You may have heard it before: Experts get paid a lot more than Generalists, and the way to attract a lot of clients is to position yourself as an expert in your field. Being the accepted Go-to Person for your particular field is the easiest way to stand out and have clients choose your service over your competitors’. Ok so far so good. But how do we do this in the fastest way possible you might ask.

When people hear the word ‘Expert’ they often think of somebody who has been in one field for a long time. Many people balk at the idea of claiming expert status for themselves thinking “Who am I to claim I am an expert, I don’t know anywhere near enough to be an expert. When I ask clients how long they need to have been in a field before they can claim to be an expert, they often answer with “at least five years”. Hmm, so what are you meant to do in the meantime? Just accepting the fact that you are merely mediocre? Marketing yourself as a beginner?? No way. Nobody wants to work with a beginner. So who decides from what point onwards you can call yourself an expert?

And really it can be so easy if you just make that one small but important mindset shift that lets you claim expert status no matter where you are at and how long you have been doing what you’re doing.

Here is the all important question:

Who is your audience?

Expert status is always relative. Here’s an example. I am a total tennis novice. For me the tennis coach giving lessons at my local club is an expert at what he does. But for a professional player, like the world’s number one, Roger Federer he is not really the expert, he’s an amateur. Roger needs somebody MUCH more experienced and knowledgeable than my local tennis coach to assist him in his training.

Point being, who do you cater for with your expertise? If my local tennis coach compared himself to Roger Federer’s trainer, he would never be able to claim expert status. He will be forever an amateur. Feeling like the eternal amateur isn’t going to be good for his image and not very client attractive. Not to mention what it will do for his self esteem. But for a tennis novice like me, my local trainer is THE expert I want to work with as he can relate to me as a beginner, he knows how to teach beginners like me and he can easily take me to the goal I want to achieve when it comes to playing tennis. Maybe better than Roger Federer’s trainer who really would be totally bored working with a beginner like me.

Now how about you? If you are having issues claiming expert status, then who are you comparing yourself to? A competitor who has been in the industry you just entered for 10 years? Is that why you can’t claim to be the expert? And who are you looking at catering for? Where are they at in their journey? And what level of expertise will most serve them right now?

Now if you needed to be THE BEST to be an expert, then wouldn’t every local tennis coach be out of work while Roger Federer’s trainer was inundated with clients? I think we both know the local tennis coach down the road has nothing to fear from Roger’s coach. And both can quite happily call themselves experts, as they are both speaking to a different audience.

So what is your audience? And how far ahead of them are you? Can you take them forward the steps they are seeking to take? If yes, great then you are an expert in their eyes RIGHT NOW.

Next week I will share with you three ways you can position yourself as an expert almost instantly. Hint – check out my Client Attraction Week Telesummit where I team up with seven other experts to bring you highly effective strategies for positioning yourself as an expert…. you can attend for FREE, check it out… http://www.clientprosperity.com/telesummitsales

In the meantime, what are your thoughts on the whole Expert Status thing? I’d love to know, please leave me a note…

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How you describe what you do can either be totally inspiring for your potential clients in which case they will WANT to work with you and often excitedly say “this is exactly what I need right now” or it can leave them confused and in a way ‘turned off’. Let me share with you my three step formula for inspiring your potential clients into working with you.

Here’s the secret: Give them back their hope that their desires can be fulfilled. Move their dreams within reach.

Clients become clients because they have a problem that you can solve. Your task is to convince them that you can help them. Most people take that to mean talk about your solution. And that’s a big mistake. People aren’t ready to hear it yet. Instead, take them on a journey with an inspiring story. And here is how it goes:

1. Let them know you truly understand their problem
This is the first and THE most important step. If you miss this the rest won’t work. Tell them how you either have been in the situation they are in now or how you have observed the problem many times in people around you and how it really bothered you.

2. Tell them that you solved the problem and how it is now
Tap into your potential clients’ dreams. Inspire them by sharing with them your new reality which is everything your potential clients want. Knowing that you have just that now is much more inspiring to them than your ‘how to’ description.

