"During the last month, I caught
myself rewording the way I communicated pricing information and
fielding requests. When I hung up the phone, I felt proud of myself. I
know it's because of listening to your broadcasts. They have been
helping me."
Stacey
"I realized something this week. I
have fallen in love with my job again and I think a big reason why is
because I feel so empowered and excited about marketing my business.
The process has provided new challenges, new ways of thinking and I
feel so much more peaceful about how things are progressing with the
business when I'm being proactive about its growth and direction."
Lisa, www.bluemarblecreative.com
"Where I have really, really
benefitted from our time together is your help with the proposal
process and the technique for getting the budget. I had two new
prospect conversations this week where I applied this principle and it
is like magic! It works! It saves me time and helps my prospect, too. I
am so thankful for your help in this area. Also, my referral engine is
working well. I have more work than I can keep up with right now, and I
know to keep the pipeline full is an ongoing process which I have begun
to build in. So thank you."
Beth, www.thewebservant.com
"My vision for my business has
expanded broadly since I've been working with Ilise. It's so helpful to
have her voice of experience to help me successfully navigate large -
and small but important - decisions as I learn how to grow."
Genevieve, www.redlemoncreative.com
"Working with ilise is better than
having a fairy godmother. She teaches you how to connect with your
dream clients and price appropriately, helping you grow your business
into what you've always wished it to be."
Kathleen, www.bluebirddesignco.com
"I want to thank you for the great
sessions we had, as I've been doing my research calling regularly, and
my business has really improved dramatically since we last spoke. I've
been making a lot more money and am on track to surpass my financial
goal for this month."
Doron, www.magneticwebworks.com/
"This group has been not only
delightful, but helpful in many ways. I feel more confident moving
forward with my marketing and now have a group of likeminded
professionals I can bounce ideas off. I have really appreciated your
insights and timely advice. On many occasions, when one or more of us
found a convenient excuse not to be doing what it was we knew we should
be doing, you have come up with an artful work around. Thanks."
Bob, www.stewartcustomhomes.com
"I took your newsletter course last
December and to date, I've published seven editions! Matter of fact, I
secured a very financially rewarding training assignment this summer
from one of my catalog marketer subscribers. And other subscribers have
told me how much they enjoy the newsletter. So thanks again for helping
me get my newsletter off the ground. Taking your course was money well
spent!"
Suzanne, www.catalog-copywriter.com
"When talking to a potential client
about a project, I not only used, "Let's talk about money..." but I
also aggressively explained my offer, encouraged her to read about it
on my web site, and confidently told her if she gave me the job she
wouldn't have to worry about it and could get back to coaching her
teams (which is her real job, not producing a newsletter!). This is
great headway for me and I know this self-confidence and "know how"
came from working with you! In the midst of my busiest two months all
year, I got an enewsletter out and a postcard! Plus I added 50 more
names to my mailing list that I had unearthed for cold calling. Every
success like this is an opportunity for me to learn more about myself
and running my business."
S.H.
"In just 30 minutes Ilise helped
answer key questions about who our target market should be, and how to
reach them. Finding focus for our marketing efforts lifts a huge burden
of uncertainty and "what ifs." The direction and solid advice are so
worth it!"
Jessica, www.aquavitacreative.com
"I just wanted to say thanks for the
direction you provide. This is exactly what I had been looking for over
the past year. My company is in a good spot now, but I know in another
year it will be even better thanks to what you've already taught me in
our few sessions. It must feel really great for your clients to
experience this."
Sharon,
www.bendingdesign.com
It has been a pleasure to work with
you the past months. I have grown and learned so much. The skills I
have developed in the Marketing Mentor program have changed my outlook
for future prospects and will make a difference wherever they lead me.
Eric,
www.ambstudio.com
Ilise, I just want to say a big THANK
YOU for all your help and guidance. I can't express enough how much I
value the work you've done with me to help me overcome obstacles like
my "don't brag" attitude and talking about money. We reached and
exceeded all the goals we set in our first meeting and thanks to you
many great ideas came to my mind. I love what I do and I enjoy it even
more thanks to you.
