Category Archives for Marketing
Just got back from the TV studio…
I just got back from doing a live TV segment on a local variety talk show on NBC. This is probably my 4th or 5th time on this particular show but I have appeared on numerous others in this and other markets as well. I started to think about you on my drive back and began to get curious if you would like me to do a training on how to get publicity and media appearances.
There is a certain game to getting booked on TV and once you have it down it is really quite easy. I am a firm believer that media press and publicity should be a big part of your marketing game plan. Every business owner has something that they could share on air.
There is also the whole strategy of what to do AFTER the segment airs. This is where the real magic happens.
So reply and let me know if you would attend that training if I host it.
Best wishes for a happy and prosperous new year!
Justin Miller
Chief Strategist
Profit 911 Consulting
www.profit911.biz
When is it time to market your business?
I received an email question today that I found quite interesting and thought I would share it and my response…
From Gary M, “at what point do you or a business owner turn to marketing to continue growing, reaching new markets, etc…?”
and my response…
Interesting question. I would suggest that marketing is a continual part of any business and arguably the most important. Without sales a business does not exist. Until a sale is made nothing happens.
There are plenty of warehouses of products that did not sell. There are plenty of broken dreams of small business owners, I have had my fair share of failures myself.
The small business owner is tasked with simultaneously working on all fronts of the business (or hiring people to do so on their behalf). In our global commerce world, inventory is less and less of a competitive advantage unless working solely as a local business. Product is able to be purchased in China and shipped DHL in 2 days if need be. The game is changing every day. The areas you need to excel in are different today that they were ten years ago.
In the same way having the best gear doesn’t make you any more money either unless there are sales and marketing in place to get it out making money. I see “gear junkies” in every industry I work in. I watch purchases being made on tradeshow floows with dreams of making a fortune when the buyer should have first found some customers and then bought the product.
It is very tempting and dangerous to say “but my business is different.” EVERYBODY thinks their business is different. I hear it every day. Everybody needs to be marketing and view it as one of the most, if not THE most, important part of the business. It is this very belief that has allowed me to build each of my businesses to what they are today. It is what has allowed me to live a life of freedom from a day job. It is what has allowed me the privilege of following my passion. It is at the heart of everything and if you are ignoring it, then you are missing the big picture.
Best wishes,
Justin Miller
Chief Strategist
Profit 911 Consulting
www.profit911.biz
How to use automated email marketing to sell while you sleep.
You voted and you shall receive…
As promised, I will be conducting a free live webinar this Thursday on the topic that won thevote last week.
Here were the results…
[A] How to get 3 times more leads with half the effort. – 43% OF VOTES
[B] How to use automated email marketing to sell while you sleep. – 48% OF VOTES AND THE WINNER
[C] How to 10x your referrals without begging. – 9% OF VOTES
So email marketing will be the topic. You can get some more details and register at:
http://events.profit911.biz/
I don’t have the fancy registration page up with video yet but you can get in now before I release the training to the public.
Hope your week is off to a great start and I will see you live in Thursday!
Best wishes,
Justin Miller
Chief Strategist
Profit 911 Consulting
P.S. Several of my students brought in over $10,000 on Black Friday week doing some of what we will be covering. You don’t want to miss this opportunity. If you can’t make it live, we will be selling a recording of the webinar on dvd at a later date.
Did Black Friday Make You Money?
We survived the Thanksgiving and subsequent shopping holidays. So, one question for you…. how did you do? Did you find a way to cash in on Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, or Cyber Monday?
Our Black Friday was down from last year but still one of our best days of the year.
I heard back from Aaron Abramson who followed our Black Friday Blueprint Training (with his own twist) who had this to say:
“Hey Justin, I just want to say thank you for your Black Friday sale system. I’ve been using Infusionsoft for a year and a half, and have done some successful promotions in the past…
But I have NEVER done a sale with a PDF price list with printable order form… Opening up my emails to see orders sitting there is like Christmas!
I did modify the sale though… We’ve been running it all week (not just on Friday), and Saturdaymorning extending it until next Wednesday (we do well with extending sales).
$9133 in credit card receipts so far this week!”
Aaron wrote that email before Black Friday had even arrived following the basic principles on how we run one time promotions.
So, email me at justin@profit911.biz
Did you run a promotion? What did you do? How did you do? You don’t have to have numbers as high as Aaron. I want to hear from you.
Best wishes,
Justin Miller
Chief Strategist
Profit 911 Consulting
www.profit911.biz
Black Friday is only 2 Weeks Away
Not many tips went out this week with business tips and for that I apologize. The reason is that behind the scenes we have very busy implementing our Black Friday sales strategy and getting all our ducks in a row.
Black Friday is actually our highest sales day of the year in our event business and I think that every business in every industry should run some type of promotion (funerals would be hard but I bet it could be done). Consumers are running around with their wallets open spending money and you really should be present and available to collect some of that coin.
It isn’t too late to plan a promotion and get it in place. Just remember it is not a case of “if you build it, they will come”. You actually have to give great value and promote the heck out of it. Our promotion includes two rounds of postcards, several emails, facebook ads retargetting ads, and even outbound phone calls. The more methods you use, the better.
Seriously, don’t miss the boat or think it can’t be done in your industry. Make it happen and reap the rewards.
Best wishes,
Justin Miller
Chief Strategist
Profit 911 Consulting
www.profit911.biz
How Long Should I Follow Up?
I get asked this question a lot. “When someone inquires to ask about my services and does not book right away, how long should I continue to contact them? I don’t want to seem pushy and salesy or waste my time on duds.”
The best answer to this question is, as long as it makes sense. Now I know that seems a little vague, but it depends on two factors…
1. How much is a sale worth?
and
2. How much does it cost to continue follow-up? (in time, money, effort, etc)
The answer is going to be different for each person but the general pattern is if the sale is worth a lot, then follow up more. Likewise if the cost of follow-up is low (like in the case of email), then follow-up more.
Here is an email, that just came into my event office yesterday to prove the point…
“Hello Justin,
I actually called your place about a half a year ago requesting information on your services for a wedding. My fiancé and I set our wedding date for 6-10-16 at XXXXXXXXX. We’re wondering if we could hire you for your services if you are available? If yes that would be wonderful! Please email me back at your earliest convenience.
Thank you,
Gabrielle”
Now she doesn’t even remember but I have records she initially inquired on January 29th (over 9 months ago). We have put no manual labor into this lead since February. Instead we have a contact system in place that has been keeping in touch with her automatically and providing value for 9 months.
This is one of my core teachings is to use technology and long-term follow-up to get sales that everyone else won’t. How many other companies do you think are still following up with her 9 months later (on a weekly basis at that)?
Make sure you have long term follow-up as part of your marketing.
Best wishes,
Justin Miller
Chief Strategist
Profit 911 Consulting
www.profit911.biz
P.S. Long-term follow-up is key and one of the foundational marketing building blocks I will cover in detail on April 10th in Las Vegas at my “Six Figure Sales and Marketing Academy.” We have about 20 seats still left at this point and available along with more info atwww.pbxpreday.com
Improve Your 2015 Holiday Promotions
I want to share a story I found today at: http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/
Copied below for your convenience…
Enjoy!
Best wishes,
Justin Miller
Chief Strategist
Profit 911 Consulting
www.profit911.biz
Continue the conversation at: www.facebook.com/profit911
Expert Advice to Improve Your 2015 Holiday Promotions
With the holiday season just around the corner, now may be the best chance for business to increase your sales. If you haven’t already planned your holiday promotions, here are three reasons why you want to take action.
First, the holidays are an easy conversation starter. Famed copywriter and marketer Robert Collier instructed, “Always enter the conversation already taking place in the customer’s mind.”
To give your promotion the best chance of getting your customer’s attention, align your approach with something that they’re already thinking about. Since the holidays will soon be upon us and on everyone’s minds, they are a good subject to begin a dialogue.
Second, the holidays give you a “reason why” you’re doing your promotion.
In his book “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion” Dr. Robert Cialdini identifies principles that can influence a person’s actions, such as making a purchase. In one experiment, Cialdini’s researchers asked a subject to comply with a simple request, “Can I cut in line ahead of you?” While nearly 60% allowed the researcher to do so, they found that compliance improved to 94% when they added a reason that the subject should take the action.
Rather than simply offering “25% off”, you can associate a reason for your promotion by giving it a name such as “Year End Clearance Sale” or “Thanksgiving Appreciation Event”.
Third, the holidays inherently imply a deadline for your promotion.
Cialdini’s research found that adding scarcity, a limiting condition, to a situation further influenced people’s actions. He states in “Influence” that “as opportunities become less available, we lose freedoms; and we hate to lose the freedoms we already have.”
Since the holidays have a specific end date, you could make an attractive offer that is only available during the holidays. Many businesses use “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday” to promote their products or services within 24-hour timeframes.
To spur your imagination, here are actual examples from business owners on how they’ve successfully used holiday promotions to reach their goals.
Dr. Dennis Buckley of Health Advantage, a chiropractic clinic in Pasadena, CA, says, “One way we’ve attracted new patients is by holding a toy drive each year, where people can bring in a new toy in exchange for treatment.”
Health Advantage partners with local charities and other businesses to promote it. Buckley explains, “It creates excitement and good memories, plus brings joy to children. It’s also our way of giving back and saying thanks.”
Geoff Ronning of Phoenix, AZ uses the holidays as a way to show how much he appreciates his clients. He says, “I’ve had great success sending business and motivation books as holiday gifts, and there is always a lot of business that transpires as a result.”
Ronning has even gotten his family in on the act. Ronning shares, “One of the most successful things I have ever done was to record my wife, son, and me singing a popular holiday song with rewritten lyrics. We wore silly holiday sweaters and recorded it with our computer camera. The singing was terrible, but our clients really enjoyed the video. It strengthened our relationship with them and boosted sales.”
