Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

How To Get Prospects To Pay Attention To You

Tuesday, April 13th, 2010


One of the key challenges in any sales presentation is communicating a message that makes prospects pay attention. Amid all the clutter and noise that exists in the marketplace, how do we get those with whom we most want to do business with, to pay attention to us?

Obviously, that’s a complex question and the answer quite frankly is that there are a lot of factors. But if we go to ground zero, that point where we are first trying to get attention, there is one element that we most want to focus on.

The Problem.

That’s what gets attention. That’s what makes people say, “Perhaps I should learn a bit more.” It doesn’t mean that they’re going to get them to hire us. It doesn’t mean that they’re going to give us money. But, the right problem, presented in a way that is compelling and intriguing, can be the proverbial spark that starts the dry brush ablaze.

However, what do most people do? How do they try to capture attention? Ironically (and mostly ineffectively) they talk about themselves. The opening salvo usually takes one of two forms. Sometimes it’s the ubiquitous, “This is what I do:”

“I’m a lawyer, realtor, financial advisor, headhunter, butcher, baker candlestick-maker. “

What’s the response? Typically, “Oh.”

Or they try this…

Those that have been to sales training 101 (but didn’t stay through the whole thing) know that this is not enough. So they confidently answer, “We offer the worlds most researched solution on extrapolating data through software integration.”

“How very nice for you.”

Answers like these are what my friend Don refers to as “Hammers in search of a nail.” Realistically how many of us really know what software integration is? Or care?

So what’s the answer? How can we make people care? One of the most effective ways is to put the answer in the context of something that I can understand. Something I can relate to. And what might that be? Simply put, it’s a story.

What compelling sales stories have in common is that they address a problem. Some sort of gap between what the main character desires and his or her current state. It could be desire for money, success, confidence, respect or any of another basic human goals. With business stories it’s usually something a bit more pragmatic: increased sales, improved employee morale or reducing costs.

The point is that if you want to get someone’s attention you need to focus on the problems that you solve. Even if the person you’re speaking to doesn’t suffer from that particular problem, by focusing on problems rather than some bland recitation about what you “do”, you’ll dramatically increase the likelihood that they will remember you.

Let’s take the marketing consultant as an example. She could try to get attention by saying, “I’m a marketing consultant.” In one ear and out the other. Let’s try again.

She could say, “I offer an integrated turn-key solution to help my clients get more new clients.”

Hmmm. Still a bit of the “hammer in search of a nail.”

It’s hard to visualize what she really does. And that’s the key. We need to get what we do visualized in the person’s brain. We need for it to come alive.

So how do we do that? We need to paint a picture. We need to tell a story. Like this:

“On a fundamental level I help my clients get more new business. The challenge most of them face is that they’re the ‘best kept secret’ in their marketplace. I show them how to get more referrals by communicating unique sales stories about what they do.”

So let’s examine this last answer in a bit more detail. Certainly it’s longer and that may take a bit of getting used to. Since most everyone describes what they do in 15 words or less we feel compelled to do so as well. Resist that temptation. If you have something interesting to say, your reader or listener will stick with you.

So this answer starts by framing the topic by focusing on a large problem-getting more new clients. However, she doesn’t stop there. She immediately drills down on a highly specific problem (being the “best kept secret”) that she helps solve. She then concludes by transitioning into what she offers. However it’s important to note, that she is very specific about how she helps.

What our marketing lady has done here is to paint a picture in our minds. We can now easily visualize a problem she works on. In all likelihood she probably works on many different problems and depending upon the situation she is in, she draws upon different answers. However, each answer follows the same format of hooking attention by focusing on a problem.
***************************************************************
Want me to work with you on developing you own Unique Sales Story? Send an email to mark@gentlerainmarketing.com and we’ll set up a time to talk. Please reference this blog post. Thanks!

