#75 – “More Outrageous Business Signs, Dragons Den VC Pitches, How to Followup with a Phone Call, and a BIG Marketing Lesson from Conde Nast Portfolio Magazine.”
September 30, 2009Episode #75 – “Being Vague is Almost as Fun as Doing This Other Thing…” 
Websites and resources mentioned in the show:
Membergate (Grab the FREE Videos)
Mail Chimp (Scaleable Bulk Email Sending Service)
GotBiz WebTV Network (The NEW Place for Unconventional Business Education)
NiftyClicks (Discover the very latest web tools and resources)
Get a Private Telephone Consultation with me (to Help YOUR Business)
Buy This Week’s T-Shirt (from National Media Services)
I’ve got some more outrageous business signs for you this week, they’re hilarious! Might want to check the signage in YOUR business, too! Just in case
Have you seen Dragons Den, the TV show? It started in Japan, then went to the BBC, and now it’s on BBC America. It’s a great show where entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to a group of 5 VC investors. They either shoot the idea down in flames, or embrace it and invest their own money. It’s fascinating to be a fly on the wall. I’ll show you a clip from an episode where a poor girl gets ripped to shreds. I felt sorry for her actually. The Dragons Den concept has now been adapted for U.S TV in the form of a new show by Mark Burnett (Apprentice / Survivor) called ‘Shark Tank’ on ABC, Tuesday evenings.
Our question this week is all about following up by phone. How long should you leave it before calling a prospect? And what should you say? Find out my top tips for telephone selling in this episode.
If you need a reliable email service you might want to try MailChimp. They offer a free version of their service – basic, but hey it’s free. Check out lots more Nifty Clicks at http://www.NiftyClicks.com
Sean Delisle is a man who implements! Find out what he did in this week’s success story…
Finally, a big marketing lesson from a big brand. This time it’s Conde Nast’s Portfolio magazine. Or more specifically, their marketing materials for getting new subscribers. They used a technique that’s little known, but very powerful and persuasive.
Let me know your opinion about the topics in the show – leave your comment below, it’s really easy to do.
Enjoy the show!
Regards,
September 30th, 2009 at 1:56 am
This is in response to your request for a solution to the “Follow-Up failure ” every business in America has experienced.
What if you found a phone service with trained staff to call, listen and ask your leads strategic questions and reports directly to you for input…which means…before the next follow up call, you log into your back office and check the progress, answer questions and now you have time to find more leads so you can keep your new service busy. Try the service FREE then decide.
http://tinyurl.com/yc5y7fn
This brand NEW service will help many Small Businesses increase their lead generation by up to 74% plus it’s FREE to try before you decide…if it works, great. If not, you haven’t lost anyting.
I don’t just “hope” this will help…I KNOW IT WILL…I am thriftgirl62 on Twitter and Facebook.
September 30th, 2009 at 3:25 am
Andrew needs some new clothes! also needs a better speech. after that, everything else is good, very funny.
September 30th, 2009 at 5:34 am
Shark Cage in the US is a show for those searching for capitol. I have been instructing MBA students locally. I have asked the professor to make the show a requirement. I fully understand what it is like standing before a committee hoping to get my 1.5 million. I also know what it’s like to get it!
September 30th, 2009 at 7:09 am
Excellent episode, Andrew! So many golden nuggets!
In fact, I will be recommending this one to the those who attended a webinar I conducted last night regarding how professional service businesses (specifically, freelance bookkeepers) can build a synergistic relationship-based system for attracting referrals and new clients. You reinforced so many good aspects of effective marketing! Thanks a million!
Gabrielle
September 30th, 2009 at 7:51 am
I watch shark tank and I think it is great. I learn a lot from it. Thanks again for another useful show Andrew.
September 30th, 2009 at 8:04 am
Hello Andrew:
Love Dragon’s Den and I tell everyone attending the Small Business Networking meeting I founded 8 years ago, to watch it for ideas, how-to’s and how-not-to’s.
To see a favorable click on women in trades that is doing mega bucks, check out http://www.cbc.ca/dragonsden/pitches/moxietrades.html
Sometimes an idea, just needs fine tuning!
