Entries tagged as ‘Marketing’
For most of the 190,000 years that humans have been alive on this earth, they’ve learned their most important information, including survival skills, culture, religion, etc., through stories. The human brain, in fact, is wired specifically so that stories, and storytelling, have a much stronger emotional impact than information that’s presented quantitatively or according to some other emotionless structure.
~ marketing guru, Michael Bosworth
It’s the right side of our brain that harbors our creativity and emotions. It’s where storytelling has its impact. People are drawn to telling their personal histories by such deep seated desires as leaving a legacy, capturing fond memories, or finding meaning in their lives. They’ll ultimately make a decision to engage your services based on emotional not quantitative information. If you’re not making “storytelling” a part of your presentation, you’re losing clients. In a BNET interview with Michael Bosworth he says,
The emotional brain is where the ‘aha’ moments happen. Where the “I want that” or “I need that” feelings happen. The buyer has “gut reaction” and an image that allows them to make an emotional decision, such as the decision to trust someone or buy something. They can feel it and see it rather than quantifying.
How can you use storytelling to engage prospective clients?
Here are four tips:
- Start with a story from your own experience. Your story should convey the delight, poignancy, and impact that life stories can have for individuals and their families. For me, the story I previously wrote, When Small Can Be Profound, about a dying mother and her young child is a powerful reminder of the invaluable nature of our work.
- Borrow a story. If you don’t have a personal story that suits your needs, then find one that does. For example, in How a Prehistoric Cave Painting Came to My Rescue, I found symbolism that spoke to my suspicion that storytelling is part of our DNA. Another story I want to use some day is from James Loewen’s book Lies My Teacher Told Me. He writes that in some African societies,
The recently departed whose time overlapped with people still here are the Sasha, the living dead. They are not wholly dead, for they live on in the memories of the living … when the last person knowing an ancestor dies, that ancestor leaves the Sasha for the Zamani, the dead.
One might say that the Zamani are truly dead for no one currently living knew them. What a powerful reason for ensuring that our loved one’s stories are preserved so that they might continue to live in the hearts of those far into the future.
3. Be a good listener. This shouldn’t be difficult for personal historians. That’s what we do! It’s important to listen for the stories that are behind a person’s interest in hiring you. Ask questions that will help draw these stories out. They might be stories that relate to leaving a recorded legacy or perhaps a document that speaks to their beliefs, values, and wisdom learned. Whatever it is, be assured that there are very real emotional reasons for someone wanting to record a life story.
4. Retell your clients’ stories. In retelling your clients’ stories you not only demonstrate that you’re a good listener but you also help reinforce your clients’ “right brain” reasons for wanting to record a life story. As Michael Bosworth says,
Then, and only then, are you ready to sell, because then you can retell the customer story with a different ending or a new sequel, with your offering playing a role in the story. It’s also useful to have a quiver of “here’s how I’ve helped other people” stories, so that you can help the prospect visualize a future that includes you and your offering.
What of your own experience? Have you used stories to promote your personal history service?
Image by Ronda Del Boccio
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Categories: How to · Life stories · Marketing · Personal historian · Tips
Tagged: clients, Life stories, Marketing, Personal historian, promotion, storytelling, using storytelling
This Monday’s Link Roundup will warm the hearts of “nappers”. If you’re like me, a nap is quite delicious. In fact, I consider myself an expert napper. Be sure to check out A midday nap markedly boosts the brain’s learning capacity. Apparently, I’m getting smarter by the minute!
- The Importance of Storytelling in Marketing. “A story can be a really powerful way of illustrating the value of you product and in my experience is often the way that your prospects and customers will explain what you do to others.”
- A midday nap markedly boosts the brain’s learning capacity. “New research from the University of California, Berkeley, shows that an hour’s nap can dramatically boost and restore your brain power. Indeed, the findings suggest that a biphasic sleep schedule not only refreshes the mind, but can make you smarter.”
