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Major Communications
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Major Communications
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Unless you're a new subscriber, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Even if this is the first issue you're reading from me, we most-likely already have a positive relationship.
Every day I get emails from people who say they feel like they know me. Many people say that they feel like we're already friends. At the very least, most subscribers have a positive relationship with me from the very start.
For example, here's an email I received today from Jeff Gardner whose name you may recognize as a well-kown marketer and free publicity expert... "I'm really looking forward to receiving your e-zine. I was very, very impressed by the massive content at your site - and am going to have to make numerous trips back for get more!!! Yours is one of the first sites in a long time that I've actually printed off dozens of pages for my own files. Lots of great ideas!!! I wish you the best..." -- Jeff Gardner
That's the first time I've heard from Jeff. Before that, I've never had personal contact with him. How is it we already have a positive relationship?
I get emails like this all the time. Here's another example... "...Greg, it reminds me of the old saying...A friend in need is a friend indeed. I think your going to make a lot of friends..Please keep the newsletter coming." -- Charles Town
I'm not going to reveal the answers just yet, but I keep sharp and in touch with my audience. Take this newsletter for instance...
Many times, my articles are not what people expect. You see, I strive to teach people what they really need to know rather than what they think they need to know. Before knowing me, most people expect to see articles written about internet marketing tactics, writing copy, search engine placement, banner advertising... and so forth. Usually, people are surprised with what they get from me. Even though they don't know it, such articles would not even be helpful to them until they have a full grasp of the power-house concepts that make internet marketing profitable.
You see, it doesn't really matter much about the quality of your internet marketing tactics, advertising copy, search engine placement, and banner advertising if you haven't yet chosen the right field for your business and learned the absolute mechanics to making money.
A few weeks ago, I wrote an article titled... "How To Choose The Right Field For Your Internet Marketing Business-- And Succeed In Something Other Than Marketing, Business, & Internet Marketing Advisory".
Most people involved in internet marketing do such a poor job in choosing their field, it's not even funny. So when I write and send this message to hundreds of people who've chosen the wrong field-- business opportunities, MLM, internet marketing publishing, and other "money- making" fields, you can imagine, I piss off quite a few of them. Especially the ones pushing business opportunities on other people.
But let me ask you this: what's the point of promoting a business that simply cannot succeed? Most people in internet marketing are doing just that. If you don't build your business on a solid foundation -- in a field related to your expertise, in a field in which you can effectively communicate, in a field you can build profitable relationships, in a field compatible with internet marketing -- there's no point in promoting it because it's destined to failure in the first place. Just the same, there's no reason for me to talk about tactics when the people need concepts.
And now, back to the question I posed at the beginning of this letter on how I make you feel like you personally know me.
When you receive my letters, you know what you're about to read isn't sugar-coated. You see, when I communicate with my audience, I'm not trying to figure out what they think they need to know. Rather, I'm finding out what you really need to know and writing about that.
And what is it -- right now, at the precise moment in time that I believe you, as a reader of this newsletter and a marketing person needs to most consider? You're not going to like this. At least, many of you are not. Because, what I'm going to suggest is going to make many of you uncomfortable. You may say I'm crazy, or that, in your case, I'm completely off base. Nevertheless, I'm still going to suggest you consider this radical action, and here it is.
I suggest you commit what Gary Halbert calls "image suicide."
Please allow me to explain this concept, and you'll see why it's such a crucial concept.
As you know, people respond to people. Warm people. Not to computers, anonymous web pages, or your image. People deal with people.
Think about this: the average person is subjected to 1500 sales pitches every day... HEY YOU! HERE'S YOUR CHANCE TO GET TIME- LIFE AT HALF THE NEWS STAND PRICE! HAVE YOU BEEN INJURED? CALL ME, MR. R.J. KONDIS AND WE'LL SUE THE BASTARD WHO INJURED YOU! ARE YOU FAT? OUR NEW PILL WILL LIPOSUCK (YOUR WALLET) BUY X, IT'S CHEAPER BUY Y, IT'S BETTER BUY! BUY! BUY! BUY! BUY! BUY! And so on. Image. No personality. No simple respect. No sales.
Friend, if you're just another sales pitch, you don't stand a chance in internet marketing. People respond to people, so unless you're a billion dollar company marketing a general market product... You Must Shed Your "Image" To Manifest Your Personality
Think about the letter I sent you last week. I mentioned a few people told me that making the free offer would hurt the image of an "expensive marketing consultant." Well, good! You see, I don't want that, or any other, image. In the first place, I'm not a consultant; I'm a practitioner, and secondly, I'm not expensive; I work on contingency. The point is-- I don't care about an image, because in NICHE marketing, your goal is to manifest your personality.
