- Have you analyzed the market for your service? Do you know which features of your service will appeal to different market segments?
- In forming your marketing message, have you described how your service will benefit your clients?
- Have you prepared a pricing schedule? What kinds of discounts will you offer (if any), and to whom will you offer them?
- Have you prepared a sales forecast? (In other words, how many clients will you serve times how much you’ll charge per client = your annual sales revenue, or sales forecast)
- Have you planned any sales promotions?
- Have you planned a publicity campaign?
- Do your marketing materials mention any added services that clients might want to purchase?
- Is your brand likely to appeal to your target market?
Ideas, information, and resources for professional resume writers.
Monday, April 28, 2014
Checklist for Marketing Your Resume Writing Business
This month's special report for BeAResumeWriter.com focuses on "Attracting Your Ideal Resume Client." Once you've identified who that target client is, you should conduct a marketing campaign to help you reach your ideal services. To help you plan the campaign, answer the following questions about your resume writing business and the services you provide:
Monday, April 7, 2014
Overwhelmed? Try Keeping a Stress Diary
Stress is the natural response of our body to help us deal with difficult situations. Without it, we would be unable to survive. The problem is that nowadays, most people have too much of it. This can not only be detrimental to your health, it can also hurt your resume writing business. That's why it's a good idea to figure out what stressors are causing you problems and address them so you can be more productive and effective.
If you are having trouble losing weight, doctors will often recommend you keep a food diary. If you are having stomach issues, they will have you record food and digestive symptoms. Pain problems? Again, record your pain and anything that might trigger it.
If you're having trouble with stress, why not keep a stress diary? This can help you figure out not only what is causing you stress, but also what the most effective way to deal with it is.
You can use a blank notebook, or you can create your own form. Or, you can find stress journal forms online.
What you want to record each day is:
- What stressor you have faced
- How stressed you are. Itís usually recommended to use a number scale instead of descriptive words. This way you can easily compare different stressors and their effectiveness.
- Physical symptoms of stress.
- What you did to ease your stress.
- How well it worked.
Once you've kept your stress diary for a while, you can then start analyzing it by looking at your stress and looking for patterns. It might help you figure out what stresses you out the most or what coping technique works best for you. You may also find things you didn't think you would -- for example, that you are less stressed in the evenings or around meal time.
The key in using a stress diary is actually doing something with the information you learn. If you're lucky, you will find a simple solution, like using a coping method to stressors that seems to work better than others. Then you can simply use this method and reduce your work stress.
While it may seem to be a bit complicated, stress diaries are fairly simple once you get the hang of them. This will not only help you work more effectively, it can also improve your health and even save your life.
If you are having trouble finding patterns and useful information in your stress diary, you might try taking it to a doctor or psychologist. They can not only help see issues, they can also help recommend more effective coping techniques for dealing with your stressors.
Once you figure out what causes you stress and how to best deal with it, you'll find yourself working and feeling better.
Thursday, March 27, 2014
CDI Offers Tip Sheets for Resume Writers
Since launching their library of downloadable expert tip sheets in March of 2013, Career Directors International has expanded upon the concept to now offer best practices in 24 different core areas for resume writers, career coaches, and career entrepreneurs. Sourced from the top minds in the industry, they provide at-your-fingertips advice to those wanting to save time, avoid reinventing the wheel, and know they are accessing the most up-to-date and cutting-edge data.
When Career Directors International (CDI), a global member-based organization of resume writers and career coaches, launched their Best Practices Tip Sheets program a year ago, they knew the sky was the limit on what could be done to improve functionality for industry professionals. Working with the guidance of their volunteer-based education committee, CDI has sought to address timely issues that plague their members.
CDI President, Laura DeCarlo, states, “We live in an era of information, which leads to overload, with much of that information being irrelevant or faulty. Our key goal with the Best Practices Tip Sheets is to help career professionals avoid a confusing and exhausting learning curve while allowing them to step out of the fray of data overload. The Best Practice Tip Sheets deliver timely, relevant information to solve the problems that plague them, whether it’s about writing a resume or handling a business-building challenge.”
