Important Things to Think About Before Building Email Marketing Lists by Gavin McDonald

Email marketing lists are essential to online marketing. It is basically the main source of buyers and service clients. Almost all of the online businesses found in the internet make use of this technique. Instead of shelling out large amounts of money in internet advertising, this is the most inexpensive way to spread information about a certain product or service.

Online marketing has become a trend in the internet since the recession began. Lots of people have resorted to selling in the World Wide Web because of the limitations the real world has brought them. Now, how do we find customers in such a large venue? Well, a fact about online business is that they are governed by emails. To opt in email marketing is the cheapest way to go about it compared to other methods that are expensive. Even with the technology of instant messages and other ways of communicating in the internet, emails are still the best choice to drive in information to target persons. It is just a matter of doing it right.

Opt in email marketing suggest that it will be a continuous monitoring of responses to emails sent. Of course, if there are things that need improvement, the company will surely address it. A general notion is that the more people you send your information to, the larger the chance of landing on people who are true buyers. Even if they are, sometimes, they just make one purchase and leave. How can we make them stay? Well, there are things that we need to assess before we even think about how many emails we should have.

In opt in list building, we should be systematized. Ideally, we should be able to categorize emails. In the real world, an office has file cabinets to keep everything in its place, according to subject, area or field. In online marketing, your business should also have the same principle. Benefits to organizing are that you can easily keep track of responses made and emails that are not of use and did not make much for your business.

Permission: A lot of list building strategies would talk about avoiding spam. If your emails are filtered, it will taint your image as a good company. It is always a good thing to ask permission if you can present them your company and the things you offer through newsletters and other emails. Besides, being polite is giving respect to other people’s decisions and actions. You don’t want to sound pushy do you? Or else, you will lose more potential customers than you bargained for. Give them options. Most of the time, this establishes a good relationship.

Avoid Spam: Lastly, opt in email marketing is avoiding to be regarded as spam. This gives a bad impression to your name so, you should have consent from recipients regarding product offers and updates. To give you an idea, give them a freebie first and then they’ll sign up, then you have consent.

Here are three things that you should avoid. Although there are others, these can sure make a difference in your list-making.

Give the extra boost to your sales by visiting Gavin McDonald’s website http://www.listquad.info. Know all about list building strategies that generates traffic to your site. Visit today to bring your business on fast track!

What did Denise Wakeman want for her 50th birthday?  To raise $5,000 for budding business owners and entrepreneurs around the world.

I’ve known Denise Wakeman since I went through B/Coach Systems (business coach training) and Denise was the go-to person for all things organizational (as well as many other responsibilities) This was at least 6 years ago.  I’ve subsequently followed her career as she found her true calling and joined Patsi Krakoff and became “the Blog Squad”, experts at helping entrepreneurs, solo professionals, and business owners learn how to navigate the blogosphere and get results.

She is smart, savvy, and a real expert in a veritable ocean of gurus.

But what really sets Denise apart is that she cares. Not just about her clients (which is a given) but about making this world a better place. Whether it be running a marathon to raise funds for breast cancer or creating a team on Kiva to raise $5,000 in micro-loans, she is out there giving back.

So, I urge you to check out her challenge at:

http://www.biztipsblog.com/denise-wakeman-kiva-challenge.html

She is just $450.00 short of her $5,000 goal! She describes how easy it is to join Kiva and make your donation (she practically walks you through it).  And what I personally love about Kiva is that you get to CHOOSE the person or group to which your donation will be credited.  And this isn’t just a handout, they have to repay the loan.

For every person who donates the minimum $25 donation I will offer them my new ebook “LinkedIn for Coaches and Consultants” and a free 30-minute critique of their LinkedIn profile.  The book and consultation are not free to the public, the cost for the package is $47.00.  If you prefer you may apply the $47.00 as credit towards any future program or product.

Just post a comment here to let me know that you’ve donated and I’ll send you the details.

The voting doesn’t start until September 1st, but I want to start getting you ready to vote for us and to encourage any of your friends and family to do so as well. I’ll remind you again so don’t worry!

Thank you!

Merlyn  

 
So, what do you do when you encounter someone’s voice mail?  Many business owners and sales people tell me there’s no point in leaving a message because they’ll never get return call.  What they really mean is, “I can’t sell them anything via voice mail”.

 
Well, they probably weren’t going to buy anything even if you did reach them!  Without an objective and a plan, you’re just one more person vying for attention.  And since you haven’t developed a relationship, you’re very easy to ignore.

