Sometimes I wish I were more of a perfectionist. Then when I got a new idea, I’d hesitate. I’d wait to be sure it was *exactly* right. I’d tweak the copy till it was perfect…which means forever.

Instead, I tend to take action early. More than once I’ve rushed to market with an idea that sounded SO good, I couldn’t wait to write the sales letter.

I have to be careful or I’ll waste a lot of time. I have many excellent products that nobody wants.

Most of us have had the experience of waking up at 3 AM with an idea that seems absolutely brilliant… till the flaws appear when the idea gets exposed to the light of day, sometime around 10 AM.

And we’ve also had pretty good ideas that got shot down too fast because some well-meaning coach or mastermind member threw cold water on them.

After working through these challenges with clients in many fields, and after watching some of my own bubbles burst after much-wasted effort, I created this 5-point checklist for my clients – and try to remember to use it myself before diving in to create my Next Big Thing.

 1- Do you have the knowledge to add something of your own to the topic?

When I first learned copywriting, I was so excited about the topic, I found myself re-packaging the core ideas into articles and even courses. They were adequate (and the world was less critical back then).  

Today I won’t release a product unless I can promise to offer something my audience can’t get anywhere else. My courses about storytelling are completely different than what others share.

It’s not enough to be different. You have to show how this difference becomes a benefit. Otherwise it’s about a blue one versus a red one.

2 – Can you write up the before-and-after scenes?

Once I got a fantastic idea for a telesummit. I presented the idea to half a dozen people who were equally enthused and who agreed to participate immediately.

When I started to write the sales letter, the whole thing came apart. I couldn’t assemble a list of features and benefits, let alone an opening. I couldn’t explain how attendees would be transformed.

Write out the backstory of the people who will eventually buy your course. What are their deepest fears? What’s holding them back? What have they tried?

Write a paragraph about the outcome: “Imagine yourself spending an hour to create a blog post and then earning hundreds or even thousands of dollars from a program you didn’t even create.”

“Imagine that…” might be a tired, trite copywriting phrase but it’s a good first start.

3 – Would people promote this product for you?

It would be hard to get anyone to promote a product on storytelling or limiting beliefs or basic copywriting. Anyone marketing to those audiences will have their own.

Create a product that’s different from what’s out there.

Dennis Becker has a really cool product on learning to write stories by digging into the family history.

Cindy Bidar has a truly unique product on planning.

Connie Ragen Green has a product on affiliate marketing.

I promote them (yes, those are my affiliate links!) and so do a lot of people. They’re unique.

4 – Can you create promotional material for this product?  

Ideally your product relates to other products and services you offer, so you can create tie-ins and specials. You can test yourself with writing 5 to 10 titles of articles, blog posts and webinars that relate to the product.

 r instance, I have a low-end product on Personal Branding With Stories.  I can promote this product when I write about anything requiring people to promote themselves, such as About Pages and bios. 

Conversely I also have a product on Udemy on a highly specialized topic, Websites for EFT Practitioners. I created it on the suggestion of a business coach who works with EFT practitioners, and I sell it on Udemy because they reach a really wide market.

5 – Does the idea hold up when you give it some time?

I tend to be one of those people who hit the “send” button to announce an idea as soon as it crosses my mind. Then a few hours later, I sheepishly remove the social media posts I created and hope nobody noticed the emails I sent.

The truth is, ideas need time to gel. Give them a few days and see how you feel.

Don’t rush to market, even if your idea passes all the tests. In particular, when you’re working on a concept for your company or a significant product funnel, you may need to wait a long time to get everything together.

Kelly created a unique personal transformation program to help people get through life transitions. The program involved a unique blend of graphics, audio, pdf files, and videos, with optional classes. It was structured to proceed in a certain sequence.

I assumed Kelly had conceived the program as soon as she opened her virtual doors for business. But one day she told her own origin story:

“I kept trying to come with a model and a core program for my business. It was frustrating and a little embarrassing. I was seeing clients and making some money, but I just didn’t have a brand or sequence of steps. We just worked together.

“Then one sunny day I was sitting in a coffee shop, in a playful mood, jotting down ideas…and then it came to me! My program emerged full blown, with modules practically writing themselves on the page.

“But I knew I just had the germ of an idea. I worked on it for just a few weeks. I did some testing. Finally, when I introduced the concept to my audience, they were more than ready.”

If you’d like to talk through your own ideas, click here to set up a consultation.

And you’ll find built-in tests and filters in my Create Your Course program: create your own profitable online course.

Recently I came across an article about how authors write novels. Some authors write by micro-planning, chapter by chapter, and scene by scene. They write out bios of each character.

Others – equally successful – prefer to be more spontaneous. They’ll start writing before they know how their novels will end. One mystery writer keeps writing until she writes herself into a corner and then figures out how to get out.

With a business, most people feel they can’t afford to wait till they get caught in a bind and then work themselves out.

But some people find they don’t resonate with traditional models of planning. They aren’t comfortable writing notes in little squares on a calendar.

