Do It! Marketing Blog: Marketing for Smart People™

Disclosure: I never badmouth anyone in public. EVER. Even if they deeply and richly deserve it. And I’m not about to start now, even though this story may send chills down your spine. All names have been removed to protect the goofy.

First, check out this exchange (via Facebook message) between me and a successful international keynote speaker with whom I am friendly (and who earns in excess of $20,000 per speech):

• HIM: hey you do ongoing coaching type programs, right? 
  like you get clients that pay you X per month or year for telephone time or something else?
  im asking because i was approached recently by a CEO who wants me to do executive coaching/mentoring for him.  do you have some sort of outline i could follow please? i havent structured a deal like this before

• David Newman
  I do marketing coaching, not “executive coaching” but many of my clients DO - usual structure is 2-3 phone meetings per month with email access to you in between and for CEOs I wouldn't charge less than $5k per month. 7500-10k per month if the meetings are in person. Normally you'd lock them in for a 6- or 12-month commitment.
  That's all you need to know to close the deal. Boom - you owe me a Pepsi.

• HIM: lol thanks. but what do they get for their money ? in terms of time commitments etc and i dont have any formal program structured. or is it pretty informal? they call and you just shoot the shit?

• David Newman
  If the content of the expertise you're trying to sell isn't in line with what the CEO needs or expects, you're toast - you can't just charge for something and "wing it" - don't mean to be harsh, bro - but are you playing to your strengths here??

• HIM: he approached me, not the other way around
  he was in my audience recently and came over to me and said he wants to hire me to be his executive coach
  so i certainly havent promised him anything i cant deliver
  but i dont have a bunch of papers and programs and checklists or any formal program, because this is not something i normally do.

I’ll stop there simply to spare you the pain and embarrassment of more.

What’s wrong with this picture? I could go on and on but I promised myself this would be a short post.

PLUS I want to hear from YOU in the Comments section below about your reactions and advice in avoiding this type of train wreck.

Here’s my 6 cents on what is dangerous and crazy about this exchange:

1. Someone who can deliver a killer keynote speech (regardless of fee level) does NOT automatically qualify as an executive coach. Totally different skill set. It’s like hiring a virtuoso pianist to build a custom stereo - yes, they both make music. But the similarity ends there.
    
2. “Do you have some sort of outline I could follow?” Imagine this question coming from a jet fighter pilot, a brain surgeon, or a trial attorney. There is no outline -- it’s a skill set that takes YEARS of study, serious expertise, and deep experience. You don’t “follow an outline.”
    
3. “I don’t have any formal program structured.” Here’s your first clue, Sherlock Holmes - if you don’t have a formal program for what you’re trying to sell, then you have no business selling it. Holy cow, do I really have to spell this out? Shouldn’t this just FEEL wrong? Apparently not...
    
4. “They call and you just shoot the shit?” Umm, no. I just gave my friend some pricing guidance that a high-level executive coaching program is at least $5,000 per month. And he asks me if that money goes toward “shooting the shit”? Seriously? (Maybe I should reconsider going into the executive coaching business after all.) Meanwhile - there are serious, committed, high-value executive coaches that just read this and their foreheads are about to explode. And I don’t blame them.
    
5. “But Dad - HE started it!” OK, that’s not exactly what he said. It was “he approached me, not the other way around” as if THIS makes it OK to charge money for a service that my friend is neither qualified nor prepared to offer. But wait. we’re not quite done - it gets worse...
    
6. “I don’t have a bunch of papers and programs and checklists or any formal program, because this is not something I normally do.” Again, let’s transplant this statement to a different profession - forensic accounting, cancer research, or defusing bombs. You’d probably want each of these professionals to show up with more than “a bunch of papers and checklists” to fulfill their responsibilities, correct? And you might even be more nervous to learn that “this is not something they normally do.” The lesson? THEN DON’T DO IT!!!

Not to brag, but I’ve presented over 600 marketing keynotes, seminars, and strategic work sessions since 1992. I’m certainly not a $20,000 speaker like my friend, but I’m pretty damn good at what I do in front of a group.