 
Here are some tips on how to leave an effective voice mail message:

 
1. Define the objective of your call.  Is it a follow up to a networking event? Or are you returning the prospect’s call or email requesting information on your product or service?  Is it a “keep in touch” call where the purpose is to keep the relationship moving forward?

 
2. Prepare a script.  You want to make sure that you make it clear why you’re calling, how you can be reached, and let them know when you’ll be following up if you don’t hear from them. This will help prevent stuttering or losing your train of thought.  There’s nothing worse than those rambling messages that you wish you could erase! 

 
3. Make sure that you’re easy to reach.  Leave them your office number and cell phone number.  And make sure to check your voice mail messages (it could be embarrassing if you don’t!)

 
4. Repeat your key information. Introduce yourself at the beginning and the end of your message and include your phone numbers.  Speak clearly and slowly enough for someone to be able to take down your information without having to replay your message several times.

 
5. Don’t give up!  It may take several tries and a few rounds of telephone tag to finally reach your client or prospect.  So don’t be discouraged. 

By the same token, learn when you’re being avoided and leave a message that lets the other person “bow out gracefully”.  Just ask them to respond if they’re no longer interested in hearing from you. This usually works best if you use email since there’s no fear that they may actually reach you if they call.  Inject a little humor and make it clear that there are no hard feelings.  It’ll go a long way to demonstrate that you are both persistent and considerate.

 
Every contact you have with someone is a potential to create or further a relationship.  Don’t miss an opportunity to get your message across in an effective and powerful way.

Today’s article by Vicky White, a feng shui expert and coach who helps people eliminate the clutter in all areas of their lives: emotional, physical, relationships, etc.  Since her article addresses procrastination it’s a fitting continuation of my series on “Stop Wasting Time and Start Making Money”. 

Feature Article: 20 Minutes is Your Friend ©2009 Vicky White

Do you ever procrastinate?

Procrastination is the habit of not getting started, putting things off till the last minute. It results in missed opportunities. stress, and a head and life full of clutter.

Here are 7 tips for dealing with procrastination that will help you take charge of your life. As you read these, think of something you are procrastinating about right now and see how these tips relate - I know there IS something you’re procrastinating about.

1. First, ask yourself: Is this project or action in alignment with my vision or purpose? Is it something really important to you? If not, why are you even thinking about doing it?

2. Are you telling yourself you ‘have to’ do it? If so, that puts a heavy energy onto it and who wants to do something they’re being told they have to do? Either find a way for it to be something you choose to do, or don’t do it. Words have energy behind them, they shape your outcomes.

Remember, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. You are always free to choose. There may be consequences for not doing it, but you DO have a choice.

3. Let go of perfectionism. For anyone with a writing project that’s the biggest energy killer. Just start. Getting those words down on paper will get the energy flowing and when you come to edit you’ll have something to work with. Same applies to anything else.

4. Break projects down into tasks. A project is to do your taxes or declutter the garage. A task might be to collect your Credit Card receipts or declutter one box in the corner of your garage. See the difference?
A task is something you can do in 20-30 minutes. Make a list of tasks associated with a project you’ve been putting off. Then schedule them - perhaps 20 minutes a day.

Remember this: ‘20 minutes is your friend’. The hardest part is starting but anyone can do something for 20 minutes. Set a timer - likely once you start you’ll do more, but even if it’s just 20 minutes a day, that’s 140 minutes a week and over 9 hours in a month. That’s some serious momentum you will have created.

5. Schedule fun times: Schedule self care, meditation, time for you, time with your family - those things that give you the energy and resources to handle the more challenging things - so you don’t feel deprived. I recommend scheduling your ME time for first thing in the morning. Then schedule your 20-30 minute spots that will lead to completion of your project. Everything else will fit in.

6. Reward yourself: Spend 20 minutes - and then reward yourself. For me writing this article - the task right now is fleshing out the outline I wrote - then I get to take a break and phone a friend. And yes, I’ve already been going for more than 20 minutes. Funny that!

7. Staying motivated. Find an accountability buddy. The more people you tell, the more likely it is you’ll do it. It’s a bit like the Integrity Days I offer in my programs. Having told us what you’re going to do in the coming hour, you’re unlikely to call back and say you just sat around eating bon-bons!

Procrastination is caused by turning a project into something unpleasant. The way to reduce procrastination is reframe your experience. These tips will help you - if you use them.

Remember 20 minutes is your friend.  Now, what will you do today?

