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