Mentor Monthly: Your Welcome Page ‘Must Haves’
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FEATURE: Your Welcome Page Must Haves
Taken from my book ‘Get Paid For Who You Are’
Let’s start with who you help and the problems you solve. You may be able to cover both in one shot. For example, if you help women 45 and over move through divorce, you could say:
Are you losing sleep over your divorce?
Are you wondering how to get half the assets without a battle?
Do you want to keep custody of your kids?
From reading these questions, a woman considering divorce would know from a 3-second glance at your site that she’s in the right place! or, you might phrase the problems you solve as statements. For example, if you were a career coach, you ask your site visitor to click if any of the following statements ring true:
I hate my job!
I’ve lost my direction and purpose.
I want more out of life.
Now it’s your turn to write out the problems you solve. What are your top three problems? Now formulate them into questions or statements. These will go on your welcome page.
Next, you want to emphasize the benefits of working with you, such as more income, early retirement, divorce with ease and joy, or divorce while staying friends with your ex. You could write these up in bullet points — which are easier to read — or in one or two sentences.
Putting it all together, here’s an example of home-page text:
Are you losing sleep over your divorce?
Are you wondering how to get half the assets without a battle?
Do you want to keep custody of your kids?
If so, you’ve come to the right place. At My Second Life, I help women 45 and over move powerfully through divorce and into the next wonderful and exciting phase of their lives.
Some of the benefits my clients report are:
- Peace of mind throughout the process
- Staying friends with my ex while divorcing
- Avoiding a custody battle
- Getting the financial settlement I need
I myself have successfully survived divorce. And, seeing the impact it had on my partner who I still dearly love, I have a deep appreciation and respect for the strength it takes for women to make this transition, and I’d be honored to help you every step of the way.
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Take Action
1) Come up with your three problems you solve and formulate the three questions.
2) Take a few minutes to write out your benefits now. Share them at the blog.
Love and gratitude,
P.S. If you have any comments on this newsletter, we’d love you to share them here.
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3. About the ‘Mentor Monthly’ Newsletter
TO SUBSCRIBE, and for free information packs on coaching, visit: http://www.solutionbox.com/freedownload.htm.
Mentor Monthly #125: Why a niche is you’re secret weapon
Announcements/Offers
For Serious Players Only…
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Ready to really BUMP your practice to the next level? Ready for advanced training on creating long-term marketing engines? Then listen in to this extensive collection of my most powerful mentoring sessions over the last three years, with your own copy of:- “EXPLODE YOUR COACHING PRACTICE™: Proven Practice Building Secrets to Give You More Clients Than You Can Handle.” Get your copy now: http://www. |
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FEATURE: Why a niche is you’re secret weapon
Taken from my book ‘Get Paid For Who You Are‘
Until you’re clear on your target market, it’s too easy to wander aimlessly, wanting to help, but unable to. It’s like trying to run with your shoelaces tied. When you are clear on who you want to help – your “target market” – you’ll want to tell everyone who’ll listen and forge ahead with energy.
A target market or niche is the group of people you’ve decided to help. You can narrow it down in lots of cool ways, including age, income, where they live, occupation, or what they need. A target market is very specific and helps you to focus your marketing efforts. Without it you can get too scattered to succeed.
Many people ask, “Why do I need a target market? Why can’t I offer my services to everyone?” After all, why would anyone want to turn away customers? It can feel limiting.
However, choosing a niche or group of people to focus on doesn’t keep you from working with other people outside of your niche. You’re still allowed to work with others when and if they come to you. Surprisingly, it increases the number of people who come to you because you’re more attractive; you’re clear, focused, working with the right clients and happy. More importantly, it makes it so much easier for the right clients to find you!
For example – you can happily serve everyone who drives into your gas station. But you need something clear and specific like “Serving veterans since 1985” on the billboard out the front.
To take another example, say you’re an accountant who owns your own business, and you’re looking for a coach to help take your business to the next level. Who would you most likely sign up with: a general business coach, or one who specializes in helping accountants build profitable businesses? Intuitively you can see that someone who specializes is more attractive!
Your own experience probably shows you that you are not attracted to products or services designed to help “everyone.” If you’re a woman, don’t you prefer bath products that are designed for women? It’s the same for your customers: people like to purchase solutions that are specific to their problem.
In addition, if your target market is “everyone,” how do you reach everyone? Do you have the money to advertise on network television? Do you have hundreds of thousands of dollars to place advertisements in USA Today?
On the other hand, what if you are a business coach who helps accountants grow profitable businesses? Knowing your target market, you home in on them through accounting magazines, at CPA conferences, or even through local stores that stock accounting office supplies.
Another problem with not having a clear target market is that you can’t be remembered and referred. People can’t pass the word about what you do if even you can’t tell them. Have a sexy statement that sizzles and they’ll be able to tell the world.
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Take Action
1) What kind of experierience do you already possess that can help you create focus on your target niche?
2) Who would you like to be your target market? Be specific. And you can share it in the comments below.
Cheers,
P.S. If you have any comments on this newsletter, we’d love you to share them here.
