Find the hidden money with a newsletter, Part II

Last week we started a new segment on finding the hidden money in your business, and we started talking about monthly newsletters. To see where we’ve been check out this post. Today we’re going to cover 3 more advantages of using your newsletter, and why it should be seen as an income producing asset, and NOT an expense.

Once you start doing your newsletter and get good at it, it’s actually very enjoyable to do. I can speak directly from experience on this. I knew for about a year that I needed to do a monthly newsletter, but I kept putting it off. Layout, content, printing, it was too much of a hassle. Finally, last October I just decided to do it.

Yeah, it was hard at first, deciding what articles to put where, the layout, images etc. But after about 3 months I got pretty darn good at it. And truth be told, its one of the most enjoyable things I do each month and actually gives me a nice little break from the day to day grind we all feel.

Since you’re on this email list, you should also be receiving me monthly print newsletter, if you’re not, email me your mailing address and I’ll get you on the October list.

Here’s another great tip, I recently did this over the summer and had great success with it.

You can test offers to roll out into solo campaigns or mailings. I will often throw an offer into the newsletter as a “Highlighted Item” or “New Item.” If it does well, I roll it out as a solo campaign.

For you members of the 3D Mail Insider’s Circle, that’s exactly what I did. I put it in the newsletter, it got a good enough response, so I rolled it out as a solo direct mail piece. There’s lots of campaigns that I thought would be big winners, and I tested it in my newsletter and decided to move on to the next thing.

Finally, the #1 reason to have a monthly newsletter: It reminds your customers to come back. Most of your clients don’t return because of price, or bad service or anything like that. They simply forget about you. A newsletter is the best way to make sure that doesn’t happen.

OK, I know I promised you content ideas, but this tip ran a little longer than I thought it would. Stay tuned for later in the week and we’ll discuss content ideas… I promise!

Marketing Tip Readers Only Special

By far the biggest reason I hear that businesses don’t use newsletters is either:

1. I don’t have time
   or
2. I don’t know what to write about.

We’ll, I have good news. My friend Jim Palmer is known internationally as The Newsletter Guru and is the president of No Hassle Newsletters.

Jim's ‘Done-for-You’ no hassle newsletters will fill your pipeline with more repeat and referral business, with no cold calls, no pressure, and no rejection

For information on his Done-4-you newsletter system, (key word: System) in which he writes, produces and mails your monthly newsletter FOR YOU, just click on this link.

Find the hidden money with a newsletter

On Tuesday we started a new segment on finding the hidden money in your business. I said it all started with the right list. See that article here on my blog. Today we’ll talk about a marketing idea that will help uncover more hidden money; it’s something lots of people know they should do, but rare do it… That’s right, a monthly newsletter!

We’ll start off today with some of the advantage of using newsletter marketing, then in a future email,we’ll talk about the content you should use.

The first thing you got to get out of your head is that a newsletter is an expense. It’s been my own personal experience, and those of the many business owners and entrepreneurs I speak with, that they’re not an expense, but actually a profit generator!

Newsletter have a high readership level, and they’re not perceived as “salesy” and most people read them with their “guard down” (however, you can and should
have direct offers in your newsletter, but we’ll talk about that later). In fact, when done properly, your clients will actually look forward to getting and reading them.

Here’s another biggie, your competition probably isn’t using a newsletter, and this gives you a huge competitive advantage. When it comes time to order again, who are they going to call, the person whose newsletter is sitting on the coffee table, or “the other guy.” Easy answer.

Another reason to use them is they can actually work as a form of branding that actually works and pays for itself! If you’ve read this tip much (or my newsletter,hint, hint) you know I’m anti-Madison Avenue, golden arches and swooshes marketing. However, with a newsletter you can brand you the person (its much easier to brand a person than an entire business/industry) by becoming a celebrity and guru in your niche.

That’s a wrap on this post. Stay tuned for next week and we’ll discuss 3 more advantages for using a newsletter and start addressing the topic you all dread…
CONTENT! See you then!

Marketing Tip Readers Only Special

By far the biggest reason I hear that businesses don’t use newsletters is either:

1. I don’t have time
   
   or
   
   
2. I don’t know what to write about.

We’ll, I have good news. My friend Jim Palmer is known internationally as The Newsletter Guru and is the president of No Hassle Newsletters. Jim's ‘Done-for-You’ no hassle newsletters will fill your pipeline with more repeat and referral business, with no cold calls, no pressure, and no rejection

For information on his Done-4-you newsletter system, (key word: System) in which he writes, produces and mails your monthly newsletter FOR YOU, just click on this link.

