Re: Offline Marketers: What services are you offering for monthly fees? Quote:
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Re: Offline Marketers: What services are you offering for monthly fees? Just going through some of my files. Came across something I thought I'd share. After reading a bunch of posts, seems some of you are not clear on the USP thing. Suggestions made were weak, some very weak. Not what you want to hear I'm sure, but no sense in beating around the bush and telling you what you want to hear instead of what you need to hear. USP needs to tell people WHY they should do business with you and not your competitor. Low price isn't enough. Good quality isn't enough. Good service isn't enough. Boring, boring, and boring. ANYONE can say those things. Which means you are just like everyone else. Which means you are seen as a commodity. Which means you aren't getting premium fees. Here is what I came across in my files that I wanted to share. I recently wrote it down because I heard Dan Kennedy say it in one of his audio programs I was recently listening to. It's his USP. Obviously do NOT steal it and use it word for word. But it is a great starting point. A USP swipe, if you will. "I devise direct marketing strategies for all types and sizes of businesses that eliminate all the fat and waste in their advertising and increase the productivity of their sales people by at least 1000% guaranteed." |
Re: Offline Marketers: What services are you offering for monthly fees? 1 Attachment(s) Here is a great article on list selection. It's by Gary Halbert...one of greatest marketers/copywriters to have ever lived. |
Re: Offline Marketers: What services are you offering for monthly fees? Awhile back there was talk about business cards. Watch this video by Joel Bauer. Hilarious!!!! |
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And moral of the story here?? If you giving away promotional items, you should also be contacting them via email too... (not simply sending a promotional item and hoping for an eventual sale) So, if your client is sending out promotional items but is unhappy with the result, you can easily fix their problem by using the free gift to obtain first contact, but using that experience to keep in contact with them... Simple, yet I bet a lot of businesses are making that mistake. Heck, Im even going to start calling any company I see promoting themselves on products and tell them I can improve their business, they obvously have spare money to spend.. (more tips later, now I have to massage my ego by seeing a client) |
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See, the way I see it, the best USPs in my mind are the ones where it is a complet NO brainer for the client. There is one that I saw for a PPC/converstions company where they said "if we don't increase your conversions by 30%, you pay nothing" Hard to compete with that, but the problem is, are you then on shaky ground becasue you are promising specific results??? Damn, I wonder what AP's USP is ;-) The thing is, once you are really good at this, then you can make a killer USP based on your previous results, the problem I have right now is not 100% knowing that I really can increase theor revenue enough to include that in a USP. Thanks for the hapbert file, he is THE MAN! I'll read that now after posting this! Thanks Phil |
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And saying "we have the best products at the lowest prices" is not going to do that. You gave a great example of the PPC company USP. That is perfect. Here is exactly what's going to happen, if it doesn't, you don't pay for it. Can't get much better. One of my favorite's is Domino's. Another great USP. Quote:
Gary Halbert Letters |
Re: Offline Marketers: What services are you offering for monthly fees? I've just finished filming my dvd based on Vagabond 007's WSO that I bought (thanks again by the way!) and I've put my neck on the block too. In one of the sections I mention the effectiveness of USPs to differentiate yourself from your competition and I quote them my "new" USP - (well, never really had one :o ) which is: Once my strategies have been properly implemented, if you fail to increase your profits you can ask for your money back! Obviously I've left myself a little room for negotiation by using "properly implemented ;) ! Cheers Simon |
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I've been a member of Andrew Cavanaugh's forum for 6 months now and he has a theory about business cards, because you see so many people procrastinating going out there and getting business because they need business cards, so what colour, what design, what do I call myself - oh and I need stationery, and this and that - WHY?? As we've established, positioning is very important, but ACTION is too. Andrew believes that the most important business cards are those of the business owners you meet - he's never had one for all the years he's been helping businesses. Great find Vagabond007 Simon |
