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Build a Large List of Hungry Prospects with an Expert Interview Series
Service professionals and other business owners often struggle with two important details in their businesses:
1. Having a product to sell
2. Having an audience to sell TO
Creating a simple expert interview series is a great way to kill two birds with one stone, metaphorically speaking of course.
But first, what is an expert interview series?
An expert interview series is simply a compilation of audio interviews with experts on one specific topic or a variety of topics that, when combined, create a valuable information product. For instance, the first audio product that I created for my company, Charge What You Deserve, was a compilation of expert interviews on the topic of fee-setting and how service professionals can actually attract better, more eager clients if they start charging more for their current services.
I combined these audio interviews with word-for-word transcriptions and a short outline into a valuable, best-selling information product. By the way, all of the interviews were done over the telephone.
An expert interview series can come in physical form, such as CDs and a transcription workbook, or it can be delivered in a digital format, such as MP3 audios and PDF workbook.
So, as you can probably guess, the act of conducting and compiling the interviews yields a very valuable product that can now be sold.
The next step is to build a list of prospects who are eager to buy the interview series. This is actually very simple if you plan ahead and arrange for your experts to share your project with their “fans”, newsletter subscribers, blog readers, social media followers, etc. by sending them to your website for a sample of the interviews. Then you just need a way of capturing contact information, such as a simple opt-in or sign-up box, in return for the sample you provide.
Don’t let the technical aspects trip you up. The entire “flow” of building a list of prospects, creating an interview series, and generating an income from it is actually quite simple and the project can be very rewarding and a lot of fun. This doesn’t, and shouldn’t, have to take months to complete either. The key is setting the intention and moving forward.
Hopefully this has helped to inspire you to create an expert interview series of your own. Remember, the content that you share can be life-changing for those who are ready to receive it.
If you would like to learn more about how to pick a hot topic, find your experts, and create a valuable information product you will be interested in the Interview Wealth Home Study System. You can get all of the details here: Interview Series Profits
3 Free Ways to Get Quality Traffic to your Business
Getting traffic to your website is the lifeblood to your business if you want to make money online. There are so many ways of doing this that it can be pretty overwhelming. I want to share 3 ways that I’ve used to get quality traffic to my website. By quality, I mean having people visit my website who are actually interested in being there. You can buy, swap and trade traffic all day long, but that does NOT mean that it is quality traffic.
1. Write Content-Rich Articles
The entire internet is driven by information. This is what makes article marketing such a powerful tool to generate traffic for your online business. Even if you own a brick and mortar company, you can still leverage the internet to generate a ton of business and stand out from the crowd.
Write short (350-500 words) content-rich articles and submit them to EzineArticles.com. Search engines love EzineArticles.com because they actually have human beings who check articles to ensure they are unique and relevant. You can simply add a link to your website and a reason for visiting in the resource box that’s found at the end of each article.
2. Social Media
I know this isn’t the first time that you’ve heard this, but social media is an incredible way to get traffic to your website and/or business in record time. Submitting articles is very effective, but it takes a bit of time and consistency before you see measured results. With social media, you can set up Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts in a few minutes, start connecting with like-minded people and get traffic to your website in a jiffy.
As with article marketing, be sure to give people a reason to visit your site, such as a free report, list of valuable resources, coupon for a one-time-only discount, etc. Here in the internet marketing ranks we call this an “irresistible offer” or an “ethical bribe”. Whatever you call it, it’s effective.
3. Video Marketing
Don’t worry…you don’t have to be Lawrence Olivier to create effective videos that will begin driving tons of traffic to your site. In fact, in some markets being too “polished” might even work against you. The idea is to create a quick tip that you can record with a video camera (your digital camera is probably sufficient) or screen-capture and share it on Youtube. Once again, be sure to remind viewers to head over to your website for your juicy, irresistible offer.
All three of these tips are free and will work. However, you must be consistent. Here’s a quick formula for being consistent without spending countless hours doing the above.
