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This is an article written by Client Attraction expert, Fabienne Fredrickson. So many times I hear lots of “reasons” why a client isn’t moving forward with their dreams and goals and when I read this article from Fabienne, it was a perfect way of articulating what we all can learn on how to get our businesses to the next level.

Enjoy,
Sue

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I’ve discovered something really interesting in terms of human behavior over the last few years. I’m shocked to notice how often people stop themselves by using excuses for not doing something in their business, and in their lives. The thing is, they’re not even aware of it. Here’s what I mean… People SAY they want something very badly, that they want a change, and theoretically, that they’d do anything to get it.

But when the rubber meets the road, it’s a totally different story. For many, when it’s time to take action, they’re not WILLING to take the steps or do the work that creates the result. And they use excuses about time and money as the trap door, their escape route:

“I can’t do ‘x’ because I don’t have the money right now”
“I can’t do ‘y’ because I’ve already got something planned for that day”

I see it plain as day and I see it happen EVERY day. It’s the “Inner Self-Doubt” that consistently has someone question every single move they make in growing their business or their income.

It’s that same inner self-doubt that creates the excuse that invariably comes up, either having to do with time OR money, or something along the lines of “I’m not sure this is right for MY business.” And what I’m convinced about, because I’ve witnessed it in my own life and then in the lives of hundreds (if not thousands) of my clients, is that this inner self-doubt, questioning everything and not taking serious ACTION when the solution shows up all boil down to one thing and one thing only. And in plain English, it’s called… SELF SABOTAGE.

(By the way, The same thing happens when you decide to do something and then you decide to back out at the last minute. There are people who do this again and again. It’s what I call “waffling” and it’s another form of self-sabotage, something that you use to keep yourself from playing a bigger game in your life.)

In all the years I’ve been working with solopreneurs, I have seen countless people beg for a change in their business, pray to make a lot more money, and yet, when the answer is delivered and it’s right there in front of them (in whatever form it shows up) they use excuses, turn away or question whether it’s right for them.

Realize that THE limitation around getting to the next level in their business is created by your own mindset. Then you can make a change in perspective, stop using excuses and “just go for it”, then the results show up. Here’s the process I’ve witnessed in myself and in my clients recently:

1. They make a firm DECISION (to succeed, buy something, attend something, or whatever)
2. They stop over thinking
3. They quiet the inner critic and the relentless self-doubt
4. They look for different ways of making it happen
5. They take action, IN SPITE OF the “fear”
6. They are then rewarded very handsomely.

Widening your perspective around success starts with a DECISION. Once you make a decision to succeed, it’s time to commit to doing whatever it takes to make it happen. Whatever it takes.

Instead of saying “I can’t afford this”, ask yourself “How *can* I afford this? ” Instead of saying “I’m already busy that day”, you’ll begin to find ways to move things around to make it happen. It’s a SMALL shift in perception, but it is absolutely life-changing when you begin to think that way. Instead of stopping the flow, you begin to search for opportunities, for solutions. You begin to act like a detective, looking for different ways to make it happen.

And that’s when it shows up.

I’ve often thought that, if I can’t get into a house from the front door, then I’ll look for the back door. And if the back door’s locked, then it’s time to look for an open window. And if all the windows are shut tight, then the storm door or basement door, etc. Too many people simply try the obvious way of doing something, often, by just looking at their bank account or their calendar. And then they stop there.

And you know what? There is ALWAYS a way. But only if you’re willing to look for a different way. Only if you don’t get stopped at the front door, thinking, “Oh well, it wasn’t meant to be!”

It’s about letting go of mediocrity and trusting that there IS a way to get what you want, or to do what you want to do for your business or in your life. You see, once you make the COMMITMENT to find a way to make it happen, the way to do that thing shows up. Always.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT:

Let me ask you this…

What is it that you are wanting to do that you’re stopping yourself with excuses or money or time?
Make a list. If you can be honest about it, really honest with yourself and you see yourself doing this very thing, I want to ask you this… How BADLY do you want this thing, whatever it is? How BADLY can you taste it?

Before you say, “But wait, Fabienne. There ISN’T enough money for this in my bank account.” or “Fabienne, I’ve already got something planned for then”, notice that it’s all a question of your perception. If it were a life-or-death thing, you WOULD find the money, you WOULD clear your schedule. And so it CAN be done. And if it can be done, then the excuse is no longer valid.

If you want something really badly, then you need to approach it as if it were a life-or-death situation. You need to have your ACTIONS match what you say you want. Otherwise, a year from now, 10 years from now, 30 years from now, you’ll be in the same place you are now. Is that what you really want?

It comes down to being WILLING to act differently. It’s not just thinking differently, it’s about taking bold and decisive action toward what you say you want in your business or your life. It’s about saying YES to what’s possible for you. Saying YES to the opportunities that are divinely given to you. And then taking action. Your business, your life, your in-come will never be the same. I promise you that.

