Are you ready to shake things up in your marketing? From time to time, you may want to run a special promotion to create strong interest in a particular program and get a bunch of new clients quickly. Let me share four specific things you can do to spice up any promotion so that prospects get excited and take action right away.
1. Be very clear about the results you are offering. When you run a special offer, your communication needs to be crystal clear. Explain the exact results or solution you are offering so that people can recognize themselves and their needs immediately. When you tap into their pain, and that “do anything-pay anything” place, prospects will be motivated to register and become clients much more quickly.
2. Announce the value of the special offer. People are more motivated when they know how much they can save. When you announce your promotion, make sure you explain the full value of your offer and then the exact amount clients will save when they sign up. This gives prospects a clear idea of why they don’t want to miss this unusual and valuable opportunity.
3. Limit the number of packages. I recommend limiting your offer to a small group. Maybe only five or ten people will be able to take advantage of your offer. This limit creates scarcity and motivates prospects to take action more quickly before the opportunity is taken by others and no longer available. This also works to increase the perceived value of the promotion because so few people will benefit.
4. Limit the time the offer is available. You want prospects and clients to act quickly if they want to be a part of your special promotion. The best way to do this is by having a time limit on the promotion. Make it only available today or this week. The people who are most interested will hop on the opportunity to make sure they don’t miss out.
One word of caution: if you are going to run this type of special promotion, don’t make the same kind of offer frequently. Sometimes my clients get so excited about the results of a special promotion, they want to do it again and again. But this can cheapen your products and make it so no one believes the limited nature of your offer. The last thing you want to do is train your list that they can wait till the next time because you have so many offers like this. This type of promotion is valuable and works because it’s rare, so please keep that in mind.
Your Client Attraction Assignment
Are you looking to get a number of clients quickly? Creating a special program that offers a big value can make a big splash with your list of clients and prospects. To be effective, you’ll need to have a list of at least 1,000 people. That seems to be the tipping point for filling programs.
Think about what keeps your ideal clients up at night. What solution would they want more than anything? Then come up with a package that has a lot of value – something you have never offered before. Determine the number of people you want to take advantage of this promotion and how long to make it available. Then announce the special offer in a separate email and enjoy the response you get!
Now, if you’re just starting out and trying to fill your practice in the FIRST place, then follow a step-by-step system that feels easy and authentic to you. The Client Attraction Home Study System™ gives you the most important things to do to set up simple, solid 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, templates, and examples are handed to you on a silver platter. Easy. You can get it at TheClientAttractionSystem.com.
[youtube width=”600″ height=”352″]http://youtu.be/Yxp-VAkgDKE?hd=1[/youtube]
Today I want to talk to you about how to manage your clients. Whether you are just starting out or you are at full practice right now looking to multiply, you must know how to manage your clients effectively.
You might be thinking, “What does this have to do with multiplying my business?” It has everything to do with it because when you have a practice full of clients who are all doing their own things, it creates a big stress and drain for you and it’s very, very time consuming. (Click here to tweet this.)
When you have each of your clients behaving properly, and I know that sounds funny, you create a problem-free zone. So managing your clients equals a problem-free zone. And when you have a problem-free zone, you have more time for more clients, more time to market, and more time to make more money in your business.
So how do you properly manage your clients? Again, it doesn’t matter if you’re just starting out or if you have a full practice. If you’re just starting out, you need to come from full practice mentality. Even if you have two clients, you’ve got to pretend that you have thirty-two clients and set up the right systems ahead of time.
My number one tip around that is to be very clear. Start by getting yourself really clear on what your standards are for your business. What are the rules that you want your clients to follow in your business? If you have a telephone-based business, then one of the rules could be that you want them to call on time, you want them to call a particular number and you want them to end on time. Why? Because if they don’t, they eat up into other people’s time, etc.
If you have an in-person business, maybe it’s even brick and mortar, then you need to get really clear on what you want them to do when they arrive. There needs to be rules for everything. You might think, “Oh no. Clients are not going to like rules.” I totally disagree. Clients like to know what the rules are.
