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.) 

3 New Ideas I Took from Seth Godin #sethgodinmpls

Sure, I read a lot of books and magazines, and I'm sure you try hard to stay current ...

... but there's nothing quite like attending a seminar or lecture.

Not only does your brain get new knowledge, but your body gets out of the office and exposed to new stimuli.

And your network gets a boost when you meet other like-minded people.

Win-win-win.

That happened to me today in spades at Seth Godin's lecture at The Pantages Theatre, part of his road show to cities across America. (That's Seth, at left, chatting with a woman after his talk.)

Here are 3 new ideas I took away from Seth, any one of which can build your business. Which will you try first?

1. "If your goal is to be perfect, it's hard to be remarkable."

People don't rave about a watch that keeps time or a taxi driver who doesn't get lost. If perfection is expected in your business, consider changing how you do business.

Action Step: Seek out new activities where there is no perfect and you can go off the charts -- because there are no charts. You can start by doing the unexpected for your clients.

Like Will Gorashi, the airport taxi driver who asked me a crazy question: "What kind of music would you like to hear on the radio?" After 20 years of flying to places like London, Tokyo, New York, and Saskatoon, this was a first.

Cost to him: $0. Rewards to him? He gets my business every time I go to the airport.

2. "People who haven't bought from you either know you're no good or they're afraid."

Since 99% of first-time visitors to your web site won't buy, and you probably are good at what you do, the vast majority of people who don't buy from you are simply afraid of making a mistake.

Action Step: Remember that we buy from people that we like.

So, try to make a friend before you make a sale. Don't be like the insurance guy who tried to sell me a policy on his first email contact last week -- doh!

3. "The iPod is good at some things, bad at others. The Zune is a big pile of compromise."

You can't be all things to all clients.

Action Step: Define your ideal client. Then, speak directly to them. Define your nightmare client. Ignore them.

Test: If your marketing is not turning off -- even offending -- at least one group of people, you're doing it wrong.

I learned way more than just 3 new things, of course, but I'm on a tight deadline for a copywriting project, so stay tuned for the other ideas in the coming days.

Meanwhile, do this: Visit The Learning Annex or a similar resource and find a seminar to attend in the next 30 days. Your brain, your body, and your bank account will thank you.

Is Delay Killing Your Business?

There I was last Friday, credit card in hand, trying to give someone my money.

The price? $1,500.

The impetus for my order?

I had already bought one product from a renowned marketing guru, for $199, and was very satisfied. When the product arrived by mail, out fell brochure with a 20%-off coupon code, good for anything in her catalog.

Smart! She knew that the easiest sale to make is to an existing customer.

And she was about to make a second sale to me, for $1,200 ($1,500 minus that 20%). Good for her.

So, I went online and tried to use the discount code in her shopping cart. But the code failed to work. After two tries, I gave up.

Strike one.

I picked up the phone and called the customer service number listed on her site. It was at least two hours before her company was scheduled to close.

But, instead of reaching a live operator to take my to order, I got voicemail. The message? "This mailbox is full. Please try your call again later."

Strike two. And three.

The owner of this business, despite being an outstanding marketer, didn't get the memo.

The memo reads as follows: "Your customers don't give you three strikes any more, if they ever did. Today, when time and money are at an all-time premium, it's two strikes and you're out. Or maybe just one strike. Thanks for playing."

Now. I'm not refusing to buy from this company because I feel slighted.

I'm not buying because delay is the enemy of any sale.

And, after a few hours of forced delay to think about my $1,200 purchase, I suddenly found a myriad of reasons not to make the buy:

• I don't have time to use the product;
• I have other books that I could re-read at no cost and profit from just as much;
• I could better use that money elsewhere in my business;
• Etc. etc.

Am I right or am I wrong? Doesn't matter. I'm not buying.

Your customers are just as (ir)rational as I am.

Forced to endure a frustrating buying process with your business, your customers will think thoughts similar to mine. They will take their money and go home.

And you will be out that sale.

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 Lose Business and Alienate People - Networking #FAIL

You can learn a lot about how to do something right by first learning what to avoid.

Riding a bike? Avoid trees and cars.

Digging a latrine? Avoid upwind locations.

Networking for new business? Avoid ... pretty much everything in the following email, which I got today from a business group to which I belong:

Subject: Greetings!

Body: Good Afternoon!

My name is Joe No with F______ Insurance. I am a new member of the (Group Name). It's a pleasure to partner with you and the (Group Name) ...   

I'd be very interested in doing business with you. I specialize in a variety of products, not just personal Insurance needs (Life, Home and Auto), but business needs as well (property coverage, liability and workers compensation). As a family man, I know what's most important isn't your bottom line. But I know the bottom line is important so let me take 20 minuets of your time to look over your information and see if I can get you a better value for your money.

Feel free to contact me, I'm looking forward to seeing you at the next (Group Name) meeting!

