Don’t Give Up Too Easily (Clients Are Just Around the Corner)

“Never give up on something that you can't go a day without thinking about.” —Unknown

Have you ever given your all to something, experienced some delays, encountered disappointments, and then given up? What about when it comes to marketing your business? Do you sometimes get frustrated because the results you want aren’t coming to you as quickly as you’d like, despite the fact that you bust your butt to see results? Do you then start to doubt yourself, your skills and talent, your ability to succeed?

You’re not the only one. I know I’ve been there more than once since being self-employed. I have been tempted to quit on projects or promotions that weren’t going strong on more than one occasion. And I’ve even contemplated giving up on self-employment when the chips were down and times were tough.

I remember being in my own practice less than a few years, and for a few weeks, things got really tough financially. It seemed like no one was signing up for my program all of a sudden, two (non-ideal) clients had decided to back out and money got really tight.

Was it a funk or was it a sign that I shouldn’t be self-employed? I couldn’t tell. I went into fear mode, wondering if I would have to go back to working in the corporate world, something I just couldn’t bear to think about, but I just didn’t see the alternative. I was this close to giving up and shutting down my business.

And then something happened. I was walking across Union Square in New York City, headphones on, listening to the radio and a song by Aaliyah came on the radio. The lyrics really spoke to me:

And if at first you don’t succeed
Then dust yourself off and try again
You can dust it off and try again (Try again)
'Cause if at first you don’t succeed
You can dust it off and try again
Dust yourself off and try again (Try again)

It was a good song and came at a good time.

When the song was over, I flipped to another channel on my Walkman. The SAME song came on. I listened to it and got chills up my spine. I thought, “OK, perhaps I shouldn’t give up so easily. Maybe there is a way.”

Not sure if you’ll believe this, because I didn’t at first. But I flipped to yet another channel. And yes, there it was. The song was playing again. The SAME song about not giving up, about dusting myself off and trying again. I got more than chills. My eyes welled up in tears and I stopped in my tracks. I stood there silently and made a commitment to myself: I was never going to give up. I was going to do what it took to succeed at this thing. And the rest is history…

YOUR ASSIGNMENT:

1. Don’t give up. If the going gets though, if marketing becomes a challenge or you’re not seeing results, keep persisting. Try a different approach. Look at what successful people are doing and do something similar (don’t copy—just get inspired). Finish what you’ve been procrastinating, just don’t give up. Success is right around the corner and most people give up JUST before they reach the top.



2. Look for support, a mentor, or a marketing coach. Learn only from people who are already successful or have achieved what you want to achieve. Mentor with people who live the life you want to live. Join programs or mastermind groups with others going through their own processes, so you know you’re not alone (Try my new Inner Circle: http://www.clientattractioninnercircle.com/.)



3. Print up the following quotes on persistence and stick them on the wall next to your computer, tape them on your bathroom mirror and your refrigerator, whatever it takes to read them over and over again, to give you the strength to keep going. I’m rooting for you and I know you can do it. :)

Quotes to keep you in Client Attraction Mode, even when things get tough:

“Never, never, never give up!”
—Winston Churchill

“Never Quit. Don't ever, ever quit. Recognize that stopping now, regrouping to try a new approach isn't quitting. If you quit you'll regret it forever.”
—Rudy Ruettiger

“Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance.”
—Samuel Johnson

“Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.”
—William Feather

“Character consists of what you do on the third and fourth tries.”
—James A. Michener

“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.”
—Dale Carnegie

“A champion is someone who gets up, even when he can't.”
—Jack Dempsey

“It's not whether you get knocked down; it's whether you get up.”
—Vince Lombardi

“Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal. My strength lies solely in my tenacity.”
—Louis Pasteur

“If you are going through hell, keep going.”
—Winston Churchill

“When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on.”
—Thomas Jefferson

“I think and think for months and years. Ninety-nine times, the conclusion is false. The hundredth time I am right.”
—Albert Einstein

