I live in Cambridge, England. I have a piano but was frustrated I couldn’t make progress with sheet music. Then I discovered Ryan’s awesome business Play Piano King and now feel enthusiastic about tinkling on the ivories.

But this blog post isn’t about music. It’s about how your business can be found by total strangers and it comes down to this:

Stop trying to find clients

“Huh? But aren’t I reading this to discover how to find clients?”

No. It might seem like semantics but there’s an important distinction between trying to find clients, and positioning yourself to be found by people who are already looking for you.

Out there, whether down the road or on the other side of the globe, are people who already know they want or need something that is an exact match for what you most love to offer.

These people are your “Tribe”. They are already looking for you. They’re asking their friends, they’re looking on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and on forums, and searching on Google. They’re eager to get their needs met, find relief or get their situation resolved and they’re prepared to take action and spend money to meet this end.

Your mission is to know who these people are and what they’re looking for.

What are they looking for?

The first websites I found promised to teach me classical piano: Beethoven, Mozart, Bach. I wasn’t looking for that.

Ryan stood out because he focuses on helping people who don’t want to play classical piano. His Tribe love him because he teaches popular modern songs by singers like Rihanna, Coldplay and Adele.

What are your Tribe really looking for? Here are some examples:

– “I want a massage but I hate the idea of stripping down to my underwear”

– “I want to learn yoga but I’m not sure if I can practise during pregnancy”

– “I’m in an unhappy same-sex marriage and feel alienated by opposite-sex relationship advice”

– “I’ve got Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) and want it to go away, not just ‘be managed’”

Pause and consider who is looking for you. And what specifically are they looking for?

Know how they search

Once you know what your Tribe are looking for, consider how they are looking.

I didn’t search for ‘piano teacher’ or ‘piano lessons’. Instead, here’s what I typed into Google:

how do you get good at piano
piano playing rusty
improve piano playing
playing contemporary piano

These aren’t the most obvious search terms but these were the words and phrases I automatically went for when thinking about my needs.

Likewise, your Tribe might not search for the “thing” you offer (like Pilates or coaching, or massage) but instead express their situation (for example: losing my fitness, hate my job, back ache).

Watch what you type when you do a Google search. It’s interesting to notice the words and phrases you instinctively go for.

Now, imagine being one of your Tribe. What would they type? It’ll make more sense to optimize your website for these words and phrases than for very popular search terms like “life coaching”.

Let them know they’ve reached the right place

When someone new reaches you or your website, make sure they realise they’ve found what they’re looking for – and that they can call off the search.

You can achieve this through a simple yet powerful marketing message. Check out Ryan’s to see how he uses empathy, (“I know it seems almost impossible to learn the piano”), offers hope (“You do not need to know how to read sheet music”) and fills his new visitor with excitement (“After you learn a song, you will be ready and able to play it anywhere”).

What could you say to a total stranger to reassure them they’ve found what they’ve been looking for?

And finally…

Once someone has found you, give them something. Always: give before you expect to receive.

I got hooked on Ryan thanks to his free online taster videos. (If I want more in-depth tutorials, that’s where the $97 comes in).

What could you give your new visitor? A free article, report or audio recording?

Choose something that will give a total stranger a taste of how you can help them – and make it easy for them to come back for more.

So:
– Know who is looking for you
– Know how they’re looking for you
– Reassure them they’ve reached the right place
– Give them a free taster so they come back for more

How have you already been found by total strangers? How would you like to be found? And how have you discovered other brilliant companies or service professionals? Leave a comment below, let us know…

Not sure who’s looking for you?

It’s frustrating to be unclear about your Tribe. If you’d like step-by-step support with gaining clarity and getting into action, check out the support options available > >

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© Corrina Gordon-Barnes, 2012

As the twelve women offered their feedback about what they’re taking away from this six month business-building course, they spoke about:

Tangible results – more ideal clients, flow of income, a brand new website, success at networking events.

Internal shifts – more self-confidence, greater calm, a feeling of support.

