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So you thought it was a good idea to write a regular e-newsletter. It sounded like a great idea at the time when you first heard all about the benefits of having one…. so what happened? Are you missing out on a fundamental marketing strategy that could make a huge difference in your business success?

I know for me, I just got busy and taking care of “eVision Media” related items, such as writing a regular newsletter, was the first to go off the radar. Definitely not the wisest decision to make, so this is my resurrection at correcting this slip-up.

The thing is, a newsletter is quite critical to the success of your business. Here’s a few reminder pointers to consider:

1. A newsletter is a way for you to keep in touch with your database (consisting of clients and those who signed up to hear from you). The reason this is so important is you simply don’t want people to forget about you! You want to remind them of your services so they will automatically think of you when they need what you provide or automatically refer you to a friend or associate for the same reason.
2. A newsletter is your opportunity to showcase your expertise. People have a desire to learn and they want to learn from those that know what they’re talking about. You’re doing a disservice if you don’t share your expertise with those who WANT to learn from you.
3. A newsletter is an inexpensive form of marketing. It costs pennies to send one out and your return can be immense.
4. A newsletter is an opportunity for you to collect a database of people truly interested in what you have to say. They are your primary target market!
5. A Newletter is a way for you to develop a lasting relationship with your readers. The more you write and share, the more they get to know, like and trust you. The more they do this, the more likely they will want to do business with you or refer you to others.

It’s clear why a newsletter is important to have, but I know, there are lots of “reasons” why we don’t have one …

1. Don’t have enough time
2. Don’t know what to say
3. Don’t know how to write well enough or like to write at all
4. Don’t think you have anything of value to share
5. Don’t want to “bother” people by emailing them all the time

I’m sure you can think of more, but these are some of what I hear most often.

So let’s examine this list of “reasons” and see what solutions can be found.

1. Not enough time. Simply make the time! Schedule a couple of hours into your calendar to write a newsletter at minimum once a month. Every two weeks is much better and some experts will say once a week is most effective. I think it really has to do with who you are writing for – what are they wanting and how often would they love to get your valuable information.

2. Don’t know what to say. This one can actually be as simple as listening to your current clients and remembering the questions they ask you. If one is asking, then the chances are many others are also seeking the same answer. Keep a log of questions you get throughout your day and then write an article about your response. It doesn’t have to be a long drawn out answer – short and informative is all that is needed.

3. Don’t know how to write / don’t like to write. This can be solved a few ways. Believe it or not, there are people out there that actually LOVE to write and would be thrilled to help you out! There are virtual assistants, students and even us here at eVision Media that do this service for some clients. All you need to do is write out the general outline of what you want to say and let the copywriter put it together for you. Another idea is to record your thoughts using a free recording service and have it transcribed by a Virtual Assistant. Another idea is to not write at all and create a video instead! All you need is a blog to post the video onto and then send out a newsletter telling people to click on the link that takes them to your blog post.

4. Nothing of value to share. Ok, tough love here… STOP THAT! Of course you have something of value to share! You wouldn’t be in business if you didn’t! Your clients love you for your expertise so never undervalue what you offer. Don’t let your lack of confidence filter through because people don’t want to hear from someone who doesn’t think they are very good. Do you?

5. Don’t want to bother people. I get where you’re coming on this and it can be used as an easy scapegoat to avoid the whole newsletter thing. However, you’re forgetting one critical fact – these people signed up to actually RECEIVE a Newsletter from you! If they didn’t want to be bothered, they wouldn’t have signed up. Period. In fact, by asking people to sign up for your newsletter and then never or rarely send one out sends a negative message to these people – that you can’t be counted on to follow through with what you promised you would do. Ouch.

If you are still unsure of whether a Newsletter is of value for you, we can schedule a consultation to help you come up with a game plan.

On a final note, it’s important to realize a Newsletter is NOT a form of advertising and should never be the main focus of your email (unless it’s a separate sendout and is not part of your regular Newsletter). In my next issue, I’ll go over the formatting of a newsletter and the types of content that should be in them.

Your Action Assignment:
Take out your calendar right now and schedule a time THIS WEEK to write your next newsletter. Give yourself at least 2 hours to do some research and write down your thoughts. If you don’t want to write the entire newsletter, then arrange for someone who will be gladly do it for you.

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About the Author: Susan is president/founder of eVision Media, a web development and eMarketing firm specializing in building effective brands for entrepreneurs, businesses and organizations for over 10 years. With a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, she is able to provide an authentic and personalized service for those wanting a trustworthy member of their team for their brand & marketing design, website development and SEO/eMarketing needs. Contact Susan today for a free 30 minute “get to know you session” on helping you build your website presence to be the effective marketing tool is can be. susan@evisionmedia.ca or visit www.evisionmedia.ca.

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You read that heading right! This is special on-line event just for women (but men are most welcome as well!). But hurry, I’m a little late in spreading the word… it starts THIS MONDAY morning (August 30th) and will be going for the entire week, twice a day … every day!

You might be wondering why I’m writing about an event that excludes about half of the population. I’ll tell you why.

