Audio Testimonials Complete the Credibility Cycle
May 6, 2012 by admin
Filed under Business Operations
By David Barrett, Co-Founder, AudioAcrobat
Few things warm the heart than recognition for a job well done.
So, when you get one of those written emails from someone who adores and praises your service or product, go a step further and ask for an audio recording and give adulation a whole new meaning.
The results can be truly magical!
AudioAcrobat is celebrating its 8th year in business. Since 2004, we have received many email acknowledgments from members worldwide about our testimonial recording feature.
I can recall one such commendation where one member, in particular, espoused how audio testimonials had dramatically increased their business.
“Aaaaah,” I remarked. “This deserves some attention.”
We discovered that thousands of our members where using recorded testimonials on their Web sites, blogs and in their social media venues.
AudioAcrobat’s quiet testimonial feature was no secret. It is right up there with salt and pepper as needed ingredients.
The desired audio testimonial is about a minute or two in length in length. A recording of 5 minutes is considered the limit and AudioAcrobat has set this length as the maximum recording time.
The testimonial such include these key points:
1) Name of the person making the recording
2) What this person does for a living
3) What the product or service is that warrants the testimonial
4) How the product or service has affected this person
To set up an AudioAcrobat testimonial line is quite simple. Like voice mail, it is a process that has no ambiguity or confusion. It is a telephone number created in minutes and placed anywhere along with simple instructions to call and start recording kind words.
Nothing beats a heartfelt emotive characterized by the sheer enjoyment of an experience. It is like a referral of the highest order.
Here is an example of a testimonial line: Call (512) 827-0505 ext. 2244
The magical part is taking the recording(s) and posting for everyone to playback and hear. By the way, AudioAcrobat can do that, too.
Check out this playback example: http://www.audioacrobat.com/play/WdhGLFrk
Few things warm the heart than recognition for a job well done.
So, when you get one of those written emails from someone who adores and praises your service or product, go a step further and ask for an audio recording and give adulation a whole new meaning.
The results can be truly magical!
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Link to main article
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AudioAcrobat is celebrating its 8th year in business. Since 2004, we have received many email acknowledgments from members worldwide about our testimonial recording feature.
I can recall one such commendation where one member, in particular, espoused how audio testimonials had dramatically increased their business.
“Aaaaah,” I remarked. “This deserves some attention.”
We discovered that thousands of our members where using recorded testimonials on their Web sites, blogs and in their social media venues.
AudioAcrobat’s quiet testimonial feature was no secret. It is right up there with salt and pepper as needed ingredients.
The desired audio testimonial is about a minute or two in length in length. A recording of 5 minutes is considered the limit and AudioAcrobat has set this length as the maximum recording time.
The testimonial such include these key points:
1) Name of the person making the recording
2) What this person does for a living
3) What the product or service is that warrants the testimonial
4) How the product or service has affected this person
To set up an AudioAcrobat testimonial line is quite simple. Like voice mail, it is a process that has no ambiguity or confusion. It is a telephone number created in minutes and placed anywhere along with simple instructions to call and start recording kind words.
Nothing beats a heartfelt emotive characterized by the sheer enjoyment of an experience. It is like a referral of the highest order.
Here is an example of a testimonial line: Call (512) 827-0505 ext. 2244
The magical part is taking the recording(s) and posting for everyone to playback and hear. By the way, AudioAcrobat can do that, too.
Check out this playback example: http://www.audioacrobat.com/play/WdhGLFrk
The Truth About Open Rates
January 29, 2012 by admin
Filed under Marketing & Promotion
by Newsletter and Email Marketing Expert Linda Claire Puig
How many of your subscribers open the emails you send?
Many coaches and service professionals new to email marketing get discouraged when they look at the measurement called “open rate.” Those who’ve been at it for a while do, too.
Why is only a third of my contact list opening my emails? There must be something wrong. Is it worth all this effort if only a few people are reading what I send?
Before you throw in the towel, I want to let you in on a secret that a lot of folks don’t know:
Your open rate isn’t really your open rate.
As a measurement, the open rate is highly unreliable, imprecise and inadequate.
To show you why that is, I have to explain a little about how open rates are calculated and tracked.
The open rate is actually a ratio calculated as the number of people who opened your email divided by the total number of emails that were successfully delivered to your list.
Email marketing software automatically adds a tiny, invisible image to each email delivered. When this invisible image is called to show up (invisibly) from the server where it lives, that tracks the email as being opened.
But this number is skewed — perhaps significantly — by what are known as “image blockers.” More and more people use web mail providers (such as Gmail or Yahoo) or applications (such as Outlook) that allow users to decide whether to view their emails with the images turned on or off.
