Mark's Biz Talk posts

What in the World is a Life Coach?

What is a Life Coach?

It seems to be the most popular shingle hanging over the door these days, so I thought I’d start a thread of discussion to help define the actual role that a “Life Coach” serves in a person’s life.

I’ve got twenty articles that I want to somehow mold into a common theme which can be marketed in book form. Do I need a Life Coach?

I just had an extended lunch with someone in my networking group and we talked at length about how to more effectively market their business. Did I become a Life Coach?

I’ve got 200 business cards scattered randomly about my office (and more in the center console and cup holders in the SUV). This is only trumped by the stack of receipts, both business and personal, that is cluttering a countertop in the kitchen. Should I contact a Life Coach to help me manage the things that I just can’t seem to manage?

I met with a friend recently after work for drinks and we talked for hours about how to handle a difficult situation that they are facing with their employer. Should I purchase some business cards and letterhead that say “Life Coach” after my name and then bill for these services?

Can we more clearly define the job title and description of the professional Life Coach?

Is it a friend and confidant for hire? Or, is it more than that?

What determines where responsibility begins and ends? And, how is someone to know that a Life Coach has provided the service for which payment is expected?

FTR, all illustrations are hypothetical

The Can-O-Worms is now yours to enjoy

The Power of Forwarding

Any E-zine or Newsletter seems to have a pair of challenges they must overcome to find a dedicated readership. One is finding the right wording for the subject line of the E-mail. It has to catch the recipient’s attention, but also find a way to fly under the radar of general spam filters. The second ties into the first in that once the recipient’s attention is caught, the desire to open and browse must be triggered.

A couple of months ago our Fernandina Beach based networking group began a monthly E-zine and I’m still working to find the best wording combination for the subject header that will increase the success rate of meeting both of those challenges.

Although the open rate was above 75% initially, I noticed that the majority of readers were those who were anxiously awaiting the newsletter, always a plus. I toyed with one other concept along the way: The Power of Forwarding.

This test was done with a select group of people who had no idea that an E-zine was even in the works, but knew me personally and received E-mails from me on a somewhat regular basis.

I included a brief personal note that referenced an article in the E-zine, telling them that when I read it, I thought of them and thought that they might find it of interest. The open rate was 100% on the forwards and the click through rate to the articles referenced was also 100%.

I have now started this practice with Biznik articles. I have a number of people in my network that I personally encouraged to sign up for the service. Many of these people are rarely active. I’m hoping that the “power of forwarding” will bring them back to the service and enhance the value in their eyes.

Being “networked” to forty or so members serves little purpose if the majority of them are seldom active. I want to be networked with people who participate and interact, people who visit and comment on my page or articles, and people who actively post helpful materials on their page or call my attention to other articles of interest.

If you are one who is likely to quickly open and read an E-mail that has been forwarded to you from a friend, then I urge you to take note of your natural reactions. Don’t overlook The Power of Forwarding.

What do you need?

I’ve been browsing a number of profiles and I’m a little perplexed by the content left behind on those little “What _____ needs right now” chalkboards that all members have available on their profile page.

In most cases I find the listing to be vague and timeless, which also leads me to pointless. Many members opted to list things that I couldn’t possibly help with; at least not in a way where it would be noticeable to the person I’m attempting to help.

I’ve come across everything from: I need bank loans to I need referrals. I’ve also found I need more visitors in my store, people who want a website built, opportunities to speak to groups and people interested in buying houses.

I even found, "I need more visitors to my website." I clicked through on that one (mission accomplished / glad to help) then came right back to Biznik to continue reading.

If a family member was going to the store and asked on their way out if you needed anything, most likely you wouldn’t say; “Gee, I think I need referrals.”

You would probably mention something specific, “Hey, pick me up a roll of duct tape. I’ve got some marketing on the calendar for next week and I’m going to need it.”

I found one need listed that seemed actionable. Someone posted a need for a blogging expert. Finally, the light came on, the wheels started turning and I was able to more clearly define something I need.

