Thursday was an AMAZING in-person day in our home with our yummy private coaching clients (and friends) Diane Conklin and Gail Saseen of Complete Marketing Systems. This is their second round as part of the Sapphire level of the Winners Academy and when I asked them why they’d signed up again, they shared with me how much they’d made and grown last year and how much they’d accomplished (it was an emotional recap for all.) Yes, they practically doubled their already very successful income, by 172% to be exact, after completely rebranding their company, massively increasing their visibility and bringing on new team members to handle all the new clients and growth. It’s been so fun to be part of the transformation process with them.
So, on their second half-day private consult in my home, we tripled their income-goal for the next 12 months, are doubling their staff to handle all the new business, all so they can offer even more done-for-you marketing services and expand their bandwidth for coaching, consulting and offering mastermind programs. They’re now creating new programs and offerings, they have new strategies for increasing conversion rates on existing programs, and are planning a BIG program launch later this year using the specific marketing sequences and timing we mapped out together. Whew!
But it wasn’t ALL work! (You know me!) Before a fabulous lunch of lobster and citrus salad, filet mignon and creme brulee (their favorite foods) we also scheduled their 3 weeks of vacation (plus one additional month off), solidified their plans for moving to a fabulous new house and getting additional personal assistance. All in all, it was a very productive session and now they have another year of private calls with me and Derek to make sure they reach their goals. (As I like to say, “Today was a good day!”) You can find out more about the Winners Academy here.
I just want to THANK YOU for of the overwhelming number of outstanding comments you posted about my no-charge Video Training Course on exactly how to join the top 5% of solo-business income-earners (all content, no pitch). I poured my heart into these and I can’t wait to see what comments you post (and yes, feel free to invite others to sign up too. That’s OK with me.) You can get instant access to the first three high-content videos using this link. Or go to www.jointhetop5.com to view them now.
 I believe the key to more clients, more in-come, and more time off, is making your business run like a well-oiled machine. Right now, you may be handling everything yourself, or perhaps delegating a little bit of it. The problem with that is your business is probably running YOU, as opposed to you running your business. And that probably means lots of stuff is falling through the cracks, which then means lost opportunities and fewer clients and less mo-ney coming in.
In your business, Consistency is crucial; Chaos is costly (both financially and time-wise). When things run like a well-oiled machine, when everything’s organized and proven, there is much less room for chaos. The goal is to have things run on their own, or by someone else, so you can focus on growing your business even more, while having more time off to enjoy yourself. Even if you don’t have a full staff of people helping you, you can make your business run smoothly, with SYSTEMS. The key to systems is to not re-invent the wheel each time you do something in your business. Instead, when something works, document it, and then do it again and again. Then, it becomes a system, and if the system is good, it will create results over and over again too. You may be asking yourself, “OK, I get it. But HOW exactly do I create a system for something? I’m not sure where to start.” It’s actually really simple.
You can systematize many things in your business and in your personal life. In your business, you can systematize each slice of your marketing pie (every slice of the pie represents a way you PULL clients in—we go in depth into this in the home study system), also your schedule, your client management, your calendar, and your email. In your personal life, you can systematize your food shopping, your doctors’ appointments, your personal email, your dry-cleaning, your errands, your banking. You name it, it can probably be systematized. The beauty of everything being on autopilot or handled smoothly is that you set up the infrastructure for a FULL practice, even before you fill your practice. What happens is, when you DO hit full practice status, you will avoid all the breakdowns that cause most businesses to fail. At the same time, you make more time for marketing (the stuff that brings in clients) and for more clients as well. Your Assignment: Give it a try.
