June 2006

Marketing Product YOU: Creating a Marketing Campaign from Your Client’s Point of View

By Linda Popky, President, L2M Associates, Inc.

As a consumer and business person, you’re deluged with products and services every day of your life. But when was the last time you thought of yourself and the services you offer as products?

Think about why clients hire a consultant. Their statement of work or purchase order may specify a deliverable, such as a brochure, day of training or series of coaching sessions. But it’s not the brochure, training or coaching sessions that the client is deciding upon. What the client is really buying with that purchase order is you—your expertise, your experiences and insights and your ability to understand a business problem and deliver a solution.

Starbucks, iPods and You
That’s why it’s so important that you position yourself as effectively as possible. The same basic marketing principles that have transformed coffee into Starbucks or MP3 players into iPods can transform you from just another consultant to You, Consultant Extraordinaire.

All products have defining characteristics. A product has a clear scope or set of attributes. It has a set of features, benefits derived from those features, packaging, a price and a channel of distribution. Attribute types are the same whether we’re talking about laundry detergent, coffee beans or consulting services. It’s the specifics that vary, depending on your field, your customers and the focus of your consulting business.

A Unique Value Proposition
What makes a product/service/solution different from other offerings is not its defining characteristics but a value proposition that expresses its unique benefits. A good value proposition does three things:

• Identifies a specific problem faced by a specific audience or set of customers
• Addresses how to solve the problem
• Specifies how this solution is different from other alternatives

When developing your value proposition, consider that your solution will probably include more than just a product or service. The following factors may also be part of your unique value proposition:

• The way you deliver your product/service
• The image you present to your target audience
• The customer experience you provide
• The environment in which you compete

A good value proposition helps clients differentiate you from other consultants who offer similar services. Although it’s always possible to compete on price, it’s usually much more profitable to focus on value. When clients understand the value they’ll get from working with you, price becomes a much less important factor in their decision and often may not even be a factor at all.

Value Is What the Customer Says It Is
Remember that value is always in the eye of the customer. Focus on the key issues that customers face, the solution you provide and the results they can expect. Years of experience, specific methodology or unique process aren’t important. What is relevant is that you demonstrate an understanding of their business problems, offer a product or service that addresses them and help clients feel comfortable that you’ll deliver.

As consultants, our competition isn’t always other consultants. We may be competing against other alternatives—such as clients deciding to use internal resources or simply maintaining the status quo. You’ll be most effective when you address your solution to business needs, in prospects’ language, rather than comparing yourself to other consultants. Express the value clients will receive from implementing your solution in terms that resonate with the key decision maker.

A Quick Six-Part Marketing Template
Once you’ve identified your audience, articulated its needs and developed a clear value proposition, you’re ready to market Product You. If, like most of us, you’re put off by the thought of developing a long, extended marketing plan, consider starting with this quick 6-part marketing template:

• Who—your target audience
• What—your goal
• Where—specific markets, industries, locations or companies
• When—your desired timeframe
• Why—the value proposition or why the client should use you and not another alternative
• How—three to five specific steps you’ll take to accomplish your goals

This one-page template, combined with a clear value proposition, will give you the basics to go out and start promoting Product You—effectively and efficiently. Don’t be afraid to articulate and promote your specific value. Remember even the best products in the world won’t sell if the audience doesn’t know about them!

Linda Popky is the president of L2M Associates, a strategic marketing company that helps organizations improve their return on investment in marketing programs, processes and people. For more information, contact her at www.L2Massociates.com or 650-281-4854.