Full time internet marketer Alan Petersen of IMNirvana.com interviewed Emmanuel in April of 2010 – reveal your information-packed audio right now…just click the play button below and turn up your speakers:

Click Here To Play & Pause The Interview

Check out this timeline…

He’s a pretty sharp guy – listen to him. 

PR9

http://wordpress.com

PR8

http://blogger.com

http://livejournal.com

PR7

http://blogsome.com

http://bravenet.com ( http://viviti.com )

http://edublogs.org

http://friendster.com

http://knol.google.com

http://home.spaces.live.com (MSN Spaces http://msnspaces.com )

http://squidoo.com

http://tumblr.com

http://weebly.com

http://webs.com

PR6

http://blog.co.uk

http://diaryland.com

http://gather.com

http://hubpages.com (Profile points must be 75 for do-follow links)

http://tblog.com

PR5

http://20six.co.uk

http://bigadda.com

http://blog.ca

http://blogskinny.com

http://blogstream.com

http://blogwebsites.net

http://blurty.com

http://clearblogs.com

http://www.easyjournal.com

http://free-conversant.com

http://opendiary.com

http://sosblog.com

http://tabulas.com

http://terapad.com

http://thoughts.com

http://upsaid.com

http://viviti.com

PR4

http://blogeasy.com

http://bloghi.com

http://bloghorn.com

http://blogigo.com

http://blogono.com

http://blogr.com

http://blogstudio.com

http://blogtext.org

http://freeblogit.com

http://insanejournal.com

http://journalfen.net

http://mynewblog.com

http://netcipia.com

http://shoutpost.com

http://wikyblog.com

“A Stupidly Simple Cash Cow”

Warrior Forum Thread by David Preston

The following is from a Warrior Forum Thread
that was shut down by the moderators simply because
too many people were taking up too much bandwith.
So, in an effort to help out fellow Warriors that would
like to use Mr. Preston’s wonderful “Cash Cow” but
missed the opportunity, I have provided David
Preston’s original post below. All contents are
copyright ⓒ by David Preston
This is compiled and edited by Haridas
The original content at
http://www.MenonMedia.com/cashcow.html
is no longer online. The following
content has been placed hereIn an effor to keep
this valuble content viewable  for Warriors
without interfering with Warriorforum.com’s
bandwith.

Disclaimer: The content of this report is for
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is not intended to be nor should it be misconstrued
to be business advice or legal advice. For
legal advice you should seek the counsel of
a legal professional. While all care has been
taken it is the responsibility of the reader
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the applicable laws in his country, state, county,
and local area. No liability is accepted by the
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Hey Warriors,

I was recently approached at an event I was speaking at and asked,
“How can I generate some quick cash? Is there an honest way of
doing that?”

When I explained this method-everybody started writing, so I thought
I would share it with my fellow warriors.

I named this: “A Stupidly Simple Cash Cow” or how to generate emergency money NOW!

Start this today and I’m sure it will carry you through the holiday crunch.

This is very easy to do and can generate at least $1,000-$1,500
within the next few days!

First, you need to find some local business owners who need
what you’re about to offer them here. No, you won’t be pounding
the pavement or cold calling anyone….they will be calling YOU.

You can use a couple of methods to find these clients.

1. You can simply go to the phone book and look up businesses in
your local area. Write down any business that you want. You will
use that list to check the internet in a minute or two, so keep it
handy. Some listings will include the business url.

2. OR you get an in depth “drill down” listing from GoLeads
which will give you tons of information on all businesses in ANY
geographic area. Cost is about $15 for unlimited access.
(No, I’m not an affiliate but it works.)

Once you have your list, about 25-30 is all you need to start. Look
them up on the internet to see if they have a website. For this
particular deal you want them to have a website. (If they don’t
have a site yet, that’s a different model.)

Once you have a few of the websites, visit them.

Here’s what you’re looking for: Any business site that does not have a
capture mechanism installed on their FRONT page.

In other words, they need to have an auto-responder opt in form
on their front page. If they don’t….you’re in for some quick cash.

When you have about 25-30 “prospects” send them this letter:

************************************************** *
Mr./Ms. ___________

My name is ______________ and I am a local e-commerce
business consultant.

I know your time is valuable, as is mine so I’ll get right to the
point. If I could show you an unused asset that you ALREADY
have that could make you thousands of dollars, would you be
willing to speak with me for 15 minutes?

This free consultation can save you as much as 50% of your
entire monthly advertising budget AND bring you brand new
customers at the same time! The best part is that you already
have it, so the cost to implement this marketing weapon is
minimal.

Please call me at (your number) at your earliest convenience to
schedule a free “no strings” consultation. I promise you, it will be
worth your time.

Yours in business,
Your name
Contact info
************************************************** ***

That’s it! Believe me when I say that your phone will ring off the
hook. DO NOT mass mail that letter! You really only need to mail
25-30 per week and you’ll be busy.

Now that you have the clients calling you, the next step is to set a
consultation appointment and meet them. The unused asset they
have is of course their website which has no list building
capabilities.

The “money is in the list” applies to ALL businesses, not just
online marketers. By building a proper list they can cut their
advertising dollars at least in half. Just send a customer blast
about an upcoming sale instead of paying $4,000 for a full page
ad.

You follow me here?

All you have to do is set up an auto-responder opt in form on their existing site! That’s it.

I have coaching students who are making $250-$500 a deal with
just this method. It’s very easy to generate 4, 5 or even 6 deals
per week this way. Heck, it only takes about 20-30 minutes to put
the form on their site and that’s if you’re slow!
(Outsource it to fellow warriors if you have too.)

I usually visit their site, right click and select “view source” and
save it in notepad. Then I open the notepad in an html editor and
install the form.

*NOTE* I can use their AR service or mine. You’ll just have to
work the minor details out with them. Don’t turn it into a can
of worms-KISS

I use Trellian pagebuilder, which is free and allows me to preview
the finished site. Once I’m done I save it as, “theirsitename.html”
send it to their programmer and they can swap it. Otherwise, you
have get all the login info, etc. from the owner.
(I charge $50 if I have to load it.)

In either case this usually leads to a question from the owner,
“who is going to write the emails” which is another monetization
chapter for later….

Just so you know, almost half of all the sites I look at fall into the
category of no capture system. It may be more or less where you
live, but it’s a rampant problem….everywhere. Why? Because
they simply don’t understand e-commerce.

By the way, GoLeads will also give you the name of the business
owner, number of employees, etc. Do your first one the hard way
if you have to, but it’s worth the $15 to be able to put their name
on the letter.

Response rates will triple if you use their name and this little trick:

Stamp “CONFIDENTIAL” in red block letters on the front of the
envelope. This will make them put your letter in the “open later”
pile instead of straight into the trash.

It’s a simple but effective strategy especially if you use their name.
You can get a confidential stamp at Staples for $5.
I’ve used the same one for years.

Keep this in mind. People sort their mail while standing over the
trash can. You do it, so you know it’s true. You have to have
something that stands out and says, “This might be important, I’ll
look at it later.”

*NOTE*
Change their cash register and credit card terminal receipt to
read, “For Preferred Customer Discounts Sign Up At: (their
website)

There is a toll free number on the side of every register
and terminal for support. Just call them and they will walk you
through changing it. It only takes about 10 minutes.

This strategy is awesome because it does two major jobs when it
comes to marketing.

1. It captures all their current customers because everybody
reads their receipt, and everybody wants to be a preferred
customer to get discounts. It also captures all walk in traffic that
actually BUY something. Which leads us to:

2. A list of nothing but BUYERS of their product. No tirekickers or
browsers, buyers only! You may need to clarify to them exactly
why that’s so powerful.

Now you’ve made a client for life and there are tons of other
methods to help them, and generate a great living for you as
well.

I’ve just shared a tested, proven method to generate some
serious emergency money FAST! Just copy and paste the direct
mail letter and get to work.

You can do this.

I told you it was stupidly simple, and it works because it really is
helping them, and that’s what it’s all about.

Make it a great marketing day,

David Preston

Techniques to Attract Offline Customers to Online Business

1. Stamp “CONFIDENTIAL” in red block letters on the front of the
   envelope. This will make them put your letter in the “open later”
   pile instead of straight into the trash.

1. Change their cash register and credit card terminal receipt to
   read, “For Preferred Customer Discounts Sign Up At: (their
   website) 

   There is a toll free number on the side of every register
   and terminal for support. Just call them and they will walk you
   through changing it. It only takes about 10 minutes.

   This strategy is awesome because it does

    

    

   two major jobs when it
   comes to marketing. 

   1. It captures all their

    

    

   current customers because everybody
   reads their receipt, and everybody wants to be a preferred
   customer to get discounts. It also captures all walk in traffic that
   actually BUY something. Which leads us to: 

   2. A list of nothing but BUYERS of their product. No tirekickers or
   browsers, buyers only! You may need to clarify to them exactly
   why that’s so powerful.

    

    

1. This is something I do with restaurants mostly but It could work with any business. What I do is tell the restaurant owner I will get him printed out “membership enrollment” cards. Nothing you can’t get printed in bulk for a very low price at a professional print store.This is a plain little card asking for the name, e-mail address and in some cases the phone number of the customer and is presented with the customers bill. It shortly explains that X restaurant has a membership offer that will send them discounts, invitations to special nights etc. and its free. 

1. I also do coupons for restaurant sites. This past Mother’s Day brought in a lot of business. Of course, holidays are always good. I try to think “seasonal”. What’s coming up. What can I suggest to my customers that will bring in more business for them as well as myself. 

2. There’s a lot of things “in-store” that the business owner can be doing to generate traffic to the site. Handing out flyers with each order, changing the receipt printout, putting the web address on all of their other materials (signs, cups, napkins, vehicles, etc…). A lot of the smaller businesses are not doing all of these things, you’ve got to let them know about it.Let’s look at a restaurant for example. They have the customers that visit once per week, those that visit twice per week, etc.. 

How, you say?

My many years of off-line marketing has proven this to be a great deal clincher:

• Offer to provide 250 “free” “business cards” (vistaprint.com) included in your marketing pitch to the business owner. These will be given to the business owner. They’ll be used for insertion into, or (preferably) stapled to the bags that the products go into from the brick and mortar businesses.
• The cards are customizable to say “Check out our site at yoursite.com and sign-up to get a free XXXX” or “get free discount coupons emailed to you” or whatever the hook is.
• This can also just be a letter sized flyer that has the same details printed all over it. You can pretty it up with a graphics tool to add more value to the flyer (and raise your price). Plus, letter sized pieces of paper don’t get as easily overlooked as a business card.

1. Total cost to you = shipping (+-$10) of the VistaPrint cards. Cost to the B&M business owner = whatever you want to charge for the “service”.

1. Every decent size town I know of has some sort of Chamber of Commerce. If they are anything like they are around here they usually have some sort of meet and greet once a month. Here they call it business after hours. All the members meet once a month and have drinks and appetizers and socialize.

1. One of his strategy’s is a 3 step mailing program. It’s terrific and works very well. I’ve used it with several products I’ve sold over the years very successfully.If you only send out a letter/postcard 1 time you are only going to get a small percentage of people who are interested actually contact you.I can’t go into the strategy completely here but this example should be enough to get you started.Offer something of value, like a free consultation like the letter that David gave you. But put a time limit DEADLINE on it. For example 6 weeks.

   -Mail your first letter in the series and refer to the deadline

   -Two weeks later send a follow up letter/post card reminding them of the 1st letter they received and reminding them of the offer and the deadline. Make a stamp and stamp it 2nd notice.

   -Two weeks after send them the first letter again with a cover letter saying this is the final notice. You can make it even stronger by stamping it with “final notice”.

   There are many variations of this you can use and you don’t need to stop at three mailings and in time if you add phone calls to the mix it will increase the response even more. But if you only do just the 3 mailings the results should be far superior to just one mailing.

   I shared this with a friend several years ago who was selling a high priced course (nothing to do with IM or moneymaking.) He was selling 3-4 maybe 5 courses a month. That wasn’t bad since the courses sold for $2000 per course. However after we switched over to the 3 letter series with a special offer and deadline, his sales jumped to 20+ courses per month and has gone on to produce millions of dollars in sales.

