Business Coaching

How To Do More With Less - Michael Port

In this week's Think Big Revolution Monday teleseminar Michael Port (author of Book Yourself Solid and Beyond Booked Solid) explains how to do more with less.

Is that something you are interested in?

• How to do more marketing with less effort?
   
• How to have more free time and less unproductive busy work?
   
• How to have more money without having to work so hard?

To receive advance notification of these calls sign up and join MIchael Port's Think Big Revolution and even join the call yourself to learn how to do more with less.

Update

Thanks to an agreement with Michael Port, I am able to post the downloadable link to the call on my blog.

How To Do More With Less

To Your Success

Your Profit Coach

Paul Simister

Business coaching for customer focused entrepreneurs

Cure Your Public Speaking Fears

Last week I admitted that I was a victim of a self limiting belief. I love small group training sessions but the thought of speaking in public to a large group sends a shudder down my spine and makes me back-track rapidly.

Unfortunately this is starting to hold me back as I have ducked and dived under a few recent opportunities as I become more established.

1. A couple of months ago I was asked to give a talk on Guerrilla Marketing because I am one of the few certified Guerrilla Marketing coaches in the UK.
   
   "How many will be there?" I asked?
     
   "Hopefully about 40 to 50" was the answer. The alarm lights were flashing in my mind and I declined the opportunity.
     
2. Last month, one of the local radio stations in the West Midlands called me and asked me if I would be a guest adviser on a particular subject.  This time the alarm bells were ringing along with the flashing lights. Fortunately it wasn't a subject I knew much about so I was able to salvage my conscience that way rather than face up to the fact that I was "chicken."
    
3. This week, one of the UK national television stations called and asked if I would be interested in talking to them about appearing on a TV programme. You didn't see me for dust.

Do you have the same problem?

You have probably heard of the survey that asked people what scared them the most.

In first place was speaking in public, in second place, walking in to a room full of strangers and third, death.

I don't know about you but if someone gave me the ultimatum "Talk to this group of people or I'll shoot you", I think I could just about manage to mumble away but it does show you just how common is the fear of public speaking.

Poor Public Speaking Performance Confirms The Belief

If your mind is telling you that "you are no good at public speaking" and "public speaking scares you", guess what?

The next time you speak in public you will live up to your mind's expectations.

Remember the Law of Attraction as featured in the film The Secret - you attract what you think about.

You force yourself to do it but you don't enjoy it and to be honest, you're probably not very good. A few kind people may come up and say that "it was interesting" but no one will enthuse.

Here's The Good News - It Doesn't Have To Be Like That

Public speaking is a skill that can be learned and mastered. Then your self talk becomes positive and people will tell you that your talk was great.

Michael Port, author of best selling books "Book Yourself Solid" and "Beyond Booked Solid" has given me permission to republish his Think Big Revolution Monday teleseminars on my blog so I've gone back to last year and found two recordings to help you improve your public speaking skills.

Michael is a great speaker himself but as a former film and television actor, you would expect him to know the inside tricks.

Public Speaking Call 1 - Michael Port and Marcia Wieder

Join Michael in his discussion with America's Dream Coach, Marcia Wieder, as they talk about how to confidently deliver an inspiring message to an audience - whether it be 1, 100, or 1000 people.

Marcia has appeared on Oprah, The Today show, and in her own PBS-TV special.  She has written several books which have been translated into numerous languages.  As past president of the National Association of Women Business Owners, she was often in the White House where she met former U.S. presidents, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter and George Bush Sr.  In addition, as a columnist for Motto magazine and The San Francisco Chronicle, she urged readers to take "The Great Dream Challenge."

Learn from Marcia's extensive experience about how to improve your speaking abilities - to become an inspiring speaker!  Discover the technique of weaving stories into your presentation to create the impact that you're looking for.

A course is mentioned but this was in October 2007 but if you are interested, it will be worth checking out the website for any repeats.

Download this mp3 audio

Public Speaking call 2 - Michael Port and Patricia Fripp

Join Michael as he enlists the help of Patricia Fripp, who was the first female President of the National Speakers Association.  As a public speaking expert, Meetings and Conventions Magazine called her, "one of the country's 10 most electrifying speakers".

Learn how to move from being good at giving presentations to being great at giving presentations with advice from the experts!  Discover the tools to use to become fully self-expressed, to catapult to the next level.

Download this mp3 audio

The Benefits Of Audio Learning

I love audio learning because the emotion of the words and the personality of the speaker come over so much better than in writing.

But the problem is you can't scan so I like to listen to recordings using FasterAudio which allows me to speed up calls through the introductory fluff and bits that aren't relevant to me and then slow it down for the key sections.

Say after me "I am a great public speaker and I love it. I speak to small and large groups regularly and it is always very successful."

Join Michael Port's Think Big Revolution

Michael Port wants you to Think Big and has created these regular teleseminars to help you.

