Internet Marketing

An excellent contribution was added to my last post by a devoted commentator (she, who thinks I’m a moron. Actually, she says my logic is moronic - not me. But since my logic defines me, I must therefore be, ipso facto, a moron. How do you like that - she’s actually got me calling me a moron! Sheesh!)

Anyway, she made a good point - no, not about me being a moron, but rather about reading Dale Carnegie’s seminal opus: “How to Win Friends and Influence People”.

Now listen, what I’m about to say will probably generate some death threats, but the truth (my truth) must win out. Dale Carnegie’s book, written in the early years of the 20^th century has more benefit and uncluttered, straightforward, eternal wisdom in its few pages than any bible, holy book of any religion, past or present. (Yeah, yeah, blasphemy, I know - now get over it and continue reading.)

Everyone, not just marketers, but every human being should read it - numerous times - and commit it to memory.

And clearly, for our topical purposes - selling to the rich - it rings no less true or valuable.

Live by the words written in this book, and not only will you be able to sell to the rich, but you will succeed in any and every endeavor you set before yourself.

By living a life - and conducting business - in conformity with the principals it elucidates, 28 of which I briefly quote below, you will succeed in life and sell to the rich.

1. Don’t criticize, condemn or complain

2. Begin with praise and honest appreciation

3. Arouse in the other person an eager want

4. Become genuinely interested in other people

5. Smile

6. Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language

7. Be a good listener.  Encourage others to talk about themselves

8. Talk in terms of the other person’s interests

9. Make the other person feel important, and do it sincerely

10. The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it

11. Show respect for the other person’s opinions.  Never say, “You’re wrong.”

12. If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically

13. Begin in a friendly way

14. Get the other person saying “yes, yes” immediately

15. Let the other person do a great deal of the talking

16. Let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers

17. Try honestly to see things from the other person’s point of view

18. Be sympathetic with the other person’s ideas and desires

19. Appeal to the nobler motives

20. Dramatize your idea

21. Throw down a challenge

22. Call attention to people’s mistakes indirectly

23. Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person

24. Ask questions instead of giving orders

25. Let the other person save face

26. Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to

27. Use encouragement.  Make the fault seem easy to correct

28. Make the other person happy about doing the thing you suggest

More to follow…

–Barry

www.WritingWithPersonality.com

Popularity: 39% [?]

I received some interesting comments about my last post.

It seems there are a few readers out there who are not marketers, either of the online or offline kind.

And they didn’t agree with my contention that money brings happiness (and that more money brings more happiness).

And, that if you are ever to become a successful direct marketer - specifically, one who markets to the rich - you must first, as a priori, want with all your might - to be rich!

One reader went so far as to imply that I was a moron (ouch!)

Okay, so these dissenters probably either scanned the post or didn’t fully understand it - and saw only what they wanted to see - an opportunity to disagree.

I mean, after all, how could anyone in their right mind ever disagree with anything I say?  Sheesh!

And yet, for those who found wisdom, encouragement and entertainment in my audacious thoughts - you folks are obviously intuitive, brilliant, kind, generous and destined to become wildly rich and successful marketers!

As for the others, well, you’re still welcome to continue to comment, disparage, disagree, and talk among yourselves.

Now let’s move on… and sell to the rich.

To begin, let me ask you a few questions…

Would you go to your local supermarket to shop for a car? No, you wouldn’t.

Would you enter an assisted-living facility to find a date (if you’re young, single and not perverted)? No, you wouldn’t.

Would you look to buy a country estate in an inner city ghetto? No, you wouldn’t.

Would you expect to find wealthy buyers at a thrift store? Yes, absolutely! But would that be the first place you’d go to find them. No, it wouldn’t.

Where do you find the rich?

Here’s an old saying (how old, I don’t know): to hunt elephants - you gotta go where the elephants are.

Similarly, if you’re looking to sell to the rich-you gotta go where the rich are.

So get yourself invited to a black-tie soiree in the Hamptons, Bel-Aire, Aspen, Monte Carlo or any other venue where the rich congregate and indulge, and clink martinis.

Can’t swing that? Okay then, settle down, and start doing some heavy-duty market research.

