Quick recap : In step 1 you explored your perfect client, their problems and what you have to offer.

This forms the foundation the way you market yourself.

In step 2, you started to think about your tactics, what is working and what is not, including:
1. Online – website and web presence
2. Social Media
3. Referral and Word of Mouth
4. Keep in touch strategies
5. Advertising
6. PR – publicity for your brand, service, etc
7. Develop strategic alliances and joint ventures
8. Write articles and get published
9. Special events (like tradeshows, etc)
10. Networking, industry connections, conferences
11. Direct outreach, mail, phone or in person
12. Speaking, presenting and workshops

In step 3 your action plan was to develop the foundation of a solid marketing plan. You started generating ideas on how to connect to your perfect clients, how to offer information about yourself and how to keep in touch with them. 

for more on these have a look at my blog : 

http://www.marketingwithheart.com.au/blog/

This time, Step 4, we start to explore the way you can use the various marketing tactics to suit you and your work to get new clients. 

Getting new clients is not about selling prospective clients on what you do. It is about them seeing you, getting comfortable with you and then recognizing and understanding what you can do for them.

How to become visible? And where to start?

What do you like to do? Do you love meeting people? Start networking. Connect with people NOT with the intention of getting business but with the intention of building relationships. Connect with a few at a time and keep in touch with them. Be interested in them first, that will help you to see if they might be one of your perfect clients or might become a fan of yours.

What if you hate meeting people? What about working online? Create a website or web presence where people can find you. Make sure it offers enough information about you and your service to answer your potential clients questions and then start to develop a way to send people to your site. Include a blog or ezine to help people stay connected to learn more about you and your work.

Social media is a very popular strategy these days and suits many people. Develop your Facebook and Linked in profiles, google+ network, start a twitter account and get active. Don't promote your business, use SM to develop relationships online. Be relevant to your potential perfect client, interested and interesting.

Have clients who love your work or colleagues who think you are fantastic? Ask for referrals, make sure they know you want them. No one knows if you don't tell them! You can also develop an alliance or joint venture with others by offering services that complement each other to all your clients, existing and potential.

Have specific target clients? Develop an effective direct marketing campaign.  Emails can easily go un-recognised and straight to the delete bin, well developed snail mail can be more effective. Don't waste potential interest, follow up with a personal contact. Be interested in them first before you offer your services. Find out if you are a potential match.

Have great information to offer? Develop a speaking plan, in person or on-line and start to get or create gigs. Contact places that might be interested and offer your services. Make sure you get contact details out of the talk unless your talk is for purely altruistic means. Offer an information pack or a special report or trial session to get email address or phone numbers. Only those interested (potential perfect clients) will respond. Then follow up and again be interested in them before trying to talk about you or your services.

If you have something unusual to offer try the PR route. Local papers are often looking for interesting concepts and you could get picked up by the major media. Don't try to sell yourself or your service. This is about showcasing and getting recognized.

Writing articles and getting published is a tried and true way to get recognised. Don't try to sell yourself or your services this way though, article writing is about sharing your knowledge so your potential clients see that you know what you are talking about. You-tubes and online videos are also part of this tactic.

Tradeshows? These can work for certain industries but get the facts before you commit. They can be costly.

What about advertising? This can also be a high cost low return option. It is a good idea to get some expert help in designing your ad campaign.

Action plan for step 4: Choose a tactic and develop a plan of action.

Consider :
1. What you will do. What is the actual tactic? 
2. Who you are targeting. Potential clients? Potential referral partners? General public?
3. Why you are doing this. More clients yes, but what is the big picture? Stay connected to that passion.
4. How you will do it. The nuts and bolts of how including the materials you need to make it a success and a time line to make it happen.
5. When you will do it. Rarely does a tactic work without regular commitment. When does this fit into your schedule. Don't start something you can't carry through.

My suggestion? Take something you are already doing (from step 2) and make it better and then add one new tactic in at a time.

Then do a regular review of results. I suggest a quarterly check in with six monthly and annual reviews.

Then again improve one thing and try one thing new.

