Welcome to week 2 of the Get Clients Now! 28 Day Marketing Program!

How did everyone do last week? I hope it was a productive week! This won’t be a long post today - basically just a quick checkin to show my progress and see how everyone is doing.

Daily / Weekly Actions - Week 1

Below are my selected Daily and Weekly Actions that I setup in Week 1. Under each item is my Yes or No status, as far as whether I completed the item on a given day (I’ve tailored my program as suggested in the book - with my action days being Monday - Friday… if your schedule is different, you can adjust this to your most productive days if necessary).

1. Spend 1/2 hour each day on my Success Ingredient Projects
   N - Y - Y - Y - Y
2. Spend 1/2 hour each day on reading or writing
   N - Y - Y - Y - Y
3. Send 1 letter or email to a new person each week
   Y - N - N - Y - Y
4. Make 1 new community contact each week
   Y - N - Y - Y - Y
5. Post 1 Q/A Question each week (on LinkedIn or Work It, Mom!)
   N - N - N - Y - Y
6. Post 1 Q/A Answer each day (on LinkedIn or Work It, Mom!)
   Y - N - Y - N - N
7. Post 2 blog comments each day
   Y - Y - Y - N - N
8. Post 2 message board posts each day (new and/or response)
   Y - Y - Y - Y - Y
9. Publish 2 blog posts each week
   Y - Y - Y - N - N
   
10. Plan my day each morning (or the night before)
    N - Y - Y - Y - Y

Overall not bad - lots of Yes’ in the list above. However there are also quite a bit of No’s… My totals for the week are:

• Total (# of 10)
  6 - 6 - 8 - 7 - 7

Ideally, you want to average about 8 Y’s per day. So I can see I need improvement. The beauty of this program is that you are able to customize it to fit your needs. If you find that it’s nearly impossible to accomplish one (or several) of your Daily / Weekly items, you can always adjust it.

For example, change your 2 blog comments a day goal to 1 blog comments a day. Judging by last week, that is something I might need to adjust. But I am going to leave my list as-is for the moment and see if I can’t just increase my performance next week. If I find my daily totals are still on the low side, then I’ll reconsider adjusting my Daily / Weekly Actions next week.

A Little Bit of Grey

As far as judging your progress, I find there can be a bit of grey area, because some items are a bit tricky to keep track of. For example, #5 above “Post 1 Q/A Question each week” - I posted 2 questions this week, and gave myself credit for those days.

In GCN, CJ Hayden says that if you had planned to do a weekly item, but didn’t - then you get an “N” for that day. However, if you did Not plan on doing an item, you can credit yourself with a “Y”. So I have a few freebie points in my list from that. Kind of misleading in a way, but I think it’s more to help motivate you - at least as far as sticking to your plans.

Now, take #9 “Publish 2 blog posts each week” - I failed on this one in that I did not publish 2 posts this week. But I gave myself Y’s on Monday and Tuesday because I worked on the posts (even though they have not yet been published). This is where there’s some grey area, LOL.

Program Goal - Week 1

As for overall progress of my Program Goal…

• Program Goal
  10 new prospects / 2 new clients
• My Progress
  40% - 4 new prospects / 0% - 0 new clients

Not bad for just 1 week. I’m almost at 50% of my goal for Prospects after only 1 week! I know actually getting the clients will be more difficult than getting prospects. But I at least have my foot in 4 new doors, LOL, so it’s a start!

A note about how I’m judging these, by the way…

Before starting the project, I already had 5 prospects (so hey - I’ve technically currently got 9 prospects! That’s GREAT!) As far as prospects go, however, I’m only including a potential client in my GCN project goal if they became a prospect AFTER I started the program.

On the other hand, actually converting a prospect into an official client obviously requires a lot more work - much of which is ongoing during the program (for example, I sent out 3 proposals last week). If any of my prospects (pre-GCN or post-GCN) becomes a paying client, then I will include them in my “2 new clients” goal.

Your Turn!

So, enough about me! I want to hear how YOU did this week! I’d say I’m off to a good start, and I hope next week is even better for all of us.

If you’re following the program alongside me, please do leave a comment below, and let me know how week 1 went for you. Are you making any changes to your program goals or daily/weekly actions for week 2?

If you’re not in on the program yet, I still wonder what your thoughts are? Do you think this is something you’d be interested in doing in the near future?

I plan on starting a 2nd program on the blog in June, so you have plenty of time to prepare by getting the book and reading up on it (you don’t have to read the whole book - only about half of it for preparation… the rest of it you read as you follow the program).

Best of luck in Week 2!

Read More Posts In This Series

• View All Posts Tagged with “Get Clients Now!”

