July 26, 2004
It is NOT yet over!
I've had a few more contributions come in - and the tally is now up to
$10,833.50
Is it possible I may still reach my target of $50,000?
Maybe. Let's see :-)
While I Slept...
I slept like a baby.... for 10 hours.
Just woke up - and was amazed!
With the help of some generous folks, we've upped the tally to
$9,443.50
If you'd like to add your contribution and help ONE MORE CHILD get life-saving heart surgery, be a sponsor NOW.
July 25, 2004
You Are Now a MASTER!
   
You're a Reach & Relate MASTER
And... I'm bushed - It was fun, thank you
Gosh, I'm all washed out. Gotta run and catch some sleep.
Now you're a "Reach & Relate" MASTER - claim your degree - click here.
Go forth and practice what you learned.
I wish you all success and thank you for the generous support of the Heart Kids Blog Marathon.
And in case you want to ask me anything about this event...click here
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AND KEEP IT UP FOR ONE FULL YEAR!
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
24:00 hours now.
- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$8,130.50
Would you like to add to this? We need your support.
Go on - make a donation - click here
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Loyal Relationships
Loyal Relationships
And while reach is important, and growing your contact list steadily is a worthy goal, it isn't enough in itself.
Equally, if not more critical is establishing trusting, loyal, profitable, and mutually beneficial relationships with everyone. Your suppliers, clients, partners, employees, everyone.
When the relationship is strong, a small list can rake in bigger profits than a bigger but impersonal collection of email addresses.
In online marketing, size doesn't really matter too much ;)
Boost Your LINK POPULARITY
AND KEEP IT UP FOR ONE FULL YEAR!
Join "Donate-a-Link" today - Click here |
| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
23:30 hours now.
- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$8,130.50
Would you like to add to this? We need your support.
Go on - make a donation - click here
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GUEST POST - Family Matters
Before ending this event, I want to share one more short article written by Rosalyn Bronstein..
Family Matters
Since the escalation of international terrorist activity a few years ago, many of us have had an opportunity to re-evaluate relationships and reflect upon our lives.
This can be a very difficult, and sometimes wrenching thing to do, but a necessary activity. Making this sort of emotional assessment takes us back to our core values. It helps us to appreciate the people who have touched our lives in positive ways.
Who you are is a reflection of the people you have been around, in conjunction with circumstances and environment. These are usually family and friends ˆ those who care about your physical, emotional, and spiritual welfare. Having a support system is an important aspect of developing a strong psyche.
Have you ever wondered why a particular person has come into your life?
Perhaps there‚s a life lesson for you to learn ˆ compassion, patience, trust, dependability, etc., that was not possible to experience any other way. We frequently meet people who are destined to be pivotal to us through another contact. Being open to these opportunities can create an enriching endeavour.
Having relationships is all about making emotional commitments to people we care about. Studies have shown that those who are truly happiest are those with strong connections to the people they love.
Even money becomes secondary in this situation. People who have been pronounced clinically dead and then revived have almost universally said that their most significant experience during the episode was understanding the importance of loving others.
Think about it!
Visit Rosalyn's site here - Keeping family and friends in touch
Unbelievable Reach
Unbelievable Reach
In "One Minute Millionaire", Mark Victor Hansen talks about an "abundant Universe". It's a vision of limitless abundance, an unselfish plentiful world-view where the only blinders are the limits of one's own imagination.
You, dear online marketer, have unbelievable reach. Your Universe is steadily growing, at an amazing pace. And the best is yet to come.
By practicing the right techniques to "Reach & Relate", you can carve your own niche in this global marketplace - and the only limits to its size are defined inside your own head!
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
23:00 hours now.
- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$8,030.50
Would you like to add to this? We need your support.
Go on - make a donation - click here
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GUEST POST - Dave Thorne
Our last guest post is from Dave Thorne. It's on a facet of online relationships that are critically important to any ebusiness. Read and learn...
You can recognize a BLATANT SALES PAGE as soon as you SEE it, can't you?
So can your CUSTOMERS!
It's hard to relate to people, until you SEE YOURSELF IN THEIR SHOES. Like Allen Says has said, "You ARE your customer." (Or, you SHOULD be!)
Think about how your customers THINK and FEEL, when they first see YOUR page.
Try to SEE THEIR NEEDS, what motivates them, and why they are visiting. Look at your site from THEIR point of view. Find ways to HELP THEM GET WHAT THEY WANT, as much of it as possible, for free.
People come online LOOKING FOR INFORMATION. Find out WHAT they WANT, then place yourself BETWEEN SUPPLY and DEMAND.
But do it in a way that builds trust: Don't give them a SALES page. Give them LOTS of INFORMATION (content) for FREE. Let them see that you have THEIR best interest at heart - fill them in on what you know about it, for free.
Use the 'Golden Rule': Treat THEM as YOU would want to be treated.
Truly try to FEEL that way about them. If this comes across to them, they'll like what you do for them, and they'll become closer to you in their own minds.
When you finally do SUGGEST something to them, they'll be more than ready to LOOK at it, because now, YOU'RE THEIR FRIEND. You've PROVEN that.
You were GOOD to them; you GAVE them something they WANTED very much - They trust you.
Visit Dave's website How to MULTIPLY a RESIDUAL, PERPETUAL INCOME, UNBELIEVABLY
Watch Your Mission Gain Momentum
Watch your Mission Gain Momentum
Last year, I did a similar blogathon event.
It started without fanfare and for the first 14 hours or so, nothing spectacular happened.
Until suddenly, thanks to a promotion by a friend which in turn caught the attention of another popular list owner, there was a dramatic change. Within hours we received close to $7,500.
I watched with awe.
The mission had taken over, and its power was impressive. I couldn't have pulled it off alone.
It is like a huge locomotive gathering steam. Everything happens slowly until a critical point is crossed... and then - magic happens!
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AND KEEP IT UP FOR ONE FULL YEAR!
Join "Donate-a-Link" today - Click here |
| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
22:30 hours now.
- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$8,030.50
Would you like to add to this? We need your support.
Go on - make a donation - click here
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Build a Brand
Build a Brand
Your 'Circle of Influence' constantly increases. And if you continue to improve and enhance your system to relate to the new prospects, remaining consistent to your values and purpose, something differnt happens.
You Become a Brand
Your brand is representative of YOU. What you do. What you stand for. What you portray and embody.
If you do your job of reaching and relating well, your brand perception will reflect this success.
And once you become an established brand, you can Reach & Relate to new prospects much more easily.
Boost Your LINK POPULARITY
AND KEEP IT UP FOR ONE FULL YEAR!
Join "Donate-a-Link" today - Click here |
| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
22:00 hours now.
- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$8,130.50
Would you like to add to this? We need your support.
Go on - make a donation - click here
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Widen Your Circle of Influence
Widen Your Circle of Influence
Stephen Covey describes 'Circles of Influence'. They are areas of your life over which you have some control. They include people you know, are in contact with, and upon whom you have some kind of influence - by your actions and words, or by virtue of your relationship with them, or in any other way.
The more you start to Reach & Relate, the bigger will your Circle of Influence become.
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
21:30 hours now.
- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$8,125.50
Would you like to add to this? We need your support.
Go on - make a donation - click here
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Ask for Referrals
Ask for referrals
Once your relationship with prospects is strong enough, start leveraging it to increase your reach. A very effective way to do this is to ask for referrals.
There are many benefits to this approach which makes the process of establishing relationships with the new prospects easier:
- people are likely to refer people like themselves. And since you already are the kind of person they like, chances are the new prospects they refer will also like you!
- when John refers a new prospect to you, he's going to tell them how good you are, how you helped John get a benefit, how caring and concerned about clients' wellbeing you are - in other words, you'll get a positive endorsement from the referrer
So as you expand your Reach & Relate efforts, you'll find it easier to find and attract the best kind of prospects - and relate to them quickly and easily.
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
21:00 hours now.
- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$8,025.50
Would you like to add to this? We need your support.
Go on - make a donation - click here
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Strive to Delight
Strive to Delight
In "Purple Cow", bestselling author Seth Godin highlights the benefits of avoiding a 'middle of the road' approach of being a commodity - and going to extremes - practicing 'edgecraft' - to be truly remarkable.
Don't aim to just satisfy your clients - DELIGHT them.
Overdeliver on your promise.
Offer more than they expect - and then a bit more.
Do things that'll get them to talk about you to others.
It could result in the best possible form of advertising for you and your business - word of mouth endorsements!
And armed with it, you'll Reach & Relate to a far bigger audience.
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
20:30 hours now.
- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$8,000.50
Would you like to add to this? We need your support.
Go on - make a donation - click here
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Use Exclusivity To Bond Closely
Use Exclusivity to Bond Strongly
Everyone likes to think they are special. By enhancing this sense of self-worth, you can easily relate to prospects.
Here's what I did recently.
I emailed my entire mailing list, inviting them to register to be on my "exclusive" Inner Circle membership program. The only requirement was to have been a customer of any of my products or services. I invited people to join by ordering any one of them.
Not surprisingly, a very small fraction of my list chose to 'upgrade'.
But VERY surprisingly, those who did choose to take up my offer to become Inner Circle members became my very best clients, the most loyal, responsive, profitable customers of all.
The secret: Exclusivity. Treating them specially. Giving them member-only privileges, discounts, special offers, previews.
It becomes very easy to Reach & Relate to them - because they are special!
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
20:00 hours now.
- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$8,000.50
Would you like to add to this? We need your support.
Go on - make a donation - click here
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GUEST POST - Pearson Brown
I first knew Pearson Brown as the guy with the tag-line "grumpy old man" on forums. After a while, I realized it didn't quite reflect the person behind the monicker!
I've come to admire the man's dry wit, his generosity and wisdom - from reading many posts on many forums. In this short message, you'll get an inkling into Pearson's insight... and see how online relationship building makes good business sense.
"When Gary Vurnum went off to Las Vegas, he had $720 of other people's money in his pocket, including $180 of mine. We'd given him the money to report back to us in writing and by teleseminar on the conference he was attending.
Once he got to the conference, Gary realized that he had far more material than he had anticipated. When he got back, he emailed his sponsors to suggest meeting up in London in person for a full day rather than just an hour on the telephone.
For Gary, this was a better deal than the original one and was in his sponsors' interests.
I remained in complete ignorance of this because I never received Gary's email. The first I knew was when I read about it on the UK Net Marketing Forum. I was none too pleased as there was no way I could get to the meeting.
Gary immediately refunded my money. He then apologized profusely to me in public on the forum.
I was more than satisfied with this so imagine my surprise when I received a major gift through the post a few days later.
When you make a mistake, even just an email going astray, it's a chance to show you care.
Gary cares and now I'm his customer for life.
Visit Pearson's site here: UK Net Marketing Forum
GUEST POST - Tinu Abayomi-Paul
Tinu Abayomi-Paul is the expert at free traffic generation. Listen to her talk about the speed of the Internet - and how it impacts online relationships.
Right? Or Right NOW?
One of the topics closest to my heart at times is the speed of the Internet. I can go to thousands of places, this instant, and get just about any type of service I desire.
And I wonder - is this good or bad?
I miss the personal touch on the Internet. And when I find it, I can feel my heart growing warmer, and my muscles relax.
Or maybe I'm having a stroke.
Seriously though, it's my opinion that there should be a lot more focus on person-to-person contact in online business, especially between peers.
I never remember a person whose autoresponder flew back to me less than .9 seconds after I wrote to them - especially if they never followed up with an actual answer to my question.
But dear to my heart are people who take an extra few seconds and dash me off a personal email after a day or so. So as much as I can, sometimes at the expense of a few bucks here and there, I slow down, and take the time to give more thoughtful answers, write more detailed instructions, or just shoot an email to a member I hadn't heard from in a while.
I can't eat the good feelings it brings me. But some things are better than money.
Visit Tinu's site here: Free Traffic Tips
Get Personal
Get Personal - Practicing 1-to-1 Communication
It doesn't matter how big your list is. You are communicating ONLY with one single person at a time.
Often when your contact list becomes larger, it is easy to forget this and address your communication to a crowd rather than a single person.
Your list may be several hundred strong - or even have several THOUSAND subscribers. Yet in all your online communication, you must practice speaking as if it is a one-to-one email or call.
Remember - you are communicating with only ONE of these thousands of people at a time!
So tailor all your messages to this reality. Imagine your prospect sitting across the table from you, listening intently to what you are saying. Then write or speak as you would address that individual.
That's a proven way to Reach & Relate with your prospects effectively.
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
19:30 hours now.
- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$8,000.50
Would you like to add to this? We need your support.
Go on - make a donation - click here
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Become Your Prospect
Become Your Prospect
People like people who are similar to themselves.
Ethnically, physically, intellectually, politically, socio-economically like-minded folks often flock together.
Make use of this human trait to Reach & Relate with your target audience.
If you are in the right niche and understand your market well, you will easily be able to identify with your prospect's needs, wants, desires and dreams. Then by displaying your similarities with your prospect, you knock down barriers to Reach & Relate with them.
It's what Denny Hatch refers to as "getting into the heads and under the skin" of your prospects in his wonderful book, "Method Marketing".
Boost Your LINK POPULARITY
AND KEEP IT UP FOR ONE FULL YEAR!
Join "Donate-a-Link" today - Click here |
| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
19:00 hours now.
- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$8,000.50
Would you like to add to this? We need your support.
Go on - make a donation - click here
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GUEST POST - Give, to Get
The More You Give, The More You'll Get
I missed a critical point in one of my blog posts about sharing my niche marketing sites and strategies. And I have to make amends.
Sharing begets success. Honestly. When you openly share things with others, amazing things happen. Some people and/or businesses do this through Charity work and/or contributions directly, and some do it in other ways. But the end result is the same. When you share - money, ideas, advice, experiences, expertise, etc - you create a winning situation that ends up being profitable in the end.
People appreciate whatever you're sharing with them, and they almost automatically want to give something back. Believe it or not, this is an actual technique many experts use in sales and copywriting too. And it's the original premise behind creating comprehensive content-rich websites. By creating such great content, you're giving visitors something of true value. And they thank you by coming back often, bookmarking the site, telling others about it, providing links to it, and eventually: buying something from you.
The other major benefit of sharing ideas openly is brain power. You may have tons of great ideas all on your own, but when you start sharing those with others you soon discover there are so many more ways to look at one thing. There are many more ways to do one thing. And there are more ideas out there floating around in other people's heads than you could ever imagine. So by sharing your ideas, you tend to open a dam of sorts. Other people start brainstorming with you, sharing their own ideas, and all of those people sharing with each other are benefiting more from that "group think" than they would by themselves.
[From Kathy at The Guru Gazette Niche Marketing Blog]
The Guru Gazette Niche Marketing Blog
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
18:30 hours now.
- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$8,000.50
Would you like to add to this? We need your support.
Go on - make a donation - click here
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I've Been Reading This Blog...
... and love it!
Angel Headed Hipsters - click here
Develop an Online Community
Develop a Community
It's an advanced form of Reach & Relate - but with the potential to explode your popularity and success to the next level.
Find a group of like-minded people. Relate to them. Build trusting relationships.
Then develop an online community seeded by these loyal fans.
Magic happens. New members visiting the community are influenced by their peers, who happen to be your loyal supporters. And pretty soon, the new members are also your fans - even without you having to work on it!
A good example of this phenomenon is the Internet Marketing Warriors forum, one of the very best online marketing and networking forums around.
The founder, Allen Says, has a near-surreal presence on the high traffic forum. He drops in once in a while to post messages. And a large proportion of the several thousand members are devoted fans who constantly say good things about Allen, positioning him uniquely in fellow-members minds. Pretty soon, they too become fans!