When you see things showing up in your email with all the images turned off, that’s what’s happening: you have a setting somewhere that is saying “Ask me first if I want to see images.” Your images are “disabled” until you click to “enable” them. So…
If a person elects not to view images when reading an email, it will NOT count as an open.
Likewise, the people that elect to receive text-only emails from you (if you give them the option of text or HTML), also will not register as an “open.” Some mobile devices only allow emails to be viewed in text form.
Your open rate reporting could actually be off anywhere from 11% to 35%, according to generally accepted metrics in the email marketing world. That’s quite a bit!
So while it may look like nobody is opening them, your emails may actually be doing quite well.
So should you just ignore open rates then?
No. Despite their shortcomings, open rates can still provide valuable marketing information. Tracking your open rates can help you:
1. Spot trends. For example, if you notice a significant downward trend in your open rates over time (not just occasional dips, say during summer when folks are out of town more), it may be a signal that you need to do something to re-engage your subscribers.
2. Learn your audience’s preferences. You may be able to notice what days and times of day are better for sending by comparing your open rates.
3. Test subject lines. Split your list into two or three groups, and send the same email with different subject lines to see which one generates more opens (which may indicate more interest).
Is there anything you can do to improve your open rates?
Yes, absolutely! It may not be the most accurate measurement in the world, but there are proven ways to improve your open rates. And improvement is always good.
Of course, your list should be an opt-in (permission-based) list. If not, that’s the first place to start improving. Otherwise, look to some of these areas to improve your rates:
1. Make sure your content is relevant and valuable. Know what your audience wants, and provide it. Relevant content is read content.
2. Examine your frequency of emailing. Too much emailing can cause “list fatigue” and too little can cause the “who’s that?” syndrome.
3. Write HOT subject lines. These short phrases are often the golden key to unlocking your open rates. Make people hungry to open your emails and see what’s inside!
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Linda is offering a free training on how to write HOT subject lines on Tuesday, February 7, and I highly suggest that you join her! She’ll be showing you how to double the profits from your list with powerful subject lines, the 7 biggest subject line mistakes sabotaging your open rates, 4 powerful tips to get a huge response every time you send an email and the #1 secret to avoid getting your emails reported as spam!
Please join her for this FREE call by clicking here.
by Newsletter and Email Marketing Expert Linda Claire Puig
How many of your subscribers open the emails you send?
Many coaches and service professionals new to email marketing get discouraged when they look at the measurement called “open rate.” Those who’ve been at it for a while do, too.
Why is only a third of my contact list opening my emails? There must be something wrong. Is it worth all this effort if only a few people are reading what I send?
Before you throw in the towel, I want to let you in on a secret that a lot of folks don’t know:
Your open rate isn’t really your open rate.
As a measurement, the open rate is highly unreliable, imprecise and inadequate.
To show you why that is, I have to explain a little about how open rates are calculated and tracked.
The open rate is actually a ratio calculated as the number of people who opened your email divided by the total number of emails that were successfully delivered to your list.
Email marketing software automatically adds a tiny, invisible image to each email delivered. When this invisible image is called to show up (invisibly) from the server where it lives, that tracks the email as being opened.
But this number is skewed — perhaps significantly — by what are known as “image blockers.” More and more people use web mail providers (such as Gmail or Yahoo) or applications (such as Outlook) that allow users to decide whether to view their emails with the images turned on or off.
When you see things showing up in your email with all the images turned off, that’s what’s happening: you have a setting somewhere that is saying “Ask me first if I want to see images.” Your images are “disabled” until you click to “enable” them. So…
If a person elects not to view images when reading an email, it will NOT count as an open.
Likewise, the people that elect to receive text-only emails from you (if you give them the option of text or HTML), also will not register as an “open.” Some mobile devices only allow emails to be viewed in text form.
Your open rate reporting could actually be off anywhere from 11% to 35%, according to generally accepted metrics in the email marketing world. That’s quite a bit!
So while it may look like nobody is opening them, your emails may actually be doing quite well.
So should you just ignore open rates then?
No. Despite their shortcomings, open rates can still provide valuable marketing information. Tracking your open rates can help you:
1. Spot trends. For example, if you notice a significant downward trend in your open rates over time (not just occasional dips, say during summer when folks are out of town more), it may be a signal that you need to do something to re-engage your subscribers.
2. Learn your audience’s preferences. You may be able to notice what days and times of day are better for sending by comparing your open rates.
3. Test subject lines. Split your list into two or three groups, and send the same email with different subject lines to see which one generates more opens (which may indicate more interest).
Is there anything you can do to improve your open rates?
