And I’m reminded of the days, many years ago, when I volunteered as a Pet Adoption Counselor with the San Francisco SPCA. Looking back, I must have been training for what I do now. I had lots of enthusiasm. People often teased, “You’re selling cats!” Sure enough, many visitors went up with a crate holding a furry bundle of joy.

Our Volunteer Coordinator kept reminding us, “Don’t judge the visitors. You’re not going home with this person. The adopter who drives you crazy may be the best thing that ever happened to a dog.”

True.

And copy works the same way. We don’t judge our friends the way their dogs and cats do. And we don’t read our copy like our own customers.

I tell my own clients, “You may not like this copy. But you’re not the target market, even if you think you resemble your clients.”

Here are 3 reasons why.

1. Customers live on a different planet.

If you hang around the Internet, you develop a unique lifestyle. For instance, some of my best friends are people I’ve never met. We exchange emails and phone calls for years. My favorite web designer is an American living in Brazil.

And you hear the same promises over and over. “Bring traffic to your website.” “Attract all the clients you can handle.”

But if you’re targeting ordinary people (i.e., those who have actually met their best friends in person), many of our ho-hum phrases will seem fresh and exciting.

“Hype-free marketing? I like that,” purred an earth-dwelling prospect recently. “That’s a whole new way of looking at marketing.”

Your world may not be the Internet. Maybe you live fitness, coaching, cooking, or finance. But chances are your familiar phrases will seem fresh and exciting to your target market.

2. Customers want to be sold.

They know you’re not putting up websites and creating brochures so you’ll feel good and collect gold stars for your Permanent Records.

And if they want your service, they’re looking for reasons to say “yes.” Think of all those Madison Avenue ads with the theme, “You deserve it.” Or, “You’re worth it.” They’re giving us permission to spend our money.

As long as you’re tasteful and – drum roll – meeting their real needs, your customers will actually appreciate learning about what you offer.

Recently I was pitching my services to “Frank,” a prospective client who sells fitness services. Hesitantly, I referred him to a website I’d written for “Tom” – a financial professional who was terrified we were selling way too hard.

Frank was impressed. “This isn’t the least bit pushy. It’s so warm and friendly! Tom sounds like such a nice guy.”

We’re still talking. But when Frank sees his own fitness site, I bet he says, “Um – do you think we’re selling too hard?”

3. Customers don’t want to stop and think.

Some words and phrases slow us down. For some good examples, pick up your college textbooks and maybe a couple of academic journals. You’ll see words like “moreover,” “counterintuitive,” “although,” and more. (I know. I wrote many.)

How did you read your college textbooks? I bet you read slowly, made marginal notes and hung on tight to your yellow highlighter pen.

Alas, website visitors don’t study our copy the same way. We have to help them create highlights and move along fast.

Which gets read more:

(a) “Although you can work very hard, you may not see results for a long time.”

(b) “But you can work really hard and wait forever for results.”

Bottom Line: Expect surprises when you unveil your copy to your clients, especially if you’re new to marketing yourself and your own products. When I first wrote the title Your 21-Day Extreme Career Makeover, I cringed: Was my site becoming the virtual equivalent of a used car lot?

But my target market – professionals and senior executives – started buying. And the rest, as they say, is history

3 Reasons Why The Copy You Hate Will Bring Profits You Love is a post from: egodrivendevelopment.com

1. Keeping In Touch — Your customers and clients are the lifeblood of your business. What better way to stay in touch with your existing customers than through a newsletter? A newsletter allows you to add personal touches to your relationship and celebrate milestones, both your own and your client’s. In addition to furthering your relationship with your clients, a newsletter can also allow you to introduce new products, offer special sales or discounts to your existing client base, and encourage referrals.

