Word Wealth

This Got Me On Gene Simmons' Website

Troy White — 2010-04-09T10:52:37-05:00

A couple weeks ago, I shared an article with you that I wrote about Gene Simmons.

http://www.blog.smallbusinesscopywriter.com/gene-simmons-lessons-from-a-rock-and-roll-great/

I had a bunch of people email me sharing their appreciation for Gene, as well as for the business lessons I shared from meeting and studying this Rock and Roll Great.

Lo and behold, my trusty assistant Karen found out yesterday that Gene Simmons’ team found my article and ran it directly on the Gene Simmons website.

http://www.genesimmons.com

Why is this important to you?

Because it is further proof that the one simple thing a day marketing plan can reap huge rewards.

I am a big believer that even one simple push to market your business every single day can pay big rewards over
the coming months and years.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Here is one simple technique I personally do to build my business:

1) Create content rich article of 500+ words

2) Publish this article on my blog

http://www.blog.smallbusinesscopywriter.com

3) Send this article to my subscribers (I don’t do daily emails, but have considered it to those who would like more
marketing tips – IS THAT YOU? If you want more tips from me, please reply back and let me know)

4) Have my article posted on Facebook as a Note

5) Tweet my article link

6) Publish my article to my Duct Tape Marketing blog

7) Publish my article to the article directories

Simple.

Powerful.

Could be expanded on further.

…Video

…More Social Media Sites

…audios

All in the plans to be added, BUT, the key is that we get this done EVERY SINGLE DAY OF THE WORK WEEK.

That is the key – one simple marketing effort a day.

This plan of attack could be done by ANYONE with initiative.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Note something important: I don’t do all of this myself.

Nor do I get on Facebook and Twitter and play around for a couple hours a day while doing this.

I realize the importance of Social Media.

I get it.

I see the difference in website traffic and subscribers.

But I don’t let Social Media Sites suck my time dry like a blood-thirsty vampire.

Many people do.

That part I don’t get.

The BEST PART?

Karen does steps 2 through 7 for me!

Karen is an incredible asset to me and my business.

You need a Karen in your life.

I was lucky to find Karen on www.odesk.com which is another fantastic tool for finding people to help you grow your business.

The goal of the Gene Simmons article was NOT to get on his site… that was just a nice side-benefit.

The goal of that article was to share some business lessons with you, and to draw in traffic and subscribers to my
website and blog.

BUT, this same approach has now had me mentioned on Gene Simmons’ site, Donald Trump’s site, and Jay Abraham’s newsletter.

It has helped me draw in much higher search engine traffic.

Which means more subscribers and, ultimately, more clients buying.

Try doing that one-marketing-step-a-day system in your business.

Find the system that works for you.

Then stick with it.

Do it for 6 months – force yourself to stay accountable to it.

Then let me know what happens.

I’d love to share your story with everyone.

As Gene Simmons would say…

“YOU are a powerful and attractive man or woman”

Act it.

Be it.

Market like it.

To your success,

Troy White

Are You Making This Mistake in Your Business?

Troy White — 2010-04-08T12:29:47-05:00

One of the biggest faults I see in marketing is how companies focus in on everything else – BUT what’s important. They talk about the awards they’ve won, how long they’ve been in business, how great their logo is, and how amazing their service is.

And they completely forget what the customer is really concerned with.

The following is from the great Rosser Reeves. Print it off and post it above your desk. Every time you start working on your marketing – remember these words.

Ode by Rosser Reeves:

“I see you’ve spent quite a big wad of dough to tell me the things you thought I should know:

How your plant is so big, so fine and so strong, and how your founder had whiskers ever so long.

“So he started this business in old ‘92. How tremendously interesting that must seem to you.

He built up the thing with the blood of his life (I’ll run home like mad, tell that to my wife!)

“Your machinery is modern and oh so complete. Your reps, they are flawless; your workers so neat.

