Posts Tagged ‘direct response’

Three Ways To Increase Your Clicks & Revenues Online

By: Dave Dee on: April 23rd, 2013 7 Comments

Recently I heard sad news about a small business that has been an industry giant for decades.

I’ll refrain from using their name as it is one you would undoubtedly recognize. Their products are fantastic and have helped hundreds of thousands of people.

The company has done a great job building their subscription list. They send out emails and hold free webinars with formidable guests. They engage in social media and have hundreds of thousands of followers. Their posts are shared, liked, and commented on. They have even been successful generating viral activity.

And selling is, if not their top strength, close to it.

The thing is…unfortunately, this company is struggling and I’m afraid might not survive.

Why? It’s the same problem many small businesses suffer from…

Not only did they eliminate almost all of their direct mail activities and move the majority of their marketing online, they failed to use direct response concepts in ALL of their online marketing.

You see they didn’t quite understand that while it’s cool to have a big list and necessary to engage with people online…it’s really important that every aspect of online marketing is about hardnosed direct response marketing.

When you engage with a prospect, there must be a purpose behind it. Every time you…

  • send an email
  • write a blog post
  • direct someone to a page on your web site
  • make a post on social media…

…you should be thinking about how you can generate more clicks to your sales pages.

This does NOT mean you should be “selling” or promoting in every online activity. Let me say that again in a different way, because it’s really important. It’s not always about making a sale, but rather about “selling the click.”

For example, let’s say you have an event coming up that costs $500 to attend. You can’t sell someone on a $500 event in a 140 character tweet; however you could send them to a sales letter.

Even better though, you could send people to an opt-in box to get a free video, a free booklet, or attend a free teleseminar that relates to a topic you’ll be talking about at your event. Not only will you get more people to click through to something that is free, but now you’ve captured their email address and can market to them about your event (and your products and services and future event.) This means that instead of getting one chance to get them to click through to your sales page, you have multiple chances.

When you start focusing on how to use direct response in everything you do online, you’ll increase clicks.  And when you increase clicks, you’ll convert more clicks into sales. Just imagine increasing your conversion rate from 5% to 10%. If you did that consistently you would double your revenues.

Here are three ways you can use direct response to increase your clicks…

1) Use Active Verbs. Many businesses will create a link and write something like, “This week’s specials” or “Calendar of Events”. Instead trying putting an action verb at the beginning…”Find out what this week’s specials are here” and “Explore our calendar of events.”

2) Add urgency. Give them a reason to respond right now. While you don’t want every email or social media post to be promotional, using urgency when you are doing a promotion is really effective. You can accomplish this in many ways including using a limited-time offer, scarcity, or a fast action bonus.

3) Make offers. One of Dan Kennedy’s Direct Response Rules is to always make offers.  Look at ways you can incorporate offers into more of your online activities. Offer the first ten people that post a comment on your blog post a copy of the template you mention in your post. Or offer a free webinar on the topic you discussed in your email in your P.S.

If you don’t have a plan that includes how you will insert links that click through to a sales page, your time is wasted. Even worse, you could be the next small business that “bites the dust” because you didn’t put enough focus on how to get people to take a specific action.

Study direct response and start looking for more ways you can implement direct response marketing into your e-newsletters, emails, blog posts and social media. When you do, you’ll see an increase in clicks, which will lead to more sales.

How do you regularly use direct response in your online activities? Share your ideas in the comments below.

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Four Key Factors You MUST Know If You Want To Hold Onto Your Online Audience

By: Dave Dee on: April 11th, 2013 2 Comments

Last week I was in Ohio with Dan Kennedy and a packed room of entrepreneurs at the New A to Z Info-Biz Blueprints event.

I’m amazed that after 17 years of reading and studying and attending everything Dan does, I still discover new “ah-ha action items” for me to implement.

While I won’t be sharing my action items here today, I do want to talk about the psychology of how you get clients to continually come back to you.

Whether it’s getting your prospects and clients to come back to your events or come back to your website, there are specific ways to accomplish this.  Things you’ll want to implement ASAP because “returning prospects and customers” are key to growing your income.

Today I’ll discuss four ways specific to your online marketing.  It’s important to…

Understand the difference between the way customers view online and offline media.  The Internet was not created to sell. It was created by the U.S. military as a communication system and was later made available for academic institutions.

The idea was to create a place where people could connect and share information, not to sell.  And if you think about what most people do online, they go there to search for information or connect with people on social sites like Facebook, Google+, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

This means they are in a very different mindset when they read something on your website versus when they read something you’ve sent in the mail.

Reading a sales letter that came in the mail, they may be more relaxed and sitting in their easy chair. But online, people are more alert and searching for specific answers. Make it simple and easy for them to find the answers they are looking for and don’t waste their time with copy that is focused on  branding your product, service or company.

Create specific landing pages. Online your customers compare prices. Offline they don’t. The truth is online audiences do price comparisons… frequently. This is bad news for you.

To help avoid price comparisons and drive your customers to your website, try sending something offline that drives customers to a specific online landing page that then drives them offline again. (KEY POINT: drive your audience to a landing page created specifically for your offer. Do NOT send them to your home page and make them search for your offer or you will lose them.)

For example, an offline postcard could drive people to a landing page with a specific low cost or no cost offer that requires them to enter their address to receive a CD mailer, report, etc. This gets them to raise their hand and say they are interested and gets them offline before you start talking price, thus avoiding the price comparison online.    The next step would be to send them what you promised with an offer to buy your product or use your service. By taking this approach, you’ll have a captive audience and loyal audience that are more apt to buy.