2. Hook In New Customers — Unless they have an immediate need or came to you through a powerful referral, most potential customers won’t buy right away. Often they will shop around and compare which means you will likely never see them again. However if you have a free newsletter that offers interested clients the opportunity to learn more about you, your business, and your products for free and they can also learn more about your interaction with your existing customers. A newsletter can be a very simple strategy to turn a one-time visitor into a lifetime customer.

3. Establish Your Expertise — No one knows more about your business than you do which makes you an expert. Likely the construction of your own business has further left you with a great deal of expertise in your field. Share your nuggets of knowledge through your newsletter to deepen your relationship with your existing customers and convince potential customers that you are the answer to their problems.

Now that I have convinced you that you need to publish your own newsletter, I want to go over a few questions that budding editors and publishers always ask.

What exactly is an electronic newsletter?

Just like their paper counterparts, electronic newsletters deliver written messages usually relating to a common theme or topic. The main difference is that an electronic newsletter transcends paper and ink and most likely only ever exists on a computer screen.

Some electronic newsletter are delivered only via email while others are delivered only on the web. Most are delivered in some combination of the two. Most of my ezines and newsletters are delivered via email but also available immediately via web page (or rather blog page) and RSS feed.

You can choose the method is most suited to you and your audience.

How do you publish an electronic newsletter?

It is much easier to start publication of your own electronic newsletter than it is to start up a print publication. You simply need to decide on a topic, name your publication and start writing. It is easy to find an audience (beyond your own customer base if you choose) through the various ezine and newsletter directories around the internet as well as going directly to the source, for example discussion boards for people interested in your topic.

You will need to determine a delivery method, which means most likely setting up your own web site or page on your existing web site; creating an archive for your issues once they are created, which could mean setting up a blog; and tracking your readers, which likely means setting up a mailing or autoresponder service. However you can use free tools to do any of these things.

3 Reasons Why Every Business Needs A Newsletter is a post from: egodrivendevelopment.com

The search engine is the one handling all the tracking and payments, providing an easy way for webmasters to display content-sensitive and targeted ads without having the hassle to solicit advertisers, collect funds, monitor the clicks and statistics which could be a time-consuming task in itself. It seems that there is never a shortage of advertisers in the program from which the search engine pulls the Adsense ads. Also webmasters are less concerned by the lack of information search engines are providing and are more focused in making cash from these search engines.

The first reason why Adsense is essential for content sites is because it already has come a long way in understanding the needs of publishers and webmasters. Together with its continuous progression is the appearance of more advanced system that allows full ad customization. Webmasters are given the chance to choose from many different types of text ad formats to better complement their website and fit their webpage layout.

The different formatting enables the site owners the possibility of more click through from visitors who may or may not be aware of what they are clicking on. It can also appeal to the people visiting thus make them take that next step of looking up what it is all about. This way the people behind the Adsense will get their content read and making profit in the process.

The second reason is the ability of the Adsense publishers to track not only how their sites are progressing but also the earnings based on the webmaster-defined channels. The recent improvements in the search engines gives webmasters the capability to monitor how their ads are performing using customizable reports that has the capacity to detail page impressions, clicks and click-through rates. Webmasters and publishers can now track specific ad formats, colours and pages within a website. Trends are also easily spotted.

With the real-time reporting at hand, the effectiveness of the changes made will be assessed quickly. There would be time to sort out the contents that people are making the most clicks on. The ever-changing demands would be met while generating cash for the webmasters and publishers. The more flexible tools are also allowing webmasters to group web pages by URL, domain, ad type or category, which will provide them some accurate insight on which pages, ads and domains are performing best.

The last and final reason is that the advertisers have realized the benefits associated having their ads served on targeted websites. Thus increasing the possibility that a prospective web surfer will have an interest in their product and services. All because of the content and its constant maintenance. As opposed to those who are no using Adsense in their sites, they are given the option of having other people do their content for them, giving them the benefit of having successful and money-generating web sites.

Adsense is all about targeted content, the more targeted your content is, the more target the search engines’ ads will be. There are some web masters and publishers who are focused more on their site contents and how best to maintain them rather than the cash that the ads will generate for them. This is the part where the effectiveness is working its best.

