Do It! Marketing Blog: Marketing for Smart People™

The ad above first appeared in Business Week in 1958 – 56 years ago!

The moral of the ad’s story was relevant then and it is even more relevant today: establish expertise and build relationships before you try to sell.

The good news is that experts win on value and generalists die on price. 

The bad news is that we live in far more cynical times than the sellers of the 1950’s; but more good news is that YOU have so many more tools available to help you address the problem.

If you're investing in "Expert Marketing" (it goes by several other names like inbound marketing, thought-leadership marketing, and content marketing)... then you've probably asked yourself: 

How (and when) will this generate a sale?

And that is completely the WRONG question.

By the time you're done reading this article/ rant/ manifesto, you'll see exactly why - AND you'll be able to ask (and answer) much better questions for your business right away. 

Asking when expert marketing will lead to a sale is like filling up your car's gas tank and asking, "Why aren't we there yet?" 

Answer: Because filling your car with gas is a NECESSARY but NOT SUFFICIENT step to getting you to your destination (a new customer or client).

Do you have a chance of arriving now that your gas tank is full? You bet.

Did you have a chance of getting there with your tank on empty? No way. 

Let's move on... 

Insight #1 You need to sell the same way that YOU buy.

Look at your email spam or bulk email folder. Yes, you. Yes, right now. I'll wait... 

tap... tap... tap... tap... You're back. Excellent.

Did you see that spam email from the toner cartridge company? Did you catch the pitch from the SEO firm that filled out your website's "contact us" form? Did you respond to that great deal on vacation cruises? NO? 

OK now pop over to your paper mail pile on your desk. Did you check out the latest "triple play" offer from Comcast (or whatever hellacious Cable Satan runs in your neck of the woods)? How about that compelling cell phone offer from Verizon? The Wall Street Journal subscription offer under that postcard? Or how about that postcard - you know, the one from the home heating oil company? NO? 

When's the last time you gave your credit card number over to a cold caller who interrupted your family dinner? NEVER??

I'm shocked...

Because you seem pretty excited about YOUR cold calls - and sending out YOUR spam - YOUR offers - YOUR postcards - YOUR sales messages.

The problem with doing it this way? In four words...

Zero. Value. For. Prospects.

And hello? YOU don't BUY this way. What in the world makes you think your prospects DO?

Look once more at the ad above - and answer one simple question: 

Question #1: What VALUE have I ADDED to my prospect's world in order to EARN the RIGHT to INVITE them to a conversation and OFFER my solutions to their urgent, pervasive, expensive problems?

Insight #2 Referrals are great - but they are neither deaf, dumb, nor blind

Next, you'll say that you don't NEED "expert marketing" because 99% of your business is repeat and referral business and it's always been that way and you don't see how this "newfangled marketing" is going to move the needle in closing more sales.

Do you seriously think that referrals don't check you out online before picking up the phone?

What messages are you sending to your valued referrals with...

a. Your outdated website (articles from 2008 are outdated, friends. And from 2003 even more so. And design aesthetic from 1997 most of all.)

b. Your sporadically updated blog that you leave dormant for 2 (or 4 or 6) months at a clip.

c. Your abandoned Twitter account you set up because someone said "you had to" and that now has 37 followers while your competitors have 3,000 (or a whole lot more.) 

d. Your sketchy, bare bones LinkedIn profile that has 300 connections but only 2 recommendations (From 2005. From people with the same last name as you.)

e. Your "glory days" articles and TV clips and PR placements from 20 (yes I'm serious), 10, or even 5 years ago. Nothing screams "has-been" like old media.  

Make no mistake: Getting repeat and referral business is great. But don't kid yourself that this absolves you from having a top-notch web presence, social media platform, and body of knowledge that is ultra-current, super-relevant, and obviously abundant.

In fact, you are leaving yourself open for EMBARRASSMENT if your advocates hear back from their referrals and find themselves in the awkward position of having to DEFEND you to them because your web presence has fallen behind and now casts your professional expertise into doubt.

Question #2: Does my overall web presence REASSURE and REINFORCE the referrals I earn with the most current, credible and relevant expert marketing messages, positioning, content, resources, and value that will make my advocates LOOK BETTER - not worse - for referring me? 

