When I work with clients, we go through four main stages. 1. Clarification of their marketing message. 2. Development of their written materials about their services. 3. Prospecting to get meetings with connections and prospects. 4. Engaging in the selling process. Stage 1 & 2…

Last week, in my new Open Sessions Program, I asked the following question: “What is your biggest challenge in attracting new clients? (and what is the Source of that challenge?)” Well, it’s easy to come up with a challenge; it’s anything that you are trying…

Article #7 of the 12 Ps Series. Read #6 on “Your Step-by-Step Marketing Plan.” One of my favorite metaphors for successful marketing is putting on a play, let’s say Hamlet. OK, you land the part of Hamlet. Congratulations. So, what do you do next? You…

Article #6 of the 12 Ps Series. Read #5 on “Preparation – Another word for Learning.” Since the words “Action and Plan” are in my business name, I obviously think planning is important! Planning is defined as, “the process of making or carrying out plans.”…

One of the marketing practices I strongly encourage my clients to implement is to reach out to people, make connections, get meetings, and have conversations.  If you can learn how to do that, you can attract as many clients as you need to your business.…

Article #5 of the 12 Ps Series. Read #4 on How Aware Presence Can Transform Your Life. “Good luck is when opportunity meets preparation, while bad luck is when lack of preparation meets reality.” – Eliyahu Goldratt It’s tough finding profound things to say about…

When you first meet with a new prospective client, what do you say? Some talk all about their services and their unique process. Others talk about their outcomes and results. But my colleague, Mark Thompson, always first talks about his prospective clients' “three key issues.”…

Article #4 of the 12 P’s Series. Read #3 on Picturing  What You Want. Living in the moment, at its essence, could be expressed as "Aware Presence, Here, and Now."  In my opinion, it’s the most important trait to develop for Success and Fulfillment. But…

Article #3 of the 12 Ps Series. Read #2 here. This weekend I watched the amazing movie, Everything Everywhere, All at Once. Three times! (It’s now on Amazon.) Yeah, I can be obsessive about some things! The movie was a perfect illustration of my topic…

Article #2 of the 12 Ps Series. Read #1 here. When you know what you want, you know your purpose. Last week I wrote about passion. And when you are clear about your passion, your purpose isn’t far behind. In last week’s Star Trek episode…

What are you really passionate about? I mean excited about, turned on by, fascinated with? Do you know? A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the 10 Ps of Success and Fulfillment (now expanded to 12 Ps) and in presenting this model to my…

Do you love your clients? I mean do you really like, appreciate, and cherish them? I do, and not just because they pay me and are the source of my livelihood. I love them because I really get to know them. In our work together…

On Friday, I watched a great new movie on Netflix: Hustle, featuring Adam Sandler. Not the goofy-type Adam Sandler movie, but an inspirational (and funny) masterpiece about getting out there and making it happen in the world of basketball. I highly recommend it! This wonderful…

This little weekly newsletter is 25 years old this summer, and I’m making a few changes. First the name. The first name of the newsletter was The Marketing Flash. That lasted a couple of years and then I thought it was a little too generic.…

Many people write very long to-do lists every day. And they pride themselves on checking off a whole lot of items. And this makes them feel productive. Maybe you? I used to do exactly that for many years and then one day realized I spent…

Have you noticed that there’s a whole lot of blame going around these days? People blaming other people, blaming companies, blaming politicians, blaming celebrities, blaming strangers, blaming anything and everything. Well, I have a little personal project called the No-Blame Game. Its aim is simple.…

You’ve probably heard about the need to build what’s called the “Know-Like-Trust Factor” if you want to attract great clients. But how, exactly, do you do that? Well, first of all, marketing professional services is very different than marketing most other products and services for…

Today, I’m posting a guest article by Matt Furey who sends out one of my favorite email newsletters. He’s the owner of Psycho-Cybernetics.com. All of his articles are thought-provoking and motivating. This one on reading I found particularly interesting. You can subscribe to Matt’s newsletter…

Whenever you read about selling these days, it’s all about messaging, story-telling, and pitching. Thing is, those are wicked tough skills to learn. They take a lot of work and time. They take a ton of preparation and practice. They take a boatload of hard…

