If You're Like Me, You Like To Save Time By Learning From Others

I've been in the marketing business my whole life, or so it seems. I've had a lot of successes along the way and my share of failures.

In those 35 years since college, I've learned what works and what doesn't in the areas where I specialize. Some things I studied and tried on my own, some I had to learn the hard way, and some things were pointed out to me.

If you’re like me, you like to save time by learning from others who have “already been there.” Why reinvent the wheel when it’s already been invented.

Here are some ideas that can help you save time and make more money.

1. One Small Step Can Change Your Life

The number one thing I've learned in all my years as a marketer is that one small step can work wonders. It's all about learning a new habit, a new way of being.

You've got to ease into any new behavior gradually and then keep at it.

I knew a woman who wanted to quit smoking. She'd tried many times but failed. She just couldn't get up in the morning without having a cigarette with her morning coffee, it was that deeply ingrained in her.

She couldn't do it on her own, so she took a program at a local hospital. She was taught, over the course of eight weeks, to gradually wean the cigarettes from her life.

The first morning, she had a whole cigarette with coffee, the next week, she only smoked ¾, the week after that, she had ½ a cigarette at breakfast.

She followed this regime, and at the end of eight weeks, she didn't want to smoke at breakfast. She had quit smoking with no withdrawals, no cravings, no hair pulling.

It wasn’t easy, but she did it.

Ease into your new behaviors gradually, in increments that you can handle easily.

Don't start contacting 100 people on the first day. Start off with 10. Move up to 20 the second week, 30 the third week and so on.

Before you know it, you'll have developed a new, constructive habit that will help you grow your business to amazing heights.

2. Nothing Substitutes For Experience

Nothing beats experience. And the only way to get experience is to get out there and DO IT.

You can only read so much about maximizing profits, driving more traffic to your site, and having successful affiliate programs. At some point you've got to experience it for yourself, see what it's like to set up you own site, and start the ball rolling.

Just get out there and go for it.

Remember: I'll always be here to help you through the tough spots.

Think of this site as an oasis of support. Come back here with your questions (and believe me, you'll have questions) and I'll get you the answer as soon as possible.

Leave comments here on my blog – I read them all and comment back. Let the community know how you're doing. Tell us about your successes as well as the things you'd do differently next time.

And if you find you want MORE help, maybe you’re ready for my next website with Dr. Marc Kossmann: PersonalSuccessMarketing.com – Click Here To Learn More!

3. Copy Successful Businesses

Is there a website that you admire? One that seems to be successful, one that provides a valuable service, one that you'd like to imitate?

Well, why not model your business after it? Find out what makes it tick, who's behind the scenes, and why it's as successful as it is.

Contact that person, make a new friend, see how you two can make things better for both of you.

There's nothing wrong with copying a successful business (NOT the specific WORDS, of course, but the ideas about how a business thrives). Many have done it before you and there's no reason you shouldn't take advantage of a tried-and-true practice.

4. Re-Purpose Existing Content

How many ways can you use the materials you create?

Let’s say you've produced a great article on the value of affiliate relationships.

How can you change the wording a bit, rework the format, and produce a press release? Or, turn it into a script and use it for the voice-over on a video. Shorten it up, condense the message, and use it as a blog post or tweet.

See how creative you can get repurposing your existing content?

It's fun and, if you're paying to have content written for your site, you'll get a lot more bang for your buck.

5. Keywords Are Key

Find out what prospective clients are looking for and let them have it.

An easy way (and it's free) to see what people are looking for is to search in Google or Bing “top internet searches.”

Research the results to see if you can write some content based on your findings. Why waste time creating something that no one is looking for? Create content based on search needs that already exist.

And when you do that, people will flock to your website to get your answers. And who knows, they may click on one of your ads or purchase one of your products.

Sounds like a good idea, right?

6. Be In-The-Know

Make sure you always keep up-to-date with the latest technological advances.

Keep current on new web developments, like Social Networking and Web 2.0.

Make sure you're aware of any new applications that are lurking behind the scenes and get to know how they work and how they can benefit you and your clients.

