Marketing Sherpa's newsletters is one of our favourite reads.
One reason is that they provide FREE research-based insights that we all need. here's a summary of the latest one - CLICK HERE to get the whole article which is open access only to tomorrow, January 28
SUMMARY: B2B marketers are adapting to the recession. That’s clear from our latest survey of marketers about their priorities and pain points for 2009.
Here are their top 5 insights on marketing in a recession. Five data charts provide a snapshot of conditions and areas of focus for this year, such as:
o Dealing with lengthening sales cycles
o Doing more with less
o Web 2.0 and social media marketing
o Focusing on lower-cost, high-impact lead gen tactics
With companies making less profit on each deal, marketing teams may be expected to make up the difference with more sales-ready leads – or lower their average cost per lead. At the same time, lengthy negotiations and challenges getting prospects sales-ready mean marketers must stay engaged with them longer.
Using the right mix of channels, content, offers and timing is essential to move prospects up the marketing pipeline. Marketers must focus their content- development efforts and nurturing strategies to ensure they have the right educational resources to target prospects at different stages of the buying cycle.
NOTE: There is good news. One-third of the marketers surveyed said they don’t see fewer leads entering their pipeline. That counters the 36% saying they do see fewer leads. Whichever position you’re in, the length of time you’ll need to engage those leads through nurturing programs remains a defining characteristic of this economy.
Revolutionizing the way small businesses grow.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
6 Things To Know about EVERY Ideal Prospect
Recently, Geoffrey James uploaded these "must knows" for sales people before presenting to a prospect. It's a great list, so we've adapted it for marketers - have a look.
An Ideal Prospect is an Ideal Client "in training". Here's what you must know about your Ideal Prospect so you know how to market to them (and incidentally, how to distinguish and Ideal Prospect from a Waste of Time.)
* #1: Their History. Where are they coming from? How did they get here? What do they know about your and your firm? What dealings have taken place in the past?
* #2: Frames of Reference. What ideologies and situations might affect their decision-making? Do they have a certain way of viewing your offering? How do they feel about their own firm?
* #3: Needs and Desires. Where do they want to go? How do they expect to feel when they get there? How do they think they’re going to get there? What do they think will prevent it?
* #4: Likely Objections. What is going to cause them to balk? How fervently do the believe in that objection? How real is it? Might it block the deal, no matter what you say or do?
* #5: Capacity to Act. What decision do you want them to make?
* #6: Decision-making Style. How do they make decisions? Are they all about facts and figures? Or do they decide according to a gut feeling?
Once you understand these six perspectives, you can tailor your lead generating activities to match what’s really going on…rather than what you might otherwise wish were going on.
If your Ideal Prospects likes facts and figures, you build your value proposition around ROI. If he’s a gut-feeling guy, use anecdotes and imagery to bring out the emotions.
The above is based on a conversation with Dean Brenner, author of the excellent book “Move the World: Persuade your Audience, Change Minds, and Achieve Your Goals.”
An Ideal Prospect is an Ideal Client "in training". Here's what you must know about your Ideal Prospect so you know how to market to them (and incidentally, how to distinguish and Ideal Prospect from a Waste of Time.)
* #1: Their History. Where are they coming from? How did they get here? What do they know about your and your firm? What dealings have taken place in the past?
* #2: Frames of Reference. What ideologies and situations might affect their decision-making? Do they have a certain way of viewing your offering? How do they feel about their own firm?
* #3: Needs and Desires. Where do they want to go? How do they expect to feel when they get there? How do they think they’re going to get there? What do they think will prevent it?
* #4: Likely Objections. What is going to cause them to balk? How fervently do the believe in that objection? How real is it? Might it block the deal, no matter what you say or do?
* #5: Capacity to Act. What decision do you want them to make?
* #6: Decision-making Style. How do they make decisions? Are they all about facts and figures? Or do they decide according to a gut feeling?
Once you understand these six perspectives, you can tailor your lead generating activities to match what’s really going on…rather than what you might otherwise wish were going on.
