onestepfurther.co.uk - Quickstart - 5 Easy and Effective Ways To Raise Your Profile



	Quickstart - 5 Easy and Effective Ways To Raise Your Profile (Please add bev@onestepfurther.co.uk to your address book so your issue of *Quickstart* reaches you each week. *Quickstart* *Grow a Profitable Consultancy and Still Have Time for a Life* In this issue Note from Beverley - Speaking of Ideas One Step Further - 5 Easy Ways to Raise Your Profile Upcoming Events - Get More Clarity and More Ideal Clients? Ideas Bank - Winning Proposals and Websites That Woo... Personal Reflections - Do You Have a Dream Team? Note from Beverley This week I've given 2 presentations based on 2 of the strategies I work with clients on. Strategy 2 - Create a Clear Vision for Your Future and Strategy 6 - Develop a Network of Strategic Alliances. I really enjoyed both evenings, even though I got the start time wrong for one of them and whilst I thought I was on time, I was in fact nearly 45 minutes late - I was mortified - I don't do late!! Still the organiser was great about it as the other speaker was good enough to start first phew!! Note to self - triple check start time. Needless to say I was 30 minutes early for talk number 2. One of the pieces of feedback I got really pleased me... "Gotta say that was one of the most thought provoking talks for a long time. Lots of personal learning there!!" My aim is always to educate, entertain, challenge and provoke - so that was good feedback for me. Have you thought about giving presentations as part of your marketing strategy? Have a good week Beverley bev@onestepfurther.co.uk +44 (0) 1344 625713 www.onestepfurther.co.uk Author of Take Control of Your Time: 7 Straight Shooter Strategies for Success Buy the ebook and/or become an affiliate and add another income stream to your business. One Step Further Many of the requests I get for advice or information centre around getting more clients, getting more of the right type of business and how to consistently get both. Well consistency is the key word there and so here are 5 easy, effective and simple strategies to help you raise your profile, which will over time, get you more business. Of course the more targeted you are in what you write, say and do and where you do it will increase the rate of conversion. You do need to keep at it but it does work. 1. Give Presentations - Offer to speak at local networking events, local business groups or events where your target market "hangs out". Speak on topics that are pertinent to your target market and which give value to them in solving a problem, inspiring them to take action or inform and educate them. Actively promote the fact that you do give these presentations and after each one, ask the people there to introduce you to other event organisers who might also be looking for speakers. 2. Write Articles - Find publications that your target market reads (online and offline) and offer to write articles for them. This will help not only raise your profile to a wider audience but also help create a higher level of credibility as people will see you as a specialist in your field. You can then use those articles on your website, promote them on other people's websites and use article banks such as www.ezinearticles.com and www.goarticles.com. These banks are accessible by anyone looking for an article on any subject and are free to post to. 3. Post to Online Networking Groups - Become an active contributor to forums, blogs and discussion groups and give your opinion, raise questions and create conversations with like minded people. For example www.ecademy.com 4. Organise and Lead Events - Events that have a point, be it education, relationship building or social can bring together your target audience and as the organiser and or facilitator you again have the opportunity to contribute what you do and how you do it in a different forum. Why not run your own networking event or organise a client get together to say thank you, introduce a new service etc 5. Write a Newsletter - Some say newsletters are going out of fashion. I believe a well written, focused newsletter delivered on a regular basis which isn't a covert sales pitch adds value to it's readers and creates an ongoing relationship with current and potential clients and offers information and insight of value. You can start your own by speaking to the specialists at www.justaddcontent.co.uk In all of these channels to raise your profile there are 3 things to remember 1. Do not use it as a blatant sales pitch 2. Be genuine and authentic in your approach 3. Do it on a regular basis for the most impact Upcoming Events I bet you have some questions that are bugging you that are very common among your fellow consultants and business owners How do I... * Manage the peaks and troughs in my business? * Get in front of the right people and get them to buy? * Balance my time between getting clients, delivering for clients and doing all the other "stuff"? You do? Then I'm excited to announce a one day live workshop for you to take your consultancy