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The Virtual Consulting Discussion List [VCDL]
http://www.TheVCF.com/vcdl.phtml
Friday, May 14, 2004 Digest #15
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TABLE OF CONTENTS ...
---> [NEW] <---
#1 Systems and Procedures Save Time and Energy
- Sandy Karn
#2 Top Ten Ways to Increase Web Sales - Part
1
- Judy Cullins
#3 The Top Seven Mistakes eBook Authors Make
- Jim Edwards and David Garfinkel
---> [CONTINUED] <---
#4 How do you Network Virtually? -
How to Alienate Your On-Line Client Base In One
Easy Step
- Nancy Roebke
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---> [NEWS] <---
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#1 Systems and Procedures Save Time and Energy
-----------------------------------------------------------
Date sent: Mon, 10 May 2004 12:32:10 -0400
From: "Sandy Karn"
Reply To: Virtual-Consulting@topica.com'
* Systems and Procedures Save Time and Energy
by Sandy Karn
Properly chosen systems and procedures not only
save you
time and energy, they actually make many routine
tasks
simpler. These need not be formalized procedures.
They are
simply established routines for dealing with the
many
recurring events and situations we encounter.
These
procedures soon become habitual.
We all have habitual ways of responding to situations,
however
they are often not carefully chosen, effective
or efficient.
Effective systems and procedures are designed
to save time
and reduce the amount of work required to accomplish
routine
tasks. For some, this will mean time and energy
available to
accomplish more work. For others it will mean
more free
time. Whatever your motivation, you might find
it worthwhile
to develop some useful systems and procedures
if you have
not done so already.
The specific systems and procedures that you
need depend
upon your particular situation. Here are a few
simple examples
that probably apply to most of us:
1. Schedule a time, perhaps once a week, for
paying bills and
establishing a folder in which to place all bills
as they come
in. Also schedule regular times for billing clients,
processing payments, and other accounting tasks.
Or you can
pay bills electronically and save even more time.
2. Schedule a time each day for making sales
calls, retrieving
messages, opening mail, returning phone calls,
etc.
3. Establishing a system for filing and retrieving
documents.
(I recommend Paper Tiger software to help with
this process.)
One general procedure that I strongly recommend
is the Do it,
Delegate it, or Ditch it system. Each piece of
paper is either
acted upon (Do it), passed on to someone else
for action
(Delegate it), or discarded immediately (Ditch
it).
Keep in mind that the "Do it" step
can include filing it in a
designated place for action at an appropriate
time. This
approach eliminates the accumulation of piles
of documents on
your desk waiting for your attention at some unspecified
future
time.
This process also works for tasks. If a task
needs to be done,
act upon it immediately. Either do it now, schedule
it for a
specific time, or delegate it to someone else
for action. If
you decide it really doesn't need to be done or
you simply
don't want to do it and you can accept the consequences
for not
doing so, decide to ditch it immediately instead
of fretting
for a long time and still never doing it.
All these mentioned are just ideas. You can work
out your own
system to suit your own style needs.
Your goal:
To establish simple systems to improve your efficiency
and
effectiveness.
The result:
You will accomplish your work in less time, less
stress and
wasted energy allowing you to accomplish more
and/or take
more free time for your own purposes.
Your assignment:
Identify two or three simple systems or procedures
that you
will implement to increase your efficiency and
effectiveness.
These may include changing some inefficient habits
you are
now following.
Wishing You the Very Best!
Sandy Karn
Results Specialist
Sandy Karn is president of her own company, Creative
Results
Sources, Inc., a consulting and training company
of over 30
years.
....................
Take her Self Development Quiz!
http://www.sandykarn.com/quiz/
-----------------------------------------------------------
#2 Top Ten Ways to Increase Web Sales
- Part 1
-----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 5 May 2004 16:36:06 EDT
From: Judy Cullins
Reply To: Virtual-Consulting@topica.com'
Top Ten Ways to Increase Web Sales - Part 1
Judy Cullins
©2004 All Rights Reserved
You have only 10 seconds to impress your potential
buyer.
Your Web site visitors don't care about you.
They care what you can do
for them. Give them a reason to buy. If you haven't
reaped the sales
you deserve apply these ten tips:
1. Write dazzling home-page copy that gives your
potential customers a
reason to click to your product or service sales
letter.
Use hyper-linked benefit driven headlines that
lead visitors straight
through to a sales letter that includes bulleted
benefits of your
service or product. "Before I learned this
ultimate power technique,
my Web sales were flat."
2. Preplan and know your Web site's purpose and
audience before you
contact a Web Master.
Without knowing your site's clear purpose, your
headlines and copy for
each product or service will lack clicking power.
If your visitors
don't get a chance to know why they should use
you or your product,
they will be confused and leave your Web site.
Before you write much copy, make a list of your
benefits and features.
Your visitors want to know what their outcomes
are for reading your
book. Benefits sell. Use this list to create an
order-pulling sales
letter and headlines.
You must also know your audience before you write
a word of Web
copy.
