The John Anghelache Blog

Odds are 2012 will not be a stellar year for the economy.

I won’t go into the doom and gloom partly created by an administration that refuses to help business owners. What I will do is outline a few proven ways to attract more customers, make more sales and increase profits.

Let’s get to it…

Marketing Strategy #1: Zero In On Better Prospects

Nothing will make a more dramatic impact on your bottom line than focusing ALL your marketing efforts on the best, most-likely-to-respond prospects in your market place. Wasteful advertising can no longer be tolerated in an economy where consumers are spending less.

Direct mail pros know the old but true formula: 60-30-10!

Which means: 60% of the success of your marketing is the LIST. The list is made up of prospects. Therefore, the higher quality list the more sales you’ll make at a lower cost. 30% of the success of your marketing is due to the offer. If you make offers consumers can’t resist then you’ll get more of them to contact your business. Finally 10% of marketing success comes down to the sales copy.

So your #1 most important task is to hone in on the very best prospects.

Here’s one way to figure out WHO you should be marketing to more aggressively…

Look at your past customer list and profile it closely. What zip codes are most of your customers coming from? What are their ages? What products are they buying? (You’ll find roughly 80% of your sales are coming from 20% of your customers and products. You need to know who and what that 20% is.) How much are they spending? Who are your multi-buyers? (Those customers who buy multiple times from you during the year.) Who are your hyper-responders? (Those customers who buy everything.)

Answers to those questions allow you to figure out WHO your best prospects are right now. Then you can focus your advertising to those people.

Marketing Strategy #2: Craft More Compelling Offers

For lead generation purposes, make a point to give away free informative reports online or offline. The topics of those reports depends on your market. Generally, what works well for consumer markets are reports focused on helping consumers avoid costly mistakes.

Example: Say you’re a car salesperson. What are consumers AFRAID of when it comes to buying a car in the current economy? That is the question to answer to create one or more simple to read reports  that people will respond to.

Keep in mind, almost no one will request such a report if they are not interested in buying a car.

An example of such an ad could be:

Free Report Reveals 10 Little-Known Ways To
Buy A Car With Bad Credit. For a free
24-hour message call 1-800-000-0000

What you do is record a brief one or two minute message in a voice mail box that talks about why this report is must-read. Then ask the caller to leave their name and address so you can snail mail it. You can also run an ad like this sending people to a website where they give you their info. You’re better off getting their snail mail so you can follow up by mail and by phone if their number is listed.

You can easily build a list of real prospects with this approach. Then, of course, send the report and follow up with these people. Some will buy quickly. Most will buy over time… so… continued follow up is crucial. A small number are tirekickers.

For sales messages, make your offer as compelling as possible by: giving them more of what they want… bundling products and services… offering a lower priced impulse item and then upselling to a higher priced item… and as a last resort… lowering prices if and only if you can make the cuts up by adding sales volume.

Marketing Strategy #3: Matching Your Marketing Message Better To The Market’s Needs

Sales copy is all about entering the conversation in a prospect’s mind. In other words, knowing what to say to get a response. So you have to be on top of the issues and concerns your market is thinking about concerning your products and services.

That’s why you have to keep your finger on the pulse of the market. Then transfer the emotions of the market to the marketing materials you’re using. Nonsense like: “We provide great service”… We’re The #1 (insert your business type) in the area”… “Honesty, Integrity And Service Is Our Trademark” does not make an impression.

Focus your sales copy (advertising) on the problems your prospects are facing and how your product/service can solve those problems in an easier, better, faster way than competitors.

Finally, be sure to apply the…

Marketing Success Formula

The formula says you can only grow a business one of three ways… or… in combination of those three ways.

1. Get more customers.

2. Boost the average size of sale per customer.

3. Increase the number of sales to existing customers.

That’s your ticket to marketing success in 2012.

Good luck.

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Free Report Reveals…  “How To Flood Any Business With Huge Profits”

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Unless you live in a cave, you probably mix with people.

If you’re in business then you know the importance of connecting with the people that make up the lifeblood of your business. Namely… customers, clients and patients.

Often to get more of your best customers, clients and patients requires connecting with others in your industry (or related industries) who can influence people to buy from your business. A lot’s been written on the topic of networking.

In this post, I’d like to give you a simple paint-by-the-numbers strategy for getting in (or at least getting noticed by) the VIP’s who could infuse your business with profits.

First, a quick story and disclaimer…

I am not a natural networker. I much prefer to work out of my home office, the library or a coffee shop than mingle at seminars or spend hours on the phone. What I discovered was that forcing myself to be a little more social has paid big dividends.

What put me over the top was something I read about Donald Trump. According to him, your level of success in business is tied to how many phone conversations you have in any given day.

He’s talking about business-related calls. With “players” in your industry and other circles of influence. Trump said that in a typical day he makes 50 or more calls to stay connected with those who have the potential to help his business. And vice versa.

That got my attention.

Of course, the first question (and the subject of this post) is…

How do you get in with the VIP’s to begin with?