Before you know it you will have an solid stream of potential new clients.

To find out more about this tip email me at create@gaylandeta.com.au  

Copyright © 2010 Create the Life. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be used without the prior written consent from the author. See below for more details…

DO YOU WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this text copy in its entirety:

Attention All Service-Based Businesses… Are you marketing your business with Heart?
Get your FREE Marketing with Heart Guide now. If your passion is your business, then you need this comprehensive guide. Our fail-safe marketing strategies will help you to grow your business AND attract more clients without compromising your integrity. Learn the secrets to marketing your business with heart. Get your FREE guide & complimentary coaching session now, click here.

Before you do anything about getting new clients make sure you have all these points covered, or at least underway. By having these in place you are well on the way to getting and, more importantly, keeping new clients.

1.Have a plan in place to create the business you want. Without planning we plan to fail. No need to have the traditional business plan (unless you need it for partners or bankers) you can have a Visionary Plan instead. Make sure you know where you are going and why, what your values are and how you think you will get there. Feel free to email me if you want some guidance on this  create@gaylandeta.com.au.

2. Be persistent. I'll bet Richard Branston doesn't just give up when the going gets tough! Have some self care plans in place to keep you going on those bad days.
 

3. Know your target or niche market and who you serve best. Don't be afraid to market to your perfect client, you will do your best work with them. And enjoy it the most.

4. Have excellent customer service. Think through issues and processes that your clients might come against and develop plans to support them through it. It is very easy to alienate clients by accident in this virtual driven world.

5. Have a mentor who can help you think through your work and will stretch you. Someone who has been there and done that is always good to call on.

6. Be open to new ideas and new ways of doing things. Do some personal work if you know you are someone who tends to be closed to new ways of doing things. Successful businesses move with the times.

7. Produce better outcomes than you offer. Under promise and over deliver.  

8. Understand how your perfect clients find you and have marketing strategies in place so they can do just that. Monitor the results of what you are doing so you know what works and what doesn't.

9. Be accountable to someone for your processes and results. 

10. Know how to communicate in the way your clients can hear. This is not necessarily the way you do with your friends or colleagues.  
 
To find out more about this tip email me at create@gaylandeta.com.a

Copyright © 2011 Create the Life. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be used without the prior written consent from the author. See below for more details…

DO YOU WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this text copy in its entirety:

Attention All Service-Based Businesses… Are you marketing your business with Heart?
Get your FREE Marketing with Heart Guide now. If your passion is your business, then you need this comprehensive guide. Our fail-safe marketing strategies will help you to grow your business AND attract more clients without compromising your integrity. Learn the secrets to marketing your business with heart. Get your FREE guide & complimentary coaching session now, click here.

Thanks Chris for this great testimonial! have a look at my website http://gaylandeta.com.au for more….

I completed the Marketing with Heart Course with Gay in 2010 and from that I achieved great results.  I was able to achieve all the planned outcomes of the course and it was fantastic.  What I am really pleased about though is 12 months on and I am still using the tools and techniques I learnt.

I recently held an event for my business where I worked jointly with another small business owner.  After our initial meeting where we decided what we wanted the event to look like I went home and completed an Action Plan.

During the next few weeks it was fantastic to have this in place as it helped keep us on track.  We knew the intention – this helped to establish who I sent the press release to, we knew the intended outcome – this helped in deciding how things should be set up on the day and we knew what we needed  to make the event possible – this helped with what we needed to hire/purchase for the day.

The Action Plan made the whole process simple and the best bit there was no stress.  A few days before the event I went back to my action plan and could clearly see that we had completed everything.  The day was a huge success and it was because we were organised from the beginning.

Gay your education is still proving to be effective so thank you for continuing to help me be successful.

Chris Wildeboer

Balance Central

www.balancecentral.com.au

First a quick recap….
 
In step one you explored your target market, or, in other words your perfect client.
By now you should know what their problem is and what solution you offer. You should be clear about what differentiates you from others who offer the same solution.

So, why should your perfect client pick you?

This can be quite challenging but being able to articulate this is actually why your perfect clients will come to see you instead of your competition.