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in guerilla marketing ideas, marketing services, Uncategorized | Comments Off

Why This Kills Your Business

Wednesday, April 7th, 2010


Let me tell you a quick story, and while it may not appear so, it actually does tie into the topic of this article.

Has this ever happened to you? You go to a restaurant that you’ve never been to before. Place looks nice. Perhaps the menu is a bit more extensive than you thought, so you ask your waiter/waitress/waitperson (or is it server/servess/serve-person?), what’s really good?

What do you so often hear?

“Well, we serve a lot of the chicken.”

That’s an interesting answer but it’s not the question we asked. However, according to restaurant consultant Michael Simmons, it is the answer that most people are happy with.

Michael explains: “What we find is that most people want to make the safe choice. Thus if the server tells someone that a restaurant sells a lot of chicken, the patron feels that they are making a good decision. Of course what is not really ever answered is whether the chicken is actually any good.”

The point to this brief story is that this same sort of mentality is also found among business owners and consultants when it comes to marketing or promoting their business. In fact the first step that most owners take when embarking on a “let’s get some new business” initiative is to visit the websites of companies who offer similar products or services.

That’s actually not a bad first step. However, it’s what takes place next that is the usually colossal mistake. Instead of looking at the competition and then doing something different, what is the far more typical reaction? They look at the competitor’s site and then copy it. In marketing circles this is what is often referred to as “the mad rush to the middle.”

“Hey Joe, I see that our competitors have a headline on their website, ‘Will you have enough money for retirement’. Maybe we should be that too.” And companies wonder why prospects have a hard time differentiating between them.

If you want to stand out in a crowded marketplace the solution isn’t all that particularly difficult or complex. There are really only a few steps to the process.

First, create a unique signature sales story about who you are, the problems you solve and the benefits that clients get from working with you. The key word here is “unique”. Make sure that it’s a story that no one else is telling. How do you do that? One simple method is by having the characters in the story be you, your friends, your clients and associates. Another simple way to create uniqueness is to tell the story about why you’re doing what you’re doing. How did you get into the business? Why is this your passion, or at least a strong interest in you life? No one can tell that story but you.

The second step is placing the story somewhere so that people can get it. A simply one page website is the easiest way to do that. Basic one page websites with an opt-in form cost less than $300 to put up.

Now, here’s a tip that’s real important if you want to get lots more clients banging at your door and giving you their business. Make sure that you only tell part of the story on your website. Give them enough that they’re hooked and want to learn more. Give them enough so that they say to themselves, “This is different from what I’ve read on the last 10 websites I’ve visited. I’d be interested in learning more.”

Naturally, in order to learn more and get the rest of the story they have to opt-in and become a subscriber. Now you’ve got permission to send them additional emails or newsletters that tell additional unique sales stories that build trust, credibility and eventually motivate large percentages of them to take action.

Once you’ve got this little teeny-tiny one page website set up, then it is simply a matter of getting the word out so that you get visitors coming to the page and reading your story. There are lots of ways to do that: social media, advertising, direct mail, videos, speaking, articles, the list goes on and on.

But it all starts with the unique sales story. The one that only you can tell. The one that won’t be found on your competitor’s website.

So the next time you’re in a restaurant and you hear, “We sell a lot of chicken.” Don’t accept that answer (either for yourself or your business). Ask them again. “No, what’s really good?” And then take a look at your website and marketing materials. Are you communicating what’s really good about you? What’s unique?
**********************************************************************
This sales letter made me a lot of money. I’d like to share it with you for FREE. Go get it HERE

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

Don’t Get Enough Referrals? Here’s Why

Tuesday, April 6th, 2010


To say I was frustrated would be an understatement. I had been a member of this peer support networking group for over a year. I had not only explained in a presentation to the group what I did but had made a point to take each member out to lunch to make sure they understood. Look, you can’t get referrals if people don’t know who you are and what you do, so I wasn’t leaving any proverbial stone unturned.

