Definitive Guide to Writing and Promoting Your White Paper

The Definitive Guide to Writing and Promoting Your White Paper How to Generate Sales Leads, get Free Publicity, and Print All The Money You Want by Publishing and Marketing Problem Solving Information By Perry Marshall With C. Kenna Amos

Perry S. Marshall & Associates 1508 Ridgeland Avenue Chicago IL 60402-4900 USA Phone (708)788-4461 Fax (708)788-4599 www.perrymarshall.com / [email protected]

©2003 Perry S. Marshall & Associates / All Rights Reserved

Table of Contents How to Use This Course and Get Fast Results, NOW Page 3

Ambiguity and Gray Areas, Part 3 – Lord Of The Rings & Two Towers Page 114

The Story Behind The Story – How This Came To Be Page 4

Turning a Magazine Article into a White Paper …and tapping into the curiosity and imagination of engineers by assisting in the fine art of compromise Page 117

The Big Picture: A simple illustration of how information magnets work in multi-step marketing Page 13

Using an Application Story as a Whit e Paper Page 132

Referring to Your Information Widget Page 14

Sales Letter for a Technial Book Page 136

How to Choose a Title Page 15

A Wildly Successful, Meaty Tech Guide for Geeks Page 141

The 29 Point Checklist Page 17

A Speaker Manufacturer’s Manifesto on How a Problem Should Be Solved Page 154

The Amazing Power of Empathy in Marketing Page 28 Writing The White Paper – a simple outline of the basics Page 37 My Favorite Ultimate, Quick & Dirty, Instant Lead Generation Trick - How to get Lotsa Leads Real Fast via Pay-Per-Click Marketing Page 41 Lead Generation With White Papers, Part 2 - How to Add Email To The Mix Page 66 Promoting Your White Paper With A Press Release Page 94 Pass-Along Value – What Happens When Your Paper Gets Passed Around the Office Page 97 How to Use Ambiguity and “Gray Areas” to Add Intrigue to Your Copy and Arouse Curiosity – Part 1 Page 98 Promoting a Controversial, Hot-Potato Topic to a Sophisticated, Skeptical Intellectual Audience Page 100 Ambiguity and Gray Areas, Part 2 – Just War vs. Pacifism Page 112

Perry Marshall’s Manifesto on Solving Marketing Problems – a White Paper That Serves as a Chapter For This Course Page 160 Free Report on Generating Sales Leads Page 185 Part White Paper, Part Brochure Page 192 A Report on Making Content More Engaging Page 195 Scare Tactics in White Papers Page 205 Software Programs and Cost Calculators Page 210 Tips on Speed Writing Page 211 Getting Help Writing Your White Paper Page 212 How to Get Geeks Jazzed Up With Slide Charts and Calculators Page 213 Marketing Resources Page 218

©2003 Perry S. Marshall & Associates www.perrymarshall.com All Rights Reserved.

Page 1

This book is dedicated to the Master Engineer, whose works inspire and challenge all designers. His creations are beautiful, adaptable, robust, and supremely equipped for their purpose.


Page 2

How to Use This Course and How to Get Fast Results, NOW This is a thick manual, but don’t let that fool you. You can learn 80% of what you need to know just by reading 20% of it. I’m about to tell you which 20%. Results in 1-2 Days

If you do what I’m about to tell you, you can have a “rough draft” of a white paper or report written, AND a promotion put together for it, in one day. Then you can polish it up the next day and send it out. Two days max, to put together what may very well turn out to be the most effective sales lead generation strategy you’ve ever done! This system has lots of examples and exhibits – because it’s all based on reality, not theory. But you don’t need to study every exhibit in detail. You really just need to find the ones that apply to you and use them. The best thing to do is read the first section in its entirety. Then go to the beginning of each section and read the introduction that precedes the exhibits. You’ll get plenty of definite instruction that way. Now all you have to do is write a draft of your report and promotion for the report, and then use the exhibits to fine-tune it. Also, please use the 29 point checklist that I’ve provided. You’re going to see that white papers and reports are not usually going to be tedious and highly technical. They’re going to be informative and conversational. And that’s a lot easier!


Page 3

The Story Behind The Story How this “White Papers Course” came to be – and a story that’s never been told to the world before now By Perry Marshall Late May, 1997 “I’m sorry, Perry, but you’re just not a salesman.”

