December 13, 2006

Finally, a socially conscious credit card

In my random surfing tonight I came across The Enlightenment Card.

It's a 'socially conscious' Visa card, with a great philosophy:

Some people say money is evil…

We say “how” money is used determines the effect.

Love it!

And they have a super cool rewards program... instead of collecting 'travel around the blackout dates points' or 'buy a blender points' you can use your points towards things like yoga retreats and charity donations.

And they even have some funky designs for the card, sure beats my boring ole gold Visa card... yawn.

Sign me up!

Posted by Tina at 09:16 PM | Comments (0)

December 01, 2006

A new spin on 'Can i help you?'

Hate shopping for the holidays? Why not hire an elf to do it for you?

I saw a commercial the other day from Sears that I thought was super cool... you can 'hire an elf' to do your shopping for you. I'm not 100% sure on exactly how it works, but from the commercial it looked like you give your elf a list of who you need to buy for, they come up with ideas and gather the items for you, you pay and are gone.

Here's a snapshot from their website with the details.

Brilliant, yes? On so many levels...

First of all, they are simply reframing what their retail staff are already doing... to help you find what you need. With the extra added service of actually collecting the items for you. Same job, different (and much more fun!) title.

And instead of them having to approach you in the store to ask the dreaded 'can i help you?'... you are instead going to them and saying 'be my elf!' and happily handing over your shopping list.

Which of course means that shopping can be much easier for you, with someone else doing all the grunt work.

And of course, Sears gets the benefit of you buying a whole bunch of presents from their store...

I'll say it again... brilliant! It's almost enough to make me want to shop at Sears, which I so rarely do... now that's good marketing.

Posted by Tina at 09:44 PM | Comments (0)

November 13, 2006

Digital Diva... Who Moi?

What a lovely (and somewhat shocking) treat to open up a magazine and see a full page color photo of yourself. As per my recent article in the November issue of The Mompreneur magazine.

(A little secret... this picture is about 5 years old, but it still does look like me, I swear! It was the only 'professional print worthy' photo that I had on hand.)

And being dubbed a Digital Diva... I consider myself many things, but rarely a diva (is there any such thing as a diva who works in her jammies?). So allow me this moment to bask in my diva-ness. :)

Care to read the article? Here it is in PDF format... the writing is a bit wee and blurry from the scan.

Posted by Tina at 08:12 PM | Comments (0)

June 02, 2006

QQ: Search Engine Optimization

A quick question from Amanda...

The biggest question would be search engine optimization. How do I get my website to be listed on top without paying top $$$

A program I would highly recommend is Brad Fallons 'Stomping the Search Engines'. I bought this one about a year ago and it is great... he gets great rankings for his own businesses and explains exactly how he does it. Everything from what to put on your webpage (titles, keywords, etc) to linking and more.

You can also hire someone to help with search engine rankings... however this can be expensive and there are some 'duds' out there who make big promises that they can't deliver... so be sure to get a recommendation or referrals before hiring someone.

(Know a great SEO pro? Let us know, just post a comment... thanks!)

Posted by Tina at 10:56 AM | Comments (2)

May 31, 2006

I thought this was hilarious...

I have my email setup to filter most spam into a junk folder, which I generally clean out without paying much attention. But every once in a while a subject line catches my eye and makes me laugh.

Here's one from this morning that I thought was too funny:

"I'd insult you, but you're not bright enough to notice"

LOL. Turns out it was spam for some kind of weight loss product... go figure. ;)

Posted by Tina at 09:39 AM | Comments (0)

February 13, 2006

Avoiding the 'Smarm' Factor

My biggest question is - can I convert prospects to customers without all the hype? (Maybe it's a down under thing, but the sales letter hype style just doesn't feel authentic to me :))

- Rochelle Dent, www.leapsnboundscoaching.com

I'm so totally with you Rochelle... I have a strong dislike for the whole 'hype' factor in sales, what I also like to call the 'smarm' factor. (Definition of smarmy as per the dictionary - exaggerated, self-serving, smugly agreeable or insincere earnestness)

You know the type, that *typical* sales person who turns on the smarm as soon as you walk in the door. I ran into a guy recently at my chiropractors office who was selling some kind of health supplements (not to me, to my chiropractor). Even just sitting in the waiting room I could feel the smarminess oozing off of him, ick.

We see the same thing selling online, in sales letters, ezines and the like. The same inauthentic, hypey, smarmy factor is out there in the online world loud and clear.

So how to avoid this in your online selling initiatives? Tis quite simple actually, as illustrated by this short audio clip from a recent Multiple Streams Membership class I did on sales pages:

A sales page is simply a conversation...

When a person visits your website you want to engage them in a conversation, person to person. Through this conversation you want to illustrate the benefits of what you have to offer, how it can help solve their problems and lead them to click the buy button if it is a fit.

How that conversation flows is up to you, it doesn't have to be hypey, smarmy or inauthentic.

A good check-point I like to use when writing online (be it a sales page, article, ezine etc) is this:

Would I actually say this out loud in a conversation?

If the answer is yes, i'm golden. If the answer is no, I have to question my approach and perhaps look for an alternative.

Taking that even a step further - Would I say this out loud in a conversation with my mother/father/best friend/spouse/etc? Think of a person who knows you best - the *real* you - and won't let you get away with any bs. ;)

You want to be authentic and realistic about what you are offering, and using the conversation check-point can help you to avoid the 'smarm' factor.

That being said, you also want to include proven elements and strategies that work in online sales. There is a formula for creating sales pages that helps increase sales and that you will want to implement as well.

The key is the *dance* between the conversation and the proven sales page forumla that works.... when you find that sweet spot you can enjoy increased sales and avoid the 'smarm' factor, best of both worlds!

So, ready to create that sales page? Go for it, and be sure to share the results by posting a comment below.

Looking for more information on the formula for a great sales page?
We will be covering this and more in our next Workgroup:
'Completing Your First/Next Sales Page: How to Create a Compelling Sales Page that Sells While you Sleep'.

This Workgroup is for you especially if you already have a product and (1) just need a sales page in order to get launched, already! or (2) have a sales page that isn't bringing in as many sales as you'd like.

Note that the focus of these Workgroups is *taking action*, so don't bother joining if you aren't ready to actually do the work.

However, if you are willing to do the work you will have a completed (or improved) sales page ready by mid-March... in time for spring sales.

Click here for details or to register now.

Posted by Tina at 11:29 AM | Comments (0)

February 02, 2006

Blog Your Way to a Bestseller

If you’ve got a book to self publish or promote -- or your book’s just a glimmer in your eye -- pay attention to this latest and greatest offering from that dynamic duo of Suzanne Falter-Barnes and Andy Wibbels - Blog Your Way to a Bestseller.

Suzanne Falter-Barns has successfully sold more than 90,000 copies of her books, scored all kinds of national media, learned at the knee of several top book publicists and arranged two 15-city book tours herself. (Recently SELF Magazine named one of her books ‘one of 9 best of the best self help books in print’.)

Blogging evangelist Andy Wibbels is mid-stream in promoting his own book, Blogwild! A Guide for Small Business Blogging, out in April from Penguin/Portfolio. (Andy’s blog won the 2005 Marketing Sherpa award for Best Blog … an amazingly big deal!)

Needless to say, these guys know their stuff... check it out at http://blogyourwaytoabestseller.com/

Posted by Tina at 03:46 PM | Comments (0)

January 31, 2006

A strangely fun(ny) contest...

I'm a fan of reading mystery/thrillers... and got a chuckle out of a contest offered in a book that I just finished.

It's called 'Kill a Friend, Maim a Buddy', offered by author Lisa Gardner. Description at her site:

Yep, it’s that time of year again. I’ve started a new novel and frankly, I need people to kill. So we’re reinstating the “Kill a Friend, Maim a Buddy” Sweepstakes. Gain immortality, win a signed copy of the finished novel, and prove to someone special in your life that yes, you care that much.

Here’s how it works: Have a friend you’re really fond of? Enter her name in the “Kill a Friend, Maim a Buddy” Sweepstakes, and immortalize her forever as a Lucky Stiff. A bit peeved with your boss? Nominate the head honcho and ask your coworkers to do the same. Or if you’re feeling a little suicidal, provide your own name for the grist mill. Who are we to judge?

Morose yet also kinda fun, and a great way to get readers to visit her site.

Posted by Tina at 03:49 PM | Comments (0)

January 23, 2006

Reach + Response = Relationship

Got this email just the other day from Terri Z of www.solo-e.com

How do you build a relationship with folks online, without it consuming tons of time?

I so LOVE this question... for the simple fact that it means Terri 'gets' the importance of building a relationship online. Relationships build businesses, people buy from those they know, like and trust.

I've said it before and i'll say it again, if you aren't willing to put in the time & energy required to build a relationship with your visitors/subscribers online then I dare say don't even bother doing business online. I take a rather hard stance on this.

So let's take a look at some of the best ways to do this without consuming tons of your time...

Do note that it will require *some* time to build a relationship online. However the beauty of the internet is the availability of tools and strategies we can use to leverage our time and effort. How cool is that?

As I sat down to write this it occurred to me that there are 2 important elements to building a relationship, online or offline.

First, you mush REACH out to a person.

And then secondly they must RESPOND to you.

Until both have taken place - reach and respond - the relationship hasn't actually started yet.

It's like being hit on in the bar... if some guy comes up and says 'hey baby what's your sign?' and I walk away without responding then the relationship is stopped before it was ever started. (It's been a while since i've been in the bar scene, have the lines gotten any better since then? ;)

So as we work to build our businesses online, our objective should be to REACH out to people in such a way that gets a RESPONSE.

I always like to start with the end in mind, so first decide what kind of response you want to get. Desired responses could be:

• getting someone to read your newsletter
• getting someone to participate in your survey
• getting someone to make a purchase from you
• getting someone to send you a referral
• etc...

