02.17.12
Posted in Online Marketing at 8:59 am UTC by Michele PW
When most entrepreneurs decide to launch a product, they’re mostly thinking about how many products they’re going to sell or how much money they’ll make during the launch.
Now while that’s a great reason to have a product launch, it’s actually not the only reason. In fact, I may go as far to say it’s not even the most important reason. Let’s take a moment and go through the top 5 reasons to have a launch that have nothing to do with selling that particular product.
1. You create visibility for yourself. Even a small product launch will create visibility and get people talking about you. After all, the point of a product launch is to create a buzz and get some of your free content to go viral. The sheer act of doing that builds name and brand recognition, which is key to growing a business.
2. You build your credibility. If your product launches include releasing free content (i.e. videos, special reports) or hosting a free call or webinar, how you present that information can go a long ways towards building your credibility. If you giveaway great content and people can experience for themselves how knowledgeable you are, your credibility will shoot through the roof.
3. You build your list. Offering free content or a free call or webinar is a great way to build your list. Even if you have a small list there are ways to structure your product launch to maximize your list building. (Note — the end result may not be tons of sales but rather a big boost in your credibility and visibility not to mention more names on your list.)
4. You build momentum in your marketing and your business. Product launches take an enormous amount of energy to get off the ground. That energy has to go somewhere (remember the laws of physics — energy is neither created or destroyed, just transformed) and if done right it’s transformed into a huge momentum boost for your business. You’ll likely find marketing your business much easier after a launch — not just because your personal momentum is going but because your prospects are still “talking” about you and are more open to receiving your message.
5. You sell your other products and services. Remember all that visibility and credibility you created with your launch? Well, you likely got the attention of people who may not be interested in the specific product you’re launching but they ARE interested in YOU. Don’t be surprised if sales of your other products and services jump (this typically happens both during and after the launch).
Now, here’s the best part. If you do a product launch for reasons OTHER than a big payday at the end of the day, think about how good it will feel when you DO sell a bunch of products? One of the biggest reasons why product launches are so stressful and so discouraging is entrepreneurs put this big number out there on how many they want to sell and when they don’t hit that number, they’re depressed — EVEN though it may really have been a big success in other ways. So, if you flip it, you can relax during the launch, enjoy it more and be excited and grateful for whatever sales you make.
Food for thought.
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02.13.12
Posted in Ask PW at 11:16 am UTC by Michele PW
In today’s “Ask PW” column, I want to ask YOU a question. How I can best help you succeed with product or program launches?
Of all the various marketing tools out there, probably the one that is the most frustrating, heartbreaking and misunderstood is product launches.
There’s nothing that will bring an entrepreneur to their knees faster than a failed launch. And even if a launch isn’t a failure, entrepreneurs still struggle with feelings of anxiety or just plain “ick” over the whole launch process.
That’s why Wealthy Thought Leader Andrea J. Lee and I have teamed up — we want to help demystify launches for you, and in order to do that, we need you to take just 2 minutes and answer this question:
What is your biggest question about launching a product or program?
Click here to let me know your question: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Y5FNYQZ
(Or you can post in the comments below.)
And, if you have any other questions about marketing or copywriting, make sure you post them here or email me at Ask@MichelePW.com and I’ll be sure to answer in a future column.
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02.10.12
Posted in Online Marketing at 9:51 am UTC by Michele PW
Of all the marketing tools out there (and make no mistake about it, product launches are a TOOL — nothing more, nothing less) product launches have got to be the most frustrating, misused and misunderstood tool.
There is nothing that will bring an entrepreneur to their knees faster than a busted launch. Worse, even if the launch ISN’T a failure, it’s still the cause of more worry, anxiety and sleepless nights than any other marketing tactic I’ve ever seen (and trust me, I’ve seen a lot).
However, since launch failure certainly is one of the top concerns (not to mention a bad launch makes everything else look worse) I thought I’d take some time today to discuss the top 3 mistakes entrepreneurs make when launching a product or program.
