Your Irresistible Offer - "The Four Letter Word of Marketing" - Part 7 of 19

Hey,

I hope you've been enjoying this series of
email on how you can craft "Your Irresistible
Offer". If you've missed any - you can find
them here on this blog.

The subject of this week's email is all
about one, four letter word: RISK.

GASP!

Did he just type that?!

It's the dirtiest four letter word in
business. And it's likely costing you
more than you'd care to admit.

You're likely losing a lot of money right
now - I can promise you - because you aren't
addressing and dealing with the risks people
perceive in doing business with you.

Reducing, eliminating or reversing the
risk is probably the most powerful single
secret of making YOUR offers more irresistible.

In fact, to illustrate my point, I'd
like to make YOU an offer.


http://tadhargrave.com/consulting


I think you're going to like it.

I think you'll agree that it's one of the
most relevant, valuable and risk free
offers you've ever seen.

Crossing my fingers - I hope that you
might even find it irresistible.

But . .

I only have time to offer it to yourself
and two other people. There's only three
of these available. Once they're gone,
they're gone.

And it might not be right for you. It
might not be a fit.

This offer is only for you if you are:

1) In a place where you want to grow your
business.

2) Are open to honest, constructive
feedback on your marketing

3) Committed to living your values.

4) Ready to do two to three hours of
highly focused homework.


If that's not you, you might as well stop
reading now.

But if you're willing to put in a little
Effort to get a lot of reward - then keep
reading.

* * *

HERE'S YOUR OFFER:

WHAT: I would like to offer you a 90
minute marketing coaching session with me.
It's worth at least $500 (and that's if you
only count my time).

You will also get the full, audio recording
of that call. You will receive an executive
"coaching summary" of the call.

But there are only three of these available.


For more info:

http://tadhargrave.com/consulting


HOW MANY: Only three. I only have time to
do your call in the first two weeks of
October. After that, I'm on the road for
two months.


COST: Pay what you want. Ten days after your
session I will ask you to send me two cheques
for whatever you want to pay. There's no
minimum and no maximum. No pressure. No games.
No joke.

* * *

HOW CAN I AFFORD TO OFFER THIS?

Well, you can find the full answer at:

http://tadhargrave.com/consulting

Isn't there a lot of risk to me in doing
this?

After all, couldn't someone just get
everything and then not pay me at all? Or
what if they only paid me like $2 for my
time?

But here's my explanation - and maybe the
most potent marketing lesson on creating
offers that I can give you.

Most entrepreneurs are silently scared of
getting screwed. And that fear is not
serving them.

- Maybe you fear giving big guarantees in
case you have to offer refunds.

- Maybe you're scared to teach people how
you do what you do in case someone steals
your info or uses it but doesn't hire you.

- Maybe you've given your clients incredible
value - even free stuff - only to have it
taken for granted and drain your time,
energy and cashflow.

- Maybe you're afraid to get the short end
of the stick.

So, you learn to protect yourself.

You learn to value your time. You tell
yourself that your expertise and information
is worth a lot and that you deserve
compensation for anything you give out.

Maybe you also tell yourself that if you
just gave away information that people
wouldn't really value it.

And of course - you would have a point.

Maybe you've figured out all sorts of ways
to reduce your risks in doing business and
protect yourself.

And while this all might meet your need for
self respect and safety - and it's far better
than letting yourself be taken to the cleaners
- it's not the whole journey.

What if I told you that there are ways to be
100% safe and yet outrageously bold in lowering
the risk of your offers?

Here's a counter intuitive thought to
meditate on: to succeed in business you
must learn to love getting the short
end of the stick. To grow your business
you must learn to assume the lion's share
of the risk in any interaction.

And yes, there are ways to do this where
you're also protected. I'll cover them in
a later email to you.

**Put another way: you have no idea how
much money you're losing every year because
you are silently asking your prospects and
clients to take on the risk of taking the
next step in the relationship with you.


THIS IS A CRITICAL MARKETING PIECE:
Lowering the risk of the next step.

How can you lower the risk?

Here's some simple, tried and true ways:

1) Iron clad, No Hassle Guarantees.

2) Testimonials & Case Studies

3) Free Intro Events

4) Spelling out the process you use in
detail so there's no mystery of the unknown
about it and they can begin to appreciate
why your process works.

5) Your credentials, awards etc.

6) Becoming a well known figure (hosting a
radio show, writing magazine columns)

7) Writing a blog that shares your honest
perspective about the issues you help
clients with. What causes the problems?
What are the best solutions?

* * *

A primary way I do this is by offering
many of my services on a pay what you can
basis.

Meaning you receive the full consultation
or weekend training and then - when it's
all done - you pay me whatever you thought
it was worth based on what you can afford.

No catch.

This does a number of things:

1) It lowers the risk for people to take
the next step. This makes is much more
likely that they will raise their hand and
say 'yes'.

2) It makes my life far easier. I don't
have to sell so hard because there is
zero possible financial risk. A ridiculously
high percentage of people who come to my
intros sign up for the full weekend.

In short, it makes me a lot of money.

For less effort.

Could you use a PWYC consult?

Maybe. Maybe not.

But ask yourself, are you feeling:

- 'stuck' in your marketing?

- Not sure what the most important next steps
are for you to take in your unique situation?

- Like you could use an outside perspective?

http://tadhargrave.com/consulting


WHY ACT NOW?:

But this will be about ten times as hard to
book in three weeks.

Because, as of Oct 17th, I'm starting on my
tour and I'll be on the road - almost non-stop -
for two months. During that time I will do
very few consultations. If any.

I did a ton of them this summer but I know
that some of you are new on my list and may
not have heard of this. So, this is just a
little courtesy reminder.

If you'd like to book one you can just click
reply and email me here.

If you have any questions - check out:

http://tadhargrave.com/consulting


Warmest,

Tad Hargrave
Founder
Radical Business
"helping conscious folk make more money"
tad@tadhargrave.com
www.tadhargrave.com

P.S. Please consider the environment before
printing this email - Thank You!


P.P.S. REMEMBER: I am offering three pay
what you can consultations worth $500 to
the first three people who respond.

To get more info:

http://www.tadhargrave.com/consulting

.

The 57 Top Web Business Tools

I just got this email from Stu MacLaren. Very cool guy.

If you know you need to get your computer, website, and business systems up to snuff but have no idea where to start - start here.

warmest,
tad

*********************************************
I've got a video and a fun training for you:
http://www.myideaguy.com/57tools.htm
*********************************************


Dear Tad,

New Products...

Big Launches...

... and a Wedding!

What a week so far!

There are so many exciting things happening
right now (personally and professionally)
that I'm finding it hard to keep pace with
everything.

First John Reese launched BlogRush on the
weekend and then Jason Potash launched his
website with non-stop "deals" all year long.

Then to top it all off, I'm hitting the
homestretch before my wedding so it's
"wedding madness" around here... YIKES!

Does life always seem to speed up as soon as
September hits?

Anyway, a while back I started doing a series
of teleseminars called "Saturday Trainings".

They have always been a HUGE hit and I've
decided to do another one this Saturday.

However, this one has a unique twist because
I won't be "teaching" anything... I'll just
be giving you TONS of free stuff :)

Curious?

Check it out:
http://www.myideaguy.com/57tools.htm

It's taking place this Saturday so register early :)

See you soon!

Take care.

Stu McLaren
Your Idea Guy

The Almost Perfect, Pressure Free Sales Letter

I just got this email from Ari Galper of www.unlockthegame.com.

He's a genius.

His work on removing the pressure and hype from sales is really the only thing I ever recommend to people.

He just sent me an email that describes an almost perfect, results producing sales letter written with warmth, empathy and profound relevance to the reader - but no hype.

Read on . . .

Hi Tad,

Mark Coudray, a client of mine, sent me this email a few weeks ago about a breakthrough sales letter that he wrote (which I'm going to share with you) based on the insights he learned in the Unlock The Game mastery program.

Mark's letter is here:

https://utg.infusionsoft.com/in/i493e0/tad!tadhargrave.com/186a00/

The interesting twist about this letter is that it's designed to generate a phone call back to him (not forcing them to buy anything from the letter)....here's Mark's email he sent me:

------------
Ari,

I talked to you briefly at the System Seminar in Chicago to let you know how well Unlock The Game is working for us. I have attached a copy of the sales letter we use to bring in new clients. This letter is currently pulling 40% response with a perfect 100% conversion of the responding companies.