Others just aren’t ready to go there.

When I was new to the world of business, I attended a workshop that focused on planning as the answer to what ails you in business. The leader encouraged us to decide what we’d do in the next 3 months. For instance, next month might be “set up a JV with Janet.” Then there’d be “Webinar on Latest Trend.”

Like many of my fellow workshop participants, I dutifully filled out the form. For one thing, we had peer pressure: who wanted to say, “I haven’t a clue what I want to do next week, let alone three months from now.” We all programmed our action worksheets and shared them.

When I stayed in touch with these participants after the workshop, I realized that most of us had just wasted our time. We had created a fantasy – not a realistic, results-oriented action plan.

What was missing?

If you intend to plan the year, you’ve got to be clear on the fundamentals. You need (you’ve probably heard this before) a sense of your target market and your value proposition – what makes you unique.

You also need to know how you’ll reach your market and why they’ll view you as a credible resource.

And most of all, you need to be comfortable with your plan, your action steps and your goals. You need a combination of belief that you can really do everything on your planning worksheet. You need to feel a connection between who you are, what you plan to do and what you want your business to look like.

And you need that little intuitive nudge that says, “Yep…this works. Keep going!”

Of course your intuition speaks in your own language…but that’s another post.

Writing brings clarification.

It’s no accident that many of my clients often find their most profitable strategy after we work together on a sales page or website. When you can put something into a solid piece of copy – not just a couple of phrases on a calendar square – you’ve got something realistic.

In particular, telling stories often reveals the reality and the promise behind a product or service. When you’re marketing your offers, you’ll find audiences often resonate with stories rather than lists of facts. I’ve identified stories that will be particularly effective in marketing.

So why not harness the power of storytelling for planning?

• You’ll draw on your right-brained creative side yet still be rigorous and analytical.
• You’ll get clearer on your goals.
• You’ll recognize when your plan fits who you are – and when you’re just the right distance from your comfort zone, not too close and not too far.

Mostly you’ll be liberated from the feeling you ought to start by matching dates to actions. You’ll discover how to generate momentum naturally by being motivated.

 And if you’re ready for storytelling, download this workbook  – Planning with Stories. It walks you through the steps to choose your own planning stories. Just $19.

Since I spent so many years in academia, fall always seems more of a time to plan and set resolutions, instead of January. And these days just about everyone has a planning system to sell you… everything from broad programs that dig deeply into your psyche to fill-in-the-blanks planners.

So why don’t these plans work? Why do so many people resist planning … and then, if they go through the motions, they never get going?

Reason #1: Planning focuses on micro-tactics.

A lot of marketing workshops will hand out a calendar and tell you to fill it up. I’ve been to classes like those and they tend to be very motivational… until about two weeks after the class ends.

Once you start implementing these micro-tactics, they seem different. You realize you absolutely hate doing networking, holding webinars, writing blog posts…some of the things you wrote down with the best of intentions. Some of them seem pointless as you get involved. And some will turn out to be ineffective and discouraging.

Reason #2: Planning horizon too far into the future.

Generally 3 months is the ideal planning window for most solo-preneurs. Beyond that time frame, it’s hard to project changes that will take place in the marketplace and in you.

In his book, The 12-Week Year, Brian Moran argues that it’s easier to get clarity and focus when you plan in 12-week intervals — and you’ll be more productive because you’ll actually implement the plan.

Some people who have been in business a long time are comfortable with planning a full 6 months or 12 months. But increasingly we’re seeing a trend toward shorter horizons, because it’s easier to course-correct and make positive changes in the next quarter.

Reason #3: Not feeling connected to your plan.

All too often clients show me a plan they’ve written, on their own or via a workshop. They haven’t taken action on the plan because “It doesn’t feel like me.”

When you don’t feel an emotional connection to your plan, you won’t be motivated to take action — and you’re probably doing something right. Trying to implement someone else’s plan can be disastrous for your own business.

What To Do Instead

When you’re trying to motivate clients, you turn to copywriting – especially the most important copywriting tool, storytelling. Stories help you connect with an audience, evoke emotion and increase involvement.

When you’re planning your business, your audience is you (and possibly your staff and support people). So why not use storytelling to connect with your plan?

When you tell a story, you project yourself into a scene. You quickly realize whether you’re resonating or resisting. You become aware of actions you can take and – more important – what it feels like to take those actions.

The use of stories for planning has a long and respectable history. I wrote about this in my book, Grow Your Business One Story At A Time.

For example: futurist Amy Webb explains that Herman Kahn, a Rand physicist, was asked to help the US military plan for the types of events nobody wants to think about.

If, for instance, the Russians (then the USSR) dropped a “thermonuclear weapon” on New York City, what would happen? How would the population be evacuated, for instance?

Kahn assigned team members to create “narratives…fictional stories rooted in the ‘if this, then that’ formula intended to be read as though they were reports prepared by people from the future.”

