How to Sell Your Brain on the Net
by Monique Harris and Ken Evoy, M.D.
The Net is Knowledge.
And knowledge is something we all have.
Yes, even you!
You know something that most people don’t.
Guess what?...
You can sell it on the Net.
This book shows you how.
All you have to do now is...
Do it!
[ Page 1 of 337 ]
MYKS!... Foreword
GoodBytes Information Products Inc. (“GoodBytes”) has differentiated proprietary trademarks
from descriptive terms in the book by following the distinctive writing style used by the
manufacturer and/or the trademark holder. All product names and/or logos are copyrights
and trademarks of their respective owners. None of these owners has authorized, sponsored,
endorsed, or approved this publication. GoodBytes has not received any remuneration in
return for including any company or product in this book.
The authors and publisher, GoodBytes, have made their best effort to produce a
high quality, informative and helpful book. But they make no representation or warranties
of any kind with regard to the completeness or accuracy of the contents of the book. They
accept no liability of any kind for any losses or damages caused or alleged to be caused,
directly or indirectly, from using the information contained in this book.
Screenshots in this book are directly from publicly accessible file archives. They are used as
“fair use” under 17 U.S.C. Section 107 for news reportage purposes only, to illustrate various points
that are made in the book. Text and images available over the Internet may be subject to copyright
and other intellectual rights owned by third parties. Some images copyright www.arttoday.com.
Make Your Knowledge Sell! is В© 2000 GoodBytes Information Products Inc.
All rights reserved worldwide.
First Edition 2000. ISBN 0-9684292-1-1
No part of this publication may be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or reproduced in
any way, including but not limited to digital copying and printing without the prior agreement
and written permission of the publisher.
GoodBytes Information Products Inc.
P.O. Box 215
Hudson Heights, Quebec
Canada J0P 1J0
[ Page 2 of 337 ]
MYKS!... Foreword
Dedicated to those of you who...
Do it!
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MYKS!... Foreword
Foreword
By Ken Evoy, M.D.
Ken Evoy is the founder of GoodBytes Information Products Inc. and the author of Make Your Site
SELL!, a book that is generally accepted as the BIBLE of how to sell on the Net.
“How to succeed? Try hard enough.”
-- Malcolm Forbes (1919-1990)
Why publish a book about information products? And why Monique Harris as
author? Whoa... one question at a time.
First, information products are the one product that anyone can create! Yes, that
does mean you. Why do I say “anyone”?
Because everyone really does have at least one great nonfiction book in them.
Nonfiction is the key word. No one can teach you to write like Hemingway. But you
do have a unique body of knowledge that can be spun in such a way that is of value
to others.
Are you a customs agent? Write a book on how to get through customs without
attracting attention. The inner workings.. all that stuff. Come to think of it... if you
write that book, drop me a line. I’ll be your first customer.
“Geez, I’m just a downsized middle manager.” Hey, who said that? This is my
foreword.
But let’s handle that comment... What did you learn during your 18 years on the job
and in that industry? How are you getting back on your feet? Are you considering
warm, stable third-world countries to retire to?
Any one of those questions (or all three!) provide you with the grist for an e-book or
a step-by-step “how to” manual that others would find invaluable.
Still don’t believe me? I guess that brings me to your second question. “Why
Monique Harris?”
There are some big-name authors out there who would have loved to write a book
for our SiteSell distribution network. But I chose Monique. Why?
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MYKS!... Foreword
Well, a lot of reasons, actually. But most important? Monique is anyone! College
dropout, couldn’t really hold a job. Not a natural-born writer.
But boy, has she done well creating and selling infoproducts. From zero to over
$100,000 per year in three short years. And her future is headed straight up.
And now she’s doing an entire “brain-download” for you. She’s the perfect person
to help you, not some big-name author. Why?
Because big name, multi-millionaire authors have never been in your shoes. So
most of their advice just does not apply to you...
You’re not ever going to write a book about the zillions that you have made in real
estate (“and now you can, too!”).
You’re unlikely to ever merge your company with AOL/Time-Warner.
And, I’m sorry to say (but I hope I’m wrong!)... you’ll never write the book “How to
Start a Company and Go IPO for $800 Million.”
It’s just not realistic for most folks to reproduce this kind of success.
Instead, let’s deal with reality... and with what really can be accomplished. You
and Monique and every “average Joe(sephine)” just can’t duplicate earth-shaking
successes. But (and this is a big “but”)...
If Monique Harris can do what’s in this book, you can!...
If you try!...
And keep trying hard enough...
Until you succeed.
That’s all Monique did. Read on -- here’s how she does it. Pearls from a street
fighter.
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MYKS!... Foreword
Read it. Absorb it. Do it.
Resolve now to try hard enough. Everything you need to succeed lies in your
brain. This book shows how to...
Make Your Knowledge Sell!
P.S. The SiteSell e-commerce mission is to help individuals and small
businesses succeed on the Net. Are you an expert in some special niche that fits
our e-commerce mission? If so, consider creating an infoproduct based upon
original, real-world strategies that you have used with great success.
I’d be glad to review your infoproduct for possible publication and distribution. Our
ravenous band of sales-getting affiliates would be delighted to bring your expertise
to the world.
For more information...
http://www.sitesell.com/authors.html
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MYKS!... How to Use MYKS!
1.
How to Use MYKS!
This book has many special features to enhance your reading experience. The first
six sections below apply only to the digital version of MYKS!
1.1.
Links to Spots within MYKS!
You know how sometimes you read something in a book, and you say, “Now where
the heck did I read about that?”
Well, MYKS! has internal links... links that take you from one part of the book to a
related section. So you can easily find and reread a topic. These links appear as
blue-underlined.
Usually, clicking on such a link will take you to a relevant listing in the Index -- this
is a separate file, labeled Index.pdf. From there, you can link to relevant
discussions in the book. Go ahead, click on the Index. (To return here, click in the
left or right margin of the page -- more on the Back function later.)
Occasionally, clicking on an internal link will take you directly to another spot in the
book. For example, suppose the book mentioned the Foreword. Clicking on the
Foreword will send you directly there because there is no reason, in this case, to
send you to the Index.
1.2.
Navigation Features
MYKS! makes navigating easy. Here’s how to move around the book...
• Scroll Bar -- click on the Scroll Box in the Scroll Bar and drag it down or up to
rapidly move forward or backward through the book. You will see the page number
appear when you click on the box. Release it when you get to the desired page...
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MYKS!... How to Use MYKS!
Clicking just below or above the Scroll Box will advance or reverse a
part-of-a-page at a time.
Clicking on the Scroll Arrows (at the bottom or top of of the Scroll Bar, not shown in
illustration) will advance or reverse the page by a single line at a time... holding an
Arrow down will scroll the page continuously.
• Arrow Keys -- Pressing the m or i cursor key on your keyboard will behave
differently, depending on your Operating System and on which version of Acrobat
Reader that you have. Try it and see what happens in your case.
• Table of Contents -- Click on any numbered heading in the book to go to the
Table of Contents -- this is a separate file, labeled TOC.pdf. When you are in the
Table of Contents (TOC), click on any heading to jump to the corresponding part of
the book.
Try it now by clicking on the heading for this section (“Navigation Features”). It will
take you to the the appropriate part of the TOC in TOC.pdf. To return here, just click
on “Navigation Features” in the Table of Contents.
When you have more than one MYKS! file open at the same time, you can also
manage them via the Window menu in your Acrobat software...
• Index -- MYKS! has an index. It is a separate file, labeled Index.pdf. There are
two ways to access it...
• Click on blue underlined links in the book. This will usually send you to the
relevant listing in the Index. Try it now for brainstorming. (To return here,
click in the left or right margin of the page -- more on the Back function
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below.)
• Click on the page number (bottom right corner of each page of MYKS!).
This will send you to the first page of the Index. On the bottom of that page,
you will see the alphabet from a to z. If you are looking for “media,” click
on the m link. This takes you to the first page of the m’s in the Index. Scroll
until you find “media.”
After you find the desired topic in the Index, click on any referenced page number to
link directly to a relevant discussion on the page indicated in the Index. No fuss, no
muss.
• “Back Buttons” -- The entire left and right margins of every page are giant,
invisible “Back buttons.” Click in either margin to trace back to the previous page
you were on, even if you were in a different file. Click again to trace another page
back.
When you click in a margin, it turns black, and when you release the click, off you
go! Here’s what it looks like...
This feature is especially useful after linking to another part of the book. Once you
read that material, you’ll likely want to return to your point of origin. Clicking in
either margin sends you straight back, so you can pick up where you left off.
• Bookmarks -- This is useful for those with larger monitors. If you have a smaller
monitor, you will likely find that it chews up too much “monitor real estate.”
If you are using...
• Acrobat Reader v.4... Under the Window menu, choose Show Bookmarks.
• Acrobat Reader v.3... Under the View menu, select Bookmarks and Page.
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MYKS!... How to Use MYKS!
A set of bookmarks will appear in the left margin. Here’s what the bookmarks (for
the first two chapters of our first book, MYSS!) look like (exact appearance varies
depending on the operating system and version)...
The triangle (or “+” sign in some versions) to the left of “1. How to Use MYSS!”
means that there are “sub-bookmarks.” Move your cursor over the triangle, like
this...
Then click on the triangle to expand the bookmarks under that chapter. Click
again to shrink them all back down, then again to expand them...
Now... here’s the whole point of bookmarks. Move your cursor over one of the
actual bookmarks until it turns into a “hand with pointing finger,” then click...
You’ll immediately leap to the beginning of that section.
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MYKS!... How to Use MYKS!
• Straight Page Jumps -- At the bottom of your Acrobat screen, you will see
something that looks like this...
or like this...
The appearance and exact mode of use varies depending on your OS and version.
But no matter -- this is a simple, useful method to move around MYKS! Experiment
with it for a few minutes to understand how best to use your version.
1.3.
Viewing Features
Click here to open a preference window -- in this window, uncheck the box
beside “Open Cross-Document Links in the Same Window”. Why?...
MYKS! links across its PDF files. This is best done by opening each such link in a
new window, and not in the same one.
Now, still in the preference window, set the sharpness. Would you like the text of
MYKS! to appear smooth like this?...
... or sharp like this?...
If you prefer the smooth look, check the box beside “Smooth Text and Images.”
Otherwise, leave it unchecked...
At the bottom of your Acrobat Reader window, set magnification and page display
layout...
• Magnification -- Generally, the best magnification to view MYKS! is 100%. But
if you want to adjust this, the control looks like this...
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MYKS!... How to Use MYKS!
or like this...
Click on the button and here’s what snaps up...
... Enter or select the magnification that you prefer.
If you have a small monitor (15-17”)...
To make the words as large as possible, maximize MYKS!’s window so that it takes
up the whole monitor screen. Then click and choose “Fit Visible” (as shown
above). Experiment with different settings.
If you have a large monitor (19” or greater)...
Maximize MYKS!’s window so that it takes up the whole monitor screen. Then
click and choose “Fit Page.” This fits one entire page into the vertical dimension of
MYKS!’s window (convenient for reading). Experiment with different settings and
window sizes, as well as page display layouts (next)...
• Page Display Layout -- Just to the right of the magnification setting, you’ll see...
or this...
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MYKS!... How to Use MYKS!
If you click on it, you can choose between the following page layout options...
Single page -- displays one page in the document at a time.
Continuous -- arranges the pages in a continuous vertical column for easy scrolling.
Continuous -- Facing Pages -- arranges the pages to appear side by side. This is
only a good choice if you have a gigantic monitor.
1.4.
Search Features
To find a word, hit either Control-f (Windows) or Command-f (Mac) to bring up the
Acrobat Find window...
In the example above, you are searching for MWR, (abbreviation for Most Wanted
Response).
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Since you are looking for exactly MWR, you click “Match Whole Word Only” -- if you
wanted to catch any word with MWR in it (ex., MWRs), you would not click this box.
Because MWR is abbreviated with capital letters, you ask it to “Match Case.”
Finally, you decide to look for MWR starting from the front of the book, instead of
from the back, so don’t check “Find Backwards.”
Once you’re done, hit the Find button.
If you’d like to find the next occurrence of MWR, just hit either Control-g (Windows)
or Command-g (Mac). You’ll go to the next MWR, without having to pop up the
Find window again.
1.5.
Print Features
You can print this document in the usual fashion. Please respect the intellectual
rights attached to this book. Do not make copies for others.
1.6.
Links to the Web
Links to the Web appear like this...
Make Your Site SELL!
http://www.sitesell.com/
Or, if we do not use a logo, it could appear like this... Make Your Site SELL!
(http://www.sitesell.com/).
To hyperlink to the URL, open a connection to the Internet. Then click anywhere on
the graphic, on the black title, or on the blue URL to go there. But first, MYKS!
needs to know which Web browser to use. Here’s what do to to set this...
Click to open this preference window -- then...
• Click Browse (for Windows users) or Select (Mac users). In the window that pops
up, find your browser, select it, and click Open.
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MYKS!... How to Use MYKS!
• See “Connection type”? “Standard” is fine if your browser is not offered as a
choice. And ignore the other settings -- the default selections are OK.
• Then click OK.
1.7.
Sidebars
A sidebar is a side note that relates to the main discussion, but which breaks the
flow of the main thought. So I “tuck it away” to help the flow. It appears like this...
A sidebar is a side note that relates to the main discussion, but which breaks the
flow of the main thought. So I “tuck it away” to help the flow. It appears like this...
1.8.
KenГ•s Comments
From time to time throughout this book, Ken Evoy will add special comments to
Monique’s points. Ken is the President of GoodBytes and has sold squillions of his
first book, Make Your Site SELL!, solely via the Net. So watch for these little gems.
His comments will look like this...
I’ll add special points from time to time.
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MYKS!... Getting Started with MYKS!
2.
Getting Started with MYKS!
If you’ve been on the Internet six months or longer, then you already know how
rapidly things change in the online world.
Take Web sites for instance. Not only are there thousands of new additions
everyday, those currently in existence are constantly being updated. So truly it’s
never the same Web twice.
Internet demographics is another example. One day the market researchers are
telling us that seniors represent the fastest growing online segment, the next day it’s
college students, and the day after that it’s kids 8 to 12. You just name the
audience, and they’ve had...
... their glorious fifteen minutes of fame in the cyberspace
spotlight.
However, throughout the entire history of the Internet, there has been just one thing
that has remained 110% consistent. It’s never been shaken, stirred, put to the
side, or ignored for even one minute.
What is this universal truth?...
The Net has a never-ending need for information.
2.1.
Jump Start Your Infoproduct Business
No matter who, what, where, when, why or how, people will always flock to the
Internet for information. Assumption? No. Guesstimation? Wrong answer.
The Internet has been, and always will be, a sanctuary for the distribution of
knowledge. And as more and more people make the journey towards Netizenship,
the online world will only continue to be a prime information source.
Those savvy individuals who recognize the writing on the wall and are prepared to
ride the waves of this mighty trend will clear anywhere from a few thousand, to
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MYKS!... Getting Started with MYKS!
millions of dollars in sales. And that’s easy to understand when you realize...
1) Information never goes out of style.
Fashions and trends may come and go, but information always runs in classic
mode. There will never be a time when it’s not needed, wanted, begged for, paid
for, or immediately consumed. (How can you not want to sell a product like that?!?)
2) How simple it is to reach millions of targeted prospects.
If your hot topic is skydiving, there are dozens of hubs where you can reach potential
readers. If it’s sculpting, there’s a niche of Netheads out there with the same strong
interest. No matter what you choose to write about, there is a 99.9% chance that
some community-type Web site exists where you can immerse yourself with people
who like the same things that you do.
No bookstore or library can deliver such massive potential for on-point attention, in
one location. It’s the ideal place to promote an information product.
3) Information products can be delivered to the buyer within minutes on the
Net.
Information has a built-in mechanism that allows you to give your customers instant
gratification. All you have to do is package it in e-book format -- as you’ll learn in
ACTION STEP #2 -- and buyers can receive it immediately after ordering. This is a
great promotional point to encourage impulse buys.
4) Information products will always sell online.
Point-blank fact!
2.2.
True Success Stories from
Two Most Unlikely People
Before you start thinking I’m some kind of super genius with a master’s degree in
creative writing, journalism or marketing -- think again. I’m actually a college
dropout who hasn’t kept a regular job any longer than 6 months.
In fact, prior to my current Internet career, I was a genuine phone-answering,
paper-filing, coffee-pouring...
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... receptionist!
Heck, I’ll be the first one to admit that I’m no guru, expert or genius. I’m just
somebody who stumbled upon an opportunity to make money from my knowledge -and took advantage of it.
It could’ve happened to anybody. And it can happen to anybody... including you!
Back in 1996, I wrote a manual titled How to Make Your Business Famous in 6
Months or Less. My original plan was to sell it after a big Chamber of Commerce
presentation I was giving one night.
Well it turned out that the manual sold really well at that particular engagement. So,
feeling like I had run across a salable subject, I decided to do the same speech for a
few other business organizations.
Everywhere I went, the presentation itself was always a winner. However, the
manual sales varied from group to group.
One night I would bring in $700, and instantly I’d be...
... sitting on top of the world, thinking...
“I can do this... this is doable! I’ll just present this seminar everywhere, sell
manuals, buy my house with the white picket fence, and have 2.5 kids, who will run
around with a dog named Spot.”
But then the next engagement would put me right back in the path of cold, hard
reality. Here I’d go, doing exactly the same speech -- probably ten times better than
I ever gave it in my life -- and would you like to know how many sales I’d make?
Zero... zilch... nada... nothing!
“Sheesh,” I sat thinking one night, “I don’t like this one-day-on, one-day-off sales
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MYKS!... Getting Started with MYKS!
thing one bit. Nope -- not even half-a-bit.”
I realized that I needed a plan to develop a steady profit stream -- without having to
run from Chamber to Chamber. Something that would allow me to sell a
self-published 8.5 x 11 manual, outside the traditional bookstore system.
Well, to make a long story short, I had already been doing business on the Internet,
and knew it had consistently helped me make lots of cash. So the next obvious
choice in the lineup, was to start selling the Fame book online.
I did a little razzle...
... and a little dazzle -- the same stuff you’re learning in this manual
-- and sales for the Fame book blossomed to just under $85,000 that first year.
As you probably can imagine, I immediately fell in love with the concept of selling
information online. It was so-o-o-o-o easy. I could promote at 3 o’clock in the
afternoon, or 3 o’clock in the morning, and without fail, there would always be a fresh
group of prospects who wanted to know how to win the Fame Game.
Plus it was cheap. There really weren’t a whole lot of e-zines to advertise in, like
we have now. And I wasn’t a big banner buff back then, because the ones I wanted
were prohibitively expensive. So everything I did to market the Fame book didn’t
cost me anything, except for my time.
In 1997 I came out with Successful Schmoozing on the Net, which basically
explained how I used online discussion groups to grow my infoproduct business.
In all honesty...
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... it didn’t sell as well as the Fame book. But the problems I
encountered promoting it only made me more resourceful, increasing my
determination to succeed.
And succeed I did. By year two I was pulling in close to $150,000, not to mention
the speaking engagements and consulting assignments that consistently
followed manual sales.
By late 1998, I began feeling the itch to write yet another information product. At
that point my online info-selling techniques were producing pretty solid results, and I
felt like I had developed enough of an education to pass my knowledge on to other
infopreneurs.
However, I was just plain tired of nickel-and-diming it to success. Even if it meant
less sales, I wanted try my hand at selling a high-priced information product. I
figured this strategy would seriously boost my credibility as a marketer, since people
tend to pay more attention to those who have daring price strategies.
My fire was fueled even more as I sat on the cyberspace sidelines, watching online
marketing guru Corey Rudl produce mega-sales with his $197 Internet Marketing
Secrets course.
He was like...
... a superstar in my eyes, and I wanted to do the same thing.
So after 3 months of steady writing, out popped How to Make $50,000 a Year (or
more) Creating and Selling Information Products Online (later renamed How to
Successfully Sell Information Products Online.)
Up until the last possible minute, I flip-flopped on the price constantly. I was scared
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MYKS!... Getting Started with MYKS!
to death that sales would be dismal, and everybody would see my prices drop like a
tornado in the plains.
“Then what will they think?” I pondered constantly. “They’ll think I’m a loser... they’ll
think I don’t know what the heck I’m talking about, and my career will be over!”
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m just as much of a
“stand-in-front-of-the-mirror-and-do-100-affirmations-per-day” goal seeker as the
next person. But the thought of putting my growing reputation on the line, in front
of millions of people, scared the spleen out of me. (What a good way to start a
sales campaign, huh?)
Fortunately for me, the worst possible scenario never occurred, and I was profitable
from the very first week of selling this multimanual set. In fact, I never had an
easier time marketing my brain food. Nearly everything I did produced sales to
one degree or another.
The moral of this story?
I was successful without already being a huge celebrity. Nor did I have any insider
connections. And I did not have millions to spend on advertising. Big New York
publishing houses never clamored to get a piece of my knowledge pie (actually, I
have dozens of rejection letters!).
I was successful because each new information product was built upon my
previous year’s experiences. I took plain, ordinary, matter-of-fact knowledge -that was already fresh in my head -- put it into a readable format, and took my place
on the grandstand. If the universe is sending blessings to a college dropout who
never took a single writing course, then I’m willing to venture that anybody has the
ability to do this.
We all have some innate skill, some informational gift that we can wield to our
advantage. Whether it’s a hobby or work-related experience, you ultimately hold
the key to creating millions from your brain food.
People from all walks of life are doing it every single day. Just check out a few
success stories that I’ve stumbled upon. These are from ordinary people who took
to the information publishing business like fish to water -- and it’s paying off in some
terrific ways.
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First, let’s talk to an ordinary guy whose “claim to fame” is that he stays in shape...
2.2.1.
GregГ•s Secret to Success
The first one comes from Greg Landry, author of The Metabolism System for
Weight Loss and Muscle Tone...
http://www.landry.com/
Q. Greg, I’ve seen you become quite a Net celebrity over the past few years.
Tell me, what have been the secrets for your success?
A. Thanks, Monique! I think providing people with lots of solid information has been
key for me. People are tired of fitness and weight loss gimmicks and are looking for
real answers to their fitness concerns. I’ve written numerous articles that I distribute
freely around the Net. Other publishers/Webmasters are free to use them in their
publications or on their Web sites. This has been fantastic publicity for me.
I also offer Webmasters a free “ticker-tape” fitness tip of the day. They can easily
put it on their site by copying and pasting a few lines of HTML. The tip automatically
changes daily. Webmasters like this, of course, because it provides their visitors
with informative, inspiring tips.. and they change every day without any work on their
part. I like it because the tip box on all of these sites has a link to my site. You can
see it in action here... (http://www.landry.com/landrytip.html). This has really
worked well for me.
Q. What made you decide to come out with The Metabolism System for Weight
Loss and Muscle Tone? And how long have you been selling it on the Net?
A. This book is just a compilation of my experience over the years... it’s what I’ve
seen work for people. Losing weight can be a daunting task, and unfortunately
there’s lots of misinformation out there. I wanted to give people the right information.
I wanted to tell them exactly what I’ve seen work for hundreds of people. It’s not
about gimmicks and weight loss “magic,” but about losing weight the healthy,
permanent way. I’ve been selling it on the Net in some form or fashion since 1995.
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Q. How did you initially announce the book to your followers? And what were
the sales results?
A. I initially announced it early on in 1995 (as a newbie) by sending e-mail to people
on AOL who had listed “fitness” as an interest in their profile. I quickly learned not to
do that and started an e-zine. I’ve sold it primarily through my e-zine and Web site
ever since. Sales were slow at first as I learned through trial and error (many errors)
what worked and what didn’t. Of course I’m still in the process of learning... much of
it from you Monique!
I’m in the process of starting an affiliate program right now. I’m excited about the
possibilities with that.
Q. Has selling your book online provoked you to think about creating any
other information products? If so, what are your upcoming plans?
A. Absolutely! Like many entrepreneurs, my wheels are always turning. Finding the
time to create those products is what’s tough. I’m working on audiotapes,
teleseminars and a fitness and weight loss coaching program.
Q. Did you notice any rise in e-zine subscribers, customers, speaking
engagements, consulting opportunities, etc., once you came out with your
book?
A. I’ve noticed that once people find out that you’re an author, they put you on a
different level in their mind. You automatically get “expert” status and that opens a
lot of doors... it has for me.
Next up? A business coach. Sure there are lots of business coaches. But this one
discovered a key road to success...
Turn your service into an infoproduct. Here’s his story...
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2.2.2.
Gary -- How to Stand Out from the Crowd
The second success story comes from Gary Lockwood, author of The BizSuccess
Strategy Book (http://www.bizsuccess.com).
Q. Hi Gary! Can you give my readers the title of your information product, the
format it comes in, and a description of what it’s all about?
A. Hi Monique. My lead product is the BizSuccess Strategy Book. It’s a 175-page
workbook, that can be downloaded (in Adobe Acrobat format), or shipped printed
and bound.
The BizSuccess Strategy Book is based on my twelve years of business coaching
and seminars. Each chapter is a comprehensive 20-24 page workbook that focuses
on one specific Breakthrough Strategy. So it’s like a complete do-it-yourself
consulting session including how-to instructions, information on the key concept for
the specific Breakthrough Strategy, business strategy exercises with examples, our
unique Habit-Builder feature, a chapter review and an action plan.
Plus it’s packed with practical ideas and thought-provoking concepts for getting all
you really want from your business, professional practice or job. I like to call it a
“step-by-step blueprint for business success.”
Q. How long have you been selling it online?
A. I have been selling the BizSuccess Strategy Book from my Web site since
September 1998.
Q. I’m a subscriber to your biweekly e-zine, and I’ve noticed that you do use it
to promote your book. Have you found this promotional method to be
effective?
A. Monique, my newsletter (BizSuccess Breakthroughs) has been my best
promotional tool so far. The subscribers are business people who are on the lookout
for good business and success-related ideas.
The subscriber base is self-selecting. Those not interested in the business and
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success-related ideas take themselves off the list pretty quickly. So the subscribers
fit my target market.
Also, after doing the newsletter since August 1997, the subscribers have come to
know me. We have developed a business relationship through the newsletter.
Q. Are there any promotional techniques that you’ve dabbled in, and found to
be a waste of time, or money?
A. So far (knock on wood), I’ve been able to stay focused on the few promotional
techniques that have produced results for me.
These are...
• My own newsletter
• Ads in other newsletters for my target market
• Cross-promotions at my Web site and in my autoresponders.
Q. What would you say is the toughest part about selling an information
product online?
A. For me, the toughest part has been to have the patience to keep promoting and
keep experimenting with new techniques. It’s really easy to discover something that
seems to work OK, then just stay with it, no matter what.
Dealing in a medium as fast-changing and as widespread as the Internet, standing
still with the status quo is the kiss of death.
Q. Since beginning your online sales efforts, have you had one month that has
really been outstanding as far as revenue is concerned? Why do you think
that one month stood out from the rest?
A. A few months ago, in a conversation with my friend Michael Angier, publisher of
Success Networks (http://www.successnet.org/), we decided to send
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endorsements to our respective subscriber bases, with a testimonial about each
other’s newsletter.
The testimonials were real, deserved, and from the heart. The result was fantastic!
Sales up; subscriptions up; Web traffic up. Our best month ever. We’ll do this
again.
Q. Has selling an information product online led to any additional
opportunities career-wise?
A. Sure. Selling the book has open up several speaking engagements and
business-coaching clients for me. I’ve also connected to some great folks in similar
businesses and I’m doing a couple of joint ventures now.
Reread this section. Gary has unlocked a big door. If you’re a consultant of any
kind, the most you can make is your hourly fee. Even if it’s a high fee, it’s not
leveraged. It’s just you, one-on-one, one client at a time. Instead...
Think of a way to do what you do with thousands of people at the same time.
Develop an infoproduct. It could be a digital book or a monthly teleseminar or
even server-side software. Now you’re leveraged.
Supplement that with an affiliate program... so thousands of other people are selling
your leveraged product. I guess you could call that...
Super-leveraged.
Like I said, please... reread this section.
2.2.3.
YouГ•re Next!
Now is the time to take your cue... the Internet’s got a special place waiting just for
you.
• Are you an entrepreneur who can explain your business process? Can you
communicate what it takes to succeed? If so, there’s money to be made.
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• Are you a coach or consultant who yearns for more credibility in your field, in
addition to a new profit stream? Hey...
... you’ve hit the jackpot.
• Or maybe you’re a speaker who wants to double or triple your income by having
your own information products. Guess what? Now you can sell them both on and
off the platform!
• If you’re a free agent who already makes money with your wits, take that wit-ology,
and brand it...
... into the minds of prospects everywhere. Information products do
that so darn well.
• If you’re a career person who wants to gain more profitable employment, I know
a gentleman in Maine who got a ton of hot job offers, because of a booklet he wrote.
This manual imparts the same knowledge I delivered to him.
• If you’re a career person who wants to get off the employment path, I’ve
personally earned 6 figures a year selling information online. And that was with
practically no start-up costs. My secrets are all in Make Your Knowledge Sell!
(MYKS!).
• If you’ve got a hobby that you love doing, and love talking about, why not share
that passion with other enthusiasts? Do what you love, and the money will follow!
• If you’re a writer who wants to learn how to make money with your skills,
without encountering a single rejection letter, MYKS! takes you to a new level of
success.
• If you’re a publisher who needs an in-the-trenches handbook for your staff, this
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manual should be given to all of your writers, promoters and publicists.
• If you’re a newbie, just beginning to explore the Internet for ways to cut yourself a
slice of the e-commerce pie, this manual will take you by the hand and lead you step
by step through the ins and outs of this industry. You don’t have to be a Net
expert to make money with your knowledge.
2.3.
Yeah, But...
What About All Those Horror Stories?
I understand exactly where you’re coming from. And I won’t tell any lies. For every
one success story, there are hundreds more that don’t make it to the gravy
train. Sure, it’s a sad situation, but there are some very real reasons why these
people fail to make financial miracles with their knowledge.
Pay special attention to what’s coming -- they are all reasons that you can avoid!
I’ve watched hundreds of online infopreneurs from the sidelines. I’ve noticed 6 main
reasons why 98% of all information marketers fail. Don’t just skim through these
explanations -- etch them into your memory, like visions of your first kiss. They’re
going to make the difference between you being on the team with the have’s and the
have-not’s, in this game.
#1... The Information Product Isn’t Well Developed
Either the writing doesn’t flow well, the infoproduct has a look that’s not pleasing
to the eye, or a little of both. This is a sure-fire way to kill your career fast. People
aren’t looking for Pulitzer Prize winning prose, but they do want information that’s
easy to understand and that is packaged well.
#2... No Promotional Strategy
You can’t just put up a Web site, and expect the world to beat a path to your door. If
that were the case, we’d all be eating lobster and filet mignon, while wiping our
mouths with $100 bills! Successfully selling your knowledge requires some solid
marketing and advertising skills.
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#3... Poorly Designed Web Site
People won’t buy from a Web site that looks like their 6-year-old put it together. Yet
many Netpreneurs throw together shoddy-looking Web sites, and at the same time
expect stellar results. It just doesn’t work.
Ahem... this may be the right place to mention the “Bible” of selling on the Net...
Make Your Site SELL!
http://www.sitesell.com/
#4... Lying to Customers, Boosting Claims
You can’t promise your customers the moon, the sun and the stars, and only
deliver...
... a few puffy white clouds. First, of course, it’s just plain
immoral. You’ll get a ton of returns.... and no sales of follow-up products.
Funny thing about the Net. Even if you are dishonest by nature, you’d better be
straight and honest on the Net. It’s the ultimate communication medium. If you’re
a thief, you’ll be toasted in no time.
#5... Fake Testimonials (or at least they look fake)
You know the ones signed, “Steve Johnson -- St. Louis, MO.” This may have
worked in the direct mail industry eons ago, but unfortunately it’s not Y2K
compliant. This is a “sure-fire” credibility crusher in the online world.
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#6... Lack of Ordering Options
You can’t have an online presence and then only provide offline ordering capability.
It doesn’t make any sense, because 98% of your orders will come from a secure
order page. But look around -- many online info-sellers do just that.
You see, these things are all so simple. So matter-of-fact. Yet thousands of people,
if not millions, knowingly (and unknowingly) take part in these biz-killing rituals every
single day.
So what can you do to stop the madness?
2.4.
HereГ•s the Winning Game Plan
Don’t worry about becoming one of those horror stories. In the following pages, you’ll
find an abundance of tips, techniques and guidelines for becoming a...
... master infopreneur.
This manual is like a brain shovel. It’ll help you go deep within your mind, to dig out
the salable knowledge that’s probably been playing hide-and-seek with you. Once
this shovel hits the treasure chest, you’ll learn how to carefully extract a number of
informational jewels, and set them into a lovely profit-making pattern.
But in order to achieve this goal, you must do all of the ACTION STEPS (eight in all)
to absolute completion. Even if the exercises don’t yield your absolute best ideas
and writing, having something down on paper is a greater incentive to continue
than having nothing.
So where do you begin on this possibility-filled path?
ACTION STEP #1 is all about pulling profitable ideas from thin air. You’ll get an
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instant education in transforming your innate talents and abilities into topics for
profitable information products.
There are several Idea-Generating Exercises to get your creative juices flowing,
including the same techniques I use to crank out several information products a
year. In addition, you’ll find 50 Information Product Ideas to use as inspirational
stepping stones to bigger and greater projects.
Next you’ll be introduced to ACTION STEP #2, which is all about packaging your
words of wisdom. Here you’ll get a detailed look at 9 different delivery
mechanisms, including... manuals, booklets, e-books, password-protected Web
sites, audiotapes, videotapes, teleseminars, newsletters and consulting sessions.
This chapter will also give you dozens of valuable promotional tips that took me
years of trial and error to discover on my own -- yes, you get to leapfrog to the front
of the class!
ACTION STEP #3 gets you started on the product that follows your first one (i.e.,
your “back-end information product”). Yes, already! You’ll find that knowing how
you want to package your information, for both products right away, will make the
outlining and development process (coming up) much easier. This section will
open your eyes to the wonderful world of residual profits.
ACTION STEPS #4, 5, and 6? You’ll outline, write and name your new
infoproduct. Never thought of yourself as an author? Not to worry... put your mind
at ease. Not only will you learn key methods and tools for activating your writer’s
spirit, you’ll gain access to sample outlines that you can use as a foundation for
your information product, plus ideas galore for filling in the skeleton of your outline.
And if that’s not enough, Name That Infoproduct will help you create a winning title
for your product, with the aid of 33 title templates. Following these formulas will
make your writing life a whole lot easier.
ACTION STEP #7 takes you all the way to a perfect and protected final draft. And
ACTION STEP #8 prepares you to launch to the real world via a powerful
traffic-building and sales-generating plan.
Any questions? I answer them all in One-on-One with Monique. Pressing
questions plaguing your mind? I put them...
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... under the microscope. You’ll find plenty of questions that you’ll
be quite happy were answered without you asking!
In All Roads Lead to Success, you’ll find your way towards fame, reenergized
sales, market domination, security and continuous tenure...
... on the throne. This is the path of advanced studies for infopreneurs
who are already on their way towards success.
Finally... we’ve saved the best for last. In The Best Advice We Can Give, Ken and
I put the icing on the cake with some fine and final pearls of wisdom to guide your
infopreneurial career through the turbulent 2000s.
So what are you waiting for? A kick in the butt is not included!
2.5.
One Last Thought Before Starting
I have a core group of customers who I consider to be very successful in their
chosen fields. They are business owners and professionals who make at least a
six-figure income.
As I give them my consultation time, I’ve come to really understand the difference
between the have’s and the have-not’s. It’s not that these people had any more or
less of an advantage than any other person out there. (Two people I know for sure
came from impoverished families.)
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Many don’t have college educations. (Although one person does have several
medical degrees.) And hardly any of them consider themselves to be marketing
gurus.
Yet the difference I see with these people, over other clients, is that they “take
action immediately.”
After a consultation, they implement my suggestions right away. They get into the
project, and give it all they’ve got -- and then some. There’s no dilly-dallying around.
They’re about moving, and moving fast.
And I’m telling you from first-hand experience, every one of these already successful
people become even more successful as a result. They almost always sell more
information products, and if they started with an idea, they’re the fastest to finish an
information product.
Imagine... all that from one little, tiny change in action/attitude.
So take a good hard look at the man or woman in the mirror. Are you an “Action
Taker” or an “Action Faker”?
Do you soak up a ton of advice, and then let it sift right through your brain cells,
without giving it a second thought? Or do you actively use the words of wisdom
surrounding you?
Reading books, e-zines and Web sites is no good, unless you’re prepared to go to
the next level, and put that advice into motion.
Just a bit of observation I thought I’d pass on. OK, OK, so I lied...
... A kick in the butt is included in the price of this book.
Ready? Let’s start!
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3.
Pulling Profitable Ideas...
From Thin Air
Recently I did a brief survey of my e-zine subscribers to determine the biggest
problems among info-sellers. One of the top dilemmas was “lack of ideas.”
Although they clearly know that they want to sell information, many a cup doesn’t
runneth over with an abundance of ideas.
And the problem isn’t a lack of creativity. Because if you realize it or not, everybody
has that magical flame within them. Whether that flame is the size of a towering
inferno -- or dancing on the tip of match stick -- is totally dependent on if and how
you fan the fire. But that’s where most people...
... hit the 10-foot brick wall.
If you don’t have a specific system for finding and utilizing that spark, then it’s
almost a given that you’ll overlook its presence and power in your life. Creativity is
like a muscle... the more you exercise it, the stronger it gets.
This chapter delivers 6 Idea-Generating Exercises, which you can use to fan that
creative spark. When you’re finished, you’ll have more than just a slight crackling -you’ll have an entire bonfire engulfing your brain! These exercises will give you the
capability to come up with fresh ideas faster than you ever thought possible. And
they work for any type of information products, from articles to keynote speeches.
The ultimate key to success is to practice these exercises on a regular basis.
Remember, ideas come to you when you actively...
... open the door to their presence.
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Now once you generate a few ideas using these exercises, you must decide which
one of those ideas you care to transform into an information product. The final
section of this chapter features a checklist to help you determine whether your
chosen idea is something that you really and truly want to pursue, as well as how
salable it is. Completing this checklist before moving on to ACTION STEP #2 will
assure you that your idea is of Grade A quality.
All set? Let’s go flex that fiery creative muscle!
Studies show that most people are too lazy to actually perform brainstorming
exercises. They read them, try them for a few seconds, and then move on to the
next section.
Here’s your first chance to separate the men from the boys (OK, OK... the women
from the girls!).
3.1.
Idea-Generating Exercise #1
Mining the Gold Within You
Your innate talents are activities that are either very easy for you to perform, or
things that you absolutely love doing. It could be that you’re a great singer.
Perhaps your baked goods taste like they came directly from heaven’s oven, or
maybe you have a knack for organizing things.
So when it comes to choosing an idea/topic for your information product, an
excellent place to begin your search is with your own natural abilities. In other
words, your infoproduct can be based on explaining the details of a process that
you normally accomplish very easily.
For example, writing and marketing are natural abilities for me. So I create
information products that show others how to do these things effectively.
If you’re a marvel at selling things over the telephone, this talent can easily be
translated into an information product. Likewise, if you’re a great horse trainer, know
how to grow luscious indoor plants, well... you get the idea.
You know that old adage?... “Do what you love...
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... the money will follow.” It becomes a living reality when you use
this particular exercise.
Here’s a list of four questions that will help you discern where your natural talents
are. Answer them fast, naturally, almost without thinking. If you get stuck, refer to
this list of 64 topics...
Advertising
Aerospace
Agriculture/farming
Antiques and collectibles
Apparel/clothing/fashion
Architecture/buildings
Arts & Crafts
Auctions
Automotive
Aviation
Beverages
Books
Chemicals
Children/parenting
Cleaning
Communications/media
Computers
Construction
Consulting
Conventions/Trade Shows
Design
Disabilities
Education
Electronics
Employment
Energy
Engineering
Entertainment
Environment
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Ergonomics
Financial services
Food
Gambling
Games
Government
Health
Hobbies
Home/garden/flowers/plants
Hospitality/entertaining
Information
Jewelry
Law
Manufacturing
Minerals
Music
New Age
Office supplies
Publishing
Real Estate
Religion/spirituality
Research and Development
Retail management
Science
Security
Sex
Software
Sports
Telecommunications
Toys
Trade
Transportation
Travel
Video
Weather
Be sure to use the Idea Igniters to further fuel your imagination. Take it all the way
-- as far as how the idea can be transformed into an information product.
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3.1.1.
Build Upon What Comes Naturally
What do you believe to be your 3 natural talents?
Idea Igniter... Create a how-to manual that’ll help others perform this activity just as
effectively. Or have a third party interview you on how you successfully perform this
talent. Put the interview on audiotape.
a) _________________________________________________________________
b) _________________________________________________________________
c) _________________________________________________________________
3.1.2.
ThereГ•s Gold in Your Daily Pleasures
What 3 things do you enjoy talking, reading or learning about?
a) _________________________________________________________________
b) _________________________________________________________________
c) _________________________________________________________________
Passion makes work fun and easy. What is it that you love to talk about? Read
about?
A hobby? What do you do for fun and games?
What special body of knowledge have you learned from your job?
What do you do day after day, without even thinking about it (ex., child-rearing) -think about what you tend to do in a typical day, and what you’ve learned from it.
What sections of a bookstore or a magazine shop do you automatically gravitate
toward? What kind of TV shows do you tend to like most? Movies?
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3.1.3.
Make Your Job Really Pay
What activities do you enjoy most about your current occupation?
Idea Igniter... Is it research? Helping customers achieve their goals? Managing
other people? Teaching or explaining things to others? Talking/selling on the
phone? Organizing things? Making a process easier? Discovering or creating new
products or services? Marketing or promoting products or services? Perhaps you
can write a how-to manual on how to perform one of those activities more effectively.
a) _________________________________________________________________
b) _________________________________________________________________
c) _________________________________________________________________
3.1.4.
Take a Fantasy Job
If you had to pick 3 ideal occupations/businesses, what would they be?
Idea Igniter... If you haven’t already, why not actually start a business in your field of
interest, and write about your experiences in a diary format. This would be an
interesting information product.
a) _________________________________________________________________
b) _________________________________________________________________
c) _________________________________________________________________
3.2.
Idea-Generating Exercise #2
Look Through Someone ElseГ•s Eyes
Would you like to be in another persons shoes? Who? Look at it through...
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... the eyes of that person.
What does that person represent? Do you have the thought processes to create an
information product within that niche?
For instance, if you think that you’d like to be president for a week, perhaps your true
interest lies in leadership. If you’d like to be a lion tamer in the circus, maybe it’s
because your heart is into animal training. Whatever your response, it could give
you an accurate idea of the direction that you’d like to go in.
Write your information product as if you actually are the famous person.
Assuming the new identity could give you tremendous new focus on the issue.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
3.3.
Idea-Generating Exercise #3
Turn Lemons into Lemonade...
And Cash!
If you perceive something as being difficult, other people also have an issue when
dealing with it. Let’s say that you have a tyrannical manager (which a lot of people
do have). You can write an information product titled something like How to Deal
With a Beastly Boss Without Losing Your Head or Your Job.
I have a client who has worked in clothing retail stores her entire adult life. One
thing she always excelled at was getting lots of sales (often she worked on
commission, so this was an important skill). However her coworkers weren’t always
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so fortunate.
So she wrote a booklet detailing all of the little tricks and techniques that helped
her achieve a $65,000+ income throughout the years. She now sells it in bulk to
large department stores, or to audience members of the seminars she gives.
Now with that motivational story under your belt, think about this...
... what are the three biggest problems in your workplace? Jot
down solutions for each one.
If solving a workplace-related dilemma isn’t your cup of tea, replace it with any other
problem. For example, if you’re a stepparent, what were the biggest problems that
you’ve encountered, and how did you conquer them?
Let’s say you’re an herb gardener. What annoyances do you normally come up
against? What can you tell other herb gardeners to help them cultivate a delicious
and nutritious crop?
New problem or old, there’s always room for greater and better answers.
a) _________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
b) _________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
c) _________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Think about this one. We all encounter obstacles, problems, nasty people in the
course of whatever it is that we do every day. I guarantee you -- if you look here
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long enough, you’ll find a book that others will buy.
3.4.
Idea-Generating Exercise #4
Let Your Competition Help You!
I actually got the following technique from colleague and client Kimberly Goodwin,
author of Finding Your Niche in Life...
The Achievement Architect
http://www.4achievement.com/
The basic purpose of this exercise is to create new and more enhanced information
products, based on what has not been included in your competitors’ works. So the
first thing you need to do is start...
... reading, listening or watching all of your competitors’ information
products. As you do so, you’re going to write down any questions, comments, or
points that you feel should be elaborated upon.
Before I started creating my own series of manuals, videotapes, reports and
newsletters for developing and selling information products online, I read through a
ton of my competitors’ products. This included anything geared towards
self-publishing and promoting your consulting services. Here are the main points
that always arose in my notes:
• In the self-publishing books, there was no information to help you formulate
ideas.
• Many of the self-publishing books didn’t have a succinct amount of information
about using the Internet for promotional purposes. If they did, most of it was
very generic.
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• The self-publishing books always talked about publishing books, and no other
information products. Yet, as we now see, there are several ways to self-publish
one’s knowledge.
• None of the consulting books really took an in-depth look at creating and selling
infoproducts to one’s prospects. Most times all they focused on was
self-publishing books and newsletters.
So I took all of this data, and began to fill in the missing blanks. Today my
information products fulfill each of these needs, and then some. And it all started
with me attempting to figure out what holes my competitors had left open.
The next three questions will help you get a pretty good idea of how to create an
infoproduct that’s much, much better than what’s already out there.
3.4.1.
Pick Apart Your CompetitorsГ• Weapons
Choose at least 5 information products in your niche. Read and study them.
Write down 5 ways you can make them better. Here are some key points to base
your response upon:
• What would you elaborate upon?
• What would you eliminate?
• Which techniques would you change?
• What type of format would make more sense? (Audio, manual, booklet, etc.)
• What new ideas would you introduce?
• How can you make a process easier to understand?
• Can the information be explained from another viewpoint?
• Can the information be adjusted to fit into another niche?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
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3.4.2.
What Comes Before?
After reading and studying those 5 infoproducts in your niche, think about topics that
you would want discussed before that subject matter.
In other words, what topics are a prerequisite to what you’ve read? What skills or
knowledge would a person need to know prior to reading the competitor’s
information product?
For example, if one of your competitors has written a book entitled 101 Home
Business Ideas for Bootstrappers, a prerequisite to that could be From Salary
Worker to Entrepreneur -- 100 Things You Should Do Before Starting a
Home-Based Business. As you can see, your infoproduct is what the reader
should know beforehand.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
3.4.3.
What Comes After?
What would you want to read after? What information could you talk about that’s a
little more advanced than your competitors’ material?
Again, using the example of the book titled 101 Home Business Ideas for
Bootstrappers, a great follow-up could be Inexpensive Marketing Ideas for
Bootstrapping Entrepreneurs.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
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3.5.
Idea-Generating Exercise #5
What Do Your Readers Want?
A few years ago, I decided to add a few new services to my consulting business. So
the first thing I did was compile a list of the services that I thought were going to be
the most requested.
On a fluke, just before I redid my Web site to reflect those additions, I decided to ask
a few colleagues in a business women’s discussion group what their biggest online
marketing problems were. This was so I could compare the services I was going to
offer, to what the market wanted.
The results literally astounded me.
After twenty-two e-mails came in, I discovered that only one of the services I had
planned to provide was really in high demand. Talk about an instant education in
what people were willing to pay for! The direction I had set my sails towards was
all-l-l-l-l wrong.
And even though this is an example of doing research for consulting services, this
technique works exactly the same way when creating any type of information
product. So before you begin typing or recording a single word, be sure to decipher
what your potential buyers really and truly want from an infoproduct in your niche.
Here are five techniques I use to extract my readers’ wants, before I even begin
the outlining process. My recommendation is that you complete at least two of
these exercises. This way you’ll have a larger pool of results to compare from, and
your participants will come from diverse online locations.
Also, keep an ongoing file of the information you collect, so you can refer back to it
once you begin the outlining process.
You can do it the easy way or the hard way. What do I mean?
Well, you can spend a few months writing something that you later find out that no
one wants. Or you can find out first.
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Monique’s been there and done that -- find out what people want first...
Then supply it. Life becomes so much easier.
3.5.1.
How to Get Executives to Tell You...
