$2000/mo Membership Site Using Offline Marketing

did anybody setup a site yet where we can go and share ideas for this?

thats a great method, but tell me what happen if they ask you,,,how much money are you making? whats your answers? they want proof and you what?

ludwingenator said:

thats a great method, but tell me what happen if they ask you,,,how much money are you making? whats your answers? they want proof and you what?

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LOL, and you show them , them how much you have made of them

I think the best spin is to seem honest. Don't tell them you made millions, and tell them they won't make millions either. IM is a big pond with big fish but you can still get a piece of the pie...

Yeah market it like a supplemental income or good for stay-at-home parents.

But also say the potential, was they have mastered your techniques, is there for them to be able to take it full time.

Don't promise any money. It makes you look like an ass even though they'll fail because of their lack of commitment

ludwingenator said:

thats a great method, but tell me what happen if they ask you,,,how much money are you making? whats your answers? they want proof and you what?

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You're kind of over thinking and over complicating this.

Let me ask you, when you first applied for a job or if you go out and apply for another job are you first going to demand to see your employer's profit statements? Are you going to require them to explain their operations and how they make money? Will you demand that they reveal their intermost secrets? I don't think so.

The argument may be, "...but they're a brick and mortar business. I can see their business and I know it exists and I know they must make some kind of profit in order to pay their lease and pay for inventory."

Actually that argument is flawed because unless they reveal it, you have no way to know how close they are to bankruptcy. Especially in this economy. You may not know they have a drug, alcohol or gambling problem. You may not know that they're going through a divorce. Instead you simply have to accept at face value that they can do what they say they can do.

When you take on a noob as a joint venture partner the same thing applies. You're offering them an opportunity to learn something and possibly make some money. You make no guarantees. Instead you're selling them on getting experience. Think of it as OJT or on the job training.

Explained this way you'll find many very interested. You'll find many willing to start and moderate your forums for you. Because they want to learn.

Still why would they be interested if there's no guarantee of money?

For the learning experience. They would much rather learn using your money than learn using their money. By investing "sweat equity" they get to learn if something works or not BEFORE they invest their money.

It's a WIN-WIN situation for both of you. You gain someone who works cheap and will do some of the grunt work which leaves you to work on the more important work.

One caution: Work with noobs who are sincerely interested. If they start making demands, insisting upon seeing things or knowing things -- then they're not going to work out for you. They're going to waste a lot of your time. They're going to find faults and mistakes and undermine your efforts.

Don't waste your time with these people no matter how much you can use the help. They won't be of any help and will simply undermine your efforts and waste your time.

Always be honest and up front with your JV partners. I find that's the best way. Both of you are going to have to be upfront and honest with each other. In the past I've JV'd with those under 16 simply because they were honest with me about their age and showed a sincere interest to learn.

Hope this helps....

Ok I think we're going a little bit off the path with this really.

My membership site is ready - spent last night recording video after video on Camtasia.

I've created a simple sales page with a 5 day free trial followed by $9.99 a month.

And the business cards will be arriving next week.

I'm actually excited and enjoying this. But if the sales don't come in....

any know where i can get high quality stuff for my site?

I am trying this but I am sticking to a niche I am already well involved in. I get over 10k UV a month so I simply need to put an irresistable offer in front of them.

I am having a bit of a time getting content put together. All the stuff I am including can be found for free if you search enough. However I feel for $5 or $10 it is really worth it since finding it all on your own would take hours.

One questions... Do you limit access during the trial to avoid people downloading all the stuff and cancelling?

xaque said:

any know where i can get high quality stuff for my site?

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Probably your hard drive....

Most people already have a hard drive or two filled with things they've collected over the years.

For this market (noobs) the stuff may be old news to you but it's new to them. They've never seen it.

If you don't want to pay for the stuff look for some of the "giveaway- cogeneration" sites that the gurus are always having. A lot of it is crap but some of is actually good stuff.

You can get camtasia type software, videos, audios, etc.. Just make sure the information you give them is good information and not a thinly disguised sales letter or a pre-sales audio to get them to buy something else.

I have two websites where I get much of my stuff. I've developed a relationship with the site owners and they're pretty good about only listing high quality material. Both are membership sites. There's probably quite a few more out there. Just look around.

Again, don't make this complicated or over think this. Take a look on your hard drive -- everything you need is probably already there.

grafxextreme said:

Again, don't make this complicated or over think this. Take a look on your hard drive -- everything you need is probably already there.

