon's initial marketing ideas.
An avid reader of leadership and marketing books, Simon was approached one day as he was leaving the library with a teetering stack of books. He was noticed by a curious businessman about the topics of the books Simon had chosen. After a conversation with the businessman which included Simon giving the gentleman some tips on Marketing, the businessman offered Simon a job as the Marketing Consultant at his lending business.
Finally, Simon gives his best advice for fellow Marketing Consultants to get clients. He states that you must be driven to succeed be willing to talk to people. He suggests ways to talk to people that will create opportunities for you as a Marketing Consultant.
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