A curious thing happens to entrepreneurs in the spring of every year. They wake up one day and realize they had better figure out how much money they made last year so they can pay their taxes. But wait, shouldn’t a business owner already know how much money he or she made last year Read more

C.J. Hayden speaks to a live audience of career services professionals, including coaches, counselors, and resume writers. Does it seem like your marketing gets “stuck” somewhere and doesn’t produce the results you think it should? Here’s what you’ll learn Read more

That’s really the million dollar question, isn’t it? If only you knew why your marketing efforts weren’t paying off, you could change what you were doing, and start seeing better results. In a recent article, I wrote about the five most common marketing saboteurs. Read more

Just 30 seconds is all we ask. Just 30 seconds is all we have. Just 30 seconds is all it takes. How many times do you need to revise that 30-second introduction before it’s specific enough, interesting enough, and poignant enough to engage another person in conversation? Read more

If you’ve ever taken a course in marketing, you’ve heard of the “know-like-and-trust-factor.” It seems it would be worthwhile to understand this factor and what it really means to us. Read more

Lately, people have been telling me that they hate marketing and don’t want to do it. They hate it so much that even though they are in love with what they do — or want to do — for a living, they will not do what it takes to get out in front of prospects. Read more

The most important question to ask yourself before writing an article for marketing purposes is exactly how you want that article to position you. For example, if you are a relationship coach with expertise in dating, resolving conflicts, and clear communication, and you like to work with baby boomer singles and couples, Read more

When I started my business, many people had opinions on what I should do to get clients — speak to groups, join the Chamber of Commerce, attend a networking group, etc. One of the suggestions that came up often was doing promotional events, which can mean different things. It might mean getting a booth at a trade show, or hosting a free one or two hour event to introduce yourself and your services while delivering a snack-size portion to the attendees, sort of like a Tupperware party. It could mean creating a longer event, half a day or day-long, where again you deliver value and charge a nominal fee, making it easy for people to attend. It might be hosting a meet-and-greet reception, holding a complimentary teleclass, or having a Twitter chat party. Read more

“I think I’m really good at what I do,” declares technical writer June, “but I don’t ever seem to get a chance to show people.” June is experienced, highly-skilled, and has written dozens of procedure manuals and other how-to guides throughout her career. But she isn’t getting enough work to earn a living as a freelancer.

“I don’t like to talk about myself,” admits June. “It feels like bragging to say what a terrific writer I am. I don’t know how to express my capabilities to potential clients without sounding like some sort of conceited know-it-all.”

Like June, many professionals feel fearful or hesitant to speak out boldly about how good they are. But there are ways you can let people know what you’re capable of without ever having to say, “I’m hot stuff.”

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The classic approach to placing follow-up calls comes with some challenges. The usual image of a follow-up call is to pick up the phone and ask your prospects, “Are you ready to hire me?” When you’re calling potential referral sources, the question may become, “Got any referrals for me? For most independent professionals, this process isn’t much fun. In fact, it’s disagreeable enough that we may avoid it entirely. Read more