There are so many webinars and teleseminars these days and many of them blur into the background. But recently one captured my attention. As I watched, I got more and more excited.
As someone who offers mentoring, classes and info products, one of the saddest truths is that about 90% of people buy a package from someone and do absolutely nothing with it. I suppose it’s because when you make a purchase, your brain tells you that you have the solution now, so you don’t take
You swear that you’ll do whatever the self-paced study program or ebook is about, but chances are it languishes forgotten on your hard drive.
I’ve been wanting an online interactive training tool, but the one with which I am familiar is sterile, remote and hard to use. That online environment is a pain in the behind to use for creating a product or course, because you have to flip back and forth between various areas, and you can’t rearrange things either. Plus on the client side, it’s really not enticing. Oh, and the one I know doesn’t let the mentor/trainer brand it in any way. You only get this sterile, cold, YUCK background.
I wanted something better.
I want a flexible interactive arena that empowers me to create various online writing courses, mentoring or coaching programs, and even information products that help you the customer interact with and use the materials in a fun and easy way.
Here is my wish list for an online interactive training environment.
Ability to include audio’s, videos, hunks of html code, and text easily.
Ability to upload materials, such as work sheets, graphs, documents, etc.for the client.
Interactive so the client can answer questions right there, not in a downloadable workbook.
Easy for me to use with one area for me to create a module or a course (or coaching / mentoring program).
Has my logo on it and my branding
Ability to change the background color.
Ability to adjust font size
Spell check
Ability to edit all aspects of the module even in a live course
Affordable
Scalable
Ability to formulate various packages without re-inputting the materials
Ability for client to export their questions and answers for continued use on their computers.
So imagine my glee when I discovered Jigsaw Box! A British coach developed this program so she could deliver her services without using so much of her time. This tool gives me 95% of my wish list. And with a 2–week free trial, I was able to try it out at no risk.
Jigsaw box lets you create multimedia modules. You can include whatever materials you want, including uploaded documents. Then, like a jigsaw puzzle, you can create various packages, selecting the modules you want as if you’re choosing items on a menu.
One example of Jigsaw Box in action…
I’ve already made sales on the first product I created with Jigsaw Box. It’s Easy Write & Publish Your Book. I show you the 5 fastest, easiest ways for how to write a book and publish it fast
See how easy it is to create a module with an article that I “dressed up” using the editor inside Jigsaw Box. I added a few questions, then included a video. Watch this…
I had a blast turning articles I’ve submitted into directories into interactive teaching modules with questions for you to answer. Since the materials were already done, it only took me a couple of minutes to fancy them up a bit and add some questions.
This takes an article and makes it a valuable tool for you because you can incorporate the teaching into your life.
The best part
There are 2 “best parts” of this tool.
One is how infinitely malleable the program is. You can move modules around and create whatever packages you want. Plus there is no limit to number of clients or size of package.
The other best thing is that you can create scalable programs with this tool. Scalability is important for your business growth.
If all you had was 1–on-1 coaching, you only have so many hours in the day and maybe you’d like to have a LIFE too. Now with Jigsaw Box all your training materials are there in an interactive format, so you can offer a mid-range product to hundreds or thousands of people. This vastly increases your income potential.
Jigsaw Box gets my 5–star recommendation. What a fabulous tool! It is easy to use.
Improvements I hope to see
As I mentioned, I got almost my whole wish list with Jigsaw box. Here are the enhancements I hope will come forth in updates of the program.
Ability to edit questions after a program is live.
Ability for clients to easily export their questions and answers to their computer.
I’m thrilled with this amazing solution. Also, I have to say that Jigsaw is fun for me to create in.
Resource
First off, do yourself a favor. Before grabbing your free trial, think of one of your electronic info products that you’d love to make interactive. Maybe it’s an ebook you are offering. Start thinking of how you can break that ebook into modules and what questions or activities you can add to it to increase the value for your customers.
Get your 2–week free trial of Jigsaw Box. Then put your ebook-turned-interactive course into it. You can even start selling it before the whole thing is ready. Just get the first couple modules there and your customers will have something to start with immediately. Then you can add the other modules. So you can pay for your affordable membership with sales you make during the free trial..
Now if you want to know the 5 fastest ways for how to write a book – pick up my Easy Write & Publish Your Book program..
The most valuable commodity of any expert is your time. Why? Because as an expert, in only a few minutes, you are able to save someone a huge amount of time and headache by sharing your expertise.
rite you this post to assist you in your own business development. Learn from a mistake I made – and I should have known better!
The husband of one of my affiliates is considering writing a book. That in itself is a good thing! My affiliate told him that I coa
ch entrepreneurs on how to write a book, which of course is very
much true.
I broke one of my own rules, and I will not break it again.
This affiliate has not made a purchase from me. Why I mention this is because I offer a $500 value strategy session with me as a gift inside of my products. That means by the time you meet with me about author coaching or business mentoring or story coaching, you are already a buyer, not a freebie seeker.
Some business mentoring for you:
I don’t sell coaching through a sales page. only offer coaching after I’ve had a consultation. This allows me to decide whether I believe you are a good candidate for author coaching. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not up to the client to choose the coach, it’s important for the coach to screen and select the best clients.
