Hi folks
You know, there’s so much you can learn about making money for your business using direct response marketing.
Just look at these articles. I was checking my old posts the other day and since I started 9 months ago I’ve written so many articles full of advice on making money that even I’m astounded.
But you know what? It all boils down to 3 things. And ONLY three things.
I remember going back a few years now I went to my first meeting with my mentor. As it happened, this guy wasnt teaching anything about marketing but was a property, offshore investment, tax and asset protection specialist. His name was Ed Burton. And I started off at his seminar and moved onto his mentoring group. Actually, its funny because the letter that GOT me to his seminar in the first place was written by Brett McFall, who later trained ME to become a copywriter.
Anyway, despite the entire alphabet after his name, and having built up (and sold) two tax businesses worth 7 figures, it turns out that Ed’s REAL specialty was direct marketing. So much so in fact that he was routinely spending tens of thousands of dollars a year on mentoring. Now if you’ve heard of Dan Kennedy you’d know that he has an insider circle so hard to get into that you’re up for probably $20,000-$30,000 a year, maybe more…and he was in that group. And he’d spend 24 hours on a plane, spend one day with Dan and fly home the next day. And it was worth every cent!
So when Ed Burton talked about marketing…I listened. And to this day I can still remember things he handed out or tips he gave, even though I can hardly remember where I put my keys!
So what I’m about to tell you about these 3 things is VERY important, because if you work on these 3 things in your business, success is virtually guaranteed. And so they form a template for how you go about building your business. And it doesn’t matter a damn whether online or a conventional business.
The first thing is the LIST.
If you want to make money you need to be selling to qualified prospects. People who have the problem your product or service solves, who are desperate to get it solved and who have the money to pay for that solution. That’s why segmented lists from list brokers are critical, or the media you select to run your ads. Or the way you promote your products online to build up a database of interested prospects, because there’s no value in a huge list of people who don’t give a damn about your product. Do you have a referral system in place to get access to MORE people who want what you’re selling? And even more importantly, do you have a strategy for contacting your list and keeping them keen, or are you letting all your high quality prospects run away to your competitors?
The second thing is the MESSAGE.
This is my job. And its about how you communicate what you’ve got to your prospects. Have you grabbed them by the eyeballs? Built rapport with them? Are you talking to them in a conversational tone? This is where you build on the pain they’re feeling about their problem and (ta-da!) come in as the white knight to the rescue. I could go on and on (and on) about writing copy, but I dont think my fingers would last and besides, there’s 9 months worth of posts everything to do with copywriting like testimonials and other proof, guarantees, formatting and even obscure gems on the double readership path and PSs. So make sure you study up, and if you’ve got any questions, feel free to ask me.
But you gotta get that message right, because sales copy that sings will instantly connect with your prospect, and have them whipping out their credit card or jumping on the phone to do business with you.
The third thing is the OFFER.
I love the expression about being able to sell ice to the eskimos. Because its such B.S. Nobody, and I dont care who they are, NOBODY can sell ice to the eskimos. Why? Because they’re surrounded by the stuff. They’ve got as much of it as they want…for FREE.
So if you’re selling wrinkle cream to teenagers, weight loss to skinny people or financial advice to people with no job or assets then you’re wasting your time. You’ve got to have something people desperately want. Something that solves a problem and does it at a price they can’t refuse. What else can you offer? How about a free consultation or yearly audit of their situation. How about a regular newsletter? If you’re online what about bonus items or even personal access to YOU! And don’t forget a powerful, irresistable guarantee. You’ve got to make what you’re offering so damn good that they’d be a fair dinkum certified IDIOT if they DIDN’T take you up on it.
So there you have it. List. Message. Offer. It was drummed into me by one of the best in the business and if you live and breathe LIST, MESSAGE, OFFER in your business you can’t go wrong.
Next week I’m going to reveal what a decades old beer ad can teach you about crushing your opposition like a helpless aluminium meeting ‘Mr Sledgehammer’. I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that an Australian brewery has copied this ad for their TV campaign, and how they’ve got it embarrassingly, laughably WRONG!
All the best,
Hugh
PS I don’t know how much it costs to get into Dan Kennedy’s inner most circle nowadays, but Alan Forrest Smith has a similar group that costs $100,000 a year to get into. So when you go to bed tonight, just think about how much money there is out there for the person at the top of their profession. And given that 95% of businesses DON’T have a clue about this kind of stuff, imagine the possibilities if you just applied some of the basics, build your business up, appointed yourself the #1 person in your field and started teaching other people what you did! And since most coaching programs I see sit around $300 a month, it doesnt take too many people to make SERIOUS money for surprisingly little ongoing effort!
I’m a member of several groups and I see inside of a whole lot more so if you’re interested in me giving you the inside scoop on how coaching programs are structured, shoot me an email at hugh@salescomefirst.com or leave a comment and I’ll give you the inside running in a couple of weeks time.
<Are you looking for a copywriter for your next project? Contact Hugh at www.salescomefirst.com to discuss your needs>