Mistake 1: They rush into the launch. Let me explain what I mean by this because it’s not as clear cut as you might think. While I do think giving yourself some time and space to launch something properly (especially when you’re doing it from scratch) is a good thing, if you have a big enough list to meet your sales goals, you can rush your launch as much as you want.
Where I see the biggest problem with rushing your launch (other than just keeping yourself up nights working on all the promotional pieces) is when your list is small and you are dependent on affiliates or joint venture partners to meet your sales goals. If this is the case, you are pretty much guaranteeing your launch will fail.
You see, affiliates and joint venture partners are busy people. They have their own products and services to promote plus they too have agreed to help other people. The less lead time you give them the more likely they will tell you they can’t help you promote.
However, there is another way to look at this, which actually leads into mistake number 2.
Mistake 2: They don’t know the numbers. Here’s how this mistake plays out. You’ve been hearing about these 6 figure launches, but you’re just starting out — you don’t expect to have a 6 figure launch. You would be happy with 50 people in your program. And with 200 people on your list that should be doable, right?
Well…
You do the launch and end up with 8 people in your program. You’re crushed.
Now the reality is with your list of 200, that’s a 4 percent conversion of your entire list. You should be THRILLED with that conversion.
But, because you don’t know the numbers (specifically the CONVERSION numbers) you’re just looking at the end result — how many people actually bought. And if it’s lower than what you wanted (or expected) you’re going to be disappointed.
But if you know the numbers, then you’ll know going in how many people you can expect to buy. And you’ll ALSO know what to expect regardless if affiliates help you promote or don’t. And that’s a really powerful way to keep yourself from getting too disappointed or frustrated.
Mistake 3: They either give up or decide not to send “one more email.” This happens if they either get too discouraged from lack of sales or they just start feeling “icky” about the whole launch. At that point, they just stop.
And when you stop, you’ve also just stopped getting any more sales. And even if you’re stopping because you’re feeling sort of icky, you’re probably going to feel even more icky when people stop signing up for your program. (You CAN cut down the number of emails, just as long as you know which emails to cut.)
So you need to know going in you’re probably going to feel like giving up somewhere in the middle. If you know this, you can stand firm when it happens and make sure you still send that “one last email.” (Who knows, that could be the email that turns everything around for you and to think you almost didn’t send it!)
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01.31.12
Posted in Ask PW at 1:18 pm UTC by Michele PW
This is a great question. And here’s where I want you to start — by assessing your current situation.
Even before you put together a plan, you need to do this. Because if you don’t have a good handle on your current situation, you’re not going to be able to put together a plan that emphasizes your strengths and minimizes your weaknesses.
So here are some things you should look at:
- How big is your email list? (Also known as your email database)
- How responsive is your email list? (In other words, how many people buy/sign up for a teleclass/etc. when you send out an email asking them to?)
- How many affiliates/JV partners/associates/etc. do you know who would be happy to help promote you?
- How many friends/followers do you have on social networking sites?
- What products/programs do you currently have and could launch or relaunch?
- Do you have any products/programs in the works?
Now, the important thing to keep in mind when you’re answering these questions is there is NO wrong answer. I don’t want anyone to feel bad no matter where you’re at. We all had to start somewhere. And here’s the best part — no matter where you’re at right now, there IS a launch plan that can help you jump start your business!
If you want more information on how to create and execute a successful product launch, join me for my free training with Wealthy Thought Leader Andrea J. Lee called “‘My “Thing” Launched But Nobody Bought!’ 3 Spoonfuls of Fiber For Your Constipated Sales Cycle” on February 2 at 3pm Pacific/6pm Eastern
Here’s the link to reserve your spot: http://www.MichelePW.com/fiber
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01.29.12
Posted in Online Marketing at 11:42 am UTC by Michele PW
You just finished creating your first product or program. Congratulations!
Now comes the next step — selling it. And the best way to do that is to have a product or program launch.
Sounds so easy, doesn’t it? Send out some emails, get a sales letter up, maybe do a free preview call. Nothing to it.
Well…
Unfortunately this is an area where I see conscious/heart-centered entrepreneurs sabotage themselves all the time. Remember, conscious entrepreneurs often struggle with the idea of making a lot of money. (You can read more about this in my special report “Why EVERYTHING You’ve Been Taught About Marketing on the Internet Will NOT Work for You and What You Can Do To Turn it Around.”) Well, a product launch can certainly bring in a great deal of money in a short amount of time, which makes it ripe for sabotaging.
Here’s where I typically see conscious entrepreneurs get in their own way when launching a product or program. They race through it as fast as they possibly can.
And it’s understandable. After all, it’s agonizing waiting to launch your product. You want to be making money NOW, not waiting for weeks or months before you actually see any income. Plus you want to get it into the hands of your ideal clients, they NEED what you’re selling. So who has time to sit around waiting to promote? Just get a sales letter up and start selling it, right?
Okay here’s the thing. There’s a reason why product launches work and there’s a reason why you reach more people (and make more money) if you control yourself and do it right.
What’s that reason? Urgency.
You see, probably the biggest reason why your ideal clients decide not to buy is lack of urgency. They may like the product, they may know they need it, they may like YOU. And I bet they even INTEND to buy — just not right now. Right now they have a million other things going on and a bunch of other things they’re spending money on but in a few months or a year they will have the time or money to “finally” invest.
Well, we all know how that works out.
The more time and energy you spend building up buzz for your product, the more you’ll start creating that urgency. And the more you’ve built that urgency into your ideal clients’ minds, the more likely they’ll buy (and USE) your product, thus getting the results they want.
It’s a win-win. You win because you get your product into the world while being paid handsomely for it, and your ideal clients win because they get the help they need to solve their problem.
So how much time should you allow for a product launch? Well it depends on the launch. There are a variety of launch systems out there, and depending on what you want to accomplish (and who your ideal clients are) dictates your launch. But here are some guidelines to get you started:
If you’re doing a straight teleclass launch (i.e. a preview call that sells the product or program) I would allow a minimum of a 2 weeks before the preview call. (Note, if you want to get affiliates involved you’ll need to allow a lot more time to plan. The more time you give your affiliates to put in their promotional calendars, the more likely you’ll get them to actually promote.)
If you’re doing more of a “release a special report and/or video” which teases the product by providing information, then you’ll need 4-6 weeks. Those take a little longer to get the viral aspect going. Because a preview call has a “date” when the call is, there’s built-in urgency, but a special report or video doesn’t necessarily have that.
If you want to use surveys or a contest, you might be able to do it in a couple of weeks but it would help if you had a little longer (2 weeks to do the survey then 2 weeks to do something with the results of the survey).
Remember these are minimum times AND these are how much time to actually PROMOTE. No, you don’t have 2 weeks to write a squeeze page, once the squeeze page if up, you need at least 2 weeks to promote. If you wanted to add a couple of weeks to do some other promotions, that’s never a bad idea. (Remember, the more you promote the more urgency you build and the more your ideal clients will want to buy.)
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01.25.12
Posted in Online Marketing at 12:39 pm UTC by Michele PW
Ah, the lure of the Internet. On the surface, it’s a dream come true. You can start a business out of your home selling your products and services everywhere and anywhere in the world without big marketing budgets or lots of advertising.
Then you put your first website up and the dream comes crashing down with a big thud. It’s not nearly as easy as it first looks.
So you do your research. You start learning everything you can about Internet Marketing.
But it’s still not as simple as what the “gurus” say. Maybe you’re still stuck at your current revenue goals and you know you could be making more. Maybe you feel uncomfortable or “icky” around your marketing. Maybe you agonize over every negative email and feedback you get. And maybe you feel like there MUST be a better way.
Well, never fear — help is here! Read on for 3 tips to help you get more success with your Internet Marketing strategies.
1. Pull up those big girl panties and get some business training. Look, I get it. You started your business for all sorts of reasons that have really nothing to do with owning your own business. You wanted freedom, to provide for your family, to not have a boss, to get your message out into the world, to make a difference. None of those reasons started with the words “I love business.”
So, it only stands to reason you have little to none training or experience in business. And if that’s the case, why do you think this is somehow going to come naturally to you?
