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Credibility… Believability… Proof…
You need more of it. That’s what everyone says… There are even entire books written on how to get it… Courses too!
But you know what I say? It’s this: Boosting your credibility is necessary but, it’s always much easier if you…
IMPROVE YOUR SUBSTANCE
So… please… keep focusing on making your products or services better. Make it as great as you can. Strive ever and ever to… create more value for both your prospects and clients.
What’s that? You say you are already doing that? And you’re not getting all the notoriety and recognition you deserve? And it’s costing you sales and profits daily? And you want me to tell you how you can fix it? RIGHT NOW?
OK, OK, don’t be so pushy!
Today we’re going to drill down into all the particulars of proof. How to best leverage it to enhance your believability and credibility.
First, I want to share an incredible gem Dan Kennedy shared with me. Pay careful attention, because this one is a…
GAME CHANGER!
You see, most marketers think there’s only 1 level of proof. But they’re wrong.
There are, in fact, three levels of proof. Here they are:
- Proof you can do it
- Proof you can help others to do it
- Proof you can help someone worse off than your prospects do it
Now, obviously, all three are important.
But don’t you know, it’s the third type that is often the most difficult to get… and the most explosive in generating blockbuster sales.
Here’s why: Low self-esteem is epidemic. So even when you prove you can do it, and you’ve helped others do it too… you’re prospect may not believe you can help them do it.
Why? Because they believe they’re…
BEYOND HOPE
And that, my friend, will stifle your sales more than you might imagine.
Up till now, you could often rely on testimonials to plug this leak in your sales.
But thanks to our good friends at the FTC that’s all changing. And so for today I’m going to share a plethora of ways to establish more proof.
Consider it a smorgasbord of vehicles to pick and choose from. And while you might not use all of them in any one campaign… the more you do use the more bullet-proof your positioning will be.
And, more importantly, your prospects will have…
CONFIDENCE YOU CAN SOLVE
THEIR PROBLEMS!!!Capiche?
OK, then let’s get down to it…
Yesterday, we talked about looking at your life experience as stackable proof points in your own abilities. You can read all about it here…
Leveraging Your Strengths.. And Proof… TO EXPLODE YOUR SALES!
Now, let’s take this many steps further…
#1
The Powerful DemonstrationWhat It Is: An over-the-top demonstration that proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that either you’ve honed your chops to perfection, or your product is capable of making magic happen. I wrote about this in my blog post about Billy Mays. And when done correctly it’s MUCH more powerful than a sleuth of testimonials.
In fact, just this past Wednesday during my weekly BGS (Business Growth System) coaching call – I advised my client, Howard, how to leverage this technique in his course on outsourcing.
I told him to take a task or activity that most people find difficult, time-consuming and expensive. Then create a 2-3 minute video that shows him getting it done through outsourcing for pennies on the dollar. I told him if he did that for a few of the biggest time-sucking activities and business boosting activities he would have hordes of new clients buying his stuff.
Why It’s Powerful: Prospects discount and distrust testimonials more and more each day. But show them how you can magically solve one of their pressing problems in a way that makes them say WOW and you’ve got them.
Why? Because the prospect can see themselves solving their problem or getting the result as easily as you’ve just shown. So they see themselves creating the same result in the same way. And this is powerful stuff.
You’ve made what they (previously) thought as difficult – as something easily done. And who doesn’t want that?
Example: Dan Kennedy wrote an amazing example of this in his latest NO B.S. Info-Marketing Newsletter (always a great read by the way).
Dan mentioned a sales trainer who sold courses on how to cold-call to get appointments. The trainer would sit on stage with a phone (amplified so the whole audience could hear) and have audience members pick people at random out of the white pages. He’d then call them stone-cold and get the appointments.
Man-oh-man! Do you see how powerful that is? To me, that’s 10x more powerful than a few people in the audience standing up and saying what great results they’ve gotten from his course.
In fact, If I were in the audience and I had to cold-call, I’d be rushing to the back of the room to buy his course ASAP.
#2
Results In AdvanceWhat It Is: This distinction comes from Frank Kern. And it’s a doozy. Here’s the concept – let’s say your prospects have to achieve 10 sub-goals to reach their main goal… Then in your free content you help them take that first step, and achieve their first sub-goal.
So, let’s say your prospects want to make money online by having a massive list of prospects and sending them offers. In this case, if your prospects were wet-behind-the-ears, step one would be helping them get a website up with a squeeze page.
Why It’s Powerful: The power of momentum is a magical thing. We’ve all experienced it.
When you taste initial success, your belief you’ll achieve your goal skyrockets… and you redouble your efforts.
It’s like when you first go on a diet, and the next time you weigh yourself you’re 5 lbs. lighter! You think “IT’S WORKING!” and you find it easier to stick to your diet that day because of the perceived progress you are making.
And of course, if you’re the person that’s responsible for giving your prospects their initial win… then you’re the person that will lead them to the promise land. And they’ll buy your products and services because they’ve gotten a taste of what you can do for them.
Example: When we relaunched our GPS (Guided Profit System) – we shot a one hour video where I taught the importance of isolating your constraint and then gave a quick exercise on how to locate it.
As soon as prospects did the exercise – they finally saw what was really holding them back. And they were hooked. They saw first-hand how powerful identifying and eliminating constraints could be.
#3
Marquee ClientsWhat It Is: blah – You’ve seen consultants do this for years… listing all the big companies they’ve consulted for. And the reason they still do it… because it works.
I became “The Guru to The Gurus” because I’ve coached many of today’s top Internet marketers. And I don’t think it’s too surprising the incredible number of clients I got because of it.
Think about it: You’re on Guru X’s list – you’re impressed with his success and his knowledge. Then you find out he had a coach when he first started out – one that helped him get incredible results.
Wouldn’t you immediately seek that very same coach out? Of course you would.
Why It’s Powerful: With the right marquee clients, prospects naturally assume if it’s good enough for them… it’s good enough for me. Especially when the prospect aspires to get the same results of those marquee clients.
You probably heard that old saying “No one ever got fired for buying IBM” – just take that sentence to it’s natural conclusion and you’ve got the point.
Example: Nowadays I no longer stress all the gurus I previously coached. Instead I stress the fact that I’ve worked with or taught Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, Agora, Motley Fool, The Street, etc…
The reason: for the past 2 years or so I really went after more corporate clients… I knew the gurus I coached weren’t the sort of marquee clients I needed for the prospects I was aiming at.
Now that I am back, many of the gurus I used to coach are now seen as THE COMMON ENEMY – some rightfully so. So I’ve distanced myself – and I’m creating a new set of tomorrow’s biggest gurus (who are ethical and honest) in my current programs. For example Alex Jeffreys, and many more.
