Hey Sows! Here's MY "Retirement" program
 

Howdy folks! I ben roun these parts fer nigh on 22yars! Started out selling stuff "Belly-To-Belly" and discovered da Internet in 1996 when a customer gave me his PC on a tradeout fer an ad and I ben doing dis stuff ever since.

HOWEVER....this year I decided to do my stuff "remotely" and....even though Gordon and Dien and I have had our "moments" since the start of "SowPub" I would STILL like to toss out how I plan to spend the "rest of my "easing out the door days, till IT is over and I can't type any longer!

So....here it is. Take it for what it's worth and understand the following comes from someone who has an "Electrical Engineering Degree from Northwestern Univ in Evanston Ill" and started his own Burglar Alarm biz (Securitronics Corp) with $1,000 and lots of "Get-Up-An-Go"...NOT had another human being sign his paycheck since the late 70's and....someone who's helped 3 kids thru college and "Owe's NO ONE anything...but to LOVE them!"

Yup! House, Acreage, Vehicles and ALL the other "Stuff" my wife and I have accumulated (lots of Antiques) (Our Dining Room Table is 300 yrs old)...ALL Paid for.

So....what does one do when deciding, after starting over 50 different business projects? Well....I think I got it, in fact, I KNOW I got IT... because I've tested it out and ....It's a GO!

Here's what IT's about;
ALL businesses, professions and medical occupations CAN'T EXIST WITHOUT, "NEW.....Customers, Clients or Patients"! They NEED NEW..... Customers, Clients. Patients....to exist and stay in operation!

So....since I know this, what can little ol ME do to bring these folks MORE...Customers, Clients, Patients?

Well....the Yellow Pages are no longer the FIRST place consumers go to find what they want! Yup! Probably over 90% of all consumers in this country "Let Their Fingers Do the Walking"....ON THEIR KEY BOARD, GOOGLING the "KeyWords" for the INFO they want....NOW!"

So....as an example; let's say you own a home in Las Vegas NV and you WANT or NEED to find a "Roofer"....NOW! You DON"T hunt for the printed YP! You go to your puter, sit down and bring up Google. Type in "LAS VEGAS ROOFER"! and.....the FIRST listing is a Full Color Thumbnail.

All the other listings on the page are just "Text" so....because the first listing "appeals" to you....you CLICK on it and upcomes a Full Color VIDEO introducing you to the Benefits of dealing with THIS Co.

Well....the guy who is providing this "Video" is collecting $1,000 a Month for his "efforts"! ("Efforts"? Heck! The guy who set this up is receiving $997a month from a roofer who is getting 8 to 10 jobs a month @ a min of $5,000 each! $40,000 to $80,000 a month for a $1,000 Return? You kidding me!

Same with type "Tampa Windows" into Google and see what comes up! Hey! This guys Video is on Top! Another $1,000 a Month!

This guy (my mentor) has quite a few biz owners paying him $1,000 a Month! And.....guess how much "work" is involved to keep these payments coming in?

Yup! You guessed it....Zero, Nada, Zilch!

He could be off gambling at the casinos in Monte Carlo....and STILL have hundreds of thousands go into HIS bank accounts each and every month! AUTOMATICALLY!

WHY! Because HE is providing LEADS to those who are sending him a Grand every month! Leads that are turning into "roofing jobs, plumbing jobs, pest control jobs, New Patients for Dentists, Doctors, Clinics, Chriopractors etc.

He is letting "GOOGLE" ....do the Promo Work for him!

Nice! So....my frineds, until the day when "da Gummit" or someone shuts down BIG G ....my mentor and I and others will be "cleaning up"....collecting CASH from the "Internet System".

So....have a great life! I'm getting ready to go Spring SteelHead Fishing while my "Syetem is automatically collecting cash from my "Accounts"!

Ain't this "Internet Thingee" Grand

Don Alm....easing on down

I think that's an amazing one to get into...
 

Hey Don,

I've always liked your stuff, and this really sounds like a doozy...

It is the "age of video" - and making promotional videos for contractors sounds like a fantastic niche to get into!

