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

In one of his many books, Jay Abraham asks this question. The idea behind it is quite simple. Most business owners and professionals know a great deal about their industry and their business in particular - but very little re. marketing that business.

Abraham's premise is that he can develop profitable leads (for almost any business) and then share in the profits. That way he assumes all the risk. After all, what business owner wouldn't give you a quarter if you made him a dollar?

So, here is the challenge. Pick any business and explain how you could make them a 'dollar'. Could you do it for a dentist, chiropractor, furniture store etc?
Are you up for the challenge?

Jim

Should be phrased to portray that the "J.A." in the equation will be doing all the work!

The 'challenge' you describe isn't much of a challenge.

It's almost too easy.

Click here to see an example of WHY it's too easy...

http://www.marketingbestpractices.co....cgi?read=2373

Cheers!

-- TW

PS: Here's something (below) I posted on another board a few years ago (please excuse the all caps + ranting) -- but it DOES illustrate why this 'challenge' isn't really a challenge at all...

When I go out on marketing consultations, I get frustrated seeing so many small biz owners saying "We need maketing help, we need marketing help, we need marketing help!!!"

Then, when you examine the situation by SIMPLY seeing if they are FIRST doing the VERY BASICS -- it turns out, they're not even doing 'DA BASICS!!!'

They're on the (desperate) look out for some new, trendy, slick, instant, hip, happnin', snappy REINVENTION of the "marketing wheel." But, they are attempting to REINVENT the wheel, without having ANY CLUE what that (original, simple, boring, EFFECTIVE) wheel was/is, in the first place!!

It's MIND BOGGLING!

Sample scenario...

Have you done a who-what-where-when-why-how survey of your existing + previous customers to find out WHO they are and how to reach more of them?

Ummm, no we haven't.

Have you done a who-what-where-when-why-how survey of your existing + previous customers to find out to find out ALL the reasons they bought from you - from THEIR perspective -- so you can use those appeals in future marketing?

Ummm, no we haven't.

Have you done a who-what-where-when-why-how survey of your existing + previous NON-customers (the people who DIDN'T buy after all) to find out who THEY are and what THEY have in common?

Ummm, no we haven't.

Have you done a who-what-where-when-why-how survey of your existing + previous NON-customers (the people who DIDN'T buy after all) to find out ALL the reasons they DIDN'T buy -- form their perspective -- so you can eliminate those drawbacks in future marketing?

Ummm, no we haven't.

(Here's my personal favorite) When someone contacts you, do you ask "How did you hear of us?"

Ummm, no we don't. (That one just KILLLLLLLLLS me!!!!)

Have you REcontacted ALL your previous customers?

Ummm, no we haven't.

Have you REcontacted ALL your previous NON-customers?

Ummm, no we haven't.

Can you even ACCESS your list of previous customers fairly easily?

Ummm, no we can't.

Can you even ACCESS your list of previous NON-custoemrs fairly easily.

Ummmm, no we can't 'cause we routinely throw that info away(!)

Do you have a referral generating SYSTEM in place that works the same every time?

Ummm, no we don't.

Do you have a testimonial generating SYSTEM that workd the same every time?

Ummm, no we don't.

What do you *DO* with testimonials when/if you DO get them? -- ANYTHING?

Ummm, no we don't.

Have you tested different benefits + appeals?

Ummm, no we haven't

Have you tested different offers + packages?

Ummm, no we haven't.

Have you tested different headlines?

Ummm, no we haven't

Have you tried direct mail?

Ummm, no we haven't.

Have you tried telemarketing?

Ummm, no we haven't.

Have you tried joint venturing?

Ummm, no we haven't.

Have you tried cross-promotion?

Ummm, no we haven't.


***************************************

....and that's just the FIRST FIVE MINUTES!

The list goes ON + ON + ON + ON!

Meanwhile, I'm smiling weakly ask I ask all these questions through increasingly clenched teeth, as I am secret breaking several pencils under the table.

Can you see how frustrating it is when a client INSISTS the marketing "solution" is to get a new LOGO??????????

... AND YET they HAVE *NOT* covered ANY of these total BASICS first!!!

A new logo (for instance), might be a good marketing asset. But PLEASE, for GOD SAKE... do the very BASICS... FIRST!

Then... AFTER you THOROUGHLY *COVER* "DA BASICS," ... THEN *AND ONLY THEN* -- move on to the snazzy, sexy, experimental, envelope-pushing, wacky, trendy marketing "fads."

Sorry to rant so much... it's just frustrating... 'cause all this stuff is soooooo obvious.

EVEN IF you don't KNOW the basics... in my mind, that's no excuse! -- If you don't know the basics ... and you go about the task of improving your marketing, WOULDN'T/SHOULDN'T your FIRST question be "OK, I don't really know what I'm doing, so let's see what THE BASICS ARE first???"

You'd THINK so, wouldn't you!

And, conversely, if you *DO* know what DA BASICS are, and you're STILL not doing 'em -- all I can say is "AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

I am PASSIONATE about marketing!

If you're gonna do it -- I say EAT YOUR MARKETING VEGETABLES FIRST, BEFORE TRYING TO "PLAY" WITH DESSERT!!!

Please don't get me wrong...

I am NOT assuming that all of you reading this have not covered all the basics -- but I'm pretty sure that SOME of you are not covering SOME of the basics! (Remember, the above list is INCOMPLETE.)

If you are reading this, please be aware that you can "see" me, but I can't "see" you -- so I admit, I have NO IDEA what YOUR individual, current, marketing situation is.

I'm just tellin' you why I get soooo frustrated sometimes and start to rant.

Not excusin' it -- just explainin' it.

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.