In our first year of testing the program with 20 randomly selected test companies, we increased our revenues almost 1.1 million dollars. This was with 20 companies. The annual revenue per client was just under $56,000. There are 1850 companies that meet our demographic profile in California alone.

I know a good part of our success is based on the low key, non sales pressure approach you teach in your Unlock The Game program.

We are currently preparing to move into 16,000 sq ft new building and production facility. This is triple what our current space is. We have doubled our production capacity and we are about to double that again.

Anyway, hope you enjoy the letter and I am always looking forward to your insight and observations.

Warmest regards,

Mark
----------------------------------

You probably get sales letters in the mail all the time, or see them on websites.

You know the kind, really long text pages, yellow highlights, oversize headlines... you can almost feel the sale pressure jumping off the page at you.

Which of course is exactly the opposite feeling and approach that my clients and I work so hard not to be associated with.

Putting pressure on your prospects, whether it's over the phone or in writing, breaks the opportunity for you to build genuine trust with that person. And trust is what's at the core of long term sales success.

Mark's letter is a testament to not "hard pitching" his solution, but instead focusing in on the problems his prospects are experiencing.

In a moment, I'm going to share with you:

1. His sales letter with my written comments in the margins, to explain what Mark did
so well (Mark, the gracious guy that he is, gave me permission to share his letter with you.)

2. A 45-minute "audio briefing" where I explain, in depth, the key elements that Mark incorporated from Unlock The Game that makes this letter a true breakthrough

3. A word-for-word written transcript of the 45-minute "audio briefing"

Here's your access link:

https://utg.infusionsoft.com/in/i493e0/tad!tadhargrave.com/186a00/

(After you click the link, you'll be taken to a page that confirms you're one of my subscribers and you'll see the link to access Mark's letter)

To your success,

Ari Galper
Unlock The Game

P.S. I'd love to hear your feedback, just reply to this email. And if you have any written sales materials that have worked for you that minimize sales pressure...please do send them over. I'm creating a collection of these to make available at a later date.

Free Coaching Call Download (hosted by Katie's Club)

Hey everyone,

Yesterday, I was interviewed by Katie Curtain of Katie's club in Toronto.

It was a really powerful, jam packed call that got into some real nitty gritty detail. More info below on how you can listen to or download the call

Dear Friends,

I am getting rave e-mails about last night's Katie's Club teleconference with Tad Hargrave on "How to Grow Your Business Without Selling Your Soul". If you missed it, I did a recording of the evening.

Just click on here and you can listen
http://www.audioacrobat.com/play/WfCQb3JQ

Or download it to to your computer or MP3 player.
http://coachkatie.audioacrobat.com/download/TadHargrave1.mp3

The topics Tad covered included:

* tips for people setting up a holistic or green business
* five mistakes that social entrepreneurs make when running their businesses
* the importance of establishing a niche
* the two critical elements that make up a niche
* the three ways you can tell if your niche is any good or not
* the power of educational marketing
* the power of empathy in your marketing (including a secret all women know, but men don't)
* the power of 'stay in touch' marketing (and the 80/20 rule of how to do that)
* the four levels of how to make your business irresistibly attractive


Participants also had the chance to discuss some of their own business challenges.

So enjoy listening and if you get a chance, e-mail me what you found most useful. Also take a look at Tad's website. He has lots of free material, including a marketing self assessment test. Go to : http://www.tadhargrave.com

As well, Tad is coming to Toronto and is doing a workshop the first weekend of November, where you pay what you can. If you are running a small business or practice, you got to get out to this. The information and resources he provides are priceless. As well he's a real fun kind of guy, and very creative in his approach to marketing and business for the socially
conscious.

I'm doing an introductory evening for Tad at Ellington's Cafe, 805 St. Clair Avenue West, on Tuesday, Oct 30, 7-9PM. There's limited seating, so sign up as soon as you can by going to Tad's website, at http://www.tadhargrave.com/freeintro, or by e-mailing me.

Also keep your eyes peeled for upcoming Katie's Club teleconferences. I have one coming up on October 9, with Cherie Carpenter on Body Talk which is an extraordinary system of holistic healing.

Warmly,

Katie Curtin

Katie's Club
Helping women serve themselves and the world
Katie's Club is a club for women dedicated to creating positive
planetary change through the arts, holism and social action.

Want more information about becoming a member, please e-mail me at katiecurtin@mac.com or phone 416-656-6455.

"Your Forgotten eBook" - 111 Page, 100% 'On the House', Three-in-One ebook

Hey,

Can't believe I forgot to tell you
about this. Unreal.

Here's the scoop . . .

A few months ago I created an ebook.

It was born at 90 or so pages long,
but has since grown to a whopping 111
pages long.

Of course, *I* think it's the most
beautiful ebook in the world.

Ended up very pleased with it all.

I created it to use as an incentive to
get people to sign up for my email list.

I wanted to them to be surprised and
delighted by this great thing they got -
just for giving me their email.

So, now, when people sign up - they're
immediately emailed a link to this beautiful
bouncing, 111 page baby ebook that I'm
really proud of.

* * *
HOW YOU CAN GET YOUR OWN COPY?

1) Go to www.tadhargrave.com
2) Fill in your name and email on the
left hand side of the screen where it says:

"FREE!
Marketing Self Assessment
Find out what might be holding your
marketing back"

3) A link to download it will be
instantly emailed to you.
* * *

It's already gotten me rave reviews.

(though I fear it will one day grow up
and quit college on me too)

It occurred to me - a month or so
after creating this ebook - that I hadn't
told you about it and it's absolutely
the clearest and most up to date summary of
what I teach these days.

I just forgot to send out the word.

. . . What??!

Expect me to live what I teach?

(Don't you judge me . . .)

Anyway, there's no charge for this ebook.

No catch.

What is it?

It's basically a three in one package:

PART ONE:

An edited and expanded version of my live
two hour intro. The only thing missing is
my card tricks.

If you haven't been to my intro, here’s a
sneak preview of what you’ll learn:

o the difference between your inner
marketing game and your outer game (and
which one 90% of businesses totally ignore)

o the three critical criteria to
developing a strong target market or niche

o how you can craft an irresistible
offer that will compel your ideal clients
to buy from you in ways they never have

o the massive importance of identifying
‘hubs’ for your business (and the three
critical criteria of a good one)

o the difference between active and
passive word of mouth (and how you can
create substantial, positive word of
mouth for your business)


PART TWO:
The Horrible Hundred+

This might just be my favorite thing I've
ever created.

It's basically a diagnostic for the
conscious entrepreneur to see where they're
strong and where they're weak.

But from a particular angle.

I created it because I saw one too many
good-hearted conscious entrepreneurs
completely mis-diagnosing their situation.

They came to me thinking they needed
marketing help - but their real problems
lay outside the realm of marketing. Often
they were in the wrong business entirely,
they were addicted to urgency, they had
no goals etc.

I've gotten rave reviews on this thing.


PART THREE:

The Radical 180

This is a 180 point checklist that focuses
almost entirely on your marketing game plan.
It's divided into what i consider to be the
five most 'mission critical' areas of your
business.

It should give you a good birds eye view
of where your marketing is strong and where
it's weak.

* * *

HOW YOU CAN GET YOUR OWN COPY?

1) Go to www.tadhargrave.com
2) Fill in your name and email on the
left hand side of the screen where it says:

"FREE!
Marketing Self Assessment
Find out what might be holding your
marketing back"

3) A link to download it will be
instantly emailed to you.
* * *

That's it.

I hope you're well.


Warmest,
Tad

P.S. PLEASE TELL YOUR FRIENDS: The only
thing I ask is that instead of emailing
people the direct link to it, you send
them the following email (feel free to
modify) or some such thing.

* * *

"Hey, Just came across this free 111 page
ebook on marketing for green, holistic
and community minded entrepreneurs.

It's pretty amazing. Well worth your time.

It's got three different parts to it.

The summary is below but to get it

1) Go to www.tadhargrave.com
2) Fill in your name and email on the
left hand side of the screen where it says:

"FREE!
Marketing Self Assessment
Find out what might be holding your
marketing back"

3) A link to download it will be
instantly emailed to you.

Here's what's in it . . .


PART ONE:

An edited and expanded version of my live
two hour intro. The only thing missing is
my card tricks.

If you haven't been to my intro, here’s a
sneak preview of what you’ll learn:

o the difference between your inner
marketing game and your outer game (and
which one 90% of businesses totally ignore)

o the three critical criteria to
developing a strong target market or niche

o how you can craft an irresistible
offer that will compel your ideal clients
to buy from you in ways they never have

o the massive importance of identifying
‘hubs’ for your business (and the three
critical criteria of a good one)

o the difference between active and
passive word of mouth (and how you can
create substantial, positive word of
mouth for your business)


PART TWO:
The Horrible Hundred+

This might just be my favorite thing I've
ever created.

