Business Brain Food

Joshua Belanger is living proof of the power of email marketing. Originally a Wall Street options broker, he used email marketing to reinvent himself as an options-trading adviser to the public. He now has a big enough following to be regularly quoted by the likes of the Wall Street Journal and Reuters, while his own website Option Sizzle continues to go from strength to strength. Here are some of Joshua’s top tips:

** Don’t go overboard with bells and whistles. The more obstacles you remove from the process, the easier it is to maintain regular output.

** Most mass-email software is similar. Don’t waste too much time worrying which one is best.

** Leave people wanting more from your content so they become active rather than passive.

** Manage subscribers’ expectations from the very beginning, i.e. be honest with how often you will be sending them emails.

** Opt outs are not always a bad thing. Don’t allow your strategy to be driven by the need to avoid them.

** Repeat business is more easy than you think. If someone has bought once, don’t be afraid to try to sell to them again.

  Joshua’s strategy is unashamedly aggressive. He focuses on the simplicity of daily output over any concerns about offending his subscribers. To him, someone who unsubscribes would never have been a paying customer anyway, so any strategy should not concentrate on trying to placate these people too much.   In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The potential impact of capturing emails

** How to design a mailout

** How to properly understand your audience

** The pros and cons of free giveaways

** Average email open rates

** How to be entertaining in short form

** The optimum length of an email

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Free, no-obligation business coaching chat with a member of Ben’s team: (http://actioncoachanz.com/free-business-coaching-session)

** 8 recurring themes of leadership and culture: (http://actioncoachanz.com/8-recurring-themes-of-leadership-and-culture-lessons-i-learned-from-john-eales)

** Joshua Belanger’s site: (http://www.optionsizzle.com)

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips podcast (http://www.dbtpodcast.com)

** Sales Made Simple Workshops with Ben (http://actioncoachanz.com/salesmadesimple)

** Leave feedback on this podcast and receive a free business coaching CD from Ben.  Winners are also entered into a draw for a DVD pack worth 500 AUD.  Email screenshot of your feedback to: ben@maxmyprofit.com.au

** Facebook (www.facebook.com/businessbrainfood)

** Business Brain Food Facebook Group (www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood)

** Twitter (https://twitter.com/bfewtrell)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher)

 

  Despite what some people might say, email marketing is still an immensely powerful tool, and for many companies can still be the most important part of the marketing mix. If you want to maximize the power of email marketing for your business, listen to Joshua! Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF083_Simple_Daily_emails_double_sales_Joshua_Belanger.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

We’ve all heard of webinars, but how many of us actually know how to use them to make money for our business? This week’s guest Steven Essa certainly does – he travels around the world showing people how. Webinars can be useful for so much in the course of business, i.e. more sales, lead generation, increasing your own authority etc.; but like most people, Steven didn’t realise their value at first. He’d always struggled to write good sales copy so was always frustrated at the low quality of his online output, until one day he was completely inspired by the quality of a seminar he attended. He realised that if he simply projected his own personality online in the same way, he could make money online without the need for the conventions of sales copy and mailshots.

Steven was full of great detail about the art form when he spoke to BBF. Here’s a sneak preview of some of his insight:

** Webinars produce higher conversion rates than ‘conventional’ online marketing channels.

** The concept of seeing someone projected on a video can often actually qualify the speaker better than if you were to meet them in person.

** All webinars need a title that identifies a specific target market, and then a specific benefit.

** Break all webinars into pre-defined steps.

** Don’t sell during the main content of the presentation. Any calls to action must be at the end.

** Forget about branding. Plane ole black & white looks more believable and less salesy than a properly branded message.

  In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The first steps towards getting started with webinars

** How a webinar can replace cold-call sales scripts

** How to find the perfect webinar title

** How to create the all-important Segway between impartial information and a sales pitch

** How to automate webinars

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Best place to host webinars (Gotowebinar.com)

** The Webinator Software (http://www.webinator.biz/)

** Steve’s website (http://www.stevenessar.com)

** Free, no-obligation business coaching chat with a member of Ben’s team: (http://actioncoachanz.com/free-business-coaching-session)

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips podcast (http://www.dbtpodcast.com)

** Sales Made Simple Workshops with Ben (http://actioncoachanz.com/salesmadesimple)

** Leave feedback on this podcast and receive a free business coaching CD from Ben.  Winners are also entered into a draw for a DVD pack worth 500 AUD.  Email screenshot of your feedback to: ben@actioncoachanz.com

** Facebook (www.facebook.com/businessbrainfood)

** Business Brain Food Facebook Group (www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood)

** Twitter (https://twitter.com/bfewtrell)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher)

  It really was astonishing to find out that conversion rates from webinars have been measured as approximately 10 TIMES higher than from mailshots. Those figures alone should be enough to convince you that Steven is worth listening to! Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF082_Webinars_to_grow_your_Business.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

Chris Gray has truly built an empire… an AUD 14m property empire to be precise! As a result he has gained great notoriety as a commentator on the marketplace… you may have seen him appearing on his fortnightly slot on Sky News called “Your Property Empire”. Perhaps what has made him so successful is his schooling beyond property. Chris is also qualified as an accountant and as a mortgage broker which has enabled him to see beyond the bricks and mortar. It is a great privilege to have such a great all-rounder on the show, so if you aren’t listening already, have a look at a few of these highlights from our chat:

** Buying property in capital cities is generally a safe bet.

** Second guessing a more ‘provincial’ property marketplace can offer high rewards, but also high losses.

** Do not underestimate the value of mortgage brokers.

** Refinance your portfolio regularly to ensure a consistent release of equity.

** Use zero emotion when investing.

** Remember that someone else can do all of the donkeywork for you.

  Beyond the above, Chris was very keen to point out that when you have multiple properties, paying off mortgage debt can often be pointless. Using spare equity to increase an asset base is generally more productive than paying off a mortgage, especially if you refinance regularly. In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** How to raise finance to build a property portfolio quickly

** Differing attitudes to money across generations

** How best to reinvest equity

** The benefits of a “buyer’s agent”

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Podcast Addict app: (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bambuna.podcastaddict&hl=en_GB)

** Smart Passive Income Podcast Tutorial: (http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/how-to-start-a-podcast-podcasting-tutorial/)

** Cliff Ravenscroft: Podcast Answerman (http://podcastanswerman.com/learn-how-to-podcast/)

** Chris’ Website with free book (http://www.yourempire.com.au)

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips podcast (http://www.dbtpodcast.com)

** Sales Made Simple Workshops with Ben (http://actioncoachanz.com/salesmadesimple)

** Leave feedback on this podcast and receive a free business coaching CD from Ben.  Winners are also entered into a draw for a DVD pack worth 500 AUD.  Email screenshot of your feedback to: ben@actioncoachanz.com

** Facebook (www.facebook.com/businessbrainfood)

** Business Brain Food Facebook Group (www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood)

** Twitter (https://twitter.com/bfewtrell)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher)

  Chris’ story shows that you don’t necessarily need to be a slave to property day-to-day in order to earn a full-time living from it. His own company and many others like it specialize in doing the hard work to acquire and trade property, so you might be surprised at just what returns could be open to you in double-quick time if you shook off the fear and took the plunge… Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF081_Effortlessly_build_your_property_Empire.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

This man is a serious legend in the world of human performance, so much so that Ben credits him as the person who inspired him to get where he is today. Having studied the art for a total of 43 years and having authored 40 self-development books, John is now revered as a world authority on the matter.

What makes John such a good guest is the practicality of his theory. He is not a generic ‘guru’ who simply deals in top-level philosophy – he distills everything in to day-to-day goals that we can all use for ourselves. BBF listeners will also be enthused by the fact that he succeeded in business before he became a human-performance expert; building up a chiropractor firm in double-quick time that made him the envy of the industry. If you still aren’t persuaded that you need to listen to the episode, have a look below for a summary of some of the advice he gave. Once you read that, you’re bound to give it a listen!

** Find out what really is valuable to you, not what other people decide is valuable

** If you please everybody on the outside, you’ll ultimately be displeased on the inside

** Your goals will be mere fantasy unless your values actually link properly to your goals

** It is possible to change your values

** When your values shift, you can better see new opportunities

** If you struggle to be motivated to do what you say is important, then it is probably not all that important to you at all

  What Dr John keeps going back to is the concept of aligning values with high-level goals. On paper this might sound like an obvious way of being a high achiever, but simply beING clear about both values and goals is not enough. The key is for the path between the two to be clear. In this episode of Business Brain Food you will learn:

** The 6 things common to wealthy people

** The “200 benefits” method

** The definition of ‘fear’

** The workings of the ‘executive centre’ of the brain

** The myths of depression

** The benefits of saying no

  Resources mentioned in this episode:

** Ben’s Daily Business Tips podcast (http://www.dbtpodcast.com)

** Sales Made Simple Workshops with Ben (http://actioncoachanz.com/salesmadesimple)

** Leave feedback on this podcast and receive a free business coaching CD from Ben.  Winners are also entered into a draw for a DVD pack worth 500 AUD.  Email screenshot of your feedback to: ben@actioncoachanz.com

** Dr Demartini’s website, including the “Determine Your Values” exercise: (http://www.drdemartini.com)

** Facebook (www.facebook.com/businessbrainfood)

** Business Brain Food Facebook Group (www.facebook.com/groups/businessbrainfood)

** Twitter (https://twitter.com/bfewtrell)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/itunes)

** ActionCOACH (http://actioncoachanz.com/stitcher)

  Dr Demartini’s methods are an important lesson in what is possible if you think laterally and are honest with yourself. Just because Bill Gates is a billionaire doesn’t mean that you actually need to be. You might be surprised at how much more achievable your goals suddenly become when you use Dr Demartini’s methods to properly align your values. Also, if you are enjoying these Business Brain Food podcasts, then make sure to share them via social media sites or email the links to family and friends. A lot of time and effort goes into producing each of these podcasts with the goal in mind of the more people we can inspire about business the better. You can help us do just that! Until next time, have a profitable day. Cheers, Ben Fewtrell (02) 9111 5000

Direct download: BBF080_Maximise_human_performance_with_DrJohn_Demartini.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm AEDT

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