I was puzzled by this answer. After more than 20 years in the business, you would think he knew who his clients were. But then I listened more closely. He wasn't telling me he didn't know WHO they were; he was saying he didn't know WHERE they were.

Since then, I've noticed this query come up over and over. Whenever an independent professional meets a successful person in his or her field, the professional inevitably asks, "Where do you find your clients?" It seems that where the clients are is a bit of a mystery.

But in fact, clients are just people like you and me. They do all the things that people normally do and can be found wherever people are. Let's suppose for a moment that your clients are professionals or managers who work for a corporation. Where are they at any given moment?

1. Working alone at their desk
2. Attending a meeting
3. Talking to someone in the office
4. Talking to someone on the phone
5. Corresponding with someone by email (or postal mail)
6. On the commuter bus or train
7. At the gym
8. Eating a restaurant meal or getting coffee
9. Attending a business function
10. Taking a class
11. Participating in a sports or leisure activity
12. Going to church
13. Attending an entertainment or cultural event
14. At home with their family
15. At the home of a friend or relative
16. Driving somewhere

Look at how many possibilities this gives you to find them! Your prospective clients spend a significant percentage of their time either talking to other people or gathering in public places. When they are not doing one of those things, they are usually at their home or office -- also places they can be "found" with a little detective work.

When you look at it this way, finding clients really boils down to three possible activities:

1. Talking to people who can put you in touch with clients.
2. Going to places where clients gather so you can meet them in person.
3. Getting names, phone numbers, and email addresses of clients you can call or write.

Start the process with a simple description of who your ideal clients are. The more specific you can get, the better. For example:

- HR Managers in growing midsize companies
- Marketing Directors for health care providers
- Small business owners in the Boston metro area
- Midlife professionals in career transition

Then use your description to ask everyone you know these three questions:

- Do you know any _____ you can introduce me to?
- Do you know someone who knows lots of _____?
- Do you know any places where many _____ go?

For many independent professionals, just that one step will provide you with enough names and places to keep you busy for quite some time. Just keep talking to people and going to places where clients gather. As long as you keep asking the same three questions of every person you meet, your prospect list will continue to grow.

To expand your list even further and faster, you can look your clients up. Business clients are listed in hundreds of directories, in print and on the web. Consult the Yellow Pages, association membership lists, sites like http://www.business.com, or your favorite search engine.

Individuals can be found in alumni directories, club rosters, and online communities. Start with the groups you already belong to. Although direct solicitation from these sources is not advisable, they are excellent for finding people to ask your three network-expanding questions.

You don't even have to do the list-building work yourself. If you want to reach your clients by mail and phone, you can purchase names of businesses or consumers from list brokers like http://www.dunandbradstreet.com or http://www.namefinders.com.

Finding clients is really a bit of a paradox. They are everywhere, but you have to look in order to see them. Don't be so overwhelmed by the forest that you forget to notice the trees.

C.J. Hayden is the author of Get Clients Now! Thousands of business owners and salespeople have used her simple sales and marketing system to double or triple their income. Get a free copy of "Five Secrets to Finding All the Clients You'll Ever Need" at http://www.getclientsnow.com

When someone attempts to sell us something before we have expressed an interest, the initial thought may be, “Why would I buy from you? You haven’t earned the right to sell to me!”

The fact of the matter is that selling, both online and off, is about determining if there is a need before ever attempting to match a buyer with a product or service. It is about providing enough information for the buyer to make the best decision based on their needs. And it is about gaining trust. The most successful sales professionals are those who are a resource before they are a vendor.

Having been in both brick-and-mortar and online sales and marketing for many years, it never ceases to amaze me how many people try to sell without determining the customer’s needs. They don’t seem to realize that the better the match, the more likelihood for return business. The better the match, the more trust gained. If you depend on repeat business or referrals, trust is absolutely a factor in your customer’s decision to come back to you when they need your product or service.

Anyone who has been in business for an extended period of time (or plans to be) would be hard pressed to believe otherwise. Whatever you are selling, the buyer’s experience from the initial visit and/or purchase will likely determine whether or not they will ever purchase from you again.

