I first began reading Book Yourself Solid and doing the exercises in November of 2009. It revolutionized  the way I see clients and do business. Now I only work with the clients I want to. Here are the words that made the difference –  “Why have clients, or anyone for that matter, in your life who zap your energy and leave you feeling empty…If you are working with people with whom you do not do your best work, you are out of integrity.” (Book Yourself Solid pp. 5 – 6)

For me – nothing is more important than your own personal integrity.

On June 2, 2010 I received an email newsletter from Michael Port –  “The Book Yourself Solid List of 20″! It was brilliant! I sent it to lots of other people and began to draw up my own list to develop a new professional working relationships; people who eventually would know what I do –  see the value of what I have to offer  – and refer clients to me. I took and created every opportunity I could in media and business and did it with sincerity. Being authentic is key as well as giving top level customer service. I sent e-mails, left voice mails, wrote letters to my top 20 and kept it on a rotating basis just as Michael suggested…one each day, move them to the bottom of the list and start at the top the next day. The list is right on my desk. It is an excellent and very satisfying process and the results are moving and so profitable. I  made some great new relationships with people that I just treasure and feel tremendously grateful to.

One huge success is this – on August 26, a story about me and my career as a Professional Life Coach was published in two (2) Long Island, NY newspapers – The Suffolk Times and The Riverhead Review. The interview came out of my genuine desire to have other peoples know about the modality of life coaching; to give people hope in their lives, something positive when the newspapers and TV are reporting tough stuff on the economy, war, unemployment, debt… which can really bury and discourage you.

I built a relationship with the reporter that matters to me. I  researched her articles and truly wanted to know who she was and what mattered to her. I have been steady with my wish list and the process and the strategy work! Be creative – be honest – be patient and be ready for surprising results!

How did it happen? By following Michael Port’s advice and creating a BYS List of 20. I’m still shocked by the amazing success I’m having implementing Michael’s, Book Yourself Solid List of 20.

I have 20 + years of business experience to back this up and as far as I am concerned – Michael Port has written THE best book I have ever read on building your own business, developing your “ideal” clients, sales, and service. He is not only the authority but a Champion!

From beginning to end of Book Yourself Solid, I was completely engaged, challenged, motivated, stimulated, supported and educated about the process of selecting your ideal client; gaining their trust and building the kind of solid, profitable and successful business you have always dreamed about.

Michael Port’s book and weekly e-mails have had a powerful and good affect on my life and business. I love this process and thank him with unlimited gratitude for the value he offers all serious business people. You’ll also have fun!   As Michael always says, “Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be of service.” If you’d like to contact me you can do so via email or phone: 646 387 2280.

What is the value, for example, of having the talent and skills to create a compelling web presence for a small business owner or maybe a training manual for a corporation?

Is it the length of time is takes for you to produce it, or the number of pages created, or, how about the number of images used?

The answer is… D, none of the above.

How long it takes you to write something, or design something, or think up an idea, or even the amount of time you spend with a client, is irrelevant. What (should) matter to the client is the financial, emotional, physical, and spiritual return on investment your product or service offers.

When people ask me how they should price their offers I always suggest two things:

1. Offer services at various price points (low to high) so so you can make offers that are proportinoate to the amount of trust you’ve earned — so that clients can enter your sales cycle with ease.

And…

2. Think about the value you provide rather than just the stuff you sell.

Take these two offers that help you grow your business as an example.

1. We can either work together in a large group (over the phone and Internet) in the Book Yourself Solid Video Webinar Series for as little as $99.

Or…

2. We can work together in a very small group (at my house) focusing on any part of your business in my Personal Mentoring Program for $1999.

How do I describe the difference and value (AKA: benefits) so clients know which to choose?

As follows…

If you’re just starting out and are having trouble marketing your services, the webinar is for you because we focus on the fundamentals of building a marketing system for your business so you can get booked solid.

If you’ve been in business for a while and have hit a platou and are feeling stuck or overwhelmed, the small group workshop is for you because we focus on how to build a bigger, scalable, more leveraged, and profitable business that makes more money while you work less.

Focus on the solution and the benefits the solution provides.

You see in each description I focus on the problem that exists along with some of the benefits that each offer will produce. Not a laundry list. Just a key point or two.

I’ll also mention that, whether you choose the webinar or the workshop at my house, you’ll accomplish more in two days then you might have thought possible.

Offer incentives that encourage people to take action.

You can also create urgency through pricing incentives and time-limited, space-limited discounts. (As long as it’s all true.)

For example…

The video webinar series (recordings will be available) has an unlimited number of spots available but only 100 are offered at the discounted priced of $99. 84 of those spots are taken. Only 16 are left.

The workshop at my house, is only open to 8 people. 6 spots are taken. Only 2 are left.

Always, always, always make it easy for your potential clients to reach you.

Like this…

Call (877-279-5220) or write with any questions.

Simple.

Free options for those net yet ready.

