Newsletters Made For You- Exceptional Living

Suppose… Cal Ripken was totally impressed by a certain blender.

Cal decides to enthusiastically endorse said blender. Whaddaya think? Would that sell more or less of these blenders?

The answer is obvious. You betcha.

Association and Authority ALWAYS sells more stuff, whether it be products or services.

It doesn’t matter whether it’s Michael Jordan pitching soft, cottony underwear, or Oprah rendering her judgment on a noodle recipe.

If you take an ad and simply put their mugs next to ANYTHING… their association and authority will make selling that product or service much, much easier.

Here’s an example of a sneaky way to do it:

Ever notice how some websites prominently display the brands UPS and FED EX, along with Visa and MasterCard, etc. front and center on the home page of their store front?

This is really smart. It’s a great example of ‘borrowed authority.’ Doing this gives their site more credibility because of its ‘association’ with these big, well-known companies.

Sometimes, authority is created. Remember the ‘Maytag repairman?’  That poor lonely dude that single-handedly revolutionized washer and dryer sales. Mr. Whipple did the same thing for Charmin.

How can you do this with your biz?

It’s actually pretty simple. Go out and get yourself some ‘cachet client’s.

What is a cachet customer, you ask?

These are your high-status clients… customers who are very well-known and respected in the communities you serve. They are sorta like ‘local’ celebrities.

Here’s why you need as many of them as possible:

The fact that they selected YOU to be the vendor for your products and services is reassuring proof to others that you are the right choice – the only choice, really – as a great company to do business with.

When a cache customer uses your company, your competence and credentials and reliability are rarely questioned.

It’s all about relationship marketing. Never think for a minute success is achieved any other way.

-  David Gruttadaurio
The Relationship Marketing Expert

PS: Click here to read the September Exceptional Living company newsletter.
PPS: Ever wonder why your banker needs your help? Click here.

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About David Gruttadaurio

http://www.newslettersmadeforyou.com

David Gruttadaurio is widely recognized as the expert in print newsletter marketing and relationship-based marketing.

David now has clients from around the world who are successfully using his products.

He is the editor of Exceptional living newsletter and a published author in print and online magazines and blogs.

David and his family live in the small town of Princeton, Indiana.

company newsletter, relationship marketing company newsletter, exceptional living, relationship marketing

BTW: Before I forget, the September issue of Exceptional Living NL is ready for viewing.)

This is a story of musical marketing magic.

At 62, Jimmy Buffet has quietly amassed a fortune of nearly $1 billion. Not many recording artists have made more money or had as long a career.

Consider:

-  His annual income is in excess of $40 million.
-  His books are best-sellers
-  There’s Radio Margaritaville on Sirius
-  His Margaritaville café on the Las Vegas strip is the top grossing restaurant in the nation.
-  While the music industry tanks, his “License to Chill” has recently gone No. 1.

He’s accomplished this by doing two things:

1. He gives his fans exactly what they want.
2. He works damn hard.

Giving Your Customers What They Want

Jimmy learned quickly that once they’ve bought into you, there is no end to the customers’ willingness to buy.

So… every Jimmy Buffet album uses the same content model: Include a couple of party songs, a sad story, a ballad and a couple of middle of the road songs. And every song tells a story.

His concerts are no different. For the last 15 years, each one includes eight specific songs. Why? Because those are the songs his fans want to hear.

The same applies to his restaurant business. Buffet once said, “All people want is a good hamburger and a great margarita; and that’s what we give them.”

Jimmy knows he has rabid fans – fans that will buy ANYTHING from him. And boy do they ever!

He sells literally hundreds of products; everything from flip flops to frozen shrimp; including blenders, bottle openers and boat flags… and everything in between.

Here’s what drives all of this:

You Get What You Got By Working Hard

Ask a Parrot Head (that’s what his fans are called) what Jimmy’s life is like, most of them would say:  “Oh, he takes it easy all day. He flies his planes around; he lies under a palm tree at the beach; and he definitely parties every night.”

If you asked them where he lived, they would say places like Palm Beach or Key West or St. Barts.

What they don’t understand – but YOU need to ‘get’ – Jimmy’s entire marketing plan is based on the perception he’s a laid back dude living on the beach and snoozing in a hammock.

In reality, nothing could be further from the truth.

Jimmy lives in Long Island, N.Y. He puts in tons of hours behind a desk. When he’s not arranging tour dates with promoters, he’s talking to restaurant managers and selling products by the boatload.