To experience the power and energy of the World's best marketing forum, you have to be the owner of one of a range of products - and one of the best is "Money and Power" which you can get for less than $20. Click here to learn more.
Boost Your LINK POPULARITY
AND KEEP IT UP FOR ONE FULL YEAR!
Join "Donate-a-Link" today - Click here |
| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
18:00 hours now.
- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$7,897.50
Would you like to add to this? We need your support.
Go on - make a donation - click here
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Harness Your Networks
Harness Your Networks
"No man is an island."
We are all linked to others, through networks big and small. Most of us are members of multiple networks, distinct from each other.
You, for example, have a set of colleagues at work, a family at home, a group of friends you hang out with, a bunch of pals you went to school or college with, a church or club member set... and so on.
And others in your network know you, may respect or admire you, and be happy to introduce you to others outside your circle of contacts.
Leverage this network to Reach & Relate.
You'll grow bigger by reaching and tapping into new groups, communities, memberships. You'll build deeper, close-knit relationships with people in each network - by getting fellow network members to endorse you and what you do.
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
17:30 hours now.
- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$7,847.50
Would you like to add to this? We need your support.
Go on - make a donation - click here
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Be Clear In What You Say
Be Explicit and Frank
This is a logical extension of my earlier advice to be honest in all dealings with your prospects.
Being truthful is the first step.
Being elaborately, descriptively, completely and transparently honest is better still.
Most 'experts' trying to establish an online presence take the opposite approach and try to mystify what they do. They unnecessarily try and make things more complex than they are - and in the process, lose the trust and confidence of their audience.
No one likes to look or feel foolish. Simplifying things, explaining them in great detail, explicitly, and being frank and forthright about what they can expect from their relationship with you are more likely than not to help you Reach & Relate with your market.
Try it - you'll be surprised.
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
17:00 hours now.
- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$7,847.50
Would you like to add to this? We need your support.
Go on - make a donation - click here
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A *VERY* Special GUEST POST...
This post is from a VERY special 5-year old, who designated herself my "official" Blogathon Helper and has been by my side as I blog - except when she was asleep.
She's been fetching me snacks and drinks, and telling anyone who asks:
"Daddy is blogathonning to help children live!"
Presenting my daughter's message for the Blog Marathon - enjoy :-)
= = = = = =
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaabbbbbbbbbcccccccddddddeeeeeffffggghhiiiijjjjjkkkkk
llllllmmmmmmmnnnnnnooooopppppqqqqqqqrrrrrssssssstttttuuuuuu
vvvvwwwwwwxxxxxyyyyyzzzzz11111111111111222222222
33333333333333344444444444455555555555666666666666
777777777888888888888888899999999999999
1010101101010101010
= = = = = =
Talk to your audience
Talk to your audience
To Reach & Relate to your prospects, you need to communicate effectively.
And this means 'doing the lingo', speaking the same language, using the slang and colloquial expressions unique to your market.
If your audience is doctors, you're better off using medical jargon. If they are lawyers, by all means use 'legalese'. But if you are reaching out and trying to relate to lay persons, don't use the techno-speak of the specialist.
You'll end up distancing yourself from your prospect, and lose any chance to build a relationship.
So many marketers miss out on this simple concept - and lose a wonderful opportunity to Reach & Relate to their market.
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
16:30 hours now.
- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$7,797.50
Would you like to add to this? We need your support.
Go on - make a donation - click here
Donate a Link
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Move Steadily To Your Goal
Move Steadily To Your Goal
If you don't know where you're going - how will you know when you get there?
Define your goals and targets. Decide where you want to be, how you're going to get there, when and why... and then execute a plan to make it reality.
Why do it?
Because your entire Reach & Relate formula will be based on reaching your goal. The way you approach your prospect, the things you'll say to them, the steps through which you'll guide them - all will depend upon your end goal.
Let's say, for instance, your ultimate goal is to turn a fixed percentage of subscribers to your free ezine into customers who buy your $197 product. The structure of your online communication will be in a way that'll finally convince a subscriber to place an order.
The exact process you'll use to do this will vary - but the system, the formula, will be defined only when you have a clear goal and target to Reach & Relate.
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
16:00 hours now.
- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$7.797.50
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Stay on Target
Stay on Target
This note is more in the nature of a piece of advice - to MYSELF!
Because it is something I'm VERY bad at doing. But it is important.
If you sign up to my list to learn about email newsletters, how would you like to receive multiple messages about niche marketing, or managing emotions - or fundraising for heart kids?
You may not mind - but you'd wonder why I'm going off on a tangent, wouldn't you?
It is important to stay on target - at least until a relationship has been established. It is the reason most of my initial email contacts are managed by autoresponders. Each autoresponder email series is devoted to one element of my marketing mix - ezines, niches, CHD Awareness etc.
Once a prospect has progressed through the entire series of emails in each category, s/he has either been convinced of my credentials and registered to be on my other mailing list - or has unsubscribed and left!
Trouble is I've not been targeted in my messages to these "related subscribers". And doubtless, I have lost a few of them because of this.
Lesson learned: Staying on target is important in the Reach & Relate process - for as long as it lasts.
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
15:30 hours now.
- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$7,697.50
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NEVER Compromise on Quality
NEVER Compromise on Quality
Do you want to be known as the "Rolls Royce" of your niche - or one of the mass-produced middle-of-road models?
Would you rather be ordinary, mundane, boring - or do you want to be INCREDIBLY good?
Do you want to be the trusted, reliable, only-choice expert in your speciality - or one of many 'so-so' average Joes?
The choice is yours.
The way to do it is by refusing to compromise on quality - EVER.
Being good all the time is a sure-fire way to establish trusting, loyal relationships with clients. The combination of high quality and consistency are unbeatable - and you'll literally own your market.
Prospects will fall over themselves to Reach & Relate to you - because you're the BEST!
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Join "Donate-a-Link" today - Click here |
| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
15:00 hours now.
- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$7,677.50
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GUEST POST - John Taylor, 'Test & Track' Expert
Introducing John Taylor, "Testing & Tracking" guru. John is an active member of the Warrior forum, a blogger of repute and a guy from whom I've learned a lot about testing and tracking promotions.
John was one of the first to share a short article about the impact online relationships have on the buying decision... read on...
Why do people buy?
Many online marketers believe that all you need to do is create a sales page and then send lots of traffic to it and you are guaranteed to become an online millionaire.
Those are the marketers who wonder why they haven't made a lot of sales yet!
It might surprise you to now that very few people make a purchase on their first visit to a web site. They are much more likely to buy on a repeat visit.
That's why it is vital that you find a way of establishing contact with each visitor and then working on building up their trust.
People buy from people that they trust or from people who are recommended by friends that they trust. So, if you want to increase your sales conversion rate you should focus your attention on building open honest and trusting relationships with your prospects.
Trust me - I learnt about this the hard way! ;)
Visit John's site here: Discover over twenty things to test to improve your sales conversions
Use Testimonials
Use Testimonials
Some human traits are strange - until you understand the psychology behind them.
One example is our tendency to trust third-party endorsements over self-proclaimed statements.
I understood this better from a wonderful book by psychologist Dr.Robert Cialdini titled "INFLUENCE". In a social-evolutionary sense, there is a survival benefit in herd behavior - acting in a manner similar to the majority of similar others. It is why we look to our peers to define which is the best way to behave whenever we are uncertain.
So when we see someone like us say good things about a website, a product, a service, a person... we tend to believe it!
Take advantage of this psychologic characteristic to relate with your prospects. Use testimonials from your clients, customers, friends, subscribers, business colleagues - anyone who can vouch for your work, skills, personality, character, integrity.
Proudly display things your delighted customers have said about you - and you'll find new prospects relating to you more confidently than before.
Soon you'll experience how testimonials can help you Reach & Relate.
