Years ago when I was looking to add new clients to my consulting practice, I had to proactively go out and seek them.
The marketing strategies I used included networking and speaking engagements, along with keeping in touch with my contact list of friends and business associates in the hopes they would refer clients when appropriate.
These relationship marketing efforts supported my business 100% in the early years.
But, although I'm embarrassed to admit it because I should know better, when I got busy and had plenty of client work, I fell off my marketing wagon.
I just didn't have the time. Or, I guess one could argue, I just didn't make the time to keep up my proactive marketing efforts.
So what happened if I lost a client or two, and suddenly needed more work? I'd have to quickly rev-up my marketing in the hopes I could generate more work in a short amount of time.
Not an ideal scenario by any stretch. But it's also pretty typical, especially for independent service professionals.
Then, several years ago, I discovered attraction marketing.
With attraction marketing you attract qualified leads TO your business so you don't have to go out chasing them.
You forget about "selling" and you focus on "serving."
And just like a magnet, you start attracting prospects and clients. They see you or hear you or read something you've written and if it resonates with a problem or need they have, they come to you.
Can you imagine what it would be like to have potential clients emailing you, calling you and visiting your web site all on their own?
Instead of you having to track them down and convince them to call, email or visit your website?
That's attraction marketing. And it's so much easier and comfortable than traditional sales and marketing.
And, if you do a good job of creating a very clear and concise positioning for yourself and your business, you'll attract exactly the right clients and anyone who is not a good fit for your services will not be attracted.
Talk about saving time! You no longer have to wade through an entire list of prospects to find the ones who are a good fit. And you no longer have to rely on cold-calling or other more traditional sales methods to get work.
You can actually focus on doing what you do best and THAT is what attracts clients to you. Yes, you do have to put a few elements in place to start generating awareness of you and your services, but again it becomes more about serving than selling.
The best part is, you can get off the revenue roller coaster and create a more steady business this way. Because you always have new prospects coming into your marketing funnel.
Attraction marketing doesn't have to replace your other methods of marketing. For example, I still network and keep up with my relationship marketing and speaking/teleseminars. But it sure is an easy way to really step up your results and practically put your marketing on auto-pilot.
(C) Copyright 2006 Debbie LaChusa
Debbie LaChusa is the founder and president of DLC Marketing, Inc. and The National Association of Home-Based Business Moms. She is also the author of The Career-at-Home Mom: Secrets for Earning a Six-Figure Income While Having Time for Your Family. She's a marketing and home-based business coach and international speaker who has shared the stage with celebrity teachers from "The Secret." You can register for Debbie's free special report, "Why Marketing Isn't Enough" and get a complimentary subscription to her ezine, Stepping Up! at http://www.debbielachusa.com
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