It’s because I can see how tough it’s been for many women entrepreneurs. Women
have a lot of responsibility on them. They take on
more, more and, more until they’re buried in frustration.
Instead of saying ‘no’ their self-esteem plummets.
So they quietly juggle their problems in isolation.

But that’s all changing now with the live re-broadcast of The Summer Extravaganza For Women!

In a hurry? Read all a bout it here

A dear client of mine, Dr. Ellie Drake has made a name for herself
as one of the most inspiring and dynamic people
supporting women.

She is the founder of one of the largest online social networks
for inspired and entrepreneurial women.

Ellie believes (and I agree with her) that women can
really change their own lives and even contribute
globally when they come together.

So, due to popular demand, she is offering a live re-broadcast of this Free Summer Extravaganza event that ran this past summer
where she interviews some of the most amazing
and successful women of today!

And check this out…

Ellie already has the support of leaders and
celebrities like Dr. Maya Angelou, Leeza Gibbons,
Mariel Hemmingway, Susan Anton, and Lisa Nichols
of ‘The Secret’ fame. If people like this believe
in Ellie and her cause for women, don’t you think
there’s something to it? Yup, there definitely IS!

Here’s some of what you’ll discover when you attend
the Virtual Online Summer Extravaganza for free:

==> How ONE SIMPLE SHIFT IN YOUR AWARENESS produces
astronomically more results in less time, with less
effort (you’ll be astonished at how productive you are
with this devastatingly easy change);

==> How the thoughts of successful WOMEN LEADERS ARE
DIFFERENT from the thoughts of average women (and how
those differences play out in all personal and
professional achievements);

==> How to banish useless energy like GUILT, SHAME,
and REGRET from your brain so you can stop beating
yourself up (women in particular play out negative
emotions over and over in their heads, making them
feel horrible);

==> How to buck the PROCRASTINATION PATTERN any of us
can slip into (you can’t step up to being your
strongest self if you can’t get stuff done);

==> How to INSTANTLY shift your attitude to transform
your personal ability to lead and inspire (moods and
emotions don’t have to control your destiny);

==> How to easily break down and dissect the steps of
TRUE PERSONAL, PROFESSIONAL, and GLOBAL FULFILLMENT (it’s shockingly simple when it’s laid out for you);

==> How to ‘DETOX’ areas of your life today so you can
realize your dreams and get out of your own way (break
the cycle of repeating habits that don’t serve you
anymore);

==> How to quickly discover your ‘LIFE PURPOSE’ and
put it into action (the BraveHeart Community is
tailored for meaningful connections and insights);

==> How to easily uncover and OVERCOME BLIND SPOTS that hold you back from being your most magnificent
self (all too often it is US holding ourselves back);

And, of course, much, much, more.

Get details here:

Register for the Summer Extravaganza here

All you need is an Internet connection and you’re in!
The good news is you’ll learn real life strategies for
*having it all* as a woman.

I almost forgot to mention the BEST PART. It’s
completely FREE. I know it sounds crazy but Ellie

wants to reach as many women as possible so for a
limited time, this whole Extravaganza costs absolutely
NADA! No strings attached.

Click here for more info

This is a powerful group of women who are hungry for
some solid information on how to have it all. It doesn’t
have to be so HARD!

I wouldn’t recommend this community unless I knew how
much it could help you and other women. I hope you’ll
check it out now. You’ve got nothing to lose!

Sincerely,


Sue

P.S. Remember, the cost for registering for the
Summer Extravaganza is 100% FREE of charge

Register here today

P.P.S. I personally know Ellie has brought many
incredible women to the Summer Extravaganza.
She is extremely well-connected and respected.
Check it out now for your chance to be a part of
something monumental.

Get all the juicy details here

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When working with new entrepreneurs, I often hear resistance to “going big” or making any major moves due to various fears that come up preventing them from feeling it’s the “right time”. When I read this article from Fabienne Fredrickson, she addresses this subject perfectly and I wanted to share in hopes it inspires you to just go for it! Here’s the full article…
Sue

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Stop Planning, Forget The “How”, Just Go For It!

Recently, we’ve been talking about aiming for MUCH bigger in our business, in our life, and in our purpose. We’ve stretched, looked into the fears of dreaming TOO big (is there such a thing?!) and looked at all the other emotions that come up once we’ve actually MADE the decision to play a bigger game. These are related to issues of safety, not rocking the boat, and self-doubt as to whether we really CAN play a bigger game in life and business.

But then, if this weren’t enough, there’s yet another thing that is likely to stop a lot of people right in their tracks. And that’s trying to figure out the “how”.

“How will I ever get from here to THERE?”
“But I don’t HAVE the resources (the funds, time, help) to make that big dream happen.”
“I’m not qualified right now to take on this big dream. I just don’t have what it takes yet.”
“Once I know HOW I’m supposed to do this, I’ll do it. Until then, I’ll just wait to be ready.”

