Thursday, March 26, 2009

Facebook..Worthwhile Marketing Tool or Slacker Toy?

by Tammy de Leeuw
Financial Advisor Netzone


Facebook...Is it worthwhile?
The Insurance Mavericks and I talk a lot about using social media like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc. as relationship building tools and I get lots of questions about whether or not advisors, agents, brokers, etc. can REALLY take advantage of emerging media.

"Will it help my business or just drain off more of my time?"

To help me answer that question, I went out and found an advisor who is using Facebook, video, television, and radio successfully. His practice is BOOMING as a result.

You can listen to the unedited interview I did with Chicago's MATTHEW SAPAULA a couple of days ago. I apologize for any quality issues, but I wanted to get this information out to you ASAP and not wait for me to get around to prettying it up.


Listen to what a real financial pro says about using new media.



Listen to Your Recorded Conference from the Phone...

Dial - (712) 432-1090
Enter Access Code - 962776#

If You Are Already on Facebook or want to join, Grouchy suggests:

Whether or not you are already an Insurance Mavericks member, you can get a lot of free advice and downloads by joining the IM Facebook group:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=49667736397&ref=ts

Grouchy On Facebook:

You can friend me here and I will be glad to help you grow YOUR network.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=1483544513&ref=profile

I also have a group where I have special contests, exclusive marketing downloads, and encourage others to share what IS WORKING NOW.


Financial Professionals Marketing Group
Speed of The Internet (Matthew Sapaula's Group for Entrepreneurs)- Great information found here!
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=45329063380&ref=ts

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Grouchy- Stuffing Your Heads With Knowledge

by Tammy de Leeuw
The Grouchy Marketing Lady
Financial Advisor Netzone


Safe Money Radio, BILL BROICH and JOE RYCH'S turn-key radio program has proven to be
so popular that we were not able to get to everyone on today's webinar.

If you didn't get your questions answered, shoot off an email to Joe at:
joe@annuity.com or call him M-F during regular business hours at:1-800-814-5378 .

Tell him Tammy said to give you a sample of an actual radio show.

Miss today's webcast?

You can download for the next 14 days at:

https://www.yousendit.com/download/UmNMV295eFVCTWxFQlE9PQ

Upcoming Events:

March 26th, 2009: Send Out Cards Demo and Ideas for YOUR Drip System- with
Bob Breiner and Tammy de Leeuw.

April 7th: So, What Are Maverick Financial Services Pros DOING RIGHT NOW to Make More Money and Retain More Clients? A special NOTHING TO SELL webinar with Brett and Ethan, the Insurance Mavericks. COST: ZERO, NOTHING.

Register or find out more at:

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/264160286

April 30th- Special "do-over" of the March 3rd BILL CATES WEB CLASS. As some of you know- internet problems forced us to cancel and re-do the class. This is a blessing for some of you who wanted to come but were unable. Now you have a second chance to register for this unique, fully-loaded class. COST: $97, includes free downloads, handouts, worksheets, and bonuses!

*If you already paid or are an INSURANCE MAVERICKS member- you DO NOT need to pay. Mavs members should send me an email to get the registration link: tammy@grouchymarketinglady.com.

Finally- A Data-Collecting Website for A Fraction of the Cost

I get asked a lot about how to get a simple website that will capture DATA and allow the website owner to easily retrieve it. I know several advisors and agents who have great downloads on their sites, but they have no way to know WHO is downloading the stuff. Thus, a great opportunity to GENERATE LEADS is lost.

Checking around, I discovered that a semi-custom website with one data capture page and the ability to upload a video runs at least $1,ooo. And that doesn't include ANY changes you may need to make once the site is up.

I asked my IT Genie to come up with a solution...

We decided that he could do a LIMITED NUMBER of semi-custom websites, complete with a capture ("squeeze") page, for under $600! That is a bargain and this guy is a top-notch website builder. For obvious reasons, we can't do too many of these at this price, so we are limiting it to the first 25 who contact me.

