How Creative Are You? How Small Business Marketing Consultant, Jack Kaser, Turned A Doctor’s Appointment Into An Income Opportunity
October 31, 2009
Jack Kaser, a small business marketing consultant and graduate of the TopLine Business Solutions consulting course, did something unusual. He took a chance and turned a doctor’s appointment into a marketing opportunity.
Jack is an amazing man. Always learning, always testing, always implementing. But more importantly, he relies on systems, strategies and solutions that have been proven over and over again to get results. Then he adds his own twists and tweaks to fit his style and preference.
To begin with, Jack had to have some type of marketing tool or presentation piece created. In his case, he had what we call a “You-In-The-Box”… an audio interview about you, who you are, what you do, and how it can benefit the listener. When you attend the TopLine Business Solutions Marketing and Business Development Consultant’s Training Workshop, we give you an entire script… the questions and the answers that make up the interview.
Of course, you are free to tailor the questions and/or answers to whatever you’d like them to be, but most of our consultants use the exact format we give them. We do the interview with you, record it, edit it to clean up all the um’s and ah’s, and put music at the beginning and the end to make it very profesional.
What’s Going On Behind Your Back? Do You Know What Your Clients Are Saying About You?
October 30, 2009
This morning I got an incredible gift. It was both unexpected and unsolicited, but very much appreciated!
Brian Kaskavalciyan, one of our TopLine Business Solutions consultants, sent me an email along with a video to update me on his progress since completing his training.
Brian works with all kinds of businesses, but recently started targeting the home improvement contractor market… you know, the guys who remodel kitchens and bathrooms, and close in patios and add rooms to a home. His direct quote says, “Things are going great with our business. We now have dozens of members and are growing very quickly!”
The interesting thing is, Brian got these members to pay him a monthly fee (quite substantial, I might add), for services he’s providing, all with no paid advertising or out of pocket cost. Now with a pretty hefty monthly income (this is in addition to his other consulting activities), he has the funds to go after his target market and really make an impact. And of course, the testimonials he’ll be getting from those members will help him “sell” his services that much easier.
Who Do You Learn From? Where Do You Get Your Ideas And Inspiration?
October 29, 2009
For the past two weeks I’ve been in San Diego and Los Angeles, either speaking at events or attending seminars and workshops to increase my knowledge, improve the effectiveness of my business, and to get the latest tools, techniques and strategies that can help our consultants be better, more effective, and more successful in their own consultanting practices, and in helping their clients do the same.
Lisa Sasevich put on a tremendous 3-day program in San Diego that I gained a lot of great ideas from. I attended as a “regular” participant and paid full price to be there just like everyone else. I didn’t talk 
to anyone about who I am or what I do… it wasn’t a self-promotion event for me. I kept very low-key and was there to learn what I could. The result? I walked away with over 30 pages of notes of some of the best strategies on marketing and promotion that I’ve heard in a long time.
After Lisa’s event, I drove to Los Angeles to meet some of my friends at the SANG (Speakers and Authors Networking Group) Convention. This is an assembly of the top speakers, authors and trainers in the business. A couple of times a year we all get together to learn from each other… what’s working, what’s not, and what we can do to become better at what we do so we can continue to provide increased value to our clients.
My Two-Week “Vacation”… How the TopLine Consultants Training Program Gets Better and Better
October 27, 2009
This past week I’ve been in San Diego attending a special conference hosted by Lisa Sasevich, one of the nation’s top business and marketing presenters. It’s been a remarkable several days, and I’m coming away with more than 30 pages of notes on what I can do to make our TopLine Business Solutions Consultants Training Program better.
Several times a year I attend what I consider to be the top training experiences available to help me be better at what I do, to make our trainings better and more relevant, and to help our consultants be on the cutting edge of what’s working in our ever-changing marketplace.
I’m very selective of what I attend and with whom I invest my money. And even though I’ve been around this business for a LONG time (more than 43 years), I continue to seek out the latest information about what’s working. And yes, I pay full price and take time away from my business and my family to attend these programs just like everyone else does.
I don’t ask for favors or financial considerations because I know the tie-in to how much I invest in my learning and development and how much I will value the information and the results I’ll get from applying it.
Right now as I type this message, it’s 9:19 pm on Monday night in Los Angeles. I’ve been gone for a week attending Lisa’s program in San Diego, and now I’m here in L.A. to meet with some of the top speakers, authors and trainers at the SANG (Speakers And Authors Networking Group) Convention.
Financially Difficult Times For Businesses Means Boom Times For Consultants
October 19, 2009
Nearly every day our office gets calls from business owners who are frustrated with the economy, with the way their businesses are running, and with the rewards they are receiving from the investments of time, money, and effort they are making in their businesses.
When they started their businesses, it was for a reason. For some it was one thing, and for others it was another. But in just about every case, it was because someone wanted something more or perhaps better… more income, fewer hours on the job, less of a commute, more fulfillment, the ability to provide better educations for their kids, funding their retirement program, or perhaps providing a better lifestyle for themselves and their families.
And while these things are all good and worthwhile goals to pursue, recent changes in the economy have not been the best friend to these well-meaning business owners. Many of them are struggling just to keep their doors open, make payroll, and pay the rent, let alone provide the things that I mentioned previously. As I listen to their stories and what they are doing to try and turn things around, it’s the same thing over and over… and they’re getting very little positive results from their efforts.