Here’s a great opportunity for you to take action on as well. If you’ve been searching for answers to growing your business, then I want you to know about my brand new Get More Clients Blueprint DVD/CD Homestudy System (based on the SOLD-OUT live event). With this program, I take you by the hand and walk you step-by-step through the process of earning way more in your small business. Take a moment to watch this high content video that explains it all at www.JoinTheTop5Now.com. No more excuses!

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Fabienne Fredrickson, The Client Attraction Mentor, is founder of the Client Attraction System , the proven step-by-step program that shows you exactly how to attract more clients, in record time…guaranteed. To get your F.R.E.E. Audio CD by mail and receive her weekly marketing & success mindset articles on attracting more high-paying clients and dramatically increasing your in.come, visit www.clientattraction.com.

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You read that heading right! This is special on-line event just for women (but men are most welcome as well!). But hurry, I’m a little late in spreading the word… it starts THIS MONDAY morning (August 30th) and will be going for the entire week, twice a day … every day!

You might be wondering why I’m writing about an event that excludes about half of the population. I’ll tell you why.

It’s because I can see how tough it’s been for many women entrepreneurs. Women
have a lot of responsibility on them. They take on
more, more and, more until they’re buried in frustration.
Instead of saying ‘no’ their self-esteem plummets.
So they quietly juggle their problems in isolation.

But that’s all changing now with the live re-broadcast of The Summer Extravaganza For Women!

In a hurry? Read all a bout it here

A dear client of mine, Dr. Ellie Drake has made a name for herself
as one of the most inspiring and dynamic people
supporting women.

She is the founder of one of the largest online social networks
for inspired and entrepreneurial women.

Ellie believes (and I agree with her) that women can
really change their own lives and even contribute
globally when they come together.

So, due to popular demand, she is offering a live re-broadcast of this Free Summer Extravaganza event that ran this past summer
where she interviews some of the most amazing
and successful women of today!

And check this out…

Ellie already has the support of leaders and
celebrities like Dr. Maya Angelou, Leeza Gibbons,
Mariel Hemmingway, Susan Anton, and Lisa Nichols
of ‘The Secret’ fame. If people like this believe
in Ellie and her cause for women, don’t you think
there’s something to it? Yup, there definitely IS!

Here’s some of what you’ll discover when you attend
the Virtual Online Summer Extravaganza for free:

==> How ONE SIMPLE SHIFT IN YOUR AWARENESS produces
astronomically more results in less time, with less
effort (you’ll be astonished at how productive you are
with this devastatingly easy change);

==> How the thoughts of successful WOMEN LEADERS ARE
DIFFERENT from the thoughts of average women (and how
those differences play out in all personal and
professional achievements);

==> How to banish useless energy like GUILT, SHAME,
and REGRET from your brain so you can stop beating
yourself up (women in particular play out negative
emotions over and over in their heads, making them
feel horrible);

==> How to buck the PROCRASTINATION PATTERN any of us
can slip into (you can’t step up to being your
strongest self if you can’t get stuff done);

==> How to INSTANTLY shift your attitude to transform
your personal ability to lead and inspire (moods and
emotions don’t have to control your destiny);

==> How to easily break down and dissect the steps of
TRUE PERSONAL, PROFESSIONAL, and GLOBAL FULFILLMENT (it’s shockingly simple when it’s laid out for you);

==> How to ‘DETOX’ areas of your life today so you can
realize your dreams and get out of your own way (break
the cycle of repeating habits that don’t serve you
anymore);

==> How to quickly discover your ‘LIFE PURPOSE’ and
put it into action (the BraveHeart Community is
tailored for meaningful connections and insights);

==> How to easily uncover and OVERCOME BLIND SPOTS that hold you back from being your most magnificent
self (all too often it is US holding ourselves back);

And, of course, much, much, more.

Get details here:

Register for the Summer Extravaganza here

All you need is an Internet connection and you’re in!
The good news is you’ll learn real life strategies for
*having it all* as a woman.

I almost forgot to mention the BEST PART. It’s
completely FREE. I know it sounds crazy but Ellie

wants to reach as many women as possible so for a
limited time, this whole Extravaganza costs absolutely
NADA! No strings attached.

Click here for more info

This is a powerful group of women who are hungry for
some solid information on how to have it all. It doesn’t
have to be so HARD!

I wouldn’t recommend this community unless I knew how
much it could help you and other women. I hope you’ll
check it out now. You’ve got nothing to lose!

Sincerely,


Sue

P.S. Remember, the cost for registering for the
Summer Extravaganza is 100% FREE of charge

Register here today

P.P.S. I personally know Ellie has brought many
incredible women to the Summer Extravaganza.
She is extremely well-connected and respected.
Check it out now for your chance to be a part of
something monumental.

Get all the juicy details here

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When working with new entrepreneurs, I often hear resistance to “going big” or making any major moves due to various fears that come up preventing them from feeling it’s the “right time”. When I read this article from Fabienne Fredrickson, she addresses this subject perfectly and I wanted to share in hopes it inspires you to just go for it! Here’s the full article…
Sue

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Stop Planning, Forget The “How”, Just Go For It!

