It ALL Has To Match If You Want To Create The Ideal Business

There are some solo-entrepreneurs that market ‘til they're blue in the face, and STILL don't attract ideal, high-paying clients. They're seemingly doing all the "right things": they've got marketing materials, marketing plans, they're speaking, networking, etc. and yet producing no real results. Yes, they have some clients. Yes, they're making their bills. But they're not seeing the kind of success they so desperate want. (Are you one of those?)

You might be wondering, "What is going on? What am I doing wrong?? I'm busting my chops, working like a dog, and yet my 1ncome is still NOT what I want it to be… in fact, not even close." On the outside, everyone probably thinks you have a great business, but YOU know what's really going on, especially financially. I actually hear this a lot. As I am working with higher level clients (people who have plenty of clients but not the business or 1ncome they really want to be making) I'm noticing that the marketing is only half the problem.

What's usually happening is two things are getting in the way. Yes, the marketing needs to be tweaked or reworked. Usually, the target audience needs to be narrowed down or changed to a higher level client, and then inevitably, the marketing message needs to become clearer and more compelling. So, we work on that.

But most of the time, it's something MUCH more drastic and destructive. It's what's going on INTERNALLY that's botching your results: THE MINDSET. And I've come to realize that if the INSIDE is not matched to the OUTSIDE, then you won't get the results you want. Period. Here's what I mean:

There's the OUTER game of Client Attraction: the marketing and the action and the behaviors.

Then, there's the INNER game of Client Attraction: your thoughts, feelings and beliefs.

If these do not match, there's no way you can create the business you SAY you want. Here's an example: Pretend Susan is a solo-entrepreneur and she's been in business for almost 4 years. She's networking, speaking locally, doing an ezine, and everything else she "should" be doing. She's good at what she does, but she's just not making the mo-ney she wants to make. Not even close. That's when we examine her marketing and make tweaks.

But here's the kicker: we ALSO look at the stuff under the surface too. When we probe deeper, we realize that one or more things aren't in alignment with her big goal she says she wants:

The Thought: "I WANT TO MAKE $500,000 this year."

The Feeling/Belief: "IF I HAVE THAT MANY CLIENTS, I WILL GET OVERWHELMED AND LOSE MY FREEDOM. BESIDES IT WILL BE TOO MUCH WORK, SO WHY BOTHER."

The Action: SUBTLE SELF-SABOTAGE BEGINS TO HAPPEN, because deep down, Susan wants freedom and ease more than she wants the money. She may not think that consciously, but it's very real on a subconscious level. And that translates into Susan not doing what it takes, not taking the actions or exhibiting the no-excuses behavior that would create a business that brings her that much mo-ney per year.

Essentially, what's happening with Susan is that she's driving with the brake on, and going nowhere fast. So, she steps on the gas pedal even more, but still not getting any results. It's destructive, but most importantly, after a while, there's going to be a shortage of gas and then the whole car will stop moving. She thinks she just wasn't meant to be in business and packs it up to go back to working for someone else, feeling like a big failure and taking a blow to her self-esteem. For Susan to create the 1ncome she wants, all 3 need to match and be congruent.

The Thought must match the Feeling/Belief must match the Action and Behavior. If not, you'll keep struggling, not knowing why it's all so difficult.

It's an insidious game and the worst part of it is, you usually don't know this is going on! Worse, you may not be able to recognize the underlying limiting beliefs, fears and self-doubt that stops your behavior. The solution? Getting really clear on where you're not being congruent.

This is BY FAR, my most effective thing to work on with a client or workshop participant. Why? Because when you change someone's inner states (the INNER game of Client Attraction) you begin to immediately see an increase in their business and in their 1ncome. Quantum Leaps begin to happen and it's as if the vice-grip that's been holding back the success of your business is FINALLY RELEASED. And there's just so much more easy and flow (and financial abundance pours in.)

I've seen it time and time around with my clients and Mastermind members. When we clear the GUNK, the mo-ney follows. I know from experience, because it happened to me. In fact, it keeps happening, over and over again. The more I work on my INNER game, the more I make. And it all becomes easier: I work less and make mo-re. That's when you know you're becoming more congruent.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT

If you're feeling like you're working really hard but not seeing RESULTS (either in your number of clients or in your re-venues) then it's time to look at your INNER game of Client Attraction: your mindset. Notice the relationship between your thoughts about your goal, your feelings about achieving your goal and the actions you're taking to reach that goal.

