Idea Generator

Remember the Lighthouse Test?

Please note: I am a proud affiliate of Perfect Customers and so I will earn a commission if you follow these links and decide to make any purchases from their site in the future. You can go straight to their website at www.perfectcustomers.com if you'd prefer to bypass my affiliate code.

Do you remember the Lighthouse Test, from the folks at Perfect Customers?

I've mentioned it several times already, as I talked about writing for your niche, taking a stand and attracting success.

Well, they've come out with another incredible (and free) resource, a special report called, "Invoking YOUR power of Strategic Attraction™: Transform your business into a powerful magnet to attract more perfect customers."

Read about how "work is love made visible," how you don't have to settle for anything less than perfect customers (I know I don't - all of my clients are wonderful!) and much, much more!

Click the image below to claim your free copy now:

More about story telling

In her article, Telling a Good Story [this link doesn't seem to be working, hopefully that's temporary], blogger Michelle Miller (of Wonder Branding: Marketing to Women), tells us how three big companies have used authentic and consistent story-telling as a marketing strategy, and describes the positive results they've gotten.

People love to hear stories, and Miller also makes the point that as consumers we love to feel "in the know" about what's behind the brand, company or service professional we're dealing with.

In another post at GrokDotCom, Michelle shares her own hilarious story about going into the garage for a hammer (and later pulling the hammer out of the fridge) to illustrate a key reason that female shoppers sometimes abandon an online purchase before they're finished (read the story).

In my blog post, Look Around and Make Connections, there are a few other examples of how a quirky personal story can help make your point and keep readers coming back.

Writing Prompt: Your readers want to hear more about what goes on behind-the-scenes of your business. Let them in by sharing a story.

Website Help

Did I touch a few sore points with my website manifesto? Good!

No matter how long we've been in business online (and I've been here since 2002), there is always much to learn and improve upon. I'm planning a complete revamp of my own websites and blog when I migrate them over to WordPress later this year.

If you're looking to start or revamp a successful website, here are some resources for you:

Lisa Wells, Coast2Coast Business Solutions: Lisa is an e-marketing specialist and a whiz with website templates. She'll have you up and running with your own online marketing machine in no time. And she can also help you out with updates on an ongoing basis. She does fantastic work!

Sandra De Freitas, Tech Coach for Coaches: Sandra is the author of the upcoming book, "Does this Blogsite make my Wallet Look Fat? How to use a WordPress blogsite to make money, attract clients and gain expert celebrity status." Sound good? Get her book at the pre-sale price and do it yourself, or hire her to do it for you. Sandra wrote the book on WordPress - and I should know, I edited it ;)
[Updated June 22, 2008] Sandra's book is now available from http://wordpressblogsites.com/.

Kristen Beireis and the VirtualHelper4U team: Kristen and her team can help with website design and maintenance, marketing coaching and can even help you implement your own online social networking strategy.

[Added May 30, 2008] How could I forget Kenn Schroder? His Client Converter service builds upon his proven track record of helping coaches successfully build an online presence.

[Added June 22, 2008] Or build your own website in a snap with Deb Gallant's Web Power Tools. No technical knowledge required, I promise!

June Li at ClickInsight: June is a web analytics specialist, and her website is full of great tips for getting the best results from your online efforts.

Robert Middleton's Website Toolkit (an affiliate link): I haven't used this resource personally, but it's been highly recommended by Sandra De Freitas, Kathy Mallary, and other trusted peers.

Mary McNeil's Websites that Get Clients (an affiliate link): I haven't used this resource either, but I found Mary's free e-book impressive enough to recommend her.

Please let me know if you have feedback about ANY of these resources that you decide to try.

Help and information is out there and yours for the taking, so let's see you get that website working for you. And of course, if you need any assistance with writing or editing copy for your successful website, I'm here to help.

Website Manifesto - I'm taking a stand

I write and edit materials for coaches, speakers, mediators and organizers because the world needs you and I want you to succeed.

That's why I'm taking a stand against websites that are:

UNTARGETED......

C'mon, already! This is one step you simply can't skip. You can put it off, a little, if you're new. You may even need to wait until your niche or target market finds YOU. But be on the lookout, know it's coming, and make it your goal to define your niche as soon as you can.

Andrea Lee, author of Multiple Streams of Coaching Income and co-author of Money, Meaning and Beyond, is co-leading a tele-summit about the hottest coaching specialties. I'm proud to be an affiliate of Andrea's amazing offerings, and you can find out more about this latest one here. 

