Guest Article: From Prospect to Client in 30 Seconds

Editor's Note: When you're selling a $200-$400 service over the phone, you can't expect people to make a decision right away (at least not always!) Be sure to collect contact information from prospects and develop a follow-up strategy to convert some of these prospects into clients in the longer term.


By C.J. Hayden, MCC
Author, Get Clients Now

The process of converting a prospect to a client can seem like it takes forever. You meet or get a phone call from a prospective client, follow up with him or her over time, and hopefully have a chance to make a sales presentation or schedule an initial consultation (on-site estimate) at no charge. Then you follow up some more, trying to close the sale. Months can pass between your first encounter and getting the prospect to sign on the bottom line.

How do you keep following up for all that time without being a pest? Is asking prospects over and over, "Are you ready to buy yet?" the best way to go about it? How can you build the trust of your prospects enough that they become willing to take the risk of hiring you?

The answer to these bothersome questions just might be found in this simple idea. Treat those prospects as if they were already your clients -- they just haven't paid you yet.

Imagine what it would be like to treat every prospective client you encounter as if you were already working together. Every time you contact your prospects, you offer an article they might be interested in, an introduction to someone who might help them with a goal, or an invitation to an upcoming event.

The impact of this kind of generosity on your prospective clients can be dramatic. Instead of considering your calls or e-mails an interruption, they will welcome hearing from you. They will no longer count you as a salesperson or vendor, but rather as a valuable resource and important person to know.

I'm not talking about giving away the store. I don't recommend providing the client with free inventory services, spending hours addressing their questions at no charge, or otherwise practicing your profession without pay. It is completely appropriate to ask for and expect payment for doing your professional work.

But what I am suggesting is a shift in your attitude, to being of service instead of selling a service. Give your prospects a taste of just how valuable you could be to them if they were to hire you. Be generous with the information and contacts you already have at your disposal. It only takes a few minutes to pass along a phone number, clipping, or helpful web site, but the impact can be unforgettable. Send them a free guide to conducting their home inventory. (I guarantee 95% of them won't finish it, and we all know there are plenty of *free* resources for how to conduct an inventory available online.)

The fastest way to turn a prospect into a client may be simply to change how you think about them.

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Copyright C.J. Hayden.
To subscribe to the "Get Clients Now!" e-newsletter
visit http://www.getclientsnow.com

Guest Author: 10 Ways to Get Your Marketing Unstuck

By C.J. Hayden, MCC
Author, Get Clients Now

Have you ever found yourself knowing exactly what you need to do about marketing your home inventory service business... and then not doing it? You are not alone. Many self-employed professionals find that the hardest part of marketing isn't figuring out what to do. What's hard is actually doing it.

Marketing yourself can be a confronting process. Making phone calls to strangers, writing marketing letters, and talking about yourself and your accomplishments can bring up fear of rejection, harsh commentary from your inner critic, feelings of incompetence, and the discomfort of performing unfamiliar activities. If you let them, these inner saboteurs can stop you dead in your tracks.

The good news is that you don't have to completely eliminate these internal roadblocks in order to move forward in marketing. It is possible to feel afraid or uncomfortable and still take useful action despite the presence of these feelings. Here are ten ways to quickly break through internal barriers and get your marketing unstuck.

1. Recreate your vision. When you're feeling blocked from moving forward, remember why you wanted to go there in the first place. What was your original vision of the business you are trying to build? Who will your work benefit? What fulfillment or satisfaction will it provide you? Write down your vision of a successful business, or if you've written it down before, pull it out and re-read it. Allow your own words to re-inspire you to do the necessary hard work.

2. Design a reward. Sometimes your vision may seem a bit too far off, and you need some more immediate gratification. Choosing to reward yourself for a job well done can provide you with a positive near-term benefit for effort that might not pay off for a while. Promise yourself simple rewards for completing difficult marketing chores like making follow-up calls or writing web site copy.

The prospect of a special dinner, a movie with your significant other, or a new gadget for your favorite hobby can help you to push past the blocks and get things done. Rewards don't even have to cost money. Sometimes the promise of a bubble bath, walk in the park, or an hour reading a good book is all the incentive you need to take on a tough marketing challenge.

3. Tame the inner critic. Often when you're feeling stuck, what's going on in your head is a conversation with your inner critic, who seems to have a lot to say about sales and marketing. It's difficult to work on promoting yourself when you are hearing a constant stream of comments like: "You're not good enough," "They won't like you," or "Who do you think you are?"

