But if you’re on a deadline or must get something done–for whatever reason–sometimes battling with that blank piece of paper or computer screen is absolutely necessary. Here’s some strategies I’ve used to help me when I’m stuck.

1. Set a timer. I like to use Strict Pomodoro, which is available in various browsers, to kick me off social media for 25-minute increments. It then allows for 5-minute breaks. Almost anything can be written in an hour or two, if you force yourself to write the entire time. Just make sure to take breaks when it’s time.

2. Minimize distractions. Going to a cafe can be helpful, depending on the vibe and how good you are with noise. A library is another option. I like to go to the quiet area of my coworking space, and point my keyboard so that everyone could see if I was wasting time. I convince myself that people are looking over my shoulder. This–along with an environment where everyone else is nose to grindstone–helps me get work done. I also turn off my phone and kick myself off social media. Using Incognito or a similar browser or Strict Pomodoro (as mentioned above), or apps like Freedom gets rid of social media, so the only thing you can do is write.

3. Self-bribery. When I trap myself in a cafe, I will occasionally bribe myself with a cupcake or a cup of hot chocolate. The only catch is that I can’t leave until the item is written.

4. Write the worst crap ever. Give yourself permission to just write the biggest drivel of all time. Once that’s out of your system, some of the good stuff will show up on the page.

5. Start in the middle. If you can’t think of a good lede, don’t. Go into an area that you feel strong in, and build the piece around that. Nobody will notice.

6. Switch formats. I have no idea why this works, but switching from Microsoft Word to GoogleDocs to Draftin to Scrivener sometimes helps. So does switching fonts, usually to Garamond.

7. Good tunes. If you’re in the brainstorming phase, listen to happy music. If you’re editing or refining, listen to depressing music. For some reason, this forces you to focus better.

8. Organize your thoughts. If your ideas are ALL over the place, write them all down on a piece of paper. Then, circle themes that are similar in the same color. When you’re done, you’ll have all sorts of circles in all colors on your page. Each color is a paragraph or a section.

9. Add the quotes first. This was a trick I used in college when writing research papers, and one I currently use when writing profiles or articles that are quotation-heavy (from interviews). Add the quotes and THEN figure out the structure.

10. Think of your article as a pearl necklace. Figure out what the string is that would tie the different pieces or pearls together. Sometimes having an overview and structure will help you on your way.

11. Do something unrelated. Stuck on brainstorming an idea? Go on a walk, paying attention to sights and sounds. Spend 15 minutes listening to Taiko music. Eat a piece of fruit, slowly. Get out of your head and in touch with your senses. Then start over.

12. Do something repetitive. Wash dishes. Take a shower. Rake some leaves. For some reason, repetitive motion can get the wheels spinning.

Still stuck after trying all twelve? Email me (yael AT yaelwrites.com) and we’ll talk.

Here’s what I learned…

sunflowers for my office

A few interesting challenges have been floating around the interwebs; people taking photos with strangers, negotiating for discounts on coffee and otherwise stretching beyond their comfort zone by practicing asking for things despite the fear of failure.

It seems gimmicky at first, but scratch beneath the surface and you’ll see that these are merely training wheels for some very important skills. Smiling at strangers might set the stage for finally walking up and introducing yourself to that rock star industry leader you’ve been admiring from a distance. Asking for a discount on coffee taught me what negotiating for higher pay–on the phone and in person, not conveniently hidden behind my computer screen–would later feel like.

Long-time readers know about my penchant for experimentation and have read about various challenges I’ve put myself through, including a 30-day blog fast, a month of gluten-free eating, a month of Paleo and two BJJ experiments: 30 days attending a massive amount of seminars and a month-long BJJ challenge of entirely avoiding instructional videos and YouTube.

With all the talk of Failure Olympics, which I’d gone through as a student of the “How To Make Your First Dollar” course, I eventually asked Noah Kagan for another suggestion of something I might fail at. He challenged me to prioritize myself over others for a week. Apparently, others notice when I try so hard to make sure my clients are happy that I overextend myself. Taking on too much responsibility makes it difficult to retain that razor-sharp focus I pride myself on…and this makes me come across as scattered and trying to appease others. Bitter pill to swallow; but, the best way to address it is head-on.

