Dan S. Kennedy's Blog, page 14

Three Things Between You And Success

Having a successful small business isn’t easy for most. There’s a lot of bad information out there telling you to do things that quite frankly don’t work. You always have more stuff to do than there is time in the day. And worst of all, you’re not sure where the best place to is to spend the time and money you do have.  

BUT…being successful in business IS easy when you have three things in place.

Easy Thing #1: You MUST have a reliable lead generation system that generates a steady rush of your ideal prospects, day-in and day-out. This way you never wonder where your next sale is coming from and you NEVER EVER need to do any cold-calling grunt work.

Easy Thing #2: You NEED a proven conversion machine. One that turns your prospects into paying customers, clients and patients on auto-pilot. Long gone are the days of “sales scripts” and old-school “closing tactics.” The machine you need is one that has the prospect pulling their credit card out of their wallet as fast as possible because they know you can help them achieve a goal, eliminate a problem or overcome an obstacle.

Easy Thing #3: You generate maximum wealth by putting a referrals and repeat business blueprint into place. One that ensures you’ll receive more referrals than you ever thought possible…you forever eliminate “referrals by chance” and instead you’ll get “referral by design” by using a proven blueprint. Long gone are the days of your customers clients or patients coming back simply because you gave them good service or sold them a good product. Instead you need the blueprint that systematically builds value with your list of customers, clients or patients and generates repeat business on demand and never lets them into the grasp of your competition.

I’m sure you’ll agree that having these three systems in place, you’d make more money, have less stress and be more successful, so my only question is what’s stopping you?

Well the obvious answer is that you don’t know how to build a reliable lead generation system, a proven conversion machine or generate maximum referrals BUT my friend that all changes now.

In just a few weeks on May 23rd and 24th GKIC is doing a Fast-Implementation Bootcamp, that is FREE to our members, where in less than 48 hours you’ll walk out know EXACTLY how to build these three systems. You’ll even emails, newsletters and video scripts created. You’ll have identified you BIGGEST area of opportunity and know exactly what to do to monetize media like Facebook, direct mail and email.

Did I mention this is FREE?!?

Now if I were you I’d be skeptical, because as they say “you get what you pay for”, and I agree. But I already know that between you spending your valuable time, plus the travel and expense to come here, this incredible event isn’t FREE. You’ve got a lot invested just to come and that’s why we don’t put up additional obstacles buy charging you for this event. Plus…being totally honest…I also know that once you come to this event and see everything GKIC has to offer, you’ll be a “lifer” and you’ll invest in other events and resources in the future. So that’s what in it for us. And I’m sure you’ll agree it’s a fair trade. After all, if we continue to help you generate higher profits each time you invest why would you ever stop?

So my question is are you ready to start? If so, click here and make sure to reserve your spot at our upcoming bootcamp happening May 23rd and 24th in Chicago and be ready to knock down the three steps that are standing between you and your future success!

SuperConference 2016 – Day 2 Recap

We’ve wrapped up Day 2 of SuperConference – and the momentum just keeps building.

I mentioned yesterday I would be back to relay a few key “Writer Downers” from Day 2.

Here they are below:

Dan Kennedy (Day 2):

* The opportunity provided by information marketing offers the potential for 6-figures or even more when it comes to lifetime customer value – there are VERY few businesses on the planet that can even come close to that.

* Revenge against someone for some kind of wrong committed (whether real or simply just perceived) is an experience AND an emotion that just about everybody wants.  Even the promise of this taking place is far more important and powerful in copy than the details of the offer itself.

* Decide what you’re willing to do to make money… draw a real “line in the sand” in your mind for your business. For Dan, he was willing to dress up in a pink suit, pink tie, pink patent leather shoes in order to sell more effectively at Mary Kay events. (His data showed a 40% bump in sales – go pink!)

* Tip: If you want to try to beat a control piece of copy, double the length of the sales piece… i.e., if you’re trying to beat an 8 page letter, make it a 16 page letter.

* NEVER underestimate the difficulty of the task to get anyone to do anything. Every prospect is Homer Simpson glued to the coach, unwilling to budge.

Derek Emery:

* When building a website for a local business, put your local contact phone number in your tag in the code. That way the number appears at the top of your webpage when displayed along with your title.