I've been playing around with editing video a little bit myself (using iMovie on a Mac, and also a simple program called VideoPad on Windows, I'm playing around with the free version), and it's not hard to do once you get into it. (Haven't done much filming myself yet, though - I've mostly been re-editing videos you can find online, for fun...)

Thanks for another pretty amazing idea!

Best wishes,

Dien

Re: Hey Sows! Here's MY "Retirement" program
 

Dien! This does NOT involve a "camera" or "anything special"! His name is Mark Helton. A couple of other guys who do the same thing are Aaron Kay and Nick Mancuso.

All you do is go to a "Free" Photo site....pull out 8 or 10 photos relating to the particular Niche. Open up Windows LIVE Movie Maker....insert photos in order....add in Text telling what the page is about....put in some background music and ...whala!

Now....one thing I'm doing to GUARANTEE I get clients is to make the video "Generic" by using either Twilio or CallFire to give me a phone number. I then re-direct that phone # to my "Renter". If my "renter" stops renting, I just re-direct the phone to the New Renter.

However....if your Video (with it's Thumbnail is on the 1st page of G for the Keyword)....there is NO WAY any renter will stop renting because the "Thumbnail" for your listing KeyWord will "stand out" and attract MOST of the attention on the 1st page of G for that Keyword.

Type in "Tampa Windows" in G and ask yourself, "which...link would YOU click on?"

Mark and the others are Bonafide and....as an "old-time" sales guy I used to contact a Prospect....show him what I've done for others and what I CAN DO for him for X$.

However...with this one, I just put the Video up...get it ranked and then, contact prospects in that niche (Roofer in Toledo) (Dentist in Spokane) telling them..."If they'd like more business to "enter the Keyword and see what comes up".

When they see MY Video sitting there with it's Full Color Thumbnail WAITING to be Clicked....they QUICKLY GET IT! and....as I tell 8 or 10 of those in the niche....first come, first gets the Number RE-directed to THEIR NUMBER!

The "Lead Generator" is ALREADY THERE! No need to "wonder" what it will look like or WHEN it will be installed! It is UP AND RUNNING! Whomever wants to "Jump on Board and Get the Leads" can do so!

Remnds me of my "Mail Order" days where I'd get prospects for one of my Biz-Ops to contact me and request my "Info-Pack". I'd send them my 4 Page Sales Letter and a Flyer and CD....and on the last page of the Sales Letter I mention that, if they'd like to order the Biz-Op they don't have to "wonder" when or IF what they ordered was coming....they ALREADY HAD IT! IT'S IN THE CD!

However the CD is "Locked" with a Special Code and....to get the UN-Lock Code, they had to phone the Order Service, give their CC # and the clerk would give them the UN-Lock Code!

So....do some checking. It sure is a good feeling knowing you have X$ coming in like clock-work every month...without having to do any "work".

The "work" was done when the Video was initially set up and Ranked for it's KeyWord.

Take care,
Don Alm

Re: Hey Sows! Here's MY "Retirement" program
 

ooppss....forgot to tell ya;

One of the best FREE Video programs that gives GREAT Transitions and "Movement" is..."Photo Story 3" from Microsoft.

The "fancy" programs (like Animoto) are good but, for this you don't need fancy-dancy.

Again...toss in 8 or 10 photos....use some transitions....background music to go along....upload to your YouTube Channel...get a Fiverr to provide some Reviews and BackLinks....go to "BulkPing.com" and "Ping It" and you are ON the first page for local Keywords.

Don Alm

Re: Hey Sows! Here's MY "Retirement" program
 

Hi Don, I'm wondering just how effective that video really is for the client. As you can see from this screenshot http://screencast.com/t/LnvfIgTWkSf the video is only averaging a little over 1 click a day.... At least he's not being dishonest by artificially inflating the views via a $5 Fiverr gig. I guess some people will call the number without viewing the video and with a whisper message alerting the company that the call is coming from that number they would be inclined to keep paying as long as they are receiving a new lead daily. But any good street canvasser can produce far better results by going door to door setting appointments for a closer to do the free estimate setup and then the inevitable phone drop close.

