You need to like and use your products to be successful

I want to recruit you to be my customer

I work with a company, Melaleuca, that says it is "customer oriented." In fact, it is.


I've listened to audios presented by successful folks in this company and they all stress how the most important success ingredient is to love and use and your products. They don't mean you must love each and every product. But you must love enough of them to be able to sincerely recommend the products you do use and love.


I've heard that sentiment before but until recently I never fully believed that statement. That's the problem. I was stubborn. I would not accept the wisdom of successful people.

And what can be more obvious? If you join a company simply to make money, what's to stop you from quitting when you hit those inevitable bumps on the business road? It's like getting married and poo-pooing the marriage vows from the get-go.


A fellow emailed me that he was thinking of joining my team. I emailed back the above idea. I have a feeling I won't be hearing from him again. So, I lose a guy who would probably leave my team anyway. End result? I save a lot of precious time and effort.

Greg Cryns
I want to recruit you to be my customer
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The truth about scam reviews

The fact is, most people you do business with online will be honest, ethical, and helpful. The idea most people have of the Internet as a dark and dangerous place that’s crawling with scam artists is inaccurate.


At the same time, you need to play it safe and use good judgment. Regarding business opportunities, if something seems to good to be true, it probably is.


One of the smartest things you can do is find a good network of people to help you. You can join a reputable marketing forum or hire a business coach. There are many people online who are willing to help you get started. Some will give you free advice - others will charge a consultation fee.


The main thing is to take your time and evaluate things properly. Don’t rush into anything trendy - be wary of people who try to push you into any sort of impulsive buying decision.


You can’t even trust those “scam alert” sites because some are just people with a vendetta against a product owner and others are using this odd tactic where you actually sell products as an affiliate by writing a review and starting it with, “This product is a scam!”


They use this approach because it makes people think they’re being honest, and then in their actual review, they build the product back up in your eyes. Find true customer comments and learn the difference between seeing a Photoshopped “proof of income check” and a real detailed case study that shows how someone achieved success in a step-by-step manner.


How do you know what’s a good investment and what’s not? When you’re evaluating an eBook, you honestly can’t trust the testimonials. I hate to say it, but it’s true.


That’s because there are three kinds of testimonials:


1.) Phony feedback – this is the kind of testimonial where the product owner simply made up every word you’re reading. They go to istockphoto.com, grab an image of a friendly face to use as the “customer,” and make up a name to go with it.


2.) You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours – It’s no secret that the Internet marketing industry is sort of incestuous. Marketers get in bed with other marketers (figuratively, not literally), and they make deals where they’ll each promote one another’s products without even bothering to evaluate it on its own merits.


3.) Real customer feedback – This is the real kind of testimonial – the kind where a product owner sells a product, hears back from a customer who likes it, and asks permission to post his or her comments right on their sales page.


The problem is, you won’t know what’s what as an average consumer. I’ve seen many photos of the same person with 12 different names posted to sales pitch pages (obviously scraped from a site like istockphoto and completely made up).


I also happen to know who’s in whose good old boy (or girl) network, so when I see marketer A promoting marketer B’s product, I don’t know if it’s because he really believes in it or because he himself has a product launch coming up soon and needs to generate return favors that he can call in when the time comes.


If you type in, “[Product name] review,” all you’re going to come up with in most cases is a review by an affiliate! Now granted, many affiliates only push products they truly believe in – but unless you know this person’s intentions, how will you know whether or not you can trust him or her?


This is what networking is for. You don’t want to be an island in this industry. You have to learn how to befriend other people in your niche and talk about what works and what doesn’t, about who to trust and who not to.


Sometimes you even have to ante up and buy a product if no one knows anything about it and rely on that refund option if it truly doesn’t measure up to what the sales letter claimed.


This is the truth about deciphering work at home successes from scams and I’m sure it’s not going to win me any JV partners – because people don’t want you to know about Photoshopped images and made up testimonials or product review tactics.

