Go BIG or Go Home!

QUOTE: "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure... Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you."- Marianne Williamson, A Return To Love

After sharing my personal "Video Vision Board" with my 10,000+ readers this week, I received a lot of comments and questions. One of the ones that stood out the most for me was this one:

"Hey Fabienne, just watched the You Tube video. It's awesome. I'm not sure
what it is that keeps me from living in the music of possibility. I keep holding
myself to something small like "Hoping for another client this month." And
here you are on Oprah and making videos with Bono. So cool!! What do I
need to drop in order to step in to 'YES' and let go of 'HUH?'."

An amazing question, especially since not everyone is brave enough to "go there". What I've witnessed, especially because of the extended time I've been lucky to spend with my Platinum MasterMind members this last year, is that many people have massive doubt about their ability to do something big in this world, including myself up until recently.

And because we're doubtful about our ABILITY to accomplish something BIG, we don't allow ourselves the chance to think big, for fear of failing miserably and confirming our own original thoughts. The self-doubt gets hold of us even BEFORE we begin to craft our vision. So we keep playing a mediocre game and living a mediocre life as a result (mediocre, in the sense that your life is probably 'good enough' now, but it could be SO much sweeter and richer, if you allowed yourself to play bigger.)

The solution? It's time to drop the self-doubt and live in FAITH. Most people continue to play small because of feelings of unworthiness. We've all been put down in our lives, especially in our childhood, and sometimes by the people we thought we were the safest with. And we've pushed down our big thinking and play a "beige" existence.

Enough of the beige existence. Enough mediocrity. You ARE enough. You are NOT inadequate. In fact, you are powerful beyond measure. There is nothing you cannot accomplish if you believe in yourself. There is nothing you cannot accomplish if you move past the fear of failure or the fear of really being "seen" in a big way. This is your time to shine.

You, me, Bono, Oprah... we're all just people. They still brush their teeth and have indigestion sometimes, like we do. But the difference is that they simply made the DECISION to play big one day. And then they BELIEVED. They were scared too, and they did it anyway. They too didn't know HOW they were going to fulfill their big dreams (I certainly don't know how I will reach mine, but I believe they'll happen) but they went for it anyway. That's all.

Your Client Attraction Assignment:

I recommend you work on your OWN big vision, starting tonight. Make a list of people you admire greatly and what they've accomplished in the world. Then, get inspired by that and create your own list of what YOU would accomplish if you could do anything. (HINT: you can.) And whenever you start thinking, "What? ME... do THIS?" then it means it's EXACTLY what you should be shooting for. All you need to do is look for the opportunities and get support to manifest your vision. That is when your life will become even sweeter and richer. :)

There's a saying I love: "If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room." I don't know who first coined this phrase, but it's recently become one of my favorites, a mantra I've adopted. Have it become yours too. I assure you that you CAN do this. Go for it! I'm here to support you.

© 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/.

To Attract More Clients, Plug Into Your Purpose

If you've been in business for a few years, you've probably been marketing your business for just as many years (hopefully). You've tried marketing tactics that worked, and if you're anything like me, you've tried some that didn't and failed miserably.

After a while, I believe everyone gets into a slump with their marketing plan. This happens with a majority of my clients at some point or other, and has happened to me too in the past. There are many reasons for this:

1. We get bored.
2. We get complacent or lazy.
3. We become greedy or simply in it for the mo-ney.

I could give you solutions to all three of these reasons, but these would be using your willpower and discipline. Today, I want to appeal to your sense of purpose.

If you want a successful business, having a purpose in marketing your business is an absolute necessity, and it shouldn't be just making mo-ney. Yes, making lots of mo-ney is great. Mo-ney is necessary and it makes life way easier. But if the ONLY reason you're in business is to make mo-ney, I believe that for most people, it's much more difficult to get up the strength to market something that just takes from people, without giving back more than what you give.

Besides, people will feel that energetically and read right through you.

The solution? Connect (or reconnect) to your purpose. If you've been dragging your feet about getting out there to market your business, perhaps it's time to reexamine if you're connected to the original purpose for getting in business. I'm a big fan of Ralph Marston's Daily Motivators and he recently wrote something on the subject of purpose that really resonated with me:

"Where there is purpose, there is energy. Actions directed toward a compelling purpose will create a powerful momentum that lines up events and circumstances in your favor. Purpose gives you a reason to get going each day and strengthens your determination to persist when the going gets tough. Purpose pushes you firmly toward your highest level of accomplishment."

I couldn't agree more. I've talked in the past about letting yourself be pulled by your future. Today, we'll call it being pulled forward by your PURPOSE.

