Dear Dr Adams,

Can you give me some pointers on how to promote a business support service? Resumes, word-processing, tax returns, transcription, answering/message taking.

I love this business and have done well in the past. Nevertheless, I need to increase revenue in order to pay my personal bills and business expenses. Yellow page advertising is so expensive!

My company is located in Toronto Ontario. We have been in business since 1996. We provide secretarial services to companies, small business owners, lawyers, doctors who do not need a full time administrative assistant. In addition we have certified Resume Writers who provide consultation and re-do resumes. We intend getting started with workshops on Resume Building and Interview Techniques.

Jennifer W.
D,,,,,,,,,,,,Business & Personnel Corp.

Dear Jennifer,

Finding new customers is one of the hardest tasks a new business owner will face, and one of the most important to success. It is easy to be complacent about it when you are having a busy season. But sooner or later as you know, the slow days show up and feelings of fear start to creep into your thinking, nagging you to hustle up some new customers. So I compliment you on your seeing the need to start a customer development program-now!

Start your campaign by asking yourself, what did you do to get customers when you started your business? Can you do more of the same? If you found a formula that worked once, dust off your original plan and put it to work. if you were lucky and never had a plan, it is time to create one.

I agree with you. In a major market area, yellow page advertising is costly, and I have always questioned how effective such ads are. You have no way to measure how well they pull, you have no control over when, and who will read your pitch. Because you service all types of customers spread throughout many different industries, it is difficult to strike oil with a small ad budget. Major papers and TV ads are more costly than yellow pages and will chew up your advertising dollars in a hurry with no assurances of success.

Over the years, I have worked with many small firms similar to yours. Most have built their customer base using mailing programs, telephone campaigns, attending conferences, being active in local service clubs, and chamber of commerce organizations. Unlike many other businesses, you have an advantage once you land a new customer; you hope a long-term relationship will develop. Repeat business is great for continued success.

Jennifer, try these suggestions. Look over your customer list; categorize them by type, such as lawyers, doctors, dentists, small retailers, and small service companies. Analyze the amount of business you do with each category. Where is your biggest market? Next, review your yearly sales by customer. Check off your top twenty customers, look at the category they fit in and start by targeting your sales efforts at potential customers in that group. Aim your approach at your strongest area. Where do you enjoy the best reputation? What type of client are you most comfortable working with?

As you plan your mailing program, ask selected customers for letters of recommendation. Spend some time with a local ad agency and design an inexpensive mail piece to launch your promotional program. Go online and search for firms that sell mailing lists. Today, such lists come in all sizes and shapes. Look for lists tailored to your Toronto area and the type of potential customer you are seeking. Order enough labels, to mail to your list at least three times- don t look for shortcuts- once is never enough. It is my suggestion you use a company that does mailings to handle the actual mailing. By doing so, you are not sidetracked from you daily routine, I think you will discover that success will come from a consistent promotional program.

While your mailing program is in the works, offer to speak at local chamber activities talking about the value of outsourcing your type of services. You may wish to combine your outreach activates with small block ads in your local chamber of commerce s newsletter or magazine.

You will find that your success will also come from your existing customer s word of mouth recommendations. Jennifer, you must never stop pitching new customers. Remember attrition will work to shrink your customer base, clients go out business, and some pass away, others for whatever reason will switch to a competitor.

Anyway, good luck and let me hear of your success.