Of all the things I’ve been called in my life, this is a first! I am officially an Internet Bushwhacker - or at least - so says my friend Lisa!

On Friday, Lisa and I were having a conversation about online networking and how to build an online business. I was giving her the low-down on Yahoo Groups, Facebook, and Twitter, and telling her how I use these tools to build my business.  Lisa and I developed a plan that would help her maximize her online networking efforts and help her reach more people with her message.

At the end of our conversation, Lisa declared “You are the Internet Bushwhacker! Thank you for blazing the trail. Without your knowledge I would have turned around and headed back to camp!”

There definitely is a ton on the internet - and it can surely be overwhelming. I’ve been building my coaching business online since 2004. One thing that occurs to me is that, healing arts practitioners are not using this very large community to help them extend their reach.

You can reach many, many people with your work through the internet. And I know, at first glance it seems overwhelming, and it doesn’t seem possible to serve people outside of your local area. But you can.

You can develop products that reach, touch and help clients all over the world. You can use the power of the internet to extend your practice beyond the physical boundaries of your office.

Through online networking groups, social media, podcasts, and strategic partnerships, your practice can thrive. Here are some resources to get you started:

Thriving Healing Business Yahoo Group - a great place to connect with other healers from around the world.
Facebook - This is my profile. Set up your own and then add me as a friend!
Twitter - My new favorite social media!

Promoting your business online, and social networking are just two of the things we’ll be covering in the Mindful Marketing Group Coaching program. Check out more details on the program here - and remember - the early registration deadline is August 1 - that’s this Friday!

I was recently at a networking event. It was awesome – lots of healers and alternative therapists all gathered together, making connections, sharing, relating… There was good food, refreshments, and wonderful music. It felt good to be in the midst of all those like-minds. 

I got into a conversation with a really great massage therapist. And she asked me a really interesting question: “so, how do you teach this marketing stuff? I mean, I’m a healer – I’m not a business owner and I certainly don’t want any parts of all that business-related stuff!” 

Oh I totally relate to that! Before becoming a coach, I had a healing business. I was a Reiki practitioner and an aromatherapist – a big part of my business was creating hand-made toiletry products. 

I remember that time in my life. I was happy being a healer. I definitely didn’t want people – especially my clients – to think of me as a “business owner.” And I hated all aspects of the administrative part of running a business – including marketing. 

The problem was, because I was ignoring all of that, my practice really struggled. 

The biggest reason my practice struggled is because I ignored, and even ran from the marketing piece. 

I refused to become a “sales person.” And I refused to be aggressive and manipulative. 

I didn’t want to be obnoxious, and I didn’t want people to get irritated with me. So I barely did any marketing. 

I did little things here and there. I would post fliers, put my business cards around town, attend holistic fairs, and tell people about my practice if they seemed really interested. 

The problem was, with only doing all those passive things, no one could find me. Yeah, I was getting myself out there, but I wasn’t really connecting with people. 

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Marketing is actually nurturing if done correctly.
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The truth is, in order for you to really serve the people that need you, you have to spread the word about your practice.

It is very rare that people just stumble upon your information, or “just happen” to see you when the time is right. 

And people DO need you. They just need help finding you. 

The way they find you, is through marketing. Marketing is the vehicle that helps people connect to you, feel safe with you and develop a relationship with you. 

It is the vehicle that helps people understand exactly what you can do to help them heal. 

Marketing has been and continues to be used and abused, that’s for sure. 

And I know you don’t want to subject yourself, your practice, or your clients to that. 

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Striking a balance between being a healer, and a business owner.
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As a healer who wants to serve people, it is very necessary that you do things in your practice to help support its infrastructure, and that help your practice grow. 

Without conducting these activities, your practice is not going to get to the point where it’s serving everyone you want to serve. And it’s not going to get to the point where it supports you as much as you support it. 

One of the big keys to the growth of your practice is marketing. 

So how do you market your practice without becoming a shady snake oil sales person? 

1. Connection. You must be able to find and connect with the people that you want to serve – the people you feel deeply about healing. 

And you must be able to clearly articulate what you do for them. And that’s not just telling them about your healing modality. It’s being able to clearly tell them – in their own words how you can help them. 

2. Building Relationships. This happens over time. Not eons, but it definitely takes some time. 

People rarely purchase from you, or sign up for a session the first time they meet you. And there are a variety of reasons for that. 

