After 7 years of teaching introductory internet marketing workshops, I've decided to let loose and hold a full 2 day Internet Marketing Mastery workshop.
The decision came after teaching my last workshop at the Orange County Chamber of Commerce for the Consultants Committee.
Since December, I've taught 4 different Internet Marketng workshops. I've taught for SCORE, as well as the Chamber, and the feedback is always the same...It's way too much information to absorb within a two hour time frame.
For this reason, I have secured a location that will accomodate 30 business owners, and I will take them by the hand and reveal the truth about internet marketing strategies.
I say "the truth" because there is so much mis-information out there, that it has gotten ridiculous. I found out the hard way, while teaching my workshops. The things I was told, and the misconceptions I heard from the group was enough to make me have to do this.
I'll even take a weekend out of my life to ensure that every business owner who attends leaves that workshop knowing exactly what to do , and how to do it.
If you'd like information about the Internet Marketing Mastery Weekend, simply visit the site, www.InternetMasteryMarketingWeekend.com or call my office at (845) 469-4919.
I'll post a blog about it after the event, and let you know how it all went.
See you next time.
Edison Guzman
www.aeAdvertising.com
www.HowToAttractCustomers.com
www.AutomaticEcommerce.com
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Perfection Can Hurt Your Business
Last week, I sat with clients whom after 5 months of consulting, still had not decided on a logo.
Due to confidentiality reasons, I can not reveal the name of the firm I consulted, but it they are reading this, they'll know who they are.
Let me give you a bit of background on this situation, and perhaps you'll see how it may affect your own business.
When I first meet with a prospective client, I assertain whether I can help them with a free consultation. If I believe that I can help them grow by a minimum of 10% increase in annual revenue, and the prospective client agrees to hire me as their marketing consultant, I immediately schedule a Marketing Audit.
The Marketing Audit is designed to reveal the business's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. It will also help me design the best marketing strategy to help it grow the fastest.
In this case, the client decided that after 24 years of service, they wanted a new look for their 25th year anniversary. This meant designing a new logo, business card, brochure, stationary, web site, and promotional products.
Normally, a total company re-design would take one to two months from concept, to implementation. This means that after the tools have been created, we are able to use them to implement all marketing strategies.
Here's where the problem began. After 5 months and about 20 different logo renditions, 5 brochure redesigns, and 10 different ad designs, my client decided to keep their original logo, with minor changes.
Now, it's ok to change your mind twenty times. However, you should decide as quickly as possible in order to get things moving along.
The reason for changing their minds so often? There are two reasons...
1) They listened to all of the different opinions from their staff. Yes, it's good to get your staff involved in order to increase employee morale, if necessary. However, in most cases, your staff knows nothing about marketing, graphic design, or anything that has to do with growing your business.
2) They wasted time perfecting each and every design they later changed their mind on.
If you ever hire a professional to do a job for you, and that professional has a proven track record, you should let them do their job. Not doing so, will only be a waste of money for you.
Case-in-point...5 months of indecision have cost this client 5 months worth of payments to me, and 5 months worth of unrealized additional revenue that would have been gained as a result of implementing the marketing strategies.
The good news is that we were able to implement some of the marketing strategies that did not need the use of any of their tools, and they were still able to increase their revenue and decrease some of their expenses, thereby increasing overall revenue by over 10% within the 5 month period.
Perfection, and indecision have played a big role in losing time and revenue for my client.
Don't let the same thing happen to you.
Till next post.
Edison Guzman
www.aeadvertising.com
www.AutomaticEcommerce.com
www.FreshContentEveryMonth.com
www.aeDomains.com
Due to confidentiality reasons, I can not reveal the name of the firm I consulted, but it they are reading this, they'll know who they are.
Let me give you a bit of background on this situation, and perhaps you'll see how it may affect your own business.
When I first meet with a prospective client, I assertain whether I can help them with a free consultation. If I believe that I can help them grow by a minimum of 10% increase in annual revenue, and the prospective client agrees to hire me as their marketing consultant, I immediately schedule a Marketing Audit.
The Marketing Audit is designed to reveal the business's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. It will also help me design the best marketing strategy to help it grow the fastest.
In this case, the client decided that after 24 years of service, they wanted a new look for their 25th year anniversary. This meant designing a new logo, business card, brochure, stationary, web site, and promotional products.
Normally, a total company re-design would take one to two months from concept, to implementation. This means that after the tools have been created, we are able to use them to implement all marketing strategies.
Here's where the problem began. After 5 months and about 20 different logo renditions, 5 brochure redesigns, and 10 different ad designs, my client decided to keep their original logo, with minor changes.
Now, it's ok to change your mind twenty times. However, you should decide as quickly as possible in order to get things moving along.
The reason for changing their minds so often? There are two reasons...
1) They listened to all of the different opinions from their staff. Yes, it's good to get your staff involved in order to increase employee morale, if necessary. However, in most cases, your staff knows nothing about marketing, graphic design, or anything that has to do with growing your business.
2) They wasted time perfecting each and every design they later changed their mind on.
