Recently I complained on Facebook that some Internet Marketing Gurus really are crazy if they expect everyone to watch their fancy 30 minute videos. A couple of my Facebook friends agreed…

So…. Being the kinda guy I am… I did a quick video to voice this complaint and plea that the long vids STOP.

Next… In the Internet Marketing Department…

You’ve undoubtedly heard of Yahoo right??  The number 2 Search Engine next to Google.

Well, word is that in the next year or less Yahoo will no longer use Yahoo to provide search results.

They are replacing theirs with…. Non other than…

Bing. That’s right, Microsoft’s 1 year old kid, Bing will be the new number 2.

So pay attention to Bing!

The other major search engine you need to focus on…

It’s veddy interesting, especially as it ties into Facebook

Next— Check out the new show…

One last thing… A Book Recommendation…

“Don’t Read This … Unless You Want More Money” By Dõv Baron

Powerful, yet so simple to put to immediate use is what I’ve heard.

I’ll be getting a copy today because there are lots of cool extras…

Here’s where to find out more…

Here’s a Quick Tip to Help You Stand Out A Little & Be Remembered…

On today’s radio show we talked about a whole lot.

But my main guest, Sue Moulton shared a bunch of easy to apply and easy to remember tips for protecting your identity.

George, a producer here at WSMN, shot a quick 8 minute video while he was also doing his best to keep the show running smooth!

So take a sec and watch the vid.

You won’t believe some of these horrifying facts about ID theft!

Tips for protecting your identity

I not an expert on networking and have never played one on TV or Radio.

But this week on “Mike D’s Mobilazational Monday’s,” (my weekly radio show on WSMN 1590 in Nashua) I had two guests who run local networking groups.

Their respective groups have grown in recent months.

So Don Daigle & Joanne Randall stopped by the station to talk about effective networking.

This 8 minute video is only a small segment of what we covered, but I know you’ll enjoy and pull something from it.

OH– and One Danger of Facebook you’ll want to listen up for.

And our little blunder at the end!

Enjoy…

You’ve heard that quote about Gazelles and Lions in Africa right?  The Gazelle wakes up knowing it has to run faster than the fastest Lion – the Lion has to run faster than the slowest Gazelle or one goes hungry and one gets eaten. The point of the quote is to remind us to “get moving!” The New Year brings a fresh opportunity to make things happen. Here are seven tips to get your business moving in 2010…

Develop a Sense of Urgency

A sense of urgency in your business is not about any “hurry, the sky is falling and make hasty decisions out of fear mentality.” Oh  contraire! In the world of successful small business a sense of urgency is about hurrying to make things happen. Hurrying to create products and services to market and sell. It’s about getting your clients and customers the results they want quickly – faster than your competitor can, (Lion or Gazelle)!

A sense of urgency is about being proactive and not reactive. It’s about getting priorities in order. It’s about taking massive action to produce results.

Set Ambitious Deadlines

The greatest time management tool ever invented was the deadline because without it nothing else would ever get done. Something to experiment with this year is raising the bar on completion dates. Remember, getting it done is more important than getting it perfect.

Let go of Waste

Hanging on to old ways of doing things or systems that just aren’t productive anymore will equal a ton of waste. Many companies that struggle in economic downturns are usually carrying a lot of waste in the form of advertising that’s not working or operational procedures that are inefficient and outdated. Don’t believe me? Study just a few of the companies that stood in line for government handouts in recent times! Which is a good lead in to our next tip…

Be Unique In Your Marketing

Are your marketing messages too inwardly focused and egotistical? Do they get lost in the shuffle because there’s nothing unique, fun, new or different about them? In our emerging economy there’s no room for “sameness.” Brain-storm the ways you are different from your competitors and communicate why your differences are of benefit to your prospects.

Get Savvy about Selling

In some circles “selling” has become a dirty word. But the truth is nothing happens until somebody sells something. It’s sad when businesses spend money on marketing to generate traffic to their locations or get their phones to ring and then someone drops the ball or “un-sells” the prospect.