Insight #3 Expert Marketing is a 4-layer enchilada (aka You don't get to eat the delicious golden-brown cheese without first layering on the meat!!)

The first layer - at the core of the matter - is your Reputation. Your work. Your track record. If you stop there, you'll have a VERY hard time attracting NEW leads and prospects to your doorstep. "My work should speak for itself" is what a lot of very smart people say - smart people who have a hard time making their mortgage payments.  

The second layer is Amplification. Ways to make your "expert signal" stronger. Enter social media marketing, niche PR, article marketing, blogging, keyword research and search engine optimization. This is the key to spreading your ideas and broadcasting your expertise.

The third layer is Leverage. This is where you begin to capitalize on your "expert marketing" assets such as articles, blogs, videos, podcasts, interviews, white papers, special reports, book excerpts, and other value-first marketing tools. You can now reach out to high-probability prospects both individually (on LinkedIn for example) and collectively (on your blog for example). This is where your job becomes putting the right bait on the right hooks in the right lakes to catch the right fish.  

The fourth layer is Gravity. Just like Jim Collins talks about the "flywheel" concept in Good to Great (it takes a long time to get it spinning but then is very hard to stop because of the power of momentum) - this is where you start to see payoffs. More leads, better prospects, bigger opportunities, more conversations, higher profile alliances, more invitations to speak, publish, guest post, contribute, teach, and (drum roll please...) more invitations to do great work at premium fees for great clients who NOW know you, like you, and trust you enough to hand over 5- and 6-figure checks because their level of confidence in your expertise is pretty damn close to 100%.

Question #3: Do you want to make more sales to strangers? (Good luck with that). Or do you really want more people to recognize, respect, and request YOU by name when they have a need, project, or problem that they instantly see has "your name written all over it"? If that's your goal, then expert marketing is for you. 

Re-read the McGraw-Hill ad above and let's do a 21st century spin on it together...

• I don't know who you are.
• I don't read your blog. 
• I don't subscribe to your newsletter.
• I don't see your name in my industry's publications.
• I don't hear my peers spreading your ideas.
• I don't come across your content in Google searches.
• I don't connect your solutions to my problems. 
• I don't feel the gravity of your credibility or credentials.
• I don't have any tangible way to gauge your expertise or experience.
• Now -- what was it you wanted to sell me? 

So here's the ultimate (and most important) question for YOU: 

How can you realistically expect to SELL anything by NOT setting the necessary pre-conditions for ANY sale with Expert Marketing?

The answer is as simple as it is obvious: you can't. Just like you can't drive your car from Denver to Sheboygan just by filling up your gas tank. You need to get behind the wheel, plan your route, use your GPS, add more fuel along the way (and probably some beef jerky and Sno-Balls and root beer) AND put in the hours and the miles to get you to your destination.  

Nobody -- and I mean N-O-B-O-D-Y -- hires speakers, consultants or professional services firms sight unseen. You wouldn't. I wouldn't either.

And the facts prove out that today's buyers are just like YOU and ME. 

Expert marketing is a marathon, not a sprint. And as any marathoner will tell you - the best (and only) way to run a marathon is one mile at a time. 

What do you think? Please post YOUR COMMENTS below and... 

Welcome to our carefully chosen list of thought leadership marketing tools. We use these tools here at Do It! Marketing World HQ and highly recommend them to our clients and partners.

Good news: Many of these tools are free. A few are not. Almost all come with a risk-free "try before you buy" option to make sure you love them as much as we do. Please note that if you decide to make a purchase, I may (and probably will) receive a small commission. This commission is at no extra cost to you, and in fact, MOST of these links contain special discounts, free trials, or bonuses only available through these links.

With that said, please dig in and take full advantage of these hand-selected resources. They will help your business thrive, scale and grow -- just as they have helped ours!

Email Marketing: ConstantContact | Aweber | PopupDomination

Shopping Cart: KickstartCart | Infusionsoft

Social Media: Tweetadder

Online Audio/E-learning: AudioAcrobat | JigsawBox | Ruzuku

Graphics: Pixabay | ReciteThis | PicMonkey | MyECoverMaker

Webinar/Screen Sharing: Screenr | StealthSeminar | AnyMeeting

Ecommerce: PayPal | Clickbank | Infusionsoft

Landing Pages: LeadPages | Unbounce | LaunchRock

Website Builder: Strikingly

There's a nice group of folks coming together for the next "Simple Marketing Success" 10-week group coaching program that begins October 8. 

