Coaching Tool of the Month #2

Website Grader is a free seo tool that measures the marketing effectiveness of a website. You plug in your URL and it gives you an analysis of how well your site is setup from an SEO and marketing perspective.
I really like what they cover in their report - along with ‘traditional’ SEO stuff such as meta tags, incoming links and such they also take a look at blogging, social bookmarking and conversion elements too.

With this information you can make some quick/simple changes (ie: add keywords to your meta tags if need be) while others may require some more work... but regardless this tool does give you a simple roadmap to use to improve your site for SEO.

If your score isn't as high as you would like it to be you are in good company, as per these stats from a report they have posted from October 2007 that says:

This report shows the SEO capabilities of the Top 20 Bloggers (from Technorati). Some interesting findings include that out of the top 20 bloggers, 40% are missing a 301 redirect, 65% are missing description metadata, and 80% are missing keywords metadata.

Put your website to the test and post to the blog to let me know your score!

For Business Owners who are in it for the long haul...

Whenever a person becomes an expert in something, lots of benefits follow. If you've been creating what matters to you most as a business owner, you know this is true. But one of the downsides to soaking yourself in expertise is that sometimes things can feel very stale. You may find yourself asking:

• Not THIS topic again


• Please don't hire me to do a repeat on THAT


• They shoot horses you know!

In all seriousness, one of the questions I frequently dust off when I feel at all stale goes something like this:

If I had one last chance to say something on this topic, and then that was it for me, what would I say? I wrote the answer to that very question as pertains to marketing in an article for Choice Magazine, the magazine of professional coaching.

The full article containing:

3 Advanced Marketing Tips and Tricks, for Coaches Who're In It For the Long Haul as well as the

call recording elaborating on the same topic are now available to you, dear reader, as a courtesy from Choice.

I'm not sure how long they'll be available so grab them while you can and enjoy.

Oh and yes, print magazines like Choice are notoriously difficult to keep afloat - like restaurants, they suffer from a very high bankruptcy rate, so let me take this opportunity to give Choice a hearty bravo for their work, now in their third year. Bravo team! Keep up the great work.

On this occasion they've offered a $4 off coupon for you to use towards a print subscription this year. Good only for readers of Creating What Matters, claim the discount by entering in the following code at checkout.

The code? Here tis: pinkspoon

Now where again are the Top Marketing Tips I'd share if it was my last chance on earth to do so? Go here...

No-Fee Tool | The Coaching Entrepreneur's Surrogate Boss

Andrea told me about this cool little free tool since she knows I have a tendency to go at full speed, and like many of you, tend to work too long without a break.

Instant Boss is a piece of software that you download to your computer. After you set it up, you will get a small grey reminder box popping up on your screen telling you to take a break.

When your break time is over, you get another box telling you to get back to work, complete with a funny graphic of a screaming boss- perfect for those days when you long for the corporate world.

Set the time intervals up as you see fit in the control panel shown above. Two hours of work, 10 minute break. Two and a half hours of work, half hour break. Whatever it is, remember that when you are self-employed, it is easy to fall into unreasonable working hours. The bad thing is that you can’t complain to your co-workers around the water cooler!

Keep yourself focused and healthy by taking breaks. Instant Boss will help.

Download this no-cost software at http://www.appsapps.info/instantboss.php

If you've been looking for a Mentor Coach to guide you to inner shifts and outer bigger income following the Multiple Streams model, I am opening a new set of Group Coaching calls beginning in June. Here are the details:

Title: Advanced Group Coaching | June to November 2007

This is a 6-month small group coaching format with:

• 3, 60-minute sessions per month on Tuesdays from 100 to 200 PM Eastern

• Calls will consist of 1 content/information-rich call organized around an advanced business-building theme; 1 hot seat & laser coaching call and 1 group brainstorming call. (Brainstorming will center on feedback and ideas from the group on your chosen project - first-come first-serve. While Hot Seat and Laser Coaching will be more Coach-Client oriented.)

