I urge you to check out www.yourselfimageblueprint.com

This is NOT an affiliate link. Jill is a member of Tactic7 and has created an amazing program. I strongly recommend it.

My business partner recommended I add a word of explanation to this video.

The point of this video is that anyone - even someone with no background - can create a successful Internet marketing business.

I didn’t have anyone showing me the way. I didn’t have a road map. I didn’t even know about the seven steps in Tactic 7.

I barely knew what a domain name was. Didn’t know websites needed hosting and that they were written in HTML. The first time I tried to use Dreamweaver I nearly drop kicked my lap top down the steps of my office.

And yet, today I run a 7 figure business. All made possible by learning the hard way. But for you, it won’t be as hard because you have a guide. And I’ll take you by the hand and show you what to do - if you’re interested.

Maybe you won’t grow a 7 figure business. But wouldn’t an extra income stream be welcome to you?

All we can say is WOW!

What a response – you all gave awesome input into how “John” can solve his problem.

Here is just a sampling of some of the great stuff you shared (and by the way, John, if you are listening dude, now is the time to get your act together):

Thomas J. Raef  says:
Start video taping some testimonials. Putting the testimonials on his site might improve conversions. I know that when I hear someone talking about how much weight they lost after following some training regime, I’m more apt to listen further and maybe even try the product/service knowing that others have had great success with it…Rarely do people who are over weight or out of shape want to workout, but they sure do want to look and feel better.

We liked this because video is killing it out there. Period.

Ian  said this:
Run ads in the newspaper driving them to your page where you offer your workout DVD’s. (if you can’t afford media, offer to write an article in the newspaper on keeping fit and get them to plug you or pay you with media credit)

We liked this because even in this uber-online world, we must all remember offline marketing.

Shawn LeBrun had three quick and smart tips:

Here’s what I’d do, and what I’ve done, in this same niche…
1. Highly targeted Google Adwords campaign. Also, try to joint venture with complimentary, but non competitive websites who can do an endorsed marketing campaign to their lists.
2. If he can afford it, rent a mailing list of targeted buyers in his niche and send out a direct mail campaign., directing people to his site
3. Try to get some remnant display ad space in targeted magazines like Men’s Health, Men’s fitness, Muscle and Fitness and try to offer a free report in those magazines to get people back to his site

Some more really smart stuff you gave us:
“Test until they say ouch.” – Steve Markowski

“Why would I want to make a product about how to do something that wore me out?” - Loren Woirhaye

“The second thing John needs to do is to take advantage of ‘Piggyback SEO’ where he gets a top placement in Google and other search engines by linking to other high ranking sites.” - Colin James 

“At the end of the day, what John has to do is make sure he’s offering the right product to the right audience via the right media.” Sarah M.

“John is a LOT closer to success than he realizes. The market, while competitive, is ready for a new face with a new message. John just needs the right partner.” – Jay

“After the psycho-babble is over the truth is you do what is important to you. It doesn’t matter what it is, you will make time to do what you really want to do.” - Talmage Shipman

Tomorrow we will announce the winner of the Solve John’s Problem iPod contest
AND tell you about this week’s: Salute The Recession AND Win A Flip Mino Camera contest!

Direct Marketing Giant Joe Sugarman is very clear.

He says that the most powerful force in selling is not your writing. It’s not your product or service. And it’s not even the solution you are offering.

The most powerful force in selling is HONESTY.

Selling, Sugarman says, must be “an honest profession.” Dishonesty will always catch up with you. Honesty is what sells. It is what he calls a “psychological trigger.”

People often say your customer is not so smart or knows little. Actually, though, the consumer is very smart. And people – consumers – are pretty smart about knowing when someone is truthful. And the more truthful you are in your advertising, the better your message will be accepted.

Sugarman says: “Lie in your advertising copy and you are only deceiving yourself. Your copy will say what you think you wanted it to say, but it will also say what you thought you covered up. Even a reader who hurries over your copy can feel the difference.”

Point out flaws, admit shortcomings and be totally transparent – and your customers will be so impressed, so receptive to you being human that they will be even more inclined to buy from you.

Sugarman says: “Each time you are honest and conduct yourself with honesty, a success force will drive you toward greater success. Each time you lie, even with a little white lie, there are strong forces pushing you toward failure.”

Truth sells.

That’s a fact.

No faking the truth.

That’s the truth.

So it saddens us to see Internet marketing sinking to new lows. Continuity is a great idea. Hidden continuity is dishonest.

Telling people you have a revolutionary way of doing PPC when you are teaching tactics Google has banned is dishonest.

Promising people they can make $100K in a day is playing on peoples’ desperation - especially when you have no proof anyone has done it including yourself.

What’s your truth?

What would happen if you “let it all out” and spoke directly and honestly to your customer no matter what?

Direct Marketing Superstar Joe Sugarman wants you to know there are great opportunities to be had in any era – and especially in a time of what most would call a bad economy.

And in fact, those who write direct response copy, Sugarman says, generally know before the general public when a recession is coming and, even better, when it is coming to an end.

Direct response is really a barometer of optimism. That’s because direct response is the best early indicator about what is happening in economy. Those who sell directly, such as mail order catalogs, are the first to feel the positive effects – people start buying from mail order stores before they go back to the brick-and-mortar stores.