There was a time when people were not yet aware of the money to be achieved from advertisements. The cash generated only came into existence when the webmasters and publishers realized how they can make Adsense be that generator. In those days, the content were the most important factors that is taken quite seriously. It still is. With the allure of money, of course.

3 Reasons Why Adsense Is Essential For Content Sites is a post from: egodrivendevelopment.com

1. They’re Short and Personal
Let’s face it, people just don’t have time to sort through a lot of advertisements and junk mail. If the truth be known, they immediately identify ads and pitch them into the trash without ever slitting the envelope.

Postcards get read! It’s already open, and the message is “in your face” without exerting any effort to absorb it. Even if the reader isn’t trying to read it, he’ll get the impact of the short message before he tosses it.

Personal messages have a greater appeal than mass mailings. Postcards keep the old time charm of a personal greeting while implement new high tech marketing strategies… a combination for success.

2. They’re Easy And Cost Effective
Hey even the postage for a postcard is cheaper! Go to your printer and have them print you up several thousand for 7 or 8 cents apiece. Not too bad! For about 30 cents you have a cutting edge, high impact marketing tool ready to be put to use.

You don’t even have to bother with putting them in the mail. Many print warehouses will take care of it for you. Hey, what could be easier?

3. They Keep Your Marketing Strategy Hidden From Competitors
Do you get tired of spending countless hours agonizing over new marketing strategies, only the have your competitors jump right in and ape your campaign? Yeah, it’s pretty frustrating, but hard to do anything about. Everything you do is right in front of them shouting “Copy Me.”

Postcards are private interactions with the individuals who read them. It’s a one-on-one campaign that lets you keep the results quiet from prying eyes. Heck, they won’t even know what you’re doing, much less how to copy it.

There’s another sneak tactic that I haven’t mentioned yet… using postcards to direct traffic to your Website. That’s right! Most of us think we need to use Internet marketing tools to drive up our Internet sales. NOT SO! That’s what everyone else is doing, but think about it. A postcard with your slogan and visible information that directs the reader to your Website… yeah, let’s hope the competition doesn’t catch on for quite a while!

There’s not another marketing campaign that can guarantee 100 percent readership! It just makes sense that when more people read your ad, it will be more effective. Use postcards to market and count on a high response rate!

3 Reasons Postcards Are The Best Way To Advertise is a post from: egodrivendevelopment.com

In fact, you may be losing money. You maybe hiring writers to help you out, or there are some expenses incurred, even if you have a big list, but only a very small percentage actually buys from you, your still losing profit. You’ll realize that after a few months when you see your statistics and sales figures.

So what could have gone wrong? Why have others succeeded where you have failed? The most common mistake is that you dived straight right in. You chose a topic where you think could be quite popular and would earn you money. This just not the case. Just because you wrote people from the list doesn’t mean they are going to buy instantly.

Here I will offer more advice, for those who have started an opt-in list and have failed, you can rejuvenate your failed venture. For those who are starting, here are three quick and easy ways to build a profitable opt-in list.

1) Get your customers to trust you and your products first. Just launching your opt-in list would not make you an expert and a believable seller. Put many articles first before you start an opt-in list. Write about the topic you know and have started and used for your site. Try to put forums first to gain knowledge about your customers about their wants and needs and target those wants and needs.

Join forums from other sites as well. Provide expert advices and recommendations. When you feel that people trust you already, you will be able to start your own opt-in list. You can build a base as well with other forum users. You can ask them to join your list. Friends are always good customers. Put up a link to your site so that they may be able to see what you’re business is all about.

The certain truth is, the money will only come in when the consumers and subscribers believe and trust in you. They want a product or service that could be a good exchange for their money. People are not going to buy something out of your recommendation if they don’t know you.

