The Underdog Millionaire Blog » Networking/Referrals

The Birthday Roundup-Other Blogs I REALLY Like

Joshua Black — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:00:41 +0000

Today’s post is going to be the last of the birthday blog posts. I thought I would share a few blogs with you that I think are really going the extra mile.

These guys (and gals) don’t just re-hash the current flavor-of-the-month content that can be seen on many of the blogs out there. Instead, they are hard-hitting, unique business owners that have really developed a niche name for themselves.

Many of these blogs are geared towards small business owners, but not all. I think that if you are going to be a competitive entrepreneur, you really need to look at a variety of sources for inspiration.

Now, I am not going to over-load you with the over 50 different blogs that I try to follow on a regular basis, but I do have a special handful for you that really do something above and beyond.

So, without further adieu, here they are:

Heavy Hitters That Blog About Blogging:

If you have been in the blogging world for any length of time, then you already know about these guys, but if you are just getting started, this is the kind of blogging that you can aspire to.

Problogger- This is a site started by Darren Rowse. He has been blogging for years and has grown his empire to over a million dollars a year, just from blogging, advertising, and selling products.

Entrepreneur’s Journey- This site is run by another Aussie, Yaro Starak. He is a real underdog story, who is now one of the biggest independent bloggers out there, providing TONS of free content and audio interviews from rags-to-riches stories of Internet entrepreneurs all over the world.

Specialists:

This is a group of bloggers that have picked a successful niche and have gained a really solid following, due to the content they provide, the atmosphere they create, and the personality that really comes through in their blogs.

Ittybiz- This is the marketing blog of Naomi Dunford. She has created a cult-like following all based around her razor-sharp personality and her sailor’s mouth. This is not re-hashed marketing advice. Almost every blog post that she writes should be printed out and saved as reference material. Plus, she’s freakin’ hilarious.

The World’s Strongest Librarian- This blog is home to one of the most eclectic guys on the blogging scene. It’s run by Josh Hanagarne, a strong-man/librarian that is also battling with a cure for Tourettes Syndrome. His posts range from spectacular book reviews, to random thoughts, from weight lifting advice, to sage wisdom. Always worth a look on a daily basis.

Men With Pens- This is a site for writers. Not only does this group own their own web design and consulting company, but the frequent posts here offer some really good advice for fine-tuning your writing and improving your value to your market.

ProCopy Tips- This is a copywriting blog that, in my humble opinion is a place that is a hidden gem, discovered by only a few. It’s run by a life-long direct-response copywriter named Dean Rieck. He gives away some great basic copywriting advice and even posts frequently on Copyblogger.

The Simple Dollar- This is a personal finance/money blog by Trent Hamm. He has a cult-like following as well. He covers everything from investing, to debt removal, to bankruptcy and has authored a few books. Great site if you like money at all.

My Friends and Underdogs:

This is a group of up-and-coming bloggers that is really trying to make a difference in their respective markets. They haven’t hit the big time just yet, but I know they will, just based on the content and services they provide. These guys are definitely people to keep and eye on.

Tommy DePietro- This guy is serious business. He runs a MLM marketing advice blog, has a ton of videos and is very passionate about his work. Tommy is really going somewhere. He has been a frequent commenter on the Underdog Millionaire since the beginning.

Alex Whalley- Alex is a really honest guy with a big heart. His blog focuses on keywords, SEO, and niche marketing. His posts are very thorough and he has come a LONG way in a short time.

The Big Red Tomato Company- This is a small business blog run by Matthew Needham. He’s got some great ideas about consulting, small business marketing, and creating information products. Matthew is a real stand-up guy and we occasionally bounce ideas off each other since we are in the same niche.

Josh Garcia- This guy is another one that has slowly grown alongside the Underdog Millionaire. Josh is all about generating leads and giving great marketing advice. Definitely worth a look. You will see his blog comments all over the Internet.

