So often, as business people and entrepreneurs, and especially as freelancers, we seem to be chasing customers. This gives us an air of desperation. If you look at a customer, and all you see is a bag of groceries or a paycheck, guess what? The customer knows. They can smell desperation on you just like a dog can smell your fear. What do you do?

Sit down with a pad and pen and write up a description of your ideal customer. You know, the kind that doesn’t get on your nerves, the kind that pays on time, the kind that doesn’t balk at your fees, the dream customer. Once you’ve written out a good description of what this customer looks like, set that as your target. Pretend that for the next week or so that’s the only kind of customer that you’re willing to accept.

State your criteria publicly.

You don’t have to be obnoxious, you don’t have to state your criteria in the negative (“I don’t want a whining complaining customer”, etc.). You can state your criteria in the positive:

“Looking for customers who is smart, with it, understand the value of what we do, and who is willing to pay a premium price for a job well done.” Change up the specifics to fit whatever your situation is.

But be very clear on the customers that you won’t accept and work to discourage them from doing business with you. This will serve to attract the kind of customers that you want.

My friend, Michael Port, in his book, Book Yourself Solid, calls this the “velvet rope strategy.” We all understand the analogy of the velvet rope. It’s a barrier that implies, “you must meet certain qualifications before you cross this rope”… and the presence of a velvet rope invariably makes us want to cross to the other side.

Is it time for you to put up your own “velvet rope”?

Farmers understand the “Law of the Harvest”.

This Law is simple: to reap a harvest, you must sow the seed and tend the crop.

In other words, first you do the work and then  you get the result.

And you understand the nature of seeds: they take time and tending in order to make them grow.

No “instant crop” – no “easy harvest”.

In business…

No “instant income”.

Not even easy.

But simple. And reliable.

Communicate what it will cost your prospects if they don’t buy from you?

What will it cost them in time, money, and effort if they don’t solve their problem using your solution?

Just communicate clearly the cost of not buying from you today, and no “selling tricks” will be required.

What’s that you say? You’re not sure what it will cost them… or even if it will cost them anything at all?

If that’s the case, your problem is not a selling problem. It’s either a value problem or a value clarification problem.

Either way, you now know what to do next.

I walk up to you holding out two sets of keys, one to the new Mercedes-Benz automobile on the left; the other, a brand spanking new, Honda accord on the right. Which car is the superior car? If I offer to give you one of them, which one will you choose?

Almost without exception, everyone answers, “The Mercedes!”

Forgetting the question of German engineering versus Japanese engineering, for just a moment, stop to ponder why we all respond the same way.

The confident, secure, intellectually steadfast among us will launch into an explanation of why we chose the superior German automobile.

The facts, however, are simple. Most of us are not engineers. Most of us are not expert judges of the mechanical suitability of automobiles. We use shortcuts to make such decisions. One such shortcut is price.

Let me present a different scenario to you. Let’s suppose that I pull up in your driveway in a brand-new Mercedes-Benz. I park, hop out, walk up to you and hand you the keys. I say, “This car is yours for only $5,000 cash, right now.”

What is your response?

If you’re like most of us, your response is, “What’s wrong with it? Is it stolen?”

You instinctively know the price is too low. Either there’s something mechanically wrong with the car, or it is stolen.

The tipoff is the price.

It’s no different in business; if you respond to marketplace pressures by lowering your prices, customers make a series of assumptions. They assume that you have somehow also lowered the value of your offering. Or, worse, they assume that the offering was never worth the original price you quoted to begin with.

Many studies have indicated it’s possible to increase sales, simply by increasing price. The explanation is simple: people assume that a higher price means higher quality.

In order to put this principle into practice, you must of course supply value for the dollar. In other words, after the transaction is complete and the customer has had the opportunity to experience or use your product, they must feel as though the benefits of the product outweighed the expense of the purchase.

This is actually easier to achieve than most of us believe.

Once you have accomplished building a product offering that is worth what you’re asking for it, and once you have set a price that indicates that your offer is a valuable one, you can be confident that your business is built on a solid foundation.

So the response that is appropriate in economic times like these – times when there is more pressure on businesses to provide value – is simple: provide more value, at a higher price.

In any economic circumstance, cutting your prices can be equal to cutting your throat.

This is fortunate for you because it means that even becoming adequate at follow-up places you leagues ahead of your so-called competition. If you actually become good follow-up, you can easily own the marketplace.

There is a momentum that builds with follow-up that is difficult to describe, but easy to identify once it begins to yield fruit.

It’s like the snowball effect; what begins as a tiny snowball rolling downhill, picks up more and more mass as it proceeds, and it also picks up speed, so that by the time the snow ball reaches the bottom of the mountain it is a massive, irresistible avalanche.

Promise yourself that you will begin to follow-up with every prospect and every customer.

While having an elaborate and sophisticated follow-up system is indeed the mark of a mature and highly profitable business, it isn’t necessary to build a complex follow-up monstrosity in the beginning. You simply have to identify what the next logical step is in any follow-up sequence.

Begin by speaking out loud, or writing on paper, a simple series of “if-then” statements about your interactions with prospects and customers.

“If a customer comes into the store but doesn’t buy, then follow-up with a phone call three days later.”

“If the initial follow-up call does not result in a visit to the store within three days, then follow up with a postcard making a special offer to the customer.”

“If the customer response to the offer on the postcard, then send a thank you gift to the customer’s office and make another offer.”

It never has to be more complex than figuring out the next logical step based on the action the prospect or customer just took. The key is to document these follow-up steps with each customer, and begin building a predetermined sequence that applies to all customers who meet those specific “if-then” conditions.

Before you know it, your follow-up sequence will become a massive, irresistible avalanche of profits.

It doesn’t matter if we know about the deadline far in advance-activity always increases as the last few minutes tick off the clock.

“Tax day” in the USA doesn’t sneak up on any of us-we all know it happens April 15th (or in the case of this year, the 18th). Yet year after year, tax preparers are deluged during the week before “tax day” — swamped by people who were only motivated to act when it looked as though the clock was about to run out.

There’s a reason why so much direct response advertising is filled with the words “for a limited time only”.

“Limited time marketing” gets results.

The trick, of course, is that it doesn’t work as well as it once did. People understand what’s happening, and are not as easily moved by those same old, tired words, “limited time only”. Now,  we must be more creative in communicating the scarcity of time to act.

Notice that I’m not commenting on whether there actually is a limited time or not. I’m assuming that if you say time is limited, that the offer is about to run out, that quantities are low, that this is the absolute truth. That these are real limits that you’re simply letting people know about.

No matter what you are marketing, there is always a limit. There are only so many units you can ship… there is only a certain amount of time you can maintain the sale price… there are only a certain number of days you can legitimately continue to offer an “end-of-the-year sale”.

I’m suggesting that you look carefully for the “ticking clocks” that are already present in every one of your offers, and make those time constraints explicit for your customers. In other words, talk about the limits.

The way to do this effectively is to talk about it in very specific terms.

Don’t take the lazy way out and simply say “for a limited time only”.

Talk about he exact time the sale ends, on what day.

Explain exactly how many units you have left, and why there won’t be any more.

Even if the reason is simply, “we’re tired of making it in this color”, tell that story. Truthful stories about real ticking clocks are powerful customer motivators.

Try it and see.

Now let me warn you.

You will be tempted to disregard the advice I’m about to give you as overly simplistic at best.

At worst, you will rationalize and begin to enumerate the reasons why doing what I’m about to suggest is not possible in your business.

You will have all sorts of excuses about why your business “is different”.

You will tell me that your customers are too sophisticated, too sensitive, too demanding.

You will be wrong.

No offense intended, but those are the facts.

All right, enough with the preamble already.

You’re probably thinking, what is this magical advice you’re about to dispense?

It is…

Always make an offer.

Put another way: always sell something. Always.

In every single ad.

In every billing statement.

In the Yellow Pages.

On your website, in your emails, during your presentations.

Always.

If your business is anything like most of the businesses I encounter,, your biggest marketing challenge is most likely the fact that you are not making enough offers.

Why is it that people who are called to be entrepreneurs, a high calling in life indeed, seem to have some sort of complex about asking people for money?

Perhaps it’s because as children most of us were taught some core values by our mothers. For almost everyone of us, those core values included these two:

1. Don’t talk to strangers.

2.   Don’t ask for money.

Can you see the potential conflict inherent in such values for the entrepreneurial business owner?

Our business life depends on talking to strangers, and then asking them for money.

Something to think about.

Something to change.

Start this way…

Always make an offer.

Here’s the sad news: “brand building” is a door that is pretty much closed to the small to medium-size company.

In today’s over-communicated, oversaturated marketplace, the sheer mass required to achieve brand awareness is quite simply out of financial reach for all but the biggest companies.

And one could argue that such strategies don’t always make sense for big companies either.

Here’s what does not fail: holding your advertising and marketing accountable for its own results. It doesn’t take a “rocket surgeon” to understand direct response marketing. In fact, the steps are simple:

1. Launch a marketing or advertising campaign that you can measure (phone calls completed, postcards returned, e-mails collected, sales made, etc.)

2. Observe whether this campaign results in actual dollars coming in the door.

3. If the answer to number two is “yes”, repeat the process as needed. If the answer is “no”, if dollars do not flow in the door, try something else!

Is this a bit oversimplified?

Yes, but not much.

In fact, if you were to just follow this “oversimplified” formula to the letter, you would still be a lot better off than most businesses in America.

Make this promise to yourself: I will not engage in any marketing or advertising activity unless the results of said marketing or advertising activity can be objectively measured.

Then follow through on that promise. This alone will bring you more profits.

It’s unconscionable, in this day and age, to spend money on advertising and marketing that doesn’t work. It was much easier to excuse in the old days. In the old days, the media was a monolithic, inscrutable, impenetrable mysterium.

As a small business owner, you were at the mercy of your media sales rep. The salesperson from the newspaper, radio station, or TV station, called on your business and made a persuasive pitch for the latest advertising “package of the month”. You bought, often out of desperation or obligation.

If your business was of a slightly more affluent nature, your media sales rep was more intent on getting a longer-term commitment from you. In that case, you were pursued for an annual contract, usually persuaded to sign up for the long-term commitment by some sort of rate concession or extras “thrown in” to the package.

What is curiously missing from these approaches of the past is attention to the primary goal of all advertising and marketing: to actually make your cash register ring.

In fact, discussions of such crass activities as ringing cash registers were often discouraged by media sales reps. They were quick to start mumbling some sort of arcane mantras about “building your brand” or simply “getting your name out there”. As if you could pay your lease by “getting your name out there”. Last time I checked, the bank wasn’t accepting “name recognition” as lease payments. They still prefer dollars.

Even so, even though most of us knew that the advertising sales game was rigged and the small business owner was its unwitting victim, we also knew there was little we could do about it. No more.

Now, thanks largely to the power of the Internet, and the nearly limitless transparency and instant access to information it provides, the world has changed. Google proved the efficacy of one of the oldest forms of selling known to mankind: direct response marketing.

As sophisticated as Google Adwords may appear at first, it is really the digitalization of simple direct response advertising. It is mail-order gone high-tech.

This ought to get you really excited.

Because it tells of possibility.

While it is not necessary to do all your direct marketing on the Internet, what is salient is how irrevocably the Internet has proven the worth of direct response marketing itself. It works, and works with ruthless efficiency.

Advertising and marketing can (and must) be measured. No more fuzzy talk about “getting your name out there”. Now, the game is very simple, just as you always suspected it should be.

The most important question in marketing is simply, “Did it make my cash register ring?”

If the answer is yes,  if a given campaign brought profits in your door, then it was a success.

If the answer was no, if you threw money down a hole and no money came back out, then it’s a failure. Or at least seriously in need of some alteration.

The point is: you can know.

The message is clear: stop paying for marketing you cannot measure. And for goodness’s sake, stop paying for marketing that doesn’t work. Today it is possible to know, without a doubt, whether it works or not.

For many, this is a new way of thinking. It will require a bit of a stretch of your mental muscles. But that shouldn’t be too difficult, especially because one of Earth’s most wonderful delights is about to become yours: the ability to say “no” to advertising salespeople who want to push packages on you!

“Packages” that are unmeasurable, unwarranted, and unintelligent.

And now you will be able to say “no” with confidence, knowing that you, and you alone, know what’s best when it comes to marketing your business.

Imagine living in a world where your marketing and advertising is a source of profit you can rely on, instead of being a cost you resent.

Simply by reading these words, you’ve already taken a step into such a world. Rejoice. The keys of the kingdom are yours.

Say it with me: “No more lousy, stinking marketing that can’t be measured.”

The minister responded, “Oh, so you’re going to sell people stuff they don’t need for a living? And you’re okay with that?”

My young college friend was stopped in her tracks. She promptly changed careers.

I wonder what would have happened if that minister had, instead of making a blanket judgment (um, what happened to “judge not, so that you will not be judged”?)… if instead of crushing a young person’s dream… had said something like:

“Wow! That’s great. You’re going to earn your living by telling people how companies add value to their lives? I admire you for taking on such a challenging and rewarding profession.”

I wonder.

I’m not saying there isn’t a lot of sleazy marketers out there – because we all know there are.

I am saying we need more people who will bring honor to our profession. What do you think?

The reason we are turned off by “pushy” salespeople is their attempts to be likable are almost laughably transparent. And absolutely inauthentic.

The key to creating a bond through your writing (and any other form of communication that involves language) is surprisingly simple.

Be yourself.

For sure, be the best self you can authentically be. But don’t try to be something you’re not; people can smell that incongruence a mile away, and it’s definitely a turnoff.

So how does this apply to writing in order to achieve bonding?

In my experience, most people who write for the purpose of strategic influence (to get other people to do something) develop a rather formal way of writing. Part of what happens when they adopt that formal style of writing is their natural voice disappears. It’s as if this particular style of writing sends the unspoken message, “I’m not going to let you know anything about me, because if you did you wouldn’t like me.”

This is where we get rules of thumb like, “never talk about religion or politics”. That’s good advice if you don’t want to offend anyone. But how will you bond with people if you never let them know who you really are?

I’m not suggesting you try being purposely offensive. I’m simply saying let people see the “real you”.

You don’t have to write long diatribes about politics or religion. But you can certainly mention who you voted for, where you go to church… as well as the fact that you like to bowl, you’re vegan, you raise greyhounds, and even more unusual things (like your fear of wigs, or how you still watch Saturday morning cartoons).

All of this does start from a premise, which you need to be aware of: it is that you are, in ways that count, very similar to your prospective audience. I’m assuming that you’re in business because you have a love of certain things, and that you share those things in common with your customers and potential customers.

Thus, as you strategically reveal true qualities of your personality, your customers will be struck by a sense of recognition. And what they recognize is themselves. This, my friends, creates bonding. And it’s not the result of manipulation; it’s the result of being real.

Fair warning: this technique will not work if you’re the exact opposite of your customers.

I once worked with a client with a rather substantial business. During our first meeting we were discussing his customers and his prospects. I asked him, “What can you tell me about your customers?”

His answer startled me: “I don’t like them very much.”

It wasn’t difficult to figure out why his company was experiencing a downturn in business.

Do you like your customers very much?

And, more telling: are you very much like your customers?

While you don’t have to be like the people you sell to, it certainly doesn’t hurt.

And I propose to you that if you don’t like the people you sell to, it might be time to consider another line of work.

We obsess over our favorite celebrities, their lifestyles, relationships, and illnesses.

In her book, Fascinate, Sally Hogshead claims that the ability to create fascination is one of the most powerful ways of influencing behavior. She says, in fact, that it is “more persuasive than marketing, advertising, or any other form of communication.” While I don’t agree with all her conclusions, I do recommend her book.

