Ugly Marketing, Beautiful Profits

This marketing tactic is as easy to use as pen and paper.

In fact, it is pen and paper.

Here’s the tactic: Write your next sales letter by hand, with a pen. Then print and mail it.

When you do this, 3 good things happen:

1) You create a promotion that is instantly creative and 100% unique to you

2) Your recipients will appreciate the time you took to write a message “just for them” ... even if the original letter is mass-printed

3) Your recipients are more likely to read and respond to your letter

Here's an example, from one of my clients ...

When the dust settled, he earned $104,000 from $4,038 invested in that handwritten sales letter. 

That's an astounding ROI of 25.76 to 1.

I wrote the copy. He hand-wrote the letter. Then we printed and mailed it.

Why do hand-written letters work so well?

Think about it. Your prospects spend more of their life communicating by computer or smart phone than by pen and paper. Every day, they get credit card offers and bills in the mail. Maybe a catalog or two. But actual handwritten letters? Why, those are so rare, they're treated like gold ...

... which is EXACTLY how you want your sales letter to be treated.

A handwritten letter can work in any B2C or B2B market because markets don’t buy, people do. A person must read your promotion before they can respond to your offer.

And if you're thinking, "My handwriting is terrible!" -- sorry, that's not a valid excuse. Find someone who can write neatly. Start with your family. Do you have a teenager, as I do? Congratulations. You have child labor. And your costs to make a handwritten letter at home will be lower than Nike’s costs to make shoes in China.

Besides, you don’t need stylish handwriting. Ugly can be beautiful.

Case in point: The butt-ugly issue of my newsletter below ...

It was handwritten by me. And it's still the most-talked-about and responded-to issue I ever did. Ugly handwriting can be like a traffic accident -- people slow down to look at it. However, your ugly handwritten message must be relevant to your audience, or they will speed past it.

And here’s another twist: Hand-write your letter in crayon, instead of pen, and make the “author” one of your children or a relative’s child.

That’s what my client Bill Gough did for his insurance agency a few years ago. Take a look below. This is not hard ...

One more thing that should motivate you to try this: Your competition is, quite simply, NOT going to hand-write anything. Prove it to yourself. Answer this question: How many handwritten sales letters or messages of any kind have you seen from your competitors? I thought so. Now, do you see the opportunity?

Remember, when you turn the usual into the unusual, you can make your business remarkable, by creating an atmosphere where your prospects and clients tell others. When others are remarking about you to their friends, family, and co-workers, you are -- literally -- remarkable.  

Now take the next step.

Let's talk by phone about growing your business. I'll give you as many insights as I can fit into 30 minutes -- a micro seminar, if you will :-) No obligation. No sales pressure. Click below ...

Click here to book a call with Kevin Donlin now

The Strange Marketing Power of Chocolate

Do you love chocolate?

I thought so.

Well, here’s one more reason to love chocolate: It can build your business.

Below is a transcript of a conversation I had with copywriter Tom Trush, from Phoenix, AZ.

Read it to discover the strange secret of how chocolate can boost your profits ... 

Kevin Donlin: "Tom, you had a story and it was kind of prompted from something you read in my Marketing Multipliers program where I often talk about creating new experience for your business using food, specifically, chocolate."

Tom Trush: "I was talking to a client who was definitely frustrated. He had a big deal lined up, so big that he had flown to Denver to meet with the prospect. 

"He thought the meeting went great and he followed up by email and it sounded like it was just a matter of getting the deal signed. But the prospect would not respond. He sent multiple emails over and over."

Kevin: "So, the trail went cold. Lots of emails, but nothing from the prospect?"

Tom: "Right. I know that you are a huge fan of direct mail, and I am, too. So I told him to change the medium from email -- because it’s just so easy to ignore -- and use regular mail.

"I suggested to he should put together a package and take the same information you’re sending by email, but change your format and send it by mail.

"Even better, send it FedEx or UPS. That would show some urgency and show you’re dedicated to this project.

