Never Advertise Again?

"I have no idea why everyone’s interested in new clients."

So said Bill Bain, founder of Bain & Company, as quoted by author and former Bain partner, Richard Koch.

"We don’t need new clients. We should have built-in growth from existing clients if we’re doing our job correctly," said Bain.

In an interview with Tim Ferriss, Koch went on to describe Bain & Company as "a fantastically well-run organization. And it grew at 40 percent a year for 20 or 30 years."

Note well: 40% is more than *twice* the annual growth rate of billionaire Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway.

Not shabby.

Takeaway: You may never need to advertise again, if you can delight your clients so much that they stay forever and refer their friends and colleagues.

That's the promise of Client Retention, one of 3 ways to grow your business from the inside out. 

Want another example?

My clients, The Team Training Institute, deliver a high-level coaching service. But they knew they could do better. So, instead of chasing after new clients (as most businesses do instinctively) I helped them launch a new, top-level service at $79,999 a year.

So, I created a two-part promotion to deliver their new offer:

Part 1: a Direct Mail Sales Letter sent by FedEx to a list of 30 qualified prospects. 

Part 2: a Sales Script to sell the new program from the stage (variations of this script are now used to sell it by phone and webinar). 

What were the results?

In only 21 days, they sold $639,992 of their new program. To clients they already had.

Here's what they said: “Needless to say, we are pretty happy! Kevin has worked for clients in the U.S., Canada, and Australia, including a number of Dan Kennedy's Titanium Mastermind members. He’s an expert at taking your marketing from good to great. If you get a chance to work with Kevin, take it!”
- Darcy Juarez, Director of Marketing, The Team Training Institute

That's the promise of Client Retention, one of 3 ways to grow your business from the inside out.

The other two, Cold Reactivation and Conversion Rates, are explained here 

More New Clients, Without Advertising

You can build a thriving business on just a handful of great clients and referral partners.

It's simple, really.

Pick great people, serve them to the best of your ability, and put your long-term relationships with them ahead of any short-term sales.

That last part is vital.

The relationship must come first. When you take care of that, the money will follow. But if you put money first, you will churn and burn your way through clients and find yourself on a treadmill of costly advertising and funnels.

When you're talking to your best clients and referral partners by phone or in person -- email is NEVER a substitute -- listen for personal details that pop up in conversation.

Where did they go to school? What are their hobbies? Names of their spouse or children?

The more you learn about your best clients and referral partners personally, the better you can treat them personally, and the more they will reward you professionally.

This is how you go beyond intangible concepts like retention, and build a business on real and lasting relationships.

One more thing ...

If you found these ideas helpful, request your Free Client Cloning Kit at my website

The Extraordinarily Happy Client Email

Check out this email from a very happy client ...

I have a great job.

Not only do I MAKE my clients enough money to jet off to Cancun at will, but I SAVE them money by continually sharing best practices with them, like the FedEx tip I gave this client. He'll put an extra $1,600 back in his pocket ... enough to buy muy cerveza y vino in Cancun :-)

Funny: Nowhere in my job description does it say, "Find ways for clients to save money." That's not something you would ordinarily expect a marketing strategist and copywriter to do.

But ordinary sucks. It's not extraordinary. Or interesting. And it doesn't pay well.

So, if you want to make the leap from ordinary to extraordinary -- and create income and job security to match -- start finding ways to make or save your clients more money than they pay you.

Meanwhile, if you want to put an end to "feast or famine" syndrome in your business, my free Client Cloning Kit can help. It's not some cheapo download -- this is a real business-building kit you can hold in your hands.

 
Grab your free copy now, while they last.

You Can Recession-Proof Your Business If You Do This One Thing: How to Grow Your Business With Gratitude (Day 13 of 15)

First, here's WHY I'm writing today's thank-you note to a vendor ...

That incredibly delicious box of chocolates was dropped off on New Year's Eve by my ace printer, Jim Beckman from Full Throttle Print.