Recently, we’ve been talking about aiming for MUCH bigger in our business, in our life, and in our purpose. We’ve stretched, looked into the fears of dreaming TOO big (is there such a thing?!) and looked at all the other emotions that come up once we’ve actually MADE the decision to play a bigger game. These are related to issues of safety, not rocking the boat, and self-doubt as to whether we really CAN play a bigger game in life and business.

But then, if this weren’t enough, there’s yet another thing that is likely to stop a lot of people right in their tracks. And that’s trying to figure out the “how”.

“How will I ever get from here to THERE?”
“But I don’t HAVE the resources (the funds, time, help) to make that big dream happen.”
“I’m not qualified right now to take on this big dream. I just don’t have what it takes yet.”
“Once I know HOW I’m supposed to do this, I’ll do it. Until then, I’ll just wait to be ready.”

Problem is, this is EXACTLY the point at which most people give up, probably even YOU. Right there. You see, most people wait for the HOW before they make a commitment to accomplish their big goal. Being the good planner that you probably are, there’s a part of you that feels this is too risky of a project or a goal to take on without having a plan, a solid plan, without knowing exactly how it’s going to unfold.

You may have a dream of being on Oprah, for example, to share the message only YOU can share, and to give exposure to your book or business. You love the idea of it, you imagine yourself on her yellow leather sofa, talking to her and her live studio audience. You may even be able to feel the warmth of the studio lamps and the nervous feeling you would have in the pit of your stomach. Perhaps what you’ll be wearing and what she’ll say to you. Your imagination is strong about what it would actually BE like once you’re there. And it feels great.

But then it all stops. Your imagination shuts down once you try to think about HOW you’ll ever get to the Oprah show, or whatever else your big dreams are. Here are things I’ve heard:

“I don’t have enough media training. They’ll never pick me.”"Everyone and their MOTHER wants to be on Oprah. There’s too much competition.”"Explain to me how it would ever happen and THEN I’ll think about going for it.”"Is there a guarantee this will even work? Probably not worth trying if I don’t have a plan”

Now, if you’ve seen my Mind Movie on my Facebook page, you know that I have BIG dreams. Writing best-selling books, doing workshops to thousands of people, affecting millions, and having a global effect on helping women and children around the world, and yes, one day, even taking my message to Oprah’s stage and sharing it with 10 million people.

I’m hearing it now… “Stop dreaming and GET REAL!”

And admittedly, some these things ARE “lofty”. In fact, I would categorize as downright “scary big”. Especially since I don’t have a clue yet as to how I will write ONE best-selling book, let alone many, how to get thousands of people to come hear me speak, how I’ll help on a global level (where, whom, what will I be helping them with???). And I certainly don’t have a clue about how to get on Oprah’s couch.

But I’ve decided to go for it anyway, because here’s “what I know for sure”. If you’ve got the commitment to do something, the intention is strong and you’re willing to do anything it takes to get there, in a good way/not bad, then things WILL unfold before you, like a red carpet being unrolled in Hollywood. You just need to take the first step, accomplish the task that’s right in front of you, and then the next task will show up for you to work on. Once you’ve done that one, just the right opportunity will land on your lap, followed by the right resource to take full advantage of that opportunity or to accomplish the task at hand.

But because we’re bred to be planners (or in my case, sometimes a bit of a control freak – have you ever seen me in the kitchen right before a dinner party??), we want to have the WHOLE thing planned out first, in every descriptive detail. It’s got to be all laid out and orchestrated ahead of time, in perfect order. Otherwise, we don’t make the commitment.

Thing is, that’s not how the Universe or life works. Your next step or the next opportunity will NOT show up until you’ve made the commitment. But once you DO, it shows up, and the more you do this, the faster things start showing up for you: the right operations manager, the perfect branding development coach, the spiritual guide with just the right message (even the bottle cap with just the confirmation you’ve been asking for) or simply, just the right book to get you to that next level.

That’s what is happening to me right NOW. It’s fascinating to be in the eye of the storm, calm (most of the time) and witnessing everything around me show up as it’s supposed to, having everything around me rearrange itself to make that big dream come true. In fact, it’s pretty humbling. It’s almost as though my intention and commitment to getting this big dream accomplished has taken a life of its own, in a really good way. And now, it’s just about taking the next step that presents itself, without thinking of the next HOW. In fact, it’s a very reassuring process, once you begin to see the pattern.

Your Assignment:

Notice your mindset as it relates to your big dreams and goals for your business or your life. Is there a way that you might be stopping yourself or putting a hold on your big dreams because you haven’t yet figured out HOW it’s going to happen? Is the planner in you squashing the dreamer in you?

Instead, I’d recommend you gather your strength, deny your “smallness” and grab hold of the truth of yourself: that you CAN accomplish that big dream, that it’s not a silly notion. Just the mere fact that you’ve thought of it means it can be done. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have gotten the idea. Forgot the how! Just go for it. Each “how” and the resource needed at that time will show up exactly when you need it.

And I’m here for you to make it happen, with all the support you need.

