Tech Tips

No-Excuses Blueprint: Internet Marketing For Coaches

Want to know the 3 most important steps to building a coaching practice without ever having to go to a networking meeting or shake anyone's hand? I have outlined the exact steps I used to do that in this video.

Blueprint For Building A 6-Figure Coaching Practice: Internet Marketing For Coaches . . . because you really CAN build a 6-figure coaching practice, and I want to see you do that.

Here's what others have said:

"Carol's witty and informative presentation mesmerized the audience. As they say - you had to be there. But the next best thing is to get a copy of her DVD."

"The quality of the workshops was first rate. The notes I took will guide me in taking my coaching practice to the next level. The most helpful hints were: Blueprint for Internet Marketing by Carol Solomon"

"Creative use of the internet has potential for residual income -- from Carol Solomon's presentation."

Click here to buy the video.

#1 on Google . . . and A Growing Number of Coaching Clients

Here's a note that I received from Jeannette Samanen -

"Your strategy has made me #1 on the Philadelphia Life Coach google page, which has led to an interview on the local ABC evening news, an interview for a magazine article (good PR) and a growing number of coaching clients.  I will always be grateful for your support and guidance."
Jeannette Samanen, Ph.D.

Of course, I LOVE receiving emails like this, because I LOVE seeing my students succeed. I had to find out what Jeannette was doing to make this happen.

I knew that Jeannette was a very dedicated coach, and that this success did not happen on it's own. Jeannette created a website, a newsletter (to keep in touch with her website visitors) and a blog. These are all ways of building relationships with potential clients, and helping them become familiar with her work.

But the final step and CRITICAL step was to drive traffic to her website using article marketing. You simply write an article in your niche and this service blasts the articles out all over the internet. If you want people to find you, you have to give them something to click on.

Using the internet, you are marketing to the world. These clients are finding Jeannette. She doesn't have to go look for them. Once the work is done, she can focus on what she does best - be a great coach.

Creating Passive Income

Creating passive income is work. Every one wants it. Few people will actually do the work to create it. I'm a big believer in doing the work once, and getting paid over and over again. To me, that is worth the effort.

I have done everything backwards in creating a coaching practice. I created a product first, which led not only to passive income, but to people hiring me as a coach. They liked the ideas in the book, and wanted me to help them personalize the information. I had a full practice in no time.

People often ask me how I do everything I do. The answer is simple. I bumble my way through it and I persist. I trust that I can learn what I need to know along the way, and I invest in my own learning. It's a simple decision to spend money on things that are going to help you make money for years and years to come.

One of the top ways that I learn how to do things, like creating CDs and information products, is the Net Reporter. Don't let the sales letter fool you. This guy is the real deal. And he actually CARES if you are successful. He has 100's of members, and he recently interviewed me for the entire membership  on my success selling CDs on Amazon, what tools I used, and how I did it.

He's very good and very thorough with specific, practical, "How To" information. He spells everything out, and leaves nothing to the imagination. You can always get your specific questions answered too. So, if you are even *thinking* of creating products or using the internet to market your business in 2009, consider joining the site. Maybe we can compare notes.

Making Your Blog Successful

I have learned the most about blogging from Kathy Hendershot-Hurd (Click here to view more details) 

She has a rare in-depth knowledge of blogging and what it can do for your business.

For Kathy, it' not just a hobby. She walks the walk. And she has helped hundreds of people get started with blogging and learn to blog effectively to increase traffic to their sites and attract clients. 

Power blogging is not for whiners! You can't just blog about what you had for breakfast and expect to get TRAFFIC in your niche! And all website need more traffic. If you learn to blog effectively, then you'll have all the traffic (and business) you want. When Kathy came out with a blogging book, I had one of the first looks at it. When I started using it, I started seeing results on a new blog I had started on hypnosis and diet almost immediately. And the great thing about this book, is that you can move as fast or slow as you want.