Almost every business depends on referrals, but few businesses deserve them to the extent that Jim's does. He's more like a concierge than a printer -- I've never heard him say "No" to a request in the 3 years I've been using him to print business cards, newsletters, flyers, and sales letters for me.

The fact that he delivers at no charge is just icing on the cake. And the nice gift of chocolates? Wow. That's icing on the ... chocolate. Or something.

Anyway, why I will never use another local printer as long as Jim is in business. And I will continue to refer my local clients to him.

That's why I was so happy to write the thank-you note below to Jim ...

Bottom line: You can recession-proof your business (heck, you can Obama-proof it) by delivering service that surprises and delights your clients. They will buy more and refer others to you. It's just that simple.

Because, in a world where nearly everything can be copied or done for $1 an hour in China, there's one thing no competitor can copy: your service. Make sure yours is memorable -- for all the right reasons -- and you will have clients for life. Like Jim does.

Meanwhile, if you want to put an end to "feast or famine" syndrome in your business, my free Client Cloning Kit can help. It's not some cheapo download -- this is a real business-building kit you can hold in your hands.

Grab your free copy now, while they last.

Got Sales? Want More? Reward That Behavior! How to Grow Your Business With Gratitude (Day 12 of 15)

I'm on a roll this week: Here's another thank-you note to a client after the sale  ...

Unlike yesterday, I didn't include a gift with this note ... because I sent that special "Thank you for your order!" gift separately, as I do with all first-time buyers of my copywriting and consulting services.

(What was that other gift? I'll keep it under wraps for now -- it's a trade secret with me :-)

Why thank one client two ways, with a gift and a thank-you note delivered separately?

Here's why. As Machiavelli taught (I think), when you have bad news to deliver, do it all at once so you get it over and done with. But when you have good news, dribble it out over time, so you can maximize the positive effect it has on people.

In this case, my new client Casey got a nice gift couriered to his office today -- within 3 hours of his order. But he will also get this thank-you note by mail in a couple of days, which will make him remember the gift he got today and reinforce the good feelings he has about me.

Remember: You get more of any behavior that you reinforce. And that includes sales.

Now. Before you accuse me of being Machiavellian in this approach, please realize something. Yes, it's good for business when clients get good news/gifts from me several times in one week. But I really do this because it's FUN to play Santa 365 days a year and send nice things to my clients. They like it, I like it, it's good for everyone. It might be good to try in your business, too.

Meanwhile, if you want to put an end to "feast or famine" syndrome in your business, my free Client Cloning Kit can help. It's not some cheapo download -- this is a real business-building kit you can hold in your hands.

Grab your free copy now, while they last.

Want More Clients? Don't Forget Them! How to Grow Your Business With Gratitude (Day 10 of 15)

The human memory is an incredible thing.

It's incredible how much it can suck. At least my memory -- I seem to forget everything.

Case in point: I forgot to mail a Christmas card to one of my best new clients, Jim. The only reason I remembered was because I regularly run reports in Quickbooks and my client database, looking for patterns.

When I did that today, Jim's name popped out. So I mailed him this thank-you note ...

Moral: You may think you're taking great care of all your clients. But you're not. Not unless your business has fewer than 10 paying clients. If you have any more than that, you MUST invest in two things:

1) MONEY in a good CRM package. I use and recommend Infusionsoft and SalesForce.com

2) TIME to spend a few hours a month looking for relationship opportunities in your CRM

The opportunities you're looking for don't have to involve selling. You can just pick out a few clients to send heartfelt greetings to each week. Sales will follow, if you've earned them.

Fact: In a world where almost any product or service can be copied, digitized, or done by someone in the Philippines for less money than you, the ONE thing that can't be commoditized is you and your personal relationship with clients. An investment in building that is one of the best you can make.

And a thank-you note is an easy, VERY cost-effective way to make that investment.

Meanwhile, if you want to put an end to "feast or famine" syndrome in your business, my free Client Cloning Kit can help. It's not some cheapo download -- this is a real business-building kit you can hold in your hands. 