- YourNextRead Tells You What Book You Should Read Next. “Tell YourNextRead what book you just finished—and enjoyed!—and it will generate a web of eight related books. You can click on any of the books to learn more about it which will, in turn, generate a new web that’s based on that book. Alternatively you can use the thumbs up/down buttons to agree or disagree with the suggestions that YourNextRead gives you.”
- Thomas Edison – In His Own Words. “On October 21, 1929, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and President Herbert Hoover shared a stage in Schenectady, New York. Earlier in the evening, Albert Einstein had joined them via a recording made in Berlin, Germany and then sent to Schenectady for the occasion. The evening’s words were recorded on a device called a pallophotophone. Edison died two years later. The recordings were one of the few occasions in which Edison’s voice was ever recorded and possibly the last such recording every made of his voice.”
- Top Ten Most Popular Online Genealogy Magazines. “This list was prepared by Alexa. Alexa is the world’s leading company for measuring internet traffic. The company monitors the web traffic of millions of Internet sources, including thousands of genealogy sites. Web traffic is objectively categorized based on the actual number of visitors to each web site. From these Internet traffic statistics, Alexa maintains a list of the most popular online genealogy magazines.”
- Resources for Writing Memoir.“Last week I tweeted this advice on writing memoir: “Please don’t submit your memoir until you’ve read 20 good memoirs and 5 books on writing memoir – and learned from them…After my tweet, many people asked me for recommendations, so here they are.”
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Categories: Monday's Link Roundup
Tagged: genealogy, link roundup, Marketing, memoir, midday nap, Resources, storytelling, Thomas Edison
In a previous post, Lousy at Getting Referrals? Here’s some help, I provided several tips that could increase your referrals. A personal historian colleague asked me to expand on my suggestion, Develop a large network of referral partners. She asked, “I know that we can benefit one another, but how do they know? How do I persuade them to give me their time for free? And what does it mean to follow up with my network every three months or so?”
Here then is an elaboration on my earlier post on referral partners that I hope addresses my colleague’s questions.
- This is a long term process. You’re involved in developing mutually supportive business relationships. It will take time, trust, and patience and not all your efforts will bear fruit. If you’re looking for a quick fix, this isn’t the route to go.
- Create your “ideal client” referral document. It’s helpful to compose a sketch of your perfect client and the follow-up approach you’ll use with each referred client. For example, will you contact your referral by telephone, letter, or by e-mail? How will you introduce yourself? How will you describe your referral partner’s role? Will you send promotional materials or wait until you have a positive response? Will you meet with referrals in their home or in some neutral location like a coffee shop? This document will clarify who you’re looking for and it will provide your referral partners with a good overview of your referral strategy. Don’t forget to add a few testimonials to your paper.
- Identify a referral partner. Start by choosing a business that likely serves similar clients as personal historians. Make it easy for yourself by identifying a professional you already use and like. Perhaps you know a financial adviser, accountant, or chiropractor that would be willing to be a referral partner. Once you’ve established this professional as a willing partner, you can ask for names of others he or she would let you contact.
- Try the ” reverse introduction”. Over at the Duct Tape Marketing Blog, John Jantsch has a clever approach to starting a referral partnership. He calls it the Perfect Introduction in Reverse. You can watch John explain it in a short video here. Basically the idea is to start by contacting a potential partner, explaining that you have clients that could benefit from her service or product. It’s easier to start be offering something of value. For example, I’ve been in touch with a company that provides a complete package of services to assist seniors with moving. It’s still early but with time the potential for referrals is there. Listen to John Jantsch here for a full explanation of the reversed introduction.
- Build a trusting relationship. Keeping referral partners is a matter of building professional trust. You want to be certain that clients you send to your partner are going to have a positive experience. Similar concerns exist for your partner.There are several ways you can go about developing trust. For instance:
- Offer a free seminar for your partner’s clients. Invite your referral partner to do the same for you.
- Write an article for their newsletter or website and ask for your partner to write something for your clients.