Have a system for capturing email addresses and use auto-responder emails. Another way to get people coming back is to use autoresponder emails. There is always a large portion of people who won’t buy your product or service the first time they find you.

Be sure to include an email capture box on your website so you have a way to continue marketing to them. Then create a series of emails designed to send prospects and customers back to your sales page for your product or service.

Be relevant. Always. If you are looking through the business section in the newspaper searching for information on ways to market your business, you’d expect to see ads about business, travel and things which aren’t related to marketing your business. But online, if you typed in Google, “Ways to market my small business” you’d expect to find exactly what you are looking for, right?

Your content on your web pages, in your emails, etc. should be very relevant to what your reader is looking for and not wander off topic. Because it’s much easier for people to click away from your website than it is to find another book, magazine or newspaper on your topic. This means if you stray they are gone.

Of course these are just four of many things which will help you keep readers returning to you online. If you want to be profitable online, you’ll want to beef up your understanding of the online reader’s mindset. Concentrate on learning and using online marketing strategies that make it simple for you to not only capitalize on this audience, but keep them coming back for more.

NOTE:  I’ll be leading a panel of marketing titans, expert in and using online and social media such as Google+, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest and more. These experts create and keep online audiences coming back for a variety of products, services and businesses. They’ll be sharing how to quickly use online marketing to create something today, test it tomorrow, and have profitable results and knowledge almost immediately.

Join me and this incredible panel for an IN-DEPTH discussion with absolutely practical, 1-2-3, step-by-step instructions so you can make immediate, practical use of these. We’ll be holding this discussion at SuperConference May 2nd-4th. Go here to register now www.dankennedy.com/sc2013.  ALL discounts end NEXT week on April 19th. Don’t miss your ABSOLUTE LAST CHANCE to save.

Six Tips For Using This Shortcut To Success Tool

By: Darcy Juarez on: March 14th, 2013 3 Comments

Last week at the Fast Implementation Boot Camp, I witnessed the magic of networking.

Connections were made, budding friendships and accountability partners started, alliances were formed, and even some possible joint-ventures emerged… all through networking.

Networking is one of the best ways to make powerful connections that can propel your business forward and shortcut your path to success.

Of course, there are tons of opportunities for networking, (too many, actually) some better than others.

But here’s the thing…

You don’t want to end up with a stack of business cards you’ll never look at again or spend time in a room with non-decision makers who are schmoozing you.

Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your networking encounters:

Find learning environments. Business card exchanges and other networking focused events are high pressure. People are there to meet others for the purpose of doing business, which means their defenses are up. Educational events, such as seminars, conferences and bootcamps are more relaxed, therefore defenses are lower. People are more at ease.  Plus, because the most successful people are continually learning, you are more likely to meet high quality like-minded contacts..

Start conversations. Don’t wait for someone to come to you. Sit next to someone you don’t know or cross the room to talk to someone. Strike up a conversation with the person standing in line next to you. Find out what they are working on or trying to accomplish. A simple conversation can turn into ideas, alliances, new business, referrals, joint-ventures, and a host of other opportunities.

Focus on making quality contacts, not quantity. The goal should not be to meet as many people as possible, it should be to build quality relationships. If you are in a conversation that is going well, stick with it rather than trying to move on to meet more people. That said, don’t hang with one person the entire time.

Do more listening than talking. Ask a lot of questions, then listen and respond to what you hear. By listening you may find you can provide a solution they are looking for.

Do your research. Find out about the speakers and what their specialties are before you attend an event. Pick a couple that you want to meet who work in something related to your field, have a similar business set-up or might be able to answer a question or help you with what you are working on. Then seek these people out. To prepare write down three intelligent questions about your most pressing matters. For example, if you are attending SuperConference and have a brick and mortar business you might want to seek out extraordinary entrepreneurDonna Krech with 25 years’ experience, a thriving local brick and mortar business, a national coaching and franchise business, and a direct-to-consumer products business. She is sure to have plenty of answers about what it takes to make your business ultra-successful.

Write down what you are looking for before you go. Are you looking for someone to give you feedback on an idea you have? Similar businesses to compare promotions? A good “power partner” for referrals? An affiliate or joint-venture partner? Advice about a particular business problem? When you take the time to define what you are looking for from networking, you’ll ask better questions and get much better results.

Armed with these ideas, you’ll be able to brilliantly network and use these opportunities to blast your business forward.

NOTE:  SuperConference Countdown has begun. You’ve got less than two months to prepare for this life-changing event. I recommend you get ready by clearing as much off your plate as possible before you go.

That’s because once you get there, you’re likely to be flooded by the opportunities and new promotion strategies that come out of the event.

And that’s just the beginning. Come prepared to network with some of the most successful GKIC members. You’ll get a ton of value out of the event, no question. In fact, here is a quick list of six of the best things you’ll receive from SuperConference:

1)     Kindred spirits. You’ll meet entrepreneurs from all over the world, of all ages, and varied backgrounds. Yet you’ll share a burning desire to be top dog in your industry, niche or marketplace, bust through barriers and recognize GKIC as the vehicle that can get you there. Since most of the people “back home” can’t relate to what it is you’re trying to do with this “direct-response stuff” and “deliberately positioning yourself against trends,” it’s an awesome feeling to finally connect with people who share your passion for independence.