If you look at any great humanitarian leader, you'll notice they've had many obstacles and tribulations along the way. Somehow, they always seemed to get right back on that proverbial horse and try, try again, didn't they? If they'd been in their cause just for the power or the mo-ney, they may have given up shortly after starting. But I'll guess that their strong purpose gave them the strength and determination to keep going, to push through the obstacles and reach their goals, because there was a greater purpose to it all.

When I see a client who drags their feet or for whom something's not going well, it's usually a sign that something's not quite right, as opposed to just procrastination. Either they're marketing something for the wrong reason or they're not being true to their purpose and the reason that they're here. For many, they've chosen to ignore the nagging voice within that tells them something's not right.

Perhaps they don't even know WHAT their purpose is. For many of us self employed people, it's to serve others and make a difference in people's lives, in one way or another. My opinion is that when we get away from that, marketing or doing anything in business is much more difficult.

And yeah, by the way, when we are authentic, serve people well and stay connected to that purpose, the mo-ney inevitably flows. The best part about making good mo-ney doing something that really matters to you is that the mo-ney is a byproduct of doing things well and for the right reason. It feels great, not sleazy or like we've ripped off someone.

Your purpose is to help others AND to feel good doing it. Once you find it, throw yourself into it. Since having a strong purpose in your business gives you more energy and determination, it's time to either get reconnected to the reason you originally got in business or to figure out what yours is. Remember though, sometimes our resolve gets tested to make sure we REALLY want this badly enough. Persevere; don't give up.

Your Client Attraction Assignment:

What's YOUR purpose? Here are questions to ask yourself to find your own purpose or reconnect to it:

1. What section of the bookstore do you gravitate towards? (Hint: I was reading success-mindset and marketing books on my honeymoon and it didn't feel like work.)
2. What is the greatest challenge you overcame?
3. What brings the most meaning to your life?
4. If you had all the mo-ney you needed, but still wanted to work, what would you do to make a difference in the world while bringing you happiness?

Whether it means connecting to it for the first time or simply reconnecting, do what it takes to live as close to your purpose as possible, no matter what the setbacks. Tweak the way you do things right now so it feels right and like there's real meaning in your life. Success will naturally come to you when you do. You won't believe you get paid to live it.

Got your purpose but having a difficult time marketing it? Then it's time to take action and invest in a step-by-step marketing system that will feel easy and authentic to you. The Client Attraction Home Study System™ avoids all the unnecessary stuff and instead gives you the most important things to do to find your niche, get out there in a big way, set up simple, solid systems, so 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 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/.

Make A Decision And "The Way" Will Show Up

I've discovered something really interesting in terms of human behavior over the last 3 years. I'm shocked to notice how often people stop themselves by using excuses for not doing something in their business, and in their lives. The thing is, they're not even aware of it. Here's what I mean... People SAY they want something very badly, that they want a change, and theoretically, that they'd do anything to get it.

But when the rubber meets the road, it's a totally different story. For many, when it's time to take action, they're not WILLING to take the steps or do the work that creates the result. And they use excuses about time and mo-ney as the trap door, their escape route:

"I can't do 'x' because I don't have the mo-ney right now"
"I can't do 'y' because I've already got something planned for that day"

I see it plain as day and I see it happen EVERY day. It's the "Inner Self-Doubt" that consistently has someone question every single move they make in growing their business or their in-come.

It's that same inner self-doubt that creates the excuse that invariably comes up, either having to do with time OR mo-ney, or something along the lines of "I'm not sure this is right for MY business." And what I'm convinced about, because I've witnessed it in my own life and then in the lives of hundreds (if not thousands) of my clients, is that this inner self-doubt, questioning everything and not taking serious ACTION when the solution shows up all boil down to one thing and one thing only. And in plain english, it's called... SELF SABOTAGE.

(By the way, The same thing happens when you decide to do something and then you decide to back out at the last minute. There are people who do this again and again. It's what I call "waffling" and it's another form of self-sabotage, something that you use to keep yourself from playing a bigger game in your life.)

In all the years I've been working with solopreneurs, I have seen countless people beg for a change in their business, pray to make a lot more mo-ney, and yet, when the answer is delivered and it's right there in front of them (in whatever form it shows up) they use excuses, turn away or question whether it's right for them.

Realize that THE limitation around getting to the next level in their business is created by your own mindset. Then you can make a change in perspective, stop using excuses and "just go for it", then the results show up. Here's the process I've witnessed in myself and in my clients recently:

1. They make a firm DECISION (to succeed, buy something, attend something, or whatever)
2. They stop over thinking
3. They quiet the inner critic and the relentless self-doubt
4. They look for different ways of making it happen
5. They take action, IN SPITE OF the "fear"
6. They are then rewarded very handsomely.

Widening your perspective around success starts with a DECISION. Once you make a decision to succeed, it's time to commit to doing whatever it takes to make it happen.

Whatever it takes.