It's basically a diagnostic for the
conscious entrepreneur to see where they're
strong and where they're weak.

But from a particular angle.

I created it because I saw one too many
good-hearted conscious entrepreneurs
completely mis-diagnosing their situation.

They came to me thinking they needed
marketing help - but their real problems
lay outside the realm of marketing. Often
they were in the wrong business entirely,
they were addicted to urgency, they had
no goals etc.

I've gotten rave reviews on this thing.

PART THREE:

The Radical 180

This is a 180 point checklist that focuses
almost entirely on your marketing game plan.
It's divided into what i consider to be the
five most 'mission critical' areas of your
business.

It should give you a good birds eye view
of where your marketing is strong and where
it's weak.

The Problem with Free Sessions - Robert Middleton

Have you ever tried offering free sessions to prospects and felt like you offered incredible value only to have them leave - and not come back? Read on . . .

As most of you know, I launched a new Audio program last week where I interview Christian Mickelsen about how to set up complimentary sessions that sell your services (see details here).

What I want to talk about in today's eZine is why, for many people, free sessions haven't worked at all. We discuss this in the program, but I'd like to go into more depth here.

Giving free sessions to prospects can either be the most useful marketing tool you've ever used or it can be a disaster.

It's not unusual for people to give away free sessions right and left and have none of those sessions turn prospects into clients. Why is that?

CLICK HERE TO READ FULL ARTICLE

Personality, Passion & and Point-of-View And The Queen of Green - by Julie McManus

It’s Friday morning and I’m thinking of days long gone by. Days before I started in the direct marketing biz. I don’t usually talk about life before DM in my issues … but this week I have cause to bring them up.

It’s seems the jobs we take early in our career shape us. When I was in high school in the mid 80’s, lots of kids had part-time jobs. Whether they were taking orders at the local fast food joint, bagging groceries in the supermarket or mowing their neighbor’s lawns. Even the kids in well-off families had jobs … often they were just a bit more professional like summer internships at their parent’s law or accounting firms. And in many cases, these high-school jobs ultimately lead my school mates to the professions they ended up pursuing …whether by choice or just happenstance.

Me? I was a mall rat. I got my first job when I was fifteen. I worked after school at Limited Express. And all during high school and college, I worked for many other well-known retail stores you’ll find in most suburban malls. Over the course of the eight years I spent in the mall, I worked my way up through the ranks from a sales associate to assistant manager to manager and then ultimately district manager of the last retail store I ever worked for. That store was The Body Shop.

In the late 80s and early 90s, The Body Shop was a phenomenon like no other. With its natural products and activist ways, it came to U.S. from the U.K. like a house on fire and its founder Anita Roddick was a marketer's dream come true.

Long before the Internet Anita Roddick and The Body Shop were weaving her stories and desire to make a difference in the world into every product for sale in their bright green stores.

A Business Born From Necessity

If you don’t know the story of Anita Roddick and The Body Shop, let me bring you up to speed …

Anita Roddick was born to Jewish-Italian immigrants in 1942 in Littlehampton, West Sussex, England. She started her career as a teacher of English and History, but decided to quit and travel the world during the freewheeling days of the 1960s. After stints in Paris, Geneva and Polynesia, she returned to Littlehampton and met her soon-to-be husband Gordon Roddick. After marrying in Reno in 1970, they hit the hippie trail again before coming back to Littlehamption and opening a bed and breakfast and then later a restaurant.

In 1976, she found herself alone with two children to feed after her husband Gordon left to pursue a life-long dream to travel on horseback from Buenos Aires to New York (no kidding). A trip that would have left most marriages in shambles but one that “hippy minded” Anita supported wholeheartedly.

Before leaving, Gordon secured a 4000₤ loan so that his wife could start a business to support the family while he was gone. Anita started the first Body Shop with 25 natural skin and hair care products she mixed on her kitchen table. The trademark Body Shop bottles were chosen because they were the least expensive she could find and could be reused by customers (so she didn’t have to buy more). The signature green was chosen because it was the only color that would cover the mold on the walls of her first shop in Brighton, England.

By the time Gordon returned from his trip two years later, Anita had opened a second store. On a lark, she had sold half her business to an acquaintance to raise the money.

Upon his return, Gordon put together a franchising plan that would ultimately swell the company size to 2100 stores in 55 different countries and make Anita Roddick the 4th richest woman in the U.K. And as for that lucky acquaintance – he ended up right there with her.

She became a media darling, was voted Business Woman of the Year, bestowed the title of Dame (female equivalent of knight) by the Queen of England and dubbed the “Queen of Green.”

As I was logging online Tuesday morning, I happened to catch a glimpse of her picture. I hadn’t seen it in nearly 15 years. It was an obituary; she had died at the young age of 64.

The Three Ps of Powerful Marketing

I was fortunate to have met Anita several times and traveled to the company's Littlehampton headquarters during my stint with The Body Shop. She was a huge personality, way ahead of her time and a powerful force to be reckoned with. She was a champion against animal testing in the cosmetics industry and used her stores to spread the word of her cause. In fact, through her storefronts, she championed many causes: Reuse and recycle, fair trade practices with underdeveloped countries and awareness of the horrible situation in Romanian orphanages to name a few.

Every store in the company was mandated to find a community service project in which employees would be paid to participate. She introduced thousands of impressionable young people (employees in her stores) to the power of volunteerism and activism. As a company, we had a voice and the power to make a difference.

It was this big personality that took the world by storm and attracted customers, franchisees and employees that shared her views and passions in droves.

Anita’s amazing Personality was one of the three keys to the huge success of The Body Shop. The other two were her Passion and Point-of-View. Anita had all three and in a big way … and this was translated into the company’s powerful product marketing efforts.

If you felt as strongly as she did about the same issues and causes, you couldn’t help but like her. And people buy from people they like.

I want to repeat that again because it is so important – People buy from people they like.

In a business in which it was highly unlikely she would ever meet the vast majority of her customers face-to-face, she was able to take her three “Ps” and translate them into an incredible relationship that would ultimately make her a very wealthy woman.

The Three Ps in Your Own Business

For Anita Roddick and The Body Shop, I’m not sure the three “Ps” were intentional – at least in the beginning. But, we can take what we’ve learned from Anita and apply it to our own business … especially if that business is on the web.

When we start our businesses, we tend to want them to look large and corporate so we can compete. We wrap them in a plain vanilla wrapper in fear of offending or turning off our customers. When in actuality, it is our humanness that our customers enjoy most. Our down to earth … "I completely understand where you’re coming from … I’ve been right there with you" nature our prospects seem to like the best.

In looking back on my time with The Body Shop – far before I ever started in the direct response biz – I realize that I was building an incredible foundation for my direct marketing career to come.

So, here are 3 quick ways to infuse the three “Ps” into your own business …

TO READ MORE CLICK HERE

*

Using Quizes to Establish a Problem

Got this email from Travis Greenlee the other day.

Pretty brilliant stuff.

Here's why . . .

Sometimes people's problems are obvious and glaring symptoms. Other times they're actually not experiencing any issues - even though you know they are. Just looking at them and their business you know they're headed for trouble - but you can't just lecture them. In situations where you see the signs but they have no symptoms, you must help them discover for themselves what's really going on.

Examples of this:

- my Horrible Hundred quiz
- live blood cell analysis (if you see a parasite burst out of a red blood cell - you sit up and pay attention)
- muscle testing

The key is to create a test that reveals the truth.

Here's one that could help you build your business and could give you some great ideas on how to build your own.

Hey Tad,

It's been quite a while, how are you?

Well, I sure hope your summer was relaxing and full of good times :-)

As we move into fall and the best time of the year to build our businesses, I wanted to reconnect with you to share an awesome little f.ree tool and resource I've discovered.

--> www.PracticeBuildingQuiz.com <--

I've been using this assessment with my personal students, as well as our Virtual Practice Builder team members for several years now and they absolutely LOVE IT!

Why?

Well, because they realize that one of the most important keys to creating a fully automated, highly successful business is understanding exactly where we are NOW in terms of your business development as well as where you are headed.

Now I realize this sounds rather intuitive, however for most of us, we rarely, if ever take the time to really get a good look at where we stand with our business development and marketing systems.

So, my question is... are you in the same boat?

Take just 3 minutes now to run through this marketing quiz. I'll send you a detailed report and help put you on the fast track to building an awesome business this fall.

