Let Me Tell You What Happen…
For the past 2 weeks my iPhone 3GS 16 GB has been burning through the battery several times a day. Thus, I’d have to re-charge my phone 2-3 times throughout the day.

Yesterday I decided to go to the Apple Store in the Forum Shops at Ceasars Palace in Las Vegas. I met with one of the Genius Bar guys. They checked the phone and said everything seemd to be ok. I told them that the battery was buring way to fast the past 2 weeks. They did another test and agreed.

They said they needed to replace the battery but the problem was, they no longer had replacement batteries for that phone. He did some research and found out I still had my iphone under Apple Care Protection.

The Good News…
Because they didn’t have replacement batteries, they gave me a Brand NEW iPhone 3GS 16GB! I thought this is great! Then I asked could I upgrade to the Phone 4 at no cost. They said I was entitled to an upgrade but had to pay $199 dollars.

I Then Asked The Money Maker Question…
If I take the New replacement iphone, can I do whatever I want with it? Can I give to my friend or sell it? They said, I could do what ever I wanted with it.

So I Did What Any Good Marketer Would Do, RESEARCH!
I took my iphone back for a few minutes and did a quick search on ebay and Craigslist for iphones 3GS for sale. Yes, there were a number of iphone 3GS for sale, but I didn’t see any Brand NEW ones.

If I sold it, I just wanted to get my money back ASAP.

So…
I took the New replacement iphone and purchased the New Apple iPhone4 for $199 plus $60 dollars for another Apple Care Protection Plan. So now I’m into the new iphone4 for $284 with tax.

Fast Forward To This Morning:
I searched the the Apple website for photos of the iPhone 3GS 16GB phone. I took some screen captures from their site with Snagit. I wrote up a quick adds. I priced my phone at $290 dollars.

There were a number of used ones for $150 – $350. I had the best phone and as a bonus still had 9 months left on this Apple Care Protection which was transferable.

In less than 30 minutes of posting on Craigslist I had 3 HUNGRY buyers…Two wanted a little discount for a fast close. The third guy said I’ll pay full price and meet you in 15 minutes!

My advertisement said, the first guy that brings me $290 gets it!

In less than 45 minutes from posting the ad I had $290 cash in hand. Think about that. Las Vegas has 1.5 million people. I was looking for 1 hungry buyer out of 1.5 million. That means, they had to be online within 30 minutes of the time I posted the ad. What are the chances?

Marketing 101 says, find a parade of hungry buyers and then get in front of that parade and sell them what they want. He needed a phone. What my buyer wanted was the exact one I was selling.

Find a problem and provide a solution at a fair price.

I had no idea this would happen this fast. I was shocked. It further reminded me of the first movie “Wall Street” with Michael Douglas.

Gordon Gekko: “Money itself isn’t lost or made, it’s simply transferred from one perception to another”.

Look At The Cycle of Events:
1. iPhone Battery was not staying Charged
2. Two weeks later I go to Apple Store To get a New Battery
3. Yesterday I walk out of the Apple Store with 2 New iPhones
4. Today I post an ad on Craigslist Trying To Sell one iPhone
5. Got 3 Responses in less than 30 minutes of posting
6. I got full asking price, cash in hand in less than 45 minutes.
7. Bottom Line – I got my new iPhone4 for FREE!

It’s just another reminder that when you have the right product and the correct price, you don’t have to sell anybody. The buyers are already sold. They just need to be able to buy it easy and fast.

BTW – I LOVE my new iphone4!

To Your Marketing Success,
Robby LeBlanc

You May Already Be Thinking…
What does “What Causes Thunder Thighs?” have to do with marketing?

We’re talking about Attention Grabbing Headlines!

I just walked in the living room and turned on the TV set. The show “The Doctors” was on. The first thing I saw on the screen was a question: “What Causes Thunder Thighs?”

The First Thing That Came to Mind…
What a great headline!  Anyone  that wants to know, “What Causes Thunder Thighs” is going to tune in, read, and or listen to whatever they have to say.

Headlines are critical to your adcopy. I’ve heard only 8 out of 10 actually read the entire headline. That’s just the headline!

Your headline has to be able to grab the readers attention in such a way that it forces them to want to read the rest of your message.

One of the keys to writing a good headline is, knowing your market so well, that you know what they’re thinking and looking for. You know their hot buttons.

Consider This…
Go to the magazine rack in your local Barns & Noble book store. Pick up any magazine that ”YOU” are interested in reading. You will immediately start scanning the cover. What are you looking for?

