How Passionate Are You?

How much do you love your clients and your business?

Even more importantly, how much do you love helping your clients?

How passionate are you about it?

I have met so many business owners over the years who are just not very passionate about what they do or sell.

This makes me wonder, “Why did they go into business in the first place?”

Having passion for your business is an essential part of successful marketing.

In fact, the passionate drive to succeed is a huge factor in the success of any business.

If you love what you are doing, then your success will be so much greater than what you will achieve if you don’t.

Whether or not you are truly excited about what your business has to offer will be very evident to all of your customers and prospects. It will come across in every¬thing that you do, in all of the words that you write, and in how you speak about the products/services that you offer.

If you really believe in your business, then your intensity will be transferred to your employees in the amount of effort that they put forth, and to your cus¬tomers and prospects in a way that will increase their interest in your products/services.

If you are passionate about what your business does, the result will be more sales. It does not matter what motivates your passion, whether it is making money, or loving the “in-charge” feeling that you get with self-employment, or enjoying the freedom of setting your own hours.

If you maintain a love and passion for your business, you will find that many people will want to do business with you, both now and in the future. Passion breeds success, and success breeds more success.

If you don’t love what you are doing—if you are not totally passionate about it—then go find something else!

“Passion is everything.”
-David Copperfield

People will have a hard time believing you if you don’t have passion for what you are doing. Your clients and prospects can sense it in you when you don’t believe in what you are marketing.

You might fool them once, but you won’t fool them twice.

Be passionate about your business. It will catch on fire.

What are you doing to show how much you love what you do and the things that you sell?

#1 Dangerous Marketing Trend – Me-Me-Me…

“I can do it myself” said the frustrated business owner.
Let’s face it, it’s hard for a business owner to give up a responsibility in his/her business for fear of it not being completed or a variation of staggering reasons.
Most entrepreneurs treat their business as if it was their own children and it’s hard to just let anyone take care of your kids…right.
This is why it’s important when considering to outsource a function within your business that you are comfortable with that company and that they have your best interest at heart.
However we live in an outsourced world.
More and more companies are looking to outsource certain functions of their business so they can focus on running the business better.
Companies are outsourcing their HR department, Billing, Client Service, Advertising & Marketing, Project Management, Payroll, Accounting, Distribution and a host of other functions.
Reducing costs may not be the only reason to consider outsourcing, however for most this is the ideal situation.
There are many benefits to outsourcing:
•    Focus on your core business!
•    Reduce risk in most cases!
•    Compete with big businesses!
•    Focus on other projects!
•    Increase overall efficiency!
My company for example will handle a company’s entire marketing and advertising needs from strategic market planning to total implementation to finding out what makes your client’s love you.
This in essence frees up your company from having to either higher someone for this particular position which the average salary being a little over $75,000 per year, plus benefits.

Or, having to hire an ad agency who’s primary goal is to sell expensive media and win awards that make them look good and lead to more client’s for them.

Be careful; Ask trusted advisior for recommendations when looking for qualified advise.

“I’m Voting For YOU”…

The alarm went off today, November 4th (voting day) at 6:30am.
The sun was shining thru the window making the fall leaves glow beautifully.
Did the routine three S’s, read a bit and off I went.

This morning wasn’t much different then any other morning.

Except for voting…

Now, I made it to the polls by 7:45am and was out by 8:20am
Small voting district. Short lines.
Saw a neighbor that I had not seen in a while.
Got the latest neighborhood news.
Births. Deaths.
You know what I’m talking about.

While standing in line to vote, it hit me.

“We vote every day of our lives”

We vote for cereal or eggs.
We vote to work or goof off.
We vote to prospect or not.
We vote on who we want to see that day
We vote on what projects to work on
We vote to hit the enter key
Who to work with
What route to take home
On and on and on.

Every decision we decide is a vote.
A choice to move forward, stay the same or move backwards.

Besides all the political candidiates, what did you vote for today?

Here are a few quick voting ideas.

• Vote for your family members success.
  Give them praise for anyting well done and you will help them grow even stronger

• Vote for your client’s success.
  Do everything in your power to help them succeed and you will succeed.

• Vote for doing something. Anything.
  Nothing happens until something moves. Get the pendulum moving, momentum makes things easier.

• Vote for YOURSELF.
  Forge you own path and be willing to stand alone because your life in no way depends on what others think, say or do.

• Vote for Forgiveness.
  Forgive yourself and others for honest mistakes of the past.

What will you decide today that will change someone life?

Happy Marketing
Sandy Barris
Business Marketing Services
Author of ’97 Marketing Secrets to Make
More Money: Your Secret Guide to Growing
Your Business”

P.S. Your Invited To Join (By Invite Only) Our Next  Monthly How To Market Profitably Teleseminar Hosted by List Expert Jerry Bresser.
For Details Click Here:  www.HowToMarketProfitably.com

Secret No. 32: You’re Perfect. Aren’t You?

Do you have ideas for growing your business that don’t seem “perfect” enough to try?

Are you are waiting for everything to be absolutely perfect? The perfect product to sell, the perfect marketing effort to start, the perfect sales staff, or the perfect distribution network—you will wait forever.

Perfection equals paralysis.

You need to be willing to act.

Just realize that you are going to make mistakes: Everyone does.

“Have no fear of perfection — you’ll never reach it .”
- Salvador Dali

You may market to the wrong target or pick the wrong mailing list.
You may make the wrong offer or use the wrong media.
Sometimes, even when you think that you’ve done everything right, things don’t work out the way that you hoped they would.

Mistakes happen.

The key is what you let yourself learn from them.

I once sent out a broadcast fax to 5,000 businesses for a local co-op, business-to-business mailing. The only responses that I received were 83 requests that said “Take me off of your fax list.” I did not get one positive response: nada, zip, and zilch. It happens. Luckily, it was a small test. At least I didn’t fax 50,000 businesses and get the same results. Now, I can change my message, or try a different marketing approach.

The important thing is that I tried something and learned from the experience.

If I had decided to wait until I had perfected everything, I’d still be waiting.
I wouldn’t have learned anything.

Remember: you can’t learn if you don’t act.

If you keep on trying and keep on testing, your efforts will succeed.

What you decide to do doesn’t have to be perfect, it just needs to be done.

Action is the key. Decide to act!

Are you allowing perfection to paralyze your marketing efforts?

Secret No. 31: Creating YOUR Top 10 List To Help You Sell More Of Your…

How would you like to be on the top of a best-seller list?

Well, then, why not create your own “best-seller list”
and feature it prominently in your marketing efforts?

People buy what is popular.

The higher up on the best-seller list that an item is
—i.e. the more “popular” that it becomes—the more that sales for the item will climb.

For example, if you own an ice cream parlor, create a best-seller list of the most popular flavors of ice cream that you sell.

Post the list at several highly visible locations.
When folks come in, watch the sales of your best-selling ice cream soar!

“The best way to get a prospect
to make a favorable new decision is to make him happy with an old decision.”
- Zig Ziglar

You can create a best-selling list for any
product/service that you offer.

The power of suggestion helps people who do not know
what they want as well as those who are having trouble choosing what they want.

Many people just can’t make a decision
(sometimes even a life-saving decision), so why not help
them along by showing them what other folks like the best?

Some clients of mine (a husband-and-wife team who run a
carpet-cleaning service) were having trouble selling their service.

We created a best-seller list of the services that
the company offered by using good, better, and best offerings.

This list helped the couple’s prospects to choose the
services that they wanted based on what other people had done in the past.

The sales and profits on these “best-sellers” have increased dramatically.

This means that the sales and profits for the company
are up overall, which was our goal in the first place!

How can you create a “best-seller” list for your products/services?

Secret No. 30: Why You Should Save Your Love Letters?

How many of your clients Love You?

How many people send you a complimentary letter or email?

You love letter may arrive by way of the U.S. Postal Service, via a fax or e-mail, or through a voice-mail message.

There are two great reasons why you should save a copy of every love letter or “white mail” (positive messages) that you receive.

Here’s the first:

When clients tell you what they like about your product or your service, you’ll discover you may have the ability to improve the things that they like.

If they approve of a product, then you can make or acquire more of it.

