Top 4 Reasons You Don't Have Any Clients and How to Change That in 2012

Psst...want to listen to this post? Find the audio at the bottom...

You've read everything related to marketing that you can get your hands on. You've followed the advice to to the letter. You have optimized your website, started social media accounts, you're running ads through Adwords. However, you haven't sold your product/service to one client. At this point, it's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel or even to imagine that there is one.

Your biggest question is why. Why haven't you gotten any clients? Why have you spent countless hours and several hundred (or worse yet, thousands) of dollars to get in front of clients only to come up short each time? Why does everyone else seem so successful in their business when you aren't?

I wish I could tell you there was a "simple" answer to your questions. I even wish there was a magic potion I could give you to make clients appear on your doorstep (or the other end of your phone). Unfortunately, I'm not a genie in a bottle and this is not Aladdin. I can, however, give you some reasons that you may not have a client roster. Would you believe me if I told you that your business is suffering due to not following the most basic marketing principles? Well, listen up - it's most likely true...

I'm sure you've heard of the 4Ps, but in case you haven't, they stand for Product, Place, Price, and Promotion. One (or all) of these is the reason you don't have any clients. Let me break it down for you...

• Product: Is your product/service high-quality? Before you answer that question, you should know that this isn't a question for you to answer. Would the person who wants to use your product/service find it to be high-quality. Are you meeting a previously unmet need? Is there demand for what you are offering? If the answer to any of these questions is no, it's time to rethink your solution. This doesn't mean that what you're offering is completely off the mark. All this means is that you need to do a bit of tweaking to get things where you want them to be.
• Place: Where are you marketing your product/service? If it's something that would be of interest to the elderly, advertising on Facebook may not be the best choice (that's not to say that no older people are on Facebook). On the same token, if you are wanting to reach young adults, phonebook ads won't make sense. Ultimately, as long as you put your advertising where your target market is, you should be OK in this area.
• Price: Are you pricing your services too high? Too low? How will you ever know? You won't really. You have to decide what you are worth and hope this falls in line with what the market will bear. This is, quite possibly, one of the most difficult obstacles to overcome. Research what several of your competitors are charging and start your price right around that range.
• Promotion: What form of advertising are you using? How does this advertising reach your target market? Are you using the product/service's unique selling proposition in every piece of marketing collateral? Are you using other forms of non-interruptive advertising? This ties in very closely to place with the earlier points about where you are placing ads. How you are promoting makes a difference as well. Content marketing is a very time-consuming yet effective method (if done correctly). Ultimately, one of the best ways to promote your product/service is to give it away for free...

It's time to get back to the basics. Have you committed any of these "deadly" misfires in marketing? If so, it's not too late. You can still change things up. There is still time to save your product/service and your brand.

What can you do? Start (or cultivate a blog). Offer a giveaway. Define (or redefine) your target market. Talk to the people who make up your target market to see what they want/need from someone like you. Give more than you take. Tell people how to do everything that you do for free, and if they can't do it, guess who's the first person they'll call on?

Of course, there are many other ways that you can change up your marketing strategy, but if you don't have any clients something needs to be done sooner rather than later. What are you planning to do differently in 2012 and beyond?

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5 Office Upgrades for Last Minute Tax Savings

Psst...want to listen to this post? Find the audio at the bottom...

You're reading this. That means one of two things. You are already working as a freelancer, solopreneur, etc. or you are interested in starting a business. For those of you who already have your own business, it's time to start thinking about tax time. That's right - with the end of the year less than two days away, that puts tax time right around the corner. My gut instinct tells me that you've been doing that all along, but that's not the point of today's writing. You're reading this today because you want to catch a break on your taxes - and more specifically, find out about how to take advantage of last minute tax savings.

Do you have any cash in the bank (or in your pocket)? If not, there's no point in reading any further. If you do, listen up...