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About the ‘Mentor Monthly’ Newsletter
TO SUBSCRIBE, and for free information packs on coaching, visit: http://www.solutionbox.com/freedownload.htm.
Mentor Monthly #124: Give and Grow Your Business
Announcements/Offers
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“David, I am really enjoying this Manual! It is clear, practical, comprehensive and inspirational, and it will be a great reference for me as I begin my coaching practice.”
-Carolyn Claiborne sacredgatherings@ earthlink.net
Visit http://www.CoachStart.com
Last Chance to Get Copyrighting Critique
Andy O’Bryan let me know he is retiring from copywriting for the coaching industry. This means you have only one more chance to have Andy look at your website and give you some valuable advice on how to bring in more clients.
He’s doing one final batch of complimentary website critiques, so book yours now:
So if you’re not bringing in enough clients with your website this is the perfect time to have Andy take a look. There’s no charge for this 30-minute one-on-one call, so get on his schedule at this link:
FEATURE: How to Give AND Grow Your Business
Taken from my book ‘Get Paid For Who You Are’
How to Give AND Grow Your Business
Typically, when people think of supporting a cause, they think of donating resources or volunteering time. Some companies let their staff spend half a day a week supporting any cause that they want on paid company time. That’s exciting. And it’s possible to go deeper. You can support a cause in a way that gets you more customers and revenue, by creating a two-way partnership, rather than a one-way relationship.
Ways You Can Help A Cause
1) Donate your product or service
The most basic way to support a cause is to donate your product or services. This product or service can be given to staff members, volunteers, beneficiaries, or even board members.
2) Offer your product or a service as a prize
You can offer your products or services as a prize for a sweepstakes or competition. In fact, why not reach out to 10 to 20 local nonprofit organizations in this way and start building relationships. For example, an accountant might donate 10 free tax returns to a charity raffle or auction.
3) Speak at their events
Is making public speaking appearances one of the things you can or will do? Many nonprofit organizations have conferences, training seminars and conventions. They need speakers to train, inspire, and entertain their members and donors. As Brendon Burchard says, “Who attends fundraisers – influential or non-influential people?” Speaking at fundraisers can put you in front of CEOs and other leaders who could hire you to speak, or buy your company’s product or service.
4) Give a percentage of profits
You could also donate a percentage of your annual profits to a cause. Again, try to do this as a partnership and create an agreement for what they will do in return. You may wish to tell them what your profits were last year and your projected earnings in the next year.
5) Invite your customers to donate
You could say to the nonprofit organization, “It’s not just what I’m going to be donating, but I’ll also be inviting my customers to donate.”
6) Microgiving call
Invite all your customers and newsletter subscribers to join on a conference call designed to raise money for charity. You might have a prominent member of the community or a local celebrity join you as co-host. Discuss an interesting topic, and every 10 minutes invite people to go to the website and donate. Of course, you can also do something like this in person and offer to host physical fundraisers.
How a Cause Can Support You
1) Website and Newsletter
A nonprofit organization can feature you on its website and describe their partnership with you, with a link to your website.
2) Press releases
They could issue press releases. You could tweak the same article that you wrote for their website, newsletter, or print magazine, into a press release for them to distribute. Who’s the media going to pay more attention to – a press release from you, or a press release from them?
3) Direct mail
They could give you exposure via direct mail. Suppose you are launching a CD and you’d like to use it as a fundraiser for them. They could put an ad for the CD in their electronic newsletter and on the home page of their website. And – they could mail out a little flier.
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Take Action
1) Who would be a great fit for you to team with for a partnership? Share at the blog comments.
2) How large of a percentrage of sales would you share with your partnership? Share at the blog comments.
Future vs Past
The following is an excerpt from the CoachStart Manual.
People love their stories! They love their past, reasons, and complexities, perhaps because they validate who they think they are.
As a coach, I’m not interested in 90% of the past. I don’t want to know why you spent 5 years in an unhappy marriage or the list of complaints you have about your boss. I’m more interested in what you want, and – what you’re going to do about it. It’s a conversation about the future, rather than the past. Many people can describe exactly what they do not like about their lives. However, when asked how they would like the situation to look, more energy is required. Our job is to have them look in that direction.
Choosing a Mentor Coach
The following is an excerpt from the CoachStart Manual.
Most coaches are willing to answer some of your questions, and even do a free trial session before you sign on. Some good questions to ask are:
- How long have you been coaching?
- What training have you had?
- How many coaches have you mentored or are you currently mentoring?
- What kind of results have you had?
- Can you provide email addresses of a couple of coaches you’ve worked with?
- What is the most important thing you will provide to help me build a successful coaching practice?
Lastly, you want to feel comfortable with this person. Interviewing, trialing or studying up on one to three coaches should be sufficient. They no longer have to be in your country – just make sure if they’re overseas that they are willing to cover the cost of phone calls or factor this into your monthly fee.
If you’re concerned about the investment, consider what your return on that monthly investment might be. In most cases, you only need two to three paying clients to cover the cost of your mentor coach. And if your coach can’t help you increase your client list by MORE than two to three, something’s missing! Also consider the cost of NOT hiring a coach.