If you’re not attracting enough ideal prospects in the first place, I’d recommend you create compelling marketing and systems starting today. The tool that will take you from 0 to 60 clients the quickest is The Client Attraction Home Study System™. It’s everything you’ll ever need to know to fill your practice quickly; no matter how long you’ve been in business. All the tools, scripts, templates, and examples are handed to you on a silver platter (including how to close the sale 97% of the time). So, you do step one of the system, and when you’re done with that, you move on to step two, and so on. So easy. That’s why my customers have gotten such great results from it. You can get yours at www.TheClientAttractionSystem.com.

© 2010 Client Attraction LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Fabienne Fredrickson, The Client Attraction Mentor, is founder of the Client Attraction System, the proven step-by-step program that shows you exactly how to attract more clients, in record time… guaranteed. To get your F.R.E.E. Audio CD by mail and receive her weekly marketing & success mindset articles on attracting more high-paying clients and dramatically increasing your in.come, visit www.ClientAttraction.com.

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If you had the opportunity to learn inside secrets and tips on how to get past your fears of selling and closing the sale from 14 of today’s most successful business entrepreneurs for FREE, would you be interested? Well I have great news I want to share with you! You’ll need to act fast though as this special opportunity is starting this Tuesday, June 1st…

I have just found out some of the most successful conscious entrepreneurs have joined forces and collaborated on a project that I am very excited to tell you about. This cooperation of business professionals is called: Women and the Psychology of Selling Virtual Summit. The organizer’s goal is to show you how to get past your fears, inhibitions and negative self talk so you can become the powerhouse business woman you always wanted to be!

It should come as no surprise that many of these business leaders have all encountered the same issues, problems and blocks as you. Trust me, you are not alone! The difference is, back then, there was no one to turn to and they felt they had to learn everything themselves. Many mistakes and struggles later, they became the successful entrepreneurs you see today. This is why the summit has formed… they don’t want you to have to go through the same thing.

During this 9-day on-line event, you will learn from 14 of the most talented experts, mentors and speakers around! Just look at the topics they have chosen to share with you…

• Mitch Axelrod, Win… The NEW Game of Selling™
  
• DC Cordova, Powerful Tools for Conscious Selling
• Jane Deuber, How To Master The Inner Game of Selling Success
• Melanie Strick, Get Out of Overwhelm!
• Sarah Petty, The Joy of Selling
• MaryEllen Tribby, The Three Key Factors to Leverage Your Message for Explosive Profits
• David NeagleYour Power to Manifest: Consistently Create High Six & Seven Figures Sales with Compassion, Care & Confidence
• Lorrie Morgan Ferrero, Persuasive Language that Urges Her to Buy!
• Colette Carlson, He Sells, She Sells – Close More Sales with the Opposite Sex
• Anne Johnson, Overcoming Resistance to Selling
• And other experts including Amy Bruske, Christine Comaford and Sheila Stewart

With this kind of line-up, normally you’d be paying thousands of dollars to hear these speakers share their wealth of information with you. Except all this is FREE!

I encourage you to check it out right away at www.boldandclassyselling.com to reserve your special place on the calls.

I guarantee you will walk away feeling energized and enthused at closing your next sale… stress and guilt free!

Go ahead and click the link to register for this special opportunity: www.boldandclassyselling.com

Regards,

Sue

P. S. I know the thought of “selling” something makes you feel icky inside and you wished you never had to do it, but trust me, once you’ve listened to this panel of experts, you will see a whole new world open up for you! But this won’t happen unless you take the first step now and register for the calls. Are you game?

www.boldandclassyselling.com

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Attention business owners, entrepreneurs, marketers and VA’s… and those who want to get the most out of Social Media Marketing…

It’s not too late to register for the upcoming Social Media Success Summit (Starting May 4th) for only $397 and save $200! (Savings only valid until midnight PST, April 20th). Check out below for details on this popular on-line summit where you will gain valuable information about social media… It’s a huge savings and really worth it. Click here to register

Dan and I registered the other day and in this early bird deal they are offering, you also get a bonus of a whole bunch of giveaways worth $797 that can be accessed once registered. I started watching some of the videos and have already learned a ton about Facebook! To me, that alone was a lot of value!

Here’s a sample of the 20 valuable (and relevant!) bonuses they’re giving away:

* Facebook for Business: How to Create a Loyal Following, Build Your Brand, and Increase Your Profits Using the #1 Social Network
* Using the Power and Reach of LinkedIn to Grow Your Business
* How to Grow and Engage an Audience on Twitter
* The Twitter Strategy Marketing Guide
* How to Drive More Qualified Traffic to Your Blog

There is also a forum and Facebook community to network with, which is also a bonus!

Be SURE to register by Tuesday, April 20, to enjoy a savings of $200!! (There’s even a two-pay plan to make it super easy on your wallet.)

This event is *entirely* virtual and your ticket includes ALL replays for your review or in case you can’t make any live sessions. 24 leading social media experts will lead content-rich sessions including someone I admire greatly, Mari Smith.

This year’s focus is to provide everything you need to create an effective social media marketing plan, track your social media results and learn from other successful businesses. Plus, you’ll find out how to use Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Foursquare and Groupon to attract high-caliber customers and grow your business during any economy.

