Marketing Ball: Stealing Second or The Longest 90 Feet You'll Ever Travel

Thus far in our series of Marketing Ball articles,
we've come to understand the importance of both
the locker room for planning our game, and what it takes to get to first base.

Last week, we'd arrived at first base.
Our potential client knows we exist and they've invited us to talk to them.

But what happens from here?
How do we get to second base and why can't we just
close the sale right here and now?

==========================
The Key to Stealing Second
==========================
Information.
The prospect sees you now as a potential source of help.
They want some additional information from you.
If you were to ignore this crucial ninety feet of baseline,
and try to close the sale, you'd lose your credibility as well as your potential client.

===================
So what do you do?
===================
Before I tell you, it's important to realize this extremely crucial point
by Robert Middleton in his original article...

"Marketing isn't about one-shot deals, but about building long-term visibility and value."

It's hard to think how you could build long-term visibility
and value with a one-shot deal, isn't it?

That's why it takes so long to get to second base.
On first base, we've gotten the attention of our prospect,
getting to second involves gaining their trust.
That's not a quick sell.

======================================
How to Gain the Trust of Your Prospect
======================================
How do you gain their trust? By building value in their brains.
OK, not everyone is a brain surgeon, right?
But there is a way to achieve this.

After gaining their attention - AND - receiving permission from the
prospect to send them more information, uh..well...send them the information.

Sounds like a no-brainer, right?
You'd be surprised how many "marketers" send absolute garbage every week
(sometimes every day) to potential paying clients. Then they wonder why so
many people unsubscribe or fail to buy.

The Reason: No Value.
I subscribe to a few select ezines.
I'll bet you do too. I'll also bet that you keep on reading them
because you find value in their content. If it's full of sales ads,
you unsubscribe.I know I do.

The point is this.
If your prospect has asked you to send them a valuable piece of
information (your ezine, core article, eBook), they are inviting you
to build trust and value.

=============================
Case Study: Barry as Customer
=============================
One of my business mentors is Robert Middleton. (Duh!)
I learned of his newsletter almost four years ago.
When I first read a forwarded copy, I immediately subscribed.
I kept reading it. And after receiving his ezine for about three months,
I purchased a marketing manual from his web site.

Notice how Robert & I played Marketing Ball...

1. Robert gained my attention:
First Base Objective: getting noticed by your potential customer.

2. I asked to receive his newsletter:
Second Base Objective: Building value and trust via information.

3. After reading it for three months:
Third Base Objective: Helping, Not Selling.
....I read more newsletters over the next three months
....I listened to the free audio on his site
....I read tons of solid articles on his site
....I dialed into his free monthly teleclasses

4. I purchased a product:
Scoring Objective: Presentation, pricing, negotiation, closing.
(Robert received a new customer...me.)

==============
Final Thoughts
==============
As you can see in the above example, it took Robert
(a master marketer) three months of giving me free,
solid information before I became a customer.

And it paid off for him as I've purchased additional products
over the years, and I'm sure I will continue to do so.
Why? Because he sells me on value every time.

Stealing second base initiates the flow of information from
you to your potential customer. But the information will only build
trust and value if it's solid, deep content.

If you give up too soon or rush the prospect, you'll lose them.
So settle in for the ride. Send the free information.
Keep sending it to them until they invite you to third base.

Next week, we'll look at "Rounding Third Base...Heading for Home"
and what it takes to get there.

Until then, thanks for reading!

Barry

Marketing Ball: Getting to First Base

Last week we discussed how vital it is to
spend time in the Locker Room going over our game
prior to striding out to the plate.

If you missed last week's article, read it here:
http://barrymorris.blogspot.com

Now comes the business of getting on base.
Some care needs to be taken here. Why? Because too many
of us try to hit a home run when we meet a potential client.

=========================
Does this sound familiar?
=========================
You walk into the room. It's a Chamber of Commerce
networking mixer. You're primed with business
cards and your best Business Mantra (tm).

You walk up to a group sipping drinks and making small talk.
You exchange pleasantries. Then the questions pops:

"So, what business are you in?"
and you reply...

