Internet Marketing Questions: Answers to the questions you asked yesterday
Today I answer your most pressing questions.
Hello,
Marlon here.
I ran out of time to get to all questions today. But I’m answering as many as I can.
Are you ready?
ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS
Steve Davies: I really, really think the importance of building a subscriber list is pertinent. Sure, open rates aren't as good as they used to be, but with the right target market and offer, email marketing is still one of the best ways to connect with your audience.
Answer: Yep Steve. I think today you have to use every channel available as much as you can. That’s why I’m testing out getting you guys and gals on my Instagram at Instagram.com/marlonsand
Facebook page: http://facebook.com/marlonsnews Twitter http://twitter.com/marlonsanders
And my new APP for my newsletter.
But right now, I have 2 revenue drivers (that is, things that make me money).
- Emails to my customers 2. Promotions by my affiliates
I’m running retargeting ads but haven’t tracked those to revenue yet.
Great point Steve. And you’re right. I haven’t written about email recently that much and need to write more or add more on it in new products I have coming out soon.
Orestes Adan
QUESTION: What is the cheapest way to get leads?
Answer: Orestes, it’s very important. Leads are the whole engine that drives your money and marketing machine. Now, cheap leads often don’t turn into sales. What MATTERS is leads that make sales because sales erase whatever it cost to get them.
Having said that, when you’re starting out, I feel paid media is pretty difficult because you can burn a lot of money before you learn how to make sales. If you have a big ticket you CAN sell with certainty OR you have deeper pockets, paid media can be a home run. If you can pitch and sell on a webinar, and it’s a $1,000 above product, run your Facebook ads, get people on the live or recorded webinar, pitch, sell, deliver.
I really like affiliate traffic. It converts like crazy. You can get tons of it if an offer gets hot. And you pay nothing upfront to get it.
I will have more on this in new products I’m coming out with.
Muriel Rae
QUESTION: I’m sure I read it before but, how to find a good helper on 5r or similar place.
Answer: Muriel, it’s vital to get good resources and help.
Fiverr is great but sometimes you have to hire 3 to find 1 good vendor. But over time you can get some reliable vendors.
My BEST results have come from hiring a person part or full time. In the past I hired from Canada. Lorraine used to be in the Philippines but now she is in Canada.
I like people I can work with personally because they can get to know what I want and how I think. I have a product coming out where I discuss this in depth. It’ll be inexpensive.
Mark Mayott
QUESTION: I would like to start afresh, but not quite ready now.
Answer: Hey Mark, I recommend you overdose on Grant Cardone. Go to GrantCardonetv.com. Get on his Meerkat and Periscope streams. For example, this morning he had a live stream on Meerkat where he showed how he writes out his goals every morning. His 4 companies will sell $100 million this year. He is very motivating and helps you think big, set goals and so forth. He is who I use to help keep myself motivated. He also teaches great sales closing skills.
That’s where I recommend you start. His 10X book or audios are also good.
Just go to apps on your phone and download Meerkat and Periscope. Subscribe to Marlon Sanders and also Grant Cardone. Well, I’m not on Periscope yet but plan to. I had a horrible cold for about 3 weeks to I got behind on streaming to you guys.
Herman Drost
QUESTION: How to create a email follow-up sequence that converts subscribers into buyers. Thanks for asking.
Answer: Hey Herman, hope your business is growing and expanding. If it isn’t, man, I know you know quite a bit about marketing. So maybe you need to OD on Grant Cardone.
Now, on conversions, you have to bring more game than in the past because the noise is louder and there are a lot more really, really well done pitches. I’m just keeping it real.
That means you need better pitches and more channels. In terms of emails, in Fast Start System, I talked about Reason to Believe, Proof, and Dramatic Difference. You can use separate emails on those topics. I also presented the 5 elements. You can do emails separately on each of the 5 elements.
There is more detail on these 5 elements and the 3 factors in Fail Safe System. The main thing is use variety to keep people interested. Really the hardest thing today is just getting ATTENTION.
You can’t be lazy on emails or boring. There is a ton of competition in the email box. Use your CREATIVITY to the MAX.
More or less though, you just need to 10X everything. It’s about committing and doing it. I’ll see if I can do more on this in future newsletters and also products. Great question, Herman.
John Mulry
QUESTION: Right now what’s on my mind is testing funnels and trip wires and scaling traffic. Have put together 5 lead magnets all leading in to one funnel for free + shipping book offer and more. Brain is fried 🙂
Answer: John, that’s awesome. You have a lot in your pipeline. Great job. Don’t worry about frying you’re brain. They’re over rated. LOL.
George Terry
QUESTION: Marlon, thanks for asking for input – I think this suggestion will help more people than you think it will.
Personally, I am stuck when it comes to the best way to market my company. You see ‘my company is different’, and ‘my customers are different’…
If you could help myself (and I’m quite sure a large percentage on your list) break out of this thought process and help us better see how to market our ‘different companies’ to our ‘different customers’, then you are a very wise man. This could lead to a whole new book or program, and make you squillions of dollars.