CDI staff and volunteers have their ears to the ground, constantly monitoring internal discussions and industry trends and changes. In this manner they are able to pinpoint what their members need to know now so that they can deliver the standards that are needed industry-wide. Committee members work with the membership and other industry leaders to solicit, research, curate, and edit data to produce 1-2 tip sheets each month. Each tip sheet is meant to provide immediate value with a ready-made tip sheet that can be shared with job seeking clients or used by the professional to master a new skill set.
CDI’s current tip sheet library includes:
Business
Resumes, Documents & Social Profiles
The Best Practice Tip Sheets are just one of hundreds of ways CDI supports professionals within the careers industry. Members also have access to complementary resources including discussion support groups, mentorship programs, thousands of downloadable resources, articles, and tools; trend reports, business and marketing strategy, webinars and teleclasses, and over 70 hours of on-demand expert classes. More information can be found about membership on CDI’s benefits page.
When Career Directors International (CDI), a global member-based organization of resume writers and career coaches, launched their Best Practices Tip Sheets program a year ago, they knew the sky was the limit on what could be done to improve functionality for industry professionals. Working with the guidance of their volunteer-based education committee, CDI has sought to address timely issues that plague their members.
CDI President, Laura DeCarlo, states, “We live in an era of information, which leads to overload, with much of that information being irrelevant or faulty. Our key goal with the Best Practices Tip Sheets is to help career professionals avoid a confusing and exhausting learning curve while allowing them to step out of the fray of data overload. The Best Practice Tip Sheets deliver timely, relevant information to solve the problems that plague them, whether it’s about writing a resume or handling a business-building challenge.”
CDI staff and volunteers have their ears to the ground, constantly monitoring internal discussions and industry trends and changes. In this manner they are able to pinpoint what their members need to know now so that they can deliver the standards that are needed industry-wide. Committee members work with the membership and other industry leaders to solicit, research, curate, and edit data to produce 1-2 tip sheets each month. Each tip sheet is meant to provide immediate value with a ready-made tip sheet that can be shared with job seeking clients or used by the professional to master a new skill set.
CDI’s current tip sheet library includes:
Business
- Selecting a credit card processor
- Calculating service prices/rates
- Demonstrating cost of employment vs. cost of career services
- Crafting a powerful and protective client agreement
- Identifying and deflecting difficult clients
- Setting boundaries and controlling clients
- Strategies and tips for income tax preparation
- Adding value to resume packages with bonus items
- Using resume writing and career coaching guarantees
- Relaxing and de-stressing
- Taking a vacation without getting hassled or losing business
- Creating interview portfolios
- Helping older job seekers
- Questioning strategies for coaching clients on job search
- Strategies for job seeker telephone interview preparation
- Educating clients on survival jobs
- Networking for job search success
Resumes, Documents & Social Profiles
- Creating LinkedIn profiles (8 pages!)
- Helping older job seekers
- Strategies for creating military transition documents
- Handling employment gaps in the resume
- Resumes and CVs for the UK (publishing soon)
- Resumes and CVs for Canada (publishing soon)
- Resumes and CVs for Australia (publishing soon)
The Best Practice Tip Sheets are just one of hundreds of ways CDI supports professionals within the careers industry. Members also have access to complementary resources including discussion support groups, mentorship programs, thousands of downloadable resources, articles, and tools; trend reports, business and marketing strategy, webinars and teleclasses, and over 70 hours of on-demand expert classes. More information can be found about membership on CDI’s benefits page.
Monday, March 10, 2014
Turn Resume Prospects Into Resume Clients
If you've been in business for any length of time, you know that you're going to get tons of calls in January, April, and September. But you might find yourself twiddling your thumbs in July, unless you have a way of generating business.