Maria,
www.denovodezign.com
I just finished doing all the
exercises in the 'The Designer's Guide to Marketing and Pricing,"
and LOVED it! I've also been listening to your podcasts! Way to go! I thought I knew how to
market myself, but I was wrong! Your guidance has been invaluable and I
can't say enough.
Kami, www.kamitremblaydesign.com
Once again, you have crystallized my
rambling thoughts into a golden nugget of inspiration.
Drury, www.workerbeecreative.com
"Working with Ilise has been an
empowering process for me. I am discovering that I actually LIKE
cold-calling. It is a great way to quickly qualify prospects and move
on to more marketing. It's not the burden I thought it would be. But
more importantly, I am learning to use the effective tools Ilise has
given me, which significantly increased my self-confidence and
motivation about moving forward in my business. Ilise helped me get
over the fear, the excuses, and her no-nonsense approach has kept me
accountable to myself. She is the consummate professional."
Amy, www.elementgraphicdesign.com
I recently purchased "The Designer's Guide to Marketing and Pricing," "Self-Promotion Online," and "The Art of Self Promotion." I found you through
HOW magazine and feel completely blessed to have done so!! I have
started implementing a few of the tips and tricks (note my email
signature - I didn't have one prior to reading your book(s)) and
already feel more confident and professional. I have often labeled
myself as "good at being creative," and "bad at business." Your books
are helping me reprogram my thinking about myself, and I expect to see
high returns. So, Thank You!
Brenda, www.coroflot.com/brenda_cornett
"*THANK YOU* (a million times over)
for being such a trusted source for just about everything!"
Jezra Kaye,
www.jezrakaye.com
"Ilise, I had a complimentary mini
phone consult with you many months ago and I just (finally) implemented
one of your excellent suggestions. You thought instead of listing my
clients by location (Kauai and Napa Valley), I should list them by
category. Part of the motivation was to show a specialty in the visitor
industry. Well, I wanted to report to you that it worked out even
better than I thought, the first alpha categories being Accommodations
(with the two top hotels on island prominently featured) and Activities
(lots of those). So a belated THANK YOU for your generous advice."
Linda,
www.kauaidesign.com
I just wanted to thank you for all
your help and wealth of knowledge. I am listening to you every day and
it is helping me build confidence in my marketing endeavors. I am
excited to see where this goes and where I will be in a year from know.
Danoucha, www.danooshadesigns.com
Thank you for your support in helping
me take a fresh and clear look at my business interests and goals. This
allowed us to decide on the best marketing strategies, focus on a
particular market (niche) and decide where I want my business to be in
the near future. Your straight forward approach to helping me create
the business that I desire was very helpful. I really appreciated how
you were able to keep us on task and give us feedback about our
assignments in a very timely manner. Thanks to Marketing Mentor, I know
that my marketing strategy is on the right track for meeting my next
business goals.
Rosalyn, www.justaskrosalyn.com
I've been meaning to email you a HUGE
thanks. I have most of your books and got tons of help from your How
Web cast on pricing that you had the year before last. The other day I
got a project from a long-time client. She asked what I thought for a
rate and I asked her what she was thinking for the budget. She gave me
a rate that was twice as much and thousands more than I was going to
ask for. Incredible! Thank you so much for helping me with the
difficulties of pricing. It seemed so easy!
Kathleen, www.giarannodesign.com
"I thank you so much for helping me
with this - I think I'd still be spinning my wheels! Once again you've
been a great partner for me in this sometimes halting process of
getting the word out about what I do. Thank you. Thank you."
Maxine, Feldenkrais
practitioner
"Working with Ilise has been a
pleasure. She has been smart, intuitive, creative and inspiring while
gently pushing me towards getting the business side of my business back
on track. Her tailored approach, out-of-the-box thinking and years of
experience have shown me that I can mold my business into the dream
that I imagined it could be...all done with a sense of humor, too. I
highly recommend this consummate professional...she knows what she is
doing...and with her help and guidance you will too!"
Elliot, designer and event
planner
"I can't believe how much I
accomplished in such a short time! My freelance copywriting business is
successfully launched thanks to Ilise and her Marketing Mentor program.
