What’s a Consultant to Do to Stand Out in a Crowded Marketplace?

December 14th, 2009

I just got an email from ??? Can’t even tell you at the moment. Whatever they said, whatever they offered, I nibbled, I bit, I got hooked.

They did everything right including thanking me for taking action. On the thank you page was a list of related resources. Many looked interesting and valuable and free. So I selected the ones most relevant for me. Here’s what I discovered…

All are by different authors. How do I know? I got emails from the different authors - the double opt-in type. Each therefore had a link for me to click to confirm I wanted what they were offering. I went to a different website for each information product I had selected. All were nice enough websites…

Some were offering additional products for a fee. Some now had me subscribed to a new newsletter.

And I now have access to lots of new informatin I said I wanted in the first place.

On one hand, I’m impressed with this strategy. A very cool approach in theory…   All of this was professionally done. No complaints in that regard.

Here’s my growing concern as I get email after email offering more information. Not just the ones I mentioned above… From lots of other people ~ some I know, some I don’t and have no idea how they got my name in the first place (whether the info they’re offering is valuable or not…)

I’m on information overload – not so much the information itself, mind you. I love learning new stuff. The world’s changing so fast, I’m grateful there are so many people out there keeping up with this aspect or that, and are offering to let me in on their secret.

Free or fee, receiving access to all this information isn’t the problem.

It’s the time involved with reading the original email, clicking, entering my info, getting opt-in email, clicking, either waiting for next email or getting immediate access to the resource – which I usually have to save as I’m not in the stop and read mode.  

I know I’m not alone. How are you dealing with it on the receiving end? Deleting? Unsubscribing?

Here’s my BIGGER question:

What if you’re a consultant wanting to serve more people and make more money? What’s a consultant to do to stand out in a noisy and crowded marketplace? 

Any ideas? I sure would love to hear from you!

Woops, I just left myself wide open to get yet another bunch of new emails offering me yet another bunch of new information products or services promising to solve this problem or that.

What’s a girl to do?

More important, what’s a consultant to do?

Tags: Become an Expert, Email marketing, Information Marketing, Internet Marketing, Marketing for Consultants, Marketing for Professionals

Entry Filed under: Become known as an expert, Information Products, Internet Marketing, Marketing for Consultants