In fact, you have about 24 hours to catch Early Bird pricing that expires tomorrow (9/21). 

I'm talking with a lot of entrepreneurs, small business owners, and independent professionals about the program.

Some are a great fit for the program and will benefit hugely. 

Some are not. I will almost always catch these people during the application process and weed them out.

This is one such story... 

This entrepreneur emailed me the following question: 

Hi David,

I hope you are having a great weekend!  After some debate, here's the verdict: I want to take the course, I believe, you see, I'd make a great student - but money is an issue for the household if you know what I mean.

So here's a question: Would you feel comfortable giving us a 100% satisfaction guarantee? If at the end of 10 weeks I have not been able to get a solid booking(s) to at least cover the cost of the program, then you'd give us a full refund. But if I have been able to get a solid booking(s) at the end of the 10-week period, then we call it a major success and both parties are happy, including my wife. Can we do that?

I won't bore you with pointing out the half-dozen red flags with this prospect. You can probably see them all for yourself. 

This post is about guaranteeing YOUR consulting, coaching, or training outcomes. 

My policy - I don't do it.

And neither should YOU. 

Here's what I replied to this fellow:

Pat,

If you're looking for some kind of guarantee, the problem is that I can only guarantee MY program.

I can't guarantee YOUR results. 

Here's what I guarantee:

• I'll lead 10 weekly calls
• You'll get 10 weekly assignments
• You'll get digital audio downloads of 10 calls
• You'll get word-for-word transcripts of 10 calls
• You'll get 280+ pages of tested small business marketing strategies, tools, templates, and ideas
• The ideas and tactics you'll get have been proven with over 300 entrepreneurs, small business owners and independent professionals
• I'll be available for UNLIMITED email support and respond to you within 1 business day, usually much sooner
• You'll get TWO 30-minute private 1-on-1 calls with me which you can use for any purpose
• You'll get full access to the online Group/Forum website for asking questions, seeking feedback, and posting responses and assignments

• I can't guarantee you'll be on the calls
• I can't guarantee you'll listen to the recordings
• I can't guarantee you'll do your weekly assignments
• I can't guarantee you'll read the transcripts
• I can't guarantee you'll read the book
• I can't guarantee you'll implement a single strategy or tactic
• I can't guarantee you'll email me when you need help or guidance
• I can't guarantee you'll set up your 2 private coaching calls
• I can't guarantee you'll follow my advice
• I can't guarantee you'll participate in the online forum
• I can't guarantee you'll work hard (or at all) to make this program WORK for you

And I'm not in the business of "convincing" people with feel-good guarantees.

I don't work with hundreds of people at a clip. I work with a very small, very dedicated group of entrepreneurs, business owners and independent professionals who are committed to their own success and want to accelerate its timetable and expand its scope.  

If that's you, then terrific. Let's do this thing.

If not, no hard feelings.

What do YOU think? Please use the COMMENTS area below to share your advice, insights and recommendations on using guarantees in YOUR coaching, consulting, training or professional services business. And if you use a written guarantee, feel free to post the link and a quick plug for your services, too!

Build the Tribe Before the Tent

Have you ever wrestled with these problems?

• I want more leads from my website
• I need more subscribers to my newsletter
• I can’t seem to generate any comments on my blog
• I’m not getting any traction in my LinkedIn Group
• It’s a huge struggle to fill my public workshops or events
• I built an e-learning or video course but sales are disappointing
• My Facebook business page is a ghost town
• I wrote a great book and nobody’s buying it

I’ll stop there so you don’t get too depressed, OK?

We’ve all been there. And we all know that “Build it and they will come” is the last great false hope of the entrepreneurial class.

But in that statement also lies the answer.

Think about: “Build it and they will come”

Who’s “they”?

No, really - ask yourself this question.

Maybe even write down your answer on a piece of paper.

WHO. IS. “THEY”?

Most executives and entrepreneurs I work with who want to do a better job of marketing themselves and sell more products and services will come up with these answers:

THEY is:

• My customers
• My clients
• My buyers
• My prospects

OK, let’s take this one step further - who are your customers, clients, buyers, and prospects?

