Approachability

When you sit down to write a blog you should have an idea of the subject (if you don’t read some of my previous articles, you’ll find lots of advice on dealing with ‘blank screen syndrome’).

However, there’s a big difference between a readable blog and a dry as dust boring one.  The challenge for many people is that they’re in ‘business-head’ when they’re writing blogs so they err on the side of formal.

I’m not suggesting you pepper your blog with slang, but neither should it be dotted with industry-speak.

Instead, imagine you are explaining this subject to someone you know personally - maybe your partner or a good friend.  You speak differently when you’re in social mode and your language tends to be more relaxed and conversational.  That’s the writing style you’re aiming for - as though you’re talking to a friend.

When words don’t flow …

If someone you know and like asks the questions that will get you talking about your products or services how would you respond?

If it’s easier to write your blog as a Q&A session then do that.  If all else fails give someone the questions to ask you and record the answers you give - you should have enough material to get you started.

Always think about things from your potential customer’s point-of-view - what do they want to know?  Better still, what do you often get asked about?

Are you better at talking?

If you’re better at talking than writing invest in a little smartphone tripod and a mic and film yourself talking.  You can load this on your blog - and it’s just as effective as a written version.

You can either do audio or video - although everyone seems to love video these days so, if you can brave being seen, go for the video version.  Don’t worry too much about a script - have a few bullets to keep you on track.  Reading from a script will come over very wooden - unless you’ve been taught how to do this effectively.

If you really can’t bear to be seen on film what about a slide show with you providing voice-over.  This is another way to produce video content.

Remember you need to be focused on ‘What’s in it for me?’ as far as your audience is concerned.  Your product or service may be 5-star, but how does that translate into benefits for your customers?

Be creative about how you get your message across.

Which side of the hand are you?

If you’re a business owner - or responsible for marketing a business - there are some key issues you’ll need to get clear about.

1: Who are you trying to reach?

An ideal client profile - or more than one for your core audiences - is an excellent start.

2: What do they want to know?

Not what you want to tell them, but what they are actively looking for.

3: How do you find these people?

Where do they hang out?  In groups, forums, networking events, professional organisations, etc.

This is the very short version of what are deceptively simple tasks.  To really get your sales running effectively, you need to invest some time in finding these things out.

Where does the hand come in?

Let’s imagine I am holding my hand up with the palm facing you and the back facing me.  Are we seeing the same thing?

Of course, we both recognize it’s a hand, but if we described what we were seeing to someone else, they would get two very different descriptions.  That’s the situation when you look at your business and a potential customer looks at it from their perspective.

You may both be looking at the same things, but you’re seeing them from a different perspective.

If you want to get your message on target to reach your ideal client, you’ll need to step out of your business and go and sit in their chair - you might be surprised at what you’ll see.

To make this easier, have a chat with a couple of clients that fit into your ideal client profile and see what they have to say.  You’ll just have to be good at asking the right questions - and then sitting back and waiting to see what they have to say. 

This kind of research is invaluable in putting the right words on advertising, your website, your blogs, newsletters and email campaigns.

From business owner to guru!

Yes, I know - you hate that word ‘guru’.  It’s sadly overused.  Perhaps ‘expert’ would sit better with you (although the dictionary does include ‘mentor’ and ‘acknowledged leader or expert’ in the description under guru).

So how do you move from business owner to expert?

It’s all about sharing

The people who become known as experts are those who stand up and talk about their area of expertise.  They write about it, speak about it, create learning for others about it - and the news spreads until their name is associated as an authority on their subject.

If you’re running a business around a specific area - you probably know a huge amount about it and that knowledge is valuable if you choose to share it.

Think about your existing customers - they ask questions and you give them answers.  That’s sharing your knowledge.

If you go to networking groups you probably do the occasional business presentation to help others in the group understand what you do.  That’s sharing your knowledge too.

You might be asked to speak to a group of people who have an interest in your area of expertise from time-to-time.  That’s sharing your knowledge.

So - take it to the next level and transform all that into a book.

One step at a time

The first step to creating a book is to decide to do it.

Then you need a structure to work in to make the gathering the information easy.  That means a plan of what people need to know, what order they want that information in, what else will help you to get the message across, etc.  This will become your chapter guide.

Ideally, you’ll need another structure for a chapter so each one looks roughly the same (people like familiarity).

Then it’s a case of expanding your headings to provide the information that people want to have.

My advice is to have it professionally edited and proof-read to ensure it maintains your high quality standards.

Writing is only the tip of the iceberg

If you think no publisher will be interested - stop worrying about that.  Mainstream publishers may not be, but you don’t need them at this stage. 

Self-publishing is now pretty mainstream.  There are many self-publishing companies around - just search online.

You could even produce your book as an ebook only and sell it on your website or give it away as a lead magnet.

Success depends on marketing

If you plan to produce your book as a hard copy that you can give to people - you’ll need to market it.  This applies even with a mainstream publisher - they don’t do a lot.  Putting together a robust marketing plan and following it can make a significant difference to your book’s success.

None of this is difficult - it’s all about planning and then following your plan!

Building a marketing funnel

Lots of people have heard of the Marketing Funnel – it all makes great sense on paper.  You start by attracting lots of people who are interested and then filter them out by asking a bit more each time.

The funnel looks a bit like this.

The strategy behind having a good marketing funnel is that you offer a free product to attract the attention of all those people who are interested in what you have to offer and are looking for help.
The free product could be a checklist, a tips document, a worksheet or a webinar and the deal is that people provide their name and email in order to get it.

That means you have a list of people who have demonstrated an interest in what you’re offering and you can now start building a relationship with them by emailing added value information. 

When they’ve got to know that you’re an expert and give great value, you can offer them a low-cost item.  This may be a book, a paid-for webinar, a seminar, a breakfast briefing or an online coaching session.  Not everyone will buy so you’ll filter people out who are still thinking about it or trying to DIY what you offer.

On the plus side, some of those people will buy the low-cost item (or a similar low-cost offer) at a later date.  However, you now know you have an audience of people who are ‘fans’.

Some of those people will become clients for your products or services and pay for your core services.  This is your bread and butter.

The jam comes from the premium clients who want to work directly with you and are willing to pay top dollar for your expertise.  In reality you probably only want two or three of these at a time.  However, if you don’t keep filling your funnel’s top layer, these people may never discover you.