Word-of-Mouth Advertising Made Simple

You're looking at extraordinary marketing ...

It's an ordinary admission ticket, transformed into an extraordinary word-of-mouth advertising device.

Here's the story: Back in 2016, I visited Japan with my daughter. We went to the Studio Ghibli Museum in Tokyo. (Studio Ghibli is an animation film maker, led by Hayao Miyazaki, who's been called Japan's Walt Disney.)

As you can see, the admission ticket included a slice of film from a Studio Ghibli movie. Although I still can't figure out which movie it is, that's not the point.

The point is that I haven't stopped talking about and showing this ticket to people since I returned from Japan. It's an extraordinary souvenir of my visit that's produced a whole bunch of free advertising for Studio Ghibli.

Which, when you think of it, is remarkable.

By combining two ordinary items -- an admission ticket and movie film -- Studio Ghibli created an extraordinary keepsake, one that will generate word of mouth for years to come.

Now, think: What ordinary items can you combine to create an extraordinary word-of-mouth marketing device in your business?

• If you're a financial adviser, you could print retirement investment calculations on a bookmark.
  
  
• If you repair appliances, you could print DIY troubleshooting tips on your business card.
  
  
• If you're an author, you could put the big ideas from your writing on a granite coaster, like my friend Mike Sciortino did for his excellent book, Gratitude Marketing. See below ...

The formula is this: Combine two ordinary things in your business -- and make them extraordinary. 

You'll know you've succeeded when your word-of-mouth advertising picks up and your clients start telling others. 

One more thing. 

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

The 166-Year-Old Facebook Trick: How to Grow Your Business With Gratitude (Day 2 of 15)

Here's a fun one. I just wrote the thank-you note below to Mark Guerrettaz, in gratitude for a story he shared with me yesterday ...

It seems that Mark is smart. You see, he writes and mails thank-you notes to every client and prospective client who visits his Revolution Fitness Club. Everyone who gets his handwritten notes appreciate them.

But one woman took her appreciation to a new level.

She posted a photo of Mark's thank-you note on her Facebook account, with the comments: "Best. Personal Trainer. Ever!" Take a look ...

What happened next? I'll let Mark tell you ...

"... it got 68 likes with 6 comments. Oh, and it got me 7 calls within the next few days and 3 new clients just from this."

It's funny. By sending his note of appreciation via U.S. Mail (which first issued stamps 166 years ago, in 1847), Mark got a ton of new social media love ... and 3 new clients. In later conversations, he shared that this was worth $10,800 in new business to him.

Not bad, eh?

Important: Do NOT mail thank-you notes to clients and prospects because you expect more money to flow into your bank account. Do this because it's the right thing to do.

When you do right by the people who matter -- your clients and prospects -- they will remember you today. And do right by you tomorrow.

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 It? Give It. The Giver's Gain Strategy

Here's a simple idea that can grow you, personally and professionally, faster than almost anything else I know.

It's this: Give what you want to get.

When you give of yourself to your marketplace, you put things in motion that I don't fully understand, but which never fail to make you and your business bigger.

When you are giving, you are growing. When you were giving, you are sharpening your skills and raising your profile.

When you are giving, you are gaining the attention and goodwill of your prospects and referral partners.

What to give? Whatever you want to get.

• Want referrals? Give referrals.
  
• Want leads? Give leads.
  
• Want people to buy your cookies? Give samples.
  
• Want attention paid to your blog? Give attention, by posting comments on other blogs.
  
• Want people to buy your business acumen? Give it away, on a blog, in articles, in free reports, in public seminars.

That last idea gets a LOT of resistance from marketing "experts" but that's understandable. It seems counter-intuitive. Until you realize something. Two things, actually:

1) Nobody does anything with free advice, no matter how good. That's why the libraries are full of people watching YouTube or playing video games instead of reading the books that can solve their problems. So don't worry. Nobody's going to get rich with your brilliant idea.

