John Durham, Anybody Please Help Me Build This From Scratch. . .

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Hello everyone. Its been a long walk away from here.

Currently I have a target to make $20,000(it could be more) between now and next year and I need the money for schooling in Canada since I have made up my mind to leave Nigeria before I next year ends.

However, I have chosen hostgator affiliate + free website set up(I learnt about it here) model for offline businesses but I don't how to how to get clients. I know some people may suggest cold calling; this is Nigeria. People are suspicious!

So, my options are flyers at banks, classified ads in Newspapers (the classified ads would be for later use due to finance) and letter(I need templates for the letter) schools,churches and other businesses.

Would the above listed options/methods work? If you had only those options in mind how would you do it effectively step by step?

I would like any suggestion that could help me get the clients to call me and I am willing to take massive action. I really need this money. Thanks in advance for your time.
#offline marketing #build #durham #john #scratch
  • And why have you attached John Durham to your title?
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    • Because no one would pay attention otherwise I suppose.

      Here's a method I found helpful:

      Trial and Error
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  • You can also try having non competing services like flyer distributors refer your web design service for you with the incentive of earning a commission.
  • Wonder why that would be?

    Dan
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  • Thanks John! I went to school in this post and enjoyed every minute of it.

    To the OP, Seek and ye shall find..Knock and the door shall be opened...
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  • Thanks John. How would you answer the possible question "why do I need additional pages"?
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    • 1: More pages allows for more linking within the site which gives it more search engine authority.

      2: They may want to add things like "Staff pages" or "forms" or sales pages.

      3: Eventually they may want to add alot to their site... and grow it.

      So how do you ask?

      You just tell them, that ultimately they will want to grow down the road, and you can grow with them at $99 per page on a normal basis, but if they take the "OTO" (Today Only) they can take advantage of the deal and get extra pages for 50 bucks, whereas otherwise it would cost them $500 for 5 pages. They can go from one at $99 page to "A full fledged 5 Page optimized Small Business Package" for only $150 bucks extra, if they act now.

      You may even want to act like the $99 per page is a sale in and of itself and that normally you charge $799 for 5 pages.

      Sam Walton always said, and I love to repeat it because its been so valuable to me "You can sell a comb for 10 cents, or you can sell the same comb and call it a 'super detangler comb' and for a dollar instead".


      You couldnt sell a pair of leg warmers for more than 10 cents in 1998, but you could buy them for ten cents per pair and sell them at 5 pairs for a dollar all day long.

      Its all about how you structure your offers and the perceived value you can create by the way you present things.

      Over the course of ten plus years, and thousands of sales both direct and via subordinates, I have tried all these ways... Learning to build perceived value is a style of selling that becomes second nature after awhile, once you realize how key it is. It can make something sell like hotcakes that wouldnt sell at ALL before.

      Hope this helps.
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  • John, thank you for your time. I hadn't been free to comment because I am currently writing my exam. Thank you and I will definitely give a try.

    To the guy who asked why Included your name, I guess you have answered him in the best possible way I couldn't. John has touched more live than most people here and thus, the name John Durham is an authority.
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    • Thanks my friend. DM was just being fecesious ... We say all kinds of kinds things all working together online like a big office, just to get through the day and make time pass... Lol.

      Your words are more than humbling. If I can offer more advice let me know. And really, thanks alot.

      I cant believe some of the kind words and encouragement shared in a place like this thats supposedly just another marketing forum...by giving people like yourself.

      Our care for each other is what makes us all a big family!

      Sure we fight too... and dogmatically run off predators to protect our vibe...I certainly do from time to time, we are all so idealistic, but underneath there is a great love for all things Warrior, and all other true Warriors ( We hate predators though and like to destroy them... sometimes that aint pretty! Thus "Warrior". lol).

      I hope your willingness to share love and sincerity comes back to you a thousand times, and I hope the advice helps!
  • I tried cold calling in 2009 - designing and managing blogs for people. And it worked. In Nigeria. Of course it helped that I was a practicing lawyer at the time and I targeted law firms and lawyers with huge egos...they loved the thought of putting their wisdom out there and people paying homage in the comments section.

    What I'm trying to say Jideofor, is that cold calling does work, even in Nigeria. However if you are serious about doing business in the motherland, you should pick a niche and focus on that. If you choose to work with Churches, then build a reputation as the guy who does websites for Churches. Then you get mentioned and your business spreads by word of mouth, which by the way is still the most effective way of advertising your business - anywhere.

    Don't use Nigeria as an excuse. Like John has rightly said, people are suspicious everywhere. It was harder for me in 2009 because a lot of people didn't even know what a blog was and I had to convince them they needed one

    Now it is cool for everyone to own a website and every body and their cousins want to be on the internet. So don't worry about cold calling. Just pick a niche (Churches, Schools, a profession) and go with it.
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  • Writerwahm or Sharon, are you a Nigerian in Nigeria?
    • [1] reply
    • I am a Nigerian who was living in Nigeria until 2010. Feel free to PM me if you need any advice about doing business there.

  • Banned
    [DELETED]
    • [1] reply
    • Why make a useless post like this that contributes nothing to the real point of the thread?
  • Thanks, I would definitely do that. I am currently writing exam and I would send you a PM immediately after my last paper,which is on the coming friday. I could have done so now but I would prefer to put a constructive and thoughtful piece together and that would require time--Friday.

    Got to go now, heading for the school library. Thanks.
  • Thanks, I would definitely do that. I am currently writing exam and I would send you a PM immediately after my last paper,which is on the coming friday. I could have done so now but I would prefer to put a constructive and thoughtful piece together and that would require time--Friday.

    Got to go now, heading for the school library. Thanks.
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