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How Embarrassing Is That?

By Charlie Cook | April 7, 2009

This past weekend I was in the attic sorting through piles of stuff. I’m convinced that kids’ toys, sleeping bags, broken chairs and rusty fans have been sneaking up there in the middle of the night for years now.

I was up in the attic because we’re renovating a bathroom and have a dumpster in our driveway. I could have cleaned out the attic in the past, but having the dumpster right there has made it so much more appealing.

One of the items consigned to the dumpster was a baby carriage that someone gave us when our daughter was born that they had in their attic. Twenty-five years later, we still had this big honking, Mary Poppins-type perambulator taking up space. It didn’t have any antique or sentimental value. We took it to Goodwill and even they didn’t want it. Back to the dumpster.

How embarrassing is that?

Have you ever kept something around that was out-of-date, thinking it might be useful again someday, when it really should have been thrown out?

How about your website marketing?

It’s probably only a few years old, but is it outdated or just plain not working? Is it time to figure what you really need, and what you don’t?

Ready to clean up your website marketing so it brings in more profits? Start here >>

95% of existing web sites were built using obsolete models. People re-created their sales brochures online, or put up sites so they’d have “a web presence” or were convinced that “if we build it, they will come.” If sites like these have any significant traffic at all, they aren’t working to generate leads and close sales. They’re website marketing is a failure.

Is your site one of these?

Ready to fix your website marketing so it actually brings in a steady stream of qualified leads and/or sales?

While I don’t want to get anywhere near your attic, and in fact I could still use some help with mine, I can show you how to clean up your website marketing so you can grow your business this year.

Discover the fastest way to ramp up your website marketing >>

Look at your sales figures and site stats and answer these questions:

1. Does my site attract a steady stream of visitors?
2. Do I have a system for increasing traffic to my site?
3. Are at least 10% of the visitors to my site contacting me or buying from me?
4. Do I have a simple process in place for converting visitors into paying clients?
5. Is my site optimized to maximize the value of each visitor and customer?

If you answered NO to any of the above questions, it’s time to clean up your website marketing and put it to work to increase your profits. Don’t wait until it’s as useless as my daughter’s baby carriage. Do it now.

With a few changes to your website marketing, you could be one of the few business owners who will increase their online profits this year.

Discover how to grow your business online this year >>

– Charlie

P.S. Don’t let a website marketing strategy that isn’t working sit there collecting dust and costing you money. Spring clean your website marketing and start bringing in more profits.

I’m continually amazed at how many people put up with a website that doesn’t bring in leads and sales. You’re too smart to do that. You’re one of the few who are looking to optimize your website’s performance so you can make more.

Ready to bring in more profits with your website marketing? >>

The Fastest Way To Make The Sale

By Charlie Cook | March 31, 2009

Have you ever had a prospect walk away from a sale just when you thought you were about to close?

Of course you have. It happens all the time. And more and more small business owners tell me that in this economy, their prospects are even more price sensitive. They’re finding it harder than ever to close as many sales as they want to.

Are you closing all the sales as you want to? Discover how to close more sales here >>

Before I tell you the easy way to bring in more sales, I want to clear up some confusion about marketing in this recession.

Price Is Not The Problem
While finances are very tight for some people, the majority actually have money to spend. In fact individual savings rates have almost doubled in recent months and many people have even more money in the bank than a year ago.

No question that everyone is looking for a deal, and hoping to get the same kind of discounts that we’ve been seeing for the last 4 months, what they really want is value. But it’s not the price that closes the sale. You’ll make the sale when your prospect feels certain that they are getting the best value for their money.

Want more sales? Use this proven strategy >>

Focus On Selling and Kill the Sale
I was talking with Sam, a coaching client who recently went on a shopping spree. His business grew enough last year that he not only had money to spend on his home in New York, but he purchased a second home in Florida.

Sam and his wife needed a new dishwasher for their home in New York. They went to three appliance stores. In the first two, the salespeople asked a couple of questions and then launched into hard sell presentations about the benefits of various models on the floor.

Sam and his wife walked out of both stores. They didn’t want to be sold, and the salespeople were so focused on making their pitches that they drove these prospects away.

