text: Newsletters Instant Congratulations!! Welcome to Instant Newsletters, your do-it-yourself guide to creating an effective company newsletter. Once you've been through this guide, you'll know precisely what it takes to produce a newsletter, which not only gets read, but results in increased sales. More importantly, you'll have a selection of effective newsletters to get you started. This is the next step in your marketing success story. From this point on, you won't have to stab in the dark - you'll have clear direction. You'll start to see some real results for your marketing dollar. I personally guarantee it. How To Use This Guide After reading the introduction and background, jump straight in and start going through 'The 7 Steps To Newsletters Success'. Each step covers an important aspect of Newsletters - these are things that you must give careful consideration to ... before spending hundreds of dollars on producing your newsletter. You might be surprised with the how much this exercise reveals about your business. It may get you thinking about important issues that have never crossed your mind. If some of this information is new to you, don't be concerned - there's never been a better time to start producing an effective newsletter. Make sure you make notes in the spaces provided. When you come to write your first newsletter, you'll need to refer back to these scribblings. Later sections offer more in-depth explanations of how to come up with good headlines and offers in the relevant sections of your newsletter. You'll even find headlines starters and examples of good offers. The last sections bring it all together, with templates of effective newsletters. That means you can combine your new knowledge into a format you can be confident will bring results. Now, it's time to get started - there's customers out there just waiting to come and deal with you. You just need the right newsletter ... The Nature Of Newsletters What is a successful newsletter? Basically any newsletter which is widely read, and results in increased sales, can be considered successful. The objective of your newsletter is not to bore people with uninteresting articles, where you just talk about yourself, the objective is to remind them of who you are, and to get them to buy from you again. As you probably know, to get a new customer, you need to invest money in marketing. This means that you have an acquisition cost for each new customer. Your acquisition cost is determined by how much your marketing costs are, divided by how many customers it brings into your store. Once you've calculated this figure you can then work out how many times each customer needs www.bradsugars.com to purchase from you before they become profitable. In the average business this will mean selling to them 2.5 times before you begin to make a profit. Your newsletter then is the tool that you use to ensure that your past customers come back on a regular basis. If your customers buy from you only once, you're actually losing money each time you acquire a new customer. By using a well formatted newsletter, you increase the number of times they do business with you, thus turning them into, a profitable customer. What makes a successful newsletter? There are a number of key elements which combined, go to making up a successful newsletter. The most important of these is the content. You'll find out which article types work best in section 3. Another important consideration is any offers you're making. No matter how well written, or entertaining your newsletter is, if you don't make great offers, it will not bring you additional sales. In the following pages you'll learn how to write newsletter headlines that work, how to position your photographs for maximum impact and which type faces have the best recognition. You'll discover which stock your newsletter should be printed on, what size it should be and which articles, angles and appeals work best. Testing & Measuring Before you get started, it's critical that you understand the principal of testing and measuring. Just the same way you'd try different ads in the paper to see which one worked the best, or different front counter displays to discover which one sold the most, you need to be prepared to change your newsletter around, and find out which approach works the best. Remember, it's always better to hand out 20 newsletters that don't work, than 20,000. Even if you love your new newsletter, and everyone who sees it goes crazy, it's important to keep your head, and avoid going too far too soon. Take it slow at first, check the response then gradually increase the numbers. If you hand out 100 newsletters, and find that 10 of the coupons or ads from your newsletter come back, it should follow that 10,000 newsletters should turn into 1000 new sales. Of course, nothing is ever that certain in marketing or business, and you really have to wait and see. Having said that, it's important to realise that if you hand out 100 newsletters and see none back, then you'd be a little insane to expect 10,000 to do much better. You have the option of creating a number of versions of your newsletter, and trying all versions at the same time. Ask each person where they heard about you, and which newsletter they have. Over time, you may notice that one version seems to do much better than the other. This is the one you keep. The problem is, creating newsletters can be expensive - there are the set-up costs, then the printing costs. If you were to create multiple versions, you'd end spending quite a deal more than if you just decided on one and stuck to it. Ultimately, it depends on how important newsletters are to your business. If they represent one of your most critical sources of new business and repeat sales, then it may be in your best long-term interests to pay for two different newsletters. The other option is to create a small number (about 20) of each of the versions you're thinking about using. Show these to as many people as you can - customers, friends, www.bradsugars.com family. When they give you feedback, LISTEN to what they have to say. Don't block out their criticism of your favourite design, or minimise their praise of the one you didn't like. It pays to not be precious about it - this isn't fine art we're talking about. Your newsletter is a business tool that is designed to make you money. Take note of what people say, and act accordingly. When creating different versions, you should only really alter the most important parts of the newsletter. Changing the size of your phone number from 12 points to 16 points is unlikely to have much difference, but a new headline, a different offer, and a change in the amount of text will make a big difference. If you're going to test two versions against each other, make sure that they are significantly different. There's no point spending all that money only to put out two newsletters that look virtually the same, save a couple of truly unimportant differences. You'll find that changing the headline on the front panel, and the sub-headlines in the main content will completely change the amount of response. Just as your newsletter is an advertisement for your business, the headlines are the ads for the newsletter text. Compare these two headlines ... "How to make more money ..." OR "How 37,600 Australian women under 27 are making $2300 per week, every week without fail' Which one would you read? The second headline definitely stimulates a hell of a lot more curiosity. Having said that, you can never be entirely sure which one will work the best. This is why testing and measuring is so important. If you can understand that two headlines would bring in such a different response, you can understand why it's worth printing up a couple of versions and seeing which one takes off for you. It's also important that you really take proper note of which one is working the best. Create a tally sheet and make sure you fill it in every time somebody comes in off a newsletter. After a month or so, add up the tally and see which one is working the best. The 7 Steps To Newsletters Success 1. Who (Are Your Target Market)? If you don't know who your target market are, it's almost impossible to attract them. Imagine trying to get a date without knowing which gender you're interested in. You'd have to take the 'let's see' approach. Unfortunately, the 'let's see' method of marketing tends to fail every time. You won't see anything, especially in the way of repeat business. You need to know exactly who you're dealing with, what they're interested in and what's going to make them buy your products. If you don't know, you're really just taking your www.bradsugars.com chances. So let's get specific - who are the people most likely to be interested in your product or service. Here are some guidelines ... Age: How old are they? Don't just say 'all ages' or 'a variety'. We want to create a picture in mind of your average customer. Think of an age that symbolises most of your customers. Sex: Are they male or female? 'Half and half ' is too broad. Practically every business is split one way or the other. Give it some real thought - which gender spends more with you and visits more often. Income: How much do they make? Do they earn a great living, meaning that quality is the big issue, or are they scraping for every dollar, always looking for a deal. It's essential that you find this out. Where do they live: Are they local, or do they come from miles around to deal with you? This will dictate how you communicate with them. What are their interests: If you don't know what they're interested in, how can you design a newsletter that will capture their attention? If you only focus on writing stories that you find interesting, rather than the ones that your customers find interesting, your newsletter will fail. 2. Where (To send your newsletter)? Ask most businesses where they send their newsletters and you'll get the same response - past customers. Of course this is exactly who you want to send your newsletters to, but aren't you forgetting someone? Unconverted prospects should also be added to your newsletter mailing list. The reason for this is quite simple the fact that they didn't buy from you the first time, doesn't mean that they won't buy from you in the future. You invested money in getting them to visit you in the first place, so why not invest a little more in getting them to come back. There can be a variety of reasons why people don't buy from you initially. Perhaps you didn't have the exact model they were after, or maybe they weren't in a position to buy at that time. By keeping in contact with them, you give yourself the chance of doing business with them in the future. Even if they have bought from someone else, you might be able to pick up some business from them for their parts and accessories. When you really think about it, the more people who read your newsletter, the more sales you'll make from it. All you need to make your newsletter a success, is a database of prospects to mail it to. There are basically 3 ways to acquire a Mailing list. Buy one from a broker ... This is a quick, but expensive way to get a mailing list. Most brokers can provide you with lists that target particular geographic or demographic segments of the population. For example you can buy a list which will give you the names and addresses of women aged between 30-55, with an income of over $40,000 per year who live in a 7 klm radius of your store. Whilst brokers can provide you with very specific lists, they tend to be far more expensive than general lists that they already have compiled. Cost will normally dictate how targeted you can be when buying a list from these companies. You'll find these companies listed under 'List Brokers' or 'Mailing Lists' in the Yellow Pages. Remember though, that the idea of having a newsletter is to keep in contact with people who have already dealt with your business in the past. Sending your newsletter to a 'cold list' is not as effective as mailing to someone who already knows who you are. Mail to someone else's list ... Find a non-competitive company with a similar target www.bradsugars.com market to your own. Then simply ask them if you could mail to their list or include your newsletter with one of their upcoming mailouts. The success of this relies on you having a good relationship with the business in question. Although this method can be hit and miss, it can be a very inexpensive way of reaching potential customers. Once again, this method is not as effective as dealing with people who are familiar with your business. Create your own ... This is one of the fastest and effective ways to put together a list of people who are interested in your product or service. The quickest way to compile your own list is to run a competition. To enter, people simply need to write their name and address on the entry form provided and then drop it into a box. By offering one of your products or services as the prize you have a greater chance of reaching only those people who are genuinely interested in what you have to sell. To set up this competition you need to have tickets printed and a venue to run it in. Approach a shopping centre, sporting club or retail outlet to see if they'll let you leave your tickets and entry box on their premises. Alternatively you can run it as a cut out the coupon competition in the local paper. If the prize you offer is of a high enough dollar value, the paper may run it for you free of charge. Contact their Promotions Manager and explain your idea. You'll need to stress the interest the competition's going to create and how it will increase the papers circulation. Of course you can always just ask people if they'd like to receive your newsletter on a regular basis. Most people will probably say yes. You can then either have them fill out a form with their name and address, or take their details from your accounts. 