Today I received an email with Warren Buffet’s Annual Letter for 2009.

I don’t know whether Warren Buffet writes this himself … though I must say the copy oozes personality … and if he didn’t write it … there’s one heck of a copywriter behind this.

Size Can Fool Ya
Given Berkshire Hathaway’s monstrous size you’d expect an annual letter from the top dog to be some dry cookie-cutter verbiage filled with all the usual corporate jargon.

Yet this letter has none of that…

Financial Copywriting at Its Best
The document his lined with numbers, percentages, return rates and all that good stuff that would usually put the average person to sleep … this letter makes you laugh, nod, and believe in the company.

This paragraph gives a clear picture of the company’s values:

With our acquisition of BNSF, we now have about 257,000 employees and literally hundreds of
different operating units. We hope to have many more of each. But we will never allow Berkshire
to become some monolith that is overrun with committees, budget presentations and multiple
layers of management.

And how about this beauty:

We make no attempt to woo Wall Street. Investors who buy and sell based upon media or analyst
commentary are not for us.

I know a lot of marketers in the social media space are saying that the old approach to advertising doesn’t work anymore.

No doubt there’s a ton of books written on the ‘new’ social media landscape and marketing strategies and techniques that
can be used effectively. And hey, that’s all good.

In fact, I not only believe a lot of what authors such as David Meerman Scott have written in their recent books – we’ve been putting some of these principles to work for our clients for quite some time.

What I found myself questioning the other day, is how can so many people say that the old direct response approach to selling products directly to consumers doesn’t work anymore…when the TV and magazines are filled with repeat advertisers hawking their wares. Continue reading »

Rohit Bhargava has put together a wonderful short presentation about why infomercial style marketing works.

This is one of the best presentations I’ve seen for its length.

Often times business owners, and I’ve encountered many over the years, are cynical of the prospects that  infomercial direct-response style advertising works.

They say … Continue reading »

As you probably know Dan Kennedy is one of the greatest marketing minds around. Not the only by any means, maybe not even the best. And I haven’t studied or seen much of his stuff lately, but he was/is a true marketing genius.

Don’t worry. I know it sounds like I’m trying to sell you something, but I assure you I’m not. All it is is an introduction to a great video of him I just found.

If you’ve followed my work and writings over the years you’ll know I’m a big believer in the power of having a guarantee to increase sales. And not just some fluffy text in miniscule type. But one that stands out and means something.

Well, here is Dan Kennedy delivering his personal guarantee for his products. Enjoy, it’s live and it works!

Here’s a video from Canadian Copywriter Michel Fortin. No matter how great you think your ad, your copy, or any of your marketing and sales materials are performing … if you’re not testing, you’re really missing out.

Look for the little conversion secret he delivers near the end of the video.

Advertising Age just ran an article stating that 53% of marketers are preparing to cut back their advertising if they haven’t already begun to do so.

The survey, conducted by the Association of National Advertisers, polled 100 marketers across several industries. While some will surely wonder whether on hundred respondents is enough to make this statistically valid — evidence that this is true is all around us.

You see, every time the economy faces a downturn marketers get wary. They hold back. Waiting. Until the landscape settles.

There are couple of massive problems with this. Continue reading »

Duke University’s Libraries has been increasing its efforts of its digital collections.

One of my favorite collections is called Ad Access. Here they’ve catalogued over 7,000 US and Canadian advertisements from between 1911 – 1950.

Outdated, Old, And Not Applicable In Today’s Times

Human nature hasn’t changed in the last 100 years and it won’t change over the next 100. Sure, we’re seeing technological changes that allow us to communicate through different vehicles and ‘efficiency’ increasing tools that allow us to complete tasks faster. But the way we think, our impulses and emotional wiring that affects whether our attention is aroused and if we should take that next step and make a purchase haven’t changed one bit.

Ad*Access

There are some true gems in here folks. Enjoy.

And as always, to your success,
Michael Zipursky

On two occasions now, the president’s of two large companies have attacked me.

No silly, not by physical force. But they were genuinely concerned.

Turn on the TV, check the front few pages of any newspaper, listen to the radio and no doubt you’ll be bombarded with a chess match of mentally developed and not-so-understandably respected folks yelling at each other “recession-this” and “no-recession-that’”.

