Charlie Cook's MArketing for Success Insider's Club

Marketing Tools

Your Social Media Plan For 2010

By Rachel Minihan   |   December 30th, 2009

2009 was a big year for social media!  YouTube starting seeing 1 billion hits per day.  Facebook topped the 350 million users mark.  Twitter became the most used word in the English language. And, the big search engines recognized the power of the micro-blog and incorporated this content into their search results.

Watching all of these successes, the message has come through loud and clear that social media/networking/content is now a significant platform on which we, as business owners, must be present. » (Read More)

6 Ways To Calculate How Much To Spend On Marketing

By Charlie Cook   |   September 17th, 2009

marketig calculatorsWant to make an informed decision about how much to spend on marketing, or whether it’s worth spending money on advertising or what retaining a few more clients could do for your bottom line?  Do the math.

I’ve just posted 6 free marketing calculators on the site for you to use. » (Read More)

Which Words Sell In This Economy

By Charlie Cook   |   May 7th, 2009

If you’ve ever wanted to find out how to be more successful, to make your ads, your sales letters and your website marketing make more money, this is your chance.

Save the date! Thursday 4pm EDT, May 14th.

On Thursday May 14th I’ll be joined by Dan Lok, the master of money-making copywriting, for a one-time only FREE TeleSeminar to answer your questions about how to consistently convert more prospects into buyers and put more money in the bank.

And I’m giving away my latest 50 page ebook, ‘The 22 Hot Buttons That Get People to Buy’ – FREE – to anyone who registers for the call.

You should know that it’s filling up fast and if you haven’t done so already and want to get in… you need to sign up in the next few minutes.

Register now >>

On the call Dan will reveal:

*How to grab the interest of prospects who are on-guard against advertising – making skepticism work for you,

*The simple trick to keeping your prospects enthralled and engaged right up to the point that they eagerly pull out their credit card or checkbook,

*A ‘system’ for writing copy that is so powerfully persuasive that no reader could possibly resist – they’ll LOOK for the call to action,

*The most powerful human desire that makes people stop procrastinating and buy – and exactly how to trigger it,

*A surefire way to multiple sales without spending more money,

* How to reposition the product you are selling so that it will trigger one, if not two, of the major hot buttons of recession-stricken prospects,

* … and much more!

Sign-up today to receive my 50 page ebook, the ‘22 Hot Buttons That Get People To Buy’ just for registering!

Use this link to save your space on the call >>

No – you won’t hear Dan promising lazy people instant riches or some such nonsense. He’ll give smart people like you honest and accurate information on ideas you can actually put to use.

This is a unique chance for you to get the truth about how to skyrocket your sales and what to do so you can get all the clients and business you can handle.

Don’t miss this one. Register for one of the remaining places for the TeleSeminar I’m hosting on Thursday May 14th at 4pm EDT with this link >>

- Charlie

P.S. If you absolutely can’t make the call due to a scheduling conflict, you can still register to be eligible to receive the free 50 page ebook, ‘The Hot Buttons That Get People To Buy.’

Just register and it’s yours >>

P.P.S. My free TeleSeminars sell out in a matter of days… To ensure your spot, reserve in the next few minutes.

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Who Will Be The Business Marketing Winners In This Economy?

By Charlie Cook   |   March 10th, 2009

There are two kinds of people: those who panic when things go wrong and those who get a grip and take action to solve the problem.

Which are you?

Who Will Be The Business Marketing Winners In This Economy?

Over a month ago, U.S. Airways Flight 1549 out of New York’s LaGuardia Airport ran into a flock of geese within minutes after takeoff, shutting down both engines. You probably read about it or saw the reports in the news.

The pilot, Captain Sullenberger, kept his wits about him and chose to make a very tricky water landing. He pulled it off, easing his jet down into the middle of the Hudson River without damage, saving everyone on board.

Talk about a winner. It’s an inspirational story, but how did Sullenberger do it? How did he know what to do to save himself, his crew and his passengers?

Captain Sullenberger has years of experience flying, but he credits his training for preparing him to handle a once-in-a-lifetime emergency like this one. He didn’t panic because his training had taught him a set of maneuvers to choose from in extraordinary circumstances.

As a business owner, you may feel like you’re piloting Flight 1549. Just when your business marketing is airborne, a flock of misguided bankers and lenders (turkeys in this case) threatens to bring the whole economy down and your business with it.

It’s bad. Credit is tight and buyers are harder to find. You can panic and watch your company’s profits sink, or you can take your cue from leaders like Sullenberger. The winners in this economy will be business owners — pilots— who take action to save profits and even grow in this economy.

You need to pull your business out of danger and keep pulling in sales. Institute emergency procedures. What are they? Start here >>

How can you save your business and even increase your profits in this economy? There are many ways, and I’ll be discussing them in this and future articles. The first is to…

Create efficiency in key areas. Especially marketing.

Does that sound like strange advice from a marketing coach? It isn’t. You can’t afford marketing that isn’t working.

Marketing is the engine that drives sales and profits. You may have years of experience marketing, but if you aren’t using strategies that run this engine efficiently, you’re losing prospects and sales at a critical time.

In my experience, 90% of potential sales are lost due to poor marketing copy, limited followup, and/or a low percentage of conversions. That’s not a typo; 90% of potential sales are lost due to marketing inefficiency. Institute emergency procedures!

You can improve your marketing efficiency in just a few days and see gains in profits of 400% or more.

How can you improve your marketing efficiency? Find out >>

Most companies are lucky if they’re getting a 1% response to their marketing. Your response rate could be as high as 15%. Think what that would mean for your sales and your income.

1. Lead Generation

Most company’s conversion rates are terribly low, and you probably wouldn’t be reading this if yours weren’t, too. Whether you’re using direct mail, cold calling or a web site to generate leads, a typical response rate is less than a half of one percent. Improve your conversion rate to 1% and you’d have twice as many leads.

Is it possible to get 1% of the people who see your information to contact you? Yes. 10 to 13% is possible!

How can you improve your lead generation? Find out >>

2. Conversion

Once a lead comes in, how many do you convert to sales? Here’s another marketing sinkhole: most companies lose 80% of potential sales from leads due to lack of follow-up.

Emergency procedure; improve your follow-up system. You could be landing five new customers a day, not just one. Or 50 instead of ten. It doesn’t have to be a perfect follow-up system for you to double your revenue.

How can you improve your conversion rates? Find out >>

3. Sales

Use every sale as the stepping-stone to the next one and the one after that. Up-selling and cross-selling can easily double or triple the amount you make from a client. Yet most businesses leave these profits on the table. Is that what you’re doing?

How can you improve your up-sell and cross-sell? Find out >>

Business owners who learn how to market efficiently now will not only survive the recession; they’ll be way ahead of the competition when it’s over. They will be the winners in this economy and the next one.

You’re in the pilot’s seat. You can’t sit back and wait for the economy to improve; you’ve got to take action. But don’t panic. Discover how to make your business marketing efficient and stay in the air. When you do you’ll be able to smooth out the bumpy ride you’ve been experiencing and enjoy the trip.

Ready to be a winner with your marketing?>>

- Charlie

P.S. Can you really afford to keep marketing the way you are now? Want to avoid watching your business crash? Improve the efficiency of your business marketing and you’ll instantly get more leads, more sales and more profits.

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

2 Simple Marketing Strategies To Grow In a Down Economy

By Charlie Cook   |   February 9th, 2009

Is marketing your business in this economy more of a challenge than ever? Has it gotten harder for you to generate leads, close sales and meet your profit goals? Are you worried that it’s going to get harder in the year ahead? You’re not alone.

No question that the recession has focused our attention. Small business owners like you are looking hard at their marketing strategies and wondering what to do next.

Here are two simple marketing strategies to make your marketing rise to the challenge. Maximize your marketing and you can continue to profit in this economy.