UNCHANGING......

If you're being held captive by your website designer or your website host and you can't update your content easily or inexpensively, start taking action to make a change - now!

Write a blog, post articles, do expert interviews or share and comment on the latest news.

UNSUCCESSFUL

Here are the TWO KEY THINGS missing from an unsuccessful website:

1. An opportunity to stay in touch with you by signing up for your mailing list. As Sandra De Freitas points out in her upcoming book, unsuccessful websites are like one-way conversations. Don't let your visitors disappear without establishing an ongoing connection and an opportunity for conversation.

2. Clear, straight-forward instructions for the actions your visitors should take while they're at your site. Of course, their main action will be to sign-up for your mailing list. And what's next? If you don't know, they won't know. And if you don't direct them, they won't do it.

For more simple tips to improve your website, please re-visit my blog post, "Top 5 Ways to Make Your Website Work for You," and watch for the upcoming post, "Website Help."

Amazon's New Print-on-Demand Policy

If you've been thinking about selling your self-published book on Amazon, have a look at this story on Angela Hoy's Writers Weekly website.  Apparently, Amazon is trying to ban any self-publishers who don't use their own print-on-demand service, BookSurge.

I first heard about the situation in the Aha (Authors Helping Authors) blog. Then, Lynne Klippel mentioned it to me, when we were speaking about putting together a flat-rate publishing package for my clients.

One of the biggest benefits of self-publishing your book is that it gives you - the author, the expert - more choices and more automony over the process. Now Amazon is trying to take those choices away.

There are a LOT of other online booksellers out there, and I bet their business is going to be booming as a backlash from this situation.

There's an online petition with 1,092 signatures and counting (including mine). What about you? Will you sign the petition? Or will you "vote with your feet" and take your book-buying and book-selling business elsewhere?

WordPress is not just for blogs anymore

Stay tuned for my next Client Story, where I'll be describing my current project editing a how-to book for using WordPress to create a "blogsite."

It's been fascinating to learn more about this tool, and I'm definitely convinced! Later this year I'll be migrating both the Genuine Coaching Services AND the You Talk, I'll Write websites over to WordPress, along with this blog.

For more about the benefits of WordPress, see what Sandra De Freitas has to say over at the Tech Coach for Coaches blog.

In the meantime, I'd better get back to editing Sandra's book!

Publishing Your Article in a Print Magazine - Anatomy of a Winning Query

In my interview with Sharon Crawford, freelance writer, editor and writing instructor, I learned how to "hook" an editor with a story idea - the first step to being published in print.

It all starts with a query - literally asking the question, "so, are you interested?"

Before you even get to that stage, though, take some time to look through a few issues of the magazine that you're pitching the story to. Visit the website or call to find out whether they accept freelance submissions, and for their submission guidelines.

Sharon recommends that your query be no longer than one page. Here is her breakdown of a winning query, paragraph by paragraph:

Paragraph 1: This is where you really need to hook them in to keep reading. Make sure you offer some kind of quirky, unusual twist on the story you want to tell. Show how your story could tie into a current event, piece of news, research study or societal trend. This paragraph will often end up in your full article.

Paragraph 2: Now, you pitch the specifics, "so, how about an 800-word article about __ (topic)?" List the things you could talk about, with examples, and show the editor you've already put some thought and research into it. Point form is appropriate for this section.

Also, show that you're familiar with their specific publication, and suggest different sections where the article could fit. Talk about why their readers, in particular, would be interested in reading your story. Point out how your story idea matches their editorial schedule.

Paragraph 3: Describe your subject, the person you could interview for the article. That means that before you even sit down to write your query, you need to have chosen someone, spoken to them briefly and they've agreed to be interviewed.

You'll also want to mention any other people you could interview, such as people who know your main subject and can offer a different perspective about them or the experience you're interviewing them about.

For example, if you're going to interview someone who has achieved success from hiring a life coach, you could also interview that person's spouse, boss, colleague or friend to hear about the changes they've witnessed from the outside.

Paragraph 4: Why are you the best person to write this article? Here is the place to talk about your credentials, and the personal and professional experiences that make you uniquely positioned to tell this story. Cite examples of any previous articles you've published, particularly on the same or similar topics.

Paragraph 5: As you're closing your query, make it clear that you're willing to work with the editor's suggestions. Notice how Sharon suggests you use the word "could" throughout the query. The more open you are to questions, revisions and rewrites, the more likely it is that you're query will be accepted.

