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Discover The Unrecorded, Underutilized, Highest Value Asset of Nearly Every Business and How You Can Begin Utilizing This Asset Today!!

Every business that I have ever audited, worked for or consulted with has balance sheet. As a modest stockholder in a number of companies I receive quarterly and annual reports. As a subscriber to the Wall Street Journal, Investors Business Daily, Business Week and several other business publications, I read financial performance and valuation reports.

None of the companies I have worked with or have read about recognize or focus on probably what is their most valuable asset which, of course, is their customer list.

Capturing the data, segmenting the data and further developing the relationship with the customer through communication and offers results in extraordinary growth in revenue and profits. Since it is rare to find a company recognizing and capitalizing on their customer list, Exec Net Consulting has partnered with the professionals of Total Marketing Solutions, Inc. to provide a cost effective solution for companies recognizing the importance and value of their customer lists. While additional information is being developed at the web site www.theprofitsystem.com those interested in immediate assistance may Click Here.

IRS Agent Helps Marketing Legend Write His Best Marketing Letter Ever!!

I am not the publisher of the National Enquire, Star Magazine or any other tabloid. The above headline is true. However the point is the author of that letter was motivated after meeting with an IRS agent and finding out he had to come up with a sizable amount of cash quickly. So with " a gun to his head" as John Carlton recommends (figuratively as a motivational tool), he wrote a very successful marketing piece... because he needed the money.

Find your motivating force then set marketing goals and deadlines for achieving those goals. I am writing this valuable message after traveling and working with a client until late. What motivated me to do that? It is simple: I love the world of writing copy. I am in awe of people who write headlines and letters that result in people making a buying decision. I am also fascinated by the process of writing this message, pushing a few buttons and having this web site and now a blog updated instantly.

A side note - in 2004 I was studying the business of a very prominent speaker. He told me "the best thing I ever did was learn how to do my own web sites." Here was a guy making a ton of money saying doing his own web sites was the best thing he ever learned. So as you can tell from the graphics - I learned how to do that.

I am amazed every day when I write something for one of my sites and I publish it to the web. Totally awesome as Corey Rudl would say.

My Business

Finding the right business to help you achieve your marketing goals can be a challenge. Exec Net Consulting has recently set up a new affiliate Total Marketing Solutions, Inc. (http://www.theprofitsystem.com)

Exec Net Consulting – www.ExecNetConsulting.com, works with clients on developing the exact actions and progress needed on a daily, weekly and period basis to achieve significant revenue and profit growth. My firm’s expertise spans numerous industries. Most of our experience is with retailers, manufacturers, and trucking companies. I have already developed a spin off of my main web site – www.ExecNetConsulting.com for the trucking industry. That site is www.TruckingCompanyConsultant.com I have several more in development recognizing our expertise in a number of other industries. On the drawing board is a further breakdown of our retail expertise as it applies to drugstores, restaurants and apparel.

Many companies large and small agree with the recommendation to time phase their action plans developed in sync with their longer term projections. Most never get past the planning phase as days fly by and business goes on as it has the day before and the day before that. Exec Net Consulting offers a complete performance based consulting service. No Consulting Reports – Just Results.

All the best,

Steve Pohlit, President

Exec Net Consulting

www.ExecNetConsulting.com

Joint Venture This Program and Experience An Explosion In Revenue and Profits!!!

The reality: most business owners and managers do not have the time to implement the programs that will help their companies the most. For example, managing customer data and using that data for targeted relationship and business building.

The process is not difficult to describe but time consuming to implement. However, this is a great area with high return on investment to outsource. Look for additional tips on managing customer and prospect data.

Finding the right business to help you can be a challenge. Exec Net Consulting has recently set up a new affiliate Total Marketing Solutions, Inc. (http://www.theprofitsystem.com)

My Business

All the best,

Steve Pohlit, President

Exec Net Consulting

www.ExecNetConsulting.com

Your Headline Must Catch The Attention of Your Reader or the Rest of Your Message Is Toast.

In the editorial section of today's Wall Street Journal, I noticed the following headline: Sex For Food I read the two paragraph report. I'll bet 90% of the males who looked at that page of the Wall Street Journal read that report.

Just three words helped the author achieve his goal - to have that article read. Every person writing content wants their material read. It will not be read unless the headline catches their attention.