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After all that was explained, step by step, like above is not to complicate anything. Just get it up and start doing Something. There are lots of new "clients" out there. Just get yours.

Very nice thread!

Quick Update:
For those of you who've PM'd me and I've been discussing this with. We've just about finished testing the cookie-stuffing like software for clickbank and amazon. This has dramatically increased sales conversions and profits.

We've already experienced dramatic results. In fact the results are so good that we may be creating a niche membership website specifically for the CS in the next month or two. I'll be discussing this software in more detail on the call.

The DL report in my signature has also been updated for those of you who wanted to know specifically what would be on the call and what you would learn. The format will be Q&A.

Thank you...

sweet man , yo rock hope you get jr.vip soon . NOw , realistically this wont work everywhere only several countries.

When it comes to trial memberships, how can we do this? I am trying to figure out how we can either give a trial membership, or a way to delay a payment in paypal so its like they get a free trial. You know? How can we do this (I never managed a membership before, thanks!)

grafxextreme said:

Actually the price should not be a consideration. As long as you're providing them high quality information, ebooks, software, etc... they won't leave. It would cost them more to buy the same stuff from others.

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I think WITHOUT testing, it's virtually impossible to see what price point a membership should be unless you thoroughly know your audience...which in this case is all across the board since it is the general public. Granted you will have only a certain segment pick up the card and then a percentage who follow thru with action. I feel you must decide who you want as a market, find out what their hot buttons are, see where they shop-what they buy, and set up boxes in those vertical markets.

But still in todays economic climate, unless you (again) know your prospect/market, its very hard to predict off the cuff what they think is a worthy price. Many of the "guru's" who have sites asking 97,197,297$$ are finding horrific churn rates (drop outs) since the purchase is considered a luxury buy not a necessity. Problem they have is ONCE you've lowered a price, its practically impossible to raise it again without increasing the churn rate.

With that in mind however today is the best day to get started (IMHO) with testing what works and what doesnt...so when the economy does rebound (as it will and always has) you are not testing basics on the new users...instead you're tweaking.

I have a copy of an ad by a direct marketer that was selling a marketing book before he finished writing it...which is illegal accroding to the Federal Trade Commission...but he got around it with the verbage that he was offering a "prepublication price" and after the book was finished he would be selling it at the cover rate. All legal and profiable for him. A snail mails approach to testing waaay back when...

Also I'll have to check but I thought that aMember allows permissions and varying grades of permissions on different members that you can easily assign... could be wrong... my wifee tells me I am all the time

love the thread

Found this in my reference material for anyone interested in how to setup drop boxes/lead boxes/cardcues ...etc... FWIW

Personally, I prefer slotted boxes, as that prevents other consultants or pranksters from retrieving your valuable contact information.​

Some direct sales companies provide professional boxes, but it is just as easy to create a professional looking box on your own. Simply find a sturdy box (not too small, not too large​

Here's another example from my files from a martial arts school..again as an example to use to help you think outside the box:

I often refer to lead boxes as ?Silent Salesmen?. They sit there, verbally quiet, but very loud in appearance. Each is anxiously awaiting the time when they will catch the eye of a potential new student. That?s when they aggressively go to work for you! ?Sign up for your Free Introductory program compliments of the store owner! They are individually constructed and custom designed to sell your school. Specific attention is given to value, quality, distribution, marketing and your image. The result is a professional lead box that will serve you well.
Value: Professional lead boxes will prove to be one of the most inexpensive advertising investments you can make. You need just one student registration to pay for 25 lead boxes or more! Even a poorly managed lead box program will easily pay for every lead box you purchase. Imagine the results of doing it right!
Quality: Each lead box is made of durable acrylic and will last much longer than those made of cardboard. Also, they are easy to maintain and marks or prints can be cleaned as you would any ordinary picture frame.
Distribution: Of course lead boxes will only work if they are out collecting hot prospects from your community stores. We make it easy and comfortable for you to distribute lead boxes by indicating right on the box and pads that the Free Introductory Program is compliments of the store owner. This provides you with an effective method of approaching the store owner, as they too have something to gain. We create more leads by offering a Free program. This does not reduce your martial arts program value because the benefit of FREE is from the store owner. A win-win situation!
Marketing: We designed your lead box to grab the attention of store customers. Its convenient medium size allows you more options to strategically place the lead box in the store. A colorful photo and ?FREE? in large easily readable print almost guarantee a glance. Each glance is a selling opportunity for your ?Silent Salesman?!
Image: You are a martial arts professional. Everything you do reflects on your image and these lead boxes won?t let you down. Every facet of your lead box was designed with your professional image in mind.
First, as a reminder, MAMNet/PPS provides on-going management support via our toll free consulting line. Please do not hesitate to contact us to help you or answer any questions you may have.
The first step is to determine how many lead boxes you have and where you can most effectively position them in your community. Great places to start are pizza and other high traffic restaurants, delicatessens, athletic stores, sneaker stores, bowling alleys, video stores, local grocery stores, etc. Consider the following points in deciding where to position your lead boxes in your community: 1. The primary customers that visit that particular store are the people you will be marketing to. 2. The store itself can have an effect on your public image. It is not wise to leave your lead box at the local liqueur store! 3. Low traffic stores will result in a low number of returned leads. 4. Keep your lead box away from counters that have tremendous clutter; your lead box will be overlooked.
Hi, my name is ______________. I am from ABC Martial Arts School. I?d like to ask you for a favor. I have what is called a registration box, where people can fill out their name and address if they are interested in an introductory martial arts program. This program is normally $_______ at our school, but we will provide it free of charge to your customers with your compliments. We have this imprinted on the pad as well as next to the slot where they drop in their paper. (Show them). It doesn?t require much space, as you can see, and I will be in frequently to check on it. May I place the box here? (Pick the best spot that you think won?t be in the way).

