Marketing for offline businesses

Website design By BotEap.comIt cannot be denied. This is a VERY hot topic right now. If you want proof, just head over to the Warrior Forum and look at all the posts, WSO, etc.

Website design By BotEap.comBut you know what? There’s a good reason this is a hot topic right now…

Website design By BotEap.comMany offline businesses have been hit by “slow” times and are actively looking for ways to increase business. So opportunity knocks.

Website design By BotEap.comMy partner Jim and I have been in this field for over a year and have seen first hand how much we have been able to help our own clients. And with our system, we launched Easy Local SEM to help OTHER people market similar services to businesses across the US and Canada.

Website design By BotEap.comHowever, I have discovered that many people who want to market in this field have a fatal deficiency. They really have no idea how to approach potential customers and get them to listen to what they have to say. My partner and I had this same problem when we started. Jim used to drive around visiting local businesses for a few hours every day, saying hi, leaving flyers and business cards, etc. And the people he talked to were always nice.

Website design By BotEap.comHowever, we made exactly ZERO sales doing this. I learned the hard way that they just saw us as nothing more than another salesperson selling some product or service. It’s not what they wanted to deal with, and who can blame them? They have a business to run.

Website design By BotEap.comThere are many ways to properly approach prospects, get them to listen and maybe engage your services, but I’m going to just talk about 2 things here… there’s a lot more to this, but I don’t want this post. too incredibly long 🙂

  • “Are you an internet guy?”
Website design By BotEap.comThe first thing you have to do is very simple. Don’t present yourself as an “Internet marketer.” For one thing, you’re not doing yourself any favors. If you talk to business owners in a casual setting and ask what they think about internet marketing, many won’t even understand exactly what it is… and many others will think “just another company selling me one night.” product list on SEO or something.”

Website design By BotEap.comThe bottom line is that you are looking to help a business increase its revenue. And you’re educating them about the power of Internet advertising. And giving them new ideas on how to get more people to see your products and services.

Website design By BotEap.comIn other words, you are a Business Consultant.

Website design By BotEap.comSay that to yourself until it’s second nature. Because (if you’re doing it right) that’s exactly what you are. You simply specialize in the many ways the Internet can help.

  • Show them how they can do it themselves!
Website design By BotEap.comBusiness owners like nothing more than to find other ways to increase their income while saving money at the same time. Well, who doesn’t?

Website design By BotEap.comSo why not show them how they can use the Internet themselves? Show them the power of capturing emails, proper SEM, a well-optimized website, the power of social media… you get the idea.

Website design By BotEap.comWhat I’m talking about is workshops. Very simple.

Website design By BotEap.comHold a workshop in the area you market to. It’s easy to get the word out (how about the Chamber of Commerce or the local newspaper, even Craig’s List). And you can actually make money by keeping them. But there is an even greater benefit…

Website design By BotEap.comStructure a workshop setting, schedule it for 6-8 hours on a Saturday. Attendance fee (between $97 and $997, or more if the market allows). You should at LEAST cover the cost of the workshop, you will most likely have a room at a local hotel to hold the workshop, maybe coffee and donuts… that sort of thing.

Website design By BotEap.comUnderstand the power here… now you will have business owners coming to you. Now you are NOT a dirty person, but a possible solution to a problem. They will be MUCH more willing to listen.

Website design By BotEap.comThe workshop itself SHOULD be a good thing. Real usable, actionable things these people can do. Focus on just a few things they can do. You want them to have their “lightbulb moment,” seeing the potential of what you are teaching them. But at the same time, he wants them to understand how much time and effort it will take if they take it on themselves.

Website design By BotEap.comThat’s where “selling without selling” occurs. They will start asking YOU if you can do this for them. Which of course you can.

Website design By BotEap.comOnce you break it down into terms they can understand (cost, benefits, etc.), they’ll see that it’s just another advertising avenue. Something they already spend money on, and something they can also pay off at the end of the year.

Website design By BotEap.comAll of this can lead to new customers. Many of them. Hire him to do everything from website design (or redesign) to SEO, reputation management, social media marketing, customer database management, and much more.

Website design By BotEap.comSo now I hear you say, “A workshop? I’ve never done one of those. I don’t have content etc for this. What do I do?”

Website design By BotEap.comMan, I hear that. I said the same thing over a year ago when I was first introduced to this idea. The answer can only be one of two things: 1) Create the content or 2) BUY the content.

Website design By BotEap.comI did number two. And I can tell you that it’s the best thing I could have done. Who has time to write all this content for business owners to learn and keep after the workshop ends?

  • The answer to my prayers…
Website design By BotEap.comI put Rachel Rofe on a couple of years ago at a little marketing luncheon. Very nice person and also very talented and with a great marketing mind. While doing some research online for this niche, I came across a package that she and her partner Jaime Mintun posted that is the answer to my prayers…

Website design By BotEap.comYour package is everything you need to run an offline business workshop. Everything from marketing and sales materials for business owners to attend, to a slideshow, attendee workbook, and much more.

Website design By BotEap.comIt’s called “Do 10k in a Weekend” and you really need to take it if you want to run your own workshops. You can literally brand all the material with YOUR company name and logo and have workshops next week. What a time saver!

Website design By BotEap.comLike I said before, there are other ways to sell your services. But neither will have the conversion rate that this one has. Think about it: all you need to market is a workshop that teaches them how to help themselves. In the end, once they see the power of what you teach, many will look up to you and ask how much you charge to do all this work for them.

Website design By BotEap.comTo me, that beats cold calling any day!

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