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Questions & Student Hot Seat

What kind of questions do we have about this? Because I know this is often a problematic segment we could start sues me in our studio audience. Yeah, what questions? Where would you like to see some? Like, we can give some specific application ideas for your products themselves if you want to do it that way. Or, you know what? Are you a little confused at? Yeah. So a couple weeks ago, one of my products was on the front page of etc and so he got thana hearts on it all that stuff. It was great. And over a thousand hits on my site just that day, but I didn't sell one of those black day necklaces. A shame. So weird. I just s o and but I think my photos are actually pretty good. I don't have photo's on like live models, it's like on a bus sort of thing. Um, but I like I just can't I couldn't make sense of it. Yeah, I think that is simple as that is. Your photographs are beautiful, definitely, but it's simple as making the change to showing your jewelry on someone is they can make a way wor...

ld of difference, I had a client. Few months back where that was the main thing that we brainstorm together was that her jewelry was really unusual used really unusual materials on dh she was on ly photographing it just like yours are kind of on the white background her photographs were great but they weren't telling a story they weren't pretty particularly saying I could see you wearing this here or I could see you wearing this because or when you wear this you will and we can do that through photographs so instead she really thought about who her ideal customer was or who are most valued customer was where they were going, what they were doing wearing her jewelry and did a whole photo shoot around that and had a amazing results in terms of boost in nails just from that simple thing alone on you know that's that's also really good if even you can't get every piece photographed in that way because yes, that could be an investment if not in money definitely in time even just leading on your website with a couple photographs of things really beautifully merchandise or really beautifully styled could make a big difference it sze just a really great visual reinforcement of the story that you're telling through this type of value proposition yeah does that make sense? Okay yeah I think that could be really huge for you yeah so this is a question coming in from another terror charity in the chat room we've seen, we have seen some people that are a little bit confused about how they make this really world habitable, and so she says, if if you're making pretty little crafts on etsy, I don't see anything in that that is changing people's lives or providing a service it's more aesthetic impulse buy or for the purpose of the gift am I missing something? Yes, on what you're missing is perhaps cem a little bit of self confidence in what it is that you're actually creating because all sorts of products change lives not huge ways, but in small ways you buy a new shirt for a reason you buy a new pair of shoes for a reason you buy a new gadget for your kitchen for a reason, and even the pretty little cross that you're creating, our people have a reason to buy them. Sure, you will certainly get some people that come along, whether you're ready to shop for your craft, show booth and buy for no good reason. But really, there are reasons that people buy and there are things that people go and do, and you want to be creating the kinds of products that that people take out of the bag immediately when they get home and they put it in the special spot. That they had in mind for it when they purchased it or they put it in o r you know, they put it in their closet in a special way or they think about the outfit that they're goingto wear with it they think about the person that they're going to give it to and how it's going to make them feel. So what does your product do for people that way? You know, if people really just bought things because they were just pretty, we'd have a lot of stuff just sitting around in boxes and bags all the time and I suppose the back and like the nineties we did, but we're in the teens now and that's not why people buy people really do buy for very good reasons they buy to fill means they buy because products mean something to them to ask yourself what your products really mean to the people who are buying them yes, they can be impulsive. Yes, they could be buying just because they're pretty but that's doing something for them it's doing something for a small corner of their home it's doing something for an outfit it's doing something for the way they feel hone in on that and trust that your products are worth that to the people that are buying in charity says I'm starting to understand I think maybe I just need to hear you hear you explain a service, I guess. I never thought as of art as providing someone was something that they need. So thank you. Yeah, no problem. And then actually, one more hear d it sounds like they're just ready to get in and start promoting and marketing. And and says what if you don't have a model for your jewelry? Is a person modeling so important that you should use ah, non attractive model versus address, dummy? Or is there I know before you talked about the types of photographs and how you photograph really lends itself to who you're photographing too. Can you talk a little bit about about that? Sure. Yeah. I strongly believe that if you have a prada that could be worn, it needs to be shown on a person on dso you might choose to show just, you know, a big section. You might chose to show just a wrist, but you need to show your product on a person if it needs to be worn. Just like if it's a product that needs to go in someone's house. You need to show that product in house. I love white box photography as much as the next person really, really, really, it looks. Great, but I want to go deeper if a white box photograph draws me in, I want to see the next step when I get to the individual product listening, I want to see what this product is going to do for me through that photograph. So this is a case where your network comes in super duper handy and we all have networks. We all have access to bigger networks than we've ever had before, whether it's through email or facebook. So the answer is just because you don't have an attractive model at home with you, and I find that hard to believe doesn't mean that there is not a model that would fit the description of your ideal customer of your most valued customer somewhere in your network. So what you have to dio is make the ask, send out an email to ten or twelve people and say, hey, I'm looking for a model that fits this description and give them an actual description of your most valued customer, because I think it's just is important to photograph your your work on