“But I want to sell, I want to persuade, I want to make this work. Almost every person I admire, every leader, every influential person, every successful person I know, is fundamentally selling themselves, selling their ideas to the world. Give me another chance, I know I can make this work.” 18 months before, when this same boss hired me, he’d said, “Perry, when I first met you, I said to myself, this kid is a sales guy waiting to happen.” After a year and a half of me not pulling my own weight as a member of his sales team, he was not so sure his first instinct had been correct. After all, numbers don’t lie. I was doing very poorly. I worked for a manufacturer’s rep firm at the time, I’d just lost the product line that had been paying my salary, and I was running out of options fast. “I understand you want to do that, but I could have some fantasy about being a politician or something. But I’m not a politician. That’s not who I am. I think you’re a great ‘applications guy’ and you’re great at talking to engineers about new ideas, but we’ve been waiting a long time for things to turn around and it’s just not happening. “So you can take Brian’s old job and be the production manager in the back, or get out.” “How Did I Get Myself Into This Mess, Anyway?”

Here’s what had happened: In late 1995, shortly after Laura became pregnant with Tannah, I was laid off from my job as an Acoustical Engineer. I had lots of experience designing speakers, and I had several job offers from various places around the country, but I didn’t want to move away from Chicago. We’d lived here two years and didn’t want to start over. I quickly exhausted the engineering job opportunities that I was qualified for and decided to explore the world of sales instead. I’d been involved in direct sales and MLM prior to that point. (That’s a whole ‘nother story, by the way, and eventually I’ll write a book about that.)


Page 4

Now even though none of those endeavors had been particularly successful, those experiences had polished me up considerably, developed many skills, and had taught me to put a high value on education and training. By that time I’d also developed considerable proficiency in meeting people, shaking hands, making cold calls, controlling my attitude, dealing with rejection, and exercising discipline and setting goals. Such businesses are very good at teaching people those kinds of skills. When I interviewed for a job at this manufacturer’s rep firm, that background came through and I easily got the job, even though my resume didn’t really show any “sales experience.” Still, it was a lot harder than I thought it would be. Had any number of things been slightly different, that job might have worked out and I probably wouldn’t be writing this book right now. I liked them, they liked me, and we’re still friends, despite the way this story initially turns out. But it was as though there was an invisible conspiracy to kill every deal I put together. Every time I’d put together a big huge deal, one that could add thousands of dollars a month to my income and take care of these problems, it would fall apart at the last minute. There was the time I had two companies matched up, they were perfect for each other. The engineering manager and purchasing agent came to tour the facility that would now be producing their circuit boards, and the company I represented sprang a big surprise on all of us that afternoon: “Oh, I’m sorry, that half of the company was just sold last week. We don’t have that

department anymore, but we’ve got a freelancer here who can do that for you.” Those guys were so disgusted, they never returned my phone calls again. Then there was the $1.1 million project at a steel mill where everything was lined up perfectly, then the integrator decided they didn’t want to install stuff in dirty steel mills and it all went away. I could tell you a half dozen stories like that. For some reason, things just never seemed to come together. Starting From Scratch, Seemingly Every Week

So I was constantly “starting over.” Most of my time at this company was spent dialing for dollars, flipping through the manufacturer’s directory, trying to get appointments, going through my tickler file, following up on leads, and basically doing anything I could possibly do to get my foot in the door somewhere.


Page 5

I would spend a week setting up appointments for the following week, I’d spend that next week in a whirlwind of activity, and then the following week I’d be back to the drudgery of cold calls again. I was actually pretty good at making those calls, but it was soooo time consuming and wasteful. Add to that the challenge of learning a new industry (I wasn’t making, or selling, speakers anymore), learning the nuances of a principal / representative relationship (that could be a whole book in and of itself too), and the financial challenges of a stay-at-home-wife and a baby at home, and I was up to my eyeballs in challenges. So back to this conversation about Perry being a sales person. I always felt as though I was just one or two steps away from a breakthrough, but I was groping in the dark. I felt like a butterfly in a hurricane. I felt very guilty because I had not been a very good investment for my employer, whom I liked very much, and push had come to shove. And my finances were a mess. Let’s jump back about three weeks – May 7, 1997. Yet Another Motivational Seminar – And a Startling Discovery

I took a day off work and drove to Peoria, Illinois, for Peter Lowe’s Success 97. You might have been to one of these somewhere along the way – you go to a big coliseum type place and they’ve got all of the most famous motivational speakers and a few superstars. That day they had Jim Rohn, Zig Ziglar, Barbara Bush, and several other heavy hitters. Like I said, just like you, I believed very much in the value of education, what’s sometimes called “the principle of the slight edge” – the fact that if you’re just a little bit better at something than everybody else, you get a disproportionate amount of the rewards. Which, by the way, is entirely true. So I went to this thing. The last speaker of the day was Dan Kennedy. He gave a one hour, fifteen minute speech that was destined to change my life. (If you drop me an email, I’ll send you a tape of that speech.) Dan talked about a concept he called “Magnetic Marketing” – essentially the same thing that I call “Guerilla Marketing” today. Dan was the first person I’d ever heard who articulated something that I thought, deep down, must surely be true – that cold calling and prospecting is a lowly form of manual-labor grunt work, and that any smart person will replace it with low-cost advertising and marketing as fast as they possibly can.


