Tag: Marketing

A few months ago I spoke at a restaurant marketing convention and suggested, even begged, that one of the restaurant owners hold a “hypnotic dinner night”. 

My idea was to have a hypnotist put patrons into a trance. They could then imagine eating anything they wanted without fear of gaining weight, and they could dine with anyone they wanted, as well, from celebrity to fictional character to whoever.

I knew it was outrageous, but I’m the guy who recorded The Power of Outrageous Marketing for Nightingale-Conant, and I’m a disciple of P.T. Barnum, so it seemed fitting.

Anyway, I just received this email…

Hi Joe,

I wanted to send you a personal invitation to my first ever Hypnotic Pizza Night! 

I own Big John’s Pizza in Pendleton, Oregon and attended Rory Fatt’s Boot Camp, which you spoke. 

You truly inspired me on two of your ideas, cross-promotion with other businesses and the hypnotic night with a hypnotist. 

When I returned from boot camp I immediately took action with a cross promotion and teamed up with our local food mart/gas station (Dave’s) and we teamed up to give away FREE gas for a year in a scratch-off promotion. 

This promotion alone brought $22,000 of additional revenue to Big John’s Pizza from May 1st through June 10th! 

Thanks for the inspiration to take action with cross-promotions.
 
Now I am taking action on your next big idea of a hypnotic night at my pizza parlor. 

Our Hypnotic Pizza Night is scheduled for Thursday, August 23rd at 7:00pm.  I have booked Ron Stubbs as the hypnotist (www.hypnodude.com). 

At book camp, you mentioned you would like to attend a hypnotic night at a restaurant.  I would like to personally invite you to a night of fun at our first annual Hypnotic Pizza Night at Big John’s Pizza! 

Please let me know if you can attend, we would LOVE to have you as our guest!  Pendleton, Oregon is a town of 15,000 in a rural Oregon.  We are home of the 3rd largest rodeo in the world!  www.pendletonroundup.com.  Amazingly, we do have an airport that you fly directly into Pendleton via Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air.

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Andy McAnally
Big John’s Pizza

P.S. My family was in Mexico for two weeks in June, I read The Secret, it has also changed my life!

I love people who take action — especially on my ideas!

Ao Akua,

Joe
www.mrfire.com

PS — Fit-a-Rita is getting world-wide media coverage!

The 12-string custom made collectible Taylor guitar that I wrote about and ordered the other day arrived.

After I opened the box and played with the contents, I wrote the following to Pat O’Bryan (used here with my permission):

IT ARRIVED!

It’s so smart, it opened the case itself, levitated out of it, and floated over to me.

As I held it, it purred.

When I began to play, the guitar made me sound like a muscial version of Shakespeare with a touch of rock and roll seeping out.

The 12-string Taylor 655ce black w/Florentine Cutaway is as light as a feather but as loud as 12 musicians all playing custom guitars in the most harmoniuous way.

This thing is a work of art.

It needs hung on a wall.

Under glass.

With an armed guard in front of it.

I have a telseminar to get on right now and then a business meeting to go to, else I’d shut down and just play this angel.

Thank you for inspiring me to get this.

What a great gift.

You.

And the Taylor, too.

joe

A little later in the day Jim Steilberg of Steilberg String Instruments at http://store.stringinstruments.com/ called to check on the guitar and me.

An interesting marketing lesson about upselling (“Do you want fries with that?”) happened while we were on the phone.

After he answered all my questions, and just before we hung up, Jim spontaneously (?) said, “If you ever want an acoustic amp to go with that precision instrument, let me know. I have the best one on the market.”

He then told me about it.

And before you knew it, I ordered one.

That’s upselling.

I had already bought from him, so I was still in a buying trance.

Saying “yes” to the Fishman Loudbox 100 Pro Amplifier was a snap to do.

I now have everything Michelle Malone needs to rock the house the next time she comes here to play for me.

And I bet Pat can’t wait to give me another guitar lesson, if only to get to play my Taylor angel.

Ao Akua,

Joe
www.mrfire.com

PS — You can see the amp I bought at  http://store.stringinstruments.com/pm-392-16-fishman-loudbox-100-pro-amplifier.aspx 

Linda Miller writes, “I started an email discussion list for Ho’oponopono friends at Yahoo Groups and if you are able to include an invitation to join the discussion on your blog, that would be wonderful.  Anyone can join the group here.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hooponoponofriends

You are very much appreciated!

I love you.  I’m sorry. Please forgive me.  Thank you.”

Jeff Chavez operates Northstar, the company that manages my mentoring and miracles programs. His brother is a semi-finalist on the television show American Inventor. I thought I’d share what he just emailed (used with his permission):

Friends,

This is the final week for my brother, Greg, to make his case to the judges on the TV show, American Inventor.

Right now, he’s a semi-finalist with a 1 in 6 shot of winning the show and the Million Dollar Prize!Those are pretty nice odds. He’s done an excellent job developing his product, The Guardian Angel, and tonight, July 25th, on ABC at 8pm Central we’ll all find out if he makes the cut to the final three.

If he get’s to that point, it will be up to the viewing audience to select the winner with their call-in votes.

I’d really appreciate it if you’d take time to watch the show tonight (Wednesday night), July 25th, at 8pm CST (ABC) and be prepared to support Greg with your votes if he makes it through to the final.

If you missed seeing one of Greg’s previous episodes…Here’s the YouTube link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmD_aU0rVmI   

Thanks! Jeff 

Wishing him Godspeed!

Ao Akua,

Joe
www.mrfire.com

 Marketing tip:

Say something different.

Coffee, for the most part, is just coffee.

I gave it up for two years, didn’t notice a difference in my health or feeling, and returned to it with gusto.

I enjoy trying different kinds. A few days ago we were shopping and I noticed a packet of coffee called “Red Eye.” 

It’s coffee “not for wimps!”

It’s coffee “with an attitude!”

So says the package, anyway.

I loved the playful arrogance of the sales copy.

So I bought it.

Now, marketing can often get you to try a product once, but if it sucks, you won’t buy it again.

Did I like this product?

No – I love Red Eye brew coffee!

I even went online and ordered more, an entire keg* of it, as well as a t-shirt.

Lesson: Coffee is coffee unless the marketing suggests it’s better than other coffee.

This is the beginning of Hypnotic Writing.

A realtor could use this principle:  “A realtor with attitude!”

So could a dry-cleaner: “A dry-cleaner with attitude!”

So could a singer: “A singer with attitude!”

Further Lesson: Your product or service better live up to its marketing.

Ao Akua,

Joe
www.mrfire.com

PS – Get your very own all natural Red Eye Brew at www.stewarts.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=15470&Category_Code=

* A keg? I’m kidding. 🙂