"7 Simple Secrets of Growth-Focused Entrepreneurs"

Secret #7- Got a Problem? Make it a Process

2007-04-26T07:23:00.000-04:00

"If you got a problem, make it a process, so you don't have a problem." - Ben Feldman (Note: Ben Feldman is widely regarded as the most prolific salesperson in world history. Ben sold Life Insurance.)

Your marketing success - and the ultimate success of your business is directly proportional in your willingness to invest and get effective marketing processes and systems in place.

A marketing system is never just one thing. It includes…

Lead Generation
Lead Capture
Prospect Lead Qualification
Converting the Lead into a Client
Client Communication, Fulfillment, and Earning Referrals

It's a never-ending, dynamic, evolving process that you are constantly working to improve. It's all these areas - with built-in, auto-pilot, cost-effective, and timely follow-up, the coordination of ALL these things working together.

It's not one thing. It's lots of everything.

And it's best described with this savvy marketer's creed:

"I don't know one way to get 30 new clients a month, but I do know 30 ways to bring you 1 new client a month."

And, to do that takes processes and a really good system.

Here's the one thing to wrap your brain around...

The cold, hard truth about your business is this…you can live in denial or face the fact:

"Marketing is more Important than Mastery"

You can be the very best mortgage broker, kitchen remodeler, financial planner, or auto mechanic… offer the best, top-of-the-line products, provide superior service, but…if you are no good at

getting your WORD, and your STORY out, and getting people to RESPOND…

You will never succeed in building a business that sets you FREE.

Period.

What are you REALLY selling?

Once again, I'm going to use Financial Services to make a point here.

Are you selling a home refinance?

Or...

... are you helping a family free up money for investment in a college fund and eliminating stress and pressure of too little monthly money?

Are you selling H.O. Insurance?

Or...

...are you providing peace of mind and a friendly helping hand… assurance that if your client’s most prized possession burns to the ground, everything will be OK?

Are you selling a mutual fund portfolio?

Or...

... are you saving your client time and aggravation of rolling over his 401k funds during a hectic career change?

Are you selling tax advise?

Or…

… are you again saving your client’s precious time, while preserving profits in his business that he can ear-mark for expansion and hire two new employees rather than write a big check to the IRS?

Think of your business not as selling loans, insurance, investments, or tax advise…

Likewise if your business provides non-financial services...

Learn how to MARKET INFORMATION about solving problems that prospects have and desires they want to achieve.

When you make the commitment to this habit, you will discover that your effective marketing system solves a number of your most troubling business problems.

You have a wealth of leads automatically flowing into you. You pick and choose the clients who match your capabilities, rather than taking whoever you can get.
You are in a position to negotiate and get your price because you can easily and safely walk away, knowing you got plenty of leads.
Clients respect you because you didn't chase them down or pressure them to work with you.
You can predict and foresee fluctuations in your cash flow and open up or tighten your marketing and sales funnel as needed, rather than always scrambling at the last minute.
You avoid altering your delivery processes or systems to accommodate clients whose needs don't match what you do best and most profitably.
Your time with clients is spent productively, because when they call you, they already know exactly what you do, what's unique about you, and how you can help solve their project needs.
You are able to focus on and pick up the subtle signals your clients communicate, solve their problems, build personal relationships, rather than worrying about closing the deal.

Your marketing is far more process-oriented and systematic, than creative.

Now, it's up to you…Do you know the number one problem of unsuccessful businesses?

They don't take action.

There's a whole bunch of reasons for this, but usually it boils down to they don't know what to do, or have the guts to do it.

Successful businesses take action.

I'm not talking about the day to day actions of your business. What I am getting at are those actions that move your business into and beyond the realm of ordinary success.

The RIGHT ACTIONS

This means taking steps - however painful and difficult - to find the answers to the problems your business is facing, and then implementing the solutions. Because even if you have the right information - if you do nothing with it - nothing changes. You'll stay stuck in a haze of inactivity, frustration, and will never reach your potential…and realize your dreams for you, your family, your employees, and your business.

Success comes from taking the right actions.