3. Mention that you have a simple step by step solution
Only now do you allude to the fact that from your experience you have designed a step by step system that reliably creates the results your clients want. You don’t even have to tell them what they step are, if they truly are your ideal client, they will be hanging on every word you are saying by now and will ask “How?”. Voila, someone is getting ready to engage your services.

Very elegant, don’t you think? Incidentally, I happen to have a step by step system to create this kind of message that makes it really easy to inspire your clients, no matter what your business. Because as you can imagine, how exactly you tell your story in these three stages makes a big difference to your results. The beauty of it is, that doing this also helps you to clarify in your own mind what it is you do. Which is very inspiring for YOU.

I just took all my platinum clients through it last weekend. Watch their excitement as they get it really clear in their mind what they do and how to communicate that to their clients.

June Kitto from www.careerfit.com.au on her breakthroughs on niche, standards and masterminding

To see more videos with breakthroughs my clients are sharing go to http://www.clientprosperity.com/blog/?p=427

Click here to listen to this blogpost

Have you seen the movie “What Women Want” with Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt? It’s really funny and well worth watching for another reason:

In the movie Mel Gibson, an arrogant and rather ignorant Advertising Executive, gets the gift of hearing women’s throughts, unedited. And it’s not pretty what they think about him. The pay off of this gift is that he is able to present ideas to his female boss that she had thought about and he therefore just repeated from what he heard her thinking.

While that may come across as not very creative (and by no means do I endorse how he uses that to manipulate her) – it’s actually incredibly clever and effective. What if you could hear your clients and potential clients think? And then you offered them exactly what they wanted?

Until you and I aquire that skill, we will rely on things that they tell us. And on what we know of ourselves as clients.

Knowing what works in Marketing and Sales, and having used myself as a study object, I am taking you behind the scenes, into your clients’ head. Letting you read their mind for a moment: What are they thinking when they are wondering whether to hire you or not?

Here are five things that are really high up on your clients’ Want list. Just adapt them to your ‘tribe’ and think about this, isn’t this what you want as well?

I have slipped roles for a moment and am now speaking as your client’s voice. And I’m telling it like it is. So please listen so you can serve me even better…

1. I want you to ‘get’ me

How do I know that what you provide actually works? It can only work if you know what’s going on for me. So do you?
Have you been where I have been? Or at least have you worked with people just like me? My biggest fear is to invest in false hope and then be bitterly disappointed. I’d rather not give it a go at all if I’m not sure.

2. I want you to be ‘real’

If I invest with you, I will need to be vulnerable about my shortcomings because that’s what you will be helping me to overcome. So I need to know that I can open up to you, that I will be emotionally safe.
I also need to know that you are not some kind of ueber-achiever because otherwise I don’t think I can recreate what you show me because I am only human.

3. I want you to be specific about what you do for ME

A lot of marketing out there just doesn’t speak to me, I can’t connect with it, its just generic words. The trouble for me is, I know what my problem is but I don’t know what the solution is. That’s where I need your help. My biggest challenge is to work out whether the solution you offer actually works for my problem. That’s why, the better you describe the problems you solve the easier for me to decide.

4. I want a good deal

I love a deal. Money is precious and it’s never easy to part with it. But if you want me to make a quick decision, just give me a really good deal. It’s easier for me to justify buying from you that way. You know when I want to, it just tips the balance, gives me the extra little nudge I need.

5. I want to feel cared for

I am special. And I want to be treated as special rather than just being one of your many clients. Once I know you are the real deal I am happy to invest a bit extra to get the special treatment I deserve.

Well, what do you think? Does this ring true for you?
Share your view about these ‘thoughts’, I’d love to know how they resonated with you. Do you have any to add? Leave me a comment here.

If you want to work with someone on your business to implement the above and therefore make you really attractive to your clients, then check out my Massive Momentum with Lifestyle Platinum Program. There are still 2 spots available in this 7 months mentoring program. A fantastic group is coming together. Act now, interviews happening as we speak.

