Charlie Cook's MArketing for Success Insider's Club

Marketing Ideas

So What’s Included in the Monthly Marketing Mentoring Program?

By Charlie Cook   |   October 27, 2008

I’ve been getting a lot of email from people wanting to know what’s included in the new Monthly Marketing Mentoring program that will launch tomorrow, Monday, at 11am.

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

The benefit to you is FOCUS.
Anyone who has been in business for a year or two knows that they need a marketing strategy to attract new clients and earn more. You know that you need have a way to attract clients, a way to clarify the value of your products and services and a way to close the sale.
And you may even know that with an effective follow strategy you can increase your profits by 300%.

Between print and e-media and using simple tools like the telephone, there are an almost infinite number of ways to market your business and an equal infinite number of ways to do it wrong and waste your time and hard earned cash.

Have you ever sent out a mailing, placed an ad or put up a web site and gotten no response, or not enough to break even? Despite all your hard work, your efforts missed the target. No one told you where or how to focus your marketing to get the results you wanted.

Knowing where to focus your marketing efforts is the key to the future of your company. While this has always been important, it’s even more so in this economy.

Have you ever asked;

What’s the quickest way to grow my business?

What’s the most cost-effective way to attract buyers?

What’s the best way to overcome the trust barrier and close the sale?

How can I write marketing copy that sells?

How can I use email to generate interest and close the sale?

The biggest challenge for any business owner — and even more so for small business owners — is knowing where to focus your efforts to maximize your return.

Your future, your success and how much you make depend on it.

What do you get when you join the Monthly Marketing Mentoring Program?

You’ll get access to the best ideas from the top marketing and sales experts in the country, people like Jay Conrad Levinson, Mike Bosworth, Al Ries, and many others including myself. With their expertise you’ll be able to focus the time and money you spend on marketing. You’ll discover the latest and most practical ways to pull in more profits.

How else will you benefit from being one of the first 250 people to sign up for this monthly marketing membership program?

You’ll receive my ultimate profit-generating gift worth $1,024.85

…as a BONUS when you test-drive this membership program including CDS and reports revealing:

– How to Make This Your Best Year Ever

– How to Close the Sale and Make $20,000 Next Month

– How to Think Like a Winner

– Which Mistakes 95% of Small Business Owners Make and How to Avoid Them

– 4 Easy Ways to Sell More

– How to Fix Your Web Site in One Week or Less

– The Essential Marketing Checklist

– The Ultimate Copywriting Checklist

And if that’s not enough, I’ll send the first 250 new-member gifts out with no shipping charges.

How much will membership cost?

With a value of thousands of dollars a month, what will this actually cost you? $297 a month? $197? Or will it be as low as only $97 a month?

You’ll find out the answer tomorrow when we open the doors.

Don’t miss it. With only 250 new member gifts, this is sure to sell out within days.

To your success,

Charlie

MarketingForSuccess

P.S. In sum, what’s the benefit of membership? Knowing where to focus your marketing so you maximize your profits in less time and with less effort.

It’s no secret; you can easily double and triple your business when you know what how to market it. I look forward to working with you. Remember to sign up tomorrow.

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How To Sell Without A Single Pitch

By Charlie Cook   |   October 14, 2008

The best sales presentation I’ve ever seen wasn’t a sales pitch, but when it was over I was sold for life.

Wouldn’t you like to be able to do the same with your marketing, sell clients for life without a single sales pitch?

I was in high school, attending a mandatory assembly about safe driving. We students were polite, but mostly inattentive until we saw the speaker toss an egg to a volunteer on the stage. By the time we heard “splat!” and saw the egg dripping from his hand, the speaker had our attention.

“That egg is you in a car crash, without a seat belt,” the speaker said. “Its simple physics: when a fragile object in motion stops suddenly, the energy has to go somewhere.”

“Now, let’s see what happens when we protect the egg,” he said, placing another in an empty dozen-size carton. The speaker flung the carton half way back into the auditorium, where a student caught it. On instruction from the speaker he opened the carton, removed the unbroken egg and held it aloft.

We were sold. The benefits of wearing a seat belt were etched permanently on our brains, as my recollection of the moment many years later attests.

Want to sell more of your prospects? Get started here >>

Everybody’s selling something…

The speaker may have been throwing, but he wasn’t pitching. As the egg story shows, there’s more than one-way to sell.

Think you don’t have to sell? Think again.

Everybody sells something – products, services or ideas. The speaker was selling an idea, and we bought it because of the power of his demonstration.

Good selling isn’t about high pressure and fast talk. It’s about providing information that enables buyers to make informed decisions. It’s about presenting  ideas in a way that grab their attention, eliminate their objections and demonstrate value. A canned sales pitch is seldom the best way to do that. In other words, you can win without pitching.

