What a great pleasure to introduce a guest post today from none other than expat writer Jo Parfitt!
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Marketing Yourself the Easy Way
As an expatriate accompanying partner myself, who has moved internationally five times and run a business despite the relocations, I have learned how to market my business efficiently and cheaply. Before the internet I used to develop a local network in each country and then lose all my clients every time we moved. Today, things are very different.
A quick analysis of my current clients and how they came to me reveals how a staggering 95% of them found me through referral. Not through my paid-for advertisements, not through all the flyers I have had printed in full colour and not through the mailshots, cold-calling or other hard sell activities.
I realized a long time ago, that I hated trying to sell services to complete strangers. Fresh out of university, I worked in telesales for a few weeks, selling telephone call monitoring systems of all things. I was not interested in the product. I could not vouch for its effectiveness from personal experience and the people I called were picked from a paid-for list of names and addresses.
One day, six weeks into the job, I found myself on the end of the phone to a man who swore at me for interrupting him. Reduced to tears, I crouched under my desk and sobbed. From that moment I vowed I would only sell to people who had already shown an interest. I promised myself I would never hard sell again.
Today, my business is in helping expatriates to write books that will help or inspire other expats. I run Summertime Publishing and have a vast global network of expat experts able to help, advise or promote my clients’ books. I also write books, and my 28th is out this month. I have learned how to market myself and my books without pain, as I will share below.
Seven Secrets to Simple Self-promotion
- I write articles based on my specialism, often without payment, but always for publications on and offline, which are read by my target market. All articles include a few details about me and a web link.
- I am clear and focused about what I do so that my message is memorable and I am easy to refer.
- I try to exceed my clients’ expectations so that they are delighted to tell other people about me.
- I focus not on handing out business cards, but on building relationships. I know that we do business with people we like.
- I try to offer free tastes of my service as often as I can, often speaking at networking events and conferences that are attended by my target market. In fact 70% of my clients come to me through this alone.
- I use social media often and do my best to give and share what I know at every opportunity.
- I pass referrals to other people, recognizing that giving is necessary before I am able to receive.
Jo Parfitt
Jo Parfitt – author of Sunshine Soup, nourishing the global soul. Out now. Price £8.47 and available on Amazon. Find out more at www.joparfitt.com, www.summertimepublishing.com and www.expatbookshop.com