Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Internet Master Series - November 30th Teleseminar.

Alex Mandossian:
Powering Your Way to Internet Marketing Success through the Human Voice.


As an appetizer for the February 1, 2007 relaunch of Internet Master Series, let's go back to Lynn's 2006 interview with the legendary Alex Mandossian. This San Francisco-based entrepreneur has helped generate over $233 million dollars in sales and profits for clients via "boutique" electronic marketing since 1991. As a teleseminar marketing specialist, Mr. Mandossian has interviewed a veritable "Who's Who" of the personal development world: Mark Victor Hansen, Jack Canfield, Stephen Covey, Brian Tracy, Joe Vitale, and Jay Abraham among others. He preaches what he practices; over 11,000 students have sought his advice and techniques for generating income and achieving financial independence.

In a well-formatted, 7-point, 90-minute package, Alex and Lynn discussed the power of the spoken word in online marketing and why you should be using audio right now.

A. Response Modifiers:

What are they and why are they so important any Internet
Marketer’s success online or offline?

Response modifiers (RM) are web page or off-page (i.e. e-mail, teleseminar) elements that add or suppress audience response. Among the 66 RMs identified by Alex are:

- Traffic source identification
- Offer deadlines
- "Print this Page" instructions

To get the audience response you want, why not just ask for it with your own voice? Mandossian believes that the human voice is the most effective marketing tool we have, allowing Internet marketers to "break the silence" of the World Wide Web (WWW) and distinguish themselves from competitors. Adding audio to web pages is increasingly affordable, and should improve the conversion rate for any promotion imaginable.

To drive traffic to our voice-enabled web pages, entrepreneurs should not neglect basic e-mail marketing principles:

- "From" line: Use asterisks or dashes (e.g. -Alex Mandossian-) to stand out and heighten responses.

- Subject line: Long subject lines suppress response. To encourage people to read your e-mail, incorporate the reader's name and if necessary, break it off with ellipsis.


B. Human Voice:

Why is the ‘human voice’ such a powerful Response Modifier and what online software can be utilized so even ‘techno-dummies’ can quickly and easily add audio to web sites?


Invoking the work of Roy H. Williams ("Wizard of Ads®"), Mandossian says that if you want to persuade the world, use human voice. Speech breathes life into text, and consequently, heightens the written word's effectiveness. One need only recall the most famous American speeches of all time: Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, John F. Kennedy's inaugural address, and Dr. Martin Luther King's "I have a Dream". For further "reading" about great speeches, Alex suggests Richard Greene's "Words that Shook the World".

Mandossian advises dial-up users to forgo Flash Video because of slowness - just use audio which requires little bandwidth. For online marketers with access to high-speed Internet (cable, ISDN, DSL, etc.) check out MarketingwithPostcards.com to investigate how to "brand" yourself with Flash Audio and other direct marketing techniques.

Alex claims that an audio-enabled squeeze page with still photos can triple, even quadruple your response rate. However, he says nothing should be taken for granted, and considers himself a strong proponent of the Internet Marketing mantra:

TEST, TEST, TEST!

Audio auto-play on a website can be used to polarize the audience and filter out "tire-kickers". The most expensive prospect is an "undecided" prospect. Therefore, your audio message should be a clear, ethical bribe: Trade opt-in information for a free report, e-book, etc. As an alternative, use permission-based "audio on call" on your squeeze pages and sales letters.

Adding audio to your website is inexpensive and technologically feasible. A popular service is Alex's 5-year old audiogenerator.com ($21 USD per month), but people are advised to investigate various services and test them out before making a serious commitment.


C. On-Page Strategies:

Where are 5 powerful ‘on-page’ human voice strategies that can instantly boost conversions and accelerate sales and profits?


Prospects are like children - they need training, guidance, and an ethical bribe to be aroused to action. So, how can audio help? Consider the following:

1. Add an audio invitation to your squeeze page (e.g. http://www.voiceiscool.com)

2. Add audio to your sales letter (e.g. http://www.audiogenerator.com)

3. Audio testimonials to add credibility to your product or service claims. Standard format is,
from top to bottom: bullet->picture->text testimonial->audio button. (e.g.
http://www.teleseminartestimonials.com)

4. Offer a solid, verbal guarantee that helps you bond with your prospect. Speak to your website visitor in a personal, upbeat tone that demonstrates marketing intimacy.

5. Introduce product features to the prospect and tell them what they are really getting (i.e. CD, DVD, three-ring binder, etc.)