- Keep in touch. It’s important to nurture and care for the professional relationship you develop with your referral partners. Here are some things you can do:
- send a card or gift for every referral you receive.
- participate in their charity events.
- make regular phone calls.
- send an article that’s relevant to their work.
In a nutshell then, getting referral partners is not about asking people to give you something for free. It’s about a mutually supportive relationship where each partner wins. And to make certain that the partnership is maintained, you have to find ways to keep in touch.
Photo by Search Engine People Blog
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Categories: Marketing · Personal historian
Tagged: How to, ideal client, Marketing, Personal historian, referral partners, referrals, Tips
Mom at 23 in 1941
My mom is ninety-two and a wise woman. She never had much schooling but she earned her doctorate at the university of life. She has a homespun wisdom that on reflection has taught me some vital marketing lessons. Here they are:
- Never leave home without being carefully groomed. My mom always leaves her home neatly dressed and with her hair carefully coiffed. When I’m out in my community, I occasionally encounter former clients or workshop participants. Sometimes I find myself talking to a stranger about my work. I’m aware that I’m a walking billboard for personal history. This means I need to look appropriately professional. No need for a suit and tie. But slouching around in sweat pants and ratty sneakers won’t do when you’re in the public eye.
- Don’t forget to say thank you. It’s a small word that goes a long way to creating a good impression. My mom never fails to says thank you for a kindness shown her. She always sends a thank you card after receiving a gift. Make it a point in your marketing to thank clients. I send a note thanking a potential client even if we don’t end up working together. I also send birthday and holiday cards to former clients. It’s a special touch that people appreciate and remember.
- Don’t waste time on ungrateful people. Mom is sweet but she’s also strong. If people don’t show some reciprocal kindness or interest, she drops them. There’s a good marketing lesson here. There’s no point trying to promote your personal history services to people who aren’t interested or don’t care. It’s better to concentrate your energy where you’re likely to get the best response.
- Answer letters immediately. Mom is a dying breed of letter writers. She still pens several letters a week to friends and family. And what’s crucial is that she never lets a week pass before she answers a letter. People appreciate her promptness. In marketing our services it’s vital to respond to queries in a timely manner. It creates an aura of efficiency, eagerness, and professionalism.
- Be meticulous. Mom never let a speck of dust settle on her furniture. Her home was always immaculate. Even today she prides herself in doing the very best she can even though she is quite frail. The marketing lesson is that all your print, audio-video, and website materials must be carefully designed and first class.
- Monday is laundry day. Mom never multitasked. Each day of the week was set aside for specific chores whether it was laundry, baking, cleaning, or gardening. It’s easy to become hit-and-miss with our marketing. Make sure you schedule marketing time each week and stick to it. Better yet, why not make Monday your marketing day?
- Be frugal and avoid debt. Mom was a child of the Great Depression. She never spent money she didn’t have and always looked for bargains and sales. She’s passed that fiscal conservatism on to me. I look for the most cost efficient ways to market my services. For example, this website/blog cost me all of twenty bucks a year. I avoid “gadgets” and constant upgrading and use my equipment and software as long as it still does the job.
- Don’t put on airs. Mom can’t abide pretentiousness or arrogance. There’s a good marketing lesson here. Avoid overselling or hyping your services. People can smell phoniness a mile off.
Thanks, Mom. You’ve taught me well.
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Categories: Marketing
Tagged: How to, Marketing, Mom's lessons, Personal historian, Tips
**Don’t forget to vote on my poll: How long have you been a personal historian? Click here to vote.**
I’ve a confession to make. I’m not great at asking for referrals. I usually end up mumbling something lame to my clients like, “If you know of anyone who might like to use my services, please let them know about me.” That’s it. Then I’m out the door.
I decided it was time to get my act together and do a better job. I’ve been doing some research on referral strategies and here’s what I’ve learned. I hope you’ll find it helps you as well.
- Don’t forget to ask. The best time to ask for a referral is when you’ve delivered your book or video to your clients and they’re thrilled with your work.