Our meetings were always on the third Tuesday of the month. Occasionally our group leader would invite an outside speaker to come in. That’s what happened on a fine spring day in June, and led me to sitting in my car fuming at the unfairness of it all.

Jim Brinkman is a pretty impressive guy. He’s obviously a polished speaker and his stories about the marketing problems his clients faced are entertaining, well told, and make a lot of good points. Although Jim was technically a direct competitor to me, I found that I was enjoying his presentation a lot. So too were the other members of my peer support networking group.

“Great presentation” intoned Alan Jameson, our group’s leader. “When you were telling us that story about how you helped that chiropractor differentiate his services, that reminded me that I’ve got someone who could really use your help.”

“Your right Alan”, said Tom Treadway, who for the past 11 months had sat to my left at these meetings. “My neighbor only last week said that he needed some help in updating his sales messages-here, let me give you his name.”

I sat there in stunned silence, hardly believing what I was hearing. “These leads would be perfect for me!”, I thought to myself. “Why haven’t you guys talked to me about them?”

The meeting quickly broke up and 10 minutes later there I sat in my car pondering the unfairness of life. “Those ungrateful jerks” I steamed, “I’ll show them. I’ll be damned if I ever refer them any business.” Round and round I went, in an amazingly effective display of mental consternation.

Until I eventually ran out of steam and I began to reflect on what had just occurred with a bit more patience and perspective. “Maybe they don’t like me. Maybe they don’t trust me. Maybe they don’t think I’m competent.” I didn’t know what the answer was as to why I wasn’t getting the referrals I so desperately wanted, but I was bound and determined to find out.

Among all of the group I was the closest to Laura Sinclair. So a couple of days later I invited her out for coffee. I was determined to get an answer to why Jim Brinkman after one 30 minute presentation had received the referrals that had eluded me for 14 months.

“Look Laura, I’d really appreciate your candid advice. I’ve been a member of this group for over a year and have barely received any referrals. This guy Jim Brinkman comes in and picks off two great ones in less than an hour. What gives? Do people not like me? Trust me? Think I’m not competent? You’ve got to help me here, I’m really frustrated.”

Laura’s answer both surprised me and set me on a new path. One that ultimately increased my monthly referrals from zero a month to over a dozen.

“No Mark” Laura said, “It’s got nothing to do with any of that. Everyone that I know really likes and respects you. I guess it’s that we just don’t really understand what you do for clients. To be completely honest, I’m not 100% sure who you work with and what kinds of problems your best at solving. I know you’ve gone to great pains to educate us on that but I’m afraid that it either didn’t sink in or somehow just didn’t register.

When Jim spoke to us I found that I was interested in the stories he told. Even if I couldn’t directly relate to some of them-there was that one about a chiropractor and I never been to one-the problem that the chiropractor faced is similar to issues I’m dealing with. The fact that he told us interesting stories enabled me to understand what he did, who he worked with and the types of successes his clients achieved.”

To say that a light bulb went off in my head would be a little over-dramatic, but that doesn’t minimize the importance of the message. As I reflected on what I had communicated in my presentations to the group and in the one on one meetings, I realized that it had been a laundry list of facts about what I did. Boring, completely forgettable facts.

What made Jim’s presentation interesting? What made it memorable? What motivated the audience to refer people to him? The simple difference was that he told stories. As my friend Laura said, “People don’t remember facts, but they do remember stories.” Once I shifted my communication strategy to creating and communicating unique sales stories, the number of quality referrals I received dramatically increased.
**************************************************
This sales letter made me a lot of money. I’d like to share it with you for FREE. Go get it HERE

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in guerilla marketing ideas, marketing services, Uncategorized | Comments Off

The Best Sales Stories For Getting New Business

Monday, April 5th, 2010


OK perhaps the title of this is a bit grandiose, but it did get your attention. After all who want to read or listen to a sales story that’s dull or boring?

So what goes into the best sales stories? Although we can’t always pull this off, the best stories are ones that spark the imagination. Stories that enable us to visualize a desired outcome or experience. This last point is very important to keep in mind.

