Dan S. Kennedy's Blog, page 21

Are Sales Numbers Dropping? Here’s a Sure-Fire Cure.

When I first started in business I developed an important mantra to follow: make saleable things and sell them.

I can’t tell you how happy I am to have gotten this revelation early in life.

Without it, I most certainly would have struggled to survive, let alone grow my business.

What’s one of the biggest problems that stop businesses from growing quickly? It’s a failure to focus on making sales.

It’s not uncommon to find situations where everybody in the company gets so focused on their own little job, each person in their own little cubicle, that they collectively place the needs and preferences of the customer dead last on their list of priorities.

In large companies, the bigger a business gets, the more likely it is to be infected this way.

In smaller companies, where each person has multiple (and often conflicting) responsibilities, the customer becomes the interruption, perceived as an annoying distraction to getting the work done.

With entrepreneurs running solo, they put longer and longer hours in, trying to wear too many hats. As a result they end up with “sales” near or at the bottom because they don’t have time to give it the attention it deserves.

When you carefully analyze the majority of companies that get into financial trouble or that are stymied on how to grow their company, you will discover that they have sacrificed effective sales methods and customer service in favor of the convenience and preferences of employees.

If your sales are shrinking. Or if you are struggling to make sales. Or if you feel you are too busy to focus on sales. Or if you are putting sales at the low-end of the spectrum. I suggest you stop what you are doing right now and evaluate. This is a sure sign you are headed for trouble.

The absolute top thing you need to focus on is making sales. It’s the fastest and best way to grow your company. It’s is the engine that drives your company. Ignore it or let it slide and you will shortly be on the side of the road, broken down and frantically looking for help.

Here are three recommendations for keeping your business focused on sales:

Employ those who are exclusively salespeople. Sales is too important. When you hire someone make sure they are not splitting time between sales and some other role. It often leads to sales getting the short end of the stick. And sales production will quickly drop off.

Hire other people to worry over every imaginable detail and potential problem. They become inside marketers, troubleshooters or customer service reps. Make sure every sales person on your staff is devoted solely to sales. They should be 100% dedicated to selling or causing sales.

Your company CEO should never be a “numbers” person. When sales are shrinking, people with financial backgrounds tend to cut investments in the things that drive sales, like marketing or promotions. It is better to have someone who knows how to make money in this position.

Create “miracle salesmen.” In 1937, W. Clement Stone energized his sales force by hiring Napoleon Hill to conduct sales training classes. Hill concentrated training on the thirteen principles from his book THINK AND GROW RICH. In Stone’s words, he and Hill built “miracle salesmen.” What he discovered is that many sales managers and companies have forgotten or were under-valuing the fact that motivation is more important than technique.

About this training Stone said, “My sales managers began to be builders of miracle salesmen, and our salesmen began to make such phenomenal sales records that the results achieved seemed unbelievable to those who had not learned the art of motivation.”

Most modern sales training is heavily weighted to process, with barely a nod to attitudes. The truth is most salespeople can sell—but don’t. They have sufficient skills to sell—but don’t, because they are not sufficiently motivated or self-motivated to overcome the inherent rejection and frustration of selling.

In other words, you can teach people all the technique in the world, and they’ll still fail if burdened with unproductive attitudes or lacking successful attitudes.

If I had a sales force, I would implement a continuing, multi-faceted system of “attitude training and improvement” to build self-images, confidence and ambition of my salespeople.

Speaking of sales, this weekend’s web deal is Make Them Buy Now System & Toolkit. This program is loaded with systems, formulas and templates put together based on my 40+ years of experience. It will get your prospects to buy more, quicker. Act now and you also receive a fast-action bonus: Pony Express Direct Mail – The Hottest New Marketing & Sales Media. This download, straight from SuperConferenceSM, will give you an unfair advantage over the competition as far as leveraging direct mail to boost your bottom line. A $497 value, it yours FREE if you purchase Make Them Buy Now System & Toolkit by midnight Monday, June 29th.

Make Sure Your Audience Stays Tuned In

How to Hold Their Attention During a One-To-Many Presentation

When speaking to a group, whether in-person or through various media outlets such as on a DVD, a webinar, infomercial, etc. you need to very early on establish why each viewer or listener should stay tuned in.

Face it. There’s a lot of competition out there. They can decide to check messages or get the latest scores on their smart phones, change the channel, hit the off button. It’s real easy to tune you out or turn you off.

And today, more and more people just have a problem staying focused and paying attention to practically anything for more than a minute or two. Their minds just naturally wander from one thing to the next.

