It’s Not Procrastination, It’s Fear of Rejection (Get Past the Fear and Get Marketing)

It’s Not Procrastination, It’s Fear of Rejection (Get Past the Fear and Get Marketing)
By Fabienne Fredrickson

Have you ever been stopped in your marketing tracks because of procrastination, and didn’t know where it was coming from? This happened a few times with some of my private clients this week, and we noticed that every time it wasn’t really procrastination, it was a fear of some sort that was holding them back.

Perhaps you’ve experienced it too? The fear of reaching out to people, fear of failure, fear of success, fear of not doing something right, and the kicker, fear of REJECTION? I don’t think I know anyone who’s not experienced some form of fear of rejection when marketing themselves. I think it’s inherent in many of us. Problem is, it holds us back from doing what it takes to get clients. And it’s got to stop.

Fear of rejection keeps people from marketing, from networking, from asking for the sale, reaching out, from public speaking, from asking for referrals, and from collaborating with strategic alliances. You’ve heard me say this a thousand times: if you don’t market today, you won’t have clients in six months.

So, understanding that there’s some sort of fear stopping you, what do you do about it? I’ve done a lot of research on this, for my clients, and for myself over the years. I’ve read books, special reports and anything that was available on the subject. Problem is that most people just GLOSS OVER what you should do.

The “experts” talk about changing your mindset, thinking positively, and all that good stuff. OK, but that’s not practical enough for me. I wanted to know EXACTLY what to do to eliminate the fears and limiting beliefs that have held me back in the past and that I continually see my clients struggling with.

I’ve discovered there’s more to getting clients than just the OUTER game of Client Attraction (marketing). There’s also an INNER game of Client Attraction (your mindset and beliefs) and if you don’t deal with the inner part, then you’ll keep doing the same things (and making the same money) you’ve been making for years to come. I don’t know about you, but I prefer to continue to grow and make more.

So, I went on an internal search for what the answer was, and I found it. I’ve worked (and continue to work) on my personal growth and development, and I’ve broken it down into a series of steps that, when done in sequence, help eliminate the limiting beliefs and fears that hold us back from marketing (and shining, personally) in a big way.

Here’s what you do:

1. Establish the root fear or limiting belief that’s holding you back from marketing. (Fear of success, fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of doing it wrong, fear of asking for what you want, fear of saying no to someone, etc.) Let’s pick fear of rejection, just for argument’s sake, since it’s such a biggie with my clients.


2. Think back to your childhood. What is the earliest memory you have of being rejected? Write it down. (I’m serious, don’t just read this assignment, write it down. That’s how you get results.) If you get stuck, then go back to what the original thought that popped up when you read the assignment. That’s usually the big one that needs to be addressed first, even if you don’t think it is.


3. Write down ALL the events in life in which you can remember feeling rejected (your parents, kids in grade school, high school, the dating years, cheerleading or sports tryouts, the working world, and of course, since being self-employed).


4. Now, think about what MEANING you created about yourself as a result of each of those incidents. (“I’m not good enough,” “I’m dumb,” “I’ll never be good at marketing,” “When I reach out, I get rejected,” “I’m not cut out to make a lot of money,” etc. Really spend some time on this, because that’s where the healing begins. Be a hard grader.


5. Then, make a separate list of how these MEANINGS you created have stopped you in life. Did you stop reaching out? Did you stop taking chances? Did you retreat into a hole? Did you hold back from taking advantage of opportunities that could have advanced you? Write them all down.


6. Now, go back to the list of meanings you created and ask yourself, “What if what I THINK happened wasn’t actually the case?” Here’s what I mean: If you were rejected by your “crush” in high school after telling this person you liked them, imagine other scenarios other than “I’m unattractive” or “I’m not lovable.” Could they have secretly been dating someone else? Could they have been shy and not known what to say? Could they even have been interested in the opposite sex? Write it ALL down.


7. This is a list of ALTERNATIVE reasons why they wouldn’t have done the ‘right’ thing by you, rather than thinking you were unattractive or unlovable. Now, look at this list and pick one, because I’ll guarantee you, what you THINK happened is probably not what happened. Each person has their own writing on the wall and even if they said or did something unacceptable, we don’t REALLY know what that reason was (we might never know what was going on for them at that time).


