Passive or Proactive Marketing?
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One way to think about your marketing is whether it’s passive or proactive. That is, are you just sitting there, waiting for clients to come knocking on your door or are you getting out there and doing the knocking?
There are many marketing activities you can do; and you can either do them passively or proactively. Let me count the ways.
Networking
Passively – Go to networking events. Hang around with those you already know and talk about non-business matters such as the results to American Idol. Complain how networking doesn’t really work to generate new business.
Proactively – Go to networking events. Make it a game to meet at least five new people. Get to know about their businesses, engage in “Marketing Conversations” (see last week’s eZine), and offer to send them some information about your business and follow-up.
Web Site
Passively – Put up a web site and make sure to never make any changes to it. Talk all about you and your services, but don’t have any kind of offer or clear path to contact you. Complain that your web site doesn’t bring you any new business.
Proactively – Put up a web site and keep updating it and tweaking it. Put the focus on what results your clients get, not what you do.
Have something free to give away and sign-up people for your regular eZine. Let visitors know exactly how to work with you and offer an initial complimentary session or consultation.
Speaking
Passively – Get speaking engagements at local, professional groups and chambers of commerce. Don’t do anything to help promote the event, just show up. Have a skimpy handout and a tepid presentation. At the end, hand out your cards, and ask people to call you if they need your services. Complain how ineffective speaking is as a marketing tool.
Proactively – Get speaking engagements at organizations that have your targeted clients as members. Put in extra time helping to promote the event. Prepare the best presentation possible and have a professionally designed handout. At the end, ask who would like an article you’ve written and get the participants’
cards. Offer a complimentary individual session and have them fill out a request form telling something about their business.
If you haven’t gotten it yet, ANY marketing activity can be done either passively or proactively.
Passive marketing activities are what 90% of Independent Professionals engage in. Those who make their marketing activities proactive generate more attention, interest and response in their services. They also get more clients.
Proactive marketing takes a different mindset than passive marketing.
Passive Marketing Mindsets
All business comes from word of mouth.
Wait for prospects to ask you, don’t ask them.
Don’t toot your own horn; it’s rude and looks desperate.
Look aloof, not excited or enthusiastic; that’s not cool.
Proactive Mindsets
All business come from clear and benefit-oriented communication.
When a prospect shows interest, find out more about their needs.
Positive visibility is the key to getting known.
Show your enthusiasm and excitement, it’s contagious.
Where do mindsets come from?
Passive Mindsets come from a place of scarcity, inadequacy and fear. If you believe you will fail, be ridiculed or rejected, you’ll avoid marketing at all costs or do it half-heartely. You’ll find reasons why marketing doesn’t work.
Proactive Mindsets come from a place of abundance, adequacy and fearlessness. If you believe you will succeed and generate new business, you’ll keep finding new and creative ways to market yourself and attract more clients.
Passive or Proactive? It’s your choice. But only one of them will give you the marketing results you really want.
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The More Clients Bottom Line: Look at your current marketing activities and notice where you are being passive, holding back, being fearful. Is that working for you? If not, work on making just one of your marketing activities more proactive and notice the difference. You just might get hooked on proactivity.
), und es gibt keinen Weg, die DNA zu verändern (wirklich NO WAY).