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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 >>

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 >>

How To Achieve a Breakthrough This Year

By Charlie Cook | January 19, 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.

The #1 Small Business Marketing Tip for Outrageous Profits

By Charlie Cook | January 5, 2009

How can I generate more leads, more sales and make more money?

That’s the one marketing tip I hear struggling entrepreneurs and small business owners asking for. Do you know the answer?

The answer is simple. Give your prospects a chance to test out your expertise, your products and your services. This is the fastest way to demonstrate the value you offer and to develop the trust you need from a prospect to make a sale.

Say you’re in the market for a new car (lucky you, in this economic climate!). You walk into a car showroom – in my case it’d be the Audi dealer’s – and what do you want to do before you make any decision to buy?

You want to take at least one car out for a test drive, see how it handles, check out the leather seats to see how comfortable they are and even test the GPS, and the other bells and whistles.

Now imagine that when you walked into the showroom, the sales associate told you you couldn’t touch the car, get in it or take it for a test drive; all you could do was look at it.

What would you do? You’d leave and go find a dealer that had their head screwed on right. It’s hard to imagine a salesperson that wouldn’t let you test out a product or service.

Yet that’s what most business owners do: they try to sell their products and services without giving prospects a free test.

Too often business owners worry so much about their profits they they lose sight of the face that profits come when their prospects experience the benefits of their product or service. Big mistake!

In fact, the more you give away to prospects the more money you’ll make in return.

Now I’m not talking about giving away your products. I’m talking about giving your prospects a taste of your knowledge or your services so they can get to know you and trust you.

For example, you’re getting this newsletter because I gave you a free ebook. And it wasn’t something I just threw together; it represents some of my best ideas. This simple giving strategy has prompted over 40,000 people to add their names to my mailing list.

You may use an initial free offer simply to build your database of prospects like I do, but at some point you’re going to want to prompt your prospects to buy. What kind of offer will motivate people to buy?

Again, give away something for free or for practically free:

* Oreck successfully sold one of it’s vacuums by offering it free for the first 30 days along witha $130 iron as a gift.

* Time magazine’s online offer is: “Subscribe to TIME! Plus, get 6 months more for 1 cent!”

* Cingular offers “Free Camera Phones” when you sign up for a 2 year agreement. Other phone services “give away” free minutes when you sign up.

* Send people a check. AT&T mailed out 200 million checks to former customers and 10 million became clients again. By cashing the check, prospects agreed to sign on with AT&T.

* A local Stamford, Connecticut investment adviser gave away a free workshop and grew their assets by $20 million.

* Google gives away its top quality search services in order to attract viewers for the unobtrusive ad space they sell.

* Charles Schwab gives away access to its select list of mutual funds.

* As a skier, this is one of my favorite offers; Andes Tower, a small ski area in Kensington, Minnesota, started a free after-school program three evenings a week that included transportation to the hill, equipment and lift tickets for 4th, 5th, and 6th graders. In other words, they gave away everything and then some. The benefit? Their ski shop immediately sold out of every piece of junior equipment (for 7th-12th
graders).

The long term benefit is that they’re grooming a generation of kids who love skiing. They’ll be back with their parents to buy more gear as they grow. And who knows? Down the road they may be back with children of their own.

Want to supercharge your small business marketing and your profits?

The more you give away in terms of perceived value, the more money you’ll make.

Give something away that your prospects need. Give away ideas your prospects can use and help them understand when and how to use your products and services. It’s the best-kept secret to success.

This year I gave away more free ebooks than every before. The result? 2008 has been my most
successful ever.

Give to Get! That’s the core marketing tip. Put it into practice and you’ll see your profits soar, too.

What is your Give to Get strategy?

-Charlie

A Most Unusual & Odd Request from Charlie

By Charlie Cook | December 17, 2008

What’s one of the biggest challenges in small business marketing?

It’s getting your prospect’s attention. If they don’t know you exist, much less know how you can help them, you’re going to have a tough time closing sales and making more money.

How do you get your prospects’ attention when they’re overwhelmed by advertising messages and have conditioned themselves to tune them out?

Use INTERRUPTION marketing!

Break into your prospects’ train of thought. Get them to switch from whatever they were working on or pondering to thinking about how much you could help them. Interruption Marketing is the conversation starter.

What is interruption marketing?

It’s the headline, the bold graphic, the creative layout, the audio, etc you use to grab your prospects’ attention so you can have a conversation with them.

“A Most Unusual & Odd request from Charlie”

In order to get you to open this post, I used a headline to pique your curiosity. If you want your prospects and clients to open your emails, you need to do the same. Use a subject line that makes them stop what they are doing and open your email.

Want to see another example of Interruption Marketing?
See this >>

The Purpose
The purpose of interruption marketing is to distract your prospect from what they were thinking and then to capitalize on the opportunity by telling them what to do next. And you’ve only got a second to move them from a second of attention to having a conversation, even if its a virtual one, similar to what you and I are doing now.

What’s the risk of using Interruption Marketing?
You can easily go too far and turn off some of your prospects.

What’s the even greater risk of not using Interruption Marketing?
No one pays attention to your marketing and you go out of business.

Before you use Interruption Marketing, understand the difference between giving your prospects’ a choice and just plain annoying them. One leads to a possible sale, the other to a lost customer.

You want your interruption to leave your prospect feeling positive about your products and services. Sales calls during dinner and the online ads that jump up and cover your emails are not positive experiences.

Want to know what one of the best ways to get peoples’ attention is?

Ask a QUESTION.

At the top of the homepage for MarketingForSuccess there’s a pertinent question in large, bold type at the top of the page. Why? Because when people read a question, their natural inclination is to stop what they are doing and try and answer it.

Isn’t that what you do?

But… I can hear my wife saying it and maybe you’re thinking it, too, “Isn’t interruption marketing ugly, often garish and hard sell?”

You’re right! A lot of interruption marketing is done in poor taste and doesn’t work. But when it’s done well, it’s original, clever and it keeps your attention.

If your marketing is plain vanilla, no one will ever read it. If it’s garish or simply badly done, it won’t be taken seriously. Depending on your target market, smack dab in the middle is where the money is.

What’s my Most Unusual & Odd Request?
Take a look at this page and tell me now what you think >>
I bet you can’t look at the image at the top of the page without stopping to watch the dancing image. It gets your attention. Is it too much or on target?

My wife thinks it’s totally inane and annoying. A graphic designer, she hates animated kitschy things like this. And while I wouldn’t call it great art nor would I use this approach on every sales page, it’s been a huge sales success.

What do you think >>

If you already saw this page and joined my Monthly Marketing Mentoring Program, you’ll be having a great Christmas. You’ll be opening up my gift box with the huge bonus I sent you. And each month you’ll be hearing from the most successful marketers and sales people in the country, including people like Denny Hutch.

Denny is a veteran of direct marketing and can explain to you better than almost anyone exactly how to use interruption marketing to increase your sales and profits.

You haven’t joined YET?

I’ve only set aside 35 new member bundles for this holiday snow special. , Each is worth over $1,024, and I’m giving them away for just $39.95.

Last time I checked we only had a few left. So to get one,

You need to take action right away>>

FINAL REMINDER

This offer ends on December 20th, 2008!

USE THIS URL >>

-Charlie

P.S. The key to making Interruption Marketing work is to know your audience, know where to find them and how to talk to them. Then Interruption Marketing will work to increase your profits.

Speaking of profits – want to make 2009 your most profitable ever?
Start here >>

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