New Year's Kickstart Challenge Results!

Each year, I begin with a New Year’s Kickstart rather than a useless resolution. Instead of resolving to do something, I just do it.

My Kickstart for 2012 was to launch my personal website: www.andyhorner.com in two weeks. Done! Check it out.

This year, I invited my Ace of Sales customers and everyone else on my email list to start their year off the same way. The result was my first ever New Year’s Kickstart Challenge. I gave them two weeks to complete a project they’ve been meaning to get done.

Many of you took the challenge! Websites. Blogs. Campaigns. Brochures. Videos. I was astounded at how many of you wrote in to describe how much you appreciated the challenge and the projects you were able to complete in just two weeks. Imagine if you did this once a month!

So, let’s get to the fun part…

For further incentive, I offered to reward one entry with a free year of Ace of Sales, a mention on my new personal site, and a shout out in Jeffrey Gitomer’s Sales Caffeine.

Drum roll, please! And the Rewardee is…
 

JEFF ZAHRT – Business Website – zmusicdjs.com

Why I picked it: Jeff completed his disc jockey business website in just two weeks. I chose it for the scope of what he achieved, the impact it will have on his business, and the obstacles he overcame. Jeff’s old site had to be torn down in 2011 due to a virus – a major setback. He started off the year by fighting back with the launch of a new and improved site.

As they used to say at my Little League Baseball games when you hit a home run, “Pick up your hotdog and drink after the game.” Great work, Jeff. Way to kickstart your year!

My staff will be contacting you to give you your reward.

Here are a few other Kickstart submissions I’d like to congratulate and highlight…

STEWART JORDAN – Personal Website – stewartjordan.com

Stewart was also motivated by the Kickstart Challenge to get his website up and running! I love the bold gold color, his excellent portrait shot, and that he added strong content and a video on the homepage. Stewart, I hope your new site leads to big success in 2012.

DEBI TALBERT – Youtube Interview – menopausalmorphing.com

Debi has a blog titled “Menopausal Morphing” that offers support and guidance to women facing the menopause stage of life. For my Kickstart Challenge, Debi created her first-ever Youtube video interview for her blog with an expert in the field of menopause. She plans to offer more advice from experts on her blog so that she can deliver deeper value to her readers. Excellent work, Debi. Big points for learning a new technology.

ANNA YOTT – Travel blog – annayott.com

Anna had been working on getting this set up for months, but because of the Kickstart Challenge, she got it done and has started branching out to other social media like Youtube and Flickr!  ”It is still a work in progress,” she says, “but what isn’t?” Exactly! Most people are still “thinking” about getting something done. Anna, however, is a woman of action. I’m definitely in the ‘Yott’ Club.

HOWARD WALSTEIN – DJ Postcard Campaign – funsimcha.com

Howard developed a postcard campaign to differentiate his business from the myriad other DJ businesses in his area. Loads of photos. Excitement. Energy. Success! We expect Howard will dance circles around his competition in 2012.

BETTINA BLANCHARD - Business Ezine - allinplace.biz

Bettina has already launched 2 issues of her new ezine (using Ace of Sales, of course). “Life Simplified Ezine” is the title. She’s helping her contacts “Save Time, Money, & Reduce Stress.” Good luck, Bettina. The value you provide your customers regularly will pay in spades. Looking forward to your next issue.

Finally, a few more mentions. The following individuals didn’t submit a project, but took my Kickstart Challenge as an opportunity to kickstart their year with success and improvement.
 

PHIL WEST – Quarter Million in Sales – palmettovermiculite.com
$150,000 – 250,000 in new business already sold in January. Phil wanted to start the New Year with a “bang and a wallah”, so with hard work, Ace of Sales, and persistence he did!

LINCOLN LOO – Pushups – daniels.com.hk
Lincoln has done pushups without missing a single day since the first of the year – 1,219 pushups! He knows this motivation, focus, and discipline will spill into his business.

VICTOR COPPOLA – Networking Blitz – greenworksllc.com
Of the 43 members of his networking group, Victor will have met with 71% of them by the end of January. He has already noticed a marked increase in job starts this year as a result of these meetings.

Congratulations to Jeff Zahrt, to my other deserving honorable mentions, and to EVERYONE who took my New Year’s Kickstart Challenge! I’m impressed, proud, amazed, and excited about what each of you have accomplished. I can only imagine the kind of banner year you are going to have and the personal momentum you have thrown into turbo drive.

For those of you who have crawled out of the 2012 gates a little slow, start now. Give yourself two weeks to get your project accomplished. I’d love to hear about it – Contact Andy.

New Year's Kickstart Challenge

I'm the only person I've ever known who's kept a New Year's Resolution.

Several years ago I made a New Year's Resolution to never make another New Year's Resolution. Since then, I've kept it perfectly. How're you doing with yours?