"I'm glad you asked. You know how some business owners complain
about not being able to find enough clients? Well, I show
them really simple ways to attract all the clients they can handle."

Silence. They look at you. They look at each other.
They look back at you. People in other groups stop talking and
turn their heads in your direction.

What's happening?

You immediately gained their rapt attention because:
1) you're communicating to your target audience;
2) you're speaking to their pain, and;
3) you've talked about a solution.

Suddenly, you feel ten years younger. You feel confident.
Your back pain disappears. You're in your element.
You can smell the fresh meat.

They all move closer to you knowing that the words you
utter next will positively change their business forever.

And it's then that you make your fatal mistake that will cost you
a room full of new clients.

=====================
What is the mistake?
=====================
You say:
"I write amazing marketing materials. You should see them
In fact, here's my card, why not give me a call and we'll talk
next week?"

Their eyes glaze over. They move away not muttering..not even
bothering to take your business card. You're history.

And do you know why?
It's because you immediately tried to hit a
home run before you even got to first base.

-------------
For you hockey fans...it means that you tried to
score a goal as soon as the referee dropped the puck.
-------------

Sure, walk-off home-runs (and goals on puck-drop?) happen...
maybe once in season...but it's a very poor strategy for
every day play.

==================
So what went wrong?
==================
In marketing ball, before you can score a run
(get a new client), you've got to touch all three bases.

Getting to first base if the first step.
And do you recall who waves you on toward first base?

Right. It's the client.
It's always the client.
Without their invitation, you're stuck in the batter's box.

===========================
Here's what you need to do.
===========================
When you're at the plate, you're trying to get
the attention of the client. You do that with
your Business Mantra (tm), with your company slogan,
with your business cards, with your marketing materials.

Once you've got their attention, you can't just run right
up to them saying, "HI. I'm Barry. Will it be Visa or MasterCard?"

You've got to wait until you get the signal.
Let's revisit our Chamber of Commerce mixer.

You say:
"You know how some business owners complain about not being able
to find enough clients? Well, I show them really simple ways to
attract all the clients they can handle."

They get the look, they move closer, and this time you
do it right? You say nothing.

What? Nothing?
Nothing. Nada. Zilch.

This forces them to say: "Really? How do you do that?"
Instead of blurting out your process, you talk about the problem
again.

"A lot of my clients are absolutely desperate to attract new
clients, but don't know how to go about it. Recently, after working
with me, one client increased her new monthly appointments by 35%."

After a few more probing questions (to which you do NOT
reveal your specific solution) they realize that you've got
something they'd like to have: A solution to the problem
that keeps them counting sheep every night!

It's then that they give you the signal you've been waiting for.
"Do you have a card? Could you call me tomorrow?"
"You know, I know someone you should call."

=====================
What's the difference?
=====================
They're asking you to call them.
They want you to contact them. And all because
you kept your solution to yourself...and kept your
mouth shut!

That's how marketing ball is played.
And that's how you get to first base.

First base is where the potential client takes notice of you
and makes a request for more information.

And of course, you're only too happy to oblige. ;-)

===========================
How do you become noticed?
===========================
By crafting your core marketing message in the manner described
in last week's article. (http://BarryMorris.blogspot.com)

You become noticed by making sure your web site doesn't try to hit
a home run on your home page.

Does it shout out to a crowd?
Or does it gently call them by name?

Are your marketing materials trying to make the sale
without first creating interest?

At this stage, it's about getting noticed.
The sale will come later after you've built
some trust into the relationship.

==============================================
"Marketing is the art of creating relationships."
==============================================
That's a quote from Mark Silver's book Unveiling the Heart
of Your Business. And it's spot-on!

Marketing isn't really about getting people's attention.
It's not really about more effective advertising.
It's not publishing an ezine or sending a post card.

All of these example can be used to create a relationship.
But until that relationship is established, nothing
we say or do will make any difference.

==============
Final Thoughts
==============
Getting to first base is only possible if the prospect
waves you in. Unless they give you a clear signal that
it's OK to go further, you haven't gained their attention
in manner that creates interest.

