So Where do I Start Marketing

This is a pretty common question -- for almost everyone.
Newbies ask it because marketing either seems incredibly
overwhelming if you don't know what you're doing... or
because you just don't think it works (no one's going to
fall for that, right?).

And if you're a seasoned veteran you want to know this
because you've probably spent a small fortune on marketing
that's yet to offer you any kind of meaningful return -- if
any return at all, even.

There are so many moving components of any marketing
campaign though, so for now, let's just stick to the "big"
global basics.

First thing you need to do is to figure out WHO your target
market is. Like we talked about on last week's call, most
Recruiter's knee-jerk reaction to this is "jobseekers." But this
isn't true any more than a Vet who thinks his market is animal lovers.

Just because you like dolphins doesn't mean you're going to
a Vet, and similarly, just because your prospect needs a
job doesn't mean he or she is a qualified prospect.

If you're looking for Developers, they need hands on skills... if
you're looking for PMP's, they need certifications... if you're
looking for big deals only, then you need a high paying positions...

So the first thing you need to do is figure out, is WHO your
prospect is.

Then you must know what their biggest problems are, that you
can solve for them. "Getting a job" isn't the solution,
by the way. It may be a means to an end, but it's not the
solution any more than "not working" is a solution to
avoiding stress. "Not working" may or may not be part of
the mix, but it's not THE answer.

Lastly, once you know who they are and what their biggest
problems are, you've got to figure out the best ways of
communicating with them. So for example, if you want
.net Developers, yes you can get lists of Microsoft Employees but will they be qualified to write code. Or will you be better off putting on some local
seminars for programmers qualifying them by admission in
some manner?

This is a critical issue that most people don't think about.
They mistakenly believe "it doesn't matter," as long as
you're putting your message out there, but it DOES matter,
very much. Targeting your leads correctly can make the
difference between a wasted effort and one that produces
more business then you can handle. (I've done both, so I
can speak from experience.)

It also usually makes a big difference as to how much time
you wind up wasting with "looky-loos" and tire-kickers.
Since I have the patience of a gnat, this is important to
me, but you may have the patience of Job and feel
otherwise.

To me, time is the most precious commodity in the world. It
sure is the only one you can't buy more of, anyway.

Now go close some deals!