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What Doesn’t Attract Clients and Customers

September 2, 2011 by Rebecca Leave a Comment

This is a reprint from Barb Wade, M.A. who specializes in teaching Coaches to create thriving, 6-figure practices in under 20 hours a week! For a FREE “How To Get Clients” BUSINESS BREAKTHROUGH KIT just for Coaches, visit BarbWade.com today and tomorrow gain new clients and customers.

Please note: Even though this post is targeted to coaches, every business owner needs to market their business. Remember, “You’re in business to solve a problem and market your business.” If your web content, blog posts, articles, newsletters, marketing materials, etc. aren’t working, perhaps it’s time to evaluate your target market and analyze if you’re targeting the right market. You may need to ‘tweak’ your market, even if it means losing Twitter followers, Facebook fans, etc. Think about the long-run versus the short run.

Some coaches just don’t like marketing. They don’t like to promote themselves and they may even find it distasteful! In fact, until I learned that marketing was nothing more than letting others know how I could help them with their biggest problems, I thought marketing was a “necessary evil” at best.

On the other hand, there are some coaches and entrepreneurs who have no problem with marketing – or so it seems. BUT they use it as an excuse for not moving forward or to “hide out.”

Do you know what I mean? It’s the endlessly tinkering with your website.

Or taking forever to craft your “elevator pitch,” and then never actually using it!

Or spending tons of time, energy, and money getting just the right logo… or business card… or… well, you get the idea.

Of course, doing this comes from good honest intentions. Those things do help support spreading the word about your services. But it’s all too easy to get stuck in an endless loop of tweaking and fiddling with the minutia.

The truth is, doing so can actually keep you from getting clients!

Here’s the big news: your clients aren’t attracted to your coaching practice because of your business card, logo, website, or any other collateral. Even if they are really beautiful and elegant and “cutting edge.”

Yes, those things can help get your potential client’s attention, but that’s not what holds them or compels them to come back.

Ultimately, your clients will respond to the connection you create with them. Those people that you are meant to help will resonate with your authentic and unique brilliance. It is you being willing to share your experience and expertise – in the way that only you can – that makes an impression on people.

Your clients want to be seen, acknowledged, heard, understood and helped by you. And the more they get to know the real you, the more they will want to continue to work with you.

This is the concept behind the “Know, Like, Trust” factor you may have heard of. It works like this. First, your potential clients hear about you somehow – on the Internet, at a live event, on a tele-seminar, etc. And the more they get to know you, they more they begin to “like” you (note: this is not a popularity contest. Instead think of “like” as “appreciate” or “value”) And the more they like you, they more they begin to trust you as a teacher, advisor and friend.

And what I have found is that when you cultivate that kind of connection with your market, it actually accelerates your ability to attract clients and it makes your work so much more joyful!

So, if you find yourself spending too much time “crossing all the T’s and dotting all the I’s,” try adopting this mantra that was taught to me by one of my mentors: “Completion Not Perfection.”

Get into action and get it done – perfection is highly over-rated!

Barb Wade, M.A. who specializes in teaching Coaches to create thriving, 6-figure practices in under 20 hours a week! For a FREE “How To Get Clients” BUSINESS BREAKTHROUGH KIT just for Coaches, visit BarbWade.com today and tomorrow gain new clients and customers.

Put Your Brand Identity to Work (stepup2success.wordpress.com)

Filed Under: Clients, Freelance Writers, Freelance Writing, Ghostwriter, Overcoming Obstacles, Social Media, Tips and Tricks Tagged With: Blogs, Business Tools, Communication, Freelance Writing, Ghostwriting, Life Coaching, Making Money on the Internet, Marketing, Mistakes to Avoid, Public Relations, Referrals, Web Traffic

7 Benefits of Hiring a Ghost Writer

August 29, 2011 by Rebecca 3 Comments

Image via Wikipedia

Let’s face it; some people don’t enjoy the art of writing as much as others do. Some find writing to be a tedious and time consuming process; they’d rather be golfing. Hiring a ghost writer could work for you because you hire a person who loves to write. Most writers (me) find writing to be second nature — it’s like breathing. If you have an idea for a book or eBook, consider hiring a ghost writer today. Tomorrow, you could be selling and earning income on Amazon.com

Benefits of hiring a ghost writer

1. The pressure if off of you to write and produce a book.

2. You’re able to spend time on other things such as setting up a website/blog, social media sites, email campaigns, etc. However, a ghost write that’s skilled in marketing and social media can assist you with these business endeavors.

