It often seems that it’s the destiny of the independent professional to exist in a constant state of feast or famine. Either you are working day and night to keep up with client demands, or you’re wondering how much is left in your savings account and whether the phone will ever ring again. Read more

You know about the 80/20 rule, right? It’s the guideline that 80% of your return comes from 20% of your investment. For example, 80% of your referrals come from 20% of the people in your network. 80% of your new business comes from 20% of your prospects. 80% of your new contacts come from 20% of the networking activities you engage in. And so on. Read more

“I don’t recommend you host your own teleclass,” I told my client.

“Why not?” she asked. “I thought public speaking was a great way to get clients.”

“It is,” I replied. “But hosting your own free teleclass isn’t public speaking; it’s a promotional event.” Read more

“What’s wrong with my marketing?” That’s a question I often hear from clients, students, and readers. It’s a useful query, as there frequently are areas where you could do better at marketing and sales. But while the question “what’s wrong” can uncover your marketing problems, it doesn’t always suggest answers. You may need to ask what you’re doing right. Read more

Most of the dialogue about networking to build your business centers around attending events or social networking online. But I’ve always found that one-on-one networking is where the real magic happens. Meeting with people individually, in person or by phone, builds the “know, like, and trust” factor, generates referrals, connects you with new resources, and creates lasting relationships. Read more

“I spend a lot of time networking, but I don’t see many results from it.” I hear this complaint frequently from independent professionals who are hoping that their networking activities will produce clients. It used to be that my clients and students would complain about unproductive networking in the form of attending mixers or scheduling coffee meetings. But now I often hear them voice the same dissatisfaction with social networking online. Read more

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

If you’ve been in business for any length of time, you’re likely familiar with the phrase “filling the pipeline.” Or in other words, making sure you’ve got enough people potentially interested in your services to keep your business going. As important as this is, and as much sense as it makes, it’s amazing how often it doesn’t happen. Read more

What’s stopping you from getting all the clients you want? Do you know? The answer to this one question may be the key to making your marketing more successful.

It would seem from the questions people ask me about marketing that everyone is trying to fix just one type of problem — how to fill their marketing pipeline with more new prospects. Read more

Savvy independent professionals know that referrals are the best way to land new clients. But getting those referrals can sometimes be a challenge. When referrals don’t come easily — or the ones you get seem to be off track — it’s tempting to forget about building referrals and spend time on cold calling, boilerplate letters and emails, or advertising, even though you know those approaches aren’t as effective in the long run. Read more