2) Everybody is impressed by good advice that's free. They think, "If that's the free stuff, his paid stuff must be awesome." So they buy. Because you gave your good stuff away and rose to expert status in their minds (and wallets).

It's not that easy, of course, but you get the idea.

Give what you want to get. At the very least, it will prime your confidence pump by putting you out in the marketplace among prospective clients, instead of home alone in front of a computer screen.

My business doubled last year and it's up another 80% this year largely as a result of this one idea.

Try it.

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 copy now, while they last.

Remarkable Marketing via Remarkable Delivery

There are lots of ways to be remarkable -- to cause your clients to remark about you to others, and feed your business via word of mouth advertising.

One way is to follow this advice from Walt Disney: “What ever you do, do it well. Do it so well that when people see you do it they will want to come back and see you do it again and they will want to bring others and show them how well you do what you do.”

But apart from doing what you do remarkably well, you can deliver it remarkably well.

Case in point: this box from Fab.

It contained a birthday gift from my wife. The gift itself (a waterproof shower notepad) is remarkable. But I was in a good mood even before using it, thanks to this box, with the surprising messages and mini-catalog included.

So, it's a fine thing to do what you do remarkably well. I aim for that daily. I'm sure you do, too.

But if you're not remarkable yet, or you're looking for an extra advantage, try delivering what you do remarkably well.

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 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.

How to be Remarkable: Phone Call from Seth Godin

Books have been written by better writers than I about how to deliver a remarkable experience that your clients tell others about.

One of those writers is Seth Godin.

In his book, Purple Cow, and in his blog, Seth's message is pretty simple: To be remarkable, do something worth making a remark about.

Want an example?

Listen to a remarkable voice mail I received on Friday, April 18, 2008 ...

If your speakers aren't turned up, here's a transcript:

"Kevin, it's Seth Godin. Thanks for your super-nice note. Just wanted to let you know I got it. Have a great weekend." 

That was Seth, calling to thank me for a letter I mailed him, in which I thanked him for a remarkable presentation he made at an event I attended.


Here's what I wrote to him:

Dear Seth,

I want to thank you for your presentation last Wed. at Jay Abraham's Reunion Reunion.

Your ideas were both inspirational and practical -- an ultra-rare combination.

I especially liked what you said about curiosity -- how it is essential to success and how a fundamentalist looks at the world to see how it fits what they believe, while a curious person looks and changes what they believe, as needed.

I am now paying a little more attention to how I look at the world.

Thanks again and kind regards,


Kevin Donlin

P.S. -- I'm sending you this "paper email" to make absolutely, positively sure of getting through your spam filter :-)

Turns out, my writing and mailing an out-of-the-ordinary note was remarkable enough to Seth that he called to say, "Thank you" in return.

Now, I'm remarking about Seth's remarkable action here on my blog.

See how this works?

Best part: You can start your own remarkable virtuous circle by doing something for a client today that's worth making a remark about.

Why not start by writing or saying, "Thank you"?

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.

Want More Referrals? Try Giving One. You May Forget to Stop

If you own or manage a business and want more referrals, it pays to do two things:

1. Do your job very well
2. Give referrals

I can't help you with 1.

But I can help you give more referrals to your vendors, non-competitors, friends, community leaders, and of course, clients.

That way, you'll get more referrals in return.

I know what you're thinking: Giving referrals is hard.

It's a hassle. It takes too much time. You have to give 5 or 6 referrals before you get any back. Etc.

But here's a way to give more referrals -- and earn more in return -- simply by giving one referral.

It's based on a passage from the excellent book, One Small Step Can Change Your Life, by Robert Maurer. On pages 96-97, Maurer writes:

Many years ago, I heard a very famous pain expert give a lecture to a large audience. Although pain cannot always by managed with medications and other medical interventions, mental techniques like meditation can significantly reduce the suffering of those who hurt. This pain expert encouraged each of his listeners to go home and meditate for one minute a day. Quite surprised, I went up to him after the talk and asked him why he thought one minute of meditation would possibly do anyone any good. In a patient tone of voice, he asked me how long meditation techniques had been around.

