http://www.a1articles.com en-us editorial@articlealley.com Last time I shared four practical tips for how to develop a compelling offer - Make sure it's a desirable topic, craft a juicy title, add on a tempting bonus and get clear on the value before you settle on the price. Today I want to begin talking about... http://www.a1articles.com/how-to-present-your-offers-with-love-so-your-audience-will-love-your-offers-1318125.html 30th December 2009 Few things are more discouraging to a passionate entrepreneur than creating products and programs that don't sell well. It's hard not to take it personally, which can bring up feelings of doubt, hurt, disappointment and even embarrassment. But for the... http://www.a1articles.com/make-em-an-offer-they-cant-refuse-part-1-1281153.html 09th December 2009 It's not in your best interest to think that you can, or should, do all the tasks involved in running, marketing and managing your business. If it isn't a strength, get it off your plate. Maximize your time doing what you do best or activities that dir... http://www.a1articles.com/stop-trying-to-do-everything-1271618.html 03rd December 2009 Nature's intelligence functions with effortless ease . . . with carefreeness, harmony and love. And when we harness the forces of harmony, joy and love, we create success and good fortune with effortless ease. In a nutshell, this law is saying that... http://www.a1articles.com/how-to-do-less-and-accomplish-more-with-your-marketing-1251188.html 24th November 2009 For loads of small business owners in helping/healing professions, selling is a HUGE obstacle in growing their businesses. ("I just want to be of service. I don't want to market or sell!") The problem is they see sales and marketing as separate from th... http://www.a1articles.com/how-to-stop-struggling-with-the-selling-conversation-1213136.html 03rd November 2009 When I first got serious about filling my marketing programs, I knew it was going to require me to (gasp) talk to people, live and in person, or at least on the phone. (You out-going types may not see the problem, but my fellow-traveling introverts un... http://www.a1articles.com/are-you-reinventing-the-wheel-in-your-marketing-1188162.html 20th October 2009 Got a hankering to increase your income but feeling a little off balance because of the constant negative predictions about the economy? Dire economic forecasts have certainly caused consumers to hold on to their money more tightly than they were even ... http://www.a1articles.com/4-simple-dos-to-make-your-next-product-program-or-event-wildly-profitable-1102851.html 22nd September 2009 A year and a half ago, in December of '07, I had the idea that I'd like to move to Tucson. And exactly 63 days later, I was a proud first-time homeowner, unpacking boxes in the kitchen of my pretty little 3 bedroom abode (complete with tangerine tree!) h... http://www.a1articles.com/whats-perfection-got-to-do-with-it-1079356.html 11th September 2009 The people I attract in my business span a wide range of services. You may coach business leaders to a more people-centered vision, or help parents create more loving relationships with their kids, or offer holistic health solutions to cancer survivors, o... http://www.a1articles.com/are-your-gifts-being-used-to-their-fullest-1058201.html 31st August 2009 Not having an easily recognizable business identity, or brand, that matches your innate style and spirit is hurting your business. Which means bottom line, it's hurting your income - not a good thing. Most solo entrepreneurs have the mistaken idea that... http://www.a1articles.com/how-to-make-your-marketing-simple-and-enjoyable-1032026.html 12th August 2009 The top 5 reasons for requesting audience feedback are as follows, in order of descending importance: Reason 1 - Prevents you from spending time, energy and money on products and programs they aren't interested in Reason 2 - Prevents you from spendi... http://www.a1articles.com/whoops-i-did-it-again-the-top-5-reasons-to-survey-your-audience-976836.html 11th July 2009 Why are you in business? I mean, really. Unless I miss my guess, bottom line, there are two reasons, The first is you have a passion for creating a particular kind of transformation in people's lives. Maybe you're an intuitive coach, or a salsa da... http://www.a1articles.com/how-to-generate-income-right-now-951911.html 27th June 2009 Consider this: . . .A bookcase full of your lovingly produced information products, collecting dust