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>Hi Bill, > >Thank you for your input. >I think we might agree but it seems you’re >generalizing a bit. >I agree, we should find a demand before building a >supply. > >Also, if one uses the Ready, Fire, Aim approach, it >can be very expensive. Using advertising, especially >in mass media, to find a target market after starting >a business can take too long & cost too much money for >a small business owner to contemplate. > >I agree if you mean – People don’t buy just because >the sales copy & offers are compelling. They buy when >they want what’s described & they trust the seller. >So, more substance is needed, especially for >big-ticket purchases. > >I’ve also seen too many examples of what you mean. >Getting people to know & remember a business name >isn’t enough. If name recognition were enough it >wouldn’t matter what the ad “says.” > >If the content of marketing messages isn’t important, >then the messages are wasted. If the messages are >wasted, then we’re basically donating our marketing >budgets to whomever is involved in creating & >distributing our messages. > >Here’s something I wrote in another discussion forum – > >What I learned years ago is why 20 exposures to a >marketing message are necessary to START getting >responses. 20 exposures!?!? For a prospect to see/hear >a marketing message 20 times in mass media, the >business owner would probably have to pay for at least >30 insertions and/or use more than 60 second spots or >a quarter page ads. > >That’s great for media people. But for business >owners? A thousand dollars here, a thousand dollars >there & we’re starting to talk about some real money. > >I heard from some of Jay Abraham’s cohorts about some >print media people preaching about TOMA - - Top Of >Mind Awareness. TOMA preachers were trying to convince >advertisers they had the answer. Just run some small >business-card-type ads to get regular exposure, by >doing that, advertisers would find in a few years, >many people in town would know about their businesses. >WOW! What a break-through! > >But what should we do while we’re building awareness? >If I wanted to achieve & benefit from their version of >TOMA in a few years, I’d have to start marketing my >business at least 2 years before I open for business. > >If not, I’d have the marketing expenses, plus all of >the other business expenses but not sales to finance >the expenses. But that wouldn’t be legal unless I’d >inform prospects my business isn’t open yet. I’ll open >my business after enough people know about it. > >So immediate results ARE possible!? > >But first, you’d need to have a compelling message to >achieve AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action). >Of course, distributing your message to the best >target market you can find & reach is a plus. > >If done well, any marketing effort should get some >immediate, positive results. I figured waiting for the >magical 20th exposure wasn’t acceptable for small >businesses with small budgets. So I sifted through >marketing methods for more than another decade. It’s >been worthwhile; I found more effective methods. >----------------snip------------ >What I’ve written below about TOMA practitioners is >beyond what I heard during Jay Abraham’s event. Though >some of it may seem like unfair speculation, I’m >adding to make the point as plain as I can. > >The TOMA preachers were only going to be in town for >about a day. So their seminar ads had a lot of >details. Why? Because the TOMA preachers needed people >to respond NOW. If business owners didn’t attend the >seminar on that day, the TOMA preachers would’ve lost >money. > >TOMA preachers used direct response marketing to get >business owners to register. That way, they’d know if >there was a big enough response to make it worth their >expenses to go to that city. > >Why didn’t they plan to have the seminar 2-3 years >later? Why didn’t they use their methods to build >long-term awareness about the seminar? Because they’re >HYPOCRITES. They’re smart hypocrites who know how to >get sales. They know what they preach is garbage. > >But it was in the BETTER interest of the sponsoring >newspaper publisher to get long-term advertising >revenue. > >What’s in the BEST of the sponsoring newspaper >publisher is getting long-term advertising revenue by >providing ways for advertisers to stay in business. >Bankrupt businesses don’t advertise much, except for >going out of business sales. > >Of course, the publisher didn’t want to admit the >newspaper wasn’t helping advertisers, so the ad sales >reps just kept preaching about long-term results. They >hoped advertisers would stay in business despite >ineffective marketing. >They didn’t want to admit what they preached in the >past was wrong. They hoped business owners would >attribute success to newspaper advertising. > >If the content doesn’t matter, then I’d get the same >level