Yes, absolutely! It may not be the most accurate measurement in the world, but there are proven ways to improve your open rates. And improvement is always good.
Of course, your list should be an opt-in (permission-based) list. If not, that’s the first place to start improving. Otherwise, look to some of these areas to improve your rates:
1. Make sure your content is
by Newsletter and Email Marketing Expert Linda Claire Puig
How many of your subscribers open the emails you send?
Many coaches and service professionals new to email marketing get discouraged when they look at the measurement called “open rate.” Those who’ve been at it for a while do, too.
Why is only a third of my contact list opening my emails? There must be something wrong. Is it worth all this effort if only a few people are reading what I send?
Before you throw in the towel, I want to let you in on a secret that a lot of folks don’t know:
Your open rate isn’t really your open rate.
As a measurement, the open rate is highly unreliable, imprecise and inadequate.
To show you why that is, I have to explain a little about how open rates are calculated and tracked.
The open rate is actually a ratio calculated as the number of people who opened your email divided by the total number of emails that were successfully delivered to your list.
Email marketing software automatically adds a tiny, invisible image to each email delivered. When this invisible image is called to show up (invisibly) from the server where it lives, that tracks the email as being opened.
But this number is skewed — perhaps significantly — by what are known as “image blockers.” More and more people use web mail providers (such as Gmail or Yahoo) or applications (such as Outlook) that allow users to decide whether to view their emails with the images turned on or off.
When you see things showing up in your email with all the images turned off, that’s what’s happening: you have a setting somewhere that is saying “Ask me first if I want to see images.” Your images are “disabled” until you click to “enable” them. So…
If a person elects not to view images when reading an email, it will NOT count as an open.
Likewise, the people that elect to receive text-only emails from you (if you give them the option of text or HTML), also will not register as an “open.” Some mobile devices only allow emails to be viewed in text form.
Your open rate reporting could actually be off anywhere from 11% to 35%, according to generally accepted metrics in the email marketing world. That’s quite a bit!
So while it may look like nobody is opening them, your emails may actually be doing quite well.
So should you just ignore open rates then?
No. Despite their shortcomings, open rates can still provide valuable marketing information. Tracking your open rates can help you:
1. Spot trends. For example, if you notice a significant downward trend in your open rates over time (not just occasional dips, say during summer when folks are out of town more), it may be a signal that you need to do something to re-engage your subscribers.
2. Learn your audience’s preferences. You may be able to notice what days and times of day are better for sending by comparing your open rates.
3. Test subject lines. Split your list into two or three groups, and send the same email with different subject lines to see which one generates more opens (which may indicate more interest).
Is there anything you can do to improve your open rates?
Yes, absolutely! It may not be the most accurate measurement in the world, but there are proven ways to improve your open rates. And improvement is always good.
Of course, your list should be an opt-in (permission-based) list. If not, that’s the first place to start improving. Otherwise, look to some of these areas to improve your rates:
1. Make sure your content is relevant and valuable. Know what your audience wants, and provide it. Relevant content is read content.
2. Examine your frequency of emailing. Too much emailing can cause “list fatigue” and too little can cause the “who’s that?” syndrome.
3. Write HOT subject lines. These short phrases are often the golden key to unlocking your open rates. Make people hungry to open your emails and see what’s inside!
relevant and valuable. Know what your audience wants, and provide it. Relevant content is read content.
2. Examine your frequency of emailing. Too much emailing can cause “list fatigue” and too little can cause the “who’s that?” syndrome.
3. Write HOT subject lines. These short phrases are often the golden key to unlocking your open rates. Make people hungry to open your emails and see what’s inside!
The Newsletter Mindset: Chocolates & Flowers
October 31, 2011 by admin
Filed under Professional Development
by Linda Claire Puig, President, Claire Communications
What do you do when you want to impress a sweetheart or thank a dear friend?
Give them flowers! Or chocolate! Or BOTH!
And think now how it feels on the receiving end when you receive flowers or chocolate or both. You feel delighted, appreciated, enlivened.
So what does all this have to do with newsletters?
It’s about the newsletter mindset.
Sometimes when I talk to coaches, mental health professionals and others of you in the “helping” professions, I hear a kind of anxiety that goes like this: “I’m not sure I should send a newsletter. People are already so overloaded with information coming at them. I don’t want to add to their burden.”
I say: think of your newsletter as the business equivalent of flowers and chocolate!
Let’s back up for a moment. It’s important to remember that a newsletter’s primary function is to build relationship with your readers. (Key word: relationship.)
When someone new signs up to receive your newsletter, they are wondering things like:
- Do you understand me?
- Can you inspire me?
- How will I grow from this relationship?
