4 Parts to a Fabulous Personal Brand Statement

Posted on January 3, 2011 by Tanya Smith

I often hear the question, “how do I develop a personal brand statement?” and my answer stays the same most of the time. A strong personal brand statement can be one of the best tools you can have and certainly one of the most critical ones for your branding and marketing toolkit, whether you are a business owner, or a professional working for someone else.

There are certain components that are variable and others that are pretty foundational in developing your personal brand statement (P.B.S.). Some of the factors that may be variable are:

  • When and how you will use it – e.g. interview for a job? networking situation? speech?
  • Who you’re talking to – e.g. language needs to meet the needs of the audience; the message is the same, but the approach should be adaptable

Even though these may change, there are basically four parts I like to use in developing the main statement, so I’ll share these next. A great basic statement tells people:

  1. Who you are – let the recipient of the statement know your identity, your name
  2. What you do – the core service or opportunity you provide
  3. Who you do it for – your target audience and/or ideal client you work with
  4. How you do it – your style, your unique approach, what distinguishes you

Let me give you an example of how this might work -

“Hi, I’m Tanya Smith of Be Promotable, the No Guesswork Branding & Marketing Resource for women solopreneurs. We show our clients practical, step-by-step online marketing strategies to confidently promote their business and get them noticed.”

Now you try it. Add your own P.B.S. with the 4 parts in the comments and I’ll share feedback…come on, you can do it!

About the Author: Tanya Smith of Be Promotable is a premier personal branding & marketing coach. Her creative genius has unlocked the potential of many women solopreneurs, helping them to reinvent themselves as power players in their startup business. Claim your free instant access to a free video and audio download, 5 Secrets to Successfully Starting a Solo Business While Working Full Time at: www.bepromotable.com.

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Tales of No: The Consequences of Unassertiveness

Posted on December 20, 2010 by Don H. Morris

Some people have never learned to set interpersonal boundaries by saying “No” to the unreasonable demands of others. Their lives are characterized by unassertiveness. This can have disastrous consequences. Here are two stories about friends of mine. The first story is about Al, who thought he couldn’t say “No.” The second one is about Sue, who thought she mustn’t say “No.” Really, they just wouldn’t. What can you learn about the value of assertiveness from their stories?

I. Al

I have a friend named Al. He’s a great guy, but sometimes he gets in trouble. What happens is, he just never says “No.” He thinks it’s because he can’t, but it’s really because he won’t.

One day Al was walking down the street. As he passed a bridge over a muddy creek. He accidentally brushed against a man passing by going the other way. The man glared at Al, and told him angrily, “Go jump in the creek!” Now, Al was wearing his very best suit, because he was going to a job interview that morning. But he thought he couldn’t say “No,” so he jumped down into the creek. He got his shiny new shoes and his freshly dry-cleaned trousers all muddy. As he was trying to get out of the creek, he tripped, and got his whole suit muddy, and dropped his resume into the water. He watched it float away. All this happened because Al thought he couldn’t say “No,” but it was really because he wouldn’t.

Another day Al was passing by a bank. A woman handed him a note, and with a smile, said, “Please hand this to the teller.” Al looked at the note, and saw that it said, “Give me all your money.” He didn’t want to give it to the teller, but he thought he couldn’t say “No.” So he went in the bank, walked over to the teller’s window, and handed her the note. The teller’s face went white, and she gave Al two sacks of money.

Al stepped outside, and saw the woman who had given him the note waiting for him. She told Al to give her the money. So he did. But the teller had also pushed a silent alarm, and soon the police arrived, with their sirens blaring. The teller pointed to Al, and said, “There he is, officers! That’s the man who robbed me!” The police grabbed Al and handcuffed him. They said, “Where’s the money?” Al looked around, but the woman was nowhere in sight.

All this happened because Al thought he couldn’t say “No,” but it was really because he wouldn’t.

II. Sue

I have another friend named Sue. Sue is a really good friend, but she gets in trouble, too. She never says “No. ” She thinks it’s because she mustn’t, but it’s really because she won’t.

For instance, once Sue’s mother was visiting her. At dinner, her mother told Sue. “Be sure to eat all your vegetables.” This is what Sue had often been told when she was a little girl, but now she was a woman. So Sue ate all the green peas, mashed potatoes, and salad on her plate. Then she went into the kitchen and got all the rest of the vegetables that had been cooked for dinner, and ate all of those, too. Then she went to the refrigerator and ate all the vegetables she found there. There were carrots, broccoli, squash, and raw potatoes. Some had dried up and others were spoiling. She ate them all anyway. Then Sue went to her pantry, and got all the vegetables there. There were cans of beets, spinach, water chestnuts, and three kinds of peas. Sue ate them all right out of the can. She really didn’t want to eat this much, but she thought she mustn’t say “No.” Really, she just wouldn’t.

Another day Sue was getting ready to go home from work. Her boss came in and said, “Finish all the work before you go home.” It was time to go home, and Sue needed to do some things there, but she thought she must not tell her boss “No.” So Sue typed up all the letters in her basket. Then she went over to the baskets of the other secretaries, and typed all of their letters. Then she went over to the files and filed all the correspondence, invoices, and receipts. After doing all the clerical work, Sue emptied all the trash cans and took them to the dumpster out back.

Then she got out a mop and a bucket of hot soapy water. She mopped all the floors in the building.

After this Sue began washing the windows. When her boss got in to work the next morning, Sue was still working. Her hair was all stringy, and her dress was dirty, and her hands were grimy. Sue did all this because she thought she mustn’t say “No,” but it was really because she wouldn’t.

Are you unassertive, too? What’s your excuse for not saying “No” to unreasonable demands?

Don H. Morris

Don H. Morris

Hi! My name is Don H. Morris. I am a life coach in Memphis, Tennessee. Visit my home page at Encouragement Plus Coaching and schedule a free 30-minute coaching session. I can help you set interpersonal boundaries and improve your communication skills in other ways, too. Here’s the link: http://www.encouragementplus.com

Article first published by EzineArticles.com: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Don_H._Morris

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Lightning-Fast Credibility Building with WordPress

Posted on December 15, 2010 by Kenn Schroder

This post was originally published on Kenn’s blog Coaching Sites That Work.

One of the simply astonishing feats of using WordPress as the platform (the technical behind-the-scenes guts) for your coaching website lies in the speed at which you can reach your market to build your expert-coach status.

It’s stunning.

Here’s an example of what can be done.

1. Quickly write an article for fresh content – requires one to two hours.

With your username and password, you simply log into WordPress and write a short article – say 400 to 500 words. WordPress gives you a handy feature-rich text editing interface for writing.

Then just click publish you’ve instantly got new content live on your website without having do any crazy coding yourself and without having to wait for a web designer to get to it.

Immediate. Nice. You’ve just increased your image as an expert.

(this article is posted to your business website for building your credibility)

2. Instantly send the new article to “RSS” subscribers – requires zero time.

RSS means Really Simple Syndication. Simply, it’s a method that enables people to have a personal reader (looks like a news web page) which gets new articles from various sources (like various blogs). It’s like having your own personalized newspaper.

By writing your article in step #1, all of your RSS subscribers instantly get the headline of the article sent to their reader for morning coffee or commute-time reading.

(the article you wrote goes out to RSS subscribers for their convenient reading)

3. Automatically deliver the article to your email list – requires zero time.

Let’s say you are also keeping an email list of people in your market.

With a one-time setup investment of about an hour by your web designer, you can have your newly published article from step #1 above automatically sent out to your email list.

Another quick step that further serves your market and showcases your expertise.

(your email list subscribers get your article sent to them automatically in their inbox)

4. Zip your article on over to your Facebook friends – requires zero time.

You can setup your Facebook profile to automatically publish the headlines of recent articles to your Wall and thus share that it with all of your friends.

(you share your article headline, automatically, on your Wall for your friends to read)

You can also send your article to other networks such as Twitter and LinkedIn.

5. Serve freshly cooked content to the hungry search engine spiders – requires zero time.

A search engine’s diet is the written word. When you publish fresh content on your website, search engines eagerly return for more helpings to satisfy their insatiable hunger for content. Thus, your newly written content gets into the search engine database very quickly and is then shared with searchers.

Also, websites that are fresh and growing in content are preferred over ones that are dated and stagnant. Therefore, your website will be favored for higher placement over others.

(your article gets into search engines and shared with searchers for bringing people to your site)

In summary, you build your image as a professional almost instantly. You:

1. Quickly wrote a short article

2. Automatically sent it to RSS readers

3. Automatically sent it to your email list

4. Automatically sent it to Facebook and other social networks

5. Fed content to search engines for increasing your visibility

Now that’s time-efficient marketing!