If you want more information, email me at: tammy@grouchymarketinglady.com or call me during normal business hours at 978-633-7140.




Thursday, March 12, 2009

When Times are Tough...The Tough Start Marketing!

by Tammy de Leeuw
Financial Advisor Netzone
The Grouchy Marketing


I was talking with a local businesswoman the other day whose establishment sits
smack dab in the middle of a shopping center with more vacancies than tenants...

This particular shopping center is also conveniently located in one of the hardest-hit former boom towns in California. (double ouch!)

The brisk walkthrough traffic once enjoyed is a distant memory...

Merchants complain they can no longer gauge their "busy" days...

The parking lot stands empty most of the time.

This business owner told me, " I have to depend on foot traffic.
I don't have time and money to market my business..." (triple ouch!)

You ARE a marketer...

I don't care what you do for a living, what sort of expensive product or service you sell, how long you went to school to get your three degrees, or if you have tons of accolades and awards hanging on your wall...

YOU are a marketer.

Accept it...embrace it...Learn to do it better than anyone else and you will THRIVE.

Deny it or ignore it and you will be one of the ones who won't be around at the uptick.

When you become good at marketing, or at least become good at knowing what good marketing IS, you will be one of the ones who isn't at the mercy of "walkthrough" traffic but is instead "that guy" or "that gal" who attracts more clients than they can handle.

Bootstrapper?

If you are on a tight budget, here are some tips:

1. Make what you do now work better.
For example, are you sweating to renew the yellow pages ad you have
had for years? Before you spend that money, be sure the AD is made as effective as
possible. There is a simple step that will DRAMATICALLY increase the pull of even a small
yellow pages ad. Doing this will also help you TRACK to see if it is worth the the money.
I will explain this step in another article.

2. Write, write, write. If you are a halfway decent communicator, write about your particular
area of expertise. Maybe you are an expert in life settlements. Write an informative,
interesting article. Perhaps you know lots of ways to save on insurance. Write a 15-20 page
report: "Six Ways You Can Save Hundreds of Dollars on Your Insurance." You can use this
report in many different ways. Put together a small press packet with a nice photo of you,
a copy of your article or report, and a short biography and send this packet to the local paper
and news radio station.

Send a nice card to the editor of the paper or radio station manager inviting them to lunch.
Keep sending the cards until someone responds and agrees to meet you. Once is seldom
enough. Getting a warm relationship going with someone in your local media is the beginning
of free publicity for you.

You can also use the articles you produce on the web as your compliance department allows.
There are several sites, such as ezine articles, which allow you to post your articles for free.


The point is: you can't allow fear to paralyze you or you will do nothing...

And doing nothing is a surefire way to go out of business.

Monday, March 9, 2009

A Learn to Do It Webinar with Grouchy

Nudge Me Into Action, Grouchy!
The Ultimate Send Out Cards Webinar with
Tammy de Leeuw and Robert Breiner

Thursday, March 26, 2009 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM PDT NOON Central, 1PM Eastern

Webinar Registration

Ok... you thought you might be able to use Send Out Cards..
But you were afraid...

It would be too much of a time drain...
Too expensive...
Too complicated...
Too difficult to implement

WHATEVER...

Here is , for the next-to-the-next-to-the next last time,
a full-on webinar for those of you who have considered Send Out Cards
but just haven't overcome your own fears, or...

Need a bit more encouragement, explanation, motivation,
creative jolts, or a kick in the pants...

Find out how you can use the same system used by hundreds of your competitors
to ensure that your good clients feel loved and your hot prospects are attracted
to YOU and nobody else but you.

Bob and Grouchy have some great ideas for cards (all of which you can steal for yourself!)
and some unusual ways of making this drip system pay off in the long run.

Come sit a spell and learn from the SOC Twins- Bob and Tammy aka "Grouchy"

PS: Someone will win brownies...

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/370911843

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

The Secret is NOT In the Follouw Up???

by David Frey
Marketing Best Practices



What?

What do you mean the secret is not in
the follow up?

Listen, you and I know that following up
consistently in a meaningful way IS the
key to establishing long term relationships
of trust.

BUT THE REAL SECRET IS...

...carving out the TIME in your busy schedule
to do the follow up!

It's a "TIME" issue. Plain and simple.

You know following up is critical.

You know what things to do to follow up.

You know that following up gets results.

________________________________________

But You Just Have NOT Figured Out...
________________________________________


...how to find the TIME to do it.

Time is a precious commodity for all of
us and that's why it's so important to
try to find ways to do things more
efficiently and effectively.

So today I want to talk to you about
how to dramatically cut down your time
on following up by...

...AUTOMATING THE FOLLOW UP PROCESS!

Automation is the secret key to
following up with people on a
consistent basis.

You've probably heard the old saying
that...

__________________________________________

"Humans are Always the Weakest Link..."
__________________________________________

...in any marketing system

It's true.

If you insert human intervention into a
marketing system, that specific link in
the chain is bound to break down.

That's why you want to automate your
marketing and follow up as much as
possible.

And if you've been a reader to this
newsletter for any amount of time, then
you'll know that I personally use
SendOutCards.com to automate my follow up.

_________________________

Here's How It Works...
_________________________


In SendOutCards.com there is a feature
called "Campaigns."


This feature allows you to create a set
of cards and to AUTOMATICALLY send them
out in a pre-determined time sequence.

For instance, let's say you're met someone
at a recent networking meeting and you
want to stay in touch with them and
develop a relationship of trust.

So you decide to set up a "stay-in-touch"
greeting card campaign.

Here's how you do it in SendOutCards.com

_________

STEP 1 - You choose a card and write a
brief note in it and set it up as a
"campaign."

You set that card to go out immediately.
_________

STEP 2 - You choose a 2nd card and set
it up to go out 30 days after the first
card.
_________

STEP 3 - You do that 12 times to create
a 12 card campaign so that one card goes
out every month.
_________

STEP 4 - When you meet someone, you
enter their name into the contact
manager and then "attach" it to your
new 12 month campaign.

Then you just push the SEND button.
_________

STEP 5 - Rinse and repeat!
_________


This is what it kind of looks like if
you were to draw a graphic of it.

http://www.thereferralnewsletter.com/a/flwup.jpg

(copy and paste the link into your browser)

______________________________

* * Follow Up Made Easy! * *
______________________________


It simply doesn't get much easier than
that. It's the simplest, easiest, and
most impactful follow up system ever
created and YOU SHOULD BE USING IT!

If you truly, deeply, and honestly
believe that following up is one of
the most critical marketing activities
that you can do, then it just makes
sense to use SendOutCards.com to
automate the process for you.

______________________________

Do Not Take My Word for It!
______________________________


If you don't think it works,
just read what Dr. Paul
Graden says...

"Hello, my name is Dr. Paul Graden,
and I am President of Accelerated
Learning Center in Nashville.

A few months ago I was introduced
to SendOutCards.com.

While I was skeptical, it was very
inexpensive to launch and I loved
the ability to build referral
campaigns for both my students
and prospects.

Our referral rate increased by 39%
within just 6 weeks saving me
thousands of dollars in advertising
and recruitment costs.

It has been 90 days now my referrals
are outpacing my advertising results
by a 10 to 1 ratio!

I could not be more pleased with the
SendOutCards program and highly recommend
it for any business owner looking to
increase their referral base.

Dr. Paul Graden
CEO, Accelerated Learning Center
Nashville, TN


There are hundreds of more comments
like this from people who are using
SendOutCards.com today.

If you're ready to take a personal
walkthrough of the system with me,
please feel call Tammy at
978-633-7140 for a walkthrough
of the system.


Have a great day!

David

P.S. By the way, if you want to see
a super cool feature of SendOutCards
go and visit...

http://www.PicturePlusDemo.com