Is Anyone REALLY Making Money Offline?

works for me im not going to tell you how im doing it mind as it is a valid wso i took a few months ago plus i own a pub also so i have a advantage to advertise to some people and like they say word of mouth advetisment is the best way.

I think anyone who says they make money helping local businesses is a dirty liar!

Especially these people:

http://www.dankennedy.com/blog
Jay Abraham: Optimal Marketing Strategies
http://www.thegaryhalbertletter.com/...r-archives.htm

They pretty much prove that its a waste of time to market for local businesses...though rumor has it they do have some tips on how to do it!

~Dexx

Im not big on the offline market but I have met people in person and told them about what I do and got some business. I hear some people go to business gatherings and just meet other business people then they give a free seminar in there area teaching marketing and then present there services.

I actually go to a lot of entrepreneurship clubs and get contracts that way which really helps to offset my larger business costs. Usually if you just tell people about what you do and you're passionate they get interested.

Hello,
if cold calling is not for you, offline marketing may not be right the right field.
Cold calling does take a lot of nerve in the beginning but it does get easier as you practice.
I would suggest that you try a pitch on a friend or relative and then venture out into the public.

Hi S

You raise an interesting point! I agree there is a lot of talk about the offline niche and how easy it is to dominate. I have been working in this arena for some time now and have taken part in a number of programmes ( Howies Schwartz to name one)

A short answer is yes it is possible to make money. You will need to have a range of services to offer. You also need some communication skills with an understanding of marketing and sales. Many business owners need help with their marketing.

I would avoid direct mail unless it is to a list that you have already contacted...you will be throwing money down the drain ( conversions can be as low as 0.1 percent!)

My success has come from networking groups, local chamber events and from J.V opportunities.

For instance, I work with a web company who I write for, this is a service that many web companies are missing. I also have done some free seminars and webinars which help to build relationships. If you have Technical skills creating a site ( Wordpress ) can be a good earner.

I guess my final comment is you are dealing with savvy business owners you need a plan and you need to take it seriously,

Best Wishes

Denise

Hope this helps? With a plan and focussed action it is more than possible. You need to have a clear message

I don't understand all the offline buzz; I'm here making money online because I am FED UP with the offline world.

1) no more traffic
2) no more appointments
3) if I'm in the groove at night I stay up working, I can sleep in tomorrow because there is no where I have to be
4) when I wake up in the morning, there is MONEY IN MY INBOX
5) who cares what the price of gas is
6) want to take a trip, GO, nobody's permission to ask, no schedule to consult

etc.

Regards,
PCRoger.

Offline is *another* way to make cash with our online skills.

Different market tho. But with some effort people can make good money.

For the most part, those who are making money offline didn't get caught up in the buzz and hype.

A good portion of my monthly income comes from generating business offline.

Simply put, you have to speak to your audience in a way that they understand. Most of the offline businesses that I deal with I've met face to face.

This doesn't mean that you have to cold call (both on the phone and in person).

I've found it's pretty effective to get involved in your community and join networking groups, attend local functions, and just MEET people. When they ask what you do, you tell them.

If you want to get clients faster though, you're probably going to have to bite the bullet and either come out of pocket for a kick ass mailer, or do some cold calling, OR hire a sales person to do that cold calling for you.

Cold calling? No. Talking to people? Yes.

You don't have to "dial for dollars," but you should be comfortable taking incoming phone calls, seeking aome proactive local speaking oppoertunities, directing the efforts of a freelance sales rep, etc.

You don't have to "sell" per se, but offline is a people oriented business for the most part (there are a few things that you can sell and do via email only, but the bigger dollars take some face time).

Hey guys,

Here is a really easy offline method to make good money with casino, poker or betting affiliate programs.

So to recap the 5 steps to magical income generating :

1) Signup with a casino/poker affiliate program
2) Create a domain name that redirects to your affiliate link
3) Create a flyers and/or business cards with your domain name
4) Hand out the flyers and/or business cards to your local sports clubs, bars, cafes, etc.
5) Pay managers/business owners for every lead they send you.

This is not rocket science guys! You could easily top over $5,000 a month if you do this right.

To Your Success,

Alexander

I attend Chamber of Commerce, Business Mixer and Networking breakfast clubs like LeTip and BNI. I get 90% of my business from these.

Yup, direct mail... with a twist using Postcards.

~ JIM

I am making a comfortable living. I enjoy meeting with and talking to people offline.

Don't fall for they hype that they will treat you like a god for knowing how to market online.

I'm not even sure what people mean when they say they are teaching IM techniques small offline business. You better be ready to do more than show them how to build an email mailing list. I bring that up long after I analyze what they need. Some people I can't help even though they have nothing going on online. Not everyone wants your wizz bang onlne talents.

As mentioned by Lou Diamond above, you better be ready to do cold calling to succeed. And lots of it.

To partially answer your question, I lead in by saying "Do you know that Google now controls local listing on the web?" I want to see if they know Google Local. Many of the do. Some do not. But it is a conversation starter.

When I meet a new prospect I spend about 10 minutes with him (if he lets me). I don't try to sell him anything on the first visit. I get out of his business quickly but I do call him on the phone a week later.

My goal in cold calling is simply to find people who need what I have to sell and who are willing to pay my fees.

I was at a gathering last Saturday. I was not prospecting at all. I didn't even have a card with me. When someone asks for my card and I don't have one I say "I am naked!" Anyway, I struck up an interesting conversation with this fellow. Turns out his big goal in life is to start a nonprofit business in the health field. He did quiz me a lot when I told him I am an Internet consultant. He was testing me and that's ok. Remember that they talk to a lot of people who don't know squat, not really. End result is a new client after he visited with me in my home office. Not a huge money case, probably about $5,000 over time, but still.....

Although I haven't tried it there must be a market for internet marketing services offline as I know a number of franchises which operate in this area. Web design for small/medium businesses is still in demand - as for other services, it's probably easier to upsell those after a smaller initial purchase....just my thoughts anyway.

Ian.

Offline marketing works because the offline world do not know what we know online. I have been talking to a lot of people about what I do and they do not have a clue on where to start or even understand some of the terms that I use. By being in the online marketing world, we have acquired a certain degree of expertise in our field that we can market especially to high paying businesses.

The technique here is not to cold call but build a relationship. You can offer your services for free and get paid later. Joint venturing can go a long way you know. Businesses are connected. Once you get a job in one business, you will get referred to the next and the next thing you will know is that you have lots of businesses getting your services.

If you are cold calling to sell offline business
you simply don't know more leveraged methods.

Most people here have access to camtasia - send them
a personalized video site critique..... DOH!

You can still sleep in and never have
to leave the house or use a telephone.

True. The advantage of offline marketing is the way we can build relationships by getting in touch with these interested and eager-to-learn people as we offer them what we know that could help their businesses. So, why do the cold-calling while you have all the opportunity to get to know them and their needs and absolutely build good relationships.

And finally, this will make everything as your BUSINESS.

Cold Calling? What is that

People pay me to pitch to them...

Funny, I wrote a post on my blog about offline money making. Check it out in my sig. But for newbies - I highly suggest you stay away from it.

Said it before, will say it again,
70% or more of 'off-line business consulting' has zero to do with on-line solutions. If you increase traffic and the business is not even maximizing the income from their current clients, and/or are not ready for an influx of business, all you do is make a bad situation worse. If the phone starts ringing twice as much and those answering it were already not answering it properly, how worse will they perform? The business could actually lose paying clients due to more traffic! If a service crew or salesperson has another client or stop to make, they don't do everything to maximize the ticket. They 'forget' to up/down/cross sell, they start losing deals.
You don't fix the problems and prepare the business for what you can achieve for them with on-line traffic generation, you risk them making less, even with more traffic! It is actually possible to put them out of business if you just do the on-line stuff and don't learn the biz, plug the profit leaks and prepare them for an increase in customers.
Off-line is a job. One where you are self employed, but it is a job. Even if you make $200,000 on-line as an IM guy, that is no guarantee you can do anything other than increase traffic for off-line businesses. If you have done your homework and only take on clients that are already doing everything right and only lacking traffic, God bless you, but most need much more than the front page of Google for a few commercial keywords.

In other words, to do it right, off-line is a job. You want to be a main street marketer and work 4 hours a week from home? Ain't happening. If you have read the long thread about off line started Perarl Harbor Day '09 in this forum 5 or 12 times and cannot get an off-line business going with that information then there is nothing anyone can possibly say or do to help you. That thread is free to read and has more than $3000 worth of information in it. It is A-Z with just a few common sense items missing. Several people have sold over 100K worth of 'off-line' services using that info alone. They certainly are not any smarter than anyone, most never had sold anything before.They had one advantage. They actually did something. This forum is full of things that work and work well. Some just on line some in the 'off-line' category. The successful ones either on or off line actually implement the information in these posts for FREE! You need not spend a dime to start any business if you work it. Or you can ask if anyone is actually making money here. Pretty big forum for a bunch of people not making any money. Maybe we should change the name? 'Allen's social club and useless information emporium.'

Been selling marketing solutions to business since the late 1980s. So yeah, I've been making money in "offline".

Almost 100% of my clients are ongoing contracts and referrals. Upon great occasion, I will speak at a business group, which results in multiple new client engagements. I'm very careful to pick and choose, and do not work with any company less than $5 million/year in sales unless it's for a strategic reason (usually venture capital/acquisition-related).