Freed from resolutions, I challenge myself at the threshold of each year to complete a quick goal. I call it a "New Year's Kickstart." It works.

It should take no more than a week or 2 to complete and should light the fuse for your strategy for the year. Whether you've made a New Year's Resolution or not, I invite you to join me in my first ever "New Year's Kickstart Challenge".

My "New Year's Kickstart" for 2012 is to complete and launch my personal website.

Have an unfinished white paper, blog, webinar, or presentation? Get your project done before I announce the launch of my personal site on January 19th, and you could score a snazzy reward!

New Year's Kickstart Challenge Rules

1. Has to be a business-related project unless it's something really, really cool (like an office chocolate fondue fountain).
2. Has to be emailed to me as an attachment, link or description before my email announcement on Jan. 19.
3. My favorite (based on purely subjective criteria) gets a free year subscription to Ace of Sales.
4. Anyone can enter. (Ace of Sales users and non-users.) Have an annual account already? You'll get your next year's subscription free.

I'll announce my pick the week of January 23rd in my email update, here on the blog, and in Jeffrey Gitomer's Sales Caffeine!

Have a question? Email me

Say "Happy New Year!" with 14 New Designs

New Year's Day is only a few days away! Surprise your customers by showing them that, amidst the holiday hustle and bustle, they're still on your mind.

Want your customers to include you in their midnight toast? 

Here's one idea that will get the job done:

1. Send them an Ace of Sales Email Greeting with one of our new 2012 designs.

2. Include your 1 or 2 sentence philosophy for serving customers. (Insurance example: "As your Guardian Angel of Insurance, I help you secure the best coverage at the best price with as little interruption as possible to your life. I watch, weigh, and worry about your insurance every day so you don't have to.")

3. Then give a specific answer for how you will carry out your philosophy in the coming year. ("This year, I have a new monthly summary that slims down your carrier's multi-page report to a half page. Only my customers will enjoy this compliance-approved convenience. Here's a preview.")

Give it a try!

Side Note: I do NOT recommend pledging a New Year's Resolution to your customers. It only communicates that you haven't been doing what you should've been doing all along. They will also expect you to break it, like all other New Year's resolutions.

Here's a glimpse at the 14 new designs! Login to your Ace of Sales account to see them all.

It's December! Are Your Holiday Greetings in the Mail to Your Customers?

Yes! Congratulations.

No? No problem.

We just added a ton of new exclusive designs to your Ace of Sales account.

All you have to do is update your list. Type a quick message. And send! There are over 30 new designs to choose from. With more than 60 total in your galleries, there's something for everyone! 

If you're really feeling clever, create your own holiday design with our Custom Design tool. Use one our holiday borders to punch up your team photo or logo image!

Check out a preview below. Then go log in and start sending!

Don't have an Ace of Sales account yet?

Sign up now with promo code "SALESMAKER" for a 30 day free trial.

Holiday greetings are no problem with Ace of Sales and your fantastic new designs!

Little But NOT Nothing

What do football helmets and hypodermic needles have in common?

Little but NOT nothing.

Steroid juicing? Painkiller addiction? Hmm... fascinating!

The image with this article of a football helmet spilling over with hypodermic needles is from a current issue of ESPN Magazine. The photo triggers both a wince and a double take, halting readers and provoking them to read the first sentence of the article.

Little but NOT nothing.

What a beautiful phrase for marketers to keep in mind.

When two images with the smallest hint of a connection are juxtaposed, readers are compelled to seek understanding. The brain begins firing questions and drilling for the relationship link. "Helmets? Needles? Should I understand this? The data seems vaguely familiar but does not compute. Need... more... info." And so the reader begins to read. Success!

Little but NOT nothing.

How can you employ this concept in your own small business or personal marketing efforts? First, isolate a single benefit message. It's a natural temptation to cram all the irresistible advantages of your product or service into your marketing pieces. If you can't decide on your top benefit, ask ten customers. Then, you'll know.

Perhaps you sell a new industrial-grade sump pump for home owners that can remove water 4 times faster than a standard residential unit. What images can you combine that aren't too closely related? Bad examples might include a water-filled room with floating furniture or a frowning home owner standing waist deep in a flooded room. To avoid cliches like these, throw out images or ideas that have been fused so often that their connection has become obvious.

Instead, think two powerful objects with a faint relationship that will evoke emotion. For the brain to be intrigued, it must be forced to make a cognitive leap.

Picture this. A door frame where a family has marked their child's growth is under water up to the line that reads, "Katie at 5 years." The brain goes wild! "Growth charts? Waist-high water? What about the marks for her first four years?" The lead in to the ad might read, "Preserving your memories in a flood depends on how fast you remove the water. Irreversible damage can begin in less than 12 hours. Can you keep up with your pump? With ours can, you can."

Little but NOT nothing may mean EVERYTHING when it comes to getting responses and results from your next marketing campaign. Try it and tell me how it turns out.