#4
Track RecordWhat It Is: An impressive array of previous accomplishments. In investments it’s about picking winner after winner… In health it might be the first to expose effective alternative approaches… In my business, Strategic Profits, it’s the results we’ve achieved ourselves.
One of my mentors, Michael Masterson, built a 100+ million dollar company in his 30’s, and a totally different 350+ million dollar company in his 50’s. Is there any wonder why advice from Michael is valued more than from others who haven’t achieved his level of success? I think not.
Why It’s Powerful: A great track record shows: you’re a step ahead of everyone else… you’ve got a high success rate… and… you do it consistently!
Who doesn’t want to be around success like that? Ultimately you want to be the “go-to” person in your field for your prospects and clients – and one of the easiest ways to be that person is to advertise your successes.
Example: I gave you some of my own examples in yesterday’s post – so no need to go over them again here.
#5
Powerful AssociationWhat It Is: If you associate with powerful people then it’s assumed you’re powerful… if you associate with great marketers then it’s assumed you’re a great marketer… if you associate with the rich and famous then it’s assumed you’re rich and famous too… and so on.
Also, when you partner with big name players, often times their credibility extends to you. In fact, even when you interview enough thought-leaders you’re seen as a thought leader. (More about this in a minute.)
How To Do It: If I was just starting out in a niche – this is one of the tactics I would immediately leverage.
I’d create a blog… begin posting… then head over to Amazon and buy the most popular books in my niche. I’d read them, and then approach the authors to interview them about their books.
Almost every author is willing to be interviewed about their books – and when you ask insightful questions (proving that you’ve actually read their books) a friendship is likely to develop.
I’d post the interviews as soon as I did them. And when I had enough of them I’d put them all in a free report – with a snazzy introduction and conclusion from me. Whamo… instant credibility by association.
Why its powerful: It’s simply human nature to assume that if those people (whoever those people are) seem to think you are worthy then so will I. Of course, this works the other way too – associate with sleazy people and people will think you’re sleazy. In fact, if I knew now what some of my guru clients were going to be doing after I coached them… I would have declined coaching them.
Example: This past year my credibility skyrocketed because of The League of Extraordinary Minds. I got to associate myself with Stephen Covey, Robert Cialdini, Dan Ariely, Al Ries, Jack Trout, Jay Conrad Levinson, Julie Morgenstern, Marshall Goldsmith, Ori Brafman, Michael Gerber, Herb Cohen, Sergio Zyman, Spencer Johnson, John Kotter, etc…
And before that I’ve interviewed famous authors like Dan Ariely (Predictably Irrational), Robert Cialdini (Influence), Joseph Jaffe (Join the Conversation), David Meerman Scott (The New Rules Of Marketing And PR) for the blog about their books.
In fact, I’ve got a doozy of an interview arranged for you next week! I can’t wait to share it with you.
#6
Unique MechanismWhat It Is: Gene Schwartz went through a very thorough explanation of this in his book: Breakthrough Advertising. I also wrote about how Billy May’s used it in the blog post I wrote about him (if you haven’t read that post – you need to asap).
Here’s the gist of it: A mechanism is a new way, unique method, new system, or approach to getting the benefit your prospects desire.
Why It’s Powerful: Having a new way to achieve a result makes getting the result more believable to all your prospects who already tried other approaches. So there’s an immediate increase in the believability of your promise.
Example: Like I said, I give you plenty of examples in the Billy Mays Post (so, read up). But here’s another one from my personal history. When you look at what I did with The Internet Business Manifesto and The Missing Chapter – one way to look at it is… I created a new mechanism (knowing how to build and run a business) to succeeding online. And for many who had struggled this seemed like a new, different and better approach to succeeding. Get it?
Wait…
EGADS… I’M LATE!
Where does the time go?
I’ve got lots more examples to tell you about too – but they’ll have to wait until tomorrow. Sorry.
I also wanted to show you how to better leverage these too! Like I did with #5-Powerful Associations.
So, if you want to help your fellow readers out, feel free to give some advice on how you might leverage any of these.
Here’s what I already have on my list:
- The Sinatra Test
- Displays Of Knowledge (real articles, blog posts,etc..)
- Research + Studies
- Media Mentions
- Case Histories
- Credible Certifications
- Displays Of Honesty & Integrity
- Awards
- Personal Endorsement Of YOU
OK – Before I go…
***********************************************************************************
I’ve got 2 quick questions for you…
- Which one of these do you plan on using first?
- What am I missing on my list?
***********************************************************************************
And thanks to all of you who’ve been commenting – sometimes it feels like I’m pulling teeth here (LOL)!
Oh yeah, don’t forget to tweet this too!
To higher profits and beyond,
Rich Schefren
*********************************UPDATE*********************************
THIS POST IS CONTINUED HERE:
Create Credibility… Boost Believability… Pile On The Proof! (part 2)
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89 Comments to “Marketing An Online Business? Step #1 – Create Credibility”
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Hi Rich,
Thanks for another great post. Proof does seem to work for my business. I’m slowly building up my reputation. My web pages are mainly ‘How To’ format rather than hard selling pages. They give proof based on the projects that I’ve worked on.
Results in advance sounds a good one to try. I already give out physical samples of my work. I try to adapt your teachings on selling info to the selling of physical products. I’m thinking of getting into info products though!
A problem I have is when I want to develop new products. These products are physical not info. I want to test the market before I go into production. My idea is to put up a page showing realistic mock-ups of the products using photo realistic computer generated images or video. I was thinking of making a ‘register your interest’ format web page or blog. I’m thinking of the ‘collectables’ offers that you see in magazines where they say ‘don’t send any money now’. I’m guessing that they are doing the same thing, testing the market with a artwork mock-up of the product and if there is a market for it they tool up for manufacturing the real thing and contact the people who have registered. Is this another way to create proof?
Thanks again for sharing your knowledge.
Carl
i like your idea carl – in fact – a few years back harvard business review did an article comparing companies that rapid prototype versus one that don’t and the ones that did had much better overall results… so, i think you are on the right track.
This is interesting.
I have heard of this process being done to test the interest with many different types of product concepts. Info products, software, services, etc. I think this is a great way to get ‘proof’ although I don’t know that it is the same context as what Rich is discussing here. Proof for you, the merchant, but not so much for the customer. Proof for the (prospective) customer is a little tricky I think. I admit that testimonials make a product/service more interesting to me, even though I understand that they may not be “real” testimonials. Now with the new FTC guidelines, a bit of a flag goes up for me when I see a lot of ‘hyped testimonials’. I do like testimonials, but I generally try to find ‘real’ ones (ie forums or feedback on big sites, such as amazon.com).