1. Get The Most For Every Dollar You Spend
There I go again, stating the obvious. But too many business owners are resigned to poor returns on their marketing dollars. Don’t be one of them.

Almost every fall, my wife and I drive over the mountain from our Vermont vacation home to a family-owned orchard in Monkton to pick apples. We enjoy choosing different varieties for cooking and eating — and nothing beats the crisp taste of an apple right off the tree.

It’s easy picking, too; the trees typically are heavily laden with apples. The family that works the orchard has been pruning, grafting, and fertilizing so that every branch bears as much fruit as possible so they can maximize their profits.

The same is true with your marketing. You want each of your marketing activities to bear good fruit. Are your ads, mailings and website generating the maximum number of leads and sales? Or are they more like an apple tree, with only one or two apples on it.

Typically, small business owners spend plenty of money on marketing but get only a fraction of the business they could from it.  Look at your website, for example.

- How many visitors do you get per day?
- How many of those visitors contact you?

If the number is anything less than 10%, you’re not getting the results you should from the money you’re spending.

Want to get more return for each dollar you spend on marketing?

Start here >>

2. Take Every Dollar Off The Table
After months of looking for a new bed, my wife and I finally agreed on a cherry bed frame from a craftsman in Maine. When my wife called to place the order, the savvy sales person asked her if we also wanted matching nightstands. He showed her several styles that would complement the bed, explained how easy it is to customize them, and offered free shipping on all the pieces if we decided within a week.

We hadn’t planned to buy night tables, but the logic of getting furniture that matched and the discount persuaded us.

Are you being as smart as this furniture sales person?

Once you have a client ready to make a purchase, they’ve already crossed the purchasing threshold. If you have more than one product or service, this is a good time to sell them more. You can increase the amount you make from each sale by 30% with an effective up-sell or cross-sell strategy.

And that’s only the beginning. With the right follow up marketing strategy, you can get your loyal clients to buy from you again and again.

The goal is to help your clients get not just the product or service they initially asked about but the best complement of products or services you provide. In doing so, you’ll maximize the value of each of your clients. You’ll make 30% to 100% more from each client.

Imagine you were in a meeting with a client and they put $1,300 hundred dollars on the table – money they had available to buy your products or services. Would you take $800 and walk away from the rest? Of course not, but that is what most business owners do every day by not optimizing their cross-sell, up-sell and follow-up strategies.

Want to find out how to take every dollar off the table?
Use this strategy >>
-Charlie
MarketingForSuccess

P.S. Every week I talk to small business owners who are struggling in this economy but haven’t bothered to optimize their marketing to get the most out of every dollar. And they’re leaving money on the table with existing clients.  Are you one of these people?

Find out how to grow your business in this economy >>

P.P.S. Are you one of the few who are succeeding in these tough times? I bet you could be making more. Find out how >>

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

What’s the #1 Profit Strategy For You?

By Charlie Cook   |   January 27th, 2009

Why is it that some entrepreneurs and business owners seem unstoppable, steadily growing their businesses and assets, while others struggle to stay profitable?

Some people have a clear idea of where to focus their marketing and know which marketing activities bring in the bacon and which are just excess fat. The result, successful business owners spend less on marketing and make up to ten times more than their competitors.

I want you to be one of the top ten percent of business owners, one of the people in the winner’s circle. And here’s how you can find out the answers to put your business on the fast track to make an additional $100,000 this year.

Today my Marketing MasterMind Program opens to applications from all of my subscribers and from the general public. As a member I’ll help you discover the #1 wealth-building strategy for you.

Want In?

Use this URL >>

Should You Join?

1. Do you push yourself and your employees to improve every aspect of your business?

2. Are you actively creating new opportunities for success?

3. Do you use your mistakes to create new ways of working?

4. Are you aware of your biggest business marketing weaknesses?

5. Are you currently working with experts who can help you take your business to the next level? If not, are you seeking the help you need to grow your business?

Does this sound like you?

If so, you’d be perfect fit for the MasterMind Program. You are someone ready to really go for it. I’m betting you’re up for the challenge.

If you want expert advice to show you what works, and hold you accountable for getting it done and getting it right, then use the following link to discover if you can get what you want.

http://www.marketingforsuccess.com/mastermind-program.html

-Charlie

P.S. You’re don’t have to do it alone. But you do have to take action now to get in and get answers >>

P.P.S. Space won’t be available for long. So join today.

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

What’s Your Plan?

By Charlie Cook   |   January 26th, 2009

Building a business that grows steadily in size and profits is like building your dream house. First, you identify what kind of home you want, then you and your architect plan and create blueprints for your house, then you build it, move in and enjoy it.

Now imagine that you didn’t have the time to plan your home but went ahead and hired a builder to get started. How would he or she know what to build?

Without a plan, the result could easily be a post-colonial, modern, victorian mish-mash that would make a trailer home look stylish in comparison. Most likely it wouldn’t your needs and you’d have wasted a lot of time and money.

Everyday I get calls from frustrated business owners like you. Their marketing isn’t helping them generate the steady stream of new clients they want so badly. It’s just not bringing in the revenue that they think they should be making.

My conversation with Ken, from Toronto, was typical. I asked Ken to describe his business and his business goals. I asked him to tell me about his target market and what he is doing attract new clients.

He easily described his technological and design expertise, his Web services and the ads and mailings he was using to promote his business. Then I asked the question that stumps almost everyone who calls me for advice: I asked Ken if he had a marketing plan and what it was. He didn’t have one.

Do you?

You know what your goals are and where you want to take your business. You also know that marketing involves activities such as a website, mailings, advertising and phone calls to prospects. But without a plan tying these efforts together, these activities by themselves may do little to help you achieve your goals.

You need a well thought out blueprint for your marketing, just as you would for your dream home. Here’s how to start putting it together.

1. Identify Your Marketing Goals
What specifically does your marketing need to achieve for your business to grow? You can state this in terms of the number of qualified leads generated each week, the percentage of leads converted to sales, total revenue, and profit.

What are your marketing goals?

2. Define Your Marketing Strategy
This is your overall approach and positioning relative to your goals and your competition. My marketing strategy is an educational one. It is based on giving people ideas and information they can use as a means of getting their attention and demonstrating the value I provide.

What is your small business marketing strategy?

3. Set Up Your Marketing System
Develop a plan of action. To increase sales, your marketing activities and the media you use need to reflect your marketing strategy and work together as one.

What is your marketing system?

4. Map Out Your Marketing Activities
Now flesh out the details. You’ve decided what your marketing activities will be; now for each marketing activity you’ll need to determine who will create and implement it and when.

Who will be responsible for developing, implementing and maintaining your marketing?

5. Sharpen Your Marketing Tools
Each marketing activity involves using one or more marketing tools. These include everything from your web site to your phone scripts to your marketing messages. To cut through the information clutter and get your prospect’s attention you’ll want finely honed tools.

Could you sharpen your marketing tools?

Sound intimidating? It’s not when you have help.

As a member of my Insider’s Marketing Mastermind Program I’ll guide you through the marketing maze. You’ll discover how to create a blueprint for success.

Want to know more about how the MasterMind Program works? I’ll be answering your questions on Thursday in the free Telecall. Use this URL to ask your questions >>

You and I will work together to apply to identify which marketing strategies are best suited to your particular business and how to implement them.

Tomorrow the MasterMind Program goes live. (Note, those people who added themselves to my MasterMind VIP list already have access).

Yes, at 8 o’clock am est. Thursday January 27th the doors open to officially welcome you to my Mastermind Program.

I’ll be sending you the link to get in first thing Tuesday. I suggest that you look for the email and when you get it go and apply right away to be considered.

What’s your plan? You know you could be doing better. You don’t have to miss out. Make sure to apply to the MasterMind Program first thing Tuesday when you access link arrives.

-Charlie

P.S. Remember people who have a plan and take action achieve success while those who sit on the fence wear out the seat of their pants while watching the winners cross the finish line.

