If you’ve been a visitor to the Sales Pro Blog for any length of time then you’ll notice that recently I’ve been posting a lot less.
There are a myriad of reasons for this but when it really comes down to it I am using up my time on other things. Most specifically on work which has gotten very busy (in a good way) and my family.
I knew that when my son was born I would have a lot less time as most parents due. But what I don’t think I expect was that I would be a lot more tired too.
Me = first time parent.
And although I regret nothing about how I spend my time, I know that something has to give…..or does it?
My goal for SPB has always been about providing actionable content that is useful to sales professionals and companies alike. Information that they can use that very same day.
As for the timing of my posts I had always endeavored to post 1-2 articles a week. The thing is that that kind of consistency, while providing the kind of value I expect, has been hard.
Since starting this site I’ve published 158 posts (not including this one). And I’ve gotten some really great feedback on a lot of posts. One thing I noticed is that my longer, more thought out, in-depth, usable posts always to do the best hwen it comes to comments, shares, and traffic.
Because of this I’ve decided to change the focus of the Sales Pro Blog. And this is a major change which I think will be well received. Both by my readers and by the search engines that help this site be found.
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What This Means For You
Nothing but good things; I promise.
As important as it is to create new content regularly I feel it is more important to create amazing information and tools that will help anyone, anywhere, who’s trying to sell something.
Moving forward the content I plan to write and create will include:
More Interesting Content
Instead of writing about whatever topic I feel like writing about that day; I will research, survey, and network to find out what people are looking for. Yes I will be appealing to the masses, because I want to help as many salespeople as possible.
Is there a new prospecting method that is all the rage but thin on online information? I create that content.
Has there been a major shift in how customers are buying? I’ll go in-depth into what I find.
Has some new technology been released that will forever change the sales industry? I will learn everything I can about it and tell you what it is, why it’s disruptive, and what it means to the world of sales.
Ultimately I will focus my attention on topics that people are most interested in while staying within the bounds of what the Sales Pro Blog is best known for.
Legendary Content
If writing Great content twice a week was v1.0 then v2.0 will be writing Legendary content as often as possible.
I won’t lie, I am not sure how often I will be posting due to this new focus. It may be 1x a week, 1x a month, or once every few months. It just really depends on what the topic is and how much effort is involved in creating this Legendary resource.
Every post will be longer and go into as much detail as possible. When possible I will leave nothing to the imagination. Each piece will focus on only one thing and have only one goal.
They will be designed to be the ABSOLUTE BEST resource available on that topic.
More Resources
Part of creating Legendary content involves providing the best tools and resources available. This may include templates, cheat sheets, checklists, complementary guides, email scripts, or anything else that will help you use the information better or earlier.
For example, if you have already subscribed to my newsletter then you have probably already received my free sales resources (if not then click on the link). These resources include my eBook Top 9 Tips For Using LinkedIn Like A Sales Pro, my Best Prospecting Methods infographic, and my Pay Time vs No-Pay Time Activities List.
These are all great resources and have dramatically increased my ability to help people.
So for each of my posts moving forward I will have no less than 1 free helpful resource that complements the information provided in the post.
And don’t think this will always be some lame five point check list. I’m talking real quality here. For example, my LinkedIn optimization guide is what I’m referring to. Legendary resources like that.
Better Design
The look and feel of my blog posts have increased dramatically since I first started this site. I expect that growth to continue.
So instead of plain blog posts which a picture or two and only headers and sub-headers, I will put a lot more focus on the design elements of each page.
Since my design editing and creative ability are limited I may (or may not) reach out to a professional for these kinds of things. I can use resources available on sites like oDesk or other service listing sites.
More Outreach
As I started considering this major change I realized very quickly that I wouldn’t be able to do it on my own. An army of one has it’s limits especially when it comes to ideas and direction.
This is where you come in. I need your help.
One of the main places I will turning to for ideas will come from my newsletter subscribers.
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In fact I’ve already been doing for some time now. One of my early emails to subscribers asks the question:
“If you had one question about sales, what would it be?”
And I’ve gotten some great ideas from that email. Well I will continue to ask that and other questions to help build the content that YOU the reader is most interested in.
In addition I’ll also send notices to subscribers letting them know exactly when the next piece of Legendary Content will be going live. That way they are the first to know about this career changing resources.
I will also be reaching out to others who are considered experts in their field, especially as it relates to the content I am working on.
Content In Stages
In between the Legendary content I will be creating I will also be writing smaller posts that get the ball rolling for the next big project.