--> www.PracticeBuildingQuiz.com <--


I wish you all the joy, happiness, and success in the world and look forward to serving you soon.

To your success!


Travis Greenlee
Business Design and Development at the Speed of Technology
-------------------------------------------
Automate, Simplify, and Rapidly Increase Your Bottom Line
www.TravisGreenleeConsulting.com | Office: 970.879.0473

Bob Serling on Mike Long on Getting Web Traffic for Free

Hey there,

Beb Serling is a marketing genius. And today he sent out this provocative piece to his list. Check it out - I know I am . . .

Maybe you've already heard about this, but this is
going live tomorrow and you should definitely know
about it.

My friend, Mike Long and his Area 51 Marketing crew
have been turning the Internet upside down in a search
for the world's greatest expert at getting fr*e visitors
over to your site.

So they did a massive search starting with an ASK
campaign that gave them thousands of leads to check
into.

Here's the cool part of what they discovered. For
some reason, in most marketing areas, the reigning
experts seem to be men.

But after exhaustive research, what Mike and his team
realized is that the world's greatest expert when it comes
to free search is actually a WOMAN from Nebraska,
Nancy Andrews, who's getting over 100,000 visitors to her
site FR*E every month in the highly competitive golf niche.

Let's pause a second. If you didn't quite get that, she's
getting over 100,000 visitors per month to her site!
And this is all with fr*e or natural search - no paid
clicks at all.

Now Mike has put up some videos showing exactly how
Nancy accomplishes this:

http://www.area51marketing.com/?a=123

Nancy's also got tons of clients who are also crushing it when
it comes to competing and winning in big niches -
humiliating the "big boys" and getting all of the traffic.

========================================
Check out these 7 videos - all Fr*e
========================================

Mike convinced Nancy to create not just one video, but a
series of 7 videos that show you exactly how she gets such
exceptional results. You don't even have to sign up to watch
the videos, because Mike isn't selling anything right now.
Check them out at:

http://www.area51marketing.com/?a=123

I do know that Mike is going to start offering a limited set
of SEO blueprints that Nance created tomorrow. Again,
you won't be pressured into buying anything, but if you
want to get an insider's view of how to master natural
or fr*e search (as opposed to expensive PPC campaigns),
check out these videos before everything goes live
tomorrow:

http://www.area51marketing.com/?a=123

Regards,

Bob Serling

The Problem with Free Sessions - Robert Middleton

In his usual brilliant fashion, Robert Middleton delves into one of the most controversial issues a service provider can face: to give free sessions or not?

As most of you know, I launched a new Audio program last week where I interview Christian Mickelson about how to set up complimentary sessions that sell your services (see details here).

What I want to talk about in today's eZine is why, for many people, free sessions haven't worked at all. We discuss this in the program, but I'd like to go into more depth here.

Giving free sessions to prospects can either be the most useful marketing tool you've ever used or it can be a disaster.

It's not unusual for people to give away free sessions right and left and have none of those sessions turn prospects into clients. Why is that?

For the answer go to:

More Clients Blog

Anita Roddick - Founder of the Body Shop - Dies

A sad day for the green business movement.

One of it's originators and most radical proponents passed on today.

Click here for the full article.

How to Green Your Business

Hey all,

Someone just posted a great article on my facebook green business group:

In business, going green is more than a marketing slogan: it's the new way of doing things. It's an edge -- a method by which you can improve your company's bottom line while acting responsibly toward your customers, employees, and the environment.

Back home, you've swapped your incandescent bulbs for CFLs; installed low-flow shower heads, weather stripping and an electronic thermostat; you're eating more local and organic foods; and recycling is finally second nature.

Good job. But how does one scale personal progress in green living to the more complex structures of the 21st Century workplace? At home, you have full control. But in a business setting, there are co-workers, customers, and possibly investors involved -- and nobody is ever in a hurry to change traditional operating practices. Bringing sustainability into the workplace is a long-term commitment, whether you're responsible for two employees or two thousand.

The good news is this: green business is profitable business. So. to help you get started, Lighter Footstep has rounded-up twelve specific specific actions you can take to starting greening the way you work. Pick a few, drop them into your organizer, and let's get started!

For the rest of the article, go to:


http://lighterfootstep.com/how-to-green-your-21st-century-business.html

Your Irresistible Offer - "Four More Secrets to Your Irresistible Offer" - Part 7 of 19

Hey there,

Last week I told you I was about to become famous.

In the most inconsequential of ways.

And so, this week I'd like to reveal it (watch for the next email from me today) and then share a few more thoughts - from master marketer Dan Kennedy - about crafting your irresistible offer.

* * *


Four Steps To An Irresistible Offer - Dan Kennedy

In your last Success Marketing Strategy I gave you two examples from two different industries of how you should not create the offer until you have found out as much as possible about the people who will be receiving the offer.

I also mentioned that I would reveal to you today some additional tips to help you create successful offers.

Here are four of the top seven I know:

#1: The offer must be clear. People must be able to understand it instantly. Confused people do not respond. For example, half off is better than 50% off and a lot better than 35% or even 60% off. People have difficulty understanding percentages. Two for one is usually better than half off.

#2: The offer must be a good value. It has to be understood as a good value. That's why percentage off coupons doesn't usually work well. People get suspicious. They think as soon as they see I have coupons they'll just raise the price to recover the discount. Percentage off coupons work well where there are known published prices.

#3: The offer should involve either a discount or a premium or preferably both. Sometimes premiums work much better than discounts. A premium is something you give away as a free gift to someone who comes in or who makes a purchase. Bill Glazer in his retail store meticulously track results of all his offers and has found that by adding a premium he will average a 30% increase in response.

#4: There should be a logical reason for the offer. If you discount or give something away without an explanation you create skepticism and suspicion. People have been told all their lives there's no such thing as a free lunch. You have to explain. We're doing this to introduce ourselves to the neighborhood as an introductory offer in celebration of opening our new store, as an anniversary sale, a clearance sale, customer appreciation week. Just about any explanation will do but there needs to be an explanation.


NEXT WEEK - you are going to see six real world examples of USP's.



I hope all is well with you.


Warmest,

Tad Hargrave
Founder
Radical Business
"helping conscious folk make more money"
tad@tadhargrave.com
www.tadhargrave.com

P.S. Please consider the environment before printing this email - Thank You!

P.P.S. In a few weeks, a handful of you are going to get the chance to receive an Offer Makeover from me. It could be worth thousands of dollars to you. Seriously. You can't sign up for it yet. So, don't try. I'll be offering the chance to my best clients first - and then to my entire list.



FREE 90 PAGE "THE WAY OF THE RADICAL BUSINESS" EBOOK: www.tadhargrave.com (sign up on left hand side)

FREE 'CONSCIOUS MARKETING' ARTICLES: www.radicalbusiness.blogspot.com

NEW - 101 Page EBook - "The Way of the Radical Business"

Hey all,

It occurred to me that - a month or so
after creating this ebook I hadn't told
anyone.

What?

Expect me to live what I teach? . . .

There's no charge for this ebook. You
can just go and download it at the link
below . . .

http://www.tadhargrave.com/RB/welcome.pdf

What is it?

It's basically a three in one package:

PART ONE:

An edited and expanded version of my live
two hour intro. The only thing missing is
my card tricks.

If you haven't been to my intro, here’s a
sneak preview of what you’ll learn:

o the difference between your inner
marketing game and your outer game (and
which one 90% of businesses totally ignore)

o the three critical criteria to
developing a strong target market or niche

o how you can craft an irresistible
offer that will compel your ideal clients
to buy from you in ways they never have

o the massive importance of identifying
‘hubs’ for your business (and the three
critical criteria of a good one)

o the difference between active and
passive word of mouth (and how you can
create substantial, positive word of
mouth for your business)


http://www.tadhargrave.com/RB/welcome.pdf



PART TWO:
The Horrible Hundred+

This might just be my favorite thing I've
ever created.

It's basically a diagnostic for the
conscious entrepreneur to see where they're
strong and where they're weak.

But from a particular angle.

I created it because I saw one too many
good-hearted conscious entrepreneurs
completely mis-diagnosing their situation.

They came to me thinking they needed
marketing help - but their real problems
lay outside the realm of marketing. Often
they were in the wrong business entirely,
they were addicted to urgency, they had
no goals etc.

I've gotten rave reviews on this thing.


http://www.tadhargrave.com/RB/welcome.pdf



PART THREE:

The Radical 180

This is a 180 point checklist that focuses
almost entirely on your marketing game plan.
It's divided into what i consider to be the
five most 'mission critical' areas of your
business.

