Copyright 1998 By Bob Leduc
Every day I get postal mail and email advertising that obviously
wastes a large part of the sender's money and time. Both of the
following advertisements arrived today. Can you identify the same
major mistake in each that will chase away most of their potential customers?
The first message came by email. It promotes a network marketing
business opportunity. No person's name appears anywhere in the
message. The only contact information is a website address. I clicked
on the address and went to the website. Several pages of text and
pictures do a good job of selling the business opportunity. The
"Sign Up Page" asks for a lot of information about me but
reveals nothing about the identity of the distributor who gets paid
if I sign up.
The next promotion came by postal mail. It was sent in a plain white
envelope with my name and address computer printed on a label and no
return address. Inside is an attractive sales circular offering a
book about tax reduction strategies for small business owners. No
person's name appears anywhere on the envelope or in the circular.
The order form includes a company name and a handwritten 5 digit
number labeled "Dept" as part of the company's address.
This number probably identifies the distributor who sent the
circular. The circular asks me to send $43.95 in cash, check or money
order to get the book.
A real person spent money and time to send each of these messages.
They expected to generate enough business to cover expenses and make
a profit. Instead, each one chased away more interested prospects
than they sold. Do you know why? Because they didn't include their
real names and personal contact information. The most valuable
benefit you can offer to potential customers is -- YOU!
COPY BIG BUSINESS
All big companies publicize the names of their top executives and the
public can reach their offices. Usually a staff of courteous,
consumer oriented subordinates handles the calls and correspondence.
They make sure every customer and potential customer feels important
enough to have access to the executive offices. Why do big companies
do this? Because they realize how important personalized attention is
to customers. They also know it contributes to the company's bottom
line. Most owners and executives of large businesses understand this.
Many small business owners do not.
I talk with small business owners every week who use recorded phone
messages, fax on demand, autoresponders, websites, etc. without
providing a way for potential customers to contact them directly.
They don't realize how much business they're losing from potential
customers who want to communicate with a real person.
PERSONALIZE YOUR AUTOMATIC SYSTEMS
I'm not suggesting you stop using automated systems. You should use
them whenever you can. These valuable tools enable you to eliminate
repetitive, routine procedures so you can devote more time to the
productive functions of building your business. However, they
insulate you from your potential customers and de-personalize your communications.
Make it easy for prospects and customers to reach you. Include your
name, address and phone number in everything you use to promote
business -- including your "automatic" communications. This
also applies to web pages and email messages. If calls made to the
phone number in your promotional material do not come to you, include
your own phone number too.
Publicizing your real name and personal contact information enhances
your credibility. The volume of additional business it generates may
surprise you.
Bob Leduc retired from a 30 year career of
recruiting sales personnel and developing sales leads. He is now a
Sales Consultant. Bob recently wrote a manual for small business
owners titled "How to Build Your Small Business Fast With Simple
Postcards" and several other publications to help small
businesses grow and prosper. For more information...Email:
BobLeduc@aol.com Subject: "Postcards". Phone: (702)
658-1707 (After 10 AM Pacific time) Or write: Bob Leduc, PO Box
33628, Las Vegas, NV 89133
Like a lot of you out there, I am not that fond of hearing
about New Year's resolutions. Through the years the entertainment and
news media have mainly focused on things we enjoy doing but need to
give up. Smoking, drinking and eating come to mind. While quitting
something for health reasons is a good idea, let's face it, it's not
fun to think about giving up what we are good at doing. So I'm not
going to talk about quitting things. I am going to talk about doing
more of the things you like to do.
First thing, let's rename resolutions into goals. Goals are just so
much more fun than resolutions. I know of many people who think of
football and hockey goals at the same time they think of life goals.
Combining these thoughts helps give them happy, energetic feelings
about goals. (Okay, I admit it, I am one of those people and I find
it works for me.) The point is to try and put some happiness and
energy into your goals, however you go about doing it.
With that done, let's look at some goals that are easy to get happy
and energetic about. More than likely you did some things really well
last year; we'll make at least some of them goals to continue doing
next year. Just look back at last year and how you accomplished
getting those things done. Try and figure out how you did them day by
day, week by week or month by month. Now project what you did last
year across the New Year and there you have it, goals you know you
can accomplish because you did them last year. Now you may think I am
joking, but think about it. Are there good things that you enjoyed
doing in the past that you are sorry you gave up? Most of us have
them. So setting a goal of keeping up one, two or more good things
you did this year is a great goal for next year.
For example, maybe last year you spent more time with parents or your
children. Why not make it a goal to do that again? Maybe last year
you cut down on caffeine and started to sleep better. Again, that's a
great thing to do again next year. Just think of something healthy,
however small, and do it again next year.
Of course, like most people, you probably have some goals that you
have never reached, but have dreamed about reaching. The first thing
to do is to write those things down. Magic happens when you write
things down. Of course it is not magic, it is simply that you are
taking abstract thoughts from your brain and turning them into
concrete objects you can see, touch and read.
After you have one or more major life goals written down, why not
look at what you already do (remember those good things you did last
year) that will help you achieve those goals? This time figure out
how you can increase and/or improve doing them in a way that might
help you reach your dreams.