And your motto is ‘Quality’ with a capital ‘Q’ No wonder I’m tiring of your shtick and you.

“Tell me quick and please tell me true (or else, my dear love, to hell with you).

Tell me less how this product once came to be, And more about what this damn thing DOES for me!

“Will it save me more money or time or work, or hike up my pay with a most welcome jerk?

What drudgery, worry, or loss will it cut?

Can it yank me personally out of a rut?

“Perhaps it can make my appearance so swell that my telephone ringing will wear out the bell;

And thus it might win me a lot of new friends

(One never knows where such a thing ends!)

“I wonder how much it could do for my health?

Could it show me a way to acquire some wealth?

Better things for myself, for the kids and the wife?

Or how to quit work somewhat early in life?

“Yes, tell me quick and please tell me true (or else, my dear love, to hell with you).

Tell me less how this product once came to be, And more about what this damn thing DOES for me!”

To your success,

Troy White

How Much Will You Invest In Your Clients?

Troy White — 2010-04-07T12:29:17-05:00

The Evolution of a Successful Marketing Campaign

Despite what many may tell you… successful marketing does not happen overnight. It takes time, testing and a plan.

You may be extremely surprised to first learn that some marketing and advertising campaigns are considered a success if they break even. If you spend $500 on the ad placement and you get back $500 in profit – it may be a great success for your business.

WHAT? How can breaking even be considered a success?

Most business owners never put 3 seconds worth of thought into what the lifetime value of your clients may be. Lifetime value of a client is calculated by adding up the initial purchase (averaged out) of a first time buyer in your business, times the amount of times in a year they buy from you, times how many years they stay a loyal client.

For example:

Hairdresser

First time client = $25

Average times / year = 10

Average years as client = 3

Multiplied out makes each and every client worth $750 to the hairdresser (25×10x3)

If you are a hairdresser and look at each new client as being worth $750 to you – what are you willing to do to get more clients? Would you spend $50 to make $750? I would certainly hope so. If not, let me repeat – each and every new client is worth $750 to you. Bring in 10 new clients a week and you are adding $7500 in new business a week. While you earn the money over the next few years – it is money you NEVER would have had.

Do the math in your own business – the numbers don’t lie.

Now, here’s the real exciting part. The key to lifetime value is to increase each number by small (or large) amounts. For example:

Hairdresser – Doing it the old way

First time client = $25

Average times / year = 10

Average years as client = 3

Hairdresser – Doing it the new way

First time client = $35 (by adding up sells and products at till – and making sure everyone knows about them – most don’t sell hard at this – an extra $10 at minimum)

Average times / year = 10 = bump up to 12 times – once a month – through consistent reminders and bonuses

Average years as client = 3 = bump to 4 years = treat them better and they will not leave as quickly

Now look at the numbers = $1400 for every new client (35×10x4)!

By putting a little more effort into getting them back more often, buy more while there and staying a loyal client longer you have almost doubled what they are going to spend with you!

All by paying attention to them and making sure they get the best possible services and treatment possible.

Now, how much will you spend to get a $1400 client for the first time?

Do the math and your world will quickly expand as you see the big picture.

Get your pen and paper out – and start adding!

To your success,

Troy White

Size Matters... Why Long Copy Works Better Than Short Copy

Troy White — 2010-04-06T13:47:39-05:00

Long sales copy doesn’t just work. It works to the tune of better than $1.5 trillion dollars a year according to the Direct Marketing Association!

Having said that – it’s very common to have doubts on this form of copy… it is nothing like what you typically see out there (but then again 99% of the advertising you see out there does not work at all). PLUS most of us have personal experience with throwing out much of the long copy letters we get.

But, for well over 100 years there have been millions and millions of products sold with long copy advertising. My mentor Ted Nicholas has personally sold well over 15 million of his own books using this type of advertising. And yes, people will read it if they are interested in finding a cure to their debt problems.