Dan and I hope you will join us – the great thing is that after the event is over, we can help you build your social network if you don’t have the time nor inclination, but it’s so important you understand that medium first so we can provide assistance as needed.

To your social media success!

Sue & Dan

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I’ve been talking a lot lately to clients about branding and finding their niche but this can be quite challenging to new entrepreneurs or even seasoned business owners when it isn’t clear what their brand is or who they would ideally want to work with. It’s important to explore these two areas to better serve the success of your business. Fabienne Fredrickson teaches client attraction and wrote a great article about the importance of finding your niche (ideal client). Read below to help you put the fears surrounding this topic to rest.
Sue
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“I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.” — Bill Cosby

To attract clients consistently and with little effort, your marketing message must be clear and it must stand out. There’s no way around it. If what you say about your business and what prospects read about it isn’t sounding irresistible to them, they’ll move on to the next person. Guaranteed.

So, your task is to stand out from the pack and to make prospects really stand up and listen to what you have to offer. In my opinion, standing out from the pack is easiest if you have an expertise or a niche. (But you knew that already.) So, what’s stopping you? Well, after having worked with thousands of people on this issue, I’ve come up with 2 reasons why most people don’t niche:

• They believe they’ll turn away opportunities if they go too narrow.
• They wouldn’t even know where to start (and most are going about it the WRONG way).

Let’s start with the first point.

Believing that you’ll turn away clients and opportunities if you niche is actually completely and utterly invalid. It comes from a “lack” mindset, one based in fear. Ironically, the exact opposite is true. When you niche properly, you get more clients and Client Attraction becomes SO much easier:

• Your marketing message becomes crystal clear.
• Your marketing plan is SO much easier (and less costly).
• People perceive you as an expert (clients seek out experts).
• You get a lot more referrals than generalists do.
• Strategic alliances seek YOU out.
• You can charge more because you know more.
• You get sought out by the media (the media loves experts)

Once you get clear it’s of absolute benefit to you to niche, your job is to do just that. And that’s usually the daunting part. There are many ways of creating a niche. Solopreneurs often don’t know where to start and if you ask me, people go about it in the wrong way (that’s probably why it’s so frustrating and why they’ve even stopped trying to niche). Here’s where they’re making a mistake.

Most people look on the OUTSIDE for a niche, when they should be looking on the INSIDE. Instead of TRYING to find a demographic that is more affluent, or more likely to work with you and forcing yourself into a particular niche, just because the numbers look good on paper, look for a situation or type of person you have an AFFINITY with, who can recognize that working with you is essential.

Hint: your niche is usually someone like you, who is in the “before” stage of YOUR own “before-and-after” story. This is really important. When someone is looking to hire someone in your industry, they’re looking for a SOLUTION to their biggest problem. Not only that, they’re also looking for reassurance it will work and their mo-ney will be well spent.

Essentially, many will come to you and pay you (well) to have you show them how to get to the “after” part of the story. That’s when using your Compelling Story in your marketing begins to REALLY make a difference in your Client Attraction. When you can tell your story, show your struggles, what you did to get over those, and what your situation is like now (and that you can help them do the exact same thing and, oh, you’ve actually got a Proprietary System that will walk them through it easily) they’re SOLD.

Right there, on the spot, they will choose to be your client. And you haven’t even opened your mouth yet! Your marketing message and materials did all the work for you. How cool is that?

Your Assignment:

Instead of looking on the OUTSIDE for your niche, look for it on the INSIDE. Your best clients may just be the person experiencing the “before” part of your “before and after” story. A person in that position will look to you for the solutions they need and will probably do anything and pay relatively anything to work with you to get out of their situation. They’ll trust you faster than they would the average Joe and will look to you as their problem solver before anyone else.

Use your compelling story to pinpoint your niche. It can be either a type of SITUATION you’re solving or a type of PERSON you work with. Or it can be both, it doesn’t matter. They key is to have such clarity in your marketing (a niche) that clients and customers self-select and pre-qualify themselves to be your client, with little or no effort on your part. Then, they reach out to you without you having to do anything. Can you now see how much easier it is to have a niche? Good. This may just be the start of a whole new business and income level for you.

You may be having trouble figuring out your own Compelling Story, Proprietary System, and niche. If so, I recommend getting a copy of the Client Attraction Home Study System™. It gives you the most important things to do to figure this all out easily, and then set up simple, solid marketing systems, so that you consistently fill your pipeline and continually get new clients. It’s all step-by-step, not a big mishmash of things. So, you do step one of the system, and when you’re done with that, you move on to step two, and so on. All the tools, scripts, templates, and examples are handed to you on a silver platter. Easy. You can get it at TheClientAttractionSystem.com.

© 2010 Client Attraction LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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About Fabienne

Fabienne Fredrickson, The Client Attraction Mentor, is founder of the Client Attraction System , the proven step-by-step program that shows you exactly how to attract more clients, in record time…guaranteed. To get your F.R.E.E. Audio CD by mail and receive her weekly marketing & success mindset articles on attracting more high-paying clients and dramatically increasing your income, visit www.ClientAttraction.com.