Re: Offline Marketers: What services are you offering for monthly fees? 1 Attachment(s) I know for a fact, got a bunch of emails/PM's, that some of you are having issues with using direct mail. More specifically, what to send. While I am not going to give you a copy and paste template, I have attached a WORD file. Something I came across in my files, not sure where I got it from. It's 4 pages. Page 1 is a sample letter that can be sent as a follow up after sending out a free report. Pages 2-4 are Dunning style letters. They are not for consulting. But that's not the point. Use it to help you get started on your own. Btw, there is a white empty space to the left of the headlines because you insert a picture there. A picture with a dog works good. Or a kid. Or a woman. Or you running out of a burning building carrying a baby in one hand, holding onto the hand of a woman with your other, and a dog in tow. :cool: |
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I think business cards are stupid. I don't even really want the cards of business owners I meet. I'm not going to call them, so what's the point? If you do have a card, do NOT make it like everyone else's. What a gigantic waste! Have a clear call to action on it. Your USP. Obviously contact info. Free recorded message number. Use the backside, list benefits. None of that Name, title, phone number crap. |
Re: Offline Marketers: What services are you offering for monthly fees? 1 Attachment(s) Attached is a very interesting story. I read it online back in November. Saved it into a WORD doc. It's about Subway and how that stupid $5 foot long craze has helped them dramatically. Gosh I hate that song!! I'm sharing it because it's a great example of how something so simple can dramatically alter a business for the better. Turns out, it started because one store sold the foot longs for a $1 less on Sunday's and it always had lines out the door. People are so weird. They go through so much trouble to save so little money. I just read on another forum about people waiting outside in the pouring rain to get their free breakfast from Denny's the other day. Screw that! I'd pay more money so I didn't have to deal with crap like that. Speaking of, quick story. I ordered a painted bumper online the other day for my car. I asked how long it will take to ship out. She said 5 to 20 days. Why the huge window, I don't know. But I asked if I could pay money to have it rushed. She said they don't offer that. HELLO!! I just voluntarily offered to GIVE you more money and you turned it down. Hmm, perhaps they will be getting a direct mail piece soon. :) Anywho, read the attached article. It's pretty interesting. |
Re: Offline Marketers: What services are you offering for monthly fees? 1 Attachment(s) Attached is a quick report I wrote last year. Nothing too crazy. Just talks about traditional advertising (YP, coupon magazines, radio, TV, etc.) and why it's a waste. Feel free to use it however you want. Edit it to have your name and contact info. Just something to add to your toolbox. |
Re: Offline Marketers: What services are you offering for monthly fees? Stop monkeying around. Quick story on how monkeys are so stubborn that they won't just let go to save their life. Obviously I am using the [true] story as a metaphor. What are you holding onto that is stopping you from success? Surely by now, this thread has opened up a whole new world to some of you. Things you once thought were impossible are now....possible. But I'm sure they may be at least one thing holding you back from having the success you want. Maybe it's as simple as letting go of it.... Monkey Business... There is a certain group of hunters that use a monkey’s stubbornness to kill them very easily. What the hunter does is cut a small hole in a tree, then hollows out the center of the tree a little bigger than the hole. Then they place a nut inside this hole. What happens is, a monkey walks up and grabs a hold of the nut inside the hollowed out tree. But now the monkey can’t fit his hand back out of the hole. So the monkey sits there for a little bit trying to pull its hand out of the hole with no luck. Meanwhile, the hunter just walks right up and kills the monkey. All the monkey had to do was LET GO to save its own life. But it wouldn’t even do that. Don't be like those monkeys. Let go, it may just save your life. |
Re: Offline Marketers: What services are you offering for monthly fees? Joel Bauer in my opinion is a very well positioned entertainer. He got his noteriety with 'Your card is crap', but the fact is, his is. It doesn't fit in a pocket or a Rolodex. If it makes it back to the client's office at all it ends up in the back of a drawer somewhere. Plus (saw him on an MTV show) he is way too proud that when opened, his head pops up like a mini erection. (his quote). There is a lesson here, be outrageous enough to stand out, but not so outrageous as to be useless or counter productive. When sending post cards 3½ x 6 over sized get noticed. Business cards with pop ups are novelties that get thrown away. (IMO) Yes you want to stand out, but not so much that you end up ignored or considered a fool. |
Re: Offline Marketers: What services are you offering for monthly fees? Regarding USP's.. There has already been some good info here but I will add my 2 cents... Your USP (or your clients) should raise the bar for the entire industry (at least locally). Take Domino's as Gene pointed out. There USP was something like 'great pizza delivered in 30 minutes or it's free'. That was a great USP - then. Now it sucks. Why? It raised the bar and now everybody does it. There is no more 'U' in USP there. How about a local example.... I read once where a clothing store had a huge selection of coats and jackets - more than everybody else in town. So...was the USP 'great service, great selection'? No - that wouldn't raise the bar. The USP was... 'The biggest and best selection of outerwear in town - 278 styles to choose from'. Where would you go if you wanted a new coat? Where there were 278 styles to choose from. Where would you go if you want the cheapest coat - Walmart. See - the USP has nothing to do with being the cheapest - those tirekickers can go to Walmart. This raises the bar for every other outer wear retailer in town and guess what? The USP is a moving target - as the competition catches up then the client will have to create a new USP. Guess who they go to to get that done? So... You need to find a USP that is: -true -compelling -specific (use numbers) -meaningful to the prospects That is how you develop a USP that drives business to the client. Hint - talk to your client's best customers about why they keep coming back... |
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Phil |
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Dexx, you seem to be guy who has his head screwed on. I like the way you are welcome to learn more, where ever it may come from. AP, you really do own this thread... The experience shows. Im glad I have so much in common with you guys, and I've very happy to have found this thread. In the spirit of this thread, I'll agree to contribute some of my personal guarded material, which I will post sometime next week. With my experience in corporate freelancing and productiviy, and your both combined in Sole trader freelancing along with your guides, we could write a killer book... who knows... Here's to 2010, the year I break 7 figures consulting. |
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Phil |
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Re: Offline Marketers: What services are you offering for monthly fees? An USP does not have to have 'guaranteed' or 'or you pay nothing' at the end to be effective. In fact after Dominios, everyone used those words. Look at USPs and maybe 1 in 10 effective ones use them. Fed ex 'when it absolutely, positively needs to be there overnight.' The guarantee is implied, not stated. After Dominios there was such a rash of guarantees that having an USP with one is next to meaningless. (much better to convey guarantee by implication or in person). Be different, be noticed for what is wanted. No one really wants a guarantee these days, they want results. To me, if a USP says I get my money back WHEN they don't deliver on their promise, I am not interested. I don't want my money back, I want what I bought! To me, a guarnantee implies I need one! (Not to say you shouldn't have one, just that it be down played so that the customer feels they will never have to use it.) As I see it. |
Re: Offline Marketers: What services are you offering for monthly fees? I have thought the same thing considering the non-existence of good ones I have seen. USP talk here made me dig out my old DK Magnetic Marketing Stuff and get back to basics. USP Being one of them Thanks Seb |
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For someone starting out and offering mainly IM services first, how do you advise the transition to "Business Consultant"? Should we start off as Online Marketing Consultants and then after some successful clients rebrand as Business Consultant? You advised to start off with whatever we know and build on that - so just wondering how to market the basic services while still not being considered a commodity? |
Re: Offline Marketers: What services are you offering for monthly fees? Do you think it matters if your domain has "online" or "marketing" or "business" in its name? The website I have used for ages is xyzinc.com - I want to continue to use it as my main website (just change the layout around) because of the age and it shows that I am not just a brand new run of the mill business and have been incorporated for several years. Do you think it should be fine or should I have a new website with these key terms in the domain name? |
Re: Offline Marketers: What services are you offering for monthly fees? Storage facilities. Sadly, many people have lost their homes due to a foreclosure and need a place to store their personal belongings in a secure area. There are many self storage places now. Climate controlled self storage yields you a monthly income. My biggest problem is getting people to pay. Although most renters have jobs, many have been forced to work for reduced wages. There are many hardship cases. |
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I remember reading many years ago about an advertising guy who marketed slogans. He would come up with something, go knock on the door of the company whose product matched his idea and give his pitch. If they liked it. They'd pay him for it. He'd had several winners. In the article, he gave an example of a winner he'd had. It was for the Lucky Strike cigarettes. He went there to make his pitch. He told them upfront, "if you like it, it will cost you $25,000." They agreed. He then said, "be happy, go Lucky.” They paid him $25K. This happened back in the 50's or 60's I believe, when $25K was worth at least 10 times what it is today. Ron |
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In the spirit of SEO, we've just bagged a few more key-rich domain names and are building sites which will emphasise different bits of it. Somewhere on the sites we will say they are part of our company. We will see how it works - it's a cheap enough test. Jacqui |
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