Not that it’s easy. The challenge was terrifying and I even found myself strategizing my plan of attack should I lose all of my clients. In the not-too-distant past, I had found myself on rocky terrain with a long-time client because I was unable to bend over backwards or work ’round-the-clock due to other responsibilities (with clients who paid better). The juggling act, I felt, must go on and the biggest loser was always me.

But, the challenge was also exciting. Finally, I had an excuse to do what I really wanted: focus on myself.

The weekend started well. I bought gorgeous sunflowers at Trader Joe’s that lit up my entire home office. I made time to enjoy the long-awaited springtime weather, taking a scenic walk around the lake. I drove to a hot yoga class and spent 90 minutes twisting myself up like a pretzel–mindfully. I even had the chance to read fiction, something I really enjoy but rarely do because it’s not directly tied to work. It was a great weekend.

Then, Monday rolled in and that’s when the real work started. I decided the best way to prioritize myself was by refusing to work 12 to 15 hour days to finish work for other people. But, how would I get everything done in less time without sacrificing quality?

The biggest waste of my time is people who want to meet with me, in person or via phone, and either cancel at the last minute or just don’t call or show up. I’ve been working on this by sending people Google calendar invites to set clearer expectations, but, during the challenge, I ramped it up a bit.

• If someone had a 15-minute call scheduled and they called late, I just didn’t pick up. For the first time. I got a lot of email apologies with requests to reschedule (and, I waited 48 hours before responding to them). I know that sometimes people space on things, and I’ve done the same (I accidentally called at 1PM instead of a scheduled 11AM the other day, because I wrote the time down wrong), but it has become habitual. It’s not even about the 15 minutes, but about not giving up my time for people who don’t respect it.
• I didn’t drop everything to meet with people, even potential clients. Anyone who contacted me after Tuesday EOD had to wait until the following week. Again, I’ve benefited immensely on the other end of this (busy people who granted same-day meetings to me), but this was part of me getting over the myth that I need to bend over backwards for people to avoid losing work. 1) I didn’t and 2) I don’t know that I’d want to work with people that expect me to drop everything anyway.
• Instead of rushing to reschedule when a friend canceled a meeting, I just said, “Okay!” and left the ball in her court. She didn’t make an attempt to reschedule, which was fine by me–it saves me some time so that I can meet with people who DO see me as a priority.
• I demanded reasonable timelines for projects. These are people who are NOT paying rush fees, so why rush? I also got extensions when the scope of work was expanded.
• A client didn’t get back to me on some specifics of work she’d expected. Instead of taking a stab and then redoing it to meet her (unspoken) specifications, I just waited for the details before beginning the project.
• I turned assignments in on time, instead of early.
• I began charging token sums for work people expected me to do for free, or asked people I was doing favors for to do something for me in return.

What had looked like a week’s worth of work that I could barely keep up with, even if I worked ’round the clock, suddenly turned into a reasonable amount of work I could actually handle (we’re talking working only 8-10 hours/day instead of 12-16). Then the question became, what would I do with all the spare time I suddenly had?

• I taught myself how to screencast and edit in Camtasia and shipped PR For Startups, a 2+ hour video course perfect for people looking for media attention, without hiring an expensive and inefficient PR firm.
• I chipped in around the house, spending more time cooking, doing dishes and even cleaning my office.
• I slept 7-8 hours a night instead of 5.
• I got all of my workouts in and did more BJJ.
• I spent more time reading books that weren’t directly tied to work, and it was awesome.

The outcome? First of all, I didn’t lose any clients. In fact, I got a NEW client…and a raise I didn’t ask for.

I did not magically get “caught up” with all of my work, but I did realize that that magical state of affairs doesn’t come no matter how many hours I work, so I can put things down once in a while. (Work expands to fit the time available.)

My mood improved by leaps and bounds. I felt balanced and well-rested. And, though my week was turbulent, I was better equipped to handle it with equanimity rather than turning into a stressball and pulling out my hair.

