Our new website! Basics versus Fancy tactics

Lookee! A new website! We’re deeply grateful to our team, and to Casper Blackwell of www.websitesforhippies.com who put this redesign all together!

Our last website was designed back in 2010, and there have been a heckuvalotta change on the interwebs over the last 7 years. To have a new, responsive, cleaner design feels great.

But before you check it out, I want you to take in what I’m going to say here over the next few paragraphs.

I want to let you in on a secret: I wrote the basic copy for the top level navigation of our new website in maybe an hour.

Now, I know it’s easy to say, “Well, Mark, you’re a writer and you teach this stuff, and so of course you did it quickly!”

I did it quickly because yes, I’m skilled and experienced, and yes, my mastermind group helped me get even more clear, and yes, we have a structure to help make the flow easier…

All of that is true, I wouldn’t expect it to take an hour for you.

But there is something else that is true. Ease and success all start at the root: knowing how to say what you do clearly, concisely and compellingly. And no, honest-to-God I wasn’t trying to come up with three “c” words there… sorry.

Where was I? Ah yes, I was about to say that I want to tell you more about our website redesign, but not yet. I’m still catching my breath, and pondering over what we’ve learned from this 5-week sprint of a redesign.

What I would like to do is quote one of our past F1: Clients & Money participants, Norah McIntire about how important the basics are to getting a business working:

“I am starting to get good response to my One Compelling Sentence (OCS)… A woman asked what I did, and when I used my OCS, she stared at me for a few moments and said, “Are you in my head right now? We have to talk!”

“Three new patients! Several people who found me… have signed up with me after I spoke with them on the phone. I used the Sacred Selling structure during the conversations. I realized I have struggled in business because I lack some pretty basic business knowledge rather than (as I have told myself for years) I am somehow inherently flawed and incapable when it comes to business success. It [her business] is coming together, and I realized I have been in business for years without a set of very basic skills. It is no wonder I have struggled.”

Here’s more information on the program: F1: Clients & Money

Avoid the Fancy

When it comes to bringing in clients, I want to caution you against jumping directly into the fancier, and often more expensive and sophisticated tactics, and instead focus on the basics.

The basics are what work. Fancy is often distracting, and can be totally inappropriate for where you are in business.

But, when you focus on the basics… Let me quote Anne O’Farrell, another F1: Clients & Money past participant:

“The results are very surprising. Each time I use it, [One Compelling Sentence-OCS] I get amazing results. Always some form of, “Oh, I know someone I want you to meet.” That’s my friend or client. I am always taken right to the top of various organizations, to their Founder.”

“[This program] is truly life changing. Powerful. It has given me the ground to build a healthy, sustainable company while also healing whatever might be stopping the business from coming alive.”

Let me allow one more person, from the hundreds who have been through this program, to add their voice:

“Brilliant! I had anticipated that it might feel like a home study course, but right from the start I felt welcomed into a supportive community. I loved the way that everything was broken down into such easily manageable steps – I felt really guided. Plus, plus your course material is fantastic — it not only looks great, but the information, exercises and examples really demonstrative your expertise, so that I felt very confident in following it all.”

“Thank you, Mark, Steve and all the rest of the team for producing and delivering such a wonderful course.” – Leda Samarco, past participant F1: Clients and Money

Deadline: end of the month to begin next month.

We start this program every month, so the only urgency is your own need. Still, if you’re in need, why wait?

For information or to register: F1: Clients & Money

I hope you’ll join us!

And if you’re not sure?

If you’re not sure this program is right for you, I want to recommend you take our Readiness Assessment. It teaches you the stages of business development, so you can see for yourself if your business needs these basics, or is in a more advanced place.

You get a personal reply from us. But, because of the deadline, it’s better to do the assessment early, so we have time to get back to you! 🙂

Check it out here: Your Readiness Assessment

With huge gratitude,
Mark