Getting the Word Out
Two buzzwords for today are “networking” and “adding value.” Both are part and parcel of letting your customers know what you can do for them. Getting the word out is another factor in working with customers.
Think about this: Your main job for a customer is (fill in whatever you do). What other kinds of work could you do for this customer? Every different kind of work you can do adds value to your services. But you also need to let your customer know that you have many talents.
Let’s say that your main skill is writing software documentation for financial products. Perhaps you can also train users on the software. Or you might write an article about the new software for the company’s newsletter. Training would be paid work. The article might be unpaid, but it might get you a contract to write a regular column for the newsletter or company magazine, or it might alert the director of another department that you have just the skills she needs for her documentation project.
The 80–20 Rule
Finding work is always on our minds as independents. How do you find work? One of the most productive ways is to follow the 80–20 Rule. The 80–20 Rule is also known as the Pareto Principle. It states that you should work first and most on those activities that will yield the biggest improvements.
Research by sales and marketing organizations shows that the 80–20 Rule applies to many business endeavors. Here are three examples I have read about:
- 80% of system errors come from 20% of functions. Eliminate the problems with the 20% and you reduce system errors by 80%.
- 80% of sales come from the best 20% of your customers.
- 80% of new sales come from existing customers while only 20% comes from new customers.
The 80–20 Rule for independents might read this way: Spend 80% of your marketing time exploring possibilities with your existing customers and 20% of your marketing time finding new customers.
The exact percentages aren’t as important as the idea that your existing customers provide your best source for more work. It also makes sense to spend most of your marketing time finding opportunities with customers where you have the best relationships.
Using the 80–20 Rule can help you get the word out about what you can do for your customers.