I was recently working with a client on a marketing project (a title for a book on personal growth) and in the process I discovered this model for growth and change:

1. You have a problem that you are getting tired of living with.
2. You see a new possibility for a life beyond that problem.
3. You start to understand why you haven't solved this problem
4. You seek new ways of thinking and living beyond the problem.

In meeting with a client the next day, I realized that this model not only applied to growth and change but was just as applicable to how we help clients and present our marketing message:

1. Your business has a problem or challenge that is costing you.
2. You see a vision or solution beyond this problem/challenge.
3. You start to see why you haven't solved this problem yet.
4. You seek new strategies and techniques to solve this problem.
   and one more....
5. You learn who can help to solve the problem faster and easier

Applying This Formula to Your Marketing Materials

One of the biggest mistakes I see with clients is that they start with #5 first. They tell everything they do to solve the problem before there is agreement that there is even a problem to solve. And you wonder why people are not interested in what you do. Well guess what, they aren't! They first want to know that you understand their situation and then how you can help them.

This Five-Step model provides the perfect template for simple, direct and persuasive marketing materials that do just that.

Since I'm closer to my business than to any other, I'm going to give you an example using my business to demonstrate how this works. All you need to do is apply it to your business.

Ready? Here goes!

Not Attracting Enough Clients to Your Business?

Do you continually struggle with marketing? Do you love performing your service but find it a real chore to do the marketing necessary to attract new clients? And if you've done various marketing activities, have you found the response to be less than you hoped for? When you get a lead to a good potential client do you find that you don't convert a large percentage of them into paying clients, and if you do convert them, do you often not get paid what you feel you're worth?

You Can Learn How to Magnetize Clients to Your Business

Marketing really shouldn't really be a struggle. The marketing side of your business should just be as easy and as fun as performing your services. Of course, you'll find it a lot more enjoyable and rewarding if your marketing activities result in prospective clients calling you ready to work with you. And you'll be a lot more enthusiastic if most of those prospective clients turn into clients that pay you what you're worth every single time. Sound impossible? Really it's quite easy.

If It's So Easy, Why Haven't You Done It?

Successful, effortless marketing starts with an understanding of how marketing really works. Because we think of marketing as 'trying to get something' instead of 'giving something,' our marketing efforts make us feel like used car salespeople. No matter what techniques or strategies we apply (even if they're the right ones), we usually fall flat on our faces because we have the wrong 'Marketing Mindset.' And since failing at marketing isn't fun, we tend to give up on it altogether, hoping our good work will result in word-of-mouth business. It will, but we're missing huge opportunities to build our businesses if we don't start marketing in a way that works.

Master a Five-Step Process to Magnetizing Clients

Successful marketing starts with a mindset that understands why people are attracted to us and buy our services. Then it's a matter of working with the fundamental principles of service business marketing. I call these principles the 5 Ps - Positioning, Packaging, Promotion, Persuasion and Performance. All of these 5 Ps are about communicating the value of your services in such a way that people see what's in it for them.

Positioning is a promise of a solution that makes you stand out as a provider of a unique and valuable service.

Packaging is building a case for your service through well- written and designed materials such as a web site.

Promotion is about getting the word out to prospective clients and inviting them to check you out with risk-free offers such as free reports or introductory presentations.

Persuasion means deeply listening to your prospective clients to learn about the objectives they want to accomplish.

Performance means delivering your service at such a high level that clients become raving fans, evangelists for you and your services.

Action Plan Marketing Has the Expertise and the Tools

People come to Action Plan Marketing for assistance in developing and implementing a 5 P Strategy for their business. They know they might be able to do it themselves but they realize that it will save them huge amounts of time, effort, frustration and money if they have a road map and learn the skills and strategies that are proven to work. I provide this expertise through many products and services such as tapes on marketing, Workshops by Telephone and one-on-one consulting and coaching. If you'd like to learn more about how I can help you start attracting more clients and making more money, please give me a call. I'll be happy to discuss your situation on the phone at no cost.

Call 831-338-7790 or visit my web site at http://www.actionplan.com and then email me with any questions you might have.

So, I hope that's clear! Are your services presented in a way that makes it easy for people to know why they need you and how you can help them? If not, take some time and, using this simple format, create one or two pages that really communicate the value of your services.