Are You Afraid of Marketing, For Fear Of Growing TOO Fast?

Do you ever find yourself being afraid of marketing in a BIG way for fear of growing too big and too fast? Two clients this week expressed worry in marketing their businesses. Not because they were worried about NOT getting clients from the Client Attraction techniques we’re implementing together. Actually, it was the OPPOSITE.

Both were worried that this Client Attraction stuff would work SO well, they would attract TOO many clients. You’d think, “Well, that’s a good problem to have, isn’t it?,” but you’d be surprised at how often this comes up in my coaching with clients and group programs, and how often it keeps some of my clients literally stuck in their tracks. Inevitably, I hear things like:

“I’m nervous. My life is so busy, how am I going to handle more clients? I know I want more, individual clients; however, on some level I think, ‘My plate is full. How can I add something else to the plate?’ Thinking of adding too many clients stresses me out. What if it’s more than I can handle?”

The anxiety may come down to the fact that you haven’t learned how to fully manage your time quite right. It could be that your systems aren’t in place yet. Both are things I ruthlessly work on with clients in my coaching and infoproducts, so that by the time a prospect calls you, your time management is squared away and your SYSTEMS are in place to handle lots of clients seamlessly. However, in this case, it’s not just that.

If you think it through objectively, the fear of having TOO many clients doesn’t make sense. First, it’s not like you’ll realistically be FLOODED with hundreds of calls in a matter of days, at least not in the beginning (don’t we wish?!). Speaking from experience in working with thousands of clients at this point, it’s usually more of a steady and consistent trickle, instead of a crashing wave, which is great.

Typically, the worry of growing too big is based on a fear of change, fear of overwhelm, fear of failure, and perhaps fear of success at the same time. If you ask me, it all comes down to a fear of LOSING CONTROL.

Truth is, you CAN handle it, and you ARE in complete control because YOU limit the number of clients you take on. Worse comes to worse, you can put people in groups, or put prospects on a waiting list and keep in touch with them until there’s room for them. The key is to figure out what your limit of clients is and set boundaries around this limit so that your client load never gets too big without your wanting it to.

Hey, I’m not throwing stones. I know firsthand about the fear of growing TOO big and of losing control over my business. It became very clear to me this week that my next step is to go GLOBAL with Client Attraction (a little scary, honestly). This is not the first time I’ve known that the logical next step is to go worldwide, more so than I’ve allowed myself to do previously. Problem is, my fear of growth kept me playing small, even though I’m capable of much, much more exposure and visibility in my business, and having the ability help many others succeed in business, while living a life they love.

The thing that’s stopped me in the past from going global is the fear of having to give up what I have now. Frankly, I equated going BIG with constantly being on a plane, going from place to place. Bottom line is, I don’t want to be away from my husband and my kids too much. I don’t want to miss out on the delicious life I’ve created here. I want to be here every day to soak in the joy of what I’ve taken so long to create. Those things are non-negotiable for me right now, at least until my kids get a little older.

But then I started thinking about it realistically and breaking down my fear so that there was nothing left. Fact is, in this day and age, one doesn’t HAVE to get on a plane to go global. Just as irrational as it is for the client mentioned above to lose control of how many clients she lets into her practice, it was just as irrational for me to think I can’t take my teachings worldwide. After all, we’ve got the Internet, virtual teleclasses, webinars, infoproducts, you name it. I don’t have to give up anything.

So, my fear was null and void. Completely. And now, I’m no longer playing small. I’m opening myself up for massive growth and so can you.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT:

Start thinking about how you’ve stopped yourself from marketing for fear of growing TOO big, too fast. If you set up systems in your business coming from a FULL PRACTICE mentality (even if your practice isn’t full yet) and you set up time management and marketing techniques that will ensure you can handle lots more clients, then you WIN. And that means more clients, financial freedom, less stress and a better quality of life. Isn’t that what we all want deep down inside?

The lesson here is, it’s time to get over the hurdle and do what it takes to get to the next level. If you’re stuck with prioritizing or what to do next to fill your practice, you’ll benefit from a step-by-step system that feels easy and authentic to you. The Client Attraction Home Study System™ avoids all the extraneous stuff that could distract your growth and instead 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. So easy. All the tools, scripts, templates, and examples are handed to you on a silver platter. You can get it at
www.TheClientAttractionSystem.com.

© 2007 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.