The point of this post isn’t just to explain how great it is to free oneself from false and debilitating beliefs, but also how much is available to us if we ask for help, suck it up, take big risks, and listen to well-placed guidance of others.

My biggest goal for the year has been to make the same amount of money working less hours… and it looks like I had the answer all along.

I’ve been experimenting a bit with makeup lately, and found myself at a department store getting all dolled up by a professional. I’d come in with a pretty limited budget, and asked for something really simple that I could wear every day, and that wouldn’t require intricate face painting skills I lack. As an athlete who mostly works from home, my idea of a makeup is lip gloss and sunscreen, so even stepping into the store was a big step for me.

Budget? What’s That?

As a writer, I often interact with clients who have flirted with the idea of starting a blog but are a bit nervous to get started. And I’ve noticed that many of them ask for the smallest packages I offer. They’re usually startups or solopreneurs on a tight budget, and would like inexpensive posts on a very limited basis. As someone who strings words together for a living, it’s sometimes difficult to really listen to or understand what they need, because I have a hard time relating. Next time this happens, I’m going to think of myself, walking into the makeup section of a store I’d never set foot in, plopping down on a stool with a mirror in hand and hoping for the best.

Feature Creep (Or Scope Creep)

So the nice lady asked me what my budget was, and I told her I was prepared to spend around a hundred. Okay, so maybe that’s a bit low, and I would’ve probably been able to be talked up to twice that, but we didn’t really talk prices. Instead she spent the next two hours extolling the virtues of different concealers, primers, foundations, lotions, brushes, etc. I think I had about a dozen products on my face by the time I was done, and the ‘natural look’ I was going for ended up with a really striking nighttime look. Or at least it seemed that way to me. And yet over the course of our session, I’d become somewhat sold on the virtues of items I hadn’t originally considered. Of course I had to get these twelve other things I’d never heard of.

I wonder if that’s how my clients feel when we discuss blogging. At first they thought they wanted a couple posts a month, or maybe a new ‘about me’ page and some product descriptions, but leave the meeting (or phone call) with a dizzying array of other options they never knew they wanted: social media, SEO, newsletters, etc. Is it possible that writers look at ALL the solutions they offer and fail to scale appropriately for people who are newer to the game? Or that our idea of ‘simple’ isn’t theirs? Like, we may think ‘simple’ is just blogging 2-3 times a week, when simple for them might be a newsletter once a month. Just like a makeup artist might thing that ‘simple’ is just three types of eyeliner (liquid? gel? pencils? black AND blue) and three shadows and two mascaras, and I think simple is eye shadow. It’s an easy mistake to make.

Another makeup example might be that someone who never wears makeup is not interested in buying three for the price of two of anything. She’ll want to buy one, and then another when it runs out if she still wants to use it. The discount really isn’t value added, and isn’t convincing. Telling a new customer that I offer an umbrella discount if I’m guaranteed a certain amount of work per month may make me feel like I’m offering a discount they can’t refuse, but it could be too much.

So after getting all dolled up and taking ‘after’ photos, it was time for the big sell. Turns out I hadn’t even thought about things like brushes or remover when thinking of the large set of items I’d compiled.

This happens with clients, too–they want the ‘cheap’ rate for work, but want all of the extras, too. The guy who wants blog posts cheaply and quickly is ALWAYS the one who has impossible deadlines, demands multi-sourced articles, wants excessive rewrites, and thinks these are included. In my mind, choosing not to pay a premium price means that one doesn’t get premium benefits. But perhaps my definition of premium doesn’t match theirs, and perhaps this isn’t intentional on their part. I didn’t choose to overlook the fact that I needed extras. I just hadn’t thought of them. So perhaps people who change the work required in an assignment or project but are shocked (shocked!) when they’re told it’s out of scope or would cost more simply should’ve been told upfront. Maybe the onus for expectation management is on the seller.

It Cost What?