If your Ideal Prospects likes facts and figures, you build your value proposition around ROI. If he’s a gut-feeling guy, use anecdotes and imagery to bring out the emotions.
The above is based on a conversation with Dean Brenner, author of the excellent book “Move the World: Persuade your Audience, Change Minds, and Achieve Your Goals.”
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Improve Your Sales Results: 2 Live Upcoming Webinars
We are big fans of RainToday, and regularly get their newsletter. Here are a couple of webinars they are putting on that offer not only good advice, but ideas grounded in good research. So they are worth paying for.
Tuesday, January 27, from 2:00-3:30 p.m. EST
Why Clients Don't Buy in 2009 and What You Can Do About It
Every business development tactic eventually leads to the all important first sales conversation. Much business development success and failure is decided here and even the best professionals, experts in their fields that give great client service and value, struggle with selling their services.
Join this webinar to learn to be more successful in selling by looking at why clients don't buy and what you can to do about it to improve your chances with hard data from RainToday.com's How Clients Buy: 2009 Benchmark Report.
Register for this webinar only - $99. CLICK HERE
Special Offer: All attendees will receive a free copy of the e-book, Mastering Rainmaking Conversations with RAIN SellingSM ($20).
Thursday, January 29th, from 2:00-3:30 p.m. EST
What Sets Top-Performing Sales Organizations Apart: Best Practices from Miller Heiman
Despite the down economy, many professional services organizations are still thriving. Why? They are focused and disciplined about the business development activities that produce results.
Based on the Miller Heiman Sales Best Practices Study, an annual report on the selling and sales management activities of companies from around the world, Miller Heiman has identified the activities that set top-performing organizations apart from their peers. Join this webinar to learn how to enhance your organization's most effective sales practices while eliminating activities that consume resources, but fail to deliver results.
Register for this webinar only - $99. CLICK HERE
Tuesday, January 27, from 2:00-3:30 p.m. EST
Why Clients Don't Buy in 2009 and What You Can Do About It
Every business development tactic eventually leads to the all important first sales conversation. Much business development success and failure is decided here and even the best professionals, experts in their fields that give great client service and value, struggle with selling their services.
Join this webinar to learn to be more successful in selling by looking at why clients don't buy and what you can to do about it to improve your chances with hard data from RainToday.com's How Clients Buy: 2009 Benchmark Report.
Register for this webinar only - $99. CLICK HERE
Special Offer: All attendees will receive a free copy of the e-book, Mastering Rainmaking Conversations with RAIN SellingSM ($20).
Thursday, January 29th, from 2:00-3:30 p.m. EST
What Sets Top-Performing Sales Organizations Apart: Best Practices from Miller Heiman
Despite the down economy, many professional services organizations are still thriving. Why? They are focused and disciplined about the business development activities that produce results.
Based on the Miller Heiman Sales Best Practices Study, an annual report on the selling and sales management activities of companies from around the world, Miller Heiman has identified the activities that set top-performing organizations apart from their peers. Join this webinar to learn how to enhance your organization's most effective sales practices while eliminating activities that consume resources, but fail to deliver results.
Register for this webinar only - $99. CLICK HERE
Monday, January 19, 2009
Are you marketing to the right people?
Whether it’s online or traditional marketing, the peculiar thing we find in dealing with our clients is that most of them do not know who their ideal customers are. But how much of an average marketing budget is actually targeted to qualified prospects?
The answer is a surprisingly small percentage. It seems that the scattergun approach is running rampant. “Let’s just hit everybody and see what happens.”
Many marketers are resorting to the flavour-of-the-month approach whereby any new ad medium that they happen upon is worth a try—OK if your marketing budget is unlimited, but these days businesses must market smart.
How do you find these qualified prospects? How do you recognize them? Where do they hang out?
It’s simple really, just take a look at your current customer base and sort out the best ones—the ones that buy a lot of your product; pay quickly and never give you a headache. What do they all generally have in common? Consider age, sex, income, where they live/do business.
Once you have the typical common characteristics of your best customers defined you’ll be able to recognize a new one that fits the description when they show up.