3. You receive a well written book or eBook.

4. You take all the credit. However, some ghost writers are given credit because they’ve worked with a client numerous times. It’s important to work with a ghost write that’s checked their ‘ego’ at the door.

5. A ghost writer loves to write and will probably finish your book ahead of the scheduled deadline.

6. A ghost writer understands the importance of marketability and can give you objective feedback on your book’s subject matter.

7. Hiring a ghost writer means you don’t have to through the process alone. Perhaps you considered writing the book yourself but didn’t want to work alone; the writer’s life isn’t for you. However, working with a ghost writer may inspire you to co-author your next book. It could happen.

When you hire a ghost writer, it can feel as if a burden or weight has been lifted off of you. Your time can be spent on the business side, i.e., developing your web presence, scheduling interviews and speaking engagements, building a social media platform, connecting with the ‘right’ people, etc. You don’t have to worry about your book because it’s in good hands with your ghost writer. You can now breathe a ‘sigh’ of relief.

Rebecca

7 Points to Look for on Social Media Sites When Hiring a Freelance Writer (savvy-writer.com)
How to Write Your E_book (thewritershelp.wordpress.com)

Filed Under: Authors, Clients, Freelance Writers, Freelance Writing, Ghostwriter, Networking, Overcoming Obstacles, Publishing, Tips and Tricks Tagged With: Authors, Communication, Fiction Writing, Freelance Writing, Ghostwriting, Marketing, Mistakes to Avoid, Networking, Non-Fiction, Publishing and Printing, Self-Publishing, Writing, Writing and Editing

7 Points to Look for on Social Media Sites When Hiring a Freelance Writer

August 22, 2011 by Rebecca Leave a Comment

Image by Intersection Consulting via Flickr

Let’s face it; social media and the internet can be a blessing and a curse. Most people are courteous and professional on their social media websites like Twitter, Facebook, etc. However, a select few post lewd photos, unsavory links, don’t agree to disagree, and bash people. This information is available for everyone to see, including potential freelance writing clients. Like it or not, social media leaves a freelance writer and their professionalism open to interpretation. Here are several points to help you navigate the murky waters of social media when you check out a freelance writer.

7 Points to Look for on Social Media Sites When Hiring a Freelance Writer

1. Bashing previous clients. You’d think this would a ‘no-brainer’ but some freelance writers have been known to bad-mouth former clients and employers. They don’t understand that it’s not good business to ‘burn or blow up’ a bridge. It’s best to walk away in a professional, dignified manner.

2. Negative Nancy or Nick. Most freelance writers are aware of how to write comments on blog posts and forums. They’re professional and agree to disagree. However, some may tear people a part. This isn’t professional or helpful to the conversation. If you come across a freelance writer like this, they may not be the writer for you.

3. Sketchy contacts. There’s a saying about how you can tell a lot about a person by the company he/she keeps. This is why it’s important to choose friends and contacts wisely. Peruse a freelance writer’s list of contacts. How solid are they? Are they legitimate contacts? Is a writer’s social media website filled with a lot of contacts to make them look good? Ask these and other questions to determine the legitimacy of contacts.

4. Endorsements. LinkedIn allows endorsements; it’s a hot topic. Review endorsements carefully. Does a freelance writer have solid, well written endorsements from actual clients? What about former employers? What did they have to say? Not all endorsements help a writer. Unfortunately, most of them are for show and don’t tell you much.