So there we are, and I’m finally getting rung up for a shockingly large array of makeup which I’m hoping comes with instructions, because I’m not sure I remember how to use all of it. Or that I really need three colors of eyeshadow and three types of foundation/concealer/redness remover/whatever after all. Or which shades of what I’m supposed to mix together when. The grand total? $400.

Going from zero to $400 is insane. Maybe you can talk someone up from $100 to $200, but hot damn. And I wonder if this is what people who want services such as blogging and web development sometimes feel like. In MY mind (as a seller), people are asking for $400 worth of services and only want to spend $100, and then they get upset when they hear what a $100 post (for example) looks like. (Hint: nobody’s going to spend eight hours on it). It’s like they want premium work but don’t want to pay for it. So whose fault is that?

It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but I think the onus should be on the seller. If I’m offering modified services for a bargain price? This is something I’ve failed to spell out. X amount includes ____ but not ____. Being very up front and startlingly clear about what exactly an introductory price includes–and doesn’t include–is something I haven’t done, but it’s easy for me to assume people should just figure it out. Perhaps giving them the benefit of the doubt would be wise–maybe they’re not trying to take advantage of me, but are simply unclear about just how much they want for how little.

The Whole Package?

So here I am with a $100 budget and a shocked look on my face, and a nice lady trying hard to make a $400 sale, and she immediately starts backpedaling, telling me that all of the makeup she’d spent hours extolling the virtues of is actually unnecessary. By then, it’s too late. I’d already been convinced each item was part of an essential ensemble, and it was all or nothing. I ended up being the worst customer ever and just walking out. (Feel free to hate on me if you want.)

What would’ve worked? Maybe not for everyone, but for me, knowing the price of each item in advance would’ve helped me determine which of them I considered the most essential. Then, when it was time to make hard decisions, I’d actually be prepared for it..instead of trying to figure out how I’d put on makeup without brushes, or trying to determine on the fly which of the items was actually something I wanted.

What if freelance services came with an a la carte menu? Yes, someone can write your post for dirt cheap, but not on a deadline, and you get one source, and you make any changes yourself, and post it on your own site. No, you can’t buy 15 pieces of sushi with a dollar in change…but you can get FOUR gumballs from the gumball machine.

So often, people think the glam and glitz of product offerings will entice people to pay more than they were originally willing. And sometimes that’s true. But other times, it’s best to be up front with people about what they’re getting into–especially if they really would have no clue otherwise. If it’s a product or industry I know, I’ll at least have an idea in the back of my mind of what it is I’m looking at. But with something I know next to nothing about? Not a chance.

Your turn: Have you had an experience where you spent way more time on a project for the amount you were paid? Or where you were sold a ridiculous amount more than you wanted to spend? Do tell.

I was told years ago I’d need a root canal on a tooth if I didn’t get a crown, but I’d been in the habit of ignoring dentists because one time one dude told me I had 7 cavities, so I went to another dentist and got a second opinion, and he said I had NO cavities. Basically they’d just decided to keep watching that tooth, but I took a nice long break from regular dental care (though I’ve always purchased my own health insurance) and one day, a sliver of tooth just fell out. It just kind of felt like it does when you’re a kid and have a loose tooth, but of course I freaked out and immediately went to a dentist.

I wasn’t in any pain, but apparently the cavity in the tooth was very close to the nerve, so they recommended I get a root canal, core treatment and crown. I decided to go to an endodontist instead because the price is the same out of pocket (and they use a microscope).

Okay, so basically what happened once I got to the endodontist is that they took some X-rays. Typically they hold something cold against the tooth to see if there is sensation there, but because I’d already had that done and told them I could definitely feel cold, they decided not to do it. Next was the Novocaine shot which completely numbed out the side of my mouth. After that, they put a rubber-like sheet in my mouth to keep the tooth clean.

Next is the drilling.  They basically remove any tooth decay and make an opening in the crown of the tooth to remove any diseased pulp. It doesn’t even hurt at all at this point, so the sound is pretty much the worst part, but most dentists will let you listen to music. I was rocking out to Jayke Orvis.

