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.

What are the buying barriers in your business?  What is keeping prospective clients from saying yes?  Take some time and really think about this.

If you don’t know, tell people about your business and ask them the main reason they would hesitate buying.

You can also ask clients who have already hired you what doubts or questions they had before they hired you.

Some common buying barriers are:     

- Fear (fear of taking action, of making the wrong decision)

- Investment (price)

- Uncertainty (about what they’ll get)

Removing buying barriers is not, I stress not, about discounting your fees.  Because the value is either there or it isn’t.  It’s about making it easier for prospective clients to say yes.

So how do you address buying barriers?  Here are some solutions:

FEAR BARRIER: Create a way for prospective clients to sample your business to be sure it’s the right solution for them (more on this here).  You can also offer a guarantee.

INVESTMENT BARRIER: Offer a payment plan and/or reduce the time commitment.  Cleary communicate the value they will receive.

UNCERTAINTY BARRIER: Identify and communicate all of the details about what clients will get, how it will work, and the results they will experience. You can put this on your website and create a FAQ section.

One barrier I recently removed from my business is the request to work together for at least six months (now clients can hire me for one month at a time).  Yes, I know that if you want to attract more clients and transform your business it is reasonable that it can take six months.

And often times, clients want to work together for even longer than that.  But some prospective clients only need help with one specific area and don’t require lengthy support.  So by offering coaching for one month a time, they have an offer that fits their needs and allows them to get exactly what they want.

If it is important to the success of your offering to have a required time frame, by all means keep it and explain why it is relevant.  You don’t want to reduce the effectiveness of your offerings in order to make a sale.

An option to remove a buying barrier in this case is to offer a payment plan where you spread the investment out over a few weeks or months.

You can also choose to offer both fixed packages and cafeteria style offerings (selling individual parts of a bigger offering).

This is what’s so thrilling about owning your own business.  It’s your business, which gives you the power to decide how to create, package, and offer your offerings.

To remove the buying barriers in your business: start by identifying what they are, take action to eliminate them, and then communicate your newly structured offer with prospective clients.

© 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.

As a business owner your time is precious.  You probably have multiple requests from people that are pulling you in many directions.  But, if you say yes to every invitation that comes your way, you will not have time for the activities that are critical to growing your business.

What I frequently hear from my clients is that they don’t have enough time for everything that needs to be done in their businesses.  Since we all have the same amount of time, it really comes down to making choices.  So how do you know what to choose?

Start by making a list of the strategic activities that are essential to the growth of your business.  These are the actions to say yes to.  Say no to anything that doesn’t fall under your strategic activities.  This is what it means to set business boundaries.

It may sound simple, but many people find that saying no is an extremely difficult thing to do. 

What’s keeping you from saying no more often?  Some of the reasons people struggle with saying no are:

* Fear of conflict

* Wanting to be liked

* Afraid of not being asked again

* Feeling guilty

* Unsure about how to say it

Have you ever agreed to do something and then later felt angry, anxious, or overwhelmed about it wishing you had said no?  Saying yes when you want to say no is a huge energy drain and distracts you from the things you really want to do for your business.

The good news is that saying no is like any new skill, with practice is becomes much easier.  And even better, it is extremely empowering.  Start with something small and build from there.

Remember, you don’t have to give an answer on the spot.  If someone asks you to do something and you’re not sure, you can always say something like “let me check my schedule and I’ll get back to you.”  That way you have time to consider what is best for your business.

Many times if you’re not sure, this may be an indication that the answer is no.  Have you heard the expression: “Doubt means don’t”? 

In addition, you may be surprised to find that most people respect your answer, even when it is a no.  If they don’t, it may be a sign that it is not a balanced relationship.

Setting boundaries in your business will create more space and energy for you to move forward and reach your goals faster and easier.  And that’s not all; when you set and enforce your boundaries you will have more confidence, be more attractive, and feel more relaxed.

Why not start saying no today?  Once you know how you want to use your time, it will be easy to identify things you can say no to.  This will create time for strategic action.  When you say yes only to the most important (and profitable) actions for your business you will see your business grow. 

© 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.

What’s stopping you from doing the things you know you want to do in your business?  Not enough time and a lack of focus can be obstacles to taking action.  But take a closer look and see if these are the real issues. 

Is it possible that you really do know what you need to do but that fear is stopping you?

Fear is a four letter word but it doesn’t have to mean something bad. Here is an acronym for fear from an unknown author which sheds new light on the word, “Fear: False Evidence Appearing Real.”

