The BIG, Humongo Mistake
Small Businesses Make …
Fellow Business-Builder,
With The Ultimate Desktop Copy Coach now out, you have seen the immense potential of the right words to the right market.
This is an incredible program for those who want to take their marketing to a new level.
Today, I want to discuss an area that many small business owners struggle with – yet it will instantly add to the results you are getting.
Case in point …
A while back, a company hired me to write some sales copy for a seminar promotion – some autoresponders for the drip campaign and a landing page for teleseminars.
Which I did.
I also gave them a marketing plan and some copy to recruit joint venture partners.
A few months later, I got a call from them claiming the copy wasn’t working.
When I pressed them on the stats, here is what I got: 22 signups for the seminar at $2,497 each = $54,934 in revenues - a very healthy return on the copywriting investment.
So what was their problem?
They thought they should have 50 people.
Upon further investigation:
- Those 22 signups came from 400 unique visitors to their site (5.5% conversion, which is excellent).
- Those 400 visitors had NEVER heard of them before.
- They had not followed my marketing plan - they only did one out of the 48 things I gave them to do.
- The one thing they did do - asking for potential joint venture partners - was not done as I told them – and the partners were not sending out the copy as per instructions.
- They never once e-mailed the database that was made from their website option form.
- One-time exposure and that was it - so they believed in the "magic pill" that is sooooooo over-hyped online today.
You need three main things to succeed in your marketing:
1) The right message for people to see, to pay attention to, to build their excitement and to take action and order (at a minimum, to signup on your newsletter so you CAN send out multiple follow-ups).
This is the copywriting area - where you find the right words and the right bundle and the right call to action. But, if you miss out on the next two things, you will severely limit your results.
2) The right market to send the message to. You need to define your perfect client - what they read, what they drive, where they hang out, what their income is, what clubs or associations they belong to, what they like and dislike about life, what makes them angry, what excites them, and so on.
If you don’t know this, you will not get a decent response from the market - as you do not have the right message for them.
3) The right media to use. It is NOT all about the Internet here. Many people honestly believe that it is the "do all and be all" of marketing your business. Wrong. Very wrong.
As you have seen through Clayton’s e-mails - - adding in an offline component to the online efforts can have a dramatic impact on your sales.
Many times, I have seen and taken part in promotions that got 5 - 10 TIMES the results by printing off THE EXACT SAME sales letter and mailing it out to the offline list (which I hope you are building). You must use multiple forms of media, all at once, to get maximum payoff in minimum time.
Make sure all three of these are in place, do consistent, aggressive marketing, and do not expect to make your millions overnight with one single e-mail (despite all the junk you hear about online today).
You need good sales copy and scripts - it is, and always will be, the main factor that makes the decision if they should buy or not.
But you also need a consistent marketing plan and a very solid understanding of your clients and their needs and wants.
Cover all of this, and you will get the results you want.
If you don’t have time for all of this - outsource it! There is a ton of compelling evidence to show why outsourcing can be the best way to get marketing campaigns done quickly, and to get results that are exceptional.
Get writing those sales letters.
Kickin’ Your Summer Holiday Sales Up Five Notches
Summer is now in full swing … are you doing everything possible to make the last six months of your year the best?
Right now is when you need to be out there in front of your clients’ noses - showing them exactly why they should shop with you again (especially when their minds are on everything else BUT buying from you).
This is on top of your efforts to attract new clients.
How to Maximize Your Results This Holiday Season
with Two Easy Steps
1) First thing you need to do is make them an offer they can’t refuse. And the easiest way to do that is to bundle your products and services in new "packages" that are not available at any other time of the year. Why?
Because they are looking for a deal. A deal they can’t find anywhere else - and it doesn’t mean the cheapest price either … it means the most attractive offer.
Do you have multiple products and services? Have you created an inventory of your products and services?
Do it - right now … the results will amaze you.
List off every product, service, report, package, or incentive you have for your clients.
Then fit like-minded products together in a few different ways - have a Silver, Gold, and Platinum package arrangement ranging from inexpensive to medium ticket price to high end price tag.
For example, maybe you run a massage business.
You could offer a 60 minute massage, a book on at-home stress relief, an audio complete with soothing music, massage oil for at-home use, and a couple of nice candles to top it off.
