Category Archives: Services

How Should I Price My Marketing Fees?

Services, Starting Out

I am starting a marketing consulting business where I will provide services to small to mid-sized emerging and established businesses in a variety of areas: communications work, branding and identity work, promotions, event planning and management, and strategic planning (not heavy on this). I have PR consultants, graphic designers and IT people with whom I would partner with as needed. I don’t know whether I should determine my fees per project, per hour or on retainer and don’t know if I should break out fees based on whether I am doing the work or outsourcing it and project managing it. Also, do I vary fees by business size/type or keep it steady no matter what? My target market is small businesses and feel that their budgets can be limited. Any suggested fees or structure for fees would be so appreciated.

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Jay’s Answer: From your client’s perspective, they don’t care if you do it in-house or not. They’re hiring you to do the job.

From your perspective, you care about the resources (time & materials) you need to achieve the client’s goal.

If the job is well-defined, a fixed price makes sense. If it’s vague, you could charge them an hourly fee to define the scope and specification of their needs. Then you could quote them a fee to implement the plan.

As for a the actual price, it depends on how much value you bring your client. If you can help them earn $1M (and can prove it), then $100,000 may not be unreasonable. It depends on the ROI you bring them.

For small businesses (with small budgets), start small. Keep the projects simple, well-defined, and affordably priced to build up the relationship (and to establish yourself). As you prove your worth, find out the value you bring, and charge accordingly.

Why Healthcare Execs Should Use In-State Architects?

Services

I need help writing short ad words or ad title to catch the attention of healthcare executives in my state and to get them thinking about using in-state architects and consultants. Hire state healthcare design firms for less fee, better service, equal knowledge, maintain quality projects, keep money in the state. A win win for everyone.

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Jay’s Answer: I’m not sure I agree with all your points. If I’m a CEO responsible for a new building, I’d get a wide variety of input and choose the best candidate/firm for the job. What would make someone “best” primarily would be their design, cost, and experience. If they are in-state (or even in-town), that might give some extra points (from a PR angle).

Instead of telling CEOs to hire in-state, tell the CEOs why your architects are the best nationally for healthcare design. Taken as a group, what projects have they done and at what comparable cost?

Coping With Catering Copycats?

eMarketing, Services

Few months back I started a catering biz that provides Authentic Home-made Indian food for busy couples & students. However, the moment I started I have copy-cats and competition arising from everywhere.

I have an awesome website and online ordering. However, I am afraid that if I put my website on my ads then my competitors will see it and soon create their own. Also, how do I screen calls to ensure that I am not giving info to a competitor instead of a customer? Please help.

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Jay’s Answer: Your website and onsite ordering aren’t your main benefits. The #1 question is, “How awesome is your food?” If people are loving it, then help them to spread the word: give out frequent dining cards, or discount cards to give to their friends, etc. If the food isn’t awesome, either improve it or differentiate yourself: organic, local ingredients, custom orders for people with food sensitivities, etc.

Don’t worry about your competitors. They’ll always be there, and if you’re good, they’ll be following you. The trick is to lead, not follow them. Continue to offer things that your clients want/need, whether it be food, spices, or even recipes to make their own food.

How Can I Find Prospective Real Estate Clients?

Services, Starting Out

I have just started my career in real estate in Ontario, CA. Please give me some Ideas that how can I find my prospect clients? Some tips of marketing to promote myself in the public different from others. What should be the way of talking (I mean the scripts)? Please help me.

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Jay’s Answer: You need a marketing strategy (here’s an article on how to create marketing strategy).

Let’s say you’re in a room full of others selling real estate. Someone who wants to buy (or sell) real estate walks into the room. Who will they talk to? The person standing closest to the door? The person dressed nicest? The person who has the most people standing around them? The one smiling?

You need to think from the perspective of a potential client. What can you offer them that they can’t anywhere else? Everyone says they have great service and will go the extra mile, etc.

What a client is looking for is a real estate specialist: Someone who knows exactly their needs, is a strong negotiator, has a large pool of people/properties, and a long list of people who can vouch for them.

Start out by focusing narrowly on a specialty. That may be a specific zip code, price point, demographic, home size, home type (multi-unit, single detached, condo), or even amenities (tennis courts, recording studios, etc.). If someone is interested in something outside your specialty, refer them to another real estate agent, who can help them (perhaps earning a referral bonus). Get known for being “the one” who knows your specialty. Then, focus on marketing yourself to the group who want “the one”.

A French/Italian Name For My Weddings Shop?

Names + Taglines, Services

I need a business (french or Italian) name for a wedding decorations shop. Needs to be delicate & fun?

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Jay’s Answer: I hope these help your naming process:

Wedding Decorations:

  • d?©corations de mariage (French)
  • decorazioni di cerimonia nuziale (Italian)

A Loving Wedding:

  • un mariage affectueux (French)
  • una cerimonia nuziale amorosa (Italian)

Wedding Impressions:

  • impressions de mariage (French)
  • impressioni di cerimonia nuziale (Italian)

Your Special Day:

  • votre jour sp?©cial (French)
  • il vostro giorno speciale (Italian)

Ear, Nose, and Throat Booth Games?

