http://essentialwebmarketing.com essentials for coaches + growing companies Thu, 07 Jan 2010 17:53:27 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Most of you know by now that your business is not about you. People who are checking you out aren't looking for coaching or consulting. They want to find solutions to a problem. Your job is to know what that problem is and to explain what you do in terms of results. Imagine what ... http://essentialwebmarketing.com/2010/01/5-questions-to-help-you-describe-what-you-d/ How would you go about making a guest list for a really fun surprise birthday party? Think with me out loud here. You might start with people who are easy going and who you love hanging out with. You might consider people you have known for a long time, friends with ... http://essentialwebmarketing.com/2009/10/qualifying-prospects-for-your-coaching-business/ Have you ever seen the Progressive insurance commercial on television that features a spokeswoman and customer in an insurance "store", browsing through shelves of insurance (i.e. boxes that say Motorcycle Insurance, Homeowners Insurance, RV Insurance, etc.)? I love this visual depiction of services, and you know what, our prospects are in ... http://essentialwebmarketing.com/2009/09/an-easier-way-to-offer-services/ [Photo Credit Flickr smoorenburg ] I know that some readers may disagree with me when I say you should write own your web content. Some of you may feel uncomfortable writing, may not have time to write, or just prefer hiring a professional writer for projects such as this, but I ... http://essentialwebmarketing.com/2009/07/why-you-should-write-your-own-web-content/ [Photo credit Daveness 98 on Flickr] When you first open your coaching practice or even after being in it for a year or two, you may not know your coaching specialty, i.e. that group of people who are the hand-in-glove fit for you. It's okay to cruise along in discovery mode for ... http://essentialwebmarketing.com/2009/06/8-questions-to-help-you-find-your-coaching-specialty/ I think sifting through website tools is somewhat like comparing apples to oranges and not really an easy job. Nonetheless, I wanted to try to give you a few tools I would recommend due to popularity, ease of use, support and customization. Keep in mind that any tool you use will ... http://essentialwebmarketing.com/2009/06/7-great-website-tools-for-coaches/ We enjoyed Celine Dion in Omaha from the sixth row a few months ago. I couldn't help but filter her concert through the marketing grid in my head. Here's what came out. Be honest and humble. Celine's original concert in Omaha last fall was cancelled because she got sick. Her first ... http://essentialwebmarketing.com/2009/06/what-celine-dion-taught-me-about-marketing/ You know how you are so used to someone that you see them without really seeing them? Well, the other day it was like I "saw" my husband for the first time and wow -- he has lost 15 pounds and he is looking fab-lee-ous! One thing I admire so much ... http://essentialwebmarketing.com/2009/05/what-30-minutes-a-day-will-get-you/ Have you ever heard of Gary Vaynerchuk? Me, neither. That is until I started seeing his name as a speaker on just about every conference agenda I saw...South by SouthWest SXSW in Austin, Future of Web Apps in Miami, Web 2.0 New York...you get the picture. So, I thought, who is this ... http://essentialwebmarketing.com/2009/05/could-you-make-a-tv-show/ I did a fun thing last week. I attended the Big Omaha conference for creatives and entrepreneurs with Holy Cow Design Gal. It was a sold out crowd of twenty and thirty somethings (they still let me in), and a fantastic lineup of tending-toward-geeky speakers such as Jason Fried of 37Signals, ... http://essentialwebmarketing.com/2009/05/share-what-you-know/