Here are some tactics you can use to grab their interest and hold their attention.

Make three quick promises up front – Tell the audience what you’re going to do for them. And make it three promises just in case one or two of the promises you make doesn’t have all that much appeal to members of the audience.

“I’ll show you how to turn $500 into $5,000 in 90 days or less.”

“Save time and money on simple, do-it-yourself jobs around the house.”

“There’s an easy way to actually enjoy increased popularity, more vitality and energy.”

Use provocative questions and create curiosity – Your promises can be put in the form of questions, or you can use mystery and intrigue to draw people in and get them to sit on the edge of their seats waiting to hear what’s next.

“If you had one wish from a magic genie…?”

“What is your all-time favorite place to visit, and why?”

“If you could do it all over again …?”

Special announcement or breaking news – If you’re doing something live through the web, in front of a crowd, television or radio you may want to use the news angle. But if you tie-in your presentation with a particular national event, don’t assume your audience is aware of it.

Today more and more people don’t keep up with current affairs, even though there are so many more ways to do this. They would rather be hermits and live in a cave as opposed to paying attention to anything that happens outside of their little world. So be careful, because this news angle approach could easily backfire if your audience doesn’t know what you’re referring to.

Warning, threat, danger or potential loss – The specter of impending doom and gloom has a way of grabbing hold of someone and getting them to listen. Fear has a way of shaking people up and forcing them to pay attention.

“The average hospital stay now costs more than …”

“The air pollution in urban areas of China is so bad that …”

“If you don’t exercise a few times a week and watch what you eat …”

Benefit summary statement – Depending on the type of audience you may be talking to, deliver a benefit that will make their lives better or easier. For example, if you’re talking to a teacher’s association you may want to say:

“This new educational technique helps students understand and absorb 90% or more …”

If you’re addressing a sales group:

“I’m going to show you how to never have to cold call again …”

Bribe – Like the promise up front, tell everyone what they are going to get sometime during the course of the presentation. Sure it’s a tease. But it works, especially if what you have to give away isn’t done until near the very end. This is reason enough for some of them to stay tuned in for the entire presentation.

“Reach under your seat and you’ll find a coupon. We’re going to have a drawing sometime during this presentation and the winner will receive …”

Direct, specific instructions – If you want them to stay tuned you sometimes have to pay it off with a specific reason why they shouldn’t tune you out.

“Make sure you have a pencil and paper ready because in the next few minutes I’m going to give you some very important information about …”

“If you want to make big money in the stock market, I’m going to reveal some insider trading secrets you need to know …”

For more tips and suggestions to help you understand the dynamics and improve the effectiveness of your group selling, be sure to pick up a copy of Craftsmanship of One-To-Many Selling Presentations click here now to order yours this weekend and as an added bonus extra you’ll also receive Copywriting Seminar-In-A-Box. Don’t delay click here now. This limited time offer expires at midnight on Monday, June 22nd.

Building Funnels Can Help Increase Sales

How many times has this happened to your business?

You successfully pull someone in with your marketing. They mull over the offer. But they leave without buying.

You know the feeling. Don’t lose sleep over this because EVERY business, without exception, goes through this. And it doesn’t matter what you’re selling: mutual funds, the latest personal doohickies or snowshoes.

Even when you get them all the way to the shopping cart, they leave. According to a Baynard Institute’s E-Commerce Checkout Usability study, 68% of all e-commerce visitors abandon their shopping cart.

And what’s more, this doesn’t figure in all the people that may have read your marketing message and are compelled to click over to your website or follow your webcast or video series – but don’t even make it to the shopping cart.

Our research finds this number to be more like 90%-95%. They show an interest in a product, but don’t buy. That figures out to 1 in 10 or possibly as few as 1 in 20 who come across your message and actually take the action you want and buy something.

Now imagine if you captured even an additional one or two percent. This could easily add up to thousands of dollars in your pocket.

I sure hope you’re using a lead capture device to compile names and contact info. Why? So you can follow-up with the 90%-95% who leave before buying. If you don’t, you’re not only throwing leads out the window, but you’re also leaving a TON of potential money sitting on the table, so your competition can come along and swoop it up.

Let’s say you’ve captured names and contact info. Now what are you supposed to do?

Send them to a funnel.

The beauty of funnels is they help increase sales. At GKIC we’ve used funnels to effortlessly multiply every dollar our customers spend by four…five…even six times. One funnel we used after a product launch increased the value of purchasers by 600%.

