The More Clients Blog

More Time - Less Stress

By Robert Middleton - Action Plan Marketing

What's the first thing you think of when you hear about a new marketing idea, strategy or opportunity?

Do you think: "Wow, this is incredible! I can't wait to get working on that immediately!"

No, I'll bet you think something more like: "Hmmm, sounds interesting but it probably won't work and even if it did, there's no way I'm going to find time to fit it in."

Look, I want admit something that may surprise you.

This is EXACTLY what I think. Not just sometimes - every time! Frankly, I already have so much on my plate that I don't want to even think of taking on something else. It just overwhelms me.

The thing is, if I'm to continue to grow my business successfully and keep moving forward (just like you), I need to discover ways to work smarter, not harder.

In the Marketing Club and the Marketing Mastery Program I recently introduced a powerful new system for planning and implementing one's marketing so you can get more done, feel less overwhelmed and start to take on new projects.

I've been using it for a few months with great success and I've decided to share this with you today. And yes, I'm getting great results from this; I'm getting more done and working less.

I often feel a little embarrassed that I often knock off work at 3:00 p.m. having completed everything for the day, including progress on multiple marketing projects. I'm more on top of things and feel a lot less stressed.

So how does this planning system work?

First of all, planning is one of the simplest and most powerful things you can do in your business and in your marketing. And because it's really so simple, I don't think it gets the respect it deserves.

For every hour you plan, you'll ultimately save several hours. So, yes, you'll need to put a little time into this, but because you'll *always* see a net gain in time saved, this is something that you can't afford to NOT do.

Here's the basics of this system.

1. Get a regular 3-ring binder for your planning forms. You may be able to adapt this to a computer or online system, but for many, paper systems actually work better; they do for me.

2. Develop various plans and strategies with action items. Write these up by doing a marketing action plan or project sheet. Essentially, as with any plan, you create a list of action items that need to be completed along with a timeline.

3. Also keep a master list of every other important thing that needs to get done in your marketing. You can add to this list at any time and you can put large or small items on this list.

4. Schedule the most important of the above items on what I call an 8-week "Marketing Calendar." This is a form on a regular 8.5 X 11 sheet with space for 8 weeks, top to bottom. For each week there are spaces for up to 6 high-priority action items.

Example:

Week of      Write eZine, Plan TeleClass, Follow-up TC leads,
11/29         Find one new ideal affiliate, Network at Chamber

Week of      Write article for website, More TC follow-up,
12/6           Re-write web services page, Book workshop space

This is the key to the system. Instead of big lists that have no relation to time, you've taken your main action items and mapped them out for eight weeks. Your lists have now evolved into a plan.

5. Each week do a planning session and plan your week. Move the items from your Marketing Calendar onto your "Weekly List" that you are committed to doing that week. If you don't intend to do it that week, forward to another week. Also look at your schedule and see what days you'll be able to realistically complete each of the items on your weekly list.

This weekly planning session may be the most valuable time you ever spend on your business. The more you work on this, the better you get at it. You start to see the subtleties of planning and managing many items and large projects step-by-step.

6. Each day look at your weekly plan and forward items onto your "Daily List." Again, only list those to-dos for that day that you actually WILL DO that day (no hoping here).

Now instead of being overwhelmed by huge lists and random project plans you've funneled it down like this:

Master List(s) > Marketing Calendar > Weekly List > Daily List

7. The game of planning is to do the things that need to be done, when they need to be done. Your goal is to complete all the items on your daily list and also all the things on your weekly list.

A Few Tips and Pitfalls

1. Don't put too many things on your weekly list or daily list. You need to really think about what is included in each action item, how long it will take, what else this item will impact, etc.

2. Make it a game and have fun with it. This is not a desperate race to the finish line where the person with the most things done wins. You win when you get the things done that need doing with grace and ease.

3. Have a place to put ideas, projects etc, that cannot be done now but that you can plan to do later. This may be your master list or a quick project page you create. You might even add to your weekly list: "Work on initial plan for ABC idea."

