More Clients From Less Work: The Magic of Focus

Have you ever read a book, watched a video, or gone to a seminar ...

... written down a long list of things to do ...

... and ended up doing NONE of it?

You're not alone.

It happens to us all.

But one insurance agent found a simple solution to that problem. And for him, it's been worth millions.

Louis, a sales rep for two Allstate Insurance offices in Texas, told me that he attended his first big marketing seminar a few years ago. He took a long list of ideas back to the office. He tried to do all of them ... and ended up doing none.

The reason? His to-do list was too long and intimidating to start on.

So, he did something different.

After his next seminar, he took another list of ideas back to the office. But this time, he focused on doing just ONE thing. That's it.

After putting that one idea to work, he did the next one. And the next. One at a time, step by step.

Results?

Louis and his team went from worrying about how to pay their bills to being on track for $3 million in annual premiums. With a ton of profits, and non-stop growth on the horizon.

Moral: New ideas mean nothing without new actions. But you won't implement if you're too intimidated to start. It's like trying to climb a mountain in one giant leap -- demoralizing and impossible.

So, take a moment today to look at your notes from that last seminar, podcast, or book. Pick just ONE idea and put it into action.

And one more thing ...

If you want more new clients faster, request your Free Client Cloning Kit at my website 

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

How to Grow Your Business by Listening

Alfred Fuller went from semi-literate farm boy to multi-millionaire in just over 10 years.

It all began in 1906. With a $375 investment, he started the Fuller Brush Company in Hartford, CT, selling brushes door to door.

You can learn a lot from his story, which you'll find in the book, The Supersalesmen. On page 28 it says:

"Almost entirely, the ideas that resulted in the steady growth of his business came from customers. Alfred Fuller's genius lay in his ability to elicit information about cleaning problems from the women of Hartford and then to solve the problems they posed, giving the ladies one new product after another."

By 1919, Fuller Brush sales were over $1 million -- that's $14,334,848 in today's dollars.

Bottom line: Your clients can make you rich. All you have to do is listen to what their problems are. Then give them solutions.

And if you found these ideas helpful, please request your Free Client Cloning Kit at my website

36 F- Words You Can’t Say in Business

(See the key below for what each F-word really means.)

Did you know?

Your business strategy is f---¹ important!

Unfortunately, it’s easy to be distracted by f---² tactics.

That’s why you need a strategic plan of action to stay on track. Otherwise ...

You’ll Be Seriously F---³!

But let’s f---⁴ recap shall we?

A tactical business owner works to make more sales today.

If you tell him (or her, I’m not a f---⁵ sexist) that it’s twice as hard to get an appointment with a prospect as it was 5 years ago, he’ll say, “F---⁶! I’m going to work twice as hard.”

By contrast, a strategic business owner works to make more sales today and tomorrow.

If you tell him it’s twice as hard to get an appointment with a prospect, he’ll say, “F---⁷! I’m going to make selling twice as easy.” In other words ...

The Tactical Business Owner
Chases Profits By Working F---⁸ Harder.

The Strategic Business Owner
Creates Profits By Working F---⁹ Smarter.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: How can I f---¹⁰ work smarter and make selling twice as easy?

Well, you should f---¹¹ realize that only about 3% of your prospects are actively looking to make a purchase right now, according to my f---¹² research. Out of every 100 phone calls or emails you get, only about 3 of them will say, “I want to f---¹³ buy today!”

The rest of your prospects (as many as 97% of those f--¹⁴ people) are not buying today. They’re only thinking about it. They might be interested or think they have a problem ... but they’re not sure how you can f---¹⁵ help.

So, what can you say to the 97% of your market to get their f---¹⁶ attention and start a f---¹⁷ conversation that leads to a f---¹⁸ sale, even if they’re NOT ready to buy?

Try this: Offer to educate them. Because everyone wants to make things better, but only 3% want to buy today. It’s just common f---¹⁹ sense.

Want proof?

Try this thought experiment ...

You walk into a car dealer. A tactical sales rep pounces and says, “Hi! Can I help you find a f---²⁰ car? We’ve got some f---²¹ beauties this week!”

What’s your reaction?

“No, I’m just f---²² looking.” You may want to buy a car, but instincts take over and your shields go up when you think you’re being sold something.

At another car dealer, a strategic sales rep greets you and says: “Hi! Have you seen our f---²³ car guide? It shows you how to avoid the 7 mistakes most people make when buying a car. It’ll save you money even if you don’t f---²⁴ buy from us. Here’s a free copy.”

What’s your reaction to that?

“Thank you! This is f---²⁵ great.” You’re now indebted to that sales rep for giving you real value before he asked for money. You may buy today. Or not. But you’ll certainly be more open to a f---²⁶ conversation with that sales rep. Which makes a sale today more likely.

And you’ll take his f---²⁷ car guide home and either buy from him in the future or use the guide to evaluate other sales reps, who will likely pale in comparison to the guy who tried to f---²⁸ educate you. 

