If I showed you a way to make a dollar, would you give me back a quarter?

I tried that with an old employer that owned a school. I wanted to give him some ads etc to improve his business. I only wanted 10% of what I brought in. He said I wanted to own the business. He had tunnel vision. Because he is so dishonest he still runs a school but it is dying every day. He does institutional ads which are killing him.

People won't do it for the most part. And when it works they will start not wanting to pay when all the money starts coming in.

People are strange.

If someone what 50% of selling my products I would gladly give them that.

I love affiliates that give that much away. I am an affiliate for Jim Straws great stuff.

you aren't getting it. The answer to the challenge is not breaking pencils under a desk or "who-what-where-when-why-how".

Let me clarify the question, "What specific actions would you take to increase the sales of any business so that you could get a share in the firms' additional profits?"

For example: Take a jeweller, and describe exactly what you would do for him to build his business. Remember, you are working on a contingency basis - no additional profits - no pay for you!

Your turn,
Jim

Hello,

The report of actual profits can be easily manipulated.

Let's say I add $1,000 to the owner's profits, and then
the owner decides to change the
lease of HIS company car from $500 to $1,500 per month,
That would reduce the net profits in $1,000.

My share of the additional profit? Zero.

Years ago I tried taking a share from the top, gross revenues.
And even that is risky. This guy was hiding $40K
in increased revenues until I did a major research of his books.
It is not worth the hassle.

Best,

Frank Pansini

1) Agreement/terms... I'd sign an agreement.

2) Tag/funnel incoming biz so it's obvious which new biz is coming from my efforts.

3) I'd do a who-what-where-when-why-how survey of their existing + previous customers to find out WHO they are and how to reach more of them.

I'd do a who-what-where-when-why-how survey of their existing + previous customers to find out to find out ALL the reasons they bought - from THEIR perspective -- so I could use those appeals in future marketing.

I'd do a who-what-where-when-why-how survey of thier existing + previous NON-customers (the people who DIDN'T buy after all) to find out who THEY are and what THEY have in common.

I'd do a who-what-where-when-why-how survey of thier existing + previous NON-customers (the people who DIDN'T buy after all) to find out ALL the reasons they DIDN'T buy -- from their perspective -- so I could eliminate those drawbacks in future marketing.

I'd reseach what was and was not working in their existing mrktng efforts.

I'd REcontact ALL their previous customers with a SPECIFIC offer.

I'd REcontact ALL their previous NON-customers with a SPECIFIC offer.

I'd institute a referral generating SYSTEM that works the same every time.

I'd institute a testimonial generating SYSTEM that works the same every time.

I'd MASSIVELY *USE* the resulting testimonials.

I'd test different benefits + appeals.

I'd test different offers + packages.

I'd test different headlines.

I'd try direct mail.

I'd try telemarketing.

I'd try joint venturing.

I'd try cross-promotion.

And... I would try all that -- but not necessarily in that order.

The main/first thing I'd do is REcontact ALL previous customers with a SPECIFIC offer. That, and joint venturing.

Cheers!

-- TW

Before you discount my assertion about the who-what, etc. survey/research aspect... please keep in mind that, imo, it is IMPOSSIBLE to 'increase' the incoming business without FIRST doing the research needed --- like:

A who-what-where-when-why-how survey of their existing + previous customers to find out WHO they are and how to reach more of them.

A who-what-where-when-why-how survey of their existing + previous customers to find out to find out ALL the reasons they bought - from THEIR perspective -- so I could use those appeals in future marketing.

A who-what-where-when-why-how survey of thier existing + previous NON-customers (the people who DIDN'T buy after all) to find out who THEY are and what THEY have in common.

A who-what-where-when-why-how survey of thier existing + previous NON-customers (the people who DIDN'T buy after all) to find out ALL the reasons they DIDN'T buy -- from their perspective -- so I could eliminate those drawbacks in future marketing.

And: reseach what was and was not working in their existing mrktng efforts.

Otherwise you are floundering around in the dark!

By the way here is an emergency london plumber site provided..Hope it would be an interesting stuff for you...

Wow! That "Masterfix" site is "inspirational" (to me, anyway)

Even though the Real Estate market is way down, people are still buying houses.

So....why not set up a "Local Contractor's Directory" where you list the same Categories shown in "MasterFix".