If they like your service, then you can make sure that you maintain its quality.

Odds are good that if one customer takes the time to send a message to you, then the way that they feel would apply in a similar way to many other customers.

Negative comments can also be turned positive.

How? They  show your honesty.
They show you are not perfect.
They show you are human.
People know mistakes happen and that nothing is perfect.

“The trouble with most of us is
that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism.”
– Norman Vincent Peale

The second reason for hanging on to your “Love Letters” is to use its comments as positive testimonials about your product/service.

Unsolicited remarks tend to be more open and honest than testimonials for which you have to ask.

If you want to use a customer’s comments in your promotional material, you should ask for his/her permission.

Oh. By the way. It’s okay to paraphrase and/or edit a testimonial so long as you do not change the meaning of the message.

Or you could pull out a short phrase. Even a word or two and use as a testimonial.

Give him/her credit in your marketing by including name, city, and state.

Phone numbers, e-mail addresses and photos also are extremely beneficial.
However, only use them when your client gives you specific written approval.

Sometimes, I’ll use a stock photo of a different person that fits the same age range if I can’t get permission.

Some people are overly concerned about their privacy, but most people probably will grant you the permission that you seek.

I can’t stress it enough:
Testimonials are a great tool. Use them to your advantage.

When you talk about how great your product/service is, people assume that it is part of your marketing and salesmanship—and rightly so.

However, when someone else praises your product/service, it sends a much more powerful message.

Now, what are you going to do with the Love Letters that you receive?

Secret No. 29: How’s Your Sanity?

It has been said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

This statement also applies to your business.

What if you have developed a marketing campaign that is working well?

What if your marketing is bringing in all kinds of sales leads and increasing sales and profits for your business?

What if you have tested and proven your list and your headlines?

What if your offers in this campaign are the best that they can be?

What if no other marketing effort that you have tried has beaten its results?

Wouldn’t it be insane to change it?

You would think so.

However, many business owners get bored with using the same marketing message over and over again.

Consequently, they change their campaign midstream.

These owners never get the full benefit of their campaign.

This, folks, is insanity.

“Genius is one of the many forms of insanity.”
- Cesare Lombroso

Sometimes the reason that these business owners change their approaches is that they listen to their spouse, employees, family members, friends, clients or someone else who has gotten tired of the campaign.

As a result, the business owners changes his marketing before they should.

Whatever the reason, if something isn’t broken, don’t fix it.
If a marketing campaign is working, then stick with it!

A profitable marketing campaign must be allowed to run its course.

You will know when it is time to change or develop something new when your current campaign stops working.

Again, if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.

You can see this mistake made over and over in many businesses.

Advertising and direct-marketing efforts that are working are abandoned midstream for the “next big thing.”

Don’t waste the money, time, and effort that you have invested in creating a marketing campaign by making this same mistake in your business.

How sane are your marketing efforts?

Secret No. 28: Rules Suck

If you play by the rules of your industry,
or if you do the same thing as your competition,
how will you ever gain more clients?

Be inventive, creative, or even outrageous to capture a bigger share of the available business.

Boring is and will always be boring.

Creative marketing will help you to crush your competition.

Follow your gut.
Go with your hunches.
Do it smart and careful.

“ A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something.”
– Frank Capra

Keep an eye on what your industry competitors are doing.

Many times it makes sense to do the opposite of what they are doing.

Do your own strategic marketing, it will set you apart.

Your future clients will notice that you are a unique business with different ideas.

What ideas do you have to out-market your competitors?

Secret No. 27: What marketing campaigns are working for your competitors?

What marketing efforts your competitors using?

Out-marketing your competitors takes some research:

You want to find out what your competitors are doing.

What are their strengths and weaknesses?

What major marketing efforts they are involved in?

How could these efforts hurt you in any way?

How can you out-market your competition?