What to do now:
1. Create your Business Mantra (tm) using the Who and the What
we talked about in last week's article.

2. Test it out. If you get that glazed look. You need to
go back to the drawing board...or the keyboard.

3. Shoot me a line and tell me how it's working.

Next week we'll look at what it takes to get to second base and
begin talking about solutions.

Until then, thanks for reading!

Barry

Victoria's Secret Plays Marketing Ball!

You stride out to the plate.
The roar of the crowd is deafening.
The scoreboard is flashing your impressive statistics
from last season.

You begin your pre-swing warm-ups. You take a couple
of practice swings. You feel really loose. You swing again.

You notice that, in fact, you feel looser than you normally feel.
That's when you notice the lack of restriction in your
swing. The left sleeve of your jersey isn't binding you
like it usually does.

Then you realize why. It's because you don't have
one on! You're standing at home plate in front of the
home town crowd completely naked!

Hmm. maybe the sound of the crowd isn't cheering after all?
;-)

======================
OK, It's Not That Bad.
======================
But it could be.
What do you think it would feel like standing there
in front of all those people without anything on?
I don't think I'd want to find out.

Somehow, we skipped the all-important pre-game session
in the locker room. So why is the locker room so
crucial in marketing ball?

Because it's where we come up with our game plan.
It's where we plan out strategy and comb through
our scouting reports about the opposing team.

==============
The Game Plan
==============
Preparing for a game of baseball includes looking at the
opposing team and assessing their strengths and weaknesses.
In marketing ball, we do the same thing. How?

By defining our target-market (TM). Who is it that
we serve? Where are they? How do we reach them?

In assessing our TM, we need to identify two characteristics:
They're demographic and their psychographic. Huh?

Demographics: The "who" as Mark Silver puts it.
Who is it you serve in your business? Demographics
refers to the observable characteristics of your TM.

To better understand this , let's take a look at one the
demographics of one of my retailers: Victoria's Secret.
Uh, ..not that I actually go inside or anything....
;-)

Victoria's Secret has a very definable demographic:
Women between the ages of 18* and 44. Although a lot of men love
this store, they don't occupy the demographic. You'd be hard-pressed
to find anything specifically for men in Victoria's Secret.

(*Although women younger than 18 shop at Victoria's Secret,
you must be 18 to have a credit card, therefore women over
18 are in the TM!*)

Getting to know our TM also includes identifying their psychographic.
Mark Silver (Mark is one of my teachers) calls this the "What." These are
non-observable characteristics, such as, our TM's preferences,
their painful issues, their feelings and desires, and what they want.

Back to Victoria's Secret...their psychographic is again very definitive:
Their customers like a certain style of undergarments; they like sheer fabrics,
and lace, and need to feel safe while browsing and ultimately buying them.

The complete profile for a Victoria Secret customer (their ideal customer)
is then: Women between the ages of 18 and 44 who want to own sheer undergarments
and want a safe environment within which to buy them.

You won't find your typical K-Mart shopper frequenting
Victoria's Secret. They're a completely different
demographic altogether.

===============================
Enough of Victoria's Secret...
...I can't believe I said that...
===============================
So who is your ideal customer? To find out, list the observable
characteristics (their demographics) and their non-observable
characteristics (their psychographics) on a sheet of paper.

Try to brainstorm as many of these as possible. The more you
come up with the more definitive your TM will become.
Use this as a pattern:

"I help (serve, work with, etc) [insert demographic, the Who]
who feel (want, desire, need, yearn for, etc) [insert psychographic]
and want to [insert second psychographic, solution oriented]."

Here's an example - mine:
"I help independent business owners (demographic) who feel barely visible
in the marketplace (psychographic) and want to become (psychographic)
better known in their target market."

========================
The Rest of the Uniform
========================
Now that you've got your cap on, let's put on the rest of your
uniform. You can't expect to get very far with only a cap.

Your cap is your properly identified TM and phrased in such a way
(see my example above) that when someone asks you the dreaded question...
"So, what do you do?"...you'll have this Business Mantra TM) ready.