If you know first what kind of response you want, then it is easier to decide on the best way to reach out.

This is where the power of the internet comes into play, giving us the ability to reach out using online tools that are automated and allow us to reach many people with 'just a click'.

Let's take a look at a few examples of how we can REACH out to people, using the leverage of the internet.

1. Autoresponders A great way to leverage your reach is to set-up a series of autoresponders that gets automatically sent out each time someone joins your list or makes a purchase with you.

   One of my favorite autoresponder strategies is the Quick Question email. This is a short email that you send out after people join your pink spoon list asking them 'their biggest question about X'. (More on creating a quick question email here.)

   The purpose of this email is to make a connection, and to also gather valuable feedback/information from your readers. In my experience over half of the people who get this simple question from me take the time to respond, giving me the opportunity to reply to them and start a deeper relationship.

2. Newsletter/Ezine
   Another great way to reach out is through sending a newsletter or ezine on a regular basis. Again, keep in mind here that your objective is to get a *response* from your readers... so before you sit to write each issue ask yourself 'what kind of response do I want from my readers'?

   This could be as simple as writing an article and asking for their input on a certain topic, or offering a product for sale.

   Keep in mind that your subject line can make a big difference. Instead of saying "Newsletter Issue IV" give some thought to how you can entice people to read/respond with your subject line alone.

3. No-Fee Teleclasses
   Offer a complimentary no-fee teleclass to your readers. People love a 'live voice' and this is one of the best ways to strengthen an online relationship/connection. Turns us into 'real people' vs just words that pop up in their inbox.

   It's funny... being an introvert I have to admit that a part of me really doesn't like doing teleclasses. My natural inclination is to sit and type away... but when I do push myself out of my box and lead a teleclass I always have *loads* of fun. The energy of connecting live cannot be beat, regardless of your extro/introvert tendencies.

Now for the response... I strongly recommend responding to all emails, even if just to say 'thanks for your input'. Remember, it is at the point of response that the relationship starts, so this is KEY!

People really do appreciate knowing their email has been read, and it can make a HUGE difference in the depth of relationship that you create.

Yes, I can hear you groan as you read this... "but I already get enough email, how am I possibly supposed to respond to every email that comes in?"

If need be consider hiring a VA to help ease your email load. With a bit of training a VA can help answer your emails in a way that reflects your business style and helps clean up your inbox.

So just to recap this simple formula:

Reach + Response = Relationship

Let me ask you...

• What more can you do to *reach* out?

• How can you improve your *response*?

Would love to hear your thoughts, post your comments below.

Posted by Tina at 07:26 PM | Comments (5)

January 19, 2006

You Oughta Be in Pictures...

We are!

Andrea & I have created our first ever viral movie, check it out:

www.TheMoneyandMeaningMovie.com

Let me know what you think? And stay tuned for a 'case study' update on the stats and results... we are building a new list from this movie to start to venture into the general small biz market.

Autograph anyone? haha...

Posted by Tina at 11:35 AM | Comments (6)

November 08, 2005

A Quickie Before I Head Out to San Jose...

Just wanted to drop you a quick note today before I head out for the ICF Conference in San Jose.

I have a great offer, for newsletter readers only.

Can I help you save $200?

Andrea Lee and I are putting the finishing touches on our newest product 'Pink Spoon Marketing: The Art & Science of Building a Multiple Streams Business.'

This 200+ page workbook and CD set is the synthesis of our over 5 years experience building 6 and 7 figure businesses online. And we are so thrilled to finally be able to offer this to you in a simple guide.

We've taken the 'headache' out of launching your business online through this step-by-step guide. Based on proven relationship based marketing principles, Pink Spoon Marketing will give you everything you need to launch a successful online initiative.

So are you ready to take your business to the next level online? Let us help you get started with a $200 savings, available to newsletter readers only.

Important: To claim your $200 savings you must be added to our pre-sale notification list.

To join the list send a blank email right now to
andrea1-3670@unlimitedautoresponders.com.

You will receive a special *activation* email from us in just a couple of weeks, that will give you the option to be one of the very first people to get a copy of Pink Spoon Marketing 'hot off the press'.

Go ahead and send your email now, before you forget! Even if you are just thinking 'maybe'...

Again, to get on the list send an email to
andrea1-3670@unlimitedautoresponders.com

Will you be in San Jose? Be sure to drop by the Multiple Streams of Coaching Income booth to say hello. :)

Posted by Tina at 02:09 PM | Comments (1)

October 28, 2005

Grow Your VA Biz Membership

Since launching 'The 10 Critical Skills for a Thriving Virtual Assistant Practice' just a couple of months ago, I've heard from many VAs who are looking for additional help and support in growing their VA businesses.

Everything ranging from marketing:

"My biggest question is probably the six million dollar question. How do I get "worthwhile" clients?"

To balance:

"How do I manage my business time and family time while working from home?"

To skills:

"What is the best way to develop the many technical skills a VA is expected to know?"

Just to name a few. ;)

The thing is, building a VA business can be tough at times... not to mention lonely as we are mostly solo-preners working from home. Many of us have the desire and drive to build a successful business, but find at times we are missing some of the support and guidance we wish we had.

And so I'm happy to announce the Grow Your VA Biz Charter Membership, your 'one stop shop' for all the tools, guidance and support you need to grow your VA business.

Cindy Greenway of MultipleStreamsTeam.com and Andrea J. Lee of MultipleStreamsSystem.com have joined forces with 'yours truly' to create this new membership exclusively for VAs.

Our mission? It's very simple... to take our own 15+ years combined experience working online for various clients and help VAs to create their own successful businesses. We love what we do and we make a very good living at it... and we want to help VAs do the same. ;)

This membership is a hub for everything that we know about finding clients, serving clients and building a VA business, from marketing tips to technical tools to personal support and more. All of this will be offered via online bulletins, monthly teleclasses and group q&a sessions available to members-only.

As part of our launch we are making the Grow Your VA Biz Charter Membership available for $1 right now, for the first 30 days. After which you are welcome to continue at $27/month.

(Yes, we realize that this is a very low price for this kind of value... however we want to make the Grow Your VA Biz Charter Membership accessible and affordable for everyone who wants this kind of support.)

Ready to join us as a Charter Member? Sign up now for immediate access at:

http://www.webcontactpro.net/app/adtrack.asp?AdID=5211

Our first member teleclass is taking place next week on Wednesday November 2nd - 'Closing the Sale! Get a YES from Your Marketing Efforts'. Wouldn't it be great to hear that yes more often when talking to potential clients? Indeed!

Once again here is the link:

http://www.webcontactpro.net/app/adtrack.asp?AdID=5211

Know a VA or colleague who would be interested in this Membership? You can let them know about it http://www.growyourvabiz.com/tellafriend.html

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email us at team@growyourvabiz.com. We'd love to hear from you.

With love and respect,

Tina Forsyth
CEO, OnlineBusinessManager.com
tina@onlinebusinessmanager.com

Partner, Multiple Streams 'Dream' Team
www.MultipleStreamsTeam.com

PS - The $1 for 30 days is a limited time offer as we launch this new membership and work out the kinks. Be sure to grab your one dollar membership before the price goes up:
http://www.webcontactpro.net/app/adtrack.asp?AdID=5211

Posted by Tina at 02:05 PM | Comments (0)

October 11, 2005

Optimized Press Releases - SahWeet!

Another great marketing tip from David Frey. If you haven't already done so be sure to sign up for his Marketing Best Practices Newsletter at http://www.MarketingBestPractices.com

Article pasted in full, be sure to read this puppy if you are looking to build your business in the search engines.

A New Secret Technique to Getting Massive Press

Today I received an email from Google that you would (or should) find interesting.

I subscribe to Google's "News Alert" program
(http://www.google.com/alerts) and I get daily "news emails" based on the keyword, "Small Business Marketing."

It's a pretty cool program.

I'm always interested in what's happening in my area of business and this is one tool that I use to keep up to date.

_______________________________________________________

Where Does Google Get the Content for It's News Alerts?
_______________________________________________________

Google scours all the press release sites and based on the keyword that you've given to the system, it pulls off links to relevant press releases and sends them to you in an email.

Usually, these are "Optimized Press Releases."

___________________________________________________

What Is an "Optimized Press Release"
___________________________________________________

Online press releases, are a relatively little-known development in the world of search engine exposure.

Within 24 hours, a well-optimized online press release can climb to the first page of Google News and Yahoo!
News - if it is well written and strategically embedded with relevant keywords.

Many optimized press releases can arrive on Google’s regular search engine in less than a week’s time and remain there for up to six months.

More than 27 million people use news portals every month and millions more use Google and Yahoo! search engines.

___________________________________________________

The Anatomy of the Optimized Press Release System ___________________________________________________

Here's a graphic of a google email news alert that I received this morning.

http://url123.com/zw897

(copy and paste link into your browser)

I clicked through to the press release to see what it was about.

The press release's headline reads...

Small Business Marketing and Advertising: New PR
Strategy Means Small Companies Can Top Google and
Yahoo Search

And the press release's subheadline reads...

Just like Letterman: New website gives Top 10
reasons why small business marketing and
advertising pros use optimized press releases to
get big business results. Don’t know what an
"optimized press release" is? Read on...

This press release was all about why it's important to create "optimized press releases."

(We'll talk about these more in a minute.)

After scanning the press release I noticed that the author's firm was from Houston (where I live) so I decided to go to the bottom of the release and click on the website link.

http://www.FirstPagePressRelease.com

Ah hah...

I found out that this website belonged to Sharon Dotson, a PR expert in Houston who was selling "Optimized Press Release" Services.

I then clicked into her home website
http://www.bayoucitypr.com/ and found out that Sharon owns Bayou City Public Relations, a Houston-based PR firm.