8. Reevaluate the limiting belief or your fear. Is it REALLY true that you were rejected? Could there have been another reason for what happened? Is it really WORTH your still being affected by this and having lost out on opportunities your whole life because of what one (dumb) person said or did?


9. Decide to select the ALTERNATIVE reason for what happened and move past the fear. You deserve to not be stuck in your tracks any more. You deserve to be free from what others said or did to you in the past. You deserve to be successful and that’s what I want for you.


10. If you can’t seem to let the fear go, then just FEEL the fear, and do what it takes anyway. You’ve heard the saying: “Successful people feel the fear too, and they do what it takes anyway.” That’s been my experience. When I feel myself getting stopped, I just push through and get things done. It’s never as bad as what I feared. Best of all, every time you push through a fear that stops you, you exercise that muscle. After a while, limiting fears or beliefs don’t have a chance against you.

Your Client Attraction Assignment:

Make a point to do the exercise above. Take an afternoon or an hour each day, and really work through what’s stopping you. It can seem scary at first, but I assure you, when you actually do it, it becomes easy. And it feels so FREEING at the end.

You’ll notice that you will start DOING more than before, taking advantage of opportunities, and getting better results in marketing. That immediately equals more paying clients, more results, and in my experience, financial freedom and being able to live the life you really want. I once read that the view from the other side of fear is success. Are you game?

Now, if you’re not sure what to do to get clients once you do the assignment, then I suggest getting a copy of the Client Attraction Home Study System™. It’s everything you need to know to create a marketing message that will appeal to the best clients for you. You’ll learn how to decipher what makes your business remarkable, how to create Raving Fans so you get clients to call YOU, and lots of other crucial techniques to help you fill your practice quickly, including how to put together a simple marketing plan that gets you clients and then putting it on autopilot so you can have fun again. You can read more about it and get a copy at www.TheClientAttractionSystem.com. (Why struggle when you can just attract clients easily?)

© 2006 Client Attraction LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Fabienne Fredrickson, The Client Attraction Mentor, is founder of the Client Attraction System™ and www.ClientAttraction.com, the proven step-by-step program to attract more clients, make more m’oney being self-employed, while having more time off to enjoy it all. To receive your F.R.E.E. Audio CD by mail and get weekly how-to articles on attracting more clients, visit www.ClientAttraction.com.

STOP SELLING! Let Testimonials Do It For You

STOP SELLING! Let Testimonials Do It For You
By Fabienne Fredrickson

Testimonials are my favorite low-cost and high-impact Client Attraction tools. Getting testimonials from clients is a crucial element of your marketing plan and become a powerful tool for acquiring new clients. Best of all, testimonials do the ‘selling’ for you, even when you’re not around.

The reason testimonials are so important is that the testimonial itself becomes a third-party endorsement, an enthusiastic referral from someone who doesn’t benefit directly from that prospect working with you. Potential clients trust that! Testimonials can also be used as references by potential clients if you set it up that way (I’ll discuss that in a minute).

All of my client testimonials are set up in one easy-to-read document and each testimonial has the person’s name, their website, phone and email address (of course, I have gotten permission for this from each client). I let potential clients know they are welcome to call or email any of my former clients listed to ask about working with me.

Now, most prospects don’t really call my former clients as references (some do, most don’t), but just knowing that these are (or have been) REAL LIVE CLIENTS, and that these clients are raving about the results of our work together, puts the prospect at ease and instills a greater amount of trust in the work I do, so closing the sale is easier, even without selling. You should try it.

If you don’t have clients yet, consider getting testimonials from any freebie clients you’ve had or people you’ve helped in the past. Any testimonial is better than none. You can replace these as you start getting real paying clients (that’s what I did).

Ok, on to what’s REALLY important about testimonials.

There are two types of testimonials.