A funnel is designed to help you get more people to the check-out and to get them to buy and spend even more with you. Designed correctly, your funnel can do a lot more than just make a sale. It can tell you a whole lot about everyone who raises their hand.

Funnels can help you segment your list to see where you should concentrate your marketing dollars and which customers deserve more attention from you. And a funnel can be designed to keep prospects interested and on the hook until they are ready to buy.

Also, depending on the reactions of your prospects or customers, you can learn more about your customer. For instance, typically, the faster you make a sale, the greater the commitment they’ll make to you over the course of your relationship.

So what should your funnel look like?

It depends on what you are trying to do. Think about it for a minute and then ask yourself the following questions. Do you want to …

• Segment names and find out who is interested in buying and who is more interested in collecting free stuff?

• Increase the overall value of a new member or purchaser?

• Pre-qualify people and identify the ones who are truly interested and qualify for the high-priced items or programs?

• Determine which ones are hyperactive buyers?

• Speed up the sales cycle and acquire a customer faster?

Decide what you want your funnel to accomplish first. This will determine what type of funnel you should use and what steps you’ll want to take your prospects through.

All of this, and a whole lot more, is covered in the Ninja Funnels program being offered as this weekend’s web deal.

Here are a few more tips for creating your funnels.

I’ve seen the following repeated many times regardless of the product or service. The best time to make a sale is right after the first sale. So always offer an up sell (or two) in your funnel.

Remember that 80%-90% of your prospects won’t go down the path you give them. Like many of us, they have their own mind and their own way of doing things. If they don’t take you up on your first offer, try creating a new path in your funnel to see if they are interested in following that instead.

For example, if we make our “most incredible free gift ever” offer to people who sign up for a free video series and they don’t take us up on it, we’ll come back with a different offer. If they still don’t buy, we may try offering something else, like a copywriting program instead of the marketing path we’ve been trying to lead them down. Every decision they make, or don’t make, tells you something. Use this information to your advantage.

The numbers tell us that it’s better to ask for a credit card up front, before you ask them to provide other information. I have no logical idea as to why this works, but it does.

Here’s another suggestion. Put your unconverted leads through a four-day cash machine funnel. You want to find out if they are really potential buyers, or just freebie seekers and “looky-loos”. For example, set up an “I’m moving and I don’t want to move this entire stash of products, so I’m holding a four-day moving sale.” The worst thing that may happen? They may unsubscribe. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing if they aren’t buying anything from you anyway.

Here are the advantages of creating funnels for your business. It can create a regular interval of added income for you. It helps you to define and segment your prospects, so you can better predict what they may do in the future. And because few businesses use funnels, you’ll stand out even more. Plus you will be automating your sales process and getting more predictable results.

Funnels will help you grow your business and your bank account, even when you’re out-of-town visiting the in-laws or hacking up the golf course.

What’s the easiest way to learn how to build funnels for your business? Invest in this weekend’s web deal: Ninja Funnels. This information-heavy program is the result of thousands of hours of testing and adjusting our own funnels at GKIC to make them as efficient as possible.

We’ve put all kinds of valuable learning into this course. These are proven methods you can apply right now to your business, no matter what line of work you’re in. And they will help you generate all kinds of money that previously you were leaving on table. If you’re serious about creating funnels to help your business prosper, order Ninja Funnels by no later than midnight Monday, June 15th.

Give Your Business This “Special Advantage”

Below is Gary Halbert’s verbiage, to give credit where credit’s due.

It is profound.

The way Gary explains it in a seminar is: if I offer to set you up in the fast food biz, with a hamburger joint, and you can have any one special advantage you want, what’ll it be?  A clown, special sauce, great burgers, a big ad budget?   He says he’ll take “a starving crowd.”

The proof of this is true – the “roach coach” business: those food wagons that come around to factory parking lots. They usually sell bad, overpriced food, and they are beseiged with swarms of eager customers every place they go. Why? Because they go to where the starving crowd is waiting.

What is a “starving crowd”?

For example, it can be:

(1) a market in chaos, in trauma, in transition, like, right now, the health care professions (fearful of the negative impact of managed care on their futures).

(2) It can be a market where everybody is in pain, like insurance salespeople (hamstrung by over-sensitive parent company enforced restrictions on advertising and

sales practices, faced with declining commissions).

(3) It can be a group of people who are especially, extraordinarily hyper-passionate about their particular interest. Golfers are this type of rabid buyers.

In one way or another, it should be a group of buyers with an aggravation that gives them sleepless nights, ulcers and rage, that you can solve, and/or a burning desire for something you can provide.