Here’s how I’ve done it…

Basically, I stay on top of what’s going on in my industry.

What I’m about to share with you landed me a project with the late Gary C. Halbert. Many in marketing circles believe he was if not the best at least in the top three best direct response copywriters who ever lived. It was an honor and a dream come true to have actually worked for him.

The way it happened was like this: As a copywriter and marketer myself what I do is actively seek out others in the industry. I get on everyone’s email list and read their ezines. If I find a “gem” within one of these ezines, I contact the copywriter via email and tell them.

At times, I’ll even pick up the phone and give them a call per Donald Trump’s advice. My rolodex contains the names and contact info of dozens of other marketers and copywriters.

Also, I try to stay on top of the busiest forums in the niches I am a part of. Commenting in forums from time to time is a great way to get noticed.

There used to a copywriting forum run by Michel Fortin. I posted there quite often back then. Another copywriter who is excellent at networking ended up contacting me. We worked together on some of his projects. He found out I was a huge Gary Halbert fan.

What I didn’t know was that this copywriter had already made friends with Gary. One day he calls me up and has Gary Halbert on the other end of the line. It was amazing.

Apparently, he had told Gary that I had written out most of the newsletters he posted online.

This was true. Gary was impressed. By the end of that conversation, Gary Halbert hired me to write a promotion for one of his ultra-expensive seminar packages.

That’s all there is to it.

Let’s summarize:

1. Get on the email lists of all the movers and shakers in your industry. Keep up with their ezines and look for valuable info they send out.

2. Connect by emailing them with sincere praise when you come across something that you find valuable from them.

3. Find, join and comment on major forums and discussion groups in your industry. This does not have to take more than 15 minutes every few days.

4. Pick up the phone and call those with whom you’ve made an obvious connection via your emails and forum postings.

5. Find out who they know and have them introduce you to the bigger names. Then have something of value to give those VIP connections.

Repeat.

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Free Report Reveals… “How To Flood Any Business With Huge Profits”

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Free Report Reveals…
“How To Flood Any Business With Huge Profits”
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Businesses across the country have been hard hit by the recent plunge in stock values.

When the market falls, consumers get tight-fisted with their dollars. Odds are, as the economy continues to bounce around, more businesses will face harsh reality. Downsizing and closing down seem likely choices for fledgling enterprises. Especially those started by inexperienced, under-capitalized and marketing ignorant entrepreneurs.

The brutal economic picture won’t change for the better any time soon. The Fed’s money-printing mania… continued demise of the housing market… banking crisis… and higher-than-expected unemployment means one thing…

… consumers have less money (and less buying p0wer) to patronize their favorite shopping haunts as in days gone by.

Not all businesses are struggling.

A glimmer of hope shines in even the most distraught industries.

Take the housing market for example. While millions of homeowners, real estate agents and investors have bailed out… a few crafty entreprenuers… are making a killing.

The “Big Idea” behind their success is applicable to almost any business. Here’s how it works in a nutshell. In just about any industry a number of big players remain strong. They can withstand the turmoil in the economy. They have the staying power to weather financial storms… slow sales periods… and vicious industry-specific recessions.

These big boys are also smart enough to know when values plummet it’s time to scoop up all the good deals they can find.

Going back to real estate: Savvy ”small pataotes” investors see the opportunity in teaming up with well-financed investors who are looking for great deals. So the “small patatoes” guys and gals track down and tie up exceptional deals. In this market, you can’t throw a rock without hitting one of those deals.

Then… instead of like the old days when they would get ”hard money” loans… or use a credit card to finance a deals… or borrow from their Uncle… they simply flip the deal (legally) to the salty investors.

Everyone wins.

Now, for anyone who reads this post who is a “linear” thinker, let me expand the possibilities.

The above scenario does not apply just to real estate. Like I said, almost any business owner in any industry can take advantage of the carnage… and… capitalize on capitalism.

For instance, let’s say you’re in the steel supply industry. In your area there are bound to be bigger supply companies who are looking to pounce on great deals.

You put the ”feelers” out and find out a certain number of supply companies in your area are struggling. They’re out there. They won’t advertise their pain until the “Going Out Of Business” sale.

The real opportunity is before that happens.

So you contact supply companies in your area and ask them if they have any used, excess, redundant supplies they want to clear off their shelves. Get an inventory. Call up the big boys and see if they need or want any of those items at significant discounts. Some will. Some won’t.

But for sure, you’ll be able to tie up a number of products at huge discounts… and… turn around and re-sell those items (without having to put up any money) to the big boys in your industry.

Think about what this could mean: If You’re a cash-strapped business owner who is gutting it out… then… you could find these deals and have a second side business in the same industry… that… could be more profitable than your primary business.

Again, think about it…

In the meantime, if you are serious about boosting your cash flow then get this free report…

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Free Report Reveals…
“How To Flood Any Business With Huge Profits”
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The recession has slashed sales for most major retailers.

According to 24/7 Wall St. three major reasons include…

1. Some retailers like Footlocker are competing with larger retailers. Sales suffer as a result of not having as broad of reach or brand name recognition.

