Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
This blog post was transferred from another service.
I submitted this in Inc.com in response to an article, you can read it using this URL-
http://www.inc.com/magazine/20070701/features-start-up-enlightened-mba.html
Find problems your niche members have when they use the wrong (a competitor's) products or no product & no solution. Then put those into marketing messages.
Though I focus on B2C, I'll write from the B2B perspective since Hayden Hamilton expects more B2B sales for GreenPrint.
1st, how much hard copy printing is done? Example: I have copies of thousands of articles in PDFs. I store them in CD-Rs & send them via email. But people's eyes get weary from looking at monitor screens, so I've printed some. But searching for information, in many documents, is easier through computers. Am I typical? If so, GreenPrint is in trouble.
So, as Hayden figures, big businesses may use GreenPrint more than small businesses.
How will he find viable prospects? Do they think they have problems with wasted paper & ink? (What marketers think is a problem doesn't mean much.) Will prospects consider GreenPrint to be a solution to a problem?
Is GreenPrint easy to install & use? Does Hayden have tech support people? Or should Hayden focus on companies with IT staffs?
There are more benefits than saving the world & saving money on paper & ink. These other benefits may be more important to prospects.
It's good for GreenPrint to offer multiple benefits, but it's vital to promote the main benefit customers will get. As important as conservation is, it can conflict with business survival--a green business can't survive without cash flow. It's not a green business if it goes out of business. Good or bad, saving money takes precedence. Show prospects how they'll save money & the world.
Even major companies, which seemingly won't blink at $70 per user license fees, have CFOs who blink a lot. CFOs don't want to tell stockholders, "You won't get a dividend this year; but we're saving the world."
I wrote a variety of choices below; Hayden can find answers to the questions he feels are more important. Then he can craft his marketing messages using these. If answers aren't quickly available & he doesn't have time for research, he can test marketing messages to find what's most appealing. But if he does it on paper, he may seem like a hypocrite if he focuses his marketing on using less paper to save trees.
By testing messages & offers, businesses are apt to get some sales, while gaining insight. Plus, as David Freedman wrote in his July "What's Next" column, people don't always answer research questions accurately.
Look beyond what seems to be the main benefit. Ask yourself hard questions like prospects would. Using GreenPrint saves ink & paper, so what? What's important about it? Which problems are associated with using paper?
To save money & time, businesses buy paper in bulk, this requires storage & shipping costs. These also cost internal labor. How quickly can somebody reorder these, then go back to their other tasks? How often is this task done?
Are ink cartridges & paper delivered or does somebody go to a store to buy & haul them? What about liability insurance for employees who drive to get supplies? Insurance is apt to cost more when employees drive a lot. Fuel prices are extra high & paper is heavy, how much money can a company save--on fuel--by decreasing paper usage?
Paper is lifted, moved & stacked, how many workers' comp claims are attributed to this grunt work?
After articles from Inc & other web sites are printed, what's done with them? Are they discarded the same day or sent to colleagues? Sending them to colleagues may require going through the mail room. More paper means extra labor costs. Do the senders keep a copy & send another to a colleague? Do these copies get filed? How many filing cabinets or boxes will be required when non-essential pages are printed & filed? How many in- & out-baskets are full of these articles? How much extra clutter do these articles cause?
From an opposite side, how many businesses prohibit printing articles? How much might this lack of knowledge cost? (It may be hard to quantify, but raising the question may be valuable.) Would it be cost-effective to allow printing articles, if non-essential pages were avoided?
It's good to recycle paper, but how many businesses pay to have the paper hauled away? How many pounds less will be hauled away if a business uses GreenPrint?
How many printers do these businesses have? Will printing articles disrupt & delay printing proposals? Will a network printer screw up & print pages of proposals interspersed with pages of articles? If so, more pages means more time sorting through them & possibly sending an article in a proposal - not good for credibility.
Will somebody grab too many sheets from a network printer? Example: The first page of an article may be missing because it was sent to a customer, in a business letter by mistake.
If a printer is reloaded with paper less often, will this decrease paper jams? How many times are proposals or letters delayed because paper trays are empty?
How much extra maintenance or printer replacements are necessary because extra, unneeded pages are printed? How much time is spent filling paper trays & replacing ink cartridges?
Hayden can test prospects' responses to various messages with potential Unique Selling Propositions. After this, he can determine what GreenPrint's Unique Selling Proposition is.
Example: "Using GreenPrint is like getting a bonus of X reams of paper & Y ink cartridges every time you order those."
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
Monday, February 25, 2019
How To Make "Elevator Speeches" Work
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
This blog post was transferred from another service.
I submitted this in Inc.com in response to an article; you can read it using this URL-
http://www.inc.com/magazine/20070701/features-explain-what-your-company-does-in-30-seconds.html
Apparently, Elevator Speech's approach is getting a deep buy-in from clients. I know 6 magazine pages won't include a consultant's full work, but it seems like something is missing.
Socratic interviewing has good points, especially if a client has time & is willing to do the consultant's work. But then why hire a consultant?
Socrates believed everybody had all answers in them & they only need somebody to draw answers out. It's almost like getting somebody to figure out how to build a clock, when s/he just wants to know the current time.
In businesses, this will work, but meanwhile people are spending money & paying SOMEBODY ELSE! Consultants should ask clients some vital questions & get answers, then tell them it's time to test what consultants recommend. Clients should serve customers & get paid. Hours of Q & A aren't always necessary.
A big problem is business owners put their core stories in nutshells, then depend on prospects to crack the nuts. Prospects can't because it's all shell -- an organic rock -- with nothing for them to digest. So, they drop it & go on with their lives.
