Blog

Don't you hate it when you're supposed to write some content for your business, but you just can't figure out what to say in the first few sentences? One of the biggest challenges for a writer is knowing where and how to start. I've noticed this in my capacity both as a marketing copywriter and a novelist - sometimes, the first scene or paragraph is the hardest. This challenge stems partly from the fact that the first sentences are the most important. They're the ones that help your readers to decide whether or not to keep reading,... Read More

Are you selling something your clients know they want? Or are you offering a cure for a disease they don't know they have? A little while ago, I was scrolling through my Twitter feed, and I came across this gem from Calvin and Hobbes: It reminded me of a recent conversation I'd had with one of my clients when I suggested that she change the name of a chapter in her course. Why did I want her to change it? Because her potential clients don't know that they need the mindset she was describing. And if they don't know they need... Read More

When you're describing your product and how it helps your clients, there's one "selling point" that you should seldom or never use: "Why you should/shouldn't X". Seriously, this is a sale-killer. "Why you should never do __"... "why it's vital to __ after each meal"... "why every business needs __"... those are all examples of phrases that DON'T belong in your emails, sales pages, blog posts, and other marketing materials. Why is "why you should/shouldn't" such a bad phrase? I'm going to be a hypocrite for a minute here, and... Read More

When I teach people how to describe their services, or when I write their materials for them, I often end up having to tell them a certain harsh truth: Unless they know you personally, your potential clients probably don't care about the things you care about. You know these things are important. I know they're important. But your clients don't know, and therefore, they don't care. At least, not until you give them a reason to care. Here are three things your clients don't care about as much as you might think. 1. Your... Read More

Are you giving your leads the best possible chance of becoming customers, or are you needlessly losing them somewhere along the way? The answer to that question partly depends on how well you use the "Scavenger Hunt" principle when creating your sales funnel. What is the Scavenger Hunt principle? As kids - or as adults - you may have played a game where one person made and hid a series of clues, and the others had to find them. Each clue led to the location of the next clue. Sometimes, if you were lucky - or unlucky, depending... Read More

For every writer, whether in the field of fiction or nonfiction, there's an important question that needs to be asked: "Should I outline my material before I write it, or fly by the seat of my pants?" If you write blog posts, web pages, articles, video scripts, sales pages, training programs, courses, or ebooks for your business, this question will probably come up for you. Both methods have their merits. Flying by the seat of your pants - or "pantsing", to use a more concise and funnier-sounding term - allows for a greater degree of... Read More

A couple weeks ago, I recommended to one of my clients that she should seek out other businesses that serve the same audience as she does, and ask them if they'd be willing to tell their audience about her program. In response, she asked me, "But won't they feel that that conflicts with their interests? If we both serve the same audience, won't they be worried that they'll lose customers by offering my program?" Today, I'd like to give you the same answers I gave her, plus some additional information that will help you to find... Read More

For a Virtual Assistant or marketing professional, finding the right Customer Relationship Management software can be a frustrating challenge but when you succeed, it will make your life SO much easier. Without a good CRM system, you have a LOT of extra work on your hands. Keeping track of multiple email conversations, passing the right information on to your clients in an efficient and organized way, booking appointments and informing your client, sharing files, sending emails, and keeping tabs on all your tasks it can get overwhelming! ... Read More

By Stacey Cooper For many people who want to be a coach, financial security is a big concern. A steady job pays the bills more reliably than a startup business assuming you dont lose that job. But a successful coaching business can bring in far more money than working as an employee, and once your system is established and running, you can help more people in fewer working hours than you could with a job, so its well worth the risk. Fortunately, todays technology provides an unprecedented amount of knowledge and tools that you can use... Read More

Are your subscribers and leads reading your emails, or just glancing at them and tossing them in the trash? In today's fast-paced world, it's important to craft emails that instantly catch people's attention, and give them a good reason to open, read and act upon your message - even if there are a dozen other emails in their inbox already. Here are 7 quick, easy tips for getting more clients through your email marketing: 1. Use a short subject line that inspires curiosity, pain or need. Your subject line doesn't need to be long, and it... Read More