Lack Of Marketing = Lack Of Results
David’s story:
As president of Pacific Computer Consultants, I was one of Technology Marketing Toolkit’s original Producers Club Members. Since 2015, I’ve benefitted from great advice from my accountability group, Robin Robins and also her idea-rich presenters. Only problem was that we struggled with implementing consistent marketing campaigns that resulted in new clients and new monthly recurring revenue.
I’ll admit that one of the main reasons we didn’t drive marketing results was that I never had a dedicated marketing employee. My first marketing administrator would send out a postcard or newsletter every once in a blue moon. After she left, I repeated this mistake by hiring another marketing admin who also did very little marketing. Ultimately, they had no marketing plan, no process, no strategy, no prospecting and no follow up. Hence, we had little to no results.
STUCK At $1.3M For 3 Years, My Only Choices Were To SELL Or To GROW
Early 2021 was a giant wake-up call. I had been STUCK at $1.3 million in revenue for three straight years. Even worse, when I took a closer look at my client contracts, fear consumed me. I realized far too many of our clients were on the verge of retiring. It was now or never. If we didn’t grow — and QUICKLY — our revenue would soon fall off a cliff!
What kept me up nights was that I only had two options: 1) SELL my pride and joy — my 18-year old MSP — or 2) Finally figure out how to GROW using consistent, system-based marketing. For far too long I was running a T.E.C.H. MSP and not a R.E.A.L. MSP. That frustration drove me to finally get out of the rut of complacency and start “doing.”
Growth Starts With A Full-Time Marketing Manager And A Trip To Nashville
At the end of September, I hired Erin Merrigan, my first marketing manager who would be 100% dedicated to growth using marketing systems. Facing the stark reality of soon losing client contracts, there was no time to waste. Therefore, her first two weeks were a baptism by “firehose.” First, we both flew to Nashville to attend her first Producer’s Club meeting. Without time to breathe, we also participated in Technology Marketing Toolkit’s Rapid Implementation Workshop.
An Onslaught Of Marketing Unlike Anything Erin Had Ever Experienced
Erin’s story:
Before Dave hired me, I had six years of marketing experience as Xerox’s customer marketing specialist. Yet nothing had prepared me for the onslaught of marketing work coming our way. The whole Rapid Implementation Program was very structured, and they walk you through everything. Your coaches and peers hold you accountable, because if you don’t do your homework, you quickly fall behind. Our newfound dedication to marketing became a solid foundation for Pacific Computer Consultants.
See the marketing examples here!
Instant Revenue From Pressing “Send”
When you attend a workshop, you hope to see results from it weeks or even months later. For us, we saw IMMEDIATE results from the Rapid Implementation Workshop. While sitting in the workshop, Robin asked us to send out a 9-word e-mail. We obliged and were shocked when we got responses THAT SAME DAY! Then, less than a week later, we upsold two clients which added $1,015 in new monthly recurring revenue and $11,625 in new projects!
Finally Nailing Our Target Market
Our previous target market was basically anyone with a pulse. We simply targeted a range of computer users. Because Dave has several attorney clients and he enjoys working with lawyers, we knew they would be our primary target market.
For our secondary target markets, we are also chasing construction companies, manufacturers for the Department of Defense, as well as financial services. For each of these target markets, we are seeking out businesses that are in a 21-mile radius from our office.
Adding 10 New Eye-Opening Testimonials To Our Marketing
Just a week after the workshop, we were implementing more marketing than Pacific Computer Consultants had done in months. Our drip Cybersecurity Tech Tip e-mails were put into Keap and started going out to our list. We also e-mailed our newsletter blog, developed our unique selling proposition to feature on all of our marketing and also tailored our marketing collateral to fit our target markets. To better answer our sales phone calls live, we also changed our virtual receptionist to a new company.
I was excited to receive 10 quality testimonials from our customers. Those testimonials will be featured on our new website, in our market-specific Shock-And-Awe Boxes, throughout our social media posts and also on our postcards. After asking for a testimonial, I actually spoke with one client for an hour and a half! She shared how working with us has been great for her business. She even offered to speak with prospective clients to share what it’s like working with us. More than a testimonial, she’s essentially an unpaid salesperson.
Technology Business Reviews Added $3,500 In New Projects!