Testimonial:  I participated in one of Vicky’s clutter busting programs and I acquired tools which are still helping me keep clutter reined in.  I have found time I didn’t know I had! She also helped me improve the flow in my home using feng shui. She is fantastic!  Merlyn Sanchez, SMART Business Owners

Here are 5 pitfalls that many business owners and solo professionals fall into which can severely hamper their  productivity and cost them profits.  Do any of the following sound familiar?

1. Trying to do it all  The days of multi-tasking are long gone. Studies now document what many people have known for years: trying to do it all slows you down and increases mistakes. Just because you know how to do it doesn’t mean you should. If you start using the excuse “it’s easier (or faster, done better, etc.) if I do it myself”, then you know you’re in trouble!

2. Not having systems in place The reasons for having systems range from making it easier to delegate (see pitfall number 1), keeping your business running if you need to be away, to maximizing your return on your time investment. Look at the following areas and see if you have the systems in place to make your efforts more effective: marketing, customer service, bookkeeping/accounting, and order processing.

3. Being busy but not productive  When you’re busy doing a lot of things: making phone calls, checking email, and putting out fires you can fall into the trap of thinking you’re actually being productive. However, if you’re just engaging in “busy work” and working without a plan then you’re wasting time. Being productive means accomplishing something, using your available time to its best use.

4. Interruptions and distractions It doesn’t matter whether you work at home or in an office interruptions and distractions are a common problem. First, determine whether these annoyances are welcomed or initiated by you or not. Procrastination’s two best friends are interruptions and distractions! If you’re the problem, then you need to deal with why you’re avoiding certain tasks.

5. Technology  We’re being inundated with tools and technologies to improve our lives and instead they’re complicating them! Email has long been a big time waster, there are tools to help you manage it and whole chapters in books discussing it. Now we have “smart” phones so we can check email (can’t get away from the inbox), check the news, text, IM, surf the web, play games, the options are almost endless! Learn to manage these tools and eliminate the ones that are becoming time wasters.

Tomorrow’s post will offer some solutions and resources to help you eliminate (or at least tame) these time bandits.

[tags] time wasters, time management, productivity pitfalls, multi-tasking, process management, maximizing time, accomplishing more, getting things done/tags]

• Experience ( as I mentioned above, you must have done this before)
• Good contacts in some of the following fields: public relations, financial planning for businesses/entrepreneurs (good topics include tax issues, budgeting, cash flow, etc.), public speaking, and branding.  You do not have to have contacts in ALL these areas but it will help if you know people that you can contact as speakers for the teleconference.
• Excellent organizational skills
• Pro-active and a self-starter
• Web design/wordpress experience (to set up the pages for the event)
• Audio editing and set up experience

This is just a basic outline of what I’m looking for.  The teleconference series will be free with an upgrade for transcripts and audios of the event.

If you, or someone you know, is qualified, please contact me at: Merlyn (at) smartbusinessowners.com.

Thank you!

Merlyn Sanchez

As a student of people and ideas I have to admit that what two guys are doing in a Northeast Florida Starbucks is absolutely genius.

The other day as I tried to pay for my green tea at my local Starbucks the cashier said, “Don’t worry about it sir. Those guys over there are paying for it today.” She then handed me their business card from a stack by the register. Turns out the guys were wealth management / financial planners who once a week, at different times, will spend a few hours at this Starbucks and buy customers their coffee or tea. Most people, like me, will walk over and thank the gentlemen and walk away with their business card in our pocket.

I thought about how brilliant this was. For many the coffee shop experience has become a right of passage that helps them take on the day. It’s become an emotional experience that makes them feel good. It’s become a bond of love. These financial planners brilliantly connected something people love with a service they offer. Not surprisingly I found out that these men do receive a good number of calls from the Starbucks customers interested in planning for their financial future.

It is said we remember one third of what we read, half of what people tell us and 100 % of how feel. Whether we are watching a commercial, listening to a teacher, or talking to a sales person it is how we feel that impacts us the most. We can’t remember what we ate for lunch a week ago but we can remember where we were on 9-11. We remember how we feel and when it comes to investing our money, buying a product, purchasing insurance or real estate, or choosing a restaurant we will make our choices based on these feelings.

This leads us to the greatest sales strategy ever-but it doesn’t involve coffee. While the Starbucks idea is brilliant it isn’t the best way to build a business. There is a far more powerful strategy to create an emotional connection and foster an emotional memory. It’s so simple and it doesn’t even cost a dime. It’s to love and care about your customers. Caffeine is temporary but a positive emotional experience lasts forever.

