It’s a common practice among coaches, consultants, health practitioners, and other professionals to offer a complimentary first session. The intent of this approach is to give prospective clients a taste of your work so they will want more. But how well does this work? Read more

I’ve been helping many of my clients lately figure out how to position themselves so they stand out in their marketplace like the true expert they are. It can be quite a challenge, particularly when there are a lot of people who know much of what you know and do basically what you do. Read more

What do you do when a networking acquaintance invites you to meet for coffee? Do you find yourself saying yes, because you’ve been told that networking is about building relationships and getting to know people? At the same time, do you find yourself wondering if this is the most effective use of your time? Read more

No, I’m not talking about the Beatles. Instead of John, Paul, George, and Ringo, there’s a different Fab Four you’ll encounter in selling your services to corporations. Meet the Decision-Maker, the Champion, the Technician, and the Gatekeeper. Read more

Writing articles as an expert in your niche or specialty can help you become more credible as well as more visible. A well-written article on a subject of interest to your target market will get their attention, demonstrate your expertise, and increase your name recognition. Read more

How many times already today has someone tried to sell you something? The ads come in by email, postal mail, fax, radio, magazines, newspapers, TV, and your web browser; the salespeople write you, call you, and approach you in the store or showroom. Read more

Bartering can be a very useful strategy, especially when your business is young. By arranging trades for certain products and services, you can obtain what you can’t afford to buy, save money, and avoid incurring extra debt. Read more

Recently I talked with a professional who is thinking of leaving her corporate job and going out on her own. As this was an introductory conversation to see if she and I might work together as coach and client, we quickly covered some of the basics: Did she have an idea of what her business would be? Who would she target as a client? How would she find those clients? We went on like that for an hour; it was a delightful conversation, with her sharing her vision and us looking at ways to create that for her. Read more

The Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission regulations governing the National Do Not Call Registry went into effect nationwide in the U.S. in October 2003. The FTC’s Telemarketing Sales Rule covers calls made across state lines Read more

We spend a significant amount of our sales and marketing effort on filling the pipeline with prospects and following up with them. With a full pipeline and consistent follow-up, you are bound to make plenty of sales, right? Well, much of the time that’s true. Finding the right people to contact, Read more