By Jim Straw -

This month, let’s explore the world of …

Classified Advertising

When I have finished, you’ll know more about the classified advertising game than 90% of the self-styled mailorder “gurus” who got rich selling “how-to get rich in mailorder” information.

To begin with, there are two reasons the self-styled mailorder “gurus”don’t show you their “successful”classified ads. — (1) They don’t have any because they’ve never done it, but they did read about it somewhere and copied the idea from something a real mailorder professional wrote years ago … you are supposed to “do what they say, not what they do.”– (2)  If they do, really, have a   “successful”classified ad, they don’t want you … and a few hundred others …  using the same ad; diluting the effectiveness of the ad for them.

One of my all-time “big”response ads was:

FREE BOOK — “Offshore Banking Is Not Evil.”

Over 30,000 people requested that “freebie”in 1988. — Every “Free”booklet I sent out cost me nearly $3 … plus the cost of the ads.  Instead of the usual 15% to 20% conversion rate (paying customers) I usually got from “inquiry”ads, the rate was a low 2% to 3%. — That promotion ate my lunch.

In 1989, I changed the ad to read:

OFFSHORE BANKING is not evil.  Free.

Each inquirer received a one-page flyer … which cost me about 20¢ to send to them … offering the book for $10. — The response to the ad was much, much smaller but the $10 price tag on the book paid for my ads and my conversion rate went up to 30%, producing a significant profit on the very first mailing.

Unfortunately, when the self-styled mailorder “gurus”… who got rich selling “how-to get rich in mailorder”information … tell you that “you can get rich by running classified ads,”almost everyone gets the impression that, all you have to do is run a classified ad and your mailbox will be filled with cash, checks and money orders. — That’s a misleading, half-truth, at best.

The truth of the matter is …

There Are Three Distinct Purposes For Classified Advertising!

One purpose … the one most people envision … is that of actually “selling”something in the ad – or – getting people to send you money for “information”about your product or service (enough to pay for the ad and give you a profit).

That approach might work if you are “selling”a very specific product or service (something you can fully and completely define, in detail, in just a few words), to a very specific targeted audience (so knowledgeable of the product or service your ad will be readily understood), at a very “cheap”price … usually less than $3. — Or …

You might be able to “sell”a Catalog … for $1 to $3 … if the catalog itself appears to have a perceived “value”for the reader … such as:  “WOOD WORKING  Equipment, Tools & Accessories – over 3,000 items.  Catalog $2.”– That would work because the reader knows that a catalog with 3,000 items is worth something.  Of course, you probably aren’t going to make any money directly from the ad    because it will probably cost you more than the $2 to print and mail the catalog. — But …

If you are trying to get people to send you money for “information”about your product or service … no matter what it is … you’ve got to make your classified ad so intensely intriguing that the reader’s mouth waters in sheer anticipation of receiving it.

Granted, if you can get $1 to $3 for your information, you can eliminate a lot of tire-kickers – but – you’ll also get a much smaller response to your ad   – and – in most cases, when the inquirer realizes they have “paid good money”(even if it’s only $1) for your “advertising”materials, you have less chance of converting that person to a “paying customer.”– That’s why I never asked for even a SASE (i.e. Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope) in any of my classified ads.

Unfortunately, the self-styled mailorder “gurus”… who got rich selling “how-to get rich in mailorder”information … know that their high-powered, bull-stuff (you know what I mean) ads have mislead you into believing you can “get rich selling stuff in classified ads.”  So, they attempt to teach you the “art”of classified ad writing in their “get-rich-quick-in-mailorder”materials.

Using the A.I.D.A. formula (i.e., Attention – Interest – Desire – Action) … although they have (probably) never done it themselves … they try to teach you how to write hard-selling ad-copy in 50 words or less.

Hey!  If you think it’s hard writing a 4 to 16 page letter to sell your products or services, try it in 50 words or less. — That’s why they don’t give you any real examples.

Okay!  Selling something, or getting people to send you money for something, is one purpose of classified ads. — What is the second purpose?

Believe it or not, the second purpose is …

The original “How-to Make Money From Classified Ads”method!

Nearly 40 years ago, I paid $1 for the report. — it’s bundled-up in my old archives somewhere – but – I’ll never forget the ad it used to teach the method:

DINING ROOM SET.  Table, 6 chairs, hutch, server.  Solid oak.  (($25))  Moving.  Must sell. (The price was optional.)

Using that ad, the writer explained a little bit about the psychology of the ad … especially the “imperative”at the end and, if memory serves, he gave a  number of different imperatives you could use in your ads. — The price was optional because he only recommended listing a price when it was so low it made the reader’s mouth water. — The rest of the report was about “how & where”to find old furniture, equipment, cars, etc., to “sell”in the Classified Section of the newspaper.

It ain’t mailorder, but … believe it or don’t … back in my younger days, I made a nice piece-of-change using that method.  (I’m sure it’ll work just as well today … if’n you wanna try it!)

That brings us to …

The Best Purpose for Classified Advertising!

If you haven’t already guessed it — the best purpose for classified advertising is Lead Generation … getting inquirers … building your mailing list.

That’s what the self-styled mailorder “gurus”… who got rich selling “how-to get rich in mailorder”information …  really mean by what they say in their high-powered, bull-stuff ads – but – they know That’s “not” what they mislead you into believing.  So, they have to mislead you further by trying to teach you to write hard-selling ad-copy in 50 words or less.  But …

The BEST Classified Ads ONLY Locate & Identify Your Prospects!

All you should ever want from your Classified Ad is for interested readers to “raise their hands and be recognized.”– That’s it.  Nothing more.

Even the original “How-to Make Money From Classified Ads”method only used Classified Ads to locate and identify those people who might want to buy the used merchandise you had available.

When any “legitimate”mailorder marketer tells you that you can make big money from small classified ads, they mean you can use Classified Ads to locate and identify prospective customers who want or need products or services like yours. — Once you have located and identified a prospective customer, it is up to your sales material … like any good salesman … to “make the sale.”

Only the self-styled mailorder “gurus”… who got rich selling “how-to get rich in mailorder”information … will mislead you into believing anyone gets rich “selling”products or services in Classified Ads.

Although most mailorder marketers … professionals and amateurs alike … make it a point to create a separate inquiry (classified) ad for each of their products or services, back in the early 1980s, I realized that anyone who responded to a classified ad about any kind of money making opportunity was a “prime”prospect for any and all of my products.

So, I came up with 2 or 3 “generic”ads that pulled the names and addresses of people who were interested in making money … the idea was very simple.  All I wanted the reader to do was “raise their hand,”then I could send them mailers on any and all of my money-making products and services.

Now, I’m gonna tell you …

A REAL SECRET About Classified Advertising!

Every month … as the editor of “WorldWide Business Exchange”… I wrote over 100 Classified Ads for my subscribers.  They didn’t even know what I was doing for them. — And, every month … regular as clock work … I would get cussed-out by one or more of them.

Why did they cuss me out? — Because, they had sent me 4 or 5 pages of sales material “selling”their products or services – or – they sent me their hard-selling classified ad they spent hours and hours writing but, all I did was put a half-dozen words in the publication.

A month later, they would call or write to apologize … when they discover that my half-dozen words out-pulled all of their previous efforts.

Why? — Because …

Classified Ads ARE NOT Intended To Sell!

Classified Ads should “tell”- or – “arouse curiosity”… get the reader to ask for more information … not sell!

Think about it!

A Classified Ad is called a “classified”ad because it appears under a “classified heading”in the publication.  Therefore, anyone reading that specific “classification”must be interested in the products or services so classified.

<>So, all you have to do is “tell”them what you have – or – “arouse their curiosity”about what you have. — Since they are already reading the “classified”ads, they know they have to get in touch with you, somehow, in order to get all the details.  Your ad just has to tell them how to contact you.

