Carol Bentley

Well the result is in. Ed, who acted as my independent judge, has now chosen the question he felt was the one that best matched his judging criteria, although all the questions submitted gave us food for thought.

Was it your question? Or was it one that makes you think “That’s a good question - I’d like to know the answer to that as well!”

Ed’s judging criteria was:

• Does the question appeal to a wide business audience?
• Is it a question many people are probably asking? If not, is it something they should be asking?
• Is it a question he might have asked?

Here’s the entry that Ed chose:

Many small businesses are started by someone technically good at what they do, but not that hot on running a business. When are they better off writing “DIY” copy, and when should they outsource with an expert? As a rider to that, how should they (in your opinion) select a copy writer to work with?

This was Ed’s comment:

“Great question – and a tick in all the boxes of my judging criteria. THIS IS MY FAVOURITE because so many businesses need to know when to DIY or outsource, (How WHO and where) outsourcing, when to pay a little or a lot, split testing different copywriters’ material versus your own etc etc. GREAT question.”

It was sent in by John Holder from Ruskin Information Services. Congratulations John, here’s what you’ve won…

The unabridged audio programme of my book on 3 high-quality CDs, plus a bonus Data CD containing additional document examples, checklists, a searchable PDF version of the book and more.

You also get an A5 workbook, with the PDF on the bonus CD so you can print out another workbook to help you with each of your writing projects.

I’m sure it will prove to be a valuable tool in your business.

Your prize will soon be rushed out to you for you to enjoy.

I’ll be posting my reply to this thought-provoking question later this week. Look out for the email announcing the post titled When is DIY writing best

Thank you for sending your questions in, even if you didn’t win the prize I trust you found my advice helpful.

~ Carol Bentley

technorati tags: copywriters outsourcing sales letters

In a previous post ( 4 easy steps to authorship) I explained how a tips booklet can be used as a highly effective marketing tool. A comment on that post asked about PDF (e-books) and how they fared. It is a valid question, especially with so many businesses expanding their web presence.

Creating and gifting a PDF tips booklet, report, ‘how to’ manual or book containing any valuable information is a proven method of attracting subscribers and enquiries via a web site. I have done that myself with free e-business reports and e-articles in the past.

I also know, as I’m sure you do too, many people who have successfully promoted their business purely through e-books.

The only caveat to a PDF is that it is relatively easy to create and is very inexpensive to produce and put out into the market place. Nothing wrong with that… except that in some circumstances the quality of content and presentation may not be as good as in a published document.

And for some reason people’s perception of someone who has actually written and published a book - is an author - is quite different to any other sort of writer (at least that seems to be the case here in the UK).

So although the PDF allows you to get good and useful information out to your prospects, I personally don’t think it gives you quite the same kudos as being a published author.

What I do recommend is that when you print-publish a booklet or book, consider creating a PDF version too and think about how it can be used creatively to improve your market strength.

And of course, once you have got a book (or books) published you can certainly just use PDF e-books to distribute further material or new books, as Steven King has done.

Now - this is my personal view of the reasons for publishing a book. What do you think? Do you have a very different experience you would like to share?

~ Carol Bentley

technorati tags: copywriting business tips marketing

Within a business there are frequent occasions when a word of thanks is appropriate - and I’ll be giving you my thanks a little later in this post. But first, I want to tell you about an inspired way of saying ‘thank you’ that makes your company more memorable, whether the thanks are to customers, business colleagues or a member of staff.

Many business owners are astute enough to realise that expressing thanks for business; for referrals and recommendations; for a job well done by a supplier; for an excellent result achieved by an employee is good business practice. It is also a canny marketing activity; showing you appreciate your clients and the support they give by buying from you.

How you express your thanks gives a different perception of your company; it’s where attention to detail counts. So what are the ways you can show your appreciation - and how can you do it successfully without it becoming a burden on your budget or time?

• Send an ordinary email of thanks - this doesn’t take much time and is certainly better than not doing anything; but I don’t think it will really make you stand out

• Organise an impressive e-card (take a look at http://www.jacquielawson.com). These are beautiful animated e-cards, but if the person you are thanking has a spam filtering system in place the notification email may not reach him (or her) or he may not collect the card - it does need some effort on his part.

• Give a small gift of thanks - depending upon what you are expressing appreciation of, that may be appropriate.

• Write a personal letter of thanks. This does take more effort and for some people it can take considerable time, thinking of how to word the letter. Not everyone is comfortable about putting their thoughts into writing.

• Snail-mail a postcard. Although this is a little different, it’s not very private and may not be appropriate in certain circumstances.

• Post a ‘Thank You’ greeting card - this is the inspired method I want to tell you more about. You see, at first glance it may seem as though it takes as much effort, if not more, than some of the suggestions above. But I found a brilliant website that sends a high quality card, complete with your personal message. The cards are sent from the US but, with the current exchange rates, the postage equates to little more than it would cost to send from the UK.