Get back to basics and focus on the little things. Train yourself and your sales staff to ask questions to uncover the desires of your customers. Once you know what your customer wants, show them how to get it. Have regular meetings, role play and study the art of ethical persuasion.

Keep it Simple

To move quickly in 2010 and reach all of your goals a little faster why not adapt an attitude of simplicity? Does anything seem to be a little over-complicated in your business or life? Be honest with yourself and then take corrective action to simplify.

When I speak to groups of business owners I often get their attention and a laugh when I tell them I’m going to share the easiest and most important financial, business and economic principle. They are on the edge of their seats as I tell them as long as they follow it they can’t help but be successful.  “What is it?” they say. “It’s the Chunka Principle!” “Huh?” “The Chunka coming in has to be bigger than the Chunka going out!” Simple, but effective financial advice.

Have Fun

PT Barnum, the famous showman and promoter, said people will spend their last nickel to have fun. Have fun and enjoy the ride this year. Think of ways you can make things more fun and enjoyable for the people around you, including your customers and clients. I’m not advocating “not taking business seriously” just make it a priority to enjoy it this year!

Put these seven ideas into action quickly and I know you’ll move fast toward your goals in 2010. Post this article somewhere you can see it and remind yourself to “make things happen!”

After giving a talk at a local club, several people picked up copies of my book for themselves. I’m always grateful when that happens. It actually shows that people are “taking action” on a couple of the principles I talk about when I speak.

Let’s start with those principles before we get to “Course Corrections.”

“Keep Your Mind Open” and “Continuous Learning.” The fact is that you never know when an “AHA” moment can strike. That’s why it’s important to keep your mind open. “Continuous Learning” will often produce “AHA” moments. Or as Forest Gump would say; “Mama says they go together like peas and carrots.”

Unfortunately the reality is “AHA Moments” are still not enough to get you to where you want to be. You need to get in motion and stay in motion. The problem is we (yes- you, me, everybody) second guess ourselves to the point of slowing our own progress or killing it totally. And yes I do it too, I’m not special, I just have a knack for pointing this stuff out. Sorta like Jerry Seinfeld had a knack for taking obvious situations and making them funny. Ahh, the good ol’ days of NBC! Anyway…

I received a call from someone who said very enthusiastically; “Remember me? I’m one of the people who bought a book the other day after you spoke!”  “Yes, how are you and what can I do for you?” He went on to tell me about an idea for a product/business that he had been thinking about for a while. He wanted my help. I told him that on occasion I do offer some by phone or in person coaching sessions. We chatted for a few minutes more to be sure that it was a good fit and then he asked me to put him down for the following week. So that’s what I did.

He called me a couple of days before ( I appreciate the courtesy) and informed me that he couldn’t make the time and was now reconsidering his decision to move forward on his project. At that point all I could do was wish him the best with his project if he ever decides to pursue it.

I’ll be the first one to tell you though experience; most “projects,” as they are first conceived, should die on the vine. There’s nothing more precious than time. Wasting it on something that is not going to happen is a losing proposition. But there’s a fine line…

Most good things start off one way and then end up another way. How does this happen? It’s called “Course Correction.”

Course Correction occurs only after you get going and take a few steps in the direction of your goals. But if you don’t take a few steps no course is charted and no positive corrections can be made.

Think back. How many “course corrections” did you go through to get to where you are today? Are you still correcting? I know I am! It’s OK, because that means you’re making things happen. So take a few steps and correct as you go.

And Feel Free to Catch The Replay of Yesterday’s Show… “The Future of Local TV”

I figured that since it’s Halloween month and the scary ghosts and goblins will be out soon that I’d do my best to tie it in to this article. So let’s see…

The economy is starting to show some signs of recovery, but for some reason the stage still does not seem set for a period of growth which usually follows a down turn.