1. The one that says you’re a really nice person and that it was great to work with you.


2. The Makeover Testimonial: One that describes what their situation was BEFORE working with you, what direct results they experienced as a result of your work together, and lastly, what their situation is like now. It’s all about the before-and-after, the success story, the rags-to-riches. And it WORKS!

You must ask for TANGIBLE and SPECIFIC results they’ve experienced! Prospects reading your testimonials will then see that it will work for them too. See what I mean at http://www.clientattraction.com/testimonials.htm.

Design a handout asking for tangible results since your time together. This is a really efficient way to do it. You may hand this to your clients towards the end of your time together, mid-way through a program or email it to them if your work is phone-based, like mine.

Virtually every time, especially when you’ve gotten great results from working together, clients are honored to fill it out and love to give something back to you. Best of all, you can then take these powerful results-based testimonials and add them to all your marketing materials (brochure, website, etc.) at low-cost and very high-impact.

Once completed, you’ll have one of the most powerful marketing materials ever “invented” and guaranteed to get you more clients than you have now (at not cost to you!).

Your Client Attraction Assignment:

Make a list of clients who have had fantastic results from working with you and contact them. Tell them you loved working with them and that you’d like other prospects to read about some of the results they’ve gotten.

Ask them to fill out your testimonial request form (you can use a copy of mine in the Client Attraction Home Study System™ as inspiration) or send it to them as an email. Make sure to give them a deadline by which to return it; otherwise, they might never do it.

Collect all the testimonials you receive, put them on one sheet of paper or on a page on your website, and ask prospects to read these before your initial consultation. You’ll start hearing your phone ring a lot more frequently than it’s currently ringing and will close more clients as a result. I guarantee it.

Now, if you’re short on clients to ask for testimonials in the FIRST place, I suggest getting a copy of the Client Attraction Home Study System™. It’s everything you need to know to create a marketing message that will appeal to the best clients for you. You’ll learn how to decipher what makes your business remarkable, how to create Raving Fans so you get clients to call YOU, and lots of other crucial techniques to help you fill your practice quickly, including how to put together a simple marketing plan that gets you clients and then putting it on autopilot so you can have fun again. You can read more about it and get a copy at www.TheClientAttractionSystem.com. (Why struggle when you can just attract clients easily?)

© 2006 Client Attraction LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Fabienne Fredrickson, The Client Attraction Mentor, is founder of the Client Attraction System™ and www.ClientAttraction.com, the proven step-by-step program to attract more clients, make more m’oney being self-employed, while having more time off to enjoy it all. To receive your F.R.E.E. Audio CD by mail and get weekly how-to articles on attracting more clients, visit www.ClientAttraction.com.

Position Yourself as a Problem Solver

Position Yourself as a Problem Solver
By Fabienne Fredrickson

Have you ever noticed how most businesses, especially independent professionals, promote their services? It's often by doing just THAT, promoting their services ("Let me explain to you about our services, program A, service B, and how much they cost.") But when you think about how YOU hire someone or purchase services, do you not look for someone who can solve your current problem? Who can take you out of the mess you're in? Who can save you from whatever's bothering you, and fast?

Self-employed professionals miss the mark when they "describe" the process of what they do, as opposed to talking about what problems they solve... Let me give you a personal example. When I have a computer virus keeping me from emailing my clients, I just want the problem SOLVED, fast, not really caring about anything that isn't directly related. And if your message has what I need now, I'll probably hire you, especially if I don't have to think too much about it.

Here's an example:

Promote services: I'm a business coach

Problem solver: I help independent professionals get more clients, in record time, without spending a lot of money.

Next time you look at your marketing materials, take a look at how you're positioning yourself. Then, tailor it to your target audience.

* Are you describing what SPECIFIC problems you solve?
* When networking, are you seen as someone with answers?
* Do people often say "Wow! I need you! Can I have your card?"

If not, you're probably losing potential new business.

© 2000-2006 Fabienne Fredrickson

Fabienne Fredrickson, The Client Attraction Mentor, is founder of the Client Attraction System™ and www.ClientAttraction.com, the proven step-by-step program to attract more clients, make more m’oney being self-employed, while having more time off to enjoy it all. To receive your F.R.E.E. Audio CD by mail and get weekly how-to articles on attracting more clients, visit www.ClientAttraction.com.