Until about 3 months ago, like most people, I went through my postal mail while standing over a trash can. Now rather than tossing mail that have products, services or topics of no interest, I look for compelling headlines. Junk mail uses the best copywriters available. Think about it, just a slight change in the response rate can mean huge differences in the profit from just one mailing. So now I pay attention to headlines - everywhere. I pay attention to billboards, newspapers, magazines, junk mail, email and more.

I have one growing in success web site that has a headine I adapted from a junk mail piece promoting a financial services product. I used a headline found in a newspaper in this article. I am no longer simply writing what I think will work. I am following the lead of what does work.

By the way, improvements in sales from using emotional direct response marketing techniques has been a key component of the success of more than 80 % of my clients.

My Business

Exec Net Consulting – www.ExecNetConsulting.com, works with clients on developing the exact actions and progress needed on a daily, weekly and period basis to achieve significant revenue and profit growth. My firm’s expertise spans numerous industries. Most of our experience is with retailers, manufacturers, and trucking companies. I have already developed a spin off of my main web site – www.ExecNetConsulting.com for the trucking industry. That site is www.TruckingCompanyConsultant.com I have several more in development recognizing our expertise in a number of other industries. On the drawing board is a further breakdown of our retail expertise as it applies to drugstores, restaurants and apparel.

Many companies large and small agree with the recommendation to time phase their action plans developed in sync with their longer term projections. Most never get past the planning phase as days fly by and business goes on as it has the day before and the day before that. Exec Net Consulting offers a complete performance based consulting service. No Consulting Reports – Just Results.

All the best,

Steve Pohlit, President

Exec Net Consulting

www.ExecNetConsulting.com

Now Is The Time to Know Your Sales and Profits for Next Year

Sales and Profits In the Coming Year Should Be Expectations Not Goals.

Today there are nine days left in 2004. Almost everyone who publishes anything is offering advice about goal setting. I am not setting one goal for 2005. I have a handful of business and personal results that I will achieve in 2005.

There is a huge difference between goal setting and having the mindset of already achieving certain milestones. Those may include revenue and profit milestones, health milestones and relationship milestones.

Once you clearly see the results you will achieve it is then simple a matter of time phasing backward the actions needed each day to achieve those results. Unless you have the daily, weekly, monthly action plan and implement that action plan, next year this time you will again be sitting down and saying "I must make my list of goals for next year now." You might as well save the paper holding the ones you wrote last year or the year before because it is likely very little has changed.

The people making huge leaps in there business and personal lives already see the achievements in there mind and have the plans in place for the tasks required to achieve those results. You must have the time phased action plan and implement that plan to reach the results that are important to you.

Niche Marketing – A Goldmine of Opportunities

How To Gain More New Customers In One Month Than You Have All Last Year

The large consumer products companies including Proctor and Gamble, Pepsi, Anheuser Busch and many others build brands by appealing to a niche. Direct mail publishing houses provide excellent guidance on successful niche marketing. These companies include, Board Room Reports, Agora and others. What are examples of their work? Look at your junk mail (postal). All the direct mail pieces promoting the latest health product or financial service are usually developed and distributed by one of the larger direct response advertising publishing houses.

Most companies do not market to the one or more niches served by their products or services. Here are several examples: I have worked with several long haul trucking companies. In looking at their customer base, I found that their main customers fell within a small list of industries. One customer group was beverage containers. Focusing on this industry, the company was able to substantially grow it’s revenue base.

My business (Exec Net Consulting – www.ExecNetConsulting.com ) advises clients to segment their most valuable customer groups and develop marketing programs tailored to the key differences of those groups. For example, I am working with a client who manufacturers and sells a product line to consumers, commercial businesses and dealers. Clearly the interests of each of these groups differ and further dissection is appropriate considering the various models of the products produced. Not only are we developing distinct direct mail campaigns but we are also developing niche web sites to support the messages in the direct mail pieces.

I apply these principles to my own practice. My firm’s expertise spans numerous industries. Most of our experience is with retailers, manufacturers, and trucking companies. I have already developed a spin off of my main web site – www.ExecNetConsulting.com for the trucking industry. That site is www.TruckingCompanyConsultant.com I have several more in development recognizing our expertise in a number of other industries. On the drawing board is a further breakdown of our retail expertise as it applies to drugstores, restaurants and apparel.