Problem is, this is EXACTLY the point at which most people give up, probably even YOU. Right there. You see, most people wait for the HOW before they make a commitment to accomplish their big goal. Being the good planner that you probably are, there’s a part of you that feels this is too risky of a project or a goal to take on without having a plan, a solid plan, without knowing exactly how it’s going to unfold.

You may have a dream of being on Oprah, for example, to share the message only YOU can share, and to give exposure to your book or business. You love the idea of it, you imagine yourself on her yellow leather sofa, talking to her and her live studio audience. You may even be able to feel the warmth of the studio lamps and the nervous feeling you would have in the pit of your stomach. Perhaps what you’ll be wearing and what she’ll say to you. Your imagination is strong about what it would actually BE like once you’re there. And it feels great.

But then it all stops. Your imagination shuts down once you try to think about HOW you’ll ever get to the Oprah show, or whatever else your big dreams are. Here are things I’ve heard:

“I don’t have enough media training. They’ll never pick me.”"Everyone and their MOTHER wants to be on Oprah. There’s too much competition.”"Explain to me how it would ever happen and THEN I’ll think about going for it.”"Is there a guarantee this will even work? Probably not worth trying if I don’t have a plan”

Now, if you’ve seen my Mind Movie on my Facebook page, you know that I have BIG dreams. Writing best-selling books, doing workshops to thousands of people, affecting millions, and having a global effect on helping women and children around the world, and yes, one day, even taking my message to Oprah’s stage and sharing it with 10 million people.

I’m hearing it now… “Stop dreaming and GET REAL!”

And admittedly, some these things ARE “lofty”. In fact, I would categorize as downright “scary big”. Especially since I don’t have a clue yet as to how I will write ONE best-selling book, let alone many, how to get thousands of people to come hear me speak, how I’ll help on a global level (where, whom, what will I be helping them with???). And I certainly don’t have a clue about how to get on Oprah’s couch.

But I’ve decided to go for it anyway, because here’s “what I know for sure”. If you’ve got the commitment to do something, the intention is strong and you’re willing to do anything it takes to get there, in a good way/not bad, then things WILL unfold before you, like a red carpet being unrolled in Hollywood. You just need to take the first step, accomplish the task that’s right in front of you, and then the next task will show up for you to work on. Once you’ve done that one, just the right opportunity will land on your lap, followed by the right resource to take full advantage of that opportunity or to accomplish the task at hand.

But because we’re bred to be planners (or in my case, sometimes a bit of a control freak – have you ever seen me in the kitchen right before a dinner party??), we want to have the WHOLE thing planned out first, in every descriptive detail. It’s got to be all laid out and orchestrated ahead of time, in perfect order. Otherwise, we don’t make the commitment.

Thing is, that’s not how the Universe or life works. Your next step or the next opportunity will NOT show up until you’ve made the commitment. But once you DO, it shows up, and the more you do this, the faster things start showing up for you: the right operations manager, the perfect branding development coach, the spiritual guide with just the right message (even the bottle cap with just the confirmation you’ve been asking for) or simply, just the right book to get you to that next level.

That’s what is happening to me right NOW. It’s fascinating to be in the eye of the storm, calm (most of the time) and witnessing everything around me show up as it’s supposed to, having everything around me rearrange itself to make that big dream come true. In fact, it’s pretty humbling. It’s almost as though my intention and commitment to getting this big dream accomplished has taken a life of its own, in a really good way. And now, it’s just about taking the next step that presents itself, without thinking of the next HOW. In fact, it’s a very reassuring process, once you begin to see the pattern.

Your Assignment:

Notice your mindset as it relates to your big dreams and goals for your business or your life. Is there a way that you might be stopping yourself or putting a hold on your big dreams because you haven’t yet figured out HOW it’s going to happen? Is the planner in you squashing the dreamer in you?

Instead, I’d recommend you gather your strength, deny your “smallness” and grab hold of the truth of yourself: that you CAN accomplish that big dream, that it’s not a silly notion. Just the mere fact that you’ve thought of it means it can be done. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have gotten the idea. Forgot the how! Just go for it. Each “how” and the resource needed at that time will show up exactly when you need it.

And I’m here for you to make it happen, with all the support you need.

If you’re not attracting enough ideal prospects in the first place, I’d recommend you create compelling marketing and systems starting today. The tool that will take you from 0 to 60 clients the quickest is The Client Attraction Home Study System™. It’s everything you’ll ever need to know to fill your practice quickly; no matter how long you’ve been in business. All the tools, scripts, templates, and examples are handed to you on a silver platter (including how to close the sale 97% of the time). So, you do step one of the system, and when you’re done with that, you move on to step two, and so on. So easy. That’s why my customers have gotten such great results from it. You can get yours at www.TheClientAttractionSystem.com.

© 2010 Client Attraction LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Fabienne Fredrickson, The Client Attraction Mentor, is founder of the Client Attraction System, the proven step-by-step program that shows you exactly how to attract more clients, in record time… guaranteed. To get your F.R.E.E. Audio CD by mail and receive her weekly marketing & success mindset articles on attracting more high-paying clients and dramatically increasing your in.come, visit www.ClientAttraction.com.