That's why you continuously build a list of prospects, but don't wait until you need the client to fill a spot to start turning them into clients. Start from the moment they sign up for your list. If you do, when a spot comes open you'll have your choice of ideal clients from which to choose. You'll never be without the exact clients you want at the exact right time. Here's how.
Build TrustProvide all prospects with information and education freely without trying to sell to them. When someone signs up for your email list, or signs up for a teleseminar or webinar you're hosting, or reads one of your special reports or ebooks, they are trusting you to deliver a certain quality. Seek to exceed their expectations in order to build the trust they'll need to further open their wallet and choose you as their service provider. (Don't have time to create the content yourself? Check out Pass-Along Materials, which are done-for-you content packages that you can use in your resume writing business.)
Solve Their Problems
Jobseekers have problems. They have issues that you can solve with your expertise. If you can describe issues that your audience has and tell how you can solve those issues, then you show them that you provide solutions for them. But remember to solve the problem they ACTUALLY have, not the one that they THINK they have.
That's why you continuously build a list of prospects, but don't wait until you need the client to fill a spot to start turning them into clients. Start from the moment they sign up for your list. If you do, when a spot comes open you'll have your choice of ideal clients from which to choose. You'll never be without the exact clients you want at the exact right time. Here's how.
Build TrustProvide all prospects with information and education freely without trying to sell to them. When someone signs up for your email list, or signs up for a teleseminar or webinar you're hosting, or reads one of your special reports or ebooks, they are trusting you to deliver a certain quality. Seek to exceed their expectations in order to build the trust they'll need to further open their wallet and choose you as their service provider. (Don't have time to create the content yourself? Check out Pass-Along Materials, which are done-for-you content packages that you can use in your resume writing business.)
Solve Their Problems
Jobseekers have problems. They have issues that you can solve with your expertise. If you can describe issues that your audience has and tell how you can solve those issues, then you show them that you provide solutions for them. But remember to solve the problem they ACTUALLY have, not the one that they THINK they have.
Jobseekers think they need a resume, but what they really need is job search support. They need someone to look at their skills, eduction, and experience and package it in such a way that it is attractive to someone in the position to hire them. In other words, you don't sell resume services … you sell interview-getting services.
Become a Resource
This might sound strange, but there will be resume prospects that you really can't help. But, you'll know someone else who can help them. It's important that you refer them to those people because 1) you've just made yourself a resource to your audience and 2) those whom you refer will remember the kindness and return the favor. Only recommend people you know will do a great job because next time that person needs work that you can do, they'll contact you again.
Provide a Fresh Perspective
This might sound strange, but there will be resume prospects that you really can't help. But, you'll know someone else who can help them. It's important that you refer them to those people because 1) you've just made yourself a resource to your audience and 2) those whom you refer will remember the kindness and return the favor. Only recommend people you know will do a great job because next time that person needs work that you can do, they'll contact you again.
Provide a Fresh Perspective
Many prospective resume clients will come to you already frazzled. They need so much help that they don't even know where to begin. Take charge of the call (or email) and help your potential client make a list of what needs to be done ("You need a resume, cover letter, LinkedIn profile update, and interview coaching") so that you can determine if you are right for the position. Help them think through the actions and work needed to reach their goal. Focusing on the goal will help your client focus too.
Finally, if you don't convert them to a paying resume client at the time of the first call, ask them to be part of your email list, so that they can receive more information. In addition, whether they're part of your list or not, follow up with them in a couple of weeks or a month or two to find out how things are going for them. (This is easy to do with an autoresponder like AWeber.)
Finally, if you don't convert them to a paying resume client at the time of the first call, ask them to be part of your email list, so that they can receive more information. In addition, whether they're part of your list or not, follow up with them in a couple of weeks or a month or two to find out how things are going for them. (This is easy to do with an autoresponder like AWeber.)
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