Learning to run a business is like learning to do any skill. And if you learn to run an effective, profitable business, then you’re more likely to put Internet Marketing in its proper place, which is…
2. Internet Marketing is a tool in your marketing toolbox, it is NOT a business model. There’s a certain amount of confusion around this whole Internet Marketing thing, that this somehow is a business model rather than a collection of strategies. Now, while it certainly CAN turn into a business model, that’s not a desirable situation. Typically, when that happens, your business has turned into a “launch after launch” model, which is highly stressful on a number of levels (not to mention it’s not terribly sustainable for the long term).
If you view your Internet Marketing as simply another tool in your toolbox, then your mindset changes. It’s just another tool — nothing more, nothing less. Certainly nothing to agonize about. And now you can focus on using that tool correctly.
Which leads me to my third point…
3. If there’s a part of Internet Marketing you really struggle with, take a good hard look at it. One of two things will most likely happen — either you’ll see the reason you struggle is because you have a block around something else, and if you want to fix it you work on the block. Or you realize this piece is just not going to happen — either you really hate doing it or maybe you feel like it’s not in alignment with you or your business. Now, if it’s the latter, you’re going to either have to find another way to get the same results or you’re going to have to accept the consequences of not doing it.
But how do you know which it is? If it’s a block or something else? And if it’s something else, how do you make that choice to do something different? And how do you know what the consequences even are before it’s too late?
Well, I have the answer — and because it’s not a short and sweet answer, I created an entire special report around it: “Why EVERYTHING You’ve Been Taught About Marketing on the Internet Will NOT Work for You and What You Can Do To Turn it Around.”
You can download a copy for free — here’s the link: http://www.MichelePW.com/sand
This is a problem I’ve seen over and over again — conscious entrepreneurs making a choice around Internet Marketing based on faulty or incomplete information and not realizing the consequences until it’s too late. It’s something no one else is talking about and I finally got tired of seeing this so I decided to create a special report around it.
Here’s that link again: http://www.MichelePW.com/sand
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01.24.12
Posted in Ask PW at 10:19 am UTC by Michele PW
“My question is the following: I just launched my business and want to ask for testimonials from women, but I know they need some guidance because it is not common here to ask for testimonials. [She's from Uruguay.] Should I ask them questions or have them complete sentences? If so, what kind of questions or sentences do you recommend?”
Luz Mara Sande
Since your clients aren’t used to being asked for testimonials, you may want to try a few strategies. Asking questions is a great place to start. A few questions to try would be:
“What were you struggling with before you hired me/joined my program/used my product?” (Or you could ask “what were your challenges before…” or “what was your life like before…”)
“Why did you decide to hire me/join my program/use my product?”
“How did your life change after hiring me/joining my program/using my product?” (Or you could ask “what results did you experience after…”)
What you want to do is paint a picture before they used your products or services and what their results were after using it.
Remember, what people buy are results and the transformation. So make sure your testimonials focus on that.
Now it’s your turn — what are your strategies for getting testimonials? Please share below in the comment section. Or if you have a question about marketing, business or writing copy, feel free to put in the comment section and I’ll answer those in a future Ask PW column.
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01.21.12
Posted in Business at 10:09 am UTC by Michele PW
You just put the finishing touches on your kick-butt marketing plan that’s going to skyrocket your business. Hooray!
Only problem is that kick-butt marketing plan isn’t going to do a thing for your business unless you actually put it into action. And that, alas, is where most marketing plans end up — a really good idea that never got implemented.
So, how do you stop that from happening? Here are 3 steps to help you move from thinking to doing.
1. Figure out what you need to be doing versus what you can get someone else to do. Look, there’s no reason why YOU have to do all the implementation. Get some help!
If you already have a team, fantastic! Now you just have to start delegating. If you don’t have a team or you don’t have the right person on your team to do a specific job (for instance, a technical person to fix your shopping cart) then you need to put finding that person to your to-do list. In the short term yes it does add to your workload, but in the long term it will save you a lot of time.
2. Block off time in your calendar to work on your plan. The only way these things are going to get done is if you actually take the time to work on them. So start by actually setting aside the time.