It can help to remember that the inner critic often says things that simply aren't true. One way to counter this negative dialogue is to respond with the objective truth. For example: "Clients tell me I'm good at what I do," "My clients are grateful when they get their finished home inventory," "Many people say they like me quite a bit," or "I'm a competent professional, thank you very much." When you answer confidently with statements of fact, messages from the inner critic often begin to lose their power.

4. Face your fear. One of the most common obstacles to being successful at marketing is fear. Marketing activities may evoke fears of rejection, disapproval, embarrassment, and a host of other catastrophes. Instead of pretending the fear isn't there, or attempting to ignore it, you may find it more effective to confront the fear directly.

Try to identify exactly what you are afraid of. What do you fear will happen if you make that call or go to that meeting? If you can identify the specific fear that is blocking you, it may be possible to soothe it by providing reassuring information or positive experience. For example, fear of rejection can often be lessened by setting up practice selling sessions where a role-playing partner responds with "yes" to every suggestion you make.

5. Get a pep talk. When you become discouraged, don't be afraid to ask for outside help to cheer up and start feeling positive again. Ask a friend, colleague, networking group member, or your coach to give you some words of encouragement. Sometimes all you need to hear is: "It was tough for me in the beginning too... Eventually my efforts paid off... You're doing all the right things... I know you can do it!"

6. Complain and clear it out. Feeling frustrated and negative can sometimes immobilize you. One method of clearing negative thoughts is to voice what you are experiencing to a caring person. Spend a full five minutes complaining about everything that's going wrong with your marketing, making sure to say exactly how it makes you feel. Then ask your listener to reflect your feelings back to you. Knowing that someone else hears and understands you may be all you need to let go of a negative attitude and get back to work.

7. Read your fan mail. In the regular course of serving your clients, you've probably received thank-you notes, grateful voice mail messages, and other evidence that you're doing a good job. (The first time a client has to use the inventory you created for them after a loss is an "aha!" moment for you and for them!) Make a habit of saving these in a "fan mail" folder, and when you are feeling low, revisit all the nice things people have said about you. Remembering what a good job you do when you are working can encourage you to do the necessary marketing to get more work.

8. Quit; then start fresh. There may be days when you feel discouraged enough to just throw in the towel. Maybe you should do it. The act of quitting can be very cathartic. Proclaim: "I quit!" Perhaps even write yourself a resignation letter. Then take off the rest of the day, and don't even think about work. It's a good bet that after you have a chance to blow off some steam, you'll be ready to come back the following day re-energized.

9. Change the scene. Marketing can feel difficult and lonely when you're always slaving away by yourself in your home office. Try carrying out some of your challenging marketing tasks from a different location or with some company. Make cold calls from the patio, write a marketing letter in a busy coffee shop, or take turns with a colleague helping each other set up a good contact management system. Seeing a different view or enjoying companionship while you work may help you to complete tasks you have been avoiding.

10. Act as if. Whenever you feel incompetent about some area of marketing, you may be able to tackle those activities anyway if you simply try to act as if you were competent. Try playing the role of someone you admire. For example, what if you were Lauren Bacall? How would she make a follow-up call? Or how about if you were Martin Luther King? How would he introduce himself in front of a group? A short time pretending to be someone you think of as confident and capable can make those qualities rub off on you.

The next time your marketing feels stuck, try one of these methods to help you get back into action quickly. Marketing tasks are really only as hard as you think they are, so if you can find an easy way out, why not take it?

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Copyright C.J. Hayden.
To subscribe to the "Get Clients Now!" e-newsletter
visit http://www.getclientsnow.com

Guest Article: Wanted -- 100 Referral Partners

By C.J. Hayden
Author, Get Clients Now!

If you've been in business for more than five minutes, you already know that the best way for any self-employed professional to get clients is by referral. But the process of building sufficient word of mouth to produce the number of clients you need can seem daunting. You can count on some referrals from your existing clients and people who already know you, but that's a fairly limited number. How can you start getting referrals from people outside your circle?

Actually, a better question is how to increase the size of your circle to include more people. In order to refer you business, people need to know, like, and trust you. They want to be sure that you will take good care of the clients they send you. For that, they'd like to be better acquainted than just hearing your name.

Imagine that you had a group of 100 people who were willing to refer clients to you. Now, imagine further that this "circle of 100" were people whose own work put them in touch with your potential clients every day. Sounds ideal, doesn't it? Building a circle like this of your own may be easier than you think.

One of my clients, a graphic designer, set about doing exactly this when she first launched her business. She identified a list of people in her city who were likely to be strong referral sources, and began methodically making their acquaintance. Within a few months, she had a steady stream of new clients. Better still, since all these clients were referrals, they were usually ready to do business when they first contacted her, and required little selling on her part.

