"Opportunities do not come to those who wait. They are captured by those who attack." General George Patton

Spreading the word about our business can seem like a battle and yet if we sit back waiting for the phone to ring - it could be a long wait.

I give a speech about guerilla marketing in which I recount my senior prom experience. My long term boyfriend and I had broken up and there wasn't anyone special on the horizon. It was the 70s and not common for a girl to pick up the phone and so I waited. I wore the same pair of earrings for three weeks because they contained a mustard seed.

I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. Matthew 17:20

I was faithful and yet the phone didn't ring. I even bought a dress. A beautiful peach colored halter top formal. No ringy-dingy.

The story has a happy ended - I hooked up with three other dateless girls and we went out for a fancy dinner wearing our beautiful dresses.

But the intended customer - a date for prom - never materialized. If we sit by the phone waiting for people to know about our business, the same will happen.

Entrepreneur magazine recently listed five things we can do to "attack" as Patton suggests our target market:

1. Make yourself news. Find ways to be news worthy and then write a press release and get the word out.
2. Ditch the traditional media list. Spend time getting your name in the blogosphere - comment on other blogs, write articles, write blog posts.
3. Create an online press center. I'm seeing this more and more - with professional bios, jpegs of your photo and company logo that can easily be cut and pasted by the media.
4. Think big. Target Narrow. Instead of using a shot gun approach - target your message to the media vehicles that reach your perfect prospect.
5. Make yourself easy to find. Work at being visible on the web in a multitude of ways.

Here is the complete article. How are you attacking the market place with words about YOU?

Deborah Chaddock Brown
Writer