Find the hidden money in your business

Today we’re going to start a new series on finding the hidden money in your business. This will take a couple weeks, so strap in, ‘cause here we go.

To really find the hidden money in your business,it all starts with the list, and more specifically, your own, in-house produced list. This is your #1 asset in ANY business. My mentor Dan Kennedy likes to say that if you took away his business, products and anything else he sells, but left him his list, he could build a business at least as big from the ground up all over again, with just his list. This can and should be the same for your own list.

So how do we grow you list? We’ll start with ‘the trap.’ The trap is the place where the prospects name, address, email, fax, phone, traits etc are captured using enticing ‘bait,’ like a free trial, a free report, free product/services etc.

Of utmost importance, permission to use that information is secured. This usually is done by add a short line on any form (either offline or online) that says something like, “Providing this information to XYZ Company allows them to contact you via the above methods.”

If you wish, this allows you to run smaller, simpler ads, keeping the front end cost low and investing most of your resources in interested prospects.

I often tells clients this same thing in regard to 3D Mail. I’ll be the first to admit, 3D Mail can sometimes add costs to your mailing. I using it for prospecting puts you out of pocket, use it as a step in your marketing funnel to really WOW your prospect.

The best and cheapest way to learn this methodology is by playing prospect with companies doing lead generation advertising. This isn’t a hard exercise either. Start looking around, answer ads that are simply lead generation devices and see what and how they send information to you. The ones and look the best usually are, so mimic them.

This is admittedly an over-simplistic explanation of lead generation and list building, so to find out more, visit this blog posting and go from there.

Later we’ll talk about one of the biggest ways to find and get the hidden money in your business. Do you think you know what it is?

Marketing Tip Readers Only Special

The best system I’ve ever seen for systematically and automatically implementing your lead generation marketing is Infusionsoft.

Infusionsoft’s automatic follow-up software combines email marketing, CRM & eCommerce into one, simple system, so you can effortlessly stay in touch with
prospects & customers and close more sales. With Infusionsoft, you’ll always be growing your business... even when you’re out of the office, at the beach, or asleep!

I use it myself for a lot of the 3D Mail marketing you get from me, as well as my coaching/consulting business. They even have glowing endorsements from Michael Gerber of the E-Myth and Dan Kennedy!

To get a free eBook on lead generation marketing and using a marketing funnel including 9 proven techniques to double your sales visit this site here.

They have great lead generation devices and a great marketing funnel. So even if you’re set with your CRM, email etc. you should still take a look and get on their list. They are a great company to ‘play prospect with’ as I described above. If you study it closely you’ll get a PhD level education in the topics we’ve just been discussing. Here’s that link once more.

A Huge Marketing Calendar Suggestion

Last week we started talking about using a marketing calendar. We talked about why it was critical that you have one, and a couple things to consider when you’re creating your calendar. To review, see the blog post from last week.

I told you this would probably be the shortest tip I’ve ever written, but it’s probably the most important thing you can get out of this segment on marketing calendars. It’s an advanced idea for REAL implementers. You ready?

Post your marketing calendar where people you work with can see your initiatives to let them know what to expect and… HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE TO GET THEM DONE!

Blog Readers Only Special

My friend and very successful marketer Troy White has created a great resource where he’s created the marketing calendar FOR YOU!

The Cash Flow Calendar contains completed marketing campaigns that guarantee to grow your business.

You will learn how to capitalize on the thousands of opportunities you have at your disposal to write new product or service launch. How to transfer an unusual holiday, even the standard ones, with a few minor changes, and one simple addition, to create monster successes with each mailer you send out to your clients.

For each MONTH of the year, you will receive countless opportunities and ideas to run month-long promotions - or one major product launch tied into a monthly event (for example, did you know that April is National Customer Appreciation Month? Perfect time for a mailer and promotion. Or that April also is the month of National Couple Appreciation Month? How easily could you tie in that to a promotion applicable to couples? Troy shows you how.

There’s a ton of done-for-you marketing in this resource. Visit Troy's site here to see it all for yourself.

If you purchase the 2009 version you’ll also the 2010 version for free. You’ll get the ’09 version shipped immediately, then the ’10 version when it is ready in about a month. It will have more dates, more templates, and more copy and paste letters. See details here.

3 things to consider with your marketing calendar

Last week we started talking about using a marketing calendar. We talked about why it was critical that you have one, and a couple things to consider when you’re creating your calendar. To review, see the blog post below.

Moving on today, we’ll discuss 3 more things you must consider when you create your marketing calendar.