So ...

That’s The F---²⁹ Power Of
Strategic Educational Marketing

By playing the long game and taking time to help buyers today, you can make more sales, more easily. Today and tomorrow. F---³⁰!

This is what I help my f---³¹ clients do to earn their prospects’ trust and respect ... generate more referrals ... preempt low-priced competition ... and position themselves as f---³² experts.

Now. If you’d like to enjoy those f---³³ advantages in your business, please visit my f---34 web site.

One more thing. I follow my own advice ...

Should you call me at 612-567-6642, I won’t try to f---³⁵ sell you something, okay? 

We’ll just have a conversation about your business and how it can grow bigger, faster with strategic educational marketing like this.

Thanks for reading!

F---³⁶ you,

Kevin Donlin

Copywriter+ Marketing Optimizer

P.S. Here’s the key to all those f-words:

1. forceful   
2. fanciful   
3. Flummoxed    
4. first       
5. fiendish    
6. Fiddlesticks    
7. Fine       
8. Foolishly   
9. Facilely   
10. finally   
11. first       
12. faithful   
13. Fearlessly
14. Fickle   
15. fairly       
16. fleeting   
17. feel-good   
18. fabulous   
19. Fiscal   
20. foreign    
21. fast       
22. fitfully   
23. free       
24. finally   
25. factually   
26. Facile   
27. fantastic    
28. faithfully   
29. Fiery    
30. Finally   
31. fearless   
32. faultless    
33. favorable   
34. Friendly   
35. foolishly    
36. Favoring

One more thing: I just created a new Cheat Sheet that reveals 4 ways to "force" Amazon to build your business, at NO cost. Click To Download Now

Strategic Happiness

Why do you work and market and sell so hard?

One reason, I'm sure: To earn the money it takes to live the life you want.

And why do you want to live that life?

To be happy, I'm sure. You work hard now to be happy later.

Well, why wait?

Not only can you be happy now, before you grow your business, but being happy now can help grow your business. It's a virtuous, money-making, happiness-inducing circle.

"Whatever goal you want to reach, you can reach it 10 times faster if you are happy," writes success coach Steve Chandler in, 100 Ways to Motivate Yourself. "In my sales training and consulting, I notice that happy sales people sell at least twice as much as unhappy sales people. Most people think that the successful sales people are happy because they are selling more and making more money. Not true. They are selling more and making more money because they are happy."

In his book, The Happiness Advantage, Harvard researcher Shawn Achor analyzes research conducted over 10 years and finds that happy people increase their sales by 37 percent and productivity by 31 percent.

Get that?

Sales-making, productive people are happy FIRST; more profitable and productive SECOND.

Again, why wait for the money to make you happy? Happiness can make you money.

There are many ways to get happy. But the more I study the subject, the more one word keeps popping up: gratitude. Gratitude can prime the pump of happiness and get it flowing in your life. Research backs this up. Grateful people tend to be happier, according to Robert Emmons, a psychology professor at the University of California-Davis.

And gratitude can be created on demand, according to Emmons. "In a series of studies, my colleagues and I have helped people systematically cultivate gratitude, usually by keeping a gratitude journal in which they regularly record the things for which they’re grateful," writes Emmons.

Let's modify that idea for our purposes and create a marketing gratitude journal. Write down 5 recent "wins" in your marketing for which you're grateful.

Examples of marketing gratitude:

• "I'm grateful that A.B. bought a product after getting my sales letter last week."
• "I'm grateful that G.R. called after getting my new business card. I'll meet him Thursday to pitch a project."
• "I'm grateful that J.L. retained me after responding to my advertorial."
• "I'm grateful that H.H. hired me after a referral from my wife!"
• "I'm grateful that D.S. hired me after getting my sales letter."

Writing out 5 marketing "wins" gives you two big benefits:

1) It makes you grateful, which can make you happier, more productive, and more profitable. We've seen that.

2) By reliving past success, you're visualizing success. You're mentally "practicing" behavior that made you money before, which makes it easier to make money again.

Win-win.

Why not try it? Jot down 5 things about your marketing that you're grateful for, in your Google Calendar, on a Post-It Note, wherever. If it feels good today, do it again tomorrow.

Proactively creating happiness NOW can make you more productive and profitable LATER. Call it Strategic Happiness. Call it anything you want. Just try it and see for yourself.

Meanwhile, are you an entrepreneur with clients, not customers? Are you doing at least $200,000 in revenue, and want to do better? If so ...

... I can show you more "profit hacks" like the ones you just read in this article. Get them in my next Free Video Training Session. It's for $200k entrepreneurs ONLY, please.

Grab your spot here

Can't make that event? 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 yours now, while you can.

How to Prime Your Marketing Pump: Give Away to Get Back

I was struck by a story in Grow Rich With Peace of Mind, one of Napoleon Hill's excellent, but lesser-known books.

