1

Sure Marketing Systems..

..7 Step
Marketing
Plan
Manual.
by David Shaw.
Sure Marketing Systems Pty Ltd
www.suremarketingsystems.com

Copyright Notice.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may
be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by
any means, electronic or mechanical unless as used
in the paragraph below. Any unauthorized use,
sharing, reproduction or distribution is strictly
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hhtp://www.suremarketingsystems.com/affiliates
using tools provided.
You may then distribute using opt in members or
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No spam may be used to promote this
book/manual.

Legal Notice.
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While attempts have been made to verify

information provided in this publication, neither
the author, nor the publisher assumes any
responsibilities for errors, omissions, or
contradictory information contained in this
book/manual.
This book/manual is not intended as legal,
investment, or accounting advice. The purchaser
or reader of this book assumes all responsibility
for the use of these materials and information.
David Shaw or Sure Marketing Systems Pty Ltd
assumes no responsibility or liability on behalf of
any purchaser or reader of these materials.

Copyright Sure Marketing Systems Pty Ltd -All

rights reserved.

Who is this manual aimed at?

This manual is for business owners who are

looking to dramatically grow their business on a
limited budget and for those who dont have
enough time to work on their business as they
might like.
Key Issue.
When using the ideas in this manual you should
also put into place reports to monitor how your
ideas are working.
Quickly & Easily.
You can then quickly, easily and simply tell if a
new idea or system is working. If its not, find out
why, and adjust it.
If it is working them simply keep monitoring it.
Proven.Not on Trial.
These systems have been proven to work in many
businesses in the past. They are not on trial here.

Free to Work on Your Business.

Once you see the dramatic growth in your sales

you should be free to work on your business, not in
your business.
More Free Time & More Money.
Your role then becomes a manager of the systems,
and you will be free to spend more time doing the
things you wished you could do, and earning the
money you dreamt about.
God Bless and wishing you every good thing,
David Shaw.
Sure Marketing Systems Pty Ltd.

INDEX
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Preamble.

Step 1

Research

Step 2

Promotion

Step 3

Selling

Step 4

Delivery

Step 5

WOW.

Step 6

Referrals

Step 7

Keep in Touch

Preamble.
Another Title.
Another title to this manual could have been:Seven, Simple, Easy, Proven Steps to Dramatically
Increase Your Sales and Improve Your Net Profit
Substantially
Thats right; if you follow these guidelines
systemically you will get a dramatic increase in
your sales and if you monitor the results of these
ideas and costs in setting them up your net profit
will increase substantially and quickly.
Key issue.Systemize.
The key issue to successfully achieving greater
sales and increased profits is to install systems that
will monitor your ideas along the way.
For example, if you run an advert you should
monitor such things as:1. Responses from advert.
2. Appointments made/ Visits to Showroom.
3. Sales from Appointments/ Visits
4. Numbers and Percentages of 1, 2&3.
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You can then compare results for each advert and

work out which adverts work best.
You should keep a copy of each advert and the
results in a folder so you can review it again in the
future. Often we forget what an advert did and
what we put in it. This helps us remember and
keep the results.
Systems should also be written down for greeting
customers, sale process, product or service
delivery, referrals after sales service.everything.
SystemsEasy& Simple.
Systems should be easy and simple to follow,
measurable, with numbers and or percentages.
You should educate your staff as to the importance
of systems and systems measurement.
Train Them.
When systems are first introduced to staff they are
often wary and apprehensive.
Not more work is often the retort.
But when you explain that it will make their job
easier and help them do things quicker and with
less error..most are happy.
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Remember, a bad system will beat a good

performer any time.
By the way
MARKETING
What is marketing???
Its...........
Understanding
Educating
Empathising
Relating to
Helping

Appreciating
Pre-empting
Advising
Indemnifying
Contributing to

And Adding Value to..

YOUR CUSTOMER
ADDING VALUE
What is value???

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Its not your perception......

Its your customers

.....Do research.......
(see Step One.)

Find out what your customers REALLY want

YOU COULD BE AMAZED.

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Unfortunately, too many business people have

fallen in love with their product, service or
business
RATHER THAN
with their
CUSTOMERS
WANTS
Today, in this
world.....customers
themselves:

competitive, fast moving

hold the key.....and ask

Why should I buy from you.....?

Can you identify why people should buy from
you???
Another View of Marketing.
Another view of marketing is that marketing is
like a coat hanger and everything else hangs off
it.for example, sales, advertising, customer
service, direct mail, online marketing and so on.
The more things you have hanging from the
hanger that you use to make the experience of
customer a WOW one the more you business will
grow dramatically and profitably.

Step 1: RESEARCH
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What is it?
Research is simply finding out what your potential
customers want
..........so you can supply it.
It is also finding out what they dont like
..........so you can overcome it.

And

Where they would go to find it..

So simple........but very few do it.

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How do you go about it???

STEP 1

TELEPHONE 25/30 PEOPLE AND ASK THEM

STEP 2

MONITOR YOUR CUSTOMERS TO ENSURE YOU

ARE ACHIEVING WHAT THEY WANT

STEP 3

REPEAT STEP 1 EVERY 6 MONTHS

Simple Questionnaire.
Following is a simple form (Page 20) that will help
you quickly and easily determine what your
customers want, what they dont want, and where
they would go to find your product or service.
And isnt that exactly what you want to know?
Wouldnt that make your job of getting customers,
who want your product or service and are ready
and interested in buying it, that much easier?

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Also through research, you will also learn where to

spend your advertising dollars to get the best
result.
Sounds too Simple.
Sounds too simple doesnt it?.....
Yet it is really that simple.
Youll be amazed at how easy it is to get this
information and how happy people are to supply
it.
This then, becomes the basis for your whole
marketing programme. It tells you where people
are itching so you can provide the scratch.
People may be fearful about the perceived
negatives of your product. This could be things
they have heard from others. Find out what these
things areso you can overcome them.

How do you do it?

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Many times I have been asked to help grow

companies, and this is the first step I take.
First Step.
Go to your local phone book and get the names
and phone numbers from people in your target
market.
About 30 will do.
Then, between 6-8pm, ring them up and go
through the Telephone Research Questionnaire on
page 20.
If its the business-to-business (B2B) market
youre in, telephone when you think you will get
the best response.
Business-to business research is sometimes harder
to catch people with enough time, but, again, well
worth the effort. If handled correctly, business
people are keen to help others.
Listen Hard to then Answers.
Listen hard to the answers and write down the
exact words that they say.

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Pretty soon you will see and hear the same words
and statements.
Rank them in the importance given by your
interviewees. not what you think is important.

Story

I followed the above principles for one company

and helped them clearly identify the 3 key features
people were looking for in that product.
The product was Home Window Tinting and
people wanted heat reduction, glare reduction and
to stop fading.
Their biggest fear was that the film would bubble.
The companys product offered a solution to all
three of these situations and also offered a Lifetime
Guarantee that it would not bubble.
However, none of these benefits were clearly
identified in their current advertising.

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We re-wrote the advertisement, highlighting the 3

things people were looking for, offered the
guarantee, and the company sales grew
dramatically over a few short monthspeople
beat a path to their door.
(Note: the cost of the advertisement was the same,
just the words changed.no extra cost to the
company, yet the turnover grew dramatically).
The advertisement has featured in newspapers
pretty well unchanged for the last 10 years and it
still makes the phone ring off the hook and the
competition doesnt know why.
Yet this simple little research exercise uncovered
quickly and easily what people wanted, what their
fear was, and also where they would look to find
out about a product like that.
Amazing!

