This way, even if people have received your business card before, they will have another reason to look up your business because you have given them something new. I was once a member of a networking group where at some point we all passed round our business cards and promotional materials. After a while, I had many of the same thing from each person (only a few were smart enough to surprise us with new pieces every time; even I wasn’t!) and it became the done thing to just dump all the duplicates in the bin after the meeting!

So what varied pieces could you hand out?

• Have 2 different business cards calling for 2 different actions;

• Create print copies of your newsletter (have them designed and printed, not a photocopy of your e-newsletter as this will not come out looking professional);

• Post cards promoting different lead generators (free promotional items that bring prospects onto your database);

• Just be sure not to sell from your promotional pieces as this seldom works. Rather, invite your audience to a free offer and have the system in place to build relationships and convert clients over time.

Need help making sense of your marketing?

Feeling overwhelmed with all it takes to get clients?

Contact me here and let’s schedule a no-cost Exploratory Session to move you forward.

Testimonial:

“I tried you with my industry to see how you would bring your knowledge to bear in such an unusual field. Within five minutes of our conversation you said something and I knew THIS WAS IT! At that point I knew WE WERE THERE! Your listening skill is superb. I believe it did the magic for you in addressing my peculiar issue perfectly. For me, correct diagnosis of an ailment is key in the healing process. Thank you for the right-on-point, error-free-diagnosis.”
S. Omopariola, Entertainer

]]> http://getcleargetknowngetclients.com/get-clients-vary-your-marketing-materials/feed/ 0 http://getcleargetknowngetclients.com/get-clients-vary-your-marketing-materials/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gcgkgc-programme/~3/7uk76CJuscs/ http://getcleargetknowngetclients.com/are-you-playing-the-waiting-game/#comments Mon, 07 May 2012 08:00:53 +0000 Oma Edoja http://getcleargetknowngetclients.com/?p=2518 Is this you?

You know you need to promote yourself more, raise your rates or step up and play bigger in some way.

But instead you are waiting till you:

• Are more well known;
• Have more qualifications;
• Earn more money;
• Have more experience;
• Have served more clients;
• Have appeared in the media.

Only then, you promise yourself, will you promote your business, charge more, write a book, and speak at events or whatever it is you dream of doing.  Then you keep on acquiring qualifications, buying bells and whistles, marking future launch dates in your calendar and generally hiding under the cover of procrastination. More; more; more! Somehow, what you have or where you are is never enough. And it never will be, I can assure you.

If this describes you, you are playing The Waiting Game. Deep beneath this game is some form of self-sabotage; some fear of moving forward. In some shape or form, there is a payoff to you for holding back. You perceive some kind of secret benefit for staying where you are and those stories you tell are just excuses. Could it be that staying small “pays” you right now because you fear the responsibilities of success? Do you fear becoming seen and known because then you would be under public scrutiny? Or perhaps you hold back because you fear you could fail and then be subject to ridicule.

I have known all of these fears and doubts. But a time came when the attraction of success became stronger than the comfort zone of failure. The strong pull of progress overcame the self-centred desire to hide out. I began taking steps forward in spite of my perceived inadequacies. And the more I stepped forward, the easier it became, the quieter became the nagging doubts and naysayers and the stronger I felt. Till I was no longer afraid of failing, of what people might say or whatever success might hold. Today, I have a clearly defined purpose and mission and no fear can hold me back from reaching for it!

I write this to encourage you today to stop playing The Waiting Game. Stop waiting till you have a perfect web site, till you have written a book, till you have a PhD or a six figure income or till you feel like an expert. Step forward with what you have. You are enough as you are or the dream would not be in your heart.

• Let us not remain in denial. In what way are you playing The Waiting Game? What stories (excuses) are you telling yourself and others?

• What has been the payoff to you for hiding out and holding off on your progress?

• What would be the payoff to you if you succeeded?

• Which would you rather have; the rewards of success or failure? Play The Waiting Game and stick with failure. Take a step forward each day and move closer to success!

