Marketing yourself

"Even great products fail unless they are well marketed"

Just as a great product is rarely a success if poorly marketed, simply having skills, knowledge, experience and even track record is no guarantee of success as an interim manager.

Many aspiring interim managers underestimate the amount of marketing they need to do in order to succeed. They may believe that simply dusting down their CV and lodging it with a few interim service providers is all they need to do, but nothing could be further from the truth.

On average only 20%-25% of interim assignments are placed through interim service providers. The rest are organised directly between the client and the interim manager. In addition many interim service providers are less inclined to work with unproven interim managers. This means that marketing yourself effectively is a critical component of success. This can seem daunting for those who have never had to market themselves in this way before and may feel ill-prepared to do so, but here you will find hints and tips to help you unravel the mysteries of marketing and get you on the road to success. While it is important to remember that, for most interims, this is only a means to an end – i.e. to win assignments – and you are not aiming to become a marketing expert, time spent honing your marketing skills is never wasted. You will benefit in many ways and they will have a massive impact on your interim career:

  • Less unwanted downtime
  • Real enjoyment of the gaps between assignments as you build your confidence in being able to find an assignment when you need it
  • Better assignments – you don’t feel you need to take the first one that comes along

Marketing your company

Although you may be the only employee of your limited company, you need to wear many hats. In this case you need to wear the Sales and Marketing Director’s hat. Simon Berry of www.interimassignment.com, who runs the Interim Hub workshops, offers the following tip. "Many interims find it helpful to think of marketing their company rather than themselves. Although it simply seems like semantics, it will usually promote a very objective and much more productive mindset"

Key elements of your marketing plan

In the menu on the left you will see all the key elements of marketing yourself effectively:

  • Defining your product – You will need to define what it is you are going to offer to the marketplace. Many senior people, especially those with great depth and breadth of experienec often find it difficult to be focused and concise in this area. In this section you will find why it is important and tips on how to get it right.
  • Identifying your target market – On a limited budget, it is not possible to market to everyone. Focusing yourself on a specific target market will significantly enhance your likelihood of success.
  • Routes to market – There are many ways of getting your name in front of your potential market. It is important to select the ones that suit your style and are most effective in your target market.
  • Working with Service Providers – A key route to market, service providers handle approximately 20-25% of all assignments. They can be an excellent source of assignments but you need to select them carefully and approach them effectively in order to be successful.
  • Marketing materials – Business cards, letterheads, websites and online profiles can significantly enhance your image and brand.