Hey! Why Such Long Sales Pages?
So, you get one of those emails from someone whose business you kinda like. And it’s got some enticing little message in it- so you click to take a look at the offer.
And suddenly you find yourself in highlighter land. Broad streaks of yellow, lots of exclamation points, and pages and pages of words making all kinds of claims and promises. And when you scroll allllllll the way down to the bottom, there isn’t even a price. You need to click on an ‘order now’ button before they even tell you the price.
Steaming, you swear by all that is holy that you will never, ever subject your customers to that kind of nonsense.
So when you go to sell your own offer, say for instance a seminar, you write up a simple, clear paragraph or two about it, add few bullet points, and an understated offer. And hardly anyone responds. Oy!
Do you have to be hyper-hypey to get customers?
Listen to the podcast- around five minutes.
Share- how do you feel about those long sales pages?
The Critical Importance of Candy in Your Writing
Okay, you’ve written an article, or a website, or a book. You’ve worked really hard on the headlines, and everything else, to make it as powerful and helpful as possible.
And yet, when you show it to a prospective client, they glance at it, and say “Okay… I’ll take a look at it later.” And they never do.
Is something wrong with your headline? Or maybe it’s your hairdo?
Listen to the podcast- around six minutes.
What do you notice is going on visually about what you like to read, and what you don’t?
5 Things Marketing Gurus Need To Learn From Bloggers – Healthy WebDesign – Developing and Building Successful Websites for Independent Professionals
5 Things Marketing Gurus Need To Learn From Bloggers – Healthy WebDesign – Developing and Building Successful Websites for Independent Professionals This was something my friend, colleague and spiritual brother Dawud wrote on his blog back in February. I’m one of those top five referrers, and I’m willingly eating my hat. Dawud has turned me […]
Okay, okay… I Get It
I have resisted blogging for a long time. Well… resisted isn’t exactly the right word.
I had my own strategies for connecting with folks, and building my business from my heart. I had seen and experienced blogging as a really fun and interesting way to connect, and a bit of a time-waster, too.
I’m convinced. My friend and colleague Dawud Miracle, as well as a bunch of people from The Business Oasis (our heart-centered online business community), have shown me the power of blogging. Yea, I am a believer.
So, I’m going to start being in conversation in the larger world.
What convinced me? A two things.
How to Choose a Business Name
As far as making first impressions go, it seems like your business name is right up there. So you’ve spent a lot of time soul-searching, brainstorming, sweating up the perfect business name.
And then, when you do, what happens?
“I’m in a panic. The name I really want for my business is taken! What do I do?” That’s what one of my clients wrote to me recently.
What should she do?
Well, maybe choosing a business name can be easier than you think. Read this article.
Listen to the podcast- around four minutes.
Okay, now go get that domain name…
How to Write a 300 Page Book In Four Months
Write a book? Little ol’ me? Come’on, don’t be bashful. You know you’ve been wanting, meaning, planning, dreaming of writing your book.
And, the great thing is that once you get it written, it has the potential to totally transform your business.
So… how are you actually going to get that book written? And not only written, but make it good? Read this article.
Listen to the podcast- around five minutes.
And now… git writin’!
When to Get Business Help and When to Go It Alone
It’s a sorta no-brainer when you need help in business: flummoxed, bewildered, stuck. But what kind of help do you really need? Do you need to take a class, read books, hire a coach, or get peer-support?
It’s a big question. Without the right support and education, everything you’re working for can fall apart. But, the wrong support can be expensive, time-consuming and overwhelming.
So what kind of support do you really need? Read this article.
How to Tame a Hydra-Headed Project
That book you wanted to write, that retreat you wanted to lead, the website you wanted to create? It seemed like such a good idea at the time.
Now, weeks or months into it, you’re facing the seven-headed hydra of ancient Greek mythology. Every time you finish a task, two more sprout in its place. It seems like the more you do, the more there is to do.
It all looked so lovely when you started, but now it’s eating you alive.
So how do you tame a project that is out of control? Read this article.
Listen to the podcast- around five minutes.
Now, Heracles ain’t got nothin’ on you.
Why Your Customers Lie to You
Why do you customers lie to you?
In 1985 the Coca Cola Corporation spent gobs on the best marketing research money could buy, and asked thousands of people their opinion. Armed with overwhelming statistics, and clear answers from a huge number of people, they launched New Coke.
The result? $4,000,000 down the drain.
$20 a person spent on 200,000 people in focus groups, testing, market surveys, and the blind taste test. And the results that came back were totally wrong.
The same thing will happen if you go asking your customers ‘what do you want?’
So how do you keep your customers from lying to you?
When Business Planning Becomes Necessary
Recently I wrote an article on ‘Why you don’t need a business plan.’ This started up a fair amount of controversy in The Business Oasis (no longer active).
(Aside: For those who don’t know, The Business Oasis is the online community I run for heart-centered business owners. Anyone who owns the Guidebook qualifies to join.)
Several community members, who are very experienced in business, chimed in to say that the high failure rate of new businesses can largely be attributed to a lack of planning during the early formative years.
Many of us had a great discussion about planning that went on for several days. It seems that people who were planning-averse found some new insights into approaching planning, and those who were big planning advocates were seeing the overwhelm that was engendered by a lack of heart-centered planning approaches.
And I had the realization that it was possible to skim my article and come out thinking: “I don’t ever need to plan, I can just follow my heart in the moment, and be okay.” Well, that’s not really true.
So, here’s what I have to say about planning:
When business planning becomes necessary Read this article.
Listen to the podcast- around seven minutes.
Are you ready to experience the freedom of planning?