Unless you're brand new to me and this blog... you know that my new Do It! Marketing book is about to be released.
You may also know that we hit Amazon #1 bestseller status not once - but TWICE already - and the book isn't even out yet.
What you may not know is that I had help. Amazing help from amazing people. Gurus and friends and colleagues and people I consider my personal and professional heroes.
Some helped a little. Some helped a lot. Some helped WAY above and beyond my wildest dreams...
If you're interested in marketing success, business success, and life success - well, there are a lot of so-called experts out there.
Many are called. Few are chosen.
I've made the choosing easy for you...
Here are 37 super-smart, generous, prolific, sometimes contrarian, and always fascinating people worth following...
p.s. The best thing about them - none of them would CALL themselves a "guru" - they simply consider themselves lucky to be sharing their insights with others who can benefit.
Here they are in no particular order (although each of them is truly #1)
- Jay Baer - http://www.convinceandconvert.com
- Stephanie Chandler - http://www.stephaniechandler.com
- Corey Perlman - http://www.ebootcamp.com
- Melinda Emerson - http://succeedasyourownboss.com
- Chris Murray - http://www.chrismurrayeditor.com
- Henry DeVries - http://www.marketingwithabook.com
- C. J. Hayden - http://www.getclientsnow.com
- Scott Ginsberg - http://hellomynameisscott.com
- Dan Janal - http://www.prleadsplus.com
- Art Sobczak - http://businessbyphone.com
- Mary Foley - http://maryfoley.com
- Gene Marks - http://genemarks.com
- Viveka Von Rosen - http://linkedintobusiness.com
- Brian Tracy - http://briantracy.com
- Geoff Ramm - http://www.geofframm.com
- John Jantsch - http://www.ducttapemarketing.com
- Joe Calloway - http://joecalloway.com
- Jay Conrad Levinson - http://www.gmarketing.com
- Jim Meisenheimer - http://www.meisenheimer.com
- Mark Sanborn - http://www.marksanborn.com
- Marshall Goldsmith - http://www.marshallgoldsmithlibrary.com
- David A. Fields - http://www.davidafields.com
- Pamela Slim - http://www.escapefromcubiclenation.com
- Mark Hunter - http://thesaleshunter.com
- Bob Bly - http://www.bly.com
- Sean Carroll - http://www.seancarrollspeaker.com
- Bob Burg - http://www.burg.com
- Jeffrey Hayzlett - http://hayzlett.com
- Sam Richter - http://samrichter.com
- Howard Lewinter - http://www.talkbusinesswithhoward.com
- Stephen Lahey - http://smallbusinesstalent.com
- Jose Palomino - http://www.valueprop.com
- Karyn Greenstreet - http://www.passionforbusiness.com
- Avish Parashar - http://www.dinghappens.com
- Michael Dalton Johnson - http://www.salesdog.com
- Greg Williams - http://www.themasternegotiator.com
- Marnie Swedberg - http://www.marniesfriends.com
Bookmark this blog post - stay connected with these people - implement their big ideas - and you WILL profit, prosper, and succeed.
What do YOU think? Please use the COMMENTS area below to share your advice, insights and recommendations on the people who have made the biggest impact on YOUR professional success...
As you may know, my new book is coming soon... and I need your help...
If you pre-order the book today, you will get over $747 in business-building bonuses RIGHT NOW and LATER, you'll also get a minty-fresh book jam-packed with savvy marketing, sales and business development strategies, tactics and tools. (You'll be among the first to take delivery of the book the moment it is released - on or about June 5.)
To check out the pre-order bonuses you'll get immediately when you buy today, visit:
http://doitmarketing.com/book-bonus
I'd love your help in climbing the amazon charts today - even before the book is released. Is it a good book? Obviously I think so... but fortunately, I'm not alone! Here are just a few other people's opinions...
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"One of the most practical marketing books you will ever read - so what are you waiting for?"
-- John Jantsch, author of "Duct Tape Marketing"
"Do It! Marketing is a complete system for effective marketing. It is a fun read and the ideas, tactics, strategies and exercises it provides will set you apart from your competition."
-- Mark Sanborn, author of "Fred 2.0" and "You Don't Need a Title to be a Leader"
"A terrific book packed with a gazillion smart ideas you can use immediately to supercharge your marketing. But beyond all those great ideas, Do It! Marketing shares key concepts and simple systems that will bring you more business with much less struggle."
-- C.J. Hayden, author of "Get Clients Now!"
