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For Killer Teleseminars and Info Products, Cultivate Your Inner Barbara Walters

December 15, 2010 2 Comments

Killer interviews can help you create some buzz, stand out from the crowd and provide valuable content for your information products.

So here are a few tips I learned during my experiences as a freelance writer and in grad school journalism classes to help your interviews shine–regardless of whether it’s for Fortune magazine or your own teleseminar or webinar.

1. Never ask a question you don’t know the answer to. Because like Forrest Gump said, “you never know what you’re gonna get.”

For example, you may ask what they’re working on now and they may announce a joint venture with a guru that competes directly with the product you just launched.

A perfect example of this…DC101′s Flounder was doing his first on-air interview with wrestler Jake “the Snake” Roberts a few years back. On a whim, he threw in a question asking what Roberts thought about WWE wrestler Owen Hart falling to his death the night before. The question was met with a long, excruciating silence.

Roberts–obviously struggling to hold back tears–haltingly admitted he had not yet heard the news about his friend and hung up.

It had to be one of the most painful minutes on radio ever.

Tip: Do your homework so you have an idea of what answers to expect when you’re doing live interviews.

2. When you really want the dirt, let the person finish giving their answer…then keep your mouth shut.

Silences are awkward and uncomfortable for everyone (see above LOL)–BUT you can use this to your advantage. If you can just resist the temptation to jump right in with another question, the interviewee will often feel compelled to fill the silence.

She’s already given you her pat answer, so now she’ll have to delve deeper and speak off the cuff. And what often comes out is pure gold.

Tip: I know, it can be really hard to do in practice. But if you can pull it off, you can get some real wow content.

3. Be careful with rewording any questions the interviewee gives you to ask. One teleseminar guest sent questions that just didn’t sound like words I would say. So, I reworked them a bit. Problem was, he didn’t recognize the third question when I asked it on the live teleseminar.

He thought I’d jumped ahead in the questions, so he gave me a different answer, which meant we then had to backtrack, then leap forward again. It was a mess and definitely disrupted the flow of the teleseminar.

Tip: If you want to change the questions the interviewee gives you, send him a revised copy so he knows exactly what to expect. Or, at least leave key phrases of the original question intact so he recognizes it.

Do you have other tips for creating killer interviews? Feel free to add them below. Happy interviewing!

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2 Reasons You MUST Include Features in Your Copy

November 24, 2009 3 Comments

Robert PlankI was reading Robert Plank’s Time Management on Crack 2.0 this past weekend and was thrilled to see a comment in the sales page section about remembering to include features in your bullet points.

Because features have apparently become the Chucky doll of copywriting.

It started out innocently enough. Well-meaning copywriters started spreading the word that you need to stop focusing on features and focus on benefits.

And that’s true–far too many companies think their tech specs, coaching process or whatnot is going to dazzle the masses into buying from them…while most buyers have no clue what those things mean and could care less.

But like the “small” hamburger that’s now dwarfed by all the super-sized-Whopper-Thickburgers in fast food land, we tend to take everything to excess. To the point that now I often see strident proclamations from pseudo-copywriters that you should NEVER talk about features in your copy.

Um, there’s one teensy problem with that…

Most people have this “odd quirk” about wanting to know what they’re actually, physically getting for their money.

I was considering a product recently from a well-known marketer and while there were tons of benefits and teasers about what I’d learn, there was nothing about how it would be delivered. A manual? CDs? Smoke signals? I was mystified.

Don’t make me play Nancy Drew. Tell me EXACTLY what I’m going to receive–how many pages the manual is, how many CD’s there are, or how long the videos or teleclasses are.

It just takes a sentence or a quick set of bullets toward the end of your sales page to enlighten your prospects but it’s important because it makes what you’re asking them to shell out money for more tangible…creating that “thud factor” in their minds.

(“Thud factor” refers to the weight of a book or package when it’s dropped on a table. People usually feel they’re getting more for their money when they’re buying something with a big thud factor.)

