- Bob Martel
|
- Bob Martel |
|
|
Direct Marketing | Database Marketing | Copywriting | ||
|
 |
Issue #17 Welcome to Power Marketing Tips. Are you familiar with Thich Nhat Hanh, the Vietnamese Buddhist monk and philosopher? Regardless of your religious background or beliefs...his book, The Miracle of Mindfulness, offers a unique perspective on life that you can, indeed, apply to your business. As I recall, he wrote the book as advice to his brother Quang, based on his life's experiences living through the Vietnam War. Anyway... in the spirit of the mindfulness of marketing, I thought this recent insightful experience by a client would be valuable to you. 
If your lead generation system is not yielding lots of ripe fruit, it may be time for you to go pick blueberries, too! Newsletter to follow. Great blueberry cake recipe enclosed. Enjoy! Bob Blueberries... and the Zen of Lead Generation Strategies A client called for advise about two completely different lead generation programs he was planning to launch - but he could not decide which one to choose. Frantic, and looking for an immediate answer, he wanted me to make his decision for him. Since I know this client well I took a chance... and I told him to go pick some fresh blueberries and ponder the answer to his own question. (No, I have not lost my marbles). And, yes, I did charge him for this sage advice. While he paid $5.95 for the blueberries he picked, he saved thousands in wasted marketing dollars. If you have ever picked blueberries you know that you can go crazy deciding which blueberries to focus on. There are berries everywhere and your brain simply cannot focus on just one berry! As your hands are picking, your eyes are shifting to the next fruit. But if you were to focus on the experience of enjoying the process of blueberry picking - one berry at a time - you'd be more mindful, and thus enjoy a relaxed outdoor experience. Huh? Anyway... As he picked, I told him to concentrate on his breathing and relax as he selected which bush, and which berries to pick. Then I told him to continue to concentrate on the blueberry he was picking, taking his time to inspect each berry, and discard those that were over-ripe or still partially green. After all, he was going to make blueberry wine with these berries and only the best would do. I also told him to select a few of the best berries for immediate sampling - and to be aware of the flavorful sensations. To my surprise, he actually DID drop everything and he went blueberry picking for the afternoon! And he called me that same evening with the answer to his question. Before he shared his decision, he told me about his adventure in the blueberry fields. Each blueberry bush was filled with deep blue berries, weighing down each branch. At first he was frantically picking every berry he could grab, and after a few minutes he noticed his bowl was filled with lots of smaller berries, and many green blueberries. His original question was "which do I launch to generate new business? A colorful, easy to launch postcard to get my name out there? Or... a highly personalized sales letter with resonating copy that appeals to the prospects' deepest emotional needs?" Of course, the answer is that they each have their place within a campaign. A lot depends on the list, the offer, the time of year, the call to action, the goals of the campaign, and how it fits into the revenue stream you are trying to create.He was looking for permission from me to take the easy path to 'getting something in the mail" when he knew the more laborious sales letter approach would create better leads. Since his objective was to develop a steady stream of high quality prospects that he could serve for many years, he decided to launch a highly personalized multi-step sales letter. Considerably more work, but better fruit. Sure, a postcard campaign could accomplish the same thing... and could easily be tested. Like blueberry picking, your marketing has to be a deliberate, unending, disciplined, and highly focused effort if you are to fill your basket with an abundance of ripe fruit. Just as Thich Nhat Hanh would say it is time to pick the ripest blueberries... it's time for you to pick high quality lead generation programs... and become more profitable. Are you going for the 'low hanging fruit' in your marketplace, or are you doing the work that will lead to long-lasting business relationships? Hey, if we can get where we want to go by picking the low hanging fruit, why not? Sure, we all want the easy pickings... but true success comes from doing the hard work... and good marketing is hard work. That is not to say that postcards produce lesser quality leads. A good sales letter is your business building workhorse - and a good postcard is your incessant knock on the door. Combine both methods. A postcard/letter/postcard/letter/phone call campaign is only one example of a good approach. If you believe in the power of the written word, it's easy to realize that a lot more work goes into choosing the right words for a 3-4 page letter. There's a famous saying that goes like this: "I would have written you a one page letter but I didn't have time!" Are you devoting enough time to getting your marketing right? If you are not generating all of the business you can handle - you may want to go back and revisit the 'smart strategies' offered in a previous issue of Power Marketing Tips. www.jmbmarketing.com Focus your mind on the right marketing work for August-October and you'll end the year well, and get a jump on 2004. Dear Bob, On your suggestion I went blueberry picking on Saturday. These were my observations. Sometimes I'm obsessed and can't stop. Even if I don't know what to do with all the blueberries. Sometimes I'm content with just a few small ones on a bush but then when I find lots of big ones on one bush I am not longer content with what I had before. Then I get all excited about the plenty and the size, but then I taste one and find it not as sweet. Then I question my thrill at size and quanitity and think maybe I should pay more attention to taste. Lots of times the best blueberries can be seen but are unreachable behind a fence. I can usually squeeze my hand through but am always concerned if my hand will get stuck or I'll squish the fruit on the way back out. Best case, lots on a bush, good size and very sweet. Don't need a lot of bushes just a few well placed ones. It takes some time to find those kind of bushes. It's fun to pick and there is no right way for everyone. It depends on your business, type of clients, and your goals. I love analogies and insights. Thanks for a new reason to pick blueberries. Best, Nancy Cantor Consulting Designing for Success; Development Programs that have women entrepreneurs discover and live from their unique design and purpose. Blueberry Cake Recipe Franci Martel's Famous & "Secret" Blueberry Coffee Cake
Mix and sift ingredients - reserving 1/2 cup of the flour to mix with the blueberries. (This helps to keep them evenly distributed in the cake batter.) Work in butter and milk, by hand, gradually. Add well-beaten egg. Blend in berries, coated with flour. Bake at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes in a well-greased, lightly floured tube pan. Enjoy! If you like cooking with wine, pour yourself a glass before and after preparing the above recipe! |
|
JMB Marketing Group |
Voice (508) 481-8383 |
| |
|
