Smart Marketing Investing

Today's More Clients is second in a series of "Dumb Marketing Mistakes and How to Correct Them." Not investing in your marekting is dumb mistake number two.

This week I got an email from one of my customers. It said: "Do you think, by me learning from your InfoGuru marketing and action plan e-books, I can become a marketing consultant? Or do I need lots more than that?"

That's a little like saying, "If I read Gray's Anatomy, can I become a doctor?"

So yes, you'll need a lot more than that. Even if what you want to do is market your services competently, with less struggle and better results, you're going to have to invest in yourself. It will take some time, money and effort.

"But how much," everyone asks me, "before I start seeing results and start attracting clients consistently? How much time, money and effort do I actually need to invest?"

I think the big key here is "Smart Investing."

You need to invest in developing skills, not just in accumulating more information. The information is important, but only if it's applied. This is why I'm developing a new workshop that's much more focused on creating plans and building skills rather than stuffing people's heads with more marketing ideas.

Read this week's complete ezine here: Smart Marketing Investing.

This week please share the following with us: What secrets have you learned to implement marketing strategies that work for you?

Comments

[Reg Adkins]

I learned never to ridicule and email sent to me by a client on a blog site.

[Barry W. Morris]

As a writer, my muse is always whispering in my ear. Like Robert alludes to in this week's article, unless I take the time to write down those whispers, there's a good chance many gems will be forever beyond my conscious recall. Likewise, working through the Action Plan Tool Kit, the Web Site Tool Kit, the IG Manual, or many other training modules, taking the time to put thought on paper, exploring ideas and reactions to the information is just as important as the information itself.
That's why my notebook is always with me. It may look a bit out of place in a restaurant, but you never know when a lesson will present itself. Tonight I'm meeting with some fellow IGs after Sean D'Souzas' California seminar..and yes, my notebook will be present.

[Lynn Gaertner-Johnston]

My "secret" is that it takes time. People who want to develop their businesses not only need to take the excellent steps Robert outlines. They also need to allow the time it takes for each step to bring them to their goal.

Two years ago I followed Robert's suggestions in recreating my website. Now it brings me phone calls from across the country and visits from around the globe. At the same time, I began a monthly ezine, inspired by Robert's weekly message. Now my mailing list has grown dramatically, and the ezine brings me in front of interested customers each month. It's taken two years to reach the point where my marketing efforts have paid off significantly, and I look forward to continuing to apply these good action plans.

Today I am doing my first webcast, and as Robert recommends, I am going to enjoy it rather than worrying about doing something new. In another two years, I am sure I will remember today and look back at how far my business has come.

[Deb]

I find that giving away something free is useful, whether it's a newsletter, promotional item or something similar.

I once setup a booth and gave out free 15 minutes consults at a fair. I got 2 clients from that. Also my website goes into the idea of giving away a free booklet.

Deb

[Henry Blatman]

I like the discipline that you advocate.

Perhaps my memory is failing however I have not found much reference to listening to clients. I have found that no matter how much marketing I have put together my best source of marketing ideas is from the clients I work with. I learn a great deal from them on what works and what does not work. What do others think?