It should give you a good birds eye view
of where your marketing is strong and where
it's weak.

* * *

To download your own copy - or forward it
to a friend - go to:

http://www.tadhargrave.com/RB/welcome.pdf


That's it.

Warmest,

Tad Hargrave
Founder
Radical Business
"helping conscious folk make more money"
tad@tadhargrave.com
www.tadhargrave.com

P.S. Please consider the environment before printing this email - Thank You!


FREE 90 PAGE "THE WAY OF THE RADICAL BUSINESS" EBOOK: www.tadhargrave.com (sign up on left hand side)

FREE 'CONSCIOUS MARKETING' ARTICLES: www.radicalbusiness.blogspot.com

FREE RADICAL BUSINESS VIDEOS: www.youtube.com/radicalbusiness


If you are confused about why you got this email or want to be removed from this list please just click REPLY and type in "remove" in the subject line.

15 Minutes: Holistic Practitioner *Horror Stories*!

Hey everyone,

If you're a holistic practitioner . . .

Or you know and love holistic
Practitioners . . .

Could you take 2 minutes to read this
email right now?

I need 15 minutes of your time and the
most blunt and honest opinions you can
muster.

And I want to give you three very cool
rewards for it.

But there's only 100 spaces and this
email will be going out to well over
a thousand people on my list and others.

What's it about?

Well . . .

Have you ever had a horrible experience
with a holistic practitioner?

Can we talk?

You may or may not know - but about
half of the people who come to my
events are holistic practitioners.

You might even be one of them.

And I'm slowly, but surely, designing
a product and workshop just for them.

As part of the research, I'm collecting
Holistic Practitioner Horror stories
(and success stories too mind you).

Why?

A few reasons:

First: as I'm sure you can appreciate -
technical skill is not what makes a
holistic practitioner great. Technical skill
is sort of a minimum requirement. It's
the bottom line.

What makes a practitioner wonderful or
woeful is how the relate to their clients.
Some practitioners have a gift of making
their clients feel empowered, safe and
clear. Others make their clients feel
guarded, defensive and disgusted. It's true.

But practitioners don't often receive
extensive training in 'bedside manner'.
That's strange given that it's so central
to the success of their practice.

To make things harder for them, there's a
complicating factor:

People lie.

It's incredibly, let me emphasize and
underline INCREDIBLY, rare that a
holistic practitioner gets honest feedback
when they do a bad job. Usually, people
just stop seeing them and disappear. They
stop returning calls.

I remember going to a yoga class and being
so annoyed by the teacher's insecurities that
I never completed the series. A number of
other students dropped out after that first
class too.

If you've been through it, it can feel just
awful, disconcerting and confusing.

"What did I do?!"

I want to collect real stories and examples
that I can share with practitioners to
help them understand what their clients
are REALLY wanting from them.

Have you had an awful experience?

Have you had an awesome experience?

Would you be willing to take 15 minutes
to tell me about them?


http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=bxcJDv0pfdw4yoXneKQvVw_3d_3d


It's totally anonymous and I ask you not
to name and names.


WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU?

Three things:

First - I will email you all the
edited version of the feedback I collect.

Second, I will be hosting a one-time-only,
90 minute call on "The Top Ten Blunders
Holistic Practitioners Make".

I'm only doing the call so I can record it.

I will only be inviting people who
participate in this survey. I've been
putting a lot of thought into in and
couldn't be more excited to share what
I've been learning (as well as what I'm
about to learn from the results of this
survey).

Third - You will get access to a recording
of this call that you can download onto
your computer.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO NOW:

Go to the following link and spend 15
minutes sharing anonymously and as honestly
as you can about your best (and worst)
experiences with holistic practitioners.


http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=bxcJDv0pfdw4yoXneKQvVw_3d_3d

And then EMAIL me to let me know that
you've done it so you can get your rewards.


Warmest,

Tad Hargraveb
Founder
Radical Business
"helping conscious folk make more money"
tad@tadhargrave.com
www.tadhargrave.com

P.S. Please consider the environment
before printing this email - Thank You!

P.P.S. REMEMBER: Only those who take
the 15 minutes to respond to this survey
will have access to the free 90 minute
call on "The Top Ten Blunders Practitioners
Make." And to the results of this survey.

Go do it now:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=bxcJDv0pfdw4yoXneKQvVw_3d_3d

And then EMAIL me to let me know that
you've done it so you can get your rewards.

P.P.P.S. Feel free to forward this to
your clients and friends.






FREE 90 PAGE "THE WAY OF THE RADICAL BUSINESS" EBOOK: www.tadhargrave.com (sign up on left hand side)

FREE 'CONSCIOUS MARKETING' ARTICLES: www.radicalbusiness.blogspot.com

At Last! Tad becomes minorly famous (and how you can too)

Hey there,

How many pink spoons do you have?

It's an important question. I'll explain in a moment.

If you want to skip the whole story you can jump to this link:

www.youtube.com/radicalbusiness

but it will really make much more sense if you read on.

Before I tell you about how I am about to become minorly famous (and how you can too) I'd like to make a few safe bets.

I'd be willing to bet that when people meet you they like you.

I'd be willing to bet that your marketing materials will never be as powerful as meeting you in person.

Sure, your website and brochures and ads might sound good, but people are going to doubt them - after all - you have a vested interest in them buying.

I'd be willing to bet that when you really have a chance to explain how you do what you do and tell your story - that people are impressed and far more likely to do business with you.

Isn't there something about meeting someone - and getting to read their vibe - that matters a lot?

How many times have you heard of people meeting celebrities and telling their friends, "Wow. He was so down to earth. He wasn't pretentious at all."

I doubt most celebrities are that pretentious.

But most people are naturally suspicious.

And, sad to say, they're suspicious of you too.

Which is a shame.

After all, you're nice. You have integrity. You'd never try to lie, cheat or steal from them. But, until they meet you in person, they just aren't really going to trust you.

People trust their experiences, not your rhetoric.

I can't tell you how many times I've had folks come to my free intro sessions and come up to me afterwards to tell me, "You know, I've been to so many marketing sessions and I thought, 'Hmm. This sounds good but maybe he's just another hype filled marketing ass****.' But you weren't. You were really down to earth. I like you and I think I'll be coming to the weekend."

How can you do create this personal connection?

This can mean:

1) Teleseminars
2) Speaking at events
3) Running free intro sessions
4) Meeting with people one on one

But all of the above are very time intensive. You have to actually be there in person.

What if there was a way for people to 'meet' you that required almost none of your time?

Wouldn't that be useful?

I recon it would.

Before I tell you what I did - let me come at this from another angle and then tie it all together.

Word of Mouth is powerful, right?

But, why?

Because, instead of people having to take the time and energy and risk of meeting you in person (and being trapped in a two hour seminar that ends up sucking) they can hear about your experience. And since you're someone they trust and since you're independent of the business you're recommending - you can be trusted.

But sometimes, this isn't enough.

After all, can't you think of times when you have recommended some workshop or seminar or restaurant to someone only to have them never act on it?

Of course you have.

Why?

They hadn't experienced it for themselves yet.

They weren't sold on the relevance or value or the product or service for themselves (and maybe you aren't as credible to them as you thought you were - owch).

Imagine you're at an ice cream shop with a friend.

You want them to try the Mango Tofulatti. They shrug. You tell them it's the most delicious thing you've ever tasted. They seem unimpressed.

"Think I'll just stick with strawberry."

You keep trying to convince them but you are afraid to push it too far. After all, if you push them too hard they might decide to never try it just out of principle.

So, why don't they try it?

Well, if they spend five bucks on the cone and they don't like it, they're out the money and they know they could have spent that money on something they know they would have liked. Right?

But, what if you said, "Here, try this little pink spoon."

They do. They're curious after all, they just don't want to have to commit their whole five bucks.

Pink spoon marketing is powerful.

You give people a sample - not enough to satisfy - but enough to let them make an informed decision about whether or not they want more.

Do you have any of these for your business?

What are YOUR pink spoons?

Your pink spoons should fit a few critical criteria.

1) It should contain enough to let them know if it's a fit.
2) It should be something that your existing clients will actively WANT to pass on to their friends.
3) It should be low risk (or ideally NO risk) for people to try out.

Now, there's lots of different things you can do:

- Offer people a free buyers guide or special report on a critical topic
- Free downloadable audio files
- A Blog

etc.

But there's a relatively new medium that's available to you now - for almost NO money.

And I've just gotten into the game.

