The Secrets to Marketing (and growing) Your Service-Based Business
I started my first service-based business in 2012 on a computer in my bedroom. At the time, my daughters were 12 and 10 years old and still very much in need of my attention.
To set new boundaries, I told them that when mommy had her shoes on, she was working and not to be disturbed. This was significant because we never wore shoes inside the house.
The business I started was called, “Boutique Marketing Group,” and it was a digital and direct marketing business.
I began with the intention of turning it into an agency, even though I had no clue how to do that. What I did know how to do however, was get clients.
This article is for you if you are in any service-based industry, including technology, dentistry, medical, facility management, professional services, or consulting.
How It Started
I started by telling my friends what I was up to, and luckily a friend of mine needed help for her coaching business.
This is often overlooked, because many business owners don’t want to bother their friends and family about their business, which is understandable.
I’m not suggesting that you give them a sales pitch, but you can be intentional with providing information. It is very likely that that your friends from the golf club, the pickle-ball court, or your kid’s soccer games know someone who may need your services.
Then, I joined the local chamber of commerce and found clients through networking and being deeply involved with the community. Some of these clients are still with me and have transitioned over to K. Hollingsworth Consulting.
I found clients by teaching businesses how to create beautiful brochures using Microsoft Publisher which a lot of businesses were using at that time.
I tested a direct mail campaign where I reached out to 150 businesses about a free in-person class that I was teaching at our local Staples. 20% of the businesses I reached out to attended that class.
One of the attendees hired me to teach Microsoft Publisher to her team at a popular local bakery where she was manager so they could make their own marketing materials.
Shortly after, they hired me to do detailed marketing research in anticipation of a big competitor who was moving into the neighborhood. The goal was to mount a defense and retain their market share.
Product vs. Services
Prior to starting my marketing business, I had an award-winning career in sales.
I sold cookies and pharmaceuticals for Fortune 500 companies. So, I can tell you with confidence that marketing and growing a business that relies heavily on labor and technology to provide services is different than marketing and growing a product-based business.
“…marketing and growing a business that relies heavily on labor and technology to provide services is different than marketing and growing a product-based business.”
If you are having trouble with your sales and marketing efforts, it could be because you have not made this distinction, which means that your strategies likely aren’t tailored for service-based marketing and selling.
Two Categories of Service-based Business; Consumable and Complex
Broadly speaking, there are two categories for service-based business, and it’s not professional or business services. What I’m referring to are businesses that provide services that are readily consumable and services that are complex and/or expensive.
Consumable service-based business provides services that are timely, local, and where the buyer has either an immediate or urgent need.
For example, a child falls on playground and cracks her tooth. She may need immediate dental care so her mother grabs her phone to search for “emergency dentist near me.”
Or the commercial oven at a very busy restaurant needs immediate repair services, as downtime will result in significant losses in revenue.
If this is the type of service-based business you have then consider the following as part of your marketing and sales strategy:
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Pay-per-click. This can be expensive if you are in a competitive market, but with the right SEO partner and strategy, you can be very competitive in a crowded marketplace.
- A website that is designed to quickly convert traffic to booked appointments.
- Have a live phone number throughout the website.
- Have a strong referral network of strategic partners. For example, if you’re in IT Security then aligning with consultants who serve your same customer base. Or if you’re a pediatric dentist, consider a referral partnership with a local pediatrician (this is how I found my daughter’s dentist).
Complex service-based businesses provide services that are expensive, timely to implement or acquire, changes your prospective client’s processes (think leadership/culture coaching, hiring a new IT management company, or changing personal habits), and has a detailed onboarding process. Lastly, these services can be national or global.
If this is your type of business, then the focus of your sales and marketing strategy should include:
- Mitigate the inherent risk of change with a professional sales process that addresses their specific pain points, is results focused, and shows them the process for onboarding.
- Building trust through frequent and brand consistent posting on social media or wherever your customers will be exposed to your brand and service (remember that your prospective customers and clients will research you online. If you are absent from the major social media platforms, this will raise the risk-factor for them).
- Have testimonials on your website and case-studies available for prospective clients to review.
- Showcase third-party attestations such as Google reviews, Trustpilot, the Better Business Bureau, or others that are industry specific.
- If possible, create a new easily consumable service as a low-risk option so they have an opportunity to get to know your organization and services.
- Provide psychological safety for them by giving a guarantee.
In addition to what I’ve outlined there, there’s much you can do to build trust, get more clients or customers, and create lasting relationships. If you’d like to learn more, please book a free, high-value discovery session with me here https://calendly.com/helpugrowcro/30min.
I look forward to working with you.
