Answers for: Q and A Index

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Where can I meet with clients when I don’t have an office?


Q & A by C.J. HaydenMaintaining an office is an expensive proposition, and when your business doesn’t require meeting with clients daily, you may not need to take on that kind of overhead. But then when you do need to meet with a client in person, where do you do it? Read more (members only)

How can a solopreneur become more of a social entrepreneur?


Q & A by C.J. HaydenMany solopreneurs would like to incorporate more of a social benefit focus into their business. Being more socially responsible is a worthwhile goal for any size business, of course, but what if you want to go beyond basic social responsibility? Read more (members only)

What’s the best way to network at social events?


Q and A by C.J. HaydenYou can make many excellent contacts for your business by meeting people at non-business events and locations. If you have been limiting the scope of networking to something that only takes place at an official “networking event,” consider a much wider definition. Read more (members only)

How many prospects do I need in my pipeline?


Q and A by C.J. HaydenWhile the exact number of prospects each independent professional needs in his or her pipeline will vary, there are several useful guidelines that can help you compute this number for yourself. First of all, you need to determine how many new clients Read more (members only)

What should I consider before partnering with someone?


Q and A by C.J. HaydenI’ve done a lot of partnering with other professionals on creating new programs and products or serving clients as a team. One key piece of my experience has been that some partnerships work well and some don’t work at all. After several false starts Read more (members only)

How can I overcome my reluctance to make sales calls?


As a professional selling your own services, you may believe that you feel uncomfortable about calling prospective clients on the phone because you’re not a “real” salesperson. But studies reveal that up to 40% of full-time salespeople experience episodes of call reluctance that are serious enough to threaten their careers. Read more (members only)

How long should you keep following up with a prospect?


It often happens that we follow up with prospects multiple times without getting a response. If you call them, email them, and send them letters, but you never get through or hear back, at what point should you scratch them off the list and move on? The rule I’ve always used to make this decision is: evaluate the value of the potential sale. Read more (members only)

How can I communicate benefits when what I offer is intangible?


A common mistake service professionals make is to focus on nice-to-have benefits in their marketing messages. But in order to get your prospects to respond, it’s not enough that they might want what you offer. It has to be something they are willing to spend money on, and they must be able to justify that purchase to themselves and others. Read more (members only)

Is it a good idea to pay a fee for referrals?


We all want more people to refer clients to us, and one way to encourage more referrals is offering to pay for them. By offering cash instead of merely our thanks or a small gift, it’s possible to increase the number of referrals you will get. However, this practice isn’t appropriate in all circumstances, and may have some unintended consequences. Read more (members only)

How can I get prospects to return my calls?


The most important factor in getting people to return your calls is not the content of your message, but rather your pre-existing relationship with the person you are calling. If they know who you are and have a positive experience of you already, they are much more likely to return your call, Read more (members only)

How do I design Appetizers for my Success Ingredients?


Q and A by Joan FriedlanderAs a long-time GET CLIENTS NOW! program leader and now Director of Training and Licensing for GCN, I’ve noticed that one of the greatest areas of misunderstanding for users of the GCN system is the relationship between Appetizers and Success Read more (members only)

Where can I submit articles for publication online?


Publishing your articles online can be an affordable and effective method of attracting more traffic to your website and building your credibility as a professional. The quickest and easiest way to publish online is to submit your articles to article directories. Here is a list of 16 different article directories to get you started. Read more (members only)