Becoming a member of associations within your niche will give you a pretty accurate
view of what a particular industry is like. After all, you have oodles of people who
have outwardly chosen to interact with other like-minded thinkers. Their needs
and problems will most likely be defined by the articles they’re currently reading.
To complete this technique you need an easy way to find and join the appropriate
associations. This is easy.
Start out by visiting the American Society of Association Executives Web site...
American Society of Association Executives
http://www.asaenet.org/
You’ll find a directory that features tens of thousands of associations. Join your
groups of choice. Then keep a running tab of articles appearing in each issue of
their newsletter, magazine, or e-zine. Write down the title of the article, author, and
a description of the problem the article attempts to solve. Once you notice a
recurrent demand...
... you’ve got a topic!
3.5.2.
Lurk and Learn
This technique is probably the easiest to perform, but it requires constant attention
on your part. What you do is very simple.
First, locate two or three online discussion groups where your prospects congregate.
You can find hundreds of Web forums and e-mail discussion groups in directories
like ForumOne (http://www.forumone.com/) and Liszt (http://www.liszt.com/).
Once you find your audience’s chit-chat hot spots, it’s time to make yourself a
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permanent fixture in the background. In other words, join these targeted
groups, sit back, and listen to all the conversation going on.
Relax... it’s OK to eavesdrop on the Net. It’s called lurking -- yes, despite that
crummy name, eavesdropping really is OK.
Why is lurking so necessary? Because online discussion groups are places where
people talk “honestly” (that’s the key word here) about anything and everything.
Participants are amongst peers. So they’re more likely to speak openly about the
topics that mean the most to them. In fact, this is probably the most candid
information that potential readers are ever going to release. You can’t afford not to
be paying attention.
There are two key things you’re going to actively look for...
• Problems that seem to resurface on a regular basis.
For instance, I notice on most discussion lists geared towards e-zine publishers that
every couple of weeks the question of, “How do I build a subscription form for my
Web site?” always seems to come up. Therefore if I were creating an information
product for e-zine publishers, this is a bit of knowledge I would definitely include.
• People who apparently know a lot about your topic.
Don’t look at these folks as competition. Most of them are probably not going to be
creating an information product anyway. But they will make great interview
subjects once you begin writing your information product.
Phew! Two great tips from the street fighter who’s been there.
3.5.3.
Simply Ask Г’What Hurts?Г“
Lurking is great. But sometimes you hit some pretty dead discussion groups. Or
maybe you need to obtain some quick facts about potential readers. Then it’ll
probably be necessary to take the active approach in discovering your audience’s
needs.
In a nutshell, the best way that I know to do this is by simply asking...
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... “What hurts?”
Let’s say you’re in the midst of creating an information product geared towards
helping e-zine publishers obtain more sponsors and advertisers, and you need to
know the top three problems associated with doing this. You would post a question
to the group something like this...
Dear colleagues,
What do you find to be the three biggest obstacles when
attempting to get sponsors and advertisers for your e-zine?
As you can see, “What hurts?” is a direct question, that’s going to elicit direct
answers. It helps you cut straight to the chase.
3.5.4.
Web Site Visitors Will Tell You...
If You Ask the Right Questions
I’ve seen this technique used on other Web sites where people vote for specific Web
sites, like at BizBot (http://www.bizbot.net/), or Associate Programs
(http://www.associateprograms.com/), where you can click on a “Rate It” text
link.
Not only is this a great technique for enabling consumers to inform one another
about sites worth visiting, it can also work very well for helping you decide what
interests your Web site visitors the most.
To do it, you must have several of your own articles, each on its own separate
page within your Web site. You’ll have a short form at the end of each article page,
numbered from 1 to 10.
With this form, ask your readers to...
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... rate the article from one (“not interesting at all”) to ten (“great,
incredible, loved it”). Instead of the results being tabulated and posted on the site,
configure the form so that each vote is e-mailed straight to you. Then keep a
running tally of the votes each article receives.
If you generate large volumes of submissions, get your techie to compile results into
a password-protected “results page” so that you don’t have to do any manual
tabulation.
The most popular article topics should be considered as important sections of
your information product. So if you’re writing about online marketing techniques,
and more people vote for your search engine articles, over the ones on Web site
design, then it would probably be wise to put a great deal of emphasis on search
engines.
3.5.5.
How to Run a Survey that Gives You THE Idea
Still stuck? Here’s a great idea-generating technique that works!...
Develop a survey with three short, multiple-choice questions. Why short?
Because you want a maximum number of replies, which is easier to achieve when
asking concise questions. If the survey looks like it takes anything longer than a
minute to complete, then you’ll have to compensate the survey takers to obtain
maximum results.
The questions you choose for the survey should give you a concise profile of your
potential readers. The following sample survey is geared towards e-zine
publishers, and would help an infoproduct creator learn more about this growing
target audience.
Question 1 -- “What is the hardest part about running an
e-zine?”
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Question 2 -- “How long have you been publishing your
e-zine?”
(a) 6 months or less
(b) 6-12 months
(c) 1 year or more
Question 3 -- “How often do you publish your e-zine?”
(a) Daily
(b) Weekly
(c) Biweekly
(c) Monthly
There are two basic ways to pose a survey question. While multiple choice is easier
to score, it limits the possible answers. That’s why Monique uses multiple choice for
Questions #2 and #3 above. But Question #1 is your “money question” -- leave it
open-ended and see what you get!
Once you have your questions in hand, your next task is to find at least five
strategic online locations your prospective readers frequent.
These can be Web sites, e-zines, discussion groups, forums, etc. E-mail the owners
of these online properties, and ask them if they can host your survey for a set fee.
I’ve included a sample letter below...
Dear John Doe,
My name is Jane Rane, and I’m interested in having my
“E-zine Publishers Survey” featured on your E-zine Directory
Web site, for one month. (You’ll find the actual survey
enclosed at the end of this message.)
The feedback will be used to compile my upcoming manual,
tentatively titled “The E-zine Publisher’s Guide to Profits
and Promotional Power.”
Please send me a listing of your 30-day rates, as well as
the type of payment you accept, and when payment is due.
Thank you in advance,
Jane Rane
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It could cost you anywhere from $80 to $500 to implement this technique. However
it does allow you to receive a steady stream of feedback, without having to alter
your time schedule.
3.6.
Idea-Generating Exercise #6
Monique HarrisГ•s Personal
PowerBrainstorm Tactics
One of the most frequently asked questions I receive is, “How do you manage to
come up with so many different ideas, so quickly?” Besides following several of
the other Idea-Generating Exercises, there are three things that I do on a pretty
frequent basis.
3.6.1.
Shake and Bake Secrets...
This is probably the most basic yet almost always overlooked method for
generating ideas.
When it’s time to create your information product...
... voraciously read through everything even remotely
related to your topic. Don’t spread the process out over several days. Do it in a
24- to 48-hour time span.
Just about every major industry has a place on the Internet where you can find
articles and news stories galore on that particular topic. Some of these portal
sites are 100% free, like WilsonWeb (http://www.wilsonweb.com/), which features
a ton of articles on marketing over the Internet.
Others require a small monthly or yearly investment, like Lexis-Nexis
(http://www.lexis-nexis.com/), which is the home of abundant information for the
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legal community.
I use article libraries to create my own infoproducts when I want to see the
development of a new trend, find out what new technologies my prospects and
customers are using, or just to pick up interesting new ideas. It’s like having a
bunch of eyes and ears on the scene, constantly reporting important tidbits of
information.
Another interesting point about using article libraries, particularly in the small
business field, is that you can find and use copyright-free articles. For instance, if
you’ve ever purchased one of those CD-ROMs with 1,001 resellable reports, you
can use the reports as a springboard to create additional information products.
Since they don’t have a copyright, they can be used and adapted any way you see
fit.
Finished reading? Put all your materials away. This is the period when your
mind subconsciously goes to work mixing and matching concepts. Over the next
couple of days, ideas will pop into your head. Most likely this will occur when you’re
doing something trivial like washing dishes, taking a shower, or driving.
When an idea pops...
... write everything down. Don’t discount a single thought as
being insignificant or unimportant. Now when it’s time to create, you have several
ideas to work with.
If you subscribe to my semi-daily e-zine, Stories From a Brain Food Saleswoman
(http://www.sellyourbrainfood.com/ezine.htm), you’ll notice that I often get an
idea and then I’ll put it to the side for a while. During these times, I’m allowing
natural incubation to take place, trying to best figure out how to best make the most
from the idea. I’m living, breathing proof that it works!
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3.6.2.
Ask Г’Why?Г“ Г•Til It Hurts and then Ask Again!
I like to use this exercise when I need to get to the core of a problem relatively
quickly, or when I need multiple solutions to a particular problem.
The first thing I do is write down the dilemma on a sheet of paper. Then I ask
myself why this problem is occurring. Even if I’m not 100% sure of the answer, I
write down what I believe the answer to be. (In other words, don’t be critical of
whether your response is right or wrong.)
Next, I go through each previous “why?” ...
... and ask why again.
This forces you to think outside the box. Every time you ask why, you delve deeper
and deeper into the core of the actual problem. Often you’ll come up with solutions
that might have eluded you before.
Here’s an example from my own files...
Problem... Many online shoppers abandon their shopping carts before making
a purchase.
Why? Because the ordering process looks difficult to the consumer.
Why? Because the site designer didn’t make the Web site intuitive.
Why? Because they didn’t understand how to make the site intuitive.
Why? Because there are no educational products that show the designer how to
alleviate that problem.
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3.7.
50 Really Hot Infoproduct Ideas
Still stuck? Browse through this list of 50 random infoproduct ideas to get your
creativity cranking. Feel free to use an idea verbatim, or allow it to give you a spark
to something greater.
1) How to Sell Your Printing Services over the Internet
Give specific tips and ideas to help printers and print brokers sell their services
online. You might include helpful Web sites, interviews with successful shop
owners, and a synopsis of the top-selling print shops/services on the Web.
2) 101 Places to Market Your Software over the Internet
Basically a directory of Web sites, e-zines and other online resources where
software developers can promote and sell their products.
3) How to Market Your Specialty School over the Internet
Give tips and ideas that’ll enable computer/technical schools, dance schools, beauty
schools, and other adult education centers to promote their establishments more
effectively over the Net. Pick 5-10 school Web sites, and give a breakdown of why
you think they achieve high sales.
4) Create a Successful E-tail Clothing Store on the Net
Include ways to set up a Web site, shopping cart features and options, merchant
account options, how to figure out shipping, marketing/promotional ideas, ways to
improve your holiday sales, how to get listed in price bots, and so on.
5) Selling Your Arts and Crafts over the Net
This is either well-suited as a directory of Web sites and e-zines where artisans can
sell their goods (which you can build either as a subscription-based Web site, or a
manual). Or you can also include information on setting up a Web site, how to best
show photographs of products, the pro’s and con’s of arts and crafts malls, etc.
6) How to Successfully Sell Your Professional Services over the Net
A guide like this can include general information for lawyers, accountants,
consultants, coaches, or any other professional service provider. You could include
general information like Web site development, how to build your credibility, easy
ways to get new clients, directories where professionals can get listed, etc. As an
extra bonus, you may want to include specific marketing ideas for certain
professional niches.
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7) How to Successfully Sell Your Music over the Net
This can be developed as a directory that features promotional Web sites and
e-zines in several different genres of music like rock, rap, country, classical, and so
on. You might even want to try doing profiles of twenty or so different
musicians/bands who have sold their wares online. Or you could create topical
booklets that offer specific information and resources for each genre of music. For
example, “The Grunge Band’s Guide to Selling Noise on the Net.”
8) How to Market Your New Age Product over the Net
The New Age industry is big online, but there are few if any publications to help its
vendors sell online. You could cover a wide range of topics, starting at Web site
development, how-to’s for putting an e-zine together, places to buy wholesale online,
online newsletters that accept advertising, and so on. Include a few profiles of
successful Web sites, or interviews with the site owners.
9) How to Market Your Local Biz over the Net
This is a sorely needed infoproduct! There are many localized merchants who want
to get on the Net, but don’t know how to make it work for their unique situations.
You can give a rundown of promotional ideas, how to get current customers involved
so they buy more, directories where they can get listed, and so on.
10) Selling Your Business Opportunity or Franchise over the Net
Includes a directory of online directories, opt-in lists they can mail their offer to, how
to best use classified ads, setting up an affiliate program, making the Web site sell,
and more.
11) How to Market Your Movie Online
There are easily hundreds of places where a bootstrapping filmmaker could spread
the word about his or her flick. Why not compile those places into a directory, and
market them like hotcakes on the abundance of movie production resource sites out
there? I think you’d have a winner.
12) The Home Automation Jump Start Guide
An easy to follow, step-by-step tutorial on how to add a home automation system, to
your environment. You can demonstrate the various ways to automate a home, the
approximate cost, pitfalls and dangers, top 10 list of home automation devices, etc.
This title would make a really great multimedia e-book.
13) How to Find Your First Job on the Net
An infoproduct like this would be geared towards budding and new college grads,
who want to use the Net’s vast job-finding network. You would include ideas for
putting a resume online, what to put on an electronic resume, which job sites are the
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best for locating entry level positions, which skills are most in demand, how to set up
a Web site, and so on.
14) Top 20 Consultant Occupations for the New Millennium
Do a little research by hanging out in a few consulting related discussion groups,
and find out which niches are the hottest. You can give a description of each niche,
income potential, what you need to get started, promotional techniques and online
resources.
15) The Interior Designer’s Online Marketing Guide
A step-by-step guide for effectively promoting and selling interior decorating services
on the Net. Include details like... how to put up a Web site, the best ways to display
before and after shots, directories where interior designers can list themselves,
ideas for picking up clients locally, etc.
16) Massage Therapist Start-up Kit
Features everything that a fledgling massage therapist would need to start getting
clients right away. This could include sample business card designs, sample
advertisements, sales letters, promotional ideas, Web site templates, tips for setting
up an office, and so on.
17) Meeting Planner Start-up Kit
There are many meeting planners who are just starting out who need advice and
ideas for securing immediate gigs. This kit would have all sorts of forms, checklists,
promotional advice, sample sales letters, sample telemarketing scripts, listings of
meeting planner associations, etc.
18) So You Want to Start a Moving Company
Explains the in’s and out’s of running a moving operation. What types of
licenses/bonds you need, where to find trucks, training your workers, what prices to
charge, where to get inexpensive moving equipment, how to advertise your services,
etc.
19) The Cake Decorator’s Intro Kit
This set can be a comprehensive introduction to the art and craft of being a cake
decorator. Besides a pictorial/video of each technique, you can also include all the
necessary tools for decorating the cake.
20) The Flea Market Vendor’s Start-up Guide
Everything a person would want to know about becoming a vendor (you could also
have a list of flea markets and swap meets around the world), setting up a flea
market, how to have a successful booth, hot-selling items according to various
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geographic regions, where to find wholesale products, things every flea market
vendor should have, and so on. You could even throw in a bonus section on how to
be a street vendor. Street vendors normally market their goods on the boulevards of
various large cities. This would also make a great special report.
21) How to Write an Effective Online Business Plan
There are plenty of books, manuals, and e-books on putting together an offline
business plan. But how do you develop one for the fast-paced online world? That’s
the main question you’ll answer in this manual. You may even want to include
templates of online business plans from other businesses. And be sure to include
some sort of template.
22) From Nobody to IPO in 365 Days or Less
Give a step-by-step account of how to start an Internet business from scratch, build
a thriving customer base, and go public, within a one-year time span. You could tell
how to develop a killer concept, writing a business plan, developing a management
team, how to approach the venture capitalists, how to get alternative financing, and
more.
23) How to Plan the Perfect Wedding on the Net
Prospective brides and grooms now have an entire portion of cyberspace devoted to
helping them say “I Do.” Your job is to get out there and find the best sites. Include
things like... where to find inexpensive designer gowns, vacation sites, sites
specifically for the groom, where to pick china patterns, etc.
24) 55 Places to Promote Your Wedding-related Business on the Net
This one can be a booklet of tips that gives various places where wedding vendors
can promote themselves. Look for wedding e-zines, wedding-related Web sites,
wedding search engines and directories, etc. Then give a brief synopsis of how the
vendor can use the resource to promote themselves.
25) The In’s and Out’s of Selling Food Online
What are the laws for selling alcoholic beverages online? Can fruits and vegetables
be freely shipped from any one destination to another? How do you make sure
perishable items reach the customers safely and freshly? These are the types of
questions you can answer within a booklet of this type. It’ll be geared towards
people and companies in the food services industry. Come to think of it... this would
make a great topic for a speech as well.
26) The Penny Stock Day Trader
Is it possible to day trade penny stocks? I don’t know. But I bet a whole lot of
people out there with small investment budgets -- but risque attitudes -- would like to
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know as well.
27) How to Develop a Successful Fund-Raising Campaign Online
Interview the fund-raising directors of various nonprofit organizations, and find out
their secrets to success. Or, if you’re adept at this task already, you can compile a
publication of your own tips and techniques.
28) Selling to Women over the Net
There are thousands of companies that want to know the secrets for reaching
women buyers over the Net. And the best thing about it is that they’re willing to pay
top dollar ($495+ for a single report of this nature for the information). Your job
would be to interview and survey women to learn what their buying habits are. You
can also monitor companies that market aggressively to women online, and see
what their results were.
29) Selling to Small Business Owners over the Net
I’m sure there’s no need to go into great detail about the rising number of small
business owners on the Net. But just in case you don’t understand the potential, a
Cyber Dialogue study estimates that 472,000 small business owners got online
between the first quarter of 1998, to 1999. 71% say the Internet is essential to their
businesses.
You could create a manual that shows companies how and where to target their
marketing efforts online. Include things like e-zines that small business owners
read, geographically based Web sites geared towards entrepreneurs, small business
directories, discussion boards, and so on.
30) The Insider’s Guide to Getting a Webmaster Job
Show techies (and wannabe techies) how to obtain a high-paying Webmaster job.
Tell readers what skills they need, which programs they should learn, where to get a
fast education, things you’ll be expected to do, plus you can interviews with people
who are working within the industry.
31) The Private Investigator’s Internet Guide
Show PI’s how to use the Net to locate information, search for missing persons, and
use the various online databases. You can also include a section filled with specific
resources for PI’s.
32) Dirt Cheap! The Shopaholic’s Internet Newsletter
A weekly or biweekly newsletter that tells where to get the best shopping deals
online. You might want to include categories like... clothing, toys, hardware,
furniture, electronics, automotive, and so on.
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33) Candle Making for the Holidays
If you’re in a craft-related business, this could be the perfect item to boost your
Christmas coffer. Be sure to explain what the person will need, what safety
precautions to take, how to add scent, and other goodies. Also, you may want to
include photos for an added touch.
34) How to Successfully Sell High-Priced Items on the Net
What does it take to sell a car, house, heavy machinery, diamond jewelry, and other
high ticket items online? This manual would offer specific details on how companies
are making millions of dollars selling expensive goods on the Net.
35) The Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Software Development
Whoever comes out with this one, please let me be the first one to read it! There’s a
desperate need for one guide (or a series) that allows a complete novice to learn
software programming. You would explain what the current popular programming
languages do, which program is best for which application, what you need to get
started, troubleshooting, etc. (And when I say beginners, I mean beginners... no
previous experience.)
36) The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Outsourcing
If you need to have a brochure done, who do you call? A graphic designer or a print
shop? If you need a customized software program, how do you know what to ask
the programmer? And what type of programmer should you be looking for in the first
place? In a big corporate office, there are people specifically hired to handle these
details. But entrepreneurs are in a different boat.
This manual would help entrepreneurs locate the best providers for their needs, by
showing them exactly what to ask when they need to outsource.
37) The Actor’s Guide to Finding Work on the Net
This publication can be part directory of resources -- where you’ll list Web sites,
e-zines and discussion groups for job-hunting actors, and part interviews/profiles of
actors who have found work on the Net.
38) The Grant-Seeker’s Internet Resource Guide
This directory of resources would show readers how to locate and apply for various
grants, using the Net. You could even include interviews with people who have
successfully obtained grants online.
39) How to Promote Your Arts Festival Online
There are arts festivals in nearly every medium-sized to major city around the world.
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You could write a publication that would show the producers of these shows how to
virtually market their event. You would include details like how to set up a Web site,
how to use e-zines to advertise the event, ways to attract exhibitors, and more.
40) The Directory of Home-Schooling Resources on the Net
There’s a huge world of mothers and fathers out there who have chosen to educate
their children at home. They’re definitely information product buyers, so why not
have a directory they can use to locate educational resources online? It would be
like the Internet Yellow Pages for home-schooling.
41) The Computer Professional’s Online Marketing Guide
This manual can be geared towards freelance software programmers, Web site
developers, IT people, project managers and so on. It would feature Web sites,
e-zines and discussion groups where tech-heads can promote themselves on the
Net.
42) The Adult Test-Taking Guide
A friend of mine, who recently returned back to school, says she wishes she had this
one! Clearly adult needs and capabilities are different from a 15-year-old high
school student. This booklet would show adult students how to cope and thrive in
their back-to-school experience.
43) 101 Kid-Safe Web Sites for Your _____-Year-Old
Keeping children safe on the Net continues to be a very hot topic. You could have
an entire series starting with “Your 5-Year-Old,” and going on up to “Your
12-Year-Old.” You could even do a new series every quarter, and have people
subscribe for a year.
44) The $1,000,000 Computer Nerd Handbook
This booklet could be geared towards people who are contemplating a job change,
or resurgence in the computer services industry. You could give info on how
freelance, marketing ideas, money issues, etc.
45) Wholesaling on the Net
If anything can be sold on the Net, it can definitely be sold in bulk. This publication
would be geared towards manufacturers, who sell to retailers. You would show
readers how to develop and promote a Web site, how to gain international sales,
directories they can get listed in, how to deal with consumer shoppers, and more.
46) How to Promote Your Nightclub Online
There are literally tens of thousands of nightclubs around the world. Although you
have a share who pack the dance floors consistently, there’s still a good bunch that
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could use some help. Your booklet would show managers what to put on a Web site
(like drink coupons, band videos), and how to promote the Web site to international
customers. (No matter what city I’m in, I like to know where the clubs are!)
47) Mothers’ Diaries
A compilation of year-long diaries from four or five mothers. Instead of being a
how-to guide, this would give new moms a bird’s-eye view into the pleasures and
perils of parenthood. Not to be discriminatory -- you can also have one for new
fathers!
48) The Tour Guide Start-up Kit
Travel is one of the hottest sellers on the Net. This manual would show novices how
to get started as tour guides, including... how to pick your destinations, ways to get
the best travel deals for your customers, how to attract buyers, how to promote your
trips on the Internet, etc.
49) 101 Internet Business Failures -- And What You Can Learn from Them
One of my most frequently read articles talks about the demise of my Connection
Bank Web site, as well as what I could have done to prevent it. A manual of this sort
would show readers various ways that other Netpreneurs have failed, including
interviews with a few brave business owners. After each story you could have a
“Lessons Learned” section, where you tell what could or should have been
differently.
50) The Virtual Assistant’s Start-up Guide
A virtual assistant (VA) is a person who handles all sorts of administrative tasks for
business owners. (They’re called “virtual” because the location doesn’t matter.)
Either a manual or a monthly newsletter would show aspiring VA’s what services
they can offer, what prices to charge, how to market themselves both on and off the
Net, etc.
3.8.
Invaluable Brainstorming Book
Wow, Monique. Thanks for some great ideas for getting and judging ideas. Getting
a great idea, recognizing it, and making sure that there is a large market for it before
you start, is so important. So many of the creativity books are so boring (funny,
eh?). But here’s a great and fun one...
My favorite brainstorming book, by far, is...
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MYKS!... Pulling Profitable Ideas...
A Whack on the Side of the Head
by Roger Von Oech
Warner Books; ISBN: 0446674559
If you are serious about creating and marketing your own information products, you
need this book.
3.9.
Give What Folks Love to Collect
People love to collect information products. For example, I love golf. I have studied
the swing in great detail. I collect books and videotapes on the golf swing.
Hundreds and hundreds of them. I have only read about a third of them. The rest
just make me feel good to own.
My wife loves to do cross-stitch and needlepoint. When she sees a big, beautiful,
new book in a bookstore, she wants to add it to her bookcase full of these books.
Neither I nor my wife consider ourselves collectors! But we are... collectors of
specialized information.
Almost everyone collects information on something they enjoy. But very few
consider themselves to be “collectors.” You can bet that the person at the cash
waiting to pay for “Why Men are From Mars and Women are From Venus” is not
buying her first “relationship-improving” book. If she is, it won’t be her last!
Find out what kinds of information people collect. Here’s how...
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Let’s say you identify a topic with potential. Go to www.amazon.com and do a
search for the subject. Kill or proceed, depending on what you find.
As a matter of fact, you can use Amazon.com to generate new ideas for
infoproducts in any particular area of interest. They have a mind-boggling
database, chock-full of great infoproduct ideas. To make that database “your
personal topic brainstormer,” learn their search tool well...
Amazon Search Tips
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/subst/search/help.html
For example, here’s how to turn up hundreds of books on “how to make money”
books...
Develop a product to fulfill what “collectors” want. People will buy it... if it’s
good, and if it’s marketed and sold well through the Web.
The above article was excerpted from Make Your Site SELL! It’s the BIBLE of
selling on the Net. Between MYKS! and MYSS!, you’ll have everything you need to
succeed.
Make Your Site SELL! has three volumes...
1) Product -- developing and positioning a product for Web sales. Most of the
information in this volume is directly applicable to infoproducts.
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2) Site-Selling -- MYSS! is the Bible of making a site that SELLS! If you plan to sell
your infoproduct via the Web, you need this information.
3) Traffic-Building -- rock-solid advice on how to attract targeted traffic to your site.
Make Your Site SELL!
http://www.sitesell.com/
3.10. MYKS! 10-Point Г’Reality ChecklistГ“
Okay, grasshopper... you’ve chosen a topic and you’ve scoped out the competition.
You have a pretty good idea of what potential readers are looking for, and you’ve
done some additional brainstorming. You have one more phase to complete before
your idea gets the stamp of approval, and moves on to the developmental stage.
Yes, it’s time for the MYKS!...
...10-point “Reality Checklist.” It will determine if your idea can
withstand the rigors of being exposed to the world. You must answer “yes” to at
least 8 questions to proceed. Otherwise...
... next idea, please! OK, let’s start...
Is this a topic that I really have a great deal of interest in? Will I genuinely enjoy
writing about it?
Are there at least 10-20 places to promote/market my information product
(e-zines, mailing lists, Web sites)? Does it lend itself well to search engine
marketing (via gateways -- see Make Your Site SELL! for full info on traffic-building
via gateways).
Are there at least 5 people that I can interview as part of the infoproduct?
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Have I identified at least 3-5 pressing problems that my readers are currently
facing?
Can I find at least 100,000 prospects through online and offline opt-in e-mail
lists? (the more, the merrier -- check out Postmaster Direct
(http://www.postmasterdirect.com/) or Best Mailing Lists
(http://www.bestmailing.com/).
Have I read at least 4-5 of my competitors’ information products?
Can I find at least 5 distinguishing factors to write about in my infoproduct, that
my competitors have not focused upon?
Have I come up with at least 5 benefits of why my infoproduct ideas are better
than my competitors’?
Are there at least 5 people from whom I can obtain testimonials or
endorsements?
Have I come up with a great domain that is both memorable and applicable to my
infoproduct’s content? (Check at BetterWhois.com (http://www.betterwhois.com/)
for availability.)
Now, Ken has a couple of things to say to help you assess your ideas...
3.10.1. KenГ•s Single Most Important Product Tip
This subchapter is excerpted totally from Make Your Site SELL! It’s very important
stuff. If you ignore it, your odds of success will plummet.
Most people make the mistake of developing a product that pleases themselves. I
certainly made this boo-boo when we invented our first game. This game, called
GLOBETROTTERS, took too long to learn and too long to play. Luckily, we
licensed it anyway. We went on to license 22 more toys and games into the toy biz.
But that was sheer dumb luck. If we had been unable to get a company to license
that game, we were ready to market it ourselves -- I would have gone bankrupt on a
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bad idea that I loved... one that pleased myself.
Please don’t make this mistake. Instead...
Make a product that your market wants or needs.
OK, my “podium moment” is over.
Please read the following excerpt from Make
Your Site SELL! very, very, carefully...
Just about anything can be sold via the Web. But let’s focus on the “best fits” for
Web sales.
The best products are ones that people want.
Let’s say that you are opening a soda fountain. What is the most
important advantage that you want to have going for you?
Quality soda and ice cream? Nope.
Superb location? Uh-uh.
Great sign over the door? Who cares?
Nope, you want a large market that is...
... dying of thirst.
Before you develop a product, find out what people are dying for. Then design
a product to quench that thirst. Of course, make sure that your product meets the
other criteria that are discussed in this chapter.
But develop your thirst-quencher first. If you work the other way around, you will be
forever trying to convince people that they want your brand new auto-widget.
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Without making any moral judgments, why do you think the XXX sites are thriving?
Yup, those companies are selling what people want.
If you develop what people want, your Web effort will become easy. It will be a
snap to write a great site that SELLS! And it will be child’s play to attract targeted
people to your Web site.
Of the products that people want, the best are products that can be shipped
via the Net!...
End of MYSS! excerpt.
Hey, did you read that last part? Sounds like we’re heading in the right direction!
Now let’s take a look at what MYSS! has to say about evaluating products. Use this
checklist to scrutinize your own new infoproduct ideas...
3.10.2. The MYSS! 16-Point Checklist
The following also comes from MYSS! -- it was originally written for any kind of
product... from tractors to software. But, as I reread it again, I realize how much it
directly applies to infoproducts.
Between this list and Monique’s 10-point list, you’ve got a foolproof product
evaluation system!...
OK, let’s start our excerpt...
When considering a product for Web sales, weigh these 16 factors, listed in
approximate order of importance...
1) Product Quality -- Does your product solve someone’s problem, or deliver a
benefit, in a high-quality way? If not, STOP -- kill this product. If yes, read on...
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Two extremely effective sales techniques are the free trial download (software) and
the money-back guarantee. But if your product is of poor quality, these techniques
will actually kill sales.
Great on-site consumer testimonials are another super way to sell your product.
But guess what? Bad product = zero testimonials.
Everything becomes a lot easier if you are selling a great product.
2) Competition -- Consider the competition. Don’t enter a crowded field if you don’t
have some kind of unique edge (for example, a unique product or a unique
approach).
You need more than just a strong product. It should be relatively easy for your
customer to find you before your competitors (that’s tough if you have 80
competitors). And there must a strong, unique reason to buy it from you.
3) Market Size -- Wide appeal is great, but the Internet is ideal for niche products. A
specialty item that can be otherwise hard to find, particularly if it is a collectible, is a
good choice.
Just make sure that the target market for your product exists on the Internet in
good numbers... and/or that the product is compatible with what people do on
the Web.
And if it’s a niche product, it should at least have a wide geographic target
market. A niche product for Albanians is unlikely to succeed!
4) Promotability -- Can your product be promoted at low-or-no-cost?
Once you have determined that your customer is indeed on the Web, can you reach
him? While doing your competitive and market size research, did you find evidence
that your target market will be able to find your type of product by entering keywords
into search engines (SEs)?
If not, consider one or more of the following...
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• Kill this product concept.
• Do some more SE research to see if your product can be found.
• Determine if your product has some extraordinary feature that allows some other
highly efficient, low-cost way of building traffic to your site.
• Jump to a test market -- testing on the Net is a lot cheaper than testing offline!
5) Profit Margin/Pricing -- Even though the cost of doing business on the Web is
low, a product with a great profit margin is still a wonderful product to sell. If
you’re selling a product with powerful benefits, you can price more aggressively
than if you’re selling simple “shoppable” items like milk or books.
There’s nothing like a product that you can sell high...
... but costs little to make!
6) Supply and Exclusivity -- If you develop your own product, you’re 100% sure of
your supplier... you!
Exclusivity on a product is the next best thing.
Otherwise, make sure that you are protected. Is your supplier reliable? Is the
price to you guaranteed? Quality guaranteed? It would be a shame to develop a
successful Web business, then have the rug pulled out from under you due to lack of
product control.
7) Advantage for You to Sell Via the Web? -- Evan Schwartz, in his wonderful
book Webonomics, describes information-rich products as being the ideal ones for
the Web. By that he means videos or software, but not Tide detergent.
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PennyGold is a great example. I can weave tons of good information about penny
mining stocks into the selling process of PennyGold, even giving away part of the
strategy in the process. But if I was selling Tide detergent, well I’m sure there’s a lot
of information about the chemistry of Tide, and lots of R&D going on, but no one
cares -- it’s what Schwartz calls an information-poor product.
If your product is information-rich, you can develop a huge edge over any other kind
of sales medium.
Schwartz’s book is certainly info-rich -- I highly recommend it to anyone serious
about marketing on the Web. Its principles are timeless.
Webonomics
http://www.webonomics.com/book.html
Start writing your site towards the end of product development, not after
completing it. Your Web site may bring up some practical, promotional issues that
you had not considered during product development. You may need to adjust the
product to help the Web site do its job. This is especially true for digital and
knowledge-based goods.
8) Advantage for Customer to Buy Via Web? -- Is there an advantage to the
customer to buy via the Web? For example, availability, price, convenience, or
speed of delivery.
9) Sizzle Factor -- Does the product lend itself well to some marketing “sizzle.” Can
you build some romance into the picture?
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10) Support Required? -- Is the product basically “plug and play”? If your
consumer can use it immediately with no special help, this is a big plus. Otherwise,
either make your product more user-friendly or prepare for tech support expenses
and/or returns. Factor this in.
11) Legals/Regulations -- Make sure it’s safe and legal in every jurisdiction where
you’ll be selling it.
Verify that you are not violating any existing trademarks, at a minimum. Do your
own trademark search at Thomson & Thomson...
Thomson & Thomson
http://www.thomson-thomson.com/
If it’s worth the money, and if you own the rights to the product, go ahead and
register the trademark.
12) Cost of Transportation -- The product must be cheap to ship (as a percentage
of the cost of the item). Infoproducts/software are the ultimate, obviously. Free trial
downloads of software mean that you have shipped the product, free, before it’s
even bought! If your product is good, the consumer will return to buy a password to
release the software from its “trial” status.
Can you ship your product via the Net (zero cost)?
13) Cost of Inventory -- It should be cheap to maintain inventory. Infoproducts
strike again! But if you want to sell high-end bikes, maybe you can get an Internet
exclusive from that snazzy Italian manufacturer. Then just arrange to ship directly
from his North American or European warehouse! Hey, your inventory costs just
dropped to zero!
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14) Potential for Repeat Purchase? -- Your product must have the potential to
develop repeat business. Once you have a customer, if you treat her well (see
below), she will buy again. It’s OK to launch a business with a single product if you
can sell enough of it to make money. But that single product must provide a
springboard to repeat sales (ex., more soap, or software upgrades), or sales of other
related products.
15) Community -- Does the product lend itself to building community? Perhaps via
a newsletter? Or through a Chat Room or E-mail Discussion List?
16) “Fun” for you? -- Does selling the product give you pleasure? Your Web
marketing efforts will suck a lot of your time, and will require a lot of creativity. If you
enjoy it, time and creativity both come easier.
If you do not feel a passion for your product, consider looking for either...
• something else that does excite you, or
• someone else who can get enthused about your product and market it for you.
I put “fun” last, just because it’s such a special consideration that I didn’t know where
to rank it! For you hard-core sales professionals, “fun” may not matter. But for the
husband-and-wife team marketing a “labor of love” based on a long-time hobby,
obviously “fun” should be ranked at the top.
OK, that ends the MYSS! excerpt. Now for a vital message...
We’re at a pivotal point in your new infoproduct business. You want to rush ahead
and “really start doing something,” I know. But...
The most important time that you spend on your entire project will be the time
that you spend brainstorming and assessing your ideas!
Take your time and get this part right. It will save you a year (or more) of grief
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down the road. Why?
Because you’ll think up and develop the right product, instead of the wrong one!
3.11. ACTION STEP #1
STOP! Do not pass GO. Do not collect $200. And do not proceed any further with
MYKS! until you have brainstormed up a great idea that has passed the MYKS!
10-Point “Reality Checklist” and the MYSS! 16-Point Checklist. Seriously...
The rest of the book won’t be as useful as it could be unless you have a solid idea
that you are excited to take to market. C’mon back to this spot when you’re ready...
Ken and I will be waiting right here.
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4.
How to Package Your Pearls
Okay, now that you’ve got an idea for your information product, it’s time to decide
how you’ll package your...
... pearls of wisdom. Time to figure out how to bundle and deliver
your valuable data.
Knowing how you want to package your information product is important for a
couple of different reasons. As you can immediately guess, writing a 150-page
manual is completely different than putting together a 16-page booklet.
There is, of course, the amount of time it takes to complete each one. Booklets
can be assembled in a week or less, while a manual would take anywhere from 1-3
months. Also, there is a lot more detail in a manual, versus a booklet. So having
knowledge of packaging options gives you an idea of how much data to create
in your outline.
This chapter introduces you to nine of the most common packaging formats. I
include every single first-hand, hard-learned tip that I could think of, culled from
my own infoproduct trials and tribulations. And I also include special promotional
ideas for each format.
In the final section, you’ll discover why it’s better to create your information
products in pairs, and how to make this unique strategy work for you, so that the
information doesn’t overlap. This single section, ACTION STEP #3, saves you so
much time while multiplying your income severalfold. It took me a long time to
realize this -- I’m glad to share it with you.
4.1.
Manuals... The Best of Both Worlds
Sure there’s the everyday way of self-publishing a book, which entails finding a
printer, having the book typeset, getting a cover designer, possibly finding
storage space, and much, much more. The entire process for a new author can
cost anywhere from $2,500-$10,000. And that’s at the bottom of the pricing barrel!
But why go through all the hassle, when there’s a more economical way to curtail
the action, and still earn a very decent share of the money pie?
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Save yourself a huge amount of up-front money for plates and setup charges.
Package your knowledge as a...
... manual. This gives you the opportunity to put your information together
in a book-like format, and still have it look almost as great.
In fact, manuals do make it onto the shelves of BarnesandNoble.com, Amazon.com,
and all the other big online bookstores. But the last laugh you get over all those
“formally published” authors is that you’re going to spend far less on the packaging
process, and earn far more on the profits.
4.1.1.
The Nuts and Bolts of Making a Manual
A manual typically consists of fifty or more 8.5” x 11” pages. Some authors print
on both sides of the paper, others on one side. I think a double-sided manual gives a
better value to the customer. But then again, if you have 100 pages or less, it might
be better to go one-sided, so that your product doesn’t look like a skinny report.
Manuals can either be...
• Tape Bound -- Which is close to a perfect-bound look. (Think of a typical
bookstore book -- that’s perfect binding.)
• Comb Bound -- With a GBC binding machine, or something similar.
• Spiral Bound -- exactly as it sounds.
• Or yes, even the good old...
... 3-ring binder from high school!
Tape binding can be done at a local print shop, or you can purchase your own
machine for $795 at Office Zone (http://www.officeicon.com/bindery.htm). Out
of all the binding options, I like tape the best. And not surprisingly, my previous
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manuals done in this style have received the most compliments from buyers.
To spruce up the look of your manual, some printers will emboss the title on the
actual strip of tape. This is a really nice touch, especially for higher-priced
information.
The second two most widely used choices are comb and spiral binding. A comb
binding machine can run you around $149-$300. A spiral binder, $229-$500. And
both can be found in office supply stores. (The combs and spirals are normally found
alongside the machines.)
If you choose to use comb binding, you can get the name of your manual printed
on the actual combs. Also, it’s neat when you get the combs to match a major
color on your cover, instead of opting for plain black. A little creativity can go a
long way in the customer’s eyes.
Lastly, if 3-ring binders are your choice, be sure you pick the ones that allow you to
slide a cover and a back sheet into the sleeve. Covers are very important,
regardless of your choice.
But a word of caution... don’t put your covers into the sleeves until you receive an
order. If you decide you want to use the binder for something else, the ink may stick
to the plastic, ruining the binder.
To separate chapters in a 3-ring binder, you may want use a pack of tabbed
dividers. This makes searching easier for the reader. Some very well-known Web
marketers still use the 3-ring binder...
So don’t turn up your nose -- it’s the information that’s most important.
Good point, Monique. One more point -- while the tape machine is the most
expensive, your per-unit cost of production will be lowest.
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4.1.2.
Manual Development -- The Advanced Course
If you want your manual to have more of a bookstore-book look, then you’ll need a
more expensive alternative to the previously mentioned binding techniques. This
look is usually achieved by offset printing and perfect binding.
Offset printing is a process done with plates. Each page of your manual is
inscribed on a plate. This is the most expensive and time-consuming process of the
entire book creation process. So you’ll notice that the more copies of your manual
you order, the less you’ll pay on the per-book cost.
And in case you’re wondering what perfect binding looks like, pull out any
softcover bookstore-book on your shelf, and you’ll be holding an example in your
hands.
Printing and binding with this combination will definitely give you a great-looking
information product. But the up-front costs are often much more than budding
infopreneurs are willing to pay.
In any case, if you want more information about developing your manual through
offset or web printing, go to ParaPublishing (http://www.parapublishing.com/), or
John Kremer’s list of 101 book publishers at
(http://www.bookmarket.com/101print.html).
Unless you’re sure that you can sell at least 2,500 books, don't launch a printed
infoproduct as a manual. Why? Simple... cash flow! There’s no need to pay the
huge up-front cost of plates and setup charges and greatest of all, inventory. You
can make manuals a few at a time, if you like.
But if you start getting into significant volume, your cost of production for offset or
web-printed books will be less in the long run. Then make the switch.
4.1.3.
What Type of Content Goes into a Manual?
Because manuals are the closest to actual books, they’re good for explaining
broad topics, or going into great depth on a particular subject. (The information
product you’re currently reading is considered to be a manual.) The following areas
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are especially appropriate...
• recipe books (the famous comb-bound recipe book is a classic)
• any instructional “how to” content
• most importantly, consider your subject matter and ask yourself, “What’s the best
format for this?” Works of fiction, for example, just don’t cut it as a manual.
4.1.4.
Simple Ways to Boost the Value of Your Manual
I’ve experimented for the past five years on putting manuals together. I’ve found
that...
... watering my packaging with certain key tips makes it worth its
weight in gold. These next few tips will surely help yours stand out from the
crowd. You’ll have a first-class publication to show the world.
• Don’t use plastic on the covers. It tends to cheapen the look.
• Use a glossy card stock for the cover. This gives it a heavier, more professional
look and feel.
• Design your cover with templates. What I do is choose a flyer template from
Microsoft Publisher, and insert my own text and graphics. It makes the covers look
more outstanding than just plain text. It also eliminates the pressure of you having
to come up with your own design for the cover.
• Use color on your cover. For a few cents extra, it adds a considerable amount of
value in the readers eye.
• Always use some kind of heavy stock for the back of your manual. Print
shops normally have a leather-like backing. If you’re binding at home, use a very
heavy card stock, like 90 lb. or more.
• If using comb binding, get your manual title printed on the combs
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themselves. Again, it offers a more professional touch.
• If you’re using tape binding, emboss the title of your manual on the strips of
tape.
• Get an ISBN number for your manual. This way you can get listed in
BarnesandNoble.com, Amazon.com, and all the other biggie online booksellers.
Also, if somebody ever requests your manual offline in a bookstore, they’ll be able to
get a copy. You can get an ISBN number at the R.R. Bowker Web site
(http://www.bowker.com/).
• Include reader testimonials in the first few pages of your manual. This will
assure new buyers that others have been very happy with the same purchase.
4.1.5.
Unique Ways to Promote Your Manual
• Send Excerpts to Targeted Online Newsletters.
No matter what niche you’re writing for, I’m willing to strongly guesstimate that there
are at least 10 e-zines devoted to your topic. By locating those e-zines and
submitting excerpts from your manual, you can dramatically increase your
visibility, which will surely lead to more sales.
Here are three excellent directories for finding targeted online newsletters...
The Directory of E-zines
http://www.lifestylespub.com/
The E-zine List
http://www.meer.net/~johnl/e-zine-list/
Liszt
http://www.liszt.com/
Once you locate the appropriate e-zines, pick one or two 500- to 750-word
passages from your manual. These will be the excerpts you’re going to submit to
the newsletters.
Now you must have a resource box to place at the end of your articles. Since you
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don’t typically get paid cash to have your articles featured in e-zines, a resource box
serves as payment in the form of a free advertisement for your business.
Within your resource box, tell...
• who you are
• the title of your manual
• a short description
• your Web site URL
• your e-mail address (if you want to receive e-mail).
Your resource box should be no more than 5-6 lines, each line no more than 60
character spaces.
Here are two examples...
Monique Harris is the author of "Make Your Knowledge Sell!"
-- a new manual that’s chock full of ideas, tips and
techniques for budding and veteran infopreneurs. For more
info on creating and selling your own information products,
check out her Sell Your Brain Food Web site at
<http://www.SellYourBrainFood.com/>.
And another...
Tom Johnson has been coaching Fortune 500 sales managers
since 1996. His new book “No-Stress Sales Tips,” gives dozens
of “put your mind at ease” sales strategies for salespeople
in all fields. For more info, see his No Stress Sales Web
site at <http://www.NoStressSales.com/>, or e-mail
<mailto:[email protected]>.
Finally, e-mail a copy of the excerpt to your targeted list of e-zine editors. Include a
brief note to introduce yourself, and give details about your submission.
Here’s a sample you can use...
Dear George,
My name is Monique Harris, and I’m enclosing an excerpt from
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my new manual “Make Your Knowledge Sell!” for inclusion in
your “Writing Business” e-zine. Please feel free to use it at
your leisure.
If you have any questions, or you’d like for me to change
something, please don’t hesitate to e-mail. Also, I have
additional articles available at
<http://www.sellyourbrainfood.com/>.
Thanks for your time!
Monique Harris
• Wholesale It to Speakers and Teleclass Leaders.
Your task is to find speakers, trainers, coaches and teleclass leaders who provide
services within your niche, and offer them the opportunity to sell your manual to
their clients and audience members.
For example, a speaker could sell your manual during engagements where
back-of-room sales are allowed. A teleclass leader or trainer could promote it to
event attendees.
You can obtain a list of speakers through the National Speakers Association
(http://www.nsaspeaker.org/), or try Speakers Platform
(http://www.speaking.com/). Teleclass instructors can be found at Teleclass.com
(http://www.teleclass.com/), and trainers at NovaTrain
(http://www.novatrain.com/).
Once you have a selection of names, send each person a letter giving some
descriptive information about your manual, including the wholesale cost. You might
even want to send an actual sample to really hot prospects.
Here’s a sample letter that you can borrow...
Dear Mr. Speaker,
My name is David Stewart, and I noticed that you currently
teach a Computer Consultant 101 workshop at the Adult
Learners Academy.
I’ve recently written a 290-page manual titled “How to Make
$100,000 a Year as a Computer Consultant,” which I thought
you might be interested in selling to your workshop
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participants.
It features a wealth of information on topics like: which
fields pay the most, how to market yourself, easy ways to
get free publicity, where to find top-notch positions on the
Net, how to write a winning proposal, stress-free ways to
handle billing and collections, plus there are several
worksheets and sample document templates.
The retail cost of the manual is $49.95. For each copy that
you sell, you’ll receive a $30 commission. Plus, your
students receive a wealth of additional take-home
information -- and you won’t have to write a single word!
It’s a great additional profit center.
I’m enclosing a sample chapter, order form and a picture of
the display you’ll receive to showcase the manuals at your
workshop.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to e-mail
me at <[email protected]>, or call toll-free (877)
345-6789.
To a prosperous future,
David Stewart
• Offer It at a Discount Through FrankelBiz.
FrankelBiz is an e-mail discussion group that does more deal-making than actual
chatting...
FrankelBiz
http://www.frankelbiz.com/
It’s a pleasant and interesting change! As a member you can offer discounts on
your information product, as well as announce any upcoming classes, offer a free
excerpt, or give sales leads to other members.
If you’re going to provide a discount, it’s best if you mention that the discount is for
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FrankelBiz members only. Here’s a sample post...
Hello all,
If you have an Internet business that pulls in at least
$250,000 a year, then you may want to check out my new
manual, “How to Sell Your Online Business for Big Bucks.”
I’ve personally documented and/or organized the sales of
more than 300 online businesses. Many of which netted the
original owners a substantial profit, and a few who walked
away with high seven figure checks in hand.
If you enter the code “FB100” in the special discount box on
the order form, you’ll receive $10 off the original price of
$29.95. That’s for FrankelBiz members only! Check it out at
<http://www.SellOnlineBiz.com/>.