I am my company (solopreneur), and sell industrial water treatment systems and components to various industries. With the exception of basic filtration (in which each application is different), each system is unique to the customer’s needs and application. Also, the sales cycle can be a couple of days, to months, quite often years…
My customers are typically jaded and skeptical, and range from the guy on the production floor, management, engineers, or consultants.
If you could help myself, and others like me, to see how we are less different than we think – then I’m very interested, and I’m positive that others will be too.
Cheers, George
Answer: Hey George, sounds like you have a great business. And you’re doing what you need to do to make sales, which is customize to your customer’s needs.
Now, first I would take a look at documenting your thinking process and actions then documenting how they apply using case studies.
You actually create a whole training program to duplicate your thoughts and actions. THEN AFTER you have done that you hire ONE PERSON to test it out and improve, tweak and change it until THAT one person can DUPLICATE the thoughts and actions.
THEN you have a cloning machine.
This CAN be done if you believe it can be done. It’s also important to hire people smarter and more talented than we are. In my case, that’s easy! (It’s a joke…lol)
Now, in terms of marketing, there are only 3 things you do:
- Generate leads
You can certainly systematize, checklist and document that part. Templatize it.
- The sales pitch
Meet and greet, rapport, find wants / needs, present, justify price, close.
You take each of those. Even record you on video doing them. You document them. You clone them.
- Product DELIVERY
Since it sounds like you are doing custom jobs, this is the part that might take the most documenting. Create decision trees for whoever you clone yourself with.
You do it. They watch you do it. They do it and you watch. Then they do it alone with auditing and follow up maintenance.
Hope that helps George. This is more of a systems creating and implementation question. I love this sort of thing but since it requires a successful biz to start with, it’s hard to sell enough products on the topic to make money with them.
I would be $5 to $10 g’s to help you work out a system, documentation, training process on this. If that’s in your budget, contact me on getyoursupport.com and we’ll do a free consult to define your needs more and describe how I would help you.
Great question and I love that sort of thing.
Keith DeBolt
QUESTION: I’m trying to figure out how to get jv partners for my book and course launchin the self-help field.
Answer: First of all, congratulations on taking action! Getting the product ready to launch is a huge step and you are to be congratulated.
Start with OD’ing on Grant Cardone. Mindset always helps.
Now, as to HOW to do it, once you are really COMMITTED to doing it, most of the rest falls into place. But it’s a great question and there ARE many processes that are used.
Everyone has a system or process a bit different.
Keith, the truth is, people promote for their FRIENDS. You don’t hit people up for jv’s. You can but it’s not what works best.
What you DO is lay groundwork by making friends with a lot of people who have lists. Help them FIRST. This takes time. It’s not a one off product launch.
It’s like FARMING.
Now, for your immediate launch and income needs, get your friends and people you know on board. You might consider making someone a partner on the launch who already has the relationships. Typically they get 30% to 50%.
You need 100 to 300 sales on launch day to get on the radar of other affiliates. On the Zoo, I know one guy who says he aims for 500 sales on launch day. I’m not a Zoo launcher yet so I don’t know the exact number.
One Warrior+ you need 100+ sales on launch day.
If you get 100-300 sales on launch day, THEN your activity and epc’s should get the attention of other affiliates.
I endorsed a product by John Mulry on launches. He discusses this. Henry Gold has a product on launches I’ve endorsed. There are other good ones.
But the bottom line is, people want to get jv partners without making friends! That’s really not how it’s done imho. You need a CORE of friends who promote you to get on the RADAR of affiliates. THEN you pick up people automatically.
I DO have a lot more on this coming in products. And I’ll discuss it more in future newsletters.
I’m $1k for an hour of consulting if you want to discuss in detail with more specific recommendations / resources.
Dave
QUESTION: Here is a thought that came to mind after reading an article on people not having much saved for retirement, especially those who are within five to seven years of retirement. How can someone who is in their late 50’s or early 60’s with minimal tech skills, start making money online? What is the quickest way for them to get started and generate a few hundred a month that can then be leveraged to earn more over time? Keep in mind they aren’t tech persons like those in their 20’s and 30’s. Where do they start and what are the first few tasks they should do to get things happening?
Answer: Dave, you’ve identified a huge, massive problem. You’re so right about this.
If people have sales skills and expertise, it’s easy. Run Facebook ads. Get people on gotowebinar. Pitch. Send them to a paypal link. LOL.
To repeat what I said earlier:
If you have a big ticket you CAN sell with certainty OR you have deeper pockets, paid media can be a home run. If you can pitch and sell on a webinar, and it’s a $1,000 above product, run your Facebook ads, get people on the live or recorded webinar, pitch, sell, deliver.
The problem is, if you don’t know how to sell, and don’t have any expertise to sell, then you’re starting from nothingness. I realize this isn’t what you were asking.
But it’s the reality of today’s market. Like my brother. He has thought about starting a business when he retires. But he can’t sell. If he tried IM, it would be a disaster. However, if he sold his technical knowledge to companies, that would work.
