Volume V • Number 9 • September 2017 • $97
DOES
SIZE MATTER? expert interview with
3 EASY “READS” TO GET & STAY MOTIVATED
Mike LaFido
SELLING TO THE AFFLUENT
September 2017
ABOUT STEVE
About the Publisher, Steve Sipress If you want to grow your business slowly – or just maintain it as is, you’ll have to do that all on your own. But if you want dramatic growth in your income and lifestyle, then Steve’s out-of-the-box and time-tested strategies and tactics could be the keys to your dreams. You can benefit from Steve’s coaching experience and expertise to revolutionize your business – yes, even in this challenging economy – at one of the many in-person entrepreneur events he hosts, OR from the comfort of your own home anywhere in the world. You can also learn basic and advanced direct response marketing strategies and tactics from 150+ hours of video instruction, plus use any or all of Steve’s multi-million-dollar, proven “done-for-you” marketing materials at SSSMarketingUniversity.com. That website has been called The Single Most Powerful Client Attraction Program Available Anywhere, and you could be using it to skyrocket your income anytime you want, 24/7, along with hundreds of other sharp, successful business leaders. If you’re just starting up your new business, you’ll want to take advantage of all of Steve’s training, guidance and resources at NewBusinessAcademy.org. Steve is a successful and award-winning serial entrepreneur, who has created and built nearly a dozen successful companies of his own, and he can help you do the same – more quickly and easily than you’ve ever imagined. In fact, you can immediately use plenty of his simple and powerful strategies and tactics that work especially well in this current frustrating economy. You can discover the basics of Steve’s powerful “The WOW! Strategy™: How To Solve All Of Your Marketing Problems” by watching a short video at www.SteveSipress.com. Steve is a celebrated author, speaker and business coach who has established profitable businesses and helped thousands of ambitious and aggressive business owners, entrepreneurs, executives and sales professionals all around the world. He has written numerous newsletters and articles on sales and marketing for a wide range of publications and has appeared on radio and television, helping millions of people along the way. For over five years, Steve was the #1 “Dan Kennedy Certified No B.S. Business Advisor,” and was Runner-Up out of 25,000 members for 2010 GKIC Marketer Of The Year. If you want the very best, hard-hitting, no-nonsense, caring advice and help you can get, then “Straight-Talk Steve” could be exactly what you and your business need most. Whether you’re a current or future business superstar, Steve can help you get exactly where you want to go as quickly, easily and powerfully as YOU want – with massive results both short-term and long-term.
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www.SteveSipress.com www.SSSMarketingUniversity.com www.NewBusinessAcademy.org www.Facebook.com/SmallBizHelp www.Twitter.com/SteveSipress
When we first started, I was terribly in debt and we were just a few months away from bankruptcy. We started seeing a boost right away in our business, we took what Steve’s given me and we just started implementing and implementing, and it’s just totally transformed my business. Steve has helped me with my laser focus, he helps me implement, he’s taken my business to a whole new level. We went from a half a million dollars to a million dollars in two years. It’s just an incredible experience to know that where you think you’re just dead and things are horrible, to now anything is possible. I can see taking this to a whole new three or four types of businesses -- it’s going to be huge. Steve is all business, he is an unbelievably smart, brilliant man. I can’t say enough about him. Everything he’s told me, I’ve made so much money it doesn’t matter what it costs. They don’t make enough money in this world that somebody could pay me so I would stop listening to Steve. Steve is the exact reason why I have a retirement fund now. It’s probably illegal how much fun I’m having!”
