Get People to Return Your Calls!

Posted on September 11, 2017 by Mike Kaselnak

Have you ever had a situation where you have tried and tried to get hold of someone, but they either won’t answer or call back after a voicemail?

Try tickling their funny bone.  I’ve used a version of this a few times when I really needed to get hold of someone… and it works like a charm.

Leave a message like this…

“Hi [Prospect Jim], this is Mike Kaselnak and I was trying to get hold of you because… Wait a minute!  I know why he isn’t getting my voicemails!  His phone doesn’t like me and is refusing to pass the message along to [Prospect Jim].  Mr. Phone… I’m sorry if I somehow offended you but I’d really love to talk to your owner.  Could you please have him call me?  I promise to be brief and to the point.  And I won’t tell [Prospect Jim] you’ve been withholding my calls.  It’s between you and me.” 

Then hang up.  This is a fun way to let the prospect know that they are being impolite and not returning calls.

What will happen?  They will either call back and you get the call started with a smile.  Or, they don’t… which is where you began in the first place.

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What Are the 3 Things People Need BEFORE They Buy?

Posted on August 30, 2017 by Mike Kaselnak
  1. Validation
  2. Reciprocity
  3. Safety

Validation—People want to know they are doing the right thing.  There are a number of ways you can help alleviate this worry.  The best thing to do is to give them a case study like their personal situation.  You can provide 3rd party proof.  You can show how many other people have invested in what you are recommending. Or… If you are allowed, you can give them testimonials.

Reciprocity—They are not going to do anything for you… until you do something for them.  You must give them something of value before they will reciprocate.  What can you give them of value?  Most advisors try to use knowledge.  Unfortunately, most prospects think knowledge is readily available on the internet… so knowledge doesn’t work as well as it used to work.  The more tangible and concrete you make what you give them… the better it will work.

Safety—Safety comes in many flavors.  And the more flavors you offer them… the more likely they are to buy.  It can be safety of choice… offer a money back guarantee if it ends up they do not like their choice, they are still safe.  It can be safety of principal.  It can be safety in numbers (which is why people will more likely attend a seminar than come to a 1-on-1 meeting).

Think about how you can work safety into everything you present and you will see your closing ratio climb.

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This Is How You Can Guarantee Your Client Fortune

Posted on August 21, 2017 by Mike Kaselnak

How would you like to get people to your website?  Here’s an idea you could use in many ways, which I’ll discuss in a second.  Go to the internet and Google – Custom Fortune Cookies – and you’ll find many companies that will create custom fortune cookies for you.  They cost about 30 cents each.

You have them print your free offer on one side and your webpage where people can access your free offer on the other.  What should your free offer be?  It can be any number of things…

  • A guide or case study—“Here’s a way to eliminate taxes at retirement (see back)”
  • A tip sheet—“10 ways to make your 401k work better (see back)
  • An offer for gift certificate if they come meet with you—“Learn how to get $100 gift to your favorite restaurant (see back)”
  • Something cryptic –“See how to turn this cookie into a fabulous retirement (see back)

And like I said, your website is on the back.  You need to have whatever you are referring to in the fortune cookie, prominently displayed on your website.

There are a lot of ways you can use your fortune cookies:

  1. Have a handful nearby to hand out to possible prospects
  2. Give them away at seminars
  3. Give them away if you have a booth at an expo
  4. Give them to client to give away at their parties
  5. Give them away at your client/prospect appreciation events
  6. Get them into realtor gift baskets
  7. Cater a lunch at a business or organization and hand them out
  8. Put them into the care baskets you drop off to your favorite CPAs during tax season
  9. Think outside the box… and you’ll come up with even better ideas yourself!

Remember, as Confucius says, “He who is different, wins the day.”

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On Your Marks… Get Set… Go!

Posted on August 10, 2017 by Mike Kaselnak

Timing is everything.  How’s your timing? There are events in the news that cause large amounts of money to move quickly.  Do you have a plan to capitalize on them?

Are you ready with an email or postcard to zip out to all your clients and prospects when any of the following occur…

  • When the market tumbles?
  • When the fed announces a big interest rate change?
  • When big tax changes are in the news?

I have a couple of advisors that sent out an email to a hundred or so people on their warm list when the markets fell 300+ points a few months ago.  It was a simple email… “Still looking for safer places for your money?  Give me a call.  I’d be happy to share a few ideas.”

One advisor brought on 2 new clients from their 100+ emails… cost? Zero.  Profit? Over $10,000.  The other advisor brought on just one client.  Cost? Zero.  Profit?  $17,150.

Dudes and Dudettes… don’t stand there with your hands in your pockets when things are hitting the news… think about how you can leverage it!

