Griselda spent hours polishing up her resume. No detail was too small: type face, layout and spacing. She weighed each word, counted each comma. She sent out 200 resumes and received no responses.
Reginald spent even more hours designing the most perfect website for his new business. Working with a highly recommended web designer, he chose colors, graphics, and layout. He agonized over products to offer his clients. After the site was launched, nobody came -- and visitors flew away, like bumblebees from a flower, taking free honey and moving on.
Griselda and Reginald are intelligent, motivated people. They turned their intelligence and motivation to designing a perfect product -- not conducting research on what the market wants.
Why? Testing the market is difficult -- sometimes impossible. Ideally, you will find at least six people who resemble those in your target market. I encourage clients to choose people who can offer you candid opinions. When you keep hearing, "This is wonderful," you haven't found the right resources.
Some newbie entrepreneurs hold focus groups or idea parties, complete with refreshments. That's a great idea if you can pull it off. Communication is contagious. When one person begins to be critical, the rest will follow.
Career-changers need to network (there's the n-word again!) to identify experienced managers who can help them evaluate their job campaign. You need to convey the message, "I'm one of you! I belong in your industry."
o Here are some questions to get started:
o Who are your ideal clients -- or employers, if you're changing jobs?
o How do they make decisions? Impulsively? Over time? After consultation with others?
o What information will influence the buying decision?
o Imagine that your ideal client (or employer) has just hired you and is absolutely delighted with your services. How will she or he describe you to a colleague?
o What are the hot buttons to use -- and to avoid?
How to Get Started:
NewAsk a quick question
Free weekly Your Next Move Ezine
Hire Cathy Goodwin as your writing coach
Promote Your Website Free: A do-it-yourself workbook
Mastering Five Writing Challenges: a free ecourse
Cathy's Self-Help Book: Making the Big Move
About The Author
Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., is an author, speaker and career/business consultant, helping midlife professionals take their First step to a Second Career. http://www.cathygoodwin.com.
"Ten secrets of mastering a major life change" http://www.cathygoodwin.com
Contact: http://www.cathygoodwin.com 505-534-4294
ohare limo service Grand Rapids ..About two weeks ago I received an article submissionthat immediately... Read More
Prolific authors write; they don't just dream about it. A... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?Your theme has to be something you... Read More
Whether you keep a separate spiritual journal or just want... Read More
The first step in the writing process is to put... Read More
Agents and publishing houses have their best interests at heart,... Read More
You can create a great headline, a dynamic first sentence,... Read More
Sometimes I can be dense when it comes to realizing... Read More
When you read a letter from someone, we are immediately... Read More
In the ten years that I've taught people how to... Read More
An island in the Mediterranean. A beach in Africa. The... Read More
The purpose of this article is to consider Print-On-Demand publishing... Read More
* Scanning and Skimming Practices *Whether you're writing e-mail messages... Read More
To help build your profile and reputation within a large... Read More
Story Structure Templates are the fastest way to write screenplays.... Read More
One obvious question that can get overlooked in the process... Read More
Balance your life ... Read More
Riding on the fumes of potential, you take pen to... Read More
Think you can't write a book that will sell? You... Read More
GAINING WRITING EXPERIENCE Some Catch-22, huh? In... Read More
Many of us dream of writing a book. Why not.... Read More
As writers, we initially tend to be either more cerebral... Read More
What is this annoying, insidious angst that permeates my psyche?... Read More
Yes, you know your subject. You also need to think... Read More
Based on the feedback that I have been getting from... Read More
executive chauffeured services Barrington Hills ..Based on the feedback that I have been getting from... Read More
The Benefits of Co-Publishing There are a number of publishers,... Read More
What do you mean, you don't have a website yet?... Read More
One of the best ways to blow someone's winning streak... Read More
If you dream of turning your book into a best... Read More
1. What Is A Premise?A premise is the point you... Read More
Beginning writers often tend to think of a book as... Read More
Joyce Carol Oates. Langston Hughes. Anne Sexton. F. Scott Fitzgerald.... Read More
In order to be successful with a newsletter, specialize in... Read More
It never ceases to amaze me when a prospective writer... Read More
[When I was a nineteen-year-old high school student and budding... Read More
Last week I was having a quick browse on eBay... Read More
There is no specific formula for children's fiction. There are,... Read More
Far too many inexperienced writers create flat, stereotypical characters: the... Read More
There is a psychological nuisance so powerful that can deflate... Read More
Finding the time to write a novel is one of... Read More
Paulo Coelho was born on August 24th 1947 in Rio... Read More
Among the various foolproof methods used to boost traffic to... Read More
More and more good authors are turning to the Internet... Read More
I'm in the process of moving from one computer to... Read More
Regardless of what sort of writer you are and how... Read More
Griselda spent hours polishing up her resume. No detail was... Read More
Eight or nine times out of ten, picking up and... Read More
Sometime one must coax the words out.Each day is a... Read More
LATER, LATTERLater means afterwards; latter is the second of two... Read More
Writing |