There is an incredible choice of card designs and the whole process takes just a couple of minutes. Take a look at http://www.sendoutcards.com where, for those extra special occasions, they can even add a gift (but before you do that, have a look at my ‘Thank You’ message below). I tested this service myself and can definitely confirm the high quality of the card that is supplied.

Marketing Thought: if you decide to use these cards as an alternative way of delivering your marketing message then the foreign postage frank may act in your favour if you are sending to UK addresses. It may intrigue your prospect enough to open the envelope - which is the first step we are aiming to achieve. It is something that might be worth testing.

My Thanks to You

I have two Thank You’s to say:

First: I’d like to say Thank You for the questions that have been sent in. There have been some very interesting topics brought up. Some of the questions have already been posted with answers, others - that are available for ‘public view’ - will be added over the next week or so.

The questions have now been sent over to Ed for his independent selection of the best one submitted. Whoever sent in the winning question gets the prize I offered in Monday’s post.

If you sent a question in, look out for the judge’s choice in a post later this week.

Second: Even if you didn’t have a question you wanted answering, the support you show by visiting, reading and recommending my blog is really appreciated. Which is why I’m always looking out for more information or resources that will help you in your business. That’s why I suggested visiting the SendOutCards website.

And whilst looking, one of the distinct advantages of interacting on the web is you come across some very nice people. And Martin Russell is one of those (check out his Word of Mouth Magic blog, it’s listed in the blog roll).

Martin has very generously said that visitors from this blog can test out 3 cards from his SendOutCards service at his expense. This gives you the opportunity to experience the service and test the quality for yourself. Simply go to Martin’s Offer (http://www.WordofMouthMagic.com/card)

What other ways of saying ‘Thank You’ have you used or experienced? Will you use the comment (it may show as No Comments to start) link below to share ideas with other readers? Thanks.

~ Carol Bentley

Breaking into larger organisations can be extremely frustrating as the question sent in by Tony Clarke, Fuel Dynamics Ltd indicated:

“I want to do business with every Housing Association in the UK. I somehow or other have to ‘get to’ their chief purchasing officers.

My experience is that because I’m only a small business they will not work with me. They will, it appears, only deal with ‘big’ companies who they know and have a strong market presence.

Letters do not work even to the right man. Phone calls are never put through. Faxes, which I’ve found effective in some situations, don’t get a response.

Maybe you have some tips for me and some of your other readers on how to deal with these very powerful people. They rule the roost and even their MD’s give them a free hand in terms of control.

It’s an interesting dilemma for me.”

A: Changing the perception your target prospect has of you is key to getting that door open. And it takes more than letters, emails or faxes that introduce your company and the service or products you offer.

Sometimes you have to approach it from a completely different angle. So let me start by asking you some questions; see if they give you any ideas…

• Do you give the impression of being a small company? Check your image, both in terms of presentation - from your business card up - and what happens if anyone does attempt to contact you. Do you have an answer phone or are calls always answered personally?

For example; many years ago when I was the sole representative of my company I made absolutely sure that anyone contacting me got a very favourable impression. I engaged a telephone answering service that offered a good personalised service; they didn’t have a lot of other calls being answered in the background and knew that they must never, under any circumstances let on that they were a telephone answering service.

It worked, because one of my clients who I had worked with for some years, expressed surprise when he discovered that I didn’t have an army of people behind me.

Now, the important thing is I did not deceive my client; he never asked about the size of my company - he just assumed that my company was large because the phone was always answered by a variety of different people whenever he rang; there was no voice mail or answerphone. And of course, he received superb service so had no reason to doubt my company’s ability to look after him.

• Who, in the organisation, uses what you offer? Does the person (or people) who would benefit most from your product or service have any influence on the CPO? Could you recruit them as ambassadors for you and your company?

• What challenges are the CPO’s facing that your product or service could help with?

• Do you have expert knowledge that would help him in his job, without actually selling him anything? Advice freely given makes you more memorable than competitors who are only looking for the sale.

• Do you have a valuable, content-rich report, booklet (or book) you can send as a gift. It would have to deliver exceptional value; not just mundane ‘facts & figures’ he can get from anywhere.

• Have you thought about writing and publishing a book? Doing so positions you as the expert. It adds gravitas to your reputation and when you send it as a gift it raises the barrier for you; makes you stand out from the competition. And crafting a book is not as difficult as it may first seem.

• Do you have case-studies from other organisations that demonstrate innovative approaches to solving the problems the Housing Associations CPO’s face? Collate them into a report; make sure you get permission to use the stories and check exactly how much detail your customers are happy for you to reveal.

• Do any of your present or past satisfied customers know the people you are trying to reach. Would they be prepared to recommend you, or write a letter of endorsement?