Sure, our goal is to bring aboard as many new clients as possible. But, keeping clients satisfied and ready to renew their contracts is just as important. Dave didn’t always conduct technology business reviews with his clients before. However, ever since starting Rapid Implementation, TBRs have become a structured process at Pacific Computer Consultants and a priority with every client. After conducting just a few TBRs, we were able to add $3,500 in projects.
Going All-In With Digital Marketing
Before I even started, Dave got Technology Marketing Toolkit’s Digital Marketing Bundle. We have since used this dynamic tool to boost our exposure to our target market, generate leads and improve our search engine optimization. These digital marketing opportunities include Facebook Ads, LinkedIn ads, retargeting, Facebook posts and LinkedIn posts. Also, we have worked with Robin’s team to get us good traction with Google Ads and now Bing ads.
Building A Squeaky Clean List For Optimal Results
Robin always says that your list, and the relationship you have with it, can be the SINGLE MOST VALUABLE ASSET of your business. Our list used to be a scattered mess. When I arrived, Dave and I prioritized both building and scrubbing our list.
Here’s my list scrubbing process:
First, I use LinkedIn Sales Navigator to build each list based off the industry.
Second, to confirm their decision-makers and contact information, I use a combination of LinkedIn and their own website. I determine if they’ve claimed their company on LinkedIn and then confirm as much information as I can. Next, I review their About Us page for bios of C-level executives and make sure their phone, e-mail and fax numbers are accurate.
Third, once I am confident of the decision-maker and contact info, I load it into Keap. Dave used to have the Infusionsoft MAP classic, but has since moved over to Keap 2.0. We love it as it saves so much time!
By utilizing this list-scrubbing process, out of 260 people on our list, we’ve only had TWO come back as not deliverable!
Gaining A New $1,432-A-Month Client Thanks To Aggressive SEO
After 18 years in business, Dave knew that a brand redesign was long overdue. So, implementing a complete brand redesign became a top priority, including a new logo, business cards, a brand new newsletter, as well as a new “Robin-ized” website that will launch soon. Dave and I are working with Mountain Media to build a completely SEO-based website with a ton of backlinks.
Because we have CallRail to track our calls, we know we recently landed a new $1,432 MRR client that came from our SEO efforts and Google My Business! This client also added $8K in project work.
Priming The Aspirin And Sitting Duck Campaigns For New Clients
Within our marketing plan, we are sectioning it off based on the industry. So, our natural first direct mail venture was Robin’s Aspirin campaign where we targeted attorneys. We have since moved on to our next vertical, construction companies and are currently working to warm this list up since it was originally ice cold. We continue mailing out 25 each week (and looking to increase that number once we have hired on an appointment setter).
Next on our list is the Sitting Duck campaign which will restart with the attorneys once their 6-month resting period is over. We plan to send out both direct mail campaigns to increase our exposure to both markets and double our chances at new appointments and new clients! After that, we will target manufacturers.
Check out the EXACT marketing examples here!
Three Critical Lessons That Help Business Owners And Marketing Managers Successfully Implement Robin’s Marketing
Ever since we attended Robin’s workshop, we’ve both learned several important lessons.
First Lesson: Patience is paramount. We started running Google Ads about seven months ago, and we’ve finally received five leads from it in the last couple of months. One lead became a client with $1,432 in MRR and another lead just completed a consultation. Now that we’re starting with a couple of Robin’s direct mail campaigns with a very cold list, we should expect the same six-month ramp-up time.
Second Lesson: Have a daily plan. We are implementing so much marketing on a daily basis, we need a project management system. Using Trello, a Kanban-style, list-making app, Erin’s goal is to accomplish three tasks a day (on top of her daily activities). That daily goal steadily pushes you towards your long-term goals without being too overwhelming.
Third Lesson: It’s always a team effort. Dave doesn’t believe in abdicating marketing responsibilities to his marketing manager. Rather, we huddle every single day to discuss where we are and what takes priority.
From Almost Zero Marketing To Over 25 Marketing Initiatives
While our numbers associated with our new dedication to consistent marketing aren’t astronomical yet, since the workshop we have received 10 qualified leads, five booked discovery calls, three sat appointments, one new client, $1,432 in new MRR and $23,125 in project work. Our biggest gain is that we now have a structured plan that will help us move from a T.E.C.H. MSP to a R.E.A.L. MSP. We hit the ground running and can’t wait to see how our company will grow after being stuck for three years.
