"Someday" is Now (The importance of taking action)

"I'm too busy right now, but I'll get around to it."

Ugh. I find myself saying that (too often!). But the truth is, I'm not really "too busy," I just haven't made it a priority.

Since I first took Kelly McCausey's Little Monthly Payments program, I've registered three domain names (one with web hosting!) to launch my next micro-continuity membership site. But then the excuses got in the way. And two of those domains have come up for renewal (meaning I registered them more than a year ago), and the guilt just keeps piling on.

So when I saw that Kelly is offering a Little Monthly Payments masterclass, I signed up. I can't make all four of the live calls (I have an event one of the nights), but I know I can go back and listen to the recording of that call. (She records all the calls.) More important, though, is that by taking this action, I'm making the development of my next program a priority.

If you've been thinking about how to create passive income (and recurring revenue) in your career services business (while ALSO attracting prospective clients and serving jobseekers better), I wanted to remind you one more time about Kelly's masterclass option.

The masterclass includes the Little Monthly Payments self-study training plus four live calls AND access to two "open office hours" sessions with Kelly to get your specific questions answered. Or, you can sign up for just the Little Monthly Payments self-study training.

You can learn more about both options here:
Little Monthly Payments

And if you buy through my link, I'll also send you my "Little Monthly Payments" checklist that I developed that will help walk you step-by-step through the process. But if you're going to stop saying, "I'll get around to it" -- hey, that implied "someday" is now!

The Definition of Insanity

I've been having an email conversation recently with a resume writer who has been plagued with a PITA (Pain-In-The-A$$) client who is leaving negative reviews on her Yelp page. (I've written before about how to combat negative reviews here.) 

She reached out to me because this past client has been disparaging her on Yelp because she denied him a refund (and he lost the dispute with his credit card company about it) and Yelp is now showing this negative review exclusively on her page (and hiding all of her "good" reviews). We talked through some strategies for handling that, but the bigger issue is that she has expressed continual frustration with the prices she can charge in her area and PITA clients.

My advice to her is: STOP FOCUSING ON REVIEWS. "Live by the reviews, die by the reviews."

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results. One of her top sources of clients is people who find her online using sites like Thumbtack (or Angie's List) and Yelp. As I explained to her, clients who find you through Google these days are the equivalent of clients who would find you through the Yellow Pages 5-7 years ago. ("Good" clients could be found through the Yellow Pages at one time, but that hasn't really been the case for me for about the last 10 years.) They often don't understand the difference between a $75 resume and a $750 resume. They're more likely to be tire-kickers or try to talk you down on your prices.

My message to her is: The first step is recognizing the problem. The second step is admitting you have a problem. The third step is doing something about the problem!

Instead of worrying about negative reviews online, I advised her instead to spend her time and effort cultivating prospects and referral sources. I had previously recommended the Get Clients Now! book to her as a system to help her organize and implement her marketing efforts.

In her most recent email, she expressed frustration that clients in her area (including executives) weren't willing to even pay $265 for a resume and cover letter. (The national average for a resume and cover letter is around $500, according to the Resume Writers' Digest Annual Industry Survey.) I told her:

I can assure you that there are prospective clients in YOUR AREA who are going online and paying $500+ for a resume and cover letter from a resume writer in another state. You offer more personalized service (FOCUS ON THIS!!) and there's no reason why you can't attract them. You're not going to find them on sites like Thumbtack, and many of them aren't going to find that Yelp review. Clients who find you through a Google search (that's today's version of the Yellow Pages) are more price-sensitive and are more likely to be PITAs.

When you rely on hoping prospective clients find you -- rather than attracting your ideal clients -- you're likely to find yourself working with clients who see you as a commodity, rather than an expert resource.

From teaching six sessions of the Get Clients Now program (five of them specifically for resume writers), the top sources for GREAT clients are:
1) Referrals from past, satisfied clients
2) Relationships with hiring managers and recruiters who will refer clients (most without expectation of a referral fee)
3) Speaking engagements you do (not on resume writing, but on other aspects of the job search -- LinkedIn, for example)
4) Writing (blogging, writing articles, guest posting, publishing content on your own website)
5) People who you know in your day-to-day life (friends, family, neighbors, etc.) who know what you do and refer people they know who need job search help

So, in order to attract better (higher quality, higher paying) clients, you need to:
1) Identify your ideal client
2) FIgure out where they "hang out" (online and offline)
3) Provide information/resources that make you a valued resource (to increase your "know/like/trust" factor)
4) Make it clear how you can help

As a homework exercise before folks start the Get Clients Now group training with me, I ask them to track how they've gotten their clients in the last 30 days. I want you to do that, but I want you to take a step further. Look back at your five favorite clients to work with. Figure out how you got them. Are there any lessons in that for how you can attract more clients like them?

As you work to attract more of your ideal clients (at a higher pay rate than what you're getting now), you'll get out of the cycle of burnout and frustration. But it doesn't happen overnight, and from now on, you must dedicate yourself to 100% quality and meeting every deadline. I don't care if these clients review you on Yelp or not. If they're happy, they will tell others. (And you will TELL them to tell others!)

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Your resume writing business can get better, but you have to decide what you want, and then act on it.

Are you ready to do something different?

Five Things to Do With Tweetable Tips Content

As I've talked about on many occasions, jobseekers are hungry for information that will help them in their careers. One of the best ways to establish your credibility as an expert who can help them is to share information. 

I'm currently giving my tribe of resume writers "30 Days of Gifts," and today's gift was a mini version of the "Tweetable Tips" Pass-Along Materials from May 2015.

If you're a Free or Bronze member of BeAResumeWriter.com and you're reading this in September 2015, you can log into your account and access today's gift (along with a new gift each day during the month)!