Grab your free copy now, while they last.

Client Service: The Ultimate Marketing Weapon?

Want to see a customer service manual that's worth $1.2 billion and is updated every day? Just plug "Zappos review" into your favorite search engine, read, and emulate.

Here's just one example that I found online today ...

Your takeaway: You canNOT buy or create advertising any better than the testimonial above. When you deliver outrageous service that not only delights but delightfully surprises your clients, you've got a recipe for explosive growth.

Good news: You don't have to delight your clients with what you actually sell to delight your clients.

Read that sentence again. I'll wait.

You see, Zappos sells shoes. But the 5-star raving testimonial above (one of thousands like it you can find online) is not about shoes. It's about the delightful surprise this customer experienced when receiving a rapid, hassle-free refund.

And before you gripe about refunds, know that this one resulted in:

1. valuable free publicity (here and elsewhere)
2. a second purchase at full price
3. a customer for life

 Any business can do that. Including yours.

So, the only thing stopping you from delivering the same kind of billion-dollar service as Zappos is ... you.

And, yes, the way Zappos treats customers is worth $1.2 billion. Because it was legendary service like the example above that made Zappos worth the $1.2 billion that Amazon paid for it in 2009.

Meanwhile, if you want to smooth out the bumps in your cash flow, by getting more clients like your best clients, my free Client Cloning Kit can help. Grab your free copy now, while they last. 

How to Make Selling Unnecessary (Food for Thought)

Peter Drucker said, "The aim of marketing is to make selling unnecessary."

In that light, anything you do to solve your clients' problems and make them happy is marketing. Because doing so makes it more likely that your clients will either buy from you again or refer others to you. In either case -- a repeat sale or referral -- selling is largely unnecessary.

Case in point: My insurance agent, Marty Bothwell.

Last week, he solved a problem with a device I had installed on my car. He took the time and effort to call me, apologize for the problem, and get the vendor to fix it.

Good work, Marty. I'm happy about that.

But then he invested more time and expense in sending me a handwritten note of thanks for my patience ... with two $10 restaurant gift cards enclosed.

Fantastic work, Marty. I'm delighted about that.

As a result I'm telling everyone I know -- starting here, on my blog, and continuing on to every conversation I have in the coming weeks whenever insurance pops up.

Marty is going to get repeat business and referrals from me. And no selling is necessary for him. Because he's such a smart marketer.

Food for thought, eh? (Literally -- I'm off to Green Mill for lunch, on Marty :-)

Meanwhile, if you want to more clients like your best clients, my free Client Cloning Kit can help. Grab your free copy now, while they last.

Zig, Zagat, and the $125-Million Payday

"You can have everything you want in life, if you help enough other people get what they want" - Zig Ziglar

While the unofficial Google motto may be "Don't be evil," Zig's words are their real recipe for success.

To whit, Google has been spanking Yahoo for years simply because Google helps more people get what they want.

And you can, too. Read on to learn how ...

First, Exhibit A: Carol Bartz, the latest CEO firing at Yahoo.

According to The Wall Street Journal:

It's a simple rule of any market. The more information that is created, the more the value is reduced. And despite attempts to woo spending with bigger, bolder and more targeted ads, services that help consumers navigate that content, namely search, remain the big money makers online.

"People tell me that content is king, but that is not true at all," says Rishad Tobaccowala, chief strategy and innovation officer at Vivaki, the digital-media unit of Publicis Groupe SA. "Most people make money pointing to content, not creating, curating or collecting content."

Summary: Yahoo did not help enough people get what they wanted. So Yahoo did not get what they wanted. And Bartz got booted.

Now, Exhibit B: Zagat, the restaurant review service that sprang from humble beginnings 30 years ago. Google bought it for a reported $125 million.

According to The New York Times:

People are “wondering where they should go, where they should spend their time, so to be able to offer accurate information is important, and that’s why we’ve been getting focused on reviews,” said Google VP Marissa Mayer.

