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.

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

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Bell Beavers Break Out
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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.


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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...

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Days Inn Double Duties Their Direct Mail Efforts
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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

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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.

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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

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

The power (and profits) behind taking action

It does not take much to get free publicity. Really! All it takes is some initiative on your part – and a few minutes here and there to find the right tools to use.

 

I subscribe to a number of newsletters that either educate me, or share tools that help me promote myself. 

One of which is Small Business Netcast. They do a regular online radio show and podcast. Last week they had a promotion to find entrepreneurs who want more publicity in their business, by being interviewed on their show. Remember, all radio, magazine, and newspaper editors NEED CONTENT! You can help them. 

I expressed my interest to them, yesterday I got an email saying they had a spot open for the afternoon. 3 hours later I was finished my 20 minute interview with them. Today I am on the netcast – and on itunes. 

Total time invested from me?

 

3 minutes max to reply to their email.

20 minutes for the interview. 

The results? 

We will see… but the more links and mentions you have out there… the more you will attract the right kind of clients. 

Have a listen for yourself to discover some of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs and authors make in the marketing of their business.

Could you do something like this?

A fantastic way to build a following is through video posts for
your clients.  Simple video clips sharing secrets of your
industry – ratings of competitive products – how to guides on
video – how to order videos (proven to boost some online site
response by 50% or more) – how to use your product or service –
etc.

The more you can get your prospects and clients listening to
you, the more devoted they will become.

Wine connoisseurs are seriously devoted to their hobby.  Some
will take it slow to start – then go into it head first and
credit cards in hand… others just dive in without regard to
taking it slow.

Have a look at the video on this site… it came from a client of
theirs… and imagine how much good will this is doing for this
business!

(http://tv.winelibrary.com)

After you watch this – think about how you could implement video
– or just audio into your marketing mix. Maybe you interview
other experts in your field and post the interviews on your site
(on a secret page only your newsletter subscribers know about).

You could post your videos to YouTube.com

You could put a number of videos on a dvd and mail it out as
part of your marketing efforts.

You could have competitions for your customers to create their
own videos (like this one (http://tv.winelibrary.com) – the best
one wins a years worth of purchases for free – or a free flat
screen tv – or a free ___(fill in the blank here – but make it
good and worthwhile)____.

Get creative with this!

By the way – if anyone knows of an expert in jewelry –
preferably one who has a deep voice with an accent – we need to
talk.  I have a potential project for them.

How do you make them ‘feel’ your advertising?

The biggest problem with most marketing and advertising is the
empathy that is displayed.  If the person reading your letter,
ad or webpage doesn’t feel that you are one of them – they are
gone.  If you can’t show them that you understand what is going
on in their mind right at this very moment – they are gone. If
you don’t understand the pain, excitement or passion in their
inner most protected thoughts – they are gone.

A famous quote sums it up “you must enter the conversation
already occurring in their mind as they read your marketing
piece”.

So – how do you do this?

First, you will never get this right if you can’t relate to
them.

If you have never smoked in your life – but are trying to sell
smokers on your quit smoking program – you are doomed (unless
you have done a ton of research to know anything and everything
a smoke goes through).

So, you must know their deepest secrets and desire first.

One thing I do when working with new clients is have them fill
out a questionnaire first.  Writing sales letters and
advertisements for a living – I work with all kinds of products
and services and I must find creative ways to understand what
their prospects and clients are thinking.

The questionnaire is 36 questions long – and most of them (if
not all) have NEVER been thought of by the business owner
before. They whine and complain on how hard it is – yet it is
marketing 101! If you don’t know the answers to these questions
– you have NO CLUE what your clients want.

Here are a few you need to think about for your own business:

(before you begin – make sure you have a visual of your perfect
client in mind)

1. What keeps your ideal clients awake at night, worrying
thoughts racing through their minds?

2. What is the feeling or experience you want clients to walk
away with?

3. What are they afraid of?

4. What are they angry about? Who are they angry at? Why are they
angry?

5. What are their top three daily frustrations?

6. What do they secretly desire most out of life?  How do you
help them achieve this?

7. What do you help your clients avoid?

8. What makes you, above all other available options, the one to
choose?

9. What is the biggest reason you can think of why people would
NOT buy from you?

This won’t be easy to do – but it is the most important thing
you CAN do.  When you understand your clients like your best
friends – THEN you can sell to them pretty well anything you
want. 

If you don’t “get” them – not a chance.

What can you do when a "good" ad goes bad?

It happens to all of us.  Either you write a great
advertisement or sales letter that kicks butt for a while...
then goes lame.  Or, you write (what you think) is a great
ad or letter - and it completely BOMBS.

Either way, you have to go into emergency mode.

Why?

Because your time and money is fully vested in the project!

You can't be wasting either.