Identifying such a market and building the right offer for it is a far, far superior means of doing business than is developing an offer then looking around in bewilderment for who might respond to it.

If you want the exact steps to identifying such a market and building the right offer then come to the upcoming GKIC Fast Implementation Bootcamp.  It’s FREE for Insider’s Circle members.  It’s $497 for non-members (but you can get 60 days free access when you take the Most Incredible Free Gift Ever…then come for FREE.  Click here to get 60 days access.)

If you haven’t been to a bootcamp let me be the first to tell you that this isn’t about INFORMATION…but IMPLEMENTATION.

In less than two days you’ll have a Unique Selling Proposition that’ll have your ideal customers, clients or patients running to you and ignoring your competitors.

You’ll have an email campaign written that’ll supercharge your sales while building a better relationship with your list of customers, clients or patients.  The “go-getters” will have it sent out before leaving town.

You will have a sales letter to use in print, email or online.  Or better yet all three.

You will have a newsletter format to use each and every month that is proven to increase repeat business, and referrals.

You will have a facebook strategy in place should you ever find yourself wanting more prospects coming to your business.

And you’ll leave with seven easy-to-implement cash generators.  Most of which have little-to-no cost associated with them.

There’s room for 157 people at the next bootcamp and it’s already over two-thirds full.

If you’re ready to accept FREE proven advice, strategies, systems AND have it implemented into your business in less than two days, click here now and reserve your spot.  You can also call 800-871-0147 to register.

 

 

The 10 Commandments for Writing Effective Headlines

The headline is the single most important element for any kind of advertising you might do.

This includes but is not limited to newspaper ads or flyers, magazine ads, sales or lead generation letters, postcards, online messages, web content and banner ads.

The headline is the ad for your ad. It forces your prospect to read the rest of what you have to say.

No matter how good your body copy may be, if your headline doesn’t pull people in, it won’t matter. The very best copywriters spend the majority of their time writing and testing a variety of headlines. By simply changing a headline, you may be able to increase your response level by as much as 300%, maybe even more.

Here are the 10 commandments I live by when it comes to creating an effective headline. I found these long ago in an old direct marketing textbook. I can’t recall the name of the textbook, but I did commit these rules to memory and let them direct me whenever I’m writing headlines. Keep these in mind, follow them, and you, too, will be able to write headlines that command attention.

1) Thou shall make the words BIG and BOLD. You want your headline to stand out and be the very first thing readers see. Make sure it is at least 50% larger than the body text. You may even want to use a slightly different font than the body text to make it stand out even more.

2) Thou shall avoid the temptation of using all capital letters in the headline. You may capitalize a few words for emphasis, but don’t resort to all caps because it’s difficult on the eyes and hard to read. Tests have shown that capitalizing the first letter of each word can increase response rates.

3) Thou shall experiment with quotation marks and other forms of punctuation. Quotation marks around the entire headline, or even bracketing specific words, sparks interest in what you have to say. Other punctuation such as question marks, exclamation points, even dashes or parentheses can increase readership.

4) Length of a headline is not important – just make sure the words speak to your prospect’s interest. A headline can be long, as many as several sentences. Or it could be just a few words. What is important is that it speaks to prospects, peaks their curiosity and contains some kind of benefit.

5) Seek guidance by imitating headline styles from National Enquirer. Believe it or not, the National Enquirer features some of the best copywriting and headlines you’ll ever find. Pick up a copy and read it whenever you can. Don’t make the mistake of thinking your target audience is too smart or too sophisticated, or that it doesn’t fit your particular “image”. This style of writing is a proven winner. Model it whenever you can.

6) Thou shall avoid being cute or clever. Your prospect should never have to guess what your copy is about after reading the headline. If they do have to guess or are confused, you need to re-work the headline.

7) Thou shall always speak to your prospect’s interests and desires. Your headline should say nothing about you. It’s all about the reader. Tell them what you can do for them, how you can change their life, make things easier or better.

8) Thou shall avoid “tricking” prospects into reading your ad. A headline like “FREE MONEY” will grab attention, but in the long run your prospect will be disappointed and actually pissed off when they read on and find out you’re trying to sell them a life insurance policy or a bag full of agitated bumble bees.

9) Always have faith and trust in a good headline. Don’t ever create or distribute any kind of printed advertising material without a headline.

10) Thou shall avoid using your name or your company’s name in a headline. Again, the ad is not about you or your company. It should never be used in your headline. Think in terms of your prospect’s interests and desires.