    

    

1. Comprehension, that is. While it’s often best to use a sans serif font for online viewing (like the one you see here — Verdana), a serif font like Georgia, Times New Roman, etc. works best for printed material. I sent out a small test mailing using Verdana and was underimpressed with the results.The next batch will be in Georgia, which prints out even better than Times New Roman, to my eye. 

1. He is looking for traffic.Here is what I would suggest:1) Google Maps, coupons, videos, and pics: is he in Google maps? Google has greatly expanded their offerings for local businesses. Local businesses can now upload pics of their products and store, as well as add video. Google will help you create a printable coupon that will have the google logo on it – for tracking. Yahoo is also trying to compete with google – make sure they have a listing in yahoo as well.2) Research the local online directories in your area. My area has at least 4 different local directory websites that businesses need to be on.

   3) The advertising section of the local phone directory – for an extra $100 per year, customers here can get their website listed online.

   4) Mailings – postcards to existing customers offering an upgrade to their system, or a mailing to car enthusiasts in their area.

   5) Related industries – car dealerships in the area (new and used) might be interested in cross linking.

   Since you don’t have a proven track record of results, it might be a good idea to work on a contingency basis – that is you don’t get paid unless you produce results. The results might be an increase of so many new visitors to the website.

   Don’t worry, it was only one person. They aren’t all like that.

    

    

2. 
   I have been a seller for a few years, and I KNOW this.
   - So here are some tips and critique from me: 

    

    

    

   1. It’s all about control. – This is hard, but essential. YOU must take control. 

   For example the handshake. If he doesn’t want to shake your hand, make him.

   It’s almost IMPOSSIBLE not to, if someone reaches out their hand to you.
   - If they take some time to do this, it leaves you with all control. They “lost”
   the first “battle” to you, and shook your hand.

   Other things like this, can for example be to ask them to sit down.
   “Why don’t we sit down here a bit while we talk?” and then you grab a chair.
   - They will respond, and sit down, which is again better, since it helps both of you relax.

   In other words, Be authorative.

    

    

    

   2. Ask questions that builds up to a purchase.
   In this example: “Have you seen results with your marketing efforts online?” 

   Yes. – Great! Then you know these things work!
   No. – Then I’ll show you how to get results. ( And explain the benefits of having a list)

   Always have a plan on what to answer when you ask questions like that. – Then it will come
   naturally after a while.

    

    

    

   3. NEVER ask them to email you. – YOU will contact them. 

   And again about the questions… Don’t say ” When shall I contact you?”
   Instead: “Is Wednesday or Thursday best for you?”

   Most will choose, but in case they don’t.
   Ask the same, but next week. “I’m really busy this week” – “Okay, then let’s say Monday in
   2 weeks. Okay?”

    

    

    

   4. In your case, imagine how the owner thinks.
   Words like “Facebook” and “Pop-up” is considered bad to them.
   Explain it so they understand – And don’t trigger bad emotions. 

    

    

    

   5. “What’s in it for me?” 

   Explain every benefit they will get from you in great detail.
   - Make sure they understand every single one of them, and focus on the good words.

   Example: (highlighted words are the ones you say with extra passion etc.)

    

    

    

   Him: So what will this do for me?
   You: You might not have thought about this, but A LOT of visitors who leaves your
   website will never come back. – Your advertising dollars are thrown out of the window.
   But with this you can actually CONTACT YOUR PROSPECTS AT ANY TIME!
   - This will give you a better return on your advertising investments, as well as you are more
   likely to get sales from the customers you have already. 

   And there are many other ways to take advantage of a mailing list…
   For example, you have the possibility to get almost instant feedback, as well as market research. -

    

    

   All for free! 

   I will of course help you with this (nod)

    

    

    

   6. Listen. 

   Even if you have the greatest sales pitch in history, make sure you listen to the client, and
   his/her needs. – This will help you to build up the purchase even more.

    

    

1. Here’s a tip. I’ve found that by checking my yellow pages for larger ads, local papers for daily ads and our local monthly free magazine for advertisers I can target companies that are investing a lot of money that in many cases isn’t really working for them and it’s costing them serious big bucks. Just need to show them how to re-direct their budget (to you) at (usually much) less rate with higher return.

Ok Warriors More Gold !!!

On the back of your plastic business card (plastic is optional but very professional– especially at networking events), put this on the back of your card:

“Ask me how you can get a lifetime of free advertising”

When the offline business owner calls you for your free advertising (when they see the back of your card) say this:

“Sure…the way you can get a lifetime of free adverting is by referring me customers that you think can benefit from my strategic marketing services.

When you refer me a client, I will put your company name, link and banner/graphic on my website. If you refer more then one customer, I will put your company name and logo on my books, reports, and emails that I send out. Simply put, the more you refer me clients, the more advertising I will give you.”

This strategy does the following:

1) Position your company in an esteemed light. This subtly puts GREAT VALUE to your company

2) Promotes good will- they refer you a client…you give them free advertising

3) ITS GETS BUSINESS OWNERS TO CALL YOU –WITHOUT DIRECT MAIL MARKETING- my personal favorite benefit

4) They can put GRAPHICS on your website when they refer you a client. The reason this can be powerful is because most small business owners DO NOT HAVE ADVERTISING BANNERS. Tell them they can do this….and if they don’t have banners and graphics…..for a fee…you can help them — yet just another way the client can stand out and separate themselves from their competition

4) It builds more hooks into your relationship with your client….THE MORE HOOKS….the harder it is to leave….another great hook is offering them hosting through your reseller account. A web auto responder service…is just another hook.

1. On another note: I wanted to add a real value point to the reasoning behind contacting your clients.The main point is obviously to cut advertising costs.The secondary point is to increase sales through direct advertising delivered into the possession of the customer, a option not offered by any other advertising media.

   The third however, could possibly tip the scales into your favor every single time if delivered, regardless of if it is delivered correctly.

   The third main point your client would want to develop a list is to sell advertising space to other businesses. They can turn their newsletters into income generators.

   Any business has partner businesses they can sell advertising space to.

   When you represent the three points together, how could a client say no?

    

    

    

   Alrite one question, say you are a newbie and just starting out in the offline business, What could you say if a business owner asks for REFERENCES even though you just started out and you haven’t even done a deal yet?  Just trying to cover all the bases of questions so that I could feel more comfortable in approaching more business owners.

2. 
   Two options: 

   # 1: Tell them you’ve been working mainly on your own sites and projects and you’re just getting started helping other businesses.

   # 2: Do a deal with a couple of the first business owners you talk to just to get the experience and referrals…then you’ll have references.

   Ultimately what you’re really talking about is a trust/credibility issue and real trust is built simply by talking talking to a business owner, listening, finding out what they want and offering a customized solution based on that.

   You’ll find that process eliminates most problems

    

    

    

   Originally Posted by faceit   Here are my questions: What kind of time frame do you the biz owners excpect to have their “system” up and running? Like, if I set up a capture form on their site and an 8 email autoresponder, how long does that typically take? 2 days, 1 week, 1 month? And what time frame do you tell the owner? Also, when do you collect the 2nd half of the set up fee?

3. # 1: As Kyle says you can take as long as you like and set up whatever deal you like for the time frame it takes you to complete a project.In many cases you’ll be able to do the work inside 2-7 days quite easily but sometimes it can be wise (if it takes you a day or two to do the work) to take a little longer before you tell the client that it’s done.You want to make it seem like you were working long hard hours to get it done!Don’t want to make it seem too easy.

   # 2: Usually you ask for your second half of payment on completion of the project.

   So if you’re putting up an autoresponder and 8 follow up emails you get the second half of your initial fee when the optin form and follow up emails are up and running.

   It is important that you outline what’s expected of you and how and when you expect to be paid in your agreement with your client (I usually use an email for this).

    

    

4. I have no experience with jewelry businesses but I think they will be perfect for building a list.”is there a special birthday this month? We are having a huge diamond sale this month” Maybe add a picture of 1 carat ear rings etc.
   I would think even doing some basic 

    

    

   SEO would do good for a jeweler. Also every time they get a new design in stock they can let the list members be the first to know. Jewelers are also in the repair business,
   - Polish your rocks, metals, gold etc.
   - Cross-promote with other related businesses, watches, clothing, gold and silver coins etc
   - Also you have ethnic purchases and special occassions to promote.
   Christenings for example
   Indians love gold and all the others. Sorry, I’ve been out of that loop for a while,
   but you get the idea.
   - Clearances and specials, half-yearly, end-of-year.
   - Valuations
   - Insuring the goods (cross-promote idea)

5. For a computer parts wholesaler they may offer customer opt-ins a one time 15% off their next order to make them want to sign up. And then on going emails could be things like new stock, parts and product reviews and how to best use them, bargains for older stock, monthly specials. Those are just some ideas off the top of my head. Hope that helps.
6. For each of those industries, you could offer free reports to get people to subscribe to their list.
   EG:
   1) law office – 10 tips to avoid a lawsuit in your business, how to avoid foreclosure, things to consider before starting a potentially expensive lawsuit.
   2) chiropractor – simple techniques to keep your feet in tip top shape,
   3) physiotherapist – 7 questions to ask your physiotherapist before starting treatment. 

   These are just off the top of my head. Other angles could be to message the list with relevant news stories and how those stories affect that particular line of work and the potential client. Or maybe focus on a different area of the industry such as law, maybe in the form of a case study.
   Each report doesn’t have to be reams of info, it could be just a page or two with a link to the client’s site, or asking the list to pop in for a free appraisal, consultation or the like, no strings attached.
   I’m sure more ideas like these will come to mind when you have a brainstorming session.
   The thing to remember is to be getting those industry clients to add value and show their list that they are the experts in the field. Always looking to inform and educate is probably the motive. They could send case studies. Also, their opinion of how a news story could realtes to their industry. EG a famous footballer damages his foot, the chiropractor could send out an email about the how the ordinary joe could suffer the same fate and how the chiropractor could help.
   If they have spare capacity in their diaries they could offer free time-sensitive offers of free consults etc.
   A lot of the time, as I mentioned earlier, if your client is always looking to inform and educate, they won’t go far wrong. It’s a cheesy phrase but ‘share of mind’ is what they’re after, coupled with offers to get the list through the door, or at least take an active interest in your client’s offering.

    

    

8. 
    

    

    

    

What to say to customers

1. I also teach my students how to monetize the business owners
   list FOR them and split it 50/50.  

   The last owner I hit with that said, “What do I have to pay you
   to do that for me?” AND I replied, just say yes, and I’ll do the rest.

    

    

1. As far as aweber it’s very simple. IF they want to open one I show
   them how–if they have a problem with that kind of stuff, guess what? 

   “Don’t fret it Mr/Ms _______ I’ll take care of it for you if you want me to.”

    

    

1. For instance, I might say, “well MR/Mrs Businessperson,
   What if after we set up your customer capture system,
   we could give it a month or so, and then we could also
   offer those customers some benefit for referring friends
   through an online form?”

1. After the pleasantries when you meet the new client
   just ask them this: 

   “What would you rather have, a website like you now
   have, or a customer management system that allows
   you to advertise to your growing customer list for free?”

   Believe me when I tell you the answer is 90% “I would
   rather have a list.” This places you in their mind as the
   obvious expert.

   If, like me, you happen to be a webmaster, you can
   completely sell them with the next response, which is:

   “I can give you both”

   If the website they have is not making them profit,
   which in most cases it is not, you just earned yourself
   a check.

    

    

1. That’s easy here are some options;
   1) Say Ok
   2) Ask him if they are true email marketers do they know how to create
   emails that drive action and can write winning subject lines for good open rates, because I do that (meaning you) If you really want to get them in a tizzy about their designer can you find that customers page for the correct keywords city its in and type of business, is it optimized, titled tagged correctly, can their customers find the site? Most likely not so why would you want them to write your emails? If they are on the off chance searchable just tell them you are a marketing consultant and it’s what you specialize in. They are “designers”. Sure they can do it! But who would they rather have them the designer or you the marketer?
   Drive home the points and just a few of the ideas you have for them but tell them there is so much more you can offer them with marketing ideas?