YES!!  You can make a fortune from small classified ads … once you realize that …

Classified Ads Are Only a Tool For Prospecting!
it’s up to your sales material … like any good salesman … to “make the sale.”

Another Lesson to be Learned

Email marketing is much the same as Classified Advertising.

Your email message should never try to sell your product or service.  It should only entice the reader to visit your sales page for the whole message.

Let your Sales Page do the selling … as it should.

By Jimmy Krug –

The eBook business – hot or not? Well, if you pursue it the way most people do, I would have to definitely say – not.

How do most people approach the eBook business these days? Well, most of the time they offer a lousy PLR (private label rights) product with the same information in it that you can get in 1,400 other places  Next, they email offers to the subscriber that have (at best) a vague or general connection to the original information they signed up for.

This is a surefire way to get crowds of people to either unsubscribe from a list right away or delete the emails without opening them.

I enjoy buying eBooks. I’m talking about “How-To” business topics. I read them mostly these days for the enjoyment factor. You could say I read them for the same reason people read fiction. I find it interesting reading about what other people are doing or have done in the past.

Most of the authors I’ve followed over the years use their publications as “frontend” products. If you’ve been around marketing for any length of time, you’re probably already familiar with the terms “frontend” and “backend” when it comes to direct marketing. The frontend  is designed to bring people to the table. This can be done with inexpensive books, CD’s, DVD’s, and other low-cost products.

The big money, however, is made on the backend.

I’m sure you’ve all seen the expensive weekend seminars advertised over the years? The people who attend these seminars usually do so after purchasing books, DVD’s, etc. A percentage of frontend buyers will invest in the backend seminar which may cost several thousand dollars or more. The business model was designed that way. No one is going to “walk in off the street” and sign up for an expensive seminar without first testing the product in its cost-effective form first. True, there may be exceptions, but they’re just that – exceptions.

That’s just one business model.

There are many others.

As you can see, there’s quite a difference between writing a book to make some money and doing it to make a living. To make GOOD money, you need to have a profitable business model in place that allows the potential lifetime value of a customer to be a significant one.

WHY NOT THINK – PUBLISHING COMPANY?

Today, thanks to the Internet, you can be the writer and publisher of your product.

Amazon has a service that makes it easy for you publish kindle books and paperback books via their on-demand service called CreateSpace.  Along with that, you also have the standard PDF publications people have been buying for years. The industry is wide open to a new generation of author/publishers.

The gatekeepers of old (traditional publishing houses) have lost their ability to control the industry. There is nothing standing between you and your market. All you need is a plan to provide you with the mechanics of making money.

In 1998, I began developing the concept of selling booklets (paper and ink) in bulk to credit unions. The booklets (Car Buying Secrets and How To Erase Your Poor Credit Rating) weren’t exactly ingenious titles or concepts. They fit a very tight niche. They were designed to help credit unions market their products and services to their members more effectively.

With this business model, the money was in selling bulk units. Making money in chunks is a lot better than making it in drips! There wasn’t really a backend to speak of, although my career as a consultant was basically born out of the experience. That wound up opening doors of opportunity in many other areas.

THE MODEL I’M CURRENTLY USING

Another way to run a profitable eBook publishing business is to use the publications to market other services you offer. Last year I began publishing short Internet marketing publications and used them to promote a variety of services to local, offline businesses. The response was great. I’ve enjoyed a very prosperous 2011 using this model.

If you know what you’re talking about in a particular niche, you can also use your publications to promote your own consulting service. I’ve met a lot of consultants over the past year. Most I’ve met, regardless of the niche, make an average of $100-$150hr.

That’s not too bad, is it?

A friend of mine is a restaurant consultant. She also provides publicity services such as writing press releases and sending them to local media outlets. Basically, she can do it all, so she creates a package for the restaurant based upon their individual needs.

That’s just one example. She, too, is getting ready to use books to market her services throughout the state of Florida.

Books, paper or digital, are great marketing vehicles. Blogs are great, too. Both can be used to build trust and familiarity with your brand. Building trust is what it’s all about in today’s market. Before anyone will be willing to send “big money” in your direction, they’ll have to trust you first.

CREATING YOUR PLAN

I’ve developed a variety of marketing plans for myself, friends and clients over the past years. There really isn’t a one-size-fits-all plan that good for every business. In my own case, the simpler the plan (the less moving parts), the easier it is for me to implement the plan and stick with it. With eBooks, it doesn’t have to be complex in the least and you can have full control over your product. You don’t have to invest in programmers (as you do with software) or inventory, as you do with physical products. Even if you decide to have a physical, paper and ink publication, you can use a service like CreateSpace that only prints the book after the sale is made. That way, there is no need to inventory anything.

Next, you have to decide on how you’re going to market your business. There are loads of tools out there with more popping up every day. Some people I currently work with are really big on social media. Other’s just use it to create backlinks and aren’t very active with it at all. You don’t HAVE TO do ANY ONE THING except attract the attention of those in your niche… and there are many ways to do that.

I prefer using blogs. Drawing traffic to a blog isn’t rocket science. Good keywords in the domain name is where I usually start. I do my research using the Google Keyword tool which is free.

I also use a few plugins (All-In-One-SEO, Google Sitemap Generator and Easy WP-SEO) to handle the on-page SEO for this site and others. On my home site, SimplePublications.com, I use a template that automates a lot of the time consuming tasks. This is a WordPress theme which, if you decide to use WordPress, will save you a lot of time.

It’s not exactly cheap at $97, but I wasted a lot more than that buying and testing all the “low cost” solutions. If you’re a do-it-yourselfer, there is a learning curve that goes with the territory. Each new software product and/or script you buy will require some focus (an occasionally some tenacity) to set up properly. Realize this going in. With some things, it’s much easier paying someone else to set things up for you.

At the very least, it’s good to have a “go to” person available, just in case you mess up.

If you’re a sole proprietor and just starting out, you’ll also want to have some basic accounting software you can use to keep track of who owes what… as well as your income and outgo.

Accounting software isn’t cheap. You can buy invoicing software if you have a very simple business structure instead of investing in a whole accounting package. That’s one way to save a little money. Another option is a free online service called Wave Accounting (http://waveaccounting.com/)

One of my friends is a lawyer. He runs his firm as a sole proprietor. When I asked him why, he said, “Because I don’t want to pay all the corporate fees to the state to run a corporation. I use a simple Schedule-C on my tax return.”

Naturally, I asked him about liability. His response was, “Liability for what? No food or drink is involved. I’m not in the health industry. What type of liability do I have to worry about?”

Of course, this isn’t legal or accounting advice I’m giving you. I’m just sharing with you what’s been shared with me. You need to decide what will work best for you.

DO IT YOURSELF, OR OUTSOURCE IT

As a habitual do-it-yourselfer, I prefer to keep most of tasks involved with my daily routine in-house. I do outsource things from time to time, but that’s only if my time is being consumed by “billable hours.” I never let laziness be the deciding factor as to whether or not I’m going to outsource any particular aspect of a personal business project.

Naturally, you can’t do everything well. I once heard someone give the advice, “Have you fingers in everything but your hands in nothing.”

That’s good advice to a point, but it’s not always practical.

At the end of the day, no one will care as much about your business as you do. If you’re going to outsource work, make sure you’re outsourcing it to individuals who have as much to lose (in terms of reputation) as you do by the job not being done correctly.

If you’re a little confused about business models and which one would work best for you, do a little investigating in your spare time. Visit sites, buy products, see how the marketing works and take notes. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Sometime one little tweak makes all the difference in the world.

Finally, stick with it. Most people fall by the wayside when things don’t go their way right away. Or they become bogged down with information overload. Prepare for adversity in the very beginning. If it doesn’t happen, great. If it does, you’ll be prepared.