in the garage . . .A prospective client conversation where, once more, you get a polite thank you and hang up the phone in the uncomfortable certaint... http://www.a1articles.com/a-pictures-worth-1000-words-and-dollars-too-926286.html 11th June 2009 I've noticed that the word "sell" can be a strongly negative trigger for many of us creative service-based business owners. It tends to conjure up visions of polyester, pressure and pushiness, all of which are just downright unattractive qualities. Bu... http://www.a1articles.com/is-selling-unethical-911345.html 02nd June 2009 Have you noticed that folks are being choosier about where they spend their money these days? Gone are the days (if they ever really existed) when you could create a great product or program and expect it to "sell itself." People are busy and they're skep... http://www.a1articles.com/got-your-moneymaking-launch-campaign-strategy-yet-892895.html 15th May 2009 You've spent weeks pouring your heart and soul into developing a new product or program.You're thrilled to finally be talking about it with a potential client. (And in your heart of hearts, you're already spending the money you're going to make from the s... http://www.a1articles.com/are-you-leaving-money-on-the-table-when-it-comes-to-handling-objections-873633.html 30th April 2009 **free online marketing mini-tips for creating long-lasting -and profitable- client connections** (If you like 'em, great! If you don't, mum's the word.) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= How do you know when the decision you're ma... http://www.a1articles.com/helens-crackerjack-marketing-quick-tips-704855.html 02nd December 2008 Having trouble staying calm and centered in "this economy?" You're not the only one. I was just chatting with a client last week who shared how upset with herself she was about getting sucked into the maelstrom of negative energy the banks, the media,... http://www.a1articles.com/the-chicken-little-guide-to-dealing-with-this-economy-686439.html 12th November 2008 Wouldn't it be silly to go to your high school prom in sweat pants and Reeboks? I mean, the whole point of going to the prom -at least for us females- is to put on a gorgeous dress, fabulous shoes, get our hair and nails done and stride into that roo... http://www.a1articles.com/how-to-build-a-failsafe-element-into-your-online-launch-promotion-660472.html 10th October 2008 The benefit of a well-defined goal is to clearly and easily move from your present state to a desired state. To do that, there are 6 main steps to follow. 1) What do you want (instead)? Describe your outcome or desired state in positive terms. A w... http://www.a1articles.com/the-6-steps-to-creating-compelling-goals-646992.html 24th September 2008 Is it only me or have you noticed that, at least among up and coming entrepreneurs, "Let's do a JV" has become the 21st century version of "Let's do lunch"? I've got nothing against joint ventures (nor against eating lunch, for that matter). But it do... http://www.a1articles.com/why-i-often-eat-lunch-alone-629715.html 09th September 2008 "People don't want what I have to offer!" lamented my client, Diane. After a little bit of questioning I discovered that Diane was creating articles, products and programs based on what she knew (felt) her clients needed to hear. It wasn't that the in... http://www.a1articles.com/are-you-guilty-of-the-father-knows-best-syndrome-629679.html 09th September 2008 If you've ever been around a 17-year-old (or been one yourself), you're likely aware of how effortlessly they can combine rudeness with a request for something from you. "Gawd, don't you know anything!? None of my friends' mothers would say that! Can... http://www.a1articles.com/3-simple-ways-to-pss-off-potential-clients-618595.html 04th September 2008 Can you make money AND save yourself time and effort at the same time? Well, apparently the answer is YES. My friend, Sandy Martini, has made a crusade (and a business) out of showing us entrepreneur-types how to follow the sage advice to "work ... http://www.a1articles.com/5-reasons-why-writing-an-article-is-better-than--a-poke-in-the-eye-with-a-sharp-stick-600671.html 16th August 2008 Running scared, are you? I know how it goes - positioning yourself as an expert can strike fear into the heart of even the most intrepid entrepreneur. After all, what gives you the right to claim that title? And what happens if you don't come through