Regards,
Jane Alvarez
Many people swear by Frankelbiz.
4.1.6.
Manual DeveloperГ•s Checklist
Binding method
• Tape
Office Zone (http://www.officeicon.com/bindery.htm)
• Comb
Spiral
GBC (http://www.gbc.com/)
Ibico (http://www.ibico.com/us_index.html)
• 3-ring binder
Covers
• Glossy card stock for the front
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• Heavy card stock for the back
Clip art software
ArtToday
http://www.arttoday.com/
ClipArt.com
http://www.clipart.com/
Barry’s Clip Art Server
http://www.barrysclipart.com/
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4.2.
Short on Time? Publish a Booklet
Booklets are perfect if you’re...
... just starting out in the information product business, and
don’t want to commit yourself to developing anything too intense.
During my seminars, I refer to them as “the bottom of the infoproduct foundation.”
They’re so simple to put together, and you don’t have to be a marketing genius
to promote or sell them effectively.
But don’t let their simplicity fool you. They have some versatile roles in the
information product hierarchy. For example, they’re great tools if you want to
promote an existing business. Or if you’re new in business, booklets are perfect
for introducing yourself to a specific target audience.
Let’s say you’re an interior designer. You could write a booklet titled “20 Ways to
Beautify Your Bathroom Without Breaking the Bank.” An accountant could put
together “How to Boost Your Bottom Line -- Without Scamming Uncle Sam.” A
personal trainer could do “Perfect Abs in Only 10 Minutes a Day.” You could then
give your booklet away to your prospects, in order to demonstrate your expertise
and credibility.
They’re also great as stand-alone sales items. Corporations and associations are
always looking for premium items to give to their prospects, customers and
members. Expert written booklets from outside vendors are often used to fill this
niche. (I’ll give you more details on how to break into this profitable market in the
Promoting Your Booklet section below.)
Booklets work well if you want to give quick, short spurts of information, or to
expand upon a single topic in particular. For instance, if your booklet topic relates
to buying a new home, you could either discuss a few broad segments like... Single
person’s strategies for buying a new home; How to buy homes in foreclosure; Things
to look for when buying a new home, and so on. Or you can zone in on one
segment, like “Alternative Financing Methods For the First-Time Home Buyer.”
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4.2.1.
Developing a Look for Your Booklet
Booklets are normally sized at 5.5” x 8.5”... which is a standard 8.5x11 sheet of
paper, horizontally folded in half. If you’re using a software program like Microsoft
Publisher, Microsoft Office, or Adobe PageMaker, there’s an option under Page
Layout that’ll let you format your booklet with these figures.
You might also want to try ClickBook
(http://bluesquirrel.com/products/cb/clickbook.html), which is a program that
takes almost any file and turns it into a booklet. You can choose from 30 different
sizes for your booklet.
A secondary choice is 3.5” x 8.5”, also referred to as a “slim-jim” style. Because of
their smaller stature, these types of booklets are better used as promotional
items, versus something that you would sell. If you do decide to sell a slim-jim
booklet, it should be priced at under $5.00.
If you plan on doing the first few dozen copies on your home printer, stick to a page
count of 16 or less. (That’s 4 sheets of paper total.) Why a maximum of 4
sheets? When you fold a sheaf of 5 or more sheets of paper in half, the edges
overlap. That makes your booklet look amateurish.
If you go any higher than 4 sheets, be prepared to take the job to a quick print
shop, where they can professionally -- and perfectly -- cut the edges. There’s no
way that you should be...
... struggling with a pair of scissors!
It’s important to have a clean look, as this may be someone’s first introduction to
your product line. You don’t want them to see a shoddy product just because you
felt like saving a few cents. If you’re doing a slim-jim, it’s probably best to take
your booklet to a printer, so that it can be cut properly as well.
A cool idea to jazz up your cover is to use those predesigned papers from Paper
Direct (http://www.paperdirect.com/) or PaperAccess
(http://www.paperaccess.com/). I’ve noticed that these types of papers are now
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also available at many office supply stores, especially the superchains.
Glossy card stock covers also add a nice touch. They can give your booklet a
richer look and increase the perceived value in the customer’s eyes. Clip art and a
little color here and there complete the look and feel.
Finally, to keep your booklet from falling apart, you’ll need a long-handled stapler.
I use a Stanley Bostich, which costs about $29.95 at office supply stores. You
simply fold your booklet in half and put two staples in the folded crease, one about
an inch from the top, and the other about an inch from the bottom.
4.2.2.
Unique Ways to Promote Your Booklet
• Sell It as a Premium Item.
Associations and corporations often use booklets as giveaway items for their
customers, members and employees. And for the most part, they use outside
vendors to fulfill this lucrative niche. So how do you crack this money-making
market?
To target associations, go to the American Society of Association Executives,
gateway to associations, at (http://www.asaenet.org/Gateway/GatewayHP.html).
Enter a few keywords that pertain to your booklet’s topic. A list of the most
appropriate associations will be returned.
Your job is to visit those association Web sites and locate the “publications
editor.” This is the person in charge of buying/recommending information products
for the association’s members.
E-mail a pitch letter to the editor. Give some introductory info about your booklet,
and include a pricing structure for buying in bulk. Tell how the booklet is going to
benefit their members.
To target corporations, two publications...
the Directory of Premium, Incentive & Travel Buyers (http://www.reedref.com/),
and the Nationwide Directory of Premium and Incentive Travel Buyers
(http://www.d-net.com/min2/min41754.htm)... can give you the names and
contact information for thousands of premium buyers. Both can be found in the
reference section of major libraries.
There’s an excellent chapter on premium sales in Jump Start Your Book Sales, by
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Tom and Marilyn Ross, as well as in 1001 Ways to Market Your Books, by John
Kremer. Check them out to further your premium sales knowledge.
• Allow Others to Bundle It with an Existing Infoproduct Package.
Find another author who provides similar or complementary infoproducts. You can
sell your booklet to them at wholesale cost, and they can package it as a bonus
item with their materials.
• Sell the Rights to It.
There are plenty of wannabe authors out there who are dying to sell a unique
information product, but don’t have the oomph to write it themselves. You can
create a series of booklets for your niche, and instead of promoting them yourself,
you sell the reprint rights to other people.
Depending on the topic and the audience, you could get up to $400 from each
person who wants to purchase the rights. If you have a maximum of 50 people
buying reprint rights at $400 each, that’s a quick $20,000 in your pocket.
How do you go about selling the rights to your booklet? Go to a discussion group
within your niche, and announce your offer. Include a page on your Web site that
gives additional details.
• Give it Away As a Spontaneous Freebie.
If you have other information products for sale, give your booklet away to
potential customers who you meet online. This is a good way to get your name
known among prospects.
For example, let’s say you’re in a discussion group and you run across a selection of
prime prospects. You go to their Web sites, get their snail-mail addresses, and send
the booklet, along with a note. Of course you should always include a catalog of
your other products, just in case they want to order something else.
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4.2.3.
Booklet DeveloperГ•s Checklist
Booklet creation software
Microsoft Publisher (http://www.microsoft.com/catalog/)
Adobe PageMaker (http://www.adobe.com/products/pagemaker/)
Microsoft Word (http://www.microsoft.com/catalog/)
Envision Publisher (http://www.envisionpublisher.com/)
PageFocus (http://www.pagefocus.com/)
Clip art
ArtToday
http://www.arttoday.com/
ClipArt.com
http://www.clipart.com/
Barry’s Clip Art Server
http://www.barrysclipart.com/
Paper for your cover
PaperDirect
http://www.paperdirect.com/
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PaperAccess
http://www.paperaccess.com/
Stanley Bostitch long-arm stapler
Quotes from 10-15 different printers
4.3.
Critical Tips For Working With Printers
Before we proceed to nonprinted, digital infoproducts, let’s discuss...
... printers.
Start developing a relationship with a printer when you’re getting at least two or
three orders per day, or if you have more than 16 pages in your booklet.
Once it’s time to move on to a printer, the first thing you need to do is secure
quotes from at least 10-15 different shops. I did this within my local area, and I
found that prices varied wildly. Surprisingly, several of the higher quotes came from
places that most of us readily frequent, like Kinko’s, Office Depot or Staples. That’s
some food for thought!
Sometimes when you bring your own paper...
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... you get a significantly lower price. This is something that I do not only
for the savings, but also to get a heavier stock of paper and a brighter white.
For example, I’ll normally use 24-lb. paper, with a 90 brightness. It gives my
publications a much crisper, cleaner look than the 20-lb., 84 brightness paper that
most of the print shops use.
If you decide that you want to have your glossy card stock covers done at a print
shop (highly recommended for the brightness in color), be sure to ask them to
score it. Scoring lets the covers close and lie flat more easily, especially with a
heavier grade of paper.
Many printers give clients the option to e-mail their documents. This eliminates
having to physically go to the printer, so it can be a great time-saver.
There are certain guidelines you should follow with electronic output. Check them
out at Julian Foster’s Printing Tips (http://www3.teleplex.net/jr/ptips.htm).
Familiarize yourself with these rules of the road, and life with your printer will be
much easier.
4.4.
The A-Z of Creating E-books
Infoproduct creators are going gaga over the e-book phenomena. And so they
should. E-books are very inexpensive to create, compared to their hardcopy
counterparts.
And because e-books are downloadable directly from the Net, there are no shipping
costs. Best of all from your customer’s point of view, the customer gets the product
right away. You just can’t beat that instant gratification factor.
E-books are best suited to the nonfiction genre -- especially if the information is
something that is used on a need-to-know-now basis like business or technology.
They’re also perfect packaging devices for information that changes often. So if
you create a directory of resources, you might want to put it in e-book format. When
you need to make changes, it’s quick and relatively painless.
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As far as an actual page count, there is no standard. Ken Evoy, author of Make
Your Site SELL! and publisher of this manual, does extremely well with 800+ pages
in electronic format. On the other hand, when you get into page counts this high, it’s
good to also have a print version available -- so Ken has also made a truly
handsome print version available, too.
Make Your Site SELL!
http://www.sitesell.com/
Some people just can’t stand the strain of reading so many pages on a computer
screen, and they may not want to print out more than 100 pages or so.
Monique’s right. The more pages, the better it is to also offer a printed version. But
here’s an important fact...
Even at 800 pages, 70% of the orders for MYSS! are for the Electronic Version.
Why? It’s less than half the price. Printing and shipping cost money, and
customers are price-conscious.
My bottom line advice -- launch the e-book. If you sell 20 or more per day, do a
print run.
Why “20 per day”? Hey... you’ve got to stop taking Monique’s advice about “Why?”
-- this asking “Why?” could drive a guy nuts!
OK, OK... if you promise not to ask “Why?” again...
If you sell 20 e-books per day, expect to sell 6 or so printed books. Since you
generally need to print 2,500 books to get a decent price, that would take you a little
over a year to sell your first run. I doubt if you’d want to stock more inventory than
that, right?
Obviously, your own circumstances will differ -- but use the principles outlined above
to make your own decisions.
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4.4.1.
Spice Up Your E-book and Stand Out!
Here’s a tip that will surely boost your sales -- almost no one is doing this yet!
Put some audio and video into them -- everyone else is just printing text. If you’re
going to use these media as distribution tools, take full advantage of their many
features.
Example? OK... let’s say that you have a process that can be explained visually.
Throw in...
... a small video clip.
Interviews normally done in a textual question-and-answer style can be done over
the telephone. Tape the call and include the audio version in your e-book instead.
Remember, much of the population is either visual or auditory in the way they learn.
If you include a few elements of both video and audio in your e-book, it can be a
tremendous boon to your sales. The perceived value goes up. And you stand out
from the crowd.
4.4.2.
How to Add Audio and Video, Quick Г•n Easy
Want to provide digital-quality audio recordings without breaking the bank?
WaveFlow is a shareware program (try before you buy, $25 if you want to keep it
after 30 days)...
Wave Flow
http://www.waveflow.com/
It lets you record multiple tracks of audio through an intuitive interface. As long
as your computer has a sound card and a microphone, you can create audio
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tracks that rival studio quality (more info on recording via your computer in the
Audiotape section below).
Hey, what about us Mac owners? Luckily, I can recommend the Cadillac of sound
editors...
SoundEdit 16
http://www.macromedia.com/software/sound/
Recording video costs only slightly more... okay, $74 more, to be exact. I have an
Intel PC Camera Pro Pack. It records .avi files, which can be used with the e-book
development programs listed in the next section. It costs $99, and hooks up easily
to your computer’s USB port. Granted, you’ll have to stay within a 9-foot range of
your computer -- but the quality of video is top-notch for a Webcam (more on video
below, too).
4.4.3.
E-book Creation Software...
The Big 4 and My Top Recommendation
Creating an e-book is relatively simple. First, you need to decide which creation
software you want to use. I’ve listed four of the top programs below.
I chose these four programs because they’ll help you reach the largest audiences
possible. (And trust me when I say I’ve checked out every program out there!) Each
one has its own list of pro’s and con’s, so choose according to your needs.
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Adobe Acrobat
http://www.adobe.com/
One of the best things about formatting your e-book with Adobe Acrobat is its instant
accessibility to both PC and Mac buyers (and Linux, too!). It’s important to cater
your infoproduct to the largest possible audience. Why lose 5-10% of the market
(Mac owners) for no good reason?
Acrobat is the only development tool that lets you target both major operating
systems. And whether you, dear reader, are a Mac or Windows user, you’ll be able
to create your e-books with Adobe Acrobat, too. It doesn’t matter whether you
create your e-book on Mac or Windows -- it will automatically run on all three
platforms (remember, Linux will grow in popularity).
Simply lay out each page with a program like Microsoft Word (or a full-featured page
layout program like Quark Xpress), and Adobe Acrobat automatically turns it into an
e-book! Think of it as printing to electronic paper.
The result? Your e-book pages look formatted, just like a regular book. (Just like
this book!) Other e-book software just doesn’t have the same look and feel. And not
only does your e-book look great on the screen... when your customer prints it out,
the formatting is neat and clean. It looks great on paper, too!
But looks are only skin-deep, right? Let’s look under the surface...
Acrobat-created documents have the same hyperlinking functionality as a Web
page. You can hyperlink to anywhere within a PDF document, to another PDF file,
or even out to any Web page! A hyperlinked index is a joy (as I’m sure you’ll
discover in this book!).
Naturally, since you’re basically printing to “e-paper,” you can include any kind of
clip art, photos, charts, or any other visual aid. And it has all kinds of neat little
features like bookmarks, finding text, etc. Naturally, you can distribute your
Acrobat-created e-books over the Web, on disk or on CD-ROM.
Customers who buy your Adobe Acrobat-created e-book must have an Acrobat
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reader installed on their computer or they won’t be able to read your document.
Fortunately, most of the newer PCs have the Acrobat reader preinstalled, and tens
of millions of people have already downloaded the reader onto their systems. So
almost everyone has the Acrobat reader by now.
And Adobe has serious multimedia features, too -- you can add both audio and
video. And, if you stick to the Quicktime movie format and the AIF sound format, it
will play your audio and video on both Mac and Windows!
There is no shareware version of Adobe Acrobat available. But, as a kind of
try-before-you-buy, you can convert up to 10 pages for free at...
Create Adobe PDF Online
http://createpdf.adobe.com/
Are you publishing a high-priced product, perhaps a financial newsletter at $1,000
per year? Are you afraid that a subscriber may pass it to 10 friends, or oven upload
it so that thousands could download it? Would you like to...
... safeguard it? Aha! Adobe to the rescue.
Acrobat has a new security feature that gives you a host of options to control
access to your e-book. This security feature, launched in Q1 2000 (version 4.05 and
up), prevents users from copying and passing to other computers.
Overall...
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... Acrobat is the best program for your e-book creation buck.
Price -- $249
Buying Tip... If you, or somebody in your household, attends a college or university,
you can get Adobe Acrobat at a considerably cheaper price. Possibly up to
$100-$125 less. Simply go to the campus bookstore, and purchase it with a student
ID. You’ll automatically get the less expensive student rate. (Keep this in mind for
all of your software needs.)
Secret Tip... There’s a program that can create PDF files, without you needing the
actual Adobe Acrobat program. Don’t worry -- there’s nothing illegal involved!
Gymnast (http://www.oakworth.demon.co.uk/gymnast.htm) is a freeware
program that converts text files to PDF -- Windows 95/98/NT required.
I agree totally with Monique. At one time, it was almost fashionable to dump on
Acrobat. I even put up a brief Web page explaining our choice, in response to
discussion group criticism from the “experts”...
(http://www.sitesell.com/why_acrobat.html).
But here’s the bottom line -- there’s no close second choice.
Hyper Maker
http://www.bersoft.com/
This used to be my favorite. What does it do? It turns your HTML files into a fully
compiled e-book. (HTML is the same language used to create Web pages.) So
your e-book can have text, graphics, audio, video, and animation, which means it
can be a full multimedia production.
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The only thing that your buyers will need to read the e-book is a Web browser (any
Web browser). Keep in mind that although there are less expensive HTML
compilers out there just like Hyper Maker, the others require the buyer to have
Internet Explorer.
So if you use a different compiler, users of Netscape Navigator will be out of luck -they won’t be able to read the e-book. That’s a pretty sizable loss of market, for
the sake of $100 or less. Explorer is big, but Navigator (and others) still account
for a sizable minority of the surfers out there.
I also like Hyper Maker because of its unique password protection feature. You
can easily lock all of the chapters within your e-book. You can leave a few chapters
free, so that potential buyers can sample it. And you can even limit the amount of
times a person reads your e-book. (This last option is good if you’re allowing people
to sample your e-book.)
The downfall of Hyper Maker is that Mac buyers won’t be able to use it. Alas, it’s
a PC-only tool, so you will miss out on some buyers.
A shareware version is available for download on the Web site. You can use all
of its features, except the password protection option.
Price -- $195
Neobook Professional
http://www.neosoftware.com/nbw.html
This is another popular program that allows you to add multimedia features like
audio, video, animation, graphics, and so on.
NeoBook is a great option when you’re just starting out, because it lets you create
your e-book with plain text files. (This way you don’t have to know HTML, as you
would with Hyper Maker.) Plus, it comes with its own built-in reader, so no Web
browsers or special files need to be downloaded in order to access the e-book.
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Like Hyper Maker, NeoBook is only available to PC users. And although there are
some great add-on features through third-party vendors, one thing that is
inherently missing is a password protection feature.
There is a shareware version available on the site.
Price -- $199
Astound
http://www.astound.com/
If your e-book is going to be predominantly multimedia, Astound is a great
program to get the job done painlessly.
Unlike the other programs, it has several different templates and unique design
options that make it extremely simple to use when dealing with multimedia
elements. (I feel it’s the templates that make it such a wonderful choice.)
Astound is a good option, but only if you plan on distributing your e-book in
CD-ROM format. This is especially true because Astound doesn’t offer any
password protection options, and also because the sound and video files tend to add
a lot to the overall e-book size.
There is no shareware version available. However you can download a
self-running demo, to see how an e-book file works.
There are versions for both Mac and PC users. But an e-book created with the
Windows version won’t transfer well on a Mac.
Price -- $395 (Windows); $99.95 (Mac)
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4.4.4.
How to Make Downloading and Installing Slick
What’s one of the big advantages of e-books? No shipping or fulfillment issues,
right?
Well, yes and no. If you really want to establish yourself as a serious digital
info-publisher, downloading and installing has to be slick and easy for your
customer.
No matter which e-book creation program you choose, you still need a way to make
your e-book download-ready for your online buyers. To do this, you need a
compression program. This shrinks the e-book file size (for faster downloading)
and “prepares” it for download via the Net.
The process is surprisingly easy. I recommend the quick-and-easy....
WinZip
http://www.winzip.com/
You’ll need both WinZip, which is the basic compression tool, and WinZip
Self-Extractor, which lets the receiver open the .zip file, even if they don’t have
unzipping software installed on their computer. (If you didn’t make it self-extracting,
the buyer would need to have a tool like WinZip preinstalled on their systems.) Both
WinZip and WinZip Self-Extractor are cheap.
Now that you have your .exe file...
Uploading is done through FTP, the same way you would add any Web page to a
Web server. Once the file is uploaded, the download URL is going to be something
like... www.YourSiteHere.com/ebook.exe.
You and a couple of friends should test and make sure that all works well.
Download and install before launching it to the world. This will assure you that all
the bugs are knocked out ahead of time.
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For Mac, you should get...
Stuffit Deluxe
http://www.aladdinsys.com/deluxe/
It works the same way. I find that Mac users (I’m one) don’t really need or expect a
slick installation system. Windows users, do, however. So...
For Windows, if you want to make your installation really slick, use...
Setup Factory
http://www.indigorose.com/
This sets up an installer program so you can install your book right under the Start
menu if you like. Very professional.
Finally, let’s think fulfillment all the way through. Here’s what you need to be able to
do...
1) Take the order -- order form set up. How you handle this data depends on how
you...
2) Clear the credit card -- will you clear the credit card in real time via the Net, or
manually via your point-of-sale machine? We use Cybercash
(http://www.cybercash.com/) to clear in real time -- if you go this route, you’ll need
some serious tech help. If you expect lower volumes, a simple order-taking system
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through a secure server will work. See our book Make Your Site SELL! for more
information.
3) Send the e-mail -- again, this can either be done manually or automatically.
Either way, you have to set up a system so that each customer gets a unique
username and password that expires after s/he successful downloads. The e-mail
should also contain some congratulatory and thanking copy.
If you do not have the resources to set this up yourself, Monique outlines many other
places that will do it for you (see the 186 Places and 120 New Places bonus
books). If your e-book specifically helps individuals or small businesses succeed at
e-commerce, my company, GoodBytes, might even do it with you.
OK, so now we’ve covered downloading and installing. What’s left to cover, so
that you can slickly fulfill digital products like e-books? Ah, yes...
Wouldn’t it be nice to automate the whole order-taking to welcome e-mail that
sends your customer to the download URL, with a unique username and password
that stops working after they download? Or perhaps you’d rather set up a
“members-only” site? How about a shopping cart and affiliate management program
thrown in?
Yup, the whole enchilada is provided by...
Synergyx Software
http://www.synergyx.com/
It’s pricey at $1,500, but the price includes installation.
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4.4.5.
How to Not Do-It-Yourself
If the thought of PDF formatting and .exe files makes you feel like jumping off a tall
building, there is an easier way to put your e-book together. Get somebody else to
do it.
Linda Eberharter (http://www.atlanticbridge.net/), and Jim Daniels
(http://www.bizweb2000.com/creation.htm), both offer e-book creation services.
4.4.6.
Unique Ways to Promote Your E-book
• Send Excerpts...
... on Floppy Disk. If you’ve chosen to use one of the creation
programs that allows for both limited and unlimited password protection (like Hyper
Maker), this is an excellent technique for you. Make one or two chapters free to
read. The others are sealed off.
If the person wants to read the full version, they simply order access, using a secure
server link to your Web site, in the e-book. (And/or you can have a call/fax choice.)
You can include copies of these floppies with any new orders, or send them to
previous customers. It’s a very inexpensive way to let prospects know about your
new works.
• Give It Away.
Instead of charging a price for your e-book, why not charge others to advertise in
it? You could have banner ads from complementary site owners/vendors featured
on various pages.
For example, if your e-book were titled “How to Purchase the Perfect Vehicle
Online,” you could solicit ads from sites like The Carlounge
(http://www.autolounge.com/), Cruisin’ Americas Rodders Service
(http://www.c-a-r-s.com/), or 1StopAuto (http://www.1stopauto.com/).
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You could charge $300 for the year -- only $25 a month. With 34 advertisers, you’d
net over $10,000 a year. Not bad for an e-book that you’re giving away!
Hmmm... an interesting and original idea. I can feel the neurons spinning over this
one!
• Offer Excerpts Via Autoresponder.
When I first came out with How to Successfully Sell Information Products
Online, I included the introduction on an autoresponder. That autoresponder
address was seen both in my sig, and in the resource box of my articles.
This one simple technique led to many, many sales. It shows how powerful
something as simple as an excerpt can be.
• Announce New Titles at eBookNet (http://ebooknet.com/).
This is a Web forum where e-book authors and publishers can spread the news
about their titles. Good place to feature your e-book’s press release.
4.4.7.
E-book DeveloperГ•s Checklist
E-book creation software
Adobe Acrobat (http://www.adobe.com)
Hyper Maker (http://www.bersoft.com/)
Neobook (http://www.neosoftware.com/)
Astound (http://www.astound.com/)
An HTML publisher (if you plan on using an HTML within your e-book)
You can find out the latest and greatest titles by going to ZDNet Downloads
(http://www.zdnet.com/downloads/), or Tucows (http://www.tucows.com/), and
entering “HTML publishers” or “HTML editors” as the search term.
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Clip art
ArtToday
http://www.arttoday.com/
ClipArt.com
http://www.clipart.com/
Barry’s Clip Art Server
http://www.barrysclipart.com/
Zip program
WinZip (http://www.winzip.com/)
EnZip (http://website.lineone.net/~chris_m/)
Floppy disks (If you plan on sending out your e-books via snail mail)
CD Writer/Rewriter (If you plan on distributing your e-books on CD-ROM)
Blank CD-ROMs
Labels and label printing software for disks or CD-ROMs
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4.5.
The Profits of Password Protection
If you’re looking for a quick and inexpensive way to sell information, try a
password-protected Web site (also referred to as a “subscription-based” site).
What makes this packaging method such a delight for infopreneurs? You don’t have
to worry about printing or shipping printed products. You don’t even have to worry
about the fulfillment issues that Ken talks about for e-books.
Your sole monthly maintenance cost consists of your site hosting fee. Another
benefit... information can be added to a password-protected Web site in a flash.
4.5.1.
What Are People Willing to Pay For?
In the October 29, 1998, article “Can You Charge for *Your* Online Content? Maybe.
Here’s How to Tell for Sure,” on the Ziff-Davis Anchordesk site
(http://www.zdnet.com/anchordesk/), executive producer Annette Hamilton says
that people are most willing to pay for investment information/advice, product
research information, and unique entertainment (like the New York Times
crossword puzzle).
Successfully selling information via a password-protected site requires a tight reign
on a very specific niche. Either you must have really exclusive information that
can’t be found for free on dozens of other sites, or you must have an exceptionally
large and detailed collection of general information.
E-commerce guru Ralph Wilson has done an exceptional job at demonstrating this
particular theory, with Web Commerce Today, (http://www.wilsonweb.com/wct/).
For $49.95 a year, subscribers receive access to more than 2,500 e-commerce
resource links; a monthly e-mail copy of the “Web Commerce Today” newsletter;
over 100 “Web Commerce Today” links, leading to the latest e-commerce articles
and resources; plus access to all the back issues.
Ralph really offers two packages for the money...
• first, an outstanding e-zine -- he has carefully researched, tried or and/or
reviewed each e-commerce suggestion he makes. This is a great service for
people who don’t have the time to endlessly search for the best e-commerce
resources, because Ralph has taken the time to separate the diamonds...
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... from the cubic zirconias.
• second, he provides what is probably the most comprehensive collection of
e-commerce articles that you can imagine. All behind the password. His “Research
Room” has become so complete that it alone is worth the price of admission.
Whatever problem you’re having with your e-commerce business, you’ll find the
answer in Ralph’s Research Room.
Now if you were curious to know what doesn’t sell in this format online, according to
research firm Jupiter Communications, onliners are least likely to pay for
easy-to-find information like national news, sports scores, music reviews and fashion
updates. This is probably so because stuff like this can easily be found on major
portal sites like Yahoo! and Infoseek.
4.5.2.
How To Build a Password-Protected Web Site
First, find out if your Web site hosting service allows you to place a password
on any of your site directories. This way you can virtually cloak any information
that you don’t want everybody who visits your Web site to see.
This password-protection option is a fairly common feature among many of the
larger hosting services. My provider includes it with an $18.95 hosting package.
And don’t worry -- it’s nothing super-technical! In most cases, all you have to do
is name the directory you want to protect, and start adding passwords as people
subscribe. You can either have one main password for all of your subscribers, or
separate passwords for each person.
If your Web site hosting service doesn’t have this feature, you can also try Site
Sentry 2000 (http://www.moonlight-software.com/sentry.htm). This Java applet
allows all sorts of password protection features for one Web page or for several. Try
it for free at the above-listed URL, and if you decide to buy, it’s only $19.95.
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Second, decide if customers will pay for access on a monthly, quarterly or
yearly basis. If it’s going to be monthly or quarterly, you might also want to
incorporate recurring billing into your plan. This means that the person’s credit
card or checking account is automatically charged for the access amount, on a
specific date each billing period. It’s much easier than sending out a bill every
month.
Just be sure you state on your order page that you’ll be doing this, so you won’t
have any problems with subscribers wondering why they’re being charged.
OFS Web Charge (http://ofs.web-charge.com/) is a service that can maintain your
subscription-based Web site. They allow your visitors to pay by VISA, MasterCard
and American Express, verifying the payment information and availability of funds in
real time.
Once the money is collected, they automatically issue predefined usernames and
passwords. Then, once a month you’re issued a check, minus their commission,
which can go up to 15% depending on the payment methods used. This is by far the
easiest and cheapest way to offer online subscription services, without having to go
through a bunch of technical hassles.
I-Bill (http://www.ibill.com/) is another option. They also take a maximum of 15%
of your sales. They send out checks twice a month.
With these options, you don’t even need a merchant account to take advantage
of these time-saving features. Of course if you do have one, that’s fine too. In that
case, they’ll take a smaller percentage from each sale.
On the other hand, if you wish to do the recurring billing manually, you’ll have to
enter the credit card information, and individually send each member the appropriate
login information. And be forewarned, it can be rather time-consuming.
Should your customers pay by check, CheckMan (http://www.checkman.com/)
software has a feature that automatically tells you when a subscription-based
customer needs to be charged. A special icon appears on the screen telling you
exactly which checks to print out. This feature is available with the Professional
version, which costs $149.95.
Finally, as far as developing the actual site, it’s really no different than setting up any
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other Web site. You still use HTML, as well as other typical Web elements.
4.5.3.
Unique Ways to Promote the Site
• Offer a Trial Run to New and Existing Customers.
Along with each new order, include a certificate that gives the customer a free
period of access to your password-protected site. Be sure to include an
expiration date on the certificate.
• Tell Researchers About It.
Professional researchers must have direct access to specialized information. So
they tend to be huge users of subscription-based Web sites.
You can let researchers know about your new site by submitting information to
ResearchBuzz (http://www.researchbuzz.com/), or e-mail to
[email protected].
• Sell Bulk Access to Associations and Other Groups.
Have an association within your niche pay a certain amount of money so that all of
their members can have a subscription to your Web site. This type of deal can
also be given to magazine subscribers, or multiple employees of a corporation. Of
course you’ll receive less money per sign-up, but you’ll make up the money in the
large numbers of sales.
How do you go about procuring such a deal?
If it’s an association you’re dealing with, send a letter to the director of members’
services. If it’s a magazine, marketing services is the department you’ll need.
For a corporation, send the letter to the director of the department you’ll be selling to.
This letter should be sent via snail-mail. Give details about your Web site, how
much you charge for subscriptions in bulk, and the length of access each person will
receive.
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4.5.4.
Password-Protected Site DeveloperГ•s Checklist
Web site with content to be sold
Password-protection option
• Through a Web site hosting service
• Through third-party software
Site Sentry 2000 (http://www.moonlight-software.com/sentry.htm)
Recurring billing (optional)
OFS Web Charge (http://www.ofs.web-charge.com/)
IBill (http://www.ibill.com/)
Merchant credit card account (optional)
HTML editor (to build the Web site -- optional)
Hot Dog Professional (http://www.sausage.com/)
WebExpress (http://www.mvd.com/)
1st Page 2000 (http://www.evrsoft.com/)
4.6.
How to Tape Words For Top Dollar
Some people learn well by reading. Others, by watching a process being done.
But a large portion of the population learns by listening. This section will show
you how to speak your way to success...
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... by putting your words of wisdom on audiotape.
You can transfer existing print information products. Or you can create a fresh
batch of information especially for the tape.
A major point I should mention up-front about creating audiotapes, is that you must
go for top quality. The reason... tapes can be sold online, and they can be sold
offline to libraries and bookstores. But they have to be of professional quality to
make it in the offline retail arena.
The studio ideas below will help you create “digital” quality recordings. This is
preferable to doing the taping at home. If you record using a regular tape
recorder, you’re not going to have a high-quality product. There will invariably
be some humming and hissing in the background. You don’t want that.
4.6.1.
5 Keys to Professional Quality
1) Write out a complete script ahead of time. From beginning to end. Don’t ad-lib
in the studio -- it will cost you valuable time. And time is definitely money in the
studio.
2) Practice your script out loud to perfect your voice inflections. Make sure the
script includes notations of where you want to emphasize certain words, go quickly
through phrases, or speak in a different tone.
3) Time each portion of your script as you read out loud. This will help you
determine how long each tape will be, and whether you need to add anything or take
something away.
4) If your voice isn’t “audio quality” (I only just learned how to sound “normal”
on tape!), you may want to consider...
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... hiring a voice-over. You can find several professional voiceovers at
the Audio Publishers Association Voice Talent Listing
(http://www.audiopub.org/voicetalent.html), or The Barrow Network
(http://www.voicesnow.com/).
5) Design your tape inserts early in the process. A predesigned cover is
sometimes just the incentive you need to complete a project.
4.6.2.
The $500 Home Recording Center
Option #1 -- Home Stereo and MiniDisk
I get digital-quality audiotapes with simple recording equipment that can be found at
any home electronics store. Here’s a list of what you’ll need.
• Home Stereo System.
Hopefully, you already have some kind of...
... stereo equipment that you currently use. This should at
least include a receiver and a dual audiocassette deck.
• MiniDisk Player.
Minidisks are great because they actually deliver a higher sound quality than even
a regular CD. So when you dub from minidisk to tape, the quality will still remain
high.
I have a Sony MiniDisk Deck, model MDS-JD320. It cost me a little under $200 at
my local BestBuy. There are several models out there to choose from, in both
portable and stereo sized models. Just make sure that the one you choose has a
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record feature on it, because some machines just play the minidisks.
• Microphone.
The higher quality you can get, the better. A good mike keeps out a lot of
background noise. That’s a feature you need, recording at home.
• Mixer.
I purchased a mixer for under $100 at Radio Shack. Basically the mixer acts as the
middleman between the minidisk player and the microphone. It’s also good for basic
editing features like adding in background music/sounds, or fading in or out.
Once you have all the components in place (minidisk into home stereo system,
mixer into minidisk, and microphone into mixer), you’re basically all ready to start
recording. The minidisk offers the same type of editing as if you were using a tape
recorder. In other words, you can add or delete portions as needed.
QUICK TIP... When you’re recording, stay away from...
... fluorescent lighting. It gives off a slight humming noise that
can affect your sound quality.
When you’ve finished recording on minidisk, you’ll have to rerecord it onto a metal
tape (available in any local music store). Metal tapes are especially made for
dubbing from a CD, so the quality will still remain high. This master tape can now be
used to make duplications.
Option #2 -- Computer Recording Studio
If you don’t want to go through the trouble of expanding your stereo system, you can
also record directly into your computer. As you’re recording, you may want to
consider saving your files on disk or CD-ROM, as audio files take up a lot of disk
space.
You’ll need...
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• Multitrack Recording Software.
If you’re using a Windows-based system, then you’ll notice that it already comes
preinstalled with Sound Recorder. Unfortunately, this is no good for our purposes
because it only records 60 seconds of sound.
I use WaveFlow (http://www.waveflow.com/), a shareware program that costs
$25. You can also try Asia
(http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Platform/9182/), which is a freeware.
Both of these programs let you record and edit your audio tracks. You can even
add background music, fade in and out, and much more.
For more editing and recording software, check out the Shareware Music Machine
(http://www.hitsquad.com/smm/).
Again, for Mac users, it’s SoundEdit 16
(http://www.macromedia.com/software/sound/).
• Sound Card.
Your sound card should have a mic input jack and a stereo line input jack. You
need these two features because your equipment must be hooked directly into the
sound card.
• Microphone.
You should use a “dynamic” mike, that has a unidirectional pickup pattern. This
will help keep out any extra background noises.
• Tape Deck.
Any home stereo tape deck will do.
To make this whole configuration work, you’re going to install the recording software
onto your computer.
Look at the back of your computer, and hook your microphone into the mic input
jack, and the tape deck into the stereo line jack, of your sound card. These jacks
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should be clearly labeled. However, if there are no labels for your sound card, it
probably means you have an internal unit. In this case, you’ll need to buy and install
an external sound card, so that you can plug your equipment into it.
Use the recording software to create and edit your information. Once you’re
finished, you can dub it directly onto the tape deck.
If you want your recording on CD instead of tape, you’ll need a CD Recorder as
well.
For more information about recording using your computer, check out PC
Recording (http://www.pcrecording.com/), which has good general information, or
Random Access (http://www.pixelite.com/windaw/), where you’ll enjoy the
breadth of information in the forums.
4.6.3.
Rent a Sound Studio
at a Fraction of the Regular Cost
Not quite ready to invest in a mini-recording studio? Still want high-quality
recordings, without the expensive costs associated with going to a professional
recording studio?
Your next best choice is to call up...
... a few of the smaller, local AM radio stations, and ask them how much it
would cost to rent a few hours of their studio time. The engineer will show you the
basics of operating the equipment (which is relatively easy). Then you’re left to
record on your own.
Should you ever need an additional voice on your tape, ask the deejays how much
they would charge for their services.
4.6.4.
Assembling a High-Quality Tape Package
Do you plan on doing a significant amount of offline sales (for example, if you’re a
speaker)? Seriously consider getting your inserts and packaging done
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professionally. Visually, it will add to the value of your tapes.
For a pretty decent-sized list of duplicators, graphic designers, and packagers,
check out the Audio Publishers Association, classifieds section, at
(http://www.audiopub.org/packaging.html).
However, if your cash flow situation can’t withstand the price tag of a professional
job, there’s always the do-it-yourself option. The first thing you’ll need is TapEdit,
which is a 5-star-rated, $10 shareware program at ZDNet
(http://hotfiles.zdnet.com/cgi-bin/texis/swlib/hotfiles/info.html?fcode=000FFH).
The template for your cassette is already there. All you have to do is add relevant
information and graphics, then print and cut.
For CD covers, try CDEdit at
(http://hotfiles.zdnet.com/cgi-bin/texis/swlib/hotfiles/info.html?fcode=000TFV).
If you’d like to keep this particular program, it’s only $15.
4.6.5.
Unique Ways to Promote Your Audiotape
• Put Excerpts on Your Web Site.
RealAudio (http://www.realaudio.com/) is a program that lets you stream audio
from your Web site. (“Streaming” means that your visitors will be able to listen in
real time, instead of having to download a special file, then listen.)
In order to use RealAudio, your Web hosting service must have a RealAudio
server. You can find out by e-mailing technical support.
The Basic RealProducer G2 (a free software program available for PC and Mac
users) lets you encode your audio files easily, so that they’re RealAudio ready. You
can get more info at (http://www.real.com/products/tools/). For a little more
creative versatility, try RealProducer Plus 7.0, which allows you to create very
high-quality audio playback.
Your audio excerpt can range anywhere from 5-15 minutes, depending on the
overall length of your tapes.
• Give Complementary Site Owners Permission to Use Your RealAudio Clip.
For example, if your clip is geared towards small business owners, you might want
to contact the owners of several small business Web sites and tell them your clip is
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available. They simply post the link on their Web site, your excerpt will stream, and
the Web site owner does not even have to lose his visitor.
And because it’s audio, you’ve got a definite advantage in the “unique content”
department. I think you’ll get more takers with an audio excerpt than with just plain
text. The more sites that carry and feature it, the more publicity you receive in the
long run.
Great idea. Just one point -- since the surfer may not link over to your site, be sure
to say and spell your URL clearly at the beginning and end of the excerpt.
• Include the Excerpt with Any of Your Other Orders.
If the customer orders anything besides your audiotape, simply include a 10-minute
tape excerpt as a freebie. This is an especially great technique when you’re just
coming out with an audiotape and wish to generate some quick orders.
And it’s also a great idea if you ship a tape excerpt of your back-end product (see
below) with the front-end one.
• Get Your Excerpt Featured on Broadcast.com (http://www.broadcast.com/).
They have several categories, including... audio books, business, career,
computers, education, entertainment, health, spirituality, sports and travel. To get
more information about broadcasting your excerpt (or if you have an event), send an
e-mail to [email protected] -- be clear and concise.
4.6.6.
The Audiotape DeveloperГ•s Checklist
Fully developed script
A voice
• Your own
• Voice-over
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At-home recording equipment
• Line-in cables (for hooking up tape deck to computer)
• At-home recording/editing software
Clip art software (for your insert covers)
ArtToday
http://www.arttoday.com/
ClipArt.com
http://www.clipart.com/
Barry’s Clip Art Server
http://www.barrysclipart.com/
Tape deck
CD Recorder (if you’re going to make CDs instead of audiotapes)
Tape holders
Tape inserts
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4.7.
Video... An Underused Opportunity
that You Can Master Cheaply
I don’t know why more people don’t use...
... the video format to market information products. Plenty
of people have VCRs, so videos can be sold easily. Many info-buyers are
“auditory learners,” but there’s another sector who learn by watching.
I like the video concept because videos can be sold successfully off the Net as
well. For instance, many people don’t realize that there’s a huge library market for
videos.
And many specialty shops buy videos, if they’re geared to the target audience.
You’ll see maternity stores carry breast-feeding videos, or outdoor stores carry
camping videos. Video stores -- even chains like Blockbuster -- will also carry your
product.
In addition, videos can be used to secure high-paying speaking engagements -- if
you should ever decide to take this route.
4.7.1.
Special Reasons for Creating a Video...
Videos are the perfect educational tools when you have a process that needs to
be visually explained or physically demonstrated. For example, if you were
showing how to play an instrument, fix a computer, paint fingernails, bandage a
wound, or anything else that requires a hands-on approach, a video is certainly a
logical step.
An especially hot idea in this category is the video diary. This is where you tape “A
Day in the Life of...” type stuff. If you were an interior designer creating a video diary
for new decorating professionals, you would show a day-by-day synopsis of what a
typical week is like. They would hear you on the telephone with clients, see you
creating advertisements, watch as you make critical design decisions, and so on.
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Another idea for a video is a taped seminar or lecture. I’ve seen these being sold
for as much as $800-$900 for an entire workshop or conference. It’s a very lucrative
market, especially if you can capture top names on tape.
If you’re not in front of a crowd, and you simply want to do a “talking head” video,
don’t invest the time or the money. Remember, think “hands-on.”
Monique’s right. I’ve never thought about selling video as an infoproduct. But there
are so many advantages. Take a few minutes right now...
Get up and walk around and think... how could you adapt your idea to capitalize
upon the advantages of video?
4.7.2.
An At-Home Video Studio... Cheap!
One thing I always tell people during my seminars is that if you don’t know how to do
something yourself, and after examining the process you think it’s going to be do
hard to learn on your own, outsource it! In fact, that’s exactly what I did for this
section.
I e-mailed my good friend and client Steve Howard, the editor of the popular...
VideoFile newsletter
http://www.videofile.com/
I asked Steve to give you a breakdown of what it takes to build a low-cost at-home
video studio. He has kindly obliged in the following section. He’s included some
really good tips for creating a background, something that most of us don’t even
think of.
If you think you’d like to specialize in doing special interest videos, Steve’s
newsletter is the bible of the industry. Take it away Steve!
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The Camera
The most common format is VHS, followed by 8mm, which are both obtainable at
any electronics store. Unfortunately, these formats don’t hold up well when
duplicating (colors smear, detail is lost).
But you don’t need to spend a lot of money on a high cost camera. By simply
moving up to...
... a “High Band” format like Hi8 or S-VHS (S-VHS-C), you will
have all you need. And whatever you do, don’t tell salespeople you are “setting up
a studio.” Commission dollar signs go off in their heads.
There is another option most beginners totally overlook -- rental. Most
professional camera dealers also rent. So if you are thinking of buying Model X, rent
it first. It’s surprisingly reasonable, and much less expensive than buying one.
Creating the Set
Even if you are only slightly mechanically inclined, you can assemble some nice
backdrops for your video sets. This is an easy and fairly inexpensive way to build
your set, especially if you have extra space in a garage or basement.
For a Tonight Show style curtain look, visit your local building supply store and pick
up some thin wall conduit (lightweight pipe used for electrical wiring), 2 eyebolts
for each section of conduit, a small length of chain, and some wall hooks for
the ceiling.
Drill each end of the conduit and connect the eyebolt to the conduit using a drill of
the correct diameter for your bolt. Once the eye bolts are installed, hang the hooks
from the ceiling. Be sure the measurements match the hooks on each conduit
section.
Now you can hang each conduit from the ceiling with small chain. You now have
heavy duty curtain rods hanging from your ceiling.
Now we need something to hang from the curtain rods we just finished. You can
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either purchase the material you like from a fabric store, or, if you want that
photography look, try creating your own “painted” muslin with a 5 gallon pail from
your building supply store and a box of colored dye.
Prepare the bucket with the dye you will be using according to the instructions on the
dye package. When the dye is ready, take your muslin fabric, shake it out and ball
it up like an old handkerchief before you put it in the bucket. The more balled up it
is, the more “effect” you will have on the completed back drop.
After the fabric ball has soaked in the dye for a while, pull it out. Be careful not to
open it until it is completely out of the bucket. Carefully hang it out to dry (your
new curtain rods make a good place) and you have your textured muslin.
Scenery Backgrounds
You can find wallpaper that, once applied to anything from a sheet of plywood to a
blank wall, will transform that wall into a New York skyline, a quiet lakeshore, or a
steaming jungle. By being creative with the wallpaper backdrop, you can create
office settings, jungle campsites, or fishing locations.
For indoor living room style set building, use multiple panels for interior doors,
covered with thin sheet rock. You can move and adjust multiple panels to make
either a square room or larger area. Paint them an off-white to reduce the glare
they could create when shooting.
If you don’t have that kind of space, or just plain don’t need that large of a set, a
good background can be found with some simple experimentation.
For example, a wallpaper background with an empty window pane placed in front of
it will give the illusion of the scenery “right outside the window.” An artificial tree
placed behind the window with the wallpaper can increase the effect depending on
the scene.
Place a desk, chairs, or whatever fits the mood . Watch the Tonight Show or
Letterman sometime, just to watch how the set is constructed.
Styled Backgrounds
Try using some glass blocks (or their plastic equivalents), which you can find at the
building supply store. Build a small wall behind where your talent will be. Then with
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one of your video lights, use colored gels to bring our some interesting background
patterns.
Venetian blinds can also be used in an interesting way. With your backdrop in
place, experiment shining a video light or halogen work light (from your local
building center) on the backdrop through a set of venetian blinds. Try both in front
and behind to see which looks best. Again, colored gels (colored cellophane) can
be easily used to maximize the effect.
If you plan on doing a lot of shooting from the set you have created, consider
installing color-corrected fluorescent lighting for the daylight look without the
greenish tint of normal fluorescent lights. They are much cooler than video lights,
and can make you and your talent much more comfortable during your shoot.
Or if you’re on a budget, you can use halogen work lights, which are available at
any home improvement center for around $20-$25.
During the Shoot
Once you have your shooting script completed, you are close to doing...
... the actual shoot. But how can you remember all the things
you want to say? You could memorize your lines like the movie stars do, but that
requires quite a bit of time. It also makes your talent work much harder than
necessary.
You could speak as the thoughts come, but you might miss something. Some talent
can pull this off, but not many. Even the TV pros need help. What about...
... cue cards? They’re a pain to prepare and you have to hire
someone.
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Most TV stations and networks use a device called a teleprompter. The lines
scroll forward or backward for your talent to read at just the right speed. It helps
make the talent appear much more professional. It makes the talent look right at the
camera to read their lines. The problem is, most teleprompters are quite expensive
and cost-prohibitive for the small video producer.
That was before Bay Coast released Intelliprompter (http://www.baycoast.com/).
This is a software program that will turn your PC or laptop into a full-blown
professional level teleprompter. Bay Coast can also supply you with plans on
how to make an inexpensive cabinet that will allow your PC and camera to work
together to provide lines for your talent just like the expensive professional units.
With your own Intelliprompter, you can produce much more professional results in
your own video projects.
Post Production -- Part 1 -- Video Processors (Proc Amps)
On occasion, you may be asked to improve some footage shot by someone under,
let’s say, “less than optimum conditions.” The colors may be bleeding or washed
out, or just plain bad footage.