• Are you well known within your industry? If your prospect recognises your name as an industry expert he is more likely to give you time to talk.  Apart from publishing a book you can achieve this by getting articles printed in the trade publications he is likely to read.  Send letters to the editor with interesting ‘industry specific’ points.  Do not make even the slightest attempt to advertise or sell your product or company.  The editor is highly unlikely to print your letter if you do, which defeats the whole purpose of writing.

Enhancing your reputation within your industry works in your favour, even if you don’t own the company you work for.

If any of the writing activities phases you then hire a ghost writer to create the material for you.

Like any large organisation, selling to a Housing Association needs a different approach. Don’t ’sell’ - offer powerful advice that the CPO appreciates and looks forward to receiving. Demonstrate your expertise; demonstrate the higher level of personal contact and customer service he (or she) gets from you compared to a larger organisation where he may not always be able to deal with the same person continuously.

But most of all, remember you are still selling to a person who has his own problems; his own challenges, his own stressful situations. Eliminate some of that stress for him, make life easier and you have a better chance of getting his attention.

I have recommended it before… and it is worth mentioning again because I think it would help you in this situation - Jill Konrath’s book Selling To Big Companies is worth getting. You can take a look at 2 chapters for free if you visit: http://www.sellingtobigcompanies.com

~ Carol Bentley

technorati tags: marketing business tips selling to big companies Jill Konrath

It is inevitable that sometimes you have to leave a message when you’re trying to contact someone and your call goes through to voice mail. How effective, or annoying, is the message you leave?

SpinVox revealed the top 10 most annoying voicemails through their survey. Have you experienced any of these – or perhaps you’re guilty too? Check them out on www.modernselling.com

The one that really gels with me is number 2, The Death March.

At the moment everyone in my office knows to repeat that all important information - the number to call back on - at least twice. But I think I’m going to ask them to give the number earlier in the message as well as at the end. After all, we don’t want to annoy or frustrate the people we are trying to reach, do we?

So, the message you leave - is it helpful, informative and designed to elicit the response you want? Or is it one of those most hated message types?

Constructing a well thought out message before you call - just in case the person you want to speak to isn’t available - is also a good use of your copywriting skills, don’t you think?

~ Carol Bentley

technorati tags: voicemail copywriting business tips

How much do your customers or clients value you and what you do for them? Do they really appreciate all the trouble you take to deliver the best possible service or product?

I saw this letter, talking about the ‘Charlie the Plumber’ test, in an email sent through a Yahoo group I’m a member of. And although it is written to copywriters I think the essence of the letter and how you accept business is applicable to other companies, whether you are providing a service or a product.

It talks about choosing who you are prepared to do business with. Now I know a lot of business people believe they can’t be choosy about who they deal with; they need all the sales they can get!

The only way to get out of this situation is to make sure you position yourself - as Charlie has - as the ‘go to expert’ who is selective about who you will do business with; someone who doesn’t work with just anyone who might want to buy.

Here’s the letter, in it’s entirety, reprinted with permission from Doug D’Anna.

Dear Friend,

Last week, I was pitched three jobs by three different companies and I turned them all down. I don’t say this to be smug or arrogant; they simply didn’t pass my three-rule test.

And I can tell you this with all honesty, they weren’t right for you either, as I’ll explain in a moment.

So why did I turn down these three new assignments?

Because none of them passed my Charlie the Plumber test!

What, exactly, is my Charlie the Plumber test?

Frankly, it’s a simple test that every potential client I meet must past or I won’t work with that person. I named this test after none other than own plumber, whom I affectionately refer to as Charlie the Plumber.

Charlie, by the way, is a great guy who has been doing work for me for nearly 10 years. He’s an honest guy who charges an honest price for his work and whom I trust 100%. He never overcharges, never tries to sells you something you don’t need, and always bends over backward for me.

What I love most about Charlie (other than that he’s a big talker like me) is the fact that he not only treats me like royalty but also has come to a point in his life where he picks his clients.

You see, unlike most plumbers, who have full Yellow Page ads that scream discount, Charlie doesn’t advertise. He works by referral only, and he’s very choosy about whom he takes on.

As a client, I feel blessed that I have Charlie working for me!

Are Your Clients Lucky to Have You Working for Them?

If not, maybe it’s time to separate the wheat from the chaff. Because having clients who value you for your knowledge and your experience is where you want to be.

And if you don’t start picking your clients on that basis now, you could find yourself working with a demanding group of unappreciative people who see you only as a vendor at a price and not as the business builder that you are.

That’s why before you accept any new work, I highly suggest that you put your prospects through my Charlie the Plumber test.

My Three Rules for Picking Clients Who Will Pay You What You’re Worth

1. Got to Have Fun.

As I learned from Charlie, life’s too short to work with a bunch of demanding jerks. You want to work with people who love their work and love life. When you find these people, as I have, you’ll get up every day inspired to do your best to meet deadlines and exceed expectations, because you’re having too much of a good time to do otherwise.