2. Some are competing with too many retailers of the same size. Market saturation occurs.

3. The final reason is poor management.

Here’s a snapshot of what’s happened to sales for several top retailers between 2005 – 2010:

Sears
Drop in sales: -23.5%
2005 sales: $54 billion
2010 sales: $41.3 billion

Dillard’s
Drop in sales: -23.1%
2005 sales: $7.8 billion
2010 sales: $6.0 billion

OfficeMax
Drop in sales: -22.8%
2005 sales: $9.2 billion
2010 sales: $7.1 billion

Office Depot
Drop in sales: -16.8%
2005 sales: $14.3 billion
2010 sales: $11.9 billion

The Home Depot
Drop in sales: -16.6%
2005 sales: $81.5 billion
2010 sales: $68.0 billion

Foot Locker
Drop in sales: -12.3%
2005 sales: $5.7 billion
2010 sales: $5.0 billion

The Gap
Drop in sales: -9.4%
2005 sales: $16 billion
2010 sales: $14.5 billion

J.C. Penney
Drop in sales: -5.9%
2005 sales: $18.8 billion
2010 sales: $17.7 billion

As you can see, COMPETITION seems to be the biggest reason for falling sales. But is it the real reason? Because when you think about it almost every business in every industry has lots of competition. Seems to me that’s just an excuse for poor performance.

In my opinion, the main reasons for falling sales are…

1. They don’t care about individual customers. When’s the last time you got a card from a retailer with a message that was important to you? Never? No kidding! Neither have I. Don’t hold your breath waiting… because… it’ll probably never happen. The big retailers feel “entitled” to your business. They don’t think earning it is important.

2. They don’t make the buying experience fun and exciting. Ever walk into a Home Depot? The one I go to from time to time is like morgue. Finding someone to answer a question takes five trips around the damn warehouse. That’s no fun.

3. The biggest reason is a lack of marketing initiative.

Big retailers rely on “same old” marketing like: boring TV commercials… coupons in the mail (that’s a good one)… and… traffic generated by malls. What they don’t do is segment their lists and market to specific interests based on the buying behavior of their customers.

Consider this: The very best way to sell is to have a specific offer to a specific market segment that solves a specific and immediate problem.

At any one time, retail customers face different issues. For instance, think about all the people buying diapers and baby stuff from Target, Walmart, etc. This buying cycle lasts about 3 years. If retailers wanted to boost sales they could track their customers buying baby goods. And send them specific offers… or… even create some kind of “Baby Stuff Club.”

But the retailers can’t be bothered. Because that would take time, a little ingenuity and someone with an accountable marketing mindset to make the program work.

It’s much easier to rely on dumb corporate commercials, hit-or-miss walk-in traffic and all the other “innovative” marketing approaches they continue to use.

Don’t be like the big retailers.

Discover a few simple ways to make your marketing bring customers in droves to your store or website…

Get my Free Report…

“How To Flood Any Business With Huge Profits”

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WAIT! Before You Go On… I Want To Send You A
FREE Report That Reveals “5 Secrets That Can Flood
Any Business With Huge Profits!” Click Here…
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The slow as molasses economy is driving people insane.

A “nut job” out of Utah is offering sportsmen the chance to hunt him alive for $10,000. For $2,000 extra you can hunt him in the nude. (What an offer!)

Mork Encino (reminds me of the show “Mork And Mindy” from way back when starring a young Robin Williams) is an unemployed and desperate 28-year-old who hasn’t had a job in years.

I wonder… is this really the best publicity stunt he can think up.

Encino admits he does not want to be shot in the face. He hopes his attempt at PR will somehow land him a real job.

So let’s talk pulicity for a moment…

As far as I’m concerned, Encino has the beginnings of a good idea. I’d go further and say he’s somewhat of a self-promotion “genius.” I use the term lightly… but… he’s gotten on radio shows and been the talk of the web.

Yet… he’s still jobless!

The problem I see is he does not tie the stunt in with his skills. Which include construction, landscaping and other labor intensive type jobs. Not to mention… as I said above… self-promotion.

He could gather up all the interviews he’s done. All the articles written about him. And then offer his publicity-generating ideas to PR firms across the country. He could write a quick-read report about how he came up with the idea. Then send a package out to all the PR firms he can afford to mail. And follow up with a phone call.

Believe me, this guy has figured out a way to get media exposure.

He just has no clue how to parlay his creative inclination into profits.

But there’s a lesson in this for savvy business owners who need more exposure locally or nationally.

What would you do?

Leave a comment…

Regards,

John Anghelache

P.S. Don’t forget to claim your FREE Report That Reveals “5 Secrets That Can Flood
Any Business With Huge Profits!” Click Here…

—————————————————————-
WAIT! Before You Go On… I Want To Send You A
FREE Report That Reveals “5 Secrets That Can Flood
Any Business With Huge Profits!” Click Here…
—————————————————————-

Read the title of this blog post above…

Don’t laugh!