In fact, I will share with you that about a year ago, I hired a practitioner for a healing session. I paid up front and waited for the appointment day to arrive. I never got an email that instructed whether I was to call or if she would call me. I didn’t get an email that instructing whether this was a Skype session or phone session. I didn’t even know how long our session was going to be. I didn’t know if I was expected to send something in beforehand and frankly, I was a little annoyed by it. I like to know what the rules are so I can follow them.
What I’ve realized over the years, and I’ve been doing this for a very long time, is the more specific you are about what you expect of your clients, the more they enthusiastically follow the rules. Then you have a practice full of yummy people who are behaving properly as opposed to saboteur clients who create havoc and messes in your business.
So to reiterate, the very first thing that you want to do is set up these policies and procedures and communicate your expectations and rules. I have a Policies and Procedures document that I share with my clients and the rules are stated with kindness and warmth but also some sternness so people know that I’m serious about these things.
The key is to communicate it at the beginning of your working relationship so it’s not something that you come back to a few months later when they’re already used to behaving in a certain way. Here’s the thing. If you get them to do this and understand these at the beginning of your working relationship, even before you get started, you’re likely to never have somebody behave improperly. You can even have them sign off on, “Yes, I understand these policies and procedures.” Then you have a copy of it, they have a copy of it. It’s all good.
But let’s say that in your working relationship with a client, somebody doesn’t show up for a pre-scheduled call or doesn’t pay on time or just goes against one of your policies and procedures, it’s important that you uphold your boundaries. Uphold your standards and your procedures and you remind them that this was something that they agreed to. Again, you have to do it kindly and warmly but the idea is that you must remind them so they get back in line.
I’m going to leave you with a final tip. You always want to play the ‘good cop’ role because if you start chasing clients for money or scolding them for not following your policies and procedures, it’s going to tinge your working relationship. Ideally, you hire an assistant, you have one of your existing team members or a virtual person do that for you so you always stay the ‘good cop’ and they become the ‘bad cop’.
Your Client Attraction Assignment
Define what the rules for your business are when it comes to clients. Write them out and be sure to share them with your clients.
When all of your clients follow your policies and procedures, rules and expectations, it’s smooth sailing. Is it smooth sailing 100 percent of the time? It never will be because you’re dealing with people and each have their own behaviors and quirks and intricacies. You can make it as smooth as possible though and a smoother ride allows you to have a smoother practice, with more room for more clients, more room for marketing and more room to multiply your business.
[youtube width=”600″ height=”352″]http://youtu.be/AYY6l7NgdVk[/youtube]
Sandy Salle, CEO of the Hills of Africa Travel, shares her experience as a Platinum Mastermind client in the Client Attraction Winners Academy.
“I came to the Mindset Retreat two years ago and I didn’t know what the universe was. I didn’t know how to manifest. I didn’t know anything, Now I’m a total convert.
I was working hard doing everything in my business; the itineraries, working late, checking emails and putting the babies in the bath. I felt guilty because I’d be writing an email while they were in the tub. I was pretty sad and desperate.
Back then I set up travel arrangements for honeymooners. Now I work with billionaires, hosts of late night comedy shows and corporate executives and book helicopters, charters and private jets for 20 people at a time. Fabienne kept saying, “You are the African travel expert for the billionaires.” It took me a while to catch on.
So, this is unbelievable, just two years ago I was bringing in only $8,000 a year. But this year, sales hit $1.25 million and next year I’m planning on doubling sales.
As a Platinum member, I discovered a tribe of special friends who helped me build the confidence to dream bigger, play bigger and live bigger. Without them and Fabienne and Derek, I would still be treating this business as a hobby.”
When you are building your business and working on your mindset, your energy is on the rise. You are plugging away, implementing, and keeping your head in the game. You may even be seeking new friends and surrounding yourself with people who share similar beliefs to help pull you forward. But, what about current friends and family who don’t think the way you do and aren’t ready to embrace the new way of life you have chosen?