By Jim Straw -

This month’s issue was prompted by a question I received from Business Lyceum Attendee Sydney Freeman, when she (Sydney is a girl person) asked …

“Dan Kennedy always emphasizes testimonials.  What if you are new to the business and don’t have any?”

Although Dan is an old friend of mine and one of the finest Mailorder Marketers alive (second only to myself), like all of us ol’pros, he is always right and always wrong!

If there were only one technique, method or application that would work, every marketing program would be identical to all the others.  So, anything an ol’pro in marketing (even me) espouses as a viable marketing method must be taken in the context of your own product or service.

The only way to tell if any marketing technique, method or application is right for your product or service is by Testing, Re-testing and Testing Some More. — Whatever works is right … whatever doesn’t work is wrong.

Anywho, Sydney’s Question is almost the same as a question I received from another one of my readers over a year ago … for one of my paper and ink publications. — Since that reader is now also a Business Lyceum Attendee, I will use his question and my answer in response to Sydney’s Question.

Over a year ago, Business Lyceum Attendee Dave Simpson (momagic99@hotmail.com) … no relation to “Bart Simpson” …  decided to challenge the ol’Mailorder Master (me), by asking …

“All the copy writing gurus and experts stress the vital importance of  testimonials in a winning direct mail sales letter or ad.  How are you going to get a true, uncontrived testimonial when you’re offering a product or service for the first time?  This is especially problematic when your offering a new money-making program or home-study course that takes some time (3-12 months) before a client would actually see significant financial results from using your system.”

Then, Dave gave me four possible alternatives for consideration:

• “(1) A personal referral from people who think you, as the author of the program, are a knowledgeable, talented and honest guy.
• “(2) Results of your own experience in using the system.  In this case, it’s simply your own testimonial.
• “(3) Engage in a joint venture with someone who is in a related field and has a strong following similar to your target market.  In this case, your sales letter would be mailed to that person’s clients, along with his testimonial letter as to the quality of your system.  Of course, this is not always feasible.
• “(4) Ignore testimonials completely and pray that your ‘copywriting genius’ will save the day.î

Well, to begin with, not all “copy writing gurus and experts stress the vital importance of testimonials.” — I know I don’t.

On page #11 in the mailorder bible (my book; “Own Your Own Mailorder Business”), you will find my experienced observations about the use of testimonials. — Pay close attention to the two schools of thought on the subject.

Note:  “Own Your Own Mailorder Business” … the ‘bible’ of the mailorder industry … is available in the “POWER TOOLS” at the “Business Lyceum.”

When I wrote the book, I had discontinued using testimonials in any of my sales pieces  … I even explained “why” in the book. — Since then, I have added “true” testimonials to my sales letter for my “WorldWide Business Exchange” – but – I did it my way … which is different from the way some of my contemporaries use testimonials. — I used them as a ‘qualifier.’

In choosing the “testimonials” for my sales letter, I used testimonials that would appeal to “real” business people … as opposed to “wannabes.” As a matter of fact, I used testimonials that would ‘turn-off’ the majority of “hype” customers because the testimonials were purposely chosen to make those kind of people feel inferior to my readers.

Now … back to Dave’s situation, in answer to Sydney’s Question:

Although all four of Dave’s alternatives are viable, #2 and #4 are the methods I have used consistently – but – #1 and #3 touch upon some other methods I would use if I absolutely wanted to use “testimonials” in my sales material but didn’t have any.

First.  Instead of “referrals” from people who know and like “me,” or “joint ventures” with other notables in the industry, I would try a …

Celebrity Endorsement Approach

Referrals from your friends may be ego-building, and may even inspire your potential customers – but – your potential customers may too easily see through them.  After all, “friends” have a way of expressing their friendship with more sentiment than rationality.

Joint Ventures, on the other hand, while being a viable “marketing” ploy, could be considered “suspect” by your potential customers because of the obvious profit motive.

So … why not use a “celebrity” endorsement instead.

For many years, our ol’friend, Gary Halbert (another ol’pro in the mailorder industry), espoused the use of underpaid, over-exposed, minor TeeVee and Movie Actors as “paid” endorsers for your products or services.  In his material, Gary detailed the methods to use to contact those minor celebrities; told how to approach them; and recommended how much to offer them.

Even though these are “paid” endorsements, they can carry a great deal of weight because your potential customers recognize and, thereby, think they “know” the person making the endorsement. — It’s all the better if you can afford to “hire” Rush Limbaugh, Cher, Charlton Heston, Alex Trebek, or some other super-well-known celebrity to do the endorsement.

Note:  Since I’ve never used “paid” celebrity endorsements … like Gary Halbert … I would be remiss in trying to relate the methods to use in contacting and compensating those celebrities – but – if’n you look around, you might be able to find some of Gary’s writings on mailorder marketing to help you. — Unfortunately, I haven’t heard from Gary in too many years and the last letter I sent him came back undeliverable, so I don’t even know how to tell you where to get ahold of him or his materials.

Of course, using “paid” celebrity endorsements costs money … even if it is just a few hundred dollars for a very minor TeeVee or Movie Actor – but – there is a cheaper and more effective way.

In many industries … not all; or even most; but many … there are notables (industry celebrities) who are well-known to the people who may want or need your products or services. — Instead of using “testimonials” from people who know you, try to get “quotable comments” (indirect endorsements) from people your customers know.

As an example:  When I finished writing “Own Your Own Mailorder Business,” one of the first things I did was to have a bunch of bound manuscript copies put together.  Then, I mailed those copies … with a personal letter … to all of my old friends and acquaintances in the mailorder industry.  These were people who knew me but, they were also well-known to my customers.

My purpose in sending the advance review copies to those people was to get their input.  I wanted to know if there were things I should have included in the book but didn’t … or things I had included in the book that I shouldn’t have.

Even though my intention was not to gain “quotable comments” from those people, almost every one of them told me I could quote them … if I wanted to. — But …

Had I chosen to “quote” any of those mailorder notables, I would have first written up the “quote” exactly as I would be using it in my sales material.  Then, I would have sent a copy of the ëquoteí I proposed using to the person who had made the comment to get their approval and permission to use the quote as written. — I really wouldn’t have had to do that because almost all of the letters I had received told me I could quote them but it is something I have always done.  As a matter of fact, that little practice once saved me from a lawsuit.

You can use a similar approach to create your own “celebrity” endorsements.

Just select a list of well-known people … people your potential customers will recognize and respect … in your industry.  Then, send them a “sample” of your product (or service) for their use and comment. — You can do that even if you don’t know them and they don’t know you … as long as your product is something that they should, would or could comment on within the industry.

Hey … don’t be chintzy. — Send them the most valuable sample of the product you have. No matter how much it costs you, it beats the cost of a “paid” endorsement. — The most favorable comments you get can be used … after getting permission … in your sales material.

Note:  Some of the “comments” you get back from the notables in your industry may not be quotable … even uncomplimentary or derogatory. — Use those comments to refine, revise and improve your product. — In other cases, the comments you get … while not necessarily usable as indirect endorsements … may provide key-phrases, buzz-words, motivational buttons, or other marketing ideas you can use to enhance your sales material.

Beyond that, you might want to …

Create a Board of Advisors

Invite well-known people … people your potential customers will recognize and respect … in your industry to serve on your Board of Advisors. — If you have received some favorable “comments” from notables in your industry … comments you might use as “celebrity” endorsements … when you ask their permission to use their quotes, also ask them to serve on your Board of Advisors.  Then, print your Board of Advisors in a side-bar on your company letterhead. — Use that letterhead in all your correspondence to lend credence to company.

This works well even if there aren’t any well-known, recognizable authorities in your industry.

How many times have you received a letter with a “Board of Advisors” or “Advisory Board” (or some other nomenclature) listed on the company’s letterhead? — The names on that board are such people as the company’s Banker(s), Accountant(s), Attorney(s), etc. — Any “professional” who serves the company. — Sometimes they even list the organizations the principals belong to, degrees the principals hold, and awards the company and/or principals have received.