5 Website Strategies for Attracting Coaching ClientsKenn Schroder helps coaches create
client-attracting websites. Get your free copy of “5 WEBSITE STRATEGIES FOR ATTRACTING COACHING CLIENTS” at http://www.coachingsitesthatwork.com

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3 Simple Ways to Drive Traffic to Your Website (Part 1)

Posted on December 8, 2010 by Tammi Metzler

This post was originally published on Tammi Metzler’s blog. Click here to see the original post.

In a survey I ran recently to discover the most pressing needs of small business owners, 44% of responders reported a desire for driving more traffic to their websites. It’s a hot topic that can seem overwhelming but is actually much simpler than you may think. Over the next few blog posts, we’re going to talk about the 3 steps that you can follow whenever you need a boost in website visitors, starting with what could be the most important step:

Website Traffic Tip #1: Give people a reason to visit

First and foremost, let’s clear up one simple fact: most people won’t visit your website out of the kindness of their heart. Sorry to be so blunt, but it’s the truth; we’re all so busy, with so many demands on our attention, that you really have to stand out and give people a great reason to click back to your website. You can do this several ways, including:

1)      Offer a f.ree gift (otherwise known as a free giveaway, special report, etc.). Give your ideal clients something they can really use, like a few hot tips, a fill-in-the-blank template, a content-rich audio interview, etc. In exchange, of course, they will provide you with their contact information so you can keep in touch with related offers.

2)      Pique their curiosity. Perhaps you have a 3-step system for creating solutions for your clients, and you write about the first step in an article that is then published in various article directories online. If you reference in your Author Resource box that the other 2 steps are covered on your website (either on your blog or in your f.ree gift), giving a link they can visit, you can bet that those who are interested in what you have to say will click back to your website to learn more.

3)      Find a way to create buzz and excitement on your site. Perhaps you have loaded an interactive quiz onto your website that people can take to discover their ideal mate or their dream job or whatever it is that your ideal clients are searching for. (By the way, you can create comprehensive quizzes on http://www.assessmentgenerator.com/main.html that you can then publish on your website. I haven’t used this myself but you can take advantage of a free trial to see if it’s right for you.) There are three parts to using this method successfully: a) Try to make it fun for users, b) use the quiz to highlight their needs and then lead them into your solutions, and c) give them a way to share it with their friends/colleagues/etc. (You can see an example on my website at http://writeassociate.com/website-quiz/.)

The beauty of small business is that we can quickly implement changes that will make our websites more irresistible to potential visitors. Here’s the all-important next step: once you begin getting traffic, it’s important to analyze your numbers and take a look at the conversions your website is bringing in (ie. the number of visitors who are buying your products and services), then make adjustments as necessary. Once you get all of the pieces working together, your website will become a highly profitable asset for your business.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Tammi Metzler, founder of The Write Associate, is a Web Copywriting Specialist who helps solo entrepreneurs create websites that convert more visitors from “just passing through” to “where do I sign up?” Using a simple yet definite technique to creating websites that sell that, once mastered, can be used to create profitable websites many times over, she put together a fill-in-the-blanks template around the 5-step system she uses regularly, for both herself and her clients, to create a profitable website, often in 90 minutes or less. To discover this simple process for yourself, join her on a free teleseminar called “The 90-Minute Profitable Website Formula: 5 Simple Yet Crucial Components of a Website That Helps to Attract All the Clients – and Income – You Need!” Business owners interested in registering for this complimentary webinar can sign up at http://writeassociate.com/free-teleseminar/.

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10 Commandments of Social Networking

Posted on December 1, 2010 by Tanya Smith

There was a news episode not too long ago asking about whether or not etiquette is “dead” in our society. I don’t think so, but I do believe it sometimes escapes us.

So many of us are multitasking and trying to hurriedly move on to the next thing. We often forget about basic niceties that connect us to people in an authentic way, and that’s very easy to do online when you don’t have to face the person the next day.

I thought I’d share my 10 commandments of social networking – lessons I’ve learned along the way as I try to navigate through the internet and meet new people, using social media to build my personal brand presence online.

What do you think? Are there lessons you are learning to incorporate into your own online etiquette? Add yours in the comments.