If you would like to sign up for news of the calls as they happen then pop over to Michael Port's site and sign up to the Think Big Revolution

To Your Success

Your Profit Coach

Paul Simister

Business Coaching for customer focused entrepreneurs

Michael Port - Book Yourself Solid - 4.5 Stars

I have just finished reading "Book Yourself Solid: The Fastest, Easiest and Most Reliable System For Getting More Clients Than You Can Handle Even If You Hate Marketing and Selling" by Michael Port.

Michael Port specialises in helping service professionals (accountants, business coaches and consultants, chiropractors, realtors/estate agents...) to market themselves more effectively so that they are booked solid.

Let Me Make This Simple For You

Let's skip the blah, blah, blah and cut to the chase.

1. If you are thinking about venturing out on your own as a professional service provider, buy Book Yourself Solid. It will tell you what you need to know about marketing to become successful.
    
2. If you are providing professional services to a small number of clients but there are more hours available in a week than you currently work, buy this book. It will give you new ideas to find new clients.
    
3. If you already a successful service provider working all the hours you want, buy Book Yourself Solid. It will help you to develop more status so that your fee rates can be increased and help you to find ways to break out of the "fees for time" syndrome which can restrict your income.

What Makes A Great Book?

When I read and review a business book I look for three key things:

1. The book is well written. Check.
    
2. The book introduces me to new ideas or gives me a new way of looking at currently known techniques. The book must increase my knowledge or if it is an introductory book, it must explain the ideas clearly. Check.
    
3. The book must move me from theory into action. It is only by applying knowledge through action that your results improve. Check.

So that's three big ticks/checks for Book Yourself Solid.

You Want The Review?

I think that some of my readers like it best when I pull a book to pieces rather than be nice about it but let me explain why I believe that Book Yourself Solid is the book to boost the marketing of your professional services.

A Real Action Focus

Throughout the book you will find written exercises and links to useful resources to help you to implement the ideas.

Even better, when you buy the book you learn the password to get the 90 page Book Yourself Solid workbook from bookyourselfsolid.com. This lays it all out so that you can conscientiously work through and complete the exercises and capture your thoughts.

I recommend that you do it as you read the book and then print off another copy when you've reached the end and do it again.

It will be interesting to see what you have learnt and how the book has changed the way you were thinking about the sales and marketing of your professional services business.

You may be one of those people who just skips over the exercises in books but don't do it with Book Yourself Solid. You won't get the best out of it.

Your Ideal Client

I have blogged before about Michael Port's "velvet rope policy" and how it is up to you to decide who you want to work with.

It's a lesson that many of us have had to learn by bitter experience but professional services are a two way street. When the best coach, consultant or adviser comes into contact with the worst client, it is the worst that wins. Little is achieved and both you and your client lose out.

Some people are just not meant to work together and the sooner you accept that, then the sooner you start applying tighter acceptance criteria. You can also ruthlessly weed out the clients that are not up to standard.

They will suit somebody else so you owe it to them and you owe it to yourself to bail out of the relationship early.

Your Who, What and Why

Are you clear on your personal identity? Who you want to work with, what you do and why you do it?

For years I struggled with this because I didn't seem to fit into any nice easy pigeon hole. I'm an accountant but I'm not an accountant. I'm a consultant but I'm not a consultant. I'm a marketer but I'm not a marketer.

You see the problem?

The word business coach seemed to fit me quite well but I noticed that people didn't respond to it as well as I'd hoped.

This is partly because many people are sceptical about the word "coaching." Is it consultancy? Is it training? Is it therapy? Is it encouragement and support?

Yes, Yes, No and Yes in my case.

The problem is that pick any of the professions and describe youself that way, people get to keep their own existing mental image.

If you say you are an accountant people immediately stereotype you and commoditise you. They may even think that you are a little bit boring thanks to Monty Python.

Not good news when you are trying to show that you are different and that you are the accountant, life coach, estate agent, dentist, stock broker... that they want and need.

See "But I Don't Want An Elevator Speech" for a great video of Michael Port explaining this problem.

Becoming The Expert Authority

You market and sell professional services.

That means that you are selling expert knowledge but you probably run into two opposing thoughts:

1. It's not polite to brag about what you know. Somehow it can undermine the very professionalism that you are presenting. Proactive marketing has been difficult for many old fashioned professionals to get their heads around.
    
2. There is always somebody who knows more than you do. It is impossible to know everything so if you are a lawyer specialising in employment matters, you can't get pulled into areas outside that speciality but also you can be out-specialised.

Book Yourself Solid addresses this issue and while it encourages you to continue to learn as an essential element of your professionalism, you also have to accept what you know.

Be clear about what you know and even more important, make sure that your clients know your boundaries. There is no shame in admitting that you don't know about something. Don't be reluctant to refer work when necessary.