I think that should just about do it. Hope you enjoyed the list. Of course I’m sure I missed a few great blogs out there. Give me the name of someone that you really think is doing an amazing job of creating content?

Help your fellow Underdogs out and let’s get this post Tweeted all over the Net!

Until tomorrow,

Joshua Black

Click the image to get the FREE Underdog Millionaire wealth Pack!

*******************************************
Copyright 2010, Outer Limit Productions LLC.
All rights reserved.

Download these other great products to help
your business earn huge piles of moolah:

http://www.product-pricing-strategy.com
http://www.how-to-business-network.com
http://www.ranking-higher-seo.com
http://www.UnderdogMillionaire.com/blog
http://www.sales-letter-system.com
http://www.closing-the-sale.com
http://www.information-product-report.com
http://www.UltimateUSPcreator.com
http://www.underdog-success-formula.com

_________________________________________

5 Little Tools Every Entrepreneur Needs

Joshua Black — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 15:58:15 +0000

Today’s Tip Sheet is all about a handful of tools that I think will be helpful for you in a variety of business situations.

Consider this the Swiss Army Knife of lists.

As an entrepreneur, you are pulled in many
different directions in a given day. You
are constantly bombarded with decisions that
have to be made and many times you need to
make them with more information than just
a quick “gut check” can provide.

There are tons of experts out there that
say you need to ultimately follow your gut
with business decisions, but there are many
occasions where you need more information.

Here is a list of tools that you can use
to help you solve problems, grab some
creativity, and get help when you need it:

1. Idea mapping- This is a POWERFUL tool
that you can use when you are trying to remember
concepts, map out a new business idea or product,
and even take notes on an ENTIRE BOOK, right on
one page.

My absolute favorite book on idea mapping/brain
mapping is “Idea Mapping” by Jamie Nast. Her
methods generally require you to write everything
down on paper, but if you want mapping software,
there is a ton of freeware out there with a simple
Google search.

2. A 7-sentence marketing plan- originally coined
by Guerilla Marketing expert Jay Conrad Levinson,
this is a one-page document that outlines the
complete marketing plan for your entire business.

You can go back to this each time you need to make
a marketing decision, or you are looking some guidance
on the proper direction to take. I get into this
in much more depth in my new soon-to-be-released
Underdog Marketing 101 book.

Just answer these 7 questions:
1. Explain the purpose of your marketing.
2. Spell out how you will achieve your purpose
by describing the benefits you provide to clients.
3. Specify your target market.
4. Describe your niche in that market.
5. Outline the marketing weapons you will use.
6. Focus on the identity of your business.
7. Establish your marketing budget.

3. Learn to close your eyes for 2 minutes-
When you are faced with a difficult decision
or you need to develop and answer to a problem
this simple technique of looking inward on the
problem and being free of outside distraction
can sometimes bring you to some amazing results.

Just close your eyes for 2 minutes and think
about nothing by the decision at hand. There are
no more rules than that.

4. Get an elevator pitch for your business-
Let’s face it, you never know who you are
going to run into, and when you might run
into them.

You can stumble across some amazing business
opportunities on a daily basis without even
planning on it. An elevator pitch is a
description of your business in about 30 seconds
or the time it takes to ride an elevator.

An elevator pitch is a rendition of your
Unique Selling Proposition. One good way
to figure out your own is to phrase is this
way: “Do you know how…? Well, what we do is…”

Just fill in the blanks, showing how you solve
a niche problem with your business.
5. Join or create a network- last but not least,
no business owner can do this alone. You have
to have some help.

Joining a network puts the problem-solving and
brain power together for many small business
owners in one place, and you can get free advice,
free leads, free product ideas, all worth their
weight in gold.

If you want to find out how to become a networking
superstar read about it more at:

http://www.how-to-business-network.com

Until Tomorrow,

Joshua Black
http://www.how-to-business-network.com

P.S. Let’s make a NUMBER 6! What is one entrepreneurial tool that you would like to share with everyone else on the Underdog Millionaire? Enter it in the comment section.