One Step Further. So what are you doing on 31 May? Find out more here Date: 31 May Time: 0930 – 1630 Venue: Heckfield Place Near Reading and Basingstoke Investment: £147+vat You will learn... * How to define your business so that it stands out * Why niche is beautiful * Why your potential clients don't care what you are * Why authenticity and passion are big business * How to know what your real priorities are * Why you must be a BOPper * How to generate more profit by doing less * Why anybody is NOT a potential client * Why clarity is the key * Why your ideal clients are waiting just for YOU * Why a pulse and a chequebook are not enough! And more... To find out more and reserve your place got to www.onestepfurther.co.uk/events.phtml Intention is one step ACTION takes you One Step Further. Ideas Bank The ideas bank is your depository for great tips, nuggets of wisdom and knowledge and a library of stories. You can access the Ideas Bank via the special page on my website purely for *Quickstart* readers. You can click in whenever you want and see what ideas you can use as we build content over the coming weeks. You will recall that the first topic was Referrals and last week I asked for your thoughts and tips on Winning Proposals. Go to IDEAS BANK and check out some stuff that will help your business. This week's topic is Websites That Woo and Wow Clients! * What makes an "attractive" website? (and I don't mean pretty!) * What have you learnt about designing and setting up your website? * What works and what doesn't? * What are the successful ways to get people to come back to your website? * Who are the best providers of websites that work? * What are the pitfalls? Share with us your thoughts on Websites That Woo and Wow Clients! I'd particularly like to see some stories of success. So come on take a few minutes and email me at bev@onestepfurther.co.uk You can find the Ideas Bank at www.onestepfurther.co.uk/welcome_to_the_ideas_bank.phtml or if you keep copies of your weekly *Quickstart* the link will always be in there. My challenge is for you to try one new thing each week. Good luck We all share, we all learn. Personal Reflections For those of you that know me, you'll know that I'm a fan of the "30 minute coffee" as a means of getting to know someone after a networking meeting, finding out more about someone's business and for learning how I might be able to work with a potential client or partner. About 10 days ago I met a lady for such a meeting. She invited me, to talk about providing services to her clients that would add value in a way she couldn't/didn't want to. She was suggesting a joint venture. (NB: She initiated the meeting after reading some articles on my website i.e. one of the 5 easy ways to raise your profile!) Two things happened in that meeting. Firstly, the conversation went far beyond the original premise on which she approached me. The benefits for both of us easily doubled during that meeting and we have scheduled our next meeting to progress things further. That probably wouldn't have happened just from an email or phone call. Secondly, I was reminded of a saying. "You become like the 5 people you most hang around with" (or words to that effect!) In other words if you mix with positive, forward thinking people who are idea generators, innovators and doers - this inspires similar actions from yourself. I came away from that coffee meeting determined to spend more time with those kinds of people and limit my time with problem staters, needy takers and those that talk a good story but achieve very little. Some people form their own dream team who they give to, share with, learn from and are challenged to stretch the limits of their abilities and imagination to go One Step Further. This got me thinking who would be in my dream team - first thoughts! Aristotle - for wisdom Dawn French - to make me laugh Chris Barrow - for realism, challenge and that kick up the behind I need every now and then Alex Mandossian - what this guy doesn't know about making profit on the web probably hasn't been discovered yet Stephen Covey (author of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People) - to help me make my habits effective Tony Robbins - to teach me how to maintain faith and confidence in all I do My Mum (bless her) - to keep the tea flowing!! There's one more but that's my secret! I need to think what I could offer them in return - it's a start! Who is/will be in your dream team? Best Regards Bev bev@onestepfurther.co.uk +44 (0) 1344 625713 PAY IT FORWARD & Tell a Friend Who do you know that's left the corporate world and set up business as a consultant? Have you received *Quickstart* from a colleague and would like to receive future issues? We grow by recommendation so why not invite others to join the *Quickstart* community so they can subscribe immediately and get their free ecourse Discover the 5 Most Incorrect Assumption that Independent Business Consultants Make. Go to www.OneStepFurther.co.uk Thank you.





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