More Clients - the Online Marketing Newsletter
for Independent Professionals
from Action Plan Marketing
and Robert MiddletonIn This Week's Issue: Are you delivering an extraordinary level of service to your clients? Are you helping them scale the highest mountains?
Scaling Mt. Everest
Imagine being part of a team to climb Mt. Everest. Now imagine you're also blind. Erik Weihenmayer, the first blind climber to scale Everest, put together a team to achieve the impossible.
Most teams realize that if they work together well, focus on the same goals and share a strong commitment to their achievement, they'll have a good chance of succeeding.
But nowhere is that more true than with a team of climbers who engage in a life-and-death struggle with a mountain that stands over 29,000 feet (5.5 miles) -- the highest point on earth where humans can walk. Not exactly a walk in the park.
In March 2001, 14 men and women traveled to Nepal in the pursuit of Everest. Sherman Bull, if he made it, would be the oldest person to do so. And Erik Weihenmayer would be the first blind person to ever accomplish this challenging feat of endurance.
They not only achieved their dream but accomplished the most successful ascent of Everest ever. During the climb, he and his team achieved these extraordinary results:
• Everyone made it to the top, including the Sherpas• Everyone returned without serious health problems
• Sherman and his son Brad made it, the first father and son combo and the oldest man to reach the top
• Achieved incredible communication -- not one argument on the trip! (virtually unheard of)
• Maintained a sense of flow -- for example, supplies were where they needed them every time
• Built an inspiring level of trust and confidence in one another although they didn't know one another when we started
One's thing for sure. They didn't accomplish this feat by accident. They had a very well-defined and focused game plan. That was the one big key to their success.
Now I want you to imagine that you were the consultant or coach that helped this team develop their plan and achieve this challenging goal. Can you imagine what an incredible win that would be for both the team and for yourself?
And then can you imagine coming back home and using that same powerful planning process to work with both individuals and teams in companies to help them produce similar results in their lives and in their businesses?
Wouldn't you just *kill* to have such a powerful process to help your clients achieve their goals?
"Now what does all this have to do with marketing my services?" you might ask.
A lot!
No other single factor in your marketing is more important than the proven ability to produce consistent results with your clients. If you get the job done, help your clients achieve their goals and break through barriers and limitations, you can literally write your own ticket.
If you look at the top coaches, consultants and other professionals in their fields, we don't talk about how great their marketing is. We talk about the results they've produced for their clients.
This kind of Word-of-mouth marketing alone can put your services in high demand.
When I work with clients I often take this performance dimension for granted. I simply assume they are doing good work for their clients and that they need to focus on the other aspects of their marketing such as clearly communicating their marketing message and getting the word out to the marketplace.
All of that's important, but the question that should always be at the front of your mind is "How do I create breakthrough results for my clients? How can I make sure my clients not only succeed, but produce such amazing outcomes that they'll be singing my praises for years to come?"
By the way, the coach that helped Erik and his team with the plan that helped them achieve the most successful Everest ascent ever is Michael O'Donnell, and the program he used was "Best Year Yet."
If you'd like to know more about this program, check out the free teleclass below I'll be hosting next week.
More on "Scaling Mt. Everest" in Marketing Flashes below.
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Free TeleClass: "A Breakthrough in Coaching and Consulting"
Would you like to have a breakthrough in your coaching and consulting? In this TeleClass you'll learn how Best Year Yet has developed a system that can take your clients to new heights. If you're not 100% satisfied with the results you're getting from your client engagements, I invite you to join me.
Wednesday, Feb 23, 2 pm Pacific time (3 pm Mountain, 4 pm Central, 5 pm Eastern). Details here:
http://www.actionplan.com/byy.html
Free "Keys to the Marketing Conversation" Audio
Did you miss the TeleClass preview last week for the one-day workshops in March? You can listen to it here:
Los Angeles
http://www.actionplan.com/wkp/lawkp.htmlSan Francisco
http://www.actionplan.com/wkp/sfwkp.htmlAlso Note: Early bird tuition for LA workshop ends on Friday.
InfoGuru Marketing Manual and Home Study Program
What is the most important part of the InfoGuru Marketing Manual?
Many say that's it the very understandable and easy to implement marketing action plans on every page of the manual. People tell me over and over that these plans have helped them create successful speaking engagements, network more effectively and write information-rich web sites.
Others get the most value from the eleven hours of audio programs that are included with the manual. They like to be able to listen to the coaching on the finer points of developing a marketing message or making appointments by phone.
Still other like the InfoGuru Support Forum best of all. They use it as a sounding board for their marketing ideas, get feedback on web sites and marketing plans and find any marketing resource that you can imagine (and a few you can't imagine.)
I don't know what you'll appreciate most, but I do know that if you don't have the manual you won't have anything to like! Check it out today:
http://www.actionplan.com/infoguru.html
If you want a lifelong stream of clients...
There are a lot of misconceptions about writing a book. Many think that most of your income from a book comes from book sales. But that is actually where the smallest amount of money is earned.
As an Independent Professional, where you make money is from all the clients you attract with your book. In fact, publishing a book can be the single most powerful marketing tool you can ever have (better than articles, talks, ebooks or audio programs).
A published book makes you an authority. And people seek out authorities above everyone else for professional assistance. But how do you get the right book published and learn how to leverage it into such a powerful marketing tool?
Learn about the "Leading Mentors Publishing Program" here that guides you in the process of creating a book that can lead to a lifelong stream of clients:
http://www.actionplan.com/eggen.html
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Marketing Flashes on "Scaling Mt. Everest"
The most important (and perhaps most underrated) marketing strategy you can possibly have is helping your clients succeed. Here are some things to pay attention to:
* Start by focusing your marketing messages on what your clients get, not on what you know or what you do. In other words, sell your clients an outcome, not a process.
* Then contract to help them achieve this outcome. And make sure that they take full responsibility for following through and doing their part to achieve these results.
* Put more focus on them using their own resources and talent to accomplish their aim. You're going to help them scale Mt. Everest, not scale it for them.
* Utilize tools and systems that will help your clients focus, plan, set clear goals and communicate and collaborate as a team to get the results they desire.
* Apply your knowledge, wisdom and common sense to guide your clients towards their aim, but don't make them too dependent on you. Empower them to master the skills necessary to get there by themselves.
Until next week, all the best,
Robert Middleton
ACTION PLAN MARKETING
Helping Independent Professionals Attract More Clients~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
210 Riverside Drive
Boulder Creek, CA 95006
831-338-7790© 2004 Robert Middleton, All rights reserved. You are free to use material from the More Clients eZine in whole or in part, as long as you include complete attribution, including live web site link. Please also notify me where the material will appear. The attribution should read:
"By Robert Middleton of Action Plan Marketing. Please visit Robert's web site at http://www.actionplan.com for additional marketing articles and resources on marketing for professional service businesses."
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