Summary: Zagat helped many people get what they wanted. So Zagat got what they wanted. Specifically, the founders, Nina and Tim Zagat, got a $125-million payday (more or less) and can now have everything they want in life.

Now, you may not get bought by Google. But you can still have everything you want ... if you help enough people get what they want.

Start with the most important people in your business life: Your clients.

What do they want? And how are you helping them get it?

By the way, this is a much broader question than, "What can I sell my clients?"

The real question is: "What can I help my clients get?"

Answer it enough times for enough clients, and they will help you get everything you want in life. Just as Zig said -- and Zagat proved.


You'll find more ideas like these in my Free Report, Guaranteed Marketing.

How to Make Clients Stick to You

You know that I preach writing and mailing thank-you letters to anyone who matters in your business life: clients, prospects, vendors, and referral partners, to name a few.

In his excellent book, You, Inc., Harry Beckwith writes: "Handwritten thank-you notes feel like gifts because you took the time to find the paper and envelope, write the note, affix the stamp, and gift-wrap your note in its package."

Well, here's a terrific twist on thank-you notes as "gifts," borrowed from one of my marketing heroes, Joe Polish.

It's called a "stick letter."

First, recall one of the reasons you mail thank-you notes to clients: To make them feel good about doing business with you. Because, if ignored, a client can quickly come down with a case of buyer's remorse.

Especially in today's economy, your clients may question their purchase and think:

• Did I pay too much? 
• Should I have shopped around more?
• Do I really need that?
• Is that product/service really worth the money?
• Did I make a mistake?
• Etc. -- all of it bad

So here's a Big Question: How do you eliminate or minimize buyer's remorse and possible refunds?

The answer, according to Joe Polish (and my own experience) is to send a "stick letter."

A stick letter is simply a letter to make the sale "stick." In other words, ensure that the buyer of your product or service is happy enough to keep and use it.

Best part: For a tiny investment of time and money, you can not only reduce refunds, you can delight your clients, and stimulate referrals. That's a triple play.

What does a stick letter look like?

I'm glad you asked. Here's an example of what I mail to my copywriting clients ...

Here's what that stick letter says:

As you can see, I've attached a $1 bill to this letter.

It's my way of getting your FULL attention as I say, "Thank you!" once more for your business ...

... and it represents the first of many dollars you can expect to receive from the web pages, emails, and other materials I write for you.

Here's to a long and prosperous relationship!

Kevin Donlin

By the way, the dollar bill is called a "grabber" in direct-mail parlance. It's an attention grabber that forces the recipient to read the letter and find out why you sent them money.

Mailing a stick letter to clients within 3-5 business days of their purchase -- even the same day -- is one of the best ways I know to reduce or eliminate refunds, ensure happy clients, and build your business. Win-win-win.

There's really only one way to do this wrong: Mail a fake letter. Fake as in you don't mean what you say. Clients can smell fakery like a dead skunk, so don't write a single word in any stick letter that you don't mean 100%.

And, if attaching a dollar bill offends your sensibilities, attach something else ... like a gift certificate good for an "emergency consultation" or some surprise extra service.

Meanwhile, the potential upside of sending a stick letter -- in terms of client delight, follow-on sales, and referrals -- is HUGE.

Sure, you've probably never heard of anyone in your industry doing anything like this. And that's exactly why you should try it.

Bio: Kevin Donlin can help you grow your business and enjoy the breakthrough results your hard work deserves. If you're interested in boosting your revenues and profits, please click here.

How to Charge More and Dominate Your Market

You can't be all things to all clients. And you don't have to be.

To excel, your business should focus on delivering just one of 3 values: price, product or service.

That's according to Michael Treacy and Fred Wiersema in their classic book, "The Discipline of Market Leaders." Let's look at each of their options for dominating your market ...



1) Offer the best price (also known as total cost)

Think Wal*Mart and their low prices. Then stop thinking. Because you don't want to go there.

