American Marketing Guru Jay Abraham talks about the diving board analogy.

He says that most businesses are based on one source of business, one marketing pillar that attracts their customers. If anything should happen to that one source of clients, the business goes under. And after all, a diving board is designed to make things dive!

Ideally, you would want to build a business that has so many pillars -- so many ways of attracting clients -- that it looks more like the Greek Parthenon

Would having 48 ways to get clients be of any use to you? The main aim of this programme is that you create a thriving business full of paying clients. Yet it's the one area most people struggle with. Most new businesses set up a brochure website, get a brochure printed, buy a pile of business cards and then hope that the clients are going to roll in….

How well does that work?

Or worse -- I see new therapists all the time sign an agreement to rent a room in a clinic somewhere, then sit all day having tea with the other therapists who also have no clients. Or internet businesses who have a dream, and they've bought a cute domain name, and then wonder why no one's visiting their website

There are only 3 Ways to grow a business. The first is to increase the number of customers you have. For you that might mean getting from zero to one!

Let's look at what we have done so far in this site. Is there a process going on here? We started by establishing the ground rules of setting up a new business, or growing a struggling one. We then set your goal for your venture at the conscious and unconscious levels. I introduced you to the Conveyor Belt model so you could construct a series of p/s/t's to offer people.

We then covered the positive and enthusiastic mindset that is critical to you achieving that goal. The Positioning Strategies then taught you how to posture yourself as a specialist in your field.

NOW its time, and ONLY NOW that you've laid those foundations, to actually reach out and touch people -- now's the time to open the pipeline and start the flow of customers coming in -- do you see that?

There are about 60 million people in the UK. How many people out there have problems? Where are they? That's right, they're everywhere! There are several billion people on the planet. You only need about 30.

So let's begin:

1] Advertising -- generally the first place people go when they launch a business, and the first place they lose money. Have you run some kind of ad? Lost money on it? Have you ever run an ad that was profitable? There are certain rules to the game. For instance: Never spend more than you can afford to lose. Always use a direct response ad, not an institutional ad. Only advertise where your prospects will be -- if you're selling fishing rods, should you place your ad in the Glasgow herald or anglers weekly?

Always buy the smallest ad first then go the next size up only if it was profitable. Eventually you'll be running full page ads.

Ad should contain a benefit laden attention-grabbing Headline, a Call to action, a Reason to respond right now. Track and measure the results - Test 2 different ads --that's called split testing. If it doesn't pull first time, start again

2] Seminars

Time effective -- more people in same space of time, cheaper for them. Stretches you too and deepens your knowledge. Pick a topic that's educational, exciting and valuable. Set a date 2-5 months out. Book a venue to motivate you and leverage yourself. Set up multi-sequence marketing calendar 8 weeks out, 6 weeks out, 4 weeks out. Make it easy to book -- email, web, call, post. Take a registration list of attendees to build your list. Offer them next step in your conveyor belt

3] PR

Write a press release and email to newspapers. Radio ads are expensive, but reach lots of people. Make them an offer, get loads of leads in, know your lifetime value of a client. Contact local papers and offer to write a column. Send a press kit [welcome kit]

4] Websites

Landing page for one niche, not a catalogue site. Use a Consumer Awareness Guide or a free report. Always have a free download or newsletter method to capture email addresses. Valuable content which changes frequently. I personally recommend www.websitewizard.com/index/dashboard

5] Press Releases

Double spaced fax. Newsworthy. One page, with a powerful headline. Make it a Bio page with your full story. Q&A page -- give them great questions to ask you that you know you can answer well. Free report/CAG. Written about you, not by you -- like a 3rd person review. Include full contact details.

6] Referrals

Needs to be a formal system, not ad hoc. Think Certificate or voucher. Offers next person 50% off or free initial treatment. Have a Reward scheme -- reward referrer, loyalty points?

7] Host Beneficiary

Find a business that already deals with your prospects, and ask them to send an endorsed mailing to their list. This is THE quickest route to rapid growth in business. Get attached to a gym, health club, clinic, centre. They sell products for you on sale or return

8] Free Initial Taster sessions -- if it's a group then do a short presentation, if its an individual do a short session. Do it like an audit, not an estimate i.e. give them value up front. I usually do a values elicitation, so at least they understand themselves better and their core drives, it induces trance, it wakes them up, and it's profound. Gain information, ask questions, don't offer solutions -- educate them, don't sell them. Record it and put it on CD, DVD, website, laptop

9] Online Blog/Forum

Join as many as you can. Set up a Blog (numerous free services like Blogger, Wordpress). Put website links in it and keep it relevant, NOT a dear diary.

10] Free reports, or Consumer Awareness Guide, white paper, download or paper product, audio, hotline, MP3, CD. Educational tool which positions you as a specialist. Format should be Problem, agitate, solve. Have a Headline title, make an irresistible offer. Include Call to action. Reason to respond now. Include your Bio. Looks presentable -- remember your positioning

11] Email signature

Really easy to add an advert or offer at the bottom of your emails. Put weblink or free initial conveyor step in it

12] Speaking engagements

Get on the circuit in your local area. Talk to alternative health clinics and centres. Have a launch event. Hold an annual conference, or a client appreciation day.

13] Exhibitions

Get a stand at as many expos as you can. Run a free prize draw to collect names -- prize must be industry specific to attract target market, not a bottle of wine! Make them an offer on the day. Give away free reports, cds. E-courses.