In less than 5 months of her mentoring I wrote and mailed my
self-promotion sales letter; developed and executed a self-promotion
follow-up campaign; wrote a marketing plan; created a web site; and
launched a free monthly e-newsletter. Plus I've got a contract with a
new client for 7 projects; 2 others in the wings; and referrals coming
in. My weekly calls with Ilise chopped months if not years of low
productivity time off the front end of my business development. Not to
mention all the great ideas she gave me that I'm phasing in over time.
Ilise is a diamond mine of experience, insight, and resources. It's a
dream partnering with such a dynamic professional."
Karen, Fundraising and
Sales Writer, www.pkscribe.com
"The recent conference I attended
wouldn't have gone so well if I hadn't done all the preliminary prep
work on my message, tagline, web site and sell sheets. I'm way more
focused than I ever was, in terms of my messaging and how I communicate
it. The pipeline is full and now I have to figure out to deliver. I
think we've created a Marketing Monster."
Louis,
www.convivio.com (Montreal, Canada)
"Ilise Benun's solid, thoughtful and
"cut to the chase" advice has been so helpful in getting my business
going, it's hard to quantify. She brings objective, generous,
non-competitive, and focused advice to the table on a regular basis.
It's amazing how much of a difference this has made for me in my
approach to building my business and my confidence."
Karen, www.LuckyDogGraphicDesign.com
"I have to admit I was skeptical
about what value you could add to developing my business when we first
started. I'm no longer skeptical. You played an enormous role in
getting me to where I am today ... paying job assignments, giving me a
sense of confidence and control about moving my business forward, a
feeling that I can reach any of my goals. You helped turn the vision of
my business into a reality. I really feel now I couldn't have done it
without you or at least I'd be so much farther behind than where I am
today. You not only gave me the prodding to get things moving, but you
gave me incredibly effective tools and venues and approaches to making
it all work. THANK YOU!"
Joanne,
www.scriptedinc.com
"I am timid, shy, and non-assertive,
but with Ilise Benun's guidance and advice, I have been able to
overcome my natural tendencies and earn millions of dollars in my own
business."
Bob,
www.bly.com
"Without your efforts I wouldn't be
this busy. This is a product of your success with me. You've changed my
mindset, and it only took 6 months. Self promotion is always top of
mind for me now."
Don,
www.primelight.net
"I think working with you has been
one of the best things I have done! I learn something new each week to
help my business grow."
Debra, www.workinglikeadog.com
"Literally a week after working with
Ilise, I reached one of my annual goals. I also love Ilise's advice on
managing what quickly became more leads and clients than I knew how to
handle."
Fern, www.backburnerprojects.com
"This process has been really good
for me. I'm discovering that I'm not alone and that marketing is
interesting and actually pretty fun. I thought it would be a huge
chore. Plus, I'm starting to believe in myself."
Janey, www.liquidlanguage.com
"One of the things I value you most
about working with you has been your ability to help me find
G.Scott!Design's brand voice."
G. Scott,
www.gscottdesign.com
"Having been in marketing most of my
career, I thought I knew a thing or two about marketing, but you've
provided a new source of inspiration. It's really liberating to look at
my own marketing from another perspective. Thanks again!"
Joan,
www.jdamico.net
"I am thrilled with what we're doing.
It's money well spent."
Elliott,
www.ask4pfg.com
"I find your service so valuable
especially I am in business for myself. It's great to have a sounding
board and someone to guide me. It's an essential part of my business.
You can quote me on that."
Carol Nadell, www.selectivecasting.com
"You are SO GOOD at what you do. I
was feeling so overwhelmed that I nearly canceled our session, thinking
that I would simply waste your time because of my lack of preparation.
But I'm very glad I didn't. You forced me to move my marketing forward.
You dragged me kicking and screaming to my website, and now, five hours
later, I've sent the changes to my web designer, along with the
instructions for putting the site live. Thank you so very much."
Mistina Bates,
www.marketitwrite.com
"I was a little skeptical at first,
but since I started Marketing Mentor, I've never looked back. We
finished my web site together and now it gets rave reviews. Plus, I've
picked up 3 new clients in the last month alone!"