Kahn wanted his work to be taken more seriously than sci-fi. But he also wanted his audience to realize these narratives weren’t intended as factual, certain outcomes.

Kahn’s friend Leo Rosten, a Hollywood writer, suggested the movie term “scenario,” and that’s the word Kahn chose. His original scenarios influenced government policy.

Today we use the term “screenplay” for movies but the term “scenario” remains useful to describe possible sequences of events.

This type of scenario creation works extremely well for small businesses, who often lack data and detailed research capabilities.  It’s also a helpful method for people who consider themselves creative “right-brain” types, preferring to avoid spreadsheet extrapolation and forecasting.

I have a low-cost workbook to help you plan. I guide you through the scenarios so you can practice: https;//cathygoodwin.com/planbook

Storytelling can pave the way to use some of the other tools of planning or you may feel you have a strong sense of what you want to accomplish and how to use your time most productively. If you’d like to get a handle on telling your story, and using storytelling to simplify your marketing, sign up for a 90-Minute Risk-Free Consultation. Click here to learn more and sign up. 

What are your plans for the coming year?

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Most people don’t associate ”productivity” with “storytelling.” For one thing, we seem to be mixing left and right brains.

Here are 3 ways storytelling can help you become a more productive content creator…which means creating high-converting content more quickly.

(1) Brand with a story.

Branding might seem completely unrelated to productivity tii, but in fact a strong brand can strengthen your marketing and lighten your workload. With a strong brand, you don’t have to explain yourself over and over. You attract clients who fit your offers and discourage the misfits and tire-kickers.

When you brand with your story archetype, you gain additional benefits. You spend considerably less time writing your copy. That’s because you know how to choose words, stories and even strategies for marketing. For instance, you may believe you need to add a personal “what I did” story to every email message. As an Educator or Innovator archetype, you won’t need a personal story and in fact, you’ll benefit more from success stories or concept stories.

The different types of stories are explained in my book, Grow your business one story at a time.​

(2) Market to the client’s story, not their demographic.

​Targeting the client’s story will be more productive than targeting a demographic (such as women over 45 newly divorced) or a more generalized need (develop leadership skills) . You’ll be able to create bullet points for written content that directly address the client’s concerns.

You can choose webinar topics and training programs that specifically address your client’s stories (and more importantly, write content easily).

Check out my podcast episode on this topic if you’d like to learn more.

(3) Use stories to structure your content.

Even experienced writers go cold every so often. Today’s marketing calls for more content creation than ever before. Even if you’ve always been a prolific writer, you may find yourself overwhelmed by today’s increasing requirements.

The hardest part is deciding how to organize your article.

For example, you can use the “problem solver” hack described here. You pretend you’ve got an advice column (and maybe you do!) and answer a question. Advice columns tend to hook readers; even the stately New York Times has several.

You can use an extended example (here’s a guest post I wrote with this technique). Instead of listing 3 ways to write a website, I used an example of how a business owner might apply those tips.

You can use a “2 guys” story — my all-time fave. That’s a story beginning, “Two guys started out the same. One got great outcomes; one didn’t. Here’s why.”

Starting with a story, your writing task will be simpler.

Not only will you enjoy more time to do other things: you’ll be ready to share your content more quickly and see faster results.

If you’ve seen those long lists of “power words,” you may wonder how you could use them. The truth is, you’ll get better results with power stories than power words. That’s the subject of a podcast episode — available here.

But why write alone? I have programs to work with you to develop your content more effectively. Use the 90 day coaching program to complete a major project – a website or program launch. Use the Strategic Intensive to transform your marketing with a combination of a consultation and email. coaching.

Victoria is starting a business as a virtual assistant. She eventually wants to target women in transition who are starting businesses. But for now, she needs to get some income and traction. She’s thinking of making decorative cards to get some money coming in. What can she do?

First, I applaud Victoria’s decision to embark on her first business venture as a Virtual Assistant. If you’re not sure what you want to do, and you’ve got the skills to work online, this is the way to go! If I had to start over I’d probably begin as a Virtual Assistant.

Apart from the money, you’ll learn a lot from the people who hire you. Many VA’s learn all they can and then become copywriters, consultants, coaches or designers…and hire their own VAs.

You can position your business to do just about anything. Some VA’s just make appointments for clients and return their calls. Some help with marketing, even copywriting. Some fix websites.

Second, Victoria needs what I call a “stash of cash.”

When I’ve worked with successful business owners, I see they’ve found a middle path.

Too much money? This happens when you start a business after you’ve been working awhile. Maybe you enjoyed a generous severance settlement. Or you just sold a home.

You can be too comfortable. You find yourself spending too much on the wrong things…and then you get frustrated because you’ve got a negative income from the business.

Too little money? You can’t even pay a web host, let alone a small monthly payment for a membership site.

Start your business as a side hustle while you’re still working. If you can’t do that (maybe you’ve got clauses in your employment contract or HR rules) you can start socking away cash to use as a startup. I recommend finding a side hustle – any side hustle, even if you’re just watching the neighbor’s cats.

Some people will tell you to begin by paying for coaching. I’d say maybe start with a membership group like Cindy Bidar’s Six-Figure Success group. She’s got everything you need for a reasonable monthly sum, including a community where you can ask questions, live calls twice a month, and a private call with her every six months. (Specifics may change as her business continues to evolve. When you join through my link, I get a commission. And you’ll get a bonus copy review every 6 months.)

Cindy started out as a Virtual Assistant herself. She knows tech and business, and she’s got one of the most common-sense approaches I’ve seen anywhere.

Be prepared to spend on software, design, and copywriting. I’m biased, but I don’t think you can get quality copywriting for bargain prices. You can get low-cost design but you need to know how to work with designers and ask for what you need.

Don’t pay for advice until you have the funds to pay for tools you need to implement the advice you’ll get. I once talked to a new business owner who was paying $750 a month for consultation with a marketing consultant. This business owner kept paying, month after month, while claiming she couldn’t afford to put up a website. She was tossing money out the door, one bushel at a time.

I’m a little biased. But I believe a professional copywriter will often help you develop a strategy and build your brand while writing your copy or coaching you to write your copy. Skip the “branding consultants” until you’re well-established.

Most importantly, Victoria needs to follow the Rule of One.

When it comes to marketing, I wish someone had taught me the Rule of One when I started. The idea is to begin with ONE offer, ONE marketing tactic, ONE message, and ONE target audience.

A VA got started by returning calls and making appointments for service businesses. She held a day job so she only worked evenings and weekends till she built her business. She created a referral rewards system and directed all her marketing to one goal: having prospects join her on a “get-acquainted” call.

A business coach got started by offering one-to-one programs with a minimum of 3 months, with a choice of 2 or 3 calls per month. He promoted a lead magnet to get subscribers to an email list. Like the VA, he focused all his marketing on getting prospects to join a “get-acquainted” call.

Both of these business owners had to hone their skills. They had to develop a “get-acquainted” call script that sells. They needed to learn or hire copywriting services to develop their websites. Mastering the basics would take up all their time. Once they mastered the ONEs, they could choose some add-ons.

Finally, remember that:

(a)There’s no one path to success. In the last week, I’ve seen promotional emails from a marketer urging everyone to “wait till you’ve established a successful coaching practice before you. create your first course.” I’ve seen emails from equally successful marketers urging everyone to “start with a small course and build your business from there.”

(b) Your intuition will be your best coach. Listen to that little voice that’s trying to get through and tell you something.

(c) Don’t listen to anyone who urges you to take risks. I advise anyone who signs up with me, “If you can’t afford my fees comfortably, don’t sign up. When you’re ready I’ll be there.”

More resources:

In the US, the Small Business Administration has many free resources, including consulting services. They can usually answer questions on business licenses and partnership agreements. Some are better than others but it’s worth a try. Other countries offer similar services.

If you can easily afford the fees, check out my Strategic Intensive program and my website review (which can also be used for sales letter reviews).

I offer a course on starting a side hustle that becomes a business. It includes interviews with a dozen business owners who talk about how they got started. They talk about listening to intuition as well as the practicalities of starting a business. Click here for access. You get this course free as a bonus when you sign up for the Strategic Intensive.

Cindy Bidar’s program works perfectly for beginners and she gets some well-respected veterans in there too. I’ve been a member for several years. Start here if you need advice. You’ll get access to all her courses as well as a roadmap so you know exactly what to do…and you’ll get lots of guidance on her twice-monthly calls.

I’ve been reading an ebook on productivity by a well-known marketer. His system came highly recommended, and I’m always interested in being more productive.

One of his recommendations stopped me cold.

Taking too long to write a blog post? Set a deadline – say, ten minutes. Write as much as you can in ten minutes. Then take whatever you’ve got and send it out.

That’s scary. Sometimes I write a paragraph and realize it’s total nonsense. Or I realize the post is moving in a direction that won’t appeal to my readers.

Even more, people have different writing styles.

My first drafts tend to be pretty awful. I might write a first draft in ten minutes but my best insights will come halfway through…and there goes the timer.

What is your work style?

Some writers work better when they’re forced to put words on paper. Others, like me, can put down words, but half the time they’re garbage and end up being tossed.

What is your story archetype?

Some business owners can get by with a blog post that states “old” material in a new way. Some send out short messages filled with free and low-cost offers. Some send long messages but less frequently.

That’s why I’m suspicious of products that promise to give you blog post templates. They may help you get started, but you’ll inevitably have to modify when you’re ready to put the final touches on your email message or post.

If you spend more time writing, are you doomed to be unproductive?

No way – here are 3 ways to rethink productivity:

1 – Use each piece of content at least 3 times.

So you spend 30 minutes on a blog post but use it in 3 places – that’s 10 minutes per placement. A half-baked blog post won’t get much traction.

2. – Save time by structuring your post with a story.

You can use the “Dear Abby” problem-solving style, the step-by-step narrative, or the “two guys” story. Once you’ve got the structure, the post practically writes itself.