“A financial crisis here” says one lady, while the other ‘just-as-wise’ smiles her best smile, looks you in the eye and tells you “there is no financial crisis, this is a time of opportunity.” And just then, ten other well-greased analysts, and a couple of bow-tie clad economists declare there is no opportunity. Everyone must cust back and cushioned their rear-ends in preparation for the big loss.

What’s happening really isn’t anything new in my view. Sure, parts of this dramatic play “have never been seen before”. But the economy, since the beginning of time, as had its ups and downs, its sidesteps, trips, hops, jumps and falls…

Continue reading »

As part of my book release for Profitable Relations, I’ve put together a 5-day free email course that shares a success story each day.
There’s no cost to sign up, and it only takes 20 seconds.

If you’re interested in learning how other businesses have used straightforward marketing techniques to increase their customer loyalty, you’ll enjoy this course.

Go to the Profitable Relations E-Course page, scroll to the bottom and sign up.

Let me know what you think?

To your success,

Michael

Let’s pick up where we left off. In the last two weeks I talked about the process of getting attendees to visit your booth at the tradeshow. So now that they are there, what do you do?

Well, you don’t just say hello and show them your product. Of course, there is nothing wrong with showing your products to anyone that comes to your booth, but what you really should do is qualify each person.

You don’t want to spend 20 minutes showing someone your product only to find out they have no intention whatsoever of buying it or writing/talking about it (if they are press).

My suggestion here is for times when there are many people around your booth. If there is no rush, not many people around, sure – take your time and talk away…you never know who that person may tell…even if they don’t plan to buy, someone they know may.

But you need to have your priorities in place.

Back to qualifying attendees. You can do this by finding out, “which company are you with?”, “have you ever seen this kind of product”, “do you have experience with this product?” ….or simply ask if they are looking for the kind of solution your product provides.

This will give you a good indication if you’re talking with a potential “prime buyer.”

And then, if they are, you can make the move to get their contact information. Before we talk about that there is one extremely important topic we must cover….

…preparing for the dialog with potential buyers before you even arrive at the tradeshow.

It’s a mystery why most companies don’t do this (actually, not really, people are just lazy). Gather your team around a table and make a list of all the questions your potential buyers (those that would be most interested in your product…the ones you had in mind when you developed the product) could possibly ask you.

Things like the cost, the materials, how does this part function, can I use it with this other product, so on and so forth. This might take 30 or 40 mins to write down, but it will be time well spent. Then take another 20 mins or so to answer all of those questions. What you’re doing here is ensuring that all of your staff’s answers are aligned and that you’re prepared for any possible question that comes to you.

This is important because often times you’ll lose potential customers because you can’t justify for them why they should make this purchase or you don’t have the information they need to make up their mind that “this is the right choice.”

Again, it is time well spent.

You can also build in much of this information into your print materials that promote and support the advantages of what you are offering.

What  kind of print materials are most effective for trade show marketing? A 1-page, double-sided outline of your product with a few photos and list of what it can do…often times a comparison chart of other similar products in the industry works well too.

What should this not be? Forget the 10-page brochure. Leave that for when the potential client requests additional information. Most trade show attendees have their bags filled with papers and promotions…and they don’t appreciate receiving heavy packages. Fact is, they can (or should be able to) get all that information and more from your website.

So keep your materials short and sweet. The key to these materials, as always, is the copywriting. It should be laser targeted to you prime prospect and clearly tell them why they should care.

A headline, benefits, proof, testimonials and don’t forget to make them an offer….use a call to action that emotionally forces them to want to contact you again for a free report or demonstration.

In the hole please….
That’s where it can go. Many executives think it’s too cheesy…but it still works. To make collecting people’s information easier offer a draw for a prize -  you can even have them fill in a simple survey…and then you can sort through to find the real prospects later. Thing is, you give away an iPod or something that most people would like…but it also attracts attention to your booth and makes it easy for you to get the contact information of attendees.

I’m going to have to end here. Sorry folks, but stay tuned. Next week I’m going to cover the most neglected yet exponentially important final step of tradeshow marketing.