If the politicians in Washington don’t get their “chit” straight… in a few days… the above could be the headline you read on the front cover of newspapers around the country. Whether this disaster takes place or not remains to be seen. For sure, every single person in the country will be affected by what happens in the next few days.

Fact is, regardless of what the bureaucrats decide, a second debt crisis is looming on the horizon. You see, the so-called “recovery” was nothing more than a ploy to buy time. Now time is running out.

It all started with the debt crisis of 2008-2009.

Individual companies fell like dominos. Remember? Pillars of the economy crumbled including: Bear Stearns… Lehman Brothers… Citigroup… Washington Mutual… General Motors and a slew of others.

Back then the crisis was somewhat manageable. Why? Because these were individual companies. Sure they had a tremendous affect on the economy… but… none of them had enough clout to destroy our entire economy.

Now things are different.

Much different.

Entire nations face bankruptcy… including… the United States of America.

So what? Is there anything we can do as individual business owners to defend our financial security. The answer is yes and no. Yes… we can safely capitalize on the crisis in an ethical manner to generate more profit. And no… we can’t be 100% sure the whole damn system isn’t going to go to hell in a hand basket. It’s happened before to great nations like Rome, Egypt, Greece, etc.

Here’s what I think business owners must do to protect themselves during the next debt crisis…

1. Inventory the 20% of your activities that bring in revenue. Delegate everything that does not generate sales and profits. Focus 100% of your efforts on those things that make you money. Generally, the two things in any business that make the cash register ring are: marketing… and… negotiating.

2. Team up with non-competetive businesses and start doing cross-promotion via endorsement marketing. Nothing will leverage your time and capital more than strategic alliances and joint ventures.

3. Sell any and all surplus equipment, inventory, merchandise etc. that you don’t have a need for now or over the next six months. Business owners tend to be contingency oriented. They think, “I should keep my old computer in case the new one bonks out.” Seems to make sense. But in an economic environment where cash really is king your best bet is to sell the old computer and anything else not being used in the operation of your business.

4. Look for opportunities to sell higher priced goods and services. I know that sounds a bit crazy. After all, if you sell salt and pepper shakers how can you possibly increase prices. Here’s an idea: I used to sell real estate as a sales rep. My cut of the commission came out to an average of $1,500 to $1,800 per sale. Had I looked for wholesale deals instead (as an investing matchmaker) I could of made from $3,000 to $10,000 per sale back then.

I would of essentially done the same work. The difference was from 200% to 600% more income per sale. It’s a matter of how you look at your business. There are probably numerous ways to increase revenue if you change your mindset and look for those not-so-obvious-but-available opportunities.

5. Downsize. Leverage comes from getting a whole lot from a lot less. Making a dollar buy two dollars worth of goods for instance. If you’re in a business that requires tons of fixed overhead… hundreds of employees… and… other such risky investments I feel for you. You’ve got a lot to lose.

On the other hand, if you have a business that is ”collapseable”… with… no overhead, no employees, etc. you can fold your tent and move on. I know that’s not possible for everyone. But something to think about.

Anyway, the second shoe is about to drop.

The global economy is under tremendous strain. We’re one hair trigger away from a massive economic implosion. The best thing to do is figure out ways to leverage what you have in your business. For more sales. At a faster rate. With higher profit margins and continous influx of cash.

Again, your best leverage points are marketing and negotiating. Good luck.

Regards,

John Anghelache

P.S.  Get my FREE Report That Reveals “5 Secrets That Can Flood
Any Business With Huge Profits!” Click Here…

Well, it’s been awhile since I last posted.

About four months to be exact. Why have I not written anything on this blog in such a long time? Good question. The answer is rather odd… but… very instructive… and… it requires me telling you a little story.

Years ago, when I first ventured out into the business world, I was introduced to the concept of “success psychology.” The very first success achieving program I listened to was “Born Rich” by Bob Proctor. I have to admit that program… to a great extent…

Changed My Life!

How? For one, it got me to believe I could… somehow, some way… accomplish anything I set out to do. After listening to “Born Rich” I was hooked on motivational instruction. The next program I listened to was Bob Proctor’s “The Goal Achiever.” I wrote down my first income goal while going through those cassette tapes. Remember those?

I was selling real estate at the time and decided on a goal to earn $15,000 per quarter… or… $60,000 for the year. Did I achieve it? You bet! In fact, if memory serves me right I was 23 or 24 at the time… and… ended up making over $65,000 selling real estate. Putting me in the top 10% income earners in the field. Now, I was not only hooked on motivational tapes…

I Was A True Believer!

One problem came up, however, that really bothered me.

You see, I came to believe just about any of those programs had at least ONE useful tid bit. So I plowed through dozens of books and courses… attended seminars… and… basically tried to live what I learned.

The problem was ALL these programs worked… sometimes. Not all the time mind you. Just sometimes. Results came but inconsistently. At first I thought it was me. Maybe I was not doing things right. But it wasn’t really true. What I came to discover is that most self-help/success programs have a fatal flaw.