Instead of saying "I can't afford this", ask yourself "How *can* I afford this?
" Instead of saying "I'm already busy that day", you'll begin to find ways to move things around to make it happen. It's a SMALL shift in perception, but it is absolutely life-changing when you begin to think that way. Instead of stopping the flow, you begin to search for opportunities, for solutions. You begin to act like a detective, looking for different ways to make it happen.

And that's when it shows up.

I've often thought that, if I can't get into a house from the front door, then I'll look for the back door. And if the back door's locked, then it's time to look for an open window. And if all the windows are shut tight, then the storm door or basement door, etc. Too many people simply try the obvious way of doing something, often, by just looking at their bank account or their calendar. And then they stop there.

And you know what? There is ALWAYS a way. But only if you're willing to look for a different way. Only if you don't get stopped at the front door, thinking, "Oh well, it wasn't meant to be!"

It's about letting go of mediocrity and trusting that there IS a way to get what you want, or to do what you want to do for your business or in your life. You see, once you make the COMMITMENT to find a way to make it happen, the way to do that thing shows up. Always.

Your Client Attraction Assignment:

Let me ask you this...

What is it that you are wanting to do that you're stopping yourself with excuses or mo-ney or time?

Make a list. If you can be honest about it, really honest with yourself and you see yourself doing this very thing, I want to ask you this...

How BADLY do you want this thing, whatever it is? How BADLY can you taste it?

Before you say, "But wait, Fabienne. There ISN'T enough mo-ney for this in my bank account." or "Fabienne, I've already got something planned for then", notice that it's all a question of your perception. If it were a life-or-death thing, you WOULD find the mo-ney, you WOULD clear your schedule. And so it CAN be done. And if it can be done, then the excuse is no longer valid.

If you want something really badly, then you need to approach it as if it were a life-or-death situation. You need to have your ACTIONS match what you say you want. Otherwise, a year from now, 10 years from now, 30 years from now, you'll be in the same place you are now. Is that what you really want?

It comes down to being WILLING to act differently. It's not just thinking differently, it's about taking bold and decisive action toward what you say you want in your business or your life. It's about saying YES to what's possible for you. Saying YES to the opportunities that are divinely given to you. And then taking action. Your business, your life, your in-come will never be the same. I promise you that.

© 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/

To Market or Not To Market: The Double-Edged Sword of Self-Promotion

Have you ever felt strange about marketing your services for fear of people thinking you weren't successful enough or good enough at what you do? I was reading a transcript of marketer Dan Kennedy's Coaching and Consulting Business Boot Camp this past week at the beach and I came across a section about the fine line between the need for marketing and not wanting to look like you NEED business.

It struck a cord with me because I remember being stumped a few years ago, when a photographer I met at a networking function asked me, "So, if you're such a marketing expert and you help people attract all the clients they need, what are you doing here at a networking group each week?" I didn't know what to say at first. Never had it been posed to me that way.

But then I started thinking about it all and I realized that I always have clients, because I'm always marketing. I feel comfortable knowing that marketing is part of my business, a large part of it. It doesn't matter what you DO for a living, your primary job is marketing and your "skill" is whatever else you do to get paid by clients.
So, if you're a consultant, you're not really a consultant, you're a marketer who consults. If you're an interior designer, you're not really an interior designer, you're a marketer who happens to help clients decorate their homes. And so on and so forth.

Until a client of mine really GETS that, they always put marketing on the back burner, and as a result of not making marketing a priority in the past, they've gotten lackluster, mediocre results. But when they realize that their MAIN job is marketing, then they just accept that that's what you do and start to do it well. Alternatively, they can just go back to the corporate world and get a paycheck again while having someone else breathe down their neck. (Yuck!)

But I think the fine line we talked about between looking successful enough not to market and needing to market is really about CHASING clients. It's like anything in life: if someone is TOO eager about something, you start questioning their motives. Here's the line I read in that seminar transcript:

The Ultimate Incongruity: "If you're so good, why are you so available?...let alone chasing business???"

The first key is that you never CHASE business. It's just too cheesy and it doesn't make people want to work with you. If you seem like you need them more than they need you, then you're in trouble.

However, if you follow the Client Attraction System® or are a client of mine, you know that it's about creating VALUE, trust, believability, and credibility over the long haul. It's about establishing yourself as a problem solver to your ideal clients and their biggest problems. It's about creating a RELATIONSHIP so that clients naturally come to YOU and no one else, WHEN they're ready. It's never about chasing clients or strong-arming them to sign up with you. Here's the formula:

Value plus Trust over Time.

(As a side note, that photographer who almost stumped me with her question ended up being one of my favorite clients of all time, a RAVING fan and a consistent referral source of new clients to my practice. She's also become one of the best and most diligent marketers I've seen, and she markets consistently, not just when she needs clients. She GOT it.)

