Woo hooo ! I just had the most incredible interview

As you may know through my newsletter, 2 areas of significant fascination of mine are both membership or continuity programs, and marketing to high net worth individuals. 

Why is this so interesting to me? 

Well, having a membership type of program ensures you have a steady stream of revenues every month, you have a devoted group of clients, and you get the chance to build a really tight bond with those in your program (much stronger ties than one-off type sales).  

With high net worth individuals, it is a given that you can put together higher end bundles of products and services, you can add much more value in what you are selling, and you can really sell the experience – over the cheapest price. Plus, you can charge 3, 10, even 100 times more than your competitors!

Like Brendan does, who I just interviewed for an hour on the phone. 

Brendan runs a very traditional style business – selling a certain type of food.  This is the type of food you can buy in almost any city, usually at multiple locations throughout the city.  

The difference between Brendan and every other competitor of his? 

HE CHARGES 12,000% MORE THAN THEY DO. 

 

And they gladly pay him for the experience he provides. In fact, in just over 3 months, he has sold over $600,000 worth of this to his clients.  He is WELL on track to do over $1.5 Million in his first year with this unique business model.

Plus, get this, his clients are now asking him what else he can sell them – at exhorbitantly high price points!  More, more, more… the calling card of his clients. He has been seen in USA Today and on MSNBC. Every time he opens his doors in the morning, there are clients begging to be a part of his program.

To top it off, he is only 25 years old!

Now, the full interview, and analysis of his business, is included with the February edition of Creative Marketing Tips, my paid monthly marketing newsletter.  Every single month you get deep insights into businesses like Brendans than make a fortune with unique marketing systems, unusual membership programs, and extremely effective advertising and sales generation systems.
 

I will give you a few golden nuggets Brendan shared with me:
 

1)    Find the right target market (usually a very small niche within the big group you normally sell to) and they will hand you lots of money if you give them the right experience

 

2)     Tell your story!  I am not going to give away what company Brendan runs (I am willing to bet you have NEVER heard of it or seen it before) – but they way they tell stories to their clients is INGENIOUS!  In fact, I am borrowing his idea for a number of client projects - - including my own.  

 

3)      Aim real hard for that sweet spot when all your family, friends, and especially competitors think you are NUTS! Price yourself so outrageously that everyone thinks you are a fool (except for those you want to buy)

 

4)      Make your customers lives MUCH easier. Find ways, and charge accordingly, to sell (and ship) to anyone, anywhere, at any time. Brendan’s unique way of selling and delivering his goods has people from every corner of the glove putting down $2,995 deposits every time one of their friends briefly mentions what Brendan does.

 

5) Last, create such an unusual and fun experience that your customers want to have their friends over for a party, just to look at and enjoy what you sold them.  Talk about some serious referral marketing! Every time Brendan ships to a client – they tell ALL their friends – and their friends are on the phone the next day, anxious to hand over the order for $2,995.

 

If you want the whole story – and my breakdown of how this will apply to you – sign up for the Creative Marketing Tips program.  The details are here: http://www.creativemarketingtips.com

Seriously, this one single interview with

Brandon

will more than pay for your first year!

Anyone who doesn’t implement at least one of the ideas Brendan shares is absolutely loopy (many of them are simple for you to immediately put to use).

Sign up for a 2 month trial – you get Brendan’s story – plus a whole bunch of bonuses, examples of what is working, how to guides, and videos. 

You can get all the information and get signed up here: Creative Marketing Tips

The February edition will be mailed out next week – sign up before you miss out on this interview! 

I guarantee this one is solid gold – one you have probably never seen or heard of before.

Don’t delay – it gets mailed next week.
http://www.creativemarketingtips.com

To your success,

Troy

Ahhh… the smell of your name in print in a major newspaper

One thing I will never claim to be is an expert on getting good PR. I made some half-hearted attempts at press releases – and that was about it.  I have hired people to help – and saw limited success (more because of their half-hearted attempts than anything else).  For that reason, I am hiring a PR
P-R-O this year - and I look forward to reporting in on what they help me do.

That said, through a couple very helpful connections, I got to see my name in a major Canadian financial newspaper this week (The Financial Post)…. And boy does it feel GOOD! 