Look around your office. What do you need? What will make your work life easier? Have you been considering the purchase of new technology equipment or even smaller purchases such as printer ink? Now is your last chance to buy these things and deduct the cost as business expenses on this year's income tax filing. If you can't think of a list of things you need for your business, here are a few to consider:

1. A new computer: It's important to keep up with technology in your personal life. It's even more important to keep up with technology for your business. You have to make sure you have the latest and greatest in technology because your clients expect it and you deserve it. If you are working on a system that is more than 3-4 years old, it is definitely worth it to consider upgrading.
2. Upgraded software: If you are still running Office XP, there is something wrong with that picture. That software debuted in 2001. It's over 10 years old. People are sending .docx, .xlsx, .pptx, etc. files. You need to be able to open them. At the very minimum, you should have Office 2007, though Office 2010 is preferred. Check all of your other software to make sure that it is current. Software that is over 5-6 years old is not current. It's time to upgrade.
3. Industry-related books: You have to keep up with what's current in your industry. Often, you can find trends, etc. online. However, for in-depth reading, an eBook (compatible with your eReader of choice) or print book is probably a better choice.
4. New desk/office chair: Is your desk meeting your needs? Does your chair provide sufficient ergonomic support? If the answer to either (or both) questions is no, you may want to look into buying a new desk or chair.
5. Office supplies: This is something that every business owner needs and the one thing that you can never have enough of. We're talking paper, pens, printer ink, staples, etc. Essentially, office supplies can be any of those little things that are necessary for running a successful business.

Certainly there are other upgrades to consider, but I think all of us can find something to shop for from this list. If you don't have anything to shop for (unlikely), don't buy stuff just for the last minute tax savings. After all, if you purchase something you don't need, you're not really saving. The idea here is to increase UTILITY then promote SAVINGS. Your main focus should be on improving your working conditions/environment. 

What's on your "before the new year" shopping list? Do you need some help coming up with something to purchase? I'm glad to help. Drop a comment below or find me on Twitter (@eliseconnors).

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Review: The 1% Solution for Work and Life by Tom Connellan

If you could change your life in a way that only involved a little bit of effort, would you do it?

That's what Tom Connellan discusses in his book, The 1% Solution for Work and Life. I've discussed it here before (on a video), but I just wanted to share a bit more about this book with all of you.

The book introduces you to several characters - all of them very successful. Their goal is to inspire the main character, who feels a bit down on his luck and is ready to change his life for the better. Ultimately, in the end, you learn that improving areas of your life by 1% is enough to make a rather large difference - even though it may not be as obvious to you at the time.

As much as we all try, we aren't able to be 100% better than our competition at any thing. However, we can, and somewhat easily, find it within ourselves to be 1% better.

Here's the review I shared with the Readers Favorite audience (I received this book at no cost to me because I am a volunteer reviewer):

The 1% Solution for Work and Life is a book aimed at teaching its readers how to improve their life, small bits at a time. Mostly the book reveals common sense practices that are often overlooked. For example, one point stressed in the book is that your body needs at least 8 hours of sleep per day. Most adults are aware of this, but we don’t usually follow this advice unless there is sufficient evidence from people we “know” that the strategy works in their life.

That’s where 1% Solution wins. Instead of revealing all of these techniques in a “preaching” way, readers are taken through several brief story lines where each successful character (and teacher of the 1% Solution) is introduced. We get to know them, trust them, and ultimately believe them. We meet all of these characters from the point-of-view of Ken, an average guy who wants to change his life for the better.

The author is great at using imagery to bring his story to life. This is definitely not like your typical non-fiction business book. It teaches you the things that you need to do in order to improve your life so that you can be "1% better at hundreds of things".

The 1% Solution for Work and Life is a good solid read. It’s very easy to follow, there’s no rambling, and there are important common sense lessons taught. I would definitely recommend picking up a copy of the book if you need help changing the pace in your life.

If you're interested in buying the book, please use my link below because I will get paid and be happy. :-)

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Top 3 Reasons Why Your Word is NOT Your Bond

How often have you heard this familiar - and borderline cliche' saying?

How many of you follow this rule? The words you speak (or type) should be as good as gold. In a world where accountability is not on the forefront, though, we often struggle with this. Businesses don't do what they say they will. Customers don't do what they say they will. This leads to an enormous circle of distrust among all parties involved.