This New Rules video from Bill Maher was not only funny, but it was also very wise. Ageism: The Last Acceptable Prejudice in America I’ll give you the link after you read this: Why this rang such a bell with me is that most of…

In last week’s newsletter, I talked about what needed to be in place before you conducted a successful Strategy Session (or selling conversation). Today, I’ll give you an overview of the Strategy Session Itself which leads to landing a new client. When I do a…

I spoke to someone on the phone last week who told me he never sold. But yet he was quite good at getting new clients, so how is that possible? Well, it’s because selling has some terrible baggage attached to it. We think of it…

It’s fascinating how many people love horror movies. It’s never been my favorite movie genre, but I can see the appeal. These movies trigger strong emotions – but you are ultimately not going to be harmed. If you gave people the choice between watching a…

While I was preparing the video for “Lots and Lots of Meetings” I remembered a conversation I had with a colleague years ago. I came across Andrea Nierenberg, a business relationship expert, in a newsletter where we had both published an article. So, on a…

Let’s say you belong to a chamber of commerce or a professional organization and you believe some of the members may be good prospective clients. You’ve been to some gatherings (or these days, virtual zoom meetings) but you really don’t know any of the members…

Two weeks ago I wrote about how to get more meetings with past clients. Link here. Today, I want to share my favorite strategy and most effective approach to get more meetings with another kind of prospective client. Remember, first of all, that the key…

For many of the clients I’ve worked with over the years, the most dreaded activity is reaching out to someone to speak with. The horrors of cold-calling loom large and it literally terrifies people to reach out and connect with someone. I’m not an advocate…

There are two things that make us struggle with marketing. One is relatively easy to solve and the other is more difficult. The first thing is all the strategies and skills needed to market ourselves effectively. You know, writing good materials, getting in front of…

There comes a time in everyone’s business when they run out of ideas. You are working on a problem and have tried a number of things but none of them work and no new ideas are coming. Since this has happened to me a million…

A large percentage of self-employed professionals don’t like selling. But what about it don’t they like? – They don’t like to be seen as a manipulator. – They don’t like to try so hard to convince someone of something. – They don’t like the idea…

A lot of marketing is like throwing a bunch of balls in the air and hoping they land exactly where you want. Your balls may include: Your marketing message, email promotions, online services information, qualifying phone calls, social media, online articles, a marketing presentation, and…

Every week for 25 years I've written this newsletter, The Fearless Marketer (used to be More Clients). I write about 50 articles a Year. But in the past few months, I’ve written what I think are some of my most practical, hands-on articles. Look, ultimately,…

About 30 years ago I worked with a client – an executive recruiter – who was having trouble closing new clients. The problem seemed to be that her service was very much the same as other executive recruiters and she couldn’t differentiate herself from everyone…

Gauging from last week’s article on Color-Coded Persuasion, I was reminded once again that the topic of communication and persuasion is central to attracting new clients. My definition of marketing for self-employed professionals is simple: “Clearly communicating the value of your services.” But that’s really…

Persuasion is a language art. That is, words and ideas are what persuade, more than anything else. The problem is, we communicate without noticing if we are expressing features or benefits in our messages. Features are what WE DO. Benefits are what THEY GET. Typically,…

We all want to succeed and nobody wants to fail. Most of us can agree on that, right? But there are some really big problems with our ideas of both success and failure. And if you don’t get straight on them, you’ll continue to struggle…

On a phone call with my youngest sister Sandy yesterday, we talked about her knee problems. Three of my sisters, between them, have had five knee surgeries. All three sisters did a lot of exercising in their lives – sports, running, walking, skiing. And that’s…

Does is make sense to ask for client testimonials? And if so, how exactly do you do it? Well, yes, client testimonials are a good thing. Here are some ways to think about testimonials and a number of ways to get them. What other people…

I have been thinking of ideas my whole life about how to make the world a better place. Naive of me, right? But I can and do have an impact in my business. And the way I approach and conduct my business is the only…

When it comes to writing about your professional services, there’s a good chance you don’t know what exactly to write about and how to structure your writing. Essentially, what you write should answer 10 key questions a prospective client has about how you can help…