_______________________________________________________

Notice the Flow of the Optimized Press Release System.
_______________________________________________________

Step 1 - A Google Alert let me know a press release about "Small Business Marketing" was posted.

Step 2 - The Alert led me to a press release on eMediaWire.com, an online press release service.

Step 3 - The press release then led me to a mini-site titled, "First Page Press Release" that sells an "Optimized Press Release" service.

Step 4 - The mini-site then led me to the PR firm's primary website, which is Bayou City Public Relations.

And I hope you noticed that there were two common threads in this system...

____________________

Common Thread # 1
____________________

The first common thread is the use of the keywords, "Small Business Marketing" and "Advertising"

Notice that these two keywords are in the main title and the subheadline. These are the two locations that Google and other news services look to create their search index.

Key Insight: When creating an optimized press release you always want to put your two primary keywords into the headline and subheadline.

____________________

Common Thread # 2
____________________

Notice that the article, "Top Ten Reasons to Use an Optimized Press Release" started in the alert. Then you saw it on eMediaWire.com. Then you saw it on FirstPagePressRelease.com and finally, you saw it on BayouCityPR.com.

The article led you on a trail to find Sharon Dotson's business website.

Key Insight: Write an article that you can turn into a press release and link to it in your press release.

Notice that Sharon used a "Top 10" list. This is an excellent way to quickly create a relevant article about your products or services and to double it's use as a press release.

Sharon knows what she's doing!

By the way, Sharon has an excellent FAQ on "Optimized Press Releases" at...

http://www.firstpagepressrelease.com/faq.html

If you want to use her services to create an optimized press release, give Sharon a call at (281) 859-9800 or email her at sharondotson@bayoucitypr.com

_______________________________________________________

How Do You Send an Optimized Press Release So that the Search Engines Will Pick It Up?
_______________________________________________________

Ahhh, this is the secret.

And this little secret is well worth your subscription to this newsletter.

All you need to do is type up a short press release with your keywords placed in the headline and subheadline and a link to your site in the press release.

The you simply submit it to all of the online PR news wires. Here's a few free ones.

http://www.PRWeb.com

http://www.emediawire.com/

http://press.xtvworld.com

http://prleap.com

http://press-world.com

http://free-press-release.com

http://click2newsites.com

http://clickpress.com

http://i-newswire.com

Once your press release is submitted it can be picked up by major news sources and as you've seen in this instance, it can also be picked up by the Google and Yahoo news service and spread all over the net.

In addition, your press release could even make it to the top of the search engines for your coveted key words and provide excellent natural search engine traffic.

And don't forget, your press release (assuming you have real news and your release is written well) could garner you a lot of offline exposure.

_______________________________________________________

Remember I Said That an "Optimized Press Release" Can Get You to the Top of the Search Engines -Here's Proof!
_______________________________________________________

Go to http://news.google.com/ (Google's News Site)

Type in "small business marketing"

What do you see in the # 1 spot?

Yes, it's Sharon's optimized press release.

See, it works!

______________

Conclusion
______________

Creating and submitting "optimized press releases" can net you big dividends. It's simple and quick to do.

Simply write an article that is newsworthy, lace it with your primary and secondary keywords, and submit it to online PR sites.

Every article you write can be altered in some way to be newsworthy and acceptable to the online PR sites.

If you don't have time to do it, hire a pro like Sharon Dotson at http://www.FirstPagePressRelease.com.

Have a great week.

David

P.S. If you're a married woman would you do me a favor? Would you go to http://www.MarriageAdvice.com and take the survey poll on the lower right hand side of the home page. It will take you less than 30 seconds. Thank you!

___________________________

Recommended Resources
___________________________

THE SMALL BUSINESS MARKETING BIBLE

Attract more new customers, sell more to existing customers, and bring back your customers more often, with less effort.

http://www.TheMarketingBible.com

_____________

GET MORE REFERRALS

The Instant Referral Systems program has been selling like wildfire. To get your copy visit

http://www.InstantReferralSystems.com

_____________

ARE YOU A COACH OR CONSULTANT?

If so you might be interested in learning more about the Coaches and Consultants Marketing Bootcamp

http://www.ConsultantsMarketingBootcamp.com

_________________________________

David Frey
President, Marketing Best Practices Inc.
4815 FM 2351 Suite 201
Friendswood, TX 77546
281-993-5657
David@MarketingBestPractices.com

Posted by Tina at 04:42 PM | Comments (0)

October 03, 2005

Competition is Good!

Loved this article by Norm Brodsky, especially the perspective on the benefits of competition in a new(er) industry. Imagine not having to explain 'what coaching is' ever again?

Every partnership has its ups and downs, and the one I have with Bob Feinstein hit rough water last spring. Back in 2000, he and his son Trace joined me in starting a document-destruction business. About a year ago, the demand for that type of service began to explode, thanks mainly to the implementation of several new privacy laws. As a result, hundreds of small operators poured into our market, undercutting our prices, going after our customers, and generally doing all they could to tear down what we'd spent five years building up. I was absolutely thrilled. Bob thought I'd lost my mind.

Click here to read the full article.

Posted by Tina at 12:18 PM | Comments (0)

September 26, 2005

'How I added 425 people to my list in just 2 weeks'

A wonderful success story from Tessa Stowe, attendee in our current List Building Workgroup.

Over the last 2 weeks I have had 425 people sign up for my mini email course, and they are still coming. You can sign up too at http://www.attractmoreclientsnaturally.com/

Here is what I have been doing...

1. writing articles. If you type in "Tessa Stowe" in google you will see them.
2. had my mini-course mentioned in 3 ezines (this was GREAT)
3. participating in online forums where my target market hangs out
4. google ad words from Saturday only (Lena is great to work with)
5. I have placed some ads with more to come
6. have been giving teleclasses and saying that to get great notes they should sign up for the mini-ecourse.
7. having my email signature mention my course
8. I have a "refer a friend" when people sign up for my mini-course. If they refer a friend they get a bonus
9. I have a "tell a friend" on each lesson in the mini-course

I think it is best to have multiple strategies going all at once and some work better than others. Also it is a continuous process.

Hope this is helpful

P.S. Please don't forget to sign up

Tessa

Lemme just say wow! Go Tessa go. But really, what this is a great example of is how a little bit of everything can go a really long way.

These are just 9 of the 21 Strategies that people are learning in the current List Building Workgroup.

There is no 'magic bullet' for building your list. You need to focus on doing a number of things consistently and then you will start to see results.

Interested in building your list? We are looking to do another workgroup starting in November, to be notified be sure to join 'Creating What Matters' at http://www.andreajlee.com/signup/ or check back here.

Posted by Tina at 04:42 PM | Comments (1)

June 22, 2005

I'm a poet and I didn't even know it!

I was recently planning a few summer adventures and sent an email to Andrea and her hubby Mike proposing that they come with us for a long weekend at my parent's cabin in Montana.

Turns out that the email I wrote was really quite the little sales letter. LOL... and I wasn't even thinking about that while writing.

Click Here to see the email I wrote to Andrea, in the post 'Marketing is ALL around us, and not just in a bad way'.

PS - It worked, they are going to join us for the long weekend. Great conversion! ;)

Posted by Tina at 11:15 AM | Comments (0)

June 13, 2005

Traffic Story

A quick story from the trenches, so to speak, about the all important topic of Traffic, and how to get it.

Here is Patricia's story:

I launched my site Findworkyouloveandthrive.com this past February. Its sole purpose is to sell an e-Course on career change. In March I began my Google adwords campaign.

At first, it was disappointing. Click thru's came in dribs and drabs and conversion rates were low. Once I took (Tina Forsyth's Traffic Class) in April, I began to realize that getting good results was much more than just selecting key words -- it was about 'connecting all the dots from keyword to ad to landing page'.

I revised every aspect of my campaign and here are some results:

Avg. CTR % Avg. Conversion %
April 1.0 10.95 (spent $58)
May 1.4 21.27 (spent $97)

In April, I had 60 sign ups for my pink spoon and in May, so far, 104 sign ups. While I like the direction of these numbers (and the incredible unsolicited feedback I get on my pink spoon) my sales of the e-Course are still quite low.

So, once again, change is in the wind -- I am revamping the sales site and making substantial changes to the product itself. Once done, I plan to go beyond Google -- open up the marketing barrels, so to speak.

Other ah-ha's...

1. I originally launched 'half-baked' - and am so glad I did. I could not have learned what I've learned in the past 2 months without being in the real world.

2. Setting up Google takes a good chunk of time. 10 hours? 15 hours? Part of that is learning the Google system and the rest is selecting keywords, creating ads, etc.Once it is set up, it's a question of checking in every week and tweaking.

3. My marketplace is not, unfortunately, a '5 cents per click' Marketplace. Yes there's a few, but the big drivers of traffic are in the .20 - .50 range.

4. It takes longer and requires more patience and 'baby steps' than I thought would be the case.

One thing I know for sure is that you can learn all of the 'how-to's' pretty easily...it's digging deep inside yourself and finding the faith to continue putting one foot in front of the other that counts most.

Patricia Soldati, www.findworkyouloveandthrive.com

Posted by Tina at 06:52 PM | Comments (0)

June 03, 2005

So, what do you do?

At the dog park today I was asked a common question:

"What do you do?"

My answer? Some kind of obscure blithering about working with coaches and their businesses. Took me about 5 minutes to try to explain what I do, and i'm sure I confused the heck out of this guy in the process (I confused myself!). It wasn't my shining moment to say the least.

So on the ride home it occured to me that there is a very simple answer to that question.

I help people build their businesses online.

Duh! Clear and simple answer. That really is what I do in a nutshell... too bad I thought of it after the fact, hehe. I'll be armed and ready the next time i'm asked.

PS - Here's a pic of me and my pup Katy. Aren't we cute?

Posted by Tina at 02:42 PM | Comments (2)

June 02, 2005

When the marketing bug bites...