Many companies large and small agree with the recommendation to niche market and some even begin to plan for it. Most never get around to it as days fly by and business goes on as it has the day before and the day before that. Exec Net Consulting offers a complete performance based marketing service. No Consulting Reports – Just Results.

All the best,

Steve Pohlit, President

Exec Net Consulting

www.ExecNetConsulting.com

PS : About that title: I sell an entire course on How To Get More Customers In One Month Than You Have All Year. Contact me for more information.

"Discover the 5 ESSENTIAL Elements of a Profit-Generating Long Salesletter… and How to Use Them to Clinch at LEAST 70% More Sales!"

( I have been working with Corey Rudl's coaching staff for about a year. His material is right on point. With his permission, you will find many of his newsletters republished on my sites and blogs. Most companies do not take the time to develop and implement an effective marketing plan. Exec Net Consulting offers a complete turnkey program. Please visit the Marketing Solutions section of our Exec Net Consulting site.)

Without a doubt, sales copy is one of the most important elements of a web site. Time and time again, I've seen a few small improvements to a site's sales copy result in a massive boost in sales! and one where just a few improvements can massively boost sales.

But, despite this, sales copy is also one of the most neglected elements of most web sites -- particularly by new Internet entrepreneurs.

For starters, people are often unsure how long their sales copy should be. Here's a general rule to go by: If you offer a single product (or a group of products that share the same benefits) on your web site, then you need a LONG salesletter on your homepage.

Most people think one or two paragraphs are enough, but in fact, the process takes much more than that. Think about it: Sales copy replaces the human interaction of an offline sales experience. And, unlike a face-to-face encounter, there's no opportunity for a prospective customer to get to know you online, or to ask for more detail about a product benefit, or to raise concerns.

So your sales copy has to cover every possible question a visitor to your site may have about you and your product or service. A long, structured salesletter gives you the space to do this, and provides all the information your visitor needs to help them make the decision to buy.

I know, because I've tested my own sales copy to death over the years! On www.CarSecrets.com, I tested a long salesletter (containing around eight pages of copy) against the same copy split over four separate web pages... and the long copy generated almost 70% more sales! As you may imagine, I've been using this long salesletter format ever since!

But how long is long? The answer to that is… As long as it needs to be to fit in all the elements required for you to close the sale!

Typically, the higher the price point, and the more complex your product or service, the longer the salesletter. Longer copy allows you to spend adequate time accomplishing all the tasks that are vital to closing the sale, including the five essential elements of successful sales copy:

Determine your unique selling proposition (USP)
Grab the reader's attention with a killer headline
Establish your credibility
Solve your reader's biggest problem
Include a strong guarantee

With all these elements in place, your sales copy will have the power to take your visitors by the hand and lead them step by step through your sales process, addressing their concerns and answering their questions along the way... giving them the level of comfort and the information they need before they can take the next step -- and buy your product!

Essential salesletter element #1:
Determine your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

Your unique selling proposition is a benefit of your product or service that makes it "unique" in the eyes of your customers, and what makes it stand apart from your competition's products or services.

You need to ask yourself what your product does better or differently from competing products. Does it cost less? Does it look better? Are there any special or unique features?

An example of a great USP is Domino's Pizza's guarantee of "30-minute delivery or it's free!" They don't try to sell you on the quality of their pizza -- instead, they promise to deliver fresh, hot pizza in 30 minutes, or you don't pay. This promise sets them apart from everyone else, which makes it a great USP.

The key is to find one thing that your competition doesn't offer, and then use it as the foundation of your sales copy. Your USP and the benefits that come from it should be placed throughout your copy, starting with the headline…

Essential salesletter element #2:
Grab the reader's attention with a killer headline

When visitors arrive at your web site, it's a safe bet that they've come looking for information about your products or a solution to a problem they have. However, you still have a lot of work to do. After all, it's more than likely that there are other sites offering similar information and products just a couple of clicks away!

So if you're going to make that sale, it's critical that you grab each visitor's attention right off the bat.

The most important attention-grabbing tool is your headline. It's the first thing visitors to your site see -- and just like the neon sign outside the movie theater, or the newspaper vendor on the sidewalk shouting out the day's headlines, it's what makes people stop for a closer look.