2. Got to Make Money.

Let’s face it, copywriting is hard work. So there has to be an upside to bleeding all over the page. That upside in our society is known as money. Why bust your butt if the person only wants to pay you peanuts? No — you want to work with people who are fun and who will pay you what you are worth and then some.

3. Got to Be Appreciated.

Believe it or not, this is actually my first rule. I never work for people who are looking for just another copywriter. If the first question they ask is what do I charge, then it is clear to me that they are looking for another copywriter and not for the special something that I bring to the table.

Anyone who wants to hire me has to want me, Doug D’Anna, and have me working on his or her behalf. I say this not to be smug or arrogant, but only to drive home the point that you, too, are a unique individual worthy of the same appreciation.

When you think about it, why would you ever want to work for someone who doesn’t appreciate you?

My Fourth Rule

4. Got to Learn Something.

Over the years, I have found that only half of my successes came from me. The other half came directly from the fine group of publishers, product managers, and business owners that I worked with–individuals whose knowledge was superior to my own and whom I could learn from.

That’s why after a new client passes my first three hurdles, I always put them to this fourth and crucial test - especially when I have two or three projects to choose from at any one time.

You’ll be surprised to know that I’ve chosen projects with far less immediate financial potential, simply because I would be working with an A-list marketer who could take my skills to the next level.

This fourth rule has not only allowed me to work with the top direct marketing talent in the country but also has resulted in much greater financial success as well.

Please Make Them Your Rules Too

When I started the A-list in 2007, I did it with one goal in mind: to bring you the NO BS, wealth-creating copywriting knowledge and marketing strategies you’ve been looking for.

Specifically, the knowledge to create more powerful, effective, and lucrative advertisements, e-mails, and Web pages that could multiply your income exponentially - and without spending a dime.

These rules have worked for me. That’s why I want you to make them your rules as well. I guarantee that if you follow them, you’ll find yourself working with people who not only value and appreciate your knowledge and talent but just as important - pay you for it.

All good wishes for a successful and healthy 2008,

Doug D’Anna

PS If you haven’t yet joined the A-list, go to http://www.dougdanna.com/joinmyalist.html and you’ll receive my best ideas on building your business in 2008 without a bunch of sales pitches or spam.

Doug has also generously offered a free copy of his 7 Proven Profit Triggers for Email Copywriters

Remember, you can position yourself or your company so you can be selective about who you work with. Simply demonstrate your expertise in articles, reports, presentations, audio programmes - oh, and of course - books.

And when you do refuse to do business with someone, for whatever reason, remember it can be done courteously.  And if you can point them in the direction of a company that is a better fit for them, then they are still going to feel happy about their relationship with you.

~ Carol Bentley

technorati tags: business tips marketing Doug D’Anna

You wouldn’t expect the layout of your letterhead to cost you extra every time you send a sales letter to your prospects or customers, would you? But it can.

I was talking with Phil Hutchinson, Managing Director of 1Vision, whose direct mailing services I frequently use for my clients’ and my own mailshots. We were discussing some of the mistakes people make with their sales letters and specifically the problems they create for themselves when they don’t think to ask his advice before preparing their direct mailing material.

Even something as simple as the layout design of a letterhead can have a significant impact on the costs of a mailshot.

A bad design loses money…

How so?

Because when bulk mail outs are sent (and when I say ‘bulk’ it can be any quantity between 500 and 500,000 or more with Phil’s services) you can enjoy a welcome saving on postage costs. But only if your packages comply with certain standards.

And that’s where a letterhead design can create problems - as happened for one company.

You see, a vast number of letters sent to businesses use window envelopes. And Phil explained that postal companies are able to offer discounts because they use OCR (optical character recognition) systems to automate and speed up the sorting process.

But in order to do this it is crucial that nothing appears through the envelope’s window, other than the recipient address. Showing any additional, unrelated text or graphics can cause the letters to be rejected, which means you lose your postage discount. That could be an expensive £300 or more loss on a mailshot of 15,000 items. Imagine the cost for larger numbers!!

Even if you’ve not yet reached these larger mailshot numbers, there are other important marketing reasons for keeping that address area as clean as possible.

An ‘Aha!’ moment

As Phil and I chatted I realised this was just one of the crucial aspects that need considering when you are creating your mailing campaign. Phil has a deep well of knowledge when it comes to direct mailing. And it occurred to me drawing on that knowledge could have immeasurable benefits for you.

So I’m going to twist Phil’s arm and get him to spill the beans. I intend to draw these professional secrets out of him and share them with you. Each gem I weasel out of him will give you extra, powerful knowledge you can use to make your mailings even more successful. (By the way, we will be discussing specifics for the UK postal services but the vast majority of the topics we touch on apply to mailings in other countries too).

The telephone interview will be recorded and posted on this blog sometime in the future.

~ Carol Bentley

technorati tags: direct mail marketing business tips

If the thought of writing a whole business book is something you just can’t see yourself doing, but you want the kudos of being a published author then there is a way you can start on a smaller scale.