Watch out, when that marketing bug bites it can really be a doozy.

All of a sudden you start looking at the world through a marketing lense, constantly critiqueing every marketing piece you see - brochures, signs, websites, ezines.

For example, I was out with my husband on the weekend and we drove past a KFC. They had a sign out advertising the big crunch sandwich. It was one of those removable letter signs below the big store sign.

So I turn to my husband and instantly start critiqueing the sign... "instead of X they should say Y, yadda yadda"

He just smiled and nodded, a common response when i start talking about this stuff.

Heck, i'm even critiqueing the telemarketers who call me these days. I got a call today from someone trying to sell me a subscription to our local newspaper. They instantly launch into their spiel about "You can get a year long subscription for the special price of X..."

I had to interrupt her with a very key point... and that is that "I don't even read the newspaper". So why bother trying to sell me one? It's like trying to sell a pair of shoes to a person with no legs (well, not quite but you get my point).

Instead of launching into the pitch why don't they start with a question like "Would you like to stay on top of what is happening in our fair city?"

Hmmm... I may have even said yes to that question.

Give me the benefit people, not the product! Don't sell me a piece of paper on my doorstep each morning, sell me the experience of being in touch with whats going on in the world, being "in the know".

Deep cleansing breath.... k, i'm done my rant now.

See? It's like an illness. I just can't stop! ;)

Anyone else suffering from the marketing bug?

Posted by Tina at 05:08 PM | Comments (0)

April 26, 2005

Exchanging Links - Yep, It's a Good Thing

Have you ever received one of these emails in your inbox?

"Hey, do you want to exchange links?"

If you are anything like me a few months back, you would read this email and think "Huh? Why would I want to exchange links with you?"... and promptly hit the delete key.

Well, i've learned better... there is actually something to exchanging links, and you may want to give it consideration as part of your overall marketing/traffic plan.

In a nutshell, the more links you have coming *in* to your website, the higher placement you can get in the search engine rankings. This isn't the only thing that determines your search position, but it has been proven to be one of the more important aspects in improving your placement.

So what does this mean? You want to get as many people as possible to put a link from *their* website to *your* website.

One of the simplest ways to do this is to exchange links with other people. So you put a link to their page on your website, and they put a link to yours.

All you need to do is first set up a "Links" page somewhere on your website, be sure to put it on your homepage so people can find it easily.

Then start emailing people asking if they want to exchange links.

As a show of good faith (and good exchange!) first add a link to their website from your links page before you email them. You can then say "i've added your link to my page, you can view it here XX", which many people respond to favorably and will link back to you in kind.

Who do you email? It is best to focus on websites that are relevant to what you have to offer, although not necessary. Start first with your own contact list, then do some research on complimentary sites and go from there.

So, want to exchange links? Click here to go to my link page and follow the instructions to submit your link.

Would you like to learn more about how you can drive traffic to your site through search engine marketing strategies? Join me for the next Search Engine Marketing for Coaches Teleclass, starting in June.

Posted by Admin at 09:20 AM | Comments (0)

April 11, 2005

Joint Ventures and How Not to Mess Them Up

You hear it all the time online...

"Joint Ventures are the key to success!"

So how do I create a joint venture? Can it work for my business? Who do I approach to do a joint venture? With special permission I am happy to share the following article from Andrea J. Lee's 39Lessons.com.

Andrea demystifies the world of joint ventures and gives some super simple tips that you can apply to your business immediately. Like they say, no great thing is ever done alone. Enjoy!

PS - Interested in Joint Ventures but would rather someone else do some of the work for you? Read along to the bottom of this article...

---

First and foremost, what is a joint venture?

Simply put, a joint venture is something two business owners decide to do together, to the benefit of both businesses. For example, writing an ebook together. Or, sponsoring a conference together. Perhaps even sharing a Virtual Assistant. More often than not, it involves cross-promoting something...you share my product with your list, I'll recommend your service to mine.

'So what?' you say? Well...listen up.

In all the things you've studied and learned to date in this series of lessons (see 39Lessons.com)...this may be the one you find most appealing.

As an owner of a helping business, there is one thing I know about you, and that is you enjoy being of service to others. Leveraging this fundamental trait is going to be a lot of fun as we discover the world of joint ventures for you.

Why Joint Venture?

There are lots of reasons to pursue a joint venture. Here are a few; see if you can add any that pertain to your own circumstance:

1. Make more money. By accessing your joint venture partner's client database, you have the opportunity to make more sales. Although you're building your own database, your joint venture partner can endorse you to her list with an introduction, paving the way to new clients.

2. Lighten your workload. Many hands make light work when it comes to any project. If you decide to offer a teleseminar together, perhaps you'll do the marketing and your joint venture partner will create the content. Whatever permutation of this, you'll do less work and still cross the finish line.

3. Increase creativity. Loneliness is a common experience among online business owners. Joint venturing combats this, and as an added bonus, often leads to better ideas for products because two brains are better than one.

4. Pave the way for future projects. Once you try a joint venture, and you find the right partner (more on this below) you may find yourself hooked. By starting small, you get to know your partner, and can make wise decisions about how you could work even closer next time.

5. Have fun. After all, inspiring or helping for a living is a gift in and of itself...when was the last time you thought about waiting tables or something else for a living? Sharing the joy of running an online business with someone who's in the same boat can really shine a light on how fortunate we are.

All benefits aside, Joint Venturing requires some planning

After seeing all the benefits possible, you may be tempted to run out and grab the nearest warm body and offer them a joint venture. Probably not the best technique. :-) That said, here are a few key points to bear in mind when entering the joint venture arena.

• Select your partners with care. The main criteria is that the partner should be someone who is already in touch with, or doing business with, people you want to do business with too.
• Get to know your partners. In preparation for approaching them with an invitation, sign up for their publications, visit their websites, read everything about them and their history. Try to understand their values and motivation as best you can from what they make public.
• Start asking, what value could I provide this partner? What do I have that they don't? What could they be doing that they aren't? What challenge or goals are they pursuing and how can I help them get there?

With this in mind, the best first step is to create a shortlist of potential joint venture partners. An excel spreadsheet would be nice since you'll likely be tracking a few things over time.

Finessing the approach

Let's say you've narrowed down your shortlist to 1 or 2. That's a good number to start, because (important!) this is not an automated, mass campaign. Truly great joint ventures will take root only with a customized, personal approach...

What you may not know is that most people working online, no matter how successful, will usually be open to an approach from a stranger. It happens to be part of the beauty of doing business online, lucky us. Why is this? Probably because most online business owners realize, 'you never know where then next great idea or opportunity is going to come along.'

So how do you go about making first contact?

By email or phone is fine, either way. The first thing to remember is be quick and polite. It might go something like this (a real letter I used late last fall, which led to a great joint venture relationship):

Hi (first name),

I see your ezine is going great guns, congratulations! I wanted to drop a quick line to let you know I'm working on an idea for X right now, which may be of interest to you and your readers.

It's something that I think could make your customers lives more (productive/successful/happy/other word) and I would love to chat with you for 5 minutes on it by phone if you have the time. What do you think?

Thanks very much for considering it! My phone number in case you'd like to call, is XXX-XXX-XXXX.

Regards,

(name)

Key points in an approach like this, simple though they are, is: be polite, open ended, personal and use a light touch. Whatever you do, don't pressure, and be ready for this to take a little time.

Going for the Gold

Once you are in conversation, awesome. Use your abilities to listen and ask the right questions to guide you, and...be sure to bear in mind the golden rule of joint ventures:

Your job is to make their life super easy. Ask 'what's in it for them?' Will you do something they don't like doing? Perhaps you can offer something they don't have access to? Whatever it is, approach the relationship from that point of view.

A DEFINITE Joint Venture No-No

Joint ventures really aren't that complicated, but they can seem like it if you've never thought about it logically. That said, a definite joint venture no-no that happens far too often is this:

Do NOT, in any circumstances, approach a new joint venture partner (especially cold) without a real idea to propose.

In other words, do NOT approach a joint venture partner with the following:

'So, what do you think? Wanna do something together?'

Big no-no. Why? For you to establish your value to this person, you need to come up with a good idea. It may not end up being the idea that you do together, however you need to at least approach with one.

Otherwise, if all you have is a vague 'hey I'd like to do something together,' you won't have answered the question 'why should they do anything with a stranger, when they can sit around and brainstorm with friends.'

(Note: This may be slightly different with colleagues you have a relationship with. AND, this can change once you've done a few things with a new joint venture partner. Given established trust and respect, free-flowing brainstorms can definitely come into play. Just not from the start.)

And, just for good measure, let me emphasize...don't be in a big rush to make a joint venture happen. This is a relationship you're cultivating for the long term, for ongoing benefit to both of your businesses. Don't try to joint venture as a desperation tactic. And definitely be sure to make it easy for your potential joint venture partner to say yes...

Jump Starting Real Life Joint Venture Success

Helping online business owners find and create joint ventures that last the test of time is something of a special joy for me.

This year alone, I'm sure I've done thousands of dollars in added revenue based on joint venture relationships, and that's truly without a great deal of effort. Perhaps I'll amp up my own efforts now too! :-)

Having replicated joint venture success for high-end consulting clients in a myriad of markets, I've come to realize that often it's not easy for online business owners to see where potential joint ventures can come from.

Hence this lesson, which has been a departure from our usual question driven format. I hope you've found this useful, and take the time to seriously consider how to make this work for you.

As a side note, if you think you'd benefit from some personal help on this topic, have a look below and see whether the Joint Venture offerings we have there may be something you'd like to try.

Don't get me wrong, you have everything you need to make this work for yourself, using the above.

But as this ecourse progresses, I realize that though everyone needs to know HOW to fish, sometimes they might just like to hand over the fishing to someone else for a bit. So this is our attempt at teaching the lessons behind making joint ventures work for the DIYers out there, AND offering something for those that would prefer to pay a small sum to just get it done.