Many people think of selling as a talent you were born with. Is there any truth to that? Well, yes. In fact, everyone was born with the talent to sell from day one. You were born to ask for what you want, even if those…

We all procrastinate. And in many cases, it’s not a big thing – finally, we get around to doing what we were putting off. You know, things like tidying up your office, replying to your emails, or giving your dog a bath! But do you…

What is the biggest struggle you have with marketing your professional services? Is it your marketing message, creating your services/programs, clearly communicating your value, getting in front of prospective clients, the selling process, or something else? We all have different challenges, but I believe that…

As a self-employed professional, what is the most valuable commodity that your clients pay you for? Is it your experience, your ideas, your insights, your expertise, or your time? Well, yes, but those are actually the building blocks of your most valuable commodity. Conversations. Your…

You may have seen this famous quote at some point in your life: “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education…

Your marketing message is one of the most important tools in your marketing toolkit. But in my experience of working with clients on their messages for years, most self-employed professionals don’t have effective messages. What is an effective message? One that generates interest and response.…

I have a question for you. Do you imagine that if you do good, effective marketing, that prospective clients will call you ready to do business with you? Well, that has never been my experience. Marketing for self-employed professionals is quite different from the marketing…

Well, you could want a lot of things in your life, right? But, in your business, don’t you ultimately want to make a difference with the people you work with? And to make a difference you need to take action, right? Actions in working with…

I've been tweaking my new free/low-cost monthly program to make it simpler and more valuable.  Here’s my update on the Fearless Marketing Mastermind: First of all, who is this for? Self-employed professionals offering consulting, coaching, or training services and programs (or a combination of these). What…

Every day I take my dogs to a local park near my home. And tomorrow I’m going to my first live networking event since before the pandemic. What do these things have in common and what does it have to do with attracting new clients?…

Why is it so hard to find the right prospective clients? Well, it really depends on how you look at it. If you think, “The only people worth meeting with are perfect prospects who can spend $X with me on this kind of project, and…

The term, “Ready, Aim, Fire” comes from the military, going way, way back. And then it gained popular usage in business and marketing. Ready: Get your marketing campaign in order. Aim: Clearly choose your target audience. Fire: Launch your campaign. OK, this makes sense, right?…

Recently, when I took a close look at the marketing that has worked best for me over the past 35 years, two things popped out. First, my approach was always Proactive. That is, I reached out in some way to my prospective clients. Second, was…

My favorite definition of effortless is “achieved with admirable ease.” And wouldn’t it be cool if all your marketing could be (relatively) effortless? What would that look like? Is it even possible? And is this just more marketing hype? Well, let’s explore… Effort is defined…

This morning, as I was preparing to write my newsletter article, I got my weekly copy of Matt Furey’s newsletter and I thought, “I can’t do much better than this today!” So, I decided to send it out to you. Enjoy. These are very powerful…

This past week I discovered that I was living inside the Matrix. Well, not the computer-generated Matrix from the famous movie, but inside a particular Mind-Made-Matrix (MMM) that was shaping my perceptions, feelings, and actions. Living inside this MMM dragged me down, made me feel…

Did you ever notice that you tend to avoid or struggle with certain marketing activities? Two big ones that come to mind are developing marketing materials of any kind and getting meetings with prospective clients. If you could move forward more easily with both of…

I know you survived the pandemic this past year. You wouldn’t be reading this if you hadn’t. But did you thrive? But now, as we are slowly but surely coming out of the pandemic, I started an inventory of all the ways I thrived during…

Someone in my current Marketing Action Group shared this: “I believe that bringing all my marketing into alignment is critical at this point. Would this be correct?” Marketing alignment would be having a marketing message, marketing materials, website, presentation, etc. all aligned and communicating a…

This little question seems to have puzzled self-employed professionals since the beginning of time. Somebody asks you what you do and you make the terrible mistake of actually telling them. Like this: “What do I do? So glad you asked! I have this special methodology…

Last week, I sent an email asking what your biggest issue was in attracting more of your ideal, high-end clients. I wasn’t surprised to see that the issue mentioned most often was “Getting in front of qualified prospective clients.” It’s true, if you could do…

