Erika, Author at Erika Holmes

13 Pre-Written Emails Every Service Provider Needs

I have been talking a lot about client communication and client experience lately. That's because I think that is one of the #1 contributors to my success. You see, my business has been built mostly on referrals. Up until recently, I’ve definitely been getting more leads through this podcast, social media, and from giving trainings inside mastermind groups, but, for the most part, it’s been repeat business and referrals. I put in a lot of effort to take great care of my clients and communication is the #1 thing. Now, am I perfect? Of course not. I am constantly [...]

5 Email Marketing Rules To Live By

Question for you: How soon after waking up do you check your email? Have you ever woken up, rolled over, grabbed your phone and checked your emails first thing? I know I am definitely raising my hand, and I bet you are too. You probably will not be surprised to learn that we are not alone. A recent study by Sleep Advisor found that: 55% of people check their email some time before they go into work. 17% of Americans check their email immediately upon waking up. 1 in 3 of millennials check their email as soon as they wake [...]

The Key Elements for Creating and Delivering a Killer Proposal

Being awesome at what you do is not enough to build a profitable business. As a service provider if you’re providing done-for-you services or consulting, in order for people to see how good you are, first you need to actually get the job, right? And if you wanna get the job, you have to know how to sell yourself. Yes, you have to rock the sales call, but there’s usually one final step before they say yes, and that is sending your proposal. No matter how amazing your sales call was, your proposal and the way you deliver it is [...]

6 Business Tools I Can’t Live Without

When I first started my copywriting business five years ago, I ran it on just a few basics: Microsoft Word, Wave Apps for invoicing, and HelloSign for contracts. But, as I’ve grown and become a little more sophisticated, I’ve tested out and adopted a few business tools that make my life so much easier. I will say, I am not a huge software/app person. I am tech-adverse, so I’m a huge fan of keeping my business tools very simple and lean. About half of these business tools below are totally free, super easy to use and come with my [...]

Make Over Your Client Experience

You check your email between homeschooling your kids, your morning workout, and see that you’ve got a new lead ... YES! That is the BEST EMAIL EVER for an entrepreneur, right? Awesome … now what? Take a moment and think about what actually happens the minute a potential client expresses interest in working with you. Do you have an auto-reply set up, or do you have to stop everything you’re doing, race to your computer, and write a brand new email response to them, inviting them to take the next step? Speaking of next steps ... do you have clear [...]

3 Quick Tips To Speak Your Ideal Client’s Language

When Cady Heron started her first day at North Shore High in Mean Girls, she was adorably clueless about how the kids were talking these days. Similarly, when Vivian Ward meets Edward on the streets of LA in Pretty Woman, she doesn’t know what fork to use or how to carry herself at a polo match or the opera. So what does my amazingly on-point movie knowledge have to do with your homepage copy? The insider copywriter's secret If you want to write copy that makes your ideal client feel like you’re speaking directly to them, you have to speak [...]

Signs It’s Time For a Rebrand or Website Makeover

If you’ve ever wondered if it’s time for you to rebrand, then this episode is for you. I’m going to talk through some signs or red flags that it’s time to give your website a Princess Diaries-style, head-to-toe makeover. I'm a sucker for a good, or even a really bad makeover movie. I’ve been in business for five years now, and I had the same website for the first 3 years. About two years ago, I reached a turning point and realized it was time to kick things up a notch and take my brand and business to the next [...]

Uncovering Your “Secret Sauce”

It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in: If you’re not able to clearly communicate WHY someone should choose you and what sets you apart from someone else, it’s gonna be really hard to market yourself and your business. And let’s face it: As an entrepreneur, you are constantly marketing yourself, or at least, you should be if you want to get paid. That's why today, we’re going to be talking about how to uncover your secret sauce, AKA what makes you stand out, why you’re different, and why your ideal client should choose you. When you’re not totally clear on [...]

Why I Created Canned Email Templates (and Why You Should Too)

For the first four years of my business, the Contact Form on my website just sat there, waiting for Mr. or Mrs. Right to come along, share their name and number and push its sad little button. It’s not that I wasn’t getting business; I definitely was. But it was coming via direct emails or private messages on social media. This typically resulted in a lengthy, days-long game of Email Tag while we went back and forth (and back and forth again) on what services they were interested in, what times we could meet, could we reschedule five times before [...]

Make Over Your About Page

“It’s not about you, it’s about them.” As a business owner, you’ve probably heard this over and over. But how do you actually DO IT? In today’s blog post, I’m breaking down my latest About Page spotlight. Steal these tips to give your own About Page a serious makeover. HERE WE GO … Headline isn’t about her — it’s about what the ideal client wants for that “oooh, tell me more” vibe that makes them want to keep scrolling. Just tell them!!! The first paragraph clearly states exactly who she helps and what she does. Don’t make the reader scroll [...]

Erika

About Erika