A Low-Cost, Highly Effective Way to Build Your Business

by Sandy Franks

I’m going to share with you a marketing tactic that will, without a doubt, generate more clients for your business … and get you instantly recognized as an expert in your field. Not only will you be pleased with the results, but, in all likelihood, it will cost you very little. You may even get other people to pick up your expenses.

This strategy worked so well for Gary H. that one new client was worth $300,000 to his business. And another client turned out to be worth $150,000 in new sales. That’s $450,000 in new business.

Let me show you how you can put this low-cost, highly effective business-building strategy to work.

Share Your Expertise

Gary H. is a marketing consultant who knows how to analyze direct-mail results, pick mailing lists, and critique and write copy. His clients vary from Collin Street Bakery and Assurity Life Insurance Company to Dow Chemical and Harmony Travel.

His consulting business has been steadily growing. But what impresses me the most is the way Gary drums up clients.

When Gary decided to go into business for himself, he started by thumbing through his Rolodex and calling up contacts he had developed through the years.

One name in particular stood out: Denny Hatch, editor of Target Marketing. Having very little money to spend on advertising, Gary asked Denny if he’d be willing to publish some of his articles in the magazine.

Denny agreed, and Gary wrote a whole series of articles related to direct-mail analytics. (Analytics is the analysis of data that helps a business make better, quicker marketing decisions.) But here’s the thing: Almost every time one of Gary’s articles appeared in the publication, he would get business.

You see, people would read the article, see Gary’s name, and then call him directly. Those phone calls translated into new clients.

Because of his articles, Gary became widely known as a direct-mail guru. Even more exciting, his business was growing … and it wasn’t costing him a thing.

It didn’t cost him anything to write the articles. The magazine picked up all the printing expenses as part of its normal circulation costs. And the time spent doing research for the articles? None. Gary was simply writing about what he already knew.

But it gets even better.

Turn Guest Appearances Into Business Builders

The articles were working so well that Gary was curious to see how many clients he could pick up if he were to give in-person presentations to the public.

So he called the Direct Marketing Association, and let them know he’d be more than willing to speak at of their conferences or meetings. Most organizations always need speakers to fill spots, so Gary was soon speaking at DMA events. And his reputation as an expert continued to grow.

Gary’s presentations ranged from 20 minutes to 45 minutes. When he was done, members of the audience would flag him down with questions. And, just as you would suspect, those little conversations turned into new business clients.

Gary was traveling the country giving speeches on marketing – and, often, conference promoters were picking up the tab. Gary says, “When I look back, I see that my biggest and best clients have come from articles and speeches.”

The lesson here is that writing articles or giving speeches not only builds business but also your credibility in your field.

If you’re thinking “I’m not a writer” or “I can’t give a speech,” you’re putting limits on yourself. I didn’t think I could give a speech … until I tried it. And, yes, the first time was nerve-wracking … but only for the first 10 seconds. You’ll feel the same way. And you’ll get past that fear just as easily as I did.

And, as Gary found out, getting out there and doing it will mean a windfall of new clients for your business.

[Ed. Note: Sandy Franks is the executive publisher of the Taipan Group, an affiliate of Agora Publishing.]

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This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #1818, 08-26-06], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.