Why is that? Why is there still this feeling of… “We’re not out of the woods yet.” The only possible explanation is that small businesses are still scared. But it’s not that they’re scared  because Halloween is coming or about how they’re going to make the bills. What we’re a little scared about is all of the talk out of Washington lately. What kind of talk? Talk that makes our lives more difficult as owners of small enterprises.

 “Cap and Trade,” which basically creates a Carbon Credits system. Of course intentions are good; reduce greenhouse gasses. But sending energy prices sky-high will hurt all of us. I encourage you to do your own research on this one. And why aren’t China and India on board? They want to see their economy grow, that’s why!

Then there’s the monster lurking around with “Healthcare reform.” Just the thought of being penalized is enough to make you grab on tight. Again, there’s got to be a better way to get the cost of healthcare down so more people can afford it.

There’s also some scary things going on with labor. Mandatory sick leave is one. Being scared about this one is not about being an insensitive employer. It’s more about the new regulations and daunting amounts of paperwork needed to comply. Small companies will be forced to take time away from productive wealth-creating activities that benefit everyone just to report to the bureaucrats. There’s also talk about reclassifying independent contractors. Independent contractors provide much needed services to small firms for less than it would cost them to hire an employee.

Yep! If you pay attention it can get a little scary! The best thing to do is to let your elected officials know that you want your government to help keep you safe while ensuring the enforcement of sound and ethical business transactions. But there’s no need to be so involved that creativity and productivity suffer because someone is always breathing down your neck.

If your team were playing in the championship game which player would you trust to “come in the clutch” for you, the rookie or the seasoned veteran? In marketing there’s always some new wiz-bang think coming down the pike – Rookies! The truth is that amongst all the hype there are key principles – Veterans – of effective marketing that never change. One  veteran is the Irresistible Offer. Let’s review this important marketing concept in a fun way…

Anyone whose been around direct response marketing long enough has heard over and over again the importance of the “Irresistible Offer.” There’s been books written about it, entire seminars have been dedicated to it. In direct response marketing the irresistible offer is one of three to four key ingredients that make up a successful promotion.

Dan Kennedy, who is probably one of the most influential and prolific direct response marketers to ever live has a story about irresistible offers that he’s been telling for years. He’s most likely been telling this story for longer than I’ve been alive. He talks about a time when his girlfriend convinced him to make the trip from Ohio to Kentucky in a horrible snow storm. One of those storms where the roads are closed and all of the advice is to stay home and sit by the fire until it’s over and you can begin to dig out. The funniest part of the story is the fact that he made the trip in his American Motors Javelin; “A sporty car, not to be confused with ‘sports car’ that had zero traction on dry land let alone ice,” is how Mr. Kennedy relates it. Basically his girlfriend made him an irresistible offer that he couldn’t refuse!

I’m now proud to say that I’ve got my own irresistible offer story. Jamie, my wife, does as good bit of travel for her job. Recently she was in Vegas. No I did not drive from New Hampshire to Las Vegas if that’s what you’re wondering. But here’s how it went. The night before we talked while she was waiting for her flight. She mentioned that even though she’d be in late she wanted to take the kids to summer camp the next day because she also had an appointment down town. So as I usually do, I planned my morning the night before and based the plan on what she told me. Well, the next morning didn’t go exactly as planned. After a few days away from home and a late evening flight she was tired and ended up staying in bed pretty late by our standards. (We have a three and four year old, so sleeping late to us is 8:30AM.)

The funny thing was that the kids slept late too. So it was getting close to the time that I had planned to get going. I reminded Jamie that she’d be taking the girls to camp. Then she asked me if I’d mind because her body was still adjusting to the jet lag. I’ll admit, I grumbled and explained that this may throw my whole planned morning off course. Then, she informed me, via irresistible offer, of what she had planned for me when I arrived back home. The next words out of my mouth were, “OK, Julia and Marissa daddy’s taking you to camp today!”

