Once you get an endorsement from someone, use it on all your advertising and marketing material. Put their endorsement and picture on your Web site. Use their testimonial in your ads. Include it on your product packages.

An endorsement can increase your sales fast. It gives credibility to your product or service. People will usually believe a person that's not related to your business before they will believe you.

Your goal is to help as many people in your target market learn what you do and to get them to give you their contact information. Once you have their permission to stay in touch, you can go to work building a relationship with them.

Demonstrate what you do so they understand its value and you establish your credibility. When they know and trust you, they’ll be happy to tell you what they need and to buy your products and services.

So how can you incorporate lead generation and building relationships with prospects into your weekly schedule?

1. Each week reach out to get attention of people who haven’t heard from you. Do this through your advertising, web site marketing, articles, mailings or cold calls (if you know how to use them). But don’t spend a dime on any of these unless you have a strategy in place for converting this attention into sales and qualified leads.

2. Set aside time each week or at least each month to stay in touch with your list of qualified prospects and past clients. As your list grows, use your time to focus on past clients first and use a mass mailing or email to stay in touch with other prospects. Share an idea your prospects they can use and they’ll be reminded again and again how much you know and why they should buy your products and services.

3. Use your communication with prospects and clients to help them identify what they need and understand how your products and services can help them. You may think that doing this once should be enough, but most people are too busy to read every mailing they get or to remember details until its pressing or important for them to act on. With regular correspondence you'll increase chances of putting your information in front of your prospects when they are ready to buy.

4. Set aside time each day to contact qualified prospects. If someone has sent you an email, left a phone message or otherwise expressed interest in your products, pick up phone and call them. Quickly identify whether they have authority and interest to contract with you and either continue conversation or move on to your next lead.

Get attention; build your list of qualified leads; regularly help prospects with your ideas; and respond to your most qualified prospects promptly when they request services. Do these four things every week and every month and you'll soon have many more prospects eager to learn how you can help them, eager to buy from you and more new clients than you ever thought possible. -