The salesperson at the third appliance store took the time to ask them about their home, their cooking and entertaining habits, and their budget. Then he showed them two dishwashers that would suit their needs. One was within their budget but didn’t have everything they were looking for, and one cost more than they had planned to spend, but had all the features they wanted.

Have you guessed the outcome? Right. Sam and his wife bought the higher priced machine because it was a good value for them. They bought from the salesperson who took the time to ask a few questions, listen to their answers and then offer them two good solutions.

Want to make more sales? Start here >>

Focus on the Customer and Make the Sale
Sam had a similar experience house hunting in Florida. He and his wife got in touch with a realtor who’d been referred to them and described what they were looking for in detail before they headed south.

When they arrived in sunny Florida, the real estate agent took them on a whirlwind tour. She had 15 houses she wanted to show them in one day. After seeing the first five, Sam and his wife called it quits.

The realtor hadn’t listened to them. She was showing them homes that didn’t match what they’d told her they wanted, and they were frustrated looking at homes they had no interest in. The remaining 10 houses on the realtors list were just more of the same.

On a return trip a few weeks later, Sam and his wife met with a new realtor. This one asked them detailed questions and then showed them just 3 houses, one of which they now own.

You get the picture. Focus on the customer’s needs and make the sale.

Want to avoid losing customers and close more sales? Use this proven strategy >>

Diagnosis Before Prescribing
When you’re in your doctor’s office describing the pain in your back that’s been killing you for two weeks, you want her to hear the whole story. You don’t want her making a diagnosis before she has all the information about when and where you feel pain and how it all started. There’s a diagnostic side to sales, too.

Before you present a solution to a client, before you try to get them to spend a dime, help them define the problem they are trying to solve. Ask your prospects questions to find out what their needs are. Then use the information they provide to advise them about the best solutions.

People aren’t looking to be sold. They’re looking for help buying what they want. Help them, and you’ll make a lot more money.

It sounds incredibly simple, but over 60% of the salespeople Sam encountered weren’t using this simple strategy to succeed. Most small business owners, marketers and salespeople don’t ask the key questions that will help convert their prospects to clients

I know you’re smarter than most, which is why I’d like to show you marketing tips for the fastest way to close more sales >>

– Charlie

P.S. Want to know which questions to ask your prospects and which to avoid? This important topic was covered in detail on this month’s Monthly Marketing Membership Program. If you’re not a member yet, sign up today to get the insider strategies that will help you succeed this year.

Interested? >>

Marketing Ideas – Where To Start In This Economy…

By Charlie Cook | March 24, 2009

Even some of the most successful small business owners are seeing their sales slow down in this economy. As a smart entrepreneur, you know that marketing is the key to successful selling. It’s the engine that drives your profits.

Has your marketing stalled?

How can you get things running again and get your sales and profits back on track?

Discover how to power up your marketing ideas in this economy >>

I was at my grandmother’s place in Maine with my roommate Rex one summer during college. She had offered us the use of her aging 1949 Jeep while we were there. We thought it would be a blast to take it for a spin. There was only one problem.

After a winter of neglect, the old rusty Jeep wouldn’t start. I had no idea what to do. I was about to give up and walk away when Rex stopped me. “It’s not that complicated to get one of these engines running again. It’s either a fuel problem or an electrical problem. We just have to figure out which it is and then we can fix it ourselves.”

With that mindset, we checked the battery, spark plugs, fuel lines, and fuel pump. We finally traced the problem to a dirty carburetor. Once Rex showed me how to approach the problem, with some basic tools we were able to get the Jeep running again.

Troubleshoot your marketing the same way. If you’re not getting all the sales you want, the problem is either leads (the fuel) or conversions (the spark that turns leads into profits).

Not reaching your sales goals? You need to fix your leads or your conversions.

Discover how to get your marketing up to top speed >>

Ready to repair your marketing problems and get your marketing engine running again? Start with these basic diagnostic questions:

Leads
1. Do you use a free offer to get qualified prospects to contact you?

2. Is your free offer compelling? Do at least 1 out of 20 people who are exposed to it contact you?

3. Do you feature your free offer prominently on your web site so that 10% of visitors to your site contact you?

4. Are you using a client-focused marketing message that explains in 10 or 12 words what benefit you provide?

5. Do you have a no-cost referral strategy for extending your reach and helping more people learn how you can help them?

Want more leads and sales? Start here >>

Conversions
1. Do you have an automated follow-up process in place to convert leads to sales?