Online video.

It's a powerful way for people to learn about you, who you are and how (and why) you do what you do.

Instead of simply reading words - they can see you, read your body language and get a sense of who you are.

Again:

I'd be willing to bet that when people meet you they like you.

I'd be willing to bet that your marketing materials will never be as powerful as meeting you in person.

Online video fits the criteria below extremely well.

1) It should contain enough to let them know if it's a fit.

An online video can give them a chance to get as much or as little information as you want.

2) It should be something that your existing clients will actively WANT to pass on to their friends.

A link to an online video is incredibly easy to send. Youtube.com has made it brainless. And it's becoming more and more common to do. People are sending each other videos all the time. Remember: your clients probably love you. They want to support you. They want to spread the word - but you almost certainly haven't given them the tools to do so.

And your website likely isn't exciting or novel enough to warrant them sending it to folks.

But a cool online video?

Why not create one about your business.

I know - you don't know how. I'll address that in a second.

But, imagine the email from your client to a friend of theirs . . .

"You remember that organic restaurant I was telling you about? Check this link out."

"You remember that practitioner I was telling you about? Check this link out."

"You remember that eco-friendly house cleaner I was telling you about? Check this link out."


3) It should be low risk (or ideally NO risk) for people to try out.

Is there anything less risky than watching a video on your computer? No pushy salespeople. Nothing to print off. You can stop it (and restart it) anytime you want. No obligation to buy.


And it doesn't have to be perfect.

You don't have to spend thousands of dollars. It can be a quick 7 minute video shot on a friends camera of you giving a tour about your restaurant or your clinic.

The point is that people get to meet YOU before they take the risk of meeting you in person. And, right now, YOU are likely the critical piece to your businesses success. People are likely buying YOU as much as they are your product and service.

Online video gives your clients an easy way to introduce you to their friends.

It gives you something you can send to someone you meet briefly so they can 'get to know you better'.

Remember the days where you had to be famous to be on film?

Well, now you can become minorly famous on sites like www.youtube.com

And now, after two years of scheming, I'm finally on youtube.

And finally, at long last, minorly famous.

About bloody time . . .;-)

I have created my very own youtube channel. You can find it at:

www.youtube.com/radicalbusiness


**What EXACTLY will you find at this link?**

You will find about two hours of footage covering the content of my free intro. You can watch it all for free. There's no charge.

You will also find a clip of a few testimonials from my weekend workshop.

You will ALSO find the only footage in existence of me doing sleight of hand card magic. And I bet you won't be able to figure it out no matter how many times you watch it.


**How can YOU put up your own online videos?**

To be honest, I have no idea.

But I recommend the services of my friend Todd who helps people like me (who have no clue at all) to get their videos shot and online.

I can't rave enough about Todd's professionalism, class and warmth.

I don't get paid to endorse him. This email isn't a joint venture. He didn't know I was going to send this out.

But, if you're interested in getting some video online, I recommend you shoot him an email at info@3Dplayground.ca


And let me know what you think of my youtube channel will you?

I'm very excited about it (even if I wish I'd cut my hair before I did it).

We'll continue with the Irresistible Offer series next week.


Warmest,

Tad Hargrave
Founder
Radical Business
"helping conscious folk make more money"
tad@tadhargrave.com
www.tadhargrave.com

P.S. Please consider the environment before printing this email - Thank You!


FREE 90 PAGE "THE WAY OF THE RADICAL BUSINESS" EBOOK: www.tadhargrave.com (sign up on left hand side)

FREE 'CONSCIOUS MARKETING' ARTICLES: www.radicalbusiness.blogspot.com

FREE RADICAL BUSINESS VIDEOS: www.youtube.com/radicalbusiness


p.s. Tell me what you think of my youtube channel? www.youtube.com/radicalbusiness

If you subscribe to this channel or rate the videos, it's a big help.

Your Irresistible Offer - "The Three Keys to Your Irresistible Offer" - Part 6 of 19

Hey there,

Last week I told you I was about to become famous.

In the most inconsequential of ways.

Well, it sort of leaked out today and I got an email from someone in California wanting to endorse me and my products to his list of 1200 holistic practitioners.

Never met the man. No effort on my part.

All because of this new project I'm just putting the finishing touches on.

And it actually ties in nicely to this whole theme of the Irresistible Offer.

He stumbled across something I did that I've been keeping under wraps.

And it impressed him so much he emailed me to ask if he could sell my products for me.

More on all that in a couple of weeks.

But let's back up on this whole Irresistible Offer thing and ask ourselves a very critical question.

What Is Marketing?

In a word? Education.

In a sentence? Establishing the value beyond the immediately apparent.

There are two realities we must squarely face:

1) We must create genuinely irresistible offers.

2) We must communicate these offers clearly and powerfully to our target markets.

And we must do both. Simply doing one of these is not enough.

In Latin there's a phrase “erase ipsa locator” -- it means "The thing speaks for itself". Many people are hesitant about marketing because they think, "Well, if my product’s good, shouldn't it simply speak for itself?" And there is a simple answer to that.

No.

**THE 3 KEYS TO CRAFTING AN IRRESISTIBLE OFFER**

Relevance. Credibility. Value.

When it is undertaken with integrity, I would suggest that marketing is just a synonym for "education". And when you are trying to attract more clients there are six specific things you to educate all of your prospects about. And this education must meet two criteria: It must be both POWERFUL and ELEGANT. You must help people to understand:

KEY #1: RELEVANCE:

“Why does this matter to me?”

They have a PROBLEM. That’s either going to be: A current pain or something they want but don’t have (which is a problem to them). It’s a need they have that’s not fulfilled. It’s a result they want but don’t have. It’s a goal or vision they’re working for. It’s a problem they want to solve. But there are two caveats here.

Just knowing they have a problem is no guarantee that they will act to solve it. The speed at which they move to solve their problems will be determined by how true the following to statements are for them . . .


1. It MUST be solved: even if people know there’s a problem, they won’t move, they won’t act if they think it’s just something that “should” be solved. This is not an intellectual thing – it’s emotional. REMEMBER: All decisions are made for emotional reasons and then justified with logic.

Think about it in your own life and you’ll see the truth of this (even if the emotional need is to feel “intelligent”). How can you help them to reconnect emotionally to the importance of this?

There’s really only two ways:

FIRST - you can create a safe space (where they aren’t scared of being sold or pressured) where they reconnect with the pain they’re in and share that with you (a conversation, telling a story that reflects their experience, having them fill out a diagnostic tool that helps them realize the reality of where they’re at etc.) OR

SECOND - you can create an experience for them that reconnects them to how good it could be (testimonials, a well done video of your work, free intro sessions, a complementary product of session, risk free offers).

This creates a natural gap which compels them to move forward. The key is to make it emotionally real.

2. It must be solved NOW: the truth is that people will procrastinate unless they sense some urgency. You must be ethical in handling this one and know that the more urgent they perceive the need the more likely they are to act. Sometimes urgency can be “There’s only 20 spaces.” Or “If you enroll before this date you get a free set of Ginsu knives.” etc.

3. It CAN be solved: this is crucial. Imagine someone with crippling lower back pain. They know they have a problem. They know it must be solved, but if they believe that “there’s nuthin’ to be done about it” then you are stuck. You must powerfully and elegantly educate them to see that it can, indeed, be solved. The most powerful ways to do this - in order are:

a) Give them the experience directly (i.e. you cure their back pain in a free session).
b) A referral from someone they trust.
c) A Case Study: tell them the story of people from beginning to end. It’s the “Before and After photos” principle. Give a lot of information, numbers and figures within the context of the story. Be specific not only of the results achieved (the more specific the better) but also the impact this had on their life (e.g. what did it mean to be free of back pain? able to go jogging again? able to play with kids? better sleep? etc).
d) A testimonial. This is a quote from someone speaking about their experience and what it meant. Make sure you give their full name, where they’re from, the name of their business and if possible ask them if you can include their phone number and photo.


e) Educate!!! Give them information. It’s better in story form but raw data can work too.


KEY #2: CREDIBILITY

“Why should I believe you?”

YOU can solve it: Everything before is a set up for THIS piece. You must show them that you are qualified and credible.

They must both like and trust you. Again, giving them the experience directly, referrals, case studies, and testimonials (in that order) are the most effective ways to do this. But you also want to look at this sideways too - the real issue is building up your identity, brand and reputation.

Anything you can do to build this builds up your credibility (e.g. public speaking, running events, writing a book, hosting a network, hosting a radio program, becoming a columnist, being featured on the news or a magazine cover etc).