The Book Yourself Solid Sales Cycle

You are romancing your customers, gradually building the trust and credibility necessary to turn the relationship into profit.

The key way to show your knowledge is through information products. Perhaps you have a blog like this one because I am sure that as you read my blog, you gradually realise that I do know a bit about business. (Did you see how I ducked out the bragging issue I mentioned earlier.)

Perhaps you should have a free e-book or a short course people can subscribe to.

Whatever the mechanism, the idea is the same. To demonstrate your knowledge in a meaningful way to potential clients so that they feel that you are the obvious solution to their problems.

The Book Yourself Solid Core Self Promotion Strategies

Clients need to know that you exist so you have to find ways to promote yourself.

Michael Port devotes a chapter to each of his seven promotion strategies:

1. The Book Yourself Solid Networking Strategy - love it, hate it but it nearly always has to be done and the book gives you practical tips to allow you to network with confidence.
    
2. The Book Yourself Solid Outreach Strategy - this includes direct mail, telemarketing, email marketing - in fact anything that you do to reach out to your prospective clients and say "this is what I can do for you."
      
3. The Book Yourself Solid Referral Strategy - the core strategy for most good professionals and where most of my coaching and consultancy fees come from.
    
4. The Book Yourself Solid Web Strategy - this is an excellent chapter but then Michael Port is co-creator of Traffic School.
    
5. The Book Yourself Solid Speaking and Demonstrating Strategy - most people are terrified about the idea of speaking in public but it can be a very effective way of promoting your services. Not one I fancy particularly although I love small group training.
    
   The thought of addressing an audience of hundreds of people sends a shiver down my spine. But this chapter has made me think again. Partly because it has broken my fixed idea.
    
   Public speaking doesn't have to mean speaking to 500 people. Michael helps me to identify baby steps which are just outside of my comfort zone but not so frightening that I have a mental block and refuse.
    
6. The Book Yourself Solid Writing Strategy - this one is much more to my liking but again, I have suddenly realised that I'm not really doing much in this area apart from my blogs. I will definitely be pressing on the gas pedal here. I love to write.
    
7. The Book Yourself Solid Keep-in-Touch Strategy - so obvious but often hard to do. I use a contact management system to follow up with contacts and record what is happening and of course I have my email newsletter. You have signed up haven't you? What do you do?

So there we have it. A fairly long review of Michael Port's "Book Yourself Solid" book.

I think it is great. One of the best books that I have ever read and I wish it had been written thirteen years ago when I first started as a professional service provider. My life could be very different.

But Paul Why Haven't You Given It Five Stars?

Good question and I'm glad you asked.

Michael Port has upset me!

He has destroyed my business book review ideas but I am not giving in.

When I started reviewing these books I was determined that I was going to be firm but fair.

My recommendation is hard won and that means holding back the top 5 star award to books that I can recommend without reservation because they have changed the way I think about business and act in business.

Book Yourself Solid is great. I love it.

Well written, very easy to read, action focused and at 243 pages of content, full of great ideas and actionable advice without going into tedious detail.

But it hasn't had the chance to stand the test of time so I can't say for certain whether this is "The Beatles" and not the latest hot new thing that is the current number 1.

Is it a book that I will keep on referring back to like my 5 star review books?

I just don't know but I can tell you that I have written in my schedule to come back and reassess my grade with the current intention to upgrade the book from 4.5 stars to 5 stars on 1 April 2009.

In one year's time I will know.

My Recommendation

There are two actually:

1. If you market professional services then buy Book Yourself Solid. Here are the links to Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
    
2. Sign up to Michael Port's Think Big Revolution. He interviews all kinds of interesting people and occasionally has a Q&A session. These are all recorded and the mp3s are available for you to download and listen to at any time. It just shows Michael Port's commitment to providing value.

Michael also provides a Book Yourself Solid Coaching Program that is delivered to groups over the Internet and telephone. This run once or twice a year but the weekly schedule and feeling of accountability may be what is needed to help you to implement the Book Yourself Solid ideas.

I haven't been on the course myself but Michael works very closely with Mitch Meyerson on two other courses Traffic School and The Product Factory. I know people who have been on both these and they are highly recommended and I was extremely impressed with Mitch Meyerson's Guerrilla Marketing Coach Certification Program.

Final Words

I don't think I've ever thought this about a book before.

I wish I'd written Book Yourself Solid. That's how good it is.

To Your Success

Paul Simister

Your Profit Coach, business coaching for customer focused entrepreneurs

© Planning & Control Solutions Ltd 2007-2008 All Rights Reserved

Awakening The Entrepreneur Within - Michael Gerber Interview

"Awakening The Entrepreneur Within", the new book by Michael Gerber is released in the United States and my copy is on its way to the UK because I couldn't wait for the UK launch to read the results of the Dreaming Room process. (Get your copy from Amazon.com)

Michael Port, author of Book Yourself Solid has interviewed Michael Gerber about his latest book, "Awakening The Entrepreneur Within" which you can download

Michael Port interviews Michael Gerber

Thank you Michael for giving me persmission to post the Think Big Revolution teleseminars on my blog.