5. Unsavory media. This is a sticky area. What a freelance writer does on their personal time is their business. However, if you find pictures of them ‘jugging’ from a beer bong while wearing a lampshade on their head, you may receive the wrong impression. How would this affect your decision to hire them as your writer? Can you imagine having lunch with your potential freelance writer with that image of them in your head? Listen to your ‘gut instinct’ if you feel comfortable hiring the writer.

6. Grammar and other mistakes. This is why it’s important for everyone to set a Facebook Personal Page to the highest settings. There’s nothing wrong with Lol!, LMAO, and other abbreviations; however, a freelance writer’s business is writing and communications. Check out their Twitter page, Facebook fan page, and LinkedIn page to see what they’re posting.

7. Does the freelance writer interact on their blog and fan page? Social media can make your head spin! However, a freelance writer who understands the importance of ‘connecting’ and developing relationships will interact with fans and followers.

Rebecca

Freelance Writing Clients Discover How to Use Twitter … Confusion Ends (savvy-writer.com)
20 Questions Clients Could Ask A Freelance Writer (savvy-writer.com)

Filed Under: Clients, Freelance Writers, Freelance Writing, Networking, Overcoming Obstacles, Social Media, Tips and Tricks, Travel Writing Tagged With: Blogs, Client Relations, Communication, Copywriting, Freelance Writing, Ghostwriting, Mistakes to Avoid, Networking, Social Media, Travel Writing, Writers Resources, Writing, Writing and Editing

Freelance Writers Spice-Up Your Freelance Writing with Ginger Software

August 15, 2011 by Rebecca Leave a Comment

Image via CrunchBase

This is a review of Ginger Software and based on my ‘use’ of the writing software. I was not paid to write this review. However, I was offered a permanent version of Ginger Software which I have yet to activate.

Rony H., who’s a part of Ginger Software’s marketing team, emailed and asked me if I’d be interested in testing and reviewing Ginger Software. Before I agreed, I inquired about Ginger’s customer service. I will no longer review products without knowing how a company responds and treats customers. Too many writers complained about the customer service of another writing software company which has prompted me to ask ‘tough’ questions. With that said, here’s the review of Ginger Software.

What I like about Ginger

Let me reiterate how much I appreciated the attention to customer service. I communicated with Rony, who was nothing but professional and speedy, with responding to my inquiries. I found Ginger software to be super easy to download; it didn’t take long. The bonus is there are no ‘wonky’ toolbars downloaded onto your computer. This is a big issue with other writing softwares.

Ginger Software includes features such as a Learning and Settings section. The Learning section is very helpful. When you click on Learning, you’re taken to Ginger Learning. Click on the ‘Most Recommended Topics’ to learn more about these areas. You have the option to review Lessons and Quizzes. This is extremely helpful for writers.

I liked how Ginger Software scanned my writing line-by-line. The writing software also catches and hi-lights errors. You have the opportunity to correct or learn more about the errors by clicking on Learning.

When you click on Settings, you can view General, Display, and Speech settings. Adjust these according to your needs. I liked the ‘Speech’ setting because sometimes it’s helpful to hear what you wrote. The Settings section includes Enter Activation Code, Help, Contact Support, and About.

What could be improved?

My suggestions were as follows:

1. Include a translator. Sometimes, a writer translates writing into different languages.

2. Include reference materials such as dictionary, thesaurus, etc. I didn’t see these.

3. Include information on punctuation in the Learning section.

Free gifts for you from Ginger Software

1. Ginger Software’s free online correction service where your website visitors can go and paste/type their text and have it corrected instantly. Visit Ginger Software to grab your free gift.

2. Ginger Software’s brand new writing tool for web sites. The writing tool below can be placed on any webpage on your website, to enable the website visitors to receive corrections directly from your website. Visit Ginger Software to grab this free gift.

If you want to purchase writing software that’s easy to use, consider purchasing Ginger Software. As I said, I inquired about the company’s customer service before I agreed to ‘test’ the writing software. I, personally, had no issues with customer service and communication with Rony. Plus, the company’s offered everyone free gifts. This doesn’t happen every day. You may want to take advantage of this generous offer.