I’ve also served as a marketing coach and marketing mentor to nearly 400 executives and entrepreneurs both individually and in my group programs since 2002. I’m pretty awesome at that.

(By the way, if all this seems too bragalicious for your personal taste, I would challenge you that if you don’t understand what YOU are truly GREAT at, you’re going to have a hard time getting clients to pay you premium fees that reflect your value.)

Bonus question: As a marketing coach, do I have a “bunch of papers and programs and checklists”? As a matter of fact, I DO. But guess what? It’s not those that MAKE me a marketing coach. They simply make my clients BETTER clients - and more successful, too.  

What do you think of speakers who offer coaching "just because"?

Please use the COMMENTS area below to chime in with your advice, insights, and experiences on both sides of this equation - as the speaker or coach AND as the client who may have had a “disconnect” experience with a professional who was GREAT in one delivery mode and surprisingly disappointing in another?

Many of my marketing mentor clients want to boost their online presence - in the words of my pal Henry DeVries, they want “more blogs, more buzz, and more business.”

So how - exactly - do you generate more buzz around your online platform?

One of the easiest ways is to host conversations and dialogue on your blog by proactively inviting your readers, subscribers, and visitors to leave comments.

There are two paths to doing this - and one is a whole lot more effective than the other. But either one is better than doing nothing at all. More on that in a moment...

How to Generate a Ton More Blog Comments in 10 Seconds

Approach #1: Ask! (General)

End each of your blog posts with an invitation to comment. Don’t just ask “What do you think?” - you have to be more explicit and TELL people to use the comment feature on your blog - and then tell them what to do to get there.

Example #1:

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

Approach #2: Ask! (Specific)

One of my favorite clients, Integrity-Based Leadership expert Richard Melancon, recommends taking this one step further. Rather than asking broadly for comments at the end of your blog posts, Richard is a fan of asking very specific questions directly related to the content of the blog ideas you just shared.  

Example #2:

For my recent post, “I’ve Quit and Here’s Why” I took Richard’s advice and used the following at the end of the post:

What have YOU changed up in the last 3-6 months to STOP doing what doesn't matter and start DOING more of what matters most? Please use the COMMENTS area below to share your specific changes and how they've freed up more time or made you more money...

Example #3:

On my previous post, “17 Keys to a Great Sale and a Great Date,” I used this:

What do you think? What parallels do you see between dating and selling? How have your best sales conversations unfolded? Please share your advice, insights, and experiences in the COMMENTS area below...

Big difference, right?

There’s no right and wrong here - you may want to try both approaches and see which one generates more comments, more dialogue, and more good conversation with your fans, followers, and readers. The proof is in the pudding.

As for me... well, you can see what I’ve decided to do below.

What do you think about inviting blog comments in a general way or a specific way? Have you gotten better results with one or the other? Please share your own blog commenting philosophy in the COMMENTS area below and...

What's the difference between a professional practice (or company or trade association) that feeds on the bottom vs. YOUR business model which should aim to serve the top of your market? 

Here are 17 things to consider:

1. High fees are paid by clients and customers who are doing well, not those who are struggling

2. Referrals come from those who are proud of the fees they pay you, not ashamed to be low-balling their way through business

3. High-end clients tend to be believers - low-end clients tend to be skeptics

4. Top clients are easier to please because they have a partner mindframe whereas low-end clients are almost impossible to please because they have a peddler mindframe

5. Paying higher fees also means that your top-of-market clients pay you higher respect, pay your advice more attention, and invest more resources in their implementation of your ideas

6. There is always a way to raise your game, boost your value prop, and charge higher fees. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have $500,000 sports cars or $35,000 watches

7. There’s no profit in a business model that challenges other poverty-mindset entrepreneurs in a race to the bottom

8. You can always design a “lower-level entry point” to a high-end offering (Example: the $125 Tiffany bracelet.) However, it is almost impossible to “level up” from commodity status. In other words, Wal-Mart would have a tough time attracting high-end jewelry buyers

9. Are you attracting referrals to goofballs or people who don’t see the value of what you offer? Like attracts like. It’s very possible your current clients and customers simply don’t travel in the right circles  

10. If you’ve heard yourself say, “My clients won’t pay any more than they’re already paying” or “I can’t raise my prices because I’ll price myself out of the market” - then you may need a. Better clients, b. A new market, or c. Both!