For information products and courses, the sections and lessons you plan to cover are important features as well. Prospects want to see how much will be new to them and how well it’ll solve the problems they’re facing right now.

Just inserting your table of contents from a product or giving the titles of the classes in the teleseminar series is a good start. Of course, I’d recommend taking the opportunity to highlight several important things they’ll do or learn in each one as well…

In short, wow prospects with lots of bullets showing how they’ll benefit. But don’t forget to tell them what they’re actually getting as well.

Liked this? Then check out these as well:

Better Bullets Make Better Copy

4 Powerful Ways to Persuade Your Prospects

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It’s Easy to Make Audio for Your Info Products

September 24, 2009 1 Comment

Audacity audio software can be a bit overwhelming the first time you open it. But you can create good quality mp3 audio for your website or info product in a snap if you just stick with the basics.

This 8-minute video from my new info products made easy virtual workshop shows you how easy it is to…

  • Record yourself
  • Take out ums, ahs, etc.
  • Recover from a stumble during the recording to make it a cinch to fix afterward
  • Combine two pieces of audio (in case you hit stop instead of pause during the recording)
  • Add in an introduction or other elements you might have forgotten to a teleseminar
  • Convert the recording to the standard mp3 format

Nothing fancy here–just the down & dirty of what you need to know to make simple audio recordings for your website, blog or info product!

P.S. This was both my first Camtasia and first YouTube video so go easy on the A/V critiques!

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Info Products Made Easy–Stand Out From the Start

August 27, 2009 7 Comments

I wish I could tell you to just write about what you love and you’ll make millions from it. While it can happen, it’s definitely the harder road to take.

On the other hand, investing a little time upfront to strategically map out your ebook or info product will go  a long way toward making sure you end up with a bestseller.

I generally walk clients through a five-step process for doing exactly that–and one of those steps is positioning your ebook to stand out from the competition before you set fingers to keyboard.

Some ways to do this include:

Target a specific niche. There may be fewer potential buyers in a niche, but they’ll be much easier to find and your ebook will quickly jump from the “nice to have” to the “must-have” category–so you end up selling more overall!

Go deep, not wide. Covering one specific topic in great detail will have a much bigger pay-off than trying to cover it all.  For example, skip the generic “how to improve your relationship” ebook in favor of “how to get your ex back.”

Highlight your personal experience. If you’ve actually solved the problem for yourself, then definitely share that. More experience = more credibility plus your story helps build rapport with your customers.

Emphasize a point others missed. I created my 7 Steps to Creating Copy that Speaks Your Client’s Language for More Clients & More Sales program because many of the copywriting programs out there tell you to make sure you use language that resonates with your clients…but none actually walk you through the process of how to do it.

Mix up the format. An ebook doesn’t have to be a report. Flow-chart type process sheets are hot right now thanks to Rich Schefren’s eMarketingMaps and other gurus promoting products with them.

Interview a rockstar. Getting an industry celebrity to spill their secrets can again boost your credibility–as well as set your product apart from other “unknown” authors.

Add different bonuses. Instead of tossing in everything plus the kitchen sink, focus on what customers will REALLY need to make the most of your information and offer bonuses that will help them do that.

Regardless of which route(s) you choose, starting with a unique info product will save you a ton of time and frustration later–plus bring in loads more passive income for your business!

Want to know more about creating ebooks that sell? Check out my FREE audio at www.myebooksecrets.com!

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Want to Know How to Make More Money with Ebooks?

July 7, 2009 2 Comments

Discover how to maximize your time & income by creating ebooks that sell…minimal writing required…in my FREE audio 9 Secrets to Ebook Success.