Besides, I find it fun! :-) Enjoy.

My Best,

a

Andrea Lee
andrea@andreajlee.com

Interested in Joint Ventures but would rather someone else do some of the work for you? Consider these two options:

1. The Joint Venture Startup Identikit

You answer approximately 5 questions I provide about the focus of your business, and I will research and identify a list of 12 potential joint venture partners including their website and additional contact information. The more focused your business is on a target market, the better the list will be.

The research I do for you will include internet research as well as specialized searched in association directories, clubs, and my personal rolodex. Your list will be unique to you.

Turnaround time is 1-2 business days, but this will depend on how many kits are in the queue. If you must have your report as soon as possible, let me know and I'll do my best to accommodate you.

The Joint Venture Startup Identikit won't contain a lot of detail, but if you review the list and like what you see enough to commit to next steps, consider ordering the Joint Venture Implementation Report.

NO LONGER AVAILABLE

US$47.00 (trial pricing is subject to change)
PDF file of the Joint Venture Startup Identikit will be delivered by email.

Note: If your business focus isn't fine-tuned enough to generate a list of useful Joint Venture partners, your fee will be refunded in full. All purchases are backed by a 30-Day 100% Satisfaction Guarantee.

2. The Joint Venture Implementation Report

Provide a shortlist of 5 prospective joint venture partners, and I will create a collection of concepts and approaches along with ideas for putting them into action. Your shortlist may or may not include the information I created for you in a Startup Identikit.

The Implementation Report will usually be delivered via email in PDF format within 2-4 business days, but varies with demand. Rush service is available for an additional charge.

The Implementation Report is a minimum of three pages essay style, often more.

NO LONGER AVAILABLE

US$47.00 (trial pricing is subject to change)
PDF file of the Joint Venture Implementation Report will be delivered by email.

Note: Your Joint Venture Report comes with a 30-Day 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. If you don't feel the quality of the report was of value, I will be glad to refund you in full. (Unfortunately, although every effort will be made to facilitate a successful result by providing clear and sophisticated implementation steps, I cannot guarantee the end result of your partnerships.)

Posted by Admin at 09:27 AM | Comments (0)

March 28, 2005

The Key to Driving Traffic Online...

So what is the *key* to successful traffic?

Know Your Niche!

Definition of niche: A group of people with common issues or interests, that 'hang out' together

So there are actually 2 simple steps to driving traffic:

1. If you know your niche, you know where to they are 'hanging out' together

2. And if you know where they are 'hanging out', you need to find various ways to get in front of them or have them find you.

Simple? Yes... but it certainly does require some effort on your part. And a willingness to decide to focus on a niche and give it a try.

As an example, say that you want to work with owners of flower shops...

Where do flower shop owners 'hang out' together? Well, first of all they have a listing in the yellow pages. I'm sure there are some flower shop associations that you could plug into. What about others who provide services to flower shop owners, such as wholesalers?

A Few Suggestions of Ways to Drive Traffic

Online:
- google adwords/pay per click
- search engine optimization
- link exchanges
- promo in your email signature
- online article directories
- online ezine directories
- discussion lists
- set up a public blog
- start a yahoo group
- tell-a-friend modules
- affiliate programs
- joint ventures, sharing lists
- social networking, such as Ryze

Offline:
- local networking groups
- speaking engagements
- writing articles for print newsletters
- write a book
- advertising
- direct mail
- phone campaigns

Have more to ad to the list? Post them below...

Posted by Tina at 10:24 AM | Comments (0)

March 01, 2005

Traffic Tips: Article Directories

One simple and effective way to build traffic online is to submit your articles to the online directories.

There are people out there who need content for their publications, newsletters and websites... and they will search these directories for articles they can use.

If you are already writing an ezine or newsletter this could be as simple as taking what you've already written and submitting it. If you don't have an ezine you may need to whip up a few articles from scratch.

It can take a bit of effort to post your articles, this is something that a VA can help you with on a weekly or monthly basis.

Below is a list of online articles directories that you can submit to... or you can enlist the services of Jean Hanson who will submit your article to a variety of directories for $25 each. For details go to www.VirtualizeYourBiz.com

http://lifematters.com/submit_article.asp

http://www.allfreelancework.com/submitarticles.php

http://www.articlecity.com

http://www.awardsites.com/articles/mkg-promoting_awards.htm

http://www.bls.gov/opub/cwc/submit.htm

http://www.businessknowhow.com/newsletter/articleguidelines.htm

http://www.certificate.net/wwio

http://www.connectionteam.com

http://www.digital-women.com/submitarticle.htm

http://www.ebooksnbytes.com

http://www.EzineArticles.com

http://www.goarticles.com

http://www.ideamarketers.com/

http://www.linkgeneral.com/author.asp

http://www.mainstreetmom.com/article_submission_form.htm

http://www.marathontraining.com/articles/article_submit.html

http://www.marketing-seek.com/articles/submit.shtml

http://www.mentalhealth.org/cornerstone/submit.asp

http://www.netterweb.com/

http://www.newsletter-directory.com/

http://www.powerhomebiz.com/termsofuse/articlesubmission.htm

http://www.selfgrowth.com

http://www.thenewparentsguide.com/submit-an-article.htm

http://www.ultimateprofits.com

http://www.webhostsonline.com/articles.html

http://www.webmasterslibrary.com/

http://www.web-source.net

http://www.weddingzone.net/px-write.htm

http://www.zinos.com/cool/zinos/submitarticle.html

http://amazines.com/

http://articleresponder.com/addarticle.php

http://cms.ibizresources.com/cgi-bin/cmsLocate.cgi?RLM=ibiz&TPL=subpage&P1=submit.article

http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/Free_eContent/

http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/Free-Content/

http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/I_Need_Content/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/article_announce/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/articles4you2use4promotion/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Free-Reprint-Articles/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/freezinecontent/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/netwrite-publish-announce/

http://thewhir.com/find/articlecentral/suggest.asp

http://www.allnetarticles.com/submitarticle.asp

http://www.alumbo.com/submitcontent.html

http://www.authorconnection.com

http://www.boconline.com/sub-art.shtml

http://www.bpubs.com/cgi/add.cgi

http://www.businessclique.com/

http://www.businessknowhow.com/newsletter/articleguidelines.htm

http://www.businessseek.biz/page.php?page=article-submission

http://www.canadiancontent.net/commtr/submit_news.html

http://www.e-calc.net/submit_article.php

http://www.family-content.com/articles/submit.shtml

http://www.freesticky.com/stickyweb/submit.asp

http://www.mailbiz.com/cgi-bin/mailbiz/magcat/dbm_db.cgi?db=dbm_db&add_form=1

http://www.marcommwise.com/

http://www.opportunityupdate.com/articles/

http://www.rlrouse.com/submit-article.html

http://www.vectorcentral.com/

http://www.webreference.com/new/submit.html

http://www.writerswrite.com/journal/guide.htm

http://www.writingcareer.com/freearticles-submit.html

http://www.zongoo.com/submit.html

www.sideroad.com

www.horsesmouth.com

www.workingfromhome.com

http://www.addme.com/nlsubmit.htm

http://www.articles911.com/

http://www.business-dynamics.com/resource_library/index.html

http://www.businesstoolchest.com/articles/submit.shtml

http://www.clickforcontent.com/

Posted by Tina at 10:21 AM | Comments (0)

February 15, 2005

Promoting Via Affiliates and Other Peoples Lists

I had a client recently ask me about how to do affiliates and/or marketing through other people's lists...

Here are a couple of ways that you can promote your products or services through other people/lists.

1. Advertising

Depending on your market, there are usually a number of online publications that accept advertising. Do some research to find those that suit your market and offering. And be aware of spending too much on advertising, you don't always get the most "bang for your buck" and it can be costly.

2. Affiliates

The *key* thing to a successful affiliate program is the relationship.

9 times out of 10 people will not bother to promote someone else's "stuff" if they don't have a relationship of some kind with that person... so it is key to focus your affliate efforts on people you already know - clients, vendors, friends, past clients, etc...

Best way to start here is to make a list of people that you know and approach them re: promoting your product in exchange for an affliate fee.... you can then also ask them if they know of 2 more people who may be interested in promoting this product too, as so on...

A happy customer can also be a great affiliate for you... so you will want to make sure to send the affiliate program information to anyone who purchases the time management assessment/classes.

When approaching anyone as a potential alliance it is important to offer them something of value. I think the biggest mistake people make is to approach someone "asking" for something vs. "offering" something.

For example, you could send an email saying "hey, will you sell my product to your list?"

Or you could email someone saying "hey, i love your product and would love to share it with my list. would you possibly be interested in sharing mine as well?"

There really is a change in perspective here... rather than looking at potential alliances and wondering how they can help you. Look at them and ask yourself "how can I help them?". When you approach people this way many (not all) will naturally respond in kind and be open to sharing your information with your lists as well.

The question to start with is - What do I have of value to offer to potential partners?

The most obvious answer to this question is a list of your own that you could market their stuff to, however it could be other things. If you don't have a list right now you may want to get a bit creative, ie: offer to do a free teleclass for their members.

Do you have a story of a successful affiliate partnership?

Posted by Tina at 10:50 AM | Comments (0)

January 05, 2005

Terrible Advertising

I just love David Frey.

For those of you who don't know him, he is the mastermind behind the Coaches and Consultants Marketing Bootcamp - an awesome program for anyone looking to get more clients.

More importantly though he has what I consider to be one of the best newsletters out there... to be honest it is the only one I read everytime I get it. David has a great style, great voice and provides loads of value (and is also a great example of how to do a newsletter right!)

This issue on Terrible Advertising is simply great, hugely valuable and will give you a laugh along the way. Read on...

Coaches and Consultants Marketing Letter

From: David Frey

Date: Jan. 4, 2005

Subject: Atrocious Advertising Example!

