Time Management

How do you blend marketing and work time?

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I need to do lots of marketing to replace the work I used to do for a large client who is now a small client. I find being a marketing person is very different from being an accountant person. They are such different hats that chopping and changing the type of work in a day seems very difficult.
How do other one person bands cope?

Replies (12)

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By Paul Crowley
12th Jun 2021 12:31

I consider the best marketing is to do a top job for existing clients.
I get more new clients from referrals that any other source.
Next biggest number is from having a building on a main road.
Almost zero from adverts
But oddly quite a few from email, assuming a website view. The website is Paul@, not an ugly info, enquiries, support, team, sales etc.
The enquiries from outside of UK eventually turn out to have some connection with the town I am in.
I will usually not discuss prices until a potential comes in to meet.

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By SXGuy
12th Jun 2021 12:43

I literally spend the evenings doing it. Some days it's a case of whenever I have some free time. No set plan.

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By zebaa
12th Jun 2021 12:52

Word-of-mouth is the gold standard, no doubt, but difficult to do in the real world. Advertising campaigns that I have seen that are a success for small business include modern media, like Facebook & LinkedIn well as other stuff, even U tube. A web site is clearly a MUST-HAVE. There is a reluctance from people of a certain age, which includes me, to putting yourself out like this, but if you want results that’s the way to go.

Advertising & PR / CRM is something that you can do in an evening or weekend, but need not cost a lot in money outlay, if you stay away from the sharks that promise lots but deliver little. What it does cost is time, but the advantage of DIY is you get to know what works & what does not. Throwing money at a problem like this, in my experience, produces low grade, one-off, customer / clients, but there are no quick and easy solutions, otherwise we would all do them. I wish you good luck.

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By Hugo Fair
12th Jun 2021 12:56

At the risk of stating the obvious, once you strip away the fine words all marketing consists of just 3 basic components:
1. Define what it is that you are offering
2. Identify the market who you believe need that
3. Find ways to get the message of (1) to the audience in (2)

Of course there are subtleties within those steps, but it's surprising how few people tackle step 1 because it can seem so obvious. But they're the very same people who struggle with the concept of the "one-minute elevator pitch" (imagine you're in an elevator with a trapped prospect - thereby solving steps 3 and 2 - what can you say in under 60 seconds that will engage their interest and make them want to continue the conversation when the lift-doors open).

There is also, of course, a certain amount of inter-connectivity between steps 1 and 2 ... for instance it's no good identifying HNW individuals as your target market if your skill set is narrow, or charities if you've never worked for any.

So, as Paul has indicated, step 3 is where you can be creative. I concur that referrals (and a bit of positive networking) will generally get you better results than throwing money at the advertiser/influencer services.

You can even force the pace a little. One example from my past ... I decided it would be good to break into a govt-funded sector, identified a less competitive sector of that type, offered to do a year's work at cost for a leading member in that sector in return for them not just making referrals but also hosting 'meet your expert' sessions - and now it's one of our major profit-earning sectors.

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By Moonbeam
12th Jun 2021 19:49

I am well aware of what I need to do. I defined my target market long ago. My problem is simply the time I need to take to get into prospects' inboxes. It's simply really, just hard graft.

Someone told me they spend one day a week on marketing. That wouldn't work for me. I also don't want to do it in the evenings.

I was thinking that the best way forward is to work out some sort of plan for each day where a part of the day is sacrosanct for either marketing or accountancy.

But I've not got it right yet, which was why I was wondering how other sole practitioners fit the marketing time in.

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Replying to Moonbeam:
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By Hugo Fair
12th Jun 2021 21:31

I'm sorry that you don't like the answers posted so far ... but I really can't see what would please you. If you've "defined (your) target market long ago" and, by inference, worked out how "to get into prospects' inboxes" ... then you're well advanced, and appear to be asking not what to do but merely when to do it.