"I work with young elevator riders (demographic) who feel frightened
(psychographic) when getting inside a closed space but want to conquer
(psychographic, solution-oriented) their fear of elevators."

When phrased correctly in this manner, the person who posed this
question will say..."Wow, How do you do that?"

Your natural response would be to explain your process.
But that's not what is best. Simply rephrase the problem your
demographic is experiencing and talk about how they feel after
they work with you.

Instead of saying, "I do intensive thyroid-thumping-therapy for thirty-three
minutes for thirteen consecutive Thursdays..."

...you would say, "Well, you know when a person successfully faces, confronts,
and overcomes a fear...how they feel like a new person and they're ready to
take on the world? Well, I help people get to that place."

You haven't exposed any secrets, trade processes, or anything else that
would lead them to say, "Oh, Yeah..I know what you do...I don't need you."

========
Suit Up!
========
What's the rest of your uniform consist of?
Problem, solution, and distinction.

Answer these questions and you're almost ready to play ball:

1. What problems do you help your TM solve?
(Hint= look a their psychographic)

2. What solutions do you offer them?
(Look at your services, the answer to their most pressing question)

3. What makes you different? What's your Unique Selling Proposition?
(Why should they choose you?) Do you offer the fastest service, the most experienced
background, or the best no-risk guarantee?

Your almost there....
When you spend time with this, and finally put it all together,
you'll have your core marketing message in place.

You're now ready to leave the Locker Room.
You have your game plan, you know your opponent,
and your fully dressed in your core marketing message.

This is only the first installment in the Marketing Ball series.
Next week we'll look at what it takes to step into the box at home plate,
and get to first base. Until then, get started on assembling your uniform.

Look in your in-box next Wednesday, June 21 for the article:
Marketing Ball: Getting to First Base

Thanks for reading,

Barry

P.S. As always, you can shoot me a response, a criticism,
even a compliment ;-) here: Barry@BarryMorris.com

Are You Striking Out with New Clients? Let's Play Marketing Ball!

Robert Middleton of Action Plan Marketing (www.actionplan.com) inspired this series of articles with his original article some years back when I purchased the InfoGuru Marketing Manual.
Robert has a way of explaining complex marketing issues in very understandable terms.

He's a real professional and when I met him recently after a marketing workshop, I was not only impressed (again) with his marketing smarts, but his easy going conversational style of talking business.

It occurred to me that most us don't usually operate that way. Instead, we sometimes try to sound like 'official business owner', when networking, marketing, or selling. Robert's conversational style is consistent in his newsletter, his information products, and in his conversations.

This particular issue has stayed with me since briefly talking with Robert a few weeks back. When that happens, it usually means that I have some work to do in that area.

In redesigning my site, I've been rereading my manuals and eBooks on marketing and when I reread Robert's Marketing Ball article this week, I decided to expand the concept into a series of articles for you: Taking the basic premise of the principles behind Marketing Ball and examining how they contribute to increasing your business visibility.

Over the next five weeks, I'll send you one new article each Wednesday to think about.

Here is the publication schedule:
June 14 - Marketing Ball: First stop, the Locker Room
June 21 - Marketing Ball: Getting to First Base
June 28 - Marketing Ball: Stealing Second Base
July 5 - Marketing Ball: Rounding Third and Heading for Home
July 12 - Marketing Ball: Scoring a Run and Heading into the Dugout

So, without further mish-mash, here we go.

Are You Really Playing Ball?

I'm the father of three boys (and a girl). Ben (18) and Jeremy (20) both played Little League and later made their big league debut playing high school baseball. Justin (10) just completed his first Little League season here in Aptos.

We're big baseball fans. We root for the SF Giants & Oakland As here at home, but the NY Yankees hold a soft spot for us as well. (Unless you live in Boston, you gotta love the Yanks!)

To win at baseball, you've need to do several things well. You've got to catch, pitch, field grounders, run after pop flies, hit the ball, and run the bases.

It takes time to learn the game and to play it well.
Just as it take skills to play a winning game of baseball, likewise it takes a good deal of skill to play the game of marketing your business.

