Can i be very rude and ask you this weird question...

I have been kicking around the idea. You just brought me one step closer.

The consulting is not hard at all, it is the point of contact, face to face aspect, that makes it very hard and uncomfortable for most.

Many Offline businesses, hate being pitched to and think they know how to run, a perfect business.

Shhhh! Don't tell everyone about this. Localization of high-demand "money" search phrases are killer. I have been doing this for a while.

If you take a major/immediate problem/pain + cityname and optimize for that then you can certainly sell consulting to the local business. I publish a couple of directories too that have many local businesses onboard.

Bottom line, if Google is targeting local then you might want to consider it. Providing Marketing Consulting to local business is very easy when you consider that true competition is almost zero in the local area.

Be a big (well trained, well armed fish) in a little pond and eat your fill

This seems very interesting. Not for the faint of heart (or newbie lol). How much SEO experience do you believe you need for this?

First off, I do work with offline companies (and into tens of thousands, not a few hundred) - but it is precisely because of posts like this why I've considered distancing myself from IM. Declaring proudly that you 'hardly' do anything for the amount of money you're paid is not the best PR.
It's actually pretty sad because when real business owners see content like this out there, they feel like they're being ripped off by IMers. For those of us who provide real value (consulting + full out designs, user interactions, and REAL results) have a harder time separating ourselves from those looking to just make a buck off of a local business (or any business for that matter).

My advice to anyone wanting to get into this - separate yourselves from the rest - provide results/milestones based services and true value.

I firmly believe that To be successful, you will need for the Clients to come to YOU, instead of YOU going to them. Using tactics such as flier promotions, postcards and other inexpensive media, is how to bring them to YOU.

Going to them can make them pissy and they will not hold back, on their negativity either.

You know Joe.
You are absolutely right.

There are a lot of Internet marketing fellas struggling right now (me included). We all know that making money with Internet Marketing is possible, but yet for one reason or another we are not there yet.

Nonetheless, We all accumulate knowledge, be it from this forum, WSO’s or other stuff that we had to get a handle on to make sure we are successful online.

Just the other day I didn’t know what heck HTML tags were. Now, not only I know what they are, but I can set up a site, buy a domain, set up that site on a server with no problems. I also know the importance of backlinks for a site, be it (social bookmarking, web 2.0 profiles, forums, link exchanges, etc). I know some very good SEO automation tools and site monitoring software.

All that knowledge was acquired in the last year, and I am just wasting or not gaining anything from it, if I do not put it to good use (make money in other words).

I think mainly, is the stigma that off line marketing has. It sounds it so Sale-ish, and most of us have sales phobia, myself included. But not anymore. I will take action today and so should you that is struggling to make money online. And as you mentioned Joe, when things start picking up in our online ventures, we could all scale back.

How about start a movement?

Regards,
Lucky

I started with offline businesses. I want nothing to do with that much face to face contact with local business customers not to mention working for pain in the ass people building sites when I can build them for myself and make a profit flipping them.

Offline was nothing but a big headache for me. The neverending web design projects ... ohhhh ... can you just change this and change that ... No thanks. It's the same as Working For Someone Else.

Because then I would have to deal with people who have absolutely no idea how to do what they're paying me to do, yet they feel obligated to tell me that their 14-yr old niece told them that they should be doing it this other way, and their grandmother thinks they should be getting faster results for their money, and they were talking with their coworkers over a few beers and...

Not to mention the things you ask *them* to do on their site to help their SEO (or whatever you're helping them with) and it never happens, or they want you to do that for them too, for free - oh and that includes writing all of the content...

It's like a bad marriage.

No, let me amend that.
It's like interacting with upper management who don't know how to operate their email, and you are the tech support guy.

I've tried it, and it's not for me. For someone who is infinitely patient and enjoys taking 10 calls a day from one customer who can't figure out where the "any" key is on his keyboard, much less what "social networks" are... it's a great business to have.