If you want to listten the the Think Big Revolution calls as they happen, all you have to do is sign up to the Think Big Revolution. It is free and you even get a free chapter of his Book Yourself Solid book (my review should appear later this week.)

Update - 17 March 2008

My copy of "Awakening the Entrepreneur Within" has been delivered today so I am going to get straight down and read it.

Update 2 17 March 2008 - Michael Gerber At The Dream Start Conference

I am having a Michael Gerber intensive day and I am delighted to tell you that:

1. Michael Gerber is presenting a seminar at the Dream Start conference in Leeds on Tuesday 24th June 2008. This looks like a fascinating event and you can learn more about the Dream Start conference.
    
2. I have been able to negotiate a special price for the readers of my blog and email newsletter. The normal price is £99 per ticket which looks a great deal anyway to feel the special aura around a business guru like Michael Gerber. The special Your Profit Coach price is just £75 per ticket. I don't know how long this special offer will last so take this opportunity to book because I am sure the event will be a sell out.
   
   To take advantage of this special deal, all you have to do is book the Dream Start tickets through this link and enter Your Profit Coach as the booking reference in the space provided. You will then be invoiced at the lower price.
    
3. There is a chance for you to have the full "In The Dreaming Room" experience with Michael Gerber because an event is being organised at London Heathrow for 27 June (evening only) to 29 June 2008. If you want more details, can you email me at paul@plancs.co.uk with Dreaming Room in the title and I will forward your email on to the organiser.
   
   This will be a premium small group event of about 25 to 35 people and so it is at a premium price of £1,500 but you will have the chance to interact personally with Michael Gerber.

Is Michael Gerber A Good Speaker?

One word. "Dynamite" as this short video shows.

To Your Success

Your Profit Coach

Paul Simister

Business coaching for customer focused entrepreneurs

© Planning & Control Solutions Ltd 2007-2008 All Rights Reserved

The Product Factory Is The Wind Beneath My Wings

If you have been attracted by the idea of the Product Factory for developing a signature information product but you haven't quite made up your mind, here is my second guest reviewer Cara Lumen, another Certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach with her Product Factory Review.

The Product Factory is the Wind beneath my Wings

If ever there was a driving force in my business life, it has been The Product Factory, that incredible 90 day course in product creation. Not only do you create a unique product, but you learn project management skills, online and offline marketing techniques, how to write compelling sales pages and resources on every product creation subject imaginable.

I'm about to start my fifth time through, my third time as Team Leader of The Success Magnets. Last time we won and our whole team has received a free return trip.

The people are incredible. We work in teams and in forums because there are over 100 of us but we interact with resources and ideas and support from every team.  As a Team Leader my job is to create a supportive learning environment, help you keep on target with your project, and do whatever it takes to help you get your product completed.

In the end, your product goes on The Product Factory Wall of Fame where over 35,000 people are invited to take a look.

Michael Port and Mitch Meyerson created the Product Factory. I have never known two people more in service to others. They give us everything they've got, share everything they know and are totally invested in our success. Michael is the author of  "Book Yourself Solid" and "Beyond Booked Solid" and Mitch is the author of eight books including "Secrets of the Online Superstars" and "Mastering Online Marketing". They are both mover and shakers and great teachers. They have truly been the wind beneath my wings.

The Product Factory is offered only once a year and it starts Monday February 25th.  There is a weekly call with Michael and Mitch and then a team call you select that fits your schedule.  And the rest is up to you. If you stay with the assignments, take advantage of the multitude of rich resources, and stay steady on your course, you will learn more than you ever imagined, make long-lasting friends from all over the world, and come away with a unique product for your business and know how to make many more!  I hope to see you there!

Cara Lumen, The Vision Distiller, helps you focus your passion into profitable course of action. Through internet marketing, content strategy, signature product development and her own information products she helps pro-active entrepreneurs become Success Magnets. Join her on The Product Factory and subscribe to The Success Magnets emagazine at  www.caralumen.com

Thank you Cara.

You have now seen two very strong advocates for the Product Factory (the other review is Warning! Watching Your Business Grow Is Addictive) and my more general commentary on why you need to create an information product.

So if you know you want one but you are not sure how to create an information product the Product Factory is a great place to start although based on Cara and Tina's experience you are likely to want to do it again.

I would be so tempted if I wasn't totally over-committed at the moment. I have started reading Michael Port's Book Yourself Solid book and I'm thinking that I really must do his Book Yourself Solid coaching course to make sure it is as good as I expect it to be.