Choose love and compassion. First, I want to say this happens to me too. The number one thing is that you stay in a place of love, compassion and non-judgment. These differences will come up with some friends and family which is only natural.
Seek commonality. It might seem difficult to interact with those who don’t share your mindset. They may be people who are very close to you and are not going anywhere. So it gets to a point when you just say to yourself, “You know, I love them. The information is out there when they want it. They don’t want it right now so I’m going to love them for who they are and I’ll find things to talk about that have nothing to do with my beliefs.”
One topic I often rely on is cooking. You can share this passion and learn new recipes and tips without worrying about bumping heads on the mindset stuff.
Avoid judgment. With time and effort, you will find safe things to talk about and carry on a conversation. But, keep this in mind, it’s very easy to judge, which doesn’t fall high on the list of 22 emotions. So, judgment is not a good thing and you want to be careful about not thinking you’re better than they are. One of my mentors told me, “Fabienne, no matter what’s going on, they still have a very full life.”
Don’t try to change people. What my mentor said is so true -that’s why I recommend you just live your life and don’t try to change others. Instead, love them and recognize them for who they are.
Add people to your life with a similar mindset. Another important point is to realize that you don’t need to get rid of people from your life to maintain your mindset. What you are really trying to do is add more yummy people to your life. Sometimes, it turns out that the yummy people tend to crowd out the rest. You know what I mean?
Share the love and joy. The key is not to judge because everyone is on his or her own path. It’s their journey. You can bring a horse to water, but you can’t make him. drink. That’s how the old saying goes. So focus on the yummy things you are creating and share the love and the joy that comes from that.
Your Client Attraction Assignment
Are you butting heads with a friend or family member? Get into a place of non-judgment and compassion. Then think about all the things you can still talk about and write up a list. Next time you see the person, remember that you love them, then talk about one of those topics that will keep the conversation flowing. You may be pleasantly surprised to discover that interacting with those who don’t share your mindset is easier than you think and can still feel really good.
Now, if you’re just starting out and trying to fill your practice in the FIRST place, then follow a step-by-step system that feels easy and authentic to you. The Client Attraction Home Study System™ gives you the most important things to do to set up simple, solid 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, templates, and examples are handed to you on a silver platter. Easy. You can get it at TheClientAttractionSystem.com.
A lot of my clients who are just starting out want to run teleclasses. This is a great way to work with a group, bring in good income, and leverage your time. Trouble is, when you are starting out, your list might not be big enough to fill a group.
No problem. I have found when your database reaches 1,000, that is like the tipping point for really being able to sell programs and products. This was true in my business. I want to share three powerful ways to build your list quickly so you can eventually run those group teleclasses for a fee.
1. Start by offering a free teleclass. As people register for your free program, they provide their email address and your list grows. Be sure to deliver an information-rich class so newcomers get plenty of value. You can then make a special offer for your next paid teleclass.
2. Look for joint venture partners. You want to connect with partners who market to the same ideal clients. They announce your free teleclass to their list. As people register, again you get their email addresses. At the end of the free teleclass, announce your next teleclass program for a fee and share a percentage of sales with your joint venture partners.
3. Create an Irresistible Free Offer (IFO). What do your prospects really need to know about? It can be a solution to the problem that keeps them up at 3am. What would they give anything to know? Then market this compelling product in the following places:
- A landing page on your site
- On your home page
- On your Facebook page
- Via Twitter
- In your LinkedIn groups
- On the back of your business card
- At speaking gigs
When people want your IFO, they will gladly trade their contact information for your product.
Your Client Attraction Assignment
How big is your list? If you have anything less than 1,000, that’s an indication list building is a big priority for your business. At the beginning of each week, be sure to set aside time in your calendar for these activities. Then, set an intention to focus on list building to help your mind seek and be open to opportunities as they appear.
Now, if you’re just starting out and trying to fill your practice in the FIRST place, then follow a step-by-step system that feels easy and authentic to you. The Client Attraction Home Study System™ gives you the most important things to do to set up simple, solid 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, templates, and examples are handed to you on a silver platter. Easy. You can get it at TheClientAttractionSystem.com.