It's about the curious incident of an insurance man who became rich after first giving away 90% of his working hours.

How's that possible? Here's how, from pages 78-79:

One of my distinguished students, Edward Choate of the New England Life Insurance Company of Los Angeles, decided to help his government sell War Bonds during World War II. He devoted 80 per cent of his time to this effort for which he received no direct compensation.

In addition, he gave 10 per cent of his time to counseling and training other life insurance men, his direct competitors. For this he neither asked nor received compensation. He used the remaining 10 percent of his time to sell life insurance on his own account.

One might think that a man who gave away 90 per cent of his working hours would ruin his business. Let us see. A life insurance man is considered to do pretty well if he writes $1,000,000 worth of insurance in a year. During the first three months of one war year, Edward Choate wrote more than $1,500,000 worth. Most of this was written in his own office, on the lives of men who sought him out and asked him to accept their applications. They were men who remembered him in connection with the services he rendered while he was giving away 90% of his time.

In giving of his time, Mr. Choate never hinted that he wanted anything in return. Yet such is the Law of Compensation that a return is inevitable. You may wish to look at it this way: every time you share your blessings with another, you become his creditor. Eventually, the debt is paid. Somehow, debts have to be paid.

This story intrigued me, as it may you. But is it really possible to give away 90% of your time and still earn a living? I don't know, because I've never tried. But I have given away 10% of my time and/or money for years. And I can tell you it really works.

Here's an example: A couple of cancelled projects left me with unexpected free time. So I decided to donate about 10% of my time next week to 3 good people in my network of friends and clients -- I'll be writing several letters and direct-mail pieces for them.

After telling each of these 3 people that I'd be doing work for them gratis, here's what happened:

• I was offered a free video email blast to a list of prime prospects for my copywriting (a joint venture made in heaven)

• I was offered an introduction to a multi-million dollar prospective client for my copywriting (they have desire and money to pay me)

• I was offered introductions to 2 executive who influence marketing decisions for dozens of my ideal clients (a networking goldmine)

... and then things really got weird:

• A lukewarm prospect suddenly emailed to say, "The check is in the mail"

• An ideal prospect who had "gone dark" for 2 weeks emailed to say, "Let's talk next week."

You get the idea. There's a bunch of new business and revenue in my pipeline that wasn't there 24 hours before I "primed the pump" by giving away just 10% of my time for one work week.

Now, make no mistake, I'm not counting any of these chickens until they're hatched. You can't put promises or introductions in the bank. And there is MUCH more to my marketing than giving away my services -- I mail 100-300 sales letters a week to generate leads, on top of all the referrals and add-on projects I generate from clients, the blogging, public speaking, article writing, etc. 

This is NOT another Pollyanna plea for you to "give something back." Please. If you're in business and you pay taxes, you already give back.

What this is about is the simple idea that, by helping others, you help yourself.

You can call it, "reap what you sow," or "get what you give" or even as Jesus said in Luke 6:38, "Give, and it will be given to you ... For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return."

Whatever you call it, you've probably heard of it. But have you tried it?

If business is slow, one of the fastest ways to boost your sales is to boost your ego. Because sales is just like dating -- desperation is NOT an aphrodisiac. And a sure way to feel better about yourself is to help somebody else feel better, by giving them of your time and skills.

Try a literal tithing of your time this week -- donate just 10%. You'll put unseen forces into motion that enrich others as well as yourself. The more you give, the more comes back to you. I promise you'll be richer for it.

Meanwhile, are you an entrepreneur with clients, not customers? Are you doing at least $200,000 in revenue, and want to do better? If so ...

... I can show you more "profit hacks" like the ones you just read in this article. Get them in my next Free Video Training Session. It's for $200k entrepreneurs ONLY, please.

Grab your spot here

Can't make that event? 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 yours now, while you can.

The Marketing Wheel

Who's up for another drawing by a non-artist, i.e, me?

Well, here you go then. I call this The Marketing Wheel. Take a look ...

It’s a tool for thinking. And it’s very simple (like me).

Just look at each of the 5 areas that are essential to predictable profits and growth for your business: New Leads, New Clients, Sales Revenue, Repeat Sales, and Referrals.

Next, rate how your business is doing in each area on a scale of 1 (crappy) to 5 (perfect). Mentally draw a dot next to each number.

Then, connect all 5 dots on the wheel.

Finally, ask yourself this question: Will it roll?

Yes? No? What's your answer?

Meanwhile, are you an entrepreneur with clients, not customers? Are you doing at least $200,000 in revenue, and want to do better? If so ...

... I can show you more "profit hacks" like the ones you just read in this article. Get them in my next Free Video Training Session. It's for $200k entrepreneurs ONLY, please.

Grab your spot here

Can't make that event? 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 yours now, while you can.