3. What (Do You Want To Say)? We'll cover more about the content of your newsletter in the next section, but for the moment we need to look at what it is you want from the people reading your newsletter. Although a newsletter has the benefit of keeping your name in front of the customers mind, at the end of the day it needs to bring you more business. So understanding that we want to make sales, and get increased revenue, we need to look at the style in which we write our newsletter. People will only read newsletters that contain interesting articles. People will not read a newsletter which is just one big sales pitch. The challenge is that we want to make sales from it. So how do we sell without looking like we're trying to sell? Quite simply, we need to do both. People will tolerate some selling messages, providing there is enough nonselling content to make it worth their while reading on. But it is possible to sell without looking like that's what you're trying to do. The easiest way to do this is by featuring articles on new products or services that you offer. By discussing the benefits of these products throughout the article, you can get the reader in a position where they're ready to buy. All you need to do then is point out at the end of the article, that you stock that product, or provide that service. People will be knocking you over in the rush to buy what you're trying to sell. Another way to go about it, is to simply position yourself as the expert on a particular product or service. Discuss how the product works and what to look for when buying it. Customers will begin to view you as the expert, and will come to you seeking further advice. Of course your advice will be, to buy the particular model that you happen to have in stock. The main thing that you need to remember when writing your newsletter, is that you need to say something to your potential readers - that is, there must be a subtle message you are conveying. This may be in the form of an offer you want to make, an www.bradsugars.com important point of difference, a list of the benefits of dealing with you or something newsworthy about your product or service. It's essential that WHAT you say is appealing to WHO you are trying to say it to. For example, writing favourable articles about the sex industry, in a newsletter aimed at old people, probably won't work. Articles that look at historical events probably would. Let's deal with each type of message, one by one ... Strong Offer: This is the most commonly used, and the one that tends to work the best. Remember that people are totally uninterested in reading a newsletter that does nothing but 'sell' - they've usually picked up the publication to keep informed and be entertained. But you still need to sell in your newsletter, so make sure that you put a strong offer somewhere in it. Make sure that the offer you give them is worthwhile, the type that will have your phone ringing off the hook. See Section 4 for more detail. Point Of Difference: This can work well when there is a large market for your product, and many competitors. For example, if you're writing a newsletter for a clothing store, you may find it hard to convince people that they should be coming to you and you only. But if you discussed the fact that yours is the only store that offers exclusive, after hours showings, along with a free glass of wine and nibbles, then people will be sold on the idea of dealing with you. Listing The Benefits: If you don't have a strong offer or point of difference, listing the benefits of dealing with you may do the trick. For example, a hairdresser could list the 4 reasons they give the best haircuts in town, or a beauty salon could emphasise the 6 ways a prospect's skin will improve after one visit. Most importantly, you must relate the benefits to the customer - remember, always write your newsletter with their favourite subject in mind - THEM. One of the more discrete ways of doing this, is to write a section on the things to look out for, those things that should be avoided. This is the most credible way to attack your opposition. But always remember, that you can't name names. Something Newsworthy: Perhaps you've just opened a new room in your restaurant, or you have a famous author coming in for book-signings. Maybe you've just been given an award, or one of your staff has done something amazing for a customer. If something has happened that has genuine interest value, tell your readers about it. 4. How (to write your newsletter) Now that we've covered the basics, it's time to get into the nuts and bolts of how to construct your newsletter ... Firstly you're going to need a name for your newsletter. Take a bit of time to think about this one, the right name can make a huge difference. There are basically 2 ways to approach it - a humorous name, or a serious name. A funny name can really get the ball rolling for you, especially if it's a clever play on words. A good example of an effective word play would be a men's clothing store with a newsletter called 'The Well Dressed Mail', or a fencing company calling their newsletter the 'Steel & Wooden Post'. Be careful when choosing a humorous name. If yours is the type of business that deals with serious problems, or conservative clients, it wouldn't do to have an amusing newsletter title. Can you imagine the type of negative reaction you'd get if you were an impotence clinic with a newsletter called 'The Boner Bulletin'? Sometimes you're better off to play on the safe side. Another obvious, but often forgotten item that needs to be included are your contact details. I've seen it happen many times before where people simply forget to include their address and phone number. Now some people may argue that their customers already know where they are, and would probably have their phone number already. But what if www.bradsugars.com they pass the newsletter on to a friend? Besides, you need to make it easy for people if you want them to take action. If people have to go to a lot of effort just to find your phone number, they'll more often than not just give up. So include all relevant information including any email addresses or web sites. If you have a web site that you regularly update, it's well worthwhile advertising the fact via your newsletter. This will give it the exposure it needs, and let you get your site making you money. So let's take a look at the other sections and inclusions that will make your newsletter a success ... USP & Guarantee ... Two things that you should consider including in your newsletter are your USP and any guarantees. Your USP (Unique Selling Proposition) is the one thing that is truly different about you, or at least, the one thing that you can promote as being different. A successful USP should be ... 1. Truly unique. 2. Exciting to your target market. 3. Something that will have your customers telling their friends about it. 4. Something that can't be easily copied. A lot of business owners wonder why they need a uniqueness at all shouldn't there be room for dozens of 'me-too' businesses. The fact is, there isn't, and the 'me-too' businesses will ultimately go to the wall. If you don't have an existing USP, you'll need to find one. Start by listing down everything you do that could be considered even a little bit unique. These points don't have to be earth shattering - just different enough to standout. To get your mind started, here is a list of some possible USP's you could adopt ... • You sell a higher quality product or service, and you can specifically show how it benefits the customer in a meaningful way ... • You provide better customer service and you can easily explain and promote why you're better ... • You offer a better / longer guarantee and you have it written down ... • You offer more choice / selection / options and this issomething that people want and always look for ... • You offer a trade-in program and no-one else does ... • You serve a specific (yet sizable) demographic group that is overlooked by most competitors ... • You offer a better / more generous bonus points or loyalty club system and your product or service is at least as good... • You have the best after sales service and this is somethingthat you can explain to people easily when they buy ... • Your product or service has unique features that people care about ... • You offer attractive products or services that no-one elsedoes ... • You have a 'special ingredient' ... • You install and deliver for free ... www.bradsugars.com These are just a few examples of unique, saleable points. If you think hard enough about it you're sure to find something that you are currently doing that is unique, or more likely, something that you SHOULD be doing that would make you unique. Basically, your uniqueness comes from one of 7 areas - quality, price, service, delivery, speed, convenience, experience. Regardless of what it is, you need to promote it at every available opportunity, and there's no better place to start than with your newsletter. Your Very Own Newspaper ... One of the things that many people don't consider when they're producing their own newsletter, is that it really is their very own newspaper. Now it's obviously not going to be considered a daily paper, nor even a weekly or monthly publication. But the rules for producing your newsletter are the same as those for a paper. For starters, your newsletter should have an exciting lead story. Now it's not going to be about politics or scandal, but it does need to generate interest. This is important because if you don't get people interested in what you've got to say with your very first story, you won't get them reading on. Now there are many ways to get off to a fast start article wise. Look through the stories you want to run with for each issue, and take the one you think most people will be interested in and lead off with that. Hit them straight up with a powerful, curiosity provoking headline, and keep them going from there. Remember that whilst your newsletter has some distinct similarities to a newspaper, you should only ever talk about things that are relevant to your business, or of interest to your reader. Don't try to report on things that have no relevance, always remember that the main aim of your newsletter is to make sales. Product Previews and Reviews ... This is easily the 2nd most exciting section you can include in any newsletter. In case you're wondering what the most exciting is, don't worry we'll get to that shortly. People who are interested in your products or services, will always be interested in finding out about new products, or in the case of a service based business, new techniques. So therefore previewing new products will ensure a high readership. There are 2 basic ways to go about it ... The first way, is to simply look at the features, and more importantly the benefits, of new products as they come into the market. In many cases you can get editorial style material from the supplier themselves. Major suppliers will probably have paid an advertising agency, or public relations company, to write something for them, about their new products. Remember that there's no point talking about a product you don't have, or can't get. If your article is designed to get people excited (and it should be), then you need to get them coming into your store to purchase, not shopping around somewhere else. Which raises another important point, what if your price is higher than that of your opposition? By doing an in-depth review of the product or technique, you position yourself as the expert and therefore justify the extra expenditure. A particularly effective technique is to talk about the need for top quality advice before people make the purchase decision. For example, maybe you need to have your hand measured professionally before you have these new grips fitted to your golf clubs to ensure the correct size, or perhaps the buyer will need to be instructed on how to use a particular www.bradsugars.com piece of machinery to avoid damaging it. The point is, you're now giving your customers a reason why they need to come and see YOU. The second way to write up a new product is by doing a comparison or 'test run', against other new products in the market. This is often done by car magazines who run 'showdowns' between new models competing for the same market placement. This technique