Happy Valentine’s Day – and
a disturbing trend I’m seeing that’s really getting under my skin
There’s a trend I’m seeing today in business that’s really getting under my skin. But first…
Happy Valentine’s Day to you!
And what better way to express your love for your Valentine than with the new “Love Poem Generator” Smartphone app. It creates and texts a custom poem straight from your phone to that of your Valentine’s.
Like this beautiful piece: "The moment I saw you my heart was sold and the two of us will never be cold."
How romantic … I guess.
Personally, I’d rather be a man and present gifts face-to-face. I think most ladies would appreciate this too.
But (I guess) the app serves two purposes: First, guys really do have a lot of trouble with this stuff. And a quick and easy app seems like a logical solution. Plus, it avoids those embarrassing rejections. Those scary face-to-face encounters of the guy with 12 roses in hand asking, “Will you be my Valentine?” Only to be told, “I already have one.” Ouch!
Should have used the Love Poem Generator app instead…
Why Rejection Matters To You
The bigger point is this: More and more I see too many entrepreneurs indulge a certain safety net hiding behind a text, or an email - in place of a face-to-face interaction; or hiding behind a smart phone app -instead of picking up the phone, dialing a number and actually talking to the prospect. I suppose they prefer the safety of electronic communication because it softens the rejection blow. Getting no response to an email is a lot easier to swallow than getting a door slammed shut in your face, or the phone hung up on you mid-sentence.
But for No BS entrepreneurs like you and me, we don’t have such a luxury.
Our world is one of direct response accountability. And if our marketing and prospecting efforts aren’t bringing results we have to ruthlessly change, cut, cajole, and manipulate them, (and keep doing so) until they do get results. Rejection is our guide. We live day-by-day KNOWING that there are significant financial consequences hiding behind electronic media in place of real-time face-to-face selling and rapport building.
Case in point: Patty Baxter, CEO of Metro Guide Publishing watched as sales plummeted. Apparently, her sales staff got the notion that talking to prospects over the phone, and engaging them face-to-face was ‘old school.’ They preferred pitching proposals via text and email. She was forced to pay a consultant $1,800 a day to teach her team what they should have been doing all along: picking up the phone and selling! If you didn’t catch the story, it’s an eye-opener. It can happen to any business – I hope it doesn’t happen to yours. Refer to your October 2013 No BS Gold newsletter.
Our job as NOBS entrepreneurs is to find and implement multiple ways to create real, bona-fide connections with real, bona-fide prospects … to engage them … and get them to act on our calls to action. That’s no easy task. There is no one-thing-Magic-bullet-app to help us here.
Most entrepreneurs would rather seek an
“Easy Button” than do the work it takes to really
create value and interest in the marketplace
Thus, our mission at the monthly Arizona Marketing Summits: finding multiple ways, not just one, to create massive value for your business. I can’t teach that with a text, email, or … an app. And it’s impossible to fully grasp all the value we help create for your business if you only attend one, two or three meetings a year[AC1] . It takes a strong commitment by you to attend every meeting every month.
But, I know that’s not easy - most people want easy.[AC2]
In fact, that’s exactly why you are an important part of this family - because you are not like most entrepreneurs. Every month we explore ways to help you create massive value for your businesses – it’s what we strive to accomplish at each and every Arizona Marketing Summit meeting.
- Like, funneling more high value B2B prospects to your business starting immediately. Did you see Robert Stanley’s “More Customers Now” presentation?
- Or, How to Become a Recognized Expert in Only One Hour a Day, one of the topics for tonight’s Feb 13 AZ Marketing Summit
- Or, How to Write a Book Fast, our March topic.
- Or, Brian Horwitz’s, “Linked In Client Attraction Strategies” our July topic
NOTE: These are archived in the members only. If you’re not an AZMA member, you may gain access to this and other proven marketing strategies backed by verifiable results, visit http://arizonamarketingassociation.org/ for our free trial offer.
“But I have so much to do – I can’t possibly find time to do all of it.”
The biggest concern voiced to me about all of this is the time issue. To which I’ll say two things:
(1), It’s not about doing this on a scale that someone like Dan Kennedy does, but that shouldn't stop you from implementing some of these proven strategies on some scale;
(2) Establishing yourself and personality as an above the fray, high-level expert and authority, is the only way to consistently generate massive appeal from high quality, high-value target clientele – who wouldn’t want that for their business?
In fact, we’re the only networking group in the Valley actively helping its members accomplish #1 and #2 above.
I commend you for being a part of our Arizona Marketing Summit family … attending regularly … Learning about new devices that better your business AND implementing them.
Over the past few months we’ve had some of the best meetings I’ve ever been involved with here at the Summit.
That’s squarely because of you. And I can’t thank you enough. [AC4]
Happy Valentine’s Day to you!
Chuck Trautman
P.S. - Oh, and for the men out there in relationships of ANY significance, I wouldn't recommend using the Love Poem Generator app. That's like sending an anniversary note with a 140-character tweet. As my uncle liked to say “That ain't gonna get you nowhere…”
Instead, be way above average and treat her the way she deserves to be treated.
And, be way above average in your business too – break from the status quo – away from businesses that hide behind emails, tweets, and posts. Get above that and become the marketplace leader using irresistible marketing and offers
Believe me your prospects and customers WILL notice – and they’ll tell you by way of spending more with you instead of your competitors.
That does matter to you, doesn’t it?