auto responders | Clever Collaborations, LLC

You’re Not Marketing….You’re Sharing!

October 29, 2012 By Susan Mershon Leave a Comment

Marketing is the Number 1 skill you need to master if you’re an entrepreneur. Bottom line is – you may have the greatest product or service in the world but if nobody knows it exists it really doesn’t matter!

You’ve been marketing yourself your whole life – you just may not have realized it. What are you doing when you go for a job interview? Marketing yourself and your expertise… See you’re already an experienced marketer!

Marketing might be out of your comfort zone. Try thinking about it as spreading your passion and expertise. Most people cringe when they hear the word “sales“. Your not selling, your sharing. Sharing your passion with those of us who need it.

Here are 5 “sharing” tips every entrepreneur should know:

#1 Use bold copy.

You need to get my attention. Let’s face it, there is so much noise out there and you need to be heard above all the ruckus. How is that possible? By making bold promises and being direct.

#2 Give an offer.

You have to always give an offer. Even if it seems obvious to you what to do next – don’t assume I know. Lead me down the path and tell me what I need to do.

#3 Give a reason to act now.

Act Now. You need to give me a reason to sign up with you now. Do I get an extra bonus or am I saving money by signing up now? Give me a reason to act immediately and not think about it for a day or two.

#4 Track your results.

Measure your results and continue to improve. It is so easy to track and test your marketing. You will know very quickly if something’s working or not. If you’re not tracking your results – how do you know what’s working?

#5 Always follow-up.

Follow-up, follow-up, follow-up. The biggest mistake people make is not following up. If you don’t get the response you were looking for – keep trying. People typically need to see your marketing message seven to ten times. Seven to ten times before they’ll even make a move to click a button, or call, or take any type of action. Follow-up!

Track your results and make changes in the copy if you’re not getting results! And remember – 7 to 10 times you need to be seen or heard before any action is taken. Stay focused and keep sharing your passion with us!

If you’ve found this blog valuable please share with your friends and colleagues and I would love your comments! Thanks for reading!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: 1ShoppingCart, auto responders, autoresponders, clever collaborations, email marketing tips, How I do email marketing, Infusionsoft virtual assistant, Online Business Manager, Susan Mershon, Virtual Assistant Services, virtual services

How do you manage tasks?

March 27, 2012 By Susan Mershon 4 Comments

If you have multiple clients or are managing multiple projects using a Task Management system is a must. It can help keep you stay organized and keep you and your team on track.

There are several on the market that have similar functionality and offer a “free” level. Here are a few of the popular ones:

Teamwork PM
Basecamp
Central Desktop
Zoho

I recommend finding one that meets your needs and is a comfortable fit. If you’re not sure what your “needs” are, take a look at a few of them and select one that feels right. Sign up for the free level and give it a test drive. If you have a team give them access to the system and ask them to try it out and give their feedback. If you don’t have a team, ask one of your clients to assist you.

Here are 7 Useful Tips to get the most out of your Task Management system:

1. Setup Client/Project Folders

Create a Client folder for each client
Within each client folder; create folders for projects and/or recurring tasks

2. Setup Client Notebooks

Use client notebooks to store client specific information such as contact info, log in details, etc
This way there is one central location for client information and the team can easily locate and update it

3. Assign Tasks to Team Members

4. Track Time & Progress

Update the % complete on tasks as they are being worked on
This is great for keeping your client up to date on progress

5. Track Milestones

Milestones are tasks that require no “work”
They are a “check point” in a project
I use them to help me determine if we are on track to meet our deadlines

6. Use Task Comments

Instead of using email to communicate about a task; use the Task Comment feature
It will keep all “communication” about a task stored with the task
This is great when you have a team working together on a task or project

7. Store Project Resources

Upload project files, audios, videos, etc

These tips will help you and your team stay organized! All project metrics are contained within the client and project folder. This makes it easy for your team to find the information they need and for the client to see how their project is progressing.

In case your curious, I use Teamwork PM for my business and love it! Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.