Module 3 - Inspire
and Engage
By Cindy Schulson
Welcome!
This Module is all about inspiring the people on your list to take action and
engage with you. So you can build a community of people who value you
and are excited about working with you.
By completing Module 3 you will:
1. Weave your message into your email marketing so you can build a
relationship with the people on your list
2. Discover how to make your message
work for you on your website
3. Learn how to bring your message to life
in strategy sessions or consultations
4. Create an engaged community of
potential clients who value you
Part 1. Email Marketing
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Message in Action Mentoring Program - Module 3 Action Guide
Email marketing involves sending regular, valuable information and
invitations to people who have opted in for your giveaway.
It’s a great way for you to build relationships and engagement, and
transform your “list” into a “community” of people who value you and want
to work with you.
Although email marketing is very
valuable, remember that it’s only
one touch points. You want to find
other ways for potential client to
experience you, including video,
webinars, phone calls, greeting
cards, etc.
Basic Functions for Email
Marketing
There are 5 basic functions your email marketing system should do for you.
1.
Create an opt-in form for people to subscribe to your list. When creating
your opt-in form, keep it simple, e.g. first name and email address.
2.
Manage your subscribers, e.g. unsubscribe from your list, change their
email address.
3.
Send follow-up emails, e.g. a sequence of emails that people
automatically get after they opt in for your list.
4.
Send broadcast emails, e.g. one time only emails that you send to your
entire list, or segments of your list.
5.
Perform analytics, e.g. open rates, click through rates, spam scores, etc.
Choose a system that meets your needs and allows room for growth. It’s
generally best to start simple and when you start selling online programs,
you can upgrade to a more sophisticated system.
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Some systems just provide email marketing, such as MailChimp, Aweber,
Constant Contact and iContact.
Other systems including email marketing, plus a shopping cart and an
affiliate management system. For instance, Digital Access Pass,
InfusionSoft and 1ShoppingCart.
Choose your Email Marketing System:
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Best Practices
There are some important best practices you should keep in mind with
regard to email marketing:
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Don’t add people to your list without their permission, e.g. without
them opting in
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Make it easy for people to opt in to your
list. Put your opt in form above the
form, make it clear what they will get
and how it benefits them.
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If you use a double-opt in process,
people need to confirm that they want
the subscription by clicking on a link in
a confirmation email. After they opt-in,
send them to a special Confirmation
Page that explains what will happen. Then use a subject line in the
confirmation email that is consistent with the name of your giveaway.
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After people opt-in (and confirm their opt-in if using a double opt-in
process), direct them to a special Thank You Page where you
welcome them and they can access their gift.
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Will you use a Single Opt-In or a Double Opt-In process? If Double Opt-In
create a Confirmation Page and Confirmation Email.
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What message will you put on your Thank You Page?
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Create a follow-up email sequence of around 10 emails (or more) that
people automatically get after they opt-in. Pull teaching points from
your giveaway, incorporate stories to bring your teaching to life, and
create curiosity to inspire them to open future emails.
Outline the topics for your follow-up email sequence. Remember, that the
first email should welcome people and show them how to get your gift.
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Have one clear call to action in each email. That might be
answering a question, doing a survey, leaving a comment on a blog
post, registering for a webinar, going to your sales page. Show people
why they should take that action, e.g. how does it benefit them?
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Continue to email your list at least once a week.
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Use a conversational writing style. Write as if you are speaking
directly to your ideal client and let your personality shine through.
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Personalize your emails by making the “From” field your name (vs.
your company name).
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Use a good subject line and create a swipe file of good subject lines.
See the bonus area for a subject line swipe file to get you started.
What are some of your favorite subject lines that you can adapt for your
niche:
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Part 2. Strategy Sessions
Strategy Sessions, Discovery Sessions, Consultations...
Whatever you choose to call it, this one-onone conversation with a prospective client
is the best way to sell a package of your
services.
But the benefits of Strategy Sessions go
beyond making money.
Strategy Sessions are a great opportunity to
learn more about your prospective clients,
including the language they use to describe
their goals and challenges.
They also allow your prospective clients to get to know you and themselves.
You’ll be amazed at how much value you bring your prospective clients by
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allowing them to articulate what’s going on with them and having you feed
it back to them.
Before the Strategy Session
Before you even do a strategy session, you’ll ideally want to have developed
some rapport with your prospective client.
