To Turn More Prospects Into Paying Clients, You Must Give Them Options

When I was first starting out trying to close the sale as an solo-entrepreneur, I would offer only one rate and the offer was basically "this is what I charge, take it or leave it." So people would either take it or leave it.

Then I realized that clients work in a different way. Many people like options (I do too). They don't want to be "forced" into taking something that doesn't suit them. They want the option of small, medium or large.

There's also some psychology to it. Some people naturally go for the biggest, fastest, "supersized" option, just because that's their personality. Others are more cautious and like to take their time doing things. Sometimes, it's simply a question of money and what they can afford.

I started making available an option for each of these types of people (and budgets). The result? I started signing on considerably more clients offering options than when I used just one rate.

Why? Probably a few reasons:

1. There were options to fit different budget levels and it took care of the "am I charging too little or too much?" syndrome.
2. The client probably felt more in control and part of the decision-making process, which is less threatening.
3. It gave me confidence that my rates, as a whole, were just right for my ideal clients.

Your Assignment:

Consider charging different rates for different programs. Create different price points in your offerings. Use the provided one for inspiration, but create different options that work for you.

Let there be an incentive to go for the higher option (more time with you or reduced cost per hour as frequency grows). Make it almost irresistible to go for the highest option, but recognize that some people may just not be able to afford it or may choose not to go that route. That's OK.

Name your different options so that you can refer to them without actually using the dollar amounts. I've used the terms "Fast Track," "Basic" and "Maintenance" programs for my different options. What could you call yours?

Not only do you want to have different options to close the sale, but you've got to have a method that WORKS virtually 100% of the time, WITHOUT feeling slick, sleazy or sales-y. (Let's face it, we all like to BUY, but we don't like to be sold to; at least I don't). Problem is, most people haven't been taught HOW to script something that feels authentic and works practically every time. The Client Attraction Home Study System™ shows you EXACTLY how to do that. It's everything you need to know to fill your practice quickly; no matter how long you've been in business. All the tools, scripts, templates, and examples are handed to you on a silver platter (including how to close the sale 97% of the time). 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. You can get yours 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 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/.

If You Want To Increase Re-venues, You Must Bring On An Assistant

If you want to grow your business, hands-down, you need an assistant. And by "grow," I really mean "make more mo-ney." Oh, I know what you're thinking! "I don't make enough mo-ney to hire an assistant yet. That's just not something that I can do right now."

I know you're thinking this because I thought the same thing too, at first. I resisted working with a Virtual Assistant (VA) for over a year. Then I tried it because I didn't have any other choice. I was so busy working on client projects and actually seeing clients that I didn't have time to market my business.

But once I hired a VA, I nearly doubled my re-venues. I finally had time to work on getting more clients and taking care of the aspects of the business that actually MAKE me money.

Here's the deal about Virtual Assistance. You can have someone work for YOU out of their OWN office, on their OWN computer on YOUR stuff, at a drastic fraction of what it would cost you to hire an assistant full time, or even a part-time college student. Here's why: VAs are highly experienced professionals who have been executive assistants in corporations and have chosen to go out on their own and work from home (can you blame them?)

They work with several clients at the same time and have an hourly rate. The best part is they only charge you for the actual time worked, keeping track of the time they spend on your work. Which means that, if they only spend 64 minutes working on a project for you, then they pro-rate the hourly rate to just those 64 minutes and that's all you pay.

Because they are highly experienced and own their own businesses, you can expect a much higher level of quality than you would with a student who generally doesn't have any experience in the business world. Because of this, VAs often become PARTNERS in the growth of your business, rather than simply someone you delegate work to.

They care, and it's in their best interest that you grow your business. The more successful YOU are, the more work you'll be giving THEM (win-win situation). So, it's almost like they're INVESTED in your success…

Your Assignment:

Isn't it time you thought about focusing on what matters most (the money-producing part of your business) and start to delegate the other details to a real professional?

Start writing down the things you want to start delegating and what your business goals are. You can also do a search on www.Google.com for "Virtual Assistant" and you will get leads for different organizations. Once you start collaborating with an eager-to-take-stuff-off-your-desk professional, you'll start seeing results soon thereafter.

I hear this a lot: You may not be sure how to use ALL the time you'll gain once you hire a VA. My advice? Marketing! But many solo-entrepreneurs aren't sure what to focus on first: ezine? Teleseminars? Talks? Networking? articles? No worries, I was there once too. The step-by-step Client Attraction Home Study System™ will show you everything you need to do first.

Not only do you get clear on what clients you should be targeting, how to create the marketing message that will have them WANT to work with you and seek you out, but exactly WHAT to do with your marketing time and HOW. It's everything you need to know to fill your practice quickly; no matter how long you've been in business. All the tools, scripts, templates, and examples are handed to you on a silver platter. 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. You can get yours 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 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 Turn More Prospects Into Paying Clients, You Must Motivate Them!