Jon Bockman
Owner, Bockman’s Auto Care Sycamore, Illinois
Does Size Matter? By Steve Sipress
When prospects see a small ad, they naturally say to themselves, “Either that guy is brand new and doesn’t yet know what he’s doing, or he must be so bad that he’s going out of business, or he must also be penny-pinching when it comes to his equipment and materials and everything else about his business.” Not exactly the image you want to project. Now don’t get me wrong. Some people want to do business with “the little guy.” But those tend to be the worst, nitpicking, tire-kicking, trouble-making, always-complaining, badreview-giving, non-referring customers, clients or patients you could possibly find. The same thing goes for trade show sponsorships: The business owner who goes for the smallest booth is the one who will be complaining, “They stuck me in the corner where no one saw me or came by the whole time.” But the results-oriented company that invested in the main booth that that was four times the size and was located right where all of the attendees enter the room, was so busy raking in the customers and cash at the event that they didn’t even notice the price-focused sponsors sitting around miserable and alone in the back corners of the room the whole time. I think you get the point. If your goal is just to spend as little as possible, then go small with all of your advertising and marketing – and just be prepared to complain about your lack of results. But if you want to make a splash and get the most bang for your buck, then of course you know that size does matter. This is one of the most common questions I get asked when it comes to advertising. Even worse, it’s one of the biggest mistakes business owners make, and they don’t even ask. I would love to tell you that the size of your ad doesn’t matter, but let me ask you: If you were results-oriented and you were going to advertise on TV, do you think it would make sense to run one 30-second spot at 3:00am on a Sunday on channel 438? Or do you think you might get better results if you ran 20 60-second spots during prime time on weeknights on all of the major networks? If you’re looking at advertising as “What’s the cheapest thing I can do?” then you don’t need any help from me. But if you ask yourself, “Which ad size can I place that will get the most attention, project the best image that my company is solid and successful, and give me enough space to tell my story in the most effective way?” then you’re thinking correctly.
It’s a foundational point of all marketing and advertising: Go big or go home. Ignore it at your own risk.
To find out more about Steve Sipress and how he can help you have more fun and make more money with your business, see the Inside Cover Page. To get new money-making strategies and tips from Steve and other top business-building experts from around the world, go to:
RhinoDaily.com or LessonsLearnedFromDonaldTrump.com
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Steve Sipress The WOW Strategy™ Creator
To find out if The WOW! Strategy™ Results Group could be right for you, go to:
www.SteveSipress.com/results
Jon Bockman Sycamore, IL
“Steve is all business. He is an unbelievably smart, brilliant, brilliant man. I can't say enough about him. Steve has put probably more, I would say, thousands, and thousands, and thousands of dollars... I mean, I probably can't even put a true figure on it, because it keeps coming back, and keeps coming back, just more and more money all the time.”
“One suggestion that Steve gave me, well, without question, put $300,000 more in my bank account. And we are going to be using it forever. This is not a one-time deal. We’re going to be using this idea that Steve helped us with... and we’ll be using it until it doesn't keep working like it is. And so, the value over time could literally be way over even the $300,000 number.”
Mary Forte Bensenville, IL
Keith Lee Seattle, WA
“He's helped me learn how to market my business, and today I can say that we're more successful than we've ever been… I needed to learn how to market the business better to create more revenue, and that's what Steve has helped me with. The financial difference is considerable. We've probably close to doubled our revenues. We're on track now to do another close to $500,000 more than we did last year. So that's awesome. I do owe all of that to Steve.”
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MANNY’S BLOG
September 2017
Have Your Dogs Call My Dogs There have been a lot of frustrations and disappointments, but I have not given up on hiring a personal assistant to help me run my far-flung media empire. (Okay, it’s flung about as far as you can throw a Frisbee, but it’s a work in progress.) I’m learning from my mistakes, like when I tried hiring an impersonal assistant. You don’t know how embarrassing it is when you’re being interviewed by Matt Lauer and your helper keeps addressing you as “Hey, you!”
stomach.” Ha ha. Someone who can speak Truth to Power! Now Rover can speak truth to the lady at the unemployment office. During his probationary period, I told King he would have to help me protect my brand. The next thing I knew, he was twirling a lasso and chanting, “Cut ‘em out, ride ‘em in, rawhide!” I cut him out.
I have auditioned quite a few applicants, but all have disappointed me in some way or another.
A personal assistant is supposed to help me keep my operation simple, efficient, and cost-effective. When I told Basil I have to keep a lot of balls in the air, he went out and rented a fleet of drones!