You’ll be amazed to see how much of a “problem-free zone” your business becomes. That will give you a lot more time to focus on building the business, a lot more room for new clients, and more time to simply enjoy yourself. You’ll have more time for vacation, for self-care, and for spending yummy quality time with the people you love being with. And that’s what being self-employed is really about. Now, you may have specific questions you want answered about how to systematize your marketing. If so, I recommend getting a copy of the Client Attraction Home Study Systemâ„¢. It gives you the most important things to do to set up simple, solid marketing systems, so that you consistently fill your pipeline and continually get new clients.It’s all step-by-step, not a big mishmash of things. So, you do step one of the system, and when you’re done with that, you move on to step two, and so on. All the tools, scripts, Want to know more about finding your ideal client? You’re in luck because I just launched my f.r.e.e. video training course where I’m teaching my best Client Attraction strategies and lessons to help you earn more in your small business – and Finding Your Ideal Target Audience is the first video in the series. You can get access to all the videos here. It’s super high content and value and it’s getting rave reviews from viewers. You can sign up to view it at www.jointhetop5.com. Enjoy! © 2011 Client Attraction LLC. All Rights Reserved. ********************************************* |
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, the proven step-by-step program that shows you exactly how to attract more clients, in record time…guaranteed. To get your F.R.E.E. Audio CD by mail and receive her weekly marketing & success mindset articles on attracting more high-paying clients and dramatically increasing your in.come, visit
I’m in sunny (hot) Phoenix this week attending one of my high-level mastermind groups with some of the most brilliant Internet marketers, thought leaders and authors/speakers there are, some people whose names you would probably recognize. We’re all here to learn from each other’s “best practices” to multiply our current successes, by 10x or more. I know this may sound contradictory to what most people think about already highly successful people (especially marketers) but I continue to be completely blown away by the generosity of their spirits and how much they’re all collectively here to make a difference in the world. Just as I do, they understand the value of marketing as a vehicle for helping people take different actions in their lives, and therefore create change for the better. And for everyone here, without exception, it’s about giving back in a BIG way. Really inspiring.
While I’m here, I also managed to fit in some media stops. Yesterday, I was up early in the TV studio for Good Morning Arizona, with tips for viewers on how to get more clients. Then it was straight over to another TV studio to The McMahon Group to share in-depth tips about how to balance having your own business and a growing family. The general manager of the TV station made a point to stop by to tell me how much he enjoyed the segment and to invite me back. You can watch both segments on my website media page.
Speaking of important tips on getting more clients, I’m floored by the response to my new no-charge video training course — something I’ve never done before. It’s a series of all-content videos that will show you exactly how to join the top 5% of solo-business income earners and it’s getting comments like crazy, even from my own colleagues. The first video training in this no-charge course is about your ideal client. Here’s the link to view it now: www.jointhetop5.com. Make sure to post a comment on the page after watching the high-content video. (Yes, you can send the link to this no-charge training course to your friends. The more, the merrier on this one.)
And finally, before you read this week’s article, if you’re a mom, I want to wish you a very happy Mother’s Day. From one mom to another, I honor you and send you a big virtual hug. (You know you have the most important job in the world, right?) I’ll be spending my special day with the three little lights of my life and my wonderful husband, Derek, who gave me the best three gifts a woman could receive. I’m so blessed and grateful to have them in my life. I hope you get to spend this special day with your loved ones, too. Enjoy it!
If you want to start attracting your ideal clients in droves, it’s time to do some serious drilling-down to find out as much as you can about that target’s critical problems.Without knowing their critical problems, challenges, issues and stumbling blocks, you simply won’t be as Client Attractive. The good news is, it’s relatively easy to find out everything you need to know about them.
Put yourself in their well-worn comfortable shoes, completely, and then ask yourself these questions:
- What is it that keeps them up at night worrying (as it relates to what you do)?
- If they were to “pull their hair out” about something, what would it be?
- What is the biggest struggle they encounter on a daily basis?
- What is the biggest obstacle they deal with?
- What is their biggest money/time leak?
- What is the one goal that seems unattainable to them?
- If they wished they could learn how to do ONE thing and one thing only, what would that be?
- What is the biggest improvement they could make in their lives/business (as it relates to what you do)?
- And finally, what would they do ANYTHING and pay (relatively) ANYTHING to solve/get rid of/achieve?
Let me give you a personal example of why this works in helping you become more Client Attractive. When I was simply a dime-a-dozen business coach helping everyone: “corporate types, entrepreneurs, sales professionals, and solo practitioners “get better in business (I felt I had to do this in the beginning), I had a difficult time getting a hold on a marketing message that would fit ALL of them.
My message was weak and diluted. Some clients wanted to work on time management, some on achieving sales goals, some on staffing issues, some on selling their music CDs, some on marketing and getting clients.