I think consultants should be more involved in making the content to put into nutshells.
Based on answers from uControl's team (in the article), I have an idea for them to test with prospects & customers. Before I get to it, here's the kind of explanatory introduction a marketing/elevator speech consultant should give clients.
In the context of elevator speeches, person A starts a 1-minute conversation by asking, "What do you do?" It's always a request for information, but more of an icebreaker to get person B to the point of asking, "What do you do?" Person A probably isn't interested in person B's career choice & just wants a chance to politely talk about his/her job.
Person B can deliver his/her speech or punt & let person A deliver an elevator speech.
Since person A asked, but probably isn't much interested, person B better use a bit of drama to inspire curiosity.
Business writers, Paul & Sarah Edwards advise starting with "Do you know how__?" The blank is filled by a problem with a challenging solution or a competitor's incomplete "solution". Then a better solution is offered.
It's a good template. The "Do you know how__?" question can engage curiosity, but it decreases time available for the main presentation.
uControl can test this for effectiveness- "If you pay attention to the news, it's easy to feel insecure, right? Our business is named uControl because we offer you virtually risk-free control in your home. We give you what you need to control as many risk factors in your home as you realistically can. While you're away, you can use web access, a land-line or cell phone to check your home security. So, when your family enters, you know you'll be safe."
This won't answer every possible question - it's not a full sales presentation - but elevator speeches are intriguing summaries. If person A is interested & has time, s/he can ask for more information. If s/he doesn't ask, s/he probably isn't a viable prospect, so more discussion may be pointless.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
This blog post was transferred from another service.
I submitted this in Inc.com in response to an article; you can read it using this URL-
http://www.inc.com/magazine/20070701/features-explain-what-your-company-does-in-30-seconds.html
Apparently, Elevator Speech's approach is getting a deep buy-in from clients. I know 6 magazine pages won't include a consultant's full work, but it seems like something is missing.
Socratic interviewing has good points, especially if a client has time & is willing to do the consultant's work. But then why hire a consultant?
Socrates believed everybody had all answers in them & they only need somebody to draw answers out. It's almost like getting somebody to figure out how to build a clock, when s/he just wants to know the current time.
In businesses, this will work, but meanwhile people are spending money & paying SOMEBODY ELSE! Consultants should ask clients some vital questions & get answers, then tell them it's time to test what consultants recommend. Clients should serve customers & get paid. Hours of Q & A aren't always necessary.
A big problem is business owners put their core stories in nutshells, then depend on prospects to crack the nuts. Prospects can't because it's all shell -- an organic rock -- with nothing for them to digest. So, they drop it & go on with their lives.
I think consultants should be more involved in making the content to put into nutshells.
Based on answers from uControl's team (in the article), I have an idea for them to test with prospects & customers. Before I get to it, here's the kind of explanatory introduction a marketing/elevator speech consultant should give clients.
In the context of elevator speeches, person A starts a 1-minute conversation by asking, "What do you do?" It's always a request for information, but more of an icebreaker to get person B to the point of asking, "What do you do?" Person A probably isn't interested in person B's career choice & just wants a chance to politely talk about his/her job.
Person B can deliver his/her speech or punt & let person A deliver an elevator speech.
Since person A asked, but probably isn't much interested, person B better use a bit of drama to inspire curiosity.
Business writers, Paul & Sarah Edwards advise starting with "Do you know how__?" The blank is filled by a problem with a challenging solution or a competitor's incomplete "solution". Then a better solution is offered.
It's a good template. The "Do you know how__?" question can engage curiosity, but it decreases time available for the main presentation.
uControl can test this for effectiveness- "If you pay attention to the news, it's easy to feel insecure, right? Our business is named uControl because we offer you virtually risk-free control in your home. We give you what you need to control as many risk factors in your home as you realistically can. While you're away, you can use web access, a land-line or cell phone to check your home security. So, when your family enters, you know you'll be safe."
This won't answer every possible question - it's not a full sales presentation - but elevator speeches are intriguing summaries. If person A is interested & has time, s/he can ask for more information. If s/he doesn't ask, s/he probably isn't a viable prospect, so more discussion may be pointless.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
What's In Your Value Statement?
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
This blog post was transferred from another service.
NOTE: A Value Statement is a critical part of Unique Selling Propositions, Unique Strategic Positions, branding & positioning. A Value Statement highlights, at least, one reason a particular group of people or businesses should buy a specific product/service. In retailing, a Value Statement highlights why a specific store is the best choice a particular group of people or businesses should buy from it.
A Value Statement is a strong differentiator, it's stronger than "3 locations to serve you" or "Open until 11:00 PM." If these are the only differentiators available to you add some power by explaining why these are important. Examples- "We have 3 locations to serve you, so you can quickly go to the nearest store & easily get (what you need) & live your life." "ABC is open until 11:00 PM, so we're available when you'll need us most. Because we know how unpredictable life is."
I emphasized "a particular group of people or businesses" because 1) small businesses can't afford to reach everybody with their marketing messages frequently enough to make a difference; 2) small businesses can't afford the resources (staff payroll, inventory, sales floor/storage space, equipment, etc.) necessary to serve everybody.
I know frequency isn't always necessary with the right message & offer, but it still costs extra money to serve many customers at the same time & fulfill many orders. If you had the best possible, most compelling offer, you may be able to attract thousands but you'd frustrate most of them because you & your staff couldn't serve them all quickly enough. You couldn't even talk to enough of them to refer them to other businesses to pick up your overflow.
But yet, you should develop (or get somebody else to develop) offers like these. Just closely control your message distribution to avoid overwhelming your business & underwhelming customers.