And it was strikingly obvious to me: This stuff works. Plain and simple – the programme works.

So I feel like one of those people who realize they make a totally delicious pasta sauce, vegan pizza or fruit smoothie and they just want everyone to taste it. Like it would be wrong to keep it to themselves.

So come and taste it!

Seriously. Nibble the description of the ‘Turn Your Passion To Profit’ group programme here:
http://youinspireme.co.uk/turn-your-passion-into-a-profitable-business/group-programme/

Taste good? Order a free sample. Which in other words means: book a free, no-obligation consultation. That’s done super-easily: simply fill out the enrollment application form at the bottom of that page:
http://youinspireme.co.uk/turn-your-passion-into-a-profitable-business/group-programme/

Filling out the form is useful in itself because you’ll get clarity about where you are right now with the journey of being self-employed… and also clarity about your ideas and what you want next.

And when you get into your free consultation with me, you get to talk about YOU and your dreams of running your own business. For 30-45 minutes. With someone who understands your concerns, challenges and hopes, and will fully listen to you and offer empathy, support and expert insights.

We might decide that the group programme isn’t the right fit for you right now. BUT if it feels like it is, and you like what you taste, then you can enrol and munch, munch, munch your way through all these tasty goodies (step-by-step business know-how group calls, buddy time, actual action steps, accountability and much
more) for a whole six months.

There’s even a No Risk Guarantee. The bottom line? You cannot waste money here. Ce n’est pas possible.

So… nibble, taste, maybe treat yourself to the whole delicious buffet.

I look forward to hearing from you! Book your free taste here:
http://youinspireme.co.uk/turn-your-passion-into-a-profitable-business/group-programme/

With love & respect,
Corrina

Behind the scenes, my website is in revamp, automated systems are being put in place, and I’m growing a team – all of which will allow me to communicate my work more easily and give me more time to develop and deliver services I love.

And as I’ve been putting these new plans and procedures in place, my Saboteur has been having a field day. [Saboteur = that part of us which wants to keep things as they are, not rock the boat, and therefore sabotage any forward movement]. His stance is that change is a bad thing and he drags me down, telling me that these changes must mean that everything I’ve done before has failed, been wrong. He would love to convince me it’s all too much, to throw out the baby with the bath water. When he’s in charge, I feel wobbly, even despairing.

Thankfully, over the years I’ve become intimately acquainted with his strategies and when he allows me a moment to breathe, I can eventually shake him off and put ME back in control. Anyone else recognise that feeling? Just as you often feel clearer after a cold has passed, so too with the banishment of good old Sab.

I feel refreshed and stronger now, like something stagnant and toxic has been washed out of my system. Without the distorted vision he gives me, I can now see that it’s time for celebration. I am standing clearly in the acknowledgement that I run a rapidly-evolving business and it’s time to hire people and put robust systems in place for the next phase. I’ve seen too many amazing businesses fail because they weren’t functioning as businesses. They positioned themselves as community services and didn’t take that leap into solid professionalism.

Just as Obama’s inauguration speech focused on the dawning of responsible maturity, so too for me it is time to put off any childish, amateurish ways. You’ll soon see a cleaned up website, fully hosted under my own domain name; a request for you to opt-in to a new email list; automation of e-courses & digital product delivery; sexy incorporation of audio and video; and perhaps even a few new names and faces as the You Inspire Me team.

Yes – You Inspire Me just grew up.

The World Needs Your Passion, So…

1) What does YOUR Saboteur have to say about you making changes, growing up, evolving? How do you ensure you move forward anyway?

2) Inquiry: What do I need to give myself permission to do?

3) Action: Take the next step forward, noticing and bypassing your Saboteur’s efforts to stop you.

4) Share your comments on this blog post.

© Corrina Gordon-Barnes, 2009

* Kickstart Your Venture: A Community Workshop

Time to grow up? Time to get serious about your idea and take the next step towards turning it into reality? Find out more about this kickstart workshop: click here.