1. Be focused and connect all activity back to your core message and purpose. Research & identify with which target markets (potential clients and/or partners) you would like to connect.
2. Do not mistake social networking as the “end all”; it should not be your sole marketing & relationship strategy. Use social networking in conjunction with traditional methods that work.
3. Set boundaries and standards when dealing with people online, as well as offline. Examine how well you are representing yourself in what you write or post.
4. Commit to a certain amount of time daily, weekly, monthly on your social network. Then give it a rest.
5. Connect with others who are successful social networkers with interests that complement your own. Also, be wise about the information you share on the internet.
6. Be careful not to bash others. The internet has a long memory. Respect that other people have opinions too, even when you do not agree.
7. Be wary of enticements into get rich quick schemes. Stay true to your own business strategy & personal goals.
8. Don’t plagiarize other people’s work. Make sure your own online work is protected via trademark, etc.
9. Remember, relationships first, business second. Providing compassionate criticism is an art that you can learn to master instead.
10. Do not constantly compare yourself. Know your own services/products well & maximize them.

About the Author: Tanya Smith, Career & Personal Brand Coach, offers women professionals access to cutting-edge strategies to help them thrive and promote themselves as experts in a progressively competitive marketplace. Claim your free instant access to a free video and audio download, 5 Secrets to Successfully Starting a Solo Business While Working Full Time at: http://www.bepromotable.com.

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My iPhone and Why You Want .com

Posted on November 24, 2010 by Kenn Schroder

This post was originally published on Kenn’s blog Coaching Sites That Work.

I recently read the book, Positioning by Al Ries.

One big take-away from the book is to realize the importance of having a dominant position in the minds of people. I’ll give you two examples: the airlines example and then the iPhone example.

When airlines, tight for space, are going to supply their vessels with soft drinks, they can only carry a few options for their passengers. So, which do they choose? The most popular brands get chosen like Coke and 7 Up. And, all the second positioned brands like Dr. Pepper and Sprite don’t make it.

Again, the point is that the things that hold top position in the minds of people will have the advantage.

Just the same, “.com” is firmly rooted in the minds of people over any other extension such as “.org” or “.net”.

People, me included, will, to a surprising degree, type in “.com” even if we are specifically told that the domain name was a “.org” or “.net” – fascinating.

Ok, now I want you to take a look at the keypad on my iPhone’s browser.

Do you see the “.com” button? Notice there are no “.net” or other options. Again, the power of having top position in the mind.

Thus, you should go for “.com” over any other extension when choosing a domain name for your coaching website. Take advantage of what’s top in people’s minds.

5 Website Strategies for Attracting Coaching ClientsKenn Schroder helps coaches create client-attracting websites. Get your free copy of “5 WEBSITE STRATEGIES FOR ATTRACTING COACHING CLIENTS” at http://www.coachingsitesthatwork.com

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Four Keyword Tips to Get Potential Clients from Search Engines

Posted on November 10, 2010 by Kenn Schroder

This post was originally published on Kenn’s blog Coaching Sites That Work.

Getting traffic from search engines is magnificent. What coach wouldn’t want people coming to their website who are eager for what the coach has to offer? But most coaches don’t get much traffic and part of the reason due to poor keyword choice.

Here are four things to consider when seeking good keywords.

1. Is there a significant amount of traffic for your intended keywords?

You don’t want to choose keywords for which no one is searching. For example, if you coin the phrase “Eternal Life Balance Coaching” and want to be the first position in Google for that phrase, then you could probably pull it off by using that phrase often in your content.

But, who is searching for “Eternal Life Balance Coaching” other than you? Does anyone know of it?

What good are keywords if no one is searching for them?

2. Are your keywords going to bring “qualified” traffic?

Let’s say you’re trying to draw traffic to your website by using the phrase “Anthony Robbins” in your copy. You’re thinking that “hey, if they like his stuff, they would probably be great candidates for coaching and would love my stuff too.”

Sound logic, but, think about it from the searcher’s perspective. If YOU were a searcher performing a query on “Anthony Robbins,” what would you REALLY be looking for? Probably one of his books, programs, or courses.

And let’s say you ended up on a website that did not have Anthony’s stuff, but instead was promoting someone else’s stuff? How long would you stay? Would you be more inclined to leave an retry your search?

3. Do people really search online for a “coach”?

In my research, I’ve seen more and more evidence of people using the phrases “coach” and “coaching” in their searches. As the coaching industry grows, this is naturally the case. So, focusing on the word “coach” might help bring you some traffic.

However, even if people know what a coach is, they don’t often see “coaching” as something they want or need. It’s too new and ambiguous. They would have to already know about coaching and probably have been coached by someone very good in order to actively search solely on the word, “coach.”