Sending your newsletter (your version of flowers & chocolate) is a great way to follow up this “first meeting.” It’s like putting your best foot forward. And every issue you send shows your readers that you care, that you understand their needs.
Sending your newsletter says, “I’ve been thinking of you.” It says you want their life to be sweet and alive. It lets your readers know that you’d like to get to know them better, to keep the conversation going and the relationship growing.
And you want that relationship to stay fresh and exciting, so you keep up the flowers & chocolate.
Do you see what a difference this mindset makes? “I send chocolates & flowers to my list!” versus “I don’t want to burden people.”
About the Author:
Linda Claire Puig is the Founder and President of Ready2GoArticles.com and Ready2GoEzines.com, which provides coaches and personal development professionals who don’t have time to write – or don’t like to – with high-quality done-for-you newsletters and articles that help them more easily connect with their audience and grow their businesses.
She also teaches service-based solo-business owners how to attract buckets of ideal prospects, nurture those relationships through high-value newsletters and strategically use these newsletters to get more clients, fill more programs and make more money.
An award-winning writer since 1983, Linda’s articles have appeared in newspapers, magazines and newsletters throughout the world. She has produced newsletters for small businesses and professionals since 1990 and has trained thousands of individuals in “the way of the newsletter.” Linda is also an actor, she loves to travel, and all manner of dogs catch her eye.
3 Steps to Enroll New Clients Like a Pro (and how to avoid the dreaded “I changed my mind” drama)
September 7, 2011 by admin
Filed under Marketing & Promotion
Guest Post from Bill Barren
Helping people master the enrollment conversation and sign up new clients is one of the things I most enjoy doing. Today, I’d like to share with you 3 simple steps that can make a huge shift in the success of your one-on-one consultations.
But first, tell me if this has ever happened to you…
A potential client says “Yes” to your high-value services during your consultation, but changes their mind a few days later!
I know from experience, you go from the jubilation of getting a new client to huge disappointment.
Because that used to happen to me, I was so distraught that I set an intention to find a way to make sure this never happened anymore.
The key I discovered: Make sure to end a consultation by getting the new client started right away with your services, because this is the moment when the person is the most motivated to work with you. Once they’re engaged, they’ll keep going.
Here is my simple 3-step process for getting your client started right away, so they don’t have the temptation to bow out.
Step 1 – I schedule our appointments for the first month. Once our work together is in their calendar, it makes it more real for them.
Step 2 - I get their credit card payment information on the phone, right on the spot. Because if you wait until they send you a check or contract, it gives them lots of space to think about it and start to dither. This one can be challenging, so I’ll talk about it more in a moment.
Step 3 – I tell them I’m going to send them a welcome packet with the forms they’ll use in our coaching together, and they’ll also get a short agreement to sign and send back to me. I ask them to send everything in in the next day or two.
So, which of these 3 steps causes the biggest problem?
It’s Step 2 (getting the client’s credit card information) – this is where I see a lot of business owners go wrong.
I want to take a look at this because I don’t see a lot of people talk about it.
Many service-oriented business owners are not able to accept credit cards (or debit cards) because they’re not sure how. And I have to admit, it’s not super obvious. But if you don’t take this step, it may actually be something that’s significantly holding your business back.
For example, when I used to only take checks, it would delay my clients’ ability to make a commitment (and sometimes give them time to back out). I also kind of felt a little like my business wasn’t fully professional yet, in the eyes of my prospective clients. It also made receiving fees from clients a lot more work, for them and for me.
If you follow my 3-step process above, including making it easy for your clients to pay you, you’ll end your consultation with a professional, organized process for getting started, and clients will feel like they’re in good hands.
Top 5 Ways Newsletters Make You $$$
March 8, 2011 by admin
Filed under Marketing & Promotion
There are two kinds of marketing strategies: active and passive. Active strategies are things like speaking (and selling) or picking up the phone to call a prospective client.
Newsletters and other keep-in-touch strategies fall into the “passive” category. However, they are far from passive in the powerful ways that they can help you increase your income.
Here are five ways that newsletters help make you money:
Front & Center
A newsletter keeps you in front of people. Not everyone is ready to hire you on the spot. Not everyone needs your services this minute. But when they are ready, when they have a pressing need for what you offer and your newsletter shows up in their inbox or mailbox, you’ll be the one to get the call, not someone who’s dropped off their radar.
The Trusted Expert
A newsletter promotes your expertise constantly and creates trust in myriad ways. Top-level content that speaks to your audience makes them trust that you know what they’re going through AND have the capacity and skills to help them with it. Without trust, people won’t buy from you. The more people trust you, they more they will buy from you.
