You know that feeling… that horrible sinking feeling at the end of a conversation when someone you’ve just met asks for your card and says “I’ll definitely be calling you - I could really use your service!” But, somehow, you just know that you won’t be hearing from them.

That’s exactly what my client Sue was fed up with when we spoke last week. Sue has given out 100’s -maybe even 1000’s of business cards in the 5 years she’s been in business. She told me “I’m so sick of seeing them go out, and then hearing from so few people that have them…” But then Sue said “the thing that bothers me most is - I KNOW these people need me. I know I can help them! I WANT to help them!”

It’s really hard knowing that oodles of people are out there that definitely need you, but they just won’t call darn it!

Sue’s exasperated question to me was “what is it going to take to get these people to pick up the phone?”

There are pieces that you can put in place in your promotional efforts that will inspire people to call you.

Marketing (or, business promotion), is actually a support system in your business. Your marketing efforts support whatever it is that you do in your business. Your marketing needs to work for your business. The first thing that needs to happen is, people need to feel heard, and seen - they need to feel a connection with you, and they need to know that you deeply understand what they’re going through, and how you can help them.

Let’s look closer at Sue’s business. She’s a Reiki Practitioner. And so far, her marketing has included attending networking events. Developing a web site, creating brochures, and putting fliers up around town. She’d like to start a newsletter but doesn’t feel she has enough people on her “list” to make it worth-while.

Now, if you think about marketing as a support system - how exactly are your current marketing efforts supporting your business? For Sue, her marketing materials are beautifully designed. They are laid out nicely, they are well written… but they only talk about Sue and her practice. They say hardly anything about her potential clients. So, when someone looks at her marketing materials, they see that Sue is well qualified, and probably feel safe going to her… but they don’t leave potential clients feeling heard or seen.

In order for your marketing efforts to truly support what you do, they need to empathize with your potential clients - even before they talk about your business.

The empathy piece is vital to your marketing efforts. Vital. Without it, your potential clients don’t feel heard.

Look at your current marketing materials. What kinds of information do they contain? Things like your business phone number, web address, maybe some benefits of working with you… all good stuff - but - if you don’t empathize at all with your potential clients in those marketing materials… they may think you’re a very nice person, but it may leave a lingering question - “yeah, but can she really help ME - does she understand what I’m going through?”

When you meet someone for the first time, they are also meeting your business for the first time. When you meet someone for the first time, would you invite yourself over for dinner? Probably not - you build a relationship, rapport, connection before you get to that point.

Your marketing needs to support your business in the same way. When your business meets someone for the first time, that person needs to feel a connection with your business - and how it can specifically help them (or someone they know). Again - that’s where the empathy piece is so important.

From there, it’s vital to have way for that person to continue to build a relationship with your business. How to do that? With a newsletter. And we’ll get more into that next week. We’re going to follow Sue more, I’ll fill you in on what Sue’s doing (hint: she’s finally developing that newsletter!), and we’ll talk about how to do it.

For now, take a look at some shining examples of empathetic marketing materials and see if you can see a difference between what you’ve created, and these examples:

Create A Thriving Business <— Yes that’s me - I walk my talk

Extraordinary Women Thrive

Behind the Scenes LLC

Any questions about using empathy in your marketing? Any questions at all about marketing or promotion? Let me know!

Listen to this post!

Monday, we started a discussion about online networking. I wanted to add to that discussion and talk a bit about the etiquette of online networking.

I’ve been networking online since 1999 - I’ve seen lots of great “do’s” and lots of flaming “don’ts.”

Let’s start with a big huge DON’T. Do not join an online discussion group and only post an ad about your business. This is not only rude - it’s down-right offensive. It’s the equivalent of walking up to someone in the grocery store, and unexpectedly launching into a sales pitch - YUCK!

Lot’s of discussion group owners consider such behavior spamming - and it could get you kicked right out of the group. Not only that - but it’s going to be completely ineffective in building your business.

Don’t join groups with the sole intention of promoting your business. Yes, part of online networking is to, of course, meet people and ultimately grow your business. But - if you join groups just for the purpose of promoting yourself, you are tainting the energy with that awful fear/lack mentality - and no matter what action you take, it’s not going to do anything to help you grow your business.

Ok - enough of that… let’s talk about what to DO.

First, find groups that you really do want to be part of the synergy and energy of the group. Look for groups where your niche is hanging out, and that will be discussing things of interest to you - groups where you can truly contribute valuable information to the community.

Get to know the feel of the group. Peruse the group message archives and see what the recent discussions have been about. This will give you an idea of how many members are truly active in the group, what the group facilitator is like, and what the energy of the group is all about.

Introduce yourself within a few days of joining the group. Don’t be shy - they won’t bite People want to get to know you - that’s why they join groups like this. People want that connection, they want to meet new people, and share a connection. Introducing yourself is a great way to open the door.

