Get Clients Fast

When coaching my clients to grow their businesses, I am listening for where they are struggling and/or doing something the hard way. Asking a few simple questions can result in profit acceleration and time savings almost instantly. Today's post is to get you thinking and evaluating what you're doing, not doing or not yet thinking of doing. Once you've got clarity, you can create your plan.

Question 1: What is not working?

Are your marketing methods working as well as they used to? What worked three years ago or last year, may not be the right answer for you today. Your business has probably changed, as has the marketplace.

• List 3 things that are not working.
• List 3 things that are working.

Question 2: Where have 80% of your new and favorite clients come from in the last six months?

These are the clients you love to work with, who pay on time, who are excited to work with your firm, and who are glad to refer you to others they think you can serve.

• What did you do to get those clients?
• Why do you like them so much?
• Was it by referral (my favorite), direct mail, publicity, a presentation?
• List 3 things that are working you know you need to be doing more.

Whatever has worked well, do more of it!

Maybe you are executing what you believe will work, and yet you are finding that this proven strategy is not currently working for you. If you are not getting your expected results, evaluate every step in the process. Maybe you are not qualifying your prospects; maybe you need to evaluate what you are saying on the phone, and see how you can improve it. Maybe you are not being as consistent as you think in your actions, and some deliberate tracking of exactly how many contacts you are indeed making is necessary.

• What should be working, but is not, that needs to be redesigned?
• Evaluate why your efforts are not working, i.e., are you truly doing them consistently or did you half-heartedly attempt execution, then they didn't work fast enough, and so your energy and enthusiasm has waned? Then it might be time to execute consistently for a period of time (90-100+ days) to see if they truly works for you.
• List 3-5 things you would like to revisit, redesign and begin to execute immediately.
• Then, determine your next most-important action steps.

You now have clarity and know what to do next ... a plan is only as good as the person who is actually working it. So get to workin' it!

Honorée turns service providers into rainmakers, average producers into rock-stars, and dreams into reality. For more information on how she can specifically help you or your organization, click here. You can read all about her here.

Sample Sunday: Play2Pay Chapter 1

The following is an excerpt from Play2Pay: How to Market Your College Bound Student-Athlete for Scholarship Money, by Beth Walker, Founder of College Funding Coaching, and Honoree Corder, Personal Transformation Expert.

This guide is designed for families who want to send their student’s to college without going broke and view partial athletic scholarship money as part of their overall funding strategy.

You can order through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords.

Chapter 1: The Playing Field

College today is expensive, expected, and misunderstood.  Other than that it’s the single biggest source of stress between parents and teenagers in most U.S. households today. 

Let us explain…

In terms of cost, nothing we pay for in terms of products or services has risen as sharply as the cost of college.  College costs have risen 539% over the last 20 years as compared to the 251% increase in medical care over the same time frame (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, NCPPE, US Census Bureau, Wall Street Journal).

And the rate of inflation related to the cost of college isn’t the only financial burden faced by families today – most families have not saved or planned for the expenses related to college and find themselves amassing debt in their efforts to finance post secondary education…

·    61.6% of undergraduate students borrowed money for funding their education in the form of student loans and their average cumulative debt amounted to $17,878; 13.5% of parents borrowed to fund their children’s education, amassing an average PLUS loan debt of $23,298. (Note: These figures were calculated using the data analysis system for the 2007-2008 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics at the US Department of Education.)

Despite the costs, most kids today will tell you they plan to go to college.  Press them as to why and they’ll tell you they know they need to go to get a good job and that’s what their parents expect.

Beyond that, most students can’t tell you what or where they want to study … which leads us to yet another incredible statistic regarding college today – most kids are taking 6 years to get a four year degree.  

In fact, according to the most recent Dept. of Education report, about half of students who started college in 2003 had managed to graduate within six years.  Another 15% were still attending college and more than a third had dropped out.

But don’t despair…

As the parent of a student-athlete, you can be much more optimistic about your student’s prospect for going to college at a reduced price, finishing in a timely manner, and graduating with less debt. Find more information here: http://www.finaid.org/educators/20110505athleticscholarships.pdf.

But, you also have to be realistic about the role an athletic scholarship will play in your overall college funding strategy.

While it’s true there is a lot of money in college athletic scholarships – over $1.1 billion dollars worth – the percentage of high school athletes that actually supports is relatively small – 1.4%. Source: http://www.finaid.org/educators/20110505athleticscholarships.pdf.   

In fact, the typical N.C.A.A. athletic scholarship awarded, excluding football and men’s basketball, is only $ 8,707 (Source: Expectations Lost to Reality of Sports Scholarships, NY Times, by Bill Pennington (3/10/2008).  With the average public university costing $19,640 per year and private colleges requiring $40,493 per year (Source: College Board), an athletic scholarship that must be renewed each year is not insignificant but will not solve the funding challenge in and of itself.

Most families wait too long to market their student-athletes, believing that getting in front of college coaches in the junior and senior year of high school will result in meaningful scholarship offers.  The fact is, 75% of college coaches are tracking athletes for recruiting purposes by their sophomore year. (Source: How To Market Your Student Athlete for Athletic Scholarships by Chuck Moore.)

To read the rest, order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords.

Sample Sunday: Tall Order! Chapter 1

The following is an excerpt from Tall Order! Master Strategies to Organize Your Life and Double Your Success in half the time.

You can order it through CoachHonoree.com, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Smashwords.

MASTER STRATEGY #1: ENVISIONING YOUR VISION

At my daughter’s karate school, her instructor repeats over and over: “Focus on the target!” Whatever stage of business you find yourself in, if you haven’t defined a clear precise vision up to this point, now is the time to create one.

Vision is what you see in your mind’s eye, not something you see externally. Do you go on a trip without knowing your destination? Of course not. The first master strategy is creating your vision. Personally, this is my favorite strategy. You will find it to be a most exciting strategy and big fun to put together.

At first, the process and outcomes of visioning may seem vague and intangible. But the long-term benefits are beneficial, substantial, and the results can be simply amazing.

Visioning breaks you out of boundary thinking. As you open your mind and your mind’s eye to new possibilities, you will begin to shed previous limitations.

Visioning provides continuity and avoids the stutter effect of planning fits and starts. Having a defined, clear vision that is reviewed often – I recommend daily – will help you avoid “New Year’s Eve Syndrome” … where goals are set, then forgotten in about two weeks (until the next New Year)!

Your vision automatically identifies your future direction and purpose. It grabs hold of your interest, strengthens your commitment and promotes laser-like focus. When there is a clear picture in your mind of where you’re going, it is always there, accessible -- readily available to pull you in the right direction.

Visioning encourages openness to unique and creative solutions. As you hold your clearly defined vision, the ways to make that vision happen become clear. Your subconscious mind works on your behalf to spot potential opportunities, prospects, and possibilities you might otherwise have missed.

Visioning promotes and builds confidence. Have you ever noticed how a person who has a purpose and a vision carries themselves in a certain way? They are positive, upbeat, and yes, confident. Your confidence is magnetic, attracting to you your clearly defined vision.