Category Archives for Business

Member Spotlight Steve Young

Steve Young
Body Solutions – Voorhees NJ

Body Solutions was established in 2002 sort of by accident! Yes, I stumbled onto the business owner path because the physical therapist I worked for needed to sublease space within his clinic. In 2002 I started Body Solutions and at the time, we only did personal training back then. I eventually took over the physical therapy business within the facility in Eagle Plaza. By 2005 I was running the entire clinic… Also around that time, I realized I knew NOTHING about business. I was a physical therapist and science geek looking to learn business. – Steve Young

Steve joined Marketing Automation Group (MAG) in 2012 after years of working 14 hours days with little to no time for family, friends and hobbies. His ‘aha’ moment when he realized he needed to change something within his business was when his daughter entered his home office and said “Daddy, you’re ALWAYS working……”

Like most of our members, when Steve joined MAG he didn’t have the budget for the program but he took a leap of faith!

• in his first 2 years he went from 11% growth rate to 24%
• he experienced 2x’s the growth while working 40% less
• he also started a second business where he made $219,860 working 110 hours, that’s $1,998/hour!
• that was 54% what he made in 2013

You can learn more about Body Solutions Here.

How Big Is Your Marketing Funnel?

Dear Business Owner,

My name is Bob Britton, a fellow small business owner and president of Marketing Automation Group.

Most business owners I have worked with when they began with me, have at most 3 methods to attract high quality prospects and still don’t have enough customers.

What do I mean?

Most business owners get their customers from a referral, from a walk-in, or maybe, if they are lucky, from their website.

There are TWO problems with this, the first is that they do NOT have nearly enough lead generating methods in place and the ones they do have in place are NOT working as well as they could be, if at all.. Let’s take a closer look at this.

There are at least 9 ways to get new customers for your business (actually I’ve identified and laid out dozens, but for the purposes of this article, lets go with 9) not only 3. Here they are.

1. Referrals from past customers (the way I show you how)
2. Walk-ins
3. Pay Per Click Marketing (the way I show you how)
4. New Mover Attraction Program
5. Cross selling with other business in your area
6. Open Houses
7. Inbound visits to your web site
8. Outbound email marketing
9. Direct mail to your ideal prospects (done the right way)

The more methods you use the MORE customers you will get and the more money you will make,

Its simple math.

It is very risky to only have a few methods because lets say you rely on walk-in and no one shows up. Or a direct mail campaign that worked in the past stopped working, again you’re in trouble. Wouldn’t you want as many methods working for you as you can? BUT if you have 7 to 9 methods bringing in customers and one or two falls apart you are still OK. You can STILL deposit a lot of money in your bank account.

Make sense?

The second biggest problem I see is the methods a business owner IS using are being done poorly. Let me explain by giving you a few examples.

1. Referrals- There is NO real system for getting referrals from current customers, there is no follow up. It just kinda happens in a hap-hazard way. As a result TONS of potential customers are falling through the cracks and not using the businesses services. They are letting thousands and thousands of dollars needlessly slip away.

2. No Unique Selling Proposition (USP – No businesses are distinguishing themselves from everyone else. How is a potential customer supposed to choose YOU when YOU “look” and say the same things as every other salon?

3. Pay Per Click Marketing – All the ads I see are missing the KEY elements (great headline, free information offer, 24-hour free recorded message, 800 number, compelling offer, etc.) to a successful ad. And you wonder why the results are so poor on the ads you run.

If you have any questions, need some immediate advice, or would like to get involved with my program please give me a call at 585-633-7563.

To your success,

Bob Britton

Member Spotlight Lisa Rangel

Lisa Rangel
Chameleon Resumes – Rutherford, NJ

Lisa Rangel, Managing Director of Chameleon Resumes, has built a full-service branded executive resume writing service and leadership job search consultancy specifically created to partner with executive candidates who want professional guidance from top resume, LinkedIn, job search and interview experts to navigate today’s complex, high touch, technological marketplace. Lisa’s unique combination of qualifications set her apart, making her a leader in the job search industry:

Selected as one of the Top 100 Career Websites by Forbes.com
Hired as a Group Moderator of LinkedIn’s Premium Job Seeker Group
Regular contributor of LinkedIn Profile and Lead Generation Articles for the Official LinkedIn Blog

Lisa joined Marketing Automation Group (MAG) in March 2013.