Some Quick Hints For Telephone Research

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People today are bombarded with marketing

phone calls.
It can drive them nuts.
Mainly the calls are poorly handled and are made
by pushy people using scripts trying to sell
something that the person probably has no need or
desire for at that time.
Research is different, so you must immediately
state that you do not want to sell them
anything.you are just after their opinion.and
most people are more than happy to give their
opinion.
Maybe 1 in 30 will hang up.but just smile and
move onthe rest will normally be fine and very
happy to help.
Tell them its only going to take a few
minutes.that eases their concern that you are
going to tie them up for a long period.
The best way to get people involved is to ask
questions. The Telephone Research Questionnaire
on page 20 requests permission to ask a few
questions and once you have that get straight into
it.
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Write the answers on the form. I usually complete

one form for each person.
Mention your industry rather than your
product.people will answer better. Otherwise
they may think its just a gimmick to get them to
buy something.
Collate the answers and you have the basis of a
very powerful marketing campaign.
Why not do it today?

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TELEPHONE RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRE

Hi, my name is .............................. from...............................

dont want to sell you anything ....... but would like to ask you
four quick questions about my industry..... Can you spare 2-3
minutes to help me please?

My Industry is..............................

Can you name any companies in this industry?

What do you like about the industry/products? (Name if

possible)

What dont you like about the industry/products? (Be blunt)

Where would you expect to find out about our industry?

Thank you...... has a great day........

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P.S. Note the last question. It asks people to tell

you where they would look for your product. This
immediately tells you where to place your
advertisements. No more guessing or wasting
money on advertisements that dont work because
your potential customers are not looking there for
you.
So........... are you selling?
what your customer
really wants........???
Do you know???
or
are you just flogging a product or service?

Next ... we, and our staff, must understand what is

unique, exciting and different about our product,
business or service...... our USP.

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UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION (USP)

Preamble
Now we know what people want when they buy
from us, and where they will look, we must give
ourselves a point of difference.
Something that is unique and special about us.
How do you define a USP? ....... Well its that
distinct, appealing benefit or promise that sets
your business apart from every other me too
competitor.
Your USP enables you to become
Valuable
to your customers
Another view.....
.....make the invisible....visible
.....what everybody in your industry knows but
your customers dont.

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Some suggested places to find your USP:

-

Product Benefits

Staff & Skills

Organisation Systems

Expertise, Advice & Education

Being First

Location
Your USP should reflect
your customers wants and
overcome their dislikes
thus, making you valuable to
your customer.
They can then answer that question...
Why should I buy from you.....?

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Remember your research....you are not selling a

product or service....you are selling a result, a
benefit and overcoming a shortfall....talk in terms
of your customers perceptions....not yours....give
value.....use emotions, use features and benefits.
Another way of looking at it.
Put yourself in your customers shoes..look at
your advertisements and your competitors
advertisements. In most cases they all say the
same thing.
We have a quality product.
We give quality service.
And somewhere will be the word Guarantee.
From a customer point of view there is nothing to
compare so it becomes who can give the best price.
Clearly identify why you are different, and make
that a point you promote in all your marketing.
Dont be like everybody else jumping up and down
shouting pick me, pick mebe different and
shout about that.
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Price then doesnt become the main issue.

It will work unbelievably well for your business.
Some Thoughts
You could be a sole distributor.shout about
that.
You could have staff that is
knowledgeableYou will need to explain their
background and experience, and why the
customer would benefit by utilising the
knowledge and experience of your staff, e.g.:
degrees, etc.
It could be your delivery service..one
plumbing company guaranteed that if they
were late the first hour of labour was
FreeWhats the biggest problems with home
service people? Thats right, being late or not
turning up at all!
This company grew from 2 vans to over 32
vansWere they always on time? Probably
not, but I bet they tried hard, and could afford
to charge a bit extra just for turning up on
time. A win- win all round, for the company
and the customer.
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 Uniqueness of your product.What is its

extra special features?
Spend a bit of time on this area. It is well worth
the effort.

Step 2: PROMOTION
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What should an
Advertisement
Or
Promotional Item

Contain.....

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As you are aware there are many types of

promotions. Some are:
-

Advertisements

Brochures

Letters

Press Releases

Signs

Catalogues

Proposals

Web Sites

Compact Discs

Most of the above items ignore and often forget the

following principle.....
Promotions are just salesmanship in print

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For example, most advertisements are:

Name............................................... (Company
Name)
Rank.........................................(Bullet

point

features)
Serial

Number

Adverts.....................

(Phone

Number).
What is a Name, Rank & Serial Number Advert?
The best place to look for these types of adverts is
the Yellow Pages..yes thats rightthe Yellow
Pages. Why not grab a Yellow Pages book now,
open up at any page, have a look and you will see
exactly what I mean.
The majority of adverts have the followinga
heading, which in most cases is the name of the
company or what they do. Putting what they do in
the heading is a bit of a waste of money as people
are already looking in that section for that product
or service.
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This will be followed by several bullet points or

tick points (some times they are really creative and
put the ticks in boxes).
The points are usually ranked according to the
importance of the company (not the customers
rankingremember the research).
Finally the phone number is given.
Dont they all look the same? And not a benefit
among them. Just the things they do.which is
normally pretty obvious if you are looking in that
section anyway.
No wonder people only talk about price because if
they go by the advertisements, all the companies
look the same and so price must be the key issue.
Now lets look at how you should do it.
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7 ESSENTIAL THINGS
AN
ADVERTISEMENT
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OR
BROCHURE
SHOULD CONTAIN
HEADLINE
PICTURE
BODY COPY
GUARANTEE (RISK REVERSAL)
OFFER
CALL TO ACTION
NAME/ADDRESS/PHONE

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HEADING
Usually

taken

from

your

body

copy.....and expressed in a customer

benefit or promise.
BE BOLD.
12 POWERFUL WORDS TO USE IN YOUR HEADLINE

Discover/Amazing

Money

Easy

Proven/How to

Free

Results

Guarantee

Save

Health

Love

New/Introducing

You

Can be a few words..... or a long sentence.

Use law of exactness (e.g. Heinz 57 varieties).

Must grab your target prospect by the throat

and drag them through the body copy.

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Point
Its probably best to write the headline last.
It needs a lot of thought as it must grab the reader
by

the

throat

and

drag

him

into

your

advertisement. You can also spend so much time

on it.that when you then move on to the other
parts of the advertisement you are probably too
tired or dont have enough time left to give the
body of the advert justiceso leave the headline
until the end, Often a good headline pops out from
the advert anyway.
Some More Thoughts on Headlines
Most people scan all promotions and if a headline
grabs their attention they will then move on into
the advert.
So the headline must grab their attention.
Flag Down Your Market
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Use a catchy titlee.g. Home Painters, Arthritis

Suffers, Slimmers and so onwhoever you target
market isto grab their attention.
This can be put into a box at the top of your advert
as a flagfollowed by your catchier, more
appealing headline.
Use Appeal
Next...use appeal. Browns Bakery.will flag
Mr Brown but not many others.but New, Hot,
Fresh, Tasty Bread from the Oven of Browns
Bakery, has more appeal.
One of the most famous and more successful ways
to grab peoples attention is the How to
headline. Its proved itself time and time again.
For example How to Win Friends and Influence
People. The key words are How to & and.
Also, try and aim your appeal at human needs:
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 Making Money
Saving Effort
Impressing Others
More Leisure
Self Improvement
The Need to Belong
Security
Getting Something Others Cant.
PICTURE
Show the product/service in use
or
the benefit of using the product.
(Pleasenot your premises or your staff)
The best photos are before and after shots.
Also put a caption underneath.
BODY COPY
Sub Heading
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This leads on from the heading. It is a sentence or

two expanding on and reaffirming the headline.
Next.Paragraph Headings
These headings come from the research you
carried out earlier.
Make a list of the points you want to get across
from the research.
Write them in question form or in a manner so
that people who scan advertisements will be
hooked and want to read more e.g. Once you own
this, youll discover just how easy life can be.

