Personal referrals are really powerful tools when it comes to IT marketing because they are pre-sold; they already trust you. When you are building an IT marketing campaign for your computer consulting business you need to know that trust is incredibly important.
How Important is Trust to Computer Consulting?
People will use similar techniques to look for computer consultants that they will use to find a good dentist, attorney, accountant or internist. Some people might go to the Yellow Pages or look in coupon packs or on billboards, but most people will put a lot of weight on word of mouth referrals from people they trust when it comes to choosing key people to advise them on important health, business or financial matters.
You Need to Be Known in Your Community with IT Marketing
You can reach decision makers in small businesses by increasing your personal and business profile in your local community with your target market. This will take some time, but is very possible.
Networking is an important IT marketing strategy that can make or break the success of a computer consulting firm, and it is all about relationships. Your business is a people business … not simply a tech business. It’s about interpersonal skills and trust.
How Do You Get MORE Recommendations with IT Marketing?
Many computer consultants wonder how they can get more personal recommendations. The answer is in knowing more people. You need to join organizations and attend events regularly. Don’t go to every single event – every networking breakfast, luncheon, business after-hours function, etc. – but you have to be ACTIVE and go to many functions throughout the year in order to meet a lot of people and get great referrals that will boost your IT marketing campaign and lead to more long-term clients.
Added By: Joshua Feinberg
Download This Special Report
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Computer Consultants: 7 Profit Secrets
As computer consultants, you will need to rely on strategies to help you maximize your profits. Focusing on profits might seem simple, but it is something that is based on business know-how and can often be a problem for computer consultants. Many owners fall in love with technology and get sucked into channel programs. But, your computer consulting company is a business, and you need to follow specific techniques to keep it running.
The following are 7 profit secrets that can send you on your way.
1. Be motivated computer consultants. You don’t want to be labeled as just a “geek,” so you need to act like a virtual CIO for hire that is concerned about his/her clients’ complex problems.
2. Dedicate yourself to constant improvement. Computer consultants need to work very hard to get the best clients, so you need to think about lifetime customer value, not just one-shot deals. Remember that your solution needs to be long term and be well-plotted.
3. Get creative with clients. Small businesses need to typically follow strict budgets. Your solutions have to work without the need for an in-house staff, which means you might have to think creatively.
4. Look at how clients’ systems are working today. You need to look both at paper- and technology-based items with your clients. Your role as a virtual CIO is to figure out how clients are meeting and not meeting present and future needs, so you have to look at everything.
5. Think about what your clients’ clients will need from them. You have to have good people skills and empathy for your clients’ business problems. But you also have to truly “get” what your clients are up against when it comes to THEIR clients.
6. Keep up to date with new versions and advances. Computer consultants need to advise their clients about which tools can best help their businesses grow. Don’t let research and development and training take up all your time, but stay ahead of the game.
7. Summarize information and share it with clients. The main point of your research and development and training should be to find out whether or not a new platform or tool will really add value to your clients’ present or future installations. And computer consultants need to summarize findings in a way their business-minded clients can understand.
Added By: Joshua Feinberg
The following are 7 profit secrets that can send you on your way.
1. Be motivated computer consultants. You don’t want to be labeled as just a “geek,” so you need to act like a virtual CIO for hire that is concerned about his/her clients’ complex problems.
2. Dedicate yourself to constant improvement. Computer consultants need to work very hard to get the best clients, so you need to think about lifetime customer value, not just one-shot deals. Remember that your solution needs to be long term and be well-plotted.
3. Get creative with clients. Small businesses need to typically follow strict budgets. Your solutions have to work without the need for an in-house staff, which means you might have to think creatively.
4. Look at how clients’ systems are working today. You need to look both at paper- and technology-based items with your clients. Your role as a virtual CIO is to figure out how clients are meeting and not meeting present and future needs, so you have to look at everything.
5. Think about what your clients’ clients will need from them. You have to have good people skills and empathy for your clients’ business problems. But you also have to truly “get” what your clients are up against when it comes to THEIR clients.
6. Keep up to date with new versions and advances. Computer consultants need to advise their clients about which tools can best help their businesses grow. Don’t let research and development and training take up all your time, but stay ahead of the game.
7. Summarize information and share it with clients. The main point of your research and development and training should be to find out whether or not a new platform or tool will really add value to your clients’ present or future installations. And computer consultants need to summarize findings in a way their business-minded clients can understand.
Added By: Joshua Feinberg
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Get Going with Computer Consulting!
As you are getting ready to get started in computer consulting, you need to exercise careful planning. Pick a company name, get your business cards printed, think about which types of customers you want to chase and where you will meet them. How can you accomplish all this?