So, why do we say these words but neglect to follow through on our "promises"?

1. We run out of time. We're all busy professionals and live busy lives. More often than not, we don't have the time to "make good" on our promises.
2. The dog ate our homework - aka - we forgot. We're all human, and we all have a tendency to forget to do the things we said we would. We said we'd add it to our calendar, but, umm...we forgot... :-)
3. We never meant what we said. Most people are genuinely good people and don't fall into this category. However, there are a select few that promise you something while you're "in the moment" but never intend on following through on these "empty promises".

While we're busy, forgetting, or simply not caring, we often forget about the person on the other end of our promise. That person can be left hurt, confused, and let down because we didn't do what we said we would.

How do you make sure your word is as good as gold?

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My 30 by 30 List (And Why You Need One Too!)

This is personal in nature but there is a moral to this story...

A few other bloggers have posted 40 by 40 lists. Well, 40 is 15 years away for me, so I have to cut it down a bit to the 30 by 30 list. I have five years to go, and I want to prioritize some of the things I would like to do.

So here's my 30 by 30 list (in no particular order):

1. Post to this blog at least 2-3 times per week regularly
2. Audition for a play at the St. Louis Black Rep Done 10/15/11
3. Complete my B.S. degree program
4. Get a full-tuition+stipend fellowship to attend Grad School
5. Renew my wedding vows in a destination ceremony
6. Build up at least a six month emergency fund
7. Get into a size 10/12 pants
8. Learn to put off procrastination and manage time better (no pun intended)
9. Earn a six figures so that my hubby can stop working
10. Get into a regular sleeping schedule (I need a bedtime!)
11. Empower at least 10 people to start their own businesses
12. Comment on at least 5 other blog posts per day to increase my blog's exposure
13. Pay off my car (and don't buy another one)
14. Donate eggs (have to get healthy for this)
15. Go jet skiing
16. Swim with the dolphins
17. Visit Las Vegas
18. Start a business with my hubby
19. Purchase a vacation home
20. Go skydiving
21. See Whoopi Goldberg live
22. Go to the Essence Music Festival
23. Visit NYC (though I'm scared of this place)
24. Join Toastmasters
25. Become a keynote speaker
26. Finish writing and publish my book on customer service
27. Pay off all credit cards (and only use them if they can be paid in full every month)
28. Become a Big Sister (with Big Brothers/Big Sisters - not from my mom having more kids)
29. Go to church regularly again
30. Give 10% of ANY and ALL income to God

Wow, that was refreshing - sharing my goals with you in the form of this list makes everything concrete. I will be updating this list as I complete each task. Now, why do you care? Well, this should inspire you to create your own list. You don't have to publish it online, but you should have one. You should share it with people who will hold you accountable. After all, if you don't have lists, how will you know if you've done everything you wanted to do?

Another thing I considered while writing my list is that each task/goal should be SMART. You've probably heard that acronym before - it stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timed.

Specific is what it is - you must be able to say exactly what you want to do. For instance, with #21, I didn't just say that I want to see a celebrity live, I specifically said that I want to see Whoopi Goldberg.

Measurable means that the goal must be something that can be quantified or tracked. Some of my goals are rather vague - for example #29 - I said that I want to go to church "regularly". What is regularly? That won't mean the same thing to everyone. However, I couldn't go much further with that. I didn't want to say every Sunday or every Wednesday because I don't know when I will go.

If something is attainable, that means that it's possible. All of the things I've listed here are within reach. I may have to work hard to make them happen, but they are all within reach.

Relevancy is subjective. What's relevant to me may not be relevant to you. However, all of my goals are VERY relevant to me.

Timed goals are set into a time box of sorts. All of these goals, I want to achieve by the age of 30. There's my timebox.

So, what's on your list? How are you holding yourself accountable?

P.S. - you can view some of the other bloggers here:

Uncommon Chick

The Cubicle Chick

MELISASource

Glamazini

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