Customers do business with people they like and trust and who care about them. When customers feel like they matter and feel cared for they love back with more loyalty, more business and more referrals.

So if you are in sales, and we all are, I encourage you to make loving and caring about your customers your top priority. You don’t have to buy them coffee to connect your product or service with something they love. You can be the connection. You can be the bridge that connects your customer with your product or service. After all, no matter what we are selling, people are always buying our energy and making decisions based on how our energy makes them feel. And while coffee is an energy source that makes people feel good it doesn’t compare to the power of our positive energy. Look out for your customers interests. Show them you care. Do your best for them. Share the love and you’ll be so successful you’ll be able to buy your own coffee shop and give away all the coffee you want.

How do you show your customers you care?

Stay Positive!
Jon

About the Author

Jon Gordon is a speaker, consultant and author of the international best sellerThe Energy Bus:

10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work and Team with Positive Energy and The No Complaining Rule: Positive Ways to Deal with Negativity at Work. Jon’s latest book, Training Camp: What the Best do Better than Everyone Else, released in mid May 2009.

The message in Jon’s books and speaking presentations is such that NFL coaches such as Jack Del Rio, Mike Smith, the PGA Tour and the FBI have called on Jon to inspire and benefit their teams. Jon and his books have been featured on CNN, NBC’s Today Show and in Forbes, Fast Company, O Magazine, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. Clients such as The Atlanta Falcons, Campbell Soup, Northwestern Mutual, Publix Super Markets and JP Morgan Chase also call on Jon to bring out the best in their leaders and teams. For more information, please visit:

 http://www.jongordon.com

Technorati Tags: Sales strategy, prospecting strategy, customer service, emotional connection with customers, client prospecting strategy

Join us for one of our upcoming webinars on “Perfecting Your LinkedIn Profile”:

Wednesday, June 24, 2009 - from 12-1 pm Eastern Time (GMT-5)

http://tinyurl.com/profdevelopjun24

Tuesday, July 7, 2009 - from 12- 1 pm Eastern Time (GMT-5)

http://tinyurl.com/profdevelopjul7

You’ll learn:

• Why your LinkedIn profile is so important and how to craft a compelling one
• How to customize your profile with symbols and special characters
• How to use keywords to improve your “findability”
• Why having recommendations is important and how to effectively request them
• Why joining groups can help improve your visibility and set you apart from other users

You’ll also receive:

• A profile template (in MS Word) that you can use as a guide
• The 28 page IA LinkedIn Profiles Guide by Mike O’Neil which contains all the “How To’s” to build your very own highly effective Search Engine Optimized (SEO) profile so that you can be found on Linked, Google and the Web in general (the guide sells for $29 on the IA website).
• PDF handouts of the powerpoint presentation

The cost? This webinar and all the materials are available for only $39!

SMART Business Owners has teamed up with Integrated Alliances as authorized trainers for their cutting edge social networking programs and we’ll be offering live and web programs on different social networking platforms such LinkedIn, FastPitch, Facebook, and much more!

Technorati Tags: LinkedIn, LinkedIn training, LinkedIn profile development, LinkedIn webinar, LinkedIn profiles guide, LinkedIn SEO profile

First of all, you need to understand what Twitter can do for you.  It isn’t a panacea but rather a tool in an already well defined marketing strategy.

Twitter can:

1.  Assist in brand building  You have the opportunity to offer valuable information and assistance delivered in the spirit of your brand.  Customizing your Twitter “landing page” offers you another opportunity for continuing your brand theme.

2.  Provide a venue for relationship building  Building familiarity is key to gaining your prospect’s trust.  Tweeting regularly (and relevantly) allows your potential clients begin to feel as if they know you and the way you do business.

3.  Be a valuable tool for gathering information  This is very useful and far reaching aspect of Twitter.  You can learn about potential clients, partner, and competitors.  You can conduct market research and gauge interest in services and products.

4.  Help you promote yourself  Tweeting about your latest projects, seminars, and special offers will assist you in being seen as the authority in your niche.  It can also help you drive an audience to your newsletters, blogs, and free or paid programs/products.

The key to successfully integrating Twitter into your marketing efforts is to keep your followers listening.  And the easiest way to do that is to make the majority of your tweets about them NOT you. Unless you’re a very well known person that people are just clamoring to know, your tweets need to be informative, useful, and relevant to your audience.