Are they congruent? Are they aligned? If not, then you're going nowhere fast. Not until you get yourself a mindset breakthrough. That's when the marketing breakthrough happens, which results in an 1ncome breakthrough. Once you create those breakthroughs, your business and your life will NEVER be the same. I guarantee it.

If you're working harder than you should, not creating results, then it's time to examine what's REALLY going on in your marketing, but ESPECIALLY, what's going on under the surface. The fastest path to creating these breakthroughs in your own business is to attend the Client Attraction ‘Marketing and Mindset Breakthroughs Workshop'. In just 3 days, you'll get exactly what you need to create really compelling marketing to attract your ideal high-paying clients, systematize your entire business, create additional passive and leveraged 1ncome and finally release the gunk that's been holding your business back. You'll be able to release that parking break you've had on for years, and finally create the business you SAY you want. I can't wait to do this with you:TheClientAttractionSystem.com.

© 2008 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.

Get Past Procrastination and Into Client Attraction: My 5 Steps to Getting Things Done

Have you ever looked at your to-do list and just wanted to run away? Sometimes, procrastination gets the best of us self-employed people. It seems that everything is priority and we tend to put some things on the back burner. The thing is, if the items on your to-do list have to do with marketing and Client Attraction, then you don't want to ignore them (if you do, your pipeline of prospects will be empty in 6 months).

Procrastination creeps its ugly head in my business every now and then. Personally, I think it's more overwhelm than procrastination and the list can be so overwhelming that I tend to go in avoidance/denial mode, preferring to just not deal with it. (Has that ever happened to you too?)

Realistically, you can't ignore having to market yourself, so you sometimes just have to bite the bullet and do what it takes. Here's my personal action checklist to take me from procrastination to massive action:

1. Prioritize: Your list may be a mile long or just a half page long. Either way, the best way to get into action is to sort out what your return on investment is going to be for each item on your list (financially, time-wise, resource-wise) and then sort them by the one that will reap the most benefits (e.g., clients and revenue) from the littlest output on your part. You'll start with that one.
2. What's getting in the way? Sometimes, I find procrastination is more about something getting in the way than anything else. It could be you don't have every piece of the puzzle to be able to move forward into accomplishing something. It could be you don't know how to do ONE aspect of it. It could also be that this is a SHOULD and isn't absolutely necessary to your success. Whatever's holding you back, just get clear on it.
3. How long will it REALLY take: I've found that often, I delay on a marketing task (or any task, for that matter) because I anticipate it taking a lot longer than it really will. To get past this, look at a task and ask yourself how long it will realistically take to get done. Then, take out the to-do list and write down the time it will take you to accomplish it next to each item (15 minutes, 2 hours, etc.).
4. Schedule it: Look at your calendar and find time slots that correspond to the time allotment for each task you did above and schedule them, as if they were client appointments you were unable to cancel.
5. Just do it: Once you've got the "task appointments" scheduled in your book, just do them. You'll power through them like you've never done before. It's actually pretty cool.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT:

When marketing yourself, take notice of when you start slipping into procrastination mode (it happens to most everyone, believe me). Prioritize the tasks on your list to focus on the ones that will get you the highest return on investment, notice what's getting in the way or what piece is missing, and solve the issue accordingly, establish how long it will take to get done, and then schedule it in your calendar. You'll have no excuse not to do it.

Remember, there's never a point at which you can say (about marketing), "I'm successful now, I might as well take a nap." Notice the very successful entrepreneurs you look up to. They never stop marketing. In fact, they're always adding new things to their existing marketing plans. Do the same. Get past your procrastination and into Client Attraction. ALWAYS BE MARKETING and you'll always have clients (especially if you have systems in place).

You may be wondering WHAT to do to market your business that'll give you the most returns with little effort on your part. If so, I recommend getting a copy of the Client Attraction Home Study System™. It gives you the most important things to do to set up simple, solid marketing 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. All the tools, scripts, templates, and examples are handed to you on a silver platter. Easy. You can get it at TheClientAttractionSystem.com.