"Two or three thousand years," I said.

"That's right," he told me. "So there's a very good chance that the people in this audience have heard of it before now. Those who like the idea have already found a teacher or a book and are doing it. For the rest of the people in this audience, meditation is the worst idea they ever heard of. I'd rather they go home and meditate for one minute than not meditate for thirty minutes. They might like it. They may forget to stop."

Wise advice, don't you think?

If you've ever struggled to do 20 pushups, try two sets of 10, or 4 sets of 5. Half the battle in finishing is starting. That's why slicing up an unsavory task can work -- any big project is easier, one small step at a time.

Now, here's the deal with referrals: You've already heard that giving them is a great way to get them.

If you like the idea, you're probably doing it already.

If not, why don't you give out just one referral today? It's better than not giving out 30 referrals. You might like it. You may forget to stop.

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

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.

Garbage Marketing Secrets and Jeffrey Gitomer

Jeffrey Gitomer once said: "I don't want to talk about business until I first see the other person smile."

Now. When was the last time a garbage truck made you smile?

I rushed outside in my jammies yesterday to snap a picture of this truck -- check out Sponge Bob and the other rescued dolls.

If a garbage hauler can create smiles and goodwill for his company using nothing more than, well, garbage ...

... what can you do to make your prospects and clients smile?

Start by examining the basics, like voicemail, business cards, and your email signature.

Examples:

Does your voicemail make people smile? Or is it name, rank, and serial number? "I am away from my desk. At the tone, leave your name and I will return your call as soon as possible." Garbage!

How about adding just a pinch of creativity to your voicemail, like this: "Hi, this is John. It's very likely that I am in the office, because I am a workaholic. But I'm probably helping somebody else grow their business. I'd like to help you, too, so please leave your callback details in 3, 2, 1 --- BEEP."

Does your business card make people smile? Name, rank, and serial number, most likely. Garbage!

For ideas on how to make people smile with admiration, check out these examples of creative business cards.

Does your email sig file make people smile? Again, name, rank, and serial number, right? Garbage!

While I don't claim to be a creative genius, the following email sig file has served my copywriting business well:

Kevin Donlin
Copywriter/Marketing Strategist

Get your free ROI Plan on the "silent cash machine" I can create for you -- a sales letter, web page, or print ad that pays you back 300% in 90 days. Or else.

Reply to this email or call today to learn more ...

ClientCloningSystems.com
Phone: 612-567-6642

The difference between garbage and smile-inducing goodwill is creativity.

Creativity is free, but it doesn't come easy. It will cost you time and a few headaches. But the payoff can be enormous.

And what's the alternative to creative marketing? Garbage marketing.

For more ideas like these, download Guaranteed Marketing for Service Business Owners.

How to Plan Your Next Event Using Social Media -- Notes from #SMBMSP 32

Just returned to the office after attending this morning's Social Media Breakfast Minneapolis/Saint Paul (SMBMSP) seminar, "Events: Management, Planning & More."

It was billed as "a roundtable discussion with folks responsible for events of all sizes to talk with us about how they use social media, the tips and pitfalls they’ve found, and how it may relate to YOUR business."

If you missed it, you missed out.

Or did you?

I took notes furiously throughout the two-hour event, so you might benefit from my unedited observations, below. Or not ...

Overview: Three Twin Cities social media experts shared their best practices and ideas on event planning and promotion, in a panel discussion that included questions from the 100 or so attendees.

Presenters:

• Jennifer Kane, social media marketing and PR strategist, consultant, trainer, and writer for Kane Consulting. 
• Mykl Roventine a designer of web sites, WordPress blogs and social media strategies.
• Brienna Schuette, Marketing & Communications Manager for the Minnesota State Fair.