Replacing bad, unhealthy habits is never easy.

But it is simple.

Do something, change your habits.

"There are risks and costs to a program of action. But they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction." - John F. Kennedy.

Your Action Plan:

Ask yourself: "What's my toughest marketing challenge?" Write it out.
Pick up your phone, dial 1-757-214-4774.
If I don't answer, leave your name, phone number, best time and day to reach you, and share your toughest marketing challenge.
I'll give you a FREE 20-Minute Marketing Consultation (Value:$165)

During our 20 minutes, I'll give you 3-5 proven marketing strategies you can use IMMEDIATELY!

Why not pick up the phone… call 1-757-214-4774 right now!... while it's fresh on your mind?

Walt Goshert
Make Your Marketing Work
Walt@Make-Your-Marketing-Work.com

Secret #6- Know Your Numbers

2007-04-26T07:22:00.001-04:00

Here's where smart marketers separate themselves from the ordinary guys.

None of this is sexy, cool, or exciting - in fact, it's detailed, hard work. It requires tons of patience and persistence.

Unlike Home Depot, Fidelity, GM, and McDonalds, you don't have a billion dollar ad budget. You can't afford to settle with "getting your name out there." You must be careful with your marketing dollars.

You don't have enough time or money to play the brand name recognition game with your competitors such as GEICO or Lowe's.

You will lose…and it will cost you thousands of dollars in ad costs, not to mention lost sales.

Your marketing must be surgical, laser-like precise

And you must know to-the-penny, what it costs to bring in a client.

You must know with precision the lifetime value of the clients.

You must have systems in place to track and measure all your marketing.

And here's a little side bonus benefit from tracking and knowing your numbers

You'll find that what you measure automatically improves. Whatever you stop measuring automatically decays and gets worse.

So you see, you DO want to maximize the power of your advertising dollars, get the most bang for your buck, figure out where to spend your time, money, and energy, investing in and finding out what works, and doesn't work.

Now, if you don't mind blindly spending money, wasting tons of time, hope and pray that something…anything…works. If you're a short-term, tactical, pick-only-the-ripe fruit thinker, and you're simply not interested in building a profitable business that frees your time, then just skip this testing stuff.

This testing and knowing your numbers isn't complex

However, it does require work, and the guts to change and ditch the wrong stuff that you worked hard to implement, and perhaps spent gobs of money on.

Just for starters… here's a few key numbers you need to know:

Your per lead cost from ALL lead generation sources.
Your cost to land a client
How much you can afford to spend to get a lead, to get a client
Your Return On Investment of each and every ingredient in your marketing mix.

Lots of people are afraid to ask these tough questions so they ignore them or pretend that having a vague idea is good enough.

It's troubling to know that what you're doing isn't working and face the fact that you got to do something else. (especially when you're not quite sure what really will work )

Your clear mandate is that your marketing must be held accountable for concrete, measurable results. The "hope and pray" approach is not going to cut it.

Pinpointing exactly what works…and doesn't work…and constantly tweaking your marketing systems and processes, will position you for incredible growth. Not doing it, makes your business a crap-shoot.

And here's the good news…

97% of your competitors don't test their advertising. 97% have no clue about their numbers.

Imagine your clear advantage over your competition you have in knowing your numbers.

And Now, finally...

Check your inbox...

You'll discover the secret to putting your marketing on Cruise-Control.

Walt Goshert
Make Your Marketing Work
Walt@Make-Your-Marketing-Work.com

Secret #5- "Ask"

2007-04-26T07:21:00.002-04:00

"Timid salespeople have skinny children." - Zig Ziglar

"Hey, let me ask you a question…" - Larry David (often)

Maybe you're a Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Larry David fan. Maybe not.

But, you gotta give Larry his due. In "Curb", in his role playing himself as a clueless, insensitive, schmuck, he's fearless about asking questions.

"Hey, what's with the walking?" he asks a guy strolling out of the handicapped restroom.

Some find this question rude and offensive, but it makes a simple and brilliant point. Lots of us are afraid to ask because we might offend someone and come across as rude, pushy, or insensitive.