Finally, let the editor know that you're going to follow up, and when. And by all means, do it! If you show them in the query process that you're responsible, committed and true to your word, they'll be more interested in working with you. Deadlines count!

Thanks again to Sharon Crawford (http://www.samcraw.com) for providing this great information!

Publishing Your Article in a Print Magazine - An Expert Interview with Sharon Crawford, freelance writer, editor and writing instructor

Sharon Crawford and I met at an evening seminar presented by the Toronto chapter of the Professional Writers Association of Canada. I've really been enjoying these events, and I appreciate the work that Sharon and the rest of the PWAC Toronto executive put into them! 

I asked Sharon if we could get together for a chat about print magazines. It's a subject that came up in a survey of my readers awhile back - and I suspect that more than one of you are curious about it.

We talked briefly about her early days in the business - I was curious about the first story idea she ever pitched to an editor. It was scary, she said, but it went so well that she drew up the courage to pitch a second one right there on the spot - and he took that, too!

Sharon provided some wonderful details and tips about "hooking" an editor with a good query. I've put these together in a separate post, "Publishing Your Article in a Print Magazine - Anatomy of a Winning Query" (coming soon).

Listen to my interview with Sharon below:

To find out more about Sharon, please visit her website at www.samcraw.com.

The Wily Seduction of Technology Toys

Well, it seems I am battling the Bright, Shiny Object Syndrome again. I guess it's a bit like bronchitis or a bad back - when you've had it once, you're more susceptible to it in the future.

You know the BSOS, right? Common signs are when we become obsessed with some cool new idea, technology tool or other interest - so much that we lose all perspective, stay up far too late tinkering on the computer and get distracted from our business goals.

Right now I'm quite enamoured with  the functionality of wiki websites, and I'm being wooed by the folks at PBWiki - yes, it actually feels like they're wooing me. I even got a "golden ticket" to try out their upcoming 2.0 version.

I chose PBWiki for my experiment because some other groups I've followed (e.g. podcamp Toronto) also use them. When I started poking around their blog, I saw that Timothy Ferriss chose them, too - not a bad endorsement!

Anyway, back to the BSOS. Lena West of xynoMedia gave me a GREAT prescription for it. She invited me to look at what I NEED first and THEN look for the tool that fits my needs.

While MY first instinct, when I'm blinded by the lights, is to get wowed by the technology and figure out (i.e. scheme, manipulate) how I can make use of it in my business. Then I'm in danger of ending up with a bunch of mismatched tools, a lot of clutter, and running between one system and the other because I didn't think ahead about how they would integrate.

What I'm looking for right now are three things:

1. A central repository for client projects (I'm also checking out Basecamp and other project management solutions - though some of the negative publicity about Basecamp really turned me off)
2. A way to manage the collaborative editing process more easily (I'm also checking out Google Docs)
3. For clients with larger projects, such as full-length books, a way to manage their content that's easier to work with than multiple word files or one long, sprawling document (I've considered using one of my TypePad blogs for this, but because with a wiki you can edit and view on the same screen, it's really no contest)

So I'm trying to remain calm, put a limit on the amount of time I spend on this task, and keep experimenting with an open mind.

How do YOU deal with the Bright, Shiny Object Syndrome? Please add your comments below.

Get to the Point - My Newest Elevator Pitch

The latest tweaks to my elevator pitch came as a result of reading these words from Michel Neray of Essential Message:

"Is context clouding your message?

If you're like most people, you feel the need to give people the context of what you're saying before telling them the important stuff.

You probably do it in your memos, proposals, networking introductions, presentations and speeches, and sales letters.

While context can be crucial in some situations, it often creates distance between you and your audience.

These two techniques help you -- and the people you speak to and write for -- get to the point more quickly. Try them. They really work.

1. Next time you introduce yourself in public, like at a networking event, don't give your audience a chance to tune out: skip the part about your name and your company, and get straight to what you offer.

They couldn't care less about who you are until after they think you have something they need. Starting with non-essential stuff simply gives them time to tune out. If they show an interest, you can easily fill in the blanks later.

2. Next time you write a memo, recommendation or email, try this after you write your first draft. Replace the first paragraph with the second paragraph or delete it entirely. For a case study we developed for a client, this is exactly what we did -- with dramatic results.