If the store owner does not like your location selection, then immediately ask for a spot that would be more convenient. In most cases, this approach will get your lead box in that store. If you encounter an owner who is not receptive to your idea, be aggressive and offer a special promotion (a complimentary month and uniform) to the store owner. Sometimes this is what they are looking for. The store owner may be interested in lessons or might have kids that would want to join. If it works, this type of networking with the local community business owners can lead to a tremendous number of referrals! You can also ask if the store owner has any coupons that you can make available at the school for his benefit. If these do not work, simply thank them for their time and move on. It?s not worth having your lead box where it?s not wanted.

Once the lead box is placed, tell the store owner that if customers ask them any questions (since it is with their compliments) they can direct them to the school?s phone number on the front of the box and you will answer any questions they may have. Also mention that you will keep track of interested people from their store and you will reinforce that the FREE Introductory Program was a gift from the store owner for shopping with them. (This is important because it shows that you are helping the owner, too!) Thank the store owner and leave your business card so he can contact you if needed.
Plan on visiting the stores to pick up your leads every week. It is very important that you make a commitment to this weekly routine for several reasons.
1. The leads that are awaiting your pick up are hot prospects. Leaving leads to sit in your box longer than a week will allow them to ?cool off?. Your leads-to-new-students conversion percentage will depend heavily on how quickly you follow up.
2. The store owner will appreciate your weekly visits to check the professional appearance of your lead box.
3. Each lead box info pad contains 50 sheets. A successful lead box may require an immediate info pad replacement. To replace the lead box pad, just open the metal ring by twisting to open the connection.
The lead box pen may also need replacement. Always be prepared to service the needs of your lead box. You can order extra lead box pads for 75 cents each or buy 1 dozen at 50 cents each. Lead box pens are $1.50 each or order 1/2 dozen for $1.25 each. Each lead box comes with an extra lead pad. For every three lead boxes you order, we also include an extra pen.
Before going inside to get your leads, write the name of the store on the front of a small envelope. Enter the store and review the lead box condition. If necessary, replace any needed accessories and clean with a pre-dampened cloth. To get your leads, unplug the rubber lock to allow the back to slide up. Remove the leads and place them directly in your envelope. It is more professional to look them over or count them later. Re-plug the rubber lock and reset it for display. Use this opportunity to build rapport with the store owner. Learn the person?s name, even buy something if applicable. Thank the owner and go on to your next stop.
In order to determine how successful a particular lead box is, you must keep a record of the response activity from each box. Along with this manual, we have provided you with a monthly ?Lead Box Tracking Sheet?. You can make copies of this sheet and add it to your Management Network Statistical Management book. This sheet is easy to use and will help you monitor each lead box?s lead totals. This information will help you decide which lead boxes should be relocated and which should remain at their current location.

