How to Make More Sales

Posted on May 13, 2013 by lesa

Last year at our September Mastermind, my business and Mastermind partner, Bedros Keuilian taught our group an incredible system.

It showed us how he got a ton of sales, and over 60% were from people that had NEVER, ever bought a product from him before, even though they had been on his list a long time.

His conclusion, “Everyone is a buyer.”

You just have to make the right offer.

keuilian bally 300x134 How to Make More Sales

Like this one – who could resist that ticket?

Recently I’ve been helping another one of my elite private coaching clients to sell more of his product.

My client wrote…

“We have 25,000 people on my list but only 7,000 are customers…what would be the best way to put together some promotions for non-buyers?”

1) First, adding a set of valuable bonuses to the current package for a limited time period is best. Do a classic 3-day promotion to your list.

Use the stats you get from the 3-day promo to recruit affiliates to send the same emails – so make sure to create your own Internet Moneyball system.

2) Another option is that you could also do a trial offer. I’d make it available for 21 days at 33% of the regular price, and then the remainder is paid in 21 days.

3) You should do a video for each of the major problems that your product solves.

I’d suggest the top 3 problems and then…

  •     Cover how your product is the solution.
  •     Provide social proof from the testimonials you have.
  •     And walk through what they get. People always wonder what they get…
  •     even when you write it out.
  •     Then finish with your big, bold GUARANTEE. Remind them of the
  •     risk reversal…that they have nothing to lose.

Let me know how it goes.

That’s the type of straight-forward, PERSONALIZED, step-by-step advice that you’ll get from Bedros and I at the 1-Day Mastermind event we are holding in San Diego on June 23rd.

If you want to reserve your spot before all of the seats are gone (only 5 are left), then send Frankie (Bedros’ super-assistant) an email at Frankie@Keuilian.com

See you soon my rockstar friend,

Craig Ballantyne

PS – It’s time to give up “working for the man”…

…and get the freedom you deserve and desire.

If you’re a leader – and not a follower – then you’ll be a fast action taker and email Frankie right now. And then I’ll see you in San Diego for our next 1-Day Mastermind. It will change your life, save you a ton of time and effort (by helping you avoid making BIG mistakes), and make you a lot of money – if you apply our step-by-step blueprint.

See you there.

Email Frankie now – Frankie@Keuilian.com

Have a great week!

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How To Create Killer Content

Posted on May 10, 2013 by lesa

On Wednesday morning I delivered an hour-long, killer content presentation to our 1-day Mastermind members on how to write sales copy and get affiliates. That info will make them a TON of money over the next few years.

I also gave them one big change to their mindset.

The secret to success in today’s world is to over-deliver on VALUE.

You must be a Value-Adder.

That’s the only way to stand out in today’s incredibly complex and competitive world.

One way to do that with your website is to create KILLER content.

As an online business owner that needs to stand out in the crowd and  create goodwill with your prospects and customers, you need to be  delivering great free content on a regular basis (in addition to the tremendous products you deliver that solve real problems).

Recently I’ve been working with one of my $1000-an-hour personal coaching clients to map out a content generation schedule with them.

It all starts with creating a success environment for content creation.

In the real world of running a side business from home, as you are likely doing, this requires the discipline to do one of two things.

A) Get up before everyone else and work (that’s my system)

B) Stay up after everyone goes to bed and work (definitely NOT my system)

But “B” works better for my client, and so we’re going with that.

As I told him, “You must work for at least 45 minutes – and preferably 90 minutes – when no else in the house is up. This is work to be done WITHOUT any access to the Internet. You will do this 6 days per week.

“That’s 4.5 (or 9!) hours of the best work you’ll get done all week. In a year, that’s 200-400 hours of uninterrupted, quality work. That’s will move the  needle in your business, big time! This is your #1 breakthrough opportunity at present until you implement action step 2.

“Step #2 is to hire someone from Craigslist. Create an ad based on the one I shared here.