Really, I’m not that demanding of a personal assistant. I do expect him to understand my filing system (“the hip bone’s connected to the thigh bone, the thigh bone’s connected to the…”) and to know that when I request administrative support, I mean I need to stand on his back so I can sneak some of those bacon strips off Steve and Michele’s kitchen counter.
Of course, a personal assistant needs to be up to speed in screening my calls, handling my social media posts, and preparing my email correspondence. When I asked Spot what he knew about attachments, he said, “Well, I have whimpering nightmares when I’m separated from my favorite blue blanket, but if you give me a raise, I can afford therapy…”
I don’t even demand that an employee be a self-starter. Given the work ethic of some younger canines today, if he can be started by firecrackers or a can opener, I’m satisfied.
When I give a lecture somewhere, I need a personal assistant to take the pulse of the audience. Hercules wound up snapping on vinyl gloves and advising the audience, “This won’t hurt very long.”
Shucks, it’s worth a lot if a personal assistant has my favorite drink (Ty-D-Bol ’07) and music (for instance, U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Sniffing For”) ready in the morning.
I do think I’ll give Brigitte a second chance. She had her flaws, but she got me out of trouble with Steve and Michele after I imbibed too much of the ’07 and had an “accident.” (“That spot on the den carpet? Sir, that is an endangered wetland. Let me handle the Washington paperwork for you…”) Brilliant.
A little bit of spunk goes a long way. When I told Rover his résumé seemed padded, he replied, “So does your
Manny (full name Emanuel or “Dog With Us”) brought non-stop joy, affection, and energy into the lives of Steve and Michele Sipress for over 13 years. He also shared his wit, humor and insights with readers here every month. Thankfully, as he got on in years and knew that his time on this Earth was growing short, he poured himself into his writing, leaving many, many columns behind, so that his fans can have the continued pleasure of being entertained and enlightened by him for a long time to come. He is no longer physically with us, but his memory lives on…
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expert interview with
Mike LaFido
SELLING TO THE AFFLUENT Steve Sipress: Mike LaFido! Welcome. It’s a pleasure to have you here on The Rhino Daily Podcast. Mike LaFido: Hey. Thanks for having me, Steve. Steve: It’s a pleasure. We’ve known each other a little over 10 years, from up in my Chicago days, and man, I’ve
just seen you take the world by storm here, and you’ve become an absolute authority on how any business owner can boost his sales by selling to more affluent people. Because I love, whenever I ask somebody, “Who’s your ideal client?” and they give me who their current client is: “Well, I usually get the…” Yeah, but I’m like, “This is a perfect world, I’m
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asking you, don’t worry about who you usually get, who would you really love?” And hopefully, I think you’re going to second the motion, that that ought to be somebody who has some money to spend. Am I right? Mike: Absolutely. Customer Value, Lifetime Customer Value. “What is the sale worth to you?” I always ask
EXPERT INTERVIEW
that to business owners and agents. I specialize in the luxury real estate space, but I help business owners outside of that of course. “What is the sale worth to you, and what will you cheerfully spend to get a new client?” Steve: Especially in your world of real estate, which you’ve set that world on fire I know, of course it’s going to take you basically the same amount of time and effort and anything to be selling a house. You might as well be selling a $4,000,000 home instead of a $200,000 home. Mike: Absolutely. I tell agents all the time, “Listen, would you rather sell 25 houses to make $250,000 or would you rather sell 10 houses?” I don’t know about you, but I’d rather work less, work smarter not harder, and you can allocate your time elsewhere. Steve: Exactly. And the same thing in any business. Whether it’s selling a home or selling a widget, or being an attorney, or whatever it is, and there’s even something to say, am I wrong, that there’s even less competition when you’re going after the affluent customer or client?