Sentences Under Paragraph Headings

This will depend on the space available but
normally you should write a sentence or two on the
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benefits the customer will get out of owning the

product.
Talk in terms of WIIFM (whats in it for me) for
your customer.......not Weve been in business for
20 years.......or this is our new factory...... The
only people excited about this are you and your
staff.

Short Copy or Long Copy?

Copy is the term used to describe the words in
your advertisement. Short copy means not many
words; long copy means a lot of words.
Its been proven time and time again that long
copy out sells short copy.
Who reads long copy?

Only people who are

interested in the topic.

Family, friends, etc,

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dontso expect them to comment negatively on

long copy.
David Ogilvy (world renowned advertising guru)
in his book, Ogilvy on Advertising, states: All
my experiences say that for a great many products
long copy sells more than short.
Be absolutely consistent in your message (the
theme of your advert) . . . . . also keep repeating
the advert even to the extent of boring yourself,
your wife and your staff by using the same advert,
all the time, and keep using the advert until it
stops working.
The main

reason advertisements are changed is

because the staff, family or management get bored

with it.if it still workskeep using it.

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Use Testimonials
These are very importantjust a few edited
comments are best.
Make the advertisement readable and newsy
When writing you copy, write like you are talking
to a new friend or associate. This gives it an open,
honest appeal. Share you information in chatty
way.

GUARANTEE (RISK REVERSAL)

Many business owners are reluctant to offer
guarantees because they fear theyll lose money in
claims. In reality the exact opposite is true . . . .
claims are usually a very small percentage of sales
. . . . yet guarantees greatly assist in overcoming
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the fear of buying. Guarantee your product . . . .

and be outrageous in just how far youll guarantee
. . . . . it becomes something that sets you apart
from your competition. The longer the guarantee,
the more people feel the risk or fear of buying is
reduced.
DONE PROPERLY . . . . . YOUR SALES WILL
SOAR

OFFER
-

Can increase responses by 300%

Use soft dollar items e.g. time, free report

low cost - high perceived value

buy one get one free is proven to increase sales

dramatically (some say by 300%)

Could be a monthly offer - just change the

offer, not the whole advert
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CALL TO ACTION
Asking your reader or viewer for an order . . . . . or
to call now . . .may well be the difference between
receiving their business or letting them get away
. . . . . always include a call to act.
A call to action could be a coupon. E.g. Fill in the
coupon and post it today.

NAME, ADDRESS & PHONE

Can you believe it . . . . . sometimes people leave
these facts out!!!
Also . . . . . if necessary, use a mud map on how to
get to your premises if thats what youre after make your name easy to read and the phone
number prominent . . . . .
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(Point: dont show a fax number unless its

business to business...it is too many numbers and
confusing as to which one to ring).
Also, in todays world, show your web address.
Web Sites.
Your website should have the same look as your
advertisement and contain the same features as
listed above.
It should not be like every other website, that is,
hard to follow or too slow because of all the hi-tech
gizmos.
Potential customers move quickly on, maybe to the
competition.
Use the same guidelines as above.heading,
picture, sub- headings, copy, etc.
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People go to websites to get information.make it

a perfect sales site and give them all the
information to convince them youre the place to
buy from.
Where to Place Advertisements and How Often
The best place to put advertisements is where your
target market will be looking.
The answer to that question should be revealed in
the research.
Also, dont start your advertising with a big
launch.its better to be consistent over a period of
time than a big bang then nothing. Or so small a
campaign no one sees it.
The need to buy things happens to people at
different times for different reasons. So its better
to be out there advertising consistently so when
45

people are ready to buy; they suddenly see your

advertisement.
I have had people say:
I

just saw your new advert, thats just what I

want
.yet the advertisement had been in the same
place for 5 years or more, saying the same thing.
The difference is they didnt need the product up
to now.
Dont forget monitor the results.

46

Ever Heard the Saying . . . . . ONLY 50% OF

ADVERTISING WORKS . . . . UNFORTUNATELY,
WE DONT KNOW WHICH 50% . . .
Sounds like gambling to me . . . . . well, we
shouldnt gamble with any of our business money .
. . . . especially advertising money . . . . and now we
no longer have to . . . . . . . . . .
HOW???
TEST AND MEASURE
Thats right . . . . . test each item . . . . . and
measure the results.
Measure

: Responses

: Responses to Appointments/Visit
: Appointments/visits to Sales
: Cost per Sale
: Average $ Sale
: Profit per Sale
47

Most people guess and get it wrong . . . . . Test

different offers, different headlines.
Test and Measure

PACKAGE YOUR EXPERTISE

We mentioned this earlier in the Research Section .
. . . . become valuable to your customers . . . . . an
interesting, yet simple and very, very effective way
to do this is to package your expertise.
How

. . . . . Write a Report

e.g. Learn the 20 things that stop people losing

money in XXX industry.
. . . . . Produce a CD
Why a CD?
48

So people can listen in their cars on the way to

work. you get to sit in the prospects car for
twenty

minutes

and

give

the

ultimate

presentationwhy not offer these in your Business

to Business letter or advert.. obviously give the
CD an exciting heading.
Produce a Checklist for Buyers
Supply a list with comments on everything they
need to complete the project successfullytools,
time, supplies, etc.
Make The Invisible.Visible.
Make the invisible (what everybody in your
industry knows . . . . . but your clients dont know)
. . . . . . . . . . . visible.
Write a report or handout sharing what everybody
in your industry knows.share that information
with prospective clients.
49

You will be surprised at the business it will

generate.
Despite what you think People Dont Know
Everything.
People do not know everything about your
industry or product despite what they might hint
or you assume.
However, you will win them over if you give them
the information that everybody in your industry
knows in a simple clear format.
It helps them become informed. Obviously, you
will highlight your product and show why they
should choose you and not
your competitors.
TRY THIS!
50

Information Pack.
You can trial this very simply using the following
format:
Use an A3 paper folder down to A4. Coloured
paper looks better
Put a Heading on the first page e.g..
Everything You Wanted To Know About
XXX Product But Almost Were Too Afraid To
Ask
On the next pages list the features and benefits
of your product.
Headings.

Use Headings and Sub

Expand on you advert.

Use

Pictures. Tell all.

On the next page, list the most commonly
asked questions and your answers. Heading
could

be

12

Most

Commonly

Asked

Questions.
Also show your payment methods and terms.

51

On the last page you could have testimonials,

your guarantee, and brief history of your
company. Call to action and name, address, etc.