Here's a quick collection of ideas that I took away ...

• Key: Think of your attendees as a virtual programming committee. Get their input ahead of time via social media. They will be more likely to attend an event they helped design, tell their friends about it, and stay with you for the long term.
  
  
• Your ability to collect real-time information from attendees via Twitter can head off problems during your event! Example: when numerous people tweeted that it was cold, Jen Kane showed their comments to on-site staff, who QUICKLY turned up the heat.
  
  
• Which social media tools work best for which uses? Twitter is best for crowdsourcing (gaining feedback pre-event); Facebook can get large numbers of signups for your event (but actual attendance will be lower); Linkedin generates fewer signups than Facebook, but they are more likely to attend.
  
  
• Be proactive on Twitter -- create a clever hashtag for your event and promote it ahead of time, so you can corral tweets and have ownership over them.
  
  
• When promoting your event, the earlier you start, the better. You need to give promotions time to filter through all social media channels.
  
  
• Old School Tip: Don't forget email! Not only can you target your audience with timely promotions, but people still forward emails to others, which generates more attendance.
  
  
• Older School Tip: Don't forget snail mail! A clever postcard or well-written sales letter has more heft than an ephemeral email or tweet.
  
  
• Eventbrite is an excellent tool for backend logistics -- ticket sales, social media promotions, generating name tags, etc. (My own addition: as a direct-response copywriter, I track customer response religiously to know what works. Eventbrite lets you use Coupon Codes so you can track where attendees found you online. Example: Use code "FACE" in your Facebook ad, "LINK" in your Linkedin Group announcements, etc. Very cool.)
  
  
• Never abandon attendees after the event. Treat them as members of your community. Stay in touch with them and give them another reason to connect with you. The cycle can and should last a lifetime.

If you were there and have more notes or ideas to add, please comment below.

For more ideas like these, download Guaranteed Marketing for Service Business Owners.

Jeffrey Gitomer at The MainStreetChamber

Best-selling author and legendary speaker Jeffrey Gitomer spoke last night at a mixer hosted by The MainStreetChamber - Minnesota.

I wasn't quick enough on the draw to get a photo with Jeffrey, but I did get one next to him ...

Jeffrey delivered a flood lot of provocative ideas on marketing, selling, and success in the 30 or so minutes he spoke. Here's a sampling ...

• Work from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Spend every breakfast and lunch with a prospect or client.
  
• He created his own breaks in business by networking 50 hours a week after he moved to Charlotte, NC in 1988. He followed his own "50-Butt Rule" -- if there was a room with 50 or more butts in it, he put his butt there, too.
  
• He did not network the standard, schmoozing way. Instead, he served as a valuable resource to others, connecting sellers and buyers in the business community. By becoming known as a "connector" he was sought out and able to sell more of his own products/services.
  
• Take on a leadership position in your local Chamber of Commerce. Do an outstanding job. Demonstrate your expertise. You will get business without even trying.
  
• Above all else, be memorable. Take a look at your business card right now. It's probably a piece of crap. Not memorable. (Kevin's tip: Here are some creative business cards for ideas.)
  
• Your most valuable asset in business is your list -- the names and addresses (email and postal) of prospects and clients. Build it and guard it with your life.

Great stuff. I've already scheduled two coffee meetings for next week, to name just one good tip from above.

If you were there and I missed something Jeffrey said, please comment below!

For more ideas like these, download Guaranteed Marketing for Service Business Owners.

Customer Delight on a Plate

Last week, my family and I stayed at the Wingate by Wyndham Hotel, in Schaumburg, IL.

I chose it on Expedia because of its high customer-service ratings -- more important than low prices when my family is involved.

During check-in, Patrick, the manager on duty, was friendly and accommodating. That was expected.

As I signed my name, he offered us a batch of fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies. That was unexpected.

Bummer: I had to turn him down because we were headed out for dinner at a nearby restaurant -- cookies would spoil my daughter's appetite (not to mention mine).