5 Wealth Ideas I Paid $3,197 to Get (Free for You)

Twelve days ago, on June 11, 2014, I landed in Cleveland, Ohio for Dan Kennedy’s Advanced Wealth Academy, an event I gladly forked over $3,197 plus hotel and airfare to attend.

The two days I spent with 200 other entrepreneurs locked in a room with Dan, were, simply, incredible.

I’ve been to intimate training sessions with Gary Halbert, Brian Tracy, Jay Abraham, and others ... but nothing compared to this event for the sheer number of light bulb moments I experienced. It was like fireworks in my brain.

And you missed out.

Or did you?

You see, I’m a copywriter. I have to type fast and take excellent notes to do my job. And I took excellent notes at Dan’s Advanced Wealth Academy -- 17 single-spaced pages of notes, to be exact.

Now, I can’t share my entire set of notes with you, out of respect for Dan’s intellectual property (and fear of his attorneys). However, I can share what I believe to be ...

The Top 5 Things Dan Kennedy Said That Can Make You Rich

#1: Money is attracted to enthusiasm.
Sincere, passionate interest in what you do causes money to come to you. If you lose track of time and forget to eat, you’re enthusiastic about what you do. MOST people are in a business they don’t love, selling to people they don’t love; this cannot turn out well

#2: Money loves shameless promoters, self-promoters and salesmen.
There’s a little PT Barnum in all the wealthiest people. Trump and Buffett do things differently, but both are Barnum-esque. Peers hate rich promoters. Money tends to flow to the people who get things sold

#3: Money is attracted to speed demons.
You can’t get any traction while you’re parked. A HUGE difference between poor and rich people is a sense of urgency. When Dan was broke, it was an urgent matter for him not to be broke tomorrow, not someday. For maximum speed to wealth, invent less and implement more

#4: Money favors the rogues and renegades.
A LOT of money is made by recognizing that rules are for other people. Disregard rules, disrupt established order, and leap-frog up the ladder

#5: Monetize EVERYTHING.
By monetizing only the “now” buyer, you waste 50-90% of your money. Understand this: Your marketing dollars don’t just pay for every buyer; you pay for every website visitor, caller, walk-in, email, and contact. You need aggressive lead capture, follow-up, and schemes to get money from unconverted leads. There is often more money in what you’re not monetizing now than in the buyers you’re getting now

Pretty good stuff, eh?

Action Step: Which idea will you implement first? I’d love to hear how you plan to do it!

Example from my own business -- just 3 days ago, I helped a client rake in $115,000 (and counting) from a webinar that we promoted via email and other methods. Today I’ll write him another email to monetize his unconverted leads; if we don’t bring in an extra $10,000, I’ll be disappointed. This, along with better lead capture, conversion, “lost” client reactivation, and systematic follow-up, is how you monetize EVERYTHING (Dan’s idea #5).

Why not give me a call today to brainstorm how these ideas can work for you? Even though I can’t show you any more notes from Dan’s Advanced Wealth Academy, I can share at least 3 more money-making tips with you. Give me a call today at (800) 723-1503 or send me an email.

The 30-Second, 6-Figure Marketing Idea

If your marketing depends on one-shot promotions, a sales letter mailed once, or a single email blast, it’s just like this little broom ... 

... and you will find it very difficult to sweep up profits.

By contrast, if your marketing has at least 3 steps built into every promotion -- if you "touch" every prospect at least 3 times with your sales letters, postcards, emails, or phone calls, it's just like this broom ... 

... and you will find it relatively easy to sweep up profits.

Idea: Stop with the one-shot promotions. Unless you enjoy drudgery and feast-or-famine when it comes to cash flow.

Instead, be systematic. Use multiple steps -- at least 3. And sweep up more profits in your business.

This idea is worth at least 6 figures to you ... but only if you use it.

And, if you want to put an end to "feast or famine" syndrome in your business, my free Client Cloning Kit can help. Grab your free copy now, while they last. 

Referral Secrets for Entrepreneurs from Jim Bear

My expert interview today is with Jim Bear from The Referral Stream.

If you depend on referrals in your business, you're going to love this.

Kevin Donlin: Jim, I'm so happy to talk with you today. Your tips on getting more referrals work like crazy and I literally put them in the bank every week, in the form of new business that I would have otherwise never received.

If there's time, I want to talk about the $30,719 in revenue you helped me get from ONE referral, but without further ado, welcome to our interview!

Jim Bear: Thanks!

Kevin: One of your concepts is called, the referral partner. You want to introduce people who may not be familiar with it?

Jim: The gist of referral partners, is learning to network with the right people who can send you clients on a regular basis.

How many times have we been in those networking events where there's a room full of people and it's like, okay, who do I spend my time talking to and who's going to send me business out of this room and sometimes it's a filtering process that just takes a lot of time to do that.

So the model that I like to use when we're out networking is to think of yourself as the orthodontist and go out and find a dentist, because a dentist is a great referral partner for the orthodontist.

