Posts Tagged ‘client attraction’
10 Ways to Use One Article as a Marketing Tool
March 6, 2010 | 
Author 
1. Include Your Article on Your Website
There are two great reasons to add articles to your website. The first because people use the web to seek information. If you are providing quality information to your target market, they are more likely to follow you and want to connect. Secondly, online search engines love fresh content, and are more likely rank your site if it is regularly updated. Forget static websites, they are a bit like an outdated brochure that no-one picks up! Don’t forget to include important keywords in your article that your target market are likely to be searching for.
2. Add Your Article to Your Blog
Again, web search engines rank blogs highly, as they constantly provide fresh and relevant content. Blogs provide an opportunity for potential clients to click through to your site, so don’t forget to include a prominent link on your blog. Not sure how to set up a blog? Here is a useful video to demonstrate your to set up a blog – how to set up blog video
3. Put Your Article on Someone Elses Blog
If you have good valuable information to offer, there are people in cyberspace that will love to share it! These are quite likely others in a related industry who are interested in sharing quality information and resources with their own readers. Guest blogging is very common. Begin to network and nurture relationships with likeminded others in your field online, and you will find that invitations follow. You can also make requests to submit suitable articles to relevant blogs.
4. Send Your Article to the Twitterverse
Once your articles are posted online, it is very easy to post a link on twitter once you have an account. You can get one at www.twitter.com .For more about twitter, check out this Twitter You Tube video I will be sharing more about social media marketing in later newsletters.
5. Share Your Article on Facebook As a Note
Yes, let your friends know what you are up to by cutting and pasting your article as a facebook note. Your note will automatically show on your friends feed, and are easily shared by others with their circle of friends. Not on facebook yet? You are missing out!! I would like to meet you there….join me here: www.facebook.com/KrishnaEverson
This is exactly what I am doing with this article. Just make sure your topic is always relevant to those receiving your newsletter, keep it informative, and always add value. (As soon as I finish here, this article will be added to my blog and facebook page!)
7. Add It to Article Websites
This is a wonderful traffic generator as you include a link to your website and quite often your bio, which lets people know a little more about who you are and what you do. Just 10 articles will increase your online profile exponentially!! My favourite article site is www.ezinearticles.com but there are 100′s! My advice? Get started….
8. Turn Your Article Into a Talk
Once you have your article written, you have content ready on hand for those public speaking opportunites that come up! Being prepared, and knowing your topic are two of the key elements of good public speaking. Need more help or want to build your speaking confidence? Check out Toastmasters or a local speaking group. Speaking is an excellent way of reaching groups with your message and attracting the perfect client.
9. Share It At Relevent Networks Instead of a Brochure
Too often, brochures are dull and virtually meaningless, and quite often just talk about you, when it needs to be about what’s in it for the reader. Replacing your brochure with a well-written and relevant article (not a sales pitch), with a short bio and contact information at the end is a great alternative to other passive forms of PR material, and lets people know what great information you have to share. A useful credibility builder.
10. Use It As Chapter In An E-book
Got 10 articles? Then you have an e-book! Combine then into one document, add a contents page, and voila! Use as an enticement to signup for your mailing list, then stay in touch!
My next article writing workshop is May 1.
Stay tuned for online resources and home study guides….coming soon!
Posted in marketing | 
Tags: articles, client attraction, Free Publicity, get online, leverage, marketing, Massage Marketing, promotion | 
6 Comments »
7 Ways to Make Your First Impressions Count!
LET YOUR PASSION SHINE THROUGH!
If you aren’t excited about what you do, you can hardly expect others to be. The great thing about passion, is it isn’t selling, it is just sharing your passionate and desire to help others. People, the RIGHT people, will connect with that, and be drawn to you.
SHARE YOUR STORY
To be successful in business, it is very important to differentiate yourself from others who provide a similar service. What better way to do that than share your own unique story.
So how can you share your story, without being seen as raving on about yourself?
- If your story has a lesson in it, share it at a network or relevant group
- Blog about it. A blog is a great way to interact with your clients and prospects.