Promotional Support
Your newsletter is your forum. It not only educates your readers with education-based content but also informs them of opportunities to work with you to further their own goals. While I recommend that all promotions be mentioned in both “stand-alone” emails AND in your newsletter, without a newsletter, you’re missing a primary promotional vehicle.
Power in the List
Your newsletter is the focal point of education-based marketing. The list of people you send it to are people who’ve “raised a hand” at one time or another to say that they are interested in what you have to offer. This list is one of the biggest assets you’ll have in your business. Need some extra cash this month? Have a sale on your products or services. One woman I know, responding to a challenge from the leader of a seminar she was attending, created and sold a group coaching program in one evening. Her take: $15,000. She had a list she’d nurtured through the years with her newsletter.
Opportunity Magnet
The opportunities that come to you as a result of your newsletter can be unexpected and often surprising. But if your newsletter is doing its job, promoting your expertise in a given area, people will begin to associate you with that topic or topics. You may be asked to speak for a gathering or to partner with someone on a project or something else. For example, in the last three months, at least 15 different people have asked me to speak to their audience about newsletters. The same can happen for you, and with these opportunities come dollars.
So instead of asking “How do I make money with a newsletter?” try putting out a regular, consistent, high-value newsletter and see what happens for yourself!
About the Author:
Linda Claire Puig is the Founder and President of Ready2GoArticles.com and Ready2GoEzines.com, which provides coaches and personal development professionals who don’t have time to write – or don’t like to – with high-quality done-for-you newsletters and articles that help them more easily connect with their audience and grow their businesses.
She also teaches service-based solo-business owners how to attract buckets of ideal prospects, nurture those relationships through high-value newsletters and strategically use these newsletters to get more clients, fill more programs and make more money.
An award-winning writer since 1983, Linda’s articles have appeared in newspapers, magazines and newsletters throughout the world. She has produced newsletters for small businesses and professionals since 1990 and has trained thousands of individuals in “the way of the newsletter.” Linda is also an actor, she loves to travel, and all manner of dogs catch her eye.
Linda will be our guest on the March 10, 2011 Thurs @ 3 call. To learn more and register for the call, click here.
Linda Claire Puig is the Founder and President of Ready2GoArticles.com and Ready2GoEzines.com, which provides coaches and personal development professionals who don’t have time to write – or don’t like to – with high-quality done-for-you newsletters and articles that help them more easily connect with their audience and grow their businesses.
She also teaches service-based solo-business owners how to attract buckets of ideal prospects, nurture those relationships through high-value newsletters and strategically use these newsletters to get more clients, fill more programs and make more money.
An award-winning writer since 1983, Linda’s articles have appeared in newspapers, magazines and newsletters throughout the world. She has produced newsletters for small businesses and professionals since 1990 and has trained thousands of individuals in “the way of the newsletter.” Linda is also an actor, she loves to travel, and all manner of dogs catch her eye.
1+1=11 The Power of Relationships
January 7, 2011 by admin
Filed under Marketing & Promotion
Growing a business is mighty difficult for “Lone Rangers.” Undeterred, the “Lone Rangers” plunge in on their own, whole hog, trying to personally market, to sell and to connect with every single potential client. Sure, plenty of supposed experts teach that approach. It’s just not realistic, or even sustainable. There’s only so much of one coach to go around!
We have our own name for “Lone Rangerism.” We call it the “One-on-One” mindset. Once they start down this solitary path, they’re headed for overwork, high stress and even burnout. The thriving business they dream of, mismanaged, can look more like a nightmare.
Successful Business Owners think differently, choosing a “One-to-Many” mindset. That means they realize that, to double their practice, serve more clients and to charge higher fees, they must leverage their relationships. So they build strong networks and partner with like-minded colleagues.
Successful coaches build key relationships and collaborate with strategic partners…
Through relationship-building and marketing, more and bigger win-win-win opportunities for clients, prospects, you, the strategic partner, and even the industry, can be created. Leveraging the power of relationships gives you the results of 1+1=11.
As formulas go, it’s not terrific math. But the key to leveraging relationships is that you are able to reach more people, with the same or even less effort; saving you time and often money. Not to mention, it is more fun to collaborate with others to accomplish parallel missions and visions.
When we started Coaches Console, we knew we wanted to help hundreds and even thousands of coaches worldwide. But in the beginning there were only two of us. We knew the One-on-One mindset would use up our time, energy and money long before we had fulfilled our purpose.
So we embraced the One-to-Many, partnering with other service professionals serving our same niche market. Together, we identified actual and potential clients’ needs and goals. Together, we identified clients’ challenges and how our individual and combined expertise, products and services, respectively, could make a difference for them.