This is especially true for “professional” types in selling situations who have too few leads and too much business expense hounding them. We're afraid of blowing the sale.

Asking takes guts and courage

Asking is crucial in making your marketing and sales work.

Always be asking your prospects to take the next step…

Ask for their name and email address.
Ask them to download a free report from your website in return for their address.
Ask them to call you.
Ask them tons of qualifying questions when they do finally call you.
Ask them to commit to an appointment if they pass your pre-qualifying questions.
Ask them for a retainer fee to begin the planning process.
Ask them for final payment.
Ask them for names of friends and family to introduce your services.
Ask these people to give you their email address…

ASK!

Make an offer, a call to action throughout your marketing and sales process.

And, make your offers irresistible.

You see, clients are cautious.

They don't like to be put on the spot; they don't want to make a mistake.

Yet…

They need to be told what to do.

Your offers…with strong calls to actions are essential.

Your marketing and sales is a well-orchestrated system of small offers-steps you're asking-and getting prospects to take.

And that's half of it…

People need simple, clear direction. Because if not told what to do, they will do…

NOTHING!

Hey, let me ask you a question...

“What's with the waiting?”

Here's what you need to do if you haven't done so already…

Email me to get Your Guaranteed Website Check-Up

It's a $595 value, and one simple little tweak I suggest could put thousands of dollars in your pocket!

Just do it…

RIGHT NOW…

(before my schedule's jammed and it's too late)

Walt Goshert
Make Your Marketing Work

Walt@Make-Your-Marketing-Work.com

Secret #4- A Website... that Does NOT Suck

2007-04-26T07:18:00.002-04:00

Your website looks great, everyone tells you it is great. Employees, friends, family. Even you're convinced. "Yep, my website looks great, how can prospects and clients NOT be impressed?"

But guess what?

It's Sucks!

Yep, in reality, it's little more than a static electronic brochure with a couple nice pictures, a bunch of boring boiler-plate product/service junk, directions to your office, or the lame “Call for a Free Consultation”.

You see, very few-probably less that 1% of small businesses get this...

The Internet is a dynamic, interactive media

You have with a website a powerful communication tool. Most Small Business Pros sense this, yet struggle with tapping into this power. Mostly, it's because graphic designers and website builders- those folks you no doubt hired to build your site- don't have a clue about marketing and the sales process.

With the Internet, information can flow back and forth. You can share tons of information about you and your business with your prospects...

Pictures
Audio
Video
Free download reports
e-mail
e-mail courses
and more…

And, get this, your prospects can easily tell you what they want.

All of this information - tons of information - is rather inexpensive compared to print.

And, you can automate and put the sharing of this information on auto-pilot.

You're able to segment, target, and attract visitors via searches, keywords, links, and pay-per-click campaigns.

And with Web 2.0 tactics… such as blogs, social networking sites , videos at sites such as YouTube and Google Video… with a bit of time and effort, you can position yourself as THE Expert in your market… and ATTRACT targeted Ideal Prospects to you

And, here's the biggie: you can track, and test everything quickly and inexpensively

All in all, the Internet is a marketing dream come true media, but it is over-hyped, confusing, and mis-understood.

And here's the secret to tapping into the power of the Internet.

The key in using the Internet is not tactics, tricks, or tweaks.

It's a major shift in your thinking

Stop using the Internet to market your products and services.

Use the Internet to market information about problems that your prospects and clients have that you are uniquely qualified to solve.

Now, if you have no idea what this means…or any idea how to do it, I have an offer for you…

A GUARANTEED Website Check-Up

For a limited time, I am offering to take a good, hard look at what ails your website and write a prescription and suggest therapy to get it in "jumping-jack" shape. Normally I charge $597 for these Website Check-Ups, and with all the projects on my plate, I might yank this offer at any time.

But…I gotta warn you...

These Website Check-Ups are blunt, straight-forward, and sometimes a bit harsh. If you have lots of "ego-investment" in your website, fight criticism, or lack an open mind, it's probably not for you. But, if you want to get an idea about how to actually have your website bring in leads and turn them into a feeding frenzy for your services, get on board today!