To begin: Indicate the current month and year on the top of the sheet. Along the left gray shaded column, write the location of each lead box and the date you placed it in the store. After collecting your leads, write the date in the gray shaded area at the very top of the next column (above ?Number of Leads? in column 2). Fill in the number of leads you received from each lead box down that column. At the very bottom write the total leads for that date. There are seven columns for each month in case you collect leads more than once per week. At the end of the month, simply total each row and write that number in the right gray shaded column. This gives you the monthly total for each lead box. Add together the right gray shaded column for the total leads for the month.
Not every lead info sheet you receive in your box will be a ?hot? lead. Sometimes kids will write bogus names or people will fill out more than one. You should only include leads that are properly completed and count duplicates only once. The most important rule to follow is to be consistent; only then will be able to compare one lead box to another and do an accurate month to month analysis.
Analysis of your lead box tracking sheet will tell you if you should:
1. Relocate your lead box to a new store. This should be done if you never received an adequate number of leads from that box.
2. Rotate your lead box to another store with the objective of coming back to that store at a later date. This should be done if you have received a good number of leads in the past, but leads have decreased consistently over the last 2 - 3 months. In this case, remove the lead box from the store, thank the owner and ask if you could bring another one in a couple of months.
3. Lead boxes should remain if the number of leads are acceptable and consistent.
Turning leads into new students relies mostly on your commitment to consistent follow-up. Good follow-up starts by picking up your leads on a weekly basis. Next is your phone contact with the prospect to set up the first introductory lesson. But first it is important to realize that the lead box has been designed as a registration box, NOT as a ?Win a Free ___________? box. Some people associate the ?Win a Free _______? approach with scams or trickery. You don?t need that type of message being relayed to anyone! When you make your call, you are merely calling to set up an appointment for the first intro lesson. You don?t have to call everyone and say, ?Hello Mr. Student. I am happy to inform you that you won our drawing you entered at _______ for a chance to win a FREE introductory program at our school?. And of course everyone has to win for lead boxes to be worth it ...(scam!). Our lead boxes will bring you more quality leads and will maintain your professional image.
Your lead box does offer them an opportunity to Win a FREE uniform. Here is a fun and professional way to run your small drawing. Find a big jar or cardboard box and place in a visible location. When the student comes down for his first appointment, give the student their lead box info sheet. Tell the student to fold it twice and drop it into the jar. Inform the student that every Friday a name is picked from the jar and the winner receives a FREE martial arts uniform. This is the proper way to do a drawing because everyone is not automatically a winner.
I like to think of leads as half responses. Once you have your lead it is up to you complete the other half of the response by making lead calls. You are doing a lead call whenever you contact a potential new student after you have received information that the person may be interested in taking martial arts lessons. The lead info sheets from your lead box is such information. (Another example of a lead call that many people mis-classify as an info call is returning a potential new student?s message left on an answering machine.)

When making these lead calls, use the New Student Forms in your Statistical Management book as you would handle an incoming call or walk-in. Be sure to indicate this type of a Response as a Lead Call in the Stats Bar column on the right. You can then follow the regular statistical procedure. Your end of month statistical data and analysis will include your lead box activity!
Leads are very valuable and could add hundreds or thousands of dollars to your gross income. Potential income such as this sometimes attracts unscrupulous competitors to steal your leads. Although this situation may be rare, it is smart to take some security measures. Here is a very simple but highly effective method to protect your valuable leads. Fill out a lead box info sheet using a phony name but with your real home phone number. If you receive a phone call from someone concerning an information sheet you filled out, follow along and allow the caller to set up an appointment with you. Try to get as much information as you can (directions, callers name, phone number, etc.) without sounding over anxious. Remember, you are now a prospecting student. If you want to sound completely genuine, ask the person what they charge for lessons.

Although you have caught Mr. Competitor in the act, it is my belief that it is better to prevent the crime. I suggest affixing a large non-removable sticker to the back of the lead box with the following message: WARNING! The contents of this box are the sole property of Your SCHOOL NAME. This box may contain false names. Violators will be prosecuted.
I do not recommend reading a script while speaking with a potential prospect on the phone. Your personality (which is probably one of your best assets) is lost and replaced with the ever popular reading tonality that listeners just love to hang up on. However, scripts can be a useful tool for practicing and developing good habits. The most important aspects to remember when making lead calls is to sound upbeat and professional. You should follow this rule whenever you are communicating on the phone.

The below script can be used as a guideline when making your first few calls. Don?t be afraid to modify the script to suit your needs, just be sure to always end what you have to say with a question, as this will keep you in control of the conversation.