Using a Board of Advisors (Advisory Board; whatever) on your letterhead … even if you don’t have any “testimonials” or “endorsements” … can lend the “credibility” of your “advisors” to your company … enhancing the “image” of your company in your customers’ eyes.

By the way, it is easier than you might think to put together a Board of Advisors.

Some years ago, I helped a young company put together an Advisory Board made up of some of the most recognizable names in the Financial Industry. — All I did was write to each of those people explaining the financial ‘service’ the new company would be offering.  In the letter, I also asked if the company could call upon them; personally, on occasion for advice in their field of expertise.

Once I had a response from those people … most of them graciously agreeing to provide advice … I wrote back and advised them that I was putting together an “Advisory Board” for the company and would like to list their name on that board. — You wouldn’t believe the big, Big, BIG names I finally ended-up with on that board.

Remember, all people like to think of themselves as giving and caring – and – they also like to have their egos massaged … so, being on an “Advisory Board” massages their ego and makes them feel caring and giving.

Then again, even if there aren’t any well-known people your potential customers will recognize and respect in your industry, you might want to …

Use Professional Endorsements

Some years ago, a small company that marketed a patented air purification device was preparing their very first mailorder sales campaign. — They, too, had read all about using “testimonials” in their sales materials but they didn’t have any.

At first, their sales materials focused on “cleaning the air in your home or office.”  So, they had some friends use the devices in their homes and report the results. — Those reports … although not very convincing … became their very first “testimonials.”  But, they did make enough sales of the device to start getting some “real” testimonials from buyers.

One of the “testimonials” they received was from a Doctor who had bought one of the devices for his asthmatic daughter … to clean-up the air in her bedroom. — That “testimonial” made the company refocus their sales message.

Having learned that their device was helpful in the treatment of asthma, the company decided they could sell more units by offering it to asthmatics. But, they only had the one “testimonial” from one Doctor about the device’s effectiveness.  So …

The company sent a letter to a list of Doctors around the country who treated asthma patients. — In the letter, the company offered to provide one FREE air purification device to an asthma patient of the Doctor’s choice IF the Doctor would agree to document any beneficial results to the company. — Of course, they limited the offer to the first 100 Doctors and required the Doctor to complete a survey form about the patient who would received the device  … along with the Doctor’s signed agreement to provide feedback about the applied use and effectiveness of the device.  (They enclosed a copy of the “one” doctor’s testimonial as initial evidence of the effectiveness of the device in the treatment of asthma patients.)

Within 3 months, the company had enough “real” testimonials (endorsements) from “real” Doctors to fill a full-page. — That page of Doctor’s testimonials became the foundation for their mailings to lists of asthma patients across the country. — A year later, the owners of the company were “real” millionaires.

If you are marketing a product (or service) that can be most effectively tested by some profession, why not create a “survey” for members of that profession (doctors, lawyers, accountants, Indian chiefs) and have them “test” the product or service on their clients?  The resulting “testimonials” can give you a ho’bunch of Professional Endorsements to use in your sales material.

Then again, if you can’t find any “celebrities,” don’t know who to put on your Board of Advisors, or don’t have a product or service to get some “professionals” to endorse, try …

Using Article Reprints

Usually, when most business people think about getting a News Release published, they do so with the intent of having the resulting article generate inquiries for; or even sales of, their product.  But, there is an even better use of those published articles.

When I finished writing my book, beyond sending bound manuscript copies to other giants in the mailorder industry, I also sent out a ho’bunch of “Review Copies” to book reviewers. — Along with those review copies, I sent a very brief (two paragraph) description of the book to give the potential book reviewer an idea of what the book was about … with a copy of my bio-sheet; so the reviewer would have some idea of who I am.

Of all the reviews that were written about my book, the very, very best was written by the book reviewer at “Jackpot.” – As a matter of fact, where the reviews in other publications did pull some inquiries about the book, the review in “Jackpot” eventually pulled a total of 17 “paid orders” for the book.  (At $50 per, that ain’t bad fer a Freebie.)

To be quite honest with you, since I had sold over 1,000 copies of my book without any testimonials or endorsements, I really wasn’t looking for anything to enhance my response – but – when I saw the number of paid orders coming-in from that review, I decided to reprint the article and make it part of my sales letter offer. — The results were phenomenal … still are. — That reprint increased my response rate by from 50% to 200% … meaning lists that pulled a 1% response without the reprint pulled from 1.5% to 3% with the reprint.

Having said that, you now have an even bigger reason to get some News Articles printed about yourself, your business, and your products or services. — It isn’t just the inquiries the articles can generate, it’s the potential use of reprints of some of those articles to build your business image.

Now, following up on what I just said, here’s …

How To Get A Good News Release Written

Most Journalists are on the low-end of the pay scale.  For that reason, they are always looking for “freelance” writing assignments.

When you want to get a news article (Release) written about yourself, your business or product, go to your local newspaper office and talk to some of the reporters.  Ask if any of them would be interested in earning a few bucks on a “freelance” writing assignment.

Once you have the reporters’ interest … which will happen almost instantly … tell them you want a dynamite news article written about (whatever)  . — Tell them they don’t have to offer the article to their newspaper for publication … just write it. — Ask them to suggest or recommend ideas, publicity stunts, gimmicks, tricks or anything else you can do to give them a “story” to write. — Offer to pay the reporters from $100 to $500 for each “story” you accept. — Buy the articles that have the most punch to them. — Use those articles as News Releases.

Hey … it works!  I’ve done it myself.

By Jimmy Krug -

The Internet has changed the way just about every industry and niche under the sun does business. It hasn’t changed “business” per se. It’s just changed how business is done. The age-old concepts and framework behind sales and marketing will never change. The psychology that powers the whole process will never change, either. What’s changed is the medium.

What that means to you is –

1. If you have “wimpy” sales skills, all the technology and design elements in the world will elevate you to mediocrity at best.
2. If you’re a 98-pound weakly when it comes to Internet Marketing and Publicity knowledge… but you’re selling skills are top-notch, you need a simple system to take what you’re doing to the next level. That’s what this article is all about.

So… things have changed, right? The medium has changed. Think about it – in the past, you’d grab a phone book to get the number of a local restaurant if you wanted to make a reservation. Today, you’d Google the name and get the number directly from your laptop, PC, Mac, Handheld device, etc.

This doesn’t mean people are abandoning the Yellow Pages altogether. The other night, my high-speed connection went down and I was without an Internet connection for several hours. I didn’t have the number for my ISP written down or stored in my cell phone. So what did I do? I grabbed a small Yellow Page directory I keep in a kitchen drawer (for emergencies). As amazing as this seems, people still use the Yellow Pages, still read newspapers and magazines… and still use the “dated methods” with one exception. They’re doing it with less frequency, favoring “a few clicks of the mouse” instead.

Yes, people still buy and listen to CD’s. They still insert DVD’s into their DVD players. They’re slowly but surly, however, migrating over to the more convenient methods of digital downloads and streaming video. For increasing numbers of people, this is becoming the method of choice.

Keeping all the above in mind, from a marketing perspective, why would you want to invest your advertising dollars on advertising mediums that are shrinking? Why not place your focus in areas that are growing and showing the greater growth potential over the next several years and beyond?

The answer is fairly simple. They don’t “see it.” Most people have enough trouble dealing with “what is,” let alone anticipating what’s coming around the next bend on the road they’re traveling.

There was a day when the horse and buggy was the preferred method of transportation. I’m sure they found it hard at the time to believe the advent of the “horseless carriage” (as it was called) could ever be more reliable than the horse and carriage (let alone replacing it). After all, horses have been with us since the beginning of time. They’ve taken men into battle, carried them across the Wild West, been used to deliver “express” mail, etc.

Imagine yourself back in those days not knowing how history would play out and the arguments of the time will seem more sensible to you. Who could have known at the time that Henry Ford would take the process of manufacturing horseless carriages to the next level? The rest, of course, is history.

Now, let’s take a long, close look at what’s happening right now. Does technology go backwards? Of course not. It keeps moving forward. It keeps evolving.

If you want to stay in the game, you have to change with the game.

This doesn’t mean you have to chase every new thing that comes down path. Believe me, there will always be a lot of “can’t miss” things coming down the way that turn out to be flops.

Websites, like the original Model-T Ford, have evolved quite a bit since the early 90’s. Design elements, audio and video now work to promote the message in a variety of forms. Think about you, you can now have all the elements of radio, TV and print advertising – all residing on a single domain – www.YourBusiness.com.

For the most part, the INBOX has replaced mailbox for most direct marketers. You can reach people with your message – faster, easier and cheaper than ever before.

I created my very first website in 1996. My first site was an online equivalent of a “horseless carriage.” It was loud, didn’t look too good and didn’t get too far without problems along the way. Over time, I’ve changed, modified and improved my plans.

Today, I offer friends, clients – even family members, a simple blueprint for starting or modifying an online business.

Here it is -

Your Simple Online Business System

1. Buy a domain with set up a WordPress blog. Forget about “free” blogs. If you’re building a business and are committed to following through, buy a domain for a measly $10-11 bucks. Use a professionally designed template and make sure your logo and contact information are clearly visible. If just starting out, you can even begin with a sales page template theme that’s “fill in the blanks” oriented.
2. Decide who your target market is. Be so specific you could create a character that could be inserted into a novel or movie script. You’re trying to sell a single personality type. Most people do the opposite and seriously dilute the effectiveness of marketing message. Why so specific? Marketing is like hunting. The better you understand the specific habits of the target, the easier it is to capture them. In this case, we want to “capture” their limited attention spans.
3. Create a message within the site that brings this type of person “to the table.” Give them enough information to intrigue them, but not enough to suffocate them. Many sites try too hard to impress and as a result, come off insincere and artificial.
4. Offer rock-solid information that PROVES you’re among the very best choices in your market. Ask for their email address in return for – more information, discounts, free gifts, etc. Have a simple “sign-up” form visible from the first page (be it a link or the form itself).
5. Target a niche – not the “masses.” In all likelihood, the masses (even your local community) aren’t interested in “your thing.” There is a specific niche, however, that is. Find it, define it, examine it and build your business around it!
6. Don’t flood your new list with every affiliate offer under the sun. Think of yourself as a partner with the people on your list. Your job is to help guide them in your particular area of expertise. Don’t fall into the trap of being a “taker.” Learn to be a giver. Like the old saying goes, give and it will come back to you again.

This is a simple process you can use to build a site quickly and gauge interest in your product, service, ideas, etc. If you have a winner, you can develop a much larger site, add additional products and go on to attract business for years to come.

Currently I have over 16 website businesses, all in different niches. Some of them have been around for over a decade. I’ve been using the same basic system with the exception of a few tweaks here and there since starting. Give it a try and feel free to share your results with me.

By Jimmy Krug –

Miracles are a not-so-common occurrence. I guess if they were, they wouldn’t be called miracles, they’d be called something else. In the world of marketing, though, “miracles” seem to be a more common. Miracle cures, miracle programs, miracle products – all of these promise to do what the common products and programs don’t.

Over the years, I’ve bought my share of miracle products.  None of them ever lived up to my expectations. Of course, one might say that my expectations were too high. For me, I considered it to be a part of the learning process – examining the entire process from start to finish. I’ll be honest when I tell you it can be a very expensive education. At the end of the day, though, most educations are.

When it comes to business success, what you need is –

1. A little bit of intelligence
2. A plan that makes at least a little bit of sense (see point one)
3. A way to get started (no matter how small it is)
4. A whole lot of perseverance along the way.
5. A little bit more perseverance to add to the larger amount described in point four above.

If you want to speed up the process a little bit and shorten the learning curve you can add in one more…

1. Guidance from someone who’s done it before.

Guidance doesn’t eliminate the learning curve, it just helps shorten it. Most people don’t have the luxury of enjoying what you might call “custom guidance.” Custom guidance is one-on-one, personalized guidance. I’m using the word “custom” because it’s a fairly easy word for most people to relate to. There’s standard and there’s custom.

If plug-n-play doesn’t work for you, you need a custom solution. When you think about it, life usually dishes out one “custom” situation after another! No two are exactly alike. Because no two situations are alike, it stands to reason that no two solutions are exactly alike either. That’s part of the reason why most information type products and courses don’t exactly live up to most people’s expectations. The author is writing or creating the product based upon their own personal experience and the reader is looking for specific answers to their own experience which, of course, is different from the authors.

A book or course can give you important information you’ll need to successful. Your own insights, however, enable you to apply what you’ve learned to the specific situation you find yourself in.

Never forget, your situation (business or otherwise) is completely unique. Although it may have similarities to others you’ve read about or have experienced in the past, it’s unique to your current time and place.

Once people realize this, they respond (most of the time) according to the pattern that’s consistent with their personality type.

Intellectual people will often submerge themselves in hours upon hours of research and study. The downside is, the available options increase right along side of the additional information and data. Before long, information overload makes deciding on a course of action even more difficult than before.

Action types are different. This kind of person usually has multiple plans in effect – all at the same time. Like a horse race, whichever positive opportunity happens to nose itself ahead, that’s the one that gets the most attention (at least for the moment). The downside is, as the race continues, it often becomes clear that no one horse has a clear-cut lead over the others. While some may certainly be out of contention, others are not. Therein is the problem

Procrastinators are completely different. They don’t take any action at all. Usually, they distract themselves with a myriad of other things to avoid dealing with the roadblocks they’re experiencing. They’re masters at escapism.

Throughout my own life, I’ve been guilty of doing all the above. As a result, I’ve experienced the downsides firsthand.

There’s an upside however, to all three courses of action – as long as you realize you can only hold any one position for so long.

At the end of the day, focused action is the only thing that brings above average results.

If you’re like most people in business for themselves today (online or otherwise), there’s one constant that seems to present all the way across the boards. You have LOTS of competition! Name anything worth doing and it’s a given – there are lots of people doing it. Reaching new customers and clients while keeping the current ones happy is a full-time job in any niche.  This is doubly so when you consider the advent of social media marketing.  All of this has resulted in an ever-increasing stream of “miracle” solution products, services, books, courses, videos, etc.

A few years ago I met someone who built their business by using Facebook almost exclusively. They didn’t use the paid ads or any of the “miracle” facebook Fanpage products currently on the market. They did it the old fashioned way. They stayed “on message” and had a good product they shared with thousands of friends and fans of their business page.

They built their Facebook presence without any gimmicks. When I introduced them to my knowledge base, they adopted press releases and email marketing to their mix.

A short time later I met a guy who does the same thing using Twitter (almost exclusively). He’s a blogger and teaches people how to make money blogging. He has about 80,000 followers. He uses Twitter to promote his affiliate offers. Unlike most affiliates, he only focuses on two products. He also markets these product on his blog along with his own course on blogging.

He told me it took him about a year to develop a full-time income using this method. I asked him if he was on Facebook. He was. But here’s the thing… he doesn’t spend very much time or energy marketing on Facebook. Why? Because he’s already “hit” with Twitter, so he’s digging deeper, mining way more out of the service than most of his competitors occupying the same niche.

These are two cases of individuals who made above average progress by staying on a main path and minimizing the amount of detours or “shortcuts” they took on their way from point A to point B.

It takes time to build a presence on any network. It doesn’t matter if you’re talking about the “old fashioned” discussion boards, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or any of the others you might care to mention.

It’s like being the new person in town or in the neighborhood. It takes a little time to become established. For some, it takes longer than others.

This brings us back to the original point. If you need more business sooner rather than later, don’t fall into the trap of looking for a miracle cure products, programs, books, etc.

Instead -

• Take responsibility for your own progress. Don’t invest your energy into blaming other people, circumstances, etc. Today is a new day. Chalk up yesterday to experience.
• If you need to take a break to clear your mind, go ahead. Just set a time limit on your break so it doesn’t last indefinitely. Give yourself the days, weeks, etc. you need to hit your own reset button. Do something else during that time and clear your mind of the problem.
• Examine the facts surrounding the issue and make an honest assessment about where you are and where you need to go.
• Talk to others who have more experience than you do. The people who’ve been there can provide the type of guidance that only comes from having “walked the walk.”
• Make a decision, take action and commit to the “failure is not an option” way of thinking.

The best tools you’ll ever have at your disposal aren’t available for immediate download. They aren’t hidden in the latest software product or money-making system. They’re within you, waiting to be developed.

By Jim Straw –

Get out your slide-rule … this month I’m gonna give you a lesson in analytic mathematics. — Okay, okay … forget the slide rule.  You won’t need it any way.  Besides, I don’t know if they even make slide rules anymore … when a $20, hand-held, calculator can perform more functions, more reliably.

As a kid, I was a ‘nerd’ … before being a nerd was cool; even before computers. — As a ‘math whiz,’ I carried a slip stick (slide rule) in a sheath on my belt, acted in the theater group, and was one of the most accomplished trumpet players in the state competitions for my age group. — I sung songs, both solo and in chorus, too, but a ‘bass’ has a hard time competing with the more socially acceptable sissy tenors … even though I did have an effective three octave range (only slightly falsetto at the top).

When I went off to college, I opted for a double major … Mathematics and Music (with a minor in Physics); music being nothing more than a mathematical progression of sound. — If you don’t believe it, ask any computer programmer.

During the first semester of my Sophomore year, the Dean of Men summoned me to his office to find out how and why one of his students came to class in three-piece suits and drove around campus in a new Oldsmobile … while most tenured  professors drove to work in five-year-old Fords. — After telling him about the ‘businesses’ I owned and operated on and off campus … established during my Freshman year … he admonished me to quit college, do what I already knew how to do, and ‘hire’ the students he graduated.

The rest is history … my history – but – my background in mathematics has served me well over the years because …

Business Is A Mathematical Game!

Think about it! — Any time you have an activity that can be reduced to numerical equivalents and annotated … general ledgers, balance sheets, profit & loss statements … you can effectively use those numbers to generate operating formulae, extrapolate progressions, and determine the relationships between various elements of costs and revenue.

Unfortunately, all too many erudite business professors and over edjerkated business people attempt to use the ‘numbers’ found in the “Financial Statements” of a business to generate operating formulae, extrapolate progressions, and determine interactive relationships. — It doesn’t work, because the “Financial Statements” of any business contain too many numbers that have absolutely nothing to do with the “results.”

In mathematics, only those ‘numbers’ that have a direct impact on the ‘result’ need to be considered.

Remember, back when you were in school, the teacher would ask you a silly question, like:

“There are 17 girls in our class.  Of the girls, 7 have brown eyes.  The teacher  is over 6 feet tall.  There are 16 boys in our class; 3 of them have blonde hair, one is red-headed, and the rest are brunettes.  The classroom has 36 student desks and 1 teacher’s desk. — How many people are in our classroom?”

(The answer is 34.)

The purpose of that silly question was to teach you to only use the ‘numbers’ and information that had a direct impact upon the ‘result’ in order to find the right answer to the question, “How many people are in our classroom?”

Silly questions like that were asked to teach you to FIRST determine ‘what the question was’ and, then, use only that specific information, given in the body of the question, directly related to that question, to find the right answer … the ‘result.’

Business Financial Statements are like the information contained in the body of your teachers’ silly questions. — All of that information has ‘something’ to do with the business – but – too much of it is “tax accounting” information; required by the government so they can collect taxes from you on money you have never seen, and has little (or nothing) to do with the “operation” of the business … or the ‘results’ of the business’ operation.

The answers are all there … somewhere, but …

What Is The Question?

As in mathematics, by knowing the question, you will be able to determine what specific information you require to cipher the answer.

Over the years, I have found that the only ‘numbers’ in business that mean anything are the “cashflow” numbers.  That’s because most of the business questions to which answers are needed relate to making the business more profitable … which is the ‘result’ of the generation and application of cashflow.

“Cashflow” is the only true indicator of the validity and life of the   business itself. — “Assets” represent the past.  “Liabilities” are the dark-side of the future.  Only “cashflow” represents the present state of the business … the here & now; today, instead of yesterday or tomorrow.

Although ‘cashflow’ figures are an integral part of business financial statements, they are inclusive; rather than exclusive, bulking all revenue from all sources and all expenses for all operations together.  Like a still photograph of the business some weeks … or even months … ago.

To answer your business questions you need to create a ‘motion picture’ of your business cashflow.  Beyond that, each ‘motion picture’ must be exclusively produced for each (and every) profit center … product or service … in your business; with only the cashflow and expenses for that specific product or service as players in your movie. — That’s why the best run businesses maintain internal cashflow and expense reports on a daily, weekly and monthly basis … with no information in those reports being more than a few days old; at most.

With that kind of current, exclusive information in your hands, you will be able to use the very simplest of mathematics to see where your business is today and employ the right procedures to reduce or increase your costs to increase your profits or multiply your cashflow.

As in mathematics … before you can make use of any information provided, you must FIRST know “what the question is.” — Once you know “what” you need to know, be sure you have the current, exclusive information you need to formulate your answer.  Always remember, it doesn’t matter how tall the teacher is.

Now…

Here’s a Mailorder Mathematics Formula That Always Works!

If a 1,000 piece mailing produces $X, then a 10,000 piece mailing will   produce $10X when all known factors are equal.  (The only times it doesn’t work is when all known factors are not equal; or all factors are not known.)

That means:  When you find a sales piece that generates a profit on small mailings, the odds are that the same sales piece, to the same kind of people, will produce the same ‘results’ … percentagewise … on ever larger and larger mailings.  So …

Find something that works.  Then, do more and More and MORE of it … increasing your ‘dollar’ profits in mathematical progression … until it quits working.  By then, you should have been able to find something else that works equally well; or even better.

The same holds true in Internet Marketing … only more so.

By Jim Straw -

Money!  Money!  Who’s got the money?

Having set on both sides of the desk … both Borrower and Banker … I have seen the best and the worst of both worlds. — I have known Bankers who knew absolutely nothing about doing business required by their “job” to pass judgment on business loan applications … relying upon outdated textbook business templates to make a decision.

On the other hand, I have seen otherwise intelligent business people … with sound business plans and sometimes even successfully operating small businesses … approach the lenders with the most ridiculous “financing plans” imaginable.

In one case, a small business owner came to me for financing for his business. — He needed about $150,000 to expand the business from its current operating base.  But, instead of asking to borrow $150,000 … which was justifiable … he wanted to borrow $1,000,000; putting $150,000 into the business and using the $850,000 to create a self-liquidating sinking fund to pay off the loan.  (He told me, “That’s the way the big companies do it.”)

Another “business borrower” came halfway around the world to my bank in the South Pacific to try to borrow $25,000. — The loan may (or may not) have been justifiable but his business was too far away for us to get a real picture of his “local trade area” business. — When I directed him to take his request to a bank or loan company in his home town, his reply was, “They all know me.”  (I guess he figured I didn’t know him, so I would give him the money.)

Beyond that … in case after case … “business borrowers” approached my bank without knowing for sure exactly how much money they needed, or what the money would be used for. — In most of those cases, the “cash” requirements of the business could have been reduced to near nothing by utilizing leasing, factoring and vendor financing. — In those cases where I could work with the borrower, I would take the time to show them how to use leasing to satisfy their equipment needs; factoring to give them a faster cashflow; and vendor financing to increase their inventory … without borrowing any money at all.

Unfortunately, in the majority of those cases, the “business borrower” wouldn’t listen to anything that didn’t put the “cash” proceeds of a loan into his grubby little paws. –  Their attitude was, “Just give me the cash.  Then, I’ll use it to get what I need.” — But, as every banker knows, “cash” only has value in a business when it is “necessary” to the business … not just a “wanna have.”

So, if you are looking for “financing” for your business, you should …

First Determine Exactly What You Need!
(Most Likely, You Don’t “need” As Much As You Think.)

Back when I was serving with the “Active Corps of Executives” (ACE) program with the “Small Business Administration” (SBA), I was called upon countless times to review the loan applications of, and interview, small business people seeking SBA loans.

My job was to find out whether or not the loan amount was sufficient to the needs of the business; or excessive. — To that end, I looked at each loan application and asked myself a series of multi-part questions.  Questions you need to ask yourself, before you even begin your search of business financing.

Question #1: Is any part of the loan to be used to buy equipment of any kind? — Can that equipment be leased, or will the business need the cash to buy that equipment? — If the business must buy the equipment, is there a ready market for that used equipment should the business fail?

Question #2: Is any part of the loan to be used to buy inventory? — Do the vendors in that particular business offer their goods on consignment?  Open account?  Short term (90 day) financing? — What is the minimum cash required for starting inventory? — What kind of cash reserve should be set aside for future and on-going inventory? — What is the anticipated annual inventory turnover? — What is the industry ‘norm’ for inventory turnover?

Question #3: Does the business currently have any Accounts Receivable? — How much? — What is their aging?  (How long do they stay unpaid?) — Can the borrower Factor the current Accounts Receivable to generate some of the cash requirements? — Are the Accounts Receivable too old to be Factored?  (That probably means the business should be required to review their credit policies.)

Applying just those three questions to your “business financing” needs will put you ahead of the game. — You will better know what you really need – and – by noting the answers to those questions in your “Loan Proposal” or “Business Plan,” you will be able to show a banker where you have made an effort to use alternative sources in your planning. — But …

What If … even then … The Bankers Won’t Loan You Any Money?

Well, don’t feel like the Lone Stranger. — Over the years, I have seen even the best thought out and presented business loan applications rejected by Bankers (and the SBA) simply because the lenders lack a working knowledge of the business community they are serving.

In that case, you might want to use …

The Greatest Financing Tactic Of All!

Over the past 40 years, I have seen more money raised using this method than any other. — In one case, I saw it generate over $500,000 in “private” financing in less than a week.

What is it? — What is it?

Believe it or not, all you have to do is run a “Classified Ad” in the newspaper … preferably the newspaper in the largest city near to you.  But, it’s not what you say in the ad, it is “WHERE” you place the ad.

What? — Didn’t I just tell you to place the ad in the “Classified” section of the newspaper?

YES – but – you probably think the ad should be in the “Business Opportunities” section. — It shouldn’t. — In order to reach the people you need to reach, you should have your ad published in the “PERSONALS” … that’s where it will be seen by the Private Investors you will be seeking.

Now, here is the customary, and generally acceptable, ad to use:

PRIVATE INVESTORS Wanted for new ____________ enterprise.  Minimum investment $xxxx.  ROI ____%.  Business plan available.  Call:

Of course, the ROI (Return On Investment) you offer should be significantly higher than the interest being paid by local banks. — Today, 12% to 14% are good numbers.

You should have a well thought-out Business Plan prepared to tell your story to anyone who calls – but – don’t mail it to them.  When a potential investor calls, set an appointment … time and place … where you can meet with them. — This will allow you to separate a lot of the “tire kickers” from the “real players.” — Take a copy of your Business Plan with you and be prepared to answer any questions.

Note: Have your attorney prepare the necessary promissory notes and/or any other legal documents you might need.  Take a set of those forms with you, too.

In some cases, you may be able to convince the investor to write a check right then – but – in most cases, you will have to leave a copy of the Business Plan and any necessary forms for them to “think about.” — Follow up with them. — Respond to any further questions they may have. — ASK them for a loan … or investment.

Should the investor decide “NOT” to participate, ASK them to return the Business Plan and forms to you … by mail, or in person.

A lot of work – but – when you really need the financing, it is a small price to pay.

Then again, you could …

Take Your Business Public!

Hey … that sounds a lot harder than it actually is, today.

Using “Form U-7″ under the “Small Corporate Offering Registration” (SCOR) … adopted by the North American Securities Administrators Association in April, 1989 … your business can…

Raise up to $1 million annual … Sell stock to an unlimited number of non accredited investors … Use ads and telemarketing as general solicitations  … and … Allow registered brokers and officers to sell the offering.

When you use the SCOR Form U-7, you don’t have to go through the regular registration process, or even file any documents with the Securities Exchange Commission.

Beyond that, it is even easier when you need less than $500,000 because, under $500,000 you don’t (usually) have to have audited Financial Statements.

Rather than try to explain the SCOR program to you, I high recommend you cough-up a paltry $14.95 and buy a copy of “How To Raise $1 Million for Your Business” … the most revolutionary manual ever written on the how, why, what, where, when of selling up to $1 Million worth of your stock to the public … a step by step manual with sample replies … including all important “contacts” who can assist you in getting the job done the right way.

With the information and resources in, “How To Raise $1 Million for Your Business” you could be selling free trading stock in your company … with no restriction for resale … quickly and hassle free in as little as 30 days.

Order your personal copy of “How To Raise $1 Million for Your Business” directly from the publisher at:  http://www.salesmart.com/scor.htm

Once you have your SCOR offering prepared, start selling the issue to your family, friends, associates, and co-workers.  Also, place your classified ad in the newspaper again only, this time eliminate the ROI and change “Business plan available” to “Prospectus Available.”

This might just catch the eye of a Big Bucks Venture Capitalist, or some stock brokers, who will be impressed with the fact that you already have a prospectus.

By the way, with a SCOR offering, any Stock Broker can sell the stock for you … in any state in
which you file the registration.  (I suggest only registering in your own state to begin with.  If a stock broker wants to sell the stock in another state, let him register the offering in that state for you.)

Of course, there are other ways to get financing for your business – but – these are the best ways I know of and I know they work because I’ve either done it myself or helped others do it. — But, no matter how you go about it, always remember …

STRAW’S LAW OF BUSINESS FINANCE

Business financing is an expedient; not salvation. It is ONLY a way of spending tomorrow’s earnings, today. If the project AND borrower, combined, cannot logically indicate future earnings; the lenders won’t touch it with a 10-foot pole.

Note: Now that you’ve read this letter, go to: http://www.businesslyceum.com/finance.html and read my article entitled, “Business Financing – To Be or Not To Be.” (I think you’ll learn something.)

–

By Jimmy Krug -

For the sake of simplicity, let’s say that there are only two types of people in the world. Smart people… and dumb people. In reality, we know there is a wide spectrum and varying levels or degrees of both. Just bringing this subject up reminds me of a story I heard several years ago about a landscaper (a professional one at that) who decided to use a push mower as hedge trimmer. He wound up losing several fingers and part of his hand in the process. That wasn’t too bright.

On the other hand (no pun intended), we have people who are very intelligent. Smart people are obviously responsible for bringing us the technological advances we’re enjoying today. The computer that once filled an entire room in the 1960’s now fits in the palm of your hand and does twice as much.

As a business owner, or a business owner in the making, you will be marketing to both extremes and everyone in between. Smart and dumb people will eventually see your ad, stop in your place of business, schedule an appointment with you… etc.

With all this in mind, the bottom line still comes down to this – you have to “sell stuff” to stay in business. So while you deliberate over your pricing, specials, ads, etc., do so knowing that studies over the past 50-years have shown that people (from the highly educated right on down) make the majority of their buying decisions based upon emotion. That’s right. Good old-fashioned emotion. The only difference is, educated people use their intellect to justify their decision afterward. The guy with the low IQ doesn’t give it a second thought.

In my opinion, they didn’t need 50-years worth of data to prove this out. All you have to do is look at the divorce rate to come to the same conclusion. People put their life on the line and make decisions based upon their emotions every day. Ask a “smart person” after their divorce has been finalized. They’ll usually admit (sometimes off the record) that they inwardly knew it wasn’t a compatible match to begin with. Isn’t that true? So why did they do it? Because they based their decision upon their emotions – not logic.

People make decisions and come to conclusions based upon how someone (or something) makes them “feel” at the time.  It can happen through ads, videos, in person, etc.

Your partner may be considered an idiot by most, but for some reason, they make you feel good so you convince yourself they’re endearing in some way. When emotion finally takes flight, however, you suddenly realize that all you’re left with is the idiot.

If you’re an intelligent person, you most likely use reason in your marketing and promotions. How’s that working out for you? Trying to convince someone of your point of view is usually an uphill battle all the way. I’m not saying that it can’t be done, but it’s not easy. People hate feeling like they’re being coerced into doing anything. Make them feel good (brilliant, understanding, attractive, interesting, etc.) and you’ll have their attention.

The same thing that hold true with “relationship marketing” holds true with product or marketing.

You don’t motivate an overweight person to buy into a weight loss program by telling them, “I hate to say this, but, you look like hell.”

No, you motivate them by helping them remember what it was like before they got to the point they’re at today. And by getting them to picture how much things might change once they started heading back in that direction again – even if they just take baby steps.

Help people see the benefits of buying your “stuff” instead of someone else’s. Once they “see it,” they will naturally “feel it,” even if it’s just on a subconscious level. The emotional undercurrent that’s triggered as a result will begin to challenge reason as the dominant voice. Let’s face it, people make money selling crappy products every day because they understand how to use this principle on some level. PT Barnum used this technique to build an empire. He understood human nature. People will line up and pay to see something strange, unique or unusual. Being part of a “special viewing” makes them feel special.

At the end of the day, most people laughed at the ridiculousness of the show, but guess what? They didn’t storm the gates shouting for refunds. Not at all. Why? Because the whole experience was fun and pleasurable. Make people feel good and they’ll be back for more. That was Barnum’s secret. Now, it’s yours.

With a genuinely good product or service… the possibilities of how far you could go are endless.

By J.F. (Jim) Straw -

When most small manufacturing businesses start-up, they concentrate their sales efforts on the known markets here in the U.S. Defining their markets as the known users of their products; known distributors of those products; and known, or accessible, sales areas within the U.S., overlooking the larger, more profitable, markets outside this country.

Most small manufacturers who do investigate the possibilities of exporting their products GIVE UP after reading a number of Department of Commerce publications detailing the intricacies of export documentation, freight forwarding, and international banking instruments. (The same complex, intricate processing, paperwork jungle, methods I studied when I was 18 years old…and discarded after I made my first real sale overseas.)

What the Department of Commerce…and other learned sources…fail to tell you is that ALL of the necessary documentation, freight forwarding, and international banking aspects of exporting can be handled…easily and cheaply…by professional service providers who do it every day. As a matter of fact, the ‘cost’ of those services are so negligible it usually isn’t even necessary to make a provision for them in your pricing structure.

Exporting is, really, no more difficult than marketing your products here in the U.S. — All you have to do is…Make a Sale…Get Paid…and Ship Your Product. The rest of the procedures can be handled, inexpensively, by the customary service providers.

Beyond that, exporting can allow a small manufacturing company to grow…almost exponentially…because you will experience:

LARGER ORDERS — Importers in other countries won’t just buy one or two of your products (unless they are ordering samples). Due to the added costs of freight, insurance, and customs duties in their countries, they will order in bigger and bigger volume in order to reduce the per piece cost.

EASIER FINANCING — Since export orders are (almost always) accompanied by some method of payment…Letter of Credit, Sight or Bank Draft, etc…your local banker will (usually) be willing to advance funds against that documentation. Beyond that, both State and Federal Governments offer a wide variety of financing incentives…everything from free grants to production financing… for exporters. And, even the smallest of companies can qualify for that financing because the financial strength of the foreign buyer, not the manufacturing company, determines the creditability of the transaction.

LIMITED COMPETITION — No matter what you manufacture, you won’t have the heavy competition you might face here in the U.S. — Statistically, less than 20% of the manufacturers in this country export their products – and – of those companies that do export, fully 50% of them only export to one (1) foreign country. So, even if one of your competitors is exporting, the odds are you can still be the ONLY supplier in a number of other countries…without competition.

The only concern then is…

HOW TO MAKE THE SALES

…but, just as there are Manufacturer’s Representatives in the U.S. who will take a manufacturer’s products directly to the distributors, there are International Manufacturer’s Reps who will do the same thing for your company in the marketplaces of the world.

Usually, the employment of an International Manufacturer’s Rep doesn’t take any ‘out of pocket’ money…other than the provision of your usual printed materials, catalog sheets and brochures. — Like Manufacturer’s Reps in the U.S., International Manufacturer’s Reps pay their own way and earn commissions based solely upon the sale of your products. But, unlike their domestic counterparts, International Manufacturer’s Reps can, and do, assist the manufacturers in accessing necessary service providers, freight forwarders, banking and financing.

Exporting truly is the fastest … and easiest … way to grow a small manufacturing business. Just one export order can turn a small manufacturer into a mid-size manufacturer, virtually overnight. — As an exporter and international manufacturer’s rep for well over 30 years…with clients and customers in over 70 countries….I’ve seen it happen countless times. So…

If you are a manufacturer…looking to expand your business, exponentially, investigate Exporting today. — It’s much easier than you might think.

By Jim Straw -

Over the past 50+ years, I have made fortune after fortune in a diversity of businesses … direct selling, service contracting, wholesale merchandising, entertainment (I was a professional Trumpet player, vocalist & Radio Announcer), freight forwarding, import/export, retail merchandising, warehousing, real estate, electronics manufacturing, finder’s fees, closeout merchandising, financial brokerage, business consulting, steel fabrication, gold & coal mining, offshore banking, mailorder, writing, and publishing.

As I made those fortunes (while I was still  doing it),  I wrote down what I was doing,  why I had done it, and how I had done it, for future generatins of aggressive entrepreneurs.  By reading what, why and how I had done it future generations  of enterpreneurs wouldn’t  have to learn by trial and error as I had.

It thrilled me no end to learn that students of mine amassed fortunes … sometimes even greater than my own … doing what I had taught them. — It saddened me, however, to learn that other students of mine had not.

Why?

What was the difference between those of my students who achived great successes and those who didn’t?  Both had the same opportunity.  Both  had the same training. — What could they be doing differently?

I found the answer, written some 50 years ago, on a yellowing piece of paper,  in the top drawer of my desk. — It admonished …

“Let him who would be great  among you be servant to all.”

Whenever I have taken on a product or service to sell … whether my own or someone else’s … my first and only question was “Will this product or service be of benefit to my customers?”

If the product  or service didn’t offer a true value and  benefit to my customers, I simply found another product or service that would … regardless of how much I could have made selling it

Unfortunately, all too many beginning entrepreneurs ask only “How much is the commission to me?”

You will find this attitude prevalent on the Internet where hopeful affiliates concentrate on “how much” they can make in commissions without considering the value and benefit to their customers.

Before taking on  any product or service to sell to your customers, ask yourself “Will this product or service be of benefit to my customers?” – If not, find another product or  service that will  serve your  customers.

My lifelong success system has made me fortune after fortune based on the simple admonition …

“Let him who would be great  among you be servant to all.”
Adopt the same principle and achieve the success that you have been seeking.