Interested? Want to know the secrets to winning without pitching? Start by using this link >>

That being the case, you need to know how to go about communicating with your prospects and clients. First, it helps to start thinking like your clients.  Here are four basic guidelines to help you market from your client’s perspective:

*No one likes to be sold, but nearly everyone loves to buy.

*People do things for their own reasons, not yours.

*People buy from you because they know you, like you and trust you.

*People make buying decisions based on emotions, not facts.

With those thoughts as a frame of reference, let’s consider what you should do to help people buy. These suggestions apply to on-line and off-line businesses equally.

*Be a problem solver. Establish your expert credentials by providing high-quality information that helps people solve their problems.

*Use stories and testimonials. People love stories. They help us understand context and let us relate better to a product or service.  Testimonials are short stories told about you by your clients. Prospective clients often find  it easier to relate to you through the positive experiences of others.

*Be patient. Selling is a lot like dating (yes, we’re all selling something). You wouldn’t think of planting a passionate kiss on someone at the beginning of a first date. It makes no more sense to try to close a product sale too soon. Provide information, build trust.

*Tell the truth and nothing but the truth. Keep in mind a quick search of the Internet probably will provide more than enough factual information to debunk any false claims.

*Use a variety of tools. We’ve already discussed the power of a good demonstration. It doesn’t have to be live – you can do a video demo on YouTube or your own Website. No matter what kind of business you have, a good Website should be a big part of your marketing mix.

Providing useful information helps customers gain confidence in you, which is essential to establishing trust. But at some point you have to close the sale. If you’ve provided good information that leads the customer logically from information consumer to eager buyer, closing the sale should be the natural end result.

If you’d like to attract more clients and generate more sales, discover how much more you could be making by winning without pitching. Take action today >>

To your success,

Charlie

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Which Pricing Strategy Maximizes Profits?

By Charlie Cook   |   September 23, 2008

Are your prices so high that they scare away customers and  reduce your sales?
– or –
Are your prices so low that they’re killing your profits?

You know the problem all too well. The less you charge for a product or service the easier it is to sell. More sales are a good thing — but every time you reduce your prices you shrink your profit margin.

I bet you’ve heard the line, “If you sell for less, you’ll make more by selling higher quantities.” And that’s true– if you’re Walmart and sell massive quantities. For we small to mid-sized businesses with limited ability to cut our overhead, it just means lower profits.

What’s the alternative to reducing your prices?
Find the answer here >>

You could focus your marketing on moving your high-priced and high-profit items. But here’s the rub. It’s harder to get people to buy expensive products and services, so you sell fewer of them.

If low prices kill your profits and high prices reduce your sales, where’s the sweet spot?

What’s the product and pricing strategy that works to maximize your profits? Get the details here >>

The successful strategy is simple but powerfully effective. Don’t think about pricing each product or service individually, but think of you product or service offerings as a team.

Every professional team has its high priced players. They’re the superstars who make the touchdowns, make the goals or pitch the no-hitters. They’re the ones that attract fans and bring in the profits. But put them on the field or court by themselves and they’d lose in a New York minute.

Every superstar needs a supporting team. He or she needs a teammate to feed him the ball so he can sink the shot, a receiver to catch his winning pass, or someone to pass the soccer ball to her at the critical moment so she can kick it in and score.

Ready to discover how to eliminate objections to price and make more? Find out here >>

To maximize your profits and win with your business, your products and pricing need to work as a team too.

How can you win with your business?

Get Your Primary Objective Right
Let’s get it straight. The objective for most small to mid-sized business owners is not to maximize sales of the low-profit items. The goal is to maximize sales of those products and services that make you the biggest profits. How do you do this?

First, prove to your clients that your products and services have high value. Lead with a free offer or a low-priced product to get more new clients in the door and then up-sell them on the higher priced products and services.

The corner gas station in our one stoplight town understands this. People pull in to buy gas (which used to be a low-priced item) and then when they need a new muffler, tires or tune-up they already know and trust the station and are willing to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars for the expensive repair.

Pick The Players (Products and Prices)

Every business needs low-priced items to get new clients in the door. Depending which business you’re in, you can provide the ultimate low-priced item, something for free, to get people to contact you.

Obviously giveaways, or low-priced items won’t make you the money you want to send your kids to college or buy your retirement home, but they will grow your list of qualified buyers. The more qualified buyers who know and trust you, the easier it is to sell your high-end products and services.

The key in selecting your products and determining pricing is to offer a range from low to high so that you can appeal to a wider range of buyers and lead customers into the sales process. The range of prices and choices satisfies the need many customers have to trust you before they purchase at your higher end.

Want to appeal to more buyers and make more money? Use this strategy >>

Have a Game Plan

I have one client whose lowest priced service is $8,500. And that’s a killer for many potential clients. It’s just too much to charge before you’ve built a good relationship.

Provide a Range of Options

One of the things that’s 100% clear about a new client or customer is that their buying behavior is unpredictable. You don’t know whether a buyer is likely to only want your lowest priced item or your highest priced one. That’s why you offer options. Most will start out at the bottom but others will buy at the top. Give them a range of options and choices to help them get to know you and trust you.

Don’t let your product lineup and your prices kill your profits or your sales. Get in the game by focusing on the right objectives, picking the right players and using a game plan to maximize your income.

To your success,

Charlie

P.S. Get your products and pricing working together as a team, from your supporting products to your superstar profit generating ones. They won’t do it by themselves, so you’ll need to know how. Here’s how >>

P.P.S. One of the first things I do with my mentoring clients is to review the range of products and services they provide and their pricing. Typically, with a few simple changes, this is where they can pick up an additional $10,000 or more in revenue in the first month. Do you want to add that kind of revenue this month? Start here >>

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How to Keep Your Customers Happy… Marketing Ideas from Charlie Cook

By Charlie Cook   |   November 15, 2007

“I’m working for a company that sells windows for high rise apartments. I love my job except one thing is my company doesn’t keep their promises. They don’t deliver on time and customers get upset.

How should I handle it, to keep my customers?”
– Peter T.

How do you keep your customers happy even if the product doesn’t get there promptly as it should? Use this marketing idea and this idea to manage your boss.

Manage Your Customers’ Expectations
Let them know that even though delivery is scheduled for two weeks that it usually takes four weeks or whatever. No one likes surprises but most people can adjust to a realistic delivery schedule even if its the three to six months it takes to get a couch made and delivered here in the U.S.

Do the Math.
Calculate how much more business you’d be getting if your customers windows were delivered on time and they were happy. E.g. with happy customers you get reorders and referrals which can easily double your sales.

Then take your report to management and ask them if they are interested in increasing sales by 25% or more next year. Show them how much more they could be making if they delivered the product on time and ask them if they can make a commitment to improving delivery times.

– Charlie Cook
Marketing Ideas That Work

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Is Your Marketing Out Of Gas…

By Charlie Cook   |   October 29, 2007

Marketing Ideas #5

How can you fuel your business profits? Use these marketing ideas .

– Charlie Cook
Small Business Marketing
That Puts You In The Fast Lane

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Are You Using The Right Marketing Ideas to Open Doors to New Business?

By Charlie Cook   |   October 12, 2007

Why It Wouldn’t Open…

I was in the bathroom shaving when my wife called up from the garage. She was running late and wasn’t having any success starting the car. She’d put the key in the ignition but it wouldn’t turn, and she wanted my help so she could get going with her day.

When she handed the key to me I knew right away what the problem was. It wasn’t going to start the car no matter how many times I or she tried it. Why?

We own two cars, an Audi and a VW Passat. The keys look identical except one has the Audi logo on it and the other a VW symbol. My wife in her early morning semi-awake state had grabbed the wrong key. She was trying to start the VW with the Audi key. When I pointed out her mistake she switched keys and was on her way.

Your marketing is the same as a car. If it’s not getting you where you want to go the first place to look is the key you are using to get things started.

Want to unlock your marketing and get sales rolling in? Use this marketing idea >>

Your business marketing message is the first thing your prospects see or hear when they read your materials or hear your ads. With the right one, you’ll grab your prospects attention and interest and you can get a virtual or real conversation started.

If your marketing message isn’t starting up marketing conversations then you’re using the wrong one. No matter how hard you try, no matter how many times you use it or how much you spend on advertising or mailings it’s never going to help you get where you want to go.

If you’re frustrated with your sales, the first place to look is your business marketing message. Starting a flood of sales can be as simple as making a switch to a different marketing message, one that works.

Want more clients and customers? Find out how to get things started with this marketing idea >>

Charlie
Business Marketing Ideas You Can Count On

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4 Marketing Ideas to Help You Make More

By Charlie Cook   |   October 5, 2007

Could you get twice as many clients to pay twice as much for your products and services?

Yes, it’s possible with the 4 marketing ideas detailed here. You could potentially double the fees you charge and more than double your annual revenue just by applying one marketing strategy.

Let me ask you a question; what makes a stock go up in price?

Say, for example, gold stocks. A few years ago, gold stocks were in the dumps; now they’re headed for the heavens.

What’s changed? Are the companies that mine gold doing anything different?

The answer in most cases is no. But perceptions have changed. In spite of past volatility, gold is now worth more because it’s seen as a safer investment than the U.S. dollar, whose value is dropping like a stone.

What controls how much your clients will pay for your products or service?

It’s your prospects’ perception of the value you deliver that determines the price.

In the case of gold mining stocks, a bunch of domestic and global economic factors came into play and created a context where gold became a great investment, at least for the moment. You can’t control the global economy, or wait for it to cycle around to create just the conditions you want, but…

You can leverage your marketing to influence your clients’ perception of the value of your goods or services.