* When choosing a domain name for your business, go for one that’s an “exact match domain” in regards to what your customers will search for. For instance, he uses for his Used Car buying website in Riverside, CA – www.Cash4CarsRiverside.com

Loral Langemeier:

* Ask yourself:  Who is making millions in your category of business? And then… what are they doing that you aren’t able or willing to do?

* Be willing to trade up your friends and contacts a whole lot faster. The better your network, the better your life.

* The fastest way to change your life in regards to money is to hang out with people who have more of it.

* Find greatness to model and then start replicating and duplicating FASTER.

* Don’t wait to be invited to the sit at the big table. Grab a seat and make the introduction.

* Find ways / create ways to offer MORE to people.

Jack Jostes:

* When it comes to local search for your business, engineer your business website to position YOU as a BIG fish in a small pond.

* Every single page of your website is an SEO opportunity to showcase and speak to a specific niched market.

* If you aren’t using online reviews, start.  88% trust online reviews as much as personal referrals.

* Include contact information in your website header. Don’t make them search your site. Spell it out at the top of every page.

Craig Simpson:

* Grabbers like the $1 bill letter still work and have always worked. In 1920 Robert Collier sent out a $1 bill letter and got a 90% response.

* If you don’t know your Customer Lifetime Value, figure it out – it’s critical information.  

* The higher the Customer Lifetime Value, the more you can afford to spend on attracting and landing that customer.

* Once you’ve landed a customer, the key to increasing their lifetime value is a consistent, reliable follow up campaign (what Craig calls “The Customer Retention Path.”  

* In your follow up to customers (buyers), blend a mix of email (online) and direct mail (offline) to stay top of mind with them.

* The perfect ratio is 3 to 1… for example, 6 emails and 2 letters.

* Follow up with regular, congruent offers is critical. People are going to buy. The question – will they be buying from you, or from someone else?

Dave Dee:

* To paraphrase master copywriter Gary Halbert: “If you can learn to write good copy that produces sales, you never have to worry about money again.”

* Free resource:  www.TheGaryHalbertLettter.com – warning, it’s not for anyone easily offended.

* If you’re looking for headlines to swipe / inspire you, look no further than the checkout line at the grocery.  Magazine covers reveal great headlines that you can easily turn into fill in the blank templates for your own use.

* Simple bullet point templates you can use:

 

    A simple technique for _________

    The truth about ___________

    Why almost every expert is wrong about ______

    The dirty little secret about __________ that ______ didn’t want you to know.

* Read your copy out loud to make sure it sounds just like one person talking to another person… one on one, face to face, sitting across the kitchen table.

* Write your copy so it LOOKS approachable and easy to read. Huge, scary blocks are a no-no. Use subheads, bold, underline, graphic elements like circled text, etc. to make the text seem easy to read.

LOOKING FORWARD TO TODAY BECAUSE…

* Even MORE Dan Kennedy (you betcha)

* Lisa Sasevich on “Irresistible Offers”

* Thomas Blackwell on automation

* Sally Hogshead on your fascination advantage

* And more besides.

Should be awesome.

SuperConference 2016 – Day 1 Recap

Well, day ONE of SuperConference has come and gone, and as I imagined, it’s been a BLAST!

If you were here, you know – you experienced it LIVE.

If you weren’t here, we hope to see you next year… in the meantime, here are some “Writer Downers” from today’s event:

Dan Kennedy:

* Most advertising is BORING! You must become more interesting and stimulating in what you offer to your prospects and lists.

* Case-In-Point:  Donald Trump is producing a TV show, while everyone else is running a political campaign. Hmmmmmmm…

* Serious opportunities lurk when there are sea-shifts in public discussion. Back in the 1920s, people started to discuss things about their bodies in public. IMMEDIATELY, smart advertisers invented “Halitosis” and “Athlete’s Foot” – solving problems no one before ever knew existed.

* The biggest fear most people have isn’t death or even serious illness… it’s EMBARRASSMENT. Try twisting the knife on that in your copy, as in “When I discovered I had halitosis, I could’ve died of embarrassment!”

* Ask – “How can I make this offer IRRESISTIBLE?”  Can it pass the magnifying glass test, in other words, if printed on 8 point type is the offer so compelling that you’d grab a magnifying glass to keep reading?

