We had to put Gypsy “The Wonder” Dog in a kennel. Wait… it’s a Resort and Spa for dogs. The place we always use is called Best Friends Pet Care. And they always go out of their way to make us feel special.

Study and take notes on how they create an experience instead of a transaction

When we dropped off Gypsy the staff fussed all over her, and told us how much they liked her personality. Of course being the proud parents of Gypsy “The Wonder Dog” we got a real kick out it.

Now, Gypsy only understands a few words… some of which she chooses to ignore on a regular basis. Some of her more words are: cookie, scooby snack, walkies, car ride, do you want to go?

So, with her limited English… most of the praising sorta went over her head. Although she did enjoy the pets and back scratches.

About half way through our vacation Becky was checking her email. And excitedly showed me an email we got from Gypsy…

Having a blast at Best Friends Chestnut Ridge…wish you were here!

I’d love to tell you all about it, but since I can’t talk my Best Friends agreed to send this photo along to you instead.

See you soon!

Love,

Gypsy

Attached to this email was a picture they took of her in the Play Room. Of course my wife started forwarding the email around to friends & family. She thought it was so cool to get an email from Gypsy telling us how much fun she was having.

Here’s the picture…

We came home & went to pickup Gypsy…

We got back this past Saturday, and went to pick up Gypsy. The girl behind the counter quickly pulled up the records on the computer. She then started telling us how much fun it was to have Gypsy stay with them. We were given the report cards to look over.

The report cards are comments left by the staff members who are taking care of Gypsy. There is a place to leave comments about how things went. Most of the comments said things like: “Gypsy is such a sweetie! She really is a cuddle hound… Gypsy is always a treat to have stay with us!”

How do I know what the comments say? Simple, my wife has kept all the report cards! I’ve been reading them while typing this post.

I then handed them Gypsy’s leash so they could go get her from the back. We paid the bill and waited for one of the staff to go get her.

But, wait it didn’t stop there…

There is a large screen TV hanging up behind the counter. It usually shows rotating pictures of the “Spa & Resort”. Usually it has a live shot of the doggie playroom. And you get to watch the other dogs romp around playing with each other. It can be fun to watch most of the time.

As we watching the picture changed. It was showing the picture of Gypsy in the playroom she had sent us in the email. The caption read something like we have arrived to pick up our best friend Gypsy. Of course we got a big laugh out it, and it was a nice touch.

This is getting long so I’m going to stop here. In a couple of days I’ll talk about some of the marketing lessons. And how you can apply them to your business.

But in the mean time… why don’t you add your comments here & tell me what you think made this an experience vs a transaction.

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Business Week profiled a couple of folks who are relying on Ebay as the overwhelming majority of their business, and in some their only source of business. The story went on to explain what these people had to do to get back into favor with Ebay.

However, this points out a major flaw in their business model.

It’s sad to see these folks getting shut down, and have their sales grind to a halt. However their fatal flaw was getting comfortable with the huge amount of business Ebay was driving to their business. They found out how vulnerable this position can be after one policy change. The old all your eggs in one basket came back & bit them hard.

Back in March I talked a little bit about the danger of relying on a single source for your traffic, business, customers. eBay’s Latest Policy Is An Important Marketing Lesson

Relying on 3rd Party’s for traffic generation is a risky strategy.

This is especially dangerous when a 3rd party like Ebay, Google or even the latest traffic darling Entrecard controls the method. When you rely on a 3rd party you are one policy change from being locked out.

It is fun and exciting to see a bull rush of traffic coming from one place like StumbleUpon, Twitter or Entrecard. It’s so easy to pour all your efforts into this traffic source, while ignoring others… But, that is a huge mistake.

Think of traffic tactics or strategies like investing.

You have to spread your risk. You don’t want your portfolio concentrated in one industry, stock or even in a single type of investment. The meltdown from this past September is an example of not spreading your investment risk. To many people thought the real estate market would always boom, and got burned when it collapsed.

The same can be said for traffic sources. One can work like gangbusters producing a large number of visitors. But, eventually something will happen. Either the traffic source will fall out of favor… Myspace comes to mind. Or, the traffic source will make a policy change, and possibly lock you out… can anyone say Google slap!

The solution is simple; make sure you have many traffic sources going at once. Not one or two… but 7, 10 or more. Having this many going at once spreads your risk. The more you have the better protected you will be when one source hits a snag, and stops producing.