Placing the rich under a marketing microscope.

Your mission Mr. Phelps, if you chose to accept it, is to figure out what makes the rich tick - what makes them different from the other socio-economic classes.

Because of their “privilege”, the rich will inevitably look at life differently, think differently and act differently than, well, you or me (provided you’re as poor as me).

And know this, too, that among the rich there are different classes of rich.

There are the trust fund babies, the silver spoon elite, the old/new money immigrants, the nouveau rich, the fight and claw entrepreneurs who came up from poverty, and the $52 million red-neck lottery winners, etc., etc.

And within each class there are those with a distinct personality type: some are type A, others are type B, others are RH negative, and still others have a 1.0 alcohol level.

Important Note: You need to do this autopsy/exercise with any socio-economic group you choose to market to. Why? Because each group (read: your target market) will have a distinct modus operandi, life-outlook and preferred handshake.

And, most importantly, from a marketer’s perspective, your target market will have a favored or preferred way of being approached and communicated with - one that will hopefully grease the slide (ease them into responding to your offer to buy).

And in that respect, the rich are no different from K-Mart shoppers.

And so the best marketing microscope for the job…

…Is you.

Huh? Okay, this goes back to what I said in the previous post…

You gotta want to become filthy rich to sell to the filthy rich.

Why? Because there is no better way to understand a rich man (read: target market) than to walk a mile in his Gucci’s.

You’ve got to feel what he feels, think what he thinks, and do, as best you can, what he does. Why? So he will know and believe that you are just like him, and therefore can be trusted. Because you have the same sensibilities, problems and the same size alimony payments.

But do you really need to be rich to sell to the rich? No (though you will undoubtedly become rich if you successfully sell to the rich).

And yet, what you absolutely must do, if you are ever to successfully market to the rich - is love and admire them.

Why? Well, generally speaking, when you love and admire someone you will typically aspire to become more like them or, at the very least, emulate their behavior and share their values. And that is the ultimate proof of your commitment to their well-being.

And why is that so important?

Answer me this: how long do you think you would be in business, and how successful could you become, if you don’t, love and care about your customers - if you look at them just as a mark to be exploited, as a dollar sign with legs?

More to follow…

–Barry

www.WritingWithPersonality.com

Popularity: 68% [?]

Your sales are drastically reduced when you fall victim to a very common problem. Prospects not getting past your Order Form.

WHY they run is simple. Lack of confidence.

WHAT to do about it is a bit more involved.

You can reduce your prospects vamoosing (is there correct spelling for synthesized words?) from your Order Form with a few simple adjustments and additions to your web sales process.

Overall, it’s about adding marketing copy at the top of your Order Form.  The online marketing and ecommerce system that I use, www.HandsFreeBusiness.com allows me to put HTML, audio and video at the top of their secure order forms.

The “Top Copy” on your Order Form should include some or even all of the following, as appropriate:

a) Interactivity - confirmation of the thought process with a check box, further supported by a “Yes! I want to take action today to stop by bad golf swing.”

b) Audio/Video - the sound or sight of someone extending a personal invitation to buy has been found to increase conversion 30% and more

c) Restating a summary of the Benefits of your product or service

d) Summarizing the Bonuses you’ve offered. You DID offer Bonuses, right?

e) Pointing out to prospects again the Deadline for your promotion or price break or limited availability of that particular product

f) Repeating your iron-clad, better than your money back Guarantee. Again, you can utilize audio, next to your picture, or a video of another trustworthy looking person (sort of kidding…), to clearly state your Guarantee is helpful too.

g) Add ‘Seals of Approval‘ about your service. Use graphics or logos to show Awards, Quality Standards, or Association memberships along the sides of your copy. You don’t necessarily have to write about them. Their presence alone is noted, as your visitors read through your copy.

h) Offer powerful Testimonials right on the Order Form for ’social proof.’ This is THE most under-utilized tactic and I believe, one of the most powerful final stimulants for closing the sale.

Of course, overall you must keep your Order Form simple in its design and professional in its presentation are contributing factors too. Try testing and then tracking, one or several of the above suggestions and see what happens!