When we buy something, whether it be a tangible product or a service, we’re really not buying the “thing”. That’s not what primarily motivates us. What we crave is the experience that the purchase will give us. Buying a fancy watch doesn’t enable us to tell time any better. However when I purchased my first Rolex, it was the physical manifestation of a level of success I had achieved. I realize that it sounds somewhat silly as I type this, but I wanted to show the world that I was no longer someone who aspired to own a Rolex, I was someone who had achieved a level of success that enabled me to do so.

Much research has been done about the purchasing behavior in the luxury marketplace, and this desire to show “success” is a primary motivator behind the purchase of expensive cars, pens and other status objects. Thus, the more we can connect to the desires that our audience has, the more our story will resonate with them.

OK, that sounds find in theory, but how exactly do we do that? Here are some thoughts to keep in mind.

First, you need to write for a specific audience. One that you know and understand on a very deep level. This is the reason why niche marketing is so important. What we want to strive for in all of our sales and marketing stories is to have our readers and listeners see a reflection of themselves in what we are communicating. Not surprisingly, in order to do that, we need to target our message.

Secondly your story needs characters. To quote Stalin, “One death is a tragedy. A million deaths is a statistic.” If your story has characters that the reader or listener can relate to, the greater attention they’ll pay to what you have to say. Not surprisingly, the one of the best characters for your story is yourself.

Which brings me to a very important point.

However, despite knowing that I needed to tell stories and that stories needed characters, my first attempts at creating unique sales stories were mostly forgettable. The problem was that my character, me, wasn’t particularly sympathetic. My early stories were all about my successes and accomplishments. Looking back on those early attempts, it appears that I sprung into my profession without a single misstep along the way. Of course the reality was much more different. In fact my wife is often fond of saying that she wishes that I could get it right the first time just once.

Showing vulnerability wasn’t easy for me. I equated it with showing weakness. However, it was clear that my stories were not resonating with my audience so I figured it was worth a try. The results were significant. What I found was that by sharing this information, I showed that I wasn’t all that different from those who I was writing and speaking to. The only difference was that I was maybe a few steps ahead. What I knew I had learned from others, and from trial and error. It was that hard won wisdom that I wanted to share.

When I developed stories from that perspective, I found that I developed a deeper bond with my audience. By not focusing so intently on trying to convince people that I was an expert in my field, I somewhat ironically found that I was accomplishing just that.

Which leads me to the third piece in the puzzle. My wife Marian is a strong believer in what she calls “your authentic voice”. For more years than I care to admit, I looked at the style of those who seemed successful and tried to copy it. My thinking was that if it worked for them, it should work for me too. What I failed to realize is that the reason it worked for them was because it was their authentic voice, not mine.

The worse experience came when I spoke at a local Rotary group. I adopted a sales style that worked quite well for one of the well-known gurus in my field. Unfortunately it left my audience cold. In fact one lady wrote a note to me in which she stated that she “loathed” my presentation. Feedback like that certainly makes one rethink their approach.

I won’t say that my authentic voice was developed overnight. The real key for me was to relax and not worry about how others might perceive my message. To paraphrase Popeye, “We are what we are.” Once we accept that and focus on delivering our message rather than on impressing others, our authentic voice comes to the surface. Want to learn more? This may be of INTEREST

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in guerilla marketing ideas, marketing services, Uncategorized | Comments Off

Stop Being The “Best Kept Secret” In Your Market

Friday, April 2nd, 2010


If there is one problem that perplexes business owners more than others, it’s, “How do I differentiate my business from the competition?” This is a particularly challenging issue for services businesses.

So how can a consultant, advisor, or other services provider differentiate themselves from the competition? What’s the best way to stand out amid an ever increasingly competitive world? For many of the most successful companies the answer is increasingly to focus on telling stories. If you want more referrals or word-of-mouth buzz, telling stories about who you are, what you do and the benefits your clients receive by working with you, is one of the most powerful marketing strategies you can implement.

