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Why You Should Start Hanging Out with People Who are Playing Bigger than You Are

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by Cara Lumen

 

I’m about to be stretched. I’m about to be asked to think bigger than I have been, to look at possibilities that I’ve never considered and to probably change my thinking. I’m going to start hanging out with people who are playing bigger than I am.

 

You can only take yourself so far

 

We need to surround ourselves with people who see our potential. From within our own lives our viewpoint of what is possible for us is limited by old beliefs and fears. But other people don’t see that, they don’t know what thoughts stop us, they only see our potential. We need to hang out with them so we can have a bigger view of what is possible for us.

 

I used to keep an acknowledgement book in which I wrote the nice things people said about me with the date it was said. When I started feeling dumpy about myself I’d read what was written. "Oh, they saw that in me? I didn’t know." Now I simply save the lovely emails and the amazing testimonials that people give me. But I still have to go read them periodically to reaffirm my own value.

 

Hanging out with the bigger players shows you how it’s done

 

Every time I have a conversation with someone about their services or the way they manage their business, I find some small nugget for myself that I can adapt or modify or just plain use.

 

I’m about to acquire another coaching certification and as I give thought to how I will work it into my current business I find my vision expanding. When I talked to another participant about how he structured his coaching practice I began to rethink mine. When I heard how much he charged I realized I was ready to reposition my fees and attract more clients who firmly believe that my coaching is well worth the money and are willing to spend it to grow their business.

 

And it’s scary

 

I’m in a funny place. At 75 when someone asks me what my five year plan is my answer is "To still be here!" But that’s a joke, because I’m building my business with all the intention of working it for another 30 years. But there is an energy about someone twenty or thirty years younger that I need to recapture.

 

That’s another reason to hang out with people who are playing bigger than I am. I need to create my version of my business in a way that honors who I am, what I know how to do, and how I want to live my life. And I need to watch what other people are doing for ideas.

 

So I have to overcome the fact that only 10% of women my age went to college (I went back for my MA at 40) and that women of my generation were only expected to grow up and be housewives.

 

I have to overcome the loss of confidence I discovered when I reentered the work force after fifteen years of raising children to find what I knew how to do had no value to others in the work place.

 

And I get to celebrate my blossoming as my creative, enthusiastic self and the fact that at long last I am deeply involved in what I love to do.

 

Now that I’ve made it to this point I get to do more.

 

So I’m going to go hang out with people who are doing their business well and see what I can learn from them. And while I’m at it I’ll keep an eye out on what I can teach them.

 

You see it’s not about who is better or worse, who is more than or less than, it’s a study in how beautifully different each of us are. I will engage in this training environment with a willingness to learn, an enthusiasm to share, and an expectation of both inner and outer expansion.

 

That’s why it’s important to periodically go hang out with people playing bigger than you are.

 

© 2008 Cara Lumen

 

Six Thoughtful Ways to Make Room for Change

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by Cara Lumen

 

My quest for a way to make room for change was prompted by the need to schedule more time to do copy writing for my clients. The first question was how much time do I schedule when I don’t know how much time it will take to do the job? In order to make room for change, I had to rethink what I already had in place.

 

1.  Rethink your own rules

 

I have used an Excel spread sheet to block off times for client appointments, creating new information products, writing client copy, writing and posting articles and working my business. I have been setting Mondays aside to work on expanding my own business. But maybe I should rethink that. Maybe Mondays are not the best day, maybe I need to choose Fridays instead. Maybe I have to spread my business development time over several days. I began to let go of what I had in place and began to rethink my own system.

 

2. Make use of your fritters

 

The first thing I noticed in creating my new self-schedule was that I like to watch The View on TV every day at 10 AM. Now frankly, 10 AM is too early for me to take a break and as I looked at my schedule I thought, "That could be a whole hour out of my work day. Unless…." I very much need to put more exercise in my life so guess what…I’m going to bend and stretch and move my body while I watch the intelligent women on The View. It’s a win-win solution.

 

I started tracking my "fritters" — those things I take time for that do not move me forward in my business or my work load. I began to look at why I was doing them – was I putting off something hard or did I simply need a change of tasks?

 

Not every time out is a fritter. I talk to my friend/ web designer partner every day. We talk about our lives, our families, our clients and our business decisions. Every conversation nourishes and balances me . It’s a meaningful pause in my productive day.

