Will this be the way you start your New Year?

I had an interesting phone call this weekend from a friend from way back. 

Someone who I used to hang out with in University, party with (a little too much), chase girls with, and dream about success with.

He's a great guy... that has grown incredibly jaded since we last spoke.

He used to aspire to do big things in the business world.

But... he couldn't lay off the partying when it mattered... and the years crept on him, along with the growing "past jobs" section on his resume.

He is now in yet another job... and does not sound happy about it at all.

And everyone from our "inner circle" who has gone on to succeed in their fields, is "all about the money"... me being no different (according to him).

He doesn't seem to have much drive or motivation left to become a success, despite his young age of 39.

I am not sure if he is reading this or not.

And I am not sure if you are becoming increasingly jaded about succeeding in a turbulent world.

But, I want to leave you with one thing I recently heard that is incredibly inspiring... no matter who you are and what your situation is.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"HELL on earth is...

...meeting the person you know you COULD have become!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I don't know about you, but that FIRES ME UP.

I love that quote... more than almost any other.

And it is the driving force for my business in 2009.

Don't get me wrong... I had an excellent year with revenues more than doubling, a major business award, and a serious mission for 2009.  But I want more.  I want to achieve more... teach my children more about success... and enjoy more of my life with my partner and wife Kari, along with our incredible twin daughters,  Hailey and Katrina. 

And this quote will push me to even greater heights in 2009.

You?

Who is that one person you might meet, that you know you COULD have become?

You know the one... he or she is certainly no better, no smarter, or more gifted than you are.

Why have they gone on to great things? 

How can you?

What is YOUR reason to make 2009 your best year yet?

If my friend is reading this now, find that reason again... and use it to get back the fire you used to have.

You have more than enough time to achieve anything and everything you want in life.

And the current economic conditions are an excellent time to get serious about your future.

Despite all the crap you hear in the media, down times like this  are when most wealth and success is made... will you be taking  part in the good side of the recession...

... or the bad? 

The choice IS YOURS... no one else.

Again, I ask you to read this one more time and think seriously about it...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"HELL on earth is...

...meeting the person you know you COULD have become!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WHO is that person?

And what will YOU do to ensure it never happens to you?

Paste that quote on your wall, to remember what YOUR driving motivation is.

Put it on your computer, in your wallet, or wherever else  you need to ensure you see it 15 times a day!

Make this next year your most incredible ever.

And let me know how I can help.

To your success,

Troy White

Honesty in advertising... a good thing... or too dangerous for YOUR business?

This came across the newswires and I just had to write about it.

A young mother of "difficult" children posted an online ad to find a nanny.

Nothing unusual there. 

What was unusual was her incredible honesty in the advertisement...

Some of the best comments:

'My kids are a pain'

"If you cannot multitask, or communicate without being passive aggressive, don't even bother replying," Rebecca Land Soodak, a mother of four on Manhattan's Upper East Side, wrote Aug. 19 in her advertisement on Craigslist.

"I can be a tad difficult to work for. I'm loud, pushy and while I used to think we paid well, I am no longer sure."

Some other excerpts from the listing: "If you are fundamentally unhappy with your life, you will be more unhappy if you take this job, so do us all a favor and get some treatment or move to the Rockies, but do not apply for employment with us."

And this: "Also, if you suspect all wealthy women are frivolous, we are not for you."

And this: "I have all sorts of theories on how to stack my dishwasher, and if you are judgmental about Ritalin for ADHD, or think such things are caused by too much sugar, again, deal-break city."

It worked... she found a nanny through the advertisement... and she got a ton of publicity (not sure if she intended that!).

All the parenting blogs are afire with this one.  People are up in arms and don't know what to do. 

You either love the approach - or hate it - but it certainly got attention.

What does this mean for business?

Brutal truths and reality in advertising -- a novel concept whose time has come... or has it.

Instead of seeing the ads that say "Make $5,000 a day on autopilot, starting tomorrow"... you would start seeing ads like "work 18 hours a day for a year in this network marketing system and, if you are lucky, make enough to cover your phone bills!" 

Ok, maybe that is a little tongue in cheek. 

But, in reality, ads using this kind of brutal honesty would have to say things like

"Ya, I make a good income, more than I could ever make working for someone else.

But it took me years to get there, I still work wayyy too many late nights, and I still need more leveraged income... but the money is great!" 

Would that get buyers? 

Probably. 

It would attract a completely different type of person too, than the get rich overnight approach.

Here is another look at this approach in advertising..

Conspiracies, Copywriting (and are you 'Cool' enough?)…

In case you haven’t heard, The Great Copywriting Conspiracy report – which details how a 55-year-old biker generated over $22 million in 6 weeks on the Internet – has become something of an instant marketing phenomenon.

It’s averaging over 1,000 new readers a day – and the numbers are still growing!

While many have praised it as “breakthrough”… “extraordinary”… “loaded with info that immediately made me money”… it’s also had its fair share of naysayers.

You see, the critics wanted The Great Copywriting Conspiracy to go even deeper into nitty-gritty, specific writing secrets that can be used to immediately make more money online.

They want their response, sales and profits to explode RIGHT NOW.

Well… Tony and Clayton (the authors) listened. And that’s where their next special report comes in.

It’s called, The #1 Way to Electrify Your Ads http://www.copysharpshooter.com – and it details how you can more easily persuade ANY type of Internet visitor to buy your products or services.

Why is this info so urgently needed today more than ever?