Unique sales stores can be used on your website, in your sales letters and your stay-in-touch communications. One of the great benefits of marketing using sales stories is that you can reuse one story multiple times without it losing its effectiveness. If one observes those companies that receive the greatest amount of referrals, the one factor they all have in common is that they are adept at developing and disseminating stories about their business.

What makes stories such powerful tool if your goal is to generate more referrals for your business? The primary reason is that stories are so much easier to remember than facts. If I tell you that an architectural firm has offices in Atlanta, St. Louis and San Diego, that information is likely to go in one proverbial ear and out the other.

However if I tell you a story about how the Atlanta office successfully bid on a project by drawing from the talents of one of their team members in the St. Louis office who had worked on the venerable St. Louis arch, and another from the San Diego office who had an intimate understanding of environmental design from work she had done at the San Diego zoo, the dynamics have changed.

First you are much more likely to actually remember the story. This is crucial. Not surprisingly the first step to getting referrals is having people actually remembering what it is that you do. Although this sounds simple and obvious, it’s actually pretty difficult to get your business remembered amid all the noise that exists in the world. Stories help enormously in that regard.

However, stories go far beyond simply increasing the likelihood that people will remember who you are. The true power of stories is that they intrigue people and make them curious to learn more. By engaging this natural curiosity, sales stories motivate readers and listeners to want to learn more. This is what is often referred to as selling invisibly.

Here is an interesting example for how this actually works. The sales letter that is credited with generating the largest amount of revenues is one that was written well over 40 years ago for the Wall Street Journal. This is how it began:

“Take two men. Both graduates of good universities. Both hardworking and ambitious.

Flash forward twenty years and one is in the corner office commanding the attention and respect of hundreds. The other toils amid the legions of middle managers in a largely obscure position. Why did one ascend to great heights and the other plateau so early?”

What made this letter so effective? The answer is simple. It told a story. As a result it creating curiosity and engaged the imagination of the reader. They wanted to learn more. They sincerely wanted to learn the answer to: “Why did one ascend to great heights and the other plateau so early?

This format for writing a sales story, called among copywriters as “Take Two People” is one of the most widely copied sales letters. It has been used to sell everything from consulting services to higher education.

So what types of stories could you tell about your company? What are the success stories that others would be interested in learning more about? Not surprisingly, creating excellent unique sales stories is both an art and a science. It is certainly far more than just simply sitting down and starting to type. There’s a process and system that makes stories interesting and memorable. It takes a bit of an investment of time and education in order to create stories that aren’t flat or lifeless. However, for virtually all business owners it is an investment that is well worth making.
**************************************************
This sales letter made me a lot of money. I’d like to share it with you for FREE. Go get it HERE

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in guerilla marketing ideas, marketing services, Uncategorized | Comments Off

Need More Referrals? Here’s How To Get Them

Thursday, April 1st, 2010


If I asked you, “How do you get the majority of your new clients?”, I imagine that I would hear, “Word of mouth and referrals”. However, I’d also guess that you would tell me that you wish you had more of them.

That’s the problem with referrals. We don’t have a lot of control over when they arrive. It seems that sometimes we are inundated with referrals, yet the next thing we know, weeks have passed without a single one. That’s frustrating and unfortunately there’s not a lot that we can do.

However what we can do is make sure that everyone who could refer us business actually is prepared to do so. Which brings me to the main reason why you are not getting as many referrals as you would ideally like.

The most common reason is that people just do not remember you. It’s not that what you do isn’t valuable. It has nothing to do with the feedback you get from clients. The problem is that you have not explained what you do and the great benefits that clients receive in a way that’s memorable.

So let us look deeper into this issue of why you are stuck in the crowd and remain the best kept secret in your marketplace. Please allow me to share a brief story with you. I think you’ll find it valuable.