© 2008 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.

Are You Blaming Others Because You Don't Have Enough Clients?

QUOTE: "The more you say to yourself, 'I am responsible,' the stronger, better and finer a person you become. And every part of your life will improve at the same time." – Brian Tracy

One of the themes running through my life currently, and in the lives of my clients, is that of Personal Responsibility. If you've been to my workshop and on any of my calls, you know that I believe strongly in Personal Responsibility (I often call it 'The No Excuses Approach') and how I do not believe you can ever achieve BIG success without it. It's a topic that few marketing ever really talk about in depth, but one that is crucial for success.

You see, each time I bump up against a new level of success in my business, a lot of my old "stuff" comes back up. I've caught myself comparing my success to others with more success, feeling resentful, feeling less-than, and sometimes even BLAMING others or my own particular situation or for not being where I would LIKE to be in terms of success in that moment. And believe me, it doesn't feel good. But perhaps you know exactly what I'm talking about…

What I noticed is that I'm not the only one. As different people in my life, both personally and professionally, move up to the next level, or really WANT to move up to the next level, but instead, begin to feel frustrated, I see them pointing fingers OUTSIDE themselves, blaming their situation, a certain person, the system, a program they too, or whatever else they can find to shuck responsibility for where they are.

What I also noticed is that, in the end, I'm ultimately responsible for everything in my life, every increase in my in-come and success over the last few years. But most importantly, I'm also responsible for every setback. I can blame no one but myself.

Everything I have in my life exists because of my actions, my behaviors, my words and thoughts. And it's the same for you. Every decision we make creates our circumstances and because of that, we are ultimately responsible for each success and failure, happiness, unhappiness and financial situation.

I recently found an article by Brian Tracy, one of the world's leading authorities on personal and business success. This article has become one of my favorites and I refer to it often and ask my clients to read it too, especially when they start comparing their success to others with more success, feeling resentful of their situation, blaming others, or feeling angry and 'less-than' because their particular situation is not what they'd like it to be. Here's an excerpt:



"Responsibility goes hand in hand with success, achievement, motivation, happiness and self-actualization. It's the absolute minimum requirement for the accomplishment of everything you could ever really want in life. Accepting that you're completely responsible for yourself and realizing that no one is coming to the rescue is the beginning of peak performance…

The opposite of accepting responsibility is making excuses and blaming people and things for what's going on in your life. And since everything we do is a matter of habit, if people get into the habit of making excuses, they get into the habit of evading responsibility at the same time.

If they set a goal or objective for themselves, they immediately create an excuse that they hold in reserve just in case the accomplishment of the goal is too difficult or requires more self-discipline and persistence than they had thought.
As soon as things start to go poorly, irresponsible people trot out their excuse and let themselves off the hook. But that won't get them anywhere in the long run… The more responsibility you take, the more in control you are. And the freer you are, especially in your own mind, to make decisions and to do the things you want to do. So there's a direct relationship between responsibility, control, freedom and happiness.
A person who is completely irresponsible is subject to anger, hostility, fear, resentment, doubt-all sorts of negative emotions. And here's why. All negative emotions tend to be associated with blame. Fully 99 percent of all our problems exist only because we're able to blame someone or something for them. The instant we stop blaming, our negative emotions begin disappearing.

What's the antidote to blaming? It's simple! Since your mind can hold only one thought at a time, either positive or negative, you can override the tendency to blame and become angry simply by saying, firmly, "I am responsible!" You can't accept responsibility for a situation and be angry at the same time… The acceptance of responsibility negates negative emotions and short-circuits any tendencies toward unhappiness. In fact, the acceptance of responsibility often gives you insight into what you should do to resolve the situation.

Everything that is happening to you on the outside is due to something that is happening to you on the inside, so the first place to look is within. As soon as you do that, you begin to see things that you had completely missed when you were busy blaming others and making excuses. You begin to see that you're responsible in large measure for the things that are happening to you.

