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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 >>

Does This Drive You Crazy Too?

By Charlie Cook | February 19, 2009

I’ll never forget that drive back from Vermont, one winter evening in February when I was 14. I’d been skiing in Vermont with my parents and on the way home we got stuck in a blizzard.

We were less than 60 miles from home when all traffic on our side of the highway came to a stand still. We could see that there was an exit a quarter-mile ahead, and wanted to get off but we couldn’t move forward, not even an inch.

We sat and waited for ten or 15 minutes. It snowed and got darker outside. I was contemplating a long cold night in the car when my father suggested we take a look, get out and see what the problem was. To be honest, at 14, the idea hadn’t occurred to me. I was just waiting for some big snowplow from the sky to show up and magically take care of things.

We walked forward past hundreds of cars with people sitting inside, running their engines to stay warm. When we reached the exit we discovered the problem. Six cars were stuck in the snow blocking it so no one could get off.

Six relatively small cars (this was pre-SUV) had slid sideways in the snow. And in every case the drivers were just sitting inside doing nothing.

My father and I looked at the situation and quickly realized that all we needed was five or ten strong backs and we could easily clear the downward slopping exit ramp and get things moving.

That’s when I got the surprise of my life – remember I was only 14.

With hundreds of cars lined up on the highway, we figured it’d be easy to get a few people out into the snowy night and get things going. By now we’d been there for almost an hour without any signs of help or movement.

When we tried to get the other stranded motorists to do something – hardly anyone seemed interested in leaving their warm cars. They were just waiting and slowly using up the gas in their tanks as the snow piled up around their cars.

We had to knock on dozens and dozens of car windows just to get a handful of people to take action and help themselves and dig out the few cars that were creating the bottleneck.

You know what drives me crazy – totally bonkers? APATHY!

Apathy drives me crazy! It drives me nuts when people wait for someone else to solve a problem – when an easy solution is right in front of them. Ultimately it took us longer to round up a few action oriented individuals than it did to clear the ramp and get on our way.

This recession reminds me of that wintry night years ago stuck on the highway. This economic climate is like a big blizzard and it’s slowing things down for sure. So what are most business owners doing about it?

Most business owners are hunkering down and hoping someone else will solve the problem. They’re sitting tight while their sales dry up – when instead they could be taking action and increasing their profits.

Which are you doing?

Last year Mary Ellen and Ed, two therapists from California came to me with what might seem like an improbably task. They had recently started their business, were struggling and wanted to see if I could help them while most other businesses were floundering.

They could have just hunkered down and lived with it – waiting for some miracle but instead they sought a solution and took action. One year later – they’ve more than doubled their business and have almost as many clients as they can handle. You can do the same!

There are four remaining spaces available in the MasterMind Mentoring Group and if you apply today, you may still be able to get in. Just use this link to apply or email Jessica@37d57f8fa2.nxcli.io to schedule a time to talk with me personally to get your questions answered.

Just in case you’re confused by the name – it’s called a MasterMind Mentoring Group so you’ll benefit from the others experience but don’t have any doubt about it, I’ll be showing you what to do – I’ll be mentoring you directly.

Once these four remaining spots are full, the group will be closed. If you’re one of those people overwhelmed by apathy, this isn’t for you. But if you’re smart, an action taker and you want to do something about making sure your business comes out on top this year – don’t wait – do something about it.

In Tuesday’s email, I’ll detail the four simple steps Mary Ellen and Ed used to increase their leads and convert more leads into clients and more than double their business in the past 12 months.

– Charlie

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.

What’s Your Plan?

By Charlie Cook | January 26, 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 >>

3 Ways To Beat the Recession

By Charlie Cook | January 22, 2009

WARNING

This email isn’t for the faint of heart,people who can’t face the music, or stomach the truth. In short, don’t read another word of this email unless you want the unvarnished truth about your business and your profits.

Still reading?

The majority of businesses this year will decline in sales and in profits just as they did last year. And even worse nine out of ten people will come up with some excuse, in most cases a totally lame one, about why their business sales and profits are down.