If You Want to Get Clients Now, Avoid the 'Bright Shiny Object' Syndrome

Most of my clients come to me for help actually knowing what to do to get clients. Many have been in business for years and years and have experienced what it’s like to have lots of clients. But things have changed and that’s no longer the case. So they’ve since read plenty of books, bought manuals, attended 4-day workshops, heard countless teleclasses, but still don’t have all the clients they need.

You’d think, with all that information, they’d be ready to implement it all. I mean, doesn’t it just take putting one foot in front of the other? What I’ve discovered is it’s not that easy. Sure, you may know you have to get clear on what you offer. Then, once you do that, you’ve got to create a niche, a compelling marketing message, then focus on who your ideal clients are, and then market to them consistently.

But because of the Information Age that we’re smack in the middle of, there are almost TOO many things to work on. Recently, a client asked me to help her set up an affiliate program. She also asked me about shopping carts and other complicated stuff like that. The thing is she still didn’t have a business card, a website, or an ezine in place. Trust me; she’s far from being alone.

We’re all affected with the ‘Bright Shiny Object’ Syndrome, in one way or another. Sometimes I find myself caught in the web of all the bright shiny opportunities I want to take advantage of. The problem is, these distract us, pull away our focus and dilute our efforts.

‘Bright Shiny Objects’ stop us in our tracks. I know from experience, because that’s what happened to me this past year. At the beginning of last year, I had purchased over a dozen home study courses, had signed on to a yearlong wealth building program, and had committed to (and paid for) a 3-year round of wealth, personal growth, and business courses. Oh, not to mention being part of two mastermind groups, doing active personal growth and development, and working with a coach. That didn’t even include my responsibilities to my clients, my family, and myself.

Seriously, WHAT was I thinking?!?

No wonder I couldn’t focus on anything and get anything really accomplished (well, according to my standards). I had been distracted by all the glittering opportunities, wondering what to work on first. Each “thing” on my list was pulling me in a different direction and when I sat in my office, I couldn’t seem to get any work done. All the shiny projects were calling out at me from the bookshelf. I felt compelled to do it all; therefore, nothing was being done.

With help from someone I trust, I decided to take a hiatus from everything. I took a break from DOING, and after a couple of weeks, I started prioritizing. What’s going to make the most sense to work on first? What will bring in the most revenue effortlessly? What’s most authentic and natural for me right now? What do my clients and subscribers need most from me for them to succeed?

Now, it’s so clear. I know what to do next. I’ve prioritized and I know what foot to put in front of the other. Ironically, that’s what I do with clients every day. For example, the client we talked about earlier. It’s clear that before we work on affiliate programs and other complicated stuff, we needed to focus on what’s going to bring her clients, in this case, a simple Client Attractive website, an e-zine that will establish her know-like-trust factor, more networking and speaking. First things first. Shiny objects later.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT:

Start thinking about how you’re working these days. Are you focused? Are you operating in a step-by-step process, or are you confused about what to do next, pulled into a bazillion directions, not getting anything done? Decide to put one foot in front of the other and be OK with not being seduced by the Bright Shiny Objects beckoning you. Get some help prioritizing and implementing if you need to. You’ll have time later on for all the other glittering stuff, AFTER you’ve implemented the proven basics that work.

If you’re stuck with prioritizing or what to do next to fill your practice, you’ll benefit from a step-by-step system that feels easy and authentic to you. The Client Attraction Home Study System™ avoids all the Bright Shiny objects and instead 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. So easy. All the tools, scripts, templates, and examples are handed to you on a silver platter. You can get it at http://www.theclientattractionsystem.com/.

© 2007 Client Attraction LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Fabienne Fredrickson, The Client Attraction Mentor, is founder of the Client Attraction System™ and http://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 http://www.clientattraction.com/.

Add Value Always and Clients Naturally Follow

If you’re anything like me, you’re being bombarded with ezines and emails that continually try to sell you something. Sometimes a particular ezine even arrives on a daily basis, and truthfully, I sit there at my desk, wondering why I subscribe, so much so that I often unsubscribe just as fast as I sign up for them.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I strongly believe in marketing and promoting what you’ve got (with consistency and conviction) because it’s the answer to someone’s problem, and if you’ve been given a talent and a gift for helping others, you OWE it to them to let them know you’re out there.

But it’s HOW you promote that makes all the difference. I consider it a turn-off when I’m being sold to again and again, without getting much value otherwise. It just feels icky sometimes and, because I don’t have a lot of extra time in my day (who does?), I’d rather not get any additional stuff I can’t really use.

