Work like a Pro...Invest In the System the Best Use...

The PRO Personal Marketing Action Planner:
Guided Business Development from SAGE
Only $97.00

Click the Buy Now button to pay by secure credit card.
We will send you by email the electronic booklet with the Toolkit (PDF format) and
access to the 60-minute training seminar.

OR You Can Multiply the Value of the PRO Planner! Boost your learning and capabilities with the help of our best selling book on the most critical elements of any attorney's business development. Get both the Pro Action Planner PLUS our detailed, comprehensive 230-plus page book Best Practices of Building Your Personal Network - for Attorneys.

Click the book for more information about it. And click the Preview button to get this FREE extract from the book about the attitudes and aptitudes that drive rainmakers' success.

In the book you gain:

- Details of the personal marketing system based on the lessons learned from top rainmakers in the profession
- How to systematically master the key success factors to a breakthrough personal program
- A step by step blueprint to understanding practical business-building strategies and building the skills you need to achieve breakthrough results: Learn How To Create More Quality Client Introductions, Cultivate Referral Sources, Create High Power Professional Alliances and Build Your Reputation Through Networking

Get the Planner and the Book Together...

SAGE's PRO Personal Marketing Action Planner PLUS
Best Practices in Building Your Personal Network
Only $194.00 (plus shipping & handling)

What You Get in the PRO Package:

This PRO Action Planner offers you a practical and proven step-by-step approach to effectively marketing yourself. We give you the training, tools and support you need to drive your personalized marketing plan and to follow-through on a breakthrough business development program in 2008. Included are:

In short, you get the coaching, guidance, and oversight to generate a marketing action plan with the best chance of success...so you can make a major boost in your practice in 2008.

Finally, develop Your Personal Action Plan for the New Year with the confidence that you're supported by the best in the business.

The PRO Personal Marketing Action Planner:
Guided Business Development from SAGE
Only $ 97.00

Click the Buy Now button to pay by secure credit card.
We will send you by email the electronic booklet with the Toolkit (PDF format) and
access to the 60-minute training seminar.

OR Multiply the Value of the PRO kit with our best selling book

SAGE's PRO Personal Marketing Action Planner PLUS
Best Practices in Building Your Personal Network
Only $194.00 (plus shipping & handling)

Click the Buy Now button to pay by secure credit card.
We will ship you the book, and send you by email the electronic booklet with the Toolkit (PDF format) and access to the 60-minute training seminar.

Avoiding a Bad Start to 2008 in Your Business Development

Excerpt from our best-selling book, Best Practices In Building Your Personal Network - For Professionals.

It is natural at this time of year to set goals for the upcoming year. So, what kind of results do you want to create for your personal practice this year? Do have revenue or chargeability or client goals? Do you have a set of ideal clients that you want to cultivate? Is there a new or key type of service you want to sell and deliver?

In our consulting and training work, we’ve had the good fortune to work with some of the top business producers in the profession over the past twenty years. The purpose of this article is to coach you towards building your personal success strategy and action plan – by "modeling" or emulating the behavior of the best business generators. Here are some 2008 Year Resolutions to help you be more like the top producers in the upcoming year:

• Look back: The best way to see what you need to do in 2008 is to see what you needed to improve over 2007. These are the kinds of questions the top rainmakers pose:

  - Building Fee and Client Base: Did you meet or exceed your goals for revenue and chargeability? Why or why not? What % of this work did you proactively create through your personal marketing program? How many new clients were 'ideal' for you?

  - Vitality Of Relationships: How many clients hired you for additional work? How many referrals did you get from clients? How many referrals did you get from your colleagues, other professionals?

  - Building Your Reputation: How much exposure did you have to your ideal prospective clients through speeches, seminars or articles? How often and how well did you showcase your capabilities to ideal prospects?

  - Creating Leads and Converting Business: How many highly desirable leads did you generate this year? What percent of these leads did you close and win as clients?

  - Consistent Marketing Action: How many hours per week (on average) did you spend on marketing? How many weeks did you do little or no marketing?

• Have a plan: How well you did and what you might have done last year lead to the most important way to get a good start on 2008. Take a few hours and develop your personal marketing plan. Define your goals in terms of revenue, hours billed, number of cases, revenue by client and type of work. Keep these goals in a prominent place and measure your progress against them each week. Determine the best ways to remedy/upgrade areas of dissatisfaction from last year.

• Ensure you do some business development every day: The best business generators make sure they set a minimum daily requirement for business development. Start the year right by doing the same. Each week, write down at least 10 marketing actions that you will take to achieve your goals. Prioritize these in order of importance and value; work from the inside out, starting with client relationships. Each day put 2-3 business development steps on your to-do list — no matter how busy you are. They don't have to be major. Clip an article and send it to a client. Have lunch with a referral source or client. Thank a client for their business. But...make business development a daily habit.

• Prepare to market to your clients each month: Your first priority in business development is to market to your clients — both current and past clients (don't lose touch!). Create a database of the individuals you have worked with over the past year or two. Rank order them in terms of future revenue potential in terms of high, low and none. For the 'highs,' figure out a way to connect with them on a monthly or quarterly basis. Then follow your plan. Meet them for lunch or breakfast. Consider sending a newsletter or article to the 'lows.'

• Create your 30 Second Commercial: How do you introduce yourself? Instead of saying that you are an attorney, describe how you help to solve your client's "pain." Here's a good example: "I'm Jill Swill and I'm a partner with the law firm of Joe Blow and Associates. I'm in the business of helping senior executives to organize their estates and achieve a secure retirement."

• Start asking your best clients for introductions: Your clients should be your best source of referrals. Include in your first actions some steps to make this happen. Let some key clients know that you expect and appreciate referrals. Tell them the type of person that you would like them to introduce you to. Ask for their help in making introductions for you, especially after a successful engagement.

• Get a marketing mentor: Think of somebody that you know, like and respect — and who is good at business development. It can be an attorney at your firm, another firm — or even somebody in a related field. Now, think about how YOU can help them. Then, take them out to lunch and ask if they would be willing to "coach" you on building your business. Agree to meet on a monthly or quarterly basis.

• Create a mastermind group: Find 2-3 people in related fields that you have a good working relationship with. Make sure they are targeting the same type of clients as you are. And make sure that they are good at business development. Ask them if they’d ! be willing to co-market with you. Commit to monthly meetings. Create action plans and make mutual commitments to follow through.

• Learn how to build networks: Take a course/study up in how to network and then develop a specific network building plan for the year. Who are your target clients? Where do they congregate? Who knows a lot of them? How can they help you to make contact?

• Become a celebrity in your niche: Commit to writing 3 articles and making at least 3 speeches at gathering, but only those with clients and referral sources in attendance.

• Build skills : Business development is a skill not solely a natural talent. It should be part of your CLE plan. Read business development books, listen to tapes or CD’s and take seminars. Given the vital importance of business development in all the professions today, it is worth the investment.

Make 2008 a record breaking year
for your practice!