If you understood who your "dentists" are, these are professionals that are going to know about your next client before you do and get to some other questions we're going to roll out when we get together on the 14th of June. We're going to dive deeper on that concept so you know when you're out networking who you should be spending time with in a group networking setting and even on a one-to-one networking setting.

Another way of thinking about this is it was brought to my attention the other day when I was shopping at Target. They have some of their boxes if you go to like the furniture section or the sporting goods section, the really heavy items, they've got a picture on that box and it's called a "team lift." It's a picture of two people lifting this box and what they're trying to communicate to the consumer is "Don't lift this on your own, this is too heavy – ask one of our Target personnel to help you lift this." In fact, they'll bring two people out to team lift it, probably right out to your car.

And when I saw that, I thought, "You know, that's really a referral partner in networking." If you can network with professionals who will do some of the heavy lifting with you, it's so much easier than trying to do everything on your own. So we're going to drill down deeper on that on June 14th and talk about who you should be team lifting with in your networking efforts.

Kevin: That's a fantastic idea. Just as a takeaway people can realize not all networking contacts are created equal.

Jim: No.

Kevin: And when you know who you're looking for in terms of referral partners, it's like putting on 3D glasses. Whoa! Things change, and you can spot the people you should really be networking with.

In fact, using your ideas about referral partners, I have received $30,719 in revenue from just one person I met a year ago. This person is my ideal referral partner, he's my dentist, if you will, to my role as orthodontist. This guy has happily sent me almost $31,000 and counting and I get leads and projects from him almost every week. It's been absolutely fantastic.

And it's all because of what I learned from you, Jim. I now look for people upstream of me who see my clients before I do and it's an absolute night and day change in my networking. Because instead of looking for little onesy-twosey projects, I've got this one referral partner, and it's like having an oil well in my back yard. It's just pumping out revenue day after day. I have you to thank for that.

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. 

How to Make Your Marketing Extraordinary

Pop Quiz: Which has a more appealing message, your business or a box of bran cereal?

The answer may shock you.

An ordinary marketer would say this about their cereal, "We use natural bran fiber." And this is exactly what most businesses say about themselves: "Here's what we do. You figure out the value."

But Grain Berry is extraordinary (see their box at left).

They say, "A key ingredient we use ... is Grain Berry Bran. This remarkable bran is a fiber that has the added benefit of being a powerhouse of all natural antioxidants."

Then, they take it a step further and tell me what that means: "Grain Berry means great taste, dietary fiber and powerful antioxidants. We guarantee your satisfaction or your money back."

These guys take a few extra sentences to tell me the value of what they do ... and I"m sold as a result.

But more than that, Grain Berry knows their customers -- and how to appeal to them. Because anyone who buys natural cereal will be interested in fiber and antioxidants (taste, too). That appeals to me.

Plus, guaranteeing satisfaction or my money back is smart. It removes the risks if I'm a first-time customer ... which will result in more first-time customers.

You should study the rest of the copy, "What does ORAC Value Mean." It's just as appealing and delivers more reasons why I should buy this cereal.

But for now, here's an easy way to make your web site, business card, sales letter, postcard, or social media profile instantly more compelling -- and extraordinary.

Do this: Rewrite this section from the cereal box: "____ means ___, ___ and _____. We guarantee your satisfaction or your money back."

Examples:

• "ABC Mechanical means fast service, friendly repair technicians and no-surprise pricing. We guarantee your satisfaction or your money back."
• "XYZ Technology means worry-free IT support, 100% security and a partner you can trust. We guarantee your satisfaction or your money back."
• "Ace Real Estate means your home will sell in 90 days, worry-free. We guarantee your satisfaction or we'll buy your house." (A different twist on the wording.)

Take a few minutes today to tell prospects the value of what you do -- and guarantee what you do. It's a simple way to make your marketing extraordinary. And boost your sales, too.

Meanwhile, if you want to put an end to "feast-or-famine" syndrome in your business, my free Client Cloning Kit can help. Grab your Free Kit here, while they last.

What's the Easiest Way to Market my Business?

Your business card may be the most-overlooked marketing tool in your business.

Watch this to learn how to make the most of it.

Then, Google "creative business cards" or do a similar search to get ides you can use.

The answers are out there to help you turn your business card into a "silent sales rep" that builds your business while you do other things.

Meanwhile ... if you want to put an end to "feast-or-famine" syndrome in your business, my free Client Cloning Kit can help you. Grab your copy here, while they last.

How do I Know my Marketing is a Success?

When measuring your marketing, numbers don't lie.

But which numbers matter?

Watch to learn the difference between response rates and return on investment, to name two.

Tip: First, figure out how much a client is worth to you over their buying lifetime. When you know your lifetime client value (LCV).

Meanwhile ... if you want to put an end to "feast-or-famine" syndrome in your business, a free Client Cloning Kit can help. Grab your copy here.  