On the flip side, if I’m getting value and I find it helpful, then I’m OK with some promo here or there. Kinda like reading a magazine. If the articles are really good, then I don’t mind the ads (and often, the ads are something that I’m interested in.) But if there’s not much content or value, then I don’t want any of it, not the articles, and not the ads either.

I was on a group coaching call led by Thomas Leonard, founder of CoachU.com and Coachville.com a few years ago, and although I don’t remember the exact topic of the call, I remember one thing he said very distinctly:

To build a large network and attract lots of clients, you need to continually add value, just for the fun of it. However simple this statement (and the longer I’m in business, the more I realize that it’s the SIMPLE things that are the most powerful), it’s one that struck me like lightening and has stayed with me ever since.

Thomas was a MASTER of adding value. I remember him giving a LOT of information, so every time I got an email from him (an ezine or something else) I read it without fail, the WHOLE thing. And when he launched a product or service and promoted it, I read that too. That’s because he added value no matter what he did. He used to say, the more value you give, the more people want to “hang out” around you, the more they’ll follow your lead, the more they’ll recommend you.

His theory, as he stated once, was to offer lots of freebie stuff of value, just for the fun of it, to help others. This built him a HUGE network of people reading his ezines, going to his teleclasses, buying his products and reading his books, in just a short time—over 10,000 people at the time that he spoke about this.

The theory he shared with us was this:

FREEbie, FREEbie, FREEbie, fee, FREEbie, FREEbie, FREEbie, fee.

Because he was providing such fantastic no-charge content and value, people were naturally attracted to him and referred lots of others to him. When he offered something for a fee, people jumped on it. Their perception was probably similar to mine: if his FREEbie stuff is that good, his FEE stuff must be GREAT! And it always was.

Many people over the years told me they’re attracted to working with me because of the value and content that I’ve offered, without charging for it:

• The 2-page checklist entitled “151 Ways to Attract All The Clients You Need," which people receive when they subscribe to my ezine.



• The weekly Client Attraction ezine with high content/high value assignments to get people started on attracting all the clients they need to fill their practice (the one you’re reading now).



• The Client Attraction makeovers.



• The recordings of calls.



• The no-charge 60-minute teleclasses I lead entitled “How to attract ALL the clients you need.”



• The articles on the website to help you get more clients.

Not only do all these freebies create a BUZZ amongst people who need new clients (a buzz generates lots of referrals), but they also helped me establish credibility a long time ago, so by the time people want to work with me, they already know how much value I will add during our one-on-one work.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT:

Start thinking of how you can add value, continually and in everything that you do, just for the fun of it. Based on the elements I use listed above, what can YOU start offering to your network, your clients, and at networking meetings? Make a list of them and then start doing them on a regular basis. Over a very short period of time, you’ll start getting a large following as well as clients and referrals, in a way you’ve never had before.

While you’re at it, make these a SYSTEM to include in your marketing plan, like I do. This way, you’ll always be doing what it takes to get clients. If you’re looking for the blueprint to marketing your business in a way that feels easy and authentic to you, then you’ll want to get yourself the Client Attraction Home Study System™. It includes everything you need to know to fill your practice quickly and close the sale consistently without ever feeling icky; no matter if you’re just starting out or have been in business for years. All the tools, scripts, templates and examples are handed to you on a silver platter. You can get it at
www.TheClientAttractionSystem.com. (Why struggle when you can just attract clients easily?)

© 2007 Client Attraction LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Fabienne Fredrickson, The Client Attraction Mentor, is founder of the Client Attraction System™ and http://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 http://www.clientattraction.com/.

Authentic Marketing (And Success) Require You to Look Within

Let’s face it: being self-employed, our businesses are fundamentally a reflection of every part of us. It’s not like working for a corporation where you don’t really control the outcome of the business unless you’re at the top. Who you and I “are” as people literally affects our businesses, every day, every minute, every second, with every breath.

Knowing that the “inner” is directly reflected in the “outer,” it’s especially so for those working solo. If there’s turmoil or disconnection within you as a person, it will be reflected in your business. If there’s purpose, acceptance, and alignment, things come to you without struggle.

