We discovered something really neat with this course. When you define your market as “nice people,” that’s who you get as customers! Wish we could say we planned it that way, but it was a happy discovery.
.-= Sonia Simone´s last blog ..Pink Hair Blogging =-.

And this point you made is true for every one of us: “By doing the same things you have always done, you will never experience true growth. Not only financial growth, but personal growth.” The tools/techniques/strategies you use today in your business are not the ones you need to spur you on to growth, or you would have already had it.

Fantastic, practical, eminently implementable and fun course with dynamite study materials. If you didn’t sign up, you really missed out. Maybe you can get in next time they offer it.

Great post Pam.
Marcia
.-= Marcia Hoeck´s last blog ..You Have to Be Crazy =-.

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Hi Maryam!

I don’t know if you checked out the full sales letter about the program, but they talk about doing little, incremental tweaks which don’t just return little, incremental amounts of income, they can actually double it. I encourage you to check more with them to get the details, but knowing that they promise you can make back 10 times the cost of the class as a guarantee means they aren’t messing around. If the program isn’t a fit, no problem. Where I land is that I know that they will deliver the goods, since they are very committed to value. Thanks for your comment!

-Pam

Maryam Montague’s last blog post..Egypt photos: a tale of almost real

I feel like the title of your post infers that “most” marketers are mean people…and if that is what you were going for I don’t agree with you…

I would like to understand your thoughts about “most” marketers.

What do you really think about them?
Are they evil?
Are they greedy?
Are they disconnected with reality and only think about themselves?

This statement in your post…

“As I move forward marketing new programs and services in my own business, one thing has become clear to me: it is incredibly difficult to strike a perfect balance between sharing information openly, without a tremendous amount of hype, and at the same time, using ethical means of persuasion that help people make a decision to buy.”

First, why do you think it is really difficult?

Second, when you say “using ethical means of persuasion” are you inferring that “most” marketers are using dirty tactics to get people to buy their stuff so they stay in business?

I believe that with the birth of social media when you blend and mold old school “ethical 100% transparent” marketing with these new tools, things become 100x better.

I believe they get better because not only do you build rapport with people using the powerful “social media” medium, but when you do put a program together and sell it with a long form sales letter, because you have built the trust and rapport with your audience or “tribe” using the technology, there is a higher likelihood that you will close more sales, make your customers happy and deliver great value in the end.

People buy people…not products or promises. If they know they can trust everything you are putting out, a long form sales letter can be a good thing because it explains clearly to them who you are, what you are offering, and how you are going to be helping them along the way.

Because you have made yourself 100% transparent in the social media medium, I will take your words more seriously compared to a sales letter that I landed on after clicking a google adwords ad.

…I believe the key in any marketing is following the rule of, “Do what you say you are going to do…” and “Under-Promise and Over-Deliver.”

What are your thoughts?

I look forward to your reply!

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Hi Scott!

Thanks for stopping by.

My title refers to the name of Naomi and Sonia’s program, which is “Marketing for Nice People.” It is not a judgment on marketing, or marketers in general.

If you know them, you will realize that they joke around a lot, and the name of their program is an example of being a bit tongue in cheek. I think that they both love marketing. What they know is that many people in small business are tired of the formulaic, pressure-filled marketing that is often the norm in online businesses. People are looking for a way to express themselves authentically, AND sell effectively.

Personally, I see marketing as a way to build a good, trusting relationship with people who I see as a good fit for my products and services. I love to market, connect, present, share and support. That part comes really easy to me and I really enjoy it.

What I have found challenging is in some of the specific formats for copywriting and sales letters. Getting the right blend of good information and persuasion to take action is not always easy. Maybe I am just hyper-sensitive. But I find a lot of other people face similar challenges, and for this reason, Naomi and Sonia’s information may really help.

I love your thought: “…I believe the key in any marketing is following the rule of, “Do what you say you are going to do…” and “Under-Promise and Over-Deliver.”

That feels great, and that is my goal with everyone I work with.

I don’t believe that “difficult” is bad. That is probably from my martial arts background. I do everything I can to get in a positive zone, remove negative thoughts that create bad feelings, and all the other “non-struggle” related concepts. That said, learning to do something really, really well takes time and effort. It is not easy or formulaic, otherwise everyone would do it naturally and flawlessly. I like to challenge myself to grow, and to make good results great results.

Thanks for your questions! Please come back soon.

All the best,

-Pam

@ScottBradley’s last blog post..ScottBradley: Had a lovely weekend! Time with Grandma is priceless! Hope you had a great weekend as well!