Here are some clues:

1. They’re not strangers
2. They’re not going to buy “sight unseen”
3. They’re not going to buy on first contact

So what does THAT mean?

1. They know you and your value proposition
2. With them, you’ve built up visibility and credibility
3. They buy (usually) based on a relationship, not on a single transactional impulse

Frankly, we all WISH buyers would buy ALL our products and services on a “transactional impulse” but that almost never happens, unless you’re running late night infomercials for knives - or insomnia cures. That one phone call - that one sales page on your website - that one email - that one postcard is almost NEVER going to make the sale.

Whatever product, service, or program you’re selling - the bottom line is simple:

You have to build the tribe before the tent.

Rather than this sequence:

1. Invest time, money, effort, and energy (lots) to create a new product/ service/ program
2. Offer it for sale
3. Crickets. (Silence.) More crickets 

What if you created this sequence:

1. Be as helpful as you can to as many people as you can as frequently as you can
2. Build a loyal, fast-growing tribe of followers, fans, subscribers, and friends
3. Offer value and invite engagement
4. The next time you create something to sell, they’re lined up, credit card in hand, eager to buy the moment it’s released for sale

Who does this?

Rock stars. Artists. Gurus.

How?

They built the tribe before the tent.

• Your website = your tent
• Your keynote speeches and seminars = your tent
• Your professional services offerings = your tent
• Your newsletter = your tent
• Your coaching and consulting programs = your tent
• Your blog = your tent
• Your LinkedIn Group = your tent
• Your workshops, conferences or events = your tent
• Your e-learning or video courses = your tent
• Your Facebook business page = your tent
• Your book = your tent

At the beginning, who and what are inside these tents? Obviously - it’s you. And a small fire. Just enough to keep you warm.

Now imagine yourself running around between these ELEVEN different tents, frantically tending those eleven fires, scrounging around finding enough wood to keep each fire alive.

• How much room is there in each of these eleven small tents?
• How available are you to welcome visitors into any one of those tents?
• How much of a success (or failure) would you feel like if you occasionally got between 2-3 visitors in each tent to sit down and tell you their story or enjoy a toasted marshmallow with you?
• How much time could you spend with THEM before running out to one of the nine or ten empty tents and leave them to entertain themselves?
• How long do you think they'll stay in that empty tent without you to serve as host and with the fire slowly sputtering out in your absence?

Hmmmmm... interesting questions, right?

Now imagine things the other way...

You have a thriving tribe...

• You offer them value
• You invite their engagement
• They start to follow you around
• First 5 people - then 10 - then 25
• And pretty soon 50, 100, 200 or more...

At some point, these folks will want to sit down - they’ll get hungry - they’ll get cold.

So you build something for them - a tent - and they welcome the opportunity to sit down with you around a blazing fire. They’ve each brought a log. One has a lighter. Another brings out some hot dogs. Someone else brought baked beans. Others start to break out the marshmallows, graham crackers and Hershey bars - S’mores for everyone!

There’s ONE tent. It’s not YOUR tent. It becomes OUR tent. You’re the leader. The provider. The sherpa. The guide. They gladly follow you for two reasons:

1. The experience you provide when they follow you (value, resources, stories, ideas, guidance)
2. The community you’ve built around them (the tribe, the relationships, the company of like-minded friends)

This is a much larger conversation -- and it’s tied to a very exciting project that we’re working on with some of the coolest small business experts on the planet. Can’t say any more than that for now. But stay tuned and you’re sure to hear more about it soon.

But the question YOU need to ask for the moment is…

How can YOU build the tribe before the tent?

Because sitting around in a small empty tent, exhausted, cold and alone… well, that just isn’t a lot of fun, is it?

What do YOU think? What are some examples of “building the tribe before the tent” that you’ve experienced? Are there some people YOU admire whose business fits into this model? Please use the COMMENTS area below to share your thoughts and experiences…  

1. Sometimes, visuals can stand alone:

2. Use font sizes to help you make your point:

3. Use screen shots and visually focus your audience on key ideas:

4. Use arresting, unusual graphics, not the same old tired clip art:

5. It's OK to use graphs if you summarize the A-ha insight they provide:

6. Sometimes it helps to SHOW and TELL on the same slide:

What do YOU think? Please use the COMMENTS area below to share your advice, insights and recommendations on this topic and join the conversation... 

