Business Writing Expert Dr. Julie Miller gets a visit from the Sales Rescue Team

This project starts with a business writing coaching company.

A few weeks ago I took action on an idea that I have been incubating for years. Not a new idea, nothing revolutionary, but simply finding a way to help fellow business owners with challenges they face in selling online.

It is called Sales Rescue Team and I’m going summarize our efforts here each week. The idea is this: convene an informal, online panel of experts willing to donate their time to help a fellow biz owner. I have full details here about how we’re going to Change the World, as my friend Guy Kawasaki likes to say.

Our first mission is for Dr. Julie Miller and her company, Business Writing That Counts. She has a successful business offering writing improvement workshops and seminars for financial institutions, engineering, lawyers (and legal firms) and accounting firms (she certainly serves other companies, too, but these niches were ones we focused on).

Business Writing That Counts and Julie Miller's newest effort is to find a way to chunk those courses into smaller modules and allow existing and new clients to purchase and do them online. I should point out that her major differentiator (as there are lots of eLearning players) is that she has a very 1:1 approach – you get actual feedback and suggestions from a coach. Not canned feedback – a real person (imagine that) reads your work, makes valuable suggestions, and helps you improve.

So, what’s the challenge? Finding new customers who want to do an online course. Or finding ways to get current clients to consider this option. 

Here’s our panel of experts this mission and some of the great ideas they had to share.

Morriss Partee, EverythingCU.com  

Erich Neilsen, Erich’s LinkedIn Profile

Andy Sayers, Andy’s LinkedIn Profile

Helen Fanucci, Helen’s LinkedIn Profile

Lisa Jachimowicz, Digital Signage Forum

Drew Talbot, Drew’s LinkedIn Profile

Steve Cory, Steve’s LinkedIn Profile

Erich Nielsen:  I would like to point out probably the most obvious when it comes to online offerings: You need as few clicks as possible to reach POS (point of sale). The offer should also be linked on the front page.

Andy Sayers:  Julie Miller has clearly enjoyed success with 1:1 clients. In my view it is essential that she harness this by way of testimonials. In taking a modular online approach, which I think is a great way forward; she faces the challenge that many writers have: How do I publicize my wares without giving everything away? Therefore I'd be inclined to do what the writers do and put together the equivalent of a synopsis, where a flavor is given and maybe some examples of improvement of one piece of text over and other, and have that backed up by a testimonial or two. This can be done for each module. Having looked at the website it is clearly laid out and I believe the modules are well priced. Where it falls short in my opinion is in the testimonials and corporate clients. That's a pretty impressive list of customers she has and I think she could leverage that more aggressively.

Lisa Jachimowicz: My view point is from an economical standpoint. Things she can for free or very cheap. The first things I would do:

Get on local public business forums. Because you can be (online AND local) this would allow her to use her signature file to post educational responses to questions in her expertise. This makes her the expert and shows her as a helping company without the sales pitch that some people tune out. I would also make sure she communicated with forum owners for permission first, (not to mention) forum owners are candidates as well!

The idea of less travel would mean doing podcasts, teleseminars and or webinars. She can download a program called audacity http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ and start making her own podcasts to publish to her website. People like them and they now can be downloaded onto mp3 players. It would allow candidates’ to hear her sincerity and passion about her classes. Plus, it is open source software and free! All you need is a pc, microphone and then you just upload it to your site and provide the URL to your potential listeners.

Drew Talbot: She could build employer branded mini-sites and market this as an employee benefit. Insurance companies, financial services providers and even legal services providers have long developed web portals for ecommerce for employees of companies with plans they manage. The overall cost of this doesn't have to be huge and it might gain significant penetration at companies where she is already known.

Getting viral with this, the employer could sponsor contests for writing submission and even set up an employee blog to show off. Peer recognition can be a powerful way to increase utilization of services.  An advantage to her is that she can enlist the support of clients for free for the sake of non-monetary reward (bragging rights, team spirit)

Steve Cory:  In writing this response you will see that I probably need the course. But I would not find it doing a search on the Internet because I don't really know that I need it.  But if someone I knew were to send out a testimonial about how their business was impacted by improving their writing...I might check out a website.  Then if there was an interesting white paper or a free review of a business letter I might move a step closer to opening my check book.

Your Coach has a built in market.  You mentioned several of her customer types; engineers, accountants...All of whom have huge, national associations to which they may belong.  All Associations have at least 2 relevant purposes; business referral and education. Many already have an on-line curriculum with loyal users. Some even have education requirements for members. On an added note, all are looking for new members and often provide their entire membership directory when you join.