One thing I always do with my calendar is, at least 3 months prior to the initiative, is I map out everything in greater detail including the specific media to use. Most of the time, I don’t choose the media right away when I put my calendar together, but I do occasionally. I also try to use multiple different kinds of media over the course of a year. I certainly use 3D mail with sales letters, but I also use email, fax, postcards, etc. I’m always changing it up so my current clients get something new and different as often as possible.

It’s also perfectly fine to periodically visit your marketing plan knowing that its O.K to tweak and adjust your plan, for whatever reason.

Finally, after each initiative is completed and the results are in, go back and analyze how you can improve it in the future. This is very important. Even if you have a winner, there’s usually something you can test or tweak to improve your results. Challenge yourself and your team not rest on your laurels and find things to test for an improved response. For ideas on testing your direct mail, see this article I wrote last year on the subject.

My next tip will very short, probably the shortest tip I’ve ever written, but it may be one of the most important. See you then.

Creating Your Marketing Calendar

On Wednesday we started talking about using a marketing calendar. We talked about why it was critical that you have one, and a couple things to consider when you’re creating your calendar. To review, see the blog post below.

Moving on today, we’ll discuss 2 more things you must consider when you create your marketing calendar.

This is a biggie. You need to agree on specific marketing initiatives that can be accomplished, with specific deadlines. That last part is H-U-G-E! Unless you have specific deadlines in which to get things done, there’s nothing holding you accountable to getting it done.

Too many marketers go at marketing half-assed, and flying by the seat of their pants. If you have a known specific goal and a specific deadline set far enough in advance, you’ll have a much better chance of reaching those goals on time, and on budget.

This is one reason why I like holiday marketing so much. There’s a specific day you must meet to get the promotion done. Once it’s gone, you can’t use it again for another year.

Next, you need to space out your marketing initiatives where your clients regularly hear from you throughout the year.

Let’s take our holiday themed marketing we touch on above. It’s great if you want to run a Thanksgiving promotion, and a Christmas promotion, but that better not be it. Your clients will only hear from you twice in a 30 day period, and then wait for 11 months. You need to have those, and a Labor Day promotion, an Independence Day sale, Women’s History Month (March) etc. Clumping your promotions together is not the way to go.

For more information on Marketing Calendars, be sure to see the Blog readers only resource on the post below.

That’s a wrap for this week. We’ll pick up on Tuesday of next week. Until then, keep on marketing!

Use a Marketing Calendar

Creating a marketing calendar is perhaps the single most valuable time you spend “on” your business each year. But why should you have a marketing calendar?

Most businesses have no marketing plan at all. To compound things, they make plans based on whoever is trying to sell them the next shiny object. In speaking with business owners and entrepreneurs daily, I’ve found that less than half Of all business actually do it, but those that do have a HUGE competitive advantage.

Below are a few things to consider when creating a marketing calendar. We’ll do a few each tip for the next week or so.

First, you need to devote specific, uninterrupted time each year when you create your calendar. I like to use the time near the end of each December. Things seem to slow down a bit then. The phone doesn’t ring quite an often, and there’s less demands on my time. While this may not be ideal (the phones ringing less, etc), it gives me that uninterrupted time that I need to get it done.

Second, you want to solicit information and help from key people in your business. Do have sales reps? Get them, or their manager involved. Want to run a specific campaign that requires accounting/book-keeping to get involved, do. In fact, I just met with our VP of Operations regarding a “Pay Later” campaign I want to run. Her input on the implementation of it, from an accounting standpoint, was invaluable.

If you’re a sole proprietor, you may want to meet in advance with your vendors who will be helping the campaign along. See that they can meet your deadlines and that they can implement what you want to do. You don’t want to get to the time to implement, and then get stalled because a vendor or key person can’t get the job done in time.

That’s it for today. Later in the week we’ll discuss three additional things you need to consider when creating your marketing calendar. See you then!

Blog Readers Only Special

My friend and very successful marketer Troy White has created a great resource where he’s created the marketing calendar FOR YOU!

The Cash Flow Calendar contains completed marketing campaigns that guarantee to grow your business.

You will learn how to capitalize on the thousands of opportunities you have at your disposal to write new product or service launch. How to transfer an unusual holiday, even the standard ones, with a few minor changes, and one simple addition, to create monster successes with each mailer you send out to your clients.

9 success keys to making any promotion you send a money maker

For each MONTH of the year, you will receive countless opportunities and ideas to run month-long promotions - or one major product launch tied into a monthly event (for example, did you know that April is National Customer Appreciation Month? Perfect time for a mailer and promotion. Or that April also is the month of National Couple Appreciation Month? How easily could you tie in that to a promotion applicable to couples? I show you how.

