Why is it so hard for small business owners and independent professionals to make the sale? I think we’ve forgotten the basic building blocks of two-way communication that allow a sale to take place. We’re looking for the Holy Grail of techniques that will bring in more business. A silver bullet sales process. The perfect close. A sales letter that will attract droves of new clients. A software program that automatically sells your service with a touch of a button. Read more (members only)

There’s a lot of talk from Internet marketing gurus about how to drive more traffic to your website. Some will suggest you try to get a higher page rank on Google by optimizing your site for search engines. Others preach using pay-per-click advertising like Google AdWords to attract streams of new visitors. Read more (members only)

What do you do when a networking acquaintance invites you to meet for coffee? Do you find yourself saying yes, because you’ve been told that networking is about building relationships and getting to know people? At the same time, do you find yourself wondering if this is the most effective use of your time? Read more (members only)

The fear of hearing those words when marketing your professional services can stop you in your tracks. It’s the response you may most dread hearing when you make a sales pitch: “You? You think I should hire you? Well, who do you think you are?” Read more (members only)

Is it human nature to keep making the same choices over and over again? Perhaps with the wisdom collected over years of experience we weed out what doesn’t appeal to us and choose to stick to what we know works. There’s comfort and safety in routine and the familiar. But boxing ourselves into a limited repertoire may begin to wear thin. Read more (members only)

“I think I’m really good at what I do,” declares technical writer June, “but I don’t ever seem to get a chance to show people.” June is experienced, highly-skilled, and has written dozens of procedure manuals and other how-to guides throughout her career. But she isn’t getting enough work to earn a living as a freelancer. Read more (members only)

An often overlooked place to network and find referral partners is professional associations. These associations serve people working in a particular industry or profession and can provide you with many resources, as well as valuable connections. You may not think that networking within your profession will provide any client leads, but you’d be surprised! Read more (members only)

Have you ever considered that prospective clients who are referred to you are much more likely to become your customers than those who come to you in any other way? The endorsement of a referral carries so much weight that referred prospects ask fewer questions about your qualifications, are less likely to shop for the lowest price, and typically make their buying decisions much more quickly. Read more (members only)

My wife and I were driving home from a camping trip when we pulled up behind a car and I noticed an array of bumper stickers. I couldn’t quite make out what message the owner was trying to get across. My wife picked it up right away — they were isolationists. Read more (members only)

You’d be surprised how often my clients and students ask me to help them find a surefire sales letter or phone script that they can copy to use for their own selling. Or maybe you wouldn’t. Perhaps you, too, have been misled into thinking that there is such a thing. Read more (members only)