When owners of professional services get ready to create a profitable online presence, they often stop cold, overcome by fears.
They’re not afraid of the unknown. After all, to become a professional requires an investment of time and energy and that means considerable risk-taking.
Instead, their fears are totally realistic. For example:
(1) Fear of appearing sales-y and unprofessional.
This fear kept me paralyzed for a long time. To overcome this fear, I learned two things. First, great copywriting is about presenting solid information. You can paint word pictures and share stories. Second, your prospects do not read your copy the same way you do. What seems over the top to you will often seem comfortable (even comforting) to your own clients.
(2) Fear they won’t have time to do everything.
The truth is: you don’t have to. Many professionals worry that they won’t sound authentic unless they write every word of copy, as well as every article, blog post and tweet. When you find a copywriter who “gets” what you are all about, you will be surprised to find that you actually sound more genuine and authentic.
(3) Fear that you will be held hostage to an evil webmaster or web designer.
The truth is, many webmasters and designers want to help – but you need to know how to talk to them. (Of course, every field has some tricksters, scam artists, and screwballs…but with a little knowledge, you will recognize the red flags immediately.)
Here are two ways to deal with this fear.
(1) Hire a copywriter or marketing consultant to be your go-between with the webmaster. Many of us know enough HTML and CSS to set up websites and blogs and we will be able to communicate clearly in the webmaster’s own language. If you’re a busy professional, this solution makes sense: why lose billable hours to learn techie stuff?
(2) Become more knowledgeable about web design and technology. Learn how to make simple changes and become empowered. I’ve learned from these two people and recommend them to anyone.
Frank (“That One Web Guy”) is the webmaster to the stars. Some of the top Internet marketers have hired him to develop their websites. However, Frank is a down-to-earth, genuine, unassuming expert. I took his graphics course and was surprised how much I learned (although I’ve been using Photoshop Elements for years). He’s got a new course starting next week, priced to be affordable and timed perfectly to help you get ready for fall. My link is:
http://bit.ly/9kV36Y
Toolie Garner has a monthly forum where you can learn on an ongoing basis. Toolie has been a guest on my workshops and I have hired her to help with my own website remodeling project. My link is:
http://bit.ly/deq9U6
And if you’d like to chat with me…check out my Obstacle-Blasting Breakthrough Session.