Stop! We're not going to go there! Ever again!

That's right. We've got to stop thinking of marketing as something we do once in a while, when the calendar -- or our bank accounts -- seem to call for some action. Instead, we need to think all the time about growing our practice. And we probably need to stop thinking of marketing as a concept altogether for a while, to internalize a different mindset:

The way to grow a practice is to constantly build and enhance relationships with prospects, existing clients, and referral sources. But since we can't spend all day networking and lunching, we need tools to help us be visible.

But in this new mindset, instead of viewing marketing as an isolated activity, we focus on what really matters: business development. That means reaching beyond the traditional tools and strategies of marketing, advertising, PR, direct mail, and all the rest.

The smart way to build and enhance those relationships is by sharing useful subject-matter information and your expertise with your market, not blatantly selling to them. Here's how simple and common-sense it is, in five steps:

1. Have a good database of clients, prospects, referral sources, and potential prospects. Give it loving care regularly -- keep adding, subtracting, and modifying. If your software enables you to assign categories to entries, do so. It will enable you to sort your list (Separating clients from referral sources, insurance industry people from bankers, Floridians from Texans, can have benefits, as we will see soon.) Make sure to include e-mail addresses for everyone. If you're missing these for your older contacts, put an admin, temp, or college student on the phone to collect them. Do not fall for that old "My clients don't use email" trap. We must look forward, and email is part of nearly everyone's future. 
   
   
2. Use your database often. Your database is a relationship-building tool. On a regular basis -- monthly, bimonthly, quarterly, whatever is comfortable, use it to send your list something. The idea is simply to stay fresh and current in their minds, regardless of whether it is the right time for them to be buying your services. Remember, every prospect is also a potential referral source, too. 
   
   
3. Use your database smartly. Send something regularly, but not a promotional, self-back-patting piece. Sell nothing. Instead, send useful information on a topic of current concern to your client base. Anything that's quick, easy, and simple for you to do -- just a page or so, outlining a few key points and pointers. You'll establish in the reader's mind that you are an expert on the topic -- someone they, or a friend or associate, can call for help. Keep it simple by basing it on something else you've already written, spoken on, or advised a client on. Don't get esoteric, detailed, or complicated: you will never find time to finish it, and the reader will have more than they can absorb. 
   
   
4. Mix your tools. One month it's a letter, another it's a simple, desktop published article, then an e-mail message, and perhaps then a basic electronic newsletter (outsource the tech part for pennies to a vendor like Constant Contact; you just write a few words). By mixing you improve odds of reaching more people -- some on your list toss e-mail but open envelopes, and vice versa. Mix your list too -- here's where the sorting comes in. Send to the full list one month, just the bankers next time.
   
   
5. Go to the media. Take your best ideas and nuggets of information, and send them to the personal finance reporter at your local paper or radio station. Keep it simple and newsy -- just send a brief, two sentence email, letter or phone call suggesting they do a story on your topic, and interview you for it. Do not send a lengthy tome containing all the info -- that is counterproductive and wastes your time. Send just a hint to entice them. If they are interested they'll call, and you'll flesh it out then.

Finally: REPEAT THE ABOVE REGULARLY. And watch the prospects come calling.

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NED STEELE, author of 102 Publicity Tips To Grow a Business or Practice, works with people in professional services who want to create a business development initiative and build their business. A former newspaper journalist and public relations firm head, he is president of Ned Steele’s MediaImpact. To learn more visit www.mediaimpact.biz, call 212-243-8383, or email him at info@mediaimpact.biz.