What I find interesting is the way some people are beginning to use more “real world” testimonials in their sales copy. Certainly that carries more weight with me. Tell me the product/service has been some benefit, I might believe you, tell me your product/service will solve all my problems and catapult me into success, well I am guessing your selling snake oil. So what this means is that you will have different impact on different people with the proof you try to share. I know the sales guruhs say the hype raises conversions, at least in the short term. Perhaps it does, but what I wonder is, is it possible to keep those high conversions with some sort of proof, but more ‘real’. It seems to me that a more ‘honest’ pitch would build better longevity, so the proof should be real and typical.
Great posts Rich!
JeromyS
Rich..
First; I will be utilizing the Sinatra Testing. The power of story telling enables many prospects to gain for themselves a more personal perspective. Hence, what we perceive will be more meaningful and actionable.
Plus I feel comfortable in using the Sinatra Testing methodology.
You and others at StrategicProfits.com i.e. Brian and Todd are very versed and accomplished using this same technique style.
Secondly; which technique(s) might be missing?
Here are some additional systems not mentioned:
1.ASK Campaign Calls
2.Affiliate Rebate Calls
3. Facebook/Twitter squeeze page
Let me know if I am on track with the above mentioned items??… Thank You so much for your postings…awesome!
Loyd La Rue
http://LoydLarue.com
askLoydLarue@gmail.com
thanks for commenting loyd – i think the systems you mentioned could be used to acquire testimonials … but i’m not sure what you mean here regarding them themselves for increasing credibility and believability.
let me know…
I can answer the question about using twitter to gain credibility, which admittedly can be slow. I make it a practice to post material/links that I think is relevant to good business building on twitter. I started with 0 (that’s goose egg) followers, and have slowly picked up numbers. Last I looked, I had 3 sure followers, and a number of casual ones. All the “advertising” I do of the twitter link, is in my sig file. (http://www.twitter.com/FBNgroup) All of the followers have come from posting worthwhile info, and people saying (apparently). “This guy posts good material/links.” Of course this is also a form of “associating my name with known people.” :-)
As I’ve said in a number of forae (forums for non latin speakers). “I’m happy to promote those that are good at what they do. I’m not diminished by helping others be (more) successful.” In business, if I help someone become successful, or more so, they remember that. Plus, if someone remembers that I suggested someone/something that they liked, I look good as well. Your rule of association works very well, in both directions as you say.
I also agree that some IM Gurus have “lost their way.” They’ve spent so much time “monetizing” their lists that they’ve lost sight of the real customers. Their customers are no longer people to help, but sheep to be shorn. Which as you’ve pointed out, can be hidden for long. You (Rich) stay top mof my list to read and pass on, because you believe in helping, and haven’t lost your focus.
AAAAGGGGhhhh. I meant to say can’t be hidden, not can. :-(
Rich,
Great post today – when you add the other items – you’ll have a virtual encyclopedia on ways to increase your credibility.
You helped me today most because in your earliest comments – you helped me see something that has been right in front of me all along. What I am really wanting to help people with is to deal with their low self esteem – I want to help them find hope. I want them to be encouraged that their lives can matter. I want to help them see that by helping others first that good things will come to them.
Zig Ziglar was one of the first positive mental attitude authors that I ever read. One of his favorite sayings – “You can get everything in life you want, if you help enough other people get what they want” has stuck with me for almost 3 decades.
If I have had any success in my sales career it has been due to a sincere effort to apply that principle.
The other element the “clicked” today is what I am trying to do is actually described in:
#6 Unique Mechanism – A mechanism is a new way, unique method, new system, or approach to getting the benefit your prospects desire.
That terminology really helps me understand what I am working on – it’s not brilliantly technical, but it is an effective way to help people to have hope, improve their self esteem, and help others to do the same.
Like I said in an earlier post, this is a lot of stuff to assimilate, but keep going – you’re doing good – just keep trying to drill down and really get underneath of why stuff works just as much as the step by step instructions. You’re making a difference for many people. Keep it up. Thanks again.
thanks for your comments and compliments kerry – it means more to me than i think anyone will ever guess.
glad i could help make a few new connections for you today.
there’s immense power in the mechanism – so looking forward to hear how you leveraged it.
rich
I plan to use #5 powerful association…
you, see that reminds me of a conversation with the late, great Gary Halbert. He gave me some advice. Here is what he said
sorry. dont know how to put a link in a comment. http://www.thegaryhalbertletter.com/newsletters/zfkj_hands_on_experience.htm
I guess that blows the proof aspect on my comment..huh.
you, see what i just did there…i used the bumbling, absent minded professor technique…
I’ll shut up now.
i very familiar with that issue – in fact i have the original one he sent out when he was still mailing his newsletter.
but other than him saying you got to prove it – i don’t see the connection – did you link to the right one?
and thanks for your comment james.
The connection i was trying to make, which i was unclear on…was not Gary saying to read the classics…but that i had asked him a similar question to that which he was answering in the newsletter.
I was trying to apply your “powerful association”. I see i must work on at my blog by doing a better job of marrying my “claim” with “proof”
Great post by the way. Even if i missed the mark.
no worries james… thanks for the clarification
First for me is displays of knowledge via blog, reports, products etc…
I figure this is what I have the most control over and will help me get/do all the other things you listed.
Great content will leverage my othe efforts
agreed john – in fact that’s what i am doing through these blog post, right?
you know, anyone can write a good post every now and then – but to consistently display your knowledge for the entire world to see is very, very, powerful
thanks for commenting…. and do you know what you want to work on yet?
Oooo – thank you for this reply post Rich – you just gave me a real gem.
I am beginning to consistently put my knowledge ‘out there’ in blogs and articles – and a friend called me today saying that my relationship healing work had been mentioned on the radio!
Wahoo! Thank you Rich. Thank you for the value you are giving this world; and to me.
Are you really aware of the difference you are making??
Stop for a moment and feel it. That dream you had of making a difference has come true. And it is bigger than you ever imagined it would be.
Good for you – for consistently taking the steps to making it happen :)
Arohanui (big love),
Jacqui
Hi, Rich
When I first learned of Eugene Schwartz and the idea of a new mechanism as it relates to the sophistication of the market…that was a game changer for me.
I flipped it on its head and used it as a criteria for researching niches. In other words I specifically look for markets which are at the level of sophistication where a new mechanism is required to break in to the market.
I then come up with a new mechanism which ideally gives me an edge.
It allows me to be creative (play to my strengths) and I enjoy competing.
So not one you missed as such off you list, but a different way of looking at one on your list. Hope this is useful to all.
Talk soon
Paul
very insightful paul – my preference is to stick to one niche because you get leverage and scalability of all your efforts – but i can see that what you’ve explained here is a powerful way to know if a market is ripe and if so, the best approach that is most likely to work. nicely done!
Rich,
Am I allowed to ask you something about yesterday’s post? I am a little behind :-)
I know what my strengths are but not sure how to apply them.
Could you write more about that?
Or maybe even give me some personal advice?
My talents are creative thinking, problem solving and “debugging” something that isn’t working (I’m a software engineer by education). I am also good at breaking complex ideas down into simple parts and explaining them to others.
My skills include affiliate marketing – I make a good income online from affiliate marketing.
So my question is – in my specific case – how do I take that information and build a business that gives me an “unfair advantage” over others.
I just don’t see what I can do that could to really set me apart from the others.
Thanks for this blog. I’ve been learning a lot!
Sharon
Hi Sharon
Just my 2 cents worth.. only because I’m a software engineer also. Hope it helps.
You probably don’t realize it yet, but as a software engineer with an interest in marketing, you already have a nearly-unfair advantage over most people online…
You can visualize and understand the linkages and systems of which the internet is made. You can also visualize how these could be tweaked, combined or added to for different purposes or in different ways.
I know it’s easy for you to do so, but most people can’t do this to the degree you can do it, at least not without a lot of effort.
Rich’s point nr 6 above, to offer a “unique mechanism” as an element of market entry strategy; it should be a natural starting point for you.
And if you don’t have a niche you already know you want to target; look around for someone who knows their niche really well but hasn’t figured out the “online” thing yet (with a view to partnering with them).
There are so many offline niche specialists, in every niche, that have no idea how to leverage their genuine & deep expertise online. Someone with your skillset to devise & implement a “unique mechanism” to get them noticed online (and you, in a JV sense).
Even more specifically – at the risk of being ageist, I think there are tens if not hundreds of thousands of experts in the (say) 40+ or even 50+ age group, who are just not confident in technology and are pretty clueless about online marketing. But they DO have 20 to 40 years hard-won deep expertise in their niche. They know their stuff the way you know yours.
If you can add a unique twist to their offering through your software realted skills – outsource the coding if you dont care to do it yourself ; and manage the online promotion elements (you obviously have this nailed to a good degree anyway) ..
Bear in mind that the new mechnaism needs only be new to that market; you dont have to reinvent the wheel, just joint a few dots up in a way that will change that niche a bit.
Not the only solution by a long shot, but I can vouch for it. I used this general approach in an earlier (offline) life as a software engineer by partnering with a non-tech niche expert, and we built software that now runs a lot of the financial services sector in Ireland (he was the banking & finance expert). This in turn gave me credibiliy across a lot of areas subsequently .. the “Sinatra test”.
Sharon, I’m just commenting hoping what I am saying will help; and also to say that even if the jigsaw doesnt feel like its coming together, from what you’ve described you’re well equipped for the game.
Good luck!
Sean
sharon… listen to sean… this is good advice!
and sean, thanks for contributing and making this post more valuable to not only sharon… but everyone else who reads this – a very big THANK YOU!
Hi Rich
Here’s one thing missing from your list:
(I’ll send you an invoice for this one).
Fact is, most people want to change where they’re at.
I’ve always found that a ‘Transformational Mechanism’ has a magical effect on those I teach. By this I mean a mechanism that can visualized as a sort of ‘machine’ that achieves the desired outcome. This makes the ‘change strategy’ and the work required easy to grasp. It is also extremely encouraging and motivational.
And so of course I’ve taken this a step further and created actual things that truly represent a ‘transformational mechanism’.
A lightweight example is a numbered 5 part jigsaw puzzle I made for a client recently, each piece having the name of step, that showed part of a photograph. When put together (step by step) the entire color photograph of the desired result could be seen.
Rather dramatically, the last piece is smack in the middle.
But here’s the clincher: I personally take them through the first step until they have achieved it, then I put that matching first piece on the table in front of them. The other four pieces sit temptingly to the side.
The next steps are up to them.
Yes, yes, this sounds very basic I know, but it works beauitfully.
Bottom line is that a ‘Transformational Mechanism’ is really the strategy itself that brings about the change, but if represented as an ‘object’ or idea it can make a dramatic difference in motivating the person wanting to make the change.
Your whole article is in fact a Transformational Mechanism Rich.
As always, my friend
Jonathan Gunson
thanks jonathan – can you explain this another way – because i am not fully grasping your point here – but i want to!
the way i am picturing what you said it’s a metaphor for the change required… and it sounds rather powerful… but i don’t see the connection to proof and credibility.
it’s late in my day – so i’ll read this again tomorrow to see if it makes sense when i am fresh and sharp.
but if you return and you’ve got the time – i’d love to understand what you are getting at here.
thanks,
rich
Rich,
Thanks for posting this. Proof is one of the most important elements in sales… no matter how good an offer is if in the back of my mind I’m wondering “does it really work?” I won’t buy… and I’m sure most other people won’t buy either.
I think one of the most important things you mentioned is to associate yourself with the right people. That’s often easier to do than most people think. In one of my niches I could probably talk to just about every “competitor” by email and phone because no one hunts the people down in my niche. They’d probably be glad to get the call.
Anyhow thanks for this.
Rodney
especially if you call rodney – i don’t think enough people pick up the phone anymore – and to me email just isn’t as personal.
and you’re right – you need a strong offer – but if the promise isn’t believable then you’re not going to get very far.
thanks for the comment.
Hello again Rich
thanks very much for the inciteful and valuable information. I was interested in your thoughts on levels of proof and the value of testamonials. The testamonial mantra seems highly prevelant in marketing for reasons which still evade me. What else would one expect on a sales page but happy stories – so why do people find them credible? Beat’s me (some irrational , emotive, sub-consious hot button I suppose??) but drilling down to more substantive levels of proof as you suggest really appeals to me and now that I know the concept I will look out for it and try to integrate to my own applications.
I agree with your contention that the market is becoming more sophisticated and demanding and if there’s one thing I’ve learned in my brief 3 years of internet marketing education it is that generic concepts must be tailored to the target market. Why is it that this is not discussed as openly as it deserves? Presumably it’s easier to sell, teach, create info products around general principals but is the real trick not in the adaptation?
Cheers
David
totally agree david – adaptation is the real skill in the game of marketing. you know, i am planning on writing about that at some point… i actually had a deep conversation with todd brown the other night about the difference between a pro and an amateur – and ultimately the difference is the pro knows how to hit the triggers and leverage tactics in a completely new way and the amateur you can see from a mile away because they are simply copying tactics from others.
don’t discount testimonials though… they are effective when used properly.
thanks for your insightful point and spending the time to comment. appreciate that!
Hello Rich
why does your own beloved Harvard or the Mayo Clinic not need testimonials? Has their “authority status” surpassed any need of endorsement, are they operating on a deeper level of proof or working in a totally separate sphere that small scale marketers could not expect to replicate?