gives you the chance to compare your product in a favourable way to those stocked by your opposition. You can show how your product out performs those produced by other companies. But a word of warning. You need to look as if your tests are objective, and not simply you running down the opposition product. You can't expect people to believe what you're saying, if you're blatantly having a go at another firms product. You also need to clearly explain that these tests have been run by you, and that any conclusions that you've gained from them are purely your opinion. This is important from a legal standpoint as you'll most likely not be running your tests under scientific conditions and without having an unbiased, independent party supervising your trial. It's always a good idea when doing these comparisons, to have a picture of your product beside a summary table, where a direct comparison can be made to the other products. The summary table would show how each product performed in certain tasks. But once again, stress that this is not an official test, and only shows your experience with the product and shouldn't be taken as gospel. Something that you should consider doing to make the preview even more worthwhile, is to ask your suppliers to help cover the cost of printing or postage. This is known as co-operative advertising or supplier subsidy. The way it works is simple. The majority of suppliers calculate an advertising fee into the prices they charge you for their goods. This is designed to cover the cost of any advertising that you run, which promotes their products. Now your suppliers are unlikely to tell you that this is the case. Obviously if you don't ask for the money, then they get to keep it. But they are usually happy to help with the cost of the advertising provided it's within reason. Some suppliers won't give you money towards it, preferring to give you stock at cost instead. But let's face it, selling stock at a higher markup makes you more money anyway. You'll find a subsidy request form in the templates section of this manual. Simply fill out the relevant details on the form and send it off. It's very unlikely that your suppliers won't give you some assistance. But remember they'll only help out when you're promoting their product. It's also worth mentioning that they won't help you week in and week out. If you want them to help with a number of issues, put together a proposal with just one figure, rather than going back to them month after month. Tips & Hints Section ... I mentioned earlier that a product preview section is the second most exciting and well read section you can put into any newsletter. The most exciting is easily a Tips & Hints section. A lot of people worry whether or not their customers are going to read their newsletter, let alone act on it. The best way to ensure that they not only read it, but also look forward to each new issue, and even collect them, is to include some handy hints. Imagine a hardware store that included a special section on how to prepare your house for painting, or how to lay pavers in your garden. This sort of free information is sure to be a winner, even with people who aren't looking to paint their house, or put a path in their garden. Clients will hold onto this information so they can refer back to it at a later date. A section like this has the added benefit of allowing you to showcase your expertise. By answering some of the many questions that your clients have, you can show that for first www.bradsugars.com class information and advice, yours is the only store to turn to. You have another more subtle benefit by including this section. It comes in the form of getting people to buy more product, and embark on projects they might otherwise not have considered. To give you an idea of how this might work, let's consider the hardware store again. Now if they were to include a Spring article talking about painting the exterior of your home, and explain that this was the best time to do it, there's a good chance that people might 'take the bait' and decide to do it. They can then go on to list the best products to use, and include a special offer on some, or all of those products. Of course when the unsuspecting customer comes into the store, they'll be armed with their checklist of accessories that people will also need such as brushes, drop sheets, rollers etc. If you want your newsletter to be a success, try including a hints and tips section. It's bound to get your business flying. Upcoming Events ... People like to know what's going on, and hate to miss out on something special. Therefore you should include an upcoming events section to let people know what's going on. There are a number of things that you can include here, from upcoming sales and promotions to products that are due for release. If you don't have a lot of promotions throughout the year and struggle to find something to include, then maybe that's telling you something. You should really have no trouble in finding 2 or 3 things to put in this section, and if you are having trouble, it's time to put your thinking cap on. Promotions to mark certain seasons or celebrate various sporting events, give you the chance to draw people into your store and make extra sales, and that's what it's all about. Introduce Your Team ... One of the real benefits of newsletters, are that they make your customers feel a part of what's happening in your business. They're not only being kept up to date with upcoming events and any changes to your stock or services, but they're thought enough of to receive your newsletter once every 2 or 3 months. A good way to add to this feeling of being 'part of the team', is by introducing your team members in a profile section. You see, people buy from people, not from companies. By letting people know a bit more about who they're dealing with, it makes them feel more comfortable buying from them. Your profile section does not have to be large, a couple of paragraphs is all that's required. But it can bring you some huge benefits. This is because not only does it make the customer feel like they know your team in a more personal way, but it also boosts your teams moral, and gives them a bit of a buzz. For this reason it's a good idea to include a photograph of your team member beside the article. You'll find out more about including photographs later. You have the choice of giving a straight, biography style column, or perhaps doing it a little more light hearted and running it 'interview' style. By this I mean, you could ask your team member a series of questions, and then list the answers beside them. For example what's their favourite food, or Movie? By putting a little thought into the questions, you can get some very amusing responses. Another way to introduce your team, is by having them write an article in your newsletter. This is a great way to demonstrate that your team really do know their stuff. Let's face it, if you write the whole thing yourself, people will think you're the expert and www.bradsugars.com therefore will only want to deal with you. By letting your team show off their skills you'll improve their morale, and lighten your workload. Get Someone from Outside Your Company to Write a Section ... In the past I've had many business owners complain to me that writing their newsletter takes up so much of their time. See, they all made the mistake of believing that they had to write it themselves. The main thing is not who writes it, just that it actually gets done. As I've just mentioned, getting your team members to write a column takes some of the pressure off you, but there's another way that not only makes your life easier, it also gives your newsletter a bit of an edge. Simply approach someone from an associated type of business, to write the column for you. Now by associated business I don't mean one of your competitors. I mean someone who works in a similar field, that can give you a relevant article. To show you what I mean, imagine if you had a sporting goods store. You could approach a physiotherapist, a sporting coach and a fitness advisor to write expert articles for you. Just imagine how this would improve the readability of your newsletter. It would add an exciting new angle that would ensure that people read on. Now you may be wondering why these people would bother writing something for your newsletter. But consider the benefits to them. They get to write to your entire database, and demonstrate their expertise. If they're really smart, they'll approach you with an offer to get your customers in to their business. For example, the physiotherapist might offer anyone who buys a pair of runners from your store during the month of November, a 1/2 price treatment and checkup. So as you can see, the benefits to these people are unlimited. All you need to do is approach them with the offer, and explain what it can do for them. Humorous Section ... It's all about getting people to read your articles and take action. So understanding that this is the goal, you'll definitely get a better response if you include a 'funnies' section. Once again this is a section that should not be too big. A quarter of one page is usually ample. In this section you have 2 choices of humorous stories. The first choice is to have true stories. These can be things that have actually happened, that you've either heard of, had happen to you, or things that have happened to one of your customers. The second choice is to have a few jokes. You can of course have both, but be careful that you don't tell any jokes that might offend your clients. Also, try to keep them to stories and jokes that relate to your industry. Customer Stories ... Humorous stories are not the only input you can have from your customers. If yours is the type of business with a small, loyal customer base, then you might like to include a few stories that relate to them. You can include things like congratulations on new births, engagements or perhaps even promotions that they've received at work. Listing some of their success stories may also make for good reading. Maybe they've just won a sporting event, or their child has just won a baby contest. What ever it is, it's worth putting in to your newsletter. It's important that this section is kept small. Whilst the person you're writing about will get a buzz out of it, you need to remember that the idea is to make more sales, and these types of stories usually don't put money in your bank. www.bradsugars.com One way you can make this section pay for itself, is by including your customers testimonials. Imagine if you owned a beauty clinic and you gave 5 lucky customers a facial product to trial for 6 months. At the end of that time you could interview them to find out what they thought of the goods. By mentioning the success your customers have had with your product, you're sure to make more sales. Sales Sections ... You might have noticed that to this point, we've spoken a lot about the sections that will get people reading your newsletter. But having them read is pointless if in the end they don't buy. Understanding this it's obvious that your ads and selling messages are the most important parts of your newsletter. You need to include a strong call to action in your ads, and even at the end of each article that relates to a product or a service. If your articles have got them interested in buying, you need a call to action to actually get them in. A good way to get people coming in, and to actually work out if you're getting a good response from your newsletters, is to place a coupon in them. Coupons are a great way to measure the success of your campaign. If you're not getting coupons back then your newsletter is not working. Because many people will only briefly look over your articles you need to have a strong offer in your coupon. People will normally read headlines first, the sub-headlines next and then finally the coupon. You can often get people to go back and read the copy by making a strong, clear offer in your coupon. It may also be worthwhile placing an order form in with your newsletter. But most important of all, you need to place a few ads in your newsletter. As I mentioned before, your newsletter is like your very own newspaper. Newspapers have ads, so why shouldn't your newsletter? Let's have a look at the key points to writing your ads. You'll also find that many of these handy hints will apply to your articles and other sections ... Headline ... The most important part of your advertisement is the headline. David Ogilvy, one of the all time great direct response copywriters, once said that 10 times as many people will read the headline as will read the rest of the ad. So if you get the headline wrong you can kiss 90% of your advertising dollars goodbye. You will find out more about writing headlines in a later section but there are a few fundamentals that you should consider. One of the things you need to keep in mind, is that the headline needs to take up at least 25% of your advertisement, or your article for that matter. Before you finalise your ads and article headlines, write down 10 - 20 options and ask your friends and team members which ones they like best, and then go with the most popular. Type faces ... The type face or font that you use in your newsletters and advertisements, can make a big difference to the results you achieve. The 2 basic types are Sans Serif and Serif fonts. Sans Serif fonts don't have the little "feet" at the bottom of each letter. Studies have shown that people find these fonts far more difficult to read than serif fonts. Serif type has the little "feet" or "hooks" at the bottom of each letter. These "feet" appear to form a line under the words that your eye can follow. If you want people to read your articles, use a serif type face. www.bradsugars.com Point Size ... The size of the font you use is referred to as point size. Studies have shown that readership does not drop of between 14 to 7 1/2 point size. As a general rule 10 - 9 points are ideal. Obviously the larger the font, the easier it is to read so try to keep it as large as possible. Highlighting text ... Use bold type to highlight key points in your body copy, headlines and sub-headlines. Italics can also be used to highlight key areas of text, although it can be hard to read and should only be used sparingly. Never use all capitals. The only time you can use all capitals is in a short headline, or for extra emphasis on single words. To make your advertisement easier to read break it up into paragraphs. Indenting your paragraphs, rather than leaving a line between them, can cut down on wasted space. Also consider using a drop cap first letter, this is a great way to attract the eye of your customer. Sub-headlines ... Sub-headlines have 3 major benefits ... 