• There will be a mailing list format for email communication with fellow coaches and e-coaching. Please note registration in the group indicates permission on your part to share your email address with the rest of the group unless you specify otherwise.

• Recordings, notes and any links will be shared via mailing list and/or webpage dedicated to the group.

Please Note: The month of July will feature Tina Forsyth as Coach on the theme of Teambuilding and Business Management.

As always the emphasis in Advanced Group Coaching throughout the 6 months is on tangible-nuts and bolts steps you can act on as well as big picture mindset shifts. Our goal is (always) money AND meaning, sustainably in a way that suits you as an individual.

• Theme for June - Simple Multimedia | Exactly How To Create Compelling Products (Includes Resources, Suppliers, Recommended Sub-Contractors and A Step-By-Step Process we will walk through together)

  Registration Closed

  *** Note: If you are interested in more than one month, or other discount options, be sure to see below for alternate payment methods. ***

• Theme for July - Increasing Your Biz Capacity | Hiring, Managing and Retaining Your Core Team led and facilitated by Tina Forsyth (Includes 'Who's the Boss of You' material)

  Registration Closed

• Theme for August - Identifying and Real-Time Implementation of Key Joint Ventures | Access to More Clients/Customers Equals More Money

  Registration Closed

• Theme for September - Closing the (eep!) In-Person Sale | Taking the Easy Route In Workshops, Seminars and Other Speaking Engagements and Earning More Money (Also applies to Virtual Speaking Opportunities or TeleSeminars)

  Registration Closed

• Theme for October - Strategic Planning for 2008 | What's Next for Your Biz? Possibilities, Planning and Implementation

  Click here to reserve your spot for October Only: http://tinyurl.com/2uqsok

• Theme for November - The Paul Principle | Businesses Grow and/or Shrink Based on the Capacity of the Business Owner - Let's Work on Your 'Who,' Open Your Money Chakra and Continue Working Less

  Click here to reserve your spot for November Only: http://tinyurl.com/3adlpq

NEW: We've also added a monthly Integrity Day the last Thursday of each month - the better to support you in getting real work done. Integrity Day Calls will be 12noon - 5pm Eastern (9am - 2pm Pacific) - calling in once per hour for support and to celebrate progress!

And here are three alternative options for registration:

Option #1: 3 60-minute sessions per month as outlined above $175 per month, one month at a time recurring for six months

Bonus to the first 5 to register: Your choice of one of two cd packages

Click here to reserve your spot: http://tinyurl.com/3drdbp

OR

Option #2: 3 60-minute sessions per month as outlined above $150 per month in one lump sum of $900

Bonus to the first 5 to register: Your choice of one of two cd packages

Click here to reserve this option: http://tinyurl.com/32ww2l

OR

Option #3: All of the above plus ONE 45-minute individual session per month with Andrea or Tina (your choice)

Note: Scheduling will be done first-come first-serve and individual time must be used each month.

$325 per month

Bonus to the first 5 to register: Your choice of one of two cd packages

Click here to secure this option: http://tinyurl.com/39kqmc

If you'd like to do some comparing, use this webpage to review regular 1-on-1 coaching fees and details:

http://www.MultipleStreamsCoaching.com

And here are a few kind words from previous coaching clients and Advanced Group Coaching attendees for your warm and fuzzies. :-)

"Andrea, I cannot say enough good things about our time together. You were business consultant, business coach, personal coach, and couples coach – all in just three hours!!

I loved the way you cracked open our business model to find the holes that needed to be plugged. I loved the way you were able to cut to the heart of every problem and concern, while still having compassion for the personal and emotional feelings surrounding it all.