It’s always better to have 100 ways to send you 1 visitor vs. 1 way to send you 100 visitors.

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It sounds kind of funny doesn’t it? But hordes of people who follow this very marketing model… and wonder why they aren’t making any money.

Me included… I spent weeks creating a product. I poured countless hours writing, building a website, marketing only to end up selling 4 copies of the product. I didn’t bother to find out if people actually wanted to buy the product. (I found out later that there were about 5 people in this niche… so it looks like I cornered this market ) I ignored a critical marketing rule… “Find a market first”.

Now, having a thick head… I needed learn this lesson twice!

Being a little slow on the uptake… I decided to test the “find a market first” theory. I created another product without finding a market first. Guess what happened? I didn’t sell a single copy of that product.

In both cases I fell in love with the idea, and never bothered to find a market. If I had done even a little bit of research I would have discovered nobody was interested in what I was selling.

This mistake is very common. Most people jump into the market without doing any research. They just jump in on a hunch, knowing that everybody needs their product. And then are dumbfounded when they are 4 months down the line standing on zero sales.

How do you avoid this mistake?

Make sure you find the market before you make your product. Find out some basic information about this market. Some of the questions you need to answer are…

Is there a market in the first place?

Do they have any pressing wants, needs or desires?

Are they willing to spend money on solutions to the above?

How do they want their solution delivered?

This is only a small portion of the research you need to do before you even think about making a product.

I can tell you why I didn’t do this important research. I didn’t know where to begin. Sure I knew you were supposed to find a hungry market, but how? After banging my head against the wall… I finally just stopped trying. The information was not readily available.

So, I just made my products… I figured doing something without research is better than doing nothing at all…

However with the correct market research you don’t have to guess if your product will sell, or if there is a market. You will know.

In fact with the correct market research you will be able to…

Discover new, ravenous & profitable markets… finally you can be the first to grab the brass ring.

Be ready to exploit profit opportunities that others either can’t or are too lazy to find… which leaves them standing around scratching their heads trying to figure out what you’ve done.

Take the guess work out of your next product launch… imagine having the confidence to know you have the right product, the right market & the right method of delivery.

Spot trends, provide a solution & extract maximum profits before your competition realizes what’s happened.

Recognize “loser” products & apply the breaks before you waste valuable time or money… Stop chasing after “Fools Gold”.

And so much more!

Now I can confidently put a product together with the right market research backing up my decision. This is possible because of a product from the creators of Success Chef University Michel and Sylvie Fortin which solves this problem.

It’s called…

“Marketing E.S.P.: How to Pinpoint Hot, Hungry, and Highly Profitable Markets”. The first in a series of “Cookbooks” released from the team at Success Chef.

The big question is… what will “Marketing E.S.P.” for you?

This cookbook will give you an easy to duplicate step-by-step process to conduct proper market research. The same process previously reserved for top marketers, and more recently people with the means to pay almost three grand.

Marketing E.S.P. gives you the same advantage previously reserved for folks forking out three grand or more. When you get your hands on this crucial course, you’ll get:

* Four (4) major steps.
* Seven (7) major lessons.
* 11 sub-lessons (18 in all).
* Three (3) simple homework assignments.
* 17 streaming video tutorials.
* About 4.6 hours of running video time.
* Seven (7) helpful illustrations and guides.
* Lists of hundreds of resources and tools.
* Three (3) fill-in-the-blank templates with examples.
* And a copy-and-paste calculator (spreadsheet).

You see the only way to get this before was two ways. The first was the most expensive, which was to hire Sylvie’s company Workaholics4Hire, which would run multiple of thousands of dollars. Or, the least expensive option was to pay $2997 for Success Chef University. Still out of reach for most people.

But, there’s good news…

You don’t have to pay $2997 to get this easy step-by-step marketing research process. Michel & Sylvie want to get this into as many hands as possible. So, they are going to make this available for only $97!

If you’re ready to get your own “Golden Goose” which sniffs out rabid, profitable markets, and allows you to repeat it with robotic precision at will, then you know you need Marketing E.S.P.

Remember, the only way you could get this information before now was to pay the $2997 lifetime member tuition for the full Success Chef University. However for a limited time you can get access for a low, low price of only $97.

So, head on over and get access to your copy of Marketing ESP Cookbook: The 4-Step Process to Finding Hot, Hungry Markets… Today!

