Author: Bill Cates

Over my 25 years of showing professionals how to acquire more ideal clients, I’ve heard it all and built an inventory of “out of the box” ideas that have proven successful.

As you read through these creative ideas, remember that ideas alone will not lead to an increase in your success. Only ACTING on these ideas will produce results…

I know of at least two things you and I have in common. We’d both like 2019 to be our best year ever in business. Right? So here are 5 resolutions you and I need to make that we simply can’t break. Some of these may be reminders, and others may be a stretch. But all require action. As Yoda said to Luke Skywalker, “There is no try, only do!”

I have a one-word theme for you for 2019. Clarity!

You’ve heard the expression, “A confused mind will not buy.” It’s true. A confused mind will not take action … be it respond to your messages, hire you as their advisor, follow your advice, etc. So, if you want to grow your business in 2019, it’s time to get crystal clear. Keep reading to learn how.

A colleague of mine, Gail Goodman, recently said, “The newest mantra of our society is ‘If I don’t already know you, and you’re not in my phone, I don’t want to know you.’ So, how does an industry dependent on getting new clients survive with this thinking?

The answer? It’s time to get creative! Click to learn an easy and educational strategy for using breakfast meetings as a way for clients to introduce you to their friends and colleagues.

Life is too short to not be a bit playful a good deal of the time. I know that that’s not true for everyone, but it generally works for me.

So, today, let’s discuss ways to inject a little humor into the client acquisition process. Here are 4 areas where you can have some FUN with prospects & clients.

You know what scares the pants off of me? A missed opportunity for a referral. Unfortunately, I see professionals falling victim to these 3 unconscious REFERRAL KILLERS way too often. The scary truth is, if you’re making any of these super-common (and easily avoidable) mistakes, you’re probably inadvertently sending all the wrong messages to your clients … and killing your chances for getting introduced.

Sometimes the strength of a great introduction makes the “sales process” quick and painless. Your prospect knows what you do, wants what you have to offer, and is ready to take action. If this does not happen for you with at least 10-20% of your prospects, you probably aren’t securing strong enough introductions.

Here are 5 typical and costly mistakes I see professionals making in their efforts to convert a prospect into a client (and how to avoid them).

I have a colleague who told me that he never pays attention to his competition. He doesn’t care what they do. He just focuses on his business. On the other hand, knowing your competition can certainly be useful.

Here are three views on talking about your competitors for you to consider and apply to your business. You’ll see that they are not mutually exclusive; but can (and should) be blended together for maximum effectiveness.

Getting a consistent flow of referrals and introductions from advocates is not just about asking for them. It’s about creating a culture of referrals and introductions. Here are 5 simple things you can do to enhance that referral culture in your office – that will help you receive more unsolicited referrals and introductions to Right-Fit Clients™.

If you’re like me, you’re always trying to figure out how to get better results from Linkedin. On one hand, you don’t want to look like a LinkedIn spammer. But on the other hand, you don’t want to be passive to the point of wondering why you have so many connections if nothing ever comes of them.

So, what’s the best way to approach prospects (and potential strategic alliances) on LinkedIn to maximize your chances of creating productive connections?