So how do you make yourself, your ideas, your products and services more fascinating? The answer is surprisingly simple. Human beings are fascinated by a fairly narrow band of phenomena. Some things to keep in mind when writing to influence, with the end of creating more fascination in mind:

1. Curiosity. Who among us does not understand the intense allure of curiosity? This powerful point of fascination is magnetic in its ability to draw people into your story, to make them want to hear your message.
2. Fear. While I absolutely do not advocate the invocation of fear as a tool of manipulation, the recognition of pre-existing fears can be a powerful illumination for your communications. Know what makes people afraid, and you know how to engage them in conversation.
3. Power. Whether they admit it or not, nearly everyone wants more influence over others, in some way. “Power” in itself is neither good nor evil, but its appeal is nearly universal.
4. Identification with the object of their admiration. This is the very source of intense devotion, the driving force behind “fans” of all kinds. When we grant a person or even an organization our admiration, we experience an intense desire to be identified with that person or organization.

What is it about you, your company, your organization or product that already fascinates your customers?  Are there ways in which you can focus more on those aspects that are natural points of fascination for your audience? Are people fascinated with the wrong things about you? Are you?

All questions worth considering.

Strategy in this context means: the overall approach to achieving the outcome you want.

This may not be as simple as you think.

Even if you know your desired outcome is the sale of a product, you have only identified the target; that is not an answer to the question of strategy. The question of strategy is: how will I hit the target?

One possible strategy is: the creation of advocacy in the mind of your prospects. Let me explain.

The most straightforward product sale can be strongly influenced by first defining a position of advocacy you want the reader to adopt.

For instance: let’s assume you sell a highly commoditized product, like machine screws. How on earth could advocacy for some position or other influence the purchase of machine screws? Well..

Perhaps you begin by realizing your company has a commitment to using only the finest quality materials in the manufacture of your machine screws. Perhaps you further realize that you have unusual attention to detail in your manufacturing facility, and that this grows from the quality philosophy of your business. Maybe you believe that a lack of such strong standards is one of the things that have contributed to our current economic woes.

In the above scenario, you might choose to write and publish an essay on the importance of high standards not only in the manufacturing process, but also as the foundation of success upon which our country was built.

You might even go so far as to suggest that the solution to the economic problems facing our country is rooted in a return to this kind of commitment to quality.

If you publish this essay (or blog post, or podcast, or brochure, newsletter, even postcard) in a place where your potential buyers will encounter it, and if it is written powerfully, you stand a good chance of influencing their buying decisions about machine screws without ever overtly writing about that particular subject.

Of course, before you can authentically write to persuade people to adopt a position of advocacy, you first have to possess such a position yourself.

A worthwhile question to ponder: what do you stand for, and how does that relate to the world of the people you wish to influence?

Changing behaviors of your audience can be merely temporary; changing mindsets is more permanent, and changes behaviors automatically.

No, I’m not talking about ancient Greece. When I say “mythology”, I’m referring to “story”.

I believe great marketing-and thus, great influence-starts with great stories. I’m not alone in this thought.

Seth Godin writes in his book All Marketers Are Storytellers, “Either you’re going to tell stories that spread, or you will become irrelevant.”

All the ground-shaking movements in history started with great stories. Our ancestors sat around the hearth and told stories that transmitted their values, their ideas, their wisdom and faith.

Jesus taught primarily through the telling of stories.

John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, and Martin Luther King all told stories that moved people to take action. You don’t have to agree with the ideologies of any of these people, by the way, to get the benefit of what I’m saying. All I’m attempting to do is point out the power of the story as a form of persuasion.

It’s important to understand that the story must be true. Telling lies simply won’t work, not to mention the fact that it’s wrong.

Before you begin your next writing project, whether it’s the book you’re working on, the sales material for your website, or the next speech you’re giving, become aware of the stories you’re telling (or the ones you’re not telling that you should be). Here are some qualities your stories (or mythology) should possess:

1. The stories you tell must, first of all, be true.
2. They must be told in the service of others. The goal of your story should be to impart something to hearer, not to manipulate them.
3. Your stories should appeal to emotion. No matter what people tell you, they buy your ideas, your products, and your services based on emotion-not based on logic.
4. Your stories should be told quickly, and in an entertaining fashion. In today’s world, people have limited patience for long-winded stories.
5. Don’t hit them over the head. The more subtle your story, the less overtly self-serving, the more you allow your reader to come to their own conclusions… the better.

So, what stories are you telling? Are they the right ones? How do you know?

Something to think about.

This will be of interest if you want to use the power of persuasive writing to change, improve, expand, and empower your business.

But first, I’ll need you to bear with me; it’s necessary to explain the ideas behind this new series of articles.

The time has come to move beyond our old models of writing to persuade.

In the world of old media (radio, newspaper, and television) there was a clear distinction between writing that was intended as content, and writing that was intended to be persuasive.

The “content writing” took the form of entertainment, commentary, and news; the “persuasive” forms of writing were self-promotional, advertising, and marketing.

Today, the Internet has fundamentally shifted the way we receive, process, and act upon information. The walls that separated content from marketing have not just been taken down, they have been obliterated.

Michel Fortin has written convincingly about “The Death Of The Sales Letter”. With seemingly prophetic insight, Michel accurately predicted the coming trend that would spell the end of the stunning effectiveness of traditional online “sales letter websites”. They still work-only not nearly as well as they once did. Things have changed. I recommend you read his work on this subject.

Seth Godin writes with equal prescience about the end of what he calls the “TV industrial complex”, and the advent of the “Linchpin” (the essential individual who makes a powerful difference).

These are striking insights into the new world of persuasion and marketing; and I propose to you that they are only partial glimpses of the reality that has already begun to manifest around us.

I propose that far from simply being a different way of delivering persuasive copy, the new “content marketing model” is actually a reflection of something far more significant.

No longer do our customers accept our neatly packaged, carefully honed, isolated messages about our own products and services.

In today’s world, our customers (and our prospective customers) are able to see the entire persona of an individual or company with startling accuracy. They can read praise from clients and customers, read articles written by and about the company, and see reviews from actual buyers.

They can also easily identify complaints against a person or company by doing a simple search on the Internet. They can assess how the person or company deals with such complaints. They can read the market’s response to mistakes the person or company may make in the pursuit of their business. In other words, everything is marketing, and marketing is accurate because it’s no longer possible to control it.

Thus it becomes more important than ever to think about the written words we generate, both content and marketing. In fact, my proposal is that we stop thinking about them as two different forms of writing.

I find it more useful to adopt a new paradigm: that of writing for strategic influence. Let me explain…

Let’s begin with this tacit assumption: if everything our company (or an individual, if the person is a solopreneur) engages in is in fact visible, transparent, and available for public inspection… gone are the days we could “have a marketing message”.

A new day has arrived. Instead of “having” a marketing message, we must “be” a message.

Every communication we engage in with our customers and our prospective customers should be thought of as simply writing another page in our “book of communication”.

What this means is: we have arrived at a time when accountability is no longer optional, it is simply reality.

We have to think more carefully about everything we say, and everything we do. This is a good thing. It raises the bar for all of us who work in the service of other people (and what is work, or business, if it is not being in the service of other people?).

So if every communication (answering the telephone, handing off a business card, putting out a flyer, a Google ad, a blog post, e-mail, or public talk) is in fact marketing… it becomes necessary to be conscious of what sort of influence we wish to have in the marketplace.

The marketplace is, ultimately, a marketplace of ideas. Spread your idea far and wide, and see it have an impact on the world. Good or ill, time will tell.

Ideas have always been influenced by the written word. Literature has been the medium that molds mindsets. Literature has now expanded and moved off the printed page. Literature now includes blogs, e-mails, and YouTube. Writing happens in all sorts of formats-from essays like this one, to 140 character blurbs on twitter.

It’s time to start thinking about what sort of strategic influence we wish to have on the world around us-and how we are going to craft our messages to achieve that influence.

This is “the new copywriting”.

Your life (and your business) is literally an open book. The pages, starting today, are blank, and yours to write. What story will you write?

I can’t tell you what your message should be; first, as I have already alluded to, I think you must become your message. Whatever you’re selling, you first have to live. That part, I cannot do for you.

The upcoming articles in this series will focus, instead, on the actual techniques you might wish to consider in the process of spreading your ideas through persuasive writing.

To be clear, these techniques will apply whether what you are selling are concepts, products, or services. The techniques we will discuss should be applicable whether the group you wish to influence is your family, your city government, your church, your Board of Directors, or customers and prospects.

I look forward to your feedback.

You might laugh when you see the list. But it’s my belief that many of the businesses we see closing their doors these days might have been saved by the diligent application of $10 marketing tactics.

1. Call every one of your past customers on the phone and ask them if they need help with anything. Listen to their answer.

2. Write a letter to every one of your past customers and ask them if they need help with anything. Watch for their response, or be ready for their phone call.

3. If you send out any kind of billing each month, include an offer inside each envelope. It can be a simple one sheet description of a product-but it must contain a call to action. Ask for the order.

Now, you might say that some of these will cost more than $10. It’s true, if you’re going to mail all your past customers and you have 100,000 of them, it will cost more than 10 bucks. But my guess is, if the title of this post caught your attention, your problem is not having 100,000 previous customers and not knowing what to do with them.

Finish at least one good marketing book every week.

If you’re not currently an avid reader, this might seem like a big deal. It’s really not very difficult. Many marketing books are short, to begin with. And nobody said you have to read words printed on the page-audio books count. Most audio players have an option to speed up the audio-meaning you can often finish a book in half the time it might normally take.

If you read one good marketing book per week, you will have read 52 of them at the end of the year. How many of your peers do you think do that? How many of your competitors? Exactly. A+.

So please don’t disregard what I’m about to recommend simply because it’s “basic information”. For some, it will be new information. For others, it will be something they’ve heard but never done. And for some, it will indeed be something they’re already doing… but even for those I submit it may be possible to do it in a better way.

Here’s the lesson: there is a fortune in the follow-up.

Let’s say you’re one of the enlightened few who has a website that collects e-mail leads. Good job.

Let’s say you’re even more enlightened and you have an automated follow-up system, that sends those leads three, five, maybe even seven follow-up messages. Even better job.

But why stop with seven messages? Why stop with 10?

Here’s my recommendation: block out 3 to 4 hours one day, and write up at least 52 follow-up messages. Logos into your autoresponder follow-up sequence, after your initial weeks worth of follow-up (if you indeed already have a weeks worth). Make sure every e-mail in your follow-up sequence has a call to action, even if it’s simply redirecting prospects back to your blog, or giving them your phone number (obviously this depends on what business you are in).

My point is simple: once someone raises their hand and volunteers to be marketed to, why on earth would you ever stop marketing until they ask you to stop?

I know, I know. Nothing new. That’s the point. Stop looking for something new, and get to work.

Here’s one way to improve all of your marketing efforts: before you make your next marketing move, take five minutes, close the door, turn off your phone, and imagine yourself in the life of your average customer. Think about what their problems are, what their challenges are, what their fears are. Really put yourself through the process of imagining their life from the inside out.

This presumes you actually have data about those facts, of course.

If you do have that data, and you do know your customer’s greatest fears, frustrations, and aspirations… taking five minutes to look at their life from the inside out can definitely improve every marketing move you make.

It’s a smart use of five minutes.

1. People buy what they need.
2. Quality products will always win.
3. Cheaper price always wins.
4. More features mean more sales.
5. People don’t judge a book by its cover.
6. Logic guides buying decisions.
7. Products must make sense to succeed.

Presented, as Serling might say, for your pondering.

According to Wikipedia, “As a teenager, Fischer became famous as a chess prodigy. In 1972, he became the first, and so far the only, American to win the official World Chess Championship“.

When I was a teenager, I became infatuated with the game of chess largely because of Bobby Fischer.

One of the first things I learned was that it’s necessary to think many moves ahead if you stand a chance of winning the game. You must anticipate the consequences of your moves, and the consequences of your opponent’s potential moves.

This requires a lot of thinking. And so it is with your business.

What I’m going to encourage you to do is not too tough, though… I’m going to ask you to think only one move ahead.

By thinking one move ahead, I believe you can win the game of business. Here’s what I mean…

Think about your most successful competitor. I mean really think about them; go look at their website, examine the e-mails they’ve been sending out to their opt-in list, and analyze their promotions over the course of the past year.

I actually want you to be very specific about this. You’ll see why.

What is the next significant holiday coming up on the calendar? As I write this, the next big Holiday in the US will be Halloween. Of course, Halloween-themed marketing has already begun in most industries, so for this exercise we need to jump to the next significant holiday (the reason will become apparent in just a moment).

The next significant holiday (after Halloween) is Thanksgiving. So while everyone else is thinking about how they’re going to market during the Thanksgiving holiday, thinking one move ahead leads us to consider Christmas.

Now look at those marketing materials from your competitor (in fact look at the marketing materials from all your significant competitors). What did they do to use Christmas as a touchpoint in their marketing last year?

Put on your thinking cap. Is there a way you can use, but modify and improve upon that idea this year?

The trick is that you have now done is thinking well in advance of Christmas -while your competitors are still thinking about Thanksgiving. This gives you the opportunity to get your promotional marketing materials into the hands of your prospects and customers long before your competitors do.

Now the fact is, the Thanksgiving holiday is actually bundled up (at least in the United States) in the triumvirate of holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day come as a three pack for us here. Marketing departments often plan their activities for these three holidays well in advance, as a kind of “three pack”.

So most companies already know what they’re going to be doing promotionally for the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day holidays. But our little thought experiment has at least shown you how this process of “thinking one move ahead” works.

Now Think One More Move Ahead

It should be simple for you to see that the next significant holiday after New Year’s is in fact Valentine’s Day.

My suggestion for you is: start thinking about your Valentine’s Day promotion now.

Craft it carefully and strategically.

Put together superior marketing materials, copy, audio, video and what ever else you plan to use in your campaign. And launch that sucker on January 2. Your competitors won’t know what hit them.

And while they’re scrambling to figure out how to counteract your Valentine’s Day promotion, you’ll be busy assembling your promotion for St. Patrick’s Day… and Easter… and Mother’s Day.

Not Just For Holidays

You can apply the same principle to trends within your particular market segment.

Are most of your competitors only just now beginning to use audio on their web pages?

Or, are the people you compete with only just now discovering the power of blogs?

Time for you to think one move ahead: move onto video, video blogging, and social media. Establish a footprint long before your competitors do, and you will be nearly unassailable… all because you simply thought one move ahead.

And you don’t even have to be Bobby Fischer.

Our year is marked by signposts.

Dates on the calendar around which we plan our annual journey.

In the USA, some of the major calendar signposts include:

•    New Year’s Day
•    SuperBowl Sunday
•    Valentine’s Day
•    St. Patrick’s Day
•    Easter
•    Memorial Day
•    Mother’s Day
•    Father’s Day
•    Independence Day
•    Back to School
•    Labor Day
•    Halloween
•    Veteran’s Day
•    Thanksgiving
•    Christmas

There are many others, of course, and your list will vary depending on your cultural and religious background.

The point is, the major signposts are easy to identify. And easy to construct a marketing calendar around. What’s the point of that?

We copywriters talk a lot about “joining the conversation already taking place in the prospect’s mind” (a phrase borrowed from Robert Collier).

When you tie your marketing efforts to major mindset changing calendar dates, you go a long way toward “joining” that conversation.

John E. Kennedy identified the power of “reason why” copy: prospects are more likely to respond if you give them a reason why they should. They’re more likely to pay attention to your promotion if you give them a “reason why” you’re doing the promotion to begin with.

Retailers have done this so long (and with so little imagination) we’ve grown accustomed to it. (“The January White Sale”… “The Sweetheart Sale” for Valentine’s Day… “Saving the Green” sales for St. Patrick’s Day… etc.).

The good news for your online business is that all of these “old school” ideas work very well online. And if you can get a little more creative with them (for instance, having a “Click Your Treat” promotion around Halloween) they work even better.

The point is: give your prospects and customers a new reason to visit your website at least once per month.
Planning your promotional calendar becomes very easy when you adopt this model. The list above is not a bad start.

If you’re more ambitious, you can select from hundreds of “reasons why” at 2010 Holidays & Observances Calendar … and have a reason to do a promotion 52 times per year.

Need ideas about what sort of promotions to do? Borrow ideas from the businesses that have made an art form of this method: brick & mortar retailers. Car dealers, big box stores, and grocery stores in particular will supply you with a rich “swipe file” of ideas.

Just visit your local library (yes, they still exist) and get the back issues of your local newspaper’s Sunday issues (it’ll have the most ads) for the last year. You’ll have 52 “mini-swipe files” to build your library of promotions from.

What do you suppose might happen to your sales and profits then?

Look, I’m a marketer. I believe in entrepreneurship. But I think it’s far beneath any of us to fan the flames of fear for personal gain.

No matter how bad the events that happen around us may be, and no matter how out of control we may feel, we have been endowed with an ability no mere animal has: the ability to control our response to those external circumstances.

We can choose whether we will dwell in anger, in love… or in fear.

If we purposely live in fear or anger – or if we encourage others to do so – don’t we empower the very evil we say we oppose?

Fear is a prison that locks us into patterns of smallness.

As an American, I too feel the sadness of the loss we all suffered on this day nine years ago. But I will not be defined by another’s act of evil.

And I will not be driven to hate other men because of it — especially not in the name of God. The God I follow, when beaten and bloodied and killed by the very ones he came to save, said the following: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

I want to follow that example.

What if we turned this day into a day to show love to our brothers and sisters, instead of sowing seeds of fear and anger? What if we decided to reap a harvest of forgiveness and reconciliation, instead of a harvest of bitterness?

I’m not saying it would be easy. Maybe, for mere men, it’s even impossible.

But what if we tried?

You’ve tried and tried but haven’t yet succeeded… haven’t yet found that missing element.

And maybe you think, “Sure. This stuff works for Ray Edwards because you have already made your money… and you already know all the gurus… and you have a big list.. and blah blah blah…”

Here’s what I can tell you.

I meet every couple of weeks with a high-profile marketing buddy for lunch, to brainstorm and share ideas.

I also meet with a small group of Internet Marketers here in Spokane once a month. There’s about a dozen of us who get together.

And what I’ve discovered is that no matter what fancy tactic you may try…

No matter what new “system” you use…

No matter what new whiz-bang software comes out…

And no matter how good that new “Marketing Course” is…

IT’S ALWAYS THE BASICS THAT SELL.

Market.

Product.

Persuasion.

The basics.

Simple. Not always easy – but always simple.

How do you keep yourself focused on the basics in your business (or in your life)? Share below, please…

As always, if you have feedback or suggestions I’d really like to hear from you.

Call in your questions or comments to our new, fancy “request line” at (509) 713-2679

Click for the Podcast Audio:

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From time to time, I am asked some version of the following question: “Why do you write the blog, and what exactly is it you do for a living? How do you make money?”

For those who are curious, here are some answers…

Why I Write This Blog

While I doubt this question can be answered completely in a few simple sentences, I can at least give you a fairly accurate, if somewhat incomplete answer. Here are a few of the reasons why I write every day:

• I write because I feel compelled to write. There’s something about expressing my ideas on paper that leaves me calm, cool, and collected.
• I write to prove that I know I’m talking about (and lest you think that is a shallow motivation, please note that this is not about ego gratification: it’s about the development, training, and getting of clients and customers.)
• I write to develop a relationship with my readers, to dialogue with them, and to learn from them.
• I write to develop material for my books. My next book will be published in November, and I have plans to publish no less than four books next year. If I wasn’t writing every single day, it would be difficult to keep up such a grueling publishing schedule. My books, incidentally, are a key component of my marketing machine and designed to feed into my overall strategy-everything I do is designed to build credibility, establish my expertise, train and develop potential client and customers. You would be well-advised to pursue a similar method of operating.

How I Get Paid

I do very little direct work for clients these days, preferring to work in partnership with other entrepreneurs, and to develop my own business properties. However, I do derive a substantial amount of income from the writing of copy for clients, and the giving of advice to clients. The reason that I say I do “very little direct work” is because I do a lot of work for a very small number of clients. This is by design.

When I started in the business of writing direct response copy, and providing consultation services, I juggled as many as 8 to 10 clients at a time and produced a voluminous amount of copy. This quickly took a toll on me mentally and physically, so I raised my prices so that I could devote more quality time to fewer projects. It’s a course of action I recommend to anyone who’s interested: I promise you it’s a healthier, more profitable way to do business.

Now, because I know this next is the question that is really on your mind, I will answer it… with some misgivings. Maybe this is a mistake – time will tell. I’m  sure I will attract some criticism because of what I’m about to reveal. So I guess I will just pinch my nose, jump into the deep end of the pool, and see what happens. Here’s what I charge…

Profit Strategy Retainer: $120,000 and 10% of gross revenues.  This usually means I’ll be helping to manage a product launch or similar campaign for a client with an established business and track record. This arrangement typically lasts for a full year. For those who can’t afford this kind of arrangement…

Profit Strategy Coaching: $12,000 per year,  payable in advance.  This is a small group of hand selected coaching students, whom I deal with by telephone and Internet almost exclusively, helping them create profit architecture for their business that is superior to what they may have been able to achieve on their own.

The Apprentice Program: I also oversee a small number of apprentice projects, which means copywriters who have been trained and approved by me do the actual writing work for clients who are seeking my advice but cannot afford to pay my direct fees. I have oversight on the copywriting project, offer critique and direction and final stamp of approval for any work that is done, and this proves much more economical than having me do the work directly. Even though this allows me to work with more clients, there are still only a limited number of these projects I can oversee, because my schedule is very full.

Information product publishing: I produce a number of information products, training programs, and online classes each year. These training programs and products are offered at a variety of price points, delivery methods, and time intervals. This is the area of my business that provides me with the most leverage, and is also the area of my business under the most scrutiny at the moment. I’m developing a strategy for expanding and multiplying this particular income stream.

Book publishing: my first business book will be published in November of this year, and as I’ve mentioned previously I will be publishing no less than four books next year. This is a new arm of my business endeavors that is designed to bring more clients and customers into our marketing funnel, and I’m pursuing it with a vengeance. Don’t be deceived; this is part of a larger strategic initiative, and should not be attempted by the faint of heart nor the ill-prepared. Publishing books as a sole means of producing income is not a very good way to make a living. In fact, it’s a very good way to stay broke and frustrated. However, publishing books as part of an over-arching strategy for building a financial empire, however, is a very good way to make money. I’m sure I’ll have more to say on this in the near future, but for now the overview should suffice.

That’s probably enough self-revelation for the time being.

I get lots of questions about these sorts of things almost constantly, so I’m offering this posting as a bit of an experiment: if you’re truly interested in knowing more about how I run my own business, I’m happy to share (up to a certain point). However, I don’t want to be boorish and spend too much time talking about myself-so you’ll have to let me know whether you want more of this kind of information or not.

How To Get Famous And Make More Money The single easiest way to increase your own legend, get more work, and make more money. The best news is, all it costs is some work on your part!

The More Bigger Thinking Podcast In this audio podcast (we publish a show the first and third Tuesday of each month) I deal with the Enemies of Bigger Thinking, and give you some tools you can use.

The Inception Guide To Marketing Sure, Dom Cobb can steal people’s ideas right out of their dreams in the new movie Inception – but he also has a lesson to teach us marketing types. And this is the article where I lay it out for you.

Something to Believe In There’s value – and longevity – in your convictions. And you can do well by doing good. Who knew?

Do You Really Want a Four Hour Workweek? What if you actually achieved the “four hour workweek” ideal – would you actually be happy? Or would you be miserable?

There you go. That ought to give your brain cells a right good workout. See ya Monday!

There are no spoilers here.

But there’s an important lesson in the movie for marketers and evangelists alike.

In the film, Cobb (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) is talking about the act of “inception” – planting an idea in another person’s mind.

Here’s what Cobb says:

“What’s the most resilient parasite? An idea. A single idea from the human mind can build cities. An idea can transform the world and rewrite all the rules.”

What this means to marketers (or to anyone who wants to spread their ideas) should be obvious: once you have planted an idea in the minds of your audience, it’s very, very difficult for that idea to be dislodged.

This is why, for example, in a courtroom there is an advantage to telling your side of the story first: the weight of the idea you planted in the jury’s mind is hard for your opponent to overcome.

The more powerfully and indelibly you can imprint your idea on a large number of minds, the more influence you have. This is the “secret” behind clichés, stereotypes, and proverbs.

For instance, the advice “look before you leap” is a powerful way of simply and briefly summing up a powerful idea, and that maxim influences many of us when we are about to make a crucial decision.

The only way to counteract a powerful idea like “look before you leap” is with another idea just as powerful: “he who hesitates is lost”.

Your goal as a marketer should be to plant your ideas early and often.

Here’s the takeaway:

1. Formulate your idea simply and memorably (“Delivering Happiness”, “Getting Things Done”, “Unleashing the IdeaVirus”).
2. Put your idea into distributable form.
3. Encourage the free and massive distribution of your idea.

I know… the question burning in your mind is, “But how do I make money doing that?”

Good question – with many answers. Three short ones:

1. You make money explaining the idea. (No matter how simple it is, people will always want you to explain it, and they will pay you to do so.)
2. You’ve told people what to do (your idea) – now tell them how to do it (and charge them).
3. Leverage the Authority gained from spreading the idea into other, profitable jobs, gigs, and businesses.

That’s true for probably 80% of the students and clients I deal with, and for 90% or more of businesses I encounter along life’s way.

“But Ray, my business is different.”

Aargh!

If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it a thousand times from clients and students in some variant form: “I can’t charge a high price for my product, and I can’t use direct marketing or info-marketing techniques, because my product is different. It’s a commodity. It’s physical, it’s not an info-product. I have a lot of competition. Blah, blah, blah…”

Balderdash.

I learned a long time ago (from Dan Kennedy) — your business is not different.

If you feel you can’t charge a premium for whatever it is you sell, you have failed to differentiate your offering… you have failed to show the value of your widget/idea/service over your competitor(s)… and you have perhaps simply failed to have the backbone to say, “This is how much it costs.”

Case in point: The Big Green Egg grill.

The company that makes this thing is not a client of mine, but they exhibit the qualities I look for and do my best to instill in my clients: a committment to good marketing, to having a premium product, to charging a premium price, to selling to a base of fantatical customers, and to using good info-marketing and direct marketing techniques to support said practices.

They sell barbecue grills for $1,000.

That’s not a typo.

In a world where you can buy a grill for $9 at the drug store, or $30 at Target, these guys sell grills for anywhere from $350 at the “cheap” end to more than $1,000 at the high end. And they have plenty of add-ons and upsells too.

You could learn a lot from the Big Green Egg guys.

Worth studying and thinking about how to use the same ideas, techniques and approaches in your business – no matter what you sell.

Because, despite what you may think… your business is not different.

The plot is simple: humans find themselves on a planet that is a game preserve, and the humans are the prey. They’re being hunted by aliens for sport.

This is how most of us feel about marketers. We feel like we are the prey, and the marketers are the hunters. Merciless, weird hunters who are not really interested in our pain, our fear, or our lives.

That’s why people are drawn to marketers who actually care about the people they sell to. It’s why company’s with high standards of excellence, customer service, and integrity enjoy long-lived success.

From the marketer’s viewpoint, it look like this: it’s the difference between being a predator – or being the shepherd who protects and cares for the flock.

Which one are you? And if you don’t like the answer, here’s a follow-up question: which one will you be today?

Today we talk about the “BS Lies That Hold You Back”, “Loser’s Limp”, and my favorite new internet gizmo.

Resources Mentioned In The Show

• Web Copywriting Explained
• Apple iPad

And once again, if you have feedback or suggestions I’d really like to hear from you.

You can call in your questions for next show at (509)624-2220 … just tell my receptionist you need to leave a VOICEMAIL message for Ray.

UPDATE: Call in your questions to our new, fancy “request line” at (509) 713-2679

Click for the Podcast Audio:

Click Here

Why?

To put it simply: nothing of great benefit to anyone was ever created as a result of thinking smaller.

“Bigger” may refer to a simple matter of scale in terms of dollars (as in revenue & profits). It may also refer to something even more grand…

Bigger ideas with more leverage. Bigger ways to benefit more people. Bigger opportunities for others (not just for your self or your company). Bigger projects that extend beyond your own lifetime, abilities, talents or resources.

Yes, I’m talking about the life of your business – and also about the business of life.

What do I mean specifically? How am I myself thinking bigger? Here are some of the projects/ideas/intentions on my own drawing board now:

• Growing my own company beyond my “virtual team” and myself.
• Working with larger businesses to leverage my marketing methods for their greater benefit and profit — and my own.
• Creating a way for smaller companies and individuals, who in the past could not afford to work with me, access to my advice and thinking. Making it affordable without draining my time, energy and resources.
• Offering “done for you” services on a wide, duplicable scale.
• Ramping up my bi-weekly podcast to a weekly; perhaps even expansion back to my old roots by placing the show on radio stations.
• Developing training systems for small businesses and entrepreneurs that can be facilitated by certified, territory-specific representatives.

That’s just a smattering of what I’m cooking in the back kitchen at Ray Edwards International, Inc.

The most important thing about all this is not what bigger plans I’m making, it’s about the reasons why.

That’s the real “big thinking”. Some of my reasons why:

• Making the highest and best use of the talents, skills and opportunities God has given me.
• Breaking the spirit of poverty, lack and insufficiency that plagues America (and especially the American church).
• Enabling people to enjoy the freedom that comes from a pursuit of personal wealth based on passion and purpose.
• Creating a business that makes as many other people wealthy as I possibly can.
• Creating a legacy that will last across generations.
• Writing books that my great-grandchildren can read and thus know something about the heart of their great-grandfather (and for the record, I don’t even have grandchildren yet.. let alone great-grandchildren – I’m thinking 100 years into the future!).

Those are reasons that fuel my fire, inspire me, and give me reasons for doing things that mere material gain could never do.

I believe this kind of thinking is the right – the responsibility – of every breathing person.

So how about it? Are you willing to join me in thinking bigger? If so, I’d love to hear how you plan to do it – so lay some wisdom on me in the comments here.

We celebrate our decision to become an independent nation.

Our Founding Fathers were willing to fight for that independence. In fact, they were willing to die in order to gain it.

Question to ponder: what are you willing for fight (and possibly die) in order to gain?

And if you can’t think of anything… why not?

Might it be worthwhile coming up with an answer to that question?

And at the risk of repeating myself from earlier this week: if you can’t figure out what this has to do with business and marketing, you’re just not thinkin’ hard enough.

Have a great weekend.

Does Disney have trouble marketing umbrellas at their theme park during Florida’s legendary afternoon thundershowers?

How about fireworks dealers right before the Fourth of July?

None of these situations present a marketing problem, because people already want the product.

The product, in other words, sells itself.

This can happen by design, in any business. You simply have to use your “thinker” to find the hidden opportunities in your business.

For instance, Disney had a problem with their Florida theme parks. They hadn’t counted on the fact that it rains in Florida. A LOT.

But this problem was an opportunity in disguise, because someone realized the most valued commodity in a rainstorm is… an umbrella.

And so when it starts to rain in the Magic Kingdom, there’s a parade, all the “cast members” talk about the “liquid sunshine”… and the umbrellas come out from the back of the store to the front. And they sell themselves.

What opportunities exist in your business that would allow  you to sell products that prospects don’t have to be persuaded to buy?

Think about that. Answer it, do something about it — and prosper.

I don’t have any predictions about who will win… but I do have a World Cup prediction: it will be hot news until it’s over.

That may sound obvious, but there are a couple of lessons marketers could learn if they pay attention.

1. Events (like the World Cup) can capture attention – even of those who are not normally interested. If you can’t create your own “World Cup” – and I submit that you might not want to discard the possibility out of hand – you could certainly capitalize on the events that already have the attention of your audience, yes?
2. The World Cup did not sneak up on anyone. It was on the calendar over a year ago. How many “events” could you tie your marketing to that are coming  up in the next 12 months? How many of them are already firm dates on the calendar of all your prospects (think Holidays and big sporting events, possibly movies/books and seasonal events like “back to school”, etc.).

Just sayin.

And writing copy and marketing materials for these events becomes drop-dead simple. I even have a product that can help – http://LaunchCopyExplained.com – but that’s not even the point.

The point is: it’s almost too late to capitalize on the World Cup.

But it’s not too late to drag out your calendar and cook up a promo for, say, the Fourth of July.

And so on.

Will you? We’ll see.

Our culture is replete with stories of people who had every disadvantage yet succeeded wildly – and that not through luck but through focused effort.

Submitted as proof: Ray Charles, Stephen Hawking, and Helen Keller.

So what is it about our thinking that so often holds us back – especially when we have no great physical disadvantage? (Note: the aforementioned cases preclude any healthy person from excuse-making… and they also demonstrate that what I’m about to say applies even to those who are blind, deaf, or crippled.)

Here are three lies that hold you back. Escape these lies, and escape the limitations you’ve imposed on your self.

1.    The past equals the future. The perfect lie for convincing you to not even try anything, since it’s “never worked in the past”. Good thing Thomas Edison, the Wright Brothers, and Abraham Lincoln didn’t buy this lie.

2.    Ready, Aim, Fire. Sounds like good wisdom, until you realize most get stuck on “Aim”. So that it ends up being “Ready, Aim… Aim… Aim… Aim…”

3.    Proven methods are safest. Maybe they are, but if we relied only on “proven methods”, we’d have no space shuttle, no antibiotics, no Apple computer, and no polio vaccine.

There are of course many other lies that hold people back.

For instance, one of the lies of online marketing is that it’s hard to get traffic to your site.

The truth is just the opposite.

In fact, it’s pretty easy to get hundreds of other people promoting your site for you – free – when you know how (see http://MySalesArmy.com for details on how to do it).

What lies are you believing that bar you from greatness?

Believing a lie means you are, in a sense, partnering with a liar. Think about it.

And then do something about it!

Somehow, though, lots of us allow ourselves to be bullied all through our adult life.

What about in your case? Who bullies you?

Your spouse? Your boss? Your mother/father/siblings?

For some of us, the answer is obvious (like the examples I just gave you)… and for others it is more subtle – and dangerous.

A lot of us are bullied by the voices in our own head.

I’m not talking crazy-town voices, here. I’m talking about the voices of fear, criticism, and self-doubt. The voices that stop you from reaching your dreams.

“You’ve never succeeded before,” those voices say, “What makes you think this time will be any different?”

Or they might say, “Nobody has ever done that before. Who are you to try it?”

Or even, “Everything in your life has gone wrong. That is never going to change.”

Where do those voices come from, anyway? Who IS that in your head?

Right.

It’s you.

Re-playing old lines that have virtually no meaning in your current situation.

Or, even worse, functioning as “negative affirmations”.

Bullying yourself. That’s what you’re doing.

Would you like to punch that bully in the nose, so they never bother you again? It’s simple to do. Just do the thing you’re afraid of – even while you’re still afraid of it.

That’s what Steve Jobs did when he launched the iPhone.

Not only was it NOT a “sure thing” when Apple launched “a new cell phone”… lots of experts were calling it a big mistake. Saying the market was too competitive, Apple’s phone was too expensive, and that people would never be willing to pay for such an overpriced toy that only operated on a second-rate carrier like AT&T.

But Steve didn’t listen to all those voices. And he decided to prove them wrong.

Oh, sure, NOW it seems obvious that iPhone would be a winner. But it was far from obvious before Steve had the courage to punch the bullies in the nose.

Apple just launched the newest version of its phone – iPhone 4 – and even in pre-order it was a resounding success. (By the way, there’s a great analysis of Apple’s latest launch here:

http://www.tier23.com/track/go.php?c=pla

It’s a great little video breakdown of why it worked so well. Watch it for valuable lessons.)

Time to punch your own bully in the nose.

Whether it’s your own voice, or someone else’s – it’s time to strike back.

What is it you would be doing if you stopped listening to the voices that tell you it can’t be done?

Seriously think about that question until you have an answer.

Then go do that thing. Take one action – the next physical action in the process – that gets you started on that new path.

And celebrate.

Because you just bloodied the bully’s nose.

For those who don’t know, it’s a remake of the old TV show, and it’s about an elite group of Army Rangers who “specialize in the impossible”.

The unit – called an “Alpha Unit” or “A-Team” – is led by Colonel Hannibal Smith. And Hannibal has some trademark wisdom that allows his team to accomplish the impossible; it’s wisdom that works for marketers, too. Here are three gems:

1. “No matter how random things appear, there’s always a plan.” Seems like just when things get darkest for the A-Team, that’s when Hannibal’s plan unfolds like clockwork. And it’s a thing of beauty to behold. Marketers are well-advised to have a plan of attack, especially in this sometimes perilous New Economy. Do YOU have a plan? Or are you just “faking it”, making it up as you go along?

2. “Give me a minute, I’m good. Give me an hour, we’re great. Give me six months and I’m unbeatable.” Hannibal knows the value of time well spent in planning in research – and given enough time, knows he can’t be beaten. When the chips are down, do you have the confidence mindset that there is always a solution to any marketing problem, given enough time?

3. “I love it when a plan comes together.” Hannibal’s greatest joy seems to be his crazy plans coming to fruition – something every marketer should be able to relate to!

If you need a shot of inspiration for your business, you could do worse than going to the movies and watching the A-Team in action!

And if you’d like your own A-Team out there on the Internet, promoting your products and websites for you..

…if you’d like them to do it for free, until they make you money…

…and if you’d like to get your hands on a plan for doing it that’s every bit as good as one of Hannibal’s plans…

…check out http://MySalesArmy.com!

You too will love it when a plan comes together.

Hey it just goes to show you: imperfect action beats perfect contemplation, every time.

For those who are interested, here’s the microphone I’m using – I wrongly said in the show it was a Logitech, but it’s actually a Plantronics headset.

Resources Mentioned In The Show

• Product Launch Formula
• Market Samurai

And once again, if you have feedback or suggestions I’d really like to hear from you.

What would make the show something you would NOT miss? What would make it a MUST-LISTEN?

Click for the Podcast Audio:

Click Here

My friend Jason Van Orden and his business partner, Jeremy Frandsen recently coined a term I really love: “cubicle escape artist”.

It’s a term that invokes curiosity.

And yet I believe people instinctively know what it means, and their curiosity is really disguised hope.

People know that a “cubicle escape artist” is someone who has somehow escaped the old J-O-B and found a way to be free. And people want to know what that way is, and how they can do it themselves.

This just demonstrates that people are willing and ready to move from the Old Economy to the New Economy – and people instinctively know there’s some way to use the Internet to do this. I’ll get to that in a moment…

When someone (like Jason and Jeremy) coins a nice little phrase that sums up that idea, people are attracted to that like bears to honey.

I know I was, when I decided to break out of a great radio broadcasting business.

This quick post is being written from the back of the Copywriting Motorhome, which was paid for by my own “cubicle escape” a few years ago. I’m on a three-month spiritual journey around the USA (a 7,500 mile odyssey), and yet I’m still preparing to launch my own new Internet venture and managing three client launches while on the road.

So I know cubicle escape is possible.

In fact, while I love Jason and Jeremy’s term (and I highly recommend you check out their free podcast entitled Internet Business Mastery), I think of myself as  something a little more radical…

So from now on, please think of me as an Economic Freedom Fighter™.

I hereby lay claim to that handle.

My mission: to free those captive to the poverty mindset, to help people build wealth, and bring more prosperity to the world… using the power of the Internet and the alchemy of marketing.

And make no mistake – it is a fight.

The common mentality, the mindset of the average person, is the employee-factory-wageslave mentality.

People with the average mindset will scoff at your efforts to escape the 9-5. If you’re a business owner, “average” business owners will try and tell you why your efforts to improve your business or thrive in “tough” times are doomed to fail.

Average people do not want you to succeed wildly, because quite frankly it makes them look bad.

My advice to you: refuse to be average.

Rise above ordinary.

Step into your best identity, and join me (and others) in the fight for economic freedom. Resist mediocrity.

So…‘till the next time, this is your friendly Economic Freedom Fighter™ urging you to fight the good fight.

“If you’re hearing this message – you are the resistance.”

The Story:

The Point: Know what drives me bananas? People who spout off about how  you should stop “trading time for dollars”. I think it’s virtually impossible to avoid “trading time for dollars”. And I think I do a pretty darn good job proving it in this podcast.

And once again, if you have feedback or suggestions I’d really like to hear from you.

What would make the show something you would NOT miss? What would make it a MUST-LISTEN?

The Resource From “Tips, Tools and Tactics”: Linx Boss Backlinking Service

Click for the Podcast Audio:

Click Here

Many of these otherwise bold, creative, talented individuals feel somehow inept or ill-equipped to convince people to pay them for their valuable services. Fear not, Faithful Freelancer, for the answer is easier than you may think.

The first thing we have to deal with is the internal attitude that most freelancers live with; that attitude, summed up, is one of very low self-worth. Why is this? It’s probably more of a cultural question, bound up in the American ideal of perfectionism and performance. Obviously, this is beyond the scope of a simple blog post. So let me deal at least with the surface symptom of this condition. To put it quite simply: if people are willing to pay you anything at all, then your work has value. How much people are willing to pay you is based in part on the quality of your work, and in part on the quality of your marketing.

Now just in case some may object, let me be clear: I am not suggesting that it is good, honest, or ethical to knowingly sell a product that is somehow defective. That is the furthest from my intention. I’m a champion of excellence, and a believer that every project you work on should be a project at the end of which you can say honestly, “That was the best work of which I was capable.”

However… it is possible to get so bound up in the ideal of perfection that you never actually attempt or finish a project because you are never able to reach a point where you say it is “good enough”.

The first step to overcoming the self-worth problem faced by most freelancers is to trust your instinct about what is good enough, and what is not good enough. Your instinct-or perhaps better said, that “still, small voice” that you hear in your heart-will tell you when your work is, in fact, “good enough”.

Now, back to the subject of marketing (the second half of our equation that determines how much people are willing to pay for your services). While you may or may not be comfortable with the idea that the quality of your marketing contributes massively to the value people place on your work, it is true. Colleague and copywriter Ben Settle, in a recent edition of his Crypto Marketing newsletter (I am a paying subscriber and highly recommend it), makes the point beautifully:

Who do you think will get more clients faster: (1) The straight “A” student lawyer fresh out of Harvard, who nobody knows and just set up his practice with a sign outside his door or… (2) The “C” level lawyer who barely graduated from a cheaper, little-known law school… but who is interviewed about legal questions on the radio for an hour on a big station that reaches the entire community? Like it or not… the mediocre radio lawyer will probably win every day of the week and twice on Sunday. Why? Because he’s on the radio… and the highfalutin’ guy with all the degrees isn’t!

With this in mind, I’m going to make two assumptions.

1. The skill or talent you plan to sell as a freelancer (or service business provider) is one in which you are at least competent, and hopefully better-than-average.
2. You are ready, willing, and able to put some effort into your marketing program. And here is a hint: most everyone is “able”-but very few seem to be “ready and willing”. If you can muster the moral fiber to be ready and willing to do some work, you’ve automatically outclassed 95% of your competition. That should plaster a big goofy grin all over your mug.

If you meet those two qualifications above, let’s get started on a simple but effective marketing program that should put clients in your stable and coins in your coffers. Here are three simple steps to putting profits in your pipeline:

1. Start a blog. It’s easy to do, and there is plenty of material available online that will teach you how to do it. And let me give you a very important tip: you don’t need super secret blog software (in fact I recommend you use the ubiquitous WordPress), you don’t need to hire a high-priced designer, and if your content is good, you can use an off the rack theme (a templated “skin” or “look and feel” for your WordPress blog that can be installed at the touch of a button). The most important aspect of your blog is that you post content on a regular schedule, and what you post is not material that markets your services but rather helpful information that your potential prime prospects are looking for.
2. Build an e-mail list. From the very beginning, give your readers a reason to subscribe to your regular e-mails. I highly recommend you consider e-mailing them every single day. This is a practice that I have tested and am convinced will yield better results than mailings on any other schedule. Just remember, if you make every single mailing a sales pitch you will do yourself more harm than good. So strive to send something of value to your readers every single day. There are plenty of people who will disagree with my advice, and many of them are “super brains”. But I stand by my test results, and the test results of my colleagues and clients; I have personally renewed my commitment to sending daily e-mails to my list. Emails that are chock-full of quality material. I recommend you do the same.
3. Develop an information product. The moment you publish your own information product (audio or video courses preferred) about your area of expertise, you are instantly elevated above most of your competition. Anyone who publishes-even if only electronically-is automatically granted a psychological edge over those who do not publish. Example from my own career: several years ago, when I finally gave in to the advice and urgings of my good friends and mentors Armand Morin and Alex Mandossian and developed my own copywriting course (called Web Copywriting Explained), I was surprised by two unexpected outcomes: the first being the fact that I made more money than I anticipated through the sale of the course (very near $100,000 right out of the gate, even though at that time I was a relative unknown), and the second unexpected outcome being the acquisition of two major clients, who rose up from the ranks of those who bought the course. One of those clients admitted that she bought the course mainly to see if I knew what I was talking about. Both of those clients paid me over $25,000 to write copy for them. Publishing your own information products is one of the most effective ways to develop a “farm team” of potential clients who will pay for your services. In fact, it’s like getting paid to do your marketing.

Those are three of the most powerful strategies I know of to develop new clients for your service business. They are culled from my own experience, and from a course I taught last year about how to become a recognized authority in your chosen field in 90 days or less. That course, The Authority Accelerator, is currently off the market pending revision.

If you’re interested in this topic, or related topics, please add your comments or questions in the section below: the level of response will determine whether I continue to elaborate on this particular subject, or move on to other topics that I wish to talk about.

Click Below to Play the Audio Version of This Post

Instead of scrambling madly for any customer who will hand you money, be selective.

Determine what kind of customer you don’t want to deal with, and work hard to exclude those customers from your business.

If you are brave and decide to take this step you will find:

• You get more customers you like doing business with.
• Your customers will spend more on each transaction
• Your customers will come back more often.
• You will make more money.
• You will work less, not more.

That sounds good, yes? It’s made a world of difference for me. Go thou and do likewise.

Most notable: people don’t read them.

Marketers, take note.

Because if people don’t thoroughly and attentively read the instructions that come with something they’ve already paid for… what makes you think they’re going to thoroughly and attentively read your ad?

Something to think about.

But as Jonah Lehrer observes in his book “How We Decide”, the evidence suggest our decisions are based on completely irrational factors. We do, it turns out, judge books by their covers.

In the context of marketing, this fact is fairly important to remember.

While none of us like to think we salivate on command like one of Pavlov’s famous dogs, we do act impulsively in response to certain colors, language patterns, and page layouts.

The question to ask yourself is: what response does my current marketing elicit? Buying behavior – or something else?

I suggest that in most cases, the answer is the latter.

If you think you’ve got this all taken care of, watch what “regular people” (aka your customers) do when they visit your site… and be prepared to be shocked.

What people actually do at your website is probably quite different than what you think they do.

The kind of exercise I describe above is called a “usability study” – and they can be quite expensive if you have a professional conduct the study.

The good news is you can conduct a “do it yourself” usability study inexpensively.

Jakob Nielsen is the guru of usability, and has a very simple “discount usability” model you can follow.

It’s worth the effort.

I came across a website today for something called “Laughter Yoga”.

My first question was, “What the heck is ‘laughter yoga’?”

Turns out it’s exactly what it sounds like.

People get together in a Yoga-class type setting, and they LAUGH.

There’s even a “Laughter Yoga Home Study” set, which is a bunch of DVDs that will set you back $195.

I kid you not.

Now after a little Google research I found out that doctors and patients say that this weird kind of yoga relieves stress and anxiety and could even strengthen the immune system.

It seems kinda like a stretch to me, but a lot of people swear by it and are willing to pay their hard-earned money for it.

Just Google “laughter yoga” and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

So what can we learn from this?

It’s just this: making money is simple if you remember that all people really want is to FEEL BETTER.

I mean, c’mon.

If people will pay $195 to earn how to do “laughter yoga”, doesn’t that say a lot about what people really want?

How about diet books?

We all know (don’t we?) that most people who buy diet books (or “get out of debt” books, or “get a better relationship” books, etc.) don’t every really lose weight (or get out of debt, or get a better relationship, etc.).

So why do they buy those books?

TO FEEL BETTER.

The book makes them feel better about themselves. It makes them feel like they COULD go on the diet, or the budget, or whatever.

Now, I think your product or service should provide real value. So that if your customer actually USED the product they would get the result.

But you should also think about making certain that your product itself provides a way to feel better.

And for darn sure, you’re marketing and sales material should absolutely make the prospects feel more positive, more focused and more hopeful.

While I don’t think any of us should be selling “false hope”, I definitely feel we should be selling “hope”.

Because hope makes people feel better, and that is ultimately what most human beings want.

Just to feel better.

That’s what I think – but what do you think? Is is good to sell “hope” to prospects… to make  them feel better? Post your comments below…

Intends to rob the place.

Picks a 78-year old bank teller as his target. I guess he figured she would be a pushover.

Boy was he wrong.

Our Spunky Septuagenarian, whose name is Helen Roth, gave the robber a piece of her mind – but didn’t give him ANY money.

She told him to scram.

And that’s what he did.

Here’s The Million-Dollar Question

I wonder… if it was me, would I have done what Helen did?

What about you?

Sometimes all we can do in a scary situation is the brave thing. That’s what Helen did.

And you know what? This danged recession is just like that robber.

Wants to take our money. Unfairly.

Already has taken some people’s jobs and businesses.

But in my heart of hearts, I don’t believe we need to give in. I think the WRONG ANSWER is to start shaking in our boots, handing over the money bags to Mr. Recession as if he were a gun-toting bank robber.

Because there ARE answers, Faithful Reader.

How To Deal With A Robber Named Recession

In today’s world, you have a power never available in previous recessions – you have the Internet.

You can start a new business on the Internet. With less than $100.

There are dozens of ways to make a very good living online. Such as:

• Sell information (how-to guides, etc.)
• Sell services (web design, writing, programming, etc.)
• Open your own store in the world’s biggest mall (eBay)
• Hang out your shingle as a consultant.

And the list could be much longer, but you get the idea.

OR…

You can save your EXISTING business using the power of the Internet. No traditional advertising required. How?

Just use some basic direct response techniques to give your business a “cash infusion”. (This is a bit more complex than the first option I mentioned, but there’s plenty of information out there on the danged ol’ Internet on how to do this, much of it on this very blog, and teaching you that stuff was not the point of this missive anyway).

So what is my point?

Simple.

Stop trembling behind the counter.

Stop making excuses (“I’m too old”… “it’s not fair”… “I don’t know what to do”…) and just, if I may be permitted, have some guts.

If the recession is robbing YOU of sleep, peace of mind, or money…

…look that robber in the eye and say, “Not today, Mister. Get outta here!”

Helen will applaud you.

And so will I.

‘Nuff Said,

Ray

Back in my radio days, one of the shows I was in charge of was a morning radio team.

And this particular morning team had a regular feature where a couple of psychotherapists woud come on each week.

When I say a “couple”, I mean it. They were actually a COUPLE, and they were both actually THERAPISTS (can you imagine the dinner table conversations?).

Anyhow, I knew this couple only as characters on this particular morning show. “Judith and Jim” was how I knew them. And I knew only their voices.

Fast forward a few years later.

I had left the radio business, and was at an Internet Marketing seminar.

During one of the presentations, I noticed this couple sitting near the front, and I noticed  they were asking lots of questions. And their voices sounded familiar. And their names were… Judith and Jim.

We connected for the first time in person, and we’ve been friends ever since. (Okay, so it was “funny” as in “coincidence” and not funny as in “LOL”).

To continue my story…

I discovered that Jim and Judith ventured into online marketing just four years ago. Along the way, they had to overcome their technical deficiencies and learn to make friends with their computer. Even more so, they had to, in their own words, “open our minds to an entirely new way of being in the world, a whole new and very different mindset-a marketing/business mindset”.

But there was a problem. As they attended lots of marketing conferences, they felt something was wrong.

According to Judith and Jim, “We always felt a sense of displacement, a feeling of not belonging, of somehow being outsiders.”

As they connected with people at those same  conferences they learned that others had the same complaint. And they noticed a pattern: All those who voiced this kind of discomfort were service providers, care-givers, change agents of some kind, men and women who had dedicated their lives to helping others-heart-to-heart.

“It became clear that there was a segment of the Internet marketplace that was not being served,” says Judith.

Jim chimes in, “That segment is peopled by soft sell marketers-all of us who are care-givers and life-change artists as distinct from accumulation artists whose focus is money first and foremost.”

And now these two friends of mine have written a book on the subject of soft sell marketing for service providers… and for people who don’t like hard-sell approaches. I recommend you get a copy of The Heart of Marketing.

I just need to point you to this one: Seth Godin on taking the high road.

I’m not talking about your death here – just your business (or service, if you’re a provider of things like copy, graphics, design, etc.).

Oh sure, your clients would notice for a moment. Or a day.

But how about a week later?

What about even after they had found your replacement?

Would your clients look back a year from now, sigh, and lament the loss of your business or service?

This is a question you might contemplate quietly, in your “secret heart”. You know the answer already. And if the answer is, “They wouldn’t miss me much”… it’s time to go to work.

The best way to ensure your prosperity is to matter. To make a difference.

I’m not talking about “making a difference” in some cotton-candy-dreamy-fuzzy-feel-good kind of way. I’m not talking about charity work (though I believe that’s important, it’s a different discussion). I’m talking about adding so much value (in real, measurable ways) to people’s lives that if you went missing, they would notice. And they would be sorry. Over the long term.

Making a difference is the single best strategy for you and your business in today’s economy. Or any economy, for that matter.

But is it?

Not really.

Online retailers do much better.

Check out Futurenow’s posting on “the top 10 converting websites for December 2008“.

Here are the top five:

1. ProFlowers 31.1%
2. LL Bean 25.7%
3. Amazon 23.7%
4. VitaCost 23.0%
5. Coldwater Creek 22.4%

Hmmm.

What do they know that you don’t? Something to think about.

If you’re not already getting at least 10% conversions, I suggest reading this site.

The Point: To get a surge in business, pick one of the 3 ways and do it with intense focus for 7 days.

3 Ways To Grow Your Business:

1. Get new customers.
2. Get your customers to pay more per purchase.
3. Get your customers to buy more frequently.

Click for the Podcast Audio:

Click Here

I should be working on other stuff.

For instance, I have 8 more small business profit boosters to write for you (I’m up to #13 and I promised 21). But…

I felt compelled to write this post instead.

I’ve been reflecting on who I owe my success to in the copywriting and internet marketing world. Because you know, none of us do this on our own. I’m not an island. I’ve been helped by a number of people along the way. And as we move into the new year, I want to publicly thank and acknowledge a number of them.

Disclaimer: making a list like this always opens up the risk that I’ll leave someone out. If you have helped me, and I somehow forget to mention you, remind me privately and I’ll add your name to the list.

Armand Morin. Armand is the guy who has taught me the most about Internet Marketing, and he pushed and prodded me to create my own info-products (I went from zero to over 20 in less than a year) and to get serious about my speaking career. Without a doubt, I recommend Armand’s Big Seminar and his Internet Marketing Newsletter.

Alex Mandossian. Alex taught me how to use Teleseminars to build my business (even though I was a copywriter at the time, my first year using Alex’s techniques easily made me over $100,000). He’s also a man of deep integrity.

Brad Callen. One of my top clients, I am actually involved in a site with Brad and his brother Matt. These guys have been with me as clients for a long time now, and have been a great encouragement to me.

Willie Crawford. One of the first friends I made in this business. Willie and I had some pretty amusing adventures together.

John Carlton. Possibly the world’s greatest living copywriter. I have learned so much from John, I can’t even begin to tell you. I attended a seminar once just so I could buy his “mother of all offers” where he sold a $5,000 box of his materials. Pay attention: I went to a seminar so that I could spend $5,000 with John. That ought to tell you something. I had the privilege of hanging out with John in Vegas recently, and it was the highlight of my trip.

Harlan Kilstein. Killer copywriter and Carlton’s top student, Harlan is also a master of hypnosis and NLP. Harlan taught me how to get paid what I’m worth as a copywriter. Seriously. After attending one of his seminars, I TRIPLED my fees. Thanks Harlan.

Matt Bacak. One of my top clients, Matt was one of the very first people to hire me to write copy. We met because I saw him sitting in the bar… with his laptop! I knew he was a kindred spirit. We’ve done some great things together (recently we did a $3.5 million promotion), and I’ve learned a lot from Matt. He’s also been a good friend.

Mike Litman. Mike was the first Internet Marketer to pay me for copy. He paid me a scandalously low amount of money. When he ordered 2 more sales letters from me, he coached me on raising my prices – on his project! His was the first IM event I ever attended, and it’s where I met my long-term friends (and now clients) Armand Morin and Matt Bacak.

Mike Stewart. Mike showed me “lifestyle business” at its best when he invited me to spend a couple of days at his lake place in Georgia. We played around on the lake, ate a lot of good food, and created a new video product (on copywriting) in his home studio (said product to be released soon).

Frank Kern. I’ve learned a lot from Frank, and he’s hired more than once to write copy for him. Frank gave me my all-time favorite testimonial (it’s a bit off-color, so I won’t quote it here). It’s through Frank I first met John Carlton, Sarkis, Neil Strauss, and a bunch of other “fancy people”. And Frank recommended me to Tony Robbins for some copywriting work – so how could I not acknowledge Captain Kern?

Ed Dale. I actually met Frank Kern and Ed Dale at the same time. They had hired me to write copy for their Underachiever Conference before we ever actually met. What endeared me to Ed first was his love for all things Apple. Instant bonding. And Ed actually gave me the testimonial that ties with Frank’s for my all-time favorite. Since it doesn’t contain the “F Word” I’ll quote it in full: “Ray, I bless the day your copy met my bank account”.

Jeff Walker. The creator of the Product Launch Formula, Jeff taught me the art of Product Launches. I was one of the first customers for the original PLF, and ended up in Jeff’s high-end Platinum Coaching group. Jeff coached me through my first launch (of my own product). Jeff had made me… well, a lot of money. And he’s also a good friend. Jeff credits me with being the first person he’s ever actually paid to write copy for him. I can’t thank him enough for all the guidance, encouragement, and generosity he has shown me.

Jon Walker. Jon is Jeff’s brother. I actually got to know him before I got to know Jeff, and I count Jon as one of my very favorite people. He’s kind, diplomatic, and has a razor-sharp business mind. He is truly one of those “guys behind the scenes” who is responsible for some big stuff in the online world. Jon has given me some invaluable counsel, advice and insight on my own business, and he’s one of the people I love to bounce ideas around with.

Michel Fortin. One of the first people I got to know in the copywriting world, I owe Michel several debts of gratitude. I’ve learned a lot from him about copy, marketing, and online technology (Michel convinced me to migrate from Movable Type to WordPress, for instance… and was at least partially responsible for getting me hooked on Photoshop). He’s also helped me navigate through a couple of difficult situations, and has unselfishly helped me grow my business.

Sylvie Fortin. Sylvie is one of the most vibrant, determined and principled people I know. She has the courage to speak her mind even when it might be unpopular to do so. I am astounded by her willingness to share personal challenges publicly so that others may benefit. And her keen insight played a crucial role in rescuing me from total burn-out in 2008. Really. I love Sylvie Fortin for these reasons and more.

Craig Perrine. Smart, funny, intelligent, and willing to encourage me in my tendency to sit in the back of the room and cause trouble, Craig is a great friend and a smart marketer.

Kirt Christensen. One of the first people I bought an information product from, Kirt agreed to meet with me not knowing for sure whether I might be a stalker. We ended up become friends and business partners. Kirt helped me form my pursuit of the ideal business: working 20 hours a week and making $100,000 per month. That’s not too much to ask, right?

Eric Graham. I’ve never met a person more dedicated to rigorous scientific testing of copy, marketing tactics, and web page factors. Eric takes the “voodoo” of marketing and makes it science. From him I’ve learned discipline and tenacity. Plus, he flies stunt planes. Yep, upside down, loop-the-loops, and all that stuff.

Christina Hills. Christina is the CEO of “Shopping Cart Queen” – a company that educates online businesses on how to use their shopping cart software. They also teach a lot more stuff, including other software and systems. Christina was crucial to my first product launch coming off well, and she’s helped me in a pinch on more than one occasion.

Stu McLaren. Stu was one of my early clients. I wrote the copy for his Idea Incubator Seminar. I was so excited by it I decided to attend. Stu and I became friends, and through him I met Stephen Pierce, David Frey, Alex Mandossian, Jeff Walker and many others. Now Stu not only is a big-shot Internet Marketer but is now working with his wife Amy to change the world. Bravo!

Mike Filsaime . I met Mike before he was “famous”. We had a conversation outside the seminar room in Denver where Mike told me the story of this new product he was creating called “Butterfly Marketing”. We have remained friends over the years, and Mike recently had me work on the “7 Figure Code” launch with him (which was a blast).

Tom Beal. Tom and I were in a Mastermind Group together for a while, and when we met through that group I only had a vague idea that he worked with Mike Filsaime. Tom and I have laughed together, hung out in the back of many a seminar room, and worked together on a few projects. I count him as both a friend and a great marketing mind.

Joel Comm. Joel and I knew each other a while before we ever did any work together. Joel has been a true friend, and has done a lot to help me as a person and on a business level. Joel got me my publishing deal, invited me to be a guest expert on The Next Internet Millionaire, hired me to write copy, and has been a true supporter.

Andy Jenkins. You know him as the StomperNet guy – and so do I. I’ve written some copy for the Stomper guys (Andy and Brad Fallon). Andy has been encouraging, enthusiastic, and promoted me in places where it counted.

Rich Schefren. Controversial, smart, challenging, and able to wear you down. And that was just my first dinner with Rich! Rich is not only a client, he’s one of the people I’ve learned some of my most valuable business lessons from.

Brian Johnson. You may know him as Schefren’s right-hand guy. I know him as a trustworthy friend and tireless supporter. He’s also a guy who will be there to get the job done, even when other people have gone home.

Ryan Healy, Ben Settle, John Angel and Daniel Levis are all part of a secret mastermind group I belong to. The weird thing is we’re all copywriters. And it’s one of the most profitable and enjoyable groups I’m a member of. This group has been referred to as “The Five Horsemen of the Copywriting Apocalypse”.

Jeanette Cates. She’s organized, she’s diligent, and she’s one of the best teachers I’ve ever met. She’s also fun to hang around with.

Dave Bernstein. One of the first products I ever created, I created with Dave. He’s absolutely nuts about all things audio. And he is smart enough to live where it’s warm all year.

George Callens. George works with Armand to run a $25 million dollar a year company and makes it looks easy. He’s on top of things, he’s in charge, and he’s one of the most stunningly competent people I know. George has helped me sort through some important challenges in my business.

Chris & Jim Howard. I’ve been friends with Jim & Chris just about as long as anyone in this business. They are a continuous inspiration, and “go to” people when I need help or advice.

Dr Mike Woo-Ming. He’s a friend, he’s a client, and he’s an International Man of Mystery.Remember that time you rented that house in Vegas and we all hung out there? That was awesome.

Howie Schwartz. One of the smartest and funniest people I have ever met and someone I am proud to know and call friend.

Yanik Silver. Brilliant marketer, tireless entrepreneur, and peerless promoter. I love the Underground Seminar, and his YSS is brilliant. I’m also inspired by what he’s been doing with the Maverick Brand.

Dan Kennedy. What can I say about Dan that hasn’t been said? I think he mostly invented the info-product/coaching business. He’s a writer’s writer. He lives the life he chose to live. And he seems to be a true genius when it comes to this stuff.

Jason Moffatt. Jason and I are probably about a much alike as East and West – but I count him as a friend, a keen marketing mind, and one of the very best salesmen I have ever met.

Tracy Childers. Tracy and I have held a few late-night brainstorming sessions involving large quantities of what another friend of mine calls “barley pop”. Every time I talk to him, I get about two dozen new ideas. And Tracy is inspiring in his ability to get products created, and his integrity and kindness.

Marlon Sanders. The first marketing product I ever bought was “The Amazing Formula”. It blew me away. Since then I’ve had a chance to get to know Marlon as one of the funniest, most intelligent, and most interesting people I know. Plus, have you seen this guy’s hats?

David Frey. He’s the “gentle giant” of Internet Marketing, He’s been an encourager, a good teacher, and someone I’ve felt inspired by since we first met at Stu McLaren’s Idea Incubator.

Ken McArthur. One of my favorite clients, Ken has been another ardent supporter of mine. He’s someone who is universally loved by everyone who knows him. And he invited me to speak in Orlando in February (Disney, here I come).

Clayton Makepeace. One of my copywriting “heroes”, Clayton is one sharp guy. And Clayton is the guy about whom I have the strangest “how we met” story of all. Sorry, I’m not telling. Not today, anyway.

Mary Mazzullo. She took the pictures that make me look good. Of course, that ‘s what she does. She also got me into the mysterious “Club 33”. And she’s a true friend.

Bob Bly. The copywriter’s copywriter, a scholar, and a gentleman. Bob really got me started down this road, and one of the highlights of my career was being quoted on the cover of “Secrets of a Freelance Writer”.

Mari Smith. First she was my student (in copywriting) and now she is my teacher (in Social Media Marketing). Thanks Mari!

Seth Godin. Some of the most intense learning I ever did, I did at Seth’s office. Thanks Seth!

This post grew as I was writing it.

The truth is, there are so many people I should thank I probably could never write it all down. So please, if you don’t see your name here, don’t take it personally. I love and appreciate you — and if you know me at all, I hope you know that’s true.

Bear with me, I have a couple more acknowledgments: my business could not exist without the support of my family (both near and far).

My wife and son are the two most important people on earth to me. I love you both with complete and reckless abandon.

Finally, and most importantly, I would be nothing if not for the love and grace of Jesus Christ. Every good thing I have (or ever will have) comes from Him.

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

One way to get quick sales boost is: find the weak or broken links in your sales process and strengthen or repair them. And almost every website has at least a few week or broken links. I’m not just talking about hyperlinks, here… I’m talking about any crucial part of the sales process. Here are some examples of things you might want to do:

Fix Broken Links. The most obvious example is actual broken links. These are frustrating at best for your visitors, and for many it will kill the sale instantly (“if they can’t get their links fixed, what must their product be like?”).

Remove Inconsistencies. Even seemingly small inconsistencies send a subconscious signal to your prospects that all is not right. Some specifics to look for: different typefaces or look & feel on your pages; lack of consistent layout from one section of your site to the next; jarring differences between your major sales pages (opt-in page, salesletter page, order page, thank you page). Get fanatical about consistency.

Remove “Mind Stoppers”. Some things just cause us to “stop our mind” when reading a website. For example, strange or unnatural wording can cause us to stop in the flow of reading and ask “What? Huh?” Even though these “Mind Stoppers” may only cause a pause of 1 or 2 seconds, they interrupt the flow of your sales message. Avoid “Mind Stoppers” at all costs. The best way to find them: read your copy aloud, to another human being, in a natural tone and at an easy pace. Then have them read it aloud back to you. In each case, mark any section that causes you to pause or stumble. Re-write those sections and remove the “Mind Stoppers”.

When you forge stronger links in your “Sales Chain”, you’ll increase the results. And that means more sales and profits for you and your small business.

And how to fix it.

Here’s what you need to know:

1. Visitors: how many people show up to your website each month? You can track these easily in your web hosting account, or you can use a service like Google Analytics.

2. Optins: How many of your unique visitors join your optin email list? In other words, how many of them raise their hand saying, “yes, you have my permission to market to me via email”? If this number is not at least 25% of your Unique Visitors, you have a problem with your opt-in conversion process. You need a more compelling “ethical bribe” to get the opt-in… or better copy describing that bribe… or a more effective page design… or to add/delete/alter some of the elements on the opt-in page (more on opt-in pages in a future post).

3. Order Page Conversions: Between your opt-in page and your Order Page is your “sales page”. That’s the page where your sales letter lives. This sales page has one job and one job only: to persuade the reader to click the order button (which takes them to the Order Page). When that happens, we have an “Order Page Conversion”. 10% of your total Unique Visitors is the bare minimum conversion you’re looking for. I have written sales pages that convert at 30% or more. That’s not as unusual as you may think. If you’re not getting at least a 10% conversion to the Order Page… your sales letter needs work (could be the copy… could be the design… could be the offer… but something is not working!).

4. Sales Conversions: When someone actually fills out the order form on the Order Page, and clicks the button completing their credit card transaction… that is an actual Sales Conversion. It’s different from the Order Page conversion; there is always a certain level of “abandonment” from the Order Page. Some people put their credit card information in wrong; others receive a decline notice; and some, remaining unconvinced and perhaps merely curious as to what Order Page looked like, simply abandon their purchase and click away. So your third conversion is from the Order Page to the Thank You or Download Page… and this is your actual Sales Conversion. If that Sales conversion is below 5% of your total unique visitors, examine your Order Page for possible bottlenecks (is the order form easy to understand? Does it work? Does it look like the rest of your site or totally alien? Could you add something that might increase conversion, like a testimonial, or audio, or video? Could you take something away, like too much copy or garish graphics?).

Market by the numbers – these four simple ones – and watch your results improve.

Our year is marked by signposts.

Dates on the calendar around which we plan our annual journey.

In the USA, some of the major calendar signposts include:

•    New Year’s Day
•    SuperBowl Sunday
•    Valentine’s Day
•    St. Patrick’s Day
•    Easter
•    Memorial Day
•    Mother’s Day
•    Father’s Day
•    Independence Day
•    Back to School
•    Labor Day
•    Halloween
•    Veteran’s Day
•    Thanksgiving
•    Christmas

There are many others, of course, and your list will vary depending on your cultural and religious background.

The point is, the major signposts are easy to identify. And easy to construct a marketing calendar around. What’s the point of that?

We copywriters talk a lot about “joining the conversation already taking place in the prospect’s mind” (a phrase borrowed from Robert Collier).

When you tie your marketing efforts to major mindset changing calendar dates, you go a long way toward “joining” that conversation.

John E. Kennedy identified the power of “reason why” copy: prospects are more likely to respond if you give them a reason why they should. They’re more likely to pay attention to your promotion if you give them a “reason why” you’re doing the promotion to begin with.

Retailers have done this so long (and with so little imagination) we’ve grown accustomed to it. (“The January White Sale”… “The Sweetheart Sale” for Valentine’s Day… “Saving the Green” sales for St. Patrick’s Day… etc.).

The good news for your online business is that all of these “old school” ideas work very well online. And if you can get a little more creative with them (for instance, having a “Click Your Treat” promotion around Halloween) they work even better.

The point is: give your prospects and customers a new reason to visit your website at least once per month.
Planning your promotional calendar becomes very easy when you adopt this model. The list above is not a bad start.

If you’re more ambitious, you can select from hundreds of “reasons why” at 2009 Holidays & Observances Calendar … and have a reason to do a promotion 52 times per year.

Need ideas about what sort of promotions to do? Borrow ideas from the businesses that have made an art form of this method: brick & morter retailers. Car dealers, big box stores, and grocery stores in particular will supply you with a rich “swipe file” of ideas.

Just visit your local library (yes, they still exist) and get the back issues of your local newspaper’s Sunday issues (it’ll have the most ads) for the last year. You’ll have 52 “mini-swipe files” to build your library of promotions from.

What do you suppose might happen to your sales and profits then?

I hope you’re making use of these ideas — feel free to post your success stories if you want. I’d love to read them, and I’m sure others would, too.

Okay… on to today’s Profit Booster: postcard marketing.

Sometimes the simplest ideas are the most effective ones. Here’s the scoop…

Send everyone on your list (your prospect list and your customer list) a simple postcard.

The card can say something like, “just wanted to say thank you for being part of my world…” and then offer a link to a special webpage.

I recommend you register a new domain for the special webpage, because you want the address to be short and easy to type. Don’t obsess over the domain name. You can easily find plenty of good ones-for instance, www.ThanksFromBob.com (I suggest using your own name).

So, what’s on this page? Why, a special offer of course. Available only to the people who received your postcard. And of course, to all the people who read your postcard. Because postcards are what’s called “naked mail”-anyone who wants to can read it. That’s why it’s a good idea to put the benefit of the special offer right there on the postcard (“I’m giving you a gift worth $500 at a special webpage…”).

Also don’t obsess about getting the postcards out. You can upload your customer lists and create your postcard copy dirt cheap at www.USPS.com -they’ll even stamp and mail the postcard for you!

So go ahead, send some “naked mail” today, and start watching the profits pour in.

For most companies this is a disaster.

Every contact with your prospects and customers is either an opportunity, or a problem. There is no in between.

Question: why do we leave these interactions to chance?

We all instinctively know there is usually a “best way” to answer the phone, greet a customer, run an interview, or deal with a customer service issue.

Yet we (and more frighteningly, our employees) do absolutely nothing to prepare for these interactions. What if you changed that?

Write a script for every interaction you can anticipate with your prospects and customers. This means you’ll have a script for:

• Answering the phone
• Greeting customers
• Conducting a client needs analysis interview
• Running a consultation
• Giving a presentation
• Dealing with customer complaints
• And every other interaction you can think of

Creating a script for each situation-and making sure your employees actually use the script-can make a world of difference for your company.

So get busy. Write your scripts. Know your lines.

And make sure your people know their lines too.

To get other people to do what we want them to do.

There is a tactic that gives almost magical powers of persuasion.

You can, quite simply, get practically anyone to do practically anything.

It’s so simple you’ll be tempted to shrug it off.

Don’t.

Here it is…

“Enter the conversation already taking place in your prospect’s mind.”

As far as I know, that idea originated with Robert Collier. It’s a simple principle, but not easy to do. So how do you do it?

Listen. Pay attention to what people say. Hang out in online forums. Track trends on twitter. Collect the words, phrases and ideas your market uses. Speak back to them in their own words.

Watch. Be conscious of what your store or website visitors actually do. What causes them to opt in? To opt out? To buy? To ask for a refund? Nothing teaches like behavior. People vote with their feet. Watch their feet.

Think. How can you solve their problems? How can you solve them quickly… easily… and with simplicity? Be the aspirin for their headache and abundance will be yours.

If you can do these things, your readers/visitors/ listeners will be nodding their heads, slapping the table top, and saying, “Yes! That’s exactly how I feel!”

And when that happens, Constant Reader, they will do anything you ask.

Because anything you ask will be in alignment with what they already desire.

That’s a deep well I just pushed you into. Follow it all the way down, and be rewarded with the cool fresh water of more sales, more often.

Create instant cash flow?

Sometimes the big answers are the obvious ones.

The ones that sit right in front of our faces.

Take for instance the time-honored retail practice of: having a sale.

I’ve written copy for (probably) thousands of sales, most of it while I was in the radio business.

I’ve seen many sales that worked very well… and many that failed miserably.

And I have identified some of the key common elements of successful sales. Successful sales:

1.    Have a reason for being. “After Thanksgiving Sale” works as a reason.. but telling the story of why you’re so thankful for your customers and how to you want to give them a substantial discount works better. And stories that are not tied to “traditional” sale days (Christmas, New Year’s Day, Back to School) work best.

2.    Offer true value. Either the price is enticing enough to motivate your customers to act..or you’ll need to add something that will motivate them (additional bonuses, etc.)

3.    Are time-bound. They have a definitive start and end date. The shorter and more immediate the better.

Coming up with a reason for your sale shouldn’t be tough. Just think about what your actual reasons are (beyond “I want to make more money”) and build on that story.

The best way to get your sale done – and putting money in your bank account – is to set a date in the immediate future and commit to it. Put a stake in the ground.

Let’s say you have an online business, and your sale is going to be a 3-day sale. You’ll want to send an email the day before (to grab a little attention and “get on the radar” of your customers), one each day of the sale (to drive mores sales), and one “thanks for your business” email the day after (provides a proof element and teaches your customers that when you say it will be over… it will be over).

If you do this, it will be like strapping a rocket to your profits. So… go have a sale!

Our next Profit Booster: Use This Power To Get Anyone To Do Anything

In the United States, we’re celebrating Thanksgiving. In our tradition, this means expressing our gratitude for the bountiful harvest. It is a long-standing tradition, steeped in the mythology of the birth of our nation.

For many people, it is one of the very few times of the year they pause to truly reflect on what they’re thankful for.

In keeping with the idea of giving thanks, I’m about to suggest a simple strategy of thanks-giving that can also have a “boomerang effect”; by giving thanks, it’s possible to get thanks back in return. In the form of dollars in your bank account.

Which leads us to Tactic #2 in our 21-part series. Here’s the tactic…

Get out your trusty list of all past customers.

Even the ones who only spent a few dollars with you.

Now send each one of them a hand-written thank you note.

Yes, I said a hand-written thank you note.

Not one printed by computer, using a handwriting font.

Not a photocopied “hand-written” note. No, I’m suggesting you send each individual customer a short, quickly-written, perhaps even a little tough to read… hand written note. (HINT: I never said you personally had to write each one; just that it be written by a human hand.)

“But That Will Take Forever!”

I can already hear the protests that this is much too time-consuming.

I beg to differ.

Follow my reasoning: which has more impact on you… a computer printed note (which you can always detect, right?), or an obviously hand-written one?

My questions are a setup, of course. We all know that hand-written note is magnitudes more important and attention-getting to each of us.

How important do you think it is to create those emotions in your customers?

If you can reach a large number of your past customers, and grab a little piece of their attention, and make them feel a little special… do you think that’s likely to result in new or repeat business? Do you think it’s possible that they will recommend you to their friends and loved ones? Do you think it’s possible that when one of your competitors starts marketing aggressively to this customer, they’ll remember that handwritten note from you?

Now, if you simply stop with the thank-you note I don’t think your results are going to be very outstanding; although I do predict you’ll get some business if that’s all you ever do. But here comes the real power play…

How To Follow Up Your Thanks-giving Note With a Thanks-getting Note

The timing on this nextmaneuver is crucial.  If you wait too long, it won’t work nearly as well. Within two days of sending the thank you note, send a marketing communication.

My suggestion is this marketing communication be simple and to the point. It might say something like, “as an added thank you for being a loyal customer in the past, I’d like to make you aware of a special opportunity right now…”.

The keys to this tactic working  are:

1. The fact that the first note is genuinely handwritten.
2. The proximity (in time) of the second note to the first
3. The words “added thank you”. Because they evoke the memory of the thank you note.

Mess up one of those variables, and your results will diminish.

Is this groundbreaking?

Is it earth shattering?

No.

But it will work. The hand-written note will stand out from among all of the “fake” thank you notes your customers are getting from other businesses. Trust me. You’re going to be on a whole different level.

If you send a marketing communication within 48 hours of your customer receiving your hand-written note, your marketing communication will be at least seven times more effective than it would have been on its own.

Many of your past customers will thank you for your personal attention-and they’ll thank you in the form of new business.

Tomorrow’s profit booster: Bobby Fischer marketing.

I’ve had it with all the loser talk about the economy.

I know it’s bad.

I know people are losing money.

I have lost money, too – my retirement account is worth about two thirds what it was worth six months ago.

So I get it.

But it’s time for all of us to stop talking about it, and instead start doing something about it.

First Of All, I’m Not Suze Orman

I’m not going to pretend to advise you on what to do with your investments, or that kind of thing. There are plenty of experts who can help you with that. In fact, I recommend you listen to these audios by Tony Robbins for some guidance on your finances – and your attitude.

What I have to offer is of a different nature. Here’s my contribution…

I’m writing a series of blog posts (starting with this one) that are focused on one thing, and one thing only: helping small business owners thrive-not just survive, but thrive-in today’s economic environment.

