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Sometimes when I watch other business owners describe their product or service, the descriptionleaves me thinking, "Wow... not only does that NOT make me want your product, but it actually makes me feel LESS inclined to explore your offer." Other times, I can see how it might be useful, or why the product is of high quality, but I'm not really convinced that I need it. Why? Often, it's because their marketing failed a simple yet powerful litmus test that determines whether they're speaking about the right things to get their potential... Read More

How many hours have you spent attending networking events, giving elevator speeches, and following up with people, only to get few or no clients as a result? And how many clients have you referred to other business owners, only to get no payment or reciprocal referrals in return - or, even worse, to lose the client entirely? The old ways of networking just aren't as effective anymore. If you want to get more referrals, and get paid for the referrals you make when the rules of your industry allow, you need to use a different strategy. In... Read More

I was planning to write this on Tuesday, but I decided to share it a bit early, becauseI'm celebrating a new accomplishment: I just published a class on SkillShare, called Low-Cost Marketing for Small Businesses and Freelancers ... and for a limited time, you can get it for FREE. In this 68-minute class, you'll discover how small businesses and freelancers can attract leads while spending little or no money on advertising, and convert them into clients without feeling guilty, pushy or salesy. You can access this class, and thousands of... Read More

If your clients are primarily businesspeople, you might have trouble getting satisfied customers to send you referrals, because they don't want their competitors to have the same success you helped them create. This is an understandable concern on their part, but it can be frustrating when it hampers your ability to get clients! The good news is, it IS possible to persuade people to send you referrals, if you can help them understand why it benefits them as well. Here are 3 ways giving you referrals can benefit your clients: ... Read More

Today's blog post is bySamantha Brannon. Unfortunately, no one in online business can be perfect at all times. We make mistakes, and get negative customer reviews in return. For online businesses, they are quite a challenge because they can convince prospective customers to buy from competitors instead of us. For example, here are some of the key stats that demonstrate the importance of online reviews for making or breaking your business (source: Local Consumer Review Survey 2017 ): - 85 percent of online shoppers trust... Read More

When you go to networking events, there are three essential components you need to have in place in order to get results. In a recent FacebookLive, I shared three reasons why people often don't get referrals from their networking efforts, and three strategies you can use to create consistent streams of referrals. I also answered a question about what to do if you get a negative review that could hinder your attempts to get clients and referrals. Click the player below to watch the replay. For those who prefer to read... Read More

If you use networking events as a way to meet potential clients and referral sources, you've probably found that you spend a lot of time talking to people who don't follow up, sending follow-up calls and emails that go unanswered, and giving out business cards that vanish intoother people's shoeboxes, never to be seen again. The unfortunate truth is, most people go to networking events to try to promote their own business, not to hire or send clients to other businesses. On top of that, even if they have the intention to send you clients,... Read More

The first month of the New Year just ended, and as we continue this new chapter in our businesses and lives, many of us will be reflecting on the strategies we use to grow our companies and attract clients. If your strategies include content marketing, particularly social media marketing, this is a perfect time to look at a trend I've noticed in the strategies two different industries use, and how they impact the level of engagement these industries get on Twitter. In particular, I'm talking about the #Business hashtag... Read More

If you've tried to use networking to get more referrals, you've probably experienced something like this: You spend time and gas money to drive to an event, give your elevator speech, listen to everyone else'selevator pitches, exchange business cards, give and receive promises that if I meet someone who needs you, Ill send them your way, hopefully follow up with your potential referral network members, and then... nothing happens. You try again next week, because maybe repetition is the key. You give the same pitch everyone's already... Read More

Today's blog post is written by Hisham Wyne. We could all use more coaching. - Richard Thaler The world is a noisy place. The chaos of everyday life, the cacophony of the city, and even the muted chatter around you can all contribute to a distracted mind. The modern world with all its developments and conveniences can also be a place where you cannot even hear yourself think. A Helping Hand There are some people who cannot function well in the midst of all the auditory and visual noise. They get sidetracked, lose focus,... Read More