2)     Meet GKIC Experts Face-to-Face. Sure you’ve “met” Dan Kennedy, our expert panel and GKIC crew members through emails, teleseminars and Google Hangouts. But it’s even better to meet people face-to-face.  You’ll meet the entire GKIC crew, some living legends including Dan Kennedy himself and Brian Tracy, and members of our GKIC Expert Advisory Panel. They are living proof that GKIC strategies work. Meeting them in the flesh will highlight the advantages of this lifestyle, not to mention ramp up your enthusiasm. (If you’re new to GKIC and our successful direct-marketing strategies, check out our flagship product Magnetic Marketing)

3)     Supercharge your professional network. Events in general tend to host the most ambitious, most successful entrepreneurs, sales persons and business owners. SuperConference is no different. These are the go-getters who make things happen. This is a great shortcut for making a list of go-to professionals, joint venture partners, and peers willing to swap promotion ideas.

4)     A reality check. It’s easy to doubt whether the freedom and independent lifestyle really exists…until you meet people actually living it. This is the perfect place to meet people living their dream lifestyle… and find out their best tips for getting there yourself.

5)     Cash, Investment, “Brain Capital” and a Free Vacation. If you participate in GKIC’s Marketer of the Year or in GKIC’s Shark Tank, you could walk away with a winner’s weekend win Dan and an all-expense paid trip to sunny Florida or up to $50,000 in cash, investment opportunity or “brain capital” for your business.

6)     An adrenaline shot. You’ll hear stories that will remind you it’s possible to have complete control over your life, the best and most current information of what’s working now, and loads of tools and strategies to propel your business forward. Not to mention how fired up you’ll be when you leave. You’ll be ready to take on…and conquer your biggest goals.

And if you haven’t registered yet – don’t delay!

Take advantage of the special early-bird discount until March 21, 2013 at midnight!

Register Now by clicking here…

ALSO!!! On Monday, March 18, 2013 at 8:00PM EST Dave Dee will be doing a FREE TRAINING Tele-seminar with Brian Tracy and Barbara Corcoran where he Guarantees: “This FREE 60 Minutes Call With These TITANS of Marketing Will Reveal At Least 7 GIANT Secrets You Never Imagined Existed That Could Easily Double, Even Triple Your Business’s Revenue”

During the call they’ll reveal:

  • Core secrets to programming your subconscious mind for superstar sales results — and they only take moments!
  • Barbara’s contrarian secret to success and how not knowing and implementing this secret is hold you back. (This will surprise you!)
  • The single biggest mistake entrepreneurs make and how to overcome it to get from where you are to where you want to go- this is NOT what you think.
  • The powerful lesson from Barbara’s journey to the star of ABC’s hit show, Shark Tank — this might be exactly what you need to hear now.
  • How to accomplish more in a mere 90 days than you ever imagined possible… you’ll discover how to apply MASSIVE ACTION on a number of fronts to ramp up your business exponentially!
  • And lots more!

Just Click Here Now…to reserve your spot and then mark your calendar, your phone and tie a piece of string around your finger…because this is 60 minutes you won’t want to miss if you want to grow your business.

Four Secret Principles Between The Haves And Have Nots

By: Darcy Juarez on: February 21st, 2013 4 Comments

The other day I read that Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry are due to release a new TV series…

The name of their new series is The Haves and the Have Nots.

Based on the musical play written, produced and directed by Perry, it follows the dynamics of the affluent Cryer family and the family of their not-so-affluent housekeeper – and the dramatic secrets that reside within each.

The show made me think about what I’ve read in recent months about the differences between the “haves” and “have nots” in real life.

A vanishing middle class caused by globalization has driven down wages for people with routine skills. Yet incomes at the top have skyrocketed.

I’ve read that students should focus on science, technology, engineering and math to earn the best money in the future.

The truth is that if you want to be a part of the “haves” it doesn’t matter if you focus on art, English or technology. Or if your business sells services or products that are widely accessible with lots of competition or your business sells products or services that are normally in a low-price point…

Because people will pay more for products and services than you imagine. Plus somebody will always be at the top of the food chain, so to speak, dominating their market, so why shouldn’t it be you?

In Dan Kennedy’s Marketing to the Affluent program, Dan shares story after story of businesses that could easily be commoditized and competing on price, but instead are dominating their market and selling their products and services at top dollar. From pet sitters to guys selling lobster to his story of buying a $350 rubber ball at Disney World.

Here are four simple secret principles you can put into practice immediately to instantly align yourself and guide your business to be among the “haves”:

1)    Stop believing your business is different. In the GKIC February 2013 Gold Letter, Dan Kennedy discusses and shows evidence of how human emotions are the same no matter the educational level, income and affluence level, life experience or sophistication. In other words, no matter their differences, people respond the same to GKIC marketing strategies.

Once you stop believing GKIC marketing ideas won’t work in your business because your clients, customers, patients or business are different, you will experience tremendous financial breakthroughs. So next time you think one of our marketing ideas won’t work, try it first and see what happens.  (If you aren’t currently receiving the Gold Letter, click here to get 2 issues, along with $633.91 of free money-making Info.)

 

2)    Make big changes with small choices.  Every business owner understands the painful necessity of choice in decision-making for their business. It’s these choices and the fear of making the wrong choice that sometimes paralyzes a business owner.

If you find yourself paralyzed by indecision, make a smaller choice to get you started. For example, if you are unsure about a marketing strategy, test a small portion of your target market first to see if the strategy works.

After all, it’s better to do something than nothing. Plus by making a smaller choice, you don’t have to worry so much about making a wrong decision.

 

3)    Differentiate yourself. This is especially important in highly competitive markets. If you want to be able to charge the highest possible fees and never compete on price, you must distinguish yourself from your competitors.

Think you can’t charge more for your products? Think again. Disney charges $350 for a rubber ball that you can buy at Walmart for $5.00.

