Posts Tagged ‘wealth building’

When Should You Charge And When Should You Give It Away?

By: Darcy Juarez on: May 2nd, 2013 4 Comments

With Mother’s Day approaching, I saw an unusual, but clever gift designed specifically for the stay-at-home mom…

Knowing that many stay-at-home moms feel undervalued, salary.com lets you generate a “paycheck” for moms based on the number and age of children, duties, etc.

Although the check isn’t real, it’s designed to elevate the mom’s worth.

Like moms, business owners often have a hard time evaluating their true worth. As a result, sometimes they give things away when they shouldn’t and are hesitant to give things away when it makes sense.

Today, I’m going to address something that every business must consider at some point…and that is when to give things away for free.

It’s a tricky tightrope.  You don’t want to undervalue your work and portray your product or service as having little worth. And, of course, an item that’s given away for free is sometimes viewed by the recipient as having zero value. Another problem is that by giving it away, you might only attract those who want the cheapest thing that might solve their problem. Additionally, you might attract people who take advantage of you.

So the question is when is it okay to give it away and when should you charge?

When it’s okay:

When it helps you build a relationship:You have a product or service that you know will help your clients, customers or patients…if you could only get them to buy it.  If you are trying to get people in the door and start building a relationship with them, and you have backend products and services, you might consider making “an offer they can’t refuse.”

Do this by offering free products or services attached to what you are selling.  For example, let’s say you own a car repair shop and someone comes in for  some repair work or an oil change. You want to keep him as a customer, so you offer a service plan for $59.00 that gives him one free oil change, free refills on fluids such as windshield wiper fluid, priority service when he needs a repair, free shuttle service when he needs a repair, and free beverages and snacks while waiting.

The value of the free incentives can help make this a “no-brainer offer” for someone who is on the fence.  You know that because he has your service plan, he will return to you to get service versus taking his car somewhere else. Plus, your service plan will allow you time to build a relationship, market to him (because now you’ve captured his contact info and gotten “permission”) and prove that you provide great service.

When you want clients to demonstrate you can deliver: Unfortunately, our society is more and more distrusting. It is easy for anyone to slap up a website or a blog and say they are in business. That means when they come across your business, they may be skeptical and wondering if your solution will really work.

Creating a free solution that will demonstrate your value and deliver a successful outcome can build that trust.  For example, we currently give away our Fast Implementation Bootcamp to GKIC Members. This allows members a way to test a live event, our systems and coaching all at once. Once attendees experience success from something they learned at Bootcamp that encourages them to try our other resources, attend events and participate in our coaching programs.

When you want to give back: While not everyone will agree, many believe there is a social obligation to give back. Most likely you’ve had mentors or had people help you out with free advice on your way up in your business.  Giving free advice to young people or people on their way up is a great way to give back and will often come back to you ten-fold.

Most people are genuinely looking for advice and not a hand-out, however that said, I do recommend you listen very carefully when someone is asking you for free advice. Do they want you to do the work for them or are they just asking for guidance? For example, someone that says something like, “Could you do this for me just this once since you have so much experience…”  Or “If you have an overflow of clients you could refer me…” are telltale signs that the person probably isn’t willing to do the work or the marketing for themselves.

When it’s not okay:

When you’re offering professional services: If you offer a professional service such as copywriting, financial advisor, etc. then you should charge accordingly. If your plumber, doctor, or auto-repair shop wouldn’t give it away than neither should you. Think of it this way. You might bake some cookies and give them to your kid’s school for a PTA fundraiser, but you wouldn’t bake dozens of cookies, package them up and give them away free to your local grocery store so they could make a profit on them.

When it diminishes your valued customers: You must be careful to not train your customers to wait for free offers.  Here at GKIC, when we have events, the people who sign up first get the best deal. Period. Not only do they pay the least expensive price, they get the most bonuses. What I mean by that is that if we offer a free bonus as an incentive at a later date, the people who initially sign up, get that bonus too—even though they’ve already registered. This helps to encourage people to sign up early to get the best deal.

While these are just some guidelines and don’t address every situation, following them should help you feel better about when you should and shouldn’t give things away for free.

What are some of the “rules” you follow about when it’s okay to give something away and when you should charge?

See you next time…unless I figure out how to automate that too,

Darcy Juarez

Automation Expert GKIC

NOTE: Mothers spend a lot of time giving, so in the spirit of Mother’s Day we are opening the “virtual doors” to SuperConference and giving you FREE LIVE access to a very special presentation by Dave Dee.

