The Newsletter Pro's online newsletter for January 2018
#343 in the 2016 INC. 500 | #120 in the 2015 INC. 500 | 2014 Marketer of the Year | 24K Club Winner
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
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That’s Not Fair and Neither Is Life Success Story Do These 3 Things to Make 2018 the Best Year of Your Life! Book Review: Get People ‘Oversubscribed’ to Your Business
PAGE 6 Travel Often? Get TripIt PAGE 7 Catching Up With Cece PAGE 8
Biggest Marketing Fail Ever ... Maybe
AMAZON AND SILICON VALLEY Want to Put YOU Out of Business! Here Is What You Can Do About It
“They are coming. They want to take your business and money. And you can wait until they get here and likely lose it all, or you can simply take action now and be ONE OF THE FEW WHO SURVIVE .”
Do you think Amazon doesn’t matter? Do you feel they could never branch into your business? That’s exactly what local and mega pharmacies thought until Amazon announced they may be getting into the pharmacy business. Since then, all hell has been breaking loose. Out of fear of the possibility of Amazon entering the marketplace, CVS is buying Aetna health insurance for $69 billion. This purchase will entrench the two companies deeper into the health insurance space and make them much larger customers for key suppliers and partners.
If you’re a lawyer, you have Avvo and others starting to compete in your space.
If you’re an orthodontist or a dentist, you now have at-home braces to compete with.
And maybe your business isn’t affected yet, but it is coming. Thousands of people read this article each month, and you know what? Until it reaches their doorstep, most will do nothing. Most won’t give another thought to this issue after the three minutes it takes to read it. But that would be a mistake.
But this isn’t happening in your business, so no worries, right?
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They are coming. They want to take your business and money. And you can wait until they get here and likely lose it all, or you can take action now and be one of the few who survive. If you think I’m simply being an alarmist, ask Borders, Barnes & Noble, Toys R Us (if you didn’t hear, they are filing bankruptcy again), Sears, and Kmart if they wish they’d taken action sooner. To put the amount into perspective, $640 million worth of toys were sold online on Black Friday, and the top 100 retailers captured 80 percent of that market share. Amazon sold 200,000 toys in just the first five hours on Friday (from 12–5 a.m.). It is impossible for these giants to win against you if the business is built around your personality. People don’t connect with Amazon, the company, but they can connect with you, the lawyer, doctor, or plumber. They can have a relationship with you that makes the price less relevant. That makes you “People don’t connect with Amazon, the company, but THEY CAN CONNECT WITH YOU , the lawyer, doctor, or plumber.” So, how do you win against these behemoths? The good news is you have the foundation of what you need to win: YOU.
their go-to provider. That makes your customers immune to the siren song of those corporations. But you have to start now, or the cost for being late to the game will be either your entire business or hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars in lost revenue, slow growth, and customer churn.
Now, once you have custom content written, you can reuse it and slice it up into smaller chunks. Let me give you a few examples. 1. You can set up a spot in your office to record videos or simply use an iPhone and record a section of one of the articles — maybe even add a little to the original story. And now, you have a video for your website and YouTube. 2. You can rip the audio from that video to make an MP3. 3. You can take quotes from the articles and use them on Facebook and Twitter. 4. You can use the same article as a starter (or use the complete article) for an email to your list. I recommend using them just as a starter since the articles are long, but it’s up to you. 5. You can add the articles to your blog. 6. You can add links to the articles on your social media sites. 7. You can take the article and use it as a follow- up mailer for unconverted leads, with the article on one side and an offer on the other side. This strategy depends on the topic of the article. You get the point. You can reuse the content in the example above in many ways. You spent 15 minutes on the phone being interviewed to get the content, and other than recording the video, someone else can create and implement every single other strategy I listed above.
This is your wake-up call. The time is nigh. You have to act now or put your family and business at risk.
Building a relationship starts with media and communication. You have to become present in your customer’s life more often than when you want to ask them for money. You need to let them peek behind the curtain of your life. You need to build talking points that people get to know about you and use those points to go deep with customers and prospects.
You need to engage them with multiple media channels, a lot of quality content, and personality.
But all of that creates an additional problem. When do you have time to create all this content?
It doesn’t have to be difficult.
If you’re reading this and don’t currently publish a newsletter with me and The Newsletter Pro, then I have good news for you. We ghostwrite the content for you, which includes interviewing you and writing and editing the content so it sounds like you wrote it. Content is the start of this process. Not yet using The Newsletter Pro? Grab a copy of my free book on Newsletter Marketing by going to www.thenewsletterpro.com/freebook .
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What if you had two or three articles just like this one? How much content could you pump out each month, in a pretty short period of time, if you repurposed all your custom content? I typically get two objections here. One of them is, “If I reuse the content, people will know and be annoyed.” Let me tell you, only your spouse and parents are paying close enough attention to your business to consume that much information from you and remember it. No one reads everything you put on social media, every email you send, and each blog post you write AND watches all your videos. If they do, then good news: They are going to buy something from you. Of course, you may also be thinking, “I don’t need a newsletter. I’ll just create content.” Big mistake. In a recent “day in the basement” a friend of mine had with Dan Kennedy (if you don’t know, Dan does his personal consultations in the basement of his home), the topic of newsletters came up, and Dan said, “You must, MUST be doing a newsletter every month. It’s critical to maintain this relationship. It’s what makes you different and attracts them to you.” One of my favorite things my son Lex says is “That’s not fair.” This statement typically comes after one of his brothers gets something or gets to do something that he isn’t going to get to do. My reply is always the same: “Life is not fair.” This concept of fair is very misguided, to say the least. As entrepreneurs, we don’t simplify our feelings quite to the level of a 6-year-old, but I often witness grown men and women throwing a fit when life and business are unfair. But fair is often like luck. It is better to have things be fair or have a little luck on your side, but most of the time, how fair life is or how much luck you have is a product of your own creation. Unfortunately, as human beings, far too often, we get stepped on and pushed down. Instead of being pissed at people who are not treating us fairly, the next time we don’t get our way or someone makes a mistake, we throw a fit. And then, the first time we get any power, we oppress someone else. I know there are some reading this right now who think they’ve never oppressed
Do you want to be here two years, three years, five years, or even 10 years from now? You have to build relationships with customers and prospects. If not, you will struggle, and you may lose it all and have to start over. I know that paints a grim picture for an article to start 2018, but I’d rather hit you with the truth so you can fix it now instead of let you struggle after it’s too late. P.S. Want help with a newsletter and getting ghostwritten content that you can reuse? Go to http://www.thenewsletterpro.com/schedule and make an appointment to chat with a Pro. Need help now? Call 208-297-5700 and let them know you’d
All the other gurus you listen to got their start with Dan. He is the guru’s guru, and he isn’t wrong. You need to have a foundational piece to your marketing that goes out each month and builds the relationship. The smart ones then leverage the content to create all the other marketing and content they need. If you think you can cheap out on this and email it, think again. Another quote from Dan: “Digital-only is a huge mistake.” Even Amazon now has physical stores and sends postcards, so tell me again why it would be smart for you to go digital-only? sends postcards, so tell me again why it would be smart for you to go digital-only?” “ ‘DIGITAL-ONLY IS A HUGE MISTAKE.’ Even Amazon now has physical stores and
like to speak with a consultant about starting your newsletter campaign.
–Shaun THAT’S NOT FAIR AND NEITHER IS LIFE BUSINESS ADVICE
anyone, but that would not be true, because virtually all of humanity has done it.
of 200-plus employees, this company took home first place in 2017, and it’s known to have a good culture. One of the things this company was known for was massive reinvestment in their employees. Why? Without the employees, there is no business and, in turn, no $340 million payday. Nearly 100 percent of entrepreneurs are focused on “What’s in it for me?” I’m a huge believer that you, as the entrepreneur, should be rewarded for your hard work and risk. But you don’t have to be rewarded while someone else gets punished. You don’t need 100 percent of the marbles to win. As we head into 2018, I want you to remember two things: 1) Culture trumps strategy every day of the week; and 2) Happy employees make happy customers, and happy customers make happy shareholders. If you focus on the people in the business this year, you’ll find all your marketing efforts and business dealings to be fairer.
But there is a bright side to this downer article. We have a choice right now, as entrepreneurs, to make the world a better place. Each morning when we get up, we can decide what kind of boss and business we want to run. Do we run one that is filled with love and concern for others that goes beyond enriching ourselves? Do we need to keep every marble from the business? Or, can we use some of our gains to help others, including our employees? Can we build a culture in our companies that doesn’t allow back-stabbing, gossiping, or oppression? Of course we can. We can do all of this and so much more. Recently, a 250-person fast-growing tech company sold in my area, and any time something like this happens, it is news in Boise, Idaho. In 11 years, this company built a business that at least one person thought was worth $340 million. In the Best Places to Work in Idaho competition, for the category
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BUSINESS HOW-TO
SUCCESS STORY
THE BEST YEAR OF YOUR LIFE! TO MAKE 2018 DO THESE 3 THINGS
“As a personal trainer, I’m no stranger to hard work. But I also know if you want to see the best results, you need to put your effort in the right place. For the last decade, I’ve worked my tail off day to day, stuck with my nose to the grindstone and never looking at the big picture. Since I started working with The Newsletter Pro, I’ve been able to switch gears and look to the future. “The biggest benefit of the print newsletter — beyond keeping connected with my clients — is it forces me to plan my marketing strategy two months in advance. Instead of rushing about at the last minute, I have time to plan a good campaign that will actually get results. “In October, we held our brick-and-mortar event at my personal training business. The event celebrated our 10-year anniversary serving the community, and it doubled as the launch of my book, ‘Born to Move.’ We thought months in advance about the event because we are using The Newsletter Pro, and I needed to have great copy that reached our clients by mail prior to the event. Working so far ahead gave my team the opportunity to craft a strategic plan. We rallied the troops and went crazy online and offline. “Normally, attendance at our events clocks in at around 10–15 people. At our October event, we saw over 110 people and did over $85,000 in revenue! Keep in mind we haven’t made a penny during any past events. We broke $100,000 that month for the first time in our 10 years of operating. “Working with The Newsletter Pro helps me stay ahead of the game. I’ve adopted an active marketing mindset, and it really pays off. In December, I took some time to outline our plan for the whole year, and I look forward to where this new mindset will take me in 2018. “Thank you to The Newsletter Pro. I am thinking like a business owner who is working to make my business great for a lifetime!” –Bryan Wisdom
SHAUN’S BOOKSHELF
BECOME ‘OVERSUBSCRIBED’ And Get People Excited About Your Business Have you ever had people clamor outside your business for goods or services?
Fitness Together Mooresville
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Looking ahead to 2018, the economy seems to be going pretty strong. Tax cuts appear to be coming for the vast majority of Americans, and both the stock market and real estate prices are going up. This could be the year for many to see great growth in their business, income, and wealth — if you’re positioned to take advantage of it. To be in the right place at the right time, you must do these three things. 1. Stop Taking Leads for Granted: You need to spend some time this week working on this topic; that’s how important it is. Far too many entrepreneurs are so focused on getting new leads that when one comes in and doesn’t buy immediately, they forget all about them. This happens despite virtually every entrepreneur knowing (at least on some level) that 80 percent of sales are made after the fifth follow-up. At a minimum, your leads should be getting emails, newsletters, and postcards from you. They should also likely be getting phone calls and possibly in-person visits, depending on your industry. You’ve spent a massive amount of money getting these leads in the door. Why not nurture them and convert more of them into customers? 2. Focus on What You’ve Got: We all know a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush, and yet, we spend nearly $0 on customer success and retention. To Chances are, as you read “Oversubscribed,” you will tread through familiar territory. The difference is that Priestley presents the ideas in a way that is simple to navigate. For instance, you may run into a concept you’re aware of, but you didn’t fully understand it to begin with — or you couldn’t figure out how to implement it in the context of your business. But you won’t feel lost here. Priestley explains it all in layman’s terms. A lot of what Priestley discusses comes down to delivering a “wow” or “delight” — going above and beyond for customers. When you achieve that, customers will come to you. Priestley dives into ideas of exclusivity and scarcity — elements you can work into your marketing and approach to business — to make it happen. Whether you’re an experienced entrepreneur or you’re opening your first business, chances are good you’ll finish “Oversubscribed” with a few new insights, along with an eagerness to implement the ideas within. The next thing you know, customers will be lining up down the block to devote their time and money to YOU!
make the most of 2018, you need to be interacting with your existing customers on a regular basis and doing two things. First, you need to add value to their lives. Don’t simply talk only about your business. Find ways to help them in their lives. Second, you need to find ways to better serve them. If you have a product or service that would help them, you should present it to them. The hardest sale we make is the first sale; the easiest one is the second sale. So, do yourself a favor and spend some time making that second sale. 3. Practice Makes Perfect: The key to success is doing the right things over and over and over again. We all know what we “This game we call life is a long-term play, not a garage sale when you need quick cash, despite how people play the game. Shift your focus to the long game.”
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For most of us, the answer is no — but it’s not unheard of. There are businesses all over the world that inspire people to stand in line and wait hours on end for some magical product or service they just have to have. People will devote their time and money to restaurants, tech retailers like Apple, toy stores, ticket sellers, and so many others (including the infamous Voodoo Doughnuts). The question is, what do these businesses really have that you don’t? This question is answered by Daniel Priestley in his book, “Oversubscribed: How to Get People Lining Up to Do Business with You.” Priestley started his first business at age 21. Within five years, he was at the top of a multimillion-dollar company. In essence, he figured out the key to getting people to line up for what he had to offer — and you can do the same. “Oversubscribed” offers insight into growing your business. And Priestly spells it out for you, leaving practically no stone unturned when it comes to bringing in more customers and earning more revenue. That said, many of Priestley’s ideas and methods are not unique.