- Pop it in your newsletter. Clients often connect with elements of your journey that speak to them personally. When they know what makes you tick, referring to others who would make an ideal client comes naturally.
BUILD YOUR CONFIDENCE
Developing your confidence where it matters can make a big difference to first impressions. This can really count when people ask what you do at a network or social gathering, or when handling telephone enquiries.
If you lack confidence in these areas, don’t despair. You will find it helps to be prepared, and even practise your responses. So,
BE PREPARED
When meeting people face to face – knowing what you want to communicate beforehand can put a favourable light on what you do. It’s not about a robotic response, but having a clear idea of what you want to communicate, and that might mean practicing in front of the mirror! Check out 15 second pitch to create your introduction in about 5 minutes. You can refine and practise it and build your confidence in that area.
When taking phone enquiries, document common questions and responses so you are always ready with a confident response. Again, it’s not about reading the answer, but becoming familiar enough with it that it comes naturally, and rolls off your tongue. Check out my article on how to turn phone enquries into appointments here.
REMEMBER PEOPLE’S NAMES
Using a persons name can be very powerful. I have found by I re-confirming their name in the first 5 minutes, no-one is going to be offended! An important point is to pay attention to those we meet and listen to what they have to say.
DRESS APPROPRIATELY!
Dressing like a hippy is perfect for the folk festival, but not so great for a corporate event where you want to impress potential corporate clients! It is important to reflect your personality, but remember to dress right for the occassion.
Finally, SMILE!!!
Smile….and the world smiles with you! And if not, you’ll feel better anyway!
When meeting someone for the first time, ensure the door is open, gently invite them in, and allow them the opportunity to enter, either now or in the future. That is the power of first impressions….
All the best with your (ad)ventures…
Krishna
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: client attraction, first impressions, networking, Telephone Skills | 2 Comments »
The Power of 'One to Many' – Sharing Your Message to Attract More Clients
Let me tell you about my client and friend Annie Clark (that’s her on the left). Annie is a wellness consultant with a huge scope of knowledge and operates a successful health consultancy on the Sunshine Coast of Australia. Now, Annie wears a lot of hats. She writes and sells books on health topics, runs retreats, does one-on-one consultations and sell a range of health products that meet the needs of her clients.
So how does she promote all this? How did she become so successful? Yes she has a website. Yes you can visit her clinic. Yes you can come to her retreat.
Annie leverages the power of speaking to groups to share her message and attract more clients. She sets the date, promotes the event, get the bums on the seats, and continually fills her pipeline with people who want more of her!!
So what are some of the keys to making presentations work for you:
-Know your audience. Craft a message that suits the audience and speaks in their language.
-Know your topic. It’s a great way to leverage your knowledge and be seen as an expert in your field.
-Make it interesting. Sharing a little of yourself, amusing stories, as well as the facts and figures is far more likely to captivate the audience (thanks to Hari of Coolum Toastmasters for this tip)
-Start small. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Start with some intimate groups and work your way up…gradually expand your comfort zone.
USING YOUR PRESENTATIONS AS A MARKETING TOOL
-Be clear on your purpose and what outcome you would like.
-Don’t forget to include an invitation at the end that makes it easy for audience members to engage with you further or get more information
-Be prepared. Have flyers ready for those who want more details, and have a way to capture interested parties contact details, such as offering them the chance to subscribe for your newsletter, or be sent a special report, or more info.
-Promote the event well in advance to your ideal client base. Make sure your existing clients know you are going to be there. Invite your friends and colleagues for moral support. This will increase the likelihood of cross referrals.
-Send a press release about the event to the local paper, or list it in your community directory and free online directories. (Keep your eyes open for free event directrories for later use, there’s a stack of them.)
These are just a few suggestions for the limited scope of this blog. In short; public speaking is a powerful way to attract more clients without selling! It will help people to remember who you are and what you do. If you present the right message, to the right audience, the right client will automatically gravitate to you, and in turn tell their friends!
Happy speaking….and more clients!
