Attracting Local Clients

Blogging is Giving: How your business blog can help you give and gain, again and again

July 3, 2011 By Linda Dessau

“For it is in giving that we receive.” – St. Francis of Assisi “We make a living by what we get;we make a life by what we give.” – Winston Churchill “You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.” – Kahlil Gibran “Love grows by giving. The love we give away is the only love we keep. The only way to retain love is to give it away.” – Elbert Hubbard “The value of a man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving.” – Albert Einstein “Among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.” – Maya Angelou “The fragrance always remains in the hand that gives the rose.” – Heda Bejar “Givers gain.” – Ivan Meisner

Whether in business networking or in life, it’s a widely accepted fact that when we freely give, we receive multiple benefits in return. The good news is that a business blog can help you carry out this philosophy all month long.

If you’re already a natural giver, these ideas will help you spread your gifts even farther. If you’ve been looking for ways to give more, here are four places to start:

1) Highlight a charity or a charitable campaign that someone in your network is part of, and include links or instructions so your readers can contribute.

What this says about you: You care about your community and you value and support charitable activities.

2) Write a testimonial about someone’s work and how this person helped you. Include the details of the problem you were having, why you chose this particular service and what the results were. Photos are a nice touch if that’s appropriate for the situation. Be sure to include contact details.

What this says about you: Sharing your own experience shows people that you’re human, and that helps them get to know, like and trust you. It also shows that you’re supportive of other business owners and committed to sharing valuable resources with your audience.

3) Comment and/or build on a blog post written by a colleague. You might write a brief introduction, or simply provide a link to the blog so your readers can explore for themselves.

What this says about you: You are at the forefront of your industry and you have access to the latest and greatest news, tips and solutions. You respect your readers enough to introduce them to other service providers and let them decide for themselves who is the best person to help them solve their problem.

NOTE: If you’re using my weekly blogging method, these three types of posts would be perfect for the weeks in between your monthly feature articles. And that leads us to the final way you can give with your blog:

4) Write an article that provides concrete tips, suggestions or strategies and teaches your readers how to solve one of their most pressing problems.

What this says about you: You are an expert in this area, and you have the tools and knowledge to solve the problems that are causing your readers the most trouble. If your article helps them this much, they will think, just imagine what hiring you could do for them!

Giving back in your blog helps your community and your colleagues, by drawing more attention to worthy causes and useful services. It also helps your readers solve their problems. In turn, it helps your business by revealing more about you, what you value, and how much you know.

For more ideas about how to give back with your business blog, see 12 Most Altruistic Reasons to Keep Blogging.

Three Powerful Ways That Blogging Can Help You Follow Up After a Networking Event

June 18, 2011 By Linda Dessau

Have you ever met someone at a networking event who would be an ideal client for you? Yet you struggle with how to follow up without seeming “sales-y” or putting any pressure on the person?

Imagine returning home from a networking event and calmly sending an email like this:

Hi ______ (Fred, Anne, John, etc.),

It was great meeting you this morning at the ______ (name of event). I wanted to follow up with some resources about what we chatted about.

You mentioned that _______ has been a challenge for you. Here is a blog post that I wrote about that very problem. It includes some basic information and some suggestions for how to apply it. (#1) You can view the post at _________ (link to the specific post). (#2)

Please let me know if you have any questions! You can reach me at ___________ (phone number). Or feel free to connect with me on ________ (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.).

See you soon, _________ (your name)

P.S. If the blog post was helpful, feel free to sign up for my weekly updates, from the top right-hand corner of my website. That way you’ll see my newest posts with similar information. (#3)

Congratulations! You’ve just deepened your relationship and shortened the distance between blogging and business.

(#1) Sending helpful information exactly when it’s needed creates goodwill with your contact. It also shows that you were listening and that you care. NOTE: At some point during your conversation, you will have needed to ask, “What is your biggest challenge when it comes to ______ (YOUR area of expertise)?”

(#2) Your well-written, focused blog post establishes you as an expert at solving the exact problems this person is dealing with. NOTE: Be sure to provide the permanent link (“permalink”) to the specific post, which you can get by visiting your blog, clicking on the blog post title and then copying the URL that appears in the address bar of your web browser.

For example, the permalink of this post is https://contentmasteryguide.com/2011/06/how-blogging-can-help-you-follow-up-after-a-networking-event.html – do you see it up there in your address bar?

