A client begins with a lead.  It may be ‘hot’ or, not.  It may be ‘qualified’ or, not.
Leads come from 3 primary marketing activities:  Advertising, Public Relations and Referrals.

Activity #1:  Advertising
When the canons of professional ethics first allowed advertising the only reference was retail advertising.  It was a disaster.  Cheesy.  Crass. Unprofessional.

Professional services advertising must reflect two key principles.

Promote your problem-solving knowledge, not your service.  For example, offering information such as “How To Choose a Funeral Home” is much better than promoting a “Low-Cost Funeral Special”.

Advertise your valuable information, not your service.
It’s called a “2 Step” approach.  Step 1: advertise your problem-solving information. A complimentary ‘Special Report’ or whitepaper is ideal for this.  Step 2: invite an appropriate ‘Next Step’ to people who respond to your initial invitation.  A ‘no-obligation’ discussion or meeting is ideal for this.

KEY POINT:
Advertising your services can be cheesy or classy. Inviting prospective clients to get to know you and learn from you . . . is a key step in building a valuable relationship with someone who desires the beneficial difference your services can produce for them.