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
14:30 hours now.
- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$7,677.50
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Offer Proof
Offer proof
As an extension of your risk reversal process, try and introduce material proof into your approach to Reach & Relate with prospects.
Once more, I'll use the example of this very event - the Heart Kids Blog Marathon.
Fundraising for charity is a two-edged sword. While the cause is noble, there are far too many instances of scamsters taking advantage of a prospect's emotional state of mind to swindle them of money or favors.
It is vitally important in such cases to be able to offer proof. It is hard to do on an entirely online environment, but you need to try and make all efforts to ensure it.
Now click here to see this page. You'll see details of how the funds raised earlier for the 'heart kids' has been used, and an explanation of how future donations will be spent.
Then click here to learn more about my personal and professional credentials. Notice how I offer contact details of referees who can vouch for my position, training, credentials and work with children.
Will this be of value in my efforts to Reach & Relate with prospective supporters of this event?
Of course!
Now think of ways you can build credentials and proof into your efforts to build relationships online.
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Join "Donate-a-Link" today - Click here |
| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
14:00 hours now.
- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$7,671.50
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Reverse Risk
Reverse Risk
In any kind of relationship, online or off, the two sides are asked to assume a risk. Often one side takes - or perceives itself to be taking - a bigger risk than the other.
Take the case of a merchant selling something on a website. A buyer has no way of confirming whether or not the product is really good, the merchant is really trustworthy, the payment details sent will reach the seller, the product will be delivered and of good quality, or that a refund will be made in case of poor service.
In such a scenario, the buyer is asked to assume a high risk.
Good relationship building involves creating a process to take away any risk (real or imaginary) to your prospects. Reassure them there's nothing to worry about. Be detailed and elaborate in your explanation of why you're asking them to do something. Offer evidence, guarantees, testimonials - everything to assume most, if not all, risk on yourself.
If they have NOTHING to lose, why won't prospects be willing to enter into a relationship with you?
You will be more successful in your Reach & Relate efforts.
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
13:30 hours now.
- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$7,671.50
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Give it FREE
Give it FREE
If you're in business, you are probably looking for prospects to buy from you. Your idea of a relationship is one of "buyer-seller".
Your prospect, however, is in a different frame of mind!
S/he is looking to get as much value as possible from you - for little or nothing.
How can this relationship grow and flourish?
When you think about it, the answer is obvious. To begin with, give away something of value for very little cost, even for FREE.
And after a relationship is established, and you are positioned as a person offering value to clients, you work on converting the prospect into a buyer.
It serves both parties in the relationship nicely... though there's a caveat. You need to take care NOT to give away EVERYthing in the hope of some day getting a new customer. That's something which the dot-coms of a yesteryear proved is a recipe for disaster!
Reach & Relate - but keep out tire-kickers and freebie hunters!
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
13:00 hours now.
- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$7,661.50
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You Go First
You Go First
Assuming you are the one seeking to establish an online relationship, it's only proper that you go first.
Make your 'offer'. And make sure it's relevant, valuable, easy to use and available.
Let me share an example. One of my niches of expertise is email newsletter publishing and marketing. For anyone who signs up to my "Reach & Relate" announcement list, I offer a free copy of my $27 eClass on email newsletter publishing.
Here's why:
a prospect interested in learning to Reach & Relate will find a course on publishing newsletters relevant.
as the price of the course is $27 and prospects get it for no cost, it is perceived as being valuable.
the course itself is a basic step-by-step hand-holding guide that's easy for anyone with any level of experience to put to use
access is immediate and delivered by email automatically, so it will reach prospects any time, wherever in the world they live
Judging by the unsolicited testimonials sent in by people who enjoyed the course, I've offered something valuable to the prospects - and have started out our relationship building on a positive note.
What can YOU use to relate with prospects?
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
12:30 hours now.
- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$7,636.50
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Give 'em What THEY Want
Give Them What They Want
I'm reading a fantastic book by Denny Hatch called "Method Marketing". It is about getting "under the skin and into the head" of your target audience.
Using elegant case studies from some of the very best direct mail campaigns of all time, Hatch clearly illustrates the importance of giving your prospects what THEY want.
There's just one problem with Method Marketing...
You need to know what drives your market!
What does your prospect want or need or desire or crave? What keeps them up late at night, worrying? What do they dream about having or achieving in their lives? What are their hopes and fears, their dreams and nightmares, their loves and hates?
Once you know this, the most difficult part of the game is won.
You only have to focus the rest of your relationship building efforts on giving it to them!
Yes, it's easy to Reach & Relate... when you know your prospect as well as you know yourself!
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
12:00 hours now.
- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$7,636.50
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Nurturing a Relationship
Nurturing a Relationship
In a relationship, both parties are looking for something. You want your prospect to take a certain kind of action. Your prospect expects you to do the same.
When you both can offer what the other side wants, the relationship has a wonderful chance of growing and getting stronger.
You can ease the process by giving your prospects what they want... or making it clear you don't have it to offer!
The second part of this statement might not be intuitively clear. But think about it. Obviously you cannot be everything to everyone. Only a small segment of your target audience will relate to you, get to know you better, like you and do business with you.
And that's the segment you want to Reach & Relate with!
By making it obvious to the rest that you are NOT going to be able to offer them what they're looking for, you have freed up a lot of time, energy and expense to focus on the prospects you are really interested in.
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
11:30 hours now.
- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$7,633.50
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The Power of "Why?"
The Power of "Why"...
I have often been asked how I do the variety of things I do - and WHY?
It isn't hard to imagine the reason for this question.
I'm a heart surgeon and work a gruelling, stressful professional schedule. Yet I manage several websites, sell a range of products, offer suggestions and comments on various online forums and discussion groups... have done it for years.
"Don't you ever sleep?" is a very common query!
I do. But little. I've learned to make it count - see this ebook for more about it - Powerful Sleep
What keeps me awake into the little hours is the purpose I'm doing this for. It is the fuel for my enthusiasm, the driving force for all the work I do online.
And having such an overwhelming purpose helps me Reach & Relate to people.
Many first become aware of me through it. And others learn about it very soon after coming into contact with me. The work I do with "Heart Kids" permeates just about every form of communication I use - and helps build the relationship with prospects.
So figure out why you're doing what you're doing - and you might find it a lot easier to build relationships, online and off.
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
11:00 hours now.
- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$7,633.50
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Why do YOU do it?
Why Do You Do It?
I'm a strong believer in the power of a purpose.
No matter what you do, there's a reason. It might be something as personal as wanting to make a few extra dollars to buy yourself a gift or luxury. It may be bigger, like building a business. It may be aesthetic, exotic, sublime or silly.
But there's a purpose in everything you do.
And if the purpose is high enough, lofty enough, worthy enough, it is capable of helping you Reach & Relate with people. The right people.
This event is a case in point.
The purpose is to help a child with heart defects live. The purpose is one capable of inspiring, energizing and motivating many people who aren't otherwise likely to be inclined to support a blog marathon.
Because of this, I've had some of the world's best known marketing names, legends and gurus with busy businesses to run, taking time out to support this blog marathon. Just look at the names on the left top corner of this page and see if you recognize any of them!
That's the power of having a purpose. You can Reach & Relate - with the BEST.
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
10:30 hours now.
- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$7,633.50
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GUEST POST - Rosalyn Bronstein
Ok, time for another guest poster...
Rosalyn Bronstein is an amazing person!
Ever since she first heard about the Heart Kids Blog Marathon, Rosalyn has been a dynamo. She's helped distribute press releases about it. She's called hospitals and friends, asking flyers to be posted on bulletin boards. She was instrumental in getting articles about the event listed on over 12,000 sources!
And to top it off, she submitted several short pieces I'll hope to feature at intervals. Here's the first one - it's lovely...
Making the Connection
Have you ever had the experience of meeting someone, and after a few minutes of conversation, settled into the feeling of having known that person all you life? This sort of incident ˆ an immediately strong emotional connection ˆ is quite rare. It‚s happened to me on two occasions, and in both cases, resulted in long-term friendships.