1. I always try to start new students that way with this twist:After you speak to the owner you know ask them who owns the
   shop beside them, across from them? 

   Then walk in each with this statement–”I was next door speaking
   with _________ and he said that you may be interested in this as well.”

   Get the name and info from the owner you know, some background etc.

   I’ve done this many times and even had one owner tell me, “You
   don’t want to approach that guy, he’s an idiot. But if you talk to
   _____________ over there he would see the benefit fast.”

   Not cold calling but “warm calling.”

    

    

1. If you don’t believe me, try this: Log onto google local today and write down 10 numbers for local businesses with a website and call them! Introduce yourself as a small business marketing specialist and a business owner like them. Just say its a really quick call and ask them if they generate much business through there website? Once you get an answer ask them if they keep in touch or follow up on existing customers?Watch 9/10 say NO, or sometimes!Then ask “I will give you another example “mr business owner”. If I was to visit your website today to look at your hypnotherapy services as I need help in quitting smoking, but, I am not ready to buy into your company right now, I am just browsing. Then, what are you doing to make sure you do not lose me to a competitor further down the line?”

   They will fall silent! Guaranteed!

   “Now, if you were to offer maybe a short report to download on your website titled “5 ways hypnotherapy can help you quit your 10 a day habit” And all I need to do is give you my name and email to get that important info, then I will be more than happy to do that as its extra info that I have been looking into!”

   “Bear in mind “Mr Business Owner” this is automated and we/I handle everything. But this is the best part”

   “You then “Mr Business Owner” have as many opportunities to sell and market to me as you want, Now whether it be in a weeks time or 6 months time, when I decide to use hypnotherapy to cure my habit, which company am I most likely to use?”

   Obviously, It isn’t as easy as that but email

    

    

   
    

   I have a question that I don’t think has been raised or covered so far.  When you get ‘the phone call’, how do you get the appointment without getting into conversation about the service you’re going to offer. I really would appreciate the same diverse responses as I’ve seen on other questions that have been raised in this thread so far. Thank you in anticipation. Best Regards Eddie

2. Just tell them:1. It’s something you can’t do justice to or explain properly over the phone.2. You need to have a more in depth discussion about their business and their goals to be certain this strategy will actually help them increase their sales and profits.I would simply say, “Lets arrange for a free consultation so I can understand your business and specific concerns so that I can create a customized solution for your consideration”

   If he wants to do it over the phone tell him you have visual materials based on research you have done on his business you want to show him (perhaps a google site: query comparing his site to competitors)

    

    

    

1. “Look I know you are bombarded everyday with sales calls and salesman walking through your doors trying to sell you want THEY want YOU to have. That is not the case with me. What I’m offering here is a simple solution for you that will increase your sales. The best part about it is it’s completely hands off for you. I take care of everything for you. I have Tuesday and Thursday available open. What works best for you?”

1. Also if you’re not able to book and appointment on the phone here’s one line you should remember “It’s really difficult to explain this on the phone. Perhaps I can send you an email then you can ask me to clarify things that way.”In other words get the email address for follow up. 

1. The real secret is…DON’T OFFER THEM ANYTHING.Don’t go in with any expectations of what they need or what service you will try to sell them.Instead pick THEIR brains.Find out what the business owner wants out of his business, where his profits are coming from, what kind of marketing he’s done online and offline, what’s worked and what hasn’t worked.

   These kinds of intelligent questions will establish you as a genuine expert (and you don’t have to really say a thing).

   Then when you get some really good ideas about what they can do based on your own internet marketing knowledge…share those ideas.

   And keep sharing them till you hit on one the business owner gets excited about.

   That’s the one to run with.

   The letter gets you in the door but there’s no need to be rigid about what service you end up providing.

   Find out what they want and give them a customized solution they’re excited about.

    

    

1. Then if I accept them for a consultation I don’t give them
   tips or strategies away. 

   What to do instead?

   Focus the conversation on them and their business, their
   current frustrations and specifically what they want to
   achieve in the coming months/years.

   Only after establishing this do you then come in with the

    

    

   coup de grace of matching your services to their
   needs. 

   Incidentally, in my consultations, the client speaks for
   around 75% of the time – at least. This helps me to
   listen out for their needs.

   You simply let them know WHAT you can do for them,
   not HOW you’re going to do it.

   (They’ll have to pay to see you do that important part!)

    

    

1. i had some pretty remarkable results with offline marketing last year (i’m selling design services).. let me share (excuse my engrish):i used windowed envelopes, font size 9, georgia (headings bolded).basically my letter consists of 3 paragraphs:1) introduction
   “my name is xxxxxx and i am the xxxxxx of mycompany.com, a local webdesign company. blahblah”

   2) what it’s all about
   “your website is the virtual store sign of your company and an outmoded implementation (that is of no real use for you and your customers) only burns your money.. blahblah”

   3) the pitch
   “if you’re interested in a free analysis of your existing site, please head over to (my website here) and enter your personal code: CDEFGH in our contact-form. you’ll get our free report via email in a matter of hours.

   i also offer them to call me or to meet me in person, but most of ‘em just visit my site and grab the free info-package.

   out of 100 letters i usually get about 12 clients (about 40% visit my site for the free report).

    

    

1. I tell people “I make websites that make money, as opposed to most websites that don’t” or “I work with local business and make their websites make money”
   
2. To help explain what i do I use something like the following:”An architect or builder can design & build the most amazing, wonderful, aesthetically pleasing looking building with all the flash fancy bits & pieces. That’s his job & he does it well.He has no idea how to actually get customers in the door, or what to do when they get there, or how to make them stay, or remember them when they try to leave.You have the shop owner – he knows his products inside out, but marketing isn’t his area either. He needs help getting customers etc etc.

   Then you have the person who knows how to discover what the SHOPPER wants (not necessarily what the shop owner THINK he wants), what he’s looking for, what he likes & what he doesn’t like, how to keep him in the shop longer, where he goes in the shop & how to get his contact details to create an on-going relationship, making sure he doesn’t go somewhere else, until he’s comfortable making his purchase.

   That’s where I come in”

   I don’t always use this – I just make things up as I go along, but I have used this when I need to & I’ve seen a couple of people go “Ahhhh”

    

    

1. You could also experiment with “grabbers” in your mailing. Sending a tshirt with the business owner’s name on it and something like “What Is Jim Jones Missing On His Website? Call internet marketing consultant xxx xxx on xxxxxxx and find out or go to xxx.com”Customization like this will give you a dramatic response rate (but it does cost more). 

    

1. You know for example. “Dear Mr Biz owner, I suppose that you know that you are leaking about $50K per year in lost revenues?”“I am!!!”“Sure” ChecK this out, as you pull out the article that talks about how small businesses are losing $50k per year for not implementing internet marketing to the limits.

    

    

1. Getting people to call you is always a challenge. You might consider a free report that you can offer if they visit your website. Something like “3 Easy Things You Can Do In Less Than 1 Hour To Get Tons More Customers To Your Website” or, “The Simple Most Overlooked Website Change That Can Bring You Tons Of New Customers”.That takes the pressure off them & then put them on your autoresponder list!  

    

1. Ok, so here’s an idea I had when reading Jan Roos post about getting top google ranking with a simple ezine article to show the business owner what you can do.Why not implement this before contacting the business owners? We all know how amazingly simple it is to get top google rankings for a search when a city is put in front of it. So before I contact these restaurants, I figure I can just make a blog and get it top ranked on google for Corvallis restaurants.Now in the letter I send out I can tell them to do a quick google search for corvallis restaurants and show them that my page comes up first. Then you tell them “and this is what I did with a simple blog that I put up for “FREE” How much did you pay for your site to be made? Just think of what I could do with it. Or something to that effect.Or I could even print out a screenshot of that google search and put it in the letter itself and then circle it and say this could be your business. If I wanted I could get the title in google to say “Corvallis restaurant owners: Want your site here?” Or something to that effect that directly talks to them.

   I could also get it top ranked for other keywords that would catch their eye. Like best corvallis restaurant, favorite corvallis restaurant, where to eat in corvallis etc. This would be pretty easy to do and I think it would really help seal the deal. Then once this blog is secured at these keywords, I can send out a letter to all the restaurants in my local area.

    

    

    

2. Scranton Front Door Pages
3. The Scranton Front Door Pages
4. Here’s an excerpt from my template letter to new contacts:”If you were to go to a computer with an Internet connection and search Google for 

   [], you might find that there’s already a powerful Web presence at the top of the search engine results for your [] in this locale. I control this Web presence…” 

   Even better, with a “seasoned” blog, you can make a blog post and have it indexed, ranked and shoot to the top in under 10 minutes! I’ve actually done this in real time. This goes beyond making you look like a freaking’ genius. Now you look like a deadly secret weapon!

    

    

5. There were a few already mentioned in this thread.1) Ask them about their business
   2) How long have they been in business
   3)How did they get started in the business
   4)How long have they been in business
   5)Why did they choose it
   6) What kind of results are they getting from their advertising
   7) What would they like to see improve specifically
   What do they offer that is most profitable
   9)My personal favorite is what’s their USP? I love that one. Most go huh and when you tell them what it is the think you are a marketing god. If they happen to have one which most don’t and you tell them they already do they feel so darn good about themselves.
   But if they don’t it’s a revelation to them when you explain it. Then use that on their website email etc
   10) What part of their business would they like to promote more.
   11) Where are they lacking is sales. 

   Ok I could go on and I’m sure lots of people in here will help you
   with a million other ideas but there’s a start for you

    

    

6. The numbers come from the “Direct Marketers Association” and actually dipped down a little bit this year from 5000% last year. Here are a few of the sources I have used for my ebook: 

   ROI for Email Marketing Dips (but still dominates) : The Messaging Times 

    

    

    

   Email marketing ‘most effective format to get people online’ – Marketing News – BusinessStrata 

    

    

    

   Opt-In Email – The world’s (second) most cost effective advertising medium – The E Team – Your independent provider of websites and eMarketing solutions 

   I think the strongest selling point to this strategy is the cold, hard facts… numbers and dollars will make the point. Some people will be swayed by the “bandwagon” or “coolness” aspects of IM, but others will be very wary.

   These numbers “prove” that this is a great strategy to follow, and one to keep them going for some time.

    

    

   http://4500percent.com/ebook-download

7. Here is some Autoresponder service text to use to create a flyer: ———————————
   “The Most Important Profit Opportunity Almost Every Business Overlooks & How To Use It To Create A Flood Of New Sales!” 

   Everyone in business knows you have to advertise to keep customers coming in and business rolling.

   But these days, advertising dollars are harder than ever to come by. Mass mailings or newspaper circulars are fine, but they are EXPENSIVE, UN-TARGETED and WASTEFUL.

   Ever wish you could focus your marketing on the people who are most likely to buy from you – your CURRENT CUSTOMERS? They are one of the most important assets you have!

   What if ….. You had a marketing program that allowed you to communicate & market directly to your customers … every month or every week … with no effort on your part – for less that $XX.XX a day?

   That’s what our “LOCAL EMAIL CLUB” marketing program can do for you!

   Today, almost all of your customers have email service at home. Sending PERMISSION email (that your customers have asked for) is an incredibly fast, efficient and effective way to put your marketing message in front of your customers.

   YOU simply set our simple “lead box” on your counter where your customers will see it. The sign on it says:

   JOIN OUR FREE “EMAIL CLUB”
   You’ll receive FREE coupons and discounts
   you can use on future visits!
   Just fill in the form and deposit in this box.
   Thank you!

   We do the rest of the work! We’ll create an email database and compile your customers’ information into a TARGETED EMAIL LIST for you to mail to … monthly or weekly if you want! We’ll manage the list on your behalf and send out your discounts or special offers anytime your business needs a “boost”.

