No question about it, the troubled economy is hitting home, and frankly, you're worried. Money is tight, and you don't have a fortune to spend on ads, brochures and all the other trappings of traditional marketing campaigns.

Such methods aren't your style, anyway, but you have to get new business somehow. So what should you do?

First, take a deep breath. As I point out in my new book, "Marketing Your Consulting Services" (Jossey-Bass / Pfeiffer, 2003; 800-956-7739), there are ways that even the most reluctant and cash-strapped entrepreneurs can use to find new clients and get more mileage out of old ones. Many of the tips in the book work equally well for small business owners in fields other than consulting, too.

Many business owners have a touch of marketing phobia. Usually that is only because they don't realize that they have always marketed themselves.

Simply defined, marketing is everything you do to get or keep a client or customer, so you already know the basic principles. You just need to apply them more deliberately. There are lots of marketing tools to choose from, and many of them require little or no monetary investment.

Actually, these less-expensive, "non-traditional" marketing tools often seem to be a more natural fit than expensive ads or direct mail campaigns. Best of all, they put you in direct contact with potential and current clients/customers, which means they have stronger impact and yield more opportunities for one-on-one communication.

What follows is a description of 10 non-traditional but highly effective marketing tools.

Deliver Conference Presentations or Speeches. Organizations and associations frequently need interesting, educational, motivational or entertaining speakers to address their employees or members at conferences or special events.

This is one way to establish your company as the best in its field. You can register with speakers' bureaus, which will charge a booking fee, to help get your name and your special area of expertise in front of organizations.

Conferences are great networking opportunities. Set a goal to gather and give out 100 (or some other appropriate number) business cards at your next professional conference. Keep a list of colleagues in other cities and set up dinners with them. To be most successful, networking must be about caring for and helping people.

BE A JOINER

Join Organizations. Joining civic, social, service, religious or professional organizations helps to get the name of your business out. They will offer you an opportunity to discuss your business with people who may not otherwise know about you.

Some organizations, such as Kiwanis, Rotary or Optimists, even provide an opportunity for you to speak about a topic related to your business. To make the most of this strategy, become knowledgeable about other professions that may lead to joint ventures, and prepare for how to handle volunteer activities unrelated to marketing.

Teach a Class or Conduct a Seminar or Workshop. These are opportunities to educate potential customers and clients. They may provide information, offer hands-on experience or build skills. Even though you may charge a fee, this is an opportunity to market your business. An example of a typical situation might be an accountant who teaches how to use a computer for accounting.

One thing to keep in mind with this strategy is to use the face-to-face time to subtly promote your business by having brochures and business cards available. The fee should at least cover all your expenses, including design time, materials and travel expenses. Once your basic presentation and marketing plan have been developed, it is easy to repeat this strategy.

There are cost-effective ways to find new customers and get more from existing ones.

Send Greetings. One of my favorite personal marketing tools is sending letters, notes, birthday cards and holiday greetings to clients, colleagues and friends. I found a wonderful designer who designs and hand-makes special cards for me.

Among the considerations with this strategy: Postcards are an alternative; keep cards available so that you don't need to rush out to buy one for every event; keep a list of client/customer, employee and colleague birthdays.

Send Information. Send articles, books or tapes. If you present at a conference, purchase copies of the tape to send to your clients. If an article is written about you in a magazine or newspaper, purchase reprints to send. If you come across books or magazine articles that would be appropriate for special customers/clients, purchase them and send them along.

When employing this particular non-traditional marketing technique, it is important that you learn about and adhere to all applicable copyright laws. It's also a good idea to write short personal notes to clients in the books you give them.

Send Congratulations. Read the newspaper and watch local news broadcasts with an eye out to congratulate your clients, customers and colleagues. Many newspapers run a daily or weekly column featuring people who have received promotions or other recognition.

Cut out the article and place it in a card with a congratulations note from you. I usually do not write directly on the article, just in case the person needs one more copy to send out to "Aunt June." I also keep on hand a supply of chocolate stars and glass stars that accompany a "You're a real star!" message.

Never, ever pass up an opportunity to congratulate someone; often, it's more important than remembering a birthday. Tuck some star-shaped glitter in a congratulations card to create a mini-celebration. Alternatively, you can send miniature champagne bottles filled with bubbles or a party horn with a message such as, "You should toot your own horn!"

DO WELL BY DOING GOOD

Accept Pro Bono Work. Providing services or products for those who cannot afford to pay for them is a way to give back to society and market your business at the same time. We should all do these things because they are good for us and for society. However, if you want to use this as a marketing strategy, choose your projects carefully.

Projects should be non-controversial to the customers or clients you are trying to attract. I have done pro bono work for the Women Marine Association, the American Society for Training and Development, a small college in Virginia and a shelter for battered women. In each case, I received one referral as a direct result of the work-along with that warm feeling that comes with having done something good.

Send Prospecting Letters. Prospecting letters introduce you to your clients or customers and tell them how you think you could work together. I recommend only personalized letters; any letter that tries to address a large number of potential clients will be tossed in the trash.

Teaching a class or conducting a seminar can be a great way to promote your business.

Letters provide an opportunity for you to impress a client by demonstrating your knowledge of their organization, so take the time to research the organization if you are going to customize your letters. Keep in mind that the most frequently read portion of any letter is the P.S.

Ask for Referrals. Friends, current and past customers/clients, colleagues and even your competition can be sources of referrals for your business--but you need to ask for them. The referral alone will not get you new business, but it is a great foot-in-the-door technique.