See you next Monday.

To your success,
Michael

Last week we looked at the big take away from CES.

This week we’re going to dive into a quick snapshot of what works and what doesn’t in trade show marketing.

Since I just came back from the CES, we’re going to use this as our case study.

Looking at the results, I can tell you, many if not most companies’ trade show marketing stinks – it’s terrible.

Here’s why….

Let’s leave the marketing steps you should take before the trade show even begins for another day. I want to show you some examples from the show.

The reason to have a booth at a trade show is to:
1. Get attention
2. Create awareness
3. Start a meaningful dialog

Then, with that all taken care of there is the all-important:
4. Follow-up stage 1
5. Follow-up stage 2 and so on

So I’m walking around the show and see this. Companies need to think of their booth designs as advertisements…not as space to play with color use as art. Generic words like these say nothing. They don’t get attention, and even if someone happened to take 5 seconds for a glance at the text, they get nothing from it.

The copy here provides no reason for people to be interested.

Folks, use this space wisely. Text should be large enough to get attention, but just as important, it needs to communicate directly to your ideal prospect with a fact, news, or benefit that will make them stop and rush over to your booth.

This company could have said something like this “Save Money Delivering Your Products: We deliver more than 13,000 products a day to global markets”

After they’ve read your copy and feel compelled to come over to you and find out more, than you can start a meaningful dialog with them.

Point: Maximize your booth space to not just look ‘professional’ but also to sell attendees on a reason why they should get more information from you.

We’ll pick up from here next week…and I’ll elaborate more how to complete the trade show experience to get real measurable results and increase profits.

 To your success,
Michael

I’m coming to you from the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas this week. I’ll be here for a few today’s checking out the city and the latest technologies from around the world.

If you aren’t familiar with CES, this is THE show that electronics and technology players gather at to tout their latest goods and latest innovations. Steve Jobbs, Bill Gates and several others from the upper galaxies have released their company’s products here.

What will I be doing here? Here’s a sampling:

1. I love technology. So I’ll be walking around the convention center (think big x1000) until my legs give out to see goods from Asia, the middle east, Europe, N. America, etc. Almost anything to do with technology will be here in one form or another. Plus, this is a great place to see technology marketing in action. From trade show design, to copywriting of literature, and more….

2. Networking. I’ll be catching up with past clients attending the show and am looking forward to meet other technology marketers.

3. See the city. Believe it or not, Las Vegas is one of the cities I’ve never been to. So I’ll make a bit of free time to stroll the streets…and drop a few coins with the one-arm bandits (that’s what they slot machines).

When I get back I’ll update you on some of the highlights and give you a glimpse into the best and worst from this year’s newest technology….

To your success,

Michael

Earlier this week I went off with JZ to help her choose a new computer.

While on this brief stint to a large national purveyor of electronic goods, I saw the sales person put something into action that made me smile and cringe at the same time.

There are a ton of different models to choose from these days, right? After understanding what she would be using the computer for (internet, emails, a bit of video editing, digital pictures) we found a great deal.

An Acer computer filled with all the specs and features she would require, plus more.

And the price was good too. But then it happened….

After saying, “we’ll take this one” the sales person went into a speech on what else JZ could add onto her computer. Warranty, printer, etc — and that’s all great. That was expected and, in the long run, makes JZ’s life easier. Using this up sell and cross sell technique was a job well done.

The sales person then went on, “the computer also comes fully installed with ads and other things that will slow down your computer.” “We can remove this for you and give you a back up disk for an additional $150.”

He didn’t just suggest it, he pretty much expected it.

“You mean to tell me that you are selling computers, brand spanking new computers, that come preinstalled, not just with 3 or 4 programs I don’t need, but with many ads and THINGS, that will slow this baby down?” I was getting heated. What kind of company sells a new product that, when fresh out of the box, doesn’t work the way it is supposed to?

I understand that a money hungry company will do whatever it can to add more ka-chings to its bottom line…but going as far as inconveniencing your customer? Selling something that is new, in poor condition? There’s nothing smart about that.

Why? Because now, for a few extra dollars, that store has lost 1, 2 maybe even 3 or 4 loyal customers that I know. The next time I buy a computer, my loyalty will go to a store that knows how to treat its customers properly.