   Your customers will sign up eagerly for this service – because EVERYBODY loves to save money! They’ll eagerly anticipate hearing from you. (In fact, restaurants that have tried local email marketing have reported more customers, visits and over an 11% redemption of discounts and coupons!)

   Your business will benefit from the personal, one-on-one communication with your customers! Email is a great, inexpensive way to show them how much you appreciate their business … and a great way to market directly to your best audience!

   Isn’t it about time to put one of your most valuable assets … your current customer list … to work for you? Now you can do so effortlessly, with our “LOCAL EMAIL CLUB”.

    

    

1. Here’s a list of business types that may be good prospects for ‘Local Email Marketing’. You may not have thought of some of these. This is an idea starter. Do your research. Your prospects are unlimited!> Service:
   restaurants
   banquet halls
   child/day care
   electrolysis
   skin care/cosmetics
   health food/diet centers
   hair stylist
   tanning salons
   heath clubs
   alarm companies
   stop smoking clinics
   adult education schools
   baldness/toupee salons
   house sitters
   moving companies
   housecleaning services
   taxi/car rental
   travel agencies
   landscape maintenance
   wedding services
   pet boarding
   dry cleaners 

   > Retail:
   pharmacy/drug store
   pet store
   ladies dress shop
   men’s clothing/tailor
   children’s clothes
   baby furniture
   florist
   formal wear
   hobby/crafts
   nursery/bedding plants
   lingerie/swimwear
   music/piano/lessons
   cameras/photo supplies
   furniture
   jewelers
   patio furniture
   shoe store
   unfinished furniture
   liquor store
   antique shop
   picture framing
   carpet
   books
   greeting cards
   building materials
   department store
   sporting goods
   gift shop
   TV/stereo
   tobacco
   candy
   produce

   > Household:
   drapery/blinds
   lighting
   pest control
   maid services
   carpet cleaning
   vacuums
   plumbers
   electricians
   air conditioning/heating
   house painters
   windows
   doors
   landscape contractor
   decks/patio
   swimming pools
   kitchen cabinets
   insulation
   roofing
   appliance sale/service
   chimney sweeps
   home renovations
   fencing
   pool supply

   >Automotive:
   car dealers – new/used
   tires
   towing service
   muffler shop
   brake shop
   transmission shop
   gas station
   auto upholstery
   auto parts
   quick lube
   car wash

   >Professional:
   banks/credit union
   income tax/accountants
   insurance
   real estate
   attorneys
   doctors/clinic
   chiropractor
   dentist
   veterinarian
   opticians/glasses/contacts
   hypnotists
   veterinary clinic

   > Product/Service:
   employment services
   computer/software
   office supplies
   equipment rental
   courier services
   answering service
   office furniture
   printing
   cellular phones
   secretarial service
   golf courses/pro shops
   ski schools
   miniature golf
   tennis clubs
   motor homes/RVs
   dating service
   local festivals
   bowling alleys
   video shops
   riding stables
   flying clubs
   movie theaters
   fishing tackle
   motor raceway
   trophy/awards
   athletic events arenas
   skating rinks

    

    

2. “Tell me John….how did you get started in this business?”

1. The first meeting has several parts.
   1.Greeting and introductions
   2.Appropriate sociability – take a drink if offered. It’s rude to refuse hospitality.
   3.Fact find – delve into his needs. Ask questions…let him talk. Find out the problems.
   4.Presentation of solution in a benefit focused way. Check that he understands along the way.
   5.Identify the last remaining objection and then address objections
   6.Agreement to proceed and close deal
   7.Referrals…if you don’t ask you don’t get.
   8.Manage expectations….under promise and over deliver. 

    

    

   1. Greeting and introductions
   When you first meet them, a polite hello, nice to meet you. The correct response to “how do you do” is “how do you do”. People who say “how do you do” will measure you on your response. Smiling, shake hand firmly (nothing worse than a wet fish handshake). Present business card and take theirs. Thank them for taking the time to see you. “I promise I won’t keep you too long today…. (huge!)”. On the phone when making the appointment, tell him that if it takes more than 15 minutes, it will be because he sees value in what you’re offering. If he doesnt like it, you’ll be outta there quick smart. Don’t sell the concept on the phone…sell the meeting. 

   Take a seat beside him if you can….like an adviser. Try to avoid sitting across a desk from him…its combative. Ask him if it’s Ok to pull your chair round to the side of the desk so that you can show him some stuff.
   If he folds his arms and shuts his body language, hand him a piece of paper to read…get his body open again. Do something to shake him up.

   2.

    

    

   Appropriate sociability
   Talk for a few minutes about something other than business….traffic, weather, anything. Put him at ease and get a feel for him. If you’re stuck….”how did you get started in this business” is a never fail question to thaw ever the frostiest prospect. 

   3.

    

    

   Fact find
   Get to know his business….ALWAYS make notes…you look fly by night if you don’t. It’s best to have a structured form that you fill in while chatting, ask about customers, average value of customers and orders, cost of customer acquisition, current marketing, budgets, competition, repeat customers, goals, current marketing or web agencies (know them to beat them). Get him to define his problems. Don’t tell him what they are….ask this question….” So are you saying that it’s a problem not being able to communicate clearly with your customers?”. Get him to agree….yes….yes…..yes…..lots of little Yes’s add up to a big yes at the end. You are there to solve those problems that he defines for you. If you define his problems, they’re yours, not his. If he defines them, they’re his problems and he wants you to solve them. 

   4.

    

    

   Presentation of solutions
   Tell him what your solution will do for him. Use Need – feature – function – benefit. (see a few posts up for this) At the first meeting, keep it simple, get in the door, and leave with something…even if it’s only a trail of trust. NEVER lie. If you can’t help, tell him so and ask for referrals. Don’t talk about everything in one go…building a new site, doing PPC campaigns, mailing lists etc. Remember, you’re not out to get apples, but apple trees. One thing at a time….you can build it gradually over time…don’t slaughter the cow…milk it. First meeting, do SOME business, no matter how small. Add HUGE value here…shoot your best and fastest producing arrows first to build trust and credibility. 

   5.

    

    

   Handle his objections.
   He isn’t saying no, he’s asking for more clarification of how this applies to him. Be ready with the answers. Write down every possible objection to what you are offering and have 5 reasons why it isn’t an issue. Every single one. Add more as you go. The only objection that should stop you is …”we are going out of business tomorrow”. 

    

    

   Men usually have 2 reasons for doing something, the real reason and the one that sounds good. When objections come out, you MUST run through this drill. This is where sales are made and lost. You must get to the bottom of his objections….the last one…this is key.  

    

    

   HIM: I can’t do it because of X.
   YOU: Ok John, in addition to X, is there any other reason?
   HIM: Yes, I’m not too happy about Y either.
   YOU: Ok, in addition to X and Y, is there any other reason?
   HIM: Well, Z is an issue as well.
   YOU: OK, so there’s reason X, Y and Z….are there any other reasons?
   HIM: No, that’s it….that’s all there is.
   YOU: So if I answered X, Y and Z to your satisfaction, there is no other reason we couldn’t go ahead and get started today with something?
   HIM: No there isn’t, but I don’t see how we can with X, Y and Z.
   YOU: That’s OK, let’s imagine if I can satisfy you on X, Y and Z, we could go ahead today…yes?
   HIM: Yes.  

   This is critical….Z is the real reason. The entire purpose of this exercise is to flush out his last remaining objection. People don’t like to lie, so they hold the real reason back and lie by omission. The last objection is the real one. Answer it first and the others often don’t matter, but be prepared with an answer just in case, but don’t open up cans of worms on yourself either. Go straight for the signature after you answer Z and he confirms that he’s ok with Z.

   Here are a few translations for common objections:
   ·“I can’t afford it” = you haven’t shown me it’s worth the money…a value based objection. Show me it’s worth the money….I AM interested…I would buy it if it was cheaper or if I perceived the value as higher.
   ·“I don’t have time” = I think this will take a lot of my time up. Don’t worry, we can do everything for you…this won’t take up any of your time. Give me a subordinate I can deal with and I’ll email you once a month with a quick update.
   ·“Come back and see me next week” = I have an objection but I don’t want to tell you what it is. You say….“John, you will forget 85% of what we have been talking about next week….now is the best time to choose your future. What precisely are you unsure of?” Get the objection out….don’t let it fester. You can’t answer it if you don’t know what it is.
   ·“I can’t do it because I have to speak with X”. Sometimes this is tricky and there can be a genuine reason. This is overcome by making sure that all decision makers are at the meeting in the first place…often, just say that we can go ahead and do it and you can contact me on that new fangled invention called the phone if there’s an issue with your partner/wife/CEO.
   ·“I don’t think it will do what you say it will do.” Testimonials answer this one. Also the risk reward argument….”John, this will do what I say…I know it will. It could revolutionise your business….considering the upside….don’t you think it’s worth £200 to find out?”. If he says no….you’ve dodged a moron or someone who lies to himself or thinks you’re lying. If you get this a lot, concentrate on more eye contact and stop fidgeting and touching your face.
   ·

    

    

   This will be a big one “The economic environment is bad”. “Tell me Mr Jones, do you think it’s more important to squeeze every last drop of value out of your prospects and customers in a bad economic environment or a good economic environment?” ….or….”Out of 2 companies, one that gets maximum value and one that lets opportunities and profits slip by, which do you think is more likely to be here in 3 years time?”
   ·“My customers don’t have computers” = What? None of them? Wow, you’ve been in more houses than Santa Clause! Laugh….he might to….but he’ll get the point. 

   ·“Another company deals with that for me”. Mr Jones…as an internet marketing professional, I think they designed a beautiful site and were a wonderful choice for the artistic side of the web presence. They really have done a great job. (Don’t slag them off…he chose them, so you’d be slagging him off in the process!) but I can generate more business for you. That’s what I do…that’s all I do. I’m like the terminator! These arty types don’t understand the bottom line like we do…they’re artists and tech people and we’re business people…(Us V them…we’re on the same side) They have built a beautiful car but they forgot the engine…let me put a huge engine into for you. Right now you have a beautiful looking shop front in the Sahara desert. I can airlift it in a big helicopter and drop it right in the middle of 5th avenue for you. Would you like that?…..NEVER EVER EVER speak badly of the competition…it shows a lack of class and some fear. Differentiate yourself from them in other ways.

    

    

   6.Agreement to proceed and close deal
   It’s not a big deal. Don’t make this stage complicated….it’s so simple…but I know how difficult this can be if it’s new to you. YOU DESERVE TO BE PAID. DON’T FEEL GUILTY OR SHY. 

   Ask….are you happy with that….or….Does that sound good to you? “Yes” Do you have any more questions? Once you get the response you’re after, just slide an order form over, (make it up, but have one)

    

    

   put an X where he has to sign, hold out a pen to him and shut up. Don’t say a word until he does….not a word. The release of the psychological pressure which the silence puts him under comes from him signing….he will usually take the fast easy way out. Once he signs…congratulate him on a very smart move and ask for the cheque. This is as complicated as the close needs to be. I’ve closed large deals with this simple technique. It’s my standard closing technique because it’s so simple and effective. Don’t make it more complicated than it needs to be….and shut up at the critical moment….let him sweat a bit….it’s good for the health. 

   Don’t talk beyond the close. Get the check and immediately move off his business with you and onto the topic below…fast.

   7.

    

    

   Referrals…if you don’t ask you don’t get.
   If you don’t ask, you’re working 3 times harder than you need to. I’ve had one referral introduce me, through referrals from referrals to a network of maybe over 50 clients who all did business. It’s incredibly powerful and much better than a cold call or internet lead.
   There are a two ways to ask for referrals.
   The wrong way – Do you know of anyone who would like this?….answer….no.
   The right way – Tell me the three businesses that you know that could and don’t use this type of marketing?….or….Please you take a minute to think of the 5 businesses you think would benefit most from this service? 

   I can hear you groaning…this sounds so cheesy and salesy…but I’m telling you….if you put a blank piece of paper in front of a man…his natural reaction is to fill it in. People hate white spaces…they love to fill them up. I have used a referral sheet for years.