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Let me start off by asking you a question…. How long has it been since your website’s home page has been updated with fresh new text and images? How about your blog? Has it been weeks… months even … since your last entry? What about the last time you sent out a newsletter?

If you had a strong urge to click the delete button after reading the above due to the sudden guilt pangs that just hit you, hold off on the temptation and be assured you are not alone! There are many business entrepreneurs that have neglected their website for many different reasons and now they are left feeling the whole “website thing” has been a bust. But there’s hope yet! Don’t abandon ship until you read this article…

Before getting started, it’s important to remember that your website is NOT a brochure! Its purpose was never to just build it and forget about it and then expect it to provide any kind of return on your initial investment.

So before you abandon your website all together and end up losing business to your competition, let’s talk about the reasons why it is vitally important to keep your website updated with fresh material and some things you can do now to get it back on track:

1. Your website is your most primary marketing piece for your business. Period. This is due to it being accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. It never takes a holiday and is never not seen by anyone who visits it. Ask yourself what impression are others getting if they visited your site right now?  You want your site to give an accurate impression to not only your prospective client, but also your current clients so they can trust and believe that your business is in good shape too. No one ones to do business with a failing company.
2. Google and the other search engines will only love your site if it’s got something new to show its searchers.  If it detects that nothing has changed since the last time it indexed your site, then it will downgrade you in the search results. This is a critical point – you don’t want to get poor search result rankings!
3. Search engines are only going to display your site that matches a user’s search string if you have the right keywords placed within the text of your home page. Changing these keywords to match what your ideal client is looking for is very valuable so they will find your site easier when searching for products or services that match their needs.
4. Prospective clients can tell if a site has been stranded and will immediately get the impression you are either out of business or are not attentive enough to bother updating it. Either way, they have formed a negative impression on you and the credibility of your business.
5. If you have a newsletter signup box on your site but never or rarely send out a newsletter, this also gives the impression you are not on top of things and really don’t care about building your business. This topic is a whole ‘nother article to write on the importance of newsletters though….
6. Your website no longer accurately depicts your business direction anymore. Every business goes through the evolutionary process and it’s critical your website stays current with your product or service offerings. If you find yourself telling people, “oh sorry, my site doesn’t actually say anything about that particular service…” what kind of message is that person is getting about how well you run a business?
7. Your website looks like it was created in the 90′s. Yes, even sites I designed several years ago are looking old and outdated Avoid your site looking old by giving it a fresh redesign; otherwise, it looks like you don’t care enough about your business or about technological advances to keep it up to date. Keeping your website looking modern will improve your credibility and will give the impression you are attentive to the success of your business.
8. Your website looks “broken” in more recent versions of browsers. Have you ever looked at your site from a friend’s computer and wondered, “Why is it looking so funny?” This is a result of your site’s build being too old to be compatible with the newer browsers like IE 8 or Firefox 3.5. Back when your site was first built, it probably looked great across the more popular browsers but as browsers evolve, so must your website programming to ensure it continues to look good no matter what browser is used.
9. Along the same lines as the look of your site being old, so can the technology and coding used behind the scenes to build it. Old technology can create many problems including security threats and costly programming to work around the old scripts and code if new features need to be added. Often it is more cost effective to re-develop your site than to continually patch the security holes and do programming work-arounds that can be precariously unstable as soon as the next version of web browser comes along.

If you’re wondering if any of the above is applicable to you, then ask yourself if your site is performing the way it was intended. Are you getting sufficient leads? Are people finding your site and signing up for your newsletter to get them into your marketing funnel? Is your conversion rate where you want it to be?

If not, it’s a sure sign to take a close look at your “busting” website and have a talk with your web developer on ways to get it up-to-date so that it can provide you with the results you desire.

Your site can be a constantly evolving, powerful business tool if you treat it as such. It’s important to view it as your important, dynamic marketing collateral in your business and marketing plan. It can be as exciting, innovative and interactive as you want it to be, all you have to do is ask; the technology is available to create an amazing marketing piece for you like never before!

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About the Author: Susan is president/founder of eVision Media, a web development and eMarketing firm specializing in building effective brands for entrepreneurs, businesses and organizations for over 10 years. With a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, she is able to provide an authentic and personalized service for those wanting a trustworthy member of their team for their brand & marketing design, website development and SEO/eMarketing needs. Contact Susan today for a free 30 minute consultation on helping you build your website presence to be the effective marketing tool is can be. susan@evisionmedia.ca or visit www.evisionmedia.ca.

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Here’s a free teleseminar I wanted to share with you due to it being such a timely topic.  Do you try your hardest to please everyone and feel like you’re trying to win a losing battle? Are you aware that there does exist a perfect client for you and if you focused on that perfect niche, you wouldn’t be feeling like you’re being pulled in so many directions and only having mediocre results to show for your efforts?

This teleseminar talks about choosing your perfect niche that will get you out of that rut. It’s presented by a very respected coach, Kendal SummerHawk. She’s going to be sharing some of her secrets on Tuesday, April 7th at 5pm PST.  Here’s my personal link to register.

It’s on a topic that often keeps entrepreneurs from accelerating the growth of their businesses, which is why Kendall is the perfect person to be teaching this.

