To begin, we need to brainstorm the steps you'll need to take to accomplish the task, and then, we need to assign a timeline to each task.

Once we have those things set, we can work BACKWARDS from the launch date to set our schedule.

Of course, this is easier than it sounds, and a lot of what we'll be planning is going to be guesswork – educated guesswork – but guesswork just the same.

This is especially true if you've never done parts (or all) of the process before.

Don't worry, though, you CAN do this!

For now…

YOUR HOMEWORK:

Write out a list of each step you need to take to complete each portion of your offer.

If you have ONE item, you'll have ONE list. If you have TWO items (i.e. a main offer and an add on), you'll have TWO lists. If you have THREE items (i.e. a main offer, an upsell, and a downsell), you'll have THREE lists.

Put EVERY STEP into your list(s)!

Here's a sample of ONE of the product checklist lists I use:

– Funnel Plan (FE, Upsell, Downsell)
– Product Outlines (FE, Upsell, Downsell)
– Product Graphics
– Sales Copy (x3)
– Products (x3)
– Checkout Forms (x3)
– Sales Pages (x3)
– AWeber List Set Up (x3)
– aMember Product Set Up (x3)
– Request Single Opt-In for Lists (x3)
– Affiliate Banners
– Affiliate Swipes
– Affiliate Page
– Products Loaded to Amazon S3
– Offer Funnel Set Up
– Test Funnel
– Affiliate Notice

As you can see, I have EVERYTHING that's part of the process listed, and so should you!

UP NEXT:
We'll go over what you've written down, make adjustments, and put it all into a Project Planner, so you can track your progress, and stay focused!

IF YOU MISSED IT:
You can find previous installments of my guided goals and planning here: https://shawnhansen.com/category/guided-goals-planning/

The post Guided Goals & Planning – 04 – Determining Steps appeared first on Shawn Hansen.

If you completed your homework from last time, that means you've determined your 2021 business goals, and you'v brainstormed how you plan to meet those goals – good work!

For now, though, I want you to SET THEM ASIDE, so we can focus on the rest of THIS year.

What's important to note for now about the plans you made for 2021 is how you intend to take into account any choices you have to make to overcome the challenges you anticipate you'll face.

Planning the end of the year AND implementing THOSE intentions is an excellent way to test things in a real-world scenario, so you can be sure you make any needed adjustments BEFORE we jump into 2021.

I always create a set of special offers for the Black Friday to Cyber Monday sales that people look forward to, and it's THAT set of offers that boosts my bottom line as the year wraps up.

Now, I will say that for the past few years, I've noticed more and more people holding “Black Friday” sales in advance of Black Friday, and it kind of annoys me because it's beginning to feel like the online version of brick and mortar retailers who start throwing Christmas sales earlier and earlier each year.

It's the reason we now have in-person shoppers crowding stores on THANKSGIVING instead of it all going mad starting the next day (Black Friday) – though with COVID-19, what will happen this year is going to be interesting…and probably super-spreader dangerous…but I'll just ignore that as we're talking online stuff here!

In terms of the online stuff, I feel as if the Pre-Black Friday push is a weirdly desperate attempt to get people to bust their Black Friday budgets before the day actually arrives, and I rather hate the pressure that puts on consumers who will have to deal with FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) if they don't spend early versus getting to take a look at all the BF to CM offers and choose what's best for their particular needs.

These issues, by the way, are part of what we all need to consider (and potentially adjust to) as we plan our end-of-year activities!

Personally, I've decided to stick to the traditional Black Friday to Cyber Monday plan, ignore the craziness that comes early, and trust that my customers are willing to wait for what I have to offer if it fits their needs.

I will be showing some teasers to allow my customers to get a feel for what I'll be offering, so they have some sense of what to choose knowing those other offers WILL be out there early.

You need to make the end-of-year sale decision for yourself, so take some time, make a choice, and then stick with it. (You can always revisit your decision next year, but holding fast NOW will ensure you have a plan that's solid.)