I don’t think I’ve seen a tougher environment for attracting new clients than in the past year. The pandemic has definitely made things harder. Companies are tightening their belts, and clients are in a reactive, not creative mindset. Even in my business, it’s been slower…

Do you have goals for your business and your marketing? Do you have a list of to-do items aligned with those goals? If so, great, but today I’d like you to think about intentions. An intention is defined as “an aim or a plan.” And…

I woke up last night thinking about the following question. (look, let me know if this makes sense to you OK?) “Who would I be if I couldn’t believe the thought(s) that stop me from reaching out in my marketing?” So, here’s one way to…

It's my 69th birthday today (March 9). And I’ve been thinking about what to write for a few hours. The topic of security and insecurity came up. Last week in my Marketing Action Group we were talking about how insecure most people feel about reaching…

It's easy for our marketing to get stuck in a rut. We don't know why people aren't responding, let alone buying. Look, the pandemic, the economy, right-wing insurrectionists, vaccines, and God knows what else, has made marketing a little harder right now. We are all…

When we think about marketing our professional services, we usually think about all the things we need to DO to get clients. But that is usually very limited because marketing has numerous components and also processes. Plus, marketing has outer and inner aspects. To be…

I had a dream last night where I was working out the core marketing message or “ultimate outcome” of a product of some kind. As I woke up, I pulled out my iPad and wrote down the five “ultimate outcomes” of working with my clients:…

When I was intensively studying marketing in the “early days” of Action Plan Marketing, I read Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins. Perhaps the best marketing book ever written, published in 1923. Hopkins was the father of modern advertising and his clients included Goodyear Tires, Pepsodent…

Nothing will kill your forward movement in life and in business more than a feeling of worthlessness. You know the feeling… You just don’t feel that what you are offering is worthy, good enough, or valuable. And when that happens you just close down. You…

Marketing is very simple. At its essence, marketing is communicating the value of whatever it is you’re offering. When people who need what you’re offering truly get what your value is, some of them engage you and work with you. And pay you! Is there…

I’ve been publishing an email newsletter each Tuesday for almost 24 years. Has it worked out for me? Well, let me count the ways… First of all, virtually ALL of my clients were first subscribers to my email newsletter. Second, writing this newsletter every week…

A famous sports quote is “Winning isn’t everything. It’s the ONLY thing.” I’m rather ashamed to say that I’ve shared this quote many times. But this quote is not only wrong, it is malignant. In so many ways, winning has become the most important value…

In the new Disney movie, Soul, the hero, Joe, has just achieved his dream, playing in Dorothea Williams’ jazz band, and he says, “I’ve been waiting on this day my entire life… I just thought it would feel different.” And Dorothea replies: I heard this…

Yeah, 2020, has been a really tough year. But you hung in there with all the challenges. And I want to congratulate you and appreciate you for all you’ve done. You’ve… - stayed cocooned in your home office for the past 9 months, - moved…

Look, I get a whole lot of email newsletters, but one stands head and shoulders above the rest… and it’s unlike any other. It’s by my friend and client, Jerry Wistrom, and it’s called “Words of Wistrom.” It about old-school business and enduring values. It’s…

This year I realized that a "marketing thing" I’ve always been good at was not something I was actually teaching to my clients. Perhaps I took it for granted and just recommended that they do this particular thing, without giving them much guidance or direction.…

Why I’m writing my newsletter as poetry, I have no idea. (See last week's here) But this idea popped into my head when I woke up this morning and I went with it! It points to something that’s both obvious and easy to miss. My clients…

We all want success and happiness. And our culture encourages us to search for both. Well, what if it was easier than that? What if you didn't need to seek for either? These are some thoughts that just came to me last week and I…

The combination of the presidential transition and the growing coronavirus pandemic is throwing life as we know it into confusion and uncertainty. I’m doing my best to stay sane, but it’s not easy. I am… …actively working with two group marketing programs right now, …watching…

Well, it's over. And in celebration, I'm featuring the videos of the comedians who have kept me sane and laughing over the past four years. Stephen Colbert Trevor Noah Seth Meyers Jimmy Fallon Jimmy Kimmel James Cordon Bill Maher John Oliver Samantha Bee Dave Chapelle Saturday…

