Brian Johnson asked me not to pee in his pool

Don't pee in the pool...

OK, I know that is gross but that was the message
staring me in the face when I logged into my
Infusion account last week.  The point they were
making is that the email marketing world is being
destroyed because of the horrendous practices of
uneducated email marketers.  Deliverability is
declining, open rates declining, attention of the
recipient declining, etc...

Two days after I saw that message I received an
email from Jeff Mask, the VP at Infusion, asking
me to speak at one of their events because our
email practices at Strategic Profits are stellar.
Needless to say my email got through his spam
blocker, LOL. We have one of the lowest complaint
rates out of all their customers.

So I figured I would share some of the things we
do to accomplish that.  There is no way I could
cover everything that I would need to in this article
to make you an expert.  Being a deliverability
expert is a job in itself but I will give you a few tips
on what we do.

What would it mean to you to increase your
deliverability, open rates and conversions by 10,
15, 25 even 30% or more?  Well if you have a list
like we do, that could be the difference between a
$100,000 dollar JV promotion and a $200,000
promotion.

However, just blasting out to your whole list every
time you get the urge is not properly capitalizing on
your most valued asset.

OK, I know.  If I get another marketer telling me
that people just want to be sold and the more you
bash them over the head and pound them into the
ground with email the more money you make, I'm
going to puke.

I understand that concept and if that is what you
think I applaud your misguided enthusiasm. There
is a right and a wrong way to do that but more
important there is a better more effective way to
do that.

We try not to do one email to our whole list at
once.  The days of that are over for us.  We
segment our list very intelligently and we talk to
the segments appropriately. Thereby decreasing
complaints and opt-outs. Recipients are just sick
of everyone's babble. Respect who you are talking
to.

Your list could be segmented in many ways. As an
example; A customers, the people that buy your
back-end expensive products.  B customers, the
people that buy your lower priced front-ends but
just have not yet stepped up to your more
expensive products.  C customers that take
advantage of your special deals and shipping only
type offers but have not bought anything else.

The rest of your list (prospects) can be segmented
into many different lists based on your company
needs and markets.  We currently have 62 different
segments.  From buyers of partner or affiliate
products, to people that registered for teleseminars,
to people who are just blog readers, to people who
just like to watch and see what we are doing.  YES
WE KNOW WHO YOU ARE and stop being lurkers.

That is important because we will write sometimes
many different emails, depending on who we are
talking to for the same product or promotion.
I just did a video with my friend Mike Filsaime. We
talked about the fact if someone walks into
McDonalds and orders a salad with fat free dressing
and 2% milk; you don't try to upsell them into a big
mac with extra cheese and a super size coke. You
have to know your list and talk to them the way
they want to be talked to or are used to being talked
to.

Here is an example below of two emails of a
promotion we did for our Strengths Mastery
product:

Strengths Mastery Advantage FOR Entrepreneurs
SUBJECT: Are you "master" of your domain?

Hey there FIRSTNAME, Rich here, just remembering
a classic episode of "Seinfeld"...

Maybe you do too. Jerry, George, and all the gang
had a bet to see who was "master of their domain".

Now, the subject matter to be "mastered" was a
little more delicate than I want to talk about here.
But if you saw this one, you know what I'm talking
about (and you're smiling right now).

And as I was thinking back on this episode,
something struck me...

How many of us are truly "mastering" our strengths
to create the biggest profits possible?
Because discovering your strengths (and your
weaknesses) and leveraging them properly is vital
to achieving the wealth, freedom, and lifestyle
you've always dreamed of.

And here's the fastest and easiest way to do
exactly that.

Click here

Email For White Collar Business Owners
SUBJECT: Are you leveraging your strengths?

Hello FIRSTNAME,

It goes without saying that leveraging your
strengths properly is a key fundamental to
maximizing your profit margin while minimizing
risk in your business...

By leveraging your talents--and also managing
your weaknesses--you can quickly gain a
competitive advantage in your marketplace and
enjoy long-term success.

But how can you do that exactly? What are the
best ways to get better results for your business
without adding time, effort, and expense to the
equation?

You'll find your answer right here.

Click here

Don't you think the conversion was higher
because we customized the copy for these
segments?