Follow these rules when writing headlines, no matter what kind of products or services you may be offering. First and foremost, try to get self-interest into every headline you write. Make your headline suggest that you have something the prospect wants that will definitely benefit them, improve their quality of life, make things easier and transform their lives.

If you’re looking to improve your headline writing as well as your overall copywriting skills, go ahead and take advantage of this weekend’s web deal: The Power Of Copy Unleashed. Order it by midnight Monday and you will receive a special complementary bonus: Outrageous Advertising Blueprint.

This program features 18 completely out-of-the-box and unusual ad campaigns that produced outstanding sales. Find out how and why these campaigns grabbed attention, landed lots of customers and gave a real boost to 18 very diverse types of businesses. It’s yours FREE this weekend only when you order The Power Of Copy Unleashed.

Key Ingredients for Successful Direct Response Copy

I’ve often been asked how I can justify charging $18,800 a day as a marketing consultant or up to $100,000 to write a sales letter, ad campaign, video script, etc.

That’s easy. Words matter. And I’ve developed a keen sense for picking and combining words that I know will sell.

Now you may wonder if I’m really 20 times better than a copywriter who charges $5,000 to write a sales letter, ad campaign, video script, etc.

Of course not. Better, yes. But 20 times better? No. The fact is, I’ve carefully developed and built a reputation over the years which allows, even requires, that I charge these kind of fees.

HOW you say something is at least as important as what you are saying. I normally edit myself as I write. And I’ve developed a silent alarm that goes off when I see or hear words that will turn off the reader. And I will admit to spending hours agonizing over the choice of just a few words in anything I may write. I struggle over whether or not to use them. If not, what words should I use that will work better.

Over the years I’ve perfected a system for mastering the HOW when it comes to using words to say the right things and sell a product or service. So this, in part, justifies my fee.

When it comes to results, if you have good marketing systems in place and you are not making money or sales are shrinking, check the copy. If it worked well at one time, but the numbers are dropping off, you may just need to make some minor adjustments to the ad or direct mail. Everything runs its course in due time. Advertising copy is no different.

If the copy isn’t working at the very beginning, don’t necessarily ditch everything. There very well could be key elements or parts that are worth hanging on to and building around. Maybe a key element, like the opening paragraph, needs to be re-worked. What’s important is that you need to know how to identify what’s missing or what’s working so that you don’t end up wasting a lot of your time and money testing.

Here’s something else to keep in mind: great copy can sell just about anything. And great copy can help you sell on your terms. This means your customers, clients, patients or prospects buy your products or services on YOUR TERMS. It’s one thing to be able to sell and make money. It’s another thing entirely to earn money the way you want to make money.

Always remember: applying better sales copy gives you a distinct competitive advantage, no matter what kind of business you are in. Because your copy is better and works harder, it automatically makes what you’re offering more appealing to the audience you’re trying to reach. This will always give you a leg up in the sales situation, time and time again.

And here’s the greatest secret of all when it comes to writing compelling direct response copy and making lots of money: no matter who your client may be, everybody buys the same way. They all go through the same process and they all go through the same emotions.

I first started making money by writing sales copy when I was 17. I learned quickly that to become a successful copywriter, you need to tap into the emotions people go through when deciding to buy something and play off those emotions to clinch the deal.

Being a copywriter is all about the WORDS. And words sell across all demographics. Don’t underestimate the power of words. If the words you are using are only adequate, they will not get the job done. And in today’s competitive environment, you cannot afford to use adequate words.

Since I’m writing about words, you should check out the latest product being offered by GKIC. It’s called Your Marketing Department In A Box. It’s got all kinds of great copy and templates already done for you. It’s a full year-long marketing plan. All you have to do is implement it. It’s this weekend’s web deal and if you are among the first 75 to purchase over the next few days you’ll also receive a special BONUS EXTRA.

List Building School includes four one-hour training sessions with four list-building experts: Craig Simpson, Kim Walsh-Phillips, Jermaine Griggs and Jeff Johnson. Each will provide valuable tips for helping you grow your list with up-to-the-minute information. Order Your Marketing Department In A Box now and get this outstanding bonus FREE through Monday, June 1st at midnight.

Seven Principles for Success

Since I’ve worked as a coach and consultant for many years, I’ve had a chance to take a rare peek into the lives and businesses of many of my students and clients.

Most of them are highly ambitious, driven people. But from time to time they may run into a road block or need to take a detour to stay on course.