 

3. Get real about what’s NOT working

 

Just as I found a way to add another dimension to an hour of TV that would make it contribute to my life, I began to look at what’s NOT working.

 

It recently took me a long time to create an introductory email to a new client about an element of my services. I have now saved that in a New Client Start Up file and when another new client appeared I found that it was easy to adjust.

 

I have developed very strong intake forms that make starting with a new client easy and effective for both of us.. I have another intake form for gathering the information I need to write strong sales pages. And every time I have to write a lengthy explanation about something to one client, I create it as an article for my Magnetic Marketing Coaching Library so it’s ready for the next time that question is asked. I keep an eye out for information I am repeating that could be automated, even if it’s as simple as having a few often needed responses already written than only take a few minutes to adjust and send.

 

I need to keep myself clear from interruptions, particularly when I am writing copy. What are my choices? I could use my voice mail if a call comes in. I can look at my email at noon instead of first thing in the morning so I use my fresh, creative mind time to its best advantage. I could go to my desk earlier and get in an hour or two of uninterrupted time. I can set boundaries with my clients so we agree on a time to call rather than have them call me spontaneously.

 

I have options. I have choices. I can make changes.

 

4. Do the math – what do you need to attract

 

What does it take to create the income you need and want? How many clients? How many hours of copy writing? How many actual income-producing hours do you need to schedule into your week? Get that number in mind, hold that intention and make room for them in your weekly schedule.

 

Be clear about what is producing income. I may love writing articles and doing podcasts but I also need to be clear about how much income they are measurably generating and balance the time I spend on them accordingly.

 

If I want more copy writing assignments then I have to be certain my web site reflects that. That may mean additional keyword research, new copy, and setting up new intake systems so I can do the job efficiently and effectively.

 

Your job is to stay close to the money. Put your time into actual client/customer interaction. Farm out the administrative stuff if you need to. Stay active where you can most affect your business.

 

5. Re-think your system and be willing to change

 

Cluster your clients and pick specific session times to fill. Mine are 11, 1 and 3 PST on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. That leaves me Mondays and Tuesdays plus other times to write copy for others, prepare talks, write more information products and work my own business.

 

A fellow copy writer who does ghost writing said he knows he has to write 1,000 words a day to finish a book in four months so he blocks off his entire morning. He doesn’t answer the phone, he doesn’t answer email, he just writes. His afternoon is more flexible. When his children come home he does his Dad thing but he often returns to work in the evening when his family activities have slowed down. I often fit in another two hours of work in the evening.

 

Create a schedule that works for you and your family.

 

6. Make a new plan and try it out – then schedule a time to check it again

 

Your plan is just a plan; it’s one way to do it. I always love it when the Universe hands me an unexpected opportunity. I lovingly rethink my whole system to accommodate the new invitation.

 

I also follow my moods. If I’m in the mood to devour a new business book I sit down and do it. If an article starts popping in I sit down and write it. If an idea shows up I stop and take time to write down enough about it so that I have captured its essence. I definitely allow for the creative muse.

 

Take one step at a time.  Get that never-ending "to-do" list out and schedule some of those things onto your calendar every week. Allow them to organically pop to the top. If they don’t get done in a reasonable length of time, take them off the list, they’re not going to happen..

 

My new plan feels great. It has given me new perspectives and new priorities. I’ll try this one out for awhile and then reexamine, rethink and recreate and make room for more change.

 

© 2008 Cara Lumen

 

Does Your Web Site Mean Business?

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by Cara Lumen

Remember brochures? Those colorful and expensive folded pamphlets that you hoped people would pick up and read. And maybe, just maybe they would call you? Do you remember folding, stamping, mailing, or putting them in holders at your booth? Brochures and flyers have their place, but if you are on the internet you must remember that your web site is not a brochure!!!!

 

It can be, of course, it can be a decorative internet presence that lets you say “You can go to my web site at ….” That is a placeholder that simply gives visitors a way to contact you.

 

But a web site should be and can be so much more.

 

Ask for Action-Action-Action

 

As an internet marketing coach I would never encourage you to settle for a brochure web site. If you are going to play on the internet, play for keeps! And that means creating a web site that is compelling and has a clear call to action.

 

What makes a web site compelling?