The following are some inexpensive ways to find out what your competition is doing:

• Call your competitor on the telephone and pose as a prospective client.
• Talk to their sales staff
• Ask the right questions and most salespeople will tell you exactly what you want to know about their business. Many salespeople love to talk about themselves and their business. This can help you with your research.
• Collect your competitors’ brochures, ads, and sales letters.
• Record their voice messages and their radio and TV commercials.
• Visit their booths at trade shows and go to their showrooms.
• Also, check out their Web site(s).
  Most Web sites will give you a lot of information about how the company does business with its clients. The site may even provide a list of clients, which can become a great “target list” for your own sales efforts.
  While visiting the Web sites of your competitors, request more information regarding their companies and their products/services. Then, keep an accurate record about how quickly they respond.

“The ability to learn faster than your competitors

may be the only sustainable competitive advantage.”

-Arie P. De Gue

Any one of these ideas could help you to find a competitive weakness that you can turn to your advantage.

What other ideas can you develop for gathering marketing information on your competitors?

A Few Tips, Tricks, Techniques, Tidbit And Marketing Secrets That Promise To Save You Time And Money

The following secrets are not in any order. Each is valuable on it own or combined with other secrets. I highly recommend that you do combine them because when combine your multiply there strength.

— Provide high level proof that what you are promising will be delivered. Credible third-party testimony that you deliver on your promises. Free trails, free samples are other forms of proof.

• Ask your future clients for a “Yes” or “No” answer. Either is OK. There is nothing worse then a TIO (Think it over), because you are the only one thinking about it. Your future client has moved on.
• Actions, not just words determine success.
• Admit your shortcomings. Everyone knows that nothing is or can be perfect. You product and services have flaws. you know what they are. If you don’t, ask you customers what they are.
• Being 100% honest about your defects builds credibility and can also separate you from the competition (I promise your competitors would be to embarrassed to admit they are not perfect).
• Keep learning
  
• People buy stuff to “avoid pain” or “find pleasure.” Use these motives to get people to respond to your message. Focus relentlessly on the buyer and his problems or pleasures
• For the cost of one first class stamp you can mail five, 8-1/2″ x 11″ sheets of paper, two-sided. Totaling 10 pages of information, 4,000 – 5,000 words of finely crafted selling messages to a targeted audience. It’s one of the most valuable marketing tools available to any business.
• Start each day with the 5 most important marketing things that will help you reach your goals. An do them no matter what.

Now my friend, which of these secrets rang your chimes.

Which ones did you put notes next to?

Add them to your “Do Next” list.

And do them.

Using these secrets will separate the sheep from the goats.

Now, you have to promise me that you will use these marketing secrets.

Scout’s Honor!
Because, you know that if you keep marketing the way you always marketed, you’ll keep getting the results you’ve always gotten.

Commit yourself to use at least one idea you have learned from these secrets.

Then use two more in the next 30 days. Otherwise, you’ve wasted your time reading this post.

To Your Success
Sanford Jay Barris
President – Business Marketing Services
248-335-8080

Secret No. 24: How Many Complaints Do You Receive About Your Business?

I was watching a story on the local news in which a reporter was bashing a travel agent. The travel agency didn’t refund the fees paid by a group of seniors who had had their trip canceled due to a mistake by the travel agency. That one news report probably will hurt this travel agent’s business for a long time.

How your business handles complaints will make the difference between keeping clients and losing them.

Handling complaints quickly and professionally will prevent the spread of negative reports about your business. If you fail to handle complaints quickly and professionally, many people will hear about it and may never give your business a chance.

Smart businesses offer strong guarantees to eliminate this worry. The stronger your guarantee, the more confident that people will feel when the time comes for them to decide whether or not to do business with you.

The most effective guarantee that you can offer is a “100% money back, no questions asked” guarantee. Most importantly, you absolutely must honor this guarantee when the time comes.

“Those who enter to buy, support me. Those who come to flatter, please me. Those who complain, teach me how I may please others so that more will come. Only those hurt me who are displeased but do not complain. They refuse me permission to correct my errors and thus improve my service.”

Marshall Field

Depending on the industry that you are in, it sometimes may be impossible for you to offer a “100% guarantee.” However, you should still offer the best guarantee that you possibly can.

In addition, you should have step-by-step policies and procedures in place to handle complaints when they arise. The sooner that you get these complaints resolved, the better.

If a client is unhappy with you or, even worse, is mad at you, then s/he will spread the word to others. You will lose valuable clients and the profits that they generate.