Cheers,
Steve

Re: Hey Sows! Here's MY "Retirement" program
 

Hi Don,
LindaC here.

Thanks, for sharing with other Sowpubers.
Don't know much about your idea at present but always willing to learn.

Again, thanks for sharing.

My Best 2 U,
LindaC

Re: Hey Sows! Here's MY "Retirement" program
 

Here' s has been my experience with Video Marketing:

Clients either just don't get or they want the listing for next to nothing.
I never come anywhere near the 1k a month fee per client and i have
listings in the top 50 Cities in the U.S. by population.

It is not that hard to rank a video on the first page( thou it is getting more so everyday) Google has just gotten a bit more seletive on what vids it will
allow on the first page. Basiclly if there is no video on the first page it is going to be an uphill battle, however still very doable to get to the first page.

I know Mark brought a lot of his stuff and am a member of his Facebook group(which is even less active then this forum) and quite frankly Mark has good stuff, it just has
not worked for me as it was orginially pitched.

What is working is giving the lead to the company and taking a piece of the
action. Anywere from 10-20%.

Re: Hey Sows! Here's MY "Retirement" program
 

Hi Cash4notes,
LindaC here.

Could you please add a little more to your post concerning taking a piece of the action?
¡What are we talking in terms of dollars and cents?

My Best 2 U,
LindaC

Thanks for the further explanation... It's brilliant!
 

Hi Don,

Thanks for the further explanation. I have no doubt that this will help some people gain greater "independence" over their lives if they apply the idea...!

I get it. That's really clever! I think it's a pretty "fool-proof" way to get clients, as long as you have a high search engine ranking with your video!

Thanks again, Don, for sharing this. In my opinion, the way you've set it up (with the redirected phone number) is really quite brilliant!

Best wishes,

Dien

Re: Hey Sows! Here's MY "Retirement" program
 

Hi Steve,

I noticed that (for "Tampa windows") the phone number is right on the "G" search engine listing (it's actually there twice - in the "headline" and also in the "body"), so people don't even need to click on the link or watch the video in order to call the phone number...

Best wishes,

Dien

Re: Hey Sows! Here's MY "Retirement" program
 

Hi Sowpubers,
LindaC. here.

Would greatly appreciate your thoughts/comments concerning this model that Don has chosen as a retirement vehicle.

My Best 2 U,
LindaC

Re: Hey Sows! Here's MY "Retirement" program
 

Hi Dien and Don!

This is a great model to offer local businesses. One other thing to keep in mind: you can direct all the leads possible to a business, just make SURE when they get the lead, that the person answering the phone, the FIRST contact, is trained well to convert or qualify even further. That is pivotal or else our effort is for nothing.

Rick

Re: Hey Sows! Here's MY "Retirement" program
 

Well .. gosh .. still sounds like a great program if you ONLY earned $100 a month


thanks for posting Don

Re: Hey Sows! Here's MY "Retirement" program
 

Hi Rick,
LindaC. here.

Thanks for your suggestion/advice. Will keep it in mind.

My Best. 2 U,
LindaC

Re: Hey Sows! Here's MY "Retirement" program
 

Hello, Linda
You would just want to get a piece of the actual deal instead of just selling a lead for $25, if you makes a sale @ $2,000 you get a piece @ 10% so that
instead of making $25 you made $200.

Re: Hey Sows! Here's MY "Retirement" program
 

Hi cash4more,
LindaC here.

Thanks for your post. The reason I'm interested in this
method is last year I had medical bills that totaled over
$200 thousand dollars.

So, this method (if it works) could be the financial medicine
I need.

My Best 2 U,
LindaC

Re: Hey Sows! Here's MY "Retirement" program
 

Hello, Linda
You would just want to get a piece of the actual deal instead of just selling a lead for $25, if you makes a sale @ $2,000 you get a piece @ 10% so that
instead of making $25 you made $200.

Re: Hey Sows! Here's MY "Retirement" program
 

Hey Linda...sorry to hear about your "medical" situation....NO! I REALLY AM!

