Search Results for: How to Be Nothing

What’s The Trickiest Thing To Figure Out In Your Business?

April 2, 2010 By Cara Lumen

The title of your blog or web page is important, but not as important as the power phrase you put next to it. The URL or title is only a word or two that only suggests what you do. You need to have a seven to eight word byline that not only catches the readers’ attention but holds an emotional appeal that keeps them eagerly reading.

You have 7 seconds to convince people to stay on your site. So the first words they see better be emotionally appealing – not a feature (how you do it) but a benefit (what it will do for them.) Finding that short power phrase, that tag line, is one of the most important discoveries you can make. And it takes time.

Today I helped a client find hers. We brainstormed for half an hour on our coaching call. Because she had created the system she was selling, she was filled with “how it works” phrases – phrases that mean nothing to the newcomer to the site. They don’t care how you do it they just want to know what’s in it for them.

How would you explain what you do to someone who knows nothing about your business? In seven or eight words? As my client talked about what she did I wrote down phrases based on what she was saying and we chose parts of them that resonated and built on those. Over and over we had to stop listing features. At one point we realized we liked positive, hopeful statements rather the ones that emphasized the problem. That was good to know.

This power phrase is an element of your brand. It is not your who and do what statement – I help (who) do (what) , It is an identity, a short statement that lets people really understand what you can do for them.

Adapt the beginner’s mind

Do you know where you will find that statement? When you try to explain what you do so others can understand it. When you search for the meaning of your work in the simplest of terms.

Begin by explaining what you do to your friends, particularly the ones that know nothing about what you do. Get in their beginner’s mind and figure out what they need to know. Eliminate jargon, those words and phrases that may have meaning in your field but mean nothing to the uninitiated. Look for airy fairy phrases like “It will bring you peace and serenity.” Restate those words into recognizable daily experiences that have an emotional appeal. One of my major lessons has been to learn to explain esoteric results in concrete terms. The more you explain what you do to people who know nothing about your work, the easier it is to find that power phrase.

Look out for features

It’s so easy to get caught up in features – the how you do it. That’s where your mind has been, you’ve been putting your system into place. You are steeped in how you are going to deliver your product or service. But people don’t care how you do it, they care what results you will get for them. Spend your time looking at the essence of what you do for others and then find the words to express it. Part of my power phrase is “I help you believe you can!” I don’t talk about how I do that, I don’t say what I can help you believe you can do, I just indicate that I help people believe in themselves, in their dreams, in their value. Look for that core message that encompasses what you do for others. We could call this your heart phrase – how you are touch the lives of others – heart to heart.

Know your power phrase will change over time

My client is working in Word Press which means she can easily make changes any time she wants. So putting the power phrase we found up on her banner is as easy as typing it in. If it were a web site done in DreamWeaver it would take a web designer to make that change in the banner. So we’re not worried that the phrase we chose might change. I hope it does. We found one that works but as she continues to develop her work she will find that perhaps her emphasis changes or her niche tightens, or she may find her clients are asking for one element she offers more than others. I was “The Vision Distiller” for a few years because I felt I was helping my clients bring their vision to life. Then I realized that I really am “Your Idea Organizer,” whether it’s for planning your web site, developing your initial business, or leveraging your ideas into signature products. It’s about helping you make money from what you already know. And yes, that last sentence has been a tag line along the way.

Allow your power phrase to evolve

Even if you hit on a hot power phrase, be open to letting it change. In helping my client today I realized that our power phrase for Magnetic Blog Builders is actually very weak. It needs to be strengthened. We put that site up in 48 hours so we were moving off of first impressions and making fast decisions. As we begin to define our offerings and write content to explain what we do and set up our packages, another phrase will emerge. And I also realized that what we have there now is a label, not an emotional hook that says what we can do for people. I can’t tell you what that will be right now because I haven’t figured it out. But now that I know I’m looking for a better power phrase, it will show up as I continue to talk and write about what we do.

Be patient with yourself. Keep your eyes open. And let that power phrase find you.

To Blog or Not to Blog, That is the Question

March 30, 2010 By Cara Lumen

by Cara Lumen

Everybody’s doing it – or so it seems. But is blogging for you? What will it do for you? How much work is it? What does it cost? What kind of results can you expect and how soon? Here are some of those answers.

What will blogging do for you?