The salesman’s use of the up sell and cross sell for the warranty and printer was smooth. Those are things customers usually need and definitely add value to the purchase (as well as to the company’s bottom line). Unfortunately, luring customers into making a purchasing decision on a product, and then when their minds are set, telling them that what they see…is actually not what they get — leaves a bad taste. The taste of loyalty gone sour.

Add value to every transaction for your customers. And never, never mislead or provide poor quality or service — once you do, your customer becomes a free agent looking for the best deal — and that often means they’re off to see your competition.

Happy Holidays!

To your success,

Michael

You may have heard recently that the founder of Wired magazine has started a sweet new venture — manufacturing chocolate.

The new company, named TCHO is taking a different approach than most well-known chocolate producers.

From a marketing standpoint this is exciting. Many of the principles these guys are putting into play are classic and sound in their approach.

First, Louis Rossetto, the CEO of TCHO isn’t scared to tell the world what is different about his new company — that TCHO will actually manufacture chocolate and not just re-melt or rebrand someone else’s mixture.

This claim would get attention by itself, however, it is further reinforced by TCHO’s story of how they work directly with farmers, produce chocolate through their own factory, and so on.

They are also making this personal…by telling everyone they can that they are not funded by some money-hungry venture capital firm, but rather by their friends and family.

I should note, that VCs can be great. But this approach helps to create more of a bond with the company…an underdog you want to support.

Next, the company is actively requesting feedback. Right away this tells chocolate enthusiasts they care about quality and making this the best chocolate around.

Another strategy they are using is scarcity. TCHO is building desire for their product by only offering sale of their ‘beta’ phase chocolate to those that register on their website (www.tcho.com) and who live in the Bay area that can pick up the chocolate from their factory.

You know the ‘I really want what I can’t have syndrome’ — it’s in work here.

It’s yet to be seen how sweet this chocolate venture will be. But what is clear, is that the company has leveraged its past assets to garner strong media attention…and has been doing a good job of communicating what makes it different, and why, if you’re anyone that likes chocolate, should consider getting a hold of a TCHO bar.

Until next time.

To your success,
Michael

The Financial Post newspaper ran an interesting article on the morning of November 23rd titled, “More art than science.”

The article discusses the need for more companies to measure their marketing and look at their ROI. Wow, that’s a new idea!

I’m joking. In case you’re new to this blog, a quick review of past articles and you’ll know that the idea of marketing ROI as a must, isn’t new at all.

You can give the concept any name you like, direct marketing, direct-response, measurable, accountable, scientific advertising — call it whatever you like, but it’s been around for hundreds of years — and it’s what consistently builds the most efficient of successful businesses.

The article does provide an interesting statistic though…”almost half of the chief marketing officers surveyed felt accurate ROI data is hard to obtain.” Bullocks!

It’s only hard to obtain when you’re looking for it in the wrong places. Every year, testing, tracking and measuring marketing and advertising investments has become easier. For one, there are more tools available to automate this process. And two, with the rise of the internet (rise, is an understatement), the idea of ROI has become common sense — yet far too few practice it.

The article seems to be confusing two points. It makes measuring ROI seem like a one-time evaluation. That if a marketing campaign fails its first time off the block, it’s done – a failure.

And, when that same campaign pays off a year later, its success, the article concludes, comes from the campaigns creativity — and that clearly there is no value in measuring its ROI.

That’s all wrong. Marketers test. When they deliver a campaign, they are testing and measuring several aspects of it. When something works, they do more of it. When something doesn’t, they don’t give up; they test a change and keep making adjustments until the cash register starts singing.

There is one more problem with this article. A distinction that must be made…

…this article was not written with the small business in mind. Its examples, like most you find in the media, relate to corporations that have millions of dollars, and often much more, to spend on marketing and advertising each year. They can sustain years of ineffective marketing with brand awareness and brand building programs…paid for in part by shareholders money.

Small businesses don’t have that luxury. They must make every marketing investment count. They must know what is working, what isn’t, and why? Then go right to the heart of the problem and fix it.

And that’s why direct-response measurable marketing and advertising is so effective…and why serious business owners will take nothing, and have nothing less.