You're earning today exactly what you're worth-not a penny more, not a penny less. In life, we tend to get exactly what we deserve. If you're not satisfied with the amount you're getting, look around you, at people who are doing the kind of work you would like to do and earning the kind of money you would like to earn. Ask them what they're doing differently from what you're doing. What are the causes of the effects they're getting? Once you know what they are, accept complete responsibility for your situation, apply your wonderful mind and abilities, back them with willpower and self-discipline, and get busy making the changes you need to make to enjoy the life you want to enjoy."

YOUR ASSIGNMENT:

You've heard the saying, "Speak the truth. The truth will set you free." In this case, I want you to be VERY honest with yourself in answering the following… stop hiding behind your justifications or get off your high horse and answer the following:

• Have you recently blamed someone or something for the fact that you haven't yet achieved what you wanted in your business?
• Are you using excuses (even JUSTIFYING your situation) so that you don't have to take action in terms of getting clients or be embarrassed in case "it doesn't work out"?
• Have you harbored resentment towards someone or something because you feel you were "gipped" in some way?
• Do you feel anger or have lashed out in the past because your business is not where you want it to be yet?
• Are you pointing fingers, saying "This is the reason I'm not making more"?
• Have you compared yourself to someone else more financially successful than you currently are, feeling less-than? Have you perhaps even JUDGED that person based on their success?

Personally speaking, I know that I've been able to answer "Yes" to all of these questions at some point in my self-employed career. Whether I knew it consciously or not at the time, it all resulted from avoiding responsibility for what I was creating in my life. It didn't feel good, and it certainly did not get me moving forward towards success.

The key for me has been to be honest with myself about my responsibility. No one else can create my life except for me. Only I can control my thoughts, words, actions and behaviors. Blaming or pointing fingers does absolutely no good. In fact, it doesn't work and it's usually just an excuse that we use, in case we fail. That way, we don't need to be embarrassed. We can just say it wasn't our fault. NONSENSE.

Consider this a fork in the road of your success. This is your opportunity to step up in your business, stop using excuses, stop resenting or comparing yourself and STOP blaming others for what you have or don't have in your life. It's time to take a NO EXCUSES approach to doing what you have to do to get clients, start being consistent in your marketing, work through the programs you've bought, or clear your schedule to attend events (no matter what else has "come up") that will give you the solution you SAY you've been wanting. Begin to take FULL responsibility and making different choices and your life and business will never be the same. I promise you that; I'm living proof of it.

As you take a no-excuses approach, it's important to surround yourself with the mentors and tools for growing your business. For unsurpassed marketing know-how, I recommend the Client Attraction Home Study System™. It's everything you need to know to fill your practice quickly and authentically, including how to put together a simple plan that gets you clients and then putting it on autopilot so you can have fun again. 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.

© 2008 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.

UNDERvaluing What You Offer? You May Be Losing Clients

There's a question in my intake packet for new clients titled, "What is holding you back or slowing your progress?", as it relates to attracting all the clients they need and having a full practice. Having worked with hundreds and hundreds of private clients over the years, I've seen it all. Other than "no knowledge of marketing," one thing seems to come up over and over again, and it happened again recently with a brand new client.

The client answered this: "Sometimes, the 'Little Voice' inside me asks, 'Who needs my program anyway? This is basic information that I offer. People already know this stuff!'" This is so common, but in most every case, this is absolutely not accurate.

I have to admit, in the past, I too have taken for granted what I already know and teach everyday and started questioning my value in the marketplace. For example, when I was teaching holistic nutrition years ago, I sometimes wondered why people were paying me (or WOULD pay me) to teach them about whole foods versus processed foods. To me, it was a no-brainer that brown rice was more healthful than white. But to a person who grew up on Twinkies, it was crucial that I explain it to them in detail, and then the shortcuts to fitting in those brand new foods into their busy life.

I would also question the value of the cooking classes I gave once a month to 15 or 20 people crammed in my living room. As I was stirring carrots and onions on my Coleman grill in the middle of my tiny apartment, I couldn't help but think, "Are these simple recipes REALLY of value to them?" (I'd been through serious Boot Camp at the French Culinary Institute, so this came naturally to me.) But they kept showing up, asking questions, and referring friends. Go figure!