Most people get scared of running this type of copy as it seems long and it is different that what you see out there.

The proof though – is always in the numbers.

Many business owners are very apologetic about their selling. Frankly, I suggest you quit apologizing for selling (and for having anything to do with selling) and just get on with it or get out.

Fact – if you are selling a product – are you more likely to sell it in a sales call when you get your prospect face to face for – 30 seconds? – or 30 minutes? Of course – its 30 minutes.

“The more you tell the more you sell.”

No different in print, web, or where ever.

Proven for 100 years that long copy sells better.

Great one – Factoid: Over 65% of buyers of long, seemingly hypey infomercials (long copy on tv) are women. Women make up the greatest market of emotion-laden direct response ads and programs, according to The Direct Marketing Association (if I recall correctly). Take for instance weight loss products, cosmetics, lingerie, The Shopping Channel, etc.

Look at it this way: to paraphrase, “sex” sells (for men), but “sense” sells (for women).

Most people say that they don’t read long copy. You would probably agree saying that you “throw out” that kind of mail – ESPECIALLY if it’s so long. SO, how can I stand here and say you’re wrong when you have a direct personal experience to the contrary?

Let me flip this one for you:

Imagine that disaster strikes and you need to sell your house in 30 days.

You are screwed.

You are panicking. You list it but no one is biting. Then you get a 30 page package in the mail and the headline reads:

How We Can Help You Sell Your Home in 30 Days for AT LEAST 25% More Than You Expect

Do you think you might stop whatever you were doing, sit down and begin to read it? Do you think you might set aside half an hour to explore it? Do you think if you turned to page 15 and saw 4 testimonials from people who were in worse straits than you that you might take notice? Do you think if you were impressed you might even call the number they list – without finishing it? I think you might.

Another situation: You are going through a divorce and you don’t WANT to get divorced!

You are devastated.

You are panicking.

No one has any good advice for you.

Then you get a 30 page package in the mail and the headline reads:

How To Stop Your Divorce (Even If it Seems Hopeless)
Let Us Show You EXACTLY What To Say To Stop Your Divorce Dead In It’s Tracks And Get YOUR Marriage Back ON Track.

Again, do you think you might stop whatever you were doing, sit down and begin to read it? Do you think you might set aside half an hour to explore it? Do you think if you turned to page 15 and saw 4 testimonials from people who were in worse straits than you that you might take notice? Do you think if you were impressed you might even call the number they list – without finishing it?

I think you might.

See, what people say and what people do are totally different. Marketing is only interested in what people actually DO because it is interested in producing a specific behavioral result.

Don’t be afraid of telling the whole story – people want to hear it – as long as you keep it interesting.

Size does matter and the more you have to tell – the more you will sell.

Try it – you’ll certainly like the results.

To your success,

Troy White

Quick and Dirty Marketing Checklist

Troy White — 2010-04-05T13:48:35-05:00

Think about the following checklist and how your business is situated. There are 15 different areas of your marketing you can improve here – take one to start with and you will see a big difference in how people respond to your offers.

• Are you running a headline in all of your marketing?

• Is it targeted specifically at your target customers?

• Is your biggest benefit in the headline (or sub and pre-heads)?

• Do you talk about their needs – and forget your own company’s accomplishments?

• Are you specific in your claims? None of the “best in the world” type of claims – no one believes them anyhow.

• Does your marketing material answer the question – “would this help our field sales people close the deal, or pre-qualify the prospects?

• Is every piece of your marketing containing some form of measurement device?

• Does your marketing and advertising materials explain what it is you want them to do?

• Does it ask them to take action by phone, mail, email, web form, or fax?

• Does it answer all the questions your typical prospects ask your sales people?

• Can you specifically tell me who your ideal client is (age, sex, income, demographics)?

• Is the most common word in all your marketing “You”? If not – get rid of all the “I”, “We”, “Us” etc – they do not care about you! All they care about is what you can do for them.