But don’t stop there, ask some of your customers what publications they read, what TV shows they like, what kind of music they prefer, perhaps even what kind of leisure activities they enjoy, and yes, what social networking communities they may take part in. Look for some commonalities among the answers and you’ll be able to get an idea of the places where your marketing will work best because it’s reaching the right people.
We’re not saying that you have to ignore anyone who doesn’t fit that best customer description—heavens no! There are bound to be customers who don’t fit the mold.
All we are saying is, if your marketing funds are not unlimited, be sure to direct them where they have the most chance of reaching a prospect who’s likely to need your product or service. Would you bother to try to sell refrigerators to Eskimos? I think you get the idea—market smart and reap the rewards.
The answer is a surprisingly small percentage. It seems that the scattergun approach is running rampant. “Let’s just hit everybody and see what happens.”
Many marketers are resorting to the flavour-of-the-month approach whereby any new ad medium that they happen upon is worth a try—OK if your marketing budget is unlimited, but these days businesses must market smart.
How do you find these qualified prospects? How do you recognize them? Where do they hang out?
It’s simple really, just take a look at your current customer base and sort out the best ones—the ones that buy a lot of your product; pay quickly and never give you a headache. What do they all generally have in common? Consider age, sex, income, where they live/do business.
Once you have the typical common characteristics of your best customers defined you’ll be able to recognize a new one that fits the description when they show up.
But don’t stop there, ask some of your customers what publications they read, what TV shows they like, what kind of music they prefer, perhaps even what kind of leisure activities they enjoy, and yes, what social networking communities they may take part in. Look for some commonalities among the answers and you’ll be able to get an idea of the places where your marketing will work best because it’s reaching the right people.
We’re not saying that you have to ignore anyone who doesn’t fit that best customer description—heavens no! There are bound to be customers who don’t fit the mold.
All we are saying is, if your marketing funds are not unlimited, be sure to direct them where they have the most chance of reaching a prospect who’s likely to need your product or service. Would you bother to try to sell refrigerators to Eskimos? I think you get the idea—market smart and reap the rewards.
5 steps to find out what prospects really want.
One of our fellow Duct Tape Coaches, Tim Nagle, had a recent conversation about a sales prospect who was interested in hiring a marketing coach or at the least inquiring about programs and how she could be helped.
After asking about coaching, she mentioned that she had discussed this with people in her company and decided to "do a direct mail piece instead".
Does this sound familiar? Is this person really a qualified prospect? Do you write this person off as a waste of time, or try to "sell" her on the phone?
Tim posted a process from Tom Hopkins that's a big help in getting a better idea of how to respond. We've adapted it so you can use it whatever business you are in.
First, you must hear and understand what the prospect is saying. No one wants to hear what YOU have to say until she knows you care. Second, what are her needs?
Find out prospects' needs through 5 powerful NEADS questions.
1. What are you doing Now?
2. What do you Enjoy, what is working for you?
3. Would you like to Alter anything in your current situation?
4. Could you appreciate having a Designed solution that guarantees success over and over?
5. When would you want to Start ?
So now we're qualifying prospects before we start telling them about us. As Tom Hopkins says, "This will make you unique...most salespeople, as soon as they meet a person, are starting to tell them what they should buy, this is best for you, we know what you need. That's too pushy today."
The 5 NEADS questions are easy to remember and make a big difference - let us know how they work for you.
After asking about coaching, she mentioned that she had discussed this with people in her company and decided to "do a direct mail piece instead".
Does this sound familiar? Is this person really a qualified prospect? Do you write this person off as a waste of time, or try to "sell" her on the phone?
Tim posted a process from Tom Hopkins that's a big help in getting a better idea of how to respond. We've adapted it so you can use it whatever business you are in.
First, you must hear and understand what the prospect is saying. No one wants to hear what YOU have to say until she knows you care. Second, what are her needs?
Find out prospects' needs through 5 powerful NEADS questions.