Step #1: Write a short, informative article at least 2 times per week. Once you get the hang of it you shouldn’t spend more than about 20-30 minutes per article.
Step #2: Create a quick video tutorial using the content from your article and submit it to Youtube.
Step #3: Share a link to your Youtube video on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.
That’s it.
I hope this helps you get quality traffic to your website!
I’d love to read your comments, so be sure to share your thoughts below.
5 Steps to Creating Your Own Successful Teleseminars
Hosting your own teleseminars, aka teleclasses, is a simple and powerful way to build credibility, trust and expertise within your marketplace. Teleseminars are also a kick-butt way to build your community, or “list”, while sharing valuable information that you love to share! But while hosting a teleseminar is fairly simple, it’s not as simple as talking into a teleconference line and hoping people will show up. I’ve done literally hundreds of telephone interviews and teleclasses and I want to share 5 simple steps that I hope will help you hold your own successful teleseminars.
1. Pick an interesting topic
The topic you choose is very important. It should be a topic that not only you are interested in sharing, but one that your ideal clients will be interested in learning more about. A great way to decide on teleseminar topics is to survey your list. You can create a simple, free online survey by going to SurveyMonkey.com. If you don’t have a list to survey just yet, don’t worry; get involved in discussion groups on Facebook, Yahoo Groups, LinkedIn, Google Groups, etc and find out what people are interested in learning more about.
2. Outline your call
The way that I like to structure my calls is by starting with a simple outline. Write down a list of questions you think your guests might want to learn more about. You want to have enough of an outline that will keep you on track and able to talk for 45-60 minutes. Don’t worry about getting this perfect; it never will be. Just be sure to deliver great content and the timing will be secondary. That being said, don’t promise a 60 minute teleseminar and then ramble on for 2 hours. Be sure to respect your listeners’ schedule.
3. Set up your conference line
You can set up a free conference line at FreeConference.com, but my favorite resource for setting up my teleseminars is InstantTeleseminar.com. Instant Teleseminar provides a higher quality recording, along with a back-up recording that has saved my butt on more than one occasion. It also allows your listeners to access the calls via webcast (computer) so that they can pop in from anywhere in the world without having to incur long distance fees. I have found that about 90% of the people who listen to my teleseminars seem to prefer the webcast feature.
4. Invite guests to attend your teleseminar
If you’re just beginning to build your community then send an invite out to friends, family and social media buddies. This is a great way for you to get the experience of holding teleclasses, get valuable feedback and build a list of people who are interested in learning more from you. Be sure to create an attention getting subject line when you send out the invitation. Your email can’t be read if it doesn’t get opened!
5. Build your Community…aka “list”
Have guests enter their name and email address on a simple sign-up page to receive the call-in details. Instant Teleseminar, and other teleconference companies, will provide you with a link to send to your guests. All they have to do is either follow the web link or call the number provided to attend the call. The best way to begin building your list is to have guests enter their name and email address in a simple sign-up form in order to receive the call-in details. This way you will also know who to follow up with for the playback link, transcription (if necessary), and any other offers you create. You can use Aweber.com to begin building your email list. Aweber will provide you with the code necessary to create your sign-up form. Then you just add that code along with a headline and details about the call to a free blog page and you have a sign-up (or “opt-in”) page ready to go.
Tips:
Be sure to test your conference line before going live.
Offer a “next step” coaching program or training product for guests who are on the call. This could be as simple as offering the MP3 of the call, your outline notes and a live Q&A call with you for $47-$97…or more.
Create a series of calls and package them into an online coaching program or home study system.
Lather, rinse and repeat. Keep practicing. Make mistakes and improve as you go.
Peace,
Tom
P.S. I’m considering having a live teleclass next week to go into this information in more detail. Leave a comment below and let me know if that would be valuable.
Thanks!
What Your Prospects REALLY Mean When They Say They “Can’t Afford You”
If you have a great process or program to help a client achieve a specific goal thenthe money will seldom be the REAL reason they don’t move forward with you. The fact is that most people can come up with the money if they are ready to commit.