I just read "The Google Get-Together That Wasn't About Google" from Advertising Age. If you have a subscription you might still get it from the Ad Age web site. http://adage.com/digital/article?article_id=121131
The pearl in this "oyster" article is - "FedEx Chairman-CEO Fred Smith talked about technology's effect on his business & how FedEx's real service is in tracking items, not merely shipping." "The central feature of modern logistics systems,' he said, allows you to 'see inventory at motion & at rest.'"
This set off sparks, then flames in my mind. I remember hearing from FedEx co-founder Mike Basch in a Marketing Master Mind program by Jay Abraham. Mike's emphasis when he talked to the firm's initial sales team was "Get the package." He wanted business owners & executives to experience the quick, efficient delivery service. They offered to send almost anything for free in a customer's first package or even send an empty box, so customers could confirm the packages were received on time & in good condition.
Would FedEx still exist if this were still its whole "value statement"? Maybe! Obviously, tracking packages wouldn't be much of a business model without somebody hauling those. But hauling packages--even overnight delivery--became a generic commodity, so FedEx added a proprietary value-tracking.
If something is profitable, eventually one or more me-too competitors will make a product or service a commodity.
Hauling packages is just an oyster & some don't like oysters. As long as their stuff was received in good condition at a good time, they didn't want to think about it anymore. So, many business owners & executives have subordinates deal with shipping companies.
If something goes wrong, the s--t & the subordinates hit the fan. It's worthwhile for subordinates to think about potential problems. If a boss asks, "Where's the (contents in the box)?" Subordinates better have a good answer or at least a good fallback answer.
Tracking provides a good fallback answer. To report the (contents in the box) is in Falls City, is better than "I don't know." "I don't know" means subordinates spend more time in trouble.
I could promise you, "No matter what, the (contents in the box) will be at the destination at the appointed time." When you think of how those fan blades feel on your skin, you'll probably want a good fallback answer. You know your boss won't throw you on the fan.
The Lesson: You may've started your business by successfully selling a specific benefit. Because of different competitors & changing priorities, customers probably want something different or in addition to what you offered back then. Maybe you've added extra value to your offer, but do you compellingly communicate it?
Continuously find things to make your primary offers far more valuable & necessary. Always develop secondary things to make your primary offers the best choice in your competitive environment. If you do it correctly, eventually secondary things you'll offer become your new primary offer. What was your primary offer will become secondary or obsolete.
What you offer will probably become obsolete anyway, so you should be the one to make it obsolete, so you can get ahead or stay ahead of competitors.
FedEx still hauls stuff; just about anybody can. If overnight delivery doesn't happen, customers know it & will still want to know where their stuff is. FedEx added an extra value-tracking. Soon tracking became its new value-added offer.
Tracking requires accountability each step along the line. From years ago, I remember this advice, "Send letters via certified mail because they'll get there sooner than if you send registered mail. Registered mail is signed for at each step, this takes extra time & costs more money. Certified mail is signed for twice - when the Post Service accepts it & when it's delivered. Both services are accountable."
Think then what FedEx's investment meant - Total package accountability: condition of contents, delivery time & destination. Packages are tracked all the way, but FedEx still has its overnight promise to keep.
So, before you add to your value statement, think about what you'll have to do to deliver that extra value. Then think about it a few more times from different angles, so you won't take on more than you can afford to.
Will you have to raise the price? Do you have enough staff? Do you have enough selection? Will you need more equipment? Will you need better technology?
Don't jump too quickly to match competitors' promises. They may have things you don't know about. They probably know things you don't know.
Head-to-head competition may not be worthwhile. By the time you learn to do something effectively & efficiently, it may be time to offer something different. Some oysters never produce pearls. Some pearls are worth more than others. Pearls are made slowly. Some people don't appreciate pearls; so don't offer them pearls.
Just because you &/or competitors think something is valuable, it doesn't mean prospects will. You may have to persuade people to accept what you value. They won't automatically buy it just because you say, "Trust me."
Changing your offer/value proposition now may not increase your sales this year. You need to invest time, effort & probably money to introduce it to prospects.
You may need more equipment, knowledge or staff. If you invest too much in it, you may have cash flow problems. But if you invest too little in it, you may not sell any & not have any cash flow. If you jump now, you may put too much money into what will soon be obsolete, then you won't have enough money to invest in something better in the near future.
You may have to concede this battle to competitors because maybe they can afford to do something you can't do. Maybe you'll have enough to invest when a better product or technology is available. Besides, competitors may have put their money into what will soon be obsolete.
When you're reasonably sure it's the right thing to do, open that oyster--EW! Did you buy the right oyster? Is there a pearl in there?
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
This blog post was transferred from another service.
NOTE: A Value Statement is a critical part of Unique Selling Propositions, Unique Strategic Positions, branding & positioning. A Value Statement highlights, at least, one reason a particular group of people or businesses should buy a specific product/service. In retailing, a Value Statement highlights why a specific store is the best choice a particular group of people or businesses should buy from it.
A Value Statement is a strong differentiator, it's stronger than "3 locations to serve you" or "Open until 11:00 PM." If these are the only differentiators available to you add some power by explaining why these are important. Examples- "We have 3 locations to serve you, so you can quickly go to the nearest store & easily get (what you need) & live your life." "ABC is open until 11:00 PM, so we're available when you'll need us most. Because we know how unpredictable life is."
I emphasized "a particular group of people or businesses" because 1) small businesses can't afford to reach everybody with their marketing messages frequently enough to make a difference; 2) small businesses can't afford the resources (staff payroll, inventory, sales floor/storage space, equipment, etc.) necessary to serve everybody.