Page 6

This speech was superb. Much later I discovered that this speech was timed to the second and carefully, meticulously scripted. In any case, I jumped over the railing, ran down to the floor and bought his Magnetic Marketing Kit. Dan succeeded in getting $278 out of me that day, which was a small fortune. I’d never paid that much money for a bag of tapes and books before, and I had to figure out which one of my credit cards still had some room on it. I went back to work the next day and told my boss about it – this amazing idea that you can use direct mail and low cost marketing to make customers call you, so you don’t have to call them. He looked at mein with a polite smile, trying to keep himself from outright saying that I’d just bought swampland Florida. I could tell I wasn’t going to get any postage money from him for any of this stuff, that was for sure. It was only a couple of weeks after I bought that Magnetic Marketing kit—prior to actually using any of it—that things really started to go south. I lost my biggest product line to a competing rep firm. Just then a guy named Brian, who managed the warehouse in the back of the building, resigned. My boss liked me and he thought I was a good guy, and he didn’t want to fire me. So he gave me a choice: Take Brian’s old job–same salary but zero commission–or get out. I couldn’t see how I was going another at least not quickly, so I took the warehouse management job, possibly and decided to to tryfind to make thatjob, work. And Now I’m Thinking About Marketing

This job did not pay enough. No commission, no expense account to cover my car expenses, and Laura and I are going deeper into debt all the time. I start talking to recruiters, who are having a hard time with the fact that I don’t have much to show for my year and a half of sales experience. I’m trying to make this production manager job work, which is not a fit for my skill set at all, and every night at home I’m studying this marketing kit, trying to wrap my mind around some really new ideas, hoping I can find a place to use them. About six months went by, and things were getting steadily worse. I was looking for jobs, doing anything I can do to scrape up extra cash, and seriously questioning every assumption I’ve made about my talents, my career. I was really wondering if there’s a place for me in the world.


Page 7

Two Ugly Teenagers Meet at the Junior High Dance And Fall In Love

On a Tuesday afternoon in November 1997, I go to a job interview at this tiny company called Synergetic Micro Systems. I’m trying to disguise the fact that I’m quite unsuccessful. They’re trying to disguise the fact that they can barely afford to hire a “sales manager,” much less pay his expenses. In fact it’s doubtful that you could even call a person in this new job a “sales manager” since that person would be presiding over a whopping $200,000 of existing business. This company was a custom software / hardware development firm that was trying to launch a product line and get out of the hand-to-mouth business of consulting. My job would be reeling in new product sales, signing on distributors, talking to customers on the phone, and hopefully not going anywhere or spending any money. I was very, very jazzed about this. It just felt right. I was sure I could do something with this – it was the 2 nd chance I’d been praying for. And it looked like it would also be a chance to try some of this “Magnetic Marketing” stuff I’d been learning about with Dan’s kit and monthly newsletter. But I didn’t have the job yet. We scheduled a 2nd interview for Saturday morning. The Axe Falls

On Friday morning I walked in the door at the rep firm and was asked to come into a little meeting. I was informed that they had finally given up on making this work, and was being fired from my job. I shook everyone’s hand and drove home. I walked in the door at nine-fifteen in the morning to greet my very surprised wife with some rather unpleasant news. (For 14 years, Laura has stuck with me through thick and thin, through modest poverty & huge debts, financial victories and modest wealth; she’s stood by me during flashes of brilliance and stupidity spasms, and let me tell you something, a spouse like that is the most precious gift anyone could ever get in this life. Seriously.) On Saturday, the day after I was fired, I went in for the 2 nd interview. Now I really wanted this job. The company liked me too – they thought I looked like an ambitious young guy, and I was willing to work for what they could afford to pay me -- $36,000 plus commission.


