The Irresistible Offer | marketingforhippies.com

guest post: learning webs

By: Tad | Published: January 12, 2012 · Leave a Comment

I was in Thailand a month ago, chatting with my friend Shilpa Jain.

We were talking about how people learn things.

And she shared this idea of a learning web. And how there are different ways we can learn things.

As she spoke, my mind immediately raced to the relevance for business.

Learning Webs – Back to the Source

by Shilpa Jain

I’ve been working in the field of ‘alternatives’ to education for a long while now – really since I was a young’un, running around my neighborhood, inventing my own games and art, reading books of my choice, etc.

Though by its own measures, I did “well” in traditional public school (by which I mean, I got good grades), I never really liked school – its competitions, its limits, its labels, its random subjects disconnected from real life and real issues.

As I got older and started learning more about the historic roots of the education system and its impacts on diverse communities over the world, I realized that my personal dislike was well-founded. This system has been wreaking havoc on individuals and communities for a couple centuries now.

And it’s time to stop.

Mostly, people agree on the ills of schooling. They know it’s cutting kids off from interactions with their families and neighbors; from a sacred connection with Mother Nature; from their own bodies, hands and spirits. And, they know it’s a rat race, and a lot of people suffer from the labels and competition imposed through schooling.

AND, they know that it’s not helping in solving the problems we are up against – but, instead, is actually feeding them by producing more capitalistic, obedient and submissive consumers…

But when it comes to other possibilities, people are often at a loss. There is the endless call for ‘reforming public education’ – which for many folks means a ‘better’ version of the same thing: just smaller classrooms, better trained teachers, more technology, better textbooks, etc.

Others are experimenting with charter schools, democratic schools, free schools – or homeschooling cooperatives, unschooling, natural learning communities….   Despite their creativity and the numerous generative possibilities they are opening up, they are usually called ‘elitist’ and dismissed on the grounds of being inapplicable to the ‘majority’. Which is unfortunate.

I want to add a little more to this conversation in my own support of self-designed and community-supported learning: learning webs.

A few months ago, I was invited to host a workshop for an innovative educational experiment in Puerto Rico called Nuestra Escuela (Our School). They are built on a mission of love. They are committed to throwing out labels of ‘juvenile delinquent’, ‘at-risk’, ‘dropout’, ‘failure’, etc. and instead embracing the brilliance, creativity and potential of the young people (ages roughly 13-18) in their communities.

They asked me to help support them with thinking about how to nuture deep learning and collaboration in Nuestra Escuela – something that would align with their mission and vision.

I started reflecting on the answers to the question, “What is one of the most meaningful learning experiences you have had?” I, and the community I worked with in India, Shikshantar asked this question a lot, as we were working to generate alternatives to the education system.

Invariably, the kinds of answers people gave had to do with one (or more) of these six relationships/opportunities:

1.     mentors – someone who inspires you, who can guide you, who gives meaningful support to you in times that matter

2.     experiments – personal and collective – little challenges that you give yourself, or that you agree to do with a group, to stretch yourself, come closer to your spirit and truth, and to live in greater alignment with your values

3.     apprenticeships/internships – longer-term commitments to deeply learn something that matters to you, usually with folks who have some kind of expertise in the field

4.     travel: journeys and visits – going to interact with people and places where what you want to learn is happening; the journey itself is often part of the learning experience

5.     self-study: looking at books, films, websites, etc. that delve into the different aspects of your interest area

6.     reflection: writing, journaling, creative expression of some kind, to digest what you’re learning, capture your understandings, and reflect them to others who can give you feedback as well

I like to image these six things as spokes coming off of a center point – which is where you put your question or the subject you want to learn. It could be anything from ‘organic farming’, to ‘indigenous history’, to ‘how can I have a healthy relationship with my partner?’, to ‘how can I become less angry and more patient?’

After you have a sense of what you want, and that can be a group or collective decision too, you generate the mentors, experiments, apprenticeships, travel, self-study and reflection that can help you learn it.

As our friends at the Berkana Institute say, “Start anywhere. Follow it everywhere.” That’s how you grow your learning web – by being as curious as you can be and committing to learning as much as you can. If you remember that everyone is a source/resource, with lots to share in terms of experiences, ideas, stories, and questions, there is simply an endless supply of possibilities.

There is no limit to the number and diversity of personal and collective learning webs that can be generated. It only depends on what you can balance and handle. And, as they say in Open Space, “Be prepared to be surprised!”

Learning webs can lead you to amazing aha!’s, wonderful relationships, and many other things that you couldn’t have known when you started. They knit you back to the real world and to the web of life. They encourage compassion, communication, complexity and commitment. They enliven your imagination and root you with purpose.

Most importantly, they return the power of learning to the source: you and your collectivities. And, for me, when we harvest the power of our individual and collective wisdom, well, we’ve found what we need to build a world that works for all beings.

My reflections on this:

are you stuck trying to teach your content to your clients using only one strand of the learning web? What might happen if instead of doing the traditional teleseminars and workshops you were to support people in learning in other ways? Is it possible that we get so stuck on ‘giving info’ that we don’t pay enough attention to their learning?

if you’re stuck trying to learn something, might another approach to learning work better for you?

are you relying only on high priced seminars and marketing gurus for your answers when the wisdom might be right there in your own community?

What are your thoughts? Write them below in the comments.

| Categories: quality of life, The Irresistible Offer - Tags: communicating value, irresistible offers

wrapping your gifts

By: Tad | Published: December 1, 2011 · 5 Comments

My friend Jenna and I were hanging out tonight having a crafts night. She brought everything you could imagine we’d need. She is far craftier than I.