- Develop a large network of referral partners. In addition to your own clients, think of five to ten occupations that deal with the same clients as personal historians such as: financial planners, home care services for seniors, accountants, funeral directors, professional genealogists, naturopaths, and so on. Now select ten people from each category and arrange to meet them so that you can describe your services and learn more about what they offer. When you find people who are prepared to refer clients to you, add them to your referral partners list. In time you can build a referral list with fifty or more names. Make sure to follow up with your network every three months or so.
- Be active in your community. Make a point of joining business associations and community groups. Your participation will in time lead to referrals.
- Provide referrals. Giving referrals for others is likely to generate in-kind referrals from those you’ve helped.
- Make yourself a low risk referral. Let’s face it. People don’t want to take a chance on referring someone they don’t know very well. They stand to lose if you screw up. People want assurances. Here’s what you need to do.
0 Be likable. No one wants to refer someone who’s rude or patronizing.
0 Be extremely reliable. Show up for meetings on time, complete work as scheduled, and answer e-mails and telephone calls promptly.
0 Provide free consultations.
0 Provide money back guarantees.
- Give your referrers the resources they need. Make it easy for them by leaving behind some business cards and brochures.
- Don’t be vague about the type of client you want. It will help if you give them an accurate picture of your ideal client. You might say something like, “I’m looking for clients who are professional women in their 50′s who have one or both parents still living.”
- Be clear about what you expect. Do you want them to set up a meeting with just you and the prospective client? Or would you like them to be there as well? Is it OK to use their names when calling referred clients?
What referral approaches work for you? Let me know. I’d love to hear from you.
Photo by Zach Klein
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Categories: How to · Marketing · Personal historian · Tips
Tagged: How to, Marketing, Personal historian, referrals, Tips
“You know a design is good when you want to lick it.”~ Steve Jobs
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We all love good design. That’s why the iPod and Ikea have been so successful. Design is the difference between something that is OK and something that is memorable. If you hope to have a successful personal history business producing books, you’ll want to include a designer on your team. Here are four important benefits of good design.
- Good design affects people emotionally. You’ll lose clients if your books have great content but look homemade. When prospective clients see your work, they don’t have time to read the content. They’ll be primarily influenced by how attractive the books look. Advances in neuroscience have shown that people tend to act first on emotion, then follow it with reasoning to support their choice. The more people are emotionally drawn to your work, the more likely they’ll hire you.
- Good design conveys credibility. Don Norman, a former Apple design guru, sees the value of producing good design. He says,“We all have the feeling that attractive things work better.” If you produce first class books, your company projects quality, care, and professionalism.
- Good design supports and enhances the content. It’s true that content is vital. But if you have to struggle to read a book, you’re not likely to enjoy it. We can all recall coping with a poorly designed book with type that’s too small or inappropriate for the subject, no white space for the text to breath, lack of headings to provide guidance, and photos placed without any seeming logic. Remember that in addition to your client, your book will be read by others. Your books are your calling card. They speak in your absence. Will your books speak of quality and great design?
- Good design differentiates you from the others. It’s becoming a crowded field in the world of self publishing. What will set you apart from all the others is design that is compelling.
Image by Juhan Sonin
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Categories: Design · Life stories · Marketing · Personal historian
Tagged: benefit, book design, book designer, graphic design, Life stories, Marketing, Personal historian
**Don’t forget to vote on my poll: How long have you been a personal historian? Click here to vote.**
There are some entertaining items in this Monday’s Link Roundup. One of my favorites is Vintage Tech Ads: The 15 Funniest Videos. How times have changed! And if you want to check out the popularity of your surname take a look at Find the Popularity of Your Surname. My surname, Curtis, is most popular in Australia. It surprised me. I would have said England.
- The Rise of Self-Publishing. “Last year, according to the Bowker bibliographic company, 764,448 titles were produced by self-publishers and so-called microniche publishers. (A microniche, I imagine, is a shade bigger than a self.) This is up an astonishing 181 percent from the previous year.”[Thanks to Mary M. Harrison at Morning Glory Memoirs for alerting me to this item.]