Don't waste your time blogging until you have this book!

Get the 8-Week Power Blog Launch

Mortgage Loans For Nurses

I've never used such a timely topic on any of my sites, so here is my first experiment -- Mortgage Loans For Nurses. I'd love to hear your experiences and if any of you are using it successfully. This is all part of a grand adventure to see how sites rank and to learn and develop my skills in keyword research. I know that some of you have a nursing background, so I would love your input too. With the state of mortgage loans, you may even be searching for a loan! And if you know of any information on mortgage loans for nurses, I will add that information to the site.

Making Money With Membership Sites

How would you like to be making ongoing, residual income with a paid membership site? What's a membership site? It's a website that people pay to belong to. They exist all over the web, in every niche. People like to "belong" to something, especially something they are passionate about. I belong to several membership sites myself, and I run my own membership program for weight loss.

If you have a lot of members in your membership site, then it's very profitable. If you have 500 members at only $20 per month, you make $10,000 per month. But let me tell you, memberships sites are a freaking amount of work!!! That's a deal breaker for most people. Running a membership site can be a full time job.

I LOVE the idea of doing the work once, and getting paid over and over. That's why I'm about to start my 3rd membership program (I'm writing the first lesson today). Why? Because of an exciting new idea that I learned in a membership course I'm taking. It's not the "traditional" membership site, but based on an idea I really like -- much more doable. And it isn't so freaking much work. And it's very affordable.

Here's the idea:

1. Write ONE 2-3 page article lesson every week.

2. Add this article to an autoresponder for subscribers to access.

3. Sell access to the series, which would last 3 - 6 - 9 - or 12 months.

The cost of these memberships is fairly low $10 - $25 per month. That means it wouldn't be hard to get members. After all, if someone is passionate about soccer, or bowling or model cars, whatever . . . then they want to know more. We're all willing to spend money on things we care about, if the information is good, even in today's economy.

Your costs

Your costs are mostly in the TIME that it takes to write the articles and promote the site. I use several autoresponder programs in my business all the time, (one is integrated with my shopping cart) and they are both cost effective ($20 -$30 per month) and simple to use.

The membership course I am taking is very detailed and explains everything step by step, including how to get new subscribers to join your site. It's very doable and gives exact instructions for both experienced internet marketers and beginners. And the course is modeled on his plan, so I'll get to see how it works from the members point of view.

There is a time limit (naturally!)

This man practices what he preaches, and has a very good reputation on the internet for successful membership sites (I belonged to one of his other sites for over a year.) He's only going to sell a limited amount of memberships (1000), so check it out now if you are interested, and maybe we can compare notes.

"My Practice Has Doubled Since I Began Developing My Website (Blog)!"

From my inbox:

Hi Carol,

Just letting you know that my practice has doubled since I began developing my website...of course, there are other factors, but the site has been a big attraction for potential clients...they like what they see and read...and I have actually had 2 new referrals from people who have found me online via my site from google searches this week.

Leveraging Your Voice

The spoken word is considered to be 10 times as persuasive as written text. Why? Emotion is the secret ingredient that moves people to action. Yes, written words can evoke emotion too. But the human voice has the power to multiply the impact that is far greater than written words alone.

James Brausch

I'm a big fan of James Brausch. He's one of these ex-homeless drug addicts, who has actually been successful. But even more, I like his blunt style. Here he writes a particularly funny tongue-in-cheek post about how to "feel" successful.

Coaching Websites: Biggest Mistakes

3 Steps To Passive Income

Creating a product and starting a stream of passive revenue depends on 3 things:

1. Create a product that people want to buy (ebook, CD, DVD, etc).

2. Describe your product in a way that makes people want to buy it.

3. Get a SIMPLE website and send traffic to it. Traffic is just PEOPLE who come to your site looking for answers to a problem -- the type of people that you probably help every day in your business.

