But Wait! There's More...
Life and business is like a treasure hunt - just as you get comfortable you realize ... there's more!
In today's edition of Burke's Bits:
Growth - An Exciting Adventure
Copy Tip
Social Selling Tip
From the Research Files
Pun of the Day
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Growth...
Be it personal development or tomatoes...
when I see growth I get excited!
Because it means my hard work has paid off ... or ... that I did something right.
I'm not gonna lie - personal development is hard work.
First I must to be open and willing to see the truth of - me *ugh*
Next I must be very clear on why I want to change a behavior or thought pattern.
Then I must know what I want the new behavior or thinking to be (so I know the goal).
Finally...I have to outline a plan of daily action and commit to it.
Every 30 days I check in to see if I've made progress.
When I can see progress I am motivated to keep doing the daily actions.
When I check in and see that I've achieved my goal...I get excited. And I'm motivated to keep doing the daily action because I want that new behavior or thinking to be permanent.
Progress = Growth during the entire journey.
As for growing tomatoes - all I can say is thank goodness they're easier to change from seed to fruit!
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Copy Tip
How much research do you actually do?
Do you stick with the basic demographic questions?
Do you ask or look for basic psychographic questions?
That's great! But wait - there's more...
because the more you know your ideal buyer the more depth your copy will have.
Sure, you can start with demographics through purchased research or online research
Age
Gender
Ethnicity
Income
Level of education
Religion
Occupation
Family structure
And you can start with psychographics through studying social media engagement and reviews
Lifestyle
Interests
Opinions
Attitudes
Beliefs
Values
Goals
but none of the above give you the details of your ideal buyer's story.
Because there is a story. And when you know the story you can write copy that is authentic and compelling.
How to Discover the Story
Talk to your market. Or at least a few representatives of your ideal buyer.
Don't think of it as an interview as much as a friendly chat over coffee or in a bar.
Who do you know in your network, your family, your cadre of friends who has experienced - or is experiencing - the problems your offer solves?
No one? Really? Okay, then plan a visit to an area where your ideal buyer hangs out.
Ask them if they're up for joining you for a virtual coffee chat or a drink at the local bar. Let them know you want to hear their experience with "the problem".
Put them at ease with casual conversation. Catch up on what's going on in their lives. Share what's going on in yours.
Steer the conversation toward the problem your offer solves.
As they tell their story you want to become them, to feel what they felt, to visualize what they see, to feel what they experience.
Guide them to be in the present.
For instance, if they share "I had just let the dogs out" respond with "No, you are letting the dogs out". Until they pick up on the idea that you want them to talk in the present.
Listen closely. The more they reveal the more you will want to know...and that is how you know the next question you will ask.
You'll ask questions like
What room were you in?
Do you remember what you were wearing?
Was it cold/warm/hot?
What did it smell like?
How did it feel when...?
Why did you do that?
What did she say when...?
How did you react?
Why did you do that?
You will know you have enough information when you feel like you "are them" and "are experiencing the problem".
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Social Selling Tip
Post in Social Media Groups to establish a reputation:
Find 3-5 quality groups where your ideal clients would hang out. Remember, it’s not where you want to hang out but where your clients want to hang out.
For example, if you’re targeting people who want to lose weight, join groups that are about weight loss, dieting, or maybe even thyroid groups. Once inside, comment on posts and answer questions by the group members.
Post your own original content. Make sure this content is valuable and helpful. If we go back to the weight loss example, maybe you could write a post about the fat loss benefits of weight training.
Interact genuinely with everyone who comments on your posts. Always be helpful and inject your personality into your comments and posts.
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From the Research Files
aka random bits of info you may or may not be able to use in your life
The Puppy Channel - it wasn't always a 'thing'
In 1995, retired ad exec Dan FitzSimons was watching another "breaking news" update on the O.J. Simpson trial. He realized that TV was missing something.
During commercials he often flipped through channels to find something engaging until his main program came back on.
He thought this was a problem. His solution? The 24/7 Puppy Channel. Launched in the late '90s it was on air until 2001. The content: footage of puppies playing and doing various puppy-like things.
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Pun of the Day
Did you hear about the new reversible jackets?
I’m excited to see how they turn out.
With Gratitude --
Charlene Burke
Let's Connect
"Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning." ~ Albert Einstein