Jimmy Buffet knows about hard work. But he perpetuates the marketing myth that he’s a model of easy leisure and fun. It’s the exact message his fans love to embrace.

What about you?

Do you see it’s all about your relationship with your customers?

Relationship marketing drives nearly every successful business – whether you’re a musician, a plumber, a realtor or a carpet cleaner.

Your customers are buying products and services from someone; it might as well be you.

Start with a monthly contact with them. Our Exceptional Living company newsletter has raised relationship marketing to an art form.

But that’s only one marketing touch. Jimmy Buffet uses several. So should you.

We may not have blenders and bottle openers for you… but soon we’ll a ton of other highly effective ways to do relationship marketing with your customers.

Stay tuned!

- David Gruttadaurio
The Relationship Marketing Expert

PS: Check out the September newsletter. It’s something your clients will absolutely want to read.

relationship marketing exceptional living, relationship marketing

Short and sweet today. Two things:

1. Do you want your customers talking about you?  Send them the August Exceptional Living company newsletter.
www.newslettersmadeforyou.com/company-newsletter

2.  We’re gearing up for the Done For You Coaching Insider Program. So… what’s your single biggest question about marketing your biz?
www.newslettersmadeforyou.com/ask

Brett and I have each been around the block a few times. We can help make a difference in your biz… more profits, more referrals… just a better lifestyle.

It’s all about relationship marketing, folks. That is REAL ticket to success.

- David Gruttadaurio
“The Print Newsletter Expert”

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About David Gruttadaurio

David Gruttadaurio is widely recognized as the expert in print newsletter marketing and relationship-based marketing.

David now has clients from around the world who are successfully using his products.

He is the editor of Exceptional Living newsletter and a published author in print and online magazines and blogs.

David and his family live in the small town of Princeton, Indiana.

Copyright 2010

company newsletter, relationship marketing company newsletter, exceptional living, relationship marketing

From Toby Keith’s big hit song:

I wanna talk about me
Wanna talk about I
Wanna talk about number one
Oh my me my
What I think, what I like, what I want, what I see…

That pretty much sums up what most company newsletters are about. Here’s the problem with this newsletter… IT’S BORING!

Most business owners think what they do is incredibly fascinating to their clients.

So, based upon this false assumption, their newsletters cheerfully discuss details and facts that no one (except them) cares about. Like their newest equipment purchase. Or the latest breaking industry development. Or the big change in their office and how Mary Sue has moved from Payroll to Customer Service.

While this is riveting stuff internally, I can assure you that your clients just do not care.

If you send them a newsletter ‘all about you’ and their response is going to be, ’so what?’ And the next newsletter you send them? It’s heading straight into the trash can.

Boring newsletters don’t get read. And they sure don’t generate interest in your company, much less make money.

The bottom line:

NEVER make your business or company the main focus of your client newsletter.

Surprisingly, this is a difficult concept for business owners to wrap their minds around.

This may help: Think about your own experience and reaction the last time you got the typical company newsletter from someone else. Did you actually read it?

I’m certain that at best, it received a brief cursory glance. The sooner you accept this fact, the faster your clients will be receiving a company newsletter from you they actually look forward to reading.

Now suppose you got a newsletter in the mail like this one:

http://newslettersmadeforyou.com/company-newsletters

Would you open it? Would you read it? Does it look boring?

Yes… yes… and no.

That’s what our clients have discovered after sending Exceptional Living company newsletter to their customers. It’s relationship marketing… delivered!

Look it over: http://newslettersmadeforyou.com/company-newsletters

It all about your customers. Tell them you understand that by sending them a newsletter made just for them.

We have newsletters ideas that make you money.

- David Gruttadaurio
“The Print Newsletter Expert

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http://www.WebToPrintIQ.com

About David Gruttadaurio

David Gruttadaurio is widely recognized as the expert in print newsletter and relationship marketing.

David now has clients from around the world who are successfully using his products.

He is the editor of Exceptional Living newsletter and a published author in print and online magazines and blogs.

David and his family live in the small town of Princeton, Indiana.

Copyright 2010

This blog post is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any portion of this mail is strictly prohibited without the express written consent of David Gruttadaurio.

company newsletter, newsletter ideas, relationship marketing company newsletter, exceptional living, newsletter ideas, print newsletter, relationship marketing

Disney does details.

That’s one of the things we learned at my mastermind meeting at Disney World with Andrew Lock.

Disney really sweats the details… big time.