You could list 2 Contractors in each Category.

Charge them $500 a month.

Now...here's how you can command that much;
1) Get a list of "Home Buyers" each month
2) Send them a Large PostCard that has a "Welcome To Your New Home" and your "Contractor's Directory URL"....along with a "$50" discount coupon that can be used towards any service from any participating contractor.
3) Set up a Sample website similar to MasterFix.
4) Call local contractors in each category and tell them your program.

You would also place ads in the local newspaper and even send postcards to existing homes.

20 Contractors paying $500/mo = $10,000 PER MONTH!

Feasible?

Can this be done in our Recession? Hey! Some of these people are going out of biz BUT...many are staying in and the ones who KNOW the importance of MARKETING....will participate.

Heck....for a Roofer....just one $20,000 job would keep him happy.

Worth considering.

Don Alm...."idea-guy"

Originally Posted by Jim Bettke

Let me clarify the question, "What specific actions would you take to increase the sales of any business so that you could get a share in the firms' additional profits?"

For example: Take a jeweller, and describe exactly what you would do for him to build his business. Remember, you are working on a contingency basis - no additional profits - no pay for you!

Your turn,
Jim

Greetings Jim,

Here is some action I would take.

When I think of jewelry, I think of my wife and 4 daughters. They love to look at it, wear it and show it off. So my target market is women and teenage girls.

I would ask the jeweller to give me 10 steps to proper jewelry cleaning. Then I would put together a 10 steps jewelry hotsheet, on the care and cleaning of jewelry, whether costume or genuine.

I would probably call it "10 STEPS TO FANTASTIC LOOKING JEWELRY!"

At the bottom or back of the hotsheet I would have a coupon for a free lesson, at the store, on cleaning jewelry properly or a 10% discount on the purchase of jewelry over $250. Of course address and phone number of the store would be printed on the hotsheet.

Next, I would open the yellow pages, and start looking at the different catagory titles. I would make note of those titles that cater primarily to women and teenage girls. In those particular catagories I would write down their physical addresses.

Once I exhausted the phone book, I would print out my hotsheets, and then one by one I would stop at each location. I would introduce myself and the business I represent.

Then I would ask them if I could leave a stack of my hotsheets on "10 STEPS TO FANTASTIC LOOKING JEWELRY!" and in turn I would offer to give them a free lesson, by cleaning one of their rings and demostrating the 10 steps.

When one of their customers picks up one of my hotsheets, then the person I gave a free lesson to, can give a first hand account of what I do and what to expect when they come to the jeweller for their free lesson.

To make sure there is a valuable incentive in place, for the contact person to want to tell others, I would let each contact person I spoke with and did a free cleaning for, that if they were to refer someone to us, and it resulted in giving a free in store lesson or purchase of jewelry, they would be given a 20% discount on their next purchase of jewelry over $500. That's a $100 savings on their next purchase.

Woody Quiñones
ImpactYourArea.com
PS. At the link below, I have a Seeds of Wisdom New Forum special going on.

I got the store owner to give me the names of 3 of his most influential clients. The first one I contacted was a lawyer and I explained to him that his friend in the jewellery store wanted to offer his clients a great gift. I then showed the lawyer a letter that I had written to 'his' clients that expressed his 'Thanks' for their past patronage. The letter further went on to say that the lawyer was expressing his 'Thanks' with a special $50.00 gift certificate at ABC Jewels.

The lawyer wins because he is actually thanking his clients by sending out the gift certificates. The jeweller wins because he gets an endorsement from an influential third party and gets access to many new customers.

Given the large markup in the jewellery business, the jeweller was only spending between $15 and $20 to acquire a new customer and the majority of the purchases were considerably larger than $50 - often resulting in a profitable sale! The jeweller understands the 'lifetime value of a customer' concept and he knows that these new clients will spend thousands of dollars in his store in the next few years. He is building his mailing list and plans on selling to these customers again and again.

This first promotion was just a test and it was very sucessful. We are working with the jewellers accountant now.

Jim

Wow!
Another of many great ideas that can be only found here.
So many times I come here and find, besides all the great ideas, something that is so timely to my own situation.
I have a situation that I came here to ask about and this thread is so related.
I won't hijack this one but will post a new one.
Thank you.
Larry Foster