So far, she’s made the most amazing card (see here).

And I wrapped two books (that I bought with a Greenwoods book gift certificate sent to me by a colleague of mine Julia Kious Zabell (thankyouthankyouthankyou).

As soon as I’d finished wrapping them, I felt so excited to give it to them.

But the gift hadn’t changed. It was still just two books.

But they meant more to me.

I was more excited to share them.

Just from putting some care and craftiness into how they were wrapped.

And it strikes me that it’s the same with our businesses.

Sometimes people are hesitant to put care into the ‘wrapping’. They’re hesitant to make their website beautiful, to get a beautiful headshot, to put more attention to the design of their products. That somehow it’s gross. That somehow it’s not honest. But the truth is, they’re a little embarrassed every time they give out their business card or brochure. They look at their posters hanging up at the organic grocery and silently wish it was better.

(note: she just finished a second sweet card. with cotton balls! amazing!)

Some people think wrapping is fake.

But tonight, do you know what I think it is?

I think it’s lovely.

My dear friend and colleague Carrie Klassen has likely been the most important influence in my business life around this simple lesson: beauty matters. Explore her website and you’ll see why I love her so much.

Be proud of what you offer. Dress it well. Treat your marketing like a special event – the kind it’s such a pleasure to dress up for. A wedding, a special birthday, a graduation, an anniversary. We dress up so we feel beautiful and to inspire those around us.

I’m not talking about synthetic, neon light beauty. I’m not talking about super models. I’m not talking about making something beautiful ‘so they’ll buy’.

I’m talking about candle light, hand made, vintage and craftiness. I’m talking poetry and crafting your words to be ‘just right’. I’m talking about setting up your workshop space so it feels warm and inviting. I’m talking about the beauty of art. I’m talking about making it just the way you want it so that it makes you proud – so that it radiates ‘youness’. I’m talking about weaving in your quirk and kinks.

As my dear friend Erica Ross (whose work embodies this so perfectly) says, “Making the conscious choice to slow down and beautify something or somewhere, in my view, is a sacred act of love and community.”

I think of the chef who not only makes amazing food but presents it ‘just so’ with so much care and attention put to the placement of things. I think of the tea ceremonies the exist around the world. It’s not just the tea, it’s the whole ritual of it – the presentation. I think of the improv comedy show I do every week in Edmonton and how we clean up the house after every show and sweep the stage. It’s not just the performance, it’s the whole experience. I think of a jazz band I once saw who dressed in tuxes and how the band leader acknowledged that tuxes on a jazz band might seem odd, ‘but’ he said. ‘I think it has a little something to do with respect.’

I’ve performed close up, sleight of hand card magic since I was 12. I love it so much. And, as I grew up, I began to see how much bad magic there was in the world. Actually, I should correct myself . . . how many bad performances there were. So much terrible patter and awkward people doing magic tricks. So much rushing through the show and not letting the moments sink in. So much trying to impress people with technique rather than charming them with a performance. In 1943, Dariel Fitzkee wrote his masterpiece in the world of magic Showmanship for Magicians. He pointed out that being ‘technically’ proficient (even brilliant) in sleight of hand wasn’t the point. The point was the show. The performance. That the magic lived in the mind of the audience, not the hands of the magician. The best modern example of this is Derren Brown.

I’m suggesting that what you find beautiful is something that others might just find beautiful too. And that if you really get honest with yourself and take the time to make it beautiful (for you) that you’ll be a lot more excited to share it.

John O’Donohue puts it so well in his book Beauty: The Invisible Embrace. Beauty is a human need, it’s not a luxury. Beauty is not the domain of the obscenely wealthy. It’s something we need to reclaim in our lives. Beauty isn’t something that we earn enough money to one day acquire. It’s something that we weave into our lives every day in the simplest of ways. And then we realize that a life full of beauty is wealth.

We’re reminded that it’s not all about listing features and benefits. It’s not all about the facts.

“There is a relentless search for the factual and this quest often lacks warmth or reverence … The wisdom of the tradition reminds us that if we choose to journey on the path of truth, it then becomes a sacred duty to walk hand in hand with beauty.” - John O’Donohue

When you take the time to not only create something beautiful but then wrap your work in genuine beauty, you’ll be so much more proud of it and excited to share it. I used to love my old website. Then I began to like it less and less. I just wasn’t proud of it anymore. People would ask me, ‘do you have a website?’ and I’d say, ‘yeah, but . . . let me just email you.’ Anything to avoid sending them to my site. I was embarrassed by it.

And then a dear friend of mine Jaime Almond helped me create this site. She designed the banner for me. She showed me how to use the site. It was incredible. Suddenly, I was so proud of my site. Suddenly, I wanted everyone to check out my Marketing for Hippies site. Now, nothing had changed in me. Nothing had changed in the services I offered. I’d not learned anything new in marketing. Nothing had changed – except the wrapping. And I was shocked to see what a difference it made in my own enthusiasm for my own business.

And, consider this, if wrapping things so beautifully has you more excited to share them, don’t you think it might have your clients a bit more excited to share what you’re offering, now that it really looks like a gift? It always was a gift, but now people recognize it as such.

I think perhaps we stop too soon in our creations. We make wonderful things and then forget to wrap them. Or we get too lazy.