2. Are your sales processes, your sales conversations and sales copy structured around product features or your prospects’ problems? If you’re focusing on product or service features, you’re doing it wrong.

3. When you get a prospect to the point of purchase are you using an up-sell strategy to maximize your profits?

4. Do you have a system for cross-selling clients to maximize the dollar value of each client?

5. Are you currently testing ways to increase your conversion rates? If you’re not, you may be leaving a large portion of your profits on the table.

Interested in converting more prospects and closing more sales? Find out how >>

If you answered no to any of the above, your marketing is missing key parts. Add them to get your profits pouring in.

Like your car engine, marketing is a system. If it’s not bringing in the level of profits you want, the fastest way to restart it and get it up to top speed is to figure out what part of the system isn’t working.

Start by determining whether it’s a problem with leads or conversions. Once you know that you can identify whether the problem is your offer, your marketing message, or your closing process. And often, just by fixing one element of your marketing, you can get the whole system running and easily double your income.

Don’t let this economy slow you down >>

– Charlie

P.S. Current car engines are a lot more complicated than the 1949 Jeep that Rex and I got running again. But don’t let new technologies distract you from the basics. You can still diagnose your marketing engine and fix it. Need a hand?

Discover the simple system for maximizing your leads, conversions and profits >>

Who Will Be The Business Marketing Winners In This Economy?

By Charlie Cook | March 10, 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.

4 SEO Strategies You Should Know…

By Charlie Cook | March 9, 2009

I know it’s Sunday and I don’t often email you on Sunday’s but there are two important things I wanted you to know about this week. The first is about my one-on-one mentoring program and the other is a list of four search engine tips, which you’ll find below.

One-On-One Mentoring for Higher Profits
I had to close my marketing mentoring program last August because I was completely booked but that has changed for the moment. One client, Mary Ellen and Ed in Southern California, are now bringing in so much new business they are taking a break to hire on new staff. And my new book is out of my hands. It’s in its final edit, giving me more time to devote to helping you.

As of today I’m accepting applications for two openings for one-on-one mentoring.

That’s right, I’ve only got two openings for my one-on-one, hold your hand and show you how to get it right marketing mentoring program. And these two spots may be gone in the next couple of days if you wait. If you’re interested please fill in the form at:
https://www.marketingforsuccess.com/mentoring.html

But before you apply realize you may not qualify. I’m only looking for ambitious business owners, people who can show me a track record of success and people who are doers not talkers. People like Kris >>

I can show you what works and help you double or triple your business but be aware that I expect you to take charge and implement the proven ideas I’ll be walking you through. If you do you can easily add $10,000 to $100,000 a month to your income, depending on your business.

Interested? Use the form at the bottom of the page to apply >>

4 SEO Tips You Should Know
Currently my primary content site gets an average of over 40,000 visitors each month and my store site gets over 17,000 each month for a total of more than 684,000 visits a year. And this traffic keeps growing each year thanks to a few simple SEO strategies.

1. In order to get a top ranking in the search engines find out how your current website scores. HubSpot’s Website Grader does a pretty good job for a look at the on-page aspects. Once you know what to fix you can you’re your site move up in the rankings to get more traffic and sales.
>> http://website.grader.com

2. Boost your page rank by getting more sites to link to yours. To find out how many incoming links you’ve got now you can use Link Popularity >> http://www.linkpopularity.com/

3. Create your XML sitemap. In case you haven’t done this already, you should use Google’s Webmaster Tools – http://www.google.com/webmasters/tools to create a site map so Google knows what pages are on your site.

4. Add more relevant content to attract your target market and the search engines. Why do you think I added the sections on my site about video marketing, radio marketing and marketing slogans? Because they attract my target audience and keep people on the site. Find relevant resources to add to your site to do the same and your search engine ranking will improve.

Gotta go. My wife has this idea that I’m supposed to be working on her honey-do list on Sundays.

– Charlie

P.S. If you’re ready to grow your business this year, get more leads, more interest, get people calling or increase sales with your web site, I’ve got just 2 openings in my mentoring program. Once these fill up the program will be closed and space may not be available for 6-12 months.

