Ask the Business Coach Joyce K. Reynolds is an expert Business Coach who works with CEOs, Sr. Execs, entrepreneurs and countless others providing knowledge, solutions, motivation and support that assist her clientele in successfully meeting workplace challenges. Find out more about Joyce's coaching practice. Marketing Your Business Question: I've just started a computer consulting firm. How do I get the word out, short of taking out an ad in the paper or a magazine? Beth Answer: Once you've gotten your business up and running, the most important next step is to get word out that you've opened your doors. Short of advertising, there are a number of ways to disseminate the news, three of the most effective being networking, referrals and public relations. Start by identifying a number of organizations that involve your prospective client base. Determine which such meetings your target clients are most likely to attend so that you'll have the opportunity to meet them in a professional, peer-related setting. Before you attend that first networking event, create a 20- or 30-second succinct description of your services. Be ready to deliver this clear, understandable overview of your firm as it will allow people to instantly determine how your services might benefit them. Decide which two or three of the identified organizations you'd most like to join. Regularly attend their meetings, get active on committees and work on making yourself known to prospective clients as you do meaningful, service-oriented project or committee work that would have meaning to them. Look for opportunities to make meeting presentations that will reinforce others' perceptions of your company's expertise. In this forum, take every opportunity to establish yourself as an authority in your field. In the consulting world, referrals are often lifeblood. Immediately set in place a referral campaign that results in the automatic practice of asking for referrals once you've successfully completed a client assignment. Diligently and professionally follow-up on these referrals in a timely manner. You will then want to consider the public relations area as the next most effective way to get the word out about your new services. Chose the mostly likely magazines and newspapers that reach your target markets. Prepare and submit press releases and materials that would find you listed in their "New Products" or "New Services" sections. Consider writing informative, how-to articles presenting the company's services that you could 'pitch' to editors of selected publications through a single-page query letter. This is a highly effective way to get an editor to consider using your story. Once such an article is published, send reprints - with a personal note - to each of your targeted clients. Your public relations effort might even include public service announcements (PSAs) if you offer special services that the public would benefit to know of or if there any pro bono aspects of your business to publicize. This kind of exposure in newspapers, magazines or in the media can be invaluable in providing early exposure for your company. This process begins with a good press kit including well-written press releases, company service information and employee bios. It is quite possible that if you firmly establish networking, referral and public relations practices for your fledging business from day one, you will be successful without ever having to spend a dollar on advertising. Also see: • Ask Joyce your workplace questions • More questions • One-on-one business coaching Disclaimer: The information in this column is intended to provide the reader with general ideas or concepts to be used as part of a broader base of knowledge they collect to determine their own best course of action and solutions most suitable for solving their workplace challenges. The information in this column is not guaranteed to be the appropriate solution for each individual.