This is natural. No matter what kind of business you may operate, as time passes a small but undeniable rut can begin to form. As you become more invested in a chosen field and your reputation builds, that rut may become deeper. This could happen because you’ve become set in your ways or maybe because you’ve become more valuable in your field and you’re not sure how to shift gears and head in a different direction.

But you don’t have to stay stuck in that rut. Here are seven common principals that should be a part of your big plan. Use them to check and see where you’re at and where you’re going from time to time.

Over the years I’ve noticed certain common characteristics that appear again and again in successful people. Each and every one of them pays attention to these seven areas of their business and/or life to stay on track and on top.

Take stock of yourself and make sure you keep these seven pillars in mind. That way you will never stride very far off course when it comes to reaching your goals.

Visualize Your Future – As we go through life we plan events and things like weddings, graduations, vacation trips, retirement. Business is no different. Start with the ultimate goal or ending and then work backwards. In other words, how do you see the end result? The more clearly you see the future of your business or company, the easier it is to move toward that and the more likely you will achieve your vision.

Develop a Playbook – Certain systems and processes need to be in place so that you can implement and adjust accordingly. Your business playbook is a strategic plan to help you reach your vision. Virtually every sports team on practically every level from high school on up to the professional ranks has a playbook. It is the strategic execution of what the coaching staff thinks will work best based on the strengths of the team in general and the possible weaknesses of the competition.

System of Measurement – With a strategic plan or playbook, it makes sense that you also will be measuring to see how well or poorly certain things work. Be sure to establish a system so you can accurately measure these things and keep records. A system of measurement is a fair barometer to help you access what’s working and what isn’t working. Of course, this system can be adjusted as you go along when conditions change.

Practice Often – This is true no matter what you may do in life. It’s really very simple. The more you practice, the better you become. If you take a look at anyone who has risen to be among the best in a particular field, you will discover that he or she got there by putting in lots of hours, regularly, for years.

Model the Masters – This is another simple, yet very effective, approach. Take a look at what and how the cream of the crop does it. Watch them, study their manners and habits, notice what they do and when. Get inside their head if you can and absorb their thought patterns. You can’t go wrong when you not only watch them, but then go out and imitate them. There are lots of reasons why the masters got to where you hope to get. Learn as much as you can from them.

Take Care of Yourself – Mental sharpness is important. But you must also take care of yourself physically. Eat the right kind of foods, get enough rest and exercise, take care of your body and it will take care of you. It’s hard to be on top of your game from a mental standpoint if you’re not feeling healthy. It just doesn’t work that way. Keep your mind fresh and alert by staying fit.

Attitude is Everything – This seventh and final key to success is the most important. You have to remain upbeat and positive even when events don’t appear to be going your way. So many things in our lives are controlled and ultimately decided by what goes on in our heads – that small space between our ears. Your mind is the most powerful tool you have. Put it to good use and make sure it is in proper working order. Learn from mistakes, stay focused and be sure to maintain the right attitude. This will take you a long way, no matter where you may be headed.

When you buy this weekend’s web deal Consulting And Coaching Bootcamp, you will also receive two FREE bonuses featuring two superstars in the coaching and consulting field. Dr. Tom Orent, a dentist no longer practicing, will show you how to design, market and sell high-ticket coaching programs. And Frank Kern will reveal his secrets to creating, pitching and closing high-priced exclusive products like consulting and coaching (I should warn you in advance, his session is not for you if you may be easily offended, because some adult language is included).

These sessions, with a value of $994, are yours FREE when you buy this weekend’s web deal by no later than midnight Monday, May 25, 2015.

How To Build The Ultimate Marketing Calendar Using These 6 Strategies

Would you like a steady stream of new customers, clients or patients predictably and reliably coming into your business, or website?

Are you tired of the income roller-coaster that most small businesses face?

Would you like to be able to generate a rush of traffic to your store or site on demand whenever you want?

Obviously the answer to these three questions is “yes” but the problem most business owners face is that they don’t know how to do this.

The answer to this problem is creating a marketing calendar and knowing exactly WHAT to send and WHEN to send it.

Today I’ll give you the six strategies you need to put in place (the WHAT) and show you exactly how to schedule these into your already busy day (the WHEN.)

Strategy #1: Over-sized Postcard promotion tied to a specific holiday or timely event sent out the first week of every month.

Can you imagine getting a letter sized postcard in the mail and missing that?  It’s nearly impossible!

The key is to make sure you have an attention getting image on it and then make sure to follow the direct response principals on the text side of the card with an offer that includes a deadline with clear instructions on how to respond!

Strategy #2: Send a “Nuggets” Postcard the second week of every month.