Although I was pretty good at coaching in these different capacities, what I truly enjoyed the most and got the BEST results with was coaching the sole practitioner who needed more clients. It came naturally, I could do it in my sleep and I had a ton of personal experience with it myself, having done it twice successfully, in less than eight months each time.
It’s not until I answered the above questions that I really got clear on who my best client was and how to help them. This changed EVERYTHING for me. I was then able to steer all my marketing to that type of person and their problems. Client Attraction became a lot EASIER for me at that point because clients starting coming to me!
Your Assignment:
Answer every one of the following questions as if your business life depended on it. (Hint: it does.)
- What is it that keeps them up at night worrying (as it relates to what you do)?
- If they were to “pull their hair out” about something, what would it be?
- What is the biggest struggle they encounter on a daily basis?
- What is their biggest money/time leak?
- What is the biggest obstacle they deal with?
- What is the one goal that seems unattainable to them?
- If they wished they could learn how to do ONE thing and one thing only, what would that be?
- And finally, what would they do ANYTHING and pay (relatively) ANYTHING to solve/get rid of/achieve?
Once you answer these questions in depth, you’ll have a very clear direction of how to position yourself in the marketplace and a way of speaking to your prospects that will have them saying, “WOW, that’s EXACTLY what I need, I want to work with you!”
Want to know more about finding your ideal client? You’re in luck because I just launched my f.r.e.e. video training course where I’m teaching my best Client Attraction strategies and lessons to help you earn more in your small business – and Finding Your Ideal Target Audience is the first video in the series. You can get access to all the videos here. It’s super high content and value and it’s getting rave reviews from viewers. You can sign up to view it at www.jointhetop5.com. Enjoy!
© 2011 Client Attraction LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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Want to use this article on your website or your own ezine?
No problem! But here is what you MUST include:
Fabienne Fredrickson, The Client Attraction Mentor, is founder of the Client Attraction System®, the proven step-by-step program that shows you exactly how to attract more clients, in record time…guaranteed. To get your F.R.E.E. Audio CD by mail and receive her weekly marketing & success mindset articles on attracting more high-paying clients and dramatically increasing your in.come, visit www.attractclients.com.
Are you in the top 5% of business owners earning more than $100,000?
Of the 6 million people who open up their own business each year, only 5% of them actually make more than $100k in their own business.
Watch my brief video message below about how you can BREAK THROUGH that glass ceiling…
[youtube width=”576″ height=”346.5″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHiFfarXMV4[/youtube]
Join me in this FREE Video Training Program at www.JoinTheTop5.com
Whether you’re new to business or you’re selling in an increasingly over-crowded marketplace, there are more and more options competing for the same eyes, ears and wallets that you are. How do you get heard above the noise?
Simple: Get Found, Get Fans and Get Famous. On this month’s call, my special guest and I will teach you how to create your own celebrity status in your own niche using specific strategies similar to those used by Charlie Sheen, Barack Obama and even the Bronx Zoo Cobra.
Your market needs to see you as a star, whether you’re a speaker, author, coach, or selling clothing. On this month’s Special Topic call, we’ll cover the points of every S.T.A.R. and talk about specific ways to launch yours in a bigger way, starting now. If you’ve wanted a simple and easy way to be seen as the celebrity star in your industry, do whatever you can to be on this call live.
This call is ONLY for Inner Circle members. Not a member yet? Join now to access this call with Fabienne’s FREE 2-month 
Membership trial (plus a small shipping/handling fee).
When you join, you get access to monthly Q&A calls with Fabienne AND well over 3 years worth of special topic audio, transcripts, forum posts and bonus calls with Fabienne each and every month.
More than ever before, I’ve realized that the image you project—your personal style and brand—is critical to how your prospects and clients view you and what you offer. Your personal style actually affects what kind of clients you attract and whether a prospect will decide to work with you or not. In fact, whether we realize it or not, we are silently being evaluated within seconds, and our outward appearance is a huge part of it. By paying close attention to the personal image I portray with my prospects, clients, the media and the world, I’m sending out a message of confidence, quality, success and that I’m an advancing person. (So are you.)