Click the image to get the FREE Underdog Millionaire wealth Pack!

*******************************************
Copyright 2010, Outer Limit Productions LLC.
All rights reserved.

_________________________________________

The Quiet Art of Networking… No More Shooting Your Customers in The Face

Joshua Black — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 13:32:59 +0000

Last night a man was robbed and at some point during the altercation the robber was kind enough to shoot the victim in the face.

Instead of doing what most mortals do and
keeling over from this lethal wound, by
some sheer chance of luck (for the first
time in human history as far as I know),
the victim caught the bullet in his teeth.

Superhero-style.

Of course this was a case of bad aim and
weird timing. I don’t believe the victim
was trying to actually catch the bullet.

…but in a case of weird timing and at
the expense of his front tooth, the guy
walked away from the incident unharmed.

Are you doing this to your customers?

Are you using interruption advertising,
or unsolicited phone calls in order to get
business?

Most of this form of advertising can feel
like a shot to the face for some people,
and at the same time, we marketers are
expecting each customer to catch that
bullet in their teeth and instantly want
to make a purchase.

It doesn’t work like that however.

Most interruption marketing doesn’t work
at all and the bullet drops the customer
like a sack of potatoes.

There is a better way.

That way is networking.

When you join a group of like-minded,
but non-competing inividual business
owners together, all meaning to help each
other out, you can get a FLOOD of new
customers banging down your door.

With a network comes the power of referrals
amongst the members.

When someone is referred it is no longer
an interruption. It’s an invitation.

When the person is invited, the tables
become turned and the customer may almost
feel as if they have to prove to you that
they are worthy of you service.

This is a powerful position to be in, and
the rate of closing is MUCH higher than
just walking down the street shooting your
customers in the face randomly with interruption
ads.

Think about it.

If you want to bring the awesome power of
networking into your small business download
my Underdog Networking Formula here:
http://www.how-to-business-network.com

Until tomorrow,

Joshua Black

*******************************************
Copyright 2010, Outer Limit Productions LLC.
All rights reserved.

Download these other great products to help
your business earn huge piles of moolah:

_________________________________________

Use This Single Sneaky Secret to Generate a Flood of Referrals

Joshua Black — Thu, 27 May 2010 13:40:52 +0000

If you have a business that thrives on referrals in order to survive, keep reading

Or maybe you just want to get a big pile of free customers by having your current customers do all of the legwork for you.

Either way, this one little technique can really
ramp up your sales numbers without costing you
a single dime or an ounce of additional effort.

What am I talking about?

It’s called “get ‘em while they’re hot.”

…and I am not talking about breakfast.

This works great for any specialist (chiropractor,
masseuse, dentist), service provider, professional
(accountant, attorney), or consultant.

It works for almost ANY business where you want
to get MORE business.

What you are going to do is to ask your customer
for referrals.

Now, you are not going to do this like the total
moron did that was my former financial planner.

This idiot asked me for referrals on the first
day that we did business together. I didn’t even
get a result and she was asking for a favor from me.
I promptly dismissed her on the second day.

…or the total jackass that tried to sell me
insurance in my OWN HOME, and again, we weren’t
even doing business together and he asked me to
play a little “game” with him. This game consisted
of me giving him 9 (yes 9!) names of people that
I know in return for him buying me dinner at Olive
Garden.

Hmmm… let’s see- I’m going to vouch for you to
9 people that I know. We haven’t EVER done business
together. I don’t know you. In return I have to sit
with you at Olive Garden, a place I hate.

Sign me up!

I promptly fired him too.

So there’s how NOT to do it.

Instead, ask for the referral immediately AFTER
you have made them happy.

If you just gave a massage, ask for the referral
while the customer still feels like melted butter
on toast.