This should tie into the offer and provide a little bit of fun.  Remember to include a reminder about that months offer and a call to action!

Strategy #3: Send an Email Newsletter that ties into a timely event every month

The import thing here is to have fun and provide value BUT don’t skimp out on the call to action.  The format I like to follow is to have a few quotes at the top of the page that are inspirational, seasonal and fun.

Then I include a story or a joke in order to get the reader engaged.

Third I add value by giving timely advice.  For instance in January you might have an article about keep New Years Resolutions.

Finally before signing off I remind them about the postcard campaign they’ve seen, the offer and the deadline and give them a click-able link  and phone number asking for a response.

Strategy #4: Referral emails to new customers, clients and patients every week for four weeks after the first visit.

For a retailer it could look something like the example below

———————

SUBJECT: Get [insert referral bonus] today…

Hi [Client Name],

Thanks for shopping with [insert store name].

We’d love for you to introduce your friends to [store name], so here’s a discount coupon for you to use.

Simply forward this email or share the link below on your favorite forum, blog, or social media site to give your friends [coupon offer].

In appreciation, you’ll also get [insert referral bonus] when they make a purchase.

To activate this coupon, ask your friends to start shopping using the link [insert link] and to use the discount code that’s displayed when they make their purchases.

Remember, this discount expires on [insert deadline date] so take action today!

Sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]

————————- End Of Email

REMEMBER a referral bonus should be a BIG bonus…not something generic everyone gives away.  For instance if you’re a restaurant don’t give a “Free appetizer with Entree Purchase.”  Everyone does that.  Instead just give a FREE APPETIZER…no strings attached.

Chances are the people will by drinks and lunch or dinner anyway but your offer will be perceived differently.  Instead of people thinking of it as a coupon or discount…they’ll treat it like cash because it doesn’t have stipulations or strings attached to the offer.

Strategy #5 and #6…

These are your quarterly campaigns and are your “Lost Customer Reactivation Campaigns” and your “Cash Flow Surge” campaigns.  I’ll go through each of these in great detail live for you for FREE on Thursday the 28th.

To reserve a spot for this live one-time event simply click here and I’ll also send you the 54 Point Marketing Calendar Checklist IMMEDIATELY.

I’ll look forward to seeing you then!

 

 

 

Help Those Who Want It – Otherwise Why Waste Your Time?

My good friend James Tolleson once said,

“Only when a person wants, needs and most of all, will appreciate your help, can you help them.”

We sure waste a lot of time, energy and money in our society trying to help people who are simply not ready to be helped.

Lyndon Johnson is largely responsible for implementing this very bad idea on such a grand scale that it has sucked up so much of our economic resources that our citizenry and industry are grossly overtaxed, highway and bridge infrastructure is collapsing and our national bank account is overdrawn.

Just as it’s bad public policy, it is bad private policy to try helping somebody close-minded to it or does not demonstrate any initiative seeking it.

Just for example, as soon as I discern somebody asks for my advice but then does nothing different as a result of it, I stop giving it; I may need that breath later.

Successful entrepreneurs fall into this trap dozens of different ways: employing lazy, indolent family members and trying to turn them into something is one very common miss-step.

Sales managers frequently invest 80% of their energy trying to help the 20% worst salespeople they’ve got, who, in truth, are doing nothing to help themselves, when they should be helping their top 20% peak performers do even better.

I’m frequently asked for help with business or marketing problems, but when I start telling the person what they need to do to solve their problems, it becomes apparent they do not want a list of things for them to do nor do they want to work to get better at needed skills; they want me to solve it for them.

Embroiling yourself in attempting to help those who will not actively partner in the process is neurotic behavior, to be avoided.

If you WANT help…

If you NEED help…

If you WILL take action…

Then come to the upcoming GKIC Fast Implementation Bootcamp.  It’s FREE for Insider’s Circle members.  It’s $497 for non-members (but you can get 60 days free access when you take the Most Incredible Free Gift Ever…then come for FREE.  Click here to get 60 days access.)

If you haven’t been to a bootcamp let me be the first to tell you that this isn’t about INFORMATION…but IMPLEMENTATION.

In less than two days you’ll have a Unique Selling Proposition that’ll have your ideal customers, clients or patients running to you and ignoring your competitors.

You’ll have an email campaign written that’ll supercharge your sales while building a better relationship with your list of customers, clients or patients.  The “go-getters” will have it sent out before leaving town.

You will have a sales letter to use in print, email or online.  Or better yet all three.

You will have a newsletter format to use each and every month that is proven to increase repeat business, and referrals.

