The entrepreneur is most easily distracted person on the planet, we jump from one idea to the next and if anything seems more exciting we have to be in on it!

You see people going from seminar to seminar buying the next big exciting thing that will help them be successful, they are on-line jumping to the next big idea, but what do you notice about these people? Quite often they are not getting anywhere in their business.
What we need is to pick plan and stick to it. You work the plan and you got results. There is no way in the world you can run around trying every strategy. Pick a model that is tried and tested. Look at those who are successful, pick a role model, and model what they are doing, get mentored or coached by them and put into action what you learn from them. Action is the key here. You can carry on learning and finding new ideas but then you have so many ideas that you just don’t do anything with them, either because you don’t know where to start or because you are still looking for the magic pill. Well I am sorry to disappoint you but the only magic pill is taking ACTION.

So, let us leave all of those bright shiny objects behind and get back to basics. These rules apply to any business whether you are selling off-line or no line, these principles will work.

1. Start with your message

Marketing is all about getting your business message in front of the people who need, or want it and that’s generally it. My message is to service based professional who want more clients in less time with less effort. It’s just that simple.

2. What is your offer

Get really clear on what your offer is. Make it simple to understand and simple to sell. Do some research before you come up with your offer, is it what people are looking for? Is there a market for what you have?

3. What is your media?

Only put your effort into the areas that your market is likely to find details of your product. Are they online or offline? Do they attend certain events? Do they read certain editorials?
This is called direct marketing. You just speak directly to the people who are most likely to need or want your services.

Now, that you have your basics in business, you can now use these basics to to market and reach infinite success. So, remember DON’T forget the BASICS! Also, still available for download YOUR FREE REPORT, “12 Reasons Why People Aren’t Buying From You” Get your copy today!

If you feel uncomfortable networking in a room full of people you don’t know, then it’s worth remembering that just about everybody else does too.  If you take the initiative and open the conversation with someone, they will be extremely grateful as it takes the pressure off them, and then if you focus on finding out about them, this takes the pressure back off you and builds that know, like, and trust factor.

Still nervous?  Try this, pretend you are the host of the event and introduce yourself with “Hi, I’m (name), we haven’t met before have we?”  Simple!  They will respond by asking you your name and then you ask what they do, how can you help and what would be a good referral to them.  Few people bother to find out this basic information so this will go a long way to building solid relationships.

Don’t get caught up with one person for the whole event though.  If you feel they would be a good contact with you suggest that you meet for coffee and that you will call them tomorrow to set up a date.  Then put a note on the back of their business card to remind you and suggest to them that you both carry on circulating.

Sometimes you may meet someone who is not a good match but find it difficult to “escape” without offending them.  If this is the case, just say something like, “I will keep you in mind, it was great to meet you, I wont take up anymore of your time.  Thank you for the conversation.” Then you can both carry on circulating.

Nervousness happens and always will, but it’s how you attack that nervousness that will determine your success. So, takes these simple steps to break the ice and slide into success TODAY! Also, don’t forget YOUR FREE report, To find out why your potential customers aren’t buying from you and what you can do to get clients to your door, download “12 Reasons Why People Aren’t Buying From You”

The problem today that I see professionals making time and time again is that they tell people exactly what they do, NOT what their service is going to do for the prospect. Let me explain what I mean by this.

You have a process that you go through with your clients in order to get to the results that they need or want. You are so proud of this process, you actually have it down to a tee and can’t wait to share it. You talk about how long you have been in business, what technology you use etc. However, the client really doesn’t care about what you do, they only care about what this is going to do for them. You have heard about the WIIFM frequency (what’s in it for ME!). This is the frequency that we are all tuned into, including you and me.

Another mistake that we make is we label ourselves so that when we are asked “What do you do?” we respond with a title such as “I’m a mortgage advisor,” or “I’m a coach.” There are hundreds and thousands of people around with such titles. As soon as you announce your title, people just tune out and they become not interested.

It is your job to describe what you do and do it in such a way that it makes sense to who ever you are speaking to. You need a response like “Ahhh, that’s exactly what I need right now” or “you understand my problem, I think you can help,” or “I know someone who needs your service.” Once you hear one of these phrases you know you have explained it in such a way that you have pressed the right buttons and they know you have got the solution that they need. This is probably the most important part of client attraction. If you are not getting your message across, you are losing potential clients.

So, ask yourself “what benefit do my clients get when they work with me?” You are looking for results and solutions.

Also, don’t forget to find out why they are not buying from you download my latest report, “12 Reasons Why People Aren’t Buying From You” Yours FREE For A Limited Time!

Your marketing message should be honest and authentic. You’re not trying to sell people something they don’t want or need, but you’re inviting them to find out how you can help them to solve an issue. When your marketing message doesn’t convey any real value, that’s when you have to struggle to sell yourself and you end up throwing money away on ineffective advertising and promotion. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

Is what you do in line with your life’s purpose?

Whatever you are feeling about your business will come across in your marketing efforts and messages. Notice how you approach your business. Does it feel like a race for the money, rather than being of service to others? Has the meaning of what you’re doing been lost? Are you passionate about what you do?

Passion makes you stand out and makes you more memorable. People will want to work with you and refer others to you if you are passionate about how you can help them. Take a step back and remember the reason you got into business in the first place, remember the excitement you first felt when you started planning and telling people about your business.

Make your business stand out

Think of ways that your can wow your clients so that they can’t help but rave about your services. What can you offer them that no one else in your industry would dream of but it would make their whole buying experience a memorable one. Could you offer them free email support or extra phone support on certain days in the month. Could you create “drop in days” when they don’t need an appointment. How could you jazz up your waiting room so that your clients found it a pleasure to be there?
Grab a blank piece of paper and get creative.

Walk your talk

A client of mine presented me with a business card the other day of a guy whose services he was considering using. He needed the service but was reluctant to use them as something just didn’t feel right. I took the card and instantly knew what he meant. The card was very flimsy and had a @yahoo.com email address. On the reverse of the card it said “free cards at vista print.” Before even looking any further at this business, what message do you think he was projecting. The whole thing looked very unprofessional and put me on my guard right away.

Put yourself in your clients shoes and think about what you would expect to see if you were the one hiring your services. Do you practice what you preach? Are you living your life-like your message?

Also, don’t forget to continue to master the marketing, download your free report, “12 Reasons Why People Aren’t Buying From You”  Get It Today!!

Happy Halloween and Have a great marketing week!!

Now that you know if your target audience is viable and who your viable target audience is, it’s time to develop that tag line that will get you an infinite number of sells. Your tag line can simply be an introduction to people to let them know what it is you do without you ever being there.  Your tag line is going to be a much smaller statement than your statement of results, usually an element of it, which can be used within your logo. Your tag line serves as way to get people talking and wanting to inquire for more information.

Unfortunately, most people think you need a clever tag line, a play on words or something funny.  This is fine if it really tells the customer what you do, but generally I find the simpler the tagline, the easier it is for people to really understand what you do.  Now, I am not one to cast judgements here, I have been as guilty as anyone in developing tag line that didn’t really mean much.  My tag line for my first company, Amazing Life Coaching, was “unlock your potential, fulfil your dreams.”  This isn’t too bad but it doesn’t really tell the prospect what I can really do for them.  My next attempt when I started Coach UK Ltd was, “effective strategies for progressive companies.”  Now I will be the first to admit that this is awful.  What does it mean?

So my latest tag line now for Mastering the Marketing is “more clients, in less time with less effort.”  This gets far more attention and leaves no doubt in what I can do for the prospect.  Can you see the difference here?

Your tag line will become stronger and clearer over time, so don’t worry if it doesn’t roll of the tongue immediately, it will come and there is nothing to stop you from changing it whenever you feel you have a better one.  Just think that your tag line might be the only thing that they remember about you, so keep working on it and make it a good one.

Would you like to get some quality information about how to get all the clients you need?  Well, download my latest FREE report,  “12 Reasons Why People Aren’t Buying From You”  TODAY!!

It is pointless marketing to someone if they are not easily found in large numbers or even when you find them, they can’t afford to pay you.  You want to make this an enjoyable experience, not a struggle.  Once you have come up with an idea of who might be your ideal client, you need to determine:-

1. Can you find these people easily?
2. Where do they “hang out”?
3. Do they belong to associations, groups or alliances?
4. Do they read certain magazines or newspapers?
5. What newsletters would they subscribe to?
6.  Are there lists of them available? For example, you can rent lists from brokers for you to mail to, fax to, phone or email, or certain businesses would have a list of your exact client.
7. What trade shows, seminars, workshops or conferences might they go to?
8. Are there enough people in this sector for you to market to?
9. Do they have a problem big enough that they would pay to solve it?
10. Do they have the ability to pay you?

If you really don’t know how to answer these questions then you need to become a detective.  Find out if your audience is viable. To find out if you have a viable audience why not start with the clients you have that you want more of by asking them to complete a survey? 

Having clients complete a survey is easy.

If you use email, you can set this up easily online.  There is a resource called Survey Monkey which I have used a lot.  You can use the free version and it really is straight forward.  You can find it at http://www.surveymonkey.com . 

Also, you can survey current clients just via a simple email. You may find it more friendly and personal to hand write a list of questions and post it to them.

Don’t forget, still available for download your free copy of the report,  “12 Reasons Why People Aren’t Buying From You”!!

Give your elevator speech the WOW factor that has people say “Can I have your card?  I need to work with you!”

The phrase “elevator speech” comes from the idea that if your ideal client got into an elevator with you, you could tell them exactly what you so in 30 seconds.  Different events have variations on this, some are 1 minute long, others may get 2 minutes to speak about them selves, but essentially you need to get a condense message across that will tell everybody exactly what they need to know about you and your services without them switching off.

If you put together an elevator pitch based on the ideas below, you can memorise it and use elements of it whenever you speak to people about what you do.

1. Start off by looking at what exactly your offer is , who exactly is it for and what exactly you are going to do for them, i.e. what will your ideal client pay anything to solve.  This is known as your statement of results. 
2. Now think about the biggest motivators that people have, i.e. make money, save money, save time and avoid effort.
3. What is your USP?  What makes you different from your competitors.
4. What do you want them to do? If you are looking for contacts or information, be specific about what you want, e.g. this week I am looking for an introduction  to head teachers.

If you start with this formula, it will ensure that you don’t leave anything out.  You can then personalise it and make it more natural to you.

This is an example of my basic elevator speech:-

“Good morning/evening, I’m Yvonne Bleakley, a client attraction and marketing coach.  I work with solo professionals who struggle to market themselves effectively and need to attract new clients consistently without the hard sell.

What makes me different from other business coaches is that I only work with solo professionals and I only specialise in client attraction.  This means that my clients receive specific step by step information on exactly what to do to get clients which results in them getting more clients, in less time with less effort than they would on their own.”

You would then finish off with your call to action e.g.  “Today I am looking for details of meeting places for coaches who would like a speaker on marketing.  So that’s Yvonne Bleakley from Mastering the Marketing.

Now it’s your turn!

Also, don’t forget to download your free report today, To find out why your potential customers aren’t buying from you and what you can do to get clients to your door, download “12 Reasons Why People Aren’t Buying From You”

• Speed networking – Do you remember the speed dating craze a few years ago?  Speed networking is the same concept, you half of you stay at your table and the other half move around.  You each have around 30 seconds to tell the other person what you do, and then the bell goes and you move onto the next. Even if you choose not to make these events part of your networking strategy, it is worth going along to one for the experience as it really gets you to focus on exactly what your message is.  As you will be repeating yourself several times, it is an easy way to hardwire it into your conscious too.
• Regular Breakfast Clubs – These usually meet at around 7am once a week and require you to join as a member, though you can usually go along as a guest 2 or 3 times before joining.  These are excellent for building true working relationships where everybody looks out for opportunities for others in their network.  Examples are BNI, BOB clubs, BRX.  If you don’t like the idea of getting up so early, there are new clubs springing up now that meet for lunch.
• Chamber of Commerce – Again these require you to join but offer more than just networking.  There are usually special promotions and training events for members and gives you a chance to meet bigger businesses in your local area.
• Associations – A great place to find your ideal client in droves, find out what associations they may be members of and become a member and attend their events.
• Online networking – You have your social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Then there are others specifically for business networking sites such as Linked in and Ecademy.  Again you need to think about who your ideal client is before you decide which sites fit in best with your marketing strategy.

There are many other ad-hoc events held everyday.  It’s really not hard to find where to network. Good Luck Networking!!

Also, don’t forget still available is your free copy to download. This report is a must read, find out why your potential customers aren’t buying from you and what you can do to get clients to your door, with this report “12 Reasons Why People Aren’t Buying From You” TODAY!

Your business card is one of the biggest marketing tools you have, so don’t waste it!  Your card should talk to your ideal clients and let them know exactly what you do in much the same way that your elevator speech does.  You can do this by developing a tag line that leaves no doubt about what you do or what results you get, e.g. mine is “more clients, in less time with less effort.”  When I give that out, people know exactly what I do so that if they pick it up at a later date, even if they have forgotten the conversation we had, this will instantly remind them.

• Put your photograph on your card.  This doesn’t mean that you are being vein!  You are trying to raise your profile and get yourself remembered.  People meet so many others on the networking circuit that it is easy to forget who they spoke to last week.  Your photograph will remind them.
• Don’t leave the back of your business card blank, this is a waste of great marketing space. Give them a “call to action,”  i.e. what do you want them to do next, or create some pull marketing questions. 

A card like this will not only get you remembered on the networking circuit, but you are giving your referral sources a great tool that describes exactly what you do when talking to others about you.

Don’t forget, you want to make it as easy as possible for people to get in touch with you so always include your email address and phone number, and make sure you have a good voice box message. So, order your sales generating business cards today and starting handing them out and placing them in locations that your target audience can get their hands on them.

Also, don’t forget your copy is still available for download, “12 Reasons Why People Aren’t Buying From You”, Get it today!

People only do business with people they know, like and trust, and this goes for passing referrals too.  You need to come across as genuine and start building solid relationships.  Networking is not about getting as many business cards as possible, or pushing your card onto others.

When you are talking to people at a networking event, don’t go straight in and start talking about yourself.  People like nothing more than to talk about themselves, so if you give them the first chance, they will remember that you took an interest in them.  Listen to what they have to say and take a genuine interest in them. 

They will automatically start to ask about you which means that now you can talk about what you do without making it seem as though you are pushing yourself on them.  Be subtle though, just because they show interest doesn’t mean they want you to bombard them with information about all the products or services that you provide!  This will make you look needy and there is nothing that will repel a potential client quicker than being needy.

If you feel you have met a good contact make sure that you get their business card and arrange that you will call them to set up a coffee date (a one to one in network speak).  Unfortunately, when people say that they will ring you, they rarely do.  Life gets in the way, they meet with other networkers, they get busy, what ever the reason, it is up to you to take the lead to avoid this happening.  Don’t leave it too long before you follow-up and get the appointment booked within 48 hours.

Don’t expect too much, too soon.  It takes a while to build strong relationships so just turning up at one event really isn’t enough.  Get along to as many as you can and get your face remembered.  Soon you will get people passing you referrals.  When someone passes you a referral, send them a hand written thank you note. 

Also, don’t forget to To find out why your potential customers aren’t buying from you and what you can do to get clients to your door, by downloading “12 Reasons Why People Aren’t Buying From You” NOW!

Happy Marketing!