There are dozens of ways to get more traffic, which I will be focusing on in the next month. There are many free ways to get traffic, and ways to spend a little bit of money to MULTIPLY the traffic you get. The cost will be offset by increased sales, if you have done #1 and #2 properly :-)

It really is that simple -- create your product, describe it in a compelling way that makes people want to buy it, and get people to come to your site, so they CAN buy it.

Captivating Your Audience

A few weeks ago, my family and I tried out a new church. You can imagine my shock when the rock band started off the service with their rendition of "Revolution" by the Beatles (we were in the 3rd row). We continued to be captivated by a full multimedia presentation, including audio, video, hip hop music, live skits and comedy -- anything that would drive home the message.

Creating Content And Passive Income With Expert Interviews

Doing expert interviews is an EXCELLENT + smart way to create products and build your business.

People LOVE interviews. Think about how much TV and radio time is devoted to interviews. We all seem to have a natural curiosity about what can be learned from *experts* in our fields. *How they did it* interviews are also popular -- It's encouraging to learn from others who have been successful.

Join The ICoach Listserv

Join the ICoach Listserv! The ICoach Forum is an email discussion group run by coaches to support coaches in creating, sustaining and growing a thriving coaching business. The goal is to share information and provide coaches with the right mindset, support, knowledge, resources and skills to build their businesses.

Subscribe to ICoach

Email:

Visit this group

If you don't have a Google Account, you'll need to create one!

Do I *Need* A Newsletter?

Well, actually . . . no. What you need is a follow-up system. A way of following up with potential clients who visit your website. No matter how interactive your website is, you can't expect potential clients to return over and over again. But if they give you permission to contact them . . . now, THERE is an opportunity. Don't waste it.

Building a list of potential clients is one of the smartest things you can do. In fact, it's the *holy grail* of internet marketing. Treat your subscribers like gold and don't ever take them for granted. If you build a good relationship with them, you will have all the clients you need . . . and more. Here's the system I use every day.

Do You Have Email Stress?

If you are feeling overloaded with email, check out these statistics:

A new study in the UK shows that more than a third of workers are suffering from "email stress" as they are swamped with messages. Researchers from Glasgow and Paisley universities found that workers are struggling to cope with a deluge of emails, and it's leaving staff tired, frustrated and unproductive.

• 34 per cent said they checked their inbox every 15 minutes
• 64 per cent said they looked more than once an hour

But monitoring software revealed that they looked more often, with some workers viewing their emails up to 40 times an hour.

Social Networking In Plain English

Ever wonder what social networking is all about, and why you should care? Here's a quick video explaining the process.

Social Bookmarking In Plain English

Ever wonder what social bookmarking is all about? Here's a video that gives a quick overview in plain English.

How Important Is Your Domain Name?

If you are lucky (?) enough to become a parent, for God’s sake before you name your child, make sure the domain name is available.

This just in from Wired Magazine . . .

“…One of the criteria was, if we liked the name, the domain had to be available,” Pankow said. It was, and Pankow quickly grabbed Bennett’s online identity.

Earn a Living With Products

Ok, I have renewed faith in the internet. You may know that I sell my own ebooks -- ebooks are a beautiful idea -- someone can go to your website, pay for the book and download it . . . without you ever having to do anything. Everthing is automated -- and frictionless!

In fact, I'm teaching a class on how to do ebooks now. Ebooks are easy.

Do You Want To Do Virtual Groups?

In one of my classes recently, a student remarked -- "I want to do what you do -- teach teleclasses and do virtual groups."

Great -- There's only 1 thing you need

Is The Contest Rigged? What I Would Do . . .

Jame Brausch over at http://www.jamesbrausch.com/?p=756 is having a few problems with a contest he's trying to win at cd Baby. Here's what I'd do. I would send an email something like this:

Have You *Googled* Yourself?

The other day, while I was on the phone with Lynne Berrett, she *googled* her name . . . that is, she typed her name into the Google search box.