Perhaps they’ve received your
giveaway and understand your
unique value, or they heard you
speak and love your message, or they met you at a networking event and
felt a personal connection with you.
Another great way to create connection prior to the strategy session is to
have your prospective client complete an assessment.
Doing an assessment has many benefits.
It establishes engagement and commitment. It creates “assumed authority”.
It’s assumed that you can help them improve their results in the areas
covered by the assessment.
The assessment also serves to
qualify your prospective client
to ensure it’s a good possible fit
before you both invest your time
meeting.
Create an Assessment people will do before qualifying for a Strategy
Session with you. You can use www.Wufoo.com as a resource.
What questions will you ask on your assessment:
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Before your strategy session, you also want to know what programs
you’ll offer your prospective client on the call. Get clear about the
packages, pricing, bonuses, etc.
Outline the package(s) you’ll offer during your consultation. Summarize the
steps you’ll take your clients through and the results they’ll get at each step
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What investment options will you offer? e.g. fast action pricing options, full
pay and payment plan
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Even though it’s free, you still need to demonstrate the value of doing a
consultation with you. There are 2 key ways to do this.
First, create a compelling name for your consultation. It should be
targeted to your ideal client and focused on the benefits. For instance,
“Break Free from Dieting Discovery Session”, “Recharge Your Marriage
Strategy Session”, “Get Your Dream Job Consultation”.
What will you name your Strategy Session?
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Second, outline the benefits to your prospective client in doing the
consultation. Here are some bullets to get you started. You’ll want to tweak
them to your niche:
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Create a crystal clear vision for ______
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Discover the hidden challenges stopping you from _________
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Create a roadmap for the steps you can take to ________
Outline the benefits people will get from doing a Strategy Session with you
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How to Get Consultations
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One of the biggest mistakes people make is offering a free consultation as a
giveaway, e.g. the incentive to get people to join your mailing list.
Not only does this devalue your offer, it doesn’t filter out the tire kickers
and isn’t scaleable.
Another big mistake is trying to sell your high-end services on the spot, e.g.
at a networking event, on a webinar, etc. It’s generally best to promote your
strategy session so you can have a private conversation with the prospective
client and sell your high-end services from there.
Include limiters to inspire people to take action, e.g. only have room in my
calendar for x consultations.
Include qualifiers to ensure there is a good potential fit, e.g. must complete
an assessment or application.
What limiters will you use to inspire action?
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What avenues will you use to promote your consultation?
Networking
What events will you attend: Dates:
Webinar
Topic for webinar:
Date:
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Speaking
Topic for speech:
Possible speaking
opportunities:
Website
What pages of your website
will have a consultation as a
call to action:
Follow-up email
What emails in your follow- Subject lines:
up sequence will offer a
consultation:
Broadcast email
What broadcast emails will Subject lines and dates you
you create offering a
will send:
consultation:
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The Strategy Session Flow
Doing Strategy Sessions might feel scary at first but they are a lot of fun
once you get going. Like anything else, it’s just a matter of practice.
Remember that you must guide the conversation to keep things focused on
the questions that will help both you and your prospective make a smart
decision.
See the Bonus Section for a Strategy Session Template, then modify it
to suit your personality and niche.
Handling Objections
Don’t be surprised if you get some objections before people say yes to your
offer. It’s normal. It may be a large investment, and can feel a little scary for
your prospective client.
The main objections you’ll typically face are 1) money and 2) will this work?
For a money objection, determine if it’s a matter of cash flow or something
else. If it’s a cash flow issue, you can explore how to make this work for
both you and your client.
If it’s something else, you have the opportunity to coach them around
identifying the real fear or concern.
If their concern is that it won’t work for them, there are different
approaches you can use. Choose the one that fits best for you and the
situation.
“Based on all the clients I have served and what I know to be possible, I
can’t imagine that you would be the only exception. If you follow the
system and do the work, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t expect to
achieve the results we discussed.”
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“Is there a reason you feel you won’t get the results we’re talking about?
There may be some mindset challenges that are standing in your way. Let
me help you with this”
Identify the main objections you anticipate with your ideal client and write
some notes on how you will address these objections.
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Part 3. Your Website
Your Website is your online home.
It’s a great vehicle to build your
credibility, create a real connection
with your prospective clients, share
your message and inspire people to
take action!