• in her 1st quarter after joining MAG, Lisa made $100k
• that was 3x’s what she made in her 1st quarter in 2013
• that was 81% more than she made in 2012
• that was 54% what she made in 2013

You can learn more about Chameleon Resumes Here.

Do you get ticked off because….?

Dear Friend,

My name is Bob Britton, a fellow small business owner and President of Marketing Automation Group.

Let me ask you a question: Do you get ticked off because your employees make more than you do, go on more vacations, come and go as they please, and don’t share any of your risk and stress?

For nearly 12 years, (until I discovered the real long-term solution, ) I felt like I was being “held hostage” by the people working for me. I used to lay awake at night, terrified that a couple of them would leave and steal my customers, drastically slashing into my sales and profits, ruining my business and livelihood, all virtually overnight.

So as the years went on, I pretty much succumbed to every little demand they made of me, (more pay, more time off, more benefits, etc.) and then found myself working longer, harder and making LESS money than just about everybody.

And get this- As the owner, I alone assumed all the risks of the business and I alone carried all the stress.

Do YOU ever feel like this?

I don’t anymore; I now only work when I want, (no more weekends for me,) and I make 3-7 times the amount of money my 7 employees make… combined. I go on several vacations every year, I sleep like a baby every night, and all the stress has been lifted off my shoulders.

I’m not telling you this to brag, but instead to impress upon you the reality that this is VERY possible for you.

Are you ready to have your competitors employees BEGGING to come work for you?

Do you want to be the envy of all your competitors and “The Business” everyone is talking about?

Yes?

Then take the next simple step and give me a call at 585-633-7563. Let’s discuss how my MAG programs can make this a reality for you, faster than you might think possible.

To your success,

Bob Britton

Do You Know Your Numbers?

Do You Know Your Numbers?

Hi Business Owner,

My name is Bob Britton, a fellow small business owner and President of Marketing Automation Group

This is crucial to making you tons of money.

If you don’t know your numbers, you have no idea what’s working and what’s not.

If you don’t know what’s working, you can’t possibly do more of what is working.

You can’t just have ‘a good idea’. You need to know for sure.

More business owners have been wrong about what is working and what isn’t working. They think something is working and it turns out it’s barely breaking even. Or they think its doing awful and stop doing it. When in reality it was actually doing 5 to 1 against cost- which is great!

You need to know the following to calculate your numbers:

The cost of the ad or mailing
The number of leads generated from it
How many of the leads turned into clients
The average job of clients- dollar amount
The average number of referrals per client

Once you calculate these numbers you compare it to your average numbers. That way you can see which methods are working better for you.

This is the only way to get ahead. Know your numbers or it’s not worth doing.

If you have any questions, need some immediate advice, or would like to get involved with my program please give me a call at 585-633-7563.

To your success,

Bob Britton

Are You Getting Rid Of Bad Apples?

Are You Getting Rid Of Bad Apples?

Hi Business Owner,

My name is Bob Britton, a fellow small business owner and President of Marketing Automation Group

There is a very well, well known business theory called the 80/20 theory. What this theory says is that 80% of your business comes from 20% of your clients. Another little side kick to this theory is that 80% of your problems come from 20% of your clients. Hopefully that’s not the same 20%.

Seriously, clients who are problems all the time should be fired. That’s right- Fire your bad clients.

“What do you mean? You are saying to fire bad clients, but you keep preaching about client service and client satisfaction.”

We truly believe in excellent client service but only to good clients.

If a client is not satisfied with anything and always complains, she isn’t worth the headache- no matter how much business she does with you.