“It needs to be explicit about what you are looking for. Do NOT hold back.  And make people FAX a submission so that will cut down on the unqualified  job seekers. Having an assistant to do the menial labor tasks in your business  will open up more free time for content generation. Use your time wisely!”

Once you have the success environment in place, we can move on to your  expectations and your calendar of creation

In most industries, the Monday email will be the most important and effective
for sales. Tuesday is also effective, and things get less effective as the week  goes on (in most cases). However, weekends seem to work well for promotional emails that lead to a video sales letter, because people have more time to watch the VSL on the weekend.

You’ll need to test and track every ‘experimental’ mailing that you do. And EVERY email should be looked at as an experiment for the rest of your life.  Watch the open rates, click-throughs, and sales that come from mailing at  different times and days.

Over the years, in my fitness business, I’ve discovered that the following plan works best:

Sunday – Nutrition content + promotion
Monday – BEST workout content + optional promotion
Tuesday – More content + more promotion
Wednesday – Optional content and promotion
Thursday – More workout content + “deadline” reminder to take action on promo Friday and Saturday are optional emails…Saturdays tend to have the worst open rates and sales in my business. NOTE: Yours might be different!

Now that you have your schedule in place, it’s time to think about the content you
can create.

I’m always amused by questions asking if I have a hard time coming up with  ideas. The answer to that is “Heck, no!”. I have more ideas than I’ll ever be able to finish. And it’s easy for you to find ideas.

Step #1: Spend 2-3 hours thinking back through your life about the most important watershed moments that helped you become the person/expert that you are today.
How can you tie these lessons into amazing, sharable articles?

Step #2: Write down 10-20 of the most important problems that your customers  and prospects have that you can solve. Write articles that combine success stories  (from your life or from customers) that demonstrate your expertise.

Step #3: Write down 25-50 of the most important tips/article ideas for your readers.
Write articles that combine success stories (from your life or from customers) that  demonstrate your expertise.

You must always include a story in your content. It can be a personal story or a
lesson from history.

Take a look at the ETR essay from May 1st. It combines a powerful motivational  message with a story from history that everyone “kind of” knows, but one that delivers the REAL story in much greater detail.

That’s the kind of content that keeps your readers coming back every day.

Take thirty minutes and finish this important task,

Craig Ballantyne

PS – When you’re give up “working for the man”…

…listen to or read this FREE success secrets report

Get the #1 Wealth-Building Secret now

It will change your life.

Take advantage of this opportunity now.

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Meet the New Online Superstar

Posted on May 7, 2013 by lesa

I’m a lucky man.

In just a few minutes I’ll be off to San Diego for a week of Masterminding with dozens of online business superstars…including one woman that is

about to have a MASSIVE breakthrough in her business this week.

Her name is Shawna Kaminski.

And all of her hard work over the last four years is going to be paying off this week with her new launch. If you want to help her out, drop her a line  via www.ChallengeWorkouts.com.)

She put together some lessons for you today…Over to Shawna.

***

Less Stress – More Cash

Hi, I’m Shawna Kaminski, a member of the $100K Info Group and a  Publishing Partner with my friends, Bedros Keuilian and Craig Ballantyne.

I’ve been in their Mastermind group since October, 2009, and every year my business grows and grows and grows.

Accountability is a great motivator. When I first started working with Craig  as a Publishing Partner, he suggested I make a weekly monetary goal that I’d  reach for. The goal was just outside what I thought I’d be able to achieve.

Remarkably, I managed to make my goal or close to it most of the time.

Then I hit a wall. It was weeks in a row that I didn’t meet my goal. I  expressed  my DEEP frustration to Craig. I was doing EVERYTHING I could to get to  my goal.

