Killer copy frightens me. Some days I think if I see one more hype-laden email, web page, or direct mail piece promising to solve all my problems for only a small investment with a value of ten times its price, I’m going to run away screaming. Read more

Much of the popular wisdom about how to succeed as an independent professional seems to center around saying yes. You’ll hear that you’re supposed to market yourself constantly in as many different ways as possible, network with everyone you can find, and take as many clients as possible in order to increase your earnings. The implication is that you should say yes to every opportunity. Read more

“Will this marketing approach be worth my while?” It’s a question independent professionals often ask. But there’s a related question that, unfortunately, they ask much less often: “How much will it cost compared to what it brings in?” Surprisingly few professionals know the answer to this crucial question, and many admit it had simply never occurred to them. Read more

You’ve heard it many times before: you need to sell benefits to your clients, not features. Whether you are writing copy, talking about what you do, or engaged in a sales presentation, it’s the benefits and results of the service you provide that you should emphasize, rather than its features or how it works. But it’s not always easy to get this right. Read more

LinkedIn is the largest professional social networking site online with over 74 million users in the U.S. and over 200 million users worldwide as of January 2013. Using LinkedIn as a networking tool can help expand your network of contacts, clients, leads, and referral partners. And just like networking in person, when networking on LinkedIn, first impressions count. Read more

I talk with a lot of marketing strategists who extol the importance of branding for a company’s success but it’s like pulling teeth to drag most of them down from the conceptual clouds and get specific about exactly what they mean. Read more

“I asked a new client recently what he had been doing to market his professional services. “Everything,” he said. “I’ve been running pay-per-click ads on the web, I paid a copywriter to write a sales letter and mailed it to a list of local companies, I have a display ad in the Yellow Pages, I’ve even been posting flyers around town… and I still have almost no business.” 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

If you’re an active networker, it’s likely that the organizations you belong to will offer you an exhibit booth at an upcoming conference or meeting. But is this kind of exposure a good investment for a consulting or professional services business? Read more

In this audio workshop with a live audience of professional coaches, C.J. Hayden and Frank Traditi share how to create referral partnerships and strategic alliances that allow you to harness the power of people to bring your products and services to a larger audience. Read more