Hello, this is ____________ from ABC Martial Arts School. Is Mr. Prospect available?
Yes, this is Mr. Prospect.
How are you today?
Good, thank you.
I am calling in response to your interest in our martial arts program. I received your registration sheet from name of store lead came from. I would like to invite you down for the first lesson of your Introductory Program. As you know, the Introductory Program is free of charge compliments of name of store lead came from. I have an opening for your first lesson tomorrow at 6 PM or Thursday at 7 PM, which day would be better for you?
Thursday at 7 PM.
Great! Do you know how to get to our school?
Not exactly.
(Give directions). We look forward to seeing you on Thursday at 7 PM. Please wear loose, comfortable clothing, like sweats. OK?
OK.
Thank you and have a great day!


If Mr. Prospect is a child, let the child know who you are, why you called, and then ask to speak with their mother or father. The only purpose of talking to the child briefly is so they can become your sales assistant. If the parent is hesitant or unwilling to set an appointment with you, the child in many cases can sell the parents to do so. If the parents are unavailable, tell the child you will call back later. If you can?t get through at all, or just have a hard time getting through to the parent over a 3 day period, use the letter on the following page. The letter is the next best way to follow up. Once the appointment is made, follow the Professional System procedure from that point.
Good Luck!
ABC Martial Arts School
123 Sidekick Lane
Upper Block, NY 12345
(123) 456-7890
Date
Mr. Prospect
Street Address
City, State Zip
Dear Mr. Prospect,
Thank you for your interest in our martial arts program. The registration sheet that you filled out at name of store entitles you to a FREE Introductory Program compliments of name of store. Please contact our school at 456-7890 at your earliest convenience to set up your first introductory lesson. ABC Martial Arts School offers the very best in martial arts instruction. All classes are conducted by certified Black Belt Instructors, who are trained to help each student achieve the variety of benefits to be gained from martial arts training. These benefits include improved self- confidence, physical fitness, self-defense, focus, mental discipline, and much more. Due to the many registrations we have received for our program, this special gift from name of store lead came from must be accepted within 7 days of the above date. The staff at ABC Martial Arts School looks forward to hearing from you soon!
With friendship,
Sensei ______
Chief Instructor
Quote: ?Our decisions today effect the person we are tomorrow.?

mandude said:

When it comes to trial memberships, how can we do this? I am trying to figure out how we can either give a trial membership, or a way to delay a payment in paypal so its like they get a free trial. You know? How can we do this (I never managed a membership before, thanks!)

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Take a look at Paypal payment under MERCHANT and you'll find a CREATE BUTTONS then look in the list for SUBSCRIBE. Here you can delay payment. State $0 for length of days you wish and then amount you wish to have at the end of trial period. Paypal will automatically bill them.

Excellent info presented in your thread. I'd definitely be down for the group Q&A session.

AboutBizz said:

I think WITHOUT testing, it's virtually impossible to see what price point a membership should be unless you thoroughly know your audience...which in this case is all across the board since it is the general public. Granted you will have only a certain segment pick up the card and then a percentage who follow thru with action. I feel you must decide who you want as a market, find out what their hot buttons are, see where they shop-what they buy, and set up boxes in those vertical markets.

But still in todays economic climate, unless you (again) know your prospect/market, its very hard to predict off the cuff what they think is a worthy price. Many of the "guru's" who have sites asking 97,197,297$$ are finding horrific churn rates (drop outs) since the purchase is considered a luxury buy not a necessity. Problem they have is ONCE you've lowered a price, its practically impossible to raise it again without increasing the churn rate.

Click to expand...

Thank you for your posting...

I believe there may be one small fallacy with the thinking on this. It's being assumed that the $10 is where the profit is. In this case, it's just the qualifier.

Sure a hundred paid members is going to bring in $1000/mo which is great for some people. But it is not where the money is in this type of site. Nor is the money in inundating members with offers. My assumption is that site owners won't be content with a thousand or two thousand from membership fees.

I appreciate the idea of the lead box. It's an excellent idea and I think some of the more outgoing members may be able to use this.

However for those who are shy or not sure of themselves this may be more than they will want to do. With the business card it's simply a comfortable request to leave business cards at the business. With the lead box there's some unnecessary steps.

1) Lead box requires more store real estate and may be a harder "sell" than a small business card holder. Requires more convincing.
2) Have to collect leads from lead boxes
3) Have to then "cold call" or contact leads to get them to try membership
4) Get them to the website
5) Get them to subscribe

Most of the public knows these lead boxes mean that someone is going to try to contact them and this may reduce conversion. They may also not be too inclined to provide their email address.

I like this idea. It's thinking outside of the box for many here on BHW who are new to offline marketing. The rest of the information is also very good. Thanks for sharing it.