2) Find a product or service that people want and need. Although it may not be your forte, if you provide a service and product that you have researched and learned about well, you can carry it on forward. Invest your time, effort and money that you could sell as well as the buyers or subscribers of your opt-in list can use.

While it is true that it is best to sell something that you have interest in, there are not many people who have the same interest as you if you decide to sell something that is not entirely popular or profitable. Do your research well and you would see the profits come in. Also provide your subscribers with promotional material that they could actually use and spread around.

3) Make friends with other opt-in list users. This is basically beneficial especially if it is someone who has already launched a successful opt-in list. These are people that have the experience in this venture and experience is still the best teacher. While there are many articles available for you in the internet to use, there is nothing like getting a first hand account from someone you trust.

Experienced opt-in list users will be able to tell you what to do and what not to do because they have gone through it. While different situations occur for different people, the general concept can still be very helpful. There are many things to avoid and these people will be able to tell you which ones.

Building a profitable opt-in list don’t just happen overnight. There are many preparations and effort to do. Opt-in lists are built from scratch, as your list grows, you should also maintain the quality of your list. Keep it organized and manageable. Get or hire help if need be, just make sure that your subscribers are happy and satisfied and they will be willing to buy from you.

3 Quick And Easy Ways To Build A Profitable Opt In List is a post from: egodrivendevelopment.com

1. Distract Them
You know what I’m talking about. You’ve been to Web pages where there were a TON of clickable links. You start clicking away, get 10 screens open… and yeah, you forget which is the original site and why the heck you were there in the first place!

This one is especially true for Internet marketers. Let me ask you… how many clickable links are on your Web page? Don’t send your customers to other places before you’ve made a sale. Once a prospect heads out for greener pastures, they’ll probably never find their way back.

2. Give Them An Unpleasant Surprise
You’ve probably made a purchase, got set to write the check and discovered extra fees that you weren’t counting on paying. No one even mentioned them until you were sitting there with pen in hand. Maybe it was that vacation package you’ve been dreaming about for a while. You’re left with a choice… grin and bear it, or walk off without the vacation.

Nothing leaves a bad taste in a customer’s mouth like last minute add ons to the price they pay. Yeah, sometimes they go ahead and go through with the purchase, but next time they’ll think twice before they trust you to give them the real scoop on the price… if they ever return.

Be up front! Are you planning to charge shipping? Don’t wait until they’ve already made the purchase. Let them know right up front. When they already know it’s part of the deal, they won’t have a problem with the fees.

3. Confuse Them
Eenie meenie minie moe… Have you ever been there… which item is the better buy and the right one for you? It could be that you walked out without making up your mind, thinking you’d return later. But now for the biggie…Did you make it back?

Customers who leave without making the purchase are at high risk for changing their minds about making the purchase at all. That’s why it’s important to keep the decision as simple as possible. Make it a “yes” or “no” choice and you’ve effectively guaranteed they walk out with the item in a bag.

The marketing place is competitive enough without making things tough on the customer. These three keys to sending customers away, are keys you’ll want to watch out for. Don’t make the mistake of wiping out your own profits.

3 Proven Methods For Turning Away Customers and Losing Money is a post from: egodrivendevelopment.com

Getting to know your date, or getting to know your customer takes a little time and effort. The personality, likes and dislikes of each date are different, but customers share some commonalities that you, the marketer, can grab onto. Give them what they want, and they’ll become the loyal, life-time customers that make your business prosper.

1. Forget About Selling… Put The Emphasis On Buying
People like to think that all of their buying decisions were reached due to their own great ideas and skillful shopping. Hey, no one is fond of a pushy salesman. A salesman who “HELPS” them discover the best buy for their buck on the other hand, is a hero.

Really, when a person walks into your place of business, they are most likely thinking of making a purchase before they get there. You don’t have to persuade them to buy. You can take it easy, and simply help them decide what the best purchase is.

