Special Report: to Help Small Business Capture More Sales, prepared by Cashflow copywriting and Marketing

I had enough of the doom and gloom. It’s time to take action and get on with making more sales, more profits and keeping your money.

It’s time for business to get back to basics. Stop focusing on the doom and gloom. It’s criminal.

When I talk to small business owners, they’re constantly telling me, how hard business is.

• Your margins are shrinking
• You’re working longer hours, to get the same result or a lesser return
• Your sales cycle seems to take forever
• More and more competitors are trying to buy business, by working for cost or below, hoping they survive, till the business turns around (death wish)
• The bigger players are hurting, so they’re moving into your space, trying to steal your business away from you
• Their seems be no loyalty, customers vote with their wallets and are going for the cheapest price
• …And there’s just no time for your family…or yourself.

It’s tragic watching businesses survive this financial crisis, only to go broke because they don’t have any profitable customers left.

If you’re like most small business owners, then you have 2 choices

Take action. Find a solution to get more sales…or

Crawl up in the foetal position and just give up.

Still with me? Then you must be looking for better marketing solutions.

Is Your Business Growing, Stalled… or Worse…on its Deathbed?

Most of our clients, we work with fall into one of these situations:

1. They’re doing OK, but want to do better
2. They’re stagnant, not growing
3. They’re free falling into a death spiral

If you answered yes to one of the above, then keep reading

Where do you see your business?

Growing and making good profits and you’re looking for better ways to accomplish this.

You’re holding your own, but know you need to improve your marketing to grow. …or

You’re struggling, clinging desperately to the vain hope, that you’ll catch a lucky break

It’s your choice

You can spend more time with your family, because you’re marketing get’s results ….or

Spend sleepless nights worrying how you’re going to pay your bills.

But it doesn’t, have to be this way.

Has your dream turned into another job?

I’ve found most small business started out with a dream of owning their own business, so they could be financially independent.

But the dream seems to fade, as they struggle to survive in business. It’s a crime to let your passion be crushed. Now it’s just another paid job…or worse

You’re working 60 – 70 hours or more a week, you’re lucky if you take home, more than your employees do. Now that’s a crime

Working long hours – just to keep your head above water.

So why are you working so hard?

For the slight glimmer of hope, someday you’ll strike pay-dirt.

In most cases, it comes down to you. You have, to get it all done, because at 5 o’clock your employees are walking out the door to go home, whether the job get’s done or not.

Sadly, you are not alone. The same fate falls on many small business owners.

You’ve slashed your costs. If you paid, your workers like you pay yourselves, then you’ll be charged with slave labour.

This paints a disturbing picture.

90% of business will fail to make the first 2 years and it gets worst as only 5% survive 5 years.

You have a better chance of picking a winner at the Melbourne Cup, than succeeding in business.

Why is this so? You started out with passion, drive and fresh ideas only to get battered by an indifferent market.

As loud as you yell, no one hears you because you’re competing with all the noise.

If only people could see, or hear your message, it would make all the difference. Your message is lost in the crowd.

When I review businesses, I have noticed even though they have great products and services, they fail to stand out from the crowd.

The Crimes We Commit Against Our Businesses

As you delve deeper, it clear, small business owners lack marketing skills.

Many small business owners believe marketing, is just strange voodoo, to trick customers into doing business with you.

Nothing could be further from the truth. (Yes there are some charlatans out there, who would sell their grandmother if they thought there’ a dollar to be made.)

As Peter Drucker (regarded as the father of modern business management) often quoted

“…Because it purpose is to create a customer, the business has two – and only two functions… Marketing and Innovation. Marketing and Innovation produce results, all the rest are costs…” Peter Drucker

Marketing is a skill all business owners need to acquire, to survive and grow.

Don’t commit the crime of not focusing on your marketing

As the GFC unfolded, the smart businesses kept investing in their marketing, buying market share. If your competition chopped their marketing budget, then you should be investing to lure their customers away.

Stop marketing and your business will die.

It’s not a choice. Either, you get marketing or you’ll be closing your doors.

Are you taking advice from these criminals?

What’s more surprising is looking at whom you get your marketing advice from:

You ask the Yellow Pages Salesman. “How to write an effective ad?” They usually show how your competitors do it and just copy it. It easy to see why 90% of ads fail. (If anybody still uses the yellowpages – they do make good doorstops)

Or, you hire a slick advertising firm who keeps pushing Image. They say, “You have to use brand advertising, look at McDonalds.” Here’s your wakeup call you are not McDonalds. You will go broke using brand advertising, McDonald spends a million dollars a day on advertising… trouble is they cannot tell which part works.