Blogging is an incredible way to self-express. Blogging is now my favorite things to do. But then I love to write and I find writing is a great way to sort myself out, to think “out loud” in a way, to make solid my thoughts and ideas. I write first thing in the morning. Sometimes it gets posted; sometimes it waits to be reviewed with a fresh viewpoint a few days from then. But I always feel fulfilled after I write.

Blogging helps you meet new people. When you blog you are putting out your thoughts and ideas, your concerns and your insights, and those who are interested will find you and start hanging out. They may comment on a post, subscribe to your feed, or write you an email or come buy something from you. One recent comment on my blog was “Another new post with correct points, We have been a lurker here for some time but wish to be a lot more involved from now on.” How great. That person checked me out till I proved my value. I touched someone, I got someone thinking, or considering, or maybe even finding new choices. You want people to engage. You want them to start a discussion by adding comments. You do want to make them think. And as you do you start to build a community of people who have similar values and interests and needs and desires. And you have found and connected with your target audience.

Blogging helps you learn. If you want to learn something teach it. If you want to get clear about something blog it. For instance, one of the first things you want to do with your blog is write your Cornerstone Content, a series of foundational articles that you will refer back to again and again. Since my target audience is people considering starting an online business, mine starts with "Are you cut out to start an internet business?” and “Are you a natural entrepreneur?” to help people see if what I have to offer is what they are ready for now. To write those I had to be really clear about my target audience and what they needed. This post is part of the cornerstone content for Magnetic Blog Builders to help people know if they want to add blogging to their marketing strategy and if we are the people to help them. By the time I finished writing this post I had ten other topics for cornerstone content – things I know new bloggers will want to know about post length, and keywords, and optimization and editorial calendars. Writing those will take me deeper into each topic. I will learn more as I teach – as I make it clear for others I make it crystal clear for myself.

Blogging establishes your expert status. As you blog about what you love, express your passion and enthusiasm for your topic, and share resources and concepts that give value, you will quickly become the go-to person, the expert, the thought leader in your field. And that is pure gold. You will become an expert, you will become the go-to person if you consistently put yourself out there through your blog and offer thoughtful, insightful, valuable information on a consistent basis.

How much work is a blog?

Like any chosen marketing strategy you have to work it. You have to be sure its topics are right for the community you want to build and that you keep a consistent flow of posts coming their way.

Like any web presence it has to be well thought out. For instance, in the package we offer in Magnetic Blog Builders, you start with me, an internet marketing and Book Yourself Solid coach And the first thing we work on is why you are doing a blog and who you are doing it for. Sometimes people know, sometimes their niche is way too big. We sort that out and set the focus. Then we work on personal branding, and how to select topics that will attract the people you are meant to serve, how to write a post and optimize a post, how to use internal and external links, and how to use social marketing to draw people to your blog. That work will help you aim your marketing arrow at the right target. So yes, there is some very vital foundational work to be done in the beginning.

Then you will want to post at least three times a week which can be reveling, enlightening and valuable all at the same time.

What is the difference between a blog and a web site?

None and some. I see them as having two different uses. My web site is where people go to see what I offer – my services as a business coach and curriculum developer and educator, my large collection of signature products and courses, my training and background, my media page. It is a place from which to purchase my services. My blog Passionately on Purpose is about who I am, what I think, my insights, my values. It is a way for people to get to know who I am and what I stand for. It is a way for us to get to know each other and build relationships. You can place both those aspects in one place by using static pages on your blog for the “what you offer” part and the blog for the “get to know me” part.

What does a blog cost?

Nothing and something. You can get a basic WordPress site up for free. You can put a free template on it. You may need to pay for a host. Or you can get some professional help and have valuable, time-saving, money-saving guidance on these important first steps. For instance, Nancy Hendrickson is our WordPress Wizard. She loves to help people make new blogs. She spends a great deal of time checking out new plug ins and learning new ways to optimize a blog site. She explores new resources. When we first partnered I had a list of plug-ins that I knew about from two other sources and she often had a better version of a plug-in that would do what I wanted to do. She knows her stuff. We recommend a Thesis Theme, and Scribe Optimization and we customize the plug-ins for each client. I don’t want to learn that part, I want to keep learning about being a better blogger, so you can see why we are a great team and offer a great package. We call it “Ready, Set, Blog “because you can be in off and blogging in four weeks. Nancy’s part goes faster than mine. She’ll have an active blog before you and I have our second meeting. You and I have to help you learn some strong foundational techniques during the four weeks we work together.

What kind of results can I expect and how soon?