Page 8

On Sunday I was offered the job. The new employer never found out I’d just been fired. (Interesting note: The following week, they called my former boss, just to cover the bases. They asked him if he’d hire me again, which is an acid test of a question, and he said “yes.” He wasn’t exactly being dishonest—in principle he would, in fact, hire me again. I was a hard worker, and I got along with people. He just recognized, as I did, that his company wasn’t quite the right fit for me, and he wanted to help me as much as he could. I still drop by and see him every now and then, and I still think he’s a great guy. I’m also good friends with another guy who fired me about five years earlier… That’s how it should be. I always say, friends come and go, but enemies accumulate!) It’s the Same, but Different

At the rep firm I had been, by nature, taking a “consultative selling” approach and it just wasn’t working. Mostly the problem was that the product lines they had didn’t really fit that model very well. Another big part of the problem is that consultative selling doesn’t work when you have to force your way into an account. The new company sold some closely related products, but they were a bit more technical. They also sold all over the country, not just in a local territory, and that made it easier in the sense that I could sell anywhere on the phone instead of trying to go see people in a local territory. Explosive Growth

Well to make a long story short, sales took off – even faster than anyone had anticipated. Onepresident of the reasons this was that this company, backhad in 1997, hadHTML a website. Actually the of the for company himself, who was an even engineer, learned in 1996, before web page design tools even existed. I started to discover real quickly the importance of getting links from other sites, search engine rankings, and all that stuff. In hindsight, I had the good fortune of becoming a very early Internet marketer, about a full year before dot com mania began in earnest. Our shoestring budget forced us to do as much as we possibly could with as little money as humanly possible. We are always short of cash, and there was always some sort of crisis going on. But in hindsight, that was a tremendous blessing. I forced me to be smart about marketing; even while the dot com insanity was raging all around us. It seemed like everywhere else, people were pouring buckets of venture capital into silly ad campaigns and pure stupidity. We had no such luxury. We were in the rust belt, not the west coast; and we were in the very unsexy industrial market, and for all of those reasons, no venture capitalist would even touch us. Magnetic Marketing Comes Into Play


Page 9

The “sweet spot” for Dan Kennedy’s system was business-to-consumer sales, retail and service businesses, although it did have a chapter on industrial. The concepts were excellent, but I have to say, I still had a hard time figuring out how to apply his concepts in our conservative, suit-and-tie, technical business. I was so close to my own situation it was hard to see the forest for the trees. But little by little, I started coming up with stuff. Which leads me to the present. One of my discoveries was that White Papers are an extremely valuable tool that has many uses. In fact they’re one of my all-time favorite weapons. Let me explain. If you can provide good solid information to a magazine editor, writing magazine articles is an excellent way to get free exposure, especially in trade journals. But there’s very, very important little twist you need to add, to squeeze the full value out of that article. At the end of the article, you should always offer a free guide, report, white paper or other type of information-based tool. That’s so you get a response from the people who read it and are interested. Listen up: 80% of the value of that article is in the very last sentence that says, “For a free white paper on kidney dialysis, email [email protected].”

It creates a response mechanism so readers can get more information from you, and so you can build up your database of people who have kidney problems and stay in touch. White papers and reports are a GREAT piece of collateral to offer people in exchange for telling you who they are, and it works in every form of media. Post cards, websites, email, press releases, space ads, you name it – it’s a magic lead generation magnet. So what I developed over a period of four years at Synergetic Micro Systems was my own flavor of direct marketing, built around white papers and information widgets. This kind of marketing works exceptionally well when you’re selling any or all of the following: Complex products or services, technical stuff, expensive or exotic solutions to difficult problems; conceptual ideas, ideologies, philosophies, and just about anything that’s “knowledge oriented.” It works in just about any industry, and the more ‘elite’ or sophisticated that industry is, the less likely it is that the other companies in that industry understand anything about direct marketing. Information Marketing gives you enormous amounts of credibility and it endears skeptical people to you. And if you really are the company that you present yourself to be in your reports and white papers, over time your customers will grow to love you.


Page 10

Then We Sold The Company!

To make a long story short, we worked very, very intensely for four years, under incredible stress and thin resources. We grew that product business two thousand percent, from $200,000 to over $4 million. On October 18, 2001, we sold that company to Lantronix, a publicly traded firm, for 18 million dollars. At that point I chose to leave, which in hindsight was the only wise move I could have made. I wasn’t anessentially, owner, but aI complete did have stock options. I walked out the with some in my pocket, and system for selling new ideas anddoor technology to money conservative, change-resistant markets. I’d taken something from the entrepreneurial corner of the direct marketing world and applied it in an area where very few had ever applied it before. I started a consulting business, and the rest, as they say, is history. During the last 17 months I’ve worked with dozens of clients and members, refining and fine-tuning this formula to the point where it produces killer results. Frankly I’ve never seen it fail. Just to be fair, let me qualify that just a bit. This is not going to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear, and it’s not going to guarantee you instant riches. If you have a lousy product or something that people fundamentally don’t want, nothing can save you. But having said that, I’ve never seen a situation where a company was managing to make things work via the “traditional” methods of selling, where this method doesn’t produce some really amazing results, for not very much money. Six Years of Street-Hardened & Hand-Polished Experience

