You are here: Home / Archives for marketing plan
Dec
30

Cashing in on the not-so-obvious

By | Email Marketing, Entrepreneurial Spirits, Marketing Calendar, Marketing on the web, Marketing Plan, Viral marketing, Wacky marketing ideas

Leave a Comment

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.

Nov
15

The Action Reaction Success Formula

By | Copywriting, Direct Mail, Leads Generation, Wacky marketing ideas, Writing

Leave a Comment

I was fortunate to learn early on that money loves speed – and that failure is actually a form of success. You have to try things and find out what works… and it will never happen perfectly the first time.

If you aren’t trying to fail, you will never succeed.

In fact, the faster you fail – that faster you will find success.

Money loves speed.

The more speed you have in your business, the more you will attract money. And the best way I can say it is “TAKE IT SERIOUSLY!” Don’t pretend you will try one thing this week and another thing next week. Take 10 things and try 2 of them a day! MAKE the time. If you want serious change in your life and business – make a serious change!

Me?

Many times I feel like my head is swimming as I have so many things on the go at once. But it has reaped great rewards for me in a short period of time

================================================
Some of my daily actions I take – and I recommend you do too:
================================================

1) Habits - get up early and write. Huge rewards. I had a 6 month span where all I did was wake up at 5:30 am and I would write for 2 hours before my kids got up. I got so much done in an average week just from that alone.

You can easily write 2 books a year at that speed. If you don’t want to write – read a motivational or uplifting book (non-fiction). BUT, I can say this: writing every day will turn into the most profitable habit you ever have! You can use these writings in numerous ways in your business, and the rewards will be great.

2) Nutrition - find what works best for you for energy, and a clear mind. Eat fruit only in the mornings is a great way to feel good and clear – and keep a healthy system going. One fabulous tip I learned was the 3 apple a day technique. 3 apples a day is an excellent health foundation that will keep you healthy. Eat them throughout your morning (with no other foods) or spread the apples out so you eat one an hour before each meal. Try it for a couple weeks and see for yourself how good you feel.

3) Exercise. Guilty! I put on 30 pounds when quit my corporate job to work on my own. At the time I was doing 5 days a week of kickboxing and Muay Thai, and went from that to sitting at a desk all the time.
Troy White and his Tae Kwon Do Black Belt
5.5 years ago I got back into marital arts (Tae Kwon Do now – First Degree Belt, working on second), and LOVE IT! Averaging 4 times a week gives me a great escape and a fantastic calorie burning regiment. I also walk Casino, my trusty marketing assistant (and dog) twice a day for a fast paced 30 minute walk that gets my heart racing. That “rush” feeling from a great workout is something that I missed deeply and look forward to experiencing every chance I get. Find something, anything, that helps you work up a sweat. 3 times a week for 30-60 minutes at a time is the perfect start.

4) Hire a coach. Years ago, those in business didn’t quite get this. Athletes made sense – but business? Now it is more commonly understood and adhered to. And it makes sense.

Coaches can see things you can’t – both good and bad. They can motivate you. They can hold you accountable to your actions and promises. And they can make it happen for you, versus stumbling along trying to tackle it all yourself.

My thoughts: hire one making much more money than you. And check their references. I made the mistake of hiring one once that sounded good on paper, but was a disaster as a coach. I now have one who is phenomenal and I suggest you find one too. If you are interested, I have a small coaching program I run for a select group of people. It is not cheap – and you will be held accountable for your own results. But those results can be fabulous!

5) Read – lots. I am guilt of reading too many business books – and too few novels. I think the advice to read 4 business books for every 1 novel is a good one. Business books – the reason is self explanatory (remember the one big idea philosophy). Novels – because you need to expand your mind and because much of what makes for a successful business involves building character into your marketing and day-to-day operations. Novels provide you with exceptional character building ideas… if you put your mind to it.

6) Invest in seminars. But be careful. Seminars can be a very powerful way to fire yourself up, meet incredible entrepreneurs, and discover techniques to grow your business that you may have never even thought of before. But, make sure the speakers are all high quality success stories. Make sure there is some form of a guarantee. And make sure the seminar promises to help you with your existing business, not distract you with another business “opportunity”. Those are a dime-a-dozen, and are not the answer to success.