4. Watch that you don't get caught up in "idea seizures." This is when you get a good idea and start working on it right away with little or no planning. Inevitably these are the things that don't get completed or, upon reflection, were low priorities.

They can waste enormous amounts of time and push higher priority items further down the line until they become urgent emergencies. Instead, capture those ideas to work on later.

5. Schedule big hunks of time to work on some marketing activities such as your eZine or developing a talk or teleclass. If you plan further ahead for these things and carve out the time, you'll get out of "fire-fighting" mode.

6. Urgency almost never creates better work. It usually creates work that feels rushed and shoddy. As you get better and better at planning, you'll learn how to fit in a lot of things without overwhelm or pressure.

7. You need to commit to planning and using this system every day for at least a month. By that time it will start to become habitual, and the results will be so obvious that it will be hard to go back to your old ways.

If you'd like to get a complete, detailed Audio Tutorial for this system along with the planning forms mentioned above, you can get it free with a membership in the Marketing Club (and the Club is free for the first month, so you having nothing to lose).

Just click here:

actionplan.com/actionplanclub.html

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The More Clients Bottom Line: Planning is the highest return activity in both your business and your marketing. The rewards are great: More time to get to the important things, less overwhelm, more free time, less stress. Yes, planning rules!

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What results have you seen from better planning? Please share your answer on the More Clients Blog:

Holiday Networking - Revisited

By Robert Middleton - Action Plan Marketing

Several Years ago I published this article in More Clients.

One of my workshop participants read it and took it to heart. He had actually given up on business for December but he decided to take my advice and network in earnest.

Not only was he successful, he had his best month ever in December. Since then, greatly due to networking, he has increased his business by 25% per month cumulatively!

This stuff works! (in all months) Give it a try!

Let's put one myth to rest forever: The Holidays are a bad time to market your business. I want to suggest that the Holidays are the BEST time to market your business - especially if you're a service business owner. Why? Because your best overall marketing tactic is networking and networking is a natural over the Holidays.

In the past week I've gotten three invitations to Holiday parties that are business-oriented. No doubt I'll get a few more in the weeks to come. What a great opportunity to meet old friends, clients and associates, discuss how the year went and share your goals for the coming year.

So how can you take advantage of Holiday networking? Here's a few tips.

1. Accept all invitations. Well, most invitations. Remember that this opportunity to meet with so many people won't come around again for another year.

2. Go to the party prepared. Bring plenty of business cards and a pen. Make it a goal to make substantial connections with at least half a dozen people. What's a substantial connection? A one-on-one talk that's ten minutes or more.

3. There are two types of people you'll connect with at a party (no, not drunk or sober) - people you know and people you don't know. For those you know, ask sincerely how they are and how business has been this year. For those you don't know, be prepared with your "Audio Logo," - "I help individuals in companies get more organized so that they're more productive and less stressed." Don't label yourself - "I'm a personal organizer."

4. Spend more time asking questions and listening than talking. This is really THE KEY to effective networking at parties. "How has business been going? - How have the changes in the economy affected your consulting? - What are your plans for growth in 2011? - What kinds of clients are you looking for these days?"

5. Have a strategy for staying in touch. What good does it do if you connect with all these people and they never hear from you again? Don't fall into the rut of suggesting you should get together for lunch sometime. Instead, if appropriate say, "You know I have something I think you'd enjoy receiving. I'm doing a new newsletter every quarter on HR issues for managers. If you give me your card I'll put you on my list."

6. Follow-up after the party, if appropriate. Personally I think thank you notes are a little much. "Great seeing you at the party... blah, blah...) But if some topics come up that indicated there was a reason to talk further, give them a call in a few days with a very specific purpose: "Alice, at the party you talked about some of the challenges in getting projects completed within budget. I have some ideas that you might find useful..."

7. Keep an open mind. If you're in the right place at the right time you could make some very profitable business connections. If nothing happens right now, at least you've sowed some seeds for the future.