What a surprise when her Easy Coaching Website came up #1. And because she and some of the other folks in my Website Workgroup were linking to each other on their blogs, Shaun Kieran's site came up too.

Why is that surprising?

Lynne has 2 other blogs that have been up longer, but it was her Easy Coaching Website that came up first. Awesome!

So it's fun and easy to do -- Google your name and/or the name of your website and see if you are showing up in the search engines.

If you like what you see, great!

If not, see what you can do to get better results.

Your goal is to be on the first page -- that's how the game is played.

Here's my class schedule for the fall:

No Excuses Blogging (3 spaces left -- Starts 8/23)

Profit From Your Ebook (Sold Out)

Profit From Your Newsletter (Starts 9/5)

Profit From Your Website (Starts 10/3)

Blogs vs. Traditional Websites

Websites are tricky business. You can have a beautiful website, but if it doesn't perform well, it really won't do you much good.

By "perform", I mean that people can actually FIND you in the search engines, and your site is actually organized in a way that people can find what they are looking for when they get there.

And that people are actually contacting you for more information about your services.

Of course, you want your site to look good too. But most people get way too overfocused on the "look" of the site, when it is the performance that counts.

I get asked pretty often about the difference between a blog and a traditional website. Should I have a blog or a website or both? Blogs (especially Wordpress using Semiologic) have made it easy to have a blog that looks like a traditional website, with it's own pages and "blog" section . . . it can be hard to tell the difference.

Of course, a blog IS a website. And your visitors won't care which "platform" you use. So the difference is in the functionality.

There are 3 BIG advantages of using a blog and scrapping traditional websites. OK, OK, you don't have to scrap it -- you can let it sit there and look pretty if you want. But DO add a blog if you want people to find you. Here's why:

1. Blog-style websites have built-in editing software. So once it is set up, you don't need special software to change something on your pages. It's very easy to use.

2. Blogs are search-engine friendly. Google LOVES blogs, which is why you find so many of them when you search for information. Blogs get indexed FAR more quickly than traditional websites.

3. Easy Organization. When you add something to your blog, everything gets organized and categorized for you. It makes everything easy to find -- like an awesome filing system online. You (and your visitors) can easily find whatever you/they are looking for.

But what if I already have a website? Great -- get a blog and link to it.

Already have a blog? As Kathy Hendershot-Hurd says, "blogs are like potato chips . . . One is never enough!" She should know -- we both maintain multiple blogs. She optimizes the blogs that we create for others at Easy Coaching Websites and they get phenomenal results.

We're teaching a teleseminar together to answer the nuts and bolts questions on blogs. To register and get the details, go to: No Excuses Blogging

Paypal + Blogging Updates

Thanks to Rick Wilkes of ThrivingNow for letting me know that Paypal does now offer a virtual terminal for $20 per month.

Another coach wrote to say that she had used it, but her clients didn't care for it. They didn't trust Paypal. So she went with ProCartSolutions, which is the solution that I find most cost effective as well.

Want to get started blogging?

I've made 2 brief videos to show you how easy it is.

You can access them on the "No Excuses" Blogging page -- It's a new class I'll be teaching in August.

Read to the bottom to see how you can get the class for F.r.e.e.

Paypal vs. a Merchant Account

From the inbox: Can I just use Paypal instead of a Merchant Account?

Paypal is an excellent service and convenient to pay for things online.

The practical advantage of having your own merchant account is that when you have clients that work with you for several months or years, you can go in and charge their credit cards. With Paypal, you have to depend on them to go into their accounts and pay YOU. So you have more control over getting paid.

In fact, I have 100% collection rate :-)

The psychological benefit is that it completely eliminates the *money* conversation. It is set up in the beginning (and agreed upon) that you will bill their cards in advance for every 4 sessions. Now the focus can be completely on the coaching, and they don't have to think about whether they want to continue every month. It creates a better overall flow --with the focus where it should be -- on the coaching.

