Creating Visibility, Positioning Your Company and Thought Leadership

Creating Visibility, Positioning Your Company and Thought Leadership In a Rough Economy

(Please note: this event is free but registration is required)

Before the government shutdown, things were tough. The aftermath of the shutdown has made conditions nearly unbearable for small businesses and consulting companies.

How can you rebuild your pipeline and ensure (as much as possible) that it stays healthy?

My friend Bob Davis is a business development expert and he tells this story.

I am asked to make a presentation to the executive team on a contract that I have been working on for over a year. Our company is a perfect technical fit and my presentation goes well. My manager is happy. As I am wrapping up and preparing to leave the room the CEO asks a final question:

Will we win this contract?

I answer “no.”

He asks why, and I answer simply, “Because the customer doesn’t know us.”

We all get offers several times each week from a variety of people that want our money: conferences and seminars, software, credit card processors, companies that will improve your Google page rank, Who’s Who listings, and more.

What do they have in common?

We have no idea who they are! There is no recognition and therefore no trust factor.

The same thing can happen when you reach out to a potential new client. Regardless of the quality of work you have done for other companies or government agencies, if the prospect does not know you or your company, the likelihood of you opening a discussion and creating a new client is at best minimal.

So, with a minimal budget, how do you start to get ‘on the radar”?

There is more than a little chatter about “thought leadership” and a ton of advice on how to leverage it. But do you know what it takes to be recognized as a thought leader? Do you understand the commitment it takes to attain the status?

While there are multiple facets to a thought leadership platform, it all begins with a couple of simple things:

- Getting “on the radar”, creating visibility for you and your company

- Positioning you and your company in a way that leverages the visibility in a positive and productive manner

If this strikes a chord with you, join me December 11 at the Maryland Center for Entrepreneurship for a one hour presentation.

There is no charge but you MUST register in advance.

3:30-4:00 - networking

4:00-5:30 - presentation & Q&A

Speaker and Presenter Information

I have been involved in marketing to the government for 30 years, 28 of those as a sole proprietor. As a small business owner I have been responsible to getting and keeping myself and my company on the radar of my market niche. Since my first speaking engagement in 1990 and my first major press coverage in 1994, I have spoken at more than 200 events around the country and have been featured or quoted in over 300 publications worldwide. When Federal News Radio decided it needed a show to reach out to the contractor community 8 years ago, they called me.