8. Don't drink or eat too much. Well you knew that already, but I couldn't resist. Happy Thanksgiving!

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The More Clients Bottom Line: Networking is an effective marketing tool even in these days of social media where so much is online. Potential clients want to meet you face-to-face and networking during the Holidays is a great time to do this.

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Do you have any Holiday Networking stories to share? Please share your answer on the More Clients Blog by clicking on the comments link below:

High-End Clients

By Robert Middleton - Action Plan Marketing

How do you attract more high-end clients?

Over the years, as I built my business, I've tried to figure out how to attract more high-end clients.

Now for me, that hasn't been the easiest thing because all of my clients have been, are, and will always be, Independent Professionals who are far from rich. Nevertheless, I "cracked the code" a few years ago and have been sharing this information with clients and in my Marketing Mastery Program since.

Let me share three of the key ideas for attracting more high-end clients:

1. It's All About Value

If you want to attract higher-end clients who will pay you more, you need to offer something of higher value. You can't sell a Ford and expect to get paid for a Mercedes.

As obvious as this may seem, why do so many coaches, for instance, charge about $500 to $750 per month for coaching? Why don't they charge more? Because they see their services as Fords and not Mercedes'.

If they created a Mercedes coaching program that delivered considerably more value, then they could legitimately charge $1,000, $1,500 or even $2,500 per month.

Ask yourself this question: "How would I have to structure my services and what clients would I have to market to in order to double, triple or even quintuple what I now charge?"

What would that Mercedes service consist of?

2. Proving Value

Remember that it's not just a matter of increasing the fee; the value has to increase enough so that the results the client gets will more than pay for a higher fee.

You need to make a direct and solid connection here. Just saying you've raised your fees won't work. But if you can help a client increase revenues, decrease costs, or make any other substantial improvement, shouldn't you be rewarded for that?

I can't tell you how many consultants I've spoken to who have dramatically improved the fortunes of a client company, yet ended up getting paid only "the going consulting rate" of $XX per day for their work.

Even if your service is not easily reduced to bottom-line figures, there is always a result that a client wants or a situation they need changed that they will gladly pay you handsomely for.

Your job is to understand what they really, truly want.

3. Measure and Reinforce Value

It's a strange thing, but if you produce incredible results for a client, but don't measure and reinforce value, the client will not value your work. In fact, they'll think they could have done it without you!

Have you helped a client gain a skill that they wouldn't have developed on their own? Have you worked with a client to produce a bigger result than normal? Have you turned around a loss that was potentially very costly?

Tracking of results, measuring specific benchmarks and then feeding it back to the client on a regular basis is what will keep a client paying you high fees.

These are the things you need to record, add to a report, bring up in regular assessment meetings and, in general, boast about appropriately and as frequently as you can. You need to keep building the case that what they are paying for is more than worth it.

It's not their job to measure and reinforce value; it's your job.

For more in-depth information on this topic, attend my special teleclass on Thursday and find out more:

"Passionate Commitment and Six Other Traits for Attracting High- End Clients."

http://actionplan.com/apmmm.html

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The More Clients Bottom Line: You will only attract high-end clients that will pay you more if you remember these three things: 1. Package your services for higher-end clients. 2. Prove the bottom-line value of your services. 3. Measure and reinforce your value to the client.

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What are you doing to attract more high-end clients? Please share your answer on the More Clients Blog by clicking on the Comments Link below.

Passionate Commitment

By Robert Middleton - Action Plan Marketing

Have you thought of this question: "If you could wave a magic wand, what would you give your clients to help them succeed above everything else?"

My answer would be "Passionate Commitment."

Yes, they'd still need to learn the principles, strategies and tactics of attracting clients, but with passionate commitment you can learn and do just about anything.

What amazes me is that so many of us (yes, I include myself) think that we can produce great results, make more money and make a difference in the lives of our clients without passionate commitment.