Have you settled on a niche yet? I know it’s not an easy decision to make for most service professionals and it’s the most important decision you will ever make in your business. It can mean the difference between a thriving business and a total lemon.

A lot of people are resisting making the decision for the fear of getting it wrong and losing their business. I used to be one of them. Apart from the fear of losing clients I was also extremely fond of all the different things I was doing and didn’t want to let go of any of them. I love stimulation and variety (probably smiliar to you).

On thing I have learned over the last few years is though: You MUST settle on a niche to be financially successful (beyond the $100,000 ceiling you can just reach without making this decision, but you’ll be working hard to maintain that for the rest of your life).

I have a step by step process that effectively leads you to make that decision. Many of my Market your Brilliance Workshop attendees made the decision on the workshop weekend, they had huge breakthroughs. I want to share with you the fundamental questions that start this process off so you can get yourself into the frame of mind that helps you make this all important decision.

So here it goes, you may want to do this with me as we go through:

Step1: Find out what you are passionate about

There is no point starting a business when your heart is not 100% in it. That’s why it makes sense to do this process from the inside out and start with what your heart tells you. When you do this, don’t think about how you will make it happen, will someone buy it etc. that just sabotages the process. That comes later. For now just focus on what you are really passionate about. Believe me without this passion you won’t have the commitment you need to make your business a success. This is especially true for us heart-centred entrepreneurs. Being an NLP Expert I use processes here that uncover your passion by engaging the unconscious mind.

Step 2: Your ideal client and their problem

Who is it that you want to work with and what problem do you solve for them? This is the time to get really specific in articulating these things. The clearer you are the better. And yes that means some people won’t fit into your profile anymore. That’s the point.
If you don’t set a clear boundary around who you work with, then nobody in particular will feel spoken to. And here is the crux of it: If you can find 5 people that want to work with you because you offer exactly what they need and you are confident your solution will solve their problem, then you have a good chance of building a viable business. Because if you can find 5 then you can find more. It’s then just a question of how do you find them and that can be solved.

Step 3: Does your ideal client have enough spending power?

So you know they have a problem you can solve. Do they want to solve it? Is it important enough for them to spend money on solving it? Do they have the spending power to buy your solution? This is critical and sometimes overlooked. Some of the biggest problems we have are not the ones we spend the most money on solving. Ever thought about it that way? Look at your own life and your spending patterns, what do you really need (be honest) and what do you spend the most money on?

How did you go? Has your view of your niche changed at all? still undecided? If you need a way to tighten this up and really nail it down, if you are having a couple of alternatives to choose from here is what I suggest:

1. Go out and test your ideas on an audience of your envisaged ideal clients

2. Get help from a mentor who is unbiased and can ask the questions that you may be avoiding to look at because of fears or emotional attachments to a particular niche.

This is one focus of our Platinum 2010 Program. All my Platinum Program Members will be guided to making sound decisions on their niche so they have a solid base to build their business on. It’s much easier to see your vision unfold once you have made these basic decisions. Could it be time for you to step up and become part of a Mentoring Program that holds you to your goals and helps you to realise them with sound advice, savvy coaching and a great sense of community?
Go to www.clientprosperity.com/platinum to get your Platinum Invitation letter and application form.

There are 4 major limiting belief patterns around charging what you are worth and getting it. Watch this video where I highlight one of them that is very common:

The pattern I am highlighting here is around your money boundaries. How good are yours?

Here is your assignment around this pattern:

Take note of how often you undercharge, customize and decide for someone else what they can afford. Notice your emotions around this. Then decide to let them go.

At the ‘How to charge what you’re worth and get it’ Webcast I will be discussing this pattern and others and what to do about them. You can still register for the webcast here www.clientprosperity.com/teleseminar.html. If you can’t make it on Thursday night but would like to listen to the webcast you can register anyway and we will send you the recording.

Apart from letting go of your limiting beliefs around money there are some very practical things you can put in place in order to charge higher fees more comfortably.