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Host a Happy Hour… get an unending flow of great prospects forever

Posted on July 28, 2017 by Mike Kaselnak

First, find a fun, outdoor place with great happy hour appetizers.  Second, put together a list of professionals that share similar clients (CPA’s, Lawyers, Realtors, Mortgage brokers, podiatrist, chiropractors, dentists, etc.).

Now, invite them to the happy hour!  You want one of each.  At each happy hour, broach the topic of creating a Lead Club, a symbiotic relationship where you meet once a month.  Hey, you could even offer to host each month to make it easy.

This is a HUGELY efficient way to get in front of high quality people at extremely low or even no cost.  Go to www.leadsclub.com for more info (make sure you have the “s” in the url).

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Host an Event for Free

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Mike Kaselnak

This is for you to get your clients to bring their friends to meet you.  You can do it at a number of different places, but one that I like is at a golf course.  Here’s why.  Many golf courses and golf pros are struggling.  Getting them to agree to an event can be relatively easy as long as it’s during their slow times.

You could have the pro give putting lessons and make it fun enough to bring spouses (everyone thinks putting is fun).  Or, you could have it be on driving, the short game or whatever you choose.

Make the event seem exclusive.  Put a limit on the number of friends they can invite.  Surprisingly, when you give a limit, it makes people want to hit that number.  Psychology at work!

Make the event fun.  Have drinks, prizes and fun food (it doesn’t have to be fancy).  Have everybody register for the prizes (to capture their contact info).

Make sure to send everyone a handwritten thank you note for coming.   Enclose your business card with your Killer Unique Selling Proposition on the back.  Don’t have one?  WHAT!  You gotta get one!   Here’s the Elevator Speech Guide to help you, courtesy of 5Q group.

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7 Easy Ways to Get Quoted in Your Local (or even National) Media!

Posted on July 14, 2017 by Mike Kaselnak

It’s always great to be able to put “As seen in…” on your website, marketing, etc.  So how do you get quoted?   There are many ways to do this effectively, but my favorite is to be the contrarian.  Simply write a letter to the editor of a magazine, website, newspaper, etc.

Here’s how:

  1. Disagree with a survey the magazine or newspaper published. Explain why.
  2. Disagree with a common belief that they reported in a story.
  3. Come to the aid of an underdog. If they have reported negatively, give the other side of the coin.
  4. Talk about common misconceptions covered in an article.
  5. Make a surprising prediction.
  6. Point out problems with something that they were saying was beneficial.
  7. Point out the seedy underbelly of something that is popular right now

It never hurts to compliment them first… before being the contrarian.  Write letters regularly and you’ll be surprised at how quickly you will be able to collect “credibility badges.”

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The Magical Words to Get Your Press Release Published

Posted on June 26, 2017 by Mike Kaselnak

Marketing expert Jeffery Dobkin gives excellent advice on how to get some free advertising through press releases.  Here’s what he recommends…

  1. Call the reporter or editor of the periodical you are targeting and ask them, “Are you the person I should send this release to?”
  2. When they say yes, or get you to the right person… give them the 30-second pitch of your product or service.
  3. Thank them and send out your press release to them immediately.
  4. On your cover letter you should start with, “It was nice speaking with you.”
  5. Write your Release…
    1. Have a large header stating, “FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.”
    2. Underneath the header add, “For more information: reach out to [your name, email and phone number].”
    3. Next line, write “No kill date” (meaning you’d like your press release to run indefinitely).
    4. Then the Headline of your Press Release
    5. Then your content—there should be no adjectives… if it looks like you are selling something, it’s going in the trash. The content should be newsworthy and beneficial for the reader.

Follow these directions and you will be getting plenty of free press going forward!

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Aloha Summer Income!

Posted on June 16, 2017 by Mike Kaselnak

Aloha can be a greeting or a good-bye.  Let’s make this summer a greeting to profits instead of a good-bye.  Here’s one way to do it.  Have a Client/Friends and Family of Clients/Prospects Luau!   People want to have fun in the summer… here’s how you can help them and bring on some new clients as well as business at the same time!

Download the step-by-step manual HERE to throw a Luau and bring in more business.

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Simple Way to Get Referrals

Posted on June 12, 2017 by Mike Kaselnak

Here’s a terrific way to get a new client talking about you…AND what you do.  When a client comes on board, send a big bunch of brightly colored balloons thanking them for becoming clients—to their workplace.  No logo… no advertising… just a classy handwritten note.

Not a fan of balloons?  How about a six-foot sub?  A couple of dozen donuts?  A live chicken?  Ok…just kidding about that one! ?

Aren’t bringing on any new clients this summer?  Why not use the same idea for a client’s anniversary or birthday?

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