1. What are you doing Now?
2. What do you Enjoy, what is working for you?
3. Would you like to Alter anything in your current situation?
4. Could you appreciate having a Designed solution that guarantees success over and over?
5. When would you want to Start ?
So now we're qualifying prospects before we start telling them about us. As Tom Hopkins says, "This will make you unique...most salespeople, as soon as they meet a person, are starting to tell them what they should buy, this is best for you, we know what you need. That's too pushy today."
The 5 NEADS questions are easy to remember and make a big difference - let us know how they work for you.
Monday, January 12, 2009
MarketingSherpa's 2009 Email Marketing Awards: Deadline This Friday
Are you a holiday procrastinator? Don’t worry. You still have time to seek some recognition for your email savvy.
Enter MarketingSherpa's 2009 Email Marketing Awards competition. The deadline for submissions has been extended to January 16th.
The fourth annual competition honors B2B and consumer marketers for email campaigns that really work. Think response rate, overall strategy and campaign goal. You might even win Best of Show!
Categories include the Best: Newsletter ... Test you learned from ... Auto responder … Opt-in campaign … Non-email opt-in campaign … Postcard campaign … Promotional blast … Mobile market email … Promotional re-launch blast … Single welcome letter … Limited series email newsletter … Triggered personalized email. Also, you can submit a campaign that does not fit a category and we’ll evaluate it.
Awards will be handed out on March 16 at Email Marketing Summit '09, where 800 email marketers from around the world will gather in Miami, Florida from March 15-17. Thanks to Email Awards sponsor ExactTarget, there is no entry fee again this year.
Last year’s winning entries came from marketers at companies, such as AMF, Circuit City, GMAC, IBM, Sun Microsystems, InterContinental Hotels Group, Logitech, Royal Caribbean, Spencer Gifts and VMware.
Do you have what it takes? Final entry deadline: Friday, Jan. 16, 7 p.m. EST.
Go here for an entry form and more information:
http://www.surveygizmo.com/s/67687/2009-email-awards
(Open until January 16, 2009, 7 p.m. EST.)
Enter MarketingSherpa's 2009 Email Marketing Awards competition. The deadline for submissions has been extended to January 16th.
The fourth annual competition honors B2B and consumer marketers for email campaigns that really work. Think response rate, overall strategy and campaign goal. You might even win Best of Show!
Categories include the Best: Newsletter ... Test you learned from ... Auto responder … Opt-in campaign … Non-email opt-in campaign … Postcard campaign … Promotional blast … Mobile market email … Promotional re-launch blast … Single welcome letter … Limited series email newsletter … Triggered personalized email. Also, you can submit a campaign that does not fit a category and we’ll evaluate it.
Awards will be handed out on March 16 at Email Marketing Summit '09, where 800 email marketers from around the world will gather in Miami, Florida from March 15-17. Thanks to Email Awards sponsor ExactTarget, there is no entry fee again this year.
Last year’s winning entries came from marketers at companies, such as AMF, Circuit City, GMAC, IBM, Sun Microsystems, InterContinental Hotels Group, Logitech, Royal Caribbean, Spencer Gifts and VMware.
Do you have what it takes? Final entry deadline: Friday, Jan. 16, 7 p.m. EST.
Go here for an entry form and more information:
http://www.surveygizmo.com/s/67687/2009-email-awards
(Open until January 16, 2009, 7 p.m. EST.)
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
9 Steps you CAN take RIGHT NOW to make your Advertising Budget Work Harder
In our work as Duct Tape Marketing coaches, we see some of our clients struggling while others continue to do well. How are these companies different?
First, an observation or two. Some businesses are positioned to thrive in a challenging economy: if you sell wood stoves, car repair, maintenance or business coaching, rejoice. You will likely do well as people switch their buying habits from “buy new” to “make do”.
And, there are some strategic tools well-placed businesses have put in place long ago, such as a robust lead-generating infrastructure and products and services that prospects can easily recognize as different from the run-of-the-mill.
If you are not in this happy position, there are steps you can take today that will work for you. Here they are:
1. Pull your customer records for the past three years. Sort sales by customer in order of total annual value. Identify your top 20% by volume – how many of them are there – three? 600? somewhere in between?
