BizAdvice.org

By Fred Gleeck (to learn more about special offers check out his Blog) 

Yesterday I had 5 people who I got to show up for my re-recording of one of my most popular programs "Marketing and Promoting Your Own Seminars and Workshops."

I let my list know that I was going to allow people to sit in on the recording for $97 and had 5 people show up.  Not big money, but it was great to have a small audience.

I suggest that you NEVER record a program sitting in a studio with a mic. No matter who you are it will come out BORING.

This way, I generate a few dollars AND created a kick-butt program.

Here's an offer in this ezine: If you want this program, PAYPAL me $47 to my gmail address; fredgleeck@gmail.com.

Make sure and tell me you want the program: Marketing and Promoting Your Own Seminars and Workshops. I'll send it out to you right away.

This is a prepublication price on a program that is selling for $127 or $97. I send you the physical CD in MP3 form for this offer.

I suggest that whenever YOU want to record or Re-record a program you test what I outlined here. It works very well for me and should work for you as well.

Got a question?  Contact us.  If we don't know the answer we'll find it. 

Q:  How would someone with no money, credit or product go about raising money for a business?

A:  My first response to this question was:  "Are you crazy?"  When I thought about a little more the answer is to become the product.  Sell yourself, your talents and skills for the highest price possible.  Go Put Your Strengths To Work might be a good starting point. 

Q:  What was the biggest mistake you ever made?

A:  Not following up.  I cost one company I worked for over $750,000 because I forgot to follow up with a major investor.  Fortunately I didn't get fired because the mistake also exposed a problem that saved the company several million dollars.   

Q:  With the nature of the Internet and the marketplace changing constantly, what do you think the next big trend will be?

A:  Don't know.  What sells today may not sell tomorrow.  The best we can do is roll with the punches and see where the wind blows.  When the Boise Bronco's won the championship a couple years ago Bronco-anything-was a challenge to keep in stock.  Needless to say, sales have flattened considerably.  Don't waste time and money chasing trends.  Follow the market and the trends will become self-evident.

 © Moody Publishing Co

Providing customer service is always a challenge.  Most customers are happy with their purchases and will come back again and again because they feel they are being treated fairly.  There are also customers who, no matter what you do or say, are never satisfied.  

One of my first bosses when I started managing trade shows made his customer service philosophy clear from the outset:

Customer Service Is Provided At My Pleasure And Convenience

If a customer created an environment, which was not pleasant, then customer service for that individual simply stopped until a compromise could be reached.  If it was not a pleasure to provide customer service, then it was no longer a convenience either.

Of course, this created a degree of risk because these unhappy customers would also be quite vocal and, as the old saw goes, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.  My boss, however, felt that his customers needed him more than he needed them (his shows were huge and well-attended so losing you place in one of them could be expensive in terms of lost business). 

How does this relate to everyday business?  Market you business to get as many customers possible buying your product or service so that you have the luxury of losing those customers who insist on being challenges to the spirit.  

Where customer service is concerned, sometimes NO is the right answer.  The customer may not always be right.

 © Moody Publishing Co.

By Fred Gleeck (to learn more about special offers check out his Blog)

I have an event coming up again in the middle of July.  Although I have a lot of niches that I've created products for, I don't have any created for this niche.

I had a person who last year agreed to produce something specifically for this niche, but he never came through. Such is life.

So, what to do?

You may remember the story I've told you about the Image Consultants I spoke to a while back. If you haven't let me summarize in a very general sense that will help YOU to implement some of these strategies.

I had decided to create a customized product for this group.

Time had gotten away from me and it was 48 hours before the event and I had nothing to sell them that was SPECIFIC to them as a group.

Here's what I decided to do.

I always create the ORDER FORM for an event that I'm speaking at before I create my content. It's sort of like writing the back cover of your book before writing the book itself. This is a GREAT idea for those of you who have never written a book BTW.

When I sat down to create the order form I always ask myself what price points I should offer. This is the FIRST thing I ask.

After coming up with price points (based on the type of people attending and their propensity to spend money) I then try and figure out what I can offer that people would be CRAZY not to buy at the price points I decide on.

Never offer people more than 3 options on your order sheet.  If you can do 2, that's even better.

So I came up with 3 for this group:

Option #1: Product Only: $97

Option #2: Product + Group Coaching

Option #3: Individual Coaching

#1

I look around at what product I already have that would be of interest to the group. I select which of my existing programs would resonate with this group. I bundle them and usually offer them ONLY in MP3 form so it's easy to deliver, either in person or by mail.