Your success will depend on the value of the content you create, Like any marketing strategy, you have to work it and let it evolve. You might write something so meaningful that people flock to sign up to your RSS feed. Or, you might have lurkers who check you out for awhile before joining in the community. You have a lot of writing to do. You have to develop your cornerstone content; I’ll help you design a series of posts and a strong editorial calendar. Then you need to plan to post at least three times a week.

Your success also depends on how you learn to work your social media sites. We set you up so every time you post your contacts on LinkedIn, FaceBook, Twitter and any other place you’ve signed up for will receive notices of that post. So you’ll want to work on building your social media connections too.

You blog will add value to your business offerings. My emagazine Passionately on Purpose used to have one article in it. Now it contains links to everything I’ve written in the two weeks since the last issue. It contains posts from both blogs and my radio show talks. It’s a lot of good content. And now I’m adding links to outside sources that I have discovered to be helpful. So blogging has increased the value of the content of my emagazine and builds my community.

People can make money on blogs through affiliate marketing. Sometimes blogs are big enough to attract sponsors. Some bloggers use ads. But the first thing it’s going to earn you is friends – a community of qualified prospects who take time to get to know you and eventually become those incredible assets – loyal followers.

Is blogging for you?

It’s inexpensive, it’s effective, and it’s fascinating to do. If you love to write, then it’s an extremely satisfying place to be as it steadily builds a community of people who see like and trust you.

Give us a call. We’ll get you blogging like an expert in no time.

5 Ways to Help Your Home Office Keep the Ideas Flowing

February 13, 2010 By Cara Lumen

by Cara Lumen

I love working at home. I get to set my own rhythm. I take a break when I need one, go for a walk or read a bit whenever I need a change. It’s my call. And it’s also my call about how well I arrange for my office space to support my creativity, my concentration, and my effectiveness.

1 – Organize your clutter

It is way too easy to put off putting something away. I even have a basket that I put things in that I want for reference as I write. It would probably be a good idea for me to put that in some order and maybe next time I go searching for something in it I will, but it is in one place – a basket. Order is good. I have a great shelf to put things on at my desk but my cats Sebastian and Sabrina like to lie there, so I’ve made another plan. Their company is supportive and nurturing and they are an integral part of my home office. I have labeled folders within reach to place the paid bills. I bank on line and set up my bill payments the minute I receive a bill. I have the papers I use during the day handy – all my passwords, a calendar, phone numbers I use a lot. They are in a pretty napkin holder on my desk and don’t take up much space while staying within easy reach.

But here’s a trick I learned a long time ago when I worked in a regular business office. Each day before you leave spend the last five minutes organizing yourself for the next day, putting things away, making a short list of what you need to do next. That way when you come in you know exactly where to start and you have a tidy space to get started right away.

2 – Acknowledge your successes

I created an acknowledgement/tracking system for myself in which I write the things I feel good about accomplishing. I don’t necessarily do it every day but I like to do it at the end of the week and if something really great gets done I’ll write in it at the time. This Magnetic Momentum Builder is my version of the 5:15 report also lets me track and acknowledge my forward progress

3 – Bless your work

I used to do temp work so I’d go into a company where I knew no one. And I would bless the pieces of paper I was preparing. It was fun to wonder how many people would handle that piece of paper and unknowingly receive the positive energy I sent along.

When I am waiting for my radio show Passionately On Purpose to begin, I look out my window and the great nature view I have and bless the words I am about to speak and the intention behind what I am about to present. I fill my thoughts with loving energy to go with what I offer.

I hadn’t thought to do that with these posts, but I will starting right now. As you post an article or a blog post or begin to give a telecourse, center yourself and align your thoughts with the people you hope are touched by what you offer. And they will be.

4 – Listen to your inner wisdom

The beautiful thing about working at home is that when a creative idea shows up you can simply make it happen. I was thinking up ideas for my radio show when I realized that particular topic would make a good post so I started writing and here it is in post format. And elements of it will be a future radio show. Now that I’ve begun to do interviews on my show all sorts of related ideas are showing up and I’m hard pressed to keep track of them all. But the trick is to put your ideas all in one place. I now have a folder called “Idea Bank” in which I keep all those things I think up to do or create. Those ideas you get – they may or may not be yours to do but if you choose to act on them then you definitely are the chosen one for that idea.

Watch for signs. Whether it’s an email from a friend with something in that sparks an idea, or you read a phrase in a book that would be translated into what you do, or you’re just sitting there and the idea comes in – those are yours to at least capture and think about doing.