Interested in getting in? Apply here >>

The Secret to Marketing When Money Is Tight

By Charlie Cook | March 4, 2009

Struggling to bring in new business? Wish you could generate more leads and clients without having to deplete your cash reserves in this tough economy?

Whether you’re just starting out or have a well-established business, the truth is that some of the most powerful ways to grow your business can be had for free! And these work whether you’re netting $50,000 a year or $10,000,000 a year in business.

Here are three no-cost, high return ideas you can take to the bank in this tough economy:

1. Give Away Something For Free
I use a simple report I wrote to bring in an average of 60 leads a day or over 400 each week. Each week my list of qualified prospects grows. I spent a few days writing the report but after that my lead generation costs went to zero.

Business Week ran an article last year about Chipotle’s successful giveaway marketing strategy. The fast food restaurant chain has handed out tens of thousands of free burritos and tacos as way of building a loyal clientele. In just one day Chipotle gave away 6,000 burritos when they opened a mid-town location in Manhattan.

This customer-satisfying strategy cost them $35,000, just about the same amount they would have spent for a half page black and white ad in The New York Times.

Let your prospects sample your ideas or your products. It’s the fastest way to help people understand the value of what you provide, to trust you and to want to do business with you. Chipotle has leveraged this strategy to become one of the fastest growing restaurant chains in the country. Imagine what this marketing strategy could do for you!

Ready to generate more leads and make more money this year >>

2. Create Compelling Offers
In this economy your offers need to grab your prospect’s interest and prompt them to act right away. Special time limited or limited availability offers are what the retail chains are using and you can use too.

People buy your products and services based on their perception of value. Whether you are charging five dollars or five thousand, your prospects need to be convinced that the benefits you provide will outweigh the cost.

To stimulate sales place your offer in the context of your target market’s concerns. Once you’ve clarified how your product or service meets their concerns the value of your offer will be apparent.

Creating a compelling offer is an art and involves blending the following items together to create a sentence or two which will move people to take action, whether it is contacting you or making an immediate purchase.

Include the following items to create an offer that helps sell:

Name – What you are selling
Benefit – The problem it solves
Credibility – Why they should buy from you
Value – How useful it will be to them
Guarantee – Your promise to them
Motivation to Act – A reason to take advantage of your offer today.

Want to know all the secrets to winning more clients and more business >>

3. Get Others to Promote Your Business for You
The goal in marketing is to reach more prospects, get them to trust you and understand the value of your products and services. What’s the fastest and least expensive way to do this?

Get others to promote you.

That’s right. No matter what you’re product or service there are other businesses that offer non-competing products and services to the same target market. Join forces with them and get them to promote your company and you’ve instantly extended your reach, leveraged the trust relationship they have with their list and all you need to do is clarify the value of your service or products.

Want to discover the fastest, least expensive ways to attract all the clients you can handle. Get the details >>

How do you find other businesses willing to promote yours? Let me give you a few examples.

You’re an athletic trainer. You could partner with someone who provides sports massage or nutrition counseling. Even weekend warriors will benefit from this combination of services. You promote each other and all of you could double your clientele without spending a dime.

Or if you own a web site that sells shoes, you could offer a $25 discount coupon with each sale over $75 that your customers can use at another site that sells socks, and vice a versa. You both generate more sales and make more money without actually spending a penny.

Or if you’re a voice coach working with aspiring executives you could partner with a leadership or sales coach. If you each provide your partner with the marketing collateral they need to promote you, your cost is minimal and you both double your marketing reach.

Each time you partner with a business that has a broad customer base, you’ll dramatically increase your sales and profits. And you’ll do so virtually for free.

There are dozens of other ways to position and expand your business, strategies that work whether you’re just starting out or you’re growing a well-established business.

Discover how to leap-frog the competition and double your profits this year. Get the details with this link >>

– Charlie

P.S. What’s the one marketing bible recommended by Brian Tracy, Tom Hopkins and Jay Conrad Levinson? Find out >>

3 Ways To Succeed In This Economy

By Charlie Cook | February 24, 2009

What’s the number one thing to realize about 2009? It was true in 2008 but by now it should be sinking in.

What’s different about doing business this year and last?

The rules have changed!