someone who matches the description of your client. You know, if you know your clients have a propensity for pixie haircuts like and and I have, you should find someone was awesome pixie cuts teo to display your work on you. If you know your your work is best seen on someone with glasses glasses find someone who really looks like your most valued customer that's going to help immensely in telling your story so yes you just come up with that description send it out an e mail to ten or twelve people and if those ten or twelve people can't find someone asked them to forded on until you can connect with that person the great thing about models especially getting in started I think in micro businesses well is that most models are willing to work for trade in other words if you give them a night um they'll probably be happy to sit for a few photographs for you thank you thank you have a question listening to him just really getting the importance of storytelling for selling anything and I'm just thinking about everything I have in that basically I have a product description of like here's my books but I don't tell a whole story about how this will affect your life or how this is affected other people's lives are like I just see that there's this whole wrapper around things that would make it public more compelling to a lot of people and it's certainly not how you think about book marketing definitely but then I'm thinking well people have different uh books or a class or whatever it is has a different impact on people in diverse ways so I'm just thinking like what's the best way to do this like testimonials are a little bit I don't know if testimonials air that effective are well I'm just trying to think what our effective ways to tell this story a picture is great I mean I get that yeah no great question little videos I mean what would you like a composite video yeah so testimonials can be exceptionally effective they're most effective when we think of them in this before and after way so if you noticed I ask you to think about each of these jobs as a before and an after just like we started this toward just like we started the exercise with a general before and a general after so always when I ask for a testimonial for myself for the work that I do I ask people what was your life like before what were you doing before what did you believe before and I really do use those words and then I asked them what what are you doing now what do you believe now? How is life different now or in my case how is your business different now are you earning more money? Are you attracting more customers? Are you making sales more easily and when you can display that before and after in a testimonial the story kind of comes together itself it's not just this product is so great or the craftsmanship is so awesome I like to think those things are kind of implied right? You wouldn't be selling it if it wasn't awesome you wouldn't be selling it if the cross manship wasn't impeccable yes say those things I'm not saying not to say those things but what I'm saying is that that's not necessarily what's important what's really important is your customer's experience of the product and that starts before the product is purchased and it ends when the product has been used many times you can't just ask for feedback immediately upon you know the way he asked for feedback right after the product is delivered right that's not very helpful what you really need to speed back like a month later did you actually use this how does that work for you? You know what is different for you now so that's one thing you could do that in testimonials in customers own words and that's something I highly recommend highly highly highly recommend but another thing is that you khun right customer stories for them so if a customer you know you have an email exchange with a customer you talk to a customer to craft show booth and they tell you a story about the way your work has affected them even if it's something small get their name get their email address and follow up with them with a story that you written that's what you hear from that changed so that you can you know, you can really write something up, that's in that's, in your voice that you hit the things that you found most interesting you found most important about that story, and you can use that certainly in a product description. But let me tell you, that makes an awesome, awesome, awesome blogger post and then awesome block post and make awesome email emails to send out. Those are the kind of things that can take someone from on the fence about a product or it's on the wish list. Tio it's in my shopping cart on my credit card is out, so yeah, customer stories like that are really important as well. Meghan, I have a simple question. You said obviously the top teo identity and beliefs are hard ourselves. Yeah, the meaningful sales when you do product descriptions, would you then combine that with an easier one so that it does not go away? Yeah, so it's environment plus identity, but perhaps it's, not the identity that is selling them right. That's exactly what I would do it. I would always, always, always lead with those low trust things the things that are super believable. I believe I could do this I believe I can actually change my behaviour I believe I can actually change my environment. And then you can start to work in those higher trust things so that as your customers coming back to you and they are trusting you more they are trusting that you can make these transformations bigger small in their lives that seed has already been planted yeah that's a great question other questions definitely talking about how great testimonials are good for themselves or things that they've seen at there but because of it yeah so so then we have about twenty minutes before break and I wasn't sure if we had more to get to I am about wrapped up for the time and I am sorry to say way cool what we were thinking what would be cool if somebody was willing was actually too go through this whole exercise identifying for one specific person kind of like a hot seat yeah that way we could then kind of see it all panned out in action sure anybody have a volunteer four way put you tell me if I need to move it yeah and then you want to grab one of your item's probably one of the scarves would be best okay, well I have a little books okay? All right. So let's talk specifically about the scars just cause that's gonna be easiest for people to see okay and so tell me what does that scarf allow? What behaviors does that scarf allow people to change? I think it makes him, uh with the before before so before they want a piece like that in their closet what's their morning routine like their morning routine is going in front of the closet and trying teo get something together that's not too then c or whatever and still be ok with the environment