Monopolize Your Marketplace

Sorry, I have not heard about them, but it sounds like a master value proposition or sometimes called core story.

A single document taking as many pages or slides as needed, which takes a prospect from 1st page to last and tells them or educates them about why they should do business with you, the benefits of doing business with you etc etc and also to educate.

Included would be statistics, before after pictures, a kind of mini white paper, testimonials, staff profiles, in a nutshell, a vibrant, visually pleasing, easily digested document that spells out exactly what your firm is all about. Its core identity.

The real beauty is that the document can be split up into sections or your sales guys can use it as a sales tool, your web guy can use the content on your website, the graphics can be used in direct mail pieces, video's, the headlines used print ads or other ad mediums and on and on. so you get a lot of mileage from that one piece.

There is a ton of research, design and copy that goes into a good core story, hence the high initial cost but they pay for themselves for years to come....

You sure they wanna help you? whenever someone say they wanna help me in brand identity, creating white papers, print ads and words like that i just don't trust them no more because i hear these words so often from so many callers or people.

Why not ask them for at least the names of FIVE people inside organisations who you could call and chat to?

I'm sure if they have so many contractors using their systems that they would be able to put you in touch with a few people who could express their delight, concerns or results their system has provided to their business.

I always get a bit put off when I can't clearly understand the costs of a service from their pricing page.

This?:

http://mymonline.com/mymblog/
Monopolize Your Marketplace


Added later:
Y2Marketing and Rich Harshaw started ringing bells.
Back around 2005, he was selling a marketing consulting kinda sorta franchise.
It was like 25K to buy the material and methods and become a consultant.
It seemed like a good system, but just what any good marketer will do.
Analyze ads, improve them ....

This is telling, IMO:
http://y2marketing.blogspot.com/

You could find someone(s) on the forum, or check out Ryan Deiss'
dmlabs

I have not done this, but am strongly considering it:
You might, too, if have not already:

http://www.warriorforum.com/warriors...st-2015-a.html

Dan

Strange how the links look different on my post than they do
when you quoted me.

Anyway, so there's no confusion, this one goes to testimonials:
(They seem to be more about his knowledge than services?)
Monopolize Your Marketplace

There are several observations throughout this thread where I can draw comparison to results we've had in a few different markets and situations.

Over time I've included more phone contact both through capturing phone numbers of prospects and through, more recently, giving my personal cell number to both prospects and clients.

I used to think " I don't want to deal with the extra hassle of talking to prospects"

How wrong I was.

The more I became contactable whether through email, phone, mobile or in person the more the conversions went up.

The key here and what has been both my personal experience and that of my better consulting clients is that it is vital to get the best people on the phone.

Some of these weaknesses are uncovered when you "opt-in" as a prospect to your own company or client's companies and you get a call from an inexperienced consultant. There is always room to improve and unless you a monitoring you don't realise the leaks.

Your approach to relationship building on a personal level is admirable and vital for longterm success as you've already recognised.

...This shows you are paying attention and understand what is really going on...

I'm mindful of a situation that sometimes presents itself in my retail situation that happens when generally my best phone handlers, who are also my best sales people face to face, are often in a situation when all the "Best" people are dealing with on the ground sales and then the phone also runs hot and despite good training the phone is seen as an interruption by the "production" staff that feel a necessity to "attempt" to quickly deal with the perceived annoyance.

Although in these situations the person answering the phone has best intentions of solving the client's problems they don't have the analytical sales type mindset and I get the feeling that the "abruptness" or "lack of relationship building" conversations somewhat harm business.

(I know it is a training issue...but I've got a few dinosaurs who are great at working within their field...but)

I guess where I'm going with this is if you have good sales people whether that be on the phone or in person they need to have maximum access to the best prospects that are entering your sphere of influence.

Those people who whether through training or who have acquired the gift of communication over their careers are worth their weight in gold.

It is almost contrary to the automation path but you do get a "sort of automation" when you have a "better than software" outcome by using people who can compile the ideal response in real time and that is far more powerful than the generic auto response or robotic scripted reply.

I suspect, from the topic of the OP, that like most of us...it is really about improving results of what we are doing.

With a few of the people I work with I see similar "type" situations where "we"...

...and I'm part of that "we"...as are some of the super experienced and "well honed" professionals that are reading and contributing to this thread...

...we all want improvement...

...the crazy thing is "thinking" that some undiscovered system or new development will "Unlock" the chains that we are all burdened with.

Some of the best advice is often what we already know we should be doing.

If positioning and honing in your target is a priority...then Ewen can help.

if conversions is your weakness then Paul has insightful information.

If you need to connect to people then Claude has rare insight.

That is the true benefit of discussing topics in this forum as there is so much good advice.

For people who need serious help and want that extra input I'd encourage them to reach out because we can all go and grab a "New bit of kit"....

....but really the old saying always runs true " A bad workman always blames his tools"

Find the artisans who understand the tools but realise it is understanding the fundamentals is what really makes the difference.

Longrobnc It sounds like you've pretty much got your act together so when it comes to a bit of refinement you need a more personalised "Private" discussion and I know you have a good understanding of those people that can help your business outside of the public arena.

I'd love to hear back in a few months how some of those private initiatives work out and if it is a new shiny system...even be it an old shiny one that you've got to polish or whether you get some good insights from the contributors here who could help...it will make a good read...so let us know.

Thanks for showing up and contributing to a discussion that will benefit many.

A company who I modelled some of my early marketing attempts on many many years ago was a landscaping supply company.

Although a large business they always came across as a couple working together.

Their business which I was surprised to re-discover after so many years is still using some similar formulas.

I always put a picture similar to in my yellow pages ads...

...and that structure I looked closely at what the approach of Centenary Landscaping Supplies | Landscaping Supplies Brisbane was doing.

Denise and Terry...owners of Centenary...had a real magnetic power when it came to building business.

I suspect they are now retired but I still see their image on the website.

You may want to check them out.

You may want to reach out and just mention that heir name came up as a recommendation.

I don't know them personally but I feel that I do through their marketing over the years...maybe they can share a few ideas...

...and I know Ewen from across the ditch is extremely generous when it comes to enlightening people who are blinded by being too close to their business to see the unseen opportunities.

The more successful you become the more you realise the need to stay ahead of the game and get the best people adding to your perspective.

It comes back to the "what you know"..the what you don't know"...and the "what you don't know you don't know"

You need to seek out the people that expand the areas that "you don't know that you don't know"

...at least that's what the Trumps and the Branson's of this world do.

That's why I have a select number of clients in diverse and obscure niches who have sought me out for advice to crack one part of what they are trying to achieve because they recognise that insights and breakthroughs that come from a different and real world experienced perspective often adds many multiples to their results.

I should add I'm not here seeking clients, recognition or anything other than expansion in my contribution to a positive outcome for people who a genuinely seeking improvement and not just here "paying lip service".

From your posts I understand that you recognise that more leads equals a bigger bottom line.

I have clients like that think like that.

Often it is just perspective and changing those small things that can have major revenue boost....

Sounds like you are seeking some new perspective.

Reach out to the Centenary guys...I don't know it they would shut you down and just reject a conversation but perhaps you might find a very active mind in the "retired" individual who has been through what you're going through and you just don't know....

...that's why I also suggested Ewen or Peter because they have some serious "business divining" powers that are easy to see when you own the results but are just "hidden" to the people blinded by always going the DIY route or by the people who choose some "corporate" ...One size fits all...approach that some of the CRM focussed solutions tend to promote.

Individual insightful advice is what you really need and going on what you've done and what you've invested in other "Magic" potions it might be time to call on a couple of the "old-boys" who survived and prospered over the years and those who have also adapted those tried and tested those insights and applied them to this period of rapidly changing business circumstances.