Back in the day, when I was hanging out with anarchists and protesting the IMF and World Bank and wearing my jeans and shirts til they were threadbare and tattered, I had a real judgment of fashion, aesthetics and beauty. But, I’ve come to appreciate it. That the way we carry and groom ourselves is a gift to the world too. That our words and actions can be a part of what feeds the soul of the world with beauty.

That there is a beauty in self care.

There is a beauty in the gift and a joy in the wrapping.

A colleague of mine Katie Curtin, a wonderful life coach for the artsy and eclectic souls of the world, shared these words with me,

Putting love, and care and creativity into how we present ourselves, whether it’s in our personal appearance, or the materials we create makes an exquisite difference to how we feel about ourselves and our offerings.

And it’s not about the expense, or being perfect, or being slick- it’s about truthful beauty, the art of expressing oneself through all the ways we interact with the world.

I am terribly imperfect at this, and like you for a long time had an attachment to old jeans and sloppy clothes as a sign of being a rebel. And how often have I not taken the time to wrap things as artfully as I could. Thanks for this reminder of the importance of how we wrap things !

Sometimes people think the wrapping is unethical.

But tonight, do you know what I think it is?

I think it’s lovely.

| Categories: marketing philosophy, Tad's Rants, The Irresistible Offer - Tags: attraction, beauty, communicating value

case study: panty by post

By: Tad | Published: September 8, 2011 · Leave a Comment

Natalie Grunberg (pictured below) had an idea for a business.

Mail women pretty panties. Once a month.

This business is a brilliant example of some many things: niche marketing (panties are for women), having a point of view (it’s about confidence), having a simple, well crafted offer (a pretty panty. mailed monthly), doing something provocative that gets people talking (panties!).

What is the name of your project?

PantyByPost.com!

What’s the story of how this came about? What was the need you saw in the community that it emerged from?

PantyByPost.com is an online business that sends a pretty panty every month in the mail to your loved one, or maybe to you (you deserve it)!

I thought of the idea on a trip to Paris some years ago and the plan was to spread the confidence of those enchanting and stylish French women. That’s exactly what we’ve done, one panty at a time (wink).

I saw a need, to spread French style all over the world. Even if your daily uniform is a Lululemon pant, you can wear a panty by post panty and feel better. Self confidence may just start with the panty you choose to wear. My company helps to make women’s panty drawers sexier, more colourful and playful.

Can you share a few examples of how your project works?

We always support local charities and we are collecting panties right now to donate to the Vancouver Downtown Eastside Women’s Center. Some of our customers have even donated a month of their subscription to the Center, which is very cool. We are currently supporting a local theater group in Victoria BC by outfitting their set with panties (it’s called NANA’S NAUGHTY KNICKERS).

To order a subscription you click on the shop button and select the line, Signature or Bridal and then proceed through to check out. It’s very easy! We ship worldwide now, so there…your whole Christmas list is done!

Who do you find it’s working best for?

Women made up our biggest supporters when we launched. Now the men are starting to hear the good news! Men like to gossip too, so our customers are a pretty even split of men and women.

What are the top three most effective ways you’ve found to market this?

Online marketing for an online business is the best approach. Magazine and newspaper advertising doesn’t work. PR is the most important fuel for customer acquisition but after you have enough customers and you prove you have an incredible service and product, they will talk. My customer to customer referrals and referral perks (one free panty for every customer you refer) are how I gain more traction.

What are the three biggest lessons you’ve learned along the way?

Don’t risk more then you have.
Trust your gut, listen to others and then make the choice that is right for you. Always do the honest and right thing. Never let money ruin relationships.
Nurture relationships authentically. Be real.

What does that mean for you? “Nurture relationships authentically”

Many business people share that relationships are what matter. I added the nurture and the authentically component mostly as a response to some of my early experiences. Be real and be yourself. I really don’t like it when people are just trying to get something from me. I’m not a big fan of business mixers or networking. I find it to be a huge effort, it’s unnatural to be so self serving.

It’s icky.

By all means, get out there and make connections but for me I like to keep it small and keep it humble.

What’s been most effective for you in the online marketing arena?

CPC, cost per click advertising has been effective. We use Adroll to help remind customers who have visited our site, which is a good marketing tool. Bloggers from all over the world help spread the word about PBP and they do it very authentically because they get a panty by post to try.

What’s the next level for your project? What are you most excited about that’s coming up?

We are going international BIG TIME! We have our first international office in Moscow and our next operation opens in Paris this November. How exciting! We will continue to create relationships in other languages and in other countries. This is the jet setting (and carbon offsetting) that I dream of doing!

At its heart – what is this project really about for you?

At the heart of PBP there are two old fashioned ideas: customer service is key and self confidence comes from within.

We have been told we go above and beyond the call of duty for customers, but we don’t see it that way. Doing a job well and promptly makes us feel good. As the owner of the company, I set the tone. I’m an absolute perfectionist because having a top notch consumer experience is rare these days. When PBP staff delivers incredible service, every day, we make customers happy and they return.

This seems so basic but I can’t tell you the last time I had a quality “old fashioned” consumer experience. It’s our edge in a competitive online shopping environment.

The other pillar of the company is about confidence. I was inspired by the women in France and they continue to remind me (lucky me I go to France each summer) that looking beautiful is about self respect. French women put effort into their appearance and so do the men for that matter.

It’s a different ethic and for me, I think it represents their commitment to finding beauty and style everywhere, spreading that style and also enjoying the pleasures of life. Everywhere you look in France people have put effort into beautifying their environment. The least I can do is run a company that makes getting a French style panty easier.

Now those of us non-Frenchies have no excuse.