To your success,

Michael Zipursky
 

All around us, in almost every neighborhood throughout the world, millions of dollars sit, collecting nothing more than dust.

What could I be referring to?

Don’t be too surprised….

…Bee Oh Oh Kay Esu…BOOKS.

As a young kid I used to loathe books. In school, when we were assigned to read a book and write one of those dreaded ‘book reports”, I’d be the first to dash off to the library and find a Coles Notes, that summarized the book for me…so I didn’t have to read it.

I think the first book I ever read; from cover-to-cover at least, was The Godfather. That opened my eyes to the power of writing…since then I’ve read over a hundred books.
And while I love fiction books. I don’t make time to read them regularly. However, when I go on holiday, that’s my weapon of choice. There’s nothing like a Robert Ludlum plot to take the mind off, well, pretty much anything else.

Darn it, it’s been a long while since I’ve made the time for those cherished hours of exploring the galaxy of fiction. Why?  Because I’m constantly, actually, almost every day reading non-fiction books, reports, manuals, and other pages related to my business.

When I’m working on a client project there is always research to be done, facts to uncover, numbers to find. And the same goes for my own product and business development.

I Got Hit One Day

Years ago I was punched in the face by the realization that books are worth their weight in gold. Seriously, in that moment of realization I almost lost my breathe. Really, where else can you pay $10-$20, spend a day or week, and have soaked up what someone else has spent a year or two writing, and often a decade or more learning? Where else can you get fresh ideas, techniques, and lessons from the frontlines with detailed insider insights, for such a small price in both time and money?

That Is Beautiful

On my website I state that I’ve studied over 60 books related to my business. But a friend told me that’s not impressive. “Just sixty books, are you kidding? I’ve read hundreds of books.” So I asked him, “Do you take notes when you read each book? Do you make an effort to apply at least one idea from that book directly to your business or life right away? Can you summarize the main lesson and idea from each book?” He was left speechless. And then we both laughed. And then he said, “I’ve read them, but they just sit on my bookshelf.”

That’s common. We read books, feel like we’ve gained so much knowledge, and then put them on our bookshelves.

How many books have you read twice?

When I say I’ve studied over 60 books on marketing, advertising, business strategy, and copywriting…I mean I’ve read each of those books more than once. I keep them handy and open them up on a regular basis. I refer to them. I’ve made notes from them. I’ve used their ideas to bring new profits to my clients’ and my business.

And I guess, that’s what I’m trying to say….books are immensely valuable.

But don’t be satisfied that you’ve read a book and that now you can add it to your library — mission accomplished? I think not.

Hey if it’s your hobby…power to you.

But, if you really want to blow past your competition, not step, but leap to new levels of success, then I implore you to study books, not just read them.

Treat them as gold and you will get gold in return. They always have been, and always will be, one of the best investments you can make.

Think about it…$20 to learn what it took someone a lifetime to master.

To your success,
Michael

As an advocate of direct-response money making advertising, my bones shudder when what I’m being sold really isn’t what the ad or salesperson makes it out to be.

A RECENT EXAMPLE
Two months back I decided to become more active in managing my financial investments.

I’ve had investments for years, but for the most part I ’sat on my hands’ and let them do their thing.

But one morning I woke up and decided I’d shave a small corner from my holdings to ‘dabble’ with on my own.

I found a trading service that I could ‘trust’ and dropped in a small chunk of change.

What got me to put my money with them? A friend has been using them to manage his money and I’ve seen them around for a while.

NOW HERE WE GO

They also advertised trades at $9.95 and if you sign up now you get 100 free trades for free. Yeah! I like that. That’ll be more than a year of trades, for free,” I thought.

A day later I sent in my application and a few days after that got an email to start trading.

Excited I logged into my account only to find out that unless I put in $50,000 I can say goodbye to the $9.95 trades – they are now $19.95 each.

No matter, I have those 100 free trades to get me started, right? WRONG.

I’m told I’d have to drop in $30,000 minimum to qualify for that.

Naturally I’m disappointed. What they ’sold me on was a fake.

That’s not 100% true. They did list all this information on their site. I just didn’t squint hard enough and for long enough to read it all…woof.

