Duct Tape Marketing Newsletter
 

DuctTapeMarketing.com
June 14, 2006 

In this issue:

Resource #1 - System Workbooks - Small Business Advertising
Main Article - Better Leads with 2 step Advertising
Resource #2 - StockLayouts - Agency quality stock designs
Resource #3 - List of Pay Per Click Resources
Duct Tape Coaches - Hire A Duct Tape Marketing Coach
Free Magazine - B to B Magazine
Featured Reading - Lead Generation for the Complex Sale - Brian Carroll
Featured Listening -The Long Way - The Dixie Chicks

Mack Collier at the Viral Garden has taken the Alexa data and come up with a top 25 marketing blogs list. Some you've heard of, some, I suspect, you have not. I find these types of lists to be a good way to find some really good new (to me at least) blogs.

You can always view past newsletter issues here!

Featured Resource - The Duct Tape Marketing System Workbooks

Small Business Advertising - Every sale starts with a lead
Buy Workbook Only | Buy Workbook and CD

Lead generation is the art of turning a “suspect,” a member of your target market you suspect needs what you offer, into a prospect – one you know needs and wants what you have to offer. It’s what makes the phone ring, sets the appointment and brings the prospect in the door.

In this workbook you will:
1) Learn how to create an advertising plan
2) Discover how to get far greater response from any ad you run
3) Create ads that get action

Better Leads with 2 step Advertising
Tired of chasing down leads that don't really want what you have to sell? Use a 2 step advertising approach and you leads will practically beg to do business with you.

By John Jantsch

Cold calling doesn’t work, it’s no fun and often you end up with leads, or worse yet, clients, that don’t really value what you do.

Having said that, leads are the lifeblood of growth, without a lead, there is no client. Too often advertising, a lead generation staple is ineffective and costly. So, what to do!

Set-up a 2 step lead machine and you can say goodbye to cold calling while generating all of the qualified, permission based leads you can handle.

The basic idea behind the 2 step approach is to create one or more valuable reports, workshops, evaluations, trial products, checklists, newsletters, courses or tip sheets.

Then, give this report a catchy title, something like, “How To Tell If Your Roofing Contractor Is Lying To You” or “What Every Senior Must Know About Bush’s Social Security Changes” or “101 More Things You Can Do With Your iPod.”

Now that you have your value packed written report or audio CD, every bit of your advertising – that’s Yellow Pages, direct mail, back of your business card, letterhead, email signature, web site – should focus on getting people to pick up, request or download that report. Don’t try to do anything else with your advertising, let the report sell you. See, that’s step 1.

There are several reasons that this approach is so much more effective for the small business owner than the traditional “image” type advertising.

First off, if you only buy a 2 x 3 ad or send a 4 x 6 postcard, can you really tell your story very well? Use that space to draw one and only one action - the request from more information.

This approach allows you to demonstrate your expertise in a non-threatening, on the prospect’s own terms, way. Nobody likes to be sold to, but if they take the time to read your report, understand what you do that has value, have an 8-10 page conversation with you, the relationship and trust has begun.

A person who has requested your free information in officially a hot lead. When a prospect visits your web site they are effectively raising their hand and identifying themselves as someone who is very interested in what you do.

Half of your sales job is done!

If your advertising is focused on gathering the lead into the free report funnel, then your sales efforts are focused on taking that group and only that group that has raised their hands and taking them to the next step in the process. That may be an appointment or just a series of more advanced mailings. By the way that’s step 2.

So let’s recap.

Create a free information product that your target market would see as a valuable read or listen.

Advertise the free report in everything you do

Capture the names and emails of those who request the report

Follow-up on those leads

If you take this advice to heart, everything about how you market your business will change. Finding new business will become a much more rewarding and valuable experience.

A couple bonus ideas:

Once you create your free report you will find other uses for it.

Referrals – Give the report or the web page where the report is found to your referral sources and tell them to introduce you by way of your free report or newsletter. This makes it easy for them to refer you and assures that your story is told.

