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Gino Reveals A HUGE Internet Marketing Lesson

I probably shouldn't even be telling you this, but...

It contains such a great Internet marketing and business-building lesson that I felt I owed it to you to share it.

Let me explain:

About a week ago or so a good buddy of mine, we'll call him Gino, called me on the phone to vent about the company he works for.

Every now and then he'll buzz me to get my advice or insight on what's going on.

"Nobody on my sales team is making good money because of how difficult the company has made it for us to sell and the company's solution is to raise prices so they can have the money to pay higher commissions", he said to me.

Now, to give you a frame of reference, my buddy Gino is a sales manager, and has had to deal with his company raising prices on several occasions, without paying his staff more, and making their job of selling more and more difficult.

"So, let me make sure I understand what you're saying", I blurted out. 

"The sales crew is stuggling right now to sell, therefore not making good commissions, and the company's solution is to raise prices to cover higher commission rates they think they're going to pay the sales people that are already struggling right now at the lower price point?!?!!?", I asked.

"Yes. The owners have said in order for the sales people to get paid more we need to collect more. Period. It's just crazy", he replied, exasberated by the constant changes.

"It's a shame that the owners are unable to see the vast amount of opportunity they have to make more money and pay their sales people more WITHOUT raising prices one bit", I said.

"I'll tell you exactly what I would do if I was the owner of the company to increase revenue, turn my team into a bunch of raving fans, and build even more goodwill with customers... without raising prices."

And right here is where the HUGE Internet marketing and business-building lesson comes in.

You see, most Internet marketers are so limited in their thinking about their business that they miss so many opportunities.

Most Internet marketers have this 'either/or' mentality, when instead they should be thinking "how can I have both" - just like my buddy's boss.

Instead of thinking "we can either have lower prices or the sales team can get paid more", Gino's boss should be thinking "how can we maintain our current price point AND allow our sales team to get paid more".

"Here's an idea for you", I said to Gino.  "What your boss should do is incorporate some type of upsell at the point of sale that customers would want, with the profit in that upsell going directly to the sales person."

"This way the price can stay the same, and sales people can make more money, without the company losing any money, simply by letting them offer an upsell item and keep all the profit", I said.

It's totally win-win-win.

Now, I don't know if my buddy took my advice back to his boss or not, but I will tell you this...

It's that sort of "how can we achieve BOTH" thinking that the top marketers possess that the bottom ones don't.

It's that same level of thinking that you need in your market if you're going to dominate.

Going forward, don't be so quick to decide between two choices.

Instead, look for options to have both.  Ask yourself, "How can I achieve both of these things".

A MAJOR Flaw In The Way Most Internet Marketers Think About…

Yesterday I took my kids to the Miami Seaquarium, and while there I discovered a major flaw in the way most Internet marketers think about one of the most powerful marketing methods available to them.

While strolling from one salt water tank display to the next, I came across a tank with, what was to me, a very interesting and eye-opening explanation next to it.

I don't remember what the heck was in the tank, but I'll never forget what was next to it.

This little plaque on the wall explained the relationship between a host and a parasite.

I'm assuming that whatever was in the tank was a parasitic organism living off some type of host, also in the tank.

Now, please keep in mind that some marketing gurus talk about joint ventures with other local businesses in your area - an incredibly powerful marketing method - as a host/parasite relationship.

The host being the website owner who you're approaching for an endorsement (with a loyal list of customers, clients, members, etc.), and you, the parasite, feeding off of the goodwill and endorsement the website owner gives you to his or her list.

Frankly, I'll even confess, I may have even taught it this way at one point or another.

However, after reading the definition displayed on that little plaque at the Seaquarium, of what a parasite really is, I'll never explain it that way again.

See if you can pick out the major flaw in creating joint ventures when you approach them based on the definition of what a parasite really is.

Here's the definition:

PARASITE: an organism that grows, feeds, and is sheltered on or in a different organism while contributing nothing to the survival of its host.

And, according to the American Heritage dictionary, here's another definition: One who habitually takes advantage of the generosity of others without making any useful return.

Hopefully, the flaw is quite obvious to you.

You see, when most Internet marketers approach other lwebsite owners or operators about doing a joint venture, they approach them with the mindset and attitude of, "what can this person do for me".

Their whole entire approach to this powerful marketing method is, "let me see how many other businesses I can get to endorse my website or product and help me make more money."

They have absolutely no concern for the owner's web business or enhanced success through the joint venture.

And, it's because of that exact parasitic mindset, that most Internet marketers either struggle to get joint ventures, or never end up getting any at all.

