Believe it or not, there’s a bird over there, cleverly disguised against the desert terrain.

The photo is a little fuzzy because I was zooming fast to capture this quail (I think). He beat out his competition for the female that is nearby but off screen.

Right before I snapped this picture, there were two male birds challenging each other and trying to win the attention of the nearby female bird.

She walked away while they ‘duked’ it out. When the ‘hero’ emerged and I captured him on digital film, he was following her up the hill for a little fun and merriment and family making.

So what does this have to do with you?

Few of us are in businesses that are so unique that we don’t have any competition.  So as a result, we’re constantly having to distinguish ourselves as different, better than, smarter than, more prestigious than, cheaper than…You get the picture.  It’s a primitive battle where only the strongest survive. And it’s really hard getting deals done like that.

The key is to position yourself as the go-to expert so that your reputation raises your above the herd.  When you do that, you get people seeking you out.  When they seek you out, they’re already pre-sold on you.  They’ve already decided they want YOU so there is less need for you to ‘convince’ them that you’re the best choice. You become a client magnet!

So how do you become that expert & client magnet?  There are 3 ways to do that.

  1. Speaking – Most people are literally scared to death of speaking in public.  You’ve probably heard that when surveyed, people rate speaking in public ahead of dying as their top fear.  So if you have the guts to stand up in front of a crowd (even a small one) and have your voice be heard, automatically, you’re a rock star in the eyes of the audience.  Even if you’re quaking in your boots on the inside, you’ve still accomplished a mighty feat from their perspective.
  2. Writing - Whether writing articles for a national publication or your local neighborhood periodical, having your name in print makes you look smart!  Clearly the national publication will get you seen by WAY more people, but you’ll get credibility none-the-less with the readers of your work
  3. Publicity - Being written about is even more compelling. That third party endorsement goes a long way toward building credibility.  When someone with familiarity, name recognition and credibility (like a report) writes about you, their importance and credibility transfers over to you.  It’s like having someone make a referral introduction for you.

I’ve been using all three of these strategies for years and now I get to reap the benefits of them.  Whereever I go, people tell me “I see you everywhere!”

Can you imagine how great (and humbled) that makes me feel?  Can you imagine if people were saying that about you, that you wouldn’t have to work so hard to dredge up new clients? You betcha!  So start using these three magic strategies to raise your visibility, credibility and client-magnet quotient.