And when you learn something new from a website like this one or others, be sure to tell people through Facebook, Twitter, or your blog. It’s great to know new information, but it only helps others when you tell them.

Be the person that everybody goes to when something new hits the web.

Now THAT is a great way to build more traffic to your website!

7. Don't Get Suckered Into Fads

There is no magic formula for a successful internet business. And there are many different ways to create one.

You have to work hard at it every day. Don’t be sidetracked by those offering a miracle in the guise of a trendy new product.

Your business will grow like magic if you perform certain tasks every day, like promoting your business, creating content, and connecting with 100 people.

Sure, it would be nice to open a bright, shiny box and pull out a fix-all widget that you can plug into your existing website. But it just isn't going to happen.

Put your nose to the grindstone and make the magic happen on your own.

And be sure to study those who can tell you HOW to do what you need to do.

Working hard at the wrong thing heads you quickly into a dead end. Learn from websites like this one or my PersonalSuccessMarketing.com – be sure you’re headed in the right direction!

8. Focus On High Traffic Websites

To paraphrase the Pareto Principle, 80% of your results are produced by 20% of your actions.

In other words, 80% of your passive income is coming from 20% of your affiliates. Make sure you're getting the most bang for your buck by focusing on the high traffic websites.

A good way to find out which sites are high traffic is to check out Alexa.com. You can get some information for free, but more is only available if you pay. Check it out and see if it feels like it could help you in some way.

9. Promote Your Business Daily

Make a habit out of getting your name in the public eye. Find 5 or 10 areas, such as blogging, press releases, and Facebook, where you can promote your business every day.

Make this part of your daily routine. Soon you'll have created a habit and promoting will become second nature to you.

Now, some people tell me that they are shy and don’t want to be pushy. Let me help you with that.

Are you in business to HELP people? Is it fair if you know how to help them but you don’t tell them about it? Don’t you want to help as many people as you can?

If YOU don't let people know what you can do and how you can help them, how can they improve their lives?

There are people out there who need help that only YOU can provide. Share your fabulousness with the world! Promote, promote, promote.

It’s not pushy, it’s not forcing people to work with you, it’s not putting a gun to their heads. But if YOU don’t tell them about how you can help them, who will!??

10. Use Affiliates And Joint Ventures Judiciously

Invest a portion of your day developing affiliate and joint venture relationships. These can be very beneficial and lucrative to both parties involved. It's worth your continued effort to develop these income streams.

When you do form relationships, make sure your partner's product is something you're proud of and want your name attached to.

Don't pimp yourself just for the sake of having a little passive income each month.

We leave this life with our family’s love and our reputations and little else. Make sure ALL you do maintains yours to the highest standard.

Remember – It All Begins With The First Step

I hope these tips will help you in your business.

If you have any thoughts on this article, be sure to post your comments here. Let's get some good discussions going and support each other at the same time.

That’s how I started – people helped me and I helped them right back. It really does work that way!

And be sure to leave us a comment below – tell us what you think about this article and add your own information too!

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr
A Work At Home Dad since 1983, succeeding in this economy

PS: You can find me here:

http://twitter.com/UltimateWAHDads

http://facebook.com/CharlesSeymourJr

http://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesseymourjr

To learn more, stay in touch with my blog – I'll keep you informed so that YOU won't have to do the heavy lifting. Charlie Seymour Jr's Blog – Click HERE To See More!

PPS: Do you have trouble writing? Turn Your Words Into Gold – Go Here To Learn More! NOW is the time to start.

Follow Charlie Seymour Jr On Twitter!

Keep this with this article, please:

Charlie Seymour Jr is an entrepreneurial evangelist and success-marketing coach helping individuals and companies (up to $100MM) explode their success through online and personal-touch marketing. He specializes in blogging, podcasting, photography, video, Facebook, and Twitter applications. Visit his blog at Charlie Seymour Jr's Blog to learn more about his successes.

Friends, if you like this post, please leave a comment, join our email list to get updates sent to you, and retweet it. And I've made it easy to retweet – just click on the icon below. Thanks!