Why is there an instant connection with some people and not others? It seems that it is easier to relate to people who are open to wanting to get to know another. There is a certain chemistry that simply happens when individuals are tuned into each other. Both experience it simultaneously.
There is also a school of thought that says we are destined to have certain people in our lives. Perhaps that‚s why some interactions don‚t seem to make a lot of sense. When we try to force relationships that shouldn‚t happen, the end result is usually trouble.
No where has this been more obvious than on the new „reality television‰ shows. It is not realistic to place people in an artificial environment and expect them to instantly bond on an intimate level. These programs may have found such a large audience because the premise of what they are doing is so peculiar.
People learn to relate on different levels. There are times when relationships are formed without even seeing the other person. Pen pals and telephone conversations, while not usually an instant connection, can quickly develop into so much more. Physical components don‚t get in the way, and true personalities can emerge.
Visit Rosalyn's site here: Keeping family and friends in touch
Gimme Respect
Gimme RESPECT
Ask your customers, clients, subscribers and prospects what they want the MOST from you and the answer you'll get is predictable...
RESPECT
Yet how many marketers respect their prospects or clients? When you find a respectful marketer, 99 times out of 100 they are wildly successful.
Respecting your prospect doesn't just mean addressing them as 'Sir' or 'Madam'. It means respect for everything you do for, and to, them.
Don't waste their time with drivel. Offer only value.
Don't ask them to buy worthless stuff because it's profitable to you.
Don't try to fool them or take advantage of them - ever!
In a nutshell, treat them exactly the way you would expect to be treated if the roles were reversed.
Your prospects will love you for doing this - and you'll profit enormously in the process.
Reach & Relate - it's very profitable.
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
10:00 hours now.
- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$7,608.50
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All is NOT fair in online marketing
All is NOT fair in online marketing
For many newbie online marketers - and some experienced ones too - it appears perfectly ok to fleece a prospective buyer of all they can.
They remind me of hungry sharks, eager and willing to extract the very last cent a buyer can afford - or even not afford - to pay!
That's NOT fair!
What's the result?
Buyer's remorse. Dissatisfied customers. Refund requests. Bad word-of-mouth buzz. And after a while, oblivion.
If there ever was a relationship between buyer and seller, it certainly was NOT one of trust or loyalty.
Contrast this with how a fair-minded marketer would build an interaction.
By being constantly focused on the BUYER's best interest, a fair marketer would offer true value - and make sure to do it in a way that meets the buyer's needs and wants.
After business has been conducted, the buyer feels GOOD about the purchase. And looks forward to repeating the process again.
Over time, a trusting relationship evolves, one that a smart marketer fosters and nurtures until it becomes a stronger bond - profiting both sides for a long time to come.
That's the way to Reach & Relate
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
9:30 hours now.
- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$7,498.50
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Honesty IS the best policy
Honesty IS the best policy
We mindlessly parrot it to our kids. But why then is it so difficult to practice it in our own lives?!
Honesty. Integrity. Truthfulness.
Old fashioned principles. Some may laugh or scoff at them.
They work.
Online - just as well as off.
Being honest in a relationship lays a very strong foundation for future growth. When you relate to prospects and clients in a truthful way, it becomes easier to build trust and loyalty into the association.
After some time, it becomes such a strong cementing force that your relationship can survive bumps and jolts which might otherwise shatter it irreparably.
Now don't take the term "honesty" to mean permission to be brutally, ruthlessly critical and superior with your prospects. I mean having a set of values and principles, which will be your touchstone in EVERYTHING you do online.
Whenever you have a doubt about doing something, you match it against this set of principles - and if they are in conflict, you do NOT do it.
It's one of the important rules of building relationships online.
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
9:00 hours now.
- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$7,473.50
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Why be consistent?
Why be consistent?
Imagine this scene.
Today, you receive an email from John asking you for support and donations to a lung cancer related charity.
Then next week, John sends you an ad for some great Havana cigars!
How do you feel?
Isn't there a "Disconnect". A lung cancer activist selling tobacco?!
Or let's say you receive an ezine on weight loss edited by Jane. She's a great writer. You love the newsletter.
But suddenly, in one issue, Jane runs an editorial on delicious HIGH-CALORIE deserts - and goes on to include links to the best places to order them.
What happens? What thoughts run through your mind?
You experience a "Disconnect". A weight loss advisor promoting high fat deserts?! Gimme a break!
Now answer this critical question:
The next time John or Jane tell you about something, or ask you to help with it:
Will You Do It?
Chances are you answered "No". Why? Because John and Jane were not consistent. You aren't certain about their value systems, what they stand for. You don't know what they'll be up to tomorrow, next month, next year.
And even if you admire this trait, even if you would do the same in your own life, you will not be content to follow advice coming from an inconsistent individual.
It's human nature. And building relationships online requires you to understand it.
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
8:30 hours now.
- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$7,473.50
Would you like to add to this? We need your support.
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Visit A Fellow Blog Marathonner
Over 100 wonderful folks are doing this blog marathon - each supporting their own special charity.
See this one by J.L. - it's titled "By My Hand..."
http://bymyhand.esoteric-renaissance.com/
Consistency - It's Crucial
Consistency - it's critical
If I am asked to name the single most important factor to build trust in an online relationship, I'd say it is being consistent.
Imagine this. I live in India. Haven't ever met any of the wonderful people I work with online daily. Haven't even spoken with many on the telephone. Barely a handful have received a letter from me, or have a photograph or know anything about me personally.
Yet they TRUST me.
Behind that trust is an eight year track record of consistency. From the day I started doing what I do on the Net, I have fit a pattern.
How can you also define your pattern and fit it?
First, it means sitting down to THINK.
Think about WHY you are doing what you're doing. Think about what you would do if you could do ANYTHING you want to. Think of how you would do it, how you would like to be known after you've done it. Think of how people who work with you will see you, know you, learn of you.
Then after you have defined a clear picture of the kind of persona you would like to project online, go ahead and live up to this mental image - in EVERYTHING you say and do.
It's simple. But it requires one more thing...
Long-Term Thinking
If you're planning to make a quick buck and vanish, there's not much I can help you with. But if you're a 'player', someone who understands and appreciates the power of the Net and wants to take advantage of it for a long time to come, then it is critical you spend some time doing this exercise.
This is what could make you - or break you... at least online!
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
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Keys to Trust
Keys to Trust
I've often been asked how to build trusting relationships online.
It's a difficult question to answer. The reason is because there are so many different ways.
All I can share is my personal experience. When I got started with my websites, 8 years ago, no one knew me... and I knew no one. Today my list of loyal subscribers alone numbers around 2,000 - and many more people know me, or have heard about me ... and most importantly, TRUST ME.
Why?
After some thought about this question, I've come up with a list of what I think are the "Keys to Trust". They are things which, when they are done right, can help foster a trusting relationship.
And when they are done wrong, or not done at all, can ruin an association before it has taken root.
These are not rules cast in stone. Just my opinions based on a personal experience which spans several years.
- Be consistent
- Be honest
- Be fair
- Be respectful
- Have a purpose
I'll elaborate upon each of these "Keys to Trust".
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
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GUEST POST - Sandi Bowman
As a kind of intermission, I'd like to introduce some of the wonderful folks who helped with the Heart Kids Blog Marathon.
The guy I need to thank the most is paradoxically the one who most vehemently requests that I not talk about him! Well, I'll respect Paul's sentiments and not reveal his identity - though, discerning reader that you are, you're sure to cast a glance to the left side of this page and click on the right name to get more details!
;-)
Another fantastic person I'd like to introduce is Sandi Bowman - here's what Sandi has to offer on the topic of "Reach and Relate - Building Online Relationships":
Sometimes one is building relationships without ever setting about with the intention of doing so. Such is my story about the Warrior Forum. Sure, I've done my share of posting and helping along with a normal amount of boo-boos but, what I accomplished along the way was brought home abruptly and very heart-warmingly recently.