“When things go wrong as they sometimes will;
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill;
When the funds are low, and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but have to sigh;
When care is pressing you down a bit-
Rest if you must, but do not quit.
Success is failure turned inside out;
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt;
And you can never tell how close you are
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit—
It's when things go wrong that you must not quit.”
—Unknown

The key to persisting is to set up SYSTEMS for all your marketing efforts, so you don’t have to think about it too much. If you want to copy MY own systems, I spell it all out in the Client Attraction Home Study System™. I’ve outlined every technique in detail, and it’s all there so you can start using it right away to get similar results. It’s all step-by-step, 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. That’s why my customers have gotten such great results from it. All the tools, scripts, templates, and examples are handed to you on a silver platter. You can get yours at https://www.mcssl.com/app/adtrack.asp?MerchantID=51686&AdID=277692.

© 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/.

The Difference between Salad and Garbage (and How it Affects Your Number of Clients)

“The only difference between salad and garbage is timing!” At least that’s what I’ve been focusing on recently, especially for businesses that are time sensitive. Some chiropractors have this problem, so do lawyers, but my thought is when you’re in a service business, timing is EVERYTHING. If you wait around, let the proverbial ‘hot iron’ get cold, that hot lead turns into a cold lead, and you can just forget about turning it into a happy paying client.

The question then becomes, ‘How can we ALWAYS be around to have the elusive Perfect Timing?’ The answer to the timing problem is to ALWAYS be on their radar screen. You can never anticipate what’s going on in the lives of your prospective clients; otherwise, you’d be God (obviously) or at least very clairvoyant.

One thing you can do is always be top of mind, so that WHEN something happens, you’re the first person they think of. And when they think of you, when they see your compelling message right there under their noses, when they’ve got your contact info at their fingertips, there’s every reason in the world to call YOU and not anyone else, when they have the need. That’s when all your Client Attraction and marketing effort and systems have paid off.

So, how does one stay top of mind and always on the prospect’s radar screen? With Stay-In-Touch Marketing Vehicles:

• That can be a direct mail campaign (and I mean CAMPAIGN, not just one letter that you send ONCE and wonder why you haven’t gotten results).



• It can mean a weekly ezine. (I wouldn’t even bother writing one quarterly or even monthly. You’re not on the prospects radar screen often enough to have them remember you in time of need.)



• It can be a quirky postcard campaign, which really stands out. (Pick a strange fact, quote, or oddball holiday calendar and mail regularly. We’re looking for consistency and something that stands out, as well as something that relates to what you do.)



• It can be a personal card campaign where you send meaningful, unexpected cards on a regular basis. (I use an awesome service called ClientAttractionCards and the results are great.)
  

An attorney client of mine always used to say to me, “Fabienne, it’s difficult for me to attract clients because I can never anticipate when they’re going to need me. I don’t know when to market, it’s all so arbitrary!” Well, with Stay-In-Touch marketing vehicles, you solve that problem.

Now, I know what you’re thinking... “Won’t I be pestering them if I write them an email once a week or do a mailing once a month?” I have three answers for you:

• If you make your email or mailing high content and high value, then people actually LOOK FORWARD to hearing from you that often.



• If you’re authentic about providing solutions and value, versus self-promoting all the time, people welcome the consistency.



• If it’s going to bother someone that you’re in touch that often, then they’re probably not your ideal client and will probably not ever buy from you, so it’s time to get over it. :)

YOUR ASSIGNMENT:

Find a way to communicate proactively with your prospects so that you actually ANTICIPATE any current or urgent needs, just by being there consistently, with high-content, high value, and frequency over time. That way, you’ll establish a know-like-and-trust relationship in ADVANCE of the need. Best of all, you’ll eventually be on their radar screen when the need arrives, and that equals clients who happily pay for your services, without you having to chase ambulances. That makes for a Happy Day!

