“I don’t understand, if it ain’t broke – why fix it?” Dan asked.  We were on our Q&A call with members of our classic Inbox Empire program.

I could feel the anticipation from the other members when Dan asked this question.  In fact, the gasps, from the nearly 100 folks on the line, were actually audible.

You see, for the last several weeks I had been teaching these members what I believe to be the best format for building their own inbox magazine.

I had given them a specific schedule for their emails, exact word counts, and deliverability advice. I also gave them the inside scoop on HTML vs. Text as well as my most guarded secrets on ad placement and count.

They had been working so hard and had also invested their hard-earned money on this program. They were spending countless hours going through the curriculum as well as building websites, writing content, and procuring an expert panel.  They were building a real business by following a model that I had been tested and perfected over many years.

Now, here I was about to turn their world upside down. I knew I better have a damn good answer for this change. And, guess what… I did!

                                                                        Good to Great

Clearly, if you have been a member of the Working Moms Only community, you’ve noticed that we’ve had a little makeover.  We’ve moved some things around and added some new things as well.  We have done this because we want to strengthen our relationship with you – with all of our community members.

We believe that our biggest asset to our members is the community we’ve built and the ease in which we share information with you.
 
This is why we have tightened up our template. It’s slightly narrower and has wider letting (the space between each letter). This not only makes it easier for you to read, but it also allows you to read our message faster. Which I believe is a large benefit for you.

You will also notice the wider boarder. This helps the reader stay focused by not letting all the ads from your IP distract you.

You should have also noticed the re-design of the social media buttons. They are bigger and more attractive – they practically scream, “use me”.

So back to Dan’s original question – why?

Why would we change something that everyone already loved, something that was already easy to read… and something that already had made lots of money?

Well, I am not going to give you one answer. I will give you three:

1)  Commitment – Okay, full discloser here… people pay me a lot of money to teach. And in order for anyone to teach well, they must be constantly learning.   I am committed to those who trust me and the best way to learn about new improvements is through testing. I want to make sure I am always finding the newest and best ways to do things. Then, I share those tactics with my students.

Right now, I do not know if this new issue format will perform better. But soon, one-way or the other, I will have results.  I will be able to share with you, and other entrepreneurs and business owners, my results – for better or for worst.

Unfortunately, other “teachers” will see this format and copy it tomorrow. They will tell their students that it is the new best way to format an e-letter. Even without having the data. This is the “chicken” way out to teach.

It is important to me to keep the trust of my customers, my students and my members.  Good teachers test information before they tell others to make a change, especially when it comes to their business.  

2)  Relevancy – Your Inbox Magazine (previously called an e-zine, an online newsletter or even a blog) should be constantly evolving. As business changes  – you need to change. When I started Working Moms Only, social media was not used as much as it is today.  But in this day and age it is a huge factor of our everyday life, therefore re-designing the social media buttons just makes good sense. Think about all the aspects of your business and how they represent you. Are they as relevant as they could be? Look at everything from your website to your business cards. If they seem dated – it may be time for some mini-makeovers.

3)  Improvement – Even when something is good, it could always be better. Sure it would be easier to leave things status quo. But, we teach our children to always do their very best, to set the example we need to do the same. Now that I have set metrics and benchmarks, I am able to test to see if the changes I make increase or decrease my results.  This gives me the ability to see where I can improve things.  And I will always strive to make improvements in all aspects of my life.

Some people have a hard time inciting and accepting change. Which is truly a shame. Change is inevitable. Those who embrace change usually succeed. Those who fight it often become extremely frustrated and eventually fade away.

One of my favorite books regarding change is called “Who Moved My Cheese” by Spencer Johnson, M.D. It is a delightful fable about two mice. It concisely illustrates the best ways to embrace change.  

I recently re-read this book because of the amount of change I anticipate in my business and in my personal life in the upcoming months.

Not only should you read this book (or re-read it), have your business team and your family read it. I promise you will be happy you did.