Most of all, I loved the way you were instantly able to see the real reason I was struggling with my book. You were more right than you will ever know. "

-- Jennifer Koretsky Founder, Head Coach & Chief Visionary Officer
www.ADDmanagement.com

---

"Not only did we strategize exactly how to take my business to the next level, but Andrea also addressed ALL the pieces essential to creating the business and life I most want. I left our meeting with the big picture firmly planted in my mind, an action plan in hand, and no doubt that everything I’m envisioning for my business and my life will become my reality.”

Alicia M Forest, MBA
www.ClientAbundance.com

---

"I'm thinking in new and more powerful ways! I make decisions more quickly and decisively, I'm more focused and less frantic, and find it much easier to "let go" and drop or delegate work."

Terri Zwierzynski
www.Solo-E.com

---

"My business has completely changed because of this coaching. I have let go of a partnership and am now working with a new partner; this has been a huge shift for me. I get stubborn about how I think things are supposed to look, and Andrea's yoga for the mind, as well as no bull way of talking has really helped me rearrange the way I work. And thank God for that!"

Kristine Carey
www.LifestyleCatalysts.com

Got questions? Happy to help. Just email andrea@andreajlee.com and Tina or I will get back to you.

Andy Wibbels' latest contribution to the lexicon:

Trim the freaks verb. to manage or get rid of business prospects/clients who require a terrifyingly disproportionate amount of hand-holding, or are always looking for special treatment or a freebie

Without a system to trim the freaks, these kinds of people are usually very frustrating to the business owner to say the least! See Andy's rather amusing examples here. [Sorry Andy, I guess they're only funny when it's not me. ;-)]

For the record, I refer to this kind of thing of person as the Two-percenter. This is based on the idea that there will always be 2% of the population who are 'messers' in any given situation. In business the two-percenters are the people who end up costing you money to deal with.

Here is a little Standard Operating Procedure I use for the two-percenter - my FreakFilter, if you will. Not in any kind of 'order' - you or your team will have to exercise your judgement on a case-by-case basis.

1. Ignore.

Repeated odd requests for explanations, special treatment, etc. will eventually go away. Make sure you are okay with them leaving 'unhappy.' For me, this happens when I can think of the worst feedback they can give about me and my biz, and I'm comfortable with it.

2. Proactively refund money.

A template email can go like this:

Hi Name, and thanks for your comments. I can see that you definitely have strong feelings (a different perspective, etc.) about things.

Although I wish we could help NAME, at this point I'd like to suggest that there's likely a better solution for you for your (X) needs somewhere else, so I'm going to ask my assistant to process a refund in full, in the amount of (Y). You should see that amount come through and a receipt in your email in the next 48 hours.

Best wishes to you NAME in your pursuit of success.

3. Embrace the message, detach from the person.

Even if we feel as though we've answered a question for the millionth time, and the person is very frustrating to deal with, sometimes we will practice embracing the situation. For example:

"Dear NAME, of course we'd be happy to explain the Ice Cream Journey to you. Here's a link to purchase the book as a place to start. INSERT LINK.

I think you'll find it covers just about everything on the topic. Enjoy!"

Notice we don't say 'Let us know if you have further questions...' a deliberate omission when activating a FreakFilter. One thing we've come to understand is that our materials themselves are a great filter - people either get it or don't, and pursue our services or not, once they've read some of our writing.

4. Stick to your guns and enjoy making a point.

This one's my fave.

Although we actually don't get a lot of two-percenters, one of the most common things is a person who complains about poor spelling or punctuation on the blog or in our everyday emails. When this happens I actually enjoy making the point that I don't use a spell check or pay for a proofreader because it's more important to me to have a wide open canvas for expression and creativity than perfect English. And that English to me is a tool that I get to break as I create new words, bend rules so that they conform to new thoughts instead of the other way around.

In any case, sometimes a really lovely coaching point arises - the person will come back after I've stuck to my guns to say 'Oh, I so get it - I'm sorry I imposed my rigidity on you...I'm going to look at this differently now!'

Interesting right?

(5) Delegate.