like still fitting in but, you know, always trying to have all these rules there's all these like everything that you need to like be okay, yeah and then and then they end up being late to work okay rush around yeah get in the car and they drive and they get so far shooted from everybody that's around them hong kong kong all that stuff at all all because, you know, like you didn't feel uh you didn't feel like there's anything in your closet that stands out and I know there's so much in your closet that you can wear and you keep remember I know I looked good like last week and I can't find this wraps love around your neck and it makes you feel confident, okay, no matter what you're wearing, you can wear something black, but you'll still stand out because this was made with love and you feel it when it's wrapped around your neck all right on dh what do we do differently when we're feeling that confidence um, way stop we stopped worrying about what we look like stop worrying about all the stuff, and then we automatically glo o automatically, like, just, you know, people, people sends that energy, people sends the happiness that's why? When someone's crying, whatever, even though we're concerned, we really don't want to get there, we really want to just walk away. But when someone's laughing, we always like low, which I really want to know what this person is laughing about, our wise, I don't want to be there, yeah, so some other like behaviors that I think people might do because they're feeling really confident might be speaking out in the meeting when they wouldn't speak out before they're used to being the person that kind of laid back and no one noticing, but they know when they look good, the people are going to notice and that they will take them seriously, even perhaps. And so that I big idea that they had that they weren't going to say anything about suddenly I'm gonna put it out there, I'm gonna throw it out and see what happens because they're feeling confident so that that might be one thing might be good to flirt with that guy exactly, you know, you get teo, you get teo, smile at people and you get teo have conversations that you didn't know that was going to happen maybe you won't think that this is actually the scarf that did it but trust me, this scarf did it yeah, there you go. So now you've created that whole story around that what do you think? What kind of skills might go along with having a scarf skills? What? Hugging? Okay, you know ah, you know things like maybe how to take one outfit and make it look like three outfits that might be a skill that comes along with a scarf unlike wrap your hair you can wrap it around your neck you can put his bracelet I've actually put around the chute before. Yeah, so then you know, for specifics we were talking about photographs all of those different things I would shoot photographs for for each piece or at least have a range of photographs on your website so that you're displaying this scarf could be worn in your hair could be worn around your neck. I'd show maybe four or five different ways to wear it around your neck give them a big scarf where so I know that these things could be done civilian demands yeah exactly show it is a waistband and by merchandising, that piece and all that different all those different ways you've sort of worked in teaching skill into the marketing so that people then I can take the product home and learned that skill themselves by actually using your product does that make sense? Yeah it's not like I'm teaching them anything. They have it inside of them they just you just but they don't need to point out that we know is it's in there you're going to do it? Yes um okay how about identity? What what's the identity what's the new identity of someone who's wearing this piece the new identity is basic it's it's being okay with being yourself okay like could it be you can be a new leader center very ago you're a trend setter I've loved that that's exactly the identity I'm sure that people are thinking when they're thinking about purchasing that product andi again it may not be top of mind and certainly ah harder sell but over time people will through purchasing your products wearing your products using your products they'll learn tio assume that identity for themselves they'll learn to become the trend setter and not only become it but they'll learn tio accept it of themselves and they'll feel really good about it too. Yeah, that makes sense cool do we have another volunteer? Oh yeah commenting about scarves on and saying dean see designed to saying frenchwoman have been rocking the scarf for ages and it is her favorite accessory awesome to have another volunteer yet you're good things come on we've got more volunteers sasha come on have a seat can't do it that way hot hot hot school ok, tell us where the quirky alone go I don't know what's there okay tell us about tell us one more time about working alone the book and then tell me about how it will go down the whole row okay um so the book corky alone is for people who enjoy being single and want to be in a relationship but it has to be a great one so they're basically people who I prefer to be single rather than settle and the book is very validating because a lot of people have grown up feeling like there's something wrong with them if they've been single for a while okay, so what behaviors does quirkyalone help people change? Are those thought behaviors are like physical behaviours actual behaviours out in the world more in the comfort of their own home but still I mean I was one of the things on the back cover of the book is like are you the first person to get on the dance floor? Mmm so changing oh, thank you. So changing the, um here we go change in the behavior perhaps being the wallflower into being yeah, you know it's so amazing a guy in england wrote on my facebook page once that reading the book changed him because he never danced and then he suddenly found himself dancing by himself for hours at a wedding well about it but that is a change in behavior I think you may be okay and so this brings me to a really fantastic point specifically about these things, but it happens all the time we we come up with these amazing, specific stories of customers who have changed the behavior learned a new skill change their environment assumed a new identity and it's so easy to believe that that story isn't pertinent because it's so I think I do the same thing thinking like these air cork, unique people there wouldn't be millions of them like you were you said initially, yeah, yeah, yeah, what we're really wanting to photocopy here right is feeling it sze what's underlying this whole story right? And so offering up a really specific story like that allows people to see themselves in that story even if that's not necessarily the change the result that they're going to get on dso when