The objective of this Information Pack is to leave it

with your prospect, the perfect sales call, if you
like. They can read it later, if required, but in
most cases it is handed to another party who is
probably the decision- maker, but may not be
available when your there.
Example.
For example, lets say in the Mums and Dads
market you present to the wife. She says she must
discuss the decision with her husband (this may
not be an excuse not to buy, it may be a legitimate
answer and that they discuss all financial things
before committing). They are then given the
Information Pack, which is a true and accurate
sales pitch in writing.
52

This also reinforces what you said at the

presentation, helps Mum remember what was
discussed and Dad gets to read for himself, which
helps him feel he made the decision on his own.
By using the Information Pack you can also
overcome inaccurate information often given by
competitors about your product.
Try it..It Works!
When this was used with one company it could be
traced back to increasing sales by 5%. Think
about that for a moment, a 25c piece of paper
increased sales by 5%.
Would a 5% increase in sales, with little cost, help
your bottom line profit?
The Foolish Act of Assumption
53

As business people (or staff) who are selling a

product, we have the fear or thought that the client
will know all about our product or service so we
dont need to bore them with the facts or details.
In reality, the exact opposite is true.
We fall into the ASS out of U and Me syndrome
ASSUME.
We fail to share all about our product or service,
and what everybody in our industry knows,
because we think the customer knows it allbut
its WRONG, WRONG, WRONG.
Share all about your industry, how it started, what
it does, what it doesnt do (again this is
important.you cant be all things to all people so
say whats its limitations are). Why your product
or service is unique (thats why they have to use
54

youand why you charge what you do).

This

uniqueness is what sets you apart.

Do this in your advertisements,

brochures,

proposals, CDs - all promotional items.

Heres another way at looking at the same
thingthis time from the customers point of view.
1. What is the name of your company?
2. What business is your company in?
3. What is your companys specialty?
4. Where is your companys office?
5. How long has your company been in business?
6. Do I know anyone you do business with?
7. What is your companys guarantee?
8. Does your business have after sales service?
now what was it you wanted to sell me.
Heres another proven and very successful way of
getting in contact with prospects.
55

THE CHOCOLATE LETTER

Maybe your business doesnt use mass advertising
and is business-to business or more targeted.
Then consider the Chocolate Letter method.
This idea has proven to work time and time again.
One person used the idea and generated 10 clients
from 10 lettersfor the percentage person thats
100%!
Another company uses the idea and consistently
gets a 60% response rate. Not bad.
What is the Chocolate Letter? Well its simply a
very short letter (see below)...and attached to it is a
56

chocolate bar for them to eat while they read the

letter.
How many letters do you get with a chocolate
attached to them? If you did, would you read the
letter?

I bet you would, and probably all the

information attached.so why dont you try this

idea right now and see how it works with your
potential clients.
You will be amazed how quickly you get through
the gatekeeper and straight to the person you want
to speak withjust say youre the chocolate
person.
The Method
1. Ring the organisation you wish to target and
obtain the name of the person to whom you wish
to present your product or service.
2. Next, post the following letter and your
presentation, with a chocolate bar attached.
3. Then, a few days later, call and ask to speak with
that person.
57

4. Be ready for a positive response, but dont forget

the objective of the letter is to get an
appointment with the person, so ask for the
appointment.
5. Keep records of your response rate and then
work out how many letters you have to send out
to fill your appointment book.
6. Its simple, effective and it really works (beats
cold calling any time).

58

Sample Chocolate letter.

X Y Z Pty Ltd,
1 Smith Street,
Jonestown.
Attention : Mr Jones.
Good morning Mr Jones,
Enclosed is a little item to sweeten you upin the
nicest way of course.
So, we invite you to sit back for a moment
and enjoy our little sweetener while you scan our
attached Information pack attached.

59

This pack is designed to simply, easily and quickly

outline the many features and benefits companys
like yours have gained from investing in our
product.
Thanks for your time will call shortly and see if
I can drop by and answer any questions you may
have about us.
In the meantime..enjoy.
Regards,

Heres another exciting and very often overlooked

method of getting to your target market using the
mass media approach:

60

POSTCARDS
Thats right, the simple and often overlooked
postcard.
Cost-wise its most effective:
Printing about
Postage.about

0.12c
0.13c

Say you do a trial run of 10,000, thats about

$2,500 in total.
Now, you need to work out a break even sales
numberProfit on sales divided by the cost =
Break Even.
You then proceed with the exercise and monitor
the responsesany thing over break even must be
a winresponse rates vary but range between
0.5% -12%.

61

You will need a compelling offer, good headline,

features and benefits, name, contact details, etc.
Dont forget creative artwork.
What a simple and effective way to go!
You could direct people to your shop or your
website for a free report as well as providing a
phone number for a free quote.

Success Story
One company, an importer and wholesaler, offered
free postcards to its clients (retailers) so they could
let their customers know about their new product
line.

There was a 55% take up by retailers

wanting the free postcards to send to their

customers. Worked brilliantly for all concerned.
Another Method
62

Getting new clients, from suspects to prospects,

can be a hard and expensive road. You always
seem to be on the attack and they always seem to
be on the defensive.
Try this out for sizeits a bit slower, but the
results are very powerful.
Step 1
Seminar
Invite you suspects to a seminar (for a fee) where
you will explain how to over come a range of
problems they have in their industry.
Use a Chocolate Letter, postcard, phone call or
invitation to encourage them to attend.

63

The fee is to cover all your costs and sometimes

even make a small profit.
As a headline, remember the How to...and.. or
20 Common Mistakes people make in XXX,
theme.
Be sure the content measures up to what you have
advertised,

and

have

handouts

and

other

information available.
Dont make it a promotion for your productbut
talking about generic issues facing your prospects
and your product will automatically get promoted.
The key issue is to set yourself up as some one who
knows whats going onand how to fix things.

Step 2
Consultations
64

Your next step is to offer to consult to these people

(for fee) and suggest ways to overcome their
problem.

They must have problems otherwise

they would not have attended your seminar.

Step 3
Sell Them The Solution
You consultation and recommendation will offer
the necessary solution and will include your
products or services.
While this may seem a slower process, you win as
each time you are seen in their eyes as the expert.
You also are in charge of the process and people
are coming to youyou are not chasing them. It is
also very cost effective - break even at least or
profitable at each stage.
65

Another Thought
You may not wish to charge for the seminarlets
say you are a carpet retaileryou could speak
with the locals builder(s) and offer to send all their
clients a letter inviting them to a free seminar in
you shop after hours to learn all about the
different types of carpet and underlay.
On the night, give hand-outs explaining all about
the different types, what to look for, problems that
occur, etc. You will obviously position yourself as
the expert and sales will surely followtry it in
your industry you could be amazed at the results.

QUOTING

66

First step - ban the word QUOTE . . . . . usually

people get 3 quotes . . . . . line them up and only
looked at the $$$ along the bottom . . . . .all quotes
are usually presented the same way.
Instead of Quote Use :

Action Plan

: Proposal
:

Presentation

Perhaps use a new layout, such as:

-

Preamble

Identify the problem from information given

Solve the problem

Investment $

Explain all the features and benefits of the

method used to solve the problem

Show action plan or timetable you recommend

Ask politely for the business

Why do this?
67

Well, as stated above, most people get 3 quotes.

Line them up on the desk and look at the price
which is normally the last thing on the page. They
usually discount the cheapest and choose one of the
other two (isnt it interesting they dont normally
choose the cheapest).
By changing the order in which you present the
Quote (wash my mouth out with soap for using
that word)they have to read through yours to
find the amount.
People then usually continue reading on and you
justify their investment (people always try and
reduce costs so dont use that word, but people like
to invest). By listing your features and benefits as
well as your USP after the investment amount you
are adding value to the investment as they read on.
The others are only looked at for price as they list
their features before the amount.
68

And people

usually forget the benefits once they see the price.