Long ago, we decided we wouldn’t give superior service to the bad apples. Bad apples can ruin the whole lot for you. They aren’t worth it. If we feel we’ve done more than what is expected and have done a great job, even bent over backwards to right a wrong, and someone still complains- just fire them. We’ll even give them their money back just to get rid of them. If you don’t, these bad apples have very big mouths. Even though they are being completely unreasonable, others won’t perceive it that way. So we gladly give them their money back and get rid of them.

Life is too short and there are too many good people out there to waste your time on bad apples.

If you have any questions, need some immediate advice, or would like to get involved with my program please give me a call at 585-633-7563.

To your success,

Bob Britton

Let Them Choose Between, You, You, and YOU

Hi Business Owner,

My name is Bob Britton, a fellow small business owner and President of Marketing Automation Group.

When you are selling, it is a big mistake to only have one offer.

When you only have one offer, it makes the choice between you and your competition. How do you make them choose you?

The first trick is to get them to choose between you, you and you; Not between you and your competition.

Can you see how this is a better strategy?

When we know the customer can only choose between you and you, then the only question left for them to answer becomes, “Which option?” Any one of YOUR options are better than having the customer (and their money) go elsewhere.

I suggest that you offer three options, or at the very least two. You should organize them into groups that make sense for your product/service, and give them a name that reflects their value, like the following examples:

Basic Service Package- This will be your cheapest and least desirable option.

Gold Service Package- This will be a higher value service; whatever is the middle equivalent between the most basic package and most premium package.

Platinum Service Package- The most premium package. “Everything upgraded.”

You should have 3 different choices for the client. Of course, #2 and #3 are going to be higher tickets, but you offer the lower priced #1 for those clients who aren’t quite used to paying for premium service or who just want to start out cautiously with you. If you get the client hooked on your business, then the next time they will easily spend more because they trust you.

Once the prospect sees that you offer 3 different options, most likely, (90% of the time,) he/she will choose one of them.

Make sure you mention that #2 is your most popular one. Most people will choose #2- about 70% of the time. The others will probably be split equally between #1 and #3.

And you should have a lengthy description of the services included with each package/option. Even if you think something isn’t worth describing in detail because it’s “standard,” do it. Not every business tells the client everything involved in their services and how the client benefits, so make sure your client can see everything they are getting for their money, and that it equates to a lot of value. Don’t forget to include your “guarantee” and other possible non-tangible benefits that are included!

The key to getting more money for your service is building perceived value. Packaging your services and describing them in detail does exactly that; You are defining your value directly to your customer.

Don’t limit yourself to these 3 basic options; if you have other services then add them in. Keep in mind that 3 options are great, but more than 5 will only confuse your clients. Of course, if they want part of one service and part of another, you can easily create that ‘special’ custom option/package just for them.

If you have any questions, need some immediate advice, or would like to get involved with my program please give me a call at 585-633-7563.

To your success,

Bob Britton

Do You Respond To Complaints Fast?

Do You Respond To Complaints Fast?

Hi Business Owner,

My name is Bob Britton, a fellow small business owner and President of Marketing Automation Group

The key to keeping and even enhancing client relations is to respond to complaints quickly and effectively. Never leave a client unhappy. Even if they are a bad apple and you want to get rid of them give them their money back and send them on their way.

If you give them their money back, they can’t say bad things about you. If you don’t they’ll go to all ends and tell everyone they know what a terrible business you are. Statistics show that a happy client tells an average of 5 people, while an unhappy client tells and average of 30 people. Think of it as money well spent to save you from bad publicity.

For clients who are good clients and something just went wrong, correct it in a hurry.

If you have any questions, need some immediate advice, or would like to get involved with my program please give me a call at 585-633-7563.

To your success,

Bob Britton

Do You Confirm All Appointments?

Hi Business Owner,

My name is Bob Britton, a fellow small business owner and President of Marketing Automation Group.

Confirming all your appointments is very important. Let me explain.

Does this sound familiar?

