Speaking in public can be a powerful marketing tactic for any professional. Public speaking increases your visibility, boosts your credibility, and establishes you as an expert in your field. It puts you in direct contact with potential clients in such an impactful way that you may find yourself closing a sale before you leave the room. Read more

We all know that getting a referral from a satisfied customer is one of the best ways to get new clients. The problem is this can be a long, slow process. But using social media can help speed it up. Read more

Paul Williams of Idea Sandbox designed this nifty tool for filling your marketing pipeline with new contacts after attending a networking event. It’s based on the GET CLIENTS NOW! “marketing recipe” for following up with contacts in Chapter 7: Filling the Pipeline. Read more

When you’re selling your services and find that you’re getting appointments but not making sales, your sales presentation itself may be the culprit. To improve how you present yourself and what you do, be prepared with a presentation script. 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

When launching a professional practice or service business, the success of your first few months of operation is crucial. If you are a typical service business owner, you’re starting up with less capital than a storefront or product-based business. You are likely to have the expectation that you will begin earning income right away. Read more

This sample fee sheet for paid speaking engagements shows a range of fees for programs of different length and travel to varying locations. Also included is detail about travel expenses to be billed to the client. 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

This questionnaire can be used to collect evaluations from the audience at the conclusion of a workshop or speaking engagement. It includes space for comments about the program, a testimonial quote, a referral to others who might be interested, Read more

Q. I am the volunteer coordinator of an informal network of trainers, training managers, and training administrators who work in corporate training departments. How do I get these members to hire me as a consultant without directly asking for their business? Read more