Collin, Direct Response
Copywriter & Consultant
"When I began the Marketing Mentor
Program with Ilise two years ago, I had no previous experience in
marketing. Today, as a result of our work together, I have been able to
get over thirty meetings with prospective clients for our company, I
have also been responsible for bringing in eleven new projects. Her
help has been invaluable to me and has allowed me to learn as I go. I
highly recommend her Marketing Program to anyone needing to learn or
improve their marketing skills."
Suzie, Films for Industry
"The Marketing Mentor program has
shown me new perspectives and new avenues for getting and retaining
clients. One result is that I am more comfortable talking to people in
any setting, both those I have never met and recent acquaintances.
Also, I have developed the habit of participating regularly in Chamber
of Commerce functions, where I have met many businesspeople (even got a
job), and was recently called in to the Chamber for a portfolio review.
Third, I think my writing has improved and I learned how to gain the
reader's interest and be more succinct in e-mails, e-letters, and
articles for publication. Plus, the regular phone conferences helped to
keep me on track. Thanks for your personalized program. You went above
and beyond the Marketing Mentor contract."
Susan, www.stillwater-studio.com
"I really appreciate the help and the
guidance you gave me. I think just overcoming the initial inertia of
marketing myself was a big accomplishment. Now, I have the tools. In
addition, you helped me get a handle on pricing my work. Now all I have
to do is work with the tools you gave me and showed me how to use. If
anyone is looking for 'tools of the marketing trade', I'm going to
point them to you. Thank you so much."
Ken, copywriter, Japan
"You got me out the bad working
habits and into much better ones."
Tom,
www.ballyhoocom.ca
"One good idea from my mentor, Ilise
Benun, paid the fee five times over and probably will land me a spot on
the Today Show. That's what I call leverage!"
Evan,
www.drlipkis.com
"In the email advertising her 3-Month
Marketing Plan Group, Ilise Benun outlined a very ambitious agenda and
promised that anyone willing to do the work would accomplish everything
on the list. I figured if I only learned how to get comfortable making
cold calls, I would have gotten more than my money's worth. As the
class got going, I discovered that Ilise intended to stick to her
promise. I did the work, learned how to make cold calls easily,
efficiently and happily...and so much more! I totally recommend Ilise
and her Marketing Plan Group to you!"
Patrice, www.acornadvertising.com
"Thanks for all your advice these
last couple of months! It was really helpful to get permission from
someone other than myself to set limits with clients. The 'scope creep'
advice helped immensely, and it felt so good to say, "This is beyond
the scope" and be paid for the extra work."
Kelly,
www.copylicious.com
"I am getting more of the work I
want, passing on the work I don't want. But the most important result
is that I have found the process of marketing to be a creative outlet."
Lauri, www.panaramadesign.com
"Thanks again for your help. I'm so
excited! I've been working towards this for the past few months and now
it's about to happen, yeah! This course put me on a timeline which
forced me to create the newsletter. For those of us who may be
procrastinators or work part-time freelancing while working full-time
elsewhere, finding the time can be a major challenge. Knowing I paid my
hard-earned money pushed me to finish and I'm so glad I did, because
now I have a great marketing tool all set up and ready to use!"
Suzanne, www.catalog-copywriter.com
"My revenue has increased 30% since I
started Marketing Mentor. Ilise worked with me to strengthen my skills
and build my confidence. Now I know exactly how to identify a lead,
respond quickly, and close the deal. My investment in the Marketing
Mentor program has more than paid for itself. I'm thrilled with the
results."
Gail, Texas
"I was very pleased with your
presentation on networking during the Editorial Freelancers Association
conference. You were unpretentious but not inane; succinct but not
superficial; and humorous but not arch. You skipped the inflated jargon
often used by speakers and writers who have nothing to say and avoided
the cutsy-poo condescension and elaborate fictional anecdotes that mar
much self-help advice. Your own advice was apt."
Marie, Editorial
Freelancers Association
"We had nothing but rave reviews
about your program. People liked your down-to-earthedness and everyone
picked up practical tips."
Donna, New Jersey Women
Business Owners
"I really look forward to your tips
and cannot wait to hear what you have to say each time - they are
always so insightful ..."
Lori, Shadow Oak Studio
"Your online newsletter is absolutely
terrific. You combine extremely valuable content with style and
personality. Fabulous job!" Ivan, www.levison.com