Think your business is different?

See point one.

(Learn about how to differentiate and avoid commoditization on our upcoming Diamond Member Calls in March and April where Sally Hogshead discusses using customer fascination and three great GKIC members discuss strategy for fighting differentiation in highly competitive and commoditized markets.  Not a Diamond Member? Get access here.)

 

4)    Do something to market your business every day. Many of our most successful members talk about how taking “massive action” has generated a lot of their success. However, for some that seems overwhelming. Realize that even doing one small marketing activity every day can have enormous impact.

Dan has a rule of doing something to drive his business forward every day. That means that sometimes you have to make the choice between quitting work at your normal time or staying ten more minutes to send an email or fax to a potential client. What small choice can you make today that will make a difference in your business tomorrow and beyond?

Follow these four simple principles and before you know it you’ll be one of the “haves” experiencing more freedom, less stress and an income that can provide you with both everything you need and everything you could ever want.

NOTE:  How would you like to be among the “haves” within the next 90 days? You can double your profits when you attend Chief Marketing Officer Dave Dee’s FREE webinar, “The Top 10 Ways to Radically Transform Your Business and Double Your Profits In Just 90 Days”,  on February 21, 2013 at 8:00 PM EST

If you look around and see businesses in your niche doing better than you…or wonder how you can be the leader in your field and one of the “Haves” then you won’t want to miss Dave’s free presentation. Make the choice to register right now so you can begin transforming your life immediately. To register for this FREE event, click here NOW.

Small Things That Provide BIG Impact

By: Dave Dee on: January 31st, 2013 No Comments

In this month’s issue of Success Magazine, best-selling author and keynote speaker Jason Dorsey says people fail because they set too big of goals.

Not that you shouldn’t set big goals…

Dorsey says,

“Most people never reach their biggest goals because they can’t stick to them in the beginning.”

He says the “all-important first 30 or 60 days” is when the “magic” happens.

So what stops people from experiencing “the magic?”

A major success obstacle is people simply can’t break their bad habits and replace them with new habits.

The simplest way to understand this is to think about losing weight. You may have to break bad eating habits and/or start exercising. That means you need to not only get rid of an old habit (eating fully loaded hamburgers at lunch) but form a new, better habit (eating salad for lunch instead.)

This happens in business too. Say you want to increase your income. You may have a set way of doing business that you need to change. Fears you have to overcome. Or organization and productivity habits that need to be re-aligned.

The solution?

Dorsey suggests that you set smaller goals. He says that way you can “achieve goals on your list right away, “see yourself making progress every day,” and “gain the courage necessary to pursue bigger goals.”

Great suggestion. But that’s not all you can do.

Here’s some other “small things” that can provide a BIG impact on your business this year:

Focus on one instead of many. Sometimes it’s not that you have too big of a goal, it’s that you have too many goals. Choose one thing that you are going to succeed at and put all your energy into that.

For example, if you want to double your business, maybe it’s that you should focus all your energy into getting more clients, customers or patients.  Once you achieve that goal then move on to your second most pressing issue.

Realize small changes can equal big gains. Last year, we started offering copy critiques from our professional GKIC copywriters to those who subscribe to Copy Confidential. Often times a suggestion from our copywriters to make a small change to the language or to use one copywriting strategy meant a huge change in results of a campaign.

I also remember Dan Kennedy telling a story about getting paid I believe it was $100,000 to add just a few words to a sales letter. The letter had worked well for a long time, but sales had slowed. The company hired Dan to get the sales letter to work again. By adding a few words to the headline, the sales letter began selling like gangbusters again.

Think about what small changes you can make that will have a big impact. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

  • Adding copy cosmetics to guide your reader, making your copy easier to read as discussed in  Chapter 8 in the Ultimate Sales Letter Book.
  • Unlocking The Secrets of Direct Mail is full of small changes that make a big impact. For instance, instead of sending the same message to everyone, segment your audience and customize your message to consumers. This is easier than you think. Using software like Infusionsoft, you can tag and segment your audience automatically. Sometimes it’s just a matter  of changing a few words, an offer, or a headline to match each specific audience.  It heightens the connection between you and your prospects which can make a big difference in bottom line sales.
  • Shift your focus in selling. Instead of focusing on how many sales presentations you can make or how many sales you can close, shift your thinking to focus on making yourself into the authority on whatever it is you are selling.

 

Think of it this way. If you go to the dentist and she tells you that you need to get a filling, you’re going to get your tooth filled, right? You don’t question it or think about it, you just do it because she says you need to.

By becoming the authority in your market, when it comes time to close a sale, the customer will buy from you because you are the expert and they are going to do what the experts tell them.  (For more on how to become an authority, check out Sales & Persuasion Strategies.)

Dedicate a small, focused time each day. Dan Kennedy’s “an hour a day” success tip Tuesday was “Take an hour a day, every day, and invest it in any one thing: writing, physical fitness, creating publicity, becoming an expert at something, whatever, and you’ll be “world class” in that very fast.”

Time and time again, I’ve witnessed people shift to focusing on just one thing and as a result, rise quickly in their chosen field.

Small but mighty. There’s an old quote, “The mighty Oak was once a little nut that stood its ground.”

Whether it’s setting smaller goals, focusing on one goal instead of many, or carefully choosing the small changes you will make, don’t be afraid to think small. Often “small” makes a BIG and lasting impact that can turn your business into the “giant oak” you’ve been dreaming of.