So what you have in your hands is the culmination of six years of polishing and refining, not to mention the years of technical and sales experience I had prior to discovering direct marketing. The book you hold in your hands is also a reflection of the fact that almost every time I start a project with a client or member, we do the following three things: 1. We re-think and re-consider the way they fundamentally define what they sell. We restate it based on their customer’s point of view, instead of our own; 2. We create a Lead Generation Magnet, typically a white paper, report, guide or other similar tool, and we offer it to prospects in exchange for their contact information. We market problem solving information instead of product information. 3. We develop a sequential follow-up system to convert as many of those leads as possible into sales.


Page 11

This book contains six years of my personal experience in developing tools like this. It’s about as close to a magic formula as I’ve ever discovered. Now I share it with you. Sincerely,

Perry S. Marshall March 23, 2003


Page 12

STUDY THIS PICTURE CAREFULLY!

The Big Picture: Anatomy of A Marketing System Built Around a White Paper or Lead Generation Magnet

Your Sales Funnel

Enticement is an advertisement, article or PR announcement in any media that reaches your target audience

Bait = Enticement for an Information Widget or White Paper Sales Letter bridges the gap between the itch and the scratch. Multiple, linked sales letters

Sales

“Drip Irrigation” via newsletters and new offers keeps in touch with prospects who aren’t ready to buy yet. Personal followup closes the deal.

Ongoing adjustment for improved results

Letter 1 Sales Letter 2

dramatically multiply response

Sales Letter 3 Personal Follow Up

Drip Irrigation

©2003 Perry S. Marshall & Associates www.perrymarshall.com All rights reserved.

Page 13

How to Refer to Your Information Widget, Report or White Paper In some corners of the world, “white paper” is an overused term. This is particularly true in Information Technology and Customer Relationship Management. Doesn’t mean you can’t still use it, but it does mean that the term has been subject to a certain amount of value deflation—because when hacks put out cheesy white papers, people start getting less interested in them. In other corners of the world, (mostly the entrepreneurial crowd) the term “Free Report” is overused. Keep in mind that in most places, white papers and free reports are fairly uncommon, and you should not be afraid of using these terms. My friend and advisory board member Phil Alexander says he found only 8 offers for free reports in the entire Toronto Yellow Pages; he requested all of them and only two were ever sent to him. So don’t get too bored with this idea, it’s worked for decades and it will continue to work. In any case, the following terms will be useful to you in referring to information products (i.e. publications, widgets, tools, software programs, etc.) that you create to promote your business: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Advisory Advance Sheet Study Findings

• • • •

Examination Application Guide Financial Analysis Calculator ROI Calculator Cost Reduction Guide Trouble Shooting Guide Installation Guide Quick Guide Pocket Guide _____ Guide Study Reprint Bulletin Brief

•

Dispatch Book Tutorial

•

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

•

Optimizer Article Summary Table Slide Chart Reference Reference Chart Primer Manual Buzzword Guide Cheat Sheet Minimizer Toolbox Toolkit Flow Chart Pocket Reference Buyers’ Kit Industry Survey Research Report Comparison Chart Best Practices ____

©2003 Perry S. Marshall & Associates www.perrymarshall.com All Rights Reserved

Page 14

What to Call Your Information Widget Picking a good name is very, very important. It’s actually just as important as any other single aspect. Let me tell you a story. “A Good Title Is A Work of Genius”

That’s what E. Haldeman-Julius said about changing the title of a book to increase sales. And he should know, he’s the guy who sold more than 100,000,000 “little blue books” during the first part of the 20th century. His book entitled “The First Hundred Million” gives a rare glimpse of how to use these tested title words to increase your profits. Haldeman-Julius simply advertised his list of books by title in a newspaper or magazine ad. There was no selling copy, only the title of the book. That’s it. Let’s stop right here for a minute. If you have good titles, you can give people a choice of which titles they want, and you’ll easily find out what they’re most interested in – just like Julius did. I’ve had great success mailing out postcards that said something like this:

Free Data Transmission White Papers Yours, with no cost and no obligation – check any two:      

How to extend distance of Fiber Optic Cables How to reduce Radio Frequency Interference Pros and Cons of Copper Wire vs. Fiber Underground Wiring: Corrosion Reduction Tips Extending the life of Waterproof Connectors Facts You Should Know About Hackers & Security

Mark your choices and mail to aaaaaaaa or FAX to (bbb)bbb-bbbb or email your street address to [email protected] or visit www.ddd.com/ddd, or call (eee)eee-eeee.