With Craig’s suggestions, I changed my approach and this is what I’m  currently doing:

  • I’ve stopped focusing on short term weekly goals and I’m looking at the bigger picture
  • I’m planning promotions more strategically – if I can’t mail out three times  for something, or if I wouldn’t consider doing a bonus with purchase, then I don’t mail out
  • Generally I provide BETTER content with all promotions for my list whether  it’s for an affiliate promotion or for me
  • I’ve stopped doing ‘charity’ promotions
  • I’m focusing more on seeking affiliate support for my upcoming launches

I do a weekly report to assess my sales and progress from the previous week, and  I’m LESS stressed and I’m able to meet my weekly goals again, even though I  raised my weekly goal by 50%.

I’m not ‘married’ to this weekly goal, it’s just a ballpark figure that I’d like to hit.

It helps to have a general idea of what I’d like to achieve weekly. I’m happy to say  that the new strategies of thinking bigger picture has been a load off my shoulders and added a load to my wallet.

Thank you Craig for these suggestions. As always you’ve come through with ideas to help me move my business ahead.

This monthly planning will allow you better FOCUS on what really matters.

***

Thanks again Shawna.

One more cool story about Shawna and how she turned $50 worth of M&M’s  into $10,000. It’s one of the best investments she’ll have made in her life (aside from joining the Mastermind group).

You see, several years ago we had Joel Marion speak at our Mastermind group.

During his talk he mentioned that he liked peanut M&M’s.

After the meeting, Shawna sent Joel a few big bags of the amazing snack (it’s  my favorite too, after chocolate covered almonds, of course).

Every time I’d visit Joel he’d ask, “What was the name of that nice woman that  sent me the M&M’s?”

And I’d remind him it was Shawna.

Eventually he got to know her, and even invited her to his Superbowl party this  year because as he said in the invite email to her, “You’re an action taker.”

That weekend allowed Shawna to connect with many big name fitness experts that will promote her product this week.

And it gave her a chance to connect with Joel, and he’s going to mail for her Challenge Fat Loss launch on May 9-11.

That’s how it works. That’s the power of taking action, being a pioneer, sending  M&M’s, adding value, and networking.

trocks 300x228 Meet the New Online Superstar

Shawna T-R-Rocks

Remember to contact Shawna at www.ChallengeFatLoss.com and help her out this week.

More power to all of you,

Craig Ballantyne

“People will do anything for those who encourage dreams,  justify failures, allay fears, confirm suspicions, and help  them throw rocks at their enemies.” – Blair Warren

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Mastermind and Connect

Posted on May 6, 2013 by lesa

The worst part about travel is the trek home.

You just want to BE home. You don’t want to have to go through all the “going”.

And last Saturday in Orlando was a near-worst case scenario.

Often when I attend seminars, you never really know if it will be worth staying until the end. This time, it wasn’t. I should have left on Friday evening even though it would have cost me $300 to change flights.

Instead, I was stuck with an 8pm flight on Saturday night, no good sessions to attend on Saturday afternoon, and a hard checkout time of 12pm. Plus,  the Internet connection at the Orlando airport (that I arrived at 5 hours  before my flight) was really, really weak.

Fortunately, I’ve learned to focus on the positives. There were plenty of things  to walk around and look at (I needed to get up and get moving). I was able to  check-in early.
The Wifi improved once I got past security and up to my gate. I  got a couple of messages from good friends to boost my mood.

I then read a couple of good travel magazines (my brain had checked out of work mode a long time ago). The flight not only left on time, but arrived in Toronto early. I was home and in bed by 11:30pm.

Each time I’m traveling home, I tell myself, no more. Or at least, less.

But then the next day, after I review my notes, inspirations, big “A-ha’s” (and I had a HUGE idea come to me while I was in Orlando), I’m reminded that it is  all worth it. And it is.

Or as Loral Langemeier explained in her talk on Saturday morning, “Successful  people see an opportunity and they GO for it. They play bigger and go deeper  into the circles of success. They don’t hold back.”

Sure it would be easy to skip the events. I know a lot of people that do. People that  think they are too smart for the room. Those are the same people that come up with  all sorts of excuses for not joining my Mastermind.