Sometimes, although not always, you can resurrect the footage through the use of a
video processor, or “Proc Amp.” A proc amp will electronically attempt to adjust
the video color and quality for you. Often, it can bring your black backgrounds
back to a true black, instead of the dishwater gray appearance they take on many
times. You can brighten up the colors, and many times make it look like a totally
different video.
But don’t be mistaken. It is not a magic wand you wave over 5th generation VHS
video and expect it to look like digital BetaCam footage. It simply does its best
efforts to improve what it can and many times revive footage that would otherwise be
cut and discarded.
The two best-known proc amps are from John Cooksey at Elite Video BVP-4Plus
(http://www.elitevideo.com/), and Dave Knarr at Studio One Productions
(http://www.studio1productions.com/). Both are good, but in my experience there
is one major difference.
The Studio One proc amp is set to prevent you from setting your levels too high,
where the Elite Video Unit has a wider range of settings and no “protecting you from
yourself.” It is easy to set your levels too high with the Elite unit, but with a bit of
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practice, the wider range of setting may be what you prefer. Only you can tell.
I also believe a proc amp should remain out of the normal video path when
editing, unless there is a need for it. Every item you insert in the path from play
VCR to record VCR degrades a signal somewhat. If you don’t have a specific need
for processing, don’t leave it in the video path.
Post Production -- Part 2 -- Scan Converters and Genlocks -- How Do I Get an
Image from My PC Into My Video?
When you edit your video assignments, you may find yourself wanting to get
something from your computer into the video. It may be photographs you have
scanned and repaired, a 3D animated logo you want to use for your opening, or
simply a picture you created in one of the many art programs.
This is becoming more and more common, but many incorrectly believe you can
only do it with nonlinear editing techniques. There are simpler and cheaper ways to
do it.
Some videographers have shot the screen directly with their video camera.
While this may work for you, you will most likely have a slowly moving dark
band continuously rising on your video screen on the videotape. This is
because of the different scan rates in NTSC and PC video.
Depending on your camera, if you adjust your shutter speed to some multiple of
1/60th (60 hz signals), you might be able to reduce or eliminate it. But there is an
easier way.
The problem is that PC video and NTSC video (your TV and VCR) are not the same
signals. Because of this you need some sort of a converter to convert from your
PC video signal to the NTSC signal, which your VCR understands (or the other
way).
There are two devices on the market you can purchase to accomplish this. Scan
converters and genlocks have been around for years and for some strange reason
seem to be forgotten by many.
Scan converters take the PC video signal and convert it to the NTSC format
you need for recording. You can run it directly to your recording VCR, or to your
video mixer, whichever works best for you.
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Genlocks, on the other hand, not only convert the signal from your PC to
NTSC, but also allow you to mix it with another signal to “lock” them together.
This method is frequently used for superimposing graphics or titles over a video
background. If you are just starting out and don’t have a video mixer, this may be
something to look into.
In recent years, a third option has entered the scene. Video cards for your
computer are now available at very reasonable prices that have not only PC video
for use with your computer, but also have NTSC output right from the card, giving
you both signals on one card, with no external adapter needed.
The downside is these are internal cards, and once installed can not be easily
moved to another computer. Standalone scan converters, on the other hand, are
small, extremely portable, and inexpensive.
There is also another problem you will need to face and deal with. NTSC video
does not have the sharpness or resolution your computer does. The first time
you look at your beautiful photo on your PC and compare it to your video image,
you’ll wonder why it’s lost so much resolution. It’s simply the difference in standards.
Icons and text that looks good on your monitor will be tiny and almost illegible on
video. What do you do then? You make everything larger. When viewed on
video, it will appear much better, even though your PC will look unbelievably huge. I
frequently shoot video at 320x240 although I operate my monitor normally at
1024x768.
Recently Leo Laporte, host of the Ziff-Davis computer television show The Screen
Savers, (http://www.zdtv.com/screensavers/), said the only way they could get
useful video out of the computer was to set their computer at 640x240, and have all
fonts and images as large as possible. This is with a professional scan converter
costing more than a couple of thousand dollars!
Another tool that can help you with this problem (although quite pricey) is a screen
magnifier. This software takes whatever is on the screen and zooms it up to a
much larger size. Made for vision-impaired users, it has features not necessary for
video, but useful for the vision-impaired (like an option to read the text from the
screen back through a sound card).
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3D and Titling Software
Now that you can get your image from your PC to your video, it’s time to look at the
next most popular topic for videographers...
... 3D and titling software.
The most basic is one many of you already own -- MS PowerPoint. PowerPoint has
some very impressive features. The biggest is the fact that it’s included on many
computers already, since it is a component of Microsoft Office.
If you want to overlay your titles on video, simply leave your background black,
send the titles to your mixer, using Luminance Keying to replace the black with your
video source. Result -- titles over your video.
If you want to improve it a little, you can still use PowerPoint but just add a “Plug-In”
from Crystal Graphics called 3D Sensations. These add Hollywood style
dissolves, rotates, and spins to the standard PowerPoint transitions for around
$79. You can download them and try them out for 30 days for free to see if you like
them from (http://www.crystalgraphics.com/).
Crystal Graphics has also released a plug in called Photo-EFX that allow you to do
impressive photo type effects normally requiring another program like Adobe
Photoshop or Corel PhotoPaint. They allow you to have photos with cartoon style
captions, ragged edges, and even covers opening to expose the photo -- all
within a PowerPoint presentation.
Finally, although a bit more expensive, is Power CG by Cayman Graphics
(http://www.caymangraphics.com/). This high-end titling program is one of the
more flexible I have used. It only does titles, but it does them extremely well.
With versions for most of the better NLE cards and one for normal video cards, this
product is impressive, with capabilities as good as most broadcast stations.
Available direct from Cayman Graphics for around $500.
There are also programs that will allow you to produce impressive titles, but are
really made for much more than titles.
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My favorite for video in this category is Crystal 3D with Flying Fonts
(http://www.crystalgraphics.com/). Crystal 3D is a complete 3D graphics
rendering program, including animation. This means you can easily create your
own flying logos and opening credits for your videos.
Once you have created your animated graphic as you want it to appear in your
video, simply copy it out to tape using the scan converter we talked about earlier.
Whenever you need the logo, simply play it back and you’re ready for business.
While you could simply leave it on your computer and play it when necessary, good
graphics and animations take up a considerable amount of disk space. Saving to
tape frees this up for you, not to mention making it more convenient to use when
editing, even if you’re using NLE.
Now as if that were not enough, it also includes a program previously sold
separately called Flying Fonts. Flying Fonts is like a titling package, but the fonts
allow animation and 3D rendering, giving you the ability to create animated or
“flying” titles easily. Just like above, create your titles, render them to tape, and
you’re in business.
Xara 3D Version 3 (http://www.xara.com) is another package that is actually better
suited to the lower requirements of Web graphics than video. While it claims video
resolutions (30 fps), the animation capabilities are rather limited compared to
programs like Flying Fonts.
But if you are looking for the spinning logo or that extra little “something” for your
Web page this is a nice package. Check it out.
Phew! Everything I ever wanted to know about video, but was afraid to ask. Folks,
stand back from your monitor when you open our next product!
4.7.3.
Unique Ways to Promote Your Video
• Post a video excerpt on your Web site.
Even though video hasn’t been 100% perfected on the Net, it’s still a unique way to
display your information product.
If your site hosting service has a RealVideo server, you can easily post video onto
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your Web site. You’ll need to transform the footage into RealVideo format, with a
program called RealProducer Plus (http://www.realnetworks.com/).
Then you’ll need to decide how much of a excerpt you want to show. I recommend
that for every 60 minutes of video, you offer a 5-10 minute clip.
• Allow your video to be rented.
If your video is rather expensive (say $200 or more) permit people to rent it for a
few days, instead of buying it. For example, you could charge $49.95 for a
one-week rental.
• Sell it to libraries.
Because there are far fewer informational videos being produced than informational
books, videos are much easier to sell to the library market.
The Publishers Marketing Association (http://www.pma-online.org/library.html)
does cooperative library mailings during the months of February, April, June, August,
October and December. The mailings range in price from $145-$165.
4.7.4.
The Video DeveloperГ•s Checklist
Video camera
Background set
Props
Script
Editing software
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4.8.
Newsletters & Residual Income... ahh!
While nearly all of the other info-packaging techniques offer the opportunity for a
one-time sale, publishing your own newsletter gives you the chance to...
... rake in continuous ongoing profits known as residual income.
Month after month, year after year, as long as you keep your promotional prowess
going and your product quality high, you’ll always have new subscribers, as well as
renewals.
I was recently speaking with a client of mine who told me about an author who
started her own print newsletter. The author had well over 100,000 subscribers, at
$97 a year. Don’t stop to do the math... that’s over $9.7 million dollars.
Even if you only had 2,000 subscribers at $149 a year, that’s still a tidy little
sum of $298,000. I’ll leave you to conjure up other subscriber/price combinations,
but can you see the potential here?
What kind of info belongs in a newsletter? Information that changes, or that is
updated on a pretty regular basis. Internet information, legal or financial data,
and computer info are just a small sampling of topics that fall within this realm.
And finally, newsletters present a way to keep your legacy alive forever -- or at least
as long as you want it to stay alive. Should you ever get tired of running your
newsletter, you can always sell it.
This is a great point. A newsletter that generates a regular, growing income
stream could easily sell for 30 times earnings -- much higher if you have an e-zine
that doubles up with some terrific site traffic and ad revenue. Nice equity if you can
get it.
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4.8.1.
Choose the Format Carefully
Option #1 -- Print
Recently, a member of the Newsletter Publishers Association informed me that
compared to electronic newsletters, print newsletters still have a higher
perceived value to customers.
Why? Because there are so many cruddy free electronic newsletters out there -- it’s
hard to slap a price tag on one and be taken seriously. Sad, but true. (But I didn’t
say impossible. See Option #2 for info on publishing electronically.)
Print newsletters are typically 8-24 pages. Four pages can fit on one 11x17 sheet of
paper, both front and back sides.
If you’re doing the layout yourself, it’s best to use a predesigned newsletter
template, which is available through most desktop publishing programs, like
Microsoft Publisher, Adobe PageMaker, and others.
You’ll notice that you can do either two or three columns using these templates.
Choose according to your own appeal.
Or you can take the easy and stress-free route, and just do a one-column
newsletter. This way you don’t have to worry about formatting properly, and all that
jazz.
If you want to enhance the look of your newsletter, get it printed with black and one
other color. I’ve noticed that many of the franchised print shops offer a free second
color on certain days of the week. Monday it might be red, Tuesday... yellow, and so
on. This is a great money-saving tip to keep in mind.
Option #2 -- Electronic
If you care to be a trailblazer, and go against all the odds, then an e-newsletter is
definitely a wide-open option. And you won’t be traveling that path alone -- I have
opted to produce an electronic-only newsletter.
The Infopreneur Informer is a weekly Webzine that I keep hidden behind a
password-protected Web site. Over 80% of my subscribers have previously
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purchased one of my other related information products. So for me, it’s been great
for second and third sales, and I tend to promote it more to newly inducted
customers than to fresh-out-the-box prospects.
Considering the somewhat lackluster appeal of fee-based electronic newsletters,
you might want to consider using the same strategy. You have a far greater chance
to make an e-newsletter sale after your readers get to know you for a while. The final
section in this chapter (ACTION STEP #3 -- creating a back-end strategy) will help
you more with developing this concept.
Electronic newsletters come in a couple of different flavors...
• Webzine
As you can probably guess from the name, a Webzine is basically a newsletter that
you post on a Web site. With this type of newsletter you can have multimedia
capabilities like graphics, audio and video, or anything else that HTML can handle.
Besides HTML, a Webzine can also be created as a PDF. (This is the file format
that Adobe Acrobat makes. I talked about it in the E-book section.) When your
newsletter’s created as PDF, it looks a lot more formatted, and it’s much easier to
print out.
Plus you can password-protect your publication when it’s a Webzine. The Profit
Power of Password-Protection offers a lot more detailed information on this topic.
• E-zine
A newsletter that you send via e-mail. Most are basic, 60 characters per line text.
Nothing spectacular. A hybrid of the e-zine is the HTML-zine, which is basically a
Web page in e-mail. More and more people are selecting HTML when offered a
choice. So it’s a good idea, but not yet necessary, to offer both versions.
See Ralph Wilson’s article about html vs. text e-zines in his Web Marketing Today
(http://www.wilsonweb.com/wmt5/issue67.htm).
E-zines are the quickest to create out of all the options. Unfortunately, because
they’re just plain, text e-mail, they’re also extremely easy to pass on to the next
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person. (And because fee-based electronic publications are still so new, there are
no concrete statistics that say how many people do just that. And no one is yet sure
whether that’s a good thing or bad.)
• Disk-Based
These are newsletters put on either CD-ROM or floppy disk. You create them
the same way that you would put an e-book together. So refer back to the E-book
section in this chapter for more details.
As far as a page count is concerned, I have found that you should shoot for a
minimum of 6-8 pages, when printed out.
To determine the page count typically what I do is type out the entire newsletter in a
word processing program like Microsoft Works. This is done basically to determine
how many pages I have. Then I transfer everything into HTML. This way there’s no
guessing on if I have too little information.
I’m not a big fan of CD-ROM as a distribution medium for either e-books or e-zines.
It’s kind of the worst of both worlds. You’re turning a digital product into a “molecular
one” that requires old-world fulfillment models. Unless you think you have a special
case that really requires CD-ROM, I would not go down this road if I were you.
4.8.2.
Set a Distribution Schedule...
and How to Stick to It!
If the information in your newsletter changes almost daily, you may want to go with a
weekly or biweekly schedule. They’re usually around 8 pages long.
Other than that, I would say do a monthly newsletter, which is typically 16-24
pages. (Similar to a booklet, the number of newsletter pages you have should be
divisible by four.)
Great advice! My biggest weakness is not getting my e-zines out on time. Only
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commit to what you have the time to deliver.
In order to maintain a weekly schedule with The Infopreneur Informer, I use the
following techniques:
• Get a 3-ring binder, a set of 7 dividers (with pockets), and put the following
labels on each section...
• E-zines
• Web sites
• E-mails
• Articles
• Discussion group posts
• Promotion
• My ideas.
Now each time you’re online, and you come across a piece of info that you feel
could be used in your newsletter, you print it out, three-hole punch it, and file it in
the binder. If there are loose pieces of information, put them in the corresponding
folder.
Also a nice idea. But I prefer to do this electronically, using outliner software.
• Then I have another identical binder for data that has already been used. I
date each transferred item, so if I ever want to reuse it, I’ll know how long ago it was
used.
• I also give each paper a brief headline, and highlight important sections of
the document. This way when I’m scanning through each file, I have a basic idea
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of what’s there.
Here’s the bottom line -- the more organized you are in collecting information,
the easier it is to actually write your newsletter. If you are constantly grazing for
and storing information, the actual writing becomes a snap. What did Guy Kawasaki
call it? Ah yes...
“Graze like a hummingbird... poop like an elephant.”?
Gosh, I’m not sure if you deserved that!
4.8.3.
What Types of Information?
• New product announcements and reviews
How do you get the latest product announcements, without having to scour the Web
every day? Sign up to receive press releases from vendors within your niche.
Here’s a list of press release distribution services that will send you announcements
via e-mail:
InternetWire (http://www.internetwire.com/)
Internet News Bureau (http://www.newsbureau.com/)
WebWire (http://www.webwire.com/)
Xpress Press (http://www.xpresspress.com/)
PR Web (http://www.prweb.com/)
SoftwareWire (http://www.softwarewire.com/) -- new software products and
services.
Bookflash (http://www.bookflash.com/) -- publishing/writing-related news.
Another way to get product announcements is to call or e-mail the PR
departments of vendors within your niche. Briefly tell them who you are, the type of
projects you work on, and ask to be placed on their press release distribution list.
Sometimes you’ll even receive free product samples!
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• Industry trends and summaries
Market research firms often distribute industry summaries, in the form of press
releases, whenever they have a new report they’re trying to promote. This is a great
way for you to pick up valuable and timely information to put into your newsletter.
For example, if you go to the Forrester Research Web site
(http://www.forrester.com/), you’ll notice a link in the navigational bar marked,
“Press Resources.” There you’ll find numerous press releases, that’ll give you
news about industry trends galore. There’s even a place where you can sign-up
to receive new releases.
If you want to find a list of market research firms within your niche, Yahoo has a
terrific section...
(http://yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Companies/Marketing_and_Advertising/Market_Research/).
Associations also provide a wealth of data on industry facts. If you call or e-mail
the PR departments of associations within your niche, you can request to be placed
on their press release distribution list.
• Upcoming event information
Get constantly updated information about trade shows, conferences, workshops and
seminars within your niche. Tune in to the...
Tradeshow News Network (http://www.tsnn.com/)
TSCentral (http://www.tscentral.com/html/switch.html)
EXPOGuide (http://www.expoguide.com/shows/shows.htm)
ExpoWorld.net (http://www.expoworld.net/)
Be sure to print information about upcoming events at least 2 months in advance.
This way your readers have ample time to decide if they’d like to attend.
• Tip articles
In each issue you can include tips on how to do a certain process. For instance,
“How to Get a 12-15% Response on Your Next Direct Mail Campaign,” or “How to
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Knit a Baby Blanket in 7 Days or Less.”
If you don’t want to write the article yourself, ask an expert in your industry to
contribute his or her ideas to your newsletter. You’ll get an informative article, and
they’ll get free publicity. In fact, you could even create a special section where you
exclusively feature outside experts articles.
Careful with this -- your best voice is your own. If you have a guest writer, it should
be someone of high stature, or the article must be of exceptional quality. Most
importantly, you must have an exclusive on it.
While it’s OK for you to shop articles around to other e-zines in search of more
publicity, be careful of making this a two-way street. Mistakes can cheapen your
product.
• Case studies
This is an especially good section to include if you provide consulting services within
your niche. In this way, you can relay your own client stories (changing names to
protect the confidential nature of your work) and show how you solved the problem -good content, and a great credibility-builder at the same time.
• Checklist article
Your checklist can consist of...
... 10-20 questions or statements that readers use to monitor their
progress of a specific task. For example, if you were to publish a newsletter for
party planners, you might create a checklist titled, “50 Essentials For Planning the
Perfect Bridal Shower.” A person publishing a newsletter for shareware authors
could do “25 Must-Know Marketing Strategies for Software Producers.”
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• Resources
In each issue you can include a list of vendors, directories, Web sites, e-zines,
databases, and other helpful tidbits, in a special Resources section within your
newsletter.
You might even want to devote each issue to spotlighting a new segment of
resources. If you were doing a newsletter geared towards soccer moms and dads,
in one issue you might feature a list of soccer camps, in another soccer videos, then
protective soccer gear, and so on.
4.8.4.
Unique Ways to Promote Your Newsletter
• Mail a copy to editors and journalists in your niche.
It’s a fact that journalists will often use data from newsletters in their articles.
They especially like tips, statistics and surprising facts. So if information is ever
borrowed from your newsletter, your publication will receive the credit for the
contribution. That’s free publicity, without having to do any work.
In addition, journalists often need interview subjects for their stories. If you
continuously remind them of your expert status through your newsletter, you’ll likely
be featured and/or quoted in a few articles.
But be careful -- e-mail for permission to send it first. After you get the OK, send
your most up-to-date e-zine and offer to subscribe them for free. Sooner or later, if
you’re any good (and how could you not be after reading MYKS!), you’ll be
rewarded in spades.
• Exchange ads with complementary newsletter publishers.
If you were the publisher of a newsletter for entrepreneurs, you could team up with
the publisher of a marketing newsletter, and the two of you can feature each
other’s ads in your publications.
You might even consider giving one another a personal endorsement. Subscribers
are more likely to pay attention to a marketing message that has received an okay
from the editor, than a plain, ordinary advertisement.
This is a popular technique with e-zine publishers. Find e-zine publishers to
exchange ads with at...
Ad Swaps (http://www.netmastersolutions.com/xadswaps1.html), or
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CashConnection (http://www.cashconnection.com/publisherssite.htm).
To find print newsletter editors, try Newsletter Access
(http://www.newsletteraccess.com/). This is also a great site to list your
newsletter.
• Send an issue with each piece of client correspondence.
Each time you mail out a new order, include a sample issue of your newsletter. If
you’re sending a brochure to a new prospect, throw in an issue. Send a sample to
prospects and colleagues that you meet in discussion groups. Newsletters make a
better impression than the average sales letter, because of their informative
nature.
• Post sample issues on your Web site.
If you publish a print newsletter, you can easily convert it to PDF, with Adobe
Acrobat (http://www.adobe.com/). The PDF version will be an exact replica of its
print counterpart. Same great quality, no mailing costs. Electronic newsletters can
either be posted as a text or HTML file.
If you want to increase your database with names of potential subscribers, you can
make each prospect register with their contact information, before they can
access the samples. In this case, you must provide access to at least 3-5 issues, in
order to make it worth their while in registering.
My next comment should be called Ken’s shameless self-promotion. But Make
Your Site SELL! really does have a great section on starting and growing your own
e-zine. Not to mention everything else you could ever want to know about creating a
site that sells your new infoproduct effectively and about building targeted traffic to
that site...
Make Your Site SELL!
http://www.sitesell.com/
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4.8.5.
Newsletter DeveloperГ•s Checklist
PRINT
Desktop publishing software
Microsoft Publisher (http://www.microsoft.com/catalog/)
Adobe PageMaker (http://www.adobe.com/products/pagemaker/)
Microsoft Word (http://www.microsoft.com/catalog/)
Envision Publisher (http://www.envisionpublisher.com/)
PageFocus (http://www.pagefocus.com/)
Clip art
ArtToday
http://www.arttoday.com/
ClipArt.com
http://www.clipart.com/
Barry’s Clip Art Server
http://www.barrysclipart.com/
Content...
ELECTRONIC
• If Webzine
Web site hosting space
Clip art
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HTML editor
Adobe Acrobat (If you’re doing a PDF file)
• If E-zine
Text editing software
GWD Text Editor (http://www.gwdsoft.com/misc/)
Content
• If disk-based
Same requirements as e-book
Content
4.9.
Talk AinГ•t Cheap With Teleseminars
This is the absolute new wave of distributing information. It’s already paying off big
time for many info-sellers. What is a teleseminar, you ask? In very basic terms, it’s
a teleconference where participants...
... call a central phone number, known as the “bridge line.”
And why do they all do that? Why, silly -- it’s to hear an expert discuss a
predetermined topic and then ask questions.
Yes, just like a real seminar, except no plane fare or hotel!
Depending on your particular situation, you can either elect to give everybody
speaking privileges, or you can completely silence the audience. The most
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popular method is to give everybody the ability to participate. It creates a more
interactive feel, plus your audience members are bound to have questions. In
addition, it’s often less expensive to rent a bridge line where everybody can speak.
Teleseminars are typically one hour long. And the long distance cost is absorbed
by the participants. But in situations where attendees are paying for the teleclass,
you may want to have them call in to a toll-free line. It’s a nice value-added touch,
but you’ll have to charge a high fee to cover all costs.
You can get more information about renting a bridge line, by looking in your local
phone book under “Telephone services” or “Teleconference.” You can also go to
your favorite search engine, and look under “Teleconference.” Another option is
Teleclass.com (http://www.teleclass.com/), where you can rent a bridge line at
$20-$30 per hour.
4.9.1.
Why Create a Teleseminar?
You can easily use teleseminars to supplement your print information products.
For example, if you have a manual, you could hold a weekly session that explores
the information within each chapter.
You can also host brainstorming sessions, where everybody throws various ideas
back and forth. Or, bring in other experts within your field, and interview them.
This makes a nice information product if you tape it.
I know one speaker, Tom Antion (http://www.antion.com/), who is selling his
interview tapes for $29.95 each. That’s a nice little sum of money for an hour of
chatting on the phone about your topic.
4.9.2.
How to Prevent Troublemakers
Whenever you hold a teleseminar with dozens of people able to speak at once,
there’s always a chance that you’ll get some cuckoo who doesn’t know how to
behave, or worse... a competitor who’s out to sabotage you. What do you do in such
a situation?
Well, if it happens, you’re stuck. About all you can do is ask everybody to hang up
and tell them the call will be resumed at a later date.
But here’s a tip to prevent it. Greg Landry gave it to me...
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Most teleseminar promoters only ask for the participant’s e-mail address. But get
each participant’s full contact information at the time of ordering, including each
person’s street address and telephone number. They must give this info when
calling in (phone number and street address). It will make them feel more
self-conscious about causing a ruckus.
4.9.3.
Rules For Tape Recording a Teleseminar...
First of all, I would strongly recommend that you make it publicly known that your
teleseminars are recorded. Put it on your Web page, mention in your
confirmation e-mails, say it in your ads.
When the teleseminar is ready to start, turn on your recorder and say, “I’m taping
this teleseminar, does anybody have an objection to that?” I’ve never been to one
where a person objected. But if someone does, tell that person to hang up and that
you will refund the money immediately. Then tape the seminar.
4.9.4.
Unique Ways to Promote Your Teleseminar
• Offer a free trial session.
If you want to fill a fee-based teleseminar, one of the best things you can do is
provide a free one. The freebie can be a basic introduction to topics discussed in
the fee-based version. Plus it gives prospective attendees a chance to see whether
they’ll like the full version or not.
• Get it listed at Teleclass.com (http://www.teleclass.com/).
As long as your seminar isn’t on the topic of coaching or Internet marketing, you can
get it listed at Teleclass.com, within 2 business days. And it’s 100% free.
• Get it listed at Daybooknews.com (http://www.daybooknews.com/).
You can announce all types of events to the national media by getting it featured at
Daybooknews.com. The cost is currently $95 per listing.
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4.9.5.
Teleseminar DeveloperГ•s Checklist
Telephone
Bridge Line
Topic of discussion
Tape Recorder (optional)
4.10. Selling Your Information as a Service
If you want to get paid for your knowledge, but you don’t want to package it as an
information product, the next best thing is to sell it as a service. Consulting or
speaking services, to be exact.
But remember one thing -- you become an hourly wage-earner again. Yes, there’s
some up-front preparation and marketing and building before you start to see great
results from your infoproducts. But once it starts to build, it’s leveraged. Each new
customer does not require an extra second of your time.
Still, let’s look at all the options...
Consultants get paid to analyze a specific situation or problem, and give their
professional opinion on how to change or improve it. As a consultant, you must
be very knowledgeable within your given field, and you should be a results-oriented
person. Lack of good results is a sure-fire way to kill your consulting career very
quickly.
Almost any topic that you are proficient in can be sold as a consulting service.
If you were once the advertising director of an auto repair chain, you could sell your
consulting services to owners of other auto repair shops. If in your previous life you
were a top corporate CEO, you could coach other up and coming CEOs on the
various do’s and taboos of being in a top position. A person who is skilled at selling
by telephone could provide private consultations to employees of telemarketing
companies.
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The varieties of services you can offer are limited only by your own skills.
While consultants normally work in a one-on-one situation...
... speakers present their knowledge to groups of people.
Associations hire speakers for trade shows and conferences. Corporations
bring in speakers to educate their employees. Schools and educational facilities
hire speakers to teach classes and workshops.
Speaking engagements range from keynote presentations (which are less than 90
minutes), to half-day presentations, to full-day presentations, to panel
appearances with multiple speakers. And just like consultants, speakers are hired
to give presentations on just about any topic imaginable. Where there’s a major
gathering, there’s probably a need for a speaker.
You can get more information about becoming a consultant by checking out the
following resources:
• Consulting for Dummies by Bob Nelson and Peter Economy
• Independent Consulting by David Kintler
• Consultant Resource Center (http://www.consultant-center.com/)
• Janet Ruhl’s Computer Consultant Resource Page (http://www.realrates.com/)
• Professionals and Consultants Online (http://www.pwgroup.com/ccorner/)
Aspiring speakers should investigate...
• Inspire Any Audience by Tony Jeary
• Speak and Grow Rich by Dottie and Lilly Walters
• The Toastmasters International Guide to Successful Speaking by Jeff Slutsky
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and Michael Aun
• Speaking Your Way to the Top by Marjorie Brody
• How to Make it Big in the Seminar Business by Paul Karasik
• National Speakers Association (http://www.nsaspeaker.org/)
• ONlearning.net (http://www.speaking.com/forspeakers.html)
• Business Speakers Resource Online (http://www.tpag.com/TSF/bsr/)
Between consultants (one-on-one, totally interactive) and speakers (one-to-many,
pretty rigid apart from limited Q&A), there lies workshops or coaching sessions. I
guess you could call this one-to-several, with fair flexibility.
Still, if you position yourself well and offer true value, you can charge a fairly high fee
to 10-20 people at a time.
4.10.1. Unique Ways to Promote Your Service
• Take Advantage of Free Directories.
If you’re marketing consulting services, you can get listed in...
National Consultant Referrals (http://www.referrals.com/)
The Expertise Center (http://www.expertcenter.net/)
The Expert Marketplace (http://www.pengroup.com/)
Speakers can get listed at...
Speakers Platform (http://www.speaking.com/)
Training Forum (http://www.trainingforum.com/)
Training Registry (http://www.tregistry.com/homefrme.htm)
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• Name Drop.
If you’ve worked with major corporations, be sure to list which ones on your Web site
and other marketing correspondence. Even if you haven’t worked for any larger
companies, if you list the ones you have done work for, including a Web site link, it
still builds your credibility. The whole point is to show happy customers.
• Make Yourself Available to the Media.
I seek out every editor and journalist within my field, and snail-mail them...
... one of my Rolodex cards. This card includes... My name,
address, URL, e-mail address, telephone/fax numbers, and a brief list of topics I can
be interviewed for.
Whenever they need a source for a story, they always have my card on file. Does it
work? Hey...
Using this technique has landed me on the pages of several publications, including
the Washington Business Journal and Home Office Computing magazine.
4.11. ACTION STEP #2
Well, that’s about it... just about every possible way that you could package your
information. Complete this step only after you have completed...
вќ’
ACTION STEP #1 -- Choose a topic for your information product.
Ready? Time for ACTION STEP #2...
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Review the preceding sections of this chapter and decide how to package your
pearls... manuals? booklets? e-books? teleseminars? Think it through and choose
carefully -- it all depends on your topic, your customers, and your abilities.
And while you’re doing that, before you go any further, think ahead to the next
step...
Your next product.
No, it’s not too soon. It’s exactly the right time!
STOP! Do not pass GO. Do not collect $200. And do not proceed any further with
MYKS! until you have completed this ACTION STEP.
4.12. When to Build Your Back End...
When to build your back end product? Now! Here’s why...
If you’ve never created an information product before, there’s nothing like the initial
thrill of seeing your words of wisdom emerge for the world to see. It’s like seeing a
beautiful sunset with a loved one in your arms. Indeed, that taste of beginner’s
excitement is something that most of us will never forget.
But believe it or not, that’s not even the biggest thrill of being an infopreneur. It
doesn’t even come close to being the icing on the cake!
What does make being an infopreneur so wonderful is a simple process called
“back-end” sales. Your back-end infoproducts are basically going to be the
follow-ups to your first information product. They continue to educate the
customer on topics within your niche.
With my own infoproduct career, I started out with a manual set for infopreneurs, and
then created a back-end arsenal of special reports, audiotapes, a newsletter,
consulting services, and workshops, to further help budding info-sellers.
Back-end sales give you the luxury of selling to the same customers over and
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over again, which is considerably easier and cheaper than hawking your wares to
new prospects. And whenever you come out with a new information product, you’ll
have a preestablished database of bona fide buyers. Simply announcing new
products or services to them will create additional revenue.
I have a core group of customers who have purchased every single one of my
information products. So no matter what I come out with, I know I can count on
making “X” amount of dollars from this particular group. This is how many of the
top infopreneurs make their fortunes. It’s not necessarily with the initial
infoproduct, but through second, third, fourth, and other additional sales.
And besides that, if you’re looking to seriously advance your professional position, or
you intend on making info-selling a full-time gig, you’ll definitely want to consider
creating back-end products for more leverage within your field.
Now, although it’s called a back-end product, this does not mean it should be
created second. On the contrary. The best time to start thinking about and
developing your back-end product is while creating your first information product.
This way you’ll know exactly how to divide your ideas, what you’re going to expand
upon, and so on. Trust me, from personal experience, planning this way makes
the creation process a thousand times easier.
Now that you have completed ACTION STEPS #1 and #2 for your first product, it’s
time to answer...
... the 4 P’s of your back-end. This is ACTION STEP #3.
4.12.1. WhatГ•s The Purpose?
What will this second information product do?
• Expand upon a single major point contained in the first product?
For example, if you’ve written a general parenting guide, your back-end might be a
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booklet on how to discipline a child, without spankings. It’s a much more focused
topic.
• Provide a multimedia explanation of a major point contained in the first
product, like audio or video?
Another way to elaborate upon a specific point, is to use audio or video to tell the
story. Using the parenting guide as an example again, you could create a video on
how to bathe a baby.
• Offer an advanced explanation of the points contained in the first product?
In your first information product you give the basics. And in the back-end product
you offer more advanced details. If you wanted to have a front-end and back-end on
the topic of creating an e-zine, you could start off with a manual that shows readers
how to pick a list host, ideas for getting subscribers, and how to format an e-zine. All
very basic topics.
The back-end product could then detail how to build a subscriber list with offline
methods, how to personalize your e-zine, and attracting advertisers. This is a little
more meat-and-potatoes for the veteran e-zine publisher.
• Provide a list of resources?
Depending on the niche, you could compile a fairly large and detailed information
product that consists of nothing but resources. This can be in the form of a
directory.
• Provide a customized explanation/report to the customer?
This is a great way to enhance very basic information. A bird training manual
featuring basic tips and ideas could be back-ended with a customized report that
gives the reader specific ideas based on the bird’s age, type, the owner’s training
experience, etc.
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• Offer consistently updated information?
There are certain topics in which facts and data are constantly being changed. If
this happens to be your case, you might want to look into doing a back-end product
where you can constantly supply updated information. A newsletter is an excellent
packaging choice here.
• Give the same generic advice to a new niche?
Marketing advice is a perfect example of generic information, which can be delivered
to several different audiences. Perhaps the basic premise of your advice can be
altered for additional industries.
Write down your choice for your back-end product...
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
4.12.2. WhatГ•s The Packaging?
How will this new information product be packaged?
Here are 14 product combinations to choose from. Circle your choice.
• Booklet and audiotape
• Workbook style manual with checklists, forms, and/or templates
• Video and workbook style manual
• Print newsletter
• Yearly/semiannually/quarterly directory of resources
• Video series
• Audio series
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• CD-ROM series
• Consulting sessions
• Manual with consultation
• Teleclass
• Teleclass and workbook style manual
• Ongoing teleclass and print newsletter
• Password-protected Web site
• Yearly/semiannually/quarterly workshops or coaching sessions
• Your own creation (mix and match any of the above)...
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
As you can see, there are multiple directions that you can go in. I’ve found by
constantly referring back to this list, you’ll always have fresh ideas and concepts for
your back-end products.
Here are a few working examples of a front and back-end information product
hierarchy.
TOPIC Golf for women
Front-end -- A manual titled “The Women’s Guide to Mastering the Game of Golf”
Back-end -- A video that demonstrates golf swings, a monthly newsletter for
semiprofessional women golfers.
TOPIC Fine art collecting
Front-end -- A booklet titled “The Art of Collecting Fine Art for a Living”
Back-end -- A monthly newsletter called “Professional Fine Art Collector,” a video
that shows collectors how to spot a fraud, a directory titled “Art Collecting Around the
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World,” which features all sorts of resources for professional art collectors.
TOPIC Stock market investing
Front-end -- A manual titled “The World’s Most Unusual Stock Market Advice”
Back-end -- Audiotaped interviews where unusual investors tell their secrets, a
newsletter featuring the latest unusual investment tips, a video of unusual investors
at work, a password-protected Web site where customers can talk to one another
about various techniques.
I really like this last example. Think of ways to put an unusual, bold spin onto your
product. You have to stand out.
4.12.3. WhatГ•s The Promotion?
How will I let people know about this back-end information product?
It’s been said that 80% of your sales typically come from 20% of your existing
buyers. So the best thing you can possibly do is keep your previous customers
up to date with all of your new products. Put sales letters in all of your orders...
send bonus coupons to existing customers... include samples and excerpts with all
orders. You know the routine.
Of course, you’ll want to promote all of your information products on your Web site
and e-zine. In two chapters, I will help you do just that.
4.12.4. WhatГ•s the Price?
You will only set the price for your infoproduct a bit later. But you should have an
idea at this stage of what both your first and your follow-up product will cost.
Together with the other 3P’s, this will help you during the development of both
products, especially in terms of how much and what goes into each.
Pay special attention here... the street fighter speaks from a position of
experience. You can learn this the easy way... or the hard way.
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4.13. ACTION STEP #3
Complete this step only after you have completed...
вќ’
ACTION STEP #1 -- Choose a topic for your information product.
вќ’
ACTION STEP #2 -- Pick a packaging format for your information product.
Ready? Time for ACTION STEP #3...
Decide upon your follow-up infoproduct now -- outline the 4 P’s. Start development
right now, alongside your first product.
STOP! Do not pass GO. Do not collect $200. And do not proceed any further with
MYKS! until you have completed this ACTION STEP.
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5.
So YouГ•re Not Hemingway
It Does Not Matter!
Writing fiction is not like writing nonfiction. It takes a true gift to write great fiction.
But if you know your subject matter, you (and anyone else) can write solid
nonfiction.
It’s true. Even with nonfiction... there are some people who can sit down at a
computer, and crank out page after page of word-filled wonder. But most folks need
a mini brain explosion to get moving in the “write” direction.
Perhaps this is you. If it is, get your brain...
... ready to sizzle. I’ll try not to explode it, OK?
You’re well aware of the fact that there’s an idea floating around in your brain. You
know that it wants to make its grand debut to the rest of the world. But the
hindrance is the thought of sitting down in front of that keyboard and monitor, then
freezing up from a sudden lack of words.
One minute you’ve got ideas dancing in your head like sugarplums. The next, you
can’t even remember your own name!
I believe a huge portion of this problem has to do with lack of an easy-to-follow
writing formula. One that’ll work whether you’re doing an audiotape, a manual,
booklet, or whatever packaging method you choose.
Formulas offer a plug-and-play template for development. When you have clear
guidelines, the writing process becomes far more straightforward.
So in this section I’ve compiled a list of sample outlines that you can use to actually
write your information product. They’ll make your life a lot easier if you use them as
a foundation for your project. You’ll also find a selection of “brain jump-starting”
techniques that’ll help you find your writer’s muse.
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All right... put your fears and writing inhibitions to the side. Throw on your creativity
cap, and get ready to go to the next level of infoproduct creation!
5.1.
Tools of the Outlining Trade
Not every information product is going to be created the same way. So instead of
giving you a set outline, I’ve put together seven different writing/outlining tools
that you can use either separately or together. Each element lets you add a
different form of content to your information product.
You’ll notice while reading Make Your Knowledge Sell! that I’ve included a little of
each throughout the book.
5.1.1.
Outline With These Mix-n-Match Components
Following are the basic elements that you’ll find in any information product. Use the
ones that fit to start your outline. I’ve included ideas as to what you can put in each
section -- think through each of these issues as you read.
Foreword
• An introduction to your information product, by another person. If possible, choose
one of the top names in the industry.
Introduction
• Give surprising statistics, and then reasons why you think these statistics exist
• Tell about another person’s story/experience
• Tell your own story or experience
• Dispel typical myths in the industry
• Basically, let your readers know where they’re going and how they’ll get there.
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How to Get the Most Out of This Audiotape (manual, booklet, etc.)
• Give a rundown of each chapter
• Tell readers what to expect
• Tell readers what tools/time they’ll need
• Who should use the information product
Problem/Solution
• Give a basic description of the problem/solution
• Give a list of 5 or more solutions
• Do a before-and-after case scenario
• Briefly reiterate the problem and solutions at the end of the section
• Let other people tell their story on how they conquered the problem
Tips
• Give a description of the problem
• Offer the tip as a solution
• If you have space, offer an example of the tip at work
Essential Tools
• A list of must-have tools for completing the job
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• Include a description of each tool, where to find it, how much it costs, etc.
Typical Rules of the Game
• Do’s and taboos
• A list of each step, detail-by-detail
Graphical Explanation/Demonstration
• Either have a picture, or example of something within the subject matter. For
example, if you were writing a section on press releases, you would include a few
samples, along with an explanation of how you created it.
• Use video if something demos well that way.
Terminology Directory
• Include a dictionary type of list containing buzz words and their definitions within
the industry.
Final Chapter
• A summary of major points within the information product
• Predictions
• Final motivating message. It’s so important for your readers to go beyond reading.
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5.1.2.
How to Start... & How to End
Have you ever wondered what you should include as the...
... front and back matter of your infoproduct? Ponder no more.
The first page inside of the printed cover should remain blank (blank page not
necessary for electronic publications).
The second page is your title page, copyright notice, name of your publishing
company, contact info, ISBN number, and the Library of Congress number.
The third page is your dedication, and the fourth starts your Table of Contents.
There is, of course, room for some variation. If you’re doing a booklet, leave out the
dedication page or squeeze a brief version onto the second page. And, as in the
case of MYKS!, it’s OK to take an extra page to cover the basic starters.
The last four pages start off with a blank page marked “NOTES” at the top. Next is
your promotion page, which gives a bio about you and/or your company. And the
last two are your catalog pages, describing other products and services that you
offer. Be sure to include ordering information.
See the first four and the last four pages of MYKS! for a working example.
5.1.3.
Tips for Tips!
Got a whole bunch of random thoughts or great ideas about a subject? Great! Keep
writing them down whenever you get them. Either compile them into a small
infoproduct (ideally, a booklet) or seed them throughout a larger work.
First, let’s talk about compiling them into a booklet...
It’s a very simple approach where your information product is compiled from
multiple tips or ideas. For example, “101 Ways to Buy a Home With Alternative
Financing,” “30 Money-Saving Secrets the IRS Doesn’t Want You to Know About,”
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or “55 Techniques to Help You Make Your Next Training Program a World-Class
Affair.”
Using this element, you can either include a single tip on each page, or do two on
a page. If there are a few really outstanding tips in the bunch, you can devote a
single page to each one of those.
In order to differentiate your special tips from the rest of the bunch, you might want
to make your page borders a little more ornate than the others.
If you are working on a larger product, like a full e-book...
Scatter special Tip Boxes in all chapters. These Tip Boxes would contain
additional notes to help the reader. Calling them “Tips” would be rather boring,
though. So develop a special concept for these random-but-valuable thoughts -work them in as “special guidelines” or “cutting edge techniques.” For example...
We thought it would be a good idea for Ken to add his thoughts on important areas
throughout MYKS! So you’ll notice in this manual there are several highlighted
areas containing Ken’s Comments.
This is a great approach for a Tip Box. It breaks up the copy, makes the text more
pleasant to read, and adds a second voice that comments on what you have just
read.
5.1.4.
You Do the Legwork So Their Fingers
Can Do the Walking... or the Clicking!
This element is a lifesaver if you feel shaky about your writing skills. Basically all
you’re doing is organizing a list of places, vendors, Web sites, etc., within your
niche. Sort of like a Yellow Pages, except the type of information you’ll be including
is totally dependent on the purpose of your directory.
Directory of resources are relatively easy to compile if you’re building the info from
the Internet. I did this with my own 186 Places to Promote and Sell Your
Information Product Online. The only thing you must decide is what key points
you want to give about each resource.
With my 186 Places manual I included all the info any aspiring infopreneur would
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want to know...
• the name of the resource
• Web site URL
• street address
• telephone/fax numbers
• contact person
• e-mail address
• whether they had an e-zine and if they accepted articles from outside sources
• whether they had a links page, and if so, how you got listed
• whether they ran any discussion groups, and if so, what topics were discussed
• whether there was an affiliate bookstore on site, and if so, the types of books they
carried
• whether they did book reviews on the site.
Let’s say you wanted to compile a directory entitled “The First-Time Bride’s
Resource Guide.” Simple challenge, right? What does the bride want to know?
You could have data like...
• reception locations
• wedding dress designers
• limousine companies
• caterers
• flower shops
• everything else a first-time bride needs to make her wedding a wonderful occasion.
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There’s value in this, of course. You’ve done all the legwork for the bride. She’s in
no mood to do all this work. She just wants to plan her wedding!
5.1.5.
FAQs... Convert Г’??Г“ into Г’$$Г“
Although Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) can be adapted to all types of
information products, they are best suited for booklets and audiotapes. Here’s
what to do...
Type up a list of 10-50 of the most commonly asked questions within your niche.
Then you’re going to answer each question, in as much depth as you feel
necessary. There are countless ways to spin this basic idea...
If you decide to add this element to a booklet, you can include a single question
and answer on each page. By the way, this makes a great...
... giveaway item for new prospects and customers.
If you’re going to do the audio version, you can have another person ask the
questions, and you answer them. This “interview format” makes it sound a lot
more professional.
Or you could publish an e-zine that answers a new question by a different expert in
your field every week.
In MYKS!, you’ll notice that I’ve used this element with the One-on-One With
Monique chapter.
5.1.6.
Checklists Make It Foolproof
When you write a “how-to” for someone, you’re the one who’s been there. And your
reader has not. While you were figuring it out, I’m sure you left out a step here and
there, causing a lot of lost time. Save your reader that bother. Provide her with...
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... a checklist. Or better still, lots of checklists.
Most people just don’t get organized. So if you organize them, you’re providing true
value. Of course, they are not just valuable, but they’re easy to do -- no Hemingway
talent needed here!
All you have to do is assemble a list of things that the reader will need, and/or
actions that she will have to perform, in order to achieve a certain goal. For
example...
See The Online Info-sellers Jump Start Kit that comes with MYKS! I still sell this
on my site (http://www.sellyourbrainfood.com/jumpstart.htm) for $87 -- I’m still
not sure how I let Ken talk me into including the digital version as part of the MYKS!
package!
The Jump Start Kit includes comprehensive checklists for designing Web sites,
checklists for creating e-zines, checklists for creating an information product, etc.
Each checklist features a series of 10-50 different questions and statements.
Believe me, if you work through those checklists, there’s no way you’ll overlook
anything important.
Depending on the number of checklists you have, and the length of each list, you
might want to build your checklists into a stand-alone booklet (if your checklists
are short), or include them as part of a manual if you have bigger quantities of
information.
Should you decide to package your checklists in manual, “to be really checked”
format, it’ll probably be better to place them in a three-ring binder. This way your
readers can make copies of checklists for use later.
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5.1.7.
Sprinkle with Г’Interview SpiceГ“
Interviewing others is a powerful and “no-writing-skills-needed” way to build valuable
content for your customer. Award-winning journalist and author Jaclyn Easton used
this element, almost exclusively, to create her 1999 bestseller, StrikingItRich.com
(http://www.StrikingItRich.com/). The book tells the success stories of 23 ordinary
Web site owners who managed to make big money despite their modest budgets.
I recently did a similar project, when I audiotaped...
... “How-did-you-become-successful” interviews with 5
online info-sellers who were profitable at their trades.
Choose people who are well-known within your niche, as they will add to the
strength and validity of your infoproduct. Also, when choosing potential
interviewees it’s best to locate more people than you think you’ll need. It always
happens that people will decline your invitation. So the more back-ups you have,
the better.
Where do you find people to interview? Try expert sites such as...
• Experts Exchange (http://www.experts-exchange.com/)
• Frenzi (http://www.frenzi.com/)
• Xpert Site (http://www.xpertsite.com/)
For particular subjects, there are “specialist expert” sites, such as...
• respondNET (http://www.respondnet.com/) for computer-related questions
• Ask a Chef (http://www.askachef.com/) for food- and cooking-related questions
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If you’re looking for a person in particular, The Ultimates
(http://www.theultimates.com/) searches online white pages, yellow pages, and a
variety of other people-finder directories.
As far as a particular interviewing technique, I basically do e-mailed interviews. I
simply send the person a brief message explaining who I am, a description of my
forthcoming information product, and a request for an interview. In the same e-mail I
include 5-10 questions that they can answer.
Here’s an example:
Dear Matt Trimony,
My name is Monique Harris, and I’m working on a new book,
titled "How to Make Your Marriage Last." I noticed that you
run one of the top marriage sites on the Net, and was
wondering if I could interview you to be included in my new
book.
For your gracious time, I’ll of course send you a finished
copy of the product, as well as a link to your site within
the book and on my Web site.
If you choose to do the interview, I’ve included the
questions below. I’ll need them back no later than December
12, 2000. Either way, thank you for your time, and keep up
the great work with your site.