Here’s one example:

At Walt Disney World, you’ve probably never noticed the sidewalks are a distinct pinkish color. And the curbs and streets are a particular shade of gray.

It’s all by design.

Disney commissioned Kodak to do a color analysis. The idea was to determine the best colors to provide optimum color contrast when photos were taken in the park.

Why care about this?

Because when guests take pictures, the photos would look their best at Disney. They wanted to provide the best possible ‘experience’. Disney wanted the pictures from THEIR park to ‘look better’ than they would anywhere else.

For entrepreneurs, there’s no such thing as an unimportant detail. Small details add up fast to create the ‘big picture’ of your company.

Take your company newsletter. Most newsletters are ‘thrown together’. The usual objective is to stuff content in as fast as possible and get that sucker in the mail.

Now compare that mindset with the July issue of Exceptional Living company newsletter:
http://newslettersmadeforyou.com/company-newsletters

The content is calculated to INVOLVE your customer… in eight different ways, to be exact.

We sweat the details so you don’t have to worry about it. That’s relationship marketing made easy!

Our newsletter ideas WILL make you money.

– David Gruttadaurio
The Print Newsletter Expert”

PS: Have a SAFE and FUN holiday weekend!

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http://www.WebToPrintIQ.com

About David Gruttadaurio

David Gruttadaurio is widely recognized as the expert in print newsletter marketing and relationship-based marketing.

David now has clients from around the world who are successfully using his products.

He is the editor of Exceptional Living newsletter and a published author in print and online magazines and blogs.

David and his family live in the small town of Princeton, Indiana.

Copyright 2010

company newsletter, newsletter marketing, print newsletter, relationship marketing company newsletter, exceptional living, newsletter ideas, print newsletter, relationship marketing

When you’re in business for yourself, you’re always on the lookout for that slight edge.

Because the fact is, that’s often the only difference between mediocre results and dominating your competition.

When you have that slight edge, your competitors don’t stand a chance.

Case in point – Starbucks.

There’s no doubt that Starbuck’s is a MAJOR player when it comes to coffee.

Not long ago, they announced a customer rewards program. Every company needs one, right?

It completely bombed. Yep, it was a miserable failure.

Starbucks was mystified. Then a smart exec at Starbucks decided to ask for feedback from their customers.

This is what Starbucks discovered:

Their rewards program was confusing. And a confused mind is not a happy mind… and it always says NO to almost everything.

So… taking the feedback they received, a new program was reintroduced. And the second time around, it was a smash hit.

The slight edge really wasn’t the rewards program. It was Starbucks being smart enough to listen to their customers.

The fact is… listening to your customers isn’t a slight edge… it’s an enormous edge.

How many business owners assume THEY know what their customers want? A bunch!

And how many actually take the time to actually LISTEN to what their customers want? Almost zero.

They’re continually trying to sell, sell, sell…  instead of giving their customers what they
naturally want to buy.

If you want to be successful in business, you have to realize that people hate to feel like
they’re being ’sold’.

But… they love to buy.

A well-written company newsletter sells (and it’s crazy successful)… but it’s done by flying under your customers ‘I don’t want to be sold’ radar.

Exceptional Living actually has 8 ‘velvet hammer’ involvement triggers to increase your profits, referrals and income.

Review the July issue here at get started today.

http://newslettersmadeforyou.com/company-newsletters

It’s the slight edge that wll stomp the competition.

- David Gruttadaurio
The Print Newsletter Expert”

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http://www.WebToPrintIQ.com

About David Gruttadaurio

David Gruttadaurio is widely recognized as the expert in print newsletter marketing and relationship-based marketing.

David now has clients from around the world who are successfully using his products.

He is the editor of Exceptional Living newsletter and a published author in print and online magazines and blogs.

David and his family live in the small town of Princeton, Indiana.

Copyright 2010

company newsletter, company newsletters, print newsletter company newsletter, company newsletters, exceptional living, print newsletter, Starbucks

A big idea can transform your business and change your life forever.

Three examples:

1. Apple iPhone

Introduced in 2007 when the mobile phone manufacturers were all duking it out for market share. Apple grabbed $637M in sales that year. And along the way it created the App Store.

By the end of 2010, this single product is projected to bring in $21B in revenue for Apple. Yep… that’s billion.

2. Allen Simon

He dropped out of school in the ninth grade. While working at a pet store in Brooklyn he came up with a million-dollar idea…a better way to housebreak a puppy.