If you are ready to break free and move your business into the prosperous realm you’ve seen others enter, tune in THIS SATURDAY, May 4th at 2:55 PM Eastern to discover a few key systems that will enable you to:

* Create positive choices for you and your family…

* Provide the autonomy to work when you want, with whom you want, where you want, and making the income you want

* Develop the business and the lifestyle you desire and deserve…

Then don’t miss Dave Dee’s presentation entitled:

“The No B.S., High-Intensity 12 Week Market Domination Blueprint: The PRECISE Steps You Need To Experience A Radical Business and Life Transformation”

Remember this is our gift to you and there is absolutely no charge.

All you need to do is click the link below to let us know you’ll be attending and we’ll save your spot and get you all the information necessary.

“Yes, I’ll Be There!”

Don’t miss out on this one-time-only chance to catch this LIVE presentation at SuperConference!

Are You Working Your Mind Like An Exceptionally Successful Person?

By: Dan Kennedy on: April 18th, 2013 6 Comments

The other day, the Wall Street Journal had an article about a successful restaurateur named Jodi Richards.

Richards competes in extreme trail races, triathlons and bike races such as the 64 kilometer “Ö Till Ö” island to island race in Sweden. The article discusses her workout routine (she uses two training coaches!) her diet and the cost of her training and gear which includes specialized high-tech fitness equipment.

For instance, she uses something called the AlterG anti-gravity treadmill that reduces a percentage of her body weight, helping her improve her speed and minimize the impact on her joints. The cost of the treadmill?  $55,000.

She also uses a Hypoxico training chamber that simulates training at a high altitude which costs about $28,000. She owns Guru Custom TT Cr-901 bike that costs $11,000. She pays a total of $330 a month for her two coaches and spends $120 per Pilates session.

Mind you these aren’t all of her training costs. It’s also noteworthy to add that this is for her hobby, not her restaurant business, Atera.

Ms. Richards is in continual pursuit of expanding what her body can do. She invests in a running, swimming and strength coach and a second coach for cycling and strength.

A lot of not-very-bright people would think this is wasteful. If she already has a strength coach, why does she need a second one?

Some might also question the rationale behind hiring a coach for running and swimming when she obviously is quite adept at both.

But having coaches, specialized gear and a special diet allows her to be able to do extraordinary things such as compete in extreme conditions and expand what her body is capable of doing far beyond a normal human being’s body. Coaches help nudge her into pushing her body farther. They help her unearth tweaks that allow her to shave off time during a race. And they renew her motivation when negative self-talk gets in her way.

Similar attitudes prevail when it comes to intellectual input.  Some excuse themselves from acquiring and investing in information, taking the stance, why invest in learning more when I don’t use half of what I know now?

But exceptionally successful people think differently. They think, “I want all the stimulation I can get because my mind is fully capable of expanding to meet, sift, sort and organize as much information as I can put in front of it.”

When I work on projects, I process information by the pound. Searching and sifting for the one detail, the one gem that will make the package a winner and create higher profits. And I’m happy to find one nugget among the pile—because sometimes that’s all it takes.

Donald Trump gets up every morning at 5:30 am to read. Several daily newspapers, professional newsletters, books. I imagine the overwhelming majority of what he finds he already knows or has little interest in. However I’m confident he is hunting for that rare find.  Something he did not know or a fresh perspective that triggers profitable thoughts.

I’m fortunate to know a lot of very rich entrepreneurs. I can’t think of any who aren’t in constant pursuit of more information, ideas and inspiration.  And while they may complain on occasion of being behind in their reading, they’re always buying more books.

The wealthiest people realize the value of acquiring, investing in and processing information. The value does not only require revelations of brand new things—if the input…

  • reminds you of knowledge already in your possession
  • nudges you into acting on some slow simmering idea or intention
  • pushes you past procrastination on just one useful action
  • counters gloom ‘n doom media blather

…it earns its keep.

The ad slogan for the National Enquirer—“Enquiring minds want to know,” would make a great motto for the person who wants to join the ranks of the exceptionally successful entrepreneurs.

Because it would serve as a reminder that, to be exceptionally successful, you need to feed your mind and investigate regularly, constantly, continuously and enthusiastically.

NOTE: Do you aspire to be exceptionally successful? If so, one of the quickest ways to work your mind like an exceptionally successful entrepreneur and experience a fast victory is to attend a power event. They allow you to feed your mind rapidly and because events have the freshest, “what’s working now” strategies, you can avoid having to sift through methods that are no longer working.