NOTE: Want something that can dramatically improve your earning power with a lot less stress and strain? Want to stop floundering? Devote just 2 days at our next Fast Implementation Bootcamp. You’ll complete a fully loaded marketing campaign, ready to launch the minute you get home. This is NOT about giving you more knowledge and more information. It’s about making a change in your business today so you can start getting results tomorrow.

Find out why people are raving about this FREE bootcamp. Discover what people are saying and how you can register for our next bootcamp now.

Make Something Happen NOW

By: Darcy Juarez on: January 29th, 2013 1 Comment

Can you believe it’s almost the end of January already?

In an attempt to help members stay on track with their new 2013 goals, the other day we asked members to share what they were doing to improve their business…

A variety of answers came in such as attending mastermind meetings and conferences, studying courses like Magnetic Marketing, finishing a website, working on blog posts, articles and newsletters, writing a book and more.

Another question we asked, “If you could only share one thing, what is the one piece of business advice you would give?”

Again a variety of answers flooded in…

“Create your own product or service and promote it like crazy.”

“Don’t compete on price.”

“Test and tweak, and test and tweak, then test and tweak again.”

Lots of great answers to consider.

Some look at the most successful business models for inspiration.  It’s not uncommon to see successful entrepreneurs doing 20 different things all at once—from lead funnels to newsletters to events to releasing books to coaching programs.

Seeing and hearing all these ideas, it’s easy to come up with ideas and be inspired to do some of them in your own business.

But sometimes instead of ending up with “a success story” you end up with a big “to do” list and a case of overwhelm.

After all, with so many great pieces of advice and so many different ideas to choose from, how do you pick what to do first?

I mean, even just seeing 18 different ideas that are shared as the one “best piece of advice”, makes it hard to pick. Am I right?

If you’ve ever felt that way, I’m here to help with a few suggestions to eliminate overwhelm and get your business moving so you can make things happen in 2013.

Clear out the clutter. Sometimes our lists simply have too many things on them and they need to be simplified. At the end of the year, the GKIC marketing team sat down to evaluate where we were, where we were going and what we wanted to achieve. We realized we were trying to execute too many ideas. We needed to focus more on automating and on making core initiatives run well. So we removed a few items from our list…for now anyway.

Another place that clutter can get in the way is in your head. Instead of lying awake at night with mental clutter, write down all the ideas you like or think of. Then put them aside for when you have time and are ready to implement something new.

Realize there is really only ONE thing you need to do.   There is an old proverb that says, “Some people make things happen, some watch things happen, while others wonder what has happened.”

Of the three, you definitely want to be in the category of the people that “make things happen.” To do this you have to take action immediately.

Disney ran out of money before they finished Disneyland and couldn’t finish some landscaping. So he had his people make up some signs with phony Latin names on them and stick them in the ground next to the weeds.

There are a lot of people with good ideas out there. But very few who take immediate action. They wait to gather all the information, or have enough money, or for the “perfect timing.” Don’t worry about having all the details figured out, just get moving. Because as Dan Kennedy says, “Just by getting into action you’ll leapfrog ahead of 95% of the people around you.”

It’s a million little things. Not one.  Often we hear of the “overnight success” story. People want to know, how someone arrived at success so quickly? The thing is, there is no such thing as overnight success. It’s doing a lot of different things that all add up.

So just pick one or two things and focus on getting those done. When you’ve finished with those, pick two more from your list and focus on those. Give yourself a deadline to shoot for so you keep moving forward. Before you know it, you’ll have done a million different things and you’ll have leapfrogged ahead.

It’s great hearing from members that they are already making things happen in 2013…

Keith Madison writes,

“Though it’s only 14 days into the new year, GKIC has helped me discover some damn stellar breakthroughs for my clients…No B.S. has me generating B.S. (big sums.)”

I hope I’ll be hearing from you soon about the “Big Sums” you are making as a result of clearing the clutter and taking action immediately.

Share your tips in the comments below for clearing out the clutter and making things happen in your business.

NOTE:  Tens of thousands have been on the same road you are now traveling…but only those that take immediate action and implement reach the finish line. If you are new to GKIC, having trouble deciding what to do first or just need some direction on what to do first, check out our FREE Fast Implementation Bootcamp. In just two days’ time, you’ll walk away with a fully loaded marketing campaign ready to send out. Our next Bootcamp takes place March 7-8th. But you’ll want to register now, because seats are filling up quickly and there is only limited room available.

How To Build Your Own “Million Dollar Rolodex”

By: Dan Kennedy on: January 24th, 2013 4 Comments

This month, in the No B.S. Marketing Letter I talked about the only two ways to think about the 1% and 99%.

If you read it, you got a big lesson in how certain thinking and complaints can virtually guarantee you will never be rich—and what to do if you want to change your circumstance and become a member of the 1% club.

Another complaint that comes from the unsuccessful is that success or wealth has more to do with WHO you know than WHAT you know.

Some people may think this is unfair. When they see someone getting ahead because of who they know, they think it’s not right.

But why they feel that’s bad or unfair is beyond me. Like it or don’t, it’s the way the game is.

For as long as people have been conducting business, one of the ways to win at it is to surround yourself with successful people.

In NFL football, it takes 10 yards to get a 1st down. Maybe it should be 8 or 12 yards instead, but it’s 10.

So the coach and his team need to figure out how to get 10 yards in three plays.

It’s the same with your business. Determine your goals and put a plan together to achieve them. For example, if you know you need to get some “who’s” on board, you’ve got to figure out how to get to know the people who can contribute to your success.

My “Million Dollar Rolodex” is called that because I value it that highly. Case in point, a specialty printer I use came from my rolodex. At the time, we had called and gotten three quotes from local printers and one from a little-known, specialty printer, out of state, who did the kind of printing we needed. We saved 55% by knowing about the existence of this printer.