Marketing Suggestions – Charlie Seymour Jr's 10 Tips for Marketing Success

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How To Set Up Your Business From Home

So you're thinking of leaving the security and comfort of your day job and voyaging into the world of the self-employed OR you recently started working at home and aren’t sure what steps to take first.

Congratulations! Nothing beats the feeling of accomplishment you get from growing your own business from scratch, from taking on the world with nothing but wits and a lot of hard work. I've been working at home since 1983 and haven't regretted it for a moment.

Here are ten tips I've learned along the way to help make your journey a little easier.

Tip Number One: Set a schedule.

Time management can be problematic when you're self-employed.

It's easy to get sidetracked when you're working from home and before you know it, the morning is gone. You probably had to be at your old job at a certain time so do the same thing with your business. Resolve to be at the computer, on the jobsite, or with a client by 7:30 AM (or earlier) and stick to it.

For me, no matter what time I go to sleep the night before, I’m “at it” by 7:30 the next day. Some days I’m walking with my voice recorder creating WalkAbout Marketing podcasts and some days I’m at my desk. But it’s important to get started as soon as you can.

And turn off your email: don’t let it beep every time you get a new message. I literally average 837 emails every day. Most should never see the light of day, though some are important. But nothing is so important that I have to be interrupted twelve times an hour to reply to it. In fact, I only download emails to my computer ever half hour and only look at them a few times each day (when I can reply to several emails in one short stretch of time, and then back to finishing my goals for the day).

Tip Number Two: Tailor your workspace to your personality.

How do you work best? Do you like to work with music in the background or do you like it perfectly quiet? Do you like pictures of family to remind you of your goals (and the reasons you work so hard), or do you prefer motivational posters and superhero action figures to spur you on to greatness? Find out how you work best and set up your space around your preferences.

And speaking of space, I use a spare bedroom for my home office. When we bought this house in 1998, I picked out this space for my office. I can see the driveway when FedEx and UPS show up and it’s at the other end of the hallway from our bedroom. OK, so a 20-foot walk to work isn’t bad, I admit it!

However, when the door is closed, the office is closed and I don't think about work (well, usually – I admit that I work at the kitchen table when Pam and I “watch” TV together. I can always look up for the replay or when a news report catches my ear).

If you aren't able to have a separate space for an office, a room divider or curtains could do the trick. Just find some way to separate your space from the rest of the house and family and to hide your workspace from view so you don't have to look at it all the time (and be reminded of all the work you should be doing).

And let your phone go to messages rather than letting every caller interrupt your work when they have the whim to call you. Batch the messages together, find time twice a day to return calls and make all of them then. AND, better yet, if someone wants to chat with you by phone, SET AN APPOINTMENT – I don’t take phone calls that aren’t prearranged – believe me, your clients will get used to it when you help them see the importance.

Tip Number Three: Market yourself.

Now I don't mean paying for advertising, creating glossy brochures, or doing weekly direct-mail piece.

This website is FILLED with ideas for you so read my blog!

Also, do you have a Facebook account? Keep it up to date and post often. (You can friend me at http://facebook.com/CharlesSeymourJr – be sure to send a note when you friend me: you should ALWAYS send a note, and this way I’ll know why you are asking to friend me.)

Start a blog and use it like a diary. Think of all the things you are doing that clients and customers might be interested in. I post lots of videos to my blog (and to my Facebook profile, which acts like a mini blog for me).

Keep friends and family informed of what you're doing. Word of mouth can be the best advertising and it's free (but you have to give them something to talk about!).

Tip Number Four: Show that professionalism counts.

Present yourself with a businesslike demeanor. That doesn’t mean that you can’t have fun and enjoy life when you are with other people, but what people think about you is built on MANY little interactions – what’s the saying, it takes A THOUSAND “atta-boys” or “atta-girls” to equal ONE “uh oh, I screwed up.”

Show your clients that you take your work seriously and they will do the same. You don’t have to take YOURSELF too seriously (laugh, enjoy life, laugh at your mistakes – you’ll make LOTS of them, so enjoy them as they race by every day).

If you have a website or Facebook page for your business, make sure it is professional. It’s great to share your personality and family activities when they help to round-you-out as a whole person but as you look at other people’s websites and Facebook pages, see what feels right to you and what stands out as inappropriate – learn from what others are doing.