Welcome to Week 1 of my first public Get Clients Now! (GCN) program…

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, lol, be sure to read the first intro post in this series. Basically, I’m publicizing my progress in going through the 28 day marketing program found in Get Clients Now! A 28-Day Marketing Program for Professionals, Consultants, and Coaches by C.J. Hayden.

Class In Session (Or A Preview)

The program itself is starting today, but if you don’t have the book, don’t worry! Just follow along this month to see what you think… if you like what you see, you can pick up a copy of the book, and join in on the next round!

My thoughts being that by posting my process on this blog, it will help make me accountable for my actions - making sure that I actually complete the program and make the most of my marketing efforts.

In doing so, I’m also hoping to have as many of you as possible join in on the process - nothing like a group of peers to help support each other!

And yes, I realize this might not all make sense if you don’t have the book, but this series should at least give a general idea as to what the book entails.

Put Yourself First

As I mentioned in my previous GCN post, I have started 3 programs in the past, but each time I got too caught up in client work that I put my own marketing efforts on the back-burner.

Perhaps the most important quote from the book, and one we as small business owners should live by…

“Make marketing your first priority
instead of the last thing you do”

I’m guilty of putting my own projects and marketing efforts last, whenever client work comes in, so it was very good to read someone else stressing how important marketing is - that it should come first.

I’m starting with that new mantra today!

Program Focus

The book is built so that you can create as many plans with different focuses as necessary, depending on your particular marketing needs:

• Filling the Pipeline
• Following Up
• Getting Presentations
• Closing Sales

In my previous GCN programs, I focused on the first step in the Universal Marketing Cycle - Filling the Pipeline. I plan to complete this program by continuing to focus on this stage.

For those of you joining in on the program, please feel free to design your own program on any of the four stages above.

Action Worksheet - My Program Goals and How I Will Obtain Them

Below are my program goals and planned ingredients and actions for the next 28 days. Don’t forget you can download the FREE marketing plan worksheets from the Get Clients Now web site.

Start Date

• May 17, 2007

What strategies will you use?

• Direct Contact and Follow-up
• Networking and Referral Building
• Writing and Publicity

Where are you stuck or what needs the most work?

• Filling the Pipeline

How much business do you have now?

• $X,XXX / month
  some things you don’t have to post for the whole world to read, LOL

How much business do you really want?

• $X,XXX / month x 2
  I’d like to double my monthly business income

What would that get you?

• Extra money to pay off credit card debt… aka Less Stress!

What is your program goal?

• 10 new prospects / 2 new clients

What will be your reward?

• Me Time / A complete day OFF!
  No work! Sleep in late, take a nap, have an at-home girly spa/pamper day complete with manicure, pedicure and candle-lit bath… aka Relax!

Success Ingredients

1. Description of Services
   This is mostly complete, but I need to tweak existing rates and services, as well as add new WordPress and eCommerce services.
   by May 30, 2008
2. Networking Venues
   I especially want to focus on maximizing my social media profiles by making the most of existing profiles and creating some new ones.
   by June 6, 2008
3. Blog Concept / Topics
   I need to focus on this blog as a business networking tool, mainly by producing quality posts on a more frequent basis, at least twice a week as a starting point.
   by June 13, 2008

Daily Actions

1. Spend 1/2 hour each day on my Success Ingredient Projects
2. Spend 1/2 hour each day on reading or writing
3. Send 1 letter or email to a new person each week
4. Make 1 new community contact each week
5. Post 1 Q/A Question each week (on LinkedIn or Work It, Mom!)
6. Post 1 Q/A Answer each day (on LinkedIn or Work It, Mom!)
7. Post 2 blog comments each day
8. Post 2 message board posts each day (new and/or response)
9. Publish 2 blog posts each week
10. Plan my day each morning (or the night before)

Special Permission

• I Deserve to be Successful!

Now It’s Your Turn

What are your program goals? What do you hope to accomplish over the next 28 days, and which daily actions are going to get you there?

Please feel free to post your Action Worksheet on your own blog, or in the comments below. This will help make you accountable and ensure you actually get this done (and if you don’t we’ll be here to motivate each other to continue).

Best of luck to you this month! Let the marketing begin!

Read More Posts In This Series

• View All Posts Tagged with “Get Clients Now!”

Back in January, I started reading Get Clients Now! A 28-Day Marketing Program for Professionals, Consultants, and Coaches by C.J. Hayden.

This book walks you through creating a 28 Day Marketing Program to help promote your business. It’s particularly aimed at service based businesses, but I’m sure the techniques could be adapted to those selling products as well.

With a title like that, the book instantly caught my attention. That and the rave reviews I saw on Amazon. (Yes, that’s an affiliate link above… if you plan to buy the book anyway, I hope you’ll help a girl out by clicking the link, LOL)

From the first few pages, I was very excited to get started with the 28 day program. I believe I share a lot in common with many small business owners -we love what we do, but we are designers or writers or [insert job title here]… not necessarily marketing specialists!