When it comes to persuading a prospective client to buy your services, it ultimately comes down to two big things. Honesty – That is, does your service actually deliver the results you say it does? And… Persuasiveness – Are you able to convince your prospective…

Everyone has done a jigsaw puzzle. And you know it takes a lot of time to put all the pieces together. It can take hours and hours. But what if each piece was numbered on the back and the numbers went from left to right,…

Let’s say you have a professional service that is very powerful; it really delivers the results your clients are looking for. And you have a prospective client who desperately needs those results but they can’t seem to get those results on their own. That’s a…

This line by the Terminator, as played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, is the best sales pitch of all time. Why? Well, let’s look at it! He’s making a request for something very important to the person he’s saying it to. That person, Sarah Connor (played by…

Simpler is better. And if you can make your life and your marketing simpler, you’ll be happier and more successful. But how do you do that? It starts with the realization that everything in life can be reduced to the most important things. And those…

Well, after the experiment of sending out my eZine daily for the past month, I’ve decided to go back to the tried and true weekly edition on Tuesdays. Why? Well, it sure seemed like a good idea and I really enjoyed writing it, but it…

Below are all the email messages I sent to my list starting Tuesday, August, 18 when fire hit Boulder Creek, our home in the Santa Cuz Mountains. I wrote a letter every day, mostly to preserve my sanity! Monday, August 24. Fire still burning but…

Like Lucy Riccardo (Lucile Ball), you’ve got a lot of ‘splainin’ to do. About your business. ‘Splainin’ is another way of saying, “Making a case for why someone should buy your services.” And until you get better at this, why should your clients buy your…

Last year, my wife and I sat in the office of a Functional Doctor* to discuss my wife’s many health concerns. About an hour later, we left after handing over a $6,000 check for six months of services. Why on earth did we do that?…

I recently sent an email to those in my current Marketing Action Group Program sharing about my, ahem, “Marketing Genius.” I seem to have a knack for attracting new clients, filling my programs, and keeping my head above water in good times or bad. In…

What is your BEST IDEA? Not just a good idea, a brilliant idea, or an idea that works. No, Your BEST IDEA. Look, everyone has one. We can have dozens of brilliant ones and a ton of good ones. But you can only have one…

During the pandemic, selling has been tricky. We don’t want to be seen as being self-serving, wanting to close a deal (with the client’s needs being secondary). That makes sense, but why not sell with the client’s needs being primary? After all, you are in…

“How can I attract clients right now? Why are things so hard? I seem to have run out of ideas. Why can’t I create some momentum?” If you’ve been thinking thoughts like this recently, you’re not alone. When I think of the enormity of what…

According to Jon Spoelstra, in his book, Marketing Outrageously, businesses need to embrace the concepts and practices of Marketing Outrageously. He should know. He practiced this as the general manager of several sports teams such as the Portland Trailblazers and the New Jersey Nets. He helped…

I got so many responses from last week’s article about marketing mindsets, that I wanted to go a little deeper into the topic. My first main point was that marketing is difficult for many of us, because of our neurotic fixation on our fears, doubts…

Instead of just reading today’s Fearless Marketer, I’d like to ask for some input from you. And I’ll make it fast and simple. Can you please respond to this blog post by telling me what you are looking for these days when it comes to…

Wondering how your business can survive and thrive during the Coronavirus pandemic? The solution: Take your business Radically Virtual. In this article, I’ll talk about how, as a self-employed professional, you can stay put in your home office, work with existing clients and attract new…

Every week in my group program I coach the participants on one or more of the 8 Marketing Keys to Attracting More Clients. This coming Thursday, I’ll be presenting a webinar with a scintillating outline of these 8 Keys. Reserve your space here. But hey,…

My wife and I have been watching a wonderful show on Netflix called Chef’s Table. Each episode is an intimate peek into the life and work of one remarkable chef. The very first episode about brilliant Italian Chef, Massimo Bottura, and his restaurant Osteria Francescana…

For the past several weeks I’ve been writing about and teaching how to get more meetings with prospective clients and those who can connect you with prospective clients. How to Get 100 Meetings More Meetings = More Clients Apparently it’s a hot topic. More than…

