Friday 21 August 2009

The Friday Afternoon Effect - consultants should work weekends

It's become a standing joke in the Skillfair office that however quiet a week is, things always get busy on a Friday afternoon. True to form I was just getting on with tidying up work before going away and a nice juicy project pops in at 4.30pm on the dot. The same pattern applies for tenders with the numbers peaking at the end of the week.

Because we quality check direct clients as well as consultants that quite often means the alerts will go out either ove the weekend or first thing Monday morning. So if you want to be in with a chance you need to make sure you check your email then.

If the Friday happens to be the last day before a holiday then the effect is even greater - so watch out for a flurry of projects this coming Bank Holiday Monday!

Thursday 20 August 2009

2009 Skillfair Conference Attendee List

Going to any conference or event is a great opportunity for networking - but just taking a random walk through the available people may mean there are really useful and interesting people you just never meet.

When you go to an event it's always worth taking a few moments to glance through the attendee list and see if there's anyone that you particularly want to talk to. They may be a potential client or partnher, or just work in an area that you're interested in. If you can't work out who they are there's nothing wrong with asking other attendees if they've met your 'target' - but do wait until you've had a chat first!

To help people going to the Skillfair conference we've created an online attendee list - you don't have to appear on this if you prefer not to, but if you've already booked and want to appear on it, please check it out.

Thursday 13 August 2009

Refresh your marketing - where to start?

The summer is a great time to take a look at the marketing you've been doing and to see what can be improved - and sometimes it only takes some very small changes to make a big difference.

Step 1

Scribble down the key services that you offer, the type of clients you generally work for and how that's helped the clients

Step 2

Take a look at your website and read the home page - do the words comfirm what you've written down - or do they say something much more vague? The words may sound impressive but the broader the message the less likely it is that a client will get a real sense of who you are and what you do. If the mismatch is very big - you should concentrate some effort here, and probably get in some outside help to give you an objective view.

Step 3

Happy with your website? Now list down all the internet sites where you have a presence - LinkedIn, Twitter, ecademy, forums etc etc The chances are that you'll have a slightly different description of you and your business on each one, and if you're like me some of the information may be seriously out of date. Now go round checking each one and update the information - don't make it identical as different sites have different styles, but make sure the key messages (and phone numbers etc!) come through. If possible include links to the other sites where you have profiles - for details of how to link to your Skillfair profile click here.

To link from your Skillfair profile to other sites, click here

Wednesday 5 August 2009

Keep your inbox under control while you're away

I know that getting ready to go on holiday is hard work especially when you work for yourself. Putting contingencies in place and making sure bills are set up to be paid by the bank. Setting up an automatic reply to e-mails and changing your answering machine message is standard, but why not look at those e-mails you get, do you really want to send auto replies to everyone?

Wary of coming back after three weeks away to an overloaded inbox I have made an effort today to switch off my e-mails from my networking sites both social and business and have also switched off my Skillfair alerts, I can easily look at the projects I have missed when I get back. It is easy to do just log in and go to my accounts and click on e-mail alerts and change the settings.

I've just added a reminder in my calendar to switch everything back on after the holiday!

email marketing - does it work for consultants?

Following on from Gill’s comments about marketing, I wanted to share a few thoughts about email marketing. Many people throw their hands up in horror and view it in the same way as junk mail but targeted correctly, it can be a really cost-effective form of communication.

As an alternative to buying in lists of cold prospects, look at your existing customer base - use emails to retain customers not just acquire new ones. Tell them what’s going on in the industry and alert them to any press articles or events you’re involved with (not forgetting links to the details of course!). Use it to reinforce your marketing messages and build a relationship with your customers, taking the opportunity to cross sell products and services at the same time. You can also use email to say thank you when someone purchases something from you, providing a good way to open up dialogue about other products you offer.

Above all, be consistent with your message and think about the person you’re sending the email to – we’re running an in-depth session on email marketing at out conference in November, for more details click here