Krishna
www.healthpracticesuccess.com
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: client attraction, Free Publicity, leverage, promotion, public speaking | 2 Comments »
10 Ideas to Build Your Profile as an Expert to Attract Clients
People love to be reassured that those they go to for help are capable of solving their problem. But how do you get recognised as the ‘go to’ person for what you offer? Here are 10 ideas that can help develop your profile as an expert. We will explore them in more detail over the coming weeks…..
1. Forget trying to be everything to everyone
At first it may seem logical to offer something to ‘everyone’, but what this does is water down your message so that you ‘blend in’ to the background, the opposite of what you need to do. It is far better to specialise if you want to be seen as an expert and attract a steady stream of new clients.
2. Develop expertise in a specialised area, do the research, learn the skills
Being recognised as a expert is more than a ‘label’, it must also be true! Decide what you love doing, and how you can help people most and focus on that. This may mean finding a mentor or doing some extra learning to develop a deeper understanding of your field of expertise.
3. Draw on your existing skills and talents
Every experience we have had brings us to the point that we are today, so needs to be honored and valued. When I embarked on a health career I thought I had kissed my corporate life goodbye forever! It was only when I blended my experience of the two that I was able to really make an impact. Using your expertise to provide a great solution to a group of people that you know and understand well can really magnify your point of difference and leverage your expert status.
4. Write a book
If you want to propel your business to the next level, writing a book is a great way to leverage your knowledge and build your profile.
5. Use articles
I can’t think of a better low cost way to quickly position yourself as an expert. Writing content rich articles about your area of expertise and submitting them to newspapers, trade publications and online, is a powerful way to build credibility.
6. Speaking
A super powerful way to be recognised as an expert in your chosen field. Speaking directly to your niche will quickly attract new clients when you consistently add value with the message you share. Add an invitation or irresistable offer and you are well on the way to taking your business to the next level.
7. Mentor others
Think about your own favorite mentors. Most likely they generously shared what they knew to help others ‘learning the ropes’. Offering your time and knowledge to others is a powerful calling card.
8. Run events
Creating an event that meets the needs of your target market can help to enhance your profile as a specialist. You can joint venture with other professionals who offer great services to increase exposure to your ideal prospect.
9. Use a variety of methods to share a consistent message
The worlds most identifiable ‘brands’ have a consistent message across the various mediums they use. Whether your message comes face to face, in print, via electronic media or newsletter….your message needs to be specific, solve a problem and be easily identified.
10. Be mindful of the company you keep
I’ve heard it said that we are an average of the 5 people we associate with most. Surround yourself with likeminded people who are aiming for excellence in their field of endeavour.
This list are just some suggestions that can help to build your profile as an expert. In most instances they are relatively low cost. Begin by choosing the ones that work for you (this may require ‘stepping out’ a little…but that’s okay…you can do it!). Establishing yourself as an expert may mean developing some new skills, or doing some things differently, so allow time to work on your business as well as in it. Stay tuned as we explore some of these ideas in more detail over the next few weeks.
All the best with your (ad)ventures….
Krishna
Posted in marketing | Tags: branding, client attraction, events, expert, Free Publicity, joint ventures, leverage, marketing, Professional Development, success | 2 Comments »
Attract More Clients By Standing Out From The Crowd
Are you comfortable about standing out in a crowd? When it comes to good marketing, and attracting more clients; it is essential that you stand out, and that you are seen as different to other businesses similar to yours.
When you are clear on your uniqueness, you can communicate that to the clients that matter most and attract more bookings. What you need to be clear on is your ‘unique selling proposition’ or USP. Put simply this is a statement that differentiates you from others offering a similar service. Now this doesn’t mean that what you offer is different; but it does mean that how you communicate what you do is different.
Let me explain that.
Where I live there are quite a few gyms competing for clients who want to get fit for the summer. They all offer exercise equipment; all offer personal training sessions; and all offer friendly service! So how can they differentiate themselves from one another? Well…
-At the ladies only gym you can exercise in comfort with women just like you
-At the 24 hour gym you can visit anytime that it suits without annoying queues
-The fitness club is a great local meeting place for people who like to stay fit
-Down the road is one-on-one personal service with a focus on results
See what I mean? Essentially they are offering the same product, but by communicating it differently they can all have a piece of the pie, without the need to have a discounting battle.