Rebecca

Ginger Software Announces Exciting New Features (prweb.com)
The Challenges and Joys of Freelance Writing … Freelance Writer’s Perspective (savvy-writer.com)

Filed Under: Freelance Writers, Freelance Writing, Tips and Tricks, Travel Writing Tagged With: Authors, Blogs, Business Tools, Communication, Copywriting, Fiction Writing, Freelance Writing, Ghostwriting, Mistakes to Avoid, Non-Fiction, Travel Writing, Writers Resources, Writing, Writing and Editing

Authors and Writers Get the Skinny on Purchasing and Using Photos

August 8, 2011 by Rebecca Leave a Comment

© is the copyright symbol in a copyright notice

Image via Wikipedia

Question: This is a two-part question. First, I use photos to accompany or enhance my blog posts. Some clients expect me to incorporate photos into a blog post or article I write for them. Do I need to purchase extra licenses? As a freelance writer my business is writing, not photography. Second, what kind of license would I need if I wanted purchase an illustration or photo for a book I wrote? If I self-publish, am I better off using the self-publisher‘s graphic designer and or illustrator? Help!

Answer: These are excellent questions and a good sign you’re aware of copyright protection.

Photos for freelance writing clients

Most clients have their own stock photography; you shouldn’t be stressed about it. If you need to purchase or find photos from a stock photography site, a photo can be used once (at least this is my understanding) in a blog post or article. For example, if you purchase a photo from iStock, Bigstock Photos, Fotolia, etc. you’ll be able to use the photo one time for a specific client. You can’t reuse photos for all clients, unless, you purchase additional license agreements. Reading and interpreting license agreements can be a tricky. When in doubt, always ask questions before your purchase photos. Each stock photography company has different licensing terms. However, the goal is the same; to protect the copyright of artists.

The bottom line for you, the freelance writer, is selling your writing and not worrying about photos. Of course, if you’re interviewing someone and writing an article for a magazine or newspaper, you can take your own photos or have the publication’s photographer take photos.

Adding a photo is nothing more than an ‘enhancement’ to a blog post or article; your main focus is writing. If you’re a freelance writer who ‘dabbles’ in photography, feel free to sell clients your photos separately or as part of a writing package. To ease your anxiety about purchasing photos (if you have any), you may consider telling a client your focus freelance writing. They’ll have to purchase photos.

Artwork for book covers

You may consider using the services offered to you by a self-publisher or hiring a freelance graphic designer or illustrator. Traditional publishers also have graphic designers and illustrators. Again, it will behoove you to ask questions such as:

● Who owns the rights to the artwork?

● Is the artwork licensed to me, the author?

● Where did you purchase the artwork from?

● Can I reuse the artwork?

All of this may sound like paranoia, but it’s better to err on the side of caution. When I worked for a real estate and development corporation, we used to say, “CYA” which stands for ‘Cover Your A**”

BTW: Artists appreciate knowing how and where their photos are used. If you use ‘royalty free’ photos from Stock Exchange or some other site, send the artist an email and link to your writing.

As an author or writer, you want to understand copyright protection. The more you know and understand the better for you and your writing (freelance) career. There’s nothing wrong with investigating and making sure you dot the “I’s” and cross the “T’s.” Not only does it protect you, it protects your clients. Artists are also protected; all they want is credit and recognition. Isn’t this what we all want?

Rebecca

Filed Under: Authors, Clients, Freelance Writers, Freelance Writing, Overcoming Obstacles, Publishing, Tips and Tricks, Travel Writing Tagged With: Authors, Blogs, Communication, Copywriting, Fiction Writing, Freelance Artists, Freelance Designers, Freelance Writing, Ghostwriting, Mistakes to Avoid, Non-Fiction, Travel Writing

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7 Benefits of Hiring a Ghost Writer

Freelance Writers Spice-Up Your Freelance Writing with Ginger Software

Authors and Writers Get the Skinny on Purchasing and Using Photos

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