When talking about their business, most solo-preneurs make the mistake of describing exactly what they do, in boring detail. "My company has been in business for X number of years and we use the newest technology systems. We use a complicated series of… blah blah blah." Many coaches and consultants talk about coaching ad nauseam, "What is coaching, are you coachable, what is your coachability index, who is the coach, blah blah blah".

I know, because I did it too in the beginning and it didn't work.

Hate to say this, but… SO WHAT! Nobody cares! When I hear someone talk to their prospects this way, it sends up a big red flag for me: these people don't really KNOW what they DO for clients and they're losing potential clients every time they open their mouths and every time someone reads their materials! The problem is that they're clearly not connected enough to their client base to see what real benefits they bring their clients.

There's a saying that goes "People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." And until you can tell someone what's in it for THEM to work with you, they won't pay attention to you or what you're saying.

Now, there's nothing wrong with you if you've been doing this, but it's something that you'll want to work on quickly so you don't let any more ideal prospects slip through your fingers. It just takes asking yourself what you really DO for clients, what results and benefits you get for them and then to articulate that so that a prospective client looking for that solution will want to work with YOU.

Let's look at exactly what your ideal prospects are motivated by: The Motivators. Below is a list of the top 10 reasons, results or benefits that make people buy, according to Jim Edwards and David Garfinkel in the ebook entitled "Ebook Secrets Exposed" www.EbookSecretsExposed.com that I read a bazillion years ago:

Here, according to them, are the most powerful motivators:

1. Make mo-ney
2. Save mo-ney
3. Save time
4. Avoid effort
5. Get more comfort
6. Achieve greater cleanliness
7. Attain fuller health
8. Escape physical pain
9. Gain praise
10. Be popular

Now, not every one of these fits your business, and most likely, yours fall into the top 4 motivators, unless you're in healthcare or image, then it usually falls within the last 6. Either way, it's time for you to narrow yours down into motivators from the Top Ten list above.

What's so powerful about using "motivators" in your marketing is that you position yourself as their ultimate SOLUTION, the one they would do anything and pay relatively anything to get. When you can show prospects how you can help them achieve one of them, they'll immediately pay more attention to you.

They'll want more. You'll PULL them in. They'll call YOU, as opposed to you chasing THEM. It's such a beautiful thing to watch when that begins happening in your business.

Your Assignment:

Circle the motivators that fit your business from the list above and then list an example of how this has already happened using real client examples. Then, sprinkle this throughout all your marketing materials, your elevator speech, your website, your signature talk, etc. You'll have people coming out of the woodwork wanting to work with you and your 1ncome will increase dramatically, in a very short time.

You may not be sure where to start with your elevator speech, signature talk, website, and everything else you need to do, and that's OK. I was there once too. The step-by-step Client Attraction Home Study System™ will show you everything you need to know. Not only do you get clear on what clients you should be targeting, how to create the marketing message that will have them WANT to work with you and seek you out, but exactly WHAT to do with your marketing time and HOW. It's everything you need to know to fill your practice quickly; no matter how long you've been in business. All the tools, scripts, templates, and examples are handed to you on a silver platter. 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. You can get yours at www.TheClientAttractionSystem.com.

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.
© 2008 Client Attraction LLC. All Rights Reserved

Client Attraction Should Be Your First Priority (Unless You Want To Go Broke)

Let's face it, most solopreneurs put marketing on the back burner, something they get to only once they've put out all the fires that need to be put out, once they answer each and every e-mail in their inbox, once they've sent every client what they promised to send. Yes, it's really important to do all of these things; however, you've got to realize that if you don't MAKE the time for your Client Attraction (i.e., Marketing), then you're simply not going to attract all the clients you need. Make sense?

The good news is, it doesn't have to be difficult. Over the years of coaching thousands of self-employed professionals to attract more clients, I've created a few systems to keep you on track and make Client Attraction a priority. What we've got to do is have you clear the decks and get rid of the "leaks" in your day.

How much time per day should you really allocate for marketing? I recommend my clients spend up to 4 hours of marketing PER DAY the first 6 months to a year in business, or whenever they need a new boost of clients. Many people gasp at that number when I first share it with them, because they usually spend no more than 4 hours per MONTH, if that. No wonder they're having trouble attracting new clients!

First-time clients tell me they just don't have the time to devote that many hours to marketing. Well, since I'm always trying to find solutions to problems, we have to look at what's taking up your time now and there are usually several non-essential things that are eating up your time. I call these the "leaks" in your day. Here's what I mean: if you're spending your valuable time working on non-business items during the day, then you may want to consider putting a "pause" button on these for the first 6 months of working on this Client Attraction System™.

It might mean stepping down from that Board of Directors position that doesn't really serve you, taking a leave of absence from that time-consuming project that isn't giving you a return on your time investment, not going to the grocery store during the day, and just deciding you will go to the gym before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m. every day, instead of smack in the middle of your workday.

Remember, it's much more difficult to attract new clients when you're not out there sharing with people what you do; networking, writing newsletters, articles, sending mailings, following up with potential clients, asking current clients for referrals, or working on presentations or seminars.

