What a great pleasure to introduce a guest post today from none other than expat writer Jo Parfitt!
If you like this post, make sure to sign up for our November newsletter, where we’ll share an in-depth interview with Jo about her journey and more tips she has to share for us coaches. Thanks, please leave comments below, and enjoy!
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