   It doesn’t always work, but I’ve never had a man object strongly to it…ever. You are doing a thorough sales job…he will respect you for that and if he has sales people working for him, he will probably wish some of his bottom of the barrel sales people were as good as you. You will get respect because you asked. I have had a man laugh and say “Come on Bigjock…let me see it working first!”. I laugh and say “OK fair enough….I’ll make a deal with you”…he asks “What”…I say…”When I make this work as I’ve described, you give me 5 names of your business buddies…is it a deal?” It doesn’t sound unreasonable…does it? He is giving when he gets.

    

    

   8.Next actions and manage expectations….under promise and over deliver.
   Why put yourself under pressure to give a fast turnaround if he isn’t that bothered about a fast turnaround? You look like a jerk when you miss your own deadline. Take it easy. If you think it will take 2 days, tell him he’ll have it in a week. You’re a hero when you deliver within 4 days. If you’re a slacker like me…maybe not a good idea. If you need pressure to perform, give yourself tight deadlines. Know thyself.

2. http://www.palomesapizza.com – lead capture template
3. Below is a complete Mailing System For Your Off Line Business. I took some concepts that were already presented in this thread and spiced it up a bit — ending with my famous rubber chicken mailing piece (yes I said rubber chicken). I know you can tweak this method by adding and to subtracting some of the details of each mailer…but this should get most of you off the ground and encourage the ones that are already putting in this strategy in place.  

    

   Thanks Again Preston, Shaun, and Andrew…I enjoyed all your responses. Lets continue to band together and take this torch of offline gold business to new heights.  

   Blessings all,

   Chris Negro

    

    

   MAILING SYSTEM FOR YOUR OFFLINE BUSINESS  

   This direct mailing system starts at the first of every month

   Day 1:First Letter- stamped Confidential with plastic business card ! (optional)
   Day 8: Second letter – Stamped Second Notice
   Day 21: Third letter – Stamped Final Notice
   Day 30: Post card – colored printed (optional)
   Day 45: Fed Ex Box with a rubber Chicken

    

    

   (yes…that’s right…check it out below)  

    

    

   Day 1 – First Letter- stamped Confidential with plastic business card ! (optional)  

    

    

   Dear {their first name here}”:  

   My name is ______________ and I am a local e-commerce
   business consultant.

   Being that your probably planning for your business in 2009 (and the Holidays are around the corner) I know your time is valuable, so I’ll get right to the
   point.

   If I could show you an unused asset that you ALREADY have that could make you thousands of dollars, would you be interested in hearing about it before your competition does? Most of the time it takes approximately 15 minutes to discuss.

   This free consultation can save you as much as 50% of your entire monthly advertising budget AND bring you a systematic wave of brand new customers every month! The best part is that you already have it, so the cost to implement this marketing weapon is minimal.

   Please call me at (your number) at your earliest convenience

    

    

   (and reference code XDGTHD3) to schedule a free “no strings” consultation. I promise you, it will be worth your time. 

   Committed to your success,

   {Your name}
   {Contact info}

    

    

   Day 8 – Second letter – Stamped Second Notice  

    

    

   Dear {their first name here}”:  

   {Your Name} here and wanted to follow up with my letter I sent you last week. Specifically, about how you can make thousands of dollars with a little known marketing secret that could “systematically” bring in wave after wave of new potential customers in 2009? The best news is you can also cut your advertising budget almost in half.

   Please call me at (your number) by the 30th of this month as I only take on 7 new clients per month. Please reference coupon code

    

    

   CK9X349 to schedule a free “no strings” consultation. I promise you, it will be worth your time, as I guarantee you that 95% of your competitors are not doing this little known marketing technique. 

   P.S. Again, please make sure you reference your coupon code above as there is normally $150 charge for this consultation.

   Committed to your success,

   {Your name}
   {Contact info}

    

    

   Day 21 – Third letter – Stamped Final Notice  

    

    

   Dear {their first name here}”:  

   {Your Name} here and you have 7 more days to take advantage of my free offer of sharing “the secret” of how to get new and prior customers to purchase more of your products in 2009. As the outside of the envelope stated, this is your

    

    

   “final notice” of this offer ! 

   As of right now we are holding your final spot for the free consultation, but I can only hold it so long before releasing it to another business owner. Again, I am so excited to share this

    

    

   “new customer aquisition system” that can be run on auto-pilot “absolutely free” ! 

   When you call, please call (your number) and don’t forget to reference coupon code

    

    

   789LQ8N to schedule your consultation as we normally charge $150 for this consultation. We take great pride when we see the joy and satisfaction our clients get when they hear of this incredible cost effective strategy. 

   Committed to your success,

   {Your name}
   {Contact info}

    

    

   Day 30: Post card – colored printed (optional)  

    

    

   Dear {their first name here}”:  

   {Your Name} here and I’ve made several attempts to contact you about the “little known secret” to increase your business in 2009 and have not heard from you.

   Although another business owner has secured this free consultation, allow me to educate you as we are committed to teaching {YOUR STATE HERE} Business Owners creative ways strategies to increase their business revenues.

   Go to {your url} and put your name and email address in the “optin form” on the website and watch out for your first video. Once you give your information, I share cutting edge marketing secrets that many pay me for (and give to you for free).

   Committed to your success,

   {Your name}
   {Contact info}

    

    

   Day 45: Fed Ex Box with a rubber Chicken  

   Note: You can get these rubber chickens on Ebay for roughly $3 a piece which includes shipping and handling (I would advise though that you get some money coming in before spending a lot of money with this tactic)

    

    

   
   Subject: Don’t lay an egg  

    

    

   Dear {their first name here}”:  

   Am I getting your attention with this rubber chicken? Seriously, you don’t’ want to “lay an egg” on “the secret” many of your peers will be finding out in the next 3 years.

   Most businesses in the local area are finding it difficult to do the following:

   1) Recruit new customers,
   2) Re-market to past customers
   3) And make money with their website

   And we have the solutions for you ! Give me a call for your free consultation today at {your number hear}. As you can tell, we are passionate and confident that these marketing methods work and can make you thousands of dollars in the next year.

   Committed to your success,

   {Your name}
   {Contact info}

    

    

4. T shirt “ I make websites that make money – www.yourwebsitename.com
5. “I make websites make money”,
6. http://www.warriorforum.com/main-internet-marketing-discussion-forum/23145-heres-stupidly-simple-cash-cow-its-free-14.html#post230984

Quote:

1. 
   Exactly. That’s why you get your prospective client to estimate the numbers after you explain how your system works. 

   You go through it step by step and get him to estimate each figure.

   Then you reduce everything “It may not work out as well as you’ve estimated here so let’s just HALVE these figures.”

   Or “It may not work as well as you’ve estimated here so lets divide these figures by 5.”

   Business people love estimating how much money they’ll make…it’s in their blood.

   By using THEIR estimates you’re getting around the problem that you made some kind of promise you can’t deliver.

   You should even say “Obviously I can’t promise you’ll get numbers like this. But compare this to the amount you need to make just to generate a healthy product and it still looks really good doesn’t it?”

    

    

2. “To advise, educate and inform my clients in order to help them find the best solutions for growth …and carry out all the work leaving my clients hands-free…”
   

   Also if you are setting up autoresponders for your clients – wouldn’t a Christmas rush of shoppers be the perfect time for your clients to collect names & email addresses??  That’s the approach I’d be making, and it’d go something like this… “sure you have Christmas coming up and I understand you are very busy during this time, but I’m sure you’ll agree with me that the larger numbers of customers you have coming into your store over the Christmas period is the perfect time to collect their names & email addresses to develop an ongoing relationship with your customers and prospective customers. You advise your customers that they will receive “exclusive offers” – that is only available to your email subscribers and I’m sure they wont mind giving their name & email to you. At only $500 for the autoresponder setup and $100 per month maintenance, that is an absolute bargain to make sure you get the most from each and every person that walks through your door – and certainly among the cheapest Christmas marketing you’ll ever get!”

3. 
   I think there’s one line you should add to that that will get the business owners attention: 

   “And here’s the most important thing because you and I both know you and your staff simply don’t have the time to set this up…I’ll set it all up FOR you and run it for you. You won’t have to do a thing except for answering a few simple questions for me.”

    

    

4. Be like a physician, trying to diagnose the problem
   before you present your service as the solution. 

   E.g.

   Can you tell me what prompted you to call me today?

   What are your biggest frustrations/problems with your
   web site/lead generation right now?

   What different results would you like to get from your
   website?

    

    

5. (In fact, I get the prospect to answer these questions
   in our e-mail exchanges before even scheduling the
   call so I can assess their level of interest and if I can
   help them or not. 

   It also helps me in preparing for the call, keeping it on
   track and presenting the right case for using my services
   - if any).

   Then near the end you simply present your services as
   the solution to their problems and position yourself as
   the person to help them get what they’ve already told
   you they want.

   E.g.

    

    

    

   “You’ve told me that your biggest problems with
   your website are A, B and C and that you really want
   your site to give you X, Y and Z. 

   Based on what you’ve told me you want to achieve
   with your website, the best next step is to…”

    

    

    

   Remember,

    

    

   he who asks the questions, controls the
   conversation.

6. “I can’t possibly explain this over the phone. There are quite a few things I have to show you.”Also because I offer a customized solution for each business there are quite a few questions I need to ask you about your business so I can answer your questions properly.”We should really get together for an hour…You can ask me all the questions you I’ll give you some genuine internet marketing ideas you can use even if you never hire me.”What times do you usually have an hour free?”

    

    

7. Presentation Materials – Researched

“More than one-third said they checked throughout the day. – AOL/Beta Research Corporation (June 2008)”

“More than seven out of 10 employed respondents also said they checked their personal email at work – and nearly one-third said they did so more than three times a day. – AOL/Beta Research Corporation (June 2008)”

“Nearly 70% of respondents said they had multiple email accounts. – AOL/Beta Research Corporation (June 2008)”

“75.8% said they are using more email than three years ago. – Direct Marketing Association” (2008)

66% of those surveyed said they had made a purchase because of a marketing message received through email. – ExactTarget, “2008 Channel Preference Survey” (2008)

2/3′s of US Internet users surveyed said email was their preferred channel for written communications between friends. – ExactTarget, “2008 Channel Preference Survey” (2008)

67% of respondents prefer email as a communications channel over other online vehicles and 65 percent believe this will continue to be the case in five years. – Habeas (2008)

1. Okay guys — I just wanted to share a little nugget of information: Compete.comWow your clients when you go into their business with a print-off from compete (free account) with a profile of unique visitors, top keywords used to find them, etc.When you get around to presenting it, you can say something like — well look, your drawing X amount of unique visitors per month, do you know how many of those you will never see again — what kind of business they could be bringing to you — only if you had a way to contact them…

   Doesn’t have to be verbatim, but just a good tool and to give them something to actually look at while you meet with them. Again, this should sell itself.

    

    

2. Date Here ATTN: XXXXDear Owner: ( getting the name of the owner is great if you can )I know your time is valuable (especially with the holiday season upon us), as is mine so I’ll get right to the point.

   My name is XXXXXXXXXXXXXX and I work with local small businesses in the XXXXXXXX area who are looking to get the most out of
   their website and online presence. I help them to restructure aspects of their website so that it delivers a consistent flow of prospects
   and clients to their business on a regular basis. If I could show you an unused asset that you ALREADY have that could generate
   thousands of dollars of revenue for you, would you be willing to speak with me for a few minutes?

   * Optional Line here:: “You could be missing out on hundreds of sales from potential customers that you didn’t even know you had.” (This works as a nice ‘punch’)

   This free, in-person, consultation can save you as much as 50% of your entire monthly advertising budget AND bring you brand new
   customers at the same time! The best part is that you already have it, so the cost to implement this marketing weapon is minimal.

   Please call me at (XXX) XXX-XXXX, (or reply to this email if you prefer) at your earliest convenience to schedule a free “no strings”
   consultation. I promise you, it will be worth your time.