I had the privilege speaking with Rick Spence, the columnist and writer, for over an hour discussing my story and some of my accomplishments. Seeing someone else write my story up in their own words feels very warming.

There was the brief one-line mention on Forbes.com a few years ago for this blog I write – but this is a full-blown write-up that I will be leveraging every way I possible can in the coming months...

“Such chutzpah seems almost un-Canadian

-- but it's great marketing...”

Rick Spence, January 21, 208
The Financial Post

It really IS about the marketing in my world.  Live it, breathe it, and love it.  The one thing that I get the biggest kick out of is helping other people make more money in their business.  All I ask is a willingness to learn and a keen eye for taking action.

If you would like to read the write-up Rick gave me (THANK YOU RICK!) - have a look at this doozy...
http://www.nationalpost.com/todays_paper/story.html?id=251865

Imagine paying for that type of coverage!  And coming from a third, impartial party, makes it even more incredible.

The moral of the story today: Never, EVER, give up on your dreams - keep on plugging and moving forward and you will break down any self-imposed hurdle you have before you!

I LOVE this quote Rick closed off with, it captures my biggest frustration with Canadian businesses - the lack of "chutzpah" and willness to step outside of yoru comfort zone.  Marketing is ALL about getting your name out there to the right target market - you lack the  "chutzpah" to do it on a grand scale - your results will show it.

Be brave out there - it is a big old busy world and your prospects are bombarded with BAD marketing - be the one that shows them GOOD marketing.

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?

Proof of a simple technique that grows your business by 30%

This morning I took one of our vehicles in to get a flat tired fixed. Luckily, the place is real close – and I knew exactly where to go. This time I had an ulterior motive, besides getting the tire fixed.

 

I walked in and saw the stack of papers on the front desk that I wanted to ask about.

 
After looking after the details of the tire repair, I asked… “are your print newsletters the work of Ron Ipach?” 
 

Brian, the owner, came out and looked quite amazed that I knew who Ipach was. After explaining to him that I work in the direct marketing industry, and that I also send print newsletters to my clients, I asked him how the print newsletters work for him.
 

I love this part! 
 

“Well, this summer we stopped running them to see if it wqould impact our sales numbers. After looking at the before and after numbers, we figured it cost us anywhere from 30-45% of our potential revenues for the summer!”

 

All from a simple 4 page print newsletter that goes out to their clients once a month – and THEY DON’T EVEN WRITE IT. Ron Ipach’s group does this for the automotive repair business - - they write it, and send it to you customized for your business (name and logo throughout). 
 

THAT, is the power of simple print newsletters – similar results that I get. 
 

If you are in my database, having bought any of my products in the past, you would have seen my own print newsletter which ranges from 4 to 8 pages (the November edition is 8 pages – packed with tips and techniques to grow your business). 
 

If you want to see an immediate 30% boost in your sales numbers, pick up a copy of the Wild West Wealth DVD Bundle (http://www.WildWestWealth.com) and you will actually receive the exact same template of the newsletter I use – the same once that typically returns to me $5 - $8 for every $1 I invest in my newsletter. Some months, much more. I will also give you the exact places to look for free content to fill much of your newsletter.
 

Look, if you are like me, email can be overwhelming – and your customers are no different. They appreciate you taking the time to put together a print publication and send it to them - - and they will reciprocate with additional sales you may have never received.
 

If you want 2008 to be a kick @ss year – let me show you how to easily grow your business. The fast action bonuses are gone – but the value is still immense. 
 

Have a look for yourself…

http://www.WildWestWealth.com
 

To your success, 

Troy White
 

PS: Also, if you are anywhere in the close proximity to Calgary, you are crazy to miss out on the amazing lineup of speakers I have at the Wild West Wealth Christmas Party on December 5^th (billions of dollars worth of knowledge being shared that day – http://www.WildWestChristmasParty.com) – if you can’t make the day, the evening is also an amazing time to network with success-minded entrepreneurs like yourself.

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

Six-Figure Marketing Brainstorm!

Hot new marketing ideas to attract new clients
and improve your cash flow.

Dear Business-Builder,

As with any type of marketing, you have to open your eyes and
ears to new ideas. When you hear an idea or technique being used
in an unrelated industry… PAY CLOSE ATTENTION. When you take a
proven marketing strategy from an unrelated industry and make it
fit your own – you will experience a breakthrough.

