End of Year Reminder!

Don't forget Todd has moved! You can find him now at http://intrepid-llc.com!

Have a great holiday!

Marketing Expert: Come Meet Biff Manly!

Come learn from Biff, the star of www.GrowthGAFFE.com, at the GrowthANSWERS Meet the eXpert here: www.growthanswers.com/expert.

See you there!

REMINDER - Todd Schnick has moved!

Hello everyone! I continue to be grateful to all those still visiting this blog. But let me remind you that I have improved and relocated the blog to this address:

www.intrepid-llc.com

Once there, you can sign up to receive emails, subscribe to the feed, and find all the resources you have come to expect from Intrepid!

See you soon!

Cross-selling Gone Bad...

One of the ways to grow your business is to find NEW customers. The other way is to sell more products and services to EXISTING customers.

But the key is not to just sell your existing customers any product off the shelf you can find - just to sell something and make a profit. The key is to sell them an additional product or service that further helps solve their problem.

Selling them anything just to make more profit will breed distrust, and could cost you their business. Taking steps to further help them fulfill their need or further solve their problem - cements the relationship and builds deep customer loyalty. And frankly, is a win win for everyone.

Cross-selling is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as “that of selling an additional product or service to an existing customer.” Cross-selling, when done strategically, will both grow your business and profits - AND be of maximum value to your customers!

Todd Schnick. Be Intrepid. www.intrepid-llc.com

WE HAVE MOVED!!

From now on, you can find our Intrepid website and BLOG at the following address:

www.intrepid-llc.com

See you there!

Improve Productivity In Less Time: Intrepid Video Series

As you know, I continue to be a big fan of Tim Ferriss. I have found a cool video clip of him giving a lecture on how to be more productive in less time.

His book The Four-Hour Workweek, which can be purchased through Amazon.com on this blog, is the "How To" book on how to improve productivity and profits, yet free up valuable time to live life to the fullest.

You will get a good sense of what Tim Ferriss is about in this clip...




Enjoy!

Todd Schnick
Be Intrepid.
www.intrepid-llc.com

Innovation...

An associate of mine, Stone Payton, has a new blog that is focused on innovation execution. I would encourage you to check it out (you can link to it from my blogroll).

Anyway, he has just started a new three-part series on innovation execution that I think you will enjoy. They are his observations from his recent trip to England...

You can find it here:
http://ixmix.blogspot.com/2008/11/innovation-execution-lessons-from.html

Enjoy!

Todd Schnick
Be Intrepid.
www.intrepid-llc.com

Of course you know, this means war...

When it comes to politics, people tell polls all day long that they are against negative political ads. Yet, polling also shows that if done right, they are effective. The piece above is from one of my campaigns out west. Our opponent drew first blood, and as we learned from John Kerrey, when you don't respond, it costs you. The piece above is our response...

If Barack Obama Were VP of Sales...

I came across a great blog post the other day...

http://www.salesgravy.com/Network/?L=blogs.blog&article=448

Enjoy!

Todd Schnick
Be Intrepid.
www.intrepid-llc.com

Vegas Confidential...

I am waiting to board my flight back to Atlanta after spending a few days in Vegas visiting with clients. Here are a few thoughts and observations from the trip...

1. As you might know, Nevada is a battleground state in the presidential race. Obama seems to be pulling ahead slightly, but not from what I saw on the ground. Spent some time at the local Victory headquarters, and the packed house seemed pretty fired up. Even got to meet Sarah Palin's father...

2. Nevada is suffering mightily with this economic slowdown, with an unemployment rate almost a point higher than the national average. But you still can't believe how this place is growing. I lived here just six short years ago, and you can't believe how the skyline has changed...

3. Customer service. It is amazing to me how often people forget that customer service is a vital part of your marketing strategy. And ususally I have a bad series of experiences when I travel to Las Vegas. But this was a great trip. My hotel room had some issues, but I received great care and attention from the property. And I even had a pleasant flying experience with Delta - which hasn't happened since 1998. Point is, great customer service leaves SUCH a positive taste in your mouth. You can accomplish so much when you do good customer service...