In preparation for February 3rd’s Superbowl, next week, the NFL’s annual traveling NFL Experience will be underway in New Orleans.

The “interactive theme park” spans more than 850,000 square feet and costs $25 for adults and $20 for children 12 and under.

If you’ve ever been to one of these things, there is plenty to do. Interactive stations where you can test your football skills such as punting and throwing. Obstacle courses and chances to try on actual pro football gear. There is a Pro Football Hall of Fame. Food vendors and, of course, an NFL shop.

This is also a good place to meet one of your favorite pro football players, celebrities or some of the major players in business as they are known to be there for the big game and will wander near or around the “Experience”.

There’s a lesson here if you look for it. First of all, if you want “who’s” that can help you be successful, you need to do your homework to figure out who those people are or what type of people they are. If you don’t know who would be helpful to you, how can you expect to recognize them should the opportunity arise let alone find anyone to introduce you to them? It’s worth mentioning that while you may not always have specific names of “who’s”  that can help you, identifying a specific industry or company will help you quickly recognize a successful “who” for you to connect with.

Second, once you’ve identified some “who’s” you should do a little research to figure out what they are interested in, something about their company, etc. This way if you happen to get the opportunity to talk to them, you can establish immediate rapport by discussing something you know they will be interested in.

Third, determine if you know someone who might be able to make an introduction for you.  Remember it’s a small world. You may already know someone who is friends with, works with or plays golf with your “target who.” Usually they are more than willing  to make an introduction for you.  You just have to ask.  (Hint your GKIC membership might be a good place to start. Use your online Success Club, GKIC Chapter meetings, and GKIC events as place to meet “who’s”. Not a member yet? You can take a test drive FREE here.)

Not that I’m suggesting stalking, but if you see that a “who” is an active member of an organization or club or you find out from scanning the paper that they will be speaking at an event, attend the meeting or, if it makes sense, become an active member of that club.

Fourth, know what you are going to say ahead of time.  Make a great first impression and good things are bound to happen. Almost every event I speak at, people want to ask me about their business. Unfortunately, what I often hear are vague generalities. Be specific about what it is you are looking for. No one can help if they don’t know what you want.

Fifth, you should have a follow up plan in place.  Just like a sales letter that is sent out with no follow up, not following up on a potential hot lead will have a similar result.

Start to build your “Million Dollar Rolodex” by putting yourself in situations where you will be surrounded by quality people and then taking action to build rapport and relationships with them.

NOTE: Leeza Gibbons may be best known for her role as one of the original hosts of Entertainment Tonight, but for almost a decade, Leeza has been the force and face behind one of the most successful direct response products ever. She is a made from scratch entrepreneur, a brilliant marketer, a savvy media insider, and a dynamic and exciting speaker. Wouldn’t she be a powerful “who” to meet and have in your corner? Everyone who attends the GKIC Women’s Next Level Summit will have a meet ‘n greet photo opportunity with Leeza.

Of course this is only one of the many “who’s” that will be featured speakers at this event. And it has been my experience that events with this caliber of speakers tends to draw the best, brightest and most successful entrepreneurs as they understand the value of being there. That means chances are good you’ll be sitting among some pretty successful people who might just be able to help you out.

Even better, you’d expect to pay for an event like this. But we’re giving it to members FREE, with a refundable seat deposit. That means you pay $97 to reserve your seat and once you show up at the event, we’ll give you your money back. www.gkicwomen.com

P.P.S. Last I checked, this event was pretty close to being filled to capacity. And of course, this is going out to over 100,000 people who receive our content emails. So if you want to attend, you’d be wise to hurry and register now.

Four ways to add quick profits to your business…

By: Darcy Juarez on: December 28th, 2012 2 Comments

“Publish or perish.”

That’s what Dan Kennedy and Matt Zagula say in their new book, No B.S. Trust-based Marketing.

Dan continues, “Even if you are a proprietor of a local hardware store, landscape company, home remodeling company, etc., …you need to write and publish your own book as well as other information media such as newsletters, special reports, how-to-guides, and more. Anyone who seeks trusted authority and advisor status will publish, or perish.”

In an age of diminishing trust, establishing credibility and authority are increasingly becoming key factors to success. And there’s no doubt that published authors are considered trusted authorities.

In chapter 7, Dan starts out by saying that Matt Zagula points out that “author is in the word authority.”

But before you start thinking you need to run out and write a book, I’ll let you in on a little secret: That is not what I, nor Dan are suggesting here.

There are many things you can publish. In fact, information products don’t even have to be written. You can create video and audio information products too. Or create an audio program and have it transcribed to create a book or report.

Here’s a sample of some of the info-products you might want to consider for your business:

  • Newsletters
  • E-books
  • Special Reports
  • How-to Guides
  • Lists of resources
  • Insider reports
  • Expert interviews

Information products establish trust and credibility—making it easier to sell your core products and services at premium prices.

