29 Aug The Home Business Guru Question (Part 2)
You suddenly lose all your money, along with your name and reputation, and only have your marketing know-how left. You have bills piled high and people harassing you for money over the phone. Plus, you have a guaranteed roof over your head, a phone line, and an internet connection for only one month. You no longer have your big guru name or JV partners. Other than your vast marketing experience, you’re an unknown newbie. What would you do, from day 1 to day 30, to save yourself?
Answer By Paul Barrs (Part 2)
Day Ten:
Let’s get the product together.
I go to Download.com and find a few free trials of eBook software. I download them and test them out.
Hmm. Not all that impressed. I know I could use eBook Edit Pro, and although it doesn’t cost much – it does have a small fee. Perhaps I should contact the owner.
But there are also a ton of free PDF converters online. I’ll search for one, but not sure which way I’ll go as yet.
However, I did find on download.com an eBook full of blank eBook covers – that will come in handy.
Ok – let’s just finish off the Website (polish it up) and continue building my local business database.
Day Eleven:
Am I running out of time here. No, I don’t think so. My Uni student has finished my transcripts – damn he’s fast!
So I’ve got my audios, my transcripts and yep – I made my decision on eBook Software.
Today I put the rest of my time into formatting the eBook.
Because if it’s size I choose to make it 4 volumes, not just one.
It’s a bit more work – but it will also give me a greater sales edge and help sell the value of the product.
End of the day – I’m wrecked. Time for another break.
Day Twelve:
One important rule of thumb to remember is to never over work yourself.
In my situation as a single Dad, that’s very important. So today I stop and pause just to catch my breath and revise what I’ve done so far.
I’ve got my product – finished.
I’ve got my Website – finished.
I’ve got my local business database – finished with over 500 contacts.
Cool.
The Only thing I want to do today is start putting together an eZine prospect list for JV’s.
That takes some time, but it’s not hard work – just need to visit a number of Ezine Directories that are Online.
Day Fifteen:
Now the fun begins.
Today I invest a few more hours seeking out potential web-based partners for JV’s and build a database by visiting and choosing targeting Ezine owners from Ezine directories.
Second, and very important is to set up my Merchant account.
I choose to do this with Clickbank. It costs a few bucks but I’l borrow this if I have to.
I know I could use PayPal, but to add the affiliate program is going to cost me about the same (and then there’s the technical bit of putting it all together).
By the end of the day all my databases are ready and I’m just waiting approval from Clickbank.
The important thing about Clickbank is that you have to have your Website ready before they will look at it for approval. This did take me a few attempts first time around, but now I know how they work and what they expect it’s easy.
Day Sixteen:
Damn, that was quick – Clickbank emailed me back overnight and my account is approved and running.
Go Go Go!!
Side Note: The greatest challenge I see facing people these days is not their ability to come up with neat ideas, but their ability to take the action required to make them happen.
Even though it’s taken me two weeks to put this together (and I know that by creating a simpler product I could have reduced that time) my success here lies in the fact that I’ve got a plan, and I’m not putting it to action.
No action = no results.
Does that make sense?
Alright – this is the easy bit.
I begin by emailing about 20 of the 100+ Ezine database that I’ve put together… one by one (not a mass email).
This is going to be a test run to see if the letter I have written grabs their attention.
It invites them to take a look at my product (via a small free sample which can be downloaded) and then to get back to me if they’d like information on the Joint Venture and what I’m offering.
It’s important for me to make sure that I don’t try and sell the whole deal here – just grab interest.
I also do the same for a small test on my local business database.
Side Note Again:
Why am I targeting both Online and Off-line people here?
I should point out that I’m selling to my local marketplace at the same price as Online but I’m throwing in a top bonus that I can’t deliver outside of my local area – “A free one on one Website consultation”.
Now why the heck would I want to do that?
Very simply, because I know that if I can get in front of these people and do a quick evaluation of their Website with them I’ll be able to convert a huge percentage of them to an actual Paid evaluation – or have them hire me as a consultant.
And here I can easily earn $100 / hour or more. That to me is easy money.
Day Seventeen:
Ahh – replies are coming back. I pull 8 of the twenty that I emailed through my Ezine prospects database and 4 from my web evaluation.
Here’s what I do with them:
First I offer the product to them at no cost for their own personal use.
Second I ask them for a testimonial, but I must have it back within 3 days.
All agree and we’re off and running again.
Also, knowing that my initial letter offer works, I send it out to all on my Ezine database list. Many people will tell you to wait to you actually get testimonials on your Website, but I don’t have time for that. Plus I know that if I wait – I may have to wait some time. However, I will definitely wait for a few local testimonials before I market to the local businesses.
I’ll point out here that not all replies are going to come back overnight – so with no need to point out that I’m receiving an replying to emails each morning – you’ll just have to assume that I’m getting back a moderate number of replies and sending them out again.
Day Eighteen and Forward:
It doesn’t really take 30 days to do this and if I had to space it out I’d probably loose my momentum and set myself towards failure. The best advice is to – to take action.
Each day from here on in I look for more JV partners through Ezine databases and do the same locally.
The JV I put to publishers is that they do get the product free (logic here says I’d rather give it free to 100 people and have my sales message go to 100,000 than try to go it alone myself.)
As a side bonus I get some great testimonials and reviews.
The commission rates I offer in the JV are negotiated individually, depending on the size of the Ezine – I don’t believe in a straight 50 / 50 deal anyway – it’s too common.
Another thing – because I’m in Australia – I know that my Clickbank cheques are not going to arrive for a few weeks – so this is where my local market also comes into play – I’m making sales and these people are paying me cash or cheque in hand when I see them. Easy.
And that’s it – promote, promote, promote.
My Website is set up to do three things.
Sell the product.
Have the visitor join my affiliate program.
Have them subscribe to my free auto responder.
That’s it –
As long as you have a good plan and a good product – then follow your plan – you’re going to increase your chances of success so much more.
(End)
Post note from Paul: This article was written a few years back. However, reviewing it today I can see that the fundamental concepts will still work – AND DO!