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When you pre-order today, you'll get more than $747 in instant-access bonus material from some of America's TOP business experts. Everything is waiting for you here:
http://doitmarketing.com/book-bonus
-- David
p.s. Why should you buy today even though the book won't be out till June? Because in addition to the $747 in bonuses you'll get immediately when you pre-order today, you will also be invited to a series of private teleseminars, you'll get pre-order only bonus ebooks such as the Do It! Marketing Manifesto I'm creating for 800-CEO-READ, and more pre-order only gifts and surprises. As you know, I'm incredibly generous with folks like YOU who are fabulous enough to support my work and I tend to OVER-deliver like crazy. So pre-order the book today and then pop over to http://doitmarketing.com/book-bonus to claim all your goodies.
Thank you in advance for your help!
Stop being put off by objections that stall your sales – and your income.
Join my pal Mike Brooks for this NEW sales webinar on June 12 (free, of course), where you'll learn – word for word - how to overcome these common stalls:
During the Call:
"We're not interested right now."
"Could you email me something?"
During the Close:
"I'll show this to my regional manager (boss, partner, etc.)"
"We're still looking at a couple of different options on this right now"
Plus a NEW voicemail script for prospects who are stalling you by NOT calling you back!
Register for this info-packed training webinar right now to make sure you don't miss out.
And please do share the registration link with other folks in your network who are tired of losing sales to the dreaded "stall" - you can point people directly to:
http://mrinsidesales.com/stall.htm
These strategies could make all the difference to help YOU sell more products, services, and programs. Mike's content-rich webinars always fill up, so register now to avoid missing out.
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"You'll Do It When You're Tired"
Hmmmm... that may be the dumbest prediction you've ever heard...
You'll do what, exactly?
In a word: Succeed.
You know - get "it" done...
That pet project of yours, that book, that event, that special thing you've been working on, talking about, noodling, doodling, and planning for YEARS...
Tired? Tired of what, exactly?
- Tired of struggling
- Tired of excuses
- Tired of missing out
- Tired of complaining how hard it is
- Tired of striving
- Tired of faking it
- Tired of wishing
- Tired of hoping
- Tired of (day)dreaming
- Tired of fantasizing
- Tired of sketching
- Tired of postponing
- Tired of obsessing
- Tired of perfectionism (perfect time, place, people, conditions)
- Tired of being safe
- Tired of disappointment
- Tired of watching others zoom by you
- Tired of sitting on the sidelines
- Tired of keeping score when you're not even in the game
- Tired of talking
- Tired of planning
- Tired of noodling
- Tired of doodling
- Tired of starting
- Tired of choking
- Tired of quitting
- Tired of fear
- Tired of uncertainty
- Tired of self-doubt
So what the hell are you supposed to do instead?
- Launch!
- Go!!
- DO!!!
- Kick ass
- Take names
- Leap - and the net will appear
- Make it happen
- Get off your buts
- Climb in the cockpit
- Strap in
- Light the afterburners
- Jump out of the plane
- Figure out the rest on the way down
- Yes, YOU!
- Yes, really REALLY YOU!!!
Why am I telling you all this?
Well, because I'm kinda doing it myself...
After.
Ten.
Years.
The small business conference idea I had 10 years ago was a victim of a decade of noodling, doodling, planning, and dreaming.
Not any more.
Check it out: America Talks Business.
Buy an early bird ticket. Share the web link with a friend. Bring a whole posse with you.
Or don't.
'Cuz we're gonna have an amazing entrepreneurial conference anyway. (It would just be a lot more fun with YOU there to take part.)
Bottom line: I got tired. I'm doing it.
You can do it, too.
What do YOU think? Please use the COMMENTS area below to share your advice, insights and recommendations on this topic and join the conversation...
As you may know, my loyal Labrador Retriever, Woofie, works part-time as marketing dog here at Do It! Marketing HQ.
Her website attracts a LOT of traffic and she gets some very nice inbound traction via email (at least for a dog!)
Here are nine secrets to Woofie's online success - and perhaps some good ideas for YOU, too:
- Post regularly. She posts updates annually on her birthday (4/29) but the point is that her audience has come to EXPECT that. You should post more often - but with the same dogged consistency.
- Don't ask for much. Woofie shares her updates with enthusiasm and authenticity. She never sells. She never begs. She never whines. How about you?
- Be cute and relax. Woofie's main job with her web marketing is to be herself. Share what's interesting and important to her and her like-minded followers. Bacon. Cheese. Wagging. Tennis balls.