To preplan your Web site, write out an audience
profile. Think of
income, age, sex, Internet savvy, how they spend
discretionary money.
Make another list of your audience's resistances.
Later apply to your
sales letter where you put them up, then answer
them. If you offer a
book, make sure you compel your visitor to go
to your sales and order
page. Always make it easy for them to buy.
Maybe you are like me, when you visit other professional
sites; you
often leave wondering what are they selling? What
do they want the
visitor to do?
3. Sell your products and services through brave,
bold, headings.
Headings can ask a pertinent question about you
visitors challenges,
such as "Are your web sales puny?" Or,
"Are you frustrated not being
in the career you love? Headings can use a benefit
statement such as
Quadruple your Success (you name what it is) with
one feature it works
with, such as the Online Promotion Tool Kit (name
your product or
service).
4. Use sparkling testimonials from the rich and
famous on your home
page and all other pages about each product or
service you offer.
Place your best testimonial with at least three
benefits in it near
the top of your home page. Rather than put all
testimonials on just
one page, sprinkle them generously throughout
your site.
An excellent testimonial can become the hyperlink
that sends your
visitor to your sales message. Even on your order
page, include a
testimonial at the top of your listing.
One link from a famous coach said, "Save
yourself from headaches,
disappointments and money down the drain. Read
this short eBook on
book writing and publishing before you write another
word!"
You may already have testimonials on your Web
site for your product
and service, but do you have them for your ezine,
fre.e articles, and
teleclasses?
5. Support your home page "Passion Approach"
copy with proper links
to product sales letters, stories, and service.
Let's say you have a bold heading "Quadruple
your Web sales in Four
Months with Opt-In Ezine Articles." You can
make the whole phrase a
hyperlink that with one touch, will lead your
visitors where you want
them to go--To your sales letter, of course!
Remember your home page must give your visitors
a reason to buy. Use
these "Marketing Pizzazz" techniques
throughout your site. Think right
now, what is it I need to act on next to manifest
more dollar success
on my site?
Part two of this article will be available shortly
at
http://www.bookcoaching.com/freearticles/article-134.shtml.
===============
Judy Cullins: 20-year author, speaker, book coach
Helps entrepreneurs manifest their book and web
dreams
eBk: "Create your Web Site with Marketing
Pizzazz"
7000 Melody Lane, La Mesa, CA 91942
FRE.E "The Book Coach Says..." or Business
Tip of the Month
www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml
-- mailto:Judy@bookcoaching.com
Orders: 866/200-9743 -- Ph: 619/466-0622
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#3 The Top Seven Mistakes eBook Authors Make
-----------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 5 May 2004 16:36:06 EDT
From: Jim Edwards and David Garfinkel
Reply To: Virtual-Consulting@topica.com'
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
The Top Seven Mistakes eBook Authors Make
-By Jim Edwards and David Garfinkel
© Jim Edwards and David Garfinkel
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
eBooks are the hottest thing going on the Web
right now!
Authors with the entrepreneurial instinct are
making
anywhere from a few hundred to tens of thousands
of dollars
per month - that's right, per month - by selling
ebooks
online.
Why are some authors doing so much better than
others?
We've discovered seven key mistakes that most
ebook authors
make (and in doing so, hold themselves back from
major
success):
1. They don't write to a specific, target audience.
The biggest mistake most ebook authors make is
they don't
clearly define, identify and visualize who they
are selling
their ebook to. On the Web, to be successful,
you must
write to a specific group of people who have specific
interests.
Make sure that you know exactly who is going
to buy your
ebook, and where you can find them online.
2. They don't automate as many of their business
activities
as possible.
Selling ebooks, though it is highly profitable,
is not a
business where you make hundreds of dollars per
sale.
Automate everything you can - credit card processing,
ebook
delivery, as much technical support as possible.
If you
can't automate a function, delegate it to someone
else.
3. They don't have a compelling title for their
ebook.
Use words that convey the benefit of what's in
the ebook, as
well as words your audience is familiar with.
A bad title for an ebook: "Online Marketing
for Newbies."
A good title for the same ebook: "97 Ways
to Promote Your
Website - No Experience Required."
4. They try to cover too much ground.
Many ebook authors convey a lot of information
but don't
cover anything in-depth. As a result, they never
fully
explain anything in enough detail to provide any
useful
value to their readers.
This is a very bad mistake to make, especially
when it
comes to how-to ebooks, which happen to be the
best type to
write.
5. They are not proactive in their marketing.
It would be nice if marketing for your ebook
simply happened
on its own - but it doesn't. You have to do it
yourself.
After you've promoted your ebook to the people
on your own
mailing list (if you have one), then you have
to contact
other Website owners and persuade them to be your
affiliates. You should do this continually.
6. They don't differentiate their ebook from its
competitors.
When you choose your topic, even if there are
a hundred
other ebooks out there on same general subject,
choose an
angle for yours that will make it easy for yours
to be
distinguished from the others.
For example, right now job-hunting ebooks are
very popular.