What did Patrick do? He offered to save us some cookies for later, after we came back.

Sure enough, when we returned from dinner, there was Patrick with a half-plate of cookies -- still warm and covered with a napkin -- just for us. Oh, and did I mention the glass of milk for my daughter?

That was REALLY unexpected. Remarkable, even.

Think of it. In a world of race-to-the bottom prices -- with customer "service" to match -- here was a guy who delivered customer delight on a plate ... of warm cookies.

You can bet we'll stay there again next year on our way to Grandma's house for Thanksgiving.

So: What does all this say about service these days?

It is STILL easy to stand out and be remarkable, that's what. All you need do is one small, unexpected favor.

I travel all the time. I check into and out of hotels all the time. And I can't remember the last time I enjoyed the process.

Patrick didn't delight me at check-in with a whiz-bang computer system or a fake smile. He won my loyalty and widespread praise with a plate of cookies.

Now. What small, unexpected favor could you do for your clients?

How about giving them a non-selling phone call? An article in the mail? A thank-you note? An introduction to a prospective new client?

Don't hire a focus group or kill yourself trying to be creative. Just show real appreciation for your clients by doing them a small, good turn -- one they didn't pay for or expect. The results may delight you.

For more ideas like these, download Guaranteed Marketing for Service Business Owners.

Vonage Customer Service Fail - The Joseph Jaffe Trainwreck; UPDATE: Resolved

You know the Golden Rule: "Treat others the way you would want them to treat you."

We've heard it since childhood and it still makes sense.

Especially if you deal with customers -- you know, those people who your salary?

In fact, since the advent of digital technology, which lets us record nightmarish calls with customer service or take videos of sleeping repairmen ... you would think every business that wants to stay in business would have taken notice.

Every smart business in 2010 should have a sentence in their Employee Handbook that reads: Every conversation you have with a customer may be recorded for defaming purposes.

But somebody forgot to tell Vonage.

Take a look at the following Tweetstream from Joseph Jaffe (@jaffejuice), which I've been following for the past hour or so ...

It's the latest textbook example of customer service gone wrong, thanks to dual-use technology in the hands of customers. By dual use I mean that, like sickles or hammers, Twitter can be used for peaceful purposes or as a weapon of war.

And Joseph Jaffe, as you can see above, is on the warpath. Very publicly.

Look. It is never a best practice to threaten a customer ("We will have to block you") as Melissa, the soon-to-be-former customer service agent, is quoted as saying above.

But it's a worst practice to treat customers rudely now, when that conversation is instantly made public to millions of people, as it is on Twitter.

So here's a new Golden Rule of Customer Service, submitted for your approval (and Vonage's education):

"Treat others the way you would want them to treat you ... so that you won't mind if they share it with the planet."

UPDATE: There is a happy ending to this story. Within the hour, Vonage called Jaffe to fix things. Good catch by Vonage! I hope Melissa gets to keep her job ...

(Kevin M. Donlin is author of Guaranteed Marketing for Service Business Owners.)

Accidental Guerrilla Marketing - The Apple Backpack

Instead of throwing it out, my wife (at left) turned her shopping bag from the Apple Store into a backpack.

She is now an unpaid human billboard for Apple.

Did Steve Jobs plan this? I wouldn't put it past him.

More likely, this is a case of accidental "guerrilla marketing" ... the kind that happens when your company has legions of raving fans.

If you own a business, how could you make it easier for customers to "guerrilla" market your products or services?

The best way, of course, is to create raving fans who wear your bags or tattoo your logo onto their bodies.

But that could take years and cost millions of dollars.

Instead, how about:

• Shipping your products wrapped in company T-shirts instead of bubble wrap?
• Offering $100 for the most-creative use of your product's package, like making it into a hat?
• Mailing refrigerator magnets, coffee mugs, or other tchotchkes with your product (or invoices), then offering a $100 reward for the best customer photo posted on Flickr?