When I worked for someone else, I inherited a LOT of “problem children” because he took anyone who would throw money at him, and many of those people were expecting too much done for them. (One of many reasons I am SO glad I work totally for myself is I get to screen my own clients instead of inheriting people who want me to serve them their completely formed business on a diamond-encrusted platinum platter when they are only paying for a guidebook for how to write a book served in a wooden goblet).
When I Offer A Complimentary Consultation
In the past, I used to offer a strategy session to
Anyone who bought a product/service from me.
Anyone at a live event with me.
Anyone who came via one of my trusted allies.
Now, I typically give free strategy sessions under only 2 circumstances.
I include a consultation as a bonus inside a product.
We meet at a live event and I give you a consultation/strategy session.
In other words, I do not generally (except that I broke my own rule last week) give a free consult to an ally or affiliate. Experience shows me that these are not necessarily good candidates. I have various ways for people to experience my systems in the form of free gifts, inexpensive products and classes first.
When you develop a system, stick to it!
as I said, I broke one of my own rules to be nice to an affiliate. I know better. Please don’t make my mistake.
Back to the conversation with the affiliate’s spouse. I met with him for about a half hour about his potential book-business. I gave him top-notch business mentoring during this time. At the end of the call, he asked for a discount, figuring he deserved one as the husband of an affiliate.
Because he is not a proven buyer; he has not invested in himself and his book-business idea with me yet.
Because he immediately asked for a discount as if it were “owed to him” as an affiliate’s spouse, demonstrating he is more of a haggler than someone willing to truly invest in himself.,
Because he has not experienced any aspect of the teaching within my system.
Because a lot of his questions and concerns would be answered by knowing what and how I teach in the system and beginning to formulate his book idea before talking with me.
And remember, he would get a free strategy session anyway as a buyer of either the Instant Credibility ebook or the Instant VIP Author Multimedia Home Study Program. (both of those are links to my products available for purchase). So after either purchase, he would qualify himself to receive a half hour of my valuable time.
And here are a few other considerations as well. Keep in mind that coaching sessions are a half hour long and there is no “done for you” in it:
I got the feeling what he wanted from coaching was for me to write FOR him or at least do some of the writing with him. That is an increased level of service, not coaching.
I got the impression what he wanted was for me to read everything he wrote. Again, this is another level of service different from coaching.
He wanted approval for his work. Deep down, everyone wants approval. However in terms of your book and business, approval is demonstrated by actions such as customers investing in you, media attention, and joint venture opportunities – not by your mentor.
He wanted me to do his editing. Again, different service. Editing is not coaching.
In other words, he would have treated coaching as if it were a “do it for you” service. I do offer ghostwriting and “write with you” services at a higher investment, and I am particular about the projects I take on.
What is coaching/mentoring?
For simplicity’s sake, I call the individual sessions where I guide you through writing your book coaching. People understand author coaching but not so much “author mentoring.” Not everybody has had guidance of that nature.
So, what is coaching?
I asked the would-be author if he ever had a child in little league or other sports.
He had.
“Did the coach ever pick up the bat and hit the ball FOR your child?”
“No.”
“Because that wouldn’t be coaching. That would be doing it FOR him. Coaching or mentoring is I teach you and give you the best possible tools, and you do the work.”
When I used to work on someone else’s team, he had a TON of clients who expected to pay for breakfast and be fed for a year. In other words, they bought a coaching package and expected their coach to spend hours and hours and hours doing things for them that they needed to do themselves.
There is no real way to guarantee coaching results, because I’m not coming to your house and forcing you to sit down at the keyboard to do your market research, formulate your business and write your book. Can I do that? Yes, but it will cost you exponentially more than hiring me to coach you. use the contact form to ask me about this extra special service.
the Deeper Issue for Many Would-Be Entrepreneur Authors
First understand that what I’m about to share is NOT a criticism of this person or anyone who feels similarly. Ultimately, this individual wanted things done for him because he lacks confidence in his message. He wants to write a book and simultaneously shrink into the background and hide behind someone else’s skill.
It’s common for a “messenger” who feels a strong desire to share your truth to feel uncertainty. After all, you’re about to be bold and brave and put your thoughts into print. You’re about to “take a stand” regarding what you believe.
Every entrepreneur author needs to develop your expert voice and your confidence. Remember, you are not only writing a book but building a business around it. You will share your message, promote your book, gain customers and in every other way grow your influence.
That means you are in charge of building your platform. Part of developing your business involves developing your expert voice. You gain confidence by speaking/writing/sharing your most important message over and over again.
I only take on ghostwriting or write it with you projects under certain conditions. Generally speaking, if you have an established platform and materials already “out there,” I will let you hire me, because you already have your business in place and your voice established.
The reason is because if I become your voice for you, I will cause you not to grow, and because you won’t have confidence in your message, you won’t get the media attention, instant VIP status, instant credibility, increase of customers and other benefits of becoming an author.
Although I might financially gain from taking on un-confident wannabe authors with no voice and no platform, I would not truly gain – and YOU would lose – because I would short-circuit your personal and business development.
My mission is to guide you through bringing out every ounce of greatness within you out into the light so you can be whom you are meant to be.
I hope that sharing how I re-learned a lesson I should have known will profit you.
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