I know frequency isn't always necessary with the right message & offer, but it still costs extra money to serve many customers at the same time & fulfill many orders. If you had the best possible, most compelling offer, you may be able to attract thousands but you'd frustrate most of them because you & your staff couldn't serve them all quickly enough. You couldn't even talk to enough of them to refer them to other businesses to pick up your overflow.
But yet, you should develop (or get somebody else to develop) offers like these. Just closely control your message distribution to avoid overwhelming your business & underwhelming customers.
I just read "The Google Get-Together That Wasn't About Google" from Advertising Age. If you have a subscription you might still get it from the Ad Age web site. http://adage.com/digital/article?article_id=121131
The pearl in this "oyster" article is - "FedEx Chairman-CEO Fred Smith talked about technology's effect on his business & how FedEx's real service is in tracking items, not merely shipping." "The central feature of modern logistics systems,' he said, allows you to 'see inventory at motion & at rest.'"
This set off sparks, then flames in my mind. I remember hearing from FedEx co-founder Mike Basch in a Marketing Master Mind program by Jay Abraham. Mike's emphasis when he talked to the firm's initial sales team was "Get the package." He wanted business owners & executives to experience the quick, efficient delivery service. They offered to send almost anything for free in a customer's first package or even send an empty box, so customers could confirm the packages were received on time & in good condition.
Would FedEx still exist if this were still its whole "value statement"? Maybe! Obviously, tracking packages wouldn't be much of a business model without somebody hauling those. But hauling packages--even overnight delivery--became a generic commodity, so FedEx added a proprietary value-tracking.
If something is profitable, eventually one or more me-too competitors will make a product or service a commodity.
Hauling packages is just an oyster & some don't like oysters. As long as their stuff was received in good condition at a good time, they didn't want to think about it anymore. So, many business owners & executives have subordinates deal with shipping companies.
If something goes wrong, the s--t & the subordinates hit the fan. It's worthwhile for subordinates to think about potential problems. If a boss asks, "Where's the (contents in the box)?" Subordinates better have a good answer or at least a good fallback answer.
Tracking provides a good fallback answer. To report the (contents in the box) is in Falls City, is better than "I don't know." "I don't know" means subordinates spend more time in trouble.
I could promise you, "No matter what, the (contents in the box) will be at the destination at the appointed time." When you think of how those fan blades feel on your skin, you'll probably want a good fallback answer. You know your boss won't throw you on the fan.
The Lesson: You may've started your business by successfully selling a specific benefit. Because of different competitors & changing priorities, customers probably want something different or in addition to what you offered back then. Maybe you've added extra value to your offer, but do you compellingly communicate it?
Continuously find things to make your primary offers far more valuable & necessary. Always develop secondary things to make your primary offers the best choice in your competitive environment. If you do it correctly, eventually secondary things you'll offer become your new primary offer. What was your primary offer will become secondary or obsolete.
What you offer will probably become obsolete anyway, so you should be the one to make it obsolete, so you can get ahead or stay ahead of competitors.
FedEx still hauls stuff; just about anybody can. If overnight delivery doesn't happen, customers know it & will still want to know where their stuff is. FedEx added an extra value-tracking. Soon tracking became its new value-added offer.
Tracking requires accountability each step along the line. From years ago, I remember this advice, "Send letters via certified mail because they'll get there sooner than if you send registered mail. Registered mail is signed for at each step, this takes extra time & costs more money. Certified mail is signed for twice - when the Post Service accepts it & when it's delivered. Both services are accountable."
Think then what FedEx's investment meant - Total package accountability: condition of contents, delivery time & destination. Packages are tracked all the way, but FedEx still has its overnight promise to keep.
So, before you add to your value statement, think about what you'll have to do to deliver that extra value. Then think about it a few more times from different angles, so you won't take on more than you can afford to.
Will you have to raise the price? Do you have enough staff? Do you have enough selection? Will you need more equipment? Will you need better technology?
Don't jump too quickly to match competitors' promises. They may have things you don't know about. They probably know things you don't know.
Head-to-head competition may not be worthwhile. By the time you learn to do something effectively & efficiently, it may be time to offer something different. Some oysters never produce pearls. Some pearls are worth more than others. Pearls are made slowly. Some people don't appreciate pearls; so don't offer them pearls.
Just because you &/or competitors think something is valuable, it doesn't mean prospects will. You may have to persuade people to accept what you value. They won't automatically buy it just because you say, "Trust me."
Changing your offer/value proposition now may not increase your sales this year. You need to invest time, effort & probably money to introduce it to prospects.
You may need more equipment, knowledge or staff. If you invest too much in it, you may have cash flow problems. But if you invest too little in it, you may not sell any & not have any cash flow. If you jump now, you may put too much money into what will soon be obsolete, then you won't have enough money to invest in something better in the near future.
You may have to concede this battle to competitors because maybe they can afford to do something you can't do. Maybe you'll have enough to invest when a better product or technology is available. Besides, competitors may have put their money into what will soon be obsolete.
When you're reasonably sure it's the right thing to do, open that oyster--EW! Did you buy the right oyster? Is there a pearl in there?
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
Stupid Scammer Or Just Mistaken Spammer?
Copyright 2008 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
This blog post was transferred from another service.
Subject: Stupid Scammer Or Just Mistaken Spammer?
The message attached to mine in this thread is a spam/scam message I found in this forum. What I wrote in response is harsh, but I don't feel sorry to low-life spammers/scammers. They're pitiful, not pitiable.
I put this back in here to encourage you to check facts & confirm numbers in your marketing messages before you send them. Plus, be careful when you consider buying into somebody's claims, even mine.
