Attracting Ideal Clients

Persuasion and Influence Strategy from Eric Lofholm

If you want to increase sales, then you need to improve your persuasion and influence skills. I'd like to share one of the best ideas I learned from my sales mentor Eric Lofholm. This strategy will help you get more referrals and reach hundreds of new prospective clients in very little time.

Watch this Video Now!

Register for Eric Lofholm's Free Seminar
How to Sell in the New Economy
Click Here for More Details:
http://TinyURL.com/NewEconomyEvent

Rick Cooper
Online Marketing Expert

 

Networking Quote: Ivan Misner

"Networking is not about hunting. It is about farming. It's about cultivating relationships. Don't engage in 'premature solicitation'. You'll be a better networker if you remember that."

~Dr. Ivan Misner
NY bestselling author & founder of BNI

Reach out to your Network

One of the most valuable assets you have in your business is your network. Your network includes anyone you know, whether they are an acquaintance, an associate, a client or a friend.

You have a network, whether you look at it that way or not. There is value in your network. There is the possibility for developing joint venture partnerships, referral opportunities and client relationships.

The question is how do you leverage your network? You have to be deliberate about thinking of your network in a way that will support you. When you have a need, think of specific people you know who can help. Reach out and ask for help.

You will have much better luck if you are proactive in helping others first. If you are always taking and never giving, your network will tire of your requests.

Do you have a strategy to build your network? Isn’t it time you made a plan to build your network and determine how best to make use of this incredible resource?

Be Proactive in Looking for Ways to Help People!

Here are 3 strategies to build your network:

1) Grow your network

One of the simplest ways to grow your network these days is through social media. You have instant access to millions of people. You can quickly connect with people and over time develop closer relationships.

Networking at events is another great way to meet people. Be selective about which events you attend. Look for events that will connect you with your ideal clients or with influential people.

You can also state a goal to develop a relationship with someone you know of but have not met. This is a powerful strategy. It will cause you to step outside of your comfort zone.

2) Connect with your network

A network is meaningless unless you actually reach out and connect with people. You can connect through social media or the phone. The most powerful way to connect with people is directly over the phone or in person. When you talk with someone directly it creates a greater possibility for understanding and opportunity for support.

3) Support your network

Be proactive in looking for ways to help people. Listen to what they are saying. People will often make requests through social media sites, email or on their blog. Watch for opportunities and act on them.

Another idea is to simply ask people what they need help with. This is best done over the phone or by email. Make it personal.

How many people are in your network? What do you plan to do to grow your network? Who are 5 people you want to be in your network? What is one step you can take to reach out to them?

Take action to build your network and you will create opportunities to grow your business in the future.

Creating a Breakthrough in your Business

2009 has come and gone. 2010 is here to stay. But, have your results increased this year? Many people have turned over a new leaf and broken through to greater heights. Still others are struggling with many of the challenges they faced last year.

What are you hoping to accomplish this year? What is holding you back?

If you're ready for a breakthrough in your business, then here are 3 quick tips to help you create a breakthrough:

1) Create an intention

Sometimes we get stuck in the past. We are held back by our limiting beliefs. If you want to change your results, you need to change your mindset. Create an intention that you want to create a breakthrough in your business and speak it into existence.

2) Think bigger

You have to the potential to dramatically increase your results. You have the potential to accomplish so much more. What is holding you back? Many people struggle by playing a small game. They get stuck in a comfort zone and are unable to push past the obstacles that are holding them back. If you want to breakthrough to a higher level, then start by thinking bigger.

Are you Doing What's Necessary to Create the Results You Want?

3) Take massive action

The last tip I'll share is that if you are not making progress fast enough, then it might be because your are not taking enough action. Think about what actions you are taking daily. Are you really doing what's necessary to create the results that you know you are capable of? If not, then it's time to get into massive action.

Now is the time to create a breakthrough in your business. Create an intention. Think bigger. And take massive action. You will break through to a higher level of results and build the business of your dreams!

