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TESTIMONIAL

"Your article titled, "How to Create an E-mail Marketing Calendar" in the recent issue of ClickZ, is one of the best - and most needed - I've read on the subject of email communications planning. Excellent work!"

Joel Book,
Director, eMarketing Strategy,
ExactTarget, Inc.


View Karen's most recent ClickZ columns on B2B Email Marketing.

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Coaching & Training Corner

Taking the Road More Traveled

In today's American society, independent thinking is prized. Our heroes are those who go it alone and succeed against all odds.

But do you really want everything in your life to be a hard-bitten frontier experience? Instead of experiencing each of life's obstacles on your own, wouldn't it be better to have a GPS system to alert you in advance to a better way to go?

I bring this up because as a business and life coach, I help my clients avoid the inevitable obstacles they will encounter in going the freelance and consulting route - and in taking other paths, such as becoming a working parent.

For example, many of my clients are executives from the corporate world who are, frankly, sick to death of it - and want to reinvent themselves as marketing consultants to small business such as restaurants, gift shops, etc. While this sounds good in theory, the alarm bells always go off in my head. Unless you have a turnkey, low-cost product for small business - such as an inexpensive email broadcast service - you're headed on the road to disaster.

For example, if you are a marketing executive who wants to work with small businesses, you might want to consider these facts. Most small businesses have non-existent marketing budgets, they are run by entrepreneurs who are juggling many initiatives at one time (which means yours will probably languish on the back burner), and often they have no idea about marketing realities (such as the fact that most B2B mailings only generate a 1% to 2% response at best - meaning 98% to 99% of your mailing will be trashed).

So I try to nudge my clients to think more realistically about building a corporate clientele and finding sources of multiple referrers (for example, a graphic designer who will bring you in on projects). It's not as dreamy or glamorous as writing for your local bed & breakfast - but it's an approach that at least guarantees you'll be able to put food on your own table. (Note: Of course, if you feel passionate about working in a certain area that doesn't generate a lot of revenue, you can always take on a pet project to keep yourself happy and inspired - and in time, that area may become a profitable part of your business.)

My own coach is a former president of a large public relations firm. He has helped me a great deal to get past my own self-imposed "glass ceiling" in my own creative consultancy - and to take new paths that I didn't even know existed.

Recently, I came up on another situation where I needed a "seasoned scout" on a road I'd never been on before - elder care. If you've been through an elder care crisis yourself, you know that nothing in your prior experience can prepare you for it. A friend of mine who went through a similar situation made a smart move by talking with an elder care expert, who advised her that it was "a well-worn path" that thousands of people have taken before and there were professionals who could help.

By the time my own crisis hit (which involved not one, not two, but three older aunts), my friend had already used a firm called Elder Life Management (www.elderlifemanagement.org) with success. And so, I quickly arranged a conference call with all the family members involved to talk to ELM about our situation. Within 90 minutes, the Executive Director had assessed the situation and mapped out a plan that made perfect sense - and one that we would have never come up with on our own.

In the 3 months since the crisis hit, it has still been inordinately challenging to deal with this situation plus trying to stay balanced on the work/kids seesaw - but the people at ELM have saved us many hours and much angst - for which I am eternally grateful. I do believe that my 3 aunts would never have gotten the kind of quality care they have now without their help. (Note: Even if you think you will never need it, bookmark the ELM website now - you may have a friend who will need it down the road).

Key learning: While the maverick who goes it alone is great material for a book or a movie, in real life, getting the help of someone who knows the road ahead may be the better course. If there are any areas of your life where you are confused, constantly weighing the "pro's and con's", or just plain stuck, ask yourself, "Who has experience in this who could help map out the right way to go?" The answer may be a tutor for a child who is struggling academically and not responding well to your parental help... a professional organizer to make sense of that quagmire in your closet... or a fitness instructor who can personalize a routine that works best with your schedule, abilities, and personality.

Looking for a pragmatic business coach to help you scout out a profitable business path - and avoid costly dead ends? Here's what one of Karen's coaching clients, Meg Dedman, told her recently, "You're the best! Always insightful, supportive yet direct." Send Karen a quick email to set up a coaching consultation.

Karen's ClickZ Columns on B2B Email Marketing