Instead of giving the company background and context, now the very first line of the case study is: 'Global success couldn't keep Carrefour Spain from falling prey to the retail industry's most common problem: inventory and cash shrinkage.'

Admit it, you want to read more too..."

Michel's newsletter is a quick and fun read -- subscribe free at www.essentialmessage.com.

Writing Prompt: How will you use Michel's ideas to get to the point in a piece of writing you're working on right now?

Now, here's my new elevator pitch:

"My clients have great ideas for a self-help book they want to write. They know having a book will bring them more credibility and more business. But they're intimidated by the writing process or they're worried about the quality of their writing. That's why they're so relieved to find me! I'm Linda Dessau, I'm a ghostwriter and editor, and I put my client's great ideas into writing. My website is www dot you talk dash I write. That's www dot you talk dash I write."

I tried it out the other week at Referral Quest and it felt like a winner to me, what do you think? Your comments are always welcome and appreciated!

Seth Godin & Friends Meatball Sandwich Teleseminar - see you there?

I just heard about a teleseminar scheduled for next week. It sounds like a great opportunity to hear four marketing masterminds together on the same call: Seth Godin, Dan Pink, Rich Sloan (Start Up Nation) and Debbie Weil (corporate blogging expert).

It’s on Wednesday, February 13th at 2:00 p.m. Eastern, and it’s free. You can sign-up here to attend or to access the recording after the class:
http://www.sethgodinteleseminar.com

Will I see you there?

Worried that you're giving away too much information for free?

I hear this concern a lot, and I loved the way that Leesa Barnes simplified the process in this post:

How to Attract New Clients With a Freebie Without Giving Away the Farm.

What is the system that you're selling? Now, what's an example of a valuable idea that you can share with your potential customer that will attract them to learn more about your system?

Do you Attract, Invite, Receive or Block Success?

At the end of a work day, I like to reflect on how well I allowed success (money, prosperity and abundance) to flow into my life.

Did I attract it? Did I stand tall like a lighthouse and shine out a unified, confident message about who am I and what I do, so that the customers who are the best match for me could find me?

Did I invite it? Did I actually ask for the business, even when it scared me?

Did I receive it? Did I gratefully receive and respond promptly to all requests for business, gracefully declining the ones that weren't right for me to leave room for ones that are?

Or did I block it with procrastination, confusion or ego, or by losing myself in trying to compete with or mimic my colleagues who offer similar services?

How did you do when success came your way today?

Pitching Your Business - Fact, Care, Do

Improving your elevator pitch seems to be a very popular topic at networking meetings (see my previous post, A better elevator pitch? You be the judge) - I guess because it's an important of what we do while we're there.

At the December SOHO Women International meeting, Mark Bowden of Truth Plane shared this template for creating a great elevator pitch:

FACT - CARE - DO

First, share a FACT about life that affects the person you're speaking to, and has something to do with your business and what you do. For example, as a presentation trainer, Mark would share the fact that most people are more afraid of public speaking than they are of death.

Next, tell them you CARE about them and how this fact affects them. For example, Mark would share that he doesn't want that panic and fear happening to them when they're in front of a crowd.

Finally, tell them what you can DO about it. Don't give them your title or job description, paint a picture of how much better their life will be once they've purchased your product or service.

Another important DO is to tell them what to DO next - whether it's call you, visit your website, sign-up for your newsletter or hire you then and there!

Writing Prompt: Craft a simple fact-care-do version of your elevator pitch and try it out the next time someone asks, "So, what do you do?"

De-Clutter Your Message

At Thursday's SOHO meeting, I heard Mark Bowden of Truth Plane speak about how to "Stand Out and Be Heard." And while he was talking specifically about how we could improve our "elevator pitch" and other presentations, I think that one of his points was also very relevant to our writing activities.

Someone in the audience asked Mark about how to create great content for a presentation. She said she always runs out of time with lots more she had planned to share. I could certainly relate, and I leaned in close to hear what Mark would say.

Turned out that Mark's message was very similar to what I shared in "Trying Write the Article of Lifetime?"

He suggests that we choose the ONE thing we want our audience to know about (and how to do it) and focus on just that one thing.

He used the example of the importance of building trust in order to make a sale. So if "trust" is the one thing you want to get across as your most important point, spend the entire time in your elevator pitch, speech, article or other communication talking about how trust is important, and how to get it.