Regards,
Monique Harris http://www.MakeYourMarriageLast.com/
I’ve included interviews with Greg Landry and with Gary Lockwood in the
Introduction of MYKS! You can also strategically place interviews in various
locations throughout your own infoproduct.
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5.2.
Lead by Example...
OK, time to use the outlining tools to create two actual sample outlines...
The first one is for an upcoming manual I’m doing, titled The Online Bookstore
Owner’s Profit Guide. The second is for a topic that everyone can relate to.
Let’s see how we incorporate the outlining tools to show you how they all work
together to start the outline. I’ll let you complete each!...
5.2.1.
Outline #1...
The Online Bookstore OwnerГ•s Profit Guide
Foreword
Given by Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com
Introduction
• Reasons why most online bookstores fail
Chapter 1 -- Checklist
What You Need to Start an Online Bookstore
Chapter 2 -- ABC’s of Setting Up
• Outline all nuts and bolts issues
Chapter 3 -- Tips
50 Ideas for Promoting Your Online Bookstore
• Include interviews/profiles of bookstore owners who use these techniques.
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Chapter 4 -- Directory of Resources
More Online Bookstore Owner Resources
• Affiliate programs
• Discussion lists
• E-zines
• Web sites
• Other books
• Consultants
• Web site designers
Flesh it out. What have I left out? Add some new ideas. How would you finish it?
Add at least five ideas, using the outlining tools above.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
5.2.2.
Outline #2...
How to Become a Millionaire in 3 Years or Less
Introduction
• Checklist on how to choose your path towards riches
• Statistics on how most people create their wealth
• Tips to keep in mind when creating wealth quickly
Chapter 1 -- Tips
Wealth Begins in the Mind
• Ideas for creative visualization
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Chapter 2 -- Mix-and-Match
Wealth-Creating Real Estate Strategies
• Interviews/profiles of successful real estate investors
• Have a checklist of all the essential tools you need to invest in real estate
• Frequently asked questions about investing in real estate
• Directory of resources -- Web sites, e-zines, and publications for real estate
investors
Chapter 3 -- Mix-and-Match
Climbing Your Way to the Top of the Entrepreneurial Ladder
• Interviews/profile with entrepreneurs
• Tips for creating a profitable business
• Directory of resources -- Web sites, e-zines, and publications for entrepreneurs
Chapter 4 -- Mix-and-Match
Become a Stock Market Mogul
• Typical rules of the game for investing in the stock market
• Checklist to determine what type of investor the reader is
• Graphical explanation of how to read stock charts and financial pages
• Terminology directory featuring buzz words used in the stock industry
• Directory of resources -- Web sites, e-zines, and publications for investors
Chapter 5 -- Final Chapter
Advice For Your Travels
This one’s a bit more advanced. I borrowed a few techniques from Put Some Meat
on Them Bones! (later in this chapter). But there’s still lots of room for you to grow
this product. What have I left out? Add some new ideas. How would you finish it?
Add at least five ideas, using the outlining tools above. Or come back and add to it
after you read Put Some Meat on Them Bones!
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
5.3.
ACTION STEP #4
Complete this step only after you have completed...
вќ’
ACTION STEP #1 -- Choose a topic for your information product.
вќ’
ACTION STEP #2 -- Pick a packaging format for your information product.
вќ’
ACTION STEP #3 -- Outline the 4P’s of your back-end infoproduct. Start
work on it now.
Ready? Time for ACTION STEP #4...
Still feel tongue-tied, errrr.... pen-tied, err... keyboard-tied? No, I didn’t think so. You
already have a ton of great brain-popping tools to get that keyboard clacking at the
speed of light. And remember... they are just starting points. Build upon them and
combine them with the other tools -- adapt them to fit the many different packaging
formats that we discussed earlier... you’ve got an unlimited number of stimulating
options!
OK, here’s your next ACTION STEP...
Make an outline that contains what you’ll cover... from the first four pages to the last
four and everything else in between, from Foreword and Introduction to the Final
Message.
Use the “Outline Components” to start. Then lay out the content chapters in a
logical progression. Subdivide that into logical smaller parts.
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Make a note when you get a great concept for how to work in a “Tips Box” or a set of
FAQs or a checklist. Think of a high-profile person for an interview -- e-mail him or
her right away. Review the “Tools of the Trade” and work out where you’ll include
what.
You don’t have to put flesh onto your outline yet -- that comes next. But please...
STOP! Do not pass GO. Do not collect $200. And do not proceed any further with
MYKS! until you have completed this ACTION STEP by having a fairly complete
outline for both your primary product and your back-end products.
5.4.
Put Some Meat on Them Bones!
You’ve come to...
... the last great hurdle for writing your information product. If
you’ve followed the previous steps (and you have, right?), you should now have an
outline for the content of your infoproduct.
All you have to do is add meat to the bones -- add the precise words and
substance to make your product complete. As you do this, the sequence of “hard
content” chapters and subchapters (i.e., your outline) will grow/change due to all the
great content you add.
This is normal -- just go with it. You really only finish your outline when you finish
your content. Here’s how...
5.4.1.
Time-Efficient Ways to Research Your Topic
and Become THE Expert in Your Field
Research and data collection become easy now that you have a good idea of what
type of content you’re going to have in your infoproduct. But just how do you go
about searching for that support information?
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Below you’ll find a cornucopia of key search tips for locating the data you’ll need to
complete your product. You can also check out the following resources...
• The On-Line Research Handbook by Hayden Mead and Andy Clark
• Find It Online by Alan M. Schlein
• The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Online Search Secrets by Michael Miller
• ResearchBuzz (http://www.researchbuzz.com/)
• SeekHelp (http://www.seekhelp.com/)
1) Looking for the answer to an obscure question? Answers.com
(http://www.answers.com/) offers a unique service, if you have a unique question.
You submit your most pressing questions to this site, and they’ll answer it via e-mail.
The site itself also has a selection of frequently asked questions that have already
been answered.
Another question-and-answer engine is Ask Jeeves (http://www.askjeeves.com/).
Ask Jeeves lets you pose a question and get a reply that’ll either lead you to a more
appropriate Web site or give you a direct answer.
Let’s say you needed some demographic information about people living in France.
You could enter a question like, “Where can I find demographic information for the
country of France?” And Ask Jeeves will return a list of possible responses.
2) You can have your own 24-hour research guide through About.com
(http://www.about.com/). This site features a compilation of Web sites, articles
and discussion groups on 600+ different topics. And the sweet thing about it is
that all the information is generated from a human SiteGuide (instead of a
computerized search engine spider) so the information tends to be very useful and
up-to-date here.
3) Be alerted about new Web sites in your niche, through a new service called
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My Spies (http://www.spyonit.com/). Through My Spies, you can set up your own
alert system for a variety of information in several different categories.
For example, if you want to see who’s talking about you online, there’s a Vanity
Spy for that. To keep track of when your competitors’ Web sites change, try the
Generic Page Spy. The PermaSearch spy will let you know when new Web sites
within your niche are added to the Web. The Usenet Newsgroup Spy will tell
you when a message appears with a certain phrase. This is a great system for
keeping track of new info in your niche, without having to scour the Web yourself.
4) Need a search engine that’ll cut straight to the chase? Google
(http://www.google.com/) will make you giggle by its simplicity. Google rates a site
based on which and how many other sites are linked to it. Plus it also calculates the
linking sites’ overall importance. So only the creme de la creme of Web sites make it
here.
Google is great if you’re looking for specific companies, proper names and other
types of official information.
5) Utilize meta search engines when you want the results from several search
engines/ directories, without having to visit each site individually. The top
ones are...
• MetaCrawler (http://www.go2net.com/search.html)
• InferenceFind (http://www.infind.com/)
• DogPile (http://www.dogpile.com/)
6) Use specialized and subject-specific directories when you want targeted
information. The Argus Clearinghouse (http://www.clearinghouse.net/)
features a large selection of specialized databases and directories on the Web.
SuperSeek (http://www.super-seek.com/) is another option. It links to more than
1,300 specialty directories.
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7) Need to locate a speech transcript? Gary Price has created a huge database
of business, government, historical and professional organization speech transcripts
at (http://gwis2.circ.gwu.edu/~gprice/speech.htm). There’s even a selection of
television and radio programs transcripts as well.
8) One of the best research investments you can make is a subscription to the
Electric Library (http://www.elibrary.com/). For only $9.95 a month, you will gain
access to thousands of magazine and newspaper articles, book excerpts,
newswires, book, movie and software reviews, photographs, and a complete
encyclopedia. You can sign-up to get a free 30-day trial at the site.
9) Use PortalSeek (http://www.portalseek.com/) to locate the big hub sites
within your niche. They’ll often lead you to a great deal of additional information.
10) If you ever need to know the exact mechanics of...
... how something operates, try How Stuff Works at
(http://www.howstuffworks.com/). They have dozens of categories to choose
from, including: computers, automotive, electronics, food, and so on.
11) And, of course, everyone’s high school favorite is now online and free...
Encylopedia Britannica Online
http://www.britannica.com/
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So what do you do with the reams and reams of data that you collect? I buy...
... several inexpensive folders of different colors. Each
folder is designated to a different chapter/section of the infoproduct.
As I scan the Internet and find relevant pieces of information, I print them out, and
put them into the appropriate chapter folder. Often I’ll highlight sections of the
printout, so I know exactly what to refer back to once I begin the writing process.
This way you’ll have a continuously growing file of ideas to work with.
5.4.2.
How Background Glues It All Together
The final step is to add filler to your product. Filler is the content that...
• adds depth to your material
• helps make your product flow in terms of the way it reads
• makes the important points of your infoproduct more understandable.
Here are six filler ideas that will enhance your information product...
1) Statistics -- Numbers, facts and figures are great for validating a point, showing
a trend, or expanding on a concept. So where do you find specific statistics?
You can start out by locating market research firms in your niche. They can be
found in any search engine/directory by simply typing in market research company
as your search term. Or try the Market Research Company Directory at
(http://www.researchinfo.com/directory/), for dozens of listings and links.
One thing you’ll notice is that these types of companies produce lots of press
releases to announce the results of a survey they’d been working on, or to promote
their market research reports. You can get up-to-date statistics through these
press releases, which can be used in your information product.
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And because the information in press releases are meant to be used by the media,
you don’t have to obtain permission to use these statistics, as long as you attribute
them to the company.
Another idea for locating stats is to try the Statistical Resources on the Web at
(http://www.lib.umich.edu/libhome/Documents.center/stats.html). They have
data on agriculture, business and industry, consumers, cost-of-living, demographics,
economics, education, energy, environment, finance, foreign government,
foreign/international economics, foreign trade, government finances, health, housing,
labor, military, politics, science, sociology, tourism, transportation and weather.
2) Your Personal Experiences -- If the information product you’re creating is
compiled from a topic on which you have hands-on knowledge, be sure to
incorporate your own personal stories and experiences.
People love stories and they learn well from stories -- so stories are a double-winner
way to transmit information. Tell exactly what happened in your particular
situation, as well as the end result, how you were affected, what and why you did,
etc. Most importantly, make the lessons clear.
If you tell your stories well, your customers get tremendous value. They can “get the
lesson” without “paying the price!”
3) Other People’s Experiences -- Of course, everything can’t happen to you (I
hope!). So you’ll have to locate other people who can tell stories for you!
As you’ve read throughout this manual, discussion groups are excellent tools for
more than one reason, when creating an information product. And here comes yet
another idea for using these communication hubs.
While creating your information product, scan relevant discussion groups to
find stories and comments that appropriately match whatever you’re writing
about.
For instance, if the topic of your book is “how to rebound from a broken relationship,”
you would first join relationship-related discussion groups. Then you’d look for
participants’ stories, explaining how they survived their own relationship situations.
Print out these posts and keep them on file.
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While you’re writing, you’ll find natural locations where these stories would fit right in.
(You might even want to write the general content first, and then add the stories
when you’re finished.)
In order to add other people’s words to your information product, you must obtain
permission from the person who posted. This is done by e-mailing the person a
brief note. Explain...
• who you are
• the purpose of the information product you’re creating
• how you intend to use their post.
Here’s a sample letter you can use...
Dear Mr. Collins,
On September 19, 1999, you posted a message to the Aspiring
Professional Chefs discussion board, explaining how you’ve
managed to secure three chef jobs at top-notch restaurants.
I’m currently writing a booklet titled "Secrets For Becoming
a World-Renowned Chef," and I wanted permission to reprint
your message in the booklet. It would fit in perfectly with
a section I’m working on called "Job Search Tips From the
Pros."
Of course I’ll send you a review copy, once the booklet is
complete.
If this is agreeable with you, all I need is your okay.
I’m enclosing a copy of your actual message below, in case
you wanted to elaborate or eliminate something.
Thanks for your time.
Regards, Peter Colleti
4) Examples -- Throughout this manual I’ve included several examples of the
information I’m explaining. For instance, I have lots of sample e-mails and
discussion group posts that were designed to save you time and help you better
understand the theories.
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Include similar types of examples and samples within your information product.
Don’t just tell your readers to write a letter, give them a sample letter. Don’t explain
the details of a negotiation, give a sample dialogue of two people actually
negotiating. Instead of giving step-by-step details of a process, show how a
company has successfully implemented this process.
Take your reader out of the “Land of Theory” and into “Reality” by using examples -it’s a far more powerful way to learn.
5) Pictures -- There’s an old saying that a picture is worth a thousand words.
This is especially true for an infoproduct. For e-books, pictures also break up the
monotony of the screen. So...
... make the subject matter a little more fun to read, even if it’s a
cute little “nothing” picture like this one.
Charts and graphs can be particularly instructive, of course. They quickly give the
reader a more accurate understanding of what they’re reading.
Whatever graphics you choose to use, make sure they’re royalty-free (or you could
be sued!) I used ArtToday (http://www.arttoday.com/) for the graphics in Make
Your Knowledge Sell! as did Ken for Make Your Site SELL! Their graphics are
royalty-free, but ArtToday does require copyright notification (see legal page at the
beginning of book).
6) Article Clips -- I subscribe to several newsletters within my niche so that I can
keep abreast of upcoming trends and ideas. Often times I’ll run across a few
paragraphs within a news story that would fit in perfectly with an information
product I’m working on.
If I decide that I want to use a particular clip, I simply e-mail the writer of the article
and ask for permission to use it. This is a necessary step even if it’s just a brief
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sentence you want to use. (Otherwise you could be sued for copyright
infringement!)
Here’s a letter that you can borrow for a similar arrangement...
Dear Article Writer,
My name is Steven West, and I’m working on a manual titled
"101 Tips to Make Your Marriage Work."
I would like permission to use the following two paragraphs
from your article "Everlasting Love in the 90’s":
"Paragraph 1... blah, blah, blah.
Paragraph 2... blah, blah, blah."
Of course I will send you a copy of the finished work. Plus
I will include a link to your Web site within the manual.
Please let me know if this is agreeable to you.
Thank you!
Chris Johnson
Depending on the writer, you may be asked to pay a fee for reprint rights.
5.5.
How to Turbo-Boost Your Output
There’s nothing more empowering than being able sit down at your computer and
effortlessly crank out page after page of valuable information. Sometimes you can
work for 5-6 hours straight. And because you’re in “the zone,” it has barely felt like
an hour.
I get moments like that. Times when I’m writing, and the words come out so
perfectly that I have to stop for a few seconds, stand up, and blow kisses to the
heavens for allowing me to weave the English language in such an empowering
way. It’s like my brain has become a super computer, and the thoughts are
never-ending.
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Being able to create like this will give the stamina you need to break through writer’s
block, conquer the “I don’t have any ideas” blues, and keep your energy level
flowing.
The wonderful thing is that I’ve learned some simple techniques for kick-starting
and sustaining this level of writer’s euphoria. The following six exercises will
guide you easily through the process.
Free that muse!
Monique’s an exciting, and excited, person. It comes easily to her. There are times
when I sit in front of my monitor, writer-blocked, screaming up to the skies...
... “How can it be so easy for Monique???”
Now I know! Try these power drills to get that keyboard clacking. They work!...
5.5.1.
Г’TalkГ“ Your Information into a Tape Recorder
I sometimes find that when you don’t have the gumption to sit down and type
something out, the next best thing is to audiotape your thoughts. For instance,
sometimes I imagine that I’m giving a presentation, and I just start rambling about a
specific topic.
You’re not striving for perfection, just enough to get your thoughts flowing.
This rambling is often just the fire you need to get the blaze going.
You can either use your audio notes to create an outline for a specific chapter, or
sometimes you can transcribe them directly into your information product, as is.
Or sometimes, your “out loud” thoughts will spark new ideas... even whole new
chapters.
5.5.2.
Find Your Magic Г’Peak Writing HoursГ“
We all have different biorhythms. Which means that you have a peak...
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... time. This is the time of day when you soar, when you are able
to output both quality and quantity. Your mind is sharp and clear (or at least not as
fuzzy as other times!).
I find that when I write after 6 P.M., I tend to work a lot faster and more efficiently.
Around 10 P.M., I really get super-intense. And then around midnight to 2 A.M., I
start getting sleepy-eyed. So I know I can normally count on 6 good writing hours
per day. (Morning? What’s that? I always thought morning was a bad rumor!)
Once you start your infoproduct career, strive to discover those few kind hours
during the day (or night) when you feel like the writer’s muse is resting on your
shoulder, whispering ideas galore into your brain. Once you do, save these times
for creating your infoproducts. Save the off-peak hours for the mundane stuff
(answering e-mail, accounting, etc.).
Important stuff -- match your infoproduct-creating activity to your peak periods.
Ultimately, your infoproduct business will live or die depending on...
• the quality of your products
and
• how long it takes you to create them.
5.5.3.
Work on Two Projects at a Time
This step has multiple benefits to your writing spirit. For one thing, it prevents your
brain from getting too oversaturated in any one thing. A little diversion every
now and again is good to help you refocus.
Secondly, it lets you transfer ideas. For example, there may be something that
you’re doing with one project that may fill a missing link on another project.
And finally, working on two projects makes you a faster writer. You’ll learn how
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to put out twice as many products, in only half the time. Imagine what this is going
to do for your income -- and for your writing self-esteem?!?
I know one thing for sure -- when I got tired of writing about traffic-building in MYSS!,
I switched to site-selling with a fresh, new mind.
Think the follow-up product might be your right “other product” to work on?
5.5.4.
Save Your Intro for the End
So many people waste time writing their introduction at the beginning. They labor
and struggle. Then they sulk because they’re not really happy with the intro. My
advice?
Skip it and save it for the end. Why?
Introductions are basically summaries of the information product, or a chapter. Your
infoproduct will take on a life of its own as it grows, probably even taking a new
direction or two. So if you want to have something to summarize, do it last.
5.5.5.
Keep a Recorder on You at All Times
If you haven’t already noticed, ideas and brain explosions strike during the
weirdest times. Water must do the trick for me, because I get some of my best
ideas when I’m in the shower, or washing dishes.
You may discover that million-dollar idea while you’re watching television, riding the
train, cooking dinner, brushing your teeth, or doing some other “non-thinking” task.
I asked Ken (he’s a doc, you know) about this. Here’s what he said... while your
conscious mind isn’t focused on anything in particular, your subconscious is
constantly at work putting little thought pieces together. And your subconscious
mind can “pop” that great idea out at you at any time.
So it’s vitally important to keep...
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... a small notepad of some sort in your purse or pocket. If you
don’t have the space for a notepad, keep a few lined index cards with you. You don’t
want to miss any of those brain droppings!
I wish “water” was my “weird time.” No, it’s 3 A.M. So not only keep my mini-Sony
on me, I keep it by my bedside at night. So do most serious info-creators.
Don’t leave home without one. Actually, don’t stay home without one either.
5.5.6.
HereГ•s a Good Way to Plug the Holes...
Almost everybody comes to a certain point when writing, where they feel like all
thought has ceased to exist. In this case, stop, scroll up to the top...
... and start reading aloud.
Invariably, you’ll find holes to fill in, non sequiturs that need “sequitting,” and other
errors (including grammar) that need to be corrected. It’s a good way to get an
“outsider’s look” without calling anyone!
This really works -- I do this all the time. It works for two reasons...
1) When you read aloud, it’s as if you can hear someone else reading it. It’s not the
same as when you “thought-read.”
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2) Reading aloud forces you to slow down and read every word. So you can’t
brain-skim past weak parts -- instead, they pop right out at you.
5.6.
ACTION STEP #5
Complete this step only after you have completed...
вќ’
ACTION STEP #1 -- Choose a topic for your information product.
вќ’
ACTION STEP #2 -- Pick a packaging format for your information product.
вќ’
ACTION STEP #3 -- Outline the 4P’s of your back-end infoproduct. Start
work on it now.
вќ’
ACTION STEP #4 -- Make a fairly complete outline for your infoproduct,
including the back-end one.
Ready? Time for ACTION STEP #5...
Showtime! Put it all together. Using everything you’ve learned, finish the first draft
of your infoproduct. Yes, completely. It’s do or die time. I hope you choose to...
... Do it!
STOP! Do not pass GO. Do not collect $200. And do not proceed any further with
MYKS! until you have completed this ACTION STEP by completing your first draft of
your first infoproduct. You should also at least have completed a good outline of
your follow-up product.
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5.7.
Name That Infoproduct...
Your Title Can Make or Break You!
Make the outward appearance of your information product as tempting as possible.
Why?
Because there’s no way a prospect can thumb through your works as if they were in
a bookstore. Your title is a major part of that outward appearance.
There are several ways that you can develop a title...
• create it from scratch
or
• use one of my seven title-creating formulas
or
• improvise with one of the templates below.
You may even mix a “dash of a formula”...
... with a pinch of template to help you come up with an original
idea.
Neat stuff -- use the techniques that follow to create chapter and subchapter titles
within your information product, too. These will form your Table of Contents (TOC).
And, as you’ll see in a bit, your TOC will help you drive sales. So every title of every
chapter and subchapter should be created with that in mind. Review MYKS!’s TOC
to see what I mean.
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One more thought... The first name that you fall in love with is probably not the best
one possible. So don’t stop there. Fall in love with at least 10 names. Then test
with as many friends as possible. Don’t stop creating and testing new titles until a
clear winner emerges.
5.7.1.
Sh-h-h... My Secret Formulas
for Creating Sales-Getting Titles
1) Place a major benefit in the title.
You’ve probably heard people say the same thing about headlines, but this also
holds true for titles. Here are a few examples... “How to Break Your Current Sales
Goals in 90 Days or Less,” or “How to Build a Million-Dollar Investment Portfolio -With $25 a Week.”
2) Use “How to ________” or numbers as part of your title.
For example...
• “How to Win the Las Vegas Slots, Without Losing Your Head”
• “How to Find the Perfect Private School for Your Child”
• “25 Ways to Find Vital Information Online”
• “101 Ideas to Make Your First Dinner Party a Smashing Success”
3) Use alliteration.
People remember titles that have similar-sounding words or phrases. For
instance...
• “52 Success Strategies for the New Car Salesperson”
• “How to Build a Billion Dollar Business on a Bootstrapper’s Budget”
4) Mention the intended reader.
This is an especially good strategy for marketing purposes. It immediately lets a
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potential customer know who the book is geared towards. A few examples include...
• The Poodle Owner’s Guide to Pampering Your Pet
• The Infopreneur Informer
• The Book Lover’s Guide to Shopping on the Net
5) Create a brand.
If you intend on producing an entire line of books with the same theme, then create
a brand to increase your titles name recognition. A brand would be something like
the Dummies or Idiot’s series.
Let’s say you want to do a line of booklets that show readers how to do things fast.
You could call your line the “Instant Series” -- and it would consist of “The Instant
Web Site Design Book” and “The Instant Dinner For Two Book,” etc.
6) Brainstorm with keywords.
This is an exercise to use when you’ve already come up with a title or two, and you
want to create a few additional ones.
For each main word in your title, you’re going to pull out your thesaurus, and list a
couple of alternative words. Now you can mix-and-match the words to develop
new titles. Here’s an example:
TITLE The Publisher’s Promotional PowerBase
|
|
|
Writer
Market
Kit
Author
Advertise Set
Infopreneur
Sell
Tools
Info-seller
7) Use subtitles.
If you can’t squeeze everything you want to say into the main title of your information
product, you can always create a subtitle to further elaborate your point. Here are
a few samples to get you going...
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TITLE How to Successfully Sell Information Products Online
Subtitle... Tips and techniques to help you make thousands by selling your
knowledge on the Net.
TITLE Healthy Mind -- Healthy Body
Subtitle... How to harness your brain power to rid illness from your body.
5.7.2.
33 Title Templates
Use these templates by themselves, or together with the preceding formula to
modify in whichever way you can brainstorm! And don’t forget -- use them, too, as
titles for your chapters and subchapters...
101 Ways to ______________________________________________________
101 Ways to ________ With Your _____________________________________
50 Tips and Techniques For ____________ Who Want to___________________
50 No-Fail Strategies For ____________________________________________
How to ________________________________________________ in Less Time
How to Improve Your ________________________________ in 90 Days or Less
How to Improve Your _______________Without Having to __________________
101 Questions Answered About _______________________________________
Questions and Answers for ____________________ Who Want to ___________
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101 Questions to Ask When You’re ____________________________________
The 10 Fundamentals of ____________________________ For _____________
_________ Rules For Overcoming Your Dependency on ____________________
Eliminate Your ___________________________ Without __________________
_________ Success Strategies For ___________ Who Want to ______________
16 Secrets to Create a Successful _____________________________________
Essential Forms and Checklists for Today’s ______________________________
How to Make the Most of ________________________ For Under $__________
The Underground Guide to ___________________________________________
The ______________Action Guide to Making More Money with ______________
The New _______________ Guide to __________________________________
Rules for _________________________________________________________
Secrets for ________________________________ Who Want to ____________
New Millennium Guidelines for ________________________________________
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The Idea Book for __________________________________________________
The Beginner’s Guide to _____________________________________________
How to _________________ Even If You Never __________________________
Winning the __________________________________________________ Race
Winning the __________________Race, Without Losing Your ______________
The ______________________ Toolkit for Improving Your __________________
Improve Your ______________________________ in ________ Months or Less
Make Your ______________________________ Last _____________________
How to Master the Art of _____________________________________________
Mastering the Art of ____________________ Even When You _______________
5.7.3.
10 Newsletter Title Templates
Just add water (i.e., your brand name or title) and mix. Presto, great newsletter
title...
The __________________ Informer
The __________________ Hotline
The __________________ Bulletin
The __________________ Newsline
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The __________________ Spotlight
The __________________ Wire
The __________________ Examiner
The __________________ Announcer
The __________________ Gazette
The __________________ Telegram
Geez, The SITE-SELL Spotlight is kind of growing on me!
5.8.
ACTION STEP #6
Complete this step only after you have completed...
вќ’
ACTION STEP #1 -- Choose a topic for your information product.
вќ’
ACTION STEP #2 -- Pick a packaging format for your information product.
вќ’
ACTION STEP #3 -- Outline the 4P’s of your back-end infoproduct. Start
work on it now.
вќ’
ACTION STEP #4 -- Make a fairly complete outline for your infoproduct,
including the back-end one.
вќ’
ACTION STEP #5 -- Finish the first draft of your infoproduct, and (at a
minimum) a thorough outline for your follow-up product.
Ready? Time for ACTION STEP #6...
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Ahhh.. the fun and easy step. Name that infoproduct! Test different names until
you’re sure you have the best one possible.
STOP! Do not pass GO. Do not collect $200. And do not proceed any further with
MYKS! until you have come up with a great title for your first product and a working
title for your follow-up.
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6.
From First to Final Draft
Feels great, doesn’t it? The creation part of your work is complete. Your
knowledge has been transformed into an actual information product, and it feels
oh-so-good to finally get the job done. Kudos to you!
Before you take your first tottering steps into the marketplace, here’s how to...
... strengthen your information product...
We’ll run through these steps using e-books as the example -- this is the most
common format for infoproducts, and also the most involved. If you are producing a
differently formatted infoproduct (ex., videotape), simply “translate” the details to
your own circumstances.
6.1.
Polish It Г•Til It Shines
No matter how intensely you’re into a topic... no matter if you sit at the computer day
in and day out talking, thinking and writing about it... I’ve come to the conclusion that
the first draft of your information product is almost never your absolute best
quality.
You will certainly think it is. (Because all new infoproduct parents do!) But I’m
willing to bet...
... my big toes that once you go through it again, you’ll realize
that there’s still some work to be done.
I know about this one firsthand. When I came out with How to Make Your Business
Famous in 6 Months or Less, I thought it was the best thing since fried rice. That
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is, until I decided to do some updates a few months later. After an hour of revisions,
tears almost fell from my eyes. There were dozens of holes that I hadn’t seen the
first time around.
So here’s what to do...
After you finish your first draft, take a few days off. Put it down and don’t look at it
for at least a week. Take a mini-vacation with the family. Play some golf. In short...
give your brain a rest.
Feel better now? Headache all gone? Bright and bushy-tailed? OK then... get
back to work!
Print it all out. Get a red pen and a drink of your choice. Then find a nice, comfy
sofa. Ready?...
Read it. I guarantee that you’ll find lots of holes... non sequiturs, spots that are
unclear, gross typos, etc. You’ll also get several ideas, some about how to improve
and others that are brand new. Take notes with your red pen, right on your
manuscript. All done?...
Great, go back to your computer. Use all those red notes to complete your second
draft. Then do a spell-check. I’m not so keen on grammar-checkers, since the idea
is to communicate, not to worry about the future-imperfect tense. Still, if you’re
writing a more scholarly tome, grammar-checking is a good idea.
Now that you’ve got your second draft done...
I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to get away from the computer when
you review your first draft. You’ll spot much more on paper. You’ll be more patient
because you’re more comfortable. You’ll look at it and read it from a different angle,
opening your mind to new approaches and allowing you to see things that you
missed before.
Printing 250 pages is a pain, so I know you’ll be tempted to skip this step. If you
want to become a pro, don’t skip it.
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6.2.
How to Get the Last Kinks Out
Guess what? You are now officially too close to your product. You need...
... help. Help in the form of some outside eyes.
Borrow the services of a few good friends. Or hire a person within your niche
to critique your new creation. One of my customers got several people to willingly
review her new computer-buying manual, by simply posting a message to an
entrepreneurs’ discussion board. The feedback helped her greatly improve what
she had already written.
If you need to hire somebody, try eLance (http://www.elance.com/), or
Monster.com (http://www.monster.com/). Just be sure that your reviewer has a
decent amount of experience in the field that you’re writing about. You want
somebody who can catch goofy grammatical errors, as well as help you formulate
a complete information product.
I use friends and my wife. Ask them to write their comments down, and not to be
shy or considerate of your feelings. I guarantee you that they’ll spot problems that
you never thought of. They’ll ask questions that you assumed everyone knew.
Make Your Site SELL! must have been reviewed by at least 20 people... friends,
family and early beta-readers from the Net -- it was a much better product because
of this. And your final draft (yes, draft 3!) will be much the better for it, too.
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6.3.
Polish It One Last Time
Time for your third and final draft. This is...
... nausea time. By now, you really don’t feel like “one last read-through.”
But it’s important.
Integrate your reviewers’ comments. Then give your infoproduct one last onscreen
read-through. Read it from your customer’s point of view...
• are there areas that assume too much knowledge?
• does anything need clarification?
• are some spots too thin?
• most importantly, does the entire effort hang together?
After that, no more changes, text or otherwise, to your infoproduct. It’s time for final
formatting and cleanup. Here are your final prep steps...
STEP 1) Final spell-check and proofread (and perhaps a grammar-check,
depending on your needs and writing style). If you have typos all over the place, I
can tell you one thing -- I won’t take you seriously at all!
STEP 2) Style and font review -- consistent throughout? Ken has 30+ style rules
for the “Make Your” series of books. Making and following rules like these
(punctuation, spacing between headings, colors, page breaks, etc.) result in a fine,
finished product.
STEP 3) Graphic review -- clear? appropriate? Any others necessary?
STEP 4) Pagination -- page layout OK? No funny page breaks, please.
STEP 5) Table of Contents -- a must, along with a good index (more on index
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below). Make your reader’s life as easy as possible.
If you can afford it, hire a professional copyeditor to do the above STEPs. It’s
tedious, tiring work.
6.4.
The Index...
A Critical but Oft-Overlooked Element
Any nonfiction printed or electronic book over 100 pages needs an index. Your
reader must be able to find what he wants quickly and easily. Unfortunately...
A good index is not that simple to produce. While indexing software does exist, it
simply won’t produce a productive index. Software basically produces string results.
But it can’t evaluate context or make judgment calls. Your index will not have the
usability that your reader requires -- it may actually increase frustration!
So... two possibilities. Either you do it. Or hire a professional indexer.
To find an indexer, and to read more about indexing, see...
http://www.asindexing.org/
Although this site is actually targeted to professional indexers, The American Society
of Indexers’ site is perfect for you to learn more about indexing. More importantly,
link to a local chapter near you. Then call to find your own indexer to do the job.
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6.5.
Fending Off the Info-Bandits
Now that your information has been so eloquently produced, your next order of
business is to make sure that those valuable pearls are...
... safeguarded from theft. How?
Copyright your information product. Copyrighting allows the creator of the
piece to produce or reproduce it in any way that she sees fit. The owner may
also grant others the right to use the work, and say under what conditions they want
it to be used. It basically protects your “right to copy.”
You do not have to formally file a copyright registration once your infoproduct
has been created. In most countries, copyright protection begins as soon as you
create an original work. No forms need to be sent in, no money paid, no copyright
notice needed on the document, and you don’t have to mail yourself a copy of your
infoproduct, to prove that you’re the one who created it. (That’s an old tale that has
been circulating forever!)
According to international copyright law, a citizen or subject of, or a person ordinarily
resident in a Berne Copyright Convention country, or a Universal Copyright
Convention country, or a country that is a member of the WTO, shall receive
automatic copyright protection. The following countries currently have at least one
of those criteria.
Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia,
Australia, Austria, Azerbijan, the Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados,
Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil,
Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape
Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica,
Ivory Coast, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Czechoslovakia, Denmark,
Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial
Guinea, Estonia, European Community, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia,
Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Granada, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana,
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Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy,
Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Korea, Kuwait, Krygyz Republic, Laos, Latvia,
Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau,
Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania,
Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Union of
Myanmar, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway,
Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland,
Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, St. Christopher, St.
Kitts/Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vicente and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra
Leone, Senegal, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa,
Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikstan, Tanzania,
Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine,
United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Vatican City,
Venezuela, Vietnam, Yugaslovia, Zaire, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Don’t worry too much about any country not on the list, if you can think of one!
OK, so if it’s not necessary to formally register your copyright, why bother? Ah ha!
Great question...
In the case of a legal dispute, a formal copyright certificate makes life a lot
easier than not having one. If a copyright is filed within 3 months after
publication of the work, statutory damages (no need to prove damages) and
attorney’s fees can be available to the copyright owner in case of infringement/theft.
If you file outside of 3 months, you will only be able to recover damages that you can
prove.
For these reasons, I strongly recommend that you take the time and use your
government facilities to copyright your work.
This chapter is not intended to provide legal advice. If legal advice is required,
the services of a competent professional person should be sought.
6.5.1.
How Long Does Copyright Protection Last?
In the U.S., once your work is copyrighted, protection lasts for the life of the
author, plus an additional 70 years. If it’s a co-authored project, protection lasts
70 years past the last surviving author’s death.
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According to Canadian copyright laws, protection lasts for the life of the author,
plus 50 years.
That 50-year stipulation is pretty standard around the world, although a few
countries do have the 70-year extension.
6.5.2.
What Types of Infoproducts Are Protected?
• Books and other literary works consisting of text on paper or text in an e-medium.
• Films, videos, scripts, multimedia CD-ROMs.
• Drawings and photographs.
Actually, just about any infoproduct is covered. It’s actually simpler to tell you what
is not covered -- everything else is covered! So here’s what is not protected by the
big В©...
6.5.3.
What is Not Protected by Copyright?
Some material just does not deserve a copyright...
• Works that have not been put into a tangible form of expression -- for
example, improvisational speeches that have not been written or recorded.
• Works consisting entirely of information that is common property, containing
no legal authorship -- for example, standard calendars, height/weight charts, or
lists or documents taken from public documents.
Other information might be better covered by trademarks or patents...
• Titles, names, short phrases, listings of ingredients or contents -- short
phrases, like slogans or taglines, can be protected under trademark law. You can
get more information about obtaining a trademark at the U.S. Patent and Trademark
Office (http://www.uspto.gov/), or the Canadian Intellectual Property Office
(http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/sc_consu/trade-marks/engdoc/cover.html).
• Ideas, procedures, methods of doing something, concepts, principles,
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discoveries or devices -- normally covered by patents. Patents protect an idea or
a process.
For most infopreneurs, there is no need to worry about trademarks or patents. You
can spend thousands (on trademarks) or tens of thousands (on patents) for little
tangible benefit.
Solid advice, Monique. We are spending some money to trademark SITE-SELL
because we’ll be growing this brand. Otherwise, we rely solely on copyright.
6.5.4.
What is the Correct Way to
Ò©Ó?
Actually, a label is not absolutely necessary. But it’s still a good idea to document
your copyright wherever possible. So yes, let others know who the copyright owner
is. Include it at least once on the infoproduct itself, and on every major page of
your Web site.
Here’s the single best format to use...
Copyright
[year] by [name].
All rights reserved.
You can use a “-c-” or “Copr” or “©” instead of “Copyright” -- but writing “Copyright”
in full is best.
6.5.5.
How do I File for a Copyright?
In the U.S., to copyright any type of manuscript, book or speech, you need...
... Form TX. Just kidding -- it’s not as bad as in the picture!
For newsletters, e-zines, journals and other serial matter, standard Form SE,
Short Form SE, or Form SE/Group. For videos, Form PA. For audiotapes,
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Form SA. And for multimedia works (defined as a combination of two or more of
the following elements... text, artwork, sculpture, cinematography, photography,
sounds, music, or choreography), Form PA. All forms must be sent in via snail-mail.
In Canada, there’s one form that accommodates all intellectual property. Get a
copy at (http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/sc_mrksv/cipo/cp/cp_reg_frm-e.pdf). Also,
Canada allows for copyright registration right over the Internet -- a great feature for a
government site.
Other than that, you can find out which forms are needed for your country by going
to your country’s copyright Web site. For example, if you wanted to learn about
Australian copyright requirements, you would go to your favorite search engine (like
Yahoo, Infoseek, HotBot, etc.) and enter “Australian copyright” as your search term.
6.5.6.
Where Can I Find More Information?
For more information about the latest U.S. copyright laws, go to
(http://lcweb.loc.gov/copyright/). This Web site will give you access to the latest
copyright forms, instructions, as well as a helpful list of frequently asked questions.
You may also call (202) 707-3000 if you have any questions, or (202) 707-9100 to
request copyright forms via snail-mail.
The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (http://cipo.gc.ca/) has a
comprehensive copyright section which lists frequently asked questions, registration
forms, and other important details.
The World Intellectual Property Organization
(http://www.wipo.org/eng/main.htm), features a wealth of international copyright
information. You can even apply for an international copyright via WIPO (provided
you already have a copyright within your current country).
6.6.
ISBN and Bar Code... Made Simple!
What is ISBN? It stands for “International Standard Book Number.” Hmm... that was
easy!...
It’s the 10-digit number that wholesalers, distributors and other info-sellers use to
uniquely identify books (and other book-like products like booklets and manuals),
audiotapes and videotapes. Open an average book, and you’ll see it listed either
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on the copyright page, or on the bottom of the back cover. ISBN ensures that
ordering, inventory control and accounting are executed more efficiently.
Getting an ISBN number is an optional task. But it could definitely lead to more
sales. There are quite a few advantages...
• If you have a book, manual, audio or videotape that you want to sell in a major
online bookstore like Amazon.com or BarnesandNoble.com, you must have an
ISBN number.
• If you have a book, audiotape or videotape that you’re considering selling in an
offline bookstores, you must have an ISBN number.
• If you intend on trying to get your information product featured on the shelves of
libraries across the land, you must have an ISBN number.
In the United States, R.R. Bowker (http://www.bowker.com/) is the agency that
distributes ISBN numbers. It normally takes 10 days to receive them. However,
there is a priority service that allows you to get them within 72 hours. It costs $205
for a minimum block of 10 numbers.
In Canada, The National Library of Canada grants the ISBN. You can’t do this via
the Web yet, but they are very efficient and the process is free. For further
information, contact...
Canadian ISBN Agency
National Library of Canada
395 Wellington Street
Ottawa ON
K1A 0N4 Canada
Telephone: (819) 994-6872
Fax: (819) 997-7517
E-mail: [email protected]
ISBNs outside the U.S. can be obtained through the International Standard Book
Agency...
Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin
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Preussischer Kulturbesitz
D-10772 Berlin, GERMANY
(+49 30) 266 23 38 Telephone
(+49 30) 266 28 14, 266 23 78 Fax
[email protected]
An ISBN granted in any country is recognized by all other countries. So you only
have to get one ISBN per infoproduct.
The ISBN is also used to generate your bar code. If you are planning on offline
sales, get your bar code, too. Use a local bar code generating service (see your
Yellow Pages), or buy the software and do it yourself...
SNX’s BarCode Pro
http://www.snx.com/
It’s so easy, yet so silly, to think about your ISBN and bar code after your production
run. Please...
Don’t forget -- include your ISBN and your bar code on your infoproducts before
you go into production...
Or you’ll be sorry!
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6.7.
Ready? Produce Your Infoproduct!
Index done? Copyright notification taken care of? ISBN and bar code too? Great!...
Now you really are finished the creation part. So far your “baby” is in a
word-processed or page layout format (ex., Word, Quark, HTML, even Ken’s old
Mac favorite -- MORE!).
It’s time to convert your “creation format” into your final e-book format. Use one of
the E-book Creation Software tools that we discussed earlier to do this.
Congratulations, budding infopreneur. You are now the proud parent of your first
infoproduct!
As you know, our favorite is Adobe Acrobat. Learn to use all its amazing features to
build in terrific usability for your reader. For example...
• Hyperlink the index and the Table of Contents.
• Add easy-to-use back buttons.
• Link directly to URLs on the Web.
• See (Chapter 1 (How to Use MYKS!) for all the other great features that you can
build into your e-book.
We used a similar chapter in Make Your Site SELL! We receive compliments every
day about this chapter. Why?
Because most people never read about how to use their Acrobat Reader. So they
never really experience the full power of this wonderful application. A quick tour
(like Chapter 1 in this book) takes caref of that.
Optimize your reader’s experience. Learn how to get 100% out of your copy of
Acrobat...
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Acrobat PDF Bible
by Ted Padova
IDG Books Worldwide; ISBN: 0764532421
6.8.
ACTION STEP #7
Complete this step only after you have completed...
вќ’
ACTION STEP #1 -- Choose a topic for your information product.
вќ’
ACTION STEP #2 -- Pick a packaging format for your information product.
вќ’
ACTION STEP #3 -- Outline the 4P’s of your back-end infoproduct. Start
work on it now.
вќ’
ACTION STEP #4 -- Make a fairly complete outline for your infoproduct,
including the back-end one.
вќ’
ACTION STEP #5 -- Finish the first draft of your infoproduct, and (at a
minimum) a thorough outline for your follow-up product.
вќ’
ACTION STEP #6 -- Give your infoproduct a strong, sales-getting title (and
subtitle). Test it.
Ready? Time for ACTION STEP #7...
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Polish, test and polish some more. Complete whatever remains to be done,
depending on the nature of your product... index, copyright, ISBN and bar code.
Now... push the production button! Congratulations!
STOP! Do not pass GO. Do not collect $200. And do not proceed any further with
MYKS! until you have your final product in your hands.
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7.
Preparing to Sell and Ship
Time to make your new creation earn its keep. Yes, I know that you love it and you
want to keep it all to yourself. But that’s not the point, remember?
It’s time to start generating income. Let’s market, sell and ship thousands of copies
of your brain-driven product. Here’s how to get this stage up and running...
7.1.
How to Build a Bundle that SELLS!
Don’t sell only your single infoproduct, lonely and unadorned. To sell on the Web,
you have to build an offer that has a value that is 10 times greater than your price.
You have to make it so good that your target simply can’t resist. So...
Increase the value of your product by combining it with other complementary
items. These items should be of high value, of true genuine quality, but should not
cost you a lot. The items can include...
• Coupons from vendors.
For example, let’s say you have an information product titled “How to Sell Your
Home Without a Real Estate Agent.” You could include coupons from various
publications and Web sites, where homes can be advertised for sale.
You might also want to include coupons for other authors’ information products, or
consulting services. In fact, do a trade with another author where you include
coupons for their book, and they include coupons for yours with their orders.
• Charts.
I once created a laminated chart that listed every possible Internet marketing
technique. It was included with my manual set to help infopreneurs come up with
quick promotional ideas.
Perhaps you can create some kind of chart that offers a quick list of definitions,
remedies, ideas, etc. Be sure to print your chart on heavy card stock paper, and
laminate it for greater value and sturdiness.
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• Special reports.
I’ve created a selection of three 10-page special reports that I include as freebies
with every order over $200. They include...
• The Online Community QuickStart Guide
• How to Make $100,000 a Year Creating and Selling Market Research Reports
Online
• How to Turn a $50 Customer Into a $5,000 Investment.
If you decide to take this route, be sure your special reports don’t overlap any of
the material already included within your main information product.
• Software.
One of my customers created a manual for buying and selling via online auctions.
Included with the manual was a CD-ROM containing various shareware products for
tracking auctions, creating your own auction, and so on.
She simply visited several shareware directories on the Web, located compatible
titles, and e-mailed the developer, asking permission to include the title on the
CD-ROM.
There are all types of shareware products that authors can bundle with their
infoproducts, if you just take the time to do a bit of searching. For example, if you’re
writing a book on how high school students can make a successful transition to
college, there’s a freeware program called ClassMate that helps college students
plan their curriculum, etc.
If you were doing a manual titled, “Researching the Web 101,” you could include
search programs like News*NET, Copernic, and Web Ferret.
Here’s a list of freeware and shareware Web sites to get you started:
ZDNet Downloads (http://www.zdnet.com/downloads/)
Completely Free Software (http://www.completelyfreesoftware.com/)
Filez (http://www.filez.com/zhub.shtml)
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Jumbo (http://www.jumbo.com/)
ProgramFiles (http://www.programfiles.com/)
Shareware.com (http://www.shareware.com/)
SoftSeek (http://www.softseek.com/)
• Forms.
Along with How to Successfully Sell Information Products Online, I included a
manual that was entitled, Legally Protecting Your Information Product. It
featured a selection of copyright forms and instructions. (Fortunately U.S.
documents like these are copyright-free, so I was able to include them as bonus
items, and it didn’t cost me anything extra.)
If your information warrants the use of any type of forms, you can either consider
creating your own, using copyright-free U.S. documents, or requesting permission to
use previously created forms from other authors or companies.
• Sample newsletters.
Locate print newsletters within your niche, and send an e-mail to the editor, asking if
you can include a few issues of their publication, with your infoproduct. Nine times
out of ten they’ll say yes, because it’s free advertising for them.
You can find appropriate newsletters at Newsletter Access
(http://www.newsletteraccess.com/), and The Newsletter Library
(http://pub.savvy.com/).
A great example of a strong value-added bundle is MYKS! Look what’s included...
1) MYKS! itself
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2) Ken Silver’s wonderful eBook secrets -- Ken really sells this for US$39 on his site
(http://www.kensilver.com/). Have you reviewed it yet? If so, you know it’s worth
twice that amount. It complements and supplements MYKS! wonderfully.
3) 186 Places to Promote and Sell Your Information Product Online
&
4) 120 New Places to Promote and Sell Your Information Product Online -Nowhere else in the world will you find such a complete resource for promoting and
selling your infoproducts. Not only did I “twist Monique’s arm” into including the “186
Places” that she sold as part of her high-priced infoproduct, I convinced her to write
a supplement full of new places and with some significant updates.
5) The Online Info-sellers Jump Start Kit -- Monique actually sells the printed
version of the Jump Start Kit for US$87 from her site
(http://www.sellyourbrainfood.com/jumpstart.htm). We agreed that MYKS!
simply had to be the single best resource for creating, marketing and selling
infoproducts on the Net. The Jump Start Kit, therefore, had to be part of the
bundle. She agreed, even though it’s bound to hurt her own print sales a bit.
6) My Special Report -- No one has looked at buying or selling Reprint/Resell
rights as serious techniques for serious infopreneurs. How do I know? Because
even the few serious pros who had discovered the reprint secrets in this report don’t
have a serious legal agreement to “seal the deal.”