If you ever hire a professional to do a job for you, and that professional has a proven track record, you should let them do their job. Not doing so, will only be a waste of money for you.
Case-in-point...5 months of indecision have cost this client 5 months worth of payments to me, and 5 months worth of unrealized additional revenue that would have been gained as a result of implementing the marketing strategies.
The good news is that we were able to implement some of the marketing strategies that did not need the use of any of their tools, and they were still able to increase their revenue and decrease some of their expenses, thereby increasing overall revenue by over 10% within the 5 month period.
Perfection, and indecision have played a big role in losing time and revenue for my client.
Don't let the same thing happen to you.
Till next post.
Edison Guzman
www.aeadvertising.com
www.AutomaticEcommerce.com
www.FreshContentEveryMonth.com
www.aeDomains.com
Monday, October 29, 2007
Never Before Revealed Business Secrets
Some business people just don't get it.
On three different occasions, over the past few days, I've been asked about strategies to increase business revenue. Each time, I give them my routine answer, which is to ensure that they know their target market before investing a dime in marketing.
In addition, I tell them to know their budget and ensure that they maximize each dollar spent.
One example is a client who wants to do a direct marketing piece to increase sales from her web site. The traditional thing to do is either purchase a targeted list, or build a list yourself, create the proper message on the postcard (if a postcard is used), and ensure that the message is appropriate to your target market.
However, doing this is just one part of the equation.
In order to maximize your expense in any marketing endeavor, you must be ready to NOT just try and sell a product, you must me able to somehow capture the name, email, and mailing address of all targeted prospective customers.
If you send out 5,000 postcards, for instance, once they're mailed, the recipient has two choices...
1) ignore your message (which 98-100% of people do)
2) buy from you (only 0 - 2% on average buy)
What if you give them a third option. Why not have them say "maybe". Better yet, what if they say "maybe" and they tell you who they are and ask you to send them something so that they can be approached on a different occasion.
Wouldn't option number 3 be worth your while? I mean, you've already spent all that money on design, printing, lists, and mailing. It's not costing you anything extra to have them say "maybe", instead of "NO".
So how do you do it? Simple...make them an offer of something of value to them that is FREE to them. But here's the thing; the free "thing" must me something that has to do with your product or service.
Don't make the mistake of offering an electronic device such as a PDA, if you're selling shoes. A better offer would be a free shoe horn, or shoe comfort sole, or leather treatment (if leather shoes), or anything related to the item in question.
The best product to offer is an information product because it is something that everyone likes, and it's something that is easy to distribute, and in most cases, free for you to distribute.
The best part about using information digital products, is that you can automate the entire process using such services as www.AutomaticEcommerce.com. This system allows you to allow the recipient to give you their information, in exchange for the information you provide.
The best part is that the process is fully automated once it's set up the first time.
If you send out a postcard to 5,000 people or business owners in your target market, and make an offer to "Learn the 3 Secret Pleasure Points on Your Feet, that Will make You Feel Good All Day" and invite them to download it from your web site, you will get more people visiting your site and requesting your information.
Simply create a series of email messages with more important "secrets" that will keep them coming back to your web site for more, and perhaps even buying from you now that you've developed a relationship with them.
Using a system like www.AutomaticEcommerce.com will allow you to handle the entire process, hands-free.
The moral of the story is...give them the option to buy from you tomorrow, not just today.
Until my next post...
Edison R. Guzman
www.aeAdvertising.com
www.AutomaticEcommerce.com
www.FreshContentEveryMonth.com
www.aeDomains.com
On three different occasions, over the past few days, I've been asked about strategies to increase business revenue. Each time, I give them my routine answer, which is to ensure that they know their target market before investing a dime in marketing.
In addition, I tell them to know their budget and ensure that they maximize each dollar spent.
One example is a client who wants to do a direct marketing piece to increase sales from her web site. The traditional thing to do is either purchase a targeted list, or build a list yourself, create the proper message on the postcard (if a postcard is used), and ensure that the message is appropriate to your target market.
However, doing this is just one part of the equation.
In order to maximize your expense in any marketing endeavor, you must be ready to NOT just try and sell a product, you must me able to somehow capture the name, email, and mailing address of all targeted prospective customers.
If you send out 5,000 postcards, for instance, once they're mailed, the recipient has two choices...
1) ignore your message (which 98-100% of people do)
2) buy from you (only 0 - 2% on average buy)
What if you give them a third option. Why not have them say "maybe". Better yet, what if they say "maybe" and they tell you who they are and ask you to send them something so that they can be approached on a different occasion.
Wouldn't option number 3 be worth your while? I mean, you've already spent all that money on design, printing, lists, and mailing. It's not costing you anything extra to have them say "maybe", instead of "NO".
So how do you do it? Simple...make them an offer of something of value to them that is FREE to them. But here's the thing; the free "thing" must me something that has to do with your product or service.
Don't make the mistake of offering an electronic device such as a PDA, if you're selling shoes. A better offer would be a free shoe horn, or shoe comfort sole, or leather treatment (if leather shoes), or anything related to the item in question.