Your published book can contain as few as 20 pages; the important thing is to make the content useful to the reader. One way to do that is to produce a tips booklet.

What to include in and how to write your tips booklet

The good news is you probably already have all the material you need to create your tips booklet. Here’s a few things to keep in mind…

Structure your tips booklet as a series of useful hints and advice in an easy to read format.

Keep your tips interesting; not a boring ‘you should do this or you should do that‘ type of monologue. Do this by writing in active language - you’ll discover exactly how in a moment.

4 Easy Steps…

1] Gather all the questions you’ve been asked about your products or services and the answers you’ve given. How many of them are generic? Which ones are questions that would be asked of anyone in your line of business?

2] Turn each answer into an action statement that introduces a topic you can give expert advice on. Do this by starting your sentence with a verb. Here are some examples:

(i) Realise it’s the process not the price (taken from 117 Handy Haggling Hints published by Derek Arden)

(ii) Avoid backache when driving - take a break every 20 minutes

(iii) Write about benefits and results, not features, in your sales letters

(iv) Listen carefully to what your prospect is saying when you meet

(v) Consider the cost savings when you use…

(vi) Plan your business strategy to gain the highest success

3] Follow each introductory sentence with a more detailed explanation; it could be just one paragraph or more if needed.

4] Choose a compelling title for your booklet that appeals to your prospect (it’s the same process as creating a headline for your sales letter).

Once you’ve got the content organised you can get your manuscript ready for printing.

Tips Booklet Format

Ideally your tips booklet should be small enough for your reader to carry with him/her in a pocket or handbag. Most tips booklets are 21cm x 10 cm, which fits neatly into a DL envelope and makes it a perfect size for sending out in the post.

Alternatively you could create an A6 size booklet (half of A5). Talk to your printer to find out which size is the most economical for printing.

Start off with a brief introduction to what the booklet is about. If your tips fall into different categories you might want to include a table of contents listing the categories.

Number your tips.

Show the first few words; the action sentence, in bold so it stands out.

At the back of the booklet include information on how your reader can get more copies of the booklet.

If you publish a series of booklets list your other titles in the series.

Your new marketing tool

Your intention is to use this booklet as a marketing tool. You can sell it on your website for visitors who come across your site through search engines or other incoming links.

Or you can give it away to targeted prospects. Like a book, it is far more powerful than a business card and, because it contains valuable information, it won’t be thrown away.

It achieves two benefits for you:

• It demonstrates your expertise.
• It keeps your name fresh in your prospect / customer’s mind.

So, make sure you include a page at the back with details of what you offer, your contact information and an invitation to use it.

You can also show your contact details on the back cover.

OK - what’s the name of your tips booklet? Do let me know.. it’s your first step towards publishing a book!

~ Carol Bentley

P.S. If you’ve already created an informative report or have a set of Q&A pages or handouts, you have the foundation of your tips booklet. All you need to do is rewrite it in the style I’ve described in this post.

technorati tags: tips booklets marketing business author

For many businesses referrals generate a significant amount of new contacts. And businesses that actively seek out recommendations usually gain a higher benefit than those who just leave it to chance.

Think about it - even if you have provided the greatest service or product your happy customer may not think about telling other people or giving you information about other business people who are looking for what you offer. And it’s not because he doesn’t want to help you. . . it is purely because he is busy and it doesn’t occur to him.

That’s why it is up to you to have a structured, almost automated, referral generation system in your business.

When to ask?

The best time to ask for recommendations is when your customer has just experienced your product, or service. If you have a quality-check follow-through during which you make sure your customer got exactly (or perhaps more) than he was expecting then asking him who else is looking for the same good result is a natural step.

If you send out products you can include referral cards for your customer to complete and send back.

Offering an incentive

Depending upon your business it may be appropriate to offer an incentive - or as I prefer to think of it - a ‘Thank You’ gift. I’m sure you’ve seen companies who offer gift vouchers to you and to the person you recommend or a discount on future purchases.

Personally, I prefer to give a ‘Thank You’ gift that is linked with the service or product I supply - rather than something that is not related to my business and, therefore, may not be of interest to my customer or contact.

For example, if you decide to invite 3 people you know to visit this blog (using the link in the right hand panel) I show my appreciation of your support by gifting you an MP3 audio recording.

In the MP3 audio gift I describe some of the techniques high-performing direct response copywriters use to craft irresistible sales letters so they enjoy the highest profitable mailing possible.

It reveals:

• 4 Sales Letter Writing Rules That Persuade People to Buy
• How Answering This Critical Question Turns A Mediocre Sales Letter Into A Results-Generating Dynamo
• 8 Design Secrets To Compel Your Prospect To Continue Reading
• How Powerful Headlines Gain Massive Sales Increases: 10 Proven Examples for You to Adopt

As you can see the recording is closely connected with my products and services; writing for business sales and marketing.