To Your Success

Your Profit Coach

Paul Simister

Business coaching fgor customer focused entrepreneurs

Product Factory Review-Watching Your Business Grow is Addictive!

Following my recent post "Create Your Own Information Product or Program with the Product Factory" I am delighted to bring you the first promised review from Tina Cook of Secret2LoveMarketing.com.

As you read, you will feel her infectious enthusiasm for the Product Factory so it is probably right that it carries a health warning.

Sign up for Product Factory?
Warning! Watching your business grow is addictive!

So I’ve warned you of the potential risk - what you are about to see will lead to habit-forming behaviour!

Reading further is at your own peril!

If it happened to me, it’s highly likely that it’ll happen to you too. I suspect that something is slipped to you virtual-ally. How else can you be on a cyber-high for 90 days? Being part of an experience that is created, geared and fine-tuned with the singular purpose of increasing your success is exhilaratingly addictive!

How I Was Hooked?

I was in a confused space - on and offline.

That’s when you are at your most vulnerable and those marketing gurus know it. They entice you with this free eBook and that 30-page report. Who do you believe? He says he has the magic formula. She is very convincing and you like her style. Which program will deliver the results?

By now, we had spent quite a bit of boodle and no progress, no real results. It was taking too long. How were we going to grow our business? Our intention was to go global. From the sunny shores of South Africa, this was going to be one big leap of faith!

The first thing I noticed about Product Factory was the great content and their generosity. Hadn’t seen anything like Product Factory anywhere else. Then came across it again.

Read the sales letter. Ninety days – that’s three months - and our eBook will be complete? Sounds very good. That was the hook – I could see our eBook complete.

What Happens After You Sign Up?

Your life changes. You discover the ‘moodle’.

This is where we all hang out. It’s a big, welcoming wonderful space where an amazing group of go-getters from all walks of life meet in cyberspace. In this virtual forum we share tips, expertise, and experiences, encourage and congratulate.

I felt like a kid in a toyshop for the first few weeks! There was so much to tryout and explore: blogging, copywriting, building your brand, podcasting, shopping carts - just to name a few of the bonus resources. There are more resources than you will ever need.

For me, initially that was a huge plus. I’d spent many hours researching which online services to use for our new virtual business, for example, which auto responder to subscribe to?

Here were resources recommended by our coaches and colleagues that were actually using them and even more importantly, using them successfully! They where willing to help me with tips and shortcuts to get me over the hurdle. (Yeh, sometimes, it’s a bit scary actually doing it. By the way, Easy Web Automation is the best autoresponder/shopping cart by far.)

And then there’s all the participants - we were over 90 strong in this ‘Factory’.

The second task was choosing which team to meet with each week. Over the 3 months I got to know some of my team members very well.

• Sue Kelly in England, the Hypnotherapist,
   
• Brady Flower from Minneapolis, is a Shopping Kiosk Expert,
   
• Ed Mascari, is a Music teacher,
   
• Marcia Merrill, the Career Transitions Coach too mention a few.

We were quite a mixed bag though coaches mainly.

I only realised the value of the connections made here later. I just loved being part of the creative energy, of moving forward and on!

Everyone was also juggling the demands of their existing businesses, family commitments and somehow finding the time to create a new product. Before we knew it we were deliberating the title of our new products and the table of contents. (Two weeks prior I wasn’t even sure which direction to take.)

Also there’s your buddy.

Very important for accountability. We were encouraged to have a weekly call to go through our assignments together.

I was blessed to have connected with an amazing New Yorker, Nutrition Counsellor Randi Cestaro who created an eBook during Product Factory entitled ‘I Healed Myself from IBS & You Can Too!’ It’s amazing how you can support each other via Skype and email. From African time to New York time. Ebook covers were discussed. Sales letters drafted and re-drafted.

And then there’s the main call with our head coaches, Michael Port and Mitch Meyerson on Mondays.

Michael and Mitch whisk you on a magical learning adventure covering every aspect of you product’s creation, whether you are writing an eBook, creating your free opt-in offer, recording your first DVD, what ever you do best. Professional and playful, these two dynamos divert and focus your attention on everything you need to know – and more – to create your product. These calls are recorded so you can listen again.

A Sprinkle of Magic Dust

I’d never met a ‘juicy woman’ before I met our team leader, Andrea Amador. This is such an important and fabulous part of the Product Factory experience. Our team was called ‘The Winners’ and each week we’d call the bridge line so all twenty three of us could mastermind and share our wins.

And when I was staggering to meet the deadlines, who sent me an email to arrange a personal ‘where are you stuck’ call? Yes, this juicy woman sprinkled her magic dust and any doubts disappeared. I think that call and another amazing call with a couple of my teammates was my turning point and gave me the drive to complete two digital products within the deadlines.

What else can I warn you about?

Don’t think it’s a breeze. Taking you out of your comfort zone and into your creative zone can be a little bumpy at times AND the best time of your life!