You can choose to see fear as a sign.  A sign to take a closer look at the actions you are taking (or not taking) and to decide to make some changes.

Fear can sometimes cause inaction.  When it’s too scary, you may decide to do nothing. So how can you move past the fear and get into action?

Before you can tackle your fears you first have to identify them.  The more specific you can be the better.  Pay attention to your thoughts and notice if you are thinking about fearful outcomes.

Here are some possible fears you may be experiencing.

FEAR OF MAKING THE WRONG DECISION

Does the phrase, ‘What if?’ keep popping into your head when you think about taking an action?  Well, go ahead and ask yourself.  What is the worst thing that could happen?  Usually it isn’t that bad.  And remember, no matter what happens you can probably deal with it.  

FEAR OF FAILURE

Everyone defines failure in their own way.  Personally, I don’t think in terms of failure.  There are just different and new choices.  If you do something and it doesn’t work out the way you planned, you can simply choose a different path.

FEAR OF REJECTION

No one likes to be rejected.  But what if it weren’t possible to be rejected?  What if you shifted your perception and instead of thinking in terms of being ‘accepted’ or ‘rejected’ you thought in terms of finding the right fit.  It’s natural that not everyone will be a fit with your business.  Stay focused on reaching the people who are.

FEAR OF SUCCESS

Yes, this seems strange but is often true.  You may actually be afraid of succeeding.  One reason for this can be your thoughts about what other people will think about you.  Something like, ‘Who does she think she is.’  Another reason can be that you believe that if you do really well, it’s bound to take a turn for the worse and you will be back where you were.  No matter what the reason, you can choose to believe that you deserve to be successful and you can remain so. 

Growing yourself and your business means that you must continually stretch yourself.  And stretching can feel uncomfortable or scary sometimes.  It can also be refreshing and exciting!  When is the last time you felt super charged by an action you took?  Maybe it’s time for a massive injection of fearless action.

Don’t wait another minute.  Take time to discover if fear is keeping you from taking action in your business.  Then get clear about an action you can take that will move your business forward and do it!  Remain attentive and be aware of when fear appears and gets in your way.  The next time it shows up, you’ll know how to tackle it!

© 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 no secret that as a business owner, you want to attract more clients to your business.  And you want to attract clients that are the best fit for your business.

Of course it is easier to do this when you are very clear about the specific problems your business solves and for whom you solve them.

Imagine taking it one step further.  In addition to marketing to your target group with a specific solution, think about selecting specific clients you would love to work with and focus on building relationships with them.

WHY SELECTING YOUR CLIENTS IS OPTIMAL

It can be draining on you, and your bottom line, to work with clients who are not a good fit. Remember, you don’t have to work with clients just because they want to work with you. 

When you are selective about your clients, your business will be more profitable.  And that’s not all.  When your business relationships are mutually beneficial, they will also last longer.

When you select specific clients you want to work with, your marketing is more focused which means better results in less time.

You’re already spending time and money in an effort to reach potential clients.  The only shift you need to make is in your aim, and make it focused on specific people or companies instead of a random blast into the market.

Think about it, it will probably take about the same amount of time and energy to engage a less than ideal client, as it does an ideal client that you select.  So choose to be proactive instead of reactive.

WHERE TO FIND THE TIME AND RESOURCES

If you’re thinking that you don’t have any extra capacity to take on new selected clients, I’ve got some ideas for you.

Take a look at your existing clients and see who is taking up a lot of your time but not bringing your business very much revenue.

It’s OK to let clients go if they aren’t a good fit for your business.  This might seem scary at first and remember that this will free up resources that can be directed to your new select clients. 

You’re probably familiar with the Pareto Principle which says that 80% of your revenue comes from 20% of your clients.  Identify your best clients and consider parting ways with clients who are not ideal. 

If you’re satisfied with all of your current clients, and don’t have time to focus on new clients, it may be time to add additional resources.  If you’re not ready to hire an employee you can think about outsourcing. 

HOW TO DETERMINE THE CLIENTS TO SELECT

First define your ideal client (if you haven’t already done so).  Then do some research and identify the clients who fit your profile and create a prioritized list of the people or companies you would love to work with.  Connect with them and begin a dialogue to see if there is a fit.

Are you beginning to see that you can grow your business, with less effort, by re-evaluating your current clients and selecting new clients?

Make the choice to pursue what is good for your business instead of settling for or waiting to see what comes your way. Harness your marketing energy and attention in a focused way to create more profit in your business today!

(c) 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.