Very interesting!

I would have wanted to retire at as early an age as possible. The way we can retire wealthy at any age is to build a business that is worth a lot of money and then sell it.

One answer to the questions about working less hours and making more money can be accomplished by increasing the cost of your product or service, or by creating, over a period of time, a group of customers that keep coming back constantly.

As all of you know, growing a business is very time-consuming, but the rewards are greater than working for someone else and creating profits for them, instead of for yourself.

But the initial stage of building a business requires time and a lot of effort on your part. By taking the right initial steps in building your business, you will make more money in less hours overall.

Let me give you some particulars. Since your business is selling other businesses on purchasing refrigerator magnets, and you mail to target homeowners in the town, you must initially answer the following question. “What problems do you solve for your customers?”

All business owners have problems, and solving customer problems, whether those are problems customers are currently facing, or problems they will face as their marketplace evolves or their needs change, is an area of opportunity for you or any other business owner.

If you can’t put your finger on your customer’s problem, you won’t solve it. You have to create a very succinct statement about how your customer is going to benefit by advertising using magnets.

Here are a few ideas…

My mother had at least 25 of those advertising magnets on her refrigerator. One time I asked her why she had so many, and her response was that when she needed the services of that particular provider or business, all she had to do was to look on her refrigerator.

You have to put together an information piece, extolling the many benefits they will receive by advertising with you on the Refrigerator Magnet.

Remember, I’ve always said, “It’s all about BENEFITS.” All of us go thru the same experience when we shop, asking ourselves the following question: “What’s in it for me? How will I benefit by purchasing the (whatever)? Am I making a mistake?”

If you can address this issue, and outline how they are going to benefit, you’ll be home free.

Another thought. Your job as a business owner is to increase the perceived value of your product or service to the point in which it becomes irresistible.

Here are some ideas…

1. Make sure you sell the resulting benefits of using your product or service rather than the features. The benefits you tell them must be important to your prospect.
2. Have other business individuals give their positive comments on your product or service. I remember reading a while ago that the reason 50% of the airtime of most infomercials are customer testimonials is that they want to hear unbiased opinions on the product.
3. If possible, give your prospect a trial run of your product or service, so they can personally feel the benefits themselves.
4. Here’s the best one I can think of. Help your potential customers, and even your existing ones, by offering them my FREE book, “10 Marketing Mistakes that Steal your Cash.” It’s free and you can use it with a letter like the following:

Dear ______.

We haven’t met yet, but I thought the enclosed book might help you in your business, and I wanted to send you a gift introducing myself.

(Now tell what you do and how they can benefit by your product or service. Tell them you will be calling on them shortly.)

There is a law called, “The Law of Reciprocity.” It means that when you give a gift to someone, they feel obligated to you. So use this idea, and don’t forget you can do the same with the Marketing Tip of the Week…you can give it as a gift.

Anytime you want to grow your business, or anytime you want to add new stores to distribute your product, use this law of reciprocity.

And remember what business you are in. Not magnets. You are in the business of helping business people grow their business. The magnets will help them do that.

So to get back to my point at the beginning, the way you can work less hours overall, and retire wealthy at any age is to build a business that is worth a lot of money and then sell it.

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