Most business owners will tell you that they get the vast majority of their leads through referrals and word of mouth. While that is probably true, those leads and referrals come in because you’ve done something to build a relationship with the person who is referring you. In other words, you’ve built your reputation and some buzz around what you do. If you’re ready to ramp up your efforts to build more buzz about your business, here is a 3-step strategy to do just that. First, start by writing a headline that you’d love to see in major media about yourself. Maybe it’s something like this:

• Speaker Has Audience Jumping for Joy and Fills Program in 10 Minutes
• Your Name Writes New York Times Best-Selling Book
• Entrepreneur Makes Huge Donation to Charity
• Your Name Inspires World-Wide Change
• Your Name Hired by XYZ Company
• Business Coach Signs on 10 New Clients in First Quarter
• Your Name Booked to Keynote at XYZ Conference
• Entrepreneur Known World-Wide for ZYX Expertise

Whatever it is – write out your desired outcome as a headline.

Second, ask yourself how you need to be perceived in order for this to come true. For example, select a handful of traits, facts or stories that would make people stop and take notice, hear what you’re saying and want to send you referrals, make a special connection for your or work with you themselves. Here’s an example.

One of my clients is an architect. Here are just three traits, facts and stories that she can share with others:

• She is the architect in her community with most testimonials on Angie’s List.
• Her clients rave about how she amazing she is at taking their cookie cutter home and turning it into the home they love.
• You get to tap into her “big firm” expertise without “big firm” prices.

Once your 3-5 traits, facts and stories are fully uncovered and developed, you’re ready for the third and final step. Select 3-5 specific ways to share your traits, facts and stories with others. For example, select from a host of activities including public speaking, video, article marketing, teleseminar, webinar, post card mailing, newsletter, social media and so forth. Get very specific and intentional about sharing your 3-5 traits, facts and stories once or twice a week for a few months using just a few of these marketing tactics.

Each one of these steps is simple, and what you’ll find out is the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. In other words, the combined effects of all of your focused work will bring in new opportunities that didn’t exist before. Working through this process is simple, but it requires your sincere thought and commitment. It requires action and commitment to this process which means on the days when you don’t feel that you have it in you, you pull up your big girl pants and do it anyway.

If you need help to sort this out and get into action, let’s talk. I’m offering a small coaching package to get you moving on this. It’s part of mission this year to offer new programs to help speakers, authors and other entrepreneurs to Own Your Star Power. You get two 45-minute private sessions with me and I’ll help you plan this out for your business. Once you gain momentum on this, I’ll also share your success to my social media lists and possibly in my ezine. It’s only $300 for a limited time.

© 2013 Meredith Liepelt, Rich Life Marketing