If you have a way to build a relationship with them, it continues and strengthens the connection they feel with you, and helps facilitate a client relationship. 

3. Strategy. In order for you to keep growing your practice, you must have a strategy that continually and consistently gets you out in front of new groups of people. 

You have to expand your reach to find the people out there that need the healing you are offering. 

I know this all might sound overwhelming and like it takes a lot of time and a lot of work. I’m going to be honest – it does take work on your part, and you may need someone to show you what to do, and help guide you through developing a marketing strategy. 

During the Mindful Marketing Group Coaching program, we are going to implement these three points, plus so much more. 

I will show you that marketing can and should nurture your potential clients and clients. I’ll guide you step-by-step through developing a solid, supportive marketing strategy that helps your practice grow. 

This program will take the guess-work and anxiety out of marketing.  For more information on the group coaching program - click here.

I had the absolute pleasure of being interviewed by Lonna Bartley on her Blog Talk Radio Show, Humanity 101. We had a great time, and we talked about the unique challenges that healers face when promoting their practice. Check it out here.

Not only can you join Lonna and I virtually for the fun we had, but you’ll get the scoop on my Group Coaching program that I’ll be announcing officially tomorrow. You’ll also hear marketing tips, and you’ll discover how to start getting yourself out there - even if you’re afraid to talk about your business.

And, you’ll hear about Lonna’s fascinating journey - and my favorite quotes from her during the show:

“I truly believe that if you have a longing and a passion in your heart, it’s been put there for a reason. Because there is your gift, it’s your talent, it’s your mission here to do this sacred work. Whatever your work is, it’s sacred for you, it’s sacred or the planet, and there is someone out there that needs you.”

“It’s an act of self protection if we don’t step out and claim our power and to heal those things that seperate us from being able to stand fully in the presence of our I AM self.”

“I’m willing to heal so that I can show up so that I can be he beauty and the light and help others.”

Lonna also talks about opening up to Universe and being willing to say Yes to whatever is brought to her.

Like I said - we had a great time - come join us!

My friend Gina just gave the best explanation I have ever read about why we need a niche. I absolutely love what she says in her recent personal blog post.

Gina starts out by talking about this idea that we, as healers, all relate to. Can’t we help absolutely anyone with our service? And isn’t the point of our existence to be limitless and to “flow organically and cyclically like nature?” Aren’t we all one?

Well yeah. But we’re also physical. And I love what Gina says about this aspect of our lives. Especially “Only through being very clear about what one says yes to can any momentum and power be generated toward moving us along our individual paths. Without the focus, the boundaries, the limitations, the energy is just dispersed and rendered ineffectual.”

Yes yes yes!!! Exactly! And this is why choosing a niche and focusing your business - or any of your efforts - is so important.

In this vast Universe that we live in - and for all the One-ness that we all are… we’re still human. We all have human, physical limits.

So if you want to be heard, you must focus your efforts - as much as that may feel wrong or uncomfortable. It is exactly right.

Gina, thank you for offering this very powerful post!

The short answer is - Yes.

But, isn’t a newsletter just one more thing to add to the to-do list? I’ve had more than one client tell me that they just don’t have time to deal with a newsletter. Not to mention the fact that they hate writing and don’t think they’re good at it. 

When you’re a busy practitioner, it’s easy to let things like that go.

The truth is, a newsletter is an essential tool in your business. Newsletters aren’t just fluff. And they shouldn’t just be another way to promote your services and products.

Newsletters are a vehicle that you can use to build relationships with your clients and potential clients.

And building relationships is the key to sales that happen organically – without push.

The key to a really great newsletter is, it has to have a holistic approach.

There are three essential ingredients that make a newsletter effective. 

1. Value. A truly effective newsletter doesn’t just sell. Provide value that your potential clients want in the form of information, recipes, tips – anything they would find helpful. 

2. Connection. When creating your newsletter, be yourself. Include information about what you do outside the office, write in a conversational tone, and express your opinions. 

3. Offers. The people that sign up for your newsletter already understand that you can help them, and they want and need your help. It’s important that you share your products and services so that those that need you can hire you. 

It’s all about balance – as with everything. When creating your newsletter, feel free to use mine as a starting point. 

