12:59:44 From vickigiuggio : Hi! 12:59:50 From Gabrielle : Hello! 12:59:51 From mariana : Hi 12:59:53 From CherylB : Hello 12:59:54 From Phillip : Hello I can hear you 12:59:57 From Geesey : greetings to all 13:01:01 From Geesey : Fast food drive thrus 13:01:01 From mariana : morning rush… 13:01:18 From vickigiuggio : Paper towels :) 13:01:24 From Gabrielle : I used to take the bus to and from the food store. Now I walk and I realise I don’t miss the bus! 13:01:57 From Phillip : There’s not much I do miss. 13:03:35 From vickigiuggio : W: Website is DONE (well, version 1.0 ha ha) 13:03:39 From Penina & Sam Freedenberg : Traffic. 13:03:55 From Geesey : W - I think I've finally decided on a niche or area to concentrate on. I have eclectic interests that were too broad. And got in my website copy this week for review. 13:03:55 From mariana : last weekend we painted and re-furnished our home office. Now I do not have to share my desk with my husband! 13:04:09 From laurelmildred : W: Struggle with positioning has proceeded far enough to let me get my website copy drafted. 13:04:09 From Sarah : I just finished my website too! Just submitted it for review! 13:04:22 From Phillip : W I am getting a handle on the program. I am in session 5 and decided I needed to get back to positioning. 13:04:33 From vickigiuggio : Susan: Thanks for your excellent review, btw 13:04:44 From Chris Seraidaris : W: I maded progress on the Session 1 excersises. 13:04:52 From Chris Seraidaris : ..made 13:04:58 From Gabrielle : W: Also feel solid about my website! Congrats Vicki and thanks again Susan :) I’m also feeling great to be moving through the sessions again. 13:05:46 From Bryce : It appears that I backed into preliminary dialogue with a marketing agency about potentially doing some writing for them 😳 13:05:52 From Sam Freedenberg : Finished writing my website copy. Also got several people who gave me LinkedIn testimonials to use them on my website. 13:06:02 From CherylB : Finished my WordPress course; website exists and I have a vision. Going to be finished by Monday. 13:06:22 From Sam Freedenberg : ...got their okay to use them on my website. 13:06:43 From Chris Seraidaris : Q: can I send a focused question to you individually, or do I have to post it on the Facebook group? 13:09:55 From Phillip : My problem with session 1 is that I already have a website and believe I may have picked the wrong focus. So I am now trying to decide what I really should be doing. That’s the reason for redoing session 1 13:10:49 From Sarah : Moving on to Section 4 13:10:52 From Geesey : I - just starting session 3 on websites. Currently have a pretty boring self made site, need to upgrade 13:10:59 From Laird Raymond : In Session 5 13:11:19 From mariana : I-website copy 13:11:21 From vickigiuggio : I: I’m in session 5/6 13:11:45 From Gabrielle : I’m also almost done with session 5. 13:14:12 From Geesey : Q - starting session 3. Without jumping ahead, once my new website is eventually up and running, what follows? 13:14:19 From Laird Raymond : Q: I have not found anyone to connect with as yet on Linkedin. Do I move to Session 6 after I get a prospect? 13:15:59 From Gabrielle : It’s up! 13:16:13 From Gabrielle : The COVID edits for emails I mean. 13:17:34 From mariana : Q: I already have a website and worked a lot on its copy 2 years ago. Now, specially in the home page, I get the feeling I need to cut a lot of it. Feels like going back, but somehow I like it to be more minimalist. I do not feel very comfortable following the template. I have an about me page, I am wondering, should I keep it and add a why me page? 13:17:59 From Laird Raymond : Ok okay… Thanks. 13:19:17 From Gabrielle : Q: I'm curious about how often we should be prospecting. Say I'm lucky and find a client in my first or second round of emails while I'm in this course, and they want a big project done that could potentially take up my time for the next month. Do we continue prospecting every week? How many emails should we be trying to send? Just wondering your thoughts on that. 13:21:07 From Chris Seraidaris : Q: (Positioning) I am struggling to create a 'value proposition' bridge from (A) my experience as a Technical Writer that was mostly information/instructional docs for a Internal audiences of large technology companies to (B) to writing marketing content for B2B (corporate customers). For example, I want to target startup and medium to large software companies. 13:23:35 From Sam Freedenberg : Q: I have some good case study samples that I wrote about 10 years ago for a previous employer. Assuming I can get their permission to use them, I’m wondering whether having such old samples will be worse than having none at all. 13:24:32 From Sarah : I have started setting up my LinkedIn profile. How necessary is it to add my previous corporate experience into my history? I am not interested in connecting with any of those people on LinkedIn. What I'm doing now is very different than what I used to do. But does it look strange to have no experience listed on LinkedIn? 13:25:36 From vickigiuggio : Q: I haven’t started marketing myself in earnest yet, although some old collegues have connected me to potential work for agencies (my easiest market, but long term I want to target pharma and biotech directly)- I have a good idea how to set rates for agencies (who then charge my ultimate target)- but I am already worried about undervaluing my services when I go to Pharma and biotech clients. Ed’s advice has been great- I’m wondering if you have any tips you have used that ensure you don’t sell yourself short when in a discussion about rates? 