Get clarity and focus on what really matters
Build an effective marketing strategy based on your strengths
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Make your website convert visitors to leads and sales
Are you spending a lot of time on marketing but not reaching your goals?
Are you getting visitors to your site, but they’re not converting to leads and sales?
Maybe it seems you’re doing everything right, but you know you could get better results.
All too often, the “systems” and “best practices” that everyone brags about work for some, but they don’t create the promised results for you.
No business can copy another business’s marketing strategy and expect to succeed.
The people who reach the level of success they hoped and planned for understand that, and they don’t get too excited about the latest shiny marketing tactics. Instead, they learn what works for their business and focus all their attention on it.
No one fits into “everyone”
There are no marketing tactics that work for everyone, plain and simple.
For example, social media isn’t “necessary for every modern business” like many people seem to believe. It’s a marketing channel like so many others.
The same goes for conversion optimization.
What works for someone else is in no way guaranteed to create good results for you.
Still, most people try to succeed by imitating what they’ve seen others do.
If you’re great at picking the right things to imitate, you can get some results.
But if you’re after great–not just “some”–results, that won’t be enough.
In any case, trying things out without knowing what to focus on takes far too much time to be sensible.
Isn’t 24 hours enough?
Feeling like you should do more than what you possibly have time for is a common sign of poor focus.
Do you also believe you’ll get better results if you use more marketing tactics?
Or “The more content you publish, the better?”
Fortunately those beliefs are far from true.
It’s possible that time really is the limiting factor in your business. But in nine out of 10 cases, focusing on a few objectives that really make a difference will free up more than enough time.
When you spread your time between several marketing tactics, you won’t get good results from any of them.
Business really isn’t a numbers game–at least not in that sense.
Instead, it’s a game you win by focusing on a clear strategy.
The unique marketing strategy that’s built for you
Many businesses don’t have clear, refined marketing strategies.
The sad statistic is that around 90% of new businesses fail within the first few years.
And very few ever create the results people work to achieve.
Many of those failures could be avoided if people spent time creating marketing strategies that work for them specifically.
Instead of settling for any strategy, you need a strategy that truly fits your business.
A marketing strategy that isn’t based on your strengths is likely to fail completely. At best, it won’t create the results you strive for.
Your marketing strategy creates a conversion path that represents all the steps people take to become your customers. It includes every part of your marketing from advertising to sales.
Even businesses that seem very similar might need completely different conversion paths to get good results.
Your conversion path needs to create a compelling experience for your customers.
What will create results for you has little to do with what works for others. And even less with what’s “fun” or “entertaining.”
Are you just having fun when you’re doing “marketing?”
It might be fun to spend hours on different social media sites. Or write daily posts for your blog.
And if you call it “marketing,” you even feel like it’s time well spent.
Besides, everyone does those things just as much, don’t they? Isn’t that what you’re “supposed” to do?
Results should ultimately guide your decisions. Do you get a consistent stream of sales from social media or your blog posts?
Most people don’t, but here’s something you need to know: Marketing doesn’t have to be boring or unpleasant, but basing your decisions on what’s fun or the latest trend won’t work.
On the other hand, if it requires you to do something you don’t feel comfortable with or don’t know how to do, you’re asking for problems.
To some extent, you need to be willing to step out of your comfort zone. But there’s no reason to venture far from what you’re naturally good at.
The best marketing strategies are based on your strengths. They don’t ask you to bend your ethics or morals. And they lead people to trust and like you–even enjoy your marketing.
The only reason people fail
The only reason any business fails is that the people in charge missed something critical.
Maybe they didn’t know how to create a strong value proposition.
Maybe their marketing strategy didn’t fit their business.
Maybe their website couldn’t persuade visitors to move forward.
Sometimes the critical mistake is nearly impossible to see. You can’t blame them for missing something like that.
But in most cases the failure is preventable with proper planning.
The same goes for individual projects.
Launching a new product or service, creating a new marketing strategy, or redesigning your website can all help you reach your goals. And they can all be a huge waste of time and money.
The difference is usually just one critical mistake that makes a very promising project fail.
It’s easy to get sidetracked by the expected great results. Starting something new always creates hope of reaching bigger goals.