If you’ve ever made a claim to bring new customers in or ‘make the sale’ by ‘hiding’ certain aspects of your offer, be prepared. This kind of advertising and marketing always comes back to bite you on the butt.

Most buyers despise being ‘tricked’ into the sale. Yes, maybe you made the sale and reaped a profit, but you won’t ever again, not from them.

Remember, you’re not in the business game; you’re in the relationship building game. If you can’t build strong relationships with your customers…you’re gone-baby-gone.

Plus, you can expect that those customers that feel cheated won’t keep quite. They’ll tell their friends and people they meet how they feel about you at every chance they get.

That’s why so many companies make big profits for a short time and then disappear and become statistics.

So I warn you, when you make claims, follow through with them. Or make it perfectly clear for your customer so they know what to expect.

And what about my investment money? While I first planned to put in a small amount and follow it up with larger chunks, I’m now holding back. I’ve paused to see what else there is out there. And this company has potentially lost what could have become a long-term loyal patron. What a shame.

To your success,

Michael Zipursky

Today I have a real treat for you. A video from a true advertising legend. But before we go there…let’s cover some background information…

The term “Direct-Response Marketing” or “Direct Marketing” may only be 46 or so years old (when Lester Wunderman gave it birth) but the actual application of Direct-Response methods have been in practice for hundreds of years.

In fact, according to Direct Marketing professionals Denny Hatch and Don Jackson, direct marketing dates back to 1600 when garden catalogs were sold direct to the consumer.

During my years of consulting on marketing and advertising projects and writing copy for companies around the world I’ve had the direct-response vs. general marketing/advertising debate countless times.

What’s the debate all about? Well, in summary it goes like this…

General advertising is what you see most of the time on the TV, in newspapers and magazines. They consist of amazingly creative advertisements that people often feel are “cool.” They get your attention and are widely accepted as being what advertising is all about. I should also mention that most awards are for these kind of ads. The goal here it seems is to do something different and be more creative. Unfortunately, with general advertising you often have no idea how effective each ad or promotion is. You may know that a campaign helped to increase sales, but potential success will never reach a maximum because strict tracking and testing lacks.

On the other side of the coin is Direct-Response. This approach is to communicate directly with your prospect and get them to take action…whether that means having them read a report, contacting you for more information, coming to a seminar or buying your product. Direct-Response is measured to the penny. Variations of headlines, images, offers, guarantees and more are tested…calculating results is common practice and allows you to know which ad or promotion directly benefits your bottom line.

Many in general advertising stay away from direct-response. They know very little about it and don’t want to. It’s not creative enough or seems to ‘foreign’.

It really is a whole other world.

You see with direct-response success isn’t a matter of creativity, or design appeal or even how well you write and your grammar for that matter. Direct-Response success is measured in sales and profit. And your ad or promotions are tested and tracked…leading to the ad with the highest ROI becoming your control which you test other ads against.

This ensures you have the most profitable ad running…and reduces the amount of money you spend on advertising that may or may not be working at its best.

If you know anything about me, you’ll know I’m a huge advocate of Direct-Response marketing. I love that fact that you can scientifically test and know what is working and what isn’t.

Many companies have good intentions…but it’s too bad so many still spend their hard earned cash on a guessing game…hoping their ads will pay off.

I don’t know about you, but I prefer knowing what will work and then making adjustments to ensure it does.

Here’s another reason I love direct-response. Because for a few hundred dollars you can know whether or not a product or service will work. You don’t have to spend tens of thousands of dollars just to find out.

That’s smart investing don’t you think?

What I’m writing here definitely isn’t new. Click the link below and watch what David Ogilvy, one of the fathers of Advertising, has to say about this debate.

David Ogilvy Video

To your success,

 Michael

Anyone who has ever run a business knows how easy it is to lose sight of what first got you involved in that venture.

What motivations, inspirations and passions moved you to take your first steps on that often windy road of building a business.

In the haze of becoming profitable, competing with competitors, changing market environments…and let’s not forget getting your ass-kicked to the curb at least once or twice…

…all entrepreneurs fall down at one point.

What seperates the real success stories from all the other statistics are the people who keep getting back up.