What procedures do you have in place to handle any complaint with the utmost efficiency?

What guarantees can you offer?

Sanford Jay Barris-President
Business Marketing Services, Inc.
Author: 97 Marketing Secrets to Make More Money: Your Secret Guide to Growing Your Business Right
10 W. Square Lake Road. Suite 214
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302
Office: 248-335-8080
Fax: 248-335-8446

Check out => http://www.97MarketingSecrets.com

Check out => http://www.SMART-Marketing-Review.com

Secret No. 23: How Many Times Have You Hung Up The Phone Because You Were Put Into Voice Mail?

I’m sure that you’ve made a call and been forced to listen to the following recorded message:

“Your call is important to us. Please hold for the next available Customer Service representative.”

Many business operations have been automated at the expense of customer service. The businesses that keep their Customer Service departments “human” often thrive.

Southwest Airlines is ranked as the number one airline in the United States, and they use only “live” human beings for their telephone Customer Service operations. Call 1-800-435-9792 and hear for yourself.

“Forget about the sales you hope to make and concentrate on the service you want to render.”
Harry Bullis

Automated customer service has been proven to drive customers crazy.

It will drive these customers away from many of the businesses that are using this service.

People often will turn to a competitor that uses a live operator.

Why? Because this business seems to care more about how customers are treated.

Most people like to talk to a person, so when you or your employees hide behind an automated phone system, your customers will get frustrated and move on to your competition.

Customer dissatisfaction will not only drive away prospective clients, it will drive up your marketing costs.

You will have to replace the customers whom you lose. It costs about five to seven times more to get a new client than it does to keep an existing one.

What are you doing to make it more convenient for your clients to contact your company on the telephone?

Sanford Jay Barris-President
Business Marketing Services, Inc.
Author: 97 Marketing Secrets to Make More Money: Your Secret Guide to Growing Your Business Right
10 W. Square Lake Road. Suite 214
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302
Office: 248-335-8080
Fax: 248-335-8446

Check out => http://www.97MarketingSecrets.com

Check out => http://www.SMART-Marketing-Review.com

Secret No. 22: How Important Are Your Online Clients To You And Your Business?

Many businesses set up an online presence and then forget about customer service.

Too many times they take days or weeks to respond to client and prospect questions.

Even worse, sometimes they forget entirely. One great way to set your business apart from your competition is to attempt to respond to your online inquiries within minutes.

A short time ago, I was offered a one-on-one phone session with Chet Holmes, a protetege of marketing guru Jay Abraham. Chet was promoting the marketing seminars that he was conducting with Jay Conrad Levinson.

Within fifteen minutes of leaving Chet an email message, I received a call from one of his associates, who asked me some qualifying questions and then scheduled a telephone meeting for the next day.

I was impressed, both with the fast response and with the information that I received from Chet Holmes and Associates.

These things showed a level of caring for the client that is extraordinary in today’s business climate.

“A customer is the most important visitor on our premises.
He is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption in our work. He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider in our business. He is part of it. We are not doing him a favor by serving him.
He is doing us a favor by giving us an opportunity to do so.”
Mahatma Gandhi

Think about the last time that you were surprised and amazed by exceptional service. How many people did you tell about your experience?

What can you do to improve your customer service?

Sanford Jay Barris-President
Business Marketing Services, Inc.
Author: 97 Marketing Secrets to Make More Money: Your Secret Guide to Growing Your Business Right
10 W. Square Lake Road. Suite 214
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302
Office: 248-335-8080
Fax: 248-335-8446

Check out => http://www.97MarketingSecrets.com

Check out => http://www.SMART-Marketing-Review.com

Secret No. 21: How Many New Business Referrals Do You Get From Your Existing Clients?

Creating and using a strong referral system is a very effective marketing strategy. Every business should take advantage of it.

Your business probably has good “word-of-mouth” advertising. I’ll bet, though, that measuring it has been difficult.

Most likely, you have had people call or come in to your business because someone else recommended it, but you never knew (or cared) what caused them to come in or call.

You can’t take advantage of referrals when you don’t know about them

Unfortunately, many business owners go about getting referrals in the wrong way: they beg for them.

