Do you have a niche?

I just got off a great coaching call with an expert marketer. She contends that the reason most people are finding it difficult to take their business to the next level is because they do not have a well defined niche. For example, saying that you work with parents is a niche, but way to broad. Now lets say you work with parents of children with ADD. Now that is a specific target audience. She gave the following formula:

Target Audience + Problem/specialty = Niche

So take a look at what you do and ask yourself, am I working in a specific enough niche?

Accountability is the Key

Today I held my first Get Clients Now! Seminar. I must say I was a bit nervous. I felt it went well, and I now have an even deeper belief in the process and the program. What struck me the most from the training was the effect the accountability sessions had on my attendees.

In 3-hours my attendees developed a well thought out marketing plan with daily actions steps they are going to utilize in the next 28 days. They really enjoyed the process and the plans they had developed. As we talked at the end of the session about what the next step was going to be, they were excited about the accountability sessions. That is where the rubber will hit the road.

I look forward to our weekly calls to hear their successes and to help work through any issues, concerns or challenges they maybe facing. This really is a great program.

Armed & Dangerous

I have been thinking about what I want to do for my clients and I realized that I want them to be armed and dangerous. That means successful, wildly successful. What am I talking about? Well, as I work with my clients and spend time listening to what they need, where they have been, what they have done, and where they want to go, it is my hope to help them develop a plan to succeed. The plan will be useful and spelled out so they can walk into their office on any given day and know what needs to be done and how. Why is this important? Having a plan is critical to the success of any business. If you don't have a plan, you don't have a business. You have a series of activities that generate money (if you are lucky). But not a business that is viable and sustainable.

So the plan is the key, and then clear action steps around the plan is what makes you armed and dangerous. Imagine getting directions on Mapquest, but they forget to tell you what roads to take. They just say, turn left and then right and then left and in five minutes you will be there. Not much help, right. The action steps are the actual directions to get you there faster and in one piece.

I have pants on now!!!

It's official, my web site is up. Here it is: www.liaallen.com. The team I worked with was terrific. They made it so easy. Not only did they educate me along the way, they did not make me feel stupid in the process. John, the owner of Flash Avenue, says going to business with out a web site is like going to work without your pants on. Well, I love my pants.