After all, if you treat this right, you are really buying or selling a business. Not only
did I include this report, but we drafted a professional Reprint Agreement that will
protect you whether you’re buying or selling reprint rights.
7) A half-hour consultation with Monique -- Normally, I hate to say it, but Monique
just doesn’t have the time to consult one-on-one. So how can you even put a price
on this? But for you... she’s there. Save this until you’ve gone completely through
the book and have some really good questions! Get your half-hour’s worth!
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Now that’s a bundle! Every part adds another truly valuable facet to your new
infoproduct business. Net result? You have a package that is seriously worth well
over $1,000. How could anyone who has an interest in infoproducts (and a sane
mind) turn it down?
You must create the same kind of value with yours!
(Please note... You must review the Reprint/Resell Agreement with your own
attorney. Laws vary from place to place. Please do not take this agreement as legal
advice. Neither I, Monique, nor GoodBytes make any representation or warranties
of any kind with regard to the completeness or accuracy of the contents of the
Reprint/Resell Agreement. We are not lawyers and we accept no liability of any kind
for any losses or damages caused or alleged to be caused, directly or indirectly,
from using the information contained in that agreement. Please consult your
attorney and review that agreement with him/her.)
7.1.1.
KenГ•s Special Report... Powerful New Ways
to Capitalize on Reprint Rights
Ken has produced a stunning Special Report, exclusively for MYKS! owners, that
shows you new and powerful ways to earn serious income by buying and selling
Reprint Rights.
No, this is not one of those seedy “500 Special Report CD-ROM” deals. It’s full of
original thinking about Reprint Rights. Among many other totally original strategies,
you’ll learn how to...
• enhance your own infoproduct by adding a second fine and related product as part
of your irresistible offer
• generate an important second stream of income and build a powerful personal
brand by selling Reprint Rights.
The Report comes with a Reprint Agreement to fully protect you, whether you buy or
sell these rights. Amazingly, such an agreement has not been available anywhere..
until now (see disclaimer above for limitations).
Click now to read the report.
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7.2.
Pricing to Maximize Income...
It Can Literally Triple Your Return
Information is an intangible commodity. So pricing can be a very tricky process.
Too many people just pull a...
... price tag out of their hat!
But you need a better system. After all, if you charge too much, you’ll lose sales
and open yourself up to competition. But you don’t want to go so low that you barely
make a profit. The question is, how do you find that happy medium?
Here’s a general guideline that I start with. Except for extreme circumstances, never
exceed these ranges...
• Printed Booklet $2.00-$9.95
• Printed Manual $12.95-$295
• Printed Newsletter $39-$995 a year
• E-book $9.95-$49.95
• E-zine $19.95-$999.95 (weekly e-zine, variable format)
• Subscription-based Web site $9.95-$39.95 a month
• Audiotape $9.95-$29.95 for a single tape
$19.95-$295+ for a series
• Videotape $9.95-$39.95 for a single tape
$29.95-$595+ for a series
• Teleseminar $9.95-$19.95 for a single session
$29.95-$195+ for a series
• Consulting $55-$600+ per hour
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OK, now that we have a starting range, let’s fine-tune the price. Consider these
key factors...
7.2.1.
Who Is Your Target Market?
The most important price-determining factor is...
... your audience.
If the information you’re selling is something that would or could be sold in a
bookstore to general consumers, then you’ve got to stick to the low to medium
end of the scale. Or at least within the same range as a comparable bookstore
book.
An exception to that rule is investment and technology information, which even
when geared towards consumers, can still carry a very hefty price tag.
Trade, professional and technical information can be priced at the higher end of
the scale. This type of data would be geared towards lawyers, doctors,
computer/software specialists, accountants, consultants, insurance agents, real
estate agents, and so on. Some of the most expensive information products I’ve
ever seen have been geared towards professionals.
If you’re selling to the corporate market, likewise the price can be very high.
That’s because an individual isn’t footing the bill, a business entity is. So if your
infoproduct is geared towards marketing managers in Fortune 500 companies,
heads of research and development departments, or even administrative assistants,
it can almost always have a higher price tag.
Do a little research -- examine similar information products that your potential
readers have purchased, to see how the price structures have fared.
Most important piece of advice? Become your customer -- get in her shoes and into
her brain. What is your infoproduct worth to that customer? Now let’s modify that
number based on further considerations...
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7.2.2.
What Do You Think the Product is Worth?
I’m certain that the reason why a many infoproduct creators don’t make more money
on the Internet, is because they’re scared to charge what they really think their
knowledge is worth.
I’m reminded of this in Jaclyn Easton’s book, StrikingItRich.com -- Profiles of 23
Incredibly Successful Websites You’ve Probably Never Heard Of.
One of the profiles is that of a company named Practical Online Weightloss Clinic.
They create customized menus for people who wish to shed a few pounds.
This company has raised their prices four times, with no negative effect on
sales. The pricing changes went like this (from the first to most recent)...
• First month free, $19.95 for the next two months
• $19.95 for three months
• $19.95 registration and $9.95 a month
• $9.95 registration and $19.95 a month, with a three-month minimum
Imagine how much money they could have made, had they gone with the current
pricing strategy first!
There’s also an interesting pricing story that totally drives this point home in Robert
Cialdini’s book Influence -- The Psychology of Persuasion (which is a must for
any marketer’s library.) It all centered around a pair of...
... earrings. They weren’t selling well. So the owner discounted the
earrings little by little, but they still continued to sit on the display. Then she went out
of town, leaving a note for one of her employees, stating that she wanted to discount
the earrings by 50%.
When she came back, the earrings had sold out. To the shopkeeper’s surprise, it
wasn’t because the employee had discounted the earrings. The person had actually
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read the note incorrectly and...
... raised the price by 50%. Obviously people perceived the
earrings to be much more valuable with a higher price tag.
And that “higher-price-means-better-quality” thought process goes way beyond
earrings. In my personal experience, I’ve found that the more I charge for my
infoproducts, the more sales I make. In fact, I sold considerably more $269 sets of
How to Successfully Sell Information Products Online than I did my $9.95
special reports.
I believe part of the reason is because online consumers make considerably
more than their offline counterparts. According to research by Jupiter
Communications and NFO Interactive, 43.1% of wired U.S. households earn over
$60,000 per year, while only 23.6% of total U.S. households earn that amount. And
65% of all online households maintain incomes that exceed $100,000.
So if there’s any place that you want to be a little daring and experimental, the
Internet is definitely it. And with the ability to switch your rates at the drop of hat,
testing a variety of prices could give you a valuable -- and profitable -- education.
So carefully examine your infoproduct. Think about the amount of time and
research you put into it, as well as how specialized the information is. The more
niche-oriented, the more you should charge for it.
Careful with this one. Monique makes a good point -- don’t be afraid to charge high.
But...
Don’t fall in love with your product -- don’t overvalue your “baby.” Don’t think of
all the time that you have put in to justify an extremely high price -- remember, you
can buy a blockbuster movie that cost $200 million to make for $20 at your local
video store.
Pricing for high perceived value works if your infoproduct breaks new and valuable
ground in a unique way (or if you can position it there!). But be ready -- high price
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points invite low-priced competitors, especially for digital products.
7.2.3.
How Do You Plan on Presenting It?
Your marketing efforts play a huge role in how your product is accepted by
prospects. Let’s take an extreme example to prove this point.
Suppose your Web site is on some freebie hosting service, with all kinds of typos
and dead links floating around, and with a look and feel that is strictly “amateur
night.” Visitors will laugh and flee!
Now let’s say that you have your own domain, a professional and clean look, and
that you follow all the strategies outlined in Make Your Site SELL!
(http://www.sitesell.com/). Think that will make a huge difference to your product’s
perceived value? Of course it will!
One final point -- imagine Amazon.com with a cheapie domain like
(www.4youreyes.com/user/Amazon.html)! ’Nuff said.
Your site’s copy will also play a vital role in this process as well. The more
expensive your infoproduct, the longer your copy should be.
For a prime example of how this theory works, take a look at Corey Rudl’s Web site
for his Internet marketing course, (http://www.marketingtips.com/). The course is
priced at $197, and the copy used to sell it takes up 15 printed pages. Corey has
been very successful at a high price point.
If need be, hire a copywriter who specializes in writing for Web sites,
autoresponders and the such. Remember, you don’t get a second chance to make
a first impression online. So be sure the first impression is stunning.
Super point here, Monique. Graphics and look-and-feel set the stage. But it’s the
words that sell.
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7.2.4.
What is the State of the Competition?
Are you launching something that is brand new that will pop eyeballs wide open
due to its sheer value and originality? Super! Pioneers will pay high prices for your
product. But be prepared to offer “special discounts” when competitors enter.
Or are you launching into a mature market with many other competitors? A
high-quality product at a low price is the answer. Or find a strong way to differentiate
your product and market that strongly -- this would allow somewhat higher pricing.
The bottom line? Assess your competition, and more importantly...
Assess your target market’s knowledge of the competition.
7.2.5.
What is the Cost of Production?
Most infoproducts usually cost very little (or zero) to make (on a per-unit basis) after
the up-front work/costs have been completed. So usually, you will base your final
cost on...
• “what the market will bear” issues like value to customer, state of the
competition, etc.
• strategic issues such as “maximize income” or “maximize customers.”
Still, if you are producing a 250-page printed book, you’ll have to factor in all your
costs of production (don’t forget to amortize the capital costs of the print run
across the number of units that you make).
7.2.6.
Setting the Price
Pricing is a fascinating area. We priced MYSS! incredibly (some would say
“crazily”!) low to build a huge base of raving fans, rather than a smaller base of
merely-satisfied customers. We worried, however, about whether we would lose
customers due to the “low perceived value” phenomenon.
Here’s a brief excerpt from our Y-NO-BUY survey results, to be published shortly
(including full drill-down analysis tool, which lets you drill ever deeper into the
information)...
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Excerpt from Y-NO-BUY...
Price was the leading reason for not buying in general Internet surveys.
Potential customers expect discounts of 30%-60% over brick and mortar stores
on the Net. But you can’t buy MYSS! at your local bookstore, and the price is
obviously more than fair. So the price issue falls to almost a fifth of the level of the
general surveys (16.2% vs. 78%).
LESSON #2 -- If you sell nonproprietary product, you will be forced to play the
Wal-Mart commodity game. Instead, sell proprietary product at a fair price.
One of our worries about pricing MYSS! so low was that we could be losing sales
due to a “low perceived value.” To our great surprise, of the 16.2% for whom price
was some kind of factor, only 4% of this group thought it to be too cheap. The
largest price subcategory?... 82.5% considered it to be too expensive (“no funds,”
“on a budget,” “credit cards maxed out”). And 13.5% could not find the price on the
site!
In other words, the vast majority of “price reasons” couldn’t afford it at that specific
time.
So remember this -- Net buyers are price conscious. If you price high, you must
have a strong way to break through price resistance.
It’s tempting to price infoproducts high -- and if you’re the “first to market” with
something original or if you have a truly original, high-value positioning, go for it. But
watch for competition and be prepared to change your model.
To show you how closely my thoughts parallel those of Monique, I excerpt some
fundamental pricing concepts from Make Your Site SELL!
Price, product, and site design are seamlessly intermingled. Here are your major
pricing considerations...
• What is the nature of your products and the value of their benefits? Are you
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selling a commodity that can be price-shopped by your customer? Or does your
product deliver unique, powerful benefits? Obviously, two completely different
pricing models... two totally different Web sites!
• Who is your target market and what are they willing to pay for your product’s
benefits? How strong is the perceived value of your product?
• Who are your competitors? At what price are they selling similar products?
• How well have you established your credibility?
• What is the format of your digital or knowledge-based product?... Software,
infoproduct, consulting service?
• Remember, there is a general belief that the Web can offer product cheaper.
7.3.
Decide on Packaging and Shipping
We talked about how to make your e-book fulfillment process slick earlier on.
So let’s change gears and talk about hard goods.
Once you have your production run in hand, you must decide...
• What type of...
... envelope or box you’re going to ship it in.
• What type of mailing label you’re going to use.
• What you’re going to include with each order.
An invoice/receipt, catalog, thank you note, coupon, bonus items, cross-selling letter,
etc.
• What mailing methods you’re going to use.
Regular postal service, UPS, FedEx, Airborne, etc.
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I keep a data sheet detailing all of these particulars, for each of my information
products. This helps tremendously if you have several different products. And if
you’re a new infopreneur, you’ll find this list to be a great timesaver.
Here’s how we handle fulfillment of the Printed Version of MYSS!...
STEP 1) We store our books in the heated garage of our shipping employee, Linda.
Our books are shrink-wrapped to prevent scuffing during transport.
STEP 2) Book orders clear in real time via Cybercash, as outlined earlier.
STEP 3) Twice a day, Linda asks our server to send her a text file of all printed
orders.
STEP 4) She imports that into a custom Filemaker database program. This keeps
our records of shipments and also prints our mailing labels.
STEP 5) She then runs the same file through our UPS-dedicated hardware and
software to generate the UPS labels and billing. The Filemaker file also generates a
“thank you” note that lets the customer know the shipment is on the way. It also
tracks inventory.
STEP 6) She boxes the books. We buy the packaging boxes from a local
box-maker. Here’s how you should handle packaging...
Get quotes from 3 different box-making companies. Odds are that they have what
you need, a box that fits and protects well, already in stock -- it’s a very common
request for them.
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You may need to protect your product a bit more -- I recommend Fill-Air, which
makes air-filled packaging cushions...
U.S. and Canada -- 1-800-647-2743
Europe -- 33-1-34-64-02-50
Japan -- 81-3-5245-1635
Australia/NZ -- 61-02-9550-7888
Final test -- send 3 books across the continent. Do they arrive OK?
STEP 7) Ship ’em!
7.4.
7-Step Traffic-Building & Site-Selling
Marketing and sales on the Net is an almost overwhelming challenge. Let’s break
your approach down to these five steps, steps that you can follow and do...
STEP 1) You must have a solid knowledge of the key techniques of
traffic-building and site-selling. What’s the point of building traffic if your site does
not sell? And vice-versa.
If you are already knowledgeable in these areas, proceed to STEP 2. If not, the
following is only my opinion, but I am obviously not alone... The single best book
that will show you how to build a site that sells effectively and how to build traffic
is...
Make Your Site SELL!
http://www.sitesell.com/
No, I’m not saying that because Ken’s the publisher! Well, maybe a little.
Honestly, where else can you get 800 pages of sheer gold for well under US$20?
The value is absolutely incredible -- as others have said, Ken must be totally crazy
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(as a fox?).
More importantly, though, he writes in such a way as to make it easy. You’ll
immediately apply what he writes directly to the needs of your own product.
Need to figure out how to use gateway pages to build traffic to your golf videotape?
It’s here. Want detailed info about writing that all-important opening paragraph for
your speaking career? You’ll never find it better explained.
Beginner or expert -- MYSS! belongs in your library. A true must-read. Get it as a
reference book if you know what you’re doing. Read it from cover to cover if you
don’t -- it will be a week that will multiply the potential of your business manyfold.
And the really good news is that MYSS! allows me to focus on showing you
infoproduct-specific ways to market and sell! Let’s go...
STEP 2) MYKS! We have already discussed Unique Ways to Promote Your
E-book for each of the infoproduct formats. Review these highly specific ideas
now...
Unique Ways to Promote Your Manual
Unique Ways to Promote Your Booklet
Unique Ways to Promote Your E-book
Unique Ways to Promote Your Password-Protected Site
Unique Ways to Promote Your Audiotape
Unique Ways to Promote Your Video
Unique Ways to Promote Your Newsletter
Unique Ways to Promote Your Teleseminar
Unique Ways to Promote Your Service
Now, go back and decide which ones you will use to promote your infoproduct.
Remember...
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Do it!
STEP 3) 186 Places to Promote and Sell Your Information Product Online -This exhaustive report provides an entire arsenal of online locations where you can
spread the word about your infoproduct. All the legwork has been done. Everything
you need to know to make a resource work for you is all there in black, white and
red. Your only task now is to dig in and use them.
Click to go there now.
STEP 4) 120 New Places to Promote and Sell Your Information Product Online
-- This special report gives you 120 more resources that you can start using right
now to promote and sell your information product on the Net. Yes, 120 new sites
above and beyond the 186 resources above. You’ll find online storefronts,
discussion groups, and various other information resources to get you going. In all,
over 300 infoproduct-related resources for you to use.
Click to go there now.
STEP 5) The Online Info-sellers Jump Start Kit -- This is a reference work that
you can use to give your infoproduct business an immediate boost. With its many
checklists, templates, and guides, you’ll want to refer back to it every time you create
or update a Web site, launch an information product, create a promotional
campaign, or whenever you want to assure yourself that you are indeed on the right
path to success.
As you begin each new project, go through the table of contents, and print out the
appropriate checklists, templates and submission guides. If you’re in the midst of
promoting an infoproduct, then you may also want to incorporate the Weekly
Strategy Report and Weekly Results Forms in the 4-Month Heavy-Hitter
Promotional Plan.
All of the tools are meant to integrate with one another. Make their use as common
as hitting “spellcheck” on your computer.
Click to go there now.
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STEP 6) In the next section, I answer every infopreneur’s most important questions
about marketing and selling infoproducts. Consider it a remote one-on-one session
with me.
STEP 7) Anything unanswered? Call me or e-mail. If you’ve gone through the
six steps above religiously, you know more about marketing and selling infoproducts
than 99.99% of people on the face of this earth. But I want to leave no stone
unturned.
After you’ve read the book and started your project, you may have one really major
question. Or maybe you’ll have a bunch of little questions. Whatever you need to
know, call me -- I’ve promised a half-hour of my consultation time, just for you
(http://www.sellyourbrainfood.com/author.htm).
7.5.
ACTION STEP #8
Complete this step only after you have completed...
вќ’
ACTION STEP #1 -- Choose a topic for your information product.
вќ’
ACTION STEP #2 -- Pick a packaging format for your information product.
вќ’
ACTION STEP #3 -- Outline the 4P’s of your back-end infoproduct. Start
work on it now.
вќ’
ACTION STEP #4 -- Make a fairly complete outline for your infoproduct,
including the back-end one.
вќ’
ACTION STEP #5 -- Finish the first draft of your infoproduct, and (at a
minimum) a thorough outline for your follow-up product.
вќ’
ACTION STEP #6 -- Give your infoproduct a strong, sales-getting title (and
subtitle). Test it.
вќ’
ACTION STEP #7 -- Polish, test and polish some more. Index, copyright,
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ISBN and bar code. Now... push the production button! Congratulations!
Ready? Time for ACTION STEP #8...
Bundle to deliver super-value, price to maximize income, prepare to ship, and...
... write out your traffic-building and sales-generating plan. From the general down
to the super-specific, write out all the techniques that you will use to build traffic and
get sales. Convert that into a “to-do” list -- put each item on a timeline. And then...
... yup, do it!
STOP! Do not pass GO. Do not collect $200. And do not proceed any further with
MYKS! until you have have a smartly priced bundle that you are ready to ship and
until you have a well-thought-out traffic-building and site-selling “to-do” list with
a timeline.
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8.
One-on-One With Monique
OK, time for me to play the part of...
... that masked magician on television, who reveals all of magic’s
most cherished secrets to the rest of the world (to the dismay and anger of the rest
of the top magicians!).
While it may look like some infoproduct creators have all the luck in this industry,
luck has nothing to do with their success. Their awesome power comes from
effective marketing and promotion.
The techniques and methods you’ll be learning during the course of this chapter will
give you a bird’s-eye view into the hidden tricks of the info-sellers’ trade. This
information took me several years to figure out, and now you have it at your very
fingertips.
And I can almost guarantee that when you follow the steps below, you too will be
able to partake in the money-making festivities as well.
QUESTION #1
Why is a promotional strategy so important?
There’s a saying among publishers that a successful book is built from 5%
inspiration...
...and 95% perspiration. In other words it takes a lot of guts -and sometimes a little blood, sweat and tears -- to transform your words of wisdom,
into a hot selling information product, beyond the actual writing process.
If you’re a subscriber to my Stories From a Brain Food Saleswoman newsletter,
then you’ve noticed that when I promote heavily, sales are often outstanding. If a
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day goes by where I don’t receive a few sales, it’s definitely the exception, not the
rule.
But when I decrease my marketing magic, so does the amount of money coming into
my bank account. Promotions mean the difference between, “Now you see the
money”... and “Poof! -- now you don’t.”
So a promotional strategy is going to be the lifeline to your success. The more
people see your marketing message, the greater the chance they’ll buy from
you. In fact, it normally takes 7 or more times for a prospect to see your marketing
message before they’ll finally make a purchase.
This means you’ve gotta be out there in order to be known.
Monique is a networking interpersonal marketer “par excellence.” It requires regular
input, however.
If your infoproduct fits into a nice, tight niche, I’d highly recommend Phase III
gateways as described in Make Your Site SELL! Two years after I erected my first
set of gateways, they still pull great traffic, despite zero work ever since.
QUESTION #2
WhatГ•s the best way to put a promotional
strategy together?
There is no right or wrong answer here. I use a very simple formula for promoting
my own information products. I simply do 5 promotions per day, per product, 5 days
a week.
For example, here’s my...
... day-by-day schedule to promote my electronic newsletter, The
Infopreneur Informer...
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Day 1
Identify 5-10 complementary Web sites that I can exchange links with. Send them
an e-mail asking if they’d like to do so.
Day 2
Submit the Web page that promotes The Infopreneur Informer to AltaVista, Excite,
MSN Search, Infoseek and HotBot.
Day 3
Submit a new article to 10 or more targeted e-zines. In the resource box, provide a
link to The Infopreneur Informer.
Day 4
Post at least 5 helpful messages to targeted discussion groups of choice. In my sig,
make sure there’s a blurb about The Infopreneur Informer.
Day 5
Find 5 niche directories where I can submit either the SYBF Web site, or a press
release for The Infopreneur Informer.
Using this formula, you spread your marketing message to several different
segments of people and places, over the course of a week. The more places
you’re featured, the better your chances for making a sale.
And because your schedule is created on a weekly basis, you can be very flexible
with your marketing efforts. If one technique is working exceptionally well, you
can put more emphasis on enhancing it. If something isn’t working, you can
eliminate it right away.
And that, dear reader, is why Monique succeeds. Planning and execution.
Dedication and perseverance win again.
QUESTION #3
start with?
What are the 4 marketing activities I should
The top four things you should be thinking about are...
1. Creating a Web site (QUESTION #5 -- click here)
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2. Producing an e-zine (QUESTION #7 -- click here)
3. Obtaining testimonials and reviews (QUESTION #4 -- click here)
4. Finding other places to promote your Web site (QUESTION #13 -- click here)
QUESTION #4
hits the Web?
How do I get testimonials before my infoproduct
It’s great that you want to get testimonials beforehand. When potential buyers see
that others have given your infoproduct positive feedback, they’ll be much more
likely to purchase it. They’re a very influential marketing tool.
Basically, make friends with potential testimonial givers before your information
product is launched.
• Hang out in...
... discussion groups where both colleagues and potential
customers congregate. You’re going to do the usual schmoozing thing, where you
answer other peoples’ questions and offer helpful information to the group.
You’ll begin to notice that group members will contact you privately to ask you
questions, add to one of your comments, or give you some other type of kudo.
Write down the names and e-mail addresses of these people, as they’re going to
be valuable allies in your great testimonial search.
Also within the group, you’ll notice certain names that stick out as top
contributors. These people are permanent fixtures within the group, and they do a
majority of the postings. Again, write down the names and e-mail addresses of
these folks. Because they’re common faces in the crowd, their testimonials will
prove to be the opening to plenty of sales.
Now when your infoproduct is just about finished, send a brief e-mail to your
compiled list, telling them about it, and asking if they’d like a review copy. If you’ve
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been schmoozing on a regular basis, you’ll definitely get a lot more yes’s. People
will support you, when you’re willing to support others.
In your e-mail, make sure that you tell them that if they give you a review, you’ll
include a link back to their Web sites. This way they’ll be getting free publicity by
giving their opinions.
Here’s a sample letter...
Dear Jimmy,
My name is Jody Reed, and I’m a participant in the Roving
Chef discussion list. Perhaps you’ve seen some of my posts
here and there.
I’ve recently recorded an educational, 2-part audiotape set
titled "World Cheffing 101." It helps new chefs learn how to
get international jobs quickly and easily.
Jimmy, since you’re one of the top traveling chefs on the
list, I wanted to know if you could listen to the tapes, and
give me your opinion/review of what you think of them. It
would really be an honor to know what a top roving chef
thinks!
All I need is your snail-mail address, and I can send you a
free review set. In exchange for your review, I’ll also give
you a link from my Web site.
Thanks in advance, and I look forward to seeing more of your
insightful posts on the list.
Regards,
Jody Reed Author, "World Cheffing 101" Learn how to get
international cooking jobs! http://www.WorldCheffing.com/
Here’s a similar technique that I have used.... Offer it for free to the entire group as
a “thank you” for all their help. Limit it to three days and then remove the download
URL. I guarantee that you’ll get some great comments without having to ask. When
that happens, ask for permission to use their kind words on the site.
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• Or you can get your title reviewed on the following Web sites...
Ed’s Internet Book Review (http://www.edsbookreview.com/) accepts book
reviews in a variety of categories. Have a friend, or a customer who loved your title,
review it here.
Midwest Book Review
(http://www.execpc.com/~mbr/bookwatch/mbr/pubinfo.html). Submit finished
copies of your title for review to the address given on the Web site. Include a
publicity release and/or media kit. They accept and encourage e-mailed press
releases.
QUESTION #5
have?
What 4 elements must my infoproduct Web site
The 4 main elements an infoproduct Web site must have are illustrated on my own
Sell Your Brain Food site (http://www.sellyourbrainfood.com/), as well as on
Ken’s SiteSell (http://www.sitesell.com/), which affiliate program guru Allan
Gardyne has called, “the most persuasive sales site on the Net.”
The four main elements are...
A) Sales Letter
Contrary to popular belief, an online sales letter has completely different elements
than an offline one.
From my own experience, and from observing other successful online info-sellers,
I’ve found that the more expensive your information product, the longer your
sales letter should be. I’ve used 2-3 paragraph blurbs to describe a $9.95 special
report. But that won’t work for a $269 complete study course, which in my situation
needed 16 pages to do an adequate sales job.
Here’s the formula that I’ve established and used to sell the majority of my own
information products...
• Headline
This should come directly before you greet the reader. You want the headline to
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grab attention right away. It should be something catchy. Issue a benefit, or give the
reader some surprising statistic. Here are a few examples...
Promotes a booklet titled “Give Your Child a Healthy Smile”
“86% of children under ten have at least one cavity. Here’s what you can do to
protect your child’s beautiful smile.”
Promotes a manual titled “How to Land Your Dream Job Online”
“25 People -- 25 New Jobs. Learn how newcomers to the Net are getting their dream
jobs online.”
Promotes an e-book titled “How to Invest $1,000 to Earn $10,000”
“Stock market guru will show you how to make every $1 investment turn into a $10
profit.”
• The Salutation
Dear Online Info-seller; Dear Dog Lover; Dear Mountain Bike Enthusiast;
Dear Scuba Diver...
... you get the message.
Always target your salutation directly towards the potential buyer, instead of
using something generic like Dear Friend.
• Bonding
Although traditional direct mail theorists say that you should put the strongest benefit
first, I’ve found that in the online environment, the first thing you should do (after
the salutation) is...
... bond with the reader. Establish some sort of
camaraderie with them. Tell them what their problems are, and then show that
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you’ve been there too.
The more they feel like you’re somebody who they can connect with... who
understands their problem and needs... the more likely they are to buy the product.
Here’s an example...
Dear Penny Stock Investor,
My name is Neal Johnson, and I’ve been investing in penny
stocks for the past 15 years. Even though penny stocks are
inexpensive investment options, sometimes my decisions
haven’t been so great, and I’ve lost thousands of dollars on
the market.
Perhaps you’ve been there too... knowing that you can easily
turn $500 into $5,000, but not understanding everything it
takes to make it happen. Sure you’re not losing a fortune,
but who wants to lose regardless?!?
• The Offer
People know you’re going to sell them something. So now that you’ve begun the
bonding process, get right down to business. Tell them what you have to improve
their lives.
• What Do They Get?
You’ve covered the benefits. Now hit the features. Tell them...
... what they’ll find in your bundle.
Give a bulleted rundown of all the major points highlighted in your information
product. You can mix features and benefits here. You may also want to list your
Table of Contents.
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• Credibility Booster
Okay, you’ve given them your grand song and dance. Now it’s time to establish a
little credibility.
Show readers that you are the top dog in your field. Post your testimonials and
endorsements galore. And make sure that each testimonial is followed up with the
person’s full name, and preferably an e-mail address or URL.
Presenting case studies of how you helped a client achieve a goal is another way to
show that you know your stuff.
• Guarantee
List your return policy.
• USP
If there are no other information products like yours in the industry, tell the
readers. If there are no other Web sites, let them know. If you go into subjects that
other authors haven’t touched upon, this is where you want to give that pertinent
information. It helps to solidify the guarantee.
• Payment Options.
There’s really nothing left to say except...
... “Check or Charge?” This is where you list your
payment options, as well as links to the appropriate order pages. Make sure you
clearly distinguish which one is the secure server.
• Closing and Signature.
“I look forward to helping you achieve your goals,” “Hope to see you on the winning
team,” and so on.
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Here’s a mini-version of the Web sales letter template.
Headline
Salutation
Bonding
The Offer
What Will They Find?
Credibility Booster
Let’s Make a Deal
Guarantee
USP
Payment Options
Closing and Signature
B) Г’Remember MeГ“ Mechanism
A newsletter/e-zine that you write yourself. (You’ll learn a simple technique for
creating an e-zine, in QUESTION #11.)
We discuss many possible “Backup Responses” in Make Your Site SELL! -- e-zine
subscriptions are one of the best.
C) Oft-Overlooked Credibility Boosters
Not only do you need credibility boosters in your sales letter, they should also be
sprinkled liberally throughout your Web site.
In a bookstore, potential customers are able to flip through the book... see if they like
the writer’s information, style, etc. Online this isn’t possible.
So to make up for the deficiency, it’s important that you include other things that
demonstrate your abilities. A few other credibility-boosting options include...
• RealAudio seminars
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• video clips
• free downloads of book excerpts
• articles, white papers, transcripts of speeches
• free introductory e-books.
Another credibility booster that a lot of people forget about is their address and
telephone number. It’s better if you use a street address, instead of a P.O. Box.
I’ve been using my home address for the past 5 years online, and so far no weird
infoproduct guru stalkers have been sitting outside my door!
I’m on my way, Monique!
D) Secure Ordering System
It’s a definite necessity to have a...
... secure ordering system. Without it you could lose anywhere from
50%-90% of sales. That’s nothing to toy with!
If your Web site hosting service offers secure ordering space, it will probably be
listed as SSL, which means Secure Sockets Layer. SSL is a pretty basic feature
among many of the larger hosting companies, and it means that part of your Web
space is safe for monetary transactions.
Ask your Web host to set it up for you, or use one of many third party providers,
including those listed in the 186 Places and 120 New Places special reports.
E) Optional -- Virtual Community
If you’re already well-established in your niche, this is the next logical step in
completing your winning Web presence. Virtual communities allow you to have a
continuous forum for market research, learn about new trends, and answer
questions from potential buyers, by simply observing people communicate on a
specific topic.
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They come in 3 different flavors -- throughout this manual, I refer to them as
“discussion groups.”
• E-mail discussion list. As you can probably imagine from its name, all
corresponding among participants is done via e-mail. If you send a message to
the list, it’s automatically distributed to all members.
To learn more about discussion lists, or to start your own for FREE, go to OneList
(http://www.onelist.com/) or Topica (http://www.topica.com/).
• Web forum. Instead of messages automatically coming to you via e-mail, you
have to visit a specific Web page to read the messages in a Web forum. This is
a terrific way to generate traffic to your site.
Many Web site hosting services will give you a free Web forum through a special
CGI script. But in case yours doesn’t, or you want a ready-to-go solution, try
FreePolls.com (http://apps3.vantagenet.com/site/forum.asp), or ezboard
(http://www.ezboard.com/freepollsezboard.html).
• Real-time chat. Although e-mail is a very rapid form of communication, chat
rooms allow people to “talk” with one another in real time. In other words, as
you type words onto your computer screen...
... the other person can see it as it happens.
Again, many site hosting services provide free chat rooms. But here are a few
outside vendors that you can checkout -- all services are provided for free....
WebChatting (http://www.webchatting.com/)
BeSeen (http://www.beseen.com/chat/chat_index.html)
An excellent primer on building virtual communities is Net Gain, by John Hagel III
and Arthur G. Armstrong. Or subscribe to the Online Community Report
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(http://www.onlinecommunityreport.com/), which is a free biweekly e-zine for
community-builders.
F)
for a Site that SELLS!
My summary of a site that sells infoproducts...
1) Set the MWR (the Most Wanted Response) -- carefully decide what you most
want your visitor to do after visiting your site. It’s not always the most obvious
thing. It must be reasonable (i.e., possible), measurable, and easy to do for the
visitor.
2) Write your opening paragraph -- this is the hardest, and the most important,
paragraph that you will ever write. Hit with your #1 benefit, your biggest gun. Keep
your visitor reading.
3) Connect the dots -- lead your visitor from Opener to MWR through a
well-thought-out pathway. If you do this well, the visitor feels like she has options to
go elsewhere... but she won’t use them!
One special point -- your Table of Contents (TOC) must, in fact, be a Table of
Headlines. Design your site to practically force your visitor to see that TOC. If
you’ve done a good job, your TOC will generate a lot of sales.
One point differs from Monique -- I save my offer for the end, my Closer page, the
one with the MWR on it. That’s where I pull out all the stops, the incredible value of
my offer, etc.. It closes with my “call to action” -- to order now by filling in the form,
calling 1-888, etc.
Full details in the site-selling volume of Make Your Site SELL! There are 495
pages in that volume, which is devoted just to site-selling. Pretty tough to cover it all
here.
QUESTION #6
How do I develop a memorable URL?
Want to start building an online brand that can be uniquely yours -- forever? I have
two words for you... domain name. Nothing says “this-is-my-company” like a
good URL.
I don’t care if you’ve created the infoproduct to top all infoproducts. You could be
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sitting on the Yahoo! of all information products. If your URL looks like a run-on
sentence -- (www.goodnet.com/users/cityofyou/buildingB/~djason.htm) -- you’re
essentially killing your sales.
One participant I spoke to in the Online Publishers discussion list mentioned that
after he obtained his own domain...
...sales shot up an additional 30%. That’s a huge difference for a
simple name change!
I’m not trying to be crass, or rain on anybody’s parade, but let’s face facts here.
Most people don’t remember long, complicated URLs, or even short,
semi-complicated ones. Freebie, community-type sites (which are most often the
culprits for issuing run-on URLs) are good for hosting personal Web pages, like your
favorite pictures of Aunt June and her 39 house cats. The URL is no big deal in this
case.
But they wouldn’t be my first, second, or even my tenth choice for actually trying to
sell something. I’m not saying that people won’t visit your site if you have a long,
freebie URL -- because that wouldn’t be true.
However, be forewarned that you will curb your sales opportunities by not
having your own domain.
So if you want to be taken seriously 100% of the time, then please invest $70 into
getting your own domain name. (Just two dollars a day for a month and a half.) Not
only is it an inexpensive image-builder, it’s a good secret tool to use when trying to
rank high in the search engines -- and in potential customers’ minds.
Think back to the sites whose URLs you remember off the top of your head. I bet
several of them contain keywords related to that particular industry. Keep this in
mind as you create yours.
And believe it or not, many people arbitrarily type in keyword URLs in the “Open”
dialog box on their browsers, just to see what pops up. The site owner of
Motorcycle Online (http://www.motorcycle.com/) says that 12% of his site’s
traffic is obtained this way.
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The important point to remember is that the keywords you choose should be totally
related to the industry you’re in. I learned this lesson the hard way when I chose
the Connection Bank (http://www.connectionbank.com/) URL a few years ago.
The goal of TCB was to bring business people together with one another so that
they could exchange sales leads and the such. As a member, you put in a lead, and
you’re allowed to take some out... kind of like a banking system.
Well the concept itself was fabulous, and people who visited the site liked what I was
doing. However, in the search engines my site always popped up under the
keywords “bank” and “banking,” which was far from what I was doing. If I could do it
all over today, I would choose a URL like (www.schmoozing.com/) or
(www.OnlineSchmoozing.com/).
So if your infoproduct is sports-related, then a URL like (www.sportsinfo.com) or
(www.sportsbook.com) might be appropriate. If your book is on a self-help topic,
then (www.healingwords.com) or (www.NoMoreFear.com) are good
attention-grabbers, too.
Another important factor to consider is how your URL is spelled. A friend of mine
chose (www.4achievement.com) as her domain, and she says that people
sometimes have a hard time remembering the “i before e” spelling rule. My
suggestion in this situation was for her to also secure the misspelled version,
which is (www.4acheivement.com), and simply have it point to her main home page.
Also, unless your personal name is pretty well-known in your industry, using it as a
URL isn’t an extremely hot idea. This also applies to getting a domain named after
your company. I mean, isn’t it easier to remember
(www.PublishingOnDemand.com) versus (www.xlibris.com)? (Xlibris is a company
that provides publishing-on-demand services.)
Now if you really want to go for the gusto, simply purchase every domain that has
relevance to your infoproduct. This means keywords, company name, your name
-- do it all. Five domains would cost you $350, and ten would be $700. If you
separately promoted each domain, you could seriously increase the traffic to your
main site.
All you would have to do is...
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... “park” your domain with your Web site hosting service,
and have it redirected to your main site. This way you don’t need an entire Web site
devoted to each domain. Every URL simply leads to one main site.
And it doesn’t matter what your prospects type in when they go to the search
engines. With 5 or 10 domains pointing towards your site, at least one of yours is
bound to be in the top 20.
No matter how you cut it, you only get your money’s worth with free sites. Actually,
you don’t even get that. They damage your efforts.
In a real world with a real business, you’d pay thousands per month for rent.
Anyone who won’t pay for a domain and a full site should probably not be in
business. Sorry, but this is fundamental.
Also, on a side note...
Anyone who shops for a Web host on the basis of price is also making a serious
mistake. What difference does it make whether you spend $20 per month or $40
per month? Go for speed, reliability and support.
QUESTION #7
Should I put excerpts on my Web site? How?
You’ve got to remember that potential buyers can’t pick up your information product
and start thumbing through as if they were in a bookstore. Having an excerpt posted
on your Web site is a great way to pique interest, and excerpts give prospects a
taste of what you have to offer.
An excerpt can range anywhere from a single 500-750 word article, to several
articles. (I’ve found that the more articles you have, the better. Five is a good
number to start with, though.)
You can also give visitors access to one full chapter at once. Or you can break
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down a chapter, and have each section automatically e-mailed to visitors, on a
timed schedule, over the course of 4-6 weeks.
To do this, you can try either Aweber autoresponders (http://www.aweber.com/),
or Get Response (http://www.getresponse.com/).
There’s a right way and a wrong way to do this. On our site, we do both! Visit
www.sitesell.com now and I’ll show you what I mean.
See the Free Trial Download button along the top navbar? That page fights for
second most popular with our Five-Minute-Tour page. See the “Extracts” link along
the left margin? It’s one of the least popular.
Lessons?...
• Use the word “free.” I like the whole phrase, actually... “Free Trial Download.”
• Be generous -- give them two chapters of great material that delivers solid
knowledge.
• Include your TOC in the free trial. Like I’ve said, it should really be a Table of
Irresistible Headlines.
• Write a strong page that stresses the specific benefits of this download.
QUESTION #8
How do I convert first-time visitors to
on-the-spot paying customers?
Before I give you the answer, let me clear up a few things. Many of your sales will
not occur the first time a person visits your Web site... especially if your
infoproduct is priced over $100.
How to Successfully Sell Information Products Online sold for US$269. On
average, it took a person from 2.5 to 4 months before they finally decided to order.
On the other hand, when I was promoting my $49 e-book, The Web Site Hosting
and Designers Promotional Guide, I usually got orders without any hesitation.
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Here are several techniques that can be used to increase your first-time visitors’
Conversion Rate. It should be easy to adapt any of these principles to your own
Web site.
• Give your first-time buyers...
... a free gift. This can be something basic, like a free booklet or an
audiotape. Make sure you highlight somewhere on your Web site, or sales letter
page, that first-time buyers receive the free gift. Make it noticeable to the newbie
eye.
• Give verifiable proof of your claims. Netpreneur Andrea Taylor
(http://www.money-at-home.com/) illustrates this point perfectly. She wanted to
show other Webmasters that the One and Only affiliate program was a good one.
So she scanned a copy of the check she received from One and Only and posted
it on her Web site. This way, Webmasters could see that the program really paid big
bucks, and it encouraged them to sign-up. (Andrea received a commission for each
person who joined the program.)
Whatever claims you make on your site, be sure to show your visitors proof that you
do indeed practice what you preach.
• Present a limited-time offer. Throw in a free manual or audiotape set, if they
order...
... within a certain time span. You must adhere to your offer. Don’t push
the date back when you get close to the expiration, or you’ll lose credibility.
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• Sell an inexpensive infoproduct. (But make it info-packed.) My co-author,
Ken Evoy, has shown the world that this concept works like a charm. His first
manual, Make Your Site SELL!, has 800+ pages, but it’s priced below US$20.
That’s a very tough offer to dismiss!
As a result, Ken has pulled in anywhere from 50-100 sales a day using this
ingenious strategy.
Recite the following 17 words as your e-commerce mantra. If they become as
natural as breathing, your site will SELL!
1) Feel customers’ needs.
2) Make navigation clear.
3) Load fast.
4) K-I-S-S.
5) Write actively and clearly.
6) Ask for “the order.”
Seriously, if you write the above 17 words on a Yellow Post-it and stick it to your
monitor, you’ll do just fine...
Now let’s push it one step further. Reread the above 17 words. Think about
them. Notice the last 5 rules/14 words? They all spring from the first rule...
Feel customers’ needs.
Easy? Nope. It’s natural to lapse back into your own viewpoint. Remember this...
the best way to make your site SELL! is to...
Make Your Customer BUY!
Become customer-obsessed. Remember just one thing...
... your customer. Actually, “remember” is too weak a word -- become your
customer.
Many copywriters just pound out the same style over and over again. Bad -- they’re
writing for themselves You’ll do a better job if you become your customer.
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If you get deep, deep inside your customer’s head, you’ll realize that all the
principles outlined here remain the same. But your site will adapt, depending on
who your customer is, and depending on how your customer responds to the
benefits of your product, its price, etc.
Here are a few examples of what might change...
• the look and feel of your site -- that “across-the-table talk” might occur across a
kitchen table, a laboratory counter, or a Fortune 500 conference table, depending
upon your audience.
• the tone of your copy -- I obviously would not choose SiteSell words and tone if
I was selling my theory of cold fusion to nuclear physicists.
• the length of your site -- if you want your visitor to download a free trial of a
relatively cheap piece of shareware, you might even be able to condense your site to
a single page.
Bottom line?...
Get into your customer’s head. What does she want? What are her worries? Why
won’t she buy? If you become your customer, this becomes easy to do. It becomes
a snap to adapt everything you learn here.
To paraphrase Vince Lombardi...
Your customer is not everything... she’s the only thing!
I can’t tell you anything more important than that.
QUESTION #9
How can I generate a sales force as soon as my
infoproduct hits the Web?
• Give away 50 copies of your information product for free.
Go to a discussion group within your niche, and announce that you’re seeking
feedback for your new booklet, manual, or whatever. Not only will you get several
testimonials, users go on to tell others about your infoproduct. That’s free promotion
for the taking.
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Here’s a sample post that the author of a weight loss audiotape set, could post in a
weight loss discussion group like DietTalk (http://www.diettalk.com/)...
SUBJECT -- Review my new $99 audiotape set for free
Greetings!
I’ve recently finished creating a 5-part audiotape set
titled "Lose Weight Through Self-Hypnosis," and I’m looking
for 50 people to listen to it, give the theories a test run,
and tell me your results.
I’m just looking for your opinion. No other strings attached.
If you’re interested, e-mail me your snail-mail address,
and I’ll get a set out to you as soon as possible.
Thanks!
Dr. Jane Westhall
Author, "Lose Weight Through Self-Hypnosis" and
"Safe Weight Loss For Teens"
<http://www.LoseWeightSafely.com/>
• Make sure your customers are very happy with their shopping experience.
After each order, send a confirmation e-mail that also says...
... loud and clear. Throw in a couple of free bonus items
not mentioned in the sales letter. Send an e-mail after 30 days to make sure the
customer is still happy with their purchase... ask if there’s anything else you can do
to make their lives easier.
These are the simple things that make customers recommend your goods to others.
And a single recommendation on the Net can have far and wide results, beyond your
wildest imagination.
When I first came out with How to Make Your Business Famous in 6 Months or
Less, a few customers on a business women’s discussion list began recommending
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my manual to others. One person said something nice about it. And then the other
buyers piped in to agree with her comments. One of the main things they all
mentioned was the personal attention they received as customers.
Talk about a snowball effect! Sales were outstanding for the next week, simply
because people were happy with what they bought, and how it was presented. So
simple, yet so rarely used.
• Affiliate Program -- this, of course, is an explosive way to build a sales force.
More on this below, in the “All Roads...” chapter.
QUESTION #10
How can I cut down on returns?
Two ways...
First, create a superior information product. One that’s aesthetically pleasing,
explains the topic well, and is as free as possible from typos and grammatical errors.
Even if the product turns out to be not quite what the reader expected, he’ll be less
likely to ask for his money back if the product is of high caliber.
Second, build likability into every part of your site and product. If you do that, the
only way that 99.9% of people would ever return your product for a refund would be
if you had a stinker of a product. And in that case, you deserve what you get!
QUESTION #11
my site visitors?
WhatГ•s a good, cheap way to Г’repeat-messageГ“
I’ll go one step better than cheap by giving you the free way. Produce your own
e-zine -- the “Remember Me” mechanism of the ages. If you only choose one
marketing technique (besides your Web site), your e-zine should be...
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...on the top of your list.
The fact of the matter is that every online info-seller needs a way for prospects
and customers to constantly remember him or her. Expecting people to come
back to your Web site, without any prompting from you, is crazy. Unless you’re
consistently giving away the six winning lottery numbers, it rarely happens so easily!
Good point. Remember, content sites that sell advertising need repeat visits. You
don’t -- but you do need a way to get your message to previous visitors again. An
e-zine serves admirably.
An e-zine is sent to readers via e-mail, so you get to actively stay in touch with your
prospects. And if you use a service like iMakeNews
(http://www.imakenews.com/), or ListBot (http://www.listbot.com/), you can
automate the entire process of setting-up and producing an e-zine, for free.
The only thing you’ll need to do is come up with content that enlightens readers,
compels them to visit your Web site, and generates sales. What are the things
that do that?
• Credibility Boosters. Listing an address, phone number and e-mail address.
• Having original articles.
• Having material that can be used right away.
• Using a personable voice. Showing readers you have your own unique
personality.
• Not mentioning your information product in every single issue. This is
overkill.
• Giving...
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... special discounts to e-zine readers only.
What makes readers hit the delete button before they’re through reading?
• Ten pages of sales material on your information product.
• Having a bunch of affiliate/reseller links for unrelated products and services.
• Sending out special mailings (one big ad) without your subscriber’s permission.
• Too many classified ads. The limit is four ads per issue, max.
When most people begin producing an e-zine they run really strong for the first
couple of months. And then they run out of steam. No more articles, no more
interesting content.
Here’s an outline formula that I use to combat that problem. Feel free to adapt it to
your own e-zine situation...
A) Choose Your Brain-Tickling Components
Using the following list, choose 1 or 2 components for each issue of your e-zine.
This way, you’ll always have interesting content, instead of the same generic
articles.
Checklists
Interviews
Listings of resources
Question-and-answer section
Readers’ tips
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Press releases
New product announcements
Guest columnists
Event announcements
Event diaries
Book reviews
See our brainstorming exercises discussed in Chapter 3. Apply them here.
B) Quick Г•n Easy Outline
Come up with 10 immediate article ideas for your e-zine. These ideas can be
based on the components given above.
1. ________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________________
4. ________________________________________________________________
5. ________________________________________________________________
6. ________________________________________________________________
7. ________________________________________________________________
8. ________________________________________________________________
9. ________________________________________________________________
10. _______________________________________________________________
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C) Fill in the Outline
Choose the five top ideas and write down four tips or other pieces of info that you
can use to develop the article.