Generally speaking, your fees are too low if you focus on the effort it takes you to provide your service and the time it takes to do it rather than the value you provide. If that’s your mindset, then that will most likely impact the way you present your service in your Marketing, in your sales conversation, and of course it will impact the way you set your prices in the first place.

So ask yourself, what will my clients gain from working with me? What is the value I create for them and what problems do I solve for them?

Observe yourself during the sales conversation:
How focused are you during the conversation on the value versus the features of the service you provide? The more you focus on value the easier it is to sell what you have at the price point you want. To be precise, you don’t want to talk about the features of your service for more than 10% of the conversation.

Find out exactly what you need to do in your Marketing and Sales in order to charge what you’re truly worth and get it by joining our webcast this Thursday night 7pm, register here at www.clientprosperity.com/teleseminar.html

Click here to listen to the audio version of this blog post

If you are anything like me you have probably already invested a fair bit of time and money into your personal and professional development over the years. Maybe you have like I did, made some great and some not so good choices when it comes to choosing the programs you attend. I am grateful for both they taught me some good lessons.

Have you ever asked yourself: Is it possible to build a million dollar business (or whatever figure is yours) with complete integrity and honesty?

I have asked myself that very question, and I have decided that that’s exactly what I am going to do. Sure, it may not happen overnight, but as a friend of mine put it so eloquently, I am going for

SUSTAINABILITY instead of AVAILABILITY.

I have no qualms about openly acknowledging that it’s my goal to build a million dollar business. I believe me reaching that goal means:

I have created at least 3 times that amount in value for my clients.

That is my real aim and that’s what I am totally focused on. I happen to create monetary value for my clients so it’s easily measurable, and I believe that everyone can use this formula. Just think of the value you create for your clients in terms of health, happiness etc. What is that worth to them?

In order to create that value, build a reputation that makes my business sustainable and preserve my own peace of mind throughout the journey, I work within an integrity framework that keeps things clear and simple for me and my clients.

There are 6 Golden Rules that I am applying whenever I need to make a decision about how to act in any given situation. These rules make it simple (not necessarily easy) to make decisions, keep my conscience clear and give me the confidence needed to stretch myself out of my comfort zone.

Here are my six golden rules:

1. Be yourself at all times
That means ‘on stage’ and off. You have probably seen my videos, may have heard my voice on my blog or on a teleseminar. What you see/hear is the real me. I don’t put on a show, I am just myself. It works well, because I only attract those people to me that like who I really am. So I never feel pressured to ‘live up to expectations’ as far as my personality is concerned, because you already know what I am like. It also means that the people I attract will love being part of my ‘tribe’. That’s the group of people that I work with and communicate with on a regular basis (meaning you). Most likely all of these lovely people share my main values and are therefore easily going to bond with each other as well. And that group bond is a massively powerful thing! It creates a forcefield that can propell us all forward in a really exciting way!

2. Underpromise and overdeliver
I don’t believe in hype. The value I promise is the value I deliver. I like delighting my clients by giving them value they didn’t expect to get. I can’t see the point in promising people everything and the kitchen sink. I am clear about the value I deliver and will base it on what people can reasonably be expected to achieve. I always provide testimonials to back up these claims. Getting testimonials is my first goal when rolling out a new program. They provide proof from someone other than me which is much more powerful than me claiming things myself. Testimonials, when done effectively, are one of your most valuable assets in business. I will show you how to have clients write them the right way so they will work for you at my Market your Brilliance Intensive.

3. Make clear rules and stick to them
It is really important to be clear about the rules of engagement upfront. That includes the guarantee, the expectations you have of each other, payment and cancellation policies etc. This keeps you in a powerful position. The way you make decisions then is based on your rules, it’s not personal. This ensures everybody feels fairly dealt with and it also means you won’t be roped into making special arrangements for people where you really shouldn’t. This is important not only for your bottom line but also for your power ful role as a coach.

