If you’re like most of us and get tons of email, most of which isn’t very interesting to say the least, there is a set pattern to what you do. We all do it, because we’re really busy and time is valuable.

“Text Sells – But Don’t Make Me Look Too Hard For It.”

Is the following true for you?

When you get a new email, if it’s not something that you have been passionately waiting for, here’s what generally happens:

First you skim it quickly, and usually without downloading pictures, to answer the question,

“Is this relevant to me? Because if it’s not, I’m going to delete it. And if it is, I’m busy and I might delete it anyway.”

So, is this you?

I bet it is. I know it’s absolutely me.

And if this *is* you, then it’s also the readers you are sending *your* emails to.

When you’re writing articles, event invitations or marketing email announcements to send out to your subscribers and fans, post on your blog, social media sites, or public calendars, you want to make sure you are doing what you need to ensure it’s something that will be helpful and effective.

So write your copy so that people will read, get your main message and take action.

You can’t provide value to them, and in turn get them to hire you if they don’t read your email.

These easy guidelines can help you create emails that “pass the skim test” and are effective:

• Write in short {sound bite} sentences and paragraphs.
• Use bold headlines a few times within the article.
• Use CAPS, ***Asterisks***, ==> arrows <–, etc. to make emotional positive, negative or curious phrases stand out.
• Use a bulleted list within the article to breakdown a main idea, provide steps or list benefits or challenges.
• Provide a Call to Action so the reader knows what they should do next to benefit from your knowledge and take it further.

As we stated, your readers will skim your article first, so the main attention-grabbing points need to stand out in a big way to hook them into reading more in-depth, and also to stand alone in case they don’t.

“Text Sells… And Practice Makes Perfect!”

==> So next time you write, DO A COPY-EFFECTIVENESS CHECK by reading just the bolded, highlighted, bulleted, etc. items alone. If the main points come across and there is a natural flow and understanding of only those items, you’ve probably written a compelling article that people will delve into, read and take action.

If you want to really stand out and grow your business, you can get more free helpful article, audio and video resources like this on marketing, sales and business growth by clicking here.

And let me know if I can answer any specific questions by emailing me, posting below or calling me directly.

To your success!
Jason
773.829.1276

On the surface, this makes some sense, especially for people that like the way LinkedIn provides a professional presence on one of the top social networking sites, and people want to extend that logic to where many of their current connections are: on Facebook.

But…

If you are using or thinking about setting up a new profile as a professional page, you might want to consider setting up a Fan Page instead, for several reasons.

Facebook Fan Pages, also knows as Business Pages, have several advantages over creating a second Facebook personal profile.

Not that I am the “Facebook Police” by any means, but setting up a personal profile is against the Facebook Terms of Service.

I bring this up not because I think we all should abide just as Facebook would want us to, but because Facebook does reserve the right to close your account if you violate their Terms. And I would hate to see anyone slip by for years, build a fantastic business profile and make awesome connections just to have to all deleted out of the blue one day. I know how I would feel, so I don’t want to see it happen to anyone else, either.

Top 10 Reasons a Fan Page is Better for Business

Aside from the above, here are ten reasons a Fan Page is better suited to your professional networking on Facebook than a personal profile:

1.) Facebook Fan Pages are indexed by search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Bing, and will show in search results, sending more visitors to your Fan Page that are looking for just what you provide.

2.) Being listed on the main search engines will boost your own website rankings when your website URL is listed on your Fan Page (ALWAYS list your website link on all your social networking profiles! :) )

3.) Fan Pages can have unlimited connections (“Likes”/friends), as opposed to a Facebook personal profile, which only can have up to 5,000 friends.

4.) You can set up webpage interactive tabs and landing pages on your Fan Page, which can attract more “Likes” as well as get more people over to your own website.

5.) You can send Facebook “email” updates to all your Fans at once – and your Fans then become an off-shoot of your email distribution list.

6.) Due to the most recent Facebook Fan Page “upgrade” (it’s called an “upgrade” even through it’s free), you now can interact with other Fan Pages on Facebook while posting as your Fan Page instead of your personal profile, which helps attract new Fans and further extends the reach of your marketing message and your networking.

7.) Facebook Ads are still a relatively cheap form of marketing and can be a good source of traffic to your Fan Page or an external website.