Now, find the ones with a) average or above average profit; b) receivables at 60 days or less; c) orders in the pipeline for the next 3 months. Now you have a list of Ideal Customers.
One of our clients had 899 customers. Ten of them provided 30% of his business. Now he can focus on keeping and growing those ten while an associate manages the other 889.
2. Look at your Ideal Customer list. What do you see they have in common? It could be a similar problem you help solve, a particular vertical market or geography, business size and ownership, or a particular attitude to how business should be run.
Most importantly, look for why they do business with you: what do each of your Ideal Customers celebrate in you? Ask them, “What is the one word that describes our company?” Now you have a focus for your actions that will give you better results and save you time and money.
A large training company found their clients loved the over-the-top service they got. A manufacturer discovered it was faster delivery. An advertising studio found it was cooler designs. A software consulting firm was lauded for its creative problem solving.
3. Check your web site, sales presentations and any other tool that you can change cheaply, including how you answer your phone. Does every single word reflect your focus? If not, you change these elements to deliver that one message: We are the (category of business) that delivers (your one word).
4. Pull a report on your advertising and lead generation expenses for the past three years. Include everything: directory listings, trade publications, signs, newspaper ads, ads in the local soccer program, radio ads, golf sponsorships, client lunches, Christmas gifts, and donations.
Add it up. Ask, “For every dollar I have spent, how much business can I honestly say I have gotten back?” Immediately, cancel any spending that has not led to more phone calls, more web traffic or more requests for information at the very least.
A home improvement company we worked with had been spending $10,000 a year on radio for the past five years. He realized that he had no idea whether the ads worked. He did know his phone didn’t ring any more often when his ads ran. He cancelled the radio and saw no difference in his business.
A home heating company had run ads in several phone directories for years at a total of $500 a month. He cancelled with no impact on his business.
A group of local companies partnered on a door-to-door flier that cost each of them $500 a month. It didn’t work, they cancelled, and saved $6,000 a year.
5. Total the funds you have been able to free up. Divide it up as follows: 30%, Ideal Customers; 30%, Referrals; 30% lead generation. Now you have a new business budget.
6. Write a personal note to every person you deal with at every one of your Ideal Customers, thanking them for their business and asking for a personal meeting. At that meeting, present a customized overview of how you are going to focus on your “One Thing” (remember, they identified it for you). You should offer very specific new ways you are going to do this.
The training company with the over-the-top service revamped their client service team, added to the most-wanted courses, and offered shorter (and cheaper) programs.
The manufacturer with the faster delivery offered a delivery guarantee no-one could match.
The software consulting firm let some marginal performers go and beefed up their senior group, produced a “how to” manual showing how their solutions could be implemented faster and easier and initiated a program to help clients get out of legacy commitments they didn’t need any more.
7. At the same meetings, launch your Referral Program. Say,”We ask ourselves every day, what can we do today to get XYZ Company (the one you are meeting with) to recommend us? Would the improvements we have presented to you today convince you to recommend us to other companies who need this approach?”
When they say “Yes” (and they will), say, “In that case, we have are delighted to offer a Referral Price to you: at the end of our fiscal year, we will rebate 2% of the value of all revenue directly attributable to your referrals and introductions.”
If you have a better idea, go ahead and offer it.
This Referral plan will not run itself. You will need to assign someone to getting case studies and written recommendations, following up every month to remind people about the program (a combination of phone calls, e-newsletter, and personal meetings).
Ask for introductions to colleagues at trade events or fund-raisers. Ask to be invited to club meetings. Ask to be invited to join organizations you need to be sponsored for. If you get a referral, make sure you let your referral source know you contacted the referral and what resulted.
Our favourite referral event for a home improvement company is the open house that the home-owners host to show friends and neighbours their new space.
A technology consulting firm assigned an account executive to manage their partnerships with big software vendors, like Microsoft, and tripled their leads.
8. Create a “How To” document prospects can download from your web site, get in the mail or find lying around in your referral partners’ office lobby. It should be practical, easy to read and completely focused on solving a specific problem your
Ideal Client has.
