Copyright © 2009 Judy Murdoch
A few months ago, I attended a conference that was held at a retreat center in Portland, OR. The center had its own chef and all meals were prepared and served on site.
The food was outstanding; a nice change from the mediocre hotel meals I'm used to. And a few of us got into a conversation around what made our meals so terrific.
Reasons included:
And something else . . . love.
This became evident when the retreat center's director asked us to make an effort to be on time for meals "because our chef really cares about the food she prepares and wants you to enjoy it fully."
What made our meals so special, in addition to all the other good things mentioned, was that our meals were prepare with love.
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Does Love Belong in a Business?
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First, let's get clear that the kind of love I'm talking about isn't romantic love.
If I had to define the type of love the chef was putting into the meals she prepared I would say it was a mixture of pride, craftsmanship, self-expression, and desire to contribute.
From the few conversations I've had with professional chefs, I know a lot of time and effort goes into preparing and serving dishes so that the flavors and textures work together in wonderful ways.
This what our chef at the retreat was wanting us to experience. And we did.
This type of love is something our culture understands when it comes to work we commonly associate with craftsmanship. That a potter or carpenter feels a sense of pride even love in what they created with their own hands is something most of us "get."
But what about your typical information product? Can your humble "Ten Easy Steps to a Greener Lawn," convey a love of what you do?
Perhaps more importantly, does it even matter?
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Information Products Made with Love
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Can information products convey the love the business owner has for their work? Yes, absolutely!
Over the years, I've purchased quite of few information products: books, ebooks, white papers, audio series, home study courses, all kinds of products. And the ones that are my favorites, the ones that I always refer others to, were clearly on topics dear to the business owner.
One of my favorite examples is "What Color is Your Parachute?" by Richard Bolles.
A lot of other books on job hunting and career development have been published since I bought Parachute in 1983; books that are more concise, better organized, and more business-like. But I continue to recommend Parachute and I continue to refer to it because the love Richard Bolles has for the topic shines through every single page.
And in his brisk, humorous style, Bolle's compassion for his audience: the job seeker and career changer also shines though. The compassion is key because if you have ever had to find a new job, practical advice given with compassion and empathy is like a cold glass of water to a thirsty man in the desert: very much desired, hard to find, and hugely appreciated.
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Why Products Made with Love Matter (to Your Bottom Line)
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This leads to the next question: do products made with love matter? Do they matter in the way in which we ultimately determine whether we have a viable business: our bottom line?
I think products made with love matter a lot and here's why.
There are a LOT of information products out there. So, so many.
If you're the owner of a small business and you're thinking about creating a product - a tips booklet or an ebook or an audio series - it is easy to feel overwhelmed and discouraged. It's easy to wonder "how can I possibly compete?"
And you know what? You can't compete. In fact, I advise you not to even try.
Instead, I suggest you create an information product that is so unique that there simply is no competition. To do this:
1. make sure it provides useful, relevant information that helps your customer solve a problem
2. make sure you genuinely love helping people solve the problem
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An Example: Creating a Product Made with Love
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One of my clients specializes in working with caregivers - persons who take care of someone with a serious illness. She hired me to help her develop an information product that she could sell on her website.
With this particular client, the love part was easy. She has so much natural enthusiasm for her work and it comes across clearly in what she says and writes.
She had more trouble with the "useful, relevant" part.
So we brainstormed some ideas and came up with a step-by-step exercise caregivers could use when they need to be present to the person they're caring for but are feeling stressed and overwhelmed (a common occurrence when you're caring for someone with a serious illness).
What I think is so cool about my client's product is it fills a need for the practical advice badly need by caregivers but offers the advice with a big dose of empathy which is also badly needed.
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Bottom Line
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If you can help customers solve a problem, you have an information product. If you love to help your customers solve that problem and are willing to allow that love to show up, you have an information product that can shine through a sea of competition as the best choice for your customers.
Try it and see.
About the Author:
Judy Murdoch helps small business owners create low-cost, effective marketing campaigns using word-of-mouth referrals, guerrilla marketing activities, and selected strategic alliances. To download a free copy of the workbook, "Where Does it Hurt? Marketing Solutions to the problems that Drive Your Customers Crazy!" go to http://www.judymurdoch.com/workbook.htm
You can contact Judy at 303-475-2015 or judy@judymurdoch.com