Karen Sielski is the July 15th Guest on Attracting Ideal Clients Show

 

Tune in on July 15th for Attracting Ideal Clients, aired on BlogTalkRadio. We'll be talking about Strategies for Search Engine Optimization (SEO). You'll learn tips and strategies to attract clients, generate leads and close more sales.

Strategies  for Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

July 15th (Episode 30)
6pm Pacific / 8pm Central / 9pm Eastern

Websites are one of the most valuable marketing tools available to small business owners. You need traffic to your website! In order to increase traffic to your website you need to learn strategies for Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

One of the best ways to optimize your website to increase traffic is through KEYWORDS. Once you identify what keywords will attract clients to your website. You want to make sure that you use them through out your website content.

On the show Karen will share tips and strategies to select keywords that will allow you to double, triple, quadruple or more traffic to your website.

In this program you learn:
* Tips to select keywords for your website 
* How to use keywords in a title of an article 
* How to use keywords effectively and the URL for a blog post 
* Identifying how many keywords you should have for your business

Special Guest: Karen Sielski 
Tune in monthly on the 2nd Wednesday at 3pm Pacific Time:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepdapro

Listen online (live or archived)
Click Here to Set a Reminder for the Show

Subscribe to the podcast - Click the link below or copy and paste link into iTunes:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/AttractingIdealClients

About our Guest:  Karen Sielski

Karen Sielski is an entrepreneur and consultant specializing in online marketing for small businesses, entrepreneurs, and network marketers. She has over 20 years of experience in the corporate world in senior engineering and management positions, and an MS degree in Computer Science from The Johns Hopkins University.

Karen has the technical background to understand the complex inner workings of search engines and online marketing concepts, and thrives on finding simple and cost effective ways to generate maximum results for her clients using this specialized knowledge. She is passionate about the use of blogging, online video, and social networking to establish her customers as experts and leaders in their market.

Karen lives in Sunnyvale, CA with her husband and 3 children. When not working she loves to play tennis, go to the beach, and coach soccer.

Her blog is at http://www.KineticWealth.com/blog.

She can be reached via email at karen@karensielski.com.

Rick S. Cooper, MBA
The Attraction Marketing Expert
Entrepreneur Success Coach

Eric Lofholm is the June 10th Guest on Attracting Ideal Clients Show

 

Tune in on June 10th for Attracting Ideal Clients, aired on BlogTalkRadio. We'll be talking about how to profit in tough times. You'll learn tips and strategies to attract clients, generate leads and close more sales.

 How to Sell in the New Economy

June 10th (Episode 29)
6pm Pacific / 8pm Central / 9pm Eastern

Welcome to the new economy.It's not like the old economy. If you're not getting the results you want, you need to make some changes. Eric Lofholm is a Master Sales Trainer and will share tried and true strategies that will work in the current sales environment.

In this program you learn:
* Techniques to close more sales
* How to generate more leads
* How to get more referrals
* How to sell from honesty, integrity and compassion
* How to use a sales script to dramatically increase your results
* Tips to be comfortable in the close

Special Guest: Eric Lofholm 
Tune in monthly on the 2nd Wednesday at 3pm Pacific Time:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepdapro

Listen online (live or archived)
Click Here to Set a Reminder for the Show

Subscribe to the podcast - Click the link below or copy and paste link into iTunes:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/AttractingIdealClients

About our Guest:  Eric Lofholm 

Eric Lofholm is a Master Sales Trainer who has trained tens of thousands of sales professionals nationwide. He is President and CEO of Eric Lofholm International, Inc., an organization he founded to serve the needs of sales professionals worldwide.

Eric began his career as a top-producing sales representative for 3 different sales organizations. His consistent track record of regularly outperforming his fellow sales reps earned a reputation of success that follows him to this day.
 
Eric has been trained by the top trainers of his time including: Anthony Robbins and Dr. Donald Moine Ph. D. as well as countless others. He has an insatiable quest for knowledge that he feeds by reading, listening to audio tapes, and attending seminars regularly.

Many of America's top companies hire Eric regularly to train, motivate, and inspire their sales teams. His clients have added millions of dollars in sales to their record after attending Eric's energetic and groundbreaking seminars. For more information, visit www.EricLofholm.com.

