onestepfurther.co.uk - Quickstart - Client Contact: What Do You Write?



	Quickstart - Client Contact: What Do You Write? (Please add bev@onestepfurther.co.uk to your address book so your issue of *Quickstart* reaches you each week. *Quickstart* *Grow a Profitable Consultancy and Still Have Time for a Life* In this issue Note from Beverley - Tell a Lie Day! One Step Further - Client Contact: What Do You Write? Upcoming Events - More Ideal Clients Anyone? Personal Reflections - Are You Flexible? Note from Beverley Did you know that 4th April is Tell a Lie day? You couldn't make it up could you! I quite often send e-cards to keep in touch or say thank you to friends and clients and the site that I use seems to have a day to celebrate for every day of the year. I think that they were struggling to think of one for the 4 April. Their headline - "Hey it's Tell A Lie Day! So you have the license to tell a cock and bull story and get away with it" In saying that, don't we all tell little lies at times: to ourselves, to our families and to our clients? Do we often over claim things or even under estimate what we can do? So I'm not saying go and tell a load of porkies today - just consider, "Is what I'm saying actually the truth?" Have a good week Beverley bev@onestepfurther.co.uk +44 (0) 1344 625713 www.onestepfurther.co.uk Author of Take Control of Your Time: 7 Straight Shooter Strategies for Success Buy the ebook and/or become an affiliate and earn some extra cash One Step Further This week I'm delighted to publish part 2 of How Do You Keep in Touch with all the People Who Matter? By Chantal Cornelius of Appletree and Just Add Content. If you missed the first part you can read it HERE What Do You Write? Once you know how you're going to send your newsletter, you need to think about what you're going to write, to make sure that it does what you want it to do. Why Are You Doing This? Everything you write in your newsletter must have a purpose. As you prepare each issue, ask yourself: * Why is this idea relevant to my readers? * Why will this information benefit my readers? * Why would this person want to receive my newsletter? * Why would a stranger want to subscribe to my newsletter? The more demanding you are the more successful your newsletter will be. What do You Write About? Many people shudder at the thought coming up with good ideas for every single issue of their newsletters. This can actually stop many people from publishing a newsletter in the first place. If you're passionate and enthusiastic about your business, you probably enjoying telling people about what you do. So why not turn your thoughts and speech into written words? Look at your business and list all the areas in which you work. For example, a wine merchant said he had nothing to write about. When asked he said he imported wine from twelve countries. One country per month for twelve monthly issues! What Else Can You Write? Make a list of the most common questions you get asked about your business, your products or your service. Write down your best answers to those questions and use these to develop themes for your newsletter. Start a Series (just like this - Bev!) One way of making things easier for three or four issues at a time is to develop a series. Choose one aspect of your business and develop a series of issues that discuss this subject in detail. This not only helps you with your writing, it also helps your readers who can read, remember and apply what you have said more easily when it comes in small chunks. Write to One Person Your newsletter will always sound more personal and be more convincing, and effective if you write it as if you are speaking to one person. Think of one specific client or prospect. Think of a problem they are struggling with or some advice you know would make a big difference. Write your newsletter with them in mind, concentrating on how you can best help them. Write to Readers Who Know Nothing If you have an idea for a newsletter topic but don't know where to start, start by writing to the reader who knows nothing. Don't downgrade your expertise by assuming that everyone else knows how to do what you do. By writing as if you were talking to someone who knows nothing about your industry, you can explain the details, establishing your reputation. Summary Writing a newsletter is not everyone's idea of fun. However, if you're passionate about your business and about helping other people, by following these steps, you'll find that it gets easier with time. Before you know it, you will actually look forward to writing the next issue. In part 3 to be published in a few weeks Chantal will help you think about whom do you send your newsletter to? Upcoming Events Only 3 weeks to go. Have you signed up yet? * Would you like clarity about where your business is headed? * Would you like clarity over who your target audience really are? * Would you like to learn some simple and effective ways of attracting your ideal clients? * Would you like to have clarity over exactly what your priorities are? Then join me for - MORE THAN A PULSE AND A CHEQUEBOOK - 1 DAY WORKSHOP Date: 26 April Time: 0900-1630 Venue: Heckfield Place, Near Reading Investment: £147+vat To find out more and reserve your place go to www.onestepfurther.co.uk/events.phtml So put April 26 in your calendar and reserve your place today. Personal Reflections Cream teas YUM!! I went to a lovely (and favourite) cream tea cafe in Marlborough last Friday. As I had consumed a good lunch I didn't feel like a full cream tea (that would have been really porky!) so I decided to have tea and 1 scone. When the waitress asked me for my order I said "a pot of Assam tea and a scone with raspberry jam and cream, please" "You can't have that" she said "Oh! why not?" said I "We only do cream teas and that's 2 scones" "OK but I only want 1 scone, would it be possible just to have that?" "No not really" "That's unfortunate as I really only want 1 scone." "Let me go and ask my supervisor." Off she went and I pondered why on earth when scones are made separately couldn't I just have 1, was it too much to ask? A few minutes later the waitress came back. "You can have 1 scone but we'll have to charge you for two because of the cream!" "What do you mean?" said I "The way the cream is portioned you can't just have 1 scone with jam and cream." At this point I lost the will to live and having had a really great day until then I had a choice - go ballistic about poor customers service, inflexibility etc. etc. OR give in. On this occasion I chose to give in. My 1 scone, jam and cream were delivered with an additional offering - "You can take the other scone home with you if you wish" To this day I do not understand the inflexibility demonstrated by this establishment especially as it is a more old fashioned place where I have previously found service really good. This got me thinking do we have rigid packages, services and operations that hinder our clients or do we offer what we want and not necessarily what they need? Could we be more flexible? Could we design our business so that it is truly customer centred? What a great point of differentiation that would be! Best Regards Bev bev@onestepfurther.co.uk +44 (0) 1344 625713 PAY IT FORWARD & Tell a Friend Who do you know that's left the corporate world and set up business as a consultant? Have you received *Quickstart* from a colleague and would like to receive future issues? We grow by recommendation so why not invite others to join the *Quickstart* community so they can subscribe immediately and get their free ecourse Discover the 5 Most Incorrect Assumption that Independent Business Consultants Make. Go to www.OneStepFurther.co.uk Thank you.





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