- a brief history of book printing and binding. “Youtube is an invaluable source to help us visualize a process. Here is a curated overview of book printing, from letterpress, the same process that produced the Gutenberg Bible, to the Expresso Bookmaker, and back to contemporary letterpress and hand binding.”
- The Practical Archivist. “Hi there! I’m delighted that you found my corner of cyberspace. There are oodles of Practical Archivist articles for you to enjoy, with information and advice that will help you become a better family archivist. The only question remaining is…Where would you like to start?” [ Thanks to Sarah White for alerting me to this item.]
- Vintage Tech Ads: The 15 Funniest Videos. “IT World has a humorous look back at hi-tech advertising videos of only a few years ago. Remember these ads with robot phone wars and naked spokeswomen in bathtubs? But looking back on them now, it’s hard not to find them amusing. And, yes, a little embarrassing. Cassette tape players, the Magnavox Video Writer, MS-DOS 5.0, and a young William Shatner all await you.”
- Singing Out. Written by Molly Beer and David King Dunaway, the book “is culled from more than 150 interviews and the story it tells spans seven decades and cuts across a wide swath of generations and perspectives, shedding light on the musical, political, and social aspects of the folk revival movement. In the original article below Beer looks at the experience of writing a book with another author.”
- Find the Popularity of Your Surname on PublicProfiler.org. “Just how popular is your surname? Is it popular in other countries? This web site will tell you. It won’t find your ancestors but, with less-popular surnames, it may give clues as to the emigration patterns of extended family members. Don’t try this on Smith or Jones, but with less-common surnames, it may provide clues.”
- What Makes Great Marketing… Great? “Marketing has always been about telling great stories. The problem is that telling great stories is not an easy thing to do. The reason most Marketers struggle with telling great stories is because they have not spent enough time deconstructing what makes a great story. Ira Glass is here to help. Glass is a well-known radio personality with NPR. He is the producer and host of This American Life, and there is probably nobody more suited to explain the schematics behind brilliant storytelling than he is.”
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Categories: Monday's Link Roundup
Tagged: family archivist, family stories, Life stories, link roundup, Marketing, Personal historian, self-publishing, vintage tech ads
The following article is reprinted with the kind permission of Stephanie Kadel Taras, Ph.D., of TimePieces Personal Biographies .
*** Don’t forget to vote on my poll: How long have you been a personal historian? Click here to vote.***
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I have a 1-year-old rescue puppy, part husky, that pulls so hard on the leash I’ve given up walking her in the neighborhood. My inability to train her right, and my already fragile wrists and elbows from typing too much, left me frustrated and sore. We’ve been going to a fenced dog park, so she can run off leash, but I’ve missed my regular loops around Ann Arbor, especially as spring has bloomed. At the dog park, I heard from other humans about a harness that prevents pulling with the leash clipped in front of the dog’s chest. I was dubious but desperate.
Yesterday, I found the harness at the pet store. It cost 27 dollars! For a few inches of nylon and plastic. I bought it anyway. I tried it this morning, and it’s a minor miracle. My dog stopped pulling instantly, and we had a wonderful, relaxed walk to see the tulips and flowering trees. It was worth 27 dollars. In fact it was worth 50 dollars to me, but I probably wouldn’t have bought it for that without knowing its value first.
Now, even if I’m generous and estimate the company spends $5 per harness to produce, market, and distribute it, that’s a pretty amazing mark-up. But they understand the value of their product to the desperate dog-walker.
As I walked, I couldn’t help thinking of our work as personal historians and the treasure that we provide our clients. I saw it just last week when the adult daughter of an 83-year-old narrator was speechless after reading the draft of her mom’s book. She held her hand to her heart with tears running down her face, and then just reached out to hug me. Now THAT is value.