(Shock!)
Most people always think it is going to cost less
than the real price.
With yours it will be the value you are giving them,
after the shock.and thus you will justify their
investment.
TRY IT . . . . . IT WORKS.

PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANTS

69

Did you know most professional consultants write

down or discount their accounts by 20% before
posting them out mainly due to embarrassment?
IF YOU ARE A PROFFESSIONAL
CONSULTANT
STOP THIS IMMEDIATELY!
Be proud of what you charge, if its justified.
Again educate your customer as to how you arrive
at the fee (maybe in the accounts or on a separate
fact sheet)

. . . . . youll feel better, and the

customer will understand the account and usually

pay it quicker.

Examples:
time involved (total)
research undertaken
70

 software purchased
training (ongoing) or explain education
Added value included
More Tips.
Produce a yearly calendar of eventsso you
can be sure to maximise on other publicity
surrounding these events. e.g.. Valentines Day,
Easter, Christmas, School Holidays, Winter,
Summer, Autumn, Spring & New Year.
B2B idea Print your company name and
contact details on message pads and give them
out free to clients and receptionists. People
still need to make notes even in this day of the
computer. Just watch how quickly your name
(phone number or email) travels around the
office and is kept in front of your clients. An
old one but still a good one.

71

PR (Public Relations)
In the past, the only way to do this was to send a
press release to the local newspaper and hope.
Usually nothing happened.
Today it is very different.
Consider writing an article or conducting
research, as mentioned above, to educate and
inform readers. This could be your industrys
perspective on a current topic, technology and
processes, your customers success stories or a
topic that illustrates your expertise. Use exciting
and current headlines.
Then:
1. Send an email to your client list inviting

them to visit your website to read the

article (have a special offer handy).
2. Write a press release for newspapers
(local, national, business, magazines)
summarizing the article in 500 words. If
possible, include a picture (make the
picture exclusive for each newspaper,
and note this on the picture. Also include
the names of those featured in the
picture).
3. Post your press release over the internet
through special web sites designed for
72

this purpose e.g.. PRNewswire or

BusinessWire [you should supply web
addresses of these outlets]. Again
summarizes the article and include your
web address on the press release.
You only need one to succeed and the results can
be quite dramatic.

Step 3: SELLING
Selling is a forgotten part of business today. Yet
every time we deal with people we are selling . . .
73

and all our frontline order-taking personnel

should be trained in sales techniques.
Selling techniques are as relevant today
as 5, 10 or 15 years ago
Probably

more

important

today

as

middle

management disappears and often the lowest paid

in the company deal with our customers . . . . . in
fact to the customer, they are the company.

And again, the customers perception of our

company is reality to them.
Are they trained professionals???

74

True sales professionals need to know 4 important

items:
-

Product knowledge

Selling skills

Time/territory management

Attitude skills

If your sales people are on the road are they

prospecting and selling? If so, are you aware that
on average they are only spending 20% of the time
selling.
What a waste of time, expertise and manpower..
Todays companies should be using all the
opportunities available to supply leads to its
salespeople.
If you are producing your promotional items
correctly, then the maximum number of leads
75

should be generated. You should be monitoring

the results and know exactly how many salespeople
you need to maximise the sales for you.
YOU COULD DOUBLE YOUR TURNOVER
OVERNIGHT IF SALESPEOPLE SPENT
THE MAJORITY OF THEIR TIME SELLING.
What do I mean by that?

Well, if salespeople

spent say 80% of their time getting leads and only

20% selling, then they are really spending most of
their time in lead generation, not selling. It would
be better for your company to employ a lead
generation person, and get the salesperson in front
of more clients who are likely to purchase.
Isnt that what they are employed and trained to
do anyway?
Lets say they now spend 80% of their time selling,
they have immediately doubled their selling
76

opportunities and probably DOUBLED your

turnover. The cost of the lead generation person
would be greatly outweighed by the increase in
sales.
Some interesting thoughts, so far
You could easily improve your sales by 100%
without spending any more money than you are at
present by simply adopting the points discussed up
to this point.
Think about it.

If you conducted the research,

rewrote all of your promotional items and placed

your advertisements where your target market is
going to read them, you would dramatically
increase your sales.
If you only used half of the promotional ideas
discussed earlier, wouldnt you get a lot more
responses than youre getting at the moment?
77

Would you not get increased and better targeted

prospects?

When salespeople put more time into selling, and

are better trained, their conversion rates improve.
Its that simple.
But people dont do it because they think it must
be harder than that, but its not. Most businesses
follow what every other business does and they get
the same results as them.hard work, low sales
and poor profits.
Why not try the new way today. You could be
amazed at the results.
Remember, do it systematically and monitor the
numbers.
78

SELLING
Basic Selling Step-by-Step
1.

Create Interest
79

-Demonstrate
- Proof
- Use the 5 senses (sight,
sound, touch, smell, taste)
2.

Ask Questions
-

Sell the interview time

- Think

in

terms

interests or
needs
- Listen to answers
3.

Presentation
- Product knowledge
- Keep it simple

4.

Close the sale

5.

Objections

6.

Close the Sale Again

80

of

their

7.

After Sales Service

SOME OTHER POINTS TO CONSIDER

*

Smile

Be Enthusiastic

Be Sincere, ooze confidence

Its Interesting to Note:

When you ask salespeople what their conversion
rate is they always say 80%.
Yet when actual figures are taken most are
converting around 40%.
It has been found by giving sales training regularly
you can increase this to more than 50%.
Again this would improve your sales by 10% for
little or no cost.

81

You should also be monitoring your salespeoples

conversion rates. The best and simplest way is to
record the following:
Number

Leads

n/a

Appointments
Sales
This will give you an accurate figure

ANOTHER

GOOD

IDEA

TO

INCREASE

TURNOVER

SELL ADD ONS

82

HOW??? . . . . . Have lists available of items

that accompany the product or service you
have just sold . . . . .
-

Have them available at the display

On the Counter

In your order pad . . . . .

Once people have purchased - they relax . . . . .

and even appreciate helpful suggestions that
can make the job easier . . . . . the best time to
offer these items is immediately after the sale .
. . try it . . . . . it works.

HOW TO DO IT

83

Head a piece of paper with the following:

(Having a printed piece of paper looks better and
gives a better imageand has a impression that you
always offer this item)
WHEN OTHER PEOPLE BROUGHT THIS.
THEY ALSO BROUGHT THESE ITEMS:
1. xxxxx
2. YYY
3. ZZZZ
4. ETC , ETC.
Thank you.

Testimonials

84

How to get them automatically.

Use testimonials to help close the sale and take the
pressure off the salesperson. The customers fears
will be allayed and they will be happy to follow
other people and buy.
Heres an amazing, timeless idea that has worked
brilliantly for me for years and years.
Certificate Of Satisfaction
I got this idea while shopping with my wife for a
new kitchen. We went from retailer to retailer
looking at all the different options.
Then I came across one retailer that had a number
of photo albums spread around on tables. I flicked
one open expecting to see photos of kitchensbut
instead I found a simple one page sheet titled
Certificate of Satisfaction.
85

The page listed

customer

comments

relating

to

under

various

kitchensdesign,

headings

workmanship,

tidiness, etc.
The more I read the more I wanted whatever they
had because it was full of glowing testimonies
about all the things this company had done for the
past clients.
I could see the possibilities immediately.
Image if you could get your customers to give you
feedback in glowing terms that you could show to
your new prospects. It would have an amazing
effect on them just as these certificates had on me.
When you think about it, it works in many ways,
and this has proved to be correct since I stated
using them myself.