Hearing that I may not be able to continue on the internet due to physical problems made worse by extended computer use, lots of members of the Warrior Forum stepped forward and offered me everything from a fund raiser for a new computer to help with server setups, reports, ebooks, site help, and everything in-between. I have received numerous emails offering help and support and even have a couple of people who want to personally guide me to even greater success when I am able to proceed.
What greater success than to have devoted friends who stretch out a helping hand when needed?
Please stretch out your helping hand to Dr. Mani's little friends. They'll thank you and so will I.
You never know where the next great scientist, writer, doctor, statesman/woman, or Mother Teresa will come from. You could have a hand in helping one such individual survive. Do it now...and thanks.
Visit Sandi's site here: Recipe customizing help for special tastes and diets
Add Value - Bank Profits
Add Value - Bank Profits
When your prospect responds to your overtures, s/he is worth GOLD.
A responsive prospect is worth a LOT. But you can't move directly into "Gimme, gimme, give - give - GIVE" mode.
There's a step in the middle - It's called "Building a Relationship"!
An easy way to get started doing this is by providing value to your prospect. It isn't difficult to do this - if you are targeting the right audience.
Surely you know - or can guess - at your prospect's biggest NEED. So try to fulfill it. Help out. Gift a product or service. Recommend a useful resource or trusted provider.
Once you are viewed as a concerned and caring person whose primary interest is watching out for the well being of your prospects, you will have crossed the bridge from
'Stranger' to 'Helpful Acquaintance'.
You've passed the first test of your "Reach & Relate" course.
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
7:00 hours now.
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Anatomy of an Online Relationship
Anatomy of an online relationship
You go through stages in an online relationship.
At first, you are strangers. As the person seeking the relationship, it often is up to you to take the first step and introduce yourself. Let prospects know something about yourself. What you do. Why you do it. How.
Then you go a step further. You tell your prospect how they fit in to your plan. You give out information about why you approached them, what you expect them to do, when and why.
Another approach is to first ask for their side of the story before placing your agenda on the slate.
Ask questions. Send out surveys. Questionnaires. Schedule consulting time. Call a teleconference. Run a web seminar. Hold a closed forum session.
Do anything within reason to get prospects to interact with you.
Remember this: When you get a prospect to enter into a dialog with you, chances are TEN TIMES higher they will be long-term clients. It is far more difficult to relate to an anonymous email address than to a real live human being on your list!
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
6:30 hours now.
- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$6,789.50
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The Relationship...
Next: The Relationship
Ok, so what happens *after* you've reached your prospect?
Why, you start a life-long process of building and growing a relationship!
Life-long?!
Yes, for the lifetime of the RELATIONSHIP. Because the minute you stop working on it, let it slacken, cool-off, stagnate - it'll end. Fast. Suddenly. Without warning.
Let me give you an example.
Last year, I did a similar event - the Heart Kids Blogathon. And built what I called a "Chain of Love". Some wonderful folks signed up to receive announcements about the progress of the event.
What did I do?
Silly me - got caught up in the intricacies of e-business and neglected communicating with the list. Time and time again I made up excuses. Until when I finally wrote to them almost 3 months later, many HAD FORGOTTEN they had signed up!
I got a flurry of "Unsubscribe Me" requests - and a few raps on the knuckles for sending UNSOLICITED email!
Lesson learned: It doesn't END when you reach your prospects. It's only just begun!
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
6:00 hours now.
- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$6,789.50
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Unusual 'First Contacts'
Unusual 'first contacts'
It is even likely the first time you meet prospective clients will be at a networking session.
Maybe you attend a seminar where other attendees are your potential audience. Or perhaps you'll meet them at industry conferences. Or tradeshows.
It might even be at a training program where you're being mentored by an expert, or training as an apprentice with a specialist. Your colleagues at 'school' may turn into your best clients or partners. And you need to continue to reach them and build relationships.
The point is you can no longer expect to grow big if you limit your reach to purely online contacts.
And even if you're successful, it is very unlikely you'll be able to communicate continuously, effectively, using purely one mode of e-communication.
So keep your mind open to avenues others aren't using. Ones so unconventional or different it is not likely they'll get cluttered or abused the way popular ones like email did.
This way you'll be able to Reach & Relate - even if not many others are!
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
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- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$6,664.50
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Offline - for ONline?!
Offline for online?!
Early adapters were delighted at the concept of ebusiness conducted on the Internet.
No more face to face selling. No cold calling. No door to door canvassing. Just sit back and profit.
Well, it was too good to last!
And from the look of things, good old offline prospecting seems to be a lot more effective in reaching prospects. Of course the Net lowers the cost of relationship building processes, but to make the first contact is all important.
So go on.
Pick up the phone.
Mail a few postcards.
Send a few invitations by mail.
Make that first contact - then seal a loyal relationship online.
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
5:00 hours now.
- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$6,664.50
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July 24, 2004
What price PDFs?
What price PDFs?
Adobe is a company that came out with a unique concept - ePaper.
The Portable Document Format (PDF) allows anyone to distribute electronic versions of documents - with a difference. They look identical no matter what type of computer they are viewed on!
What you create is exactly what everyone else will see.
How does ePaper help in reaching and relating with prospects?
Simply this. PDFs don't get caught in email filters - though the downside is they are sent as email attachments, and in an era of email viruses many people are watchful about opening attachments.
The advantages are similar to email. Easy delivery. Read at the viewer's convenience. Graphically attractive. By offering for download from a website or FTP site, the user has complete control.
Some time back a few ezine publishers started offering their publications as PDFs. I was laughing at them. Now it seems they are smart - and I'm playing catch up!
Still, I need to Reach & Relate - so I'm willing to explore all avenues. How about you?
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
4:30 hours now.
- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$6,664.50
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Is It Your Desktop - Or Theirs?
Is it Your Desktop - or Theirs?
Blogs have one drawback - they require your prospect to visit your blog. It is a significant weakness.
People are lazy. Ask them to do 'one more thing' - and they won't!
Technology is now available to stream your blog's content right to the viewer's desktop. It's called 'Desktop Marketing'.
See an example here - it's my blog's KLIP - click here
Now blogs become INCREDIBLY more powerful. Desktop marketing apps don't have any filters. The user is totally in control. Any time they don't like what's on the desktop, they can remove the feed. The application is easy to install and use. New content is streamed at pre-set intervals to the user's desktop.
I have 2 reservations with Desktop Marketing.
1. How to handle clutter? When more folks do it, the feeds are going to get overcrowded with posts. How do users handle that problem? As a marketer, how do you overcome it?
2. Too many different applications. Some programs are specific to a particular feed, blog, ezine or website. Imagine having 25 or more apps crowding my desktop, each flashing or beeping when a message is updated!
So desktop marketing has potential to help Reach & Relate with your audience - but the rules of the game are not yet clearly defined.
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
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- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$6,614.50
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Why blogs are HOT...
Why blogs are HOT...
Blogs are easy to create. No HTML or other programming knowledge needed. Log in, type your message, publish it with a button-click.
Quick and easy.
Search engines love blogs. They list blog posts quicker than regular web pages. Your content is accessible to a larger audience. You get wider reach.
Email messages are filtered out. Blog posts are not. What you post is what your reader sees - if s/he comes to your blog. Which means...
The user is in control. Be boring, and folks will stop coming. Offer value and they'll flock to you in droves.
There are other benefits in blogs:
- your personality shines through
- you can use multimedia (movies, pictures, audio, flash, other stuff)
- you can syndicate your content across other sites and blogs
Net-net - blogs will help increase your reach. They will also help you Reach & Relate by placing your message in front of viewers.
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
3:30 hours now.
- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$6,614.50
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Blogs strike back...