My Comments/Response to Joe Banks:
There are a maximum of 7 billion people on the Earth now.
According the U.S. Census Bureau Population Clock, the world population is about 6,546,891,714. http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/world.html
According to the United Nations (http://esa.un.org/unpp/p2k0data.asp), the world population in 2005 was 6,464,750,000. If you want to learn about life expectancy you can use this URL http://esa.un.org/unpp/index.asp?panel=4
I'm assuming people still die & you'd provide access to people who are alive. Dead & not yet born people, statisically don't pay attention to email messages.
Maybe half of the currently living population have Internet access. Human cloning still isn't perfected. Human gestation takes about 9 months. About half of the world's population are females, maybe half of them are of child bearing age.
In the USA, children start understanding the concept of written communication at about age 2.
Then there's the problem of various languages & illiteracy. Many people can't read any language.
These are just a few of the problems you'll have. When you've solved these, if I'm still alive, ask me about the other issues. Maybe by then the population of the universe will be high enough to fulfill your claim. But of course, then there'll be other issues to contend with.
So, Joe, how will you provide daily access to 1 billion unique individuals for 90 days?
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2008 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
Subject: Let us advertsie for you (great spelling huh?) Author: Joe Banks
Let our company email your ad to close to 1 billion people a day for 3 months--these are different people daily,,not spam,,get more sales now http://-----
Subject: Stupid Scammer Or Spammer? -- Meaning Of Compelling
I don't feel sorry for low-life spammers/scammers, who try to trick & cheat others. They're pitiful, not pitiable.
I just deleted another loser's garbage. Here's one sentence:
"If you would like to take part in this SCHEME or would like a bit more information then please see the attached file that was kindly donated to us."
I emphasized "SCHEME" as the word explaining this scam. It's also a word you shouldn't use when you're marketing your legitimate offers. If you're perceived as a schemer, you'll lose or never earn credibility.
Another bad word choice from a scam/spam message was in an email garbage I got. I was encouraged to act now on the offer to buy Viagra because it won't last.
What won't last the Viagra, the "benefit" or the offer? It wasn't specified.
If you leave anything open to interpretation, people will interpret it different ways. Some of those interpretations will work against you.
People have too many things to think about, they're too distracted to CONSCIOUSLY fill in any blanks. (You need them to be conscious to some degree to decide to buy from you.) But people's subconscious minds have plenty of time & energy to interpret, misinterpret & reinterpret things.
If your message isn't clear or is otherwise forgettable, a subconscious mind will drop it & focus on something better - more interesting & compelling. Subconscious minds are very good at distracting conscious minds & focusing them on other things.
You need subconscious minds to work with you, not against you. Even if you're not trying to get to executives by going around gatekeepers (receptionists, assistants& secretaries), you still have gatekeepers to deal with prospects' subconscious minds.
If your messages & offers aren't more compelling than any competing messages, offers or thoughts, you'll lose. Yes, you compete with people's thoughts too. You need to make your messages & offers more urgent & compelling than what prospects are thinking or you won't gain or hold their attention.
What I mean by compelling is undeniable, forceful, urgent & important; something they can't afford to miss. It should be clear to prospects they'll lose something. Even if they won't lose what they already have, clearly emphasize the opportunity they'll lose by delaying. When a prospect hears or reads your offers, s/he should feel restless & a bit desperate. Don't overdo the desperation or you won't be credible. Don't push past integrity either by inducing fear unless it's a true emergency.
In a message I wrote for a nail-biting remedy, I could've warned nail-biters they could end up with blood poisoning from severe infections. It's true, they could have dire problems, but it's not likely.
Also be sure your messages go to real prospects, who can afford what you offer. I get offers for insurance quite often. I suppose I can't afford to lose the opportunity to gain more protection for my family & me. But I also don't have the money to invest in more insurance, so I'm not a prospect.
It's hard in some cases. Which TV programs (maybe "Fear Factor"), radio stations, newspapers &/or magazines do nail-biters watch, listen to or read? You'd need to dig deeper for other attributes. Define a typical nail-biter - gender, age, marital status, family life cycle, career choice (actual & aspirational), hobbies (what they do to distract themselves from biting their nails or worrying?), which other remedies they may've chosen, etc.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2008 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
This blog post was transferred from another service.
Subject: Stupid Scammer Or Just Mistaken Spammer?
The message attached to mine in this thread is a spam/scam message I found in this forum. What I wrote in response is harsh, but I don't feel sorry to low-life spammers/scammers. They're pitiful, not pitiable.
I put this back in here to encourage you to check facts & confirm numbers in your marketing messages before you send them. Plus, be careful when you consider buying into somebody's claims, even mine.
My Comments/Response to Joe Banks:
There are a maximum of 7 billion people on the Earth now.
According the U.S. Census Bureau Population Clock, the world population is about 6,546,891,714. http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/world.html
According to the United Nations (http://esa.un.org/unpp/p2k0data.asp), the world population in 2005 was 6,464,750,000. If you want to learn about life expectancy you can use this URL http://esa.un.org/unpp/index.asp?panel=4
I'm assuming people still die & you'd provide access to people who are alive. Dead & not yet born people, statisically don't pay attention to email messages.
Maybe half of the currently living population have Internet access. Human cloning still isn't perfected. Human gestation takes about 9 months. About half of the world's population are females, maybe half of them are of child bearing age.
In the USA, children start understanding the concept of written communication at about age 2.
Then there's the problem of various languages & illiteracy. Many people can't read any language.
These are just a few of the problems you'll have. When you've solved these, if I'm still alive, ask me about the other issues. Maybe by then the population of the universe will be high enough to fulfill your claim. But of course, then there'll be other issues to contend with.
