Is your business card really helping you connect with prospective clients? This short video (less than 2 minutes) will explain how to change your business card so it works harder for you!
Your ‘Call to Action’ is the first step in your marketing sequence. If you don’t have one that’s clear and compelling you are missing out on potential business.
In the two videos below (total of both less than 4 minutes) you’ll learn about how to create your own effective ‘Call to Action’ and how to market it. Creating your marketing sequence is the 4th step of the 7 Steps to Attract More Clients, you can get the full report on all 7 steps at for free at http://www.fireflycoaching.com.
Are you communicating effectively, efficiently, and in a trust building way? The way you communicate and interact with your network is a direct reflection on you, and your business.
Check out these eight mistakes to see if you might be sending the wrong message:
MISTAKE #1: Not acknowledging people and saying thank you when someone does something kind. For example, if someone introduces you to a potential client or gives you a valuable resource.
SOLUTION: It’s pretty easy to say thank you (or write it in an e-mail). And for such an easy thing, it sure goes a long way in building relationships.
MISTAKE #2: Not replying promptly to your e-mail.
SOLUTION: If you don’t have time to reply to an e-mail send a short e-mail back saying that you don’t have time this week and say when you plan to respond.
Or you can add an auto reply to all of your e-mails that explains when and how often you read and respond to e-mail (Tim Ferriss style, author of the Four Hour Work Week).
MISTAKE #3: Promising to do something for someone and then not following through.
SOLUTION: If something happens and you aren’t able to deliver, simply acknowledge it. Hiding from it or ignoring it won’t make it go away. Just be honest and let the person know what’s going on and when you will be able to deliver.
MISTAKE #4: When you go on vacation or you’re out of office for a few days you don’t activate an out-of-office auto reply that says you are out and when you’ll be back.
SOLUTION: No-brainer. Create an out-of-office reply.
MISTAKE #5 (this one is really three mistakes about the same topic): Sending out your newsletter as an attachment to an e-mail. Sending your newsletter to people who haven’t asked for it (otherwise known as s’pam). Sending out your newsletter sporadically.
SOLUTION: Attachments are not appealing for several reasons: virus threat, large file size, and they add an extra step to get to the information. Allow people to sign up for your newsletter and use a service to send out your communications.
Make sure the service provides a ‘double opt-in’ subscription process. A great resource for this is AWeber. Decide on a schedule (every Tuesday, 2nd Wednesday of the month, etc.) and stick to it. Reliability and consistency build trust.
MISTAKE #6: No way to capture visitor’s e-mail addresses on your website.
SOLUTION: Offer something valuable for free (audio tips, special report, assessment, checklist) in exchange for a visitor’s e-mail address. Automate the process with a service like AWeber.
MISTAKE #7: No photo on your social networking profiles (Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, etc.).
SOLUTION: Not having a photo on your profiles really sticks out, and not in a good way. It’s like wearing a paper bag over your head at an in person networking event. Have a professional photo taken; it’s more than worth it. And until then, even a decent vacation picture with phone camera is better than nothing.
MISTAKE #8: No e-mail signature that has a ‘clickable’ link to your website and a call to action.
SOLUTION: Decide the one action you want people to take who are interested in your business and put that in your e-mail signature. Be sure to include the http:// part of your e-mail address so it is a ‘live’ link.
I hope you’re starting to see how making some tiny changes can have an enormous effect on the success of your business. Don’t delay; take the time to be sure you’re sending the right messages
© Stephanie Ward, 2009
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this information with it: Stephanie Ward is the Marketing Coach for Entrepreneurs who want to set their profits on fire! Grab your FREE copy of the special report ’7 Steps to Attract More Clients in Less Time’ plus business building tips, at: http://www.fireflycoaching.com/.
Is your website bringing you new clients? When is the last time you took a long hard look at exactly how your website helps you attract clients? Now is the time to implement five tips that will make your website actually bring your new clients.
Of course, you need people to visit your website in the first place. You’ve probably heard about getting ‘traffic’ to your website. That’s a topic for an entire article of its own.
For now, let’s focus on making sure that you’re making the most of your website for the people who do visit.
Implementing the following five tips will transform your website into a client attraction tool. If you do all of them the likelihood of converting people who visit your website to clients will increase greatly.
1) VERY VISIBLE & CLEAR INVITATION TO TAKE ACTION
Your call to action, the one action you want prospective clients to take, should be very visible on your home page. It needs to appear ‘above the fold’ meaning that it can be seen without having to scroll down. Why not include it on every page of your website.
The one action that you want people to take needs to be very specific. You need just one action with simple instructions. Don’t be confusing. For example, do you want them to: sign up for your ezine, call you, or send you an e-mail? Choose one and make is easy to do.
2) GIVE AWAY SOMETHING VALUABLE
Hopefully you offer a free valuable giveaway (a report, audio, or a consultation). It’s easiest if this process is automated so that you save your precious time. There are several options for this; two popular services are AWeber and Constant Contact (both offer free trials.)
3) ABILITY TO STAY IN TOUCH
Most people who visit your website will not come back. Not because they don’t like you or what you do, they’re just busy. So you need to invite them to give you permission to be in touch.
This can be linked to your free offer. When the process is automated people who are interested simply need to provide their e-mail address in order to receive your free offer.
If you plan to send additional messages (like a regular ezine) be sure to communicate that clearly so they are aware of that when they sign up.
4) LET THEM SEE YOU
People want to know who the person behind the business is so please include a photo. We humans like to feel a connection and that can be achieved to a certain degree with a photo.
You can use various photos of yourself (and your team if you have one) on different pages of your website. Make sure the pictures are high quality and fit with your personality and brand.
5) KNOW WHO IS VISITING
Analysis may not seem glamorous but it can be really exciting when you understand who is visiting your website.
Google Analytics is free and really amazing way to know who is visiting your website. To sign up just visit Google Analytics. It tells you how many people have visited, where people found out about your website, where they are located (with a really cool map), and so much more!
When your website has a clear call to action, allows you to give away something valuable, creates a way for you to stay in touch, makes you visible, and allows you to analyze who is visiting, you will be able to attract more clients.
Don’t delay. Make the decision today to change your website and start growing your business.
(c) Stephanie Ward, 2009
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this information with it: Stephanie Ward is the Marketing Coach for Entrepreneurs who want to set their profits on fire! Grab your FREE copy of the special report ’7 Steps to Attract More Clients in Less Time’ plus business building tips, at: http://www.fireflycoaching.com.
Many business owners are utilizing the internet to grow their businesses. Technology is marvelous and frankly, I don’t know what I would do without it.
But just because you can implement loads of marketing strategies on-line, it doesn’t mean other methods are obsolete. A fabulous off-line marketing strategy that works is using postcards.
WHY A POSTCARD
- It’s something tangible you can touch (and keep)
- It’s a pleasant break from e-mail
- There’s no envelope so when it arrives in the mail it is seen (and gets seen along the way)
WHAT TO SAY ON YOUR POSTCARD
You need a powerful headline that speaks directly to your target audience and creates curiosity to know more. You can include a picture of the product you are offering and/or a picture of you.
Obviously there isn’t a lot of room on a standard size postcard so you’ll want to keep it as simple and clear as possible. If you want a bit more space (and want to make a big impression) you can choose an oversized postcard. Using color is another way to grab attention.
You want to create a focused message and offer only ONE action to take. For example:
> Call you to schedule a free 20 minute consult
> Go to your website and get a free report
> E-mail you to receive a free sample of your product
You can create a series of postcards for one product or service. And you can also create one postcard for each different product or service you offer.
WHERE TO GET POSTCARDS
I have used Vista Print and have been very pleased with the product and service. Vista Print offers its services in 18 countries and is quite inexpensive.
They offer templates so you can create postcards that look professional. Be sure to sign up for the ‘Exclusive Offers’ on the homepage of the website and you will receive discounted offers and never have to pay full price. You order on-line and the postcards are delivered to your door, really easy.
Of course you can use a local designer and printer, which will probably be a bigger investment.
HOW TO USE POSTCARDS
* Put a stamp on it and send it in the mail to prospects who have shown an interest in your business.
* Give it to people you meet in person (instead of a business card).
* Leave several at places where your ideal clients hang out. For example, I have asked people in my network, whose clients could use my services, to leave my postcards in the reception area of their offices.
HOW WILL I KNOW IF IT WORKS?
Hopefully you know where all of your clients find you (either by asking them directly or asking via your website). Personally, I can tell you that I have attracted clients who found out about me from my postcards.
There’s no reason it can’t work for your business too! You know what to do. Decide what product or service you want to promote, create a postcard with one call to action, and start getting them out there.
© Stephanie Ward, 2008
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this information with it: Stephanie Ward is the Marketing Coach for Entrepreneurs who want to set their profits on fire! Grab your FREE copy of the special report ’7 Steps to Attract More Clients in Less Time’ plus business building tips, at: http://www.fireflycoaching.com.
Have you tried advertising as a marketing strategy to grow your business? Did it work? If not, you may have missed one, or all, of the following components of effective advertising. You must advertise in the right places, place ads the right number of times, and have the right ad.
It is key that you advertise in the right places. And the best places are the ones where your ideal clients will see your ads. If you don’t have a huge budget then think about starting off by placing classified ads in magazines, trade publications, or newspapers.
You can also place affordable ads on websites or directories. And of course Google AdWords is an option (a great way to test different versions of an ad to see which one is the most popular).
Frequency is another vital key to effective advertising. It’s been said that it takes at least seven contacts with a prospective client before they will act. If you plan to place an ad only one time, please forget advertising as one of your marketing strategies because it will not work.
Once you’ve found the right place to advertise (and you’re committed to sticking with it for at least seven placements), it’s then time to create the right ad.
Think about it, when you see an ad that only has a logo, the name of a company, and a phone number are you really motivated to drop what you are doing and pick up the phone and call them? Not usually.
Here’s the deal, effective advertisements are not about you and your company. They are about your ideal clients and what they want and need.
It’s important to have the right expectations about what result you want your ad to deliver. It is unlikely that someone who reads your ad will immediately buy from your business.
People want to get to know you a little bit first and find out more about how you may be able to help them. It’s not about making a sale; it’s about inviting someone to take the next step with your business.
Here is a simple three step formula you can use to create an effective ad. I’ll use my business as an example.
STEP ONE – Name them
Who are your ideal clients? You can use a question, for example: “Are you a small business owner?” Or you can grab attention by saying, “Attention: Small Business Owners.”
STEP TWO – Name their problem
What is one problem you can help your ideal clients solve? I’m sure your business helps clients solve more than one problem, but you want to keep your ad focused so just choose one. Again, you can ask a question, “Would you like to attract more clients.” You can also make a statement, “Attract more clients now.”
STEP THREE – Give your solution in the form of a ‘call to action’
Your ‘call to action’ is the ONE action you want someone to take who is interested in knowing more about your business. Choose a ‘call to action’ that is simple and easy to do. If you offer something valuable at no cost, even better. It can be a consultation, an article, a free report, or an audio recording.
Here’s one example of a ‘call to action’: Grab your free copy of the special report, 7 Steps to Attract More Clients in Less Time, plus monthly business building tips written by Life & Business Coach Stephanie Ward by simply visiting www.fireflycoaching.com.
Now, putting all three parts of an effective ad together you get this:
Are you a small business owner who would like to attract more clients? Grab your free copy of the special report, 7 Steps to Attract More Clients in Less Time, plus monthly business building tips written by Life & Business Coach Stephanie Ward by simply visiting www.fireflycoaching.com.
There’s one more thing you have to do when you advertise. You must measure your results to find out if it’s working. The goal of placing an ad is to attract more business, so are you? One way to find out is to ask every prospective client who contacts you how they heard about you.
If you’re going to use advertising as one of your marketing strategies to grow your business, make sure you give it the best chance to succeed. Take the time to find the best place to advertise and create a compelling ad that will motivate prospective clients to take action.
© Stephanie Ward, 2007
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this information with it: Stephanie Ward is the Marketing Coach for Entrepreneurs who want to set their profits on fire! Grab your FREE copy of the special report ’7 Steps to Attract More Clients in Less Time’ plus business building tips, at: http://www.fireflycoaching.com.
How can your prospects know if they want what your business offers? How can they know if what you have, is what they need? A great way to let them find out is to offer a sample, a taster, of your products or services.
You can do this by sharing your expertise, letting them experience what you offer, or by showing them how you have helped other clients.
In fact, when you have a taster to offer, you don’t feel like you are “selling” – because you’re not! You are simply giving people a no-risk way of experiencing what your business has to offer to see if it is the right thing for them.
Be creative and think about what you have to give. Here are some ideas to get you started.
Free Initial Consultation (by phone or in person):
* Gym Owner
* Personal Trainer
* Coach
* Consultant
* Relocation Specialist
* Tax Consultant
Before and after pictures:
* Salon Owner
* Make-up Artist
* Professional Organizer
* Personal Trainer
* Personal Styler
Discount on the first visit/purchase:
* Massage Therapist
* Spa Owner
* Office Center Provider
* Caterer
Try before you buy (for a defined period of time):
* Software Vendor
* Subscription Website Provider
* Paid Newsletter Provider
* Artist
Another taster that every business owner can offer is written information. It can be one page or many. What’s most important is that it contains valuable information that your clients want and need. You can post this information on your website and/or offer to give it to potential clients you meet when you are speaking or networking.
Think about writing things like:
- A “How To” article
- A “Top Ten” article
- A “Do’s and Don’ts” article related to your industry
- Case studies (success stories) of how you helped other clients
Take time right now and think about the biggest problems your clients face and how you help them solve those problems. You know valuable information that other people need to know. The kind of information that can really help your prospects and give them an idea about how your business can support them.
The good news is that you may already have something you can use as a taster and may not have to create anything new.
And even if you do need to create something new, it probably won’t take you too long because this is what you do and it comes easily and naturally to you. Ready to share a taste of your business with people? Start offering your expertise and watch your business grow!
© 2006 Stephanie Ward
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this information with it: Stephanie Ward is the Marketing Coach for Entrepreneurs who want to set their profits on fire! Grab your FREE copy of the special report ’7 Steps to Attract More Clients in Less Time’ plus business building tips, at: http://www.fireflycoaching.com.
Some people may be ready to buy your products/services right away. But what do you offer to the rest of the people who are interested but want to know more?
Creating a structured sales process for your business may not seem like an important component of creating and attracting more potential clients and I can promise you, it is.
Here’s what frequently happens. People may be interested in knowing more about what your business has to offer but they are busy. They don’t have time to find your phone number and call you or spend time navigating through your website trying to figure it out how to find out more, so they do nothing.
When you are clear about your sales process, and can communicate it easily and consistently, you will feel more confident and you will be able to make a connection with your prospective clients.
People need to know what action to take if they want to know more. Make it simple and make it easy. People appreciate structure and like to know what they can expect.
Begin to define your sales process by deciding on the first step. The one action you want every person who is interested in your business to take. Make it something that delivers value. Here are some ideas about what you can give to prospective clients:
1. Offer a free sample of your products/services
2. Offer to meet with them for a free consultation
3. Invite them to take an assessment or quiz
4. Invite them to sign up for your newsletter
5. Offer to send them a valuable free report
Let me give you an example of what I am talking about. Let’s say you are at a networking event talking with Renee and she asks you, “What do you do?” You have prepared and rehearsed your fabulous elevator pitch (right?) so you share it.
Renee seems intrigued, what do you do next? You can leave it there, finish your chat and move on. Or, you can say to Renee, “If you’re interested in knowing more, I can send you a special report. Would you like that?” See the difference?
Communicating the first stop of your sales process isn’t only important for prospective clients. It is also valuable to communicate it with strategic alliance partners so they can easily refer people to you. Make is easy for partners send you referrals by making the first step in your sales process clear to them.
Once you are clear on your first step, the one action you want prospective clients to take, incorporate it into every interaction you have and all of your marketing strategies. Think of things like this:
What you write:
- Text you will use to answer e-mails from prospective clients
- Text on your website
- Text on your business card (use the back of your card)
- Text in your e-mail signature
What you say:
- Words you will use when someone calls
- Words you will use when you meet someone face-to-face
- Words on your voice mail message
Once you have the first step established, decide what the next steps are until you have a complete process. The number of steps in your process will depend on your business and what you are offering.
The most important step is the first one so start there. Utilize your sales process and be sure you follow through and follow up.
You’ve heard the expression ‘you never get a second chance to make a first impression.’ In business, you may not get a second chance to give a prospective client value. So choose your first step and start giving!
© Stephanie Ward 2006
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this information with it: Stephanie Ward is the Marketing Coach for Entrepreneurs who want to set their profits on fire! Grab your FREE copy of the special report ’7 Steps to Attract More Clients in Less Time’ plus business building tips, at: http://www.fireflycoaching.com.
All the experts kept saying it was a great way to give value, gain free publicity, and position yourself as an expert. It was something I had planned to do for years and I finally did it for the first time in May, 2005 and I’ve been doing it ever since. What is it? Writing articles. Don’t be like me and wait, get started today!
OK, I can hear the moans of protest from here, so let me explain what writing articles can mean for your business and perhaps you will be willing to give it a shot? For those of you who love to write this is your big chance to get started or to write even more.
You don’t need to have a weekly or monthly newsletter in order to consistently write articles although this is a good way to make sure that you produce at least one article per month (it sure keeps me on schedule).
Pick a topic you are passionate about, one that allows you to provide insightful information that will help your clients, and start writing. An average length for an article is 500-800 words.
Once you have completed your article ask a friend or colleague to review it for you and give you feedback. If you’re going to take the time to writing something, make sure it’s the best it can be!
There isn’t room in this article to go into all of the details of how to write, there are plenty of resources out there if you need help in this area.
The point is that you, as the owner of your business, know a lot about the problems your clients face and how you can help solve them. You have valuable information that people want and need, so why not give it to them?
Writing is like any other skill, it takes practice and over time you will improve and find your own unique voice.
So what’s the big deal, what can you do with an article? I’ll mention a few here, be creative and don’t limit yourself:
1. When you meet people who fit your ideal client profile offer to send them an article. No sale, no pitch, just sharing something that will support them.
2. Offer your articles to strategic alliance partners for them to give to their clients.
3. Place your articles on your own website so visitors can see the value you offer.
4. Once you have several articles you can package them together and voila, an instant e-book you can give away or sell.
5. Finally, a highly leveraged action to take is to place your articles on the internet where publishers go to find content for their publications. This is really simple and it will cost you nothing.
There are different places to submit your articles on the internet depending on your focus and content. Here are just some of the websites where I place my articles: Ezine Articles, Go Articles, Article City, Amazines, Idea Marketers, and Business Know How.
To find more places where can publish your articles, search the keywords ‘article submission sites’ and any other keywords related to your business.
Be sure to include a brief ‘author bio’ with each article you write and publish (see mine at the end of this article). This way, when people read your article they know how to connect with you in case they want to know more.
Include a “call to action” in your author bio that invites the reader to take an action like: sign up for your newsletter, get a free report, or receive a sample of your product or service.
Because you can allow your article to be re-published without permission you may not actually know how much exposure you have received. To find out where you have been published simply type the name of your article into Google.
In some cases you will be contacted for permission even though it isn’t necessary. You may also hear from people who want to thank you for allowing your article to be reprinted.
What will sharing your articles do for you?
- Giving people valuable information they can use makes you a resource and increases the possibility that people will think of you, and your business, when they have a need. This is a way to let people get to know you and start building a relationship with you.
- You will increase your exposure by publishing your articles in many places. Increasing your exposure increases your reach to potential clients. Think leverage!
- You position yourself as an expert in your field by writing about the kinds of problems you solve for your clients. Everyone wants to work with an expert.
These things will all contribute toward the growth of your business. Don’t look for results overnight and stay focused on serving your clients by producing articles that will help them be successful.
Writing is just one of many marketing strategies you can use to grow your business. Remember, the most important aspect of any successful marketing strategy is consistent implementation. So please don’t write one article and then decide it doesn’t work and give up. If you choose writing as one of your strategies, stick with it and leverage everything you create!
(c) 2005 Stephanie Ward
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this information with it: Stephanie Ward is the Marketing Coach for Entrepreneurs who want to set their profits on fire! Grab your FREE copy of the special report ’7 Steps to Attract More Clients in Less Time’ plus business building tips, at: http://www.fireflycoaching.com.
