Create an Opt-In Incentive for Resume Prospects On Your Website in Under an Hour

Right now, I'm running a Challenge for Bronze members of BeAResumeWriter.com -- and one of the projects (As outlined in my Dead Week post) is to create an opt-in incentive for visitors to your website.

It's a great idea to collect the email addresses of resume prospects, because it allows you to develop a relationship with them -- and the best way to get their email address is to provide them with an opt-in incentive (an immediate gift they receive for providing their email address).

Here's my step-by-step for it:

1. Pick one of the PAMs to use.

2. Re-name it. (Here's a free tool-- click on the FREE WIZARDS tab -- to help inspire you!)

3. Order a cover on Fiverr.com (it's $5.50) (if you're new to Fiverr, your first Gig is free using my affiliate link: https://www.fiverr.com/s/6hjwbp). I use Vikiana for my cover designs, but there are others on there. She's currently working 5 days out, so you might pick one that delivers in 2-3 days if you want to get finished faster!

4. Edit and format the PAM content. Insert the cover design (flat image) on page 1. Create a title page with your contact information (you can copy the format in my Special Reports, or just open the nearest book and use that format). Change the font. Add footers. Add design elements, if you'd like. (I recommend graphics from Fotolia.)

5. Save as a PDF.

It takes me about 45 minutes to create one, start to finish (not including waiting time for the Fiverr cover ...)

Then, set up an email list contact form and autoresponder to deliver the report.
This is easy to do in Constant Contact or AWeber.

Thinking of Buying -- or Selling -- a Resume Writing Business?

A couple of times a year, I hear from a resume writer who is thinking about retiring or selling his or her business. I recently interviewed a resume writer who successfully sold her business (and I'm thinking about interviewing the buyer too!), but the topic came up for me yesterday when I got a call from a business broker who wondered if I was interested in selling my resume writing business.

I told her I wasn't (My husband and I have created a business that fits our lifestyle, and that we love!), but I asked for more information about what she does, so that if you come across this post and you're interested in buying an established resume writing business -- or selling yours -- you'll have a resource to check out. (Note: I don't know much about this brokerage company other than what I read on their website, and from talking to my contact there.)

Linda, with Affiliated Business Consultants, says some of the main reasons why someone might be interested in buying a business include:

• They've moving to a different state
• They've lost a job and want the security of self-employment in an established business

I told her I sometimes hear from resume writers who want to sell. Their primary reasons for selling include:

• Retirement (there is a substantial segment of the resume writing industry over age 55 -- this will open up the possibility for business sales over the next 5-10 years)
• Health issues -- again, age is a factor in this one too. The resume writer might be interested in cutting back his or her business due to health concerns.
• Returning to the corporate world. I talked with a couple of resume writers in the last few months alone who are taking corporate jobs and consequently, are shuttering their careers business.

If you're thinking of buying or selling, contact Linda at 719-540-2200 extension 243. Or visit the Affiliated Business Consultants website at www.Bizsale.com.

The "Then What?" Question Strategy for Collecting Client Accomplishments

Sometimes when you're trying to collect accomplishments from clients, they can't think of anything that they would consider an "accomplishment." This strategy works with people at all levels of employment and is best utilized to get accomplishments out of people who aren't used to quantifying what they do.

I call it the "Then What?" question strategy.

Let's say you're writing a resume for a preschool photographer. I chose that by going to Monster.com and looking for the first non-sales job I found in Omaha, Nebraska, where I live. It's much easier to get accomplishments from sales people than from people in the "helping professions." I'm not sure if "preschool photographer" is a helping profession or not, but it's one where you might have a hard time getting accomplishments out of the client -- but also a job where asking the right questions can yield some good stuff.

So, I ask my preschool photographer client about her work, and she says that she takes photos of all the kids in a preschool class. I'll ask about how many kids are in the average class, and how long it usually takes to shoot a class. Then I might ask directly about an accomplishment — for example, "Tell me about what makes you good at your job." The client may say something like, "Well, sometimes the kids don't want their picture taken. They might be shy, or just not like photographers. I'm good at getting them to smile."

I'd say, "Okay, so let's say little Timmy is clinging to his teacher and doesn't want his picture taken. Then what?" She might respond, "Well, first I'd put him at ease. I keep a little box of puppets in my photography bag for that very reason. He might not want to hear from me, but he'll listen to Mr. Monkey."

"Okay, so you bring out Mr. Monkey. Then what?"

She replies, "Well, I put the camera down and put on Mr. Monkey — he's a hand puppet — and I have Mr. Monkey explain — in a funny voice, of course — that he wants to be able to remember what Timmy looks like, and could he get a picture of him? Sometimes that works directly, but sometimes I have to give Mr. Monkey to the child and have Mr. Monkey agree to get his picture taken with Timmy first."

"Great," I say. "So then what?"

"Well," my client says, "At that point, they're usually smiling … or sometimes laughing … because I'm still using my Mr. Monkey voice, and I can get a couple of shots off. And because we shoot all digital, I can see right away if I've got the picture. In three years of doing this, Mr. Monkey has never failed in getting me the shot I need. Sometimes it takes 5 or 10 minutes, but I always get the photo."

And from there, I'm able to write some strong, employer-oriented accomplishment bullets.

Want to learn more about the "Then What?" question strategy? Purchase my teleseminar, "Ask Better Questions, Write Better Resumes" or download the "Write Great Resumes Faster" book.

http://www.thenrwa.com/event-705185

What's Your Word This Year?

Happy New Year!

Thanks for reading my blog posts. (I know you are, because I had a sudden spike in sales of my "Write Great Resumes Faster" book after mentioning it in this blog post last week!)

I started a new tradition last year … choosing a theme for the year. I called 2014 "The Year of the Product" because I wanted to focus on developing a new passive income stream -- a training program for resume writers interested in earning passive income through affiliate marketing. My words were: Create / Share / Action.

I did meet that goal, launching the Resume Writer's Affiliate Income Blueprint program, fulfilling my dream of creating a program that would help resume writers meet their income goals while they also served the needs of jobseekers.

For 2015, I took inspiration from Kelly McCausey and narrowed my focus for 2015 down to a single word. I was trying to figure out what my word was going to be … and it was starting to worry me that nothing was really coming to mind … and then my subconscious mind kicked in when I looked at my to-do list. Suddenly, my focus for 2015 was clear.

Fotolia – © arybickii

You see, I have trouble finishing things. At any given time, my to-do list (the one I was just talking about), extends to more than a page. I have dozens of notes in Evernote with projects that I ended up dropping off my handwritten to-do lists.

I love writing resumes. I hate finalizing them. In an ideal world, I'd send the client the first drafts and someone else would handle all the minor changes and create the additional file formats.

I love coming up with ideas, outlining concepts, and even starting stuff. But I hate the middle and I really have a hard time with the end. (I'm only motivated by deadlines. And that's whether it's for a resume or each month's Bronze member resources on BeAResumeWriter.com.)

So FINISH is my word for 2015. I've set a goal for one project that I've been working on for about 15 months now. I'm going to finish it by the end of this month. And then I'm going to choose something else to finish in February. And so on.

But before I *finish* this blog post, I want to ask you: What's YOUR word going to be this year? Post it in the Comments section below.

And I expect you to hold me accountable on my theme. Ask me how my projects are going!!!