New Radiance Updates
February-March 2002

HOW YOUR CUSTOMERS CAN DO YOUR MARKETING FOR YOU 

I recently read Seth Godin's book "Unleashing the Ideavirus," in which he illustrates how we can use our own customers to spread the word about our business. If eBay, Hotmail and Harry Potter could do it, why not the rest of us?

All you need is a plan and some "powerful sneezers." (Godin works with a virus analogy.) 

A plan ensures that your customers won't be embarrassed by recommending you to others. The "sneezers" are influential people who are likely to tell LOTS of others about your product or service -- but only if it's remarkable, thought-provoking, important, profitable, funny, beautiful...or horrible.

Can you think of individuals with sufficient credibility who would recommend you to their wide network of friends and associates? Do you have a product or service that is likely to "wow" them? Is your infrastructure capable of handling quickly escalating sales?

If yes, let's look at a possible plan.

Say you have a website that sells exotic, hand-made soaps. Say you have formulated and produced a one-of-a-kind, incredibly special, life improving bar of soap. Or you have an incredibly special soap for a very specific niche. (Hey...how many of you bathed your kids in the one that didn't hurt their eyes?)

How do you market this new wonder soap?

Let's start with your current customers, whose names, addresses and e-mail info you already possess. When you ship their next order, send each one a sample -- a reduced-size (or full size) bar of your new wonder soap. Then when they phone in or go online to place their order for this new product, reward them with a another gift -- a sample that you will forward to their family and friends -- free, in their name. 

You pay the postage, you wrap the samples prettily and announce to their family and friends the name of the gift-giver (your customer). And you also enclose an order form so family and friends can place their own order for this irresistible product. On the order form are a half dozen spaces for them to fill in the names of their family and friends, to whom you will send free samples of your life-changing product.

You acquire additional new customers, plus names and addresses for future marketing; your customers receive not only a free gift themselves (your sample), they look good to their friends by sending them a free gift (you send it in their name). In other words, you're building your business by spreading lots of good cheer.

A variation of this approach is to bundle your products -- buy a month's supply of soap and we'll send a free gift to your daughter/mother/best friend.

You may need to test this for a few months to gauge the costs accurately. Then compare the cost of acquiring new customers this way with the other marketing methods you use.

This isn't quite the customer-to-customer virus spreading envisioned in the Ideavirus book, but reading the book and meeting Kate from Kate's Soap prompted these particular examples (which could be adapted for a variety of businesses, including service-oriented ones.)

When you truly have a "wow" product, offer the full version to your prominent "sneezers." If they believe in what you do, they'll spread the word for free, but you might want to consider incentives, too -- whether cash rewards or free product.

The ideavirus is a compelling model for light workers to consider, not only for business, but also for spreading good will, happiness, food for thought. How many of you received the "Daffodil" letter a few months ago and passed it along to your mailing list? 

You can download "Unleashing the Ideavirus" for free at www.ideavirus.com or purchase the softcover book at Amazon.com. Click on the following link to go directly to the Ideavirus book's page at Amazon: www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0786887176/newradianceresou



NEW RADIANCE NEWS

Find respected body, mind, spirit professionals -- and information that can change your life -- in the all-new 7th Edition of the New Radiance Metaphysical & Holistic Florida Directory. 

(1) NEW DIRECTORIES SLATED TO ARRIVE MID-APRIL

The 7th Edition of the Metaphysical & Holistic Florida Directory is at the printer and scheduled to ship April 16. If you advertised in the Directory or pre-ordered a book, I'll be mailing yours as soon as they arrive.

I've already reviewed the proof of the 4-color cover designed by Kate Rader of Blue Haze Design in Sarasota. It looks fantastic! (Kate is on our Resource List of Designers & Writers -- to view list, click here.) 

If you'd like to order a Directory by mail, please print out an order form. The Directory will also soon be available online by credit card through Amazon.com and at metaphysical bookstores statewide.


(2) SAVE ON NEW ONLINE MARKETING COURSE

New Radiance is offering an introductory discount on its online marketing course for home-based body/mind/spirit business owners. This 102-page e-Book is called "Marketing with a Mission: How to Stay True to Your Soul's Purpose While Building a Successful Business."

This easy to follow self-study course takes you step by step from seeing your mission in life as the foundation of your business, to creating a business niche that fits you perfectly and is easy to market, to actually writing a marketing plan you can live with...and are likely to follow.

