I’ve been off coffee this week. Just been so damn busy trying to tie everything up before Xmas that I’ve decided to shelve my coffee addiction – for a few days anyway.

Let’s see how long that lasts

Anyway, I’ve substituted coffee for mineral water. And as I was knocking back a nice mineral water at 9 or 10am yesterday at the coffee shop down the road, I was reading the paper, which I like to do quickly flick through every day to pick up ideas.

While I was reading I saw a story about a woman who had been suspended for dumping over 400 letters of Xmas mail in the dump.

That’s letters that you could have mailed… I could have mailed… anyone could have mailed… binned.

Apparently, a security guard spotted it when she paid a visit to the Moorebank Shopping Village yesterday.

So was I really that shocked?

No.

In fact, I am sure it happens all of the time.

And I am sure there is a small percentage of mail which never gets delivered.

That’s why I tell people who do letterbox drops (aka junk mail) to mail the first 5,000 of them first by yourself or someone you know who you really trust.

Why? Because that way you know they are going to be delivered and not end up in a bin somewhere. (believe me, I’ve heard some terrible stories)

Anyway, when it comes to direct mail – that’s not your main problem.

Your biggest problem lies in getting those damn letters opened and read by the people who actually get them.

Your biggest problem lies in getting them past the gatekeeper.

Because guess what?

It doesn’t matter how good your copy is… it doesn’t matter how good your product is… if it doesn’t get read, NOBODY is going to respond.

And the same goes with email.

If your subject lines are terrible (as most are) it doesn’t matter what your content is.

The good news is on lesson #3 of http://www.morecustomersmadeeasy.com
(which I’ll send right away to anyone who orders today) I show you exactly what you need to do to get your letters and emails opened.

Anyway, the clock is ticking for both of us, so that’s all for now.

Thomas Edison once said “Vision without execution is hallucination.”

And I couldn’t agree more.

So if you have been reading my emails over the years without acting on them, hopefully this little success story will give you the kick up the butt to get into action so you don’t look back on your business 5 years from now… 10 years from now… or even this time next year and say…

could… shoulda… woulda…

It comes from one of my subscribers, Kristy Middlemass who is a graphic designer.

And it supports yesterday’s email as well as Woody Allen’s success principle:

“80% of success is just showing up”

Here is the unedited version of what Kristy had to say…

Hi Scott,

I’ve been receiving your emails for quite some time now, 18 months perhaps.

I keep them all in a folder, because sometimes I’m just too busy to get to it but never want to miss what you have to say.

I’m ex-retail, 20 years of newsagency life in Perth, including managing &
owning. Thousands of customers and dozens of staff over the years, so you can imagine the ‘challenges’ I used to face and the experience I have in data bases, networking, etc.

Many things you mention I already knew but it’s that little smack around the back of the head that you give me which makes me think twice and do once.

I guess I’m trying to say, thank you for all your words of wisdom, experience (in work & life in general) you’ve put a smile on my face and
other times you’ve made me see things from a different angle.

I got out of retail and studied to be a graphic designer. And that’s the reason for this email.

The email I received today was for me! You didn’t know it, but it was all for me. I’m doing my data base, contact every month at least to say hi, drop by their office to check if anything needs doing and on occasions, dropped in a few samples, ideas without being asked or prompted. It’s a surprise to them, makes them feel special, makes me feel good and generates more business for me.

I have a massage/acupuncture client who hasn’t been operating very long.

I had suggested gift vouchers for the xmas period, but his bank balance
was wearing thin, and to be honest, he didn’t see a need for them and I couldn’t change his mind.

I decided to printed of a little booklet of a dozen vouchers anyway, using his logo & colours that I used for his signage, brochures & business cards.

I turned up at his store and just handed them over and said ‘Give them a go.

If there’s any time to try them, now is it. This exercise won’t cost you a cent, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.’

He was pleasantly surprised, and in the weeks after, he referred two new potential clients, and he has decided in the new year to organise vouchers, envelopes & a loyalty system.

Just wanted to share that, I was pretty excited about the result of the
exercise, and just proves even further what you’ve said today.

Thanks again.
Kristy Middlemass
LadyBird Design Print & Media
—

So today, take a leaf out of Kristy’s book and start to TAKE ACTION on what you read here on a daily basis because as you can see at
http://www.scottbywater.com/proof – this stuff works.

And then if you want to get stuck into the real meat and step-by-step strategies, head on over to http://www.morecustomersmadeeasy.com and find out how to turn all of these ideas into money in the bank.

On Saturday, I was in Chinatown with my wife and we decided to go to Yum-Cha.

After all, we love yum-cha.

The atmosphere, the people, the food.

Before we had a child, I think we used to do yum-cha almost every other week.

Anyway, at one stage I noticed these custard tarts go past on one of the trays. And I thought, they look nice.

But I didn’t stop the waitress and order.

After all, I was enjoying some calamari and leafy greens and the two just didn’t mix.

However ten minutes later I thought to myself: “Now I wouldn’t mind one of those custard tarts right now. It would just hit the spot.”

But the custard tarts were nowhere to be seen.

I missed out. And they missed out as a result.

And that brings me to the purpose of this email.

When most people chase after clients, they give up far too easily.

For instance, they will get someone on their database, mail them one letter and forget about them.

Or they will chase after a client and give up as soon as they say they don’t need anything right now.

But the key to sending your sales through the roof is to be there when your customer needs your help.

For instance, you could use the strategies in lesson #1 of http://www.morecustomersmadeeasy.com to get people onto your database.

But then you might send them some information and a sales letter and forget about them.

Problem is, let’s say you’re a graphic designer – and when I as the customer get your sales letter, I don’t need a graphic designer.

And I don’t need one next month. Or the month after.

But I do need one six months later.

If you’re keeping in touch with me every month, tapping me on my shoulder, and reminding me that you are here… you will get the business.

If you’re not, you won’t – you’ll be forgotten.

And I won’t know where to find you. Just like my Yum-Cha waitress.

So make sure you persist and are the first person that comes to mind when your customer is ready to buy.

Ok, that’s enough ranting for one day