Mike: Market to message. So, you’ve got to look the part. So, in other words, if you sell trinkets, you sell men’s clothing, you sell whatever it is, that user experience has to be congruent with your message. So, in other words, if they Google you, which they will, and they go to your website, they look you up on Linkedin, or Facebook, or your website, do you have a track record? And if you don’t, and if you’re just starting, that’s okay as well. But if you don’t have a track record, well then you’ve got to at least look the part. If they do their due diligence on you, as far as checking you out on the websites and social media, your branding has to match your message. Steve: Well that makes sense, because of course everyone knows that’s what we do, everyone’s looking somebody up. Especially the tight economy we’ve had for the last 10 years or so, people are a little more careful how they spend their money. And the more affluent, how do you think they got to be affluent? They’re more careful when they spend their money; they spend the money, but they want to take a look. So when you
September 2017
say “look the part,” do you mean how you dress, or… What do you mean by “look the part?” Mike: Yeah. That’s a good question. So let me step back 10 years ago, Steve, if you remember, maybe even 12 to 15 years ago, but definitely probably 10 years ago, if it was on the internet, it was deemed probably to be true first until proven false. Now, it’s the exact opposite, with the election that just was past us, and all the fake news, nobody knows what to believe. So people’s – if I can say it – B.S. meters are up, and so they’re going to do further due diligence. So when I say “look the part,” I’m not necessary talking like, if you’re groomed and you look nice and you’re dressed nice, although that might be part of it. I’m talking more your presence, your marketing, how you are being branded online and offline to both print and digital. So more your online presence. Steve: I’ve got it. So, in the old days, anyone could go and get a fancy brochure and a business card. Now, you need that kind of stuff going on online. And with all the social media,
Mike: Well, I would say there’s less good competition, if there’s such a thing. So, in other words, yeah there’s people that want to cater to the high net worth individuals, but they’re not marketers, right? They don’t have the systems in place. They don’t get it. So, it’s easier I think to stand above the competition and be memorable. Steve: All right. So, help us out here. What’s the first thing? If I decide, “Man! That sounds great,” and I’ve got to market to more affluent people, but I don’t want to do it wrong, like you said, and be one of those people, what’s the first thing I’ve got to do if I want to attract a more affluent client?
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September 2017
EXPERT INTERVIEW
If you think you’ve got to live in a certain neighborhood, you’ve got to drive a certain car, or you’ve got to be experienced “x” amount of years before you can market to the affluent, my history in real estate, those are big limiting beliefs that agents have.
you’ve really got to be out there all over the place, and like you say, looking good. How easy is that to do? It sounds crazy. Mike: Well, you don’t want to assume, right? You know what they say when you assume. So, that’s like the prerequisite. That’s like a foundation. You can’t build a house on a weak foundation. It will crumble. So really the foundation is the mindset. I should probably have started out there, Steve. Before you even go to the print materials and looking the part, listen: If you think you’ve got to live in a certain neighborhood, you’ve got to drive a certain car, or you’ve got to be experienced “x” amount of years before you can market to the affluent, my history in real estate, those are big limiting beliefs that agents have.
I should have started off there, before we get into the marketing. So Step 1 is really the mindset system. Maybe you’ve heard of Roger Bannister. He was the first person ever to run the mile under four minutes. Nobody thought it could be done. He was the first to do it. And within two years of him doing it, 37 other runners ran the mile under four minutes. And it wasn’t because Gatorade was invented, or Nike came out with a certain shoe. It was the mental barriers. People said, “Man, if Roger could do it, I could do
“Oh, I’ve got to be a licensed agent, and be successful “x” amount of years before I can start selling these mansions.” That’s false, false, false, false. Those are limiting beliefs, and that’s not true. So that’s probably the first thing I should have started with, Steve, is the mindset. Garbage in, garbage stays. So if you believe that you can’t market to these, if you believe you have to be a business owner, making “x” amount of dollars, or live in a certain community, then all the best branding and the marketing isn’t worth a grain of salt, if you don’t believe that you can deliver a better value and a better experience to that market. Steve: So in other words, my mindset is important. Does that mean… I guess it starts with I have to believe that I can sell to affluent people. For a lot of people that’s a scary thing, isn’t it? Mike: Yeah. And that’s I guess where