It’s always easier to look within your own industry for ideas –
but the real good, profitable ones will almost always come from
outside.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Consider the following a start
to making this your best year yet:
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

What are you doing to keep in touch with your clients and
prospects?

It always amazes me to watch how the typical business treats
their clients… after they become clients.

At first, it seems they would do anything to get you to buy from
them.

Run advertising, offer special deals, bundle things together,
new customer discounts... you name it, they do it.

BUT, as soon as they get you as a paying client – you get
dropped faster than a steaming hot iron.

Why?

After all the work you put into getting your first deal from a
client: earning their trust, showing them you are different,
getting them to pull out their wallet, and getting them to put
their cash on the table for the first time.

You do all of this – and then never communicate with them again.
It makes no sense if you think about it.

You know as well as I that it is MUCH easier to get a person to
buy from you if they have already bought before.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Step #1: The biggest and most immediate returns you can see from
your marketing efforts involve your existing clients. Not in
finding a new army of eager first-time-buyers… which is where
most small business owners put their efforts.

Your existing clients are where the real money is.

Cultivate a solid relationship with them – and build in a
consistent communication stream with them – and you will see a
big difference in your revenue growth.

The easiest way to use Step #1 in your business?

A monthly print newsletter that shows up in their physical
mailbox. Email newsletters also work great – and still must be
used – but the real money is in adding print to your marketing
efforts.

For example:

Rita started her first print letter 5 months ago to promote her
automotive repair business. Her challenges before starting the
print newsletter:

- the automotive repair business operates out of their farm

- they have a number of employees

- they do not live near a town or city (no local nearby
population to draw from)

- they had never really kept much of a database

- people have to drive for miles to visit their shop and get
their car repaired

So, how do you find hot new buyers for a business that depends
on people physically visiting your location, yet they live many
miles away?

Rita bought a list of addresses surrounding her (quite a wide
circle out in the country). She bought 5,000 addresses to mail
to that were within reasonable driving distances (under one
hour).

She designed a 4-page print newsletter that gets mailed cold to
these names.

It costs her $0.10 to print each and $0.10 to mail each (bulk
mail)

So – her total outlay per month is $1,000 to mail to 5,000
homes. ($5,000 total to mail the newsletter each month for 5
months).

Her results:

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
OVER $200,000 in new business
Over 250 new clients
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

With a simple print newsletter.

Now, if Rita can do this with a completely COLD list – what can
you be doing with your own client database? Imagine what is
possible if you put this same investment out there every month.

$200,000 from a $5,000 investment.
For every $1 she invests, she gets $40 back into the business.

So, do I have your attention yet?

Do you see how powerful and profitable this is?

Her newsletter is simple, consisting of:

- Jokes

- Facts

- Trivia

- Cartoons

- Specials on repair work

- Articles on vehicle maintenance

Content you could easily put together once a month, or even
outsource the bulk of through services like Elance.com or
Rentacoder.com. Her first one took hours to put together – now
it takes her less than an hour a month to get it compiled and
ready for print.

If you commit to doing a print newsletter once a month to your
clients and prospects, you will see near immediate results (as
long as you stay consistent in sending it out).

You can find template designs – even template content to use in
your newsletter… but you must test it out in your business. And
yes, it will work in your business – no matter what your
industry is. Mix up the offers with some fun stuff (jokes,
trivia, strange facts, etc.) and people will look forward to
reading your next one.

Make sure there is always a solid offer or two in the
newsletter. And give them incentives that are not available
through any other means than through your newsletter (makes it
easier to track results that way).

Once you get them to start buying, and buying more often, then
you can build in other incentive campaigns as in step 2 (which
will be discussed next week).

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
SOME IDEAS FOR YOUR PRINT NEWSLETTER
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

- Unique human interest stories from team members (new births,
pets, hobbies, in the news) - make the team members a
significant part of your newsletter

- write ups on your clients successes with your products and
services (follow the case study format: what their life was like
before using you, how they found you, how they selected you,
their experiences using you, and the end results they attained)

- interesting trends that your target market would be interested
in (business trends, people trends, aging trends, spending
trends)

- strange facts or history - does not need to be related to your
business or industry - people will love this section as it keeps
them entertained and looking for more

- a full page Ad for one of your products or services – can be
used to test ads as well so have 1 regular ad and 1 test ad
running in same newsletter

- Endorse others (preferably clients) who run their own business

- Staff Memo – have your staff “write” the newsletter and/or
promotions

- Calendar – upcoming events – special days or promotions

- Jokes (keep them clean)

- Cartoons are always a hit. http://www.cashcartoons.com/ or
http://www.goofyfaces.com/ or http://www.cartoonstock.com/

- Happy customer pictures

- Pick on a common enemy (taxes, government, media, poor
customer service, reality shows, whatever you find your
customers commonly complain about)

- Questions for them to ponder

- Book reviews

- Product reviews

- Tips for use

- Advanced tips for use

- 27 Creative Ways To Use ( ___ your product or service ___)

To your marketing and profit breakthroughs!

Troy White
Turning Your Words Into Wealth
For more free tips on marketing and advertising to grow your business,
please sign up for his main newsletter at
http://www.smallbusinesscopywriter.com

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. 

Marketing full steam ahead

In the marketing for the Wild West Wealth Summit I am hosting this July 3rd - 5th, I have been fighting against numerous obstacles to get this filled. The walls in front of me are typical to any business who is launching a new product or service into the market (or, just as much so, new business start ups).

1) Track record - zero.  I have hosted many small workshops with 20 or less... but never one of this magnitude. People kept telling me not to do it - to have more time before the event - to not do it (again).  This was a monumental task, as it is for any entrepreneur.

2) Short time lines.  I only truly started marketing this in March - the event is in early July.    4 months is NOT enough time to do it properly.  Again, I was told not to do it - save it for next year and start promoting it well over a year in advance. 

3) Near 2 MAJOR holidays - and in the MIDDLE of the week.  That, plus it is right before the Calgary Stampeded - the greatest outdoor show on earth.  Thinking back (isn't hindsight wonderful?)... I should not have done this at this time of year - this close to the Canadian July 1 holiday - nor near the US July 4th holiday.  The Calgary Stampede was the reason I did this - but I should have done it either a week or two before the Stampede - or well after. Again - I was told not to do this.

4) The city it is in is NOT used to higher priced 3 day marketing seminars. Calgary is a wonderful city - but quite behind the times when it comes to quality small business seminars.  This is the first time a large scale marketing only confernce has been held here - at this price point - for this length of time. 

Those are just a few of the obstacles...

With that in mind, I had to (and still have to) work my butt off to make this happen as projected.  I have been doing almost every kind of marketing possible for this

- email
- web
- fax
- direct mail
- newsletters
- posters
- press releases
- radio spots
- live presentations
- teleseminars
- online videos
- online audios
- prayer!

It has been an amazing ride so far and the momentum is very exciting. With only 3 weeks to go - it is looking to be a killer event with some incredible speakers, entertainment, and attendees. 

The most surprising part?

What has worked - and what hasn't worked.

Things I guessed wouldn't work (like fax campaigns - which are still legal in Canada) - HAVE worked. 

I am going to showing people some of my results at the summit... home study will also be available on dvd.  The point I wanted to get across to you?  You MUST try every possible means of marketing - consistently - daily. And you must try things you don't think will work. You have no clue what WILL work until you try it.  But when you take MASSIVE ACTION on your marketing campaigns - things happen fast - and you can easily prove the naysayers wrong - quickly.

I look forward to sharing more of the lessons learned.  Troy

By far my most powerful lead generation tool…

Last week I wrote my weekly column for The Small Business Mastery edition.  And boy oh boy did it hit a chord with the readers!

Just by revealing a few ideas around lead generation advertisements, these are some of the comments I got back:

“Excellent article. Very informative with outstanding examples. Great ad for the _______ service.”

“Thanks

Troy

, great advice. I'm looking forward to the next installment.”

“Excellent article! Why don't more advertisers understand this?”

“Wow- These newsletters never cease to amaze. But this issue in particular was fantastic.”