Next, in step two, you started to think about what marketing you are already doing, what is working and what isn't.

(If you need more of a recap have a look at my Marketing with Heart blog
http://www.marketingwithheart.com.au/blog/ )

Now it is time to start developing some tactics that will fit you and help your perfect clients find you.

There is a process we go through when we are looking for a person to help us with a solution for a problem.

We begin by knowing our problem however we usually don't yet know the person who can help us to solve it. That person becomes known to us through a series of events. As they become more familiar we find out more information about what they offer and get to know them better until we finally decide to buy. Good marketing supports the psychology of this search.

Importantly! That means you don't have to sell  yourself, just make sure your perfect client can find you and your service and identify that you are the one.

These are the next questions to ask yourself to take a step toward developing your perfect strategy:

1. How can your perfect client find you?

The obvious answers are google searches, yellow pages and magazine advertising. But what about word of mouth? Do all your contacts know exactly what specific solutions you offer? Or just what you 'do'?

Do your facebook or other social media friends know? What about connections through the kid's school or at the place you volunteer? Informal networking can be as productive or sometimes even more productive than formal networking.

2. How will your perfect clients identify you?

Do you have well written marketing materials that help your perfect client to know what results you have to offer and what solutions your provide? We often share our expertise and credentials but sometimes forget the most important bit – the results we produce.

3. How will you offer more information to your potential perfect client and how will you keep in touch with them?

How will you invite them to call you? How will you follow them up? For example; will you send out emails, catch up at regular networking events or just give them a ring every so often?

Action list – create a list of:

* how your clients will initially find you.

* what materials you already have and what materials you need to help them to know you are the right person for them.

* and how will you call on them to take action to contact you.

Next time, Step 4, we will explore the materials you will need and the strategies that might suit you and your work.

If you are wanting to explore these concepts further or discuss how the work I do might help you to create a more reliable and successful business ask me about your free strategy session. Call me on 0418 795 135 or email me on create@gaylandeta.com.au 

Love to hear from you!

Copyright © 2010 Create the Life. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be used without the prior written consent from the author. See below for more details…

DO YOU WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this text copy in its entirety:

Attention All Service-Based Businesses… Are you marketing your business with Heart?
Get your FREE Marketing with Heart Guide now. If your passion is your business, then you need this comprehensive guide. Our fail-safe marketing strategies will help you to grow your business AND attract more clients without compromising your integrity. Learn the secrets to marketing your business with heart. Get your FREE guide & complimentary coaching session now, click here.

Many entrepreneurs by nature are solo flyers and can be reluctant to share their ideas with others.

They may feel people will not support them or even understand their big ideas, they may be protective of their self esteem and concerned that others may not think they are capable of it. They may fear someone may steal their idea or they might just have difficulty expressing the big idea they have.
This type of thinking can be considered to be hind brain survival tactics. The hind brain or brain stem is the oldest part of our brain and uses its ability to sense fear to survive.

On the other hand some entrepreneurs are big mouths, they shoot off their mouth about every great idea they have and gain a reputation for being gonna's not doers. Have you heard of the right brain? The neo-cortex is divided up into the left and the right hemispheres and the right hemisphere is largely responsible for big picture ideas. Unfortunately it is not so good at making things happen.

Some entrepreneurs can be very bad delegators, feeling that if they don't do it, it won't be done right. Details and bean counting in general tend to be the left hemispheres job. For these folk there are often far too many jobs on the to do list that must be completed (perfectly) to leave time for anything meaningful.

Finally, many entrepreneurs in the service industry have enormous difficulty dealing with the feelings that arise through competition. The feeling of competition is the result of comparing our self to another, something we have been doing since time immemorial. Comparison, relationships, and connections with others are all part of the mammalian mid-brain's job.

So what is happening with these entrepreneurs? What is missing in the picture? The part of the brain that will coordinate all these areas to make considered and often inspired decisions and take the action that is needed to make it happen.  The frontal lobes. This higher functioning part of the brain relies on good foundations, a whole brain, to function.

