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Jill Lublin was the final speaker at April’s Market Your Way to Wealth, and even though I have both an education and experience in public relations, I still found some wonderful information in her presentation. This was in part because she was targeting those people who either have written a book or should be writing one right now.

And that’s perfect, for this month I’m going to be covering book marketing. Fancy that.

Anyway, one thing she said really stuck with me: You should start publicity nine months before your book comes out.

So, if your book isn’t out yet, what are you publicizing? Here are some ideas I came up with, gleaned from both her presentation and my own experience and knowledge. They are listed in no particular order.

Jill said during her presentation that the media is interested in your story, so some things you could talk about in your publicity include:

• Getting a book deal from a publisher
• Your “reason why” — why did you write the book and why are you the person to write it?
• Tips excerpted from your book
• Tie-ins between current events and your topic
• Something unique about you that can be tied into your topic

As part of your publicity plan, you’ll want to send out simple 4-sentence announcements every 60 days, said Jill. These announcements should be sent to:

• Your local daily newspaper
• Your local business journal
• Your local Chamber of Commerce
• Associations that you belong to or are tied to your topic
• Your alumni magazine(s)

The purpose of this is not so much to get a story in a publication, but to keep you top of mind as an expert in your topic so when a reporter is working on a story that you can comment on, you’ll be the first person that reporter thinks of.

Of course, in all this make sure you are sending useful content. Remember, you are trying to help the media accomplish their goals, for in so doing, they will help you accomplish yours.

I’ve been doing a lot of prosperity work lately. And it has been really helping me move away from the negativity that has recently pervaded my life. If you subscribe to my ezine, then you’ll have seen a bulletin I sent out a couple of weeks ago that recommended the Feel Free to Prosper program from Marilyn Jenett, which I highly recommend you check out. Heck! Within 24 hours of starting the program, I found a $5 bill lying on the sidewalk … after a rain! (And that was only the beginning!)

Anyway, one of the many ezines I subscribe to is Christine Kloser’s Conscious Business Connection. In last month’s issue she included an article that really spoke to me and I’d like to share it with you here. I hope it speaks to you, as well.

Opening Up to Receive

by Christine Kloser

Have you ever found yourself struggling in your business? You feel like you’re doing everything right, but still something’s not clicking into place? For many conscious entrepreneurs, the difference between experiencing the success they’re looking for… or not… is the difference between being able to ask for and receive what they want, need and desire.

Right now, I’d like you to think about a time when you felt totally “in the flow” of receiving. Perhaps you received a surprised gift in the mail, maybe an unexpected client called to work with you, maybe the help you needed showed up at just the right time in just the right way. These acts of receiving can feel like pure magic and give you a glimpse of how graceful and ease-y success can be.

But, in order to be open to receiving, first you need to ask for the gifts you want to receive. For some entrepreneurs the simple act of asking makes all of the difference in the world. However, when it comes to asking, many people feel like it’s not OK to ask for what they need or want. This fear can be rooted in your experience growing up, a recent experience in which asking for something lead to pain, or from a gazillion other things.

But, for each one of you who are ready to stretch and grow within yourself and in your business, asking is essential. Just think of all the places asking comes into play in your business; asking for the money, asking for help, asking for someone’s endorsement/testimonial, asking for a referral, asking someone for an interview, etc. Some people run up against a rather loud “monkey mind” when it comes time to ask someone for something… almost like it’s an imposition. When, the truth is most people are waiting to be asked to help out.

Where I recommend you begin asking, is in the privacy and silence of your heart and soul. Allow yourself to begin asking the Universe/God/Creator for that which you desire: perhaps you’ll ask for clarity; or for a tangible sign to point you in a certain direction; or to be directed to the right person, information or resource you need; or for the next door to open for you; etc.

I find it best to do this in writing in my journal. I write a simple “Memo to God” and ask for what I need guidance on. Simply letting yourself exercise your asking muscle with God, allows you to strengthen that muscle so you can comfortably ask people for what you need. Little by little, asking will become a very natural and comfortable experience for you.

What you’ll discover by asking is that people want to help you. Just the other day I was on the phone with a colleague when an opening occurred for me to ask for her support in a campaign I have coming up in August. She thought for a moment and reminded me that she rarely promotes other people’s businesses, but because of the work I do, she’d be happy to support me. If I didn’t ask her, I never would have known she’d be open to helping me. This is how the Universe works!

OK, getting back to your memo to God and asking for what you desire from the Universe… when you ask, ask from the place of believing that your request is already being answered. Then, once you are done journaling your request, take a few minutes to close your eyes and breathe as you create a space within you that is fully open and ready to receive the gifts. Release any attachment to how you want the gift to show up and trust the Universe/God/Creator knows what is best for you.