David
Great post Rich.
I’m a huge fan of Bencivenga and always try to stay mindful of how to create believability and credibility in my marketing.
I’m in a position where I work with professional athletes who are considered celebrities – but can’t use names because of confidentiality. (I work with them on the mental side of sports)
So I’m always trying to find ways to show credibility without outing my clients.
These tips help!
thanks for commenting todd – what a bummer you can’t use their names – because i’m sure that would probably boost your business significantly. maybe you can offer something in return for them allowing you to use their name – of course if it isn’t something embarrassing.
i’m a huge fan of gary bencivenga… much to be learned from a true legend like him. and he’s a big believer in not making your promise bigger than your proof too!
i’m glad these tips are helping!
well thought through post Rich,
It’s nuts in this field. When you want do dig down .. it’s there. Tunnel sideways, it’s there. Knowledge is a funny old thing. So many inter-relationships.
use first?
Power of Associations – because it’s so powerful …
and Power of Momentum. because it breaks the logjam, gets the process flowing and the first benefits delivered.
Missing on the list?
I think it fits on this page .. the power of a well-written and convincing guarantee is believability-booster better than most.
Now you Strategic Profits guys are probably enjoying a relaxing Floriday mild afternoon; it’s butt-freezing cold night in Ireland and I’m moving my ass to a warmer place. Where I wont even have to sit on it :)
All the best
Sean
thanks sean… totally agree – a strong guarantee can certainly add credibility and believability – good point!
and at least you have a low tax rate in ireland – so you might not want to move that soon
thanks for commenting
Rich,
Please stop using ‘Dear Friend’ in your sales letters… it may have worked 10-years ago, but in todays climate it really feels old and tired.
I’m not sure why it’s pushing my buttons but it is (maybe for me to investigate) but I’ve read a ton of sales letters and it somehow feels like time to let it go of that false crap/weathered tactic.
I’m not out to be an a-hole, just some consructive feedback.
Phil.
i’m not sure why it’s pushing your buttons either – aren’t we friends? i guess it’s using dear friend because we don’t have your name attached to your email – but i’ll see if we can change that… and hopefully someday we can be friends.
Dear Phil,
To change something on a whim, without testing it, even if it SEEMS insignificant could hurt response.
Just because it “feels” old or worn out, its not what you feel, or Rich feels, or even what i think…is not a reason to change…test it…its what the numbers say.
However Phil, I would say you could be correct. I’ve seen personalization out pull a generic dear friend by 10 – 20%.
BTW rich…the personalization of the subject line “I Just don’t believe your claims certainly caught my attention. and it also motivated Phil to comment.
Dear James ;-)
You are on the money.
“One accurate measurement is worth 1,000 expert opinions”
P.S. I was specifically talking about the Strengths Mastery Advantage sales page that I clicked through to at the bottom of the email. The email headline on the other hand (“I just don’t believe your marketing claims Philip”) I also thought was pretty effective and did get my attention/click.
Thanks Rich. your information is far out and very informative
which make any person involve in the inter marking take a big
notice and learn from an expert . keep up the good work my friend
Enjoy Louis
thanks louis… i’m blushing… and thanks for taking the time to throw me the compliment
Rich, this post was incredibly thought provoking, thank you!
For me, the Powerful Association & Unique Mechanism really hit home. I think sometimes we get too rapped up with what to do and how to do it that we really forget how to be ‘creative’. And creativity is the one thing that can help us to stand out in the crowd.
Powerful Association – It’s just too easy to do what you explained here…. get acquainted with the experts who already have credibility, LEARN from their materials, interview and report. When new to a particular niche, it is important to become the REPORTER – your followers will appreciate that you are walking your talk, doing the things you suggest for them to do and you “obviously” know a thing or two because you’re hanging out with the big names of the industry. **Credibility **
The Unique Mechanism concept is a real GEM! How often do people shut you down before you even begin because they’ve tried that type of system or that kind of product before and it did nothing. It’s naive to think it is the product or system that did not work, but unfortunately most people believe that is the case. Self esteem and confidence levels drop, and people put up their walls of protection.
By creating a new and unique product, service or system there is less opportunity for people to object because they’ve never experienced it. Provided that what you provide is valuable and does what you claim it does then you have instant credibility right there.
Another superb post Rich! You totally rock this world:)
Melissa
melissa – thank you for your kind words…
plus i agree with everything you said – you’re spot on – both on the mechanism and association… i hope you use them and then tell me and all the readers about your success!
keep up the good work!
Hi Rich,
You inspire my creation!
Honesty and integrity. You receive from life equally to what you give. When you give more; you receive more.
(I do believe that is why you are doing so well now).
How can life give more to you, if you in yourself are giving less? The laws of physics answers that for you. To receive more from life than you are currently receiving; you need to give a lot more – back to life.
When you want to receive more, you need to give more. More value, more honesty, more integrity. Give as you want to receive, then more! :)
I am currently using #6 Unique Mechanism.
Creating a healing support site where a person can go and heal their life moment by moment – as they feel the need to.
It is new, it’s powerful – and it gets you results – right from when you listen to the first audio on the welcome page :)
nHarmony Circle of Connecton – connecting the dots to heal your life from the inside-out. Launch date 21st Feb 2010.
http://RememberTheRainbow.com
Thanks for being you…
Jacqui
good luck on your launch jacqui -what you are doing sounds interesting (from what i understand) – who do you think is your ideal customer? have you defined that person in complete detail? you should…
thanks for commenting
Goodness, that was a fast reply!
My ideal customer is the person who has tried everything, read all the self-help books, been to the seminars – but still just can’t seem to feel fully connected; with themselves, their relationships and life.
EVERYbody needs to feel connected. And most people don’t. They do not realise that healing comes from feeling – from the inside-out.
Many people into ‘positive thinking’ only allow themselves to feel ‘positive’. However, shutting down from feeling any emotion will shut you off from feeling life fully.
You can only access peace from a current state of presence :-)
I show people how to get into a state of feeling absolute connection regardless of which emotional state they are in – or what they are going thru – within minutes.
