JigsawBox Tip – Using Free Trials

Posted on 03 February 2012 by

Look! A Free Trial!The free trial has been a technique used to gain and attract new business for at least as long as I have been around, and has been undoubtedly effective. With JigsawBox, you can use the free trial option to grab those prospective clients and subscribers that are interested in your business, curious about what you can do for them, but who might not be quite ready to make the jump.

The free trial can take them from “maybe” to “YES”, and here is how you do it:

  • Log into your account at http://www.jigsawbox.com
  • Click on your “My Packages” tab.
  • Click on “Add a Package”.
  • On your package page, add both a title and a description that best suits your information.
  • Once finished, scroll down to the box entitled, “Trial Length” (in days) and add the amount of days you want your trial to be available. (If you want one week, at 7, for two weeks, add 14..etc). When you do this, PayPal will be updated with that trial length and then show the payment will be charged automatically on the day after the trial ends. If the client chooses to cancel, they must cancel before the end of the trial.
  • Finally, go to your “package modules” area on the bottom right and click each one to select how many days your modules will become available to that trial client. If you want them available immediately than you would select 0 days.

Remember – when giving free trials to those prospective clients, it is is always good to ensure that you reinforce that the account is just a trial, that the trial is a limited time offer, and that after the trial period they will be billed accordingly!

This makes it clear to them how long they have the opportunity to access your materials and can make the most of the time they have!

Part 1: Tools of the Trade – The Teleseminar

Posted on 01 February 2012 by

The Webinar, Otherwise Known as TeleseminarOver the next three weeks I am going to be writing about some of the tools of the coaching trade that I feel are paramount to being a success in your coaching business. I want you to take these tools, and be it beginner, intermediate, or advanced, start looking at how you can incorporate them into your day to day operations. The first part in this series will be on the teleseminar – something favored by all.

The Teleseminar (or webinar, if you prefer) is one of those tools that coaches can use in multiple areas of their business.  Constructing a teleseminar means you have a wide array of options that might be inserted at various points in your business. We see examples of this that range from a quick, five minute “meet and greet” webinar that brings in new business all the way to the advanced, hour long teleseminar in which you connect directly with your clients or subscribers, coaching them, bringing them your knowledge, and advancing their experience with the use of your expertise.

But why the teleseminar?  What are some examples of why the teleseminar is a viable option?

The teleseminar gives the coach a chance to really connect with his or her clients, be in the moment, and be able to give a display of that aforementioned expertise in action. Coaches have the chance to teach their lessons and distribute their information in a way that they truly take the place of the teacher, mentoring and showing their students how best to use their coaching programs for advancement.

Another reason why the teleseminar is such a fantastic tool is because it allows you to grow as a coach and expand your business through interviews. Using the teleseminar to interview some of the other best coaches in the business provides the opportunity for a mutually beneficial experience, exposure to each other’s communities, and the growth of your list from that exposure. Your guest has the pleasure of speaking to people unfamiliar with their work, and you get to showcase your own skills as a coach by letting more potential clients into your coaching world via the interview.

Always find ways to keep that forward progress going and staying ahead of the curve. Using teleseminars in creative ways will make you stand out from the crowd, network, and build that continuously successful coaching business that you deserve.

Monday Mindset: The Technology of the 21st Century is the Technology of the Mind

Posted on 30 January 2012 by

 

Think! You’ve probably seen that statement ‘the technology of the 21st Century is the technology of the mind’ on the Brilliant Minds website or at the bottom of some of my emails. Have you ever wondered what I mean by it?

When we talk about technology we usually mean computers – Information Technology. I T is a set of tools that enable us to do thousands of tasks at the press of a button or two. B ecause we have technology I’m able to write this and publish on the Web so that you can read it. Because we have technology I can share my thoughts with hundreds, thousands of people simultaneously.
Because we have technology we have Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and countless other ‘social networking’ sites.