He currently has sales of more than $30 million a year; it’s the number one selling doggy pad on the planet. BTW: One of his homes is NYC penthouse worth $28M.

3. Nintendo Wii

Before the Wii, Nintendo was a successful company. After the Wii it became mega super successful.

Consider: This past January it still sold 3 million of them – in just the US. In the space of 12 months (after the first Wii went on sale), it’s stock prices tripled. It all happened because of just one big idea.

Now… back to Apple: They’d been in business for decades. Maybe that also describes you. But one change – one big idea – and their biz was transformed forever.

That’s what a company newsletter sent regularly to your customers can do for your business.

Why? Because customer satisfaction is worthless without customer loyalty.

A company newsletter is the ONLY marketing tool designed to build a relationship with your clients.

Romance your customers. Exceptional Living is the ‘flowers and chocolates’ you send to your clients every month to build an unbreakable relationship with your customers.

Bill Glazer (Dan Kennedy’s business partner) wrote:  “There is NO BETTER WAY to develop a relationship with people than sending out a properly written [company] newsletter.”

Relationship marketing with Exceptional Living company newsletter…

… could this be YOUR big idea this year?

Check out how we do it for you:

http://newslettersmadeforyou.com/company-newsletters

Taking action just feels right.

- David Gruttadaurio
The Print Newsletter Expert”

PS: Yes, I said three examples. The third example tripled this company’s stock price in 12 months with this BIG idea. It’s in the blog post. Click here.

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http://www.WebToPrintIQ.com

About David Gruttadaurio

David Gruttadaurio is widely recognized as the expert in print newsletter marketing and relationship-based marketing.

David now has clients from around the world who are successfully using his products.

He is the editor of Exceptional Living newsletter and a published author in print and online magazines and blogs.

David and his family live in the small town of Princeton, Indiana.

Copyright 2010

company newsletter, newsletter ideas, print newsletter, relationship marketing company newsletter, David Gruttadaurio, exceptional living, newsletter ideas, print newsletter, relationship marketing

Why You Don’t Want ‘Everyone’ To Be Your Customer

Most entrepreneurs have just one characteristic for a new customer: A heartbeat.

If they’re breathing then they’re a hot prospect.

This is a dangerous marketing path to follow.

Believe it or not, your marketing, advertising and other messages will determine exactly the kind of clients you get.

So… if you’re not happy with your customer base, you have no one to blame but yourself, right?

There’s never been a WORSE time for ‘I want everyone to be my client’ mentality.  I can’t tell you how many times I’m consulting with clients and I ask the simply question, ‘Who is your client?’ and they either say, “I don’t know…” or, “Everybody in Chicagoland” (Assuming they’re in Chicago.)

Quite frankly, it’s too costly to attract ‘everybody’ with one broad brushstroke.  It’s a huge mistake to have too big a targeted market with too few resources.

That’s the domain of the big, dumb corporations.

Here’s a concise definition of how you should target your ideal market:

A good market is identifiable. It can be affordably reached. It includes groups that have shared:

1. Interests
2. Needs
3. Fears
4. Desires

Stop and think really hard about this. Determine who is best matched to your product or service.

Here’s an example:

Many service companies want to work with only the affluent. One company I helped used radio ads in their small market.

Radio is challenging. You have 30 seconds to differentiate your company from the pack and appeal to those you want as customers.

Here’s what they did:

They used their ‘cachet clients’ to give testimonials on the radio. A cachet customer is a high-status client. They’re customers that are well-known and respected in your community.

But we took it a step further. With this cachet client speaking, they would say: “[Company] did work for me and my family [moms, brothers, and children].” This added to their status.

Then the coup de grace: “Sure, we could have spent less – but we wouldn’t have gotten the same great results!”

This short sentence sifted and sorted though the thousands of listeners. It appealed to those willing to spend more dollars to hire this company.

And it worked like magic.

To view some more marketing magic, check out the July issue of Exceptional Living company newsletter.

http://newslettersmadeforyou.com/company-newsletters

You can personalize 6 different places in the newsletter. All of the other content is Done For You.

And our cool Idea Generator will help you easily personalize those areas.

We have company newsletter ideas for relationship marketing that work.

- David Gruttadaurio
The Print Newsletter Expert”

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http://www.WebToPrintIQ.com

Copyright 2010

company newsletter, newsletter ideas, print newsletter, relationship marketing company newsletter, exceptional living, newsletter ideas, print newsletter, relationship marketing

The Incas of ancient Peru had this game; it was kinda like basketball. Nothing is known about the cheerleaders.