If you read it, I am sure you know what I am talking about – if not, I have something for you that is guaranteed to help you grow your business…

First, here are 3 rules for creating display ads that will never fail you:

3 Rules Of Small Display Ads

 

Display Ad Rule #1: You must have a powerful headline – and possibly a different font as the rest of the ad

·  All Bold - NOT ALL CAPS – which is difficult to read - and never use your company name as the headline

·  Your ad must stand out from other ads (look at the ads in the section you'll be advertising in and make yours look different, sound different, and have a completely different call to action than the others)

·  Either an attention getting headline – or a benefit based headline (WARNING! STOP! IF YOU ARE ABOUT TO…  or the Fastest and Easiest Way To Lose Weight… For FREE)

Display Ad Rule #2: You must talk to the readers – not yourself

·  Use normal people talk not "advertising" talk – make it sound like a conversation you would say to a prospect the first time you try to get their attention

·  Again, you must contrast with others in the section – talk like one of them. Don't pretend to be a multi-million dollar empire when you aren't.  Be yourself - act like you are "one of the boys - or girls".

·  Write your ad as if you are talking to one person only. Most ads are written as if they are talking to a group (use words like you and yours – actually count the use of you and your versus I and we – there should be less than 5% of the use of I , me or we)

·  When people are looking at ads – they are typically interested in buying.  You are talking to people who already have a desire for what you are offering. Take advantage of this and do what you need to force them to pick up the phone and CALL YOU RIGHT NOW.

Display Ad Rule #3: Make Your Display Advertisement As Long As It Needs To Be

·  There is a false belief that you must keep your ad as short as possible (again – false advice from people who have never been accountable for the results they get from their advertising.  The more you tell the more you sell has always been true – and it always will be)

·  Always be addressing the benefits of what you provide to them – not the features. List out everything about you, your business, your product or service – then ask “so what?” – do you answer that? Do you tell them what it means to them?  What is in it for them to read your ad and to call or come by your business?

· BY FAR - the biggest mistake made - you MUST have call to action (most people miss this one. Ask for them to take action – request your report – get their free coupon – book a free consultation – make it a limited time offer – or limited quantity – or a single day of the week)

Second, I have put together a powerful new tool to help you write these kind of lead generating ads.  Small Display Ads work in yellow pages, newspaper ads, trade publications, magazines, website, banner ads, coupon books, email marketing and advertising, blogs, brochures, catalogs, and the list goes on.  They are by far your most valuable tool to finding quality leads for your business.

http://www.SmallDisplayAds.com is a hard hitting, highly profitable, and very useful report you must discover for yourself.

I cannot share the article I wrote due to my agreement with Clayton Makepeace and The Total Package – but I can offer you substantially more information than what sparked all the comments above.

See for yourself - http://www.SmallDisplayAds.com

This works for EVERY single business.

This is my most profitable lead generation tool I have.

This returns to me 340 – 700% higher returns than other lead sources.

And this can be mastered by you.

Have a look and let me know just how many leads you think you can handle in your business…. http://www.SmallDisplayAds.com

To your lead generation success!

Troy White

 

The Eye Tracking Test for your website

There is an organization called The Poynter Institute that conducts tests on how people read online and offline publications. Using sophisticated tools, they can determine exactly where your eyes are drawn to when you open up a web page or read any form of offline media. 

The results from this research are *invaluable* to anyone who wants maximum results from their marketing.

Why?

Because if you know exactly where your prospects look first, second, third, etc – you can design the ads to deliver your strongest points immediately – second strongest – and so on. 

Some of the more fascinating research they have recently found:
 

-       People read more online than offline.  Those who research and read online – may invest more time scanning for the right information – and when they find it they invest substantially more time reading the complete text. This contradicts what many people say and think about more people scan than read online. So long copy works online – when you target it at the right people. This also contradicts my own findings that actual orders are in greater numbers from offline sources than online (I must be doing something wrong online!)

-         People are magnetically drawn to pictures, graphic elements, icons, cartoons, and action shots. Using action in your photos will get you larger numbers of eye balls (clients actually using your products or services, you speaking to an audience, your staff hard at work, etc)

- People are naturally drawn to hyperlinks online. They are also prone to pay more attention to graphical elements that direct them to do things (arrows pointing to important areas, circles around elements)

- People are also drawn into to different elements that tell the story.  Graphs, screen shots, scans, sidebars, trend charts, etc. It may same the same thing as text – but tell it in a different way.

During the Apprentice last night, Trump made a very interesting comment – “if I wanted to read all that text, I’d go out and buy a novel”. He said this in reference to a brochure one of the teams put together that contained much more text than he likes.