Well… if you’ve been selling anything on the Internet in recent years, you’ve probably experienced the following challenges:

- Prospects really only want to read emails from friends (NOT marketers)…

- They get easily bored – and the second you bore them, they’re off doing something else…

- Their attention spans are shorter, yet their demand for entertainment is higher…

- They want you to speak THEIR “lingo” – if you don’t, you’re immediately labeled as an “outsider” and ignored…

Fortunately, the ONE SECRET revealed in The #1 Way to Electrify Your Ads http://www.copysharpshooter.com counters all of these problems. Just put it to work, and watch as the following happens to all of your Internet marketing efforts:

-Your copy – even if you’re not that good of a writer – becomes much more FUN to read, and your prospects pay closer attention to everything you say…

-Because they enjoy reading your stuff – they stick with you longer…

-Your prospects see you as a friend – a “cool” regular person who they can trust – which drops their “advertising defenses” and allows them to happily hear your sales pitch…

-And this causes them to buy a LOT more from you!

It’s really quite simple. Just put this secret to work – which you’ll discover how to easily do in the pages of The #1 Way to Electrify Your Ads http://www.copysharpshooter.com – and you can’t help but sell more and make more from every marketing piece you create.

Talk to you soon,

Troy White

PS – I’ve personally read this report and it rocks. It’s filled with nothing but actionable, moneymaking content. But I’ll be honest with you: It’s part of a bigger product launch sequence – and so I don’t think it’s going to be available for very long.

My advice? Go here and download your copy before the page is taken down:

The #1 Way to Electrify Your Ads http://www.copysharpshooter.com

2 profitable reasons to write your clients next week

Guess what today is?

It’s International Thank You Day!

Not only that, it is National Step In A Puddle and Splash Your Friend Day.

In Calgary, where I live, the splashing in a puddle trick might cause frostbite – but I will say THANK YOU ~ ! It has been an honor and a pleasure writing to you, and I look forward to helping you grow your business and making 2008 your best year yet.

Here are 2 upcoming events that are a perfect chance for you to mail your customers and prospects:

>> (1) Saturday, January 19^th is National Popcorn day.

So what? Well, for those with a keen marketing ear, this spells opportunity! Why don’t you run some form of special in honor of Popcorn day? Offer to buy your clients a movie pass for 2, even throw in the pop and popcorn, if they decide to buy your bundle of products and services. Set the deadline for the promotion to next Saturday, the 19^th, at 11:59 pm – anyone who buys your special deal by then gets the movie passes and the snack coupons mailed to them.

 Too hokey?

Did you know that a large majority of the most successful promotions in history have bonus products that are completely unrelated to the product itself? Calculators, coffee mugs, t-shirts or hats – they are all proven tools to improve response.

Did you also know that food is one of the BEST customer appreciation gifts you can give?

But… if you want something more “professional” than popcorn…

 >> (2) the same day, Saturday January 19^th, is also the 138 year anniversary of the First Women Stockbrokers to ever set foot on “the floor” in New York.

True fact.

Now, if you are in any form of financial planning business, or sell to women professionals, or celebrate breakthroughs in business – could this not be the PERFECT opportunity to send out a little note to your customers?

Send them a short note explaining the reason for your excitement – and offer them something special.

 

GET THIS: there are over 3,000 marketing and advertising messages thrown at your customers and prospects every single day of the year – YOU can be the one that does something unusual and actually STANDS OUT from the crowd.

 

The 2008 Small Business Marketing and Promotional Calendar holds THOUSANDS of unusual ideas like this for growing your business this year.
 

From the 2 or 3 different daily events you can use, to the weekly celebrations, and the month long themes – the Calendar is designed like a daytime that literally forces you to think like a marketer.
 

Not only that, it comes complete with copy-and-paste templates and sales letters you can STEAL from me and send to your clients. 

Don’t believe me? 

You can watch the video done by a client at http://www.marketingreminder.com – or have a look at these 2 testimonials from those who have seen, and are using the 2008 Marketing and Promotional Calendar….

= = = = = = = = = =  = = = = = = = = =

“I personally highly recommend this great resource from Troy White. He’s put together a great combination of marketing resources, ideas and pre-done salesletters, catered to the Small Business market, virtually guaranteed to give you a flood of new customers. I use it and I suggest you do too.”

--- Brandon Roe, Roe and Associates

"I will make at LEAST $6,000 using this tool.
What are YOU waiting for?"

"Troy White's Marketing and Promotional Calendar gives you great reasons and templates to keep in touch with your clients and make more money. From promotional mailings, print newsletter, websites and blogs,  I will be using this throughout 2008 to build my business. 

I highly encourage you to pick this up - it's incredible. 

If you don't get value out of this calendar, I will personally put my running shoes on, come over

to your house, and give you a refund myself! 

It’s THAT GOOD."

- -  Mandie Crawford, President of Roaring Women

= = = = = = = = = =  = = = = = = = = =

From promotional ideas, to blog post subjects, to reasons for a party and media celebration – the marketing calendar is designed (and guaranteed) to make you AT LEAST $5,000 this year.

And for the pittance I am asking for it – I personally think you would be crazy not to invest the whopping $69 and get your hands on this. Look, Friday February 8^th is Laugh and Get Rich Day – and I want to help you do just that!

 
Pick up a copy of the 2008 Small Business Marketing and Promotioanl Calendar today – before another opportunity to grow your business passes you by…

http://www.marketingreminder.com

To your marketing breakthroughs,

Troy White

PS: In this day and age – how often do you get first hand chance to learn a proven system that has made millions for others – for PENNIES ON THE DOLLAR OF WHAT OTHERS HAVE PAID? Where else are you guaranteed results like this? And where else can you be shown the 1-2-3 blueprint to attract all the new business you can handle?

The difference between those who get it and those who don’t

Straight out of the mouth of someone who DIDN’T get it….

“This doesn’t apply to MY business!:

Seen and heard it all over again today during a day long seminar I was at in

Vancouver

. Hosted by Brandon Roe, with Doug White as the main speaker for the day.

 
Doug is an absolute genius for marketing.. What’s really exciting is that Doug is the few marketers to step up to the plate with $5 Billion worth of proof to back him up. In the past 35 years, Doug has mastered marketing using untraditional technique.

 
Having done blockbuster campaigns for large Fortune 50 type clients, right down to smaller retail type companies... his experience is diverse and his knowledge unprecedented. 

 
Doug finally has decided to step out from behind the desk and start sharing his vast storehouse of marketing experience with other like-minded direct marketers. 

 
Now, his experience is in the Canadian marketplace – but his ideas are universal in their application. What I loved the most about his day-long seminar? The fact it breaks many of the so-called ‘rules’ of direct marketing. From using 3^rd class bulk mail, even to unaddressed business class mail (in

Canada

, this is what it is called, in the

US

there is no real comparison). 

 
He shared with us the results of his 7,000+ tests – he shared with us actual copies of his promotions – and he shared with us millions of dollars worth of ideas (in the right hands they are worth that, and more).

 
Despite all of this, there was a guy in the audience who left at mid-day. He said it didn’t apply to him – “not my kind of thing” he said. I wonder how someone can be that stupid or blind (both suited him). Doug showed a marketing campaign he had done for a guy in the EXACT same industry (real estate) – that made him millions of dollars in commissions... yet to the guy in the seminar today... it wouldn’t work. 

 
How is it that something can work for person A, someone in real estate, someone who made millions of dollars from that campaign... yet, person B is so clueless that they can’t see past their blinders and get it that the exact same type of campaign would have replicable results to what person A saw. 

 
They are about to throw away millions of dollars in commissions – because of their stubbornness to open their mind to new ideas (new to them, anyhow).

 
So this guy walks out, and goes back to the way he has always done things, and will get the same kind of results he has always gotten.

 
Less than 5% of realtors in

Canada

make a liveable income, I am willing to bet a thousand bucks right now that he falls into the 95% of people who can’t afford to eat or live. Why? 

 
Because he is so inflexible to actually try something new.

 
Something that could have made him a millionaire... will remain a black spot on his not-so-large of a brain. He will always be the guy that spouts off how “direct marketing doesn’t work for realtors” – and completely forget about the fact it made millions for person A. He will continue to find excuses why he can’t afford to eat – or live... “the market is down, bad leads, other realtors are cutting their commissions... etc. The excuses will never end. 

 
My entire point to this article today is to hopefully break you out of any year-end slumber you may be feeling. As the year winds down, you should be seriously asking yourself what you will do differently this year to make 2008 better than 2007. What new ideas will you implement? What new types of marketing will you try? What advice will you try out – that you had previously discounted?

 
2008 can be the year you break all of your own sales records – if you open your mind to new opportunities and new ideas. There has never been a better time than right now to try new things. And people are more receptive than ever to companies who market themselves differently.

 
**********************

If you want to try new marketing ideas this year – and you are willing to think like a millionaire marketer – have a look at my year end special I have prepared for you. I guarantee you this - - visit http://www.marketingreminder.com  right now – get your copy reserved – take part in the teleseminar series starting in January – and you WILL earn a lot more than this year and you will make 2008 the year you want it to be. 

 
When I first showed the package at my Wild West Wealth Christmas party – I could SEE the light bulbs popping on throughout the room. Finally, people saw a simple plan to market themselves differently and effectively in 2008. And I back it with a $5,000 guarantee – one that extends to you as well.

 
So, if you are tired of the same old same old type of marketing – run to http://www.marketingreminder.com to get moving now. The site describes it all – and is backed by a $5,000 guarantee. Don’t be another “Person B” too oblivious to the million dollar marketing potential in front of you - - the marketing reminders program will hand you the results you want.

 **********************

 

Troy

PS: The 2008 Marketing and Promotional Calendar is unlike anything else you have ever seen before. Complete with thousands of unusual ideas for promotions you can use to grow your business… to complete 1-2-3 templates you can copy and steal from me… to an actual blueprint you can follow to take advantage of the best time of year (starting in January) to grow your business right now.  Get you copy now, find out more at http://www.marketingreminder.com

The power of taking massive action

Daaaaddy!!!! One of the most welcome greetings a person can get (assuming you already know you are a dad, that is).  I just returned from

St Louis

, after attending the Dan Kennedy Info-Marketing

Summit

… and I was picking my girls up from school.  

As they ran towards me screaming with delight that I was finally home – I thought “damn am I lucky to live that lifestyle that I do!”

There is nothing better than having the freedom to take my girls to school every morning, and then drive the 2 minutes back to my office, completely avoiding the craziness of rush hour. 

If you are newer to my newsletter you may not know that I have identical twin 7 year old daughters, Hailey and Katrina. You will see their names, and stories, appear in my newsletters as I love being a dad and find raising kids very similar to running my business.

 

In fact, there is an entire book I wrote dedicated to this fact - - after sitting on my hard drive on my computer - - I am finally getting it into print… watch for “Million Dollar Multiples… Everything I needed to know to grow a thriving business I learned from my twin daughters”.

In

St Louis

I had some serious revelations that made the trip completely worthwhile. 

 There was the one gal who shared her story of going from $0 to $500,000 in 6 months – selling a seminar and coaching program she knew next to nothing about. Basically she read the book, hired a coach, did what the book taught once, then taught others how to do what she just did.  About as simple and uncomplicated as it gets. 

Then, there was the Info Marketer of The Year Awards where millions were being made by entrepreneurs who have mastered MASSIVE ACTION. Those that were on that stage had rolled up their sleeves, and done some incredible things over the span of a single year.  

I thought I was pretty good at taking action

– chump change compared to some of them!

Then their was a very good speaker there, who I went to talk to after his talk who looked at my name tag and said “

Troy

White…. I LOVE your stuff! I read your articles every week, and absolutely love what you are doing.”  This was a great wakeup call for me - - here was a guy who is up on the stage sharing his best advice to 650 people, and my articles were some of his favorite.  

Nice to know I am appreciated!

The Fast Action Takers Bonus Bundle of the Wild West Wealth DVDs is almost sold out – have a look for yourself and see how it might help you grow your business faster.  www.WildWestWealth.com

Over and out.

Troy

Balancing life and business while building your fortune

in this issue:

  The real dirt on the entrepreneurial lifestyle
  Cash cows from yelling ‘keeeee YA!’
  A simple postcard to get them back buying
  3 steps for entrepreneurs who want to keep their sanity, freedom, health and a happy marriage
  And Much More!

Fellow business builder,

Fellow Entrepreneurs share their deepest darkest secrets…

According to a recent article in Business Edge (Oct 27, 2006), only 35% of business owners feel they have their work and personal life in balance. That means 65% of us have our priorities out of whack!

If you deal with other entrepreneurs on a day-to-day basis – you MUST see this.  Emailing and phoning people at all hours of the day and night.  And all days of the week.

The recent 400 richest list in Forbes was interesting to note how many people were divorced or still married once they reached billionaire status.

I was expected a higher than average divorce rate – but it was more the opposite!

In other words: those who reached billionaire status had more family focus in their life than the general population (that’s my thoughts on it anyhow – billionaires typically see this problem and tackle it head on in order to catapult their success).

More from Business Edge: 61% of the same people would spend an extra hour a day with their personal matters if they could find the extra hour… rather than another hour at work.

Some other interesting stats:

38% work more than 5 days a week at their business
33% of entrepreneurs feel the most neglected task in their business is new client lead generation
25% feel that administrative work is the most time draining task on their plate

>> So what does this mean to you, and why have I shared this?

The ability (and skill) to balance work and family is much in demand. If you can find it in your own business you are in an enviable position and you need to protect what you have. It also appears that this ability to balance work and family will lead to a higher level of success than others.

If you are in a business that deals direct with entrepreneurs: remember these numbers! They are overworked. Under pressure for being overworked and away from the family.  They want more time at home.  And they want help looking after parts of their business that can be semi-automated (like lead generation – hint, hint).

To me, I see a number of opportunities here for you to capitalize on, do you?

I wanted to cover some different ideas this edition to help you improve your business profits – so that you CAN make the time for family and personal matters.

First comes family, freedom, and sanity…

One of the biggest challenge most entrepreneurs face in their business is the sheer passion they put into their business.  Talk to any entrepreneur who is in a business they love, and they will be the first to say it consumes their thoughts, actions and life. 

That passion can be your downfall.

I’m willing to bet that you too have found yourself working yourself way too hard, with little to no time for rest and relaxation. 

Up early… straight to work.

Up late… some shut eye… then right back to it. 

This can be a recipe for disaster UNLESS you mix in a few things I have personally found to save your hide.

I am ‘burning the candle at both ends’ right now.  With the upcoming Wild West Wealth Summit in only a week, time is short and 14 things per hour need to be done.

But, a few simple things I am doing seem to be keep me sane, healthy… and married.

1)    A break when the family is home.  I shut things down from 5-9 for family.  Take the kids to the park… or read with them… homework… play… and whatever else we can fit in.  Kids could care less how much you love your business! While it may be a valuable lesson to them to follow their passions – with kids the age of mine (twin 6 year olds) – all they care about is jumping on the trampoline with me, playing, telling me about their day, and watching silly movies with dad.  They are growing up way too fast as it is – so I make the time for them – and have a wonderful relationship with them as a result.

2)    Downtime for Kari and I.  My wife is also self-employed in a web design business – we work on some of the same accounts – and we see a lot of each other (while our offices are not both in the house, we still see lots of each other during the average week).  So we get in people to help with the kids on weekends.  We take nights off. We take weekends to do things we want to do. And we do our best to live as husband and wife – not just business partners.

3)    Exercise. Last year I got a kick in the butt by catching pneumonia.  Too little sleep… an unhealthy lifestyle… and a lack of exercise.  So I got back into martial arts – which is my favorite form of exercise.  These days I go 3 days a week for an hour and bit per class. I go to classes where I only work out with blackbelts (so I get pushed REAL hard, and I get twice the workout other students get).  And I commit to my 3 days a week – same days, every week.  Everything else is scheduled around my exercise – not the other way around. 

Those 3 things have worked really well for me lately… and a few modifications for you and you may just find your energy level higher and your stress level lower.

Speaking of martial arts…

Marketing lessons from the master (Master Yu, that is)

When I decided it was time to get back into martial arts, I did it differently than in the past. This time I wanted my kids to join with me – and I wanted a school very close to where I work.

But I didn't want to go back to the place I used to.

Why?

•    it was too rough for 6 year olds – I used to train hard in Kickboxing and Muay Thai which is quite hard for 6 yr olds

•    their teachers were more ring fighters than teachers for kids (Team Canada trained there – and they won 90% of their battles across the world as the training was excellent)

•    they only offered 1 kids-only class per week

So, off I went in search of a new school.

This time though, the girls (my daughters) got to pick. At that age, it is tough to keep them interested – so I had to make sure the school and teacher were going to be a good fit for them.

The first couple places we went to were awful – nasty teachers with no real concept of being a decent human being towards children. While I understand the need for discipline in martial arts – there is a point where you draw the line and say enough is enough.

Critical, downright nasty statements out of the teacher was enough to scare the girls, and me, away.

Then we found Master Yu.

He has some excellent marketing techniques in use here:

1.    By appointment only.  No dropping in to see what they are doing – you must book an appointment and stick to your appointment (they called 2 times before to make sure we would be there)

2.    Must bring kids and myself – not just me as he wanted to meet the kids to see if THEY would be a good fit – turning the tables on us, in essence

3.    He let them try some lessons – and made it easy and fun

4.    He showed them all the other kids in his regular classes (kids have 4 classes a week – plus 3 family classes they could go to as well).  NOTE: he has (on average) 30-35 kids per class – a sign he is doing something right.

5.    He explained how they can get different colored belts

6.    He refused to let us sign up for less than a year (too easy to quit after a month or two – give it a year and you are hooked)

7.    He charges a big premium over others

8.    Has a print monthly newsletter

9.    He caters to his ideal client (the kids) – make it comfortable for them and fun – and they are customers for years to come – AND, ultimately, he can get their parents in as well!

And, YES, he did get us all in – and took a sizable donation out of my bank account!

The girls LOVE the class (once they are there anyhow, they give me grief getting there, but once there they have a blast! There are also 2 other identical twin girls in the class about the same age, which definitely helps).

And I love it as well! Lost some weight already... that in itself is great for a month.  My classes are great – during the lunch hours there are only a few people in the classes so I end up getting some excellent one-on-one training with black belts.

The big lessons I took from his marketing systems:

1.    YOU, the business owner, should be the one setting the rules for your clients – if they want to do business with you; it is on your terms, not theirs

2.    DO NOT make yourself too accessible – make them work to do business with you

3.    Give a test run – something free they can try – then they can decide if it is for them

4.    Make the decision hard enough on the price point, but with ample reasons why a premium price is better

5.    Constant communication with students (and, in this case, their parents)

6.    Explain all the different offerings (belts) and what it means to you personally

7.    Definitely NOT competing on price – a no-win battle – the market for upper end products and services is THE FASTEST GROWING market segment in North America.

Overall, I am really enjoying the martial arts – and in watching a master marketer at work! And of course, I will be finding a way to offer him additional marketing help in trade (got to always be looking for opportunities!)

ONE LAST THING I WANT TO LEAVE WITH YOU…

Here is a Simple postcard to get them buying

This is a sample postcard for an Art Gallery (it doesn’t matter that this is not your business – it only matters that you take the idea and MAKE it fit your business). 

This was a whopping $100 investment – and made them a healthy $3,000 profit in 5 days (mailed out to 120 people).  These numbers may seem small to you – but to this business it was huge… their biggest EVER.  And after they implement the followup campaigns and lead generation sequences, they will see 10 times these numbers.

The postcards were done with gold foil invitation look… and went out to their existing customers (and NO, you cannot use email postcards to replace this – invest the money and do it properly!  My offline marketing returns many times better response than online only (by 400% and more).

===================
Front of postcard
===================

A FREE $50.00 Gift Certificate has been gifted to YOU

By <your name> at <your business name>

I was just reflecting, as most of us do with the _____(insert your holiday or reason why here)_____ upon us, about people, and especially my most loyal and appreciated customers.  I thought about some ideas of how I could say thank-you… What’s better than giving away money?

Come see us in the next 2 weeks with this $50 gift certificate.  I will have some new help around the store to take care of your projects.  Finally, get that picture framed that’s been under your bed or in the attic.

It’s my way of saying Thank-You for your loyal patronage!

==================
Back of postcard
==================

Welcome to the Michelangelo Club..  You will be the first to hear of (and benefit from) all the new offers for our Michelangelo members...  Look for them in the mail… Enjoy your FREE GIFT.

See you this week… <name>

PS….  Come see me in the next 3 days and I will add an extra $5.00 to your gift certificate!!

Thank-you for your loyalty over the years and welcome to the Michelangelo Club.

What to do with your $50? (make that $55 if you come in soon)

•    use it for custom framing
•    use it as a down payment
•    please allow up to 4 weeks to complete the project

When you come in… let me know your e-mail address for future Michelangelo specials coming up this year!!!

******

That was VERY simple – they wrote it up in half an hour – had it printed and mailed in the next 48 hours. There is nothing difficult about that – and yes, there are ample ways you could improve the offer. The point is - - IT WORKED. The point is not for you to critique it or poke holes in it – rather to find a way to make it work for your business.

There is undoubtedly ways you can get your existing clients back to buy – to buy more often – and to become more devoted purchasers (through clubs like this).

So… what offer can you make to your clients?

Summer is here.
Kids are home.
Christmas is only 5 months away.
Back to school sales.
Holiday sales.
Extended sunlight hours – more reasons to stay open later.
Hot weather.
Pool parties.

The ideas are endless if you put some thought into it and find ways to get them back to buy.

Find a few ways to make these lessons work for your business...

Let me know if there is anything at all I can help with.  troy@smallbusinesscopywriter.com

To your success,

Troy White

************************************************************
This article was originally written for the Small Business
Mastery Column, which I write every Tuesday for the World's
Highest Paid Copywriter, Clayton Makepeace. 

If you want to get more articles like these, please visit
http://www.smallbusinessmastery.com, part of The Total Package.

************************************************************

Profitable Postcard Ideas

1. Special offers for preferred customers – one client  sent out 100 postcards to her top clients.  It was offering them a $50 credit at the store when they brought the postcard in… and included them in a brand new platinum members club.  The credit could be used on anything – even if the item was $51 – they would only have to pay $1.  Result - $3,000 profit in 5 days off a $75 investment.

2. Oversized postcards (sometimes called Sumo Cards) are becoming increasing popular.  5” x 8” or even larger is possible.  They can be straight postcards or the largest ones can be folded over and held together at the top and sides.  One of these was recently tested – an 8 x 11” postcard folded over with a full-page display ad on the inside. Teaser headline on the outside. Result – 10% of list receiving the postcard subscribed to offer.

3. Make your postcard look like an invitation to an exclusive event. Even include it in an envelope (test both ways preferably). Inviting customers out to a special event – or
inviting prospects to a special sneak preview or event.

4. Make your postcard campaigns a miniature newsletter – great samples can be found at http://www.ideabook.com/nlcard.htm. Notice how much text is being put on the postcards – yes people WILL read it if it is interesting to them

5. Rip-off postcards.  Have a section of the postcard with perforated edges so it can be ripped off and kept. Perfect for coupons, tips sheets, reference cards etc

6. Make them collectable – you have seen all the collector cards for kids – why not make them for your clients?  Or, have them fit together to create a picture or puzzle. One postcard sent per week, or month – each one building on the previous one.  Have a display box for your collectables sent out to clients – or one they can order.

7. Postcards that double as stickers and/or magnets. There are numerous print houses now that can produce postcards that have stickers on them – perfect for restaurants, delivery companies, tip sheets, customer support phone numbers, etc. (Go to google and type in specialty  postcard makers and you will find numerous suppliers you can use.)

8. Have a series of postcards with quotes and high quality pictures on them. This encourages people to hang up the cards at work or at home. Most people love to read inspirational, or humorous, quotes and almost always notice them on others desks, refrigerators etc.

9. Make it highly memorable!  You can get very distinctive shapes for postcards – motorcycles, happy faces, frogs – all possible – and all highly likely to make an impact!  Some of the coolest design out there - http://www.shipshapes.com/

10. Shrink-wrap it! http://www.magnetllc.com/ has postcards that you can have shrink wrapped around a giveaway key chain, hot sauce bottle, pen – whatever your promo of choice is.

 

PS: Are YOU just one breakthrough away from creating the business you TRULY want? One that allows you the freedom to run your business from anywhere in the world, with just a laptop, a cell phone, and an army of assistants?  Have a look at the amazing program just released...

http://www.MillionDollarBlueprints.com

 

Cash Cow Secrets from those darned Canucks

in this issue:

*  Branding 101 from the Canadian Beaver
*  Quarter BILLION dollar empire began with handwritten letters
*  Breaking through the clutter - email vs print... the results are in!
*  Segmentation creates campaign windfall
*  What to test... how to test... and why you MUST be testing
*  And Much More!

Love us or not, Canadians are here to stay.   What's amazing is to look at the disproportionate number of Canadian success stories, especially when you look at the fact that we have 10% of the population of the US.  I have lived both north and south of the border - and I much prefer the southern weather (I moved to Dallas in July and was in heaven at 115 degrees)!  But I also love my Canada.

I am continually amazed at some of the ingenuity that comes from Canadian businesses as well.  Many of them never hit the media south of the border, but have some incredible lessons to share.

***************************************
Quarter billion dollar empire started with hand scratched 'hokey' sales letters
***************************************

For example,  did you know that Harry Rosen Men's Wear (http://www.harryrosen.com) - with 2006 revenues of $200 Million dollars - got started with a simple sales letter campaign?  I saw an off-the-cuff remark by Harry Rosen in an interview that he got his start by mailing "these hokey little handwritten letters" to top CEOs and VPs across Canada. I emailed him to find out if he would be willing to share any of those with me - unfortunately, he never kept a copy of a single one! It's a shame - those would have been a masterpiece. 

Action item: For your high end offerings, why don't you test this?  List out 50 of your ideal clients, those you would love to have as a testimonial.  Craft a sales letter to them using everything shared by Clayton Makepeace and the other editors... and then handwrite it out 50 times - personalizing it along the way to each of the 50.   

Or, if you have lower end products or just are being lazy... handwrite out the letter with a generic salutation... send it to a printer and have them reproduce them en masse.  This won Bill Glazer of Gage Menswear (now of the Glazer Kennedy group) international awards and hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenues.  If you have ever seen his letter you will know what I mean. It was done on yellow lined paper, all junked up with scratched out words, hand written borders for the coupons in the letter - and VERY messy looking.  But it worked - and made him a FORTUNE.  Why reinvent the wheel - it worked for Harry - it worked for Bill - why wouldn't it work for you?

***********************
Bell Beavers Break Out
***********************
Another one from the telecom giant, Bell Canada (http://www.bell.ca).  They have been running some ads on television over the years for the "Bell Beavers".  Typical
cliché Canadian Beavers who watch hockey and drink beer (unlike any Canadians I know...).   

Bell wanted to control a larger percent of the Quebec marketplace... which is a notoriously competitive price shopping market.  What did they do?  They BUSTED Frank and Gordon, the 2 Bell Beavers, on charges of "Lying about low prices".  The direct mail campaign educated consumers on the hidden costs that competitive suppliers used - and showed them how to truly find value in the market.

The graphics behind the campaign showed Frank and Gordon behind bars... in their mugshots with them holding "I am innocent" placards...newspaper headlines "wrongfully imprisoned?" showing how Bell was innocent.  The results? A 250% increase in business! Leveraging the branded lovable beavers, with a solid direct response style offer, a a little bit of humor mixed in for good luck - and a breakout campaign emerged (one that they fully plan on using across the country... for good reason).

Action item:  is there a hero, a villain, or a mascot you can use in your promotions?  For my Wild West Wealth Summit, I used cartoons to make this one stand out from the others - and found www.CashCartoons.com invaluable for this. 

Try creating a bobblehead cartoon of yourself through these guys and use it in your promotions and on your website.  If you don't want your picture plastered everywhere - use your pet, your kids, your staff - just try it!  You will definitely stand out - which is the point in an overcrowded marketplace!

Or, you could hire an artist to create a cartoon book, using various staff members, partnerxs and clients as the characters.  Use the book to tell your story and entertain people along the way.  I do know that cartoons are working phenomenally well in certain direct mail campaigns for some serious marketers these days - something to test out in your own.


***************************************
Mob of 2.5 Million Tree Huggers Take Over Canada
***************************************

Kidding on the tree huggers. This success story is about Mountain Equipment Co-Op, who is Canada's largest outdoor sporting goods chain.  Part of their massive success is in their sizzling database, which is now growing by over 200,000 per year (each of these is a paid member)

They do not invest much in their actual advertising - but they put a significant amount of money into their print catalogue, which goes out to members twice a year (the spring edition is 132 pages(!) and the winter one is 84 pages). 

Their catalogues are a masterpiece of action photos (those using the outdoor mountain gear on some very treacherous adventures), product shots and long copy descriptions. 85% of their members ASK to receive the catalog and the average life span of the catalogue is 8 months in their clients home.

With over 2.5 million paid members, they need to be very careful with their catalog creation and printing costs. Some of the ways they keep these costs manageable?

1) targeting high frequency and dollar value clients

2) behavioral research and surveys to target the marketing further

3) a direct mail campaign (that got an exceptional 12% response) offering a free gift card to those members who hadn't updated their address or contact information

4) Close attention to duplicate addresses, names at multiple addresses, etc  From them "a messy database can waste a lot of money; a good one can give you a competitive advantage"

Right now they send out 500,000 catalogues a year, 250,000 postcards and 700,000 e-cards.  Through all of the marketing, research and profile creation - they have segmented the database into specific areas of interest (river rafting, kayaking, snowsports, etc). 

From there, they create 32 page specialty booklets - targeted just to those who are passionate about certain sports.   

   "You can't underestimate the importance of a well-managed customer database.  If you invest the time and money necessary to enrich your database and keep it clean, you can significantly boost the impact and value of any direct communications program"  says Selena McLachlan (Sorted, June 2007)

Action items: What can you do to further segment, clean and organize your database?  Once you have them into finely defined  niches, what can you do to focus your marketing on each niche? It could be as simple as a targeted email or direct mail campaign to a small portion of your list. It could be a print catalog of products that are only of interest to each segment.  It could be landing pages dedicated to areas of interest - even voice broadcasts to your sub-lists.

One last one that I found especially pertinent...

***************************************
Days Inn Double Duties Their Direct Mail Efforts
***************************************
Have you found yourself getting overwhelmed with email?

Deleting more than you are reading? 

So are Days Inn customers. Days Inn went back in time thought to boost their email results.  Leveraging offline media to get people back online has resulted in a huge difference in repeat customers and frequent buyers.   When they surveyed their database they found that clutter was especially noticeable in their customers email inbox - versus their physical mailbox.  Reaching those people through email was getting them declining results and costing them money.   

Combining an online offer with an offline promotion has results in exceptional results.  The split test they ran consisted of two equivalent bonus offers - worded differently and with a different call to action.   Half the print database also received email as well.

Their results were very conclusive showing that a combination of email AND direct mail products substantially higher response from their clients.

   

Action item:  when was the last time you put stamp to paper and mailed something to your clients and prospects? I know from my own results that offline offers substantially better response rates - and WILL boost your bottom line numbers.  Send them a postcard first, make sure your database is clean and up to date.  Send them some newsletters (which we discussed in previous editions). Send them a catalog... send them something in print!  Make it pertinent to what they have bought in the past, or have expressed interest in purchasing. 

The key to marketing success in 2007 and beyond is to combine the reach and speed of online marketing, with the power and tangibility of offline marketing.   

Let me know if there is anything at all I can help with.

To your success,

Troy White

************************************************************
This article was originally written for the Small Business Mastery Column, which I write every Tuesday for the World's  Highest Paid Copywriter, Clayton Makepeace. 

If you want to get more articles like these, please visit http://www.smallbusinessmastery.com, part of The Total Package.

************************************************************

PS: Are YOU just one breakthrough away from creating the business you TRULY want? One that allows you the freedom to run your  business from anywhere in the world, with just a laptop, a cell  phone, and an army of assistants?  Have a look at the amazing program just released...

http://www.MillionDollarBlueprints.com

We got on CNBC, a head of lettuce on QVC, and a million dollar book deal

What a whirlwind week! 

Is it just me, or does time seem to fly by faster than ever?

I try and find 3 new lessons every single week that I learned –
and then apply them massively and consistently.  This is one of
the most important things I do – and I would encourage you
to do as well.

As you may know – I am not one to make ridiculous claims
that you see all over the net. 

> I don't claim you can become a wazillionaire overnight by
clicking a button and thinking positive thoughts. 

> I don't share with you things I personally haven't tested
myself. 

> And I don't fall for all the 'next shiny object' claims that
you are being bombarded with daily. 

****** You don't know what that is? 

It's the addiction of buying into every new "magic bullet" that
people are out there pitching to you. 

The Google software that will get you banned within the next
week. The sales letter writing software that writes you a
'blockbuster' in 3 minutes or less (ya, sure).  Or the 'no
selling, no recruiting, no work at all opportunity' that just
hit the market (which is why they change the name of it every
week – to deflate the lawsuits). 

No, I like to actually use things that WORK! 

Things that will continue to work. 

And things that usually take some time to learn and do right.

Novel concept actually having to learn something – then apply it
– then try more of it. 

Enough of that rant!

***********************************************
The lessons that I took away from this week are:
***********************************************

1) MASSIVE ACTION!

I loved the movie the Secret.  A few of the stars are my clients…
so how can I not love what they are doing?

But – in order for 'The Secret' to work – you have to actually
*take action* on what you want to manifest.  And not just *a*
small action – MASSIVE action.

Mucho Grande!

Thanks to massive action – we just got word one of my clients
(one who we got a million dollar book deal with a major
publisher) will be featured on CNBC this summer on a series of
specials. A large number of specials will feature him as one of
the Wealth Gurus. 

Edita Kaye, who is a client and featured expert at the Wild West
Wealth Summit will be sharing with you some of the secrets to
using massive action that got him the mega book deal – and the
featured spot on CNBC. 

Edita will also be sharing her story of how 2 heads of lettuce
got her a premier spot on the QVC channel – which also launched
her $4.5 million dollar internet business in only 18 months.

********************************
Have a look at this video to see my thoughts: 
http://www.WildWestWealth.com/video.htm
********************************

2) Try NEW things. 

I am finally done contemplating it and am
ready to start plunging into the Web 2.0 generation.  I am
starting to use video on my sites – and my clients. I am
leveraging some truly amazing technologies that I will be
sharing at the Wild West Wealth event.  Some of which are giving
me HUGE returns on my investment.

Again – it isn't about the flashy shiny object (as you can see
by my videos - not fancy)... it is all about testing
what works best for your promotions and your offer. 

This week I released my Small Display Ads report – to a
fantastic response (it ran my hosting account out of bandwidth
kind of popular).  I haven't sold this type of report in a
long time – but obviously people wanted this information – and
those that invested in it will see huge returns (like my $12 per
click results I get from one display ad I run offline, driving
people to a website.

Imagine making $12 on average for EVERY person who clicks a link
to your site!).

********************************

If you need new leads for your business
I would invest the minuscule amount
I'm asking for the report

http://www.SmallDisplayAds.com

********************************

3) Run far far away from the 'negative nellies'.

They are everywhere! The ones who take great pleasure in trying
to squash your dreams. There was one of these in my life up until
this week.  Someone who SHOULD know better – a very successful
person in their own right – but for some reason they aren't
following their own advice.  They told me not to do this… not to
do that… nag nag nag.  Well – now that the things that I wasn't
supposed to do (according to them) ARE working – the negativity
got worse. 

When you find those people just are dragging you down – delete
them from your email and phone books. You don't need it. There
are lots of us out there who would LOVE to encourage you to
reach for the stars – and give you the tools to make it happen.

********************************

Have a look at this video to see my thoughts: 
http://www.WildWestWealth.com/video.htm

********************************

Anyhow,  it's a long weekend up here in Canada – I am outta
here! 

3 of us guys are taking 6 kids out of town for some
fun in the sun. 

Our wives? 

They get to go out to the Rocky mountains and stay in a
beautiful chalet – sipping on some vino – talking bad talk about
their husbands (who, by the way, are looking after the kids for
the weekend!) – and being girls for 3 days.

Fun will be had by all.

Have a great weekend

And give some serious thought to both the Wild West Wealth Event
(early bird pricing ends at the end of this month – as does the
room block) – and to the Small Business Display Ads Report… both
of them are guaranteed to make you more profits in your
business.

Over and out.

Troy White

PS: If you missed it  – make sure you take heed
in the 3 lesson rule – what 3 did you learn this week? 

And... how will you apply them?

Here's how I applied mine:

http://www.WildWestWealth.com/video.htm

http://www.SmallDisplayAds.com