In marketing your business, you also need to do several things well. You need to generate interest in your business, field inquiries, negotiate rates and pricing, and convey a persuasive presence online and off.

But consider this: I can get a group of people together and have them play catch and hit the ball, but that doesn't mean their playing the game of baseball, does it?

Similarly, you can be sending out mailings, emails, attending networking meetings, writing a newsletter, and generally carrying out all the marketing tasks associated with your business and still not be playing the game of smart, effective marketing.

Playing Marketing Ball

In Robert Middleton's original article he states:
"The object is to start at Home Plate where you don't have a client, go all around the bases and then get back to home again where you have secured a new client."

Just like in baseball, the rules govern the game. The two most important rules in marketing ball are:

1. You must touch each and every base in order. (If you skip a base, you're out and you'll lose your client.)
2. The customer determines when you advance to each base. (If the customer isn't waving you forward, you stay put.)

Overview of Marketing Ball

Like any baseball game, the players begin their game in the Locker Room. This where they put on their uniform, and get ready to face the other team.

In marketing ball, the locker room is where we hone our core marketing message. It's where we devise our pregame strategy and draw up our game plan.

At the Plate
Picture this....it's your first at-bat in the big leagues. You're nervous. The sound you hear isn't the crowd cheering you, it's your knees knocking.
(Oh, the memories of my own days on the field of dreams...)

You go through your pre-swing motions, and look toward the mound, and see none other than Randy Johnson...The Unit...all six-foot-ten-inches of him facing you down from the mound with his menacing game face.

Talk about a defining moment! But, this is when the game begins.

Facing your target market is no different. In marketing ball, the game begins when you make contact with your potential client.

Getting to First Base

Only after the potential client gives you the signal, are you allowed to run down the baseline and touch first base.

What is that signal? It can come in many different forms, but most commonly it arrives when they say to you, "Tell me more" or "How do you do that?" Details in the June 14th article!

Stealing Second

Getting to second base occurs only after the potential client again waves you on by letting you know that they want to explore doing business with you.

How do you get to this point? I'll tell you on June 28th!

Rounding Third Base

Getting from second base to third is generally easier that stealing second. But you can still be thrown out in the process. On July 5th, I'll tell you about it.

Scoring a Run - Entering the Dugout

You're almost home with a new client in tow! But there are still ways to get caught in a rundown. On July 12th I'll explain how to avoid losing the game and your new client.

Final Thoughts

I love the concept of Marketing Ball. It's easy to understand and since almost everyone is familiar with the game of baseball, it's also easy for independent business owners to see where they're most likely to be tagged out.

Another reason I like the concept of marketing ball is that you have permission to make mistakes. Watching my boys play Little League for twenty-plus years has taught me a lot, but mainly about the instructive power inherent in making mistakes.

We have an opportunity to learn from them. We can learn something about ourselves and about our business when we make mistakes.

I've made plenty, trust me.
But each one has served to move me forward toward a more productive at-bat the next time I was due up at the plate.

Look for The Spotlight! next Wednesday and we'll get started playing Marketing Ball!

Thanks for reading,
Barry
P.S. As always, you can shoot me a response, a criticism, even a compliment ;-) here: Barry@BarryMorris.com

YourName.com: 5 No-Brainer Reasons for Choosing a Name-Domain

When someone stumbles across your site, they will do one of two things: Bookmark your siteor forget it. With a name-domain, you increase the likelihood of them remembering you and your site.

AnthonyBlake.com
TonyRobbins.com
DanKennedy.com
BarryMorris.com

What do these four domains have in common?
If you said, all of the domain's registrants are incredibly good looking....you're only 75% correct. ;-)

If you said that they all belong to those who've branded themselves with a name-domain...
Bingo!, You win!

A domain name is crucial to the success of your online presence. Everyone knows that. In addition to this basic fact of web-life, there is the question that we all ask: How can I get my web visitors to more effectively remember me and my site?

The answer lies in a name-domain.
You know what I mean: an example like those above where individuals have chosen to brand themselves and their site by choosing their own name as their web domain.