If you’re in the entertainment business, you can get more bookings during the holiday season. Jethro Alcuaz, a magician in Glendora, CA used a holiday promotion to book holiday parties. Alcuaz shares, “I emailed my previous clients and offered them a limited time discount if they booked me for their holiday parties and it worked very well.”
Holiday promotions are a great way to increase your sales and help you achieve your business goals. By being creative and using the three principles above to promote a compelling offer, you’re well on your way to a more successful holiday season and reaching your overall business goals.
Sorry, we hired your competitor!
Have you ever heard this? Somebody selected your competitor….even though they charged MORE and provided LESS!!! How could this possibly be? Are they stupid? You would do a much better job, charge less, and they still went with somebody else.
Clearly the client has made a poor choice but who is at fault? Most often it is you. There are many ways this can happen and you need to make sure it doesn’t.
- Competitor is more believable with results (testimonials, etc)
- Competitor is providing faster service
- Competitor is liked or referred by someone of influence
- Or my least favorite… competitor was better at sales.
Take a look at number 4 as it is often the most common reason in this scenario. What do I mean that they are “better” at sales? Often it boils down to follow-up and repeatedly pushing and asking for the sale. I have too many people tell me that they prefer to send info and let the client make an “educated” decision. The problem is that most of them will reach the wrong decision. Decisions are based on emotion and justified with logic.
To quote Zig Ziglar, “Timid salesmen have skinny kids.”
Often times a job is lost if you are a pushover and someone else really wants the sale. The decision maker may be a person who avoids conflict and doesn’t want to upset your competitor. They know you won’t really care. Make sure the world knows what you want. Make sure you push for business when necessary. If you don’t someone else will. The customer will make a poor decision, spend more money, and knowingly waste money. Don’t be weak when it comes to booking. You know you have a kick butt product/service so do everything you can to get that customer to book you. You are doing them a favor.
Best wishes,
Justin Miller
Chief Strategist
Profit 911 Consulting
www.profit911.biz
Continue the conversation at: www.facebook.com/profit911
P.S. Sales is just one part of what we will be covering in my one day live event in Las Vegas on April 10th. To get more info on the “Six Figure Sales Academy” just reply and I will put you on the notification list. The official announcement will be coming soon and those on the list will get the first shot at getting a seat. This will be a very intimate small group so we can spend one on one time with you and get you the results you deserve.
Shut Up and Take My Money!
Want to know how to get more money from your prospects and customers? Make it easy for them to pay you! Accept credit cards.
This may sound silly, but I see it played out all the time. It happened just this weekend when my wife and I took our kids to the apple orchard. They require cash or check payment only even in their retail store. The bottom line is they are losing money.
A lot of people start whining about credit card fees and collecting money. You really have to look at it from the customer’s perspective and if you can’t , man you are missing out big time.
People spend 12-18% more when using plastic so the cards actually make you money. Read here for more: https://www.nerdwallet.com/
Sounds simple right? Accept cards. Advertise you accept cards with the logos anywhere there is a price mentioned. Allow payments on your website. Don’t hold up the process of people paying you.
Best wishes,
Justin Miller
Chief Strategist
Profit 911 Consulting
www.profit911.biz
Continue the conversation at: www.facebook.com/profit911
P.S. Taking credit cards can sometimes double your bottom line by increasing sales. Want to take it a step further? Accept payment plans.
Don’t spam me bro!
I get asked all the time why I email so much. Since we have a lot of new people signing up for my training this week I thought this would be a good time to address the question of “Why do you email so much stuff to me?” the bottom line is because it builds my business and you can use it to build yours as well. Those that are highly interested have no problem with a weekday email.
There are 3 main reasons.
1. To build a relationship: The email tips help to build a relationship with you. You get to know more about what I teach and about me personally. This is fundamental to building lifelong customers.
2. To maintain consistency: In a world filled with spam, it is important to set the expectation of how often you will be emailed and to stick to that. Fluctuations often annoy people and lead to spam complaints. When someone hits that complaints button the damage they cause is massive. The hurt email deliverability for everyone else they wants to get the info. They delay other messages. That button should be reserved for those that do not respect unsubscribe wishes.
3. To reinforce core messages: Let’s face it, you are bombarded every day on facebook and elsewhere with incorrect information and bad advice. To give you info that is really working and get you to believe it works takes repetition. Those that are most successful need a constant reinforcement that they are doing the right thing when everyone else thinks they are wrong. The bottom line is how much is in the bank account at the end of day. The 1%ers do things differently. You need to study it and this is one way for you to get those messages.
That’s it for today. Short and sweet tips. Figure out how to best use email marketing in your business. You don’t need to email every weekday like we do, but you need to find what works best for you.
Best wishes,
Justin Miller
Chief Strategist
Profit 911 Consulting
www.profit911.biz
Keep the conversation going at www.facebook.com/profit911
P.S. If you do not currently do much for email marketing and want to see a great service that we recommend and many of our client use to automate this process, check out: http://bit.ly/1GfTJYk