A “Thing” That Really Works5 min read

2020-12-07
Robert Middleton

This year I realized that a “marketing thing” I’ve always been good at was not something I was actually teaching to my clients.

Perhaps I took it for granted and just recommended that they do this particular thing, without giving them much guidance or direction.

But then I saw someone else do this thing better than I ever had myself, and a light went on. I saw how powerful it was and how I needed to make it a central part of my programs.

My first step was to implement this marketing thing even better to fill my next group program. And it worked wonders. I filled my program in record time with less effort than ever before.

Then I started teaching this marketing thing to the participants of the new program. And now things are really starting to click!

One client just closed a $60K project using this thing. And I expect many more contracts and projects will be closing in the upcoming months.

Here’s the problem:

Your prospective clients don’t really understand the value of what you do. And you find it hard to explain it to them. You know in your heart of hearts that if only they understood the value, they would buy your high-end program or service.

So, what exactly is this powerful marketing thing?

Before I tell you, please stick with me, because you probably think you know all about it. But I promise that you don’t. Or you’re likely not doing it in a way that will consistently land new high-end clients and projects.

OK, so here it is – Ta Da!

It’s a special kind of PowerPoint Slide Presentation that you present either to individual prospective clients or to groups.

What makes it so special? Well, at least six things.

First, it’s pretty long. It can be from 40 to 80 slides. But it never drags. Most slide presentations are too short to actually sell your professional services or programs.

Second, it doesn’t look like most PowerPoint slide decks. It has very few if any graphics. It’s mostly text. And this makes it a whole lot easier and faster to write and design. (I have an idiot-proof template.)

And it has mostly one or two ideas per slide (not endless bullet points).

Third, you don’t even mention your services for the first three-quarters of the presentation. No, “We do this,” or “We can help you by doing that.” None of that.

What you do instead is educate your prospective clients about your consulting methodology, coaching approach, or training process that they need to understand and implement to get the results they are looking for (mostly in their businesses).

Fourth, you actually give away your BEST ideas. You explain what works, what needs to be done and why it works. You teach people something of real value, stuff they can use – even if they never buy your services.

Fifth, you finally explain how you provide a service or program that helps them implement those ideas and get the results they are looking for.

Essentially, you first give them some powerful ideas that will help them and only then do you pitch (in a low key way) how you can help them further.

Sixth, to put together a presentation like this you need to first have a very well-thought-out service or program. You need what I call an HEOB.

A High-End, Outcome-Based program or service. This is a program or service designed to produce a specific desirable result for your clients that you can actually guarantee. That’s the outcome-based-part.

And it needs to be high-end, because it takes a fair amount of time, work, and commitment from both you and your client to get those results. So, these programs are not cheap. I’ve had clients who earned $100K on the sale of one client engagement.

But these programs or services can transform how an organization does things. They can help your clients do things faster and better, improve productivity and effectiveness, increase sales, shorten cycle times, turnaround cultures, etc., etc.

This is the kind of stuff you’re already doing for your clients, right? (But maybe not at such a high-level yet.)

Here’s the great thing:

A presentation like this gets the job done. It powerfully communicates the value of what you’re offering in a way that you never have before. It’s really a thing of beauty when it all comes together.

They get it. They see the value. They want to know more. They hire you. They pay you well.

Look, I can’t tell you a lot more than this in a blog article, but be patient.

In January I’ll be giving several of these presentations and you’re invited to attend for free.

Here’s what I’ll cover:

1. How to create a compelling marketing message that gets attention and makes qualified prospective clients want to know more.

2. How to develop an HEOB program or service. What components are absolutely necessary?

3. How to get in front of your prospective clients and explain how your HEOB works and what it means to them.

4. How to create and deliver that powerful presentation that gets your prospective clients to buy-in to your ideas and be ready and willing to explore working with you.

5. How to close the business and retain new high-end clients over and over again.

It’s taken my whole career to master this, and I’m eager to share this “step-by-step turnkey system” for attracting great clients with you.

Wish I could have explained more in this article, but it really needs a presentation. So, stay posted to my emails starting mid-January.

Cheers, Robert