Tip Number Five: Talk to your clients.

Communication is a two-way adventure. Keep your clients updated on your progress, any changes or snags, and let them know that things are going smoothly and right on schedule.

For example, consider that you're building a house for someone: you'll want to update them frequently. They will need to know when the foundation is poured, when the electrical panel is installed, or when the roof is on. You can do this by email, a phone call, or a face-to-face. The most important thing is keeping your client in the loop and aware of the job's status.

AND, be sure to ask your customers and clients what they WANT from you. There’s a great story about a Printer creating a company’s business cards. For years he did a great job. One day the office manager walked in to pick up the latest batch of cards and told the Printer that they just had some great stationery printed at another shop. The Printer was dismayed to learn that he had never asked his client about other needs: the client didn’t know that the Printer printed letterhead – the Printer was only thought of as the “card printer.”

I communicate a lot through email. I don’t trust my memory for all the details when a job is ongoing. And it’s always best to be sure I CLEARLY understand what my client wants. And I keep all correspondence in separate folders in my email server so I can quickly access all email from each of my clients.

If the client wants to make a change, get it in writing. It's important to get the original Agreement in writing, but it's equally important to get any changes documented and approved. This way, any project overruns or questions about the final project can be verified and justified.

Some people like Project Management software such as Basecamp, activeCollab, and Projecturf to keep their jobs organized. Most of mine aren’t that complicated, so emails work fine.

Tip Number Six: Keep your financial accounts separate.

Don't mix business and personal accounts. Get a separate bank account for your business.

Get a credit card for your business (preferably the cash-back type) and use it for all business expenses. We get a few hundred dollars back each year because we charge everything possible and pay it off each month.

And since I have a proprietorship for my Photography business and an LLC for my Online business, I have TWO business accounts and TWO credit cards, in addition to my personal account.

Once you get used to them, it’s easy to work with this way.

Tip Number Seven: Work hard after setting your goals.

Sometimes you'll take a job because you need the money. You won't always be able to pick and choose your clients because you believe in what they're doing, or the job intrigues you on some level. Some months you'll just need to make the rent, or payroll, or quarterly taxes and you'll take whatever work presents itself.

This isn't selling out. It's just a fact of life. You can still take on those projects close to your heart when the money isn't so tight and your business is running smoothly.

Look for ways to augment your income. When you're self-employed, there may be times when there's no money coming in. Investigate passive income sources, such as ebooks and affiliate marketing, to see if one is right for you.

But don’t fall into the trap of taking just anything that comes along: people will get really confused WHO you are and WHAT you are doing. Set your goals and stay as close to them as you can.

Tip Number Eight: File everything.

Keep a job's agreements, invoices, and notes in one place, preferably a folder in a filing cabinet (electronically and physically). When in doubt, file it. You can always toss it later, but you can't get something back after it's gone. (And electronic storage is cheap – I recently purchased one terabyte for under $200.)

For each project, I have file folders in my cabinet with all signed papers and agreements and on my computer I keep a folder for all email. Be sure to back up your computer to protect what you have there. And while I’m very supportive of “green” living, make physical copies when the information is crucial – even if you used recycled paper OR the back of something you printed before.

Tip Number Nine: Talk with a CPA about your business finances.

Some businesses can run on a “cash basis” right from one or more checkbooks. Some need one of the popular computer-accounting packages. And some need the services of a bookkeeper plus an accountant to handle the monthly P&L and to reconcile the checkbook, file sales tax and employee taxes, and complete the quarterlies.

Be sure to think ahead to see what YOU will need. And at least find a CPA you trust and go talk about how your business will be set up so you know you’re doing it correctly. And at tax time, s/he will be worth her/his weight in gold.

Tip Number Ten: Take the weekend off.

I’m not very good at this one, I’ll admit right up front. Sundays are for church and family (and my well-deserved nap and a chance to watch some sports on TV). But I often work a full schedule on Saturday – but that doesn’t mean YOU should do that!