Learn as much as you can about marketing, advertising, and the mindset of the successful.
Master those 3 and you will succeed in any business you decide to take up.

7) Start or join a mastermind… preferably more than one. If you haven’t read Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, go get it! It is only $10 new, and you can probably find one at your local used book store. That one single book has created more millionaires than any other book in existence… you think there may be an idea or two for you in there? Damn rights! One of the best ones is the mastermind principle.

In a nutshell: meet regularly (bi-weekly or monthly preferred) with 3 to 5 other driven entrepreneurs. Discuss your business challenges, and ask for suggestions on what to do or who to talk to. Keep the conversations positive and helpful. Look deep to find the right people – preferably get people from other industries as you will expand the viewpoints and not get pigeon holed into thinking like everyone else does in your industry.

==================================================
The key with the action reaction is to do many things…

…all at once.
==================================================

Take MASSIVE ACTION and see what happens.

Test new ads, new sales campaigns, new success mindset ideas, new client referral ideas… weekly… all at once.

Some will work and some won’t.

But the ones that DO work will make you a fortune.

To your success!

Troy

PS: Don’t forget to check out the Canadian Profits special offer as well at http://www.entrepreneurprofit.com - the ultimate resource for expanding your business in good times and bad.

2012 Cash Flow Calendar and Marketing Plan
PPS: If you want a step-by-step, day-by-day marketing action plan for 2012… the Cash Flow Calendar is READY! This is a copy and paste, simple solution for those who don’t want to have to create the marketing ideas or copy – and just want it done for them. Have a look at what you get http://www.cashflowcalendars.com

Jan
28

Are you saying NO enough?

By | Marketing Calendar, Marketing Plan, Success, Time management and productivity

4 Comments

Gulp – one month down.

1/12th the year is near gone… are you 1/12th the way to reaching all your goals?

The days and weeks fly by so fast, it sometimes feels like you are moving faster backwards than forward.

That said, there are still 11 months left, and some fantastic opportunities out there for entrepreneurs and small business owners.

Some rules of engagement for 2011:

Rule #1 – Focus. Take a long hard look at all of your projects that you have on your plate. Write them down. Each. One. This is difficult to commit to – and the results will SHOCK you if you are honest. Write down every single project you have on the go right now. Honesty will set you free here.

a) Get rid of those that have no residual or ongoing revenue. Is this a one-hit-wonder project? Or is there something here that you can repurpose and leverage for years to come? A winning promotion can easily be run again next month – or next year. As long as you have new, fresh leads coming in, your promotion will continue to work for you.

b) take a look at the remaining projects. If they are niche or narrow in reach then sell them or close them down. Only look at projects that have a broad reach (can affect many).

Rule #2 – Get your priorities straight. Your main goal this year is…? Number one priority is YOU, then your family, then your business. You cannot run a successful business for the long term if your health is falling apart, you are stressed out, and an insomniac. And if you aren’t looking after yourself, you won’t be looking after your family properly. And if you aren’t looking after yourself or them, your customers certainly won’t be ‘feeling the love’. And if they aren’t feeling it… your main goal doesn’t have a chance!

a) Take daily time for you (rest + play). Make sure you are getting a decent sleep, are eating properly, and getting in some daily exercise (if you are in Calgary, and looking for a like-minded workout partner, I would love to have you join me in my M/W/F Tae Kwon Do Classes (12-1) – let me know if interested). You need to be fully exploiting your downtime, and you need to start doing fun stuff with fun people on a regular basis.

Me and my daughters waiting for the 'old guy' to finish the Black Belt Test

Me and my daughters waiting for the 'old guy' to finish the Black Belt Test

Full disclosure: For far too long I have avoided going out to local networking events in Calgary. I had a good reason – 3 years ago there was nothing really solid in the entrepreneurial space here for meetings. That was 3 years ago. Just last week I went to a fantastic event with over 100 entrepreneurs. Great people – a great event – and a realization that things HAVE changed in the past 3 years. Resources like meetup.com have changed this space. It is now easier than EVER to find like-minded people to talk to… use this service for finding others… and setting up your own meetups.

b) Appreciate your spouse and children. If your home life is a mess, your business life won’t be any better. Give them time, and a FOCUSED you. Not you with nose buried in a crackberry or iphone. You. Just you. No technology.