In addition, consider adding audio to your blog. It can take the form of a permission-based welcome message, or a true audio-blog that replaces written text.


D. Off-Page Strategies:

What are 3 ‘off-page’ human voice strategies that are battle-tested and time-proven to grow hyper-responsive, mega-profitable online lists from scratch?


1. e-mails: Preferably text e-mails, since HTML-rich e-mails are often rejected by anti-SPAM software and filtering techniques used by large and small ISPs. Include embedded audio in your e-mail, or audio postcard links set to "auto-play" that allows readers to read and listen to your message at the same time.

2. Teleseminars: By listening to your voice on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, people will come to think of you as the expert, a trusted source of information, and even a friend. The "know, like, and trust" factor is the key to future online success.

3. 24 hour recorded messages: More effective than cold-calling or using live operators, "free recorded messages" have the power to bring serious prospects to you. No longer will you have to chase "tire-kickers" or "undecideds".

Audio is to education what music is for entertainment, an attraction tool that creates intimacy. Just as lack of intimacy is at the root of many divorces, a lack of marketing intimacy will cripple your online business. Check out http://www.automaticresponse.com for a clear description of how recorded messages work.


E) Repurposed Content:

What’s the difference between ‘deadtime’ and ‘prime-time’ learning and how can Internet Marketers repurpose written content into audio content for bigger profits?


Examples of dead-time learning include listening to an MP3 in the car, or an audio book while doing house chores.

Repurposing is taking content from an original work in a responsible manner, and using it to create (audio-based) derivative products. For example, Alex Mandossian offers a preloaded iPod with hours of past teleseminars and marketing advice. One path from the original teleseminar recording to a human voice-specific product is:

Live teleseminar -> teleseminar recording ->
Transcribe teleseminar (PDF format) ->

teleseminar report/summary that can be sold in text, audio or video format.

In the exploding field of Private Label Rights (PLR), the sequence to follow is:

1. Read the public domain book.
2. Write a meaningful enhancement that distinguishes it from the original.
3. Copyright your new product.
4. Create the an audio version of the product.
5. Market and promote your audio product.

Alex recommends www.recordedmoments.com as a source for transforming material into voice content.


F) Scripts & Templates:

Why are audio scripts and templates so important and what’s the best way for Internet Marketers to get started creating their own ‘human voice’ scripts and templates?


To move from a low to high level of entrepreneurial productivity, Mandossian offers numerous resources and study guides (see below). He emphasizes "skeleton-like", duplicatable material that helps budding marketers create and effectively exploit scripts and templates. In order to accelerate business growth, do not reinvent the wheel. Genuinely original breakthroughs are rare, and even if successful, cost a fortune to nurture, perfect, and market.

Your goal is to be profitable in as little time as possible. Changing up to 20% of an existing template or script to suit your needs is acceptable. Changing 100% is not.


G) Case Studies:

What are a few time-proven ‘case studies’ of how the ‘human voice’ has been utilized to capture more profits, faster, better … and with less human effort?


At the end of the seminar, Alex cited several of his websites as successful applications of audio-driven marketing:

http://www.mastersoncall.com
http://www.voiceiscool.com
http://www.audiogenerator.com
http://www.marketerschoice.com
http://www.teleseminarmarketing.com
http://www.teleseminartestimonials.com
http://www.marketingwithpostcards.com
http://www.7stepactionplan.com

Also, you can listen to Alex's 24-hour recorded message: 1-800-976-8824, extension 9008.

Note the Squeeze page -> Amplifier page -> Sales Letter path of several of his websites.


Conclusion.

Alex Mandossian is an electronic marketing maven with a 20-year track record of creative excellence and financial success. As founder and President of Heritage House Publishing, he continues to introduce high quality information products to the marketplace, all the while practicing what he preaches.

Consensus within the industry is that dedicated marketers must spend hundreds, if not thousands of dollars monthly to stay in touch with the cutting edge of business entrepreneurship. Even newcomers to Internet Marketing must heed the call of lifelong learning to survive and prosper, even if it is at a more modest level. Mandossian is not shy about his offers, and through years of practice, has mastered the elusive "attractiveness" factor all marketers - online and offline - crave.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lynn and Natalie are off to a hot start in 2007! Don't miss the replay of the February 1st call with millionaire copywriter Clayton Makepeace. Sign up NOW!

1 comment:

Thea said...

That's a wonderful article Rahul, with many terrific ideas. I'll have to revisit and see if I have implemented most of these.
Thank you also for your visit to my guest book. Your message was very kind.
Namaste, Thea