In addition, here are four additional reasons why you should consider adding information products to your business:

  1. High profit margins.  Consider that people value information differently than they do physical products. For example, the cost of an iPhone is worth a set amount. But an information product that promises to double your income in 90 days is worth a subjective amount to each person considering purchasing it. Combine this with the fact that you can create information products at a very low cost (especially if you create digital products that consumers download) and you have an extremely high profit margin.
  2. Create enduring information products once, get paid on them forever.  When you create evergreen information products they retain their selling power year and year. That means you do the work once and make money year after year.
  3. Easy and low cost distribution. You can create an e-book or a video series or special report with very low costs. You can use video, audio, and PDF files to create low-cost information products and with inexpensive distribution channels such as email, you can distribute your products instantly, automatically, easily and inexpensively.
  4. Eliminate commoditization. In a world where commoditization is a problem, you can set yourself and your business apart by leveraging your knowledge to create information products. Plus while there may be products similar to yours, there is virtually no competition for your product because no one knows exactly what you know, nor will they present it in exactly the same way you do. That means your info-product will be unique and won’t exist in any other place. You can also use your info-product to set your business apart even further by incorporating your unique selling proposition throughout your product. For example, if your unique proposition is that you are the only health club that includes a custom diet for your customers, you might want to talk about the benefits and importance of combining proper diet with exercise throughout your info-product.

Increase your credibility and authority this year by creating an information product. You’ll find it a low-cost way to increase your income  and set yourself apart from your competition.

NOTE: As you know GKIC is an Info-marketing business created and launched by Dan Kennedy. For the first time, Dan is going to reveal the single most important and powerful concept on which he based his entire business, that made possible what you know of today as GKIC, an inspiration that has “launched a thousand ships.”

Dan has NEVER taught this concept as he’ll describe it during his A-Z Info-Biz Blueprints Reboot. He will also reveal the checklists behind his approach to info-marketing and their sources, and the very-short-list of authors that he’s most closely emulated.

If you are sensibly curious about the “SOURCE(S)” of the power Dan’s demonstrated during his successful career as a professional info-marketer, builder of brand and empire, and builder of others’ info-businesses as well, then you will walk barefoot across a 500-mile fire walk if need be, to be at this event. To Learn More About This Event Click Here

Young Entrepreneurs…How To Lay The Foundation Today For Your Children’s Business Success Tomorrow…

By: Darcy Juarez on: December 18th, 2012 2 Comments

One of my goals for 2013 is to see more people learn what direct response marketing is and how to get results with it.

And while there are a whole lot of people that don’t know about it yet, one change I’d love to see is in teaching people about it at a younger age.

This year, “Take our Daughters and Sons to Work Day” program will be celebrated Thursday, April 25, 2013.

The day was originally started as the “Take Our Daughters to Work” program in 1993, but was extended to include boys in 2003.

The idea is to give children an opportunity to explore careers at an early age.

More intriguing to me is the idea of teaching young people what they aren’t learning in school about running a successful business.

At GKIC, VP of Business Development, Aaron Halderman, has four daughters. He is teaching his four daughters about how to run a successful business and even helping them to start their own business.

Last year at SuperConference (he’s also scheduled for 2013) you heard from former CEO of Guerilla Marketing and Founder of Icon Builder David Fagan, on how he helped his daughter, Jordan start a business www.cashclubkids.com when she was 12 years old.  She has also co-authored a book, “How to Make it Big by 17.”

Recently I heard from another GKIC member who said her 16 and 20-year-old nieces, after she told them about Dan Kennedy and what he does, have asked for some of his books  for Christmas. The 20 year old, despite being a graphic arts major and learning marketing at a prestigious college had never heard of direct response marketing.

A couple of weeks ago, Forbes Magazine ran an article on the CEO of Ann Taylor and founder of billion dollar women’s clothing retailer LOFT, Kay Krill.

One of the things Krill discussed was an initiative Ann Taylor is doing called ANNpower Vital Voices Initiative which gives grants and mentoring to high-school girls. The company is investing $1.3 million in the program to develop young women.

Krill said the initiative honors 50 girls each year who help their community be better. They also provide leadership training, grants and mentoring to high school girls. As one of the few women to achieve high level leadership status (less than 4% of CEO’s are women and only 15% are board members,) Krill said she doesn’t believe girls get enough leadership training.

She also believes that women have a hard time figuring out how to have a family and a career at the same time. Krill said she was mentored by Shelly Lazarus, former CEO of Ogilvy & Mather and currently serving as chairman emeritus, who is a mother of four children. She said Lazarus helped her figure out how to juggle both family and career.

Krill’s secret to doing both?

She said Lazarus told her you have to “jettison the people and things out of your life that don’t matter, and focus on what’s meaningful to you.”  Krill says that “Nobody can have it all! Men or women. But you can have what you want if you focus on it and figure it out.”

I want to say that while I’m talking about women here, this applies to men too. Men also have to balance family and careers. Boys also have to learn about direct response marketing and how to run a successful business. Just like women, when you focus on your development and ambition and look to mentors  who have reached the success you desire, you can figure it out and accomplish whatever you want too.

The other thing I want to mention to the men is that the women in your life need your support —whether it’s your wife or your daughter—or whether you are a peer or mentor to women. You play a significant role in their development (and vice-versa, of course.)

I’d like to hear from our GKIC members—what are you doing to mentor your sons, daughters and young people on running a successful business? What do you think young people need to learn more of in order to rise to the top down the road in their careers and businesses? Post your comments in the comment section below.

NOTE: David Ogilvy said, “If you always hire people who are smaller than you are, we shall become a company of dwarfs. If, on the other hand, you always hire people who are bigger than you are, we shall become a company of giants.”

In 2013, why not help a young person become a giant. We are holding the  2nd Annual Next Level Summit for  Women Entrepreneurs   February 8-10 (with a special appearance by Dan Kennedy) lead by successful women who have risen to the top in their field.

You’ll have access to the most powerful direct response strategies available today with the focus on bringing forward successful women role models that you may have not had the chance to see at other GKIC events. Instead of bringing your daughter to work, why not bring your daughter(s) to this event?