Aim To OVER-FILL Your Client Pipeline

Aim To OVER-FILL Your Client Pipeline
By Fabienne Fredrickson

Too many people ride the ‘feast or famine’ rollercoaster of clients, especially SUCCESSFUL entrepreneurs. Some months they have almost too many clients and are WAY too busy, and other months, they’re feeling the pinch. The well is dry and they’re digging their well when they’re thirsty. I’ve been there in the past, and there’s nothing worse than experiencing those two extremes on a regular basis. It’ll make you want to go back to Corporate for good! (NOT ME!)

You’ve heard me talk about my NO EXCUSES approach to getting clients. That means that the number one rule I have is that I do SOMETHING to bring clients or client referrals towards me every single day. Otherwise, you’ll find that no matter how good you are, your pipeline will eventually dry up.

The key is to shoot for OVERFILLING your prospect pipeline. Most people just shoot for having SOME people in it. That’s not enough. If you aim for something WAY bigger than what you’ve already gotten so far, you’re more likely to reach even a medium level, than if you were to aim low.

When I talk to my clients about this, the number one answer that comes back is, “But what if I get TOO many prospects? What do I do then?” I’ve even heard, “What if I get TOO big? Then what?” That’s when I usually laugh out loud and say, “GOOD! That’s a good problem to have!”

There are at least 2 solutions for having too many people wanting to work with you at the same time:

1. Put them on a waiting list. It’s OK to do this. What you’ll actually notice is the opposite of what you might think would happen. Instead of leaving and saying, “I don’t want to wait,” most prospects will chomp at the bit to find out how high up on the waiting list they are and will want to see if they can do anything to start earlier. It’s actually VERY Client Attractive.


2. Leverage your time and efforts by creating group programs and charging less than your regular one-on-one fee. You’ll end up being able to work with MORE people at once AND make more money per hour or project than you would with a single person. Leverage is one of the best things ever “invented” and having too many prospects is one way to set yourself up for this.

So, how do you get to this point? Discipline. I’ve often said that I wasn’t born a very disciplined person (or organized for that matter) but as a result of having a full practice and wanting to keep it that way, I’ve taken the NO EXCUSES approach to marketing. So, I’ve worked on setting up systems, being organized (or getting help with it) and learning to master the discipline thing.

That means doing some marketing every single day, no matter how bogged down you are with work and existing clients. Get that newsletter out the door, rip out the newspaper article and send it to an existing client or prospect, send that quick email to the association asking if they accept outside speakers or write a thank you note. Whatever! Just make the time for it and do it.

The key is to do SOMETHING that stimulates future business and referrals because the reason that most entrepreneurs have financial problems is THAT, nothing else, especially the seemingly successful ones. They go to work and only do the work, while everything else gets backed up, especially the marketing.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT:

Make a list of the little things you can start doing DAILY for OVERFILLING your pipeline. Then, make the time for it. Yeah, yeah, I know you’re busy, but maybe it’s first thing in the morning, before you even open up Outlook to check your emails. Maybe it’s right before you turn off the office light and close down your computer. Again, it doesn’t matter, as long as you make a commitment to doing this for the rest of your career. Catch my drift?

It’s actually easy once you get going. You’ll find that you’ll never experience that feast and famine again. Guaranteed.

Now, if you need ideas for what to do DAILY to overfill that pipeline, I suggest getting a copy of the Client Attraction Home Study System™. It’s everything you need to know to create a marketing message that will appeal to the best clients for you. You’ll learn how to decipher what makes your business remarkable, how to create Raving Fans so you get clients to call YOU, and lots of other crucial techniques to help you fill your practice quickly, including how to put together a simple marketing plan that gets you clients and then putting it on autopilot so you can have fun again. You can read more about it and get a copy at www.TheClientAttractionSystem.com. (Why struggle when you can just attract clients easily?)

