I got the following email from a frustrated marketer who’s trying to make it big on a shoestring budget…
Perry,
I’ve followed you for a few years now. You are amongst the Pantheon of Internet Marketers, delivering the best honest value out there, bar none.
But no one is a master like you. Especially for a technology -industry geek, you have segued the transition fabulously.
Why do I say that? You are one of the few on earth, who manages to send enthralling emails that manage to mix your content message smoothly into your sales message.
Every email I get from you has Value. I print most of them out and save for future reference.
Plus you have real character, going to India and helping the poor like that.
And every marketer you refer over has been great value. Except maybe [Mr. X]….I had to cancel his and [Ms. Y’s] newsletters for lack of ‘relevance”.
And also, and I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but need to tell you…[Mr. Z] left a bad taste …because I spent $800 for ______, and don’t feel I got “actionable” value from it. It was a BIG investment for me.
He never asked what level of experience and knowledge we had, and so did not follow his own rules of niche marketing.
My fault, I guess. But because of his “sincerity” angle he projects, I felt especially “had”.
But a big package is not what I’m needing.
Perry, maybe you can help a struggling entrepreneur like me in a way that I need to be, and in a way I can be helped.
Unfortunately, right now I’m a bit “underwater” on funds, and can’t do the basic package, which I’m sure would be great.
I was wondering if you would consider an “a la ca rte” program.
This way, you could fill in on time slots you, or even one of your associates has free, and benefit entrepreneurs like us best.
I have a decent understanding of the basics, but just need a few ‘holes’ filled in. I have questions, that, if answered, would allow me to go to the next level.
Since you charge $1200 an hour [my consulting rate is now $4,000 per hour], which is very fail, maybe you could start an a Ala ca rte questions service. For say, $50 a question, like Dell Hewlett Packard and Microsoft do for service issues.
You could charge $99 for 15 minutes or for 1/2 hour. (just an example)
It would benefit someone like me TREMENDOUSLY, and help me past the bottle necks stopping me from success. You could set up less famous associates to fill in their spare time. They/You could even respond by email, so fill in time slots you may have free.
Just an idea. I admire you and know I could benefit from your skill and do well in this business, but I’ve been struggling for several years, and can’t seem to launch my business.
I am the guy you did the critique for my xxyyzz Website www.xxyyzz.com a year or so ago. When I was a newsletter subscriber for a time.
If there is any configuration you can think of, as far as pricing mechanisms/packages that might work for you to help an entrepreneur on an extremely limited but effective basis, if would be appreciated.
all the best.
Larry
Dear Larry:
Before I go to the heart of your question, let’s talk about the $800 you regret spending with Mr. Z.
Everyone I work with or promote, to the very best of my ability to judge, is a straight shooter who sincerely wants every one of their customers to get value.
They will generally make sure their customers are satisfied, at least so long as they’re not dealing with some pathetic whiner (there’s one in every crowd, but you’re not one of them).
I would suggest you contact Mr. Z, explain in a non-accusatory way that you completely appreciate his sincerity, but what you got out of his event didn’t quite meet your needs. Explain your situation and say that you’re wondering if you could get a phone consultation or some kind of additional help from him to fill in the gaps. I strongly suspect you’ll get cooperation. Mr. Z is a good guy.
Really, it’s up to YOU to make sure you squeeze the most juice out of this orange. Real teachers want to help students who want to learn.
As for Mr. X and Ms. Y, hey, if you don’t like somebody’s email list, you can always unsubscribe. Don’t feel gulity about doing so. In fact you should be ruthless about unsubscribing from people who don’t deliver value.
Now, to my high rates and whatnot. Selling 15 minutes for $99, that’s not remotely effective use of my time.
But there are some other options you need to be aware of.
First of all, I’ve been where you’re at. When I was in the Dilbert Cube, I had no money and my limited funds for info had to be applied wisely. I took advantage of free call-in days that my mentors would offer back then, and I got a ton of value from those sessions.
That’s why every few months I offer a free call-in consulting day for New Renaissance members. Just had one a few weeks ago. Everybody who calls in and can get through gets 10+ minutes. If you’re prepared, we can get a lot done together in a short time.
And you know what? There were stretches during the call-in window as long as 1/2 hour where my phone did not ring at all. The dedicated student won’t have a hard time getting what he or she needs.
The announcement was in the Perry Marshall Marketing Letter that gets mailed out to club members. I put it in the middle of the issue where diligent readers will easily find it. (The announcements do not go out via email, only snail mail.)
There’s another option, too. The New Renaissance webinars. Every month I do a webinar for New Renaissance members and the last portion of the webinar is usually open Q&A from members. Nearly everyone who has a question gets it answered, and not only receives input from me but a whole bunch of other really sharp guys and gals who are in the trenches making things happen every day.
Which is to say, the best way to get the help you want is to be a member of New Renaissance and take advantage of all the learning opportunities!
You asked about an a la carte Q&A service. We have that too: New Renaissance members get access to a private discussion forum where several hundred very sharp people convene and help each other out.
This is not like the public discussion boards where idiots bitch and moan and critique gurus or whatever. This is where real paying customers who spend real money on advertising come to exchange experience and know-how.
I hope to have you back as a member. Plus, each of these clubs gets you a several hundred dollars of extremely valuable bonus material when you sign up, just as a sort of ‘bribe’ to get you to give it a try. This is a can’t lose situation, in my opinion.
I hope to talk to you on the next New Renaissance Call-In Day.
Best of Success to you,
Perry Marshall