So, Joe, how will you provide daily access to 1 billion unique individuals for 90 days?
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2008 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
Subject: Let us advertsie for you (great spelling huh?) Author: Joe Banks
Let our company email your ad to close to 1 billion people a day for 3 months--these are different people daily,,not spam,,get more sales now http://-----
Subject: Stupid Scammer Or Spammer? -- Meaning Of Compelling
I don't feel sorry for low-life spammers/scammers, who try to trick & cheat others. They're pitiful, not pitiable.
I just deleted another loser's garbage. Here's one sentence:
"If you would like to take part in this SCHEME or would like a bit more information then please see the attached file that was kindly donated to us."
I emphasized "SCHEME" as the word explaining this scam. It's also a word you shouldn't use when you're marketing your legitimate offers. If you're perceived as a schemer, you'll lose or never earn credibility.
Another bad word choice from a scam/spam message was in an email garbage I got. I was encouraged to act now on the offer to buy Viagra because it won't last.
What won't last the Viagra, the "benefit" or the offer? It wasn't specified.
If you leave anything open to interpretation, people will interpret it different ways. Some of those interpretations will work against you.
People have too many things to think about, they're too distracted to CONSCIOUSLY fill in any blanks. (You need them to be conscious to some degree to decide to buy from you.) But people's subconscious minds have plenty of time & energy to interpret, misinterpret & reinterpret things.
If your message isn't clear or is otherwise forgettable, a subconscious mind will drop it & focus on something better - more interesting & compelling. Subconscious minds are very good at distracting conscious minds & focusing them on other things.
You need subconscious minds to work with you, not against you. Even if you're not trying to get to executives by going around gatekeepers (receptionists, assistants& secretaries), you still have gatekeepers to deal with prospects' subconscious minds.
If your messages & offers aren't more compelling than any competing messages, offers or thoughts, you'll lose. Yes, you compete with people's thoughts too. You need to make your messages & offers more urgent & compelling than what prospects are thinking or you won't gain or hold their attention.
What I mean by compelling is undeniable, forceful, urgent & important; something they can't afford to miss. It should be clear to prospects they'll lose something. Even if they won't lose what they already have, clearly emphasize the opportunity they'll lose by delaying. When a prospect hears or reads your offers, s/he should feel restless & a bit desperate. Don't overdo the desperation or you won't be credible. Don't push past integrity either by inducing fear unless it's a true emergency.
In a message I wrote for a nail-biting remedy, I could've warned nail-biters they could end up with blood poisoning from severe infections. It's true, they could have dire problems, but it's not likely.
Also be sure your messages go to real prospects, who can afford what you offer. I get offers for insurance quite often. I suppose I can't afford to lose the opportunity to gain more protection for my family & me. But I also don't have the money to invest in more insurance, so I'm not a prospect.
It's hard in some cases. Which TV programs (maybe "Fear Factor"), radio stations, newspapers &/or magazines do nail-biters watch, listen to or read? You'd need to dig deeper for other attributes. Define a typical nail-biter - gender, age, marital status, family life cycle, career choice (actual & aspirational), hobbies (what they do to distract themselves from biting their nails or worrying?), which other remedies they may've chosen, etc.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2008 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
Get All You Can From Your Business
Copyright 2008 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
This blog post was transferred from another service.
If you plan to keep your business, you can still sell your knowledge & intellectual to people in other areas who will sign non-competition agreements with you.
If you want to retire or change businesses (& start another) you should sell your business multiple times.
Whatever kind of business you have, you have more than physical things to sell. Since many business fail, if you have a successful business you have an asset to sell.
You have knowledge, intellectual resources, processes, values, policies & plans you`ve used to become & remain successful. You don`t have to sell it only once.
If your business is regional, there are people--in other areas--who`d like to learn what you can teach them.
An entrepreneurial lawyer, consultant, seminar promoter or business broker could sell this knowledge for you or with you, if you don`t want to do it alone.
Be sure you specify you control the rights to sell what you know as a course, seminar, book, video/audio set, business opportunity &/or franchise. Otherwise, somebody may just assume these rights & profit from what you know & not share the profits with you.
You can sell your knowledge to each person for various payment terms--lump sum, deposit plus payments, share of the profits (percentage), limited partnerships, etc.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2008 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
This blog post was transferred from another service.
If you plan to keep your business, you can still sell your knowledge & intellectual to people in other areas who will sign non-competition agreements with you.
If you want to retire or change businesses (& start another) you should sell your business multiple times.
Whatever kind of business you have, you have more than physical things to sell. Since many business fail, if you have a successful business you have an asset to sell.
You have knowledge, intellectual resources, processes, values, policies & plans you`ve used to become & remain successful. You don`t have to sell it only once.
If your business is regional, there are people--in other areas--who`d like to learn what you can teach them.
An entrepreneurial lawyer, consultant, seminar promoter or business broker could sell this knowledge for you or with you, if you don`t want to do it alone.
Be sure you specify you control the rights to sell what you know as a course, seminar, book, video/audio set, business opportunity &/or franchise. Otherwise, somebody may just assume these rights & profit from what you know & not share the profits with you.
You can sell your knowledge to each person for various payment terms--lump sum, deposit plus payments, share of the profits (percentage), limited partnerships, etc.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2008 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
Get More Success From Case Studies & Other Proven Methods
Copyright 2008 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
This blog post was transferred from another service.
I know many entrepreneurs want "proven methods" so they don't have to struggle with failure & experimentation.