And it is in this time that it is the most ideal to start marketing products and start advertising.

How?

• Link your product, service or expertise to the current trends. Example: During a recession (or a perception of one), people are more inclined to stay at home. For example, if people are staying at home, it makes sense that make money from home offers work better during a recession. And if people are reluctant to travel to seminars because of cost, than bring the seminars to them via webinars.

• Know their mindset. It’s not that people don’t want your product or service, it is that they are putting off buying decisions in many cases. They need an immediate reason to buy something now rather than later — show them they need the product now. For example, golf season is just beginning and it’s important you get the feel for this new driver so you can win big money off your buddies all season long.

• Use the recession to your advantage. As an example, media rates really start to drop at times like these. Drops in these prices represent amazing opportunities for direct marketers. Sugarman says much of his profit was made on the money he saved on media spending.

• Value, value, value. Build up to your offer so well and so convincingly that by the time you get to the price, your customer will see this as a mere number that is insignificant compared to the great value of your product or service.

Where are you right now in your marketing?
> Is your offer well-defined?
> Are you focusing on value over a price?
> Are you inside the mind of your customer?
> Is your solution clearly linked to something timely, current or newsworthy?

We have talked this week about the great marketer Dan Kennedy.

Dan is a really smart and successful guy. Dan knows what he is talking about. He also doesn’t mince words when it comes to pointing out what most people are doing wrong in their marketing.

One of the things Dan has talked about is math. Math in your marketing. As in, it’s really important to remember the numbers. And most people forget.

What do I mean? Some examples:

• Solidify your base. It takes time and costs money to acquire a new customer. It costs the same kind of time and money to replace a customer. Remember how important service is? Try not serving your customer and see what happens when you are constantly in “Replace Mode” instead of “Serving Mode” – not a great or profitable place to be.

• Mix and match. There is no one great new way of marketing. For that matter, there is no one “old-school” way either. There are enormous opportunities available to you when you find smart ways to combine new technologies with more traditional means of marketing. Find the match that works best for your business. Know your numbers. And you’ll know it when you get it.

• Give advice. Dan says, “Everybody should be giving advice, even if they are selling widgets.” Advice is money. Be someone worth listening to and learning from. Teach. Give. Inform. Don’t look at selling as just pushing and promoting.

• Respond! When someone asks you a question, gives you a call or, better yet, downloads or requests information from you, they are basically soliciting you. They want to give you their business. This is the lifeblood of your business! Know what they want and need and don’t screw it up!

• Realize that your competition is generally pretty stupid. You can out-do your competition pretty easily. As Dan says, most of the people you compete with are still in the dark ages! They don’t “get” marketing at all. They know less about the numbers than you do. In fact, your goal is to create a totally non-competitive environment. Why get caught up in that nonsense – you should be making the rules!

So…..where are you falling short when it comes to the numbers? What is your business math challenge?

Here’s a question for you: Has over-reacting to a situation ever served you well?

And by “served you well,” I mean did you gain from it in any real way?

And when you really thought about it, were you reacting or over-reacting to something that was even real in the first place?

Here’s why I ask: Chances are, you’ve watched TV or read the newspaper (or its online equivalent) lately.

Or maybe then nice lady in line at the grocery store told you.

Or you overhead it when you were out at dinner last night.

Wherever and whenever you heard or read it, the message sure was clear: The economy sucks. People are losing jobs. No one has money. Worse, no one has opportunities. Businesses are dying. Worst economy in a century…..

And so on, and so on….

Feel free to fall for the hype. That “go with the herd” and “over-react when the masses over-react” mentality is actually pretty common. (That’s why “the herd” and “the masses” have so many members!)

I hope you aren’t one of these folks, but chances are that you will be.

And the truth is that the vast majority of people will and do believe all the nonsense.

Dan Kennedy is kind of a successful guy, wouldn’t you say? (Ummmm.. yea!)

Dan Kennedy says that marketers should not over-react to circumstances. Times like these cause people to become conservative – which is exactly what the biggest successes do NOT do.

What happens is that the circumstances don’t cause some outcome (positive or negative).

The mindset causes the results – not the marketplace.

The most successful people take what is widely perceived as a negative and turn these things into what Dan Kennedy calls profound advantages. They take action with a positive outcome in mind.

Your actions depend on who you listen to. So why listen to trash? To garbage that doesn’t serve you or your business in any way?

Your mindset has nothing to do with what is going on “out there” or anywhere else. Your mindset is all yours. You control it. Not the lady at the grocery store or your negative neighbor or your grumpy colleague.

You are in control.

This is the time of great opportunity – listen to the marketing experts, to those who know how to work their minds and the marketplace to their profound advantage. The media is not concerned with your success. You can react to all the bad news hype or you can embrace the opportunity and, as they say, Rock The House in your business.

Here’s what we want you to do right now: Thing about what you perceive, right now, to be your biggest challenge or stumbling block in building or even starting your business. This would be that one thing that keeps you up at night and stresses you out during the day.

What is it? How real is it? How can you turn it into a Profound Advantage? Comment below and let us know….