Here’s just a taste of what I’ll share…

  • 4 ways an ebook can boost your bottom-line even when you’re not working
  • A quick and painless way to create first-rate content that showcases your expertise…even if you hate to write!
  • How to identify your market’s hot buttons so you choose topics they’re hungry for
  • The one element that can make or break your ebook–and tips for making it irresistible
  • Strategies for pricing your ebook…as well as how to easily boost the value (and the price!)
  • And more!

Visit www.myebooksecrets.com to claim your free audio now!

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NC Internet Marketers–Say Goodbye to Affiliate Income & Hello to More Taxes

June 22, 2009 8 Comments

If you have a small business in North Carolina–and especially if you make money via internet marketing or info products–you need to be aware of two items in the budget bill the legislature is trying to finalize for the governor’s signature.

I’m not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV.  So this is based on careful reading and deciphering of legislative gobbledygook in the actual bill (who knew my former stint on Capitol Hill could be helpful someday?!)

The bill (S 202) has been passed by both the House and Senate–they’re just trying to get the two versions to agree via a conference committee before sending it on. But it’s supposed to go into effect on July 1 so everything will happen fairly quickly.
Here are two issues that could have a BIG impact on your business:

1. We’ll be required to collect and pay sales taxes on more items we sell, when the buyer is another NC resident. This includes:

  • Electronically delivered/accessed products, including books (aka ebooks and programs), audio, and audiovisual (I suppose video)
  • Events–whether held a single time or multiple times–as well as membership fees and dues
  • Possibly continuity programs and teleseminars, due to proposed new tax on “transfer of a digital code”

They define digital code as one that gives a purchaser the right to electronic delivery or access of an item. (But they do say it excludes gift certificates and gift cards.)

  • Service contracts as well as repair, maintenance, and installation services. I’m assuming this is more for computer repair, HVAC companies and the like

2. Affiliate income is in jeopardy. The legislature is also set to require any company that makes more than $10,000 a year from sales through NC-based affiliates to start collecting sales taxes on ALL sales in NC (whether they came through an affiliate link or not).

Amazon.com has already announced they’ll be terminating their Associates program if this happens rather than go through this hassle. Overstock.com did the same when a similar measure was passed in New York and it hurt many small businesses. (A legal challenge is winding its way through the courts and may take up to 2 years before it’s resolved).

While this is definitely bad news, my bigger concern–especially with the addition of digital products and events–is about the affiliate programs from various internet-savvy marketers or even places like Clickbank.

Obviously, a couple sales of a $500+ program or $3,000+ event would put them over the $10k limit in a heartbeat. So they too may terminate relationships with NC affiliates to avoid the hassle.

So I thought you should know there’s a big effort underway to contact our NC state reps and senators about this. Here are a couple of opportunities if you want to get involved:

  • Contact YOUR state rep and senator. Emails and phone numbers are available at www.ncleg.net. (You can also look up to see who yours is, if necessary. I had to do it because they just appointed us a new one.)
  • Follow the discussion on Twitter by setting up a search for #ncaffiliatetax (obviously, they’re more focused on the affiliate part of it).

Notes:

Some people are recommending that you contact as many members of the General Assembly as possible. But I can tell you from experience they most won’t care unless you live in their district.

So if you have the urge to do more, it would be smarter to focus on the conference committee members who will actually be deciding what stays and goes. They may be interested in what people outside their district have to say, and they’re listed here. (Click on the link at the top of the page for the House list in pdf.)

A Cary business is organizing a trip to the General Assembly on Tuesday. They meet to prepare on Monday. More info here . (The info at the top of the page with the other bill numbers is outdated–start from where the font changes.)

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7 Steps to Creating an Ebook in 7 Days

April 13, 2009 1 Comment

Last time, I talked about how ebooks are still a great way for entrepreneurs and small business owners to turn expertise into dollars. Best of all, you don’t have to spend a lot of time or money creating an ebook to give away or to sell.

Here’s a fast, easy and relatively inexpensive way to create one based on a process I use with clients–which is perfect for those who hate to write.

