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If you can't read this,
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here.
 Dear Friends and Colleagues,
The dog days of summer are upon most of us, and while you may find this to be a
slow time when dealing with your customers, it's important for you not to slow
down! Why? Because what you do this month will set the tone and pace for the
rest of the year!
This is the time of year you should be planning and, in some cases, executing
your holiday marketing! You holiday class schedule should be set, and you should
have all of your marketing plotted out.
This is also the time to get ready for the big recruiting push you should be
making during the fourth quarter. Once the kids are back in school, and
everyone's schedule returns to normal, it's an excellent time to speak to people
about your business opportunity.
If you need some help with marketing and communicating effectively to your
existing customers, as well as identifying and writing for new target markets, I
encourage you to take a look at the upcoming Marketing & Copywriting Boot Camp
(info below). The Early Bird expires Friday.
Enjoy this month's newsletters. And, as always, if I can ever be of service,
please don't hesitate to get in touch.
Warmest
regards,
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Should You
Be Treated Differently
Because You're Women? |
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 I received an e-mail last week from a stamping business owner. To
paraphrase, this person basically said the following:
- You don't understand women
- They have to be treated
differently
- A lot of women do
this for recognition... not to make money
Of
course, I've heard this all before. You can't Coach any one group for a
decade and not hear pretty much every criticism. These particular
comments, though have always bothered me. Honestly, I can't think of anything more
insulting.
Not
insulting to me.
Insulting to women!
The
notion that female business owners should be treated (or worse, need to be
treated) differently than male business owners is incredibly condescending and
chauvinistic toward women.
The
women whom I know, personally and professionally, as well as the women
I work with and for, would rip me apart if I ever said they should be
treated differently because of their gender. And I'd deserve
it!
Being
treated differently is exactly
what the stamping business owners I know are struggling against!
You
can't have it both ways. If you want to be afforded the same level of
respect and accommodation as other business owners, you can't ask to be
treated differently when it's convenient.
You have to
be held to the same standards as every other business owner.
As
far as doing this for the recognition, rather than making money, my
response is the same as its always been:
Why
can't you do both?
Why can't you walk across stage with money in your pocket?
Why can't you EARN the incentive trip, rather than BUY it?
Why can't you be recognized AND be profitable?
My
clients do both year after year, and they do it without massive
discounting!
The
discounting we see day in and day out by stamping business owners who
are trying to buy
their recognition not only hurts and discourages other stamping
business owners who are trying to earn it,
but I believe it hurts
your company, as well. You diminish the brand, which
effects everyone.
So,
let me say this...
- If you want to be treated
differently because of your gender...
- If you don't care how much of
your own money you spend to walk across stage or buy your way onto the
Incentive Trip this year...
- If you don't believe you can
make money AND achieve recognition...
...then
I'm not the Coach for you.
If,
on the other hand you want to run a stamping business that:
- PAYS you what you deserve to
get paid
- EARNS you the recognition you
deserve
- HELPS make the company's brand
stronger
- and INSPIRES your fellow
stamping business owners, rather than discourages them...
In other
words, if
you want to be treated like any other business owner...
...I'm always happy to help. Just let me know when you're
ready.
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The 2010
Marketing and Copywriting
Boot Camp
Early-Bird
Discount Ends Friday! |
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The upcoming Marketing and
Copywriting Boot Camp is going to rock!
Not only are we going to discuss all of the ins and
outs of marketing, but, for the first time ever,
I'm also going to teach you how to write MORE
effectively in LESS time!
If you have trouble knowing what to say to your target
audiences... or if don't feel like those audiences
are responding the way they should, I would strongly
encourage you to take this Boot Camp!
There's also a bonus webinar where I'm going to
show you how to write 12 articles for your blogs or
newsletters in under 30 minutes!
Remember, the Early Bird
Discount ends Friday!
For more information on the Boot Camp, bonuses and Early
Bird Discount (which expires Friday, August 20th),
click here.
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Four
Ways Stamping Business Owners Can SAVE Money! |
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Many
stamping business owners feel like they're spending too
much money. And the fact is...most do.
The
good news is there are many things you can do for
yourself and your business that will actually SAVE you
money. Here are just a few:
1.
Keep Track of Your Expenses When
I ask stamping business owners how much they spent last month,
the vast majority of them tell me they don't know. If you
start keeping track of your expenses, you're going to be
a much more efficient spender. Keeping track
allows you to see where you may be spending too much,
and adjust accordingly. 2.
Ask Yourself Why? Many
times, we buy with our heart...not our head. Try
this: Whenever you're about to buy something, ask
yourself "Is this purchase going toward the growth
of my business?" If the answer is no, you may
want to rethink it. Even if you still buy,
however, just asking the question is more responsible.
3.
Set Limits You
only have so much money. Budgeting can be tough,
but its a great, effective way to keep more money in
your pocket.
4.
Think Like A Business Owner
If you owned a retail
store, you would never buy something that wouldn't
sell. Apply the same principles to your stamping
business. Whenever you're about to buy a stamp
set, ask yourself "Can I sell 5 of
these?" If the answer is yes, you can make a
profit on your purchase. If it's no, then it's a
loss.
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Book of the Month
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 Marketing
Lessons From The Grateful Dead: What Every Business Can Learn From The Most
Iconic Band In Histroy
By David Meerman Scott and Brian Halligan
While I was never a huge fan of their music, there's no
disputing The Grateful Dead were ahead of their time
when it came to marketing.
When you think about it, they were pioneers of social
networking. They encouraged their fans to record
shows and trade tapes. They built a mailing list
and sold concert tickets directly to fans. They
cultivated an active community of dedicated (no pun
intended), hardcore fans!
Looking at the lessons in this book, there's a lot you
can learn about forming your own passionate communities.
Select here for more information
from Amazon.com.
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Stamping
Business Q&A
How Far In Advance Should I Plan My Classes?
As far in advance as possible!
When you show your customers your calendar as early as
possible, you're giving them as much opportunity as
possible to sign up.
Also, you're giving yourself as much opportunity as
possible to market the class effectively.
Ideally, you should have your class calendar published
several months in advance.
For example, by now, your entire 2010 calendar should
be published.
That doesn't necessarily mean you have to know the exact
projects you're going to do for every class several
months in advance, but you should be able to publish the
following:
-
Date
-
Time
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Location
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General Theme
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Price
Of course, if you publish the price before you know the
projects, you have to make sure whatever projects you
plan still allow you to meet your profit margins.
If you can get into this habit, you're going to feel
more in control of your calendar AND you should see more
people coming to your classes, as well!
(If
there's a question you'd like answered, or a topic you'd
like me to cover, feel free
to send
me an e-mail
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Companies I Use
People
always ask me what companies I use to run my home-based
business. The links below are all companies I work with
and recommend:
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