4. I still love craps. Even though it kicked my butt on this trip...

We Need Help!

Many of you know that I serve on the Board of Directors of the Furniture Bank of Metro Atlanta. This organization provides needed furniture to families who have just come out of homelessness, are battling HIV/AIDS, or are fleeing domestic violence.

We are in desparate need of furniture. Critical items include: mattresses and box springs, dressers, dinette sets, and coffee and end tables.

We will pick up these items, which are tax deductible, free in Cobb, Fulton, Gwinnett, and DeKalb counties.

Click http://www.furniturebankatlanta.org/donate.html to make a donation.

Many thanks!

Todd Schnick

It's Morning Again...

Gosh, even I remember this commercial. Makes you realize why this guy was so popular, strong, and why people took pride in America...



There is no doubt we are in troubling times. But, we need to remain optimistic that better times are ahead...

Todd Schnick
Be Intrepid.

Bruce Edenfield for Court of Appeals

Here is yet another commercial I helped produce for a political client.

Tain Kell for Superior Court

Here is a television commercial I helped produce.

In Touch With The Economy...

In keeping with our promise to keep you updated on our political efforts... This is from one of our campaigns out west. Unemployment in Nevada is now 7.3% - way above the national average. And Nevada leads the nation in foreclosures. Thus, our mail is focused on these very issues...

Todd Schnick

Be Intrepid.

www.intrepid-llc.com

“Would You Like Fries With That?” How this simple phrase – coupled with your Direct Response Marketing program – can power your sales!

Do you know how many times I have pulled up to a drive-thru window with the sole intention of buying a single burger? My intentions are sincere. Honest. Fries are high in carbs. Salty. Lots of reasons to avoid them. I think to myself, this time I will avoid that bad, bad food.

But then that pesky sales person in the first window says those magic words that get me every time. You’ve heard them – uttering that phrase sprinkled with mystical pixie dust that turns me into soft goo every time…

“Would you like fries with that?”

“Yes,” Todd says quickly and matter of factly, as if it was his intention all along.

Seems ridiculously simple, doesn’t it? But this little sales technique is so powerful, so common sense, that every business utilizes it, right?

Wrong. You’d be surprised how many businesses – both large and small – don’t ask the equivalent of “would you like fries with that” for their products or services.

Can you apply a similar technique to your business? Yes you can. Can you engage your direct response marketing program to execute it for you? Again, yes you can.

How?

Remember, the advantage of direct response marketing is that it is direct. It can be targeted with precision – unlike mass media. If you have an existing database of customers – you know precisely what they have bought from you – and why. (And if you don’t – you’d better…)

The teenager sitting in the drive-thru window at the burger joint knows you just bought a burger. They also know there isn’t anything better with a burger than fries. And even if you don’t think you want fries, it’s hard to resist. Even harder when someone asks. You need to apply the same principle to your business.

Utilizing this database, you can build your business by cross-selling. What is cross-selling? Cross-selling is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as "that of selling an additional product or service to an existing customer".

The teenage kid asking you if you wanted fries was engaging you in the most basic form of cross-selling. Another classic example is selling vacuum cleaners. If you are selling new vacuum cleaners, you are a fool not to sell your customer an additional supply of vacuum bags.

The beauty of cross-selling is that you are actually providing your customer better support and service, since the products or services you are cross-selling are helping that customer better fulfill their needs – or solve their problem. Sometimes, you are merely asking them to consider something they haven’t thought about before, or didn’t know was an option.

Now, how can you retool your direct response marketing program to do this? Well, what direct marketing tactics are you employing? Direct mail? One-to-one marketing? Telemarketing? Email marketing? All of the above?

You sell widgets. You have a database of the customers who have purchased widgets from you. You also sell whatzits – which nicely compliment widgets and make them much more efficient and effective.

Your customer base would benefit from adding the whatzits to their widgets. Send them direct mail (or a coordinated one-to-one campaign, or an e-zine article, or call them thru your telemarketing program) and explain how whatzits improve the efficiency of their widgets and will help them further grow their business.

Make the call to action simple and easy – just as easy as ordering fries – and not only will you better serve your customer – you will make additional sales and grow your own business.