A great headline should:

Create a problem that the reader can identify with
Stress the main benefit of your product in solving that problem
Generate excitement and a desire in your readers to find out more

I can illustrate this using a "before and after" example showing how our team rewrote a headline for a client of ours (in the interests of confidentiality, I've changed the product name):

BEFORE:

XYZ Soil Conditioner - Shelf stable live soil microbes
from concentrate! For lawn, garden, & houseplants!
Used in agriculture, too!

This headline includes a classic mistake that most online entrepreneurs make -- they use the name of their product or their web site instead of a real headline. The above headline doesn't introduce a problem that readers can identify with, or provide any benefits of the product. And it's not going to grab the attention of many readers -- after all, what's exciting about soil microbes?!

AFTER:

Use the Best-Kept Secret of Organic Farmers to
Grow a Vibrant, Healthy Lawn and Garden, Reduce Your
Watering Bills, and Bring Damaged Soil Back to Life...

... Plus Learn How You Can Stop Wasting Money on Chemicals and Pesticides!

This new headline addresses the specific problems of its target market -- damaged soil, and money wasted on chemicals and pesticides -- and promises a solution. It also clearly lays out the two biggest benefits of the product -- a healthy lawn and garden, plus cost savings. The language is dynamic, attention-grabbing, and makes the reader want to find out more.

Take it from me -- headlines can have a HUGE impact on your sales, and just a couple of small tweaks can dramatically increase your profits. In fact, one simple change to your headline can increase your sales by up to 714%... or more!

I know this because at The Internet Marketing Center, we test several different headlines for each salesletter we write to see which works the best. I'd strongly recommend that you do the same.

Essential salesletter element #3:
Establish your credibility

Establishing your credibility helps your readers feel safe enough to buy from you -- and to give you their money over the Internet. You need to reassure them that you have all the right experience, and that you are trustworthy and honest.

The key is to back up everything you say with details of your experience, qualifications, awards, or memberships to relevant organizations and associations in your industry.

Take a look at this example from our sample salesletter:

Believe me, I know what I'm talking about! I've spent years traveling the world and learning the secrets of soil biology -- and I've put those secrets to work in my own organic gardens. Without using any fertilizer, herbicides, or other chemicals, I'm able to grow more fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables than I know what to do with! And I don't have to pull any weeds... because there aren't any!

Copy like this is aimed at convincing readers that you've faced EXACTLY the same problems as them -- and solved these problems! This will make readers far more likely to buy from you than from someone who doesn't demonstrate the same knowledge and experience.

Another great way to reinforce your credibility in the eyes of your readers is with testimonials from people who have bought your products and are happy to sing your praises!

You can put all your customer testimonials in one section, or spread them throughout your salesletter. Either way, be sure to include at least one or two strong testimonials right up front on your homepage.

Include the customer's full name, business name, and URL in each testimonial -- this makes it obvious that it has come from a real person. And avoid the temptation to "clean up" the writing in your testimonials so they all sound the same -- leaving the mistakes and "rough spots" in will make them more convincing.

Essential salesletter element #4:
Solve your reader's biggest problem

After creating a problem that the reader can identify with, including it in your headline, and describing it in more detail early in your salesletter, you'll need to show how your product or service can solve this problem.

A big mistake that most web site owners make in their sales copy is neglecting to emphasize the BENEFITS of their product or service. The fact is, your potential customer will NOT already understand the benefits of your offer -- so you must clearly explain EXACTLY what your product or service can do for them. How will it solve their problem? Will it save them money and time? Will it enrich their lives?

Make sure to pack your explanation full of clear, powerful benefits, so your reader knows exactly what your product can do for THEM. And don't forget -- benefits are NOT features!

You've probably heard the "benefits, not features" mantra before, but just in case you haven't, here's a quick overview. A FEATURE is an attribute of a product; for example, an adjustable spout on a watering can would be a feature. A BENEFIT, on the other hand, is a way that a product solves a problem. For example, if the adjustable spout (a feature) lets you easily change the direction and volume of water you pour on your plants, saving you time and effort, that's a BENEFIT.

Instead of stating features of your products, talk about the product's benefits to the reader and exactly how the product will solve their problems.