o... http://www.a1articles.com/are-you-afraid-to-look-your-inner-expert-in-the-eye-581880.html 21st July 2008 Back in the ‘80s Tavares sang a song called, "It Only Takes a Minute, Girl." (I'm dating myself here, but somebody's gotta do it.) Accustomed as we are to the speed and convenience of the Web, that seems to be the theme song for the vast majority o... http://www.a1articles.com/why-people-arent-hiring-you-right-away-570892.html 07th July 2008 I'm going to go out on a limb here and speculate that since you've gone to all the trouble and expense of putting up your website (or you're about to), you'd really prefer that it start pulling its own weight -and by that I mean, bringing in business. ... http://www.a1articles.com/why-steve-urkel--paris-hilton-make-lousy-role-models-for-your-website-and-why-george-clooney-rules-562913.html 25th June 2008 "Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly at first." So says my Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) mentor, Tim Hallbom. Everyone always chuckles when he says it, but taken to heart, it can be one of the most encouraging statements you'll ever hear. ... http://www.a1articles.com/the-key-to-a-perfect-marketing-plan-540168.html 20th May 2008 Sad to say, but a significant majority of solo entrepreneurs are laboring under the delusion that once they get their website up, clients will flock to them in droves. (Hey, I used to be one of them.) Unfortunately, my friend, that is quite simply a ... http://www.a1articles.com/shocking--87-of-entrepreneurs-make-this-critical-error-on-their-website-531388.html 08th May 2008 You know what they say about herding cats. (And if you don't, go find about 8 or 9 felines and try to get them all in one place.) As an entrepreneur, I often find myself in the unenviable position of herding cats, metaphorically speaking. And the cat... http://www.a1articles.com/how-learning-to-herd-cats-can-grow-your-business-529904.html 06th May 2008 In the competitive world of nature, flowers must both attract and reward their insect visitors in order to ensure that the flower's pollen is distributed. If a plant is not attractive in some compelling way, a bee is unlikely to notice the flower and mak... http://www.a1articles.com/what-can-a-hollyhock-teach-you-about-marketing-529896.html 06th May 2008 One of the main precepts I teach my clients is that your business is only going to grow as fast and as far as you do. Growth, both personal and professional, requires two things: * Self evaluation * An ability to change (Notice I didn't say "willingn... http://www.a1articles.com/how-to-grow-your-business--without-spending-a-dime-519708.html 18th April 2008 Bottom line, marketing is all about connection, not about sales. Because one sale does not make a customer. The proof of this pudding is in the longevity of the relationship. To make it truly effective, your overall marketing objective should be esta... http://www.a1articles.com/5-simple-and-free-ways-to-increase-your-credibility-with-potential-clients-515753.html 11th April 2008 Remember learning to ride a bike, and how nerve-wracking it was to see a big pothole in the street? You'd concentrate so hard on that pothole, and keep telling yourself "Don't run into the pothole. Don't run into the pothole." And lo and behold, you'd ... http://www.a1articles.com/learn-to-harness-the-power-of-attention-461103.html 24th January 2008 Writing web copy is different from writing other material because people read websites differently than they do books, magazines or print ads. You've got about 5 seconds, tops, to catch your website visitor's attention. And if what they read bores or co... http://www.a1articles.com/does-your-website-copy-pass-the-test-11-essentials-for-creating-a-clientcapturing-website-253002.html 19th January 2008 We have definitely entered the Age of the URL. You practically can't walk down the street these days without tripping on a website. It seems like everyone from LL Bean to Oprah to your dentist has one. And the fact is, as a solo entrepreneur, you could... http://www.a1articles.com/put-your-website-to-work-134053.html 02nd March 2007 If you're like many service professionals, you've probably experienced the ups-and-downs of growing your business. Business growth happens for one major reason - more clients want more of your services. Attracting clients requires the dreaded "M" w... http://www.a1articles.com/when-it-comes-to-business-growth-youve-got-to-eat-your-vegetables-130160.html 19th February 2007