In fact it was one of my buddies who, recently discovered, he has a "Medical Condition" which has already cost a bundle and more to come.

His wonderful wife contacted me and relayed the info. So....THIS prompted me to look into :

"HOW TO MAKE A "QUICK" 100k...AND MORE!...WITHOUT SPENDING MORE THAN $100!"

Well...I've been my own "boss" my whole life and I have been successful in;
1) Finding what people WANT
and then...
2) Finding a way to ...SELL them....what they WANT!

So....here we are in April of the year 2013. Take a look around. WHAT does your Dentist WANT! What does your Insurance Agent WANT! What does ANYONE in a business or profession WANT?

Yup Linda! YOU are a pretty Moxey Gal! And....you're right! They want MORE business!

Well....how can little ol' YOU....sell them what they WANT?

So...taking a look at what's happening in our country TODAY....April 10. 2013!

EXample: This morn my neighbor goes out to start his car and....NOTHING!! No Spark...NO sense of LIFE in the engine! So...he brings out a little plastic box from his shirt pocket....clicks around and finds a listing of local Auto Repair shops.

However...as I am getting into MY vehicle...I hear his VAIN attempts at trying to get his engine to turn over and....I yell over, "Hey Randy! Dial up Mobile Tune! They'll be over in a few minutes and can help you!"

So...he does! And...as I stand there, waiting to enter MY vehicle....waiting to see if he needs any assistance from me....in a few seconds, he looks over at me, gives a BIG Smile and a "Thumbs UP!"

Now....what you just witnessed was the "Modern-day"! A few yrs ago... Randy would have gone back inside his home....asked his wifee WHERE is the "Lousy" YELLOW PAGES? (Sorry, I got carried away. Randy is NOT that kinda guy)....then....flipped thru the pages under "Auto Repair" and found a whole bunch of full page, 1/2 page, 1/4 page ADS AND....lots of other Text Listings....chose one....gave them a call....etc!

Thus....we are NOW in the "Modern-Day" MOST business people realize that "Phone Books" have become a thing of the past.

So....why not provide a Service to businesses and Medicos that make THEM, STAND OUT LIKE A SORE THUMB! So THEY....are able to be FOUND....more easily and....as a result, get MORE calls?

MY "solution" is to provide an "instantly recognizable" BENEFIT to MY prospects!...causing them to instantly REALIZE; HEY! HOLY CAMOLY! I HAVE GOT TO GRAB THIS....NOW! I DON'T CARE WHAT THE COST!

So....Linda....I don't know what town you're in but, your "homework" for tonight is to...."Google"...."Dentist (town name)" or ...."Plumber (town name)" etc....

What you wil see, on the 1st page (forget about ANY listings after the 1st page, they are DEAD!"....is some "Paid" listings on top, then 3 listings (usually Directory things) then 7 more Biz listings HOWEVER....just take a minute to rear your head back and look at this page!

ALL you see is a bunch of TEXT! Nothing....that GRABS your eyeballs and give them a reason to FOCUS IN on a particular listing! NOTHING!

Now...as an example; go up to the Google box and type in "Tampa Windows" and when the screen comes up.....THINK about what you are looking at! (Pretend you are someone in Tampa FL interested in "windows" for their home)

Do YOU think....if YOU were living in Tampa....that YOU and MOST people interested in "Windows" would click on the box with the Full Color?

You betcha!

So....the people who are NOW providing these "Full Color Thumbnails" for certain KeyWords....are "naming their own numbers"!

YOU....dear Linda....NOW have a way to make some BIG Money...providing businesses, professionals and medicos with what they WANT!....MORE BUSINESS!

Sure...it's gonna take some digging and research and figuring (Hey! WE ALL had to go thru our own..."Due Diligence")....it's NOW your turn!

Do your DUE DILIGENCE! (That's what is STILL Great about our Country) And....(my suggestion)...do NOT WAIT until YOU feel you have ALL the info to get going! Screw It! Just "fumble forward"! GET STARTED! DO SOMETHING! Make contact with people who can write you a check!