Next, don't try to trick ISPs and think you are
getting away with it.  Been there done that.  I
just laugh when I see the word free cleverly
"disguised" with other punctuation in subject
lines. Don't you think they are smart enough to
pick up on those types of antics?

Well I'm in the mix enough to tell you they know
all the tricks.  Just follow the industry standards,
do the right things and the things they ask.

It's just like dealing with Google Adwords.  You
get the best scores and get to the top by doing
what Google wants to see.

I just recently got a wakeup call because we had
too many blank lines at the bottom of our emails
before the opt-out links.  We got our hand slapped
because that is opt-out padding and you will get
slapped for doing it.

Run your emails through a score checker.  There
are many out there that will give you a good
indication if you will have deliverability problems
with a particular email you are sending. We use the
Habeas monitor... now ReturnPath... as well as a
few others.

There are many more tips, and I will hit some in
future episodes. But the main message is to do the
right thing and over time your reputation score
will rise along with your income because of it. Treat
it like your personal credit score and understand it
does take time.  If we all do the right thing the ISPs
won't keep making it so much harder for us.

Click here

Motivation is King and Value Proposition is Queen.

You need both for a successful marriage.
Before I get started talking about your value
proposition I wanted to ask right up front to please
send this link to your friends and share this free
Ezine with them...

www.strategicprofits.com/ezine

We work had to bring these to you and we want to
share them with people who we can make a
difference with.  Again, don't be lurkers, share the
wealth.  Thanks.

If you had just ten words with which to describe
why people should buy from your company instead
of another's, what would you say?

About a week ago, I did a special call and the
subject was "what is your elevator pitch?" That call
sparked much conversation and many great ideas.
We talked on that call about the importance of your
value proposition.  As a result, I have been receiving
many requests to talk more about it.  I was also in
Miami this week at the Sherpa event and this came
up again, so I wanted to share this information with
you.

This Ezine may read very sterile, but I feel this will
be the best way to get this important point across.

In a conversion process either in your web site or
landing pages, there is a process that I use to check
to make sure we are following best practices.

That conversion process is C=4M + 3V + 2(i-f) - 2A
Got that?  Great.  We are off to a good start.

Of course I am kidding and there is much more to
this that I can explain in this Ezine.  Go to Marketing
Experiments and brush up on this sequence.  For
today's Ezine, the second coefficient of 3V is our
focus.  But first just a brief explanation of motivation
is in order to help walk you through the process.

The number one and highest factor in conversion is
4M which is the motivation of the user. Or, where
is your traffic coming from? That is where you get
deep into your channel map. Channel mapping is a
multi-step method to determine the performance
and effectiveness of the channels of traffic that
generate revenue for your business. It enables you
to make smarter business decisions and is much
more effective than simple "Marketing Projections."

In reference to your site, channel mapping is the
process of identifying the primary sources of
traffic, measuring their performance, identifying
"why" they perform as they do, and using that
information to find new channels that will be
effective.

When we refer to motivation however, we are
thinking of 2 components:

1. The nature of the customer's demand for the
product--that is, the reason(s)
2. The magnitude of the customer's demand for
the product

That might be a little gray to you at this point,
but I wanted to give you some explanation of the
most important factor in your conversion.  More
on that later.

Now onto Value Proposition or, the primary reason
why a prospect should buy from you.  I explained
that this should also be clear to you when
developing your "elevator pitch." This is where you
MUST differentiate yourself from your competitors. 

It is okay to match what your competitors can offer,
but there must be one or more major reasons that
set you apart.  You need to excel in at least one
element of value.  When you excel, you become the
BEST CHOICE for your customer.

The value proposition for your company is
different from the value proposition for your product.
You must address both, or what I should say is that
you need to focus and clearly state your value
proposition for both your company as well as when
you are selling a specific product. They are not the
same. You must have this same mindset when you
are creating your pages for your products. In our
internet marketing world, every product offer you
make has its own value proposition as well.