I’ve only recently joined Twitter and Facebook. I really couldn’t see the point. My friend Pete Bennett describes Twitter as ‘the ticker-tape of human consciousness’ and, to be honest, looking at most of what’s on that ticker-tape, it doesn’t give a very impressive view of human consciousness!
So maybe that’s just a first step. Having the means to communicate is a great asset. The next step is to consider what to communicate.

What is actually worth communicating? What effect does it have? Why are we doing it?
These questions cannot be answered by the technology. T hey can only be answered using your human judgement. In other words, your mind.

In just the same way, many people discover NLP and realise that, with a little effort, the ability to achieve whatever they want is available to them. Using the technology of the mind, it’s possible to re-pattern old thinking and create new possibilities. Released from old patterns of fear, doubt and cynicism they rush around making things happen and enjoying seeing their plans coming to fruition.
After a time, realising that ANYTHING is possible, they stop. Because if anything is possible you need to know what is worth having, what is worth doing and what is worth being.

Again these questions can only be answered using your mind, your judgement, your imagination. NLP patterns can’t answer these questions, they can only help you to implement your answers.

In the busy world we live in, there is so much ‘noise’ of all kinds that it can be hard to focus on anything beyond the demands of the moment. Still harder, sometimes, to hear the voice of our own philosophy and principles. We need ‘time out’ to reconnect with ourselves and our goals. By doing that, we can be more conscious of our choices, we can take action ‘on purpose’ to achieve particular results. We can cultivate a mindset that serves our purposes rather than doubts them.

I believe that our thoughts are creative. The simple fact of thinking something gives it energy to occur. The thing is, most of us are thinking such a random, disconnected, pointless train of contradictory thoughts (like Twitter!) that nothing actually gets created.

The consistent clarity of thought, commitment to an idea and belief in the value of your purpose is what creates the desired results. To achieve that, we have to steer our thinking away from the distractions, the doubts and the doubters and maintain the mindset for success.

The technology of the mind is available to all of us. Learning how to use it effectively is the challenge of our times.

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Guest blog post – written by:
Dianne LowtherMaster Trainer of NLPDianne Lowther is a Master Trainer of NLP and Principal of Brilliant Minds. She specialises in applications of NLP for leadership and business results.

JigsawBox Tip – Using Questions in JigsawBox

Posted on 27 January 2012 by

JigsawBox is a platform that is able to handle interactive learning between Coach and Client using a few ways like the forum option. It also has another fantastic feature – the questions section of a module. Using this element of JigsawBox can be extremely beneficial if you think a bit farther outside the box than you normally would. Here’s a few tips on what you can do with questions and how to use them:

The Basics of Questions

Adding your questions is easy – so add your questions at will. However, remember that once you enter your questions, AND make your module live, AND have a client in that module you will be unable to delete or edit those same questions. JigsawBox wants to make sure that all the questions and answers make sense, and by doing this we eliminate the chance of this occurring.

Questions – How Should You Use Them?

Client Experiences

Use the questions section of your modules to learn about your client and all of their experiences. Ask them questions relevant to both their lives and your content – that way you get a better idea of who they are, what they need, and how you might tailor your program toward their personality and individuality.

Feedback and Quality Control

Do you genuinely want to know what your clients think of the program? Interested in how you can improve you’re coaching? Needing feedback on what your clients want next from you and what more you can do for them as a coach? The questions feature of JigsawBox is perfect for this! Questions are a great way to understand what you could be providing to your clients in the future.

Journaling

So sounds a bit odd, right? Wrong! One of the best ways to use your modules and questions is to make it a journal. Here is one way to do it:

  • Make a package and entitle it, “Learning Journal”.
  • Make your modules according to day, month, or week.
  • In each module ask “Journal” questions such as:
  • What was your experience this week?
  • What obstacles did you face?
  • What did you succeed at the most?
  • Reflect on what you’ve learned – what lesson did you need the most?

There you go. The basics, three great ways to use questions, and now you have the tools to use your JigsawBox!