"And I remembered what you suggested, Kevin, about how including a food gift like chocolate is an easy way to turn a direct mail piece into a sensory experience."

Kevin: "So what happened?"

Tom: "He popped some chocolates into the package and sent it off UPS ... and he said within two days he was on a call with the prospect to close the deal."

"Changing the format and delivering it via UPS really helped. But I think the chocolate was a big deal, too. It’s such a little thing, but how can you ignore chocolate? It adds an experience, you eat it and you remember it."

Kevin: "Right on all counts. Whether you send an express letter by UPS or FedEx, it can’t possibly go into a spam folder. It has to be opened. Keep that in mind when you compare the “cost” of email, which is free but increasingly ineffective, vs. the “cost” of an overnight letter.

"Second idea: Chocolate. When you’re eating chocolate, it’s impossible to be unhappy. So when you’re grinning and you’re reading a letter, your brain is making a connection between the two. It’s a powerful sensory experience.

"Compare that to reading an email on a laptop, iPad, or -- worst of all -- a mobile phone. That’s just text on a screen, visible for 3-5 seconds and then, poof! Deleted or achieved. Not nearly in the same league as a tangible letter plus a chocolate gift. And not nearly the same results."

Bottom line: Anyone can execute this idea. Find your best sales message, print it, add a nice gift of chocolate, and send it all FedEx or UPS.

But first, let me drop some science on you. There’s a chemical compound in chocolate, called phenethylamine (PEA).

PEA mimics the chemistry of your brain when you’re in love. Maybe that’s why chocolate is said to be an aphrodisiac. In any case, the chemicals in chocolate make people HAPPY ... and if you can make people HAPPY in business, you can do WELL in business.
 
Now, if you don’t see the value in investing $20 for all this, especially when it could make you back many hundreds or thousands of dollars ... well, you don’t have a business. You have a hobby. And you should stop pretending otherwise.

One more thing. 

If you found this idea helpful … and you want more clients like your best clients ... claim your Free Client Cloning Kit at www.clientcloningsystems.com

Referral Rewards: The Simple Way to Grow Your Service Business

Here's an outstanding way to encourage more referrals to your business, especially if you sell a service.

Take a look at this issue of the newsletter published by The Prouty Project:

They're doing two smart things to encourage referrals, both of which you can emulate ...

1) Publicly Recognizing Referrals

Too often, we forget to thank the people who send us referrals. Which is a mistake. 

William James, the father of American psychology, wrote: "The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated."

When you give people appreciation for their referrals, they will give you more referrals. Because you get more of any behavior that you reward.

And when you reward that behavior with public recognition, by publishing photos and quotes from clients who refer, you "super size" this process. Your clients will save that issue of your newsletter with their picture in it ... and they will likely talk about it and show it to other people. Which naturally leads to more referrals.


2) Rewarding Referrals with a Charitable Donation

There are many ways to incentivize referrals: you can offer a cash reward, gift card, discount on a future purchase, or some combination of those.

But The Prouty Project goes beyond typical rewards by offering a $1,000 donation to charity for one randomly chosen referrer. Then, they take it one step further by letting the winner select the charity that receives the money.

This is a triple play: The Prouty Project wins by supporting a good cause; the winner wins by choosing a charity to support; and the charity wins by getting $1,000.

To power up your referral rewards program (you do have one, don't you?) use these two ideas: publicly recognize referrals and reward referrals with donations to charity.

A smart referral rewards program is a true Marketing Multiplier: Small actions that deliver big profits. This is so low-tech, it's practically NO-tech. And you can create one today.

One more thing: If you own a service business in the U.S., you can get a box of 11 Marketing Multipliers delivered to your door at no cost, if you hurry. Learn more at www.MarketingMultipliers.com

How to Multiply Your Marketing: Simple Secrets That Work Wonders

I'm a writer.

I write.

I don't speak or do many videos.

But a few weeks ago, I did a phone interview with marketers Tom Trush and Andy Renk that delivered so many ideas in so little time, I decided to share it with you here.