Business Cards
When you are starting out in computer consulting, you need to print business cards. They probably won’t last you forever, because you may decide to change your company name, phone number or address. Just get them reprinted! But having business cards in the beginning can motivate you as you pass them out to all your friends and family members.
Talk about Your Computer Consulting Business
When you are out and about and meeting people at kids’ soccer games, church, synagogue or simply standing on line at the movies, you may have the opportunity to talk about your computer consulting business and hand out business cards. These informal networking opportunities can give you future business as these people can become a part of your extended sales force.
Get Involved!
You need to get active in local organizations designed for small business owners. Look at three or four trade groups and start attending meetings. Examples: chamber of commerce; user groups; trade groups; industry-specific trade groups.
Computer Consulting: What Do You Know?
A lot of times it makes sense to choose a specialty in computer consulting that matches your background. You can always expand your services as your business grows, but if you start with a niche you already know, you will be competent and increase your credibility. You will also be more likely to develop a strong marketing message and be memorable to prospects. You will not be like everyone else your prospects might find in the phone book or anywhere else.
Are There Enough Prospects?
You need to make sure there are enough prospects in your computer consulting niche before you start to market to it. As an example, if you have a nursing background, you may focus early activities on small doctor’s offices. Just make sure there are 500-1,000 prospects within an hour of where you are located. This will help you target your message and get attention.
Think about branding your company with your industry focus by putting it in your computer consulting name, i.e., add “health care systems,” “medical office systems” or some other hybrid as part of your company name.
Blogged By: Joshua Feinberg
Business Cards
When you are starting out in computer consulting, you need to print business cards. They probably won’t last you forever, because you may decide to change your company name, phone number or address. Just get them reprinted! But having business cards in the beginning can motivate you as you pass them out to all your friends and family members.
Talk about Your Computer Consulting Business
When you are out and about and meeting people at kids’ soccer games, church, synagogue or simply standing on line at the movies, you may have the opportunity to talk about your computer consulting business and hand out business cards. These informal networking opportunities can give you future business as these people can become a part of your extended sales force.
Get Involved!
You need to get active in local organizations designed for small business owners. Look at three or four trade groups and start attending meetings. Examples: chamber of commerce; user groups; trade groups; industry-specific trade groups.
Computer Consulting: What Do You Know?
A lot of times it makes sense to choose a specialty in computer consulting that matches your background. You can always expand your services as your business grows, but if you start with a niche you already know, you will be competent and increase your credibility. You will also be more likely to develop a strong marketing message and be memorable to prospects. You will not be like everyone else your prospects might find in the phone book or anywhere else.
Are There Enough Prospects?
You need to make sure there are enough prospects in your computer consulting niche before you start to market to it. As an example, if you have a nursing background, you may focus early activities on small doctor’s offices. Just make sure there are 500-1,000 prospects within an hour of where you are located. This will help you target your message and get attention.
Think about branding your company with your industry focus by putting it in your computer consulting name, i.e., add “health care systems,” “medical office systems” or some other hybrid as part of your company name.
Blogged By: Joshua Feinberg
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Using Small Business Server
Microsoft Small Business Server (SBS) has gained real momentum in the small business world in the past decade. Because of this, a lot of computer consultants and IT professionals have decided to push Small Business Server as an integral part of solutions for clients.
But before you start to rely on Small Business Server, think about three important tips to help maximize your profits:
1. A lot of small businesses, if not most have never heard of Small Business Server. There may be hundreds or even thousands of small businesses in your area that could benefit from the program, but don’t assume they know what it is! Make sure you pitch solutions and not commodities. Pitch your unique expertise before you start talking about Small Business Server.
2. The money that can be made through Small Business Server is not reselling the product itself. It comes from selling a relationship with small businesses. Stress your existence as an outsourced IT department for your clients. No small business owner will decide he/she NEEDS Small Business Server. So you need to focus on relationships and sell it later.
3. Microsoft is not totally sold on the value of computer consultants. What does this mean? Well, the truth is, the first version of Small Business Server was planned in 1996 to release in 1997 and was code named “SAM” because it was meant to be sold without the help of computer consultants at Sam’s Club warehouse clubs. The product team decided to make the product so simple that any non-technical small business owner could buy Small Business Server at the warehouse and have it running without outside help by day’s end. While this seemed effective, Microsoft eventually realized that reaching small business owners with Small Business Server was better accomplished through resellers. Microsoft is not thinking so much of its consultants when it tries to sell Small Business Server. So you can’t sell the product … you need to focus on the relationships that are integral to your business!