* Look for “Gold in the Old” – there’s a treasure trove of proven advertisements from days gone by. Don’t miss the chance to check them out and learn from them.

Becky Auer:

* Always look for ways to give your customers something to talk about. Be bold, dynamic, creative, different.

* In line with that, always look for ways to up the ante in terms of the experience you provide customers. E.G., She would stick sparklers in pineapples and let the customer bang a gong to honor their birthday. Big. Splashy. Noisy. Fun.

* Don’t hang around with stupid, lazy, unmotivated people who hold you back and drag you down. (SuperConference is EXACTLY the right place to come to and experience.)

* Take ACTION.

Rick Harrison (from Pawn Stars):

* I figured I could do anything in business, seize any opportunity… what’s the worst that could happen? I could fail. So what.

* When designing my pawn shop I was going head to head against HUGE corporations. You can’t compete against Wal-Mart on their terms. So I focused on making my place the Tiffanys of pawn shops.

* Always seize opportunities – always look for holes in the market.

* Get comfortable being uncomfortable. It’s where you need to be.

* When negotiating, always remember – if the deal’s not good, walk away. Period.

* Don’t chase a business into bankruptcy. If it’s clearly a loser, let it go.

Dave Dee:

Money Making Commandment #1 – Always present an offer. Too many times an ad or a marketing piece overlooks this CRITICAL element. Don’t send anything out without some kind of offer.

Money Making Commandment #2 – Always present a reason to act now. Don’t let them go all Homer Simpson on you. They’ll stay on the couch forever. Give them a real, significant reason to take you up on that offer NOW.

Money Making Commandment #3 – Always include very C-L-E-A-R instructions on how to respond. Don’t goof this up by being vague or indecisive. Step 1, do this. Step 2, do that. Step 3, press submit and take this rascal home today!

Kim Walsh-Phillips:

* Whenever you say YES to something, realize that you are at the same time saying NO to something else. Always act with purpose and according to a strategy.

* In Social Media (specifically Facebook), move away from “free reports” to instead asking for a sale (even a $1 sale) as early as possible. You don’t want likes or leads – you want BUYERS.

* Remember – they don’t care about your specialized/patented process, they care about how your process makes their life better.

AND THE TAKE ACTION NOW IDEA:

* Start keeping a list of fun YouTube video links. Then, every so often when communicating with your list, include the link in the email with something like “Hey, I just wanted to share something fun with you. Check out this video.”  By sharing the video, you move away from being a “company” to a FRIEND who shares fun stuff.  

That’s a great place to be.

LOOKING FORWARD TO TODAY BECAUSE…

* More Dan Kennedy (of course)

* Loral Langemeier on creating a wealth-building team

* Breakouts on Video Marketing, Local Search Optimization, EZ Copywriting, and LOTS more!

Wish you were here.

All business owners have this priceless gift—but most never discover it

A key factor in your success is developing a distinct brand personality.

Most businesses never do this. Instead they have a variety of personality types in play, leaving their brand personality undefined and their consumer confused about who they really are.

Why does something as important as this happen?

Because, for many developing a brand personality feels overwhelming. All this talk about brainstorming options about what kind of voice they think they should have and so forth seems difficult and confusing. As a result, business owners never discover their brand personality.

What’s more, their approach to figuring this out is all wrong.

Instead of basing your brand personality on opinions and inadvertently being something you’re not, you just need do more of what comes naturally to you. Your personality really is “your natural superpower” —if you know how to use it. It will make you different and more fascinating than your competition and cause decision-makers to be automatically drawn to you.

Fortunately, there is an easy way to determine exactly what your personality advantage is. Thanks to award-winning copywriter and author Sally Hogshead, the guesswork is removed. After researching for over a decade, Sally has come up with a scientific formula which identifies your personality’s most fascinating communication advantages. In fact, her formula is so precise you can use it to create your brand personality in only an hour.

Pretty killer huh?

Here are three ways Sally says you can leverage your brand personality to attract attention and influence behavior:

1) Zero in on your fascination advantage FAST. According to Statistic Brain, you have 8.25 seconds or less to win over your prospect. Stand out by honing in on your fascination advantage immediately. For example, if your advantage is prestige (one of the personality types identified through Sally’s research), then your prospects want respect and results. Fascinate your audience by making them feel part of an exclusive club.