Bear with me here, but isn't trimming the freaks about zapping tolerations? And if so, we know that every toleration can be zapped by one of three actions, right? Do it [deal with it], ditch it [scratch it off your list], or delegate it [pay someone else money to do it instead of you.]

If handling two-percenters is worthwhile to you for some reason, say on a specific project, delegating it can be a great solution too.

After all these years and probably hundreds of thousands of prospects by now, I do feel well equipped to handle the freay two-percenters - it does get better, in other words. In fact, we don't get that much freakiness anymore...and all this is tempered by the fact that I can be a two-percenter myself sometimes... :-)

Hope this helps! Feel free to use the templates above, just please don't worry if you catch a typoe. ;-)

P.S. Can someone help figure out how to reach Paul McFedries of the gosh-darn amazing www.WordSpy.com site for submission of cool new phrases like Andy'sFreakFilter? and just general adulation?

I know the guy is busy but he needs to go on vacation sometimes, right? I'd help manage his blog while he's away...is that freaky?

"Follow up, follow up, follow up."

Are you crumbling under the weight of "I should be following up!?" You want to bring in more business but following up isn't your forte? This No-Fee TeleSeminar with Alicia Smith will cover the pros and cons of usinsg email VERSUS snail mail for your follow up. It includes the introduction of a follow up system that allows you to 'UnShould' yourself without undue stress.

Because the fact is, we all follow up in one way or another. Some of us do it occasionally, others do it in fits and starts but the rare individual does it systematically and consistently. In this one-hour class we will look at how
to improve our follow up through the use of systems and technology. It really is possible to maintain a personal touch using technology?

Discover how you can dedicate one day a month or less to set up systems that will work for you, and assure that you continue to put your best foot forward.

>> Click Here to register and our system will send you a confirmation including bridge line number within a few minutes.

Date/Time: May 31st, 2007 at 4PM Eastern (2pm Mountain)

Thanks Alicia, for spearheading this important topic!

Perry Marshall makes lovely poetry on this age-old topic, below. His Renaissance Roundtable is also graced with wisdom and irreverence, or so I've heard. Thanks Perry, for your words as always.

[Side note: When I first met Perry in person, he freaked me out by asking direct - 'Are you Taiwanese?' In all my 36 years, I've NEVER before, or since, been asked that question in an opening greeting...most people are 'lucky' if they guess I'm Chinese. Answer is yes, by the way, I'm Taiwanese...but I digress.]

To set the stage a little, here is an exercise for you as you read Perry's article:

Which 3 items from the list of 12 do you most 'sweat' at the thought of. In other words, which 3 items are you MOST ripe for improvement in? And which are your natural strengths?

Hint: My strengths are definitely 5, 6 and 7. I sweat when reading 10 and 8 and 3. Et toi?

There are 12 differences between those who dream and those who act:

1-Wanna-be's obsess about ideas. Entrepreneurs obsess about implementation.

2-Wanna-be's want more web traffic. Enrepreneurs focus on sales conversion.

3-Wanna-be's focus on positive thinking. Entrepreneurs plan for multiple contingencies.

4-Wanna-be's want to get on TV and get "famous." Entrepreneurs build their list.

5-Wanna-be's seek a perfect plan. Entrepreneurs execute and adjust the plan later.

6-Wanna-be's wait for their lucky break. Entrepreneurs engineer four, five, six plans and execute them in tandem, wagering that at least one plan will get traction.

7-Wanna-be's fear looking stupid in front of their friends. Entrepreneurs willingly risk making fools of themselves, knowing that long-term success is a good trade for short-term loss of dignity.

8-Wanna-be's shield their precious ideas from harsh reality, postponing the verdict of success or failure until 'someday.' Entrepreneurs expose their ideas to cold reality as soon as reasonably possible.

9-Wanna-be's put off practicing basketball until they've got Air Jordans. Entrepreneurs practice barefoot behind the garage.

10-Wanna-be's believe what they're told, believe their own assumptions. Entrepreneurs do original research and determine what paths have been already trod.