Where to start with creating your own USP
*Know who your clients are and what they want (for more on this refer to last weeks newsletter on how to find your niche)
*Research what other alternatives there are out there
*Make a list of what is unique about you
*Select some criteria that differentiates you from messages others in your industry send
*Craft a statement that includes your unique attributes
Important points to remember
*Specialise
*Speak from the clients point of view
*Speak to the clients problem
*Offer a solution
*Emphasise why you are the right choice
For example: you might be a naturopath who offers natural solutions to health problems. But you can differentiate yourself by choosing a specialty such as:
“Helping women survive menopause with natural clinically proven solutions”
“Restoring sanity to your family with ADHD diets that your children will love”
“We give you every chance possible to conceive naturally before needing to consider invasive fertility treatments”
See how powerful it is! To attract clients, you must stand out, differentiate and specialise. Not sure? Ask your clients why they chose you! Next week we will explore more ways of standing out as an expert which always attacts more people to your product or service. Until then…..
Have a great week!
Defining a Niche to Attract More Clients….
One of the greatest struggles I see health practitioners and coaches have is around making a decision to define a specific market to work with. Let me ask you this. If someone had a service to offer you, what would be more meaningful? Something that is simply offered to ‘everyone’, or something that is offered in terms that you care about, in your language, that speaks to a problem you have? Today I’m going to outline some of the benefits of defining your niche and offer some practical suggestions on how to determine a great niche for you.
Even if everyone could benefit from your product or service, trying to promote what you to do ‘everyone’ is hard work, costly, and will quickly burn you out with little real results. To truly make an impact with your marketing efforts, it makes much more sense to define a group that you can direct your marketing message to who are ready and willing to hear what you have to say, and are likely recognise your product or service as a good choice that can solve their specific problem.
7 Great Reasons to Define Your Client Niche
1. Creating your marketing messages become easier when you know specifically who specifically you are talking to!
2. When you know who you niche is, and what they want, it becomes easier to deliver solutions in a way that engages them – you can speak their ‘language’.
3. You’ll be seen as an expert in your field, which automatically attracts more clients to you.
4. You can refine your services to really serve your niche well
5. You are seen as an obvious choice to solve specific problems your niche have
6. You actually reduce the number of competitors you have
7. When you specialise you stand out from the crowd
There are two main keys to defining your ideal niche –
WHO are ready and willing to hear what you have to say, and
WHAT is the problem you can help them with.
Generally I find that practitioners I work with usually have an existing group of clients they have been working with, so that is a great place to start. Beginning with your existing client profile provides lots of clues on how best to move forward with clarifying your niche. If you are just starting out, focus on defining your ‘ideal client’. Refining your niche is a process that may take a little time. But it is absolutely essential. The key is getting as specific as you can. Note that just because you are deciding on a niche, that it doesn’t exclude others. But it will definately make your marketing and promotion much easier.
Answering the questions below will allow you to gain some clarity around a potential niche. Note that some of the questions seem similar, but I encourage you to answer them anyway to help draw a solid niche out of you! Do not generalise. Be as narrow and specific as you can.
Your First 10 Steps Toward Uncovering Your Ideal Niche
Take a sheet of paper, note down each of these questions with the associated response.
1. Who are your favourite clients
2. Who are your regular clients
3. Who would you ideally like to work with most
4. What type of client currently uses your services the most
5. What type of comments do you receive from current clients
6. Who gives you the most favourable comments
7. What are the MOST COMMON problems they see you for
8. What issues do you care about most
9. Who would benefit the most from what you do
10. Why do you do what you do?
Is a theme or pattern emerging? You should begin to see some common threads in your answers. As soon as you begin to see that a logical niche can be seen, you will be able to explore what it that you offer that can specifically meet their needs. This will become the start of uncovering your ‘unique selling proposition’. We will explore that further in next weeks Healthy Marketing. Stay tuned….!