How can they say no?

If you want to know even more about this technique,
as well as the exact words that you should use when
trying this process, you are going to have to pick
up a copy of my new marketing book when it comes out.

(I can’t give it all away, a guy’s gotta eat)

This book is going to be HUGE and it will contain
101+ FREE ways that you can generate customers.

…yep, these are all FREE ways. Perfect for the
Underdog small business owner trying to get off
the ground.

Stay tuned, it will be out soon. As for my
other products, I am going to seriously increase
my prices in the upcoming weeks.

I apologize if you have already heard this,
but I don’t want to leave any loyal readers out
that were sitting on the fence about making a
purchase.

Make sure you sign up for the Tip Sheet so that you won’t miss the pre-release special discount on the new book. Sign up over there ——–>

Until tomorrow,

Joshua Black

*******************************************
Copyright 2010, Outer Limit Productions LLC.
All rights reserved.

Download these other great products to help
your business earn huge piles of moolah:

_________________________________________

Icelandic Volcanoes Can Be a Real Kick in the Ash for Small Business

Joshua Black — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 13:14:22 +0000

So, last week 100,000 flights were
cancelled all over Europe due to a huge
ash cloud from an Icelandic volcanic
eruption that blanketed the sky.

Customers were stranded for days.

People had to fend for themselves and
find their own way home in many cases.

Leave it to good old mother nature to
really show us who’s boss.

However, there is always a golden lining
to every disaster and this one happens
to be a small business lesson.

What in the heck does a crazy cloud of
volcanic ash have to do with my business,
you ask?

Well… everything.

It’s all about preparation for the unexpected.

It’s about seeing how your competition, or
the new, hungry underdog business owner on
the block is going to grab you by the
ankles and shake you so all of your lunch
money falls out of your pockets.

It’s about VISION.

As a small business owner, it’s your duty
to have a little ESP and see into the future
BEFORE is happens.

You need to learn to read between the lines
and see the little things that could
eventually lead to a huge ash cloud towering
over your business.

…and the best part is, you don’t have to
do this alone.

Networking is the most powerful way to see
into the future without making any kind of
investment.

http://www.how-to-business-network.com

With a network, you will get together with
a group of like-minded business owners that
are all looking at a common goal-

To grow their businesses and to help each
other solve problems that the other members
have already been through.

They learn to solve problems by looking
into the future and using the previous
experiences that each member has gone through
in order to solve a critical business problem.

…or to see the next volcanic business
eruption on the horizon.

If you want to be the next “volcano whisperer”
for small business, then fly through your cloud
of ash and click here:

http://www.how-to-business-network.com

Until tomorrow,

Joshua Black

*******************************************
Copyright 2010, Outer Limit Productions LLC.
All rights reserved.

Download these other great products to help
your business earn huge piles of moolah:

_________________________________________

There Are Only Two Kinds of Businesses- Which One Are You?

Joshua Black — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 13:28:27 +0000

There are only two kinds of businesses in this
world.

Brave and Dead…

Which one is your business headed towards?

That was a phrase that I borrowed from the
guru of permission marketing, Seth Godin.

Seth tells us that the only way that we can
survive in this ever-cluttered world of massive
amounts of marketing noise, is to get PERMISSION
from the customer to talk to them.

One of the best ways to get permission is
through the referral process from a trusted
source.

Friends and family are not considered advertising
and neither is a trusted expert.

When you get a referral from another professional
you are no longer the big, stinky ogre in the
corner with his hand out, asking for cash.

You become an ally.

You become one of the trusted.

So how do you become one of the brave instead
of another business that didn’t get past the
defibrillator and now has a toe tag?

You get brave by getting out there and networking
with other professionals that are willing to
help each other.

You see, the smart business owners that network
learned a long time ago, that you can’t do this
alone

You need other people to help you get more
business and in turn, you will help them too.