You can see how I divide out the sections so that information is easily found, and easily read. 

Maintaining a newsletter isn’t as hard as it looks. And if you already have one, strike that balance for ultimate effectiveness.

If this still seems overwhelming to you, but you have a hunch a newsletter can really help your business, join us for the Create An Effective Newsletter Teleclinic happening July 8. For details, click here.

Hey - did you know that June is effective communications month? My friend and communication expert Felicia Slattery has teamed up with 15 experts who are offering Free resources. These resources include tips on writing, publishing e-books, getting traffic to your web site - and - there’s even a marketing calendar so you can plan your marketing strategies around holidays your niche is interested in - like Effective Communications Month!

To check it all out and download anything you like go here:

http://www.effectivecommunicationsgiveaway.com/

Happy learning!

Does marketing feel like you’re pushing yourself out there hoping for a response?

Marketing can be pushy, and it can feel… yucky. But it can also be nurturing, and authentic. And actually – that’s whatyour marketing efforts are supposed to do. They are meant to help you build relationships and create a community through your business.

How the heck does marketing create community?

Marketing can be abused. And you see examples of that with the people who use marketing to manipulate, or play on the fears of your ego. 

But, at it’s core, marketing is meant to help your business build and nurture relationships. Marketing is the tool that helps people connect with you, identify with what your offering, and know that they belong in your business. Marketing is meant to help you create a community within the walls of your business.

Marketing is not selling.

Selling is the act of trying to convince someone to purchase something from you. And trying to convince someone to do something is never comfortable. 

Marketing on the other hand, if done from a nurturing place, is meant to help you and your business build and strengthen relationships with the people that need you. 

So what is needed to create a community through your marketing efforts?
 

1. You need a way to stay in touch and build relationships with people after they meet you. 

People may not be ready to purchase from you, or they may not fully understand how you can help them the first time they meet you. By having a way to stay in touch with them, you ensure that they will get to know you and fully understand what you do. 

When the time comes for them to need your service, they have no issue scheduling a session or purchasing from you. 

2. A good combination of active and passive marketing activities. Passive activities include things like advertising, and putting fliers up. If you don’t have active activities to balance these out, your efforts won’t be effective. 

Active activities include networking, and speaking – anything that gets you face-to-face with the community of people you’re trying to reach. 

3. Niche. I can’t say enough how important it is to be really, ultra clear about who it is you want to serve. The truth is, you really can’t serve everyone – even though I know you may want to try  

First, you don’t have the physical capacity to serve all 6 billion people on the planet. 

Second, not everyone is exactly right for your business. And if you try to serve those people – it expends a ton of energy trying to fit them into your business. 

Think about who you absolutely love serving, and focus on them. 

Marketing is actually not only fun, but if done right, in a nurturing, balanced way, your efforts can flow more easily allowing you to enjoy your business more, and allowing you to better serve in your business.

If you’re feeling frustrated with the way your marketing is going, check out my June 10 Teleclinic - Discover what’s missing from your marketing. See the details here.

Alright - I know this is going to be shocking to some people… especially if you’ve heard me talk about how Twitter just isn’t right for me… If you’ve heard my thoughts on this, you know - I go into this whole schpeel about how we don’t have to be part of every single social network out there, we can do what’s right for our business - we don’t have to give into the peer pressure… I think I even throw in something about too much of this stuff can be distracting - and how it can be like chasing bright shiny new objects all over the internet - yadda yadda yadda.

Well, this week, I finally decided that it was time to try Twitter. I’ve heard enough about it, I’ve seen enough reviews, articles, and  information on it that I finally decided to join the club.

So what was it that finally pushed me over the edge? Well, someone in The Business Oasis said something about it being fun. What?!? Fun?!? I’m missing FUN?!? That was it - that was the last straw. I immediately went over, set up my account and started following people. God forbid I’m missing a party!!

So anyway - I’m still finding my way around Twitter - but if you’re so inclined, I’d love to follow you and have you follow me… even though as of right now I haven’t posted any updates… I know - I’m a little slow on the uptake with this thing!

I’ll share my experience with it, and let ya know how it’s going… heck, I may even share it on Twitter LOL!! If you want to follow me - @jenngivler

I’m so excited to be posting the very first installment of my new blog series - Answering Your Questions. If you have a question, please do feel free to e-mail it to me. I’ll answer it right here on the blog.