It’s like pouring money into a bottomless pit, the only people getting rich are the fat cat advertising companies.

These vultures are more interested in winning fancy awards than producing ads that compel your prospects to pull out their wallets and hand over their credit cards.

Hear what David Ogilvy had to say about advertising

“Advertising is a business of words, but advertising agencies are infested with men and women who cannot write. They cannot write advertisements, and they cannot write plans. They are helpless as deaf mutes on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera.” David Ogilvy

He also said;

“I do not regard advertising as entertainment or an art form, but as a medium of information”. David Ogilvy. from Wikipedia –(He has often been called “The Father of Advertising.” In 1962, Time called him “the most sought-after wizard in today’s advertising industry.”)

Brand adverting companies are like pickpockets, because all you end up with are empty pockets.

This form of adverting is not measureable. You should only spend your marketing dollars on direct response advertising. You want them to a take action. Either buy your product, or provide a name, address, phone

and email. Then you can keep sending them useful information to educate them on how your product or service will solve their problem.

Let’s not forget your techy friend you ask to build your website. These geeks are mesmerised by flashing twirling things. So they build sites using ‘Flash’, it looks sensational, the only problem is Google can’t read Flash. (What a surprise – great techs, have no clue about marketing)

It seem like a waste to build a website no one can find because its written in Flash and you don’t show up in Google. Google can only read the words on your webpage, so if it’s in Flash, your sites not going be indexed (which means it won’t get found.). It’s just another glorified online brochure.

According the ABS only 35% of small businesses have a website in Australia. Is it any wonder more businesses don’t have a websites, when you listen to all the confusing babble about the internet?

I know it’s sounding all doom and gloom, but all is not lost.

You see most of your competition have given up, there just hanging by a thread, hoping and wishing they will magically snag a big contract. (Oh, where is your fairy Godmother when you need her)

So what does this mean, you now have an opportunity to take more business from your competition?

The biggest crime you can commit in your business is letting a bean counter determined your marketing. They believe all advertising is a waste of money and will slash your marketing spending. (They would be right if were referring to image advertising instead of direct response)…and slashing expenditures has never been a path to growth.

The good news is if you know, how to find the right people and send them the right messages, you will have less business competing with you. Your business will capture a larger share of the marketing, making more sales, larger profits and saving you money as well.

It’s criminal how much money is wasted bombarding the World, Screaming BUY ME BUY ME.

No one’s listening. These untargeted messages are swallowed in the maze of confusion. There buried in a sea of noise.

If I asked small business owner. What’s the no 1 problem in business? It’s…

1. Not enough sales
2. They want more Cashflow
3. The sales process takes too long

When you boil it down, all 3 stem from the same root problem, not talking to qualified prospects.

If you’re not talking to people who are looking for a solution, then you’re wasting time and money.

Still with me? Good! I knew you would be – even though some of you hate to admit it –this isn’t anything you don’t already know. Right?

If you just take one action from reading this report, you’ll soon see more sales and profits.

Know Your Customer

If you know why your prospect is looking for a solution, then you have a much better chance striking a chord.

You just have to engage them, showing you understand their pain and frustrations, and provide them with your solution.

The best people to focus on are people who are already looking for a solution, because they have a problem that needs solving.

So how do you engage these people and solve their pain?

It’s well know that the person who can articulate the client’s problem, is perceived to know how to best solve the problem.

So how do you find their pains, frustrations, and desires?

Google has made Billions of dollars by helping people looking for information on the internet and providing them with the best matching solution.

So why not invest the time in understanding your prospects, fears, pains and desires.

• What’s keeping your prospect awake at night?
• What are they worried about
• What are their biggest pains and frustrations?
• What products or service are they looking for to solve their problems?
• What do they like about your product and services?
• How would they improve your products and service?

How can your product or service ease their pain?

Once you know their frustrations and irrational fears, you can target these pains, with messages that resonate with them.

This simple change in your marketing can pay huge dividends.

Sending the right message to the right people is the number one secret in marketing. Get this right and you will dominate your market because you’re tapping into the conversation that’s already going on in your prospects head.

You see your competition, is too busy trying look good, pushing their brand. (No one cares who you are. They just want to know you can solve their problems)

And the good news the rest of your completion have given up, because it’s all to hard

Your competition won’t have a clue, and they’ll be left trying to buy the crowd’s attention.

Don’t waste any more of your time, money or energy on images advertising. Don’t commit these criminal acts in your business.