90 days flies by so make the most of every moment and ALL the opportunities that open to you.

You will create a product or two. You can try and sabotage your success but Michael and Mitch know all our old tricks and keep you on track BIG TIME!

Want to see what we created?

This started as a ‘little test’ for me to learn how auto responders work. In 13 months we’ve had 2,077 sign up in 47 countries for the complimentary mini-course ‘Count Your Blessings’ written by my partner, Annette du Toit with my bit of editing and the design. Take a look at www.Secret2LoveYourLife.com

Then the most amazing things started happening. All our live workshops and programs were booked out! That magic dust again?

Our second and main product is our eCourse ‘Mentor Yourself to Mega Millions’ We completed the lead-generating products the free introductory chapter during Product Factory 5 and the MP3 download during Product Factory 6.

Is Product Factory for you?

If you want to stay in your comfort zone, then, no Product Factory isn’t for you. If you want to get into your creative zone and be successful then join the party! That’s how we ended the experience – a big cyber celebration!

This so much to more to Product Factory. Michael Port and Mitch Meyerson are the master marketers and their sales letter gives loads more information. Be sure to take a look at the Product Factory Mall, where all our completed products are displayed.

It’s excellent value for the cost of the program too. I’m registering for the course that starts February 25 so if I can support you by answering your questions Tina@Secret2LoveMarketing.com

There’s also a preview call on Monday 18 February at 4.00 pm EST.

It’s a call worth listening to, just to hear how two brilliant marketing coaches do it!

Tina Cook
Multimedia Marketing and Wellness Marketing Coach
Secret2LoveMarketing.com

I did tell you that people were raving about the Product Factory to me and I expect my other promised review to be just as positive.

You can't get a better recommendation than having someone say that they are going back on the program.

Over 2,000 sign-ups to an email course is impressive and of course, a critical mass develops on the Internet which fires its own momentum. Even more impressive is that through the email course, Tina and Annette have been booked solid.

So if you want to develop your own signature information product and you are prepared to commit to turning that idea into reality, just go over to the Product Factory website. You only have one week to decide before the course starts on the 25 February.

To Your Success

Your Profit Coach

Paul Simister

Business coaching for customer focused entrepreneurs

Create Your Own Information Product - Product Factory

I am sure that you have heard how important it is to create your own unique identity and in particular how you need to have your own signature information product if you operate in markets where information can make a critical difference.

I received emails from Michael Port and Mitch Meyerson overnight announcing that the 2008 Product Factory will start on 25 February. This will be the only launch of this very highly regarded 90 day intensive program this year. You can find out details here.

If you want to develop a unique information product with high brand identity and association there is a simple choice:

1. Grab your place on the Product Factory course in the next few days
    
2. Miss out for a year and risk delaying your business development
    
3. Find another top program to help
    
4. Do it yourself - a low cost but high risk option given the investment in your time you will need to create a signature information product. I know how long it takes to write an article for my blog so don't underestimate the time commitment.

Why You Should Have Your Own Signature Information Product

1. It raises awareness of you and your brand and creates instant credibility. Mitch Meyerson became famous through his Guerrilla Marketing Coaching Course and Michael Port through his Book Yourself Solid Program.
    
2. It creates advocates who will buy other products and services you develop and promote you to other people.
    
3. If it is good and appeals to the right market it creates long term passive income - work once, earn forever.

Admission Time - I Am Following A Different Route

Regular readers will know that I am following a different route to creating by own superstardom (ahem) but my route is much more expensive since it involves Rich Schefren's Business Acceleration Program and his joint venture with Jay Abraham on Maven Marketing and the home study kit.

I get other items included which may not be relevant to you so if you want to follow an information product path (and another of my Business Development Superstars Peter Thomson is a firm believer in it and has achieved remarkable things steering some of his clients down this path) I do recommend that you spend a little time having a good look at the Product Factory.

Two of my Guerrilla Marketing Coaching friends who have attended the Product Factory have agreed to write reviews of their experience but I know where they are heading as one has already done it at least twice and the other wants to do it again. See Tina Cook's Product Factory review

How To Find Out More About The Product Factory

There will be a preview call on Monday 18th February at 4:00 pm EST (so by my calculations that makes it 9:00 pm in the UK) although I seem to be ahead of the website at the moment as there is the recording from last year still available for download.

There is an early bird pricing offer which does look appealing and I would be very tempted if I wasn't so completely over-committed. I wouldn't be writing the article yet but the short launch period means that either I tell you about it or you miss out.

To Your Success

Paul Simister

Your Profit Coach, business coaching for customer focused entrepreneurs

Elevator Speeches - I Don't Want An Elevator Speech

Do you have an elevator speech? (A short  20 to 30 second speech to convince anyone why they should hire you.)

