Come Sing a Deeper Song

Why You Are Worth More Than You Think You Are

August 25, 2008 By Cara Lumen

It’s time to raise my prices. Why? Because I am worth more. I know more than I did a year ago. I have more experience than I did a year ago. I am more skilled in how I offer what I do.

So what’s stopping me?

Me.

It’s not about time

I have a web designer friend who sometimes says, "But it only took me an hour to do that." And I have to remind her to think what the value of her design is to her client. How many years it will be in place. How much income it will bring her. It’s not about how much time we take to do it, it’s about the value we give.

It’s not about money

Sure, there are people who spend time looking for the lowest price and pit vendor against vendor to save a few pennies. We have to let them be the judge of how best to use their time and resources. But each of us offers so much more than money and we must incorporate that added value in our pricing.

It is about the intangibles

You want to attract people who value you because they relate to you, because you understand their needs Look beyond the tangibles to place a value on the underpinning of the service you offer.

Reliable service has value

Never underestimate the value of offering reliable service. Only if you have wasted time waiting on someone to fulfill an order or create a project upon which others must act do you understand the full impact of reliable service.

If you get things completed when you say you will and if your back end system is efficient and fulfills orders on time, that is worth money to your customers and clients.

Understanding your clients’ market adds value

As you expand your own knowledge of your clients’ market base, you increase your value to them. Because of your knowledge of their competitors, your client will be miles ahead in their field. Think how that enriches the value of your offerings.

Strong project management adds value

Remember a time you had to work with someone who was disorganized? It was a mess. Things got lost, they didn’t get their work done and there was confusion even in the conversations you had. Huge amounts of time were wasted.

I’ve worked hard at my project management. I have a strong intake form that helps both my clients and me identify what is in place and what is missing that we need to develop. I developed a Coaching Call Prep Form that allows the client to report their weekly progress. It allows me to quickly tune in before a call to see where we left off and what we planned to do in the next call. I send them their weekly assignment right after each coaching call.

Strong project management keeps efficiency at a premium and saves both you and your client and money.

What your time is worth to satisfy your own financial objectives

This is not about anyone but you. What do YOU think you are worth? How does your financial math work out? How many hours do you need to spend with clients to meet your personal financial needs? How much time do you spend with marketing, with administration? How many hours are there that you want to work? How many do you not want to work? These are choices only you can make.

Do you just want to "get by?" Are you playing it "safe?" Or can you raise your vision and your expectations of what you would like to earn? Even if you are staying within your comfort zone at least move to the outer level and set your intention at least two steps beyond that. Growth is good. Higher expectations are good.

Giving wise counsel has more value than you can ever put a price on

My brain is worth more than my service. My brain things up fabulous ideas, it sees possibilities where others don’t, it recognizes the connection between one idea and another, it holds a vision of success for my clients.

What possible price can I put on that?

It is invaluable.

NEVER permit competitors, industry norms, or community norms to set YOUR prices.

Look at these intangibles. Give some thought to how much value they add beyond the time you spend with your clients. YOU decide what you are worth. Then find the kind of client or customer who has reason to accept your evaluation of that worth.

Follow Your Strengths to Success

July 15, 2008 By Cara Lumen

by Cara Lumen

There are seven marketing strategies I could use to promote my business Two I’m really, really good at, one I have the talent to be good at but I need to step up to the plate, The other four vary from medium to definitely less than medium and I feel a great resistance to pursue them.. My question is do I stay safe in the comfort zone of my strengths, do I push myself out of my comfort zone and broaden my spectrum, or do I bluff my way and do them all?

Let your strengths be your guide

There is a reason we tend to favor some activities over others, we love doing them and we are probably very good at them. I love to write, I love to teach and I’ve been doing them all my life. So I’m going to keep those at the core of what I am doing. Fortunately my strengths are in the most technical aspects of marketing: a strong Web Presence Strategy, a Writing Strategy that includes information products and a steady article writing campaign and Speaking and Demonstrating Strategywhich even with teleclasses, I’m not fully taking advantage of.
But what about the other four marketing strategies I could use to promote my business? They are the ones everyone should be able to do. They are the “easy” ones. And they are not yet my strong points.

Check out your second best strength and develop it

But hey, I’m into growth – both personal and business. So I really ought to just pick one and strengthen it. But they are all about reaching out to others. They are all about connecting and relating and talking to others. So in the midst of my discomfort over these strategies I have to find what I am willing to do; how can I adjust how I view them and find my own unique ways to get the results these strategies produce?

Align with your passion and purpose

I love what I do and I love sharing it with people. I write an emagazine and a blog. But those are one-way conversations from me to them. It’s not a two way exchange.

The Keep in Touch Strategy is one of the most important and effective of the seven strategies and would be within my comfort zone. I already know these people. This is just a matter of emailing a personal note, picking up the phone for a chat, or sending them a card. The point is to have an exchange, to reach out on a personal level and see how they are doing. I need to listen to what’s going on for them.

I’m going to schedule an hour a week to reach out and acknowledge someone I know. There now, that’s one strategy added.

Flex those muscles!

That leaves three strategies and I don’t have to do them all. But being aware of them helps me notice when I do them organically. I activate the Referral Strategy when I connect my client who makes home-made gourmet dog treats with a client who wrote a wonderful book about a dog. I activate the Networking Strategy when I volunteer to help people connect with potential roommates for an upcoming training we are taking together. And the Direct Outreach Strategy may just be as simple as reaching out to someone I admire to explore some joint ventures.

Follow Your Strengths

I’m not going to beat myself up for what I can’t do comfortably. I’m not just going to focus on the things I do easily either. I’m going to stretch a bit. I’m going to flex my muscles and look for my personalized version of a strategy that gets the results I want. I’m going to pick my moments and move gently into expansion. I’m going to follow my strengths to success.

Skills and talents are two different things. You can learn a skill like riding a bike, but it takes talent and passion to win a bicycle race.

Cherish your gifts.

When you look carefully you will see your talents. They are about what you love to do. They are what others always ask you to do for them. These are your strengths. Build them up. Bundle them creatively. Use them as your foundation.

Develop your own version

I’m a whiz at coaching. I’m a really good writer, but networking is not something I’m very comfortable with. So how can I create my version of networking that will be comfortable for me and still work? I’ve decided to start interviewing people for my podcast. That gives me a reason to call them and get to know them. That’s my version of networking and that will be fun.

Morph your fears into productivity

What business strategy do you need or want to put in place that is outside your comfort zone. Morph it. Tweak it, adapt it, and personalize it till it works, but don’t fret over it.

Build your own strategy

Go with your natural talent. Partner with or hire people with the natural talents you don’t have. 2+2 make a lot more than 4. Create your own version of the seven core marketing strategies. Nurture your natural abilities and follow your strengths to success.

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

July 8, 2008 By Cara Lumen

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.

Six Thoughtful Ways to Make Room for Change

June 23, 2008 By Cara Lumen

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.

Does Your Web Site Mean Business?

June 19, 2008 By Cara Lumen

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.