Does this contradict the long copy vs short copy debate? Long copy almost ALWAYS wins out in actual tests done with real prospects. But, you have to look at what is being discussed. First – the affluent market – do they prefer shorter text with more high end photos? Do they read less (I personally doubt that – you become affluent by reading and learning – then applying what you learned). Do they prefer pictures over text? Does a Trump-type buyer even read sales literature? Or do they prefer video and audio?

Worthy of further research for sure.

 

What can you do when sales are slow?

Recently, I started writing for another weekly newsletter and direct marketing forum for the master marketer and copywriter, Clayton Makepeace.  My area of focus and specialty? Small business mastery and emergency solutions to growing a business or improving the cash flow.

I get asked how to improve sales and cash flow all the time. And the answer is almost always the same - "ask your existing clients what else they would like to buy!".

Even better, if you know your best sellers (which you should) - you should be recommending they buy more of your best sellers, more regularly, and in bulk.

That is the ideal situation if it fits your business.

And most small businesses can MAKE it fit.

Your customers buy from you for very specific reasons. It is up to you to find out what that reason is - then decide if everyone is buying for similar reasons. There are usually many reason they buy - only a few of them they will usually admit (or consciously know).

So are you asking them?

One thing I do, is to pick up the phone for a couple hours a week and start dialing past customers. Find out how they are doing, what their experience has been dealing with you, and what else you could be doing - or doing better.

Yes, you may hear some painful answers - but at least you care to find out! Most business entrepreneurs don't care - or don't want to know.

#1 - you took the initiative to actually call them (very rare in the day of email)
#2 - you are showing them that they DO matter to you, much more than just an order number
#3 - the personal touch will never be replaced by email or technology tools! Email can be a royal pain - I feel it - as I'm sure you do too. That actual phone call makes a very powerful impression!

Try it out this week and see what kind of interesting ideas and connections you can drum up.

Do you have favorite techniques you use when sales are slow?  There is more than enough to go around. Do tell.

Here are some other ideas from Daniel Levis, who is an amazing marketing brain as well:

Here's another ...

One of the first places I look when it comes generating a quick cash infusion for a client are co marketing initiatives.

Many traditional business people tend to be very adversarial in their thinking. So they miss opportunities to slash the cost of acquiring new customers by teaming up with other complimentary businesses.

Almost always, with a little prodding and research, we can come up with at least a few golden opportunities to leverage the underused assets of other businesses that operate in the same economic ecosystem.

Often it's simply a matter of sitting down and making a list of the things people buy before and after they become customers. Looking upstream we’re sure to find complimentary vendors with underutilized lists… underutilized order pages… underutilized follow up messages etc… and we approach them with a turnkey revenue sharing proposal that gets my clients sales copy on that untapped virtual real estate.

And looking downstream, there are usually all kinds of opportunities to optimize back end revenues by offering existing clients complimentary third party items that people naturally buy 30, 60, and 90 days after becoming a customer.

The Internet is the perfect medium for these kinds of things because it removes much of the transactional friction that inhibits the sharing of assets.

More?

Another idea to think on is how you can pool your time and resources with other non-competitive businesses. Let's say you find 7 other businesses that sell complimentary products or services. Let's say that each of you contributed $500 into a pool. For you to invest that $500 on your own you would not get much in ad space or direct mail pieces.

Collectively though, you have $3,500!

With that you can buy some significant ad space - or a much larger mailing campaign.

I would suggest you organize some kind of special event day where you all get together in one location (or it could be all on one web page and one shopping cart setup). Advertise the event day in your local papers (targeted ones!) - and send out as many direct mail pieces as you can to existing clients of all your businesses.

Each company donates something for a door prize. Of all who visit or buy on your special day, there are draws for door prizes.

With each product shipment that goes out - or order confirmation - you need to remind people of all the other options that are available to them through your "co-op". A print brochure or min catalog. Maybe an autoresponder series on everyone's behalf.

Don't forget to offer numerous bundle options where you combine everyone's product and services into a Grand Enchilada" package.  Have numerous bundles put in place - they will spend the money if you give them good reason to!

Get creative with this - some serious money can be made with these ideas. And they are perfect for slow sales seasons - or just cash flow crunches. Try it - and let us know your results.

To your success. Troy