(#3) Inviting the person to your blog/website gives the person a non-threatening way to find out more about you and your services. NOTE: You can turn your blog into a website (a “blogsite”) by adding just a few crucial details. See my simple writing tips for your blogsite pages. ALSO: Be sure there is a subscription form for your email list on every page of your website or blog.

With a mountain of high-quality content on a blog to draw from, following up with new networking contacts is as easy as 1-2-3.

Networking basics

January 18, 2009 By Linda Dessau

I was speaking with a coach the other day who is just getting started in her new business. When she asked me about my experience with networking, I thought about what’s worked for me in my last 11 years of self-employment.

Be visible – I strive to stay active in my networking groups and professional associations. To do that, I limit the number of groups I get involved with at any one time. I choose groups that I enjoy being part of and where I meet lots of people I can learn from and who can hopefully refer business to me and/or do business with me.
Be positive – I strive to be a positive presence so that people associate me with positive feelings and feel good about the time we’ve spent together. This goes back to the Maya Angelou quote that I’ve placed at the top of my Business Plan for the last three years in a row: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Help out – Over the years I’ve volunteered in my various professional associations (right now I maintain the website of the Music Therapy Association of Ontario) and networking groups (I gave a free talk for the NCC). I also share lots of free and hopefully helpful information via email groups, Twitter, Ezine Articles (here and here), this blog and occasionally on LinkedIn. Helping out also achieves my other three goals.
Educate – I listen for opportunities to share more about who I help and what I do. I strive to help my network recognize my ideal clients. Notice this is the LAST step in the process.

This approach applies to online and in-person networking. Using these strategies, I have successfully gained clients, referrals, motivation, inspiration, resources and countless ideas for my business.

So if you’ve given up (or are about to) on your networking activities because they “don’t work,” ask yourself if you’re using all of these proven strategies.

Publishing Your Article in a Print Magazine – Anatomy of a Winning Query

March 17, 2008 By Linda Dessau

In my interview with Sharon Crawford, freelance writer, editor and writing instructor, I learned how to "hook" an editor with a story idea – the first step to being published in print.

It all starts with a query – literally asking the question, "so, are you interested?"

Before you even get to that stage, though, take some time to look through a few issues of the magazine that you’re pitching the story to. Visit the website or call to find out whether they accept freelance submissions, and for their submission guidelines.

Sharon recommends that your query be no longer than one page. Here is her breakdown of a winning query, paragraph by paragraph:

Paragraph 1: This is where you really need to hook them in to keep reading. Make sure you offer some kind of quirky, unusual twist on the story you want to tell. Show how your story could tie into a current event, piece of news, research study or societal trend. This paragraph will often end up in your full article.

Paragraph 2: Now, you pitch the specifics, "so, how about an 800-word article about __ (topic)?" List the things you could talk about, with examples, and show the editor you’ve already put some thought and research into it. Point form is appropriate for this section.

Also, show that you’re familiar with their specific publication, and suggest different sections where the article could fit. Talk about why their readers, in particular, would be interested in reading your story. Point out how your story idea matches their editorial schedule.

Paragraph 3: Describe your subject, the person you could interview for the article. That means that before you even sit down to write your query, you need to have chosen someone, spoken to them briefly and they’ve agreed to be interviewed.

You’ll also want to mention any other people you could interview, such as people who know your main subject and can offer a different perspective about them or the experience you’re interviewing them about.

For example, if you’re going to interview someone who has achieved success from hiring a life coach, you could also interview that person’s spouse, boss, colleague or friend to hear about the changes they’ve witnessed from the outside.

Paragraph 4: Why are you the best person to write this article? Here is the place to talk about your credentials, and the personal and professional experiences that make you uniquely positioned to tell this story. Cite examples of any previous articles you’ve published, particularly on the same or similar topics.

Paragraph 5: As you’re closing your query, make it clear that you’re willing to work with the editor’s suggestions. Notice how Sharon suggests you use the word "could" throughout the query. The more open you are to questions, revisions and rewrites, the more likely it is that you’re query will be accepted.

Finally, let the editor know that you’re going to follow up, and when. And by all means, do it! If you show them in the query process that you’re responsible, committed and true to your word, they’ll be more interested in working with you. Deadlines count!

Thanks again to Sharon Crawford (http://www.samcraw.com) for providing this great information!