Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Am I Being Sold?
Recently I was invited to visit a networking group...one of those with a thick rule book and a lot of enthusiasm. The people were so nice. They said, "We really need a writer in this group." "I need to come to another meeting," I said. "Oh, why bother? They're all the same." After the meeting, visitors were taken aside. We were given application forms and urged to sign up immediately. I said I would wait. But I ended up signing a few weeks later. And then the group began telling me all the rules that hadn't come up...a lot of things I hadn't noticed in the first few meetings. Needless to say, this situation left me with a sour taste. How can I network and exchange referrals with the members of this group? Alas, today more and more ordinary people have developed great selling skills. And it's hard to resist going into sales mode That's one reason I no longer offer "free" get-acquainted calls. I don't want to "sell" anyone on my services. And I couldn't offer one-hour and two-hour packages. It's not a good use of time to spend 30 minutes discussing a one-hour call. If we don't all discover ways to recognize a sales pitch and resist, we'll end up with the equivalent of a yard full of used cars. I admit: I'm one of the easiest sells around. And yes, I have a lot of used cars, metaphorically, in my metaphorical back yard./ |
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Prepare your new website for marketing
Q. I’m just setting up my very first website for a new service. Should I pay for search engine optimization to attract traffic? A. Maybe. But first fine-tune your copy and estimate your conversion rate. There’s no point in driving traffic to a site that leaves visitors cold. Conversion rate just means the number of visitors who bought your product divided by the number visitors who came to your site in total. So if 1000 people visited your site and 10 bought, you have a 1 percent conversion rate. Not bad, especially if you’re new. Are you selling a big ticket item, such as a three-month consulting package or a complex information product? You may be happy to sell 2 or 3 a month. You’ll have a hard time evaluating the power of your copy because changes will be small and slow. So I would suggest creating a way for those visitors to get to know you. Create an ezine or e-course. These days, even if you don’t charge for your ezine, you need an irresistible gift to motivate subscribers. You can also develop low-cost information products. I find first-time visitors will buy my low-cost ebooks, even if they don’t know anything else about me. Often they sign up for my ezines after buying – a good sign, in my opinion. And now you have a reasonable way to test conversion rates. You can judge the number of visitors who sign up for your ezine or buy an ebook, as compared to the total who surf in. Eventually you’ve got copy that will motivate visitors to take even a small action. And now it’s time to think about driving traffic to your site. You can use SEO, article marketing, google adwords….lots of choices! Definitely worth the wait |
Thursday, March 22, 2007
"You need a picture..."
"You need a picture..." "Every website needs a squeeze page..." "Your own photo should be here..." When you hear rules - run, do not walk to the nearest exit! The answer is to test and re-test. Sometimes a photo or a squeeze page will actually lower your sales. I don't trust anyone who advises in absolutes. |
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Bragging101: Self-Promotion as a State of Mind
A few days ago, I was enjoying a weight-lifting “maximum sculpt” class at my local gym. OK, maybe “enduring” would be a better word. Our regular instructor “Valerie” had arranged for “Carlos” to substitute. Carlos’s style was somewhat different from Valerie’s but he was a great instructor. We got an awesome workout. As we were entering the final stretch (literally), Carlos said, “Valerie will be back next week. I promise! I’m sure you’ll be glad – I know my class was different.” Huh? Everybody loved Carlos. A few people muttered that they liked him better than Valerie. Others said they liked having a change of pace. Okay, I have a confession to make. I told Carlos he made a mistake. Bad move. But I couldn’t help it. Carlos violated one of my Bragging101 steps: “Never apologize!” OK, if you step on my toe, please say “Excuse me.” If your dog jumps on me, say you’re sorry (we both know you probably think it’s cute). Professional apologies are different. My teeth start grinding when a speaker says, “I’m probably putting you to sleep.” Or, “You all really want to go home right now, don’t you?” Or worst of all in Seattle, “I’m sure you’d rather be outside on this beautiful day when we’re not having rain for a change.” Give the best speech you possibly can. If you don’t think you have something great to offer, refuse to speak in the first place. Don’t insult your audience. We wanted to hear you! We made a choice. Nobody forced us. So what does this advice have to do with copywriting? Everything. When you put your copy out there, you have to be proud. No holding back. When you say, “Gee, I’m not sure I’m that great” your readers think, “So why am I wasting my time with you? I must be an idiot.” Wrong! They’re smart people. They made a wise decision to learn more about you and maybe hire you. |
Labels: bragging, confidence, self-promotion
Friday, March 16, 2007
Two sides to a customer service story
Recently someone sent me this story, which he considered using in a classroom setting for an MBA program: "Suzanne" grew tired of retirement. She started part-time work at a greeting card Shop. One day a customer asked for something that was not in stock. The new part-time employee took the customer’s name and phone number and promised to let her know when the item became available. A few days later the item arrived. Suzanne phoned to let the customer know she could stop by the store and purchase the item. The phone call was made from the employee’s home because she had inadvertently taken the note with the customer’s name and phone number home in her jacket pocket. The next day the customer came to the store and not only purchased the item, but also purchased other items for a total of over $100. Upon learning about the employee’s actions, the store owner threatened to fire her if she ever again phoned a customer from her home. She stated, “This is company policy and you should have known it.” So what's the moral of the story? Is the store owner short-sighted and stupid? Sure, the owner appears stupid because she seems to emphasize policy over profits. But she's also considering liability. She's thinking, "OK, this time the employee called from home on a business call. What if Suzanne decides to start a home business? Will she take home a list of names and numbers? "And I assure my customers I respect their privacy. If my employees take numbers home, what kind of assurance can I give them? What if Suzanne's teenage son finds a list and decides to prank-call everybody? Suzanne won't be liable. I will." Not likely. But unfortunately many of us have learned to think this way. And even more unfortunately, I believe it's necessary. |
Labels: business owners, complaints, customer service, entrepreneurship
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Networking challenges: Just what DO we do anyway?
Networking begets networking. At a recent luncheon, a nice attendee "Pamela" approached me. "So you're a copywriter. I belong to a BNI group and we are looking for a copywriter." Well, I've looked into BNI. The problem is, I have yet to find a single copywriter who had a profitable experience at any BNI group. (If you differ, please let me know.) I've met several who said, "Nice lunches. Fun people." But this group seemed genuinely interested. They meet at lunch (not an ungodly breakfast hour) at a place where I can walk in 15-20 minutes. They even chose a nice restaurant with good food. So I attended a meeting. Immediately after the meeting, we visitors were taken aside. We were given long application forms and encouraged to join. "You'll be in by next week -- for sure the week after," they said. "We just have to check references." So I got permission to give them names of 2 references. That took a little time. My references answered questions, also making time. Then nothing happened. I got a call. "We think there may be a conflict with another member. She lists marketing on her business card." My immediate reaction: "Why didn't you check this out before inviting me to apply?" My next reaction: "Any competent copywriter will be involved in some marketing. You said the group was looking for a copywriter. Therefore..." And then I wondered, "Do they really understand what a copywriter does? Will they assume I'll scrawl words for $35 an hour?" But there's a bigger question. BNI has thrived by allowing only one business category per group. These days business categories are blurred. It's not just copywriters who confuse these networking groups. A life coach "Kendra" applied to join BNI. She was blocked by a hypnotherapist who complained they would respond to the same challenges. Yet another group includes a hynotherapist, a life coach and a licensed psychotherapist. Even more important: customers and clients have to be clearer than ever on what they want. "Alan" confides, "I'm so disorganized! I don't seem to get anything done. My office is cluttered and I never seem to have time for anything." We can refer Alan to a professional organizer, who will de-clutter and suggest systems to save time. Some organizers talk about their clients' lives and lifestyles too. We could suggest Alan hire a life coach, who will help set priorities and create accountability and structure. We might even suggest a therapist who works with the "worried well." Some therapists actually target the same market as coaches -- self-pay personal growth seekers. They are licensed to go deeper: they might ask about Alan's life. If he just broke up a serious relationship or lost a job, he may need to talk about feelings before he can break through the clutter barrier. The flip side: Three people hang out shingles with identical labels like "chiropractor," "physical therapist," or "massage therapist." Most chiropractors work by cracking something in the body (I've never been to one so I'm not sure about this). But I just met a licensed chiropractor who works with a technique that doesn't call for cracking -- and that doesn't require repeated visits. I went to one physical therapist for chronic tendinitis. After