86

Firstly, you give the opportunity for customers to

give the company feedback on your service.
They like doing this. If its good they will say so,
and if its not good they will also say so, and you
can use these negative comments to improve your
business.
Remember, to your customer the sale isnt
completed until they are using the product or
service happily and it is solving their problem.
I found I needed to explain the full benefit of these
forms to everyone in the company. It wasnt to
catch them out (as some thought) but was mainly
used to obtain positive testimonials from our
clients to give to future prospects.
This did rely on all parties in the process doing
their bit to achieve a success result for the client.
87

Yes, it did give me a check system that everything

was going through the process correctly, but the
big benefit was that often the people at the back
end of the operation got more credit than the
salespersonand the delight on their faces when
we could show them the positive customer
feedback was amazing.

Often they asked for

copies to take home and show families.

We gave postcard-sized forms to customers at the
end of the transaction and asked them to complete
and Free Post back to us.
About 30 % did this.
From this we gained 100s of testimonials which
we could show to prospects.it has been working
for about 7 years and still works today, Why not
try it in your business today .

88

89

PRICING
Sadly today, most people believe price is the key
. . . . . Its not its . . . . .
VALUE
When choosing to buy from one business over
another . . . . .

even today, price ranks 5th . .

...

Others are:
1) Courteous, Polite Behaviour
2) Satisfied Needs
3) Positive Past Experience
4) Recommendation
Dont be afraid about losing customers . . . . . the
80/20 rule applies
i.e. 80% give profit & no grief
20% give you grief and no profit

90

Unfortunately . . . . . its the 20% we spend most of

our time on.
(Please reread this page at least twiceits a key
issue)

91

PRICING
We should at all times charge the maximum
amount the market will bear . . . . .
DISCOUNT POLICIES
DONT WORK . . . . .
(Just ask any major retail chain).
Charge more . . . . . make more profit
thus enabling you to give more value . . . . .
Most people are scared to increase their prices
fearing it will drive customers awaybut
rememberpeople want Value and are prepared
to pay a bit more for it.
If you are telling people about your value to them,
then they will happily pay a bit more for it.

92

Try ityou can always drop you prices

laterbut I bet you dont need to if you are doing
things properly.
And, you will put the money straight in the profit
bin.

93

Step 4: DELIVERY
The average Company will lose 20% of its
customers per year - because of poor service.
Sometimes we are so busy
getting the front end right . . . . .
we forget about the back end.
On the other hand, organisations providing quality
after the sales service grow twice as fast as their
competitors.
Also when complaints are fixed promptly customers are 9 times more likely to buy again . . .
..
A poll revealed that only 56% of companies
believed they were giving good customer service .

94

Hows yours???
Story.
One company surveyed all its customers when
things werent going so good. The results turned
the business around. One of the main findings:
service people dressed incorrectly and put
customers off . . . . . this stopped referrals.
The service people agreed
to a dress change . . . . .
and referrals went from 0.2% to 12.4%.
A 12+% increase in sales for little or no cost.
Why not conduct a full check up on the supply end
of your business . . . . .

What Happened?
95

The service people were wearing what they liked,

shorts and t-shirts.
The shorts were often too small and when the
serviceperson bent over almost all of his backside was
displayed. To most this was a pretty ugly site.
Also the t-shirts often had comments on them that
were funny at the home BBQ but not appropriate at a
customers home.
The service people agreed to wear appropriate
clothing and referrals went through the roof.
Check. Are you looking great up front but letting
things down on the delivery end?
Most important.
Remember the customers perception is reality to
them, right through the whole supply chain.

96

Step 5: WOW!!!
Deliver the unexpected . . . . .
Simple, economical, but very, very effective.
For example
A shoe shop gave free Mickey Mouse Band aids
to kids when they brought new shoes - kids loved it
. . . . . Mums loved it . . . . . because kids were
happy.
(Why? Just in case they got blisters)
Also, they gave away free clothing vouchers to
the kids clothing shop around the corner . . . . .
WOW . . . it worked so much for the clothing shop
they gave vouchers to their customers to the kids
shoe shop . . . simple and easy.
WIN . . . . . WIN . . . . .
-

Give Value

Give Soft Dollar . . . . . Time

Use Others (non-competitors)

97

Another company gave away a Car First Aid Kit

with every Car Window tint.
It cost $2.50.
Why do it?
People dont usually sit around saying Gee I got
this or that done to day and discuss the features
and benefits. BUT they will discuss good and bad
service and a small cost effective free gift.is a
simple, cost effective way of getting word of mouth
referrals.
What small dollar item can you give away that will
make people go WOW.
A good place to start is go beyond your product
and what problems could arise after they purchase
it (remember the Mickey Mouse Band Aids).
The best business is referral business.

98

Step 6: REFERRALS
Referrals are the cheapest and most cost effective
way we can get business . . . . . yet many of us dont
work this area of our business.
If you systemize this your business can grow
dramatically . . . . .
And your competitors dont even know its
happening.
Send Thank You letters . . . . . with referral cards
. . . . . special offers
Phone and chat with current clients . . . . . tell
them you are looking for more business . . . . . can
they help??? (people love to help others)
Also, they will be happy to refer you if you are
giving them a real and extra value.

99

When sending out your newsletters, end of month

accounts, etc.send out a voucher for the client
and 2 others for friends.
Simple yet most effective.

100

Step 7: KEEP IN TOUCH

Customers want more than a transaction . . . . .
they want:
*
*
*

Knowledge
Information
Expertise

and not necessarily yours . . . . .

They already trust you . . . . . why??? Because
people buy from friends . . . . . as well as people
they like and trust.
Keep clients names and addresses . . . . . Its 5 to 6
times cheaper to get a client to buy again . . . . .
than it is to get a new client.
Did you know that 68% of customers leave
because of PERCEIVED indifference.
The good news is that 80% will return if you keep in
touch . . . . .
101

Just consider for a moment the LIFE TIME

VALUE of a customer to your business . . . . . in
terms of turnover and net profit . . . . .
HOW MUCH ARE CUSTOMERS REALLY
WORTH . . . . .
How often should we keep in touch??? . . . . .
Wendy Evans . . . . . in her book How to get New
Business in 90 days and keep it Forever . . . . .
suggests within 90 days they should get something
from you.
Ideas include:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:

Postcard
Newsletter
Closed Door Sale - Invitation
Members Club
Loyalty Bonus
Seminars
Just keeping in touch letter
Pre-Sale . . . . . Sales

A point here . . . . . the information you send

doesnt have to be about you and your company.
102

It can include articles from other experts that will

help your client.
For example:
A printing company sent a newsletter every 90
days to its business clients containing information
from experts in business management e.g.. time
management, advertising etc.

Clients looked

forward to receiving the newsletter as it gave them

free tips and ideas.

And when they needed

printing, who do you think they went to and

referred people to?

Be persistent . . . . . it takes time . . . . . be organised

and dont give up . . . . . research your customers,
give them ideas and information valuable to them .
....
test and measure

103

but dont give up . . . . .

