One of the most basic decisions for any business to decide when they are getting out there in the world is how or what to specialize in. When you’re an online consultant working with offline clients, the situation is no different. The Internet is a big place, after all. What parts of it do you have personal expertise in, and which would you like to promote to your potential clients?
There are two major approaches to decide between to this end: working as a generalist or a specialist. There are pros and cons in deciding between the two, and both options need to be looked at seriously when you’re considering working with offline clients.
Approaching your clients as a generalist has several advantages. Namely, being able to talk about a wide variety of subjects when it comes to putting a business online is likely to pique the interest of potential customers more than just speaking on one subject. Also, offline customers may have very specific preferences when it comes to online marketing – they may be all about Facebook but have reservations concerning Twitter – and being able to address the concerns and wants of different clients can be a great boon in making you successful in this field. You may encounter problems if potential clients outright ask you for a specialty, though.
Insofar as specialists are concerned, the major advantage that they have is the appearance of expertise. If you can bring a portfolio of projects all specializing in the same area, it creates a sense of security in your clients – if you work with the same facet of online marketing all the time, you must really know what you’re talking about. Being able to speak in depth on certain topics can get your clients to open up to you more and your obvious well of knowledge certain subjects will encourage them to speak with you further. However, if you’re over specialized and can’t present a breadth of knowledge, certain clients might be turned off.
Many people find success in combining the two approaches – that is, a general knowledge of all subjects and then a specialty or two to try and reel clients in that way. Whatever makeup works well for you and your company, be sure that you understand if you’re a generalist or a specialist or some kind of combination before going in and speaking with clients. When you have mastery of what you are trying to be, your clients will pick up on your certitude. This will make getting business easier – and if you know what you’re able to offer, getting the deed done will be swifter than you ever thought possible!
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