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it.” So the mental barriers that we all have inside of us, it’s a very real thing. And many people, when we’re talking about high net worth individuals, and marketing to the affluent, we can’t take that lightly. So that’s the biggest obstacle that most people have to overcome. And then, the second, of course, is market to message, looking the part. Steve: Stick on this first for a minute. How did you – you sell affluent homes, you help other people do it
EXPERT INTERVIEW
– you were relatively young, you’re still relatively young. So you were relatively young when you started selling to people that were likely older than you, wealthier than you, living in nicer houses, driving nicer cars. How did you develop the mindset to feel confident to sell to them? Mike: Yeah, that’s a great question. I had a luxury agent in a luxury neighborhood, in a luxury office hire my consulting company, because she needed help with her marketing. So when I was in the trenches with her, and I realized, holy cow, she is crushing it in the luxury niche, and doesn’t know hardly anything on the marketing side of things, nearly of what I was doing, and some of the advanced practices. It was almost like, “Man, if they can do it, I should be crushing it.” And so, that was basically my green light to say, “Hey, this niche needs help, and I can do it if they can do it.” Steve: I like that, because if you’re going to pick a niche or a market to sell to, again, you might as well sell to people who have money. There’s one thing we’ve learned in the last about 10 years here of a stagnant economy is wealthy people are still spending money, even if middle class and broke people don’t have a lot of money, but there’s still people doing all kinds of crazy buying their private jets, and their islands, and their luxury homes, and whatever. They don’t want to brag about it a lot, you don’t see the Rich And Famous TV show anymore, because they get eggs thrown at them I guess, but they’re definitely spending a lot of money. So, if they’re going to spend it with somebody, you might as well go get it. Right?
September 2017
Steve: Gee. That’s awesome, because I was just going to ask, not everyone is lucky enough to be in a position you were, and find out that they can do work for somebody who’s “crushing it” in a luxury market, and doesn’t even know what they’re doing. So, how do they get started? And you’ve just promised, we’re at the end of today’s episode, but tomorrow you’re going to unveil that secret to everybody.
Would you rather work smarter, and sell fewer things, and make the same if not more money, or work harder for the same amount of money?
for today’s interview, is the mindset, the opportunity. Would you rather work smarter, and sell fewer things, and make the same if not more money, or work harder for the same amount of money? It’s really a nobrainer. So, the second step of our interview, the next interview that we’re going to do, Steve, I’m going to give away to the listeners something that every listener can do in their own marketplace, that will help them make their “in” with the high net worth individuals or the decision makers.
Mike: Absolutely. Steve: I love it! I’ll be here. Mike: Good. Yeah, there’s something for everyone, no matter what industry you’re in, that they can get implemented within the next 30 days, where they can start getting in with the influencers and the high net worth individuals. To listen to the complete interview, go to SteveSipress.com/magazine
Mike LaFido is a top-producing Realtor and real estate consultant with over 17 years of experience in the industry, He uses superior marketing instead of simply relying on “traditional marketing,” and teaches others in multiple industries how to do the same. Mike is the author of Marketing Luxury and Cracking The Real Estate Code, and is the founder of the Marketing Luxury Group. To get a copy of Mike’s Ultimate Listing Blueprint, text “Blueprint” to 312-313-LUXE.
Mike: Absolutely. So that’s the first big takeaway, really the big takeaway
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3
EASY “READS” TO GET & STAY MOTIVATED
By MaryEllen Tribby
Reading gives you inspiration to continue striving toward your own goal. It gives you the ideas and steps you need to take to reach a certain goal.
No one can change or move forward in their lives without some kind of help. It might be help in the form of a coach or mentor in order to grow. Sometimes it could be support from friends and family who keep you motivated. Another form of help is reading about whatever you want to change daily to stay motivated.
How can reading about something keep you motivated?
It gives you the ideas and steps you need to take to reach a certain goal.
Reading blogs and books about the very thing you want to change helps you learn the way others have overcome that same problem and met their goals. Reading gives you inspiration to continue striving toward your own goal.
Books and blogs are a great way to do some research on what you want to do. Reading about what you want to change or achieve grounds you so you know what to expect. Books about your subject will give ideas about the
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THREE EASY “READS” TO GET & STAY MOTIVATED
difficulties you might face while moving forward. •
If you want to lose weight, read about how others have successfully lost weight.