Its said that if you keep in touch with all contacts
every 3 months for 5 years 90% will become
your customers. Try it.
Heres a suggested letter to thank your clients for
their business:

X Y Z Pty Ltd.
1 High Street,
Jonestown.
Good morning,
104

Im just writing to say thank you for being a

customer.
You see the other day the thought struck me that
nobody I deal with has ever said thank you to
me for being a customer.
And then I realised that I never said thank you
to you either.
So the purpose of this letter is to just do that. To
tell you I appreciate you choosing to do business
with me.
And to show you how much we appreciate it, I am
enclosing a GIFT VOUCHER for you to use.
Please feel free to use it any time.
Soonce again thank you.
Regards,
105

PS Alsoas a special thank you I am enclosing 2

Gift Certificates for you to give to friends or
family.
Another idea
Obtain

email

addresses....especially

clientele is local.
appointments

for

if

your

You can then scan you

the

day

e.g...

restaurant,

hairdresser, etc, and let clients know of gaps you

have in you appointment book.

Give them a

special offer if they fill the gaps. Its extra money

you may not have earned and keeps your staff
busy all day.

106

Some Extra Thoughts.

CASHFLOW, CASHFLOW, CASHFLOW.
This is the catch cry of all business people.here
are a few ideas that could assist in this area.
1) As an experienced person once told me the sale
isnt over till its paid for.
107

So, we must insure that we have systems in place to

collect the monies due.
1) Hire a Bookkeeper.
The best way to do this is to get someone else to do
your bookwork, which includes following up
people

who

are

behind

in

their

payment

arrangements. Its also better for a third party to

do this as you can be too close, too emotional, and
even a bit afraid that other sales may disappear, if
your have to chase a client. So you put it off.
Employing

someone

to

do

this

will

also

dramatically increase the time you have available

to grow your business.
The paperwork involved in running a business
today is astounding.
getting

So invest a few dollars in

someone

else

to

do

your

paperwork.everybody who has bitten the bullet

and done it is amazed and question why they
didnt do it earlier because of how much it has
benefited their business.
108

2) History is a curse.

Assumption is also a curse.

When we start out in business we feel that we must

automatically give credit because everybody else
does (history). The curse is this: by giving credit
we immediately put our business under financially
pressure. Again, the assumption is that everybody
else does.
Be different dont give credit.
To do this you must clearly state up front, when
you are in the proposal stage, what your payment
terms are. Then everybody is clear when payment
is required.

Otherwise it is left unclear and

accounts get posted out and people only pay when

chased.
It becomes a costly exercise in terms of time,
paperwork and interest on monies not received.
109

You will surprised and amazed at how many

people are happy to pay when and where directed.
Yes, a limited few will ask for credit terms. In this
case, you decide the terms and insist they sign a
document

which

outlines

the

terms

and

consequences of late paymentthen everything is

clear and outlined.
3) Interesting Idea.
Heres an idea which helped one company secure
30% more jobs by offering this arrangement.
There terms were payment on delivery. However
some did ask for terms so the following document
was drawn up. This clearly outlined the payment
terms and a clause which enabled the company to
recover collection costs if they needed chasing.
The terms offered were:
A third of the payment on delivery, a third 30 days
later and the final third 30 days after that.
110

That meant that the clients got sixty day terms but
the company got 60% of its money in 30 days.
It was a win / win for both parties.
And it was fully documented and as previously
stated increased business by 30%.

DEVELOP A BUSINESS PLAN.

While it is not the purpose of this Marketing
Manual, it is strongly recommended that you
develop a Business Plan.
Templates for Business Plans are available from
government agencies that are set up to support
new and small businesses.
It is well worth the effort required, and will force
you to address many aspects about business that
you may not have considered.

SUMMARY
111

As stated at the beginning of this Manual, the

dream of most people going into business is to
eventually get more time than before to do the
things they want to do and to earn more money
from their own efforts.
Sadly most find the opposite is true and struggle
from day one. It doesnt have to be so.but now
its up to you.
These simple steps and ideas are proven to work.
If necessary adapt them for your business.
But do them.
Go for it.
Thank you and may you achieve your dreams and
targets.

112

PS: Dont forget if you have any questions please

email me and I will answer you promptly.

LIST OF BOOKS
Following is a list of some of the books I have
found inspirational and that have helped and
guided me in my business journey.
AREA
People Management

TITLE
Bible
How to Win

AUTHOR
Various
Dale Carnegie

Friends & Influence People

Personality Plus
Selling

Service

Letters/Proposals
Advertising

Florence Litlauer

How I raised myself from

Failure to Success in Selling

Frank Bettger

Body Language

Joe Braysich

Deliver Knock Your Socks Off

Service
Write Right
Ogilvy on Advertising

113

Kristin Anderson
Ron Zemke
Paul Dunn
David Ogilvy

Marketing

Time Management

AREA
Systems
Empowering People

Guerilla Marketing

Jay Conrad Levinson

22 Immutable Laws of
Marketing

Al Ries & Jack Tront

What they dont teach you at

Harvard Business School

Mark H. McCormack

One Minute Manager

TITLE
The E Myth
Moments of Truth
Maverick
The Nordstrom Way

Ideas

Ideas Unlimited
How to make your own Luck

PR/Newsletters

How to get New Business in 90

days and Keep it Forever

114

Kenneth Blanheng
Spencer Johnson
AUTHOR
Michel E. Gerber
Jan Carlzon
Richard Schimer
Robert Spector
Patrick D. McCarth
Neville Smith & Murray
Ainsworth
Bernard Gittelson

Wendy Evans

BONUS CHAPTER.
List
Of
Proven
Successful
115

Ideas.
Letters
I cannot write letters.
Are you in this category? Then youre probably
not on your own.
Sadlypeople get a mental block when they try
and write letters.
Trying to get the words right
the punctuation right
And so on it goes
Amazingly, though.the same people are usually
good talkers.
The problem is that people think they should write
like a University English Professor or like people
did in the 1800syet nothing could be further
from the truth
116

Letter writing (or for that matter, any form of

writing) is just conversation in printbut we get
so hung up on trying to do it right that we miss
that point.
Tell it like it is
Try this.
Dear Sir.
How many letters still begin this way? This
opening began when people first started writing to
each other(around the 1800s).it was the way
they spoke then and weve followed suit ever
since.
Why not just sayGood morning or Hijust
as you would greet them if you meet them in the
street.think about it!

Another interesting idea is

117

LAYOUT
In the pastletters were boring, neat, square
paragraphs
.use the following method to give more
impact.

Do a large paragraphfull size of pagethe next

one.make it centredand then another larger
paragraph following.

118

For example:
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXX.
YYYYYYYYYYYYYY
YYYYYYYYYYYYYY
YYYYYYYYYYYYYY
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

119

This method makes letter writingbrochures,

etcanything, easy, simple and exciting to
readand dont forget tell it like it is
The P.S.
Also the P.S. gets read first and more often, if
youve got a good offer,
repeat it in the P.S. and call for actiongo
onjust do it.its easy.
The results will amaze you!

In Your Neighbourhood Brochure.

120

After a sales presentation in a clients home,

perhaps generated by a referral card, why not take
a few extra minutes and drop a brochure into the
letter box of 5 people around that home..
5 should include one either side of the client.
and the 3 across the road
The old sayingbirds of a feather flock
togetherapplies here
That is, often like people are in the same area.
This simple brochure can explain that you have
just sold your product or service to someone
nearby. (for all sorts of reasons, people get
interested in who)
and then go on to explain the product and why
they bought them
and if they are interested in looking at the same
thingcall you
121

while you are still in the neighbourhood

Youll be amazed how many ring up
You could even sweeten the pot with a
gift cheque
the money you save in travelling can be given to
them.
Try it.
it only takes about 2 minutes to do it,
and they will bring you back again and again to
the same area.
P.S.