If you have one, how do you feel when you deliver it or are you frustrated when the other person beats you to the punch and pitches you with a couple of corny lines about how great they are?

Do you feel good and think the other person feels good? Or do you think that you have both been cheapened by a shameless, self promotional pitch?

Good sales and marketing is about understanding the needs of your potential customers, listening to them carefully and then explaining how your product or service delivers the benefits they are looking for.

Me, Me, Me or You, You, You

Good selling is about you the prospective customer but an elevator pitch is about me the potential seller.

It's starting from the wrong point and is just a broadcast.

I agree some people may be able to create enough attention to have people begging to learn more but it's not "I can save you the trillions of pounds you are currently paying the taxman by sharing a secret known only by me."

There is no credibility.

What would work?

"I am a sex god who..."

I don't think so. It may attract your attention and gain your interest but the credibility factor is still not there.

Listen to Michael Port

It is not just you and me who doesn't like the elevator speech despite the fact that many business gurus will tell you that you must have one.

Watch this video of Michael Port (see my Who is Michael Port article)

Let Michael explain his ideas on the "who you are and what you do" statement that isn't corny and then I recommend you click on over to Michael's website and sign up to his free Think Big Mondays club. This week's broadcast is about using Facebook for marketing and I will be commenting on it later in the week.

I am certainly in favour of a short summary of how you can help people which you have intentionally developed and rehearsed but it doesn't have to be corny and insincere.

Me?

I don't think I would deliver it in elevators but you can certainly capture your main essence in a couple of sentences and use it as part of your email signature, in your other marketing and as a way to introduce yourself on the telephone.

Here is another article along similar lines from The Guerrilla Consultant Website - The Trouble With Elevator Speeches.

It is time to stop the corny elevator speeches and pitches. That's a relief isn't it.

If you enjoyed this Michael Port video, there are more on this Michael Port Professional Service Marketing.

To Your Success

Your Profit Coach

Paul Simister

Business coaching for customer focused entrepreneurs

Who Is Michael Port?

If you had asked me six months ago, back in early September 2007 "Who Is Michael Port?" I would have replied "I don't know. Are you sure you don't mean Michael Porter, famous strategy guru and Harvard professor?"

But six months is a long time and I have been amazed how many roads lead back to Michael.

Now if you ask me I will tell you "Michael Port is the guy to call when you're tired of thinking small."

Pretty neat catchphrase isn't it.

Michael Port specialises in helping small business owners and in particular self employed coaches, consultants, trainers and other service professionals to boost their revenues and make much more profit.

He's a best selling author, a great speaker, an online business coach and an Internet marketer.

Background

Michael has been blessed.

Good looking, charismatic, intelligent and from what I've seen so far a nice guy, Michael Port's career took a dramatic change in direction.

This is the man who became bored with the idea of being paid to kiss beautiful women.

You see Michael is a classically trained actor and has appeared in a range of TV shows of which the most famous in the UK is "Sex & The City" and a few films.

He found it boring. Too much waiting around.

A new career in business called, where he became a senior manager in various companies in the top end health and fitness industry before deciding to create his own consultancy firm.

The Many Roads That Lead Me To Michael Port

1. He is a contributor to Mitch Meyerson's great book "Success Secrets Of The Online Marketing Superstars". He co-wrote the chapter on "How to create products for the web." This was the book which inspired me to start this blog.
    
2. On the Guerrilla Marketing Coach Certification program run by Mitch Meyerson, I quickly learnt that Mitch and Michael had a couple of joint ventures - The Product Factory and Traffic School.
    
3. I started working with some of the Guerrilla Marketing Coaches and two of them told me how great The Product Factory and Traffic School programs are and I browsed over to the websites myself to have a look. By this time, the Michael Port brand meant something to me.
    
4. I keep on a close eye on the people I consider to be the leading small business gurus so I take a little look at Michael Gerber's site promoting "In the Dreaming Room" occassionally and who should pop up on the home page in the video and as the only testimonial but Michael Port.
   
   Can you imagine the honour of receiving such a prominent position from one of the most famous business gurus in the world? There are plenty of testimonials on the Dreaming Room testimonial page although not mine from when I went to the October 2006 London Dreaming Room.
   
   This flagged to me that Michael Port was someone I needed to learn more about.
    
5. I listened to the Guerrilla Marketing Association interview with Michael Port a couple of weeks ago intending to write a short review to promote the GMA which is probably the best small business marketing service in the world.
    
6. This week as I report in Flattery gets you everywhere I was approached to review Michael Port's next book before it is published called "Beyond Book Yourself Solid."
    
7. I have ordered his first book "Book Yourself Solid: The fastest, easiest and most reliable system for getting more clients than you can handle even if you hate marketing and selling". Inspired title Michael and I hope I love the book.
    