What has the response been this this project?

Each year PBP builds and grows. I put very little money into advertising because our product and excellent service does the work of spreading the word of PBP. Men especially seem to appreciate the gift giving service. We basically are the answer to all their gift giving issues.

Why do you think your customers love you so much?

Our customers love us because of our high quality of service but really our product is very unique and totally fabulous The panties are very special, colourful and sexy. Once you start wearing our panties, it’s shocking that you once settled for plain Jockeys or Victoria Secret. Our panties are accessibly priced (about $16 per panty), durable but mostly they are adorable

You’ve got such a unique idea that I imagine a lot of PR came from that – but what are the three biggest tips you could give people to be ready for it, get it and take advantage of it?

Get a communication coach. We had Maria LeRose coach us at the very beginning and throughout our launch. Having a profession coach like Maria will help you get clear on your company goals and will make your media interviews really stand out. She videotaped us and we reviewed the way we looked and the way we delivered our story. This kind of practice is key.
Hire a professional PR person to work with you on your media pitches. We had a coach for 3 months to support us to improve our media writing and understand what the media is looking for.
Start local and aim national. There is no such thing as a small enough media outlet.

If people want to find out more about your project, support it or get involved – what should they do?

Email us,

Anything else you’d like to add?

If you think panties don’t matter, try a panty by post and I beg to differ. We have something special here! Oh yah, right now I’m wearing a Raven Beauty hipster in noir. It has buttons all down the derriere and when I wear them I feel like a Paris runway model (note: I’m 5’2″, so clearly the panties give me super powers).

If you’d like get cool posts like this in your inbox every few days CLICK HERE to subscribe to my blog and you’ll also get a free copy of my fancy new ebook “Marketing for Hippies” when it’s done.

| Categories: Case Studies of Inspiring Business, Niche Marketing, The Irresistible Offer, word of mouth - Tags: irresistible offers, real

marketing lessons from a sex workshop

By: Tad | Published: July 18, 2011 · 1 Comment

Soooo . . . I went to a sex workshop recently.

My colleague Jessica O’Reilly (pictured here) was in town from Toronto (where I do a lot of work) leading a workshop. She’d come to my event when I was in Toronto and I’d never seen her work so she invited me on down.

The workshop was brilliant but it also lifted up a big time marketing lesson that I know a lot of people struggle with: do you sell them what they want or what you think they need?

You want to help people. People who are stuck. And you’ve probably got a really clear point of view about why they’re so stuck. So you want to get at the root of the problem. So you offer up a product or service that really strikes at the root.

And then no one buys it.

An interview with Jessica follows. We explore themes of the irresistible offer and an unexpected take on being generous in marketing.

what is a sexologist?

A sexologist studies the cognitive, affective and behavioural aspects of sexuality and many sexologists work in education, research and clinical practice.

when did you start running workshops?

I’ve been running sexological workshops for four years on a number of topics ranging from HIV/AIDS to sexual pleasure techniques.

when we spoke you mentioned that your workshops seemed to fill faster than other workshops on Tantra. they’re both about sex but yours seem to attract more attention. why is that?

That’s true.

I’ve coordinated technique-based workshops as well as Tantra workshops and the former are far more popular.

It seems that more people are interested in the immediate take-home approach with regard to improving their sex life as opposed to long-term or broader scope topics which require more work and follow-through.

That’s not to say that there isn’t interest in Tantra or longer-term learning, but in my experience, there are more people interested in “quick fix” approaches to improving their sex lives. And that’s okay, because sometimes just attending a short workshop can help people to broaden their horizons and generate a meaningful dialogue about sex, communication and intimacy.

what are the titles of your workshops, how did you come up with them and how important do you think titles are?

I have a huge list of workshops (http://www.jessicaoreilly.com/m3.php — fun ones are at the bottom of the page) and I came up with the titles on my own. Titles are extremely important and I think I could actually use some help to make them a bit catchier — but I definitely want to ensure that the title accurately reflects the content, so that people know what they’re signing up for.

you’ve got these workshops called “Blow His Mind” and “Blow Her Mind”. I love those as titles. They short. Snappy. Sassy. But they also speak to the result you’re offering. were those the first titles you came up with?

Yes. They’re the first titles I came up with — I think sometimes your first instinct is the one to go with.

and what’s your understanding of why people come to a sex workshop? what are they REALLY wanting from it? Obviously to become better and more skilled lovers – but why? what’s in it for them do you think? and is it different between men and women why they come?

Yes.

People come to my workshops because they want to be better in bed — for themselves and for their partners. They also want to boost their self-esteem. I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I’ve learned a lot over the years and I remind clients that I can help them fill up their sexual tool box and then they can pick and choose according to their mood and their partners’ interests.

Both men and women want to learn specific techniques, but I do find there are more women interested in learning about their own bodies and their own sexual response. And overall, women seem to be more open to learning about sexual technique — at least in a group setting.

we spoke about how selling quick fix techniques vs. deeper solutions. what’s your take on this?

As a sexologist and as an entrepreneur, it’s my job to meet people where they are. What I believe as a professional is often less important than what a client believes — ultimately a client is the ultimate expert in his/herself.

So, even if I think that a workshop on communication skills would be of greatest benefit to a client’s sex life, if that person would rather learn some basic touching techniques, they’re likely going to benefit more from the latter since the buy-in is stronger. And when you give people what they want (as opposed to what you think will work), you’re building relationships and trust — in many cases, they’ll come back for more and be more receptive to your professional recommendations.

so you’re saying if you offer them what they WANT upfront (often based on the symptoms they’re experiencing and their sense of why they are experiencing them) then it’s easier to offer them what they need?