Finally, set this simple goal: "I will schedule some time during
every week of next year to think about how doing the things I enjoy
can help me achieve my dreams." Go ahead and write the times in
next year's schedule. You might just find you are a lot closer to
your dreams by December 31, 1999.
Happy New Year!
Kevin L. Polk, Ph.D. is a goal and time
management coach, writer and speaker. He can teach you the art of
managing your time. For a FREE subscription to his monthly "Time
Saving Tips & Tricks" put SUBSCRIBE in the BODY of an email
to Mailto:timesavers@oaknetpub.com.
Copyright Kevin L. Polk, Ph.D. (1998) All Rights Reserved.
HOW TO TRIUMPH OVER THE 10 MOST
"DEADLY" MARKETING MISTAKES
© 1999 Bill Berkey
It's a fact...business is more competitive today, than it's ever
been! To succeed, you have to know how to market effectively.
Unfortunately, most businesses have no idea of how to get the most
out of every marketing "dollar" spent. Many don't have a
clue on how to create powerful, hard-hitting, marketing communications.
Maybe today is a good day to take a sharp look at the Top 10 Most
"Deadly" Marketing Mistakes and how you can overcome them.
Mistake #1: Ruining Your Reputation
With Inappropriate Advertising.
This is in number one position, because it is the biggest mistake
that anyone (new or old to the Internet) can make. The common name
for it is: "Spamming". Despite what you may have heard,
there is no better way to run your online business into the ground
than the act of sending unsolicited e-mail. It's the ultimate mistake!
Mistake #2: Your Web Site Is Focused On YOU,
And Not On Your Prospect And Customer Needs.
Isn't this obvious? Check out a few web sites...then answer this
question: Are most of the sites telling you what benefits you get if
you become a customer? Or are they telling you about their company,
how wonderful they are, what they do, how great their quality is, how
many 'hits' they get, how great their service is, and all about them?
Mistake #3: Fail To Determine Specifically
Who Your Target Market Is And What Their Wants And Needs Are.
Ninety percent of businesses rarely make the attempt to determine who
their market is, and what their market's desires, needs, wants, and
passions are.
The successful online marketers can tell you precisely who they're
marketing to, and what their prospects and customers want in a
product or service.
Here's a couple of "why and what's" you need to know: Why
does your customer buy from you? What do your customers want or need
most in the products or services you offer?
Once you know the "why/what", you can focus your marketing
efforts to show your prospects that you can satisfy their "why/what".
Mistake #4: Not Managing Your E-Mail
Communications Efficiently.
Your e-mail communication with prospects and customers will make or
break you. Since most of the time you will never get a chance to
impress them in person, you really need to learn how to use e-mail to
your advantage. Much of it is common sense.
Each and every day we receive e-mail from people asking us to do
business with them, and many of them look like they were written by a
10 year-old. Spelling errors, grammar problems, poorly formatted and
difficult to read ... you name it.
Mistake #5: You Fail To Capture Your
Customers & Prospects Names And E-Mail Addresses.
This is the simplest mistake to make and the easiest to correct. Your
mailing list, or customer database is your biggest source of lifetime profits!
To make your customer list really profitable, plan on contacting each
person at least once a month.
Mistake #5: Never Try To Sell Your Customer
A "Back End" Product.
Your hottest prospect is someone that has just bought from you. This
is your best opportunity for another immediate sell. The key to
successfully doing this is having products that offer solutions to
the problems that your prospects have. Related problems and related
solutions equals increased opportunity for sales.
Your job isn't over once you've sold your customers their first
product. Just remember: your customers are never "hotter"
than when they first order!
You should look for a logical product or service to offer your
customer. Using the back-end will turn one-shot sales into repeat
customers. Smart marketers do it consistently.
Mistake #6: You Are Not Persistent And
Willing To "Stick It Out" Until You've Contacted Your
Prospects Enough Times.
You must commit to connecting with your prospects a minimum of 7
times. You need to contact your prospect time and time again and hit
them with the same benefit packed points over and over again until
they take action!
Set up a follow-up routine for yourself. One of the best pieces of
software, I've found, that solves the "follow-up" problem
is called "Pipeline". I used to do all my follow-up by hand
(and it was hit-or-miss), now I'm totally automated.
Turn the computer on, hit a button...and all my follow-up's for the
day are done. You can download a demo of Pipeline at: http://www.pipelinemail.com/rs/spectra/
Mistake #7: Destroying Your Site With
Graphics and/or Annoying Music.
This ranks right at the top of the most offensive Internet marketing
mistakes. If you are running a business online, your web site's job
is to sell. Anything that detracts from this process should be avoided.
Unless you are selling graphics...then heavy graphics on your site,
that take forever to load, won't sell anything. Sound or music clips
on your web site...annoying!!!
Mistake #8: You Don't Have Any Idea How To
Write Or Produce Persuasive Sales Letters That Get Your Prospects To
Buy NOW, Or To Get Your Customers To Buy Again.
If your car was having a problem, and you knew NOTHING about cars,
(except where to put the gas in) would you open the hood and try to
fix it? NO!
Your investment in a good copywriter will be worth more than anything
else you'll ever spend your marketing $$$ on.
Mistake #9: Forgetting That Marketing Is The
Key To Your Success.
Even if you have the greatest product in the world you will never
sell anything if you don't tell anyone about it. Without advertising
there will be no prospects, and without prospects there will be no
sales. It sounds like common sense, but it's also a common mistake.
You only have to do two things to be successful in business, and you
only need to do one of them on a regular basis. Can you guess what it is?
Mistake #10: Thinking You're Going To Get
Rich Without Working Hard.
Here's another mistake that isn't exactly limited to the Internet,
but it is just as dangerous as the others. If we had to pick just
one, this would probably be the number one cause of failure -- both
online and in the real world. Making money is easy, but you must work
for it.
A successful online business isn't built overnight, it is the result
of many late nights. If anyone says that they can teach you to make a
substantial amount of money without hard work, run as far away as you
possibly can.
Mistake #11: Not Understanding The Real
Power Of The Internet. (I know we said 10...this is a bonus)
The Internet is a powerful communications tool. It was created for
this purpose, and you'll get the most out of it if you use it as
such. There has never been an easier or more cost-effective way for a
business to reach its target audience. Take full advantage of it.
Use the power of the Internet to reach millions of customers all over
the world. And then use it to provide them with the sort of customer
service that was impossible without it. Use the Internet to gather
information, research the competition, and network with others.
There's a goldmine of information floating around the Net, but you
have to know where to find it. Learn how to use the search engines to
easily find almost anything you need and your productivity will skyrocket.
There you have it...the Top Internet Marketing Mistakes. Sure there
are lots more, but these costly mistakes are common and they provide
a good starting point. Steer clear of the Top Mistakes and you are
guaranteed to be more successful in your endeavors on the Internet.
Bill Berkey is the publisher of E-Digest, a
weekly free marketing newsletter for Internet Entrepreneurs. To
subscribe to E-Digest, visit http://www.e-digest.com or send any
e-mail message to subscribe@e-digest.com
By now everyone knows that when it comes to building an effective
website, content is king. And I bet we all agree that we talk about
unique and useful content.
If content is the king - the ability to inspire trust is a crown
prince. Just think - before you buy anything you usually want
to be sure that you are buying a decent quality product that will be
delivered in a timely fashion, and that the person who is selling it
is not some fly-by-night operation.
You want to know that if anything is wrong - you can get help or even
get your money back. If it is something that could require repair,
you want to know you have good service available. You want to know as
much about your vendor as possible. Right? Of course you want to know
that you can trust vendors' promises.
However, the reality on the web is different - the vast majority of
sites don't even give a name of a contact person other than webmaster@domain.com!
It seems that the majority of websites fall into one of the two
extremes - talking about themselves so much that people get turned
off and leave their site from boredom (those are the sites boasting
right from the beginning how long they are in business and bragging
about their awards, credentials, associations, and you name it). On
the other end of spectrum are those telling too little or nothing at
all - and that hurts their business just as much.
One of my pet-peeves on the web are people who hide behind the facade
of a supposedly large business, the WE-symptom. They talk about OUR
website, OUR business, We sell, WE answer - while it is actually a
one-person business where one person wears all the hats.
People do that because they think they inspire trust in their
visitors. Actually they do just the opposite and hurt their business
in the process. Sadly, by making this false claim - they make all
their other claims unbelievable...
It is not only about giving them your real e-mail address and your
real phone number - this is just a bare minimum. To build trust and
relationships with your clients tell them the truth about yourself.
It is called self-disclosure.
And don't be afraid of being vulnerable - people will really respect
you for admitting your flaws. The more truthful you are with your
prospects and customers, the more comfortable, safe, and
non-threatening they feel with you. And in turn they are more likely
to purchase your products and services.
Tell them who you are and how you arrived at what you are doing. Show
them your picture so that they know it is a real human being behind
your operation. It is not about HOW you look. It is about creating an
impression of closeness and connection - just as during the
face-to-face meeting.
Here is example of how Jim Daniels tells his story how he left his
corporate job to become a full time internet marketer http://www.bizweb2000.com/howiquit.htm
Multimedia Marketing Group (known from famous I-Sales list) is one of
the few larger companies I know who introduces to visitors their
entire staff: (no wonder they are so good - they DO know marketing!)
check this: http://www.mmgco.com/team_mmg
And if you don't want to use a photograph - you don't have to.
Especially if you can tell a story as well as Jim Heath, one of my
web friends, professional copy writer from Australia http://www.viacorp.com/jim.html
On the web one thing is sure: the more you tell (and the closer to
the truth it is), the more you sell!
Just in case you wonder - here is how I tell my visitors about myself http://www.loska.com/successconnection/aboutme.html
Wanda Loskot is international business
coach/writer/speaker author of referral system that will make your
business work so that you can rest or play - register to win one
month of FREE business coaching! http://loska.com/successconnection
For FREE subscription to her bi-weekly "Referrals Unlimited"
mailto:ru@oaknetpub.com with SUBSCRIBE in the BODY of message
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