Rick S. Cooper, MBA
The Attraction Marketing Expert
Entrepreneur Success Coach

Permission Based Marketing through Free Offers

Seth Godin has literally written the book on Permission Marketing. I recommend any one of his books to learn how to apply a permission based marketing philosophy.

We live in an age when people marketed are marketed to constantly. So, what can you do to cut through the noise and create results? If you want to build a successful business, you need to ask for permission to market to people.

Traditional Advertising:
There are traditional forms of advertising which interrupt you, whether on radio, TV, or even in print media. Permission is assumed because people understand when they turn the radio station or TV channel, they will hear or see commercials at some point.

Email Marketing:
One of the most powerful tools to create leverage in your business is through email marketing. We're not talking about spam. We're talking about legitimate opt-in requests. I use a double opt-in process for added verification. I would rather err on the conservative side.

People may still perceive your messages as spam and block you. But, ultimately, they gave you permission to send them messages. Pay attention to how many messages you send and make the content valuable.

Comply with the Can Spam Act (in the U.S.) and make sure that people who subscribe to your email list have the option to unsubscribe at any time.

Publicity:
Publicity is one of the most effective forms of communication because it is typically not perceived as advertising. You must be prepared to lose control of the message though. There is value in telling compelling stories and simply being visible in the media eye. It creates interest and attracts people.

There is a learning curve to become expert at communicating with the media and creating value for consumers. But, it's worth the effort.

Build Relationships with a Diverse Community of People

Social Media:
The internet has created many opportunities to reach consumers with your message. While many companies use banner advertisements and pay per click ads, there are many tools to reach people through social media. Blogs are a great tool to demonstrate expertise in a specific area and communicate value. You can build a loyal readership and use opt-in offers for permission based email offers.

Social media sites including Twitter and Facebook allow the opportunity to build relationships with a diverse community of people including your ideal clients. Social media environments create an ongoing conversation and dialogue that everyone can tap into by exchanging information.

Free Offers:
So, how can you use the internet to grow your client base? I recommend the 80/20 Rule. Always seek to make your communications 80% informational and only 20% promotional. If in doubt, provide more information and less promotion.

Focus on building relationships. Think of people first and then about your specific goals and objectives. Social media is self-regulating. Spammers are quickly outed and banned from sites. Make sure that you obey the rules of the site and are considerate of other members.

People are willing to provide their contact information in exchange for information they need. Just be sure to follow through on your commitments and deliver what is promised.

As for what to makes a compelling free offer, that's the subject of another post.

Attraction marketing starts with offering information and resources that are valuable for your ideal clients. Strive to create value for others and your business will grow!

Want to learn how to leverage social media to grow your business? Attend our free webinar on Secrets to use Twitter to Grow your Business.

Create More Success in Your Business Now

Success is just a few steps away. If you're not creating the results you want in your business, it might be because you're missing a few crucial steps.

Wouldn't it be nice to have the level of success you want in your business? But, what can you do to create more success right now?

Here are 3 simple tips to create more success in your business now:

1) Follow the Leader

Find someone who is already successful in your field and emulate them. Analyze their strategies and break them down. Look for ways to implement what they are doing. This is a great strategy to create a higher level of success in your business.

2) Do What Works

Take time to look at what you've done in the past that has been successful. Duplicate it. This is the advantage of developing systems. You will automatically do what works over and over.

3) Ask for Help

In general, entrepreneurs tend to be Lone Rangers. They keep things close to the vest and rarely let others in. If you want to grow and create more success, you need to let others into your world and ask for help.

For additional tips and strategies to increase your success, get:
The 7 Secrets of Successful Entrepreneurs

Niche Marketing for Coaches

"Do you think a coach needs a niche in order to succeed?"
No.  But, I think most coaches will find success more quickly once they do select the right niche market for them. And, it will make the marketing process so much simpler and more effective.

Yes, a lot of this does come down to marketing. It has to do with who you want to serve. Another way to look at it is, "Who do you do your best work with?" Why not focus on them?