Let’s say you price this at $75 - which is the perfect price point for many lower end gifts - package it up nicely with gift certificates on nice paper, a basket, wrapped up professionally.
Your gold offer - Monthly massages for six months, free spa products, the book as above - plus one more book on creating your own spa at home, the candles and oil also included, plus a nice pair of slippers for lounging. Price tag - $500
Your platinum - 12 months worth of massages, all of the above, plus a facial and pedicure every other month (done by someone you subcontract with). This for $750. This gives you three very nice packages that you can offer your clients … packages that are not available at any other time of the year.
Bundle them up real nice and have them wrapped up like a pro - and you will make a very attractive offer for your clients that are looking for simple gifts they can buy - right up to the husbands who will pay the big ticket price tag knowing that the gift they are giving their wife will be very much appreciated for the next 12 months.
2) After you have your bundle created - then you need to get the message out.
First - tell your existing clients. They are much more likely to buy than someone who has never bought from you before.
Then, get the word out to your past clients who haven’t bought from you in a while. Chances are good they haven’t bought from you because they haven’t heard from you. So remind them you are around and you want their business. Last, spread the word to potential customers.
How do you get the word out?
Postcards - Simple - easy - great way to drive traffic to your holiday bundle sales page.
Direct mail - Send them a simple letter to tell them what kind of special deals you have put together for them this year.
Phone calls - Call all the customers and prospects that you have phone numbers for.
Personalized faxes to people who have bought from you before.
Web pages announcing your holiday offers – The graphics on your main page should lead them to your sales page for the bundles.
A warning, though … if you are going through all this effort and work to improve your holiday sales - you had better make sure your message is done right.
- The web page sales pitch you use must convince them to buy.
- The sales copy you use must compel them to take action.- The image you are portraying to your clients and prospects must show them you know what you are doing - and will treat them with the utmost of respect.
To your holiday sales and a magnificent summer.
To your success,
Troy White
Editor, Small Business Mastery
Supplement to THE TOTAL PACKAGE
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A Final Note:
If you have specific subjects you would like addressed, or have any comments on what you have seen here, please submit a comment below and I will see how I can help.
"Don’t wait. The time will never be just right.”
– Napoleon Hill
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5 Comments »
Join the Discussion!
Let us know what you think. Or ask us anything. Or offer your own sage advice.
The only rule: RESPECT THIS HOUSE! Postings that contain abusive language and/or personal attacks will be cheerfully VAPORIZED. One cross word and – POOF! – your well-thought-out post will be gone in a puff of smoke.
– Clayton
Comment by Daniel Gallapoo — July 11, 2008 @ 9:33 am
Troy,So what you’re saying is… to make maximum sales and profits I actually have to WORK?Darn, I really believed I only had to put up one website and send one e-mail and I could make a million fungolas in 24 hours. That’s what those guys at that $5,000 seminar told me right before they pitched me on their $997/month coaching program. (grin)Seriously though, lots of gems in this article. Especially the part about sending the product promotion that is working online in a direct mail letter OFFLINE. I’ve found most people are losing out on 50% of their potential sales if they DON’T do that.I wonder what kind of results your clients would have gotten if they did all 48 things you told them to do. It probably would have blown their minds.Thanks for the article.Best,Dan
Comment by Paul Simister — July 11, 2008 @ 9:42 am
Very interesting post and isn’t it disappointing when people do expect a magic pill that produces miracle results.
It’s incredible to me to think that anybody thinks that way but I see it so regularly.
Part of the problem is the hype that is built up about the "next big thing" but why won’t people think.
Comment by Mike Z — July 12, 2008 @ 10:01 am
Lovin’ it as always, thanks Troy.
Comment by Roshawn — July 12, 2008 @ 6:41 pm
You gave them a 48 - item to-do list? If you don’t mind my asking, what exactly were those things (I’d like to know each and every one of them)?
Great post.
Comment by Troy White — July 15, 2008 @ 9:04 am
Hey Daniel and Paul,
You’re right! What was I thinking. We should all just email those Nigerian people back, collect our millions, and sit on a beach with a margarita in hand. What was I thinking? Work for our success - naaaaaaa. The internet way is much better. Click the magic button and voila - $$$ in my pocket :o)
As silly as it sounds - amazing how many people actually believe it.
Rowshan… I will try and find some of them and post them. Although, you would already know most of them if you have been reading the daily emails from Clayton and the team!
Troy