Ok, here are the principles for creating and
possessing your value proposition.  These are
things to be thinking about while you are creating
it:

-A value proposition is not usually determined; it
is discovered. It grows out of need.
- Avoid a sales-driven approach to product
development. You should develop products for the
market.
- Ask yourself this question: "Why should my ideal
prospect (the group you intend to serve) buy from
me instead of a competitor?"
- Compare your answer with the claims of your main
competitors.
- Refine your value proposition until you can
articulate it in a single, instantly credible,
sentence.

Now that you have it, the objective is to convey
your value proposition through your landing pages
and message in the clearest and most compelling
way possible.

There is a significant difference between the
possession of a value proposition and the
communication of a value proposition. While one
group fails because it does not possess an effective
value proposition, another fails because, although it
possesses an effective value proposition, it does not
communicate it effectively.

To overcome the latter problem one must think
holistically about the value proposition. This involves
two key elements; Congruence and Continuity.

Congruence--having every element of your page,
Adwords, emails, etc. either state the value
proposition or support the value proposition.
This can be expressed in your . . .logos, price,
design features, images, colors, etc. . . . And Yes! 
It's that serious, and we do think about that in
everything we do here at Strategic Profits.  It is a
daily conversation in the marketing group.

And Continuity--making certain that each step of
the buy process either states or supports the
value proposition. (All the collateral supports or
states value prop).

To approximate the potential appeal of an offer,
use this simple ranking system.  Its value lies
more in its conceptual framework than its
mathematical precision. It can be a useful tool for
optimizing your offers.

Desire
0-No interest
1-Possible interest
2-High interest

Exclusivity
0-Anywhere else
1-Somewhere else
2-Nowhere else
1. Rank the ideal customer's desire level for the offer.
2. Rank the exclusivity of the offer.
3. Multiply the two integers.
4. If the total is less than 2, re-craft your offer.
Enough said!

Well enough said except for one thing.  How are
you drafting your value proposition in times like
today?  When people are scared, don't want to
spend money, are hesitant to invest in assets
never mind their education.

Well, here is your answer; get on this free 2 hour
Jay Abraham call and listen to what Jay will teach
you about this process and taking your business to
a whole new level.  I promise you won't be
disappointed.

Go here to register:
Beat The Recession
==============================
Check Out Some Of The Strategic Profits
Business-Building & Marketing Courses:
==============================
(TIME-SENSITIVE): The RLA Immersion Workshop:
Brand New Rapid Learning Acceleration Tactics
For A-Player Entrepreneurs!
www.strategicprofits.com/3/rla/learning_acceleration.htm
* M2: The Management Module:
How To Develop, Manage, & Nurture A Well-Oiled
Team Of Employees Or Outsourcers.
www.strategicprofits.com/3/m2/m3.htm
* Your Strengths Mastery Advantage:
Your secret weapon in accelerating the growth of
your business. while energizing your wealth and
happiness.
www.strategicprofits.com/sma/system/
* Joint Venture Partnership Guide:
The only A to Z marketing manual that takes
you behind the velvet rope to break down every
facet of JV partnering into quick... easy-to-digest
bites.
www.strategicprofits.com/joint-venture-guide/
* Business Acceleration Program:
20 extravagantly produced video DVDs featuring
ten of America's most legendary business builders
- with sessions painstakingly designed to give
you the ability to work less and produce more.
www.strategicprofits.com/bap/
* eMarketing Maps:
Step by step process maps produced to empower
you to systematize your marketing activities and
your entire business.
www.emarketingmaps.com
* Business Growth System:
Countless Entrepreneurs Have Transformed
Their Business As Members Of Our Business
Growth System Resulting In Millions Of Dollars
Of Revenue Growth...
www.strategicprofits.com/coaching/

Bonus of the Week: Free Marketing Course ($1997 Value)

by Rich Schefren @ Strategic Profits www.strategicprofits.com

Bonus of the Week:

A special message from Rich Schefren...‏

I'm sure you know who Mike Filsaime is...
When I was coaching Mike early on in his career,
I could see this guy was going places.
But I had NO idea he would change the face of
internet marketing forever when he released this.

Get Yours Here

With Butterfly Marketing, Mike offered a simple,
no-hassle system for making websites go viral and
turning your little internet business into a mega
marketing empire.