- Let people come up to you first. Woofie has lots of ways to interact with her on her website. You can email her. You can follow her on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn. She makes herself approachable and then lets her fans be in charge of getting in touch.
- Photos - visuals sell. Her website is 80% photos and 20% text. As my pal Jay Baer, author of the great new book Youtility, likes to say, "Text is going away. Everything online is moving to photos and video."
- Let other people help you. Since Woofie has no opposable thumbs, she needs people to answer her email for her. That's where I come in. Folks email her. I respond, pointing out the fact that I'm responding on her behalf because of the whole thumbs problem. Generally, you'll do much better in business if you FLOP (Feature and Leverage Other People.)
- Make people feel better about themselves after engaging with you. 'Nuf said.
- It's OK to be silly. Especially if you're a Labrador Retriever! And it's OK to be funny, human, and kind if you happen to be funny, human, or kind.
- 10 kisses, one bark - keep it positive. Nobody like growling, barking and whining. Not from a dog. And not from a blog. And certainly not from an online expert, thought-leading professional, or entrepreneur like YOU.
What do YOU think? Please use the COMMENTS area below to share your advice, insights and recommendations on this topic and join the conversation...
DECIDE is the most powerful word in marketing.
Decide who you are.
Decide who your prospects are.
Decide to do your best work.
Decide not to work with jerks.
Decide on your menu of investable opportunities.
Decide what business model you're running.
Decide what revenue model your pricing comes from.
Decide what tasks can be delegated, eliminated, or outsourced.
Decide to pursue a niche market.
Decide to publish content regularly.
Decide to become a valued asset to your prospects.
Decide to become indispensable to your clients.
Decide to make a bigger splash in a smaller (or bigger) pond.
Decide what kinds of projects are NOT for you.
Decide on your marketing strategy.
Decide on a small, focused set of tactics.
Decide to market more consistently.
Decide to sell more bravely.
Decide to dream bigger.
Decide to act faster.
Decide to crush it.
AND.
YOU.
WILL.
What do YOU think? Please use the COMMENTS area below to share your advice, insights and recommendations on this topic and join the conversation...
As a marketing speaker and marketing coach, I often work with clients who are seasoned entrepreneurs. They've been doing great work for good clients for years - sometimes decades.
And in the technology world, they call these longtime clients who are using your longtime services "legacy" clients.
Here's the problem - legacy clients can hold your business back.
You need to learn how to let go so you can grow. In this post, we'll explore how to do that. But first, here's the bottom line on the problem:
Legacy clients want to keep using your legacy services.
These are services, products and programs that you really don't want to sell any more. Because you don't want to DO them anymore. Regardless of the money.
Yes, let me repeat that - REGARDLESS of the money. (The fact that they may be generating a lot of revenue but very little profit is a topic for another day. For now, think about that and see if it's true for YOU.)
An interesting paradox
Most business owners, entrepreneurs and independent professionals get all excited about ADDING new products, services and programs to their business. They do so with great relish, enthusiasm, and fanfare.
Here's the problem - you can't keep adding. It doesn't make sense.
If you're a coach, consultant, speaker, or professional services provider, having two different investable opportunities might be good - having three might be better - having five may be challenging - and having seven may be disastrous.
How to let go so you can grow
When you realize that your business has grown in too many directions with too many ways people can use your services - yet not enough focus, clarity, momentum, or profits for YOU - then it's time to LET GO.
Time to cut back. Lose some branches. Prune the tree back so it can grow healthy again - and straight in the direction you want it to.
Naturally, you can't go "cold turkey" (although really, you can - more on that in a minute...)
So here is a stepwise plan to help you get rid of parts of your business that are holding you back so you can make room for the new, profit-rich, and on-strategy offerings that reflect the current focus of your business, your desired client base, and the revenue targets you want to hit.
1. Let your internal team know that your legacy services and programs are no longer accepting new clients. This will hold YOU accountable for not selling any more of them, no matter how tempting it may be. The first person you need to convince that you're not in that business any more is YOU.
2. STOP selling, marketing and talking about your legacy services. Don't take them completely off your website or marketing materials yet, but if they are featured prominently, make them less so.
3. Put your NEW offerings front and center in everything you do. Lead every marketing and sales conversation toward your new services and investable opportunities. Talk about them with your referral partners, influencers, advocates, business friends, past clients, and new prospects.