Episode 40 of the Strategic Storytelling podcast provides more detail. Listen on your favorite platform.

3 – Evaluate productivity by ROI, not input.  

When you present an original framework or solution, you may need extra time to develop your concept the first few times you write about it. Yet this piece of writing will generate more shares and comments than a run-of-the-mill cookie cutter post.

One successful business owner, an Educator archetype, sends out one long email each week. I’m sure it takes a long time to write, but the content tends to be powerful. I spend more time reading her posts. Sometimes I write a response. She’s built up a huge reservoir of credibility.

A copywriter spends 20 or more hours on what he calls “epic” posts – memorable content that encourages visitors to spend more time on his website.

After all, when you review your investment portfolio, you look at returns – not inputs. Why not do the same with your content creation?

Bottom Line: To be most productive, discover your own work style. The type of content you create may require more than 10 minutes. It’s not about spending 10 minutes vs 45 minutes on a blog post. It’s not about spending too much or too little time on a blog post; it’s about writing a post that reinforces your brand and attracts more clients.   

Imagine that you find a recipe book for making the perfect sandwich. You’ll get advised to start with 2 slices of bread…white, wheat, rye or hoagie roll. Then you’re advised, “Add a delicious filling.”

That’s a good start…it’s the formula for a sandwich. Take 2 pieces of bread or 1 large roll. Put something in between them. Voila! You’ve got a sandwich.

Not so fast.

What makes the sandwich work will be the filling. If you’re putting something on the sandwich that people won’t like, it doesn’t matter how closely you followed the formula. 

So when you’re thinking of writing a blog post, article, email message or other content, you can consult a template or model. Now you have to add words and yes, stories. Otherwise you’ve got bread without filling.

For example, one marketer suggested a system for writing blog posts:

1 – Find a straightforward topic that’s of deep interest to your market.

2 – Come up with an outline. You might have an opening, 3 points, and a summary.

3 – Create a call to action at the end of the post.

That’s a great plan. There’s just one problem.

It’s the bread, not the sandwich.

Most business owners will get stuck at the first step. If you don’t know your audience, it doesn’t matter what you write in the blog post. If you choose a topic. That’s not relevant, your outline won’t make a difference.

The same principle holds when you get a list of ideas for blog posts. They usually look like this:

Something you learned about your business in the last six months

Behind the scenes at your business 

Biggest mistakes you see in your industry

These are good frameworks. They’re more like the dressing on the sandwich – mayo, butter or mustard. 

But here’s a better way.

Come up with a story about a problem your audience has. For instance:

“It’s the end of fall. For the last six weeks, I’ve been totally lazy….I want to stay on vacation! If this keeps up, I’ll be broke by New Year’s Day.”

That’s the problem of a business owner. Let’s call her Linda. You write a blog post to help Linda solve her problem.

Start with your archetype.

As an Educator archetype, I might talk about psychological primes. For instance when I go to a coworking space my energy shifts. Linda could set up a dedicated work area so she’d associate that space with work.

As an Innovator, you might suggest the new style of journaling you’ve invented. You might have created software to jumpstart a new writing project.

If you’re a Role Model, this one’s easy. You reflect back to a time when you shared Linda’s problem…or a way you’ve found to dig yourself out of any problems.

Celebrity? You’ve probably got something out-of-the-box and edgy (and you’re not reading this article anyway).

Passionate advocate? You focus on the “desperate” part of Linda’s problem. You can come in and save the day.

That’s it. Five blog posts from that one backstory.

If you want to add some structure you could create an outline – Problem, Why You Can’t Solve The Problem, Tips and Call To Action.

But when you get a topic that resonates with a hungry audience, you may not need a formula. Just use your archetype and you’ve got the answer.

If you’d like to learn more about getting inside your audience’s backstory, check out my course: The Client Advantage. Use the code THANKS30 to take $30 off the published price. (Subject to removal at any time.)

If you’d like to go beyond templates and become a copywriter yourself,  I can recommend my program, Become A Copywriter. It’s got a ton of information about working as a copywriter – marketing yourself and sharpening your skills.

If you’ve been following me awhile, you know I’m distinctly left-brained. So I focus on numbers and analysis. I want to know what works and what makes sense logically.

In putting together my course on side hustles, I talked to several successful business owners who had turned their side hustle into a profitable, full-time business. Sometimes their stories were hard to believe.

While their experiences have been vastly different, one theme kept coming up. They relied on intuition. They prepared (in different ways) before they moved.

But at some point, they say, they took a “leap of faith” into their next reality.

One of the interviewees told of the advice she received from a big-name coach. He encouraged her to move in a specific direction because there was a “hot market” there.

She didn’t believe in the product, but she was willing to try. She learned a lot as she worked intensely for a whole month, building a website, writing content, and developing strategy.

After a month, she got some shocking news. Her business was based on a specific third-party program, and now the program had gone out of business. She had nothing to show for a month of effort.