Tom and Andy pulled a pickup truck full of ideas out of my head in this interview, "How to Multiply Your Marketing: Simple Secrets That Work Wonders."

If you own a business, listen now to discover:

• The easiest way to start a conversation that leads to a sale, especially if you sell a service
• How “The Retention Box” can keep your clients longer, while increasing profits by up to 90%
• Why you should never send another price quote (and what to send instead)
• A direct-mail shortcut that's simple, low-cost, and virtually guarantees your message gets opened and read by your prospects
• And a whole lot more 

You'll discover a half dozen Marketing Multipliers revealed on our interview. 

Educational Marketing: Show, Tell, Teach, and Sell

Do you like visiting the dentist?

Me neither.

But something remarkable happened to me yesterday while getting my teeth cleaned. It could save my smile. And make you a few bucks, too.

Here's the story ...

I own a very spiffy Sonicare toothbrush that I almost never use. It takes too long, it's a bit irritating, a standard toothbrush is easier, blah blah blah.

So, yesterday, I'm sitting in the chair and Theresa, the hygienist, is sticking a probe into my gums. She's counting off numbers: "3, 3, 2, 3, 4, 4 ..." A 3 or below is good -- if she can stick the probe 3 millimeters or less into my gums, that means they are tight and healthy. Any 4s or 5s are bad -- that means my gums are weak and unhealthy.

I'm hearing way too many 4s.

Theresa says, "The good news is, your gums look better than they did 6 months ago. Do you floss?"

"Every day," I respond.

"Do you have a Sonicare toothbrush?"

"Yes."

"Do you use it?"

"Not much," I say.

"Well, you can get 30,000 brush strokes a minute with a Sonicare. The best you can do with a standard toothbrush is about 300 strokes. That's 100 times more brushing in the same amount of time. It removes way more plaque and bacteria, so your gums stay healthy."

That's when a 40-watt light bulb went off in my head.

"You mean I can be 100 times more efficient with a Sonicare?" I ask?

"Yes."

"Duh. Stupid. Okay, sign me up," I reply.

Now.

Was using a Sonicare toothbrush a good idea 6 months ago? Yes.

Did I buy into it then? No. I was too comfortable doing what I always did to make a change.

Was using a Sonicare toothbrush a good idea yesterday? Yes.

Did I buy into it? Yes.

Why? Because something clicked when I learned I could be 100 times more efficient. The gain of wiping out more bacteria with the same effort finally broke through the pain of changing my routine.

And here's the marketing moral of the story: While a small percentage of your prospects are ready to buy on their first contact with you, the vast majority are as stubborn, ignorant, and unwilling to make a change as I was about using an electric toothbrush.

Most of your prospects require ongoing, systematic contact to show them, tell them, and educate them -- at different times and in different ways -- until something clicks in their head. No amount of browbeating or scolding from you will make the sale. They must decide for themselves that you are the right choice.

The problem: You'll never know ahead of time what it is you say or do that causes prospects to buy.

The opportunity: If you keep educating prospects, you keep making more sales.

So ... what will you do about this?

One more thing: If you own a business, you can get a box of 11 Marketing Multipliers delivered to your door at no cost, if you hurry. Learn more at www.MarketingMultipliers.com

The Marketing Multipliers Manifesto

What can 300 dead Spartans teach you about marketing?

Plenty.

In 480 B.C., those 300 Spartans battled more than 150,000 Persians at Thermopylae.

The Spartans held off a force 500 times their number for two days. Only after a traitor revealed a path that let the Persians surround them were the Spartans defeated.

How did they do it?

Thermopylae, where the Spartans set up their defense, was a narrow coastal pass. A bottle neck. Which forced the Persians to squeeze in and fight in small groups. Which made the Persians’ numbers irrelevant.

The Spartans used the land as a force multiplier, defined as anything added to a fighting force that delivers a bigger result from the same effort. Other examples of force multipliers include training, morale, and weapons.

This manifesto is your introduction to Marketing Multipliers, defined as anything added to your marketing that delivers a bigger result from the same effort.

Marketing Multipliers are often small, trivial changes. Yet, they can deliver very big results ... while making your competitors irrelevant.

Since 1998, I've helped clients large and small do more with less in their marketing.

Here are 3 simple, practical lessons I've learned.

[NOTE: Don't forget to grab a free PDF of The Marketing Multipliers Manifesto at the end of this post.]

1) Get Real to Really Sell

Do you sell a service? This is especially important to you.

Because selling a service is tough.

Unlike a product, people have no idea what your service is like until after they give you money. So ... you're selling a promise. You're selling the invisible.

And THAT is a tough sale.

So try this: Get real.

By that I mean put something real and tangible into the hands of your prospects. The sooner you do, the sooner you build trust. And the sooner they buy.

Example: GoToWebinar sells an online service -- webinars. They've got loads of competition. Yet, I've been a loyal customer for nearly 6 years now. One reason? Kristen, my account rep, mailed me this thank-you note after I signed up for a trial account in 2010 ...

Instantly, an intangible service became real to me. I trusted GoToWebinar more. I converted to a paid account. And I've given them hundreds of dollars since.

• Cost: $1 for a thank-you note + stamp
• Revenue for GoToWebinar: $1,500 and counting
• ROI: 149,900%

2) Speak the Language of Your Market

This lets you crawl inside the mind of your prospect and use their thoughts to make them buy.

Don't worry. This is 100% ethical, legal, and simple.

Here's all you do: Pull language from book reviews on Amazon.

You see, no matter what business you're in, there are books about it on Amazon. Find those books, read the reviews, then use the wording in your marketing.

These book reviews are valuable because they are written by people who paid money to learn about what you sell.

Here's an example ...

In your marketing, you can use that language for headlines, desires to emphasize, or objections to overcome (among other things).

I did this for one client who sells a real estate service -- highly intangible and very high trust. We peppered his postcards and sales letters with the words I found in Amazon book reviews ...

... and at last count, he's brought in more than $840,000 while doing transactions entirely by phone and fax.

• Cost: $0 to read Amazon book reviews
• Revenue for my client: $840,000
• ROI: Infinite, but for argument's sake: 84,000,000%

3) Never Send Another Price Quote

If you sell a service, you almost certainly deliver price quotes or proposals to prospects.

Stop doing that. Now.

Here's why: When you submit a "Price Quote," "Proposal," or "Bid," you're using commodity language. Which brands you as ... a commodity. And how do people buy commodities? Based on price.

Instead, stop call your price quotes by that name. Call them something -- anything -- else.

Examples: Game Plan, Profit Blueprint, Project Summary, etc.

Take a look at the first few sentence of the Project Outline I send to prospects ...

Think: If a prospect is holding two price quotes from your competitors, and one "Project Summary" from you, guess who defies comparison and avoids questions of price?

• Cost: $0 to name your price quotes something else
• Revenue for you: How much is one new client worth over their buying lifetime? Fill in the blank: $____________
• ROI: Infinite

Now before you go, do this: Download your free PDF of the Marketing Multipliers Manifesto to print and refer to later.

3 More Reasons Why You Need a Strong Guarantee

If you've read any of my 576 blog posts in the last 6 years, you know that I'm a strong believer in strong guarantees.

As long as you don't sell crap, a money-back guarantee can grow your business faster than almost anything else.

(NB: If you do sell crap, a money-back guarantee will put you out of business faster than almost anything else. Hey, sorry. Don't sell crap.)

Anyway, here are 3 reasons why you need a strong money-back guarantee in your business ...

... based on the "Lifetime Satisfaction Guarantee" from The Great Courses. That's it above.

Study it. Because that guarantee is worth millions to The Great Courses. And you need one like it in your business, for 3 important reasons.


Reason #1: You will get more new clients, faster, from the same marketing

Quick, which guarantee is stronger?

• "Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed" (which is how far most timid, lazy marketers go, i.e., not very)

• "Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed. If a course is ever less than completely satisfying, you may exchange it for another of equal value at any time. You may also return any course, within one year of initial purchase, for a full refund" (which is how far The Great Courses goes)

Duh. The one that promises you a refund. It's clearly stronger. And all things being equal, the stronger guarantee wins more sales. Consequently, The Great Courses got my money.


Reason #2: Your clients will buy and refer longer

Now, it may surprise you to learn that I just returned a DVD to The Great Courses for a refund today. And I've returned stuff to them before.

Yet, I've been buying from The Great Courses going on 10 years. I've given them at least $700 in business, minus about $75 in refunds. So they're still ahead.

BUT ... that doesn't take into account the referrals I've sent them, like family members and clients, to whom I rave about The Great Courses. And now you, my loyal readers.

One reason I recommend The Great Courses is because they offer ... great courses.

Another reason? I can't look like a dolt for recommending them. Because anyone who dislikes a purchase can get a refund. That kind of "insurance" is important to anyone before making a referral.

Now, think. If you don't offer a guarantee, what does that say about your business? Does it make you more referral worthy or less?


Reason #3: You will do better work. Which makes everything better

Look at that last line in The Great Courses' guarantee. It's brilliant: "This guarantee not only protects your investment in learning, it also compels us to produce great courses."

Nothing like tightrope walking without a net to compel your best effort, eh? I can tell you from experience, after offering an unconditional money-back guarantee on my copywriting and consulting services since 1998, that it compels you to do your best work. Which is good for everyone.

Hey, I'm not perfect. Neither are you. I give refunds about once a year. And if you offer a strong money-back guarantee, you'll give refunds, too. But if your sales go up 25% ... 50% ... or more, will you really care?

One more thing: If you own a business, you can get a box of 11 Marketing Multipliers delivered at no cost, if you hurry. Learn more at www.MarketingMultipliers.com

3 Marketing Secrets from 575 Blog Posts

After writing 575 blog posts since 2010, I've learned a few things about how business owners want to attract more new clients.

If you own a service business and you want more clients, here are 3 insights to help you:

Insight #1: Marketing tools beat marketing skills

Since 2010, I've written dozens of posts about skills: how to write better copy, deliver extraordinary client service, etc.

But 3 of my 7 most-popular blog posts are about tools:

• Client Reactivation Letter
• Thank-You Note
• Postcards

Implication: Entrepreneurs (like you?) are busy. They would rather use a tool to grow their business than learn a skill.

Insight #2: Simple marketing tools are good

Take another look at the 3 most-popular marketing tools I've written about:

• Client Reactivation Letter
• Thank-You Note
• Postcards

What do they have in common? They are SIMPLE.

If you can read and speak English clearly, you can write and mail a Client Reactivation Letter to your past clients ... a Thank-You Note to prospects, partners, and clients ... and Postcards to anyone.

Implication: You don't need super-sophisticated technology to build a business that supports you in style. You need only use a few simple tools consistently.

Insight #3: Direct mail is the marketing tool of successful entrepreneurs

Take another look. What do these tools have in common?

• Client Reactivation Letter
• Thank-You Note
• Postcards

They are printed on paper and arrive in your mailbox, with a stamp. They are real mail. And they get real results.

By mailing a few simple letters to reactivate past clients, you reap windfalls from the buyers you have already "bought and paid for" -- this is incredibly profitable.

By mailing thank-you notes to prospects, partners, and clients, you demonstrate your gratitude for the time, attention, and money they give you. This increases your sales conversions, your client retention, and your referrals -- not to mention the self-esteem of you and the recipients of your thank-you notes.

By mailing postcards to anyone, you stand apart from the 99% of other entrepreneurs who are content to stop at email, texts, tweets, or other ephemeral online communications. A postcard is a simple, tangible reminder of you and your message.

Implication: Direct mail is proof that you're running a real business. That's a good thing.

One last thing. If you own a business, there's a box of 11 Marketing Multipliers waiting to be shipped to you by U.S. Mail. You can try it Free. Click here now.

The Lead Generation Kit That Works Wonders

The word "kit" has always appealed to me.

It conjures up all sorts of childhood memories, like these ...

As a kid, I loved doing magic shows for my parents and friends. Never got good enough to charge admission, though.

This electronics kit was too safe. No matter how diligently I rewired it, I couldn't electrocute my little brothers.

NOW we're talking -- danger, danger! Scorched walls, chlorine gas, human experiments. Among my favorite childhood memories.

Okay, even if your formative years weren't as disturbing as mine, I'll bet the word "kit" has fun, positive connotations for you. And for your prospects, too.

Which is the point of this blog post.

If you want to get the attention of your prospects and make an emotional connection, why not deliver your lead-generation materials in the form of a kit?

Give them a bag, a box, or a tube. Include a CD, DVD, printed reports, tools, folders -- tangible stuff people can touch and feel. A kit.

Doing so can instantly set you apart and generate more leads for your business. Which leads to more sales of your product or service.

Exhibit A: Here's my lead generation magnet for the last 5 years (and counting), the decidedly odd and intriguing ...

I ship a free Client Cloning Kit to any qualified prospect who owns a real business in the U.S. (No part-timers, MLMs, or "wantrepreneurs," please.)

Yes, it looks like a pipe bomb. Which ALWAYS causes a stir when it arrives by mail.

It ALWAYS gets opened. It ALWAYS gets my prospects' attention. And it has MORE than paid for itself in new business for me.

Meanwhile, other marketing thought leaders give out digital downloads and special reports. Hey, more power to 'em. I hope they never change.

Cool packaging in the form of a kit is a Marketing Multiplier. It's a little thing that can deliver big profits. It's simple. And you can do it today.

Speaking of cool packaging, here's another, the Marketing Multipliers Welcome Box ...

If you own a business, there's a box of 11 Marketing Multipliers waiting to be shipped to you. You can try it Free. Click here now.

The Marketing Power of a Public Promise

I just got back from a week in Japan.

One of the first things I saw when I got off the airplane at Haneda airport was a sign in the men’s bathroom that said, “Today’s janitor is Yamashita Mayumi.” Take a look ...

There's a phone number to call to let them know what you think about the cleanliness of the bathroom.

And guess what? That bathroom was spotless. The counter next to the sink was cleaner than my dining room table. I could have eaten lunch off it.

Why? Because there were serious consequences for Mayumi if she wasn’t doing her job.

That's the power of a public promise.

Now. How can you use this idea in your marketing?

A simple way is to put your direct phone number on all the correspondence that leaves your business -- emails, invoices, receipts, anything going out to customers or clients. Include a message that says, “If you have questions or concerns, here's my phone number. Call it, even on weekends.”

Here's how Keith Lee, president of American Retail Supply, does it. On his company website and in his correspondence is this message:

"Every person at American Retail Supply is empowered to Make You Happy. If at any time you feel we have failed to Make You Happy, or if you ever have a question or concern, please call us right away at 800-426-5708.

"If you're still not happy, please call me on my direct line at 253-859-7310."

And guess what? If Keith gets a call on his direct line, somebody's butt is on the line. Because a call to him means one of his employees failed to make a customer happy. According to Keith, this almost never happens.

Again, the power of a public promise. 

So think: How can you make a public promise to your customers or clients?

Try it. Then see if your sales don’t take off as a result.

By the way, a public promise costs you nothing to implement. It's a little thing that can deliver big profits for your business. That makes it a perfect Marketing Multiplier.

And if you own a service business, you can get a box of 11 Marketing Multipliers delivered, at no cost, if you hurry. Visit www.MarketingMultipliers.com

How to Get One More Hour of Productive Time Every Day -- Guaranteed

What would it mean to you to gain an extra hour of productive time every day?

That's an extra 5 hours a week -- 250 hours a year.

That's equal to more than 30 full 8-hour working days a year, by the way.

Forget adding an extra day during leap year ...

... this is like adding an extra month to the calendar every year!

Could you use some of that extra time to build your business?

I think you could.

Well, here's what this is about: It's a little mind game I call the Daily Time Expander.

And if you play along with me for one week and don't get back at least one extra hour of productive each day, I'll write a check for $100 to your favorite charity.

Do I have your attention? Good.

Here's what to do: Grab your smart phone. Look at the bottom of the home screen. See the  email icon there? Move it!

Where to? Someplace where you won't see it -- and that little red number telling you how many emails you have to read -- every time you pick up your phone.

I moved my email icon 4 screens deep on my phone and then I buried it in a little folder, called Games.

As a result, I cannot be distracted by email when I look at my phone. I have to go hunting for it. And this is the simple secret that can save you an hour of productive time every day: Never let yourself get sucked into email when you pick up your cell phone.

And when you do the math, avoiding email like this can easily save you one hour a day.

One reason? Emails are like mice or cockroaches: There’s never just one. And once you start composing replies to emails, setting reminders to reply to the replies, visiting stray web sites -- 5, 10, or 15 times a day -- that always burns at least an hour a day of valuable time.

Now. This idea is more than interesting. This is potentially life changing for you. So I want to make sure you try it.

That's why I'm making you this very public challenge: Move the email icon off the home screen of your smart phone and keep it that way for 5 working days in a row. If you don't save at least 5 hours of time you otherwise would have wasted getting sucked into email, I will donate $100 to the charity of your choice.

Just send me a short note by mail. Include your contact info and the name of your charity. I will make the donation and email you the receipt to prove it. Here's my mailing address:

Kevin Donlin
Guaranteed Marketing
7455 France Ave. S., #263
Edina, MN 55435

This is a very public challenge. There's no hiding for me. And I hope you put this idea to the test.

By the way, The Daily Time Expander is the first of 11 marketing tools you can get for free, if you hurry, at www.MarketingMultipliers.com

What does time have to do with marketing? Everything.

Because, as Dr. Bernie Siegel once said, time isn't money -- time is everything.

Your time and your marketing are inextricably linked. If you can't manage your time, you can't market your business. So the first thing I want to do is free up at least 5 more hours each week for you to get more new clients. And that's what The Daily Time Expander does for you.

For Free Access to this and 10 other tools, visit www.MarketingMultipliers.com

Do What THEY Love And The Money Will Follow

You've heard it said, "Do what you love and the money will follow."

But here's another version that may be more profitable for your business: "Do what THEY love and the money will follow."

It's true.

If your clients love it and they want it, you should deliver it. IF it's within reason, legal, ethical, and won't drive you crazy.

Case in point: This video.

I'm a writer. I'm not a TV personality or an extrovert. I hate making videos.

I’d rather have my teeth drilled at the fifty yard line of the Superbowl, by a dental hygienist who looks like Ernest Borgnine and is wearing boxing gloves, than make a video.

But my clients -- the people who put a roof over my head and a clean shirt on my back -- LOVE watching videos.

So, because it's within reason, legal, ethical, and won't drive me (too) crazy, I've learned to love making videos.

And, by the way, after making more videos than ever last year ... I had my best year in business. Recession and collectivist politicians be damned. Video ain't so bad.

Moral: Find out what your clients love. Give it to them. Even if, at first, you hate it. Because you may learn to love it.

And this is important: All growth comes beyond your comfort zone. Growth is, by definition, uncomfortable. Making videos has forced me to grow -- intellectually and profitably.

As a result, I actually love making videos. Go figure.

One last thing: Do you own a business?

Get your own box of 11 Marketing Multipliers delivered Free -- Click Here.

Postcards: The Insanely Simple (and Effective) Marketing Tool

Here's a story about a shocking pink postcard that might change the game for your business.

The postcard is from my good friend Vance Morris. The letters "DYGYSD" stand for "Did you get your 'stuff' done?"

Vance and I are in the same mastermind group and we hold each other accountable for achieving our goals. Every 7-10 days, he drops in unexpectedly to see how I'm doing. Thanks, Vance.

But in addition to holding me accountable, Vance is being memorable and getting my full attention with this postcard. That's something you can NOT do with an email.

And that's the point of this blog post: As a business owner, anytime you catch yourself thinking, "I'll just send an email" to your prospects or clients, think again. Can you send that same message by postcard? If so do that. 

Send a postcard, in addition to or instead of an email. You'll get more attention and better results. 

And no, I don't mean Send Out Cards or some other robotic crap. Write the message on the postcard. By hand. And mail it. With a stamp.

I keep a collection of postcards on hand and mail one almost every day. Whether it's for holidays or to thank people for referrals, a postcard is a simple tactical tool that's quick and easy.

Plus, a postcard can be physically held and is difficult to ignore -- completely different from an email.

Another nice thing is that postcards are a simple tool. They are pretty much goof proof. They require almost no skills to deploy correctly. Just like striking a match.

Postcards are simple, inexpensive, and they fit into any marketing strategy you may have.

All of which make postcards a true Marketing Multiplier -- little tools that can deliver big profits.

Now. Do you own a business in the U.S.?

If so, get your own box of 11 Marketing Multipliers delivered FREE at www.MarketingMultipliers.com

What's the Story of Your Business?

What's the story of your business?

Why did you start out?

What problem were you trying to solve when you first opened your doors?

You should be able to answer that question. Because the story of your business can separate you from every other business in any industry, in any city, anywhere on earth.

The story of your business is like your fingerprint -- it’s unique to you. It’s a rich vein of ideas you can mine and use to spice up all of your marketing materials, especially the Home and About Us pages on your website.

And here’s a harsh fact: If you don’t have a story, you probably don’t have a business.

With a good story that’s rich in interesting details, your clients and customers can better connect with you on a human level. Your story gives people more reasons to want to know, like, trust, and buy from you.

Here's a story to illustrate all this talk about ... stories.

FreshBooks is now a thriving company, with over 5,000,000 customers served in 120 countries. But it was started accidentally in 2003, as the solution to one man's problem with invoicing.

From the FreshBooks website:

The FreshBooks story begins back in January 2003, when Mike McDerment was running a four person design agency. When it came to billing clients, Word was frustrating to use and wasn’t built to create good looking invoices. Then one day something happened that makes every record-keeper cringe: he accidentally saved over an old invoice. Knowing there had to be a better way, he created it himself. Over the next two weeks he coded up a solution that became the foundation of what is now FreshBooks.

The road hasn’t been easy. It took over a year to bring the product to market. After 24 months, there were only 10 paying customers and revenues of $99 per month. The company moved into Mike’s parents’ basement and for the next 3.5 years, despite all the evidence pointing to failure, they carried on. Why? They discovered a passion for serving our customers, our company and working together.

If you're a business owner -- FreshBooks' ideal client -- you can identify with McDerment’s story. The frustration when he accidentally erased an invoice. His persistence in creating a solution to fix the problem, then gutting it out for more than 5 years to build a new company, in the face of evidence “pointing to failure.”

After reading that story, who would you rather give your money to, FreshBooks or QuickBooks?

Of course, FreshBooks. See my point?

There’s marketing power in a good story about your business

Here’s another story. Last year I opened a new business unit to help entrepreneurs who can’t afford my copywriting. Because my time is extremely limited, it doesn’t come cheap. My copywriting fees typically range from $4,995 to $39,995.

So I created a club for entrepreneurs, called Marketing Multipliers.

Every month, I ship members a new tool that delivers extra profits, just like my copywriting does. But because I can make one tool and distribute many, I can serve hundreds of members. So the fee is trivial -- only $29.95 a month. Any serious business owner can afford that. Especially when the first month is free.

That’s the story of why I started Marketing Multipliers.

Why did you start your business?

Answer that question and your marketing becomes more effective, for the same amount of time and effort.

I Lost a Bet on Michigan State!

I lost a bet, but rather than buy an Alabama t-shirt, I'm making a donation to the Bill Gough III Foundation. And I encourage you to do likewise!

Click here to learn more.