When you're self-employed, you can't get away from the office very easily. It's both a blessing and a curse to work from home. Yes, it's convenient and the commute is probably under thirty seconds, but it's awfully hard to get away from the job.

You'll be tempted to work after dinner or on Saturday or miss your daughter’s hockey game or your son’s theater performance but DON’T.

One thing we learn very quickly: work is NEVER finish, so sometimes you just need to STOP – it will be there for you when you come back.

You need down time to keep fresh and you need to spend time with family and friends. What is that old story: that on someone’s deathbed, seldom does the person say, “I just wish I had worked longer every day.”

If you need to understand why your family is important, perhaps you need to see one of my other blogs: http://RaisingGreatFamilies.com. Trust me on this one: set your schedule and CROSS OUT Sundays and leave Saturdays blank for whatever you really need to work on. (Or do the reverse – Cross out Saturdays from work and leave Sundays blank to help with the left-over work).

You and your family deserve to spend time together.

Wrap-Up

The Work at Home lifestyle can be the MOST ENJOYABLE you’ve ever known, if you follow these ten tips. Keep it all in perspective, keep your goals in front of you, and know WHY you work so hard.

Hey, life’s to be enjoyed – and let it start at home!

And – Please leave me a comment: what ELSE do you feel this article should cover? Was it helpful to you? What do you disagree with?

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr
A Work At Home Dad since 1983, succeeding in this economy

PS: You can find me here:

http://twitter.com/UltimateWAHDads

http://facebook.com/CharlesSeymourJr

http://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesseymourjr

To learn more, stay in touch with my blog – I'll keep you informed so that YOU won't have to do the heavy lifting. Charlie Seymour Jr's Blog – Click HERE To See More!

PPS: Do you have trouble writing? Turn Your Words Into Gold – Go Here To Learn More! NOW is the time to start.

Follow Charlie Seymour Jr On Twitter!

Keep this with this article, please:

Charlie Seymour Jr is an entrepreneurial evangelist and marketing-success coach helping individuals and companies (up to $100MM) explode their success through online and direct-response marketing. He specializes in blogging, podcasting, photography, video, and Facebook applications. Visit his blog at Charlie Seymour Jr's Blog to learn more about his successes.

Friends, if you like this post, please leave a comment, join our email list to get updates sent to you, and retweet it. And I've made it easy to retweet – just click on the icon below. Thanks!

Work At Home: 10 Tips To Create Your Business and Save Your Sanity!

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Your own website is at the center but Facebook is VERY important!

People ask me HOW I do WHAT I do when it comes to Social Media Marketing, Online Marketing, Direct Response Marketing, Video Marketing and Email Marketing, and how I advise my consulting clients.

Here is a short video to show what I call the Universe Model of Marketing:

My Main Website is at the center like the Sun is at the center of our Universe.

Surrounding the Sun are Planets that point into the Sun (like Facebook, Facebook Pages, Hubpages, YouTube, Forums, Other People's Websites.

And pointing to the Planets from even further away are the stars (and in this analogy, these are Twitter, Article Marketing, and Bookmarking Sites, to name a few)

Now YOU Can Learn How To Use Facebook MUCH Better!

Facebook is becoming more and more important. If you want to learn how I do what I do (and even more!), you should look at these free videos and pdf files presented by Robert Grant and Ian David Chapman. These two really Get It… and they're helping LOTS of people already (as their materials will show you).

If you want to tell other people about this (and make some money from your efforts), click here:

Let Me Learn About The Affiliate Program These Two Have So I Can Earn Some Money – I'll Click Here!

If you aren't interested in making money but you want to use Facebook better in your marketing, click here:

Charlie, Please Show Me How To Use Facebook Better Through Robert's and Ian's Materials – I'll Click Here To Learn:

Now's your chance – I can't guarantee this material will be available past the end of this week, so go take a look right now.

Learn how YOU can use Facebook to explode your marketing's growth!

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr
A Work At Home Dad since 1983, succeeding in this economy

PS: You can find me here:

http://twitter.com/UltimateWAHDads

http://facebook.com/CharlesSeymourJr

http://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesseymourjr

To learn more, stay in touch with my blog – I'll keep you informed so that YOU won't have to do the heavy lifting. Charlie Seymour Jr's Blog – Click HERE To See More!

