The following is an excerpt from the book Get Paid For Who You Are.
For 18 years Vicki Hoefle had taught six-week parenting classes that changed lives. As she approached retirement, it occurred to her that by filming the class, she could create a product to sell online which would fulfill two goals: create a passive income stream and enable her to travel to see her kids once they left home. She had no start- up money and no internet or marketing experience. She was also raising five teenagers at the time.
In her words, “I began by writing a basic business plan and my product began to take shape. I took every training program I could afford and i hired people to help me. together with my partner and team, we developed a multi-media product (video, audio and workbook) with a one-year membership to an online forum. In less than a year, we increased our database from 500 to 1200 people. Our income rose from $26,000 a year to $75,000 a year in less than two years. In the last six months, we have expanded our customer base from vermont to all of the U.S. and into Canada, and i just started my personal blog (www.parentingontrack.com). I have wonderful new relationships with people I never would have met had I not expanded my work in this direction. I love knowing that i am changing lives today, which will impact the next generation of leaders.”
Vicki’s advice? “Ask a million questions and then ask some more. Know that you will make countless mistakes and that’s oK. and surround yourself with people who are smarter, funnier, cuter and richer than you are.”
Let me share with you my experience, not to impress you, but to show you success is ~completely~ possible for people who seek the right information, and apply themselves.
I didn’t have any background in online marketing, and I was very new to my profession of coaching. Within just four years of taking my own business online, I attracted clients in 13 countries and earned six figures, providing my services just two days a week. And a whopping 95% of these clients came from the internet.
The following is an excerpt from the book Get Paid For Who You Are.
Consider this. When tina Maria’s husband was diagnosed with a wheat allergy she spent months learning about how to cook for him. after cleaning out her pantry, pulling together a load of new recipes (including learning how to recreate some of his favorite dishes) she had developed a set of tips and insights on how to help her husband and her family adjust to the new lifestyle. She was neither a doctor nor a nutritionist, but she was on the front line fighting her husband’s allergy and began to acquire quite a bit of expert advice to share with other families in a similar situation.
She was hesitant at first to start an interactive blog and to write her ebook because she didn’t feel like an expert — but then she reminded herself that she knew more than most people and what she knew could save another family a lot of trial and error. She found friends to help her set up her website and to edit her book. She shied away from public speaking engagements, but found she did very well running small counseling groups. Soon she was gathering enough varied input that she could start her own newsletter.
Despite her initial self-doubt, she successfully shared her insights, helped others and made money doing so.
The following is an excerpt from the book Get Paid For Who You Are.
When Jillian Wells became wheelchair bound, she felt the despair of anyone whose freedom and independence is limited. Yet she was the sort of person to do whatever she could, no matter what, and she began to devour all she could read or hear about new ventures to enrich her life.
She wanted to run online forums on self-development for women, but she had no business experience or knowledge of computers. What she did have was lots of determination and a willingness to make it happen. She began by borrowing her business partner’s website, and started advertising on facebook and e-academy. The online forums she created were deeply satisfying and transforming — for the women who attended, and for her.
Her other passion is running a lighthouse in australia with guest accommodations. the lighthouse website was very old, so she contacted the web designer and reworked the entire site to make it more interactive (www.pointhicks.com.au). as a result, she is getting at least four enquiries a day, which translates into more bookings. She’s the first to admit, “My lifestyle has greatly improved and i feel i’m making a difference for others and myself.”
The following is an excerpt from the book Get Paid For Who You Are.
When web designer Mike Hall pulled his SUv into the shadows of the tree-lined drive of a prospective client, he was about to find out that Joe troyer, owner of the Cross fire archery shop, didn’t even own a computer. in fact, Joe was amish. But Joe knew that Amish or not, if people were to find out about his custom-made, hand-crafted bows, he needed a website.
Now the world can come to Joe to experience the passion of archery equipment made the old-fashioned way. He gets to spend his time lightly sanding a freshly bent bow while his website works away. . . because he hired someone to do it.
Hey, if Joe can manage to get a website (www.crossfire archery.com) up and running in a woodsy snow covered setting in ohio without even owning a computer, you might have to think hard about any excuses that might be holding you back.
What’s the answer? Simple…
You have to build a relationship with your web visitor.
And how do you do that? While there are many ways, the simplest and most effective is to email them somewhere BETWEEN FIVE AND ONE HUNDRED TIMES!
Offer valuable monthly tips. Or a daily quote. Or a couple of free cyber consultations. Send a number of useful articles or links to web sites. It doesn’t matter what – just make sure it’s of value, and get creative!
This puts you in front of your target market on a consistent basis. After they’ve received and read say, ten emails from you, you have some semblance of a relationship, and perhaps enough to warrant a purchase.
EXERCISE:
Start jotting down nuggets of information that would be useful to your target market. Things that could add up to a series of emails, even e-courses.
This is what you will send them to build a relationship with them. Along the way they may hire you as a client!