Interested?

Shoot me an email today!

Next- a tip from my favorite guy in TV.

Walt Goshert

Make Your Marketing Work
Walt@Make-Your-Marketing-Work.com

Secret #3- Answer the Call

2007-04-26T07:17:00.002-04:00

Alright... your lead generation is cranking along…

People are calling you. Emailing you. Filling out requests for more information on your website. Leads from your Centers of Influence, maybe you buy “leads” from online websites. A steady stream of top notch referrals.

Finally, you have a steady, consistent flow of leads

Prospects with honest-to-goodness problems, that you solve. Prospects interested in the products / services you offer… interested in working with you.

This is a key moment in your marketing and sales process. It's when marketing hands the ball off to your sales. All the marketing was practice, critical and important practice.

NOW… it's game time!

Prior to this, your marketing was on auto-pilot, running without direct human contact. Ads, newsletters, free reports, website visits, maybe even a print mailer.

Now, you're going to talk one-on-one with your prospect.

Clients size you up in less than 3 seconds. Malcolm Gladwell, a staff writer for The New Yorker, in his New York Times Number One Bestseller, "blink" offers a fascinating study of what happens in our heads during these crucial initial 3 seconds and writes:

"The instant conclusions that we reach are really powerful and really important, and occasionally, really good."

It's here many times, in that first quick impression, HOW you answer… or even fail to answer the call…that determines if you win or lose a client.

This is one of those little things that is a big deal. You must have a process, a script for exactly how you'll answer, greet, and handle a new prospect inquiry. Your best phone person must be trained in exactly how to handle these calls.

Or, if you're a small one-man show, tied up all day long meeting with clients, make sure your voice mail works and leaves the right favorable first impression with your prospects.

You only get one chance to make a first impression

Return all calls promptly. Best thing to do is ask (and include this in your voice message) people the best number and time to reach them. Then call them at that time. It creates that initial impression that you are organized and on top of your business.

Oh, and one final thing…

While it's important to make a positive first phone impression, it's best to figure out a way to have someone other than you, the owner, The Expert in your field, answering that initial call. If you answer that first call, you lose all the critical positioning with the prospective client.

And… to land profitable long-term, Ideal Clients , on your terms, at your price, you need positioning, you want positioning.

Next Up… The One Thing Your Website Must Do.

Walt Goshert
Make Your Marketing Work

Walt@Make-Your-Marketing-Work.com

Secret #2 – Get Outta the Referral Rat Race

2007-04-26T07:11:00.002-04:00

Lots of Small Business Pros sense that their advertising doesn't work. But they have no clue about how to fix it. So they dump their useless, money-sucking advertising…and think…

"Ok, I know what "will" work:

I'm gonna put all my effort and faith into word-of-mouth marketing.

We hear this one a lot- "All my business is word-of-mouth. I have been around so many years. Everybody knows me".

Usually when we have a real, honest, heart- to- heart talk, the truth comes out…

"Yeah, I get my share of referrals, but I could always use more…and well, some of 'em aren't all that hot".

It's an ego thing. It's a rationalization. You tried advertising, trade shows, direct mail, but it didn't work. You got burned. So now you convince yourself that you got all the business you want, all from ideal clients, and you're hauling money to the bank in wheelbarrows.

Yeah Right.

You can build a great business from referrals, but it doesn't happen by accident, and done right, it is not free

Here's an effective referral business-building process practiced by the top financial advisors in the United States. These are the guys handling millions of dollars of investments for the wealthiest top 1% of people. It's a strategic focus that positions you to ATTRACT Your Ideal Clients.

1. Identify your "Top Ten" dollar projects/income from clients last year.

2. Determine the "Similar Seven"-type of home, neighborhood, type of project, income, age, occupation, family stats, lifestyle, buying trigger event, etc.

3. Using the "Similar Seven" analysis, construct a description of your Ideal Prospect:

Where do they live? Neighborhoods?

What do they do? Income levels?

Family Status? Children? Age Range?

What do they fear, desire? Who are they trying to impress?

How do they typically make decisions to hire you?

What event cause them to seek and buy your product/service?

How long do you typically "court" them?

How you found lead?

Communication prior to project/engagement?

Communication during consultation/project?

4. Write out a description of your Ideal Prospect:

Prepare it in a print presentation or CD/DVD presentation. Keep a digital version on your website.

Have a system to share it with clients / prospects that fit this description.

Share your Ideal Prospect description your centers of influence, suppliers, and strategic partners.

Ask past clients who do they know who fits this Ideal Prospect description.

5. Send an intro from the client. A personalized, hand-written note from your client introducing you works best.

6. Invite the prospect to subscribe to your newsletter, download a free report, or attend a project Open House /Free Consultation. Get the prospect in your marketing funnel and begin telling your story to them.

Bottom-Line: Without a well-planned strategic process for Referrals, you’ll experience “feast” or “famine” results, and you’ll only realize less than 10% of your return on investment in time, effort, and money.

Coming up… your phone is ringing.

What you do in the next 3 seconds determines if you book the appointment.

Walt Goshert
Make Your marketing Work
Walt@Make-Your-Marketing-Work.com

Secret #1: Un-Learn “Old-School” Sales Training, Ignore the “Anti-Sales” Department, and Dump “Traditional” Advertising

2007-04-26T07:00:00.001-04:00

If you're in Financial Services, you'll find this story highly relevant.

Now, if you're in Home Improvement, Automotive Services, Personal Care, Health Care... whatever your business... you'll find a ring of truth too.

Raise your hand if your Sales Manager broke you into the business with this:

1. Make a list of your 100 friends and family

2. Now, while you’re studying for your insurance license and Series 6, together we’ll go see these folks here on your list and sell ‘em some insurance and investments. Your job, “green-pea”, is sit there, watch, listen, and learn as the “Old Dog” does his tricks in front of your friends and family. (oh yeah… and pockets all the commissions too!)

3. Next, after the “Old Dog” soaks down all your friends and family and you finally pass your Series 6 and you’re armed and dangerous, you go out and beg for referrals from your friends and family that your Sales Manager “sold” for referrals.

Yep, good old Project 100…

Oh yeah, your company may call it some other name, but basically it’s how almost everyone gets started in the Financial Services game.

Then, after you blow through your friends, family, and referrals… it’s cold-calling time. Of course, now, with the Do Not Call thing you gotta bug people at work with some lame-ass script like…

“I’m gonna be in your area this week… I’d like to stop by, introduce myself, meet you, and show you a few exciting and interesting financial ideas…

Would Tuesday work, or is Thursday better?”

Your Marketing Strategy?

Hey, I’ll talk to anyone who owns a car, has a mortgage… anybody who can fog a mirror…

Most Financial Services “newbies’ have this flurry of initial totally unfocused, non-market driven activity and approach to building their business.

To survive in the Financial Services game you need a strong “natural market”, (otherwise known as rich, well-connected frat brothers) plain dumb, blind luck where you stumble into a market “nest”, or the tenacity of a rabid pit bull.

Sure there are variations of this… different names, slick workbooks, some companies even use fancy “contact” software stuff…

But, basically this is how Financial Services marketing is taught.

Pathetic.

The Sales vs. Marketing “Gap” in Financial Services (and nearly all industries) is wider than the Grand Canyon

Why?

Because there’s this huge hole between Sales and Marketing in all Financial Services companies:

The “Anti-Sales” Department

In your company it’s no doubt called…

COMPLIANCE

What’s the job of Compliance?

To keep you from effectively selling and advertising.

Oh sure the company tells you about all the lawsuits, all the exposure they have as a multi-billion dollar financial giant…

Now, granted client abuses and down-right sleazy broker behavior does happen… and it will continue. Financial Services is a relatively easy business to enter--- low capital requirements, no formal education or experience needed other than a CPA designation. (heck, even then, anyone can prepare a tax return and get paid for it)

And the reality is that for nearly every successful broker, it’s not a question of “if”… but “when”… a client will sue you for a trade gone sour, not recommending coverage, botching a rate lock…

But, don’t you wonder why all the Compliance fuss?

Do you ever stop and wonder why the companies don’t really want you to market, to advertise, to tell your unique compelling story?

Doesn’t it seem odd to you that the very company that slaps your hand for advertising spends billions to promote their name, their services, their website…?

Here’s the thing…

Most of the giant financial services companies have multiple distribution channels… and you, the independent rep slugging it out all alone in the field, in most cases, is more expensive than the company going direct to the consumer.

Yep… your insurance carrier, lender, mutual fund company is no doubt in competition with you.

But …

Let’s face facts here…

Most all Small Business advertising sucks!

Thousands of small businesses all over the United States in every type of industry-including financial services --- blow billions of dollars each and every year on ineffective advertising.

Everyone's floundering around, without even a clue of the difference between "good" advertising and marketing, and "bad" advertising and marketing.

And guess what…chances are 99% that your business is also blowing it here.

Why?

What's the problem with "traditional" advertising?

The big problem is we are all exposed to big bucks traditional advertising-Television, Radio, Newspaper, Magazines, Yellow Pages, Billboards, Val-Pak Mailers…it is in your face everywhere, so we figure it has got to work.

And, all the ad reps tell you "You've got to run some ads and get your name out there."

Guess what…you ain’t Wells Fargo, Home Depot, or General Motors.

Their goals and reasons for advertising are much different than yours. (and they have much more money)

Traditional advertising attempts to build brand awareness, win awards, entertain, be seen, and make money for ad agencies. Typically it is written by some clueless English major who has never had a sales job in his life.

For your advertising to work, it must do one of two things:

Generate sales, or
Generate sales leads

And it must be 100% accountable and measurable.

Forget about image, branding, getting your name out there.

Focus on these two things… actually for small businesses providing a big ticket individualized product and service, focus your advertising solely on:

Generating sales leads that you can track every single client and dollar of revenue back to the source of the advertising.

But….

Most Small Businesses that do lead generation still can not wean themselves from the clutches of "traditional" advertising.

They try to do too much.

Here's what I mean...

When you advertise to generate sales leads, remember one thing:

All you want is for the people who have a problem is to have them raise there hand, identify themselves, and tell you who they are.

Must businesses try to do too much. They want to sneak in their logos, pictures of their swanky offices, clever, cute little “tag lines”, little cartoons, their awards, all their industry “initials” etc.

BIG MISTAKE-it dilutes the message and effectiveness.

Your purpose is not to tell them who you are. It is for the prospects to tell you who they are.

And one last thing... on a good note:

Most small business pros, while clueless about marketing and profitable advertising, do one thing very well:

They know lots about how to sell their products and services.

One-on-one, you know your story and can tell it in an interesting, relevant, and compelling way.

Advertising is nothing more than "selling" in print.

There's no fundamental difference in your message in your ads, brochures, website, newsletter, press releases, special reports, and follow-up letters, and what you tell your clients face to face.

The people who are masters at selling in print practice response-accountable, direct marketing--- only direct- response marketers can prove what they got for their dollars.

So, you have four options:

Drop all your advertising, rely on your good name and word-of-mouth to give you a steady flow of work. You will learn about the pit-falls of this thinking tomorrow in lesson #2.
Keep following the 95% of people who don't have a clue and continue the frustration and agony of wasting your money.
Study and learn the craft of direct-response marketing. This will take time. Typically it takes an individual 1000 hours of study to become competent at a new skill, such as learning a language, 4000-5000 hours to master a skill.
Get help and guidance from someone who's done the direct-response marketing study, has the skills, and understands your business.

Your challenge is to get your story down in print, break it down and deliver it to people who want your products and services, using the right mix of media.

It's simple.

Every dollar that you spend on advertising outside of this purpose:

--- generating a lead that you can 100% track---

is a waste of your money!

Check your inbox in a couple of days... Secret #2... New thinking about Referrals...

Walt Goshert
Make Your Marketing Work
Walt@Make-Your-Marketing-Work.com