many visits I saw no improvement. He didn't believe in ice or inserts. He believed in repeated visits. A second physical therapist made 3 recommendations in a single visit -- including ice and inserts. I am now nearly pain-free and I walk and exercise a great deal more. And massage therapists: Is a Swedish massage therapist competing with cranio-sacral massage? I have no idea. For copywriters, the challenge is to communicate just what the business offers and just what pain gets relieved. Many websites don't even have a "how we work" or "how we solve problems" page. Yet these days, the "how" page may be more relevant than ever. And I predict that leads groups will face tough challenges if they insist on labeling businesses in tight categories. I've told the group I am no longer interested. They're very nice so who knows - I may change my mind. But in the long run, we have to be increasingly aware that labels no longer tell the full story. |
Labels: bni, business, coaching, groups, internet marketing, labels, networking
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Copywriting for Branding Strategy
If you live in certain parts of the world, you probably have a box of Arm & Hammer baking soda in your home. You probably grew up with the familiar orange box and you take it for granted. When I taught Marketing 101, we would spend entire classes discussing Arm & Hammer baking soda as an example of a long, long product life cycle. It’s no accident. The company keeps finding new ways for customers to use the product: keep refrigerator fresh, put out fires, brush teeth, add to cat box…and a whole lot more. Your service needs longer life, too. How many creative ways can we benefit from your service? For example, copywriting can be used to create sales letters and websites. But copywriting also
…and a whole lot more. A logo design can be used on a business card…and also on letterhead, newsletter, decal for car window, flyers and… Party entertainment can add value to bachelorette parties, birthdays, reunions, picnics, business retreats, training exercises and… Tip: Ask your clients how they’ve used services like yours. Then ask the same clients, “What are your 3 greatest challenges -- in any part of your business (or life, if it fits)?” See if a few creative tweaks -- to the service or the service’s advertising – will deliver genuine value to these clients. |
Labels: branding, copywriter, customer service, internet marketing, life cycle
Monday, March 05, 2007
Business getting busy? 3 tips to help
3 Strategies for Busier Businesses I’ve been working with a web designer, Katy Martin, on and off for the last few years. I found her on Rent-a-Coder when she was willing to do a lot and accept a little. Alas, I’m not the only one who finds hidden treasure. Now Katy’s juggling more clients than she needs. And she wants a life, too. Being busy comes from adding more clients or committing more time for intensive marketing. Either way, your “How I Work” page lets you combine time savings with client satisfaction. Your page answers 3 client questions. (1) How much advance notice do you require? Recently I asked Katy to redesign my business card for what seems like the millionth time. “Sure,” she said, “I can do this.” But when? I’m not her only client this week. How about, “3 days notice to start a card, 7 business days to schedule a website.” For phone or live consultations, 24 to 48 hours has become the standard cancellation notice for everything from massage therapists to medical services. Design and writing professionals need a kill fee – an amount that will be surrendered if your client cancels mid-project. (2) What’s your turnaround time? For my own copywriting service, I’ve learned to ask for 10 business days for a single sales letter. I used to promise 5 days or less. But now I’m busier. I have no idea how long it takes to design a website or a business card. But if the designer needs one, three or five business days, I need to know. Jill Chongva, the VA who publishes my ezine, needs a certain number of business days to create HTML and distribute the ezine through my shopping cart. Lots of variance across projects? Give a range – just let your visitors know if you’ll need hours, days, weeks or even months. (3) Getting started. As you get busy, even a get-acquainted call represents an investment of time – an opportunity cost, as accountants say. I recommend offering a paid small sample of your work. For copywriting, it’s a diagnostic project. For consulting, it’s an hourly call. My system allows clients to deduct the cost of the initial call if they move on to a bigger project. We both win if we achieve the client’s goals in an hour or two. Don’t want to charge for the first call? Give prospects a task -- a series of questions, a mini-project or a special assignment – to complete ahead of time. Bottom Line: You can always help out a favorite client or finish a project early. But clients will be happy to comply when you refer them to your page of policies. Those who don’t will go elsewhere and often that’s a happy ending, too. Please email me if you’d like contact info for Katy or Jill. My ezine gets distributed through my shopping cart – the most essential element of online business! Learn more here. |
Labels: business, entrepreneurship, time management