Still, most of the time you don’t get any closer to your goals.
Instead, the project moves to the list of things that didn’t work. Things you hoped would give you more time with your family. Things that made you spend even more time on your business for a promise that never came true.
Why marketing experts pay thousands to other marketing experts
Everyone needs another experienced set of eyes to look at their plans.
That’s why most of the big-time marketing experts have their own coaches. Sometimes they even work with more than one at a time.
That’s because the people they hire all specialize in different areas.
For example, they hire me to improve their conversion rates or value propositions. Or to figure out how their marketing strategy could be improved.
They don’t hire me–and neither should you–to manage social media accounts, create a TV ad, or help with PR.
The reason they’re the “big-time experts” is their dedication to get every part of their marketing to work as well as possible.
If you’re aiming to make your business a success, don’t let some unanswered questions stand in the way.
What are your questions?
Here’s a short compilation of the most common questions my clients ask:
- “How can I attract more highly targeted traffic–predictably?”
- “What are the first things I should change on my site to make it convert better?”
- “How can I get people on my email list to buy more?”
- “I feel like I’m giving away so much free stuff that people don’t want to buy. What’s the right balance?”
- “I’m just starting out. How do I find the most profitable market and choose a niche for myself?”
- “I still have a full-time job. Where do I need to spend my limited time to see results from my business quickly so I can quit my job?”
- “I don’t have years of experience or a degree to create credibility. How can I make people trust me?”
- “Help me stop feeling overwhelmed and confused with my business.”
- “How can I create a memorable, cohesive, and strong brand with my website?”
- “When should I use video sales pages? And how do I make them convert?”
- “How can I pull my customers’ psychological strings to make buying irresistible without manipulating them?”
- “Why don’t I get good results with PPC from one network when another works well (e.g., Google and Facebook)?”
- “How do you make the most of cross-selling and up-selling?”
- “I offer a wide range of products and services, but still people complain they can’t find what they want. What’s wrong?”
- “Where do I look first to maximize profits quickly?”
- “I’ve been running A/B tests, but the results aren’t clear. What’s wrong?”
- “I don’t know what my value proposition is or if I even have one. What do I need to do?”
- “How do I use my value proposition to create persuasive marketing messages?”
- “My value proposition is missing something. How can I make it stronger?”
- “A new competitor is ‘stealing’ my customers. What can I do?”
Is it “something small?”
Many typical questions are small. Or they seem that way.
They’re about a detail in the execution of a plan, and because they’re so small, “they don’t make much of a difference, right?”
After seeing countless tests in which the change of a headline has tripled sales–I wouldn’t say so.
Sometimes small details are just small details. But if they’re big enough to make you wonder what to do about them, they’re likely to have a big impact on your results.
For example, the exact topic of a guest post you write can make the difference between getting 35 or 350 new subscribers (that’s not an exaggeration).
Or if you have more than one payment option, how should you present them? A small change can double your sales.
And those are definitely “minor details” for most people.
Get a clear look at the road ahead
The real value of honest, candid coaching is in the clarity and focus you get.
Getting straightforward instructions pushes you forward. It even gives you more motivation because you can see where you’re going.
You’ll know what to do next, how to do it, and what results you’ll get.
That gives you the confidence to work on your business without looking around wondering if you’re headed in the right direction.
Every question and every uncertainty makes it more difficult to see clearly. It’s like feeling your way forward instead of seeing the road ahead.
Usually a path is unclear because you have unanswered questions.
But it might be that you’re asking the wrong questions altogether.
Are you asking the right questions?
“How do I get more traffic to my site?”
“How can I change my website to create more leads (contacts or subscribers)?”
“Why doesn’t my sales page convert better?”
Those might be the right questions to ask in your situation.
But those and many other questions just might be leading you away from the answers that would make a true difference.
It’s not that the questions aren’t good. It’s that they’re not the right ones at the moment.
For example, instead of asking “How do I get more traffic?” you might need to first answer the question “How do I convert more visitors to leads and sales?”
Why would you work hard to get visitors if they won’t turn into profits?
Or if you’re wondering what you need to change on your site when your conversion rates are low, it might be that you’re attracting the wrong people. Changing your site won’t make much of a difference.
