Marketing Our Ever-Growing Value to Clients
Once we’ve risen to the challenges mentioned so far, foresight practice will be in a vastly better, more valuable place. But there’s one last challenge to mention now, and that is convincing our clients of our ever-growing value. The faster things go, the more certain industries will be disrupted, and the more our clients will recognize their need to change and adapt. But we still must sell them on our ability to help them, and we must market our unique abilities to help them thrive in conditions of change. Marketing is not just a set of good strategies. It starts with a mindset, a recognition of people’s fears and challenges, and that you have something unique and valuable to help them with those challenges.
Many of leading corporations are presently in fear of being “Uberized”, as they see rapidly moving online and mobile business models disrupt their markets. They know they need exponential and adaptive foresight. But it’s one thing to know you need help, and another to know where to go for it, and to be willing to try. That’s where we need influence, to broadly and effectively communicate our value, and convince prospects to engage with us.
In a digital world, marketing can be easier and more targeted than ever before. Yet many futurists and foresighters systematically neglect this challenge. For a start, read Kevin Kelly’s illuminating post, 1,000 True Fans (2008), Finding and helping your true fans is a prescription for happiness, effectiveness, and success. So go find them, with great marketing! For some tips on that, start with general books like Holiday’s Growth Hacker Marketing (2014), and graduate to more specialized books like Stephan Spencer et.al.’s Social eCommerce (2014). Marketing is an ongoing process, like all worthwhile things in life. Value it appropriately, and partner with those who have strength in this skill, if you do not.