Tomorrow, April 19, 2013 is the last day for you to save hundreds of dollars on such a power event—namely, SuperConference. Don’t miss your LAST CHANCE to save on what can give you the ability to unearth a revelation, idea or intention that can push you past procrastination, get you to act on a long-simmering idea, or produce the one profitable gem you’ve been searching for.

Check Out This Video With An Incredible Sales Letter From One Of GKIC’s Youngest Entrepreneurs


 

Bring your teen to the SuperConference and have them participate in the 3-Day Young Entrepreneurs

Register here now: www.DanKennedy.com/sc2013

Get an “Unfair” Advantage Over The Competition With These 7 Event Strategies

By: Dan Kennedy on: April 9th, 2013 2 Comments

Over the past week, I spent three days conducting the first of only four live events I’ll do this year.

Although I’ve considerably shrunk the number of events I do, I still consider there to be no substitute for getting people together in a room. Never underestimate the power of holding live events for your customers, clients and patients. You sacrifice a lot when you don’t get them in the same room with you.

Years ago, Gary Halbert held a seminar in Key West, Florida. It was about as easy to get there as hooking up horses to a wagon and taking three days to haul yourself there.  I said to Gary, why not have it in Miami? You like Miami. There’s an airport that flies right into Miami. But Gary didn’t budge. He knew the people who were serious about their business would come, no matter where he was at. He knew they were the truly ambitious, the ones most likely to succeed.

Holding events allows you to identify the people you should pay the most attention to. These are the people who are searching for solutions, committed to finding answers and willing to do what it takes to solve their problem. These are the people you should focus on and engage with the most. And they will come to you no matter where you’re at.

At the New A to Z Info-Biz Blueprints event I spilled everything I know about what I’ve discovered over the past 40 years to work as well as what doesn’t work in Information Marketing.  The positives and the negatives in boom times and in bad times. The good trends and the evil trends. How to find the right combination to “the vault.” Key factors when considering a market for entry or expansion. Blueprints for everything from product development to presentation of price to lead generation and more. I gave insider information that you won’t find in writing and will be stricken from any audios or videos made.

Rewarding customers, clients and patients with information or other items they won’t get from you any other way, not only makes your customers, clients and patients feel special, it gives them an advantage over others. This will improve your bond with clients and create better retention.

It wasn’t until I attended a Gary Halbert event that I realized I could charge royalties for my copywriting. Until I heard Gary say he charged royalties, it hadn’t occurred to me that I could get them too… despite me being well aware that writers are often paid royalties on other types of work such as books. Events allow people to see firsthand that they can be successful using your methods. This can prove very valuable to them (and to you.)

You also create fraternity and community while facilitating connections. I’m accustomed to hearing stories from members about alliances formed and money made as a result of meeting someone at an event. One year at SuperConference (click the link now and check out the latest video!) Ed O’Keefe struck up a conversation in the bathroom that was later worth $1.5 million to him.  I’d tell you the details, but you kind of had to be there.

For years I’ve attended events just because it allowed me to see friends that are separated from me geographically. It’s much easier and frankly less expensive for me to see everyone by attending an event.  Similarly, your customers will form a fraternity too.

You’ll often hear, just as we do, that your clients, customers and patients don’t have time to trek off to a conference, seminar or event. But make no mistake, conducting live events and seminars gives you an enormous advantage over your competition. And it gives those who attend your event an enormous advantage too.

NOTE: Dave Dee and “Mr. X” will be holding a FREE Webinar on April 11, 2012 at 3:00 PM EST/2:00 PM CST on How To Turn The Coming Crisis Into Extraordinary Wealth. “Mr. X” has more than 20 years of successful entrepreneurial experience in a wide range of industries including information and event marketing and teaches others how to create wealth and prosperity for themselves based on principles he personally uses. Click here to register for this FREE event.

Seven Tips For Getting And Keeping Your Financial House In Order

By: Darcy Juarez on: April 4th, 2013 7 Comments

It didn’t take her long to go out of business.

She was 22 years old and it was the first time she’d owned her own business.

Why was she forced to fold her business?

Not for the reason you might expect: lack of sales.

She went out of business because she was uneducated about keeping records for taxes, budgeting finances and keeping cash flow positive.

This story was told to me recently by a GKIC member who I’m proud to say is doing much better in business these days.

Depending upon your own personal experience, it may or may not come as a surprise to you that one of the top reasons small businesses fail is because of their lack of keeping their financial house in order.

Taking care of billing, tracking your expenses, taxes and other financial tasks can seem overwhelming and stressful for new business owners.

Even those who have been in business for themselves awhile can find managing their finances intimidating or perhaps not your favorite thing to do.