Absolute magic. I have wanted to heal the world for a very long time. Now I have been shown how to do it :-)
I asked to be shown how to promote my work online – and then YOU came along! :-)
Inspiring my creation…
Healing a feeling.
jacqui… have you ever read the passages? because you should… this book documents many of the life questions people ask themselves based on their age group… this could give you some great content to blog about and use in your marketing.
o my days … how should i say this?
to paint the perfect picture for all of you reading this comment…
i’ve chewed my nails down to the skin whilst i’ve frantically wrote
note after note whilst reading this blog post
Rich what you doing to me … man?
it took me an hour to get past formula #1 – The Powerful Demonstration
i had idea after idea and my head just opened up to a whole new vision.
so here i am creating a plan to put this 3 level proof formula to work.
lemmie try explain. … but to be totally honest
im not sure if im going to be able to explain it here right now as this past
hour i’ve been like a crazy science professor playing with his new proof formula.
side note to rich:
i’ve just totally redesigned my pre-launch creating a MUCH better event around the content which ofcourse is all proof driven from the ground up with case studies of prospects that are worse of than the reader.
your gonna dig this :-)
these blog posts have been something else man,
and as im just getting started working on the early stages of my latest report
ive been getting quite creative and the jucies are flowing these past few weeks.
and this past week or so being able to read your latest COMMENT DRIVEN blog posts has inspired alot of deeper kinda xray vision of the conversation i need to write in my next report and how i will communicate the message in the report.
todd brown working out of rich’s office taught me this back in 2008
- its “communication within the information” that captures the readers attention
and if that is not powerful enough when understood
today rich took it deeper saying …
what message’s we need to send to our prospects/readers on the many diffrent levels while we communicate via our information that we share with our prospects/readers
whats the saying …?
“success leaves a trail – a story makes the sales”
is that even correct ? … sounds good anyway … and stories do sell for real.
all my internet marketing reports tell my story – there is not alot more within them apart from my story and alot of comunication to my readers,
side note: – i ALWAYS think people will hate my reports when i write them but they become remarkable pieces of work.
it’s proof that rich’s GPS coaching program teaches the correct stuff to become
an online success fast right :-)
also … i LOVED the dan kenedy part of the post today
and im gonna do something like that on a live webinar after i release the report
i just sketched that into my notes too …
… i think that will go down well with all our new prospects if we do a live demo
where i totally outsource a profit pulling platform and list building machine.
any how … thats me done,
excited to say the least …
hope i didnt babble on … im just REALLY excited about my notes i just
took and the action im about to take with them,
THANK YOU RICH … TODAYS POST WAS REAL DEEP RIGHT FOLKS?
hey were all learning here – even rich is right :-)
btw rich im so excited about tomorrows post
today’s post i already had high standards for and boy o boy it totally blew away what i thought you would share.
this post has just added many digits to my bank over the
coming months and years ahead.
for that i o u rich
alex jeffreys
ps – i almost forgot – you gave me a mentioned in the post – SHUCKS – thanks man,
but rich you know i’ll never call myself a guru right ?
(not that im anti guru or anything )
just my marketing angle will never alow me be one ya know.
BUT i do plan to become a maven at one stage down the line.
( SORRY FOR THE SPELLING MISTAKES EVERYONE- I CAN NOT SPELL )
ofcourse i could use spell checker right
- but i left the mistakes in for this post as proof imbedded into my story to try create an example right here in this comment for ya
in every one of my reports i explain how i can’t spell and i make myself
out in a worse postion than the reader could ever be.
- all i have is a keyboard and i cant spell ( imagine that for a second )
but i make TONS of cash online,.- and people get drawn into HOW?
think about it, – it works a charmer ;)
man, alex… what can i say… your compliments never cease to astound me… and knowing you are getting value from my posts… alone this makes them worthwhile.
i’m still going to call you a guru… just a good guru! (not to be confused with the evil ones…)
when are we going to connect on skype? this weekend?
rich
Yes this weekend sounds great / outta office time well be more creative on the call
And this weekend I’m gonna start pre – pre – launch on my blog with “the gurus nightmare video” and I’ll be using alot I’ve learned this week right in that video :-)
thanks for support
alex
Rich, I thought the post was excellent and full of ideas. As usual it is like drinking from a fire hose for me. The best I can do with this is pick one thing and implement right away. An area I think would help is doing camtasia demo videos to provide proof of specific facets of th customer product experience. I also find that when I feel strongly about something and dmonstrate I can be very effective , so this is the immediate approach for additional proof for me.
thanks for your comment john… and yes i think that would be quite powerful too! after you do one post a link to it (if it’s just a few minutes long)
Hi Rich
Re ‘Transformational Mechanisms’
Let me put it this way instead:
If my client takes the first step with a helping hand from me, and succeeds, this is huge, because it not only provides credible proof that it works, but it is doubly powerful proof because they did it THEMSELVES – the ultimate form of validation.
They are placing in position the first piece of the puzzle themselves, and the rest of the puzzle now looks very exciting.
Proof and credibility – at its most powerful because it is from within.
Jonathan
cool jonathan – now i get it… to me that’s a form of results in advance – but i totally agree on it’s power. thanks for the clarification
Rich,
Today I am going to sidestep your questions. I believe I am beginning to understand a lot of things about my search for the right business to be in. I downloaded your “The Missing Chapter” and am now on the “How Are Strengths Build?” section and need to give all of this serious attention. I am determined to find the right path. Thanks!
if you’re really interested in isolating your strengths we have a program for that called strength’s mastery – it get’s rave reviews and it’s well priced… check it out…
http://www.strategicprofits.com/sma/
Great Post Rich!
I learn so much from each of your blogs.
This one was exceptional!
best
Victoria
wow! thanks victoria – i’m glad you got a lot out of it!
Rich,
I would suggest that online marketers use their research and studies to do SEO article marketing, and to do free reports as you have done, Rich, to define the prospect’s problem(s) and to offer a related product or service as a new mechanism enabling the prospect to obtain the solution.
The first leveraging activity I will use will probably be the Displays of Knowledge, since I am planning to begin a blog in the next few days. On your list of leveraging activities I would add the use of press releases, unless, of course, that is what you had in mind with “Media Mentions.”
Curt Siemers
interested to hear about what you do on the display’s of knowledge…
i wrote about it today – here:
http://www.strategicprofits.com/blog/create-credibility-boost-believability-pile-on-the-proof-part-2/
Hi Mr Schefren,
To start with I am going to use the powerful association and interview as many of the top experts within my market. Once I have done that, it should have built me a bit of a following and more exposure.
This will then allow me to use the unique mechanism that I have been working on. With the powerful association that I have created doing the interviews and the valuable content that I have provided, it should help my report reach more readers and potentially go viral.
The third step in the process would then be to add in a referral generation strategy. Is there any chance you can shed some light on a strategy that has worked well for you?
Thanks for all the content.
Kind Regards,
Graeme McLeish
thanks graeme – you just gave me another idea to add to my list – it’s getting longer and longer. it’s exciting!
so, i’ll be answering your question in an upcoming post in this series – and it will be more complete than i can do here.
Hi Rich,
I’m starting out with Powerful Demonstration, Results in Advance and Unique Mechanism and then build upon that.
I don’t know what to say… I skipped the last 2 or 3 posts because I can’t keep up with you, lol. I got so much from the first couple of posts (and the comments, too!) that I just had to tune out for a “second”.
