Offline Gold Recruitment Tactics

[countonuspr]

I am just curious what you feel are the best ways to get new offline clients. I am having a rough time getting established in my local community. It is funny because I have my own Internet marketing radio show, I speak at national Internet marketing events, I have clients on a national scale, I have amazing proof, yet I can't seem to get people to budge in Oklahoma for local SEO services.

I hear people saying they get clients that pay them $2,000/month or $1,000/month and if I do get a local client the most they can spend is a onetime fee of like $800 if I am lucky!

It is frustrating because I know I could be and should be killing it in the offline sector right now. Anyone want to shed some light on your best methods to getting local clients? Is it letters to owners, cold calls, sales reps, workshops?

Any help is much appreciated!

Thanks,

Paul

[GoGetta]

In my experience cold calling has always been the quickest and most reliable way I generate new clients. I have been doing it so long and have tried every other route over the past 12 months alone, but I always revert back to cold calling because even though it is a tough route, IT WORKS!

Now I mentioned I have tried just about everything and this is what I have found,

The amount of money you can demand from a client most certainly depends on the approach and the length of the approach. What I mean is, if I cold call a business for SEO and have a chat to them for about an hour and they want to go ahead which does happen, the chances are I won't be able to pitch at $10,000.

It is all about TRUST and RAPPORT. The more you have, the more you can charge.

So, taking longer to gain clients, i.e cold call, set up meeting, go back and meet again over time could command a much higher fee, as I have done myself.

Also, the other route I find is beneficial is to take a client on for a smaller amount for a smaller service. Once they see the results, they will spend more.

When I first started on my own, my first client paid the least amount of any client I have EVER taken on. It was my first job so I wan't bothered!

SEO for as little as $300 and about $75 a month. Stupidly CHEAP!

But I didn't mind because I knew the system. This actual client has gone on to spend in excess of $10k in the past 12 months with me and continues to spend more for other services. I am actually in the midst of closing yet another deal with this client TODAY!!!!

This is because the rapport and trust factor is solid and over time I have been able to command more and more for what I do!

As far as recruitment tactics, here is what works for me and what hasn't worked!

Cold Calling:

If I want to approach any business, this is how I start. No messing around and if it is a NO I get it within 30 seconds! But if it is a YES or MAYBE I have the chance to build on this and move to the next step!

You see, many business owners don't know the first thing as I am sure you are aware. By calling them, when they have a question you can answer it right there and then! If you send an email or postcard, those questions that could be the difference between a NO and a MAYBE, dont get answered!

An example of this is some business owners think:

"The internet can't help my type of business"

By calling you have the chance to answer that question and every other route initially doesn't give you that chance. The amouint of biz owners that think the above statement is true for their business is staggering!

Cold Calling To Meeting Setup:

Works well! Time to build rapport and gives you more opportunity!

Direct Mail:

Probably works for some but in my time selling online marketing to offline business owners has NEVER worked for me, EVER, and I have tried a few different avenues that apparently work!

Print & Online Adverts:

Work, but you can get the wrong sort of clients this way, freebie hunters! Depends on the ad though!

Seminars:

Alot of work to setup and carry out but WORK very well! You become the GURU instantly and can charge a higher fee easily!

Emailing:

Can work, but again, you miss out on opportunities due to uncertainties that cannot be answered. If a business owner recieves an email and is uncertain, 9 out of 10 times they hit delete, they never email back asking questions!

All in all, whichever route you choose I believe at some point you need to pick the phone up or drop in, FOLLOW UP is also key, so follow up on people you have spoken to or emailed etc.

You should see results!

Hope that helps.

GoGetta

[TomBond]

If cold calling isn't your strength it may be possible to employ someone part time on a commission only business. You could offer them a % of a years income generated through each client the get you.

[Colin Palfrey]

I always pay 20% to salesmen. Let them worry about lead generation.

Once you have the lead: get them interested then blind them with science, simplify it, frighten them (Look what the competition is doing) then offer the solution.

Then arrange a face to face meeting, and when there explain your their only ally in an online fight that without you they can't win.

I find it helps going in to think of myself as a TV evangelist. And Lo, Thy shall get thy traffic. And Paddy the Painter shall be smote utterly from Google and you shall reign in Google Heaven. lol.

[David McKee]

I'll throw in my 2 cents - Market with everything you got, such as you business card (which strangely enough almost nobody does!). By that I mean have a business card that markets you, not just says "Joe Blow, SEO" and gives contact information. Business Cards go under the radar of most any other type of Direct Marketing you do because of the over 150 years of tradition behind them - people accept them and keep them.

[lakshaybehl]

Be selective, shop around instead of selling round the town.

[elaine drennan]

Originally Posted by Colin Palfrey

I find it helps going in to think of myself as a TV evangelist. And Lo, Thy shall get thy traffic. And Paddy the Painter shall be smote utterly from Google and you shall reign in Google Heaven. lol.

Guess who's been hanging around too many street corners!!!

I know you said TV evangelist - sounds like Northern Ireland to me...

Elaine
(I'm Irish too...)

[TimCastleman]

Alot of good advice so far, here is mine.

If you go to them it is always less money than if they come to you.

Always.

Also the sale is made up in your mind, not theirs so if you really think all you can get is $800 per client, then that is all you're going to get.

But I also understand that you need to make some money at first so a few pulse and a paycheck clients won't hurt you.

Here is what I would do.

1. Start selecting better clients. People with high transaction values. Think dentist, not dollar store. Also make sure they do some type of advertising already (yellow pages, tv, radio, etc).

2. Pick a small number of prospect and start going after them - aggressively. Now I don't mean break windows and start fires. I mean weekly contact with them through different means.

Week 1 - Phone call
Week 2 - Letter w/ follow up phone call
Week 3 - Postcard/Email
Week 4 - Fax/Email
Week 5 - In person visit
Week 6 - Start all over again

Smaller list = more contacts needed.

3. Follow up with everyone who expresses interest. Meet with them in person, one on one to sell your services

4. Do the work, get a testimonial and other business owners they can refer you to in exchange for a lower rate.

[chrisnegro]

Chamber of Commerce and Marketing Workshops and giving away a free speech at the Chamber....but the Chamber of Commerce for sure......

[Jagged]

Hi Paul,

You mention local SEO services, is this the only service you plan to provide? I'm finding it easier to locate clients for web design or re-design. It's easier to get them to understand the importants of local SEO once they have the website...they want to show it off now.
I use a line similar to:
"It's like having a Lamorgini in the driveway...all shiney & new....but you have no engine!! That shiney, new Lamborgini will never make the highway without an engine....will never be seen...will never reach it's full potential...
SEO is your websites engine....without proper local SEO, your shiney, new website will never make the "information highway"...never be seen in local searches...never reach it's full potential"...

If you do not personally do web design....team up with a fellow warrior who does, or outsource to "elance.com or a similar site...

As far as feeling restricted in pricing compared to what others are reportedly receiving...keep in mind....your target market may not be able to sustain the same charges as say....NYC, Chicago or Dallas. Check out what other web service companies in your area are getting for comparable work...if there are not any doing what you do...then check out other cities of similar size & economic climate...

If your having trouble locating your first client....try "word of mouth"...or try some businesses you know & feel comfortale talking to.
Maybe your wife is getting her hair styled....when your picking her up...see if they have a website, or have her work it into conversation during her appointment.....endless possibilities....doctors, dentists, health spa, butcher, bakery, just be creative.

Once you get a client or two under your belt, start asking for references!! That's important...

Let us know how you make out...

Good luck,
Ken

[iw433]

EDUCATION. There are still a lot of people that just don't have a clue. You gotta educate them. Do seminars, write for a local newspaper. Plus all of the above.

[AndrewCavanagh]

Talking to business owners in person, direct mail, cold calling on the phone all work.

Talking to business owners you know, your friends know, owners of businesses where you're spending money and especially referrals from other business owners will usually get you the best response starting out.

If your real problem is that you can't get business owners to pay you substantial fees then you need to work on the methods you're using to establish the approximate dollar value of the services you're going to provide.

Kindest regards,
Andrew Cavanagh

[sharpee]

I got 500 Invites out to local businesses inviting them to get some free reports about increasing your profits & reducing your expenses in a recession, but I only got one opt-in!
I feel that if I had used the face-to-face approach, I would have had much more success, so that's my next step to try.
Best of luck!

[countonuspr]

Wow, your feedback on here is priceless! Thank you! I am probably pushing more towards the sales rep approach and have them do cold-calling to businesses. I can easily outsource the web design.

I have my own local radio show, but not getting much from it yet. I do have clients outside of this area in other states that are great accounts. I just know in my area things could pickup.

I held a webinar for 50 business owners and got one small client from that, I really thought I would get more, but will keep hitting it hard.

Thanks,

Paul

[GoGetta]

Paul,

Persistence is key! You sound like your doing the right things. Just keep moving with it and your work will bear fruit, guaranteed!

GoGetta

[Jackm]

There are so many groups that want speakers. The quickest way I've found to cast a net is to find an industry group or meetup. I'm certain your area has a Real Estate Investor group or Real Estate agent networking. It doesn't matter really. Find a group with that holds a regular meeting and ask the organizer about speaking. Put together a 45 minute talk on "Internet Marketing For ...."

I'd be willing to bet it will be a fresh topic for their group.

It shouldn't take you more than a day to put together a IM talk to their specific niche.

One of two things should happen. You will either get customers that want you to do it for them or enough interest from the "show me how" folks to put on a reasonably profitable workshop.

I've done both. You must "dumb it down" for lack of a better phrase. When you start talking about SEO, PPC ....Their eyes glaze over. I don't really get into doing big web design jobs. I never use the term SEO when speaking with potential customers. I only speak about Internet Marketing which gives me a lot of latitude when I actually explain to them what I do.

"I make you findable on the Internet, the place over 80% of your potential customers start their search for your product or service".

Most of my customers couldn't care less about discussing the hows.