5 – Create meaningful scenarios

Can you look up from your computer and see something you like? I can look up and see a plant I love doing it’s thing in a corner or a lithograph of an old typewriter I’ve had in my office for years as a symbol of my being a writer, a Treasure Map I made of my intentions years ago that still holds true, and my cats curled up in a nearby chair. Surround yourself with things you like to look at and be with. That’s another reason to keep your working space organized so you have space for your treasures. Stop and admire the small scenarios of meaningful items you have created.

They don’t call it “home” office for nothing – you spend a lot of time there. Honor yourself by making it visually pleasing and organized in support of what you do. Periodically schedule a put-away morning and tidy up every corner of your space. Love your office. It reflects who you are and what you are thinking. It should be nourishing and welcoming. Fill your home office with inspiration and it will support your creativity, your concentration, and your effectiveness

Ya Gotta Do What Ya Gotta Do

February 3, 2010 By Cara Lumen

by Cara Lumen

Don’t you love your intuition – that inner knowing that helps you make decisions? When I decided to move from California to be around my family in Kansas I decided in a nano-second. There was a knowing, a certainty that it was the perfect step to take. And within two hours I had given notice to my landlord, called my daughter to say I was coming and got on line to check out places to live. That kind of certainty makes decision making easy.

But what if you are not so sure?

Cultivate your inner knowing
You need to learn to trust your inner wisdom. So check it out. Listen to those silent words you hear, or the sudden feeling that gives you a clue, and test it out. Keep testing until you are comfortable with how you are interpreting those signs.

Ask for signs
I love this one because it’s rather like going on an adventure. Ask the Universe for a sign that the step you are considering is the right one and watch what happens. Periodically I have to say, “OK Universe, what am I to do now?” And I read something that gives me a great idea, or I talk to someone on the phone and explain something to them and there is my answer, or someone is explaining their thoughts and I get the one that’s applicable to me.

Know what you really want
If you keep looking deep enough you’ll find what is at the core of your passion. I have gotten as far as learning and teaching as my passion but beneath that is a need to organize – thoughts, ideas, learning procedures. And one of the signs I keep getting is people asking me to create exercises for their books. I create great systems for myself and I share them with others in my courses and in my coaching. My latest thought is to make a collection of worksheets that simplify and clarify any project. Keep defining your passion and see what others recognize in you. You have to know what you are good at but you have to be willing to experiment and keep trying things until you find a way to make it work.

Do your research
Sometimes we can’t take a step because we don’t have enough information. Gathering information doesn’t mean you have to do it, it simply means you can make an informed decision. Go exploring. Get more information. Find out what others are doing. See what you can offer that other’s are not. See if what you find appeals to you. What do you want to do? What do you want to offer? What are you not willing to do? Listen to your intuition and inner knowing and follow your passion. Then make your choice.

Take action
Nothing’s going to happen if you don’t start. Make an outline, devise some steps. Start. Take one step at a time. Remember that business is a series of projects so divide your idea into measurable steps and congratulate yourself when you get one completed.

Do what ya gotta do
Life is a series of choices. The more aware we are of our passion, our desires, and our strengths, the more on-target our choices will be. Look, listen and choose and go do what ya gotta do.

A Tale for All Seasons

December 30, 2009 By Cara Lumen

“Tell me the weight of a snowflake,” a coal-mouse asked a wild dove. “Nothing more than nothing,” was the answer. “In that case, I must tell you a marvelous story,” the coal-mouse said. “I sat on the branch of a fir, close to its trunk, when it began to snow – not heavily, not in a raging blizzard – no, just like in a dream, without a wound and without any violence. Since I did not have anything better to do, I counted the snowflakes settling on the twigs and needles of my branch. Their number was exactly 3,741,952. When the 3,741,953rd dropped onto the branch, nothing more than nothing, as you say – the branch broke off.” Having said that, the coal mouse flew away. The dove, since Noah’s time an authority on the matter, thought about the story for awhile, and finally said to herself. “Perhaps there is only one person’s voice lacking for peace to come to the world.” New Fables, Thus Spoke “The Caribou” by Kurt Kauter.

Cara Lumen, MA, Your Idea Optimizer, helps you build a successful business from your inside out. As a Business Coach, Content Developer and Educator she keeps you passionately on purpose and helps you believe you can!!! Find out how at http://www.caralumen.com or her blog http://www.passionatelyonpurpose.com