Greg Cryns
Work At Home Profiles
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One good turn deserves another

Yesterday I called Charter Communications about my cable TV service. It's a long story, but let's just say I made some changes and thought the $115.00 charge for closing my old contract with them was over the edge.


First I spoke with the lowest rung on the service chain. She was very nice but tried to understand my predicament. She turned me over to the next highest service person who had the same problem. She, too, sent me to a higher level.


I landed on the phone line with someone who obviously knew his stuff. He was very confident and knew all the right words. I felt like I was on trial so I used my "It's just not fair, is it" approach. There was a silence for about one minute. I just waited. I could hear he was doing something out there in Charter land.


"Ok, Greg. I've just credited your account by $115.00. Is there anything else I can do for you?"


I was feeling very good about myself for staying with the issue for half an hour and also happy about Charter. I said, "You've made my day. Thank you!!!"


So, my good turn here is to tell you, my readers about how a big company like Charter will listen to your complaints and act on them if you make a good case.


What I learned from this experience. People are people. They will act according to how they perceive their employer would like them to act. Thus, I think Charter wants a good customer experience. Customer service is important to Charter and many more companies these days.


If you feel right about what you are complaining about, stay with it. Speak reasonably on the phone. Make sense and magic things can happen.

-----

I searched "good customer service stories" and came up with...


10 Stories of Excellent Customer Service


Outrageously Good Customer Service - (NYT article)


I searched "one good turn deserves another" and came up with some good customer service stories.


At Wallyhood.org  a Seattle neighborhood blog
One Good Deed Deserves Another, And Another




Greg Cryns
Work At Home Profiles
Wahm Search Engine


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email discussion with a start-up businessman

Here is an email conversation I had with an old friend who wants to start up his own business.
----



Tom wrote:


Greg,


I believe that documentaries are a very powerful means of getting an idea across.  If done 
right, you can hold an audience's attention for an hour and impart information coupled with
emotion, truly a powerful tool to make a point.


Having said that, it's also difficult to make and expensive.  So, my idea for a "conservation ad service" (if you will) can use that format but it would be only a small portion of the service (again, I'm still forming ideas).  I'm a big believer in the future power of mobile computing and importance of education, put those two very different things together and might get an idea of how varied of an approach I'm thinking.  Books on iPads, interactive walks in parks, short and long-form TV, tweeting and blog services... an 'ad' agency for conservation that also creates content.


Art and nature go well together and so I think there might be some beautiful opportunities.
One problem I'm still trying to solve is video on an iPhone.  I agree with your assessment that YouTube is a powerful platform but Mac don't do Flash and Mac rules those platforms.  


YouTube ("m" as in "m"obile YouTube) does HTML5 as I understand but I'm still a little shaky on that still.


Speaking of shaky, I'm thinking of teaching myself WordPress as a go to web form for myself and perhaps future clients.  Any thoughts on that?


Thanks.


-----


from Greg....


Tom,


Facebook: I know that's the buzz, but I would tread carefully and slowly there.


Just today I heard they are closing down the "Tabs" at the top of the pages. A lot of people like those. Too bad for them.


Also, FB does not like people not using their formal ads. Of course, that is now their bread and butter. So, when you see people touting how to market on FB -  "dominate the market" - my reaction is "Yea, right, not so fast". Does that help? Even the formal ad system is suspect at this point.


My experience with Twitter is awful for advertising. But I sell products. You have a service. I think I'd rather have a strong presence on LinkedIn, at least that is what I am hearing out there. People who tout social network marketing are usually people who do not have direct success with that. Everyone is an expert these days, but few have real hard experience. 


If you can find a good case study that disproves me, I'm all eyes and ears.


greg


-----


from Greg...


Tom,


WordPress....


The initial learning curve is quite low so have at it! But a major value is putting in the "plug-ins" which is very simple once you've done a couple.


If you have more time than money (as a Chicago cop once said to me about going to traffic school for a ticket), then it would not hurt to teach yourself the basics of Facebook. After that, when the train is rolling, you can hire Toby to do what he does:
http://www.themightymo.com  Take a look at the sites he shows there. 