OK, then, so let's get really clear on what your day should look like. During the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. (or whatever you consider your regular work hours, I'm not picky about that), there are only 2 things you should be working on:

1. Client work (the stuff that actually makes you money)
2. Client Attraction and marketing (the stuff that gets you clients)

Everything else has to go (for now) or can wait until after 5 p.m. I know, this is drastic to some, but it just has to be something you strive for, at least for the short term.

After 6 months or a year, when you start seeing consistent results in your Client Attraction, you'll be able to decrease the number of hours you spend on marketing each day and reinstate some of the things you enjoyed doing beforehand, but had to put on pause for awhile. However, you might just be so happy to focus only on Client Attraction and client work during the day that, as for many of my private clients, you'll decide never to go back to the old way of doing things.

Your Assignment:

Clear the decks. If you know you need 4 hours of marketing per day (that's what I scheduled per day to fill both of my private practices to capacity in less than 8 months each), then you've simply got to make room for it. Your business--and livelihood--depends on it.

Take a pad of paper and write down all of the different things that take up your time every day. Include every curricular and extracurricular activity. Be a hard grader! This is not the time to be forgiving. We're looking for change, not excuses.

Once you've done that, underline or check off the things that can go for at least the next 6 months, to give you the time and space to make your practice what you want it to be: FULL.

Then do it. Make a commitment to eliminate the things (for the short-term) that eat up major amounts of time each day and week. Now, don't get depressed. Remember, this is not forever; it's just for right now, a few months, until you get all the clients you need. Then you can slowly start adding things back in. I did. This mantra kept me going for the first 6 months: "A strong focus now creates a different future later."

Now, you may be wondering what you SHOULD be doing with all that time you've allocated for Client Attraction. In fact, that's one of the biggest questions I get. The answer is laid out step-by-step in the Client Attraction Home Study System™. Not only do you get clear on what clients you should be targeting, how to create the marketing message that will have them WANT to work with you and seek you out, but exactly WHAT to do with your marketing time and HOW. It includes everything you need to know to fill your practice quickly; no matter how long you've been in business. All the tools, scripts, templates, and examples are handed to you on a silver platter. 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. You can get yours 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.

NEVER Answer The ONE Question Prospects Always Ask (If You Want Clients)

One of the best things to do to quickly establish credibility, get massive exposure, and attract new clients, is speaking. Hands down. Whether you organize your own seminars on a regular basis to continually fill the pipeline (the way I did for years), or get booked for talks to "pre-formed" groups like associations, it works like a charm—provided you give very good info.

If you deliver the talk properly, there's always a group of people at the end of your talk who rush up to the podium to chat with you. Some will tell you how much they enjoyed the talk, some will be e-zine readers who've wanted to meet you for years, some will want free advice or to "pick your brain." But, there's one question you'll almost always get and it comes in two parts. The first part's the good part; "I'm interested in working with you." The second one is the tricky part; "What do you charge?"

There's ONE fundamental problem with answering the second part of that question. If you answer it right there on the spot, you'll most always lose that client on the spot. Here's why.

When making a purchasing decision, if they're only focused on price, there isn't any room for VALUE or RESULTS. And I believe people buy in three ways: by emotion, by results, and by value (what they're paying for what they're getting). If you don't get the value part right, you might as well not even bother. They'll always go into sticker shock.

The solution? Don't give them your rates on the spot. Instead, invite them for a conversation to be held at a later date where you can fully describe the value they'll be getting from working with you. I call mine the "get-acquainted session," you may call yours a free-consultation, whatever. The important thing is that's where the magic happens. That's where you can find out more about them, get to the root of their problems, describe solutions, and they sell themselves into your services, based on value.

Now, by the way, this situation doesn't just happen at the end of a speaking gig. If you've got a kick-butt elevator speech that makes them say, "Wow, that's exactly what I need, I want to work with you," then you'll also get the question at networking events, at the cocktail hour of your friend's wedding, or simply when someone contacts you by email or phone. The answer is always the same though. Invite them for a get-acquainted session.

Your Assignment:

Never give your rates cold. You'll almost always lose the sale right there on the spot. Instead, invite them for a conversation. Here's what I recommend that my clients say to their own prospects:

"I actually offer several different programs, depending on how quickly you want to get results, and of course, on your budget level. What I usually recommend is that we set up a get-acquainted session. Not only do you want to find out more about me, my programs, etc., but I want to find out more about you and your situation to see if you're going to be the right fit for my programs as well. Shall we set that up?"

Done. The prospect almost always lets out a sigh of relief (it's almost as though they didn't REALLY want your rates after all) and then you're all set. Now, you're ready to close the sale. Easy.

Now, if closing the sale 97-98% of the time is not a reality for you yet, then we've got to change that ASAP. My own formula, step-by-step process AND closing the sale script is all laid out and available to you, in a turnkey, easy to implement one-foot-in-front-of-the-other process. The Client Attraction Home Study System™ 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, scripts, templates, and examples are handed to you on a silver platter. 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. You can get yours 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.