Let me give you an example: Last week, I purchased a new bicycle because I want to start taking long bike rides with my family. There was one benefit I was looking for with the purchase of this new bike: comfort. It had to be comfortable. When I finally found the bike that met my comfort requirement I was delighted, however right next to it was a bike that was a beautiful shade of purple which made my heart skip a beat. I sampled both bikes and in the end bought the bike that was a shade of silver because it was clearly the most comfortable ride. The color was a “feature” not a “benefit” for me. Remember the greatest “benefit” for me was comfort.

When you are passionate and energetic about an idea, you can come up with all kinds of names and catchy phrases for your products and services. The ideas seem to flow naturally once you put yourself in that creative space. The excitement about all of the possibilities in your future can sometimes overshadow the most important part of your business: The client or customer. We become so wrapped up in the idea of being a successful woman in business, we neglect to create a clear message about what we have to offer. Your ideal client becomes confused or uncertain on how you can help them (remember—WIIFM?) The most important thing that you can do is to put yourself in your ideal clients position and think about the benefits or outcome your client will receive when she works with you or purchases your product.

I’m working with some women right now who are on fire with ideas for their business. Recently, I shared some ideas to help them improve their “WIIFM” factor when marketing their products and services:

1. Mrs. Fields Knows Best – Debbie Fields understands the power of sampling. Her success came from this simple marketing strategy. Anytime you pass by one of her stores, someone walks out with a tray full of warm, steamy cookies and says, “Try one.” When you offer your service or product for free, it’s an easy way for your ideal client to quickly understand “WIIFM.” Over the last 7 years, I have offered your first “Creating the Spark™ Success Circle” for free, as women can clearly see the benefits and outcomes they will enjoy when they become a member.

2. Become Your Own Customer – Find some time to walk yourself through your own process. Does the system that you set up actually bring about the benefits you claim to offer? Does your business card, web site and other marketing materials clearly communicate what you offer and how it will benefit your ideal client? In today’s world, your message needs to be clear and people need to easily understand what you do.

I love the Stephen Covey quote, “Begin with the end in mind.” Smart Women have a clear vision of why they are in business and where they want their business to take them. They make sure their marketing communicates the “benefits” clearly and effectively. The next time you personally think about making a purchase, stop and listen to the questions in your own mind. I will bet that one of them is “WIIFM?”

Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you.
*****
© 2012 Joy Chudacoff

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:  Joy Chudacoff, ICF, PCC, is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions®, a Professional Certified Coach to 1000’s of women, Motivational Speaker, and Entrepreneur.  She publishes a weekly buzz generating ezine, Reflections On Life and Business for Women Entrepreneurs.  If you’re ready take your life and your business to the next level, get your FREE Tips, 2 FREE Reports and FREE MP3 now at Creating The Spark.

In a rush? Go here now.

It’s easy to beat yourself up if you feel like you haven’t been moving forward in your business. I know because I’ve done it myself, many times.

You feel stuck and unsure what to do which can sometimes seem like failure. Nearly 7 years ago, I started my business with the dream of supporting women to their next Big Idea and help them achieve success in their lives and businesses. Although having a DREAM and a DESIRE were both essential in the beginning, I spent the first few years SURVIVING instead of THRIVING. My business was up and down every month and cash flow was inconsistent.

Fast forward to TODAY:

• I have a THRIVING business that has consistent cash flow month after month
• I work with my ideal client
• My work inspires me and my clients get results
• I have plenty of time for family and self-care

What Changed?

I changed! And along the way, I learned some BASIC, no-brainer easy-to-implement tips for business building that I’m going to share with you on a *special* call:

“Guarantee Your Success in 2012: Discover the 3 Keys to Consistent Cash Flow Doing Work You Love With Your Ideal Client!”

Wednesday, November 30, 2011 at 12:00pm Pacific / 3:00pm Eastern

Learn more and reserve your spot now.

On this FREE, Complimentary One-Hour call, I’ll share:

• The 2 barriers that can sabotage your success (you may be surprised)
• The 3 pathways to immediate cash flow (and a calendar full of ideal clients)
• 4 Basic essentials that doubled my income and my number of clients
• The one missing piece that may be holding you back from converting an interested prospect into a happy, paying client who raves about you!
• DETAILS about my *brand new* Step-By-Step, Basic Blueprint to Build a Thriving Business That is Guaranteed to Create More Clients and More Income Quickly and Easily! My new no-nonsense, low-cost, and easy-to-use system for success!
• Hear from other smart women who’ve achieved dramatic results using my “no-brainer” Business Basics Blueprint!