I'll be moving forward here with holding a BF to CM sale in mind…

YOUR HOMEWORK:

Decide WHAT you'd like to put together for your end-of-year sale, and then determine WHEN you'll hold it.

The degree of complexity in what you offer should be based on your experience, and the one thing you do NOT want to do is to overplay what you can put together!

I like to have one new offer funnel that contains a main offer, one upsell, and one downsell.

I also like to bundle at least ONE thing, for example, I'll very likely bundle 10 or so of the 60+ bonus offers I've created in the past year into one big product.

Please know that all you need is ONE offer to get into the habit of setting goals, planning to reach them, and making adjustments to ensure success, but making a commitment to do this ONE THING before the end of the year is really the only way to test the process for YOU in a real-world setting, to ensure you can make the necessary adjustments to head into 2021 with the best possible plan to profit.

UP NEXT:
Breaking Down Your End-of-Year Plan into Actionable Steps

The post Guided Goals & Planning – 03 – Your End-of-Year Sale appeared first on Shawn Hansen.

Since I'm confident in the basic PLAN but not its EXECUTION, my very first task is to rethink HOW to get through the steps of my plan.

The “pain” in my business this year has been due to internet and power outage issues, so the focus of my adjustment has to be navigating those things.

My 2021 goals are the same as those I set in 2020:

– 10% Overall Business Growth
– 50% List Growth
– 3 Course Launches
– 9 Product Launches
– 2 Promotions/Week
– 3 Bonus Offers/Month

– Innovate in the Market
– 70% Customer Retention

– Finish Site Moves

As for solutions to my internet and power outage issues, here are my plans:

#1: Substitute Video Trainings for Webinars
There's no point in thinking I can offer the live webinars I've held in the past while our internet connection is so spotty. The most viable alternative is to switch to videos trainings.

Innovation Idea: How can I bring the interaction and live feel to a video training?

#2: Use Early Mornings & Late Evenings for Uploading/Downloading
The internet is pretty traffic bare after 11 PM and before 5 AM, so making use of those hours on a regular basis to do my big file uploads/downloads will help a lot.

Plan for this!

I can do SOME daily uploads/downloads before 8 AM Monday-Friday, and I can also do SOME daily uploads/downloads before 7 AM on the weekends.

I'll need to shift my workflow to ensure I am blocking time JUST for uploading/downloading during off-traffic hours on the internet.

Note: Given mornings are my high-production times, I'll need to be careful with the balance of getting a lot done with the grind of uploading/downloading.

Maybe try uploading/downloading on one computer while working on anther, if that's not too distracting.

#3: Pad Timelines by an Extra 20%
All of the timeframes I'm used to when it comes to online activity need to be set aside for now, and I need to expect EVERYTHING to take longer. Adding a 20% pad to my timeline should allow for this.

I also need to prepare for timeouts during basic tasks like working in AWeber, in aMember, on Facebook, and in Thrive Architect.

Don't forget to account for high-traffic times of the year when out-of-towners will be slowing down our internet tower with their in-car navigation systems, cell phones, and other connected devices! (October – End of Ski Season & Spring)

#4: Eliminate On-the-Fly Activities
I have GOT to overcome my habit of squeezing launch promos in when they hit my desk with less than 7-days advance notice regardless of their value and/or potential.

It's marketing FOMO, and it just doesn't work at this point.

I need to shift my focus and my prioritization to vendors who launch on a specified schedule and/or who are good about early notice.

#5: Create Extra Upload/Download Time During Trips to Town
I need to make a point of taking my laptop when we go to town for other things, so I can run uploads/downloads in the background of whatever we're doing.

Ideal content candidates for this include all of my ongoing, weekly work for DADC Social and DADC Templates as well as Profit Tracks.

Remember as I plan my week to shift uploading THOSE items from mornings to travel days.

Also, look ahead when planning the uploading of delivery packs for courses and products: Do we have an in-town appointment that I can piggyback on?

YOUR HOMEWORK:

Based on the assessment you completed, list your business goals for 2021.