In my experience, and with some simple logic, you might notice that when people do perform searches online, they are often very intent about their search. They are seeking something specific – and that specific something is often around their challenges. Now here’s where a coach can position themselves nicely.

For example, a concerned mom might search for “weight-loss tips for children” or “how to parent overweight teenagers.”

And, if you’re a coach who has articles and other content that includes these keywords, then you’re site is a prime candidate for top position. Furthermore, the visitors to your website who searched for these terms are prime candidates for clienthood.

4. The tighter the niche the easier to get great traffic

If you want to get high rankings for the phrase “coach,” you’ll have a lot of competition as there are lots of coach websites out there. There’s also lots of coaching schools out there, lots of sports coaches out there, lots of busing(coaches) companies out there, and then there’s Coach, the famous pocketbook brand.

However, if you tighten your focus to “health coach” then you limit the playing field and there will be less websites competing to be found for that phrase.

If you tighten further, continuing with our example, to “health coach for parents” and create content around phrases like “parenting children for weight-loss” or “help my kids lose weight”, then you’re getting closer to gold. Again, you’ve got less competition and the traffic that comes to you will be VERY interested in what you have to offer.

To summarize, choosing good keywords can do a lot for helping you get traffic. Aim for keyword phrases that are close to the things people are searching for and make sure those things are very relevant to what you offer as a coach. The more qualified the traffic, the more likely they are to buy from you.

5 Website Strategies for Attracting Coaching ClientsKenn Schroder helps coaches create client-attracting websites. Get your free copy of “5 WEBSITE STRATEGIES FOR ATTRACTING COACHING CLIENTS” at http://www.coachingsitesthatwork.com

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The Importance of the Contact Us Page on Your Website

Posted on November 7, 2010 by Tammy Barbee

This is coming directly from my blog post that I wrote…

The Contact Us page is one of the second most important page to have on your website and plays an integral part of a websitemail iconallowing visitors, the press, bloggers, or even advertisers to get in contact with you.  As a business owner, having a contact us page connects visitors into potential customers for your business website.  There are two reasons to include a contact us page on your website. The following are:

  1. People can contact you by various means such as sending you an email, sending you physical mail, or even call your company by telephone.
  2. Since the majority of us have mobile phones with internet capability, we can be able to grab the phone number listed on the website and store that number in our contacts making it easier to reach the company when needed.

What to include on a contact us page?

Sometimes the Contact Us page is at the bottom of the website making it difficult to find and can be disappointing.  Some websites have their contact page separate while other websites place their contact information within the top header of each page or even on the right hand side of each web page they have for their site. A great example of this is Durant Manor Condominiums. If you notice on their website, they have their contact information displayed not only on each page but they have a separate Contact Us page as well making sure their customers can reach them.

On the contact us page, some businesses include just the basics such as the name of the company, the physical address, the email address, and the telephone number while others might include a form for visitors to fill out requested information.

In conclusion, it is really important to have a Contact Us page for your visitors and to have it visible so visitors will not have a difficult time finding the Contact Us page. Your Contact Us page can include just the basics or a contact form and should not include any type of advertising.

What have you included on your Contact Us page?

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Personal Brand Kung Fu – The SWOT Analysis

Posted on November 4, 2010 by Tanya Smith

Okay, yes the title may tell you I know a little something about martial
arts…but no, I don’t. Only as much as the last Karate Kid movie (which is one of my kids’ favorites) and the line from Kung Fu Panda which says that Kung Fu stands for “excellence of self”.

I was thinking about that today after having watched the main character, a Panda named Po, one of 50 jillion times. I think personal
brand work is like working out your Kung Fu – it truly stands for mining and understanding how to portray your self excellence.

I thought I’d share how you can strategically do some kung fu kicks with identifying your personal brand strategy below. One approach is using the SWOT analysis.

SWOT Analysis is a well-known method of identifying your Strengths and Weaknesses, while also examining the Opportunities and Threats you face. All four areas can help you clarify your personal brand and your distinctive and unique value.

Often carrying out an analysis using the SWOT framework will be enough to reveal changes that need to be made in your plan.

Try to work through the following questions and think about what insights you have from this focused work:

Strengths -

  • What do you do well?
  • What can you do better than anyone else?
  • What comes naturally for you?

Weaknesses -

  • What could be improved?
  • What might you do poorly?
  • What comes with more difficulty for you?

Opportunities -

  • In what areas do you see possibilities?
  • What resources or circumstances can you leverage?
  • What trends might you use to your advantage?