• What actions will you take this week to break free of The Waiting Game? What stories will you stop telling yourself? Write this down and commit to it. Get an accountability partner to hold you to it.

Write in and share your journey with me. I would love to cheer you on!

Especially as I’m a new author!

There is an exciting opportunity to be trained for 3 days by some of the world’s top millionaire authors and publishing experts.

THE MILLIONAIRE BOOTCAMP FOR AUTHORS is happening in a few weeks time, from 8th to 10th June, in London, UK.

The weekend is a MUST for anyone who has a big dream of publishing success…

The speakers will show you how to:

* Make £1 million+ sales from your book or e-books.
* Earn $20,000 per month publishing on Kindle.
* Earn £100K from a single speaking engagement.
* Quickly and easily achieve international bestseller status.
* Get your book into most high street stores like WH Smith.
* And much much more…

You’ll also be able to rub shoulders with literary agents and publishers on the look out for new talent.

Book your ticket here.

Research has shown that most books sell 3000 copies or less… and most authors earn book advances of just £5K.

So if you’re serious about the success of your book, you really can’t afford to miss this ‘one-off’ event.

I’ll be there, I hope you will too!

Warm wishes

Oma Edoja

PS. For a limited time only, you’ll also get £1K of free publishing bonuses,

if you buy your ticket right now.

Check it out here.

The song “Take Five” first came out in 1959 and has since officially been covered 33 times by many great artists [Source: Wikipedia]. However, NO ONE does it like Al Jarreau, with his signature, hard-if-at-all-possible-to-copy scatting! Once you hear this version, you know without a doubt that it is Al. And once you attend an Al Jarreau concert, you know you will hear some scatting! No one performs this great vocal art form like he does!

Now, here’s the personal branding lesson:

You may not be the first person in your field or industry to do whatever it is you do. And you may not be the only one. BUT you can be the only one who does it the way you do! With your unique combination of skills, talents, experiences and achievements you can whip up your own unique and authentic flavour. This is the one thing that will attract your loyal clients and customers. They will develop a taste for you and nothing else will do!

So what is your unique and authentic flavour?

Don’t be too shy or embarrassed to express it.

It’s your money maker!

And by the way, enjoy the music if you love Al Jarreau and jazz.

Just take the lesson if you don’t!

Your assignment:

1. Find out from your clients what attracted them to you and why they stay with you.

Keep on doing it!

2. If a prospect chooses the competition over you, find out what influenced their decision.

Consider doing what the competition does and if it will work for you, do it better, faster, cheaper and whatever-matters-to-your-clients-er!

What are your challenges with standing out authentically?

Share them below and I’ll share a tip or two with you.

There’s a hot challenge and a fantastic prize waiting there for you!

What Do They REALLY, REALLY Want?

Your target audience is definitely looking for something. And if you can give them what they REALLY, REALLY want you will never lack clients! Notice I have put the word “really” in capitals. This is because you may have a fair idea of what your potential clients want, but from years of experience, I can tell you they are only telling you half the story! You need to know the other half to become a client magnet!

An example: Valerie runs a fitness centre for women. The majority of her clients are middle aged professional women looking to lose weight and get in shape. Wanting to increase her client base, Valerie set out to survey and chat with her target audience, offering trial classes as rewards for survey participation. What she discovered from this research eventually doubled Valerie’s client base in a few short weeks and their numbers continue to increase.

Valerie discovered that her typical client wanted to lose weight and get in shape; nothing new there. But underneath this desire was a mid life crisis where these women were beginning to feel insecure due to their changing bodies, unwanted post-baby fat, the onset of menopause and the spill-over loss of confidence and doubts about their professional capabilities. Valerie decided to bring a life coach on board to work with the women regarding these issues. The result was that her test clients began to feel better about themselves and their bodies, become more confident and better equipped to handle midlife, got better results from using the gym and began to experience the positive ripple effects in the rest of their lives. Valerie had discovered what these women REALLY wanted and had made it easier for them to get it via her 2-in-1 get fit, feel good solution!