What does a whole brain mean? It means the ability to use all the aforementioned processes without getting stuck in one or another process. To stay open and interested instead of closed, stressed and switched off.

Once our brain is operating in whole-brain mode the neo-cortex can develop it's big ideas and the processes to make it happen, the mammalian brain can develop connections and the instinctual hind brain can warn you of real danger, perhaps a 'shark' in the water.

Great ideas emerge and an appropriate Action Plan can be developed and executed. You can use that gut instinct to find the right contacts to develop, not hinder, your growth. Synchronicity and success flows.

Tip: this is when your self-care list is essential.

You must know what your non stressed base line feels like so you can identify when you are out of whack BEFORE it affects your decision making.

You also need to know what things enable you to find your open and relaxed perspective and how to do it quickly.  Your list can include such things as going for a walk or a run, yoga, meditation, acupuncture, massage, etc. It can include creative pursuits such as drawing or cooking or things less worthy such as a hunk of chocolate, some TV, a gossip with a friend, time on facebook or surfing the net. Anything is fine as long as it helps the brain to shift gears and you end up feeling less stressed, and more relaxed and switched on.

Make your list and keep it handy!

Ensure you have some instant boosters on the list, for example PACE and Brain Gym movements were created to develop and reinforce whole-brained thinking.

If you are having trouble staying whole-brained in your business call me on 0418 795 135 to discuss your needs!

For more about this idea or you want to organize a free session to explore the effectiveness of what you are doing email me at create

Copyright © 2011 Create the Life. All Rights Reserved.   This article may not be used without the prior written consent from the author. See below for more details…

DO YOU WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this text copy in its entirety:
 
Attention All Service-Based Businesses… Are you marketing your business with Heart?
Get your FREE Marketing with Heart Guide now. If your passion is your business, then you need this comprehensive guide. Our fail-safe marketing strategies will help you to grow your business AND attract more clients without compromising your integrity. Learn the secrets to marketing your business with heart. Get your FREE guide & complimentary coaching session now, click here.

Last month I invited you to identify
the people you want to choose you.

By now you should be able to identify who they are and what drives them. You will know what they are looking for, which, of course, must be what you offer. Your unique solution, your niche in the market.

Once you have this you will start to have an idea of where they may start to look for you.

This is when we can start advertising everywhere and then be surprised not to have a rush to the door.

There are three main strategies you will need to develop,
you need to be able to:
•    get new clients
•    keep clients
•    and follow up potential clients

What tactics can you use?
These are the main ones – which ones do you already
have in play?

1.    Online – website and web presence
2.    Social Media
3.    Referral and Word of Mouth (WOM)
4.    Keep in touch strategies, ezines or newsletters, etc
5.    Advertising
6.    PR – get publicity for your brand, service, etc
7.    Develop strategic alliances and joint ventures
8.    Write articles and get published
9.    Special events (like tradeshows, etc)
10.  Networking, industry connections, conferences
11.  Direct outreach, mail, phone or in person
12.  Speaking, presenting and workshops

No one needs to – or indeed can (!) do them all! We just need to choose enough tactics to get, keep and be able to follow-up existing and potential clients. The strategies we choose need to suit both our personality and our business.

This month monitor what you are already doing and what results you are getting. Keep a record of each client that comes in the door, how did they hear about you? Get specific. Ask existing clients. Explore the success you are having with your existing tactics.

Many take several months to start to show a result but if you have been spending time, money or energy in any one of these areas without results for 6 months it is time to question, if not change, the way you are doing things.

For more about this idea or you want to organize a free session to explore the effectiveness of what you are doing email me on create

Copyright © 2011 Create the Life. All Rights Reserved.   This article may not be used without the prior written consent from the author. See below for more details…

DO YOU WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this text copy in its entirety:
 
Attention All Service-Based Businesses… Are you marketing your business with Heart?
Get your FREE Marketing with Heart Guide now. If your passion is your business, then you need this comprehensive guide. Our fail-safe marketing strategies will help you to grow your business AND attract more clients without compromising your integrity. Learn the secrets to marketing your business with heart. Get your FREE guide & complimentary coaching session now, click here.