There are dozens that are big sellers. "Secrets
of Breaking
Into Pharmaceutical Sales" has a very specific
title that
sets it apart from the competition, and is aimed
at a
clearly identified target audience. Incidentally,
it's
selling very well itself.
7. They write ebooks that nobody will pay for.
Many ebook authors write about information that
either
people can get for free, or that people are not
actually
interested in enough to pay for the information.
Before you invest weeks or months into the writing
of your
ebook, invest a little time investigating whether
other
ebooks in the same subject area are selling on
the Web.
So, there you have it - the seven big mistakes
to avoid.
Remember, the opportunities are plentiful - and
huge - right
now for anyone who wants to become a best-selling
ebook
author. Simply use common sense, follow our advice,
and let
your literary career flourish!
===============
Jim Edwards and David Garfinkel are co-authors
of "eBook
Secrets Exposed: How to Make Massive Amounts of
Money in
Record Time With Your Own eBook (whether you wrote
it or
not!)," the authoritative guide to publishing
and marketing
ebooks on the Web.
Guerrilla Marketing author Jay Conrad Levinson
says, "If
there ever was a 'must-read' for this century,
it's this
book." For more information
Click=> http://hop.clickbank.net/?MSDClick/ebksecrets
************* [CONTINUED] ***************
#4 How do you Network Virtually? -
How to Alienate Your On-Line
Client Base In One Easy Step
-----------------------------------------------------------
From: Nancy Roebke [execdirector@profnet.org]
Reply To: Virtual-Consulting@topica.com'
Date sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2004
How to Alienate Your On-Line Client Base In One
Easy Step.
You've spent a great amount of time finding your
contacts on
the Internet. You've starting participating in
the places they are.
You're ready to take on the world now. Stop. Without
a
thorough understanding of the following concept,
you can
potentially lose your client base.
*Everyone in the fields that you want to make
contact with
WILL NOT do business in the same manner as you
do,
PARTICULARLY if they are not from your own country.
What does this mean? It means that the little
things that you do
every day, could potentially cause you to lose
your online
contacts. It means that you need to learn a whole
lot more
about customs and traditions before expecting
to build strong,
solid relationships. It means you may make a mistake
or two,
but you need to be prepared to go through a tremendous
learning curve.
True life story. I'm borrowing from a popular
current trend
here in the US when I write about this story.
The countries
involved are Mars and Venus. (Here in the US,
those are men
and women, but in my story, they are actually
persons from
different countries).
Mars joins an e-mail list that is composed of
mostly business
professionals from Venus, but are a great potential
client
base. On Venus, things are done differently than
on Mars, even
though both countries speak the same language.
Mars reads the
list for a while (months, in fact).
After months, Mars begins to post informational
posts to the
lists- resource tips and business development
information
gleaned from various Internet sources. Keep in
mind, this
particular information was not specifically ASKED
for, but in
the spirit of sharing, Mars thinks this is a good
thing to do-
after all, sharing is good. AND Mars has been
sharing the same
information on OTHER e-mail lists and hearing
how valuable it
has been to people from THOSE countries (Like
Saturn).
Venus becomes upset. First, because 7 posts arrive
from Mars
in one day. All different, but still *7* posts!.
Then Venus is
upset with the content of the posts. Does Mars
think that
Venus does not KNOW this information, or worse
yet, does
not know where to find it? And who said Venus
NEEDED this
information, anyway? What a totally Un-Venetian
thing to do!
The rest, as they say, is history. In this example,
there is
proof that doing the same thing in the same way
WILL NOT
necessarily get you the same results. The main
variable here, is
the fact that the two participants were from two
different
countries with two different cultures. Both styles
work in their
homeland but will they work on an International
basis? That
remains to be seen.
Help With Understanding Other Cultures
To aid you in understanding the various cultures
YOUR client
base may be composed of, the following is suggested:
1. Look online for links about International
business
development
2. Befriend someone who is a native in the area
you are
looking to expand. Ask questions and LISTEN to
what the
answers are. Find out how your actions would be
perceived by
natives of that culture.
3. Expect to make mistakes as you learn about
each culture.
Plan on varying YOUR style and methods to accommodate
your potential client base.
4. Help those of other cultures understand YOURS.
If asked,
offer advice and suggestions on how YOU would
have handled
the same thing in your culture. What path would
you have taken
to the get to the same place THEY want to go?
Working on the Internet exposes us all to the
world. We need
to learn more about that world to be effective
and productive.
We still cannot say that EVERYONE from Mars acts
the same
way, and so does EVERYONE from Venus. But STYLES
that
are common in each culture often come through
as
inappropriate for other cultures. Don't lose your
client base
because of YOUR style.
Copyright Nancy Roebke
[We hope that you have found this series of articles
from Nancy on Virtual Networking helpful and beneficial
to you all! :)
Please let us know if you would like to see more
articles on Virtual Networking here and we may
be able to "encourage" Nancy to share
some more of her wisdom on these topics with us
;), ok?
To learn "tons" more about Networking
both online and offline …
We Highly Recommend! That you subscribe to Nancy's
NetworkInk networking newsletter by emailing to:
networkink@aweber.com
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