   Yours in business,

   Your Name
   Your info
   Tel: yours
   Email: yours

    

    

3. Situation QuestionsHere you ask the prospect questions about their current situation
   so that you can both understand where they are at right now. 

    

    

    

   Problem Questions 

   Here you probe a little deeper into the problems, difficulties and
   dissatisfactions that the prospect is currently experiencing.

   These questions should then help the prospect to surface some
   of their needs.

    

    

    

   Implication Questions 

   Here you probe a little further into the full implications of the
   problems that the prospect has already said they’ve got.

   This helps the prospect to more closely associate to the
   problem and realize that they need a solution.

    

    

    

   Need-Payoff Questions 

   Here you ask questions to emphasize how your solution
   helps the prospect solve their problem.

   These questions should help the prospect to state what
   they most desire from your service.

   Then you come in an emphasize how your service helps
   them to get the what they want.

   It’s important to note that the SPIN model was based on
   research into the selling of high-ticket items such as
   machinery.

   That said, it’s a good framework for sequencing your
   questions correctly during a consultation and not jumping
   in too quickly with your solution.

    

    

4. So, here ya go. This is what I have so far…. 

   Dennis
   $600 setup
   $250 monthly 

    

    

    

   Vince Runza from US
   $500 setup
   $100 monthly
   $1,700 total first year but will drop to $1,250 if pay all in advance
   4 broadcasts per month 

    

    

    

   bigjock
   $4000 setup
   $800 monthly 

    

    

    

   Stef from Australia
   $1500 setup for a Hair Dresser, monthly?
   $2400 setup and $250 per month for a Builder 

    

    

    

   Newyorktrader from US
   $499 setup
   $199 monthly for management of the AR 

    

    

    

   Baal from UK
   Indian Restaurant
   $800 setup
   $260 montly maintenance 

    

    

    

   Dylan from US
   Computer IT Consultant
   Full web redesign ($2000 for a simple 4 page site, with opt in on the front page)
   email list management and bi-weekly newsletters at $450 a month

5. Originally Posted by chrisnegro Warriors:  

   Subject: More nuggets for you… 

   Below is an example letter one can send after having an great talk with a business owner from the Chamber of Commerce meeting. Although this cannot be “canned” it sure is a great framework to build around in setting up follow-up emails from every business owner you meet at a COC event. Just like an autoresponder series (like Shaun O’Reilly does when he wash/rinces/repeats)….its not “canned” but tweaked…hence saving him much wasted time.

    

    

   Example Letter  

   Allan:

   Just wanted to say it was a pleasure meeting you tonight as I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know about your business. It is refreshing to sense your motivation and entrepreneurial spirit. I believe the best days are ahead of you and for your business ! I think you’re on the right track (in terms of throwing our your nets out) to see what water holes are biting. Some water holes bite and some don’t in your industry.

   With regards to your catering, I know I can definitely improve your sales (that’s not the issue) and make it a “re-occurring” revenue stream for you year round. But more importantly give you much more value and return on your investment of the $2,000 per month your already spending on your radio advertising (not to mention be able to track its effectiveness).

   Based on our conversation, I’ve put a already put a plan in place for you that can increase your catering business for 2009. I only take on 3 new clients per month as devote much time to make sure my clients marketing campaigns are a success. I charge $200 per hour but just recently made a deal with the Chamber where I give all members a 50% discount for all consulting services. I’ve got an opening next Tuesday morning from 9am-10am if you wish to move forward.

   Wishing you much success,

   Christopher M. Negro
   “Marketing Consultant”
   

    

    

   MarketingRats.com  

    

    

   Observations  

   Notice in paragraph three I tell him I put a plan in place for him already (when in actuality I have not). I do this because I don’t want to waste time putting in plans for every business owners if they don’t want to move forward…plus the fact that I have a plan in place….most owners will want to hear it…as they are hungry for more business (its a teaser).Now if he wants to meet I will put a plan in place for him pretty quickly (I’ve already got same great ideas for him).

   Notice also I don’t have him fill out a form to find more of his needs …because I already found these out in my intial meeting with him the night before.. Sending a client another form…is not needed at this point and can waste much time playing email tag –keeping the process focused and as simply as possible is KEY. However, you can have him fill out a follow-up form to further clarify things ONCE HE AGREES TO MEET WITH YOU.

    

    

   Lets break down each paragraph  

    

    

   Paragraph One:
   Notice that I’m really postive up front and how I encouraged him (great refresher and beginning statement to make) 

    

    

   Paragraph Two
   Notice I address his #1 concern (increasing his catering business) and how I can benefit him and the concern I have for him. 

    

    

   Paragraph Three:
   He feels the exclusivity of my services as well as the value he gets from being a member of the Chamber of Commerce. I told him my fees (and wasn’t shy), in a polite way tell him when I am available to discuss…and end with a reminder that he is in control by saying “if he wishes to move forward”. 

    

    

   In closing….yes…we don’t want to “can” things…but think “TEMPLATES AND MODELS” that you can use for every client. If you do this…you are beginning to systemize a business and save alot of precious time.

6. Warriors: Here are some more nuggest for those that want some cool phrases on the back of their business cards. For those that are using them (or are thinking about using them)…here are some ideas:1) “Call me to see how you can get a  

    

   lifetime of free advertising” 

   2) “Wanna know why 95% of small business owner’s advertising is
   not working? Call me if you want to know

    

    

   this little known secret!  

   3) ” What seperates most businesses from others is a great product and a good marketer”. You have the product….

    

    

   so now I’m waiting for your call”.  

   4) “Many small business owners do not know how to make money on autopilot. Give me a call to find out

    

    

   this little known secret”. 

   5) “Call me if you want to know

    

    

   the secret of how to make your website a virtual cash machine !” 

   I have many more…but this should just give you a taste of what you looking for. #3 is about YOU (which you may want to avoid…but its still funny). #1,2, 4 & 5 is about the client…you should choose one of these in my opinion.

    

    

   Hope this helps everyone ! These phrases are like headlines. 

   You can make them even more powerful by using specific names, numbers, facts etc.

   eg.

   “Ask me how businesses like yours are getting back $51 for every dollar they spend on an overlooked marketing strategy.”

   In this case we’re talking about the industry study mentioned in this thread pointing out that businesses get a $51 return on investment for every dollar they spend on email marketing (I may have got the figures wrong).

   But you can see how:

   # 1: If you use a specific number or name it increases interest.

   # 2: If you’re using a fact like this you can simply memorize the fact so when they ask you tell them “A study by xxx in 2008 showed businesses are getting $51 return on investment for every dollar they spend on email marketing. Yet it’s something most small business like yours don’t understand. They think it’s spam (good email marketing has NOTHING to do with spam) and they’re passing up a small fortune…etc etc.”

   So thinking through how to make it easy for yourself if people ask you or contact you about what’s on your card is also a key strategy.

    

    

7. Let’s say meeting won’t work, you close the meeting by saying: John you feel there is merit in the work I do but the timing just isn’t right, (or your in a cash crunch, or your too busy, or, or…) is that right?Answer yes.but there would be value in my work if the timing (cash flow, etc…) where right, isn’t that right?(OK, now you reduced the pressure and he thinks he’s off the hook) you say do you know the guy acrros the street, if yes, might this be of value to him (remember he just agreed your service would be valuable), how about the other business on xx street, etc, if run out of names aski him “who (else) do you know that may find this of merit?”

   If you get a couple of names when you go there you can say I was just meeting with John down the street and he thought you might find my work of value.

   You just turned a “no”, a bad appt, into some referrals.

    

    

   As an added incentive, I sometimes tell them that it would be interesting for
   them to see the results of my strategies on their referrals as a live “case study”,
   and when I’m done with them, it may be a better time for him:-) Here’s a key secret to getting referrals: 

   Don’t give people the whole world to choose from.

   If you’re talking to a business owner ask him “Do you think your accountant might benefit from a gift consultation with me? Did you buy this business through a business broker…I bet he could use some internet marketing help.” etc etc.

   Being specific helps them think of real people they know.

    

    

   A key phrase to use when asking for referrals is: 

    

    

   Who do you know who…?”  

   And then fill in the blank something very specific such as:

   - A specific type of person/trade/profession
   - A specific type of problem they may be experiencing now
   - A specific type of solution a person may be seeking

    

    

8. In order to generate some money for the holidays, i sent out a batch of letters (35) ten days ago and got one paying client so far – whoo hoo! 3 more are interested – i think that’s not a bad ratio for this small amount of letters. Here’s what i wrote (roughly translated from german):————————————————————————
   My name is Chris Byrns and i am a local Webdesign and e-Commerce consultant. I recently visited your Website and i noticed some things
   you could easily change in order to attract more clients. 

   With some content-optimization you could improve your site’s ranking in the search engines. This means for you: more new customers.

   Additionally, some minor add-ons would enable you to stay in touch with your current clients. This means for you: more follow-up orders.

   Here’s just one example:
   Each month, about xxx people search for the term “blah blah blah” – which is one of your core offers. At the moment i’m typing this, your site is listed on page #xx – and your competitors site “www.xxxxxxxxxxx.com” is listed on page #1, result #1.

   What’s good: you already have got a Website and with a bit of know-how, we could turn it into a strong marketing-tool.

   If you agree with me that a professional Website (that actively acquires new customers) is of more value than a pretty standard homepage that just “sits there” – i would be happy to give you a free, no strings, consultation.

   call me at blah blah blah. my contact info here and stuff.

    

    

1. The answer is there. He had a website and got no results.What results will a $400 website get him?Exactly, No results.

   If he wants to really solve the problem then he needs a solution. The ‘cheap’ solution will not solve a big problem.

   Where you offered the package and gave him a shopping list – I prefer to just call it TRAFFIC. No need to itemize the way you get it etc…..

   It is fair he would want to see other websites. To get around this you can ask him to show you a website he likes the look of and then you can tell him you can build one like that (of you can) but better and more SEO friendly and more direct sales oriented. . Ideally you show him a few he can choose from.

   Many of your clients will want the project to remain confidential.

   If it all comes down to it you can tell him he is the first job you are doing outside of your own successful markets and that you keep those confidential. Show him your content websites if they look nice because that is what they will be looking for.

   Why can’t you compete with a $30 radio spot? Where are they driving the traffic to? I hope they are not just asking people to call the office. They could be driving clients to his new website to download a free legal report etc….and really leverage that marketing $$

   Don’t work for performance fee with this guy. You will not get paid because you have zero control.

   Offer him a last chance before you discuss your marketing opportunity with his competitors…

    

    

Here it is.

You: “Hi, my name is ____. I’m with XYZ Company”, “We haven’t met yet.”
“Maybe you can help me out for a minute.”
Them: “How can I help you?”
You: “I’m just giving you a call to see if you’d be open to some different ideas on how to bring in more sales into your business.” (not new ideas because every salesperson says new and improved, right?) So, anyway, what typically happens is you get one of two responses. You get, “What do you mean?” Or you get, “Who’s this?” They might say, “Well what do you mean?” And, that gives you permission to move forward in terms of being more specific about what you do. So, in our case we might say,)
You: “Well, what I mean specifically is looking at a different marketing strategy that’s probably a lot less than you pay now, and giving you much more sales.”
Them:: Okay, tell me more. (Suppose he says, “Who’s this?” You simply just sort of say,)
You: “I’m sorry. My name is ___. I’m with XYZ Company, and I’m just giving you a call”, (and go right back to the same problem statement. You don’t give him tips about what you do.)
You: What we do is we help companies with different ideas to bring in more revenue and sales to the company. (There will be some resistance with some people, no matter what).

Objection: We already are using another marketing method or vendor.
You: “That’s not a problem. I wasn’t calling to replace who you currently have. I was just calling to see if you’d be open to some different ideas that you may not have now.”
I’m not going to rip out what you have. That’s not my goal. My goal is to generate a conversation with you to see if you’d be open to different ideas.”

Objection: “We don’t have the budget for it.”
You: “That’s not a problem. A lot of our clients did not have the budget at first for this. That’s completely common and that’s why we have come up with a business case to help make a justification for it. Would you be open to some ideas around that?”