Think about how many ezines you get.
Why'd you read this one?
I bet you delete most of them as you receive them. But something makes you click on and read mine. Why? The answer is, from the beginning, I separated myself from all the competition by being personable.
Now let's talk about how this relates to your website and web marketing. People visit dozens of websites each day, thousands every year. yet, only a select few stick out. I don't know about you, but frankly, I'm not impressed with 95% of the websites I see for the first time.
Go to www.altavista.com and do a search for "marketing". Every site you'll come up with stinks, with one exception (Jim Daniels). With the other sites, who are these people? Who are the people writing all this? What are their names? Who am I communicating with?
Remember this...
People hate dealing with machines and anonymousity. As
the level of technology increases, the need for human
communication increases. Most people using technology
for their businesses completely neglect this principle. This
renders you an incredible opportunity to separate yourself
from all the anonymous websites and all the lack-
personality competition.
You know that feeling. When you start interacting too much with machines -- and without human communication -- you get lonely. So, naturally, you seek personality.
A recent study showed people who regularly watch soap operas are generally much more happy than the general population.
The reason?
Don't laugh. It's because they begin to identify with the characters and actually consider them to be friends in a subconcious level.
In this high-tech world, if people are so desperate for human communication that they make imaginary friendships with soap opera characters, doesn't that tell you something?
It should.
If people are making friends with soap opera characters, how much easier is it for you to make friends with thousands of prospects by stepping into a market, publishing unique content, and communicating on a human level?
It's very easy, friend.
Understand this, as well:
People are silently begging to be led. Nobody seeks
leadership from an anonymous website. Nobody seeks
leadership from an anonymous ezine. People seek
leadership from leaders.
The biggest opportunity in internet marketing today lies in using your personality and intelligence to lead people -- to actually gain a following -- and lead them. The people you lead are far more likely to order from you than anyone else in the entire world.
So how does all this relate to the entire process of internet marketing?
Your personality must shine through in multiple communications with each prospect. For example, if you want to take prospects who visit your website and turn them into a customers...
First, you need to develop a system that locks in your ability to communicate continuously with each prospect. One way to do this is offering content and personal communication through your website so visitors keep returning. Anthony Blake used his discussion board to do this and build his traffic to the 10,000 unique visitor a day range.
Even better, you can publish a free newsletter or offer periodic conference calls where you email your audience invitations to participate. But to get them to give you their email address in the first place, you need to offer free content and show your personality at your website. So what it boils down to is this: you communicate personally to get prospects; you communicate personally to turn prospects into customers; you communicate personally to turn customers into better customers; you communicate personally to form business relationships. No matter what, you're not out trying to build some "image". Instead, you're manifesting your personality to draw response.
Remember and always use these...
Seven Principles To Relationship Marketing
1. Always communicate "person to person" This goes without saying, but very little copy is written this way. Unless you humanize your selling efforts as well as your entire internet marketing infrastructure, you're going to have a very difficult time achieving any kind of success as a small business in internet marketing.
2. Choose the right field
Again, this should go without saying. But, my experience
tells me that 90% or more, of home-based internet
marketers are in the wrong field. Unless you're in a field
you're knowledgeable in, you won't have any ability to
communicate effectively or manifest your personality.
3. "Reel them in"
It takes many communications to turn an internet prospect
into a customer. As Gary Halbert used to say...
"When You Want People To Tune In To Your Sales
Pitch, You've Got To Start Broadcasting At The
Frequency To Which They Are Already Listening!"
Instead of trying to impress people with a fancy image,
cool graphics or big catalog, you should lead people.
Humanize your communications and draw people into
your audience base with free articles where your
personality shines through. Get these people to subscribe
to your newsletter or announcement letter, and continue
to communicate with them personally.
People will be ready to buy your products or services after
they feel like they've gotten to know you.
4. Manifest your personality through multiple mediums Try to communicate with people through as many mediums as possible. On top of your website, you can run your own ezine, email discussion forum, web discussion forum, mail communications, radio show, or what have you.
When people see your communications in more than one medium, they'll begin to recognize and appreciate your name and personality.
5. Focus on the "big picture" in your communications When you're in an industry where most of the publishers are talking about little parts to a system, you can shock your audience by talking about the concepts behind the system. That's what I try to do, and that's why so many people are surprised when they read my newsletters.
6. Commit image suicide Immediately stop trying to build an image, and start building your personality. Make yourself more accessible so people feel comfortable in contacting you for the first time.
7. Become a leader People are silently begging to be led. If you carry a unique, honest personality along with great intelligence in your field, and assume the role of a leader within your niche, you won't believe how many people will follow your lead, begin to trust you, and become predisposed for your product and service offers.
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