There are several reasons why I’m a big fan of choosing a niche. The biggest one is it makes your marketing so much easier.
But many of my clients wonder how to choose a niche. Sometimes, people make the mistake of just going for clients who have plenty of money, and while it makes sense to select ideal clients who can afford your services, that cannot be the only qualification.
You want to think about these three requirements to know you are choosing your niche wisely.
1. Is this a group of people who seek out the help of a coach or service provider like yourself?
For me, I’ve realized not everyone who owns a small business is drawn to working with a coach. For example, medical doctors aren’t as likely to work with a coach to build their patient roster. Some types of businesses are just more open to the idea of coaching than others. So I’ve had to make sure the niche I choose is open to learning how to grow his or her business. For example, I have a lot of clients in other wellness businesses like salons, spas, naturopaths, massage therapists, acupuncturists, etc. This sector of health and wellness readily seeks to build their practice.
2. Is the target large enough to provide plenty of prospects?
You want to make sure there are enough people in that group to provide plenty of prospects. Do some research on the web to see who is already serving that niche. If you find coaches who target this same group, that is a good sign. You want a group with thousands and thousands of people who could use your services so you can continue to grow your business. If you choose a small target, you might quickly run out of prospects.
3. What credentials do you have to work with this group?
Of course you want to choose a target that inspires and excites you. But what credentials do you have to work with this group? Do you have:
Personal experience?
Professional experience in the field?
Specific education in the area?
A compelling story involving this niche?
In order to market to and serve a niche, you need a connection to and experience with what they do. This is how you will know and understand their issues and be able to offer sound solutions.
Once you consider these three crucial elements, you are more certain of choosing a healthy niche for your business.
Your Client Attraction Assignment
If you haven’t picked a niche yet, it’s time! Think about the types of clients you most enjoy working with and what types of businesses interest you. Remember to keep in mind your compelling story, experience and strengths to be sure you are well-suited to work with your new niche.
Now, if you’re just starting out and trying to fill your practice in the FIRST place, then follow a step-by-step system that feels easy and authentic to you. The Client Attraction Home Study System™ gives you the most important things to do to set up simple, solid 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, templates, and examples are handed to you on a silver platter. Easy. You can get it at TheClientAttractionSystem.com.
[youtube width=”600″ height=”352″]http://youtu.be/r4JQkmBGgbc?hd=1[/youtube]
Today I’d like to talk to you about how to be more decisive in your business. I speak to thousands of entrepreneurs each year and I have been for 12 years now. Every time I get together with a group of successful entrepreneurs, I see they’re people who take decisive action. Successful people take decisive action.
But I also meet entrepreneurs who like to over-think and they might make a decision but then they change their mind. There’s this waffling effect. I meet people who have a lot of self doubt. They tend to listen to that inner critic a lot.
I would like for you to be successful. This is why I do what I do. Part of that is to be more decisive in your business because the longer you take to make a decision, the longer you delay the results that you are looking for.
Here are my six steps that I’d like to share with you about how I am more decisive in my business each year.
1. Get all the facts. This sounds simple but when you have this mapped out as a formula, it really helps. Here’s what I often say to my clients, “So tell me, you have this decision that needs to be made. What’s going on? Tell me all the facts.”
A lot of times they don’t have all the facts. Without them, you are making a non-informed decision. Non-informed decisions are bad decisions. So get all the facts. (Click here to tweet this.)
2. Make a pros and cons list. You’ve heard this before but I actually find that some of the biggest decisions I’ve had to make in my life were made much more easily when I had a pros list and a cons list; pros of doing it, pros of not doing it. Cons of doing it, cons of not doing it.
Then I can actually see just by the number of things on the list, “Wow, there are so many pros to doing this and so very few cons to doing it.” Sometimes that will sway my decision very, very quickly. So do that.
If you’ll allow me to get a little spiritual on you for a second (because you know we can be spiritual in business too), often the pros of doing something come from you being pulled into your future. Your soul is being called to do something. That’s why your list may contain so many positive things.