4. Be compassionate
While you want to stick to your rules to prevent becoming a pushover, you also want to be compassionate where appropriate. This is where you need to and can trust your own judgement. Not everything is black and white. If someone makes a substantial financial investment with you and then finds out they have cancer and can’t participate, would you refund their money? I certainly would. That doesnt’ mean that every change in circumstance warrants a refund. Again it’s down to your judgement. I always remind myself, business is done with real people so I make decisions I can stand for as a person.

5. Ask for and be open to recieving feedback
This isn’t always easy, especially when you have just taken all your courage and stepped out of your comfort zone. Make sure you are selective about whose feedback you take on board. I suggest you listen to your most valued clients and the mentor(s) you trust and model and then still trust your own judgement. Feedback is really important for you to improve what you do, and therefore your bottom line. Learning to accept it gracefully is a skill worth learning and practicing for life.

6. Focus on reaching as many people as possible rather than focusing on selling what you have to everyone that presents themselves.
Not everyone will need your services right now, not everyone that contacts you is someone you will enjoy working with. The more people you can reach, the more you have the choice. My focus is not ‘where will I get the next client?’ it’s ‘how can I get my message in front of as many people as possible?’ Doing this means the people who are ready and suitable will be attracted to what you do and will come to you. That’s a much nicer way to do business, don’t you think?

Overall, nothing makes it easier to follow all the above rules as having more than enough clients and potential clients. And having a system that creates client abundance is what I teach you at my Market your Brilliance Intensive on the 14-15 November.

Get onto Preview Call No 2 to find out what it’s all about!

Click here to listen to the audio version of this blog post.

I know YOU know what you are capable of as a professional and YOU know how you can get results for your clients, right?
But how do your clients know to trust that you can do it? Often your value promise can seem too good to be true to them, or they just can’t make up their mind quickly enough (for you) to go ahead, may compare you to other providers etc…

So how can you stand out from your competitors and make it really easy for your potential clients to say ‘yes’ to your offer?

After all, everything is easy once they are your client, have experienced your magic and know to trust you. But sometimes, asking them to take a leap of faith and trust that you will deliver the goods is just too much for them, they hesitate because the risk of trusting you just seems too great.

It’s human nature, when making a decision about whether we want something we ask ourselves two questions, in this order:

1. What does this do for me?
2. How do I know I will get what I want from it?

The answer to question number 1 is the clearly crafted Value Proposition of your Brand which attracts your ideal clients. The answer to question no 2 is your Signature system.

Your signature system is the step by step process you take clients through in order for them to get their outcome. I know what you’re thinking: “But everyone is different” yes they are and really, not that much different. Even if you don’t have a consciously clearly outlined signature system, you probably operate fairly systematically on an unconscious level.

Here is the truth about human nature: Most of us are drawn to system and order if we have the choice between having it and not having it. That means, if you have a signature system then you will be more attractive to your clients, they will find it easier to trust you and it will be much easier to market your service.

As a service professional you can easily increase the perceived value of your offers through a signature system. In the eyes of your clients and prospects it positions you as the expert and as the basis for all your offers it provides total clarity of focus for you.

Having a Signature System makes it much easier to run your business and leverage your time and expertise. Here are three ways you can leverage your Signature system. Read on for the full scoop on my blog

3 Ways to Leverage your Signature System:

1. Create a Free Giveaway for your Website to capture Visitor’s contact details
This works both ways, your visitors learn about you, get great value and you get to pre-qualify them. If they don’t like what you do, they won’t stay and you won’t want them to.

2. Use it as the basis for your workshop/coaching offerings
Your clients already know what to expect, this builds trust. You are seen to know what you’re doing, it’s all clear and out in the open. This makes it so much easier for them to make up their mind.

3. Create a home study course based on it
This is a low cost way of working with you. A ‘do it yourself’ option. It provides great value, shows people what to expect when they work with you in a more comprehensive package and leaves them wanting just that.’

In my upcoming ‘Market your Brilliance Intensive’ I will show you how to do all of the above. You will have created your Signature System by the time we finish. If you haven’t registered your place yet, you may want to do it now, the early bird price is still available here is the link Market your Brilliance Intensive.