It didn’t hurt and I didn’t hear the drilling, but what I did notice was a variety of very chemical-like smells. Some people simply get temporary (or permanent) fillings, but others get what’s called Core material. It’s made of paste and rubber, and you can definitely smell it. The smell wasn’t that unpleasant, but it was strong.

The entire process took about 45 minutes. At the end, they took another X-ray and said everything looked fine, and asked me to come back again in 6 months.

Afterwards, my mouth was a little bit sore for actually about a week. It’s really important not to chew on that side of the mouth too soon. Painkillers helped a little, but not as much as I would’ve liked. My endodontist told me I should contact him after a week if it still hurt, but it was noticeably better by then.

The next part is to get the actual crown, which has to be done ideally within a month or so because the tooth after a root canal becomes very brittle and can crack. I was originally going to go to the dental school, which offers better prices, but scheduling was an issue because students were out on break.

Typically, dentists have you come in once to get a crown fitting and then come back a second time to get the actual crown. If you haven’t been to the dentist in forever, that means they’ll want to give you a full exam, including checking for gum disease, so that part can suck depending on how your gums are. But the actual crown part doesn’t hurt because you get a nice Novocaine shot first (and maybe nitrous, if you’re lucky). Again, there’s the sound of drilling, but music can be helpful.

The part that threw me off was just how much of the tooth is removed to put in the crown. They really do whittle it down so there’s very little tooth actually left. The crown ends up matching the color almost exactly. In my case, they actually made it right then and there in the office, which is why I chose that particular dentist (thanks, Angie’s List!), and then place it on. There were weird smells, too, but not quite as strong as the root canal.

The one weird thing about having a crown that’s ceramic is that it feels very smooth and artificial. Obviously you can’t sense hot and cold anymore with that tooth because the entire nerve is removed. But the ceramic just feels…fake. It took me weeks to get used to how it felt when I ran my tongue across it, though I could chew on it right away. (Some people are sore for 1-2 days, but I didn’t experience that.)

Costs really vary by location, but for me the root canal and crown combined cost about $2400 total out of pocket.

One way to lower costs is by going to a dental school, which takes longer but is far less expensive. Also, CareCredit allows for payment plans, often with financing for a year or even longer. So there’s definitely options that will help keep the costs down or allow you to slowly pay it off. Obviously, waiting can sometimes be more expensive.

I hope this is helpful–and feel free to leave your questions in the comments.

Tell All The Truth

Tell all the truth but tell it slant,
Success in circuit lies,
Too bright for our infirm delight
The truth’s superb surprise;

As lightning to the children eased
With explanation kind,
The truth must dazzle gradually
Or every man be blind.

Perhaps it was about that big product you’re launching, or one that’s been around for a while but has never gotten any media play. Maybe it’s about a service you provide that would be of great interest to their readers.

You  know your message is on point. You spent several hours making sure that it was. You painstakingly compiled a list of media contacts who you’re SURE should be writing about your service or product. But none of them did. None of them even contacted you back at all.

You pick up the phone to make sure they received your email, but find that people are short and curt, and all of your follow-up messages are ignored. This is the tough part. You’ve gotten so little feedback that you’re not sure how to react next. Do you continue to push, calling again until you hear from someone? (They haven’t said no, have they?) Or do you just give up, resigned to the fact that you’ll get passed over for media opportunities that your competitors are somehow snatching up?

The answer is …neither

It’s like sales. When have you ever bought something because someone pestered you about it? The way to success is to find people who are dying for a solution to a problem, and providing it for them, not convincing someone to get something they don’t want or need.

Dating is another example. That guy or gal you’re into who’s not calling back? Relentless persistence is typically not the best option, but neither is resigning yourself to a life of solitude, sitting at home with your pint of Phish Food and Janis Ian playlist.

Instead, you’ll want to position yourself in a way that’s appealing, so you’ll be the one fending off phone calls.

So let go of the false dichotomy. You don’t have to choose between harassing people or giving up on your goals. The best way to get media attention?

• find journalists and bloggers who are looking for you and your expertise
• create a compelling narrative that people can’t help but write about
• help writers (and readers) put trending industry news in perspective

Share the right message with the right people in the way they want to hear it, and you’ll never have to sit at home, deciding whether to make another follow-up phone call or simply throw in the towel.