What REALLY prevents people from working with you is their lack of confidence that they can actually achieve what it is that they want to achieve. Sometimes people have been burned before or maybe they’ve struggled their entire life trying to achieve this goal without any success.
As the coach or trainer it’s up to you to alleviate this fear and lack of confidence.
Here are a couple things that you can do:
Be honest and let them know that REAL work is involved in achieving their goal. You aren’t offering some “get rich quick” scheme or the promise to safely lose 100 pounds without having to exercise or improve their diet. The fact of the matter is that a LOT of people have been sold into believing all of this before and there is a good reason that they are unwilling to really invest in achieving their goals. Unfortunately, a lot of these people continue to invest on the low end with the same results they’ve always gotten…NONE!
Offer to work with them until they achieve their goal…provided that they DO THE WORK! Your clients MUST be responsible for their own actions. My good friend and colleague, Suzanne Evans, told me once that you are responsible TO your clients, not FOR them. Provide your services with the utmost integrity and you are doing your part. The client is responsible for putting what you share into action. If you truly believe that your clients can achieve great things by working with you then there should be NO fear in offering this type of guarantee.
So the next time a prospect tells you “I can’t afford that” be sure that they know what the price is for NOT doing anything and let them know that they CAN achieve this goal; but they won’t do it by doing what they’ve been doing in the past.
Now, go Charge What You Deserve.
Peace
Tom
Tip to Charge What You Deserve
Short, informative video to help you charge what you deserve.
**What you should be focusing your attention on rather than time spent with clients
**Why I KNOW you have tremendous value to offer
**How to stand apart from your “competition”
**All in less than 3 minutes 
I hope you enjoy!
Today’s Interview
I am super excited to be interviewed by Lou Bortone, founder of Online Video Branding!
Here are the details if you’d like to listen to the call.
3pm EST/Noon PST
http://AttendThisEvent.com/?eventid=11374176
The call this afternoon will be about how you can have the confidence and knowledge to
Charge What You Deserve and Get It, but I HIGHLY recommend checking out Lou’s
information if you’re ready to take your marketing up 10 notched by using online
video.
Cheers
Tom
3 Quick Tips to Charge What You Deserve
I realize that one of the most important parts
of your business is attracting quality, ready
clients who are willing (and expect) to pay you
what you’re worth.
Here are three quick tips to help you attract
more clients and charge what you deserve and
get it.
#1: Define your niche and increase your visibility
It’s very important to take a stand and pick a
niche that you want to play in. Once you do this
it is very easy to be seen as a “go-to” person in
your marketplace. Sending out regular press releases,
submitting articles to ezinearticles.com, and holding
teleseminars with business owners who already serve
your ideal market are just a few simple ways to
increase your visibility and expert status.
#2: Outline the value that your programs offer
You need to define programs in a way that makes people
want to BUY from you, not THINK about buying from you.
Focus on the value that you have to offer your clients
and where they will be if they do NOT hire you.
The “when” and the “how much” should come later. Let
these be minor details to cover after your prospect has
already decided to begin working with you.
#3: Stop trading time for money
You HAVE to shift out of the “time for money” business
model and start focusing on a “value for investment”
model if you ever want to charge what you deserve and
get the best results for your clients. As long as you
are stuck in the time for money mentality you will
never be able to fully express or share the true value
you have to offer your clients. This is an unnecessary
shame.
Tip: Stop naming your coaching programs with a time and
dollar amount.
No more “60-Minute session for $125″ and “90-Minute
session for $175″!
This causes potential clients to instantly compare your
valuable service to other, totally unrelated services
they’ve bought or considered in the past.
To learn how to price your programs for maximum profits
and create compelling, near impossible to resist offers,
check out the upcoming teleclass series that I will be
holding.
Cheers
Tom
P.S. I would love to hear from you so be sure to chime in
and leave your comments below!