Sure enuff....many...in the beginning will give you a "Raft of Crap"! DON'T let that phase you! Just count it off as part of your "Education"!

And....I guarantee....after making contact with potential "Check-Writers" ther WILL come a time when you will realize..."HEY! I GOT IT!"

So....Dear Linda....I do not have a "magic wand" I can wave over your head and say, "Here it is! Linda! On a Silver Platter!"

Nope! THIS is probaly the BEST marketing things I've seen in my many years and....I had to do MY "due deligence" before I realized I GOT IT!

Thus....my BEST to you and ....providing businesses, professionals and medicos with MORE BUSINESS....using THIS technique is worth EVERY MINUTE yoo spend on "Learning It"!

Don Alm.....STILL Learning

Re: Hey Sows! Here's MY "Retirement" program
 

Hello Don,
LindaC here.

Thank you, so very much for you taking your time to
Post such a wonderful and encouring post.

I plan on going forward with your model and seeing
it through to the bank.

Thank you once again for your words of encouragement.

My Best 2 U.
LindaC

Re: Hey Sows! Here's MY "Retirement" program
 

What got me started on this last year was a program by "Aaron Kay" called "Simple Video Domination".

Go to the "Warriors Forum" and put his name into the "Search Box".

I think it was around $10 for the report. He also provides Templates for making the Videos for 10 niche markets. Get those too. (I'm not affiliated)

He suggests you pick a KeyWord (Tampa Roofer or Roofer Tampa)....make the video using Windows Movie Maker (I like PhotoStory3 because of the "Zoom" feature) ....just a simple 5 or 6 pages and you provide the background music (You can use YouTube's music selection)

Upload to your YouTube Channel then follow Aaron's instructions as to what to put into the Description (make sure KeyWord is entered 4 times) and Tags (Just use, "Tampa Roofer Roofer Tampa") and....get "Views" and "BackLinks". Also go to "BulkPing.com"...."mass-ping.com" and "PingFarm.com".

Now...depending on your area, your Video should be on the 1st page of G within a few minutes or at most a few hrs.

Oh....try and choose a Thumbnail with a "Person" in it.

Then...when you Video is on Page One....phone the businesses in THAT niche. Tell them to Google "Tampa Roofer" and take a look at your Video. Tell them THEY could be there collecting all those Leads.

Aaron suggests staring with $100/mo which is OK. As you get better and have more clients you can charge more, especially with High-Ticket biz. You could also charge an initial "Video Fee" like $297.

Also....you don't have to give ONE Roofer the entire area. Make a Video for each Town with it's own KeyWords (Suburb1 Roofer, Suburb2 Roofer, etc) with a different Thumbnail for each. That way you could have 5 or 6 Roofers paying you each month...or ONE paying you for each Town.

And....you could offer discounts for 6 mos in advance (knock off 1 pmt) or 12 mos and pay for 10 (knock off 2 mos)

Anyway....the idea is to get competing businesses to SEE your Video sitting there on Page One and let their "Greed Glands" go to work.

My best to you,
Don Alm

Ohhh a Warrior who also has a Great Course on this and Videos that have Voice Overs is "David Cisneros"....and "Nick Mann" (or he might go by "Nick Mancuso")

Re: Hey Sows! Here's MY "Retirement" program
 

Hi Don,
LindaC here.

Wow Don! Thank you so very much for all the
information you provided in your post.

Over the Years I have purchased online materials that didn't
Provide half as much lnformation as your post does.

Thanks once more for your help.

My Best 2 U,
LindaC

Re: Hey Sows! Here's MY "Retirement" program
 

I agree with getting a piece of the deal but how do you guarantee you will get your cut.

Re: Hey Sows! Here's MY "Retirement" program
 

Yup....if you put the "Keyword" AND a "Call To Action" along with the Phone #....IN THE TITLE....many consumers will just Phone The Number and NOT watch the video.

Don Alm

Re: Hey Sows! Here's MY "Retirement" program
 

Hi SowPubers,
LindaC here.

Just wanted to ask, is anyone else looking to retire
and if so are you using Don's method?

Would greatly appreciate hearing from you.