It’s called: “Niche Breakthrough Secrets” and I want to share this opportunity with you so you can take advantage of Kendall sharing her secrets.  (If you can’t be on the call, live, I recommend registering so you get the call recording.)

Kendall is famous for helping entrepreneurs create successful businesses using very simple strategies. Here’s a little secret about her work with clients:  One of the first things she looks at when she needs to fix their business (often helping them double and triple their 1ncomes) is how to mine the hidden gold in their niche.

Once she fixes this problem the results that magically happen for her clients are astounding!

The thing that’s really neat is that her secrets and strategies apply to both the brand new beginner and to the seasoned entrepreneur.

I highly encourage you to soak up all you can from this generous woman, in this complimentary one-time-only call! Here’s the link to secure your spot:  http://ow.ly/1udNv

This is what you’ll take away from this 75-minute complimentary call:

* the 5 HOTTEST niches that people are hungry for in this economy

* which niches are NOT easy to sell right now (no need to waste your time)

* how trying to please everyone will likely leave you broke, frustrated and potentially out of business (they’ll give you permission to focus on only the people you’re best meant to help)

* the one simple warning sign that signals if the niche you THOUGHT you had is really a dead-end (ignoring this could prove FATAL to your business)

* 3 easy steps to choosing a niche that is authentic AND lucrative (this is so simple you’ll wish you had learned this months or even years ago)

* how to quickly and respectfully shift from your old niche into a new one, without upsetting clients or colleagues

* exactly when is the time you need to niche (or re-niche) to move your business forward

* exciting details on the debut of Kendall’s BRAND NEW “Niche Breakthrough Secrets” telecourse, which will lay out for you, step-by- step, how to transform your competitive, draining businesses into a lucrative, enjoyable business… that easily generates double to triple the income.

(This applies to you, whether you’re brand new in business or you’re already seeing clients.)

Again, learn more and register for this complimentary call happening Tuesday, April 6 by clicking this link.

Sue

PS Remember to sign up even if you’re busy at that time – there will be a recording for you to listen to when you have time to sit, relax and really pay attention to what Kendall is teaching.

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Here’s a great tip from Client Attraction expert, Fabienne Fredrickson on how to use every day tools at your fingertips to help get you more clients. By the way, Fabienne just launched a great new system on authentic list building – I highly recommend her products (I’ve taken some of her courses) as she gives really great info. Check out her “Authentic List Building Coaching Program” here.

Here’s her article:

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Does Your Voicemail Get You Clients? Time to Change That!

If you’re serious about attracting clients consistently, I believe you should use every single piece of marketing “real estate” you can. Whether you’ve been in business for one year or 22 years, when you’re marketing your business, you want to have systems in place that PULL in clients without you having to do much to make it happen.

It can even be as “little” as using your outgoing voice mail as a Client Attraction tool . One of the key things you can do to PULL people in that most people in business do not do, especially when they’re working from home, is have an outgoing message on your voice mail or answering machine that describes exactly what you do, for whom, and what results they can expect.

The idea here is to have your voice explain what you do and how to give you referrals . So, instead of saying, “Hello, it’s Mary, leave a message,” you can say, “Hello, it’s Mary of so-and-so business, helping (insert target audience) who struggle with (insert common problem) achieve more (desired outcome).”

Once they know exactly what you do and for whom, don’t forget to list the best ways to reach you (other than phone) : your e-mail, your website, and your tag line. Oh, and don’t forget to include a call to action, like inviting them to visit your website and signing up for something. There are lots of different ways you can use your voice mail outgoing message as a way to get new clients. Remember to keep it pretty short or people will not want to call back.

You’d be surprised how many people over the years became my client, when all they had originally was my phone number . As a result of the voicemail, they all told me they went onto the website, signed up for the ezine, attended teleclasses, and after a while, wrote in to say they were ready to work with me. Not bad for a simple voicemail message!

My motto around marketing real estate? “If you’ve got it anyway, use it to attract clients!”

Your Client Attraction Assignment:

Create an outgoing message that can also act as a marketing tool, if it is brief. Include your tagline and e-mail address if it is easy to remember, direct callers to your website, and make sure to tell them about your newsletter or list any upcoming workshops you are promoting. You’ll not only impress callers, you might just get a few new clients out of it.

Interested in more of these simple, highly effective marketing tools that attract new clients in the “real world?” Then it’s time to invest in a step-by-step marketing system that will feel easy and authentic to you. The Client Attraction Home Study System™ avoids all the unnecessary stuff and instead gives you the most important things to do to find your niche, get out there in a big way, set up simple, solid systems, so you consistently fill your pipeline and continually get new clients. It’s all step-by-step, not a big mishmash of things . So, you do step one of the system, and when you’re done with that, you move on to step two, and so on. So easy. All the tools, scripts, templates, and examples are handed to you on a silver platter. You can get it at TheClientAttractionSystem.com .