Maybe you learned how somebody did something successfully, but you had little or no success with it. It's not necessarily a bogus method. Maybe you didn't do it the same way somebody else did. Or maybe you did the same things, in the wrong sequence. Even if you did the same things, in the right sequence, your situation is different than somebody else's so you'll get different results.
Rich Schefren (www.strategicprofits.com/) suggests mapping processes so you can identify what works & doesn't work. Then use the process map to be sure you do what you want to do. If you don't get your expected result, you'll have something to check, so you may find what went wrong. If you do everything randomly - unplanned - you'll be acting by chance, not by design.
Without a process map, you may've been distracted by a phone call, a customer or employee, then you may've tried to pick up from where you left off. But maybe you didn't complete the step you started (though you think you did).
In a world of distractions, you need to do all you can to be sure you do the right things at the right times & in the right ways.
When I was in the US Navy, I heard this many times, "If it's got more than 1 moving part, it's not sailor proof." What we should all remember is - If it has more than 1 step, it's not distraction proof.
Many entrepreneurs can't afford to reserve a day each week to work on their businesses. By mapping your processes, you can work on your business in between tasks (working in your business). It means you may need a process to make process maps, so after each interruption; you can get back on track until you finish or are interrupted again.
Because change seems to be the only constant, you can't maintain your past or present success by repeatedly doing the same things for many years. You have to adopt different ways & adapt them to your current situation. As much as you can, adapt them for your future also. Even if that future is only a month away, be ready for it by having the right processes.
You probably learned from others &/or me, you shouldn't test more than 1 thing at a time or you won't really know what went right or wrong. Unless you know how to do multivariate testing, you need a way to track what you do so you'll only change 1 variable. That way of tracking is a process map. Because of rapid changes & client demands, you may end up changing a few things. By mapping your process & the changes, you may determine what to do & not do next time.
A process map is a flow chart like a PERT chart in project management. You should use a process map like a chef uses a recipe to get the same or a similar result each time food is cooked. Everyday, your business is open, it's like you serve a multiple course meal, if it tastes bad once, you may not get another chance to serve to dissatisfied customers again.
Depending on your situation, your process maps may have to be like diagnostic charts. Did a prospect respond to (identify a specific ad)? If yes, go to square 1a. If no, go to square 1b. Then each step has different variations/results until you can determine what happened & why, then what to do about it.
If you don't want to use a flow chart, you can write outlines like you may've learned about in writing classes. Microsoft Word 2000 has Outline View in the View menu (other word processing programs probably have outline formats).
Word 2000 also has AutoShapes including flow chart symbols. You don't necessarily need a project management program, unless you'll make a lot of charts.
Some things, like sales scenarios, should be role played since it wouldn't be good to look at a process map while talking to prospects. After a prospect leaves without buying or a customer buys, the process can be reviewed.
Why do I, & why should you, trust Rich Schefren (pronounced like CHEF wren)? I learned about him from Jay Abraham. After learning about process development from Rich, I know he has more I should learn. Chet Holmes, Dan Kennedy & many others trust Rich also.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2008 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
This blog post was transferred from another service.
I know many entrepreneurs want "proven methods" so they don't have to struggle with failure & experimentation.
Maybe you learned how somebody did something successfully, but you had little or no success with it. It's not necessarily a bogus method. Maybe you didn't do it the same way somebody else did. Or maybe you did the same things, in the wrong sequence. Even if you did the same things, in the right sequence, your situation is different than somebody else's so you'll get different results.
Rich Schefren (www.strategicprofits.com/) suggests mapping processes so you can identify what works & doesn't work. Then use the process map to be sure you do what you want to do. If you don't get your expected result, you'll have something to check, so you may find what went wrong. If you do everything randomly - unplanned - you'll be acting by chance, not by design.
Without a process map, you may've been distracted by a phone call, a customer or employee, then you may've tried to pick up from where you left off. But maybe you didn't complete the step you started (though you think you did).
In a world of distractions, you need to do all you can to be sure you do the right things at the right times & in the right ways.
When I was in the US Navy, I heard this many times, "If it's got more than 1 moving part, it's not sailor proof." What we should all remember is - If it has more than 1 step, it's not distraction proof.
Many entrepreneurs can't afford to reserve a day each week to work on their businesses. By mapping your processes, you can work on your business in between tasks (working in your business). It means you may need a process to make process maps, so after each interruption; you can get back on track until you finish or are interrupted again.
Because change seems to be the only constant, you can't maintain your past or present success by repeatedly doing the same things for many years. You have to adopt different ways & adapt them to your current situation. As much as you can, adapt them for your future also. Even if that future is only a month away, be ready for it by having the right processes.
You probably learned from others &/or me, you shouldn't test more than 1 thing at a time or you won't really know what went right or wrong. Unless you know how to do multivariate testing, you need a way to track what you do so you'll only change 1 variable. That way of tracking is a process map. Because of rapid changes & client demands, you may end up changing a few things. By mapping your process & the changes, you may determine what to do & not do next time.
A process map is a flow chart like a PERT chart in project management. You should use a process map like a chef uses a recipe to get the same or a similar result each time food is cooked. Everyday, your business is open, it's like you serve a multiple course meal, if it tastes bad once, you may not get another chance to serve to dissatisfied customers again.
Depending on your situation, your process maps may have to be like diagnostic charts. Did a prospect respond to (identify a specific ad)? If yes, go to square 1a. If no, go to square 1b. Then each step has different variations/results until you can determine what happened & why, then what to do about it.
If you don't want to use a flow chart, you can write outlines like you may've learned about in writing classes. Microsoft Word 2000 has Outline View in the View menu (other word processing programs probably have outline formats).