Let me know how you do at Martin@ParadisePublishing.com too.

Popularity: 55% [?]

If you haven’t figured out by now that without money you cannot be happy-stop reading this right now, because I’ll be wasting your time, and you’ll be wasting mine if you leave me a numbing and spiritually-trite comment.

But, if you have a truly original and revolutionary thought about how poverty or moderate poverty or even lower-middle class poverty can be more up-lifting and satisfying than possessing more money than Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Donald Trump, et al… please, share your thoughts.

If not, then don’t, because I don’t want to hear how money can’t buy happiness. Or how you don’t have to be rich to be happy. Or how money is the root of all evil, etc., etc.

I’ve heard it all, and once believed it all, and said so, too.

And yet, if you’re determined to bait my ire and fill cyberspace with rehashed blather-I suggest you first trade places with a homeless person for a week-and then tell me how happy you are to eat your meals from a restaurant dumpster, or sleep in a cardboard box in the freezing cold, or defecate in the street like a dog, and smell like one, too… or, how about you just can’t pay your mortgage and are about to lose your home, or you child needs an operation and you don’t have the money because your credit cards are maxed-out and your insurance provider won’t cover the expense.

Listen, everyone wants more-needs more-desires more-and more is wholly dependent on more money. This is not Gordon Gecko speaking here about how greed is good. Greed is a pejorative term. Wealth and the accumulation of wealth, on the other hand, is a basic, laudable and inalienable human desire.

Those who would disagree are typically those who tried but could not achieve and satisfy that desire, and are now without-and are now trying to convince others, and themselves, they’re better off for having failed or fallen short.

Unless you’re a tribesmen living in the forests of Borneo-you need money to be happy. Then again, the happiest Borneo tribesmen are probably the ones with the most goats or cows, or whatever has the highest fungible value within their society.

Furthermore, and more to the point, if you don’t believe everything I just said…

You ain’t ever going to be a successful marketer!

If you’re a marketer-online or off-and you don’t have the highest degree of ambition to sell the most you can and thereby make the most money you can… you’re going to fail miserably, and die poor-and not very happy.

So if you have no all-consuming ambition to succeed…then, right now, go out and get a 9-5er instead, watch TV at night, and live your life according to the maxim that ignorance is bliss.

Successful marketers need and thrive on high-octane ambition. Such ambition is the rarified fuel that drives and energizes them-and such ambition can only be sustained by a tenacious bull-doggedness-a never-say-die brand of commitment, dedication, and perseverance-that inevitably leads to a hell of a lot of hard work, sleepless nights and tested relationships.

All for the pride of achievement! Winning! And its natural consequence-living and retiring with more money than one can ever hope to spend!

So who cares if you can’t take it with you-you’re not supposed to. Whatever is left over in the kitty when your time comes… you’re supposed to give to your kids, your spouse, your siblings, charity, a neighbor-any person or institution who you’ve loved and or appreciated-and care to make happy in turn.

Sure, some people with the requisite ambition don’t make it all the way to the top-but that’s okay. At least they’re trying, or died trying. And in the end, if they honored their ambition with an ethical and moral effort, they’ll have no regrets-and a lot of great and noble memories.

And if they finish only half way up the mountain-they’re still far better off, and happier, than those slaving at the bottom in the muck and the mire.

If you think I’m denigrating the unfortunate and the less able in society-then you’re missing the point.

What is the point?

If you’re going to sell to the rich (yes, I’m following up on my previous post)- you first gotta want to be rich, filthy rich-just like them.

Why? How? Still more to come… so stay tuned.

–Barry

www.WritingWithPersonality.com

Popularity: 91% [?]

“How old do you think I am?” was a fairly well-known marketing campaign years ago for a women’s moisturizer. In the TV commercials the question was asked by a beautiful woman, presumably older than she appeared.

Now the company has created a totally marketing-driven site. Whoever developed it for them is a marketeer “that get’s it.” It should make you think, “How OLD is my web site?”

Is your online marketing text heavy, long and all about you and your company? your features and your latest promotion? Is it BORING? Or is it about the needs and desires of your best customers?