However getting and keeping your financial house in order makes things not only less stressful, but can help ensure you don’t overspend and that you have enough money for your savings, investments and retirement.

Here are seven tips for getting your financial house in order.

1)     Get some advice. If you’ve never been in business for yourself or if you struggle with managing your finances, get some advice. It’s an investment that could prove crucial to your survival and one of the smartest investments you can make. It may be as simple as meeting with an accountant to get advice or finding a seasoned, successful business owner who can give you advice on how to run a profitable business.

2)     Create a budget. When starting a business, your income may fluctuate. Therefore it is very important to have a budget both for your business expenses and your personal expenses. Use your lowest income or your average income, rather than your highest income, to base your budget on. In your business budget, you’ll want to include items such as tax payments, marketing, education, Internet service, your cell phone, and so on.

3)     Manage your expenses. While you want to avoid carrying debt, you may find it necessary to incur some debt, especially when getting started.

For example, you will need to invest in marketing materials to show the world you are open for business and looking for clients, customers or patients. Using swipe and deploy marketing systems proven to work will help you prevent costly mistakes and help you feel confident about getting a return on your investment. (A great place to start is to use the marketing systems found in Magnetic Marketing, our number one recommended resource by GKIC members.)

If you need to incur debt, don’t take on more debt than you think you can reasonably pay off. The key is to manage your debts by paying on time so that you avoid additional charges, using the lowest interest rate credit cards or loans possible, paying off debts as soon as possible and only incurring debts that are absolutely necessary.

4)     Use financial management tools. Keeping track of expenses, income, invoices and past due invoices, estimated taxes, etc. can feel daunting at times, especially if you’re a new business owner. However, not keeping track of these can cause your business to fail or even put you in hot water legally.

Fortunately, there are financial management tools you can use that will make this much easier and require a minimal amount of your time and effort. Most are inexpensive and some are even free. A few to check out are Zoho, Freshbooks, and Get Harvest. Each has varying features and track things like your time, invoices, and expenses. Some you can set up things such as automatic invoice reminders or scan receipts in your phone to create automatic expense reports.

5)     Put money aside every time you make a deposit. Dan Kennedy discusses setting a percentage of your income aside for both savings and charitable donations each time you get paid in his book, No B.S. Wealth Attraction in the New Economy.  There are multiple reasons for doing this. The obvious reasons are that you have money “for a rainy day” and you get into the habit of saving. But even more important are the psychological benefits you get from this habit. Read more about this and Dan Kennedy’s “90-Day Experiment” in chapter 14 of No B.S. Wealth Attraction For Entrepreneurs

6)     Track whether you are “on schedule.” Dan Kennedy suggests you track day by day whether or not you are on schedule to hit your income and wealth targets for the week, month, quarter and year. By assessing where you are frequently, you have an opportunity to correct when you fall behind. If you wait until July to see if you are on schedule to hit your financial goals, you may already be too late to correct your course to reach your financial goals.

7)     Plan for your retirement.  There is no retirement funded by someone else when you are a small business owner. That means you are entirely responsible for your retirement. On the flip side, setting up a retirement plan can also help you shelter your business profit. In the U.S. the two most common self-employment retirement plans are a Simplified Employee Pension plan (SEP) and Keogh plan.

In 2013, in either one, you can put in up to twenty-five percent of your net earnings or fifty-one thousand dollars (whichever is smaller) from your self-employment income. Like an IRA you can deduct this money off the top of your income, which gives you a big tax savings.

Compare that to an IRA with a cap of $5000 (or $6000 if you are 50 or older) and you can easily see the advantage of the SEP and Keogh plans.

Of course these are just a couple of options and I am not a financial advisor, so I’d advise you to

seek professional counsel to ensure you set up the best plan for you. The point is to set up a retirement plan and start saving immediately.

Integrating these tips will help you get your financial house in order making the financial end of your business more profitable and less stressful.

 

NOTE: Do You Want To Discover The 8 Steps To Growing Your Business By 25% to 75% in Just 48 Hours?

Then come to one of GKIC’s Fast Implementation Boot Camps where you’ll walk away with the blueprint in hand of what you need to do to grow your business and see results almost immediately!  This event is totally FREE to GKIC Insider’s Circle Members.  Simply go to www.dankennedy.com/bootcamp to reserve your spot now.

Not a member?  Take GKIC’s FREE Trial Membership by going to www.dankennedy.com/incrediblegift now and get access to thousands and money-making strategies, this FREE two day workshop and best of all…full access to the GKIC Insiders Circle area online.

Unhappy With Your Tax Return? Four Strategies To Boost Next Year’s Return

By: Dave Dee on: April 2nd, 2013 No Comments

Because of the April 15th U.S. tax deadline, this is the time of year business owners tend to focus more intensely on their finances.

So all this week, to help make sure you have more income to focus on come next April 15th, we’re going to talk about ways to boost your profits and improve your financial outlook.

Here are four strategies you can employ immediately:

Look for opportunity. A good businessman sees opportunities where others don’t. Train yourself to sniff out and be open to opportunities everywhere.  The founder of Virgin Group, Richard Branson, says, “One of the great myths of business is that opportunity knocks. Opportunity does not knock at your door, you have to bang on the door yourself and keep knocking until you get in.”

He suggests, as does Dan Kennedy, that you look for opportunity in obstacles. Surrounding yourself with successful people will help you to learn how to see, hear and sniff out opportunity.  (Two great places to surround yourself with people like this are at events such as SuperConference and at Chapter meetings. If you aren’t currently a member and would like to learn more about Chapter meetings, claim your $633.91 worth of pure moneymaking information and get access to try attending a chapter meeting here.)

Keep score. Motivational speaker and author, Earl Nightingale once said, “There are really three amounts of money every person should decide upon: the yearly income he wants, now or in the near future, the amount of money he wants to have in savings and investments, and the amount of money he wants as retirement income, whether he ever retires from active work or not.”

Dan Kennedy says, “Money is THE most effective means of keeping score.” Money goals are very important…they reflect both the value you have developed and the value that you have delivered. To truly create wealth, you need a system for developing wealth and keeping score.

Make a plan for not only earning money, but also a plan for saving and investing. Even when you are starting out and feel you have no money to save or invest, you must have a plan for this.  Having money in savings affects you physiologically. Similarly not having money affects you. Which is why money in savings can be especially crucial in the beginning.

Transcend ordinary thinking about money.  Dan Kennedy often says that the key to naming your price is being able to look someone in the eye and keep a straight face while quoting the fee.

There is truth to that, but what he really means is that you have to think about time and money differently. Instead of thinking about making a certain dollar amount per hour or marking up your price by a certain percentage, you must think about your price in terms of the value you deliver. When you think about value, you’ll find it easier to not only raise your fees, but get people to willingly pay them.

Build a strategic round table business team.  You need a team of entrepreneurs—a mastermind group—that you can regularly meet with and brainstorm on ways to grow your business.

One of the benefits of a mastermind is the pooling of resources. It is often difficult for an individual to obtain what he needs for his business himself. For example, brilliant ideas don’t make it past the drawing board because the individual who came up with it can’t raise enough capital or access a resource needed on their own. Or a business owner has strengths in creativity, but not in marketing.

Not only will you gain ideas when you have a strategic team, but when you are talking about a concept or idea and you lack a key resource to fulfill your idea, many times you’ll find a member of your group that will be able to connect you to what you need and expand your network.  (If you are looking for the right strategic business team, i.e. mastermind group, check out these options available to you here.)

Make this year more profitable than last. Develop a system and write down your goals for how much you’ll earn, save, and invest. The most successful and ambitious people attend events. So surround yourself with successful people by attending events regularly and be on the lookout for opportunity everywhere.  And start building your business team that will help you expand your network and connect you to the resources you need to grow your business…and your income.

NOTE: On Friday we intended to deliver a free training call entitled:

“How to Put the Power of the World’s #1 Search Engine for Buyers To Use In Your Business!”

Well, a call DID happen Friday… however, due to some major league hiccup on the part of our service company, what got broadcast was a RE-RUN of a previous conversation I did with Barbara Corcoran and Brian Tracy – great stuff absolutely, but it wasn’t the ACTUAL call I was doing with Ryan Deiss.

That call was so good … and the info so valuable …that we couldn’t just let it slide into history without you getting the full value.  Hence…we going to let you download this call here.

Click Here To Download The Call

To recap, on this call, Ryan reveals:

* The incredible NEW publishing platform that’s revolutionized the industry… finally putting power in the hands of “AUTHORS”… and has
become a Juggernaut in terms of generating profits AND targeted web traffic!

* A HUGE mistake businesses make when it comes to creating authority when self-publishing…and instead why the FAST-EASY-WAY is actually
the BEST way to transform your status from nobody to superstar!

* Why it’s NEVER been easier to create authority and notoriety for your business, and exactly how to blend what you publish with what you sell
to generate huge numbers of excited buyers to your website.

* And LOTS LOTS MORE besides!

 

 

Begging For Change To Millionaire In One Year. His Secret Revealed…

By: Darcy Juarez on: March 26th, 2013 1 Comment

He was abused and started drinking as a teenager.

Ending up homeless, he begged on the streets for change in order to survive.

Today Toronto Canada native Francis O’Dea is a multi-millionaire.

O’Dea says, “One year I was broke, the next year I was a millionaire.”

What is his secret?

He says for six months he lived on the streets with no clue as to what he wanted or how to get out of his current situation.

He changed his circumstance by changing his focus. 

He got a job and focused on turning his life around.  Later, with a friend, he opened a little coffee shop naming it, “Second Cup.”

Today, Second Cup is Canada’s largest Canadian-based specialty coffee retailer with more than 360 cafes across Canada.  Although, O’Dea sold his shares in Second Cup in 1988 when they had 150 locations, he went on to enjoy an extremely successful business career, receiving the Order of Canada in 2004.

While sometimes it’s a lack of focus on what we want that causes us to stay stuck, other times it’s caused by getting too comfortable in our routine and not knowing how to change our situation.

By just shifting your focus, even slightly, you can create big wins.

Here are some simple ideas for where you can shift your focus to improve your business and your income:

Sharpen your marketing. If your marketing isn’t working the way the way it used to, a quick way to correct the problem is to consider hiring a professional copywriter to audit your copy. While it may make more sense to start fresh, sometimes an audit of an existing piece of copy or funnel can identify slight changes and quick fixes that will make your marketing fresh and profitable again.

Before you hire a copywriter, be sure to read our FREE report:  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.

Check your client-attraction system. If you aren’t earning the income you desire, focus on doing one thing every day towards getting more and better clients.  Fine-tune your approach, learn how to identify and attract clients who can pay you big money right now. (Dan Kennedy will introduce and present his new “Specific –Customer-Focus Process® at SuperConference May 2nd –May 4th)

Specialize in a niche. Narrowing your focus in your industry can quickly increase your income.  If you’ve already picked a niche, see if there are courses or certifications which can further qualify you as an expert in your chosen specialty.

Identify a gap. Look for an area which is not being covered well or is in big demand.  For example, Mike Capuzzi of CopyDoodles saw a need in the copy cosmetics field as there were no real options other than to hire a graphic artist or to individually mark up your copy and try to photo copy it. By creating a product to fill that gap, he quickly rose to the expert in his field. Concentrate your effort on identifying and filling a need.

Focusing on the most important activities which keep your business growing is what separates the most successful businesses in the world from the businesses that spend their entire shelf life wondering why nothing they do seems to work.

So if you’re wondering how to bring your business up a notch, look at how you’re spending your time—you might just need a slight focus adjustment.

NOTE: Just a quick reminder that Dan Kennedy will be presenting a very special and rare Internet Webinar with Infusionsoft TODAY – Tuesday March 26th – at 2 pm EST. It’s on the crucial topic commonly referred to as “Lifecycle Marketing”… the real-world “Survive and Thrive” principles Dan has identified based on the many years of research he’s spent looking at the “what works/what doesn’t” marketing efforts of over 10,000 small businesses. When you attend this webinar, you’ll discover:

  • How to fix “follow-up failure”… the devastating death spiral a business experiences when leads wander off into the weeds to disappear forever… without wasting endless hours of your valuable time!
  • Discovering your company’s own unique WOW – the powerful, emotional experience that only YOU bring to the table – and the easiest way imaginable to deliver it to the surprise and delight of your satisfied customers
  • A ferociously simple trick that you can do RIGHT NOW that will enable you to quickly and easily attract, capture and nurture WAY more leads!
  • The crippling disease of multiple system madness… how it’s killing your profits without you even knowing it… and clear steps to take NOW to put you on the vital path to thrive in your business.

And MUCH MORE Besides! Dan doesn’t do these kinds of presentations very often and this one is particularly near and dear to how he thinks about running a successful business. Register for this FREE, rare webinar here.

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.

Are You Hunting In The Wrong Place?

By: Dan Kennedy on: March 12th, 2013 9 Comments

I’ve been in the advice dispensing business for 40 years.

Throughout my career I’ve been paid millions and millions of dollars by CEO’s of Fortune 500 companies, entrepreneurs, small business owners, even my peers, professional speakers, authors and consultants.

Whether the economy is good or bad, I remain fully booked and in demand.

On occasion I have run up against ‘professional norms and guidelines’ dictated by some association or certifying organization, and had my fees and the fees I recommend others charge criticized. Some say they are unethical, some say they are impossible to receive.

Nevertheless, I’m fully booked with demand left over.

And people I’ve guided routinely command premium prices in return for their products and services.

I’m not telling you this to brag.  My ego doesn’t need the boost.

I’m telling you this to let you know that these sort of opportunities exist and are there for the taking by people who may have never dreamed they could command such, “aggressive compensation.”

(I reveal how I’ve done this in detail in my course Super Powers of Price Elasticity which right now you can try for just a single dollar by clicking here!)

And at no time is it more critical than right now thanks to the rising costs of marketing and customer acquisition and the overabundance of marketing streams fighting for people’s attention.

Right now you may be asking yourself, “Given the habits of consumers seemingly flocking to pay the lowest price is it still possible to find consumers willing to pay top rates?”

It is, I assure you. In fact, I guarantee that hugely valuable customers exist for every business. It may just be you’re looking in the wrong place.

The truth is if you lack the kind of customers, clients or patients I’m talking about, you are most likely lacking specific customer focus and using ineffective approaches that are dangerous to your business’ long-term survival.

Amir Karkouti, owner of a successful group of restaurants in San Diego and an author, speaker and mentor to other restaurant owners wrote this letter…

“It wasn’t that long ago that my restaurants were going to fail and I was losing hope. I spent the last money I had to go to the SuperConference, and I went home determined to utilize everything I learned from you and all the other marketers.

I went straight to work. I got lists, created letters, improved my copywriting.

I realized that my business wasn’t failing—I was failing at marketing it. “

Amir says since that time his restaurants are booming. He’s been written up in publications, began speaking to and coaching other restaurant owners, and written a book on how restaurant owners can market their business to explode their profits. He developed a Marketing System that includes a turn-key, automated email marketing program, the “4X2 SECRET”- which brings customers back 4 times within 2 weeks and The Restaurant Sales Letter Template.

Amir used specific-customer focus—targeting the right customers—and combined that with effective marketing strategies to get him out of peril and onto a prosperous path.

Any business owner can attract higher value customers and clientele. Ask yourself, if you could double your net profit, without getting any more customers, wouldn’t you want to do it?

NOTE: Is your business positioned properly? At this year’s SuperConference during one of my two entirely new presentations, I’ll show you how to rate and judge your positioning strengths and weaknesses and help you determine whether consumers see you as a one-of-a-kind business that people can’t ignore or one that is swimming to keep up with the competition..

Find out how to correct your course and locate, target and attract those consumers which will be highly valuable to your business. Plus the five X-Factors found in exceptionally successful businesses that “own” much higher value customers or clientele than 90% of their competitors or peers.

You’ll also have a chance to win free advice from me and an all-expenses paid vacation in sunny Florida in our Marketer of the Year competition.

And if you have a great business or product idea that could use a surge of cash or “brain capital” to get it off the ground or take it to the next level, enter “THE TANK.” I along with Barbara Corcoran and the other GKIC Sharks are giving you a once-in-a lifetime opportunity to pitch us on giving you cash, investing in you, or providing “brain capital” for your business.

Don’t miss these opportunities and your last chance to save over $1000 on registration.

LIVE TRAINING!!! – The $5,000 E-mail System

By: Admin on: March 5th, 2013 11 Comments

On Friday, March 8th at 10:30AM Eastern GKIC Chief Marketing Officer Dave Dee is doing a live VIDEO Training entitled:

“E-Mail Marketing Made Easy.  How One Quick E-mail Strategy Brought In $5,000 From Dead Leads”

During this live broadcast Dave is going to give you:

  • His proven e-mail templates that not only get your e-mails read…but also move dead leads to buy
  • The recipe to his “Secret Sauce” on exactly what to do and what to say to achieve maximum engagement with your list
  • A powerhouse follow-up system that will triple your profits from using these types of e-mails.
  • And lots more besides!

You Don’t Need To Sign Up…You Just Need to bookmark the page…and come back this Friday, at 10:30 am Eastern.

Simply Hit Play at 10:30 Eastern and you’ll have access to the live training. If you still don’t see anything, just refresh your browser

Not yet registered for SuperConference?  Click Here To Get The Lowest Price Available Now!
or go to www.dankennedy.com/sc2013

Four Ways Shark Tank Entrepreneurs Grew Their Business Without Spending Money

By: Darcy Juarez on: March 5th, 2013 4 Comments

Last year I met Barbara Corcoran at GKIC’s women’s event.

Her credentials include straight D’s in high school and college and being unsuccessful at twenty jobs by the time she turned twenty-three.

But it was her next move that made her one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the U.S.

Turning a loan of $1000 from an ex-boyfriend into a five-billion dollar business.

An investor/shark on the hit reality show, Shark Tank, she has invested in multiple businesses and is also a bestselling author offering tips to small business entrepreneurs.

The thing is… it isn’t just Barbara’s investment that helped make the companies she invested in successful.

Find out four ways Barbara’s entrepreneurs found business success and grew their business using something other than cash, brain capital or investments.

Find out who your target market really is. Cyclists Erin Whalen and Tim Stansbury created a patented formula to clean cyclist’ dirty hands on the road called Grease Monkey Wipes.

The problem was that sales were only trickling in. What they discovered the night they presented their product to the sharks was that cyclists weren’t their only market.  In fact, it turned out that the automotive, gun and farming industries were hugely interested. Their newfound target audience turned their product into a booming business literally overnight.

Are there other markets you can test to see if your product or service will sell better to a different target audience?

Use celebrity. Brett Thompson got cash from Barbara to expand his BBQ Sauce business. But it wasn’t just the cash that helped. The notoriety he got from being associated to Barbara gave his business what it needed to go from selling sauce in 5 small stores to selling it in 500 large grocery stores within only months.

Copy Brett by creating your own celebrity marketing with Barbara Corcoran.  You can not only get your picture taken with her at SuperConference 2013 to use in your own marketing, but you’ll also have a chance to get up to $50,000 from her when you pitch your business to Barbara and the other GKIC sharks for the chance to gain cash, financing, partnership or contribution of “brain capital to your business.

How else can you use celebrity in your business to boost sales?

Tell your story.  Jack Barringer couldn’t lose his beer belly which caused him to have high blood pressure. His doctor told him he needed to do push-ups but he wasn’t physically strong enough. So he invented a simple push-up device to drop the pounds. The sharks said they would invest if he lost 30 pounds using his device. Jack lost over 36 pounds using his fitness product and is now featured in his infomercial, giving it a story and more credibility.

You can strengthen your business position and inspire people with your own business story. Knowing how to tell effective stories is one of the most powerful ways to influence consumers and motivate them to buy. Plus they are great for attracting media attention.

How can you use or create a story in your business?

Use personality. Using personality in your advertising, marketing and communications can add instant results without having to spend an extra penny. Kim Daisy is the founder of Daisy Cakes. Part of Kim’s unique character that shows through is her southern charm, passion for her cakes, using only all natural and preservative free ingredients, and that she is hard working.

She sold $100,000 worth of cakes within three weeks of her appearance on Shark Tank and is now a regular top selling brand and personality on QVC. (Learn the 7 elements of a personality-driven business and how to develop your character in How to Create Personality in Copy.)

How can you bring your character to life in your marketing?

It’s common to think you need money to start a business or expand a business. But often all it takes is one good idea or one new strategy to create a breakthrough.

What one GKIC strategy has created a breakthrough for you? Share in the comments below.

NOTE: LIVE FREE TRAINING!  How To Write a $5,000 E-mail for ANY Business!

On Friday, March 8th at 9:30AM Eastern GKIC Chief Marketing Officer Dave Dee is doing a live VIDEO Training entitled:

“E-Mail Marketing Made Easy.  How One Quick E-mail Strategy Brought In $5,000 From Dead Leads”

During this live broadcast Dave is going to give you:

  • His proven e-mail templates that not only get your e-mails read…but also move dead leads to buy
  • The recipe to his “Secret Sauce” on exactly what to do and what to say to achieve maximum engagement with
    your list
  • A powerhouse follow-up system that will triple your profits from using these types of e-mails.
  • And lots more besides!

You Don’t Need To Sign Up Or Register, just Click Here Now and bookmark the page…then join Dave for the most profitable breakfast you may ever have this Friday, at 9:30 am Eastern.

Do you have an idea, are a start-up, or are already operating successfully and looking to expand? If you feel you have a lucrative business idea and could use some backing whether financially or a joint venture, GKIC SuperConference is the place to be.

This year you will have a once in a lifetime opportunity to pitch your business to Barbara Corcoran, Dan Kennedy, and the GKIC Sharks to receive up to $50,000 cash, financing, partnership, or brain capital.

Plus, millionaire and multi-millionaire business owners attend SuperConference. This is your chance to network with them, get ideas and feedback on your business, and perhaps find someone to joint venture with. And it’s not uncommon for people attending our events to pick up the one strategy they’ve been searching for that causes them to have a breakthrough year.

Are you ready to join them?

This is your last chance to save up to 68% off your registration. You can register here, or learn more about our upcoming SuperConference at www.dankennedy.com/sc2013.