For 95% of businesses, you can’t keep growing or making a profit using boom marketing strategies. I’m sure you’ve noticed by now that they don’t work. That you can’t make as much as you were much less reach your growth goals if you keep doing the same things you used to do to grow your business.

What are your 5 options for dealing with this economy?

1. Use denial
Tell yourself everything is fine and pretend that the recession will just go away. Denial is one of the first lines of defense. It’s your reaction to news you don’t want to hear. We all use it, but it’s only a temporary way to block out bad news and no matter how long you stay in denial it doesn’t make anything better.

2. Be angry
If your growth plans are on the shelf and your profits are shrinking you can look for someone to blame. I can think of a few financial wizards, who are morally bankrupt, to be mad at. But ultimately being angry won’t make you rich.

3. Get depressed
If you read the news, see how many people are losing their jobs, or take a look at your profits, it’s easy to get depressed. You could just give up and ask yourself, “Why bother with anything?” It’s natural to feel this way but at some point if you want to start attracting more clients and making more money you’ll need to move beyond depression to…

4. Accept the situation
The few smart economists who predicted this recession tell us that you and I are going to be dealing with it for five to eight years. If you accept this and can move beyond denial, anger and depression then you’ll accept that the rules have changed and you can…

5. Do something about it
Change the way you market your business. If you want different results you’re going to need to change the way you generate leads, and find out how to close more sales and generate more revenue from each client.

No one likes to be forced to change but if you want your business to survive much less prosper – it’s time. Don’t worry it’s easier than you think.

3 Ways to Succeed In This Economy
Last year, in early 2008, just when this recession was really kicking in, I got a call from Mary Ellen and Ed, a pair of therapists in California who were struggling to attract new clients and build a profitable practice. They were at a break even point but needed 50% more clients to reach their goals.

Here are the 3 simple strategies I showed them.

A. Create A Top Converting Lead Generation Website
When we started working together, their web site was closer to an online brochure and it wasn’t working to generate leads.

I showed them how to replace boring copy with the key phrases they needed to use to keep people reading and which elements to include on the page to prompt people to contact them.

The result? They’re now getting two to three times the leads and the ones they are getting are more qualified and closer to the ideal clients they want.

Interested in making your site more profitable too? Start here >>

B. Replace Expensive Online Advertising With Top Search Engine Placement
In an effort to drive traffic to their site, Mary Ellen and Ed had been spending thousands of dollars each month on pay per click ads. With a site that wasn’t working to convert visitors to valuable prospects this was a waste of money and killing their profits.

Instead of costly advertising, I showed them a few key SEO strategies that ramped up their traffic making it possible to cut back on the expense of pay-per-click ads and increasing their profits.

Want to know how to get all the traffic you need to be more profitable? Go here >>

C. Improve Follow-up To Increase Prospect to Client Conversions
Ed had been writing a newsletter but it seemed like no one was reading it much less picking up the phone to talk to him or Mary Ellen about their services.

I showed Ed how to make a small shift in focus and content and turn the newsletters into a proactive conversion tool, increasing calls and clients.

Ready to improve your follow-up and close more online sales? Use this >>

3 simple changes – done right – the result?

Last year in 2008 Mary Ellen and Ed more than doubled their business and now in early 2009 have reached their goals. They have all the clients they can handle.

Let me ask you three questions.

1.    Do you want help reaching your goals?
2.    Would you like to have all the clients you can handle?
3.    Want to make more this year?

If you answered yes to any of these, then it’s time to move beyond, denial, anger, depression and acceptance and take action to find out how like Mary Ellen and Ed, you can put your business on top in this economy.

– Charlie

P.S. Most business owners are in denial about their websites. They don’t work, so they give up on them. Don’t make this mistake. With a few quick fixes you can easily use your site to double or triple your income.

Interested in making more with your website? Find out what to do >>

There Is Something You Can Do In This Economy

By Charlie Cook | February 18, 2009

Tired of watching your sales and profits slip in these tough financial times?

While it’s true the wizards of Wall Street, left to their own, have certainly played havoc with our financial system and made making a living, much less realizing your dream, a lot harder – there is something you should know.

You can do something about your web marketing.

