The Five Step Formula For Getting Prospects to Call You

Are you tired of prospecting for new business?

Are you sick of networking, begging for referrals, or spending a small fortune on advertisements that produce little results?

Wouldn't it be nice if you could just sit down at your desk and have the phone ring knowing that new business is on the other end of the line?

Who wouldn't, right...? _________________________________________

The Secret Formula for Getting People to Call You _________________________________________

No matter what product or service you sell, there is a formula for getting people to call you (instead of the other way around.)

Let me take a moment and explain each step in this formula and give you a few examples of how it works... _________________________________

Step 1. Interrupt Their Train of Thought _________________________________

People are busy, busy, busy. At any one moment you and I have a thousand things going on. So the first step to effectively market to someone is to interrupt them and grab their attention.

You can do this with...

a. Bold, compelling headlines

b. Unusual graphics or photos

c. Unique opening statements

I run an ad in a trade mag in the most competitive section of the publication. But my ad sticks out like a sore thumb because I place it UPSIDE DOWN!

That ad pulls as much as a quarter page ad does and it's only a tiny little 2' x 2' ad.

(By the way, if you want to see that ad and you have in interest in coaching you can find it in my ttp://www.CoachesMarketingBootcamp.com package.

________________________________________

Step 2. Engage Their Mind With Relevant Content ________________________________________

Once you have your prospects attention, the next step is to pull them into your message. The best way to do that is to use relevant content.

By that I mean, say something that they would be keenly interested in. For instance, I have no interest in cats so I would skip right over the headline, "How to Stop Your Cat from Ripping Your Couch and Carpet Apart."

It's not relevant to me.

But if I saw a headline that said, "The Deal Is Sealed...Shaq Gets Traded," that would stop me in my tracks (I'm a basketball nut).

Your message must be relevant to your prospect.

____________________________________________

Step 3. Educate Them On How to Solve Their Problem ____________________________________________

Now it's time to educate your prospect. Education-Based Marketing is one of the most powerful marketing strategies available today and does a number of positive things for you:

a. It gives your prospect the REASON WHY they should care about what you're saying.

b. It appeals to the prospect's emotional need to solve their problem. (People buy with their emotions)

c. It positions you as the expert and someone to be trusted.

For instance, why do you think you find all those long, long salesletters on the net? Because they work! The more you tell the more you sell.

_______________________________________

Step 4. Prove That Your Solution Actually Works _______________________________________

People today are so SKEPTICAL. No one believes anybody anymore. Every marketing message is taken with a grain of salt.

That's why you MUST PROVE what you're saying is true. Proof can come through customer success stories, study findings, quotes from experts, before and after photos etc.

You have to consider yourself as being on trial and your prospects are sitting in the jury box. You've got to prove to them what you're saying is true.

Are you proving your solution in your marketing efforts?

___________________________________________

Step 5. Offer Them Additional Help For their Problem ___________________________________________

The last step is to naturally offer your prospect additional help. Up to this point you've only teased them. Now you must lead them to the next step.

The next step should be some offer for help. This could be a free report, a video, an audio program (notice that I like low cost information products) or a free catalog, or even access to a free question and answer help line.

If you want to decrease your response and increase the quality of prospects that come to you, you can charge a small fee to make the next step.

_________________

A Live Case Study _________________

I used to do a lot of direct response advertising to generate leads for potential hot tub buyers.

I offered a free video to the respondents. We were getting a lot of leads, but many of them were from people who already owned a hot tub (if you can believe that).

So we simply asked for a shipping fee of $2.95 for the video and it cut down our leads but dramatically increased our closing rate.

___________________________________________

How to Use this Process for Your Own Purposes ___________________________________________

You might be thinking, thanks David, but "how" do I use this information for my own business.

It's simple...take each step and ask yourself these questions...

Step 1 - "What headline, photo, or gimmick can I use that would stop my unique prospect and make them pause for a moment?"

Step 2 - "What problem does my prospect have that is painful, ugly, dirty, and smelly?" When you have the answer to that question, use it in a headline, sub headline or opening statement to engage them in your message.