Be a winner! Join the Marketing MasterMind Program.

P.P.S Have a question about the MasterMind Program? Please let me know. Use this URL to ask it >>

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Can We Talk – from Charlie

By Charlie Cook   |   January 21st, 2009

Want to know the #1 secret to making 2009 profitable?

Want to know how to make marketing simple and make it work for you to grow your business that no one tells you?

Grab a pen and some paper and jot down this important date. January 29th, 2009. I’ll tell you why in a second.

Over the years I’ve personally helped hundreds of entrepreneurs and business owners increase their sales by huge amounts.

The secret?

It’s a lot easier than you ever imagined when you understand this one idea. When you do you you’ll know exactly how and where to focus your marketing and see your sales soar.

I’ve never revealed this before, though my clients have benefited from it. It’s the #1 Way To Increase Profits In Any Economy and I want to share it with you.

I just got off the phone with my teleconference company. We’ve arranged to reserve a special time slot set aside for you and me to get together so I can share this one secret to success with you and to answer all your questions about my Insider’s Marketing Mastermind Program.

I’ll be hosting a power-packed, live telecall on January 29th at 3pm EST.

If you’ve signed up for the Mastermind VIP list, you’re already registered. If not, sign up now >>

Even if you can’t make it, make sure to register to be provided with access to the audio after the call.

During this call you’ll get a fistful of valuable information. Take away ideas you can implement right now, guaranteed to make you a tidy profit.

Register with this URL before it fills up >>

What’s the cost to you of registering and attending this call?

Nothing! It’s FREE!

There are only 300 phone lines available. To make sure you get a spot on the call you will have to act fast.

One caveat here. In the interest of full disclosure I must tell you that only a few of you, 10% will qualify for the Mastermind Group. It’s only for those who are serious about succeeding this year.

Your time and mine is the most valuable resource we have and I don’t want to waste yours or mine if you’re not a forward thinking, take the bull by horns and get it done type of person.

What I’ll be sharing on the call is not for the weak or the squeamish. If you can’t handle the truth I don’t want you on this call.

Admittance to my Insider’s Marketing Mastermind Group is not for everybody. Sorry to burst your bubble, but while membership has it’s perks it will also require you to put in some serious effort. If you’re just looking for a magic pill to grow your business – look elsewhere.

This may seem harsh, but in today’s business climate you need to be realistic. If you think you are one of the 10% of people who are doers, action takers and will follow through on the profit-building ideas I’ll be sharing, please register for the call and let’s get going >>

When you do your call details will arrive in your inbox.

-Charlie

P.S. Your call date again is January 29, 2009 at 3:00 PM EST sharp.

If you can implement a few simple marketing strategies in your business and follow through—then you’ve got what it takes. Show me how interested you are in your success >>

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

4 Steps to Higher Profits This Year

By Charlie Cook   |   January 20th, 2009

I just got off the phone with one of my clients, Carlos from Chile.

Here’s what he said: “Charlie I followed your suggestions for writing and sending out my newsletter to generate new business. I couldn’t believe what happened next. We got 25 responses and set up 11 prospect meetings in 2 days since the email went out. I couldn’t believe it.”

The first step to increasing your profits in the next 12 months is to find out how to:

* Attract more prospects,
* Clarify the value of your products and services,
* Gain your prospects’ confidence,
* Motivate your prospects to buy more and buy today.

As Carlos discovered, it’s not that hard to position yourself for windfall profits in your business. The key is knowing what works and taking action. Carlos had been thinking of sending out a newsletter for over a year but didn’t know what to say in it that would make his prospects open it, read it and contact him.

Like Carlos did you can easily discover the answer and within weeks be eating your competition’s lunch. Enjoy.

To make it easier for you, I’ve created the lowest cost way to access the strategies you need to maximize your profits in less time this year. I’m in the process of putting together a Mastermind VIP group to show you exactly what works and how to do it.

Already some of you emailed to find out more. When Jessica told me how many email requests we’d received – I couldn’t believe it.