That being said, as I grow to new bigger levels in my own business, I want my “look” to reflect my values, my message, my brand and who I am not only as a person, but also as a successful entrepreneur and businesswoman. So, although I’ve paid attention to my appearance over the years, especially on stage and at conferences, I’ve recently made a commitment to upgrade my own image even further, not just for my clients and prospects, but my staff, the media, my friends, my husband and my family. Interestingly enough, I’ve realized that a recent upgrade has made me come back to who I really am (especially after 3 children). Here’s what I’ve learned: It’s better to have just a few very high quality pieces that you mix and match into several “looks”, than a closet full of cheap-y looking stuff. You want to look “super successful”, even if you mix high-quality pieces with more affordable basics.
It all matters, so this past week, I went on a New York City shopping spree with my own stylist. After a full day “closet edit” where we tossed 70% of things that didn’t look right or fit right, together we stormed Manhattan this week dropping in to boutiques to try on pieces she’d pre-selected and had held for me. After hours in dressing rooms, we selected just the right clothing, shoes and accessories that not only make me look great—but also make me feel amazing! (I hope this inspires you to take a look at your own outward image and perhaps take a step to upgrade just a bit what you have, even if it’s one small step at a time.)
Oh, one last thing before we move on to this week’s Client Attraction article. Take a minute to watch my newest video success tip all about the power of positive expectation. I give you a little behind-the-scenes peek at what I’ve posted on my office wall to look at all day, every day…and why I want you to do the same. Hope you enjoy it!
Not many marketing gurus out there talk to you about walking your talk. That said; it’s important to have your image fit what you do. Living your message makes all the difference in attracting clients. Your image is just as important as your marketing message and your claim in the marketplace.
If you are a seriously overweight, out-of-breath personal trainer or a consultant whose own company is struggling to succeed, you’re probably not going to attract many clients, no matter what you say or do.
Client example: a former client of mine was a fellow business coach helping small businesses. She came to me because she wasn’t attracting ANY clients and was at a loss as to what to do. It quickly became clear to me why this was happening.
She positioned herself as being the one to help you jumpstart your business and grow it to the next level. The problem was HER business was a mess. Her marketing materials were weak, her marketing message was murky, her materials were shoddy, she had old business cards with the phone number crossed off and written in pen, she used a hotmail e-mail address for business instead of a dedicated domain name and her e-mail newsletter was really vague.
It was difficult for me to tell her this, but no one else was telling her, and that’s why she was paying me, so I bit the bullet. (She was glad I did.) I told her that potential clients were probably not working with her because she wasn’t walking her talk. The image she was portraying was not one of a serious business coach who could help people jumpstart their business.
Now, I’ll be the first to admit that this often comes straight from the “cobbler’s kids don’t wear shoes” syndrome. Often we’re so busy working on our clients’ issues; we barely have time to work on our own. (I too have been known to need to carve serious time to work on my own marketing, after-hours, so I’m not throwing stones here.) But in this case, it was extreme and it was keeping this poor business coach from attracting ANY new clients.
We cleaned up her act by having her spend some time on her own business as if she were her own client. We scheduled a set number of hours per week where she would work on cleaning up her act and start walking her talk.
Your Assignment:
What message are you sending out about your business? Are you walking your talk?
- Make a list of things you would INSIST on seeing if you were your potential client wanting to hire someone in your industry.
- Do you fulfill all of these criteria? (Be a hard grader. It’s really worth it.) If not, start working on it ASAP.
- Hire someone to help you and keep you accountable.
- Live your life like your message and getting clients will become big-time easy. You’ll just ooze inspiration, motivation, and solutions!
| To find out more about ways to attract clients in your practice using proven, tried-and-true marketing techniques, check out my Client Attraction Home Study System at www.TheClientAttractionSystem.com. This is the Ultimate Client Attraction instruction manual. It will show you EXACTLY what to start doing-and stop doing-in your marketing to attract ALL the clients you want, no matter how long you have been in business. Read the success stories, get more details and grab your copy here.© 2011 Client Attraction LLC. All Rights Reserved. |
**************************************************************************Want to use this article on your website or your own ezine? No problem! But here is what you MUST include:
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No matter how good you are at closing the sale, sometimes a prospective client doesn’t bite on the first sales conversation. But instead of letting them walk away and never hearing from them again, you can use a technique I developed to stop them slipping through your fingers.