4. For current clients, use the "Switch or Stop" technique. As legacy clients finish their programs - or at a natural stopping point (for accountants, the end of the quarter - or for consultants, the end of a project milestone for example), bring up the subject of transitioning your client from the old service model to the new. Put a deadline on the calendar for making a decision to "switch or stop." Make it OK for them to stop and not feel bad or awkward. And don't leave them in the lurch - always have a referral in your pocket for someone else they can use if they want to continue with a service similar to the one you are discontinuing.
5. Take advantage of natural attrition as you ramp up. As an example, you might gradually go from 10 legacy clients down to 7, then eventually 4, then the last 1 or 2. All the while, your main job is to fill your client roster with NEW clients using your NEW services. If you time this right (always the tricky part!) you'll get more new clients before the old ones transition out. This is one of the more uncomfortable phases of the process because you'll feel like you're trying to ride 2 horses at once. And you'll be torn with second guessing yourself that "maybe these old services aren't so bad after all..." Don't listen to that voice. It's the voice of fear and scarcity. Block it out.
6. Rip off the Band-Aid. Once you've made the transition as smooth as you possibly can - both for yourself and for as many of your legacy clients as possible, it's time to rip off the Band-Aid in one quick, if somewhat painful, move. Have a heart-to-heart conversation with your remaining clients and make it clear that:
a. You value their trust and friendship.
b. You appreciate their long-standing business over the years.
c. It's time to switch to your new model or you'll help them find another resource.
d. They can always call you for friendly advice, insights and recommendations and you remain in their service because you care about their success.
That's the very best that you can do - and it's what a trusted advisor does.
Easy? No.
Necessary? Very.
Benefits: Huge.
This is nothing short of the roadmap to the future success of your business.
And you can't get there if you're stuck looking in the rear-view mirror.
Look up ahead - the sun is rising over the horizon of your new (ad)venture. Focus forward, hit the gas, and let's GOOOOO!!!
What do YOU think? Please use the COMMENTS area below to share your advice, insights and recommendations on this topic and join the conversation...
Nope, this is NOT a post about that kind of soft, squishy "mission-vision" thing...
This post is about what's on your plate right now - today - right this minute.
My friend, Jose Palomino, sent me an email this morning about some website tweaking that he's doing. He wrote, "Getting the timing right and the sliders to stop rotating after the final reveal is today's mission."
Bam - that was his ONE thing for today. Was he doing other tasks? You bet. Was he developing business, calling clients, following up on sales leads, and doing paperwork? Sure... but he also had his "mission" for the day.
When it comes to being a small business owner, independent professional or speaker/consultant, you have a million things to do and a hundred priorities.
Wouldn't having a SINGLE mission for the day be great?
Well - you can. Many important tasks can be done in as little as 15 minutes -- and tackling ONE head-on might be exactly what you need to regain that most precious entrepreneurial asset - MOMENTUM.
Some examples to get you started:
- Revise your home page copy
- Write an important email to a client or prospect
- Send an invoice you've been proscrastinating on
- Post a blog
- Submit an article to a trade journal or industry publication
- Respond to a media request
- Send out your email newsletter
- Circle back with a prospect who's on the fence
- Clean up your LinkedIn profile
- Post a long-overdue recommendation on LinkedIn
- Send a thank-you note
- Mail a book to a prospect, influencer or decision-maker
- Pick up the phone and apologize to someone important
- Ask for that referral you've been shy about pursuing
- Contact that virtual assistant you've been thinking of hiring
- Post your internship job description with your local university
- Begin a research file or a Google Doc for your next book
- Make a list of 20 companies you'd like to do business with
- Clear off your desk (you can do this in 5 min. if you create a file folder called "Crap from Desk" and today's date!)
- Do a competitive sweep and see who's doing what in your industry so you can refresh your offerings
- Shoot a 2-minute video and post it to YouTube
- Buy my book and get $747 in bonuses right now (Shhh...)
- Erase the whiteboard in your office and create a "fresh start"
- Take yourself out to a coffee shop for a 2-hour strategic meeting with yourself, a legal pad, and a pack of Sharpies
- Take a nature walk and bring your pocket audio recorder or smart phone to capture ideas
- Reconnect with an old client, friend, or colleague
- Write an amazon book review for a book you admire in your field
- Call your tech wizard to fix a nagging technology problem you've been tolerating for way too long
- Leave a 45-second voicemail for a client just to say how much you value your relationship with them
- Visit your favorite bookstore or newsstand and buy a magazine to flip through for new business ideas
What's YOUR mission for today?
Please share YOUR advice, insights and recommendations on this topic in the COMMENTS are below and...