Automating your gift

Now I’m sure you’ve already realised that delivering my gift is automated. With the web page being open 24/7 it is completely impractical for me to respond personally whenever a visitor decides to recommend this website. And besides, if you make a recommendation you want to get your promised gift of appreciation straight away, don’t you? How to automate?

You have a huge choice of tools you can use to automate delivery of electronic gifts like this. It can be rather bewildering which is the best option for you. I looked at quite a few before deciding upon the tool I use: TAF Pro (Tell A Friend Pro).

I chose it because of the easy implementation and facilities it gave me - including checking that the email address is entered correctly; you know how easy it is to mistype an email address especially the more obscure ones (my brother’s is xzavyaw@ - you can’t get more obscure than that!)

Stunning Service

What I hadn’t realised when I bought the product was that in addition to all the features (I’ve only used a third of them so far) there was also stunning service from the vendor, Paul Galloway. And I do mean stunning!

Let me explain. I bought the product last July to use on another website. About 3 or 4 days after I downloaded the program (and successfully followed the set up instructions) I got a phone call from the US. It was Paul Galloway.

He said “I’m going on holiday in a couple of days and I just wanted to be sure you were OK with the TAF Pro program before I left. Have you got any questions you need answering?”

Now that is service.

And on top of that… the service continues.

One of my blog visitors contacted me a few days ago to say that a couple of emails (which were valid) were being rejected by the TAF form. So I popped an email over to Paul asking if he had any ideas why that might be happening. He tested the email addresses on his internal system and came back to me with suggestions within a couple of hours. That’s impressive bearing in mind he is in a time zone that is at least 5 hours behind us.

So what’s my conclusion from all this?

1. Create a formal system for getting referrals & recommendations.
2. Decide when is the best time to ask for referrals and don’t let the opportunity slip.
3. Consider giving Thank You gifts or incentives to encourage recommendations.
4. Automate your gift delivery wherever possible - especially if you have a web site you want people to visit.
5. Choose the delivery tool carefully; ease of use, reliability and support when there is a problem is vital.

Do you have referral systems that work well for you? Are you willing to share? Use the comments link below to tell me and my other visitors about it . When you add your comment your name has a live link to the website address you enter. You never know, if what you share is valuable you may get some new visitors

~ Carol Bentley

technorati tags: business tips marketing TAF Pro

In my post on 21st December I said I’d let you know what I’m currently developing - and why. . .

How do you actually do what many marketing experts tell us is the most powerful action you can take? It can seem like an insurmountable challenge. But having done it I can assure you it is not as daunting as it may seem. But of course, it is a lot easier when you know exactly what to do as well as the how.

What am I talking about? Writing and publishing a book. As I’ve said in a previous post being a published author positions you as an authority on the subject; an expert.

I am currently discussing a joint book venture with a close friend and colleague. We plan to start preparing the book content towards the end of January. The project will include writing, preparing the manuscript for publishing, getting it out to bookstores and on-line stores, like Amazon, and all the marketing that needs to go into getting the book known.

So why should you be interested? Because as we go through the project I will be creating a video record of exactly how it is all done. My intention is to have an extremely easy to follow step-by-step instructional video programme that anyone can use.

During the project development I’ll be sharing gems on this blog which, if you’ve thought about writing a book, will guide you through the process.

And I may be asking for your help because I will be looking for beta-testers before launching the programme as a live product.

In fact, if you have thought about it but have not done anything to get your book written and published. Or you’d like to write a book but you are not sure how to go about it, you could get some starting tips straight away.

Simply tell me what’s preventing you from doing it.

What questions would you like answered?

What advice can I give that will help you get started?

How can I help you show your target market that you are the go-to expert in your field?

Use the comments link below this post or the blog contact form in the right-hand panel to let me know.

~ Carol Bentley

P.S. No, I’m not working today - I wrote and published this post in advance because I said I’d let you know today what I’m developing - but I’m out enjoying my day. Have a good weekend - speak to you on Monday.

technorati tags: writing a book business books marketing copywriting

When you are planning your future goals for your business how much notice do you take of last year’s achievements and disappointments?

Many people concentrate on what they are going to do without fully considering the experiences they have already had. I know I’ve been guilty of that over the years, even though I’m continuously building on what I’ve already produced.

But this post at Rich Schefren’s blog made me stop and think. He describes how to analyse your experiences, good and bad; how to learn from them and - more importantly - decide what action you’re going to take so you benefit from those lessons.

Tie that in with my post on setting goals 2008 and beyond and you have a powerful system for improving your business - and personal - success.

Take a look - even if you already do this in your business and life - Rich’s explanation is worth reading.

~ Carol Bentley

technorati tags: goal setting new year resolutions business planning

A few posts ago I told you how I’d been told that publishing a book is one of the most powerful marketing activities you can do. And I’d proved it to myself.

I also explained that the experience had given me some insights I would like to share with you over the next month or so.