So, even if you find the answer to your question, it won’t change anything if the question isn’t right.
The whole point of getting help is that you don’t just get answers and clear instructions; you’ll also learn what to focus on first.
The results you’re truly after
What are you working for? What kind of life do you want to have?
People define success in many different ways, and your goals determine what you need to do.
Do you want to make boatloads of money?
Do you aim to become the market leader? The highest-paid consultant, speaker, or author?
Or would you rather spend as much time as possible with your family, friends, and hobbies while making just “enough” money?
Whatever your goal, you’ll get there much faster if you don’t take detours.
And when you’re moving forward quickly, you start reaching your real goals sooner than you thought.
For me, reaching my goals meant working only as much as I want, having clients who take their business seriously (and some of them are very high-profile), and being able to limit projects to the ones I really enjoy. Plus having time for my family and hobbies like music and my dogs.
Your goals might be completely different.
But focusing on just the things that have the biggest impact on your goals will get you there much faster.
Focus on the things that make the difference in your business
Instead of trying to figure everything out by yourself, you can get clear advice on what to do next to get the results you want.
People who have achieved success (as they define it) and live as they choose have done exactly that.
Just one unanswered question or a problem you didn’t foresee can cause significant problems. It can slow down your progress for months or even years.
Focusing on just the few aspects of your business and marketing that are truly critical gets you to your goals much faster than going around in circles.
And you can get that kind of focus, clarity, and support.
But when you start moving forward–fast–you’ll have even more questions.
Hitting a tree at full speed
When you move forward, you’ll end up having more questions.
And the faster you move forward (just like driving a sports car), the faster you can end up in trouble if you make a wrong move.
Getting answers to your current questions can save you months and even years of time, earn you thousands of dollars in increased profits, and protect you from disheartening failures.
And you’re certainly going to get significantly closer to your goals.
But with progress comes new questions. And each of those questions can stop you in your tracks.
If you really want to get the best possible results, you need to figure out what those questions are and answer them before they affect your success.
Continuous improvement
Staying “still” isn’t enough to keep your results on an even keel. If you aren’t moving forward, your competitors will easily get ahead.
When you look at how successful people run their businesses, it’s apparent they don’t think they’re “ready.”
But everybody thinks like that, right?
Well, everybody “works hard.” But few people work smart.
Few people consider marketing and business improvement as something deserving consistent effort.
Everyone has questions about what might be slowing their business down. Yet, most people don’t count getting the answers a critical part of growing their business.
Having Peter as my coach is like having a fully involved partner. He has given me laser-like focus and direction—a clear path—and taken a huge weight from my shoulders as I move forward with my business. His straightforward yet compassionate, level-headed approach is just what I need, and the difference in business (and my confidence) is just remarkable.
Coaches seem to be everywhere these days, and most are generalists and far more expensive. But if you want a marketing strategy specialist who gives it to you straight and won’t waste your time, Peter is the expert to go to.
– Leah McClellan, copyeditor
Although my website had a lot of traffic and a sizable e-mail list, I was perplexed and frustrated by the small number of people converting into customers. Peter’s focused and actionable advice helped me double sales within a couple months – and they’re still increasing. Better yet, now about half of them are totally automated so I can focus on building my business further.
– Shayna Oliveira, English as a second language teacher
The page where I sell my eBook was converting about 5% of visitors to customers. Three weeks later, I’m converting 30% of that traffic simply because Peter walked me through the process. And I’ve been able to create more products and get similar results with the things I learned from Peter.
– Ryan Hanley, marketing speaker and author
Peter has the knack of making complicated ideas seem simple.
The best way to describe working with Peter is to say he can ‘see around corners.’ He doesn’t just look at the obvious–he has a way of taking his huge knowledge about marketing and applying it to every aspect of your business. He delivers over-the-top value, and what’s more, you can tell he really cares.
– Kerrianne Cartmer-Edwards, speaker, author, business strategist
What fits your business?
Every business, just like every business owner, is different.
Maybe you only want and need help with a few questions, and you know you can take it from there.
Maybe you want to put together a clear marketing strategy you can use.
Or maybe you want to get continuous support so new questions won’t slow you down, and you can keep focusing on just the stuff that makes a real difference.
