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DuctTapeMarketing.com
January 16, 2007
In this issue:
Resource #1
- Duct Tape Marketing, the book
Resource
#2 - Kansas
City book signing
Main Article
- Education is the Key to Effective Referral Marketing
Resource #3
- Duct Tape Marketing Article Archive - add your articles!
Resource #4
- Duct Tape Marketing Coaches
Free Magazine -
Free subscription to B to B Magazine
Featured Reading -
Word of Mouth Marketing -
Andy Sernovitz
Featured Listening -
Sympathique -
Pink Martini
I
will be providing great content the next few weeks surrounding my book
launch and pre-order campaign, but I might seem a little book sales focused,
please forgive me for that, I'm just trying to get this baby launched right.
I never want you to receive this
newsletter unless you want it and find it valuable. If you no longer wish to
receive it, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the
unsubscribe link. Thanks
You can always view past newsletter issues here!
Featured Resource #1
 Duct
Tape Marketing - The World's Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide
- foreword by Michael Gerber, author of the E-Myth, afterword by
Guy Kawasaki, author of Art of the Start - Hardcover, 304 Pages, Nelson
Business.
Duct Tape Marketing is THE small business marketing road map - A collection
of proven tools and tactics woven together in a step-by-step marketing
system that shows small business owners exactly what to do to market and
grow their businesses.
This guide combines insights gained from over twenty years of successfully
working, in the field, with real-life small businesses.
There are no theoretical complexities presented in Duct Tape Marketing -
just simple, effective and affordable marketing that sticks.
Special Launch Campaign with
thousands of dollars of bonuses when you
order 1 or more copies of the book.
Check out the
book bonus page
Kansas City area book signing
Please join me for a mini marketing workshop and book signing to celebrate
the launch of my new book
Duct Tape Marketing - The World's Greatest Small Business Marketing
Guide
Wednesday, January 17th 2:00 pm
Barnes & Noble Booksellers
Country Club Plaza
420 W 47th Street
Kansas City, MO 64112
Featured Article
Education is the Key to Effective Referral Marketing
The best referral sources for your business will always be the ones that
know that most about the value you have to offer.
 One
of the few complaints I hear from small business owners when it comes to
generating business or leads by way of referral is that too many of the
referrals they are offered aren’t a fit for the business. The referrals are
either unqualified, don’t need the firm’s offerings, can’t afford the
product or just don’t fit the typical profile of an ideal client for the
receiving firm.
If this is your referral reality, then you know that chasing leads that
don’t fit your target client can be a grand waste of everyone’s time and
energy. The primary reason for this affliction though is that most small
business owners and independent professionals don’t take the time to educate
their referral sources.
The typical referral request may go something like – “know anybody that
needs what we do?” Okay, I know lots of people, here you go. Have at it!
The solution to this is really quite simple. I’ve created a tool I call the
Perfect Introduction, as part of my Referral Flood program. The Perfect
Introduction is a document (although is can take many forms including a web
page) that contains answers to the following questions.
How would know if I spotted your ideal client?
Describe, in great detail, the type of clients you work best with. This step
will help assure that you get highly qualified leads and make it easier for
your lead source to think of prospects that fit a narrow description.
What would I say to best position your business?
Give your referral source the exact words you would like them to use when
introducing your products and services to prospective referrals. Give them a
simple, memorable way to explain the benefits you have to offer. Remember,
many of your best referral sources may not be actual clients who can talk
eloquently about your brilliance, give them your core marketing message so
that the expectation they set remains consistent.
How can you add value to my relationship with a referred lead?
This is a multi answer question. Show your prospective referral source what
you do to make them look good and outline any offer you might have cooked up
to reward and motivate your referral sources. By the way, money isn’t always
the best referral motivator. Showing appreciation, helping referral sources
meet their goals, and making referral sources look good are all powerful
motivators.
What do you do with the leads you receive by way of referral?
Outline the exact steps you take when you receive a name or introduction.
This step allow the referral source to get comfortable with your marketing
process. Everyone has some fear that the referred party may abuse the
relationship by hard selling or calling every night at dinner time. Put
these fears to rest by outlining your very educational approach. (That is
your approach, right?)