Meanwhile, there's no more powerful marketing or online business-building method in existence than the joint venture.

When done right, with consistency, joint ventures can grow your Internet business quicker and larger than anything else out there... and do it with zero advertising expense.

But, the first step to reaping the rewards of joint ventures, is leaving behind the mindset of a parasite.

In other words, forget the idea of what other business owners and operators can do for you.

Instead, think about what you can do for them FIRST.

The absolute best way to create and nurture very profitable joint ventures, is to seek out non-competitive website owners and approach them to see how you can help THEM build their businesses and make more money.

Start by doing something of value for them.

Don't ask for anything in return.

Give value first.  Help them first. Make THEM more money first.

Then, when it comes time for you to talk with them about endorsing you and your website or product to their customers, patients, clients, etc., it will be a very simple and quick conversation.

In essence, the key to creating solid, profitable joint ventures - that lead to a whole heck of a lot of new customers and $$ - is to NOT approach website owners from the perspective of setting up a business relationship.

Instead, reach out and see how you can start a relationship with them based on you adding value to their lives and businesses.

When you do, you won't even know what to do with all of the joint venture opportunities you have to choose from.

When that happens, you'll watch your Internet business take off!

How To Sell At Higher Prices Than Your Competitors

Would this increase or decrease your Internet business income...

...if you charged 10% to 20% more for your products or services than your competitors do?

Most entrepreneurs... right off the bat... think if they had the highest prices in their marketplace that they'd lose business and struggle to get customers.

Not so.

When you understand the right way to position and present your prices, your higher fees become irrelevant to most prospective customers.

In fact, when positioned and presented correctly, your higher prices will actually make your products or services more appealing to prospective customers.

It's all in the presentation of your prices.

So, what's the correct way to present your prices so you can successfully charge more than your competitors?

Well, there are a couple of ethical tricks to get prospective customers to see the value in paying more for your products or services than a competitor's.

Let's talk about one of the methods.

It's a method I stumbled upon while doing some work in the fitness industry.

You see, the company I was working with owned several health clubs in the central New Jersey area.

And, all of their clubs had higher membership rates than all of the other surrounding health clubs and gyms in their area.

So, how did staff members handle that when walking prospective members through their facilties?

Well, they brought up the fact that their club's fees where higher than their competitors fees - BEFORE the prospective member had the chance to say that.

Huh?

Yes... you read that right...

The health club company staff actually brought up the higher fees themselves, before the prospective member had the chance to, and then actually bragged about them.

Why would they do such a thing?

It's actually pretty simple.

The staff was trained to bring up the higher price and brag about it to prospective members as a way of explaining away the "price objection" and eliminating the need for the prospective member to ever bring up the higher price again.

The staff members actually took the higher price and turned it from a negative into a HUGE POSTIVE.

Let me show you how they did this.

Here's a little example of what they would say about their higher fees as they were touring a prospective member through one of their health clubs.

"Now, because we have higher fees than most of the clubs around here, we never get overcrowded, you never have to wait for equipment, and you'll always be able to get in, use the exercise equipment you want, and then get out in the shortest period of time possible."

So, now, think about it...

What could the prospective member possibly say about the higher fees?

Nothing.

Why?

Because in the above example, a valid reason was given for the higher fees.

In fact, the reason given for the higher fees actually conveyed several benefits - never have to wait for equipment and will have efficient, convenient workouts, etc.

Basically, what the staff members were communicating to prospective members was this:

"Sure you can find cheaper clubs.

But, they'll be overcrowded, you'll have to wait for equipment, and it will take you longer to get your workouts done (how much is your time worth).

If you're aok with that, and that's what you're looking for, there are several cheaper clubs to go to.  BUT, if you're looking for a club with all of the benefits we've already gone over, here are our fees..."

Now, they wouldn't actually say that, but they certainly conveyed it implicitly in their presentaiton.

And, it worked like gangbusters for them.

The point: there's nothing wrong with having higher prices than all of your competitors as long as you can give prospective customers a valid reason why -  a reason that they benefit from.

And, if you can bring up the fact that you have higher prices and then find a way to brag about them (because of a benefit you give customers that nobody else does), even better.

All in all, remember, if price was the only thing people considered when making purchasing decisions, we wouldn't have Nordstrom's, Starbucks, Mercedes Benz, first class plane flights, or Marriott's.

Everybody would be shopping at Walmart, drinking Dunkin Donuts coffee, driving a Hyundia, flying coach, and staying at a Motel 8.

But we know that doesn't happen.

Why?

Because people make their buying decisions based on value.

And, it's your job to show them the added value they get with you and your higher prices.