We sell Facebook as a way to unplug the expensive umbilical cord from your webmaster, but in reality they seldom get to that point. They come to an understanding that significant changes are few and far between and can be done for a few hundred dollars a year. IT actually makes sense to have me or Toby or someone else with a lot of experience to make those changes. 


greg
---


Greg Cryns
Work At Home Profiles

When selling your product, demonstrate your leadership

These are notes I took while listening to a recording by Mike Lewitz

Demonstrate your LEADERSHIP. Know your product inside out. You need to be in love with your product before someone will buy it from you. We need to LOGICALLY JUSTIFY our purchases.


Why do people buy? Because they can say.... He did it. She did it. - that's it!  He said so. She said so.


We prefer to follow rather than lead. If you assume the role of leadership, you have the reponsibility to assume the role of leadership and CLOSE the deal.


Writing a closing script is the easiest part. How do we create the urgency to buy?


  1. Show your enthusiasm - the prospect has to believe.
  2. Smoothness - it only comes with massive practice
  3. LISTENING - the more you really have to get that deal, the harder it is to get it
  4. CLOSING - ask questions, or issue commands


People say "How much are you making?"


  * Stop leading with your opportunity!
  * Lead with your product. Close with the opportunity


To be effective...


1. Explain - who are you, where did you come from, what is your life experience?


2.Explain - what were you looking for in relation to your product? - why are you still consuming the
product you are consuming?  IF YOU GOT INVOLVED SOLELY BECAUSE OF THE PPORTUNITY,
QUIT AND FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO DO.


3. What got your attention about THIS product?


4. What were your skepticisms?


5. How did you overcome these issues?


6. What has been the result?


7. Why did you decide to get involved?
     When you say, "We are going to make a lot of money" your prospect turns off.
     * if you owned a McDonald's franchise but you were a vegetarian, your business would DIE
     * you can't be hypocritical in your marketing


Greg Cryns

Market your opportunity only to people who are looking

When you join a direct sales organization (a MLM hybrid) your upline usually asks you to contact your "warm" market, i.e. your friends and family.  Don't do that. The few sales you might make are not worth the effort. Also, don't sell on the phone with 3-way calling. This positions your upline as the expert. Your prospect needs to see YOU as the expert, not your upline. Here is a good article that supports these concepts...




Market Your MLM Only To People Who Are Looking
By Mike Lewitz


The reason most people fail in MLM and Network Marketing is because MLM companies are teaching everyone who joins to accomplish nearly impossible feats. Allow me to explain...


Let's say, for example, your MLM company sells Coke. As a distributor of Coke, your MLM company and your upline are going to tell you to do things like:


* Make a list of 50 to 100 people in your "warm market" (ie: family, friends, co-workers, etc.)


* Do 3-way calls with your upline


* Talk to everyone that comes within 3 feet of you (the famous "3-foot rule")


* Conduct "home parties" and drag people to MLM hotel meetings.


* Hand out 1000's of fliers, brochures, CD's and DVD's


...etc, etc...


Basically, your MLM company wants you to talk to the people you already know (or everyone you come in contact with), have them watch a DVD or read a brochure, get them on the phone with your upline, and attend a demonstration of some kind, either at your home or a local hotel meeting. (I know, nothing new here. Stay with me.)


The purpose of all this activity is to convince people that they should all drink your Coke and join you in convincing everyone else to drink Coke.


I get e-mails all the time with people asking, "How do I convince people to join my XYZ MLM company?"


So many people don't realize the main problem is actually so simple that it's slapping them in the face... you cannot ever 'CONVINCE' anyone to do anything they don't already want to do. It's nearly impossible. I defy anyone to convince a die-hard vegetarian to order (and eat) a 16oz rib-eye steak. Good luck with that. It's a nearly impossible feat.


Why would anyone even try to do this? It's insane.