Publicity, Services

I am looking for few new ideas that i can use for upcoming mega Ear nose and Throat conference in a local hotel. We have already confirmed a stall in the exhibition. I want some new idea to attract doctors towards the stall in the form of placing any game, computer game, or some thing new.

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Jay’s Answer: Before you create the “gimmick”, make sure that your offer/value of your product/services are top-notch. It’s not to your benefit to get lots of booth traffic only to wind up with no leads or lack of interest in your offering.

Obviously to play any of these games they need to provide contact info for follow-up.

  • Have a huge jar of small toy heads. Closest guess to # wins.
  • Any of the Exploratorium exhibits on hearing can be turned into fun games

How To Market A Local Chiropractor As A Speaker?

Publicity, Services

I am just starting to market myself to local chiropractors, as I have seen a need (via ads, etc) for what I can offer them. Have gotten a couple responses already to only a dozen I have emailed with my attached letter- one wants ONLY for me to get him into local companies as a one-time speaker (obviously he doesn’t GET that marketing takes more than 1 talk!!), in & out, another might contract with me to do various marketing projects, including company events/health fairs, etc- he is offering $15-20/hr + undetermined “bonus structure”- I am just seeking advice from marketers who have worked with chiropractors in the past, about pricing strategy. Any advice you can give would be helpful- not sure if I should do an hourly rate or flat fee, and if a flat fee, what is reasonable- per company I get him in, etc?

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Jay’s Answer: Your confusion is because you’re unclear about the value of the service you’re providing.

  • You can charge him a % of his perceived value (in $) to the chiropractor of appearing as a speaker.
  • You could charge him a % of the business that results from the appearance, but you’ll have a harder situation to monitor and also can’t control their speaking effectiveness.
  • You could charge him a flat fee for each speaking engagement.
  • You could charge him an hourly fee for your effort.

As for what’s best – it’s a combination of your skills, their needs, and their budget. From their perspective, getting the engagement has value, but your time doesn’t. Therefore, a % of perceived value/flat fee makes sense. What’s fair? If you’re unsure, ask local PR people for their fee structure. That’ll help. Realize that the chiropractor doesn’t sound like they want a long-term relationship with you: they simply think more speeches = more clients = more $. So, create a short-term fee structure that’s fair for your time and their response.

How To Market Conservation To Absentee Landowners?

Names + Taglines, Publicity, Services

We are developing a marketing/pr campaign to target absentee landowners (landowners who do not live on their land) into implementing conservation practices and/or seeking assistance for their conservation questions. We were tossing around “Have you walked your land lately”. This was to encourage them to visit their land (with assistance from their area conservationist) to make sure they know it’s current state. We need to get across the message that they need to be concerned about their land and that free assistance is available for them to help assess their land. We are also providing them with information about what conservation programs are available to help them protect and preserve it. There are two campaigns that don’t necessarily need the same message. One is for land that is primarily forest, the other for land that is crop or recreation land.

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Jay’s Answer: “Have You Walked Your Land Lately?” doesn’t reinforce your offering: free assessment and conservation. Some ideas:

  • Who’s Minding Your Land?
  • Entrust Your Land Forever
  • We Help Protect Your Land For Free
  • Have Your Land Enjoyed For Generations

How Should I Plan My Chamber Open House?

Clubs + Associations, Publicity, Services

I am planning for an open house with my Chamber of Commerce to promote my private mental health counseling business. Do you have any ideas or resources to order materials for such. Since my areas will be with children, parenting, and substance addictions, I’m thinking about having informational handouts, business cards, and promotional items such as pens, but don’t have it all together.

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Jay’s Answer: While you’re at it, invite your local parents’ groups to your open house.

I’d have separate handouts for each of the areas you specialize in. Each of these handouts would talk about what problems that this group has that you can help with. Testimonials would be a plus.

Your goal at the open house is to network – to talk to people and find out how satisfied they are with their parenting and family, and offer your skills to help improve it. You want to build trust in your skills and personality. I’m sure you already know how to ask great questions and listen to their answers. You just need to do this in a business setting first.

A Better Pricing Model?

Services

I run a strategic firm and I’m putting together a proposal for a company who is doing well and needs a plan and execution of all marketing functions except sales (strategy, PR, AD, positioning, management of campaigns, etc.)

This is slightly different than what I’m used to, however I believe that the best pricing module for them is a combination of a contracted monthly retainer and a modicum of funding that goes into a capital account.

My question is: can you give a sound reason for another pricing model (to the client) and if not then what are some of the pitfalls that I should consider as I proceed in pitching it to the client.

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Jay’s Answer: To your knowledge, has your client already used this pricing model previously? If so, they’ll know the pros/cons.

If you’d present this to me, I’d ask for a breakout of how much it’d cost for each of the planning/functions you propose. To achieve the agreed-upon goals, I’d want to have a “to not exceed” number (or a fixed price) to ensure no budgeting problems and to allow me to compare your costs with those of your competitors. Depending on the value of the goals, I might even have a performance bonus (if ROI is over X%, I’d pay more, and if less than Y%, I’d pay less).