Finally, I got some!

Yep, I got it alright!

And, it’s not what you’re thinking!

I got hate mail!

Yeah, me, can you believe it!

Via email!

I read it, reread it, then read a third time.

I let the words sink in and yes, they bothered me.

It was basically a 10 sentence rant that could have been summed up into 3 words… “go to hell”!

There was so much thought and structure put into this email, that I felt it deserved some air time.

Now, I’m not going to go into the why’s or break down this scathing letter, but I do want to talk about the power of fan letters.

You see, when we receive a fan letter in most cases it’s a warm and fuzzy, feel good, make your head swell with accomplishment that we want to show the world and tell them how we made someones day. It fills us up with joy-joy happy feelings. We use it to re-energize our passions for our business.

Then, it happens! You receive 1 piece of hate mail! And those hundreds of “I love you” letters turn to mush. Or do they?

You see, I could reply back and defend my case and allow my words to fuel the fire that is eating at this poor soul, or try to communicate in some fashion and hope to restore some sense of friendship…or simply dismiss it.

Here’s what Ron Krauch owner of Emerald Estates Realty Inc out of Baltimore Maryland does… “When I get an angry complainer, I ask, “Is there more?” You can’t communicate until they get all the anger out”.

I suppose I could do that.

Maybe even delete it!

I printed it out!

I taped it to my office wall.

I’m using it!

I’m using it to fuel my desire to improve my services.

Fan mail tells you how you’re business is doing, hate mail tells you how to improve your business.

“I love hate mail…it means you’re going in your direction not the world’s!”, explains Kim Stevens Shahan of KimShahan.com

Now, I’m not saying purposely go out on a limb to screw with people, just so you can get some hate mail.

Seriously,words are very powerful, they can be used to build or destroy!

Don’t let someone’s bitterment towards you destroy your passion. Take the words that people write and use them to build a more powerful you.

Always move forward!

Until Next Time,

“Live With Passion!”

Rob Anspach

P.S. A great way to keep clients coming back month after month is with a client newsletter. Not just any newsletter, one designed to trigger sales, enhance referrals and keep clients focused on you. To see how my Ultimate Newsletter can help you…go to http://robanspach.com/clientnews.html

 

Be like an onion!

This morning a friend calls and leaves a message on my machine.

When I started listening to the message, my first thought was he’s drunk!

I wasn’t sure if he was trying to be funny or if he was serious.

Too be honest I felt a bit offended!

I won’t tell you what he said, but let’s just say he was poking fun at something that was posted on one of my sites.

I shared the message with my wife…her response was, “wow, that’s not like him!”

So I called him to figure out what the heck he was talking about. Bad Mistake!

He went on and on about this and that and my videos and testimonials and…oh boy, I felt like I was being put under a microscope and every little detail was being picked apart.

Then he ends with, “hey buddy I hope I didn’t offend you, I just wanted to give you some advice!”

Yeah, some advice!

I’m sure you have a friend like that. They mean well, but maybe deep down they are jealous of your success, or feel trapped in their situations so they find a way to bring yours down to build their’s up. Instead of trying to be uplifting and encouraging, they are demeaning and toxic.

So, let me swipe a quote from the movie Shrek and spin it.

In the movie Shrek the ogre is trying to relate how the towns people just dont really “get” him, make fun of him and are a bit scared of him to his new friend donkey. He says, “ogres are like onions!” Which confuses donkey and they banter back and forth until Shrek says, “because they have layers!”

Most entrepreneurs need to be like the ogre, er, I mean the onion! Have layers!

Or another way to say it…have thick skin.

Don’t let what others think of you keep you from your goals or from achieving success!

The moment you allow others to influence you in a negative manner is the day you stop focusing on the big picture. You start to question the opportunities, your vision, your goals and your future.

Keep your eyes on the prize!

Until next time,

“Live With Passion”

Rob Anspach

P.S. A book I would highly recommend you read, written by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen (The Chicken Soup book guys) is called, “The Power of Focus”. It will help you get clarity, and allow you to focus on what you really want out of life.

It’s All Crap!

Way back in 2001, I was hired to help a naturopathy center in Asheville NC revamp their marketing.

The very first thing I said when I arrived at the center was… “Let’s cut the crap!” as I held one of their lousy phonebook ads in my hands.

I was arrogant and cocky! Wait, I still am! Wow, you’d think 9 years would change me. Nah!

Fast forward to the present (well a few weeks ago).