When a customer has a great experience from the beginning the chances of them turning into a repeat buyer is more likely. It is a proven fact: it is more cost effective to have repeat buyers than it is to constantly seek out new customers. That is not to say you shouldn't be adding new clients as part of your business model. Building trust with existing clients will add to your conversion rate more consistently.

What is often missed in the equation of sales and marketing is the lifetime value of a customer. Once the initial sale is made they are forgotten. With proper care, a one-time or occasional buyer can turn into a loyal buyer. And loyalty is more often than not based on trust.

We live in a “try before you buy” society. Because of this many buyers use what is referred to as the buying ladder. The buying ladder is very applicable to brick-and-mortar sales as well as Internet sales.

Before buying a high ticket item, buyers will "test the waters.” This can be done in a number of ways: by test driving a car, taking a tour of a home, asking friends and associates for a recommendation. When purchasing on the Internet it can be downloading a free information item or buying an inexpensive product from a website to test out the level of service, quality of product, delivery time, quality of information (in the case of an information product), and response time. It may even depend on the buyer’s “gut feeling.” What are your own buying habits? What process do you go through before making the decision to buy?

When you gain trust people want to do business with you. And they want to tell others about the experience. Have you heard the expression that if someone has a bad experience they will tell more people about that experience than they do a good one? I can’t say that I necessarily agree with this statement. There are occasions when I have heard people rave about a great experience over and over again.

Buying decisions are made for a number of reasons, but they ultimately depend upon whether or not the buyer trusts the process. And if they trust you. It is through the process of building trust that we have earned the right to sell.

Kathleen Gage is an award winning entrepreneur, keynote speaker and corporate trainer. Get Gage's F*R*E*E eBook STREET SMARTS EMARKETING Tips Guaranteed to Jump Start Your Internet Presence to Put You Miles Ahead of the Competition! Click http://www.streetsmartsmarketing.com

1. Be prepared for questions - When you write your presentation, think about what you're likely to be asked and what your answer is going to be. Maybe you won't want to answer a particular question there and then, so think about what you'll say to satisfy the questioner.

2. Make it clear at the start - You may decide to take questions as you go or at the end of your presentation.
Whatever you decide, make it clear at the start and don't change your mind. I would suggest questions at the end in a short presentation; if you take questions as you go, then your timing will get knocked out.
And always remember, an audience won't forgive you for taking half an hour when you were only scheduled to speak for fifteen minutes.

3. Never finish with questions - Far better to ask for questions five or ten minutes before the end, deal with the questions and then summarise for a strong finish. Too many presentations finish on questions and the whole thing goes a bit flat - particularly if you don't get any.

4. Listen - When asked a question, listen and look like your listening. It may be something you've heard a million times before. Treat the questioner with respect and don't trivialise their point.

5. Thank the questioner - It's only polite, it shows respect and it gives you a bit more time to consider your answer.

6. Repeat the essence of the question - Some people may not have heard the question so your answer may not make any sense to them. It can also be irritating for them not to hear the question. Again, it gives you more time to think of the answer and it makes you look so clever and in control.

7. Answer to everyone - Don't fall into the trap of only answering the questioner. If they happen to be near the front then you could end up having a conversation with them and exclude everyone else.

8. Keep it simple - Many speakers, when it comes to questions, have become more relaxed and the fact that someone is interested enough to ask them a question, leads them to go on too long with the answer - DON'T.

9. Don't bluff or bluster - If you don't know the answer to a question, say so and find out. Suggest to the questioner that you'll 'phone them or come and see them with the answer. It can even be a good way to make further contact after the presentation.

As we all know, it's possible that you may not be asked any questions and you then have that awkward silence.
People may be thinking about what you've just said and may need more time to ask. They may also be a bit shy and may take a few minutes to speak out. Why not have a question of your own prepared and say something like. "You may be asking yourself.........?"
If you still fail to get any questions then go straight into your summary and closing statement.

Handling a question and answer session well, demonstrates your professionalism and reflects on your message.

Alan Fairweather - The Motivation Doctor - is a professional speaker, author and business development expert. He is the author of four ebooks in the "How to get More Sales" series.
Lots of practical actions you can take to build your business and motivate your team.- To receive your free newsletter and free ebooks, visit: http://www.howtogetmoresales.com