In past six months, I've been quoted in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The International Herald Tribune, Entrepreneur, The Associated Press, PBS, Voice of America, Family Circle, Glamour, Redbook, Self, Health, Prevention, Parents, Parenting, Women’s World, First for Women, Newsday, Newsweek, Salon, In Touch Weekly--and even The National Enquirer.

In fact, I've been quoted in over 100 prestigious U.S. publications. I call this "Expertizing," and it's good for business, regardless of business you're in. Anyone can learn to get this kind of media attention, for any book or any business; my Expertizing workshop attendees are achieving this same level of media recognition. Here's how:

First, syndicate. This column is syndicated; hundreds of thousands of people read it. Syndicating a newspaper column doesn't pay very well anymore (you'll probably make only $5 or $10 per column) but it gets your name out. And syndicating online is even easier. My next title, "The Publishing Game: Syndicate a Column in 30 Days" will cover topic more thoroughly, but you can get started just by doing a google search for "[Keyword] article submit."

Start a national association. A national association will get you media attention automatically, regardless of your other credentials. The National Pediculosis Association in Needham, Massachusetts, is a great example. (That's lice, for those of you without small children.)

Create a holiday. Anyone can create a national holiday, and it's free. Register at Chases.com, and on a slow news day, journalists will come looking for more information on your holiday--the more interesting, funny, or quirky, better. I just helped an Expertizing client set up a holiday for her very technical company that would otherwise have been paid little press attention--but next year, she's going to be inundated with press attention when National Geek Day rolls around.

Some would be entrepreneurs are so intimidated by idea of finding clients that they never put their dreams into action. Others start promising businesses, yet give up disillusioned by frustrating lack of clients. Some die-hards persist, but at great emotional and financial cost as uncertainty about attracting and maintaining clients takes its toll.

But it doesn't have to be this way. There is a way to reverse sales process. Imagine, if you will, a situation where instead of having to go out and chase new business, qualified buyers are seeking out YOUR expertise. Imagine putting your marketing efforts on 'automatic pilot' so right work turns up as and when you need it. Imagine being able to pick and choose which projects you want to work on. Can you imagine having confidence to turn down work that doesn't meet YOUR criteria?

Here's a metaphor that nicely sums up this approach. Imagine two boys in a garden. Both of them want to catch birds. One of them is frantically chasing after birds; other just stands still holding out birdseed in his hand and waits. Instinctively, most of us recognise that second boy will be more successful. Yet most sales techniques used by businesses today involve some form of 'chasing' with net result that prospective clients are scared away. In this article you will discover how birdseed approach can help you attract rather than chase clients, and even get them eating out of your hands!

'But that doesn't apply in business world', I can hear you say. 'If it were that easy, why don't I already have all clients I want?' Well there are a few possible answers. Some of us have entered commercial garden, but forgotten birdseed! Others haven't even taken birdseed out of packet. Some of us have birdseed in our hand, but clenched so tightly birds can't get to it. If you are to adopt latter approach, it's important to spend some time selecting right birdseed. So what's your birdseed? To answer this question you need to know who you are aiming to attract, so that you are offering birdseed which is most tasty and appealing to your target clients.

1. Take a moment to think about your prospective clients. What are their concerns and fears? What problems are they struggling with right now? What are their hopes and desires? Be willing to think laterally as you think about what is most important to them.