Be Honest Now... Local Business Marketing is a Nightmare

Shut up and listen...great advice

Lol very good points I once had an Architect tell me that 599 was way too much and that I wasn't competitive enough. He said he had been quoted for $100 for a website. I said okay and moved on

Yes, absolutely.

In this current economy, even the large corporations are realizing business as usual in regards to their sales strategies is NOT working anymore.

Ari hit on this 10 years ago and was ahead of the curve.

Evie

One of the most difficult thing to really comprehend is the fact that MOST people are NOT going to be ideal prospects.

For what ever reason.

And quite honestly, many businesses, we shouldn't even be pitching them, because we CANNOT deliver.

I find with with many newbies that believe all the BS courses out there and that giving a business page one of Google is the holy grail when in fact, it likely won't even bring ONE new customer.

We shouldn't even be talking to a prospect unless we KNOW we can help them.

With Ari's mindset, you are NOT worried about making the sale, in fact, you even tell the prospect "I don't even know if I can help you"...

When I was cold calling, the way I looked at it was I was making friends, not sales.

Today, I find business niches that I can seize and then I find the top businesses I can go to and share my findings.

At that point I usually already have a keyword domain built out and doing well for a handful of "money" keywords, even creating leads already.

But the domain is only a small part of it.

I find out what the businesses goals are, where they want to be, what success looks like to them and then I basically review their current entire online marketing and show what I can do to make it better and I put the owner in THAT picture.

Let them see what incremental increases across the board looks like to their bottomline.

I make it real for them.

Evie

I took Ari's basic and then advanced training and my pitch developed into what it is now, and Ari adjusted his from what he learned from all of his original mentees.

Unfortunately, Unlock The Game came off the market today.

There will be no more Unlock the Game products available for sale and Ari will only be doing corporate training.

Ari's mindset works, but it is a shift and so easy to fall back into your old habits.

Evie

Without having all the fact and just off the top of my head, why not create a sales and networking workshop for car dealerships, estate agencies, banks, etc., and line up speakers that are experts in social media, lead generation, etc., and YOU also present and if you do a great job in a 30-40 minute presentation and demonstrate how talking to YOU will increase their bottom line, you will get a handful of new clients.

A lot of work for a handful of clients, but then you build a professional referral program into each and every sale.

In closing, a brochure is NOT going to sell you and your product.

A request for one is a blow off.

How many have you sold and why aren't those first clients slamming you with new business?

Evie

Evie I meant to post in the telemarketing forum, but are you still offering to have a few people come out to California and to see how you operate. I would die for this opportunity to learn from someone like yourself.

I'm doing pretty good starting out, but I'm positive learning from someone who has established their self and seeing how to structure my business would only skyrocket my success. If you end up doing this please sign me up

Start putting every account on automatic payments. I can tell you even $20/month accounts add up fast and are little work when you have an automated billing process in place. Even with this you have to keep up with credit card declines and bad expiration dates.

Collections will always be some work, but it is better to chase the money you are owed than dreaming of the dollars you don't have.

Chris,

In my opinion this is the best way to make good money fast. Don't let these things discourage you. Just like any business there are ups and downs. I would take these ups and downs over any 9-5 job.

The best part is my wife and I have been able to do a ton of traveling while helping clients out. Trust me Chris, for every negative point there are about 20 positive points.

I definitely agree with a lot of what you are saying. I have been doing some web design and just got started with the SEO. I was able to get my first client, an mobile auto detailer on the first page for many search terms related to our area. In fact, I created videos, press releases, updated Google Places, and he now owns 3-4 spots on the Google front page for his terms.

Guess what? He's still not getting any traffic and any calls.

What are some thoughts on increasing his business through online marketing without the use of SEO?

Oh, absolutely!

You are correct.

Evie

Great info. That was a lot more positive. lol. So what would you recommend someone just starting out does? If you could go back what steps would you take to get your business started?

1. WHO'S MAILING WHAT! Archive

2. Join John Durham's Telemarketing Forum and learn how to do telemarketing and then hire. Our TMs set appointments for all of our reps. We sell a simple "foot in the door" service for $997.

3. 4-5 figure a month clients? We sign the "foot in the door" clients and upsell after they trust us and are happy.

And a completely different beast, that I personally use, is I hand pick clients I want to work with that are spending $100,000 and up per year on advertising and then I go after them. I create a customized 30-40 minute presentation and make an appointment. Works almost every time, but you have to work your way up. It doesn't happen over night.

I have NO FEAR, so this does not work for everyone.

4. No I wouldn't be willing to do that for obvious reasons.

:-)

Evie

The BIG players, the ones that make me and my efforts look like an amateur, I have studied every company out there and currently am paying the salaries for 3 of our employees to work for Local, YB and I cannot give the 3rd because they are already suspicious LOL

We also have the entire sales training Yelp, citysearch and a few other are using.