11. High-end clients expect great work. It is energizing, engaging and fun for you and your team to rise to that challenge

12. Low-end clients expect perfect work. Even though they have no idea what they want, change what they want based on whims, and are a moving target of conflicted priorities. It is demoralizing, exhausting, and depressing for you and your team to put up with these micro-managing, neurotic control freaks

13. High-end clients value relationships and once they’re in with you, they’ll come back for more. Why? Because if they switch, they would essentially be admitting to themselves that they overpaid or made a wrong decision, which is more expensive to their ego than to their pocketbook. Bottom line: High-end clients always look for reasons to stay

14. Low-end clients only care about transactions. The next coupon or email or offer will lure them away for the next bargain. They’re forever playing “Let’s Make a Deal” and the fact that they bought from you once REDUCES the chance they’ll buy from you again. Bottom line: Low-end clients always look for reasons to leave

15. High-end clients will approach you with new ideas, ask for more innovative services, help you develop new products and programs that they WANT to buy and that people at their same level would value. They generate their own product- and idea-generating R&D department to help your business grow.

16. Low-end clients will pressure you to give less, offer “lite” versions, and generally dumb-down and dilute your core offerings to match their small thinking and tiny budgets. Don’t fall for it.

17. Companies that serve low-end clients are dependent on massive numbers of small transactions from one-time buyers and price shoppers. Companies that serve high-end clients thrive on small numbers of much larger, deeper, richer, and longer-lasting relationships with clients, customers, and friends who stay longer, buy more, come back more often, and refer like crazy.

So it’s your call - serve the top or serve the bottom.

Just be careful what you wish for and understand what you’re targeting -- and what you’re in for when you hit it!

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

Buyers who lie should be deeply ashamed.

Salespeople and marketers have a bad rep for lying and deception but in my experience (both in my own speaking and consulting practice and via the hundreds of other consultants, entrepreneurs and independent professionals who tell me THEIR horror stories), PROSPECTS are much, much worse liars.

Somehow (for buyers) they think it's perfectly OK.

In reality, it's an unconscionable breach of professionalism.

For me personally, this has become VERY unusual because I've learned to be relentless in nailing down commitments.

Except once in a while, a buyer totally blindsides me. This is the story of how that happened and how YOU can avoid it happening to YOU. 

You will also get my voicemail and email templates and scripts to circle back with elusive "closed" prospects multiple times. 

Back story: 3 questions to lock in commitment

This prospect (an association executive director) gave me a verbal agreement to hire me over the phone - as in answering point blank my questions:

1. "So are you still looking at other options or are we closing this deal right now on the phone?"
2. "Who else needs to sign off on this before we make it final?"
3. "Are you sure that you're ready to sign the agreement?"

Answers were:

1. "We're closing the deal right now"
2. "Nobody else - I hire the speakers and my marketing person will be in touch with you to get everything we need for the website and the program book"
3. "Yes we have a deal."

Within 30 minutes of hanging up the phone, I emailed her the agreement, the invoice and my "Welcome Kit" email.

This was followed by WEEKS of radio silence, unanswered emails, unanswered voice mails and then an email from her this morning which says, "We decided to go with a local California speaker"

In the rest of this post, you'll get my follow-up sequence which will make YOU money if you use it. So the good of the many outweighs the good of the few... or the one. 

This is a classic case of "The operation was a success. Unfortunately, the patient died."

How to circle back with a "closed" sale with dignity  

Here's my recommended timeline for you when you get a verbal YES commitment from a prospect (which should be as good as a signed agreement but let's face it - it's FAR from it!) and they disappear on you. 

1. Phone call with prospect. 

2. Ask qualifying/closing questions

3. Send agreement/invoice paperwork. 

4. If they go radio silent, EMAIL #1 is 6-7 days later and you simply resend your original email with all attachments and this added note at the top:

Susie,
Just resending the below in case it got lost in the shuffle last week. Please confirm receipt because I want to make sure this lands safely in your hands. Thanks! 

