DISQUS

How do I get close without crossing the line? Boundaries boundaries boundaries! LOL! I lay out very clearly what I expect from clients, and I tell them that I will be honest, and when I hear them say something (or not say something) that needs to be fleshed out - we WILL talk about it.

As for your client fearing rejection... I've been in that situation myself - and when someone is raving about you, and then they fall off the planet, 9 times out of 10, it's because they are extremely busy. It has nothing to do with you, or that they were possibly not being truthful when they said how much they adored you :)

I find, if I want to reach out to someone who I haven't heard from in a while, or who has been "ignoring" me - I'll write them an e-mail or leave a voice mail with a very specific request.

For example "Hi Mr. Professor! I was just thinking about you and wondering how everything was going. I'm just about to create a new brochure and would love to have a one sentence testimonial from you that I can share with other potential clients.

When you have a minute, could you tell me the best thing that's happened as a result of our work together.

Thanks so much!"

This way - it's quick, and it's specific. And for me, this sort of request almost always gets answered.

What a great conversation... see what you would miss if you turned your comments off?? LOL!

I agree with Eric in that, you need to do what's right for your business - but allowing comments is a great way to get to know your readers, and make real connections with them.

I love having comments on my blog... it builds a great community of supportive, like-minded business owners. I get to connect with my readers, and understand them at a deeper level. And, if they don't totally agree with what I say, I get to open my mind to new thoughts and ideas :)

Warmly,
Jenn

ooo ooo ooo me - I have one to share!

I was watching TV this weekend and saw an ad for a weight loss supplement. It said:

"Eat all you want and still lose weight. That's right! Eat all you want and still lose weight! And if it weren't true, we couldn't say it on TV!"

OMG. Really?!? This is the ad these people came up with? Oy Vey! I think the saddest part is, there are truly people out there desperate enough to believe this ad... and those are the EXACT people that this company is praying on.

We're on the same wave-length Cristina - I'm talking about something similar on my blog... I taught a marketing workshop this weekend and one of my participants called this sort of marketing "wonky flummoxing."

Oh I love this quote Cristina.

I was having a conversation with my coach the other day about perfection - how it doesn't exist. We're human... and we weren't designed to be perfect.

Besides, whose definition of perfection would be the perfect one?? LOL!!

I love this post Cristina - even though I do curriculum-based coaching, I always do a needs assessment with my clients. Everyone is different - and even though I work with many clients through the same lessons - we can tweak the lessons so that they are ultra-effective for each individual client.

I engaged a coach a while back who did a needs assessment with me - I was considering hiring him to help me 1 on 1. I loved his insight, and resonated with what he said - but I wasn't 100% sure his program was exactly right for me. Instead of really engaging me and asking what my needs were, he just spent then entire call trying to pound my square needs into his round solution. It was quite a turn-off.

I also agree with Chris - conducting a needs assessment really helps to lay everything on the table and helps me as a coach, really understand my clients - their needs, their thought processes, their priorities, etc... after all - the coaching relationship is about THEM growing!

I totally agree. AND - you risk burning out. As coaches, we are constantly giving to our clients - when you give and give and give without receiving - you're heading straight for burn-out.

There is a Universal Law called the law of reciprocity. It states that when we give, we must receive something equal in return so that we too may be replenished... money is a really good example of this - it's our Universally accepted exchange.

Thanks for bringing this to the fore Cristina - it's such an important topic!

I love that quote - it speaks right along the lines of Law of Attraction and being a deliberate creator.

I have seen entrepreneurs get stuck and really frustrated waiting for their business purpose to come to them - for it to somehow be revealed to them.

The beautiful part of this life is - we get to choose! You can create anything you want - it's up to you - you are in the drivers seat.

You simply need to choose what to do, make your plan and take inspired action.

This is how you grow and evolve. As you learn and experience new things, you get to choose where to go next!

But - you must choose. And then, you must take the action.

Ok, so I might risk losing the prize (*chuckle*)... but I like The Savvy Snippet as Ricki suggested.

