There are five main challenges in marketing a business: 1. Getting the attention of prospective clients. 2. Giving them enough information to interest them in exploring working with you. 3. Turning that interest into a commitment to work with you. 4. Negotiating the terms of doing business so that you make a decent profit 5. Serving clients so that they both return and send you referrals. If you can do all of those things you don't need marketing mentoring. However, if you could do better, perhaps you need a little help. I work with a very limited number of clients who are serious about taking their business to the next level. They realize that the only way they're going to survive and thrive is by developing, implementing and practicing better marketing. What You Need to be Successful at Marketing What I believe is that people need only three things to be successful at marketing. The first thing people need is commitment. You really must want to take your business to new heights. Ideally your business should be more than a living, but a calling, something that you feel really makes a difference. Marketing is one of the key vehicles that helps take your business where you want it to go. The second is "know-how." That comes from good information and practice. I and others have the information. The practice is up to you. Of course practice entails a good deal of trial and error. The third thing they need is marketing consulting, coaching or mentoring. What this does is speed up the know-how. You can speed up your know-how by five, ten, even twenty times if you work with someone who's been there before to guide you on the path. The reason? A lot less trial and error! If you're at the place where you first need more information on marketing, get my marketing manual, the Client Magnet workshop tapes and/or the TeleClass Tapes first. Then do what you can to apply what you've learned. If you're past that point and want to take the next step, marketing mentoring may be for you. Mentoring isn't for people who need a few marketing ideas or a little coaching. You already know more than you can implement. The thing is, you get stuck and your great plans don't amount to much. You have big ideas but you keep getting distracted by the details. Your know-how hasn't caught up with your aspirations. And the trial and error is wearing on you. "Robert Middleton is a clear, crisp thinker with a curious mind who, with warmth and encouragement, has helped me focus on what matters most to me in my work. He listens carefully, has seemingly endless suggestions on how to implement my ideas, and gives specific guidance on doing what I do in ways that never had occurred to me. Repeatedly, after a meeting with him, I am enlivened, motivated and ready to roll with what seems so clearly the right next steps for me. As a psychologist, I help people when they are stuck to find their next choices. Robert does that for me and then helps me with the how to do whatever that is that I want to do." Bonnie Bernell www.bonniebernell.com On the other hand, you may be very successful in your business but have reached a plateau and want to take your business to the next level. You want to learn how you can market more effectively to grow faster. You don't have anyone you can talk to about marketing and you need both a partner in strategy and someone to hold your feet to the fire. This is exactly what I do. You're a good candidate for marketing mentoring if: 1. You are committed to being a better marketer 2. You can invest a certain amount of time, energy and money to marketing 3. You are willing to try things outside your current comfort zone 4. You are patient and understand that results take time 5. You can both take direction and take decisive action If this fits you, we can work together successfully. Marketing Mentoring includes but is not limited to: Positioning • Understanding exactly who you are selling to and what you are selling • Developing a Core Marketing Message and "Audio Logo" (attention-getting message) Packaging • Creating an Executive Summary that outlines the essence of your business • Creating appropriate marketing materials for your business • Feedback and recommendations on current materials, including your web site • Learning how to "monetize" the value of your service to your clients • Leveraging what you know through articles, reports and presentations Promotion • Determining the most appropriate marketing activities for you personally • Coaching in the ins and outs of various marketing activities • Resources and action plans for speaking and writing - both off and online • Maximizing the use of your web site to qualify prospects and generate leads • Developing online products and services for passive income • Providing resources, contacts and methodologies that can assist your marketing efforts Persuasion • Assistance in setting up more appointments with qualified prospects • Training in the fundamentals (and fine points) of the sales process • Direction in developing sales presentations and proposals • Implementing effective customer service and referral strategies I