Added By: Computer Consulting Kit
But before you start to rely on Small Business Server, think about three important tips to help maximize your profits:
1. A lot of small businesses, if not most have never heard of Small Business Server. There may be hundreds or even thousands of small businesses in your area that could benefit from the program, but don’t assume they know what it is! Make sure you pitch solutions and not commodities. Pitch your unique expertise before you start talking about Small Business Server.
2. The money that can be made through Small Business Server is not reselling the product itself. It comes from selling a relationship with small businesses. Stress your existence as an outsourced IT department for your clients. No small business owner will decide he/she NEEDS Small Business Server. So you need to focus on relationships and sell it later.
3. Microsoft is not totally sold on the value of computer consultants. What does this mean? Well, the truth is, the first version of Small Business Server was planned in 1996 to release in 1997 and was code named “SAM” because it was meant to be sold without the help of computer consultants at Sam’s Club warehouse clubs. The product team decided to make the product so simple that any non-technical small business owner could buy Small Business Server at the warehouse and have it running without outside help by day’s end. While this seemed effective, Microsoft eventually realized that reaching small business owners with Small Business Server was better accomplished through resellers. Microsoft is not thinking so much of its consultants when it tries to sell Small Business Server. So you can’t sell the product … you need to focus on the relationships that are integral to your business!
Added By: Computer Consulting Kit
Sunday, March 02, 2008
How Can a Computer Repair Business Help Your Small Business?
A lot of small businesses rely on a local computer repair business when they need help with something that has broken. However, there is a lot to be said about having a long-term, proactive relationship with a local computer repair business.
Get Advice!
A local computer repair business can give great advice about how your technology assets can be better used to help improve your business. It can also help you with a specific computer-related problem. If information technology (IT) and computer systems are really important to you, outsourcing computer needs to a professional on a regular rather than an occasional basis is often a good idea.
Hiring a Computer Repair Business
Many computer consultants specialize and end up becoming important to your specific niche. These types of computer repair businesses will often know as much about your industry and its unique business challenges as you do.
Multi-Tasking is Fine … But Don’t Get Blinded!
Occasionally a small business might know exactly what its computer-related needs are when calling in an outside computer repair business. There are a lot of reasons to bring in a professional instead of just dealing with someone who just acts as an occasional repair person:
1. A computer consultant is an expert in the field;
2. You will get access to an expert for much less than the cost of hiring that level of professional full time.
3. A computer repair business will be able to troubleshoot a problem better (more quickly and efficiently) than any of your internal employees.
A New Perspective
A computer repair business will be able to bring a new perspective to your business. You will get a fresh set of eyes to look over your IT infrastructure. Over time, your non-technical employees will start to see the same things over and over again within their own companies. A good computer consultant will see things in a light and move beyond the norm to visualize the future.
How Can a Computer Repair Business Help?
A good computer repair business will do many things to make your company do well with its technology. It will often provide personal coaching, training, strategic planning meetings and many other things that resemble what a CIO (chief information officer) would do.
A really great computer repair business will not come in with a set plan. It will work with you to cater to the needs of your unique company.
Added By: Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit
Get Advice!
A local computer repair business can give great advice about how your technology assets can be better used to help improve your business. It can also help you with a specific computer-related problem. If information technology (IT) and computer systems are really important to you, outsourcing computer needs to a professional on a regular rather than an occasional basis is often a good idea.
Hiring a Computer Repair Business
Many computer consultants specialize and end up becoming important to your specific niche. These types of computer repair businesses will often know as much about your industry and its unique business challenges as you do.
Multi-Tasking is Fine … But Don’t Get Blinded!
Occasionally a small business might know exactly what its computer-related needs are when calling in an outside computer repair business. There are a lot of reasons to bring in a professional instead of just dealing with someone who just acts as an occasional repair person:
1. A computer consultant is an expert in the field;
2. You will get access to an expert for much less than the cost of hiring that level of professional full time.
3. A computer repair business will be able to troubleshoot a problem better (more quickly and efficiently) than any of your internal employees.
A New Perspective
A computer repair business will be able to bring a new perspective to your business. You will get a fresh set of eyes to look over your IT infrastructure. Over time, your non-technical employees will start to see the same things over and over again within their own companies. A good computer consultant will see things in a light and move beyond the norm to visualize the future.
How Can a Computer Repair Business Help?
A good computer repair business will do many things to make your company do well with its technology. It will often provide personal coaching, training, strategic planning meetings and many other things that resemble what a CIO (chief information officer) would do.
A really great computer repair business will not come in with a set plan. It will work with you to cater to the needs of your unique company.
Added By: Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)