5. Follow-up phone message (either at the same time as the email or a day or two before or after):

Susie,
Just wanted to make sure our agreement landed safely in your email inbox. Please do give me a call back at xxx-xxx-xxxx just to confirm you received it. I'm looking forward to our work together.

6. If no response, Wave 2 comes 3-4 days after that and sounds like: 

Susie,
We're both flying at 100mph. Please do get back to me with a quick reply and let me know if we're still a go as you indicated on the phone. If yes, we'll start preparations as soon as you return the paperwork. Looking forward to our collaboration. 

7. Again, it's your preference whether you leave a 2nd voice mail message a few days before or after or simultaneous with the email above. Whichever you choose, the second voice mail sounds like: 

Susie,
If you've had a change of heart about your decision, please let me know. If you'd like to discuss these arrangements, please let me know that too. Thank you in advance for your reply so I can plan around your event accordingly. Give me a ring when you get a moment at xxx-xxx-xxxx. Thank you, Susie and talk to you soon. 

8. Next email is 2-3 days later and is simply a written version of the above "change of heart" voice mail message. 

9. The final note is something like this: 

Susie,
Circling back with you about next steps. Please let me know which of these multiple choice answers is most reflective of current reality (which I lose track of regularly!!)

a. I am swamped but still want to move ahead with what we agreed to  
b. Our needs have changed and I want to discuss a different approach 
c. The deal is off in spite of the verbal commitment I made
d. Hey Newman - drop dead and never darken my doorstep again. Buzz off!!

Thank you in advance for hitting reply with your quick answer.

10. In my particular case, my prospect at great long last sent me this note:

Hi David,

Thank you for following up. I apologize for the delay in responding. I didn't want to re-connect with you until we had resolved several critical, conference-related details.

We have decided to go with a local, Southern California keynote speaker for the XXXXX 2014 Conference in San Diego. Upon reflection, it makes better business sense for us to employ local resources whenever possible.

I truly appreciate your time spent discussing XXXX 2014 with me. Thank you, too, for your diligence in following up.

We will be back to the East Coast within the next few years, and we will touch base with you again.

Take care ~ 

Susie Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire Prospect [Not her real name]

11. I hate liars and lying. (I admit it - it's one of my hot buttons.) So this is the reply I sent. I've added the decoding in green for your benefit: 

=====

Susie,

Totally understand. [Every email where I'm stunned and have no idea what planet the person is from starts with these 2 words. It's much nicer than "Are you freaking nuts?"]

Just one final question for you. [The old Columbo TV detective strategy]

Is your local speaker a better fit content-wise or just budget-wise? [Did you lie to me for money or for a better reason?]

If it's strictly a budget issue, I wish you had come back to me first because we could have worked out a travel-inclusive fee arrangement that would still be within your budget. [I'm a nice guy and was - and still am - willing to work with you despite the fact that you reneged on the deal after I verbally confirmed it with you THREE different times on the phone]

Is this worth revisiting since you and I had a confirmed verbal agreement to book the conference? [You should be ashamed for going back on your word without so much as a courtesy email or phone call to let me know the deal was falling apart and/or to ask for my help in saving it]

=====

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

Ready to have fun, get smart marketing ideas, and put money in your pocket?   

Welcome to another edition of...

The Do It! Marketing podcast

In this episode, my guest is author, podcaster extraordinaire and professional speaker Craig Price. (Follow @Price_Points and @RealityCheckPod on Twitter.)

Craig talks with me about the power of podcasting AND how conferences and conventions can use podcasting to build buzz, excitement, and grow attendance - even on a shoestring budget.

Listen in and then share YOUR advice, insights and recommendations in the COMMENTS area below... 

