Newsletters Made For You- Exceptional Living

I sure didn’t expect to get a marketing lesson at a cosmetic counter at Macys.

Here’s the deal:

We were doing some shopping and wandered into the Cosmetic District. You know… the section of the store with a gazillion brands of cosmetics.

My wife has sensitive skin and she heard Clarins had cosmetics just for her.

I just knew that they ALL charged up the wazoo for their stuff.

Anyway, we get to the counter and I’m ready to ambush the saleslady. I asked her, “what makes Clarins better than the other eight cosmetic brands in the store?”

She proceeded to rattle off fact after fact:

- It’s the only major cosmetic line still family owned.
- They manufacture ALL of products from one location in France – making QC impeccable.
- They indeed use all plant-based ingredients – plus no animal products are used and there’s no animal testing.
- They even grow the plants themselves all over the world.

Every point made sense. No other cosmetic company could make these claims. In just two minutes, she made her product line stand out from the crowd.

I was sold. The cosmetics were for Stacy, but I was convinced their stuff was worth the premium prices.

(Stacy proclaimed later that Clarins products were noticeably better than anything she had ever used.)

Here’s the takeaway:

10-20% of consumers will always pay top dollar for what they perceive to be the best. I’m one of those people.

Obviously you have to back that up with products and services that are truly outstanding.

But in the space of two minutes, Clarins moved out of the pack and into the spotlight.

How can YOU stand head and shoulders above the crowd?

1. Don’t be boring.
2. Market your biz in a way that screams ‘quality’.
3. Don’t be afraid to charge top dollar. That’s just another way to stand out as different.
4. Make sure your message matches your target market.

Exceptional Living customer newsletter will do all of the above.

See what I mean. Check out the February issue. Click here.

Taking action just feel right.

- David Gruttadaurio
“The Print Newsletter Expert”

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Back when I was a kid, shopping was a social event.

Dad went to the same hardware store every Saturday. He’d buy stuff, of course.  But the store owner usually asked dad to have a cup of coffee  with him.

For the life of me, I can’t remember his name – but I do remember that he smiled a lot.

Who knows… maybe that was all part of his plan…

The hardware guy had a talent for developing a bond with his customers. Today it’s called building a client relationship.

No one knew about customer newsletters in those days. Looking back, I guess you could say he used a verbal newsletter.

He was quick with a story or a joke. He’d chat about current events. And he always mentioned who shopped earlier that day (testimonials?).

He did everything a customer newsletter is supposed to do.

Exceptional Living newsletter is just like that… kinda like you’re dropping in for coffee with your clients.

It provides a ton of interesting info, told in fun and easy to read way.  It’s all about having a conversation with someone.

I guess it doesn’t matter what decade you live in. Creating clients for life just comes naturally to an entrepreneur.

Exceptional Living makes it easy.  And getting started is free, fast and easy.

Get a conversation going over a cup of coffee with your customers, starting with the February issue.

BTW: There’s a great article on page two on how passwords get cracked.  You’ll change you passwords after reading it. I did.

You can check it out here.

Taking action just feel right.

- David Gruttadaurio
“The Print Newsletter Expert”

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If your customers are not involved, they aren’t going to buy. Period.

Getting them involved in your ads and mailings gets your marketing noticed.  And most importantly, it gets it acted upon.

Have you ever opened an envelope and had a paper fall out as you pulled out the contents? It was designed to do that. It got you involved: “Huh… I wonder what this is…?”

Publisher’s Clearinghouse has used involvemnet triggers for years.

Ever wonder why they make you jump through so many hoops to order their freakin’ magazines?

You know what I mean: Take the sticker and put it here. Now take the certificate and… it goes on and on.

They do this because it works! It get’s you involved and literally moves you to action. Placing the order is simply another action to take.

Here are some ways YOU can get consumers involved with your direct mailings.

1. Send a pen in the mail, then give them a quiz, check off list, etc in your letter.

This gets them writing, filling out forms etc.  This is especially good if you’re including an order form to fill out and sent back.  They’ve already started writing; so they may just fill out the order form, too.

2. Put their name on a list. Send a letter with a bunch of names on a list. Everyone on the list has qualified for the ’special offer.’ They will automatically begin to search for their name.  Haven’t you done that yourself?

3. You can use bullet points to ask leading questions:

– Which of these three categories are you in…
– Ask yourself these 5 questions…
– Do any of these 5 situations describe you…

Of course the logical answer/solution to anything listed above is YOU.

Reader involvement is lacking in nearly all marketing. This is painfully obvious with almost any customer and patient newsletter.

Did you know Exceptional Living has EIGHT involvement triggers built in to it? Every one of them is designed to pull the reader deeper and deeper into the client newsletter.

Click here to discover what these 8 triggers are and why they work.

Learn why it gets read… and why it makes you money.

Taking action just feels right.

- David Gruttadaurio
“The Print Newsletter Expert”

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I just spent two very full days (9 a.m. to 9 p.m.) with 15 extremely sharp and savvy entrepreneurs in the Andrew Lock Magical Mastermind group.

This is the last of five marketing strategies you can use in your own business.

The Lone Wolf Syndrome is a sure-fire way to failure.

That’s what I call the tendency to avoid seeking help in your business. That’s the hard way… doing it all by yourself; thinking you don’t need anyone else

This is why I’ve been in mastermind groups since 2004. I realized no great man or woman has ever achieved any real success all alone.

Think of a mastermind like a bunch of batteries. When connected together, they provide more energy than a single battery by itself.

Likewise during a mastermind session, when your mind connects with other minds, the group has more energy than any individual member.

– Why 99.99% Of People Won’t Do This:

They let their fear and insecurity or their stubbornness prevent them from even getting started.

– HOW To Get Started:

1. Think about a few people that you respect and who respect you. Consider those whose experiences could add to yours.

2. Look for highly-motivated people who are willing to ask for – and give – help and support.

3. Chose those committed to moving forward in their business and personal life.

4. Mastermind groups can meet in person, on the telephone, or by using online message boards.

5. For groups that meet in person or on the phone, usually a monthly meeting is scheduled.

It’s really amazing when you see this work in person.

When several people focus on your goals, your dreams and your opportunities, it’s like putting lightning in a bottle…

Taking action just feels right.

-David Gruttadaurio
“The Print Newsletter Expert”

PS: Don’t go it alone with your marketing! Click here to check out my FREE OFFER.

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Mastermind #4: Rising From The Ashes

I just spent two very full days (9 a.m. to 9 p.m.) with 15 extremely sharp and savvy entrepreneurs in the Andrew Lock Magical Mastermind group.

As promised, this is the 4th of 5 marketing strategies you can use in your own business.

Who knew the doc was selling Oxycontin on the side?

The owners of the Multi-Specialty Clinic where he worked sure didn’t know.

But that didn’t stop the insurance company from withholding $4.5 million from them… which was NEVER paid even when they were cleared of any wrongdoing.

Poof… $4.5 million gone. Money they expected. Money they needed. Money they never saw.

That’s the story of one of the members in my mastermind group.

Of course, they went bankrupt.

What would you do at that point? Here’s what they did.

First, they vowed never to be at the mercy of an insurance company again. Then they started over. They also began teaching other doctors how to shift their practice to a cash-only business.

Now they hold seminars that people pay $4000 a pop to attend.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said: “Our greatest glory is NOT in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.”

In their case, they were burned to the ground… but rose up from the ashes.

BIG TAKE AWAY:  Sometimes it ain’t easy being an entrepreneur. But that’s what makes YOU so special.

Honestly, who else will do what you do? Most people are content to work for a paycheck. And that’s cool… for them.

But you and me are cut from a different cloth. We work without a net We are risk-takers.

So, the next time your back is to the wall; and it looks like it’s all crashing down around you; remember this story.

Also remember Winston Churchill’s words: “Never, never, never give up!”

And never forget that you are my hero.