The stakes were pretty high. If you won, traditionally you got to keep the spectator’s clothing.

If you lost, you were killed.

A very straightforward reward structure.

Business isn’t much different really… except for the part about clothing and killing.

Never before have you needed ‘gamers’ in your biz. People not afraid to give it their all. That do whatever is needed to make it work.

But sometimes ‘work ethic’ will take you only so far.

That’s why athletes have used coaches for a long time.

Why does someone like… say, Serena Williams… need a coach?

1. Because we typically cannot see our own mistakes.
2. If we aren’t improving – we’re getting worse. No one remains stagnate in business.

Granted, Williams could easily beat the coach in a match. But a sharp-eyed coach will spot glitches in her movements she would never see.

This is also why smart entrepreneurs join mastermind groups. It’s like having a bunch of coach’s look at your biz in way you never considered.

That’s why I was out-of-town the end of last week. I participated in small mastermind group, joining other expert marketers to help savvy biz owners make even further improvements.

Like Brett told you last week, that’s what we do.

On a day to day basis we’re bombarded with questions like “what works?” or “what should I do?” and so on. We’re a solutions-oriented group who has been there, done that and are ready to provide good solid proven advice to help you grow your business.

When coaching starts up soon, it’s something you will want to join.

Long years in business have taught us that you can’t win every time. But we can keep the odds of winning in your favor.

And don’t worry. No one has to give up their clothing.

- David Gruttadaurio
The Print Newsletter Expert”

PS: Click here for the latest newsletter sample pack. I’d love to send them to you.
PPS: Look for the July Exceptional Living company newsletter on Wednesday.

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http://www.WebToPrintIQ.com

About David Gruttadaurio

David Gruttadaurio is widely recognized as the expert in print newsletter marketing and relationship-based marketing.

David now has clients from around the world who are successfully using his products.

He is the editor of Exceptional Living newsletter and a published author in print and online magazines and blogs.

David and his family live in the small town of Princeton, Indiana.

Copyright 2010

company newsletter company newsletter, David Gruttadaurio, exceptional living

So you’re planning on doing some advertising.

You need new customers and you’re getting ready to make an ad.

As you begin your marketing masterpiece, you MUST think ‘outside-the-box.’

When it comes to advertising and marketing, “playing it safe” is the least safe thing you can do.

M.I.T. (yes, that M.I.T.) just released a report that reveals a surprising connection between progress and “playing it safe.”

When bonuses were given for better performance, the bigger the bonus got the best the performance – but ONLY when mechanical skills were required.

But when bonuses were offered for cognitive skills (i.e. using your noodle creatively); higher incentives led to poorer performance. I swear I’m not making this up.

Professor Daniel Pink said, “Psychologists, sociologists and economists have replicated these findings over and over again.”

This is why you should care: When moola is on the line – most people – (like YOU planning your marketing), tend to second guess or completely reject their creative impulses.

In other words, most entrepreneurs want to play it safe… they’re afraid to be different.

Fear is a terrible master. Because…

…when we attempt the outrageous; we accomplish the miraculous.

Done For You Printing is a place for brilliant misfits – entrepreneurs that have achieved mainstream success – but who have never really bought in to it.

Consider us your ‘Marketing Outside The Box Company.’

One look at our company newsletter, Exceptional Living, tells you we’re a very different species.

NO ONE DOES WHAT WE DO. We know ‘cuz we’ve been looking for partners. And all we’ve found are a bunch of Nervous Nellies that are afraid of their own shadow.

Author Rita Mae Brown’s colorfully put it this way: “As a woman, I find it embarrassing to be in a meeting and realize I’m the only one in the room with balls.”

Contact us about your company newsletter. It will crush the competition.

And while you’re at it. Email Brett (brett@doneforyouprinting.com) to schedule a marketing make-over. Newsletter clients get a whopping 25% off.

You need a perspective from ‘outside the box.’ That’s where we live.

- David Gruttadaurio
The Print Newsletter Expert”

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http://www.WebToPrintIQ.com

About David Gruttadaurio

David Gruttadaurio is widely recognized as the expert in print newsletter marketing and relationship-based marketing.

David now has clients from around the world who are successfully using his products.

He is the editor of Exceptional Living newsletter and a published author in print and online magazines and blogs.

David and his family live in the small town of Princeton, Indiana.

Copyright 2010

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