Your website has to be designed and written with your ideal client in mind.
Write as if you’re speaking directly to your ideal client and use a
conversational tone.
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Make your website easy to navigate. Avoid drop-down menus and have
clear page names in the navigation bar.
Have a clear call to action on each page of your website. Here are some
elements you can include for different pages:
Home Page:
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Tag line and headline to let visitors know they’re in the right place
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Opt-in box to inspire them to join your email list
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Video to create a deeper level of connection (see sample script below)
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Blog post blurbs to enhance your expert status and build community
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Call to action - get on your list
About Page:
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Share your story but make it relevant for your ideal clients
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What sets you apart, your beliefs, credentials, main experiences
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Call to action - check out services page, testimonials page, or apply for
consultation
Testimonials Page:
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Showcase the before and after for clients you’ve helped
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Include names and photos if possible, websites if relevant
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Highlight the golden nuggets so they pop
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Call to action - apply for a consultation or go to services page
Services Page:
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Highlight the kinds of solutions you provide and the results people get
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Give an overview of how people can work with you
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Don’t give details on process or pricing
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Call to action - apply for a consultation
Blog Page
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Include beginning of each blog post with a picture
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Show categories for easy navigation and search engine optimization
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Call to action - get your giveaway
Contact Page
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Have a brief form visitors can fill out to contact you
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Include your contact information
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Call to action - complete the contact form
What Pages will you include on your website and what call to action will
you have for each Page?
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Website Design
Make your website easy to navigate with
self-explanatory titles in your navigation
bar. Each title corresponds to a specific
page of your website.
For instance, your “About Page” might be
titled simple “About” or “Meet Cindy”.
What titles will you use in your Navigation Bar?
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Make the fonts clean and easy to read. Avoid too many font and style
options.
What fonts will you use on your website?
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Choose the colors that evoke the right emotions in your ideal clients and are
a good fit for your brand.
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Choose 3 different colors to use on your website using the 60-30-10 rule.
60% is the primary color that sets the tone for your website. 30% is the
contrast color and 10% is the accent color.
What 3 colors will you use on your website?
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Website Technology
The easiest (and best) way to get your Website up and running is
Wordpress. Use Wordpress.org (vs. Wordpress.com) and self-host it using a
service like Hostgator.
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You can choose different WordPress Themes that dictate the colors, fonts,
and design of your site. You can find both free and paid themes at
https://wordpress.org/themes
Some good ones to consider are Elegant Themes, StudioPress and Woo
Themes.
You may want to outsource the installation of your website. If your VA can’t
help you, you can find outsourcing solutions on sites like www.Odesk.com
or www.Elance.com.
After it’s installed, login to your Wordpress Dashboard at
www.YourSite.com/wp-admin
There are a number of great Plugins you can install on your Website
providing all different kinds of functionality.
You can search for a particular Plugin or browse the most popular ones
here. Browse the highest rated Plugins here.
Sample Home Page Video Script
Introduce Yourself
I’m Cindy Schulson, the founder of Marketing from Within, and I help
coaches and consultants focus, share and package their unique gifts so they
can build a profitable business they love.
The Challenge
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So many coaches and consultants struggle to pinpoint and communicate
their unique value to their ideal clients. I’ve worked with hundreds of
coaches and consultants who have this exact same problem, if you’re
struggling with this, please know that you’re not alone!
When most coaches and consultants market themselves, they’re
implementing ideas without really understanding how they fit into the
equation.
This leads to marketing that not only feels very inauthentic, it typically
doesn’t work. Because it’s not taking into account the most important part
of your marketing - you!
Your Unique Approach or Perspective
Marketing from within starts from within you. It leverages everything that
you bring to the table - your experiences, strengths, passions and voice.
As a result, marketing becomes more natural so you can share your
message in a more powerful way and attract more of your favorite clients.
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Your Gift
I’ve created a free video training that shows you how to use your unique
message to attract the clients you love. You’ll discover the #1 thing that sets
your message apart from everyone else, and learn the 3 key things you need
to include in your message to make it really enticing to your ideal clients.
I break things down into clear, simple steps to help you clarify your unique
value and use your message to attract your favorite clients.
Call to Action
Sounds good? Okay, here’s what you need to do. It’s super easy. Just enter
your name and email address in the box above and I’ll send it to you right
away. Thanks and I’ll talk to you soon!
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