Is your storefront telling customers you're not interested in them? Are your return policies telling them to go away? Is your staff empowered to solve problems, or are they handcuffed by your fear?

Currencies that Buy Credibility will be presented at the Marketing Performance Seminar this coming week in Denver. Developed by Tom Wanek, the presentation discusses the subtle and not-so-subtle signals that businesses are sending with every move they make, every policy they initiate and every customer they encounter.

Business owners will come away with a clear understanding of how we are all hard-wired to understand these signals and act to either embrace or avoid them. If you are sending signals that tell customers to avoid you, wouldn't you want to know? Wouldn't you also want to know how to send signals that announce your strength and credibility?

These signals come with a price. Currencies That Buy Credibility explains the price and the resulting level of customer commitment that each can achieve.

It's just one part of the experience you'll get when you spend a little bit ($99) for a lot (2 full days) of marketing education.

The Marketing Performance Seminar. Feb 19-20, 2009. Denver, Colorado. Just a few seats remain.

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Our own experience is showing that t the intrusive nature of a powerful radio ad on an appropriate schedule, will work to drive people to a web site when the need for the product finally arises. For example, we have a roofing company in Portland, Oregon that has 45% of its traffic coming from either direct navigation or through searches for the company name. A Toronto laser eye surgery facility is seeing 59% of its traffic through direct nav or name searches. The Toronto company has been on the radio and TV for years. In Portland, we're just entering into our 2nd year of the campaign and web referrals are climbing.

Our philosophy of 52-week radio schedules with a powerful branding message, is paying off over time by having web sites that can handle conversion. Nobody even looks for a roofer until some kind of event triggers their need. We position our client to be the firm whose name pops into the mind, unbidden, when such a need arises. Nobody wakes up in the morning and decides to get laser surgery. It's a decision that is contemplated for a long time until an event or episode triggers their desire and they either search for the name they've come to know, or they are susceptible to the ad the next time they encounter it. Either way, the result is a search for our client by name. And, if we've done our job right from an SEO standpoint, they'll also be found if they search for a more generic term but see the name they recognize in the search results.

We're going to talk about how these two media overlap at our Denver Seminar on February 19-20. There are still a few seats, and for just $99, it's one of the best bargains in the seminar world.

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We've all seen the carnage that those depots and marts can inflict in a town. Most small business owners eventually throw their hands in the air and surrender. We find them a few years later wearing blue vests and handing out shopping carts.

It doesn't have to be this way. Mike Dandridge and Tom Wanek are teaching their popular Wizard Academy course on January 20 and 21. It's called "Fight the Big Boys and Win."

You'll learn to leverage "Wanek's Six Currencies of Trust" and discover Dandridge's secrets for turning a poor customer experience into an amazing, sensory field trip that gets customers talking.

Here are a couple of the comments from the last class:

"It’s simple. Business success is battle, you and yours ~vs~ them and theirs.
Want more pie, you gotta do something different, dramatically different. For me, drawing a line in the sand began with this workshop.
Tom and Mike reminded me of Business Field Generals, they shared their arsenal of savvy strategies and guerilla tactics and more importantly, they had the talent and real world business experience to lead us to our own discovers, personal insights, market specific solutions and doable action plans. The taught us how to create, lead, leverage, broadcast, kick-ass and eat more pie.

I thank you, my competitors will not."



Ken Brand, Sales Manager, 
Prudential Real Estate Services

"These two guys, Tom & Mike, & their class “Big Boys (Girls?)…..” are fascinating, fun & passionate…. natural teachers. For two days they held my attention & interest like glue. I have 30 years of business experience and have operated three companies - I thought I had heard & seen it all……until I took their class. I have been rejuvenated & armed with new, cutting edge information that is unique, fresh and makes so much sense. I could have listened to them for a week easily!!"

Jean Carpenter-Backus, TheNakedAccountant.com

Are you ready to Fight the Big Boys and Win?

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If you never saw The Breakup, you should go watch it first. This is Microsoft's sequel. I'm a big fan of this message, but I'm not quite so sure how it relates to Microsoft's advertising program. I'm glad they made these videos, they are worth a chuckle. Enjoy! 