Sometimes, a prospect needs some time to make the decision on whether or when they’d like to start working with you. What I’ve noticed over the years is that when this happens, almost always, the sale never happens, probably because life gets in the way and what’s out of sight, is out of mind.
So I’ve come up with a fantastic remedy for this, which, in addition to my fool-proof closing the sale script, helps me close the deal 90% of the times I use it. I’ve called it “bookending” and here’s how it works.
Often, at the end of our initial consultation, prospects tell me that they need to talk to their spouse, need some time to decide, or want to ideally start in 2 months. Instead of letting them walk away without a plan, I propose scheduling a 5-minute “check-in” call with them to see where they are in their process.
Often, I’ll ask whether they need 3 days, 3 weeks or 3 months to make a decision. Usually, the answer is next week, so we’ll set up a 5-minute chat for next Tuesday, at 3pm, for example. I explain this will help us follow up with each other, without having to play phone tag or having to follow up with one another unnecessarily.
The great thing about this technique is it puts a (self-imposed) time limit in the prospect’s mind as to when THEY would like to make the decision, and obviously, you let them choose when they’d like to have that 5-minute chat.
I essentially came up with this because I really dislike following up in this situation. It makes me feel like I’m chasing after them and I don’t feel this is Client Attractive. So instead, we agree they’ll call me on set date and 90% of the time they do, and out of those times, they don’t feel pressured, they’ve had time to think about what we talked about, crunched the numbers, and are ready to make a decision to move forward.
It’s a great tool, especially since it doesn’t make me have to pressure anyone into the sale! Whew!
If for whatever reason they don’t call during the time of your 5 minute check-in appointment, you can then call them or e-mail them asking if anything went wrong. This usually puts the prospect into a mode where they feel obliged to get back to you, as THEY were the one who missed the appointment. Again, this is much more Client Attractive and ends up saving you a lot of time.
Your Assignment:
If a client doesn’t sign up on the spot, make sure to ‘bookend’ another date so you don’t have to follow up on each other for weeks. Use it as a “let’s see where you are in your decision-making process then.” It works like a charm.
If you need to start closing the sale 90% of the time too, you’ll want to get a copy of the ‘Closing The Sale’ script I use detailed in the Client Attraction Home Study System®. Step by step, I take you through everything you need to do to pre-qualify prospects, get them ready for the close AND exactly what to say to turn them into paying clients. Get it today by going to www.TheClientAttractionSystem.com. You’ll also get hundreds of other ideas and resources to help YOU become a Client Attraction machine like thousands of my previous clients.
© 2011 Client Attraction LLC. All Rights Reserved.
*******************************************************************
Want to use this article on your website or your own ezine?
No problem! But here is what you MUST include:
Fabienne Fredrickson, The Client Attraction Mentor, is founder of the Client Attraction System®, the proven step-by-step program that shows you exactly how to attract more clients, in record time…guaranteed. To get your F.R.E.E. Audio CD by mail and receive her weekly marketing & success mindset articles on attracting more high-paying clients and dramatically increasing your in.come, visit www.attractclients.com.
I came back from work this week to find my kids jumping up and down, giddy with excitement. They couldn’t wait to show me their “books”! They’re both big readers, getting an hour to read in bed every night, and I believe this is shaping their love of books, storytelling and the written word – just like mom. Claire was so proud about her new book of poems (they’re really good) and Luc was over the moon about his “Super Mean Book”, a story with a super-mean villain that ends in him doing the right thing after all. The look in their eyes was priceless. They were so giddy, they gave me advice: “Mama, I have a great idea! YOU should write a book too!!” (I smiled and told them I had.) So adorable…These are the moments I always want to remember.
The sweet smell of Spring is finally in the air here, after a long snowy winter. This season represents a time for renewal and rebirth for me, which is why I’m finding myself energized andinspired by new possibilities. If you celebrated Passover last week or Easter yesterday, I’m wishing you a peaceful time of reflection and gratitude, spent with your yummy family and friends.
Oh and before I forget, I posted a new video success tip for you this week. It’s all about getting HUGE results QUICKLY in your business. Take two minutes to watch it here, ok? It’s important advice every solo-preneur and small business owner needs to hear.