This isn’t necessary. Instead, you could write an irresistible letter to your current customers offering them a high perceived value, a low cost gift, or a reward for an introduction to a new prospect.

This reward could be anything that you select, but it must be of high perceived value. For example: the reward could be 25% off of their next purchase, gift cards for each referral, certificates for DVD rentals, etc.

Better yet, ask your clients what they would like to receive as a gift for giving you a referral. They probably will have some other great ideas.

“Profit in business comes from repeat customers,
customers that boast about your product and service
and that bring friends with them.”

W. Edwards Deming

If you have calculated the average lifetime value (LTV) of a customer (see secret number 14), you will know, on average, how much every new customer is worth to your business. You will also know how much you can spend comfortably on a reward for the referral.

Set up a formal “referral system” to let your customers know how they will be rewarded for their help. Contact your clients more than once-they have short memories and are busy with their daily lives .

You’ll be amazed at how this strategy will be a big help in growing your business. Finally, remember that each of your customers is likely to have many friends and acquaintances who fit your “target customer” profile.

What are you doing to help your regular customers bring new business referrals to you?

Sanford Jay Barris-President
Business Marketing Services, Inc.
Author: 97 Marketing Secrets to Make More Money: Your Secret Guide to Growing Your Business Right
10 W. Square Lake Road. Suite 214
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302
Office: 248-335-8080
Fax: 248-335-8446

Check out => http://www.97MarketingSecrets.com

Check out => http://www.SMART-Marketing-Review.com

Secret No. 20: Employee Training Secret

Do you have rules and procedures that your employees are trained to follow consistently?

Are your employees tracking every phone call and treating each call as a sales opportunity?

If your business is like many other, you probably don’t know the answers to these important questions.

The following secret is a great technique to find out if your employees actually are following the procedures that they have been trained to follow. (You do have a training program in place, don’t you?)

Have a family member or an associate call your business and ask a few simple questions about your products/services.

You may be shocked and appalled at the answers that they receive. You may begin to realize how much business you are losing every day.

Make test calls on a regular basis, record them, and play them back to your employees. Then, have your employees help you to develop telephone scripts that answer all of the “frequently asked questions” that they receive from your clients and prospects.

You also should train them to sell “accessory” or “add-on” or “back end” items. These could add up to an additional thirty percent or more in sales.

“Would You Like Fry’s With That?”
“Would You like one fork or two with your desert?”

Develop a tracking system to find out whether or not your marketing efforts actually are profitable.

Be very careful, your employees can intentionally or mistakenly sabotage your marketing campaigns by not properly tracking incoming phone calls, on-line orders, or walk-in customers.

You may have a winning marketing idea, but if you do not have the data to support its profitability, then you may think that it isn’t working and cancel it.

Do you encourage your employees to read or listen to basic sales and marketing information? It’s amazing how many businesses do not talk to their employees about these important subjects. Not doing so is a big mistake.

“I hated every minute of the training,
but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live
the rest of your life as a champion.’”
- Muhammad Ali

Many of my clients have made it mandatory for their employees to read various sales and marketing materials.

When these employees have finished with the materials, they are directed by my clients to take a small test that confirms that they have actually read, understood, and will implement the marketing ideas.

Ultimately, this basic training will help your employees to understand your marketing methods. This should improve their understanding of how you run your business and lead to increased sales and profits.

Make all of the training courses and use of the training materials mandatory to remain an employee of your company.

If you need outside help with training, get it. This training will pay for itself with lots of additional business from both new and current customers.

If you need help locating good training for your staff, try your local library or give me a call at (248) 335-8080.

What are you doing to train your employees properly?

Sanford Jay Barris-President
Business Marketing Services, Inc.
Author: 97 Marketing Secrets to Make More Money: Your Secret Guide to Growing Your Business Right
10 W. Square Lake Road. Suite 214
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302
Office: 248-335-8080
Fax: 248-335-8446

Check out => http://www.97MarketingSecrets.com

Check out => http://www.SMART-Marketing-Review.com

Secret No. 19: How Many Books, Articles, Reports, And Emails Do You Have Waiting For You To Find Time To Read Them?