For more information and FREE SAMPLES of the course content, please visit www.marketingwithamission.com.



DIRECTORY ADVERTISER UPDATES

(1) Licensed massage therapist and Reiki Master Barbara A. Walbridge has a website at www.geocities.com/rosetta0229/pathfinder.html. Barbara teaches the Melchizedek Method -- the process of activating your hologram of love, using holographics to heal your body and others, activate your lightbody and learn techniques for bi-location, etc.

(2) Rev. Marcy Roban is constructing a new website that will serve as a network for organizations who participate in many types of planetary healing. For more information, please visit www.oneworldmovement.org.

(3) Carla Beetar is forming new Tarot Card classes in the St. Petersburg area. Carla has read and taught Tarot for 25 years and is taking names for a new series of classes -- beginner to advanced. To learn Tarot from a very knowledgeable teacher, call (727) 544-8513.

(4) The Healing Arts Alliance of Tampa Bay is hosting a wellness fair Saturday and Sunday, April 27-28 at Books-a-Million, 33550 U.S. Highway 19 N., Palm Harbor (corner of US 19 and Nebraska). For information, please contact Joel Chudnow (813) 287-5538.



HOW TO MAKE A "COPYRIGHT" SYMBOL © ...AND MORE

If you're creating your own flyers and brochures and need to type the symbols for copyright, trademark and registered, here's how the professionals do it.

In Windows, all you do is hold down the "Alt" key, and while continuing to hold it down, hit the "Zero" key and then three additional numbers in succession. For example, for © Copyright, hold down "Alt," press 0, then press the numbers 1, 6, 9. Then you can let up the "Alt" key.

It's quicker and easier if you use the numeric keypad at the right of your keyboard (make sure the "Numlock" light is on). 

Here's a list of common symbols with their shortcuts. 

Copyright (©) is Alt, 0, 1, 6, 9

Trademark (™) is Alt, 0, 1, 5, 3

Registered (®) is Alt, 0, 1, 7, 4

Bullet (•) is Alt, 0, 1, 4, 9 

Ellipsis (… instead of 3 periods) is Alt, 0, 1, 3, 3

"N" Dash (– longer than a hyphen) is Alt, 0, 1, 5, 0

"M" Dash (— instead of 2 hyphens) is Alt, 0, 1, 5, 1

Cents (¢) is Alt, 0, 1, 6, 2

French accent (é) is Alt, 0, 2, 3, 3 (as in café)

French accent (à) is Alt, 0, 2, 2, 4 (as in à la carte)

One-quarter (¼) is Alt, 0, 1, 8, 8

One-half (½) is Alt, 0, 1, 8, 9

Three-quarters (¾) is Alt, 0, 1, 9, 0



RESOURCE LIST OF DESIGNERS & WRITERS

Here are this month's additions to our resource list:

(1) Dave (Doc) Dockery designs websites, specializing in complex, technical sites. He can also refer you to a talented designer if you're just getting started with your own website. For information, visit www.synergypublishing.com or call (727) 785-2511.

If you live in the Tampa Bay listening area, be sure to tune in Doc's radio show "Computer Chat" on WWBA 1040 AM, Sundays 4 - 6 PM. Practical tips and lively discussion.

(2) SJV Publishing specializes in digital publishing: e-Books, webpages, eBrochures and consulting services. Samuel J. Voiles can help you convert your publication into an e-Book with its own website and then guide you through the ClickBank/PayPal credit card services so people can both purchase and read your book online. Call (727) 542-0463 or visit www.sjvpublishing.com.

To view the entire Resource List of Designers & Writers, click here.



MARKETING IDEAS

(1) In St. Petersburg, The Health Institute is looking for speakers to be part of their lecture network. The emphasis is on healing arts from acupuncture to yoga. For information, please call (727) 821-4636.

(2) H.O.P.E. Expo 2002 takes place April 19-20 at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. Exhibitor information is available online at www.hopeexpo.com or call (904) 398-3289.

(3) The "Yearbook of Experts, Authorities and Spokespersons" is a leading source for journalists in print and on the web. Listings in the printed yearbook start at $495, but you can obtain a FREE listing on the Internet version.

If you're serious about promoting yourself as an expert or authority as part of your marketing plan, for $395, you can also send 52 news releases and post your events, convention news and more. Please visit www.yearbook.com for complete information.