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Marketing - Straight and Simple
~~ Terri Levine

If you are a self employed entrepreneur/SOHO, chances are you don't have a sales team. Could be that you dislike networking too. You probably want to generate new customers without spending a fortune. What you need is the basics - they're straight forward, simple, and they work.

Do you have a corporate client? Leave some business cards with them and ask them if they'd mind mentioning your company to their contacts/clients. If you provide them with excellent service, they will be happy to recommend you to others.

If your business is the type in which you can gather some clients together in the one place, perhaps offering them a free seminar or an information evening with snacks, do so and encourage them to keep in touch. Why? When you upgrade your equipment or services, they will talk to each other and to others – free advertising and encouragement for others in the "group" to upgrade as well. If your business is "virtual" – suggest an e-group situation in which they can openly share and discuss issues relevant to their business.

Ask your existing clients for referrals. Some people are shy about this, so here's some tips: Sweeten the deal for them – offer them something in exchange for the referrals, like an incentive scheme. This could be discounts for your products or services, free samples, gift vouchers, or even cash rewards. If you don't like to ask outright, design a "Referral Form" and include it with your invoices. Don't send it with the first invoice! Establish your value and integrity first! Ask them outright if they have any leads for you to follow up. You may be able to put business their way too using the same method – suggest this.

Affiliate yourself with other companies/entrepreneurs who can put business your way in exchange for you offering referrals for them. Even appropriate links on websites can be useful, but make sure you are linking to a professional outfit or your own reputation may suffer. If you find an online business with whom you’d like to exchange links – email them, and if you can't find an email address for them or a "Contact Us" link on their website, email their webmaster.

If you haven't got a referral program in place, whenever you gain a new client from a referral, remember to send a thank you and a small gift to the "referrer" – even a lottery ticket! You could also run quarterly competitions and your clients who generate the most referrals could win a prize – the prize being something you know they will appreciate and that you can afford! Chances are they will enjoy this and will send more referrals your way – just remember to always be thankful and offer something in return.

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Author info:
Terri Levine, The Guru of Coaching SM, Ph.D., MCC, is the best selling author of several books including the international bestseller Work Yourself Happy, Coaching for an Extraordinary Life, Create Your Ideal Body, the international bestseller Stop Managing, Start Coaching! and her newly released book The Successful Coach co-authored with Larina Kase and Joe Vitale was just released by Wiley. She is the founder the international coach training program: The Coaching Institute, www.CoachInstitute.com. She can be contacted through the web at www.CoachInstitute.com/contactus.html or by phone 877-401-6165.