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In times of economic uncertainty even getting a job interview can be tough. There are less jobs for people to apply for because companies are tightening their belts. Some are even laying off to cut costs. That means more people are competing for less openings.

However with the right marketing approach you can secure those tough to get interviews.

What does this have to do with online marketing, or blogging?

Plenty!

The copywriting & marketing skills you pick up online can be transferred to other areas of your life. These skills work because they are being targeted towards people. The same people who are online are the same people making hiring decisions. Plus, today most resumes & cover letters are read online.

Copywriter Rebecca Dean proves this in her latest blog post titled “How I Sold Myself In 23 Minutes” She used her copywriting skills to land a job interview in 23 minutes.

Here is how she did it…

Now that I’ve been a successful copywriter for some time now, I decided to put my skills to work on my cover letter. The result? I got a call for an interview merely 23 minutes after I emailed my cover letter and resume. The hiring manager really liked the unique approach I took to my cover letter called me right away.

Want to see it?

I thought you would… here it is:

THREE reasons why I believe I may be
the candidate you are searching for
regarding the telerecruiter position.

Rebecca goes on to give 3 compelling reasons why she is the right candidate for the job. An excellent example of direct response copywriting.

It reminded me of a headline I used to land a job interview within 2 hours. (Hey, it was before this newfangled internet thing) I faxed a cover letter & resume for an advertising sales job. The headline read…

Strong marketing works online, offline, in good times & in bad. Don’t think what you do in one area doesn’t transfer to another part of your life.

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I made a last minute blog post about the call. Unfortunately I found out about it a few hours before it happened. See… The King Of Email Speaks Tonight.

It was an excellent call, and covered a lot of ground. I was excited to hear Matt, because of what he has accomplished. He is not one of the circuit “Gurus” making money online by selling how to make money online. Nah, he’s too busy pulling in seven figures selling his products in a non-internet marketing niche.

For those of you who missed the call… not all is lost. Harlan announced he was recording the call, and would make it available later. Well, yesterday I got an email from Harlan saying he had the call ready for download.

Not only is the call available on mp3, but Harlan also had transcripts made into a pdf. You can download the call with no strings attached at Matt Furey email call No opt-in required, it’s a free gift from Harlan.

Enjoy!

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I’m doing the usual things… setting up blogs, forum marketing, article marketing, social bookmarking. Things like that. I’m also writing under a pen name to make it harder to find out what niches I’m playing in. It’s kinda cool to use a pen name because you can take on a different persona. A little bit of Kabuki theater never hurts!

Anyhow, today I started… or should I say I attempted to set up a Squidoo page. The plan was to set up several Squidoo pages, but it didn’t exactly work out that way. First mistake was to jump in without reviewing, or studying any how to information. After all how hard could this be… right? I mean you slap up a couple modules, a picture, YouTube video, toss in an affiliate link & away you go!

Well, Hang On There Sparky… Not So Fast!

Seems like when I open my dashboard my new lens still “Needs Some Love”. Which is Squidoo’s way of telling me my lens SUCKS! Yeah, sure the guys at Squidoo are too nice to use those exact words… but they won’t let my lens out of the “works in progress” column. In other words – I’m not allow to go out and play until I clean up, comb my hair & put on some nicer clothes.

I suppose I could rail against Squidoo, and say there’s nothing wrong with my lens. They are a bunch of nit-picky morons, and are in a conspiracy against left handed, middle-aged male, east coast, quilt knitters! (one of my ultra-mirco niches)

But seriously… I’m the one to blame here.

After all, I did jump into this thing without reading the rules. I had a little too much swagger in my step, and figured – Hey, Piece of CAKE! And guess what?

It didn’t take too long for me to get slapped down… Lesson learned. Time to eat a little humble pie, and head back to the drawing board. Going to have to learn the rules, and then set up a lens the right way.

Hey, I have and idea!

Wonder if there are any Squidoo lenses teaching you the right way to set up a Squdioo lens?

Hmmm…

http://www.squidoo.com/links_to_learn

http://www.squidoo.com/squid_etiquette

http://www.squidoo.com/first_lens

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I’ve been on Matt’s list for years, and it is some great marketing. A special thanks to Ben Settle from the Copywriting Grab Bag for tweeting this, or I might have missed it.

Tonight Harlan Kilstein is holding a teleseminar with Matt Furey. The subject will be email marketing, and it will have great content. I plan on calling in to listen because Matt rarely does stuff like this.