or response from both of the samples below. >Which of these examples do you think would be likely >to get a substantial, positive response? – > >Now A New Discovery, “The Secret Formula of Top Of >Mind Awareness” >When you use our time-proven, entrepreneur-tested >method of building awareness, your sales will >crescendo into a fanfare of profits. Yes. In 3 years, >you’ll have the success you deserve. Imagine how good >you’ll feel while you watch your employees serving >customer after customer, day after day. >Your local newspaper advertising sales representative >has the answers you need! Call to register for this >seminar now to be sure you get in. This is a one-day >event only on April 34, 1888. >-------------------------------------------------- >Do You Know Which Half Of Your Marketing Budget Is >Being Wasted? >When you have a choice of paying for advertising >exposure or investing marketing results, which will >you choose? >When I introduce an idea, many business owners have >told me, “I tried that, it didn’t work!” As they turn >away from me, I say, “You probably paid for that in >advance. If I don’t find a way to make it work for >you, I won’t get paid.” They stop & look at me with a >mix of hope & skepticism in their expressions. >I go on talking, “It will cost you about $20 in >materials.” They shake their heads & start turning >away again. >I finish with, “I’ll help you get that $20, or you’re >not obligated. Everything I do for you will pay for >itself in advance, then I’ll be paid after the results >come in.” >Their smiles give me their answers. >You can be that sure of your marketing efforts. I know >you may be thinking it sounds too good to be true. But >it will only take a 30 minute consultation to start or >e-mail messages in your spare minutes. My questions >will direct your mind toward things most small >business owners aren’t aware of. I’ll find a way to >bring you sales you wouldn‘t have had without my >guidance. If I haven’t done that, you’ll still have a >better awareness of how to increase your profits. You >won’t owe me anything. It’ll be my loss, not yours. >The details you need are available by clicking on – >http://www.-{blank} -.com/ >-------------------------- >Something important to be aware of – “If you keep >doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what >you’re getting.” BUT please remember – If the >situation changes, what you’ve been doing could get >different – maybe better – results. That's why testing >one thing at time (in most cases) is so important. Or >we can test the same things in different situations & >be successful - like approaching a different target >market. > >Networking is good, but it’s time consuming. If it’s >used to gain knowledge about consumers & to gain >exposure, then it’s more useful than just sending out >messages. > >It's also a great way to find out which messages >people will respond to. Then those messages can be >used in other ways. Example - >A computer tech knows a modem won’t work with an >operating system if the right driver isn’t installed. >But how many people are going to know what those terms >mean? > >While networking, the tech may hear, “I just switched >from Windows 98 to Linux. Now my modem won't work.” > >So compare these 2 headlines – > >Has Your Modem Stopped Working Because Your Computer’s >Operating System Doesn’t Have The Right Driver? >We have the driver your modem needs. > >Have You Been Able To Surf The Web Since You Installed >Linux? By installing a little bit mroe software, we >can get you on back on the Net. > >It could make a big difference depending on if the >headline is used in an ad in PC World or a newspaper >ad. > >Advertising is non-personal selling. It’s the first >step of personal selling or is used to replace >personal selling Personal selling, for the most part, >is working IN our businesses, not ON them. A retailer >walking door-to-door isn’t available to customers in >the store. A retailer in a networking meeting isn’t in >the store to observe & to guide employees to be sure >customer service is being done well. > >I realize business owners can’t afford to be on the >job 24/365. It takes judgment & customer input to >determine which activities are good or best for >customers. > >Compelling non-personal selling is for consumers to >use as a compatibility check. If they don’t like what >they read, see & hear, that’s OK. No business should >try to appeal to everybody, unless it’s in a very low >population area. > >Non-personal selling is good for inviting/attracting >people to a personal selling situation, like in a >store or sales call appointment. > >Dennis S. Vogel >thrivingbusiness@email.com >Knowledge can be your best & strongest ally. >When you compete use knowledge to form a >competitive advantage or don't try to compete. >http://web1.lakefield.net/~thrivingbusiness/ >http://www.voy.com/31049/

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