My daughters LOVE going for walks with me and the dog – no ipods or phones allowed. We talk. We laugh. We solve all of the world’s problems. Create a one hour rule.

My Assistant, 'Casino'


One hour of family focus time a day on weekdays – and MUCH more than that on weekends. Again… if your home life is a mess, your business life won’t be any better.

c) Are you working harder for others or for you? Stop running on adrenaline. This is an exhausting treadmill to be on. Constantly pushing to help others, do good, be more, connect more, etc. All sounds good in theory – but if you aren’t worrying about your own good (and ability to pay the bills), the rest doesn’t matter.

Serving and helping more people is a great thing… but change things if it isn’t paying the bills. Now is NOT the time to get deeper in the hole, while you wait for the miracles to happen. Get busy helping others, as long as it is helping yourself as well!

Rule #3 – Say NO! Lots. For many entrepreneurs, this is one of the toughest things to ask of them. We all LOVE new ideas. New ventures. New possibilities. But that love for ‘new’ costs us all dearly. You know it. I know it.

a) Decide what you want in 2011 and don’t want. Are you going to launch a new venture? Then launch A new venture – not 5. Are you re-focusing your marketing on your top 3 products? Then narrow it down to ONLY 3 products and create new marketing campaigns for ONLY those 3. Get rid of everything else – not an easy thing to do – but a necessity!

By far the most empowering thing you can do in 2011 is to start saying no every single day to new distractions. Keep track of how many times you say no a day. How can you double that?

b) Manage your time and STOP letting others manage your time. Emails. Facebook. Twitter. Phone calls. Instant messages. Texting. I get exhausted just thinking about it all. The biggest lesson? You have NO control over your life and business if these so-called ‘tools’ run your life.

If you can’t go to the bathroom without a phone in your hand…or you can’t eat dinner without checking email…or you can’t sit and enjoy dinner without the phone ringing… you AREN’T the one in control of your life. Electronics and clients are… and something needs to change.

c) Think BIG. Successful CEOs don’t tackle it all at once, or on their own. They quickly figure out if the project s leading them in the right direction or not. Either turfing the idea overall, or delegating it to someone else who can implement the idea. Implementation is the nemesis of most entrepreneurs… taking on too much and not picking up the pieces after. CHANGE THAT THIS YEAR. If you are always saying yes and trying to do it yourself, then you are in the mud all the time and someone else is making the money off of your hard work.

Rule # 4 – Must take action on a daily basis. Sounds easy… but most of us don’t take the proper actions on a daily basis. We start the day with email… then fight fires answering emails and letting them direct the rest of our day.
Eugene Schwartz gave us one of his greatest secrets – a timer set to 33 minutes and 33 seconds. Let that little electronic device determine the direction of your day.

Start blocking off your day with the help of that timer and you will get more done in 5 of those 33 minute blocks than you normally do in an entire day, maybe WEEK!

All it

takes is one thing a day…

* Write an email to your clients
* Send 1 card to 1 prospect
* Write one press release and submit online
* Ask one person for a referral
* Write one blog entry
* Ask one person to endorse me to their list
* Write one article for your newsletter
* Compliment one person who has helped you
* Add one page of content to your website
* Send one monthly promotion to your clients
* Test one new upsell offer today
* Bundle 3 products into one and create a new name
* Ask one customer for their feedback
* Ask one customer what else they would like to buy
* Create a customer survey to find out what they want
* Offer one free bonus “just as my way of saying thanks”
* Find out what your clients fear the most
* Offer your clients a teleseminar – ask them for content
* Offer your clients a live seminar – bring in guest speakers
* Visualize your perfect business and life for 5 minutes
* Ask 5 clients if you can take them for a brainstorming lunch

Simple… right?

That is exactly what you need to do to make the most of 2011.

One.
Simple.
Thing.
A Day.

Real success is NOT about shiny objects and miracle pills. It is all about systematically doing the right things that pull you one step closer to your goals. It doesn’t happen overnight… rather one simple step at a time.

Here’s to a fantastic year ahead!

I would love to hear YOUR additions to this list!

What is your greatest tip to getting more done in less time?