So, make your point, support your point, and then repeat your point. Over and over. At the PWAC Toronto seminar earlier this month, John Watkis stated that your goal when you're speaking is to deliver a message that will be heard, remembered and shared. Isn't that our goal when writing, as well?

Quick Writing Prompt: In the piece of writing you're working on right now, what is the one key idea you want people to take away from it? How can you "de-clutter" your message so it hones in on that one thing?

Real learning from a fake conference

Last week I attended an "un-conference" about social media. There was a lot of information and opportunities packed into a few short hours (http://talkischeap.pbwiki.com/Schedule).

One speaker, Rick Spence of the Canadian Entrepreneur blog, spoke about blogs versus print. I really liked a lot of his points, and it (almost) got me excited enough to rush home and start blogging more regularly. Really, it almost did ;)

I liked what he said about how blogs enable the reader to drill down and read more once they stumble upon a blogger they like, and because most blog posts include links, the reader can also follow through immediately to do more research into the subject they're interested in.

Another blogger, Terry Fallis, told the story of how he used a blog (and other social media tools, such as a podcast and Facebook) to drive demand for a book before it was even published. It seems to have been a very successful experiment!

A better elevator pitch? You be the judge

At a SOHO Women International meeting this morning, Lynda Robertson of the Sandler Sales Institute gave a presentation about prospecting.

I'll be blogging more about the great tips she shared, but here's one I applied immediately when I was sharing my 30-second introduction ("elevator pitch").

Here's what I planned to say:

"I'm Linda Dessau of You Talk, I'll Write. As a ghostwriter, I take my client's great ideas and put them into writing, both online and in print. As an editor, I polish those words to a shine. I work exclusively with coaches, speakers and organizers. I've created an article writing tool and you can download it for free from my website at www.youtalk-write.com."

Here's (roughly) what I said, after hearing Lynda's presentation:

"I'm Linda Dessau of You Talk, I'll Write. My clients have great ideas, but they're intimidated by the writing process, or they're worried about not writing well. So, as a ghostwriter, I take their great ideas and put them into words, both online and in print. And as an editor, I polish those words to a shine. I've created an article writing tool and you can download it for free from my website at www.youtalk-iwrite.com."

Did you notice what was different?

Lynda asked us all to think about which EMOTIONS we include in our 30-second introduction.

She reminded us that people buy based on emotion, and so we need to help them make the link between our product and services and the EMOTIONS that they either relieve (e.g. stress, worry or  fear) or elicit (e.g. peace of mind, confidence or satisfaction).

Do you have any suggestions for how I could improve my 30-second introduction? What positive EMOTIONS do you think my clients experience when I deliver their completed writing project?

Quick Writing Prompt: Whether you're speaking or writing, how can you bring more EMOTIONS into your message? Which emotions are tied in with your product or service?

Business Week Says: Educational Marketing (Writing) SELLS

Thanks to Dina Lynch at ADR Practice Builder for pointing to this great article on her blog.

It's all about how educating your target market with valuable written information they is a MUCH more effective marketing strategy than talking directly about YOU and why they should hire you to help them.

Education-Based Marketing Sells, by Christine Comaford-Lynch was printed October 8 on the Business Week website.

If you'd like to put together an educational article, white paper or special report to educate YOUR target market, I'd love to help.

Ok, Now I'll TALK and YOU Write!

Ta-dah!

Announcing From Ideas to Income - a 5-part tele-class series dedicated to getting your great ideas out of your head and into writing.

I'm co-leading these classes with Sandra De Freitas, the Tech Coach for Coaches.

Find out more at www.fromideastoincome.com

Hope to "see" you there!

Market Your Book Like a Pro, with my friend Lynne

I met Lynne Klippel through Andrea Lee (Lynne published both of Andrea's books), and since we made contact a few months ago, we've been talking about ways to put our talented heads together.

For now, I'm proud to be an affiliate of her upcoming Book Marketing Blitz. It's a perfect match for my ghostwriting clients who now have a great book, but aren't sure how to sell it. OR, for my prospective clients, who are thinking of hiring me to ghostwrite or edit their book but are hesitant for the same reason.

Lynne's Book Marketing Blitz will help you sell more books and design a book marketing plan just like the multimillionaire big guys do...only it won't cost you an arm and a leg!

She's put together an amazing array of speakers for this webinar-based seminar.  In fact, you can enjoy 18 hours of book marketing instruction from some of the biggest names in the business from the comfort of your home.

You can listen to a very useful interview with a book cover designer just for checking out the website, so go and grab your free gift now.