Introducing a new monthly interview series with leading edge-business professionals. This has been in the works for some time. It’s based on the premise that ultimately engaging in business and marketing is about BEING who you are. I’ve spent the majority of my weekly writings…

Last week I did a “webinar demo session” on how to send very simple emails to get meetings with prospective clients and those who can lead you to prospective clients. You can get a copy of the session here. And then the feedback started to…

I’ve been writing a lot about the importance of setting up meetings with prospective clients and those who can lead you to prospective clients. How to Get 100 Meetings More Meetings = More Clients But what do you actually say in such a meeting that…

When we think of marketing our professional services, we often think about all the things we need to do to be visible and get known. “I need to have an online presence, post regularly on social media, write articles for LinkedIn, join organizations, and network…

There once was a magnificent city named Bubble City. It was a wonderful place. Everybody knew everyone else. And all its inhabitants felt familiar and safe. It was a bustling city full of life, energy, and businesses that met their every need. And was called…

What’s something you want in your business right now? It could be a number of things: You want to make more money, you want to attract more clients, you want to improve your website, you want to get your LinkedIn marketing on track, you want…

Last week I talked about having “Human Conversations” on LinkedIn. You know, simple, conversational, authentic. Like you’d talk to someone you met at a party: “Hi, what do you do?” “I’m a consultant in the field of intuitive leadership.” “Wow, that sounds exciting. How long…

Last week I shared some ideas about connecting on LinkedIn. Today I want to share in more depth about having "human conversations" through LinkedIn Messenger (as opposed to robotic conversations). The first thing to realize is that very few people are actually having human conversations…

As wonderful as LinkedIn can be to find and connect with your ideal prospects, most of us have no idea how to actually turn them into paying clients. This is the first of a few articles on how to do that. This is based on…

Here I am sitting in my 54-degree frigid office, typing with numb fingers.  The power has been out since Saturday evening and we're not sure when it will be restored. But thanks to my trusty new WEN generator (above), I have power to my computer,…

If you’re a self-employed professional, you know what you’re selling, right? Management development programs, executive coaching services, communication skills training, financial planning, etc. Right? No, wrong. Those are your services, but that is not what you are selling and not what your clients are buying.…

The majority of clients who have come to me over the years want to know how to get more clients faster. And they’re often looking for a “silver bullet” that will draw new clients to them magically. The closest thing I know to a silver…

Marketing is a game. And the whole point of a game is to make something more important than something else. What we make important in the marketing game is attracting great clients, earning good money, and making a difference. There are two important secrets to…

What would be real magic? Making something instantly appear out of nowhere. Or disappear. And we know, according to proven scientific principles, we cannot transcend the physical laws of the universe. We can’t turn the moon into the sun with a wave of a wand…

Why does marketing often feel like a struggle, a challenging and not very fun to do? I want to suggest that it’s mostly because of the stories you tell yourself about marketing. If you haven’t noticed, you are always telling yourself stories. And the first…

Imagine you’re in a kayak paddling down a river. It’s a beautiful day and you’re feeling great. But then, up ahead, you see a fork in the river. To the right, the river is flowing smoothly; to the left, you see rapids and rocks. So,…

Several years ago, I was meeting a participant in one of my group programs. We were discussing his speaking plan. “Jeff, I’m glad to hear that you’re getting speaking engagements and that people are enjoying your talks. But what are you doing with the cards…

This past week, someone sent me this question: “Would you take some time to answer how good marketing is not emotional manipulation/controlling?” Great question. When you really think of it, marketing is simply a process of getting people to respond to you favorably. You have something…

Quick, what do people respond favorably to? Simple, everyone responds favorably to stuff they like. And conversely, people respond unfavorably to stuff they don’t like. And that, dear reader, is the complete story of human psychology in a nutshell! Just think of all the marketing…

One of my most rewarding clients was a nun. Patty Grasher was a nun who lived in a convent for 28 years. And I was rather surprised when she signed up for one of my programs about 15 years ago. She blew away my pictures…

I want you to introduce you to an Eskimo boy named Tulok from Inukjuak, Canada. Although born in the Arctic, he didn’t spend a lot of time living there. Because of his high intelligence as a child, he was lucky enough to get a scholarship…