If your biggest edge is your low price, someone can -- and will -- come along to offer your clients a lower one. And they will cease to be your clients. Don't compete on price.


2) Offer the best products
Think Nike, 3M, and Apple. They lead the way with breakthrough products. You could compete there, but it could take years and cost millions of dollars to get known as the most innovative in your market.


3) Offer the best service (also known as solution)
Think Nordstrom, Zappos, and Ritz-Carlton. They lead the way in letting you have it your way. You can compete there, starting today.

And you'll probably outshine your competition before dinner tomorrow if you simply do a few things that cost nothing but a few minutes of time (no MBA needed).

Here are 5 simple ways to get closer to your clients and offer better service:

• return an email with a phone call
• write and mail 2 thank-you notes today
• enclose a personal note of thanks with each shipment
• send a helpful article or blog posting to 5 clients today
• call your top 5 clients, thank them for their business, and ask what they need help with this week

Bonus: When you serve more you can charge more without having to innovate more. Nordstrom, Zappos, and Ritz-Carlton are NOT low price leaders, nor do they innovate in anything much beyond service.

You could read all 224 pages of The Discipline of Market Leaders, but here's a 17-word summary: if you deliver better service than your clients expect, you can charge more and dominate your market.

Starting today.

Bio: Kevin Donlin can help you grow your business and enjoy the breakthrough results your hard work deserves. If you're interested in boosting your revenues and profits, please click here.

The Client Cloning Formula

Let me pull back the curtain and share with you a business-building concept that, up until now, I have only given to paying clients.

I call it The Client Cloning FormulaTM, and it's the basis for my whole company, Client Cloning Systems.

It's a mathematical answer to this vexing question: How do you get more clients like your best clients?

The formula is this: EE x S + R + R = Cloned Clients

Now, let me explain the four parts to The Client Cloning Formula ...


1) EE x S

This stands for "Expectations Exceeded, multiplied by Speed."

What does it mean?

It's not enough to meet your clients' expectations for performance or, heaven forbid, fail to meet them. Today, with worldwide competition only a few clicks away on Google, and with client reviews about your business popping up every day on Yelp, Twitter, Angie's List, and other sites, you must exceed expectations if you hope to stay in business for more than 6 months.

Not only that, but you have to exceed expectations as fast as possible. Speed thrills -- and it pays you back, in the form of delighted clients who tell their friends.

That's why speed is, in military terms, a force multiplier -- it increases the level of happiness you deliver for clients several times over.


2) EE x S + R

This first letter R stands for "Re-sales."

What does it mean?

It's not enough to sell to clients one time. Anyone can do that -- just offer a 99% off coupon and voila! You've made a sale. But that's no way to build a business.

All things equal, you will rarely make a ton of net profit on the first sale, once you figure in acquisition costs -- the time and money you spent to get the prospect in the door and turn them into a client.

The real money is in the second, third, and subsequent sales. So plan accordingly.

Note: if you can upsell the client on their first purchase ("Would you like fries with that?") so much the better.


3) EE x S + R + R

This second letter R stands for "Referrals."

Yes, it's nice to exceed expectations fast for clients, and resell them, but you're still under-performing if your clients aren't serving as a volunteer sales force -- and referring more new clients to you.

That's why it's critical to systematically ask for and reward referrals.

You can never, ever, ever, ever expect referrals to come in naturally, on their own. That's like expecting your kids to cut the grass on their own. Ha! Good luck with that.

Instead, you should regularly ask for referrals, then reward this behavior with gifts, cash, discounts, or something else that's appropriate and tangible -- just like getting your kids to cut the grass.


4) EE x S + R + R = Cloned Clients

Cloned Clients are those clients who buy again and refer others. They are the most profitable kind, the kind you want more of and would clone, if you could.


So there you have it, The Client Cloning FormulaTM -- a simple equation to help you grow your business faster and more profitably, with minimal effort: EE x S + R + R = Cloned Clients

You'll find more ideas like these in my Free Report, Guaranteed Marketing.

