“Pitch me.”

Every now and then, I toss those words out to select people whom I think may be beneficial to my business. They seem engaged, smart and able to help me, so I offer them their chance to make me their client.

Now, you’d think hearing those words (especially when uttered by someone like me to someone looking for work) would send business owners into a tizzy. After all, how often do you get handed a wide-open invitation to convince someone to hire you?

But almost invariably, people hear “pitch me” and completely fall apart.

They don’t know what to say. They don’t know what to offer. They don’t know what to do.

They weren’t ready.

Here’s what happens next.

Are you aware that your website may be costing you fistfuls of money?

An eye-catching website design will set the stage for your business, obviously.  But that powerful first impression only buys you a few seconds of attention.

If what you SAY on your website gives visitors the wrong impression, you’re chasing potential clients away.

And that problem is far more common than you think.…

Today is Valentine’s Day, and people all around the world are celebrating with chocolate, chick flicks, flowers, fine wine, and touching cards that say it all.

I’d send each of you a card and some chocolate if I could, just to show my appreciation that you’re part of my readership. But if I did that, I’d be broke and living in a cardboard box. And I don’t actually trust Canada’s cross-border reliability when it comes to mailing gifts.

Instead, I found something I know is even more valuable to you than chocolate, and I know it’s a gift you’ll truly appreciate if you put it to good use. In fact, I found five valuable somethings, and you can choose the one that suits you most.

What are these somethings? They’re special worksheet packages I created, each designed to help you clarify and achieve some very specific goals. They include worksheets you can print out and put to good use, as well as links to fabulous interviews I’ve had with some savvy peers of mine.

(Those calls aren’t your average kind of interview, either – you’ll be impressed by these in-depth conversations, and you won’t believe the game-changing advice I pulled from these experts’ heads when they least expected it!)…

Laura Vanderkam, author of 168 Hours: You have more time than you think, tells you how to find the time you need to write.

Sure, I’ll admit it: I procrastinate.

Not just a little; I’m a devoted procrastinator and I put everything off until the very last minute possible. Just ask my husband.

And I’m not necessarily looking to cure my procrastination. But yeah, it causes me problems from time to time.

The thing is that it’s something I do naturally. Without even thinking about it.  And I’ve always wondered if there was a way to use my procrastination talents to my distinct advantage.

Apparently there is.…

“For that reason, I’m out.”

If you’ve ever watched Dragon’s Den (or its U.S. counterpart, Shark Tank), you’re intimately familiar with that final verdict. It’s uttered by some very successful entrepreneurs when they decide a particular investment opportunity isn’t a good fit.

So how often do you say it to your prospects?

Maybe you should be saying it a little more often.

You know how it goes: Some potential client emails you about working together. Maybe he wants a new website, or some copy, or marketing advice. Doesn’t matter. You and he discuss the work a little further and you realize…

Your potential client is about to make a huge, expensive mistake.

Even if you invested hours, even despite doing your very best work, you know in your heart of hearts that this person is about to waste his money on something that won’t work.

What do you do?…

Most freelancers suck at meeting deadlines. I’ve heard horror stories from disgruntled complaining about people they’ve worked with in the past, and I’ve dealt with my own fair share of flaky freelancers.

Blown deadlines, forgotten deadlines, missed deadlines, stretched deadlines and the mysterious so-called “flexible” deadlines… no, freelancers aren’t really known for being reliable people you depend on to deliver.

That’s too bad. Because there’s one easy way to create ecstatic clients who come back for more:…

For all my years of experience, I completely understand why many people end up feeling frustrated, confused and absolutely unable to move forward. It isn’t because they don’t have the money to get where they need to be.

It’s that they don’t have the knowledge they require.

You want to make a video like all the cool kids do… and you don’t know where to begin. You want to get a small website going… and you don’t know the first thing about installing one. You want host a webinar… and you don’t even know how the damned software works.

Okay, fine. You don’t know how to do what you want to do. The next logical step is to ask someone for help.

So you do… except you can’t understand a word they say.…