9. Take the 30% you have allocated to lead generation and buy the smallest ad you can get in the one publication that is most widely read by your Ideal Customers, whether newspaper, trade journal or magazine. Create the ad to say “Free report. How To (do whatever it is you have written in Step 8).” Add your company name, phone number, and web address.
Run the ad six times; if you have not received any document requests, change the title of the document and run the ad six more times. Do not change the content of the report. Keep doing this until you find a name people respond to; then sit back and count your leads as they pour in.
That’s it – nine steps you can take right away to refocus your efforts where they will do the most good.
Good luck, and good business.
First, an observation or two. Some businesses are positioned to thrive in a challenging economy: if you sell wood stoves, car repair, maintenance or business coaching, rejoice. You will likely do well as people switch their buying habits from “buy new” to “make do”.
And, there are some strategic tools well-placed businesses have put in place long ago, such as a robust lead-generating infrastructure and products and services that prospects can easily recognize as different from the run-of-the-mill.
If you are not in this happy position, there are steps you can take today that will work for you. Here they are:
1. Pull your customer records for the past three years. Sort sales by customer in order of total annual value. Identify your top 20% by volume – how many of them are there – three? 600? somewhere in between?
Now, find the ones with a) average or above average profit; b) receivables at 60 days or less; c) orders in the pipeline for the next 3 months. Now you have a list of Ideal Customers.
One of our clients had 899 customers. Ten of them provided 30% of his business. Now he can focus on keeping and growing those ten while an associate manages the other 889.
2. Look at your Ideal Customer list. What do you see they have in common? It could be a similar problem you help solve, a particular vertical market or geography, business size and ownership, or a particular attitude to how business should be run.
Most importantly, look for why they do business with you: what do each of your Ideal Customers celebrate in you? Ask them, “What is the one word that describes our company?” Now you have a focus for your actions that will give you better results and save you time and money.
A large training company found their clients loved the over-the-top service they got. A manufacturer discovered it was faster delivery. An advertising studio found it was cooler designs. A software consulting firm was lauded for its creative problem solving.
3. Check your web site, sales presentations and any other tool that you can change cheaply, including how you answer your phone. Does every single word reflect your focus? If not, you change these elements to deliver that one message: We are the (category of business) that delivers (your one word).
4. Pull a report on your advertising and lead generation expenses for the past three years. Include everything: directory listings, trade publications, signs, newspaper ads, ads in the local soccer program, radio ads, golf sponsorships, client lunches, Christmas gifts, and donations.
Add it up. Ask, “For every dollar I have spent, how much business can I honestly say I have gotten back?” Immediately, cancel any spending that has not led to more phone calls, more web traffic or more requests for information at the very least.
A home improvement company we worked with had been spending $10,000 a year on radio for the past five years. He realized that he had no idea whether the ads worked. He did know his phone didn’t ring any more often when his ads ran. He cancelled the radio and saw no difference in his business.
A home heating company had run ads in several phone directories for years at a total of $500 a month. He cancelled with no impact on his business.
A group of local companies partnered on a door-to-door flier that cost each of them $500 a month. It didn’t work, they cancelled, and saved $6,000 a year.
5. Total the funds you have been able to free up. Divide it up as follows: 30%, Ideal Customers; 30%, Referrals; 30% lead generation. Now you have a new business budget.
6. Write a personal note to every person you deal with at every one of your Ideal Customers, thanking them for their business and asking for a personal meeting. At that meeting, present a customized overview of how you are going to focus on your “One Thing” (remember, they identified it for you). You should offer very specific new ways you are going to do this.
The training company with the over-the-top service revamped their client service team, added to the most-wanted courses, and offered shorter (and cheaper) programs.
The manufacturer with the faster delivery offered a delivery guarantee no-one could match.
The software consulting firm let some marginal performers go and beefed up their senior group, produced a “how to” manual showing how their solutions could be implemented faster and easier and initiated a program to help clients get out of legacy commitments they didn’t need any more.