13:38:14 From Bryce : Gordon Graham has some great stuff…great suggestion 13:39:11 From Phillip : Q I have a lot of things I have written but don’t know where to put them. Having them on my website doesn’t seem to be a good idea. 13:40:59 From Phillip : Q Where I put the samples is my question. 13:46:56 From Gabrielle : Q: A friend of mine shared a job posting with me for a project manager (in The Bahamas). I'm not particularly interested in the role, but I noticed that they want the project manager to have a white paper written - it doesn't seem like it has to be them, it's just their responsibility. The language used is "...Project Manager mainly contributes to the delivery of the three desired outcomes as approved by the Board:- Publication of a Dorian Case Study as a white paper and scholarly piece"I'm wondering about approaching this organisation/eventual project manager and pitching myself as the writer of this white paper. I've never written a white paper before and I'm interested in trying my hand at them. I'm not sure if it's too early (in terms of my experience), but I have to start somewhere. What do you think? 13:47:21 From Sarah : Thank you! 13:47:21 From Gabrielle : Q: A friend of mine shared a job posting with me for a project manager (in The Bahamas). I'm not particularly interested in the role, but I noticed that they want the project manager to have a white paper written - it doesn't seem like it has to be them, it's just their responsibility. The language used is "...Project Manager mainly contributes to the delivery of the three desired outcomes as approved by the Board:- Publication of a Dorian Case Study as a white paper and scholarly piece"I'm wondering about approaching this organisation/eventual project manager and pitching myself as the writer of this white paper. I've never written a white paper before and I'm interested in trying my hand at them. I'm not sure if it's too early (in terms of my experience), but I have to start somewhere. What do you think? 13:47:37 From Gabrielle : Sorry I was trying to format that better. 13:54:20 From vickigiuggio : Yes- thx. I m 13:56:55 From Chris Seraidaris : Regarding samples, I have learned that it is a good idea to list samples with a description of what each sample is about, along with items like Audience, Problem, Solution bullets. 13:59:22 From Gabrielle : Thank you! 14:00:17 From Geesey : V - good proven advice on a lot of areas. My notebook is getting full... 14:00:41 From Gabrielle : V: Your answer to Vicki about rates changing, and not stressing about getting things ‘right’ now, instead focus on getting clients and experience. 14:01:20 From Bryce : V-The continued emphasis on “Done is better than perfect” mantra. It is so easy to get stuck in a rabbit hole instead of moving forward 14:01:24 From Sam Freedenberg : V: Getting clarification on the difference between the Why Me page and the About Me page. 14:01:37 From Sarah : V - the website templates were really helpful in changing my previous copy to something much more clear. Can't wait to get started on the next Session! 14:01:48 From vickigiuggio : V: 1. Reminding me that it’s ok if I’m not at the maximal potential rate when starting out. 2. Picked up great advice RE: Linked in and prospecting. 3. Again, your review of my website was so helpful! 14:02:19 From mariana : V: it is a relief to have less stuff on my homepage! 14:03:39 From laurelmildred : V The course design is practical, well-conceived and clear. It’s especially helpful for someone without business marketing experience. Positioning is and will continue to be the big challenge; it is very helpful that the course heavily anticipates this and provides guidance and support for the ambivalence involved. 14:05:45 From vickigiuggio : Less is more!! Ha ha 14:06:10 From Phillip : V I also found value in the about vs why me pages. I will now go back and rewrite the about page which I had just converted to the why me. 14:06:31 From Sam Freedenberg : V: Also appreciated your responding to my FB question — from you and Ed I learned that I am positioning myself to serve “adjacent markets.” 14:13:32 From Sarah : A: Session 4 14:13:45 From Phillip : A My top action item to to get my positioning squared away. 14:13:49 From Gabrielle : A: Send out my first round of networking emails and finish session 5. 14:13:59 From Geesey : A - time to make a better website, session 3, while I'm dealing with my current full time job which this virus has jacked up too much. It's a main reason I'm here... 14:14:02 From mariana : Send my webpage for review 14:14:03 From Chris Seraidaris : V: I learned some valuable positioning strategies, especially with regard to focusing on experience strengths. 14:14:22 From Sam Freedenberg : A: Submitting my website copy for review and then moving on to Session 3. 14:14:40 From Chris Seraidaris : A: I am going to write a revised draft of my positioning statement. 14:14:50 From laurelmildred : A Curating samples, writing an About Me that bridges my old and new work. That will finish my website. 14:14:53 From vickigiuggio : A: Get a prioritized prospect list in place! 14:15:00 From CherylB : A: Finish my website and get it submitted for review. Set up a meeting with VP of Chamber of Commerce for local work. Not my target market, but the business here are hurting. 14:18:52 From Gabrielle : Thanks Susan! 14:18:56 From vickigiuggio : Thank you! Have a nice 2 weeks 14:19:05 From Laird Raymond : Thanks much Susan.. 14:19:10 From Geesey : Thank you! 14:19:34 From Chris Seraidaris : Great call! Thank you! 14:19:47 From Sam Freedenberg : Great!