Then, using my example above, brainstorm how you plan to meet those goals taking into account any choices you have to make to overcome challenges you face.

Don't worry if you aren't sure about how to tackle all of your plans: We're going to do a test run using the end of THIS year to see how things go, so we can make MORE adjustments for 2021!

UP NEXT:
Creating a 2020 End-of-Year Plan for Profit & 2021 Success

The post Guided Goals & Planning – 02 – Making Choices appeared first on Shawn Hansen.

You can see that I feel good about where things are with two of my goals: Overall Business Growth and Retention.

You can also see I don't feel good about where things are with Product Launches, Promotions, and Innovation.

Then, you'll note that I feel neutral about both my List Growth and my Upkeep.

In the Notes section, I jotted down a few details about the three areas I'm not happy with, and as you can see, they all relate to the INTERNET.

When YOU assess things for yourself, if you know there was something out of your control that impacted things, then write it down. Just be honest. There's no reason to make up something to offset things because the whole point of this assessment is to make the adjustments necessary to do better next year.

In my case, the Internet has been a growing challenge for the past few years, and I've made adjustments to work around it.

This year, I haven't been able to do that because my particular adjustments had to do with traveling to locations where I could use a better internet connection and working during non-peak hours.

The pandemic along with our increased power outages in California changed all of that, which means I have to focus on different ways to ensure that going forward those issues have less of an impact on my work.

What's important about recognizing those things is that I know my PLANS weren't bad, but my execution of those plans wasn't adequate, so instead of reinventing my plans – plans that have worked for years – I simply need to shift the execution.

Be on the lookout for similar issues in YOUR assessment!

Finally, a brief explanation of the neutral feeling I have about both my List Growth and my Upkeep…

Thus far, I've grown my business by the 10% I set out to, and while my list growth is only at 35% versus the 50% I'd wanted, my retention (of customers) is at 70%.

The math on that works out well: If 30% of my customers leave, but I grow my customer base by 35%, and I have a 10% business growth, things are solid.

The upkeep refers to my website maintenance, and this year I'd set a pretty big goal of moving a bunch of sites to more central locations. This was both to cut down on the time I spent backing up and updating so many sites, and to offer customers an easier and more localized way to access their purchases.

I had about 40 sites I needed to move, and under normal circumstances, that would have been taken care of by midyear; however, that particular process requires a fast, reliable internet connection, so by the end of April, I'd abandoned that project altogether.

Thankfully, I'd prioritized sites, and the 40% I was able to get done included almost all of my most critical work.

Once again, the plan wasn't the issue, the execution was, so I know as soon as things with the internet resolve, I'll be able to finish that goal.

Next time, I'll share the next step in the process: Setting New Goals for 2021.

The post Guided Goals & Planning – 01 – The Completed Goal Review appeared first on Shawn Hansen.

THE SAMPLE CARD

MY FINISHED VERSION

The post Card Class appeared first on Shawn Hansen.

The larger, black bags are trash, and the smaller, white bags are for donation.

Our Personal Project Supervisor, Emily, can been seen in the lower, right corner. 

The post KonMari Day 01 appeared first on Shawn Hansen.

The Scribbled Stories Booth – September 2010

Dad, Mom, and Me

Demo Time!

The post Scribbled Stories Comes Alive! appeared first on Shawn Hansen.

It's fairly easy for me because I need to write like I need to breathe.  Not every writer is like that, but every writer needs to get as close to that feeling as he or she can.

Why is it important to write every day?

Because the more you write, the better you get at it, and because earning a living as a writer requires the kind of discipline a daily writing habit develops.

Three Steps to Building a Daily Writing Habit

#1: Choose a time, and stick to it.  It's easier to establish a daily writing habit if you know each day at a particular time you are committed to writing.It also helps your subconscious understand you're serious about writing, and that goes a long way towards curing Writer's Block.

#2: Set a word count goal, not a time goal.  The goal is to write daily, and that means getting the words out is the most important thing.  It's far too easy to get sidetracked if you set a time goal, but if you set a word-count goal, you are committed to the task until you pound out those words.