Here it is:

They Try To
Program Your Mind!

Why is that a flaw? Because innately we are all fine. What prevents us from achieving goals and having a better life is not something we are missing. Nope. It’s something (a “bad” something”) we have inside our subconscious.

And that is a number of self-imposed limitations that literally act as invisible brakes; stopping us from moving toward the things we want. How do you get rid of these limitations? Well, it’s not by programming your mind with success ideas. No. Rather it’s by removing the negative beliefs and programs running rampant in the subconscious mind.

Anyway, I’ve been on a search for a way to do this and finally found it in 2007.

Here’s what happened…

In July of 2007 a copywriting collegue phoned me. As we were chatting he told me about this success course that shows you how to de-program subconscious negative thoughts, feelings, beliefs and programs he had tried with great results. Of course, I bit the bait… and… within a few days ordered the course.

The price tag at the time was nearly $300… but… I got them to sell to me for only… $99!

For some odd reason, I was having a slow summer business wise. So I decided to try this course on a goal to get more business. I listened to all the CD’s… read the material… and… took an entire week off and spent 2-hours a day implementing the process I had learned.

I did not market my services.

I did not call or mail any past clients.

I did nothing — nothing at all — except put the techniques I had learned into practice.

Two weeks later I get an email from a client I had not worked with in over a year. He had a copywriting project that paid $10,000 upfront.

The Most He Had
Ever Paid Me!

Interesting.

So I take the project and put away the course. Like a dummy, I stop doing what the course taught me and just focus on the work I got. I’ll tell you… it was strange… because without doing any promoting whatsoever I kept getting projects.

Then the flow of work stopped. Dead in its tracks.

We’re now in the summer of 2008 and here I am again in a slump. I remember that the previous year I had used the course my friend told me about to fast track my business income. I dig the course out, dust it off and once again go through the entire thing… and once again… take off for a week or so and spend 2-hours a day doing what it says.

Wanna guess what happened?

Yup! I end up getting more work. This time it’s a project that paid me $18,000… plus… a few extra grand over the course of the next year… plus… a new friend and contact who I value very much.

However, I once again got caught up in work, put the course aside and forgot about it. Jeez! What can I say? I am often (much more often than I’d like to admit) a slow learner. I thought nothing of it… since… throughout 2009 I had plenty of work and great clients.

All of that changed abruptly again for me in the beginning of 2010.

For the third time, I hit a brick wall and things slowed down. Ahh, but this time… this time… I finally pieced the puzzle together and figured out that if the course I had used in the past saved my skin… every single time I used it… I should implement it consistently from now on!

So this time I made the decision to use this course every single day.

And in 2010 (despite suffering a devastating financial mishap) I…

Increased My Income By
29% Over The Previous Year!

Just by using the secrets in this success course… every single day. I continued with it and in January of 2011 I made a total of 25% of my total income of 2010.

Think about that for a second. In one month (1/12 of the time) I made a quarter of an entire year’s income.  And 2010 was a pretty good financial year. I did all this without spending a thin dime on advertising or promotion of any kind.

So how does this benefit you?

Simple. You see, I believe I have come across…

The Most Effective, Consistent And Reliable Way To
Accomplish Whatever You Desire!

You can use the secrets in this course to make more money, attract the love of your life, repel people you don’t like out of your life, get healthier… whatever you want.

It works regardless of your beliefs, education level, gender or whatever advantages or limitations you think you have.

None of that stuff matters. Once you learn the secrets in this course (and they are secrets to 99% of the world’s population) you can literally live the life you’ve always dreamed about. Or at least improve it beyond recognition.

Unfortunately, after all this build up, I must confess that I will not share what the course is.

Why? Am I some kind of selfish jerk who wants to monopolize this secret to myself? Am I an uncaring S.O.B. who is turning a deaf year and a blind eye to my fellow man?

No… No… No… No… No!

Here’s the thing: I am in the process of figuring out a way to get this to the masses. The format it’s in right now will (in my humble opinion) turn a lot of people off. Because most people — let’s just face facts here — are programmed to lose.

Accepting some of the ideas in this success course will be such a stretch for most people that the masses will turn a blind eye and a deaf year to this course. Just because it is… at this point… presented in a way…

People Can’t Accept The Message!

You know… no matter how good something is… if it seems too out of the ordinary people just can’t wrap their minds around it. Consider this true story: For decades people did not believe a human could run a 4-minute mile. Scientists insisted it was an impossible feat reserved for no mortal. Roger Bannister finally did it and then… after all the “credible” folk said it couldn’t be done… proved the impossible is possible under certain conditions.

Within a short time, dozens of people from all over the world broke the 4-minute mile barrier.

Anyway, it’s the same story with this amazing success process. Therefore, for the time being, I can’t tell you about it. You would just roll your eyes and think I’m some kind of nutcase. Which, of course, is not true. (Well, maybe a little.)

Okay so let’s get back on point.

Why didn’t I post since December of 2010?

Because I literally got 5-months worth of client work in January of 2011. These projects had to be finished by the beginning of April. In other words, I had to complete 5-months worth of work in about 2-1/2 months.

