My guest on the podcast, Dianna Huff, is an award-winning digital marketing consultant. She’s also a thought leader who has made content contributions in well-known digital publications such as Forbes, BtoB, Response Magazine, Content Marketing Institute, MarketingSherpa, Marketing Profs, Clickz, Search Engine Watch and Search Engine News.
Dianna launched her marketing communications consulting practice in 1998. Since then, she has developed and implemented web lead generation strategies and communications that improve search rankings, drive website traffic, generate sales and increase profits for clients ranging from small and mid-market companies to Fortune 500 corporations. She has served clients in a diverse range of industries including industrial, manufacturing, environmental, nonprofit, construction, healthcare, enterprise software, IT, financial services and consulting.
Dianna has accomplished a lot as a business owner, and in the last few years she has also made a number of important changes. Perhaps the most significant change she implemented was to narrow her range of service offerings and her marketing focus.
As part of that strategic shift, Dianna changed the name of her consulting firm from DH Communications to Huff Industrial Marketing. Today she is squarely focused on her passion — helping owners of small industrial manufacturing companies in the U.S. to grow their businesses through better marketing. Her unique consulting practice is thriving, and as you’ll hear in this interview she has never been more excited about her work.
Dianna is a wonderful example of someone experiencing the rewards of a more specialized consulting practice. Could becoming more focused and specialized help your business stand out and profit? If that’s a question you’d like answered, then you don’t want to miss the lessons that Dianna shares in this candid conversation. Scroll down to the Podcast Player and listen now!
(Prefer to read instead? Click on the “Transcript” link at the bottom of the player.)
Podcast Player:

How to Acquire Your Ideal Clients This Summer
How would you feel if you brought some ideal clients on board this summer? I’m talking about clients who are both profitable and personally fulfilling to work with.
You’d probably feel great. But is your next thought that this can’t happen for you because marketing during the summer months is just too hard?
In reality, many of your competitors are half-asleep until September, so it might be a lot easier than you think. Summer is a great time to take a vacation, and we should all do that. At the same time, we also need to have some kind of client acquisition plan in place.
No, I’m not suggesting that you create a formal sales and marketing plan. That’s overkill and a waste of time. But if you want to make more than just scattered attempts at new business development, then you’ll need to address some basics.
Start by asking yourself, what are the sales and marketing goals that I most want to achieve this summer — and why do they matter to me? Once you’ve sketched out your thoughts around those questions you’ll want to create a concise plan of action, including:
- Your strategy. Every successful plan is guided by strategy. For example, in my business I help solo professionals to consistently acquire their ideal clients. That strategic focus guides everything I do.
- Your tactics. This is about taking action to implement your strategy. How will you reach your target clients, get their attention, build trust, and make buying from you the most compelling choice?
- Your numbers. This involves tracking what you do to get results and the results you actually get. What results define success for you, and what actions are you committed to taking in order to achieve those results?
Most of the experienced solo entrepreneurs I know agree that this approach makes sense. Of course, some people reject the idea of planning as too rigid and confining. Here’s what they’re missing — planning is about deciding what you want, why you want it, and how you’ll get it. That’s essential to any lasting success.
Planning frees you up from chasing distractions. This allows you to focus your time and energy on making what you want to achieve a reality.
So, ready to take action and create your plan for an inspiring summer? You can do this, and I’m here to help you. Download your FREE copy of my new workbook: Expand and Improve Your Client Base – A Proven Method For Identifying and Acquiring Your Ideal Clients. Click the green button below and get your complimentary copy — here’s to your success!

New Website with Free Business Resources For Solo Entrepreneurs
Welcome to my new website! I know that you may have been following my posts through my previous site (SmallBusinessTalent.com) for a while now. If so, I owe you special thanks. Your support means a lot to me.
Helping you to identify, attract and acquire your ideal clients remains at the heart of everything I do.
StephenLahey.com will provide you with even more targeted, useful content, and more ways for you to access it. Here are some of the features that you’ll find on this site:
- The legacy Small Business Talent podcast. There are over 100 episodes for you to explore, including interviews with well-know experts and bestselling business authors such as Daniel Pink, C.J. Hayden, Pam Slim, Sally Hogshead, Charlie Gilkey, Tim Berry, and Ian Altman, to name just a few.
- The new Smart Solo Business podcast. I’ve begun recording episodes, and every other Wednesday a fresh expert interview or brief audio lesson will be added. As with the legacy podcast, each new episode includes a link to a transcript (found just below the podcast player) and options to subscribe to the feed via iTunes, etc.
- The new blog is here. Alternating with the podcast publishing schedule, blog articles will also be posted here every other Wednesday delivering thought provoking content created for solo professionals who sell their services in the business-to-business space. I’ve been in that role as a business owner since 2000, and I’ll share what I’ve learned through hands-on experience.
- The “Expand and Improve Your Client Base” interactive workbook. I’m offering this exciting new resource FREE, at least for now. If you’re striving to find clients who deeply value what you do, are personally fulfilling to work with, and highly profitable for your business, then this workbook is for you. Click the green button below and get your complimentary copy!>> Claim Your FREE Workbook <<
As a fellow solo, I admire your determination to take control of your professional life and capture your goals. Thank you for joining me on this exciting journey!
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