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Last week, our friend Luis Lopez pointed out a site with links to some great free Mac software. I had some fun checking out many of the products listed.

As I scanned the page, I found that the best content was at the bottom in the form of a suggestion to software creators (scroll to the bottom). In essence, the folks who are trying to spread the word about the cool applications are urging the developers not to let their own geekiness get in the way of people using their software.

I've been saying for years that you shouldn't let a code geek design your web site. Nice as they are, most of the highly intelligent folks who know how to arrange the zeros and ones into fabulous little applications suffer from the Curse of Knowledge. They think the rest of us know things that we simply don't. Have you ever been in a store where the business owner also suffers from the same curse? We have a local hardware store where the owners know simply EVERYTHING about hardware and how to fix stuff. And, if you have the patience to endure their rather blunt people skills (I do) you can always find exactly what you want and the advice to use it properly. MOST new customers dislike the store owner and would rather just go to a big box.

Here's the advice...I've modified it for retail business owners as well. (my additions/translation in parentheses).

Note to software creators (business owners): first of all, thanks so much for making totally rad mac apps (having a great store/product).

Second, if we linked to macupdate or versiontracker as the download page, it's because we think your download page is too confusing for new users. It's usually very easy to improve-- just add a big 'Download Now' link towards the top of the page, without too much clutter around it.  (You need a better location, it's hard for me to tell people where you are.)

Here's some more unsolicited advice for getting more people to download your software (shop at your store):

a. if you have a nice icon, show it off prominently. (Good signage is the best investment in advertising you can make besides a better location).

b. put a download link and a screenshot on your front page. (Make sure your visitors can easily understand your store layout...read "Why We Buy" by Paco Underhill.)

c. if you use mirrors, use a script to pick a random mirror and just give people one link that says 'download now' (If you have multiple stores in town, give me a tool on your web site to help me find the closest one.)

d. if there's any way you can avoid sending people to the sourceforge download mirror page, you should. (Make sure your staff avoids discussing confusing issues with me.)

e. if you really want to make things easy for people, and you have a cross-platform app, detect what OS they are on and give them the correct link. (TRAIN your sales staff to be intuitive about the customers who walk through the door...better yet, only hire iNtuitives to interact with customers.)

f. test your page on a novice! See if they can understand what the software does and how to get it. (OBSERVE how people shop in your store, become an amateur anthropologist and see if you can arrange things to make it easier for your customers.)

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Michele Miller and Holly Buchanan have unveiled a new web site in support of their book, The Soccer Mom Myth.

My favorite line in the site is a warning:

WARNING: This is not your typical dry business book. It includes politically incorrect views, some unladylike language, and tequila stories. We're pulling back the curtains for a realistic look at what women really want.

I'm about half-way through my pre-release review copy and I'm loving it! You can download free chapters, read about the authors and even watch videos of the authors talking about the book.

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"We simply attempt to be fearful when others are greedy and to be greedy only when others are fearful."
-Warren Buffett

Today, Leeroy Jenkins gave us a dose of reality. He is echoing what Roy Williams has been talking about for over a month now. People are getting a bit fearful.

I first heard this Warren Buffet quote from a friend who is doing well in the Denver real estate market even as it leads the nation in foreclosures. While everyone else is wringing their hands, he is out on the street helping his clients BUY homes at realistic prices.

These will be bold times for bold people.

Those who are mired in fear, need the benevolent greed of good leadership. Warren Buffett's companies and employees benefit from his approach. You and I just need to copy it.

I'm not necessarily talking of greed for money. Think of it as hunger. You can cultivate a greed for excellence, a greed for customer satisfaction, even a greed for knowledge.

So, a few tips for being greedy in 2008:

1. Don't spend your ad budget like an amateur philanthropist. Hold it accountable.
2. Don't keep employees whose attitudes are dragging down your ship of commerce.
3. Do train your employees to help your customers to the best of their ability.
4. Do give of your heart and soul, not just your wallet. (the greedy part is that you'll get better returns for heart and soul giving.)
5. Find someone to help steer your ship in unfamiliar waters.

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I LOVE Cheat Sheets! Don't you?

• Online Copywriting 101: Ultimate Cheat Sheet #1
• Online Copywriting 101: Ultimate Cheat Sheet #2

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