And if we could do all of these, would it be worth it without passionate commitment? I think not!

What are we really trying to accomplish in our businesses? I personally don't think it's anything external. We want external things for the inner experiences they can gives us. We want money for security. We want success for pride. We want to land that new client for the feeling of winning.

But all of these feelings pale in comparison to Passionate Commitment.

Passion: An intense desire or enthusiasm for something.

Commitment: Dedication; application; a pledge or undertaking

When it comes down to it, those who are most universally admired are those who consistently demonstrate passionate commitment. Look at those Chilean miners. We were in awe of who they were in the face of their ordeal.

But passionate commitment isn't for the rare person. It's available to anyone, anywhere in all times. A mother is passionately committed to her child. An Independent Professional is committed to their client's success.

But not always.

I spoke to a couple of my clients last week who no longer believed that business could be fun or that their practices could be exciting. You might say they were in a holding pattern in their businesses, nostalgic for earlier times and resigned to the fact that passionate commitment was no longer a reality.

But that's when my personal passionate commitment comes though the most. "Give me a break," I say. "You've been triggered by something and are now caught in a limiting belief. Is it really true? Of course not; it's a bad dream. Wake up!"

One of these clients not only woke up after our session, he went on to close a new client project for 70,000 Euros the next day. Things happen when you tap into your passionate commitment and those results stimulate even more passionate commitment.

There is nothing inherently passionate or deserving of commitment in any business. Nothing. It's something that you bring to your business every single day, no matter the circumstances. And that goes for graphic designers, coaches, speakers, consultants and house cleaners (I've been all of these).

Yes, passionately committed house cleaners bring order and calm to their clients' hectic lives. Passionately committed graphic designers bring beauty and clarity into their clients' businesses. Passionately committed coaches help their clients realize their dreams and then go beyond them.

The opposite of being passionately committed is, "Just going through the motions until I retire." Sounds a like a death sentence to me. Have you ever been there?

But what does it take to be passionately committed?

Is it something you can do at the drop of a hat? Not in my experience. It takes understanding, practice, experience, time and support. It's not an instant panacea.

But it IS the key.

Attend my special teleclass next week and find out more:

"Passionate Commitment and Six Other Traits for Attracting High-End Clients."

http://actionplan.com/apmmm.html

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The More Clients Bottom Line: If you stop chasing after success, money, and more clients and instead discover your own passionate commitment for whatever you do, you'll have more success, money, and clients than you ever thought possible.

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What are you passionately committed to in your business? Please share your answer on the More Clients Blog:

Six Worst PR Mistakes

By Robert Middleton - Action Plan Marketing

Guest Article by my associate, Susan Harrow

Would you like to do PR in your business but have no idea what to do or where to start?

If you do PR correctly you can get the following results:

Your phone rings, orders come flying in, meeting planners can't wait to book you for speaking engagements, literary agents vie for your book, joint venture partners call you to do business together. You're revered and respected. And you've got money in your pocket.

But creating and carrying out a PR campaign seems to be an impossible task when there is so much to learn and so many things that don't make sense.

Maybe we'd all like a publicist or PR firms to do this for us. Someone who has the connections to the media, someone who can write the press materials, make the calls to the media, book the appearances and make sure everything happened smoothly and at the right time. So we can just run our business.

But in working with thousands of clients, I learned that most make so many mistakes trying to do their own publicity or hiring a publicist on the cheap or for a hefty retainer with even heftier promises, that they don't get very far with it.

Here are "Six Worst Mistakes in Building Your Business with PR" that most people make and what you need to do instead.

1. You write a press release telling all about the greatness of your business, book, product, service or cause.

Most people don't get this. The media and their audiences aren't interested in you, your service or your stuff. They ARE interested in a good story or something that gives them what they need that can help them save time, energy, or money. The media are interested in how you can serve their audiences, not what you can get from them.

