Blog

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

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

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

When youre creating your product, program or service package, designing your brand, scripting your marketing materials, and speaking to potential clients and referral network members, one of the most important questions you need to answer is What problem do I solve for my clients? I recently met an entrepreneur who was having trouble answering that question in her business. Here are the strategies I recommended: 1. Create a list of all the physical, emotional, financial, and/or lifestyle problems that you've helped people solve, or... 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

When you're starting or growing a business, having the right tools, training, services and resources can make your job exponentially easier. To help you accomplish that goal faster, I've made a new page on my website with descriptions and links for the software and services I use to: 1. Get more referrals and get paid for the referrals I make, WITHOUT spending hours attending networking events 2. Attract clients through social media, without getting sucked into the black hole of my timeline feed 3. Create attractive lead capture... Read More

ByJock Purtle When you first decide to launch your own business, the chances are that you'll be full of excitement and expectations. There's something wonderfully freeing about making the decision to launch your own company and bring your incredible ideas to life. Unfortunately, while there are many people out there who dream of creating fruitful ventures, only a handful achieve the success that they crave. In a world where everyone has an opportunity to launch their own company online, it's the entrepreneurs that put extra time and... Read More

BySalma El-Shurafa When you read business journals and other publications to take inspiration and lessons from those who have succeeded in the business world, youre sure to encounter the topic of passion quite frequently. There are some entrepreneurs who conclude that whatever success they have secured was gained simply by following their passion: they did what made them happy, and everything fell into place. Thats the kind of story every aspiring entrepreneur likes to read or hear, because it presents a romantic journey. In such a... Read More