Marketing Objectives

As a small process service business, I find it helpful to set marketing objectives. One of the most important objectives I have is to make and/or keep my target market aware of my services. After all, if they don’t know about my business, the likelihood of them using my service is pretty much nonexistent. I know I’ve discussed this before, but I can’t emphasize enough the importance of getting your name out there.

Most of us have limited marketing budgets, making it essential to focus those dollars on marketing that will cost-effectively deliver the intended results. When you set up your marketing projects, think of them in terms of marketing campaigns.  A marketing campaign is a well thought out plan, with a focus on the “what”, the “who” and the “how”. What being the goal, who being your target market, and how being the action or execution of your plan. 

Your marketing campaign should include a solid understanding of who your target market is, where you reside in the market, and where you want to be. It should also be detailed enough to include what you want your message to convey, including specific wording.

For instance, in my business, Record Time Retrieval and Investigations, I always want my market to understand that I place importance on the timeliness of my service. But I also want them to understand that I do it correctly, not just fast.

Further, I need to keep in mind that I while I have one market for process service – the legal community – I have two sub-markets; existing clients and potential clients. This may create a need for separate marketing campaigns; one to attract new clients and one to maintain current clients. Fortunately, in our business most of the time I can utilize the same marketing plan for either type. Review your market to determine if the same will work for you.

Here are a few ideas to include in a good marketing campaign for process service: 

• Advertise in your local bar association newsletter – key here is being industry specific and targeting one demographic – law firms.
• Advertise in the local business pages (delivered and on-line yellow pages, on-line business directories, etc.)  Even a small one line ad is better than nothing.
• Business cards – place these in the hands of every court clerk you meet. Often an attorney or private individual is at the courthouse filing their lawsuit and they don’t know a process server. If they ask the court clerk, who just happens to have your business card on hand, bam! You’ve just received a referral. A word of caution here, don’t just drop your card and expect to receive referrals. Strive to develop a friendly, business relationship. Offer a smile, a friendly word or even an occasional cookie or donut.
• Using a copy of the local bar association membership listing or directory, identify those attorneys who practice litigation. Once you identify them, whether they are in family law, personal injury, commercial litigation, debt collection, etc., develop a mail marketing campaign that targets this specific market. Your mailing might start out as a postcard that provides your contact information (company name, phone number and state) as well as the specific services you offer them. Then consider a second mailing; again it could be a postcard, or a full greeting card, that would send them a friendly greeting. You may have to send out several mailing before you receive a response. However, once you do and you complete the assignment with excellent customer service, you most likely will have a client for life.

When planning your mail marketing campaign, remember the Rule of Five. What is the Rule of Five you ask? The Rule of Five states that a potential customer may have to see your message five times before they actually consider hiring you, using your service or purchasing your product. It helps if your five messages aren’t always asking for something from them (such as business from them), but rather a message that is giving. Can you think of a helpful hint to send that would make their business life easier? How about a postcard just saying, “Have a nice day”? The goal is not to shove your business down their throat, but instead to keep you at the top of their mind so when they have a need for your services, your business number is the one they dial.

These are just a few ideas for a marketing campaign. If you have something different that works for you, I’d appreciate you sharing your comments below.

If you haven’t checked it out, more pertinent information on running your process service business can be found in my book The Business End of Process Service (Running a Process Service Company from the Ground Up).  You might also enjoy CounterSpy, The Industrial Espionage Counter-Surveillance Manual; my other book. Both may be found on Amazon.com.