The key to this is setting up SYSTEMS so you don’t have to think about it too much. For this, I mean systems for being in touch and being the first one people think of when they have a need. If you want to copy my own systems, I spell it all out in the Client Attraction Home Study System™. I’ve outlined every technique in detail, and it’s all there so you can start using it all right away to get similar results. It’s all step-by-step, 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. That’s why my customers have gotten such great results from it. All the tools, scripts, templates, and examples are handed to you on a silver platter. You can get yours 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.

Break Down Their 5 Most Common Objections and You’ll Sign On More Clients

“A desire can overcome all objections and obstacles.” —Anonymous

You’ll always get objections. Let’s face it. You may have the world’s best service, the best product available in your category or industry, but no matter what you do, no matter how good you are, you’re always going to have to deal with objections.

What’s the nature of objections, anyway? I believe most people simply have limiting beliefs of some sort; old conditioning that often keeps them from succeeding. It may be fear of failure, fear of success, fear of being ripped off, fear of overwhelm, etc. Problem is that these objections keep them from finding the solutions that solve their most pressing problems. Their self-doubt gets in the way of their success.

Objections are actually a good sign that you’re close to the sale. I didn’t believe this at first, but over the years of talking to prospects and having to answer their questions (i.e., objections), I see how true this is today. Here’s why. If someone were completely NOT interested in what you have to offer, they wouldn’t even BE on your website, much less talking to you. They wouldn’t waste their time.

If they’re asking you questions and offering up objections, there’s a large part of them that’s interested. And that means, all you have to do is answer the questions, reassure them, and you’re on your way to a sale. Better yet, by hiring you, the prospect is FINALLY on their way to a solution that’s probably been plaguing them for a long time.

Objections are a way for the prospect to acknowledge the self-doubt or limiting beliefs that stop them in their tracks. It’s actually YOUR job to help get them out of their own way so they can experience success. You do this by ANTICIPATING and then BREAKING DOWN the objections.

Knowing the 5 most common objections people have allows you to be prepared when they come up. You’ll certainly have more (dozens and dozens more, trust me) but it’s key to start with at least the ones that come up most often. These are the predictable ones, not in any particular order:

1. It costs too much.


2. It won’t work.


3. I’m different; it won’t work for me.


4. I can wait; my situation’s not that bad.


5. It’s going to be hard.

Chances are, you’ve thought about these too when someone tried to sell you a service or a product before. But think about it. Each time you HAVE purchased the service or product and gotten great results, you kick yourself for not doing it sooner!

Since you’re not in the business of selling, but rather, problem solving, it’s your DUTY to break down these objections so a prospect doesn’t wait a minute longer to work with you, so not too much time passes that they’ll regret being without your solution to their problem. As a problem solver, it’s your most important task. Makes sense?

YOUR ASSIGNMENT

1. Go back through your notes and list the objections people have given you in the past. Note the ones that come up most often.



2. Create a short rationale paragraph for why each objection is not valid or any other ways to overcome these objections.



3. Practice saying these out loud so you come off confident next time you talk to a prospect with objections. (Feel free to even keep that script near your phone if talking to a prospect.)



4. Sprinkle your marketing materials with these rationales, as I do on my Interview With Fabienne.

Do this and I guarantee you will attract more clients and make more money.

Now that you’ve handled the objections, how exactly do you get them to sign on the bottom line, 97-98% of the time? I’ve outlined every secret in detail, and it’s all in my Client Attraction Home Study System™, so you can start using it all right away to get similar results. In addition to the exact techniques that have worked for me (nothing sales-y, I promise!), the System includes everything you need to know to prioritize what to work on first, clear the decks, and set up simple, solid systems to 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. That’s why my customers have gotten such great results from it. All the tools, scripts, templates, and examples are handed to you on a silver platter. So easy. You can get yours at https://www.mcssl.com/app/adtrack.asp?MerchantID=51686&AdID=277692.

© 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/.