About the Author
Merlyn Sanchez, Business Coach and Marketing Consultant, teaches small business owners, consultants, and other solo professionals how to attract more clients, make more sales and have more time to enjoy their lives. For a free report outlining the “”8 SMART Strategies that Successful Business Owners Use to Attract More Clients™ and more tips on how to create a successful business, visit http://www.smartbusinessowners.com.

Technorati Tags: Twitter, social media, social media marketing, using Twitter for business, Twitter tips, marketing with Twitter

1) Google Video
2)Yahoo Video
3 You Tube
4)Photobucket
5)My Space
6)Vimeo
7)VSocial
Blip.tv
9)Daily Motion

Of course, there are other ways to get the word out:  include a link in your email signature, write about it on your blog, tweet about (and get others to tweet it for you as well),  and mention it in your e-newsletter. 

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Join us for one of our upcoming webinars on “Perfecting Your LinkedIn Profile”:

Tuesday, January 20, 2008 - from 12-1 pm Eastern Time ( we will answer all questions, even if we go over our allotted time)

http://tinyurl.com/profdevelopjan20

Tuesday, February 3, 2009 - from 12- 1 pm Eastern Time ( we will answer all questions, even if we go over our allotted time)

http://tinyurl.com/profdevelopfeb3

You’ll learn:

• Why your LinkedIn profile is so important and how to craft a compelling one
• How to customize your profile with symbols and special characters
• How to use keywords to improve your “findability”
• Why having recommendations is important and how to effectively request them
• Why joining groups can help improve your visibility and set you apart from other users

You’ll also receive:

• A profile template (in MS Word) that you can use as a guide
• The 28 page IA LinkedIn Profiles Guide by Mike O’Neil which contains all the “How To’s” to build your very own highly effective Search Engine Optimized (SEO) profile so that you can be found on Linked, Google and the Web in general (the guide sells for $29 on the IA website).
• PDF handouts of the powerpoint presentation

The cost? This webinar and all the materials are available for only $39!

We’ve teamed up with Integrated Alliances as authorized trainers for their cutting edge social networking programs and we’ll be offering live and web programs on different social networking platforms such LinkedIn, FastPitch, Facebook, and much more!

This video brings back many, not so pleasant memories, of the smile and dial approach in my former corporate life.  Cold calling rarely works and most people hate doing it, so why does this approach continue to be a staple in so many marketing efforts?

SMART Business Owners know that building relationships is key to attracting quality clients.  And there are so many ways to approach prospective clients and build relationships that there’s no reason to have to cold call. 

Here are the lyrics to the song, enjoy!:

“Oughta Know Inbound Marketing”
By HubSpot’s Rebecca Corliss

If I make one more call
I might go punch a wall.
No one understands
That this doesn’t work.

They hang up cause I’m a creep.
The mail I send they don’t read.
They always find a way to
Ignore me.
I’m interrupting their lives
So they threaten me with knives.
I didn’t think that marketing was like torture.

Cause the calls, direct mail
TV ads, they all fail.
And they aren’t getting me anywhere. They don’t work.
No!
And every time I try to sell
‘Didja know that I’m told I should go to hell?
Then I cry. Then I cry.
And you wonder why.

I want leads
To come to me.
Fix our SEO
Get some inbound links.
RSS
Let’s get blogging.
Why don’t we just use inbound marketing?
You. You. You. Oughta know.

Get my page rank up.
Tag my content.
Fix my landing page.
Let them come to me.

Now I can blog I can tweet
Publish things you will read.
Won’t have to bug you in the middle of dinner.
Google me organically
Search results one two and three.
You need my products? Uh huh. Yeah you’ll find me.

Cause the calls, direct mail
TV ads, they all failed.
And they weren’t getting me anywhere. They don’t work.
No!
And every time I tried to sell
‘Didja know I was told I should go to hell.
Then I cried. Then I cried.
And you wondered why.

Now my leads
They come to me
Fixed our SEO
Got some inbound links
RSS
Now we’re blogging
Thank god now we use inbound marketing.
You. You. You. Oughta know.

Thanks to my friends at Zee2A in England for posting this on their excellent blog, http://zee2a.wordpress.com/ (check them out if you want great content on marketing, branding and customer service geared towards professional service firms.

And thanks to HubSpot for creating this and allowing readers to share it with others.  Their blog post which features this video is here:http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/4437/You-Oughta-Know-Inbound-Marketing.aspx . 

They also offer the music and lyrics under Creative Commons License so you can attempt your own version!