How to Serve, Wow, and Thrive in Business

It's not enough to offer superior quality, fast delivery, and a great price. Those are but three parts of the success formula.

The fourth is service.

Your service must "wow" clients if you want the repeat and referral sales that lead to lasting success in business.

How to do it? Take a page from Disney.

Specifically, you can wow your clients by exceeding their expectations on the little things.

And it starts with your answers to obvious questions you hear every day.

Here's an insight from Jeff Kober, president of Performance Journeys and CEO of World Class Benchmarking

Think about it. You're a Disney theme park cast member picking up trash and a guest comes along and asks, "What time is the 3:00 parade?"

What does it mean? More important, what is your reply?

For one thing, consider that the parade begins on one end of the park in Frontierland, and then moves to Liberty Square, up in front of the castle, and on down Main Street. It actually takes the better part of an hour for the parade to completely go through. The question on its own has merit.

But the appropriate answer lies in understanding the guest. This is a chance to provide a one-on-one experience for the guest. What we really want to do is to think why the guest is asking the question in that manner. Then we want to respond appropriately.

Perhaps the guest wants to go on more rides and wants to make the parade as late as possible. Maybe the guest is looking for a place to sit down, or a place in the shade during the parade. Perhaps the guest is looking for a place where it isn't so crowded that their kids might be able to see.

You have to take time and inquire. You might ask: "Well, where are you planning to be at that time?"

They might reply, "Well we were going to head over to Goofy's Barnstormer." Your response might be, "Well perhaps you might want to take the train before 3:00 p.m. and stake out a place near Town's Square. There will probably still be some good places to see the parade without having to wait too long."

That's so much better than simply stating "3:00 o'clock."

But of course, this article isn't just about Disney. It's about your business as well. So ask yourself: What is your 3:00 parade question? What is the obvious kind of question your customers ask, and what does it mean?

So ... what's the most obvious question you hear each week?

Example obvious question: "What services do you provide?"

Example obvious answer: "We're a lawn service company -- we cut your grass once a week."

But ... what if you tried to understand the person first, like the Disney employee above, before you replied?

Perhaps the questioner had a bad experience with a lawn service and now wants a better one ... or they've never used a lawn service before ... or they need someone to cut the grass for their mother, who was just diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

Each of your prospects has different reasons for asking, "What services do you provide?" and one answer won't appeal to them all.

So, like the Disney employee, take the time to learn. Start by replying: "What did you need help with, exactly?"

Let your prospects tell you what they need. Their obvious questions will narrow down into specific desires, which you can fill with specific answers -- answers that none of your competitors probably took the trouble to provide.

That's one way to really serve your clients, "wow" them, and ensure the kind of repeat and referral business that Disney enjoys.

(Thanks to Dr. Casey Moore for first sharing this topic with me.)

More ideas like these in my Free Report, Guaranteed Marketing for Service Business Owners.

Where's the Revenue Beneath Your Feet?

You might think of McDonald’s as a chain of fast-food restaurants.

But that's only half right.

There's a second, very lucrative source of revenue for McDonald's that's hidden from view:  real estate.

According to entrepreneur and author Marley Majcher,

When Ray Croc began expanding the company in the 1950s, despite a nationwide chain of franchises, McDonald’s was barely covering expenses. In order to drive profit, Croc organized the Franchise Realty Corporation, buying plots of land for new franchisees to open stores. Because McDonald’s owns the land beneath each of its stores, it makes money on rent as well as the cost of producing food. By acting as a supplier and a landlord, McDonald’s more than doubles its profits without changing their product at all.

This practice continues today, and with an expanse of stores in prominent locations across the globe, the McDonald’s Corporation now owns more land than the Catholic Church.

So. What revenue is hidden from view in your business, like the land under McDonald's?

If you're like most small business owners, that hidden revenue is found in your current clients.

Your current clients are the source of your easiest sales (they already trust you), your highest profits ($0 cost of acquisition), and your most referrals (they know you enough to recommend you).