Or what about:

Savvy Inspiration
Savvy Insight
Savvy Muse

I see you got the blue one ;)

How about...

Monday Morning Moment

It's still early - and I haven't had nearly enough caffeine yet... I may come back with a few more :)

Great topic Cristina!

I'm actually in the camp that's a little more relaxed about this. Perhaps because my niche isn't necessarily impressed with a domain e-mail address. My potential clients, and clients typically aren't too concerned with my e-mail address... and many of them also use free accounts.

I think when it comes to choosing an e-mail address, you definitely need to think about what will and won't appeal to your target market. If I was going after Fortune 500 companies, I'd definitely use the domain address.

I use a G-mail account. And I love it.

That I am aware, I've never had anyone think less of me because of my free account... and if they did - oh well - they probably weren't my ideal client anyway :)

I have a choice, of course - I can use jenn@mydoamin.com - or I can use my g-mail account. I actually prefer the G-mail account.

First, it's easier to give out via voicemail. My domain name is a bit long and there are a variety of ways to spell it. So, if I give the domain address, I have to go through and spell it all out. I know, I know - oh the horror of spelling out the domain... but, to me, it's time and confusion saved. The G-mail address just makes it much easier.

Second, I just love the functionality of G-mail.

I started using it a few years ago as my personal e-mail account, and I loved all the features so much, I just started directed business associates there as well.

The other thing to think about is spam. Unfortunately, spam isn't going anywhere any time soon. So, you'll want to choose an e-mail account that can handle it effectively - and that you can possibly change in the event that your account becomes too wracked with it.

That's just my $.02 - I'm curious to read other opinions on the subject.

Once again - Brilliant!! You have caused quite a rant in me, which I have posted over at my blog, and linked to you ;)

I totally agree. I am so sick of this mega-leverage game. Now, I'm all for leverage - but it HAS to be quality.

If I'm spending money with you, I don't want typo's, and I don't want something thrown together.

I agree - if you tout that you're making that much money, spend some of it to produce something sans the typo's and transcripts.

Oh my goodness Cristina - Tom and Chuck must have a Google Alert set up and it pinged your blog ;)

I use Aweber - and I LOVE it (thanks Tom :) ) - but I'm not here to sway your decision at all.

I'm just here to offer some support from a fellow solo-preneur. And tell you you're not alone in your analysis paralysis (LOL!).

In the end, you MUST do what feels right to you... what you feel right with in your soul. If you chose iContact, then I have no doubt it's the absolute RIGHT tool for your business.

As you know, I've been blogging about honesty in business and being authentic... so whatever felt right to you IS right :)

Now, issues that come up for me is that old "Well, if I don't follow the pack, will I be less successful?!?" Seriously - for all the authenticity conversations I have, there are times that I go through my own self-doubt around these things too.

To get myself out of that, I leave the office, take a walk, get centered and ask myself in my soul what feels like the best choice for my business.

Then, I think about how each choice feels. I visualize myself doing it both ways - the following the pack way, and MY way. I try to see which feels better to me, and what exactly I might feel during each step of the process.

If something doesn't feel right to you while you're doing it, it won't feel right to everyone else either - and your results will be less than spectacular. For example - when you're putting together a marketing message - if you don't feel right about it, no one else will either.

So, the decision to be authentic always wins... but sometimes, there's a twinge of panic that I have to pacify first :)

I think this is a fabulous idea!! Go for it!

I don't currently have anything like this in my product arsenal and cannot wait to recommend this product to my clients :)

I know you'll create a fabulous product that would be easy to follow and would produce amazing results for those that purchase it.

I cannot wait to see what develops!!!!

I actually saw this and read the page too, Cristina.

I couldn't bring myself to read the whole thing, actually - it sort of disgusted me about half-way through. And I was actually surprised that someone I knew was helping to promote such a thing...

Anyway - this goes against everything I teach with marketing as well. Now, I agree - if there is a particular product or type of business that this is suited for, I'd love to be enlightened.