If you’re a woman entrepreneur who’s ready to step into your own personal brand of success using simple, proven and easy solutions, then you won’t want to miss this call!

Click here to reserve your spot now!

Be Well,

Joy Chudacoff

You feel stuck and unsure what to do which can sometimes seem like failure. Nearly 7 years ago, I started my business with the dream of supporting women to their next Big Idea and help them achieve success in their lives and businesses. Although having a DREAM and a DESIRE were both essential in the beginning, I spent the first few years SURVIVING instead of THRIVING. My business was up and down every month and cash flow was inconsistent.

Fast forward to TODAY:

• I have a THRIVING business that has consistent cash flow month after month
• I work with my ideal client – I really do LOVE them all!
• My work inspires me and more importantly, my clients get results
• I have plenty of time for family and self-care

What Changed?

I changed! And along the way, I learned some BASIC, no-brainer easy-to-implement tips for business building that I’m going to share with you on a *special* call:

“Guarantee Your Success in 2012: Discover the 3 Keys to Consistent Cash Flow Doing Work You Love With Your Ideal Client!”

Wednesday, November 30, 2011 at 12:00am Pacific / 3:00pm Eastern

Learn more and reserve your spot now.

On this FREE, Complimentary One-Hour call, I’ll share:

• The 2 barriers that can sabotage your success (you may be surprised)
• The 3 pathways to immediate cash flow (and a calendar full of ideal clients)
• 4 Basic essentials that doubled my income and my number of clients
• The one missing piece that may be holding you back from converting an interested prospect into a happy, paying client who raves about you!
• DETAILS about my *brand new* Step-By-Step, Basic Blueprint to Build a Thriving Business That is Guaranteed to Create More Clients and More Income Quickly and Easily! My new no-nonsense, low-cost, and easy-to-use system for success!
• Hear from other smart women who’ve achieved dramatic results using my “no-brainer” Business Basics Blueprint!

If you’re a woman entrepreneur who’s ready to step into your own personal brand of success using simple, proven and easy solutions, then you won’t want to miss this call!

Click here to reserve your spot now!

Be Well,

Joy Chudacoff

For example, making a commitment to “niche” yourself and serve a specific target market is unsettling to some entrepreneurs. There’s a fear of losing business or potential clients when you make this bold move. Oftentimes, I hear the phrase, “Everyone can benefit from my service!” While that may be true, if you want to attract more clients and increase your income, it’s essential to overcome your fear of commitment once you’re clear on who your ideal client is.

Why? With the enormous amount of information we receive each day, it can be challenging for people to make qualified referrals to you if they aren’t sure exactly who you serve. Helping your referral sources understand exactly how your business helps others can boost business quickly. Making a commitment to serve a specific target market also keeps your marketing efforts clear, directed and focused.

I, too, experienced the fear of commitment in my business early on. When Smart Women Smart Solutions® was in the early stages of growth, I coached women of all ages (and a few men too!). I started out with the belief that my service was for women of all ages and stages of life. What I learned from this experience was that I love working with women entrepreneurs in service-based businesses who are motivated to accelerate their growth and income. This provided me the clarity I needed for my marketing message which saves time and money.

If you’re ready to commit to your business and attract your ideal client, here are some tips to get you going:

1. Keep a Journal – After every client interaction, take some time to reflect on what worked well and any areas that might need improvement. Did you enjoy being with the client? Did you enjoy the process? Was it smooth and seamless?
2. Peel Back The Layers – What part of the process did you like best? Do you enjoy the process more in the beginning? Middle? End? Where do you sparkle? Where does your genius show up?
3. Create an Ideal Client Profile – Over time, you’ll begin to see similarities in the clients you enjoy working with. It could be a targeted age range, or specific industry. Notice if you are helping them with a specific challenge. The key is to create a profile with as much information as you can.
4. Get The Word Out – Once you become clear about who you serve best, it’s time to get this message out to the world. Make sure all your marketing materials reflect your ideal client profile – from your business card to your web site.

Overcoming my fear of commitment to serve a specific target market wasn’t easy, however using the steps I shared with you helped me get clear and focused on who I should be spending my time with and understand the importance of this for my business. When I’m working in my genius with my ideal client, it’s magical. It’s why I’m so passionate about the work I’m doing in the world with women and why the business has grown to where it is today. It can happen for you too. Just make the decision and take the leap.

Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you.
*****
© 2011 Joy Chudacoff

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Joy Chudacoff, ICF, PCC, is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions®, a Professional Certified Coach to 1000’s of women, Motivational Speaker, and Entrepreneur. She publishes a weekly buzz generating ezine, Reflections On Life and Business for Women Entrepreneurs. If you’re ready take your life and your business to the next level, get your FREE Tips, 2 FREE Reports and FREE MP3 now at Creating The Spark.

Sampling or giving something away for free is still one of the best marketing strategies that you can use to grow your business. Why? It gives your ideal client an opportunity to experience your product or service before they make a decision to become a customer. We are living in times where trust has been lost, in part due to the economic financial crisis. Sampling is a simple, easy way to create trust. Women create relationships easily with others and build trust quickly. Sampling or giving something away for free is a natural marketing tool for women.

Who do you sample? The perfect person to share your product or service with is your ideal client. Do you know who your ideal client is? Can you get a quick snapshot of that person in your mind right now? This is essential to the success of your business. Everything you do in your business should be geared towards crafting your message or marketing strategy so that when your ideal client reads it, she says, “This is exactly what I’ve been looking for!”

Here are a few smart solutions that you can use to “sample” your own product or service:

1. Share your Product with your Ideal Client – If your business is a physical product that people can use or consume, why not offer free samples? Think about all of the times you’ve been given a “sample” of something and you made a decision to purchase it once you tried it. A few days ago, I was at the grocery store and there was someone in the produce department offering samples of Ambrosia apples. I have never had an Ambrosia apple before and I had no intention of buying one. I took a bite of this apple and it was delicious. It was bursting with flavor. What do you think I did next? I went right over and bought some of those apples! Think about how you might share your product in order to gain more interest.

2. Share your Service with your Ideal Client – In my Women’s Success Circles, I offer a “Sample Circle” before the actual Success Circle begins. It gives women the opportunity to experience me, my process with them, the material that I share, and the environment where the Circles are held. I also offer a complimentary service to women who are interested in working with me on an individual basis. I have found that my clients love sending me referrals because they feel secure in knowing that I will offer a sample session.

3. Share valuable information with your Ideal Client – A very effective tool is to share your expert information learned in your field with others. For example, I offer a complimentary report to every woman who signs up to receive my enewsletter. I have several reports and audios that I give away as bonus gifts to allow women access to information that will take their life and their business to the next level. This gives women an opportunity to learn more about the services that I offer in a safe, secure way. I invite you to think about ways you can share your knowledge with your ideal client so that they can experience you and your service in a way that feels good for them.

Notice that I used the word “ideal client” in each solution. It’s essential that you determine who your products or services are for. Ask yourself a question: “Who receives the greatest benefit from my product or service?” Then think about how you can offer your product or service in a sample setting so that those people can gain knowledge and interest in what you have to offer that will change their life or improve it in some way.

My children did enjoy the free cereal that morning. Me? I enjoyed a delicious Ambrosia apple.

****

Copyright 2009 Joy Chudacoff

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:  Joy Chudacoff is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions(tm), a Certified Professional Coach to 1000’s of women, Motivational Speaker, and Entrepreneur.  She publishes a weekly buzz generating ezine, Reflections On Life and Business for Women Entrepreneurs.  If you’re ready take your life and your business to the next level, get your FREE Tips, FREE Report and FREE MP3 now at http://www.ProfitsWithPassion.com.

In my work with Women Entrepreneurs, I find that marketing can be a bit of a mystery.  It seems like a beast that cannot be tamed and yet, those who figure it out, become successful with companies doubling in growth and profits nearly overnight.  So how are baseball and marketing alike?

Marketing really is just like the game of baseball.  And once you figure out the rules of the game, you will move around the “diamond” very quickly, scoring successful runs.  First, you have to decide what you are marketing (product or service) and second, who your ideal client is. In other words, who benefits from using your product or service.   When you have determined who your ideal client is, you can then create a “message” that will appeal to those people. Makes sense, right?  Many times, when we start a business what’s the first thing we do?  We create a logo, business cards, and possibly a web site.  We do need all of these things to run a business, however, if we don’t accurately communicate the right “message”, then we have wasted valuable time and dollars with no success. Our ideal client must be able to understand how we can help to solve their problems with our product or service.  It’s essential that you develop your “message” first.  Let them know how your product or service can solve the problem they are having.

Once you have your message developed, you get to step-up to Home Plate.  Every person you come in contact with, that is your ideal client gives you a “chance at bat.”  When you have your message about your product or service developed correctly, you will connect with the right person.

When your ideal client becomes interested in what you have to offer, you move to First Base.  First Base does not mean that they are ready to buy what you have to offer.  They are typically not ready to buy yet.  They have simply said, “I’m interested in what you have to say.”  This might be accomplished through them subscribing to your newsletter, calling for more information after you sent them something in the mail, or seeing you speak at a local event and approaching you to ask a few questions.