Trust me. It’s not elaborate, but it is a need. I need a hard copy of the June 4, 2009 edition of Business Week Magazine. (details on my page)

What do you need?

Initial Marketing Impression of Evian's Roller Skating Babies

I posted the Evian Roller Skating Babies video to my front page and would like to get your initial impressions of the marketing principles at play here.

I'll be presenting a message on marketing in a couple of weeks and this is just a small part of my research.

I have no ties to Evian and do not roller skate. Your thoughts and impressions are what I'm looking for in this case.

Visit my page for an easy and quick look at the video, then you can back arrow here to leave your thoughts.

Thanks!

To Credit? Or, not to Credit?

When leaving comments around Biznikia, is it viewed as acceptable etiquette to post hyperlink information about yourself, your page, or your business website as a part of your signature?

Obviously I’d like to lure more visitors to my corner of the map, but I’ve always abstained from this practice because I felt that if the comment I posted caught someone’s attention they already have a popcorn trail that would lead them to my cabin in the woods by default.

Are attached hyperlinks looked upon favorably? or considered shameless self-promotion and “look-at-me” overkill?

Who Do You Read?

I start each morning with a cup of coffee, a bagel and a Biznik-wide search for something interesting to read.

This process often repeats itself at the close of the work day, with a different beverage & snack as companions.

I've found some very interesting writers in my search, but do wonder who I may be overlooking.

Who do you read? (names please, not tips on how to search)

Helpful Hints

How do you find articles related to a specific topic?

Categorization of articles is up to the author of the article. We can't force them to categorize articles in any particular way, so knowing how our Search functions work is probably the best solution to find particular content. (And then using Bookmarks to find that content again in the future.) Global Search

The search box in the green Biznik menu at the top of the page will search ALL content on Biznik. If you type "SEO" into there, you will come up with a bunch of articles about the topic.

Article Sections When you click the Articles tab and view the Articles section, you are seeing ALL of the articles. Over on the right, click the "Marketing & Sales" section, then search for "SEO". This is where you can find some real gold.

Sorting Articles When viewing the Marketing & Sales section, for example, you can change the sort order to "Hottest" to find super active articles, or "By Date" if you know roughly when an article appeared on Biznik.

Bookmarks When you read a great article, click the "Bookmark Article" button under the Author's photo. This will save a link to the article in your Biznik Profile. To see all the articles you have bookmarked, go to your Profile page, click the grey Articles tab, and then the link for "Bookmarked Articles".

I hope this helps! - Christian

Other helpful tips can be found here: http://biznik.com/forums/website-discussion-and-bug-reports/topics/post-your-bug-reports-here-2009

Helpful Hints

How do you find articles related to a specific topic?

Categorization of articles is up to the author of the article. We can't force them to categorize articles in any particular way, so knowing how our Search functions work is probably the best solution to find particular content. (And then using Bookmarks to find that content again in the future.) Global Search

The search box in the green Biznik menu at the top of the page will search ALL content on Biznik. If you type "SEO" into there, you will come up with a bunch of articles about the topic.

Article Sections When you click the Articles tab and view the Articles section, you are seeing ALL of the articles. Over on the right, click the "Marketing & Sales" section, then search for "SEO". This is where you can find some real gold.

Sorting Articles When viewing the Marketing & Sales section, for example, you can change the sort order to "Hottest" to find super active articles, or "By Date" if you know roughly when an article appeared on Biznik.

Bookmarks When you read a great article, click the "Bookmark Article" button under the Author's photo. This will save a link to the article in your Biznik Profile. To see all the articles you have bookmarked, go to your Profile page, click the grey Articles tab, and then the link for "Bookmarked Articles".

I hope this helps! - Christian

Other helpful tips can be found here: http://biznik.com/forums/website-discussion-and-bug-reports/topics/post-your-bug-reports-here-2009

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Does anyone know??? a particular person. . . about a particular place. . . where I can find. . . etc. . .