11-Wanna-be's believe they can do anything. Entrepreneurs do what they're gifted for and delegate the rest.

12-Wanna-be's think about the world in terms of COULD and SHOULD. Entrepreneurs think in terms of IS and CAN BE.

Also from Perry: If you're a real entrepreneur - and if you qualify - you can be admitted to Roundtable, a forum where #1 players in many realms gather three times a year and sharpen their games.

It commences in Chicago next month with a 2-Day, Four-Man marketing intensive. You and three others will have run of my office, with access to any and every success tool I've got.

The rest of the world and all its distractions will be shut out. In less than 48 hours, see your web traffic and sales spike.

Apply here: http://adwordsstrategy.com/renaissance/roundtable.htm

Are you sick of trying so hard? May I ask, "Are You Being the Sun or the Wind?"

Question: "Andrea, when you’re trying to sell something to someone, I know it’s important to communicate with people more than once. I’ve already emailed my newsletter readers with four different offers this month, but they still aren’t buying. What should I write in my next email that will work? I’m tired of pounding them so many times."

Answer: There are many ways to answer this question, but with thanks to Aesop, I'd like to paraphrase a little story. It may give you a new perspective on this as well as other situations where you feel like you’re trying awfully hard. Play along for just a moment and see if you can find the energy of this little tale:

The Sun and the Wind decided to have a little game. They agreed to prove which one of them was more powerful.

When a man came traveling down the road, they seized their opportunity – they decided to see who could make the man remove his coat, thus proving whether the Sun or the Wind was the more powerful.

The Wind took the challenge and began to blow. He blew as hard as he could at the man, trying to get him to remove his coat.

But the more the wind blew, the more the man clung to his coat and hat, and the wind had to give up.

Next the sun gave it a try and turned up his rays so it began to warm up. As the day grew brighter and the man grew warmer, he naturally found it too hot to keep his coat on and was happy to take it off.

Coming up on a small stream, he even took his shoes and socks off and took a wade before he continued on his journey.

Now with this story as a backdrop, let’s get back to the questions that make this 'real.'

"How do I stop chasing after customers and get them to try (or buy) my stuff?"

"How do I stop trying so hard to get results?"

As your e-coach for the moment, may I ask:

Between the wind and the sun, which would you rather be, as you pursue the natural, effortless, stress-free growth of your business?

In what way might you be stepping on the gas in your business, only to spin your wheels?

What seems to take an awfully LONG time to do in your business?

How often do you feel as if "I should" or "I must" in your business? When, exactly?

If you could make your own rules, what would you stop doing?

Hint: Whether you feel as though you 'get' the idea behind the Sun and the Wind, take your time with it. We're taking about a shift in the order of a sea change here and it doesn't usually happen overnight...

Remember: You can't get anything wrong and you'll never be completely finished with your work. Post your comments and questions on this topic at this link:

Are you:

- Tired of struggling
- Working too hard
- Feeling isolated and alone
- Overwhelmed with the challenges of balancing work and life
- Wishing you could have more time off
- Confused about how to utilize technology to grow your business
- Unclear about who you are as a coach and how you want to move forward in your practice
- Feeling stuck

Then this telesummit was made for you. Marcia Bench and her crew have gathered the leading experts in both the Secret (the Law of Attraction) and key business-building areas that are tied to it to teach you the easiest and most effective ways to use the Secret in your business.

These people have used the Secret in becoming successful – and they’re here to share their secrets (no pun intended!) with you!

Click here for the full scoop and grab early bird discounts.

Not everyone will love all the colours, but chances are you'll find something to like among the 4 new coaching quotes I had made. They're a continuation of the ones posted here and are free for you to post at your websites.

The only request I have is that you save a copy to your own server rather than link directly to mine, for bandwidth reasons. Enjoy!

Got a favourite coaching quote you'd like made up in the style above? Can do. Request it by posting a comment.