Find Heartfelt Marketing Strategies that work. For you. Step 1 

There is so much talk about what marketing you 'should be' doing: social media, websites, advertising, brochures, ezines, SEO, SEM… help!

How to make sense of it all? Most people have a go at this and that, find some of it works, some of it doesn't, figuring out what to do and where to focus can just feel a bit overwhelming.  

Over the next few blogs I am going to pull apart the mystery and help you to determine the marketing roads worth taking and those that may not be so productive for you and your business. In my work with people I have found that each person has a 'gifted area' they can market from. Once you have identified yours marketing becomes so much easier!

Successful marketing relies on three things:

1.     Knowing your target market

2.     Reaching your target market

3.     And doing it consistently.

What is a target market? It is the people your services are targeted to.

Build your business by exploring your target market. Your target market does not necessarily have to be those you see all the time if you don't like them! It is those you want to work with, those that make your heart sing and you feel passionate about helping. It can feel decidedly scary to commit to working with those, but doing so will improve your outcomes and make working much more joyful.

When you explore your target market consider the demographics – age, gender, geographical location, income, etc. Some of these things are critical to your successful marketing plan. For example, if you need to be in physical contact with your clients they will need to be in driving distance of your workplace. Your marketing strategies must target them. Seems obvious but you would be surprised.

Then explore the psychographics of your target market – what psychology do they have in common? For example all my clients are very determined to create a bigger and better version of themselves and their life and are committed to their own personal evolution. I would not be much of a match for someone who did not fit that description.

Finally explore the problems they experience and the solutions your offer. Go deeper than the generic solutions your modality or practice or training offers. The more specific you become the easier your target client will be able to hear your call.

Next time we will look at how to apply this information to get more clients.

Or to just find out more about this tip email me at create@gaylandeta.com.au 

Copyright © 2011 Create the Life. All Rights Reserved.   This article may not be used without the prior written consent from the author. See below for more details…

DO YOU WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this text copy in its entirety:
 
Attention All Service-Based Businesses… Are you marketing your business with Heart?
Get your FREE Marketing with Heart Guide now. If your passion is your business, then you need this comprehensive guide. Our fail-safe marketing strategies will help you to grow your business AND attract more clients without compromising your integrity. Learn the secrets to marketing your business with heart. Get your FREE guide & complimentary coaching session now, click here.

Thanks so much Fiona! To read more success stories hop over to my website http://gaylandeta.com.au 

"When I started working with Gay over six months ago, I had recently finished a diploma in Kinesiology, had started in clinic and had very few clients. I had no experience in setting up a business and definitely didn’t have a clue how to market myself. I thought you just find somewhere to practise, get some business cards and put a sign out, clients would be knocking at your door in no time, right?  Boy was I wrong!

I soon realized that I needed help. It felt like I had the tools but the map of how to put it all together was missing. My confidence soon started to crumble and I felt myself doubting my abilities.  I absolutely love Kinesiology and am passionate about what I do but had no idea how to get that message across to potential clients. Suddenly I saw my vision slipping away from me, I felt lost, disheartened and confused.Kinesiology, I believe, can help with almost every emotional, physical or spiritual issue there is, it would be like a one stop shop, there would be no need to be specific with marketing as I could easily follow a generic selling strategy. Wrong again! Also one of the biggest problems I had was describing what Kinesiology was to others without them looking at me sideways, drifting off, or assuming I was one of those new age hippies.

I feel blessed to have found Gay, not only a fellow Kinesiologist but also had a background in Marketing, for myself and other practitioners who love what they do but just don’t know how to sell themselves, it was the perfect combination. After the initial consultation with Gay I knew immediately that the Marketing with Heart program was for me.

