Four Ways to Get the Most Out of the National Career Summit Gold Package

National Career Summit Gold Package

I received an email Friday from a resume writer wondering if she should purchase the recordings for The National Career Summit. I told her that ultimately, that decision was up to her, but I had some ideas for how to use the content to increase her return on investment (ROI). I thought I'd share these thoughts with you too, because there are only two days left to buy the recordings at 80% off their regular price.

Here are some ideas on how you can use the recordings from The National Career Summit:

• For your own training/education. As resume writers, I believe we need to invest in our learning, so we can stay on top of cutting-edge strategies to help our clients. I try to attend at least one resume writing conference each year (you can read my thoughts on that here), plus there are dozens of opportunities to attend virtual sessions (the NRWA telesummits, Wendy Enelow and Louise Kursmark's E-Summits, The Academies' Virtual Bootcamp, etc.). With 30 sessions featuring the top industry leaders (Martin Yate, Laura Labovich, Miriam Salpeter, Louise Kursmark, Lisa Rangel ... and on and on ... that's about $3 per session. That's an unbelievable price. Heck, I'd pay $97 EACH to learn from almost ANY of these speakers for an hour! But you can also use this information to help your clients. 

Here's how:

• For ideas for content to attract prospective clients. (No, you can't share the recordings.) But you can listen to the recording, then look at the session description (especially the "take-aways"), and write blog posts covering the main points. Or post on social media (be sure to credit the speaker, and mention "from The National Career Summit," when possible -- including your affiliate link for readers to purchase the Summit recordings and/or book). Or write a review of the book on your blog and/or social media and include the book link (it's just a $20 purchase)

• To educate your existing clients. Show how you are committed to continuing education (see bullet #1!) by sending a series of emails to your client list with key takeaways on the subject — including your own thoughts! — again, with an affiliate link to the book or the Gold package, and your contact information. These types of keep-in-touch emails can stimulate repeat business and referrals.

• To increase your profile on social media. Take a quote from a session (again, crediting the speaker and The National Career Summit), and Tweet it, do a Facebook business page post on it, or post it on your LinkedIn status. If you want to get even more mileage out of it, hire a designer for $5 on Fiverr.com to turn it into a graphic (an image and the quote) and it might even go viral on Facebook. Even better, make your post something interactive. Like "Author Wendy Lipton-Dibner says you really have to WANT a job to invest time/effort to get it, and that your motivation to land the job will increase if it's difficult to land. Is this true for your job search? Have you invested the time/energy to secure your dream job?" Many of the session presenters include quotable statements or statistics in their presentations.

However, if you're not planning on investing the TIME to go through and listen to the audios (at least the ones you think are the most relevant to the clients you work with, or the prospective clients you want to attract) — and then do something with the content (even if that's just taking notes for yourself and thinking through how these concepts can be applied to your work), then don't buy it.

Due to schedule conflicts, I was only able to listen to four of the sessions live (the sessions were free if you listened live), but I found the content to be so valuable from just those four sessions that I personally purchased the Gold package myself. There were a few sessions that aren't applicable to the clients I work with, but there were enough that were that I made the investment. (Plus, I wanted the print book you receive with the purchase of the Gold package, "101 Great Ways to Compete In Today's Job Market.")

If you want to check out what you get with the Gold package, click here:
The National Career Summit Gold Package

But remember, the special price of $97 (80% off the regular price of $497) is only valid through today (November 25, 2013). And that includes a copy of the printed book, shipped directly to you. That's a $20 value itself. So if you're going to buy the Gold package, I suggest you buy it now!

Why Have a Facebook Business Page For Your Resume Writing Business?

Why should your resume writing business be on Facebook? Because that's where the people (and prospects!) are! Both Facebook and Mashable put monthly Facebook visitors at 1 billion, from December 2012 to February 2013. 

Visitors spend an average of 28.8 minutes per day within Facebook’s portals, hanging out with friends and acquaintances, and looking for entertainment or news. Its daily reach is an enormous 43%, with use and popularity still on the rise.

