When your phone is ringing off the hook and you're busy working with clients, the last thing you're probably thinking about is taking time out to market and promote your business. (Big mistake!)

In fact, the two big mistakes most self-employed professionals make when it comes to marketing include: not making time for it, and not being consistent about the process when they do finally start. The longer you wait to put an effective system in place, the longer it will take to have a full appointment book month in and month out.

Think about it, if you don't drink until you feel thirsty, you're already dehydrated. It's no different when it comes to getting new business in the door. Don't wait. The time to start is not when you feel a thirst for new clients - it's NOW!

Move "Generating More Clients" to the Top of Your Priority List! Grab your calendar right now and block off at least two full hours each and every business day for client-generating tasks. I highly reccomend scheduling two consecutive hours, but if this is not possible for you, break up the time into shorter intervals of time that work for your schedule. To make the most efficient use of your time, be sure to have a list of marketing activities at your fingertips, so if you happen to find yourself with a last minute cancellation, you can jump right into marketing without wasting time deciding on which activity to do.

The critical first step to successful marketing is putting it into your schedule so that it actually GETS DONE!

© Connie Scholl 2006

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