Objection: Your price is too high. (not one we should get because were not talking cost)
You: That’s not a problem.” You’re absolutely right that the price can be perceived as high if you haven’t yet had a chance to see these ideas yet. You’re absolutely right. Would you be open to some different ideas on how to make the pricing work for you in a way that feels comfortable for you and meets your needs?

If you get voicemail, hit zero and go back to the front desk, and in a non-aggressive way say)
You: Maybe you can help me out for a moment.
Them: Okay, sure.
You: I tried to get a hold of Jim, but I got his voicemail. Would you happen to know if he’s at lunch, in a meeting or on vacation by any chance? (I’m offering solutions right away to help the other person guide me. What I’m trying to do here is identify where he might be.
So, in any case, one of those three questions might be the answer. If he’s on vacation, you know you don’t have to call back. If he’s at lunch, you can call him back in an hour).

Message to leave on voice mail “Hi, my name is ____. Maybe you can help me out for a moment. I’m just giving you a call to see if you’d be open to different ideas related to (plug in your problem statement). If you’re interested, give me a call when you get a chance” Or “give me a call at any specific time. If you’re open to some different ideas, give me a ring.” (The whole idea here is to leave a message that is not pitchy, not salesy).

Objection: “Send me more information
You: That’s not a problem. I’ll be happy to send you what you might need. Can you help me understand specifically what issues are you trying to solve so I can customize exactly what to send you? (We’re not forcing them to talk. We’re just saying wouldn’t it make sense to first understand what specifically you’re trying to deal with so I can know what to send you because logically it makes no sense. I might miss the mark.)

Objection: Well, great how about if we talk on Friday or talk next week. And, they say, Them: “Sure call me on Friday.” And, you call on Friday and they’re not there.
Better: Would it make sense for us to circle back and talk again another time and date so we can just reconnect again and answer any questions you might have? That way we won’t have to chase each other down. Does that make sense at all? (It’s just common sense and a common respect for both people).

Objection: they hide from you.
Hi Jim. I’m not calling to move the sales process forward. I’m just calling to get some feedback. I haven’t heard back from you for a couple of weeks, so I assume maybe you decided not to move forward, which is not a problem with me. I was just calling to get some feedback to find out where I can improve. I know it’s probably over, but I would love to find out why.

Jim

1. “My name is Chris Negro. I help small business owners improve their offline and online marketing focus by giving them step by step plans to increase company revenues — not to mention a meaurable return on investment.”
   

   Re: Elevator speeches…  I don’t remember who I learned this from, but I’ve named it the “Andy Rooney” method. (For those outside the USA, Andy Rooney is a contributor to a long-running weekly new magazine show, often parodied for his sometimes off-kilter observations.) An elevator speech is really meant to be a conversation starter, right? So rather than run off a canned commercial, why not use something designed to get a response?       “You know how…”  This is the first part of the speech, meant to pique the other person’s curiosity and get them to participate. “You know how most businesses are always scrambling to find new business?” If the person has a pulse and a business, the answer will be “Yeah…”       “Well, I show…” or “I help…”  This is a statement designed to generate another response – “How do you do that?” If you get this, you have a live one, and you should exchange contact info so you can answer their question . “Well, I show small business owners how to increase their sales and profits, and cut back their ad budgets at the same time…” “How do you do that?” Putting it together…       Prospect: So, what do you do for a living? Marketer: You know how most businesses these days are always scrambling for new business?        Prospect: Yeah…        Marketer: Well, I show small business owners how to increase their sales and profits, and cut back their ad budgets at the same time…        Prospect: How do you do that?  Give it a try. If it works for you, it’s yours. If not, I’ll give you back every penny you paid me for it…

2. Here’s something that will work if you’re talking to a business owner:”I have my own internet marketing business. But tell me more about your business…”If you’re asking questions and getting the business owner doing the talking you’ll do a whole lot better.Having said all that the elevator speech is handy if you’re in a situation where you have to stand up and tell people what you do in 30 seconds or less.

   You could try doing the complete opposite of what everyone else does:

   “I have my own business helping other business owners make more sales and profits with their internet marketing…but I’m not looking for clients at the moment.”

    

    

3. I thought I might share a couple of programs that I have been using to smooth the communication between clients, myself and other people working with me such as web designers and marketers.How do you organise your projects for clients and ongoing maintenance, requests for info, milestones, updates and general communication? All through email?These are the main things I use to manage my business.I use basecamp.

    

    

    

   Project management, collaboration, and task software: Basecamp 

   We also use backpack recently. It’s great for organising stuff too.

    

    

    

   Intranet, Group Calendar, Small Business Organizer: Backpack 

   For sharing and collaborating on the site design with the client in real time as we show them drafts and designs we use this.

    

    

    

   ConceptShare: Web Based Design Collaboration Made Easy – ConceptShare 

   I’ve found them to be invaluable in making sure everything is delivered smoothly and professionally. The client is able to see us working on their site in real time.

   We can show the client some of these tools before they agree to anything which shows we are going to look after them professionally.

    

    

OK fellow WARRIORS!

Sorry for all those who PM‘d for the Client Questionnaire form.

Now before posting the link here there’s just one thing to tell you…..?

That is, I have found it to be very successful in a few ways.

After all the salutations, greetings etc, which I use to build rapport–ALWAYS.

I do the following:

1) Tell/ask the client if they could fill out a simple questionnaire so that I can get a better idea about them and their business.

Now here’s what I didn’t get tell them that….

* It weeds out those tire kickers, time wasters and know it alls. I’ve walked out on a restaurant owner yesterday for example…..why? Because he knew it all!!!!#*&)$%!

* Great food though-but I didn’t waste my precious time.

* Secondly… these questions are designed to get the owners thinking and moving through a mental process and down the rabbit hole to a successful venture for both of you.

2) I also make it known that if they come across something that they don’t understand, then they should ask me to clear it up.

* Right from the get-go, you can set yourself up as the professional. You know what you are talking about and can get to communicate with the being infront of you.

**Remember your time is precious and if you get someone unwilling to fill out the survey…
STOP. Start packing up while politely telling them this:

“I’m sorry. I really don’t want to waste my time, and yours.”

And see the sparks fly.

Once you do this a few times, you get good at it. Remember, I talked about Guy the loans
biz owner, who is probably going t be best friends with me after I make him and his business a ton of money, clients, prospects etc, etc.

It turned out that he bought a web site ($25,000 value) for about $2,000 + 5000 name database (which he hasn’t done anything with??? because he doesn’t want to SPAM them((((?) from a realtor who was moving overseas.

My reply after finding this out was “really???????????????????”

“We can handle that!”

“Would you be interested in selling that site and making a nice profit?”

You get the idea?

And so, I am yet to put the proposal together and close the deal, but as Andrew and others have said, it’s about building relationships and being best buddies.

And don’t forget to PURGE the trash can….if you know what I mean?

Not everyone you meet will be nice to talk to. My experience is that it’s only 2 out of 10 people, so if you can spot it, delete it and forget it. Seems to work for me.

3) And I does sit there while they get to fill it out for me, and ask questions when they ask and talk to me, otherwise I shut up. It’s important to capture them details and info for your files.

That’s about it. The rest of it is sales techniques, communication techniques and businessese (biz language) oh yes….business owners speak in many tongues.

Remember. THe better you can talk the talk the sooner you can walk the walk.

Here’s the link.

http://knightztable.com/questionnaire.htm (Sorry not sure how to set a link in-here)

Best of luck,
-Rob Perks

1. I haven’t mentioned this before, but one strategy I use very successfully
   is the “3 in 1 month” approach. 

   You make it a point to frequent your prospect’s business 3 times within a
   month. And note when and what time you went there. And who helped you
   and served you while you were there. And whether it was busy or not.

   For those of you who are stressed out about “making the sale” or lack
   the confidence to break the ice, this works even more wonderfully.

   Each time, all you have to do is smile and say “hi”, and that you enjoy
   being there. That’s it.

   The next time you go in, say “hi”, then ask the names of the servers,
   or whoever is helping you there, and introduce yourself. Then say how
   much you enjoyed coming in last time, and that’s why you came back.
   That’s it. Nothing else.

   This evokes tremendous feelings of goodwill, and there is no pressure
   on either side.

   The 3rd time you come in, mention to the owner (he probably knows
   you by now) how you came in on such and such day and you were
   treated so well by the staff. You are building upon the last 2 times you
   were there. That’s it. If he asks you what you do, tell him, but that you
   are NOT taking any new clients right now.

   Now the next time you come in, not only will the owner know you,
   but will also be very receptive to you, so NOW you start the conversation
   about his business and get him to talk about himself by asking the questions
   discussed on this thread.

   At this point, when he asks you again, “how much” and “can you do this
   for me?”, you say that even though you are not taking any clients, you
   will make an exception since this is one of the few places you really
   enjoy doing business with. And that you “agree” that his business
   can truly benefit from your strategies because the owner truly “gets it”.

   This advice is more meaningful for those who are still stuck at the
   “how do I break the ice” , or “how can I just go in and start asking
   questions” stage.

   Consider this the “face-to-face” version of Dan Kennedy’s “3 step direct mailing sequence”.

   And the conversions are THROUGH THE ROOF.

   Although I pick up many of my clients by referral, and some by “accident”, this is
   one of the approaches I use when I want to target a “dream” client
   within 30 days.

    

    

2. Questionnaire for Restaurant owners Name: __________________________________________________ _________________________ Date __________________________
   Business Name: __________________________________________________ ________ Phone__________________________________
   Address: __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ___
   1) Why restaurant business? __________________________________________________ ______________________________________
   __________________________________________________ ________________ 1)Yr started: ________________ # of Locations: ______
   2) Website? Yes ____ No ____ If yes, made good $ off it? Yes __ No ____ If no, what would you hope a website would do for business? __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ___________
   __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ____________
   3) What types of advertising have worked for you in the past? __________________________________________________ __________
   __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ____________
   4) What kind of marketing do you do now? __________________________________________________ ___________________________
   __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ____________
   5) How are you tracking the results? __________________________________________________ ________________________________
   __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ____________
   6) When are your busy days / slow days? Busy / slow times? __________________________________________________ _____________
   __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ____________
   7) Are you getting more business, less business or staying the same? __________________________________________________ ______
   How much of an increase could you handle? __________________________________________________ ________________________
   9) What would it mean to you if you could find a 100 more people just like your best customer? (Or 300 more, 1000 more, etc.)
   __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ____________
   10) What type of person is ideal customer? __________________________________________________ ____________________________
   __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ____________
   11) How do you keep in touch with your current customers? __________________________________________________ ______________
   12) How do they find out about your specials? __________________________________________________ _________________________
   __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ____________
   13) Why do you think your repeat customers choose to eat here instead of your competitors? (Think USP.) ___________________________
   __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ____________14) What makes your restaurant unique? __________________________________________________ _____________________________
   __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ____________15) Is your staff aware of that? __________________________________________________ _____________________________________
   16) How many customers order appetizers? _______ Desserts? ________ How much would those increase check? __________________
   17) Most popular entree? __________________________________________________ _________________________________________ Appetizer? _______________________________________________Des sert? ________________________________________________
   18) What item largest profit? ____________________________________________ Popular? ______ Does staff know to push it? _______
   19) What other businesses have the same type of customers? __________________________________________________ ____________
   __________________________________________________ _________________________ Ever allied to bring more customers? ______
   20) Are you concerned that coupons will lower the perceived value of your food? _______________________________________________
   __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ____________ 

   21) What problems are fairly common for businesses in this area now? __________________________________________________ _____
   __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ____________22) What’s your biggest worry? __________________________________________________ ___________________________________
   __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ____________
   23) Like best about business? __________________________________________________ _____________________________________
   __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ____________
   24) Like Least? __________________________________________________ _________________________________________________
   __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ____________
   25) Would like to change?___________________________________________ ________________________________________________
   __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ____________
   __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ____________
   26) Desired income you like to earn per month? __________________________________________________ _______________________
   27) Know what an autoresponder is? Yes ___ No ___ Do you use an autoresponder? Yes ____ No ____
   28) Know what I USP is? Yes ___ No ___ Do you have a USP? Yes ___ No ___
   What is your USP? __________________________________________________ _____________________________________________
   __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ____________
   29) What kind of results are you currently getting from your advertising? __________________________________________________ ____
   __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ____________
   30) What specifically would you like to see improve? __________________________________________________ ____________________
   __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ____________
   32) Do you have a yellow page ad? Yes ___ No ___ If yes, how much do it cost you per month? __________________________________
   33) If no, Why not? __________________________________________________ ______________________________________________
   34) Where would you like to be 10 years from now?? __________________________________________________ ___________________
   __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ____________
   35) How are customers finding you? __________________________________________________ ________________________________
   __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ___________
   35) How do you follow up with customers and make other offers to them? __________________________________________________ __
   __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ___________

   Notes: __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ____
   __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ___________
   __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ___________
   __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ___________
   __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ___________
   __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ___________
   __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ___________
   __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ___________
   __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ___________
   __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ___________

    

    

3. I sent out 54 emails yesterday telling business owners I wanted to interview them about marketing in 2009 for an article for the newspaper. (I wasn’t lying. I DID contact the paper a couple of weeks ago – the business editor is interested but wanted to see an example of my writing after the 1st of the year. I’m gonna give him an article he can’t refuse!)Anyway – 8 yeses – oops, now 10 – and 2 “no thanks” so far. Met with my first guy today for almost 2 hours (note to self – be sure to put enough money in the parking meter so you’re not worried about getting a ticket if the meeting runs long.) Very little marketing-specific talk – but he wants me to come back and talk to his marketing person about my ideas. You could tell the whole concept of creating a relationship via email mailing list had never occurred to him. 