That happened because I set a goal and used the secrets in the course I’ve been teasing you about to get swamped with all these projects. I panicked when all this work came flooding in. I didn’t know if I could get everything done.

Know what I did?

I used the secrets in this course to set a goal to finish everything at the highest quality and on time. It worked!

Anyway, as you can see at the top of this web page, I have “billed” this as…

The Most Valuable Blog On The Web!

To live up to that title, let me now… at long last… reveal…

How To Resurrect A Dead List!

Most prospect and customer lists are very profitable if worked correctly.

Case in point: On a recent project, the fellow I was working with swore up and down that his list was worthless. I hate making those kinds of distinctions until a test is done.

So here’s what I did… and… what you can do to revive a “dead” list…

Step One: Determine What Your
Best Selling Product Is

When I say “best selling”, I specifically mean a product that has the most unit sales. Not profit. For example, if you sell five different products, you will find that one is extremely profitable… but… another might bring in a lot more sales over all. That is the product to use in this process.

Step Two: Create A Simple
“Half-Off” Sales Offer

Let’s assume you do this online. Set up a web page with a special half-off deal on this product. Set a legitimate quantity limit… and… a deadline of three or four days out from the start of the promotion. The quantity limit and deadline will do wonders to get people buying.

Step Three: Write A Four-Part
Email Series Promoting The Offer

Now pay close attention here.

The first email is a “teaser” that let’s your list know what the deal is and that it is coming in a couple of days. You are basically selling the folks on your email list on WHY this is such a great deal… and… on opening your email on the first day of the offer.

The second email announces the start of the deal. It should remind people of the limited quantity to be sold… and… the deadline. Also, if at all possible, the email should contain some of the benefits of the product in bullet form. However, the email should also be incomplete enough to spark curiosity and get people to click on the link to the webpage that fully explains the benefits of the product and the offer.

The third email should again remind of the limited quantity… and… state that there is one day left before the deal is off the table.

The fourth and final email gives prospects one last chance to grab the half-off deal.

That’s all there is to it. You see, most people don’t buy because they don’t want what you sell. But if they are on your list the only other reasons are… (a) they can’t afford or don’t want to buy at your price… and/or… (b) they don’t believe you.

By making a special offer with a structured marketing process like the one explained above you will eliminate the “I can’t afford it” objection for a lot of people. You will also greatly reduce the “I don’t believe you” objection.

One more thing: You should do something like this periodically… even if… you have a very responsive list. It will only…

Boost The Responsiveness
Of The List Exponentially!

Sincerely,

John Anghelache

P.S. Look, I already know I’m going to get some flack for not revealing what the course I talked about is. So don’t bother writing a “bitching post” about it. But I’m telling you… odds are… you are not ready for the truth.

Have you ever seen “A Few Good Men” with Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise?

The best scene in the movie is when Jack Nicholson (who plays a high-strung Marine Corps officer) is on the stand. Tom Cruise (who plays a young and somewhat cocky Navy lawyer) is pressing Nicholson hard for an answer. In a fit of rage, Nicholson blurts out… “You can’t handle the truth!”

And that is the truth. Most of us can’t handle it. Our egos won’t allow us to process the truth. I will reveal what this secret success system is. Really. I will. But not now. Give me a little time to work out the kinks. Then I’ll be ready to tell you all about it… and hopefully… I’ll be able to do so in a way you can accept…. the truth.

PPS: In case you’re wondering, using the exact steps above I was able to generate more profit from that supposedly “dead list” than the guy I was working with had made in an entire year of promoting his products. Umm… maybe you should give it a shot. Heh?

One last thing: Check out my FREE Special Reports on How To Flood Your Business With Huge Profits by going to: http://www.internetprofitshortcuts.com/five-reports.html

Over and out.

Back in 1984,  Dr. Robert B. Cialdini, Ph.D. released a remarkable book entitled, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.

The Journal of Marketing Research stated: “For marketers, this book is among the most important books written in the last ten years.” Since then, new updated versions of the book have been released. Direct response marketers embraced Cialdini’s work with great enthusiasm.

Until recently, I believed it was perhaps the best publication from the world of academia on the subject of marketing and selling I had ever read. I don’t believe that anymore. Don’t get me wrong. Cialdini’s book is a fantastic practical guide to infuencing people.

The weapons of influence Cialdini discussed — reciprocation, commitment and consistency, social proof, liking, authority and scarcity — will always continue to work. It’s just that there is another topic of interest to those of us in the influence and persuasion game. A topic so crucial it exponentially maximizes any persuasive effort attempted.

By the way, if you own, run or want to own or run a business, that is the business you are really in. You are not in the business of providing the technical service or product your offer.

Nope!

You are in the business of marketing your business and getting people to buy from you. I just wanted to clarify that before I go on and reveal what may be the…

Finest Academic Book
Written About Persuasion!

