Marketing Methods/Ideas

[mack88]

Stefani!

I have not at this time implemented any classifieds yet.  That is one of my plans in the near future.  I will give you an update once I do implement!  Have a great day!

Frank

[R_Weiss]

I placed ads in my 4 local rags for 60 days and never had a response.

Flyers, business cards and talking to people has not worked for me.  Emailing has worked so far.

Rich

[S_Langston]

no,got bites but no takers they where afraid of using credit card online . but I will keep my ad in for another week and try other means.good luck to all.

[Dennis F]

Hmmm,  It would be interesting if someone did well with newspapers. 
 " My thoughts", people are information overloaded with a paper, they skim through it and try to depict things of their interest. Trying to block everything else out. ...Maybe the size of the add would matter. And really good writing also.
 
  Suggestion:if you were thinking of  running multiple "small" adds,  combine your money to make a more sizeable add in the more popular of the papers that have a greater number circulated?!,...just an idea, does anyone else have sound advice for adverts in papers?
 

   I have never picked up any papers and went looking for affiliate plans. and then agian I am one out of a million.

[Dennis F]

 I had just recently been aproached by someone that is frustrated.  Been with GDI for less than a month and wanted some help or suggestions.
 I hope I gave him some good input to think about.- - -residual income- - -patience- - -

I don't know of anyone making a million off of GDI in less than a month of "work"  so Don't use anything to that affect as a sales pitch.

Don't have your new sign-ups buy "recycled leads"  a waste of their money, time, efforts and our bandwidth.

Don't have new sign-ups think that everything will fall into place all by itself by some automated system. for the low low price of.....lol 

Don't leave new sign-ups with thier arms in the air...they might just fly away. tisk tisk

Do let them know it takes effort, time and some thinken.

Do ask them to join the calls with the buisness minded people.

Do let them know the end benifits of them doing thier work right, and obtianing real sign-up that will stay for a long time and not fly away...residual income.


                                                      thanks for everyone who dedicates their time and knowledge,     Dennis 

 

[BrianBush]

What about the 'premium' leads sold on the site here?

I purchased 50 to test them out(theyre still pending for some reason)

[SSmith]

Honesty is the most profitable policy.

[Nicole Taylor]

What about the 'premium' leads sold on the site here?

I purchased 50 to test them out(theyre still pending for some reason)

When you purchase leads in your back office, it will tell you that orders can take 72 hours or so.

Nicole

[Dennis F]

What about the 'premium' leads sold on the site here?

I purchased 50 to test them out(theyre still pending for some reason)

Also these leads are fresh leads people who are interested...and should have a higher percentage rate. Do your homework on how to correspond back with these people. There is lots of help in the forum and on the calls.

The so called "recycled leads"....a million leads for a low low price will not generate solid leads for your money. You will also get the chance to delete lots and lots of spam they will send you.  I have read this in other posts, so don't get caught in the in this generic lead generating trap for those who read this first. Just a wind of caution.   

  The trick is to get positive fresh leads of people whom are looking for A: A veniew of residual income B: Online domian identities 

 

[Deborah H]

OK-I guess no one has ever placed ads in papers. Hard to believe that. I twill figure something out-no fear!! I usually do...
Deborah H

[mack88]

Hello Deborah!

I have not placed any ads yet.  I plan on starting an ad campaign next month!  Still working out the kinks in the wording.  I want them to pull successfully!  No sense in having a campaign and not getting any results!  I will keep you posted!  IM me at your convenience!

Frank

[Deborah H]

Most of my prospects HERE are locals for generations and farmers, business owners, and in the other direction, University students. So it's mix around here. One ad wouldn't work generically.
But please-after you do that guys feel free to share how it went for you..I'm trying to find ways to reach the area without driving around a lot in this heat or calling or sending info. I thought an add in different places would be the trick possibly.  Short of a radio show. LOL-yeah RIGHT!!
Deborah H

[Dennis F]

Also for those who are reading this,
   
    Some great advise is given by Nicole Taylor http://talk.ws/index.php?topic=1075.msg5347#msg5347  ( I hope this link worked)  it is Titled:  Promoting your business the right way. It is in this section    Great advice on starting a firm foundation  thanks, Nicole     

  Now if I could organize myself better so I could know exactly when to resubmitt my sites  There are alot of promoting veniews out So be sure to write it down      Places submitted to, the dates, which URL's, when you can resubmitt sites, so on and so on   

[Amy Derby]

I'd like to get a conversation going where we can toss around ideas about how we're marketing the PRODUCT to BUSINESSES.