This works great because it tells you exactly what they’re most interested in. If a guy checks all six, it doesn’t really tell you anything, and my experience from website forms and the like is that the person who checks ALL of them isn’t interested in ANY of them. The person who checks one or two is very interested in what he checked. Onward with the Julius story.


Page 15

If a title didn’t sell over 10,000 copies a year it was sent to a place in his office called “The Hospital” and it was in this area a new title was usually given. He tells about a book srcinally titled the “Art of Controversy” which never really sold until it was changed to “How to Argue Logically” and then it leapt up to 30,000 copies. Nothing else was changed inside the book, just the title. And from this research Haldeman-Julius discovered certain title words which, once applied, could increase the sales of almost any book. In one particular case, the words “The Truth About” increased sales for a book more than three-fold. Starting out as “Patent Medicine,” a book by Dr. Arthur Cramp only sold 3,000 copies in 1925. But when “Theapplied Truth About sales rose to a respectable 10,000changed copies. to When to yourPatent report,Medicine,” the words its “The Truth About” can work like magic. Haldeman-Julius also found that the words “Life” and “Love” work especially well. Then there’s the much-used, but still very powerful phrase “How To.” As I went back over his list of sales by category, I discovered it was the titles that began with “How To” that almost always placed at the top. Take, for example, the title “How to PsychoAnalyze Yourself”: it sold 43,000 copies; whereas a similar title, “Psycho-Analysis Explained,” sold 38,000 copies, and “How I Psycho-Analyzed Myself” sold only 13,500. In addition, Haldeman-Julius discovered that the public was (and still is) clamoring for facts. The words “The Facts You Should Know”proved to be a big winner. So it’s your job to take this wisdom from past generations and apply it to the titles and headlines in your papers. I’ve often created titles like these for my clients’ free reports: “Seven Facts You Should Know About Lean Manufacturing” ; “The Truth About Laser Hair Removal”; and “How To Erase Burn Marks With Laser Resurfacing.” Each of these could be a headline by itself. And since this is the kind of information that people want, this is what you want to strive for. Now, I know what some of you are saying: “Nobody writes this sort of thing in our profession.” Nuts to you! It’s that way in your industry because of the multitude of people going about their work with “industry blinders” on. There are a number of excuses for thinking this way, and they usually sound like this:

“Good idea, but it won’t work in my market.” “Sounds interesting – too bad nobody else does it like that.” “I don’t want to rock the boat.” “I’d have to teach my staff a whole new way of doing things; that’s too much trouble.”


Page 16

Please try to take your “industry blinders” off and think of new ways to incorporate these profitable ideas into your own practice! *Special thanks to Yanik Silver for the Julius example

Be Specific

Be clear and precise about the benefits that people will gain from reading your report. For example, “21 Ways to Minimize Your Scrap Rate in High Speed Injection Molding” is a vastly better title than a more ‘corporate’ sounding title like “Injection Molders Product Guide.” And “How To Reduce Ink Consumption By 19-26%” is so much better than “The Ink Consumption Reduction Report.” Brevity Counts

There’s no need to make this thing 20 pages long – in fact, that tends to be more of a disadvantage. Much better to restrict it to one very specific topic and make it 5-7 pages or less. One- and two- page guides are usually winners. If you look at the entirety of your sales story, there are probably five to ten distinct topics that you have something to say about. Don’t put them all in one big document, put them in a series of white papers. Every month, you can write and promote a new white paper – the trade magazines in your industry will usually only give you airtime once in each issue anyway – so if you have six different topics to write a guide about, you’ve got six months worth of PR material.

Perry Marshall’s 29-Point Checklist for Writing and Promoting White Papers, Reports & I nformation Widgets 1. What exactly is your report going to be about?This is the most important question you can possibly ask, and the correct answer may not be the one that’s immediately obvious. Hint: It’s almost never going to be about your product. That’s lame. You should never assume that your product is, in and of itself, interesting. Your report is about their problem, not your solution. It’s about the itch, not the scratch (initially, at least.) It’s not about the drill, it’s about the hole. So in order to do this, you have to turn your brain upside down, look at the world from your customers’ point of view, and say “What are people puzzled about? What is keeping them awake at night? What questions are they asking? What conversation is going on inside their heads? Many industries and disciplines, especially in business-to-business, are so narrow that there are many problems that nobody’s ever written a book about. But still,


Page 17

imagine that your customer went to Borders Bookstore or Amazon and spent five dollars on a little book about the exact same problems that you solve. What would that little book be about? What would the chapters be?