If you're good at what you do, customers will happily market your business in ways you never thought of. All you have to do is give them a chance ... and a little push.

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

The $40-Million Marketing Secret from Seth Godin #sethgodin

Looking back over my notes from Seth's lecture last month at the Pantages Theatre in Minneapolis, I found this nugget:

Little Miss Matched is not in the sock business. They are in the conversation business.

When 12-year-old girls get a 3-pack of non-matching socks from Little Miss Matched, they can't wait to tell their friends.

And with socks starting at $8.00 for 3 (plus shipping), there's plenty of profit left over for Little Miss Matched, which did $40 million in 2009, according to Godin.

The breakthrough for Little Miss Matched -- like most successful businesses -- came after they discovered the business they were really in.

It turns out, as you'll see in the video below, Little Miss Matched is in the business of starting conversations ... conversations that equate to millions of dollars in word-of-mouth sales.

Zappos isn't really in the shoe business. They are in the business of delivering happiness. (Sounds like a book title! -- #irony)

FedEx isn't really in the express shipping business. They are business of making your shipping department look good.

Action Step: Ask yourself this $40-million question: "What business are we REALLY in?"

Pick a niche. Deliver an unexpected experience that's remarkable -- literally worth remarking about to other people. Then clean up.




(Kevin M. Donlin is author of the Special Report, Guaranteed Marketing for Small Business Professionals.)

New Marketing Strategies for Small Business Professionals

I've just released the 2010 edition of "Guaranteed Marketing for Small Business Professionals," an updated version of the Special Report I first wrote to rave reviews in 1998.

It's free, to answer your next question.

In it, you'll find 10 ways to double your profits by working smarter, not harder.

Here's an excerpt ...

How to Create Referral Systems That Turn Your Customers into a 24-hour Sales Force

Fact: customers who are referred to you will spend more and are easier to sell than any other group. Yet, how many small businesses have a system in place to generate referrals automatically?

Almost none.

A steady stream of referrals is the lifeblood of any successful small business. Because when you can depend on 20%, 40%, 50% -- or more -- of your business coming in through referrals, your business becomes self-sustaining. Which lets you enjoy life a lot more.

Referrals are the best form of advertising. Why? They’re credible, valuable and cost-effective.

Referrals are credible because when one friend tells another about a business he or she loves, that recommendation carries as much weight as a celebrity endorsement. You won’t have to work as hard to gain the prospect’s trust.

With traditional advertising, however, credibility takes time to build. A prospect may have to see your ad five, six or seven times before feeling comfortable enough to call you.

Referrals are valuable. When customers are referred to your business by friends, they usually spend more than people who have never heard of you before. My own experience has proven this. Yours, too, I’ll bet.

Finally, referrals are cost-effective. In most cases, it literally costs you nothing to get them.

Now, here are 5 simple, proven ways to get more referrals ...

1) Welcome complaints

Studies show that complaining customers are actually more interested in staying with your business than people who say nothing. So, bend over backwards to satisfy complainers. Recognize that every customer service problem is a chance for you to save the day. When you do, your happy customers will tell their friends.

2) Listen for referral signals

In all your conversations with clients (and non-clients), listen for phrases like: "I have a friend who's looking for something like this." When you hear such signals, ask for permission to contact those people.
   
3) Swap clients during busy times

Call a competitor some distance away, who isn't a threat to your market. Offer to take on extra work for them when they're super busy. Of course, offer to send your surplus business to them, too. I did this with another resume writer in nearby St. Paul, MN (and I got 10% of every sale he made).
   
4) Observe the 80/20 Rule

If 80% of your referrals come from 20% of your clients (and they will), focus on this group of very important persons. Cater to them, pamper them, make them feel special. They'll return the favor with continued referrals.

In my business, all clients who referred three or more people get a magazine subscription in addition to the $10 I sent them for each new client. This way, they were reminded of my business every month for a year, which produced more referrals.
   