_______________________________________________

Make sure you print out and read this entire edition of the Marketing Letter. It's not only very educational, but I also provide an irresistable offer at the end.

David Frey

_________________________________________________

Recently I was thumbing through an edition of Inc.
Magazine. For those of you who don't know what Inc.
Magazine is, it's a magazine here in the states that targets small business owners and entrepreneurs.

Well, at the back of the magazine I ran across a page full of ads for business coaching and consulting.
This section is entirely devoted to advertising for coaches and consultants.

After reviewing all the ads I just shook my head.

They were atrocious!

I mean they were TERRIBLE.

____________________________________

The Yellow Pages Syndrome Revealed
____________________________________

Every ad looked like it was straight out of the yellow pages. You've seen those yellow page ads that make all the wrong mistakes like....

1. Using your business name as your headline.

2. Not addressing the wants of your market.

3. No call to action.

4. Prominently displaying your logo (a waste of space).

5. Displaying unprofessional photos of yourself.

6. Never giving a "reason why" to contact you.

7. Trying to sqeeze in your entire message in a tiny
little ad.

8. Not including an eye-stopping headline.

I could go on...but I won't. Nearly every single coaching ad committed all these deadly mistakes.

In retrospect, it's not really the advertisers fault.

Heck, what do they know about advertising, they're just business coaches.

They probably just looked at all the other ads and did the same thing every one else was doing.

I call this the yellow pages syndrome.

Every time someone does a yellow page ad, they look at what every one else is doing in their section and just do the same thing.

__________________________________

Would You Like to See the Ad?
__________________________________

Here's the ad that I'm talking about. (It's a pdf file)

I urge you to take the time to PRINT OUT the pdf document and read my comments.

I've numbered each of the ads because I want to make some comments about them.

They are very enlightening!

--> http://url123.com/ya4ez

(copy and paste the url into your browser)

___________________

Comment on Ad # 1
___________________

At first glance this ad looks like it's from two
real estate agents. Notice that they put their
logo at the top of the ad. What a waste of
valuable advertising real estate.

I can barely, barely, barely read their email
addresses.

I need a freak'in microscope to read them.

They cite that they can help executives "broaden
their perspective," "enhance communication," and
"increase executive presence."

Are those the things that entrepreneur executives
really want? Really?

I was both a corporate executive and am now an
entreprenuer executive and I couldn't care less
about "broadening my perspective" or "increasing my
executive presence."

Heck, I'd rather have someone help me to decrease
my perspective by helping me get a laser-like focus
on the 20% of my business that brings in 80% of the
results.

___________________

Comment on Ad # 2
___________________

Here's another company that uses their logo and the
name of their company as their headline.

Excuse me while I Y - A - W - N !

Now I do like their "Your Challenge" -> "Your
Answer" message.

In fact, the "Your Challenge" copy is quite good.
It centers on what really ales entrepreneurs...

...time management.

Unfortunately, this ad kind of peters out at the
end. It talks about having "PhD psychologists" as
coaches.

Hey, I don't know about you, but the last thing I
want is a psychologist as a business coach.

I want someone who's "been there and done that" to
coach me.

And the last line that says, "For a confidential
response, contact..."

What response?

They haven't asked me to do anything!

That's a weak ending to what could have been a
decent ad.

___________________

Comment on Ad # 3
___________________

Hello.....!

Where's the ad copy?

Is this ad supposed to motivate me to run to their
website?

Who is this ad talking to?

And what is a "sherpa?"

(Most people don't know what a sherpa is...and if
you don't beleive me, ask the next person that
walks your way.)

Nuf said.

___________________

Comment on Ad # 4
___________________

Once again, this company uses their logo as their
headline. Another dumb yellow pages syndrome
mistake.

Now what I do like about this ad is that it gives
you a reason to go to their website.

You get to "Ask the Coach" a question.

In fact, the whole objective of her ad is to get
people to go to her website.

That's smart.

But unfortunately, you can barely even see her
website address.

If it's the sole aim of her ad to get people to go
to her website, her URL should be in BIG BOLD
letters.

Again, a good ad that peters out at the end.

___________________

Comment on Ad # 5
___________________

Oh gosh, not another ad that uses their logo as a
headline!

Okay, let's look past that for a moment and focus
on her message on the left.

It states, "Wish you could get confidential advice
from someone dedicated to your career success?"

I like that this person asks a question.

Asking questions in ads automatically gets people
thinking and involved.

But again, if this person uses 1/4 of the ad to ask
a question with big fonts, it better be a question
that hones in on something that their market really
is struggling with.

If not, you've wasted a lot of space.

Moving down to the bottom of the ad, this person
gives no reason whatsoever to pick up the phone and
call.

Marketing is all about giving a REASON WHY.

A reason why to visit a store.

A reason why to call an office.

A reason why to act today instead of tomorrow.

A reason why to pick you over the competition.

Your ads MUST give a reason why.

___________________

Comment on Ad # 6
___________________

Oh I love this ad.

Poor Linda O'Connor.

Here photo looks like a police mug shot.

Either that, or she took the photo at home in her
living room.

It detracts from the entire ad and actually works
against her instead of for her.

And her credentials are...well...who knows what
they are.

"Emotional Intelligence Coach"

What the heck is that and why should I care?

Only a coach would know what an "Emotional
Intelligence Coach" is.

(But I'm a coach and I don't even know what it is.)

The one little thing I do like about her copy is
that she says that she coaches, "newly-promoted
executives."

That's a hot market for coaching.

___________________

Comment on Ad # 7
___________________

This ad is so bad is makes me want to puke right
here all over my computer screen. :-O

This company must be doing well because to spend
their money on an ad that only has their logo on
it...well, they must have cash to burn.

"Building Legacy Leaders"

Doesn't that just make you want to jump up and call
them?

___________________

Comment on Ad # 8
___________________

Someone needs to tell Priscilla to get a new photo.

The one she uses is so dark that you would think
she took it in the back of some swanky bar.

Please, if you're going to use a photo in an ad
make sure that...

1. It's a good photo of you.

2. You're decent looking.

3. It's a professional photo.

4. You're wearing professional business attire.

5. You're smiling.

And another thing.

Please...someone help Priscilla with her copy.

What does this mean...

"Start with what you can't live without, add what
you covet, and call us!"

Ugh! ?

___________________

Comment on Ad # 9
___________________

This ad makes the deadly mistake of placing their
"Mission Statement" front and center.

You know what mission statements are?

They are statements about ME, ME, ME, ME.

Who cares about your mission.

I want to know how you're going to solve my
problems.

Tell me how you're going to SOLVE MY PROBLEMS!

___________________

Comment on Ad # 10
___________________

This ad tries to get cute.

Be careful about using "cute" slogans or copy.

It could end up working against you.

But actually, I have to admit, I like the overall
message of this ad.

Unfortunately, it doesn't say a thing about what
"results" I'm going to get.

And the only reason they give me to call them is
because their clients call them a "Secret Weapon"
and that I can "Stand Out" with their coaching
program.

They do have a half-hearted attempt at a call to
action.

It's the little "Start Today" callout at the
bottom.

Weak.

_______________________________________________________

Some Overall Thoughts On Advertising Your Services _______________________________________________________

Advertising is a tricky thing.

Even the best, most experienced marketers can get lousy advertising results sometimes.

But there are some tried and true advertising principles that, if you follow them, will give you your best shot at a good response.

1. Design you ad so that it does ONE thing ONLY.

2. Always, always, always have a compelling headline.

3. Know the triggers words that motivate your market
and use them.

4. Offer benefits that your market cares about and
desperately wants.

5. Offer proof of your claims (if you have room).

6. Give a reason why your readers should do "right now"
what you're asking them to do.

7. Close with exact and specific instructions on what
to do next.

There are other elements of a winning ad, but these are the most important ones.

_______________________________________________________

Take a Look at the Ad I Developed for Inc. Magazine _______________________________________________________

For all you of you who are members of the Coaches and Consultants Marketing Bootcamp Continuing Education Members Area, I have develped a custom advertisement for the Inc. publcation.

I recognize that I have done a lot of ad bashing in this newsletter and I hate people that complain but don't offer solutions.

So...I decided to develop the type of killer ad that I would put on that page in Inc. Magazine.

I GUARANTEE if ran, my ad would OUTPULL any ad on that page by a factor of 10.

You can tell just be glancing at the page.

My ad LEAPS out at you.

It compels you to pick up the phone and call now.

And it also instantly positions me as an expert.

Lastly, it strips all the barriers away from making the call.

You can see it right now by visiting the link below.

http://url123.com/yy7he (Go down to Ad Sample # 1)

(copy and paste the url into your browser)

_______________________________________________________

Not a Bootcamp Member? Want to See this Advertisement?
_______________________________________________________

This one ad could mean thousands of dollars to your coaching and consulting business.

The reason I know this ad works so well is because I used an exact duplicate of it to attract clients in the pool and spa industry.

It works!

This is just one of many, many samples of winning marketing materials that you'll find in the Coaches and Consultants Marketing Bootcamp.

Why have you waited this long to invest in the Marketing Bootcamp?

Isn't your financial future worth more than $297?

I've put every single piece of information I used to create and grow an extremely successful coaching and consulting practice into the Marketing Bootcamp.

It's all there....

Postcards, letters, advertisements...etc.

_________________________________

May I Make You a Special Offer?
_________________________________

If you decide to order the physical version ($297) of the Coaches and Consultants Marketing Bootcamp in the next 24 hours I will include an audio program titled,

"A 7 Step System to Generating High-Paying
Corporate Consulting and Coaching Clients"

This audio program was authored by Eric Lofholm, a renowned sales trainer and selling coach.

Using this unique system, Eric has enrolled over 5,000 corporate clients into his sales training and coaching program.

5,000 corporate clients!

