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)

As 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)

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)

Independent professionals often struggle with trying to identify their market niche or target market. Sometimes when you are struggling to accomplish something, it can be helpful to look at why you are doing it in the first place. The core reasons for getting it done can frequently provide guidance that all of the tactical how-to’s can’t offer. Read more (members only)

If cold calling businesses and organizations is an approach that makes sense for your business, you’ll find this activity more productive when you do some advance research before placing your call. You’ll often have more success speaking to someone live if you already have the name of a decision maker before you get on the phone. Read more (members only)

If you’ve ever taken a course in marketing, you’ve heard of the “know-like-and-trust-factor.” It seems it would be worthwhile to understand this factor and what it really means to us. Read more (members only)

With a small number of subscribers, you can send your ezine the same way you send regular email. But once you have 50 or more people on your list, you will start encountering problems if you continue doing it this way. What you need is a mailing list management system, and there are three that I recommend, depending on your needs. Read more (members only)

There are good reasons in favor of both sides of this question. If you post your fees on your site, you can prequalify prospects and save time responding to inquiries. But if you don’t post them, you can vary your fees based on the prospect’s needs and situation. Here are some pros and cons about posting fees and some suggested alternatives Read more (members only)

One of the drawbacks of becoming more visible on the web is that you may start to receive much more unwanted email. Most of us use mail filters provided by our ISP or installed as an add-on service, but we still get far too many bulk emails. We want our customers to be able to reach us, but not the spammers. What can we do? Read more (members only)

A virtual assistant (VA) is someone who works for you or your business virtually, from his or her own home or office. Having a VA can be a lifesaver for solo business owners who may not want a full-time employee, but if you’ve never used one before, it can sometimes be difficult to envision how someone in a remote location can work for you. Read more (members only)

If you’re feeling stuck about naming your business or brand, or finding just the right phrase for your tag line, here’s one of my favorite techniques for stimulating your creativity. Take a pad of small sticky notes and on each note write one word that says something to you about your business or brand. Read more (members only)

Readers often ask about the kind of results they should expect from joining a service club, such as Rotary, Lions, or Kiwanis. If you go to meetings regularly, exchange cards with people, follow up with other members after meetings, keep in touch with them, and still don’t get any clients from there, is it worthwhile being a member? Read more (members only)