4. I know that this may sound a bit strange to many of you, but here goes.IF you use the 

   OP letter, and IF you take the time to ask your prospect “what do you expect your website to do for you?”, you won’t have to explain.. “What do you do?” 

   When you’re getting the answers from your prospect, you can do like I did. “So, Mr. Smith, you got your website built to get more business, and it’s not doing the trick. I think I just might be able to help you with that problem.”

   Never did get asked “what do you do?” Didn’t have to. Once I gave him some minimal information, all he cared about was I knew a heck of a lot more than I did, and he wrote the check.

   K.I.S.S. Follow the steps outlined on Page 1, and you’ll be okay.

    

    

5. Jan, I’ve had a few clients in a specific healthcare field bring up Constant Contact.Usually, my response would be something like this:“Actually, some people get good results using Constant Contact once they get through the learning curve. What they do is similar to part of the service that I offer, except they leave it up to you to effectively install it on your website, comply with the Canned Spam Act, come up with a way to get customers to go to your site to sign up, and write newsletters that actually get opened.
   If you’re interested in going that route, I can recommend a similar service that has a little bit better deliverable rate than Constant Contact, though.”

   Comparing your services with Constant Contact is like comparing buying a cookbook verses going to their restaurant.

   If they want to go it on their own with CC or some other service, I would give lots of free advice, in excruciating detail, about what to be careful of. The more painfully detailed your advice is, the more they will think they should let you do it for them.

   If they want to learn to do the marketing themselves, applaud them for that. The best thing a small business owner can do is learn to market their own business. Of course, you can offer your services to teach them how.

   Regardless of what they do with the AR, you can still offer seo, copywriting, coaching, etc.

    

    

6. When using Aweber you are given some control over the “confirmation” e-mail that goes out. With a little bit of creativity you can create a message that will have a good response. Here is a sample…[!firstname_fix}, first of all, as the manager of ______ I want to thank you for your past business and as a way of doing this we want to give you a gift.From time to time we will be sending you special VIP discounts and deals to that are not usually made available to others.

   Before I subscribe you [!firstname_fix} I want to be certain I have your permission.

    

    

7. Subject: What happened to your website? Dear <Name of Business> Owner: (Try to get their name before emailing)It’s 2009. Is <insert name of business website> helping your business? Really?My name is <insert your name> and I work with local small businesses in the <insert name of city> area who want to transform their lackluster websites into refined business machines turning visitors into customers and clients…consistently. Essentially on auto-pilot.

   I know your time is valuable, but what if I could show you an unused asset that you ALREADY have and that could generate thousands (or even tens of thousands) of dollars in additional revenue for your business, would you be willing to speak with me?

   With the economic downturn every newspaper and tv station is talking about, it’s worth noting that implementing this marketing system could save you up to 50% off your normal monthly advertising budget and still bring in an avalanche of customers!

   Please call me at <insert phone number here>, or simply reply to my email to schedule a “no strings attached” consultation.

   <Your Name>
   <Your Business Name – if any>
   <Your URL – if any>
   <Your Phone Number>
   <Your Email Address>

    

    

8. Here is what I do. As far as meeting at their place of business, it depends upon how well you know the attorney, and how crazy his place of business is.Personally, for the first meeting, unless I know the person, I like to meet somewhere neutral, like at Starbucks or other coffee place. A lot of business is done at Starbucks in the early morning hours. And I try to limit the time to an hour.Yes, ask questions. Ask other questions based on the answers. And ask questions. Ask about their business. How they got into it? Ask what they are doing currently for marketing? Radio spots? yellow pages? Direct mail? How much is it costing them? Ask if it works? And how they know? Don’t be afraid to ask direct questions about the cost of advertising and what they are spending.

   Ask about their customers – What are their customers like? How much and how often do their customers spend with them? How do their customers find them now? Do they have referrals?

   I usually try to ask customer value – how much is each customer worth in business each month or year. A few business owners actually know this!

   What about online marketing? Do they have a website?

   I have a spiral bound notebook, and a pen, and I ask questions, and write down answers. I have later referred back to the notebook and pulled information about things the client has said, and put them in the proposal.

   I too have worried about appearing professional. I am a geologist and I am comfortable in jeans and boots. But I have found that if I am asking questions, and if I am generally really interested in them and their answers, and I am trying to help them…well, I am professional!

   You will be there longer than 2 minutes…I usually have to cut off our conversation because as I ask questions, I then say “You could try this idea….or have you thought of this idea?” I usually have a lot of ideas to toss out…and you can see the business owner sitting there with their gears turning in their head. No one has ever explained these things or suggested these things…

   At the right time, just explain the power of collecting contact info with an autoresponder and what an autoresponder does….and it will totally blow their mind….

   After my initial meeting, I generally like to visit them at their place of business, to get a better sense of their business and their needs.

   Remember, you aren’t selling websites. You are a marketing consultant helping a small business owner with their online marketing. You are providing a valuable service which FEW web designers or programmers know or have ever told their clients.

   So, to summarize, meet at a neutral place over coffee. Ask questions about their business and their marketing efforts. Throw out ideas based on their answers. Take notes. And have fun.

   The most interesting part of this for me has been that this process has actually been fun and enjoyable. I am not selling. I am helping. And to be in the position to provide a valuable service to a small business owner, and actually help them make money from their website….isn’t that a great thing?\

    

    

9. Thats what I was thinking, educational for everyone.Here goes..Subject: Buy One Get One 50% Off Breakfast Special At Tannerjacks. 

    

   ‏ 

   Hey Test, Michael and Kelly here from Tanner Jacks.

   We hope you had a wonderful weekend and we are just shooting you

    

    

   a quick email to let you know of our breakfast feature we’ll be running this week from 

   Monday the 12th until Friday the 16th of January.

   If you come in for breakfast between 8am – 11am and buy one breakfast entree you’ll get the second for 50% off.

   Also a reminder that you can get a cup of our dark roast coffee for just 92 cents.

   Our breakfast has been a big hit and we’d love for you to come in and see for yourself what the fuss is all about.

   Please print this email and present it to your server in order to be eligible for the special.

   Also feel free to forward this email to a few of your friends.

   Hope to see you there.

   Warmest Regards,

   Michael and Kelly Stevens

    

    

10. Looks good! I have two comments – positive I hope 1. “Please print this email and present it to your server in order to be
    eligible for the special.” This seems like hard work – having to printo off a
    sheet of paper for breakfast.
    Suggestion: Why not offer a code? ‘Please tell your server you are a
    preferred customer and give them the code “121609″ (12th-16th 09 – or
    whate4ver)’ I’m sure you get the idea. It’s easier to jot down a code that
    print of a sheet of paper. 

    2. “Also feel free to forward this email to a few of your friends.”
    I think this undermines the concept of being a ‘perferred customer’.
    Suggestion: Why not say, ‘Feel free to bring a friend and I’ll make sure
    they get this special deal too.’
    You may wish to add that the friend could register their email address and
    become a preferred customer. ‘If they enjoy their meal and want to become
    a preferred customer we can register on the spot – no problem.’

    Hope this is helpful.

     

     

11. 1. The simpler the better. You can give them two options:Print out this email and bring it with you or mention “Kelly’s special breakfast deal.”2. You can forward this special deal on to two of your friends.

     

     

12. Here’s an example how to handle a client that isn’t honest with you: “Dear Alex,I hope that we can do busines and in good faith here is the first of the 8 templates that
    my team were working on. 

    Please review it and get back to me on any changes etc.

    Now, the content is entirely up to you.

    So, as I had communicated to you today, be honest and open as I am with you and we can do
    some FANTASTIC business together.

    Awaiting payment before continuance of work.

    Yours in Business,

    Rob Perks

     

     

13. Inept Newbie’s Cash Cow Formula: Just the other week, I got one of my friends started on this business model, and he has NO internet marketing experience, and almost no confidence. (poor guy). However, the “poor guy” is making cash, about 2gs so far.Here is what I told him to do, and what you can do too if you are straight new at this, and still refuse to hit the streets or cold call. This can supplement your mailings.1. Go to Google, and type in local search phrases. We are looking for SHIT webpages. Not so so, but straight shit.

    Example: “Victoria BC, Realtor” (most realtors have bad sites, and should keep you busy)

    2. hunt down and find all horrible sites, and contact the Realtor via email

    This is the email he is using with success, although I would not personally word it like that. (but he is still getting clients with it, because his pre qualification is somewhat foolproof)

    “Hello Iris,

    To be honest and to the point, I would like to perform for you a website makeover and place it in the number 1 spot in Google, bringing you more visitors & credibility, which means ultimately more money. I really feel your website does not do your experience and credibility justice, and why shouldn’t you not be number one on Google, and have all those prospects?

    If you are bored/sick of/ tired of your site, and want a fresh makeover, just email me back and I can give you some more information. Also remember that I can only do this for one site, as there can obviously only be one #1.

    Thanks,

    Matt Kachowski

    P.S – I charge very fair prices, and if I can not get you to number one in Google, you can have all your money back and keep
    the new site as a thank you for trusting in me”

     

     

I hope you enjoyed a sample from the SEO Help videos program. Many people can make getting indexed in Google and other major search engines confusing. It’s really not, and there’s currently a 75% discount on SEO Help videos.

Hey there guys and gals this is Emmanuel from SEOHelpVideos.com – I just want to put this quick video together for you to show you a real-world example of one of my webpages on one of my websites and how it has slowly moved up over time in the Google search engine result pages. Take a look at this here… we’re looking at a six-month snapshot…

Look at this here. We’re looking at a six-month snapshot you can see over time & in general for taking an average plot line the rating has gone up slowly but surely. But here’s the interesting part. You’ll notice that it’s just like up and down up down in between. In the short run these little hiccups are where people freak out.

The rankings are just temporarily going down because of many different factors we’ve gone over in past videos. But I just wanted to put this video together to show you a real example of how a page can rank over time on Google without using any type of black hat SEO tactics.

Just good solid standard foundations the fundamentals of search engine optimization, which still ring true still when it comes to producing quality content that you are contributing to the community online…and getting paid back well for it. I hope you enjoyed this quick little video because I just thought I would check my rankings for a page (I do this every day) but I’ve never taken a video of this. When I was just starting a search engine optimization and had all these questions it would have been really good to know this. If you concerns or questions feel free to ask below and for those of you that are wondering what software I’m using here it’s called Rank Tracker. I use it to keep track of hundreds of keywords across many different webpages, and it works very well.