Get A Great Domain Name NOW!

Anyone who has taken my classes has heard me rant about domain names.

http://www.Profit-From-Your-Website.com (Starts October 3rd)

http://www.Profit-From-Your-Newsletter.com  (Starts September 5th)

But here's another tip:

Register your domain names for a long time.

I am going to register www.CarolSolomon.com for 10 years.

Apparently Google considers that a positive trust factor, since spammers will rarely register a domain name longer than one year.

It also doesn’t hurt at all that CarolSolomon.com was first registered in November of 2001. Domain age is also a trust factor.

So when you find one you like, register it right away even if you aren't ready to use it yet.

8 Tips For Writing Email Newsletters

Some people say that email newsletters are no longer effective. There are just too many of them.

I disagree.

Email newsletters establish you as an authority in your field, and you don't even have to write a book! Although you will be able to if you write consistently for an email newsletter.

In a few short years, my email newsletter has grown to over 16,000 subscribers.

Building Your Practice With Email Newsletters

Many people don't realize how important (and effective) email marketing is to build your EFT practice. According to some of the latest research in email marketing, over 70 percent of email marketers say the impact of it is increasing, not decreasing.

I know that there are a lot of other ways to build your practice, but let's consider the facts:

1. Potential clients are skeptical. These days, no one trusts anyone unless they know you.

Join The Net Reporter!

Want to know where I get my tips, techniques and inspiration?

Here's a site that I use constantly: Join the Web's #1 Subscriber Site

There is so much information in this site, I really can hardly keep up. But that's a good thing! And with information changing quickly, it's nice to have someone else keeping up for me. YOU need to be constantly learning, and this site provides a virtual menu to choose from. VERY informative webinars -- where everything is explained step-by-step.

Want to learn about ebooks, mini-sites, listbuilding, copywriting, or getting traffic to your site? This site has it all. It's the most content-rich subscriber site available. And it keeps me up to date. Highly recommended.

Email Newsletters: How To Turn Words Into Dollars

If you want to market your business on the internet, building your business with email newsletters is a massively important skill.

One reason that email newsletters are so effective is that it keeps you (and your service) in the minds of your potential clients. When your potential clients are ready, and they have a need for your service, they will contact you.

Are You Moodling?

Many people have asked me what I use to manage my Profit From Your Website and Profit From Your Newsletter classes online. That software is called Moodle. It's free software that can be installed on your website, or on it's own website, as I have done with the EFT lab.

Moodle allows me to create an online resource guide for each class and manage all the course material, and audio recordings in 1 place. It makes my life easier, and the class participants LOVE having all the resources that I have created and archived for them.

Resizing Photos

Sometimes I need to submit a photo to a website that requires a particular size. While there are many programs to do this, here's a service online where you can do it quickly and easily.

Want an easy way to resize photos? Try Snip Shot

Profit From Your Website starts February 7th

Register now at: http://www.Profit-From-Your-Website.com

My Secret To Success

Have you heard the expression . . . 

"The money is in the list"? 

How about . . . "The fortune is in the follow-up"?

Internet marketers know where the money is  . . . 

Growing a massive email list is one of the smartest things you can do to market your business.

It's the backbone of internet marketing.

And ANYONE can do it.

Consider this . . .

Once someone opts into your list, they are 5 times more likely to buy something from you (products and services.)

And yes, of course, I will be rolling out my all NEW "Profit From Your Newsletter" teleclass in January.

Don't miss the boat!

Go to http://www.Profit-From-Your-Newsletter.com to register.

How To Start Blogging

Let me tell you -- I did NOT want to learn about blogging!  But if you have a website, you need traffic, and blogging is a great way to get it.

So I learned anyway, and started some blogs just for fun. Then I completely dropped the ball last year when my husband had a quadruple bypass. A few months later, I was checking some of my keywords on Google, and found that my blogs were getting good search engine placement . . . without my having done much of anything with them. Awesome!

