Breakfast Beat: Todd Schnick / Intrepid

Just had breakfast this morning with Todd Schnick/Intrepid . . .

I try to have breakfast with a Marketing Expert -- and learn something New about Meeting My Market -- at least once a week. Breakfast is easy. Learning something new (particularly something that will be of value to my blog readers) sometimes comes a little harder.

Key Topic this morning: PURL Marketing

Like so much in our world, there's enough academic babble and misdirection on this particular subject to make even the most open-minded and adventurous of us simply roll our eyes and stay firmly entrenched in what we're already doing.

Not the case with Todd Schnick at all.

My Recommendation: Get To Know This Guy, Now.

If you're in the Atlanta area, buy him a biscuit and a cup of coffee. You'll get an incredible return on your investment . . . and if you follow his advice, you'll see much better results from your Direct Response efforts. If you're not in the Atlanta area, call or write him now.

P.S. 7 Entries so far in the Sales Question Contest ($100 Steak Dinner First Prize) -- and 7 very strong Sales Questions . . . Can't wait to post them all in May for our Contestants.

To Submit Your Entry: See March 25 Post.

Sales Question Contest: $100 Steak Dinner

Candidly, the last thing my particular market niche (Training & Consulting Firms w/ Sales Problems) probably needs is more help Asking Questions. What most of them really need -- and I do mean really -- is help Answering Questions -- preferrably in Plain English.

Still, Asking Questions (the right questions, of the right people, the right way, at the right time) is a fundamental skill set for anyone in the sales arena . . . and we could all be helping each other do a better job of it.

So . . . On May 1st 2008, MarketMate (tm) / StoneSells will be Awarding a $100 Steak Dinner for the Best Sales Question (and explanation). Who Decides? You Do!

(I'll be entering myself as well -- under an alias, which I will reveal post-contest.)

How To Enter: By Commenting To This Post (With Your Favorite Sales Question and a Few Words Explaining The Purpose and Value Of Your Question) . . . OR . . . by e-mailing Your Question and Explanation directly to me at: stoney99@comcast.net

How To Vote: During The Last Week of April, we will post all entries in one place -- making All of these Sales Questions available to each of our contestants. Pretty Nifty Return for just a few moments invested in sharing your contribution, huh? . . . And we'll provide a Simple Voting Mechanism for you (enabling you to rank the Top 3).

The Grand Prize Winner (and two Runner-Ups) will be announced right here on "Stone Sells" May 1st.

Enjoy !

Jan Visser On LinkedIn, Stone On What Works

I always enjoy Jan Visser's "occasionally irreverent, but never boring" perspective on Sales . . . and I think you will too. If you haven't already seen this post: 3 Reasons LinkedIn Won't Help You Sell, I encourage you to do so . . . and follow the resulting comment flow.

Stone's take on LinkedIn -- and virtually any other resource, strategy, or tactic:

"If It Works It's Good."

I'm getting a little "long in the tooth," (my head shot fails to reflect all the gray hair I've earned over the years) and I've certainly developed some very definitive opinions about what works for me and the niche I serve (I Solve Sales Problems -- primarily for Training & Consulting firms). Among these closely held beliefs: "There's Precious Little That Doesn't Work . . . If You Work It." One idea from my little corner of the sandbox that I suspect has equal merit in any arena:

Consider putting some real effort (meaning more effort, for most of us) in applying whatever you believe works to the pre-purchase and post-purchase experience. Somewhere between being "Linked In" and "Locked Out" lives tremendous opportunity to do far more than simply make another connection . . . in a way that actually serves your prospective customer in some way -- and at the same time, frees you up to serve those who need and want your help right now.

The best of these strategies (the ones that work), are those that:

1. I'm willing to do (consistently)

2. Equip the prospect to learn about me and my work At Their Own Pace, In Their Own Way -- and "self-nominate" when they're ready to have a substantive conversation

3. Are unique enough that my competitors can't easily replicate them

4. Create an experience the prospect becomes increasingly unwilling to do without

For me, LinkedIn (on its own) fails this 4 Point test -- but if I re-visit exactly how I work this Tool, maybe my perspective . . . and my results would change?

Thank You Jan Visser for raising the question!

MarketMate Winokur Gets WSJ Mention

One of our favorite MarketMates, Steve Winokur / Turning Point Strategies was quoted in the Wall Street Journal Small Biz section yesterday, March 17, 2008.

If you're a MarketMate client, you already know . . . We won't even consider a Branding / Re-positioning engagement without Steve front and center.

Congrats on the WSJ exposure, Steve.

Manufacturing Demand: 4/24 Session (Atlanta)

Brief Message From GrowthANSWERS Managing Director, Don Rigby

More Info

April 24, 7-10 am The Georgian Club (Atlanta)

GrowthANSWERS is providing this Manufacturing-specific session -- A Panel of Eight Experts addressing Your Questions about everything "Sales & Marketing" in the Manufacturing arena.

(I personally attended the last quarterly GrowthANSWERS Sunrise Session -- 3 Hours extremely well invested.)

More Info . . .

TEST POST

This is a Test Post. A New Blog Is Born . . . 3/17/08