You need a system to help you identify your ideal clients.

I know you don’t have enough time to scratch yourself. So how are you going find more time to work out how to find the ideal customer?

Don’t worry, you don’t have to.

As a copywriter, I needed a system to help me write compelling copy, so I developed “Building Your Ideal Customer Profile” I use this customer profile template, to build a picture of the ideal client I’m talking too.

It’s time to stop this business crimewave

I ‘ve had enough of all this doom and gloom. I want to see more business growing, rather than struggling to pay your bills. I believe you should be spending more time with your family instead chained to your desk.

So I’ve decided to do my bit to help small business get their marketing in order. So what I’m going to do is offer the first 37 business owners, the system I use “Building Your Ideal Customer Profile” template for FREE.

I will also include a 1/5 hour consultation to help, you build your ideal customer profile.

So you’re probably asking, “Why am I doing this?”

Because I like working with small business. And I also know if I can show you how to target your ideal clients – then you may need help to develop the right message and media to reach your ideal customers. I would like to work with you and help grow your business.

Don’t delay because I can only set aside 4 hours per week for the consultations.

This flyer has been sent out to 5000 local business in the area, the last time I did this I was swamped, with calls for weeks.

It’s now time for you to grab a bigger share of market. Let’s grow your business, so you’re not laying awake at night worrying how you’re going to pay your bills.

You can go to your free template “Building Your Ideal Customer Profile” http://www.rowanshead.com/profile.html and don’t forget the ½ hour consulting to help you target the right prospects.

I look forward to working to grow business and help you make more profits.

Cheers

Rowan Shead

Cashflow Copywriting and Marketing

cashflow@rowanshead.com

Ps Don’t let your business suffer these criminal marketing acts, of not paying attention your marketing. Take action while everybody else is cowering in the corner. Call Rowan on 0420 745 357

http://www.rowanshead.com/profile.html

Pss You will kick yourself if you let this slip by and your completion learns how to dominate your market, because they grasp the concept of sending the right message to the right people.

You deserve to grow your business and spend more time with your family.

Take action Now and get your free template, as well as ½ consulting on “Building Your Ideal Customer Profile.”

http://www.rowanshead.com/profile.html

Why Would You Want to Read a Marketing Book Printed in 1923?

Last week I was asked by a girl who wanted to get into copywriting, “what the best book to read on copywriting”

Although I could of suggested plenty of books on Copywriting  one stands out.

I told her, “she should get a copy of Scientific Advertising, and because it was printed in 1923, it in the public domain” She could even download a copy from my website. Claude Hopkins Scientific Advertising

But saying its book on copywriting, just doesn’t do it justice.

It really could be describe as a pillar in advertising, copywriting and marketing

She looked at me, as if I was just pulling her leg. “Why would I want to read book written in 1923 on Marketing? They didn’t even have TV’s or the Internet back then.

It’s amazing how people ask for advice, then as soon as you give an answer. That’s not sexy, they think it can’t work.

If you want to master advertising, copywriting and marketing, then you have read Scientific Advertising at least 7 times.

You see, I’ve just finished reading Scientific Advertising for the 14th time. I’m still learning new insights and better appreciation, of how powerful this resource is.

Now why would you want read a booked printed 1923.

Jay Abraham, has read Claude Hopkins more than 50 times. David Ogilvy said “you should read Claude Hopkins seven times before you have anything to do with advertising”

I was speaking with Malcolm Auld from Malcolm Auld Direct and he said “if people just read Scientific Advertising, then there marketing problems would be solved.”

If you want learn the secrets of Advertising, then you need to read Scientific Advertising, because you’ll be able to sack the Yellow Page rep.

This marketing classic still stands the test of time. In 1907 Lord and Thomas Advertising paid Claude C Hopkins a staggering salary of $185,000 a year, that’s $4,717,149 in today dollars, allowing for inflation. With Claude on abroad Lord And Thomas became the largest advertising agency in the world.

Claude Hopkins was one of the greatest advertising pioneers who ever lived. He believed that “Advertising is salesmanship” and as such, it should be measurable and justify the results that it produced.

Hopkins insisted copywriters researched their client products and produce reason-why copy. He believed that a good product was often its own best salesperson and as such he was a great believer in sampling.

To track the results of his advertising he used key coded coupons and then tested headlines, offers and propositions against one another. He used the analysis of these measurements to continually improve his ad results, driving responses and the cost effectiveness of his clients advertising spend.

The funny thing, is most advertising companies have forgotten these advertising principles, because their more interested in winning awards, then actually selling products.