PPS: Do you have trouble writing? Turn Your Words Into Gold – Go Here To Learn More! NOW is the time to start.

Follow Charlie Seymour Jr On Twitter!

Keep this with this article, please:

Charlie Seymour Jr is an entrepreneurial evangelist and marketing-success coach helping individuals and companies (up to $100MM) explode their success through online and direct-response marketing. He specializes in blogging, podcasting, photography, video, and Facebook applications. Visit his blog at Charlie Seymour Jr's Blog to learn more about his successes.

Friends, if you like this post, please leave a comment, join our email list to get updates sent to you, and retweet it. And I've made it easy to retweet – just click on the icon below. Thanks!

Marketing Lessons By Charles Seymour Jr – The Universe Model

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Selling yourself FIRST will lead to more business because YOU are often the product or service

YOU are often your primary product or service.

YOU are what your clients or customers buy.

YOU are the first-line of contact and how your prospects see the business you run.

Everything you do or say, how you dress and carry yourself, how you speak and write (even in short emails that you feel "don't matter"), and whether you are an "on-time person" or one who is always late combine to be the "brand" that is YOU.

And it ALL matters. A lot!

It is how your clients and customers think about you. It's how they refer to you when speaking to other people about you. It determines if they return to do business with you another time.

Did you ever hear the story about the blind men and the elephant?

• The first man touched the elephant's trunk and described it as a flexible, long creature.
• The second man touched the elephant's tusk and thought it was a very hard, smooth, upward-pointed animal.
• The third touched the elephant's hoof and thought it was a large, flat, very heavy creature with several smoothe places (the toe nails).
• And the fourth touched the tail and thought it was a short, pliable snake-like animal with hair at the end.

Each one "knew" the elephant for what his experience told him… and each was correct, but only PARTIALLY correct.

The same is true for YOU…

Whatever you show your prospects is how they see YOU and the work you do

Be confident, they see confidence. Be a great salesman, full of knowledge, and they see a knowledgeable salesman. Be their adviser and advocate, and they see someone on THEIR side of the table who is there to help.

Be a wimp, and they see someone they don't want to do business with again.

If you are looking for a job, looking for employment, looking for a way to start your own business, be sure that what you show to people is the side of you that you want exposed.

For just as the blind men of the story thought they knew the elephant, people you come in contact with THINK they know you.

Be down, be loud, be obnoxious even ONE time, and it resonates with those who come in contact with you. But be UP, encouraging others around you, seeing the bright side… and that can work magic on people.

The northeast of the USA has had lots of rain. I often hear people say, "Ugh… what a horrible day." But what if we had no rain? What if the plants stopped growing? What if it were hot, muggy, and gardens were withering? Wouldn't the rain look pretty good THEN?

So LOOK for the good and then present yourself well to win new business

Keep your spirits high, see the good in what (and who) is around you, and you will win in just about everything you do.

It's a scary time out there in that economy of uncertainty.

And as the saying goes: It's a RECESSION when others are out of work; it's a DEPRESSION when YOU are out of work. And even if you work for yourself but have no paying assignments to keep you going, it's a tough place.

Let's stay away from the DEPRESSION. Being a part of the Great Recession is bad enough.

It's time to stay positive, upbeat, alert to new opportunities

OK… so your dream left you a long time ago but you came up with NEW dreams and you know that only YOU can pick you up and get you moving. Your new dreams are just as valid as the old ones – people of the 1920's didn't have the same dreams of those of the 1950's, so your dreams simply HAD to change.

Get moving. KEEP moving. Know that you have to sell yourself FIRST to win new business and that often YOU are the product.

Be sure to present yourself WELL. All the time!

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr
A Work At Home Dad since 1983, succeeding in this economy

PS: You can find me here:

http://twitter.com/UltimateWAHDads

http://facebook.com/CharlesSeymourJr

http://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesseymourjr

PPS: Do you have trouble writing? Turn Your Words Into Gold – Go Here To Learn More! NOW is the time to start.

Follow Charlie Seymour Jr On Twitter!