23 different ways (and reasons) to stay in touch with your customers and prospects (each on of them can make you a bundle if you use them).

And tons more. Visit Troy's site to see it all for yourself.

Real World USP Examples

Last week I gave you three questions you should consider when you craft your own unique selling proposition. I also told you I’d dissect two “real world” USP’s that I use in two businesses that I’m involved with. To see where we’ve been, see my blog here. For the 2 real world examples, read on.

We talked last week about some of the most effective USP’s I’ve seen and we mentioned Domino’s and FedEx. Those were short, sweet and to the point. However, there is value in USP’s that are not short. Now I’m not talking about long-winded, totally-drawn-out USP’s that nobody can remember, but a longer one can have just as much meaning and value as a short one.

Here are two examples I hinted at last week. Here’s one for our retail supply business, American Retail Supply:

Everything you need to run your store – on time, every time, from the people who know only happy clients come back.

To you, that may not mean much, but to the independent retailer or regional chain (our bread and butter clients), this has tremendous value.

Here’s one that may have some meaning to you:

Helping direct mail marketers increase their ROI with creative, unique and clutter busting 3D mail products and grabbers.

That’s ours at 3D Mail. I admit I don’t use it nearly enough, but now that I’ve shared it with all of you, I’ll certainly start using it more.

You’ll notice in both USP’s we’re not trying to be everything to everyone. In fact, it’s just the opposite. If you don’t have a store, the American Retail Supply USP means very little to you, in fact, you’d probably stop reading after the first line. But if you own a store, it speaks directly to you. Every store owners hates having multiple PO’s with multiple vendors. They hate when their supplies don’t arrive when they’re told they will. They can relate to it.

The same goes for our 3D Mail USP. Right off I state that we help direct mail marketers. If you don’t use direct mail, it’s not for you. But if you do, you certainly keep reading. We even make a promise of increasing the ROI of those who use it. No a bad USP if I may say so (I did write it, so I better like it!)

Here’s a litmus test for you. Ask your clients what they think your USP is. If they can get close, then you’re on the right track. It may not be exactly phrased right, but if they get the big picture, you’re doing something right.

That wraps up our series on USP’s. We could go on and on with USP’s, you could spend an entire seminar on the topic. We’ll march on later in the week with our new topic. See you then!

Finding Your USP, Part 2

On Tuesday we talked about the ways you can find your own, unique USP. Some of those included product or price advantage, or a process advantage, plus a few others. To review see that blog post here. We’re going to go over some other methods you can use to create and craft a winning USP for your business.

Here are three questions you should ask yourself before you start tackling your USP:

1. What do you do better than anyone else in your category?
2. What can you do better than anyone else in your category?
3. What should you do better than anyone else in your category?

Some of the best USP ever took those 3 questions and created entire businesses around them with short, memorable and descriptive USP’s. Domino’s is probably
the best example out there:

Fresh, hot pizza delivered in 30 minutes or less or it’s free.

Notice there no mention of good pizza, quality ingredients,or anything else. Just hot pizza, FAST. FedEx’s is no slouch either:

When is absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.”

Here’s another one. As amazing as it sounds, a COMPETENCY USP actually works now. Most business are so incompetent at what they do (however, those business are finding it a bit tougher now days). Here’s a great example of one I read in a newsletter not too long ago:

What if you actually liked your Attorney? We listen, we respond. We return your phone call.

I want to track this attorney down and give him my business! On Tuesday we’ll wrap up our discussion on USP’s, and I’ll dissect two USP’s we have for two businesses I am involved with, and I’ll give you a few more examples of great USP’s. I’ll talk to you then.

Blog Readers Only Special

Bill Glazer is one of the top Marketing Strategists in the world and one of the highest paid and OUTRAGEOUSLY successful copywriters alive today.

In fact, he’s written 23 sales letters that have EACH generated one million dollars in sales.

If you’d like to get a copy of Bill Glazer’s most OUTRAGEOUSLY SUCCESFUL sales letter he’s ever written and now used by business owners and entrepreneurs in 67 different business categories (online and offline) in association with the launch of Bill’s JUST RELEASED new book “OUTRAGEOUS Advertising That’s OUTRAGEOUSLY Successful” then click on the link below:

www.outrageousbook.com/keith

If you are ever dissatisfied with the results you get from your advertising or marketing dollars than this is for YOU. Plus you should grab a copy of his new book while you’re at it. IT HAS MY HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION!!!!

www.outrageousbook.com/keith