Have You Heard the Good News?
Ephesians 5:1-2 — Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 2 Corinthians 5:17 — Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away, behold, new things have come! Galatians 2:21 — I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.
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BUSINESS HOW-TO, CONTINUED ... should be doing, but we got lost with all of these shiny objects and dreams of overnight millions. Small, methodical, and consistent actions are going to make you grow. Focus on the right tasks; focus on the customer first over short-term profits.
This game we call life is a long-term play, not a garage sale when you need quick cash, despite how people play the game. Shift your focus to the long game. Ask yourself, in my business, what could I not live without? The easy answer
is customers and repeat business. If that’s the case, doesn’t it make sense to stop taking leads for granted and focus on providing value to your existing customers and find additional ways to help them? Where I see people get held up on these tactics is that they feel they need more sales now, and focusing on converting leads and existing customers is a long-term play. I get it; it’s not going to happen overnight. I’m not telling you to not put any of your budget toward additional lead generation, but you have to reallocate some resources for the above areas. Otherwise, you’ll be on this merry-go-round of needing the next marketing hit forever. Finally, don’t overlook this article because it seems too simple. This may be a short article with only three main points, but implementing them well is something that takes a ton of practice. Once you head down this path, you’ll be going in the right direction to crush it in 2018. –Shaun
RESOURCE OF THE MONTH
If You Travel, You Need TripIt The Best in Itinerary Management
For most business owners, travel is a fact of life. From conferences to client visits, many of us spend almost as much time out of the office as we do inside of it. Travel often involves managing all sorts of information, including flight details, accommodations, dinner reservations, and rental cars. Now, almost all of these services come with digital apps you can use to track relevant information, but that requires cycling through a handful of programs and trying to remember how all the pieces fit together. Wouldn’t it be easier if all that information was in one place? Well, that’s exactly what TripIt offers. TripIt is a desktop and mobile service that aggregates all of your travel plans into one convenient location. All you have to do is forward your confirmation emails to TripIt. The data will automatically be assembled into an easy-to-read itinerary that’s accessible from any of your devices.
The interface is organized and clear, with a detailed schedule of where you need to be and when. Even better, you don’t need Wi-Fi to access an itinerary once it’s been created. So, if you end up stuck underground or in the air, you can still keep tabs on upcoming events. You can also sync your itinerary with your favorite calendar app or share your entire travel plan (or select parts of it) with team members, friends, and family. All of these features are included in TripIt’s free tier of service, but TripIt Pro takes this level of convenience one step further. With this additional service, which costs $49 per year, you get real- time alerts and reminders. TripIt Pro can also locate alternative flights in the event of a delay, track reward points, look for better seats, and more. Anyone who frequently travels knows that you need to have a backup plan if a flight gets
canceled. TripIt Pro will let you know the second that happens, giving you more time to find an alternative. If we lived in a perfect world, nobody would ever experience a travel headache. As we know, that’s simply not the case. At least with TripIt, you can be
sure that managing your itinerary won’t be an issue. As the company slogan succinctly states, TripIt gives you “All your travel plans, in one place.”
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Run for Their Lives
52.4 Miles With Cecelia Oliva
One chilly weekend morning in October 2017, one of The Newsletter Pro’s star graphic designers, Cecelia “Cece” Oliva, was out of bed before dawn. She needed to travel over 100 miles north of TNP headquarters in Boise to the small town of Cambridge, Idaho. There, Cece planned to run 13.1 miles over misty country roads. Each year, around 2 million people will run a half-marathon in the United States. Many of these runners train for months, competing as part of a yearly tradition or a New Year’s resolution. Few plan to run four half-marathons in a single month, but that was Cece’s goal when she registered for 52.4 Miles of Love. Formerly Run 4 Heaven’s Gate, 52.4 Miles of Love is a series of charity half-marathons (the name comes from how many miles participants run in a single month). Cece’s church, Calvary Chapel, is associated with other churches and orphanages in east India. One orphanage in particular houses children with HIV/AIDS, and the money raised during October’s four
half-marathons goes toward supporting these kids. “The money raised doesn’t just provide for the basic needs
of these kids,” Cece explains. “It shows them they are loved and helps give them hope. This is a cause I’m very passionate about. I’ve wanted to participate in 52.4 Miles for a while, but I wasn’t sure how well I could manage running.” Having never been a runner herself, Cece fully expected to be miserable every step of the way. She predicted she’d have to chant “Do it for the kids” over and over. Instead, the experience proved to be a huge blessing. “I loved every minute of it. Through my own strength and determination, I can go far; but I can achieve more than I can on my own when I am inspired by something greater than myself,” she
says. “This fall, I plan to run again and raise even more money than I did last year.”