 

I’m an Attraction Marketer so I am aware of the instant connection that comes from the mere energy behind a web site. I certainly have come across web sites that make an immediate connection with me based on their energy alone. And I have had people tell me that coming to my web site feels like coming home. There is energy that reaches out even before the words and design make an impact.

 

Give them the vital information

 

As an Internet Marketer I believe in giving people the information they need to make an informed decision. I don’t scare them into buying, or yell at them with big fonts and loud yellow boxes, I approach them as a new acquaintance, someone who might be interested in what I offer provided I listen to what they need and truly try to stay in service.

 

Build a friendly relationship

 

As the content progresses I address their needs, not in a negative manner, but in a hopeful manner. Not “Are your painful knees wrecking your life?” but “How would it feel to be able to take a long walk in the woods again? I want to give them hope, a joyous expectation of what is possible, and then let them know how what I offer may be of service to them.

 

It’s like meeting someone new; you don’t move in with a hard sell, you get to know them by exchanging information. In fact, if you’re really good, you don’t sell anything at all, you simply express you passion and enthusiasm for what you do.

 

Ask for another “date”

 

So, if people only spend about a minute on your web site, how can you build a relationship? If they go away you’ll never see them again. But if you create an opt in offer that invites them to give you their email and name along with permission to email them again, you have made a prospective new friend. It means they are interested enough to explore your relationship a bit further.

 

If your web site does not have a compelling opt in offer it does not mean business. It is merely decorative.

 

If you are going to have a web site, put it to work for you. Create a strong opt in offer, write a mini-ecourse for your autoresponders, begin to collect those names. 80% of your sales will come from 20% of your list. Do the math. You have to have a list. And building a list takes time. You have to have a list of people who are interested enough in your work to want to hear more from you. That means you must have an opt in box on you website or you are wasting your time.

 

You must have a clear call to action

 

As big as the temptation is to tell everything you do to everyone who comes you must have only one clear call to action per page. In the case of your home page it must be your opt in box which must be placed in the upper right hand portion above the fold. All you want to do on your home page copy is tell them what you can do for them (not how you will do it),interest them enough in what you offer and entice them enough with your opt in offer, that they give you their name and email. One request. One call to action.

 

Do you see why a brochure approach is so weak? With a little effort, and an investment in a strong foundation like Easy Web Automation Shopping Cart that allows you to create compelling autoresponders and make relationship-building broadcasts to keep in touch and build trust you will have a web site that means business.

 

© 2008 Cara Lumen

 

 

 

How to Find Your Own Rhythm in the Middle of it All

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by Cara Lumen

I’m coming to the end of a three month commitment. I’m tired. I have some end-of-the-course leader things to do and I’m about to have time to find my own rhythm again. And I wonder – where did I get out of sync, how did I let it happen, and what do I do to regain it?

Where did I get out of sync with my own rhythm?

I let myself get out of sync with my own personal rhythm gradually. It went unnoticed. I just added more and more things to do, did them and in doing so, pushed aside some of the nourishing things I know to do for myself.

How did I let it happen?

The operative word here is "let." I let myself get out of sync with my own personal rhythm when I made the choices I did. When I stopped reading for pleasure because I was too tense or didn’t have time. When I stopped taking time to exercise or cut my walks short because I had too much to do. When I didn’t take time to connect with a friend. When I didn’t take time to think, to contemplate, to consider what I wanted and needed. Little by little I sabotaged myself and changed my rhythm to accommodate that of other people or the work I chose to do. It is only when a natural pause presents itself that I know that I want to rethink my choices.

What do I do to regain my personal rhythm?

I always go within to see what I really, really want. I make new choices based on what I have recently learned, who I have met, what new ideas I have. And most of all I check within to be sure I am still aligned with my vision and my core values. It may take a few days. When you are ready to regain your personal rhythm, start thinking and journaling. Notice what’s different about you and what is in your life. Rethink your intention, your direction and make some new choices.

Go back to your original purpose

At the core of what I love to do is teaching. I love to learn, I love to create ways to share what I have learned with others, and I love to teach it. That means that for me to be the happiest and most satisfied, all my choices need to be about my original purpose – doing things that allow me to learn, create and teach.

What is your original purpose? Make a list of the things people continually ask you to do and what they compliment you on. Then circle the ones that you love to do, that you do easily and well and eagerly. That’s gives you insight to what you are supposed to be doing.