I took a class with Andy Wibbels, (Get Andy’s Free Report on Blogging!) the original "blogging evangelist" to get started. Andy knows blogging, and what it can do for your business.

Check Out These Blogging Resources Set Up Your Blog Now! (P.S. It was pretty painless)

Profit From Your Website Is "An Amazing Learning Experience"

I think (and have been telling everyone!) that this is an amazing learning experience. This class is full of information it would have taken me hours and hours to find on my own, because I wouldn't have even known what I was looking for. 

It is like opening a wonderful gift.  And, for someone very new to all this tech stuff, the information is presented in a very clear and easily understandable way - so I don't feel overwhelmed, just incredibly energized! 

Plus - because the classes are all on audio,  I can go back and listen again (which I have done which helps me in my absorption process). And having them on audio is also a bonus for when I had to miss a class because of something unexpected at work.

Thanks,
Ginny Deluca
Durham, NH

"You Simplify Complicated Stuff"

"Profit From Your Website" was eminently helpful in helping me to focus more clearly on the work that needs to be done to create a site/blog/whatever!!  Too bad:  things dont "just happen" !!  LOL

One of your gifts, if I may say, is that you are so well organized -- clear in thinking and presentation.....you simplify complicated stuff out of the wealth of your experience which I know you have worked so hard to acquire and accomplish......It's just that you make it seem simple!!!  I love your POWER!!!

Warm Regards,
Lois Ernst

Don't Work Harder -- Automate!

Don't Work Harder -- Automate!

You may have heard the expression -- "Work smarter, not harder." 

Well, I disagree. 

For me, the goal is to NOT to work smarter, but to work LESS.

One way you can do that is to automate your systems. Are you still sending out newsletters and updates with an outdated system or worse, manually? 

In a word, don't -- it's not worth your time. Use this system instead. It makes everything easy.

I like easy.

Using Article Banks

Article Banks are websites where you can place your articles online. The advantage of using article banks is that you can link back to your site, thus providing valuable links and traffic.

People can read your articles online, and if they are interested in your topic, go to your website for more information.

I've also been contacted by the media to do interviews after they have read my articles online.

Your website will rank higher on search engines because of the links back to your site from the articles.

Profit From Your Website Teleseminar

PROFIT FROM YOUR WEBSITE

HOW TO FOCUS ON WHAT WORKS

TO EXPLODE YOUR BOTTOM LINE

Websites can be a profit center . . . or they can be time and money down the drain.

Websites are a *key* marketing tool for coaches. But you can't just throw up a website and expect clients to find you. There's an art to it.

You have to know what to focus on to reach the potential clients that you want. Your perfect clients want to find you -- and they are looking for resources online.

Announcing New 4-Week Teleseminar . . .

JOIN THE NEXT "PROFIT FROM YOUR WEBSITE" TELESEMINAR

Go to: ---> http://www.Profit-From-Your-Website.com

Starts January 9th!

"This class is full of information that would have taken me hours to find on my own . . . It's like opening a wonderful gift . . . all presented in a very clear and understandable way, so I don't feel overwhelmed, just incredibly energized!" Ginny DeLuca

Hope to *see* you there!

hugs,
Carol

Why American Idol Is Smart Marketing

For examples of smart marketing, one needs to look no further than the popular TV show, American Idol.

Why? Smart marketers need to know what their customers want. To find out, they use a simple tool called a survey. When marketers survey their customers, they learn what the customer wants and produce products accordingly. If you produce products without using a survey first, you are guessing. 

American Idol uses technology (special phone lines and text messaging) to ask America what they want. They are virtually assured that Americans will buy the product (CD's, etc.) because they CHOSE it.

No matter who wins the competition, the producers of the show are guaranteed success. 

P.S. Some survey tools that I have used are: Survey Monkey and the Ask Database.