Need more details on the specifics? I’ve created a video course to help with just that. PR For Startups is for you if you’re a small business owner, consultant, marketer or entrepreneur with an active business earning $1000/month or more, and you want to get some media play, without wasting time spinning your wheels or spending money on an overpriced and ineffective PR firm.

The video, rich with examples and screencasts, is over 2 hours long. Here’s what’s in it:

• what you need to have in place BEFORE contacting the media
• what media will NOT do for you–and what you can do instead
• writing press releases that don’t suck
• how to build a media list all of your own
• The top five ways to get your name in print–they’re not what you think
• apps and services that’ll help you up your PR game–without breaking the bank

Don’t want to take notes while watching? No problem. You’ll also get a handy Google doc with all of the apps and articles discussed. AND if you buy before May 10th, you’ll be invited to a Q+A session by phone so you can get your specific questions answered. (I’ll take these in advance via email, in case you can’t make the call.)

Interested in learning the strategies you need instead of spinning your wheels? Purchase the course below. At $25, it’s a steal, though we’ll be doubling this price in June.

Freelance Life

• The Complete Guide to Setting and Negotiating Freelance Rates (LifeHacker)

• The Story Of How I Went From Broke Wannabe Writer to Living The Freelance Life. (The Renegade Writer) By Linda Formicelli, who also helped me through this transition.

• Really Annoying Things People Say To Freelance Writers. (The Freelance Strategist) These are things I hear every week.

Be The Change

• Boston Marathon Bombings: How To Help. (Boston.com). A nice collection of ways to help out.

• What To Do When You’ve Made Someone Angry (Harvard Business Review). It’s simple, but it’s not easy.

Health and Fitness

• We’ve Solved 90% Of Supplement Confusion. (Examine). This is pretty incredible. Finally, research presented in a way that’s accessible!

• Baby Dinosaurs Flexed Muscles Inside Their Eggs. (National Geographic) To promote bone growth, a new study says.

• Paleo Shrimp-Stuffed Mushrooms (NomNomPaleo) My favorite recipe this week.

Humor

• Local Man Knows He Moved to Minneapolis For Something, But He Can’t Remember What (Onion).

We had massive PayPal issues, with people getting odd redirect links, some payments not going through, and people not receiving their download links.

Here’s what I did to fix this:

• First, I individually emailed everyone download links. Unfortunately, some of these emails ended up in people’s spam filters and some people didn’t even receive them.

• I sent new links both via email, over chat, or however people contacted me.

• When that didn’t work for everyone, either, and I noticed that the problem was still happening with new orders, I immediately switched from PayPal to e-junkie. E-junkie automatically generates links upon purchase, for immediate download.

• I also individually emailed everyone who had purchased, sending a NEW download link–just in case.

I am so sorry about the download issues. I’ll be using e-junkie going forward. Thanks for bearing with me as I work out the kinks.

I was SO excited about teaching a workshop on making herbal medicine. I’d made beautiful flyers with carefully crafted descriptions and graphics, copying them by hand on lavender paper at the local copy shop. I posted them all around town, though my fingers were numb with cold and I was new in the area and didn’t know the way. I’d gauged interest, eagerly taking phone calls and scrawling down names and contact information. I sent out press releases, even landing a slot on the 7PM news. I’d written articles for the local alternative health magazine, making sure the workshop was listed in their calendar and in my byline. I’d run the idea through a mastermind course I’d been in, and gotten lots of positive feedback.  I made an order for the best herbs I could find–ethically harvested, organic or wildcrafted, fresh and fragrant and healing. I was ready to go.

Before the workshop, I carefully reviewed notes from a decade of studies. I’d gleaned wisdom from seminars, conferences, apprenticeships, internships, online classes, volunteering as a docent and even on the reservation. It was hard-won knowledge. At first I’d struggled reading the plants in nature, failing to properly identify them until I learned that I needed to sit with each plant, learning the patterns of leaves on the stems, the shapes of the leaves, not just the flowers. I learned to touch each plant and be still, memorizing its shapes and curves and essence.