That’s the book you should write. And it can be a very tiny book. It can be one single page of good solid information. Typically it won’t be much longer than about 10 pages. This is NOT rocket science. This is stuff you already know, and if you don’t know it all, it’s easy enough to find someone who does. Here are some other things you might want to consider when you choose a topic to write about:     



What new trends are happening in your industry? What hot topics are magazines writing about? What do you constantly hear customers complaining about? What are people in your industry confused about? Is there a complex buying or decision making process that you’re constantly walking people through? Is there a philosophy that you’re constantly trying to teach customers about, something they have to “get” before they’ll take your product seriously? What are you trying to sell against? This is a big one. Let’s say you’re an American manufacturer trying to compete with the Chinese. Very, very common these days. Obviously you’re not going to be able to compete on price. So you have an uphill battle of selling value, results, speed, communication and convenience. Your white paper very treatment of all things that can go might wrong,bealla of thethorough hidden costs involved inof the sending stuff overseas.

Now truth be told, there are a lot of problems. Most people who source stuff from China fight a never-ending battle with quality control, materials, and many dozens of things that most people would never even think of. The Chinese can come up with more ways to cut corners than anybody on the planet. So if you’re selling against something like that, then you must build an airtight case. You must imagine that you are the attorney and the customer is the jury, and you’re looking for a unanimous decision that your client is in the right. You must interview people, do research, present case studies, and deliver an arsenal of persuasive information that doing business with you is by far the safest and, long term, the highest value choice. If you do your homework, you’ll easily come up with a list of at least fifty quality problems that anyone buying stuff from China will have to do regular inspections for. That’s expensive! By the same token, I can tell you from personal experience that the idea of selling value


Page 18

instead of price is very foreign to the Chinese. I’ve been there twice, my brother has lived there for three years, I’ve been all over that country, in and out of factories, and I have clients who manufacture products in China and other clients who source materials and assemblies there. This “price mentality” is one of the reasons their factories are mostly sweatshops and it’s why they get so little money for the stuff they sell. Most of the time they just don’t get it. They understand the product, but they don’t understand the knowledge and story that surrounds a product, don’t usually consider the implications to the person who usesand it. they They’re usually willing to trade long-term relationships and trust for short-term gain. And most of them don’t have the beginning of a hint of a clue about marketing. China will not become a first-world country until they begin to understand these things. So as long as you do get it, you have a fighting chance.  One last tip: Avoid the airy-fairy, 40,000-foot-view stuff that you usually read about in business books. Give down n’ dirty, lowdown, practical, useful stuff. Think tools and practical applications. Ask yourself this question:“What secrets can I give them that they can implement in ten minutes and prove to themselves that I know what I’m talking about? 2. A good title is a work of genius, as we just discussed. Here’s an acid test: Imagine that the title of your paper, report or widget was put in a tiny classified ad in the back of a magazine that your customers read, with only your phone number. Wouldtitle it make the phone ring? If it wouldn’t, it’s a bad title. Apply this test to every and headline. 3. The title, and the content, should deliver a very concrete, specific result and benefit. Vague generalities are not OK. Empty buzzwords and platitudes are not OK. 4. Write a killer headline for your enticement.No white paper is complete without an enticement – an advertisement that’s designed to get people to request and read your white paper. You should probably write the enticement before you write the white paper; it will serve as a mini-outline. While you’re writing it, think to yourself “if I waste so much as a word on something meaningless, if I meander or ramble for even an instant, I’m going to lose ‘em.” Pack as much wallop into that enticement as you can. 5. Tease people with bullets. Bullets are very, very powerful, because they pack a feature, a benefit and a payoff in a single powerful sentence fragment, sentence or pair of sentences. Good bullets provoke intense curiosity. They tell you about something you don’t know enough about.


Page 19

Here’s an example of two bullets from an enticement I wrote for a client: •

The DeviceNet protocol is complex, and comes with many surprises, especially if you start "cold" from the spec

•

ODVA's conformance test lab requirements are much more stringent than they used to be. It has always been normal for products to fail the conformance test the first time or two. But ODVA's conformance committee has raised the bar, and consequently new products are failing the test at a higher rate.

Notice how this keys into the reader’s fear of failing a conformance test – which, by the way, is a very expensive mistake. Here’s a great bullet from a John Carlton ad: 

Each of the four colors used have been scientifically tested to insure maximum attention from the opposite sex!