I think the biggest need is for small business owners to realize the power of a little SEO for their site that their neighbor's kid built. Knowledge is power, and while nobody is the ultimate authority, we can certainly teach others how to test, track, optimize and research. and the basics of SEO, which we all learned the hard way.

I met with a very successful offline businessman, and was stunned at his lack of knowledge about the online market, and his inability to believe that I, a housewife, might know what I'm talking about.

Actually joewooweb,

It does sound pretty doable. I'll have to check this out.

I would like to also reinforce, and reiterate, some of the comments
made about dealing with offline clients.

This area of marketing was on my mind for a long time, but I was always
hesitant for certain reasons. And then I found myself with a few that just
sort of happened.

It is way too high maintenance for my tastes. I always try very hard
to work with people and help them. But for me at least it got to the
point where it was making me crazy. I felt like I was mentoring people.

So if anyone reading this decides to get involved, then make everything
extremely clear upfront about the nature of your service and your business
relationship. Be very clear about what you will do and will not do. If they
want to ask you a million questions, then be clear upfront that you also
charge for consulting (mentoring and hand-holding - answering questions).

Maybe that is not the best approach, and I don't know what the best approach
is, to be honest. But it is something you should think about before you get
your first client.

In fairness, I have to say that probably not all are like that, meaning high
maintenance. I actually took on one client, recently, who is not high maintenance.
In fact, we hardly communicate, but he has my phone number and email. There
have been some delays on his end, so I'm just waiting and working on some
things for him. But he doesn't know much at all about IM, yet he's very low
maintenance.

So you never know who you're going to be dealing with.

I think the best course of action is to be prepared for whatever happens. Have
something in place that will allow you to protect your time by being fairly
compensated.


Ken

I found it's easier if you already have something REAL to present to a potential offline business that's in need of something...

...like LEADS or a pre-designed website.... FOR EXAMPLE: I made a roofing Website and got google placed:



It took about 6 weeks but I now lease it for $197/month...



Unfortunately, I screwed up the google listing but It's still #1 when you type "ri roofing"

When you can PHYSICALLY show them something, they'll pay attention instead of yawning.

Because it isn't in my business model.

Rob

Some people prefer to work 100% online, never actually meeting their customers.

I see the phrase ".....I don't want to deal with people....", unfortunately you need to deal with people in some way for commerce to exist. Some prefer dealing with people purely online, its more anonymous and, in a way, solitary. Thats what some people feel comfortable with. People like that are better off staying away from the "offline SEO/consulting biz"

I, as well as my partners, come primarily from the "offline sales" arena. So for us, "dealing with people" is what we do best. If this is an attribute you have, then offline Local SEO work or consulting, can be a nice business, its what my partners and I do. We set it up like a real offline business, office, conference room, etc (there are ways to do this without spending too much money, remember the commercial realestate market sucks right now).

So in answer to your question Joe, our business is offline consulting. But that doesn't mean its good for every IMer.

Peace

I have only 1 thing to add to this thread -

http://clientsfromhell.net/

I have been thinking about it but tbh I got into IM cause I wanted to work for myself, answer ONLY to myself and not have to put up with people in general.

consulting means doing face to face business and I just dont have the paitince

I'm Lazy and don't want to go find customers.

I did it long time back but i find that it is much more fun in the online business .

The opportunity and the freedom in the online business much more rather than offline business.

I agree with some of this and some I do not.

First, local internet marketing is a great opportunity for many reasons, everyone already knows why. But I understand calling hundreds of people that are trying to convince them and how that is such a waste of time..But you guys, this is how it works when one way does not...I know that everyone in this forum knows someone who knows someone that owns a small business...be it in another state,city or country. For example..I have a client in florida but I am not located there...And he and I good enough b2b relationship where he gives me full access to his logins and website and he just trusts me. Well, I asked him that if he would start talking to his other business people about referring me...

