The Next Level

The Next Level
the ezine for for solopreneurs
from TrinityJacobs and Erin Banister

Please pass on The Next Level to your network.
To leave list or change email address, see
bottom of email.

Word count for this issue: 479
Approximate time to read: 2 minutes

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SPEC*IAL NOTICE!!!
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Due to the constrictions of our current email mana-
gement system, we are moving our list to a new,
better, more secure environment. Ensure your issues
arrive to your inbox by completing the form on
http://www.trinityjacobs.com/the-next-level.html
Along with the newsletter, you'll also receive
our newest F*REE report: "Breaking Through
Administrivia: How to Conquer Administrative
Baggage in Solopreneurship"

Sign up now:
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Links
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This weeks' The Next Level URL:
http://www.TrinityJacobs.com/newsletter/TNL022006.html

Behind the Scenes Blog - Tips, Tricks, articles and pertinent
info for the solopreneur
http://www.trinityjacobs.com/blog/

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Defining Expectations
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For many of us, when we’re working with a client –
it’s personal. Usually, we’re helping someone change
his or her life or business – and we don’t want anyone
interfering in that. That one-on-one care is what
attract our clients to us and will sustain us.

The relationship we’ve built with our client is one of
the hardest barriers to overcome when you need help
with your business. We usually ask ourselves how
possible it is to teach someone how to speak to our
clients – especially when our clients expect so much
from us. From phrasings of sentences to tone and
emphasis, our clients expect certain things from us.

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My Clients Expect ME!
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Yes, they do. Because you told (or implied) that you’d
always be there, they expect it. Then again, if I told
all my clients to expect all future correspondence in
pink butterfly stationary, they’d expect that as well.

Expectations are funny things – if you tell people
what to expect, then they will. If you don’t tell them
what to expect, they make up their own expectations.
Do you really want people making their own assumptions
on how your company is run?

Continued Below...

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Wouldn't you like to increase the money flow to your
business without going against your values?

(Is there a system that can really make your business
profitable, without asking you to compromise your
heart and spirit?)

Introducing the unique guidebook: Unveiling the Heart
of Your Business, How money marketing and sales can
deepen your heart, heal the world, and still add to
your bottom line. It's practical without being
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it moves you along a clear path that hundreds of other
business owners have already walked. It was written
expressly to solve the problem "How do you stay (or
become!) profitable without losing your spirituality
or sense of ethics."

One reader wrote in: "Dear Mark, I just finished
chapter 6 of your book, and I am stunned. Your work is
evolutionary.

I've been in marketing for more than 20 years and I've
never seen such authentic, eye-opening inspiration for
getting in touch with your business ~ and encouraging
it to grow from its heart (and yours). It's a
completely different way of looking at things. Thank
you, thank you, thank you!" - Sharon Desjarlais
Come get three free chapters and see for yourself:
http://www.heartofbusiness.com/thecore
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...continued from above

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Case in Point
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One of my long-time clients would always end our
telephone conversations with “Great, Erin – I’ll talk
to you Thursday at three!” I never gave it much
thought, until one day I couldn’t make the
appointment… which got me thinking, “why does he
always assume that I’ll be there Thursdays at three?”

I quickly figured out that our long-standing
appointment was due to it always being open. We had
never openly stated that we would meet Thursdays at
three, but we did. We repeated the time enough where
the slot became an expectation – and that was fine
until I couldn’t make it.

I quickly realized that I had to set expectations. I
was allowing my clients to make assumptions and set
expectations based on my habits – and even though I
had great ‘habits’, I didn’t want this to continue. So
I set out to write out my client expectations.

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Stating Your Expectations
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Rest assured that we’re not stating project
expectations for a client – we’re stating what your
client can expect from you on an ongoing basis. If
your client can expect to speak with you once a week
via the telephone, write that down. Write down whether
it’s best for your client to call you or email you
between meetings, and whether you or your assistant is
going to confirm appointments.

Then, all you have to do is state your expectations to
your client. And, since you’ve written down all those
nifty expectations, they’ll be easy to list and
discuss. That’s another funny thing about expectations
– the clearer you are with them, the easier they are
to change. And, your clients will thank you for it.

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Liked the article? Questions or comments?
Visit
http://trinityjacobs.com/blog/2006/02/28/defining-expectations/
to post a comment or question;Or email me
privately at
http://www.trinityjacobs.com/contact.html

All the best,

Erin Banister

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Heighten your Knowledge
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-----Making Dollars Out of Cents------------
Find yourself strapped for cash, yet needing to
market more? Heather Jacobson of ValleyVA has
compiled a book of 101 tips for the frugal
marketer titled: Making Dollars out of Cents:
101 tips for the frugal marketer. Filled with
top-knotch ideas for marketing on a budget,
Heather has created an e-book that you need
handy. Begin by downloading this F*REE preview
of 10 tips for the frugal marketer here:
http://www.trinityjacobs.com/ebooks/10freetips.pdf
and then go to her site to get the full
shebang.

http://snipurl.com/InexpensiveMarketing
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-----Action Plan Marketing------------------
Robert Middleton, another marketing guru, has
written the InfoGuru Manual, the Website Toolkit,
and the Action Plan Toolkit - all of which are
sure to take your service business to the next
level. He explains what you need to do -
sequentially, I might add - in great detail,
while still 'keeping it simple'. Whether you're
a new or seasoned marketer, you'll get much more
than you asked for from any of these books.

But don't just take my word for it - browse through
his site, download the free workbooks and read
through his articles... you'll become a believer
yourself!

See for yourself at
http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=283711
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-----The Brain Audit------------------------
Marketing Guru Extraordinare Sean D'Souza has
created this information-packed website, filled
with information regarding everything form
copywriting to structure to design - and everything
inbetween. With over 300 articles to his credit,
you may just want to bypass the articles and go
straight to the meatiest ebook you'll find. The
Brain Audit is surprisingly short, yet filled
with information that I guarantee will help you
take your business into the stratosphere.

See for yourself at
http://www.psychotactics.com/hiddenlinkSmallBusiness.htm

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Services I Recommend
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The business below are the services I use on a day-
to-day basis in TrinityJacobs. I recommend them
without reservation. Please check them out and
see how they can help you too.

OUR EMAIL LIST SERVICE: I use an awesome service
called AWeber. Find out more about them at
http://www.aweber.com/?207073

OUR WEB HOST: I use an amazing service called
Dreamhost. For less than $150/year, you get
unlimited domains, tons of storage, and
amazing customer service. Find out more here:
http://snipurl.com/n18z

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About This eZine and About Your Subscription
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© 2006 Erin Banister, All rights reserved. You are free to
use material from The Next Level eZine in whole or in part,
as long as you include complete attribution, including live
web site link. Please let me know where the material will
appear.

The attribution should read:

"By Erin Banister of TrinityJacobs. Specializing in marketing
and administrative support for solopreneurs, TrinityJacobs also
acts as a complete Virtual Office for many entrepreneurs. Visit
www.trinityjacobs.com to receive the F*REE report "Breaking
Through Administrivia: How to Conquer Administrative Baggage in
Solopreneurship" (Make sure the link is live if placed in an eZine
or in a web site.)