But I digress. While the topic of will-power and commitment may be more important than any other in business success – it isn’t the topic I will cover today. Maybe next time.

Last week I read an article by Al Ries, one of this century’s marketing and branding greats.

What I’ve always loved about Al is his no BS approach. His work, and that of Jack Trout, guided me in my early years.

It played a huge role in opening my eyes to how much junk there is out there…and how much money is wasted by companies each year on useless, and worse-yet, hopeless marketing attempts.

In Al’s article he wrote that too many companies focus on their brands…and don’t focus enough on being a ‘leader’ in their category.

Companies get so worked up trying to better themselves that they forget to look around them and see how the market is changing.

The result is that you may end up with a great product…but the market has moved on and doesn’t want what you have to offer any more. Many times because some other product is now more relevant in meeting their needs.

The danger that Ries points out is that too often companies will succeed in one category and think that they can automatically transfer that success to another one. That they’re name/brand alone will guarantee them another gold medal.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t. Just because starbucks has won in coffee doesn’t mean they’ll win in coffee-flavored chocalates. For Kodak, just because they were so successful in film photography doesn’t mean they’ll succeed in digital.

The lesson here is to always know what is happening in the market around you. Never assume that your success in one area guarantees your success in another.

So what should you do?

Join your strengths with what the market wants, fullfill their needs and desires…solve their problems and you’ll be well on your way to success.

As always to your success,

Michael

PS. To read Al’s full article click here.

You’ve likely considered at one point or another where to put your money and get the highest possible return.

A few of the more common options include real estate, stocks, bonds, mutual funds and GICs. Each will give you a different level of return on your investment and each with a varying degree of risk.

If you’re a business owner there is another option. A way to invest that can often give you returns of 20%, 50%, 100% and more.

Plus the risk level is low. Mind you, you do need to spend a bit more time on this investment than the other more traditional methods…but you’ll be handsomely rewarded.

Okay already, what is this amazing investment, you ask?

It’s marketing.

You’re thinking that’s not an investment…that’s an expense I have of running my business.

Well, if that’s how you’ve been thinking about marketing you aren’t alone.

I’ve worked with many companies across several industries in more than 6 countries around the world and it’s a phenomenon that crosses all borders.

When a company tells me their marketing consists of some brochures written and designed by a graphic designer, a fancy flash website, a general advertisement in a paper twice a year and attending a trade show here and there…I understand why they view marketing as an expense.

They have no strategy and a bucket full of inconsistency — that isn’t marketing…it’s a half-ass attempt at showing off your brand — and it likely won’t do anything for you except cost you money.

But a well planned strategy with razor sharp copy integrated into all marketing materials and executed properly will bring you back $2, $4, $10 and more for every dollar you put in.

You do the math…that’s not an expense…that’s an investment.

Think about it. $5000 on your marketing brings you back $50,000.

Global corporations aside, look at any business owner that is making pools full of cash year after year – they get this concept.

Not all business owners are comfortable putting out money. They’ll say their waiting until they get more money to spend more on marketing…but they keep saying this year after year.

And it’s too bad. It’s a mindset.

 As soon as they get out of it and open up to the idea that marketing is they key component in their business to make them wealthy beyond their dreams…they don’t hesitate anymore.

Now here’s the key point. Not all marketing is alike. As I mentioned above…some marketing is plain Jane ‘communicate the brand’ and ‘explain who we are and why we are great’ – that’s rubbish.

The marketing I’m talking about uses time-tested proven methods to get:

• higher response rates from every marketing piece you use
• more customers walking through your front door
• customers perceiving you as the industry leader they trust
• increased sales, profits, and customer loyalty
• and more…

Great marketing isn’t about short-term tactics for the sake of seeing a jump in your sales chart. Great marketing puts you on a long-term path that will reliably increase your wealth and grow your business.

If you’re on the business side you owe it to yourself to start seeing marketing as an investment that will build your wealth for the long-term.

If you’re in marketing or copywriting or are a consultant it’s your job to educate your clients and show them how investing in marketing will give them the results they’re looking to achieve faster than any other method.

The result? When done properly…the best investment you can make.

To your success,

Michael