Her husband thought she’d be depressed and miserable. To everyone’s surprise, she was relieved. “I don’t have to do that anymore!” she said. She moved on to a direction that proved satisfying and extremely profitable.

If you don’t think something will work for you, it probably won’t.

Find something that will ignite your passion: something that will get you eager to get going on a Saturday morning, even if you have to skip brunch.

My reaction was, “A month isn’t bad. I’ve wasted much more time following pathways that were all wrong for me.”

Once I attended a workshop with a famous coach. He’d helped many of my online friends. They told me I should grab a spot at this workshop. He usually charged much, much more. I’d have a rare opportunity.

The coach suggested I expand one of my articles into a program. I didn’t feel comfortable – it wasn’t me! – but I figured, “He’s the big shot. He knows.”

When I tested the marketing materials I created so painstakingly, the response I got was, “This isn’t you.”

Mentors help with the “how” more than the “what.”

Looking back on my years, I’ve worked with some excellent mentors and learned a lot. They were usually good at the “how” part of business. The most profitable offers came from my own intuition…sometimes when I directly went against their advice.

This is also why I like to focus on helping my clients with content creation and strategy. Their intuition drives their decisions. I help with the implementation.

What’s your intuition story? Reply to this message to share.

RESOURCES

My course where I interviewed 12 successful business owners.
My ebook on intuition (available on Amazon and free with Kindle).

And if you’d like to learn more about how these experts pivoted their business (not what’s in the business books), join us by signing up here.

You’ve probably heard of the 80/20 rule. Eighty percent of your clients will come from 20% of your marketing. The final 20% of effort you add to a project will move the needle from “good” to “great.” 

 In general, one lesson I’ve picked up from people who seem to be successful without putting in long hours: Spend your time on activities that are most likely to generate results. If you generate more leads from Medium than from social media, spend the time with Medium.

It seems simple, but it’s not always easy to put into practice. Often the less productive activities are easier and more fun. I particularly get tempted to create graphics for social media accounts.

When it comes to writing persuasive content, the most productive component is also the most challenging: the headline.

You probably know (in fact you may have read on my website) that 70% of readers will read the headline and skip away before reading the rest of the sales letter. Most copywriters learn early: When the copy isn’t working, tweak the headline. Pro copywriters also spend more time writing the headline than the rest of the copy, because that’s the biggest payoff.

A lot of training programs focus on headline format. We all learn to set up headlines like, “Who else wants…” and “How to get X without giving up Y.”

Those formats are helpful. But the message that gets sent through the templates will be even more important. A headline like “How to weave baskets and still have time for your favorite movie” won’t do much for the readers of my blog, although the formula is well-tested. Even, “Who else wants to hire a copywriter for less than $10,000” will draw attention only from a tight niche.

Another trap emerges when we see a clever headline and think, “That’s what I’d like to write.” Alas, the headline probably worked for a Celebrity archetype. If you’re an Educator or Innovator, you’ll need a different style. In fact, you may do best with a simple “here’s what it is” headline than something over-the-top creative.

In summary –

1 – Spend more time writing the headline than the rest of the page.

2 – Develop your story before you choose your template. 

3 – Make your headline consistent with your story archetype.

ENDING TONIGHT: My course on Headlines with Stories takes a unique approach to writing headlines. Instead of applying templates, you’ll learn how to use storytelling to reach your target market.

Click here to learn more. Through midnight TONIGHT Friday, Feb 11, take an extra $10 off the intro price with coupon code FEB10. You won’t get tips to be “catchy” but you’ll get solid guidance for writing headlines that deliver results.

When I first started my business, I decided to hire a coach. I knew nothing about coaches, consultants, or resources available (and back then, we had fewer choices, too).

So I made the worst move possible. I hired a coach who claimed to be focused on helping people reach their goals. The truth was, I needed specific “how-to” information. There was no point in writing down goals and making vision boards: I needed substance.

Eventually, I attended classes and began to learn what to do.

What I didn’t realize was this:  When you’re new to a business, or you reach a stuck point, it’s tempting to hire someone to work with you as a consultant or coach. You may even go to a networking meeting and hear someone say, “I wouldn’t be anywhere without my coach.”

But that person may be at a different stage. In my earliest stages, I learned the most from my skills coaches — both copywriting and WordPress. I studied copywriting, so I could produce credible marketing materials. I took a workshop in WordPress websites, which saved me a small fortune over the years. While those trainings were focused on skill development, I also gained a new mindset and a picture of how-to marketing.

My clients now ask for advice when they get stuck. Here’s what I share with them.

Distinguish between a business consultant and a business coach.

A Huffington Post article from a few years ago made this distinction:

In practice, there’s quite an overlap. I definitely fall into the consulting arena. I’ve accumulated expertise in online marketing, especially messaging, branding, and copywriting. When clients sign up for my programs, they seek answers to questions.

But my clients don’t feel like they’re attending a class where I’m lecturing to them. We also brainstorm ideas and talk about purpose. And while we rarely focus explicitly on motivation, they often come away feeling energized and motivated — a natural result of making progress and overcoming obstacles.