Around the office, we’re blessed with people who are dedicated to making the world a better place. Cece is certainly one of these people. We’re proud to have her heart of gold and her killer design skills at The Newsletter Pro. If you’re interested in supporting the children that 52.4 Miles of Love assists —without running 52.4 miles — visit www.fiftytwofour.org/sponsor .
INTERVIEW
of the Month
My friend, Mike, is an accomplished direct response marketer and has an impressive background in sales. He was the marketing director for GKIC and currently works as the chief marketing officer for Elite Digital Group.
MIKE STODOLA
newsletterpro.com/jan18-view This replay is only available until February 15, 2018, so log in and view it while it’s still accessible. You’ll find the recording at: This month’s interview will cover business growth — the struggles and failures and ways to overcome. Everything you’ll hear is from Mike’s real-life experience — you don’t want to miss it!
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BUSINESS PROFILE
LIFELOCK’S Marketing Product Fail
One of the biggest crime waves in the early and mid-2000s was identity theft. Criminals had worked their way ahead of law enforcement and essentially pioneered a completely new style of crime. In fact, they were so far ahead that the FBI had to create their Cyber Division in 2002. During this time, you couldn’t tune into anything without hearing about identity theft, and cybersecurity company LifeLock used this exposure to their advantage. That is, until their superhero marketing backfired in a spectacular way. In 2005, LifeLock, an identity theft company, opened to very little fanfare. By the end of 2006, they had managed to rack up about $100,000 in revenue. In 2006, LifeLock launched their most famous — and eventually infamous — marketing campaign. CEO Todd Davis threw his Social Security number on the front page of the company’s website in big bold numbers and plastered it on billboards across the United States. You may remember the commercial where Davis points to a mobile billboard and confirms that it’s his real Social Security number, saying, “No, I’m not crazy.” From a marketing standpoint, this campaign is nothing short of genius. We’ve all been taught from birth to protect our Social Security number, and, at that time in history, identity theft was an ongoing major news story. This issue was on people’s minds, so using a live demonstration as the advertising message was exceptional marketing. Although, can you imagine the head of marketing at the time having to come in and pitch that campaign to the CEO? Head of marketing: “So, we want you to publish your Social Security number on billboards and in print ads.” Davis: “Are you
crazy?” I can only imagine the head of marketing hearing that and being inspired to use the line “And no, I’m not crazy” in the campaign. You have to believe at some point, Davis would have asked, “Are you sure our product works?” Well, he was about to find out. The Good News The good news is that the marketing campaign was a huge success. LifeLock went from $100,000 in sales in 2006 to $131 million in sales in 2009. This was in large part thanks to the bold advertising campaign. I clearly remember these ads. They were everywhere, and I wasn’t surprised to see the huge growth in sales in such a short period of time. “ CEO TODD DAVIS THREW HIS SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER ON THE FRONT PAGE of the company’s website in big bold numbers and plastered it on billboards across the United States.” Despite the massive success of the campaign from a marketing standpoint, from a product standpoint, it was a huge fail. Davis’ identity has been stolen 13 times and counting since the launch of the original campaign. Maybe he was crazy after all!
Was It a Failure or a Success? From a product standpoint, this campaign was a failure, as the product didn’t live up to the hype. In fact, if you still have a LifeLock membership, you may want to cancel it. Personally, I use Zander Insurance, which covers the whole family for $120 per year. The FTC thought the product was a flop, as well. When the government started asking questions about the product’s viability, LifeLock was quick to settle for $12 million. Unfortunately, they forgot to read the settlement agreement, and ultimately, LifeLock paid another $100 million in fines to the government to settle its claims against the company. Eight months later, Davis resigned as CEO. From a marketing standpoint, this campaign was a massive success. It launched LifeLock as a company, allowing it to go public under the symbol LOCK until it was acquired by Symantec for $2.3 billion in late 2016. Davis may have had to deal with some identity theft, but, in the end, he became a very rich man. I’d guess that after getting his identity stolen 13 times, he did some research and found a product that actually works to protect his identity.
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