And thousands of people jumped on board--many
of them generating massive income within only days
of implementing Mike's step-by-step program.
And the coolest part? They're still going strong
today!

But here's what's got me perplexed...

While it's true that Butterfly Marketing put Mike
on the map, propelling him to the top of the guru
ranks...

...what he's doing NOW is causing the rest of us
to scratch our heads.

Get Yours Here

Because Mike's decided to give away his entire
Butterfly Marketing course...absolutely Free.
You read that correctly--the same course that
thousands paid $1997 for just a few short years
ago can now be shipped directly to your door with
only a few clicks of the mouse.

This is truly a remarkable opportunity to grab one
of the most powerful systems ever developed for
generating an enormous income from your online
business quickly and easily.

And all you need to do is go here and register.

Get Yours Here

But hurry--Mike's only releasing 5000 copies of
his landmark home study course and software for
free. After they're gone, they're gone.

So stamp your name on one of them NOW.

Get Yours Here

To Higher Profits,

Rich
P.S. As if Mike wasn't giving away the farm
already, he's upping the ante even more...
If you register for your Free copy right now,
you'll get immediate access to Mike's Butterfly
Marketing Manuscript as well.

This document goes deeper into the Butterfly
Marketing concept, revealing even more powerful
strategies for creating incredible wealth and
freedom from your online business.

And it can be yours in the next few seconds just
by going to the web page below.
Don't pass this up!

Get Yours Here

Tweedly Deedly Deet....

Hey Val,

Just made a new post to the blog.

Take a look here

So why do I have Michael Jackson's "Rockin' Robin"
going through my head like a broken record?
Because I've been Tweeting like a madman over the
past few months. And it's paying off. BIG TIME.
In this blog post, I'll tell you exactly how Twitter can
create a fan base of thousands and make you a
bundle of cash faster and easier than anything we've
seen for quite a while.

Don't miss this one...

Take a look here

See you inside...

Rich
P.S. Did you know there's a cool little program
that can help accelerate your Tweeting activities
(and multiply your followers ten times over)
without paying a cent?

Yeah, it's a freebie. And it's made my tweeting a
LOT easier (and lot more profitable).

I'll tell you more inside...

Take a look here

My Wife Caught With Her Pants Down‏

Back in the day, Debi and I lived in Manhattan.

Traffic is always a nightmare in the city.  So, if we were
going someplace close, we almost always went on
rollerblades.  It was fantastic because we'd weave
through traffic, go down one-way streets in the
opposite direction and hop on sidewalks in a mad dash
to our destination.

But ever since we moved to sunny Boca Raton, Florida,
our blades have been gathering dust.

This weekend, we decided to break out the blades and
have some fun as a family.  But before we hit the streets,
Debi and I took our girls, Ava and Elle, to Sports Authority
Saturday morning to get them roller-skates. 

We found the perfect skates, protective wrist guards, and
slick helmets.  Both Ava and Elle decided to wear their
skates out of the store so we put their sneakers in the
boxes and carried all the boxes to the register.

On the way to the front, Elle our four-year old lost her
balance and grabbed onto Debi's sweat pants.  But, they
weren't tied so in a split second Debi's pants were down
by her ankles.

So, there she was laughing, boxes in hand and pants at
her ankles. 

I quickly put my boxes down, pulled her pants up and got
Elle back on her feet.

And, in that moment I remembered why I fell in love with
Debi. 

She didn't panic, she didn't scream, she just laughed at
the situation she found herself in.

And in that episode, she also displayed one of the key
entrepreneurial success traits that many online marketers
seem to lack - Autonomy.

You see, Debi doesn't really care what others might think. 
And this perspective is crucial if you want to succeed in
business today. Bottom line, if you are too concerned about
what other people might think you'll end up paralyzed by fear.
So, what about you?

Do you laugh when you're caught with your pants down? 
Or, do you panic and worry about what others might think?
Your answer is a bigger predictor of your success than you
might imagine.

Remember this:  You must be emotionally free before you'll
ever get financially free.

More over, think about where you might be hitting a snag
emotionally and you'll most likely find the anchor that's
holding you back financially.

And that my friend, is what you must cast aside on your
journey to success.

To higher profits,
Rich