If you want to get straightforward advice and specific plans, I’d like to work with you.
I don’t give vague recommendations or leave you wondering what to do next.
That kind of honest, plain feedback isn’t for everyone. That’s okay. Just know that I don’t spend time circling around ideas to make them more pleasant or cordial.
Below are the standard ways I work with people. We can come up with something different for you. But these options fit the needs of most people.
Focus Session
Do you have pressing questions you need answers to?
Or do you want to double-check you haven’t missed anything?
The Focus Session is a 45-minute call in which we go through the things that are limiting your success and find the exact steps you need to take to move forward.
Usually the topics are about improving your conversion rates or figuring out your marketing strategy. But anything goes.
This isn’t a 45-minute chitchat, and I’m not known for rambling.
Instead, in 45 minutes you’ll get specific answers to your questions.
That’s possible, in part, because we start the discussion via email before the call.
I want to know the basics about your business and what your main questions are. That way we won’t waste any of the time. Instead, we can get straight to answering your questions and creating plans.
And after the call, you can send me any questions that come up when you start implementing the plans we created. I’ll answer every one of them.
You don’t need to guess what you should do.
You’ll get a clear view of the road ahead. You’ll know the steps you need to take next. And you’ll know what to focus on to get to your true goals.
“You’ll Be Thrilled” Guarantee
If for any reason you’re not happy that you spent an hour on the phone with me, if you don’t feel you got clarity about your next steps , if you don’t think you could’ve paid more for the time, I don’t want to keep your money.
And you don’t have to make that decision immediately. You get a full year to see if the plans got you closer to your goals or not.
If you’re interested, contact me for details and to make sure the Focus Session fits your situation. Send me an email, and tell me a little about your business (what do you sell, to whom, and how) and what you’d like to get through during the Focus Session. Send your email to contact (at) petersandeen (dot) com.
Guide for a Year
When you start moving forward, you can accelerate your progress only so long as there’s nothing to slow you down.
New opportunities can cause confusion. Should you take them or pass so you can focus on what you were already working on?
And what if something doesn’t work out as you expected? What do you need to change to get the results you wanted? Oftentimes, people spend too much time wondering what went wrong, and they lose the chance to fix things.
The main reason continuous coaching is so valuable is that you’ll keep moving in the right direction. When you have a question, you get the answer immediately.
Instead of constantly spending time trying to keep on the road to your goals, you can focus on only those things that have the biggest impact to your success.
Guide for a Year is a coaching plan in which we continuously improve the results you’re getting.
During the first month, we’ll create your value proposition and start looking at your marketing strategy. This takes some extra calls, which are optional; if you remove them (you can do that on the payment page), it just takes longer for us to get to the next steps.
In the next couple of months, we’ll go through your marketing strategy and make sure it doesn’t have any expensive holes, or we create a new, cohesive marketing strategy and look at all the details of implementing it.
From then on, we’ll improve the results you get from marketing. We might add new marketing tactics to the mix and find other ways to get you way beyond your goals.
Whenever you have a question, you can send it to me via email. I answer quickly and in as much detail as you need.
We’ll also talk on the phone: max twice a month (except in the beginning when we might talk a lot more frequently) depending on what’s going on in your business. If it means we always talk twice per month, that’s fine—whatever makes the most sense. It’s common that people get so busy with work after the first few months that two calls per month is just difficult to fit into their schedules. But you get the support you need.
People often say that the coaching gives them clarity to what they need to do next, the focus to only do what really matters, and the motivation to get everything done.
As one client said, “It pushes you to your goals–faster than you thought possible.”
Try The First Two Calls
On the first two calls, we’ll start developing your value proposition—your marketing message (or refining it if you already have a good one)—it almost always takes four calls to complete. And you get to see what working together will be like.
If you’re not confident the coaching will help you reach your goals faster than you can otherwise, you get your money back.
So, see what you get from the first two calls and make up your mind then.
If you’re interested, contact me for details and to make sure the coaching fits your situation. Send me an email, and tell me a little about your business (what do you sell, to whom, and how) and what kind of goals you have. Send your email to contact (at) petersandeen (dot) com.