Volume 5, Issue 2

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This month's tip is adapted from Chapter 3 of Winning Clients in a Wired World - "Work the Web for All It's Worth." The ASAE's Gateway to Associations database is one of 17 great sites for compiling intelligence profiled in the "Prospecting Online" section.

Visit the Winning Clients companion Web site.

See what others are saying about the book.

Dear :

Before sharing this month's tip I have a quick favor to ask... Recently I discovered our newsletter program inadvertantly overwrote the salutation by which I normally address some subscribers. I fixed those I could but if you go by a name other than the one above would you please click on the "update your profile" link at the top of this message to change what's in the "Dear" field? (Thanks.)

Researching Your Target Market Online

If your responsibilities include sales, marketing or managing relationships, at some point you've probably gone online for insight on niches you target. But at over 8 billion pages of content and growing, finding that information on the Web isn't always easy.

Enter the American Society for Association Executives' Gateway to Associations, a freely accessible database which can help you quickly identify professional organizations and trade groups that focus on markets you're interested in.

The ASAE's database includes nearly 40,000 organizations from grass roots to international in reach. If you've been thinking about ways to raise your visibility within a chosen group but don't know which ones are in your area or how to contact them, chances are the Gateway to Associations can tell you.

Once on the Gateway page, you'll have the option to search by an organization's name, the category they are listed under, their city, state/province or even country… or any combination of those criteria. Make your selections and the site will go to work finding groups that match your request (be patient, the process can take time if a large number of results are found).

The resulting list will show matching organizations in alphabetical order. Click on the name of any group listed and you'll get a more detailed screen containing their name, street address, phone and fax number. If the organization maintains a Web site, the group's name will be hyperlinked to the site so you can click on it and go directly to their site to begin digging into its content.

Here's a suggestion: if you specialize in serving or networking with a particular type of business (accounting firms, automobile dealers, doctors' offices, law firms, schools, etc.), try searching by category first (or type in the proper term for your group in the name field) and see what comes up. Alternatively if you're not sure what you're looking for, begin the process by focusing on your state, or city and state (or province for those in the Canadian market), to see what groups operate in your area.

Next month I'll cover step two in the process: what to look for once you find a site that looks promising and describe a 12-point checklist for researching who to contact, where, and when, how to find out what they're thinking, and how to get yourself on their radar screen. (If you want to get a head start, pick up a copy of my book, Winning Clients in a Wired World, which includes a complete section on gathering intelligence online.)

Good luck!

(By the way, some of my best sources for newsletter ideas are readers like you. Please email me if you'd like to share a site you've found helpful, suggest a topic for a future edition of the Tips newsletter, or just give me your feedback on what you've read here.)

Do You Target a Niche?

Answer this month's survey about the niche(s) you target and I might devote a future tip to ideas on marketing to that audience...

Do you specialize in a particular target market? Yes... No Not yet, but I'd like to... Use this link if the form above doesn't work

Ways The Gregory Group Can Help You

Training and Development Programs

We can design and deliver presentations, trainings and coaching programs for you that achieve the kind of tangible, long-lasting productivity gains you're striving for… and motivate people to use the tools and technology they have to do more business.

We've helped companies across the industry blend proprietary initiatives (products, services, programs, Web tools, and technology) with practical, actionable strategies that improve results through better use of resources your people already own.

If you're planning a national sales conference, due diligence presentation, cross-country road show, or employee training, email or call me at 202.364.6913 to explore how to achieve maximum ROI on your dollars spent.

Here are some examples of what people have said about our programs…

"I've been an advisor for 30 years and this was one of the most succinct and useful one hour sessions I can remember. It is rare that I rate any part of a presentation at the highest end of a scale, but this was totally masterful."

"I have spent a lot of time and money on attending seminars and purchasing marketing programs. This was substantially different from any I have seen. There were many great ideas!"

"Super informative for the broker for the new decade. It's the same road but with very different rules, and Kip has found a way to keep you at the front of the pack."

Get Ready for ProductivityU.com

Later this spring, The Gregory Group will be launching a new program called ProductivityU to bring the principles and strategies contained in Winning Clients to life through live, online coaching and training sessions. Think about the best conferences or sales meetings you've attended, then imagine participating in a program of that caliber in the comfort and convenience of your office... that's what ProductivityU will offer.

As a current Kip's Tips subscriber you'll be eligible for preferred pricing on an exclusive program… but only if you register. Visit ProductivityU.com and sign up to be notified as soon as the program is introduced.

Make an Introduction – Get 2 Hours of Complimentary Consulting

Is someone you know looking for valuable, practical, take-it-back-to-the-office-and-put-it-to-work content to include in an event they're planning… one that teaches people how to instantly increase productivity and improve results… maybe an industry conference, an annual sales meeting, or an offsite planning session?

Whatever the venue, introduce me to the person in charge and, if we schedule a program, you'll receive two hours of coaching for you and your team with my compliments. Email me their contact information and the event(s) they're responsible for and then let's talk. (Examples of past referrals include CEOs, national sales managers, branch managers, recruiting directors, national or local chapter leaders of organizations, directors of education and professional development, and independent meeting planners.)

Many of my speaking engagements result from referrals. Here's your chance to benefit from bringing my work to the attention of those who plan and program events you attend.

What's New

On the Radio with NPR's Corey Flintoff

Earlier this month, I was the guest for a full hour of WAMU's "Tech Tuesday" broadcast discussing Technology-Based Business Strategies with Corey Flintoff from National Public Radio. WAMU is Washington DC's local NPR affiliate and " Tech Tuesday" is one of DC's top radio shows covering technology in business.

During the show we talked about using a knowledge journal to get organized, leveraging tools like Google's Toolbar and Furl to pinpoint and save helpful information on the Web, and even a little about ProductivityU (described above). You can hear the entire interview at WAMU's Web site. Just click on "Listen with Real Player."

Following the show close to 200 people registered at the Winning Clients Web site and downloaded the excerpt of Chapter 1 available there. (If you have any connection with a radio or TV show on business or technology (or both), I'd be grateful if you'd email me about it.)

Upcoming Presentations

On Monday, April 11 I'll be presenting two workshops titled "Making the Web Work for Consultants" at the Investment Management Consultants Association's 2005 Spring Professional Development Conference in Palm Desert, CA. The focus of the presentation will be how to unlock the Web's power as a business development tool.

IMCA is one of the financial services industry's preeminent professional organizations. Its spring meeting attracts over 1,200 of the country's leading investment advisors. If you're planning on being there, I hope you'll attend one of my sessions and say hello.

Talk to you next month!

Kip Gregory
The Gregory Group: Take Your Business Up a Notch
202.364.6913

http://www.kipgregory.com

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