KEY #3: VALUE

“How much? What am I getting for my money? What’s in it for me?”

You can solve it BETTER [more quickly, with more convenience, cheaper, etc.]: They can believe that they have a problem that must and can be solved now but . . . why should they choose YOU to help them solve it.

That’s not a rhetorical question.

Until and unless you clearly define your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) you shouldn’t be surprised to see business going to the competition.

Remember: #2 wasn’t chosen.

The prospect can only make one choice. Why should it be YOU?

Most businesses I meet have NO compelling answer for this. A good exercise for this is to challenge yourself to create a “Top Ten List” of reasons to do business with you.

Here’s a good example from a friend of mine who sells hand made jewelry - all made from salvaged wood and stones (literally stuff he finds under bridges, fallen trees etc.). He carves it, polishes it and it looks GORGEOUS. My first step in working with him was to change his company name from the abstract “Metamorph Designs” to “Salvaged Earth Designs”.

I challenged him to create HIS Top Ten List. He did and put it onto a big poster and hung it outside his tent at the Farmer’s Markets at which he sold (you can find this towards the end of this package). This allowed people to read it before approaching and be educated.

Don't be abstract. Be specific. You need to hit them between the eyes. Don’t be cutesy. People buy products, but what they want are benefits. They want a result that is self serving to them. Speak directly to that.

Relevance. Credibility. Value.


NEXT WEEK - you are going to learn four more secrets to crafting an effective and irresistible offer . . .


***the three critical key elements to creating your irresistible offer.***



I hope all is well with you.



Warmest,

Tad Hargrave
Founder
Radical Business
"helping conscious folk make more money"
tad@tadhargrave.com
www.tadhargrave.com

P.S. Please consider the environment before printing this email - Thank You!

P.P.S. In a few weeks, a handful of you are going to get the chance to receive an Offer Makeover from me. It could be worth thousands of dollars to you. Seriously. You can't sign up for it yet. So, don't try. I'll be offering the chance to my best clients first - and then to my entire list.



FREE 90 PAGE "THE WAY OF THE RADICAL BUSINESS" EBOOK: www.tadhargrave.com (sign up on left hand side)


conscious business marketing, eco-business marketing, ethical business marketing, green business consulting, green business marketing, sustainable business marketing

Your Irresistible Offer - "Your Unique Selling Proposition (part 2)" - Part 5 of 19

Hey all,

Guess what.

At the end of this month, I'm going to become famous.

There. I said it.

Oh, I can hear you doubting from here.

Not famous like my brother Toby Hargrave who just had his own hour long comedy special on CTV (www.seetobylive.com).

No no no.

I'll be famous in far more minor way (but one that could be meaningful, rewarding and instructive to you). Sort of a D grade celebrity if you will.

I'll explain later.

This week we are going to keep focusing on your unique selling proposition (USP).

* * *

Seth Godin, marketing genius, writes in his book, “Purple Cow”:

“When my family and I were driving through France a few years ago, we were enchanted by the hundreds of storybook cows grazing on picturesque pastures right next to the highway. For dozens of kilometres we all gazed out the window, marvelling at how beautiful everything was.

Them within twenty minutes, we started ignoring the cows. The new cows were just like the old cows, and what was once amazing was now common. Worse than common. It was boring.

Cows, after you’ve seen them for a while, are boring. They may be perfect cows, attractive cows, sows with great personalities, cows lit by beautiful light, but they’re still boring.

A Purple Cow, though. Now that would be interested. (For a while.)

The essence of the Purple Cow is that it must be remarkable.”

The goal here is to create a remarkable business.

To be a remarkable business means that people are willing to make remarks about you. You are worthy of mention.

But not just remarkable. Being a Purple Cow might be neat and get people’s attention but is that enough? Do your customers want you to simply be different?

No.

They want their problems solved. They want relief from pain. They want results. So you must become remarkable at meeting their needs; remarkable at solving their problems. Remarkable at taking them from where they are to where they want to go.

To think you can separate marketing from the quality of what you offer is foolish.

To think that your business has no opportunities to innovate and add more value is probably mildly delusional and entirely self destructive.

The goal here is to make your business irresistibly attractive to your prospects, clients and yourself.

To do that may require a bit of stepping back and rethinking the way we do things. And, I would suggest, that it takes doing that through the customers eyes, not our own.

Most of us are far too close to our own businesses to make any sort of informed opinion about things. And we may be too attached. Sometimes we’re incredibly proud about things that no one else cares about.

For example, for years, Disney Hotels washed it’s bed sheets every single night for every single room. Then someone asked the all important question: “Do they even care?” And so they did an experiment. They put a sign on people’s beds saying, “In an effort to conserve water, we wash our bed sheets every three days. If you’d like them washed everyday, we’d be happy to do so, just call us at this number.” Out of 60,000 room stays only a handful of people took them up on it.

Can you tell me, in 30 seconds or less, what it is that makes your product or service so unique or valuable that I should put it at the top of my list? (And if you just said “quality”, “Service” or “dependability” you are in deep trouble because everyone else says that too. . .)

Why should I put you at the top of my list? Why should I buy from you vs. the competitors? Remember: #2 didn’t get chosen. As Jack Trout puts it so subtly in the title of his book . . .

“Differentiate or die.”

Of course, sometimes when people ask that question it can be very disconcerting. I remember one client who owned a carpet cleaning company. She called me after finishing a diagnostic that I gave her. She said, “I’m so depressed – I have no USP!”.

Owch.

But it’s good to know – sometimes you need to CREATE a U.S.P. by looking for gaps in the market place. Look at your industry - what is no one offering that is needed? We call this an innovation gap.

This may all seem a bit abstract and conceptual right now.

But don't worry - as we move ahead we are going to get into the nitty gritty of exactly how you can identify and powerful communicate your irresistible offer to the marketplace. It's simple enough, but it's a bit of work.

In fact, NEXT WEEK - you are going to learn about . . .


***the three critical key elements to creating your irresistible offer.***


And remember:

I WILL soon become minorly famous in the most obscure of ways.

I hope all is well with you.

Warmest,

Tad Hargrave
Founder
Radical Business
"helping conscious folk make more money"
tad@tadhargrave.com
www.tadhargrave.com

P.S. Please consider the environment before printing this email - Thank You!


FREE 90 PAGE "THE WAY OF THE RADICAL BUSINESS" EBOOK: www.tadhargrave.com (sign up on left hand side)

FREE 'CONSCIOUS MARKETING' ARTICLES: www.radicalbusiness.blogspot.com

* * *

a blog for green business marketing, and community-minded entrepreneurs, conscious business marketing, eco-business marketing, ethical business marketing, sustainable business marketing, green business consulting

Your Irresistible Offer - "Your Unique Selling Proposition (part 1)" - Part 4 of 19

Hey all,

I've got a big surprise that I will be announcing next week that I think you're going to love.

But more on that later . . .

This week we are going to focus on one of the most critical concepts in marketing - the unique selling proposition (USP).

It'll be quick.

In his book Reality in Advertising, Rosser Reeves (Chairman of the Board at Ted Bates & Company) gives the precise definition as it was understood at his company:

1. Each advertisement must make a proposition to the customer: "buy this product, and you will get this specific benefit."

2. The proposition itself must be unique - something that competitors do not, or will not, offer.

3. The proposition must be strong enough to pull new customers to the product. It persuades another to exchange money for a product or service. It should be not only compelling but irresistible. What makes it sell? It addresses a very real pain or problem that your ideal clients are experiencing.

Reeves also wrote that a USP does not necessarily have to be a verbal message. It can be communicated both verbally and visually. For example, a classic Clairol advertisement showing a picture of a model and just the headline, "Does she or doesn't she?" implied the USP, "If you use Clairol products, people won't even notice that you dyed your hair."

However, Reeves warns against forming a USP based on what he calls "The Deceptive Differential" - a uniqueness that is too small or too technical that customers cannot observe the differences in actual practice.

Says Matt Hockin from www.interativemarketinginc.com . . .

“Your USP is the force that drives your business and success. It can also be used as a "branding" tool that deploys strategy with every tactical marketing effort you use such as an ad, a postcard, or web site. This allows you to build a lasting reputation while you're making sales. The ultimate goal of your USP and marketing is to have people say to you... "Oh, yes I've heard of you. You're the company who..." - And then respond by requesting more information or purchasing. Your USP needs to be so compelling that it can be used as a headline that sells your product or service.”

Note: the question is not, “What’s different about you?” Different does not necessarily mean better.