Our strategic partners involved us in a variety of creative ways. They:
- Brought us in as guest experts.
- Invited us onto a virtual radio show.
- Included articles and information about us in their newsletters, or interviewed us and wrote about us.
- Included us on the “member benefits” page of their websites.
- Introduced us to their clients.
- Bundled products and services with us, and we co-marketed them.
We even collaborated and created joint presentations, events and workshops! That particular whole truly exceeded the sum of its parts, and still does.
Leveraging relationships so that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts starts with knowing your goal: to either gain exposure to more potential clients (increasing your database) and/or to gain new clients. Then ask the question “What’s in it for them (the strategic partner)?” Knowing what is important to the strategic partner will allow you to tap into your available resources and creativity to put together a beneficial relationship for the strategic partner.
Often, strategic partners are looking for exposure to new markets; they’re promoting products and services to potential clients, credibility, and even passive income. Sometimes it might be apparent as to what is important to the strategic partner and, on occasion, you simply have to ask them what they are looking for in the relationship.
Ways that we involve our strategic partners:
- Hosting them as a guest speaker on our free, bi-monthly “Thursdays @ 3: Business Success” calls
- Showcasing an article written by them in our monthly newsletter
- Spotlighting them in the “Cool Resources” section of our monthly newsletter
- Featuring them on the resources page of our website
- Bundling their products and services as “bonus offerings” in promotions we offer
We make the distinction between Hobbyists vs. Business Owners when it comes to the approach one takes to creating and running one’s business. The Hobbyist is the one that would take the “Lone Ranger” approach; the one-to-one mindset. Business Owners understand the value of relationships, allowing them to accomplish more, to reach more people and to work with more clients in the same amount of time a Hobbyist would spend marketing their own business.
Yet for the Business Owner, understanding alone is not enough. The key is that Business Owners, unlike Hobbyists, also change their mindset. A self-fulfilling prophecy takes root: They think about, and act upon, the presumption that key relationships and marketing systems will and do bring new clients.
Business Owners anticipate success. They are open and ready to receive it.
They set themselves up for success ahead of time. They invest in the right places because they know, emphasis on know, that success is inevitable when leveraging the power of relationships and operating their business under the 1+1=11 marketing model. Knowing that the power of strategic partners will lead to more prospects and more clients, the Business Owner establishes systems, processes and procedures to manage the influx of contacts, the increased level of client support, and the required follow-up necessary to mine the gold their relationship has afforded them.
Consistently, the Business Owner’s time and energy goes to the right systems, with the right partnerships, as part of the right community.
Are you ready to learn how to leverage the power of relationships, and to implement the 1+1=11 model into your business? If your answer is yes, we invite you to join our Business Success Inner Circle of Coaches, growing their businesses, and making a big difference and money, too! We so believe in this business growth program that we are offering the first two months FREE! Try it; you will soon be leveraging your own strategic partners to create more clients and to make the difference you are meant to make.
Thursday’s at 3- February 17, 2011
February 11, 2011 by admin
Filed under News & Events
We are excited to announce our Thurs @ 3 Calls – “Thoughts of a Successful Business Owner“. During this economic time, it is more vital to tap into the resources around you to help you thrive! We have amazing relationships and incredible resources and want to be sure you have access to them all. Now more than ever, we want to create a community of like-minded business owners coming together to thrive!
These calls are absolutely FREE and are open to anyone (members and non-members) who is serious about the success of their business. We will bring in experts, guests, share tools and resources, etc. that will equip you with everything you need to experience success in your business – no matter the economy!
These calls will be done on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of every month. You will need to pre-register, entering their name and email address. These calls will be recorded and archived and sent to anyone who registers. These will be 1 hour in length and will be full of valuable information that you can implement in your business immediately.
Join us for our next call…
**PLEASE NOTE: This call will be different in format than our normal Thurs @ 3 calls. We will be sharing a resource for those who are career coaches or coaches who want to add career coaching to their offerings.
“Career Coaching Opportunities” with Don Philabaum
TalentMarks provides career coaching to college students and alumni.
We have created unique relationships with alumni associations and career centers to build interest in and market our services. This fall over 400 career centers and thousands of students attended our 9 fall Grad Career Webinars.
Our research is showing college students have not done enough to explore their career path, nor have they learned how to prepare for and execute their job search. There are many reasons why, but two of the most common; is the lack of funding for College Career Centers and limited to little commitment by colleges to provide career curriculum. To fill this void, we provide a series of career development online courses as well as one on one coaching session.
That’s where you come in!