I feel like I’m being pulled back into “consume mode” because I just want to drink up every word I hear from you. I made a special bookmark folder so I don’t forget to come back to these posts at a later time.
ooo… i’m honored… i’ve got real estate in your bookmarks! thank you very much!
glad you are back oliver – and it’s ok to take a break now and then.
Thank Rich
Another great post, So much to consume so little time to do it in, Loved the Billy Mays Tribute, You two would have smashed it. I liked Kerrys comment on low self-esteem, I would really like to help people become more positive in their outlook and prospects of achieving their dreams. Many years ago a very dear friend (old school marketer) who has joined Billy told me most people dont understand that “You are where you want to be”.
When you understand that then you can move forward, Has something to do with constraints I think,maybe.
Best take away Give people confidence that you can actually help them.
Starting with displays of knowledge,
Many Thanks Rich
PS Recieved email from Stephen P he must like your constraints ideology as well :-)
thanks kris – and i agree about displays of knowledge.
i just wrote that one up in today’s post – you can check it out here:
http://www.strategicprofits.com/blog/create-credibility-boost-believability-pile-on-the-proof-part-2/
Fantastic post… posts like this get so excited. In the PE (you’ll know) you gave me a ways back goes over this. I’ve devoured it at least 25 times.
Believability is critical to “breaking through” with your marketing.
Some great examples of a powerful demonstration would be the old Timex commercials, “Takes a lickin’ and keeps on tickin.” Shamwow, SlapChop, and for software developers there’s nothing better than just demo’ing the software on video.
Some guys who break through the proof is: Robert Allen (No Money Down story), Bill Phillips (BodyForLife Challenge), Ed Dale (30DC).
Great post Rich!!
Chris
thanks chris – and your examples are spot on – you actually gave me another idea. so thanks for that too.
Hey Rich,
Great stuff in this little burst of posts. One thing we have been using for proof is Twitter. We have a good following for one of our niche businesses and always get people either:
ReTweeting our stuff (social proof that people like our posts, materials, etc)
Telling their users how cool the stuff we are doing is
Telling people to go to our sites to check out our courses, videos, etc
This works wonders for us in so many ways, it is instant social proof and also a way for us to grab unsolicited testimonials. Whenever we do a teleseminar, webinar, etc we tell people to talk about us on Twitter, ask questions and say hello with a specific hashtag – then after the call we go and get some screenshots of all the conversations. This is a huge one for us!
Great stuff as usual Rich and looking forward to more.
thanks greg – and i am excited to hear how you are using twitter. don’t forget to tweet for me too if it’s relevant (smile).
i think i’ll be adding a component to my list to discuss it further. thanks for that
Hi Rich,
Your blog post today validated a lesson I learned last year about working with “frenemies, a term I learned from Claudia White, whitesandsconsulting.com
For year, I avoided another consulting firm because they occupied “identical” space in my mind. Their Franchisee disarmed me by simply asking. “Why don’t we just talk.”
In like manner, the League stretched my thinking about “frenemies” as you compiled this huge list of gurus who were more than happy to share their success. With each story, your credibility grew. Thanks for the insights
Ray
glad you got value out of the league of extraordinary minds.
and cooperation among competitors can be a very good thing.
in fact, i wrote about that in the final chapter – you should check it out if you haven’t read it.
I’ve been a silent reader of this Blog for sometime. Started coming here during League of Extraordinary Minds. Excellent post like always. Only this time I felt like sharing it and thought digging it would be easy as just log in through facebook account and click digg. It turned out be more then that and since I didn’t wanna leave it like that I went ahead and took the liberty of actually writing a description for this post to submit the digg. [hope you are okay with it]
As for the post Rich, I think the list is quite comprehensive and I like the idea of you creating distance with guru’s and going for bigger things ultimately boosting your credibility and skyrocketing your believability. I mean think about it 7 out of 10 gurus are actually squeezing the prospects and when you are the guru of guru’s what a normal pi**d of subscriber will think when things aren’t working out for him… Ah so Rich is the one who teaches them these techniques to juice every penny out of my pocket without me every seeing the light of success…
I’m sure when you are associated with Google and big names like that… that throws the guru hype out the window and you are seen what you really are.
Great post Rich and I’ll keep popping here often.
Cheers.
Maddi.
I REALLY appreciate the DIGG so a big thank you.
yeah maddi – that’s what i was afraid might happen… that i might get labeled as the original source of lots of these tactics – when in fact, i taught business building and marketing strategy and NOT the sleazy tactics.
so – i am glad to be blogging again – to make sure my successes of the past don’t come back to haunt me today.
What I am using is a combination of association and personal experience. On Twitter, I put links to good business building info, which says that I can spot it, and associates me with the people producing it. The book I’m trying to scrape up money to start selling, uses the “How I did it.” It also referrences by association in that I have a number of “resources” that point them to people/companies that I consider worthwhile. My hope is to help kickstart them on the learning curve. Just like you are doing.
Where many of the so called Gurus go wrong, is thinking/acting like they alone can teach everything you need to know. No one person/method is perfect, by itself. It requires other ways of seeing, in your case the comments here, to fill in the blanks. To do otherwise, is to hold a mirror in front of your face, and try to describe a far off landscape. By hearing, and paying attention to, what others say, you can more fully communicate. We’re telling you what isn’t clear, or that we want to know more about. Thus, helping to refine your teaching methods, and our knowledge.
As always, what I take away is twofold. The knowledge of how to communicate more effectively, and ways I can establish my credibility. I may not use just one way, but several, or even combinations of them to establish my own credibility. Your teaching the basic forms, gives us the power to put them to work for us. In the same way that understanding the basics of any subject allow you to construct greater ideas.
Rich,
This was such a delightful post to read and refreshing. #5 Associations is a huge one that I’m going to go out and use immediately. I find your content SO valuable.
The Sinatra Test is a great tool as well. I learned that from you when I read your post on Billy Mays.
For those that haven’t read it yet, it’s the principle that if you have a high profile success story, you need to share it. You need to do it because the “if you can do it ‘there’, then you can do it anywhere”, even with your target audience. It plays perfectly into what Dan Kennedy was saying about 3 levels of proof.
Wow, I’m going to have to re-read this post again. Thank you…Ryan
These represent a nice assortment of ideas. I imagine over time that most, if not all, can be employed with success.
I’m personally toying with a modified version of the unique approach. I say modified because it’s really grounded in the work of Harvard Business School professor Michael Porter. It’s an adaption of something he originated — but re-purposed.
I’m having to rewritre an extensive comment, because my network went down, just as I tried to send it. So, I may be a little less organized this time around. :-(
One of the credibility building tools I use is “second degree” association. I don’t have finances to “hang out” with people like you in person, or hire you, but I do post a lot of value on twitter. 99% of what I send out there, are posts like yours, the LoEM webinars, etc. Since I don’t have a “list” to build traffic there, the following I have came from word of mouth. If you want, by association, which can be more powerful than many realize.