For the most part, these business owners are good at what they do… making the products they sell or providing the services they provide. That’s not the problem. Where they are lacking is, how to run their businesses in the most effective, most efficient, and most profitable way… and that can mean a ton of different things. For instance, it could mean that they don’t have enough leads or prospects to sell to (marketing); it could mean that they aren’t very good at converting their leads into buying customers (sales); maybe it’s not getting enough money out of each sales transaction (optimization), or getting customers to buy more often, do business with them longer, or perhaps they’re letting money-leaks rob their business of potential profits.
A Knock-Out Week, Some Real Excitement, A System That Works, And A Well Thought-Out Plan For Quick Results!
October 17, 2009
Yesterday afternoon, we completed another of our 4-day intensive TopLine Business Solutions Marketing and Business Development Consultant’s Training Workshops. We had a great group of top-notch people in attendance, and the excitement was at an all-time high.
Everyone in the group was completely blown away with the amount and quality of content they received, and they left the training with a ton of new ideas, some very clear and definitive strategies to immediately put into effect, and a step by step plan of action to accomplish the results they want and expect to receive.
This group is on fire and I can’t wait to see and pass on the results they generate. Mike Marasco is just one of the attendees of this workshop. You may not know Mike by name, but if you’ve read the emails, blogs or website sales letters of some of the top Internet Marketing “gurus”, you’ve undoubtedly seen some of Mike’s work. He’s one of the top copywriters in the business, and works behind the scenes with a handful of very high profile people.
There is one problem that I must let you know about, however. It’s the same concern that comes up in every one of our classes.
“There is SO much stuff here. It never seems to stop coming. The systems and strategies are so good, so complete, and there are so many to choose from, which ones do I do first?”
The Old German Shepherd, Your Financial Future, And You
October 8, 2009
I’ve been out of the office the past few days taking a little time off and getting rested for our next 4-day TopLine Business Solutions Marketing and Business Development Consultants training workshop. We’ve got some great people coming and I’m real excited about being with them and sharing the same systems that have made our TopLine consultants so successful.
On Tuesday, I celebrated my 65th birthday… and what a great time I had. All of my kids and grandkids were here to be with me, and I’ll always treasure these moments – they go by so fast. Our oldest grandchild is turning 18 this week, and we have two more that are Juniors in high school.
Why do I tell you this? Because if you’re not spending all the time with your kids (and/or grandchildren, if you have them), RIGHT NOW, the time will get away from you and it will be too late. Britni, our 18 year old granddaughter could be married in a couple of years and I could be a great-grandfather before I know it.
Man, that sounds old, doesn’t it?
But I’m still in good enough shape to out run, out bike, out swim, and out lift all my kids and grandkids in the gym. I work hard at keeping in shape and being able to keep up with them. As much as I’d like to think differently, life on this planet isn’t forever… and I want to get as much out of it as I can.
So what about you? If you don’t have the time to spend with those you love, or the income to be able to get away and enjoy the few years you have here, then do something about it. There’s an old Chinese saying, “Man who sits with mouth open waiting for roast duck to fly in have long wait.”
Perry Marshall, Jack Born and The Tactical Triangle: A Simple, Easy, and Effective Way to Optimize Your Sales Process
October 2, 2009
Well-known marketer and Google Adwords expert, Perry Marshall, sent me an email this morning with one of the greatest revelations I’ve seen in my 43 years in this business. It’s called “The Tactical Triangle”, and was developed by Jack Born.
I don’t know Perry personally, but I do follow him and know that he’s brilliant at what he does. And when he sends me an email, I almost always open it first and see what he has to say. This morning was no different. The “teaser” copy in his email made me open his message first.
I’m not going to try and explain what The Tactical Triangle is or how it works or even try and rewrite what Perry said. Perry did such a good job that I’m not sure I could explain it any better. In fact, because he understands it much better that I do, I’m sure I would foul it up somehow.
To learn what The Tactical Triangle is, how it works, and how you can begin to use it in your business, click here.
If you’re at all interested in marketing, client attraction, or business optimization, you really should take a look at Perry’s explanation.
A Classic Consulting Mistake… How You Can Profit From It
October 1, 2009
This morning, Dawn sent an email to people who have requested information on how to become a TopLine Business Solutions Marketing and Business Development Consultant, to let them know that Dave, one of the people who wanted to attend our next workshop had some problems with securing his funding and would not be able to attend.
Toward the end of her message, Dawn took the liberty to editorialize a little and talk about some of the results she’s seen that our consultants are getting… how much money they’re making and how quickly they’re getting up and running and leaving their financial problems behind.
In the few hours since she sent that email, we’ve gotten several emails from people wanting more information on how they could take advantage of the discounted seat that Dave will not be able to occupy. We’ve had some great conversations and have developed some new relationships.
In addition, she received an email from Matt, a Business Analyst and IT Consultant from Ireland. Here’s what he wrote: “Maybe Dawn you should take the spot if you are so convinced of it!”
I rather suspect that Matt was being sarcastic, and if that’s the case it’s too bad.