All you need are is some way to record: a no-cost teleconference line, digital voice recorder, or USB headset for your computer with a downloaded version of Audacity (it’s free). Then here’s what you do:

  1. Decide on a topic to talk about. About 60-90 minutes of talking will give you an ebook with about 20 finished pages.
  2. Outline your call ahead of time, based on the template I give below.
  3. Start recording and talk through the outline or have someone interview you based on the outline.
  4. Send the mp3 out to a transcriptionist–I’ve hired a few on Elance for $25 an audio hour before (the Elance minimum payment is $50 though, so you may want to have some other audio file transcribed as well).  They can usually turn it around in 3 days or less.
  5. Create or have someone create an ebook icon/image.
  6. When you get the transcription, just take out the questions (if you used an interviewer)and edit the transcribed document so it flows well. Formatting of the document doesn’t have to be very fancy. What people want is the content.
  7. Add your offer, bio and disclaimer page at the end and convert to PDF.

Quick Ebook Template

Here are the content parts you typically see in an ebook:

Opening–Welcome and congratulate them on making a smart choice or kick things off with a compelling story.

The Problem–Why you wrote the report and what problem you’re trying to help them solve (or desire to achieve.) and what will happen if they don’t take action on this.

Your Story–Why should they care what you say? This part essentially tells why you do what you do today and how you got there.

The Solution–The meat of your ebook. This is where you give your tips or steps to solve the problem and why each is important, along with examples and stories to illustrate your points.

The Next Steps/Your Offer–What should they do next after reading the ebook? Don’t forget to tell them where to go or how to contact you.

Sign-off–Like a letter, you need a signature and a P.S. You may want to include a plug for your ezine here, in case your ebook gets passed along to non-subscribers.

Bio Page–Instead of working all your credentials into your story, you can add more of a real bio at the end for people to find out more about you.

Legalese Page–Unfortunately we live in a sue-happy world. So if your ebook has anything to do with money or someone could possibly take one of your suggestions and go hurt themselves (with say, fitness training or making coffee), cover your rear with a legal disclaimer.

And there you have it–a quick and easy ebook with minimal writing required!

So what are you writing your next ebook on?

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Ebooks are Staying Alive

April 10, 2009 1 Comment

Information products are a great way for entrepreneurs and small business owners to turn their expertise into dollars. And despite all the warnings about people not liking to read–and video and audio killing off the ebook–they are still going strong.

In fact, Teleread recently reported that January 2009 ebook sales were more than $8.8 million, up more than 170% over January 2008. And those numbers are just based on wholesale revenues from 13 trade publishers reporting to the Association of American Publishers (AAP).

Why? Ebook sales have been growing for a while but the spike in popularity for Amazon’s Kindle and gadgets certainly helps.

But the recession helps too–people are both staying home more and more focused on learning new things to enhance their money-making skills or escape from their financial worries. Ebooks are a convenient source for how-to information. After all, you want to know how to implement that great idea now, not a week from now when the book finally arrives.

And in the end, nothing beats the flexibility and reference-ability (a new word?!) of ebooks.

  • Don’t have an hour to devote? You can  read them in bits and pieces, whenever you have time–whether you’re waiting at the doctor’s office, eating breakfast in the morning, sitting in a boring meeting. (Try doing the latter with your iPod!)
  • Want to skip over the parts that don’t appeal to you? No problem.  Some online videos don’t even offer fast forward and rewind.
  • Trying to find some detail you read again? it’s as simple as searching the PDF. And with a good desktop search tool, you don’t even need to know which ebook you read it in.

For business owners, there are three more advantages as well:

  • They’re super simple to create
  • They’re easy to change or update
  • The sheer number of pages adds “heft” to a product–even though they’re digital

It’s true–adding audio and/or video to an ebook will probably boost your sales.  But ebooks are still a great way to start turning your expertise into passive income.