But usually people are sick of what they did all their life and want something new, exciting and different. That’s tough.
The fly in the ointment is in my experience a lot of people also want FAST and EASY – and they have no sales skills, don’t want to talk to people, don’t want to network, don’t want to have to learn a lot. That’s called a franchise. And it’s $100k or more. I’m just keeping it real here.
No knowledge. No sales skills. No technical skills. No expertise. Heck, I’m barely breathing, need something fast and easy, don’t have a lot of time, don’t wanna learn a lot but I need 10k next month. Can you HELP ME?
Literally, I hear that a lot. THAT is why I’m so huge on the book 10X Rule and Grant Cardone. He helps explain the mindset it takes a lot better than I can.
But USUALLY the success stories come from people who already were successful, had skills, had knowledge, had experience.
You CAN do fast and quick and get a smaller result. But even that usually has more of a learning curve than people want.
Now, having said ALL of the above, if you learn to generate leads, create a pitch that sells, then deliver or partner with someone who can deliver a product, that works. It is learnable. But I think most people honestly want a more “turnkey” done-for-you solution.
Steven Schneiderman
QUESTION: Have you talked about how to use your approaches for offline marketing and sales, too? Think you have so much to offer in so many areas. Would certainly like more direct mail, postcard and email copywriting ideas. I sell Internet advertising by day, and I am trying to apply what I have learned in my IM days.
Answer: Steven, GREAT point. I wonder how many others feel that way? Hmmmm.
On copywriting, stick with benefits, proof and differentiation. Those are discussed in Fast Start System. And also use the 5 elements I explain there. They are also in more detail in the Fail Safe System.
Mike Halpern
Are you excited about the emergence of apps on mobile as a new gateway to market from, deliver product, and promote engagement?
Answer: I’m excited about push notifications and also getting my app for my newsletter on phones and tablets! Meerkat and Periscope are amazing.
Ian Del Carmen is releasing his product shortly to allow you to do your own app.
Stephen Matuszak
Marlon, this is timely. I am about to invest great effort into some kind of online business. I’ve narrowed it down to two very different choices, selling physical products via an online store (shopify), or digital products and coaching through traditional IM means..
Each will take work, but which has the best chance of my creating a legacy for my family?
Answer: Great question Stephen. Info products aren’t as easy as they used to be since Kindle / JV Zoo and WSO Pro have all contributed into the massive lowering of intellectual property prices.
You need better pitches and usually some sort of service element for bigger tickets. But there is still plenty of money to be made.
On physical products, the allure is less competition. And you don’t have the issues you have with intellectual property.
I have friends really excited about this.
I’m not personally into the physical product thing. I’m cautious BECAUSE so many people are jumping on that bandwagon. The pitch is that the market is so huge it won’t matter. I don’t know if that’s the truth or a pitch. Free markets are a beast. And if there isn’t a barrier to entry, you can predict over supply will flood the market.
The issue with that is at least in intellectual property you can do a LOT to create a brand, make your offer unique and so forth.
On physical products you CAN brand but making things unique and differentiating is, to me, a lot more challenging. Longer term can you really have any sustainable differentiation?
But that issue exists on intellectual property also.
It’s what we ALL face in today’s world. The middle class jobs got largely eliminated. The whole entire middle class is looking for revenue alternatives. That’s a lot of competition in the marketplace.
The ONLY way to survive and prosper is to be better at marketing, better at growing a brand, better at differentiation. Better at generating leads and making sales.
Those things are UNIVERSAL no matter WHAT you sell or WHO you sell it to.
No business is protected from the rigors of modern day competition. This isn’t the world of 10 or 20 years ago.
Having said THAT, what is REAL is this:
- Learn marketing – applies to anything
- Learn how to sell
- Learn how to present benefits
- Learn how to make friends and network and do it
- Learn to differentiate
- Learn to create a brand
- Learn to generate leads
- Learn to sell via webinars, audio, video sales letters, long form sales letters or all of the above.
- Remember, at the END of the day ALL you do is:
- Generate a lead from someone with money and interest
- Find out what they WANT
- Sell them what they want
- Ask for the order
- Deliver the product
- Follow up and make more sales
The HUGE MASSIVE trend is to want it FAST, NOW and EASY which means done for you. That means relying on others to have done most of the above FOR you.
That puts the power in THEIR hands not yours.
I’m just not personally on board with that. I believe YOU are your own Easter Bunny, Fairy Godmother and Santa Claus.
YOU are the creator of your OWN business opportunities.
You are the one that needs to learn to generate leads, do a pitch, get money, and deliver a product.
You are the one that needs to take responsibility for growing your brand.
If you want someone else to figure out all of the above for you and do it for you, God help you! Good luck in that business opportunity lottery. Get back with me in 5 or 10 years and tell me how it went.
My goals is to do my best to cross the chasm and do everything possible I can for you to help make it EASIER and FASTER, which is vastly different from easy and fast!
The GOOD NEWS is all you need to do is generate leads, make sales and deliver a product. Then do it over and over.
Best wishes,
Marlon