Keep your focus on the customer and his needs. Think… what benefits would he be most interested in? What is the price range he can afford? Basically, keep in mind that you are there to serve his needs, not persuade him. Ah, the pressure’s off!

2. Make Purchasing A “Sure Bet”
Buying is a “risky” business. The higher the price tag reads, the higher the risks are! Yep, a customer is just looking for a product that satisfies the needs he purchased it for. The question they ask themselves is… “Is it worth it?”

Hey, it’s a legitimate question. The world is full of scams where you spend your hard earned cash and end up with trash that doesn’t last and that you can’t get serviced. A few tough lessons, leave customers wary about off-the-cuff purchases. They want something they can trust.

A money back guarantee alleviates a great amount of concern in the mind of the consumer. There’s peace in knowing that if the product doesn’t live up to its claims, they aren’t stuck footing the bill for a piece of junk.

Customer testimonials also clearly tell “would be” buyers that you really do deliver customer satisfaction. No one can say it better than a satisfied customer, but don’t carelessly use testimonials. You need a method to your madness. Pick clear and specific testimonials to use, and include as much about the customer as you possible can to lend credence to his testimony.

3. Let Them Know That It’s As Quick and Easy As 1, 2, 3
Simplicy… ah, it makes life so much easier. Yeah, your harried customers are busy and tired. They don’t want to mess around. Most of the time, they just want to make the purchase and head home. Convenience stores testify to the fact that quick and easy often overrides a better price!

Make the buying process as simple as you possibly can. Remember that not everyone prefers the same method. The more options you have available, the more customers you will please.

When you’re planning your marketing campaign, don’t forget to point out the quick, fast, and easy benefits of your product. Remember that value isn’t everything.

It’s pretty easy to charm your customers when you know what they like! Keep these 3 tactics in mind as you go about the daunting task of growing your business and expanding your customer list… and watch your profits go through the roof.

3 Powerful Tactics That Motivate Customers To Buy is a post from: egodrivendevelopment.com

To make money in today’s Internet Marketing environment, one must specialize in well defined niche topics.

Lets examine a few misconceptions when it comes to niche marketing.

Misconception #1: You do not have to be an expert in the Niche field you choose!

Everyone says you should only choose a Niche that you are an expert in…nonsense!

The Internet is so impersonal that you can easily appear as an expert and not know anything about that particular niche topic. The key is to appear as an expert. How? You can outsource, build niche sites with no interaction such as blogs, purchase resale rights to an ebook in a particular niche. You see, you can choose to profit from any niche you like.

Misconception #2: Choose one niche market and stick with it.

Not true! Once you establish yourself in one niche and develop a profitable system, choose another one and run with it. You can even choose a pen name if you like, it’s common practice to do so.

Niche marketing is a numbers game. Once you find a profitable niche put it on auto-pilot and choose another niche market to get into.

Misconception #3: The best way to make money in the niche game is to promote niche products as an affiliate.

Wrong again! Sure, becoming an affiliate and promoting niche products can be very profitable, but if you are doing this, you’re not maximizing your income.

You need to promote your own landing or squeeze page where you collect the e-mail address of the visitor, and then sending him or her to the niche product you are promoting. You should also send out an e-mail course with informative information pertaining to that particular niche market to gain the visitors trust. Since your subscriber now trusts you, you can recommend products in that niche again and again, knowing your recommendation holds a lot of weight.

Those are three popular misconceptions when it comes to niche marketing. Follow the tips above, and you will be more likely to succeed. Remember, it is important to find a profitable niche, set it up so it is on auto-pilot, then move on to the next niche.

Not all niche markets will be a slam dunk, so don’t get discouraged.

Even if one out of ten become really profitable, sit down and smile, you’ve hit the jackpot.

3 Popular Niche Marketing Misconceptions is a post from: egodrivendevelopment.com

Have you noticed similar characteristics that groups within your target audience have in common? Maybe you have a group of businessmen, a group of young mothers, and a group of retirees that frequently make purchases. That is just the set-up I’m talking about.