When Should you Select a Niche Market?
I selected a niche market before I ever served my first client. My initial market was too broad and my message wasn't specific, appealing and compelling enough. And my business model was not profitable. I have since adjusted my niche market three times and am now satisfied I'm serving the right clients. And my clients are getting results.

I think you can select a niche market at any time and you can also change it. The main challenge is that it costs money to change your brand, your message and your marketing materials. And changes can create confusion in the marketplace. But, as time goes on, people who will come to know you, you will attract your ideal clients, and they will refer you. And your alliance partners will also refer and help you.

I do think there is an intuitive component to selecting a niche market, but I don't see a problem with selecting a market before you have figured it all out.

Rick's Niche Market:
I work with entrepreneurs who want to grow their business. I help them make more money and spend less time doing it. I specialize in working with Coaches, Speakers and Experts. I help them attract their ideal clients.

I have a broad market and a niche market. I see myself as a Coach, but I am also an Author and a Speaker. And I create products (books, workbooks, audio programs, home study courses, etc.) that are applicable to my broader market also.

Who Do You Do Your Best Work With?

Niche Market Challenges:
The trouble with a niche market is it can drive away prospective customers for products and programs. However, it does allow you to target your marketing message so it really appeals to your ideal clients. A niche market is very important for identifying your coaching clients. In my opinion, one-on-one clients should be from your niche market. It's who you do your best work with. And taking on anyone as a client can lead to problems and a lack of results. It's better to refer a coaching client who is not a good fit for you.

I have learned from Michael Port, Andrea Lee, Jeff Sooey and others who understand the coaching community and what works for coaches. And online marketing lends itself to a niche focus.

Coach Websites and Marketing Materials:
I've seen too many boring (and ineffective) coaches websites that give me no clue as to who the coach best serves. And that makes it tough to identify who to refer them. And it does nothing to generate a lead to advance the enrollment process. You want to have your website and other marketing materials attract clients and generate leads. And the rest is up to you.

If you want to attract your ideal clients, you need to select a niche market.

I have spoken to some coaches that do not have a niche market and are happy to serve a variety of clients. Maybe that works fine for them.

Become a Go To  Person People Can Easily Refer:
For coaches who are all over the map, it can hold them back from becoming a "Go To" person who solves a particular type of problem.

Your niche market may not simply be about who you serve, but the types of problems you solve. Be known for something. Make yourself easy to refer. Increase your visibility. Provide tips, strategies and ideas that help people. And that will bring your ideal clients to your doorstep.

In the End, It's Up to You:
There's more than one way to build a successful coaching practice. Attract your ideal clients and build the business of your dreams!

Rick S. Cooper, MBA
The Attraction Marketing Expert
Entrepreneur Success Coach
http://www.RicksCooper.com
http://www.Twitter.com/RickCooper

Source: Content was original posted in the New Coach Connection Forum by Rick Cooper

Are you Acting with a Sense of Urgency?

Entrepreneurs are facing a challenging economy. Many industries have been battered. State and local governments are reeling in the face of lower tax revenues. Employees are being laid off in record numbers. What's a person to do?

I can tell you what not to do. Get out of a scarcity mindset and get into an abundance mindset. You need to act as if things really mattered (which they do) and get into action. You need to act with a sense of urgency.

Act with a Sense of Urgency!

The Time is Now 11:59
Act with a sense of purpose. Act with a sense of urgency. Pretend as if the clock is going to strike midnight every minute. Get it going! Get it Done!

Jerry Kennedy and Joel Canfield are hosting an event on March 5th on this very topic.

In an economy where every new client, every new project can feel like a stay of execution instead of a new start, you need to see every opportunity, and seize it.

Learn More about The Time is Now 11:59

Do you need to make something happen in the next 90 days? Do you need to make something happen now? Are you ready to act with urgency?

Take a deep breathe. You can make it happen. You can attract your ideal clients!

I encourage you to get focused and lay out your next steps.

And for those in the Northern California area, attend The Time is Now 11:59.

http://www.thetimeisnow1159.com

Rick S. Cooper, MBA
The Attraction Marketing Expert

Follow me on Twitter:
http://www.Twitter.com/RickCooper