• Do you have testimonials in everything that your prospects and customers see?

• Do you follow up with your prospects and clients at least once a month? Remember that there are totally different messages you want to send to your prospects and to your existing clients.

• Do you apply any form of psychology in your marketing? Making sure you address the most common psychological reasons that people buy (sex, money, greed, health, envy etc.)

• Does your marketing tell a story?

Remember, one at a time is all that’s required. Pick one and start putting it into action in your business.

One step at a time is all that is needed. Guaranteed.

To your success,

Troy White

Do 500 Men Love Their Wives?

Troy White — 2010-04-01T10:54:35-05:00

n 1934 a florist (B. Altman @ Company) 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: Easter and Mother's Day coming up – 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 Spring, Easter, Summer, Mother’s Day, Halloween or Thanksgiving?

Any one of the 1,000’s of ideas I give you in the cashflowcalendars.com program.

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 Easter day.”

Think it through – and get your promotions going!

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

To your success,

Troy White

The Belly Dance Bonanza… and 11 ways to grow a business

Troy White — 2010-03-30T14:03:44-05:00

I gotta tell you an amazing story because…

… you just never know where your next “Big Idea” might come from.

This is a story that was told by one of my Wild West Wealth participants. Actually, she stood up and told the whole crowd about it at our Wild West Christmas Bash in December.

I was relating the story of how I got the whole Wild West Wealth event going … about how frustrated I was over always having to travel all the time to the US for marketing seminars and training … how I didn’t even come up with this idea until January and started promoting in March (for a summer event)…

… and how my “business coach” (a position he didn’t hold for long) advised me, none too delicately, that it was an awful idea and I should just forget the whole thing.

Yeah, right … that just got my hackles up!

This was, after all, my … BIG IDEA.

Long story short … as you know, I went ahead full steam … got my speakers lined-up (including the major coup of getting Ted Nicholas to come all the way from Switzerland to teach us all a thing or two … or thirty!) … and the Wild West Wealth Summits were a HUGE success.

There were HUNDREDS of strategies presented by our line-up of experts.

But, y’know … sometimes the tiniest spark can ignite YOUR next ”big idea”.

One person, in particular, took an off-hand comment of mine and turned it into…

Well … I’ll let Daphne tell it from here, in her own words…

“When I went to the Wild West Summit in the summer, I was inspired by something you mentioned. You were saying you always go to the United States to study what you need to study … and how that was the inspiration for you to put together a seminar right here in Canada … and I thought, ‘Oh my god … I can totally do that in MY business!’

“I own a belly dance academy … so I go to The States or to Europe to study with masters and I thought, ‘Well, I can bring some of these people to Canada’ …

…so I did. And I had the largest belly dance festival in Western Canada. http://bellydance.ca

“People came in from Alaska, from The States and across Canada.

“That was in October … so, from the summer to October, I put all this together and brought in three major instructors …

and

it was a huge success. All from one little comment.

“So thank you, Troy!”

And therein lies the secret of success…

Look for people who are achieving the things you want in YOUR business and in YOUR life … find out how they’re doing it …

and TAKE ACTION!

There’s no substitute.

What do you think Daphne’s Big Idea will do for her business?

What will YOUR next Big Idea do for YOUR business, your bottom line?

There’s only one way to find out … IMPLEMENT it.

Just like Daphne did.

Take action!

One simple step a day to grow your business will do immense amounts of good to your bank account.

…One blog post
…One personality driven email to your list
…One online press release
…One phone call to a past client
…One comment on your favorite blog
…One article written and submitted to the directories (I’ve been having great success using odesk.com to find excellent
assistants and researchers)
…One hand-written note to a customer or prospect
…One quick and dirty video tip you can send to your customers
…One top 10 list you can use on your website
…One call to a like-minded entrepreneur who sells to the same type of buyers as you (to set up a joint venture)
…One birth of a new workshop idea your clients and prospects would want

Here’s to greater success in 2010 than you’ve ever experienced!