He uses a very unique formula that he has tested and honed over several years now.

No one gets corporate clients like Eric Lofholm.

This program, by itself could be sold for over $100.

And it's NOT currently available to existing Marketing Bootcamp members.

You will be the first ones to hear this audio program.

So what are you waiting for...

Visit http://www.ConsultantsMarketingBootcamp.com right now and invest in your success.

NOTE: When you order the bootcamp. Please place the words "7 Step System Audio Program" in the comments box on the order form so that I'll include the audio CD.

Have a great week.

David

P.S. This offer is ONLY available to those of you who purchase the $297 physical version of the Marketing Bootcamp within the next 24 hours.

P.P.S. Remember to place the words "7 Step System Audio Program" in the comments box on the order form.

__________________________________________

David Frey
President, Marketing Best Practices Inc.
4815 FM 2351 Suite 201
Friendswood, TX 77546
David@MarketingBestPractices.com
281-993-5657

Posted by Tina at 11:53 AM | Comments (0)

January 02, 2005

Get Listed In My Link Directory, And Get More Traffic To Your Site!

Here are all the details on how to get started immediately...

1) You Give Me A Link, I Give You A Link! - Sites that display my Link get top placement in my directory!

We're both looking for as much traffic as we can get and I've found reciprocal links to be one of the most cost effective and responsive way of getting visitors to our sites (essentially directing our "exit traffic" to each other).

All you need to do is display a Text Link on your site that links back to my site (details provided below).

2) Place One of the Following "Text Links" On Your Site

Instructions: Simply copy and paste the code from one of the examples below onto your web site... Text Link #1

Example Of How Text Link Will Look:
Build Your Business Online - Free Report

Info For Text Link:
Anchor Text: Build Your Business Online - Free Report
URL: http://www.onlinebusinessmanager.com/

Text Link #2

Example Of How Text Link Will Look:
5 Things You Need to Know When Doing Business Online

Info For Text Link:
Anchor Text: 5 Things You Need to Know When Doing Business Online
URL: http://www.onlinebusinessmanager.com/

3) Email Me at tina@onlinebusinessmanager.com Once You've Added My Link To Your Site.

Be sure to include:

• The specific URL on your site where my link is located
• Your web site's TITLE, HOME PAGE ADDRESS, and a SHORT ONE LINER describing your services.

* All link requests will be responded to within 48 hours and once approved, you'll be added (or upgraded) to a premium placement in my directory.

Sincerely looking forward to partnering with you!

Warmly,

Tina Forsyth
OnlineBusinessManager.com

Posted by Admin at 09:32 AM | Comments (1)

December 06, 2004

Does Google make you all googly-eyed?

Me too.

I tell ya, the world of online search is truly a whole other world. All those buzzwords and techy jargon, yikes!

So call me brave (or crazy) cause im taking a bit of a dive into the wide world of search engine optimization. I've bought a few courses and have a few projects that I can start playing with... so away i go! (Wish me luck).

Along the way I would like to simplify and share a few things as i'm learning them...

One thing that clicked for me lately was a clarification of the 2 ways you can drive traffic using search engines such as Google.

1. Organic Search, which is a fancy way of saying "free" search.
This is the holy grail of online search, where your website comes up at the top of the list when someone searches for your keywords - and you didnt pay a dime! The trick is getting to the top of the list which is easier said than done. There are strategies and techniques to help get your site rated high(er), although it takes alot of ongoing time and effort to do so.

2. Pay per Click Search, for a fee.
In Pay per Click you bid on various keywords, and pay only for those people who click through your ad to your website. Again, there is alot of strategy and effort that goes into successful PPC campaigns. It can be easy to spend alot of money for little return if you don't know what you are doing.

Driving traffic through online search is truly another world, and quite the specialized skillset (I'm trying to get my husband to become a pro so I can hire him to do it for me! ;). Even if you get how it works it can still take alot of time/effort to maintain it to see great results.

What is your biggest question about online search?

Posted by Tina at 04:00 PM | Comments (0)

November 30, 2004

Timeline to Cashflow Online

So i'm working with a client to launch their new program site from scratch. They already have a successful training/coaching program locally and want to take their offline success online. Great!

Then it occurs to me - what is the realistic expectation for starting a site from scratch to getting cashflow from online products? Does it take 3 months? 6 months? A year? What are the steps at each stage? And how much money could we realistically expect to make at each stage?

I realized that I don't know the answers to these questions, and have not been able to share it with my client to set realistic expectations. (Hence a little tension in the relationship right now. My Lesson - set clear expectations/deliverables before engaging in the project. Oops!)

So my mission this week is to come up with what im calling a "Timeline to Cashflow Online"...

an almost step by step outline of how to start a site from scratch, the steps to working through the funnel, what kind of investment to make along the way and what kind of return can be expected should someone follow the plan.

I have bits and pieces of this floating around in my head from my experience. And i'm talking to some other great folks who can fill in the blanks.

So stay tuned, I will share this one with you once it's ready.

(It's ready! Read Timeline to Cashflow Online: Part 2)

Posted by Tina at 06:58 PM | Comments (0)

November 15, 2004

Q & A: Short, Personal and Expecting a Reply

Hi Tina,

I'm wondering if I really need to have a regular newsletter to build that client funnel? I've had this drilled into my head from Chris Barrow and others, and saw your blog entry suggesting just publishing whenever you feel like it. So, different opinions out there and I'm hesitating - in the past all of my clients have come directly from my website or personal referrals, none from a newsletter, but then my practice has been small part time and maybe I need the funnel more as I start to think about ramping up the numbers. Anyway, I would be curious to see some larger study of the issue instead of just individuals saying what worked for them since it seems to vary so much. Or maybe I just want someone to tell me I don't have to do it. (Ahh, sigh of relief.)

Debbie Keahey
debbie@workhappiness.com

Hi Debbie,

You basically just want to find a way to build a relationship with people on your mailing list, be it with a Newsletter or something else.

I'm with you, I don't want to do a "regular weekly newsletter"... there is nothing worse to me than having to come up with something when I really don't have anything to say that week! ;)

That being said, one of the best things you can do is send an email to your list and have them respond directly to you. Just like I did below with this "quick question" email. This was set up as an autoresponder and went out to everyone on my list... and so far I've received about 30 responses. Which is a great opportunity for me to start a conversation with people and build that relationship.

Do you have a question you can ask your list? Or perhaps you have a free teleclass you would like to invite them to?

As Dean Jackson likes to say, the key is to make the email:

1. Short
2. Personal
3. Expecting a reply.

For example, if you had a free teleclass to offer
---

Subject: Can you join me on Tuesday?

Hi ,

I'm doing a teleclass next Tuesday on how to fix your car. It's at 7:00pm.

Can you join me?

You can click here for more details or to register.

Debbie

---

That's it! It's short (easy to read), personal (with their name, written conversationally, looks like you sent it directly to them) and is expecting a reply (can you join me?)...

Another way to use the 'quick question' email is as an autoresponder when someone signs up for your pink spoon or ezine. The one I use is:

Hi Trina,

Thanks so much for subscribing to Online Business Essentials, it's
great to have you on board.

I was wondering, what is your biggest question about building your
business online?

Let me know...

Thanks!

Regards,

Tina Forsyth
tina@onlinebusinessmanager.com

Just be aware that you do need to respond to the people who respond to you, which can take some time.

Give it a try and let me know how it goes.

Tina

Posted by Tina at 06:56 PM | Comments (0)

Q & A: Tapping into my Market Online?

Thanks for asking such a great question. Hmm...my vision is to be the Tom Peters of the nonprofit world; a provocative change catalyst for the way nonprofit leaders and organizations think about themselves and the way they impact the world. Consulting, coaching, information products, my membership website and workshops (especially virtual workshops) are some of the ways I see that happening.

So, my newly minted business faces the biggest challenge in just tapping into the world of nonprofits and their leaders ONLINE. They generally hang out with others from their special interest niche (like children's charities, domestic violence, environmental orgs, etc) and they don't really identify themselves as "executive directors" or "leaders" of nonprofits in a more general sense. (That's one of the their problems, but it makes it really difficult for me to reach them and help them with it. Can we say Catch 22?)

My whole business model is about using the benefits of the online world to deliver services and build community for them as my clients. And in turn modeling that as a way for them to explore interacting with each other in alliances (something they don't yet do much) and as a possible way of serving their constituents.

This is bleeding edge stuff for my target market and finding folks who are ready for it is proving more difficult than I thought. That's my biggest challenge!

D. Kay Malone, JD
REvolutionaryEdge.com

Hi Kay,

Wow! Love your email, talk about focus and vision... :)

And truly, so many coaches struggle with who they want to work with or why. So kudos to you for being there.

Where do non profit leaders "group together"? There must be some organizations, events, newsletters, etc out there... or maybe even just lists with the names of non-profit leaders.

In which case the key would be tapping into "where they hang out" and inviting them to your website... where you get them to give you their email address and you start providing value, building relationships, etc.

It may not be so much about "finding them online"... as they may or may not be searching for information online already. Some markets simply do not go online to search for what we want to offer them.

Instead it would be about driving them to your website through other means (networking, speaking engagements, direct mail to a list of non-profits, etc) and having them join your ezine so you can start "building a relationship online"

Does this make sense? I'm just making it up as I go, LOL

Tina

Posted by Tina at 04:21 PM | Comments (0)

November 03, 2004

Your website does not build relationships

One of the key nuggets that I got from the Website Clinic with Dean Jackson last week was the purpose of a website - get your visitors email address so that you can "engage" with them and start to build a relationship.

And it clicked for me today that you can *not* actually create a relationship with someone on your website.

The relationship doesn't actually start until there is a little bit of "back and forth"... each party must give something to the other. You give some value in the form of a special report or a newsletter or such, and your visitor gives you their email address in exchange for the value. Voila! At that point the relationship has begun.