To your success,

Troy White

PS: If you are ready to rock and roll the rest of the year – get your Cash Flow Calendar and have me help you create the perfect marketing plan for 2011. All the details are at Cash Flow Calendars… The Ultimate Marketing Plan (also very much underpriced – according to many, many buyers who used it and got 20:1 returns on their investment the FIRST time they used it.

2011 Marketing Calendar, Marketing and promotional plan for small businesses.

Wacky marketing ideas galore! Over 1,200 marketing prompts, templates and blueprints

Jan
10

Marketing is all about one simple thing

By | Autoresponders, Entrepreneur, Leads Generation, Main Content, Marketing Calendar, Marketing Plan, Story Selling, Wacky marketing ideas

1 Comment

All it takes is one thing a day…

* Write an email to your clients

* Send 1 card to 1 prospect

* Write one press release and submit online

* Ask one person for a referral

* Write one blog entry

* Ask one person to endorse me to their list

* Write one article for your newsletter

* Compliment one person who has helped you

* Add one page of content to your website

* Send one monthly promotion to your clients

* Test one new upsell offer today

* Bundle 3 products into one and create a new name

* Ask one customer for their feedback

* Ask one customer what else they would like to buy

* Create a customer survey to find out what they want

* Offer one free bonus “just as my way of saying thanks”

* Find out what your clients fear the most

* Offer your clients a teleseminar – ask them for content

* Offer your clients a live seminar – bring in guest speakers

* Visualize your perfect business and life for 5 minutes

* Ask 5 clients if you can take them for a brainstorming lunch

Simple… right?

That is exactly what you need to do to make the most of 2011.

One.
Simple.
Thing.
A Day.

And here is the grand daddy system for making this easy…

2011 Marketing Calendar, Marketing and promotional plan for small businesses.

Wacky marketing ideas galore! Over 1,200 marketing prompts, templates and blueprints



The Ultimate Marketing Plan and Calendar for Entrepreneurs and Small Business owners who want to make more money in their business.

Simple…

…open the calendar up for the day and you get 3, 4, maybe 6 different ideas you could use for the day.

Pick one.

Follow the templates in the back.

Promote your business.

And profit.

I love simple… so should you!

Troy

Jan
07

Do 500 men love their wives?

By | Leads Generation, Marketing Calendar, Marketing Plan

Leave a Comment

In 1934 a florist (B. Altman) ran an advertisement that went like this:

“We believe there are 500 men in New York who love
their wives… and want to give them flowers for
Easter

So… we’ve provided 500 old-fashioned bouquets…
ready now and packed in beautiful boxes. They’re
just inside the Fifth Avenue entrance… all at one
price and that one price very easily to afford”
($2.50)

Simple?

Yes.

Successful?

500 bouquets sold in 3 hours = 170 PER HOUR!

So, yes.

The reason why this is mentioned here?

Could YOU not find a way to make this work?

You are appealing to an upcoming holiday — one typically not thought of by men that often as a reason to give flowers.
[hint: Valentine's Day coming up - a GOOD reason to have a promotion]

You are appealing to the simple nature of men… make is EASY to buy (packaging done – right inside the door – one price – not expensive… all of these make it EASY to buy).

How could you run a special bundle promotion for one of the following events that happen next Monday (Jan 10th):

Oil 1st discovered in Texas (1901) / Peculiar People Day / Volunteer Fireman’s Day /
National Cut Your Energy Cost Day / Where’s the Beef? Day

Not hard to figure out is it?

“Thanks for being a great customer – - here is a special offer just for you. Offer good until midnight on Thanksgiving day.”

Think it through – and get your promotions going!

The Cash Flow Calendar is designed to be a simple marketing plan for the entire year.

Complete with at least 3-5 ideas every single day of the year for a promotion, plus templates and ready to steal letters, as well as an actual 12 month spreadsheet you can use for planning and tracking your promotions.

One client just upgraded his 2010 version to the 2011 version VERY quickly.

Why?

Because he made an additional $11,000 in January last year by using the ideas in this marketing calendar! Simple… and very cost effective.

Here’s to a GREAT year ahead!

Troy
(PS: The ad above was written by Ruth Packard – one of the great copywriters who understood the power of simplicity and ease of order).