~ Troy

Gordon Ramsay… rude and obnoxious or marketing saint?

Troy White — 2010-03-30T14:02:09-05:00

Never before has such foul language proved itself as a major business tool.

By now, I do hope you have heard of Gordon Ramsey, host of “Kitchen Nightmares” and “Hell’s Kitchen”.

If not, I would highly suggest watching the “Kitchen Nightmares” show sometime soon.

First, a WARNING: Thin-skinned folks need not tune in.

If you cannot handle foul language and incredibly abrasive personalities, do not watch Gordon’s show!

He is rude, loud, in-your-face, and LOVES swearing to get his point across (and everything is a point, so pretty well every sentence consists of swear words).

I am not going to go too much into Gordon’s past, but, rest assured, this ex-professional Scottish football player has a list of credentials that is long, and highly admirable.

He is now working on his 25th restaurant and many of them have multiple Michelin stars to their name (the most recognized and influential culinary ratings guide). He has multiple best selling cookbooks, 4 television shows and a DVD series, to name a few.

The story line behind a kitchen nightmare …

Gordon comes into restaurants that are almost ready to close their doors, for any one of multiple different reasons. He has 1 week to turn the business around and make it a success.

He is a no-bull guy and when he starts, there is no stopping him.

Why is this important to you?

Because Gordon’s formula for a 7-day business turnaround is one that each and every one of us should pay close attention to. If you are looking to increase your sales, the ideas below will help you see new ideas you have never thought of before. If you are struggling in your business or cash flow – go through each step below and reconstruct your business from the ground up.

*************************************
Step #1 – Figure out what you are selling now.
*************************************
Sounds basic – but is it really? When Gordon first steps into one of the restaurants he is about to makeover, he sits down for a meal.

While he waits for the different dishes he ordered, he watches carefully for the way the staff works, the way they treat customers, and the way customers are enjoying (or not) the food.

When the food shows up, he is usually disgusted in what they are passing off as main course meals.

Also, the restaurants that he steps into are almost always seriously lacking enough customers to stay in business.

*************************************
Step #2 – Who is behind this disaster they call a restaurant?
*************************************

This is where the real truth starts to come out. He interviews the owners, the servers, the head chef and the kitchen staff.

Usually, he finds one or two of them passionate about the business, the rest of them are putting in time between paychecks.

Typically the ingredients are sub-par, the menu confusing with too many options, and the actual food being delivered not worthy of a roadside burger stand.

*************************************
Step #3 – Find out what the customers REALLY want
*************************************

Rarely is it what is being delivered!

The first thing to be done – - ASK THEM.

Find out what is missing on the restaurant scene.

Find out what foods they want the most, or that they have a tough time finding.

Find out who the regulars are and what they want.

Find out which restaurants are doing best in your area – then go in there to sample their food and service, always looking for ideas to improvise upon.

And, very important, if it is a seasonal business or location – make sure that the restaurant caters to those who live there year round! Those are the people who keep the restaurant open – catering to one-time tourists is a sure-fire way to bankruptcy.

*************************************
Step # 4 – Find the signature dishes
*************************************

Such a simple concept that so many businesses (in every possible niche) completely ignore.

What is the one dish that the head chef enjoys making the most?

Usually, Gordon finds out that the chef has an incredible signature plate that is not on the menu. Why? The owner is usually the problem. As Gordon says, “owners should never write the menu – the head chef should be the one to design the menu”.

*************************************
Step #5 – Simplify the menu and the number of choices
*************************************

Too many choices leave people confused and lacking in direction.

It also overcomplicates what is required in the kitchen to deliver what was promised (resulting in inferior quality on all the plates).

The menu is typically cut in less than half and the customers are usually very happy about the change.