- David Gruttadaurio
“The Print Newsletter Expert”

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I just spent two very full days (9 a.m. to 9 p.m.) with 15 extremely sharp and savvy entrepreneurs in the Andrew Lock Magical Mastermind group.

As promised, this is the 3rd of 5 marketing strategies you can use in your own business.

We looked at an ad from 1959… that’s right, a 50 years old ad. (BTW: This Chevy ad ain’t it.)

Why? Because marketing is marketing is marketing. It really doesn’t matter what you sell. We can learn a lot from the marketing gems of the past.

The 1959 Chevy Bel Air in the ad above was typical of the cars being sold: They were MASSIVE; most weighed in around two tons. Gas was dirt cheap, so nobody really cared about fuel mileage.

In 1959, you had to make a bold and clear statement that you were DIFFERENT. Your goal was to become the obvious choice.

Check out this famous ad from VW…

VW followed Earl Nightingale famous advice, “If you want to be successful, look at what everyone else is doing, and DO THE OPPOSITE.”

While every auto manufacturer was building land yachts, VW was doing the exact opposite, as showcased in their brilliant ad. (Make sure you read the copy.)

BIG TAKE AWAY: Most of the people in your industry have similar backgrounds and experiences.

You must become a risk-taker. Status quo ads deliver status quo and common results. If you want exceptional results and success… you must DO THE OPPOSITE.

Doing what’s comfortable is safe for you – but boring for your customers. Being boring means being invisible. Being invisible means no sale.

One way to avoid being lumped in the same lame category as your competitors is to send a customer newsletter.

NO ONE does that.

And if your client or patient newsletter is Exceptional Living… then WOW! No sea of sameness for you. You avoid swimming in an ocean of mediocrity.

Taking action just feels right.

-David Gruttadaurio
“The Print Newsletter Expert”

PS: Fight sameness with a vengeance! Click here to check out my FREE OFFER.

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I just spent two very full days (9 a.m. to 9 p.m.) with 15 extremely sharp and savvy entrepreneurs in Andrew Locks Magical Mastermind group.

As promised, this is 2 of 5 marketing strategies you can use in your own business.

We have a copywriter in the group. He’s worked for Donald Trump, Mark Victor Hansen (Chicken Soup For the Soul series) and many other heavy hitters.

He told us he’s studied fundraising for years. He wanted to figure out the number one reason that motivated people to give money.

Then he asked us what we thought it was.

The answers ranged from ‘guilt’ to ‘a love for people.’

The answer?

People donated money because they were asked to do so. Yep… it’s really that simple.

BIG TAKE AWAY: It sounds simplistic, but it’s true. The reason we don’t sell the service or the product is because we don’t we don’t pull the trigger: we fail to ask for the sale.

This hit hard. Looking back, I could see how true that was in my own experience.

Plus, our own attitude can affect the results. If we’re not 100% committed to asking for a buying decision, our prospects can sense this.

The saying goes, “he who hesitates is lost.” A lack of confidence in ‘pulling the trigger’ will almost always fail.

This applies to your sales copy, ads, online selling… all of it. You must have a call to action. You must say in some form: BUY NOW TODAY.

When you look at the monthly offer I include for you each month in Exceptional Living, you will see exactly how a direct response ad works.

Take me up on my offer: CLICK HERE and have me send you 3 samples of a client newsletter that really pulls the trigger.

Taking action just feels right.

-David Gruttadaurio
“The Print Newsletter Expert”

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I just spent two very full days (9 a.m. to 9 p.m.) with 15 extremely sharp and savvy entrepreneurs in Andrew Lock’s Magical Mastermind group.

As promised, this is 1 of 5 marketing strategies you can use in your own business.

Most businesses consider customer service to be a necessary evil. Who wants to hear people gripe about their stuff, right?

I’ve talked about Zappos before. Check out this blog post to get caught up. They excel at customer service… it’s legendary… it’s the gold standard.

Zappos considers customer service THE most important thing they do.

One of the guys in our group runs a multimillion dollar online nutritional supplement company.

So he’s telling a story about a REALLY unhappy customer. She was furious with the company. And she posted all of this fury on their Facebook page!

