Book Review: Get Clients Now!

by Kristy Schnabel

You have the skills. You have the confidence, or maybe not. But you don't have the clients, or know how to get them. My advice: Get your hands on the book Get Clients Now!, written by certified professional and personal coach C. J. Hayden. Designed for people who provide services, Get Clients Now! (GCN) is a 28-day marketing program that may be taken over and over again.

The program uses a cafeteria - style approach that lays before you all of the marketing possibilities. Whether you are stuck making initial contacts with potential clients, following up, or closing the sale, the program lets you choose which strategies are most palatable to your personality. Strategies range from networking and referral building to writing press releases and advertising. At the same time, it educates you on which approaches are the most successful (direct contact and follow-up) and the least effective (advertising).

The GCN book, available in soft cover for $19.95, is chock full of practical, systematic steps to complete your marketing strategy. The 28-day program is rigorous, even when you design it yourself, and it is easy to get behind with your goals. For an additional cost, you can seek out and work with a marketing coach who, along with your classmates, can take you through the journey, and provide support along the way. (For a list of licensed Get Clients Now leaders, go to www.getclientsnow.com). I recommend this approach, having just completed the program using a teleconference format with 8 others from my industry. Sharing successes and setbacks with peers and being accountable to them is a powerful and nurturing combination.

If you decide to get the book and start the program on your own, the book includes daily notes of inspiration and advice for each of the 28 days in the program. My favorite thought of the day is from the oft-quoted Jay Conrad Levinson of the Guerilla Marketing series who says, "I hate to admit this, but mediocre marketing with commitment works better than brilliant marketing without commitment." That's reassuring indeed.

About the Author

Kristy Schnabel has a B.A. in Economics, an M.B.A from the University of California, Irvine, and a Certificate in Technical and Professional Writing from Portland Community College. She owns It's Virtually Done, a virtual assistance practice. Reach her through her Web site at (http://www.itsvirtuallydone.com).