Avoiding Overwhelm and Getting Things Done

Trying to find focus. Being overwhelmed. Lengthy to-do lists.

All of these are things self-employed resume writers deal with daily.
Here are a couple of resources to help you with them.

The first is this blog post: "How to Eliminate Broken Focus and Overwhelm with Evernote."
I love Evernote. It's like my online memory bank. I keep all my notes there, including conversations with prospective clients, notes from training programs, lists of projects I'd like to get to "someday," and more.

Try Evernote for free.

(You can find out how I use Evernote by reading "Evernote for Everything: How Evernote Can Help You Manage Resume Client Projects, Remember Stuff, and Just Be More Efficient")

I'm going to try the "top 6" strategy.

And check out Jonathan's webinar on Evernote productivity here.

The second is Kelly McCausey's course, "The Power of a Focused Business."

Right now, it's free for a limited time. 
Just use the code "kellysgift" after clicking on the "Order Now" button.

Here's what's included:

• Module #1: The Big Tree Business Philosophy (MP3, PDF)
• Module #2: Target Market and USP (MP3, PDF)
• Module #3: Idea Brainstorming (MP3, PDF, and Idea Brainstorming Worksheet)
• Module #4: What The Heck Do You Know Anyways? (MP3, PDF)
• Module #5: Where Do You Go From Here? (MP3, PDF)
• Module #6: Brainstorming Your Offer Funnel (MP3, Brainstorming Worksheet)
• Module #7: The Secrets of Focus (Webinar Replay)
• Module #8: Branch Development 101 (Webinar Replay)

You don't have to go through it right now, but you DO have to claim your access by the end of the August or you WILL end up paying for it. (I've taken the course myself, and believe me, it's worth the $69. But if you can get it for free, do it!)

You'll get the downloadable audio recordings and PDFs (including brainstorming worksheets) and two webinar replays. Once you register, you'll have access to it and you'll be able to go through it at your convenience.

Go to this page to sign up for the program:
The Power of a Focused Business

Remember to use this code: kellysgift

Combating Negative Resume Client Reviews Online

What do you do about clients who post negative things about your service online? Today's Q&A with Bridget addresses that topic.

In July, the special report, teleseminar, and Pass-Along Materials on BeAResumeWriter.com addressed working with challenging (or pain-in-the-a$$) clients. You can check them out in this Working With Difficult Clients bundle.

I received the following question from a resume writer about clients who disparage you online:

Bridget,

Ever consider writing materials about how to handle PITA clients that give you scathing reviews because they want to showboat their frustration and anger?

The bad review I got from the one guy even went to the Better Business Bureau. As a result of his review, my last 7 thumbtack bids have been declined before they even consider me. for Yelp, I had 24 views and only 2 clicks to my website or calls.

Last night I decided to delete both profiles, which I'll do today. They weren't producing anyway, so why double the whammy with a negative reviews? Plus I had four positive reviews immediately following this bad one and Thumbtack said I could post them there. They did, but Thumbtack won't publish them because they aren't Thumbtack clients, so these four fabulous reviews are lost.  They could have bolstered Yelp, but Yelp has a bad reputation anyway.

I'm going to restart my blog and do my own marketing. I may switch gears from resume writing or expand it. Either way, how to handle a disgruntled client with a bad review is different in many ways from a PITA client. You might consider what to do about it. Especially when you send them the Client Release Form informing them you can sue for disparagement, but there's enough truth in there that you might lose the disparagement case. I'm still thinking about it. 

My response:

Great idea! I will add that to my possible topics list for a future special report.

Online reputation management for resume writers is handled in much the same way we suggest it for jobseekers! YOU control your brand identity and reputation online by creating POSITIVE content so that NEGATIVE content is pushed further down the page. 

When I Google YOU, I should see:

• A "complete" LinkedIn profile (with glowing Recommendations from happy clients)

• Testimonials and samples on your website that showcase happy clients and your best work

• Articles (or blog posts) that demonstrate your competency and expertise

Right now, Yelp and Thumbtack are showing up on the first page of your Google search results -- but unfortunately, I don't think that deleting your Yelp or Thumback profiles will eliminate them entirely (AND deleting them eliminates your opportunity to respond to clients -- both negative AND positive) ... so I would instead make a concerted effort to INCREASE your positive reviews on both sites, while simultaneously REDUCING your dependence on both of them as sources of new clients (Thumbtack in particular).

Thumbtack is the equivalent of our jobseeking clients applying for jobs online. It can work, but it's not a great strategy ... you are at the whim of the person at the other end of the keyboard.

However, for Thumbtack, go through your client database and look for clients who found you through the service -- and were HAPPY -- and ask them to write a review for you.

If you decide to continue writing resumes, the most important things for you to do are:

1. Standardize your client management process so that all clients have the same intake policy (and you don't make *exceptions* for clients -- as you found out with [client name redacted], that is a RED FLAG for a potential PITA client). They either work with you the way YOU want to, or you don't work with them. AND you need to make sure you meet 100% of client deadlines going forward, because that's critical.

2. TAKE CONTROL of your client marketing. In addition to boosting your positive responses on Yelp and Thumbtack, increase the content you have available out there that YOU control. Posting regularly on Facebook, adding at least one blog post a week, writing articles for third-party sites (these have to be UNIQUE content) like Ezinearticles.com, goarticles.com, etc.

You also need to figure out who your IDEAL client is, and identify how to connect with these folks. 

I've attached the "Attract Your Ideal Resume Client" special report (that was your Bronze member special report in April 2014) and I encourage you to work through it!

Hope that helps!!

Bridget

Do You Know Employment Law?

You're a resume writer, not a lawyer. But having a basic grasp of employment law is useful, because it not only informs the resumes you write, but it can help you position your clients appropriately when they have "special" situations.

For example, my clients have included:

• A woman who was two months pregnant and job searching -- and wondering if she should tell her employers she was expecting. (I directed her to information about the Pregnancy Discrimination Act)
• A young woman looking for her first teaching job who had graduated from college two years ago, but was diagnosed with cancer just a month after completing school. (The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 prevents employers from asking medical questions in an interview, but I coached her to answer the question about the job gap in such a way that it would satisfy an employer that her health issues were resolved and she was ready to work!)
• A young man from Nepal who was interested in working in the U.S. (I had to educate myself about H1-B visas!)
• Numerous Army and Air Force veterans. Anytime you're working with a veteran, you should be aware of special consideration for veterans in hiring for federal agencies and government contractors)
• My 16-year-old niece. Her current employer cited a provision in the Fair Labor Standards act that allows employers to pay employees under age 20 just $4.25 an hour for their first 90 calendar days of employment with the company, even though federal minimum wage is (currently) $7.25 an hour.

Having knowledge of federal employment laws especially is important for resume writers, and I've got a Pass-Along Materials package you can share with your clients on the topic:

Jobseeker's Guide to Understanding Employment Law

It's also important to keep an eye on changes to employment law. For example, today I came across this article, "Quinn Signs Pregnancy Discrimination Measure" affecting pregnant women and new moms in Illinois.

Stay informed!

"Launch" Your Resume Writing Business Into Greatness

I'm reading Jeff Walker's new book, "Launch: An Internet Millionaire's Secret Formula To Sell Almost Anything online, Build A Business You Love, And Live The Life Of Your Dreams" and it is excellent.

Reading Facebook today, I found an interview of Jeff Walker on Forbes.com, sharing seven lessons ("Why Jeff Walker Is The 400 Million Dollar Man -- And 7 Lessons You Can Learn From Him").

My favorite lesson is #5: First Give, Then Receive:

What do you think of these lessons?