Cold-calling – I know, I know, you shouldn’t ever need to cold call but, if you do, do it this way. Call up those prospects on your list and instead of trying to convince them to give you 5 minutes of their time a week from Tuesday, offer them the address of your power packed free info and then shut-up. Your prospecting time will be much more productive if you can use it to turn cold calling into 2-step prospecting.

~ ~ ~

John Jantsch is a veteran marketing coach, award winning blogger and author of Duct Tape Marketing: The World's Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide published by Thomas Nelson - due out in the fall of 2006

He is the creator of the Duct Tape Marketing small business marketing system. You can find more information by visiting http://www.ducttapemarketing.com

You may reprint this article in its entirety if you attribute the article to John Jantsch and include the information about the author above.

Duct Tape Coaches - Duct Tape Marketing Authorized Coaches - coming to a town near you (already spanning the USA, UK and Canada!) - FIND OUT MORE

The If you really want to take your business to the next level hire a Duct Tape Marketing Coach.

Duct Tape Marketing Coaches can offer you personal and phone based marketing coaching based on the Duct Tape Marketing Ultimate Marketing System.

The network of Duct Tape Marketing Authorized Coaches will become the recognized brand of small business marketing coach. Find A Duct Tape Marketing Authorized Coach

Next Group forming for training in September 2006! To be notified Email John Jantsch

Featured Reading

Lead Generations for the Complex Sale - Boost the Quality and Quantity of Leads to Increase your ROI - Brian Carroll

Brian does a great job in this book of explaining the need for an integrated and systematic approach to lead generation that involves coming at prospects from many different educational angles. This is a great read for offline folks who sell services and big ticket items.
I will feature Brian on an upcoming Duct Tape Marketing podcast
 

Featured Listening


Taking the Long Way - The Dixie Chicks


"Time heals everything, but I'm still waiting"  - three years after receiving public scorn for Bush bashing the Dixie Chicks come back with their best album to date. This is a band that had immediate success with a slick, country pop production that hid the massive musical talent that lay beneath. This album is more Cheryl Crow than Loretta Lynn.

This will be a very big album as the music becomes, once again, what matters.

 

Featured Resource  #1
The Duct Tape Marketing Small Business Marketing System

This complete small business marketing program contains 15 workbooks, 12 audios CDs - packaged in a Duct Tape Marketing 3 ring binder. This is the same tool I use to coach my clients. Find out more.

Featured Resource #2 - The Duct Tape Marketing System Workbooks

The Ultimate Marketing System individual workbooks and audios. 15 workbooks and 12 audios. Buy one or buy them all. $29 Workbook only/$39 workbook and audio. Individual Workbooks and Audio CDs

Featured Resource  #3 - Digital Version Now Available for Immediate Download

Referral Flood - How to generate a flood of new business without spending one dime on advertising

I just released a digital version that allow you to download the 125 page ebook as a PDF file and MP3 Audios. I also passed on the saving to you. The digital version is $79 (as opposed to $97 for printed version) + no shipping
 

Resource - Get Local Search Engine Traffic

Don’t Let Your Small Business Get Left Behind in the Local Search Engine Game

Get your local business found online automatically by local prospects with a Duct Tape Marketing Local Search Engine profile. One of the best ways to get your business found in your town by local prospects. More

Featured Resource #3 - Blog Lightning - How To Create and Promote Your Blog In A Flash

Drawing from my experience creating blogs, including my award winning Duct Tape Marketing Blog, I have launched a complete step-by-step guide that takes you by the hand and shows you exactly what to do to instantly create and promote a successful blog for your business.

You also get 14 video screencast tutorials that allow you to watch over my shoulder as I actually do the steps I outline in the system - It does not get any easier than this! - Order Blog Lightning

Featured Free Magazine

Request Your Free Magazine

 BtoB Magazine, the magazine for marketing strategists, delivers timely editorial on all disciplines of business-to-business marketing.

Duct Tape Marketing Podcast

Tune in each week as I interview some of the brightest business experts, authors and entrepreneurs. Subscribe and get the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast delivered to your iPod or other mp3 player.

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©2003-2006 John Jantsch • All rights reserved • 816-561-3931 • John@DuctTapeMarketing.com