Valerie then decided to add in one life coaching session as a membership perk to all her regular members, with the option to upgrade to premium membership where a monthly coaching session became part of the package. Not only did word spread but premium membership grew. And so did Valerie’s revenue!

The moral of the story is: your clients and prospects are usually telling only half the story. Find out what they really want (there is always a story beneath the story!) and provide it to them. Refer to this in your marketing (not the added features but let them know you understand their true pain) and you will stand out as one who truly cares and understands your clients’ needs, attracting more clients!

Now get to work finding out what your audience REALLY wants!

And if you struggle with this,  join me on the Clarity to Clients Home Study Course.

This a 7-week email course which will, among other things, help you discover who your audience REALLY is (it’s often not who you think; you could be wasting your resources chasing the wrong people. That’s why they keep saying, “I can’t afford it!”), what your audience REALLY wants (the story beneath the story) and how to say this in your marketing to beat the competition and keep on attracting more clients. It’s very affordable and previous participants have come away better equipped to “compete with the Big Boys” and get clients!

Find out more and join the course here.

Your Hot Challenge!

What could be a possible “story beneath the story” for the following businesses’ clients?

(a)    Accountancy firm

(b)   Event catering company

(c)    Cosmetic surgeon

(d)   Romance novelist

(e)    Wedding singer

(f)     Home decorators

(g)    Luxury cruise company

(h)    A comedian!

(i)     Safari adventure company

(j)    Your business (name it here)

Share your responses below!

Fantastic Prize! The best entry will win a 60 minute

“Story Beneath the Story” Coaching Session!

Now what could this be worth to your business?

How many more clients could you get with such insight and clarity?

How much more money could you make?

Imagine how much more effective your marketing could be if you learned to uncover your clients’ “story beneath their story!”

To enter the challenge, copy and paste the above list of businesses in the comments box below and provide your winning responses.

It’s that simple!

Challenge rules:

1. You must respond to all 10 options listed above.

2. Your entry must be made in the comments box below.

3. Your full name and contact details must be provided in the relevant sections below.

4. Entries close at 5pm (UK Time), Friday, 11th May 2012.

5. The winning entry will be published here on this page on Tuesday, 15th May before 5pm (UK Time).

It is your responsibility to check back for the results.

6. The judges’ decision is final!

No pouting, whining, tantrums or blackmail will change this!

You may still post entries after the close of the challenge.

However, such late entries will not be judged and will not be eligible for the winning prize.

Happy brainstorming as you post below!

If your LinkedIn group membership is not helping to grow your business it could well be a waste of your time. I recommend that you evaluate your reasons for being on LinkedIn and why you join each group. Then determine whether these aims are being met, with each of your groups. If any is not proving worth your while, opt out quickly!

Following are 7 ways to get the most from your LinkedIn group membership:

1.    Limit your groups to a manageable number, so you can participate fully, follow up on updates, build your brand while you are at it and make real connections rather than just collecting numbers! To determine what is manageable for you, ask yourself how many groups you can give quality time to and which group’s updates you can regularly read through.

2.    Be a helpful contributor. My motto is: Never seek to reap where you have not first sown. Answer questions, share resources, connect people and be supportive. Walking in this abundance mindset will bring abundance back to you.

3.    Do not wait to be pulled in to the group; hit the ground running! Get busy making acquaintances as soon as you join a group. Be proactive and begin as you mean to go on – as a helpful resource to the group.

4.    Be sure to have a professionally taken picture of you on your profile. People connect with people, so personalize your profile. This is what sets you apart from larger, impersonal organizations. Get over your shyness and start putting yourself out there. You cannot do business under cover! You are not expected to be a beauty queen, just identifiable from your picture. It is a big plus for me whenever I attend events and people recognize me from social media. This gets the rapport going right from the start because they feel like they already know me!