As a small business owner, though, you end up wearing many different hats - including that of a sales man (or woman).

The Universal Marketing Cycle: A Brief Overview…

Get Clients Now! focuses on the four stages of the Universal Marketing Cycle:

• Filling the Pipeline
• Following Up
• Getting Presentations
• Closing Sales

C.J. Hayden explains the strategies and ingredients necessary for improving your performance on the stages above. As part of the 28 day cycle, you are able to put together your own program, selecting the specific ingredients, techniques and daily actions that appeal to you.

The Importance of Self-Promotion

I’ve found this to be a very motivational book, and I can honestly say that I have accomplished a LOT because of it. I’ve completed several success ingredients, and have been networking through this blog and other social media. I’ve met a lot of great people, and formed relationships that I never would have if not for this book.

Some of the contacts I’ve made through the networking suggestions in the book have turned into qualified leads, too (and that is the point of the book, after all…)

Now, I love the concept of the 28 Day program… BUT - and there’s always a “but” - I’ve started 3 programs so far, and I have yet to actually complete one!

Although I always hit the ground running, I end up slacking off before reaching the final week (or two). I hope that doesn’t reflect poorly on the book itself, it’s just the side of me who ends up putting clients first, before my own business.

Avoid the Feast or Famine Cycle

Unfortunately, this throws me right into the vicious cycle of feast vs famine.

In other words, when business is slow, I market like crazy, which is great! But when things pick up and I’m juggling several clients at once, I feel I “don’t have time” for marketing.

This is most certainly NOT the smartest approach to take - because although you will not notice it during the busy times, you will most definitely feel the consequences “next month” when the work you were doing is finished, and there are no new clients on the horizon.

It’s important to keep planting those seeds, so you have a steady stream of work sprouting up.

Enter a NEW Month… and a NEW 28 Day Program!

So, this post is all about creating some accountability for myself. This time will be different, as I’ll be posting weekly updates right here.

Nothing like putting it all out in the open to help make you accountable!

Care to Join Me?

I’m planning on starting a new program very soon - a little over a week from now, on Saturday, May 17th.

The book suggests starting the program on a Saturday, but otherwise you have weekends “off” while you do the majority of your program tasks during the work-week. Of course, if your schedule is different, you can easily re-arrange the dates to better suit you. Point is… it’s 28 days of marketing and self-promotion.

You can’t go wrong there!

A Book Club, of Sorts…

I’d love to open this up to anyone else who has the book; have been planning on getting the book; have never heard of the book, but your interest is now peaked… well, you get the idea, right?

I’ll be posting weekly updates as I go through the program. It might not all make sense to you if you don’t have Get Clients Now! but you can get a general idea of what to expect if you do eventually want to try it for yourself.

Are You In?

So, if you want to participate, please make a comment below or post on your blog, etc. It would be great to have a group of people to help hold each other accountable. What’s there to loose - your business could (and likely will) benefit from it!

For those of you joining in on the fun, you can download the FREE marketing plan worksheets from the Get Clients Now web site.

Have You Already Completed A (Several) Program(s)?

I’d love to hear your thoughts… Has it worked for you?

Do you have any suggestions?

BTW, like Naomi’s recent small business game post…

…this is NOT a meme! LOL

Read More Posts In This Series

• View All Posts Tagged with “Get Clients Now!”

This week’s find is a great one, and should be of particular interest to anyone trying to get their small business off the ground!

Naomi Dunford over at Itty Biz has recently posted a number of topics in a new series titled Marketing School. Naomi has a great writing style - it certainly does NOT feel like school, lol. She teaches many important aspects of starting (or beefing up) your business, including topics such as:

• What is a USP (Unique Selling Point)?
• How to Build Your Own USP
• Identifying Your Target Market
• and much more…

It’s definitely worth a read - I’ve learned a lot from the articles so far, and am anxiously awaiting the next post. I believe there will be approximately 30 articles to the series once it’s complete.

I’ve got a great find for you all today! Wendy Piersall of eMoms at Home has recently been looking into issues with Google, Page Rank and paid text ads. More on that story here.

What I wanted to point at today, though, is her recent article: 27 Website Promotion Sources That Have Nothing To Do With Google or SEO.

Of course SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is still important for bringing traffic to your site. Wendy points out, though, that it is best not to depend too much on the search engines for traffic to your web site. There are so many other sources of traffic - at least 27, lol - plus some other good ones in the comments below the article.

I’ve finally started dabbling in a few of these - such as Social Bookmarking and Social Networking. I have a lot more to do though to utilize all 27 suggestions.

Definitely worth a read, and certainly worth bookmarking for future reference.

Thanks for the suggestions, Wendy!