Last night, I was listening to a webinar on contiuity, by Ryan Lee, and something occurred to me. What with the way that the FTC is cracking down on testimonials and the way continuity charges are done, plus the way Google is changing the way “affiliate” markets are done, there may be a tidal wave of change coming. Implicit in your ways of building credibility is being honest.
Now, when you ask “what have I missed?,” I think about that idea. When I had my last business, and website, the CoE (code of Ethics) was a link away on every page. Even though I don’t have a site yet, I have another one written out. It’s still not in a final form, but all it takes is some organizing.
I wrote it before I had a site, because that may be the new standard. Someone willing to “break the rules,” and say. “I try to be bluntly honest, and here’s how I expect to be held to it.” Not because others are by and large dishonest, but because they try to see how close they can get, without crossing over. Now, I have no problem with making money, I do have a problem with how far I’m willing to go to make it.
Every person that coaches/mentors/whatever small businesses, has what I see as the same problem. They all want to believe that we are driven to be as big a business as possible. The truth is that I don’t care if I have business with $300K profit, or $300M profit. Although there is a business that could be that big. I’d like to be part of a group running a modern recreation of an Irish village ca. 1200. For myself, money is a means to an end. Once I have enough, some is put away as a reserve, and the rest goes to charities. IOW, I don’t have the “typical” drive to see how big I can get. Actually, I see getting too big, as a handicap for my business. Anyone can learn my “system,” such as it is. That’s why I wrote the book I want to sell. The difference is getting people to look outside the standard boxes, and use them differently.
BTW, if you want a copy of my new CoE, I’ll send it to you.
The best thing I like about your company and your style is that what you guys deliver for free is better than most guru’s paid content.
It’s so easy to shove words like
THIS IS THE FORMULA FOR ONLINE SUCCESS
1. Find a profitable Niche
2. Make a product
3. Build a List
4. Deliver the product
5. CASH CHECKS!
There I am a freaking guru here is my 10,000 dls course.
Sad to say this is common online.
Anyway my point here is that in just this post you gave an excellent way to start through association!
I am definitely going to put this information to good use as I am coming up with a new product this month.
Keep up the good work Rich!
It’s all about Powerful Association for me! I love all of your advice here though, and plan to try putting quite a bit of it into practice as soon as I can :)
Good job, Rich, just what I needed today. I’ve taken some of your courses and use them as guidelines. However, some days things seem to not really click. When that happens I’m open to some idea or inspiration – beyond what coffee gives me. You blog on Credibility, Believability and Proof was what I needed today. Printed it out and it will be on my desk as a constant reminder. Gracias!
Rich
Great article with some really sueful take away techniques. Proof has become all the more important after the FTC changes, but more importantly is something thats is key for the newer marketer to understand and start to build from an early stage as a core building block for their business.
If you understand the concept and how to develop it then you can work it into your strategies and build it as you go along, which is something that I will definately be doinga s I build my business.
Thanks as always for the great advice
Tom
Fantastic post and series.
Man these aren’t regular blog posts, these are reference material.
I know I’ll be bookmarking these and coming back whenever necessary.
Thanks a lot.
Hi Rich,
Excellent post as always. I’m planning on using #2 as a way to entice people to a free webinar to celebrate our business’s second birthday. They’ll get a free product worth some value that will solve a big problem for them.
Also, thanks also for promoting the webinar with Clayton…that’s stimulating an entire change in how we are approaching our funnels (we spent two days and totally re-engineered what you taught in the September Founders letter with the new ideas), and we’ve already started implementing. It’s amazing how that just a few little tweaks created this great engagement on our blog and Facebook. Can’t wait to see how the sales are impacted on the relaunch of our flagship product.
The idea of providing real value that helps people solve their biggest problems is an absolute winner. Pair this with giving to someone without asking in return, and you can accomplish anything.
I identified a major JV partner and interviewed her in a teleseminar a few weeks ago. We’re giving her a copy of the recording to post on her site with a link back to mine, and we’ll post it on our blog, too.
I also offered to blog for her. She jumped on it and asked me to write on a regular basis for her (implied endorsement), and the first post was about a key pain point in our market. It is linked back to our primary product. (She gets massive traffic to her site each month.) I can promote my members photos in my blog posts with this juicy information to build credibility and implied endorsement for them, too, and that helps me build my value with my best clients.
We reposted this same blog post on our blog, and it ties in beautifully with our flagship product.
One of our affiliates who wasn’t promoting during the last six months asked to send out the same guest blog post to her large list yesterday, and just since Friday afternoon, we’ve added 200 people to our list. We fully expect to double our list within the next month or so with just this one piece of content!
However, it’s truly not the size of your list that matters. It is the relationship with the list that is the key to our financial success. It’s much easier to convert someone to purchase if they’ve already had great success with your products or services.
We’re working on increasing the conversions with our current list at the same time we’re using your ninja tactics to systematize. The third part of our strategy? Using yet another one of your ideas…we keep improving what has now been identified as our flagship product and we’re promoting the h— out of it. We’re trying NOT to develop more content right now. (Another one of your strategies…do less…and do it really well).
The reason I’m sharing these results? Just to reinforce that using a unique application of your ideas allows your readers to build massive credibility quickly. Just a few of your free ideas have created great momentum within the last two weeks for us.
And guess what else, you’re brilliant because this encourages us to share our success on your blog and you don’t even have to ask for a testimonial. Sneaky, Rich.
The big challenge for all of us? Keeping up with the ideas that you share so freely and getting them into action immediately. To the commenters who are overwhelmed and sitting on the sidelines…just pick one of Rich’s ideas that you think will give you the greatest leverage, and you’ll make great progress.
It takes less fuel to drive faster in a car that’s already in motion.
PS – I’ve joked for the last few months that I want to achieve world domination in my niche (I can’t remember the cartoon about this), and the way to do it is to build a tribe of raving fans and let them do the tooting for you. One day when I’m not so busy, I’ll take your Maven course, too. I’m really having a great time learning from you. Thanks for all you do! From one of your biggest fans!
Rich – This is an excellent post and what I like most about it is that your advice is immediately actionable. I believe that the same rules apply to product creation, list building and every other aspect of your business – first, walk the walk and prove you know what you are doing by creating real results. Secondly, alway seek first to add value and then monrtization!
So, I think your order 1-2-3 is on target.
From an integrity standpoint, I would say never experiment while you teach, only teach others what you have been able to prove results and seek to create duplication of your successful actions. If you do this your products will be of high value to your clients.
I am looking forward to your entire series.
James