7. At the same meetings, launch your Referral Program. Say,”We ask ourselves every day, what can we do today to get XYZ Company (the one you are meeting with) to recommend us? Would the improvements we have presented to you today convince you to recommend us to other companies who need this approach?”
When they say “Yes” (and they will), say, “In that case, we have are delighted to offer a Referral Price to you: at the end of our fiscal year, we will rebate 2% of the value of all revenue directly attributable to your referrals and introductions.”
If you have a better idea, go ahead and offer it.
This Referral plan will not run itself. You will need to assign someone to getting case studies and written recommendations, following up every month to remind people about the program (a combination of phone calls, e-newsletter, and personal meetings).
Ask for introductions to colleagues at trade events or fund-raisers. Ask to be invited to club meetings. Ask to be invited to join organizations you need to be sponsored for. If you get a referral, make sure you let your referral source know you contacted the referral and what resulted.
Our favourite referral event for a home improvement company is the open house that the home-owners host to show friends and neighbours their new space.
A technology consulting firm assigned an account executive to manage their partnerships with big software vendors, like Microsoft, and tripled their leads.
8. Create a “How To” document prospects can download from your web site, get in the mail or find lying around in your referral partners’ office lobby. It should be practical, easy to read and completely focused on solving a specific problem your
Ideal Client has.
9. Take the 30% you have allocated to lead generation and buy the smallest ad you can get in the one publication that is most widely read by your Ideal Customers, whether newspaper, trade journal or magazine. Create the ad to say “Free report. How To (do whatever it is you have written in Step 8).” Add your company name, phone number, and web address.
Run the ad six times; if you have not received any document requests, change the title of the document and run the ad six more times. Do not change the content of the report. Keep doing this until you find a name people respond to; then sit back and count your leads as they pour in.
That’s it – nine steps you can take right away to refocus your efforts where they will do the most good.
Good luck, and good business.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Resolutions for 2009
After sitting down and putting together our individual New Years Resolutions, we thought it would be a great idea to document our combined lists and post them here, for the world to see.
We've learned a lot over the last 18 months and we've seen time and time again, the business owners who don't have goals, don't communicate them, and don't take action to succeed, don't win. The most successful business leaders, and people in general, are those who make and keep resolutions. So here are ours:
1) We commit to embracing technology and really learning about the tools that can help us be more effective. We wont just jump into the latest craze, but we also wont dismiss new techniques or software that might help us do things better for clients.
2) We commit to spending at least one day per week on planning, writing and reflecting. Filling the platter as some say so that there is more to offer our work. No more 25 hour days pounding away. Reflection leads to more creativity and more focus which is what we pride ourselves on providing our clients.
3) We will guarantee our work. Small business clients who put their trust in us do so because they want to get more business, improve their cash flow and have more time to spend doing what they like. We have always honored this trust, but from now on, we will let clients know that if they are not satisfied for any reason, we will continue to work with no additional fees until they are.
A bright and fresh new year is invigorating and we're going to make it our best one ever. How about you? What are your resolutions?
We've learned a lot over the last 18 months and we've seen time and time again, the business owners who don't have goals, don't communicate them, and don't take action to succeed, don't win. The most successful business leaders, and people in general, are those who make and keep resolutions. So here are ours:
1) We commit to embracing technology and really learning about the tools that can help us be more effective. We wont just jump into the latest craze, but we also wont dismiss new techniques or software that might help us do things better for clients.
2) We commit to spending at least one day per week on planning, writing and reflecting. Filling the platter as some say so that there is more to offer our work. No more 25 hour days pounding away. Reflection leads to more creativity and more focus which is what we pride ourselves on providing our clients.
3) We will guarantee our work. Small business clients who put their trust in us do so because they want to get more business, improve their cash flow and have more time to spend doing what they like. We have always honored this trust, but from now on, we will let clients know that if they are not satisfied for any reason, we will continue to work with no additional fees until they are.
A bright and fresh new year is invigorating and we're going to make it our best one ever. How about you? What are your resolutions?
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