Lorraine
September 30th, 2009 at 8:05 am
You can watch 4 episodes of “Shark Tank” on ABC – http://abc.go.com/watch/shark-tank/225872
September 30th, 2009 at 11:35 am
the Canadian Dragon’s Den has been running for a while, and surprisingly, 2 of the Dragons are also Sharks. It is very insightful into the thought processes and what you should and shouldn’t do. It’s not only about the product and/or service, it is about how you present it.
September 30th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
Yes, Canada has their own Dragons Den. I’ve watched all episodes. It’s very entertaining. In fact the new season starts tonight (Wednesday)
http://www.cbc.ca/dragonsden/video.html
I haven’t seen ‘Shark Tank’ as yet. I think I’ll start watching that as well.
September 30th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
….. my comment automatically submitted.
I just wanted to say thanks to Andrew Lock for all the great episodes. I’ve watched every single one of them and have learned a lot.
When I get a chance I will try your microwave marketing program.
- Andrew A.
September 30th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
Andrew – You need to replace that ‘Edison’ lightbulb on “Ask Andrew” with a flourescent or better yet, an LED! We have to cut down on usage of electricity.
September 30th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
I love “Dragon’s Den” on BBCA. Coincidentally, last night’s episode was about what to do and not do when facing the Dragons.
I also like to see the Dragons get it wrong! They did an episode recently where they featured some they got right and some huge successes they blew! Great show.
I’ve not seen “Shark Tank” but I’ll give it a view.
Keep up the great programs, Andrew! Oh, and I found your t-shirt this week a bit vague…get it?
September 30th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
Hi Andrew – great show as always! I’m a fan of Shark Tank and have even sent them 50 or so requests for an audition to pitch my new invention. I am now on to bigger and better things and am courting Google as a potential business partner. In a nut shell, I’ve invented, and now have a patent pending, on an ebook publishing model which can boost anybody’s reading speed by as much 100% or more instantly. I felt it was a dynamite fit for Shark Tank since there are two technology sharks in the tank and mine really is the purest invention you’ll ever see – it’s not just a new version of an existing prodct. Oh well, I’m fishing for Google now so it’s all good.
September 30th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
I am very impressed by the show. BBC America should pick it up for the American audience. My only comment is – don’t change a thing. You have a winning formula. The only thing you might consider adding is a guest commentator.
September 30th, 2009 at 4:35 pm
Again, another great show. This may be a silly question, but how does a bulk email sending service differ from using your autoresponder?
Keep up the great work!
September 30th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
Awesome show. Totally entertaining and incredibly funny! I will be back to watch it again!
September 30th, 2009 at 9:10 pm
How do you know the “anus burger” is misspelled? I happen to love a nice anus burger now and again.
September 30th, 2009 at 9:11 pm
How do you know that “anus burger” is misspelled. I happen to enjoy a nice anus burger now and again.
September 30th, 2009 at 9:48 pm
Awsome video. Kept me entertained
October 1st, 2009 at 12:40 am
another valueable hint for andrew…
don’t be so lazy to stop quality control…oh i see…you don’t have one
at least you should check why your provided mp4 download link still does not work again
October 1st, 2009 at 4:30 am
The picture for “handicapped accessible restrooms located up stairs” is the perfect example of why businesses need to concentrate on the details. I have seen the show: “Shark Tank” but I did not know it was based on the show “Dragons Den”. The video clip that you showed was an excellent example of the saying “open mouth, insert foot”. Lastly, I wanted to thank you for mentioning the mail chimp site. I have been selling on eBay for a year now and I find it difficult to keep up with all of my customers. I am going to try it out! Great video as a small business owner, I really did find it informative.
October 1st, 2009 at 6:18 am
Hi,
The video was really good and interesting.. It helps me alot and guides me to develop my business
October 1st, 2009 at 11:09 am
Haha excellent review, I loved that sign “Try our anus steak burger”. How that guy got hired beats me. I guess fast food joints are just that desperate for employees.
October 1st, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Very funny! I love the British humor, going back to the days of Dudley Moore in “Beyond the Fringe”. Shark Tank is a show that I watch regularly and I think that the five entrepreneurs are usually right on. I just wish they weren’t so mean sometimes. Andrew, sorry to say, I won’t be buying the tee shirt of the week but I love your tips.
October 1st, 2009 at 3:14 pm
I truly enjoy “shark tank”. It is the only reality show that I will even watch. It is mind stimulating. As a business owner, I find it very helpful in developing my thinking like a shark. I have even told my daughter to watch. As a future owner of this business, she needs to learn how to think like a business person.
