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Critique My Method

by lmooney1028
9 replies
Hi Guys,

I'm new at this offline marketing but i'm planning on giving it a good go.

I've come up with a simple strategy of using a program such as sniperbot pro to get offline leads (if theres anything better then let me know). What i will then do is phone up the client and offer to send them a free eBook on a couple of marketing methods if they say yes, i take their email and send it to them.

I'm writing the ebook at the minute, but it is basically a helpful insight into the benfits of using the internet for marketing their business. It will actually tell them how to do everything that they need to do.

The plan here is to position myself as the expert on internet marketing, once (IF) they read the ebook they will see the benfits of using the internet but will most likely not have the time to put everything into place.

This is where i follow up with them a week later and ask them if they've read the ebook and what they thought about it. If they saw the benefits but don't have the time, i offer my services.

Obviously theres a couple more things that i need to work out, but i'd love some critiques on this method?
#critique #method
  • Profile picture of the author PhilaPM
    Seems like your giving yourself alot of extra work. Why not just call and ask for the business and get right to the point? I can see alot of time being wasted sending free ebooks and doing follow up calls, etc.
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    • Profile picture of the author pspro
      Originally Posted by PhilaPM View Post

      Seems like your giving yourself alot of extra work. Why not just call and ask for the business and get right to the point? I can see alot of time being wasted sending free ebooks and doing follow up calls, etc.
      I think that the poster is trying to build a foundation of building relationships and credibility. Nothing wrong with that, except that it does take time.

      @Imooney - don't know what sniperbot is, so have no idea on that but what I would do, if you are indeed building relationships, would be to actually stop in and introduce yourself to business owners. You can say you were in the neighborhood meeting another client, don't have time to take but you wanted to introduce yourself and if they seem interested, ask if they would like a copy of the book... then email it and follow up from there.

      The thing with the book is, they won't take time to read it, they're too busy and the ones that do make the time are DIY'ers and will only be a pain to work with.

      "Obviously theres a couple more things that i need to work out" and what else do you need to work out?, roll with it, get out there and meet these guys

      Do what others are afraid to do and you will succeed.
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    • Profile picture of the author kirbymarketingconcierge
      Originally Posted by PhilaPM View Post

      Seems like your giving yourself alot of extra work. Why not just call and ask for the business and get right to the point? I can see alot of time being wasted sending free ebooks and doing follow up calls, etc.
      Imagine your Ebook shows how a business can do better.

      do you call, and want the prospect to read it or implement it.


      get on the phone and sell yourself and what you do.

      control the process. find pain, create value of ebook get
      verbal contract they are in need, interested, AND WILL Read It      .

      you want to build credibility, do the take away sale.



      your approach :

      if you have time, Money, and patience to hear " I got it but haven't read it yet, call me back next week.." which turns into a 3-5 week sales cycle.
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  • Profile picture of the author Joejdf
    I agree with PhilaPM. I'm also curious about why you've chosen offline marketing as a method. It seems to me that a better method would be to develop a mailing list and use one of the free email software services to send the benefits of your ebook, and then to drive people to a landing page, where you could ask them for more specific contact information in exchange for your ebook. And then you could follow up with another email. This is a fundamental of permission-based marketing. Prospects don't like to give you too much information until they've decided to start a relationship with you, your brand, etc. For this reason you might find the overall numbers on your phone call lead-gen efforts to be unreceptive. Just my two cents, and 'hope it's of value to you.
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  • Profile picture of the author eguinan
    I think there is a lot of money to be made with offline clients. I've done it quite a bit, but it's time consuming and some people are never happy. It takes a lot more work in the relationship area. It is needed though.
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    • Profile picture of the author lmooney1028
      Originally Posted by pspro View Post

      I think that the poster is trying to build a foundation of building relationships and credibility. Nothing wrong with that, except that it does take time.

      @Imooney - don't know what sniperbot is, so have no idea on that but what I would do, if you are indeed building relationships, would be to actually stop in and introduce yourself to business owners. You can say you were in the neighborhood meeting another client, don't have time to take but you wanted to introduce yourself and if they seem interested, ask if they would like a copy of the book... then email it and follow up from there.

      The thing with the book is, they won't take time to read it, they're too busy and the ones that do make the time are DIY'ers and will only be a pain to work with.
      Sniperbot is a lead generation software - it basically scrapes info from yellowbook/google, etc. to provide with a list of businesses in particular niche/area along with names phone numbers, etc.

      I'm planning on phoning them and asking if they want more information on the subject and then send ing the book to build trust/foundation. Then i follow up a week or so later asking what they thought and go for the sale. If they haven't read it i go for the sale as if i were on a first phone call with them, only now i would have a basis of some form of trust at the very least to build on (i hope...)

      I'm unable to walk into businesses due to personal circumstances, so i'm left with the options of email or telephone - i figured i'd try and con=mbine the two to best effect???

      Originally Posted by Joejdf View Post

      I agree with PhilaPM. I'm also curious about why you've chosen offline marketing as a method. It seems to me that a better method would be to develop a mailing list and use one of the free email software services to send the benefits of your ebook, and then to drive people to a landing page, where you could ask them for more specific contact information in exchange for your ebook. And then you could follow up with another email. This is a fundamental of permission-based marketing. Prospects don't like to give you too much information until they've decided to start a relationship with you, your brand, etc. For this reason you might find the overall numbers on your phone call lead-gen efforts to be unreceptive. Just my two cents, and 'hope it's of value to you.
      What free email software services are you speaking of? I am of the belief that without a list of subscribers then email marketing to cold leads is virtually pointless. I myself simply bin any emails i see that i'm not expecting that make it past the spam filters. I figure most others are the same.

      The only option for email would be to spend ALOT of time building a responsive list - something that i feel would be counterproductive for my aim of selling a few online services as i'm not going to be promoting affiliate offers, etc constantly.
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      "Reach for the stars - even if you fail, you'll land on top of the world"

      How i got my first client: FULL CASE STUDY - Click here
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  • Profile picture of the author iAmNameLess
    Just because it seems nonthreatening doesn't mean it is the best way to do it.

    You're wasting time in my opinion. Either sell or don't sell... You're not only wasting your own time, but the business owner's time too.
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    • Profile picture of the author lmooney1028
      Originally Posted by iAmNameLess View Post

      Just because it seems nonthreatening doesn't mean it is the best way to do it.

      You're wasting time in my opinion. Either sell or don't sell... You're not only wasting your own time, but the business owner's time too.
      Thanks. I'm starting to come round to this opinion now - i guess i'm trying to re-invent the wheel really.

      Now i've got an ebook that i'm not gonna use though. Lol. Think it'd be worth converting it and using it for direct mail marketing?
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      "Reach for the stars - even if you fail, you'll land on top of the world"

      How i got my first client: FULL CASE STUDY - Click here
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