But different is better than nothing. Here’s a fun game. Open up the Yellow Pages and look at your generic industry. Hell, look at any industry. Here’s what I predict you’ll see: the same damn add over and over and over. All of the ads for plumbers look identical. All of the ads for Taxi services look identical.

Let’s be honest: most businesses are mediocre. They’re okay. Their product is pretty good. Their service is nice. And if that’s you and it’s working for you, that’s fine. But I would invite you to ask yourself how much longer it will be fine for.

In the words of marketing guru Jay Abraham, “Most business owners don't have a USP, only a "me too," rudderless, nondescript, unappealing business that feeds solely upon the sheer momentum of the marketplace. There's nothing unique; there's nothing distinct. They promise no great value, benefit, or service - just "buy from us" for no justifiable, rational reason.

It's no surprise then that most businesses, lacking a USP, merely get by. Their failure rate is high, their owners are apathetic, and they get only a small share of the potential business. But other than a possible convenient location, why should they get much patronage if they fail to offer any appealing promise, unique feature or special service?

Would you want to patronize a firm that's just “there," with no unique benefit, no incredible prices or selection, no especially comforting counsel, service or guarantee? Or would you prefer a firm that offers you the broadest selection in the country? Or one with every item marked up less than half the margin other competitors charge? Or one that sells the "Rolls Royce" of the industry's products?

Can you see what an appealing difference the USP makes in establishing a company's perceived image or posture to the customer? It's ludicrous to operate any business without carefully crafting a clear, strong, appealing USP into the very fabric of the daily existence of that business.

The point is to focus on the one niche, need or gap that is most sorely lacking, provided you can keep the promise you make.”

The heart of creating an irresistible offer is not just about “selling the sizzle not the steak”. It’s not about marketing so slick that you could sell the Pope a double bed.

It’s about becoming a remarkable company.

Now, if you’re a conscious, green or ethical company then I think you’ve already got a leg up on that.

Part 2 of the USP will hit your email boxes in the next week or so.

But before that you'll probably be getting a quick announcement about a new project I just finished that you'll be getting free access to.

I hope all is well with you.


Warmest,

Tad Hargrave
Founder
Radical Business
"helping conscious folk make more money"
tad@tadhargrave.com
www.tadhargrave.com

P.S. Please consider the environment before printing this email - Thank You!


FREE 90 PAGE "THE WAY OF THE RADICAL BUSINESS" EBOOK: www.tadhargrave.com (sign up on left hand side)

FREE 'CONSCIOUS MARKETING' ARTICLES: www.radicalbusiness.blogspot.com

Your Irresistible Offer - "Your Value vs. Values Proposition" - Part 3 of 19

Hey there,

I hope your week's been good.

I ended up having a friend fly me to California on airmiles for week last week. No kidding.

I'm excited about the topic of this week's "Your Irresistible Offer:.

It's particularly relevant for you as a green or conscious business.

Consider this question . . .

“Why should I buy from you vs. the competition?”

For green, conscious and holistic businesses there are powerful reasons to take a long and hard look at this question.

It has to do with the difference between your Values Proposition and your Value Proposition. The letter ‘s’ can make a big difference.

Imagine you go to an autobody shop with your broken down car.

You pull in and are delighted to find out that this autobody shop is a “green” autobody shop. They recycle everything. They’re union owned. They are an active community member and give steep discounts to those working in local environmental groups. They power their shop with wind power, bio-diesel and solar.

They give you a free bus pass for the year and encourage you to drive less. They greet you with a smile and you feel excited to be doing business with them.

You come back later that afternoon to get your car.

But, halfway home, it breaks down in the middle of the highway making you late for a critical appointment. You feel frustrated, helpless and angry.

This repair shop was in profound alignment with your values but didn’t deliver the value you were looking for. They didn’t do the one, central thing you wanted them to do. And no matter what else they did for you - all the other green stuff - you don’t care because they didn’t do the most important thing.

They didn’t solve the problem that you came to them with. They lived their values but they didn’t provide the value you were looking for.

VALUES PROPOSITION: Your values proposition is your statement of what’s important to you in your life and your business outside of making money. It’s the fact that you are green, serve only fair trade coffee, do carbon offsetting on your shipping etc. You value proposition is “here’s what you get for your money.” Your values proposition speaks to their values. This makes them feel good about themselves for doing business with you. It makes them say not just, “wow. what a great product or service.” but “Wow, what a great business.” Your values proposition is basically a, “do it because it’s the right thing to do” message.

“Niman Ranch will sell you four hormone-free, anti-biotic free, humanely raised beef based hot dogs for $7. Possibly the finest hot dogs in the world. It's not clear that the average kid eating a wiener can taste the difference, which is my point, the way we feel about what we eat accounts for as much as the taste itself.” - Seth Godin

**An Example of a Powerful “Values Proposition” from Whole Foods:**

We purchase wind power credits to offset our use of carbon. You can too! Visit a store to find out how.

We support sustainable farming practices that nurture the soil for future generations.

We prevent millions of pounds of waste from going into landfill through our recycling and composting efforts.

We won the EPAs Green Power Partner of the Year award in 2006.

We've been on Fortune's "Best Companies to Work For List" for 10 years in a row-- Number 5 this year.

We support local communities and economies by sourcing unique, artisan
and local products as part of our mix.

We give back 5% of our gross profits through regular Community Support Days.

Our Whole Planet Foundation gives micro-loans in developing countries as a way to fight poverty.

Our Animal Compassion Foundation works to change the way animals are raised for food.

We install energy efficient appliances and use green building materials in our stores.


“An open book policy in which everyone knows what everyone else makes, from the boss to the teenaged delivery boy, is an excellent idea, especially when the business genuinely tries to pay people fairly. Whole Foods also operates with a wide-open financial system. Sensitive figures on store sales, team sales, profit margins, even salaries are available to employees in every location. The company shares so much information so widely that the SEC has designated all 6,500 employees "insiders" for stock-trading purposes.” - Marketing Without Advertising

“La Blue's Cleaners in Sebastopol, California, has been in business for more than 40 years. In addition to providing pick-ups and delivery services to homes and offices, they are known in the community for extending a hand to the temporarily unemployed. If you are out of work, they will custom dry-clean and press one suit or one dress and launder two shirts or blouses at no charge. This information is posted on a sign inside the store which says, "This is our gift to you so you will look your best at your next job interview." Customers really appreciate it, and you can be sure that when they are back among the employed, they bring their business to La Blue's.” - Marketing Without Advertising


VALUE PROPOSITION: Your value proposition speaks directly to their self interest - it speaks directly to the problem they’re facing. The questions to ask yourself are, “Why did they come to us? What is the problem that brought them? What is the self serving result they’re wanting out of working with me?” And then make sure you at least deliver on that. That’s the minimum you must deliver.

And you need both.

I remember talking to the owner of a store that sold most of the green products in town - he was lamenting at how “people don’t shop at our store as much as they say they want to. They always say how much they love what we do but they don’t shop here. How are we supposed to survive if people only give us lip-service?”

It was heartbreaking to hear because he’s a really good man - but he doesn’t market his store. He just appeals to people’s values - he makes them no offer outside of that. He didn’t understand that appealing to people’s values (so that they can feel good about themselves when they buy from you) is only one component of your irresistible offer.

You might know people like him - well intentioned folks with good hearts. But they’re struggling and refuse to market their business.

In this series we’ll explore how you can go about crafting offers that are irresistible and get you more than mere lip service from your clients.

* * *

“Why should I buy from you vs. the competition?”

But, of course, the simplest questions are often the most difficult to answer. After all there are many layers to that question. One name for the answer to that question is a Unique Selling Proposition (USP). One of the simplest and best known examples is Dominoes Pizza: “Hot, fresh pizza to your door in 30 minutes or it’s free.”

“When an idea can’t be articulated simply, crisply and accessibly there is usually something wrong with it. When I hear a great idea, it usually has an affect on my mind and body. Sometimes I feel it in my stomach, other times in my throat, still others on my skin - a kind of instant truth detector test.” - Michael Eisner


COMING NEXT:
Next week sometime I will send you the fourth in the series focusing on the your "USP" - it's one of the most important things you can learn as a business. I tell you more about it next week.


Hope you're having a wonderful summer.


Warmest,

Tad Hargrave
Founder
Radical Business
"helping conscious folk make more money"
tad@tadhargrave.com
www.tadhargrave.com



P.S. REMINDER: Are you interested in getting $400 worth of my marketing coaching time for whatever you want to pay me? If so, check out - www.tadhargrave.com/consulting

This offer is only available until the end of August.