And, finally, remember to give potential clients free options from which they can get value if they’re not ready to work with you. Like this…

Of course, you might not need the help. In that case, pass on your success to someone else by finding a way to pay it forward. In the meantime, you can still get value from reading some of my recent blog posts:

The Difference Between Target Market and Niche
Newspapers are a Joke But They Can Teach You Marketing
The Booked Solid Video Marketing Strategy

That’s all for today. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be of service to you.

You may have heard both of these terms before, and you may have heard them used interchangeably. However, in the Book Yourself Solid system, they are not synonymous.

There’s an important distinction between the two:

• Your target market is the group of people you serve.
• Your niche is the service you specialize in offering to your target market.

For example, you and I may both serve the same target market, say, service professionals, but offer them different services. I might specialize in getting clients and you might help them create systems for their business.

A simple but important distinction, nonetheless. What do you think?

1. You execute a few of the 7 Core Self-Promotion strategies, which create awareness for what you have to offer.
2. When a potential client becomes aware of your services they’ll take a look at your foundation. If it looks secure, if they feel comfortable stepping onto it, they’ll give you the opportunity to earn their trust–but only the opportunity. They’re not necessarily going to hire you right then and there. They need some time before they will actually trust you.
3. That’s when your plan to build trust and credibility comes into play. As a potential client moves through your sales cycle, they will come  to like you, trust you and find you credible.
4. When their circumstances dictate that they need the kind of help you provide, they’ll raise their hand and ask you to have a sales conversation. You have a sales conversation and book the business.

The process is simple. The process is sound. It can turn your business life around. And, most importantly, the process is a complete, repetitive, and self-perpetuating system. It’s what I’m going to teach you in the $99, two-day Book Yourself Solid video webinar program.

Notice how there isn’t actually that much marketing in the system? Instead, most of your efforts are spent on engagement.

I believe that if you have something to say, if you have a message to deliver, and if there are people you want to serve, then there are people in this world whom you are meant to serve. Not kinda, sorta, because they’re in your target market… but meant to – that’s the way the universe is set up if you’re in the business of serving others.

If you don’t understand this now, you will when you enroll in the video webinar program.

Marketing and sales aren’t about trying to convince, coerce, or manipulate people into buying your services. It’s about putting yourself out in front of, and offering your services to, those whom you are meant to serve – people who already need and are looking for your services.

In the 2-day Book Yourself Solid Webinar….

• We’ll begin by building a foundation for your service business that is unshakable. If you are truly serious about becoming a super-successful  service professional, you must have a steadfast foundation on which to stand.

• You will then be ready to create and implement a strategy for building trust and credibility. You’ll be considered a credible expert in your field and you’ll start to earn the trust of the people you’d like to serve.

• You’ll price your offerings in the sweet spot of the customer’s desires and you’ll know how to have sales conversations of the highest integrity that work.

• Then, and only then, will you execute the seven core self-promotion strategies, thereby creating awareness for the valuable services you offer by using promotional strategies that are based on your talents–strategies that feel authentic and honest.

To help you design a service business overflowing with clients who inspire and energize you, during the video webinar, I’ll give you exercises and action steps that will support you in thinking bigger about your business. Step-by-step I walk you through the actions you need to complete on the path to serving as many clients as your heart desires.

Click here to learn more.

Let me know if you have any questions, ok? Email: questions@michaelport.com. Phone: 877-279-5220.

1. The Wall Street Journal is read by the people who run the country.
2. The Washington Post is read by people who think they run the country.
3. The New York Times is read by people who think they should run the country and who are very good at crossword puzzles.
4. USA Today is read by people who think they ought to run the country but don’t really understand The New York Times. They do, however, like their statistics shown in pie charts.
5. The Los Angeles Times is read by people who wouldn’t mind running the country — if they could find the time — and if they didn’t have to leave Southern California to do it.
6. The Boston Globe is read by people whose parents used to run the country and did a poor job of it, thank you very much.
7. The New York Daily News is read by people who aren’t too sure who’s running the country and don’t really care as long as they can get a seat on the train.
8. The New York Post is read by people who don’t care who is running the country as long as they do something really scandalous, preferably while intoxicated.
9. The Miami Herald is read by people who are running another country but need the baseball scores.
10. The San Francisco Chronicle is read by people who aren’t sure if there is a country or that anyone is running it; but if so, they oppose all that they stand for. There are occasional exceptions if the leaders are handicapped minority feminist atheist dwarfs who also happen to be illegal aliens from any other country, or galaxy.
11. The National Enquirer is read by people trapped in line at the grocery store.
12. The Minneapolis Star Tribune is read by people who have recently caught a walleye ice fishing and need something in which to wrap it.

Think about it. Each paper speaks to the world view of a particular “group” of people. If you are part of the group that reads that Wall Street Journal and you see someone else reading The Journal you feel connected to them. You are part of the same group, or as Seth Godin would say, tribe.

This is the job of the marketer – to make you feel like you’re part of something, that your world view is right and is shared by others who are also right.