When I transitioned from Corporate America to consulting, I thought the transition would be far easier than it was. I had done well during my corporate career and felt that I had a wealth of knowledge that would be valuable to my clients. The only problem was, I didn’t have many of those.

When I asked other consultants how they got new business they invariably told me that it came to them mostly through referrals. Yet, as much as I wished people would refer me business, they didn’t. To say this was frustrating would be an understatement.

The greatest indignity occurred 4 months into my consulting career when a friend of mine (in front of me) referred a project that I would have been perfect for, to someone else. I mustered up my nerve and as politely as I could, asked my friend why he had not referred that project to me.

To my great surprise he apologized and said that he would have been more than happy to refer to me but that he was not entirely clear about exactly what I did. I was flabbergasted. What was wrong with this guy? I know I had sat down with him for at least 30 minutes and explained what I did.

But as I cooled off I realized that the fault was not with my friend, it was with me. Although I thought I had done a good job of explaining what I did, obviously I did it in a way that wasn’t memorable. I vowed to find out how I could make myself memorable and thought that the networking group I belonged to would be a good place to start.

My networking group consisted of two types of people. Those that got referred a lot of business and those that hardly ever got referrals. Perhaps the answer could be found by observing the difference between the two groups.

Now to be fair, there are a few businesses that always seem to get referrals. Handymen and computer fix-it-when-the-computer-crashes types being two prime examples. However, when I watched financial planners, accountants, consultants and other small business owners, it was clear that some got lots of referrals and others next to none. That’s when I noticed what the difference was.

Those that got referrals told stories. They told stories about themselves, their clients and the types of problems that they solved. So why was this such a crucial difference? The answer was so simple that I couldn’t believe I hadn’t figured it out before.

People don’t remember facts. People remember stories. The key to getting referrals is being remembered. The stories you tell are the way to make sure that happens.

Now I won’t suggest that this one fact changed my business overnight. It took me a while to learn how to tell a story that was both interesting and memorable. But I stuck with it and the results have been impressive. From zero referrals a month, I quickly went to an average of a dozen. For a marketing consultant such as myself, that’s a huge increase.

So the lesson is simple. Want more referrals? Learn to tell stories.
**************************************************
This sales letter made me a lot of money. I’d like to share it with you for FREE. Go get it HERE

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in guerilla marketing ideas, marketing services, Uncategorized | Comments Off

Guerilla Marketing Ideas To Get More New Clients

Thursday, March 25th, 2010


We both know that you want a consistent stream of new clients. However, here’s one of the most common mistakes small businesses make when trying to put a marketing system in place. Trust me, if you avoid this, your marketing efforts will pay off with lots more new clients.

The most important trap to avoid is to make sure you don’t focus on activities rather than developing a client attraction process.

Here’s the scenario. Business is a bit slow so Mort the Business Owner wakes up one morning and says to himself, “It’s about time we got some new business.” So when Mort arrives at the office he immediately puts in place what he thinks is his Marketing Strategy. “Let’s make some cold calls. Or write some letters. Or update the database. Or write an article.” The list goes on and on.

What Mort has done (which virtually all of us do at some point or another) is to confuse activities with strategy. But why is this a problem? Well let’s say that Mort sends out some letters or emails. And maybe a few people respond. And maybe Mort actually calls one or two of them. But then he gets busy (or decides that following-up really isn’t that much fun) and he lets the leads grow mold.

Now obviously that’s a waste. But here’s what’s even more wasteful. What do you think the reaction will be from those who responded the first time, when Mort decides to send them another letter during the next slow season? Probably not much.

Getting people to raise their hands and self identify themselves as having interest in your services is a time tested method for effective business development. But (and this is an important distinction) whatever method you use to make people aware of who you are and what you do is simply an activity. Sending letters. Making cold calls. Writing articles. Giving a speech. None of these are your marketing strategy. They’re parts of your marketing strategy.

It’s important to always remember that they are simply activities.