Attracting Ideal, Successful Clients
Most coaches, trainers and other service professionals
feel that if they raise their fees they will lose clients.
This is usually just not the case. In fact, many of my
clients have found that by raising their fees they began
attracting even more clients who were ready to really
make changes in their businesses and lives.
This creates a wonderful ripple effect that will benefit
both you and your clients.
Find out how you can double your fees and attract more
ideal, ready, and successful clients.
Cheers
Tom
3 Steps to Increase your Fees with Confidence
As a service provider it’s critical to remember that your market is investing in YOU, not in your actual service. Yes, they want results from the service you are providing, but ultimately they are investing in you because of the relationship and trust you have developed.
There is an awful lot of pressure if you feel the need to sell everyone you meet the first time you meet them. This is an unnecessary and often fatal mistake that many business owners make.
Here are some steps to take when building your business and selling your services so that you can have the highest profits and best client relationships.
1. Always build a relationship FIRST.
Most people will need to have contact with you between 5-7 times before they actually make a purchase. That means that a chance encounter at the grocery store or meeting potential prospects at networking events will not always lead to a sale on the spot. But this is easy to remedy with a good follow-up system. One of the easiest ways to keep in touch and build that relationship is through an email delivered newsletter – also known as an ezine.
Whenever you meet a potential client you should ask for their contact information and offer to send them some free tips related to your business. These tips are easy to deliver in a bi-weekly or monthly newsletter. This way you are providing valuable information, staying in touch and building a relationship at all times.
2. Create multiple offers
Let your market get to know you before they invest at the highest level. There are many ways for you to allow people to engage with you without having to invest thousands of dollars for your private work. You can start a blog or newsletter, create a simple information product, start group coaching and training events, write and self-publish a short, but informative book, etc. The idea is to create just a couple offers that will funnel your market down to working with you at increasingly higher levels.
An example would be: prospect signs up for your newsletter, they purchase a digital information product, you follow up with a phone call and offer your private consulting or coaching services. Because you’re allowing your prospects to get to know you one step at a time, it makes the sales process much easier.
3. Ask for the sale
When it comes down to brass tacks, you won’t ever make a dime in your business if you don’t ask for the sale. One of the biggest mistakes that I see service professionals make is always delivering free information and never asking for the sale. They expect their prospects to ask THEM to work with them, but this rarely happens in the real world. This doesn’t mean that you have to be pushy. By building the relationship like I described above you can have a natural, low-pressure way of attracting new clients. Keep in mind that if somebody is reading your ezine, blog posts, articles, etc that means that they WANT your help. It’s your responsibility to offer it to them.
Pricing Strategies – 3 Tips to Increase your Perceived Value Part 1
Improving your perceived value is a quick way to be able to charge more for your products and services. In fact, once you improve your perceived value it’s crucial to increase what you charge or you will have a difficult time convincing your customers and clients that you are indeed offering great value. Remember, people are typically taught to believe that you get what you pay for. This is a GOOD thing for you and your business.
Here are three ways for you to improve your perceived value without investing time and money.
1. Offer a strong guarantee
Consider adding performance or satisfaction guarantees. This shows that you’re confident about your product or service and are willing to stand behind it. A word of caution: be careful about performance guarantees. You MUST be realistic and avoid any possibility of deception.
2. Use testimonials
Social proof is a simple way to add value to your offers. Let your prospects see that others have already benefited from what you are selling. If you don’t have testimonials, begin today. Go back to past customers and clients and ask for authentic feedback on their experience with you and your business.
3. Improve your visibility
The more people see you and hear about you, the more they will trust in what you have to offer; provided, of course, that what they see and hear is positive. There are many ways that you can improve your visibility including submitting press releases, being interviewed, speaking at associations, writing articles, etc.
Take a look at what you are offering your market right now. Where are some areas that you can improve upon your perceived value?
Write down at least three ways that you can begin improving your perceived value and start doing so right away. Before you know it, your market will expect you to be charging more that you currently are.
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