5.    If you find a great person to connect with on LinkedIn, take things offline. Have a phone conversation or meet up in person. Send your letter of introduction. If you find that you are both attending an event, arrange to meet up there. The key is to get acquainted this way BEFORE you need people’s help. Then, when opportunities come up, you already have the know-like-trust factor in place and can expect a positive outcome.

6.    Remember that LinkedIn is for networking, not sales pitching! It is a place where you make social interactions and get to know people first, and then things can progress to business. If necessary, start learning relationship-building skills. In today’s
business world, you need them!

7.    Log in and participate regularly, to keep the momentum going. You do not need to spend all day on LinkedIn. You can schedule weekly appointments with yourself for social media and get a lot of connecting done in a short time. Be sure to show up where your target audience, ideal referral partners and possible collaborators are on LinkedIn. You want to become visible and be remembered!

I call these The 7 Habits of Highly Effective LinkedIn Users!  If you have any more tips that work for you as a LinkedIn group
member please share them in the comments box below. And if any of these tips are helpful to you, please share this too.
Got questions? Post them below and I’ll respond.

UPDATE 1: The great people at FactBrowser.com have just graciously alerted me to the original source of the statistics I attributed to them in this post. The researchers are PowerFormula.net and they have more info on LinkedIn usage, plus a beautiful infographic here:
http://www.powerformula.net/blog.html?p=2347

Thanks again, FactBrowser.net. You’re doing great work, by the way!

Oma

UPDATE 2: I recently came across a good argument, in favour of joining the maximum allowed number of 50 LinkedIn groups. The proponent stated that being in such a large number of groups would help you get found by more people. Regarding the high volume of emails one would then start to receive in the way of group updates, the proponent recommended switching off the email permission settings for all but your top 10 or so groups.

Great point, I say! And if this will work for you, go for it and get joining! However, I am still inclined to build deeper than wider. It is my natural tendency to build fewer but deeper relationships. The opposite, to me, would be many “shallow” ones and I don’t do “shallow!”
I just thought it fair to share an opposing view to mine, in case this is more your style. In which case, go for it!

But as for me and my house, we will continue to build fewer and deeper!

Oma

Are you a female entrepreneur who is:

• Passionate about what you do, but unable to communicate this in a way that gets you clients?

• Frustrated with all the marketing you have tried and money spent that yielded little or no results?

• Challenged and stressed by ever changing technology and market trends?

• Hard pressed to find a way out soon or risk losing your business and returning to employment?

I have been in all of these situations and very thankful that I did not quit!

I have found the way forward and would love to share this with you.

I invite you to join me for this sharp-shooting teleclass where I share what it takes to make a powerful impact in our current economic climate ON A LOW BUDGET and IN RECORD TIME!

Join me now for this educational and informative teleclass where I will show you:

• The Problem: 16 reasons your marketing no longer works (one of the top 10 reasons for businesses failing in the first 5 years is poor marketing skills, you do not want to be one of them!);

• The Analysis: How this is impacting your life, business and the difference you are here to make, in ways you may not have imagined;

• The Solution: What you need to do to turn things around and make this work (do nothing or do the wrong thing and it could get worse, expensively!);

• The Results: How to stand out in today’s crowded market place and attract your ideal clients (with 15,000 new businesses registered each month in the UK alone, you definitely want to stand out!);

• The Way Forward: How you can make a drastic change and get better results with your marketing, ON A LOW BUDGET and IN RECORD TIME!

I will also introduce to you my brand new 90 Day Power Impact Program where we will be supported by my carefully selected branding and copywriting experts!

PLUS I am giving away Part One of my audio series:

The Purpose Driven Business Woman

to ALL live attendees (value £27) where you will learn how to identify and stand out with your authentic business purpose and more.

Imagine that! You attend a free teleclass and leave with a £27 gift from the presenter, not to mention the great content in the teleclass!

You will leave this teleclass with:

• Your marketing questions answered;
• Clarity in place of confusion, and
• Access to the expert support needed to move you forward.
• PLUS my bonus audio worth £27 if you attend live!