8.) You can set up a direct feed from your Fan Page posts to your Twitter account. As a second step, you can set up your LinkedIn account to pull updates from Twitter, thereby creating a technological synergy and multiple outlets for your messages, reaching more of your network on the platform that they prefer and use more often.

9.) Having a Fan Page will quickly give your visitors a much better understanding of your business and the type of support, ideas, products or services you provide, making their decision to connect much easier.  On a personal profile, visitors usually need to hunt for information to figure out who you are and why they should connect – and often times cannot find those pieces of information at all.

10.) Having a Facebook business presence is part of your overall marketing system and client funnel. Facebook Fan Pages are built with business growth and marketing in mind whereas personal profiles are not.

There are other advantages as well, but those are ten of the main ones.

Please let me know if I can answer anything specific regarding these ideas, or post some of your own experiences and suggestions in the Comments section below!

Here’s to your success,
BizCoach Jason

It’s zero degrees in Chicago this morning.

But the weather is looking up. I checked the daily and monthly averages, because I am getting really tired of this cold. I can’t wait for it to warm up!

January is the coldest month of the year for my area. And on average, January 20th is the coldest day of the month. So guess what?

It’s damn cold out, but it’s all uphill from here!

And even as I write, the temperature just went up 1 degree. We’re making progress.

The hardest part about getting through the cold winter is that I have no control over whether it will get warmer or colder.

That is really hard to swallow. Even though I’ve been doing this for almost 40 years, it only seems to get harder – knowing that I have absolutely no control of my environment.

I’m so glad that’s NOT how it is with my business.

Things business-wise are very warm indeed!

And I have the satisfaction of knowing that it’s due to my own work. It’s all in my control. Even when it feels like it’s not – it really is.

The smarter and more motivated I work, the warmer it gets. (And notice that I didn’t say “the harder I work…” because in my book, smart and motivated work trumps hard and uninspired work any day!)

If I don’t have enough clients, I simply go to a networking event, give a presentation or send an email out to my list. And *poof* – more clients appear. Now obviously, there are certain things I need to do and say at that networking event, during the presentation or in that email. But because I know how to do it, have built my marketing message, my track record of helping clients my brand and what I stand for, it’s relatively easy to get new clients.

It wasn’t always that way for me. I had to learn A LOT OF LESSONS the hard way.

And for many small business owners, it’s never that way.

But it can be! It should be very easy for most small business owners to get new clients. That is, of course, if they are working smartly and are inspired.

So now that winter is starting to fade (thought I still can’t control the weather myself!), what do you have planned for January 21st through the rest of the spring to make sure YOU ARE IN CONTROL of your own “warmth” and your own business success?

Do you know what you are doing – daily, weekly, monthly – that will result in – *poof* - more clients?

Are you confident and proven in your networking conversations and email offers to your list? Do you even have a “list?” (This is EXTREMELY important to build your client funnel.)

Are you using technology wisely and leveraging relationships of marketing and referral partners to gain clients?

These are all in YOUR CONTROL. And you should be using them, and using them well.

After all, the weather will get warmer, but ONLY YOU CAN CONTROL if your business heats up.

So, what will it be – bright, warm and sunny, or cold, damp and miserable? It’s up to you.

Want help with this?

I’m working on a new FREE Special Report that outlines my best secrets to help you get more clients right now. That’s right, I’m giving away the step-by-step actions to the things you can do right away to get more clients that are eager to work with you.

If you want to get on my email list and be one of the first to get this incredible, business-changing report, just sign up for one of my two existing Special Reports:
- “The Business Success E-Series”
-  “Untangling Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and More”

You’ll be EXTREMELY GLAD you did!

Stay warm :)

So here’s the question:

“Are these events – or ‘pitch fests’ – really worthwhile?”

Why did I go? Because one of the single best ways for a small business to market and grow is to network. BUT…  I also know something that most of these people don’t know.

And I want to share it with you. Because to be successful with networking for your small business, you should know this too.

In fact, It’s as good as gold.

You see…

Most of these people ARE NOT going to benefit from attending.

Well, that is until they meet you. Because you are not doing what they are. You are not behaving that way. You aren’t saying the same things that they are, and you aren’t going about meeting people the same way that they do.

Instead, you are doing what’s effective, enjoyable, easy and will get you results.