It will give you an opportunity to expose them to mentors and role models that can inspire them in new ways. Because as a parent you know that despite you being a successful business owner yourself, sometimes other role models can inspire in ways you can’t.

Until 12/31/12 you can attend this $997 event for FREE (just a small deposit to hold your seat)… see all the details at www.gkicwomen.com

Fill This Gaping Hole In Your Persuasion Strategy Immediately…

By: Dan Kennedy on: November 20th, 2012 2 Comments

The beginning of this month during GKIC’s INFO-Summit, I had the opportunity to present insights on copywriting alongside ‘master of dark arts copywriting extraordinaire’ and fellow grizzled veteran of many wars, John Carlton.

John worked with Sir Gary Halbert, Prince of Print, intimately, for many years, thus earning a Purple Heart and a grand collection of stories; most not suitable for public telling.

Carlton is a renaissance man, rich with life experience and right up at the very top of the list of Living Greats.

We both have our Halbert connections and remember our times with Gary fondly (even the ones that scared us) and value our lessons learned from Gary highly. We are both troubled by the lack of depth of knowledge we observe in many newcomers to direct marketing and copywriting.

Anyway, Carlton and I go way back to when mastery mattered, and people like he and I aspired to it, worked at it, fought for it, paid hefty dues for it.

It’s something as a marketer you should be thinking about too.

As I mentioned in this month’s No B.S. Marketing Letter (if you aren’t currently receiving the No B.S. Marketing Letter, you can get two free months of it here), ‘just because you think you can’t doesn’t mean you shouldn’t.’

Many people think they can’t write or think they write well enough. These trains of thought mean in their minds they think they need not make an effort to learn more or aspire to know more.

On the flip side, entrepreneurs who are the ones that tend to hang out at the top of the money pyramid and are on the most successful, most enviable businesses list, pay top dollar to acquire the best copywriters they can afford, and study what works and what doesn’t.

Whether you think you can write and do, think you can and don’t, or think you can’t and don’t, working to understand copy techniques that drive response is a path worth pursuing.

When you do, you can look to boost your response and achieve exceptional return on investment.

When you don’t, a belief that direct-response copy doesn’t work, an argument that long copy fails, and ‘your business is somehow different’ will most likely be your party line.  You’ll also be hanging at the bottom of the money pyramid, with your main marketing strategy being to discount your products and services.

If you think you can write, but have never studied from copywriting masters and don’t continue your pursuit of good copy, danger lurks. Swiping bad copy because your competitor or a big brand name is using it. Presenting a perhaps, well-written message that doesn’t appeal what-so-ever to your target audience.

Believing you can write and choosing to hire a copywriter can have similar consequences. There are many copywriters out there. A few exceptional. Some pretty good. Many mediocre to not so good to awful.  The fact that so many businesses don’t pay attention to their copywriting puts you at a huge advantage when you take the time to educate yourself on the science of good copy.

Note I say science, not art, as USA Today would have you believe per their “Win $1 million in free ad space” contest. Copy is a science. There are precise reasons for doing one thing over another. Using certain words, techniques or strategies in one situation and choosing to not use them in other circumstances.

So when you hire someone to write your copy, it is critical, to have an idea that what you are being handed is reliably good.

Yes, not every piece of copy is going to work as well as you’d like or expect—but this is not the way to decide if you should hire a copywriter or not.

Knowing that you are looking at reasonably good copy and understanding why it’s good will help you make better decisions, hire better copywriters and get better results. (Inside “The 7 Key Questions Every Copywriter You Hire MUST Be Able to Answer To Write Killer Direct Response Copy and Create Marketing Campaigns That Will Outsell The Pants Off Your Competition!” is what every business owner should ask before hiring a copywriter.)

Another reason to pay close attention to your copy has to do with being able to attract customers and clients for whom price is not a determining factor in their purchasing. When I wrote No B.S. Marketing to the Affluent in 2008, I made much of the concentration of both wealth and discretionary spending power in the hands of leading edge boomers and seniors. Now in 2012, this is proving true.

Control of money by leading edge boomers and seniors is in the 50% neighborhood. As I show in chapter 12 of my new book, No B.S. Marketing to Leading-Edge Boomers & Seniors, print media and direct mail is vitally important in effectively and successfully marketing to boomers and seniors. This is the media they value, they trust, they pay the most attention to and that they have the most respect for. It requires knowing how to write. Ignore this and you risk half of the population’s money—half of the population that is at the top of the spending pyramid.

Michael Wolff wrote in USA today that “Johnny who can’t write has gone into advertising.” In his article he suggested that all you need to do to get people to pay attention “save Facebook”, “make digital media a decent business” and “move more merchandise” is to bring back the copywriter.

I concur. If you want to stand out among the crowd and rise to the top of the money pyramid—seek out, aspire to and fight for better copy in your ads.  Delay equals lost revenue.  The time is now to fill this gaping hole in your persuasion strategy.

NOTE: Another one of the “living greats” is Mark Ford (aka Michael Masterson). The chief strategist behind taking AGORA Publishing, the largest internet-based publishing company in the world, from $8 million to $380 Million Mark is notoriously known for taking one business from $180,000 to $135 Million in 11 years.

He too found it disturbing that there was a lack of depth and knowledge in copy-writing—so he co-founded AWAI specifically for the purpose of teaching people how to understand and execute the science of copy-writing.

He spoke a couple of years ago at SuperConference. His wisdom in regards to business and intimate knowledge of copy-writing are worth paying attention to. Here’s a free essay by Mark written for GKIC readers: [link to pdf by Mark Ford]