Also, a large portion is NOT a secret to restaurant success.

Smaller portions reduce waste, and keep customers coming back for more.

*************************************
Step #6 – Systems ARE the key to success
*************************************

Once the new menu has been created, putting systems in place to ensure consistent (and fast) delivery is key.

Being able to double business in a week, without loss in quality or without increase wait times, is something Gordon does in every restaurant he walks into.

*************************************
Step # 7 – Feet on the street marketing
*************************************

Last, now that everything is in place and the systems have been tested on a smaller scale, they get busy.

Getting the staff all geared up in uniforms, loaded up with their new signature dishes, they hit the street and let anyone and everyone try out the new menu choices.

Usually, an afternoon of that and they have enough curiosity built up to guarantee their first night’s dinner is packed with diners and hungry new customers.

>>>> The 7-step formula above sounds simple, but it consistently turns failing restaurants around in 1 single week.

The customers love the new choices (the ones they told you to start making), the staff become much more motivated to deliver consistent service, and the restaurant very quickly starts to make a profit.

Gordon usually revisits the restaurant after a month or two to see if they have held together all the new changes.

9 times out of 10 they have held it together, stuck with the changes, and are enjoying more money than they have experienced in years.

And yes, this does apply to your business to …

* Figure out exactly what you are selling now
* Who is behind your business? What do the customers see? What do they think?
* Find out what the customers REALLY want
* Find your signature offer
* Simplify the number of choices
* Systems ARE the key to success
* Feet on the street marketing

Last, a few side lessons from Gordon …

It IS about the image you portray

Use only the finest ingredients in areas the customers enjoy most

What is the passion – where did it come from – find a way to bring it back

Don’t take it personally – take it seriously

It’s about the story you give them to tell others

When you hire a professional to help – try listening to their advice for a change (not that any customers who hire a copywriter or marketing consultant would ever ignore the advice of an expert!)

What you hear most on the show: “%^&#ing HELL!” (which he says every time he sees something that is destroying the business – about every
32 seconds you will hear him say “%^&#ing HELL!”

One of my favorite Gordon quotes: “Who needs a wine list when you can get pissed on dessert"

To your success,

Troy White

**************************************************
This article was originally written for the Small Business Mastery Column,
which I write every Friday for the World’s Highest Paid Copywriter, Clayton Makepeace.

http://www.smallbusinessmastery.com

Gene Simmons… lessons from a Rock and Roll Great

Troy White — 2010-03-30T13:59:32-05:00

Two years ago, I was having dinner at the Grand Ole Opry hotel in Nashville, getting ready to attend the Dan Kennedy Superconference.

Just up to my right I saw someone come out of a discretely placed side door, and start walking down the hall towards me.

“Hey. There’s Gene Simmons!”

Gene was booked to speak at the seminar the next morning, but here he was wandering down the hallway all by himself. No one had even really noticed who this living legend was that was casually strutting his stuff, all by his lonesome.

So my buddy Owen and I jumped up and went to say hi.

He was incredibly friendly, offering us signatures or photos if we wanted. As we were snapping a couple pictures, people around us started to figure out who this was… and the crowd soon surrounded him.

What impressed me was watching him with the crowd.

There’s a guy that knows who pays his bills!

He was patient and friendly with everyone.

Photo? Sure.

Sign this? Sure.

He made sure every single person who wanted it, either got a picture with him or went home with something signed by Gene (the girls usually went away with some very strategically written ink on their bodies).

No rush – he was there to be with his fans.

One fascinating thing about his fans was the multiple generations that consider him the best in the world.

Grandmothers there with their grandkids – each of them as giddy at meeting Gene as the other.

The next morning he gave a fantastic talk about thinking big and success in business.

Many people judge Gene by the image he portrays in his old KISS costume, with makeup, platform boots and tongue sticking out.

If that is all you know about Gene, you will be astounded to learn how successful he has become marketing himself, his brand, and his many companies.