© 2006 Client Attraction LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Fabienne Fredrickson, The Client Attraction Mentor, is founder of the Client Attraction System™ and www.ClientAttraction.com, the proven step-by-step program to attract more clients, make more m’oney being self-employed, while having more time off to enjoy it all. To receive your F.R.E.E. Audio CD by mail and get weekly how-to articles on attracting more clients, visit www.ClientAttraction.com.

6 Ways To Creating a Talk Title That PULLS Clients In Like Crazy!

6 Ways To Creating a Talk Title That PULLS Clients In Like Crazy!
By Fabienne Fredrickson

One of the most popular questions I get from people is on how to generate even more leads to their business, get more exposure and visibility to attract more prospects that will eventually turn into paying clients.

I’ve often said that the 3 best ways to attract clients quickly and consistently are:

1. consistent networking,
   
2. a stay-in-touch vehicle such as an ezine, and
   
3. a Client Attractive signature talk.

What’s a signature talk? It’s the one talk you give that you start to be known for, referred for, and the one you’ll know like the back of your hand. It’s the talk you give over and over again, the one you’ve mastered and the one crafted to attract all the clients you need.

In my opinion, your title is more important than any other part of your talk. Why? It’s the one thing that will help you pull clients in like crazy, because it’s the one thing they can see first. You want to make it so compelling they’d cancel their Tuesday evening dinner plans just to see you speak.

Here’s how you can make your topic irresistible:

1. Results: Mine happens to be called “How to attract all the clients you need” and it’s extremely popular, and the most requested talk among all the topics I offer. Are you surprised? You shouldn’t be, because that’s exactly what my claim is in the marketplace: When you work with me, I will help you attract all the clients you need, quickly, and consistently. Those are the results I promise. So, naturally, that’s what I called my signature talk, because it focuses on RESULTS that my ideal clients would do anything and pay (relatively) anything to get.



2. How to: Aaaah, the ever-popular “How to” creates fantastic results for service business owners like us. Here’s a variation on mine: “How to increase your client base quickly and consistently.”



3. Numbers: Prospects just LOVE numbers in talk titles or articles. It makes them curious about what the steps or elements will be. A variation of my signature talk using numbers could be “5 steps to attracting all the clients you need.”



4. Percentages: We love to see how much something has increased or decreased. One example of this is “How to quickly increase your client base by 50%.”



5. Time periods: If you can be bold enough to say your talk’s advice can produce results in a very specific period of time, you’ll really get attention. Here’s an example: “How to increase your client base by 50% in just 3 months!” That will make someone curious enough to look further into your talk.



6. Double, Triple, Half: Then, if you want to take it a step further and really get their attention, consider crafting a talk title that includes the words Double, Triple, or Half. Here are two examples: “How to double your client base in less than 6 months” or “How to attract all the clients you need, with half the stress.”

Catch my drift? It’s easy once you get going.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT:

Make a list of the most wanted result that your ideal clients are looking to achieve. Once you narrow it down to one really compelling result, try putting a twist on it with the following:

• How to
  
• Numbers
  
• Percentages
  
• Time periods
  
• Double, Triple, Half

You’ll find yourself being booked to speak more often and you’ll find attendance numbers to be greater. The more ideal prospects you fill a room with, the more clients you’ll get. Guaranteed.

If you want more techniques for attracting lots of clients, I suggest getting a copy of the Client Attraction Home Study System™. It’s everything you need to know to create a marketing message that will appeal to the best clients for you. You’ll learn how to decipher what makes your business remarkable, how to create Raving Fans so you get clients to call YOU, and lots of other crucial techniques to help you fill your practice quickly, including how to put together a simple marketing plan that gets you clients and then putting it on autopilot so you can have fun again. You can read more about it and get a copy at www.TheClientAttractionSystem.com. (Why struggle when you can just attract clients easily?)

© 2006 Client Attraction LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Fabienne Fredrickson, The Client Attraction Mentor, is founder of the Client Attraction System™ and www.ClientAttraction.com, the proven step-by-step program to attract more clients, make more m’oney being self-employed, while having more time off to enjoy it all. To receive your F.R.E.E. Audio CD by mail and get weekly how-to articles on attracting more clients, visit www.ClientAttraction.com.