2) Communicate your highest value. The three sides of what Sally calls the “Golden Triangle” represent:

The need or problem your client needs solved;
The opportunity your product or service has that allows you to solve the need; and
Your fascination advantage is your competitive advantage.

Communicating your fascination advantage is how you are most likely to add distinct value.

3) Fascinate long-term. Now that you know how to tap into your personality (something most business owners NEVER discover) make it the center of everything you do. Think about some of the companies or people that continue to be fascinating such as Apple, Nike and Donald Trump. By focusing on their “fascination advantage,” they continue to be unique and lead their field. Using your fascination advantage long term causes loyalty and an audience willing to pay more for products and services.

When you discover and then communicate using your personality advantage, you earn more respect, more clients and more revenue—without spending any more money. Remember, if you want higher income, it’s about who you are, not what you do.

NOTE: Sally Hogshead’s “How to Fascinate SYSTEM” was developed with Dan Kennedy and introduced for the first time at SuperConference 2013.   Discover how the world sees you with Sally’s updated and revised book that shows you how you can create your brand personality in only one hour here. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

3 Ways to Get the Most Out of SuperConference

First, a confession.

I’m not an employee of GKIC. And nobody at GKIC asked me to write this article. I actually offered to write this article myself, partially out of selfish reasons.

You see, I’ll be attending the upcoming SuperConference in Jacksonville next month as a sponsor with a couple of my employees. My thinking is, if I can contribute to the success of the conference and help attendees get more out of it, I’ll be able to gain more visibility and help more businesses profit from my software.

That’s not such a bad motivation, is it? You’ll make the most of your investment, GKIC will fill the room, and I’ll connect with more customers— It’s a win-win-win scenario!

Having attended countless GKIC meetings and conferences over the last decade or so, some as a sponsor, once as a speaker, and others as an attendee, I’ve come to discover a handful of things I can do to make the most out of SuperConference.

Me on the main stage at the 2013 SuperConference in Orlando, Florida.

After all, attending SuperConference isn’t cheap, nor should it be! You’re going to spend money on your admission, airfare, hotel, eating out, and not to mention your valuable time. Since you’re investing so much into attending SuperConference, you might as as well get a return on investment, right?

Try these three tips and feel free let me know if you have any to add.

#1: Get Away from the Conference

I know, this sounds like I’m contradicting myself, but some of the most valuable times I’ve had at Superconference were spent outside the convention room.

Not to take away from what’s happening inside, engaging with other like-minded business people is just more effective before and after the sessions.

This can include going out to lunch with a group of entrepreneurs you just met, having an after-hours conversation, while seated at the bar, or meeting with an experienced marketer in a spur of the moment, one-on-one meeting.

I don’t know about you, but intrinsically, I’m not a very social person. Networking at Superconference was initially a difficult thing for me. However, I’ve learned to force myself out of my shell and I’m glad I did. As a result, I’ve been able to grow my business and meet new friends.

#2: Don’t Waste Your Investment

What is your purpose for attending SuperConference? Chances are, it’s to grow your business and make more money.

Which is great, but you need to take it a bit deeper.

My suggestion is to write down specific goals for what you want to accomplish at the conference. To me, a goal is worthless unless it’s written down, easily measurable, and at least slightly difficult to obtain. So, before you take the first step in traveling to Jacksonville, arm yourself with a profit-producing plan of action.

Here are some suggested goals I, or my friends have had while attending SuperConference. Customize the numbers and know that some may apply to you more than others.

Find your one-big-thing. I remember Dan Kennedy saying he had a client who would leave the conference as soon as he found the million-dollar idea. While I don’t endorse leaving early, I think this type of goal can be a game changer for any business.
Partner with five referral sources. SuperConference is an outstanding platform for connecting with other businesses that can refer new customers to you.
Meet with two other niche specific entrepreneurs. With hundreds of industries being represented at SuperConference, it’s likely there are other companies in your same niche that will be there. This is especially likely for local service and brick and mortar businesses.
Sign up twelve new customers. It sure helps, but you don’t have to be a sponsor to promote your product or services. Keep in mind though, this type of goal is best accomplished when you’ve already built a relationship of trust with those you meet.
Learn how to fix an employee problem. Entrepreneurship is a lonely profession. However, the conference is a great place to interact with other business people who may have already gone through the problem you’re currently experiencing. Be open and authentic with others, and you’ll likely find the ideal solution.