Threats -

  • What obstacles are in your way?
  • Who is your competition and what are they doing well?
  • Are you financially challenged?
  • What else do you find yourself up against?

About the Author: Tanya Smith, Career & Personal Brand Coach, offers women professionals, with dual roles in a corporate career & solo side business, access to cutting-edge strategies to help them thrive and promote themselves as experts in a progressively competitive work and marketplace. Claim your free instant access to two fill-in-the-blank brand templates and a special report, The Beginner’s Guide to A Successful Career Brand at: http://www.bepromotable.com.

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Managing Frustration

Posted on October 29, 2010 by Don H. Morris

“Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion .  I myself prefer to laugh.” ~ Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

Have you ever had one of those days (weeks? months? years?) when nothing was going right and an important deadline was hanging over your head? The harder you worked, the further behind you seemed to get?

Sometimes at times like that we say “It was enough to drive me to tears!”

Yet Vonnegut reminds us that our reaction is not caused by the circumstance. We can choose how we respond. So when I hit my thumb with a hammer I was not forced to curse and swear and get upset. No, I’m not saying the pain was not real–it was. But I am a human being, and I have the power to choose how I respond to frustration and setbacks.

So why would any sane person choose to laugh when they are tired and frustrated and one more thing goes wrong? For starters, it’s the best way I know to keep your sanity. I’d rather laugh and get a sense of relief from seeing the humor in a situation that throw a fit and carry on, perhaps destroying something while I’m kicking and screaming. (That can feel pretty good, too, but ask yourself: Is my rage truly productive?)

Laughter, on the other hand, releases endorphins into our bloodstream that help our bodies cope with pain and frustration. This is no small thing. But beyond that, it can reframe the situation and enable us to see the problem in a new light. This can stimulate our creativity and problem-solving skills.

It’s your choice, whether you recognize it or not. So just observe your language when upsetting events occur. Do you say, “That mad me mad!” Nope. Your anger was a choice. Did you hear yourself say, “That made me want to cry?” No, again. Your tears were a choice. Perhaps you say, “That made me laugh.” Still not true. You laughed because you chose to see the humor, not because something or someone forced you to.

Viktor Frankl astutely observed that “between the stimulus and the response there is a space, and in that space lies our freedom to choose.” The space may seem incredibly tiny, but it’s there nevertheless.

When faced with frustration observe your responses, without judgment or criticism. Just start noticing what your habitual responses are. Then ask yourself whether they are helpful or not. Maybe your tears allow you to take a moment away from the situation and you return to it with fresh determination (crying, like laughter, releases beneficial chemicals into our bloodstream). Notice that Vonnegut said that he prefers to laugh. Maybe you don’t. And maybe Vonnegut didn’t laugh every time–we don’t always do what we prefer.

So what are some other things you can do to manage frustration? When working long and hard on a big project, build in some time for breaks and rest. It’s amazing how much more frustrating tings are when you are tired. Taking a few minutes or even hours off will enable you to return to the task with more vigor and enthusiasm. Maybe you’ll discover a creative way to get more done.

Also don’t forget to eat and exercise. I’ve found that when I’m taking care of myself I can be a lot more productive than when I push myself to the limit, ignoring my body’s needs. Self-care is not optional.

I’d love to hear your frustration coping strategies in the comments. What has helped you the most? Please share!

Don H. Morris

Don H. Morris

Hi! My name is Don H. Morris. I am a life coach and freelance writer in Memphis, Tennessee. I help my clients bring their goals into sharp focus so they can get what they actually want. Visit Encouragement Plus and let me join your adventure as you seek to accomplish your dreams.

“The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don’t define them, learn about them, or even seriously consider them as believable or achievable. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way, and who will be sharing the adventure with them.” – Denis Waitley

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6 Reasons People Won’t Get on Your Email List and How to Fix Them

Posted on October 28, 2010 by Kenn Schroder

This post was originally published on Kenn’s blog Coaching Sites That Work.

Your list is gold. If you can fill it with people who love what you have to offer, you’ll have a great source from which you can get clients, sell products, help people, and have fun.

But, you’ve got to be respectful and valuable in order to get visitors to get onto your list and give you their email address.

Below are six reasons people won’t get on your list and tips on how to resolve them.