If you have struggled with this or found it helpful, I would really love to hear you comments about it. Have you found the right niche for you?
How to Attact More Clients with Joint Ventures
7 GREAT REASONS TO USE JOINT VENTURES
1. They leverage your business to more potential clients through valuable partnerships – building your client base at minimal cost
2. They build your credibility through the trust already held by your partners – exposing you to warm rather than cold prospects
3. You are seen as someone who is willing to work with others for a greater benefit to all concerned
4. They allow you to be surrounded by likeminded and passionate people – you will be inspired and inspire others
5. They can create free publicity
6. If carefully targeted joint ventures will help position you as an expert in your chosen field
7. They eliminate that horrible feeling of slogging away on your own trying to get clients
WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING JOINT VENTURE PARTNERS
Know exactly who you want to attract to your business. Clearly define your audience. This becomes apparent when you know exactly what your strengths are and who you can help the most. You must identify this first before proceeding, if you want them to work well for you.
Partner with local businesses who have the same target market as you. They may or may not be health related, it could be the local fitness club, café or playgroup.
Approach potential partners from a ‘what’s in it for them’ perspective – it’s not all about you (although your aim is for you to benefit, it must benefit your partners also).
Remember that it’s a team effort – you don’t have to go it alone. Bigger joint ventures are best when everyone has a role to play. Don’t be afraid to delegate – just the fact that you initiated the idea will be worthwhile if everyone benefits.
Pool your resources. Eveyone invloved can play a part in promoting the joint venture. Making sure everyones clients hear about the promotion and that any cost are shared will help with the smooth running of your project.
10 JOINT VENTURE IDEAS YOU COULD TRY
1. Place flyers at local businesses in exchange for their ad or coupon in your newsletter
2. Offer a free treatment to the local physio or personal trainer who can speak on your behalf to their clients and refer them to you. A value adding voucher works well in conjunction with these. Offer to refer your clients to them also.
3. Offer treatments as prizes to local charities and fundraisers in exchange for promotion in their flyers and newsletters as a sponsor.
4. Sponsor a member of the month prize at the local gym.
5. Team up with the local health food store – you promote their products while they promote your service.
6. Set up a stand at the local sports club or fitness centre. It offers their members an additional service and you get exposure to new clients.
7. Participate in open days and community events – you’ve got to be in it to win it!
8. Create a health expo by teaming up with other practitioners. Charge a fair price for half hour treatments and offer free talks on different health issues. Ask a local venue to donate the space. Promote it through local newspaper articles and what’s on columns, on community noticeboards and free online community directories. A little planning goes a long way.
9. Create a local network that appeals to your target market. For example, if women 40 plus are your market, team up with a local café or restaurant and host a monthly luncheon event. It could be purely social or you could have an interesting speaker each month.
10. Join with other complementary businesses and do in-home functions that are fun. Great for hens parties and ‘girls nights in’.
Teamwork divides the task and double the success.
- Unknown
Got a joint venture idea that has worked for you? I’d love to hear about it!
Attract More Clients Using the 80/20 Rule
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH4xPjWu8Sg&hl=en&fs=1&]
Does Your Marketing Plan Have What it Takes to Get the Job Done?
There is a lot of debate about what marketing actually is and what a marketing plan should include. I like to think of marketing as anything that puts you in front of the right type of potential client you want to see in your health practice. This includes things such as what your product is; how you position yourself within your industry and how you are going to promote that to the right people. Of course the whole point of marketing is to get clients or customers.
Today I want to address the whole notion of attracting enough clients so that your health practice prospers. These are not just any client, but clients that want what you have, are willing to pay for it, and will refer others to you.
Too often, health practitioners rely on methods of promotion that is very passive, and does not expose them to enough of the right kinds of prospects. A few flyers on the local noticeboard or down at the local cafe, does not a flourishing practice make! I am not saying don’t use these methods, as they can be very useful, but as stand alone marketing tactics they are not likely to produce a very big result.