Todd Schnick
Be Intrepid.
http://intrepidgroup.blogspot.com

Intrepid television...

In a continuing effort to keep you posted on some of Intrepid's clients this political season, I thought you'd enjoy seeing television spots for two of my clients. Click on the links below, and you will find the videos on the next page...

www.BruceEdenfield.com

www.TainKell.com

Enjoy.
Todd Schnick
Be Intrepid.
www.intrepid-llc.com

Building Your Marketing Strategy, Step Four - Determine Your Marketing Message

[as seen in the October issue of The Stuckey Report]

This month, we talk about Step Four in our marketing plan development series. The first three steps are the hard part. Your marketing will fail if you don’t take those three critical steps. But now comes the fun part of your marketing plan – determining your marketing message!

What is your marketing message? This is the story you tell. This is the message on your direct mail, your television commercials, your website and blog, and the thirty-second pitch made at a networking function.

But it can’t be just any old story. Since you have completed steps one through three, you now understand the marketplace and whether there is a need for your product, you now understand your customer and why they buy, and you have determined a niche – which refines the marketplace and helps you target your prospects with more precision.

But what should your marketing message consist of? It should identify a problem your product can fix, or identify a need you can fulfill. It should create a sense of urgency – take action now to solve that problem or fulfill that need!

And your message needs to convey to your prospect that your product or service is the answer. Your message isn’t about the details about how your product works. Your message consists of two simple parts – identifying an urgent problem – and providing the solution!

Todd Schnick is the president of the Intrepid Group LLC (www.intrepid-llc.com), a small business marketing firm. You can find his small business marketing blog at http://intrepidgroup.blogspot.com!

Reagan lives...

A mailer from one of my races out in Nevada....

The Art Of Thinking Big And Planning Small...

If you follow this blog at all, you will note that I am a big fan of Timothy Ferriss, he of The 4-Hour Workweek fame.

I monitor his blog from time to time, and came across a recent lecture of his that I wanted to share.

His message is that most people don't achieve big things because they believe they can't achieve big things, and thus never try. The key is to break down achieving big things in to small manageable tasks. He calls it planning small - planning small doable tasks that anyone can do.

You can see it here:

http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2008/10/06/two-short-videos-how-and-why-to-be-unreasonable-the-art-of-tweaking/#more-658

Enjoy.
Todd Schnick
www.intrepid-llc.com
Be Intrepid.

CAUTION: BLIND CURVE AHEAD! Plan Now To Build LOYAL Customers – And It Will Help Get You Through This Trying Economy.

If you are like most businesses, you are probably saying something to the effect of “well I guess we are having fun, cuz time is just flying. I can’t believe it is already October!”

What you should be doing, since it is now the FOURTH QUARTER, is be well along with your strategic marketing planning for 2009.

What about you? Answer honestly.

I thought so. Most of us are trying to get through 2008 – trying to survive what has been a long and difficult year.

You owe it to yourself – and your business – to plan ahead this year. And while you are at it – plan to add a whole new dimension to your 2009 marketing plan: BUILDING CUSTOMER LOYALTY! And think about it – aren’t loyal customers what we all need as we battle through this trying economy?

I am amazed at how many business people I work with have never really gone into the New Year with a plan in place to succeed. They are merely surging ahead full speed ahead – and headed right into a blind curve.

Sure, they may make it and survive. But they are setting themselves up to wipe out in a blaze of glory…

When I do work with clients to help them strategize for the coming year, they often want to focus on two main themes with their planning: their need to find more prospects, and their desire to convert more of those prospects into customers.

Those are certainly important things to think about. But they are missing a very important element: keeping their existing customers – and increasing their purchase frequency.

But what does that really mean? It means building customer LOYALTY. Without it, your business will stay in neutral, or it will ultimately fade away and die.

And customer loyalty isn’t just satisfying your customers. And it isn’t about getting them to buy from you once or twice more. It is about having a concentrated effort – a concrete plan and process – to get your existing customers to buy from you again and again on a regular basis. And not just for the next calendar year – but for years.