You will have a facebook strategy in place should you ever find yourself wanting more prospects coming to your business.

And you’ll leave with seven easy-to-implement cash generators.  Most of which have little-to-no cost associated with them.

There’s room for 157 people at the next bootcamp and it’s already over two-thirds full.

If you’re ready to accept FREE proven advice, strategies, systems AND have it implemented into your business in less than two days, click here now and reserve your spot.  You can also call 800-871-0147 to register.

One-Size-Fits-All Won’t Work for Websites

When you’re face-to-face with a customer, client, patient or prospect you can ask and answer questions, plus give them the personalized attention they need to feel as if your business and yours alone is THE one for them.

This type of engagement is essential if you want to grow your business.

And we’ve talked in the past about how to do this with direct mail, email and other forms of media. This one-on-one communication is critical to sealing the deal.

But websites are another kind of animal. That’s because unlike a letter or email, those who view your site are at different stages of the buying cycle. Some will know nothing about your product or service and very little about you. Others may be very loyal to you and your product or service, someone who’s been coming to you for years.

But if you take a look at a lot of websites, you’ll notice the generic way in which they approach the sales and presentation process. It’s probably cheaper and easier to build them this way. But this kind of approach is going to cost the website owner plenty, both in time and money, over the long haul.

It reminds me of trying to put a square peg in a round hole. It’s a great way to lose a lot of customers AND repel any decent leads or income. When you try to cater to everyone, you more than likely aren’t going to capture anyone. Plus the possibility of attracting the wrong kind of prospect goes up.

If you want to make sure your website avoids this one-size-fits-all category, do your homework up front. The following is a checklist of things you need to think about before building or making revisions to your website.

1. Important Questions to Answer

• Who is your target audience? Whom are you trying to reach?

• What factors, features or benefits are most important to your target audience?

• What is the ultimate purpose or goal of your website?

• What is the best way to get those viewing your website to take action?

• What action do you want viewers to take when visiting your website?

You want each visitor to your website to have a wonderful experience. That’s why it’s important for each and every page to have a purpose and to work together with other pages. Before posting a blog, ask yourself what is the purpose of putting it up and how does it tie in or fit together with the rest of your website content. The bottom line is you should be putting careful thought and planning into your website, rather than throwing up pages in a random manner.

2. Build for Today AND Tomorrow

Automate your business and build an evergreen campaign on your website, so that it becomes a continuous and ongoing source of leads and income. A smart way to do this is to install fundamental direct response marketing principles that have stood the test of time. Don’t go regularly changing your website because some Johnny-come-lately digital guru says there’s a new rule everyone should now be following.

3. Take Charge of Your Website

Make sure you don’t turn over your site to a web designer or tech whiz. They will not pay attention to the overall purpose and design. They will simply build and maintain your site based on what is easy to construct and adjust. It’s highly unlikely they will understand direct response principles. And they definitely won’t be aware or concerned about the big picture and what you’re trying to communicate and accomplish. In other words, you really need to think like an architect and make certain every element and button on your website is working toward the end result you are seeking.

4. Don’t be “Word Sloppy”

Just like a newspaper or magazine ad, keep in mind that every word you use counts. The common myth is that a website has unlimited real estate to work with. Don’t get sloppy with your copy. If something isn’t working with your overall strategy, lose it. Same thing goes for any graphic or design elements. Choose them carefully and make sure they serve a specific purpose.

If you do it right and put in the work and planning up front, your website will go to work for you over and over again. Do this up front and it will save you a whole lot of time and money because you won’t have to be continually rebuilding your website. It will become like an old friend or a successful sales letter that will do the job for you year after year.

And that’s the kind of website that will make visitors realize that you are exactly the right fit for them.

This weekend’s web deal is Essential Internet Marketing Truths. This program reveals the secrets to success when it comes to digitally reaching your customers, clients, patients and prospects. From a foundational standpoint, the internet is a form of media – merely another tool in your toolbox. I’ll show you how to use it to your advantage by employing fundamental direct response principles.

Order it now and you’ll also pick up a pair of outstanding bonuses. Both bonuses are from Graig Presti. The first one is How To Attract More Of Your Ideal Customers, Clients And Patients Through Local Search Marketing. Bonus number two is The Internet Marketing Masters Panel: How To Tame Social Media And Google So You Can Unlock The Hidden Profits In Your Business. These two spectacular bonuses, with a combined value of $394, are yours FREE when you order Essential Internet Marketing Truths by Monday, May 18, 2015 at midnight.