If you look at the cons list, usually the cons are based on fears – fear of losing money, fear of failure, fear of success, fear of overwhelm, fear of criticism, and the list goes on.
You’re being pulled into future if spirit is asking you to do the next right thing. Fear is the opposite. It’s your ego pulling your back. I only make decisions based on faith, not fear.
3. Trust your intuition. You know that feeling inside that says, “Oh, I really should be doing that,” and then you try to talk yourself out of it? I always say to trust your intuition. I’m going to get spiritual on you again, but your intuition comes from Source. It comes from the Universe. It comes from God, or whatever you may call it. It’s like your red phone direct to the big guys upstairs.
When you listen to your intuition it’s like getting advice straight from Source. Your intuition is a softer, kinder voice and it’s usually quieter than the fear voice of the ego. So if there’s a faint voice that says, “Do it,” then that’s usually Source rather than, “Oh my God! Don’t do this! You might lose money. You might fail.” That is not your intuition. So, trust your intuition.
4. Ignore your fears. I have to be very careful when I talk about that. There are some good fears like, “Don’t jump off that bridge.” But there are also the fears that are stopping you from doing the next best thing for your business – whether they’ve come from your upbringing, or from other people’s irrational fears and a slew of other things that we talk about in my mindset workshops but the remember idea from the pros and cons list: Make decisions based on faith.
5. Look at your return on investment. If you know that this is something that’s going to get you the result that you want in your business, then be decisive and look at the return on investment. Whenever I am investing in my own business, I look at, “Am I going to get my money back on this?” “Yes.” “Am I going to get two times, four times, ten times my investment if I do everything that it says?” If the answer is yes, I say yes and I don’t turn back. I want the same thing for you.
6. Flip a coin. Finally, if you just cannot make a decision but you would be okay with either way, than just flip a coin. I know it sounds silly but you’ve got to be okay with what comes up. The key is to take decisive action and to do the things that you know are going to move you to the next level.
Your Client Attraction Assignment
Try my six steps when faced with any important decision. They will lead you toward becoming more decisive in your business because remember, successful people take decisive action.
Forging Joint Venture partnerships is a powerful way to gain exposure to new prospects and build your list. But what do you say to start the conversation with a potential partner and how do you figure out what to do together? I’d like to share the method I have used in my own business.
Whether you have the opportunity to meet partners live face-to-face at conferences or networking events or by telephone, I recommend you simply introduce yourself. Then adjust the following script to make it yours.
How to start the conversation
“I have a nagging sensation; my intuition keeps telling me to talk to you about doing something together. I don’t know exactly what it looks like but let’s talk. I just have this feeling we should be doing something together.”
This is a very sincere approach that is flattering (after all you’ve been thinking about this person) and helps you set the stage to explore possibilities.
First, ask how you can help this potential partner
The next thing is very important to set this partner at ease and make him or her feel comfortable talking with you. Ask the potential partner what you can do for them. This will make you more attractive because you are not asking for anything. Instead you are offering to help!
You can offer to:
Promote the partner to your list
Provide the benefit of your Irresistible Free Offer to the person’s list
Run a free teleclass on a topic that would benefit their list
It’s all about what you can give to help your partner add value to his or her client base.
Explore options to discover what might work best. Try any of these questions to get the ball rolling:
“What is it I could offer you that you do not currently do, that would provide value?”
“What are the biggest issues that the people on your list encounter?”
“What solution would help the people on your list most?”
When you approach a strategic alliance, you always want to start with what’s in it for that person. It will make you a lot more attractive, believe me. People contact me for this type of thing all the time and this is what gets my attention.
Try a video pitch
Now here’s my last tip to get a specific partner’s attention. Create an introduction on video especially for the partner you are looking to connect with. This is a way to play bigger with your marketing materials. Your video will trump anything already on your website or even your printed materials.
I did this myself when I was trying to reach someone who is famous. I created a video just for this man and sent it to his team on DVD with a link. I got his attention to start the conversation – that was all I needed.