And now I was finally going to be sharing the ancient wisdom of these plants with people who wanted to learn.

I cross-checked my carefully compiled notes from dozens of books,  notes on safety and contraindications. I put together beautiful packets with recipes, photographs and notes. I reviewed my scrapbooks of dried plants I’d carefully pressed, photographs I’d taken, notes from field guides and materia medica. I was ready to go.

“I’m just calling to let you know I won’t be able to make your workshop tomorrow. I got really busy; it’s been a crazy week. Sorry about that!” I listened to my voicemail messages, holding back tears. I had five people signed up originally and one by one, they cancelled. Some didn’t even bother to call.

I had five people signed up and nobody showed up. Nobody but the owner of the store, who kindly waived the fee to rent the room. I’d spent money on supplies that nobody wanted, and invested hours of my time to put together a workshop that was a failure in every sense of the word. It brought back memories of birthday parties in middle school, when my dad checked out books from the library to come up with games for groups–but we didn’t exactly get a group. At least a couple of people showed up, though, which was more than I could say for my workshop. I went home that night dejected. So much effort with nothing to show for it.

Maybe you’ve had a similar experience. You have so much to share and teach the world but the world just doesn’t know it. You want to  make sure people actually show up to your event BEFORE you pour your heart and soul into it. You want to make sure people want what you have to offer.

My story has a happy ending. I recently taught a packed-room workshop, on a different topic, here in Minneapolis. I had originally decided that 10-15 people would be a massive win. I got 35. How did I do it? Well, the number one strategy I used, which was drilled into me by the geniuses behind AppSumo’s How To Make Your First Dollar course (not an affiliate link), was to get people to sign up, and prepay, BEFORE organizing the workshop. Before setting up the website. Before writing the curriculum. Before getting fancy online payment options through e-junkie, and setting up an Aweber email list, and making sure WordPress and AWeber and e-junkie played nicely together. Before renting a space. Before making flyers. Before sending out press releases. And for God’s sake, BEFORE buying supplies.

That’s when people tell you the truth. That’s when people say, “Well, I’m actually not really interested in that topic,” or “I already know how to do that,” or “You’re charging way too much,” or “You have no credibility”. That’s when you can find out what you have to offer that people ARE interested in and tweak your events accordingly so you can actually get people to pay you to teach. BEFORE the workshop. That’s when you can address their concerns–in advance–before learning the hard way, losing tons of time and money, feeling dejected and picking up your toys and going home, feeling like a complete failure. Responding with sad silence when people asked how your event went because you don’t want to lie but don’t want to admit that it didn’t happen. Having so much to teach and share but nobody to teach and share it with.

The trick is to listen–really listen–to what people say. Otherwise, you’ll keep trying to sell people something they don’t want. That doesn’t work. Trust me, I’ve tried it both ways…and crafting your offer to what is specifically valuable to the individuals you want to reach is MUCH more useful.

If you liked this post and want more tips and tricks on packing a room–and having an amazing workshop–I’m selling an ebook on how to do just that. It’s 24 pages and loaded with information on validating your idea, lowering your risk, promotional strategies, planning your event, saving money, and more. It’s got screenshots and data from my own workshop–not the one that didn’t happen, but the one where 35 people showed up. I’ll be selling this PDF for $20 soon, but for now, you can get yours for just $5 because I love you guys. Just PayPal $5 to yael.grauer@gmail.com (or hit the button below) and it’s yours!

P.S. Here’s to your next workshop. Make it a great one!

But really I just wanted to interview him because defies the stereotype of internet marketers by providing tremendous value instead of simply trying to sell things people often don’t need. We spoke about content marketing, analytics, the onslaught of info products and creating value.

As a writer, I’ve noticed a shift in internet marketing towards content marketing, where a lot of freelance work is coming not from magazines, but from companies with websites. They’re looking for editorial content that is heavily focused on SEO.  Where do you think people are missing the boat? Is there anything you see as an industry trend that’s not working?