Contribute to the conversations. When someone asks a question that you can answer - go ahead and answer it. Provide support and insight, and truly connect with people. Even start your own discussions! If you have a question, or want information about something - go ahead and speak up.

Use an e-mail signature. First - check the rules of the group to see if there are any special rules about using e-mail signatures. Then, create an e-mail signature that includes a link to your web site. This way, when you participate in conversations, people can get to know more about you if they feel a connection with you.

If ads are allowed definitely take the opportunity to promote your business - but - only after you’ve contributed regularly to the other conversations (see the first Don’t above for more info…).

And, the biggest DO of all - follow the group rules to the letter! The rules are usually clearly posted somewhere - or may even be sent to you when you join a group. Read them carefully and follow them when posting and participating in the group. The rules are there to keep everything running smoothly. As a group owner myself - I can attest to that!

If you want to get your feet wet in a really friendly online discussion group - come join us at the Thriving Healing Business Group! It’s a friendly group of like-minded healers, alternative therapists, spiritual teachers, and just down-right wonderful people!

What questions would you like answered about online discussion groups? Feeling overwhelmed at the thought of joining groups? Not sure where to begin?

Post your questions here! Lots of fantastic, supportive people hang out here and we’re all happy to help!

Have a tip for people just starting out with online discussion groups? We’d love to hear it!

You may have heard people talking about promoting their business online, or using the internet as a way to reach people. One really great way to do that is through online discussion groups.

An online discussion group is where like-minded people meet to discuss a topic of interest. It’s all done online, so you can check messages when it’s convenient, and you can participate in the conversation right from the comfort of your home.

It’s a fantastic way to meet new people from all over the world.

Here’s how it works:

When someone has a question, or would like to bring up a topic for discussion, they will “post” it to the group. This is either done directly on the web site, or you can submit responses via e-mail.

If someone wants to respond to you, they will reply to your message. You can either opt to receive responses via e-mail, or you can opt to view messages at the web site.

A really great way to build your business is to join discussion groups where your niche hangs out. For example, if you are a massage therapist who specializes in pre-natal massage, you might participate in discussion groups about pregnancy and birth.

You might be wondering how this can be good for your business if your services are only for those local to your business. One thing you can do, is begin offering a small e-book for sale on your web site. You can either write the book yourself, or offer to sell someone else’s (provided it’s related to your target market).

Marketing your business online then can become a way for you to generate revenue in addition to seeing clients.

If you’re new to all of this, but are curious if online discussion groups could be good for your business, I encourage you to join us at the Thriving Healing Business Yahoo Group.

 It’s official launch will be this Wednesday, February 20 – I’ve created it especially for healers, alternative therapists, spiritual teachers – anyone involved in transformational businesses:

http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/healing_business/

In the next day or so, I’ll be posting more tips about online discussion groups and how they can benefit your business. For now - anyone that’s had experience in these areas, do chime in and tell us about it. Or, if you have questions, go ahead and ask - we’re happy to help!

I’ve just started a brand new discussion group just for Healing Businesses.

If you’re a healer, an alternative therapist, a coach, a spiritual teacher, or if you own a wellness business, or provide support services for any of these type of businesses, this group is for you!

The purpose of the group is to discuss building a thriving healing business. The group officially starts next Wednesday, February 20, 2008. We’re going to kick everything off with an all day online party.

For more information, and to join the group, go here:

http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/healing_business/

See ya there!

We’ve all been invited to them. In many of us, they cause a weird mix of intrigue and dread. We’re intrigued because we wonder who will be there, and if there might be any potential clients there. We dread them because answering the question “what do you do” can cause stress and frustration, and the thought of being in a room full of complete strangers is enough to make anyone want to stay snug in their jammies at home!

I recently had a conversation with my friend Lisa Hunter. She is very skilled at organizing and attending local networking events and she gave me some excellent insight.

First, she says before you even leave the house, sit and visualize making only 1 or 2 really great connections at the event. This way, you don’t feel pressured to meet absolutely everyone in the room. Set the intention that you want to make 1 or 2 connections that will be absolutely right for you. Lisa says, creating this focus can really do wonders for your experience.

Next, she told me that in addition to her normal marketing collateral (brochure, business card, etc…) she also created a small gift to give to people who she thought might really love her service. In her case, she created a really great little magnet that helps people focus on what they want to manifest. Lisa says that going to these events with a gift made her really excited to meet and talk to people. What a fantastic idea - she gave me permission to steal it I’m currently developing my own magnet themed with my business.