No, I’m not talking about writing your Congressperson, waiting for the bailout to take hold, or playing the lottery. What I’m talking about is using one of the simplest and most profitable marketing strategies on the planet and the one that most business owners ignore.

What is it? What’s the solution to making higher profits and to being successful in this economy?

Before I tell you the simple solution, let me tell you the mistake that most business owners make. Most business owners make the mistake of trying to be everything to everybody. They labor under the illusion that higher profits come from web marketing the broadest range of services and products to the most number of people.

Are you doing this?

Are you trying to appeal to multiple target markets?

If you are, you’re on the wrong track and you’re missing out on huge profits. Yes, I know some people want everyone to like them and I have one thing to tell those people. Get over it if you want to make money.

You’ll be much more successful if you focus your business and your marketing on a specific set of products and services and prospects. When you try to appeal to everyone, no one will see you as the go-to expert, or the perfect provider.

Find out the fastest way to increase your profits >>

The solution?

Focus your business on a profitable niche!

I know this sounds obvious but 98% of all business owners I talk to are trying to appeal to too many people. They are trying to do too much and as a result aren’t getting the loyalty and business of their primary target market.

You’re marketing should both attract and repel. If it’s so general that it doesn’t repel anyone then it won’t do a very good job of attracting qualified prospects.

Want to discover how to attract higher profits >>

Imagine you wanted to open a restaurant that everyone would like. What would you serve? Well after you made your entrees low salt, low sugar, low fat, non-meat to satisfy the vegetarians, and non-spicy to meet the needs of people with sensitive stomachs, what you’d be left with would be tasteless gruel. It wouldn’t appeal to anyone and you’d go broke or be stuck selling it to hospitals.

Now imagine instead you only wanted to be the best restaurant for a specific niche. That’s what the “Gun Barrel” does, a restaurant my son and I ate at on ski trip to Jackson Hole this month. The “Gun Barrel” serves mammoth beef and bison steaks, as well as elk, and venison. The elk I ordered arrived practically dripping with blood and I’d asked for it medium rare, the most they cook their meats.

No, the “Gun Barrel” isn’t for everyone and it’s definitely going to repel vegetarians, vegans and the like. But if you’re a full-fledged carnivore, you’re going to love it. And while I’m sure some people avoid ever setting foot inside, it was packed with meat lovers and doing a brisk business.

Interested in packing your business with loyal clients >>

Is your business focused on a specific target market? Most people will say of course, but before you do take the following test.

If you asked five people to describe what you do – would they all give the same answer?

In the case of the “Gun Barrel” I’m sure you would. They’ve targeted a specific niche, providing steak and game, and hit it dead center in order to maximize their profits.

Could you focus your business more and increase your profits?

In the past few years, homebuilders have seen a huge drop in sales. As a group, they’ve taken a beating and most of the ones I talk to tell me there isn’t anything they can do – the problem is the banks.

I’d agree that Wall Street and the banks in this country have royally screwed things up, but I’d also say that most builders have it wrong. There is something they can do – they can go from being generalists to specialists. They can focus their business on where the money is in this market. And you can too.

Want to know how to focus your business to make more this year >>

Yesterday I talked to one smart builder in Georgia who had done just this. He’s focused his business on first time home-buyers and on empty nesters. He’s got a 2400 square foot design that is built to be expandable. It’s built with an unfinished second floor that’s ready to be completed. That way people pay for what they can afford, then when they have the money they can expand. Smart builder!

By specializing, focusing your business, you too can become the go-to expert in your industry. No you won’t appeal to everyone but you’ll attract a lot more qualified prospects, the people who will become ideal clients.

And there is a secondary benefit to specializing, to focusing your business. You’ll make more!

Think about – who drives a fancier car, who brings in the most money? The local doctor, the general practitioner or the specialist, the surgeon? In every case it’s the specialist who makes more money.

Interested in making more this year? Start here >>

-Charlie

P.S. One of the most common questions I get from people is how can I make more without spending a fortune. Focusing your business costs you nothing and can easily double or triple your profits.

Discover the secret to cost effective marketing >>

2 Simple Marketing Strategies To Grow In a Down Economy

By Charlie Cook | February 9, 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 >>

What’s the #1 Profit Strategy For You?

By Charlie Cook | January 27, 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.

https://www.marketingforsuccess.com/mastermind-group.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.

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