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3 Easy Steps to Create a Bestselling Program or Product

March 19, 2009 Leave a Comment

Last week I hosted a call with Tom Buford of Charge What You Deserve on How to Charge What You Deserve and Get It where he shared a lot of good tips on setting prices and recession-proofing your business.

One tip he shared was to create a new program that’s certain to be a big hit.  Don’t worry, you don’t need a crystal ball. Here’s how you do it…

1. Ask your market what their biggest obstacle is.

You don’t even need to bother with Survey Monkey or other survey software–an email to your ezine subscribers with just one question about what their biggest obstacle is will tell you what you need to know.

Sure, you don’t get as much information with just one question. But you’ll get more responses because it’s easier for them…and sometimes better responses, as some people will go into detail about what their obstacle is.

2. Create a clear, time-bound program that eliminates the obstacle.

Take the most common response from #1 that you feel confident about teaching and package it into an information product or a program with a beginning, middle and end.

This last part is important–one of the most common obstacles for coaches, chiropractors, psychologists and anyone who works on an ongoing basis is that people are afraid they’ll have to work with you forever to see results.

So any time you can package a solution into a program with specific results in a set period of time, you’re eliminating that potentially objection for your prospects.

And–not only are you getting away from that hours-for-dollars trap by pricing based on value– you can also offer the program at different price levels so people choose the best one for them.

3. Take away the risk.

Another common fear is that they’ll pay all this money and get nothing to show for it. So offering some type of guarantee will reduce or remove that risk for them.

Time and again research shows that the additional clients and customers that you’ll get from offering a guarantee will more than cover the small percentage of people who will ever ask for their money back.

Here’s a Tip–You can also do the same by creating an info product that’s designed to bring you more sales and more, higher-paying clients. Get a FREE audio that reveals how at www.myebooksecrets.com!

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Grow Your Marketing Funnel to Grow Your Bottom Line

July 9, 2008 Leave a Comment

What does your marketing funnel look like?

For those who are unfamiliar, a marketing funnel represents the progression of prospects from the initial raising of the hand to say, “I’m interested in hearing more from you” to the purchase of your core—and probably most expensive—service. This is such a basic marketing concept, but I still see so many people, including advanced marketers, getting it wrong.

Prospects usually enter the wide-mouth top of the funnel by opting in for something free—such as signing up for your ezine or subscribing to your blog. But the business often tries to immediately push prospects to the narrow spout of the funnel, which represents their high-dollar, core product or service. Most prospects will balk—preferring to sit on the sidelines until they know more about you.

Channel Prospects Down the Funnel

Instead, you should keep prospects moving down the funnel with a series of products or services that “step-up” in price—allowing them to see the value you can provide with less risk to their wallet. These funnel products can be ebooks, paid newsletters, seminars, workshops, DIY home study guides or even just pared down versions of your core service. And the good news is you probably already have everything you need to create them in your head and your computer.

I’m sure someone out there is thinking, “But if they can get my expertise for less, or learn how to do what I do, won’t that hurt sales of my core service?” No, it won’t. People often buy the lower-priced products, recognize that either there’s much more to learn than they thought or decide they just don’t have the time to do it and hire you to do it instead. (I hope it goes without saying that these products should be high quality and high value, not slip-shod efforts to upsell people.)

AND you’re getting sales from people who would have never paid for your core service anyway.

So to get started filling out your funnel:

1. Make a list of all your products and services—from the lowest (including free ones) to the highest priced

2. Identify the big gaps

3. Brainstorm products and services based on different areas of your expertise to create a more logical price progression (If you need help, sign up for a Magnetic Marketing Strategy Session!)

4. Create your new products and services!

So what is a logical price progression? This will depend on your clients. But I’d say expecting them to jump from a $20 ebook to an $800 workshop is not a logical progression. Adding a teleseminar series and workbook for around $100-$150 though could easily bridge the gap.

In the end, expanding your marketing funnel will result in more clients, more sales, and a much more consistent stream of income.

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