October 1st, 2009 at 5:56 pm
Hi andrew totaly un related to the above topic but thought this the best way to contact you . Ebay one of your most recomended sales portholes .accepting Paypal payments is thwat with danger esspecialy electronic items the buyer has 45 days to ” use, Play-with ,possibly break or indeed say not as described” to initiate a charge back on his or her credit card . I recently sold a high value camcorder on ebay.as I was about to ship the item a noticed that the shipping address was different to the wining bidders address. so I contacted Pay Pal to inform them of this. the response was quite un beliavable they asked me to forward the email that I had recived from them asking me to ship to the address not registered with pay pal to their spoof .com email . they then sent me an email confirming that indeed the email was a phishing attack. however I contacted pay pal and they said that I should still ship the item to the paypal registered address .My point after informing PayPal to a possible scam they still wanted me to ship the item . I contacted the buyer by phone and he assured me that the email I recived was genuine and that he was credable. and to e fair he has sent me his facebook acccount refrences to prove his identity . please let your sellers on ebay be aware that possible crooks can have up to 45days to use play or damage their goods and still be entitled to a refund. you know the cost of hire of a high definition camcorder so why hire when you can buy on ebay use for specific project then return wihin 45 days and say not as described .what kind of organisation says still ship after you inform them of a possible scam please feel free to contact me and I will forward all the relavent emailsto you
October 1st, 2009 at 8:22 pm
Hi, I thought this web site was very informative, I’m not in the business but after watching this I would venture out and try it.enontaperior
October 1st, 2009 at 11:36 pm
very useful video,every entrepreneur must see this video, its very useful for our business, and i got lot of guidelines . andrew you improve your speech .
October 2nd, 2009 at 2:25 am
24 hour radish shop, priceless. Very fun video, and I love the shirt!
October 2nd, 2009 at 2:49 am
wow, this video is very very interesting, i couldnt help my self and i bookmarked this page, keep up the good work and the awesome tips
October 2nd, 2009 at 3:44 am
Nice show. The business sings are a great means of getting the viewer’s attention early to keep them interested in what you have to say. Also thank you for the tip about mailchimp. I may have to look that over in the near future. I hope the shows continue on like this.
October 2nd, 2009 at 6:34 am
this video is really a good one the person who shot this video is very impressed me.
October 2nd, 2009 at 6:49 am
The video was fabulous and awesome tips. I bookmarked this site. Keep giving good tips.
October 2nd, 2009 at 7:22 am
this is the first time am seeing this video. good job
keep posting new tips
October 2nd, 2009 at 10:35 am
really cool video I hope you keep doing this show
October 2nd, 2009 at 10:54 am
I have not heard of either Dragon’s Den or Sharks’ Tank. When reading the comments someone said I could go to abc.com and watch them all. I will try to watch them, it sounds interesting. I like all the funny clips and love the helpfull web sites. Short and compact help for someone like me trying to start up a small business. Thanks!
October 2nd, 2009 at 1:45 pm
This was very funny i like the signs. Also very informational . Its always great when someone puts humor with business and make it not so boring. Thanks for the video keep up the good work.
October 2nd, 2009 at 4:05 pm
Great show. Very Informative and funny. We should have that in Denmark. So what am I waiting for?! Thanks again.
October 2nd, 2009 at 4:23 pm
A fun show that actually teaches a lot of good business practices. I especially liked the practical business tips and the information about Mail Chimp. I have not seen Dragons Den or Shark Tank but will definitely check it out to see if they are available locally.
Keep up the good work Andrew.
October 3rd, 2009 at 12:02 am
Yeah, I first watched “Dragon’s Den” on a plane, and just the style of the show was new to me, and I loved it (for the duration of the plane trip
)
However, i found that the criticism of signs in other nations as quite offensive, as they are only providing a help to foreign tourists, which I seem to find a lack of in the USA
October 3rd, 2009 at 1:54 am
Keep Up the good work Andrew,the show is very informative and funny.
October 3rd, 2009 at 9:44 am
The accent is awesome and he is at least talking about important things and he is quite sarcastic, I love it!
October 3rd, 2009 at 11:10 am
This is a very cool video to me. This is help online shopping and other helpful information. Thanks man.