I was invited to speak at Jeff Cross’ Totally Booked University in Baltimore MD. Jeff had an exercise in phone book marketing. He asked the class participants to select all the good things out of an ad. Then he went around room and had them talk about the ad. What was appealing in ad that they liked? What features/benefits popped out at them? Why would they trust calling the number in that ad?

Well, the time came for me to share with the class my answer.

“It’s all crap!”

Told ya! Still cocky after all these years.

But, it was at that moment everyone realized this cocky SOB was right!

The ads totally sucked! (that’s a technical marketing term)

There was nothing in any of them that would get me to call them.

No brilliant headline!
No “wiifm” reason to hire them! (that’s “what’s in it for me”)
No testimonials!
No compelling copy!
No call to action!
No guarantee!

Just crap! All of it!

If your phonebook ad isn’t getting the phone to ring (which I suspect it isn’t)…then I would also suspect that it’s full of crap and it’s time to cut it out.

Lets do an exercise…one that will tell you how crappy that ad of yours is!

Rip your ad out of the phonebook along with 20 or so ads from other industries.

Now take a look at the headline. If it starts out with a company name, guess what, it’s crap right from the beginning.

If the picture in the ad is generic (a stock photo) or doesn’t adequately convey trust or familiarity…yep, it’s crap.

If there is a lack of testimonials or missing an honest to goodness risk free guarantee! It’s still crap.

It’s all crap! Well, 99% of the ads are!

Why not get rid of the crap and be that 1%?

It’s that 1% that will attract more business, get more high paying clients, keep them coming back year after year and make money from their phone book ads.

So the next time the phonebook rep calls you and wants to renew your crappy ad…ask them if it comes with a year supply of toilet paper! At least the toilet paper will have value.

Until next time,

“Live with passion”

Rob Anspach

www.robanspach.com

Tron, Chuck, Social Media and Paris Hilton

It seems the biggest question on peoples minds lately when it comes to social media is “what do I post?”

Or should I say, “what should you post?”

You see those commercials about the family sitting on the porch with their kids, posting that they are on the porch with their kids. Lame!

Maybe, you post about Paris Hilton’s latest arrest. I suppose someone needs too!

I really can’t stand when people post where they are (restaurant, a game, out of town somewhere)…what you’re really saying is, “Hey, I’m not home come rob me!”

Your posts should be interesting, should convey your personality and get the reader involved.

Here’s some of what I post about…

Book recommendations – marketing , business, finance, health & fitness

Tron Trivia – the 1982 movie and the sequel coming out in 2010

Chuck – the TV show on NBC – I actually visited the set in Feb 2009

Social Media -whats new, what works and how to make money at it

Testimonials – very powerful way to convey to people your skills

Videos – ones I’ve made or ones I recommend from others

Fun Facts – tidbits of info that people might not know

Quotes – sayings from people to lift your spirits and motivate you

Posts about others – who I recommend and where people can go to find them

My blog posts – marketing, media and money!

My websites – what’s new and where people can go to see them

My family – news, pics & stories

The fundraisers I do – helping different charity events

By following me, and reading my posts, you’ll start to get an idea of who I am, what my personality is all about and my passion for life.

You’ll notice that I like to educate, entertain, inspire and inform.

These are things you can post about too!

My suggestion, if you’re having difficulty, is to make a list of subjects that you want to share with people then create content. It’s really not that difficult.

It will require your time, some effort and a little creativity though.

But hey, if I can do it, I know you can too!

Until next time,

“Live with passion”

Rob Anspach

www.robanspach.com

P.S. Have you seen it? Yes, the video! I redid it! If you’re a new subscriber maybe you haven’t… well, I’m raising funds (about $40k) to help the youth of my church participate in World Youth Day, click on my weblink above to watch the video and learn more about what I’m doing and how you can help. And, some of my buds in marketing world have kicked-in some really fantastic prizes (books, downloads, and a grand prize worth over $3,000). Tell your friends! The more people that can help the better chance this will succeed.

P.P.S. If you donate $100, you’ll receive over $300 in fantastic business building products and be entered to win some other cool prizes. Go to www.robanspach.com right now to help out.

Familiar vs the Unknown!

It seems that no matter where we travel, we always end up in the same place!

The familiar!

You see, we gravitate to those places that are familiar to us and our experiences. Sure, we could find better places, but that would be risky and bordering on the unknown.

It’s like going to McDonalds, Burger King, In-N-Out Burger, Chick-Fil-A or any fast food franchise…you know it’s not gourmet but you go there knowing what to expect… the familiar!

I’ve done it many times myself.