Bonus: Your communications with clients are hidden from view. Unlike ads on Google or a web site, no competitor can copy what you say to clients on a phone call or a handwritten thank-you note, for example.

So, take a look underneath your business and pay more attention to your clients. Find new ways to serve them faster and better. Your clients will pay you back.

If you own a small business, you're in the Twin Cities, and it's not yet April 21, I hope to see you at my seminar to build your business and benefit the Japan tsunami victims.

More ideas like these in my Free Report, Guaranteed Marketing for Service Business Owners. 

What's in a Name? Bigger Profits for Your Business

This is Tim, a barista at the Starbucks on Excelsior Blvd. in St. Louis Park, MN.

Tim is a money magnet for Starbucks. His boss ought to put him in charge of customer service, if he hasn't already. And whatever Tim is getting paid, it's not enough.

Here's why ...

On Friday, after dropping my car at the repair shop, I walked to a Starbucks across the street and wrote for two hours.

That's where I noticed Tim, working some customer service magic.

Not only was Tim pleasant and upbeat, he knew at least 50% of the customers by name (I was counting). Can you imagine how many more people must come back to this Starbucks every day, knowing they're going to be welcomed by name?

Judging by the number of people he greeted that way, it's a large, profitable number.

So, during a lull (there were only a few!) I asked Tim for his secret to memorizing names. And this is what he told me ...

After meeting a new customer, he asks for their name and writes it down, along with one identifying feature of that person, on the store copy of their receipt. Later in the day, he looks at his notes again, to reinforce names and faces in his memory.

Here's what Tim wrote down to remember me ...

(I was wearing a ratty old baseball cap, FYI.)

Tim said this method isn't perfect, but it works often enough.

Now. Why is Tim worth more than whatever he's paid?

Because he's doing more than he's paid to do. A lot more.

Do you think "memorizing customer names" is part of the Starbucks employee handbook? I don't. Yet, Tim has gone well beyond his job description, by taking the time and effort to make customers feel at home by learning their names.

You can build a very successful business if you have enough Tims.

But there's another lesson here: If you own or manage a service business, you can increase your own paycheck this week, simply by going beyond what your clients expect.

Start by remembering them.

If your business has walk-ins, do what it takes to memorize the names and faces of your regulars. Tim has given you a system to use. Copy it, or find one that works for you. But do it.

If your business serves clients by email or phone, it's even easier. Get a database, like SalesForce.com, ACT, or GoldMine, and start tracking every conversation you have with prospects and clients. I've logged my phone calls since 1998.

It never fails to impress a client when you can recall for them a conversation or email exchange from 9 months earlier, thanks to the notes in your database.

So ... what's in a name? Everything you need to exceed expectations, delight your clients, and earn their repeat and referral business.

Bio: Kevin Donlin can help you grow your business and enjoy the breakthrough results your hard work deserves. If you're interested in boosting your revenues and profits, please click here.

4 Marketing Secrets of the Chocolate Bounceback Offer

You're looking at a clever little lid-top ad from Caribou Coffee, which I snapped a picture of this morning.

How clever is it?

Let me count the ways ...

1) Perfect Timing
It hits me at the happiest moment, before I've had my first sip of java, and offers a discount on more java.

2) Efficiency
It uses previously wasted real estate to deliver a marketing message to 100% of intended recipients ... for pennies to print and zero postage.

3) Perfect Pitch
The offer combines two swell ideas, chocolate and happy hour, to form a new one: Chocolate Happy Hour ... for 3 bucks. What's not to love?

4) Zero Acquisition Cost
Offering a special price to people who already like Caribou -- their current customers -- is a profitable way to get more people back in the store at the otherwise-slow time of 3-6 p.m. This kind of "bounceback" offer ought to be in every marketer's tool box.

Now. How can you adapt Caribou's Chocolate Happy Hour promotion to your business?

(More ideas like these in my Free Report, Guaranteed Marketing for Service Business Owners.)