But wait – just because it’s the most popular social network in the world, is that any reason to use it for business purposes? Isn’t it primarily social? Won’t your voice get drowned out amid all those millions of users?

Great questions. Let’s see exactly what Facebook can do for you and your resume writing business – and why you should use it for that purpose.

Facebook is a Community
For a staggering number of people, posting their daily status update and seeing who has replied to previous posts is the most important action of their day – whether or not they openly admit it. And that goes for some surprisingly outgoing people, totally busting the supposition that Facebook is for introverts. (One survey last year revealed that people rank Facebook friends on a par with their local, immediate friends.)

Facebook is here to stay. It is a part of our times. But what does this friendship connection mean to business?

Mainly that people nowadays do not buy on product value alone: They buy on the basis of social proof. Google states that 70% of American consumers don’t purchase until they’ve read formal or informal reviews.

As far back as 2010, Ecoconsultancy stated: “81 percent of respondents said they'd received advice from friends and followers relating to a product purchase through a social site; 74 percent of those who received such advice found it to be influential in their decision.”

Facebook Is Where The People Are
Facebook is part of almost everyone’s day. Stats site Alexa.com shows it as reaping approximately 139.2 million visitors per month – and that’s in the U.S. alone. (Mashable put monthly visitors at 1 billion in a February 2013 infographic.) 

Did you know that 82% more visitors visit Facebook from outside the U.S.? It’s the world’s most popular social community… with the longest engagement time per visit at an average of 28.88 minutes per person. When you stop and actually visualize this, that’s an astonishing thought. (For example, one documentary on Mongolia showed two young Mongolian schoolboys accessing Facebook in their felt-covered Yurt.)

There is no point writing about a product on your blog on Monday mornings if 99% of your entire online net base (including subscribers) are busy chatting away on Facebook. Well, there’s a point – you can write a more in-depth product review or point out more benefits on your blog… but first, use Facebook to drive people to that carefully crafted blog post.

Facebook Pages Are Versatile
You can do all sorts of things to help enhance your business branding. You can customize the Cover background, insert your Profile Photo, write a powerful “About Me” blurb. (That’s just for starters.)

Facebook Pages integrate with other social networks, via apps. You can add Facebook apps – and then make those apps appear as a menu choice by creating custom 111 pixel X 74 pixel tabs for your apps.

For example, here’s an easy way to install the Pinterest tab on your Facebook Page – just visit Woobox and click on the “Install Pinterest Tab” button.

This is what a Facebook App Tab looks like…

From your Facebook Page, you can also:

• Run contests 
• Feature quizzes, surveys and polls 
• Feature your website URL in your “About Me” section 
• Gather “Likes” 
• Claim and operate under your vanity URL, making it easy for your Page – and business – to show up in Facebook search results 
• Install custom app covers to your tabs, showing anything you like 
• Run sponsored posts 
• Watch people share your posts (and sponsored posts) – unsolicited! 

And that’s just a taste of Facebook power!

Like this? Check out "15 Quick and Easy Ways to Get New Resume Clients From Facebook."

How to Create an Awesome "About Us" Page For Your Resume Writing Business Website

When creating your "About Me" or "About Us" page on your resume writing business website, you must remember that this is part of building your brand. It is your chance to tell your story to potential and current customers. It’s also a chance to tell your story to people who might want to partner with you in the future (for example, career coaches, therapists, recruiters, etc.). Most website visitors click on the "About" page. Some experts suggest that over 80 percent of all website visitors look at and read the about page. It’s important that you use this real estate to its full potential.

Making a great "About Us" page is as easy as answering these six questions: Who, what, when, where, how and why.