You'll be glad you did!

PS - Just in case you're interested in earning some extra money to pay for your book expenses, you can become an affiliate of this program after you register.  How about that? Learn great information AND earn some great money...

Business Planning & Retreat Weekend

I have just declared the long weekend of September 1-3 as a Business Planning & Retreat Weekend.

Do you want to join me?

While I'm not inviting you to share my time during those precious three days , I'll gladly share my plans so that you can create your own retreat!

I really want to make the most of this opportunity to spend a big chunk of time working ON my business instead of IN it (as per Michael Gerber and the E-Myth Revisited).

I've looked at my Artist Retreat Day Guidebook for some ideas (feel free to do the same: http://www.artistretreatday.com).

The ARD Guidebook gave me some great ideas for how to prepare between now and then:

1. Create (and protect) the time. So while I'm gladly accepting new clients and projects (http://www.lindadessau.com/talk-write-start.html), we won't be starting your new project until after September 4th.
2. Create my workspace, by making sure clutter is at bay and my favourite business books are handy. Besides E-Myth Revisted, I'll also pull out my Andrea Lee Collection, Multiple Streams of Coaching Income and Money, Meaning and Beyond, as well as Peter Bowerman's The Well-Fed Writer and Back for Seconds). I'll also pull out some newsletters and e-books, as well my own many folders full of ideas and nearly-started projects.
3. Create my mental and emotional space, and put a support team in place. I will do some journaling and reflection so that I can set my intention and begin with the right motive. I'm also going to be setting up some "check-in" times with some support people during the weekend, AND a purely social event so I can let loose a little ;)

I'm going to refer to Dina Lynch's recent blog post about Marketing Plans, because there are definitely some ideas there I want to put into practice.

And of course everything will be integrated into the wonderful Vision Map that Jan Wallen helped me create.

My plans are still unfolding - I'll keep you posted.....

NEW NOTE FROM LINDA (August 27) - keep your eye on the "Comments" section, I'll be updating about my plans for the weekend, and during the weekend itself.

5 Web Resources I Use the Most

I was just "tagged" by Christina Favreau (http://blog.cristinafavreau.com), who has asked me to share 5 favoutite websites. The rules of the tag are:

1. MUST be clean. No R rated sites.
2. Only FIVE links.
3. MUST tell 5 people.
4. A link back to the person who tagged you
5. Lara’s Place is the meme originator

The 5 Web Resources I Use the Most as a Writer and Editor are:

1. Data Deposit Box - continually backs up the newest versions of all my client projects, as well as anything else I've created or revised since the last back up
2. Ezine Articles - premiere article bank website
3. Copywriting tips from Copyblogger
4. The Ezine Queen's Magic Text Formatter - formats content to 65-characters per line - GREAT for text-only emails
5. Typepad - I use their basic templates for this blog, their advanced templates for my website, and now that they've introduced the "Add page" feature, I'm encouraging people to use Typepad to create simple websites that are very affordable and easy to maintain - check out the sample page I created here: http://lindadessau.typepad.com/website

My next task is to "tag" 5 other bloggers and ask them for THEIR 5 favourite web resources. Here goes:

1. Sandra De Freitas of Tech Coach for Coaches.
2. Donna Papacosta of Trafalgar Communications.
3. Kathy Mallary of Inspired Market-Her.
4. Felicia Slattery of Communication Transformation.
5. Dina Lynch, the Mediation Mensch.

Make your Website Work for You: Top 5 Ways to Turn a Curious Visitor into a Loyal Repeat Customer

1. Specialize. You can't be everything to everyone. Choose a "niche" group, envision your ideal client, and write your website copy directly to them.


2. Attract. Bring traffic to your site with high-quality, professional articles featuring valuable information that addresses the needs of your niche group and ideal client. Then keep them at your site longer with more great content that's fresh and updated (e.g. a blog).


3. Capture. On each page of your website, offer a free gift in exchange for the visitor's name and email address and permission to contact them again.


4. Keep in Touch. Stay on their minds with consistent and professional messages that provide valuable information and subtly promote your services. 


5. Diversify. Create multiple streams of income, including products for sale 24/7 from your website and group classes that make more efficient use of your time and get you out into the public eye.

How Big is the Leap from your Site to Your Sales?

Are you asking your website visitors to leap from discovering your site and being mildly interested in you to purchasing your top-level, most expensive service?