You are searching for Headlines that ”YOU” can relate to right now!
Lose 10 Pounds in 10 Days Without Changing What You Eat!
Learn To Play Guitar in 5 Minutes!
How To Get a FREE iphone?
What He Really Wants…
What She Really Wants…
Get FREE Show Tickets in Las Vegas!
How to Get Interviewed by Oprah

Headlines are everything. The next time you pick a magazine, look at the cover for a minute. Then decide what article you want to read.

But before you read that article, think about “WHY” you selected that article.

What is it about that headline that made you say “YES”, I want to read more. Was it the copy? Did the color of the headline influence you? What part of you did it touch? Is it solving a problem for you? Will it make you feel better, faster and quicker?    

On that note…
You’ll never believe what I’m going to write about tomorrow!

Happy Headlines,
Robby LeBlanc

Every small business owner during the course of their day, week, month or year avoids doing something in or for their business.

* Some owners do not like confrontation and will avoid it at all costs
* Some avoid angry customers
* Some avoid paying bills on time
* Some avoid firing people

What are you avoiding? What tasks or situations are you not addressing in a timely manner? What causes you stress on a ongoing basis?

The answers to these questions are different for everyone.

However, there is a solution. Maybe not a solutuion for everything you’re avoiding, but a good part of it can be outsourced.

Step 1: Write down ALL the things you hate doing in your business. Everything! Make your list as long as it needs to be. It is what it is…

Step 2:  Then go through your list and check off ALL the things that you can assign or outsource to someone else.

If you hate doing customer service, you NEED to find someone else to do that job. If you are in the habbit of not paying your bills in a timely manner, hire a book keeper or a accounting service to do this for you.

The more things you can get off your plate that you dislike and or causes you stress, the better you can be as an owwner and leader of your business.

To Your Business Success,
Robby LeBlanc

For Example…
You’re awesome!
Anyone tell you they love you today? We do!
Thanks for you’re help. Yo Da Man!
You’re hired! See you Friday.
You sounded great on Saturday night!

Just a bunch of short unexpected messages. Feel good messages. 

Suddently it started…
A tidal wave text messages were being sent back to me like a rapid fire machine gun. Replies of thanks. Great hearing from you. Thank you for the kind words.

Then it hit me…
It is truly possible that from here on, a major war, anywhere in the world could be ended with a  simple Text Message…Seize Fire!

This knocked my socks off! Don’t let the simplicity of what simple text message can do for you and your business. Your messages can be used to help, hurt, heal or inspire.

Right now, while you are thinking about it, pick 3 people from your text roladex. Write them a simple message…

Just want you to know I am thinking about and you are awesome!

Now Go Spread Some Love,
Robby LeBlanc

Building Your List is “Key”  To Your On or Offline Success.
- No List = No Customers
- No Customers  = No Money
- No Money = No Business!

There are hundreds of ways to promote and build your mailing list. Below are 6 Ways To Promote your list that you can starting tacking action on immediately!

1. Ethical Bribery! Not in the monetary sense, but in the “Let me make you an offer you can’t refuse” sense. Offer a free, original ebook to anyone who subscribes to your email list. This method works especially well if your subscriber can only get the ebook from you. Don’t have an ebook to give away? Try writing 5-10 original articles on your niche topic and compiling them into a PDF. It’s a quick, easy and cost-free solution to create a unique product.

2. Tweet It Baby! You gotta love those 140 characters you can use on twitter. Let your Twitter followers know when you publish a new newsletter. Tweet the link to your subscription form.

Don’t forget to ask your followers to retweet (RT) your posts promoting your list.

3. Add a subscription form to every page of your website. The upper right side is considered the best location, but if that doesn’t work, choose a spot and add it to every page.

4. Offer email list-only specials, coupons and information. Make sure your email list gets your best of your best, not just rehashed material from your blog or other publications.

5. Update your Facebook status with a note about your newsletter. Encourage your FB friends and family to subscribe and tell their followers. Be sure to thank them when they do.

6. Promote your mailing list instead of your website. Then use your mailing list to promote your other offerings. Your goal is to capture the names and contact info of your prospects and customers. Once you do that, you can steer them to your website, products and services.

Promote Your List,
Robby Leblanc

Motivating your affiliates is critical to the success of your affiliate program. At first glance, being paid a good commission for a good product is reasonable.

It starts the affiliate relationship with your company. However, money alone  is not neccessarily the only motivating factor for an affiliate to promote your product.

Sometimes an affiliate likes a product but hates the customer service. Other times an affiliate wants more promo tools.

That’s why it is so important that “YOU” stay in touch with your affiliates. Find out what they need. Find out what they want. What excites them? What drives them? To find this kind of information out, you need to communicate with them.

As I stated earlier, money is not the only motivating facotr, it’s a strong one, but not the only one.

