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

Kethyr's CAMEL Report
Mountain View, California
Sunday, March 1, 2009

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Today I'd like to share with you a story about 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!

The strategy I'm about to reveal worked so well for Julie P. that one new client was worth $100,000 to her business. And another client turned out to be worth $50,000 in new sales. That's $150,000 in new business.

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

Share Your Expertise

Julie P. is a marketing consultant who knows how to analyze direct-mail packages, pick mailing lists, and critique and write marketing copy. Her clients vary from Omaha Steaks and Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company to US Bank and Viking Travel.

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

When Julie decided to go into business for herself, she started by thumbing through her Rolodex and calling up contacts she had developed through the years.

One name in particular stood out: Heather Fletcher, senior editor of Target Marketing. Having very little money to spend on advertising, Julie asked Heather if she'd be willing to publish some of her articles in the magazine.

Heather agreed, and Julie 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 Julie's articles appeared in the publication, she would get business.

You see, people would read the article, see Julie's name, and then call her directly. Those phone calls translated into new clients.

Because of her articles, Julie became widely known as a direct-mail guru. Even more exciting, her business was growing … and it wasn't costing her a thing.

It didn't cost her 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. Julie was simply writing about what she already knew.

But it gets even better …

Business Building Using Guest Appearances

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

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

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

Julie was traveling the country giving speeches on marketing — and, often, conference promoters were picking up the tab. Julie says, "When I look back, I see that my biggest and best clients have come from the articles I've written and the speeches I've given."

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

Yours in success,

Sean Eric Armstrong
Kethyr's CAMEL Report

P.S. Please send your questions and comments to editor@kethyr.com. For more information on writing successful lead-generating articles and giving powerful presentations that build your business, please review our previous articles or e-mail info@kethyrsolutions.com.

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