Seriously, Gene is a marketing genius and his Sex, Money, Kiss book gives you some incredible insights into the way he thinks, acts and grows his businesses (a warning though: if you are easily offended and unable to see past some of the points he makes, you will not enjoy this book. If you have thick skin, this is packed solid with marketing lessons).

If you watch his Family Jewels show, you catch a glimpse of how he runs some of the business and makes tens of millions of dollars a year, when most Rock-and-Roll old timers have dried up and blown away.

Did you know Gene has never used drugs or been drunk?

Most have no clue. Most don’t want to believe it.

But that’s how he stayed sober when all the rest of the band fell victim to drugs and booze.

Gene took control of the main assets and has continued to leverage his success for decades now.

He is one of the BEST at being a showman. He knows when to put on his game face, and does it incredibly well.

Some of the lessons I have picked up from Gene that are ideal for small business marketing:

Make it a cool and catchy name. Many of the major successes in business are centered around products and businesses whose names are memorable (or they paid huge bucks to make it memorable).

Also, Gene is big into the designs and packaging of the name you use. You cannot deny the success he has achieved with this strategy. Make the name into a catchy logo, and, the real key, make the logo attractive enough that you would wear it on a t-shirt, or baseball cap, or on a poster, etc.

Gene has created a multi-million dollar empire out of merchandisable clothing, posters, stickers, electronic gear, etc …. all with a very catchy logo and designs.

Think through each and every area that you can generate revenues from your business and offerings.
1. Your main product or service offering – price it at the high end (trying to win the low price game is not something I ever recommend). Prices at the high end may attract fewer buyers (sometimes it attracts more buyers), but the profits are higher, and the effort required to close a high end sale is typically as easy as selling the cheapest on the market.
2. Find ways to incorporate a membership program into your business. This is a BIG money maker if done properly (the KISS members club has a massive client base that will buy anything that is promoted). You can price your membership program monthly or yearly, definitely worthy of testing both options. With a membership, they should get some form of discount of future purchases, they should have special member-only days, they should be eligible for contests, points for purchases – redeemable for additional goods, or impressed clothing or hats.[Side note: I have been watching closely all the different places that use memberships lately, and they are, typically, one of the leaders in their market, usually VERY busy with paying customers, and usually very unique, in that their competitors are too scared to implement membership programs.]
3. What is your conversation piece? When someone talks about you and your business, what one thing are they likely to bring up in the conversation? If you don’t have that, yet, start thinking it through.It could be the bizarre things you do in your ‘off-time’ (think Richard Branson) – it could be who you regularly write about in your newsletters (I used to write about my twin daughters extensively in my newsletters, as they taught me much about life and business).
  Find something, anything that can position you as highly unique.
4. Have annual customer appreciation events (more frequent is even better). People LOVE a good party – give them one. Make it free for all customers – you can combine the free event with an extra paid event, but do it at a separate time and make the paid event highly valuable.
5. Is there any way you can license your brand, your products, your services, even your marketing process or ads? Create something unique in your business and how it is perceived by others, then approach others in unrelated markets (even competitors in non-competitive areas). Sell rights to use your licensed goods in their business. For them, it gives them more to sell to their clients, for you it provides additional income streams to further grow your business and bank account.Donald Trump recently discussed the fact that 15% of his revenues come from the licensing of the Trump name. People pay him significant fees to use his name, fees are payable in advance before they do anything with his name.
6. Cross promote everything that you sell, or want to sell. Each and every part of your business needs to be selling the other parts. You can do this through inserts in your product shipments, in your electronic newsletters, in your customer follow-up pieces, you can even create catchy cartoon or graphic logos that make for great stickers – include a bunch of stickers with each shipment (this has worked great for me and the Wild West Wealth Summit and the cowboy cartoons I have used).
7. Create systematic 1-2-3 launches for every new initiative you are undertaking this year. As you lay it out on your marketing calendar you will start seeing where the majority of your time will be allocated throughout the year- and where the overlaps are on your launches, which can be powerful in the eyes of you customers – or confusing, if not explained properly.Make sure you cross promote your different businesses as well. Gene Simmons is very good at making sure each and every one of his businesses or clients is mentioned when he is in front of a crowd.
  You just never know who is in the market for one of your other offerings!
8. Always be asking yourself how you can make more money from your existing products or services, and how you can repackage them for bigger boosts in sales. Try surveying your clients to find out what they like most, and least, about the products and services you offer now.
Brand yourself as the personality of your business. Many of the world’s great business success stories (and turnaround stories) are the result of the business leader becoming the front person and personality in all their marketing. Lee Iacocca WAS Chrysler when he turned them around. He was front and center on the television, the voice you heard on radio, and the person people connected with when they wanted to buy a new vehicle (versus all the other ‘faceless’ corporations they had to choose from).Use cartoons, if appropriate. They have worked well for me … and are working well for others. There is a major resurgence of interest in cartoons right now among adults. I don’t recall where I saw the article, but the growth in comic book sales to adults is experiencing a major spike right now – tap into it!
How would you sell you and your company if you were a rock star? You may not want to wear makeup and stick your tongue out (or maybe you would?) – But there is something you would do to stand out from the thousands of other rock stars out there re: What is your personality you want to portray?
Use that personality in your blog posts, in your newsletters, in your marketing and on your website – that is one of your greatest assets if you leverage it right.
Work harder (and smarter) than anyone else in your industry. Despite the premise behindThe 4-Hour Work Week, hard work will be the key to your success. Yes, outsourcing and systemization is critical, but if you are working half the hours as your biggest competitor – they will become the leader. Look at Clayton, he doesn’t claim to work the fewest hours to have created the level of success that he has – he works hard, damn hard – and the results from his promotions speak for themselves.