IDEA #1 ___________________________________________________________
a) ________________________________________________________________
b) ________________________________________________________________
c) ________________________________________________________________
d) ________________________________________________________________
IDEA #2 ___________________________________________________________
a) ________________________________________________________________
b) ________________________________________________________________
c) ________________________________________________________________
d) ________________________________________________________________
IDEA #3 ___________________________________________________________
a) ________________________________________________________________
b) ________________________________________________________________
c) ________________________________________________________________
d) ________________________________________________________________
IDEA #4 ___________________________________________________________
a) ________________________________________________________________
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b) ________________________________________________________________
c) ________________________________________________________________
d) ________________________________________________________________
IDEA #5 ___________________________________________________________
a) ________________________________________________________________
b) ________________________________________________________________
c) ________________________________________________________________
d) ________________________________________________________________
D) Develop Additional Article Ideas
Take the other five ideas, and using The E-zine Mix-and-Match Content List
below, develop additional articles for your newsletter.
Checklists
Interviews
Listings of resources
Question-and-answer section
Readers’ tips
Press releases
New product announcements
Guest columnists
Event announcements
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Event diaries
Book reviews
IDEA #6 __________________________________________________________
Can be developed as ________________________________________________
Additional concepts
________________________________________________
IDEA #7 __________________________________________________________
Can be developed as ________________________________________________
Additional concepts
________________________________________________
IDEA #8 __________________________________________________________
Can be developed as ________________________________________________
Additional concepts
________________________________________________
IDEA #9 __________________________________________________________
Can be developed as ________________________________________________
Additional concepts
________________________________________________
IDEA #10 _________________________________________________________
Can be developed as ________________________________________________
Additional concepts
________________________________________________
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E) Write Your Articles
Now write the articles based on the outlines you’ve just created. Each article
should range from 500-750 words.
QUESTION #12
search engines?
How do I get my Web site to score high in the
This is one of those questions where the answers change so frequently that I
hesitate to give a definitive explanation. So I won’t.
Instead I’ll point you to some of the top resources on the Net, where you’ll find a
consistently updated base for learning about all the new search engine rules.
Search Engine Watch
http://www.searchenginewatch.com/
The best search engine information sites out there. I subscribe to the fee-based
version, which is $69 a year. Both free and fee-based are loaded with great
information. And they’re frequently updated.
Make Your Site SELL!
http://www.sitesell.com/
Ken calls search engines the “Bargain of the Millennium” and for very good reason.
In the Traffic Building chapter of Make Your Site SELL! he gives a wealth of
information that will help you build a solid foundation for your overall search engine
strategy. (And you can’t argue with him, because his site does rank highly in many
of the engines.)
Ken has a unique “one size fits all and don’t sweat the rest” kind of approach. He’s
a firm believer of the 80-20 rule. He does not mind leaving 20% of the traffic on the
table if 20% of his effort gets 80% of the benefit. It makes a lot of traffic, and his
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ideas on Phase III Gateway Sites make absolute dead-perfect sense for anyone who
wants to sell “nichey” infoproducts.
Search Engine Forums
http://www.searchengineforums.com/
This very busy Web forum features discussions on all of the major search engines,
specialized directories, and other search engine issues like doorway pages, meta
tags, and dynamic Web pages. Very helpful.
• I-Search
http://www.audettemedia.com/i-search/
A twice-weekly e-mail discussion list, where you’ll find some very intelligent
conversation regarding search engine placement.
QUESTION #13
infoproduct?
How do I find other places to promote my
Very good question. If you’re seriously looking to expand your online presence, I
would strongly suggest that you find at least 20, and as many as 100 or more,
alternative promotional outlets in addition to your Web site.
Remember a prospect normally has to see your marketing message several times
(some say 7+) before buying from you. So the more you’re able to evangelize your
word, the higher your chances for sales.
Your five ultimate goals are going to be...
1) To locate targeted e-zines and Web sites where you can submit articles.
2) To find as many reciprocal link opportunities as you can.
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3) To locate as many prospect-rich discussion groups as you can participate in.
4) To identify affiliate bookstores that carry titles within your niche.
5) To locate Web sites that review infoproducts in your niche.
Seems like a tall order. But I’ve developed a basic system to find these outlets,
without losing your sanity. Be forewarned, it can often be a time-consuming
process, but the results you’ll achieve will be phenomenal. Here’s what to do...
A) Search Using Г’PromotionalГ“ Terms
Go to Yahoo! (http://www.yahoo.com/), and combine your most important
keyword with the terms, “directory,” “resources,” “information,” “publications,
“e-zines,” “discussion groups,” and “bookstores,” as part of your search.
For example, if you were looking for places to promote your interior design manual,
you would type in...
• interior design directory
• interior design resources
• interior design information
• interior design publications
• interior design e-zines
• interior design discussion groups
• interior design bookstores
...to locate potential promotional outlets. I start with Yahoo!, because nearly all of
the top sites get a piece of clickable real estate here.
B) Fill Out Your Promotional Database Builder
Once you find an appropriate location, pull out your handy-dandy Promotional
Database Builder. Just fill in the blanks.
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When you’re finished, you’ll have a complete biographical sketch of each outlet,
which you can refer back to as you’re promoting your infoproduct.
This is the same tool I used to develop 186 Places to Promote and Sell Your
Information Product Online. Also 120 New Places...
Promotional Database Builder
Name of site ________________________________________________________
Site URL ___________________________________________________________
Description of site ___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Webmaster/Site owner _______________________________________________
Street address ______________________________________________________
Telephone number __________________________________________________
Fax number ________________________________________________________
E-mail address ______________________________________________________
Opportunities for Promotion
• E-zine
Do they have an e-zine?
YES_____ NO_____
Do they accept articles from outside sources?
YES_____ NO_____
Do they accept advertising?
YES_____ NO_____
Are e-zine archives posted on the site?
YES_____ NO_____
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• Links
Do they have a links page, or a directory?
YES_____ NO_____
What type of link do they offer?
a) Plain text link
b) Button or banner
c) Short description (1-2 sentences)
d) Long description (3-5 sentences)
What link categories do they list? _____________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
How do you get your site listed? ______________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
• Articles
Do they accept articles on their site from outside authors? YES_____ NO_____
Who do you submit your articles to? ___________________________________
• Schmoozing Resources
Do they have any of the following?
a) Discussion board
b) E-mail discussion list
c) Chat room
What is the topic matter discussed? ___________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
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• Affiliate bookstore ownership
Are they affiliate bookstore owners?
YES_____ NO_____
If YES, for which bookstore?
a) Amazon.com
b) BarnesandNoble.com
c) Other ______________________________
How do they describe each book? (check all that apply)
a) Link to the affiliate page
b) Short description (1-2 sentences)
c) Medium description (3-5+ sentences)
d) Long description (several paragraphs)
e) Graphic of book’s cover
f) Table of Contents
What types of infoproducts do they carry? (check all that apply)
a) Books
b) Audio
c) Video
d) Newsletters
e) Manuals
f) Booklets
g) Other ________________________________
What is the subject matter/topic of infoproducts they carry? _______________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
• Reviews
Do they have a book/infoproduct review section?
YES_____ NO_____
What types of products do they review? (check all that apply)
a) Books
b) Audio
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c) Video
d) Newsletters
e) Manuals
f) Booklets
g) Other ________________________________
How can you submit your product for review? ___________________________
___________________________________________________________________
This, dear reader, is an organized, disciplined street fighter. What a great tool!
If you know how to program Filemaker Pro and will turn this into a user-friendly
database tool, I’ll distribute it free to all owners of MYKS!, giving you full credit.
C) Continue the Quest at These Top Engines
Once I’m through screaming Yahoo!, I click on over to AltaVista
(http://www.altavista.com/) to continue my quest for resources. AltaVista has
more quantity over quality, so you’re going to pick up a lot of resources not found
at Yahoo!
Next, it’s on to HotBot (http://www.hotbot.com/), then InfoSeek
(http://www.infoseek.com/).
Once again, when you find a resource, pull out your Promotional Database Builder,
and continue adding.
D) Shift to the Best Specialized Directories
If at this point, I’m having a hard time locating good resources, I’ll go to a more
specialized directory. For this I use my print Internet Yellow Pages (any variety will
do), and my copy of The On-Line Research Handbook by Hayden Mead.
These are excellent publications to have on your bookshelf, as they’ll help point you
in alternative directions.
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E) Additional E-zine and Forum Stopping Points
Other places I always stop by are...
• The Directory of E-zines (http://www.lifestylespub.com/), and John Labovitz
E-zine List (http://www.meer.net/~johnl/e-zine-list), to look for e-zines that accept
articles.
• ForumOne (http://www.forumone.com/), and Liszt (http://www.liszt.com/), to
locate targeted discussion groups.
QUESTION #14
bookstores?
How do I get my infoproduct into online
Don’t let the name fool you. Online bookstores normally carry far more than just
books. They have audiotapes, videotapes, booklets, e-books... just about any
information product you can think of. And they present a direct opportunity to gain
an entirely new level of exposure for your title.
You’ll find that many online bookstores specialize in specific topics, which means
your product will be marketed to a very targeted audience.
And even better, you’ll find that several of the stores do author interviews, reviews
and provide excerpts to their sites’ visitors. Those are additional promotional
opportunities for you. And you don’t even have to pay for them.
Your job is to learn how to get your title featured, so you can reap these benefits.
There are four basic types of online booksellers you’ll want to know about.
They are...
A) Independent Online Bookstores
Independent online bookstores are similar to mail order catalogs, in that they have
no physical storefront locations. Within this category you’ll find superstores like
Amazon.com, as well as smaller vendors who specialize in specific genres. (These
are not affiliate or reseller bookstores.)
Payment is often a lot faster than conventional real-world bookstores, and most
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times they’re very open to any promotional efforts you may want to provide. For
instance if you have an article to donate, most wired bookstores are willing to post it
on the site, because it helps to hype your title. Offline bookstores don’t offer this
luxury.
A definite plus is that independent online bookstores tend to feature less titles
than their physical counterparts, which means decreased competition for shelf
space.
How to Get Your Foot in the Door...
Many independent online bookstores have submission guidelines listed on their
Web sites. If not, you can either e-mail a request to whoever runs the site, or
locate a physical address and send a review copy of your book, including your
wholesale terms.
Superstore Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/) has a formal application
process for independent publishers called the Amazon Advantage program. You
can get more information by going to the “Books” home page of the Web site.
The Co-op Bookshop (http://www.coop-bookshop.com.au/info/publisher.html)
is another option. They’re a leading online bookstore based in Australia. If you have
a new title, that is not currently featured in their database, e-mail the details to
([email protected]). They also actively organize book signings,
giveaways, and author interviews.
Or if you want to delve into a unique niche, try the Large Print Bookshop
(http://users.aol.com/largeprint/). They specialize in large print publications to
meet the needs of those who need something easier on the eyes. They feature over
1,000 titles in all types of categories.
If you ever decide to make your manual in large-print style, this site could help you
open up a whole new niche of customers.
A caveat here. We placed Make Your Site SELL! with the Canadian equivalent of
Amazon...
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Chapters Online
http://www.chapters.ca/
We forgot one thing. They discounted it from CAD$45 to CAD$36. This would
undermine our affiliate program. We told them to pull it.
B) Affiliate Bookstores
Better known as resellers, affiliate bookstores sell books on their Web sites for
some of the larger independent online bookstores. Amazon.com has hundreds
of thousands of affiliates helping to sell books for them.
Most affiliates specialize in a specific niche, and many use their bookstores as a
value-added service to enhance the content already on their Web sites.
For example, an online software storefront might also sell software-related books as
an affiliate for BarnesandNoble.com (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/).
Because it’s so easy to set up shop, new affiliates pop up daily. Depending on the
types of books you sell, you could have dozens of sites selling your title every day.
But this also means that you’ll constantly have to keep an eye out for new ones.
(And of course you’ll be using the Promotional Database Builder, featured in
QUESTION #13.)
How to Get Your Foot in the Door...
Since affiliates sell the books that their parent company carries, you must first get
listed by the main site. You can follow the same advice that I give under
Independent Online Bookstores.
C) Offline Bookstores
Offline bookstores have physical locations that showcase some or all of their
inventory online. Offline bookstores with Web sites are typically one or two store
independents. However, you also have your larger operations like Borders.com and
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BarnesandNoble.com.
Usually, if they already carry your title in their physical store, it’s easier to
convince them to promote it online as well. Thus you double your reaching
power.
How to Get Your Foot in the Door...
Some sites list their guidelines and directions for submissions, especially the
smaller stores. Superstores normally get their inventory through distributors and
wholesalers like Ingram (http://www.ingrambook.com/) and Baker & Taylor
(http://www.baker-taylor.com/).
D) Other Publishers
Other publishers range from the big publishing houses to the independent presses
and the self-publishers. Typically, the big publishers will only sell their own authors’
works. Independents and self-publishers are often more open to selling other
publishers’ books (especially those from other independents and self-publishers).
How to Get Your Foot in the Door...
Send a brief letter describing the books you’d like them to carry, as well as the terms
for sale. Negotiate as usual.
QUESTION #15
day?
How do I generate at least one new order a
I have three different techniques that I use to achieve this goal. You can do just
one, or all three. The more you use, the better your chances of creating additional
sales.
1) Include a bounceback offer with each order.
A bounceback offer is basically a product or service that you provide to the
customer, at a special price, if they purchase within a certain number of days after
their initial order. For example, if you recently sold the customer a manual, you
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might want to send them a bounceback offer for an audiotape set. With your offer,
you could provide a 40% discount if they order within seven days.
2) Do 5 marketing activities every single day.
Do 5 postings to discussion groups... make 5 search engine submissions... submit a
new article you’ve written to 5 different e-zines... send review copies of your
infoproduct to 5 influential people in your niche. The 4-Month Heavy-Hitter
Promotional Plan (in the Jump Start Kit included with MYKS!) offers a weekly
schedule that will enable you to keep up with this type of demand.
I know this sounds like some hard work. But try it for one full month, and I guarantee
that you will see a surge in the number of sales. That’s because again, the more
you spread your name... the more people see your marketing message... the more
likely they are to buy from you. Remember, people like to purchase from vendors
whose names are familiar to them.
3) Come out with a new information product every other month.
The more products you have to sell, the more back-end sales you can make.
For example, I know that whenever I come out with a new information product, at
least 20% of my previous buyers immediately pick it up. Plus it generates sales to
new customers as well.
Following the techniques in this manual will in fact give you the power and speed to
produce a new information product within that time span. During my last creating
frenzy, I developed five new infoproducts in a six-week time span.
On the other hand, the pinnacle of my writing career, this very book, took me 6
weeks just to make the first draft. When I got all of Ken’s comments back on that
draft...
... well, there went another 6 weeks!
heh heh...
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QUESTION #16
Do you have any strong post-sale ideas?
Yes, I do. In fact, you have one of them -- the post-sale consultation.
I have used this technique to add thousands of dollars to my bottom line, especially
when selling my information products, priced $150 or higher.
What I do is offer a free 30-minute consultation after the person orders. In other
words, I include a certificate with the order, which tells them about their free, bonus
consultation session. Automatically you’ve made the customer feel more confident
about the purchase, and you’ve raised the value of your offer.
I’ve found that normally only 2% of your buyers will actually take you up on the
free consultation offer. And out of that group, about 40% of them will go on to pay
for additional hours. That’s significantly more income for you, and all it cost you was
a few 30-minute sessions on the telephone.
QUESTION #17
Should I ever give away my infoproduct?
If you’re just starting out, and you want to develop a quick following, giving your
words of wisdom away in mass format could help to build your credibility as
an expert. And once you do come out with a for-pay title, people will already be
familiar with your work.
The key to a free e-book is to include just the right balance of content and subtle
sales pitch for your main product.
Should you choose to take this route, I would suggest that you come out with an
e-book containing a few short chapters (about 1,000 to 1,500 words per chapter)
and give it away to people in your target niche.
Be sure to allow other complementary sites to distribute the e-book as well. Simply
send the site owners an e-mail giving details about your publication, and how it
would fit in to their audience’s needs.
Sometimes I even offer to include a few links or banners from the complementary
site owner, in exchange for their carrying the e-book. Whenever I’ve made this
proposition to site owners, they most likely end up agreeing to the deal.
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If your free e-book is a business, reference or computer-related title, get it
featured in the dozens of shareware directories out there. For example, ZDNet
Shareware Files (http://www.zdnet.com/swlib/), has special reference sections
devoted strictly to promoting e-books. Ratings and reviews are given as well.
So, as a promotional tool that leads into your real infoproduct, this could be a
valuable technique. If you have an affiliate program and if they can customize the
book so that the links go to their identifying URLs before linking on to your site, this
could become powerful.
But never, never give away your real infoproduct... the fruit of your brain. Giving
away your knowledge has a...
... downfall. It could damage your reputation as an infoproduct
creator. Once you give information away, people become reluctant to pay the
next time.
Yes, and I believe that people do not respect free info. So they may download
your 500-page masterpiece that truly is great, but they very likely won’t get around to
reading it. And if they do read it, they’ll wonder why it’s free -- “something must be
wrong with it” or “I wonder if he just couldn’t sell this stuff” or “what’s the catch?”.
QUESTION #18
my infoproduct?
How do I use a press release to help me market
A press release is a 1-2 page document that promotes a person, product,
service or a cause. It can be e-mailed or snail-mailed, depending on the recipient.
In the infoproduct world, their most common use is to announce a new title.
Journalists and editors use press releases to generate article ideas. In fact, some
of the articles you read in newspapers, magazines and newsletters are simply press
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releases reprinted word for word. And that includes both major and minor
publications -- consumer and trade.
The key point? You must position your article so that it is bona fide news for the
reader of the editor who receives your release. If you just talk about yourself or
your new infoproduct...
... welcome to the round filing cabinet.
Press releases that are used by the media can bring notoriety, fame and profits to
the sender. I’ll never forget the tremendous response I received after sending a
press release that offered some tips from my How to Make Your Business
Famous in 6 Months or Less manual.
I sent it via...
... snail-mail to 60-70 different small business/entrepreneurial-type
magazines and newspapers. Three months after I sent it, a magazine ran it, word
for word. That month sales literally went through the roof. And each time thereafter
when another publication featured the release, sales would spike dramatically.
For what it cost me to write (4 hours) and to print and mail (under $50) that press
release, I earned more than 200 times my original investment. Since then I’ve been
hooked on the extraordinary power of press releases to generate sales.
QUESTION #19
Why do some infoproduct press releases get
picked up, while most get deleted?
Because most people haven’t realized how to make the journalist’s job easier -until now, that is. Most press releases are written solely to announce a new
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infoproduct. Big deal.
Over 60,000 new books are published in the United States alone, every year. So
common book announcements can begin to look like one big blur in the journalistic
world. Another day, another twenty new books.
In order to make your press release stand out from the crowd, it’s vital that you make
the release relevant to the audience of the publication that receives your release -for example, give some helpful, relevant tips excerpted from it.
I’m including a press release that I did for client/colleague Kimberly Goodwin’s
booklet, How to Achieve an Honest College Degree, as well as one that I did for
my own manual, How to Achieve Immediate Sales With Your Web Site.
You’ll notice that I use the same format for each one. Small blurb in the beginning...
some kind of catchy introduction. A quote from me, so that it reads like a journalistic
style article, 3-5 quick tips or ideas, a blurb on how to order, and contact information.
Feel free to adapt this template to your own press release.
Some publications will not always reprint your ordering information, or even the
entire press release. But if they use it, they’ll almost always include your Web site
and/or e-mail address, which could definitely produce some sales.
A) Sample Press Release #1
New Booklet Shows How to Earn a Legitimate
College Degree... Without Attending a Single Class
Most working adults who are striving for a college degree struggle to fit a
full-time job, kids, homework, and a million other activities into a single
day. It’s arduous work, but often necessary to compete in today’s volatile
job market.
However, according to Kimberly Goodwin, author of a “Earning a Legitimate
College Degree,” there are a few little-known tricks of the academic trade
that actually allow you to bypass the traditional classroom setting, and
still have a degree to place over the mantle, or on your office wall.
“Although many people in the workplace realize how important, and
profitable, it can be to earn a higher degree, lack of time and financial
resources often defer them from pursuing one,” says Goodwin. “The problem
is that most of these folks don’t know how to take the back-road to earning
a college degree. And universities tend not publicize alternatives, since
they would take away from their more popular offerings.”
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Among the degree-earning tips Goodwin outlines in her booklet...
* Use life experience to earn credits.
Things like awards, copies of speeches made, testimonials, samples of work,
and even the official description of your job can be used to create a life
experience portfolio. Goodwin says it can take some time to map out and
document your background, but it can save you from dozens of hours in the
classroom.
* Find out which tests will give you credits towards your degree.
There are a few basic standardized testing programs that one can take to
earn college credit. The amount of the credit awarded varies based on the
test, the school, and how well you scored.
* Challenge a class.
“Challenging” is when you take a test similar to a final exam, to get
credit for the course, without having to attend the class. According to
Goodwin, not all classes can be challenged. But if you do decide to try,
your local community college may provide this less-expensive option.
To receive a copy of Goodwin’s booklet, “Earning a Legitimate College
Degree,” send $9 ($7.95 plus $1.05 shipping and handling) to... Kimberly
Goodwin, 5325 Elkhorn Blvd, Suite 248, Sacramento, CA 95842. To order by
credit card, call (800) 431-1579, or visit the 4Achievement Web site at
(www.4achievement.com).
B) Sample Press Release #2
Why Do Some Web Sites Make Big Money, While Others Just Linger?
Even though a whopping 60% of the Internet population sells something
online, a recent survey by Giga Information Group, reveals that less than 5
percent of Internet enterprises will generate a profit in the next 12-18
months. Why?
Because many wired vendors automatically equate marketing to sales. In
reality, though, good marketing just gets prospects to the well. An
effective selling strategy gets them to drink the water,” says Monique
Harris, author of “How to Achieve Immediate Sales From Your Web Site.
Harris’s 30-page special report outlines dozens of ideas that struggling
Web merchants can implement in just hours. Some of the ideas presented in
this report include...
* When building a Web site, it’s easy to get caught in developing the
aesthetic value, and forget about the actual words on the page. However,
the copy on your site represents on of your biggest selling points. “All
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�write’ Web sites should have personality, words and phrases that motivate,
and be audience specific,” says Harris.
* Create customer bonds by building a virtual community. According to
Harris, “Getting like-minded people to communicate with one another on your
Web site is an easy way to find out what should be added to your product
inventory, various ways to improve what you currently offer, plus it
enables customers to help one another better utilize your product.”
* Offer a safe way for prospect to order online. Harris says, “Although
there haven’t been any reported credit card number thefts in the past year,
people are still very leery about purchasing online. You can subdue their
fears by making sure your order page is housed on a secure server -- and by
letting them know that it is, somewhere on your Web site, before they
order.”
To receive a copy of Harris’s special report, “How to Achieve Immediate
Sales From Your Web site,” for $23.95, call toll-free (877) 34-BOOKS, or
visit her Web site at (www.onlinesalespower.com).
QUESTION #20
Where do I send my press release?
There are both online and print-based media directories that feature thousands of
publications, radio and television shows. You want to find...
... the relevant journalist or editor, if you’re sending to a print
publication, or the producer if you’re mailing to a radio or television show.
Here are a few links to get you started. You can find more by going to your favorite
search engine/directory, and typing in “media directory” as your search term.
Bacon’s Media Directory
http://www.baconsinfo.com/
One of the best print directories. You may be able to find a copy in your local library.
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Publist
http://www.publist.com/
Over 150,000 magazines, journals and newsletters.
Kidon Media Link
http://www.kidon.com/media-link/
Links to media outlets, divided geographically.
News365
http://www.news365.com/
Links to over 10,000 news media sites, in 300+ categories.
A full discussion of press releases is beyond the scope of this book. See Ken’s
Make Your Site SELL! for full coverage. Also, Paul Hartunian has written some
wonderful material on this topic (http://www.netrageousresults.com/PR/).
QUESTION #21
How can I make the most of e-zine ads?
Although there are thousands of freebie classified ad Web sites, their combined
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strength will never be able to compare to the power of an e-zine ad.
Simply explained, an e-zine classified is almost identical to a newspaper or
magazine classified ad, in the way they’re built. The difference is that e-zine ads
are normally run more quickly than their print counterparts.
Sometimes you can order an e-zine ad and have it published in just a few days. I’ve
never had to wait more than a month. So e-zines give you the capability to know
what works and what doesn’t, very quickly.
But with many major print publications, especially magazines, you have to submit
your ad 3-4 months in advance. If you’re looking for a quick test, this isn’t the way to
do it.
Also, e-zines can be much more targeted in regards to the readers they attract. So
your ad will reach a more precise audience. And finally, e-zine ads tend to be a lot
cheaper than their print counterparts.
You can’t ask for more in any advertising venue.
Before you begin your e-zine ad campaign, find a list of e-zines within your niche
that accept advertising. I strongly recommend starting with The Directory of
E-zines (http://www.lifestylespub.com/). They feature e-zines in 15+ different
categories. They list ad rates, deadlines, whether free ads are accepted, and
discounts offered. It’s a must-have resource for every e-zine advertising
infopreneur.
Once you compile your list, subscribe to each publication. Examine back issues if
they’re available. You’ll quickly discover that not every e-zine in your category is a
“quality” publication. Or perhaps the focus isn’t quite what you’re looking for.
Subscribing eliminates costly trial-and-error advertising mistakes.
Now that you’ve whittled down your list, choose 3 of the top publications, and
commit to running an ad in the next 3 issues.
QUESTION #22
What makes people respond to e-zine ads?
From my own experience, the best-pulling e-zine ads usually have the following
features...
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“Notice me” headline, without the dancing showgirls
Don’t write generic headlines like these people did...
“*****BIG BUCK$*****MAKE $1,000,000 IN TEN DAYS*****”
(Yeah, right.)
“Quick Cash for You!
Right Now!”
(Quick delete for you, right now.)
“New Book For Teachers.
Click Here.”
(What type of teachers? D-uh!)
These headlines stick out about as much as plants in a greenhouse. Plus, they
scream “Look at me! I’m an amateur boob-head who’s got the same ad headline as
10,000 other saps.” I’ll bet you a million bucks that even the people who write these
types of ads don’t click on other ads headlined this way.
If your headline is too vague, like “New Book For Teachers” or “Listen to My New
Audiocassette,” you’ll be lucky if you can get a total of five click-throughs. Nobody
has the time to play guessing games.
The ideal headline should... be straightforward, solve a problem, and offer a
benefit. Use the words “free” or “new” if they fit.
Remember, you only have a second or two to capture the reader’s attention, so
use keywords that offer clues to what your infoproduct is. It’s important to get your
point across immediately.
Here are a few samples...
Learn the Basics of C++ Programming in 48 Hours or Less
New Booklet Reveals 213 Ideas for Promoting Your Web Site
You’ll Never Get Another Cold Again... New Book Shows How
to Improve Your Health Naturally
FREE E-book Reveals the Secrets of Millionaire Stock Investors
Key benefit statement in the body
Most of your classified ads will have two sentences or less. So you have to make
your strong “what’s in it for me” point immediately within the body of the ad.
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Here’s an example...
Headline...
“New Booklet Reveals 213 Ideas for Promoting Your Web Site”
BODY...
“Feeling lonely out there in Cyberspace? You know what
people who gets lots of traffic say? “I have no time to
answer all my e-mail! I’m just too busy.” Get “too busy”
now by discovering the REAL secrets to long-term traffic.
Call to action
No classified ad is complete without telling the reader what to do next. Whether
they visit your Web site, request information from your autoresponder, or subscribe
to your e-zine, your goal is to get them to move closer towards knowing you and
buying from you.
The most compelling offers will almost always include the word “free.” Phrases like
“right now” and “immediately” tell readers that their needs will be taken care of
quickly.
Use the following examples to get you brainstorming...
Visit this site and receive 10 FREE IDEAS right now...
http://www.websiteideas.com.
Subscribe to my weekly e-zine, and start getting new
Web site promotion ideas immediately.
Send a blank e-mail to [email protected], and you’ll
get a free list of my Top 20 Resources right away.
Here are a few more sample ads...
(Ad promoting a Washington, D.C., tour book)
Headline...
Travel the Nation’s Capital Better Than a 10-Year Resident
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Body...
Learn all the hot spots tourists miss when they visit Washington,
D.C. Get an excerpt from our new tour guide by sending an e-mail to...
(Ad promoting a how-to-start-a-small-business audiocassette)
Headline...
Expert Techniques For Building a Successful Small Business
Body...
83% of all small businesses fail in the first year. My new
audiocassette shows how to beat the odds of failure 99% of
the time. Go to http://www.bizcassette.com/ for a FREE excerpt.
(Ad promoting a beauty secrets booklet)
Headline...
Ladies, Never Pay for Another Manicure Again
Body...
New book reveals expensive beauty spa secrets that you can do
at home. For an excerpt, send your request to...
(Ad promoting a sales newsletter)
Headline...
Stress-Free Techniques for Closing 80% of Your Sales
Body...
Every month, “Easy Closing” newsletter reveals the methods that
the best closers in the world use to make millions of dollars
worth of sales. Get a FREE sample issue by sending an e-mail
to [email protected].
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QUESTION #23
campaign?
How do I evaluate the results of my e-zine ad
If you know which day your ad is going run, you can easily see if if it’s working by the
number of sales you receive. If you normally get 1-2 orders per day, and all of a
sudden you get 14, then you know the ad was definitely a winner! That’s a very
basic monitoring technique.
But if you want to get a little more precise in your results, you’ll need a coding and
tracking mechanism. Coding and tracking lets you determine how many people
actually respond to your ad, so that you can compare click-throughs to the number
of sales.
To track ads that feature your Web site URL, you must have some type of Web site
log analysis program. (Don’t let the long name fool you. It’s actually a very simple
tool.)
Log analysis software (or services) monitor things like... the number of people
who have visited your site on a given day, what countries your visitors are surfing
from, which Web sites are referring people to yours, how many people have clicked
through to your site from e-mail, which of your Web pages are the most popular, and
so on.
Let’s say you want to feature your URL in an ad. Instead of sending prospects to
your home page, set up a special page on your site specifically for people
answering the ad. This way you can use your log analysis program to accurately
determine the number of visitors to that page, since you’re only using it for ad
responses.
With your special page in place, you can compare the number of people who visited
that day to the number of orders you received.
I’ve found that a well-placed e-zine ad for my $269 manual set, How to
Successfully Sell Information Products Online, yields 1 order for every 75-100
visitors. The more advertising you do, the easier you’ll be able to determine your
own average.
Here are a few places where you’ll find log analysis programs...
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eXTReMe Tracking
http://www.extreme-dm.com/tracking/
I’ve been using eXTReMe since early 1999. It’s been very reliable so far. They
have a free program that you can use to track a single page on your site. And then
there’s a $5-a-month program that can monitor all of your site’s pages.
NetStats 2000
http://www.netstats2000.com/
Similar to eXTReMe Tracking.
• HitBox
http://get.hitbox.com/
Offers 500 different pieces of statistical information about the who, what, where,
when and why of your site’s visitors.
WebAdverts is a more focused product. It’s mostly used for rotating banner ads on
your site. It keeps track of exposures and click-throughs for each banner, as well as
of the average total number of exposures per day. You can “weight” banners to
control how often they are displayed. Banners can be of any size. It even tracks
text links, so you can track click-throughs from e-zines, too!
WebAdverts Banner Displayer/Rotater/Tracker
http://awsd.com/scripts/webadverts/
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Finally, Ken has a surprise gift for you...
We offered all of our 5 Pillar Affiliates a Christmas gift that they just loved... The
Ultimate Link Tracker. It’s a cgi program, so you’ll need a bit of help installing it. No
problem -- we’ve got that covered, too.
Here’s what it does...
It tells you how many people clicked on any links that you want to track...
• your sig file
• different ads in different e-zines
• same ads in same e-zine, different issues
• different ads in same e-zine
• links from other sites (say you want to track your link exchange program).
There’s no need to set up special landing pages for each link. And the script
differentiates first-time visitors from repeat ones!
We bought the resell rights to this program and then improved it substantially. It’s
the best program of its kind on the Net, and it’s free to affiliates.
Since it would be so useful for you to track your ad efforts, I offer it to you, too. Just
join the 5 Pillar Affiliate Program (no need to “work the program,” so don’t worry
about that) and get your copy of Ultimate Link Tracker. It’s all totally explained in the
5 Pillar Affiliate Club.
Here’s the URL for the 5 Pillar Affiliate Program (named “Best program of 1999”
by affiliatesdirectory.com)...
5 Pillar Affiliate Program
http://www.sitesell.com/affiliateprogram.html
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QUESTION #24
When do I need a merchant credit card
account, and how do I get one?
Merchant accounts are necessary whether you’re an absolute beginner or a
seasoned infopreneur, because...
... credit card orders will comprise 95%-99% of your
profits.
If you’re just starting out, and you don’t want to commit yourself to the monthly fees
associated with having your own merchant account, or if you can’t get a merchant
account (a common problem!), there is an alternative. Go through a fulfillment
company.
One that I strongly recommend is Book Clearing House
(http://www.book-clearing-house.com/), 800-431-1579. Unlike other fulfillment
companies that charge a monthly fee on top of a commission per sale, BCH only
takes a portion (ranging from 10%-20%) of each sale. There are no set-up charges
or monthly fees.
And not only will they process your order, they’ll also mail it to your customer. You
simply send them a box of your infoproducts, and they handle the rest. At the
beginning of each month, you’ll receive a check (minus the commission) plus a list of
your customers’ information, to file in your database.
If you’re looking for a fulfillment house for your PDF e-book, check out...
SoftLock Cybersales
http://www.softlock.com/
They not only can handle order-taking and fulfillment, they protect your PDF from
being copied and passed around.
Getting to the point where you’re ready to handle your own fulfillment? Tired of
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paying a 10%-20% commission? It’s time to look into obtaining your own merchant
account.
There’s a wide and varied selection of providers out there. So the best thing you
can possibly do, is ask for recommendations from other online info-sellers.
When I first started, I called a local company, Card Payment Systems
(888-648-0066). To obtain the account, I needed...
• a business license
• a business checking account
• a photograph of my office (which all vendors must provide).
It took less than a week for my service to be up and running.
The normal fees associated with having a merchant credit card account
include...
• Terminal or processing software, normally a monthly $19.95-$29.95 bill spread
out over 36-48 months
• A transaction fee, which should be about 30 cents to 65 cents
• A bank statement fee, which hovers around $19.95 a month.
Depending on the company you choose, the rates could vary.
Ralph Wilson has two great articles, “Guideline for Obtaining a Merchant Credit Card
Account,” (http://www.webcommercetoday.com/wct2/981215merchantcc.htm),
and “Unraveling the Mysteries of a Merchant Credit Card Account,”
(http://www.wilsoninet.com/articles/merch-cc.htm), which will further help you in
this department.
You may remain totally happy with a third party providing your merchant account
needs. Or you may get to the point where you want to have your own merchant
accounts. Call your local bank for information on how to do this.
But here’s a warning -- if you’re just starting out and have limited means, you may
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find it tough.
Good point, Monique. Acquiring your own merchant account remains a major
stumbling block for first-time infopreneurs.
So you have two choices...
1) Start with a third-party fulfillment house, or an infoproduct publisher -- they take
the order and ship your product (or may ask you to drop-ship). A publisher actually
does more -- they do the entire marketing and selling, and pay you a royalty. So you
only worry about creating and producing your infoproducts.
Besides the companies listed here, there are many others in the 186 Places and
120 Places special reports. And one special note -- if you have a high-quality
product that is experience-based and helps individuals and small businesses
succeed on the Net, we are interested in working with you. See our Authors Page
(http://www.sitesell.com/authors.html).
or
2) Start with a third-party provider of merchant accounts if you want to take and fulfill
your own orders. The best two that I know of...
Overall... Total Merchant Services (http://www.tms4you.com/default1.asp)
For digital products... ClickBank (http://www.clickbank.com/)
For hard goods... CCNow (http://www.ccnow.com/)
QUESTION #25
Do I need real-time credit card processing?
If you had real-time credit card processing, a customer would be able to place an
order for your information product on your Web site, and the task of verifying the
credit card information would be done automatically. For you, the vendor, it means
not having to type in credit card number after credit card number, plus no
worrying about making mistakes typing numbers in.
But since there is an additional fee to have real-time credit card processing added to
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your merchant account, the only reason why I would say you needed the service is if
you’re getting at least four orders a day. If you’re getting less than that, don’t
worry about it.
Here are a few companies that provide real-time credit card processing, in case you
need it...
Optibill
http://www.optibill.com/
Bizland
http://www.bizland.com/commerce/processing/
Credit Card Billing
http://www.ccbill.com/
Monique makes a good point. Real-time credit card processing is not worth the
effort if you’re getting less than 5 orders per day. And if you’re selling a high-priced
product (especially if it’s a hard good), I would process all orders manually for a
while, just to see the level of fraud attempts. We discuss all this in detail in Make
Your Site SELL!, including how to detect and prevent fraud.
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Many people ask who we use to clear in real time. I swear by...
CyberCash’s Cash Register Service
http://www.cybercash.com/cybercash/services/technology.html
But this is heavy-duty, industrial-strength stuff. You’ll need specialized tech support.
QUESTION #26
losers?
Which online promotional techniques are sure
The so-called gurus out there are going to hate me for this one. But there’s no way I
can sit on the sidelines, knowing there are bogus...
... for-the-birds techniques being circulated like a 5-year-old
fruitcake. I’d be doing you a serious disservice if I didn’t point you away from the
time-wasters.
So here’s a rundown of the three biggest...
...quicksand pits out there. Remember, when approached to use
one of these techniques... Just Say No!
• Free-for-all pages
A good idea at one time, but automation has killed their beauty and charm as a
viable marketing tool.
Don’t get sucked in to those services that enable you to send your ad to hundreds of
free-for-all (FFA) pages. Although they’re really and truly meant to generate Web
site traffic, the most you’ll get is dozens of spam messages, and ads from the
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owners of these FFA pages. (Great... just what we all need, more spam!)
• Banner ads
Unless you’ve got $4,000-$5,000 burning a hole in your pocket, banner ads are not
of huge significance in the initial scheme of promoting your information product.
The truth is that it’s much better to advertise on highly targeted Web sites, versus a
$25 per month spot on an untargeted site. And the price you have to pay to test is
typically more than most budding infopreneurs are willing to spend.
My blunt recommendation. Banners are a total waste of time now. “Way back” in
1995, they were novel and people clicked. Not any more. They may be useful for
the big guys who want to build a brand. But for direct marketers who want to get
sales... forget them. I even try to talk the 5 Pillar Affiliates out of using them!
But here’s an idea... if you find a site that caters to your target market. Offer to sign
him up to your affiliate program (if you have one) as a test. Link banners to the
program so that you pay a commission. Tell the banner vendor that if it works well,
you can switch to a pay-per-impression model once you know the likely yield! Or
perhaps the vendor will be happy to be an affiliate, if it’s paying well.
• Classified ads
If you’ve been on the Net for at least a year, then you’ve probably clicked your way
to one of those huge ad directories, where you can find thousands of classified ad
Web site links. Or perhaps you’ve seen one of those submission software
products, that allows you to submit your ad to thousands of sites within minutes.
Whether you sit there for 96 hours submitting your classified ad to all of those sites,
or 5 minutes, the bottom line is... they really don’t work, given the time, effort and
perhaps money that you’ll have to expend.
The one exception to this rule is classified ads in targeted e-zines. One good ad in
the right e-zine can create sales galore. You’ll read more about this in QUESTIONS
#21-23.
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QUESTION #27
What are the biggest marketing mistakes made
by online infopreneurs?
1) They make themselves visible only when they have a product or service to
sell.
You can’t just hide in the background, and then become a marketing wizard once
your infoproduct hits the street. Well, in all actuality, you can. But I don’t
recommend it.
As an info-seller, especially if you’re just starting out, it’s important to immerse
yourself within the communication centers of your niche. And discussion
groups present a great way to do just that.
But the key is to not silently hang out in relevant groups -- participate.
Freely and willingly help your prospects and colleagues to learn. Give of your
knowledge by answering questions and offering insightful comments. Show that you
know your stuff.
And when you finally come out with your information product, people will have
already begun to acknowledge you as a guru. It’s a whole lot easier to try to sell
something when others know about you, then when you’re the new kid on the block,
hawking a bottle of snake oil.
2) They make their e-zine just one big ad.
I know you want to sell your infoproduct. And it would seem so right to make your
e-zine an “undercover” sales letter. But beware... you’ll be speeding like a runaway
train headed towards a big steel wall, if you do this.
The most frequently read, respected, and purchased-from e-zines are those that are
heavy on the editorial and light on the advertising. Use your e-zine to
demonstrate your expertise through tips, articles, interviews, and that sort of thing.
Showing others that you’re an expert at your trade is a much more credible
maneuver than all the hidden sales pitches in the world.
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3) They make their Web site just one big ad.
Again, the same rules that apply to your e-zine also apply to the Web. Make sure
that your site has attractive editorial data, like articles and newsletters, so that
potential buyers can “sample” your style and knowledge.
Yes, good point here. Even sitesell.com, which is a straight sales site, weaves
content into the copy. It sells and educates at the same time. The reader concludes
that we know our stuff while he reads the copy.
4) They’re behind in the times.
I can’t stand it when I go to a Web site for details on advertising, and not only do
they not have their ad rates listed, they actually want you to pick up a telephone,
and call some account executive for more information!
Or, as I’ve seen on a few infoproduct Web sites, if you want to place an order, you
have to physically snail-mail your check or credit card information. And another
one... if you want details about the infoproduct (like a description), you have to
e-mail the author.
When you operate as if you’re still offline, you will significantly cut down on sales. If
you’re committed to doing business on the Net, and you want to encourage as many
sales as possible, you can’t be half-on and half-off with your efforts.
Make your Web site an information and ordering emporium. Look at other
infopreneurs’ Web sites. Borrow good ideas, modifying them appropriately for your
own site.
And while going through other sites, ask yourself “What’s missing here?” or “How
can this be improved?” Make sure you include these details on your own site.
And... by all means, you must have secure ordering. It’s also a good idea to be able
to take checks over the Web (some of the above third-party fulfillment companies
offer this). You will never be taken seriously if you don’t show that you’re a
merchant who knows how to make the customer feel comfortable about
purchasing online.
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5) They let sleeping dogs lie.
You clearly see that something within your promotional campaign isn’t working. But
you neglect to change anything. Hey! Wake up that...
... sleeping dog!
For instance, you notice that a sales letter you’ve written is only pulling one
order a week -- and you don’t bother to revise it. Or you see that the e-zine ads
you’ve been running for the past 3 weeks aren’t giving you a decent click-through
response -- but you keep running them because you don’t want to look for a
potentially better or more targeted publication.
I’m always mixing and mingling different elements of my promotional strategy.
When you’re on the Net, you can easily determine whether something is working or
not. And you can usually make that decision within a couple of days or weeks. So
take advantage of this amazing advantage of doing business on the Net.
If, after 2-4 weeks, I see that one of my marketing tricks isn’t doing the job, I either
alter it or retire it to pasture. You’ll never meet your profit goals if you’re not willing to
rapidly adjust your means of getting there.
6) They run a classified ad once, and expect a 70% response overnight.
Whenever you dabble with classified ads, have enough capital to run the ad at least
3-4 consecutive times.
I know from experience that one-time ads can pull in orders, but multiple ad runs
tend to yield better results overall. Give yourself a little room to test with
classifieds.
7) They duplicate every one of their competitors’ marketing techniques.
And then they sit back with a furrowed brow wondering why sales are so slow!
While you should closely examine what the competition is doing, emulation should
be done in small quantities. It’s important that you hand-pick your own marketing
techniques, so that you’re less likely to overlap, as far as your audiences are
concerned.
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If you find it necessary to duplicate somebody’s marketing techniques, then choose
a segment outside your niche. This method, in fact, is something that I do to keep
a fresh perspective in my industry. You can learn a lot watching people outside your
business perform a certain task.
OK, let’s take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Most infopreneurs run out
and try a whole bunch of “marketing stuff.” They work their you-know-whats off,
but...
Most infopreneurs fail to build a strong personal brand.
Think of the leaders in your own field of interest. I’ll bet they stand for something -I’ll bet they stand out in some unique and strong way.
Here are just a few ideas for building your own personal brand...
• Speak and write in your own unique voice.
• Be original. To do this, take some time to think!
• Be consistent, day in and day out. The only way to do this is to be consistent with
your true personality. Don’t try to create a brand that is not “you.”
• The worst news of all? Work hard -- it’s not easy.
• The best news of all? It’s worth it.
Three examples to study...
• Jesse Berst of AnchorDesk (http://www.zdnet.com/anchordesk/) is a
big-thinking, opinionated journalist who regularly forces me to stop and ponder. Not
many people accomplish that.
• Nick Usborne of ClickZ (http://www.clickz.com/) is the cleanest, clearest-headed
(or is it “clear-headedest”?) thinker and writer on the Net. He can range from fun to
deep, often in the same piece. Sometimes off the mark, but that’s the sign of
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someone who’s not afraid to go out on a limb.
• Jakob Neilsen of useit.com (http://www.useit.com/) is the sharp-minded,
left-brained, analytical usability guru. His work is marked by new thinking on user
issues. Not the most captivating writer, but that’s not his brand -- Jakob is a
scientist and that image is a strong one for what he sells.
You’re thinking... “That’s fine Ken. But these people are all well known.”
Yup, but you’ve got the chicken and the egg mixed up. They are successes
because of the personal brand that they have established.
Right now... decide on your personal brand and how you’ll build it. No one gets to
the top by looking like everyone else.
(More on this a bit later...)
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9.
All Roads Lead to Success...
If You Take The Right Fork!
If you read and follow the information in MYKS!, you can’t help but start out right.
You’ll proceed at a nice pace, steadily driving up a wonderful...
... winding road towards success. But I guarantee you one
sure thing. You’ll come to forks in that road.
In this chapter, I point out five key forks -- taking the right fork is your long-term key
to success. (Gentlemen... don’t be afraid to ask for directions!)
Hey!
9.1.
The Fork to Re-energized Sales...
What to Do When It WonГ•t Sell
You’ve picked a topic that resonates with your likes and current knowledge. You
know the product is great -- customers tell you so. You thought that your
promotional plan was of primo quality. But sales suck!
You’ve come to a major fork in the road....
You can either stay paralyzed with fear and dread and a “I did it right but it did not
work” attitude -- get mad at the world and give up on e-commerce. Or you can say...
“OK, I’ve got a great product. But something is killing this project. Let’s find
it and fix it.”
I sure hope that you pick the latter when it happens.
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I’ll be the first one to admit it. There are times when even the best-laid plans turn
out to be the biggest flops! Out of the 15 information products I’ve done, two of
them have needed...
... some serious CPR to stay alive.
But you’ll never know which ones bombed, because I followed the regimen you’ll be
reading about in the next couple of paragraphs.
When dealing with a rapidly dying information product, the key point to remember is
that you already have something completely put together. It’s not like you’re
starting from scratch, so your reconstruction job is going to be a lot easier.
Also, don’t feel so terrible about the experience. It could be that you’re ahead of the
time, or that something has to be added, perhaps there’s a need for a price change,
or maybe your marketing strategies must be beefed up. Rarely is it a poor quality
product, or your lack of skills. As I said above...
Let’s just fix it! Apply this...
... Emergency Plan after 30-60 days of less-than-satisfactory
sales.
9.1.1.
Г’Before-You-Change-a-ThingГ“ Checklist
DIRECTIONS... Start using this list as soon as you realize that your sales are in
danger. Don’t change your product just yet. First, see if the fatal error lies
elsewhere.
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If you answer “no” to any of the check points below, fix that first. Ultimately you want
to answer “yes” to every question, prior to altering your information product.
Am I using Spyonit (http://www.spyonit.com), and TracerLock
(http://www.peacefire.org/tracerlock) to keep a running tab of what people are
saying about me and my infoproduct(s)?
Ooooh! This is valuable. It just takes one strong, nasty competitor to hurt you.
Have I checked to see how many people are linked to my site?
• Go to AltaVista (http://www.altavista.com/). In the search box, type in...
link:mysite.com (substitute “mysite.com” with your own domain)
You can do the same thing at HotBot (http://www.hotbot.com/).
If no one is linking to your site, either your link exchange program is a failure or you
need an affiliate program.
Am I doing at least 5 marketing activities a day?
Do I distribute an e-zine at least once every two weeks?
Have I changed a few elements in my Web site’s sales letter, and then tested the
results?