1. There is no perceived value. It’s not clear why they should get on your email list. A sign-up form that says “Join our email list” isn’t enough. You need to point out the value of your list. Detail the benefits of your list which are likely to include life changing, success achieving, and pain-riddening tips. It could be specialized information like health coaching for techie people.

2. They are already on lists like yours. There are a lot of “create a great life”, or “succeed today”, or “make a million bucks” kind of email lists out there. Why should they join another and increase their already-flooded inbox? You’ll have to differentiate the content you provide on your list.

3. Your form doesn’t work. You’d be surprised by how many forms just don’t work. Be sure to test yours out and go through the process of signing up for your email list. If your form works, is the sign-up process clunky? Ask a few friends to go through the process of signing up and see how well they do.

4. They can’t find your sign-up form. Some coaching websites have their form buried down at the bottom of the page and/or on sub pages that require a few clicks to get to. If getting onto your email list is a high priority then make your form prominent – on the home page and at the top of the page.

5. There is no unsubscribe-ability. As people get more savvy about getting on and off of email lists, a key feature they will look for is the ease of being able to unsubscribe if they so desire. When I can’t unsubscribe, I get annoyed. If I didn’t ask for the email, I’m happy to click the “Report Spam” button.You risk getting flagged as SPAM if you don’t give people an easy way to unsubscribe.

6. They are concerned about privacy. People don’t want to get useless email and people are also afraid of their email addresses getting spread around to other spam-mers. Make a statement right next to your sign-up form that tells visitors you won’t send junk email and won’t give their email addresses to other parties.

Remember, that building a healthy list can be a great source for continued clients, continued sales, and keep your coaching business thriving. Highlight the value of your list and make the sign up process smooth.

5 Website Strategies for Attracting Coaching ClientsKenn Schroder helps coaches create client-attracting websites. Get your free copy of “5 WEBSITE STRATEGIES FOR ATTRACTING COACHING CLIENTS” at http://www.coachingsitesthatwork.com

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Shortcuts to Creating Your Personal Brand Marketing Strategy

Posted on October 27, 2010 by Tanya Smith

Many of us walk around marketing ourselves by the seat of our pants. It may not be intentional, but there are things we do daily that demonstrate who we are to prospective clients, co-workers, managers, and colleagues.  This is personal brand marketing.

I have really begun to study how the discipline of marketing a business and many of the principles are just as critical for personal success.  I’ve found there is definitely value in developing an intentional personal brand marketing strategy that helps you stand out, and that makes you more credible in the eyes of your select audience.  Unfortunately, it is way too easy to ignore because of competing priorities for our time.

Here is a short list of thought provoking questions and action plans for you relevant to your personal marketing strategy:

  • Do you have a personal brand marketing plan or do you market yourself unintentionally?
  • If you have a brand marketing plan, does it include specific promotional activities and are these tied to events?
  • Have you taken the time to identify a target customer, or employer?  What desired characteristics have you named?
  • Does your personal brand strategy identify ways to sell to and maintain your current clients while attracting new ones?
  • What are the demographics of your key prospects?  What makes you distinctly different, or unique as compared to your competitors?
  • What is your personal brand marketing budget?  How do you distribute these funds?  What can you do differently?

If any of these stump you, now is a great time to consider your next steps.  Creating a personal brand strategy can be just as important for you as an individual in this day and age, as a large corporation strategy.

About the Author: Tanya Smith, Career & Personal Brand Coach, offers women professionals with dual roles in a corporate career & solo side business access to cutting-edge strategies to help them thrive and promote themselves as experts in a progressively competitive work and marketplace. Claim your free instant access to a special report, The Beginner’s Guide to A Successful Career Brand at: http://www.bepromotable.com.

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How to Attract a Steady Stream of Targeted Website Traffic in 30 Minutes or Less

Posted on October 20, 2010 by Tammi Metzler

There are tons of methods out there to get traffic to your website, some of which are more effective than others. And while methods like Search Engine Optimization and Article Marketing are worth looking into, they don’t always drive targeted traffic in the form of your ideal clients. If your expertise lies in working with attorneys, for example, you won’t benefit much from casting your marketing net out wide and attracting a mix of visitors who are real estate agents, plumbers, network marketers, retail store owners, etc.

Because what you really want is your ideal clients coming to your website, eager to learn more about the solutions you have to offer. After all, having 100, 500, or even 1,000 visitors to your website doesn’t mean much if the people visiting end up leaving your site because they just aren’t a good fit for your products and services.