Tad here . . . Let me go smaller for a moment . . . this makes a lot of sense to me. if people think, ‘my sex life isn’t good because i’m lacking techniques’ – that’s a certain point of view. it’s their belief about why they’re struggling. and what i’m hearing here is that it’s better and easier (and maybe more loving) in the beginning to agree with this and give them that so you can build up the trust and credibility and even offer them a different world view that might be more accurate. but if you don’t get them in the door at all then there’s no chance to build trust at all. i wonder if too much marketing is trying to change people’s point of view (which is incredibly hard).

it has me think that a really important question in marketing is: ‘why do people you’re trying to reach THINK they have the problem they have?’ and then, ‘what’s an offering i could create that would align with that point of view?’.

it further strikes me that making an aligned offer isn’t the same as agreeing with them. it’s not saying, ‘your point of view is right’. it’s just saying, ‘okay. so you believe _______? wonderful. let’s start with that then.’

that feels really gracious but also way more effective. it’s speaking to where they’re at right now – but also what they BELIEVE about why they’re there.

any more thoughts on this Jessica?

I think you’ve hit the nail on the head.

You have to give people what they want first and address the issues/needs that they see as most pressing.

It’s not about what I think as an expert, but what they feel they need. I’m not in the business of changing people’s points of view. I do try to offer a broad perspective, so they can make empowered, informed decisions, but ultimately, if everyone shared the same point of view on sex, my job would quickly become obsolete. When I think about any of the creative services I offer, I begin by posing the questions my clients might have. I ask myself, what are the three big questions people want answered with regard to a topic and then I build from there.

For more info on Jessica and her work you can go to: http://jessicaoreilly.com/

| Categories: The Irresistible Offer - Tags: communicating value, generosity based business, irresistible offers, pink spoons, point of view, trusted advisor

three marketing lessons from a three day juice fast

By: Tad | Published: June 13, 2011 · 1 Comment

I just successfully completed a three day juice fast and it reminded me about a really important marketing thing.

The fast came about out of the blue. I hadn’t been planning on doing one at all but . . . a few days ago, I got an email from a colleague in Calgary.

She wanted to know if I wanted to do a new, three day juice fast she was involved in.

I’d been thinking about doing a cleanse anyway – so I said sure! Why not.

It turns out she’d helped found a company called Bava Juice that’s all about helping people do juice cleanses.

Here’s what I think they’re doing right – and what you can learn from it.

Bottom line: They made my success so easy.

LESSON #1 – Make it Easy: They sent me a box of 12 bottles of freshly pressed fruit and vegetable juice. One for the morning, one for the afternoon and one for the evening (with a couple of delicious extras for other things).

It felt like I was getting a big Christmas present.

I promptly put all the bottles in my fridge and began the juice fast. I can’t even begin to tell you how much easier it was for me to just pull out a bottle and drink than to go to the grocery store, get my juice supplies, juice a litre of them and then clean the juicer. So easy to avoid doing.

They made it HARD to avoid doing the thing I wanted to do.

Can you do that in your business? How can you set up your offer so that, by engaging with you, it’s really hard to avoid succeeding?

I was tempted to quit so many times. To cheat. But having those bottles there made it not only easy but . . . I would have felt super lame to bail on it so early. Having the bottles felt like a physical sign of my commitment – but also a fun way to keep score and actually see the progress of the empty and cleaned bottles sitting on my counter.

Can you help your clients measure and keep score of their progress in fun ways?

LESSON #2 – Make it an Event: So many programs and offers fall down because they ask way too much of people. They ask people to totally change their lifestyle. Is that what people need? Sure. But if you want the credibility to help them take those steps – you’ve got to win their trust early with immediate results. Give them a win. Help them feel successful and build up their confidence. When you look at the ultimate place you want to take people – what’s a smaller version of that you could offer people.

Examples of this are the 30 Day Yoga Challenge that so many studios run. They’re brilliant. Because a lot of people think, ‘okay. i can do thirty days.’ or a four day meditation retreat. Pick a length of time, or number of sessions that feels like a challenge but also doable.

Make the thing an ‘event’. Make it a ‘happening’. If they’d just shipped me a bunch of bottles to drink it wouldn’t have been as exciting as knowing that they were hosting a ‘cleanse’ on certain dates and did I want to get in on that particular cleanse? And then having my pal Jackie message me on facebook saying, ‘i hear you’re a part of this cleanse? want to be my accountability buddy?’. The fact that we all shared a start and stop date felt exciting.

It also encourages word of mouth – there’s a natural urgency to it. ‘Do you want to do this juice fast with me??’ says the spontaneous text to a friend.

LESSON #3 – Encourage Them on the Way: Every day there was an email from them laying out what that particular day of the fast was about and encouraging people. What can you do to build in systems that help people stay motivated and on track? Could you have emails like this? Send personalized texts? Group calls? In person classes? Create a buddy system? Get creative. People are so much more likely to ‘stick to it’ if they’re not doing it alone.

So many companies focus on GIVING value.

Don’t do that. Focus on how to help your client GET value. How can you set things up in your offer so that their success is actually inevitable if they do their part (and make their part simple).

Make it easy for them to get a small win and they’ll thank you. And send you their friends.