To use this approach effectively, it's not just a matter of knowing enough people. You have to know the right people. Here's how to begin:

1. Create a most-wanted list of ten occupational categories whose members are frequently in touch with the type of client you desire. For example, a graphic designer who specializes in working with small start-up businesses might choose accountants, attorneys, bankers, business coaches and consultants, business teachers, career counselors, entrepreneurship center staff, office supply vendors, printers, and secretarial services.

2. Make the acquaintance of ten people in each occupation. Seek them out, meet with them, and familiarize them with your expertise and the benefits of the service you offer. Find out more about what they do and the type of clients they serve so you can refer business to them as well.

3. When you connect with someone who seems open to sending you referrals from time to time, you have found a referral partner. Add their name to your list. Ten people times ten occupations equals your circle of 100.

No matter what your business is, if you can define your niche, you can identify others that serve it. A marketing consultant might target web designers, copywriters, and graphic artists. A massage therapist could seek out chiropractors, acupuncturists, and yoga instructors. If you have trouble coming up with a list of occupations, ask your current clients who else they currently do business with.

When you have a specific goal like this in mind, your networking can become much more focused. As you meet new people, you'll be able to decide just from looking at the title on their business card whether following up with them should be part of your plan. Whenever you meet someone whose occupation matches one on your list, ask, "I think we might be able to refer each other clients. Can we get together and talk about that?"

Share your most-wanted list with others, and ask for introductions to people they already know. For example, if accountants are on your list, ask your clients, colleagues, and friends who their accountant is. Or if you are seeking business instructors, ask friends for the names of instructors they have taken business classes from.

When you aren't able to make enough connections through networking and your existing contacts, don't be afraid to just look them up. You can find people in almost any occupation listed in your local phone directory or on the web. If you approach them as a colleague and express your desire for the two of you to help each other be more successful, you'll find many people willing to get better acquainted.

Regardless of how you first get in touch, some of the people you talk to won't be receptive to getting to know you better or the idea of referring each other business. That's okay. You only need ten names for each occupation, and there are plenty of people to choose from. Just move on to the next possibility.

Also, don't be concerned if you fear that you won't have any referrals to give the people you're talking to. Neither of you are making a promise to send each other clients; you are simply expanding your circles to increase the likelihood of that happening. As you get to know more people in your niche, it's quite likely that you will find yourself making referrals more often.

One of the most useful elements of this strategy is that it is both simple and systematic. All you have to do is look at your most-wanted list, and you'll know right away what needs to be done next. Do you need to add more occupations, or do you need more new names in any group to reach your total of 100? Just follow the suggestions above until you get there.

Once you have 100 names listed, you can change your tactics from getting acquainted to following up. Stay in touch with everyone on your list at least once per quarter. With only 100 names, you should be able to do that easily.

Over time, you may find that some of the people in your circle aren't particularly good referral sources. That's to be expected. The reason you want so many names to start with is that only a few of them will consistently refer. You can always add more names later to replace some of the people who don't seem as helpful. It's likely, though, that just a few steady referral partners will be more than enough to keep you busy.

--C.J. Hayden is the author of Get Clients Now!™ Thousands of business owners and independent professionals have used her simple sales and marketing system to double or triple their income. Get a free copy of "Five Secrets to Finding All the Clients You'll Ever Need" at www.getclientsnow.com.

Guest Author: Am I Doing Something Wrong?

By CJ Hayden, author of "Get Clients Now"
Clients and readers often ask me to help them figure out what's wrong with their marketing. The first question I ask is how much marketing they have been doing. Assuming you HAVE been actively promoting yourself, and making sufficient contacts for the level of business you want, here are some other ways in which your marketing might need fixing.

> There are three areas you should examine -- the package of services you are offering, your marketing strategy, and your sales methods. Your package of services should meet the following requirements:

1. You are offering something people believe that they need.
2. Your clients perceive the value of your services to be
equivalent to the price you're charging.
3. Your services are available where and when clients need them.
4. You are able to inspire the liking and trust of your clients.
5. There's enough business for everybody in your field,
or your competitors have no overwhelming advantages.

If these requirements are met, the problem may lie with your sales and marketing techniques. Your marketing strategy is everything you do to get in contact with a prospective customer and make them think positively about you. Your sales methods are the steps you take to turn that positive contact into a paying client.

Here are some of the most common sales and marketing mistakes that consultants, professionals, and other service businesses make:

* Not choosing a target market. You can't market to everybody. There isn't enough time in the day or money in your bank account to reach out to everyone who could possibly hire you. If you choose a specific category of client who has a compelling need for your services (and who you enjoy working with), you can tailor your marketing message, and focus your strategy.