"Top Tips." "10 Ways to..." "3 Simple Strategies for..." These are some of the most popular type of content to publish. Here's five ways to make the most out of this content.

1. Bundle.
You can bundle up tips into an article or a tip sheet. Organize a certain number of tips in a logical order (i.e., 5 tips, 10 tips, etc.), write an intro paragraph, and put a bio paragraph at the bottom with your photo and a link to your website. Don't forget a call to action too! I turn my tips into PDFs instead of sharing them as Word documents.

2. Tweet Them Out.
You can load up your social media accounts with the tweets. You can use a social app like Hootsuite to pre-schedule posts. All of the tweets in the Pass-Along Materials content I gave you will fit in Twitter's 140-character limit. But you can also post them on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest (see tip #3!), or use them as a LinkedIn status update.

3. Make Them Shareable!
Tips are perfect for creating shareable content -- images and infographics. You can get images from a site like Fotolia (do NOT just get your images off of Google!). Add the shortened tip in a nice font and stick a border around the image. Be SURE to put your company name and URL on the graphic too! If you want to put the tips into an infographic, use a tool like piktochart.com.

4. Create Slides or a Video.
It's easy to create a shareable, information-packed slide show or video. You can use PowerPoint and put one tip on each slide. Publish the slide deck to SlideShare. You can use one of PowerPoint's built-in themes. Pick a theme, type in the tip, and use Fotolia for an accompanying image. Don't forget to add a title slide and a slide at the end with your name/contact information and call to action. Once you have a slide show, you can record the slideshow with narrations and timing (under the Slide Show menu). Then to go "File" > "Make Movie." You now have a slide show AND a video!

5. Use Them as Inspiration!
Stuck for ideas for articles, blog posts, or emails? Use a few of the tips! You can base an article off just one tip, or use a few at a time. Even better, take a bunch of tips (there are several "themes" in the content I gave you) and divide them up into an autoresponder email series. (I use AWeber for this.) Again, don't forget to include a call to action!

What Should Be In Your Client Contract?

Some resume writers don't use a client contract (or client agreement). But if you already have one -- or you're thinking you should have one -- check out these pointers for what should be included in your client contract.

Here's the things you should consider including in your client agreement:

Detailed Description of the Services You Will Provide
It's essential to very clearly describe the services that will be provided. The more detail you can put in this part of the contract, the fewer misunderstandings will occur. This is very important for resume writers in particular, since the majority of us charge by the project instead of hourly. Having a very clear definition of what is included in the services you're providing (including providing timeframes for client consultations, number of revisions, etc.) is critical. You don't want "scope creep" ruining your profit potential. ("I thought that customized cover letter was included." "Let's look at the agreement. No, a template cover letter is included. We can certainly customize it for specific positions; however, there will be a $40 charge per letter for that service. Would you like to order that?"

Responsibilities of the Service Provider

Spell out in great detail which dates youíll have the work completed by, and what your responsibilities are to the client in regard to getting the work done. How will it be submitted to the client? What constitutes finished work? Be very specific in this area. It will help protect you as well as help you feel done each day when you know what constitutes "finished."

Responsibilities of the Client

Spell out what the client must do so that you can do your job. For example, state that the client must get you the information you need by a certain date, and say how the client should contact you when they have questions. Be very specific and exact in this section so there is no mistake about what the client needs to do to ensure that you can do your work in a timely manner.

Important Due Dates

Restate the important due dates for both sides of the client/service provider equation. The reason you want to state this again is that it's an essential component in being able to work together cohesively without issues. These dates will ensure that it all happens without a lot of back and forth or problems. If the client returns the questionnaire to you after the due date, that will most likely cause a delay in the delivery of the resume draft. Make sure your agreement states that!

How Payment Will Be Processed

State how and when you will bill the client and how and when you expect the client to pay you. If you want to be paid via PayPal then you should say so, otherwise they may not be prepared to pay you this way -- which can cause delays. Spell out all the terms, the amount and how and when it all happens. Most resume writers charge full payment up front, so make sure your agreement outlines your refund policy. Also be sure to clarify how charges for additional services will be handled. (For example, those customized cover letters!)

Terms for Termination

Tell the client how they can terminate your agreement, and state how you can terminate the agreement. If there is an end date to this contract, state that here too. (For example: All resume projects not finalized within 45 days after the delivery of the draft document will be considered "closed" and any changes or corrections requested after that date will incur additional charges.)

Legalities

It's super important to include any legalities that are required by your state or country. It also is good for the service provider to include a line that states any court proceedings and all laws will be determined by your state, city and county. That way if a problem happens you won't have to travel for court. (This is especially important if you work with clients outside your immediate geographical area.)

Optional:
Complete Description of the Relationship between Both Parties
This is the area where you mention the nature of the business relationship, in terms of whether or not you are an independent contractor or an employee. Spelling it out here will protect both parties from IRS issues later. This isn't likely to be a big issue unless your agreement is with an outplacement service firm, for example, instead of a single client.

Non-Disclosure Agreement
This is something that is good for both parties -- you agree not to tell people you work for the client and the client agrees not to share your proprietary documents, processes, and materials with anyone else. Whatever you both want in this agreement to protect both parties in terms of non-disclosure goes here.

Ownership of the Deliverables
State in this section who owns the deliverables. Usually you will put words to the effect that deliverables are owned by the client once payment has been processed. This will help prevent non-payment or claims of ownership of the work when payment has not yet been submitted. This is the best way to protect your hard work and their intellectual property.

Having a client contract or agreement can't always protect you from PITA clients, but it can help you untangle the mess if a client does have an issue.