What are the most common excuses?

–    It’s the economy.
–    Fewer people are buying.
–    I’ve tried everything and nothing I do seems to make a difference.

SORRY! I don’t buy it.

If the above was true, then why did some businesses, in addition to the bankruptcy lawyers, grow last year and why are they continuing to grow in leaps and bounds this year in 2009?

Yes, the economy is in a slump and on average sales are down and most people, 9 out of 10, just keep doing the same things over and over. They keep marketing their business the same way they would in more prosperous times and what do you know – it doesn’t work.

Only one out of ten people, and I’m hoping you are one of them, has the smarts to know that if their business isn’t growing and if sales are shrinking, that they need to change the way they market their business. For these people, the people who seek out and find the profit-building strategies that work in any economy, success is almost guaranteed.

Not everyone’s business is tanking in this economy, many grew their profits by 50 to 100 percent or more last year, and you can do the same.

One client, Ed from California emailed me Tuesday morning to apologize for not getting his assignment done this week. Why? His business is up by 300% compared to last January and he’s swamped with new clients.

Some people like to run around like Chicken Little waiting for the sky to fall, others seek out answers.

Which type of person are you?

If you’re a solution seeker instead of excuse maker here’s three simple steps to keep your business on track and make this year your most profitable:

1. Stay Confident
The biggest mistake you can make is to lose confidence in your products and your services. Starting to doubt your unique competitive advantage and your ability to improve your marketing could kill your business. You’ve lost the race before the start. Like a bear smells fear, your customers will notice your hesitancy and they’ll buy from a competitor who appears confident of success. They’ll steer clear of you and you’ll lose even more business.

2. Focus On Your Core Strengths
Obviously you’re doing business in a very different economic climate than you were a few years or even a few months ago. The marketing strategies that may have helped you stay afloat in the past could easily sink your business this year.

To succeed in this economy, your small business needs to be more focused and specialized. Big companies like Circuit City who sold a bit of everything are closing their doors, but I see this happening to small businesses as well. Small companies that try to provide too many products or services are struggling. And for good reason; prospects can’t figure out what they excel at.

On the other hand, businesses that target a specific service or product are holding their own. I’m hearing that business is steady and, in some cases, growing. Online, many niche services and products are growing too, including online bookkeeping, online virtual assistants and niche information products.

3. Find Out How To Attract More Buyers
There are plenty of buyers out there. All you need to do is attract a few more. The first step to increasing your profits in the next 12 months is to find out how to:

• Help more people know how you can help them,
• Gain their confidence so that you can give them what they want,
• Give them an urgent reason to buy.

To make it easier, I’ve created the lowest cost way to access the strategies you need to maximize your profits in less time this year. I’ve put together a monthly mastermind program to show you exactly what works and how to do it.

If you think you’ve got what it takes…I’ll be looking for you to fill in the application next week when the program opens.

Make sure to apply as soon as the Mastermind program opens. If you’ve put yourself on the Mastermind VIP list, you’ll get access on Monday a day ahead of everyone else. Make sure to watch for the email Monday about where to apply.

If you haven’t done so already and want early access to apply, use this URL in the next few minutes and get access to my free telecall next week >>

But wait there’s more. Right.

In order to join the Insider’s Marketing Mastermind group, you’ll have to qualify. This is an exclusive group. I can only accept 25 people into the program. To be considered, fill in the application, and then on the next page, submit your deposit. Jessica will be interviewing all applicants and we’ll let you know asap whether you’re one of the lucky ones to get in.

In the mean time remember to sign up as a VIP for the free telecall scheduled for the 29th, where I’ll be sharing the #1 Profit-Building Idea for 2009 >>

-Charlie

P.S. Forgot to add yourself to the Mastermind VIP list to apply for early acceptance?

Sign up for the telecall to discover the #1 Profit Building Idea You Can Use for 2009 and we’ll add your name to the Mastermind VIP list >>

Can We Talk – from Charlie

By Charlie Cook | January 21, 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 >>

4 Steps to Higher Profits This Year

By Charlie Cook | January 20, 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 >>