Most people think about themselves first and talk about "me me me" or "my new neat thing." But take a look through the viewpoint of the journalist or producer and you'll see a different picture. A view from their audience and what might resonate most with them from THEIR point of view. Your press release should paint that picture for them.

2. You send a big blast to a list of "The most important" media.

In the PR business this is called "spray and pray." In order to have the desired effect from your media i.e. for your press released to get "picked up" it needs to go to the right people whose audiences are eager for your information. This means identifying the type of media that would be best suited to your information along with the best people who are interested in your topic.

To accomplish this you can either become a member of a press release service that can help you segment your media list properly, hire a publicist who understands your business and the media who are right for you, or attend a program and learn how to decipher the best lists for you (more on this later).

3. You're not media ready.

Most people never get media coached. This is their biggest downfall. It's often the missing link in an otherwise successful PR campaign. They have worked hard for years creating and promoting an excellent business, service or product, but have forgotten the most crucial step to gaining loyalty from the people they want as clients or customers -- what they are going to say to engage them.

A long time ago Marshall McLuhan said, "The medium is the message." This still holds true. And to go even deeper, Gandhi said, "My life is my message." In today's environment you and your story are sometimes more important than whatever you're promoting. And you need to be able to convey that in 10-30 seconds - sometimes less - so people will buy or buy into whatever you are promoting.

4. You aren't prepared for all the pre-work before a media booking.

Producers and journalists also expect you to be ready to jump at their beck and call when they need something when they're putting together a show or a print story. So you need to be ready to drop everything to get them what they need now.

It's a lot of work, but if you're prepared ahead of time it can substantially reduce the "get ready in a rush" factor and make you stand out from all your competitors vying for the same coveted media spots. Once you understand the most common press kit components and how to create them to the media's specifications you'll be half-way there to becoming an excellent, reliable media source.

5. You don't deliver what you promise.

While there is a lot of stuff and nonsense going on in the media today, and everyone is clamoring for their 5 minutes of fame, the more well-known the publication or show the more professional and prepared you need to be. Producers and journalists have to slog through thousands of inappropriate, dull, or unworthy news items every day from people trying to get publicity.

Most people don't realize all the work that goes into creating a show or an article BEHIND the scenes to make sure audiences stay tuned or keep reading in today's competitive marketplace. Once you're booked on a show or for an interview that's when the real work begins. You have to give the journalist or producer news that they can use in a way that is already packaged properly. Being "mediagenic" means that both you and your product are easily understood instantly in layman's terms.

6. You don't have your systems in place when success comes.

That saying, "Luck favors the prepared" still holds true. Your back-end needs to be set up so when orders start flying in and more media people call you you are set up to handle all your good fortune. I and Karen were just recently working with a client who almost didn't get her website up in time to handle all the orders generated from flood of responses from the press -- over 50 -- from major national magazines and TV shows as well as from influential bloggers.

From Robert

The main reason I didn't write this article is that I've never really done PR. I haven't needed to. But I've seen how, when done correctly, it can catapult a business from an unknown entity to a household name almost overnight. But what most people don't see is the sweat beneath the glamorous exterior.

There's a lot of preparation that goes on behind the scenes to make it all happen seamlessly. That's where Susan Harrow and Karen Leland come in. Together they have 45+ years of experience with the media helping their clients, everyone from CEOs to celebrity chefs, become known, loved, and prosperous. They both specialize in independent contractors, sole proprietors and entrepreneurs who want to make money while making a difference.

Karen and Susan are putting on a special PR Telecourse in the spring, but meanwhile to get you started, you can get a free audio and transcript called from them called: "Becoming a 60-Second Sound bit Genius."

You can get it at this link:

http://tinyurl.com/sound-bite-genius

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The More Clients Bottom Line: PR, like any marketing activity takes know-how and practice. But if you have the kind of business that's ready to put yourself out in a major way, you need to learn the necessary how-tos to have the impact you want.

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Have you used PR successfully in your business? Please share your answer on the More Clients Blog by clicking on the Comments link below.