Before I do that, let me explore some alternatives with you…

“What?! Are you going to say I don’t need to write a book?”

No, what I’m saying is you don’t have to write ‘war & peace’ or a Tolkein masterpiece.

What your book should have is valuable insights your target prospects find interesting and useful. Because that is how you demonstrate your expertise.

And, in fact, you don’t even have to write the whole book to achieve that.

An idea that Peter Thomson suggested to the consultant’s membership group I belonged to back in the early 1990’s was to form a collaboration where each person wrote just 1 chapter. Obviously there would have to be a connection between the authors’ topics so that they complemented each other.

The book was published with different jacket covers; each cover depicted one of the consultant authors on the back - with their short bio, a description of the chapter they’d written and a resume of the book content. The other authors were listed as contributing writers.

There are many books published under a co-authorship, so the idea made perfect sense.

Quite a few of the group membership did this and gained the benefit of being recognised as an expert author by their clients and prospects as a result.

Think about the people in your industry or profession or in associated disciplines. Who could you join forces with to write an informative book?

Not sure this would work for you? Don’t worry, I’ve got another thought for you - but that’s the subject of another post…

~ Carol Bentley

technorati tags: writing a book marketing insights ask the expert

It’s nearly that time of year again - you know… New Year Resolutions! And many experts will be advising you to review your business plans as well.

So what are your goals for 2008 and beyond? Have you got specific targets in mind? Are you focused on achieving them?

Here are a few tips on making realistic goals and, more importantly, increasing your chances of achieving them… You can use these steps for both your personal and your business goals.

The most successful people; whether in business or personal achievement, frequently have one thing in common; they write down what they want to achieve using the SMART acronym.

1. What is your goal? Write down what you want to achieve. Follow the SMART structure:
   1. S - Specific e.g. ‘Increase sales by 28%’, rather than just ‘get more sales’ or ‘lose 2 stone’ rather than ‘lose weight’
   2. M - Measurable. This is linked strongly with specific. If you have a specific goal you’ll be able to measure how close you are to achieving it.
   3. A - Achievable or Awesome. Most people say this stands for achievable but I think the word awesome given by my good friend Steve Pipe of Added Value Solutions is a better. Why?
      Because your goal must be awesome for you; fill you with excitement and inspiration. You see if it isn’t an awesome goal for you to achieve the chances are you’re not passionate about it and you are less likely to take the action needed to make it happen.
   4. R - Realistic. If they are realistic they are achievable. By all means stretch yourself; you don’t want to be doing the ’same-old, same-old’ but make sure what you set is practical. For example increasing your sales by 100% or 200% may be achievable - but can you handle that increase in business logistically?
   5. T - Timed. Set a date when you intend to reach this goal. E.g. ‘reduce my working days to 4 days per week’ is not as powerful as ‘reduce my working days to 4 days per week by February 2009′.
2. Why do you want to achieve this? Is it a “it would be nice to…” or is a passionate “I absolutely must do this”? A weak reason for reaching your goal is not going to inspire you.
3. What will happen if you fail to realise your goal? What pain will you experience by not achieving it?
4. What do you stand to gain when you succeed? Will it light your inner fire? Give you less stress and worry? Make you feel happier? Give you a feeling of pride? Draw the admiration of your peers and superiors?
5. What are the steps you must take to achieve this goal? Write the key things you need to achieve this goal. Not the finite detail, enough to identify what action you need to take. For example if your goal is to increase your sales in 2008 by 28% you might decide you need to put your sales team through the latest sales training. At this stage you would not say it has to be training with ’such & such a company on this date’.

Repeat this sequence for all your personal and business goals.

Prioritise Your Goals

Some of your goals will be more important to you than others. Some may be dependent upon you achieving another goal before you can get started. For example if you have a goal that says ‘increase the profitable response to my direct mailing campaigns by 300% by June 2008′ your goal to learn good copywriting skills would have to be achieved first.

And others may, on reflection, not be as important or inspiring as you first thought.

Decide which are your most meaningful goals and write those on a separate planning sheet. Constantly monitor your progress towards your goal as you take the actions needed.

Does Writing Goals Down Work?

In my personal experience, Yes! If I decide I want to achieve something but I don’t write it down, following the SMART structure, it just doesn’t get done or it takes an inordinately long amount of time to achieve a less than satisfactory result.

When I write my goal down it does 4 things for me:

1. It focuses my mind on the outcome I want and when I want it by.
2. It programmes my subconscious to find solutions for me.
3. It clearly identifies the actions I need to take and when they need to be done by.
4. Things happen! Unexpected opportunities that help me achieve my goal suddenly appear. Now some people will argue that’s because I’m more focused and aware of what’s going on around me. So I see those opportunities more clearly. Maybe; I really don’t care- it works!

Sometimes Sharing Helps

For some people stating a goal in public or sharing it with a mentor or valued colleague gives added impetus to achieving the goal.

