I help small and mid-sized businesses create predictable growth by leveraging automation and digital marketing through Marketing as a Service.
The Cogent Coach blog was recently ranked a top 10 small business marketing resource on the Internet!
"Our mission is to help 1,000 small and mid-sized business owners learn to grow their businesses predictably by 2015"
--Michael Nelson
--Michael Nelson
Find out how a former pilot and strategy consultant to the White House went from helping big business and government to helping entrepreneurs thrive and becoming the 8th best marketing resource for small business on the Internet.
I'm Michael Nelson and I'm the founder of the Cogent Consulting Group, small business marketing coach, author of ebooks helping small businesses grow, woodworker and soccer dad.
I'm a marketing coach and former strategy consultant to the White House and large corporations.
I help my clients get dramatically improved marketing results and use the power of the internet to and automation to increase revenue and reduce their work load.
I have created several video training series and written a number of ebooks that cut away the fluff and get right to the point of building businesses that are profitable and leave their owners with time to enjoy living life.
I live in the Washington DC area with my wife and three sons and serve clients worldwide.
To learn more about me, click here. Sign up below and I'll send you some great stuff.
Four Steps To Capture Clients
New eBook on Client-Capturing For Small Business Owners Published – Get it While it’s Free!
by MICHAEL NELSON on AUGUST 20, 2012
I’ve just published my new new client-capture ebook for small business owners who need a method to add clients to their business. Follow the four steps in the handbook and you will add clients with with less stress and busy work. You can find a free copy here.
Too many small business owners struggle to add clients, especially ideal clients for their businesses. While sales and marketing get the bulk of the public blame, the root cause runs deeper. Before sales and marketing can be effective in gathering clients, your business must have a clear idea of the value it provides and who its ideal clients are. If your core isn’t defined clearly and you’re not in sync with your market’s needs, then it’s hard to win clients.
When faced with this problem, the common response is to add more hours to the work week to do more marketing. I call this the “hamster wheel” effect. Already overworked business owners keep adding more and more to their work week to generate the sales that have been missing. Unfortunately, doing more of the same or doing the technique du jour isn’t the answer. Doing more of the same and expecting different results isn’t a recipe for success any more than hope is a strategy.
The solution is found by taking the time to clearly understand what your clients need. Not what you think they need, but what they say they need. Gaining a clear understanding of the problems you solve for your clients and the benefits your services provide is the start you need to begin selling effectively. When you know what your clients are actually buying (hint, its not shiny features) you can begin to create marketing that brings in more clients. This knowledge will also feed your sales process. You do have a sales process, don’t you?
In most cases, your services aren’t going to sell themselves. You are going to have to sell. Numerous studies have shown that selling is the most common fear that small business owners have. But sales doesn’t have to be a challenge. Follow the steps in my handbook and develop sales processes and schedules and you’ll find that sales is no more or less difficult than any other business process. Its mostly difficult when approached randomly and with scattered effort.
When you know the marketing messages that will resonate with your market, are clear on the value you deliver and how you are different, and have processes in place, you will start adding clients to your business. Not only will you add clients, you will be able to add more clients when you need them or slow down your marketing when you are too busy. Knowing that your marketing and sales will produce predictable results at predictable costs will make you sleep better at night, allow you to take the vacations you’ve been skipping, reach your goals, and make your work day a pleasure.
Reading my handbook alone isn’t going to make a difference to your business. You have to put the work in, but once you’ve put forth the effort, your returns will thrill you. If you’d like to talk to me about your sales and marketing, click here to learn how. I’m offering a free 45 minute conversation during which I guarantee that you’ll end up with one to three immediate steps that will improve your marketing. If you want to learn more about working with me, we can discuss how I can quickly help you put together a marketing plan that is more effective then your current version or you’ll get your money back.
Either way, collect your free copy of my Four Steps To Marketing Without Stress handbook and start collecting more clients! Click here for your copy.
Michael Nelson
michael@thecogentcoach.com
877-242-4812
One hour together and you'll be three steps closer to marketing like a champ!
Working with a coach is a great way to get results quickly, but you shouldn't "leap without looking." Click the Schedule Session button below and you will be taken to a schedule where you can pick a time that fits your schedule for us to have a free one hour session.
During this session I guarantee you will receive a minimum of three recommendations that will immediately begin moving your business towards your goals.
It may be appropriate that we continue to work together. If that's the case, we'll discuss it at the end of our time together.
My other guarantee - no hard sell. If we're not right for each other, I'll point you towards resources, tools, etc. that will help you continue to grow your business.
Working with a coach is a great way to get results quickly, but you shouldn't "leap without looking." Click the Schedule Session button below and you will be taken to a schedule where you can pick a time that fits your schedule for us to have a free one hour session.
During this session I guarantee you will receive a minimum of three recommendations that will immediately begin moving your business towards your goals.
It may be appropriate that we continue to work together. If that's the case, we'll discuss it at the end of our time together.
My other guarantee - no hard sell. If we're not right for each other, I'll point you towards resources, tools, etc. that will help you continue to grow your business.
Cogent Consulting Group
4222 Fortuna Center Plaza - #155
Montclair, VA 22025
(877) 242-4812
http://michael-nelson.brandyourself.com/