1. Top 5 Blog Tune-Ups in 5 Minutes Each
2. 10 Blogging Lessons from Your Dog
3. 13 Quick Tips for Blogging for Business 
4. It's OK Not to Blog
5. Blogging 101: 3 Reasons Your Blog Isn't Better
6. Blogging 101: 7 Ways to Write Less and Say More
7. Blogging 101: 7 Ways to Capture Ideas Like a Ninja
8. Marketing Coach: 41 Fresh Blog Post Ideas
9. Gesture Writing - NYTimes.com

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

1. How can we offer a risk-free trial of our product/service?
2. What would make our work more fun?
3. Which of YOUR talents and capabilities would you like to use more of?
4. How can we do better in generating inbound leads?
5. What should we be doing more of?
6. What should we be doing less of?
7. How can we be more valuable to our clients?
8. What's the smartest decision we made in the last 3 months? 
9. What's the dumbest decision we made in the last 3 months?
10. Where are we hitting it out of the park?
11. Where are we missing the mark and need to raise our game?
12. How do we know the metrics we're tracking are the right metrics? Do we need to add, change or delete some key success factors? 
13. What are the DNA markers of a 2-year client? 5-year client? 10-year client?
14. What extra services could we offer in a super-premium version of our core product/service? 
15. What "lite" services could we offer in an entry-level version of our core product/service?
16. Do we have enough staff, capacity, and bandwidth to handle bigger, better projects? If not, how quickly can we scale with outsourcing, partnering, or subcontracting?
17. What can we simplify, eliminate, delegate, or outsource?
18. How can we work with prospects who are ahead of the curve in our area of expertise? (Advanced level program)
19. How can we work with prospects who are behind the curve in our area of expertise? (Quickstart program)
20. Are we doing too much marketing and not enough selling? 
21. Are we doing too much selling and not enough marketing? 
22. How are we making our prospects smarter - even if they DON'T buy from us? 
23. Are we articulating clearly and concisely our level of expertise, experience and empathy with our target market? 
24. Are we articulating clearly and concisely the exact types of heartaches, headaches, pains, problems, challenges and gaps that we can fix? 
25. Are we investing in thought leadership marketing strategies like speaking, publishing, and social media to elevate our expertise and stand out from the crowd? 
26. How can we zig where the competition zags? 
27. How can we show - not tell - our clients that we offer products and services that are BFS (better, faster, smarter)?
28. How can we offer depth with variety? 
29. What can we do to encourage our favorite customers to serve as our most effective salesforce?
30. How can we provide indisputable points of proof that what we do works, is cost-effective, and is better than any competitor or alternative (customer testimonials, industry recognition, videos, demonstrations, references, case studies, expert endorsements)
31. What else can we do to qualify the right prospects, disqualify the wrong prospects, and get our sales process to be shorter, sharper, and more streamlined? 
32. When we win business, do we know (exactly) why? When we lose business, do we know (exactly) why? Where has this data been captured and how are you using it to improve your odds with every new prospect day by day and week by week?
33. Have you shared this post with three people whose business might benefit? Have you bought this book that comes with over $747 of marketing bonuses? Have you noticed there are more than 33 questions in this list? <Smile>.  

And then leave a comment below with your questions, thoughts, and advice on the ideas above.

Are you a DO IT freak? Welcome to the club!! Please use the social media buttons at the top of this post to share it with your network. YOU are a rock star!

1. There's no good time. Now is the time.
   What are you waiting for?
2. Put out your best material. For free. 
   Do you want to be SHARED or SCARED? 
3. YOU may be your biggest obstacle.
   What would happen if you got out of the way? 
4. Stop STARTING things and get more into DOING.
   What can you do today - right now?
5. A few may wish to see you fail. A lot more are rooting for your success.
   Where is your attention?
6. Forget the word vision.
   Better: What do you SEE in your future?
7. You're aiming too low.
   How can you elevate your sights, your fees, and your value?
8. Stop blaming others. It's ALL your fault.
   Move on - what's next?
9. A bend in the road is never the end - unless you fail to turn.
   Where do you need to turn? 
10. It's not what you think it is. And it's bigger than you think it is.
    Why not embrace that? 
11. There are no silver bullets, secret sauces, or magic beans.
    Now what's your plan? 

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...

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...

=====
"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