The best product to offer is an information product because it is something that everyone likes, and it's something that is easy to distribute, and in most cases, free for you to distribute.
The best part about using information digital products, is that you can automate the entire process using such services as www.AutomaticEcommerce.com. This system allows you to allow the recipient to give you their information, in exchange for the information you provide.
The best part is that the process is fully automated once it's set up the first time.
If you send out a postcard to 5,000 people or business owners in your target market, and make an offer to "Learn the 3 Secret Pleasure Points on Your Feet, that Will make You Feel Good All Day" and invite them to download it from your web site, you will get more people visiting your site and requesting your information.
Simply create a series of email messages with more important "secrets" that will keep them coming back to your web site for more, and perhaps even buying from you now that you've developed a relationship with them.
Using a system like www.AutomaticEcommerce.com will allow you to handle the entire process, hands-free.
The moral of the story is...give them the option to buy from you tomorrow, not just today.
Until my next post...
Edison R. Guzman
www.aeAdvertising.com
www.AutomaticEcommerce.com
www.FreshContentEveryMonth.com
www.aeDomains.com
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Business Life
Hello!
If you're reading this, you're about to learn a few things about business life as an entrepreneur.
First off, let's get to know me a little by checking out my bio. It pretty much sets the tone as to where I'm coming from.
Second, anything you read on this blog is purely my opinion. I will try and back up anything I say with facts, and proof when necessary...but the main thing here is that my opinion is usually based on my experience.
I'm one of those people that tell you how things are, whether you'd like to hear it or not. I try not to hurt people's feelings with my comments, but life is too short and it's a shame when you can't simply say what's on your mind because some one's feeling may be hurt.
Although I'm a straight shooter, I'm also not a cold, heartless animal. I have my limits and will try to be politically correct when addressing certain issues.
Lastly, I'd like to say that business life does not have to be as difficult as many people make it out to be. Business life is a process. If you have the right system in place, with the right plan to follow, and a good team to bounce ideas from...you should do very well.
Whatever you do, don't take any one's word for everything you read, hear or see. You should be able to challenge what you learn in order to make it work for you. By the same token, don't defy everything you learn either.
Always question, but use common sense. If someone says, "My business tripled in revenue in under a year...and yours can too," you should be skeptical, but hear out the plan before making a final decision on whether you will implement any, all or none of the strategies presented to you. Check the source of who is giving you this information. Is it a good and reliable source? Or is it someone trying to sell you on an idea that has never been truly tested and proven to work.
I'll be completely honest with you. As a small business owner, I've made many mistakes along the way. I've trusted many partners, and invested many hours, days and months in projects that went no where. It is because of this experience, that I can also say that I have enjoyed many partnerships, and have generated enough income to allow me to lead a life that I could only imagine a short 20 years ago.
I am still in the trenches, and above all, love to "expand the minds of others."
I hope that these postings will enable you to lead a more profitable, and happy business life.
Until my next post...
Edison R. Guzman
www.aeAdvertising.com
www.AutomaticEcommerce.com
www.FreshContentEveryMonth.com
www.aeDomains.com
If you're reading this, you're about to learn a few things about business life as an entrepreneur.
First off, let's get to know me a little by checking out my bio. It pretty much sets the tone as to where I'm coming from.
Second, anything you read on this blog is purely my opinion. I will try and back up anything I say with facts, and proof when necessary...but the main thing here is that my opinion is usually based on my experience.
I'm one of those people that tell you how things are, whether you'd like to hear it or not. I try not to hurt people's feelings with my comments, but life is too short and it's a shame when you can't simply say what's on your mind because some one's feeling may be hurt.
Although I'm a straight shooter, I'm also not a cold, heartless animal. I have my limits and will try to be politically correct when addressing certain issues.
Lastly, I'd like to say that business life does not have to be as difficult as many people make it out to be. Business life is a process. If you have the right system in place, with the right plan to follow, and a good team to bounce ideas from...you should do very well.
Whatever you do, don't take any one's word for everything you read, hear or see. You should be able to challenge what you learn in order to make it work for you. By the same token, don't defy everything you learn either.
Always question, but use common sense. If someone says, "My business tripled in revenue in under a year...and yours can too," you should be skeptical, but hear out the plan before making a final decision on whether you will implement any, all or none of the strategies presented to you. Check the source of who is giving you this information. Is it a good and reliable source? Or is it someone trying to sell you on an idea that has never been truly tested and proven to work.
I'll be completely honest with you. As a small business owner, I've made many mistakes along the way. I've trusted many partners, and invested many hours, days and months in projects that went no where. It is because of this experience, that I can also say that I have enjoyed many partnerships, and have generated enough income to allow me to lead a life that I could only imagine a short 20 years ago.
I am still in the trenches, and above all, love to "expand the minds of others."
I hope that these postings will enable you to lead a more profitable, and happy business life.
Until my next post...
Edison R. Guzman
www.aeAdvertising.com
www.AutomaticEcommerce.com
www.FreshContentEveryMonth.com
www.aeDomains.com
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