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
tidy up service Glenview ..Why would anyone want to write for trade journals? Aren't... Read More
Plotting a book can seem an overwhelming task when you're... Read More
It's the funniest thing. When someone asks me what I... Read More
For those looking at the jobs listings for writers, they... Read More
Sometimes a freelance writing career can feel very much like... Read More
(Skip directly to ten for the fastest shortcut!)Like any field,... Read More
One of the biggest problems that inexperienced writers have is... Read More
I'm in the process of moving from one computer to... Read More
Pictures they say are worth a thousand words, but many... Read More
Do you love someone very deeply? A spouse, son, daughter,... Read More
I hate to admit this, but I rarely get an... Read More
Do you suffer from writer's block? Is there a pending... Read More
There is a lot of confusion about recommendation letters.Recommendation letters... Read More
The principle for writing good screenplays begins with good idea... Read More
Names are important. Names give clues about us, where we... Read More
Many of us have always wanted to write. We have... Read More
There are a lot of tapes and books and CD... Read More
Is there a book inside of you? Yes? Then why... Read More
If you have an online home based business you know... Read More
"Do I send samples, a media kit, or just the... Read More
I'm willing to bet that quite a number of you... Read More
Writing a sales letter doesn't have to be that difficult... Read More
10 - You will always have a job. As long... Read More
Today I took the dog for a walk and realized... Read More
You have a new website, or a new business, or... Read More
full-service cleaning Mundelein ..Hands up all those who'd like to have a successful... Read More
Joanne Kathleen Rowling was born in Chipping Sodbury,England in 1965.... Read More
What a lack of research could do to you.When creating... Read More
Writing is hard work, and like all hard work, one... Read More
The freelance writing market is a growing market to be... Read More
Most writers are familiar with first and third points of... Read More
Plotting a book can seem an overwhelming task when you're... Read More
Remember back in the dark days of your school years... Read More
What a wonderful resource the Internet is!Students find information to... Read More
Is it possible to improve your writing instantly? The answer,... Read More
On the first day of a bright and shiny new... Read More
Most books aren't rejected because the stories are "bad." They're... Read More
At first, I noticed that I could have written many... Read More
Ever wondered how the most successful children's book writers get... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?When an idea comes to us for... Read More
Just about everyone is familiar with this beginning: "In the... Read More
Long ago, movie directors mastered the technique of creating a... Read More
This is a tough question for every freelance writer. For... Read More
Someone once commented that there were no new ideas to... Read More
There are various forms of structure, including frameworks, work processes... Read More
You can turn your $200 fee to write a press... Read More
People want information, they want it quick, frequently in short... Read More
The Benefits of Co-Publishing There are a number of publishers,... Read More
Having problems writing? I don't know why. San Francisco Chronicle... Read More
What is this annoying, insidious angst that permeates my psyche?... Read More
Writing |