If you have plenty of time

Letter box the whole street.

Invite Prospects Seminars.

122

Seminars are great lead generators..when

used correctly.
People today are hungry for helpful information
..and with a bit of thought and effort.you can
tap into that hunger
of information.
When promoted correctly, seminars will you
excellent, grateful prospects.
Think about it.Can you give seminar on
your industry.
Oranother way how many people do you have in
your circle of friends or other places, who are
experts in their field? Consider approaching them
to be the main speaker at your seminar.
.Most will agree.
123

They lead out giving expert advice and

information on their topic, give handouts.
It Works.
You then follow up with a promotion on your
product.
You arrange to promote the seminar to past
clients, new prospects, and their friends..even a
small advert in the local paper..letter box
drop in a targeted area.
Create an exciting and compelling seminar
title
Make sure people get 2 invitations.one for
themselves and one for a friend
Bookings essential..obtain names and
addresses as people enter.do a simple promotion
yourself.introduce the speaker.and away
you go.
Dont forget to make these topics compelling.
124

Test ityoull see it

works!

Free Samples
Historicallythis has proven to be the most
successful lead-acquiring
method..
125

How does it work?

Simple.
Arrange a sample of your product.
This could be in the form of:(1) Letter with sample..
(2) CD
Arrange for someone to read some of your
promotional

literature and include a

full sales presentation on to a CD.CDs cost

only a few dollars each..and are an excellent
way to pre-sell
your product or service with the perfect sales
presentation, duplicated as many times as you
likeyou just pick up the
orders.easy!...........
How do you give them away...You could run small,
single column adverts in local papers offering
Free Sample
.then send them out.and follow
up..
126

OR..hand them out at seminars and talks

you give to local organisations..who are
always looking for speakers.
Think of some exciting topics.power
headlines.
Think about it..try
ittest it
Youll find it will be the most successful lead
generation method you can use.

Dont leave theNo Sale Customer

Empty-handed!
How often do you go shopping and see something
youd like to own, but then make the decision not
to buy itand later that day, or the next, you
think, well, maybe I should have.could have.

127

But you never do anything about it.it

passes.and you forget all about it?
It happens a lot and it happens to your potential
customers.But there is a way to
capture a lot of these potentially lost
dollars.
This is a system others have used over and over
again.and it does bring that potential customer
back it does bring you extra dollars.
If the presentation is going nowherewhen you
are leaving..as a casual after-thought..give
them a gift cheque.you could say, just a
second, I have something for you.
And give them the following cheque.
XYZ Pty Ltd
PayCash
.
128

The sum ofTwenty Five Dollars

Signature$25.00
XYZ Pty Ltd
As stated you will be amazed how many people
come back with that promotional
cheque.especially good for retailers.

Dont leave theNo Sale Customer Empty

handed! (2)
Then on the back of the gift cheque, include the
following
In case you decide to go ahead..
..heres $25 for you to spend on our
productbut it has to be

129

some time within the next 3 (three) weeks. And

there are truly
no strings attached. This is a genuine enticement.
You see, Id like to have you as a customer.
Thank You
Personally sign each one.
This fake cheque can be photocopied onto
coloured paper for greater effect.
It works..
For example:
someone who has a swimwear store gave out 50
of these cheques tobrowsers.people who dont
buy from the store- she made it seem like it was a
spur-of-the-moment thing to do.
The colour copying cost $167.
Over the next week, 8 of those browsers
returned to her shop to spend their $25 cheque.
This brought in an extra $1,123 in sales from
people who she may never have seen again!!!!!!!
130

The pretend cheque strategy can also be used as

a direct mail piece to boost your sales from your
existing customers. You can simply attach it to
the top of the letter, or just with a With
compliments slip..also you could easily change
the message on the back.

Business Cards
Business cards can be boring
OR
they can be an exciting prospecting tool.
Why not use both sides of your cardand even
better stillhas 4 or 6sides to your business
card.
What can you say?
LOTS..
131

an eye-catching front..that opens to reveal a

simple, yet effective sales presentation.complete
with headline, sub-headings, body copy with
paragraph headings, pictures..call to action.
Hand them out everywhere..

youll be

amazed at where people call you from..

Alsothe cost to go to 4 or 6 sides is not that
dramatic..especially if you see it as an effective
prospecting tool.
Try itit works

Kids Club
(

or Mums, or Customer or Whatever Club)

Why not start a Kids Club????

Thats right.

132

At each client visit.get Mum, Dad or the kids to

fill out a simple
application form and theyre in..
Then send them a quarterly newsletter which
could include:* Crosswords and puzzles
* Recipes quick, simple, healthy
* Product offers
* Stories for children, about life
* Coupons to fill in for more products
BUT..dont forget their birthday.HOW?
Simple.get it on the application form.
Kids love getting mailespecially
birthday cards..
you may be the only card they receive!!!!
Also.in the newsletter, youll be asking for
names and addresses of
their friends..
133

.then you contact their Mum & Dad

asking if its
OK for them to joinand explaining
what you do
Surprise, surprise.
they will probably ask you to drop by
and show them...
when you collect the kids application
form to the
club .and so it goes on.
Go back to the beginning and change Kids to
Mums

134

Keep in Touch Cards

Client circumstances change all the time and you
dont even know
about it.
Unless.youre. Keeping in
Touch
Heres a simple effective way to do it.
Have printed, or buy specially printed cards, and
send them on a regular basis to you clients.. as
part of your 3-monthly program
of course!
135

Could include:* Motivational statements

* Cheering thoughts
For best results..jot a quick hand-written note in
the card.
These have a very powerful
effect..
Dont forget. Include your business card, or
have your business details
Printed on the cardso they can call and thank
you.

136

Keeping in Touch
Letter
Good Morning!
Why am I writing to you out of the blue?
Yes I know that a letter from me is both unusual
and unexpected because we both know that in the
past, I probably have not stayed in touch as
frequently as perhaps I should.
And thats the reason Im writing.

Quite simply, I have decided to take advantage of

the new

137

technology thats now available to do a better job

of staying in touch with my clients. You see, in the
past, its always been a pretty major job to get a
relevant, interesting and timely message to all of
my clients. In fact, it was a major operation.
But, with the advent of these marvellous
computers that even I can now understand and,
better still, the amazing software you can get these
days, it has become a breeze to stay in touch.
So thats what I have resolved to do. Very simply
to be in touch from time-to-time just to keep you
up to date with ideas, information and, yes
inspiration that may be of value to you.
What Ill try to do is keep you informed of the
things I think you should know from my business
perspective that will be of value to you.

138

So thats the reason Im writing to you out of the

blue. Ill let you be the judge of how well keep my
promise.
Yours sincerely,
Fred Leader
XYZ Pty Ltd
P.S. By the way, Im enclosing a voucher for you
to either use yourself, or to pass on to a
friend..just to say Thank you, should you wish
to contact me again

139

Thats it.go for it.put it into to practisetry

it..monitor itwatch it grow.
Get more leads.
Get more sales.
Make more money.
Learn to work on your business not in your
business.
Spend the extra time and money you generate
doing the things you want to do.
Any questionsemail me at
questions@suremarketingsystems.com
In the meantime wishing you good things,

140

David Shaw.
www.suremarketingsystems.com

141