Update: My Viper made it down to San Diego in fine shape. No scratches or dings. Brian Bailey from Rohnert Park, California took meticulous care of her during the transport. He has a single car trailer you can eat off of and took every precaution you can imagine. Shoot me an e-mail if you want to work with Brian.

Feature Article: Chiming the Crime of Lost Time

Resource: Are You One Headline Away from a Winning Promotion?

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It's funny how we say one thing, but act on another...

I brought a made-from-scratch pecan pie up when I saw mom last week. She had a slice and mentioned it was incredibly rich and sweet. She hinted she's not having anymore. She has to watch her cholesterol.

I was convinced she wouldn't have another slice. I was wrong.

In business deals, if I'm wrong—I'll pay a price. And so will you. Unless you take extra measures...

When you're taking on new clients, you should become fanatical about working with those who are genuine, serious, and true to their word. They make the best long-term clients and joint venture partners. And they can become a rich source of referrals for you.

Then there are those who won't be your ideal clients. They waste your time and resources. You should avoid those who aren't ready to work with you yet.

In today's feature article, you'll find a tested strategy to qualify new clients...

Chiming the Crime of Lost Time

Dear Associate,

If you're a consultant, solopreneur, or an information marketer—making a one-time small sale may not be in your best interest. Sure you get a charge by contributing to someone else's business. And sure it's nice to pick up a new client. But if you know you'll never hear from them again, it may be better to turn them down to concentrate on hooking bigger fish.

Am I nuts to suggest turning down business? I mean this isn't what they teach in Business 101. Maybe I should have my head examined.

Okay, but at some point, we should graduate from Business 101.

I met a Life Coach just starting out her career. She offered a free hour of consultation for first-time clients. She thought I spoke in tongues when I suggested packaging her knowledge into CDs, DVDs, and print. She didn't see the huge positioning and profit potential. Hopefully, she will become enlightened.

Let's look at what typically happens with a small solo sale...

* They whine about your fees;
* They want you to work extra without extra compensation;
* They steal your time;
* They call you daily; and then,
* They want to reform your finished project.

What a headache. They want you at their beckon call... which is suicide if you're busy working on more lucrative projects. You don't have time to baby-sit. This is the opposite of a successful business model.

One of the major questions you'd want to ask when potential clients approach you is, "Where's the money in this?"

For instance, are there deeper levels of products they can develop that create more intense learning experiences? Can they package and bundle their information products with their flagship product? Can they actually work less and charge more?

You should be able to answer, "Of course." But if not—you may want to decline their business. You don't want to work with people who are spinning their wheels.

So let's assume you want to attract bigger fish...

You cast your prospecting net into the sea. What happens next? Bunches of little fish get caught in the same net. It always happens. I figure God has a sense of humor for creating so many varieties of small fish.

These little fish want you to give away the store. They don't truly value or accept your advice. And you end up wasting your time, with little to show for in return.

How can you prevent this from happening to you?

Simple. You screen out those little fish with a detailed questionnaire. You include multiple choice and essay questions. You make them work for the chance to hire you. This strategy can also repel business sharks.

Your best, most serious potential clients will complete the entire questionnaire. Your worst potential clients will never finish it. And probably never call back.

Good riddance.

Here's a sample of you might want to include in your questionnaire:

1) Full contact information. Include online websites and shipping address. Ask about their expertise, their brand, any partners, and if they are the sole decision maker.

2) Customer profile. How many in their database, what they bought, how much they bought, their contact information, and product upgrades or downsells?

3) Prospect profile. Record their lead capture methods, conversion rates, online and offline campaigns, and if divided into various prospect categories.

4) Products and programs. List all products, services, trainings, and subscriptions. Ask about their fees, future product development, and current selling systems.

5) Target market. Who are they? Were they surveyed? Include demographics, psychographics, and partnering with, or training peers.

6) Joint ventures. Do they sell through affiliates, get endorsements, or who'd make the ideal joint venture partner?

7) Marketing action. How and how often do they market themselves? Do they test one marketing promotion with another? Do they schedule live events?

Your questionnaire will give you a general business profile of your potential candidate. It sends them a message that you are a serious professional and do not have time for fishing expeditions. It will save you time, hassles, and headaches. And it's a tool they can easily download off your website or sent through an autoresponder.

Warm Regards,

Are You One Headline Away from a Winning Promotion?

If you're engaging in marketing campaigns, website promos, or display ads and the results have been dismal—what you may need is a gut-wrenching, killer headline. Marketing experts have known for decades that without changing anything else but the headline: you can double, quadruple, or multiply your response rates by tenfold.

Great headlines may take an hour, a day, or even a week to capture. And great copywriters sometimes create up to 10, 20, 50, or even 100 headlines to get the one or three they will test.

If you don't have the time for this, I may be able to help...