Now, enough pleasure, let’s back to business…

I hear a lot of confusion out there about irresistible offers so what I’ll do is just lay some ground work for you to go by.

1)If you are trying to recruit new customers or new prospects you need to come out swinging with an irresistible offer. New customer acquisition is the hardest part of business. So don’t play bad odds, put offers together that are truly unique and valuable.
2)With your current clients and customers don’t get complacent. Make irresistible offers to them too.
3)Make people question how you can afford to do this. Years ago Donald Trump endorsed Pizza Hut’s “Big New Yorker Pizza.” In the commercial, “The Donald,” held up a slice and said, “They gotta be loosing money on this.” If you feel as though people may “take advantage of you” you’re probably on your way to an irresistible offer!

So get going with yours so you can use the power of the irresistible offer in your favor.

 
Mike Dolpies (AKA- Mike D.) is the author of: Motion Before Motivation, The Success Secret That Never Fails  And “Street Smart Persuasion, How to Sell More Using The Power of Your Written and Spoken Words.  He speaks for corporations and associations on the topics of Success, Peak Performance and Ethical Persuasion. Mike is also a Freelance Copywriter and Small Business Marketing Consultant.  You can check out his blog and get a FREE Audio- “The Insider Secrets of Exploding Your Profits Using the Persuasive Power of Your Written and Spoken Words” at www.askmiked.com

I recently spoke with someone who started a local chapter of a business association. The business association’s mission…

To get the word out to consumers that they should patronize locally owned businesses over national chains and franchises.

Of course any cause has merit depending on your view point. So I asked this individual; “So what are you doing to communicate that message to the public?” Remember I am all about using the right words! His answer was pretty simple. “We want people to understand that when they spend their money locally it stays locally, instead of a portion of it going to some corporate headquarters!” I said; “And what else?” He said, “That’s it!

Many of my clients know that I am all for independent local businesses. In fact- most small locally owned businesses can crush the big national chains if they use their agility and leverage the fact that they can move faster. If you are a small “mom and pop shop” you still need marketing, operational and business systems to do well. Let me get back to why I asked this guy… “And what else?”

Here’s why- it’s not enough to just tell someone that they should spend their money with local merchants instead of national chains or franchises just “because their money will stay local.”

Where your money goes after it leaves your hands (unless someone stole it from you) is irrelevant! You need to know WHY it’s better for you to do business with one company over another. And that WHY has to do with what is in it for the you. What kind of service will you get? What kind of follow through will you get? Will you be “wowed?” That’s what matters.

Here’s a very simple personal example…

We order Pizza once every couple of weeks. It alternates with Chinese food for the one night per week that we don’t feel like cooking or eating out. Lately I’ve been getting it from Pizza Hut. I think their pizza has gotten better over the years and I have eaten it on and off. Anyway, before getting into the habit of ordering from Pizza Hut I patronized two locally owned Pizza shops.

One of them I only went to once because I don’t carry cash most of the time. I simply use my Visa Check Card to make purchases. The one time I went in I took out my card and the person behind the counter said; “Sorry, we don’t accept that!” He then pointed me across the street to the ATM machine where I paid a fee to get my own money so I can get my pizza.

The other local Pizza shop almost had me for life until they screwed it up. Long story short – I had this loyalty card that gave me $2 off of a large pie. (I know I’m cheap!) But when calling to place an order to have it delivered they said that they would need to see the card in order to honor it. Yeah- I plan my day around ripping off local Pizza shops for $2!

There are many lessons here for any business owner to take away and I don’t have the time to go through them point by point. The overall message… Give people strong reasons WHY it’s in their best interest to do business with you. Just because you’re local doesn’t give people and obligation to you, especially in a tougher economy! By the way, the Chinese Restaurant we order from is a “mom and pop shop” and they are awesome!”

For help with crafting the right words for your business go to…
http://www.revealtheshortcut.com/shortcut.html