Pay attention to the individual characteristics of each group, and divide your advertising into similar segments, or niches. Focus on the specific needs of the group in the advertising products you put out. General advertisements are not as effective as more specific ads. Hey, we all sit up and pay attention to someone who recognizes our specific needs and desires!

2. Create A Unique Selling Point
Why should someone buy from you and not your competitor? I hate to deal a blow to your ego, but it really has nothing to do with you , your product, or your service. Yeah, its a little self-centered, but customers are attracted by offers that point out the things that benefit THEM.

If you want to stand out from the crowd, create a unique selling proposition that stresses the benefits the customers will receive from doing business with you. Will they get faster service? Go ahead and dramatize it, but keep the customer at the focus…”Get free overnight delivery!” Hey, it tells the customer…you get quick service and a discount on shipping. Two definite benefits in one statement.

Don’t go out on a limb to create new products and services to get attention. Just, add a special benefit to the ones you already have… maybe it’s quicker service. The most effective things to emphasize are benefits that your competition cannot or is not willing to give.

3. Offer Your Way To Greater Profits
How many times have you began manhunting? Sure, as a marketer you scrounge and search for brand new or ancient methods of drawing brand new faces to your place of business. The fact of the matter is that you don’t have to find new customers for your sales to grow.

No, in fact you can take the current business you have and send your profits to the moon with one easy technique… make an offer.

Greet every sale with an offer of an item that is related to the purchase. The offered product doesn’t even have to be yours. The Internet is wonderful for affiliate marketers who can make great profits selling the material of others.

Making your business grow doesn’t have to be a stressful, backbreaking or frantic process. Simply implement these three strategies, and watch it boom!

3 Plans to Expand You Business That You Don’t Want to Miss Out On! is a post from: egodrivendevelopment.com

Here’s how it works… First, the customer leaves your store without making the purchase. Second, time causes the desire for the product to fade, and distracts them from making their way back. Finally, your “almost customer” totally forgets about making the purchase, and you can kiss potential profits good-bye.

Don’t let it happen to you! Make deals so irresistible they just can’t say no, and set an expiration date. Yes, put a little press on them to buy TODAY! Reward them for complying, and make sure they forfeit the deal if they don’t. Don’t be victimized by “almost sales” that could be turned into REAL profits!

2. Stay Off The Top Of Their Priority List
Hey, sometimes we need to be reminded of exactly what is and what isn’t important in life. Where we spend our money indicates its level of importance. Are your customers telling you that your product isn’t significant to them?

Put them where you want them to be with a dramatic word picture that evokes the emotions that drive purchases. Let me say it this way… If you’re trying to sell them a home business… let them feel the freedom of being their own boss, and setting their own schedule. Are you selling water skis? Get them on the water in the hot summer sun with the wind blowing their hair and water spraying around them. Let them FEEL the importance of the decision.

You CAN motivate buyers to put a high priority on your product!

3. Don’t Build Trust
Do your customers feel confident that your company will provide the services that it says it will? How many times have you raised an eyebrow at an offer that makes big promises? Yeah, if you don’t already know they are a reputable company, you’re likely to take claims with a grain of salt.

Unconditional guarantees give credence to your desire to please customers. Testimonials are evidence that you have a proven track record. Put some facts in front of your “almost customers.” Let them know a little bit about you and your staff. It’s always easier to trust a person, than a business.

Internet customers are at especially high risks for feeling a legitimate amount of distrust. After all, anyone can make grand claims, but who is responsible for upholding them? A personal photo, a little information, and a phone number where a contact can be reached go a long ways toward building trust on the Web.

How many “almost customers” have slipped through your fingers? You can effectively turn them into loyal customers who regularly frequent your place of business with the business savvy insights we’ve talked about in this article.

3 Perfectly Effective Ways to Lose Customers is a post from: egodrivendevelopment.com