Q&A

From ASCII Columbus: MSP Marketing Golden Nuggets

jim roddy

By Jim Roddy, VP of Marketing, RSPA

MSP Marketing

Helping solutions providers create and execute an effective marketing plan was the focus of Herman Pool’s May 28 seminar at the ASCII Success Summit in Columbus, OH. I detailed his Super Easy Marketing Plan Template in this BSMinfo.com article, but I also wanted to share with you other golden nuggets of Pool’s marketing wisdom.

  • I liked Pool’s definition of marketing: “Marketing is the science of getting people to do business with you and then keeping their business.”
  • Marketing is your chance to educate the market and to be regarded as the expert in IT through marketing. “Everyone in this room knows more about IT than your clients,” Pool said. After you establish your expertise through marketing, “then they (customers) will come to you.”
  • Pool recommended that all solutions providers have a documented follow-up process three weeks after the customer’s purchase. This will begin to create a circle of revenue from repeat customers. “If you don't get this,” Pool warned, “your growth chart will look like a straight line … and that line goes to the unemployment office.”
  • Pool’s first marketing campaign was a simple newspaper advertisement. “We had a picture of a woman sitting at a computer screaming,” Pool said. “And the text in the ad said, ‘It’s all right. We will fix it.’”
  • Marketing novices don't realize their business needs a combination to succeed. “It takes 27 touches before people hear your message,” Pool said. “And today, your message has to come from multiple sources. It's like boxing. Very rarely do you throw one punch and your opponent goes down. You need a combination like a newspaper ad that points prospects to your website where they will sign up for your newsletter. From your newsletter they will receive coupons to use your service. You should also make phone calls to the people who sign up for your newsletter.”
  • Pool recommended four ways to get noticed online: a professional quality website, an active social media presence, an active website quality content, and a weekly or monthly newsletter to keep your clients informed.

Pool is the president of both Internet marketing company Vertical Axion and MSP DBS Technologies headquartered in Rockport, TX. He is also a recipient of multiple Best Educational Presentation awards from past ASCII conferences.

The ASCII Success Summit – Columbus is being held May 28-29 at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Columbus, OH. It is one of eight solution provider-focused conferences ASCII is hosting in 2014. For more information on ASCII, go to www.BSMinfo.com/go/InsideASCII.