© 2010 Client Attraction LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Fabienne Fredrickson, The Client Attraction Mentor, is founder of the Client Attraction System , the proven step-by-step program that shows you exactly how to attract more clients, in record time…guaranteed. To get your F.R.E.E. Audio CD by mail and receive her weekly marketing & success mindset articles on attracting more high-paying clients and dramatically increasing your income, visit www.ClientAttraction.com .

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Before approaching web developers for estimates on building your new business’s site, there are a few things you should think through first so you are fully prepared for the questions you will be asked. Here’s a list of ten things to be clear on before making that important next step:

1. Be clear on your business plan. This may sound obvious, but it has happened where I’ve been asked to build a website when the potential client only had an idea of what they wanted and no business foundation planned out at all. Are you sure you have a viable business idea that will provide you with a reasonable ROI or is this more of a hobby that you just want to dabble in? It is important to be clear on your intensions of what you want to accomplish first.
2. Be clear on your business name.  Make sure you have a registered business name before creating any of your marketing materials. It could be a costly mistake to have to go back and change everything if you find out your business name has been rejected.
3. Be clear on the product you sell or service you provide. Ensure you are clear on the product or service you offer so your developer knows what site features and design will work best to enhance them. Ask yourself if they are digital products or systems or a service for hire? How many products and how are they sold?
4. Be clear on your brand. This does not mean you have to have your logo already designed (some web development companies can also design your logo and other stationery/marketing materials for you as well), but it does mean you need to be clear on the message you want to give others about you and your business. This is actually not an easy or quick process but makes a significant difference if you are clear on this before moving on to anything else. Often the designer/marketer that you hire to create the visual brand for you can help with this process or I recommend checking out BrandU where they help you through your brand definition process step-by-step. Once done, you will be very clear on not only the essence of our brand, but also the “look” of your brand so you can simply hand over your results to your designer to create it for you.
5. Be clear on what you want your website to accomplish. A site that does not have a clear call to action is not going to be effective in fulfilling its purpose. When visitors come to your site, what do you want them to do once there? What is your primary call to action?
6. Be clear on how you are going to get site visitors into your database. The odds are slim that someone is going to purchase from you on their first visit to your site, so you need to plan out a way to capture their name and email address so you can keep in touch with them on a regular basis and develop a relationship with them.
7. Be clear on what features you want on your site. Will it be a static “brochureware” site with standard 4-5 pages or do you want something more dynamic with features such as a blog, calendar, search function, photo gallery, shopping cart system, newsletter system, membership signup etc.?
8. Be clear on your budget. Your developer needs to know a price range that you’re looking at so they can recommend a site build that will fit within your means. Keep in mind that your website is your primary marketing piece due to it being accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You don’t want to skimp with such an important and prominent showcase of your business! Don’t be fooled by the cheaper template options or “do it yourself” applications out there where, unless you have studied the intricate nuances of how the Internet works, search engine optimization and effective layout design, you run the  risk of scaring off your perfect customers instead of attracting them!
9. Be clear on website maintenance. Once your site is built, who is going to maintain it? The reason why this is important to determine before your site is built is due to the different ways it can be built. If you want to be able to update the site yourself, then you need your site built in a CMS (Content Management System) platform. This will put your site design into a template where you log in to make updates. Now before you get excited about the thought of saving all that money on doing this yourself, consider these points:
   1. Do you know enough about content layout and copywriting to make an effective marketing piece that looks professional to your perfect client?
   2. Do you know how to optimize images so they don’t slow down your site’s performance?
   3. Do you have enough time to do updates to your site?
   4. Are you aware you can’t write off your time that you spend on doing things yourself where you can if you have a professional take care of the updates for you?

      As you can tell, I am biased on this point… the reason is from working with over a  hundred clients over the years, these points always come up and they soon find out that even though it seemed they could “easily” update their site themselves, it rarely turned out that way. I heard from many that were extremely frustrated because they were working in an environment and medium totally foreign to them. Meanwhile they were wasting valuable time trying to learn to be a web developer instead of spending it on getting clients! Mind you, some people are more computer literate and can pick up on the more technical aspects required and they manage fine; however, it is still important to learn good copywriting skills and understand what makes an effective website before going the DIY route.

10. Be sure you do your research on who to approach. You want to find someone with experience and skill who will partner with you to help you build your business. You want to avoid programmers who only do exactly what you tell them as opposed to others who can offer ideas, suggestions and be a part of your  team to be there as a valuable resource when needed . Always ask to talk to their clients to see what their experience was working with the developer. Be aware of those that claim to be developers when in reality, all they learned was how to use a “do it yourself” software like Microsoft Front Page. The quality of your site – both in design and in how it is coded – is very important on many levels so ensure the person you hire understands how to design and build a quality product for you.

Susan Friesen
susan@evisionmedia.ca

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About the Author: Susan is president/founder of eVision Media, a web development and eMarketing firm specializing in building effective brands for entrepreneurs, businesses and organizations for over 10 years. With a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, she and her skilled team are able to provide an “all-in-one” personalized service for those wanting a member of their team for their brand & marketing design, website development and SEO/eMarketing needs. Contact Susan today for a free 30 minute consultation on helping you build your website presence to be the most effective marketing tool is can be.

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