Here are a couple of benefits from the copy we wrote for our client's soil treatment web site:

Get beautiful, rich soil FAST -- without mess or hassle! Organic farmers spend YEARS building up the exact conditions that are needed for creating a healthy colony of microbes... so why not take advantage of their hard work WITHOUT all the back-breaking labor?

Treat your entire lawn and garden with ONE easy-to-use product! Why mess around with bags of fertilizer, lime, pesticides, herbicides, and other chemicals... when you can easily and simply create healthy, natural soil with a single product!

Note how this copy talks about specific ways in which the product can solve their problems, like easing their workload and reducing the number of different products they need to buy.

Every benefit you give your reader is another reason for your reader to buy, so be sure to list as many as you can!

Essential salesletter element #5:
Include a strong guarantee

A guarantee is an essential part of any salesletter. And the stronger your guarantee, the better. Whatever kind of guarantee you decide to offer, you must write it in such a way that it gives the reader the confidence to buy your product.

A well-written guarantee shows that you fully believe in your product, and that you are willing to back up your belief in it. For example, here's the guarantee we wrote in our sample salesletter:

If your soil DOESN'T grow thicker and richer... if your lawn and plants DON'T flourish like never before... and if your fertilizer and watering bills DON'T drop dramatically... simply return the empty bottle and I'll refund your complete purchase price, no time limit, no questions asked.

This is a strong guarantee with no time limit and no penalties. A guarantee like this shows that you have complete confidence in your product's ability to do what you say it will -- otherwise, you'd be swamped with returns!

The stronger your guarantee, the more sales you'll generate -- and the fewer returns you'll actually get. It's a highly effective sales tool, and a vital part of any successful long salesletter.

How to make your salesletter close the sale!

So now that you've got the key elements of your salesletter in place, there are a few more strategies to consider that will take your sales copy to the next level -- and help convert your site's visitors into customers…

Write to your audience: You don't need to be a professional writer to create great sales copy -- just be yourself and write in a style that your audience will relate to. Imagine that you're talking DIRECTLY to just one person, rather than making a speech to an audience of hundreds.

Make it "scannable": You should use just one or two typefaces, include lists of bullet points, and separate the copy with sub-headlines. All this helps makes the copy scannable (most people scan web copy rather than reading it closely).

You should also steer clear of unnecessary graphics and pictures, which can distract readers from your sales copy, and avoid using lots of different colors.

Create urgency: If your visitors are hesitant to make a purchase, they may decide to "think about it" for a few days -- but the fact is, if they leave your site without buying your product, they probably won't come back!

You want visitors to your site to buy NOW! So you need to build urgency into your offer. For example, you could say your product is only available at this price for a few days, or offer free bonuses that people will only receive if they order within a certain period of time.

Ask for the order: This may seem obvious, but you need to explain EXACTLY what people need to do next to order. Don't just say "Click Here" or "Buy Now"! Say something like, "To order safely online, click here to visit our secure web server and follow the three easy steps."

Don't forget the P.S.: The "P.S." is the second most-read part of a salesletter, after the headline. Make sure to restate the main benefits of your product or service here, and also restate the urgency of your offer.

Final thoughts

Too many people spend all their time trying to drive traffic to their site… and ignore their sales copy or leave it until last! But the fact is, if your copy doesn't do its job in converting traffic to sales, it doesn't matter how many visitors your site gets -- you won't make as many sales as you could be making!

By leading the reader through all of these elements using a clear, uncluttered format, written the way you would talk to a customer... stressing all of the benefits of your product... and creating a sense of urgency that makes your readers click through to your order page… a well-written long salesletter can make an enormous difference to your sales.

In fact, your sales copy is SO important to making your web site profitable that my Insider Secrets to Marketing Your Business on the Internet course contains FIVE chapters on successful sales copy techniques alone! If you haven't read it already, I highly recommend that you check out this in-depth, A-Z "how-to" of writing captivating and sales-generating copy that really works, including tons of tips, examples, and resources.

Effective sales copy involves good planning, and constant tweaking and testing to find what works best. As my own tests show, a good salesletter on your homepage can improve your sales by at least 70% -- and up to 714%!

Those are amazing sales increases that no business can afford to ignore. And by using the proven formula I've outlined in this article, you should be able to make a real difference to your sales. Remember… even just one small tweak to your headline can make all the difference!