Friends, if you like this post, please leave a comment, join our email list to get updates sent to you, and retweet it. And I've made it easy to retweet – just click on the icon below. Thanks!

Salesmanship – Sell Yourself FIRST To Win New Business

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Sales Prevention: Do You Allow Poor Sales Techniques to "Unsell" your customer?

Let me give you an example where the sales person UNSOLD something and then didn’t follow-up:

A woman went to buy tires. Her husband had asked her to get 4 Michelins for the Explorer and when she went to the chain tire store, she was told that 4 tires would cost approximately $1200.

“1200?” she exclaimed, never having bought tires for this large vehicle before. TRUCK tires, I might add.

“Well, let me show you some different tires for $800,” the salesman said.

“Wow, I’m still confused. That’s a lot of money.”

“Well,” the salesman said, doing the best he knew how, “I do have some OTHER tires for $600.”

The woman was confused, called home to her husband who just murmured, “Come home, dear.”

Marketing Follow-Up – Did The Salesman Follow-Up?

It’s been weeks since that day, but do you think the salesman even once called the man and woman about the tires? He received her phone number and email address, but made no attempt to follow-up.

So… not only did he immediately lower the value from $1200 to $800 (and then again to $600), he never followed up with the people because he THOUGHT they wouldn’t buy. But their VERY strong buying signal (actually SHOWING UP at the store to BUY the tires – being in the store to buy is ALWAYS the number one buying signal!) was wasted.

And the woman wasn’t objecting to the $1200, she was really asking a question: if he had only taken that as an opportunity to chat with her about the quality, safety, durability, the you-don’t-have-to-worry-with-Michelins. But no….

And that company continues to have meetings that the economy stinks, NO ONE IS BUYING, and their marketing and advertising campaigns aren’t working.

Things Aren't As Bad As You Think IF You Use Good Marketing And Sales Techniques

Unfortunately this salesman was good at Sales PREVENTION, but not good at selling or following up.

And I’ll bet his store manager spends more time on getting inventory and looking over people’s time cards than he does helping to assure that proper marketing, sales, and follow-up are used.

And you…

• Are YOU "unselling" people by not helping them get what they want?
• Do you “down sell” them any time an objection is raised?
• Are you falling down with follow-up either in direct follow-up as was needed in the tire situation or general follow-up needed when someone joins one of your lists.

If a football team is great from the 20 yard line to the other 20 but can't score, what good are they?

And if YOU attract all kinds of people to your bricks and mortar store or your online location but then use poor techniques once they know about you, you're not doing well either.

Think about it. The time you spend thinking will pay off greatly if you straighten yourself out and sell correctly.

And remember: follow-up, follow-up, follow-up!

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr
A Work At Home Dad, succeeding in this economy

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American Idol is NOTHING if it isn't about Marketing – the whole thing is designed around making money… here are some lessons from the 2009 season

So… did the best man win?

Maybe.

Did the best SINGER win?

No way.

But remember, American Idol is NOT a singing competition. Forget what Simon and Randy say about its being a singing competition – would Sanjaya have EVER MADE it onto the air in 2008 or William Hung seasons earlier.

No way.

Adam Lambert vs Kris Allen: Vocalist vs Nice Guy

Here are some marketing lessons that I have been hinting at for weeks on Twitter.