1. Tell the reader who you are. Your clients and potential clients want to know exactly who you are. Let them know. The trick is to tell them, while remembering who you are talking to. Knowing who your target audience is will help you tell your story.
2. Tell the reader what you do. Be clear about what exactly it is that your business does for its clients and customers. Remember that they don’t really want to hear that you write resumes — they want to know if you can help them get interviews! What problem do you solve? Answer that.
3. Tell the reader why you do what you do. Part of your reason why, is to solve the problems that your clients have. But there is more to it than that. It can be very personal to you about why you decided to offer your products or services to others.
4. Tell the reader when you started doing it. By giving the details about when you started doing what you do, you will eventually establish your longevity, but even if you just started, it’s good to share where you are in your journey with your readers. Describe how you came to became a resume writer.
5. Tell the reader where you are. It’s perfectly fine to mention your locality. Even if you serve people all over the world, be proud of where you are now and talk about it. Part of what makes your business what it is, is where you came from. You can also use the "where" to talk about where you fit into the careers space — for example, if your "area" of expertise working with financial services professionals?
6. Tell the reader how you solve their problems. This has been mentioned throughout these seven tips, but it can’t be said enough: Customers want to know what’s in it for them and your "About" page is a perfect place to tell them. After all, to the client it’s all about them, including when it’s about you. 

Once you develop a great “about us” page, you can use the information you created there for many other marketing materials. The information can be in the form of a brochure, and some of the information can be expanded to be included in various blog posts, articles, and social media updates. You can expand your brand in a consistent manner across all marketing channels as you develop your branding narrative.

Why YOUR Resume Writing Business Needs a Business Plan

I've owned my resume writing business for 17 years, and I still use my business plan. Well, it's not the same business plan I wrote in 1996. I refresh it every few years (because things change), but it's helpful for me as a self-employed entrepreneur to have a master plan to work off of.

For most self-employed folks, business plans are an essential element to starting and running a successful business. It doesn't matter if your business is large, small, online or offline — having a solid business plan is a key indicator of future success. The part of the business plan that is helpful is that a business owner is forced to study the market, develop products and/or services for that market, and then use the figures discovered to determine in advance whether or not the idea has a chance of success. You can also benchmark your progress against your business plan. I love the phrase, "What gets measured, gets done." If you're projecting $4,000 in revenues this month for your resume writing business, and it's November 14 and you're only at $1,300, you know you have some work to do!

What Should Be In Your Business Plan

Believe it or not, you can write a one-page business plan that will be effective. I'd recommend adding a bit more detail, but starting somewhere is critical.

Your business plan should include the following components and cover 3 to 5 years of projections:

• Executive Summary. This is first, but it's written last because it is simply a summary of all the major points below. This usually covers less than two pages. For some small resume writing businesses, this one page is enough to help you get started on the right foot.
• Company Overview and Description. Describe your company's mission, unique differentiators, and the opportunity you are filling. Describe what gives your company an advantage, and describe everything you can about management and operations.
• Market Analysis. Include a study of your competition, describe your customers and your industry as a whole, and how your business will measure up to each area that you cover. This is where you identify your target audience down to a specific persona. (Sign up to receive the "Profile of a Professional Resume Writer" special report for some competitive data to use in your market analysis.)
• Service or Product Descriptions. Detailed descriptions of the resume services you will provide (updates, new resume development, LinkedIn profiles, bios, cover letters, etc.) and products you will sell (ebooks, membership programs, DIY courses, etc.). Describe your products and/or services and who exactly will be using them.
• Sales and Marketing Strategy. How will you get the word out to potential clients? Describe in detail each and every aspect of sales and marketing, including what type of payment systems you will use (merchant account? PayPal? Shopping cart software? Authorize.net?). Also describe how you will market, such as via social media, print advertising, television and more. The little details matter!
• Financial Review and Projections. Your current finances should be included, such as your income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement, and budget. You should also include probable income projections based on projected future sales.
• Plan of Action. Include a step-by-step plan of action to make each of your objectives and goals come to fruition. Including a time line of actions is helpful. Start from the projected date of opening and work your way backwards until today to create a realistic plan.

Taking the time to prepare a business plan will save you a lot of work later down the road. You might even avoid serious problems through analyzing the marketplace on paper, creating an environment where your business will be able to overcome serious errors before actually committing them. By doing your due diligence you'll set yourself up for success. You know the saying, "Failing to plan is planning to fail."

If you're looking for a great resource for business planning and goal setting for your resume writing business, check out "Ready, Set, Goal: Business Planning and Goal Setting for Resume Writers."