Check this out right now and go through it, as any other visitor would:

www.OlayForYou.com

It is an OMG moment. Go through the entire thing pretending you have crow’s feet or any other of the skin challenges they present (yes, we men could use some anti-aging).

• It is TOTALLY “about you”
• It gathers data
• It’s interactive
• It’s simple
• It’s affordable for anyone to do, especially if you simplify it and reduce the number of questions
• It’s informative while based on the visitor’s input
• It’s not high pressure
• The voice over talent becomes your friend and “recommends”
• It has a nice variety of marketing options at end, i.e. gathers personal email at end, tell a friend, bookmark
• Probably the most significant point of all is that the technology DISAPPEARS!!!

Let me repeat:

“The technology disappears!”

It’s so well done you don’t feel like you’re doing all the work. It’s near effortless, point and click, without “just fill in the fields.” The process may not be perfect but it’s darn close. As a man and not the perfect target market, I found it a touch long and I wasn’t always sure of my answers based on my lack of cosmetic knowledge (RRrrr, let’s talk about power tools and fishing. Scratch….scratch).
 
Seriously, take a look. This is a great model to emulate and MIND SET to acquire for your own branding, internet marketing and lead generation online.

Popularity: 64% [?]

…. the Word.

 With the explosion of audio and video online, the “word” or copy has been taking a back seat of late. If you’re selling and marketing online beware forgetting about the power of text.

 Consider the following:

 1) Words Sell.  If you put up a picture or video of a nice car driving down a road, in a beautiful area, with a happy fun couple inside, do you know what it’s about? Is it about the car, saving the environment, insuranace or a travel ad? Images whether still or video, help add emotion and energy, but don’t always obviously explain what is being promoted or an offer.

2) Words Define. There can be HUGE difference when using similar words, or synonyms, based on either definition or context.  Think about it. Using the word “happy” vs. “gay” can be significant, yes? (“Not that there’s anything wrong with that.” - Jerry Seinfeld)

3) Words Help. The use of words help define your brand, your commitments and your customers’ experiences. As you rely more on self-service online, for things like directions or frequently asked questions, it is critical to be clear and direct with your text.

4) Words Influence.  Words allow you to make offers. Without a specific promotion, benefit or call to action, your marketing is impotent and frankly, a waste of money and media.

5) Words Guide. Search engines began and remain based on text. If you’re posting video or audio, you still need to use specific keywords or tags, so when your pages are searched by the search engine company’s spiders, they comprehend and score your sites higher in their rankings. Remember the importance of your keywords, descriptions - even the alternate tags and filenames for your pictures and graphics.

In my Customer Catcher coaching sessions, with small businesses, internet marketers and sales and marketing professionals. I propose that you can quickly improve your profits by a minimum of 10% JUST by utilizing a thesaurus. Most copy writing is BORING from using too common a vocabulary or too complex.

Another cool tool, that’s online, to stimulate your copy and creativity is available at VisualThesaurus.com. It’s visual, ‘popcorn’ interface is fun and very functional.

When you’re excited about selling online and influencing visitors to buy, you might already be concerned about the pulling power of your ‘copy.’ However, remember the Power of the Word throughout your business, from recruting and training, to customer support and your Privacy Policy.

Popularity: 64% [?]

Is the recession killing your sales? Are your websites racking up less and less unique hits? Are buyers just not buying?

Well, I’ve got news for you. If you think money is scarce and people are not willing to fork over the big bucks…

…You’re not marketing to the one recession-proof, always ready, willing and able-to-spend demographic: the Rich!

Listen, my wife works part-time at a Four Season resort.

CEO Izzy Sharp (we’re old buds, that’s why I get to call him Izzy and not Isadore) recently distributed a letter to all employees. Along with announcing that billionaires Bill Gates and Saudi Prince Alwaleed (I’ll spare you his full name) had just bought the company, and are taking it private, he disclosed a startling piece of information.

In three Four Seasons Hotels last year, guests spent on average, $1,000 a night!

That’s right, every single day of the year in 2007, guests spent an average of $1,000-on everything from room, food and incidentals! All this while the stock market tanked, average consumers supposedly weren’t spending, people were getting laid off and the economy was in a recession.

Okay, so you’re saying to yourself that was just the Four Seasons. Well, I’m not privy to the Ritz-Carlton and all other 5-star hotel numbers-or those hotels that averaged a $800 a night spend-or those stores and companies, online and off, whose customers spend thousands upon thousands of dollars on a single purchase-regularly!

The point is: the rich are not an anomaly. They exist, and their ranks are growing. There are more millionaires now than ever before in history. Saying someone is a millionaire no longer carries the cache it once did-it’s no longer an exclusive and unapproachable demographic.

Millionaires are all around us-you probably know a couple handfuls already.

Even half-millionaires count! How many shiny new BMW’s and Benz’s do you see on the road with temporary license plates? Too damn many if you ask me-but I’m just jealous.

Listen, these people, the rich that is, will never stop buying-as long as they’re making money (typically by selling their products and services to the equally rich and richer).

So grab a piece of the action-and join the club!

But you say your product or service doesn’t appeal to the rich. Well, why not? Update it, change it, enhance it, add value to it-make it bigger, better, and charge more for it!

People will always believe that if an item has a higher ticket price it has to be worth it-that it has to do a better job than a lower priced item that does the exact same job. It’s a matter of human psychology-so use it to your advantage. Market and sell to the rich!

How?

To be continued…

–Barry

www.WritingWithPersonality.com 

Popularity: 91% [?]

Well don’t rent them, not when you can easily create your own list of hungry buyers.

As I wrote previously, you can have the best product or service in the world, but if you don’t have a house list, one that’s eager to receive your emails-you’ve got no one to sell to.

Conversely, if you don’t have a product or service to sell, you can still sell other people’s products and services-if you’ve got a house list.

Now you can always rent a list, of course. But then you’ve got to introduce yourself, prove yourself, sell yourself. In short, you have to work a lot harder to sell these people-because they don’t know you, don’t trust you and don’t care about you.

But if they know you, have experience with you, through multiple contacts and sales-you can get right down to the business of selling your, or someone else’s, product.

Admittedly, there are times when you might need to rent a list. For example, when you want to mount a quick strike campaign to a new niche market (but never rent a compiled list-only rent a subscription list, one with attractive Recency, Frequency and Amount stats.)

So how do you build your own house list-a list of customers and prospects willing to consider your offer?

Lots of ways. And to get you started, here’s my short list of list-building ideas:

• Write, publish and promote a subscription-based, free or not, ezine (an online newsletter).

• Write, publish and promote a subscription-based, free or not, newsletter (an offline ezine).

• Write a blog and offer to notify readers of new posts if they provide their email address.

• Collect names and addresses at the point of sale-to notify buyers of upgrades, special announcements, etc.

• Conduct a seminar and collect names and addresses for a free, or not, CD/DVD recording of the seminar, bonus report, etc.

• Conduct a Webinar or Teleseminar (see above).

• Write a special report or white-paper, deliver it through a squeeze page (after name and email address are provided).

• Write articles, and place your email address and sign-up link in the resource box at the bottom, in order to receive comments and subscribers to your advertised ezine.

• Participate in trade shows and offer a chance to win a free-gift to those attendees who drop their business card in the fish bowl.

• Joint Venture (JV), with a complementary business-provide or contribute your “something” to a joint marketing endeavor-in order to access their list of names (you’ll therefore be introduced to the target market by someone they already know and trust.)

• Co-Registration (Co-Reg), hitch a ride with an offer on someone else’s marketing platform (e.g., on an order or thank you page)-it’s an implied endorsement by that marketer to his sphere of influence.

Remember though, these names and addresses that you collect are the key to your business’s continuing success-so treat them with all due respect and reverence.

Always promise, and keep your promise, not to abuse their privacy. Fully disclose, clearly, that you will be contacting them for various reasons, promotional and informational, in the near future.

And then ask them to confirm (and whenever possible, to double opt-in) their desire to receive communication from you.

You’ll then be on your way to marketing heaven.

–Barry

www.WritingWithPersonality.com

Popularity: 100% [?]