I have a craving for a great home cooked meal, but I’m out on the road and I don’t know where to go to get it. Oh, Mrs Appleton’s Restaurant looks appealing from the road. Nice building! The sign looks inviting! But, there’s that feeling of the unknown. Will I like it? What will it cost? Is the service good? It’s that uncertainty that drives me away. I head to the nearest franchise and settle on what is familiar.

Did you know that the majority of customers who stay with your competition do so because it’s the familiarity they are used to. Not the great service! Not the cheap prices! Not the over 437 other reasons why they would stay…Nope! It’s the familiar.

They just don’t want to risk the unknown trying a new service.

So how do businesses compete with the familiar and overcome the unknown?

Well, reversing the risk is one way! Offer a money back guarantee. Nothing calms a new customers fear than a risk-free, no questions asked money back guarantee.

Another way…using testimonials. Regardless if you use written, audio or video testimonials – using this proven way to communicate how credible you are is powerful tool to help build trust.

A third way is by offering them a way to try you out free of charge. In the case of Mrs Appleton she offered a $15 food certificate to new customers sort of as an enticement to check her out, to overcome that unknown feeling and get them to become familiar with her.

I could go on and on…

I think you get the point…

In order for customers to overcome that unknown feeling you must be willing to put forth an effort and show potential customers you are worth visiting.

Until next time,

“Live with passion”

Rob Anspach

www.robanspach.com

P.S. I’m going to try raise $40,000 in 30 days, click on my weblink above to learn more and how you can help. Tell your friends! The more people that can help the better chance this will succeed.

That One Idea!

A client who I just started working with called me up and exclaimed…

“That one idea has made us an extra $2,000 in just a few short weeks…thanks Rob!”

He then went on to say he couldn’t wait to implement the many other fantastic marketing ideas and solutions I have in store for him.

I love when clients I’m working with get excited, motivated and passionate for their business again. I love it when they can experience real measurable results right away!

Two thousand smack-a-roo’s may not be a big deal to some, but compound that over a year’s time and you got yourself a hefty sum.

Now with the way the new FTC laws on using testimonials are… I do have to be clear and let you know that results aren’t typical (you could make more or less).

What I will tell you… is that if you follow the advice I suggest… I can assure you that you will make extra sales…and I’ll guarantee my advice. That’s just how I roll!

So with some careful analysis of his situation and few tweaks here and there… he was headed in the right direction.

You’re curious aren’t you?

Well, here’s what I suggested…

I told him to eliminate the one-size-fits-all cookie cutter style of pricing that he had been using for years and opt instead for a customized, personalized, fit-for-a-king package option.

This new option gave his customers better control over the services they wanted, even if those services now cost more.

Sometimes doing things differently may seem to be counterproductive, but you won’t know if you don’t try. It also helps to have an open mind and see the possibilities.

Until next time,

“Live with passion”

Rob Anspach

www.robanspach.com

P.S. What could you be doing different in your business right now that could generate extra revenue? Without action you will never know!

Making a BIG splash!

In my last post I talked about splashing your customer, to get noticed.
Well, what I’m going to share with you today will have your customers doing it for you!

I need to warn you, once you start doing this you may never want to stop.

The cool thing about this, is your customers (or clients as I like to call them) get involved and help splash others to help you get noticed.

It’s simple to implement…

No skill required!

And, like I said, once you get started…

What the heck is it you ask?

It’s called testimonials.

Getting your clients to give you their thoughts about your service.

For years I have been telling clients to get testimonials. It’s a simple and powerful way to grow your business using someone else’s viewpoint.

But here’s is where it gets interesting!

If you really want to make a big splash, you have to go full force into the water!

Simple worded testimonials are good.

Yet this method goes a step further and will kick your testimonials up a notch.

It’s called video!

Yep, take your Flip camera, iPhone camera or Kodak Zi8 and video your clients testimonial. This is so powerful at helping build your business…and so simple at the same time.

A video testimonial doesn’t have to be long (a few seconds to a few minutes). Yet, it captures your clients essence (the way they stand, how they talk, how they sound, their mannerisms and their sincerity) much better than a written testimonial.

The cool thing is, video gets picked up and ranked better on Google than a written testimonial does. Which means if you add the video testimonial to your website, not only will it help push your website on a higher rank with Google… it will help drive more traffic to your door.

So go ahead start getting video testimonials from your clients and let them help you splash others.

Until next time,

“Live with passion”

Rob Anspach

www.robanspach.com

P.S. My suggestion is you load the video testimonial onto YouTube first, then place the converted YouTube file onto your site. This way the video loads faster off your site and doesn’t take up valuable space on your server.