However, it is my feeling that if you have to trick someone into purchasing from you - what does that say about your business and the products you offer?

I would rather have potential clients come to my web site, really resonate with me, and then continue to want to build a relationship with me. I love what you say about building "clients for life." That articulates my idea of marketing so well.

Ads like this are the exact reason people shy away from marketing, or think marketing is a bad word.

People don't want to resort to these tactics - they feel un-natural to most people. And, you risk losing really wonderful potential customers because they get a snake oil salesman feel from your page - ick!

Well, Cristina - I think you're doing a lovely job! Your blog is one of my favorites :)

As for being completely honest... I feel that I am. The service that I provide my clients goes beyond teaching them the fundamentals of building a business.

My forte is in helping my clients over come the demons that hold them back - the emotions, the fears, the invisible barriers that hold them back in business.

I know these things intimately because I went through them and overcame them while building my first business.

I am brutally honest with my clients about everything I went through to build my self-esteem, to get rid of fear, to believe in myself.

I remember how awful I felt about how slowly my business was growing the first time around. I remember feeling disgusted, and not really understanding what I was doing wrong - everyone else seemed to be experiencing this amazing success, while I struggled and struggled.

I remember how frustrated I was. I remember how inferior I felt.

In my business today - it's incredibly important for me to share these insights and those honest moments with my clients.

This way, I really build a connection with the people that I work with.

I think being authentic in your business is the only way to build a really strong business. You can try to hide who you are, but eventually, the "real" you will rise to the top - demanding to be heard!

This is a great topic... I feel a blog post of my own coming on - with a link back here of course ;)

LOL!! Ok, that was too funny Christina! LOL!! I love it.

I've got a case of arachnophobia... I hope none of the spiders I encounter are packing... LOL!

Well Chris, I have to agree. I'm not a fan of a one way blog conversation LOL! I enjoy reading articulate, thought provoking posts - but if I'm asked to register for a particular blog, I really consider if it's worth it.

I don't mind having a TypePad, Wordpress, or Blogger account... but when someone restricts the comments to their specific blog, it does make me wonder what their motive is...

Now, I do moderate comments on my own blog. I do this because of the spam factor. However, I usually approve comments within 24 hours (usually a lot less).

So, I say, if you really enjoyed the blog, contact the writer - it may be another case of them not knowing what's up... or - it might be nice to just know what their thought process is...

I think if the blog owner is articulate and

I totally agree. I work with clients on this very same issue. People who were extremely successful in a corporate job, can find entrepreneurship rather challenging at first.

Because - there is no one else to report to. There is no one in the immediate vicinity to be accountable to - there is no one else to take direction from. It all comes from the business owner. Which can be liberating - but also debilitating until you get your feet under you.

I like the idea of a mastermind group. I've been part of a couple of groups like that and it is nice to have that type of accountability. I've also worked with a coach and have taken group coaching programs. Having that accountability piece made all the difference. Because - I was still the head honcho, but I had someone there to help guide me, and I knew that if I didn't get done what I said I was going to do, there better be a good reason ;)

I love that idea! It can trip you up if you have a really tight script to follow and the person you're calling immediately says something that you're not ready to respond to.

This is a great idea Chris - thanks!

Oh my gosh Christine - I love what you said about garnering more admiration and support - and I agree.

I am a mom, and I work from my home office. My 5 year old is in pre-school (well, now summer camp) 3 days per week, so I have time to myself in my office during the work week.

However, last week, she was home sick 1 day, then, one day we went to the zoo with her class, and then Friday she was off. I only had 1 day in the office and still managed to keep the business and the household running. Now, I'm behind on a couple of things... but everything managed to keep on running smoothly.

If my little one is sick and needs to be home, then, I need to adjust my schedule. Or, if I want to take a break from work and spend some time with my daughter supporting her or just having fun, then I want that to be known to my clients as well. If they aren't cool with that, then I need to find new clients ;)

Along with being an entrepreneur - I'm human and I love doing things outside of my business. If people get the impression that I camped out in my office all day every day, it would appear as if you have to make big sacrifices to live a life you love - and that's not the case at all - and not the image I want to portray to my clients. I'm very honest about my life outside of my business - I share my personal blog so that people can get to know Jenn as a person - not just Jenn the Catalyst for Thriving Businesses.