The golden piece of networking that will bring
you more clients than you could ever get on your
own, is through the referral process.

Referrals are where another professional
recommends your services to their client, because
it is something they don’t offer, but want to
help their client out.

You end up with a pre-quailified prospect and
the other business owner gets to offer an additional
product or service that they never had before.

The days of interrupting people to get their
business are almost gone.

It’s a dusty, smelly, nastly way of doing business
that could leave you wounded in the field,
wondering where all of your money went.

Get permission.

Get networking.

Get brave.

Get more money! Wooooo Hoooo!

If you want to know all of the ins and outs of
networking, stretch out your little ogre hand
and click on over to:

http://www.how-to-business-network.com
Until tomorrow,

Joshua Black

*******************************************
Copyright 2010, Outer Limit Productions LLC.
All rights reserved.

Download these other great products to help
your business earn huge piles of moolah:

_________________________________________

Where’s Your Pink Cadillac?

Joshua Black — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:35:55 +0000

Whether you are a male or female, Mark Kay Ash,
the founder of Mary Kay cosmetics can teach us
all a lesson or two in grabbing more customers.

You see, Mary Kay started her empire from humble
beginnings. She was dirt poor and wanted a way
support her family.

She entered the male-dominated world of business
and developed a system that would empower women
that previously stayed at home, to own their
own businesses and make a ton of money without
having to pay a lot to start up.

I really recommend her book, even though it
has a pink cover and isn’t the most manly
thing I’ve ever read, the advice inside is
invaluable and unlike any other company I have
read about.

(I even have a confession to make- I borrowed
my sister’s Mark Kay training books, just so
I could see how their training plan worked)

The big thing that Mark Kay is famous for are
the pink cars that you see driving all over
the country.

She gives those cars away to people that are
top producers, selling the most cosmetics in
a given year.

Not only are these cars a badge on honor, but
they are a great incentive/advertisement to
get others to envy the car and want to be
just like the person behind the wheel.

In fact I saw a pink Escalade the other day.
That person must have been the saleswoman of
the year.

This is the pinnacle of a great bird-dog
program.

Bird-dogging is a system where you reward
your most productive sellers for bringing
you new customers.

Of course you probably aren’t in the
of passing out cars willy-nilly, and you
may not have any employees besides yourself.

However, that does not mean that you can’t
reward your customers for referring you
some new blood.

You may have a core group of people that
are very social and just love to give
their opinion to other people.

These are your classic bird-dogs.

Try and devise some kind or rewards
system for your business and see how many
new customers come running through your
door.

To learn even more about closing the sale
and getting some more customers in
creative ways, click here:
http://www.closing-the-sale.com
Until tomorrow,
Joshua Black
*******************************************
Copyright 2010, Outer Limit Productions LLC.
All rights reserved.

Download these other great products to help
your business earn huge piles of moolah:

_________________________________________

Networking- Get Caught Stealing

Joshua Black — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:51:12 +0000

Today’s Tip Sheet is all about how to
steal. No, not the kind where you knock
over a liquor store or rob an old lady.

I’m talking about stealing the attention
of your customers by helping them get
what they want.

The famous speaker Zig Ziglar frequently
says that in order to get what you want,
you need to help other people get what
they want first.

This is where the power of networking
comes in. http://www.how-to-business-network.com

You see, with networking, you find ways
to help your customers gain services that
they need and you can’t provide.

Here, you might refer one of your customers
to a business where you won’t make a cent,
but you will be benefiting 2 other people
in the process.

That’s what networking is all about. Finding
what other people need and providing it for
them.

In return, other people will help you out
when you need it. If you look at networking
for purely personal gain, then you won’t
be very successful at it.

Just like the little book I wrote, it’s all
about giving to get at some point in the
future.

As long as you are sincere with your giving,
your network of other business owners and
your customers will reward you in droves.