Join co-founder of TalentMarks, Don Philabaum, as he shares how you can increase awareness and buzz about coaching as well as grow your business by providing career coaching for college students and alumni.
As a TalentMarks career coach, you will be able to coach students and alumni from anywhere, anytime and any device. You will be able to control your own schedule and accept as much or little coaching opportunities from TalentMarks. This is not a work for hire relationship. You are still able to expand and grow your own coaching business.
Date: Thursday, February 17
Time: 3:00 – 4:00pm EST (Noon Pacific)
To register, complete the form below and we will send you details.
It’s absolutely FREE to attend these.
Your e-mail privacy is paramount to us, and your address will never be shared or sold.
About the Presenter
Don Philabaum was one of the early pioneers in developing online communities. In fact, in 1996 he registered the URL onlinecommunity.com because he recognized the potential power of online community for groups and organizations.
Since that time, he has helped organizations around the world use the Internet to reduce costs, increase customer engagement and increase revenue streams. A firm he founded in 1995, created password protected online communities for organizations like London School of Economics, University of Toronto, Exxon Mobile Company, the Former FBI Alumni Association, the Associate Financial Company and over 300 others.
Don is co-founder of TalentMarks. The goal of TalentMarks is to give students, graduates and alumni access to information they will need to build a successful career. www.talentmarks.com
Thursday’s at 3- January 13, 2011
December 23, 2010 by admin
Filed under News & Events
We are excited to announce our Thurs @ 3 Calls – “Thoughts of a Successful Business Owner“. During this economic time, it is more vital to tap into the resources around you to help you thrive! We have amazing relationships and incredible resources and want to be sure you have access to them all. Now more than ever, we want to create a community of like-minded business owners coming together to thrive!
These calls are absolutely FREE and are open to anyone (members and non-members) who is serious about the success of their business. We will bring in experts, guests, share tools and resources, etc. that will equip you with everything you need to experience success in your business – no matter the economy!
These calls will be done on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of every month. You will need to pre-register, entering their name and email address. These calls will be recorded and archived and sent to anyone who registers. These will be 1 hour in length and will be full of valuable information that you can implement in your business immediately.
Join us for our next call…
Are YOU a Good Candidate For Completing and Publishing a Book? with Maggie Lichtenberg, PCC
In this content-rich teleclass you’ll learn:
- The four book publishing options you have today
- The top five attributes an author must possess to successfully complete a book
- If you’re shy about self-promotion you must get over it
- Why determining your personal writing goals is so important at the beginning
- How to connect with a community of writers locally so you gain supportive friendships
Date: Thursday, January 13
Time: 3:00 – 4:00pm EST (Noon Pacific)
To register, complete the form below and we will send you details.
It’s absolutely FREE to attend these.
Your e-mail privacy is paramount to us, and your address will never be shared or sold.
About the Presenter
Maggie Lichtenberg, PCC, book publishing coach, is an award-winning independent author, and former editorial, marketing and sales publishing company executive for twenty years in New York and Boston — working for Simon & Schuster, Bantam, Grove Press, and Beacon Press.
Choosing to publish her book independently — adding to Maggie’s mainstream publishing expertise — has provided her with the author-publisher experience firsthand. In today’s digital world of many publishing options, Maggie has evolved her business to include not only traditional publishing but also to mentor the independent publishing process, “self” publishing through print-on-demand (POD) companies, and the online opportunities (books, apps) for e-Publishing.
“My clients want to publish a book, like I did, to make a difference in the world — to make a contribution, to be of service, to fulfill their perceived “assignment”, or maybe, just to entertain.”
Through a customized program of ongoing phone appointments Maggie guides authors and independent publishers nationwide through the challenges of publishing, marketing and distribution in a digital world.
We’re featured in Insights Magazine
December 3, 2010 by admin
Filed under News & Events
We are so proud to announce the release of a very special Insights Magazine Gratitude Issue in which our very own Kate Steinbacher is featured. This issue is now available to view, to download, to print:
http://www.getei.com/the-gift-of-insights_1.html
This Issue features:
Cheryl Richardson, Self Care Expert, NY Times Best-Selling Author Learn the art of extreme self care from Oprah’s “Life Makeover” Coach.
and
60 pages of exclusive interviews with eight additional experts including:
- Sharla Jacobs and Jesse Koren, Award-Winning Million Dollar Coaches Rejuvenate your business for ultimate success in 2011.
- JoAnne Ward, Founder, Grow Forward Business Consulting and Coaching Master the four critical stages of highly effective meetings.
- Diana Fletcher,The Stress-Reducing Coach Learn to reduce stress and achieve optimal health in the busiest of times.