There are many good reasons for reserving your name domain. Here are five no-brainer reasons for doing so..
<>

-------------Reason Five-------------
With a name-domain you own your niche.
The waiting before BarryMorris.com became available was three years. T
he moment it did, I reserved it. I didn't put up a site right away, but I did own it. And as long I own it, I can do pretty much what I please with it.

By reserving BarryMorris.com, I can more effectively position my business (and my name) as the "top-of-mind" choice for solving the problems experienced by those in my target market.

Will I do anything differently than before? Maybe not. But the added benefit of having my own name woven throughout the interspaces of my market is a priceless opportunity.

Positioning "Barry Morris" as the solution to the problems faced by my target market is enhanced by owning my own name-domain.

Another no-brainer reason for reserving your own name-domain is...

-------------Reason Four-------------
With a name-domain you build your online reputation quickly.

Here are some of the things you should be doing...
participate in discussion forums
contribute to e-mail lists
publish an ezine [like I do ;-)]
offer a free e-book

By attaching a memorable signature file to every email message you send to these environments, your name and site will generate attention.

Consider a signature file that obeys the same criteria for effective headlines:
question oriented
addresses a common problem
points to a solution

Here's mine:

Barry W. Morris
Helping Solo Professionals
& Freelancers Find the Spotlight
================================
Need More Leads from Your Web Site?
Surf Here: http://BarryMorris.com/tcdownloads.htm

When I check my web site statistics, I note how many people click through to my site directly from my signature file. Using a creative signature file invites more attention. Increased attention to your site means more traffic.

---------------Reason Three---------------
With a name-domain you generate more web site traffic.

And who among us doesn't want more traffic? Not capitalizing on every way to generate traffic to your web site is like putting up a billboard and then covering it up so that no one sees it as they sit in rush hour traffic.

Traffic to your site drive repeat visits. If you need help with crafting your freelance or solo professional web site, consider downloading my Web Leads Teleclass.

Not only will reserving a name-domain increase your web site traffic, but it will begin the process of creating an umbrella brand that is you!

That leads us to the next reason why reserving your own name-domain is a good idea...

-------------Reason Two-------------
With a name-domain you create a brand for yourself.

Coco Chanel
Tommy Hilfiger

Powerful brand names, to be sure. They each host a myriad of products. But they're only known by one powerful name.

Additionally, each of these example has so successfully entrenched themselves into the retail landscape that each are know by only one name.

Now, when talking about cologne, it's simply: Chanel.
A trendy line in clothing for children, teens, and young adults is now: Tommy.

Do you think one day people will talk about "Barry" and.......Oh, sorry...back to the article.
The best reason of all to reserve your own domain-name is......

-------------Reason One-------------
With a name-domain you make it easier for people to find you.

Let's imagine that your name is Joe Smith. (My dad actually had a cousin named Joe Smith!) You have several web sites that operate under different names. That's OK because they are each different entities that target different sections of the market.

Now let's imagine that one of your web sites makes a big impression of a visitor with a lot of credit available on their Platinum Visa card. They love your articles on design at www.design-a-widget.com but also think your poetry about widgets on www.widget-poet.com is pretty cool too.

A week later (after their system has dumped their surfing history) they want to find your site again and purchase your $59 e-book, How Widget Poetry Can Save Your Marriage. They failed to bookmark the site a week ago and now they're looking at a Google or Yahoo search screen.

What do they type into the search box?
widgets-and-wives.com (nothing)
widgetpoetry.com (nada)
poetryaboutwidgets.com (zilch)
I-married-a-widget-poet.com (uh huh)

They give up. You're forgotten. No sale. No return visit. No benefit from that lovely Platinum Visa card.
But, what if.....you had reserved a name-domain?

They might not recall the web address, but they do remember your name.

Now, when they type in: Joe Smith, widgets....up pops "JoeSmith.com!" www.JoeSmith.com can serve as your main site, or as a landing page that introduces all your web sites they come to know and perhaps a few they haven't.

By having a name-domain, you've just made it infinitely easier for perfect stranger (with Platinum Visa card) to find you on the web. Swipe. Chi-Ching

Thanks for reading,

Barry