REMEMBER: This is a FREE teleclass!

All you need to do is attend and get the full scoop (PLUS bonus audio recording)!

This is content I would normally reserve for my paying clients but for a limited time I am granting access to you!

If you are unable to attend live, there will be a recording. However,

• I will be sharing some time-sensitive information with limited access in the teleclass, and

• The FREE bonus, Part One of my audio series, The Purpose Driven Business Woman (value £27) is only for LIVE attendees.

I therefore recommend that you attend live!

Simply click the link above and register at the event page.

And invite a friend! Share this link to the event page with them:

http://tinyurl.com/cw8uzou

I look forward to meeting with you on the teleclass! Register here.

Do you want to get the attention of your potential clients?

Your communications must address the things that matter to your ideal clients. This could be your website, fliers, business cards, social media updates, elevator pitch, blog posts, email signatures or any marketing messages you send out. There is no magic formula for grabbing interest other than talking about the things that matter to your ideal clients.

If your homepage, or any page on your website for that matter, focuses solely on you – your qualifications and experience, your awards and accolades – it will be no wonder that your website is not bringing in any business. If all you do on social media or at networking events is to blast out sales pitches, you are sending out self-centered messages which will yield little or no results.

Your assignment:

1. Go through all of your marketing materials, including your marketing message or elevator pitch. Are they “self-centered” or “prospect-centered?” If you were your own prospect, would your current marketing appeal to you? Could a 10 year old child read your website, hear your elevator pitch and easily tell who you help and how?

2. Interview your potential ideal clients to find out their pressing problems. Then highlight these and how you help solve these problems in your marketing communications. You will get much better results with this “prospect-centered” approach than if you rambled on all about yourself!

For more on how to make a powerful impact and grab the attention of your ideal clients, join me this Thursday, 12^th April for my new teleclass, “How to Make a Powerful Impact on A low Budget and In Record Time” here.

Missed the date? Leave a comment below and I’ll show you how to access the recording.

Here it is: “Pick up the phone and call all pending prospects!”

That’s it! Call all your pending prospects and help them make a decision.

Your pending prospects are those whom you have had selling conversations with about your products or services who have not yet bought from you. “Won’t I be bothering them,” you ask? Not if you have done your marketing correctly! In which case they will be expecting to hear from you! When you call, ask if this is a good time to talk. Then talk if it is, or reschedule if it is not.

Next, make them a very juicy, irresistible offer and say it expires in 7 days. 

Go over the returns you will deliver on their investment, so they see the value you offer. Then ask for a decision.

If you get a YES, great! If you get a NOT NOW, ask to schedule a follow up call and in the mean time keep building the relationship.

If you get a NO, ask to stay in touch, stay abreast with their developments and watch for a new opportunity to solve other problems for them. Most importantly, USE YOUR PHONE! If you do not, your competitors will!

Your prospects are very likely busy people and may never call you, even if they need you. So when you call them, you are actually being helpful! You are helping them overcome procrastination and indecision and to either work with you or not. But it is important to GET A DECISION and not leave things pending, so you can allocate your time and resources to your viable prospects. It might take this phone call to decide whether they are or not, and to move prospects back into your pipeline if they are not viable today. Without the call, you could be expending your efforts on the wrong people at the wrong time, resulting in frustration, no sales and even a bad reputation!

So that’s it; very simple, yet very effective. Pick up your phone and call all pending prospects a.k.a.  “low hanging fruit,” since they are just about ripe for plucking! And what happens when you let ripe fruit “fall” by itself? It gets bruised and is in no condition to be eaten. Do not let your prospects “get bruised” or snapped up by your more proactive competitors!

NOW, THIS WILL ONLY WORK IF YOU TAKE ACTION! So stop second guessing and GET DOING!

Create your list of PENDING PROSPECTS today and start calling this week.

Are you wondering why your leaflets “aren’t working?”

Learn 4 tips to inspire response and get clients with leafleting.

Are your questions still not answered?

Share them in the comments box below and I’ll respond.