Now that you have your Perfect Introduction document in hand you can go out
there and confidently let the world know that you are someone they can feel
great about referring.
Another very powerful aspect of this tool is that often, even if you don’t
realize it, you are in competition with others who are seeking referrals.
CPAs, for instance, are heavily targeted by service professionals seeking
referrals. With your referral process outlined in a very professional
manner, you will stand out in the referral competition for some of the best
potential referral sources.
And Now a Powerful Twist
Once you have created your Perfect Introduction you should also consider
using this tool to open doors with potential referral sources. Send a letter
to 100 targeted referral sources with a copy of your Perfect Introduction
and a blank Perfect Introduction form. Inform the recipient that you have
clients and prospects that you believe could benefit from their products and
services. Ask them to complete the enclosed Perfect Introduction form (using
yours as an example) and send it back to you as soon as possible. Do this
and you will find new referral marketing doors swinging wide open for you.
In addition, you will be better prepared to give referrals to your clients
and prospects, kicking the referral cycle into even higher gear..
Related article:
Create a Referral Marketing System in 7 Steps.
. ~ ~ ~
 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.
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.
Featured Resource #1 - Duct Tape Marketing Article Directory
I have begun to collect many of
the columns I have written for this newsletter and other publications in an
interactive article directory. This allows you to search, comment on,
subscribe via RSS and contribute to a growing collection of small business
focused content. Check
out the article directory.
Join my free article directory
- I am also inviting anyone who writes articles focused on small business to
become an author in my directory.
Visit
http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/article and click on the "Become an
Author" link. Complete the information and once you are accepted you can log
in and post articles you have written. This is a great way to find new
readers and web traffic and the search engines will place a high value on
links back to your site from Duct Tape Marketing.
Duct Tape Coaches - Duct Tape Marketing Authorized Coaches - coming to a town near you (already spanning the USA, UK and Canada!)
If you like
what you read on the Duct Tape Marketing web site and newsletter you might
want to see if there is a Duct Tape Marketing Authorized coach that can help
you take your business to the next level.
Find a Coach
Think you might want to become a Duct Tape Marketing Authorized Coach?
- Find out more here
Next Training Intensives
Mar
23-25, and May 18-20 2007
To become a coach Email John Jantsch or
call 866-DUC-TAPE (382-8273) and visit
Duct Tape Marketing Coach
to get details and listen to an audio overview.
Featured Reading
Word of Mouth Marketing - How Smart Companies Get People Talking -
Andy Sernovitz
Andy Sernovitz, CEO
of the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA)
stopped by the
Duct Tape Marketing podcast to talk about his book, apply named book
-
Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking.
Andy's book points out the fact that while word
of mouth marketing has been around a long time, new marketing tools allow,
as Ben and Jackie call them "Citizen
Marketers," to fan and spread the flame of both good and bad press.
New media tools are driving some would be marketers to devise campaigns to
create favorable word of mouth marketing. While I think a good publicity
stunt or other tactic to get people talking can be an effective tool, real
word of mouth marketing is usually one of the most honest forms of marketing
you can practice.
It's not necessarily easy to create the buzz of
word of mouth, but Sernovitz does a great job of uncovering the winning
formula employed by some great companies
Featured Listening
Sympathique
- Pink Martini
This is Pink
Martini's debut album and in the cocktail lounge scene it's a classic. China
Forbes has the quirky lounge sound down to art and the almost orchestral
like sound of the band is unbelievable.
I have several Pink Martini albums but I enjoy this one the most.
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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 - The Duct Tape Marketing Workshops - Does Your
Group Need a Practical Small Business Marketing Speaker?
I am available to present small business marketing workshops, seminars and
keynotes to groups and associations.
Find out more here
Featured Resource #3 -
Referral Flood - How to generate a flood of new business without
spending one dime on advertising
The complete referral marketing system with over 50 real world referral
tactics, examples and forms. Order
now!
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 #4 - 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
Request Your Free Magazine
BtoB Magazine
Delivers timely editorial on all disciplines of business - to - business
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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