There’s so much valuable information to consume at SuperConference, whether from networking or from those on stage, that it’s easy to become overwhelmed.

Ideas are worthless until you put them into action. So, don’t let information overload get the best of you! You’ve set your goals, now go out there and reach them.

#3: It’s Okay to Go Off the Rails a Bit

By nature, I’m a frugal business person. So at the 2014 SuperConference when I told Dave Dee that I wanted to sign up for his pricey Platinum Mastermind group, it’s no wonder why he was so surprised.

After paying for travel between my hometown of Boise, Idaho and the three Platinum meetings in Atlanta, Georgia, it ended up being more than a $20,000 investment. For me, this was going off the rails!

I’m glad I did, though. The reason I joined was because of the caliber of people who had already signed up for it. I knew that surrounding myself with people smarter than me would be good for my business.

The investment paid off too, multiple times over.

My suggestion is to be willing to stretch yourself a bit. Don’t be afraid to go outside your comfort zone. In the end, I’m sure you’ll make the most of your SuperConference experience!

Thanks for reading,

Brodie Tyler

P.S. Don’t forget to come by the ReviewJump booth, even if it’s just to say hello. If you come by early enough, I’ll also give you a free copy of my new book, Reputation Equals Revenue.

 

Stand out in a crowded marketplace—once difficult, now easy

Three years ago at SuperConference, I discovered an important secret that will help you stand out in your market above all others…

When you implement this secret, it will help you attract more customers and more money.

Click here to learn more..

Here’s the secret:

Your most valuable asset, besides your customer list, is your personality—and knowing how to use it to make a better first impression with your most influential traits.

The key to this secret is to use your personality traits to fascinate people with every contact you make with them. Because, when all things are equal, whichever thing, person, product, business, service, etc. is the most fascinating will always win.

What makes a person, product, service etc. fascinating?

That’s something award-winning copywriter, author and brand guru Sally Hogshead has spent more than a decade finding out.

Measuring what makes people and brands fascinating, she’s looked at the communication styles of more than 700,000 consumers. During that time she perfected a fast roadmap to earn attention in a distracted world and built a “process to persuasion.”

The best part: You don’t have to change your personality. You just need to determine your personality strengths so you can use them to your advantage. In other words—do more of what comes naturally to you.

Sally’s book, “Fascinate: How to Make Your Brand Impossible to Resist” covers how to do this in great detail along with how to build a better brand message in an hour. She gives you the exact steps you need to make anything fascinating.

When Sally finally figured all this out, her fees went from $3000 to $30,000 per speaking engagement.

As you can imagine, making that much money, for less than a day’s worth of work, is a life-changing event.

What could that kind of change mean for you?

Once you learn how to become more fascinating you’ll easily attract more of the right customers …which will lead to more money which could be life-changing for you too.

NOTE: If you’ll be at SuperConference next week you can learn these secrets from Sally firsthand. Or you can find more information about Sally’s book here: CLICK HERE NOW

Five Things To Heat Up Your Spring Profits

Ah spring! For most GKIC people, spring can never come soon enough.

While listening to a recent weather forecast they mentioned spring was off to a warm start in some places even though “winter” storms continued to linger in others, I couldn’t help but think about the similarity to business forecasts.

Some businesses are off to a great start. Their spring looks to be profitable and right on target with their goals.

Some are still stranded…sitting exactly where they were at that beginning of winter…at a complete standstill.

Some are in a slow transition and will continue to fight off significant set-backs, with some progress being made.

What is your business spring forecast?

If you want to stop struggling and keep your business steadily heating up, there are five things your marketing must do:

1)      Project the  most powerful, persuasive, intriguing, compelling, fascinating message possible. Is your message ordinary or similar to others in your market? Is it plain vanilla? Easily ignored? Just about the facts?

Your message must stand out or it will too easily be ignored and forgotten. If your product or service is widely available and your message reflects it then you are greatly reducing your profits.

Worse yet, if your message is all about offering the lowest price, you will never be in a winning position or build loyal customers.

