How A One-Page Letter Helped Generate $400,000 a Year. Brenda was the owner of a small service business. Brenda was struggling to grow her business. She had tried the usual -- newspaper and yellow page ads, networking, 'creative' direct mailings, etc. They all proved to be a waste of money. Nothing seemed to work. Brenda was about to call it quits when she met us. After looking over her marketing pieces, it was easy to see why nothing had worked for her. It wasn't that any of the marketing vehicles like direct mail, or newspaper were bad for her business, it was that she didn't have an effective strategy. She was simply placing ads or sending out direct mail packages that tried to make the sale in one, quick-and-easy step. Her marketing vehicles focused on her and her business, not on the wants or needs of her target market. 'I assume that you're going to tell me that I need much more creative and expensive marketing and advertising campaigns to bring my business to the next level,' she said during our first meeting. 'Why would you say that?' I asked. 'Because that's what everyone tells me, including the last marketing expert I spoke with at a cocktail party last month.' 'She even gave me a wonderfully creative idea. She said that I should FedEx one sneaker to every prospect on my prospect list with a note that says, I'M JUST TRYING TO GET MY FOOT IN THE DOOR!' 'I really loved the idea, but I don't know how I could afford all those sneakers and the mailing costs. Do you have any ideas about how I could do that?' That's one of the problems with marketing. There are so many people out there, on and off the Internet, who spout marketing myths as though they were truths, and unsuspecting business owners follow their misguided advice and then go broke. This type of 'creative,' crazy marketing idea, is the type of thing that destroys many entrepreneurs' budgets and companies. People aren't looking for gimmicks and jokes, they don't have time for such nonsense. They are looking for solutions to their problems. 'Actually, Brenda, I'm going to tell you just the opposite.' I said. 'The last thing you need is expensive or 'so-called' creative marketing pieces or ideas that don't bring you any results.' We then proceeded to tell her why her present 'strategy' was the culprit, and how a change of strategy would guarantee the results she was looking for. We recommended that Brenda stop trying to promote her business in her first-step marketing efforts, and instead focus on a solid and powerful free offer of information related to her service that her prospects would find irresistible. We explained that after she attracts prospects to her business with a free offer of information, that she would then have a list of people who had identified themselves as true prospects. She would then follow up with them to determine their specific needs and show them how her service would be the best solution to their problems. We also taught her the power of the OFFER. Her previous marketing vehicles never included an offer, and so her prospects never had anything to respond to. Step One: Attract Prospects with a powerful prospect generating offer. Step Two: Follow up consistently with those Prospects with information and special product/service offers. One of the services that Brenda provided to small business owners and wanted to grow, was an Answering Service. We had Brenda create a simple tips packet offering tips related to her phone answering service. The title of the tips packet was 'The Phone-Power Idea Kit for Small Businesses.' Within the tips packet her prospects would receive information about how to use the phone more effectively to help them grow their businesses. This was something they were deeply interested in. We had her create a one-page letter that focused exclusively on offering her Free Phone-Power Idea Kit for Small Businesses information pack. We had her describe what they would receive in a bold headline, and in bullets, and also told them they would receive information about her small business answering service. We gave her prospects a number of ways to request her Info-Pak, by phone, by mail, or by fax. Brenda was more than a little skeptical. 'We're not telling them anything about my business in this one-page letter. I feel like I should tell them about my services, and there is nothing here about my services.' 'Brenda, that's the critical mistake most business owners make in their first-step marketing efforts. They focus on themselves and their products/services. 'Your prospects don't know who you are at this time. They have no reason to trust you or your company. 'Before you can expect them to even consider you, they have to get to know, like and trust you. By offering them this no-obligation, free informational packet filled with helpful info that they will find irresistible, you will overcome their initial fear and resistance. 'You will be opening the door for future phone follow-ups, and relationship building.' In the end, the new marketing approach was a tremendous hit. Brenda began getting 4-5% response every time she mailed that one-page letter to her prospect lists. She then followed up by phone with every prospect to tell them more about her services and to see if she could be of benefit to them. Of the follow-ups, 20% converted into paying clients, and brought more business to her through referrals. Within a very short period, Brenda more than doubled the size of her business. Before she knew it, she had a $400,000 business that was growing rapidly each month. She was happy, her prospects were happy, her new clients were happy, and we were certainly happy. It just goes to show you what you can accomplish with a simple one-page letter that is based on a solid, and effective marketing strategy. Imagine what you could do with your business if you had a powerful marketing strategy helping you attract customers like a magnet! If your business isn't providing you with the financial rewards you deserve, then you owe it to yourself to check out our Give to Get Marketing Solution. Do it now, while you're thinking about it. 
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