>>>> If it performed strong then died out:

- did anything change in the media (magazines, papers, trade
newsletters)? If something happens to your media and
readership changes or drops - it can effect your ad. Start
looking around for any significant changes - then find
places to replace them with

- ads do tire out if the readership remains stagnant and
they keep seeing the same old ad from you every month - test
a new headline and lead. Try a new offer or close or price
(they will not remember how much you charged in the last ad,
trust me)

- have you tested other media forms with your message?  It's
like calling yourself an "internet marketer" only.  Severely
limiting your potential profits. The internet is just
another form of media.  Your sales letter that kicks butt
online may do even BETTER in print.  Or on a postcard. Or on
a teleseminar.  How would you know if you don't test it? Try
the exact same sales message in other formats - and see how
it performs there.

- test new headlines, offers, guarantees, subheads, prices,
etc... things change... and your ad may need a change.

>>>> If it was a bomb right from the start (which everyone
writes - I know I still get them - every copywriter does -
no matter what line of bull they try and feed you):

- take a serious look at why it went wrong. This is tough if
you wrote it yourself... you need to step back and look at
it from someone elses eyes.  Your customers eyes!  If the
headline targeted at them? Is it compelling? Does it promise
specifics rather than generalities?

SPEAKING OF HEADLINES....

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

   >>>> Can you pick the winners? <<<<

  Imagine what would happen if your copy
    suddenly began working 105% better?

What if suddenly, every Internet, direct mail and print ad
promo produced twice the new customers … twice the money?

Only a hot new headline can give a promotion that kind of
lift – and writers who produce them get richer than Midas!
Why not take this quick, fun HEADLINE IQ TEST – and find out
in seconds?!

You’ll get the chance to select the winners from eight
headlines that were actually tested in mailings to 1.2
million prospects at a cost of more than $600,000.  You’ll
get your score … the actual results each headline produced …
plus a valuable free gift just for playing!

http://www.advertisingblueprint.com

Its fun, its free, there are no strings attached, and what
you’ll learn could easily bring you bigger winners more
often in the months ahead!

So go ahead – accept the challenge:  Just click the link to
take THE HEADLINE IQ CHALLENGE!

http://www.advertisingblueprint.com

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

back to fixing a bomb of an ad...

- do the pictures support your approach in the ad - or do
they take away from it? The photos must work with the story,
hook, or angle you are presenting.  They must prove
credibility... and they must help move the prospect through
the piece to the end.

- is the ad following all sound direct marketing principles?
Consider it like a "greased" slide. When they jump on the
slide at the top (your headline) -- it should take them on a
fast ride to the end (the order). No bumps along the way -
or any reason to stop sliding.  A fun, fast ride that gets
them to the bottom.

- have you read it out loud? does it flow? no stumbling?

Try changing those things... and you may find the small
differences that mean the success or failure of your
marketing campaign.

Troy

Is it an investment, or an expense?

Some people amaze me. They will go out and spend $3,000 on
a big screen television, yet whine and complain about having
to invest $500 in their financial future.

How can that be so?

Does a television help you become more successful? Maybe if
you are watching training dvds or educational shows.  But
you certainly don't need a 60" screen for that now, do you?

So how can it be so easy for people to justify that kind of
expense... yet whine and complain about the price of
coaching programs, training packages - and live seminars?

It just doesn't make sense to me.

In fact, it boggles my mind.

That tv will not make you money. It will not help you
accomplish more in your business. It will not give you the
edge in your marketing.  It will do absolutely NOTHING to
help you realize your dreams.

The two things it will do?

Cause you to LOSE money (never heard of a tv that
appreciates in value)... and cause you to LOSE motivation
towards doing the things that are important.

Yes, they look great - and yes, they are a nice "toy" to
have.

But, if you have ever complained about your financial
situation - and you DO own a large tv - give your head a
shake!

That same amount of money can be invested in an advertising
campaign that could make you $10,000 profits (or much more).

That same amount of money could be invested in hiring a
coach - that helps you DOUBLE your revenues over the next 12
months.  Or it could buy you that home study course that
finally helps you understand how to write better ads and
sales letters - and finally helps you achieve that
consistent cash flow you want.

That same amount of time you spend GLUED to your behemoth
tv, you could be using to connect with others, or writing
articles to attract search engine traffic, or writing a new
sales campaign to test against your existing one.

A few hours a night X 5 nights a week watching the tube is
the equivalent to a FULL WEEK of work (focused work that
is).

Think about it - when you watch tv, you are stuck to the tv,
absolutely focused on what is going on, scared to miss a
plot line.  If you FOCUSED like that for a full 3 hours a
night on your business, WOW!, would you ever accomplish a
lot more.

Next time you sit down to your tv, think hard about how else
you could invest your time.

Financial freedom... or a big screen tv...
not a tough choice to make
(at least it shouldn't be).

Who's your scout leader?

We all need spies.  Lots of them.

As a business owner, it is always tempting to try and do it
all  yourself.  BIG mistake.  There is no possible way you
can be all and do all... so give it up!

Case in point: as mentioned previously, my firm has been
taken on as the premier marketing provider for a very large
land/home developer.  Their main target audience is the
affluent... those interested in buying million dollar plus
properties.

I have spread the word amongst business associates in the
cities we are working in to keep their eyes open.  To look
for new developments, existing developments marketing
themselves, to non-related but higher end products or
services... to anything that is being marketed to the
affluent.