Your Client Attraction Assignment
Who do you want to work with? Think about people you know who work with the same target audience and ideal clients. Make a list and keep adding to it as you think of more partners. Then, be bold and start the conversation even though you don’t know where it will go. Just by creating the opening, marketing magic can happen.
Now, if you’re just starting out and trying to fill your practice in the FIRST place, then follow a step-by-step system that feels easy and authentic to you. The Client Attraction Home Study System™ gives you the most important things to do to set up simple, solid 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, templates, and examples are handed to you on a silver platter. Easy. You can get it at TheClientAttractionSystem.com.
[youtube width=”600″ height=”352″]http://youtu.be/vN1pCIlVzVw?hd=1[/youtube]
Sarah Hathorn, CEO and Founder of Illustra Consulting, shares her experience as a Sapphire Elite member of the Client Attraction Winners Academy.
At first I had that stirring inside, a little voice that kept saying, ‘You’re really bigger than you think you are, but you’re kind of afraid.’ Because of the fear, I wasn’t stepping up. I wanted to charge a lot higher fees and to work with top tier clients, but that just wasn’t happening.
So, I joined Sapphire Elite to get one on one coaching with Fabienne and Derek and to be in a mastermind which I had never done before. Hey, when I go, I go all in. During my half-day with Fabienne, she gave me the big vision and the marketing concept and told me ‘this is how you’re going to make money at it.’ My husband Mark, who is also my business partner, looked at me and said, ‘She’s right. I’ve been telling you this for years.’
Then, I got a call from a potential JV partner that I wasn’t sure about. I called Fabienne and she told me, “Don’t ever turn down money from the Universe.” Listening to her, this partner became a six-figure client for me. Overall, my business has increased 300 percent versus last year.
It’s just been amazing! Plus, you don’t know how incredible the bond of the mastermind group is until your experience it. My words of advice are that if you’re sitting there, it’s time to step up to play a much bigger game. If you don’t, you’re just going to remain where you are today.
If you have started a new business and spent time and money on developing your branding and online presence, that’s great. Establishing your brand can ensure all your communication will be clear and reinforce your image. But you still need clients right? Ultimately, the need for clients should be your first priority for a new business.
When you are ramping up a practice, there is one amazing and powerful way to get the exposure you need. It’s networking! A very impactful marketing tool, networking can help you create a strong database and fill your practice quickly. (Click here to tweet this.)
Network to meet lots of people. You know I’m a big fan of BNI (Business Networking International) which is a referral-driven group that meets weekly and acts as your sales team. In addition, I recommend you find a few other local groups because the more people you meet, the better.
Book coffee dates every week. As you start meeting people, get to know them through coffee dates. Set up several of these meetings every week to ensure you interact with enough prospects and connect with new referral sources.
Start a warm letter campaign. Build a database from all of your networking, then send your “warm letter”. This is not a one-time event. I recommend sending a monthly letter, letting your contacts know:
- How your business is doing
- Types of clients you can help
- Success stories as they occur
- Additional services you offer
This helps you build a relationship with your contacts and shows them how they can help you with referrals. The warm letter keeps you top-of-mind with people as they continue to learn about what you do. It’s so much more natural for contacts to recommend you as you stay in touch and educate them on a regular basis.
Your Client Attraction Assignment
Networking produces the fastest results because you are meeting lots of new people. What networking groups and associations attract your ideal clients? Do some research and attend each group that seems like a good fit. You don’t need to overload yourself. At the beginning, I sometimes went to seven groups in one week, but you can spread it out if needed.
Discover which groups work the best for you and continue to attend those. Then make it a practice to stay in touch with people regularly to make the most of your connections.
Now, if you’re just starting out and trying to fill your practice in the FIRST place, then follow a step-by-step system that feels easy and authentic to you. The Client Attraction Home Study System™ gives you the most important things to do to set up simple, solid 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, templates, and examples are handed to you on a silver platter. Easy. You can get it at TheClientAttractionSystem.com.