For me personally, this past year has been a year of reflection and re-gearing for the next level of my business, almost an incubation phase. I’ve come to the realization that I needed to stop listening to so many OTHER people’s opinions of the next journey for my business and needed to look inside. And that included seeing what’s authentic, what my purpose is, and what I’m here to do with my clients. It’s been about healing the past GUNK that’s often stopped me and about strengthening WHO I am as a person, to then best fulfill what I’m here to do (and create an even more delicious business doing it).

Years ago, I thought that attracting clients was 100% about fancy marketing. I was wrong. The longer I am in business and the longer I work on my own spiritual and personal growth, the more I’ve gotten clear that attracting clients and having the business of your dreams is actually more a 3-slice pie. Sure, Marketing is one of those slices, and a very important one (hey, you’ve got to take ACTION to attract clients. No excuses).

But, the other two slices of the pie are not always talked about openly. Honestly, I haven’t always talked about them in public either, for fear of sounding a little too “Woo Woo”, if you know what I mean. Most times I would just hint at them, hoping people would read between the lines and get the point. However, I’d be cheating you if I didn’t tell you more about those two other slices to Client Attraction success, because they’re so important.

If marketing is one slice of the pie, Manifesting is another. And by manifesting, I mean the Law of Attraction, what you focus on with great feeling, you attract into your existence. At its most basic, here’s how it can be described: If you’re continually focusing on having a full practice of yummy clients who pay you what you’re worth, then you will start to attract that. If you’re focusing rather on the LACK of clients and you’re ticked off that people aren’t paying you what you’re worth, then you will attract that also (meaning, not having those clients or not making enough money). Simple, yet very powerful.

But, the other slice of the pie that rarely gets airtime is the Personal Growth slice: Clearing out the cobwebs. I’m talking about not worrying what people think as much and being willing to look within to either heal or change the things about you that stop you from being the successful person you were meant to be. It’s about being authentic and taking a really hard look at all the baggage and the unfounded fears you’ve carried around since childhood (trust me, I have them too) and doing something about it.

So, what are we searching for when we go within?

Fears, limiting beliefs, negative emotions, and other unresolved stuff like shame and resentments. The reason it’s so important to look within is that if that stuff is still lingering in your system, you have a more difficult time “manifesting” what you say you want. The fears and other unresolved stuff get in the way of you attracting what you wish for and essentially negate and cancel your wishes. OUCH.

Now, I am not saying you have to run out and see a shrink. That hasn’t been the fastest path to growth for me personally. Rather, it’s about being honest with yourself, really honest, about who you are. And getting to KNOW who you are. Calling out your fears, putting them down on paper. It’s about writing down the things you say to yourself that stop you in your tracks. The more you get clear on this stuff, the more direct your impact on Client Attraction and having the business you really, really want.

It’s about being authentic with yourself, in life, in business, and in your marketing. The more authentic you are in your marketing, the more Client Attractive you become. Whether you call it Spiritual Marketing or Authentic Marketing, it’s super important, because if you don’t do anything about it, you’ll continue to get the same results you’re getting now. Now for some, that’s fine, but I’ll bet that you’re not willing to be living the exact same life 30 years from now, let alone 5 years from now. You probably want an even better situation and you want your wishes granted.

Now, you could choose not to do anything about it and choose not to look inside. That’s what I did for a long time. I was really good at avoidance and denial. But what I’ve found happens if you ignore the “growth” slice is that you keep struggling on some levels, wondering why things you want aren’t coming to you faster. It can all seem to be an uphill battle and it can become really frustrating, making you want to throw in the towel and give up your business.

Well, when I started doing personal growth and becoming more authentic many years ago, the struggle started fading away, and EASE started showing up. And the more I look at my long-ingrained fears and work on the other gunk that’s previously slowed the next level of success I’ve imagined, the more that success shows up for me.

It’s a process I continue ruthlessly, and help my clients with as well. Yeah, we talk about SERIOUS marketing, but this stuff too, because it all works. And it certainly pays off, in more ways than one. Sure, lots of clients and money are the payoffs, but you also get freedom, joy, and ease as a byproduct. That’s the real payday, if you ask me.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT:

Begin by making the decision to look within and be honest about what you find. If you resist it, it will persist. Make a list of the fears and limiting beliefs, the old junk you’ve avoided or that keeps coming up and clogging the pipeline to the success you so dearly want. Be willing to take the same no-excuses approach we talk about with Client Attraction Marketing, and apply it to this as well. It takes a little courage at first, but the more you do it, the easier it gets. I know you can do it and the results will astound you. I promise.