Once you’ve asked and opened to receive, begin to look for signs in your life that indicate your requests are being answered. This may come in a random email that crosses your inbox, someone you meet at an event, a moment of profound clarity, a deep connection with a friend or colleague, a book someone gives you, etc. Signs and gifts show up in numerous ways, but you will miss them completely if you are not open to receiving them, or have attachments to how you want them to show up.

So, allow yourself to ask, open yourself to receive and then look for evidence that the Universe is conspiring for your highest good. Because, it always is!

© 2009 Christine Kloser

About the Author:
Christine Kloser, author of The Freedom Formula, helps entrepreneurs put soul in their business and money in the bank. If you want to thrive in your purpose-driven, profitable business (while enjoying a soul-satisfying life), send for my special report, How to Avoid the 3 Massive Mistakes Made by Most Conscious Entrepreneurs and my audio, 7 Strategies Entrepreneurial Authors Need to Know… Before Writing a Word, both of which you get (at no charge) when you request my Conscious Business Success Kit at www.LoveYourLife.com.

When you primarily sell products, you have a great many freedoms that a service professional doesn’t have. However, these freedoms can also have a dark side that service professionals don’t need to bother with. Here are several ways in which marketing a service is different from marketing a product.

Relationships are key.

If you sell vacuums, you make your sale and move on. However, if you provide a cleaning service, you need to build a relationship with your clients so they not only let you into their homes and places of business, but work with you so that you can provide a better service.

Relationships are key to the success of a service business. Without good client relationships, there is no one to provide your service to!

The need to be picky.

When you sell products, you don’t really need to like your customers … at least not all of them. But when you provide a service, you’ll be working with that client over a period of time. If you don’t like your clients, you’ll be miserable in your business.
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You might have heard the call yourself … the call to create some sort of stable income through the use of a continuity program or membership site. If you’ve been with me long enough, you know I’ve tried several times to get one going, but it never took off. So you can imagine how much I looked forward to hearing what Daniel Hall had to say during his presentation on continuity programs at Market Your Way to Wealth in April.

Here is the 5-step process Daniel suggests you take to create a continuity program that will not only provide regular income, but support a lifestyle you actually want to live.

Step 1: Examine your interests.

A continuity program is not something you create lightly. You’ll be more successful and able to keep it going for the long haul if it is based on something you are actually interested in and passionate about. Also, if it is based on something you are good at, that helps.

Step 2: Find a hungry audience.

Now take your list of interests, passions and expertise and do the research to find out if there is a hungry audience for what you have to offer. Do some key word research. Search phrases that are three or more words long and are searched for between 50 and 100 times a day are more likely to have buyers searching than just researchers.

Step 3: Determine the model you want to use.

There are several different types of continuity programs you can have:

• membership site
• fixed-term membership site
• coaching program
• association or club

And several other variations on the theme. Which one will work best for what you want to offer and the audience you want to offer it to?

Step 4: Set up the platform to make it work.

You can use protected directories, a membership plugin for Wordpress, and autoresponder service, or just a monthly mailing list. What ever systems and/or technology you need to make your model work, set that up.

Step 5: Market, market, market.

No one will join your program if they don’t know it exists. So you’ll have to continuously market the program to keep up membership.

NOTE: I was so impressed with his presentation, I joined his coaching program on creating continuity programs. Keep your eyes peeled for what I end up producing!

I’ll admit it, sales is not my strong point. There is some mothering part of me that wants to take care of people … whether they want me to or not … that makes me pull my punches when I try to sell. This is one of the main reasons that I just didn’t cut it in my Mary Kay nor my Primerica business attempts.

But, after listening to Eric Loftholm at Market Your Way to Wealth in April, I’ve come to realize that this is totally something I can overcome. Here are some of the tips he shared with us that helped me.

There are only three ways to elevate your results, Eric, said: You inner game (what goes on in your head), your outer game (your behaviors) and action (just doing it). Selling is 90% psychology … and much of it is yours (not the prospects).

As he was saying this, I thought of this old Abbot and Costello movie where Lou Costello is a salesman who just can’t seem to sell. A bunch of his fellow sales guys decide to play a joke on him and pretend to hypnotize him and give him super sales ability. Well, low and behold, he becomes an unstoppable sales force. Finally, in a fit of jealousy his colleagues tell him it was all a joke. He is crest fallen, believing that the magic is gone until someone points out that magic or not, he was successful at selling … because he believed he could be.
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