A marketing strategy has three components to it. A method for making people aware of you. A method for capturing data about those people, and a method for staying in touch. When you have those three components linked together, then you have a marketing process. When they’re not, then all you have is just have a bunch of activities. And the results speak for themselves.

One of the main reasons that marketing fails to yield the results we want is because we focus on the wrong things at the wrong time. For example, if you start to drive traffic to your website but there’s nothing there that motivates visitors to opt-in, they’ll simply bounce off your site-leaving no trace that they were ever there. That’s a huge waste of money, time and energy.

If I was going to offer someone one piece of advice it would be to make sure you’re thinking about a marketing system rather than focusing on marketing activities.
**************************************************
This sales letter made me a lot of money. I’d like to share it with you for FREE. Go get it HERE

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

Sales Letter Secrets. Get More People To Take Action

Friday, March 19th, 2010


Your offer and benefits of your product or service will make up the bulk of your sales letter. Many people make the mistake of assuming that the readers of their sales letters already know the product or service does and how it is going to benefit them.

For example how much time it will save them or how much money it will save them. Assuming this and not detailing everything about your product or service can lose you sales. Sadly this is a very common mistake.

However, here’s another issue you need to be aware of. Many people also make the mistake of trying to oversell their product or service. You need to find a balance when creating your sales copy. Don’t make your copy too sales orientated as this will obviously turn readers off. Instead you need to focus on your readers.

You need to keep your sales copy light and interesting and persuade your readers that they need your product or service. It is really all about persuasively motivating them to take advantage of the offer you are presenting and to take action immediately. One way to do this is through the time tested method of “scarcity”. For example state that you have a limited number of a particular item, or that the special offer price is only for a limited amount of time.

Your main component of your sales copy will be to entice your reader to purchase your product or service and there are a number of things that you can include here. Testimonials will be very important and you should try to secure testimonials that include a picture, website information, and even a video message. The more persuasive and believable your testimonials, the better they will work.

When stating the benefits of using your product or service, bullet points work best. These tend to catch the reader’s eye better and stand out more on your sales letter. These should be incorporated into the main story of your sales copy.

Using a story in your sales copy is another great way to interact with your readers and get their imagination going. It also makes your sales copy more believable if they can imagine themselves in your shoes and visualize how your product or service will change their life for the better.

The person reading your sales copy should be able to place themselves in your story and be able to see the benefits of using your product or service for themselves. Be sure to break your story up using your testimonials and bullet pointed benefits. If you do this correctly it should result in a high conversion ratio.
**************************************************
This sales letter made me a lot of money. I’d like to share it with you for FREE. Go get it HERE

Tags: , , ,
Posted in guerilla marketing ideas, marketing services, Uncategorized | Comments Off

How To Increase Your Opt-In Rate By 33%

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010


We hear it over and over again. The power is in the list. But is that really true? On the one hand, having a large list that receives your messages is certainly better than having no one. But the real driver of success is the quality of your list. Thus the most important question is how do we get more qualified visitors to opt-in?

The painfully obvious answer is to offer them something of value in exchange for their contact information. This might be a free report, a video or an interactive survey. With all the choices that are available it’s always amazing to me that when I critique websites that less than 20% of them have any sort of compelling offer. I’ve asked a number of business owners why they don’t do this and about half of them say that they tried doing so but that it didn’t work.

Why visitors don’t request your free offer can depend upon a wide range of variables, but here’s one that you can fix very easily. By taking this simple step you’ll probably boost conversion by up to 33%. Over time that represents a lot of new people in your opt-in list.

Typically people put the box to request the free offer in either the top or down at the very bottom of their webpage. I’ve found that conversion will increase dramatically if you have your request button in two different places. The first is the upper right hand corner. The reason this works is that most people are right-hand dominant and as a result their eye automatically is drawn to the upper right hand corner of the page.

However instead of just a plain old box or boring rectangular form, why not use a starburst or some other eye-catching form? Have it appear in a contrasting color to the dominant color that appears on your page. That’s tip number one.

