Do you run an immigration consulting firm and you need to attract clients? If YES, here are 7 best ways to market immigration services without over promising.
Immigration consultancy service business is increasing in popularity and has become a very profitable business to delve into. A lot of people will like to seek refuge, work, study or just settle in another country and they may need the services of an immigration consultant to facilitate the process which can be complicated especially for people who are inexperienced in the immigration process.
If you are someone who has an interest or who has some knowledge about immigration laws and processes, including a real desire to advocate on behalf of qualified people seeking entry to foreign countries, then this may just be the business for you.
As an immigration consultant, you will constantly need fresh leads for your business. If you do not have any leads or do not have enough of them, then your business is likely to sink. You need to make sure that your business has a steady influx of leads, though a lot of the leads may not go on to fully use your services and some may even want something for free.
There are a number of ways by which you can market your consulting business. You should make sure to pre-qualify your leads according to the parameters you want to work within. You don’t have to take on each and every person who comes along. A lot of them will be quite difficult to work with or will want you to give them guarantees that you simply cannot make. Sometimes even though you may find it difficult to turn down a lead especially when your business is new; however, in the long run you’ll be better served if you do so.
Here are some of the best ways to market your immigration services as a consultant.
7 Best Ways to Market Immigration Services as a Consultant
1. Direct mail: sending direct mails is still one of the most powerful ways you can market your immigration service business, due to the fact that is it targeted to the audience that you would like to reach. You can either create a targeted prospect list on your own or buy it from a third party and then send your prospective customers sales letters or brochures that describe the consulting services you offer.
When create your mails, you should:
- Personalize your sales message.
- Make sure that the message on the envelope is compelling and prompts people to take action as soon as possible. Such compelling language can include “Free,” “Limited time offer,” and “Act now”.
- Emphasize the benefits that your services have to offer and then make it easy for your prospective customer to be able to get back to you. Give your phone number, e-mail address and website URL–and include a postage-paid postcard or envelope, too, so it’s impossible not to get back to you if the interest is there.
2. Advertising: the traditional method of advertising don’t come cheap and as such, you will have to spend your money wisely unless you have a lot to spare. You can advertise your services in newspapers, journals or magazines. You can also consider placing ads in specialty sections of publications that might include a “Consultants Directory” or “Directory of Consulting Services.”
If you can afford it, you should also consider advertising in your local yellow pages. You can also make use of social media ads. They are quite cheap (when you consider the price of traditional advertising) and they can have a very vast reach. Facebook, twitter and Instagram are some of the most popular social networking websites currently, and you can make use of them to advertise your consultancy.
3. Referrals: even though some immigration consultants overlook this method of marketing, it is still one of the most effective for this line of business. All you have to do is to provide immigration services for a customer, make sure that he or she is very satisfied and then ask for a referral.
You should however not put them on the spot by asking them directly. Instead, send them a short note or letter thanking them for patronizing you and asking them of any colleagues, friends or business associates who might be good prospects for your services. You can also just ask them to tell and refer others who may be interested in what you do to your business.
How to Avoid Over Promising While Marketing your Immigration Services as a Consultant
When marketing to new customers, there may be a tendency to over promise or exaggerate the results you can deliver. This is always a fatal mistake. However, on the other hand, you do not want to under sell yourself in such a way that your customer gets an impression that his or her chances are slim.
You will have to strike the right balance. It is however better to under promise and over deliver rather than the other way round. When you over-promise and under-deliver, you will end up with disappointed, dissatisfied, and disgruntled customers. Dissatisfied customer go a long way to shrink your market along the line thus leading to the death of your business.
Here are some tips that would help you to avoid over promising your clientele when you are offering them immigration services.
a. Keep internal communications open: your staff that are in contact with your customers need to maintain a constant dialog with each other concerning what they can and cannot deliver.
For instance, if a salesperson over-promises on the time a client’s visa will be ready, it puts undue stress on the whole organization. If they are unable to meet the deadline, your brand will then develop a reputation for hustling clients and making lofty claims.
By ensuring that there is a clear line of communication, you would have ensured that there is a clear agreement about what can be advertised for sale, and help everyone maintain ongoing awareness of how well product commitments and delivery schedules are meshing.
b. Learn to manage your customer expectations: when you are in the immigration service business, it is very crucial to make choices about the methods of communicating with customers and managing their expectations. You should engage them on a regular basis concerning the expectations they have and the reality on ground. This is applicable in all the stages of your relationship and engagement with your clients.
Even in the best conditions, it can be very difficult to attain all your project milestones all the time. However, the truth still remains that if you have managed to build a solid brand and relationship with your clients, most of them will be OK with a reasonable measure of slippage. There is a very high probability that if you constantly communicate with them and actively manage their expectations, they will be less likely to be dissatisfied with the final outcome.
c. Be truthful about timelines: most people in need of one form of immigration service or the other have a particular time frame in their mind. Learn how to give your clients a near accurate timeline for whatever service they may need.
If for any reason you find out that the time you gave to a client was not enough, you should do your best to communicate to the client instead of letting the client reach out to you first to enquire why you have not delivered on your promise.