•
If you want to build a successful business, read about successful business people and how they achieved their goals. Knowing what others have experienced in similar situations lets you adapt and try their solutions along with your own. Their stories can help lessen the worries and challenges you might face along the way. THE 3 KEY TYPES OF READING #1: Quotes – Reading inspirational quotes daily can motivate you to continue to take action on your goal. Put your favorite quote on your screensaver. Post quotes on your wall or your whiteboard. Have motivational quotes on your smartphone or tablet. (This works great for kids as well.) #2: Read motivational books – Books that help you change your way
Unlimited Power by Anthony Robbins
Reading about what you want to change or achieve grounds you so you know what to expect. Books about your subject will give ideas about the difficulties you might face while moving forward.
Great Motivation Secrets of Great Leaders by John Baldoni Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? by Seth Godin
of thinking can be a great source of inspiration when your motivation is failing. Build a library of motivational and personal development books. If you don’t have time to read them all, get them on tape to listen to while driving or walking. Here are a few notable authors with insights on motivation: The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale
September 2017
#3 Read inspiring stories – Read inspiring stories from others who have already done what you want to achieve, or are in the process of doing it. Read stories on blogs, in magazines and in books. Those who have already achieved what you are attempting can guide you through the pitfalls and give insights on what to expect along the way. You can get inspiration from their struggles and wins. Reading about what you want to change daily, or about selfimprovement and inspiration, is an excellent way to stay motivated. It can inspire and motivate you to continue. Plus reading lets you know that you are not alone, and that others have faced the same struggles and have overcome!
MaryEllen Tribby has helped thousands of people start a new business or grow their existing one. MaryEllen is the Founder and CEO of WorkingMomsOnly.com, the world’s leading newsletter and website for the empowerment of the working mom. Prior to founding WMO, MaryEllen was Publisher & CEO of Early to Rise and President of Weiss Research, where she added millions to their bottom lines in just a few months. She also ran divisions at Forbes, Times Mirror Magazines, and Crain’s New York Business. MaryEllen is the best-selling author of Reinventing the Entrepreneur: Turning Your Dream Business into a Reality and co-author (with Michael Masterson) of Changing the Channel: 12 Easy Ways to Make Millions For Your Business. Get your free copy of MaryEllen’s The Ultimate Success Code by going to: If you have been yearning to start a business, but are confused, overwhelmed or scared about the thousands of programs out there, go to: Steve-Recommends.com/success
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I 9
RHINO MONTHLY Volume V Number 9 | September 2017
www.SteveSipress.com/magazine
CONTENTS:
1
Does Size Ma�er?
3
Have Your Dogs Call My Dogs
By Steve Sipress
8
Easy “Reads” to Get & Stay Mo�vated By MaryEllen Tribby
Manny’s Blog
4
INTERVIEW WITH
MIKE LAFIDO
Selling To The Affluent Publisher Steve Sipress Successful Selling Systems, Inc. 20701 N Sco�sdale Rd Ste 107-509 Sco�sdale AZ 85255 (p) 773-236-8134 (f ) 847-232-1535 Ques�ons? Comments? Sugges�ons?
w w w.AskSteveSipress.com
Layout & Design Bobbie Miltcheva www.33graffics.com
Publisher’s No�ce: Copyright 2017 Successful Selling Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduc�on of any part of this work beyond that permi�ed by Sec�on 107 or 108 of the 1976 U.S. Copyright Act without permission of the copyright owner is unlawful. Neither the author nor the publisher make any express or implied warran�es concerning the legal or ethical appropriateness of any of the marke�ng documents, materials or instruc�ons in or enclosed with the magazine and/or your use of the same. If in doubt about the appropriateness or legality of any materials or instruc�ons, you should obtain competent guidance, just as you would with any marke�ng documents, materials or marke�ng plans you have develop ed or would develop on your own. In the interests of disclosure, we want to b e op en ab out how we may, from time to time, make money from this mag azine. Certain third-party links contained in this magazine may be affiliate links for which we get paid a commission if you buy the product or service through the affiliate link.