Your Client Attraction Assignment:

So, now that we've gotten away from any semblance of you chasing business and looking too eager, what would you say if someone asked YOU that Ultimate Incongruity question?

Here's what I say:

• "I market consistently because I know that if you don't market consistently, you don't always have clients. Even when I have a waiting list of people waiting to work with me, I still don't stop marketing. I'd be foolish to do that."
• "Two clients recently graduated, so I have openings for just two new clients."
• "I have decided to take on more clients because...(tell the truth)."
  

Oh and by the way, always tell the truth. That's what authentic marketing is about. That's how being a marketer with integrity makes you stand out in the marketplace. Anything else would be sleazy and that's not Client Attractive.

OK, it's clear that you HAVE to market, but what if you don't know where to begin or what to do first? Get yourself the complete 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 discover 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. The Client Attraction Home Study System™ avoids all the unnecessary stuff and instead gives you the most important things to do to find your niche, get out there in a big way, set up simple, solid systems, so 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 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/.

Clients Want Easy Shortcuts

I'm convinced that everyone's really just looking for a shortcut. Over the last 9 years of working with clients privately and in groups, the more I offer my products and services, the clearer I am that we all just want an easier way out. Well, not because we're lazy; it's more that we're completely overwhelmed.

Half the time, I feel like I'm drinking from an information fire hose. If you're anything like me, you're bombarded, and I literally mean bombarded by information, all day long. There's unwanted information (ads and pop-ups) and also WANTED information, stuff you asked for or paid for, and actually do want to get (like something you're trying to learn to improve yourself or your business). I didn't even mention the hundreds of emails I get per day that I can't always respond to, even though my intention is there.

Problem is, we're turning into an "attention deficit" society. Blame it on whatever you want (the media, the Internet, too many TV stations, spam, satellite radio channels, TiVO, etc.), we all don't have enough attention to spread out to do everything we want, including the stuff we don't. So we sometimes go into inaction mode and don't do ANYTHING

My motto has always been, "A strong focus now creates a different future later." However, it's getting harder to keep focused, harder to make decisions, and mental concentration on just ONE thing seems to be getting more and more rare (multitasking USED to be a good word in my book, but now I'm wondering if it's actually detrimental to success).

But not just for me. For my prospects and clients too. I'm noticing the people I work with also have WAY TOO MUCH to pay attention to. In addition to their own clients, they've got families, responsibilities, email, bills, and personal and professional development they need to focus on. And we haven't even talked about marketing yet. No wonder it's the last thing they focus on!

I've noticed a trend. It's called, "Help-me-I'm-overwhelmed-with-info-and-I-need-help-to-make-sense-of-it-all!" In an age when we all have instant access to a ridiculous amount of information, making sense of it all and putting it all into place seems to be the hardest thing. And then we beat ourselves up about it.

That's where you can come in. You see, because your prospects are inundated, overwhelmed, and unable to really focus on what they want, your job can now become that of making sense of it all for them. You can help them carve out the time in their day to achieve what they want, cut their learning curve to its barest essential, while helping them put one foot in front of the other. That's what I do, among other things.

If you can communicate that in your materials, you've got it made. Show prospects you've got a system, that it's foolproof, that it's clear and easy to follow and (of course) that they'll get results from it-well, with that, you're way ahead of the pack and you can almost guarantee your success.

If you can reassure clients that you've got the shortcut, and you'll help them implement whatever it is they're after, you win. And they win. And then you win again. Here's what I mean. If you can show them it's easy to work with you, then they sign up with you (you win). Because you help them make sense of it all, they start seeing great results (they win). Once they see great results because it was so clear-cut and easy, they can't help but tell others about you in a Raving Fan manner (you win again, because you get a ton of referrals and kick-butt testimonials that bring in new clients.)

Your Client Attraction Assignment:

Notice how you present what you offer. Is it convoluted? Does it seem like a TON of work? Are you making it easy for them or making it seem like they'll work really hard and spend a lot of time doing it?

Start tweaking how you present what you do so that it becomes a paint-by-numbers approach. Show them that it's really a step-by-step process, a one-step-in-front-of-the-other method. You've got nothing to lose in making everything simpler and everything to gain (lots of clients).

Step-by-step processes help clients get out of their own way and get you results quickly. Clients always tell me that, instead of feeling like they're drinking from a fire hose of information, my materials are like drinking from a ladle. When creating a product, my goal is always on taking the FLOOD of information out there and laying it all out into a simple, easy to implement way that really gets results.

If you've been overwhelmed with Client Attraction, not knowing where to start, then it's time to take action and invest in a step-by-step marketing system that will feel easy and authentic to you. The Client Attraction Home Study System™ avoids all the unnecessary stuff and instead gives you the most important things to do to find your niche, get out there in a big way, set up simple, solid systems, so 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 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/.