Some Insight from Andre Bell

[Steve]

Here is some insight from Andre Bell, check out his site (http://economicbooster.com/).

He took this flyer from a client and updated it

http://www.gophergraphics.com/images/before-flyer.jpg

to look like this.

http://www.gophergraphics.com/images/after-flyer.jpg

Quote[/b] ]The "before" flyer on the left was created by the owner of an otherwise successful company. She was trying to generate leads for her business. The problem is she had no prior training creating sales copy before her attempt to create that flyer. As a result, no one responded to her flyer. I commended her for trying though. At least she excelled where most fail... including a specific offer.

Here's why the original flyer failed and what we did to fix it:

After the client handed her flyer to me I read it several times. At first glance the words 'what would you rather be doing' were confusing. I didn't understand what she was asking people if they'd rather do. Is it win the lottery? take a sobriety test? or something else?

I was also confused over what they were being asked if they'd want to stop doing. And who in the world is being addressed in her example? I just didn't get it.

So I asked a few questions:

* What are you trying to sell?
* Who are you trying to reach?
* Where is this flyer being used?

Afterwards I followed up with a few questions about the company and its history. Turns out the company was trying to promote custom painting services to affluent homeowners living on golf courses. At a glance that is not being communicated in her flyer.

[Steve]

Another interesting thing he had to say on landscaping

Quote[/b] ]If I were still in landscaping this is what I would do:

1. Create new high-profit services that my existing clients would love to have, then make sure all of my clients know of the services.

2. Go to all locally owned home improvement stores and ask if I can promote their high-profit product lines, such as outdoor furnishings, to my clients for a piece of the pie. I'd repeat the process with concrete contractors and every other business that has anything to do with services or products my clients might want to use to protect and beautify their yards.

3. I'd put in place automatic and intelligent ways to ask existing clients for referrals... without begging.

4. I'd send flyers and direct mail sales material proven to get a response to every home and business within eye-sight and drive by range of my existing clients.

5. I'd get interviewed in the media every season giving tips and warnings for the current and coming season.

In a nutshell, I'd get proactive.

Maybe this will make you think of being more proactive!