I’m too busy. I don’t want to be away from ____ (insert reason here). I hate travel. It’s too far. That’s a bad weekend for me. I was away last month. I don’t have the money.

(I get a kick out of it when people from LA tell me it’s too far to go to San Diego for  a 2-day event…and then we have people from Japan and Malaysia that somehow make the time to make the trip. Likewise, we have kids from India, Afghanistan, and Pakistan that travel every year to Lithuania for our Blacksmith entrepreneur camp  because they see the value.)

Listen, your success is up to you.

In most cases, you’ll never fully achieve what you want sitting at home in your underwear. Not even the smartest, most independent traffic-buying gurus (like  Mike Geary) stay at home and operate solo and undercover.

And yet those are the guys that you’d think could get away with being Lone Rangers – after all, they don’t really need to connect with JV partners like you and I do.

But heck, Mike is one of the biggest travelers I know. Last month he went to an  event in Puerto Rico (one that I couldn’t make due to other commitments). Then  he was in NYC for Roman’s book launch party. And I’m sure he’s off to some  cool places to meet even cooler people this month, too.

Mike knows the value of connecting. Mike knows the value of Playing Up a Level  and Going Deeper Into the Circles you want to get into.

Yes, travel is a pain in the butt. Literally. My low back and hip always ‘act up’ from
sitting too much.

But that’s not stopping me from getting on a 5-hour flight to San Diego this week for my Mastermind group, then a flight to Denver on Sunday to visit ETR, then a cross- country flight to NYC to attend a copywriting seminar with Perry Marshall, then back  to Toronto for a doctor’s appointment on the Thursday before jumping back on a  plane to Denver on Friday for the weekend – as we’re filming another LiveCast and doing another product launch.

Like Loral said,I’m seeing opportunity and jumping at the chances.

After a week off near the end of May, I’m back to NYC for the annual Atlas 400 meeting, followed by a week in London and another in Barcelona with Matt Smith and a couple  of other long-time business partners.

As soon as we get back to North America we do not pass go (although I’ll collect a lot
more than $200 from my Internet businesses) but head directly to Denver for ANOTHER LiveCast and product launch (coincidentally for a product on how to create products).

Then, after a few days in Toronto, it’s back to San Diego for my annual TT Summit (which is a legendary event with guys like Bedros, Martin Rooney, John Romaniello, and Adam Bornstein…plus Rachel and Alwyn Cosgrove coming down ‘just to hang out’ on the Saturday).

It will be the toughest event of the year for me to leave…I always get a little sad when
it’s over.

But after that I have a couple of other Big Trips to add to my schedule because there  is great opportunity that I need to jump at. That’s how it goes when you’re committed  to success, achieving your goals, and living the dream.

And you’re telling me you can’t travel to one of our 1-Day Mastermind events or  the TT Summit?

Bah, humbug.

You can. You just won’t.

There’s nothing physically stopping you. It’s all mental. You’re just not ready to  play the game UP a level in the environment you need to be in to succeed.

You wonder why you aren’t as successful as you want to be and then you put all of
your energy into coming up with excuses why you CAN’T chase an opportunity or
go deeper into the circles where you ought to be.

It’s your decision. It’s your WON’T, not your CAN’T.

At least be honest with yourself – and with others – when it comes to what is holding you back.

Let’s get clear on:

a)     What you want to do
b)     What you can do
c)     What you’re willing to do

If the answers to all three of those questions are not congruent, then you will
always struggle.

Period.

And here’s a dirty little secret.

That’s okay and it’s not your fault.

Maybe you don’t really want to be successful. That means you just have to go back and
adjust your answers to A and B based on C. Because the answers to C really determine
your standing in life.

Where you stand in life depends on your decision to jump.

Are you willing to jump an opportunity?

Are you willing to work harder to go deeper into the circles where you want to be?

Are you willing to deal with some annoying pains in the butt?

If you answered yes to all three, then trust me, you’ll succeed.

After all, it’s easy to jump. It’s simple to go deeper. And there are stretches to counter those pains.