Another tid-bit I find valuable is, to have an exit strategy for conversations with people that might not be a good fit. Sometimes, you get stuck talking to people, and after you both answer “what do you do?” there really isn’t much of a connection. Lisa says to work out what you might say to politely exit the conversation. I love that - because I’ve definitely been in that situation! Having a plan ahead of time makes the exit more comfortable for everyone involved! Some things I do are: introduce the person to someone else that you know, tell the person that it’s been great chatting and you see someone you haven’t seen in a while - and invite them to join you while you catch up with that person, and excuse myself to get another drink or some air.

Lisa also shared an approach she uses to start a conversation with someone you don’t know. She simply walks up to that person and says “I don’t think we’ve met…” I love that! What a warm, connective opening! Instead of thinking of something to say in each instance, that phrase works in every situation, and for everyone that you want to meet. It’s also perfect if you find yourself suddenly alone in a corner.

Have you found yourself at a networking event recently? How did it go for you? I would love to hear other strategies for these type of events - what do you do that works for you?

I know there are times I do. I’ve been having a blog conversation with Katherine and Teresa, and Katherine brought up a good point in her post. She says: “I rarely get everything on my goal list done. I am a single mother of 3 and my life just isn’t that predictable.”

Excellent point Katherine. Life rarely goes along in exactly the way we think it’s going to. We start our to-do list Monday morning and all of the sudden, the phone rings, or we get an e-mail that completely changes the course of our day.

It’s important to build time and space into your to-do list to honor life’s unexpected opportunities.

Sometimes, the opportunities can take up way more time than we anticipated, and we end up off course. By the time we come back, the to-do list seems insurmountable. A feeling of overwhelm sets in, and we end up stalled instead of forging ahead.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Are you more likely to give yourself a break and chart a new course, or do you beat yourself up for not staying on track?

I had a New Client Connection call the other day with a fantastic energy healer/artist. We began talking about her needs, and what her intention was for hiring me as a coach.

As the conversation progressed, I could see some areas where she could improve her business promotion efforts. So I asked her how she felt about what she was currently doing to promote her business. “Business?” she asked, almost shocked. “I never really thought of what I do as a ‘business.’”

This is a conversation I’ve had time and time again with healers, spiritual teachers, massage therapists - anyone involved in a transformational business.

So I have a question. If you’re involved in a spiritually conscious, or a transformational business, or a healing practice - a practice where you see clients and provide some sort of healing - how do you refer to yourself?

When I had my healing business and was seeing Reiki clients, I called myself, a Reiki Practitioner… sometimes, I used the word Healer… and I referred to my ‘business’ as a practice.

So, when I say “business” what does it make you think of? And, when you are speaking with potential clients, or when you are thinking about how to promote yourself, what do you call yourself - a business, a practice, a healer… ?

I am shocked that it’s February 1 already. January flew right by. But, I have to be honest - this January was my absolute best so far in my business. And, I attribute that to FINALLY admitting I needed help with a couple of things in my business (see this post for why it’s so hard to ask for help…), and reaching out and getting that help.

First, I began working more closely with a fantastic coach. Second, I hired help.

I had a conversation with my coach in December and he helped me re-set some things in my business, and get some clarity around some things that I had been struggling with. Thanks to him, I created a plan and I’m off and running.

I also hired my fabulous VA, Teresa Morrow. She has been fantastic for helping me with some of my administrative tasks, and I can see that she’ll be taking over more and more for me as my business grows.

Teresa actually started a great blog conversation about setting and accomplishing goals. And, I’d like to continue that conversation here.

My first goal for January was to begin working more intensely with 1 on 1 clients again. This was a part of my business that was always active, but on the advice of my coach, I wanted to really intensify that. I wanted to have 5 client slots filled in January - and I accomplished that.

I have 4 slots available - if you’re needing help with business promotion, or creating consistent client flow, check out this page for more details on the program.

Another one of my goals was to create and launch a membership forum. I accomplished this as well - though - I did get a little side tracked in the beginning thanks to BIG growth in my Yahoo Group. Now that I have systems in place for the growth of the Yahoo group, I can focus more on the membership forum… so far, it’s going well!

I’ve also started teaching a local workshop. I held the first workshop January 19, and it was fantastic! The next one is scheduled for March 8. If you’re in the West Chester PA area, check out the details on that, here.

Finally, I wanted to launch a group coaching program that will start in February. Done! Again, if you need support with marketing or consistent income flow, this program may be just what you’re looking for. Check out the details here.

So, I’ve had a really great January so far, and February is also shaping up quite nicely. One thing I would like to discuss is, why goals fall short. Why, when we plan, do things fall apart? I’ve got some good insight on this, but I’m going to toss the ball to Katherine for her goal report and her insight.

What have you accomplished so far? Are you finding that challenges or obstacles keep getting in the way of your goals? Let’s discuss! There are fantastic, supportive people that read the blog. Post your challenges and we’ll help ya!