Quality Vs. Quantity

In the case of website visitors, quality is certainly better than quantity (although a good mix of quality AND quantity doesn’t hurt)!  You want to reach out to those people that you are uniquely meant to serve, the people who are struggling with the problems that you can solve for them.

And the best way to drive targeted traffic to your website is to rub elbows with your ideal clients.

But how do you do that? By getting out there and networking, that’s how! Now, before you become overwhelmed with fear at the thought of schlepping from networking event to networking event, let’s talk about a few simple ways that you can rub elbows with your ideal clients…in 30 minutes or less.

2 Ways to Drive a Steady Stream of Ideal Clients to Your Website in 30 Minutes or Less

1)      Find an active online networking forum that is dedicated to your target market, and visit at least once per day, for 30 minutes or less. If you target attorneys as in the example above, browse a search engine for “attorney networking forums” or “attorney message boards.” Join the group and watch the conversations for a while to get a good feel for the tone of the group (ie. formal, informal), and then, when someone asks a question that falls into your area of expertise, chime in with some helpful tips. Be sure to include a link to your website in the signature line that is provided with most forum memberships, and over time you will start to see more and more targeted traffic coming to your website.

2)      Devote 30 minutes per day to social networking. You can spend your time searching for new connections, reaching out to your current friends/followers, or educating your community on the solutions you have to offer (by providing links to your blog posts, articles, etc.). It’s important to have a nice mix of actual conversations and promotions, though, or you won’t see much in terms of results. The key here is to gain exposure and just let people know that you’re there, ready to connect. Be sure to include a link back to your website on your Facebook page or Twitter profile, and if you have a free giveaway, promote it there as well to give people a good reason to visit.

The best part is that both of these forms of networking can be a lot of fun…because you’re essentially just getting out there and chatting with people. Keep it casual, coming from a place of helpfulness and letting your personality shine through, and you’ll soon find a steady stream of traffic coming to your website to learn more about how they can work with you.

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Tammi Metzler, founder of The Write Associate, is a Copywriter and Marketing Consultant who helps solo entrepreneurs create a solid marketing foundation to begin filling their business with ideal clients. She’s just released a brand-new, quick-start program that will show you how to convert more of your website visitors from passive readers to paying clients. This content-rich group program includes templates and step-by-step examples that you can model after in your own business, along with customized guidance to answer your questions and feedback to make sure you’re on the right path. You’ll get a fill-in-the-blanks template for the 5 must-have pages on a service business website, instructions on writing attention-grabbing headlines, a powerful formula for crafting irresistible free giveaway titles, a template for creating profitable email newsletters, and much more. To learn more, visit http://writeassociate.com/90-day-fast-track-to-clients/.

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A Web Strategy to Get Clients from Your Contacts

Posted on October 14, 2010 by Kenn Schroder

This post was originally published on Kenn’s blog Coaching Sites That Work.

It’s good to seek clients through your immediate contacts as those contacts will have some familiarity with you. People like working with people they are familiar with.

Here’s a diagram and some notes on how to get clients by putting out an offer to your contacts.

Some notes …

1. OFFER – Craft an enticing offer for a sample coaching session

  • it could be delivered in an email or written on a web page or even a video
  • limit the offer to a certain number of people or within a certain amount of time
  • be sure to align the offer with their goals by pointing out the benefits
  • give a clear completable action step to take you up on that offer

2. NETWORKS & LISTS – Send it to your contacts (your email list and networks)

  • your own email list that you’ve built up
  • the email lists of your friends
  • another coach’s or other professional’s email list
  • your LinkedIn network – called connections
  • your Facebook network – called friends list
  • your school’s or association’s email list
  • your personal email list (ex. outlook, gmail, yahoo)
  • any discussion groups that you belong to

3. ME! – People who want the offer will take action and say “Me!”

Some actions you can ask people to take include:

  • email you
  • pay for it online
  • call you by phone
  • be the first one to meet you at Starbucks
  • send a text message to your ipad?

Remember, your “contacts” can stem further than your address book including social networks, groups and lists from friends. Make an enticing offer, send it out, and give people a clear, easy, and actionable step to take you up on the offer. Soon, you’ll be attracting more clients.

5 Website Strategies for Attracting Coaching ClientsKenn Schroder helps coaches create client-attracting websites. Get your free copy of “5 WEBSITE STRATEGIES FOR ATTRACTING COACHING CLIENTS” at http://www.coachingsitesthatwork.com

Posted in Marketing Strategies, Technology | 1 Comment