You could try talking to 100's of vegetarians, and maybe you'd get one once in a while, and then everyone would be asking people like me, "How do I convince vegetarians to try my steak? What do I say to them?" Then, you'd see a ton of web sites bashing these crazy meat sales companies that are trying to sell to vegetarians and saying all meat salespeople are freaks. Hmmm. Nah... probably not.


And, yet, that's exactly what just about every MLM company is teaching their distributors do: They want you to go out and convince all the Pepsi drinkers, the Gatorade drinkers, the 7-up drinkers, the coffee drinkers to drink Coke.


What's worse, these MLM companies don't even teach you how to discover what your prospect is currently drinking, let alone if they even so much as have an interest in your Coke. They just tell you to relentlessly shove it into everyone's face.


Why in the world would you waste your time talking to someone who has no interest in what you've got, whether it's a nutritional product, or a business opportunity, or a 52" flatscreen?


Why would a butcher waste one second with a vegetarian when there are so many steak-lovers out there?


If you take anything away from here, it should be this:


We, as consumers, LOVE to buy! But, we absolutely hate to be sold.


So, to become successful in MLM and network marketing, you must first find out if your prospect even has a need, want, or desire for what you're offering. Just help them get what they're already looking for and they'll buy it, but don't try to convince them that they need it more than they think they need or want it.


If they don't have a need or want... next!


Now, granted, you might talk to 100 people saying, "Hey, do you eat steak? Hi, do YOU like steak?" and they may all say, "No." But, isn't that so much more efficient than spending and hour or two or three, giving your full pitch trying to convince them and have them still say 'No' anyway?


Of course it is. You can talk to 10 or 20 times as many people doing it this way.


Remember -MLM is just a numbers game. And, when I say 'numbers,' I don't mean "try to talk to at least 10 people this week."


The trick is to run through large numbers of people in a short time. You've got to talk to 100 people a week -maybe even 200.


Spending just a couple seconds per person will help you accomplish these kind of numbers so you can more quickly find the people who will automatically say, "Actually, yes, I am very interested in that. Tell me more."


Not to mention you won't join the "NFL" club doing it this way because you've properly qualified people - it shows you respect them. (NFL = No Friends Left)


You have my word and promise that there are millions and millions of people out there who are actively looking for the benefit of whatever MLM product or service your MLM company offers and there are lots of great MLM companies.


But, they'll never find you if you're wasting your time with all the wrong people who aren't intested in the first place. (Google: 'Law of Attraction')


It's never about you. It's about them. You must completely remove your needs out of your head - permanently.


For example, if your MLM company offers nutritional products, look for people who are "actively looking" to become more healthy. Never talk to people who aren't already looking to become more healthy - they aren't interested.


Doesn't it make sense that it would be so much easier to recruit someone who already wants to be more healthy, instead of spending hours and hours chasing people down to try to convce them they should start being more healthy?


Not to mention, they'll probably be a long-life consumer, too.


Leave the overweight bon-bons and beer guzzler on the couch with his remote control. He doesn't think he has a problem, and he doesn't have a desire for the benefit of what you have to offer (better health). So, stop trying to convince him.


Remember, it's not about you.


Another example, if your MLM company offers legal services, find people who are worried about legal issues or have legal concerns (there's millions of them out there in today's world. No, really). Don't waste your time trying to convince people who could care leass about their legal issues.


Am I making any sense? If your MLM is selling Coke, then you should be actively looking for thousands of people who are already looking for Coke products, can afford Coke, and are thirsty for Coke.


I promise you... there are millions of thirsty consumers out there who love and want the benefits of drinking Coke. But, please... leave your friends and family alone.


They all drink Pepsi.


Mike Lewitz is a certified International Marketer who teaches marketing to an international organization of over 6000 entrepreneurs in 33 countries who come from all walks of life and market hundreds of different products and services, including people in MLM and Network Marketing businesses. 