Sit back for a moment, and think about what that would really mean to your business. What does that mean in terms of long-term revenue for your business?

So why aren’t you planning for it? Hopefully you have an up-to-date database of your existing customers – which contains the service or product offering they purchased from you. And hopefully you know why they purchased from you – or what problem your product or service helped them solve.

From this information you can determine how best to reach out to these customers. Is it telemarketing? Is it one-to-one marketing campaign? Or is your customer base large enough to warrant a precision-targeted direct response program?

With this program you can send targeted mail – or email – or a telemarketing program – that touches your customer and encourages them to buy more of the same product – or entices them to buy a new product or service offering that further helps them with their need or problem.

So what have you accomplished? You have made more sales – and you have helped your existing customers by offering additional solutions to their problems. And by doing that, you have more than satisfied your customer, you have delighted them. And a delighted customer will buy from you again.

But none of this happens without building this into your marketing plan for 2009. You should make a concentrated effort to build this into your program. If you plan appropriately, you will likely find that there is more revenue to be gained from this type of program than the strenuous effort of finding and converting new prospects.

Do all this, and you might just survive this troubling economy. And the road ahead will be straight, downhill, and easy to navigate – without any blind curves…

[as originally published in eMerge! - The Journal of GrowthANSWERS - www.GrowthANSWERS.com]

Todd Schnick
www.intrepid-llc.com
Be Intrepid.

Don't Trick Your Customers Into Being Loyal, "Delight" Them Into Loyal Customers...

Customer Loyalty isn't something you can "trick" your customers into. Determined, process-oriented strategic marketing tactics can be built into your overall marketing strategy. Improving the quality of your customer service, your products, and offering further solutions to your customers - solutions that are sincerely meant to help them with their business - are the only ways to build long-term customer loyalty.

And a delighted customer keeps coming back...

Todd Schnick

http://www.intrepid-llc.com/

Be Intrepid.

Todd on Atlanta Business Radio!

Today, I had the pleasure to be a guest on Atlanta Business Radio, a show hosted by Amy Otto and Lee Kantor. Their show features some of Atlanta's top businessmen and businesswomen.

You can listen to the show and/or download an mp3 file to your iPod here:

http://www.atlantabusinessradio.com/

If you take a minute to review their previous guests, you will see they have hosted some great business minds and entrepreneurs.

I'd encourage you to check out their show on a regular basis. They do a great job! Find a new show live every Wednesday at 1000AM!

Todd Schnick
www.intrepid-llc.com
Be Intrepid.

The Great Girl Scout Cookie Brush Off...

This past week, I received the following email. I wanted to share it with you…

Q: After I send direct mail to a targeted prospect list, I usually follow-up with phone calls. But too often, I am told that they never received the mailing. Why does this happen?

A: That’s a great question, and unfortunately, a frequent response. I get the same response often when I follow-up on my own direct mail. Even from people I know personally. Sometimes it is legit. Sometimes the mail just doesn’t reach the intended recipient. Usually the mailing list you are using isn’t 100% perfect.

But sometimes that person on the other end of the phone is trying not to engage in what they have determined is a “sales call.”

We’ve all done it. We’ve all said “NOT INTERESTED” when we get pinged by telemarketers. We’ve all shooed-away people at our doorstep. Heck, we’ve all even brushed aside sweet, innocent Girl Scouts selling cookies outside our local grocery store. [Unless they present Thin Mints, then I buy every time…]

This is just a part of business. This is what makes sales so challenging. How you respond to this objection is what separates the men from the boys. How do I answer that question when I get it from my clients? I tell them “so what?” Sending that initial piece of mail makes that phone call easier.

My response to that line is always: “well I am sorry you didn’t receive it, but let me take a minute to tell you what it was about…”

If you just do a straight up cold call, you have to first establish who you are, why you are calling, etc. This is a harder call to make. But if you have initiated contact with direct mail, then the phone call becomes a “follow-up call” instead of a “cold-call.” And that – certainly for me – makes that phone call much easier. And one I am much more willing to make.

