All successful firms have one thing in common – a single-minded dedication to their clients. That means knowing who their clients are, where they are, what their needs and perceptions are, how to communicate with them, and how to attract them. Those things are what a good marketing strategy is all about.
There is a process that leads to successful marketing. It begins with information about your markets and your clients. What you’re really after is insight and understanding about the way your clients and your prospects think, the way they act, and the way they make decisions.
Two essential pillars of a marketing program:
1. Psychographics:
Psychographics seeks to answer the question “How does my client think?” How much can you know about your client if you don’t know how they think? Here are some questions for determining your client’s psychographics:
– How does my client think?
– How do they make buying decisions?
– What is their view of recruiters?
– What are my client’s fears?
– What are my client’s misconceptions?
– What does my client think of me?
2. Demographics:
Demographics is a bit more straightforward than psychographics. It attempts to answer the question “Who is my client?” Here are some questions for determining your ideal client’s demographics:
– Where is my client located?
– What is my client’s income?
– What is my client’s education?
– What is my client’s social status?
– What is my typical client’s age?
– What is my client’s marital status?
Take a look at the last two years’ worth of placements to determine your most probable client profile and then fill in the data below:
My Ideal Company:
Number of employees:
Revenue:
Geographic scope:
Industry:
Culture:
My Ideal Hiring Authority:
Age:
Title:
Education:
Income:
Marital/family status:
Values:
Once you’ve determined your most probable client, answer these questions as well:
1. Who will you not work with (HR only/bad ethics/under 20%, etc.)?
2. What is your ideal fee schedule?
3. What fee terms will you not accept? What are you willing to negotiate?
4. What is the total number of prospects in your potential client universe?
5. How many of those companies do you currently work with?
6. Who are your top five target companies for the next 12 months?
Gary Stauble is the principal consultant for The Recruiting Lab, a coaching company that assists firm owners and solo recruiters in generating more profit in less time. Gary offers several FREE SPECIAL REPORTS, including “14 Critical Candidate Questions” and “The Search Process Checklist,” on his website. Get your copy now at www.therecruitinglab.com.