Meet Frank. And his wife Blanche.
By Jessica Albon
When my mother was but a wee girl, her mother, Blanche, fell in love with a gorgeous glass dining room table set. Glass top, iron base, with iron roses all along the side. Though Blanche was not an impulsive woman, she brought the table home.
When Frank (my mom’s dad) arrived home from his work as a typewriter repairman, he took one look at that table and roared: “What were you thinking? This table is crazy. The kids’ll put one milk bottle down on the table and it’ll smash into a million pieces.”
This was in the days of milk delivery, in charming glass bottles, of course. (My mother is old, isn’t she ;-).)
Blanche either realized Frank was right, or decided it wasn’t worth arguing about, and so she took the table back to the store from which she’d bought it and returned it.
Years later, my mom (in her early teens) was shopping with her mom, and they saw The Table. Blanche stopped and stared and remembered how much she’d loved that table when she’d brought it home all those years before. “Get it,” my mom encouraged. And so Blanche did.
And again, the table came home and took it’s place in the kitchen. And again Frank came home and saw the table there. And again he roared. Only, this time it was with laughter. “So, you finally bought the table.”
A lot of times, my clients publish their first few newsletter issues only to find their readers complain: “You just want to sell us something.” And, though that’s not the case, my client quietly packs it in and stops sending the newsletter, not wanting to offend.
Those clients who don’t pack it in, even though they might want to, are always surprised when, just a few issues later, the clients who had complained actually start *buying*. Sure, Frank puts up a fuss at first. Change is never easy for the Franks of the world.
But, give Frank just a little bit of time to get used to the idea that you’re running a business, and that your fabulous newsletter chock full of value is also a promotional tool, and watch Frank climb right on board.
Just like Blanche needed some encouragement, so do you. Let me be that source of encouragement for you. Sure, you can read this newsletter and hear my voice in your head telling you to go for it. But you can also get my help, one-on-one.
The answer isn’t to ignore Frank–he’s loud and bossy and gets really frustrated when he’s ignored. The answer isn’t to give in like Blanche. The answer is to get some help doing an excellent job, and to get some support rising above any criticism.
I’ve put together two powerful, cost-effective options for you:
You Just Need Some Encouragement
1) Three issues with me as your cheerleader. I’ll read each issue of your newsletter before you send it, and give you a proactive suggestion or two for making it even better. I’ll also give you a hefty dose of encouragement before you send it–you’ll know someone’s seen it, and it’s good before it enters your readers’ inboxes. This option is just $45/issue, payable in advance. (Why three issues? Because I’ve found it’s a great unit for my clients. You can always sign up again after you’ve used the first three.)
You Need a Tireless Champion
2) Three months of me as your champion. (Wherein I make this super easy on you–you talk, I write. Plus, I’ll put my Surefire Ezine Ad Formula to work in your ezine!) Trial offer: $500/issue. Sorry, Option 2 has sold out (wow–y’all act fast!). If you took action on Monday, you’ll hear from Natalie on Tuesday. I plan to open up new slots in this program in the future. Want advance notice? Email Natalie and she’ll put you on the VIP Champion list to be the first to know when there are new Champion slots on my schedule.
Keep Reading!
3) Keep reading NIF! 😉 Subscribe to this blog’s RSS feed. Avail yourself of this stuff–it’s why I write it.
Oh, and the table? My mom kept it for 20+ years and the glass top never did break. Even though she used it when my brother and I were little. Imagine that. Frank was blustery for no good reason and Blanche could have had that table all along.