I highly encourage you to pick up Gene’s book. It gives you a powerful look into the life of one of today’s greatest showmen.

Few people in any business can make ten, twenty, fifty million a year consistently… for decades. Those that do, leave some serious clues on how you can do the same.

Even if success and wealth is not one of your ambitions, learning how a guy like that has been able toturn a flame-breathing devil into a multi-generational icon is a fun ride in itself!

To your success, Troy White

PS: This article was originally written for the weekly article I write on Clayton Makepeace’s blog athttp://www.smallbusinessmastery.com

Do You Use Yellow Page Advertising?

Troy White — 2010-03-19T12:48:58-05:00

Effectively?

Some of the most boring advertising can be found in the Yellow Pages!

And yet, 40% of your clients buy based on the research they do in the Yellow Pages – 40%!

Online yellow pages and offline print directories – it makes no difference.

Flip through your section of the Yellow pages – notice that they all look the same?

What possibly gives them a reason to call you over the other 15 companies advertising the same products or services in the exact same style of advertising?

If you are placing Yellow Page Ads this year – give some serious thought on headlines you can use (remember – 80 – 90% of your success is in the headline), make it look like an advertorial, and give them an incentive to pick up that phone and call YOU, not the guy in the ad next to you.

Notice that “advertorial” was mentioned?

The reason – if you use news-style advertising you will get up to 500% better response. This is proven and documented throughout the years. Make your advertising look like some interesting news, or an article – do not make it look like advertising (that is what your competitors are doing).

If it looks like advertising – most people won’t read it. Think about it – do you read the articles, or the ads, in the newspapers and magazines you buy?

Make it look like an advertorial and see your response go through the roof.

To your success,

Troy White

Word Wealth

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You and I may not have a namelike Trump or Simmons to license,but we definitely have assets we canand should be licensing.

Do You Use Yellow Page Advertising?

You and I may not have a name
like Trump or Simmons to license,
but we definitely have assets we can
and should be licensing.