You look at your schedule for the day and you and your staff are fairly booked up, with a few gaps here and there. You’re hoping you get some other service calls. 4 out of the 13 service calls you have booked for the day- the people were not even home.

We’re sure you realize how much money this costs you. Between wasted hours and wasted money we figured out that when days like the above occur you lose more money than you make.

No More No-Shows
We developed a strategy to eliminate no-shows. Since we’ve implemented this system, we’ve never had a no-show.

This strategy may be obvious but less than 17% of all businesses actually do it. It’s easy:

You call your client one to three days before their scheduled appointment. You just tell them you’re calling to make sure that they remembered that a computer technician was coming over at whatever time.

You will hear over and over again “Gee I completely forgot, thanks for calling.” If you implement this strategy, you will virtually eliminate no shows.

We also suggest having the caller check the directions (if they don’t have a GPS) with the client to make sure they are clear. Getting lost and not being able to find the homeowner is another big money waster.

What to do if you can’t reach the clients:

First, call in the afternoon. If he/she can’t be reached then call in the evening between 5:30 and 7:30. If you still can’t reach him/her, leave a message on the machine and send an email.

Confirming appointments also helps build trust and confidence in your clients. Since very few businesses bother to confirm appointments, when one does people perceive that the business as very efficient. Clients want to do business with successful businesses that have got it together.

If you have any questions, need some immediate advice, or would like to get involved with my program please give me a call at 585-633-7563.

To your success,

Bob Britton

No Offer/Lousy Offer

No Offer/Lousy Offer

Hi Business Owner,

My name is Bob Britton, a fellow small business owner and President of Marketing Automation Group

This marketing strategy will be about another BIG mistake business owners make when advertising which is:

It is costly to get a new client. What will make someone respond? Well, we’ll tell you one thing – there is no way that someone will respond to a lousy offer or worse yet, no offer. Remember, the real money in getting a new client is in making them a “client for life”.

Here we are going to talk about presenting a GREAT offer because if you don’t all the good work you did to get your prospect to look at your offer will be useless.

Let us explain.

If what you offer a potential client is not compelling, motivating, different from every other competitive of yours, and a “good deal” THEY WILL NOT TAKE YOU UP ON IT because it is a lousy offer.

Worst yet, if you fail to make NO offer at all, how can they really respond because there is nothing to respond to. Most advertising we see by businesses have NO offer at all and because of this fact they are just wasting money.

Make sense?

What makes a GREAT offer?

Whenever the “perceived value” of what you are offering is greater than the amount of money your potential client has to part with. The greater the perceived value the better. That is why FREE offers always work best because it represents the HIGHEST perceived value because your potential client doesn’t part with any money. Therefore they have NO RISK.

You may be thinking – isn’t it expensive to offer something for free?

Let me back up for just a minute. As a business owner you cannot possibly answer this question UNTIL you know what a new client is actually worth to you in dollars and cents.

The term for this again in marketing is “Life Time Value” (LTV) of a client. You figure this out by taking the amount of profit a client brings you per visit to your store or a service call and them multiply that by how may times that happens each year and then multiply that by the number of years your average clients stays with you.

This number does not have to be exact just a guideline for you to use.

OK, once you have your “number” then you can make an intelligent decision on how much you can spend to get new client.

We know the “Life Time Value” of a client for this industry is about $2,100. Yours will be pretty close to this, maybe a few hundred dollars lower or higher depending on your pricing and costs. So just use the $2,100 number for now.

So would you give away a “low end” FREE computer tune-up which actually costs you say $25 if I knew that client has a really good chance of becoming a client for a long time?

YES because I am getting $2,100 over time and the cost is only $25. That is an unbelievable return on your advertising investment.

GOOD NEWS

You don’t have to come up with your own GREAT offers because just about every marketing program we give you already has them built in. You may have to just “tweak” the offer so it applies to you specifically.

If you have any questions, need some immediate advice, or would like to get involved with my program please give me a call at 585-633-7563.

To your success,

Bob Britton