For intance we recently started an affiliate contest for Armand Morin’s Brave The Wave, Experience Event coming up June 26,27 in Orlando Flroida.
 Here is my link… http://bit.ly/9KiB8j 

We decided to have an affiliate contest and the first prize is a Apple iPad! Turns out affiliates just “LOVE” affiliate contests!

Watch the video below. I bumped into Super Affiliate Connie Rageen Green at the airport in Minneapolis today. We were both returning from Armand Morin’s AM2  private event. 

Let Connie tell you in her own words the power of an affiliate contest…

Here’s to Motivating Your Affiliates,
Robby Leblanc

Bottom line, someone gets sold.

Every sales training I have even seen or studied talks about the assumed close. Act as if they are going to say YES even if they don’t fully believe it. 

The real power of the assumed close as a salesperson is belief. For this to work at the highest level, it’s critical that you have 100% conviction about the product and what it can do for your customer. 

About 4 years ago, Vickie’s grandson who was then 5 yrs. old, did the perfect assumed sale on Vickie and me…

It was Easter Sunday and I gave Vickie a HUGE Easter Basket that stood about 3 feet tall. It had multiple chocolate bunnys, jelly beans, CDs, and a whole bunch of other cool stuff. It was beautiful!

The next day her grandson came by to visit us. He walked in the house, turned the corner into the dining room and saw this magnificent Easter Basket. His face lit up and he yelled with Conviction, Joy and Total Commitment…

“THANK YOU VICKIE!”

In that moment we realized he thought that basket was for him! We didn’t have the heart to tell him is was for Vickie. His total assumtive sales technique sold us and he went home with the Easter Basket.

So remember, your belief is EVERYTHING!

Have a Great Day,
Robby LeBlanc

hanging on

There are only 3 ways you can grow your business. Let me be upfront about this topic. I did not create this concept.

The first time I heard about the 3 Ways To Grow Your Business was in 2003. Marketing legend, Jay Abraham was on the stage in Anahiem California. He can be a controversial guy. In my experince people love him or hate him. Me, I became an instant fan.

Jay was talking on stage and then as if it was just an after thought, Jay said: “Folks there are only 3 ways to grow your business”. In that moment I felt like I was about to get the ”Secret Key” to the gates of unlimited profits and prosperity!

Jay continued…
1. Increase the number of clients
2. Increase the average transaction value
3. Increase the frequency of repurchase —
Get more residual value out of each client

I remember sitting there, listening and thinking…When the student is ready the teacher will come. I was ready and Jay abraham showed up that day! I don’t know if Jay Abraham was the originator of that concept, but I’ll never forget his presentation. Thank you Jay!

Now Go Grow Your Business,
Robby LeBlanc

The best definition of luck I have ever heard:
“Luck is when preparration meets opportunity.”

That’s it in a nutshell!

I ‘ve heard many small business owners and entrepreneurs talk about,
if only Walmart took on my product they would be successful.

If only they could get on Oprah they would be successful.

If only their book became a New York Times Best Seller…

My first question is: Are you preparred?
If Oprah were to call you today and invite you on the show tomorrow…
Are you preparred?

Is the copy on your website ready for the world to see?
Do you have a way to capture a visitors name and email address?
Is your hosting ready for more traffic than you could ever imagine?
If you are selling a product, are you ready for a ton of orders?
Have you preparred for the interview process?
Are you clear about your message?

Thinking you can just wing it because you have such a great product
and personality is naieve and immature.

From the movie” Man on Fire” with Danzel Washington there was one
line I will never forget in which he was speaking to this young
10 year old girl:

“There is Trained and Untrained. What do you want to be? She repsonded Trained!”

Marketitng is no different. Getting your message out is no different.
There is Trained and untrained. Which are you?

You want more luck?

Get trained! Get trained for when your opportunity comes you are
preparred.As you shine during your opportunity, more opportunites
will surely come your way.

The only time you can effectively and profitabily wing it is when you
are so well trained and preparred that the words rolls off your tongue
with ease and articulation.

Don’t leave your marketing message to chance…Train it!

Business owners always ask me, how can I get some FREE traffic
to my website? There are many ways to get  FREE traffic to your
website. The very first thing I recommend to all my clients who want
FREE Traffic to there website is, to create a signature file. 

What is a Signature File?
A signature file is pre-written text that you add to the end of your e-mail
message. It usually contains your contact infomation.

This can include:
Name
Address
Phone
Website
Email
Brief Message

If you use Eudora for your email client, you can create multiple
signature files and thus can choose which Signature file to use on
every email you send out.

Next time you read the newspaper or a magazine, at the end of each
article is usually a signature file of some sort. Sometines its just a
name and email address, while others signature files are more detailed.

If you haven’t created your own signature file yet, go do that right now!
We you hope enjoyed this Marketing You Can Use tip!

Now Go Get Some Customers,
Robby