Then look at your passion

Whether you are starting your own business, selling a product or service, writing an article, or reaching out to a friend, it is your enthusiasm that will work the magic. And your enthusiasm comes from your passion. I love to teach but what exactly do I love to teach, who do I want to teach, how do I want to teach? One of the things I do is help people bring their passion and vision into a tangible, profitable product or service on the internet that other people need and want. It gives me great joy as I help people achieve their goals while nurturing my own need to be creative and teach. Once you find your passion, look for the people who need want you want to offer. And let them know what you have to offer.

Self-contemplate your way to success

I do a quarterly Magnetic Marketing Method Business Alignment in which I examine where I am and where I want to go. I listen to my body for what it needs – more rest, more laughter, more structure. And I redesign my next three months; not with the idea of adhering closely to the plan, but with the idea of recording my observations and intentions based on what I discovered when I take time to do a "reality" check. What I have experienced today is here because I thought about it yesterday – both the good or bad thoughts. What thoughts do I want to hold now in order to create this next quarter, how do I want to honor my own rhythm, how do I want to keep myself in sync?

Take time to pause, to contemplate and then act upon what you discover. That’s how you find your own rhythm in the middle of it all.

© 2008 Cara Lumen

It’s OK to Charge for Thinking….

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It’s really ok to charge for the time you spend thinking about and for your client, It took me a while to figure that out – until I realized that the time I spent studying the clients present material and position, letting the myriad of ideas that came to mind expand my vision for them, and then giving a lot of thought to the best direction for them to take was the most valuable aspect of my services.

And at one point I wasn’t charging for that!

I expect to include 15 minutes before and after a coaching call with the price of the call. I use the first 15 minutes to study their Coaching Call Prep Form to see what they have accomplished and what they want to talk about. That form also lists their homework for the past week so it is easy for both of us to keep moving forward. The 15 minutes after the call is spent in condensing my notes into the Coaching Call Prep Form for the next session.

Humm, let me think. Knowing that I spend an hour and a half per coaching call makes me wonder – am I charging enough? Perhaps not.

But it was when I started tracking the other times I spent planning for a client that I began to build a Planning Time & Review Charge into my proposals.

For instance, when it comes to web design I partner with Judy Stewart of www.jstewartdesigns.com. She’s the artist. I’m the content developer. But we may spend 30 minutes on the phone working out details of a design or copy placement for a client. Why should either one of us give that important time away for free.

Another client had a very complex site that he wanted to redo and I spent about an hour and a half studying his site, and figuring out the best site map navigation and plotting our strategy. I need to be certain I charge for that. It is after all, the core decision making process that will fuel our mutual success.

Don’t sell your brain power short

I’m selling my brain power – my creativity, my intelligence, my vast spectrum of knowledge and experience. I’m selling my ability to see the client’s vision and help her bring it into a tangible and profitable internet business. That’s worth something. In fact that’s worth a lot!

In your proposal build in special pricing for planning – your planning time. It takes time to read through a new client’s web site and get a picture of who they are and what they want. It takes time to update and track the decisions and planned actions. I have a very strong Client Intake form that I ask my clients to fill out before we begin. It takes time for me to read that and pull out the strategy we should pursue.

Put a price on your thinking

I have two types of pricing. One is for a coaching session. The other is for the time I spend writing copy, strengthening copy, doing research and designing their marketing strategy. I charge by the quarter hour and I list on the invoice exactly what I was doing – created site map, wrote copy for home page, etc.

Don’t give your ideas away for free

I also don’t give a free consultation. I have too many great ideas that will make money for my clients to give them away. I do have a free initial exploratory conversation to discover their needs and how I might best serve them. Then I write a proposal – a Scope of Action. This gives me time to look at the notes I took while I talked to them and personalize my proposal and plan exactly how I’d like to proceed and what the client can expect to accomplish and by when. I also send them my Magnetic Marketing Method Client Intake Form which gives me powerful information upon which to build our sessions.

It’s hard to predict how long we will work and I’m still working up the nerve to say “You need to work with me for six month.” I know I have to have ten sessions minimum to bring the content for a complete web site into readiness. I probably ought to make it 12. People usually want boundaries – an end in sight – an estimate for their budget.

I have several packages of varying lengths for coaching but I always add a price for my thinking time in my proposal. No one has every objected. My intelligence and creativity is the most valuable thing I offer and it’s worth every penny – or should I say every dollar!

It pays to get paid for thinking!