Step 3 - "How can I make the problem in Step 2 sound even worse and then how can I explain to them how my solution solves it."

Step 4 - "What proof can I come up with that my solution actually works and has worked for many companies (or people)?"

Step 5 - "What offer can I come up with that would be so irresistible that my prospects would have to pick up the phone and call me immediately?"

If you ask yourself these five questions and can come up with some good answers then you're well on your way to getting people to chase you down instead of you begging to steal a moment of their time. (Yuck!)

Copyright 2005 David Frey

David Frey is the Author of the Small Business Marketing Bible and the Senior Editor of the Small Business Marketing Best Practices Newsletter. To get your free lifetime subscription, visit http://www.MarketingBestPractices.com

---

Hey, Whos the New Guy? How to Make Guests and First Timers Feel Welcome

The New Guy is a person we all know. And... Read More

Alcohol & Events

Many people associate alcohol with relaxation and fun, so it... Read More

Networking: Is Your Approach Too Self-Centered?

It's a classic mistake by networkers: their approach is focused... Read More

Social Networking: A Link To Like Minds

Not all dot-com dreams died when the Internet stock bubble... Read More

Talk Isnt Cheap

The most successful organizations have good communication skills. Survey after... Read More

When Gifts Say More

What's a gift mean? If you're like me, you probably... Read More

Two-Step Your Communication

Ever use someone else to get your message out?For example,... Read More

Creating Successful Alliances and Partnerships through Networking

Douglas Wilder, former Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and... Read More

Come Home Rich - How to Get the Most out of Your Next Conference

Success in your career depends upon how well you manage... Read More

The Promotion Factor: Seven Strategies to Promote Yourself and Your Business by Playing Golf

Effective business promotion is more powerful than advertising. Using golf... Read More

Networking Skills: Arguing in Context

If you're fond of a good debate, you know how... Read More

Unforgettable First Impressions Part 4: Become a Social Gift Giver

Do you ever wonder why single people give flowers, wine,... Read More

Effective Networking

The process of finding out about a job, getting interviewed,... Read More

The Quest for Passive Income

Passive Income, residuals, royalties three ways to get paid multiple... Read More

What I Do Is Not Who I Am... The Networking Factor

Ah, the personal touch that continues to make a big... Read More

The Five Step Formula For Getting Prospects to Call You

Are you tired of prospecting for new business?Are you sick... Read More

The A-B-Cs of Networking

In the workplace - and when dealing with workplace matters... Read More

The Answer to Your Worst Networking Nightmare

Imagine you just met your ideal client at a networking... Read More

Youve Got Personality, Use It!

For the self employed professional, nothing is more important than... Read More

10 Steps to Successful Networking

"It's not what you know, it's who you know."This old... Read More

Business Networking ? Extroverted Web Weaving for the Introvert

If you have been in business for any amount of... Read More

What Has Networking Got To Do With Joint Ventures?

What has networking got to do with joint ventures? "PLENTY"... Read More

Giving Referrals to Get Referrals

One of the best ways to get a referral is... Read More

Effective Business Networking: 5 Tips For Mastering The Art of Networking

The heart of any business is the connection it has... Read More

9 Ways to Spice Up Your Nametags for More Engaging Conversation

Nametags are worn for a variety of jobs and functions,... Read More

Why Cant I Remember Your Name?

You're terrible with names. You forget someone's name within ten... Read More

Building Business Relationships in a Roomful of Strangers

You approach a stranger at an association meeting or industry... Read More

Networking for Wallflowers: How to Profit from Getting into the Crowd

The two most common complaints about networking are: 1) I... Read More

Lesson 14 - Whats In A Handshake?

The StoryAs a child growing up, one of the many... Read More

Community Involvement Networking

It is important for you to join at least one... Read More

Are You Sitting With The Right Company?

When I walked into Dallas's famous Y.O. Ranch Steakhouse, all... Read More

The Power of Word of Mouth

Most of us remember the commercial that said, "I told... Read More

How to Make the Most of Those First 30 Seconds

Did you just meet the most important person in your... Read More