If you're not comfortable with posting here send
me a private message.

My Best 2 U,
LindaC

Warning...
 

I have already been "on the case" on this technique for quite a while (WAY before this thread started).
I have many of the needed components up 'n running.

My warning is, it is quite possible to successfully rank a video VERY, VERY high (ie: perfectly),
and STILL have NO ONE view the vid, and NO ONE call the number (even though the phone number
IS visible without the video actually being viewed -- as Don rightfully advises).

In other words, it is perfectly possible to "bat 1,000," and STILL "strike out"!!

As Ron LeGrand says, "How do I know this?!?"

Cheers!

-- TW

Re: Hey Sows! Here's MY "Retirement" program
 

Hi TW,

What service are you targeting? Is it in a town/city with a high population?

Rick -- Yes, city w/ big population - niche is MAJOR home improvement sector...
 

It took quite a bit of "voo doo" to rank the video (LOTS of competition) -- also took a lot of time for google to settle it at the high position I am now "enjoying." But NO calls, or views -- go figure.

-- TW

PS: Don't get me wrong -- I am still gonna plow forward and create + rank SIXTY such videos (same niche, different cities). Overall hope/goal is to get the 60 vids to AVERAGE 10 leads @ $50 each, per video. That's my "kick B of A in the nuts" plan. = $30K/mo.

I hope that this 1st attempt is NOT typical!!!

Re: Hey Sows! Here's MY "Retirement" program
 

Wow. Interesting. I have just started working in the lawyer niche.

Keep us posted on your progress. I hope your hard work and persistence pays off.

Rick

Re: Rick -- Yes, city w/ big population - niche is MAJOR home improvement sector...
 

Why?

Work backwards. Find the hungry crowd first. If you find there is no demand, then creating 60 videos is just an unprofitable learning curve.

Re: Hey Sows! Here's MY "Retirement" program
 

TW....Holy Camoly!

Don't charge "per Lead"! Takes too much of your time. Charge a Flat Fee per month! and....if your Renter does not believe he's getting a good ROI, replace him!

And re: getting a Top Spot for a good Keyword and getting NO Views or NO click thrus????? Hard to believe.

Google "Tampa Windows"!

What do you see?

Right now my friend Mark Helton has his Video Thumbnail in the 2nd Spot BUT, which result do you think most people googling "Tampa Windows" would click on?

Go over to "Warriors Forum"....click on "Search" and type in "Mark Helton" and buy EVERY WSO the guy is selling! The guy is the "Real Thing"! Especially do a Search for his "Competition Crusher " program where he shows you how to get Paying Clients by emailing them Videos!

Don Alm

Re: Hey Sows! Here's MY "Retirement" program
 

Hello Linda:

I am wondering how you are doing with this business model now that it is five months later. Could you give us an update?

Thanks,
Bill

Re: Rick -- Yes, city w/ big population - niche is MAJOR home improvement sector...
 

Hi TW:

It is now four and a half months after you wrote this post. How mush progress have you made towards your goal of creating and ranking 60 of these videos? Have you been getting calls and clients. Could you give us an update?

Thanks,
Bill

FREE photos
 

So, what is a free photo site? Most do claim rights to their photos...

Eva

Royalty-free photos for fun and profit!
 

Hi Eva,

There are various places where you can get royalty-free photos. That means that you can use these photos for advertising, in your products, etc., legally, without having to pay a licensing fee.

Sometimes you may have to pay an initial fee to download the photo, but there are no further fees you need to pay to use the photo.

A popular site (which I've used before) to find these kinds of photos is www.iStockPhoto.com . Use their search box on their front page to find relevant photos (you have to pay to download the photos on that site, though).

For example, the following one-page website is one I'm involved with - the photo on that site is a stock photo (disclosure: I make a profit if you buy from the following website)...

http://www.artofleverage.com

There's a list of free websites where you can get free royalty-free photos here...

http://www.seabreezecomputers.com/tips/freeimages.htm

Best wishes!

Dien

Re: Hey Sows! Here's MY "Retirement" program
 

Thank you, will take a look,

Eva