The issue is whether you ​use the right methods for ​the stage of ​development your business is at.  ​You must do ​essential groundwork to prepare for more advanced methods. 

​​​If you are an experienced coach with proven expertise, your first priority is to package your offer so that you have something you are confident you can sell.  This is the stage where you make strategic decisions ​​to apply consistently and frequently in you​r marketing.

​​​Then you can ​work out how to market ​your business and ​sell ​your offer.  Marketing is how you get people interested in your ​business and sales is how you get them to commit to a specific offer.  Each refusal provides you with more information about what works, so that you can improve how you deliver your message.  

​​These are the first two stages of ​the business development model I ​describe in the video.  ​The model helps us understand the priorities of the stage we are at and the tools we need to complete that stage.  

​​Watch the video and read on to find out more about Marketing for Change.

Marketing is never easy, especially when you’re starting out. The number of options on offer, often expensive in time and money, is bewildering.  The truth is most marketing methods work well when applied in the context for which they were designed.  But even some of the most popular approaches were not designed for business start-ups.  Methods like search engine optimisation or email-lists are unlikely to work for you during the early stages of business development, although it may be wise to plan for implementation later.

It is possible to earn income during early stages of business growth but most marketing techniques will not deliver for you at that stage.

The early stages of your business are a great opportunity to (1) interrogate your business ideas and design a few saleable packages, (2) upgrade your business ideas so you have a transformational vision for your business and (3) design a marketing plan that works and you enjoy doing.

Your plan needs to be:

​​​​Membership is for coaches, consultants and freelancers who are starting out or ​having trouble finding a marketing plan that works for them.  Each month we shall explore ​some aspect of relational marketing​ and take opportunities to share your journey with others, online and in-person.

​Sign up for this monthly newsletter with challenging ​questions to ​interrogate ​your business.  In addition:

From time to time, I shall add new features to this membership offer.  So long as your membership is unbroken, you continue to pay at the rate you signed up at.

​If you ​received this newsletter from a friend and would like to ​become a member, book a one-to-one with me.  ​Call or text Chris Sissons on 07887 352841.

​This section is for participants in Marketing for Change. ​Normally, it ​features:

Enter your business features below each month, adding for example, new events or offers. Remember the better people know you, the more likely they are to introduce you to good prospects.  To add your details or change something, please email me with ​your content.

​Meets every second and fourth Thursday, 12.15pm, The Rude Shipyard. There is no disabled access and so please let me know in advance if you are likely to have difficulty.  Fee is £5 to cover my costs, including the story-tellers lunch.  You ​need to order from the cafe for your lunch, too.  Here are this month's meetings:

Follow the links to find out more about each meeting and register with Eventbrite.  Registration helps me and the cafe prepare for the meeting. Visit the Telling Stories web page for the full programme, testimonials and past meetings.

This ​section shall contain details of other events of interest to the members plus details of members' events.

​If you have any questions about marketing or M4C, text them to me and I'll ​answer them here.

In the meantime, here are some testimonials: