Dec
30

Cashing in on the not-so-obvious

Why do people overcomplicate things like they do?

It always amazes me.

Without a single thought or care about mastering the basics of marketing, they sprint head first following the scent of a shiny new “social media marketing tool”.

Meanwhile…the greatest marketing opportunities are right in front of their eyes.

Here is a perfect example that was sent to me by my friend and fellow marketing consultant, Graham McGregor (who, by the way, has an EXCEPTIONAL free book you can grab at  http://www.TheUnfairBusinessAdvantage.com).

======================
How they capitalized
on one of the
worlds greatest disasters.
======================

Before the naysayers go off on their tangent about capitalizing on disasters… listen in first before you judge.

The Titanic sunk in 1912.

Thousands of lives were lost.

The 100 year anniversary of this disaster is in 2012.

rather than shying away from the sinking of a cruise liner, the New Zealand Cruise Ship, the MS Balmoral, decided to make the most of it.

2,000 people have pre-booked a cabin for the MD Balmoral voyage that retraces the route of the Titanic’s maiden voyage

Not only are people paying up to $12,100 for passage on this cruise, they are also lining up to “have costumes made to re-create the appearance of the original passengers, while there have also been requests from musicians to audition for places in the modern version of the string quartet that played as the flagship of the White Star Line fleet began to list.”

This Centenial Celebration is gearing up to be a highly enjoyable one for the passengers, and a highly profitable one for the Cruise line.

(http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10775547)

======================
What did they do right,
and how can you copy?
======================

The 2012 Cash Flow Calendar http://www.cashflowcalendars.com is designed to help YOU do exactly what the MS Balmoral has done…

…find unusual events, and create theme-based promotions around it.

For example, in January of 2012, here are a few unusual events you could create themed product or services launches around:

* Second week of January is National Pizza Week
* The fourth week is National Mozart week (and Jan 27th is his birthday)
* January 12th is the 36th Anniversary of the passing of Agatha Christie in 1976
* Friday January 13th is not only a Friday the 13th, but is also the Rubber Duckies birthday
* Sunday, January 22nd is National Answer Your Cat’s Question Day… what better reason for a pet-related marketing campaign (pet campaigns can be a BIG draw for contests, competitions, and just fun all-around promotions).

Keep it simple.

Find a special event or date you could really have fun with.

Do some research about the basics of the date or reason for celebration.

Create a 3 step (minimum) campaign that has some fun with the date, tells a great story that ties into that date, then relate the celebration to your special offer.

Send out all 3 steps, each of them having fun and telling a different part of the theme or story-based campaign.

Simple.

In theory… right?

The key is to just do it. Don’t overthink it… massive momentum and action will take you MUCH FURTHER than over analyzing it will!

Just get it done.

Have some fun.

And give your clients and prospects something fun to get excited about too.

It worked for the cruise line… and will work for you too.

Here’s to a fun-filled, promotion and story packed marketing year!

Troy

PS: People often ask if this applies in their country too (assuming they are outside of North America).

Why not?

Even if National Pizza Week is an American thing, or a Canadian thing, so what?

There is no rule book saying you can’t create your own holiday like this.

DECLARE IT!

You don’t need to ask for permission to do a promotion… just get it done!

2012 Marketing Plan and Cash Flow Marketing Calendar

The 2012 Cash Flow Calendar...turning wacky dates into money making marketing campaigns

The 2012 Cash Flow Calendar http://www.cashflowcalendars.com walks you through the basics of good theme-based promotions and gives you AMPLE opportunity for standing out from the crowd.

…it also gives you a 12-month, week-by-week calendar you can modify to suite your own marketing plans for the year.

Rest assured though… actually filling the calendar out for your own use… and then IMPLEMENTING what is planned… is THE KEY to massive marketing success in 2012.

Thinking about it or promising to do it won’t get you there…

…getting it DONE will.

Dec
02

Biker babes and bad-ass story success

I’m a big fan of Sons of Anarchy.

Hadn’t even heard of it until recently, when a friend gave me seasons 1 through 3 on dvd.

Spellbound and a major time vampire.

Sons of Anarchy has turned out to be one of the best series I have ever seen with some of the most powerful, emotion wrenching storylines I’ve experienced.

The best part is that they use some of the same principles I unexpected have been teaching through my emails and in my Story Selling Coaching calls.

A very basic tool that keeps your prospects interested in hearing from you.

…one that grows your business by leaps and bounds over the years if you use it.

Guess what it is?

If you guessed a fantastic story line (something everyone, yes… you too, can create in their marketing), you are correct.

But there is something else other than the main story line that keeps people craving more and addicted to the characters.

Cliffhangers.

Everywhere.

The amazing writers behind this series are masters at creating tension through cliffhangers.

“Will Jax kill him?”

“Will she tell SAMCRO the one thing that will rip the entire club apart at the seams?”

“Will the Doctor be able to save her career… or be subjected to years as a ‘biker-babe’?”

Each episode leaves more unanswered questions in the viewers mind.

Unbelievably addictive…

…and I am not much for watching a lot of tv.

Get this though:

5.8 million viewers per episode

Highest-rated basic cable drama in the US

Emmy nominated

2011 Golden Globe Winner (Katey Sagal… THE best character I think… and a big surprise Peg Bundy could end up to be such an amazing actress. She was also nominated for numerous other acting awards for her role)

 

…much of it through the incredible use of hooks and cliffhangers.

Something you should be working on in your marketing campaigns.

It’s works like gangbusters and isn’t that hard to do when you practice it a wee bit.

I’ve used it for myself and for many different clients over the years.

 …and the clients and prospects LOVE IT.

A great story, mixed into your marketing and personality-driven communication with your clients/prospects… sprinkled with a dash of cliffhanger and BAM, you have a winning campaign.

One they will want more of.

One they will continue to open, read, and act on.

And you know what?

I’m teaching this in the Story Selling Coaching Club.

To find out the full details and to reserve yourself a spot, go to:

http://www.storysellingtips.com

 

Troy White

Nov
30

4 Ways To Position Your Business and Improve Your Profits

Fellow Business Builder,

Here’s something for you to dig deep into this week.

Whenever I start working with a new client, we put a significant amount of our time into the positioning of them in the market place.  We want to make sure they know where they stand in the buyers eyes, and what makes them the one and only choice in a competitive situation.

It isn’t simple.

Most entrepreneurs want to be everything to everyone… but we all know that strategy is doomed to fail.

So what does work?

How do you reposition yourself in the market?

How do you find the ‘thing’ that puts you heads and tails above the others?

Here are 4 strategies that may help you get clear:

1. Pick on the competition… blatantly! This is the exact strategy that Avis took when they wanted to go head to head against Hertz.  The whole “we’re #2. We try harder.” Approach worked like wildfire for Avis.

They turned their competitors main advantage (being #1) into a David vs. Goliath approach.  And people ate it up.

This approach works just as well today, maybe even better, than it did then.

People mistrust big corporations more.  They want specialized attention. They like dealing direct with the owner(s).  They like the tlc they can get from the smaller guys… so give it to them.

Don’t try and hide from the competition… make the competitions so-called ‘advantages’ into a disadvantage. 

 

2. Big benefit.  Is there one thing you can do or provide that makes the entire investment in your product or service seem miniscule?

If you look at the big picture… is there one thing about your product or services that justifies the price every single time?  Compared to your competition?  Or are they saying the same thing?

There is almost always something there for you; it just takes some digging on your part.

One of my clients in the adventure business mentioned quietly one of his ‘hobbies’ that he loves.  He then went on to tell me that: no where else in the world can you do this, it really is possible (most people think it is only done in the movies), people have paid him BIG dollars to tag along side him for this, and that it only happens once a year.

Can we say ca-ching?

Major opportunity there that we can use as his big benefit.  Being a part of his other program can guarantee you a spot in this… and there is no other way possible to get the chance to do it… other than join.

There is a major benefit to joining him, if you are the right type of person who is wealthy and passionate about getting a serious adrenaline rush.  And there are lots of those out there that would LOVE to do this with him.

 

3. Your buyers.  Who are they and what makes them, specifically, different than other buyers?  Going back to standard customer research… you must know your buyers better than anyone else does.

You need to know: what they think about, what they worry about, what foods they eat (and hate), what their drink of choice is, what books they read (and how often), what movies they watch, what hobbies they have, what their biggest dreams are, and what their grandest desires are. 

Not an easy task.

But imagine what power you hold when you do!

Going back to the 80/20 rule… how does it apply to your buyers?  Your top 20% of buyers… what do you know about them?

How can you find more of just that 20%?  What about the 20% of those 20%?

What makes them different?  You can redesign an entire business around the strategy of selling to a VERY specific business.  And you should!

This is an easy way to grow your profits rapidly, while making your marketing much more targeted and focus on a very specific person (which makes it much easier to find the marketing media to reach them)

 

4. Picking on the problem. I have another client who is a traditional MD, but she has changed her focus to the more natural ways to help the body inside and out.

Her biggest pet peeve right now?

Flu vaccinations.  We are right in the middle of the immunization drive to get everyone and their dog into the doctors for a flu shot.  People are panicking about the N1H1 hype.

And she is PO’d.

Did you know that flu shots use formaldehyde?  The exact same ingredient that is used to preserve DEAD BODIES?

Yup, little Johnny there is getting a flu shot and injected with embalming fluid at the same time.

Not quite what you thought would be in the flu vaccine?

Well it is.

And when my client makes a stand against the traditional medical establishment and the ridiculous things they do, claiming it is for your ‘health’, people pay attention.

People are mortified when they realize how little they know about these shots the medical authorities are putting in your body. They have assumed, until now, that the medical community was acting in their best interest.

Once their eyes are open to the real problem, the real underlying issue that no one else is talking about… my doctor client has their attention.

She is seeing record sales this year (in a private clinic… much rarer in Canada than the US).

There is good reason why: she picked on the real problem (lack of real education about the traditional medical ‘cures’), and is guiding her clients and prospects to a much more educated and intelligent way of deciding who is injecting what into your baby girls blood.

These are 4 simple strategies that might get you thinking.

 Pick one – and find some ways to make it fit your business.

The economy is sluggish in most parts… but the signs are picking up and people are spending more.

Are you preparing yourself to tap into it?

Or are you hoping and praying that when people start buying again, they are waiting with credit cards in hand to buy from your same old pitch you have always used?

Maybe it’s time to invest some brain power on a new strategy for the remaining months in 09 and to kick start 2010?

Don’t wait… get busy!

I would love to hear your ideas.

Thanks again.

To your success,

Troy White

 

PS: I have a VERY unique and powerful done-for-you marketing system that is ready.

If you have ever struggled getting enough consistent marketing materials in front of your clients and prospects, this is definitely for you.

If you have ever thought "these marketing ideas are great...but I just don't have enough time to get it all done"... this is exactly what you need.

If you want to make a BIG impact this Christmas and heading into the New Years, and think the idea of a done-for-you marketing campaign sounds ideal to you.... this is for you.

The best part? 

The price.

Less than the price of 2 mocha-frappo-caffeinated-choc-covered mega drinks!

Don't let the price fool you though...

...this has never been done before this way.

I write the copy.

You send it to your leads and prospects.

Full details we can discuss if you are serious.

Reply back to this or go to
http://blog.smallbusinesscopywriter.com/contact/
and fill out the form.

If you have been reading my newsletters for any length of time
(almost at my 10 year anniversary)... you know I don't hype things up.  

This is the real deal and can attract you much better clients and
repeat sales.  But you need to be serious about working with me.  

Let me know.

 

 

Sep
07

The sad truth about marketing

You know it as well as I do…

…we both wish there WAS some kind of magic button we could push and your business would triple in profitability and your workload be cut in half.

After all, it seems to be promised in all the emails popping up these days.

Just the other day an email came up saying I could OWN Googles top search engine spot with a $27 software tool… sweeeeet!

But then I woke up from the spam nightmare and realized that there is no such thing… anyone claiming to have a ‘magic solution’ it is full of bull.

Those of us who love to stay in reality know that growing a business is something that demands your constant attention…

…if you aren’t paying attention to it… your competitors will with their own.

I LOVE OFFLINE MARKETING, as you may know.

I think it is an incredible opportunity for astute entrepreneurs who understand the importance of leveraging one media off another.

Like using online marketing to generate real physical addresses for yoru prospects and clients.

Or using offline marketing to generate leads online, or to drive them to specific pages on your site.

One client of mine is LOVING what we do with Google Adwords these days… and we have taken our print ad budget – turned it into a Google budget, and used the leftover dollars to send print newsletters to those on our database (prospects and clients).

The best part?

We eliminated his print ads in favor of Google as we are driving FAR more highly targeted leads on Google every month for the same amount as a single ad in a top magazine. Thousands of targeted buyers coming to our site for the same price as a single ad!

But… did you note we didn’t QUIT using print?

We actually ramped it up – in different areas.

And it is kicking some serious patooty!

Which is why you MUST be on the call with Dan Lok.

Dan has taken his offline marketing tools, applied them online, and figured out some stellar ways to grow sales quickly, in any online or offline business.

For example… salons.

Dan is a master at using his online marketing skills to grow brick and mortar businesses.

Dan is a master at using his offline marketing skills to make his online businesses THRIVE.

And he is sharing all in this one-time, never-to-be-repeated webinar.

Don’t miss this one:

Date: Thursday, September 8, 2011
Time: 5 p.m. Pacific. (6pm Mtn. 8 pm EST).
https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/651755038

Here’s a short-list of what will be covered on this 75-90 minute
webinar:

* The fastest, simplest way to start making money on the
Internet. Period.

* How to create a business that makes money for you 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year!

* How to ‘fire your employer’! No more clocking in or out and no
limit to the amount of income you can rake in.

* An amazingly simple strategy to make money without having your
own ‘list’ of customers or prospects

* How to stop trading time for money and start earning a 6-figure
‘Passive’ income within 12 months.

* 2 big mistakes many new Internet Marketers make that you must
to avoid at all costs. (Hint: Making these 2 mistakes can waste
thousands of dollars and years of your time!)

Be on this call for 90 minutes worth of practical information that any and every business owner should be using in today’s marketing quagmire.

It won’t be repeated.

See you Thur night.

Troy

PS: Quick, bolt on over to https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/651755038 and get yourself signed up!

Date: Thursday, September 8, 2011
Time: 5 p.m. Pacific. (6pm Mtn. 8 pm EST).

Aug
31

He’s old and crotchety… but FULL of exceptional marketing advice

Drayton Bird is old and crotchety… he’s always quick to tell you that.

He’s prolific in marketing and ad copy.

He’s one of the greatest direct marketing minds in the world.

He has written ads for nearly every industry out there… and his results
have been stellar.

He has a fantastic sense of humour (as you will see on this free audio
I am about to share – I laughed the entire 74 minutes while talking to him –
and STILL managed to write down 4 pages of notes from this genius).

He also shares freely, as you can see on the audio I have for you here:
http://www.smallbusinesscopywriter.com/drayton/draytonbird.mp3

He ALSO is offering a fantastic opportunity to sit at his side and watch
him show you how to build a bigger business, how to write better copy,
and how to leverage his 50+ years of direct marketing experience into a
marketing breakthrough.

The only downside to the event he is hosting?

…It is in London.

And for some people, it may not be an option. I am scheduled to speak in Edmonton
at the same time (with some of the Dragon’s Den stars, I am proud to say).
So I may have to miss it – but am trying to shuffle speaking slots as well.

If you want to learn from one of the greatest marketing minds in the world
(according to many of the legends like David Ogilvy), then have a look at
what he has going – http://www.directmarketingmentor.com

“Success leaves clues” and Drayton Bird has left 50+ YEARS of direct
marketing success clues here for you today – both in the interview
and hopefully you can join him in London in October.

To your success.

Troy

PS: I have been traveling quite a bit this summer and have some fun
and informative articles coming soon. Watch for the Amish Marketing
Secrets email and some wacky ideas for your fall promotions, which
you can get fired up starting September 15th with the Story Selling
Coaching Club http://www.storysellingtips.com

Jul
28

The difference between B2B and B2C

After nearly 10 years of helping entrepreneurs improve their marketing, I still get a kick out of people that claim “my business is different”.

Usually they claim their buyers are different than any other buyers.

Often though it comes down to this…

“…I sell to businesses – not consumers. And business buyers don’t fall for the same tricks you are sharing Troy.”

I will say this… Business to business (B2B) buyers are NOT different than Business to consumer (B2C) buyers!

A BUSINESS cannot buy anything.

Someone, somewhere, has to be involved in the purchasing process.

And anytime a person is involved, there are biases, prejudices, emotional triggers and hidden motives involved.

As much as we like to pretend otherwise, I don’t think there are too many businesses who use robots for purchasing from strangers. :o )

Yes, there can be minor changes you make to your campaigns to target business buyers, but people are people and the exact same tools and techniques that work in the B2C market ALSO work in the B2B market.

I have shown this many times over the past blog posts.

Like the one client who sells B2B: we sent out 200 letters to a COLD list… business buyers who had NEVER heard of him before. These were highly sophisticated buyers who worked for companies that ranged from $5 million a year to $500 million a year.

We mailed a 2-page black and white letter (no fancy brochures – no gloss – no color – not even a picture to be seen).

We sent it DIRECTLY to the purchasers.

We got a 18% response rate (the goal of the campaign was to initiate direct contact with the purchasing managers – either through a phone call or email… in essence, getting that first foot in the door).

The letter talked more about his family than his business!

And we got email after email THANKING US FOR WRITING A PERSONAL LETTER.

One guy said “I get DOZENS of ‘pitch letters’ like this a week – I want to commend you on writing a very personal letter like this – I wish I saw more of this in my business”.

Hum.

Guess something like that shows you that B2B buyers are NOT different…. they are people and like to buy from people.

So keep that in mind next time you are thinking up excuses on why YOUR buyers are different.

They aren’t that different.

They still eat, sleep, dream and have fears or dreams.

They are people like you and I are.

Treat them that way.

Not many B2B sellers do… so you will definitely stand out from the rest of the nonsense!

Troy

PS: I wanted to make sure you understand this – I have personally sold both B2B and B2C.

When I was working for Hewlett Packard in their Unix systems group… I sold $50,000 computer systems to business buyers. I also sold multi-million dollar servers and storage systems to business buyers. There was ALWAYS a person writing the final orders. Those people wanted to be TREATED like a human being too.

One potential client I nurtured for 2 years selling them smaller systems, ultimately knowing a big purchase order was coming… eventually.

And it did.

$3 million dollars worth of computer gear was sold in the end – the only reason he bought? “Because I stuck with him, and treated him the way he wanted to be treated. Not like some robot purchasing system. That was from him – the one who signed the purchase order and cheque.

If I treated him differently – the sale would have NEVER gone through.