I believe that is realistic and attainable for almost all small businesses – if they’re willing to do what it takes.

Are you?

We’ll see.

The World Series Of Small Business Profit Tactics

This will be a month-long series (give or take). Each day my goal is to post one actionable step you can take that will either get you more sales, increase the amount of profit you make on each sale, or multiply the number of sales you get from each customer… and ideally, it will do all three at the same time.

Tactic #1: Discover Your Own Acres of Diamonds

You have probably heard the classic motivational tale called Acres of Diamonds by Russell Conwell.

It’s the story of a poor farmer who sold his land in order to go off in search of treasure. He never found that treasure… but the new owner of the property discovered a rich diamond mine lay just beneath it. The poor farmer gave up all he had… including his “acres of diamonds”.

Dig In Your Own Back Yard

This is a perfect illustration of how most business owners run their small businesses (whether online or off-line).

The are constantly in search of some new idea, technology, or innovation… and they fail to harvest the fortune already at their feet.

If you have any kind of business at all – if you’ve been selling anything for any length of time -  you already own acres of diamonds.

Your diamonds are your past customers.

They spent money with you before. The hardest sale to make (and the most expensive sale to make) is the first one. And yet… many business owners never try to work for the second sale at all.

They seem to operate under a motto that reads: “Find ‘em, fool ‘em, and forget ‘em.”

What about you?

Have you given your past customers opportunity to do business with you again? Have you asked them for more business? Have you done it recently… persuasively… persistently?

If you’re like most business owners, the answer is “no”.

How to Harvest Your Diamonds

So how do you harvest your acres of diamonds? How do you go about reactivating old customers-in real, practical terms?

The simplest way is: contact them.

Do you have their phone number? Then call them.

Calling them is the best way-it’s the most personal (barring showing up at the front door, which might not be such a bad idea, depending on what business you’re in).

I can already hear someone saying, “But Ray, people will be offended if I show up out of nowhere… or call them on the phone… or e-mail them… and ask them to buy something.”

Well of course they will.

Especially if they haven’t heard from you for a long time. But what if you took a different approach?

What if you called (or sent a letter, or an e-mail) and said something like this: “Hi this is Bob the Remodeling Guy…  and I was just checking in to see how that new bathroom is working for you? I know it’s been a year since we installed your new fixtures, and we always like to follow up and make sure our work is living up to your expectations.”

Will you get some complaints? Probably.

You’ll find a few people who’ve been meaning to complain about that leaky faucet but never thought you’d even return a phone call. They’ll be glad to finally have your ear. But if you handle even these situations right, it will almost always result in new business.

Why is that? Because nobody calls to follow up these days. Nobody.

And you might be surprised to discover that most of your calls will not result in new complaints. Most of them will result in people being surprised that you called the begin with.
Most calls will be a pleasant shock for the customer and result in some kind of conversation about what other work, products, or services they might need.

If you can’t call your customers, send them an e-mail; if you don’t have your e-mail address, send them a postcard.

Get this: the technology you use to reopen the dialogue doesn’t matter. What matters is that you start the conversation.

And don’t start it by asking for more money; start by finding out how they felt about dealing with you in the past, how well you helped them solve their previous problem, and — if they have any thing less than a stellar report for you — how you can make things right.

If you do these things, you will get new business as a natural course of events. And you won’t have to bring it up–they will.

“But What If They Don’t?”

What if you have a pleasant conversation with your past customer, all is well, and they don’t mention buying something new? No problem. It doesn’t mean you can’t sell them something. Just be nice about it, for cryin’ out loud. Don’t be rude. Make sure they have been heard before you try to make them hear you.

And once you know they have been heard, and feel great about you because you contacted them, and because you (gasp!) listened to what they had to say… make them aware of whatever your current promotion happens to be. Just do it  without being pushy.

It can be as simple as saying, “By the way, we have a special discount available for previous customers who…”.

If they’re interested in your new offer, they’ll let you know.

If they’re not, they’ll let you know that too.

Either way, the worst thing that can happen is you will have built more goodwill for your company, its products, and services. And if you contact enough of your previous customers, taking the right approach, you will generate new business.

This tactic works because hardly anybody does it.

In fact, I predict hardly anybody reading it on this blog will do it. But don’t let that discourage you-in fact, it should excite you.

It should be exciting to know that so few of your competitors will take this simple step to increase their sales and profits.

That just leaves more for you. Now go do it!

Tomorrow’s tactic: Thanksgiving Equals Thanks-getting.

The Point: Don’t make getting clients harder than it is. Physician, heal thyself!

The Resource:

5 Ways To Get More Clients Now:

1. Send an email.
2. Call people on the phone.
3. Go fishing in the forums.
4. Release a white paper.
5. Do a teleseminar.

Click for the Podcast Audio:

Click Here

Now, you may know that I worked in radio for over 25 years, and was very successful in that industry. I think I know my stuff when it comes to radio. But even I was blown away by some of the ideas Dave and I ended up discussing on this call.

There’s nothing for sale on the call; it’s pure ideas, tools, and tactics.

Listen to it online by clicking below.

Click to listen.

Enjoy.

Actually, it’s a lot easier to build a list than you might think.

The fact is the techniques of list-building are really quite simple.

These three tactics will help you to build your list quickly:

Use a “squeeze page”. I find that, while everyone seems to know about the effectiveness of a squeeze page, few are actually doing it, or if they are, they’re not using a true squeeze page. You must admit, it takes a little bit of backbone to say, “You don’t get to see anything until you give me your e-mail address!” I promise you, though, use a squeeze page and you’ll get subscribers, and you’ll build your list. If you look at my squeeze page for Ray Edwards Copywriting, you’ll see that I don’t even offer an ethical bribe to get people to opt-in, yet my conversion rate for this page is about 38%.

Do “ad swaps” with other list owners. Look for people with ads in their e-zines, contact them and say, “Hey, I have an e-zine, too! How about we trade ads?” Then, you run an ad for their list and they run an ad for your list. Or, if they don’t offer ads (or you don’t offer ads), simply contact them and say, “I would like to promote your email newsletter to my subscribers, would you do the same for me?” In your e-mail newsletter, then, you just write a little paragraph that says, “I’ve discovered a great newsletter that I think you’d enjoy. Here’s the link.” This, by the way, is one of the best and fastest ways to build your list. I know, I know, it’s too easy. But, it works.

Look for opt-ins through forum postings. You can post good content to forums. Many forums will allow you to add text to your signature line. Try something simple, like “To get my ‘Seven Tips on List Building’, click here”. That link leads readers directly to your opt-in page. Make sure you have a decent ethical bribe to offer – a special report, audio clip, video clip, a .pdf, even free software. Don’t subscribe to any forums? Now may be the time to start! All you need is twenty minutes a day. Use that time to check out ten forums, add quality posts, answer any questions, and include your signature line link. This really works – I get new subscribers every day from this method, and I don’t even have time to post to forums anymore.

Want more information about the quickest ways to build your list?

I recommend Tellman Knudson’s List-Building Club.

This is a question I am asked often, and my answer to this question is in two parts. First is an answer appropriate if you’re already selling something online and the second part is the answer for those who haven’t yet decided what product or service you’re going to sell.

Let’s start with the first situation. You’re already selling something — a product or service –online. If you want to re-energize your business you simple find a new product line or service to offer your existing customers. Survey those existing customers and ask them what their needs are. You can use a service like the Ask Database to take this survey. Ask Database is a very simple way to survey your customers and it also offers some sophisticated data analysis tools. Another option is SurveyMonkey, which is not as sophisticated but is easier for beginners to use.

So when you’re surveying your present customers, what exactly do you ask them? You might want to start with something simple. First determine what your category is. If you have an existing business that sells dog training materials for instance you might do a simple survey where you ask your customers, what’s your biggest problem when it comes to dog training? I didn’t invent this method — I have to give credit to Alex Mandossian, who teaches this in his Teleseminar Secrets course.

Now… what if you’re not already selling something online and you’re trying to determine what your product or service is going to be? The answer is remarkably similar. In this case you also want to do a survey, but this time you’re going to survey yourself, your colleagues, friends and associates.

What are you looking for? You’re looking for things that you’re both good at and passionate about. If you can find that combination, you’ll have a much clearer idea of what you should be marketing. Here’s the exercise…

Sit down with two clean sheets of paper and ask yourself this question.: “What am I good at?”

Make a list. Your list might include things like

• Teaching
• Writing
• Graphic design
• Ideas
• Connecting with people
• Etc.

Don’t make any judgments about which of these things might be marketable. That will come later. For now, just write down a long list of things you’re good at – even the little things, like organizing your daily tasks, keeping your home or office in order, or even playing video game!

On the second sheet of paper, answer this question: “What am I passionate about?”

This list may surprise you. You may have written down that you’re good at keeping your checkbook up to date – but now you may write down that you hate accounting! Don’t worry about it. Just keep writing.

Make this second list as long as you can… then compare the two and see if there are any items that show up on both lists. You want to pay attention because these may be potential areas where you want to focus your efforts.

Now I want you to ask your colleagues, friends and associates a similar question. Ask them to tell you what you’re good at. Don’t prejudice their answers; just get their initial first impressions of what they think you’re good at. Then compile those answers and again go back to your other lists. The things that show up on all the lists will give you some big clues of what you want to focus on and what you want to sell online as a product or service.

I believe that focusing on an area that you’re both good at and passionate about is the best answer. There are those who recommend focusing on where there’s a market need. Those who hold this opinion would say that your personal preference doesn’t matter.

While it’s true that you must be careful not to make the entire decision based only on your feelings, I don’t think it’s wise to disregard them either. Do you want to be stuck with a successful business that you hate?

My opinion is that if you want to stick with your business, to remain excited about it, and if you want the joy as well as the money — focus on something you’re good at and that you’re passionate about.

What do you think? I invite your comments below…

Here are some sites I think are worth spending time with:

• Shoemoney blogs on making money as an affiliate.
• John Chow makes money online telling people how to make money online.
• Ryan Healy writes about copywriting and his writing is so good it makes me envious.
• Ben Settle is one of the most methodical and deadly effective copywriters I know.
• Dave Winer blogs with personality, controversy and integrity.
• Mike Sansone has a great blog about blogging — I always learn a lot from Mike.
• Michael Port knows the secrets of getting booked solid (great if you’re a service professional).  And the header on his blog is very cool. I’ve never seen that done before!

One of your first tasks as a copywriter is to break down the skepticism that your prospects (readers, site visitors, subscribers) are feeling, and get them to believe you – even just a little bit.

The Point: How do you break through that skepticism? Testimonials and proof elements.

The Resource: Any late-night infomercial

3 Ways To Use Testimonials or Proof:

1. Add more testimonials.
2. Show photographs (before and after).
3. Show evidence (pictures or screen grabs).

Click for the Podcast Audio:

Click Here

The Story: It’s one of the most common mistakes in all forms of selling – not asking for the sale.

Hard to believe? Maybe. But it’s true anyway; people just don’t want to ask for the order.

The Point: There comes a point where you’ve presented all the benefits of your offer; you’ve demonstrated its value; you’ve supplied lots of credible testimonials; you’ve shown your iron-clad guarantee… and you just need to ask for the sale.

On the Internet, this can be as easy as putting in a link that says “Order Now”.

The Resource: Gitomer

3 Ways To Un-Wimpify Your Copy:

1. Ask for the order plainly.
2. Ask for the order early.
3. Ask for the order more often.

Click for the Podcast Audio:

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The Point: The reason the old formulae are less effective is: it’s harder to get people’s attention these days. Time to step up your game.

The Resource: Attention Age Doctrine

3 Keys To Grabbing Their Attention:

1. Change Their State.
2. Stop Their Inner Chatter.
3. Appeal To Their Greed, Lust, Or Moving-Away Values.

Click for the Podcast Audio:

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The Story: Follow Ernest Hemingway’s Four Simple Rules to improve your copywriting (or any writing, for that matter).

The Point: The more effusive and melodious your prose, the greater the certitude you will obfuscate the concept you are laboriously attempting to elucidate; eschew obfuscation.

The Resource: The Elements of Style

Hemingway’s Rules:

1. Use short sentences.
2. Use short first paragraphs.
3. Use vigorous language.
4. Be positive, not negative.

Note: I have written about Papa’s rules in the past. This time I decided to do a little research before doing the podcast, and found different versions. So who is right? I don’t know. My favorite version, though is at Brian Clark’s Copyblogger site.

Click for the Podcast Audio:

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The Point: It’s not your website. It’s theirs (if you want to succeed).

The Resource: YouTube

How To Make It About The User:

1. Know your users.
2. Know your users.
3. Know your users.

Click for the Podcast Audio:

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The Point: While there’s a lot of debate about Britney’s musical talent, career choices, and parenting potential, nobody can argue that she doesn’t know how to get our attention.

You can learn a lot from a diva.

The Resource: Attention Age Doctrine

Keys To Capturing Your Prospect’s Attention:

1. Be relevant to their lives.
2. Give them more of what they want.
3. Don’t betray their expectations.

Click for the Podcast Audio:

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The Point: Sometimes it’s more important to emulate what people do than to listen to what they say. Study what Tony does to drive the revenue stream at his company.

The Resource: Tony Robbins

3 Simple Selling Tips From Tony Robbins:

1. Sell people what they want; give them what they need.
2. Create a subculture with its own language.
3. Engage the power of commitment and consistency.

Click for the Podcast Audio:

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The Point: To dramatically increase your sales, offer a preponderance of proof.

You should use several different types of proof in your selling process.

The Resource: Answers

3 Quick Ways to Prove Your Marketing Claims:

1. Customer testimonials.
2. Third-party endorsements.
3. Case Studies.

Click for the Podcast Audio:

Click Here

The Point: Learn to repurpose your products as well as those of others for maximum profit.

The Resource: Apple

3 Ways To Repurpose Your Content or Products:

1. Change print to text.
2. Change audio to text.
3. Change text to articles, blog posts, press releases, and emails.

Click for the Podcast Audio:

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The Point: Carefully consider the message you’re sending when you employ scarcity in your marketing message.

The Resource: Influence, by Dr. Robert Cialdini

3 Mistakes To Avoid When Using The Scarcity Tactic:

1. Telling lies.
2. Not demonstrating the reason why there is scarcity.
3. Allowing readers to form negative conclusions about the scarcity.

Click for the Podcast Audio:

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How did they do that?

The Point: We already know how to do what Apple did. We just don’t like to do it.

It takes imagination.

It takes guts.

It takes money.

The Resource: Apple

3 Ways To Use iPhone-style Marketing In Your Business:

1. Do what others do… in a way that is infinitely more cool.
2. Marry good function with oustanding form (packaging).
3. Fill the experience of doing business with you with pleasant little surprises.
Click for the Podcast Audio:

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Stories are attention magnets.

The Point: Too many online marketers adhere to the “just the facts” approach — or worse, they engage in “hype”.

This costs these unfortunate marketers sales and profits.

Integrate a powerful story into your copy and test the results.

The Resource: All Marketers Are Liars, by Seth Godin

3 Ways To Use Stories In Your Marketing:

1. Attention grabbers that draw people into the copy.
2. Rapport builders that mirror your reader’s dominant emotion.
3. Proof elements that create mental images of your product working for the reader.
Click for the Podcast Audio:

Click Here

His name is Ben Settle, and if you don’t know about Ben you should. He has one of the best copwriting blogs on the ‘net.

Anyway, the interview was supposed to be a one-hour interview. It ended up being well over 2 hours.

After listening to the finished product, I realized it was pretty darned good (Ben is a great interviewer).