Blogs strike back
I first dabbled in blogging long ago, in 1997. It seemed interesting. But no one was doing it.
I stopped.
Suddenly in 2003, blogging caught marketer's attention. The reason: Google started preferring content in blogs over others.
No surprise there. A blog by its nature has fresh, oft-updated content. Stuff a search engine loves. It keeps the search results fresh, new and informative.
I hopped on the bandwagon - and wrote a book about it!
See Blog Profit Ideas Exposed
In 2004, blogs are suddenly the hottest marketing tools. RSS marketing and feed listing on search engines is the latest trend.
But how are blogs important to online relationship building?
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
3:00 hours now.
- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$6,564.50
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Search for Alternatives...
The Search for alternatives...
Despite your best efforts, your email marketing may fail. It is too risky to rely entirely upon email to build and grow your online relationships.
You need alternatives.
But if they are to successfully complement - or replace - email as a communication tool, these alternatives need to meet some criteria.
- Easy to use - make it complex and most folks won't try it out
- Versatile - at the very minimum, all features presently available in email should be there in the alternative
- Feature rich - the more the merrier
- Technology - it should be future proof, avoiding many of the pitfalls obvious now in email
- Platform independent - any computer - or non-computer computing device used in the future - should be able to run it. e.g. PDAs, cell phones, etc.
It would help if the alternative is also:
- spam proof
- under the user's control
- risk free
- no cost (or low cost)
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
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- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$6,454.50
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Why Did Email Fail?
Why did email fail?
Until some time in 2002, online marketers were cruising along happily. Email marketing was at its peak. Many claimed they were making thousands of dollars with the click of a mouse button.
And it was TRUE!
So what went wrong? Who is to blame for the current scenario?
Spammers. Unethical email marketers who sent out millions of emails, playing the numbers game. "If 0.0001% of emails are acted upon, we'll make X dollars - so all I have to do is send out Xmillion emails..." You get the picture.
Spam filters and ISPs. The problem bred the solution. And it wasn't ideal. Software to detect terms and phrases frequently used by spammers was built. It was supposed to block spam before it reached your email inbox. ISPs used variations to block 'spam' before it even hit their servers. But the software isn't perfect - so we have new problems today!
Overload. From 5 messages a day, I now receive 500 or more. Most are not relevant. I struggle to manage them. So do many others.
BOREDOM. If it is exciting, I still read email. Most get trashed because they aren't interesting - TO ME.
The clue to making email work again is right there. Design it to get past filters and into inboxes. More important, make it EXCITING to your reader. Your email should stand out from the crowd. Be different. Offer value.
Then email can help you Reach & Relate.
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
2:00 hours now.
- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$6,454.50
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Is Email REALLY Dead?
"Email is DEAD - Period"
A few months ago, this cry went around the Net. Quoting a popular 'guru', the media had a field day.
But email is still around. Alive and kicking. Even thriving, some would say.
What makes email so popular?
It is very similar to writing a letter. New Internet users see the similarity - and are hooked.
It is quick and easy. Type in an address, a message, click 'SEND' - and your message is winging its way around the world to a person.
It goes from your desktop to another - your reader's. No extra work involved. No trip to the post office, or even to the postbox.
It was built into most web browsing software, so almost everyone has it.
Email was what excited most people when they got on the Net. Email is what still does!
When you think about it, the popularity of email is not at all surprising. What's surprising is how easily we've permitted it to be misused, destroying a great portion of its value to users.
If folks tried to do to the postal services what they've managed to do to email, I'm sure the world would be up in arms protesting! Imagine if thousands of postal mail pieces contained a dangerous explosive or virus. Would Governments and people stay quiet?
Yet we raise but small protest when viruses are sent as email attachments - viruses deadly enough to destroy all files on a hard drive, or spawn email messages to thousands of others, bringing networks to a standstill.
But I'm straying from the point - which is to Reach & Relate online...
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
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Reach & Relate - Where to Begin?
Where to begin?
To build online relationships, you must first communicate. To communicate, you must first contact people. You need a way to REACH your audience.
A few years ago, it was relatively easy. Surf around searching for the person's email address. Shoot off a quick email. Wait for a reply. Interact. Become friends.
Easy!
Those days are gone. Crowded, cluttered inboxes full of spam are not the best meeting grounds to start building a long-term association with anyone.
So do we give up? Throw up our hands in frustration and go back to working in solitary confinement?
No. For many reasons, online communication may be the only way available to you for bridging the gap between stranger and close friend.
What to do, then?
Learn the best ways to Reach & Relate. Identify what it takes to stand out from the crowd, get noticed.
Then do it!
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
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- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$6,429.50
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Why Relate?
Why Relate?
"No man is an island to himself."
We all need help. Unless our goals are so small, unambitious, limited, so that we can manage EVERYTHING necessary to achieve them.
If your goals are really that small, start dreaming BIG. See my blog posts from last year, to see how you must challenge yourself constantly to grow bigger, richer, happier, more successful, smarter, more beautiful, energetic, healthier - everything.
It's the evolutionary principle described as "Survival of the Fittest". Get fit - or die!
So we need people to work with us, to pull in the same direction, to help achieve our goals. And we need to work with others, helping them in their goals.
We need relationships in our lives.
People work with people they like. They do business with folks who they feel comfortable with, trust, believe in, respect and admire.
This very event, the Heart Kids Blog Marathon, is a classic example. Just look to the left top corner of this page to see the list of INCREDIBLE folks who helped with this event. Click on each link to visit their websites, learn more about them, see what makes them do it.
Then, see what this co-operative relationship has helped achieve. See the list of children who have had life-saving heart operations. See how many more are waiting, who will soon benefit from this event.
And then pause for a moment to think about the power of relationships. The power to - literally - save a child's life! Amazing.
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
0:30 hours now.
- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$6,409.50
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REACH & RELATE - Redefining Online Relationship Building
Welcome to the Heart Kids Blog Marathon 2004 - a 24-hour, non-stop, day and night long fundraiser to help children with heart birth defects.
And the theme for the day is:
REACH AND RELATE - How To Cut Through Clutter & Enter Your Prospect's Mind!
Building relationships online, in an impersonal, faceless medium like the Net, takes time and effort.
But it is possible.
There's one key to the process - COMMUNICATION.
When I started working on my websites in 1995, this involved text-only interaction, primarily via email. Today many more channels of contact exist.
The key issues are still the same. You need to reach your prospect - and then relate to him/her.
Email and websites are no longer as effective as they once were. There are many reasons:
- spam filers and ISP policies block emails
- overcrowded email inboxes limit time available to deal with each
- mushrooming websites make finding good ones harder and time consuming
- advertising is becoming expensive and ineffective
Reaching your target market is getting tough.
You need alternatives. Many of them. So if one doesn't work well, there's a fall-back option. Some channels with potential for the future are:
- blogs or web logs
- desktop marketing
- PDF files
- offline communication (phone, postcards, direct mail)
- seminars and conferences
- mentorships and apprenticeships
In the hours ahead, I'll share some views, thoughts, ideas and opinions about these channels of communication. You'll learn
- how to reach your target audiences online
- how to build, foster and nurture trusting, loyal relationships
- how to experience firsthand the incredible impact it can have on your business and your life
Let's "Reach & Relate"
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| Keeping Track | Updates from the Heart Kids blogathon! |
- This Time - Last Year: Read what I was saying at the same time last year - when I did the Heart Kids Blogathon - click here.
- How Long? I've been blogging for
0:00 hours now.
- Our Target: To raise $50,000.00. Our Sponsors Have Given:$6,384.50
Would you like to add to this? We need your support.
Go on - make a donation - click here
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Stop Press
The Heart Kids Blog Marathon kicks off...
Last year, in July 2003, I kicked off the Heart Kids Blogathon with these lines:
>>>
Bloggers ramble.
Surgeons are succint.
I'm both.
So what you'll get here is a generous mixture.