But my point is,,start asking your sister's friends, brother's friends, etc, etc...but we have confidence in our services, now lets tell the people we already know and find out what they know and get into their inner worlds and then come along to their gatherings...Or just ask your friend's or family members that if they know any local businesses, to just tell them to keep their ears open..and then if they hear anything to drop your main url or tell those people that"hey, my brother(im) knows all about that internet marketing stuff, here is his number, he is really busy, but he or she is really smart" This way you have free marketers and you can keep doing your thing. I will always tell my peeps or even strangers i tell them while i am out, and of course i just make friends and make small talk and then talk about technology or how eveyone these days has cell phones...just whatever and then i ask them what they do and how long they do it...and then they feel they need to know me and i tell them and if i have a business card which now i always have with me..i tell them if they know someone who really needs marketing for their small biz or whatever..i tell them to refer me and if they pay me..i will give a commission...

You guys and gals we are ALL very creative folks...but lets use what we have now...learn as products come out and test what works and doesn't.

For example, i just told my girlfriend's mom who is a nurse and asked if she knows any one at work, if she hears about her co-workers, brother, husband or whatever. if she hears about them and their world and if they have small businesses to keep their ears opened..because by us internet marketers leaving these subconscious messages...and as our industry grows ever more..it well be like seed that can only grow..plus it will boost our own self-confidence.

Because SEO in all shapes and forms makes me want to blow my brains out.

However anyone who knows how to run effective SEO campaigns should definitely be marketing to local businesses. I know of two businesses who have tried to hire me to "do their internet stuff." and have turned both of them down. There is definitely ALOT of money to be made here people.

Not everybody can sell. Not every business listens.

And let me tell you the biggest problem is keeping them focused. I've got clients paying me large $$$ every month that can't find the time to do what's necessary.

It's not as easy as it looks.

I have no problem with people doing the whole consulting thing, but it's the professionals who are given a bad name from the "fakers" that riles me.

You have no idea how many regular small businesses are called on a daily basis with internet related services.

It makes me laugh how so many people assume this is some newfound promised land with no competition. Anyone who claims that has no clue what's going on in the real world, I can assure you.

I still think it's a lot easier to make money ONLINE that through offline clients. Sure, the pay might be better for offline clients, but you better be good at selling in those shark infested, noisy waters.

I'm actually running two small offline businesses, but my secret to success so far is offering services that are risk free and completely tailored to my skills - skills that I can prove.

The problem is, most of these "offline consultants" have nothing to substantiate their claims. No background, no selling points, no proof, no USP.

If you can get results upfront, they're more likely to listen, but don't assume it's an easy ride getting your foot in the door even when offering upfront results. You're dealing with people who will cut costs at every turn, who are sick of cold callers, who are tired of BULL****.

So you've got to balance the offer between realistic and too good to be true... and with a smile, a smooth tongue and a certain amount of charm.

(source - worked in newspaper advertising, sales and marketing for 4 years)

There is a lot of discouragement here. I understand that clients can be a hag. And the whole purpose of online business is to make money from home without a boss, or bosses. But trying offline marketing like many other things boils down to: Give it a try. What does not kill you makes you stronger.

Thanks for sharing, Joe. Actually that's what my partner and I do everyday. We find local businesses and contact them by phone. And we tell them all the benefits of using our services such as more customers, more sales, etc.

For each customer, we make about $1,500 plus HST for the 1st month and we charge different amounts for the months afterwards. It's a great business model and if you have what it takes to rank sites in the 1st page, you should definitely go for offline local businesses.

My 2 cents...

Great Idea, a friend of mine has just started his own kitchen supply and fit company, he built his own website which looks great. I've given him lots of FREE advice (I wouldn't charge him anyway) with the knowledge and experience I have with SEO etc and realised I could offer my services to local businesses in my area and get paid:-)

Perehaps I should give it a go!

Kind regards,
Joe Krarup.

I too would like to know how to get around this. I have done this strategy but have never tried to get in Google local for a leasing/directory type site.