Lets face it, most people put marketing on the back burner, something they get to only once theyve put out all the fires that need to be put out, once they answer each and every e-mail in their inbox, once theyve sent every client what they promised to send. Yes, its really important to do all of these things; however, youve got to realize that if you dont MAKE the time for your Client Attraction (i.e., Marketing), then youre simply not going to attract all the clients you need. Make sense?

The good news is, it doesnt have to be difficult. Over the years of coaching thousands of self-employed professionals to attract more clients, Ive created a few systems to keep you on track and make Client Attraction a priority. What weve got to do is have you clear the decks and get rid of the leaks in your day.

How much time per day should you really allocate for marketing? I recommend my clients spend up to 4 hours of marketing PER DAY the first 6 months to a year in business, or whenever they need a new boost of clients. Many people gasp at that number when I first share it with them, because they usually spend no more than 4 hours per MONTH, if that. No wonder theyre having trouble attracting new clients!

First-time clients tell me they just dont have the time to devote that many hours to marketing. Well, since Im always trying to find solutions to problems, we have to look at whats taking up your time now and there are usually several non-essential things that are eating up your time. I call these the leaks in your day. Heres what I mean: if youre spending your valuable time working on non-business items during the day, then you may want to consider putting a pause button on these for the first 6 months of working on this Client Attraction System.

It might mean stepping down from that Board of Directors position that doesnt really serve you, taking a leave of absence from that time-consuming project that isnt giving you a return on your time investment, not going to the grocery store during the day, and just deciding you will go to the gym before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m. every day, instead of smack in the middle of your workday.

Remember, its much more difficult to attract new clients when youre not out there sharing with people what you do; networking, writing newsletters, articles, sending mailings, following up with potential clients, asking current clients for referrals, or working on presentations or seminars.

OK, then, so lets get really clear on what your day should look like. During the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. (or whatever you consider your regular work hours, Im not picky about that), there are only 2 things you should be working on:

1. Client work (the stuff that actually makes you money)
2. Client Attraction and marketing (the stuff that gets you clients)

After 6 months or a year, when you start seeing consistent results in your Client Attraction, youll be able to decrease the number of hours you spend on marketing each day and reinstate some of the things you enjoyed doing beforehand, but had to put on pause for awhile. (However, you might just be so happy to focus only on Client Attraction and client work during the day that, as for many of my private clients, youll decide never to go back to the old way of doing things.)

Your Assignment:

Clear the decks. If you know you need 4 hours of marketing per day (thats what I scheduled per day to fill both of my private practices to capacity in less than 8 months each), then youve simply got to make room for it. Your businessand livelihooddepends on it.

Take a pad of paper and write down all of the different things that take up your time every day. Include every curricular and extracurricular activity. Be a hard grader! This is not the time to be forgiving. Were looking for change, not excuses.

Once youve done that, underline or check off the things that can go for at least the next 6 months, to give you the time and space to make your practice what you want it to be: FULL.

Then do it. Make a commitment to eliminate the things (for the short-term) that eat up major amounts of time each day and week. Now, dont get depressed. Remember, this is not forever; its just for right now, a few months, until you get all the clients you need. Then you can slowly start adding things back in. I did.

This mantra kept me going for the first 6 months: A strong focus now creates a different future later.

Want more of the tools that I still use today to keep making Client Attraction a priority EVEN while I have a full practice? Its all outlined in the Client Attraction Home Study System. All the time grids, tools, and tricks Ive developed and used over the years are all there for you to use right away, so you can manage your time and start attracting lots of clients fast. The Client Attraction Home Study System will save you LOTS of time in filling your practice quickly and consistently. You can get it at www.TheClientAttractionSystem.com.

2006 Client Attraction LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Fabienne Fredrickson

Using the very principles she teaches, Fabienne Fredrickson went from a mediocre private practice to a practice that was bursting at the seams, in less than 8 months! She then did it again with a second practice a year later, again filling it to capacity in less than 8 months.

Fabienne Fredrickson is the founder of ClientAttraction.com and creator of The Client Attraction System?, the most complete one-on-one Client Attraction training program for private practices and small businesses in North America.

Fabienne is also the celebrated author of the Client Attraction Home Study System? entitled “How to attract ALL the clients you need” and “The Secrets of Networkers".

Fabienne is known for combining a unique blend of innovative, straight-shooter, no-fluff strategies that really work, with an endless compassion for small businesses owners that are rarely seen together.

Her high-energy, cut-to-the-chase style keeps her audiences literally spellbound and taking copious notes. Fabienne’s motto about filling one’s practice quickly is, "If I can do it twice, you can do it too!" and her unique ability is getting people who’ve never had real success in attracting clients to take immediate action on a systematic basis to produce a full practice with more clients, in record time, every time.

She is a well known and respected expert on marketing for small businesses and speaks nationally to audiences whose members are looking for more clients, in record time, every time.