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)

1. Jay Baer - http://www.convinceandconvert.com
2. Stephanie Chandler - http://www.stephaniechandler.com
3. Corey Perlman - http://www.ebootcamp.com
4. Melinda Emerson - http://succeedasyourownboss.com
5. Chris Murray - http://www.chrismurrayeditor.com
6. Henry DeVries - http://www.marketingwithabook.com
7. C. J. Hayden - http://www.getclientsnow.com 
8. Scott Ginsberg - http://hellomynameisscott.com
9. Dan Janal - http://www.prleadsplus.com
10. Art Sobczak - http://businessbyphone.com
11. Mary Foley - http://maryfoley.com
12. Gene Marks - http://genemarks.com
13. Viveka Von Rosen - http://linkedintobusiness.com
14. Brian Tracy - http://briantracy.com
15. Geoff Ramm - http://www.geofframm.com 
16. John Jantsch - http://www.ducttapemarketing.com
17. Joe Calloway - http://joecalloway.com
18. Jay Conrad Levinson - http://www.gmarketing.com
19. Jim Meisenheimer - http://www.meisenheimer.com
20. Mark Sanborn - http://www.marksanborn.com
21. Marshall Goldsmith - http://www.marshallgoldsmithlibrary.com
22. David A. Fields - http://www.davidafields.com
23. Pamela Slim - http://www.escapefromcubiclenation.com
24. Mark Hunter - http://thesaleshunter.com
25. Bob Bly - http://www.bly.com
26. Sean Carroll - http://www.seancarrollspeaker.com
27. Bob Burg - http://www.burg.com
28. Jeffrey Hayzlett - http://hayzlett.com
29. Sam Richter - http://samrichter.com
30. Howard Lewinter - http://www.talkbusinesswithhoward.com
31. Stephen Lahey - http://smallbusinesstalent.com
32. Jose Palomino - http://www.valueprop.com
33. Karyn Greenstreet - http://www.passionforbusiness.com
34. Avish Parashar - http://www.dinghappens.com
35. Michael Dalton Johnson - http://www.salesdog.com
36. Greg Williams - http://www.themasternegotiator.com
37. 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...

Here are the top 7 things that entrepreneurs, business owners, and independent professionals must do every single day:
 

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:

1. 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.
2. 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?
3. 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. 
4. 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. 
5. 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."
6. 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.)
7. Make people feel better about themselves after engaging with you. 'Nuf said. 
8. 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. 
9. 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'm often asked "How can I pump out content the way you do?" or "How can I be as prolific as David Newman?" [Thank you to Julie Cohen for the question!]

Here are several ideas to get you started:

1. Pay attention. You have great ideas all the time. It's just a matter of capturing them for future reference and writing enough down "in the moment" so you can revisit and flesh the ideas out later. (See Blogging 101: 7 Ways to Capture Ideas Like a Ninja)

2. Repurpose. If you are a speaker, coach, author, or independent professional, your clients are asking you for your best content all the time. Whether it's audience questions, client challenges, questions you answer by email, or advice that you give to folks you coach or mentor, it's all there to be repurposed and redeployed as part of YOUR content empire. 

3. Repackage. Got a book? You have 50-100 blogs. Got a great presentation or training seminar? There are 20 articles hiding in there. Do you write a column? Each column read out loud with some verve and energy could probably make for an awesome podcast. Got smart friends? Boom - there's your video interview series. Content repackaged from one medium into another takes ZERO development time and just some intentional repackaging time. 

4. Ask. Use your social media accounts like Twitter or Facebook (or even better - simple survey tools like SurveyMonkey) to ask members of your target market what they are hungry to learn. What answers are they seeking? What advice are they hungry for? What problems are they wrestling with? 

5. Riff. In all the newsletters you receive, blogs you read or videos you watch - there are seeds of content that you can riff on, respond to, share an opinion about, or take in a whole new direction. What books are on your nightstand? What industry publications are in your mailbox? What conferences do you attend? Take those ideas and wax, wane, agree, disagree, rant, rave, and otherwise opine with YOUR best advice, insights and recommendations. 

What do you think? Use the COMMENTS area below to share your own experiences with becoming prolific and creating and posting top-notch content to share with YOUR followers, fans, prospects and subscribers...