As women, we can have it all, but it's a balancing act. We are natural nurturers who want to raise a family - and - we are also driven and motivated to do fulfilling work through our life's purpose. Nothing wrong with carrying out both missions - and there's room in our lives for both.

In my opinion, there is no other way to be but honest about who we are, what we do, and how it all connects :)

Great post Chris - thanks for sharing this information. I love Ali Brown :)

I just want to chime in and say that I was just talking about something similar to point 3 on a networking group the other day.

I think trying to be "unique" is where lots of new entrepreneurs get hung up - and even give up. And I agree with Ali has offered.

You speak through your business in your own unique voice - whether you're creating a similar product, or creating a marketing message.

If we sat at our desks all day long and tried to think of some way to be absolutely completely different than everyone else - we wouldn't get anything accomplished!

I believe that the "uniqueness" that we have as entrepreneurs comes from a combination of who we are and the niche we serve.

For example, I know a web designer who serves the fantasy and sci-fi writers niche. Yes - she does the same thing as many other web designers, but when she serves her particular niche, she speaks to them as a web designer - but also as someone who understands their business and their industry language.

When she writes marketing messages and products, she does them in a way that really connects with that particular industry.

So - when discussing this quality of uniqueness with clients, we talk more about who they serve through their business and less about how they are specifically different than everyone else out there with a similar business.

YOU GO GIRL!!! I just voted for ya!

Use that Law of Attraction and win this thing WOO HOO!!!!

Your blog is awesome - you are a wonderful professional blogger - why not be paid for it??!?

I'm visualizing a future blog post from you that tells us all that you won :)

Namaste,
Jenn

Everyone has offered such wonderful advice so far. I just wanted to reiterate - don't get hung up on those statistics. Like everyone else has said, it's impossible to determine exactly how many people are opening your e-zine.

With my statistics I look at unsubscribe rates more than anything else. And, I do a good job of describing my e-zine and targeting my niche - as I'm sure everyone else here does as well - so I have very few unsubscribes. To me, that's what really counts. If I start having a bunch of unsubscribes, I'll know that something is amiss... or that people aren't getting what they need and aren't reading the e-zine.

I used to get worried about the open rates, but I have a really good response to the things that I advertise in the e-zine, and again, the unsub rates are low - so I know people are reading the e-zine.

The other thing to consider is, instead of relying solely on your e-zine, look to the other ways that you reach out to people as well. For example, I'm a big fan of blogging now because it builds more of a community. I've got a way for people to subscribe to my blog, and that rate is increasing. Some people don't like e-zines - so they have the option now of subscribing to my blog. I also run a Yahoo Group - which is also a community. Again, there are some people on my Yahoo Group that aren't subscribed to the e-zine.

I'm becoming more and more of a fan of the two-way communication/community options. Not that my e-zine readers don't contact me - but with the Yahoo Group and the blog, it's more like a conversation, and I'm finding it really fulfilling and also quite fun :)

So, don't let the e-zine stats get you down - remember - you've got a great community here as well :)

UGH - I put so much pressure on myself to keep my in-box clean... I try not to let my in-box get past 50 messages. I'll either file messages I need to keep, or I'll handle them and then delete them. If my in-box gets up to 70 messages, I start panicking... it seems like such a silly thing to panic about LOL!

I probably pressure myself because of what you referred to Chris - because if it gets too large, I know there's unresolved messages lurking in there somewhere LOL!

Ok, so you're setting a goal to process e-mail as it comes in... I'm going to set the same goal, and for me, I'm going to take it a step further. Each Friday, before I "close" my office for the weekend, I'm going to make it a point to get my in-box down to 30 or less messages.

YIKES - it's in writing... I'm accountable for that now LOL!