When you are on First Base, you want to get to Second.  Getting to Second Base is when you realize that your ideal client would like to learn more about what you have to offer.  This could be a phone call, a complimentary session with you to see if it feels right for them, or a complimentary teleseminar.   Here is where you need to offer the ideal client valuable information on who you are, what you have to offer and how it can benefit them.

Gong from Second Base to Third Base is when your ideal client has learned more about you, your product and your service and says, “Yes, I believe that you have what I need and I would like to work with you.”

From Third Base, your only goal is to get back to Home Plate and score a run (a new client).  This process is where you agree on how you will work together, when you will work together and for how long.

Every boy or girl that steps up to Home Plate, wants to hit a Home Run, right?  We are no different.  When I meet my ideal client (women who are ready to move their lives forward both personally and professionally), I get excited because I know what I have to offer will really benefit them.  However, this is a process, like the game of baseball, of moving around the diamond, one base at a time, creating belief and trust with the ideal client.  And by the way, there will be plenty of Home Runs.  The more you follow this process, get your message out there in the field, create belief and trust with your community, you will meet some people who will say, “I’ve heard about you and I want to talk with you about your service!”  or “I need what you have to offer!”  There seems to be only one thing left to say: “Play Ball!”

© 2009 Joy Chudacoff

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WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Joy Chudacoff is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions™, a Certified Professional Coach and Motivational Speaker. To read more articles by Joy and learn more about her Success Circle workshops, teleseminars or keynote topics, please visit her website, www.SmartWomenSolutions.com or contact Joy at Joy@SmartWomenSolutions.com.

I could feel and see that she was becoming overwhelmed.  I sat down with her and asked if it might be a good idea to place the cover of the box in a place where she could refer to the “big picture”—what the puzzle would look  like when she’s all done.  She agreed and set to work turning over each piece, getting organized, and putting the pieces that looked similar together. 

This got me thinking about how Smart Women create a blueprint of what their lives and work should look like, get organized, and then put the pieces where they need to go.

In our personal and professional lives, when a change or transition is looming we can become anxious about what this might mean for us moving forward.  Sometimes we want to “dump” our options out all over the floor and quickly choose something so that we can get on with our lives.  Change can be a challenge, especially if we have not given ourselves the quiet space and time to reflect on all of the different puzzle pieces in our lives and our businesses.  The key is to focus on where we want to go in our lives and create a framework or blueprint to reflect this.  It’s important to see the “big picture” and then look at what puzzle pieces would make it come together in the most effective way.

In our personal lives, we need to ask ourselves what’s most meaningful to us right now:  self-care, relationships, family, friends, career, community involvement.  These are just a few pieces of the puzzle called a woman’s life.  We have to reflect and explore which pieces of the puzzle would bring the blueprint of our lives together in the most meaningful way.  What makes the most sense right now?  What feels “right?”  Which pieces seem to fit together?

In my Women’s Success Circle, we are having a conversation around the puzzle pieces of effective marketing.  As entrepreneurs, we can become so excited about our business that we want to put all of the marketing pieces together right now, all at once.  We just throw it out there and see what works.  We create business cards, a web site, brochures, etc., and wait for the phone to ring or emails to come rushing into our in-box. 

It’s essential that you create your blueprint or framework around your marketing first.  Ask yourself a few key questions:  Who is my ideal client?  Where is my ideal client?  Where do they live?  What do they read?  Next, you have to decide how your ideal client benefits when they use your service or your product.  Once you know who your ideal clients are and what benefits they receive, you can then determine what media you should use to reach them.  Again, it’s essential to get that complete picture in your mind (or better yet, on paper!) before you begin placing the pieces of your marketing puzzle together.

How about you?  Are you frustrated or anxious about the puzzle pieces in your life?  Have you started to think that maybe the blueprint needs to change but there are so many pieces of the puzzle that you become overwhelmed about where to begin?  It’s important to take that time to first sit down in a quiet place with some paper and colorful pens and sketch out what you want your life and your business to look like moving forward.  Stephen Covey once said, “Begin with the end in mind.” Take a look at the “big” picture and decide which puzzle pieces feel “right” for you at this time in your life.

It took Jenna some time to put it all together.  She called on me a few times for some gentle support and guidance—everyone needs a coach!  When she finished, she stood up and took a moment to gaze carefully at her solar system.  There was a look of confidence, achievement, and satisfaction in her face.

© 2008 Joy Chudacoff