You can learn more about Mike Lewitz and how to grow your MLM business at his web site at: http://www.mlmultrasecrets.com  


Greg Cryns
Work At Home Profiles
Wahm Search Engine
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.http://www.mlmultrasecrets.com

6 Prospecting Tips

Picture by Tony Oliver

In my opinion, we must always be in the prospecting mode. Wherever you go.  You don't have to always tell people about your business. But keep a notebook with you to contact them later if the time is just not right.

6 Powerful Prospecting Tips for Building Wealth Online and Off!

by John Boe

Sales is a contact sport and prospecting for new business is the name of the game! You will never meet a salesperson that failed because they had too many prospects to talk to. For the majority of salespeople, finding new customers is without a doubt the most difficult and stressful aspect of the profession. Prospecting should be viewed more as a mindset rather than merely as an activity. It is something you need to be constantly aware of because you never know where your next prospect will be coming from.

It really doesn’t matter how competent you are or how well you know your product line, if you don’t have a qualified prospect in front of you, you don’t have a sale.

1. Prospecting for new business is similar to working out.
You know it is good for you and it will produce positive results if you do it routinely. Professional salespeople prospect daily. It is important to block-off specific time on your calendar for prospecting activities such as phone calling and emailing. Treat your prospecting time with the same respect as you would any other important appointment, otherwise, there is a tendency that it will slip through the cracks. This is not the time to check your emails, play solitaire on the computer, and make a personal phone call or chat with your associates. Stay focused and take your prospecting seriously. Set the tone by closing your office door and have your incoming calls held unless it is a call from a client or a prospect.
2. Be prepared, get organized and take good notes.
It is critical to have a computerized contact system to record remarks and suspense future contacts or appointments.
3. Use a script – don’t shoot from the hip.
There is only one thing worse than listening to a salesperson read a script over the phone and that is to listen to a salesperson without a script. Obviously, it is important to not only have a script but to practice it until it sounds smooth and natural. Set aside time to role-play with an associate over the phone. By taking turns presenting and critiquing you will gain confidence, polish your script and be more effective. When prospecting, avoid the temptation to sell over the phone. Your objective is to gather information and make the appointment.
4. Strike while the iron is hot!
When working with a new prospect, it is important to make contact quickly. Prospects are perishable. No matter how interested a prospect may appear, don’t wait for them to call you. You are only one of many competing interests for your prospect’s time and money.
5. Keep the high ground and avoid the temptation to badmouth your competition.
While it is fair to make head-to-head comparisons, you should avoid personal attacks. Attacking your competition makes you look unprofessional and petty. Emphasize the benefits of your product or service by guiding your prospect through a comparison of quality and price. Play to your strengths and not the weakness of your competition. Let your prospect draw their own conclusions from a well-presented comparison.
6. Rejection is a natural aspect of the sales process so don’t take it personally.
Learn from rejection, use it as a feedback mechanism and look for ways to improve your presentation. Salespeople who take rejection personally lack perseverance and seldom make the sale. Sales is a numbers game pure and simple. As a professional baseball player, if you can average four hits out of ten times at bat you are heading for the Hall of Fame. Research indicates that in sales you can expect your prospect to say no five times before they buy. With this in mind, realize that with every sales rejection you receive, you are one step closer to making the sale!

John Boe John speaks to corporate and public audiences on the subjects of Personal and Professional Development, including the executives and staff of many of America's largest corporations. His exciting talks and seminars on Leadership, Selling, Management, Goals, Business Development, Communication Skills and Customer Service bring about immediate changes and long-term results. Today, John is a successful entrepreneur and an internationally recognized authority on customer service, leadership, body language and temperament styles. His motivational and sales training articles have been read by millions of people worldwide and translated into over a dozen languages. He has written and produced several highly acclaimed and successful audio and video training programs. John co-authored the book Mission Possible with Dr. Stephen Covey. SalesDog.com named John to their list of “America’s Top 50 Sales Trainers and Customer Service Experts.”

Web Site: http://www.johnboe.com Greg Cryns Do you buy vitamins, tooth paste, laundry soap, pain relief pills, bath and shower soaps, pet treats, and skin care products? If so, I want to recruit you as a customer - shop here!