* Relying on advertising. People rarely find a professional from an ad, even one in a targeted publication. While advertising does build your visibility, it's more expensive and less effective than other visibility-builders like writing articles and giving talks.

* Broadcasting a fuzzy marketing message. If people can't understand what you do, they can't figure out if they need you. You should develop a clear, concise description of your services that can be understood by people who aren't familiar with your field.

* Lack of follow-up. A single contact is rarely enough to make someone remember you. Find ways to keep in touch with prospective clients or referral sources on a regular basis.

* Failing to establish a clear path to the sale. At the end of every conversation or letter, be sure to spell out the next step for the client to take if they want to do business with you. If they're not yet ready to buy, suggest a meeting, tell them you'll call in a week, or ask if you can contact them again next month.

* Expecting short-term results from long-term strategies. While networking is often the best marketing strategy there is, the results are rarely immediate. Don't give up on making contacts and following up because you don't get business right away.

Finally, be aware of the possibility that you may be doing everything right! It often takes many months to close a particular sale. Some clients can't use you right now, but may be eager to hire you next year. Others are very interested in going forward, but need time to get management approval or resolve money issues.

If you're offering the right package to the right clients, delivering a clear and consistent marketing message, and working hard to close every potential sale, the only missing element may be patience.


--C.J. Hayden is the author of Get Clients Now!™ Thousands of business owners and independent professionals have used her simple sales and marketing system to double or triple their income. Get a free copy of "Five Secrets to Finding All the Clients You'll Ever Need" at www.getclientsnow.com.

Guest Author: Do You Know Who Your Clients Are?

By CJ Hayden, author of "Get Clients Now"
If you haven't defined a target market for your business or private practice, you may actually be preventing yourself from getting clients. I often hear professionals and entrepreneurs say they don't want to "limit" themselves by narrowing their marketing focus to a particular group. But the truth is that having a target market doesn't limit your marketing; it aims it.

When clients show up at your door, you can choose to work with them regardless of whether they belong in your target market. But to go out and find new clients, you need some kind of organizing principle for your outreach efforts. The universe is simply too big to market to everyone in it.

Here are four more reasons why choosing a target market is so essential:

1. Targeting allows you to position yourself in the marketplace. With a particular type of client in mind, you can create an identity that appeals to exactly that group. A clear marketing identity will enable you to project a consistent image to those you wish to reach, and take advantage of the market appeal of factors like exclusivity and specialization.

2. Marketing to a defined group of clients will cost you less in both time and money. You will be able to locate leads and reach out to prospects much more easily, because you will be able to quickly identify who they are. With significantly less effort, you will be able to find places where clients gather, call them, mail them, and meet with them.

3. You can get to know your market better. When marketing to a finite universe, it becomes much more possible to meet your client base in person, build referral relationships, and increase word-of-mouth. You'll be able to learn more about your market's problems and concerns, and can tailor your services and your marketing messages more closely to match what they are seeking.

4. Targeting makes it possible to use attraction marketing. Broadcasting your marketing message to a mass audience is prohibitively expensive, no matter how you do it. Media advertising, trade show booths, direct mail, and publicity campaigns can reach thousands of people, but the cost can exceed the return. When you limit your audience to a group you can more easily reach, you can attract them through the lower-cost strategies of networking, writing, and speaking.

Defining a target market is not quite so simple as saying it is "anyone who needs my services." That won't help you locate prospective clients, or even identify them when you run across them. You need to describe your desired market by a label or category, the more specific the better. That way you can look them up or seek them out.

For example, "busy professionals" or "midsize organizations" are fair definitions, but "upscale baby-boomers" or "growing high-tech companies" would be better, because they further qualify your target. Categories like "professional women in health care" or "financial services firms in the Seattle area" are excellent, because you can find them in a directory or on a membership roster.

Beware the temptation to leave your target market broad. When you do this, your client universe remains too large and you will once again be spread too thin. You would be better served by carefully defining two or three different markets to approach than by trying to come up with a one-size-fits-all definition of who your clients are.

When there are many possibilities for a target market, who should you choose? I believe the most important factor is to identify people you truly care about, and who you want to spend time with. The more you enjoy interacting with a specific group, the easier your marketing to that group will be.

But be sure you are choosing a target market who can afford to pay what you need to charge. If there are several potential client groups who you would enjoy working with and can afford you, consider making your target those who are the easiest to reach, or who are likely to give you the most repeat business.

-- C.J. Hayden is the author of Get Clients Now!™ Thousands of business owners and independent professionals have used her simple sales and marketing system to double or triple their income. Get a free copy of "Five Secrets to Finding All the Clients You'll Ever Need" at www.getclientsnow.com.