1. Adam Lambert can REALLY sing. He has a great instrument. (Hey, I'll put my own track record of singing, directing, CD producing, theater directing on the line and say I can tell a singer in "2 notes" (as they used to say on Name That Tune)). BUT… did all the "raccoon makeup" (as I read somewhere), nail polish, nearly goth-like clothing scare off his voting public?
2. Kris Allen is a really nice guy but NOT a great singer (see my credentials above). Close your eyes and just listen to him to see if his voice is what you want to hear on your next CD. NICE guy. Family guy. Has a beautiful wife and a dad who shares his emotions and cries. All makes for GREAT TV.
3. Simon was pushing WAY too much for Adam. Others were lavishing praise, but you could almost feel Simon's wallet screaming out to us: Vote For This Guy to make me even richer. Truth be told, Adam won't need #1 – he's still make it. His name will be remembered MUCH longer than… oh, right, who DID win it last year?
4. Kris was the better marketer. Did you notice the scruffy appearance when it was clear he would be put up against Adam – Adam who is single and rumors flying about his sexuality. Personally, I couldn't care less about anyone's sexuality – he or she is either a great performer or not. Some have made publicity off their sexuality and some have hidden from it. But Kris seized on this, scruffed it up, had video with his mom and dad, showed his wife and child, etc. Played great into the heartland of America.
5. Did you notice the final judges comments to Kris on Tuesday night? They were basically saying, "Hey, you're a nice guy, you did your best, you deserve to be on this stage, BUT… And the silent part was: "But you ain't gonna win." It was the most one-sided, We Love Adam display of the entire season. The coronation had taken place… except the American Public hadn't spoken yet. Do you think the public "sensed" this even if they weren't sitting there analyzing it as I was? You betcha.
6. Did you see Simon's face when Kris was announced the winner? He was dumbstruck. The other judges were smart enough to stand up and applaud the gallant winner but it took Simon until Kris and the rest of the gang were standing on the raised platform behind the judges before Simon acknowledged Kris by standing and shaking his hand.
7. And the biggest lesson: Somehow Kris spoke to his voting public and gave them what THEY wanted and Adam didn't. Was it Adam's high-note, tongue-showing display of power-singing (making many of his songs sound the same) vs. Kris's piano playing, guitar playing, just stand-there-and-sing style? Was it the nice boy vs the someone scary, hard-to-feel-comfortable-with guy? And who were the voters – teens that will scream for Kris vs rockers who will scream WITH Adam?

Whatever the reason, Kris resonated with his "customers" and Adam didn't.

Some other comments about marketing from American Idol:

• Ford should use their commercials MUCH longer than just on American Idol show nights. Showing young Americans having fun in their cars will work well for them. They NEED some great publicity now, and their normal commercials sure haven't done the trick.
• Did you notice how American Idol was selling the TOUR last night? Hey, they didn't have to say, "Here's our commercial for the tour," but some of the group numbers will (mark my words) be the exact numbers used on tour. They've already started rehearsing. And by showing them during the final (and sometimes boring show – if it weren't for the stars on the show, those who have already "made it," no one would watch for 2 hours knowing that all they want to see is the results at 11 PM), they are saying, "See how good this group is – come see us LIVE and help us make MORE money!" (Hey, as a marketer I don't say that with SCORN, but with PRIDE!)
• If American Idol isn't getting the names and email addresses from everyone going to iTunes to download songs, they sure are missing a great opportunity. WHY would they let Apple build such a HUGE list of buyers (everyone must log in before downloading a song, so APPLE knows who the customers are, even if Idol doesn't)? Why aren't they selling all of this by themselves. This is ONE franchise that doesn't NEED iTunes… they could keep all the money, build a MEGA LIST, and become even richer.
• The producers of American Idol KNOW they are doing TV and not a singing contest (I referred a bit to this earlier). They know the first few weeks of the show set the tone for the season. They know that showing behind-the-scenes, emotion-packed stories of the contestants build loyalty and understanding with their fans, I mean, consumers. And they know that letting Ryan Seacrest chat with the contestants (I mean cast members of this TV show) let's us inside, building rapport between us and the person "selling" us their music.

Oh, yes… American Idol is FILLED with marketing lessons when you stop to look at it that way. Believe me, the owners of the show and Fox TV sure look at it that way.

Viewership may have dropped significantly, but it's still TV's #1 rated show.

Long may it live. I love seeing the marketing lessons (those they TEACH and those they need to LEARN).

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr
A Work At Home Dad, succeeding in this economy

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Marketing For Work At Home – Why NOT To Use Institutional Advertising!

OK… so these are MY terms not known to you. But when you listen to this short podcast, you'll see my institutional advertising is ONLY for the rich (or those not very smart).

Direct Response Marketing is needed most of the time.

Listen now!

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr
A Work At Home Dad, succeeding in this economy

Friends, if you like this post, please leave a comment and retweet it. And I've made it easy – just click on the icon below. Thanks!