It's one thing to hand a business owner a flyer, but it's another to actually FOLLOW THROUGH WITH A SMALL BUSINESS, especially one that is not yet online in the first place (since if they're not online, they can't see the movie or the GDI site), to show them what GDI can do for them.

So, anyone want to share thoughts?

I'll start.

Last week I had a friend in from San Francisco.  (I'm in a suburb of Chicago that is rather "small town" -- I kid you not, we have a "town square".)  My friend insisted on going for a walk "through town" to see "what there was to do."  After I stopped laughing (because there's NOTHING to do on a Sunday afternoon here -- every business in town is closed) I gathered up my three kids, and the five of us walked into town.

Knowing my kids would be bored to death, I gave them "jobs".  The 11 year old's job was to bring a pad of paper and a pen and write down the names of the businesses as we were strolling by.  My 3 yr old twins' job was to put a flyer in each door's mail slot.

Here's what the flyer said:

IF YOUR BUSINESS DOES NOT HAVE A WEBSITE
YOU ARE NOT ONLY LOSING MONEY
BUT YOU ARE LOSING POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS.

Get a FREE TRIAL on WebSites
at www.website.ws/USERID/hosting.

FREE HOSTING, 10 Email Accounts.

EASY Site Building Templates
will get your Site Built in Minutes!

Don't Have a Computer?
No Problem!

Call Me At __________.


After we went home, it was the 11 yr old's list of business names I used to tailor up letters.
I got addresses from the online directory to mail each business a letter directed specifically to them.

Here's what the letter said:

[INSERT: business' address here]
ATTN: OWNER or Manager

Dear Sir or Madam:

I am a local resident and live within walking distance of your business, [INSERT: business' name here].  My family and I walked past on Sunday, and we left you a flyer with respect to obtaining a WebSite through Global Domains International, Inc., a company for which I am an Independent Affiliate.  I hope you have had the opportunity to look over the flyer!

If you can spare ten minutes sometime this week or next, I'd love to stop by and give you a no-obligation presentation of what GDI has to offer.  I will bring my laptop, and I will personally show you both the software and the movie presentation.   

If you would like to sign up for a free trial at that time, while I am there, I will walk you through, step-by-step, all that you need to know to build your site.  Your site will then be up and running, and within the next business day, your customers will be able to view your business online, even if YOU don't own a computer.

Please give me a call at __________, and let me know when would be a good time for me to stop by.  I appreciate your time and consideration and hope you have a wonderful day!

Yours truly,
Amy Derby
Independent Affiliate of GDI, Inc.


I sent letters to 24 businesses on Monday.  Since then, I've had 17 phone calls.  I have given 12 in-person presentations and demonstrations, and I have three more scheduled for early this upcoming week.

Not a bad success rate.

AND, for the ones I've given presentations to in person, every single one said yes to the trial.  (Who wouldn't be too embarrassed to say no to a FREE trial for something that will benefit THEM when you're STANDING RIGHT THERE AND WILLING TO WALK THEM THROUGH IT ALL FOR FREE?)

As I helped each get their site up and running, I told them that GDI offers a FREE affiliate program.  I told them that this means if an individual or another business signs up by their referral, they will be making a monthly commission on it.  I offered them each a banner for their sites that looked like this (except I edited them to add their business name):



Every one of them let me put the banner up on their sites and thought the concept was great.  (Especially after I told them how many Business Sites -- amazon, for one -- have affiliate programs and are extremely successful because of them.  I also assured them that if folks had questions, they could refer them to me.)

So that's it for me.

What are other folks here doing in their marketing to businesses?

[Gerald Yancey]

You are doing a great job with this business. I wish you much success.

Gerald