At the same time, I “coach” the way a basketball coach works with players on a team. Of course, I instruct and share tips but I also encourage and supply an outside perspective.

And many people with coach training, who consider themselves coaches, also are top business people who teach and guide.

Focus On What You Need To Do The Job

These days we often use the terms interchangeably and, yes, incorrectly.  But titles aren’t really important when it comes to getting what you need.  You’ll be more likely to get the most helpful support when you focus on what you need to take the next steps in your business or complete a specific action step.

Here are the 3 most common reasons business owners hire coaches or consultants.

Accountability.

Being self-employed means you’re your own boss. In a corporate setting, your boss sets deadlines. Often you’re told what to do each day. Missing a deadline means consequences.

But once you’re on your own, you make your own schedule. Sure, if you don’t work your bank account will notice the difference…but not right away.

The best coaches operate like organizers. Instead of organizing your house or office, they organize your time. They’ll ask you to check in every week or two and report on what you’ve done.

If you haven’t met your activity goals, the good coaches will remain non-judgmental. They will work with you to decide first if you really want this goal, and then figure out how to prioritize the activity you haven’t gotten around to.

Many business owners claim an accountability coach saved their businesses. “I didn’t realize how much time I was spending on the wrong things,” they’ll say. Or, “I’m getting more done in less time.”

Do you need accountability?

Before hiring an accountability coach, ask yourself, “Why am I not getting things done?” You may not need accountability; you may need another resource.

Scenario 1:  You keep getting stuck on how to accomplish each step as you go about your business.

For instance, you start to work on your next online course offer. You begin to wonder, “Am I on the right track? Do I have substantial benefits to offer?”  You start to write the sales letter, but halfway through you realize you could use some help with the copy. so you put it aside and work on a blog post.  Then you wonder if you’re sending the right message. And so on.

You don’t need accountability. You need training or coaching on demand, so you reach out when you need support; for instance, my video coaching program lets you ask questions as often as they come up.  You don’t get caught up in question like,  “Is there a better way to write my headline” or, “Should I get a new email service.”

Scenario 2: You’re clear on your business goals. You know exactly what to do and once you’re in the flow, you keep working. You see results from your marketing, so you know your skills are up to par.

But you’re easily distracted. You find yourself prioritizing less important things, such as finishing a blog post, rather than more critical activities, such as reaching out to past clients for follow-up.

You could hire a coach who will meet with you weekly and keep you accountable. A good coach will work with you to overcome hidden beliefs that hold you back.

Alternatively, instead of hiring a coach, you may prefer to meet regularly with a colleague by phone, skype, or in-person. For instance, one writer met weekly with another writer for three whole years. Each would speak for 30 minutes on what they’re doing, what they’ve accomplished, and where they need help.  That writer says, “I’ve started a successful freelance business and written two books since we began doing this.”

Most importantly, your motivation may go up as you see success from your efforts. If you don’t see this pattern, you might need to consider finding a new business or new business model.

Strategy.

You sense your branding is fuzzy. You’re attracting the wrong clients. Or you don’t have a clear sense of the niche you should be targeting.

Strategic coaches (or consultants) can be pretty direct. “Focus on newly divorced women instead of newly graduated professionals,” they might say. Or, as I often say, “Choose your niche by the problems you solve, not by demographics.”

When it works this type of coaching can be extremely powerful. Clients have told me, “I’ve turned my business around after just one suggestion.”

Do you need a strategy coach? 

(a) Are you solving a significant problem?

Before you hire a coach or consultant, ask yourself these two questions:
Are you solving a painful problem that people know you have?
Do you have the credibility to be accepted as an authority?

If you can’t answer yes to both those questions, you might try some one-off sessions with a strategy coach. However, it’s rare to get answers from an outside source. These points get at. the core of your business. You have to be excited about reaching those goals!

(b) On the downside, be wary of coaches who “sell” their ideas and/or dismiss yours quickly. For instance, a coach might dismiss an idea with, “That’s not you.” Another might take the opposite tack: “If you feel it’s not you…why not? Maybe it is.” Or even, “You’re resisting me.”

Keep your intuition active. Nobody’s advice will be 100% wonderful but you don’t need to spend your sessions talking your coach out of something or into something else. Generally, choosing the focus of your business, along with your message and brand, must be done by you.

As part of my copywriting consultations, I used to talk about helping people find their “fab factor,” i.e., “What makes you fabulous?”

A very experienced coach encouraged me to build my business around that question. As I dug into sales letters and blog posts, I soon realized two things. I didn’t resonate with the word “fabulous.” And people didn’t see “becoming fabulous” as a must-have. He was surprised and disappointed when I told him I didn’t want to move in that direction.

(c) “Why don’t you look into X niche” works only if your consultant knows your industry.