You may be someone who works better in shorter, more frequent bursts of time (15 or 20 minutes every day) versus a longer time less frequently (2 hours or half a day once a week). Only you know what appeals to yourself more and I would suggest scheduling your time accordingly. (Look, it’s tough enough to get things done, you might as well make it easier for yourself by working with your natural tendencies than against them.)
3. Set yourself up for success. Just because you set the time aside doesn’t mean you’ll actually get anything done on your plan during that time. So you need to keep yourself focused and motivated and don’t allow yourself to get sidetracked.
Now there’s no question that’s much easier said than done. So how do you do that? Here are a few tips to try:
* Remind yourself WHY you’re doing this. Is it so you’ll be able to take care of your family better? Is it because you want to sell a million copies of your book? Is it because you’re so tired of the way things are you’re ready for a change? Whatever it is, remind yourself of the bigger WHY before you sit down to work. That will keep your motivation up.
* Make it a special time just for you. Maybe light a candle, put on some favorite music or pour yourself a fave cup of tea. Or maybe you head out to a local Starbucks to hang out. Whatever it is, make it special — something you look forward to.
* Create a “squirrel” file. If you ever watched the movie “Up” there’s a talking dog in it that keeps getting distracted by squirrels. So he’ll be talking and in the middle he’ll shout “squirrel” and completely lose his train of thought.
As entrepreneurs, we are surrounded by squirrels. And there’s no better time for the squirrels to come and play then during this time we’ve set aside to implement our marketing plan. “Oh, I’ll get to my plan as soon as I get this email out…as soon as I return this phone call…as soon as I clean up my desk.”
You get the idea.
So the way to keep the squirrels away is to create a “squirrel” file (or call it something fun like squirrel nest). Any of those squirrels come running out, capture it and stick it in the file to work on “later.” If you want, you can even designate a time to work on all those squirrels.
But the most important thing to do is DECIDE you really ARE going to implement your plan. Once you do that, the rest will fall into place.
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01.19.12
Posted in Ask Ms. Social Networking/Biz Manners at 2:52 pm UTC by Michele PW
Welcome to another edition of Ms. Social Networking/Biz Manners. Ms. SN/B Manners has made it her mission to rid the world of business etiquette faux pas — both online and offline. While Ms. SN/B mourns the day when readers would mail her handwritten questions, she will accept digital correspondence at Ask@MichelePW.com.
Dear Ms. Social Networking/Biz Manners,
I think I am a good Twitter buddy. Honestly. I send out thoughtful and humorous tweets. So why is it that people unfollow me? I get so frustrated when I see my Twitter followers drop. Why don’t they like me? What did I do wrong?
Signed,
Keep Following Me
Dear Follow,
Alas, Twitter was not designed with proper etiquette in mind. Proper etiquette would require you to send a note expressing your regrets that you can no longer follow said person, but clearly that is not how Twitter works.
Since we do not live in a perfect world and there is nothing we can do to correct Twitter’s obvious etiquette faux pas, Ms. SN/BM wonders why you worry about the people who decide to stop following you. There are any number of reasons why someone stops following you — perhaps they are too uncouth to appreciate how brilliant you are or they are too dense to understand your jokes. Regardless they probably wouldn’t make very good customers for you anyway, so they are certainly not worth worrying about. Ms. SN/BM encourages you to focus on all the people who have the good taste to continue to follow you. They are the ones who would make the best clients. Take care of them and all the rest will fall into place.
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01.16.12
Posted in Ask PW at 11:53 am UTC by Michele PW
This question came from Facebook and it’s a great one to start 2012 off since I know many of you are looking for ways to get more traffic to your site and blog.
First, what is it? It’s when you’re reading a blog post and a word/phrase/sentence is hyper-linked to another blog article (in the same blog) or to outside source (article, video, etc.)
If you provide links to your own blog articles, you increase your readership of your blog (i.e. your readers will click on the links for more info, thus spending more time on your blog and you have the opportunity to develop a deeper relationship with them). Obviously this is a good thing because the more raving fans you have of your blog, the more popular your blog becomes.
Now, if you have a popular blog and you link to other things outside of your blog, you increase the likelihood other blogs will link back to you. And depending on what you’re linking to, you may increase your credibility as a blogger. But there’s no question you are sending people off your blog, so if you do this, I would have the link open up in another window so your readers can easily find their way back to your blog.
Now it’s your turn — have you used this strategy on your blog or is there something else you’ve done to increase blog traffic? Please share below in the comment section. Or if you have a question about marketing, business or writing copy, feel free to put in the comment section and I’ll answer those in a future Ask PW column.
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01.13.12
Posted in Business at 9:47 am UTC by Michele PW
There’s no question you can start and grow a business without a marketing plan. However, I can tell you from personal experience, if you’re feeling stuck and can’t get to the next level, it’s probably because you never took the time to put a marketing plan together.
Having a marketing plan really is the key to growing and sustaining a successful, profitable business. Otherwise all you’re doing is winging it, and winging it only takes you so far.
So if you’re ready to craft your 2012 marketing plan but you’re not sure where to start, read on — I’m going to walk you through 3 steps to get you there.
1. Start with the end goal. If you don’t know where you’re going, then you really don’t need a plan. (And it’s impossible to plan without knowing where you want to end up anyway.)
It’s probably easiest to start with the money. How much do you want to make in 2012? Write that down. You probably also want to divide it up into monthly or quarterly goals so you know how much you need to make each month or quarter to reach that goal.
Now figure out how you’re going to make that monthly or quarterly figure. How many of your products/programs/books/service packages do you need to sell to hit that number? Write all that down too.
2. Put the big blocks in place. In order to meet your quotas are you going to need to do some launches? Put those in first. Or is there something else you need to do to get clients or customers? (Attend networking events, host teleclass, etc.) Make sure those are all accounted for before you do anything else.
Once you’ve put in the big blocks, take a moment and eyeball your calendar. Is it packed with launch after launch? Or do you have hardly anything in there? Check that it’s balanced — you want to have enough launches or big marketing events in there to generate some visibility and momentum for your business but you don’t want so many you feel exhausted and overwhelmed just looking at your calendar.
3. Fill in the details. Marketing is a dance — a dance between promoting and giving. Creating and building relationships then harvesting those relationships. You need to make sure you have all both things covered. (And if you’re wondering what I mean by marketing activities that create and build relationships, I’m talking about doing things like an ezine or answering people’s question on Facebook — content-rich activities that don’t obviously lead to a promotion.)
You may also want to take the time to actually fill in the actual launch steps. When are you doing the preview call? When do you want the emails to go out? When are you going to have all the copy written?
The more specific plan, the easier it’s going to be to execute. Not only will you know exactly what you’re supposed be doing at all times but your team will be able to help you a lot easier.
If you’d like help crafting your 2012 marketing plan, that is a service we do offer — you can read more about it at http://www.MichelePW.com/services or contact Stacie for more info — Stacie@MichelePW.com
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12.29.11
Posted in Business at 1:26 pm UTC by Michele PW
There’s no better time to take stock of your business than the time between the end of one year and the beginning of the next. It’s “out with the old, in with the new” and that includes out with anything that isn’t serving you or your business at the highest level, and in with what you want your business to look like.
To help you get on track for the fresh New Year and all it’s possibilities, I thought I’d share 3 simple steps to get you and your business started on the right foot.
1. Start by cleaning out the old year. Are you surrounded by stacks of papers or old files? Now is the time to clean those up and make room for all the new business and opportunities that are bound to come your way (unless there’s no room for them).
What about old products or programs? Is everything you’re offering in your business still a good fit? Or maybe there’s something you’ve outgrown or doesn’t work with your brand anymore?
And don’t forget to look at your mindset or your habits. What are you still not doing you know you should be? What habits or blocks are you finally ready to ditch for good?
Get it all out there. Write everything down you want to throw out with the old year. Then you may want to destroy it — burn the paper or shred it. Remember, this is all about clearing away what you don’t want or don’t need anymore.
