How can an expertise-based company promote itself and its services on a small budget?

Promotion of expertise-based businesses takes place in a hidden market of referrals where credentials, experience and skill count more than sales talk. These attributes become the basis of promotion, which better serves small companies that have few funds for large promotional campaigns.

A common route to sales for these companies is the RFP process often used by very big companies and governments. However, proposal writing is an art and can be time-consuming, so it might be worthwhile for a company that relies on the proposal process to source a professional proposal writer to increase the chances of success.

Expertise-based companies must also access the referral network: in essence they will attain the majority of their "sales" through referrals from other companies or experts who know their work. Ask existing customers and clients to "talk up" your skills throughout their networks. Another referral technique is to link with a larger and more established company, as either a subcontractor or an ally of some sort. A third is to frequent gatherings where target customers are commonly found and freely issue advice.

Become a thought leader in your particular field of expertise by speaking on related subjects, writing articles and hosting seminars. These techniques rarely lead to actual sales, but they do build a base of credibility that supports the referrals strategy.