Word 2000 also has AutoShapes including flow chart symbols. You don't necessarily need a project management program, unless you'll make a lot of charts.
Some things, like sales scenarios, should be role played since it wouldn't be good to look at a process map while talking to prospects. After a prospect leaves without buying or a customer buys, the process can be reviewed.
Why do I, & why should you, trust Rich Schefren (pronounced like CHEF wren)? I learned about him from Jay Abraham. After learning about process development from Rich, I know he has more I should learn. Chet Holmes, Dan Kennedy & many others trust Rich also.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2008 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
Prospects Don't Understand Things Like You Do
Copyright 2008 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
This blog post was transferred from another service.
Here's another post I posted in Inc.com; the article is "Fire & Motion". The URL is -
www.inc.com/magazine/20080401/how-hard-could-it-be-fire-and-motion.html
Marketing Isn't A Fire Fight, It's A Hostage Rescue
Joel,
You didn't complete the military analogy. Fire & motion may get to the location where hostages - consumers - are. But it doesn't have a follow-through plan for extraction.
Shooting terrorists - competitors - can be hard when they hide behind hostages.
The thought of target markets is flawed: Targets are terrorists - competitors. The market is people who may buy from you, not the ones you should be shooting.
This is a simplistic metaphor since hostage rescue is far more complicated. My example doesn't start with a hostage release negotiation via bullhorn. In my example, the rescue team goes into a foreign country & uses total surprise. Even the hostages are surprised; besides what else they feel.
Hostages - consumers - have problems. They're apt to be scared & confused. They don't feel safe. They're in a situation they don't control & they don't know how to get out of it. They're so stressed, they may have convinced themselves the terrorists are good & aren't a threat. They may run into the line of fire instead of away & run toward the terrorists.
When you come in shooting, you seem to be their enemy. It's hard to build trust that way.
To build trust you need to look like somebody they want to trust & do things to earn their trust, in addition to shooting terrorists.
You have to earn their trust by speaking their language & looking at least somewhat like them or like rescuers they expect--Uniforms with insignia. You also have to act like somebody who can rescue them - have a clear plan & confidence. If you look worried, they'll feel worse. If you don't know what to do next, they won't want to your "help".
As a rescuer, your job isn't finished just because the terrorists are neutralized. You & the hostages won't be safe until you extract them. You can't extract them unless they cooperate with you.
To get them to cooperate with you, you need to offer them something they perceive to be better than their current situation. It may seem like a no-brainer to you, but not to them.
Whatever somebody gets used to is a comfort zone, no matter how dangerous it really is.
Too often what people know seems a lot better than an unknown result - situation. As long as they're alive & don't feel immediate danger, your "solution" seems more dangerous because they don't know what it is.
You need to have a goal & know a few plans (Plan A, B & C) how to reach it. Then help prospects - almost rescued hostages - visualize the situation they'll face if they don't take action. Then, if they still won't move, visualize the situation they'll have when they're free.
Assume the sale & lead them out.
NOTE: If they haven't bought/aren't buying a competing solution, you're competing with nonconsumption as Clayton M. Christensen wrote about in his books for innovators.
They still need solutions.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2008 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
This blog post was transferred from another service.
Here's another post I posted in Inc.com; the article is "Fire & Motion". The URL is -
www.inc.com/magazine/20080401/how-hard-could-it-be-fire-and-motion.html
Marketing Isn't A Fire Fight, It's A Hostage Rescue
Joel,
You didn't complete the military analogy. Fire & motion may get to the location where hostages - consumers - are. But it doesn't have a follow-through plan for extraction.
Shooting terrorists - competitors - can be hard when they hide behind hostages.
The thought of target markets is flawed: Targets are terrorists - competitors. The market is people who may buy from you, not the ones you should be shooting.
This is a simplistic metaphor since hostage rescue is far more complicated. My example doesn't start with a hostage release negotiation via bullhorn. In my example, the rescue team goes into a foreign country & uses total surprise. Even the hostages are surprised; besides what else they feel.
Hostages - consumers - have problems. They're apt to be scared & confused. They don't feel safe. They're in a situation they don't control & they don't know how to get out of it. They're so stressed, they may have convinced themselves the terrorists are good & aren't a threat. They may run into the line of fire instead of away & run toward the terrorists.
When you come in shooting, you seem to be their enemy. It's hard to build trust that way.
To build trust you need to look like somebody they want to trust & do things to earn their trust, in addition to shooting terrorists.
You have to earn their trust by speaking their language & looking at least somewhat like them or like rescuers they expect--Uniforms with insignia. You also have to act like somebody who can rescue them - have a clear plan & confidence. If you look worried, they'll feel worse. If you don't know what to do next, they won't want to your "help".
As a rescuer, your job isn't finished just because the terrorists are neutralized. You & the hostages won't be safe until you extract them. You can't extract them unless they cooperate with you.
To get them to cooperate with you, you need to offer them something they perceive to be better than their current situation. It may seem like a no-brainer to you, but not to them.
Whatever somebody gets used to is a comfort zone, no matter how dangerous it really is.
Too often what people know seems a lot better than an unknown result - situation. As long as they're alive & don't feel immediate danger, your "solution" seems more dangerous because they don't know what it is.
You need to have a goal & know a few plans (Plan A, B & C) how to reach it. Then help prospects - almost rescued hostages - visualize the situation they'll face if they don't take action. Then, if they still won't move, visualize the situation they'll have when they're free.
Assume the sale & lead them out.
NOTE: If they haven't bought/aren't buying a competing solution, you're competing with nonconsumption as Clayton M. Christensen wrote about in his books for innovators.
They still need solutions.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2008 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
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