So a relationship is not started (or continued) on your website alone. If someone comes to visit, takes a peek around and leaves without giving their email address then the relationship is lost before it has even begun.

What does this mean?

Simple. The ONLY purpose of your website should be to give something of value to your visitors in exchange for their email address. Nothing more, nothing less (yes, im being extreme).

Most of us have a tendency to throw everything up on our site - we tell them all about our services, products, articles we've written, bios, etc. This "info overload" approach can be an issue for a couple of reasons.

1. A confused mind doesn't buy (or take the next step). If you have too much information on your website, particularly your homepage, your request to capture their email address can get buried and missed.

2. You may lose the opportunity to start a relationship with that person. If they can find out everything they need to know on your website, why would they bother to give you their email address to find out more?

Keep your website clean and focused, so the only thing a person can do at your site is give you their email address. Then, once you have their email address you can tell them all about your other offerings in a series of autoresponders (there is an art to doing a great autoresponder, but that's another story).

Take a look at this webpage:
www.fireyourweddingplanner.com

The page is short, simple and compelling... you better believe that i'm going to sign up if i'm getting married anytime soon! (We need to be interested in what is being offered of course.)

You will also notice that she is not signing you up for a newsletter. She is offering a "wedding planning ecourse" and "free instant access to wedding saving secrets" - which is actually another sales page to buy her ebook!

I also love this "no newsletter" approach as it takes away that obligation to keep churning out a newsletter every week or so (for those of us who don't want to work that hard ;). But, having captured my email address she can still contact me down the road.

Great stuff, I love it. And of course, fits my mantra of being "super simple"!

Curious, what do you think? How do you see this applying to your website? Post a comment below.

Posted by Tina at 07:03 PM | Comments (0)

October 31, 2004

Creating your Newsletter Template

Question from new member Toby Silverton:

I am not technologically savvy. Sooo, I was hoping that by "lurking" in your world I would pick up how it all kind of fits together, new tools to make things easier etc. Also, I have one client who I would love to point in the direction of becoming an online business manager so I wanted to learn more. Ultimately, my motive is selfish however...will I ever understand this technology!!! I am determined.

Can I ask a quick question?

What do I tell my webdesigner I need regarding my e-newsletter so that the newsletter looks the same as my "will be soon" website? She seemed to think that the autoresponder company would set this up, I tend to think she would set this up? Help.

I love your ideas Tina, best...Toby
coach-silvermac@shaw.ca

Technology doesn't have to be a super scary thing... part of my intention is to make you aware of the tools out there and how to use them in your biz. Even if you aren't the one actually "doing the work" its still important to understand the tools and how to use them. So keep on asking if you have future questions.

As for your newsletter template. Yes, your web designer should be able to do a template in HTML that matches the look/feel of your current website.

This is not something that would be done by your autoresponder. Just a one page template using simple HTML (no fancy coding) is all that you need. And if your designer does not want to do this for you let me know, I have a great resource to help with newsletter stuff. (just email kerri@ezinesnap.com)

- Tina

Posted by Tina at 07:12 PM | Comments (0)

October 20, 2004

Sneaky Subject Line?

I received an email message today that had the following subject line.

RE: Your Intuition

The "RE:" makes the message look like it is a reply to an email that I sent to this person, when in actuality it is a "new" email and not a reply. (For those who don't know what "RE:" is - its stands for REPLY and is what most email programs insert at the front of a subject line when you reply to an email someone sent to you.)

So, because there is a "RE:" at the beginning of this subject line I am more likely to read it, as I assume that it is in reply to an email I sent previously. Thats an *automatic pilot* response for me, I tend to read emails that are replies before reading something else.

Sneaky? Or smart? Either way, it got my attention, although I have to admit I almost feel like i've been had or something... so not sure I would use this for any of my own broadcasts.

What do you think?

Oh, and this email was sent to me with my permission from a person whose work I like and respect... it wasnt just some random spam.

Posted by Tina at 07:26 PM | Comments (0)

October 14, 2004

Are you selling warm or cold?

Had a chat with Susan Austin yesterday, as we were putting together a memo to announce the Website Clinic class with Dean Jackson.

And it occured to us, there is a difference between making a "warm" offer vs. a "cold" offer. Warm being to people that already know/trust you, cold being to people that do *not* already know/trust you.

With a cold offer you need to provide lots of information on the value/benefits of what you are selling... people do not know you so you are selling on the merit of the product alone.

With a warm offer you don't necessarily need to provide as much information as you already have a relationship in place. For example, when Susan sent a memo to her r&d team about the Website Clinic class, she pretty much just needed to say "Dean is great, come to this call". She gave a bit of info as you can see, but not alot. And people are signing up because they know/trust Susan.

Of course, they must be interested in what you are actually offering. If someone does not want to learn how to improve their website to get clients then they wont make the purchase, no matter how great the relationship is.

Kinda reminds me of that super long website I was whining about in a previous post. They would need to provide alot of information because most people coming to that site would be *cold*... now I get it! Although I still think its too long... ;)

The moral of this story? Build relationships with people and it will be easier to sell stuff to them along the way. There are a variety of ways to do this, one of the more common is to do a newsletter and provide great value as people get to know you... (hint hint).

I could be totally off my rocker here, but it seems to make sense. What do you think?

Posted by Tina at 07:25 PM | Comments (0)

Are you selling warm or cold?

Had a chat with Susan Austin yesterday, as we were putting together a memo to announce the Website Clinic class with Dean Jackson.

And it occured to us, there is a difference between making a "warm" offer vs. a "cold" offer. Warm being to people that already know/trust you, cold being to people that do *not* already know/trust you.

With a cold offer you need to provide lots of information on the value/benefits of what you are selling... people do not know you so you are selling on the merit of the product alone.

With a warm offer you don't necessarily need to provide as much information as you already have a relationship in place. For example, when Susan sent a memo to her r&d team about the Website Clinic class, she pretty much just needed to say "Dean is great, come to this call". She gave a bit of info as you can see, but not alot. And people are signing up because they know/trust Susan.

Of course, they must be interested in what you are actually offering. If someone does not want to learn how to improve their website to get clients then they wont make the purchase, no matter how great the relationship is.

Kinda reminds me of that super long website I was whining about in a previous post. They would need to provide alot of information because most people coming to that site would be *cold*... now I get it! Although I still think its too long... ;)

The moral of this story? Build relationships with people and it will be easier to sell stuff to them along the way. There are a variety of ways to do this, one of the more common is to do a newsletter and provide great value as people get to know you... (hint hint).

I could be totally off my rocker here, but it seems to make sense. What do you think?

Posted by Tina at 07:25 PM | Comments (0)

October 05, 2004

How to ask a *good* compelling question

I took a wonderful course in April of this year - Train the Trainer with Harv Eker (if you ever open your mouth in front of an audience TAKE THIS COURSE! yes, i do recommend it that highly and i dont do that often. go to www.PeakPotentials.com for details)

Harv recommends that you start each presentation by asking 2 compelling questions to your audience. The key here is to pick 2 questions that will engage EVERYONE in the audience. So each person in the audience must answer yes to at least one of your questions (if not both).

One easy way to do this is to ask 2 opposite questions - ask something and then ask the opposite of it. A very simple example:

"Who loves the color black?" (some people raise their hands/say yes)
"Who doesnt love the color black?" (the rest of the room should raise their hands/say yes...)

People either love black or they don't. So you've engaged everyone in the room by having them say yes to at least one thing.

Another example that my husband Dan uses when he gives his Nutrition for Runners presentations.

"How many people in the room have ever been on a diet?"
"How many people know someone who has ever been on a diet?"

Unless someone has been living under a rock, they've either been on a diet or know someone who has. So Dan has already engaged everyone in his audience with at least one yes.

Plus, this is assuming that your audience is there for a common reason. In Dan's case everyone is there to see a presentation on nutrition, so they are ready to be asked a nutrition related question. Know your audience, what brought them there and craft your questions accordingly.

The same thing can apply online... the first part of my simple website template is to ask 2 or 3 compelling questions at the top of your homepage. So as you consider your questions make sure that as many people as possible can say "yes" to at least one of them - so that they will be engaged and read on.

Have an example to share? Post a comment below...

Posted by Tina at 07:19 PM | Comments (0)

October 04, 2004

Do I need to do my newsletter weekly?

Interesting question, and im sure everyone has an opinion on the best "frequency" to send your newsletter.

So here's mine.

I say no - do not send your newsletter weekly.

I had a quick conversation with a lady at Chris Barrow's Coaching Business Forum a few weeks back. She said that she almost missed the event as she had been letting Chris' newsletters pile up... she enjoys his newsletter but doesnt have the time to read it each week. This got me to thinking about the whole weekly newsletter thing.

We all get enough email as it is, and you dont want your newsletter to just pile up in the inboxes of your readers. Besides which, it can be almost mundane to receive the same newsletter on the same day each week...

My vote would be to send your newsletter out 2-3 times each month, and to vary the days that you send it.

There are a couple of things I like about this approach

1. Takes the pressure off of you as the writer. A weekly ezine forces you to say something each week, even if you dont have anything to say. And there is nothing more boring than a "forced" newsletter or a "heres a past article cause i have nothing to say this week" newsletter. You don't call your friends when you have nothing to say, so why do the same with your newsletter?

2. When you send your newsletter on an informal 2-3 times per month basis it becomes almost a special unexpected gift... your readers know that you email only when you have something of value to share (vs. weekly) "hey, an email from tina - wonder what all important valuable thing she has to say today?". ;)

Remember, your newsletter is simply a tool to build relationship with your readers. Contact your readers when you truly have something to share, not because "its monday and i have to send my newsletter today"

And of course, there are always those who love writing weekly and reading weekly... in which case ignore everything I just said above. LOL

This may work for some, not for all.

Posted by Tina at 07:15 PM | Comments (0)