I don’t know about you, but I have a big problem with this.

There is just too much to read these days.

Even worse, there isn’t enough time to read it all.

Even so, I still try to read everything that I can get my hands on—old and new marketing books, newspapers and magazines, e-mails, reports, and articles.

I even read books on how to read faster!

Here are three secret techniques to help you to read more quickly.

If I can learn them, anyone can!

(It helps to turn off the TV and radio when I read, because I can concentrate better. It may help you, too. Try it.)

The first two techniques will help you to fly through any reading that you have to do. You only will comprehend half of the material, but you will read it in just one-tenth of the time.

The first technique is used when what you are reading is long and complicated. Start by reading the first two paragraphs completely. Then, read only the first sentence of the following paragraphs. Finally, read the last two paragraphs completely. You will miss some details, but you will get a good overall feel for the material.

The second technique, “skimming,” is used when you are reading short articles. Sweep your eyes across every line of type. Even if you pick up only a few key words in every line, you still will get the general idea of what the article is about. “Skimming” is a great way to cut your reading time in half.

The third technique, “cluster reading,” will help you to read faster and comprehend more, but still not all of what you read. Instead of reading every word, like most people do, try reading in groups of three to four words. Train your eyes to see words in clusters. Concentrate on seeing three or four words at once. It may help to use your fingers to lead your eyes and help to keep you from going backwards (which will slow you down).

These techniques take practice, so don’t give up.

It’s worth the effort to learn how to read faster. With enough practice, you will be able to get caught up on your reading and it will take you less time to do it.

A great book that helped me a lot in this area is by Stanley D. Franks and is called Remember Everything You Read:The Evelyn Wood 7-Day Reading and Learning Program (Westminister, 1990).

What are you speed-reading today?

Sanford Jay Barris-President
Business Marketing Services, Inc.
Author: 97 Marketing Secrets to Make More Money: Your Secret Guide to Growing Your Business Right
10 W. Square Lake Road. Suite 214
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302
Office: 248-335-8080
Fax: 248-335-8446

Check out => http://www.97MarketingSecrets.com

Check out => http://www.SMART-Marketing-Review.com

"Survival On The Internet"

Survival on the web.

Nobody is alone in any niche. And if you are, it’s going to fill up really fast.

One of the most important things to learn to marketing on the Internet IS direct response marketing.

The Internet is just one more marketing tool to help sell whatever you’re selling. And the more you learn about direct response marketing, the better you’re going to be able to get a good strong message out there.

People will to come to your website, but if you don’t have a real strong headline and content to keep them their, to keep them interested, entertained, reading, listening and looking for information, they’re on to the next website really quick.

I recommend, highly, that your learn direct response marketing or hire someone who does.

Now when I say direct response marketing, I’m talking about being able to write a good headline. Being able to write some good body copy and bullet points. Being able to create offer so strong that they would be crazy not to to take you up on it.

That’s the name of the game when you’re selling anything on the Internet. It’s to get an immediate order.

It’s not easy.

And most likely, because it’s a bitch to sell someone the first time they do arrive at your site, you’ll want to capture the interest of your prospects enough to come back for the second and a third and a fourth time, so you can sell them down the road.

Sanford Jay Barris-President
Business Marketing Services, Inc.
Author: 97 Marketing Secrets to Make More Money: Your Secret Guide to Growing Your Business Right
10 W. Square Lake Road. Suite 214
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302
Office: 248-335-8080
Fax: 248-335-8446

Check out => http://www.97MarketingSecrets.com

Check out => http://www.SMART-Marketing-Review.com

Secret No. 18: Napoleon’s "Next" Secret

Napoleon’s “Next” Secret

The story goes like this:

A few days after a big battle, a group of Napoleon’s officers came to him requesting that one of their own be promoted to the rank of captain.

“Why is it that you suggest this man be promoted?” asked Napoleon. His officers proceeded to explain the man’s brilliance in battle strategy and how he had won an important battle a few days before.

“Great” answered Napoleon, “But what did he do the next day?”

Isn’t it far more important to plan for what you are going to do next than it is to dwell on what you have done already?