Inside Marketing: The Little Big Idea

When you want more revenue for your business, what's the first thing you think of?

This: "I need more clients!"

But ... why do you want more clients, anyway?

Because you want more revenue.

So, stop. Wait.

And think of this: If you can get more revenue from your CURRENT clients, you may never need to advertise for new clients.

It just makes sense. Why on earth should you spend more time and money chasing after prospects, trying to convince total strangers to give you their money?

There are streams of revenue running under your business and all you have to do is dig. And you can tap into that hidden revenue the minute you start selling more to the people who know you and trust you -- your current clients.

You can make a lot of money on this little idea, which has BIG implications for your bottom line: Sell more to your current clients.

(REWARD: Do you own or manage the marketing for a service business? Do you want more clients, who buy more, and refer others? If so, you and I should talk. Learn more here.)

100% of Your Revenue Comes From This

Take better care of your clients and they will take better care of you, by giving you more sales, referrals, and profits.

(More ideas like these in the Free Report, Guaranteed Marketing for Service Business Owners.)

Hope is Not a Referral Strategy

Last week, I spoke with Julie, who runs a professional service business with 3 employees.

She called me because she wanted to build her business, but didn't know what to do.

I asked, "How do you get most of your new clients now?"

"That's easy," she replied. "Referrals. Almost all of our new clients hear about us from previous clients."

"What are you doing to promote referrals? Do you have a program in place? Do you reward people for sending new clients to you?" I asked. "It's easy to do -- you can offer a cash reward, a discount, or a gift card to anyone who sends you a new client. I've never seen a rewards system fail to work."

"No, I prefer to let referrals happen naturally. I know we provide a good service and I don't want to get into incentivizing people to recommend us," she said.

So let's sum up Julie's situation:

• She wants to grow revenue in her business.
• She knows that referrals are her #1 source of new revenue.
• But she's unwilling to stimulate referrals by rewarding them systematically.

Instead, Julie would rather hope for referrals.

Hope is not a strategy.

Look: It's not your clients' job to remember what business you're in or to send you new business. You have to remind clients, train them how to refer, and reward them for making good referrals.

Your clients are not too stupid to refer others or too greedy to do it regularly without a reward.

Your clients are simply busy and self-interested -- just like you.

Recognize this reality, and you can quickly appreciate the need for a referral rewards system. Then get busy creating one.

(More ideas like these in the Free Report, Guaranteed Marketing for Service Business Owners.)

Best Ways to Get New Clients Today and Profits Tomorrow

If you run a service business, what percentage of your time, effort, and money is devoted to getting new clients?

Probably 80-90%.

And what percentage of your marketing is devoted to getting repeat sales to and referral sales from the clients you have?

Be honest -- it's probably 10-20%.

But where do 100% of your revenues come from? Your current clients.

So taking care of the clients you have is the ONLY way today to make sure you get more money tomorrow.

Too often we get this backwards. Repeat and referral sales are usually an after-thought.

Case in point: a business-building article in the New York Daily News, "The best ways for small businesses to garner new clientele? Get on Facebook and Twitter, network."

After reading 6 tips for getting new clients via Google, Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, Groupon, networking, etc., I found the seventh, best tip at the end of the story. This hard-won advice, on repeat sales garnered via superior customer service, seemed almost like ... an after-thought:

"When you're selling $100 for $50 and Groupon gets the other half, they need to get that customer to come back in again in order to gain the value from that customer," Bean explained.

Therein lies the beauty of customer service, he said. Give clients an experience they'll want to replicate again and again. Also, encourage good customers to become fans of your company on Facebook or to follow you on Twitter. "Once they come in, continue to communicate with them," Bean said.

You have to do more than communicate with clients to earn their sales again and again, of course, but the point is worth restating: Delivering superior service to clients is the best marketing investment you can make today, and it's the only reliable way to bring in revenue tomorrow.

(More ideas like these in the Free Report, Guaranteed Marketing for Service Business Owners.)