As you’re working on that slice of the pie, don’t forget the Marketing slice. Remember, you’ve got to take ACTION too. And if you’re looking for the blueprint to marketing your business in a way that feels easy and authentic to you, then you’ll want to get yourself the Client Attraction Home Study System™. It includes everything you need to know to fill your practice quickly and close the sale consistently without ever feeling icky; no matter if you’re just starting out or have been in business for years. All the tools, scripts, templates and examples are handed to you on a silver platter. You can get it at https://www.mcssl.com/app/adtrack.asp?MerchantID=51686&AdID=277692. (Why struggle when you can just attract clients easily?)

© 2007 Client Attraction LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Fabienne Fredrickson, The Client Attraction Mentor, is founder of the Client Attraction System™ and http://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 http://www.clientattraction.com/.

You’ve Gotta TOUCH Your Prospects More Often (If You Want More Clients)

Every time I speak in front of an audience, whether it’s 50 or 1,200 small business owners, I get the same old question. “Fabienne, how often do I need to reach out to my prospects and clients?” My answer? “A minimum of 25 times a year, preferably 52 or more times a year.”

Silence. Jaws slowly creak open and begin to drop. You could hear a pin fall. The comeback I often get is, “52 or more times a year? Are you crazy?!?” No, I’m not crazy and I know it works because I do it. And if you know me, you know it’s all about creating SYSTEMS around this. Read on…

The reason people go into semi-shock is they begin to realize their cookie-cutter quarterly mailing isn’t cuttin’ it. It gets even worse when someone in the front row is super-proud of their monthly e-zine, thinking they’re doing “what it takes to get clients” and yet they’re wondering why the pipeline of prospects is not full enough, and their bank account leaves a little to be desired.

It’s because they’re not “touching” their prospects (and clients) enough. Here’s the deal: if prospects only hear from you at most 4 or 12 times per year, that means MONTHS go by before they think of you. The problem with that is, when they encounter a problem you might be able to solve, they won’t necessarily remember you because you’re not on their radar screen. You ALWAYS want to be on that radar screen, so when they need you, all they have to do is raise their hand.

Understanding you have to be on their radar screen, the question becomes WHAT to send. There are different options for this. You can send a weekly ezine with high-value, high content articles, you can send testimonials or case studies by snail mail, updates on your business, invitations. The key is to be in touch.

Some people even create a “brand” out of their stay-in-touch marketing vehicles. One of my former clients, a Mortgage Broker, came up with a cool campaign during our coaching. She got her hands on the list of Obscure Holidays (National Punctuation Day, National Poetry Day, National Wear Red Day For Women, etc.) and sends a postcard to her prospects, clients and joint venture partners each month (in addition to all the other ways she reaches her list). In each postcard mailing, she somehow finds a way to tie it in to the mortgage services she offers. It’s funny, irreverent, and gives her another excuse to be in TOUCH with her list on a very regular basis.

Here are some important points to keep in mind:

• Sometimes you want to be in touch to add high value and high content (this establishes credibility faster than anything else I know).



• Sometimes you want to be in touch to promote your products and services (this keeps you in business).



• Sometimes you want to be in touch to say “happy birthday” (this shows you care).



• And sometimes you want to be in touch to just say “hi” or “I was thinking of you when I read this, so I thought I’d send it over to you.” (This shows you think of them often.)

All these ways of TOUCHING your list build the “know, like, and trust factor” that is so crucial to turning a prospect into a paying client. That’s because people don’t buy from those they don’t know, they don’t buy from those they don’t like, and they CERTAINLY don’t buy from those they don’t trust.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT:

Start thinking about ways to be on your clients’ and prospects’ radar screens over and over again, by bringing high value and high content, or just by touching base to say hi.

Create a system for everything. Example: One e-zine per week (like this one). One mailing per month (your Virtual Assistant can stuff the envelopes and take care of the printing and postage). A few personal notes, handwritten. A Hallmark e-card. Etc.

Not sure as to how to systematize all this and put your marketing on auto-pilot? I show you exactly how in the last chapter of the Client Attraction Home Study System™. It includes everything you need to know to fill your practice quickly and close the sale consistently; no matter how long you’ve been in business. All the tools are handed to you on a silver platter. Details at https://www.mcssl.com/app/adtrack.asp?MerchantID=51686&AdID=277692. (Why struggle when you can just attract clients easily?)

© 2007 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.