Spend time on this. Differentiating your business is a key component to success, while not doing so is a big reason for ongoing failures.

2)      Convey a clear message to a specific target audience. Are you vague in your messaging? Do you try and make your product or service for just anyone? Or do you have a specific target that you’ve defined in your marketing?

If you are trying to market to everyone, you are weakening your marketing power. Concentrating on a specific population will increase your marketing fire power and will be much more likely to be heard—even if that means excluding a portion of the population.

3)      Reach the people most likely to buy from you. Are you using media that gets in front of your target audience? Or are you using media that everyone else is using or that was pushed in front of you by a salesperson?

Now that you know who you are marketing to, you need to figure out where they are and how to get your message in front of them. Different types of media work best for different types of businesses and different target markets at different types. Invest wisely in the most appropriate media that will deliver your message to your chosen target market.

4)      Be effective and efficient. How do you choose your marketing approach? Do you copy what others in your niche are doing? Do you do what is the easiest for you to implement? Do you use what is the least expensive?

Contrary to what you may think, using a certain form of marketing because it is easier to implement or cheaper to use does not necessarily make it the most effective or efficient. In fact, sometimes cheap advertising actually ends up being more expensive because it produces no results.

Choose your marketing because it is effective and proven to get results with your target market. Try different things to see which reliably bring in the best results.

5)      Be measurable. Do you know if your marketing is producing results? Or are you guessing? Or, are you carrying around an opinion about certain marketing tactics that are not verified by fact?

As a small business owner, you don’t have money to waste. If you don’t know if your marketing is giving you a return on your investment, you need to find out—IMMEDIATELY.

And remember, if you choose not to use a certain media because you are guessing it won’t work or think it’s too expensive… you could be missing a big opportunity that could have a major impact on your bottom line.

Keep on the same marketing path and you’re bound to weather many business storms. However, doing these five things won’t just boost profits for the spring…they’ll keep your business hot all year round.

NOTE: Don’t forget SuperConference 2016 is just around the corner! If you want to discover how to build a royal flush business, put your lead generation on steroids, conversion into overdrive and exponentially increase the value of your customers, clients or patients, then it’s important that you attend! If you haven’t registered yet time is running out! Click here to register now…

[VIDEO] Top Ten Reasons To Attend SuperConference 2016

The staff here at GKIC put together a top ten video of why you should crawl over broken glass to make it SuperConference this year. Check out what they had to say by clicking on the video below.

And be sure to register before midnight on 4/8/16 because you will receive $400 in GKIC “House Money” to spend at the event.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER OR CALL 1-800-871-0147 NOW!

The Critical Relationship Between Testimonials and Referrals

Tomorrow you have an opportunity to join me and discover exactly how you can control, collect, influence AND effectively use the highest form of social proof, the testimonial, in your business.

Click here now to join me!

Until then here’s what you discover when you watch the video above:

Why referrals are the most believable kind of proof – even more so than a direct demonstration.
How having existing testimonials makes it even more likely you’ll get referrals from clients.
A very simple, yet cunningly effective strategy for collecting the testimonials you need.
And several other important details on the topic you won’t want to miss.

IMPORTANT: We’re only ONE DAY away from FOUR SOLID HOURS of incredibly valuable training on the topic of referral marketing – revealed in detail by Dan himself.   It starts at 1PM ET on the nose, you won’t want to miss a moment. Due to bandwidth restrictions, however, remaining slots are going fast – to save your spot, click here now.

 

Disney’s Shock-and-Awe Referral Secrets

 

Here’s what you discover when you watch this video:

Why going all out on a “welcome to the family” thank you message can produce HUGE returns over the long term.
The critical importance of constantly nurturing your most passionate champions – far too many businesses take these folks for granted and it’s a huge mistake.
How to turn the “expense” of customer appreciation into a wealth-and-business building strategic asset you can rely on for many years to come.
And lots more – it’s packed start to finish and it’s only 5 ½ minutes to boot.

NOTE: And this is only a taste of what will be revealed on WEDNESDAY, March 30th at 12PM ET – Dan Kennedy will provide four solid hours of training on the mission critical topic of Referral Marketing. It’s powerful strategic information that every business needs to know – and there’s no charge, it’s our gift to you. If you haven’t done so yet click here now to register fr this free broadcast.