we really when we can tell our customer stories or room you know through a testimonial we allow them to tell their own stories. It gives people a way to align with your product in a way that they can actually see themselves using it on dh since one of the keys to more effective marketing and more sales and happier customers is understanding how your customers use the product on dh communicating that use when your customer does it when it's in a story no matter how specific and quirky it might be, it gives people a real opportunity to align much, much better than generalizations instead of telling people you know you'll you'll feel happy all the time or you'll feel like you've got a spring in your step all the time well, that might be true, you know, telling a story of that kind of transformation between never dance thing and dancing alone at a wedding for hours on end that kind of specificity really helps to sell a product it's like good writing yeah, exactly exactly exactly so environment how does quirkyalone help people change their environment? This one might be tough, but I think I'm gonna put you on the spot, come up with something well, I have an exercise I just learned. I mean, I think there's something about learning how to value your own environment for yourself like treating it like it's an important place and like there's, someone fancy coming to visit and creating your own home to be wonderful for yourself fantastics really kind of feeling into and feeling comfortable with the space that you're in and maybe even owning that yeah that's valuable and I think for a lot of single women especially that decision of buying a home like if they haven't met the right guy that's a key that's a milestone gotcha in people's lives awesome skills I know it's chock full of skills the one that leaps to mind is the skill of going to a movie alone okay that's very specific I love that how do you go to a movie alone will have less problem going to movie alone than going tio out to eat alone that teo yeah right sort of confidently say like yeah for one yeah I love that on that I mean I could see that is a bullet point on your sales page or a story that can go into your product description as well I love that beliefs these air prior beliefs or what what's the change and believe what people believed before and what they believe I am doing the basic oneness like I thought I was alone I was the only one who felt this way and like I just got an email from someone yesterday was like I thought I was single now I realize I'm quirkyalone oh yeah well and that's that speaks to identity as well we identify as single we identify as alone on do you that I mean just the name of the book even gives people a new way tio identify themselves and all the behaviors in the environment and the skills and believes that go along with that solidify that new identity for someone so that they are feeling so that they can say not a single I'm not alone I'm quirky alone and here's what that means to me e think that's huge and if that's not in your product description now it definitely needs to be yeah yeah any questions about all that um yeah no I think it all makes sense I mean it's like diving into the specificity you know, because I have been working on creating I have a program where people learn how to be quirky together but now I'm going back to quirkyalone so this is like, very alive to me like what are the real world skills and beliefs and like what really tangibly changes for someone when they embrace this yeah and I love I wantto emphasize what you were doing this whole time which was talking about things people actually said to you and allowing that to kind of drive this specificity you're not trying to make up a generalization you're not trying to guess you went back to feedback you got from the very beginning with people who were telling you this has changed me in this way I think that's that's huge on dh that's you know go back through your e mails, go back through your facebook page look at all that interaction that you've had with customers and actually use that to drive your product descriptions your marketing on dh and your future product development as well all right, thanks thanks you get a break waive any question any lingering questions and from online I think that we are good to go to break you are still commenting and talking about on the two of you so thank you so much for doing those real world world examples that really resonated with you beautiful so thanks for putting yourselves out there to onstage those awesome so my favorite quote of of this section so far is that I'm trying to go back and see who it was that center but designer jet designer john has been very active so far and she commented that you terra are like oprah meet at sea thank you, tiner cobra but really it is going into all this the psychological aspects of not just ourselves but our clients is huge yeah hugely horton yeah I just I can't say it enough something that makers artists and designers think I think too little about because we do we get so excited about what we make I mean I get so excited about geeking out on business it's the same thing people don't want well maybe you do what here we've geeking out on business but that's not why I buy right but that's not why you buy that's not why you signed up for a consultation that's not why you bought this workshop it's because you want more customers you want to make more money that's your perspective and I could I could right you know, fifteen hundred world where sales pages that were just me geeking out being super excited about business and the u economy and and you know, the handmade marketplace and all of this but that's not going to sell anything for mae I have to be ableto think from my customer's perspective and figure out what's really important to them what what do they really want? What do they really want to change? Awesome? Well, we are going to take a fifteen minute break what are we going to do when we come back for the final segment of today? Yes, we're going to do some more hot seating and we're going to do some more super practical application we're going to talk about content marketing so content marketing the fancy term for all the blogging, twittering, facebooking, social media stuff that you do, we're going to talk about that we're also going to talk about business models and like I said earlier, this is not the mba version this is the how can I apply it's my business right now version? Where are you going to talk some about strategic partnerships? Because the creative live chat room would be a fantastic place to find some strategic partners once you know what you're looking for perfect, what a jam packed day and one more comment from badlands yoga terra is being so generous and on point and revelatory. This workshop is just what I've been looking for. A thank you. I had to hear it.