Free Can Save Your Business: The Marketing Genius of Wall Drug

While on vacation with my family last week to camp in the Black Hills of South Dakota, I saw billboards along I-90 for Wall Drug.

A lot of billboards ...

According to one source, Wall Drug spends an estimated $400,000 on billboard signs every year, with over 500 miles of them along Interstate 90 from Minnesota to Montana.

You may think those signs are kitschy and a bit annoying. They are.

But did you know the fascinating back story of Wall Drug?

Today it's described by The New York Times as "a sprawling tourist attraction of international renown [that] takes in more than $10 million a year and draws some two million annual visitors to a remote town."

But it began in 1931 as a small, struggling drug store, in the depths of the Depression.

What saved Wall Drug and helped turn it into the $10-million success it is today?

Free ice water.

According to owner Ted Hustead's story in Guideposts magazine:

By the time the summer of 1936 came around, our business hadn't grown much at all. Our five-year trial would be up in December. What would we do then? Along with nine-year-old Billy, Dorothy and I now had a one-month-old daughter, Mary Elizabeth. What hardships was I putting them in store for?

One hot Sunday in July, though, a great change swept us up. It started quietly, in the deadening heat of an early afternoon, when Dorothy said to me, "You don't need me here, Ted. I'm going to put Billy and the baby down for a nap and maybe take one myself."

I minded the empty store. I swatted flies with a rolled-up newspaper. I stood in the door, and no matter where I looked, there was no shade, because the sun was so high and fierce.

An hour later Dorothy came back.

"Too hot to sleep?" I asked.

"No, it wasn't the heat that kept me awake," Dorothy said. "It was all the cars going by on Route 16A. The jalopies just about shook the house to pieces."

"That's too bad," I said.

"No, because you know what, Ted? I think I finally saw how we can get all those travelers to come to our store."

"And how's that?" I asked.

"Well, now what is it that those travelers really want after driving across that hot prairie? They're thirsty. They want water. Ice cold water! Now we've got plenty of ice and water. Why don't we put up signs on the highway telling people to come here for free ice water? Listen, I even made up a few lines for the sign:

"Get a soda . . . Get a root beer . . . turn next corner . . . Just as near . . . To Highway 16 & 14. . . Free Ice Water. . . Wall Drug."

It wasn't Wordsworth, but I was willing to give it a try. During the next few days a high school boy and I put together some signs. We modeled them after the old Burma Shave highway signs. Each phrase of Dorothy's little poem went on a 12 by 36 inch board. We'd space the boards out so the people could read them as they drove.

The next weekend the boy and I went out to the highway and put up our signs for free ice water. I must admit that I felt somewhat silly doing it, but by the time I got back to the store, people had already begun showing up for their ice water. Dorothy was running all around to keep up. I pitched in alongside her.

"Five glasses of ice water, please," a father called out.

"May I have a glass for Grandma?" a boy asked. "She's in the car."

We ran through our supply of cracked ice. I began chiseling more off the block.

"Say, good sir," one traveler said in a Scottish brogue, "we're going all the way to Yellowstone Park. Would you mind filling this jug with your water?"

"Hey this free ice water is a great idea," said a salesman, sidling up onto a stool. "How about selling me an ice cream cone?"

For hours we poured gallons of ice water, made ice cream cones and gave highway directions. When the travelers started on their way again, refreshed and ready for new adventures, they gave us hearty thanks.

When the day was done, Dorothy and I were pooped. We sat in front of the store, watching the sun set, feeling a cool breeze come in off the prairie. In the summer twilight, Wall looked radiant. It looked like a good place to call home.

"Well, Ted, " Dorothy said to me, "I guess the ice water signs worked."

They surely did work, and we've never really been lonely for customers since then. The next summer we had to hire eight girls to help us ....

Nowadays, that struggling drug store looks like this:

The day after Ted Hustead died in 1999, the governor of South Dakota lauded him as "a guy that figured out that free ice water could turn you into a phenomenal success in the middle of a semi-arid desert way out in the middle of someplace."

So, what's the bottom line here?

This: No matter how bad things may seem in your business, you may be one idea from the breakthrough you need to thrive. You may be sitting on that idea right now, as the Husteads were with ice and water.

Perhaps all you need do is give something away to attract and endear yourself to your ideal customers, as the Husteads did.

In any case, if you're reading this, you have more advantages, resources, and tools at your disposal than the Husteads could have ever dreamed of. They turned "certain" defeat into a multi-million dollar success with just one good idea and persistent marketing.

Why not you, too?

Resource: Speaking of free, if you want to put an end to "feast-or-famine" syndrome in your business, the free Client Cloning Kit can help. Grab your copy here.

How to Wreck Your Marketing Fast

Last week, I got this free standing insert (FSI) in my newspaper ...

Yeah, I know. It looks like a Declaration of War, not an ad ... but that's part of what caught my eye.

Score one for the guy/gal who wrote it.

