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  1. #1
    Site Caretaker Dave A's Avatar
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    Direct Marketing for Free (Almost)

    Here is a time-bound special from Peter Carruthers I just had to share -



    When I started my first venture in 1984 I read a book on finding clients.

    The author wrote that small firms cannot afford to outmarket big rivals. For every R100,000 IBM spent on marketing, he suggested, a startup might afford 50 cents. At the time I competed with IBM. This resonated.

    His solution was to write a monthly case study to only those people who might ever buy from me. I did that for 8 years and built a R50 million revenue firm.

    When I tried advertising in a magazine the cost of a single advert was more than the yearly cost of the letters. And delivered no sales. Whereas the letters delivered sales each time I sent them.

    I had the same results with faxes. And then with email.

    Email is the most effective way to make more sales. It is the cheapest way to reach anyone. And you can do it for free.
    Check out my course on the subject here.
    • Learn how to find email prospects.
    • Find out what to say to them.
    • See how to start for free.
    • Understand how to scale up once it works for you.
    • Ask questions en route.

    The March/May period in SA is usually harrowing. Too many holidays. Not enough sales. So, a special discount until May 31...

    Invest in the How to Use Email to Sell More to More People course. Get 33 years of direct marketing and emailing experience for R597-00. (That's R700 off the regular price until midnight May 31.)

    You will be making more sales before this coming weekend. (One client started making sales the afternoon she started.)

    Warm regards

    Peter Carruthers

  2. #2
    Junior Member Owen_Heller's Avatar
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    There's a PROBLEM. It's called the POPI act. AFAIK A waiting period of 30 days required from referral based contact point . Public is weary of cold calling or cold email bombing.

    sent from "the phone thing"

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    Platinum Member sterne.law@gmail.com's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Owen_Heller View Post
    There's a PROBLEM. It's called the POPI act. AFAIK A waiting period of 30 days required from referral based contact point . Public is weary of cold calling or cold email bombing.

    sent from "the phone thing"
    POPI does not outlaw direct marketing all together.
    If we collect an email address to send an invoice, then that is the purpose of the data collection - thus a marketing email would violate.
    POPI does allow you to make ONE approach to an existing customer about corresponding.

    Email still rates as an effective form of communication.
    Anthony Sterne

    www.acumenholdings.co.za
    DISCLAIMER The above is merely a comment in discussion form and an open public arena. It does not constitute a legal opinion or professional advice in any manner or form.

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    Not sure why you see that as a problem. This bloke doesn't suggest you cold call or email bomb, quite the opposite in fact, he knows we hate doing that sort of stuff.

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    Thanks Dave. Just noticed this.

    Reminds me, it was really good to see you online last night.

    The biggest challenge with any form of marketing, especially email marketing, is our own prejudice. I teach ethical marketing, using email to care for clients and prospects, to nurture them. Not the the crap that comes out of China, Russia, and Lord knows where. One off dumps that are never followed up. Badly written. Completely unrelated to what our problems are. The problem is that most folk don't know that such a system can exist.

    Quality email is never intrusive. It's always on point. People read because it reflects a challenge that they're facing.

    The folk that I began to use this technique with back in 1995, and that would pretty much include you Dave, are still clients now. As I attended a live event in Johannesburg I was stunned to see how old we have all become together.

    Just as there is good advertising and bad advertising, good radio ads and bad radio ads, great Google AdWords campaigns and rubbish campaigns (although you will never see those because they just plain expensive and don't reach the people they should), so there are a lot of people messing around with email without knowing what they do.

    If anybody wants to take up the offer that Dave put in his post – R700 off the course reducing its price to R597 – here is a coupon to use: DAVES700

    And if, for any reason, anybody is disappointed, I'll give them their investment back with a smile. And I expect them to express their disappointment here in this thread. It's the only way I will learn. But, if it's as good as I think it is, I'd value a post in this thread about what it's doing for them.

    My favourite student in the course wasn't even a student :-) Her mother was. Daughter sold leotards and ballet accessories to studios. She began that afternoon, from a zero start, with no technical background. The first sales came in that evening.

    Please check it out. (Please use the original link in Dave's post.)

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    Junior Member Owen_Heller's Avatar
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    Agreed it is a brilliant , Tool the email plan . AFAIK the first email sent must be to permit you to send more and not to be a nuisance . . Am I on target or is there more to it then that.

    Met die Telefoontjie.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Owen_Heller View Post
    Agreed it is a brilliant , Tool the email plan . AFAIK the first email sent must be to permit you to send more and not to be a nuisance . . Am I on target or is there more to it then that.
    Rather than try an answer your question without any context, can we look at email marketing for your specific business? What does your business sell?

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    Junior Member Owen_Heller's Avatar
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    Service related. Mechanical engineering Jobbing shop. Yes it's a humdinger. I'm willing to try anything if I can see a real potential for success.

    Met die Telefoontjie.

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    Thank you Owen.

    Your business has some constraints.

    - Number of hours that you have available (depending on whether you work alone, or have a team)?
    - Geographic reach...How far you can travel back-and-forth to get to clients?
    - The specific work that you do.

    Since you are already in business I assume that it is a workable concept. (I say this because many of my clients are in start-up mode, and have no clue about whether their "idea" will work or not.)

    And it seems that you have been operating for a while? So the first place to start would be with your current clients, and your previous clients.

    Most folk talk about "customers", but they're the kind of people that buy from you once. The prime purpose of direct marketing is to help "customers" keep coming back. To build long-standing relationships.

    The best source of sales in any business is your list of previous customers.

    So, how can you stay in touch using email without being boring? Telling people what you do once a month. Reinforcing your presence in their businesses. Tell them stories. Give them ideas.

    Remind them about how versatile you are, how you helped them in the past, and how you are ready to help them again.

    You have already earned their trust. Writing to them about what you're doing, in their context, is not offensive.

    I know this because I've used this same technique selling:
    - data communications to corporate's,
    - insurance to the wives of small business owners,
    - seminars to small business owners,
    - consulting services,
    - courses...

    And I have clients who sell everything from accounting to sandblasting. And flower pots to valves.

    When we talk about "marketing" I see it as simple task of getting somebody to knock at your door to ask for help. In your case, the people most likely to knock the people that you have already helped in the past. Just remind them of your existence.

    The best way to do that is why email. Doesn't cost you anything. Isn't intrusive. Doesn't disturb them during dinner. Doesn't cost anything to read. And completely legal. In fact, most of your clients were regard it as a service.

    This particular technique has supported my family since 1984. (Disclaimer: that was "direct marketing" using real letters at first, and then faxes. "Email marketing" started when email arrived – in my case the year 2000.)

    Getting back to your original question. This is an ethical way of staying in touch with your client. You add value to their lives.

    In return, they share those emails with their friends. This is what the rest of us call "word-of-mouth".

    Owen, I hope this make sense?

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    Junior Member Owen_Heller's Avatar
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    Perfect Thank you Sir.I am a start up of some sort. Yes it's slightly complicated. . Nevertheless , Will be in contact with you , The words you're using ticks most of the boxes I'm looking for..
    Happy hunting, Later

    Met die Telefoontjie.

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