But keep in mind that the quality of your mail lists can impact the success of your direct mail program. If you are mailing to people you’ve met over the last several years – keep in mind that they move on to other jobs, get transferred, fired, promoted, etc. That business card you got from someone in summer 2007 may not be where they are today.

And if you rented a list from a list broker, keep in mind that those lists are never perfect. Even the high-end lists you get from top-notch vendors aren’t perfect. And keep in mind that our own Postal Service isn’t perfect either.

At the end of the day, it is about making contact. If your mailing has a compelling service or product offering – and it is sent to the right target – you will get response. If not, your product isn’t something they want – it wasn’t presented in a compelling way, or you mailed the wrong target audience. The good news? These are things you can fix!

Following up your mail with phone calls is a good thing to do. Just know you will hear all kinds of pushback. But following-up your mail with phone calls will be easier than a straight-up cold call - every time.

Todd Schnick
http://www.intrepid-llc.com/
Be Intrepid.

The Home Stretch Has Begun...

Many of you know that in addition to my marketing work, I also serve as a political consultant and direct mail vendor.

Well, it is now October. And the home stretch to Election Day has begun. I thought I'd share from time to time some of the political mail we at Intrepid are producing.

Enjoy. The piece below is for a Superior Court Judge race in Cobb County, Georgia...

To Market Your Business Is To Validate, Legitimize

I spent nine hours last Thursday in a sales training seminar conducted by a colleague of mine. And as a fellow participant said, “that was simply a great investment of a day.” Indeed it was.

But the purpose of continuing education isn’t the point of this posting. I’ve read tons of books, countless articles, and many blogs about marketing – but one thing I heard that day helped me better clarify what it is that I do.

Sure, we all have our own definitions of marketing. My favorite has always been that “marketing is the art and science of getting and keeping profitable customers.”

But after last Thursday, I have a better understanding of marketing’s purpose. And that is to VALIDATE. What does that mean? In the context of the seminar I attended – it is part of a process. The process begins with three critical steps – establishing a rapport with your prospect, learning their critical problems or needs, and then demonstrating how your product or service solves their problems or fulfills those needs.

But a key element in that process is VALIDATING your solution, and yourself. It is defined as helping people believe you, trust you, and have confidence in you – to validate you. Or as my thesaurus says, “legitimize.” Some examples of what I mean:

1. Why do you think your marketing advisors encourage you to use testimonials? So you can have others “validate” you.

2. Why do you have a portfolio on your website? So others can see your past work – which validates your ability in their mind.

3. Why are business blogs exploding in number? Because they provide a forum to demonstrate your knowledge of your business.

4. And why do people like me write articles and blog postings? So we can attempt to demonstrate expertise, and appear more legitimate in the market place.

All those strategies listed above assist in helping you seem “legitimate” in the market place. Yes, we been told to not sweat the small stuff, but it is the little things like that help validate you in the eyes of your prospects.

And yes, there is so much more to the “validation” process than the few simple ideas listed above, but you get the idea. Looking at your marketing strategy from this perspective can be very helpful.

In tough economic times such as these, many small businesses often cut or eliminate their marketing budgets. This would be a mistake. They are missing out on a key mission of what marketing does for their business.

But in closing, a sales application: I have a small business I have been doing some direct response marketing for. Their business does not currently have a website, and I have been pitching them about the value of building one.

To date, I had not succeeded in closing that piece of business. After my session last week, I approached them again, and said that building a website was important to “validating” them in the eyes of their prospects, that not having one made them seem not “legitimate” in the market place, especially compared to competitors who did have one.

Well?

We start work on their new site next week…

Todd Schnick is president of The Intrepid Group, LLC (http://www.intrepid-llc.com/), a small business marketing shop. You can find his blog at http://intrepidgroup.blogspot.com/.

Whoever said that video killed the radio star was just plain wrong...

I wanted to tell you about two cool, hip radio shows that you should be listening to...

The first is the "High Velocity Radio Show" hosted by Stone Payton and featured each Monday at 10:00AM. Billed as the fastest half-hour on radio, Stone's show will be an excellent investment of your time as he focuses on helping you achieve better results in less time, as well as featuring top performing business professionals.

And pay special attention to the show this coming Monday - as Intrepid is proud to be the show sponsor!