So naturally…

“The best way to be effective and stand out while networking is to do the OPPOSITE of what everyone else is doing.”

Here’s what’s typical:

Everyone you meet introduces themselves and gives a boring 3-minute or longer “elevator pitch.” They don’t really take an interest in or listen to others. Common sense tells you that they are not going to get much out of their time, money and energy investment. But you can. It’s all about opposites…

Here are the three action steps for a winning networking conversation, in order of importance. When you read this, it might go against what “logic” would dictate. But… Most people are trying to be logical, and just spinning their wheels.

This strategy has been field-tested by myself and my clients - and guess what? 

THIS BUSINESS NETWORKING FOURMULA WORKS:

1.) Learn about the other person.
Find out their interests, dreams, desires, business and personal goals, likes and dislikes.

2.) Be of service to them.
After you’ve learned about them and their wants, find a way to help them get closer to those wants, in business or in life – it doesn’t matter which.

Offer them your assistance and ask if you can follow up to deliver it. Whether that’s over the phone, in person or over email, make sure to get their permission so they know what to expect and you start to build trust right away. 

3.) Let them know what you do and who you help.
Maybe they can help you right away, and maybe not. And maybe you can help them right away with your business, and maybe not. But it doesn’t matter. Building a strong foundation for a relationship is the key goal of effective networking and so much more important than getting in a sales pitch.

So why do this? What are the benefits of this technique?

First of all, this corrects one of the biggest networking mistakes:

95% of people that attend a networking event NEVER FOLLOW UP! 

You never know where your next lead or referral will come from.

Why invest all that time, money and energy to go home, throw the business cards you’ve collected into a shoebox, and wait for something to miraculously happen?

Guess what? It probably won’t.

But… if you’ve offered assistance in some form or another that is not directly a sales pitch, then you have a genuine reason to follow up and schedule a next meeting. And the person has a reason to accept your invitation and look forward to the appointment. They know what’s in it for them, and they are likely to appreciate the help you are providing.

Secondly, after you are in the process of helping them get closer to something they really want, they are even MORE RECEPTIVE to hear about and take an interest in what you do. Now this is the perfect time to get that information across to them, especially if it didn’t happen during your initial meeting.

They will feel a sense of reciprocity, not to mention that you are building on the three main sales factors - Know, Like and Trust – as they become more familiar with you in a supportive, friendly process.

So go ahead and try this formula out at your next networking event, family gathering or social outing.

You will LOVE using this “Midas Magical Touch” to turn your networking results to gold!

To your success!
Jason

How do they impact your client personally? By having more time with family, less stress, higher income, better health, more energy?

Those are the kinds of motivators/drivers that appeal to potential clients and that they really will respond to. It’s the bottom line of “what’s in it for me.”

See all the small business daily short tips at:

The presenter was giving very helpful information on the proper nutrition, diet and mindset needed to lose weight. It was very motivating, uplifting and moving. But…

I thought to myself, I bet only 20 people in that audience are going to make meaningful changes that will move them towards their desired weight loss goals once they leave the seminar.

Knowledge without action is worthless.

Don’t just read a book or an article, listen to an mp3 or watch a video about taking your marketing or sales to the next level. Make a plan on how you will put that info into ACTION today to grow your business.

Here are several quick and easy tips you can use to get into action – one for each day – to grow your business. If you have taken action on one of the Small Business Tips of the Day, then go ahead and “Like” our Fan Page, and post your success to the Wall!

http://facebook.com/GrowYourBiz

By posting your own successes, you can help many others with their action as well as have a place to introduce yourself to hundreds of other small business owners at the same time.

It’s a win-win!

Now… What action are you taking today to increase your clients, serve more people and explode your income?
(Hint: click here -> http://facebook.com/GrowYourBiz)

To your success!
Jason

Feel free to comment with your thoughts, experiences, and share your insights with the other members. The more you share and post, the more exposure you get for your business…

* FRIDAY Tip of the Day: Prioritizing and efficiency -> When making your To-Do list at night, place the thing that… http://bit.ly/b8HJZU

* THURSDAY Tip of the Day: Getting More Yes’s to Your Networking and Sales Meeting Requests – Have you demonstrated… http://bit.ly/bkjSur

* WEDNESDAY Tip of the Day: When writing an online profile, bio or description of your business, be sure to relate… http://bit.ly/bg4lLN

* TUESDAY Tip of the Day: Use the “Solution, problem, solution” format in your speaking engagements and sales… http://bit.ly/aOS2Qj

* MONDAY Tip of the Day: The biggest sales mistake that most people make is not asking enough questions. You need to… http://bit.ly/9o1L9K

Have a great week!
BizCoachJason
http://facebook.com/BizCoachJason

You can learn to do workshops, teleclasses and keynotes much more easily than you might realize.

