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Client Potion Number 9 (Or, 9 Ways to Attract Only The Clients You'll Love) By Tatiana Velitchkov © 2002 The more I stay in the Internet marketing industry, the more I realize that running a business isn't really very different from dating: - First you try to attract a lot of different people. - Then you convince them to enter into a relationship with you. - And finally you nourish those relationships which you know will grow stronger and last longer... maybe even go on forever. As business owners, of course, we have the chance to stay in as many long-term relationships as we choose -- something that could be disastrous in romantic dating. But whether it's for business or for pleasure, there's a common rule of thumb that could determine your swift success: If you attract ONLY the people you know you'll love, then dealing with them (on a long term basis) wouldn't feel like work at all! Although there's no magic potion that will guarantee you this kind of consistent result (yet!), here are 9 strategies YOU CAN DO NOW to find those clients you can almost call your "soul mates:" 3 Ways to Find Mr. & Ms. Right, Inc. In the same way that random bar hopping often never results in meaningful liaisons, a poorly-planned marketing campaign will also produce nothing but expenses & frustrations. So take the time to thoroughly discover your ideal customer's age, gender, social habits and favorite hobbies -- then make sure they'll notice you just as they're passing through. 1) MAKE WAVES IN MESSAGE BOARDS ...Especially in those online forums that cater to your ideal client's industry & needs. Although both chat rooms and message boards are great venues for meeting people with common interests, message boards are more often used as real sources of information, and can help you establish your authority & availability in your specialized field. 2) PULL OUT THE PERSONALS Ads have always worked in bringing people together, and this is equally true both for personal and business ads. Again, keep a clear enough picture of your ideal client's profile & mindset, and target your ads well so they'll find what they're looking for in YOU. 3) GET HIT ON WITH TARGETED TRAFFIC Another option, of course, is to find a way to accurately predict all the web sites & pages that your ideal client would normally visit in any given day... .....and actually position yourself right beside those pages, so all you have to do is wait for your ideal client to notice you, come over, and say "Hi. Haven't I seen you somewhere before?" You think this is "impossible," that NO SERVICE could possibly do this? Well, it IS possible and it's already BEING DONE. And if you don't believe me (or if you just want to find out more) you can visit my site at http://www.Guaranteed-Hits.com for actual demonstrations & details. =) 3 Ways to Send The Right Signals So let's assume you've now found a way to be in the right place, at the right time, face to face with the right kind of prospective client. Now how do you convince Mr. Right Client that you are Ms. Right Merchant, offering just the perfect (and right!) product? 4) WATCH YOUR WORDS Words are the cornerstone of every form of internet marketing, and if you make them powerful enough, they'll have the potential to impact billions of surfers worldwide! So choose your words carefully and use them wisely, making sure each one will endear your client to you. 5) EVALUATE YOUR IMAGE In the movie "Blast From the Past," lead character Adam Webber wanted to go girl-hunting in a nightclub, but his friend Eve quickly explained that he couldn't approach just any girl. Because based on the way each one dressed, wore make-up, or even talked & moved, anyone could easily see what kind of women they were, "And for you I think we should go for someone 'sweet.'" In dating this is called "making an impression." In marketing it's considered "creating a perception." And in business, perception is almost as good as reality. Because your company/product/service is only as good as your customer/prospect THINKS it is. So look at your website, logo, business cards & other materials, and determine the kind of perception they're creating for your clients. Because these are also the things that will determine the kind of clients who will come to YOU. 6) BE YOURSELF Since we're also looking forward to turning these client interactions into long-term relationships, then it's also best to follow that age old advice our mothers used to give: "Be yourself." Because no matter how witty/funny/sophisticated you'd like to make yourself out to be, if these characteristics don't come easily to you, then you'd only be wasting A LOT of energy trying to convince others that they do. 3 Tips For Going Steady So you've aroused their interest, they've visited your website, and they've even bought an item or two. What do you do now to make sure they keep coming back, and actually enjoy doing more business with you? 7) KEYS TO YOUR APARTMENT Your website is your apartment, and this is where you'd like them to spend more of their precious online time. So show them reasons to come back, give them unique usernames & passwords so they can come & go as they please, and remember exactly the kinds of products they'd really like to see. This is the kind of personalized service that makes each client feel unique, and they'd be more likely to remember your business because you remember them so well. 8) CARDS & CANDY "Cards" are the things you use to keep in touch with your clients (ezines, newsletters, email reminders), and "candy" is anything useful you can give to them for free. Although these tokens seem small and easy to overlook, they are what actually keep any relationship healthy & dynamic (and I'm sure even the wives and girlfriends out there would agree!). 9) SPECIAL DAYS & ANNIVERSARIES Finally, don't forget to celebrate your anniversaries, or your special business days. These could be regular end-of-month inventory sales, mid-year special discounts, and unique holiday give-aways. If you keep them regular enough for clients to save up for and look forward to, they'll most likely do their part to make these days special for you, too. While it may be true that there are no hard-and-fast rules for perfect client relationships -- or for romantic ones, for that matter -- knowing these useful guidelines will always help... ...especially when you want to find those clients who'll stay for keeps. © Tatiana Velitchkov About the Author: Tatiana is the publisher of: http://www.TheFortunesEzine.com, the FortunesEzineWeekly at http://www.TakeYourFortune.com, and owner of the traffic-solution slam advertising sites http://www.Guaranteed-Hits.com and http://www.Guaranteed-Hits.net |