Jan
04

A New Year and a new marketing plan for 2011

By | Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurial Spirits, Leads Generation, Marketing Calendar, Marketing Plan, Success

Leave a Comment

Happy New Year!

Now get to work.

Seriously, we are all done our rest and relaxation – and now its time to get busy planning for the year.

Some of my top tips for making the most of 2011:

1) Surround yourself with other successful people. From the coaches and mentors you take on (which you MUST) – to the people in your circle of friends.

You must always be looking for those who can support you in your dreams, yet give you down-to-earth, street-smart business and personal advice.

If you are hiring a coach for 2011, which I recommend you do, make SURE you get ample amounts of 1-on-1 time with them. I tried a couple different coaches through the years and the best fit I found is one where I get multiple 1-on-1 meetings a month with them by phone. THAT is what makes the difference – not a single group phone call a month, like many of them offer.

(if you are interested in a coach, I have 2 spots available in a program I never promote – Million Dollar Blueprints – let me know if interested)

2) Forget about listening to the “Negative Nellies” in your life. These are the friends, family members, or business associates that take great pride in cutting your great ideas into itty-bitty little pieces. They always think their opinion is the only right one. And they are always wrong.

Do whatever you need to do to distance yourself from these people – if, for some reason, you have no choice but to be around them, find an entertaining way to talk to yourself while they go about their endless droning about how stupid you are for trying to be successful, or creative. Last, it feels REAL GOOD to prove them wrong – a worthy goal in and of itself.

3) Do not try and be everything to everyone. I turned down a lot of work this year. And it felt good. Earlier in 2007 I decided to limit how much of my time was available to others, and have put a big dent in the amount of hours I write, coach or consult with others. My rates went up substantially as well.

For 2011, you really need to consider who you really want to work with – and then repackage what you offer, and for how much, so that you are getting only the types of clients you feel the best working with.

4) Technology does NOT make our lives all that much easier – or productive. Email without management tools becomes a burden. Cell phones with all the nice tools become a crutch, and are debatable in the actual productivity gains claimed. Facebook and Myspace type sites are still questionable. Despite some of the claims I have heard of the incredible business advantages to these networks – I would need to see some pretty solid proof that the immense amount of time going into the management of this is worth it.

(that said – I am seeing phenomenal results from the advertising my clients and I are doing on Facebook and Google – if you need help implementing lead generation campaigns – the coaching program is perfect for you)

5) When building and designing a business to be sold in the near future, make sure you plan for an EASY exit strategy.

My father-in-law sold his drilling mud company to an Australian firm – and had a real tough time in the transition. Bob is a successful entrepreneur who has built this company up from nothing into a multi-million dollar a year business – so asking him to
become an employee of a multi-national conglomerate is not something to be taken lightly.

It taught me a very valuable lesson to plan an exit strategy so that you are not in the same position at the time when you just want to move on.

Plan for the exit to be as simple and seamless as possible, without you having to be the brains behind the business for years after it sells.

6) Hire slow – fire fast. Some great advice I had heard from Dan Kennedy, which I ignored at the beginning of the year. Cost me money and too much stress. Now I am much more careful with the people I hire, and at the first sign of ignoring the pre-determined rules, they are gone. Simple advice – but very worthy of inclusion into your hiring, your joint venture partners, any business associates or partners you are thinking of bringing on.

7) Read – LOTS. I averaged at least one book a week – many weeks 3 or 4. The most successful entrepreneurs in the world are voracious readers – and there are soooooo many great books to read, and learn from.

One recent read: Sex, Money, Kiss by Gene Simmons – AWESOME BOOK.

I had always loved KISS, but didn’t know much about Gene, other than what I saw on his Family Jewels reality show. Now HE is a true genius and master entrepreneur. If you are looking for some serious lessons on building a mega empire, like he has, read this book. {You can and should also read my article about Gene Simmons at this profitable spot}

I want to wish you a very Happy New Year!

And I do look forward to hearing about your goals for the year.

Troy

PS: Dont forget, I have 2 highly profitable programs you should consider using to jump start your year:

2011 Cash Flow Calendars - a step-by-step blueprint for mastering your marketing plan and building your promotional calendar for the year.

Entrepreneurial Spirits - get your year off to a kick start by being an author! Work with me and I will have you in print (and on Amazon) in February this year.

« Older Posts