So if you’re thinking about what to price your services, after you go through all the necessary machinations of figuring out what you want to earn, what you have to charge, what it costs to produce, and so on, the most important question is: what is it worth to our customers? And are we doing a good enough job helping them realize that worth before they decide whether to buy or not? What will people pay for a minor miracle? If they are able to afford our services at all, they will probably pay a lot more than many of us think.
Photo by Francesco Negri
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Categories: Inspiration · Life stories · Marketing · Personal historian
Tagged: How to, Life stories, Marketing, Personal historian, personal histories, selling value
You don’t have to spend a fortune on marketing. These twenty-five ideas won’t break the bank. But a word of caution. Don’t try them all at once. You’ll go crazy! Pick a couple and focus on them. See what works for you and then move on to some others.
What marketing approaches have you used that are cheap and effective? Love to hear from you!
And don’t forget to vote on my poll: How long have you been a personal historian? Click here to vote.
- Business cards: Don’t forget to carry a few cards with you at all times. You never know when and where you’ll have a conversation and someone will want your card. Ask businesses if they will display your card.
- Join a community group: People will get to know you and in time you’ll have some potential clients. I was part of a community choir for many years. It worked for me!
- Offer workshops: This is a great way to introduce people to life stories and attract clients.
- Write articles: Seek opportunities to write articles for your local paper, alumni magazine, professional newsletters, etc.
- Arrange speaking opportunities: Service organizations such as the Rotary club and Lions club are always looking for guest speakers.
- Wear a button or T-shirt: Have a T-shirt made with a phrase like “Preserving memories is an act of love”. Wear your T-shirt when you go to the supermarket or mall.
- Join networking groups: From Chambers of Commerce to BNI there’s a business group for you. Ask some local business people for suggestions.
- Start a Blog: If you like to write and have something useful to offer potential clients, then this might be just for you.
- Put a bumper sticker on your car: A few words and your telephone number provides a mobile advertisement for your business.
- Carry a tote with a catchy “personal history” phrase: This is similar to the T-shirt suggestion above but more suitable for business settings.
- Sign up and use Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn: Social media has become a powerful marketing tool. Don’t be left behind!
- Become a volunteer: Find an organization for which you’ve some affinity. In time you’ll find some clients among the people you’ll meet.
- Give away gifts: I frequent garage sales and pick up books that relate in some way to life stories. I insert a small label in the book that includes my business name and contact information. I give these away at my workshops. You might also try bookmarks or pens.
- Host your own radio or TV show: Local community radio and TV stations are always looking for new sources of programing.
- Join Toastmasters: There’s a Toastmasters in most cities. Not only is it a great way to improve your speaking abilities but also to find clients.
- Ask for referrals: Don’t forget to ask your satisfied clients for referrals.
- Publish an Online newsletter: This is an excellent way to keep in touch with clients and establish yourself as an authority.
- Speak at Conferences: This provides an opportunity to share your expertise and meet prospects.
- Join the Association of Personal Historians: The Association provides great support and its membership listing is available to those looking to hire a personal historian.
- Create an e-mail signature: Every e-mail you send out should include a memorable phrase, your web/blog address and contact information.
- Give away free reports: On your blog or website create a useful document that visitors will want to read. This not only establishes you as an authority but also strengthens your bond with your audience.
- Form “supportive” business alliances: Contact local businesses that have clients that might also fit your client profile. For example you could meet with people offering “Seniors Services”. Suggest to them that it would be mutually beneficial to cross promote your services.
- Attend workshops: It’s a way to enhance your professional skills and market your personal history business.
- Organize a charity fund-raising event: You get to meet a lot of people, do something worthwhile, and create more awareness of your company.
- Send out media releases. Tie your release to a holiday, special day, or issue. Follow up with a phone call to see if your release was received. Make friends with your local media. Eventually you’ll get an interview.
Photo © Martin Green | Dreamstime.com
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Categories: Marketing · Personal historian · Tips
Tagged: Tips, personal histories, Marketing, low cost marketing, no cost marketing