Here’s what they do when they have a real thorny problem:  They ask, “What would Zappos do?”

This is the kind of company Zappos is:

The nutritional supplement company actually called Zappos customer service. They wanted to know how Zappos would handle this customer.

Guess what?

Zappos’ customer service rep spent 30 minutes helping them work out a solution for their problem customer.

And then she cheerfully tells them, “Call us any time!”

BIG TAKE AWAY: Customer service is an attitude. And to be honest, I have a hard time with it in my service businesses.

But when I hear TRUE stories like this about Zappos, it always makes me rethink my customer service mentality. It makes me want to aspire to the Zappos standard.

What do you think about this?

How do YOU handle difficult customer services issues?

Leave a comment – I’d love to hear your thoughts about customer service.

-David Gruttadaurio
“The Print Newsletter Expert”

PS: If you haven’t requested your three free samples of Exceptional Living, click here now.

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Really… are you sure?

Because the last time I checked, ALL businesses:

1. Have competitors.
2. Must advertise or somehow get people to know about them.
3. Must convince people to buy.
4. Must hang on to their customers.
5. Must attempt to avoid failure while on the path to profitability, wealth and success.

Consumers are just like me and you. They have the same emotions and tendencies as everyone else on the planet.

So how the heck is YOUR business different?

Thinking this way creates a massive roadblock to making any real progress.

Take client newsletters.

You want (need, actually) to keep your clients from wandering off. Plus, you want your customers to buy more – and to buy often.

Client newsletters will accomplish all of that.

And it doesn’t matter what business you are in.

I don’t care if you have a restaurant, sell insurance, pump gas or dig ditches. It doesn’t matter if you live in a big city or a small town.

All businesses either make stuff or they do some stuff. We keep score by how much stuff we sell at the end of the day.

So don’t rip yourself off by allowing this excuse to let you off the hook from actually trying a customer newsletter.

Remember, you are selling to humans, not Vulcans – humans have emotions, and use them to make decisions, no matter what they are buying.  So yes, Exceptional Living Newsletter WILL work in your business.

If you haven’t taken me up on my offer, click here to have me send you three cross-industry samples for free.

Let’s get to work.

-David Gruttadaurio
“The Print Newsletter Expert”

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… but there are tons of people who will.  And they’re happy do so.

Here’s the skinny:

Evian sells mineral water. You can buy it in any supermarket.

But Evian also sells premium bottles of the same water in fancy restaurants for 20 bucks a pop, “for a true luxury water experience.” Really… that’s how they describe it.

Same stuff…just in a stylishly elegant bottle.

It gets better.

You can also buy Evian’s Facial Spray. It’s sold everywhere for $15, from upscale Nordstrom’s to Target. It’s an ultra fine, pure mist of… water.

This is why you should care:

IT’S JUST WATER!  Yet, people willingly pay a lot of bucks for what is generally free in your home.

Why? Because it’s been ‘premium-ized.’ I think that’s a word…

Evian (and others) has marketed water as a luxury product. They do this by the look and feel of their ads and how the product is packaged.

They get away doing this because 20% of consumers will only buy what they perceive to be the best.

It doesn’t matter what it is.  If there’s a more expensive option, they’ll take it. And this rule applies to ANY market.

If they can do it with water, you can do it with your products and services.

Give this some thought: What could YOU offer that’s a higher-end alternative for those customers that just want the best?

Think hard on how you can premium-ize what you already sell. Heck, they can sell water as a luxury…

Exceptional Living can help you ‘package’ your business to solidly create a premium look and feel.

Imagine your customer’s faces when they open their mail box and see a full, edge-to-edge color, 6 page newsletter (or is it a magazine?) from you!

Honestly, it will have a huge impact on them… and their view of you, while building a stronger relationship with them.

Let me send you three free cross industry samples. Click here and tell me where to send them.

Taking action just feels right,

- David Gruttadaurio
“The Print Newsletter Expert”

PS:  Did you know that Evian spelled backwards is ‘naïve’…

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