Here is the link to the announcement The King Of Email Speaks. Here are the details for tonight’s call…

I’m running a teleseminar with a reclusive genius.

I say reclusive because he almost never speaks in public
(outside of his high priced mentoring group.)

He generally doesn’t get on the phone doing teleseminars either.

I refer to him as the King of Email.

He makes over $1,000,000 a month – most of it driven by email.

And I’m going to have him go over two emails with you that he
has written.

You will be shocked by the content and the call.

I urge you to set aside Tuesday, September 23 at 8PM
for the call.

Here’s the number to call in:

507-726-3200 the Pin code is 66249#

Oh, his name….

Matt Furey.

It’s going to be amazing.

Be there.

Be online early.

Peace.

Harlan

If you want to see some awesome email marketing head on over to his blog and join his email list… you will not be disappointed. Here is the link to Matt Furey Uncensored.

Right now as of today you can download a copy of the Fall 2008 issue of Matt Furey’s Mastermind Magazine. It has some ads he wrote, and would make a great addition to anyones swipe file. Not sure how long it will be up, so you should hop over there fast. Matt has a reputation of only leaving stuff like this up for a short time.

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It’s not uncommon for many people go though a whirlwind of emotions trying to make a buying decision. Especially with a large purchase. They want to make the right decision… they are afraid of making a mistake, and looking foolish.

So, how do most people approach a buying decision?

Most people when they decide to buy something they will do usually do the same thing. Start asking around to see if anyone has purchased what he or she is thinking about buying. They want to find out if anyone has any experience with the company or person.

It’s called word of mouth marketing, testimonials, social proof or any number of names.

But really they are looking for someone who has a relationship with the company or person. They want to find someone they trust who has had some kind of experience with this product, or service. The best scenario is to find a trusted relative, friend or co-worker who will give a good endorsement.

Ultimately they are hoping to leverage that relationship into a positive buying experience.

Lacking a close associate with a positive experience they have to rely on another purchasing method. And this is where the stress can begin.

Most people know that marketing is about putting your best foot forward…

Every company is jumping up and down screaming – “We’re The BEST! We Have The BEST QUALITY, SELECTION, SERVICE & PRICES!!!!” They spend all of their time, energy and money talking about themselves. How great they are… and most consumers don’t care about any of that.

Help enough people get what they want, and you’ll get what you want. – Zig Ziglar

Pretty good advice. And I’ll bet you’ve heard it a 100 times before. This one of Zig’s most famous quotes.

But what does it mean?

Simple you have to stop screaming and listen to the customers. They are eager to tell you exactly how to market them. Customers are looking for solutions to their problems. All you have to do is hear it and give them what they want.

But did you know that by listening to your customers that it will build a relationship? You see by listening to your customers and responding to them; you are having a conversation. And those conversations will naturally build relationships.

Customers will start to trust you because you are listening and providing a real solution.

That’s my take on it… How about you – What is your take on this?

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It was cool to see the scenic sights & all the Olympic venues. I was surprised at the amount of activities going on up there. Especially when I considered it a winter sporting/resort area. But there are plenty of summer activates to participate.

The wife & I have started to get into trail hiking this year. We were excited to spend a couple of days hiking the trails. Unfortunately we were rained out Saturday, but that turned out to be a good thing.

Maybe the rain would stop after lunch

We decided to stop in a local deli for a sandwich & see if we could wait out the rain. It’s called the Saranac Sourdough Deli, and is across from the Comfort Inn on Saranac Ave in Lake Placid.

The food was excellent. As was the owner… I think her name was Eileen (Not sure about that). She was super friendly & made you feel comfortable as soon as you walked in the door.

There are a lot of us tourist running around town. And the only way I could tell she was talking to a local was she greeted them by name.

Lesson… It’s the experience stupid.

Yes the food was excellent. They bake many defend kinds of Sourdough bread & use fresh quality ingredients.

The description on the menus is very entertaining. For example the line for the Mountain Woman Combo… “Ladies, I’ve got your back”

But, it is the overall experience that makes this place so much fun to have breakfast or lunch. You are warmly greeted when you come in, you are treated like a regular & you are served great food.

Did you notice all the bases are covered?

They did such a good job with the overall experience we automatically went there for breakfast the next day. We didn’t even consider another place.

If you are ever in Lake Placid I would highly recommend eating there.

That is the simple formula to getting repeat business. So, how can you apply this to your business? Let me know in the comments below.

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