Tooting my horn!

People are talking about me… so I thought maybe I’d share with you some of the things they are saying…

“Rob you’re a genius for creating content for all your emails everyday,
keep up the good work!” – Charles Ra

“Brilliantly savvy! Has real insights & knows the triggers that get people to act on an offer!” – David Gruttadurio

“WOW. This guy is good. Very good. In fact, make that very VERY good. His advice is thought out… his strategy is sound… I have no doubt that his unique skills sets & devotion to over-deliver in value will serve him well!” -Issamar Ginzberg

“Believe it or not…all your topics are great and fantastic…it really helps a lot to me and my career” -Remus D. Siason

It’s not that I want to brag or make myself out to be better than someone else!

Well, maybe just a little bragging!

Who am I kidding, I want all the advantages I can get to overcome my competition!

You see, testimonials, when used effectively, can fetch more dollars, build credibility and deliver that extra “umph” needed to convince a potential client to use your services.

Did you notice I used the word “effectively”?

I cringe every time I see someone’s marketing piece and it’s filled with nameless testimonials. What were they thinking? Or how about, the one’s with initials after the testimonials? It makes you wonder if it’s real or made up! All credibility is lost.

Oh, and those real short testimonials, you know the ones… they try to invoke some sort of excitement, but usually miss the mark.

“…fabulous!”
“…thought-provoking…”
“…excellent…”
“…wonderful…”

The great thing about testimonials from “real” people is that they aren’t “salesy”. They inform, educate and inspire in their own voice in such a way that is more powerful than any cleverly crafted fluff piece.

Using glowing testimonials in your ads, emails, marketing pieces and on your website will let your visitors know that you’re worthy of their trust.

Getting someone to promote your product or service in their own words is a powerful, easy-to-use marketing tool that every business should be using.

Until next time,

Live with passion

Rob Anspach

www.robanspach.com
rob@robanspach.com

P.S. If you aren’t currently using your clients testimonials in your ads, marketing pieces, website and blogs, maybe, it’s time you start.

Back to Basics

Was I surprised? Um…nope!

Within about 2 minutes into our hour long consultation, it dawned on me that this person had no clue how to run a business, how to effectively market, or even what the basics were. UGH!

Definitely a “Blind Squirrel”! (an article I wrote about how entrepreneurs run their business on luck…like the phrase says, “even a blind squirrel finds a nut sometimes”.)

So, today I would like to share with you some basics. Maybe you do these now! Or I would hope some of them. If you don’t, then please pay attention.

Thank you cards…very essential…use them! After each sale, as long as you have captured their contact information, send them a personal hand-written thank you card.

A follow-up call…do it! Call the client and make sure they are happy with the product or service. Any objections can be handled right away and you have the opportunity to show the customer you truly care about them.

Reminder cards…do them too! You determine the frequency, but I would suggest at least 3 times a year. They don’t have to be a sales pitch…but they should remind the client you are available to help them.

Email marketing… yep, do this too! It’s essential that you keep open the lines of communication with your clients. An email is quick, easy and affordable. You can use a service to schedule the times and dates your emails are sent.

Social media…if you’re not on them…make it a priority! Facebook, Twitter, Buzz, LinkedIn, Plaxo, MySpace and the host of other sites make it so easy to promote your business, I find it unbelievable some companies haven’t taken advantage of them yet.

Newsletters…use one! Staying in constant contact with clients is key to growing your business. A newsletter if done right can build trust and make you the “go-to” expert in your field.

Referrals…ask for them! Getting referrals is essential to growing your business. The easiest way to get referrals…is, simply ask for them. If you deliver a great service, people are more than willing to share a few names with you.

Testimonials…get them! Mail, email or hand deliver a survey to your customers where they can tell you how they felt about your service. Use the testimonials in your ads, website and other marketing to build credibility and show potential customers who’s using your service.

Brag book…create one! A brag book is way to show off your work. You can include your testimonials and pictures of your products, services and customers.

A money back guarantee…have one! A guarantee tells the client that you are willing to back up your product or service and put your own butt on the line. Having a guarantee gives the client peace of mind.

Well, there ya go!

If you aren’t doing these things…start! If you’re only do some of them…well, why aren’t you doing them all.

Until next time,

Live with passion

Rob Anspach

www.robanspach.com
rob@robanspach.com

P.S. When you institute a “back to the basics” approach you’ll discover that your clients will be happier with your service, you’ll receive more referrals, and your sales will increase.