#2

In this option I take everything in #1 PLUS I add two components:

1. Interviews with those who buy package #3 and
2. B. Recordings of the group coaching calls.

(I usually price this option at either $497 or $777)

#3

Here I LIMIT the number of people that I accept to either 8 or 10. I usually price this option at either $997 or $1997 again depending on the group I'm speaking to.

I prepare an order sheet having NOT done ONE thing to customize  my offer BEFORE my presentation. People are buying a FUTURE item that will be created.

Group #3 has a condition that in order to work with me one on one they must agree to be recorded. These  recordings are then part of the offering to Group #2 and MAYBE #1 depending on the price point I select.

Feel free to follow my lead.

You'll be able to go into ANY event and have something to sell that is CUSTOMIZED to that group. Say you end up with 5 people who take you up on the #3 offer. Then you do a 90-minute coaching call, record it and make it available to the others who bought #1 and #2.

 © 2008 Fred Gleeck Productions

Got a question?  Email us.  If we don't have the answer we'll find it.  

Q:  Online and offline marketers say the key to success is your list.  Is there a way to build a list quickly?

A:  No.   The best way to build a powerful list is systematically over several months.  Test a product with a small mailing of 1,000 or so.  Keep the names of those who buy because they will probably buy again.  Keep testing and saving.  Over the course of several months you will have a private - NEVER to be sold list of highly motivated buyers.  

Q:  We live in a highly competitive business world.  How do you stay ahead of the competition?

A:   When I was in radio we refused to recognize our competition - what, there's another rock station in Seattle called KJR?  Never heard of 'em.  Market better than everyone else.  Hire better than everyone else.  Manage better than everyone else - if they really exist.  Need more inspiration, read Lee Iacocca's book Where Have All The Leaders Gone?

Q:  The state of Utah just instituted a 4-day workweek to save money.  Do you think that's a good idea for my business?

A:   It depends on your business and the needs of the customer, but sure, I like it.  I anything is a good idea that balances the needs of the business with its benefits to the boss and employee.  Better yet, how about a four-hour work week.  Give it a thought.

 © 2008 Moody Publishing Co.

I spent part of my vacation trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up.  At 60-ish, I still haven't figured it out.  I have a lot of interests and a lot of things I want to do before I leave this mortal coil.

One of the ideas that came to mind was something I was exposed to early in my show business career by an entertainer who had a lot of free time on his hands to travel.  He was not a star by any stretch of the imagination.  He was just a street performer in Seattle who would show up at the Pike Place Market on weekends and then disappear for several days.  When he came back he would share his experiences of Yellowstone park or the people he met in Minneapolis, Kansas.

For him entertaining was just a way to afford to live his life as he saw fit.  It was more than a job, it was part of a highly creative adventure.  When I asked him what his "formula" was for success he said it all came down to money management.:

1 day = one week ($500).

4 days = one month ($2,000).

3 weeks = one quarter ($6,000).

12 weeks = one year (4 quarters) ($24,000).

Once his expenses were met for the year, after about 12 weeks of entertaining, he set aside another year of income (his second 12 weeks) as a cash reserve for the next year.  The balance of what he earned was used for travel.  (Bear in mind this was in the early 70's and $24,000 went a lot further at that time).  He usually earned around $50,000 or so a year as an entertainer.

He started out as a part-time entertainer on weekends (his secret life was a banker during the week). Eventually, though, as people came to enjoy his music, he was able to quit his day job and do what he really wanted to do.

Real Power Is Not Having To Ask Permission To Express Your Passion.

-Anonymous

A recommended book:  The Four Hour Work Week

 © 2008 Moody Publishing Co.

When I started in show business I was often frustrated at some of the people I worked with, day to day, because they wouldn't "get it".  I caught on to things quickly and expected others to do the same.  It wasn't until I learned that education is an on-going and never-ending process that I stopped managing people and started coaching them.  

Once I got the hang of coaching, I was able to create some of the best production crews at every station that hired me.  One of the most important lessons I learned from coaching my crew members was the transforming impact of what I shared with them.  Many of them went on to become successful writers, producers and directors in their own right, and many of them used the same coaching tools I shared with them to create dynamic teams.

This was long before I was introduced to Terri Levine, whose insights on coaching and its importance in today's highly competitive workplace are essential reading for business owners and managers, big and small.  

The idea behind coaching is simple:  It isn't about hiring the right people.  Its about creating an environment where ordinary people can do extraordinary things.  

© 2008 Moody Publishing Co.