“But public speaking scares me to death!”

Even those of you that get terrified at the thought of speaking in front of others can become great and really enjoy this by taking a few very easy steps:

• Speak about topics that you know very well
• Speak about what you are truly passionate about
• Speak to people that you really enjoy helping and working with
• To start, speak in an environment that makes you most comfortable - and you can create, mold and shape that environment in several ways
• Practice, practice, practice

Not only is speaking great advertising for you both pre-, post- and during the event, but it also helps generate cash flow from speaking fees and sales you make because of it.

Ok.. so now I have a topic and an offer to speak, but what if no one shows up?

A lesson I learned a while ago (the hard way) is that it’s  important to help promote the event, so it’s a win-win for you and the event organizer.

One of the first times I was asked to speak, I felt great, and I was very honored. But I didn’t feel humble at all.

I thought, “Finally, here is something I am going to get paid for, and I don’t have to lift a finger to market it myself.”

I was getting paid to just show up, deliver content and value during the event, and be on my merry way. People would love it, I would make sales, and the event organizer was absolutely on the same page.

Well, that turned out to be very shortsighted of me.

For one thing, the event organizer did a terrible job with marketing, and the event was sparsely attended. Although the presentation went well, I made less money and had less opportunity to market and make sales at the event.

I learned my lesson.

If you market an event that you are speaking at, you will likely get more attendees. And those attendees that you bring will already be fans of yours, and perhaps current or former clients. They will be able to testify on your behalf, and they will also become even more familiar with you and your expertise, thereby becoming closer to being a client of yours, if they weren’t already.

It’s much easier to market and sell to people that have familiarity with you than those that don’t.

And it’s much more fun and ethically fulfilling as well.

Also, by bringing guests to someone else’s event, the event organizer will love you. They will become a bigger fan of yours. Even just seeing the effort that you put forth in trying to get guests will make a big impact with them.  And they see that your event was one of their best attended, they will recommend you for other speaking engagements.

Lastly, you can control the quality and quantity of the marketing by being active in the process. Not all meeting and event organizers are great marketers, as I learned. And no one knows your strengths and selling points as well as you do.

By providing your own marketing copy to the organizer - material that you know has a great chance to bring in a crowd – you are providing more value to your attendees by letting them get to know you pre-event as well as what to expect during and even perhaps after the event. You are also reducing the amount of work the organizer has to do and strengthening that relationship. And all this is happening while you are multiplying your exposure by promoting the event yourself as well.

I’ve used these techniques to help my own clients, and to increase my value, my revenue and my client base from speaking, and I’d be happy to help you as well.

Please feel free to contact me if you would like to learn more about event speaking and marketing, and how doing these things can really help you to explode your business!

To your success,
Jason

Where is BizCoachJason Rosado speaking next? Check the Events page here, or have him speak at your event!

1.) Create your vision fully – List all the details, all the motivators and consequences of not attaining the vision

2.) Strategize your actions and make sure they are inspired actions – Productivity steps that energize and excite you. Don’t get bogged down with the little things that you don’t really enjoy. There is no one way to accomplish something; there are usually MANY ways. Work with someone to find out what those are, and how to get them done.

3.) Surround yourself with positive people and minimize time with energy draining people.

4.) Take time for yourself everyday, or in crunch time, at the very least every week. Do those things that relax you – read the morning paper in peace, have a cup of tea on the patio, walk, jog or bike for 30 minutes. Take a little time out of your day to refresh your mind and body. For me, bike riding on long trails is when I get the most relaxation, a good workout and fantastic business brainstorming, energy and motivation!

5.) And lastly, don’t go it alone. Work with others and get outside support. You’re not in it alone, and everyone benefits when we work together. 

Excerpt of a “TwitInterview” on entrepreneurial Marketing, Networking, Sales and Productivity, posted at: http://twitinterviews.com/tag/jason-rosado/