Click on the link below to listen to the show live - or download a podcast:
http://marketmate.org/hvradio.html

The second show is Atlanta Business Radio, which can be heard live Wednesdays at 10:00AM. Hosted by Lee Kantor and Amy Otto, the show spotlights Atlanta's top business people - and showcases what makes them successful. I am quite sure you will want to tune in October 8th as yours truly will be making a guest appearance. I can't wait!

Click on the link below to listen to the show live - or download a podcast:
http://www.atlantabusinessradio.com/

Be Intrepid.

Todd Schnick
http://www.intrepid-llc.com/

Building Your Marketing Strategy, Step Three - Determining Your Niche...

[As seen in this month's The Stuckey Report]

Moving right along with our marketing plan development series, Step Three. Last month, we focused on understanding your customer. This month we will discuss the third phase of your marketing plan – determining your niche.

Why do I need a niche, you ask? Have you ever been to a networking meeting - and heard an auto repair guy say that a good referral for him is anyone with a car…? That doesn’t help anyone provide a good referral. Everyone they know has a vehicle. They aren’t going to give him a list of everyone they know…

Determining a niche helps narrow the marketing place. What? Don’t I want to expand the marketplace? I will argue that by determining a niche, you are doing exactly that. When you target a specific niche in your field, you make it easier to get referrals, and easier to target your marketing mediums like direct mail, search engine optimization, etc.

Using the example of the auto repair guy, perhaps his niche is that he specializes in Fords. But isn’t he losing out on Toyota's, Honda's, and Chevy’s? Perhaps, but there are A LOT of Fords on the road. Then you become known in the marketplace as the EXPERT Ford repair guy, which can lead to more business.

Determining your niche is a vital step in developing your marketing strategy!

Todd Schnick is the president of the Intrepid Group LLC (www.intrepid-llc.com), a small business marketing firm. You can find his small business marketing blog at http://intrepidgroup.blogspot.com!

Remembering 9-11...

Remembering those we lost, and those fighting for freedom today around the world.

"This conflict was begun on the timing and terms of others. It will end in a way and at an hour of our choosing."

President George W. Bush

Progress is only made - when you take action!

I am a procrastinator. It is my most profound weakness. It slows me down. And I get sickened when I realize it is mostly because of fear - fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of negative feedback.

Of course it never fails - when I finally take action, nine times out of ten the reaction I get is largely positive.

But I am always looking for inspiration to overcome this problem of mine. That's why I wanted to share this blog post from Tim Ferriss. I hope it means something to you...

http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2008/09/04/stop-rationalizing-and-make-hard-decisions-learning-from-dr-king/#more-381


Todd Schnick, Intrepid
www.intrepid-llc.com

Is this you describing your product or service?

Remember dear friends, the key is conveying value to the customer - NOT details and specs about the product that mean nothing to most buyers...

Todd Schnick, Intrepid

www.intrepid-llc.com

Why small businesses fail...

I was reading an e-newsletter from Brian Tracy this morning entitled "How to Succeed in Business." He was talking about the key reasons that most small businesses fail, saying:

"...two critical areas of managerial incompetence that cause business failure. First is sales and marketing. 48 percent of businesses that fail in America fail because the business cannot sell enough of its products of services. Very few businesses fail when they have high levels of sales and revenues coming in."

The point? If you are struggling - do NOT take away from your marketing efforts. The first instinct of many small businesses when business slows is to cut back on their marketing efforts. This is wrong.

Remember, you can still have an intrepid marketing effort without spending a lot of money doing it.

Todd Schnick, Intrepid
www.intrepid-llc.com

Thought of the day...

I am currently reading The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber. I just came across a line that I wanted to share.

"...most businesses are operated according to what the owner wants as opposed to what the business needs."

Just think about that for a second...

Todd Schnick, Intrepid

Duct Tape: If You Are Not Participating in Social Media...

Check out the link below. A quick blog post about the value of blogging and other social media...

http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog/2008/08/19/if-youre-not-participating-in-social-media/

Todd Schnick, Intrepid
www.intrepid-llc.com