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Narrow Your Focus to Broaden Your Sales

Posted on June 23, 2008 | Filed Under Copywriting, Offline Marketing, Online Marketing

By Michel Fortin

In the competitive marketplace of the new millennium, the demand for specialized products or services will increase. If your site sells everything or to everyone, chances are that your audience will not perceive any greater value in shopping from you than anyone else.

The more generic you become, the greater your competition will be, since you’ve placed your offering in the same ring as the Wal-Marts, Targets and eBays of the world.

In other words, cast a wider net, and the likelihood that more competitors who are trying to go after the same “fish” will occupy the same marketspace.

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Are All Business People Dishonest?

Posted on May 14, 2008 | Filed Under Business Management, Offline Marketing, Online Marketing, Relationship Marketing

By Michel Fortin

Seems I’m ranting a lot these days, and a little more opinionated than the norm. Perhaps it’s my broken back,( http://www.michelfortin.com/breaking-my-back-promoting-new-product-literally/ ) which is killing me, that’s making me more sensitive or irritable. I don’t know.

But something someone recently said in my copywriters forum irritated me. And it’s not what this person said specifically, but the mindset behind it that’s bothering me.

In a thread about an Internet marketer who was recently arrested (yes, it had something to do with forced continuity, but it had more to do with refusing refunds and avoiding customers than it had to do with forced continuity itself), one member said:

“There is NO such thing as an honest business man. (…) Ask any accountant.”

Now, I have no clue as to why this person said this. And my opinion here is not about this person specifically. Again, it’s about the thinking process that some people have when they make such assertions.

Personally, I believe this view of business people is skewed, off, and wrong. It’s destructive, too.

In fact, copywriter Marcia Yudkin said it best. In her reply, she said this gem: “I feel sorry for you. That is a terrible philosophy to hold, hurtful to you and hurtful to the honest people who deal with you.”

Well said.
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Forced Continuity: A Different Perspective

Posted on May 7, 2008 | Filed Under Business Management, Offline Marketing, Online Marketing, Relationship Marketing, Revenue Generation

By Michel Fortin

Preamble: In response to some excellent rebuttals as well as countless comments I’ve received on my previous post, “The Real Sinister Side of Forced Continuity,” I believe some people are missing the point of my argument, and I want to clarify a few things.

I’m not a lawyer by any stretch. But as a copywriter and business owner, I do know the rules enough to know that there’s a difference between “optional continuity,” “forced continuity,” and “hidden continuity.”

Optional continuity is self-explanatory. Forced continuity is a very common marketing practice (I’m not a fan of it, but I don’t mind it). In fact, there’s nothing wrong with forced continuity in and of itself.

What’s wrong is when it’s used in a wrong way.
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Three Tips For Finding Top-Shelf Clients

Posted on April 6, 2008 | Filed Under Business Management, Offline Marketing

By Michel Fortin

In my coaching program, a student who is an upcoming copywriter recently asked where he could find clients willing to pay higher rates for his skills.

Having built a client base through networking on Internet forums geared towards start-up business owners, he now wanted to find opportunities that would allow for upward mobility within his craft.
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Do you practice “Hey, that’s me!” marketing?

Posted on January 28, 2008 | Filed Under Offline Marketing, Online Marketing

By Gerry Black

In marketing, knowing your prospect’s needs, wants, challenges and problems are important keys to selling them. However, you can leave your competitors in the dust by supercharging your marketing with an understanding of what your prospect is experiencing or thinking at the time they are presented with your marketing message.

While you can’t know exactly what’s on your prospect’s mind, you can make some pretty good guesses based on information you already have.

What it comes down to is having a clear understanding of who your ideal client is and why they bought from you.

Something tipped the scales in your favour that made your current clients pick you when it came down to making a buying decision. After all, they probably had many options. If you aren’t quite sure, start asking. When you have an understanding of why they chose you over your competitors, you’re in a position to develop marketing messages that tap into your prospect’s brain.
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