• Editorial: Coaching As A Successful Business- Part 4
• Ten Tips: What You Should Know
• Contest Update: The Winning Entry
• In The Spotlight: Glynis Doorbar

As we go through building a successful practice we cannot omit underlining the importance of a good, solid and well planned marketing approach.

Marketing is educating people about you, your business, your skills, your competitive-edge, your interests, and your business approach. Marketing is also selling: your services, skills, products, business approach, view point, etc. Marketing is analysing: your clients, your potential clients, your place in the market, your competition, your profitability, your approach to...marketing, etc. But most of all marketing is about creating and maintaining a relationship with your clients.

It is hard to imagine a business succeeding in the market place without some sort of marketing in place.  This is where it gets tricky though.  We tend to look at marketing as a very complex and highly specialised activity, and we are right, but what we tend to forget is that marketing is so much more then: websites, newsletter, ads, TV interviews, articles, etc.

Marketing our business starts with us those who represent the business.  The way we greet people, the way we talk about our business.  The way we enter a room and the way we leave it.  The way we dress, the way we sit and stand.  The way we talk, our voice and our manners, they all come together to form an image that, in the eyes of those we get in contact with represent our business.

When working on our Marketing approach we should once again plan it well. Planning will not only map out for us the path we should take but will also teach us more about ourselves, our clients and the road ahead.

The most important components of a marketing plan are: determining who the ideal client is, what do you have to offer to the ideal client, how do you reach the ideal client, what marketing tools should one use to accomplish this, what is the budget you can count on, what are the goals and the timeframe for reaching them.

The Vann diagram shows that good planning together with a thorough knowledge of the type of clients we are looking for are the foundation of strong targeting. A strong targeting will, in turn, ensure a better use of resources, money and time with higher results.

Combining a thorough knowledge of the clients we aim our services/products at, with the right marketing tools, capable of reaching them will determine the way we use these tools for better and faster results. This is the step where we tailor our marketing strategy to fit the needs and expectations of the clients we want to attract.

Last but not least, a consistent and balanced mixture of planning and use of marketing tools ensure the growth strategy for our business.

For a balanced and successful marketing recipe none of these "ingredients" can be left out. The final result can be edible but we will always be left dreaming of the perfect "a la carte" dish we could have had for the same price.

Read the first three parts of this series here.

What You Should Know Before You Start Working On Your Business Plan

I have yet to meet someone who would say: "Can't wait to work on my business plan." Most of us tend to postpone it for as long as we can. For some is the feeling that while working on something that seems less than "productive" they could be doing something more "real", for others is the fear of getting it wrong or of having their hopes crushed under the real facts that such a plan would reveal. Some of us are not sure where to start from and others are not sure where to take it from there. The truth is that we all are experts of finding excuses.

However, the reality is much brighter. As you work on your business plan your business becomes more and more real, your actions and strategies take shape and they seem much more easy to achieve, you understand more about yourself and your business and the bond becomes stronger. But how to get there? How do you get to the point where all this starts happening to you too? The answer is preparation. The answer is in gathering information and make sure you know a few things before you start:

1. Know your values, strengths and goals

2. Know your business

3. Know your market

4. Know your competitors

5. Know the trends in the industry

6. Know your finances

7. Know your short-term future

8. Know your long-term future

9. Know your commitment

10. Know your support

Read the whole article here

After announcing the winner of our: "Killer Elevator Speech" contest I have received lots of emails asking me to make public a list of the entries.  While I couldn't get permission for all of them here are the ones that were released for publishing here:

The Winner: Lorre Neville

"I partner with my clients to help them achieve their goals faster. Together we create a clear vision of the goal, develop an action plan, take the actions and celebrate the successes. As a coach I am the Nemesis of procrastination. I keep my clients focused and moving in the right direction."

Fernando Loaiza

"I help my clients get clear on their goals, then keep them in action!"

Judy Reardon

"I move people beyond dreams and motivation, I help them visualize their goals and create action, and realize true success."

Karen

"I provide opportunities for women to re-design their lives for greater fulfillment."

Tammie Bullard

"I encourage everyone I meet to feel great about life by simply giving their best, asking for the best and rewarding themselves for doing whatever they do! "

Carolynn Murphy

"I help people achieve their personal and career goals."

Rachelle Disbenett-Lee

"If you want to achieve your goals in twice the time, with twice the money and twice the stress, that is your business. And if you don't, that's mine."

Jodie Smith

"My focus is helping women to feel and look their best, by balancing lifestyle in respect to career, health, well-being and beauty."

Jenne Clare

"I work with people nearing retirement who see it as the end of the beginning, not the beginning of the end."

Glynnis Doorbar

"I provide jewellers with a golden opportunity to improve sales service, and increase store profits".

Sheryl

"If a therapist helps you figure out your past a coach helps you figure out where you are now, where you really want to be, how to get there and walks with you all the way!"

The thought of Networking - does it strike fear into you? All that schmoozing and those early morning greasy fried breakfasts sound like a real turn off? Well maybe you need to do a little reframe on how useful they can be - the network meetings not the greasy fried breakfasts. Those meetings are meant for casting your bait and fishing for clients. You know networking is exactly what it says, net working. And if you are not working at it your not going to take anything home in your catch net.

So lets take a look at what it is you hate so much about networking and turn it around to your advantage. Maybe it’s the word networking that bothers you. How about calling it something else? Perhaps use the names connection building, or people investing, if they fit in better with your goals. Also why does networking have to be done at morning meetings? Look for lunchtime or evening meetings if you’re not a morning person. You can use any opportunity to network. Going to the theatre, waiting in the grocery line up, in the dentist’s surgery waiting for your appointment. Anywhere where there are people is a chance to make new acquaintances who might buy your services, even at your big box bookstore, library, or coffee shop.

Once you have changed your perspective on networking you can establish exactly what you want to get out of the exercise. Primarily you want to make other people aware of your name and what you do. Promote your ‘brand’ by constantly getting your name out and about. Kleenex tissues didn't’t get well known by sitting on a shelf, they were put in front of prospective customers over and over in advertising commercials. Since most of us can’t yet afford that kind of advertising we must use networking in the same way. Even Kleenex chose its specific target audience to sell to, and so must we.

Read the rest of the article here

Glynis is a Public Relations Graduate and consultant, with experience in the creative arts, retail, advertising, and marketing fields. She is also a past winner of the De Beers Diamond Promotion Services award for the most knowledgeable diamond sales person providing personable and professional service in a Canadian independent jewellery store.

Glynis is also a member of Coachville, the International Coach Federation, and the Canadian Coaches Circle.

You can email Glynis at: glynis@24KaratCoaching.com
Or visit her websites: http://www.24karatcoaching.com and http://www.quiet-place.com