Even in the early years of my business coaching practice, I sometimes wondered about my value. Clients ask me daily about the secrets of marketing to get clients to call THEM and filling their practice by networking. For me, it was so ingrained and like second nature. I took for granted that I knew it, because I'd been doing it for so long and knew that it worked. I thought everyone knew it too and that it was common sense.

On the contrary! What's common knowledge for us, is often a secret to someone else. Because we "bathe" in our information all day long, and for years, we start taking for granted what we know, even if we're being innovative. We forget that what we know is actually a secret many others would do anything and everything to discover. It becomes the answer to their most pressing problem. It becomes the solution others have been praying for.

If you're in this situation, you are probably OVER-estimating what everybody else knows. The more common what you teach is to YOU and the longer you do what it is you do, the more you tend to undervalue what you know.

The irony here, as I've discovered, is that the more we teach things to our clients in SIMPLE terms, the happier they are, the more referrals we get and the more we make. It's not the convoluted teachings that people are looking for. It's the practical and simple solutions.

The real shame about the whole 'undervaluing what you know' is that as a result, you may be undercharging for what you offer. This is actually one of the major reasons why most people don't have enough clients. Because they don't see value in what they offer, they don't charge enough; therefore, there is a low perception of value from the prospective client's point of view. They then go somewhere else for the same exact information. Talk about a self-fulfilling prophecy!

Some entrepreneurs even go so far as discounting their services, or offering a sliding scale, because of their lack of confidence and low perception of value in what they offer. In my book, discounting is a BIG no-no. Again, it portrays a devalued product or service and it's NOT Client Attractive.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT:

• Notice that your clients came to YOU for the information you take for granted. Sometimes, they may even have known some of what you know, but didn't have the discipline, accountability, resources, or structure to do it on their own. Many of my clients KNOW how to attract other clients, they're successful, but they don't have the discipline or accountability to do it on their own. So we do it together. This is actually my favorite type of scenario, because these clients are very driven and since we're not starting from scratch in the learning process, we move at warp speed.
• Be confident in what you offer (read your testimonials over and over until your confidence comes back).
• See yourself as their problem solver. Charge accordingly and never discount your services. Ever.

When you're confident in your marketing plan, you immediately get confident in charging what you're worth. To boost that confidence and marketing know-how, I recommend the Client Attraction Home Study System™. It's everything you need to know to fill your practice quickly and authentically, including how to put together a simple plan that gets you clients and then putting it on autopilot so you can have fun again. 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/.

© 2008 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/.

Track Where Your Best Clients Come From

Sometimes, it's best to not reinvent the wheel or "fix what ain't broke," as the saying goes. Let's say you have several clients you absolutely LOVE (they get great results from working with you, they pay you on time and never negotiated, you like them, they send referrals, etc.). Now, look at where all of these clients have come from.

Perhaps it's a particular networking group, or a talk that you gave, a referral from a strategic alliance or Center of Influence, or a referral from a client. It's important to see where your clients have come from so that you can do more of the same.

Avoid focusing too much on what hasn't helped you attract many clients, but rather, what HAS worked. That's what you want to focus on.

One way to keep track is to set up a system for this. Each time a new private coaching client signs up to work with me, they fill out a section of my Welcome Packet that says "Whom may I thank for your referral?" This is a great way to keep track, because you'll forget, but they won't.

I use a column in my bookkeeping sheet that I've labeled "Referred by" next to the client's name and in that column I note who referred that person, where I originally met them, or what talk they came to hear. At the end of the quarter or the year, it helps me to eliminate the marketing efforts or networking groups that aren't working and focus on the ones that are.

This also has the added bonus of tracking which referral sources have given me the most leads and reminds me to thank them appropriately for each and every referral.

Your Client Attraction Assignment This Week:

Start tracking where your clients come from so that you can continue marketing there.

• Ask each and every client whom they were referred by or where you met.
  
• Create a worksheet to keep track of this.
  
• Review this often to see what's working and what's not.
  
• Focus on (and do more of) what works and eliminate the efforts that don't produce results.
  

Having trouble getting a lot of clients in the first place? I recommend the Client Attraction Home Study System™. I've outlined every Client Attraction 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, 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. That's why my students 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 TheClientAttractionSystem.com. Why struggle when you can just model a system that already works?

© 2008 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.