And some amazing companies and developments have started to
filter down to my desk.

Ones that can make GREAT partners, and make for even better
marketing ideas.

Getting myself on all of their lists, announcements, and
sales campaigns is a true sign of what they do - and where
they fall apart.

Even the best of the best in this field seem to be lacking
in consistent marketing efforts.

Which is a great opportunity for us!

We can learn what they do that IS good - and what they are
missing the boat on so we can make sure we don't.

I urge you to do the same.

Plant the seeds with friends and associates to be on the
lookout for great marketing and business ideas - be it in
your exact industry or not.

One great idea can make you a fortune! PLUS save you months
or years or trial and error.

With that in mind... if you know of any high end housing or
commercial developments with stellar marketing and branding
campaigns in the works, PLEASE let me know!

Anything submitted to me will gladly be sent a very special
book set from me.

Send to troy@careswhite.com - make sure you tell me how best
to get ahold of you as well.

Here's to your scout leaders!

Are you a new generation marketer?

Denis Waitley wrote - 'Unless you join the generation
of the future, you will be relegated to living in the
past.

That could never be more true with regards to your marketing
and advertising efforts!

You now have an amazing assortment of marketing tools at
your disposal:

- websites
- magazine advertising
- newspapers
- emails
- autoresponders
- podcasting
- blogging
- vlogging
- plogging
- postcards
- direct mail
- dimensional mail
- print on demand books
- voice broadcasting
- fax broadcasting
- vehicle displays
- social networking sites
- chat rooms and forums
- word of mouth
- radio
- television
- yellow pages

...and probably a hundred and fifty other ones I could list
if I put more time into it.

The point is not the tools you have, but how you use them.
PLUS how you integrate them to all work as one.

A tool is just that... a tool. You can use the ones you are
comfortable with - or make do without. Lots of weekend
handymen (or handywomen) can do amazing things with the
tools they have. They don't have all the best, expensive
tools - but they can make do and get a decent output.

Then you have the pros: They have ALL the tools... and they
know how to use them all. When they work - it is like a
ballet... every step of the way looks carefully
choreographed... and the output always is a masterpiece.

It is no different in your marketing. You can make do with
what you know now... and with tools you have at your
immediate disposal.

Or you can hire it out to the pros... where you get more
done... in much less time... with a much greater output.

Or... you can do some yourself and hire some out to the
others.

My point is: The generation of the future will learn how to
use multiple tools and make them work together. Not all -
but enough to cover online AND offline marketing. Enough to
build long-term customer trust... AND to create massive cash
flow surges and new client acquisition programs.

The tools are there... are you learning how to use any new
ones?

What's YOUR backup plan?

The one negative/funny experience that my wife Kari and I
had in San Fran happened to be our "romantic dinner night".

We were highly recommended to dine at Cafe Kati in the
Pacific Heights Area.

A quaint litter restaurant with eclectic taste, narrow
hallways, dark exotic walls and the faint aromas of
delectable dishes.  We even got the best table, with the
best view, thanks to reserving online.  We ordered a nice
bottle of Merlot, some peanut crusted prawns for appetizers
and I ordered the miso glazed black bass in a dashi broth
for my main course.

Yum!

Watching the other dinners come out and be delivered to the
other guests was purely teasing... and only builds the
hunger pains.

The wine was excellent, and the prawns were to die for.

NOW we were really looking forward to the main course.

Until...

BANG! CLANG, CLATTER, BANG

Pots and pans went a flying in the kitchen area, someone
could be heard screaming in frustration.  Something BIG was
up.

Not quite sure what was happening, we kept enjoying our wine
until I noticed a mass exodus of our fellow patrons.  Just
then the waitress comes over and says...

"you have to leave NOW! Our chef/owner is having a really
bad day and is closing up for the night."

Then she gave us the bill for the wine and appetizers!

So we had to guzzle our $50 bottle of wine - and walk out in
search of some dinner.

Not impressed.

Now, what happens to a business that has no backup plan in
this kind of situation?

#1 - someone like myself goes online and tells the world
about our bad experience - remember - www.cafekati.com - who
knows how many people may read this, or hear of this from
others.

#2 - they have received a formal complaint from us

#3 - I have told everyone we know this story... yes, it is
funny, but I would never go there again

#4 - 10 tables x 2 at each table = 20 people who each tell
10 people = now you have 200 people at a minimum who know
the chef at this place is a flake!

and...

#5 - the person who recommended me there (all the way from
Calgary Canada) now knows and will never tell anyone else
again about this place. And he knows a lot of people!

Total damage done = massive.

What could they have done?

They should have had a backup plan in place.  Backup staff,
chefs, whatever... find a way to keep the doors open and
serve your guests. And NEVER ask them to pay for the crappy
service you gave them. You should bribe them to come back
not charge them for abusing them.

What do YOU have in place for your business for backup?

What would happen if your computers disappeared over night?

What would happen if you fell ill for 3 months?

You must think about your backup plan - if you don't the
damage can be massive and take you years to overcome.

Think about what COULD happen... then make sure it doesn't!