October 3rd, 2009 at 1:35 pm
The show was very quick moving, and interesting. I’ve been thinking about starting my own business for awhile now, as my Dad currently owns his own business, and he loves the freedom.
October 3rd, 2009 at 2:28 pm
Thanks for the video, Andrew. It was informative and fun! MailChimp and Membergate look very interesting as well, Cheers!
October 3rd, 2009 at 7:19 pm
About making calls to inbound prospects, it depends on the sort of business being run, and the type of clients getting called. Try to think about the prospect. Who are they? How much time do they have? Calls in the late afternoon are probably going to be less effective for someone in an office thinking about getting home. However if you are confirming for an appointment the next day, the evening might be the best time to call, since it will be fresh on the prospect’s mind when they leave for the day.
October 3rd, 2009 at 8:14 pm
Very interesting show. I will probably use all these tips to improve sells on my own business.
October 3rd, 2009 at 11:31 pm
I am very excited to watch this the show. i am not miss an single episode ,BBC America should pick it up for the everyone. my thought is don’t change a thing. You have a winning formula. The small thing you might consider to do is add a guest commentator.
October 4th, 2009 at 3:23 am
man I like this show . Being an Indian , I watched this video twice to understand. Jus a little slower in speech will help people worldwide.
October 4th, 2009 at 5:54 am
Wow Andrew ,it just awesome show, i just love it .Really good work man just keep rocking. Becoming Entrepreneur really it sounds good.Even i too want to enter in to Business.
October 4th, 2009 at 8:04 am
Hi Andrew! You’re so cute and I love your show. I’ve seen Dragon’s Den on BBCAmerica. I always liked it. Haven’t heard of Shark Tank yet but I’ll be sure to check it out. I liked the advice you gave to that lady who wrote in about responding to her clients. That will help me a lot too.
October 4th, 2009 at 8:34 am
Enjoyed the show, Andrew! The advice regarding calling immediately after an inquiry was great. I’m checking out Weebly thanks to the Success Stories segment – thanks, Andrew!
October 4th, 2009 at 9:02 am
Very entertaining and also informative. Thank you, I’ll be back again. Shark Tank is a great show!
October 4th, 2009 at 9:25 am
Great video Andrew. I love the introduction with the images from businesses around the world.
October 4th, 2009 at 10:25 am
i am interested in net biz , but for ethical reasons this video doesn’t my preference for a great one.
October 4th, 2009 at 2:59 pm
this is very intresting show n very informative too i think also funny toooooooooo great vedio andrew i like i the intoduction with images tooooo i’ll be back thx for vedio
October 4th, 2009 at 3:58 pm
This is a very useful website, most especially for the entrepreneurs who doesn’t have any background with business management. I really loved the introduction of the show. Plus the video is very informative not just for the people starting small business, but people already having any business can learn a lot from the videos here.
October 4th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
Wow, this little show has a lot of great little tips packed into it. I enjoyed the first part with the misspellings, they reminded me of a segment David Letterman does on his show. They were hilarious. I had no idea that Shark Tank was based off of another show, I’ll have to check out Dragon’s Den sometime, I think what little I’ve seen of Shark Tank is pretty clever. I definitely agree with the last part about giving people 2 reasons to complete an offer, just check out the freebie blogs available on the internet, there are many examples of this kind of marketing working very well on them. Great little show, I’ll have to remember this website again!
October 6th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
Hi Andrew,
I learned alot from your show and hope to tune in as often as possible. Keep up the great work. How can I build up confident to have my own webTV show?
October 6th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
Well, great as always. As I have said many times before, please keep it coming!! Looking forwards to the next series!
October 6th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
This website is great and really informative. I can’t wait to improve my business with the tips I’ve learned.
October 7th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
Ed,
A bulk email sending service is usually the same as an autoresponder. Strictly speaking they are slightly different functions – an autoresponder replies automatically when someone fills in a form or requests information, whereas a bulk email service will send the same message to lots of recipients. Unfortunately that type of service is sometimes used to send spam (unsolicited email), but most business owners use it to legitimately to keep in contact with their customers who agreed to receive further information.
Regards
Andrew
January 27th, 2010 at 12:55 am
This idea is getting popular now a days, as I am browsing through the internet I found this website http://www.SharkTankTVShow.com that provide financial assistance and expert’s advice to small entrepreneurs, which is great for the economy. I hope more marketing experts exert efforts like this to help people with great ideas.