- Kate Steinbacher,The Coaching Advantage, Cofounder, The Coaches Console Give yourself the business—turn your ‘hobby’ into a thriving enterprise.
- Jayne Warrilow and Anne Wilson, Co-founders of Max international brands Show up to your life with your whole self – this amazing force we call ’energy.’
- Christian Mickelsen, Author, Speaker, Founder, Coaches With Clients Let’s get people coached—free sessions that sell!.
CONFIDENCE: The Secret Weapon To Making More Money
December 6, 2010 by admin
Filed under Professional Development
I was talking with a new coach the other day who was setting up the fees for her coaching business. Based on input she had received from instructors, colleagues and other mentors, she was about to price her coaching services at $150/month for 4 sessions.
STOP RIGHT THERE!
We have seen this so many times in the industry. A coach, just starting out, falls into the myth that you have to have a lot of “experience” (time, practice and knowledge) in the field of coaching in order to justify charging higher prices. In fact, even established coaches still fall prey to this type of thinking. A new coach starting out would have to acquire 55 clients in order to match their desire of making 6 figures, doing something they love! Heck, even if you just wanted to make $30,000 at coaching, you’d have to have 16 clients a month at this rate. No wonder coaches struggle. They are living as an Underearner (to use Barbara Stanny’s word). As Barbara Stanny describes in her book, “Overcoming Underearning”, an Underearner is someone who is living in a gap of where they actually are versus where they want to be, financially. As long as they fall prey to the belief that “I have to have a lot of experience in this field to justify charging higher prices”, they will continue to live as Underearners. And it won’t matter if they implement the most effective marketing strategies or attend the right social media classes; they will continue to be Underearners and frustrated with turning their passions into profits.
Let’s go back to my story with the new coach charging $150/month. When I reminded this coach that she was already a successful business owner (she’s had a successful business for several years in a large metropolitan area in a different industry offering services of a different type), she began to take on a different persona. Instead of feeling guilty for charging her clients for coaching and being uncertain about the value she brings, she remembered what was true and stepped into her confidence. When I reminded her that she has actually been living as an unofficial coach to her clients through her other business and now she has simply polished her coaching skills, her confidence grew again. And when I reflected back to her the value she is already bringing to her clients, her confidence became even stronger.
It is the confidence in yourself and in the value you bring to your clients that allow you to charge what you deserve and what you are worth.
As a coach, a business owner, if you focus on the logistics of the time it takes to work with each client, the administrative activity required to offer exquisite client support and the specifics of what you are giving to the client, you remain limited in your thinking, and the cost will never justify the product/service. However, as soon as you think about the end result that your coaching has on your clients and how that impact has changed your client’s life… your services become priceless.
When the new coach I was talking to stepped deeper into her own confidence, she knew she was going to be making significant impacts on people’s lives. She set up her business to charge $500/month for 3 sessions each month. Now she only needs 16 clients to reach a six-figure income (if she doesn’t do anything else but 1-1 coaching). In less than a week, she acquired a new client at her new rate and was receiving referrals for prospects. The confidence she owned made the conversation with the potential client easy and fun.
It is not the amount of training that you have, it is not how long you’ve been in the industry and it’s not even the area in which you are coaching that dictates how much you charge for your services. Each of those things simply contributes to the level of confidence you have within yourself. It is your confidence that allows you to charge what you are worth.
A hobbyist will continue to focus on the time involved with their clients as a way to justify, and to often limit, their fees. As a hobbyist, there is always a gap between where you are and where you desire to be financially. And confidence is something you are always striving for, it seems to just be out of reach. As a hobbyist, the guilt of charging too much continues to limit the degree of impact in the world.
A business owner will focus on the end result they provide to their clients, and therefore will charge what they are worth. Like a hobbyist, a business owner will also often live in the gap between where they are now and where they want to be financially. The difference is that confidence is something the business owner owns and steps into with courage (having fear and taking the step anyway). As a business owner, nothing will get in the way of ensuring a significant impact on your clients and the world.
So confidence is the secret weapon. To the degree that you have confidence is the degree that you will be successful. The more you can step into and own your confidence as a person, a coach, and a leader, the more successful you will be; the easier marketing is, the easier you will attract clients and the more money you will make.
Are you charging what you are worth?
If you answered with a solid, simple, confident “Yes”, I applaud you and commend the successful business owner that you are!
If anything other than a simple “Yes” came to your mind, there is a gap between where you are right now and where you want to be. I’d like to invite you to join our Business Success Inner Circle of coaches where we coach coaches into owning their confidence, to growing their business, and to making money doing what they love! We so believe in this program that we are offering the first two months FREE! Try it out, and own your confidence as the thriving coach and business owner you know you can be.