8. I spent too much time in the small hours of last night prowling around the Michael Port website. I watched the videos and signed up to the Think Big Monday's club and received a free chapter of his first book but there is also a free 30 minute audio recording on personal branding which is excellent.
    
   Even more than that I found the treasure trove of past recordings of interviews and Q&A calls which most people would charge for. I do recommend that you spend some time on Michael's website because you will find it very rewarding.
   
   Just don't do it at 2:30 am because it is too interesting and I didn't get back to bed until well after 4:00 am.

Is Michael Port Any Good?

I like what I've seen and heard and I'm pretty hard to please but I haven't spent any money so I asked one of my Guerrilla Marketing buddies to write a short testimonial. Over to you Tina:

‘Michael Port’s charisma, vibrant energy, warmth and passion for his work and his students travels far across the Atlantic Ocean to South Africa where I participated on two of his virtual product creation courses. Thousands of miles away yet I felt totally connected with him. The word ‘exponential’ wasn’t part of my vocabulary, or business or personal growth, until I completed my first Product Factory with Michael Port and Mitch Meyerson. They have created a learning environment with the sole purpose of supporting you to succeed and excel at what you do best. Michael Port is a remarkable marketing coach and mentor. If you have the opportunity to be part of one of his classes or read his book, grab it! It will be an experience that will stretch you and leave you richer.’

Tina Cook, Multimedia Marketing and Wellness Marketing Coach and Co-founder of Secret2LoveYourLife.com (hope the pink is the right shade!)

Another of the Guerrilla Marketing Coaches I know well, Cara Lumen has contributed several articles already to this blog has agreed to write reviews for The Traffic School and Product Factory.

The Guerrilla Marketing Association Interviews Michael Port

Deep in the Guerrilla Marketing Association archives there is an interview with Michael (I recommend that every small business who needs to market joins the Guerrilla Marketing Association). This interview gives me a good idea of what Michael is like.

In my coaching I talk about a concept called customer value and the attributes that make up how a customer defines value in the context of "value of money".

I hadn't consciously turned this arrangement around until I listened to this call.

I know that customers make many decisions based on what they value but I hadn't considered the implications that people express what they value through the products and services they buy.

Isn't that interesting?

Buying one thing means not buying something else or perhaps not meeting the savings goal for the month.

Intuitively I had known it. If a person buys one luxury good or status symbol, they are likely to buy others and are therefore a prime target for other luxury goods suppliers. The owner of a Ferrari is going to be tempted by Armani suits for example.

This wasn't developed in the interview but I hadn't thought about what it means psychologically and how it can be applied to find the hot buttons for other, less obvious products which appeal to the same values or motivational drivers.

I am interested in pyschographics and marketing to the subconscious or unconscious mind and this is an area I want to explore in more detail.

The interview is really about promoting the "Book Yourself Solid" book and the 15 week intensive Book Yourself Solid Coaching Program (sorry the current program just started on 30 January 2008 although if you hurry there may be some spots left.) I was impressed by the statistics Michael Port reeled off on the course.

In fact I was impressed by two things:

1. He had the statistics and clearly cared enough to follow up the results of the course after twelve months. How often do you see that?
    
2. 93% of people who used the system properly increased their number of clients by 30% and increased their revenue by 40% in the first year alone.
   
   Very impressive. I had a look at the course and it is different to many I see.
   
   Also very refreshing is the complete absence of sales letter hype. Take a look at a very refreshing way to promote a course filled with details of what the course will cover and how it will work.

Let me ask you the question that Michael asked on the GMA call.

"Do you have a red velvet rope policy?"

What do I mean? Have you seen a popular night club where the bouncers only let in a particular type of people?

So how do you make sure that you attract the clients who you can do your best work with?

If you don't have this type of policy you will find yourself working with less than optimal clients so they won't get the best results and you won't get the maximum satisfaction from your work.

I love these ideas  which put you in control of who you work with and I've explained to others that it is tremendously liberating to fire your worst clients - those that with the benefit of hindsight, you wouldn't let past the red velvet rope. Of course you can only do it when you are not desperate for revenue from any source but remember Michael is teaching you to book yourself solid.

Michael Port Services & Solutions

Michael Port Website - I recommend that you sign up to his Think Big Mondays club.

Remember I haven't tried the following services myself but they look good and I trust the people who have told me how good Michael is.

Book Yourself Solid Coaching Course

The Product Factory - learn to create your own signature products (the sales letter is more of a traditional sales page) but it does look good.

Traffic School - how to get more traffic to your website and persuade more people who land on it to buy.

Come back soon and I will have read and reviewed Michael's existing "Book Yourself Solid" book but in the meantime do yourself a favour and pop over to his website. I know you will be as impressed as I was.

I have written far more than I intended to but I do feel inspired so thanks for that Michael and if you visit the blog, please do leave a comment.

To Your Success

Paul Simister

Your Profit Coach, business coaching for customer focused entrepreneurs