Let me give you an example. In 2003 I decided I would write and publish a book. It didn’t happen. Why? Because the goal, although stated, wasn’t written down and wasn’t specific.

In 2005 I committed to a group of business people that I would have the manuscript for my book on how to write sales letters completed for the next meeting, which was 1 month away. I did it!

So what was different this time?

I stated my specific goal (to write a book on how to write sales letters)

It was measurable (a completed manuscript ready for publishing)

It was awesome (I was very excited by the prospect of sharing my expertise in a book that would be available to the public)

It was realistic (I had the knowledge, expertise and material for the book content)

I said when it would be done (in 1 month)

And, for me crucially,

I stated the goal to people I respected. (My reputation was on the line. What would they think if I didn’t achieve what I’d stated?)

If you find sharing your SMART goals helps you to achieve them feel free to share with me. You can do so publicly (if you are very brave) by adding a comment to this post or privately using the blog contact form. But be warned - I just might ask if you achieved what you set out to do when your stated time scale is reached.

~ Carol Bentley

technorati tags: goal setting self achievement business tips

In 1994 I worked with a savvy sales & marketing expert, Peter Thomson, who was a self-made millionaire. He gave me some sage advice:

“If you want people to recognise you as an expert in your field, you must write and publish a book!”

In those days getting a book published was no easy task. Finding a publisher who would take your work was like finding a needle in a haystack.

Self-publishing, called Vanity Press, was very expensive with the likelihood that none of your books would sell and you’d end up with a garage full of the thousand or so books you had to order.

I wrote hundreds of how-to manuals and programmes and created a number of tips booklets, but I didn’t go down the print publishing route.

Then in 2003 I got the exact same advice from another marketing expert, Paul Gorman.

But one thing Paul said - that turned out to be true - is that no matter how many business people learn about this powerful market positioning tool very few take action and actually do it.

And that included me for another 18 months or so.

Then in 2005 I decided to ‘buckle down’ and write my book and it was a lot easier than I had expected. Now you might be thinking, “Well it is going to be easier for you, after all you are a copywriter!”

True! But, amazingly it wasn’t my copywriting skills that came to the fore - it was my knowledge and passion about my subject. I wanted to share with other business people; to let them discover how they too could write their own effective marketing material.

The actual writing, not the editing or getting it published and out into the market place, took me a little over a week to achieve. Once I started it just poured out. And, as it did, I discovered a few tricks to writing a book that helped me enormously.

The book was finally published in November 2005. I still remember the elation of holding the first copy in my hands; the excitement of sharing it with family and business friends. And, even more, the thrill of seeing it listed on Amazon and receiving my first order from them.

Both Peter and Paul said a book is an amazingly effective marketing tool - and it is.

I’ve met people and gained new clients I would never have come across in a month of Sundays if they hadn’t bought my book. Some came through Amazon sales, others came through website sales, book store sales and joint venture sales.

Over the next month, amongst these daily blog posts, I’m going to share some of those writing, publishing and marketing insights with you.

So, sharpen your pencil, clear your mind and get ready to create your most powerful marketing tool. And I promise… I’ll help you make it as painless as possible.

~ Carol Bentley

technorati tags: writing a book marketing insights ask the expert

Are schools and/or colleges in your target market? If so here’s some interesting news for you. But first let me tell you how I got to know about this…

For many years I’ve been on the mailing list for Hamilton House, who specialise in supplying mailing lists for companies selling into the education sector; schools and colleges.

A letter arrived to let me know that English schools have a sudden abundance of spending money available between now and March 2008. Why? Well it’s an interesting story…

In the past some schools have put money from their annual budget into a contingency fund (as anyone with an ounce of common sense would do!) But in 2006 the government moved to force schools to use up all their funding rather than allow this type of forethought.

Many schools didn’t manage to spend all their accumulated funds by April 5 2007; they still had funds from that year and the previous years.

In summer of 2007 the Dept for Children, Schools & Families announced that 95% of the money not spent in previous years had to be returned - even if it had since been used.  For example if the school had kept back £1000 from their 2005/6 budget and then spent it in May 2007 they still had to pay back £950!  This meant schools had to raid their 2007/8 budgets to pay back this money they had accrued and then used. This extra strain on their budget meant many schools stopped spending on anything apart from salaries.

A petition on the Number 10 website demanded that the policy be revoked. The government capitulated and reversed its policy. They told the schools they would get all their saved money back - BUT the refunded money must be used by April 2008. There will not be another reprieve.

Which means between now and 5 April 2008 an extra
£1 billion has to be spent on goods and services for the school

So, if your market includes schools, now is the time to nurture your relationships and help them make the right decisions for the school, children and parents.

If you want to check how Hamilton House can help you (no benefit to me if you do so) then pop over to www.educationmarketing.org.uk

~ Carol Bentley

technorati tags: education market business mailing lists