I just found out about an absolutely BRILLIANT campaign from Nina Hershberger (owner of Mega Bucks Marketing http://www.wallet-mailer.com) that you have to know about. Apparently Burger King restaurants in Chicago and Orlando are dropping an estimated 5,000 real wallets with real money and gift certificates to their stores inside. What's really cool is the message on the inside flap when someone opens it up:

This is a great idea for not only PR, but also for getting attention. I'm definitely going to use this the next time I'm at a networking event, business expo or trade show, and would recommend anyone selling managed services or IT services do the same. Just walk around and drop them on the floor, in the bathroom, etc. Multiple web sites and bloggers (like me) are writing about this particular campaign, giving it even more legs. Here's some more pics of what's inside:

I recently conducted a survey to my clients asking them what the BEST sources of new clients were in all of 2008. Obviously, some things won't surprise you, such as referrals being #1 on the list; however, some will shake you up and cause you to rethink your marketing strategy for 2009. Here's the list starting with the #1 most effective way down to the least effective (#7):

1. Referrals

2. Direct mail

3. Yellow Pages

4. Partnering with vendors

5. BNI, LeTip and other networking groups

6. Google Adwords

7. Monthly client newsletters

What were the LEAST effective? Radio ads, newspapers and natural search engine optimization. HOWEVER, I do believe the reason that these are so low on the list is due to the fact that not many people use these methods effectively, if at all.

What surprised me the most was Yellow Pages being #3…but when I thought about it some more, it makes perfect sense. Here's why…

The people who are looking in the Yellow Pages for a "computer consultant" are 1) obviously in desperate need of immediate help and 2) don't know who to call. Therefore, they have the makings of an easy sale.

So should you add Yellow Pages ads to your 2009 marketing plan? I say it can't hurt PROVIDED you are already doing a GREAT job at fueling (and rewarding!) your clients for referrals, maximizing the revenue and profitability of the clients you DO have, and exhausting your efforts in finding and developing strong joint venture partnerships (which are nothing more than referrals on steroids). I would also tell you to hold off on Yellow Pages advertising if you are not willing to learn how to write a great direct response ad AND insert unique tracking URLs and phone numbers into the ad so you can truly MEASURE the return on your investment.

If you need more help in this area, I have a few dozen audio CDs on how to created highly-effective Yellow Pages ads. If you want one AND provided you are a VAR, MSP or IT consulting business, contact my office by e-mailing Dawn at dawn@technologymarketingtoolkit.com and include your FULL name, company and mailing address. We'll give them out on a first come-first served basis to IT business owners ONLY…but once they're gone, they're gone!

With 2009 right around the corner, I'm certain many of you will be setting your goals and New Year's resolutions. Problem is, many people still haven't been able to achieve the goals they set LAST New Year's Day, so the same items are showing up again.

If that's you, read on…

There are a lot of factors that contribute to whether or not you reach your goals, but one critical element is what Earl Nightingale spoke about in his famous message, "The Strangest Secret."

After reading the book 'Think and Grow Rich,' Earl Nightingale realized the words Hill wrote, “We become what we think about most, "was the same truth repeated over and over again in the New Testament, in the lessons from Buddha, in the writings of Lao Tse, to the works of Emerson. Why don't people change or realize their goals? Because they set them once on New Year's Day and then NEVER check in to see how they are doing…until the NEXT New Year. They aren't clear on what they want, and end up drifting like a boat tossed by the waves…no direction, no purpose and no clarity on where they are going.

And because they aren't crystal clear on what they DO want, they end up constantly focusing on what they DON'T want: the lack of sales, problems in their business, the down economy, customers cancelling their services, etc., etc. When I conduct my seminars and I ask the attendees, "What is your vision or strategic objective for your business?" The audience stares blankly back at me like a forest full of owls. And if they DO have some idea, it's usually verbalized in very vague, non-specific terms. When I ask how many of you have WRITTEN goals that you check in on DAILY, even more blank stares.

Yet, knowing what you want and focusing on it is a success principle that has been passed down through the ages in every self-help and success book ever written. It's so simple, yet no one does it.

That's why Earl titled his message, "The Strangest Secret." It's the irony of it all - that the "secret" of getting what we want is no “secret” after all…and how “strange” it is that we don’t all know about it - or use it!

So my recommendation?

Write down your top goals on an index card and look at them EVERY MORNING. I have mine written on a dry erase board in my office so I can look at them CONSTANTLY. Then, when you start every day ask yourself, "What am I going to do TODAY to move me towards achieving those goals?"

Simple…yes. But if you won't do something as simple as this to achieve your top goals, how can you ever hope to achieve great things in 2009?