Your Take Away quotes from Claude Hopkins

“Let me digress here to say that the road to success lies through ordinary people. They form the vast majority. The man who knows them and is one of them stands the vastly be[er chance.”

“The lesson in this is the lesson and all salesmanship. One must know what buyers are thinking about and what they are coming to want. One must know the trends to be a leader in a winning trend.”

“There I learned another valuable principle in advertising. In a wide reaching campaign, we are to apt to regard people in the mass. We must get down to individuals. We must treat people in advertising as we treat them in person. Center on their desires.”

“You will note that wherever possible I inject some personality into an advertising campaign. This has always proved itself an impressive idea.

People like to deal with men whose names are connected with certain accomplishments. They would rather do that, I have found, then deal with soulless corporations.”

The first paragraph sets the tone perfectly: “The time has come when advertising has in some hands reached the status of a science. It is based on fixed principles and is reasonably exact.

The causes and effects have been analyzed until they are well understood.  The correct methods of procedure have been proved and established. We know what is most effective, and we act on basic laws.”

“The only purpose of adver=sing is to make sales. It is not for general effect. It is not to keep your name before the people. It is not to aid your other salesmen.”

“The advertising man studies the consumer. He places himself in the position of the buyer. His success largely depends on doing that to the exclusion of everything else.”

“Changing people’s habits is very expensive…to sell shaving soap to the peasants of Russia one would first need to change their beard‐wearing habits. The cost would be excessive.”

Read Scientific Advertising, at least 3 times, let it soak in. It’s only 43 pages. You’ll be so far ahead of your competition.

You have no excuse for not reading Scientific Advertising, because you can download a free copy from my website Grab a Copy of Scientific Advertising Now it’s free.

Copywriting Rule, Know Your Audience – Part 3 Reviewing Websites

How to improve your copywriting on your site

You need to write to your audience

Send the right message to the right people

One of common mistakes I noticed as I reviewed these websites. They don’t have an audience in mind, they fell in to the fatal marketing flaw, of thinking the whole world their audience.

They try to please everybody, so in the end they appeal to nobody.

It’s like they looked at all the corporate websites and decided to mimic the language. So what they end up with is a bland boring site, cloaked in corporate speak (you know what i mean, written by a lawyer, no personally – best read if you’re suffering from insomnia).

These websites should be forced to carry the WARNING: Be Careful, because reading this could be detrimental to your health as you may lapse into a coma.

The lifeless copy (the words on the page), calling most it stale and boring would be kind, as the reader has to trawl through ME, ME, ME, it’s all about YOU. There is no mention to your reader and how it relates to them.

It’s irrelevant to the reader.

Yawn Yawn!

As they start to drift off, they realise the only escape is to hit back button.

How Sad, you went to all the trouble of creating a website, getting them to your website and poof they’ve gone.

You see, all these people were looking for a information, to a solve problem, instead all they found, was how wonderful you are. All they really care about- “Does this person really understand my problems? and do they offer a solution which applies to me?” “Can I believe this” I know this sounds selfish, but that’s how we all act, why should your visitors be any different.

The relationship over in flash, so you have no hope of building any trust.

If we speak like we tend to write, then most people would choose a different conversation.

Do you like to listening to people, whom seem to delight in hearing their voice and telling you how good they are?

I don’t thinks so.

So why do so many websites, use sterile plastic words?

It’s impersonal, you might as well get your lawyer to write your copy. Reading these webpages, it’s as though they set out drive people away, so you don’t offend anybody.

If you continue use boring insincere words, then you will struggle to get people attention. Life to short, so why bother trying to lumber through, selfish unimpressive thoughts.

If you want to improve your copy, write as if you’re talking to a friend, who just asked you for advice. That will soon rid your copy of stuffy words.

It’s so much easy to write to one person you know, than attempting the impossible by thinking you can communicate with everybody.

When I’m writing I create a character (Aviatar) I imagine their pains, frustrations and dreams. It’s so much easy to write because I know this person. (See creating your ideal Client Profile)

This helps you create intimate copy that resonates with your reader.

Of course, you’ll also see the other sites go to the other extreme. They try to blast your grip on wallet with hype.

It’s like those infamous words “I’m from the government and I’m here to help”

Does anyone believe this, or do you suddenly check to see if you still have your wallet?

One of the important marketing rules send the right message to the right people

If you want to read the other articles of reviewing Websites

Part 1  Search Engines, Does Your Website Show Up Part 1

Part  2 Without Google Analytics, Your Sites Running Blind