I came across it quite by accident while surfing Amazon aimlessly. I sometimes find myself doing that online just like I used to do when haunting bookstores. In any case, here are a few facts about this book…

1. It acknowledges resistance as a critical factor to overcome before one can influence and persuade with maximum effectiveness.
2. It demonstrates how resistance can be reduced, overcome, or used to promote persuasion.
3. It identifies and discusses the four facets of resistance.

If you sell for a living… own a business of any sort… and/or… are involved with marketing online or offline, then this book is simply a must-read. Before you do, here are a couple review comments from experts in the field…

“…This is the finest academic book written about persuasion in 20 years. It will become an indispensable classic in short time….”
Kevin Hogan
Author of The Psychology of Persuasion:
How to Persuade Others to Your Way of Thinking

“…In this book you will find the keys that other authors have either failed to noticed or simply didn’t know about. The OMEGA strategies are those in which you reduce the resistance to say no, where as more traditional methods which are widely known and taught are ALPHA strategies which increase the offer to gain a yes…”  
Gary May – Author
SELLING: Powerful New Strategies for Sales Success

The title of the book is…

Resistance And Persuasion

The book is 368-pages long and comes in paperback. It was written by Eric S. Knowles of the University of Arkansas and Jay A. Linn of Widener University. You can check out all the details by going here…

Resistance and Persuasion

Regards,

John Anghelache

P.S. Ever get caught up in one of those Internet “product launches?” If so, let me point out that all of those marketers — whether they know it or not — are using the principles in Cialdini’s “Influence” to make their launches successful. So you might want to call your local library and see if they have a copy or can get one for you. It’s important you read it if you want to maximize sales.

And if you want to remove the natural resistance preventing persuasion in the first place check out the book I wrote about in this blog post…

Resistance and Persuasion

Ryan Deiss is smart.

Very smart.

He has adapted a marketing formula so brilliant… so simple… and so effective… internet marketers can’t help but throw their credit cards his way. In a few minutes, I’ll explain his devious little ploy to separate folks from their money with impunity. But first a little side trip.

Listen, marketing is tough. Online, offline or in the sky it’s challenging to sell stuff sight unseen. Unless… you have a formula to follow. One that is proven and evergreen.

Like this one…

Some time ago, when dinasaurs roamed the Earth, a young and rather naive man was struggling to make a living. He tried following the advice of the top trainers in his industry. But, alas nothing worked.

After months of making no sales he was about to give up. Throw in the towel. And move on to something more worthy of his time like washing dishes. Or whatever. Before he made his lateral career move, he decided to try a new strategy to generate sales.

Here’s what happened…

He figured out that the missing link to his business was a formulaic marketing process. Getting leads was his main problem. So he stumbled upon a marketing system that made people call him.

The way it worked was…

1. All his ads included a toll-free number with an extension to track calls.

2. When someone called the ad they would get to listen to a free recorded message about the product. The recorded message ran for about 2-minutes and provided valuable info about the product.

3. About 30 seconds into the call, his beeper (remember those?) would buzz with the caller’s phone number and the extension of the ad they called.

4. He would then wait a minute, pick up the phone and follow up with the caller.

5. This would start a conversation that would in about 10% – 20% of the cases lead to a new customer.

Let me tell you, this proven marketing formula turned the young man’s business around. He now could enjoy food with his meals. Not caviar or anything like that… but… meat and potatoes at least.

So, the point is well made.

Good marketing can save and make a business prosper.

What does all this have to do with Ryan Deiss?

Plenty!

He has been using a fantastic marketing formula that maybe you can use too. It goes something like this…

1. Find a hot current topic you can create an information product around.

2. Find a real expert on that hot current topic.

3. Commission the expert to create a product about that topic based on their current experience.

4. Pitch it to your list and affiliate/JV lists.

5. Rake in the dough like nobody’s business.

Ryan Deiss has done this with several current hot topics like: getting traffic by buying websites and lists… social media… and a few others I can’t remember right now.

Here’s the BIG POINT: If you are a marketing savvy dude or dudette (is that a word?)… then… you might want to follow his lead. This formula works. It gets you product… lists… relationships and… MONEY!

Tell me what you think by posting a comment. Thanks.

Regards,

John Anghelache 

P.S. By the way, here’s where you can get a FREE Special Report that reveals a few more secrets to flooding your business with huge profits… http://www.internetprofitshortcuts.com/five-reports.html.

Way back when,  I used to sell real estate for a living.

At first, I was about the worst sales person you could imagine. For the first six months in “business”, I made no (zero, nada, zilch) sales. It was embarassing. Especially since I had told my family I would become a hot shot real estate agent. Indeed, dreams of grandeur swirled in my confused little mind.

I saw myself driving a top-of-the-line Mercedes. Wining and dining “big fish” clients. Making a small fortune on each commission check. And so on and so forth. Those were, in fact, the day dreams I lost myself in on a daily basis.

The reality, of course, was way too harsh to deal with. Simply put, I did not know what I was doing. Until one day, as if by dumb luck, another agent walks into the office. Night was creeping upon us and I was on “floor duty.” A term, by the way, I always found sort of funny. Could you imagine someone calling for their wife and being told she is… “in the back on floor duty?”