5) Observe the Rule of Three

Give away not one or two, but three business cards to every client. Instead of just letting them sit in a file drawer, your clients are more likely to give these extra cards to friends.

To sum up, referrals are like found money. And they're essential, too, because a certain percentage of your clients will always move away or switch to another business, no matter what you do.

To get referrals, all it takes is a little effort on your part to encourage the process. The results can boost your profits by 20%, 30%, 50% -- or more -- year after year.

To get your free copy of "Guaranteed Marketing for Small Business Professionals," click here

Marketing Baked In -- How Can You Do This?

In a world of ordinary candies competing for "mouthshare," XYLISH -- a stylish mint -- goes first for the eyes, then the tongue. And wins.

The photo doesn't do justice to this gorgeous box -- the metallic sheen has enough luster to attract a silversmith from across a crowded room.

Where can you buy XYLISH? Not at the corner store, probably. It's sold only in Japan, as far as I know. (My wife's friend brought it from Tokyo last week.)

You could say this product comes with the marketing "baked in."

Question: What one change can you make to your packaging this week?

How could you mail an envelope that sells your company before it's even opened?

What one change could you make to your shipping materials? Business cards? Storefront?

Oh, the mints? More please!

Want More Referrals in Your Small Business? Read This ...

I used to think I knew almost everything about how to get new clients via referrals.

Then I read The Referral Engine: Teaching Your Business to Market Itself, by John Jantsch.

Simply put, if you're in a business that gets customers by referral, this may be one of the 3 or 4 most-valuable books you ever read.

Rather than rave for 10 pages, let me say this: If you don't get at least 10 immediately useful ideas from reading The Referral Engine, mail it to me, and I will mail you a check for what you paid for it.

That's right -- I'm guaranteeing somebody else's book. Never seen that before, have you?

Here's my mailing address:

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

Now, here are three takeaways I got from reading The Referral Engine-- any one of these could get you more clients, starting tomorrow ...

1. Referrals are too important to be left to chance.

If you're good at what you do and you follow the right strategy, you can produce referrals with regularity, like throwing sticks of TNT into a lake will bring fish to the surface (sorry, PETA).

The key: Follow the right referral strategy. And Jantsch helps you do this, with exercises and case studies.

Example: Create a "core talkable difference" about your company, which helps others refer you more easily. You'll know you have a good one when you get this sort of response: "Nobody does that!"


By deciding to actively and systematically pursue referrals, you will get more of them. Yes, it is that simple.

2. Let customers and vendors create attractive content for you.

It's never been easier to use blogging and/or podcasting to make valuable connections with new customers and strategic partners.

Example: Call your best customers, interview them for 10-15 minutes about how your product/service helped them, and post the audio on your web site, blog, iTunes, and other spots online.

You get instant content that resonates with prospects considering your company. Plus, when your customer tells their friends to check out your interview of them, you get free, targeted web traffic.


Bonus points: Transcribe your podcast and you get twice the content.

Don't stop with customers, though. Interview suppliers, non-competitors, vendors, and others. Anyone with an audience you want to reach is a potential interview candidate.

3. Exceed expectations.

"Here's one of my favorite techniques," writes Jantsch. "When a customer orders a product or engages your services, toss in something extra."

This is perhaps the easiest way to over-deliver and prime the referral pump.

Examples include the car dealer who delivers a balloon bouquet to the office of his customer ... who tells curious co-workers about his new car, which leads to referrals.

Or you can simply provide regular status updates to your customers -- when the product will arrive, what to expect when it does, etc.


There are more than three takeaways, of course. I especially liked the last chapter, Snack-sized Suggestions, with 51 different referral systems you can copy and use in one day. I once paid $99 for a set of 93 referral systems similar to these, so this chapter alone is a tremendous value.

This book gets my highest possible recommendation.

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.