Despite the obvious ploy at the beginning ("We will be cleaning ... on your block this week only") the copy is of interest to me, because my sewer lines have been cleaned approximately never.

And there's a lot of solid, educational detail here. I read almost every word. Which is proof that people DO read long copy -- as long as they're in the market for what you sell.

Score two at this point.

Now I'm ready to research this company online and see if I can find any rave reviews or complaints.

And that's where it all goes off the rails ...

... because I found a truly nasty, detailed "F" rating for them on a major consumer opinion website (I won't say which). And that stopped me dead in my tracks. As a result, I'll call somebody else.

Think for a moment what just happened here.

1) This company spent time and money to write a long-copy ad, deliver it to me, and prompt me to call them. That part of their marketing worked fine. Until ...

2) Their efforts were sabotaged by rotten customer service delivered by just one employee, which prompted one customer to share their horror story with world, including me. As a result ...

3) Some other company is going to get my hard-earned dollars.

What a waste, eh?

Two lessons here:

1) Your marketing doesn't exist in a vacuum. Everything you do either attracts or repels customers. And it doesn't take a whole lot to tip the scales the wrong way fast, as happened here with me.

2) Your customers have an audience. If you tick people off, they will tell others. So, do everything in your power to find and head off complaints before they get posted online. Or, if a customer does trash you online, SOLVE THEIR PROBLEM. Then beg/plead with them to post an update.

Resource: Want to put an end to "feast-or-famine" syndrome in your business? My Client Cloning Kit can do that for you. Grab your copy here.

Why School Is Never Out For The Professional

Kevin Donlin and Dan Kennedy

It's June. Shouldn't I be writing about summer vacation?

No. Because school is never out for the professional.

Case in point: That's a picture of me with Dan Kennedy, one of the world’s premier marketers.

Last month, I invested $4,000 and 4 days "going back to school" with Dan at a small gathering of marketers in Cleveland, where that picture was taken.

A copywriter like me training with Dan is like a chef training at Le Cordon Bleu.

What did I study?

The latest and best tips for using direct mail: list rental, list segmentation, psychographics, demographics, and other fun stuff.

My goal?

To serve my clients and readers, better -- by getting smarter.

Think about it: Would you trust a doctor who didn't keep up with the latest medical research? Or a pilot who stopped taking flight simulator training? Of course not.

So, why does lifelong learning seem surprising in any other field? I have no idea. But it's a golden opportunity for you, if you seize it.

Especially if you continue to get better at those things you already do well. For me, that's marketing -- finding, getting, and keeping clients. I can't learn enough. I study before breakfast, on Friday nights, even weekends. I listen to marketing CDs in the car ... even in the shower (it's complicated).

Bottom line: It's your strengths that make you successful. In Strengths Finder, Tim Rath writes: "People have several times more potential for growth when they invest energy in developing their strengths instead of correcting their deficiencies."

This is counterintuitive. Most people work on their weak areas, hoping to learn something new or improve a basic skill. And, in life, most people are … unsuccessful.

By contrast, successful people are often unbalanced. While I haven't yet reached the pinnacle of success, I sure am unbalanced. Bookkeeping? Taxes? Graphic design? Web site geekery? Mailing this newsletter? I outsource all that stuff.

Long ago, I learned that the world's two greatest investments are self-development and marketing.

Marketing offers you unlimited opportunities to create wealth. You could spend weeks of research ... plunk down $3,000 to buy a stock ... then cross your fingers, hope and pray for a return of 15% -- 15 cents for every dollar. That's how ordinary people "invest."

Or you could invest $3,000 in a sales letter mailed to your best prospects and clients ... and reasonably expect a return of 50%, 75%, 100%, or more -- getting back $1 or more for every dollar you invest. Marketing is how smart people invest.

And I'm happy to help you with your marketing.

But when it comes to self-development, you get the best return on your investment by focusing on your strengths -- getting better at what you already do well.

So, three big questions:

1. Where are you strong?
2. How can you get stronger? 
3. How soon can you start?

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.

Don't Reinvent Your Marketing -- Nail It Down

Being from Detroit, I'm partial to the Motown sound.

You know it when you hear it, every time. Ever wonder why?

The story goes that, after lots of experimenting to find the perfect sound, the studio engineers at Motown Records nailed everything to the floor -- drum kit, amplifiers, microphone stands -- so they could keep repeating their winning formula.

If it worked for Motown, why not borrow the idea -- and "nail down" marketing success for your business?

Think of all the experimenting you do in your sales and marketing:

• the words you speak when you first meet or call a prospect
• the proposals you send to pitch a prospect on your business
• the emails you send to follow up with prospects

... and every other word you say or write.

Has any of it ever worked? Have you ever produced a sale?

Good.

Now, how many of those winning formulas have you nailed down and turned into email templates, phone scripts, and proposal templates?

If your answer is "None," why not pick one area that's working and nail it down, so you can repeat your successes?

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 Money-Back Guarantee: Kill or Cure?

Guess which 5 words on that box of lasagna caused my wife to buy it?

Right. The guarantee: Love It Or It's Free!

(By the way, we did love it.)

But we never would have found out if the maker hadn't removed the risk of trying this new product by guaranteeing we would love it, or not have to pay.

So, here's the lesson for your business: A strong money-back guarantee is an accelerant that works in one of two ways ...

1) A strong guarantee can work like gasoline, if your business sells crap and/or treats clients poorly. The more people who buy and tell their friends about your crappy business, the faster it burns to the ground.

Or ...

2) A guarantee can work like steroids, if your business sells cool stuff and/or treats clients like royalty. The more people who buy and tell their friends about your remarkable business, the faster it grows.

Bottom line: If you're any good at what you do, a strong guarantee can accelerate your sales ... and you can enjoy bucket-loads of new profits.

If you're not, it won't ... and you can't.

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.

Attract Ideal Clients with this Instant Copywriting Trick

As a copywriter, it's my job to describe my clients' products or services in clear language that compels people to buy.

Want to learn one of my tricks to writing ads that sell?

It's almost embarrassingly simple ...

You can use it to improve your own sales letters, web page copy, email promotions, postcards, etc.

It's this: Let your clients write your next ad.

In other words, get and use as many testimonials as possible.

When you use testimonials -- written, audio, and/or video -- you are talking to prospects in the actual, unfiltered words of your best clients. This builds rapport and trust with your ideal prospects. Because you're speaking their language. Not techno babble or marketing-speak, but the language of people who have already given you money.

Now.

How do you get great testimonials, without hiring somebody like me to interview your clients?

Do these three things: listen, write, ask.

Specifically ...

1) Listen for signs that your clients love what you do.
Any time a client compliments you in any way, your ears should perk up like a dog hearing the UPS truck. This is your cue to ...

2) Write down what your client said, word for word, as best you can -- right away.
Then ...

3) Ask if you could use their comments in your marketing materials.
Say:

"Jeanne, thanks for saying that. I really appreciate it. Would you be willing to let me use your comments, with your name and city, on my web site and other marketing materials? It would mean a lot to me. And it would tell others what to expect when doing business with me."

Nine out of 10 times, your client will agree to let you use their testimonial. Just email their comments to them, along with this note, which often prompts them to add more to their testimonial:

"Jeanne, thanks again for agreeing to let me use your kind words about my business. Below is what I think I heard you say on the phone today. Would you please add to or subtract from it until it says exactly what you want it to say, then send it back to me? Thank you!"

To show you what the results can look like, here's a testimonial that I first heard myself saying about someone I do business with, my printer. I wrote it down, sent it to him, and now we both feel good:

"Jim Beckman at Full Throttle Print has been my go-to printer for nearly a year now. He never ceases to amaze me with the service and quality I get from him, at a price that’s comparable to what I used to pay at FedEx Kinko’s. He’s fast, he’s good, he’s dependable, and a great value. As long as Jim is in the printing business, he will get all of my printing business."

- Kevin Donlin, Client Cloning Systems, Edina, MN

Here's part of why that short testimonial packs a lot of punch: when I say Jim's printing services are "... at a price that’s comparable to what I used to pay at FedEx Kinko’s," I'm talking directly to Jim's prospects, most of whom have used FedEx Kinko's.

Jim, being a professional printer, never uses FedEx Kinko’s. He would have never thought to say that. But for me, a small business owner (and his ideal client) it's a natural thing to say.

My comments help Jim build rapport and trust with other small business owners like me -- Jim's ideal clients. Imagine what 5-6 testimonials like that could do for your business?

To attract more clients like your best clients with testimonials, just do these three things: listen, write, ask.

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.

It Works! Let's Stop Doing It

The exciting quest for new marketing methods can bankrupt you.

How? Two ways:

1) Chasing the flavor of the month (Facebook ads! LinkedIn ads! Facebook fan pages!) can stretch your time and money to the breaking point. You know this.

2) Chasing new marketing methods can result in costly amnesia. You may not know this.

Case in point? Me.

After analyzing my revenue for last month, then comparing it to last year, I realized that, around August 2011, I stopped attending weekly meetings of a local business group that had brought me 3 excellent clients and another half dozen referral partners.

Why did I stop doing it?

I simply got bored, forgot about it, and moved on to other shiny new marketing tactics. In other words, I had no good reason to drop this proven tactic and chase unproven ones.

So, tomorrow morning, I will visit that group again and make enough connections to get at least one new client. And I will do the same next week.

Question: Looking back at the last 12 months, what was working in your marketing that you stopped doing, for no good reason?

I'll bet you lunch there's at least one profitable business-building tactic that lies forgotten in your calendar, like a mummy buried in sand.

Find it. Dig it up. And don't stop doing it until it stops paying you back.

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.