Google Adwords

One way that I drive traffic to my websites is by using Google Adwords. At first, I just figured it out myself.

Then I got smart and got the Definitive Guide to Google Adwords.

Things made much more sense when I learned more about the program, rather than just bumbling through it myself.

You can get a free e-course on how to use Adwords here.

Record Everything

Recording every teleclass is quickly becoming a standard and expected practice. If you record everything you do, then you can offer a recorded version (for free or fee) after the call.

I record all of my teleclasses (learn how). If you are leading teleclasses (and you should be!) it's an advantage to be able to tell people that they don't have to show up.

If the time of the call isn't good for them, then they can still get the recorded version.

For multiple session classes, sometimes people are hesitant to sign up because they will miss a session when they are on vacation, etc. When you record the calls, you get a better sign up rate.

I also record my group coaching calls for the same reason (except on days like today -- when I forget to record - dang!). It adds value, and lets your clients know that they aren't going to miss out.

You can also offer the recorded version as a product. Last summer, I recorded a 1-session teleclass. 40 people signed up. Then I offered the recorded version as a product, and 100 people have purchased the recorded version.

Audio is powerful -- it gives people another way to connect with you more than just written words on a webpage.

Blogwild! Small Business Blogging Book Out on Thursday

Heads up! Mark you calendars: Andy Wibbels's new book Blogwild! A Guide for Small Business Blogging hits store shelves this Thursday, April 6th.

I have taken classes in blogging and podcasting from Andy and I recently met him at a coaching event.

He really knows his stuff!

As part of the book launch promotion, if you purchase the book on April 6th through Amazon.com, you'll receive $50 off your choice of any of Andy's classes: Six Figure Blogging, Easy Bake Weblogs, RSS Essentials or Business Blog Basics. This is a great opportunity to grab this hot new book as well as an online course to ensure your success. You can grab an excerpt of the book over at www.GOblogwild.com.

Here's some of the early reviews:

"Just received Andy's book and by far, his book is the best on the market today - for an overview and introduction to blogging. Read this one FIRST - before you pick up any others. You'll be years ahead of your peers." - Yvonne Divita, author of Smarter Marketing to Women Online

"Andy Wibbels is a genius! His book walked me step-by-step through the mysterious world of blogging. He took away all my excuses and resistance."- Mark Rosenberger, author of SPLAT! The Solution Guide for Breakthrough Performance, Productivity & Sanity

Blogwild! is about the future - your future. If you're a small business owner and want to stay competitive, start blogging now. It's going to be the definitive book on blogging." - Michael Port, author of Book Yourself Solid: The Fastest, Easiest, Most Reliable System for Getting More Clients

"Blogwild! is a brilliantly simple guide to the world of blogging and getting your own unique blog up in no time. I highly recommend it." - Mitch Meyerson, author of Success Secrets of the Online Marketing Superstars

www.GOblogwild.com

Free Clip Art

Free Clip Art

I am sure that there are many places on the internet to get free clip art. Here's one that I use.

You can create your own banners too. Use them on websites and html newsletters (like this one!).

When Do I Need Credit Card Processing?

Using a service to process credit cards can save a lot of time and worry.. Most coaches either use Paypal (a way to send and receive money through secure email) or a credit card processing service, known as a merchant account. 

When you use Paypal, both you and your client set up Paypal accounts. Then, the client goes into their Paypal account and sends money to you each month. It is deposited directly into your bank account. You can also send an invoice to your client through Paypal. 

The advantage of a merchant account is that when coaching fees are due, YOU go into your service online and charge the client's credit card. YOU have control, and you do not have to ask for or wait for the client to send you money. 

When should you get a merchant account? When you have between 5-10 clients -- sooner if you don't like waiting for checks to arrive in the mail, or your clients to pay you with Paypal. 

There are fees involved in setting up a merchant account. But to me, they are well worth it since they help to improve the flow of coaching from one month to the next. You don't have to have the "money conversation" every month. 

