You have 30 seconds or less literally to sell your service or product to your client. Catchy phrases, interesting hook lines or a killer story. Every time I meet a new client the words I choose will dictate whether I gain a new client or not. The word “free” seems to always grab people’s attention. Doesn’t matter who we are or how wealthy people are they will always be drawn to something that is free. Trust me there is no such thing as free in this life, it will always come with a price. So is this term one of the greatest cons in life? I have offered my services on hundreds of occasions, sometimes being altruistic but usually more often than not it is to elicit new business. At the end of the day I need to put food on the table and so do you.

So what’s this got to do with Marketing? Did I trick you here for my own benefit? Of course not. As someone who is still struggling with marketing his services I decided to write this in the hope that I can save you some frustration and also help you with getting your service or product of the ground. My business has been concentrated around the recruitment industry over the last few years, because recruitment and coaching are intrinsically linked. What I have noticed over that time has been how little recruitment agencies market themselves. How many times do you see an ad for an agency on the TV, Radio or other social media? I recently asked a friend of mine to check with his boss how much they actually spent on marketing, I was stunned to find out it was as little as 5%.

Now if you’re like me and your budget is not up there with Nike, or you can’t hire a number of glamour models to promote you, then how do you get about marketing your business? The answer is pretty straight forward and it is free. You concentrate on YOU. It’s time for you to start networking with people in your industry. Get online to industry forums, relevant group chats and start blogging. If you can write thoughtful and relevant material that’s going to provoke a response from people you will be surprised at the increase in interest in your work. A more tangible way to measure is the traffic to your website. Try to become a reliable source of information for your clients, this way you will connect with the relevant people. Those reading your work will already be on the same level as you. It helps if you can eliminate spending endless hours with people who can’t relate to you. In the end all the energy and dedication that you give to your project needs to be channelled to the right audience.

As I said at the start what you say to people will dictate how you are going to connect with them and ultimately win their business. Eliminate jargon right from the off, you need to be able get across what it is you do and who you are. Make sure your message is congruent with your values, be authentic don’t try to be something that you’re not. People will be more than happy to recommend you in other circles once they feel you are being genuine and obviously good at what you do. Just remember you can’t control what other people do. No matter how much time, effort or money you put into marketing yourself you may not always get the results that you want. You need to learn to adjust your strategies through trial and error. What worked last year may not work next year. Here is something I’ve learned and it didn’t cost me a penny. The one thing in life that is constant is change, when you fully embrace change you can be sure your life or your business will change