I always talk about it almost as sex addiction. People are addicted to marketing, and we’re addicted to marketing because we get instant gratification. We know right away what to do. We put something out there and we essentially see results right away. So I go to these conferences, and people are focused on these things…there’s entire workshops on what’s the best time to send an email, should we send it at 10:30  or 10:44? It’s a stupid question, because they’re not asking themselves first, “Do I have anything interesting to say?” And so we get caught up in things like SEO and all that stuff, but really again it comes down to providing high value content, making sure that content provides a match to the people that you’re trying to reach, and in return all that stuff tends to take care of itself. The last time I looked at Google Analytics for anything I’ve done was a long time ago. Does that make sense?

Yeah, but you said you worked with large companies, so…somebody’s looking at analytics, right?

Sure, a lot of people are looking at analytics, but I’ve also talked to companies that had 44,000 paying members of a subscription and they told me they weren’t even tracking retention. Making that your sole focus, trying to play the Google game and trying to optimize every single thing with a focus on bringing in new customers, is really missing the boat of making great relationships with your current customers.

Don’t get me wrong. Data is huge. All that stuff is super important, especially for building relationships and creating loyal customers. But if the driving force is how we can optimize our marketing to bring more people into our funnel with no real focus on how we keep them on the back end, that’s where I think most companies are missing the boat.

To play devil’s advocate here, a lot of internet marketers will say that building relationships, creating value, etc. isn’t as effective as the pushy sales guy thing.

I think there’s a lot of money to be made in marketing and selling to people, but it really comes down to value that you’re bringing people. And when it comes to essentially sucking profits or sucking cash out of people, their hard-earned money, longevity is an issue. It’ll work for a while, and it does work for a while, but in the end, you’re not going to create the type of customers that’ll be with you for a while. And some of them do, there’s guys that create these massive marketing followings, but I don’t think the longevity is typically there.

I really feel like internet marketing courses, or ‘start your own business courses,’ are sort of like porn. There’s never a shortage of it; there’s constantly a new influx. Why is that?

It’s really the old concept of dangling the carrot in front of the donkey. There’s a gazillion people every single day, and a gazillion new people coming online every day, trying to figure out how they can make a buck, and there’s always somebody dangling the carrot there. It’s a way you can make short-term cash, but it isn’t ethical and there’s no longevity there to create something longer-lasting. People want to create real businesses. You don’t want to create one-off products that might put 50 bucks in your pocket today, but next week you’re struggling again.

It seems like if the courses actually worked, people wouldn’t buy more than one of them, because then they’d be set. The first one they buy will be the only one they’ve ever needed, right?

I understand what you’re saying, but the fact is that the marketers know that a) most people are never going to use those products to build anything and b) they really lack the substance and information that someone actually needs to make or create a big business. There really is no short-cut.

So from the buyer perspective, how do you determine what is valuable?

Well, I’ll give you an example from my own experience. I spend a lot of money on personal development each year. I have my own mentor, I have my own coach, I’m involved in mastermind groups, I pay to go to extensive workshops in different areas. The difference is that I’m not looking for the secret or the get-rich quick scheme. I’m looking at these as experiences that can better me; create a stronger me. I want to look at things that can better myself and ways I can get better at things that I want to do, and that’s really that it’s all about, it’s personal development.

If you know you’re a terrible public speaker, I think it’s smart to invest and go into a public speaking workshop or to buy an info product on public speaking or to read books on that topic. But when you’re buying the course that’s “How to Make 10 Million Dollars Public Speaking Next Week,” you’re missing the boat; you’re really looking at it as a cash grab and not a way to better yourself.

You seem to rely defy the stereotype of internet marketers, who are really annoying and constantly trying to sell people things. It seems like you focus more on not being annoying, on customer experience and providing value. Can you talk about that approach?

My goal has been to really build relationships and focus on one-on-one relationships with people and bring value that way, although I do occasionally sell products. When you bring value to people and create these great relationships, the money seems to follow on its own.

For more valuable content from Noah Fleming, check out http://noahfleming.com/.