Which Headset Should I Use?

This is quite a conundrum for coaches. First, think about how you want to use it.
Here are some thoughts:

I use a GN Netcom 2125-NC. This is a binaural (covers both ears), lightweight headset that can be used with a cordless phone OR a corded phone that has a headset jack.

NC means "noise cancelling". It filters out background noises, so your voice is clear.

I currently use an AT&T cordless phone that came with 2 handsets. So I can switch handsets if my battery runs low. And I have a corded phone (with a headset jack) as a back up as well.

I also use the corded phone when I record teleclasses to get the best sound quality.

It took me awhile to get used to having both ears covered, because MY voice sounded different. But now I love it because it places the sound in the middle of your head, and helps me stay focused in on my client. There is a monaural version as well.

You can buy the headset separately, and you do not need an amplifier. You DO need an adapter to use the headset without an amplifier. I purchased both from www.hellodirect.com several years ago. I have found their customer service to be excellent.

Whatever you choose, be sure to try it out right away, because there are compatibility issues between phones and headsets. That way, you can return it within the guarantee period if something doesn't work. Sometimes it takes several tries to get the right set up.

Many people like the Plantronics CT12, which is a headset that comes with a phone. It has Caller ID, mute and very good sound quality. But you may need to buy extra batteries so that you don't run out of talk time. If your power goes out, you still need a back up. And I prefer my own cordless phone because I can use it for personal use without the headset as well.

If you know what you want, a good place to purchase phones and headsets is www.wantphones.com, but they don't carry every model.

Email Newsletters: If I Had It To Do Over

As you may know, I use GetResponse to distribute my email newsletter.

GetResponse is an autoresponder.

It's amazing what it can do. With the click of a button, my newsletter gets delivered all over the world to over 15K subscribers. Compared to direct mail -- it is incredibly easy and inexpensive.

But, if I had it to do all over again, I would choose a different solution -- a more comprehensive solution.

Click here to see why. In many ways, when I signed up for GetResponse, I just wasn't thinking about the future. This more comprehensive solution would have been more expensive to start out with, ($299 per year, compared to $145 for GetResponse), but much more versatile.

It allows me to have a merchant account, send newsletters and have the capacity for clients to pay online for my teleclasses and ebooks.

As I help my clients set up their systems and get started in the online world, I hope they will be more future minded than I was!

If you plan to build a business online, this is the ONLY solution.

Highly recommended! 

Carol

Free Bridge Lines

You can get a free bridge line at http://www.FreeAudioConferencing.com
It is super easy to sign up. It is yours to use whenever you want.

Of course, go here to check out the easiest way to record your teleclasses, without having to know anything about digital recording, converting your audio files to mp3 or uploading to your site.

Shortening URL's

Just thought I would pass along a cool resource.

It's at http://www.snipurl.com

Snip URL allows you to shorten a lengthy url.

I've known about http://www.tinyurl.com for awhile, but I never
liked the way it uses random characters to shorten the url.

Snip URL allows you to create a short url with a "nickname",
so that it makes sense to the reader (and to you!)

For instance, here's the "snipped" version of a link pointing to
an article that I wrote:

http://snipurl.com/hurtful_comments

Using a shorter link allows you to be certain that your link won't
"wrap" or break in the text of an email.

Snip URL also allows you to track how many people click on
your link.

And best of all, it's free!

   

Recording Your Teleclasses

The fastest and easiest way to record your teleclasses is through a system called Audio Acrobat. Their system is super easy to learn and use. You can create your own digital library without having to know anything about digital recording, converting your audio files to mp3 or uploading to your site. They also have excellent customer support -- by phone and email.

And you are recording your teleclasses aren't you?

It's a good idea to record everything you do, so that you can offer people a link to listen at their convenience if they can't make the class. It will also make you a better instructor.

Check them out today!