Joe No

222-333-0000 Auto - Home - Life - Business

Where to start with the mistakes here?

1) Don't write an email asking people to do business with you and fail to address them by name. Beginning an email, "Good Afternoon!" is the equivilent of "Dear Occupant" or "Dear Current Resident." No dice.

2) The second paragraph opens, "I'd be very interested in doing business with you." This is like asking someone out for dinner within 15 seconds of meeting them. Good luck with that.

3) This is really oafish: "... let me take 20 minuets (sic) of your time to look over your information ..." Really? You've stolen 20 seconds of my life so far and now you want 20 more "minuets" of my time. No.

You get the picture. This is bad, bad, bad.

I really hope "Joe" is a 22-year-old beginner in the sales game, so that he won't have to work too hard to unlearn this inept way of prospecting by email.


Above all else, Joe must learn that in the words of legendary copywriter Gary Bencivenga, you have to make a friend before you can make a sale.

3 Google Adwords Tricks for Busy People

Do you use Google Adwords?

Want to get more sales, more cost-effectively?

The following email exchange I had with a small business owner may help you. She's just starting out with Adwords, but the tips I gave her can help you no matter how long you've been using pay-per-click (PPC) advertising.

Read on to find 3 Adwords tricks you can use today ...

Dear Kevin,

The most recent version of my ad is:

Prepare for Earthquakes
Want to get Prepared Quickly?
Complete Earthquake Kits $69.99
www.URL-Redacted.com

... and it directs to the product page at http://URL-Redacted.com

(Kevin's note: the landing page offers an earthquake emergency kit, with food and water for 72 hours, at $30 off.)

This format has some success, but I’m pretty much breaking even on the dollars I put in. I know I need to try something else, but I’m just not sure what to try next. Any advice you have to give would be much appreciated.

Statistics: CTR: .17%
Average CPC: $.87
Average Positioning 2.6

- Sally K.

Dear Sally,

Good news: You have room to improve here!

Here are ideas for you, based on my experience spending about $300,000 on Google Adwords ads since 2001 ...


FIRST, your strategy determines everything. Do you want to acquire customers at break-even? That's usually the smart play.

But first, you must figure out the lifetime value (LTV) of each customer -- how many times do they buy, how much do they spend, how long do they stay with you?

The LTV is an essential number. It determines how much you can spend to "buy" customers, not only with Adwords, but with any marketing medium you use.

If you haven't been in business long, make your best guess at a LTV.

Example: If a customer buys twice a year, spending $80 on average, for three years, their LTV is $480. Theoretically, if you acquire each customer at a cost of $479, you still come out ahead.

If you acquire a customer via Google Adwords and lose a few bucks on the first sale, but you can sell to them again 30-90-180 days later, so what? You come out ahead!

How do you get those follow-up sales? That's a topic for another day, but things like client newsletters, clients-only sales, special offers via email, etc. are all good options.


SECOND, your choice of keywords is critical.

Generally, the shorter the search term, the more unqualified the traffic to your site will be. Why? These people are still early in the pre-buying stage of learning about the product.

So, for now, I would steer clear of search terms like this: "disaster kit"

Instead, aim for longer, more specialized search terms. Why? These people have already learned something about what they want, and are closer to making a buying decision.

Example terms you might bid on: "earthquake disaster kit" ... "earthquake disaster kits" ... "earthquake preparedness kit" ... "earthquake survival kit" ... "earthquake survival food" ... "earthquake survival kit"

... then add words like "find" ... "buy" ... "buy online" ... etc. to create even longer keyword phrases.

NOTE: I am leaving a LOT of stuff out for space, like keyword match types, how many keywords to put in each Adwords Group, negative keywords, etc.

You'll find that in the Google help files and other resources


THIRD, the top things to test in the ad itself ad are, in this general order:

1. headline
2. body copy
3. display URL


Having said all that, here are 4 ads I might try running if I were you:

Earthquake Kit - Save $30
Protect Your Loved Ones Now
Be Ready Fast - Only $69.99
URL-Redacted.com


Earthquake Kit - Save $30
Q. What Will You Do In The Big One?
A. Protect Your Family & Save Now
URL-Redacted.com


Earthquake Kit - Save $30
Are You Ready for The Big One?
Protect Your Family & Save Now
URL-Redacted.com


{KEYWORD:Earthquake Kit - Save $30} **
Are You Ready for The Big One?
Protect Your Family & Save Now
URL-Redacted.com


** The KEYWORD "wildcard" in the last ad can often increase clicks by causing the search term to appear in the headline.

Your price is $30 off, so mention it in your ad!

Using capitalization on your display URL increases readability, and usually increases clicks

Also, experiment with different ads that target different appeals: safety, fear, saving money, a quick solution, etc.

I hope you find this helpful!

(Kevin M. Donlin is author of the Free 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.)