“Call us today and change your life,” proclaimed the hot pink flyer on the bulletin board. It was signed “Sunrise Hypnotherapy” with a phone number and a blind email address. No practitioner’s name appeared anywhere on the flyer. Read more (members only)

I love to look at company websites. There’s a great deal of value to be found from web surfing that you just can’t get from many other places. You can become educated, entertained, smart, motivated, or even happy. Heck, you might even get all of that from one website! Read more (members only)

Have you ever found yourself knowing exactly what you need to do about marketing your business… and then not doing it? You are not alone. Many self-employed professionals find that the hardest part of marketing isn’t figuring out what to do. What’s hard is actually doing it. Read more (members only)

It’s the nightmare of every professional who offers group programs. You design a powerful workshop, schedule a date, broadcast your marketing message… and no one registers. Then what? Read more (members only)

It’s easy to think that any business can be successful if you work hard enough, but there are many situations where this just isn’t so. Consultants, coaches, and other service professionals often start a business believing that all they need to do is charge a “reasonable” fee and sell “enough” Read more (members only)

The process of converting a prospect to a client can seem like it takes forever. You meet a prospective client, follow up with him or her over time, and hopefully have a chance to make a sales presentation or schedule an initial consultation at no charge. Then you follow up some more, Read more (members only)

“Joan, I’m working so hard and I’m not getting anything done!” I have heard some version of this frustrated cry from many an entrepreneur. It’s a common complaint voiced by those of us who sought the freedom to have complete authority over our schedules, only to find Read more (members only)

One of the biggest challenges in selling professional services is that what you are offering is intangible. Your product can’t be seen, touched, or tasted. Until your prospective clients experience what you do, they have no way of knowing if it will turn out, whether they will like it, Read more (members only)

In a previous article, The Pop Quiz You Need to Pass, I talked about three simple questions you must be prepared to answer any time you speak with a prospect. One of these three is: “How will I benefit by using your services?” Read more (members only)

New entrepreneurs frequently hear the advice to “be unique” in their marketing. The basic idea is a valuable one — to get attention in a crowded marketplace, you must stand out in some way. Distinguishing your product or service from the competition Read more (members only)

Remember back in grade school when the teacher asked you to hold hands with a friend on field trips? The idea behind the buddy system is that it’s much harder to get lost if there are two of you traveling together. When you get into trouble, your buddy can help you out, Read more (members only)