If you want to know A LOT more about the
secrets of networking and how you can benefit
your business by helping others, click here:

http://www.how-to-business-network.com

Download these other great products to help
your business earn huge piles of moolah:

_________________________________________

Small Business Owner Gets Kicked Right in the Niche

Joshua Black — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 18:27:07 +0000

If you want to really rock your business
in 2010, you are going to need to get
some serious laser focus on one particular
targeted niche of customers.

By positioning yourself as the end-all
be-all expert of one particular niche, you
can gain such a stronghold that it will
be almost impossible for someone to
swoop in and steal your business.

Here are some non-traditional examples:

Suppose you owned a tattoo shop. Instead of
trying to get everyone that ever wanted
to get a tattoo, maybe you become the
tattoo shop for cops, or the shop for
military personnel only, or the shop for
school teachers with a secret.

Maybe you are a motivational speaker. Instead
of setting your goal to motivate everyone,
you might pick only fortune 500 executives.

Perhaps you own a service business and
you do landscaping. Maybe you position yourself
as the landscaper to the Hollywood stars.

Of course you can take other customers as
well, but you will only position yourself
in a certain way.

One super-sweet way that you can gain a
locked-down position in a specific niche is
through networking.

Join a trade association of the group that
you want to be associated with. Give a
free talk.

Create a network of business owners that
all get together to support a common industry.

You have to give before you can get, but
once you obtain that stronghold position
in your market, you may have a new flood
of business for years to come.

If you want to know more click here:
http://www.how-to-business-network.com

As Andrew Carnegie once said “keep all of
your eggs in one basket and watch the
basket.”

Until tomorrow,
Joshua Black

Please download these great products to help
your business earn huge piles of moolah:

http://www.how-to-business-network.com
http://www.ranking-higher-seo.com
http://www.Facebook.com/underdogmillionaire
http://www.UnderdogMillionaire.com/blog
http://www.sales-letter-system.com
http://www.closing-the-sale.com
http://www.information-product-report.com
http://www.UltimateUSPcreator.com
http://www.underdog-success-formula.com

Bartering-An Underground Way to Get Free Stuff

Joshua Black — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:35:57 +0000

Yep, it’s a censored word in many circles, so
censored that I couldn’t even print it in the
subject line…

Well, I guess it’s not that censored at all.

But, what if there was a way to legally get all
of the services that you normally have to pay for
in your business?

What if there was a way that you could trade
your craft for the work of others and not have
pull a penny out of your pocket?

What if there was a way that you could do this
and NOT get in trouble with the law?

Well, there is.

Welcome to the world of bartering, a huge, integral
part of the bigger universe of networking.
http://www.how-to-business-network.com

With bartering, you are going to take a service
that you provide, say it’s lawn care and you
are going to trade it for something that you need,
say it’s legal work.

Now, here’s where it gets really cool.

Maybe the lawyer doesn’t need any lawn care done,
so you give him a credit for a certain dollar
amount worth or lawn care in exchange for his
services.

Now, he can trade that certificate of lawn care
for a different bartered service, or even sell
the certificate for a certain amount of cash.

It’s like a gift card for work at a later date.

Then you will reimburse whomever brings you back
the certificate with that amount of lawn care
eventually.

Yes, this does seem complicated but there are
many different bartering organizations that do
this on a national level.

In fact, I have a local store in my hometown
takes barter credits as payment, kind of like a
debit card.

Yes, this is quite advanced, but it’s a great way
to keep your business moving when you are just
getting started or you are relatively cash poor
and resource rich.

Maybe you own a print ship with some down time.
Now you can literally print cash by doing some barter
work for others.

This works for almost any business and this is only
a piece of all the benefits that you get from
creating or joining a network.

If you want to really ring in the new year the right
way, with a prosperous business, then scoot your
green elf shoes over to:
http://www.how-to-business-network.com

Until tomorrow,
Joshua Black

Please download these great products to help
your business earn huge piles of moolah: