The key to making marketing work for your business is to pick a few marketing strategies that fit for you and then do them consistently.

Are you using any of these eight marketing strategies?  Choosing your marketing strategies is the 5th step to attract more clients.  You can get the full report with all seven steps, 7 Steps to Attract More Clients in Less Time, for free at http://www.fireflycoaching.com.

Time is precious to a business owner.  Are you using yours wisely?  Do your marketing strategies allow you to leverage your time and reach an abundance of prospective clients?

If you’re spending the majority of your time marketing one-to-one you may be missing out on a lot of business.  One-to-one is you communicating with one other person; one sender and one receiver.  This could be a conversation in person, on the phone, or via e-mail.

A more effective marketing approach is one-to-many.  This is you communicating with many people at the same time.   

Here are some one-to-many marketing ideas using three different marketing strategies: speaking, writing, and on-line networking.

1. SPEAKING

* If you enjoy being in front of a group, speaking live in person for people who are interested in your work is an amazing way to connect.  People get to see you and hear you speak which is very powerful.

* Getting interviewed on the radio, TV, or by someone with a large website presence will get your message in front of thousands of people.  Just be sure the audience matches your ideal clients.

* Another way to reach a large group of people is a teleclass (you speaking on the telephone with many people).  Using the phone you may be able to reach even more people than you could at a live event because geography isn’t an obstacle for attendance.

There are a multitude of companies who provide teleconferencing services.  One I have used, which is free and offers a private bridge line and free recordings of your calls, is http://www.freeconferencecalling.com/.

* You can share the digital recording of your presentation with groups of people on the internet.

* The digital audio file can also be burned on to a CD and you can give away the CD’s to groups.

2. WRITING

* Sending a regular newsletter (ezine) to people who have requested to receive information from you is a superb one-to-many action.  In addition to valuable information be sure to make an offer with a clear call to action.

* Articles you write, for your ezine or otherwise, can be posted on article database websites.  This multiplies the number of readers.  Many people can read the article where you posted it in addition to places where your article is re-published.

* Posting new content on your blog (or other people’s blog) gets your message out to many as well.

* Interviews can also be done in a written format.  You do the interview once, and it goes out to numerous readers.

3. ON-LINE NETWORKING

When you post messages, comments, or updates on the various virtual/social networking websites your communication reaches everyone who is connected to you.

So if you don’t have many connections, make the time to invite people to join you.  Here are some popular places to network on-line.

* Facebook.com

* Linkedin.com

* Twitter.com

* Plaxo.com

Are you starting to see how you can invest less time and reach more people simultaneously by using one-to-many marketing?  Review your current marketing strategies and think about how you can incorporate the concept of one-to-many into as many activities as possible. 

Make the decision to implement your new strategies and see the difference it will make in 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.

The best way for people to get to know you, and find out how your business can help them, is to offer a complimentary sample of valuable information.  This can be something written, like a special report, or valuable audio tips.

If you don’t already have a valuable give away, then please read more about this topic here. 

In this article I want to share additional ways you can use your valuable give away in addition to offering it on your website.  Leveraging information you already have is simply smart marketing.

Having something valuable to share with people who are interested in what you do is fabulous because you have a gift to offer people.  It is also a way to show your expertise.  In addition, it saves you time because you won’t need to repeat the same information on a one-on-one basis.  Plus, it allows people to review your information when it is convenient for them.

Here are seven ways to promote your valuable give away in places besides your website:

1. Create classified ads which are inexpensive and sometimes free.

2. Use Google AdWords which allow you to control the level of investment.

3. Place postcards (with permission) that promote your valuable give away in lobbies and reception areas where your prospective clients frequent.

4. Promote it when speaking.

5. Offer it at trade shows are fairs.

6. Talk about it at networking meetings.

7. Invite your clients to offer it to their clients.

You can also create a physical version of your give away.  If your valuable give away is something written, you can print out color copies.  If it is audio, you can burn the information on CD’s or download it to memory sticks to give away.

This way, you have something to show people who are interested in your business.  Be sure you always have a few copies of your valuable give away with you when you head out the door.

You can also give a physical copy of your valuable give away to COI’s (Centers of Influence) you know.

If you don’t already have a valuable give away, get started now to create one.  If you do have one, then take action today to get it into the hands of more people.  You will be amazed at how this will help you attract more clients and grow your business.

© 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.

How often do you actually get to speak to prospective clients?  Do you believe that it would help your business if people could hear your voice? Imagine if you could ‘talk’ to loads of prospects without having to do it one-on-one.

The great news is that you can!  It is possible to convey information, once, and have it be heard an unlimited number of times.  How do you do it?  By creating an audio recording.

The human voice can create much more of a connection than the written word.  The spoken word is more personal than text on a page.  When people hear you speak, your passion and personality come across. 

Quality content for your audio recordings is critical.  They must contain relevant and helpful information that your prospective clients want, and need.  The content is absolutely not a sales pitch or the history of your business.  Think about topics like:

* Mistakes to avoid when…(fill in what your business offers)

* The best way to…(fill in what your business offers)

* How to…(fill in what your business offers)

* Steps to…(fill in what your business offers)

Think about how effective it would be to offer prospective clients valuable information in a format that they can listen to at their own convenience.  People can listen to audio recordings:

> On their computers

> In their cars

> On portable mp3 players (like an iPod)

Thanks to technology it’s easier, and cheaper, than ever to create your own audio recordings and share them with people.  All you need is a telephone and a computer.  There are several options available and one I have successfully used is Free Conference Calling and guess what, there’s no charge. 

Simply sign up, get the phone number for your bridge (this is just a name for a phone line) and you’re ready to go.  You can record the call and then download the file from their website. 

Once you have your .mp3 file (.mp3 is an audio file) you can copy it to a blank CD and give it away.  You can also make it available on your website. 

The phone number for this service is in the U.S. but that’s not a problem for people living outside the U.S. because there are many inexpensive options to call America, just do a search on the internet.

Format ideas for your audio:

- Have someone interviewing you on a specific topic

- Create a series of short audios of just you talking

- Put an inviting message on your website homepage

- Record a teleclass

- Record an audio ezine

- The length can be a few minutes up to an hour 

You can give a brief amount of audio information as a gift.  And you can sell larger audio recordings by themselves or in combination with an electronic document or printed workbook.

Are you starting to see the benefits of creating your very own audio recordings?  This is a super effective, low cost way to connect with prospective clients over and over again with a one-time investment of your time and energy. 

© 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.

It’s a big shock to realize that no one really cares about your business, at least in the beginning of the process.  What people do care about, and want to know, is what your business can do for them.

You can imagine that information about how long you have been in business or why you started your company isn’t the most intriguing introduction.  So why do so many business owners do it?

I know you love what you do and you’re crazy about your business, me too!  It’s just that most other people, including prospective clients, aren’t thinking about your business.  They are concerned with their own lives and what is important to them. 

Think about what you prefer when you are in the position of a being a client.  Would you rather learn about the background of the business or would you like to hear about how the business can serve you?

What we all really want to know is, ‘what’s in it for me’ (sometimes referred to as tuning into radio station WIFM).

This quote by John C. Maxwell sums it all up: “People don’t care how much you know — until they know how much you care.”

So how can you know what your clients care about?  Simply put yourself in your client’s shoes and imagine what it is they want to know.  Think about what issues they are facing and what they need. 

If you don’t know what your clients are thinking, you need to find out.  The best way to find out is to listen to what your clients are already telling you.  You can also ask them directly or with a survey.

Once you know the situation your potential clients are in, you can address it and share how your business can support them.  Speak directly to them and let them see that you understand their situation and how your business can help.

Here’s an example to show the difference between the perspectives of the business owner and the client:

* Perspective of the Business Owner – We are a talented group of tax consultants who have been in business for 12 years.  Our company prides itself on delivering outstanding services to small business owners.  Our consultants are experts in advising on the appropriate tax services and we strive to deliver value throughout the process.

* Perspective of the Client – Are you a small business owner who would love to never have to file a tax report again?  If you would like to spend more time on your core business and end the frustration that comes with filing taxes we would love to talk with you.  Our clients feel confident and relaxed knowing that they don’t have to worry about penalties, mistakes or missed deductions.

Can you feel the difference?  Which company would you hire to do the taxes for your business?

Implement the perspective of your clients into all of your communication, written and verbal.  Think about reducing words like ‘us’ and ‘we’ and use words like ‘you’ and ‘your’ more often.  You can also use questions in your copy to help potential clients identify themselves like the first sentence of the Perspective of the Client example above.

Look closely at all of your communication and see where you can make some changes. Think about areas like:

Written Words (copy)

- Website

- Letters

- E-mails

- Brochures

- Business card (always use the back)

Spoken Words

- Networking

- Telephone conversations

- Speaking

- Videos

Make the shift, turn it around and think about your business from your client’s point of view.  Then get into action and change the words you write and the words you speak when communicating what your business offers. 

Not only will your clients find this much more attractive, it makes doing business a lot easier for you.

© 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.