2. Be grateful for what you HAVE accomplished. Now that you’ve gotten rid of the old and worn out, don’t forget to take a moment and write down everything you’ve accomplished last year. What are you grateful for? What are you most proud of? It’s time to celebrate your accomplishments — take the time to do this. (If you’re anything like me, this is the first thing to go. It’s difficult for me to celebrate anything, I’m constantly looking at all the things I WANTED to do and didn’t.)
3. Now, get set up for the New Year. Some of the things I do include getting my new calendar in place and writing down my goals in it. Then I put together a marketing and promotional plan for the year so I can reach those goals.
You also may want to take some time to lay out a plan for getting rid of those blocks. Is there a program you need to buy? A coach you need to hire? Or maybe there’s something you need to implement. (Ditto for the changing those habits — what do you need to do to ditch those old habits that no longer serve you for good?)
Now, when you set up a plan, make sure you do what many people do when training their dogs — set yourself up for success. Create the plan with your success in mind. Don’t make it so overwhelming or paint yourself in a corner so there’s no way for you to succeed. Push yourself but be realistic too. There’s no shame in taking small steps toward your goal — the only shame is making yourself feel bad because you didn’t give yourself a realistic plan to meet your goals.
And, whatever you do, don’t forget to celebrate! You deserve it.
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12.01.11
Posted in Ask PW at 1:45 pm UTC by Michele PW
This question came from Anne-Marie Szabo and it made me chuckle. As someone who is a probably a little too blunt for their own good I’m probably not the best person to answer this.
But I’ll share what I do, which I have had success with. First off, don’t assume they want to hear what you have to say. So I usually start by saying something like: “I’m looking at your website now — how is it working for you? Are you getting results from it?”
Typically what will happen is the floodgates open and you end up listening to a barrage of how they’re seeing no results and they paid a bundle and they’re really frustrated, etc. etc.
Then you can follow up by saying “well, I see a few things that could be contributing to that, can I share them with you?” (You can probably guess what the answer is.)
Now, every now and then you may run into someone who gets defensive or tell you how much they love the site. If this happens, you’re probably better off changing the subject and not mentioning it again until they seem more open to hearing about the problems.
Now it’s your turn — how do you tell a client or a potential client there are grave mistakes on their web site? Please share below in the comment section. Or if you have a question about marketing, business or writing copy, feel free to put in the comment section and I’ll answer those in a future Ask PW column.
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11.29.11
Posted in Business at 4:04 pm UTC by Michele PW
I love Thanksgiving. It’s my favorite holiday. Family, food, friends and football thrown in for good measure. But I digress.
What I REALLY like about Thanksgiving is it’s about giving thanks. And I think gratitude is one of the most powerful emotions out there. Why is it so powerful? Because it has the capacity to change your life.
My business and life are going great right now, better than I had planned, but it hasn’t always been that way. There were plenty of times where things were looking pretty bleak. During one particularly bleak time, a friend told me to just start listing everything I had in my life to be grateful for. Now, when things are looking pretty bad, in can be easy to say “everything sucks, I have nothing to be grateful for.” But, if we’re honest, we know that isn’t true. There’s always something, no matter how small, that is in your life you can be grateful for, and sometimes you just need to take a step back to see it.
What’s so amazing about gratitude is it’s so simple yet it has so much power – in fact, it’s so powerful it can start turning things around for you. Now, granted, being grateful all by itself will probably not turn a sinking business into a profitable one. But, it CAN be the catalyst to a transformation.
Why does this work? Well, if you’re a fan of the Secret and law of attraction, you’ve heard the phrase “what you focus on expands.” So if you focus on all the things you’re grateful for instead of all the things that aren’t working, the universe will bring you more things to be grateful for and less of the things that aren’t working.
Now, while I do think this is true, I also know a lot of people do not believe this or don’t think it’s true for them. So, might I suggest another, more practical reason, for why gratitude works — because it makes you feel better.
Yes, if you start to think about all the wonderful things that are in your life and that you have to be grateful for, things don’t look quite so bleak. You’re able to break, even for just a few moments, the funk you might have sunk into. And, with that improved mindset, you most likely can see your situation a bit more clearer and start coming up with some solutions (and maybe even take some actions) to get yourself out of it.