In general my release cadence will be:
- And intro post explaining the next project I will be working on, why I’m working on it, and asking for your help.
- An update on the information I’ve gathered as well as an expected release date.
- The Legendary content
I feel this approach will allow me to best manage these huge projects as well as make sure I am on track to do as I said I would.
Keep in mind,if you are part of my newsletter you will receive these updates before they go live to the public. So sign up if you haven’t already.
What Won’t Change
If the above mentioned changes seem like a lot to handle I also want to let you know that there are some things that won’t be changing.
I’ve spent a lot of time, energy, and money to make this site it’s own ultimate resource for sales professionals so my over all theme will not change.
Additionally:
Brand/Colors
The over all brand of the Sales Pro Blog will not change.
Although I am thinking about it, I don’t have any immediate plans to change the SPB logo or the colors used. The suited shadow man and maroon color will not be changing. This means that there will be a strong consistency between the old and the new.
Topics
As I mentioned earlier, I am making a huge shift in the content I write about. However this does not mean it will focus on any one subject under the sun.
I will continue to write about the same types of topics as I always have in the past. Trade shows, prospecting, professional branding, etc.
As popular as Disney’s Frozen look alikes may be, I will be straying very far from topics you’ve always found here.
My Availability To You
Although there may be things that I hire a consultant for, you will still have unfettered access to me.
If you have a question, reach out.
If you have an idea that you think I should write about, reach out.
If you see a mistake, reach out.
If you have (constructive) feedback, reach out.
I want to build a community, not an article directory. I will still be the mind and keystrokes behind 99% of the content that goes live on SPB.
My Ability To Get Ideas From You
As I mentioned above, I plan to get a lot of ideas from my readers. This is the only way to find what Legendary information is needed.
This is why I will be doing stage releases for each project. So that I have ample time to reach out to you to help lead me in the right direction.
Other Changes I Might Make
Below are a few additional changes I am considering for this site to make sure I am providing the best resources available anywhere.
“Up Coming Project” Page
What I’m thinking about doing is creating a page that shows the details of my next upcoming project.
This will be a supplement to the intro email/post where I lay out the foundation to my next project.
It will also serve as a single point where people can sign up to stay up to date on the release.
In my mind I see it being something similar to Pat Flynn’s Niche Site Duel page. Although to be accurate I’d have to list upcoming and past posts related to the project.
This is why I am still mulling it over in my head.
Upgrading Past Content
One piece of Legendary content I plan to create focuses on a topic I’ve already covered before here on the Sales Pro Blog.
Trade Show Giveaways
I don’t want to go into too much detail before the intro post but my ultimate goal is to create the number one resource for companies that use trade show giveaways and promotional products. And instead of talking from my couple of examples I will create a comprehensive guide to buying giveaways.
So down the road I plan to do this again where I take content from past posts that have received a lot of attention and making them absolutely Legendary. This idea comes from Brian Dean over at Backlinko where he coined this process as The Content Upgrade. Take old great content and make it truely Legendary.
Proposed Projects
As I was writing this post I kept getting great ideas that I thought could be Legendary projects. Below are a list of possible ideas I might work with moving forward.
Sales Prospecting Guide - An ultimate resource for sales people who need to know the how, why, and what of sales prospecting.
Interviewing/Selling Yourself Guide - An ultimate resource for those who need help interviewing or otherwise selling their skills and professional brand.
Building An Online Brand - This would lay out the nuts and bolts of building a far reaching online brand.
Deep Dives Into Specific Sales Techniques - For example an upgrade project around my past post about Sandler’s Pattern Interrupt.
Top Sales Sites - This would obviously be an upgrade to my current Top Sales Sites page. This would also be a great opportunity to build relationships with other sales blogs.
The (#) Worst Things You Can Do In Sales - This would be a no holds bar list of the worse possible things you can do as a sales person.
How To Build A Sales Blog - This is a project I started a long time ago which I have yet to finish. I think it is a great idea but after researching it a little I found that there may not have been as much interest in a topic like this. If I decide to revive it I’ll be sure to gather a lot of feedback on what information would be useful in a resource like this.
Next Steps
Still reading? That’s awesome and thank you for your attention.
As you can see I’ve put a lot of thought into this change and I will pour everything I have into it to make sure it blossoms.
But what I need help from you now is to let me know your thoughts. Comment below and tell me.
- What Legendary resource(s) would you like me to create?
- Why you think this is a needed resource?
- And your ideas for what information it should include.
~ Johnny Bravo
Image courtesy of Piyaphon / freedigitalphotos.net
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