The Six-Step Process That Grows Your Business

1. Examine your clientele and define your idealclient. Of all the customers you've served in the lastcouple of years, who are the ones you most enjoyedworking with and found most profitable? Create aprofile of the client characteristics that, for you,define heaven on earth. These characteristics mightinclude income, age, lifestyle, attitudes, motivation,profession, geography, etc. Before going on to step 2,make sure that you've crystallized a single type ofclient. If you have more than one type, choose one tostart with and simply repeat this process later withthe other(s).

2. Research the demographics, interests and hangoutsof your ideal clients. Delve further into the lives,minds and habits of your ideal clients by interviewingthose customers who best typify those you hope toattract. Where do they go on vacation? What do they doin their spare time? What do they read for work? Howinvolved are they with computers and the Internet?What charities and causes do they support? How do theydecide who to do/not do business with?

3. Define and differentiate yourself in a way thatappeals to ideal clients. Use your research to createan image and pitch for your business that ties intothe top concerns of the folks you want to attract.Make certain that you have an answer for the question"Why should I do business with you rather than yourcompetitors?" that will make that group nodappreciatively and want to learn more. Incorporatethat image in your web site and all other marketingmaterials.

4. Create a "bait piece" and offer it free where it'slikely to catch the attention of ideal clients. Writean article, white paper, report, tip sheet orpractical tool that will be very tempting andappealing to your ideal clients. (E.g., see how Ifeature the report, "Charge More & Get It!" on thissite.) Then offer the bait piece through pressreleases to the media, at your web site and throughlead-generating ads in publications read by yourtarget market.

5. Penetrate the organizations that your ideal clientsbelong to. Whether that means business organizations,charity groups, reading clubs or a fitness facility,join those groups. Finagle a speaking engagement tothe group or volunteer for a committee post. Overtime, you become a trusted resource for influentialmembers of those groups if you are active, visible,helpful and patient. Results from this step take time.

6. Publish articles that zero in on your idealclients' concerns. Identify common questions orproblems troubling your ideal clients and writearticles for publications reaching them. Do this atleast four or five times a year. Together with steps 4and 5, this soon creates a modicum of fame for you inthe circles where you most want people to know you.When new people you meet exclaim that they've heard somuch about you, the payoff you've been working towardis gathering momentum and about to flood in.

Marcia Yudkin is the author of 6Steps to Free Publicity and 10 other books. She runsa private member site, MarketingforMore.com, whichsupports business owners who are growing theirbusinesses. Learn how to avoid the most common pricingmistakes in her free report, "Charge More & Get It,"available fromhttp://www.marketingformore.com/survey.htm .