Conscious Marketing: shifting the focus from selling to serving (and STILL make $)

29 Monday May 2017

Posted by charlon bobo in conscious marketing

Tags

conscious, creation, selling, serving, value

copywriting + spirituality = conscious marketing materials

The calculation is a relatively new one, but it delivers exciting possibilities as we move ahead with a fresh, inspired vision for New Earth leaders who conduct business-on-purpose.

Traditional copywriting is saturated with the intent to get you to do one thing as a consumer; buy. Conscious copywriting is saturated with the intent to get you to do two things as a consumer:

1) consider whether or not the offer resonates with you, and
2) decide for yourself

The purpose of traditional copywriting is solely to sell. The purpose of conscious copywriting is solely to serve via an invitation. There’s no judgment here of right or wrong; good or bad. It’s simply a matter of recognizing that our world of commerce is shifting dramatically from selling to serving with integrity.

Conscious business owners place a high priority on providing real value. They are not content to throw out an offer just to make a buck. The basis for everything they do is truly to be of service, applying their unique combination of life passion & purpose to the mix. So, whether they offer products or services, the emphasis on providing value for what you purchase is of primary importance.

What’s so interesting – and frankly, surprising to many heart-first entrepreneurs – about the shift to serving is that sales aren’t thrown under the bus. No longer limited by the belief that we must choose between service OR success, we can confidently provide quality offerings featured with an evolved language based on core spiritual values to grow thriving businesses.

The current evolutionary/spiritual shift is impacting every facet of life, including business. And as spiritual business owners, we welcome the changes that come with it because it means exploration that is simultaneously created and discovered. How fun is that?! As entrepreneurs, there’s nothing more enticing than a new challenge. We never retreat from the inspiration of innovation. In fact, that’s the environment in which we most shine.

Business and spirituality are perfectly paired because they continually propel each other; one needn’t be compromised for the other. They can harmoniously co-exist. And as the caregivers of this approach, we have front row seats to witness the positive and far-reaching impact of a marketing method that was our own collective, conscious creation.

Beautiful!

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When you value your products and services, others will too

22 Monday May 2017

Posted by charlon bobo in conscious business

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discount, hire professionals, thrive, value

Imagine your customers asking you to lower your prices because although they want (and need) what you have to offer, they say they cannot afford it. Instead of the onus being on them to grow their business to the point they can hire you and pay rates based on your expertise, it becomes your responsibility to say a BIG, FAT NO on that one when they ask for special favors to make your offerings accessible to them.

As a heart-based business owner, your desire to help others is probably high. However, it’s important to carefully consider the impact and ripple-effect of accommodating those who ask for reduced rates, extended terms, or other compromises from you.

Special accommodations often translate to reduced perceived value. If consumers are able to secure products or services at less than fair market value, studies show they value them less than if they’ve given something of value, in exchange for those products/services.

Believe me, I would love nothing better than to accommodate every business owner on the planet who can benefit from my services. And when our societal agreement changes from cash money to giving away services–knowing that when I need a specific service to grow

my own business the person who possesses the expertise I need will give it to me at no cost–I will be the first to offer my copywriting and ghostwriting expertise to help my fellow New Earth leaders thrive in business.

In the mean time, I proudly honor my business interests, serving those who truly understand the value of my contribution to their success and are relieved to delegate to a pro. Years of learning and refining my craft make it an asset to any business owner who’s ready right now to take advantage of it. And this requires that funds are allocated for this purpose.

There’s a time and a place for boot-strapping. However, when hiring professionals–whose contribution is vital to your continued success–that approach must be replaced with a solid plan to invest in the best, as often as possible. Your legal advisor, accountant, bookkeeper, Web developer, online marketer, mentor and your friendly copywriter/editor do what they do so you can enjoy the benefits of business goal achievement and long term rewards. When you consider all the support they provide, it’s not even a thought to ask them to give more of their time or expertise without being fairly compensated.

As a provider, there may be circumstances in which you want to barter or create workable agreements that require more creativity than usual; that’s fine. You’ll know those situations when they arise. However, you can’t build a solid business by doing favors and making special arrangements just because someone asks; that’s not a successful business model. And it’s not your responsibility to make your products or services available to everyone.

If your offerings have value–and I assume they do or you wouldn’t be in business–you must value them first by putting a premium on them. It is then that you’ll be positioned to attract those ideal customers who genuinely want what you offer and are happy to give you what they value in exchange: cold, hard, cash-money.

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what’s the basis for professional copyediting fees?

17 Wednesday May 2017

Posted by charlon bobo in conscious editing

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copyediting, editing, pricing, time equals money, value

There are many approaches to pricing copyediting client projects. Options include per-project, per-page, per-word, etc. as well as offering flexible payment options, but essentially it comes down to: the actual time and expertise involved to become familiar with your business and edit your content through this lens.

Let me explain:

When prospective clients contact me, it is the perfect opportunity to teach them about the inner-workings of a professional copyediting business so they have the most positive experience. Often they make understandable assumptions about the cost, process and turnaround times; they simply don’t know, and why would they? 98% of them have never worked with a skilled copyeditor in any capacity.

For the purpose of this article, I will focus on the process.

As a consumer and prospective client, it might surprise you to learn that the process of editing includes much more than reading your content and reformulating—or enhancing—existing content for greatest impact. Pricing reflects the time involved to familiarize myself with your business mission, goals, marketing plan and ideal customer characteristics. Without that level of involvement, you are not likely to experience results because the specific language I embed (and activate) in your marketing materials is derived from this background, investigative component. Obviously, this takes time and it is essential to ensure I effectively capture the vital essence of your business.

For me to do my best copyediting for clients,
I have a proven approach that delivers results. Period.
I would do you a disservice to say I can edit your content
without first knowing the innerworkings of your business.

Let’s look at other professions for which this same approach (familiarizing themselves with your unique background and personal objective) is crucial to a beneficial outcome. Based on specific training and experience:

An attorney advises you to the best of her ability when you provide a detailed “back story.”
A medical professional ascertains a probable diagnosis by listening to your symptoms (supported by an exam and/or testing).
A web designer has an established and proven process (usually a customized list of detailed questions) to determine how he can marry his talents with your end goals.
An accountant requests a history of tax returns and uses this information to maximize the tax law to your greatest advantage.
A financial planner carefully reviews your existing portfolio and develops a smart, strategic long-term plan for financial success and freedom.

Any professional who is consulted to enhance your business–or personal aspects of life–must go through a discovery process to do their very best for you. Although that may take many forms, it is a necessary part of the process. And so it is with copyediting.

Based on my combination of skills including copywriting, copyediting, ghostwriting and online marketing, I bring all of this to every project. I cannot compromise quality or integrity by offering a sub-standard service to make the cost affordable to an entrepreneur who doesn’t understand the fundamental importance of the behind-the-scenes process (which is what allows me to provide them the greatest value).

The discovery process takes time and as the old adage goes Time Equals Money.

My business skill set is at a premium. My services are delivered at a premium standard. And my pricing reflects that. No apologies; no compromises; no desire on my part to give away value as if it had none. I know the value of my services.

What about you? Where might you compromise pricing–for whatever reasons–that leave your customers or clients wondering if what you offer has true value?

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