99 people who would love to hear about your new business adventure

If you are selling a product like Melaleuca, for example, you need a lot of people to talk to if you want to grow your business into a good living.


I do not recommend trying to sell your product to your relatives and close personal friends. Why? Because you are pushing into their sacred space. There is an area of our being that says "You've gone too far" or "You are too close" that makes life uncomfortable to us. Why would you want to make life uncomfortable for your relatives and good friends? Why do that when you don't need to do that?


Here is another reason why you should not use your family and friends as a springboard to financial success. THEY OFTEN ARE VERY NEGATIVE TOWARD YOUR NEW VENTURE. In fact, they often think you should quit your association with the new company. Of course, if you start to make serious money they will shut up. But they probably are even jealous at that point.


Remember what the good book said. "Neither a borrower nor a lender be." Doing a sales pitch on those closest to you is borrowing their good will. Is money worth killing off that hard earned good will?


Having said that, some of your friends and even your family may come to you down the road when you are obviously doing well with a company. If they do, present your business to them professionally. If they still back off, then laugh it off. Don't say anything negative to them or anyone else for that matter. Doing so just can't work in your benefit.


So, where do you get people to talk to? Here are some suggestions:

Workers
Truck drivers
Cab drivers
Bus drivers
Bakers
Car salespeople
Hostesses/hosts
Servers
Chefs
Cashiers
Office supply salespeople
Department store salespeople
Appliance repairmen
Shoe salespeople
Flight attendants
Travel agents
Locksmiths
Painters
Roofers
Insulators
Landscapers
Wallpaper installers
Inspectors
Carpet layers
Electricians
Contractors
Carpenters
Upholsterers
Cabinet makers
Plumbers
Work colleagues
Administrative assistants
Union members
Engineers
Realtors
Lawyers
Professors
Architects
Veterinarians
Writers
Publishers
Social workers
Printers
Surveyors
Bank tellers
Accountants


Sports/Clubs
Kiwanis club
Lions club
Rotarians
Bowling team
Hunting partners
Tennis partners
Ski lift riders
Golf pros
Bridge club members
Swim teammates
Jogging partners
Scrapbooking friends
Cycling group members
Weightlifting partners
Fitness instructors


Services
Caterers
Couriers
Barbers
Hairstylist
Postal workers
Repairmen
Cable TV installers
Auto mechanics
Autobody repairmen
Photographers
Satellite TV installers
Salespeople
Parking attendants
Gas station attendants
Dry cleaners
Flower shop employees


Medical/Health
Nurse
Dentist
Doctor
Chiropractor
Pharmacist
Therapist
Health Spa
Optician
Ambulance driver
Orthodontist
Shopping/Stores
Grocery
Convenience
Department
Hardware
Auto supply
Electronics
Tires
Office supplies
Movie rental
Health food shop owner
or employees
Discount store workers


Community
Police officers
Highway patrol
Chamber of commerce
Firefighter
Volunteer
Military recruiter
Alumni


Hope this helps!


Greg Cryns
Do you buy vitamins, tooth paste, laundry soap, pain relief pills, bath and shower soaps, pet treats, and skin care products? If so, you may want to consider shopping here!

How do I find good prospects?

Do we need people to talk to in our business adventure? Does a bear sit in the woods? Well, read on if you want to learn how to find prospects....



How Can I Find Clients and Prospects? Use an Effective List
By Ilise Benun and Peleg Top


It may seem obvious, but when you introduce yourself to a new market, the most important tool at your disposal is a list of your prospects. Without that list, there's very little you can do.


With that list, there is much you can do. You can make cold calls. You can send personalized e-mail messages. You can do a mailing of your brochure or promotional package. Or, you can do all of the above. In other words, you can use that list for a campaign.


Where do these lists come from?