Here’s some of what we covered in the interview:

• Why studying successful ads can actually hurt your copywriting!
• How to use an ordinary copyright notice to instantly banish “writers block.”
• A free piece of software that can realistically nab you well over an 80% opt-in rate on your squeeze pages!
• What to do if you’re starting from scratch online and need to make a lot of money—fast!
• How to set up profitable online joint ventures—even if you live in a cave with no friends, contacts or business connections whatsoever.
• A little-known way to build a hyper-responsive email list without turning on your computer!
• How to use dopey little ad “jingles” to drive thousands of qualified leads to your websites.
• An almost unknown way to make a TON of money from your email list… without sending them any emails!
• How to make more profits from your sites by purposely getting a lower opt-in rate.
• A secret trick (even an “SEO dummy” can use) to almost instantly get top google rankings on any key words you choose!
• How to use video on your sites for little or no money and without any big learning curves.
• A little-used “loophole” in the Warrior Forum that lets you quickly add a few thousand cash-in-hand subscribers to your email list—without spending even one thin dime.
• Why your telephone is your #1 most profitable “tool” for making money online!
• The secret of getting world-class marketers (with gigantic lists of buyers) to joint venture with you—even if your list is puny and they have no idea who you are.

Grab your copy of the interview by clicking here.

The Point: Writing copy that sells without using hype is easy to do.

The Resource: The Copy Doctor

3 Ways To Eliminate Hype In Your Copy:

1. Talk about the reader’s pain.
2. Tell relevant stories.
3. Use detail, not description.

Click for the Podcast Audio:

Click Here

The Point: There are at least 2 good ways anyone can take payments (via credit cards) without having a Merchant Account… and one way that makes getting a Merchant Account easy for 99% of people.

The Resource: The best Merchant Account for online Marketers.

3 Solutions To Your Payment Problem:

1. Clickbank.
2. Paypal.
3. PowerPay.
Click for the Podcast Audio:

Click Here

The Point: A few simple steps can start an endless flow of testimonials you couldn’t shut off if you tried.

The Resource: Ray’s Automated Testimonial Machine

3 Ways To Get More Testimonials

1. Ask for them.
2. Set up an ATM (Automated Testimonial Machine).
3. Ask repeatedly (in your autoresponders).

Click for the Podcast Audio:

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The Point: The secret of slaughtering your competition is to be 2mm better… in at least 3 categories that matter to customers.

The Resource: 21 Fundamentals of Online Success

5 “2mm Differences” That Matter:

1. Look and feel.
2. Followup Marketing.
3. Testing and Tracking.
4. Adwords Campaigns.
5. Backend Sales.

Click for the Podcast Audio:

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The Point: When you know how, it’s easy to get all the clients you can handle.

The Resource: Gitomer

5 Step System For Getting Copy Clients:

1. Develop your marketing site.
2. Use a sales process.
3. Screen your clients carefully.
4. Use followup marketing.
5. Attend seminars and network.

Click for the Podcast Audio:

Click Here

The Point: Anyone can increase their conversions by using simple split-testing.

The Resource: Website Optimizer

Here’s the easiest way I know of to start testing (one hour or less):

1. Get a Google account (use the link).
2. Set up your first test.
3. Get the test started.

What do you think?

I welcome and invite your comments (click the link at the bottom of this post).

Click for the Podcast Audio:

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The Point: There are specific reasons why long copy works, has always worked, and will always work… when used correctly

The Resource: www.WebCopyWritingExplained.com

Here are three reasons long copy works:

1. We love to read about what we love.
2. Online is not like selling face to face; you need to answer all possible objections.
3. Long copy allows you to tell a story.

Here’s the Four-Part Sales Letter Formula (credit to John Carlton):

1. Here’s what I have to offer.
2. Here’s why it’s right for you.
3. Here are some questions you may have.
4. Here’s what to do now.

Click for the Podcast Audio:

Click Here

The Point: The techniques of list-building are really quite simple; three techniques you can use today.

The Resource: www.MyFirstListOnline.com <– Free List-Building Tips

Here are three tactics you can use to build your list fast:

1. Use a “squeeze page”.
2. Do “ad swaps” with other list owners.
3. Use forum postings to get opt-ins.

Click for the Podcast Audio:

Click Here

The Point: While it’s true that the “standard” product launch won’t produce the way it did a year ago, the strategy of using product launches is as strong as ever.

The Resource: www.TheProductLaunchFormula.com

Here are three tactics you can use to boost launch results:

1. Use the “reverse squeeze page”.
2. Give away your best material right up front.
3. Give your sublist a strong, personal story to follow.

Click for the Podcast Audio:

Click Here

The Point: There are proven methods for increasing your opt-in conversions; all it takes is a small amount of work.

The Resource: www.WebCopyWritingExplained.com <– Copywriting Videos

Here are three tactics you can use to get more opt-ins:

1. Make a stronger offer.
2. Use a bigger, “responsive” HTML button
3. Keep all distractions off your opt-in page.

Click for the Podcast Audio:

Click Here

Where is this money – and how do you get it?

Most businesses have many hidden opportunities for discovering “windfall profits” – but I want to focus on just one of those opportunities in this article.

That “opportunity pocket” is: marketing and advertising.

In my experience, almost every business – whether it be retail, service, professional practice, or “business to business” in its nature – is unconsciously letting profits slip away.

Your biggest opportunity most likely lies hidden inside your underperforming sales copy (copy that isn’t selling as many units/contracts/ memberships as it potentially could be).

If you want to make more sales without spending a single dime in additional ad costs, this article might be the most important document you read this year…

Make Piles of Money With “Upside Leverage”

“Upside Leverage” is a concept I learned from marketing genius Jay Abraham.

We all know what leverage is: using other people’s money to build your business, or other people’s efforts (through delegation, for instance) to increase your own productivity.

“Leverage” involves using one asset (the lever) to increase the value or power of another. The only problem with using “leverage” is the potential downside: if you use financial leverage to borrow money for a business project, the project could possibly fail, and you would be forced to pay back the money. If you use the leverage of delegation in order to make yourself more productive, there’s a chance the person you’re relying on might let you down.

“Upside” leverage is leverage that involves little or no potential downside.

It’s my belief that underperforming sales copy is the most potentially profitable of all forms of “upside leverage”.

Please read that sentence again, because it’s too easy to let the profound meaning it contains slip past you:

Underperforming sales copy is the most potentially profitable of all forms of “upside leverage”.

Think of it this way: any ad or promotion costs the same whether it performs well or not, right? If you spend $100 on an ad, and you get $500 in business as a result, you made a 5-1 return on your investment. That’s a good return. You did what you set out to do, you made a profit.

But… what if you could take that same ad, and change it in some way that made it 10 times more effective?

What if now it returned $5,000?

You spent the same $100 for the ad… but you got back $5,000.

Instead of a 5-1 return, now you’re getting 50-1! That, my marketing friend, is “upside leverage”!

Change Your Copy, Change Your Income

There is so much bad copy on the web, it’s almost laughably easy to be better than most of your competitors.

Why is that?

I believe there are a number of reasons, but here are a few of the common ones:

1. Some people just don’t realize their copy is bad. They wrote it themselves, or their brother or their niece wrote it. They think it’s wonderful – but in reality it stinks like a dead skunk.

2. Others don’t realize how important their sales copy is. This is a naive belief, and it astounds me that so many people hold it – but they do. Some people seem to think that as long at the copy has “just the facts”, that’ll be good enough. It never is.

3. Some people are just cheap. They spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to start a business, buy furniture, hire staff, provide benefits, etc., but when it comes to the one piece of communication that might actually cause someone to buy from them – they don’t want to pay for it. They “delegate” this crucial task. Big mistake.

Are you making any of these mistakes? If you are, this is your wake-up call.

Take advantage of the potential “upside leverage” that exists in every ad or promotion. Make sure you ads are performing – that they are making you sales every day. And that they are making you more sales this week than they did last week, etc.

You do this through constant improvement and testing/tracking.

You also do it by either hiring a copywriter, or investing in educational materials that will teach you how to write your own copy. Either one can work – it’s up to you. If you love to write, and you think you have a knack for it, then by all means get a good home-study course on copywriting and do it yourself.

Don’t put it off – do it right now. Otherwise, you’re throwing money away that rightfully belongs to you.

So how do we put Seth’s ideas to work in our own businesses?

Why are some businesses remarkable and others are not?

A story about my friend Felix will help you understand how to make your business or service stand out — even in a field where there are many choices all offering much the same service.

Felix is a cab driver.

When I travel to the many Internet Marketing Seminars I attend each year, I often have Felix pick me up from my front doorstep and deliver me to the airport.

That’s because I’m forced to take early flights (from Spokane, you must connect to a major airport to get anywhere), and my wife is usually not thrilled about taking me to the airport at 4:00 in the morning.

Felix owns and operates a single taxi cab in Spokane, and he does it with spectacular success.

What makes him different from all of the other taxi cab operators? I like to think it’s three factors which I denote by the initials PSA.

P is for Personality. Felix’s service is personality-driven by his irascible, talkative, and friendly style.

S is for Service. Felix is service-oriented. He never says no, his cab is immaculately clean and in top physical condition, and there are always candies in the dish on the dashboard.

A is for adaptable. Felix is always adaptable, even if he cannot supply my ride to the airport, he’s the first one to suggest another cab driver who will be able to get me to my destination on time. Integrating these parts of the Felix Factor into your own marketing for your company can make a world of difference.

So What Do You Do With This Information?

Ask yourself how you can you make your product or service more personal, more service-focused, and more adaptable to the needs of your customer, and you just might find you’ve learned some valuable lessons from a small-town taxi driver named Felix.

Bret Ridgway, the founder and CEO of Speaker Fulfillment Services, has a great article on his blog about integrating Paypal and 1ShoppingCart.

It’s a simplified set of step-by-step instructions.

If you’re interested in taking payments via Paypal, and you use 1ShoppingCart (or any of its many private label versions like Marketer’s Choice, Website Automator, and 1AutomationWiz), you will find this article very helpful.

A list of prospects and buyers that you can use as a foundation for your online business. 

It’s harder than ever to build e-mail lists online, as customers are more reluctant to opt in for free e-zines (or other mailing lists) than ever before. 

What’s the best way to build an e-mail list?  Rest assured, e-mail marketing is just as important now as it ever has been, and perhaps even moreso.  So what do you do?  My advice is to use offline marketing to build your online e-mail list.  This is a tactic that is seldom employed by online marketers, and yet it is the most powerful way to build an e-mail list I know of.  Why is this?  Because people who move from an offline promotion to an online mailing list make up the most responsive e-mail list you will ever have.

Here are three ways you can use offline media to build your online mailing list.:

Radio

Radio is an overlooked but inexpensive and effective medium for building an online e-mail list.  If you’re going to use radio, make sure your radio ad is a direct response style. The key to this kind of ad is that it simply directs people to a landing page (or squeeze page) that offers them something for free in return for their name and e-mail address.  Even though the squeeze page technique is harder to implement in today’s online marketing world, with the people who move offline to online response rates are stellar.  

Direct Mail

Using postcards, you can build an e-mail list very quickly using inexpensive direct mail promotions.  Make sure that you buy quality, targeted lists to mail to. Also make sure that the copy you used in your direct mail is targeted, effective, and powerful.  

Outdoor Advertising

If you can squeeze your opt in message into seven words or less, including the domain name, consider using outdoor advertising.  Billboard companies frequently make killer, bargain-basement deals to fill up unused billboard space each month.  Negotiate your deal toward the end of the month, and let them know that they are competing with other media for your business, and you should be able to get the best available rate.

Use these offline methods to build your online list and watch response rates rise.

“As the go-to copy writer for many of the web’s most successful marketers, Ray Edwards has had the opportunity to observe the businesses and more importantly the thought processes of the top “players” in the online business world.
 
Ray has masterfully distilled the wisdom gained from these million dollar clients (and many other mentors, teachers and authors) into 21 fundamentals that anyone can adopt and apply in their own lives to achieve real and lasting success.
 
As someone who has already achieved a certain degree of success online, I can tell you from experience that the fundamental principles ray explains on this CD will transform the quality of your life.
 
The principles Ray shares will not only ensure your online success, but also (if acted upon) ensure your success in all areas of your life.
 
Anyone who has not yet achieved their goals online or offline (and even those who have) should listen to this powerful audio program a minimum of 7 times and then refer back to it on a regular basis.
 
I know I will.  Thanks Ray!

Eric Graham
http://conversiondoctor.com

Grab your copy at the low $47 price before it goes to $97 at 9am Pacific on Thursday 5/24.

It’s about how to leave your 9-5 grind (whether that means you have a job working for someone else… or a "job" working for yourself!).

And Ferriss claims he works just 4 hours per week.

Did I mention he makes over $80,000 per month?

Of course, that was before his book was published. If he hits the best-seller lists, which seems inevitable, I’m sure that number will go up. Way up.

I would think that whole business about "$80,000 per month" was just a load of bull if I didn’t know a handful of people who work 10-15 hours per week and make over $100,00 per month.

 So I know it’s possible… And it blows my mind.

As a result of all this, I’ve set some new goals for my own work life. I’d suggest you get the book and do the same. No affiliate links or anything like that – just a recommendation you go get the book.

I will have more to say about this very soon. And I have a couple of new projects lined up that will help you along your way to that "4-Hour Workweek".

More about those in the next couple of days.

For now… off to the bookstore with you! Grab a copy of "4-Hour Workweek".

You’ll thank me.

Last night I conducted a coaching call for my private coaching students group, and I was nervous about doing it.

  The reason: up until now, I had only done practical, "how to" information on our group coaching sessions.

This one was different.

It was about something more "touchy feely" and I wasn’t sure how it would be received.

Last night’s call was on "The 21 Fundamentals of Online Success". It was a 70-minute call, and I jammed as much value into that session as I possibly could.

As a copywriter, I’ve had the privilege of working with some very successful clients (including Alex Mandossian, Mark Victor Hansen, Ed Dale, Brad Callen, Frank Kern, Jack Canfield, Joel Comm, Willie Crawford, and many others).

I’ve seen what makes them tick.

I’ve studied their businesses, and observed the common success factors that they all share. I have also combined that knowledge with my long-standing study of greats like Napoleon Hill (hence, Napoleon Hill’s Internet Marketing secrets…), Brian Tracy, Tony Robbins, and others.

That combined information — which is available nowhere else at any price — formed the basis of what I taught on last night’s call.

Still, I worried that my students might not find it "practical".

I should not have worried; I’ve already gotten more rave reviews for last nights call than any other single session I’ve conducted.

One example: "Really enjoyed tonight’s call (module 9). In retrospect I think it was worth the cost of the entire course, just by itself. I’m not exaggerating."

I’ve already converted that call into a standalone audio product. It’s a physical audio CD, which will be shipped automatically to my customers without me lifting a finger.

I did it in less than 24 hours from creation to completion.

Within the next week or two, I’ll teach a few students how to do exactly what I did to get their first product out the door and making sales.

In the meantime, you can get a copy of the product for only $27.

I will keep raising it until it reaches $97.

Note from Ray: Response has been great! Thanks to everyone who purchased a copy. As of Sunday 5/6/2007 (and as promised), the price has been raised to $47. The next increase will come later this week, and will go to $67… so if you want a copy, you should buy it now.

So my advice is, if you want to know the specific, concrete, 21 Fundamentals of Online Success, grab a copy for yourself while it’s still only $27 $47.

Claim your copy here.

One of your first tasks as a copywriter is to break down the skepticism that your prospects (readers, site visitors, subscribers) are feeling, and get them to believe you – even just a little bit.

Once that initial barrier of skepticism comes down, you have a chance of making a sale.

How do you break through that skepticism?

Testimonials.

You need lots of testimonials in your copy. How many? As many as you can get.

Here’s a good rule of thumb: however many you have now, get 25% more.

Hard to believe? Maybe. But it’s true anyway; people just don’t want to ask for the order.

There comes a point where you’ve presented all the benefits of your offer; you’ve demonstrated its value; you’ve supplied lots of credible testimonials; you’ve shown your iron-clad guarantee… and you just need to ask for the sale.

On the Internet, this can be as easy as putting in a link that says "Order Now".

Online software mogul and marketing expert Armand Morin usually has anywhere from 5-14(!) order links on each of his sales pages; he says that the more "order links" he adds, the more sales he makes.

And by the way…all of these tips, techniques, and tactics are incorporated into copy I write for my clients. Does it make a difference for them? Just ask Aden Rusfeldt – the copy I wrote for him created a 197% increase in sales.