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Are we running out of clients?

by www_retireonme_com
22 replies
I know we talked about this before! BUT just in the last 3 weeks at 1 of my personal businesses, I have received 3 people trying to sell

'offline consulting'
' seo work'


Is this going to be the next thing that everyone is going to try and
make money from? What are your thoughts?

But, DAMN, there are only just 28.5 million small businesses in the USA.

Lets go over this one more time guys.
I hope there is still room for me?

Tommy
#clients #running
  • Profile picture of the author SubUrbanHype
    I think the offline stuff is really about having a couple of clients (6-10) and just stick with em. It only becomes really crowded because of the people who want to expand to 1,000's of clients to chase the "make $80k a month selling seo work to non-internt savvy businesses" pipe dream. When I first attempted to do the offline thing last year barely anybody knew what I was talking about and were interested, and now a days if you mention "SEO" to somebody on the phone they will almost instantly not want anything to do with you.
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    • Profile picture of the author aduttonater
      I receive a few of those seller leads through my opportunity. It's a Reverse Marketing attempt. "Oh let me put my info in so they will think I am interested in the business when really I'm not. Then when they contact me I'll recommend that what I have will benefit what they have. Just a little more time to explain the prices and I'll have a new customer." Lol!

      I don't think S.E.O. is the next best biz to hit the net. There are alot of business models that people suggest you can earn big from. There is social managing, s.e.o., advertisement, and much more.
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    • Profile picture of the author Sullygromo
      Originally Posted by SubUrbanHype View Post

      I think the offline stuff is really about having a couple of clients (6-10) and just stick with em. It only becomes really crowded because of the people who want to expand to 1,000's of clients to chase the "make $80k a month selling seo work to non-internt savvy businesses" pipe dream. When I first attempted to do the offline thing last year barely anybody knew what I was talking about and were interested, and now a days if you mention "SEO" to somebody on the phone they will almost instantly not want anything to do with you.

      A) You dont need 1,000's of clients to make 80K/month. We do it with less than 100. We ALSO have 3 brick and mortar locations and a staff of 15. You need to know how to run a REAL business. That eliminates 70% of any competition.

      B) People who think this is some sort of get rich or work from home quick thing are sadly mistaken. Not to be harsh, but yeah, the doctors and dentists will run dry...lol. If you're going to make a long term career out of this, you'd better start studying how old school ad agencies were run. That eliminates another 25% of competition.

      Im serious. When our sales team is pitching a good size deal (4K, 5K/month) to the markets we service, there are RARELY any more than 2 other companies pitching against us. So no, clients will never run out if you know how to run A BUSINESS (which it sounds like the OP does) and forget about all this "offline consulting" mumbo jumbo..

      Did some really try to pitch you "offline consulting"? Aye caramba....
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  • Profile picture of the author www_retireonme_com
    to the top again. any more opinions?
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    Solving Multimedia Expectations. AppleCreekMedia

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  • Profile picture of the author John Durham
    Originally Posted by www_retireonme_com View Post


    But, DAMN, there are only just 28.5 million small businesses in the USA.
    Exactly... so if you sold 100k of them by yourself, it doesnt even make a dent. It will never saturate. Probably a hundred thousand new ones pop up every year.
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  • Profile picture of the author Mike Grant
    If people are calling for offline consulting, you have nothing to worry about
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    • Profile picture of the author John Durham
      Originally Posted by mgtarheels View Post

      If people are calling for offline consulting, you have nothing to worry about

      Right on.

      You have to realize that for every 10 people who visit this section only one even puts in 40 hours of real work before they move on... let alone succeed and follow through.

      Its not as competitive as you might think.
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      • Profile picture of the author Amir Luis
        Originally Posted by John Durham View Post

        Right on.

        You have to realize that for every 10 people who visit this section only one even puts in 40 hours of real work before they move on... let alone succeed and follow through.

        Its not as competitive as you might think.

        This is really giving more credit than where credit is due.


        Out of 1000... I would say 5. Where do I get this number... I don't know... I just have been spending a lot of time lately acting as a "Sales Manager" to a lot of the new guys in the niche. Trying to motivate them to succeed.

        Most of them work when it is convenient for them. No dedication for success whatsoever.

        There is no drive so there will be no success. I totally and absolutely agree with what was said above about realizing and knowing how an old school advertising agency is run.

        YellowBook... aka Big Bird sells nothing but SEO, Social Media, Google Places Listings, Mobile Media Marketing.. Not to mention Direct Mail, TV, Radio, and print... and any other form of proactive marketing they can get their hands on... How do I know?

        One of my best friends is a YellowBook Sales Manager.

        They get their foot in the door with free loss leaders that you actually pay for on the back end.

        Then they RAPE you with the $5k-$8k Local SEO contracts. Their sales people get residuals so they fight tooth and nail to get the deal done...

        I have several clients now that used to be with YellowBook360.

        You can promote the same image on the exterior as they do... and let them talk tell their blue in the face with the numbers and market research they provide. But really... what it comes down to. The numbers....

        They can't get the whole pie. They can take a large piece of your local area... and Dexx (in my area) is pitching 360 marketing all over the Television

        I actually lost a client to them the other day... but he was a throwback fish anyway...

        Point being... I know the ratings company they use and their market research is slightly slanted.

        The only real competition we have as professional offline marketers is the YellowBook360 and all the other yelllow page companies that have followed suit.

        We never talk about this stuff on the warrior forum. Most people turn a blind eye to their own market when really we need to know what everyone else is doing. How can I show you marketplace research if I haven't researched my own?

        How could I expect to keep up with a company that has a sales force of 20+ cold calling sales account executives in small towns like mine. If I don't do what they are doing? Or at least have an idea of what they are doing?
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  • Profile picture of the author Adam Roy
    Think about how many people GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE every day, week, or month.

    Now think of how many NEW BUSINESSES could use your services soon to come because of those gradutates.

    What about the number of people who finish high school, they are all potential future clients.

    All the people who already have full-time jobs working for someone else, and decide to start their own businesses...Also potential future clients.

    There will always be more people that need these services today, than yesterday.

    Thus, you just have to be ready to tackle the opportunities, before your fellow marketers do

    The offline industry will always exist, and demand for the services we provide will always exist.
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    • Profile picture of the author Mike Grant
      Don't tell this to a new law grad.

      Originally Posted by Adam Roy View Post

      Think about how many people GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE every day, week, or month.

      Now think of how many NEW BUSINESSES could use your services soon to come because of those gradutates.

      What about the number of people who finish high school, they are all potential future clients.

      All the people who already have full-time jobs working for someone else, and decide to start their own businesses...Also potential future clients.

      There will always be more people that need these services today, than yesterday.

      Thus, you just have to be ready to tackle the opportunities, before your fellow marketers do

      The offline industry will always exist, and demand for the services we provide will always exist.
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  • Profile picture of the author localdominator
    Dont think that these IYP's are all that. Many of them struggle to deliver on real results. They are mostly concerned with PFI. We have had some of these types of companies come to us because they can't do what we can and are hoping to arrange a deal for us to provide local seo to them. You will always have a market, and also, don't forget that the US is not the only place that you can get customers. The market is far from saturation due to turnover and shear volume and size.
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  • Profile picture of the author Michael Clough
    Soooooo many people are selling Offline Services, but they will drop out, when the next hot niche comes along! Then they will drop out of that, as well, and so on.

    Try and stay focused.....put some blinders on, and get a few customers.

    Where you live, is there a local Chamber of Commerce?     I just joined mine, and picked up 5 customers, and set several more appointments.
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    • Profile picture of the author Amir Luis
      Originally Posted by nimbus49 View Post

      Soooooo many people are selling Offline Services, but they will drop out, when the next hot niche comes along! Then they will drop out of that, as well, and so on.

      Try and stay focused.....put some blinders on, and get a few customers.

      Where you live, is there a local Chamber of Commerce?       I just joined mine, and picked up 5 customers, and set several more appointments.
      This is sooooo true.... and the ones that are actually doing anything right now really don't know how to SELL the service.
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  • Profile picture of the author MichaelHiles
    The majority of "offline" and marketing consultants are flashes in the pan and won't even be in business in 12 months.

    Sorry, that's just the reality.
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    • Profile picture of the author Amir Luis
      Originally Posted by MichaelHiles View Post

      The majority of "offline" and marketing consultants are flashes in the pan and won't even be in business in 12 months.

      Sorry, that's just the reality.
      Agreed.... a lot of them will give up 5 minutes before the miracle happens.
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  • Profile picture of the author LasseKohau
    Skilled offline consultants well never run out of clients.

    If you do, change market, change product, change marketing efforts, build relationshipgroups with other struggling marketers, and share the clients/profits or my absolute favorite - build out your excisting clients from 500 D a month to 1500 D a month.

    It seems everyone in here, are going after US, UK or AUS or CAN. Please remeber, that the fast growing economies and countries in the world are China, Brazil and India.

    regards, LASSE
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    • Profile picture of the author John Durham
      Originally Posted by LasseKohau View Post

      Skilled offline consultants well never run out of clients.

      If you do, change market, change product, change marketing efforts, build relationshipgroups with other struggling marketers, and share the clients/profits or my absolute favorite - build out your excisting clients from 500 D a month to 1500 D a month.

      It seems everyone in here, are going after US, UK or AUS or CAN. Please remeber, that the fast growing economies and countries in the world are China, Brazil and India.

      regards, LASSE
      Indeed, you can actually target international seo and webdesign customers on Alibaba.com
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  • Profile picture of the author jigney
    Alibaba is Good for getting Web Design client, it is not worth for SEO clients. Now they have also increased fees for Paid membership.
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    • Profile picture of the author John Durham
      Originally Posted by jigney View Post

      Alibaba is Good for getting Web Design client, it is not worth for SEO clients. Now they have also increased fees for Paid membership.
      You dont need a paid membership.
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  • Profile picture of the author paulie888
    The scarcity scenario that you paint is just a myth born out of ignorance and skewed misconceptions. As the comments above have explained, businesses are continually in a state of transformation; some die out, many other new ones are born in their place, and some are even spun off into multiple businesses.

    If what you're thinking were actually true, then advertising firms and insurance agencies (among other entities) would cease to grow and multiply, because going by your theory the supply of new clients would be finite, and they would not be able to find new business after a while.
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  • Profile picture of the author Vincenzo Oliva
    That's why having a USP will be so important. What's your angle? what's your specialty? what makes you different? what's your unique proposal?

    Like any other business, the influx of "SEO" people will drive down the price in a competitive market.
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  • Profile picture of the author patadeperro
    I think the real problem is BAd marketing, everybody is just cold calling businesses without:

    a) Qualifying the prospect.

    b) Knowing what they are selling.

    c) Not giving a Real solution, just offering a service.

    Furthermore it seems like everybody is going to the same avenue when in reality everybody is copying the bad marketing techniques than the others are doing, when you have better marketing and a real business you surpasses everybody else even in the most competitive niches.

    Just my 2 cents
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