Want to sell more at higher prices? Use this marketing idea >>

There are four key factors in influencing prospects’ perception of value. The first is obvious but is the basis for everything you do.

1. Provide a Top Quality Service or Product

Last weekend my wife and I wanted to go out for nice dinner. She picked one of our favorite restaurants. It’s got a great location on the water’s edge and the chef really knows how to prepare fish and shellfish.

Oysters, salad, main course, desert, a glass or two of wine and the bill was over $130 for the two of us. We could have prepared the same meal at home for under $30, but I paid the bill happily. The excellent food, service and view made it all worth it.

Discover how to get more hungry buyers to pay top dollar with these marketing ideas >>>>

2. Market to People Who Are Hungry For What You Sell

You’re going to pay a lot more for a hotdog at a ball game or for candy at the movie theatre. Even so, people line up to pay these high prices.

What prompts so many people to pay almost double the price they would at the grocery store?

They’re hungry, and it’s convenient. Instead of trying to market to everyone, target the people who are hungry and make it convenient for them to buy and you can charge a whole lot more.

3. Position Yourself as an Expert

Why are some doctors in such great demand? Top surgeons get patients who’ll pay 50% more than the usual fee for a consultation or surgery, because those doctors are considered to be experts in their field.

If you want your clients to pay you more, become an expert in your field. Then share your expertise, so your prospects are aware of how much you know and how much you can help them. Honest advice has a high value. Position yourself as an expert and you’ll be able to get more for your products and services.

4. Make Your Marketing About Your Prospects, Not About You

This is the most important part of hooking your prospects and influencing their perception of value. Typical sales copy about how long a company has been in business is boring and does nothing to boost value.

Describe your prospects’ needs and wants in your marketing pieces and sales copy, so they see themselves in it. The more your prospects feel you understand what they want and need, the more likely they are to buy from you.

The fastest way for most businesses to increase sales and profits is by changing their marketing so prospects understand the great value they will get. When that happens they’ll jump at the chance to buy from you.

Low perception of value by prospects = low dollar sales and
low volume of sales.

High perception of value by prospects = high dollar sales and
high volume of sales.

To change prospects’ perceptions of the value of you products and services, and increase your sales and profits – use this marketing idea >>

– Charlie Cook
Small Business Marketing Ideas That Work

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Funny Marketing Ideas #1 The Rowboat

By Charlie Cook   |   July 24, 2007

Over the next couple of weeks I’ll be posting my latest video marketing ideas – quick clips used to generate leads. There are 5 in all and after just the first couple of weeks they’ve generated over 3,000 views. Take a look at tell me why you think they’re working so well.

Funny Marketing Ideas #1 The Rowboat

Why is this a great marketing idea?
– Charlie Cook
Small Business Marketing That Gets Results

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How Do You Know When Your Marketing Articles Are Any Good?

By Charlie Cook   |   March 27, 2007

Articles are a great way to generate credibility and leads and new business. How do you know if yours are any good?

If you write small business marketing articles it’s easy to get them in ezine article directories but what you really want is for publications to pick them up and use them in their ezines – with proper attribution of course. Or you want magazines to do the same, again with your contact information included.

What you want to avoid is having other sites steal your content, post it and claim it as their own. I’ve had sites steal my small business marketing articles causing the following problem. When another site posts your content without a link back, the search engines see it as duplicate content and may not list the article when you add it to your own site.

It’s a good idea to regularly search the web to see who is posting your articles and where. You may want to send out some to be shown on other sites, provided they link back to your site. While sharing articles is a good idea, keep most of your content on your site and check periodically to make sure that it’s not getting ripped off and damaging your own search engine ranking.

How do you know if your article strategy is working?

a. If others are stealing your small business marketing articles its an indication you’re a good writer. I found one site with an article ripped off from Tom Hopkins the marketing guru and with one of mine, both attributed to the site owner not there rightful authors.

b. If your articles are helping your search engine ranking and generating leads, you know your marketing ideas are hitting home.

Want to know the best way to use your articles to grow your business? Discover the Secrets to Opening Doors With Your Articles >>
– Charlie Cook
Small Business Marketing That Works

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How Can I Compete With the “Big Guys”? And marketing ideas I can use?

By Charlie Cook   |   September 11, 2006

“We’re a local car rental service and compete with the “big guys”, the nationally know car rental companies. Any marketing ideas or strategies we can use?” – Carla

1. List your prospects’ most common concerns, their problems and frustrations, the little things that drive them crazy.

2. Circle the ones that the “big guys” don’t address and that you do.

3. Use this list of prospects’ problems as the focus of your small business marketing.

Want more marketing ideas to help grow your business? Use this link to find hundreds of tips and marketing ideas you can use >>
– Charlie Cook, Small Business Marketing That Works

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