A business consultant suggested I get more clients in the financial field. It sounded good until I explored the field. Would I pursue financial publishing (intense and competitive), personal finance (not particularly lucrative) or individual financial planners (terrific clients but usually constrained by limited budgets and regulation). This consultant simply didn’t understand the way copywriting clients operated.

(d) Make sure your branding advice can be implemented, i.e., translated into copywriting for marketing materials.

One client came to me after working with a coach who believed in finding archetypes for her target market. That was fine, but her archetypes were things like “unicorn” and “knight in armor.” It was impossible to translate into actionable copy.

A coach suggested I brand myself around “coffee.” (I’m not making this up.) She said, “You’ve got so much energy! What about naming your products after espresso, cappuccino, or decaf?”

There were two problems with this approach. First, energy isn’t a particularly valuable benefit. And second, people wanted to know “what’s in it for me?” right away. If they wanted a cappuccino they’d be down at Starbucks.

Skill coaching.

Do you need to improve a skill to move ahead in your business? I’m biased, but every successful online marketer I know has studied copywriting. You can take courses in sales, graphics, or even how to use WordPress to set up your website. Launching an offer, webinar marketing, email marketing and creating your opt-in sequence might also be considered skills.

Facebook ads, google analytics and google adwords all could be considered skills: you can figure out a lot on your own, but it’s like learning to play a sport. A good trainer or coach will help you avoid the pitfalls, just as a tennis coach shows you how to hold your arm for a stronger serve.

If you really need the skill, the investment will pay off immediately.  But that’s the rub: do you really need to learn this skill? 

Entrepreneurs tend to be lifelong learners. It’s tempting to decide to learn a skill you don’t really need. I must admit I succumbed to a course on Photoshop because I love playing with design. I do use what I’ve learned but I have to be careful not to spend too much time on design – a skill I will always need to outsource. I know when a project calls for a $5 Fiverr designer and when I need a pro on a much larger scale.

On the other hand, after learning even the rudiments, I’m better equipped to hire a designer.  I am not qualified as a Photoshop expert, but I know what can be done with Photoshop, what takes a long time, and what should be a quick $5 fix from Fiverr.

Do you need to hire a coach?

When you need skills, there’s no point in hiring a strategy coach. Find a course you can take, online or offline. Sometimes you don’t even need to pay. Go to YouTube and search on, “How to learn how to…”

The downside of YouTube is the courses often aren’t well-thought-out or organized. You may need to work your way around half a dozen videos.

You can also get started at a low cost with platforms like Udemy, Skillshare, and CreativeLive. There’s a huge variety in quality among the course offerings. Buy only what you’ll use right away so you can qualify for a refund if the course just doesn’t work for you.  Lynda, one of the best-regarded course platforms, has been bundled as a free offering from some public libraries.

Most people hire skills coaches after taking a class. To learn a skill effectively, you need a combination of practice and feedback. That’s how the famous “10,000 hours of practice” turns you into a pro. You usually won’t need that many hours, but you will need focused practice with professional feedback.

Sometimes my own clients will sign up for a course and then ask for private one-on-one follow-up. Or they’ve taken just enough courses to understand the basics; they want ongoing guidance as they implement. Or they usually do well on their own but want guidance for a specific high-value opportunity.

When you want to develop your own skills, choose a program where you’ll get access over a period of time. With strategy, a one-off session often gets the client in shape for branding or positioning. But you’ll need time to develop your skills. Many coaches have programs that allow you to ask quick questions and get answers for a period of three to twelve months. For instance, I offer video coaching; clients can send in their copy and get fast feedback, as often as they like.

Skill coaching often comes with a bonus, whether you sign up one-on-one or as a course. Typically you’ll be going back and forth with the coach as you try different options or even carry out assignments. You’ll have built-in accountability as you’ll be motivated to complete assignments and you’ll get fast feedback.

CONCLUSION

When you’re at a point in your business where you feel you need support, it’s tempting to hire whoever’s calling with the most tempting offer. A lot of business owners find that hiring the wrong form of support can actually set you back.

You need to figure out two things. What do you need to learn? And how do you typically learn?

I’d also encourage you to be honest with yourself. How do you learn? In a class? From reading? From doing?

Personally, I learn from classes and from taking action. I’m a kinaesthetic learner: watching a demo rarely helps; I have to do it.

I also tend to resent accountability coaching. If I’m not doing something, it’s because on some level, I don’t want to, and I need to figure out why. I can’t handle reporting weekly to someone on “What I Did This Week.” It feels like having a nanny.

If you’ve never worked on personal growth with a therapist or group, you won’t benefit from a life coach. Don’t even bother.

Once you’ve identified those two things – what you need and how you operate – you’ll be in good shape to hire support that will actually help grow your business. Until you’ve reached that point, you’re just throwing money at a problem.

I know. We’ve all been there.

Download my free report, 3 Big Ways A Copywriter Get Grow Your Small Business

And you might want to check out this resource. If you’re looking about a mentor, you can avoid many common mistakes with this downloadable digital product: Hire A Mentor Who Won’t Kill Your Business.