• add/delete/modify a Table of Contents
• add more bullet points
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• include another bonus item
• change/enlarge the headlines
• add/delete copy
• add testimonials
• adjust the price
Does my Web site have any credibility boosters, such as articles, excerpts,
transcripts of speeches, testimonials or case studies? The more you have, the
better.
Are all of my Web site’s pages loading in 60 seconds or less?
Not getting the sales? Three possible reasons...
1) Product -- you may have to change this. Monique talks about this next. But first,
let’s examine the other two possibilities.
2) No traffic -- this will be obvious. There is a ton of infoproduct-specific
traffic-building techniques in this book. Pick and choose. At a minimum, you should
build some strong Phase III Gateway pages. Yes, you can do these -- anyone can.
See Make Your Site SELL! for more info.
3) Site not selling -- Generally, you should expect a Conversion Rate (CR) of
anywhere from 0.25% to 5%, depending on...
• product and price
• the nature of your target market
• how targeted your traffic is
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• how powerful your site is.
The way to multiply your CR is to increase your site’s sales power! Quadruple
your CR by improving upon one or more points in this...
... list of critical site-selling features...
• The Opening Page, especially...
• the opening paragraph -- does it stop visitors in their tracks?
• key headlines -- do they keep visitors on the site, wanting to know more?
• the joint to the next page -- does it pull through to the next page?
• The Most Wanted Response (MWR) Closer Page, especially...
• the offer package (price, bonus, time).
• the call to action -- does the site tell your customer what to do?
• effectiveness of the MWR Response Form.
• key headlines.
• Use of Backup Response -- long-term, this will increase the CR.
• Other Content Pages...
• the guarantee -- people read your wording carefully. Is it solid, honest, and
simple? Does it reassure?
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• testimonials -- letters from happy users, product reviews.
• headlines and joints for each Content Page.
• look & feel -- warm and trusting? Or does your visitor see a loud, shrill
effort? Or a big, cold, couldn’t-care-less multinational?
• other site content -- does it add to the selling effort?
• Usability
• user-friendly, overall?
• readability and scannability -- clear and easy to read/scan?
• navigation -- can your dumbest visitor navigate easily?
Remember... for every buyer, there were 10 who came very close. They were so
close, they took out their credit cards. But that final barrier of trust/doubt/inertia kept
them from hitting the Order button.
Put yourself in that person’s shoes and ask yourself...
“What do I have to add or remove or change to get the Most Wanted Response?”
Figure it out. There is an answer!
Keep a backup copy, though. If your experiment lowers your CR, just put the
previous version back up!
Also, always keep notes in a “Site Log” of what changes you made to your site, and
when. One week later, measure your CR. Has it gone up, down, or is it flat?
It’s impossible to know what the market will respond to, or what the best approach is
-- so you have to test, test, and test some more.
Don’t prejudge anything -- not the best price, not the best headline, not even the
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best MWR. The marketplace will vote with their pocketbooks. All you have to do is
measure it via the CR.
So, test to be best. Review your site critically -- what could you improve in the
checklist above?
Then do it.
Here’s an example...
Headlines are easy to test -- the ones on your Opening Page (especially the very
first one) and the MWR Closer Page are critically important.
Let’s say that you receive 5 Most Wanted Responses per day. Try a radically
different headline on your Opening Page or MWR Closer Page. If that doubles your
CR to 10 per day, keep it. If it kills your sales, drop it and replace with your backup
copy.
Let your customer’s response to your site tell you whether your site is working.
Always try to outdo the current “best” approach.
Once you have a site that is working, only change one thing at a time, or else you
won’t know which change is affecting the CR.
Your Web site is a process in constant evolution. Keep fine-tuning to find the most
effective selling elements. The Web truly is an electronic experiment in Darwinism -it’s “survival of the fittest.”
If you know that you have a great product that offers true benefits, if you focus on
your target, then keep going until you find the hot button that sells.
9.1.2.
Performing Radical Infoproduct Surgery
If you’ve answered yes to all the questions in the checklist, and sales are still less
than favorable, then it’s time for...
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...infoproduct surgery.
There are four different steps that you can use, in order to activate or revive your
sales. Sometimes it only takes one or two of the steps in order achieve your goals.
Other times, it could take all four steps. Put on your creativity scrubs and let’s go!
Wow, Monique, I’m back in the O.R. again.
STEP #1
Revise -- Change the audience you target.
Perhaps your focus is too broad. For example, if your information product is geared
towards entrepreneurs in general, whittle down that niche and retarget on a
... tighter bull’s-eye like “women entrepreneurs” or “work-at-home
entrepreneurs.” If your niche has traditionally been salespeople, try “insurance
salespeople” or “advertising people.”
If you take this direction, go back to your outline and see where to add
target-specific information to bolster it for the needs of this market.
STEP #2
Repackage
I’ve seen first-hand how a packaging method can either make or break your sales
cycle. Back in March 1999, I decided to turn my How to Successfully Sell
Information Products Online manuals into e-books. No longer would I be
promoting the print version. It was bits and bytes for me and my buyers.
Well, the crowd spoke... and what little they had to say! Sales during my “e-book
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only sell-a-thon” were horrible. I’m not going to give you any raw numbers. But
let’s just say that you could count the number of sales for one month, on two hands.
Now that’s bad.
However, when I repackaged it into manual and free e-book as part of the deal,
sales went even higher than they did when I just had the manual alone. Customers
wanted the combination the most.
Perhaps you could change a manual into an audiocassette series, or change a
booklet into a video. A subscription-based Web site can be turned into an e-book. (I
did this with my Web Site Hosting and Designers Promotional Guide, and it sold
really well.)
STEP #3
Reeducate
Maybe you haven’t been showing your information product in the best light.
The benefits you’re providing may not be the ones your potential customers are
looking for.
Write down a list of all the current benefits you have for buying your information
product. Go to a few discussion groups within your niche and pose a question,
asking which of the benefits are most important to them.
Here’s an example...
What ultimately prompts you to buy a dog training book?
*
*
*
*
The author
Amount of pictures/diagrams
Length of the book
Other people’s recommendations
Thanks for the feedback!
Regards,
Peter Marshall
Stress whichever benefit is most important to them in your Web site copy. This
means a total rework, right from your opening paragraph, where you build a brand
new Unique Selling Proposition.
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This is a great tip. So many entrepreneurs create and market infoproducts that they
themselves would like to buy. We’ve already said that you should create products
that your market wants. Well, that goes for marketing, too...
Don’t assume that what turns you on turns everyone on. You may very well not
represent the core of your target market. Find out what turns your customer on.
That key will unlock the door to sales.
STEP #4
Rename
Now that your information product has a new outer body, a new name is needed to
totally complete the transformation. It’s a known fact that titles are very
important for achieving high sales. Sometimes this adjustment alone, can give
your profits a serious boost.
Return to Name that Infoproduct and change your title. This is especially
important if you have refocused to a different major benefit.
STEP #5
Resuscitate
Now it’s time to turn your information product back over to the marketplace. Your
debut should be marked with a new Web site, new URL, new sales letter, the
whole nine yards. As far as the naked eye can tell, this is a totally new product.
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9.2.
The Fork to Market Domination...
Building a Mighty Team of Affiliates
Key fork in the road? Affiliate program, to be or not to be?
If you have a single product that aims at a nice, tight niche, you probably don’t
need one. For example, Ken simply set out to win the search engine wars for his
penny mining stock program, PennyGold.
Ken sold 1,000 copies in less than two years... all through the search engines. And
he currently has over 100 people on a waiting list (at $1,000 per!), should an existing
owner ever want to sell his serial number back.
The point? You may not need one.
But if your product has a wide-ranging market (like Ken’s MYSS!, or this book),
affiliate programs are great for reaching out into every nook and cranny of the Net.
So which fork are you taking? Choosing the right fork now will dramatically affect
your outcome.
9.2.1.
Attitude (Yours!) is Everything
What’s not to love about having your own affiliate program? It enables you to gain
hundreds or even thousands of additional sales outlets... you get a ton of free
advertising (because your affiliates do the marketing)... and you make additional
revenue that you would not have received otherwise.
The concept itself is sheer genius.
The problem is that most people don’t understand what it takes to effectively run an
affiliate program. You can’t simply get some software installed, make a few
banners, and get your program listed in the affiliate directories. If it were that easy,
every affiliate program owner would be living like Bill Gates.
Running an affiliate program requires commitment and dedication on your part.
Because once you begin to enlist the help of others, your responsibility level
suddenly surges.
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It’s no longer merely about taking care of the customer. You have to do more than
take care of your affiliates. Remember, this is the team that’s out there singing your
praises to the world. They are your “partners-in-sales,” as Ken would say.
You can’t welch on their well-being. Give them all the information and traffic-building
tools possible to help them succeed.
The most important tip that I can give you is this... join Ken’s 5 Pillar Program
(http://www.sitesell.com/affiliateprogram.html). I cleared this with Ken. You do
not have to actually do anything to “work the program,” although Ken says he’d be
honored if you like this book enough to tell others about it.
Instead, take a look at how the entire program is set up. There’s a great reason why
it was voted “Best Program of 1999” -- actually, there are lots of good reasons.
From the unparalleled Affiliate Report newsletters, to the real-time, auditable
accounting, to the amazing and unique traffic-building tools, there really is nothing
like it.
Most importantly.. it’s the attitude. If you are not ready to totally support your
partners-in-sales, if you are not totally committed to working to help them succeed,
don’t bother with an affiliate program. If you are, read on...
9.2.2.
Tools for Managing Your Affiliates
Before you announce your program to the world, you have to decide how you want
to run your program...
• how you’re going to sign up affiliates
• how their sales are going to be monitored
• how affiliates check their sales stats
• how you’re going to pay affiliates.
The tool that I use is...
Affiliate Link software
http://www.affiliatezone.com/
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For only $350, they’ll load the software onto your Web server, test it out, and make
sure it works. Or they have a new service where you can pay a $75 set-up fee, and
$29.95 a month for access to the same affiliate software.
You can get a rundown of several affiliate management options at...
Associate Programs
(http://www.associateprograms.com/search/howto.shtml)
Top10 Affiliates
(http://www.top10affiliates.com/merchants/affiliate_tracking/affiliate_tracking.htm)
You have three choices when you first set up your program...
1) Write your entire affiliate management software yourself. This is far more
expensive, but it gives you total control and flexibility. If you have big plans,
consider this. It’s the direction that we chose.
2) Install somone else’s software. This is Monique’s choice. It’s a good
cost-effective choice. You still have to cut the affiliate checks. The big advantage?
Your affiliates are not exposed to other programs, as they are in the next choice...
3) Run someone else’s server-side management software. Befree
(http://www.befree.com/), Linkshare (http://www.linkshare.com/) and
Commission Junction (http://www.cj.com/) are the big players here. I like CJ’s
setup. They’re focused on helping affiliates, and they’re the most economical.
As I noted above, since these companies run the programs for hundreds of other
companies too, your affiliates are exposed to the programs of other companies.
If you have a high-traffic site and can get lots of affiliates sign-ups on your own, I
would not go this route. On the other hand, if you have a low-traffic site, it might be
a great way to get your program exposed to hundreds of thousands of affiliates.
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9.2.3.
Simple-Yet-Effective Affiliate Sign-up Techniques
• Create a Mouth-Watering Offer.
If you wish to attract the better-established sites, which will often give you wider
exposure to your audience, then give potential affiliates an offer they simply
cannot refuse.
Beat your competitors’ offers. If they are...
... paying a 15% commission, you pay 20%. When
affiliates reach a certain level in sales, tack on another 2% or 3% for good measure.
Your profit margin per product will be lower, but you’ll make up for it with an
increased number of sales.
• Maintain a List of Frequently Asked Affiliate Questions.
Instead of making potential affiliates search all over your site for information about
your program, gather all the...
... who, what, where, when and why’s into a list of
Frequently Asked Questions.
Here are some points you should mention...
Complete description of your infoproduct
Requirements for joining the program
Commission you’re offering
When affiliates get paid
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The type of tracking mechanism you offer
Marketing materials you provide
• Get Your Program Listed in the Appropriate Directories.
Probably the most popular listing of affiliate programs is Allan Gardyne’s Associate
Programs Web site (http://www.AssociatePrograms.com/). New programs are
always being added.
Here are several other directories to get you going...
Refer-It (http://www.refer-it.com/)
Affiliates Directory (http://www.affiliatesdirectory.com/)
Refer Me (http://www.refer-me.com/aff/)
ClickQuick (http://www.clickquick.com/)
Associate Search (http://www.Associatesearch.com/)
Affiliate Options (http://www.affiliateoptions.com/)
ClickQuest (http://www.clickquest.com/)
ClicksLink (http://www.clickslink.com/)
Qwiklinks (http://www.qwiklinks.com/)
Site Cash (http://www.sitecash.com/)
IncomeMAX (http://www.incomemax.com/)
Associate It (http://www.associate-it.com/)
Associate Cash (http://www.associatecash.com/)
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Affiliates Trade Link Network (http://www.atlnetwork.com/)
Affiliate World (http://www.affiliateworld.com/)
Affiliate Match (http://www.affiliatematch.com/programs/)
Affiliate Guide (http://www.affiliateguide.com/)
Referral Madness (http://www.referralmadness.com/)
Cash Pile (http://www.cashpile.com/)
Cash Cows (http://www.cash-cows.com/)
2-Tier (http://www.2-tier.com/)
4-Your Site Affiliate and Referral Programs (http://www.4yoursite.com/)
Gr1Innovations (http://www.gr1innovations.com/)
Affiliate Tips (http://www.affiliatetips.com/)
Revenews (http://www.revenews.com/)
InterCommission (http://www.intercommission.com/)
I-Revenue (http://www.i-revenue.net/)
BigInfo (http://www.biginfo.net/pages/AssociatePrograms/)
WebMarket Directory (http://bblmedia.com/webmarket_addlink.html)
Web Affiliate Programs (http://www.webaffiliateprograms.com/)
Partner Programme (http://www.partnerprogramme.com/english.htm)
SimpleSite UK (http://www.simplesite.freewire.co.uk/)
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zusammen Affiliates Directory and News (http://www.zusammen.com/)
If you don’t want to submit your program to the major directories by hand, try
Affiliate Announce (http://www.affiliate-announce.com/). Neil Durrant will submit
your affiliate program to the top 40 directories by hand, for $79. Definitely worth it.
• Advertise the Opportunity in Your Sig.
Hopefully you’re participating in at least a few targeted online discussion groups. If
so, don’t forget to include a brief blurb about your affiliate program in your
signature.
Depending on the number of participants within the group, you could get a good
number of sign-ups this way. Remember... go where your affiliates would be.
• Include Sign-Up Information With Each Order.
Many people get into network marketing companies because they try the product,
see tremendous results, and decide they want to sell it to other people. You can
secure affiliates the same way.
Simply enclose information about your affiliate program along with each order. Offer
details on how the program works, commissions received, and marketing tools. It
will only cost you a few cents extra for the paperwork.
• Offer Current Affiliates a Small Incentive to Get Recruits.
Several affiliate programs pay on a two-level approach, also referred to as
two-tiered programs. In this case, you would also pay a (smaller) commission (to
the first-level affiliate) for each sale the sub-affiliate makes. (This is not the same
as multilevel marketing (MLM). The payment structure does not extend to the third
tier or deeper -- those are called multi-tiered programs -- they are the same as
MLM.)
Two-tiered programs are powerful because they provide your affiliates not only with
an incentive to sell, but also to grow their own personal sales team. The affiliates
are happy because they get to earn on something besides regular sales.
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Bottom line? Your program will grow faster.
The six most important features to build into your program are...
1) A strong commission -- but not so strong that you have to price too high. Do
not turn your affiliate program into a legalized form of bribery. This is the dark side
of affiliate programs. Paying people 60% commissions to recommend $500
products that are worth $50 borders on fraud -- these kinds of practices should
clearly be labelled as ads, but often are not.
2) Expanding, high-value product line -- if you have a single infoproduct, it will be
hard to attract the attention of some people. Despite that, our program has grown
rapidly. As we add more and more new products, I expect it to grow even faster...
until we close it to new applications later this year. Which brings me to the next
point...
3) Protection for your affiliates -- Your goal is not to blanket the world in affiliates.
None of them will be able to make any money. Your goal is to build a professional,
Web-based sales force. Close your program when you have achieved that -- protect
those who helped you build your company.
4) Two tiers -- Monique said it well.
5) Lifetime commission -- include all future products in your program. Tie each
new customer to the referring affiliate. Pay a commission if that customer buys from
you again, even if not referred directly by that affiliate this time. There is a strong
way to build this into a mutually beneficial incentive program.
6) Affiliate Agreement -- make it non-terminatable and non-modifiable (within
reason). This is a strong sign to serious people.
Build these features into your program. It will give you a strong, competitive edge.
And it will form the basis for a respectful relationship with your affiliates.
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9.2.4.
10 Ways to Create an Effective, Loyal Team
1) Allow only a certain number of affiliates into your program.
Amazon.com can afford to have well over 350,000 affiliates in their Amazon
Associates program. After all, they do carry the world’s largest selection of books.
Most programs, though, should limit the number of affiliates they allow, and still
make a good profit.
Why limit? If potential affiliates see that you’re only permitting a certain number of
resellers, they’re more likely to push your product harder, knowing that there’s
less competition and more opportunity for profit.
2) Offer a selection of marketing content.
Whether you have an unlimited or a finite number of affiliates, don’t put everybody in
the position to use exactly the same marketing spiel.
When the Corey Rudl course first started gaining popularity, a good number of his
affiliates all used exactly the same sales pitch. There was a script that made it seem
like they were personal friends with Corey. Just a personal friend making a
recommendation.
Before you knew it, everybody was talking about how they were personal friends
with Corey, and how much they loved his course!
Consumers are not stupid, though. After you start noticing that everybody is saying
the same thing, you know it ain’t true! (By the way, almost no one uses that “he’s my
friend” script anymore.)
Give your affiliates the opportunity to choose from a variety of different marketing
tools, and constantly update them so there’s no overload. Here are my general
rules of thumb to help make your affiliates’ marketing tools more productive.
For every 100 affiliates you should have at least...
• Five different banners
• Five sample classified ads
• Ten different testimonials from satisfied customers
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• Two or three reviews from noted authorities in your industry
• At least five ideas for using the marketing materials (so everybody’s not doing the
same thing.)
Take it even one step further. Train and educate to the point where your affiliates
can use their own brains and write custom articles that fit with their own sites,
e-zines, etc. There is true power in this.
3) Enable your affiliates to sell off the Net.
As somebody who does a considerable amount of marketing offline, I can attest to
the necessity of hard-copy marketing tools for your affiliates. For instance, when I
sell my own books at a seminar, I always include a catalog of additional products
from other publishers.
This means I need sales letters and marketing copy for my print catalog. However,
most online marketing materials don’t fit the bill for what I need offline. And many
publishers don’t provide this type of stuff, because they don’t think that many
affiliates will sell off the Net.
If it costs you a few extra hours, produce a sales letter, and a couple of sample ads
for offline use only. It could add considerably to your bottom line.
4) Hire a marketing expert to work exclusively with your affiliates.
I believe this is only a necessity when you sell high-priced items. However, it can
considerably raise the success level of any program.
A marketing consultant can help your affiliates develop Web site copy, advertising
strategies, and so on. This person can also keep track of where each affiliate
advertises, so they can offer other affiliates more accurate promotional
recommendations.
When an affiliate signs up for your program, that person receives an appointment
with the marketing consultant to ensure that they receive the best possible start-up
tools. Follow-up sessions can be at the cost of your company, or at a discounted
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rate directly from the consultant to the affiliate.
5) Offer affiliates bonus incentives for outstanding sales.
My mother used to work for a popular beverage distribution company in the
Washington, D.C., area. A few years ago, one of the beer companies offered to
send all the salespeople who sold a certain number of cases of their product, on an
all-expenses-paid trip to Ireland. Every salesperson met the quota.
Every once in a while it’s good to toss a little extra excitement into the game with a
juicy incentive. As you probably expected, cash is by far the best and most
favored choice. But you can also try electronics, something like a...
... big screen television, or a new DVD system. Hey, I’d try harder
for great vacations or jewelry. If you really want to get their motors going, try
offering a new car to your top yearly reseller.
An alternative to giving one prize per affiliate is to make everybody a winner.
Create a “Commission Plus” month (or week) where all affiliates make an extra 5%
on top of every sale they make. Even though you’ll gross less money, this type of
promotion will most likely generate an increase in sales.
6) Encourage the use of your product for both front-end and back-end sales.
Some of your affiliates may have their own information products in the same niche.
Therefore you should mention the option of using your goods for either front-end
or back-end sales. I’m sure you’ll get quite a few people who will take advantage of
it.
7) Create a special “affiliates only” newsletter.
This newsletter could be distributed weekly or monthly and might feature...
• Affiliate success stories
• Marketing, advertising, and sales ideas
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• Info about new products in the works
• Motivational tips
• Web site development techniques
• New reviews and endorsements
• Surveys
• Classified ads
A newsletter like this offers an excellent opportunity to keep affiliates motivated. It
promotes camaraderie among affiliates, and generally helps to maintain steady
sales efforts.
Ken Evoy does an excellent job at this, with his 5 Pillar e-zine for Make Your Site
SELL! affiliates. You’d be hard pressed to find another affiliate program newsletter
that educates, trains and provides several top-notch tools for success in each issue.
Sign up for the program at (http://www.sitesell.com/affiliateprogram.html), and
you’ll get an excellent lesson in how to run an affiliate newsletter, in addition to
how to train your own affiliates.
8) Allow affiliates to post excerpts from your infoproduct.
I read an article a few months ago about an author who published his entire book on
the Web, making it available to the Internet public for free.
The response was overwhelming. Tens of thousands of people downloaded it, read
it, and loved it. Soon after, one of the major publishers swooped down and signed
him up (and might I add, with a healthy advance on his next title.)
Excerpts work in a similar fashion. They give potential customers a brief glimpse
into your words, thoughts and ideas. Think about it like this... if your title was on a
shelf in a bookstore, people would most likely browse through it before buying.
Since they don’t have the luxury of doing this online, an excerpt at least gives them a
simulated effect.
Usually the more expensive your infoproduct, the more likely they’ll want to
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see an excerpt.
Choose 3 or 4 sections to use as excerpts. If the content isn’t organized to take
excerpts out to stand on their own, repackage as tip sheets or articles.
From my manual How to Make Your Business Famous in 6 Months or Less, I
created an article titled “6 Steps to Making Your Business Famous Online.” That
one article pulled a lot of sales.
Here’s a twist on excerpts that has been very effective for us...
Our free trial download is powerful. It has two free chapters, the irresistible TOC,
etc. The download, of course, has many links to our site. We have a program that
will customize the free trial so that the links go to the affiliate’s redirect URL.
Now our affiliates can offer this from their own sites and still get credit for the sale!
9) Send checks promptly, on a regular basis, and with a thank-you note.
Affiliates who sell only one of your product are just as important as those who sell
dozens. That’s why I can’t understand an affiliate program withholding an affiliate’s
commission check if it hasn’t reached a certain amount.
If it costs you an extra 50 cents a month to send an affiliate his or her check
regardless of the amount, then build that cost in from the beginning. After all,
your company didn’t hesitate to accept the orders they generated, or their help!
Never forget that you are lucky to have people who believe so strongly in your
infoproduct. The least you can do is make the situation as accommodating as
possible for them.
It’s a simple equation, Happy Affiliates = Big Sales.
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10) Tell them why most affiliates fail.
Even in the most ideal situation, you’re probably going to notice that less than 20%
of your affiliates generate 90% of the sales. If your affiliates understand why failure
occurs, they’ll be able to formulate a stronger strategy.
Here are three things I’ve seen causing this malady in the affiliate worker world.
Feel free to pass this information on to your resellers...
• Lack of Focus. Lots of affiliates don’t fully understand that you can’t
mix-and-match all different types of affiliate programs, call your Web site an “online
mall,” and sell thousands of dollars worth of merchandise. Jumping on any and
every opportunity just because it pays big money is a serious time-waster.
Those in the affiliate scene who focus on promoting products within a single niche,
rather than diversifying this way and that way, always have a higher income.
• Banner Fever. Even though I offer my affiliates banners to advertise my manuals,
I must admit that after much testing, banners pull the least amount of sales when
used by themselves. In other words, plastering banners all over a site will
rarely generate super profits.
What works is when you combine the banners with things like personal
endorsements, third-party reviews of the product or service, articles teaching
others how to use the product or service, and in my case, excerpts.
Affiliates should use banners as a stepping stone or a branding technique, not as the
exclusive selling tool.
• Lack of Traffic. Sites that have very little traffic tend not to yield many sales. On
occasion, there are a few surprises. But in general, it’s the...
... traffic-jammed sites that get the biggest commission
checks.
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9.2.5.
How to Find High-Potential Affiliates
Use the following resources to find prospective, high-potential affiliates who have
compatible Web sites. Before you contact them, cross-check their traffic at
Alexa.com (more on Alexa below)...
Concentrate your time on those who generate enough traffic (or other popularity
indicators) to make it worth your while.
Find popular sites that would make good affiliates...
http://www.directhit.com/ -- enter relevant keywords to find popular sites.
http://www.etour.com/ -- find good sites according to compatible categories.
http://www.hot100.com/ -- to find popular sites, drill down through the categories to
find the most appropriate subcategory.
http://www.yahoo.com/ -- Yahoo! lists higher quality sites. Find the sites that your
customer would look for (use drill-down and keywords).
Find motivated sites that would make good affiliates for you...
http://www.goto.com/ -- enter relevant keywords to find sites that are willing to pay
for those words, and to find out what the words are worth (an indication of how
popular the word is).
Try GoTo.com clones, too...
http://www.rocketlinks.com/
http://www.kanoodle.com/
http://www.findwhat.com/
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Find targeted “newsgroups”...
http://www.deja.com/ -- enter relevant keywords to find targeted newsgroups and
participants who contribute on that topic.
http://metalab.unc.edu/usenet-i/search.html -- a neat but little-known newsgroup
search tool.
Find targeted “e-zines”...
http://www.dominis.com/ -- enter relevant keywords.
http://www.bestezines.com/ -- enter relevant keywords.
http://www.topezineads.com/ -- enter relevant keywords.
http://www.meer.net/~johnl/e-zine-list/ -- enter relevant keywords, or drill down to
appropriate categories.
The publishers of the e-zines that you find could make good affiliates. Or you could
advertise for affiliates in the e-zines.
Find targeted mailing lists and participants in those discussions...
http://www.Liszt.com/ -- enter relevant keywords.
http://www.tile.net/ -- enter relevant keywords.
http://www.neosoft.com/internet/paml/ -- enter relevant keywords.
Find targeted forums and participants in those discussions...
http://www.forumone.com/ -- enter relevant keywords.
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Find your competitors’ affiliates...
http://www.associateprograms.com/ -- use (drill-down and search by keywords) to
find competing programs.
http://www.refer-it.com/ -- use (drill-down and search by keywords) to find
competing programs.
OK, got a list of competitors?...
http://www.altavista.com/ -- use their “link:” function to find who links to the
competing programs. These are all potential good affiliates for you!
Final tip on this... Before you contact prospective affilliates, use...
Alexa
http://www.alexa.com/
Alexa will give you a reasonable ballpark estimate of how much traffic a site
receives. Verify a site’s approximate traffic here. Don’t waste your time with zero
traffic sites. Any site that scores over 250 visits on Alexa is worth approaching to
be an affiliate. Those with more than 20,000 visits will likely be unapproachable or
too difficult. But you could always give it a shot.
9.2.6.
More Start-up Info in the Jump Start Kit
Interested in starting your own affiliate program? The Jump Start Kit has more
information...
1) Affiliate Program Creation Checklist
2) Most Frequently Asked Affiliate Questions
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3) Affiliate Program Directories
4) Affiliate Program Add-On Module
9.3.
The Fork to Fame
Your Brand is the Heart of Your Biz
Modest? Self-effacing? OK, recognize that. But you still have to build “Your Brand
of You.” Long-term, if you establish yourself as the authority, as the guru, as the
expert in your field...
... OK, OK, you get the picture.
Bottom line? There are huge benefits once you build your brand. You have doubts?
OK, just a few examples...
Ralph Wilson (http://www.wilsonweb.com/) -- Solid, dependable, honest,
incredible researcher. He has built an amazing business, the repository of
e-commerce articles, that inherits his qualities. Worth? Millions.
Allan Gardyne (http://www.associateprograms.com/) -- Ditto for Allan, the king
of affiliate directories. Everyone who is anyone subscribes to his e-zine. Amazing
traffic, just like Ralph. Also building terrific worth into his business.
Jay Abraham (http://www.abraham.com/) -- Ken just spoke at one of his
seminars. I’ll be sharing a dais with him shortly. Jay has charged up to $25,000
(yes, per person!) for a seminar. And he packs the room? Why? His personal
brand.
Your fork in the road? Stay in the background or build your personal brand?
Below are 10 key steps to building that brand.
These are great steps below. Read them carefully. If you decide that you really
want to roar down this fork, visit...
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Big Time Branding
http://www.robfrankel.com/
It’s definitely worth seeing what Rob can do for you. He says it better than anyone...
“Branding is not about getting your prospect to choose
you over your competition; it's about getting your
prospect to see you as the only solution.”
1) Start in a Competition-Free Environment or Carve Out Your Own
Uniqueness.
Don’t just jump into a niche. Scan the marketplace to see how your information can
be created differently from everybody else’s out there. Differentiate yourself.
What’s the one special element that you can add that’ll make you a few watts
more...
spectacular?
2) Build Your Credibility Base Right Away.
As an information provider, it’s important that you constantly demonstrate your
expertise in front of your target audience. Be prepared to do a lot of free articles,
as well as posting to plenty of the appropriate online discussion groups. This is just
one of those rules that you can’t overlook.
3) Always Think “Low, Medium and High.”
In order to make sure your words of wisdom are always in demand, I strongly
recommend that you have some sort of strategy mapped out, as far as having
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products with low, medium and high price points.
Some people will always buy lower priced products, others will always buy the
mid-priced product, and still others almost always go for the higher priced version. If
you can cover all three basis, you’ll definitely appeal to a larger audience.
Most importantly, one of the keys to a solid brand is to offer overwhelming value no
matter what the price. Amaze every price-point segment of your target audience.
4) Make Your First Information Product...
... a Serious Eyebrow Raiser.
Don’t wait to dazzle the crowd. Do it immediately, up front, with your very first
information product. It doesn’t matter how elementary the information is. Explain
your points with eloquence. Expand the topic as it has never been expanded before.
If you capture the audience hard and fast, as soon as you come out of the gate,
you’ll almost always have a powerful customer base on your side. And super-high
name recognition.
5) Promote and Defend Your Territory.
When it comes to promotion, you should make it a priority to stay in the forefront of
your target audience. If for no other reason than to keep your competitors a little
“concerned” about stepping into your arena.
6) Let Your Personality Shine Through.
If you don’t have an online personality, get one. In my e-zine, Stories From a Brain
Food Saleswoman, what people like the most is my honesty and candor.
Unlike other marketing people who scream about how perfect they are, and how
they’re making millions of dollars every single day, I tell about my failures and
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fears, in addition to my successes. People like this type of realness.
7) Honor Thy Customers with Overdeliverance.
No matter what you promise your customers, always go at least one step above and
beyond the expectancy threshold. I know you hear this a lot. But the truth of the
matter is, it works!
Yes, customers remember vendors who do their jobs. But they really put their faith
and recommendations into those vendors who do their jobs... and then some.
Where do most companies stop overdelivering? Customer support. Keep
dazzling, well after the sale.
8) Deliver Joy and Wisdom and Honesty to Noncustomers.
Would you like to know what prompted many of my current customers to buy from
me? My semi-daily online newsletter, Stories From a Brain Food Saleswoman.
In it, I give valuable information about what I’m doing to promote my own information
products and services. It’s been a great way to educate my prospects, and give
them a bird’s-eye view of what it’s like to sell information online.
9) Reward Your Affiliates Generously and Honestly.
If you want to keep your resellers happy and dedicated to promoting your cause, it’s
vital that you pay them...
... very, very well. (Notice I put two very’s so you know it’s important!)
Remember, there will always be somebody waiting in the wings, to take your place
in the sun. If you don’t take care of your affiliates, somebody else will. (And they’ll
end up making the big money, and getting all the prime attention.)
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10) Treat Everyone with Honor and Honesty and Consistency, Whether Big or
Small.
Whoever asks to carry and sell your information products should be given a fair and
square opportunity, no matter how known or unknown they are. Small Web sites
sometimes develop into some of the biggest and best. The key isn’t to ignore them
while they’re small. Treat all of your resellers with equal treatment.
From Web site to post-sales support, you must act with...
honor...
and honesty...
consistently.
9.4.
The Fork at the Top
How to Stay #1
Your prayers have been answered. You’ve reached...
... the pinnacle of success. You’re at the top of the game, and the
competition has been left in the dust.
Problem... there are zillions of small guys trying to knock you off. Many people
would not even see them coming. If they did, they’d ignore them. They’d rest on
their laurels and just keep on doing the same old things that got them to the top.
Which fork will you take?
How do you keep your throne from being overtaken? How do you seal your name
into the minds and hearts of prospects from now ’til kingdom come? There are
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four key steps that you can take to achieve your goal...
1) Go Out into the Real World and Continue to Capture Attention.
One of my agendas for the new millennium is to do more real-life speaking
engagements. It seems that the offline audience is voracious for the online
marketing information I provide, especially when I walk in the door with plenty of
information products to sell.
What can you do offline to continue your reign?
• Write articles for offline newsletters and trade magazines. What I do is take a
few articles that I’ve done for my Web site, adjust a couple of things, and submit the
new product to various publications within my niche.
I normally stay away from consumer publications (the ones you find on the
newsstand) because they almost always want 100% original material. This makes
them a lot harder to get into.
Newsletters and trade publications, however, tend to be easier to approach
because of their niched audience base. You can find these types of publications at
Trade Pub (http://www.tradepub.com/).
• Network. Almost every city has some sort of Chamber of Commerce, local
business organization, or leads club, where you can mix and mingle with other
business owners. Many larger cities, have around ten or more of these types of
associations.
Call up a few, and get a calendar of their networking mixers. Attend at least 4-6
of these sessions every month, preferably within the same group of organizations.
This gives you a good prospect and referral base off the Internet. It also offers you
the opportunity to gain some serious notoriety offline, perhaps find a few clients,
and snag some fabulous references.
I used this technique when just starting my business and the results were absolutely
amazing. The first week, I attended three different networking mixers. The second
week, I attended four. And by the end of the month, I had nearly all the new
business I could possibly handle.
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I’m not promising these results for everybody. The key to succeeding in this game is
to be consistent with your presence.
• Do presentations. Speak and Grow Rich is not only a bestselling book by Dottie
Walters, it’s also a great offline marketing theory. And getting started in the
speaking biz is actually very easy.
If you don’t feel like your skills are up to par, then start off at your local
Toastmasters (http://www.toastmasters.org/). Toastmasters is an organization
that helps both novice and professional public speakers better their skills. It’s a
terrific way to get your feet wet, gain additional experience, test out new topics, etc.
Once you feel proficient enough, the best place to test your new skills is through the
local Chamber of Commerce, or other organizations. (Local business groups have
so many versatile roles for promotional purposes.) They’re nearly always in need of
presenters for various functions.
Give the event coordinator a call, to see where your speech could fit in to their
roster.
And if you’d like to get into public speaking as a profession, the book I mentioned a
few paragraphs ago, Speak and Grow Rich, is a fabulous primer to get you ready
for the limelight.
2) Develop an International Presence.
Even though English is the most widely spoken language in the world and on the
Net, international people still like to read in their own native tongue. If you’d like to
just test the concept, have an information product, e-zine and Web site translated
into one other language.
In fact you, what you could do is make a proposition to your affiliates. E-mail a
notice saying if any of them are willing to translate your materials into their native
language, you will give them exclusive rights to market your product to people within
that country. In other words, you will not permit any other persons within that
country to sell the special language version.
Another alternative is to simply pay a translator to provide the service.
Either way, you’re opening the doors to a brand new market. Give it a try.
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3) Give Your Seal of Approval.
You’ve probably gained your stature because other higher-ups have been kind
enough to say a few swell things about you, and your information product. The very
least that you can do is return the karmic favor by giving somebody else in your
niche a boost.
Be forewarned though -- do this sparingly and carefully. When you do decide to
give your thumbs up, really and truly know to whom you are giving that okay.
Read the other person’s information product. Read their articles and e-zines. Put
some of their proposed techniques to the test, to make sure they work. Talk to their
current and previous customers, and find out what their experiences have been.
Some people put forth a really good game. But when it comes to delivering a worthy
product or service, they fall short of the glory. You don’t want your seal of approval
being pasted on a person or an information product that really isn’t up to par. Not
being selective could cost you your reputation.
4) Create Alliances.
It’s lonely at the top. The Net is all about partnerships, networks and alliances. Who
can you find of a prominent stature that you can team up with? The alliance, of
course, must make both of you stronger. Do it now, before an up-and-coming
competitor (you do see him coming, right?) does it!
Wow, terrific big-picture stuff. I’d add one more key step to stay at the top...
5) Keep Experimenting.
One thing for sure... You got to the top because you did a lot of stuff differently.
You thought “out of the box.” You executed in new and original ways. You kept
breaking the rules and ignoring conventional wisdom.
But now you’re getting kind of comfy, not so experimental. Consider this your
wake-up call. If it ain’t broke...
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... break it! Keep “starting all over again,” looking for new and exciting
ways to grow your lead in your field.
9.5.
The Biz-Saving Fork
Your Hard Disk Is Your Business
Serious about your new infoproduct business? Great! Have you ever thought about
where your entire business resides? Your products, your research, your
spreadsheets, your database, your e-mail, etc., etc. Yup, it’s all...
... on your hard disk!
You insure your house, right? Your car? Your life?
Well, it’s time for the most important, and easy-to-take, fork in the road of all.
Take a little insurance to protect your digital business.
A few years ago an Internet marketing consultant/author took the wrong fork. He
suffered...
... a fire in his home. Unfortunately, he didn’t take the
proper precautions to safeguard his finished work, so he ended up losing tons of
important files. Basically, he lost his infoproduct livelihood.
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While I was putting the final touches on How to Successfully Sell Information
Products Online, my computer broke down. Not wanting to halt progress, I took the
master disk to Kinko’s one evening, to work on the book. When I got home later that
night, I realized that I had forgotten the disk at Kinko’s.
Talk about an instant anxiety attack!
My entire body immediately became ice-cold as I heard the worker at Kinko’s gently
explain to me that my disk could not be found. Three months worth of work was
gone in the blink of an eye.
Okay... the next morning some angel of mercy turned it in. But there’s a big lesson
here...
Always store a copy of your infoproduct files in a safe location, no matter what
stage of development you’re in. Every time you add something new, save the files
on a floppy or two, and lock that file away somewhere safe.
Never, ever, ever, ever keep your one-and-only master set on your computer’s
hard drive. No system is totally immune...
... to the rare, but possible, total crash with loss of data.
Or to an obliterating virus.
I make 3 master sets of backup files for each of my information products. One set
goes into a 500-pound fireproof safe in my house, the other set goes into a safety
deposit box at the bank, and the last set is in my immediate work area. You can
never be too cautious when it comes to keeping your hard work safe from mishaps.
It amazes me how little backing up otherwise serious Netrepreneurs do. If you do
not have a total backup plan, don’t do anything else until you do. Here’s what we do
to make sure that we don’t lose our data and to be sure that we’re never down (our
servers, of course, have a far more involved system)...
1) Battery BackUPS -- all the hardware plugs into backup batteries in case of a
[ Page 327 of 337 ]
MYKS!... All Roads Lead to Success...
power outage. The BackUPS also protect our hardware against power surges,
lightning strikes, etc.
2) If the power failure is prolonged, we can switch to generator power. We
literally cannot afford to be down for more than a few hours.
3) We do total duplications of the master hard disks to backup hard disks
every Monday morning. The backup is stored in a fireproof safe in a cement room.
We should store a second backup off-site, but we just never get around to it.
4) Every important file is copied to a zip drive in between weekly backups. So if
we lose everything on a Friday, we only lose as far as the last file copied to the zip.
Do it. This is life-and-death stuff.
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MYKS!... Our Very Best Advice To You
10.
Our Very Best Advice To You
Congratulations. You’ve just completed a mini-university education in infoproducts.
Between MYKS!, eBook Secrets, the 186 Places and 120 New Places special
reports, the Jump Start Kit, and Ken’s groundbreaking report on Reprint/Resell
Rights, you now know more than enough to build your own successful infopreneurial
business.
I hope the education that Ken and I have given you will prove to be on-point for
both you and your readers. It is my sincere wish that you fulfill all of your
infopreneurial goals from what you’ve learned through our combined years of
experience.
I’m going to depart from Make Your Knowledge Sell! with a few final pearls of
wisdom that will help you make the most of your business building experience in this
new millennium. (They’re like the Five Habits of Highly Effective Infopreneurs!)
Incorporate them into your writing life, and you’ll always have a foundation for
success.
1) Don’t be afraid to try new or unique topics.
One of the reasons I wrote How to Successfully Sell Information Products
Online was because I saw a niche that hadn’t been explored yet. At the time there
were no other information products that taught info-sellers how to market their goods
on the Net. So along with my own personal experience, I saw an open opportunity
to go where no other author had gone before.
Fearlessness will make you a lot of money. You won’t ride on anybody else’s
coattails. Pioneer your own path...
... lead your own army.
There are all sorts of untouched topics out there, just waiting to be discovered by
some inventive thinker like you. I list at least 3-4 of these hidden gems in every
biweekly issue of my online newsletter, The Infopreneur Informer
(http://www.sellyourbrainfood.com/informer.htm).
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MYKS!... Our Very Best Advice To You
2) Move quickly if you feel strongly about an idea.
One thing I’ve noticed about my more profitable clients is that they’re not afraid to
act rapidly on an idea. If they see anything that looks even remotely like an
opportunity to make money, they’re on it. They take the advice received in my
consultation sessions and implement it almost immediately.
As a result, they make more money than my clients who listen but don’t react. Their
sales levels reach pinnacles that others...
... merely dream about.
It has nothing to do with the amount of money they have, because much of the
advice I give doesn’t require a huge investment. They rarely have more experience
than the rest of my clientele.
What’s the biggest distinguishing factor that separates the have’s from the
have-not’s? Movement -- if you move, do something, get started... you’ll already
be on your way.
Don’t be afraid to take the necessary steps to achieve what you want. Have the guts
to take giant leaps instead of baby steps. Remember, you can’t stand in one
place and expect to end up in a different spot.
3) Never take more than 6 months to fully complete an information product.
Unless you publish a newsletter, it’s best to crank out your information products as
quickly as possible. The problem with taking much longer than that is that
analysis-by-paralysis sets in.
You’ll find continuous revisions to make. There will always be just “one more thing”
to research. And basically you’ll never get done.
If you set a 6-month timeframe for completion, then you know you have a deadline
[ Page 330 of 337 ]
MYKS!... Our Very Best Advice To You
for all words of wisdom to be set in place. And thus you conquer the
analysis-by-paralysis bug.
Remember... there’s always time for V.2.0!
4) Be prepared for imperfections.
As you travel along the infopreneurial path you’ll notice that it’s not always easy.
Sometimes the road is little bumpier than you originally anticipated.
There may be a few...
... stormy moments along the way. But remember, rain cleanses. It
brings fresh air, growth, a renewed sense of life.
So even during the times when it seems like all sales have ceased... when you get
more returns than usual... or when 5 customers in a row commit credit card fraud,
it’s all a part of continuous process of becoming a stronger infopreneur.
Allow difficulties to turn you into a better problem-solver.
5) You determine your own success.
Every choice that you make in your infopreneurial business is either a nail in your
coffin or another step towards cyber-success and independence.
When you choose a freebie Web hosting service instead of getting your own
domain, you’ve determined the level of your success. When you don’t put love and
care into your information product, you’ve determined the level of your success.
Nobody put a gun to your head to do these things. So you can’t blame the rest of
the world for your lack of sales.
If you work smartly ’til midnight for a year... if you create an original, needed
infoproduct... if you market well... if you create a site that sells... you’ve again
determined the level of your success -- this time a very high level of success.
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MYKS!... Our Very Best Advice To You
The beauty of this business is that it really is all under your control. So decide to
succeed. When you do...
... there’s only one place to look to discover why!
Good luck...
... Goodbye. Here’s to many profitable infoproducts.
Phew! Monique, I’m inspired! What can I say? What can I add?...
You, dear reader, are in a unique place... the right place at the right time with the
right concept. You really can do it. It really is under your control.
Guess what? In five years, I won’t be able to say that. We’ll look back to these
days and say, “Remember when the average person could build a business on the
Net?”
Why do I say that? Great, great question...
In five years, everyone will have high-speed access. We’ll be steadily advancing
towards TV-quality Web sites. Everything will be faster, richer... and far more
expensive to develop.
We’ll look back at today the way I look back at my first Mac... 128K of RAM and no
hard disk. It seemed fantastic at the time, but now I wonder what all the fuss was
about.
My message?... Don’t just do it. Do it now. Do it with passion. Do it with all your
energy. Do what Monique did.
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MYKS!... Our Very Best Advice To You
Get up. Get going. Thrive.
Those who succeed now will have a business that will indeed be able to compete
in five years...
... unless you’ve sold it for $250 million to Bill G.
See you on the Net.
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MYKS!... Notes
Notes
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[ Page 334 of 337 ]
MYKS!...
What Do You Think?
What Do You Think?
I deeply hope that MYKS! has met your needs...
Help make the next edition of MYKS! even better! If you feel that it has excelled in
certain areas, I’d love to hear about it. If it has let you down in others, I’d really love
to hear about it.
To thank you for your help, you’ll receive a free PDF copy of the next edition. And
here’s an even better offer...
Fire me a comment or idea that is so useful that I use it to improve MYKS!... I’ll
send you a free printed copy of the book as soon as it comes off the printer’s
press! So...
Just hit the link below to visit our “So... What Do You Think?” page, and let me
have it right between the eyes! If you do...
... I’ll let you have it, too! (A free PDF or printed version of the book, that is!)
So... What Do You Think?
http://myks.sitesell.com/views.html
[ Page 335 of 337 ]
MYKS!...
Printed & E-book
Printed & E-book
MYSS! is Now Available in Printed Format, Too!
Usability experts have called the Electronic Version of MYSS! “an awesome
onscreen read.” Marketing gurus?... the unmatched content and intensive
interlinking make it “the ultimate digital Web sales reference book.”
Yes, the Electronic Version really is in a class by itself in every way... content,
usability, readability. So why bother with a Printed Version? Well, if you’re like our
HTML guru, Al, every now and then you like to...
... lie down, relax, and read
something printed on friendly old paper. So we now offer a Printed Version, too...
Suitable for reading at your leisure in the sun room... or while sitting in the bath
(sorry, Allan refused to pose for that photo!). Take it with you on the plane... or to
the cottage on the weekend. Recently, one reader said...
I want to yellow-highlight it and make notes,
but that really messes up the monitor! <grin>
Well, no need to mess up the monitor any more. Together, the Electronic and
Printed Versions of MYSS! are an unbeatable combination at an unbeatable price.
Make Your Site SELL!
http://www.sitesell.com/
[ Page 336 of 337 ]
MYKS!...
“Best Program of ’99”
Г’Best Program of Г•99Г“
You now know how to sell information products on the Web... really sell. If you
would like to become our valued partner-in-sales, investigate our 5 Pillar Affiliate
Program (5PP). The 5PP was named “The Best Program of 1999” by
affiliatesdirectory.com, a directory that contained over 2,500 programs at the time!
And guru Allan Gardyne has said that the 5PP is “where other programs will be in
18 months.”
It pays a generous commission on...
1) the first order by a customer who was referred by you
2) every subsequent order (for other products) by that customer... forever!
3) sales generated by affiliates who were referred by you.
If we were only marketing MYKS! and MYSS!, the residual income generated by the
5PP would still be attractive. But, consider all the additional products set to
launch... Talented, hard-working people will generate substantial income.
The bottom line is simple... empower the motivated to build true equity. Join
the Club and get two free gifts... our Ultimate Link Tracker software and the 5
Pillar Affiliate Manual (declared by Allan Gardyne as the single best manual about
succeeding at affiliate programs, better even than those costing $50 and up!).
The 5 Pillar Affiliate Program
http://www.sitesell.com/affiliateprogram.html
[ Page 337 of 337 ]

Naim Frasheri Lulet E Veres

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