use two models in my Marketing Mentoring InfoGuru Marketing is the philosophy and practice of giving away your expertise and providing value from the very first contact. The InfoGuru becomes an evangelist for his or her ideas. I usually recommend you get the InfoGuru Marketing Manual before you start mentoring. This gives you a head start, saving you time and money. The other model is "Marketing Ball." It's a simple way to understand the whole marketing and sales process and makes it easy to determine where you are now and what you need to do next to win the game of attracting new clients consistently. I also work with other marketing principles and laws as well as various marketing formulas for specific marketing activities. Mentoring Format Mentoring sessions are usually done by phone (sometimes in person if you are local) and are 30 to 60 minutes in length. All sessions are taped for your use. Clients contract for 10 hours of Marketing Mentoring at a time. This includes 8 hours of coaching time and about 2 hours of time to review and give written feedback on materials. Most clients usually set up sessions a week or two apart, and some do them monthly or less frequently. We can work at your pace. In the eight coaching hours we can accomplish a lot. It's not unusual that clients get all they need to get their marketing started or back on track. The value of this mentoring can be tens of thousands of dollars in new business. Below is a sample of the things I cover with a typical client. Sample Mentoring Schedule - In 8 hours we might cover... 1st session - Work on Core Marketing Message 2nd session - Work on Executive Summary 3rd session - Work on Marketing Materials 4th session - Work on Web Site Strategy 5th session - Work on Marketing Articles 6th session - Feedback and fine tuning of article 7th Session - Work on setting up speaking engagements 8th session - Work on developing email newsletter (eZine) Of course, every client's needs are different, so we focus on what they need to accomplish most. We may accomplish more or less than the schedule above. In addition to the eight hours of phone sessions, I will be spending time reviewing materials, providing resources, sending you templates and audio files to support you in moving forward. And if you want, you get a cassette tape of every meeting. Getting over marketing obstacles The biggest marketing obstacle isn't external. It's internal. We all have various beliefs and thoughts that tend to sabotage our marketing efforts. If you think... "I'm not a good marketer, I can't write, I don't like networking and web sites don't work," then what you say will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you have what I sometimes call "marketing allergy," I can help you as well. I am trained in the most effective personal development process ever developed -- The Work of Byron Katie -- to transform thoughts that are getting in the way of your marketing effectiveness. Once those thoughts are out of the way, the sky's the limit! Let me know if you're interested If you would like to explore working with me as your marketing mentor, I would be happy to speak with you on the phone - 831-338-7790 - to discuss your current situation and goals and see if there is a fit. As I'm often hard to reach, the best way to set up this appointment is to suggest two or three times by email (taking time zones into account). I'll get back to you by email to confirm the meeting. Just use the form below. I look forward to the opportunity to speak with you. Robert Middleton P.S. Before you call or fill out the form: Due to a very busy schedule of working with clients committed to really taking their business to the next level, it is only possible for me to work with highly motivated people. If you're just kicking tires, I'm not the one to help you. If you're ready to jump in with both feet, I'd be glad to hear from you! I also have very limited time to work with mentoring clients so I can only take on so many clients at a time. Also, sometimes I am so overbooked that I don't take on new clients for awhile. If that's the case, Ill let you know and we'll set up a time to talk a few weeks down the road. For more details on the kind of clients we work with and some client results, go here. August 15, 2003. Due to an overbooked scheudle I will not be taking on any more clients until October 2003. If you would like to set up an appointment to discuss meeting with me, I'll be setting up appointments in early October. Thanks! - RM Please contact me to set up a time to talk in early October. Name Business Name City, State, Country Email address Phone Kind of business Are you a subscriber to More Clients? Yes No Do you have the InfoGuru Marketing Manual? Yes No Existing web site (if any) What would you like to accomplish with Marketing Mentoring? Please include specific areas you'd like to work on. The more information I can get here, the more I can help you. Why are you interested in working with me? What attracted you to me or to this site or to my ideas about marketing? Three times we could meet by phone to discuss Marketing Mentoring?