Instead, invite your website visitors into your marketing funnel.

A marketing funnel is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. At the top of the funnel are your free products and services, including one main "pink spoon".

Free gifts are easy for your prospective customers to say yes to, and increase the likelihood that they'll hop into your funnel.

From there, the funnel becomes narrower, as the prices of your offerings increase.

Someone may not be willing to go from a free product right up to your highest-priced product or service, so you offer them many levels in between - keeping them in your funnel, building a relationship with them, and showcasing your expertise and skill at solving their problems.

The fuller and more varied your funnel, the longer someone will stay, the more they can (and will) buy from you, and the more likely they will make it to the bottom.

For a more complete explanation of how to apply these concepts, please check out Andrea Lee's masterpiece "Multiple Streams of Coaching Income" (I believe in this book so much that I became an affiliate).

Written information products are a great way to fill your funnel. And you don't have to start from scratch. Clients have hired me to:

• Turn a collection of free articles into an e-book for sale,
• Turn their coaching program into an e-course,
• Turn their blog posts into a special report, and
• Create a learning guide to accompany a recorded tele-class.

Remember, a visitor may not be ready to jump from a free pink spoon to your most expensive offering, so make sure there are some choices in between.

If there are gaps in your marketing funnel, contact me about how we can get started today to fill them.

What is Pink Spoon Marketing?

The term "pink spoon" was coined by Andrea Lee, and was inspired by the popular ice cream store that hands you a little pink spoon and lets you sample some of their 31 flavours.

A pink spoon is a valuable product such as an article, tips sheet, special report or e-course. You offer this item to your website visitors in exchange for their email address and permission to contact them later with more information about your products and services.

For a more complete explanation of how to use pink spoon marketing, please check out Andrea Lee's Pink Spoon Marketing package (I believe in Andrea's work so much that I became an affiliate).

Many clients have used my help to prepare a pink spoon for their website. Some already had some content (e.g. blog posts, newsletter articles, emails they'd written to clients or assorted ideas they'd collected over time), and just needed some editing help to pull it all together.

Others used my You Talk It, I'll Write It service and I coached the content right out them!

Who Are You and What Do You Want? Writing for your Niche

I have some bad news, and it might be tough to hear.

Not everyone is going to like you, trust you, believe in you or want to work with you.

You might be rolling your eyes and thinking, "of course not, I didn't think that...."

Take a good look at your marketing, though. Who are you writing your marketing messages and promotional materials for?

I hear so many small business owners say "I work with anyone who......"

Even if you truly believe that anyone and everyone could benefit from your solutions and services, if you try to dilute your message to appeal to everyone, it may not stand out to anyone!

Choosing a niche market is a courageous step. If you've done it, congratulations! Please read on.

If you haven't done it, please Take the Lighthouse Test over at the Perfect Customers website. You'll find the link just above the photo of the lighthouse, along the right-hand side of the page. (I've been recommending this article so much that I became an affiliate!)

Once you've chosen your niche, here are three ways to make sure that your writing is targeted to exactly who you've decided to serve.

1. KNOW your niche.

One colleague of mine, Cindy Morus, of Money Smart Woman, created a composite ideal client named Debting Debbie. She could tell you anything you needed to know about Debbie - including what kind of place she lived in, her education level, what she cared about, and how much money she made. What's more, every time Cindy sat down to write something for her website, newsletter or other promotions, she knew exactly who she was writing for.

Even more important? Debting Debbie, sitting at her computer, could feel that Cindy was talking just to her. She felt seen, heard and understood, and she instantly connected to what Cindy was offering.

As well, there were a lot of people that heard or read Cindy's message that had a "Debting Debbie" in his or her life, and they instantly recognized this was a website they should pass along.

2. Write HEADLINES that draw the right readers in.

Be as clear as you can in your headline about what the reader will find within. Yes, it's important to get the reader's attention by asking questions, using a snappy catch phrase or making a bold statement.

AND, your ideal client needs to know that this material was written just for him or her.

On my website, I address my audience directly at the top of the page "Attention, Coaches, Speakers and (my newest market group) Organizers".

Even if you don't address the person you're writing the article for in your headline, you can address the problem they're looking to solve or the solution you have to offer.

3. RESEARCH, read and collaborate to write for your niche.

Andrea Lee introduced me to the concept of "being" Google for my website and blog visitors. In Multiple Streams of Coaching Income, she writes:

"The fact is people are no longer looking for more information. They are looking for the exactly right information at the precise moment they want it."

Keep up with the new trends and read the latest news. Find, evaluate and share the information your ideal client is looking for.

Also, remember that two heads can create more content than one. Collaborate with another expert in your area of specialty - someone with a complimentary service to your own. Write an article together, interview them and package the recording with a learning guide as a product, or publish a podcast.

Quick Writing Prompt: Who's your "Debting Debbie"? Now look back at something you've written and evaluate whether he or she will see themselves.

Planting seeds to grow your business

"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant." - Robert Louis Stevenson

I like to remind myself of that sentiment on those days when I'm not seeing RESULTS (e.g. new clients).

The thing is, I know that if I just keep on keeping on, my actions will get results. Usually not the way I imagined they would, and almost never when I want them to, but always according to God's perfect plan.

Let's keep planting those seeds!

Top 10 ways to re-use frequently asked questions

1. Publish an FAQ page. If you haven't done so yet, add an FAQ page to your website. If you already have one, update it with new questions as they come along.
2. Save time on your next reply. Keep a copy of your response in a special email folder to recycle when the question comes up again.
3. Hit the drawing board. Create a product that solves the problem - not just for that one person, but for many.
4. Mine for content. Turn your reply into an article or a series of articles.
5. Create an opportunity for learning. Combine five, seven or ten questions & answers into an e-course that's delivered by autoresponder.
6. Call in an expert. Interview an expert on the topic. Record the interview and combine it with a learning guide and/or workbook to create a passive revenue product.
7. Package the solution. Create a concrete, time-limited, flat-rate service that will address this problem or question.
8. Search and research. Research the most current books, blogs and articles that answer the question and review those materials on your blog. Your visitors will keep coming back to you for the latest and greatest information about your area of specialty.
9. Systemize your business. Develop terms (to share with others) and procedures (for you and your team) for your services and most common business activities. Go for maximum efficiency in minimum time.
10. Head off questions at the pass. Edit your website and marketing materials to make sure they're as clear as possible. Try to answer the questions before they ask them!

Remember to smile and be grateful for each and every time someone asks you a question. It means they were interested enough to find out more.

A simple framework for growing your business

I attended a meeting last week of the Alliance of Independent Practioners, part of Toronto's International Association of Business Communicators chapter.

The speaker was Jennifer Beale, of unleashpr and BizNetworkNews.

While the topic was networking, and I got TONS of ideas about how to do that, the key ideas that I took away were these:

There are basically four ways that I'm going to bring money into my business:

1. Sales (actually "closing the sale" and receiving the money)
2. Marketing (generating leads, making contacts and networking)
3. Client Retention (repeat sales to current customers)
4. Referrals (requesting referrals)

I need to systemize what I'm doing in each of these areas. Creating a system is as simple as three steps:

• Planning e.g. At which networking events am I most likely to find members of my target market?
• Preparation e.g. Do I have business cards to hand out? Do I have a simple and concise way of explaining what I do and who I do it for?
• Action e.g. After I attend the networking event, spend an hour or two on follow-up like adding contacts to my mailing list (with their permission, of course!), sending them promised information or setting up a coffee date. Jennifer suggests we schedule that time in our calendars before we head out.

For each step I can either do it myself, delegate it, and/or find a technology solution to make it easier and more efficient.

Along those lines, Jennifer also mentioned the importance of having a good contact management system. Right now I'm using Outlook, but I did experiment for awhile with a free program called Kurlo. I quite liked it, actually!

Are you on Ezine Articles yet?

I've been a Platinum expert author at Ezine Articles since March 2005. In that time, my articles have generated a combined total of over 100,000 page views. It also led to more website traffic and newsletter subscribers.

I interviewed Chris Knight, the owner of Ezine Articles, to find out more about what makes this site such a useful tool for business owners. He also has a list of benefits on the site.

When I "Google" my own name, I also get to see just how far and wide my ideas have spread. My articles have been reprinted on countless other websites and in other newsletters (both print and online).

I also created a "Google Alert" for my own name, so I can see when my articles are published in new places.

Submit your first article to Ezine Articles now. If you've done that, great! Make sure to keep up with it. You won't be promoted to Platinum Author status until 10 of your articles have been accepted.

Marketing tools that I use and recommend

You can see some of the marketing tools that I use and recommend on this page:
http://www.lindadessau.com/talk-write-tools.html

I'll be updating the page occasionally so do check back!