#3: Don't let anyone or anything get in the way of your daily writing habit.  This might be your biggest challenge.  Things happen, and sometimes it's hard not to shuffle commitments, but don't let your daily writing habit be one of those things you consider expendable.  Write every day.  No matter what.

As I mentioned earlier, I haven't missed a day of writing (at least 1,500 words per day) since January 1, 2006.

I've had family emergencies, surgery, pet complications, the flu, been traveling, been without power, and I've had days I just didn't feel like I could make my 1,500 words.  But I've never let not finishing be an option.  

Some days, I've had to get creative or give other things up to get my words written.  I've had to break my writing time into small bits of time.  Other days, I've had to get up early or stay up late to get it done.  I've skipped lunch invites, dinner invites, and other social opportunities to put my words first.

Developing this habit has resulted in my becoming a much better writer – daily practice will do that to you!  It's also made any residual bouts of Writer's Block I once experienced disappear completely.  Most importantly, it's created an unwavering discipline in me when it comes to writing, and that's served me well time and time again.

The post Write Every Day appeared first on Shawn Hansen.

If you want to really grow your writing business, it's important that you're serving readers and other writers.

How to Serve Your Readers – Audience #1

Your first audience includes the people who love reading what you write, and that group is well served by most authors.

All you have to do to make your readers happy and coming back for more is to offer them a regular dose of quality content.

How to Serve Other Writers – Audience #2

This second audience is often overlooked by writers, but taking the time to provide what they need can make a huge impact on your bottom line.

To make other writers (or those who want to become writers) happy and coming back for more is to offer them a regular dose of quality content.  (That sounds familiar, doesn't it?)

What's the Difference Between Serving Readers and Serving Writers?  It's all about content.  When serving your readers, you give them the genre fiction or category nonfiction they crave.  When serving other writers (or those who want to be writers), you guide them through your process.

• If you write fiction, you create plots, characters, dialogue, and worlds.  
• If you write nonfiction, you create outlines, break complex tasks into simple actions, and find problems readers are having and solve them.

Sharing how you do these things is an entirely separate way to Profit with your Writing and Publishing.

The post Your Two Audiences appeared first on Shawn Hansen.

1. The price points of similar eBooks.
2. Your standing in the market.
3. The purpose and plan for your eBook.

Let's take a closer look at each of these points.

#1: The price points of similar eBooks

Your eBook should be priced like others like it.  Don't fall into the trap of thinking of setting your price lower than every other eBook out there in order to attract more buyers.  Perceived value is important, and if your eBook is significantly less than others like it, many consumers will equate that to a product of lower quality.  Likewise, thinking you can get far more than the average for your book is a mistake.  Even if you think your eBook is far better than anything else like it, consumers will dismiss eBooks that are overpriced.

#2: Your standing in the market

An author with a huge following, multiple publications, and numerous awards can command a higher price than authors who don't have those credentials.  Don't try to compete in price with people at the top end of the pricing spectrum unless you have similar credentials.

#3: The purpose and plan for your eBook

There are valid reasons to price books very low (or free), and there are also reasons to price very high, but doing either without a specific purpose that fits into a plan is foolish.  The biggest mistake I see writers making is offering their eBooks for free on platforms like Kindle.  Unless you have a really specific purpose and plan, it's likely to backfire and actually cost you money.  (And you need to be more specific than simply thinking giving your eBook away will lead to sales and reviews.)

If you want to gain exposure, what do you plan to do to capitalize on it?  What do you mean by “exposure,” and how does that help you down the road?

Pricing high can ensure you control your buyer population.  In other words, if you put a stiff price on your eBook, you will probably get fewer sales, but you are likely to attract serious customers.  To pull this off, you probably need to have a significant standing in the market.

What's the bottom line?

Test.  See what works for YOU and YOUR market.  Adjust as needed, and always keep track of what you're doing, so you can look back and review your process.

The post Pricing Your eBook appeared first on Shawn Hansen.