Gay helped me get really clear on what I wanted to do. Up until I started working with Gay I had only a vague idea, after working on limiting beliefs, identifying my positive intentions and working on the getting unstuck processes, I began to release what had been holding me back and I moved closer to creating my dreams. Gay also introduced me to the wonderful world of the “Audio logo”, which allowed me to communicate effectively what I do to others. Wow what a difference to my confidence that made. At times the work with Gay was confronting, she taught me to be really honest with myself and look inside for answers to the problems I was experiencing rather than blame outside sources. Once I started to do this, I started to take back control of my vision and my confidence and clarity surrounding my future came back.

I have a very clear picture of my business, my goals and my values and am so excited that I have a map that allows me to follow very clear instructions on how to Market anything. My progress with Gay has been amazing.  I started off very unsure and lacking confidence now, I feel unstoppable. Along with the constant support and encouragement Gay has given me, I have found Gay to be an invaluable source of information and ideas. Currently my focus has shifted to undertake more study; however I will be back in touch with Gay in a couple of months to kickstart the clinic.

To anyone struggling to start their own business or feeling stuck and having lost direction in life, I highly recommend joining Gay in the Marketing with Heart Program. Not only will you start to create a successful business but you will find the work you do with Gay has an amazing flow on effect in your personal life, allowing for success in all aspects of your life."

Thanks Gay

Fiona Bell

When you are caught in the web of too many competing priorities, try this. I find, as do many of my clients, that it takes away the confusion.

Imagine one of those ball bearing skill games shaped like a triangle (one of those little plastic games where the goal is to get the tiny ball bearing into a special hole.)

In each corner you can see a hole for the ball bearing. And each corner has a label. One corner is labeled time, another corner is labeled quality and the final corner is labeled money. Pick a task, project or goal and imagine it as the ball bearing in the middle of the middle of the triangle.

Your ball bearing can only end up in one corner. Which corner will it be? You choose, but it can only be one. Whichever corner it ends up in is your priority on this project / task / goal / next growth stage / etc. This concept (developed by my psychologist neighbor, an ex-engineer) has no place for grey. The issue many entrepreneurs have is difficulty being black and white.

If you only have one choice, what is it and how do you make that happen?

Copyright © 2011 Create the Life. All Rights Reserved.

This article may not be used without the prior written consent from the author. See below for more details…

DO YOU WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this text copy in its entirety:

Attention All Service-Based Businesses… Are you marketing your business with Heart? Get your FREE Marketing with Heart Guide now. If your passion is your business, then you need this comprehensive guide. Our fail-safe marketing strategies will help you to grow your business AND attract more clients without compromising your integrity. Learn the secrets to marketing your business with heart. Get your FREE guide & complimentary coaching session now, click here.

Many people in business become their business.

The ups and downs of the business day are a personal achievement – or slight, depending on the day. When the books are full it is a reflection of our skill and talent whereas empty space can bring up feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt.

Having a business is an opportunity to grow and becoming an observer is one excellent way to remove the drama.

You can do this in business by stopping and deciding what roles you take in your business. You certainly wear the CEO hat (the visionary), very likely the marketing and the product development hat, probably the administrator and financial planner hat, maybe the graphic designer or branding hat, maybe the cleaners hat and more than likely you are the technician.

Think about each role you play in your work and start to separate them out so you can observe each area and make decisions from a clear perspective. One way to do this is to create a folder that has dividers for each hat you wear. Keep all the relevant documents, etc in that area. For example the CEO is the visionary of the business. Have a visionary business plan in that section – and review it often. Keep your Marketing materials in another section, your cash flows, budgets, profit and loss statements, etc (no matter how rudimentary) in the financial planner section. And so on.

Compartmentalize your business, look at it from different perspectives and make less emotive decisions so your business can grow and prosper!

For more about this idea email me.

Copyright © 2010 Create the Life. All Rights Reserved.   This article may not be used without the prior written consent from the author. See below for more details…

DO YOU WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this text copy in its entirety:

Attention All Service-Based Businesses… Are you marketing your business with Heart?
Get your FREE Marketing with Heart Guide now. If your passion is your business, then you need this comprehensive guide. Our fail-safe marketing strategies will help you to grow your business AND attract more clients without compromising your integrity. Learn the secrets to marketing your business with heart. Get your FREE guide & complimentary coaching session now, click here.