Anyways, the agent that came in had just gotten off work. You see, most agents then as now had “real” jobs. They toiled away by day doing something they loathed that brought home the bacon… and… helped pay the monthly nut. Then they part-timed real estate in hopes that somehow and someway they could make the transition to full-time agent.

It almost never happened. But hey, a guy (or gal) has got to have something to shoot for.

Know what I mean, Vern?

Moving on…

So Joe (not his real name) comes in and sees me working the phones. Which means, I’m cold calling my eyes out trying to convince homeowners (who had no intention of selling) that they should allow me to come over their house and beat their brains in with a sales pitch about… you guessed it… why they should sell their house now. I didn’t get very far. I was at my wits end and thinking I might have made a bad career choice.

After I end another non-productive call, Joe comes over and starts palling around. Joe is a forty-something, cynical divorce who basically believes the world sucks. But he takes a liking to me and tells me that the top RE/MAX agent in the area is looking for a Buyer’s Agent. In real estate parlance that means she is looking for someone to deal with people who will probably never buy a home. Because she does not have time to waste on them.

Joe goes on to explain why this is such a hot opportunity: For one, I would not have to worry about leads. All the leads I could handle and then some would pour in to me. True. My job would be to handle all the calls coming in on all the “listings” (houses the RE/MAX agent has in inventory) available. Two… I would start making money because by the sheer “Law of Averages” some of those buyers would buy. That’s when I’d get paid. And three… if I kept this cold calling crap up any longer I would quit and do something more respectable like… telemarketing.

So my new “buddy” Joe gives me all the info and I summon the courage to call the top RE/MAX agent. Lo and behold, I land an interview. Little did I know that anyone with a real estate license and the ability to fog a mirror could’ve gotten an interview.

Side note: I always wondered why Joe didn’t call and get himself in on this gig.

I go to the interview and, in my humble opinion, BOMB! I had no experience. I had no successes. I had nothing but the gumption to try. A few days later I get a “good news” call. I got the job.

On my first day, the RE/MAX agent I was working for (I’ll just call her Top Dog from now on) dumps a pile of sales training audios on my desk. Top Dog then curtly orders me to go through all these audios starting now. And hands me another pile of leads to call.

And that was my “fire by trial” induction into the world of real estate sales.

In one of those training audio programs I came across a concept that is (by far) the fastest way to boost bottom-line profits for any business. It’s called… negotiating.

Here’s a true story: So I’m humming along in my new real estate job and finally doing well. One of the reasons is because I was learning how to sell from those audio programs… and… using what I learned. My favorite tape was about negotiating with buyers. I must’ve listened to this tape a few dozen times. And what I learned really worked.

I had just gotten back to the office with a client. They were a nice couple from Gary, Indiana who decided to move south into Merrillville. We had looked at maybe 20 houses when they finally fell in love with a beautiful two-story with an in-ground pool. They were so hot for this house they wanted to write up an offer on the spot.

I knew the house and the owners well. Mainly because they had listed their house with Top Dog and it was my job to know the inventory inside and out. From my research, I discovered these folks were moving into a much bigger and much nicer home in a really ritzy area. (I ended up selling them their new house, by the way.) To get a sale faster, they priced their current home right at market value. It was a great deal.

Anyway, my buyers – the couple from Gary – sat down at the table in the office and we began talking about the house and so forth. As I was filling in the contract, I asked the gentleman what he wanted to offer based on the research we did. And, of course, he decides to low-ball the deal. Well, let me tell you, the negotiating audios I had been listening to were imbedded in my subconscious mind.

I immediately remembered the “Vice Technique” and put it to use like so…

As soon as I heard the low-ball offer, I looked at my client and squinted my eyes for a second without sayin as much as a peep. Then I lowered my head and started shaking it slowly and deliberately… without saying a peep. After a few seconds, my client blurts out in a rather timid voice… “What do you think we should offer?”

I had no intention of telling him because it wasn’t my house to buy. But my response was something like this: “Would you be serious about owning this home?” His answer was yes. Then I came back with, “Then you’ll have to do better than that.”

To make a rather long story short, the buyer upped his offer by a few thousand dollars. The offer got accepted and he bought the house of his dreams.

Let’s recap the “Vice Technique” shall we?

When someone mentions an offer (they must do it first, by the way) your response goes this way…

1. Look at them without saying a word and squint your eyes for a few seconds.

2. Look down at the ground and start shaking your head slowly without saying anything.

3. The other person will not be able to stand the silence and they will speak first. Very important.

4. You then ask them… “Would you be serious about (doing, getting, having whatever)?”

5. Inevitably, in most cases, they will answer, “Yes!”

6. Then you say, “Then you’ll have to do better than that.”

7. Let them make the better offer.

Believe me, this works. And it’s the fastest way to boost profits when dealing with vendors, suppliers, salespeople, employees wanting a raise, employers not wanting to pay a raise, etc. Try it and good luck.