Return to Archive More Clients - the Online Marketing Newsletter for Independent Professionals from Action Plan Marketing and Robert Middleton In This Week's Issue: Beyond Marketing Strategy and Implementation - The Familiarity Factor.   The Familiarity Factor In marketing there are two big factors that help you attract clients consistently. The first is Strategy - the ability to create an effective client-attracting plan. The second is Implementation - the ability to put that plan into action. In yesterday's Monthly Free TeleClass I talked about Implementation Strategies in great detail. You can listen to this TeleClass in it's entirety here: http://www.actionplan.com/mtg.html But thinking after the TeleClass I realized there was another, perhaps even more important factor that helps you attract clients. You might call it the Familiarity Factor. I have noticed that people are simply more likely to do business with you (Strategy and Implementation being equal) if people feel that they know you, like you and trust you. How important is this in the whole scheme of things? Just a tiny bit of the Familiarity Factor can tip the scales in your direction. Take a call to a prospective client, for instance. If you call with the name of someone they know as a reference, your chances of getting somewhere in the conversation are greatly improved over making a cold call. Think about that. The only difference is that you have a name of someone they know. The Familiarity Factor is both powerful and subtle. And any way you can increase the Familiarity Factor in your marketing, the greater success you will have. How can you increase the Familiarity Factor in your business? 1. Be more visible. Network in groups and meet people face-to-face. Give talks. Send an eZine. All of these activities are not only good marketing strategies, they simply get people familiar and comfortable with you. 2. Listen more than talking. When you meet people, work at listening and getting to know them more than trying to impress them. Funny thing - when you listen they feel they know you better and trust you more than when you talk. 3. Give away information. Everything from free reports to web site content, to a talk or presentation. This enables people to check you out without any pressure. Haven't you felt you really knew somebody after hearing their talk? 4. Use case studies and testimonials. These are much more powerful than anything you can say about your services or how you work with clients. Create a written success story from every successful client project. 5. Write conversationally. Just write (letters, marketing materials, web copy, articles, eZines) as if you're talking to someone face-to-face. Keep it real. 6. Be accessible. Make it easy for people to reach you by email and by phone. And when they reach you, be a "regular person," don't go into "sales and marketing mode." Listen more than pitching. 7. Ask for referrals. Remember the example above. A name of someone familiar is an immediate ice breaker. Look, if your clients are happy with the work you do, they will happily give you leads. You just have to ask. The More Clients Bottom Line: By all means, develop and plan effective marketing strategies and work on consistent implementation, but also work at weaving the Familiarity Factor throughout all your marketing activities.   I invite you to explore my marketing world Are you struggling with marketing? Do you want to attract clients more consistently? I've put together an array of products and services that can help you achieve your marketing goals. Please check them out at the links below. InfoGuru Marketing Manual - Guidebook for attracting clients http://www.actionplan.com/infoguru.html Web Site ToolKit - Build your marketing foundation http://www.actionplan.com/wstk.html Take Your Business to The Top - Get appointments in big companies http://www.actionplan.com/tybt.html Marketing Action Groups - Three spaces open http://www.actionplan.com/actiongroup.html   Until next week, all the best, Robert Middleton ACTION PLAN MARKETING Cracking the Marketing Code for Independent Professionals ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ www.actionplan.com 210 Riverside Drive Boulder Creek, CA 95006 831-338-7790 Contact by email © 2005 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." * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *