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.

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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 ...

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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.

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