BEFORE YOU START DOING ANY PROMOTION
Be clear on what you are promoting. Is it a workshop or a service? Try not to get too many ideas across at one time.
Be clear on your target group. Be as specific as possible. Is it working women, depressed people or men who like fishing? A clear idea of your target market or niche allows you to ‘speak’ to them directly, rather than being a jack of all trades who does anything for anyone. This is not the way to build a solid client base.
Know exactly what you want to achieve. Is it a certain number of clients per week? 10 bums on seats at a workshop? A particular income per month?
Where will you find the right people? Where do they hang out? How can you connect with them?
What tools do you need to reach them? An interesting presentation? Brochures, editorials or press releases?
What is your budget? Of money, of time, of energy?
NOW – THINK IT THROUGH….
-Are enough prospects being exposed to your campaign to get the DESIRED RESULT?
-Are they ready to receive what you are offering?
-Does the methods you want to use suit your target market?
-Do you have enough frequency and exposure to get a RESULT?
-Is your budget enough to get the job done? (Time, money, energy)
-Have you got the right tools?
-What help do you need? Can you delegate anyting?
-SWOT – be aware of any strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
If you are serious about having a prosperous practice, you must get serious about reaching good quality prospects who can become clients. The right message in front of enough of the right clients will bring you the desired result.
You can turn todays ideas into tomorrow successes when you work towards what you want with passion and persistance. You can do it!
To your health practice success,
Krishna
The Top 3 Mistakes Health Practitioners Make When Trying to Attract More Clients
This is a topic that is really close to my heart, because these are the top 3 mistakes I see most often. For some reason, in the clamour to get more clients, health practitioners and natural therapists repeatedly do these things. Here are the top 3 and what to do instead!
Mistake Number 1: Hide behind a brochure
Now I have absolutely nothing against brochures. Actually I love them (if they are done well with all of the right elements)! But people don’t do business with a brochure, they do business with YOU. So, whilst your brochure can be an excellent tool for sharing what you offer, they are an extremely passive means of promoting yourself, they should not be used as an alternative to connecting actively with potential clients.
What to do instead: Try using more active means of promoting yourself, such as face to face networking or participating in community events. Offering your services as a speaker at networks is a wonderful way to begin to connect with others in a way that draws clients to you instead of having to chase them. For those who really don’t cope in a group situation at all, try joint venturing with others who can recommend you, but don’t forget that there needs to be something in it for them too.
Mistake Number 2: Try to be everything to everyone
We’ve all done it. We announce that we can meet everyone’s needs, that what we do is tailor made for them. It may even be true! But if you say that, then you aren’t differentiating yourself from other practitioners, and may get lost in a sea of them. I know it’s tempting, you think that this will increase the number of prospects for you, but the opposite is true as it won’t be clear why someone should choose you.
What to do instead: Position yourself as an expert. This means send a message about something you specialise in that people want. The more specific the better. For example, if you had acne – would you be more likely to try ‘Proactive’ who specialises in acne, or another skin care range that has something for everyone. Think about it. Now, how to let people know you are an expert? Promote yourself through editorials and articles, speak at events, advertise your specific service, create a specialised newsletter, etc.
Mistake Number 3: Talk about YOU, instead of what’s in it for your client
Open up any yellow pages or newspaper directory and you will see scores of businesses with their logo up in ‘lights’, telling us all about THEM. But do they make it clear how YOUR needs will be met? How do you decide which one to call? By the prettiest ad and logo? No! Correct me if I am wrong, but you are most likely to contact who you think has a solution to your problem.
What to do instead: Talk about your client. Talk about what your ideal clients want. This is called ‘what’s in it for me’ or WII-fm (the station everyone is listening to!) Use a headline that captures the interest of your target market. Be specific. Use testimonials to back up your claims. Remember to always put yourself in your clients shoes and create a message which is client focused rather than you focused.
I hope you have found this information useful. I would love to hear your comments and feedback, and what has or hasn’t worked for you. All the best in your client attraction endeavours!
To your health practice success….
Krishna Everson
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: branding, client attraction, editorials, Free Publicity, how to tips, promotion | No Comments »