For more info on them: check out their site – www.bavajuice.com

| Categories: Case Studies of Inspiring Business, The Irresistible Offer - Tags: irresistible offers

A Spa for Mothers with Small Children

By: Tad | Published: October 14, 2010 · 2 Comments

I just heard about a spa in Toronto called Sunny Mummy at my “Marketing 101 for Green and Local Businesses” in Toronto last night.

It’s a spa. But with a twist.

Take a look at the room pictured on the right. It’s not a room you’d associate with a spa.

But most spa’s don’t cater to mom’s with young children.

And Sunny Mummy does – for mom’s – with childcare built into the costs.

This is the brilliance of well thought out niche marketing in action. As you can imagine – they’re getting a lot of word of mouth marketing from this. Why? Because they’re created something remarkable.

There are lots of spas. And most of them are for women. But Sunny Mummy decided to niche even deeper. Not just women, but mom’s. Some might look at that as a risk, “We’ll lose clients.” Other people, see it as a huge opportunity to attract clients.

By niching more tightly – you actually get an incredible freedom and creativity. I see it again and again.

Imagine the loyalty this place gets from their clients.

Check out this video:

And here are some words from their website . . .

Nilla Petta, Owner

I have been in the spa industry for 15 years. I did not start in the spa world it was a business degree I achieved first. After backpacking through Europe for months my plan changed and my intuition guided me elsewhere to the world of healing.

I went back to school for esthetics, massage and holistic treatments. I managed a wellness centre for two years where I worked with great healers and learned a lot about healing modalities and business. I decided I needed more education and worked for Aveda and Civello. I learned so much about customer care, Aveda products, services, and how to run a spa. I also worked in film. I am well rounded and have had a lot of experience working in both the business and services.

I have always wanted to open up a business however the timing or ideas were never right. When I was pregnant I was guided, I know now, by my beautiful daughter and the idea of a mommy and baby spa was born. After I had her and went on maternity leave I was compelled to open this business. There was nothing like a mommy and baby and it serviced the needs of mom with babies in the city. I researched for a few years and at the right time found the right partner Tara, that helped to make this dream come to fruition.

Sunny Mummy is named after my daughter, her name is Soleil. As I know “it takes a village to raise a child it also takes a village” to be successful and I am so grateful for my parents with there love and support I was able to make my dream come to fruition. It is my intention to make Sunny Mummy an oasis where woman can feel comfortable, safe and at peace. I look forward to meeting all of you and I know we will all help each other on this journey through life.

And a bit about their services.

Child Care

On site childcare is available and is included in the cost of all services. Please mention your need for supervised childcare when booking your service.

Children are always welcome to play in the children’s room, unsupervised while mom is shopping.

NEW! Drop Off Childcare Service

Sunny Mummy is happy to announce our new childcare drop off service. We now provide on site drop off childcare for a maximum of 2hrs for $15/hr.

| Categories: becoming a hub, Case Studies of Inspiring Business, Niche Marketing, The Irresistible Offer, word of mouth - Tags: becoming a hub, empathy

A Tale of Two Paintings – A Cautionary Story of Word of Mouth Marketing

By: Tad | Published: September 17, 2010 · 7 Comments

It was the best of marketing. It was the worst of marketing.

I just got a new painting today. A gift.

The painting (pictured on the right) is simple, bright and beautiful. I really like it. And I think my friends will too.

Some backstory:

Back in July, I posted a blog about a thought I’ve had for years for painters to market their stuff.

And then, a few days ago, I had a consult with a local artist and energy worker, Deb MacKlem. And she took this idea and ran with it. I’ll be writing more about her in another blog.

So that’s the first painting in our ‘Tale of Two Paintings’.

But I have another painting (pictured on the left). Everyone loves it too. Most of the people who come into my home see it and comment on it.

Here’s what both of these paintings have in common. People love them. And I’ve personally met both the artists and liked them as people – I want to support them.

But the artist of the red and fiery painting that sits above my fireplace is never, ever going to get any business from me.

Deb will. Lots I bet.

Here’s why (and the truth is a bit heart breaking).

The red painting was actually the first painting I’ve ever bought. I saw it at Remedy Cafe in Edmonton and was immediately struck by it. One of those visceral ‘i need to have that’ feelings. I got to talking with the artist (alright – so I was flirting with her but she did turn out to be the artist). I asked her to hold the painting while I ran to the ATM to get her some cash (only $120 for such an amazing painting!). We arranged that she’d deliver it to my place in a few days. The conversation went something like this . . .

“Do you have any business cards?” I asked. I intended to put them behind the frame on the little ledge. No one would see them but they’d be there so I could spread the word about her brilliance.

“No.” she said.

“A website?”

“Not yet,” she replied hopefully.

“Okay. No worries. When you drop it off, just make sure you leave your email so I can tell people how to reach you.”

“Deal”

And we shook on it.

A few days later she dropped off the painting. And left. Without giving me her info. Her info is nowhere on the painting. I have no way of reaching her. I have no idea who she even is anymore.

So, consider the word of mouth marketing dynamic here.

People are coming to my place. They trust me. We’re friends. They see a painting they love. We talk about it. Note that: word of mouth is happening. But she will never, ever, ever get any business from it. Word of mouth isn’t enough.

For word of mouth to work best, three things must be in place.

1) It must be remarkable. You want people to make remarks about your work? Make it worthy of remark. Make it cool. Make it interesting. Make it worth talking about. Her painting succeeds here. It’s striking. People love it.

2) It must be easy. This is where she fails. It’s not only ‘not easy’ for me to spread the word, it’s impossible. Don’t make it difficult for people.

3) You must make it worthwhile. On the most basic level, this means thanking people for spreading the word. This means tracking where people heard about you. This means being gracious. Again – she can’t do this because I can’t send her business.

Here’s the story of the second ‘Sun’ painting.

Deb Macklem booked a coaching session with me. During which we talked about how she could promote her paintings. I gave her a bunch of ideas, including the one from this blog I wrote.

After the call, I got an email from her, offering to give me one of her paintings for free.

And Deb’s no fool. Her giving me that free painting will likely make her hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars over the years. Why? Because, I host a lot of parties at my place. I have guests over often. And her painting is the first thing they see as they walk in. And many of them will ask about it. And then I’ll tell them. Plus, here I am writing about this painting on my blog and tell you about it and encouraging you to check out her facebook page.

Here’s what Deb’s painting does much better from a marketing perspective.

First of all, there’s a whole story behind it of how I got it. Which I’ve just told you.

Second of all, it’s tied to a cool project – there’s a nice story there. There’s the story of how her paints the sun because the sun gives freely, is abundant and the perfect symbol for her this kind of endless, life affirming generosity. And the project has an easy to remember name. The Abundance Project. Easy to search. Easy to find.

IMG 04451 e1284754437181 300x244 A Tale of Two Paintings A Cautionary Story of Word of Mouth Marketing

The Back of The Sun Photo

Thirdly, it’s got these stones in the back of it which each have a meaning. Each one represents something that everyone wants an abundance of: wealth, health, protection, unconditional love. The stones are there to help draw these things to you. It’s very cool, so, of course, I want to show it off and tell them all about it. It’s something unique and conversation worthy.

Fourthly, she’s given me some word of mouth materials. Her cards to pass on. So, if someone likes the painting and the story, I can reach behind and pass on her info. The word of mouth is supported by promo materials that are right there at the point of conversation. Smart.

Fifthly, she’s given me some stuff to read which can educate me even more. The more I know about her project and the painting – the better I can talk about it and sound smart to my friends. People like to sound smart.

Sixthly, she’s going to be inviting me to her party that’s coming up in a bit – so she’s building a relationship with me over time.

All of these add up to more word of mouth (and thus more business) for her.

Two paintings – one will act as a marketing piece that will make her more and more money over time. The other will make her no money.

Which painting do you want YOUR business to be?

| Categories: Arts Marketing, marketing tactics, The Irresistible Offer, word of mouth

When Your Customers Set the Price – Chris Guillebeau

By: Tad | Published: August 30, 2010 · Leave a Comment

Here’s a piece from Business Week written by Chris Guillebeau, Blogger and owner UnconventionalGuides.com in Seattle.

On the morning of her 41st birthday, author Danielle LaPorte posted a promotion on her blog and then went to the spa in her home city of Vancouver, B.C. She had prepared something special for her readers that day—a “Pay-what-you-will” offer for her Firestarter Sessions help package, a digital strategy session for entrepreneurs, which normally retails at $150. How would it go over? She hoped it would do well, of course, but it was an unusual experiment.

An hour later, Danielle couldn’t resist the urge to see what was happening. Leaving her spa appointment, she flipped open her iPhone—and flipped out. From all over the world, offers to purchase her Firestarter were streaming in by the hundreds.

Danielle is a smart marketer (“I came out of the womb with a press release,” she likes to say), but she didn’t expect the response to be as great as it was. How great? Based on previous offers and a moderate but growing readership, she expected about 70 offers. Instead, over the course of 24 hours, Danielle received more than 700 offers, for a total of $30,000 in new income.

How did this experiment work so well? What went on behind the scenes to create such a big success?

Offers were made through public comments. Danielle encouraged her readers to post comments on the site containing their offer. Anonymity was available for those who wanted it, but 500-plus comments proved that most people were comfortable going live. The comments also provided social proof (“everyone’s doing it”) and public validity.

All offers accepted … almost. The smart marketer in Danielle didn’t tell people what amount to offer, but she did make clear that she wasn’t giving the goods away for free. “One person offered to pay $10 on their Visa card,” she said. “I told them, ‘Thanks but no thanks.’” By making a clear value proposition in the blog post, she set expectations for high offers without disqualifying most lower ones.

Community reigns supreme. Several of Danielle’s first readers proposed creative offers, which in turn encouraged other creative offers. Someone kicked off a trend of donating on behalf of others; someone offered $40 and a shipment of vegan baked goods; someone offered one amount to Danielle along with another contribution to Gulf cleanup efforts. The variety made it fun and interesting.

Danielle’s pay-what-you-will experiment was a big hit based on a risky principle: Throw out a creative idea, and let your customers loose. By embracing risk—while carefully defining a few parameters—she earned a nice payday while also strengthening the bond with her readers. If you’re willing to follow Danielle’s lead and take a creative risk in your business, watch out. You’ll definitely send a signal that business-as-usual is changing, and you might even end up starting a fire of new sales.

For more tips like this you can check out:

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/tips/

| Categories: Case Studies of Inspiring Business, marketing tactics, PWYC, The Irresistible Offer - Tags: generosity based business, irresistible offers, pay what you can

16 Questions To Design Your Irresistible Offer

By: Tad | Published: July 19, 2010 · Leave a Comment

Here are sixteen questions you can ask yourself (and your chosen audience) to design offers that are irresistible. They’re the same questions I ask of all my clients when I work with them.

1. What’s the product or service or special promotion you’re offering (in plain english)? If it’s a service – how many sessions and how long will each one run? If it’s a product – how many, how big etc?

2. How much does it cost?

3. Who is the target market (if any) you’re trying to reach?

4. What are the major problems this product or service solves? What happens that makes them start to think about buying what you sell?

5. What is the major result/benefit/outcome that this product or service gives?

6. What is most important to your target market when buying the type of thing you sell? In terms of the product/service – but also the process they have to go through to buy it. What do they want and what don’t they want (again – not just in buying from you but in terms of buying from your industry – buying the kind of thing that you sell)?

7. What do you do to give your clients what they want (see answers to the above question)? What are your standards, policies, procedures and processes you use to maintain a level of excellence in what you do? We often assume far too much here. Tell me all the details, all the lengths you go to.

8. Is there any evidence you can show to prove all of this?

9. What are the common frustrations, annoyances and hassles people have when buying the kind of thing that they sell? What are the horror stories people have about dealing with your industry?

10. What are the 5 biggest risks that people perceive about doing business with people like you? Are they afraid they’ll look stupid? people will laugh at them? that it won’t work? That you’re a cult? This is the time to get real and honestly assess what fears (realistic or based on myths) might stop someone from taking the step to do business with you.

11. What are the values that you seek to embody as a business? Prove to me that you’re in this for more than the money. Where do you go above and beyond to live your green, ethical, spiritual or community based values? Why should I feel good about myself for doing business with you? Be specific.

12. What is it that you think most people don’t see or appreciate about your business that you wish they did? What are the tiny details they don’t get to see? What’s the extra effort you’ve put in that seems to go unnoticed?

13. What do they need to know (see or hear) in order to feel confident that they making a good decision when buying what you sell? If your best friend in Australia was buying what you sold – and couldn’t get it from you – what would you tell them to look for to protect them from an unpleasant buying experience? What questions would you have them ask? What are the telltale signs of an excellent or a very bad business in your industry? What criteria should they use to determine whether what they’re about to buy is of good value?

14. What else is it that makes it so irresistible? Why is it more than worth the money? What makes it better than the competition to your clients? What’s so different about it? How do you give them what they want but not what they don’t want? I want you to convince me, make your case, show me the evidence, tell me a story etc. Help me understand why I would want to pay you my hard earned money for this.

15. What are the three best testimonials you can send me for this offer?

16. What are the three best one paragraph long stories or case-studies you could provide for this offer?

| Categories: marketing strategy, The Irresistible Offer - Tags: communicating value, irresistible offers, marketing, relevance

How To Prove You’re Different

By: Tad | Published: July 19, 2010 · Leave a Comment

People have had rotten experiences with other businesses in your industry. You can’t just say, “We do it different.”

So, here’s the question: What are the policies, the procedures, processes and the standards that your business holds that ensure your are different?

Just one quick example on this, which I just thought of now and I’m hoping I can find, is New Seasons Market. They have this thing called the fine print. The fine print is their description of the standards, policies and procedures that they have in their store to make it a better shopping experience.

If you think about your own shopping experiences, you’ve probably had some frustrating ones, some ones that weren’t so hot. Well here’s what they do. They have this thing called the fine print. It’s not just something that they made and is on the back wall somewhere.

It’s in posters in the grocery store. It’s printed on every single grocery bag. It’s out there. People know about it. All of the employees know and understand this really clearly.

Let me read through them and you’ll get a sense of what I’m saying in terms of just making vague claims, they make specific ones.

Open the next register policy: more than two people in line, we’ll open another check stand right away.

Staffing policy: we hire people who really mean it when they say, “Have a nice day.” We treat them as well as we want them to treat you.

Helping you find it policy: We’ll escort you to the spot unless you just want directions. (I heard a sigh of relief when I read that).

Product returns policy: if it’s not exactly what you want or you don’t like it for any reason, bring it back for a no hassle return. We’ll replace it or refund your money with a smile. We promise.

Eating in the store policy: go for it. Please pay for it on the way out. (Isn’t that refreshing? Isn’t that so nice?)

Discount policy: enjoy a senior discount every Wednesday, 10% off almost everything for those 65 or better.

You break it policy: if you break it, don’t worry, accidents happen.

Problems policy: we have, find and make solutions. Visit the solution center at the front of the store.

Special requests policy: Yes.

Squeaky wheel policy: our shopping carts will be oiled and maintained so they don’t drag, squeak or otherwise annoy you.

Another sigh of relief. So you get the idea. They’re very specific in the case that they’re making. This is what all of our businesses have to do. A really good thing to do when you’re looking at your offer, the offer is really a combination of two things. It’s what they want, but it’s also what they don’t want to sort of oversimplify it massively.

You’ve got to ask yourself, “What’s most important to people when they’re buying what I sell?” “What’s most important to people when they’re buying what I sell?”

If this is an area you feel stuck in terms of designing an irresistible offer, the book I recommend you go and you buy and read religiously, is called Monopolize Your Marketplace by Richard Harshaw. It’s a really brilliant book.

They give a really clear explanation of how you go about building the case and what questions to ask. But one of those questions is, “What’s most important to people when buying what you sell?”

Not when buying from you personally, but buying generically what you sell. What you find is there are usually two things. One is there’s things about the product or service itself. But second, there are things about the experience of buying it.

For example, if you’re going to go buy a car, there’s stuff about the car you want to know, fuel efficiency, color, whatever. But there’s also the experience with the sales person that you want to understand is going to be comfortable.

| Categories: marketing strategy, marketing tactics, The Irresistible Offer - Tags: communicating value, irresistible offers, marketing, safety