Socks, CDs, and Colonoscopies: 3 More Ideas from Seth Godin #sethgodinmpls

Here are 3 more new ideas I got from watching Seth Godin last week at the Pantages Theatre in Minneapolis.

Any one of these gems could revolutionize your business.

Which idea you will you try first? Or do they all stink? Please comment below!

1. "Little Miss Matched is not in the sock business, but in the conversation business."

When 12-year-old girls get a 3-pack of purposely miss-matched socks from Little Miss Matched, they can't wait to tell their friends.

And with socks starting at $8.00 for 3 (plus shipping), there's plenty of profit margin for Little Miss Matched, which did $40 million in 2009, according to Godin.

Action Step: Pick a niche. Deliver an unexpected experience that's remarkable -- literally worth remarking about to other people. Clean up.


2. "Learn all you can about who your customer is and how to please them."

CDNow started in a basement in February 1994 and quickly rose to $18 million in revenue.

They did it, in part, by sending out a regular email touting product specials. Customers welcomed this once-weekly email, which generated 1/3 of all company revenue at one point.

Then, CDNow went public. They began to send the weekly email out more often, eventually sending it every day. This annoyed subscribers. Sales cratered.

Instead of trying to please CD buyers, CDNow tried to please Wall Street. They forgot who their customer was. By 2000 they were downsizing. Soon after, CDNow was extinct.

Action Step: Never lose sight of who your real customer is and how they want you to serve them. If sales drop, get on the phone and ask 5 customers, "Is everything all right? How can we serve you better?"


3. "People judge their entire colonoscopy experience based on what they remember from the last 30 seconds."

A colonoscopy (so I'm told) feels as good as it looks. Yet, according to Godin, research shows the last 30 seconds of the procedure determine how people remember the whole thing.

In other words, last impressions make lasting impressions.

Example: You may offer the best tuneup at the best price in town, but if your mechanic leaves a greasy hand print on my Corinthian leather seats, I won't remember you fondly.

Action Step: Take a hard look at the final "30 seconds" of whatever it is you do for your clients. Are you leaving the best possible final impression? If not, change it. Fast.

(Kevin M. Donlin is author of the Special Report, Guaranteed Marketing for Small Business Professionals.) 

The Strange Box That Increased Sales for 6 Years

I've written several times about how the power of "Thank you" can produce repeat and referral sales with your clients. Here's another winning example ...

... a very nice thank-you gift I got from Villa Landscapes, in Burnsville, MN.

The box with iris bulbs came in the mail after Villa Landscapes finished putting a patio and garden in our backyard.

The note inside says, in part:

If you're like us at Villa Landscapes, you take pride in watching your yard grow year by year with each new planting. So we'd like to help your Villa Landscape grow with these complimentary Dutch iris bulbs ...

Sincerely,

Villa Landscapes
Your landscapers for life

This is a perfect example of how you can delight your clients -- and stimulate referrals -- by saying, "Thank you" with unexpected gifts.

Here are two of the many benefits of thanking your clients creatively:

1) People keep thank-you gifts longer than thank-you notes.

The box above has been sitting on my bookshelf, as a silent reminder of my happy experience with Villa Landscapes, for 6 years.

This kind of long-term goodwill can NOT happen when you cop out and thank your clients by email. (How many emails have you kept for 6 years? I thought so.)

2) A thank-you gift can be a tangible reminder of a service.

Villa Landscapes did my patio and garden -- outdoors, where I don't always see it. This box sits next to my desk -- indoors, where I see it daily.

That means many opportunities to be reminded of what this company did for me. So I can recommend them to others.

(Of course, if I had planted the iris bulbs in the garden, I would have had another reason to fondly remember Villa Landscapes :-)

When you creatively thank your clients, you maximize the chances that they will buy from you again AND refer you to others.

Win-win. Big time.

(Kevin M. Donlin is author of the Special Report, Guaranteed Marketing for Small Business Professionals.)