1. They break up large blocks of text making them easier to read. If your article looks like one big 'chuck' of text it can put people off reading it. By using sub-headlines you can break your copy up and give it some 'space'. 2. They allow someone skimming over your newsletter to only read the points that interest them. 3. They spark the readers interest. If your headline doesn't get them in completely you can get a second chance with your sub-headlines. It is important that your sub-headlines tell a story. Your sub-headlines need to be able to convey your message to those people who are just browsing through your newsletter. Quotes & Pull Quotes ... Just as sub-headlines can get the reader to delve further into your copy, so too can a pull quote. This is a common technique used by magazines, where they'll take an interesting passage, or a controversial statement, and place it in large type somewhere on the page. Quite often the quote will have a line above and below it to help it stand out. It's also common for it to be placed in the middle of 2 columns of text, with a white space running around it to draw the eye in. Here's an example of how it works ... 'they'll take an interesting passage, or a controversial statement, and place it in large type somewhere on the page' As you can see, this certainly stands out and can tempt you to read on. Another idea you might like to use in your newsletters are quotes from famous people. Once again if you use a larger point (font) size, you can increase the chances of it being read. You should place these at the top or bottom of a page rather then in the middle, and always quote the author. "Being good in business is the most fascinating kind of art."Andy Warhol www.bradsugars.com Body Copy ... You only get one chance with a potential customer, so your first 50 words are crucial. You must arouse your readers curiosity immediately, with the very first paragraph. If they're not excited after the first 50 words they won't read the rest of your article or ad. Use the bare minimum of copy to get your message across, don't waffle on. But make sure that you include enough information to get your reader interested enough to call you. If you're writing an ad you should never tell the whole story. Tell them as much as you need, to get them to call. By holding back some information you make it necessary for them to call you to find out more. As far as your ads go, they should tell a story and be easy to read. When you finish writing your ad, get someone to look over it and critique it for you. Only make one offer in your ad but make it exciting. Pictures ... Studies have shown that ads containing a picture that takes up between 25 75% of the total advertisement, have greater readership than those without one. You will probably need to put a fair amount of text in your ad so 25% is probably the ideal size. Pictures are also an important part of any newsletter. People are generally very visual, and therefore are attracted to photographs. Note I said photographs and not line drawing or clipart. You see, line art and clipart looks tacky. People are used to seeing photographs and are far more attracted to them. So wherever possible, you should always use photographs in your newsletter. The only exceptions should be small, humorous clipart pictures or line art in the form of technical drawings. For example if you want to show the inner working of a new watch, you might use a line drawing cross section to demonstrate the point you're trying to make. Using real photographs can present a problem for some people. For starters you'll need some way to place them electronically into your newsletter. Scanners are one way of doing this. A reasonable flatbed scanner will cost you less than $200. But if you didn't want to go to this expense (you still need to take the photo and have it developed in the first place), you could always ask a friend to scan it and save it onto a disk for you. Alternately there are companies who will scan pictures for you at a price. Many photo labs offer this service, but the feasibility of having this done will depend on how many pictures you're scanning a year, and how much each scan costs you. It may work out cheaper just to buy a scanner and be done with it. Another way you can place photographs in your newsletter, is by using a digital camera. Now a digital camera will cost you around $500 to buy, but you can hire them for much less. The trick here is to hire one for a day, and take any pictures that you think you'll use over the course of the year. Now it obviously won't be possible to take photographs of all the new products you'll be previewing, as many of them won't be released when you hire the camera. But for those few exceptions, it's probably worth getting them scanned by your local photo lab. Always put a caption under your photo. Everybody reads the captions so make sure you take advantage of this opportunity to get them to start reading your article. Whilst people will find your newsletter far more interesting if you include a few photographs, just throwing a few pictures in there won't work. You need to put some thought into the type of pictures and their positions. Photographs of your premises (crowded restaurants or clubs), or your product are suitable for use in newsletters. The pictures need to back up your story. For example, a photograph of people having a great time in your club would help convince people, that your establishment is a fun place to be. www.bradsugars.com You can also use photographs of people using your product or service. These can be used to educate people on what it is that you do. This can also be a great way to teach people how easy it is to use your product. Consider putting a photo of yourself in your newsletter. People buy from people not companies, so let them see the person behind the company name. Place your photo so that it looks straight out off the page or towards your body copy. If your picture is looking into your article, your potential customers will also be drawn into it. Finding out what works ... Before you put your ads into your newsletter, it's a good idea to test and measure them first. Test your headline and offer by running small ads in the classified section of your local paper and measuring the response. Test the response you get to each headline and each offer and then combine the best ones and run the ad in your newsletter. Colour ... It could be argued that because people see in colour, your newsletter should be printed in colour. Whilst this would seem a worthwhile argument, it pays to remember that most newspapers are printed in black and white. Printing your newsletters in colour will cost quite a bit more than standard black text on white writing. The aim of your newsletter is to bring customers in to your business, the less you spend on attracting them the better. If your articles promise a benefit, your copy conveys your message, and your offer is worthwhile, it could be argued that you have no need for colour. But most importantly you need to ask yourself 'is my newsletter going to stand out well enough to be read, or will it go straight in to the bin?'. This is something that you'll have to guess to an extent, but it would pay at least in the early stages to keep the costs as low as possible. If you're going to use any colour at all, you'd be well advised to print in full process colour. Research has shown that the difference between 2 colour and black and white advertising material is minimal and doesn't justify the extra expenditure. Printing on coloured paper is an inexpensive way to brighten up your newsletter. But be careful which colour paper you choose as it can make your newsletter difficult to read. Keep this in mind if you decide to print your text in colour. As a general rule you're far better off printing your text in black as this will increase readability. Layouts ... You'll find a number of effective layouts in the examples and templates section. Some of the things to keep in mind when you're doing your layout, is how easy it is to read and understand your newsletter. Many people fall into the trap of trying to jazz their newsletters up by adding different shapes and elements. Unless you have a good deal of artistic ability, you're best off sticking with a more simple layout. Putting your headline at the top, your coupon in the bottom right corner, and your pictures in the middle, may not sound exciting, but it will generally bring better results. Try to do your layout in blocks. By this I mean placing the headline, copy, pictures and coupon in a blocked, or balanced layout on the page. Keep your layout tight and don't leave too much empty space on the page. You're paying for these newsletters so use every bit of them. www.bradsugars.com If you want your newsletter to look professional, you should pay a graphic designer to do it for you. Professional designers can be quite expensive. If you want to save some money, contact a college or university that runs a graphic design course. This way you may be able to find a 2nd or 3rd year student who will do it for a reasonable price. You might also consider getting a graphic artist to do just the first layout for you. Once you have this layout, you can then use it as a template for any future newsletters. Stock ... Stock is the term used for the type of paper or card that you print your newsletters on. There are numerous types for you to choose from. Should you use glossy paper or plain paper? Plain card or a textured card? These are just some of the questions to be answered when choosing your stock. Just as there are a variety of materials, there are also a variety of prices, going from the very expensive to the down right cheap. Before deciding on the type to use for your particular newsletter you need to consider the type of product you're about to promote. If you're selling expensive, good quality products you'll need to use better quality stock than you would for a cheaper product. You need to understand that by using high quality stock, your prospects will believe that yours is a high quality product. Printing ... Another consideration in the creation of your newsletter is how to have it printed. This will depend largely on your budget, and the type of product you're trying to sell. You basically have 3 choices ... Professional printer: This is more expensive but ensures that your newsletters will look first rate. Always have your newsletters professionally printed if your budget allows. This is a must for those higher priced products. Personal printer: If you own, or have access to, a good quality computer printer you may be able to save on your printing cost. However you need to keep in mind the quality of the stock you use, and the price of your product. If you're printing a large number of newsletters, it would probably work out more cost effective in the long run, to have them done professionally. Photocopies: This is the bargain basement of printing. If you decide to go with this option, make sure that the quality of reproduction is high. Having black lines all over your newsletters will make you, and your product look cheap and nasty. Only use this option as a last resort. 5. How Big (Should Your Newsletter Be)? How much do you want to pay, and how much do you want to say? These are the 2 questions that will dictate how many pages your newsletter will be. The most common sizes for newsletters are between 1 and 2 A4 pages, printed on both sides. The decision can appear as simple as writing the articles, choosing the photos and then working out the size of the ads and coupons. But there's a lot more to working out a size than most people think. Usually, it's a case of 'How much can we afford for the printing?'. www.bradsugars.com The question really should be 'How much do we want to make?'. If the newsletter is good enough, it should make you money - not drain your funds. If you don't have a newsletter that you know works, you need to guess. You need to think about how many responses you need to 'break-even'. That means, how many sales do you need to pay back the advertising cost. Here's how you work it out ... First, you need to work out your average profit. To do this, measure the amount of profit in each sale, every day for 3 days. Then, find the average. If you want to skip the hard work, estimate this figure. Next, get a few quotes on the cost of printing. Remember that the idea is to keep the costs as low as possible, so get as many quotes as you can. This of course won't be such an issue if you decide to photocopy your newsletters, or run them off on your own printer. Now, divide the production cost by your average profit. This will give you the number of sales you need to pay for the newsletters. Here's an example ... Let's say a hairdresser makes about $15 profit from each haircut. They spend around $270 getting their newsletter printed. That means they need 18 new customers from their newsletters. Anything less and the newsletters are losing them money. Of course, it's not a hard and fast rule that you must break even on every newsletter. In the case of the hairdresser, they'd probably be happy with 9 new loyal customers. After each customer has been in twice, they then become profitable. This is called lifetime value -the amount a customer spends with you over the course of their lifetime. In the case of a business with a high level of repeat business (hairdresser, restaurant, mechanic), it might be worth losing money the first time, just to gain a new customer. This customer may ultimately be worth thousands. If you get out of 'break-even' thinking and into 'lifetime value' mode, a whole new world of possibilities open up. If you're confident you'll get these new customers back again, you can afford to offer something incredible and make a dead loss the first time they come in. Once you've established whether you have to break-even, or you can afford to rely on the lifetime value of the customer, you are then in a position to make a decision about size. 6. How Often (To Run Your Newsletters) Quite simply, no less than once every 3 months. You see, what many people don't realise is that if you're not keeping in regular contact with your clients, they're no longer your clients. Another company will soon come in and make them feel special. By keeping in contact with them on a regular basis, you'll ensure that they remain loyal to you, and always keep you top of mind. If your only concern is the amount of time it takes to put your newsletter together, then you should get your team to share the work load. It might even be an idea to get them to be editors on a rotation basis, where once a year a different team member puts it all together. They would have to chase up the stories, and the pictures and put them all together. You would then simply have to put together the ads, look over what they've done and then www.bradsugars.com get it outputted. This would be an effective way to take the burden off you, and still have the newsletter going out on a regular cycle. 7. What Else (Do You Need To Think About)? Use this section as a final checklist - once you're happy with your newsletter, run through and make sure you're ready to get started. Here are a few things you may not have thought of ... Production: Make sure you check everything before it goes to print. Ask for a 'proof ' (finished copy) from the publication and check it thoroughly - don't let anything go out with spelling mistakes or (and yes, it does happen), the wrong phone number. Phone Scripts: There's hundreds of cases where a newsletter made the phone ring off the hook, but the business owner saw very few sales at the end of the day. It's all to do with 'conversion' - that is, how many enquiries you turn into sales. You need a script - a version of what you say to encourage people to buy. Just think about the best sales lines you've ever used, and compile them into one typed up script. Make sure you ask lots of 'open-ended questions' - that is, questions that start with who, what, where, why etc. Give a copy to every member of your team and make sure they USE it. And of course, make sure your team knows that a newsletter has been sent out and to EXPECT calls. Check Stock and Staff Levels: It's unlikely your newsletter will bring in hundreds of people (very few actually do), but you need to be prepared for a sizable response. There would be nothing worse than running a successful newsletter and then running out of stock, or being too busy to service these new enquiries. Plan for the newsletter - and make sure you can cater for any increased demand. Another thing I need to discuss are the "don'ts" when it comes to writing a newsletter. There are basically 4 key things that you should never do ... DON'T Use Your Newsletter To 1. Push your own moral views and beliefs ... Your customers are not interested in your opinions of how the world is a far worse place than it was 10 years ago. Nor do they have any desire to read your thoughts on the young of today, and the evils of television. Whilst it may seem tempting to 'air your views' on certain subjects, to do so would be a recipe for disaster. Although some of your customers may share your views, there are others that will be offended by them. Understand that if you offend a customer with something you write, they won't come back. However, if you don't write something that someone does agree with, they'll still keep coming to you. 2. Run down your opposition ... It's never good business to run down your opposition. It's far more likely to turn your customers off you, instead of them. If you run a good, honest business, you have no need to take a shot at someone else. To do so will make people think that you've got something to hide. Remember that a lot of people like to see the underdog succeed. Don't give your opposition the advantage of being viewed in that light. 3. Talk about yourself ... Your newsletter is meant to be informative, and give your customers information of interest or benefit to them. Rambling on for page after page about your past experiences or achievements makes for very dull reading. In many cases it will turn your customers off you. Just stick to the things that interest your readers, not what interests you. 4. Carry out personal vendettas ... If someone has done the wrong thing by you, it can be tempting to run them down to your thousands of newsletter recipients. But once again you need to understand that this is simply not on in the business world. Your customers just want to make a purchase from you and then get on with their life. If they feel that www.bradsugars.com the next time they come into your store, they're going to be ear bashed about what a mongrel such and such is, they simply won't come in. It's best to stick to business and not enter into a public debate. Nobody wants to know about your personal problems. Writing 'Killer' Headlines The best headlines do 3 things - identify the right target market, provide benefits and generate enough interest to get them to start reading. Let's look at each one in more depth ... Identify The Right Target Market: You need to make sure that your target market see and read your flyer. Your headline needs to immediately speak to them. There's nothing wrong with starting your headline with 'MOTHERS' or even 'ATTENTION Ladies 37-40 with no children'. Of course, there are other more subtle ways, such as 'Here's how to make your Ford go faster' or 'Help the kids succeed at school this year'. Provide Benefits: You need to give your readers reasons to investigate further. Think about it - what is really going to make them want to read. A headline such as 'MEN: How you can have twice as much sex as you're having now ... guaranteed' speaks for itself. What can you say about your product or service - what is the main benefit? Once you've thought of that, try coming up with some more specific and interesting ways of phrasing it. For example 'How you can make an extra $4500 this year and pay off those credit card debts' is more interesting than 'How you can make more money'. Generate Interest: There's nothing more powerful than curiosity. Compare these two headlines - 'AMWAY: a new future for you' and 'How you can make $1100 extra per week, by meeting 3 new people a month'. Both are for the same company, but one holds more interest value and is more likely to get you reading. Try getting the main benefit across without telling the whole story, and getting a bit of mystery in there. Of course, too much mystery can kill your flyer. Who'd read a flyer with a headline such as 'Pure grunt', 'Big cheese' or 'Stilted'? No-one, as so many advertisers have discovered. Headline Starters This is where you get to write potential headlines for your flyer. You'll get a sharper focus of what you want to really say to potential customers, as well as learning what makes a headline work ... 7 reasons ... Firstly, write two headlines beginning with "7 reasons" ... Here are some examples ... 7 reasons YOU should call George's Widgets today ... 7 reasons to get your Widget from George's ... Now it's your turn ... 7 reasons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 reasons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.bradsugars.com Here's why ... Now, try two headlines beginning with "Here's why" ... Here are some examples ... Here's why George's is offering YOU a FREE box of Widgets ... Here's why YOU need to call George's Widgets now ... Now it's your turn ... Here's why . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Here's why . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Here's how ... Next, try two headlines beginning with "Here's how" ... here are some good examples ... Here's how George's Widgets helps you live forever ... Here's how to get the perfect Widget ... guaranteed Now it's your turn ... Here's how . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Here's how . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Announcing ... Next, try two headlines beginning with "Announcing" ... here are some examples ... Announcing ... a Widget dealer that guarantees your delight ... Announcing ... a guaranteed way to lose weight using Widgets ... Now it's your turn ... Announcing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Announcing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DON'T ... Next, try two headlines beginning with "DON'T" ... here are some great examples ... DON'T take another breath until you read this ... DON'T call anyone about Widgets until YOU speak to George's Now it's your turn ... DON'T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DON'T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.bradsugars.com New ... Next, try two headlines beginning with "New" ... here are some examples ... New ... widgets that actually repair themselves New cheaper way to buy widgets Now it's your turn .. . New . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Now ... Last, try two headlines beginning with "Now" ... here are some examples ... Now available ... home hairdressing kits that your teenage daughter will like Now in pre-production ... a movie based on the life of Elvis Presley Now it's your turn ... Now . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Now . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Offers... What works and what doesn't So you've written a great headline, an exciting first paragraph and sub-headlines that tell a story. But what are you going to do to get your target market to respond? Great articles alone will not work, you need to have a strong offer, an offer that you would respond to. So what is a great offer? When thinking of what to offer your customers ask yourself - 'If I read this ad, would the offer be good enough to make me respond?' If the answer is no, then go back to the drawing board. Without a great offer, you cannot achieve great results. Another thing to consider when coming up with your offer, is the lifetime value of the people who respond to your ad. Taking a smaller profit in the short term will generally work out better in the long run. Here's some examples of powerful offers ... • Free haircut - For a hairdressing salon looking to increase its database. • 2 Steak Dinners and 2 Glasses of Wine for $10 Restaurant recruiting members for its VIP Club. www.bradsugars.com • 1 New Release Video and a Large Pizza for $3 - Video store promotion to recruit new members. All of these offers have a 'too good to be true' ring about them and are sure to get a great response. Weak offers will cause your ad to fail. Understand that your offer is the part of your ad that gets your customers to act now, and to buy from you rather than your opposition. Here's some examples of weak offers ... • 10% Off - This is not a big enough discount to generate interest. Of course, it will depend on the size of the purchase. • Call now for your free colour brochure - So what? Everyone hands out brochures. Unless the product is something incredible, people won't respond. • Buy 9 and get the 10th for 1/2 price - No one would respond to this offer. It's too small. Types of offers ... Here are some possible offers that would be worth considering ... The Added Value with Soft Dollar Cost ... Soft Dollar Cost refers to products, services or added extras that you can combine with your standard product to make it more attractive and increase its perceived value, but don't add much if anything to your costs. For this strategy to be effective the added extra must have a high perceived value, in other words your customers must see the added benefit as being great value. The Package Offer ... By packaging products and services together you create a more marketable combination. There is a higher perceived value when products or services are packaged. Your customers will want to buy more, simply because of the extra products they get when buying a product they already want. One of the best examples of a great package is computer equipment. Buy the hardware and receive the software for free. This style of offer is very attractive to potential customers. Discounts vs. Bonus Offers ... More often than not discounting will cost you profits. A far better way of clearing stock and generating extra trade is to have a 2 for the price of 1 sale. Or, try a buy one of these and get one of these FREE. The other way of putting this offer is every 10th purchase free, or when you spend $100, we'll give you $20 of your next purchase. www.bradsugars.com Valued at Offer ... If you are including a free item in your ad, make sure you value them. For example - RING now for your FREE consultation, normally valued at $75. This positions your time, product, or service much more than a simple free give-away that people won't value or appreciate. Time Limited Offers ... Place a time limit on your offer, it will dramatically increase the response rate because it gives people a reason to respond right now. Place urgency in your offer ... For a short time only ... Call before such and such ... Only while stocks last. These will all create a sense of urgency in your consumers mind. Guarantee Offers ... Using a guarantee offer is a great way to boost the response to your ad. People will be far more willing to part with their money if you take the risk out of the buying decision. The better the guarantee you make the higher your response will be. FREE Offers ... Giving away something absolutely free (no catches whatsoever ) is often a brilliant way to build a loyal customer base. Offer a "bribe" to get them in the door initially, then great service and products to encourage them to come back. This type of offer can reduce your "cost per lead" dramatically. Break Even Analysis It's essential that you work out your costs up front. Otherwise, you'll have no idea what you need to achieve in order for the campaign to be worthwhile. You may find out after doing the analysis that the campaign has so little chance of success, you need to go back to the drawing board altogether. This analysis is for the whole campaign. After you've worked out your total fixed costs (for the campaign), you then work out your profit (your average dollar sale minus your variable costs), which gives you enough info to work out how many responses you need in order to break even. Divide this number by the total number of flyers you are planning to send out. This will give you a percentage response rate. As a very rough guide (every case is different), anything over 5% is stretching it. If you need that high a response, you might need to have another think about it. The very best flyers to untargeted lists get around 10%. These are rare results if you need higher than that to break even, re-assess whether flyers are the best way to go. www.bradsugars.com Break Even Analysis Newsletters Campaign Hard Costs Advertising Envelopes Paper Printing Postage Other 1. Total Fixed Costs 2. Average $$$ Sale Variable Costs Telephone Wages Electricity Rent Brochures Other Postage Other 3. Total Variables Delivery Costs Cost Of Goods Sold Taxes Transportation Packaging Other 4. Total Delivery 5. Net Profit [2/(3+4)] 6. Response Needed To Break Even (1/5) $ ................ $ ................ $ ................ $ ................ $ ................ $ ................ $ ................ $ ................ $ ............. $ ................ $ ................ $ ................ $ ................ $ ................ $ ................ $ ................ $ ................ $ ................ $ ................ $ ................ $ ................ $ ................ $ ................ $ ................ www.bradsugars.com ABOUT THE AUTHOR Bradley J. Sugars Brad Sugars is a world-renowned Australian entrepreneur, author, and business coach who has helped more than a million clients around the world find business and personal success. He's a trained accountant, but as he puts it, most of his experience comes from owning his own companies. Brad's been in business for himself since age 15 in some way or another, although his father would argue he started at 7 when he was caught selling his Christmas presents to his brothers. He's owned and operated more than two dozen companies, from pizza to ladies fashion, from real estate to insurance and many more. His main company, Action International, started from humble beginnings in the back bedroom of a suburban home in 1993 when Brad started teaching business owners how to grow their sales and marketing results. Now Action has nearly 1000 franchises in 19 countries and is ranked in the top 100 franchises in the world. Brad Sugars has spoken on stage with the likes of Tom Hopkins, Brian Tracy, John Maxwell, Robert Kiyosaki, and Allen Pease, written books with people like Anthony Robbins, Jim Rohn, and Mark Victor Hansen, appeared on countless TV and radio programs and in literally hundreds of print articles around the globe. He's been voted as one of the Most Admired Entrepreneurs by the readers of E-Spy Magazine—next to the likes of Rupert Murdoch, Henry Ford, Richard Branson, and Anita Roddick. Today, Action International has coaches across the globe and is ranked as one of the Top 25 Fastest Growing Franchises on the planet as well as the #1 Business Consulting Franchise. The success of Action International is simply attributed to the fact that they apply the strategies their coaches use with business owners. Brad is a proud father and husband, the Chairman of a major childrens' charity and in his own words, "a very average golfer." Check out Brad's Web site www.bradsugars.com and read the literally hundreds of testimonials from those who've gone before you. www.bradsugars.com RECOMMENDED READING LIST ACTION INTERNATIONAL BOOK LIST "The only difference between you now and you in 5 years' time will be the people you meet and the books you read." Charlie Tremendous Jones "And, the only difference between your income now and your income in 5 years' time will be the people you meet, the books you read, the tapes you listen to, and then how you apply it all." Brad Sugars • The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber • My Life in Advertising & Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins • Tested Advertising Methods by John Caples • Building the Happiness Centered Business by Dr. Paddi Lund • Write Language by Paul Dunn & Alan Pease • 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey • First Things First by Steven Covey • Awaken the Giant Within by Anthony Robbins • Unlimited Power by Anthony Robbins • 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries & Jack Trout • 21 Ways to Build a Referral Based Business by Brad Sugars • 21 Ways to Increase Your Advertising Response by Mark Tier • The One Minute Salesperson by Spencer Johnson & Larry Wilson • The One Minute Manager by Spencer Johnson & Kenneth Blanchard • The Great Sales Book by Jack Collis • Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman • How to Build a Championship Team—Six Audio tapes by Blair Singer • Brad Sugars "Introduction to Sales & Marketing" 3-hour Video • Leverage—Board Game by Brad Sugars • 17 Ways to Increase Your Business Profits booklet & tape by Brad Sugars. FREE OF CHARGE to Business Owners *To order Brad Sugars' products from the recommended reading list call your nearest Action International office today. www.bradsugars.com The 18 Most Asked Questionsabout Working with an Action International Business Coach And 18 great reasons why you'll jump at the chance to get your business flying and make your dreams come true 1. So who is Action International? Action International is a business Coaching and Consulting company started in 1993 by entrepreneur and author Brad Sugars. With offices around the globe and business coaches from Singapore to Sydney to San Francisco, Action International has been set up with you, the business owner, in mind. Unlike traditional consulting firms, Action is designed to give you both short-term assistance and long-term training through its affordable Mentoring approach. After 8 years teaching business owners how to succeed, Action's more than 10,000 clients and 1,000,000 seminar attendees will attest to the power of the programs. Based on the sales, marketing, and business management systems created by Brad Sugars, your Action Coach is trained to not only show you how to increase your business revenues and profits, but also how to develop the business so that you as the owner work less and relax more. Action International is a franchised company, so your local Action Coach is a fellow business owner who's invested her own time, money, and energy to make her business succeed. At Action, your success truly does determine our success. 2. And, why do I need a Business Coach? Every great sports star, business person, and superstar is surrounded by coaches and advisors. And, as the world of business moves faster and gets more competitive, it's difficult to keep up with both the changes in your industry and the innovations in sales, marketing, and management strategies. Having a business coach is no longer a luxury; it's become a necessity. On top of all that, it's impossible to get an objective answer from yourself. Don't get me wrong. You can survive in business without the help of a Coach, but it's almost impossible to thrive. A Coach can see the forest for the trees. A Coach will make you focus on the game. A Coach will make you run more laps than you feel like. A Coach will tell it like it is. A Coach will give you small pointers. A Coach will listen. A Coach will be your marketing manager, your sales director, your training coordinator, your partner, your confidant, your mentor, your best friend, and an Action Business Coach will help you make your dreams come true. 3. Then, what's an Alignment Consultation? Great question. It's where an Action Coach starts with every business owner. You'll invest a minimum of $1295, and during the initial 2 to 3 hours your Coach invests with you, he'll learn as much as he can about your business, your goals, your challenges, your sales, your marketing, your finances, and so much more. All with three goals in mind: To know exactly where your business is now. To clarify your goals both in the business and personally. And thirdly, to get the crucial pieces of information he needs to create your businesses Action Plan for the next 12 months. Not a traditional business or marketing plan mind you, but a step-by-step plan of Action that you'll work through as you continue with the Mentor Program. www.bradsugars.com 4. So, what, then, is the Mentor Program? Simply put, it's where your Action Coach will work with you for a full 12 months to make your goals a reality. From weekly coaching calls and goalsetting sessions, to creating marketing pieces together, you will develop new sales strategies and business systems so you can work less and learn all that you need to know about how to make your dreams come true. You'll invest between $995 and $10,000 a month and your Coach will dedicate a minimum of 5 hours a month to working with you on your sales, marketing, team building, business development, and every step of the Action Plan you created from your Alignment Consultation. Unlike most consultants, your Action Coach will do more than just show you what to do. She'll be with you when you need her most, as each idea takes shape, as each campaign is put into place, as you need the little pointers on making it happen, when you need someone to talk to, when you're faced with challenges and, most importantly, when you're just not sure what to do next. Your Coach will be there every step of the way. 5. Why at least 12 months? If you've been in business for more than a few weeks, you've seen at least one or two so called "quick fixes." Most Consultants seem to think they can solve all your problems in a few hours or a few days. At Action we believe that long-term success means not just scraping the surface and doing it for you. It means doing it with you, showing you how to do it, working alongside you, and creating the success together. Over the 12 months, you'll work on different areas of your business, and month by month you'll not only see your goals become a reality, you'll gain both the confidence and the knowledge to make it happen again and again, even when your first 12 months of Coaching is over. 6. How can you be sure this will work in my industry and in my business? Very simple. You see at Action, we're experts in the areas of sales, marketing, business development, business management, and team building just to name a few. With 328 different profit-building strategies, you'll soon see just how powerful these systems are. You, on the other hand, are the expert in your business and together we can apply the Action systems to make your business fly. Add to this the fact that within the Action Team at least one of our Coaches has either worked with, managed, worked in, or even owned a business that's the same or very similar to yours. Your Action Coach has the full resources of the entire Action team to call upon for every challenge you have. Imagine hundreds of experts ready to help you. 7. Won't this just mean more work? Of course when you set the plan with your Action Coach, it'll all seem like a massive amount of work, but no one ever said attaining your goals would be easy. In the first few months, it'll take some work to adjust, some work to get over the hump so to speak. The further you are into the program, the less and less work you'll have to do. You will, however, be literally amazed at how focused you'll be and how much you'll get done. With focus, an Action Coach, and most importantly the Action Systems, you'll be achieving a whole lot more with the same or even less work. www.bradsugars.com 8. How will I find the time? Once again the first few months will be the toughest, not because of an extra amount of work, but because of the different work. In fact, your Action Coach will show you how to, on a day-to-day basis, get more work done with less effort. In other words, after the first few months you'll find that you're not working more, just working differently. Then, depending on your goals from about month six onwards, you'll start to see the results of all your work, and if you choose to, you can start working less than ever before. Just remember, it's about changing what you do with your time, not putting in more time. 9. How much will I need to invest? Nothing, if you look at it from the same perspective as we do. That's the difference between a cost and an investment. Everything you do with your Action Coach is a true investment in your future. Not only will you create great results in your business, but you'll end up with both an entrepreneurial education second to none, and the knowledge that you can repeat your successes over and over again. As mentioned, you'll need to invest at least $1295 up to $5000 for the Alignment Consultation and Training Day, and then between $995 and $10,000 a month for the next 12 months of coaching. Your Coach may also suggest several books, tapes, and videos to assist in your training, and yes, they'll add to your investment as you go. Why? Because having an Action Coach is just like having a marketing manager, a sales team leader, a trainer, a recruitment specialist, and corporate consultant all for half the price of a secretary. 10. Will it cost me extra to implement the strategies? Once again, give your Action Coach just half an hour and he'll show you how to turn your marketing into an investment that yields sales and profits rather than just running up your expenses. In most cases we'll actually save you money when we find the areas that aren't working for you. But yes, I'm sure you'll need to spend some money to make some money. Yet, when you follow our simple testing and measuring systems, you'll never risk more than a few dollars on each campaign, and when we find the ones that work, we make sure you keep profiting from them time and again. Remember, when you go the accounting way of saving costs, you can only ever add a few percent to the bottom line. Following Brad Sugars' formula, your Action Coach will show you that through sales, marketing, and income growth, your possible returns are exponential. The sky's the limit, as they say. 11. Are there any guarantees? To put it bluntly, no. Your Action Coach will never promise any specific results, nor will she guarantee that any of your goals will become a reality. You see, we're your coach. You're still the player, and it's up to you to take the field. Your Coach will push you, cajole you, help you, be there for you, and even do some things with you, but you've still got to do the work. Only you can ever be truly accountable for your own success and at Action we know this to be a fact. We guarantee to give you the best service we can, to answer your questions promptly, and with the best available information. And, last but not least your Action Coach is committed to making you successful whether you like it or not. www.bradsugars.com That's right, once we've set the goals and made the plan, we'll do whatever it takes to make sure you reach for that goal and strive with all your might to achieve all that you desire. Of course we'll be sure to keep you as balanced in your life as we can. We'll make sure you never compromise either the long-term health and success of your company or yourself, and more importantly your personal set of values and what's important to you. 12. What results have other business owners seen? Anything from previously working 60 hours a week down to working just 10—right through to increases in revenues of 100s and even 1000s of percent. Results speak for themselves. Be sure to keep reading for specific examples of real people, with real businesses, getting real results. There are three reasons why this will work for you in your business. Firstly, your Action Coach will help you get 100 percent focused on your goals and the step-by-step processes to get you there. This focus alone is amazing in its effect on you and your business results. Secondly, your coach will hold you accountable to get things done, not just for the day-to-day running of the business, but for the dynamic growth of the business. You're investing in your success and we're going to get you there. Thirdly, your Coach is going to teach you one-on-one as many of Action's 328 profit-building strategies as you need. So whether your goal is to be making more money, or working fewer hours or both inside the next 12 months your goals can become a reality. Just ask any of the thousands of existing Action clients, or more specifically, check out the results of 19 of our most recent clients shown later in this section. 13. What areas will you coach me in? There are five main areas your Action Coach will work on with you. Of course, how much of each depends on you, your business, and your goals. Sales. The backbone of creating a superprofitable business, and one area we'll help you get spectacular results in. Marketing and Advertising. If you want to get a sale, you've got to get a prospect. Over the next 12 months your Action Coach will teach you Brad Sugars' amazingly simple streetwise marketing—marketing that makes profits. Team Building and Recruitment. You'll never wish for the right people again. You'll have motivated and passionate team members when your Coach shows you how. Systems and Business Development. Stop the business from running you and start running your business. Your Coach will show you the secrets to having the business work, even when you're not there. Customer Service. How to deliver consistently, make it easy to buy, and leave your customers feeling delighted with your service. Both referrals and repeat business are centered in the strategies your Coach will teach you. 14. Can you also train my people? Yes. We believe that training your people is almost as important as coaching you. Your investment starts at $1500 for your entire team, and you can decide between five very powerful in-house training programs. From "Sales Made Simple" for your face-to-face sales team to "Phone Power" for your entire team's telephone etiquette and sales ability. Then you can run the "Raving Fans" customer service training or the "Total Team" training. And finally, if you're too busy earning a living to make any real money, then you've just got to attend our "Business Academy 101." It will make a huge impact on your finances, business, career, family, and lifestyle. You'll be amazed at how much involvement and excitement comes out of your team with each training program. www.bradsugars.com 15. Can you write ads, letters, and marketing pieces for me? Yes. Your Action Coach can do it for you, he can train you to do it yourself, or we can simply critique the marketing pieces you're using right now. If you want us to do it for you, our one-time fees start at just $1195. You'll not only get one piece; we'll design several pieces for you to take to the market and see which one performs the best. Then, if it's a critique you're after, just $349 means we'll work through your entire piece and give you feedback on what to change, how to change it, and what else you should do. Last but not least, for between $15 and $795 we can recommend a variety of books, tapes, and most importantly, Brad Sugars' Instant Success series books that'll take you step-by-step through the how tos of creating your marketing pieces. 16. Why do you also recommend books, tapes, and videos? Basically, to save you time and money. Take Brad Sugars' Sales Rich DVD or Video Series, for instance. In about 16 hours you'll learn more about business than you have in the last 12 years. It'll also mean your Action Coach works with you on the high-level implementation rather than the very basic teaching. It's a very powerful way for you to speed up the coaching process and get phenomenal rather than just great results. 17. When is the best time to get started? Yesterday. OK, seriously, right now, today, this minute, before you take another step, waste another dollar, lose another sale, work too many more hours, miss another family event, forget another special occasion. Far too many business people wait and see. They think working harder will make it all better. Remember, what you know got you to where you are. To get to where you want to go, you've got to make some changes and most probably learn something new. There's no time like the present to get started on your dreams and goals. 18. So how do we get started? Well, you'd better get back in touch with your Action Coach. There's some very simple paperwork to sign, and then you're on your way. You'll have to invest a few hours showing them everything about your business. Together you'll get a plan created and then the work starts. Remember, it may seem like a big job at the start, but with a Coach, you're sharing the load and together you'll achieve great things. Here's what others say about what happened after working with an Action business coach Paul and Rosemary Rose—Icontact Multimedia "Our Action coach showed us several ways to help market our product. We went on to triple our client base and simultaneously tripled our profits in just seven months. It was unbelievable! Last year was our best Christmas ever. We were really able to spoil ourselves!" S. Ford—Pride Kitchens "In 6 months, I've gone from working more than 60 hours per week in my business to less than 20, and my conversion rate's up from 19 percent to 62 percent. I've now got some life back!" www.bradsugars.com Gary and Leanne Paper—Galea Timber Products "We achieved our goal for the 12 months within a 6-month period with a 100 percent increase in turnover and a good increase in margins. We have already recommended and will continue to recommend this program to others." Russell, Kevin, John, and Karen—Northern Lights Power and Distribution "Our profit margin has increased from 8 percent to 21 percent in the last 8 months. Action coaching focussed us on what are our most profitable markets." Ty Pedersen—De Vries Marketing Sydney "After just three months of coaching, my sales team's conversion rate has grown from an average of less than 12 percent to more than 23 percent and our profits have climbed by more than 30 percent." Hank Meerkerk and Hemi McGarvey—B.O.P. School of Welding "Last year we started off with a profit forecast, but as soon as we got Action involved we decided to double our forecast. We're already well over that forecast again by two-and-a-half times on turnover, and profits are even higher. Now we run a really profitable business." Stuart Birch—Education Personnel Limited "One direct mail letter added $40,000 to my bottom line, and working with Action has given me quality time to work on my business and spend time with my family." Mark West—Wests Pumping and Irrigation "In four months two simple strategies have increased our business more than 20 percent. We're so busy, we've had to delay expanding the business while we catch up!" Michael Griffiths—Gym Owner "I went from working 70 hours per week in the business to just 25 hours, with the rest of the time spent working on the business." Cheryl Standring—In Harmony Landscapes "We tried our own direct mail and only got a 1 percent response. With Action our response rate increased to 20 percent. It's definitely worth every dollar we've invested." Jason and Chris Houston—Empradoor Finishing "After 11 months of working with Action, we have increased our sales by 497 percent, and the team is working without our having to be there." Michael Avery—Coomera Pet Motels "I was skeptical at first, but I knew we needed major changes in our business. In 2 months, our extra profits were easily covering our investment and our predictions for the next 10 months are amazing." Garry Norris—North Tax & Accounting "As an accountant, my training enables me to help other business people make more money. It is therefore refreshing when someone else can help me do the same. I have a policy of only referring my clients to people who are professional, good at what they do, and who have personally given me great service. Action fits all three of these criteria, and I recommend Action to my business clients who want to grow and develop their businesses further." www.bradsugars.com Lisa Davis and Steve Groves—Mt. Eden Motorcycles "With Action we increased our database from 800 to 1200 in 3 months. We consistently get about 20 new qualified people on our database each week for less than $10 per week." Christine Pryor—U-Name-It Embroidery "Sales for August this year have increased 352 percent. We're now targeting a different market and we're a lot more confident about what we're doing." Joseph Saitta and Michelle Fisher—Banyule Electrics "Working with Action, our inquiry rate has doubled. In four months our business has changed so much our customers love us. It's a better place for people to work and our margins are widening." Kevin and Alison Snook—Property Sales "In the 12 months previous to working with Action, we had sold one home in our subdivision. In the first eight months of working with Action, we sold six homes. The results speak for themselves." Wayne Manson—Hospital Supplies "When I first looked at the Mentoring Program it looked expensive, but from the inside looking out, its been the best money I have ever spent. Sales are up more than $3000 per month since I started, and the things I have learned and expect to learn will ensure that I will enjoy strong sustainable growth in the future." www.bradsugars.com Action Contact Details Action International Asia Pacific Ground Floor, Action House, 2 Mayneview Street, Milton QLD 4064, Australia Ph: +61 (0) 7 3368 2525 Fax: +61 (0) 7 3368 2535 Freecall: 1800 670 335 Action International UK 3-5 Richmond Hill, Richmond, Surrey, TW 106RE, England Ph: +44 (0) 208 948 5151 Fax: +44 (0) 208 948 4111 Action International Europe Olympic House, Harbor Road, Hoath, Co. Dublin, Ireland Ph: +353 (0) 1-832 0213 Fax: +353 (0) 1-839 4934 Action International North America 5670 Wynn Road Suite C, Las Vegas, Nevada 89118, USA Ph: +1 (702) 795 3188 Fax: +1 (702) 795 3183 Toll-Free: (888) 483 2828 Action Offices around the globe: Australia | Canada | China | England | France | Germany | Hong Kong | India | Indonesia | Ireland | Malaysia | Mexico | New Zealand | Phillippines | Scotland | Spain | Singapore | USA | Wales www.bradsugars.com Here's how you can profit from all of Brad's ideas with your local Action International Business Coach Just like a sporting coach pushes an athlete to achieve optimum performance, provides them with support when they are exhausted, and teaches the athlete to execute plays that the competition does not anticipate. A business coach will make you run more laps than you feel like. A business coach will show it like it is. And a business coach will listen. The role of an Action Business Coach is to show you how to improve your business through guidance, support, and encouragement. Your coach will help you with your sales, marketing, management, team building, and so much more. Just like a sporting coach, your Action Business Coach will help you and your business perform at levels you never thought possible. Whether you've been in business for a week or 20 years, it's the right time to meet with and see how you'll profit from an Action Coach. As the owner of a business it's hard enough to keep pace with all the changes and innovations going on in your industry, let alone to find the time to devote to sales, marketing, systems, planning and team management, and then to run your business as well. As the world of business moves faster and becomes more competitive, having a Business Coach is no longer a luxury; it has become a necessity. Based on the sales, marketing, and business management systems created by Brad Sugars, your Action Coach is trained to not only show you how to increase your business revenues and profits but also how to develop your business so that you, as the owner, can take back control. All with the aim of your working less and relaxing more. Making money is one thing; having the time to enjoy it is another. Your Action Business Coach will become your marketing manager, your sales director, your training coordinator, your confidant, your mentor. In short, your Action Coach will help you make your business dreams come true. www.bradsugars.com ATTENTION BUSINESS OWNERS You can increase your profits now Here's how you can have one of Brad's Action International Business Coaches guide you to success. Like every successful sporting icon or team, a business needs a coach to help it achieve its full potential. In order to guarantee your business success, you can have one of Brad's team as your business coach. You will learn about how you can get amazing results with the help of the team at Action International. The business coaches are ready to take you and your business on a journey that will reward you for the rest of your life. You see, we believe Action speaks louder than words. Complete and post this card to your local Action office to discover how our team can help you increase your income today! Action International The World's Number-1 Business Coaching Team Name ......................................................................................................................................................................... Position ...................................................................................................................................................................... Company ................................................................................................................................................................... Address ...................................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................................................... Country ..................................................................................................................................................................... Phone ........................................................................................................................................................................ Fax ............................................................................................................................................................................. Email ......................................................................................................................................................................... Referred by ................................................................................................................................................................ www.bradsugars.com How do I become an Action International Business Coach? If you choose to invest your time and money in a great business and you're looking for a white-collar franchise opportunity to build yourself a lifestyle, an income, a way to take control of your life and, a way to get great personal satisfaction … Then you've just found the world's best team! Now, it's about finding out if you've got what it takes to really enjoy and thrive in this amazing business opportunity. Here are the 4 things we look for in every Action Coach: 1. You've got to love succeeding We're looking for people who love success, who love getting out there and making things happen. People who enjoy mixing with other people, people who thrive on learning and growing, and people who want to charge an hourly rate most professionals only dream of. 2. You've got to love being in charge of your own life When you're ready to take control, the key is to be in business for yourself, but not by yourself. Action's support, our training, our world leading systems, and the backup of a global team are all waiting to give you the best chance of being an amazing business success. 3. You've got to love helping people Being a great Coach is all about helping yourself by helping others. The first time clients thank you for showing them step by step how to make more money and work less within their business, will be the day you realize just how great being an Action Business Coach really is. 4. You've got to love a great lifestyle Working from home, setting your own timetable, spending time with family and friends, knowing that the hard work you do is for your own company and, not having to climb a so-called corporate ladder. This is what lifestyle is all about. Remember, business is supposed to give you a life, not take it away. Our business is booming and we're seriously looking for people ready to find out more about how becoming a member of the Action International Business Coaching team is going to be the best decision you've ever made. Apply online now at www.action-international.com www.bradsugars.com Here's how you can network, get new leads, build yourself an instant sales team, learn, grow and build a great team of supportive business owners around you by checking into your local Action Profit Club Joining your local Action Profit Club is about more than just networking, it's also the learning and exchanging of profitable ideas. Embark on a journey to a more profitable enterprise by meeting with fellow, like-minded business owners. An Action Profit Club is an excellent way to network with business people and business owners. You will meet every two weeks for breakfast to network and learn profitable strategies to grow your business. Here are three reasons why Action International's Profit Clubs work where other networking groups don't: 1. You know networking is a great idea. The challenge is finding the time and maintaining the motivation to keep it up and make it a part of your business. If you're not really having fun and getting the benefits, you'll find it gets easier to find excuses that stop you going. So, we guarantee you will always have fun and learn a lot from your bi-weekly group meetings. 2. The real problem is that so few people do any work 'on' their business. Instead they generally work "in" it, until it's too late. By being a member of an Action Profit Club, you get to attend FREE business-building workshops run by Business Coaches that teach you how to work "on" your business and avoid this common pitfall and help you to grow your business. 3. Unlike other groups, we have marketing systems to assist in your groups' growth rather than just relying on you to bring in new members. This way you can concentrate on YOUR business rather than on ours. Latest statistics show that the average person knows at least 200 other contacts. By being a member of your local Action Profit Club, you have an instant network of around 3,000 people Join your local Action Profit Club today. Apply online now at www.actionprofitclub.com www.bradsugars.com LEVERAGE—The Game of Business Your Business Success is just a Few Games Away Leverage—The Game of Business is a fun way to learn how to succeed in business fast. The rewards start flowing the moment you start playing! Leverage is three hours of fun, learning, and discovering how you can be an amazingly successful business person. It's a breakthrough in education that will have you racking up the profits in no time. The principles you take away from playing this game will set you up for a life of business success. It will open your mind to what's truly possible. Apply what you learn and sit back and watch your profits soar. By playing this fun and interactive business game, you will learn: • How to quickly raise your business income • How business people can become rich and successful in a short space of time • How to create a business that works without you Isn't it time you had the edge over your competition? Leverage has been played by all age groups from 12-85 and has been a huge learning experience for all. The most common comment we hear is: 'I thought I knew a lot, and just by playing a simple board game I have realized I have a long way to go. The knowledge I've gained from playing Leverage will make me thousands! Thanks for the lesson.' To order your copy online today, please visit www.bradsugars.com www.bradsugars.com