>>>
Not much has changed :)
I'm still a surgeon - and blogger. And this year, I'll be blogging for the same cause - children born with heart defects.
In case you're going to be dropping by many times in the course of the day/night, I'll be blogging on the theme of "REACH and RELATE - Building Online Relationships".
I'll share some of my own views. But of course, the real glamor and glitz will come from YOU.
Yes, I'd be delighted if you'll spare a moment to post your thoughts on any post that captures your interest - or even on the topic of Heart Birth Defects in kids.
Simply go to the "Comments" form below and start typing.
Remember, this Blogathon is as much yours as it is mine...
Thank you for taking part in it.
July 22, 2004
How YOU Can Help the kids...
Many people have written to ask how they can help support the Heart Kids Blog Marathon.
We brainstormed and came up with some ideas.
Some of them are useful.
Some are outrageous.
ALL ARE REMARKABLY PURPLE...
(and so worthy of mention on my "remarkably purple spots..." blog!)
DONATE-A-LINK - A Revolutionary New Way To Help Others - While Helping YOURSELF! Now you can make a donation, get a high-value link back to your site, Bbe indexed & rank well on search engines... all automatically!
Learn more - click here
INSTANT YAHOO! LISTING - I got 120+ pages listed on Yahoo! within 48 hours - for FREE. I created a report to show how YOU too can do it - even quicker than me. And Help A Child Live As You Do It!
Get your copy today - click here
DOUBLE PRICE SALE - An Exclusive sale of COLLECTIBLE Special Editions in support of the Heart Kids Blog Marathon. Nothing is Inexpensive here - it's why we're calling it the DOUBLE-PRICE SALE! 100% of profits from all sales will go to sponsoring heart surgery for one child
Reserve your copy - before all sell out! click here
EXCLUSIVE DONORS-ONLY SUPER SALE - A never-before, never-again opportunity to lay your hands on some amazing bargains on the best of breed products and
services the Internet marketing world has seen.
This is not burned out, has-been, hyped and worn out stuff everyone has seen and heard about before. These are products and services selling well at full price TODAY - and which the owners have generously donated to help raise funds to sponsor the Heart Kids Blog Marathon.
Participation by invitation only...make a donation
CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION - a little award to honor wonderful folks like you who helped fund a child's heart operation. It looks good on your website too!
See for yourself click here
ARTICLES FOR YOU - Free content for your website or ezine. Articles on marketing and charity you can reprint for free. Indeed, I'm inviting you to do it :)
Read them first - click here
IN THE PRESS - Ready-to-go press releases you can feature on your news sites, submit to local newspapers and magazines, post on bulletin boards and more.
Know any news reporters? Tell 'em about it
For more ways you can help, click here - or here
July 16, 2004
I've Been Busy!
There's been a LOT to do to prepare for the Heart Kids Blog Marathon on July 24th.
The growing list of "truly purple folks" who are supporting the event is testimony to the fruitfulness of the preparation!
If YOU want to help, please click here to see how you can. I really appreciate your support. Thank you.
July 09, 2004
I'm Getting Ready to Enter "The Zone"
What happened one day in July 2003 was magic.
With the help of some amazing folks, in just 24 hours, we raised over $12,000 in donations to sponsor life-saving heart surgery for poor children in India. It was an event called the "Heart Kids Blogathon" - click here for details.
On July 24th 2004, I hope it will happen again.
Because that's when I'll be doing another 24 hour marathon session of weblogging - for the kids!
The official Blogathon team is taking a break to regroup and improve their infra-structure - but another group has stepped in to keep the tradition going.
Learn more about Project Blog
I've registered my blog, "remarkably purple spots..." again am learning towards "Reach and Relate - Building loyal online relationships" as the theme for this year's event.
As always, I need YOUR support. Here's how you can help:
1. Sponsor my charity - Dr.Mani Children's Heart Foundation. Get details here
2. Help spread the word - Collect ready-to-go promotional material here
3. Tell a friend - use our online form
4. Volunteer your skills and services - to make this a grand success, here are areas I'm looking for assistance:
- article submission
- press release distribution
- website programming
- send eGreetings, eBrochures, coupons etc.
- web design
- viral marketing campaigns - launching and spreading
- compiling special gift packages to offer as incentives
If you have skills in these areas and would like to offer your assistance, please email me at "blogathon (AT) ezinemarketingcenter.com" with a short note explaining how you'd like to help and what areas you're expert at. If you have any other suggestions to help out, please let me know.
I'll be updating this page as the event date approaches.
Thank you for your help.
Dr.Mani
July 04, 2004
Interesting Traffic Generating Idea
I tried out an idea - and created an Internet Marketing dictionary.
It turned out to be pretty neat. I'll be expanding it steadily, and with a few hundred more terms, it should become quite a useful resource.
Take a look at it here:
http://www.EzineMarketingCenter.com/IND/
July 03, 2004
Can a WORKSHOP be Purple?
Rebecca 'Becky' Hagel is my friend. She's done something remarkable!
She got some of the really BIG guns in Internet marketing to join hands in putting together a workshop. It's not a run-of-the-mill event. It's a...
Revolutionary Hands-On Workshop
Where You'll Actually Create and Market
Your Very Own Information Product
During the Workshop!
Click here for more details
It's called the TRIPLE-C WORKSHOP - Concept to Creation to Cash. You'll actually conceive, create and PROFIT from a product during the workshop!
There are some "purple" folks involved too. Their names are probably familiar to you. Most of them are already featured on the left of this page.
The ALL-STAR cast includes Willie Crawford, John Reese, Rosalind Gardner, Yanik Silver, and Rebecca Hagel.
Yes, this is the SAME John Reese I mentioned in the earlier post, the SUPER guy who helped two kids have a heart operation through my CHD Foundation.
And yes, this is the SAME Willie Crawford I respect a LOT. To see what I think about him - click here
Ros Gardner and Yanik Silver need no introduction to any serious online marketer.
And Becky Hagel is a gal I often feel I share a brain with! We think so similarly on different issues, at widely different time points, it's uncanny! I've known Becky for almost 3 years now, and have developed respect and admiration for her style of marketing that educates while it sells. I've learned a LOT from her - and am sure you will get much more from this workshop.
She's letting me tell you about this program ahead of others because she's my friend. And I'm doing it because YOU ARE MY FRIEND :)
Here's the link - don't wait. Check it out NOW. You'll miss out if you wait too long!
CLICK HERE to learn more about the workshop
July 01, 2004
An Amazing Man Helps Kids
Last night, I was on 24-hour call in the ICU at hospital looking after the 2 little kids we had operated, when my phone rang. It was my wife.
"Are you where you can leap about screaming 'Yahooooo'?" she asked.
"No, why do you ask?"
"Because I just saw an email from John Reese, and he's sent you $2,500 to sponsor an operation"
I did it anyway - leaped about, shouting.
My nurses thought I'd lost it !
;-)
(It's all true, except for the shouting!)
So after a long time, the list of "Truly Purple" folks on the left upper corner of this page has been updated to include a new name - the name of a remarkable, generous man named John Reese.
Incidentally, he also happens to be one of the World's TOP marketing experts. See his blog here - Marketing Secrets
And you must also check out the report which John read immediately before showing his support - it carries the provocative title:
"Why I Asked
JAY ABRAHAM
for my
MONEY BACK"
Get it here - free
Full Disclosure: Most links on this blog are 'affiliate links' that will earn me a referral commission if you click on them and buy the items I endorse. However, that is NOT the reason I include them. I only recommend products and services I believe are of high quality, value and will benefit you in some way.
Who publishes this blog?
 Dr.Mani is a pediatric heart surgeon, and an experienced infopreneur who creates and sells infoproducts to help fund life-saving treatment for children from under-privileged families who have congenital heart defects. To learn more about Dr.Mani's business and non-profit work, you can visit his website at www.DrMani.com
Copyright 2003-2010 Dr.Mani and EzineMarketingCenter.com
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