After a marketing success and, especially, after a marketing failure, you must ask yourself, “What am I going to do next?”

I continually encourage my clients to create a 52-week marketing plan.

When you have a plan, a guide, or a road map for your marketing efforts and you follow it, you always will be ready for whatever you need to do next to generate more business.

Having a plan and following it will help your business and will keep a steady flow of new prospects that you can convert to clients.

You always must be prospecting for new business, either from existing clients or from targeted prospects.

Your marketing plan will help you to do this.

“Wisdom oft times consists of knowing what to do next.”
Herbert Hoover

Like a lot of business owners, I often am guilty of not sticking to the plans that I have made. In fact, as I write these secrets, I am not out prospecting for new business as much as I should be.

Although I have enjoyed writing this book immensely, I need to get back to following my plans quickly. Otherwise, I will pay the price very soon.

Don’t let this happen to your business. Follow your plans. Be ready for your next move.

Where is your 52-week marketing calendar? If you don’t have one, you have work to do!

Sanford Jay Barris-President
Business Marketing Services, Inc.
Author: 97 Marketing Secrets to Make More Money: Your Secret Guide to Growing Your Business Right
10 W. Square Lake Road. Suite 214
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302
Office: 248-335-8080
Fax: 248-335-8446

Check out => http://www.97MarketingSecrets.com

Check out => http://www.SMART-Marketing-Review.com

Secret No. 17: What To Ask After Completing A Marketing Effort?

The following questions should help you to learn, to adjust, and to strive for even better results on your next effort. These questions will heighten your sense of curiosity and help you to move forward, even after a temporary setback.

1. What can I learn from the results of this marketing effort?
2. How could I have improved the response and profits from this effort?
3. If I use this marketing effort again, what should I do the same and what should I change?
4. How can I use the results of this marketing effort to further my marketing plans and to improve my profits?

The most important question that you can ask yourself after every marketing program sums up all of these things: “What have I learned in this effort that I can use more effectively and successfully next time?

“Doing the best at this moment
puts you in the best place for the next moment.
Oprah Winfrey

Everyone experiences temporary setbacks.

Every setback should teach you some type of valuable lesson.

You’ve probably heard this before, but it is worth repeating: Most baseball players who reach greatness do it by failing 60% of the time. Of course, they are batting an average of .400!

What are you doing to learn from your previous marketing efforts?

Sanford Jay Barris-President
Business Marketing Services, Inc.
Author: 97 Marketing Secrets to Make More Money: Your Secret Guide to Growing Your Business Right
10 W. Square Lake Road. Suite 214
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302
Office: 248-335-8080
Fax: 248-335-8446

Check out => http://www.97MarketingSecrets.com

Check out => http://www.SMART-Marketing-Review.com

Secret No. 16: What Are Your Marketing Goals?

The all absorbing aspirations for every marketing project should be large sales and giant net profits.

Together, they equal the number one reason for any marketing effort.

If you want to create an ad merely to win awards, or if your goal is to receive accolades and praise for your advertising creativity, then get yourself a job at one of the many Madison Avenue or local ad agencies.

“A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes,
smart enough to profit from them,
and strong enough to correct them.”
Unknown

For business owners like us, the only purpose of marketing or advertising is to produce profits. It doesn’t really make any difference what your business associates, employees, suppliers, spouse, kids, or friends think about the artistic merits of your advertisement.

If it brings in added profits, it works!

What should matter to you is that your prospects and clients react to your marketing by buying your product/service.

It takes total focus to create new sales and profits for your business.

Only when you are focused totally on your profit goals will you be able to roll out a successful marketing effort.

The more that you learn to trust your instincts and to analyze data results from your marketing efforts, the more successful that you’ll be in your business.

Are the goals for your marketing efforts as “profit focused” as they should be?

Sanford Jay Barris-President
Business Marketing Services, Inc.
Author: 97 Marketing Secrets to Make More Money: Your Secret Guide to Growing Your Business Right
10 W. Square Lake Road. Suite 214
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302
Office: 248-335-8080
Fax: 248-335-8446

Check out => http://www.97MarketingSecrets.com

Check out => http://www.SMART-Marketing-Review.com