This shows me you really are serious about beating the gloomy sounding economy this year.

I was thinking that maybe 30-40 people might be interested but I was wrong!

So far over 274 people have contacted me asking to get on the VIP list for an Insider’s Marketing Mastermind program. All this within mere days of just mentioning the idea. And the requests for more info just keep coming.

I’m still working out the details but given your enthusiasm and interest I’m committed to making this work for those of you.

Given the numbers of people who are interested, it looks like we’re looking at an application process. While I could just go ahead and set up multiple groups to cover the demand, I made a decision to only open up one this quarter, to make sure the people that make it in get what they need.

But after reviewing some of your requests it seems pretty obvious you’d be interested. So if you want me to get this thing off the drawing board – here’s what I want you to do.

If you’re really serious about being part of an elite Mastermind group with private access to me and you haven’t done so yet,

Sign up here to get early access to apply >>

But that’s not all. If you head over to this page you’ll get more valuable information to help you today >>

-Charlie

P.S. Want to make 2009 a year to remember for your successes?
When you take responsibility for getting the knowledge, support and guidance you need you’re on your way.

Sign up today >>

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

How To Achieve a Breakthrough This Year

By Charlie Cook   |   January 19th, 2009

Are you ready to make this a blockbuster year?

I’ve been getting a lot of email from people wanting to know how to get into my new Mastermind VIP Group that will launch in just a few days.

If you missed it, the URL to get early access to apply is >>

Like you, they all want to know, “How will it benefit me and my business?”

If you’ve been in business for a year you know that clients and money don’t just drop out of the sky, particularly in a down economy.

You know that you need an effective marketing strategy to attract clients and earn more. You know that you need to have a way to attract clients, a way to clarify the value of your products and services, a way to get clients to trust you and a way to close the sale.

And you may even know that with an effective follow-up strategy you can increase your profits by 300% or more.

You also know it can be tough trying to go it alone. You wear many hats during the course of your day. But what if I could share proven ways to bring your success closer to reality and faster too?

A major benefit to you is, you will be part of an elite group which is greater than the sum of its parts. Having access to many minds makes it easier for you to win. You’ll have the benefit of receiving decades of proven in-the-trenches strategies which have worked not only for me, but for other group members as well.

You are not alone. Think of it as having your own private think tank of like-minded people you can bounce your business ideas off of. All with out incurring the cost of hiring outside consultants or traveling to seminars. Your time will be well-spent focusing on your business.

And of course I’ll be there to give you a kick in the pants if you need it to get going. In other words you will be held accountable for reaching your goals.

My Mastermind VIP Group offers you the best chance of success in reaching your goals in the shortest time possible. And making a nice profit along the way.

I’ve got news for you, whether you realize it or not-it’s crunch time. This is the year where you either make it or break it. You don’t have to take my word for it. Just look around. Maybe your business is already feeling the pinch.

It’s been said “When the going gets tough the tough get going”.

Do you think you have what it takes to ride out the coming storm by yourself? If you do then good luck. I hope you make it.

But if you’re ready to ride a tidal wave of prosperity within the security of an elite group of marketing savvy entrepreneurs-led by yours truly-then there is only one thing you can do.

Again, if you haven’t signed up for early access to apply start here >>

Make a decision now to take a stand against failure and defeat. Together we have unlimited power.

I’ll be making another major announcement in a day or two. Stay tuned.

In the mean time, imagine yourself not only achieving all of your most adventurous business goals, but easily reaching the peaks you’ve only dared dream about. That’s real power.

Go here now for a little inspiration on making a breakthrough with your business >>

-Charlie

P.S. Keep an eye on your inbox for another major announcement very soon.

Here’s 3 more business breakthrough ideas >>

P.P.S. Your best shot at business survival this year is to utilize the strength and power attainable in my Mastermind Group. Together we’ll apply tactics and strategies used by only one in a thousand business owners. Imagine yourself at the top of your field.

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

« Previous Posts
BBB Online