It’s probably safe to say that, on any given Monday, you’d rather have a few teeth pulled than make 50 cold prospecting calls.
Maybe you get a little sick thinking about all that money you’ve been flushing down the toilet in un-trackable promotional campaigns.
Let me introduce you to Michael Port.
He’s the best-selling author of a book called Book Yourself Solid, and he’s developed a step-by-step system for getting clients and customers — even if you hate marketing and selling.
I recommend you grab the book, but listen to this interview first …
Michael may just free you from that cold-calling, blind spending, and not-knowing-what-to-do-next cycle of “business” you’ve been running in for too long.
In this episode Michael Port and I discuss:
- How to stop cold calling and get prospects to come to you
- Why elevator pitches don’t work and the old-school strategy that does
- How to persuasively talk about what you do — without sounding confusing, bland, or arrogant
- Why selling is actually “super simple”, and the formula for getting it done
- Michael’s 7 Core Self-Promotion Strategies that can change your business
- How to use your writing skills to book a steady stream of clients and customers
Hit the flash player below to listen now:
Other listening options:
- Click here to download the mp3 | 47.1 MB | 39:14
- Click here to subscribe via iTunes
- Click here for the RSS feed (non iTunes)
- Click here for the show archive
About the Author: Robert Bruce is Copyblogger Media’s Chief Copywriter and Resident Recluse.
Reader Comments (27)
Hey Robert!
Thanks for sharing this with us, I am always looking for books that can help me succeed. None of us are big on wasting money and not knowing where to go next.
I am downloading this on my kindle! Thanks!
-Stephen
These are some great tips!
I’ve found from personal experience that proactively nuturing relationships ahead of time helps with securing clients.
Keep them informed about your company and your products and services. A good way to do that may be utilizing an email newsletter to nuture and build the relationship.
Whatever method you use make sure you stay on the top of the customers mind.
It’s true that most people like to just focus on their product or passion online or otherwise and seldomly think about the marketing and promotion side of it.
Question: how much of the strategy discussed in your book apply to blogging and how does it apply?
Cheers
Hi Alex,
Book Yourself Solid is not a blogging book, per se. But If you’re building a business around a blog or building a blog that is a business, it will be extremely helpful.
The techniques you might use to promote a blog are only a small piece of the success story. First, I suggest that you consider the foundation of your business and:
– Create a Red Velvet Rope Policy and only work with ideal clients that energize and inspire you so that you do our best work (dump your dud clients)
– Understand why people buy what you’re selling so you know to whom you’re speaking and about what (don’t be a generalist)
– Develop a personal brand identity so you decide how you’re known in the world (don’t let your mother do it for you)
– Talk about what you do without sounding confusing or bland or like everyone else (and without using an elevator speech)
Then you should be able to earn trust and demonstrate credibility over time by:
– Increasing your likability factor so you’re wildly popular (think: Brian Clark)
– Designing a sales cycle so that you can make sales offers that are proportionate to the amount of trust you’ve earned (because cheese smells)
– Pricing your offers in the sweet spot of the customer’s desires (not too low, not to high but juuuuuust right)
– Mastering simple selling so you book more clients than you can handle (Super-de-duper-de-do!)
There’s more, of course, but I hope this is helpful. The way I see it, marketing tactics need to be based on much more than smoke and mirrors – no matter how beautiful the mirrors make you look.
– Michael Port
P.S. The typos in this comment are free of charge; they’re my gift to you. (I’m typing this on my iPhone – Yikes!)
Iphone boss!
This was great and with the money I’d pick it up. Thanks!
If you have a unique voice online then you can have a product online. Many people believe that no one will buy what they can create, but if you can attract an audience then it’s possible to eventually sell to them.
Actually, if you do a good enough job creating free content then people will beg you for stuff that they can buy from you that’s even better!
This is really long. I finished 26 minutes of it, but then I lost focused and I don’t think I’ll ever finish the call. Too bad. Maybe it was too much “old information’?
Go ahead Jeffrey, stay out there looking for all that “new” information. The latest. The shiny. The et cetera.
Old is the new New.
And sometimes it’s going to take more than 26 minutes to get back to it…
Really good interview. I’m listening to it now while I design and it’s causing me to stop and take notes every couple seconds. Downloading it and putting it in my car too.
This was great. Good speed and ecouragement. As a professional for 15 years I am always looking for ways to think bigger, be closer to my clients and be a good listener. I like the systematic approach you speak of and will look into your book. I am totally spontaneous in my life it seems and need more of a system approach.
The last 2 years with the onslaught of “Avon style amateurs” with a camera the market that supported myself and my peers is undergoing a change. The cost of what it takes to survive is being undercut daily by these part-time amateurs advertising $50 sessions on groupon. How does one get a personal conversation with you?
Thanks Robert. I need to get a copy of port’s book!!
You should pick it up! I think you’ll find it’s well worth your time. I’m a big fan of his work and I still re-read Book Yourself Solid every year or so.
I’m with Sonia. The section in his book where he teaches you how to talk about yourself is money.
Robert,
Thank You.
Your post is spot on; bang on target.
In fact, a lot of creative people are confused and/or fearful of sales, promotion and marketing side of any business.
If “image is everything,” creatives are oftentimes late-bloomers when it comes to image management. If you want to stay in business, you have to build your brand. How do you gain credibility? How do you get that first client?
There are people out there who have written blog post after blog post, but have not managed to progress. They are still stuck in a dead-end or rut despite logging hours of work. Hopefully, this book will help such people.
Creatives are looking to identify a problem and find a solution, so they do not end up wasting valuable time. If you are just starting out, how do you go from point A to point Z? That is the million dollar question for many creatives.
They just do not know how that is done. They look at successful and wealthy businesspeople and say, “Gee, I wonder how these people achieved, whereas I am still groping in the darkness.” Continue, please, with your good work.
Cheers.
I loved this format. While listening I : found an image for a blog post; answered a quick email; read a couple more; posted same post; took awesome notes gleaned from the podcast; relaxed by listening to the soothing voices of two men. I’ve subscribed in iTunes…didn’t know Copyblogger had this before now.
I read Michael’s book a few months ago. It’s terrific for anyone starting or running a small business.
Being that I’m actually in the teeth-pulling business, it’s all about building trust, rapport and value for what we offer.
Joe 😀
Well said. It is a necessity to know WHO you are selling to.
Create the value in your customer’s eyes. Value can be seen differently to so many people but within your target market, it is usually the same.
good point Dave!
This is a golden podcast.
I love that donkey story. Apparently it’s been around a while. I first heard it in “John Ploughman’s Talk” by C. H. Spurgeon. Fascinating story.
Hi Martyn,
The story about The Old Man, The Little Boy, and the Donkey is one of Aesop’s Fables.
– Michael Port
A nice audio clip to learn more about marketing.
Thanks a bunch for this interview.
Nice podcast!
Will have to check out Book Yourself Solid in the near future.
I love books that have the potential to help me in my business and life.
Thanks Michael and Brian for this gift!
That was a great program. I see he have a book, so my next step is go to amazon and buy that book . I need more advices for create value to my customers.
Raised in a business family that has its roots deep creating, running and serving customers, I can first tell you just be careful what you wish for here. Be ready to put your pride to the greatest test, your ego should be put to sleep and your entire life is to be of service to others with a big smile 🙂 Put it this way, the more of service you are to others, the more you will earn. But who wants to do that?
Yep I think the only way of getting over the whole cold calling fear is to just DO IT… when you start all of a sudden you realise that it didn’t kill you and so you might as well keep going
Just GO, GO, GO!!! If you are afraid always, or coward then don’t expect to be successful in this worlds.
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