The second tip is to communicate the offer in the actual copy of your webpage itself. Ideally you want to weave the offer right into the text that’s on the page. For example I’ll often use a transition sentence such as, “You can learn precisely how I use a simple strategy to overcome reluctance and take action by taking these simple steps.” That leads to a box that appears right in the middle of the page with a compelling headline that promotes the free report.

If you have your offer appear twice, once in the upper right hand corner and in the text itself you’ll notice that the percentage of high quality visitors that turn into subscribers begins to immediately rocket upwards.**************************************************
This sales letter made me a lot of money. I’d like to share it with you for FREE. Go get it HERE

Tags: , , ,
Posted in guerilla marketing ideas, marketing services, Uncategorized | Comments Off

Using Power Colors On Your Website & In Your Marketing Letters

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010


When people visit your website or read your marketing materials the first thing that will register in their mind is the color that you use. The right color can actually motivate your visitor to stick around and learn more about who you are and what you offer. Choosing the wrong color will make them flee like like the most skittish cat.

It is a known fact that the use of color can change people’s moods, emotions, feelings, and behavior. Thus, in order to create the right impression you need to choose the right colors for your website and marketing materials. Below is a list of colors and how they can help to improve your website and business.

Red is probably the most effective color to get people excited about your product or service. The color red in your headlines and subheadlines grabs attention much the same way that red stop signs do. I’ve also experience good success by using red in the closing statement or the part of your sales copy when you ask readers to take action. Overall I like red a lot as a tool for getting the reader’s attention. But, as with any tool, make sure you don’t overdo it.

Yellow is also an excellent choice for your marketing documents. People tend to buy quicker if they are in a good mood and yellow is an excellent color for creating just that. People generally feel happier on sunny days and yellow is often associated with brightness and warmth. I use yellow a lot as a highlight color and it can really pop-out certain phrases that you want readers to pay particular attention to.

Pink is a color you might not initially consider but it is actually viewed by people as a friendly color. Pink can make a great background color for your sales page. Not surprisingly, pink works best if your audience is female.

Blue has always been known as a powerful color and it can actually help to make people stay on your website longer. The reason for this is that it relaxes them. People also tend to associate darker blues with authority and many will buy quicker from authoritative figures. I have used blue as the dominate color on my pages for years and I think it is one of the reasons why I have such a high conversion rate.

Orange is another color you might not think of using, but this color can create a feeling of warmth and comfort. Orange can help to make your readers feel more comfortable ordering from you. Think about using it on your order page.

The color green makes people feel secure and you should use this color in your guarantee, your privacy policy, and your secure ordering page. Money is green thus it’s a particularly good color if your offer helps people earn or make more money.

Purple is the color of royalty. Using purple on your sales copy can help your customers to respect your business more. Lots of my clients who offer high-end services incorporate purple into the primary color pattern.

Remember that white is a color too. People associate white with trust and honesty and this is always a favorite color for backgrounds. Since it is the easiest background color on which for people to read your text, it’s one that I highly recommend.

Black should be used for your text especially with a white background as this is associated with professionalism. However I would not recommend it as a background color since white text on a black background is very hard on the eyes. Black also has an element of sophistication so using it as a secondary color on your web pages give them a look of elegance.

Gold and silver denote value so use these colors if your creating a picture image of your product or service and in your packaging. Gold also makes a great accent color on your sales pages and for borders around boxes that appear on your web page or sales letters.

As you can see, it really does make sense to think about the colors you use in your website and sales copy. Once you start experimenting with different colors you will find that using the right color really will have an impact on your sales results.
**************************************************
“These Sales Prospecting Techniques Landed Me A $96,000 Client.”
Please Allow Me To Show You How To Fill Up Your Sales Pipeline With Eager Prospects…For FREE by clicking HERE

Tags: ,
Posted in guerilla marketing ideas, marketing services, Uncategorized | Comments Off

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »