After you watch, hit me with a comment (preferably a BOLD comment) below the video.

Now go make it a profitable day!

Watch this brief video to discover why Direct Response Marketing is a better choice. Then click the Comments link below and tell me what you think.

   When I moved to Santa Fe in 1992, I lived north of Santa Fe along the Little Tesuque Creek. One day I discovered a hiking trail that ran roughly parallel to the popular Winsor Trail.

   No one seemed to know about this unmarked trail. In dozens of hikes over four years, I saw a grand total of two other people (and one of them was music legend James Taylor!). This pleased me. I felt like it was my private trail. I liked the solitude, the chance to be alone with my thoughts. To enjoy the natural beauty the mountains had to offer. And it was great exercise.

   One day I went so far that the trail just seemed to end. Instead of turning around and heading back down the mountain, I decided to seek adventure. I scrambled down the hill to the south and stumbled upon an arroyo. I followed it. Along the way I discovered two dozen man-made rock dams. I always wondered: who built them, when, and why?

   Eventually this arroyo dumped me out onto the Winsor Trail and I headed home.

   The next time I took this route, I decided that instead of hiking this dam-laden arroyo, I would run it. I dubbed it the Race Course. I built a cairn to mark the starting line. I would time how long it took me to reach the Winsor Trail. I turned it into a fun game that got me in killer shape. I ran the Race Course 50 times or more over four years.

   Then in 1996 I moved from Tesuque. I got into trail running and 5k races and my hiking frequency diminished. I left the Race Course behind.

   Until today.

   Because I recently suffered a minor knee injury, my medical massage therapist had recommended that I stop running for awhile. She suggested walking instead.

  Walking.

   Man, did I feel lame. I love to run. The runner’s high. The bang for the buck you get from running–probably the most efficient cardio exercise you can do.

   And now she wanted me to WALK. Like octogenarians walk around the mall at 10 in the morning.

   But I reluctantly decided to take her advice. And that’s when it dawned on me: I would make a triumphant return to the Race Course!

   Of course, I would have to resist the urge to run the Race Course. I would have to be content to merely hike it.

   Turns out the bark beetle made any temptation to run a moot point.

   Let me explain.

   Over the last five or six years, millions of pinon trees in the Santa Fe area have been killed by the bark beetle. These rice grain-sized insects prey on pinons weakened by drought and high tree density. Once these critters take hold, the poor pinon has no chance.

   What I discovered today, much to my chagrin: My beloved Race Course had turned into an Obstacle Course! Dozens of fallen pinons clogged the Course, making it difficult to hike, let alone run.

   I know what you’re thinking. What possible marketing lesson can you take from this story?

   Think of the fallen, dead pinon trees as obstacles you face in your business. It could be the economy, increased competition, rising costs or any other challenge.

   The fact is conditions in business are constantly changing. When times are good, you can run right through the Race Course. When times are tougher, all of a sudden there’s a dead pinon around every corner.

   What this means for your business is you have to do more things, sell different products, sell your existing products differently, be more creative, more resourceful. And you might have to do all these things just to make it to the Winsor trail, let alone in record time.  

   But if you do, you’ll be way ahead of your competitors, who are still trying to run the Race Course the same way they did in 1996.

   Now go out and make it a profitable day,

Rick Gee

The Prince of Profits

And that I get to share that with you.

One thing that constrains many business owners is adherence to “industry norms.”

Have you ever heard yourself saying, “We can’t do that. Not in our industry.”?

If so, understand this is a limiting belief. If you do the normal things, you’ll get normal results.

Here is an exercise that might help you. At least once a year—and why not start today—make a list of all your industry norms. Then figure out how to break them. The more you break, the more you’ll make.

Now go out and make it a profitable day,

Rick

Today I will share with you some great ways to get them.

The first and best way, of course is simple: ask for them! Most satisfied clients are glad to share their positive experiences.

The best time to get a testimonial is soon after you have made the sale or implemented your solution. This is when your customer is happy and eager to tout the benefits you have provided.

Another easy way to get testimonials is when your client thanks you for something or says something positive about your service. When that happens, say this: “Thank you! I appreciate your mentioning that. Can I ask you something?” (Pause and wait for a positive response). “Will you put that in writing for me?”

Ideally you will want your customer to write the testimonial himself. It’s more genuine that way. In some cases you will have to offer to write the testimonial yourself and have your customer approve it.

One of the best ways to get genuine, powerful testimonials that takes less than five minutes of your client’s time is to use video. I use a Flip Video camera and conduct a brief interview, asking questions that will give me answers that turn into strong testimonials.

Once you have the video footage, you can transcribe the good parts and put them in written form. You can also go back and edit out your questions, leaving only your client singing your praises. Then put a bunch of them together on a DVD or your website.

If you have clients who you haven’t worked with recently but are thrilled with what you’ve done for them in the past, ask them for a favor: “John, I’ve been studying ways to improve my marketing so I can help more clients like I’ve helped you in the past. And I’ve learned how important it is to use testimonials from my existing clients. What I’d like to do is briefly summarize the benefits of what we accomplished together. You can read it, make changes, add or subract anything you want.”

Here are some other creative ways to generate tons of testimonials:

• Have a testimonial contest. Send a letter or email to all your clients and promote a contest for “Best Customer Testimonial.” Offer a prize or to promote the client’s business or website.
• Print testimonials in your monthly newsletter with an appeal for more: “Would you like to see your name in my next newsletter? Send me a quick email telling me how I’ve helped you in the past.”
• If your product or service is new, give it away to some friends and associates in exchange for their feedback.
• One hand washes the other. If you have vendors that are also your clients, send them an unsolicited testimonial and you’ll probably get one back

If you use all these techniques, you’ll have loads of testimonials in no time!

Are you using customer testimonials in your marketing?

A well-crafted and well-placed testimonial from one of your satisfied clients can sell more of your products and services than your best sales rep.

In a marketplace with more competition than ever, it’s crucial to solicit and use testimonials in all your marketing efforts.

Why is this important? As Dan Kennedy says, “What others say about you is 1000 times more believable than what you say.” And testimonials can help you stand out from your competitors.

So testimonials are important. And what they look like is even more important.

A good testimonial should:

• Be based on results, not platitudes. Lots of testimonials take on a “Bill is a great guy” tone. Much better is to have the testimonial speak to results that your solution has delivered. For example, “By implementing just one technique that Bill taught me, we added three new clients in one month that resulted in $6250 in new revenues.”
• Be from a real person. Don’t make them up. First of all, it’s deceitful. Second, if you really are delivering great results to your clients, it will be easy for you to obtain genuine kudos. Have you ever read a great testimonial only to find out it was written by “Jan H”? Sounds phony, right? Include as much identifying information as possible: full name, city and state, and if appropriate, the company name and job title
• Address a common question or objection a typical prospect might raise: “I didn’t think I could afford Bill’s fees at first, but the solutions he recommended generated 10 times more than what he charged me!”

Tomorrow, I will talk about some ways you can quickly and easily get tons of new testimonials.

In today’s economic climate, consumers are looking for deals. Creatively using the word “free” in your marketing and advertising will still drive response and purchasing.

Of course, you can’t simply give away your product and stay in business for very long. But you can offer certain things free that add value to what you are selling, capture new buyers and retain current customers.

Here are a few creative ways to use the word “free” in your marketing:

• Buy one, get one FREE – this old standby still works and is more profitable than offering a 50% discount on a single item

• FREE trial size – Give away a smaller version of a product or service to persuade prospects to try you out. If the product or service delivers, larger orders will follow

• Use it FREE for 30 days – This is a form of risk reversal. You the seller assume the risk and the buyer gets to sample your product. Will it increase refunds? Yes. But so many more people will try the product, it results in more sales and higher profits

• FREE details – A great way to build a list of interested prospects is to offer FREE information in the form of a report, white paper or website. Then you can continue to market to these prospects who have indicated interest in what you offer.

• FREE introductory class or manual – If you sell a product or service that has a bit of a learning curve, offering a free “quick start” course or manual will make the customer feel more comfortable and more likely to buy

• FREE unadvertised bonus – Throw in something of value with purchase that the customer is not expecting. This is a great way to build value and increase customer loyalty

In the examples above, you probably noticed that the magic word FREE appears in all-caps. You should do the same when using the word FREE in your advertising and marketing. It stands out from the rest of the copy and draws attention. After all, this post is FREE and so is the blog on which it appears!