But first, it all starts with you saying YES I CAN instead of no i won’t.

Those three words determine your success. They predict your future.

Choose the right ones.

Yes you can.

See you there,

Craig Ballantyne

PS – “Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his  goal; nothing on Earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.” – Thomas Jefferson

PPS – We might still have room for you…

…at the 1-day Mastermind meeting that Bedros and I are holding in  San Diego this Wednesday, May 9th.

Email Frankie@keuilian.com to find out the details. It’s $997 and for  serious folks only…the ones who have congruent answers for those

three questions above.

See you there?

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Networking 101

Posted on May 1, 2013 by lesa

I’m going to Disney World!

Wait, no I’m not. I’m going to SeaWorld. To hang with Shamu.

Yep, that’s where Dan Kennedy strangely decided to have his latest  SuperConference.

So today’s another travel day…

As I’ve written in the past about attending events, you must do so with  strategery, as old GWB would say.

You can’t just show up and “wing it”. You need to have a plan. Seminars are all about making the most of every minute that you are there.

When I attend seminars, I take meaningful gifts for some speakers and  questions – and sometimes even advice – for all of them. I do my prep  and research beforehand.

For Kennedy’s event, I already have meetings booked for a breakfast, a lunch, and all dinners (plus coffee breaks) for the three days I’ll be there.

Following this type of strategy will make your trip worth 20x’s the effort and investment.

You should come so prepared that even if you forget everything the speakers teach you, that you should still have so much strategic association planned that it will give you a 20-to-1 return on your investment of time, energy, and money put into your travel.

Gary, our copywriter, attended the recent Ryan Deiss Traffic & Conversion Summit and made these networking suggestions for big events.

“When you meet people, ask them what is happening in their business. Most people love to talk about themselves and how great their business is doing. As you listen, interject a second question and ask them, “What is holding you back?”  Do your best to add value to their business by suggesting a resource or connection.

Get their contact info and promise to follow up with more information.”

But, Gary warns, “Don’t talk non-stop about business. Find something that gets  them to have a good time rather than the same conversation they have over and  over again. Share something that they’ll think is unique about you (it must be true) so that they remember you, because chances are, if you’re serious about your business, then you’ll  be attending future seminars and seeing those same people  again. That’s how you’ll build long-term allies for your business.”

“If the conversation is going to be a long one, perhaps because you are seated with them at a dinner or having coffee, work to find common ground and interests that you can discuss. Talk about your favorite books – that relate to their business or interests – and then send a copy of the book (ask for their address by email after the event). And offer to make introductions to the people that you know that can help them out. You’ll walk away as a value adder, and someone they’d like to talk  more to.”

Screen shot 2013 02 12 at 6 53 08 AM 300x225 Networking 101

Most people are real friendly, so don’t be scared…unless it’s Roman.

Finally, if you’re a bit of an introvert like your editor and sometimes struggle to get involved in conversation, Gary advises that you, “Simply look for introductions.

You don’t necessarily need to speak with everyone you meet in a one-on-one environment. Instead, when you see people you do know that are in a group  conversation, politely walk up and join them.”

Now you can see how important networking, when done right, can be.

Over at ETR, we’re taking our own advice, both at seminars and through our  connections to get associated with bigger and bigger potential partners.

Earlier this year we connected with Brian Proctor (son of Bob) and Tom Ziglar  (son of Zig). We hope they will be Platinum Partners in our 2nd Transformation Contest starting up in August.

Back at Underground (Yanik Silver’s seminar), I was able to meet with and re-establish ETR’s relationship with Brian Kurtz, a VP at the legendary direct mail company Boardroom Inc. Brian and I have plans to meet again in May and discuss an interesting new video project.

Remember, as I told you when promoting the Virtual Mastermind, success really  is about WHO you know.

So get out there and get to know more people.

If I can do it, anyone can.

Time for my flight,

Craig Ballantyne

“First, say to yourself what you would be; then do what you have to do.”
- Epictetus

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