Each of these companies is NOT opening with SEO.

Even ignite is using social media as their foot in the door.

I would not be saying this crap if it wasn't true.

I HATE posers and misinformation.

It is why I waste even a second on these boards when I can.

If I can prevent even one person from making the same mistakes I did, then I have done my job and I'll crawl back into my WOMAN cave (although I have wallpapered!)

And I stand behind the fact that practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect...

Evie

Hi Rich,

I think I have a bunch of little piggies working for me because we all LOVE to eat.

We have breakfast and dinner meetings all the time at different restaurants and all of our sales managers meet their sales teams for lunch at different restaurants.

So, starting off by going to the restaurants you already visit would be a start.

Next, we started borrowing restaurants menus and digitizing them and uploading them with that restaurant's information. Then we created a QR code and a postcard/table tent with the QR code and a nice headline that basically tells customers to scan the QR Code to take our menu with you.

Then on the other side is a message for them to text the word "Pork" or whatever to 515151 (or whatever) and you'll instantly join our Preferred Diners Club. Receive specials, coupons and deals.

Our system is set up to send a welcome text asking for their birthday, then later anniversary, etc., all the while building a database of information on each customer.

Some of our clients we offer a free desert or appetizer when they join.

We also offer a promotion where some of our clients text a certain number of office party winners.... or TGIW (Wednesday/Thursday, etc) Party for friends and family... and the restaurant provides all the party food and special drink prices.

These have been very successful, especially on off nights.

Sure, we put a bit of work in upfront, but we usually end up making a deal.

Targeting Groupon/LivingSocial advertisers should be a no brainer, as they are crying out... HELP ME!!!!

In fact, they are so desperate they have gone to Groupon/LivingSocial, etc. which they would have made a better decision had they gone to their local loan shark and borrowed $100,000 and invested it is solid, tested advertising/marketing opportunities.

YOU can be their hero, if you catch them before it is too late.

Evie

Trying to build a customer base on price is the wrong way to go. They should stress value and that could be even from the highest price business owner in town. Excellent tip Evie.

This same advice is for consultants also. You should not stress your price but the value you provide for the business.

Isn't that just like John to try to get the last word in... AGAIN...

LOL

Evie

Great thoughts, Evie. Thank you so much for sharing. All the best to you, Buddy

"Richard Cory"

Whenever Richard Cory went down town,
We people on the pavement looked at him:
He was a gentleman from head to crown,
Clean favored, and imperially slim.

And he was always quietly arrayed,
And he was always human when he talked;
But he still fluttered pulses when he said,
"Good-morning," and he glittered when he walked.


And he was rich--yes, richer than a king--
and admirably schooled in every grace:
In fine, we thought that he was everything
To make us wish that we were in his place.
So on we worked, and waited for the light,
And went without the meat, and cursed the bread;
And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,
Went home and put a bullet through his head.



On both sides of the fence, everyone has their own limits, celebrations, their struggles, and ways of handling things. I don't believe that there is such a hard and fast rule as to what will and won't work. Tony Robbins once asked why is it that when it snows, some people freeze to death, while other people ski?

I love the information provided in this thread, but at least in my experience, local business owners are nowhere near as nightmarish as the image presented here. I've created about 150 videos for about 90 businesses since January, part time, while going to school.

I've only recently started managing some Bing and Google Places setups.

No, not $10,000 a month clients, but the point is, they have for the most part, been genuinely appreciative and receptive to me. The majority that I've met and worked with have been a joy.

Just luck?

I read here on the forum long ago -- Christopher Griffith, who said not to say the word "SEO" -- just say "make it easier to find you when people use Google". I don't offer typical SEO, but I remember the concept of keeping the technical lingo out of the conversation.

I also usually open by stating that "I don't know if this could help your business or not, but here's what I can do and we can try it for a few months for free and see if it helps", etc... After 2-3 weeks I go back to the owner and offer to do another video, for another keyword... or more recently, set up Google Places if they don't have it yet, also free. Yes, I knew I was taking a chance.

But a month or two later, I'd go back and show them the monthly rates if they would like to continue... "or I could just take everything down and thank you for giving me a chance to try and help you."

So far I only had one that said to take everything down, and that was because (I didn't know at the time) he was already set to close down.

So just for me, I have a moderate income, even if I do nothing for a month (lol, like that will ever happen!), but the payments still come in. I don't have a mega-payroll or lots of salespeople to manage, but my car, rent, school, and a bit of tiny luxuries are being paid for by my local business friends.

Again, I know I'm not playing at the same level as some of the gurus here, but for the smaller guys out there, and the newbies, you may learn what WON'T work for someone else, but you really can't know what works for YOU unless you try.

Funny story -- Cover Baily (exercise/nutritionist), explained how metabolism may have an affinity to decrease as one gets old, and how exercise can keep the metabolism revved up throughout the day. He told the story of how little Jimmy wanted a third slice of chocolate pie. His mom told him that eating lots of pie will make him fat. Jimmy responded by saying, "No mom. Eating lots of chocolate pie makes YOU fat".

Not everything works the same way for everyone.

My first client... January 4th 2011, I walked in off the street (my only "client getting strategy" so far) and showed the owner what I could do and gave her a price range. Her response was that it was twice what the saleman offered that had just left. In one fell swoop, it hit me that DAMN, someone else is doing this already, and not only that, he's making his rounds and even charging half of what I'm charging.

I asked if she was working with him, and was relieved when she said that they didn't like him; that he was kinda pushy and long winded and they had no idea what he was saying or promising.

As she responded, I was sincerely packing away my laptop, preparing to leave, when she said, but with you, I understand and know exactly where we stand. She put half down and has been paying me monthly since then.
(I started out that way -- half down.)

Maybe the same salesman that didn't get the sale went home and listened to another course or bought a nicer laptop or fancier suit, then posted on the forums that cold calling doesn't work and just plain sucks.

I honestly don't know what direction I would have went had the first attempt been with someone rude or hostile or demeaning. I'd like to think that I would have just went to the next business in the strip center, and the next, and the next, until it was time to stop for the day...

But would it have changed my perception of business owners, thus changing my interaction or attitude or demeanor with the next owner?
Would it have mattered? I just don't know.

But in my relatively short work experience working with local business owners, I can in no way agree with the sweeping generalization that it "is a nightmare".

And I sleep pretty good at night.

This is going to cause some real controversy, but I believe Jay Abraham is struggling. If you are on his mailing list, you can see it.

"I'm quitting the small entrepreneur and only working with big companies" and then in the next breath he is abandoning large business stating "I'm for the little guy, the small business owner" and on and on.

And yes, he is giving the farm away. His life's work in a desperate attempt to gain some sort of market share again.

Where are the $25,000 masterminds and the multiple $5,000 and $10,000 programs?

And watching the JVs Spike made with every scam artist online was painful.

My husband and I were even approached at a networking event a few years ago by Spike Hummer, Jay's operational manager, and that conversation was enlightening.

Make no doubt about it, Jay is struggling.

And when the master is having a tough time, God help us all.

The Internet and social media has changed the game people.

And if these stubborn, pig headed small business owners (and I am not being mean, it is fact) don't get that, and change the way they do business, they won't have a business to 'do".

Evie

People buy from people. Especially offline, but even online.

Just like in architecture , you can only build as high as the foundation is broad.

Depending upon what you are selling your "plumber" the relationship needs to be in place first.

And that is really not as hard as it sounds.

As human beings, we are all related and very very similar, just that it is a function of the mind to notice what is different

Look at a white wall, and one immediately notice the small black speck. An alien landing on Earth for the first time would be struck by how alike we humans all look.

You get the idea,

And that applies to people's want needs, dreams, etc., So that is where you come from - you and he/she are already related - and then just discover how. Sort of like meeting someone who it has been told to you is a long lost relative for the first time.

Come from being related - and you will notice the similarities - not the differences.. And your prospect will feel the difference.

I look at sales as a discovery process.

Discuss his wants/needs/situation and see if you can truly provide a solution that adds value above and beyond what you charge.

The conversation should be guided by what is best for his business and whether or not you can provide that, not what you can offer.

After a while, it will be clear - to both of you - what the appropriate path of action is.

And then there will be no selling - just moving to the next logical step.

And I know that a lot of attention gets paid to close rates, etc, but the truth is that the close rate gets determined mostly by the homework/preparation done before the meeting, not during the meeting.

Like the results of a football (American football :-) gets created during the week at practice - and even off season - not so much on the field during the game - even though execution is important - it will only bring you so far.

Anyway - back to the meeting.

So you have established the relatedness gently but clearly.

You have identified the possibilities - defined by his wants and needs.

Now identify - jointly - whether it makes sense to proceed to taking action.

I think that would be a good mindset to have during the meeting.

Way back when, I sold big systems to phone companies/ banks in the US, and had some success.

I attribute a lot of the success to having a great product that was a great solution to one segment of the market, and then, during the conversation - gently but firmly qualifying the prospect - more than selling him - to make sure it was a legitimate fit, and being willing to walk away if it wasn't.

That is also key - I know we all want that sale, that success - but , trust me, the best results are correlated with non-attachment to the result in the moment,

Desire can drive you to practice your tennis serve 1 hour a day for months, but when you are serving at match point, the best performance will come if you allow the process to unfold, rather than efforting.

Hope this is useful


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