For this first installment, we are addressing a question about niching.

Sylvia Asks:
“My name is Sylvia Hill, and I am The Queen of Las Vegas at http://www.sylviaslasvegassecrets.com     I’m having some trouble focusing on a specific interest group or niche for my business.  Since Las Vegas is a huge subject to cover, am not sure what to present myself as and who to present to.”

Ahhhh the niche question - this remains one of the more challenging things for us to choose as we strive toward building a thriving business. Some people feel very resistant to choosing a niche because it feels like you might be excluding people - or putting up a barrier that says “Nope, sorry, I can’t help you” when really, you feel like you can help anyone.

And there is truth to that. Truly - any business CAN help anyone. But, as Sylvia has eluded to, there comes a time when you realize that trying to serve everyone is quite difficult. Trying to reach and connect with everyone makes your marketing more difficult, and really, as a human, you don’t have time or mental and emotional capacity to serve absolutely everyone.

This is where niche comes in.  A niche makes your marketing efforts easier because you can create targeted advertising, and you can use language in your ads that really helps connect you to the people you want to serve.

And niche is also good for helping you create a community-like feeling in your business. People really understand that they belong in your business because they can see that other people just like themselves are hanging out within the walls of your business.

Now, let’s talk about Sylvia’s specific question - how to choose a niche. I agree - in her business, Las Vegas has enormous potential as far as choosing a niche is concerned.

The first place to look is in you (you knew I was going to say that didn’t you?? ). Who is it that you absolutely LOVE to work with? Who are the people that just make your heart sing when you work with them? And what is it that you love helping people with? Sure, there’s a lot you can do in Vegas - but what is it that you just love to do for clients?

Next, look at your current client-base. Who are the majority of the people that are already attracted to your work? Can you see commonalities between your clients?

These questions will help get you started with the honing process. Once you’ve narrowed it down a bit, and have begun working with the people you love to serve, chances are good your niche will continue to evlove. My niche still evolves in my business to this day… I’m convinced I’ll never be done evolving…

Sylvia - if you have any other questions, please feel free to contact me, or post your comments here at the blog. Also - if any of you savvy readers have anything to add - please do share!

I was having dinner with a few colleagues last night and we got to talking about different ideas on getting the word out about our businesses. We started talking about all the great events that are taking place here locally - like the Grower’s Market, Swinging Summer Thursdays, the Turk’s Head Music Festival and the Restaurant Festival.

We were getting excited because these are going to be such good opportunities for us to get out in the community and meet new people. As you can see, these events aren’t typical networking events. These are community events and they will put us right in front of our potential clients. And the best part is, we can enjoy the events and have a great time, while energizing our business!

Here are three things to help you leverage the event.

1. Don’t make it about getting clients, make it about meeting new people. If you go to events with the expectation that you want to walk away with clients, that can put a lot of undue pressure on you. That pressure can make you pushy and edgy. The chances that you’ll sign a new client the first time they meet you are slim. Make it about having fun and just meeting new people.

Once you’ve met some new people, chances are good some of them will be potential clients and they’ll be interested in joining your newsletter list. Once they’re on your list, they can get to know you and may become clients down the road.

2.  Have an escape plan. My friend Lisa told me this tip. Think about how you might end a conversation with someone. There are always so many people to meet and there’s always so much to do at these events, it can be hard to break away from some conversations. Here are a couple of conversation breakers: “It’s been great talking to you, I see someone that has a question.” Or “I’m so glad we met, feel free to stop back and tell me how you’re enjoying the event!” Of course, remember to be sincere. Having a few phrases like this can help you easily end a conversation without feeling awkward or rude.

3.  Don’t wait too long to follow-up. When you make a great connection at an event, make sure you follow-up within a couple of days. If you let it go too long, you may just forget all together. I always have a small notepad with me and I make a to-do list during the event. I jot down who I want to touch base with and what I want to chat about. That way, I can focus on the event, and not worry about forgetting any details.

Community events are great opportunities to get your business in front of new people. Check your local area and see what you can get involved in!

**There are still spots available for my Thriving Business 1 on 1 Intensive Coaching Program. If it’s taking you longer than you thought it would to build a steady client flow in your business, this program may be just what you need. Check it out here.