But gratitude isn’t just about when things are going wrong, it’s also powerful when things are going right. When you’re on top of the world, it’s still an amazing practice to give thanks. If nothing else, it gives you a moment to fully appreciate how wonderful things are right now. (And isn’t that a nice feeling to enjoy?)
So, how do you start adding a practice of gratitude to your life? Here are 3 tips to get you started:
1. Feelings are important. It’s not enough to just think about being grateful, you have to feel grateful as well. When you think about all the things you’re grateful for, really feel that gratitude throughout your body. Focus on it, and feel it radiate everywhere, from your fingers to your toes. Another tip is to imagine you have a dial in front of you, and when you turn up that dial you’re amplifying that emotion. It only takes a few moments to do, but the results are amazing. Try it and see if you don’t feel so much better afterwards.
2. Write it down. My coach, Melanie Benson Strick, Success Connections, has a great daily journal which includes a space to write 5 things you’re grateful for each day. Writing is a physical activity, so again you’re anchoring that gratitude feeling in your body. If you’re really struggling right now, I would suggest taking a few minutes and writing down everything you’re grateful for each day.
3. Put out a reminder. My grandfather gave me a stuffed bear. But not just any stuffed bear, this bear has a little button on it and a story. The story is a bit longer than what I want to get into now, but the gist of it is this — the bear comes from a magical land and represents an emotion. When you push the button and give it a hug, the emotion is released. My particular bear is about love. I’ve put the bear out so I can see it every day, and when I see it, it reminds me to be grateful. (And yes, sometimes I push the button and give it a hug as well.)
I agree, it’s a little silly. But it works. And if there’s something you can put out that reminds you to be grateful, then it’s an easy way to make being grateful a daily part of your routine.
It only takes a few minutes, but the results can be amazing. I challenge all of you to try it for 30 days and see if your business and your life start to improve.
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11.22.11
Posted in Copywriting at 4:11 pm UTC by Michele PW
Guest post by Cathy Demers
In 2007 Discover Card conducted an independent survey to shed light on the characteristics of the 22 million small business owners in the United States. The number one trait common to small business owners? The study revealed: “Independence is their prime motivation.”
While there are many personality characteristics common to most entrepreneurs, a very independent spirit is the one trait shared by each and every one. Most small business owners would not give up the freedom that comes along with owning their business to work for someone else, even if it meant making more money.
But there is a danger to being too independent. This one trait of extreme independence can be the biggest roadblock to success for entrepreneurs. No one person has all the answers. No one person can work alone and always aware of potential problems or roadblocks. Everyone has their blind spots. No matter where they have been or what they have accomplished, everyone is missing vital knowledge and experience in one area or another.
Small business owners need to seek out a trusted network. Entrepreneurs need a place where they can discuss issues with others in a similar situation. Sometimes, when working alone, it is very easy to continue down the wrong path until suddenly you discover what a costly error you have made. Working alone is like that.
Another challenge that entrepreneurs face was discussed by Michael Gerber in his classic book The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most New Businesses Fail and What to Do About It. Gerber talked about the importance of working ON your business and not IN your business.
But how do you change from being a day-to-day business “technician”, dealing with customers and putting out fires, to spending time as a visionary executive looking at your business from the outside in? The best way: schedule committed time to work “on” your business!
If you are like most entrepreneurs, who are surrounded by “busy business noise” in which it can be difficult to even hear yourself think, you will have to structure your time in such a way that the urgencies of the moment will not deter you from this important work. You and your business will benefit from a structure which ensures that you use the time you allocated for exactly what you intended, regardless of the emergency du jour.
If you are really committed to being successful by working on your business instead of just in your business – if you want to prevent failure which so many others have experienced – then join your peers for weekly education…free and only 20 minutes!
Next week at the Business Success Cafe, I will be interviewing Michele about how to craft your website so it get you results by using the real website of one of your peers as an example.
http://tinyurl.com/bskuszp
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