There are many resources for a list of prospects, especially if you don't need thousands of prospects. But the most effective list is generally one you create yourself, based on the criteria you've chosen, such as the size of the company, possible revenue or the number of employees. Although it requires a bit more work on your part, compiling and collecting names for your own list will make for a much more effective and profitable list.


Be wary of someone selling "prospect lists" because although they sound good and are often very inexpensive, the people on the list may be someone's prospects, but they usually are not yours.


You probably have access to lists that you may not be aware of, so look first to your own resources, which may include:


· Industry and trade group directories. Almost every trade group publishes a directory, either online or printed. As a member of a group, one of the benefits you get is access to (and inclusion in) the member directory. (Some groups make their directories available for a fee, so you don't even have to join.) You may not realize it, but this is one of the most valuable resources and best reasons to join a group. Directories are invaluable because they pre-qualify your prospects and give you the name of someone to start with, which saves your valuable time. Calling a company and trying to find the person who hires or buys the services you're offering is very time-consuming.


· Attendee lists to industry events. Often, a list of attendees will be published and distributed to attendees of an industry event or conference-it's one of the perks of attending. This is another invaluable resource that you should do more than just glance at to see who's in attendance. Make this list your bible. At the event, use it to find the people you want to talk to. Get familiar with the names. Mark it up. Write notes to yourself about who you met, as well as who you didn't meet but can follow up with later. Then, when you get home, use that list. Make cold calls using the conference as your connection. If you didn't meet them, your opening line when you call or e-mail could be, "We both attended the AMA meeting last night but we didn't have a chance to meet, so I thought I'd call and see what I can find out a bit about what you do." That connection usually makes them open to listening or reading further. (There is usually a caveat not to use the list for "mass marketing," but you can use it to make contact with people.)


· Resource lists published in trade publications. Many trade publications offer (usually around year-end) annual lists of the top players in a particular industry, complete with contact information and details about the products and services offered by the company. This is not only a great source of prospects, but also a good overview of an industry that you may be considering getting into.


BHD: Should I rent a list?


Any list broker can rent you any of the more than 30,000 commercially available lists. But renting a list won't necessarily make your marketing profitable. The minimums are high (generally 5,000), and you just don't need that many names to work with.


There are lists available specifically for businesses targeting marketing communications prospects. These lists are best if you're willing to pay for someone else to provide the names and contact information for prospects because it saves you a lot of time. Start small, with 100 or 250 good prospects, to get your marketing going.


Many designers buy or subscribe to these lists but don't get the most out of them. They may do one mailing, get very little return and proclaim the list worthless. It's not the list's fault; it's the designer's. The list is just one spoke on the marketing wheel. Use the list to develop relationships with these prospects, communicate with them consistently over time and your efforts will be successful.


You've no doubt received e-mail messages offering e-mail lists with millions of names. Well, don't do it, ever. Not only is using these lists considered spamming, but these lists are not qualified for your purposes. The chances that your prospects are on them are one in a million-not great odds.


How to Build Your Dream List


How much would you pay for a list of people who need your services-and know it-and who are so close to being ready to buy that they've already made the effort to contact you? Wouldn't that be worth a lot of money? Maybe even invaluable?


The best list for you is the list of people with whom you have already begun the process of building a relationship. Don't underestimate its value for a minute, even if the list is small. These people already know you, and may even trust you (at least more than those on the mailing list you're thinking of renting), which means that the amount of time it will take to make the sale is shorter.


There are two strategies for building your dream list: First, you choose your prospects by compiling names from e-mail messages lingering in your inbox, old invoices, business cards, attendee lists from networking meetings and little bits of paper strewn about your office (you know the ones). The names you want to capture are quite simply those of everyone who's ever expressed interest in your work.


While you're building that list, also be using marketing tools that motivate qualified leads to raise their hands and ask you to market to them-tools like e-mail newsletters, publicity and press coverage, a toll-free number and offers of free info.


Ilisse Benun & Peleg Top
http://www.marketingmixblog.com/ 


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Greg Cryns
Do you buy toothpaste and laundry soap? Then you will like this recession proof opportunity!
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