But you've already stated that you don't want to do it in the evenings, and don't want to spend one day/week on it. So what's left? I can only see 4 other options:
a) during the weekend;
b) during your normal working day;
c) whenever (randomly) you can find some spare time;
d) any time at all (because you're paying someone else to do it).

If you don't want to do it in the evenings then I doubt you'll be much keener on the weekends ... and paying someone else is unlikely to be effective (not just expensive but not really the right message from a one person band where it is you that is being 'bought').

So you're left with options b) and c) - which are variants of the same thing, where their suitability depends on whether your personality prefers control/schedules or free-wheeling/spontaneity.
And you appear to have already selected option b).

When you say you were "wondering how other sole practitioners fit the marketing time in", there is no real answer ... because each person will choose a different mix that reflects the way they like to work - adjusted in the light of trial & error.

But the one thing IMHO of which you can be sure is that marketing isn't an activity that just needs to be scheduled and actioned (like a set of accounts) ... it is more an attitude of being open to new ideas/opportunities and knowing when to grab/focus on something before it disappears.

Good luck. I somehow doubt this is going to help you that much, but it could do.

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Replying to Moonbeam:
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By Leywood
13th Jun 2021 10:53

[quote=Moonbeam]

''I am well aware of what I need to do. I defined my target market long ago''

Is it worth re-defining? As its a long time ago, things change.

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Replying to Leywood:
By Moonbeam
13th Jun 2021 11:25

Thank you All. I just really wanted to know how people planned this work amongst the accountancy work.
As you've all made clear, different marketing methods produce different results. I don't need help with marketing methods. I've had 30 years of reading up and trying different things, paying people who were much less effective than I am, advertising etc. You name it I've tried it. But typically, not consistently.
And I'm often all talk and no action. It's only when I put my back into the marketing that I get results, funnily enough. I want a particular sort of client, and I've got to the point that I don't want to take on just anyone who'll sign up.
It seems as if most people struggle with the time factor, so I will keep doing plans for different sorts of days to see what I can stick to.

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Replying to Moonbeam:
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By Leywood
13th Jun 2021 11:39

[quote=Moonbeam]

'' I want a particular sort of client, and I've got to the point that I don't want to take on just anyone who'll sign up''

Totally with you on that. Rather earn less than deal with dross. More to life.

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boxfile
By spilly
13th Jun 2021 08:12

There is always the option of paying someone else to do it for you. Or go for marketing that doesn’t involve much input from you; we do this but it can be a slow method.
We have a regular advert on a monthly local magazine which has paid off with a couple of new clients. This took 4 issues before the first response came through so definitely not a quick fix.
We also give existing clients our promo postcards. This makes it easy for them to pass our details on as they just have to hand over a card.
And I’m sure you know this, but make sure any marketing material is well designed as a poor design and layout can end up being off-putting. Well worth paying someone to get this right.

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blue sheep
By NH
13th Jun 2021 08:56

I have found that rather than doing "lots of marketing" as you say, it is far more productive to spend a short amount of time on a very narrow target.

But it depends on what funnel is working for you

Number 1 best source is always referrals, clients will often say "not sure if you are taking on new clients but" in other words we have not got the word out there that we are actively seeking referrals, in fact the only thing we have ever done is a few years ago we offered an incentive, but I have found that we have a few "super referrers" and I am sure if I needed more clients I could pursue this.

What works for me might not work for you, for example we ditched the main road office because we ended up with too many low level clients

Interestingly I was listening to a marketing guru the other day that suggested that your website/online presence is the least important.

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By Leywood
13th Jun 2021 10:52

I take it you have exhausted your existing clients for referrals? When did you last ask them? Casual conversations can often work best in these circumstances, so staying close to clients works.

If its literally just when to do it, I always find doing the kind of work I hate, first thing in the morning before I allow myself to start anything else. Just block out your diary, mentally at least, for the 9-11am slot, or just for an hour.

I wouldnt try anything on a Monday though as I work on the basis that most folk are bombarded with emails/calls after a weekend on the basis that I always am.

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