That’s a bullet for a product. If you were advertising a lead generation widget that introduces the reader to the product, you’d say it like this: 

Four colors which have been scientifically proven to insure maximum attention from the opposite sex – and how to determine if a product has passed this test

6. Structure: Here is the conceptual outline for your report i. ii. iii. iv. v. vi. vii.

Provocative title Presentation of problem Agitation of problem Solution to problem Proof that solution works Credentializing yourself Next step

Note that every piece of marketing material, every interaction, every conversation, and every sale should end with a pre-defined next step. Sales and marketing is an ongoing, never-ending process. Unless you’re in a business that can sell one and only one thing to a person in their entire life, then the process never ends until one or both of you is pushing up daisies in some cemetery. 7. The introduction should suck ‘em in. When you’re writing the introduction, put yourself in the prospect’s chair right now in real time, just as they’re picking up your paper to read it. Begin what’s going around them right now few and the things that are affecting themwith – then tie that intoon your message. The first sentences should link the customers’ situation to your professional intention.


Page 20

8. Agitate. After you state the circumstances and the problem you intend to solve, talk about how ugly the problem is. Make it mean and nasty. Dredge up everything that you can believably, credibly and tastefully mention that might go wrong. Realize that people need to be fully and completely informed of the seriousness of a problem before they’ll act. And don’t for get that prevention is much harder to sell than a cure. If you’re selling prevention, they need to see the hearse in the driveway and feel the cold breath of the grim reaper upon the nape of their neck… otherwise there will be no sale. 9. Use Emotional Logic, not Sequential Logic. Introduce every idea with an emotionally relevant, provocative need, argument followed by / benefit, followed by your logical solution and the factual for ait,payoff and proof. Then summarize by restating the need and the payoff, bringing it back around full circle. This is the opposite of what almost everyone does. See “Ambiguity & Gray Areas” for a full discussion of this important principle. All people buy on emotion, not logic! This is very, very important. Nobody ultimately buys based on pure logical analysis. If I say to you “Buy IBM stock at $50, sell at $70, logic tells you that it’s a difference of $20. If I say “Buy IBM stock at $70, sell at $50, the same logic also tells you that the difference is $20. But it’s your emotions that tell you which is the better decision.

Therefore, it’s critically important, even in a highly technical document, that your message appeals to people at some emotional level. If it’s a suit-and-tie environment, then you’re probably going to be trying to do that ‘under the radar.’ But don’t leave this important ingredient out. 10. Stay away from techno-latin. Avoid terms like e-business, best-of-breed, state-of-the-art, robust, scalable. You should even avoid the term “ROI” unless you can use those terms in very specific, meaningful, provable, believable ways. Never use a buzzword unless you can quantify it. If you want to see a whole bunch of very bad press releases, go to http://www.prnewswire.com. About half of what you see there are announcements laden with crappy, meaningless buzzwords, mostly written by people who never talk to customers and don’t even know what the company in question actually does. If it sounds stiff, formal and ‘holier than thou,’ it’s wrong. 11. Make everything sound like a real human being.Do not use vaporous, vague or pompous sounding language or try to impress people. Nobody’s going to be impressed, unless you actually help them solve their problem. Personal is good. Professional is good. But corporate is bad. If in doubt, re-read #10. 12. Make every statement pass the “so what” test.You must flip yourself around and put yourself in the customer’s position. And think like a self-centered, greedy, myopic customer – not a widely read, expansive, generous, open minded customer. Pretend you’re a self-centered, narrow-minded bigot who doubts


Page 21

anything that’s not comfy and familiar. Apply the “so what” test to every single statement that is made. If there’s not an answer, add one. 13. Appeal to basic human emotions and core motivations:Sucess; health; selfimprovement; respect; fear; greed; pleasure; curiosity. Do not appeal to abstractions or theoretical ideals. 14. Use Case Studies: Talk about specific applications and examples, and use as much detail as you possibly can. Sometimes there are confidentiality issues with your customers, which hampers your ability to talk about the details. However, do as much as you’re allowed. 15. Credentialize yourself. At this point, once you have demonstrated that you know your subject and that you have solved problems for people, now you can talk about yourself. Tell what you can do for customers from their point of view, not yours. Tell what measures you take to insure quality and deliver results. Talk about the processes you have in place to assure satisfaction. Tell about high profile customers who know you, like you, trust you, and buy from you. 16. Offer a Quick Fix. Some of my most successful widgets have been very short documents, often just one page, that give you shortcuts. “Quick Guide” is a great term for these devices. 17. Testimonials are great to have… IF you use them in the right context. You don’t use testimonials in a white paper the same way you would in a sales letter or on a product page on your website. Think for a moment of an imaginary scenario: a newspaper reporter goes to visit your customer, and your customer raves about your service. He tells the reporter that you kept his oil refinery from leveling the entire Houston metro area. The reporter still probably won’t write a headline that says “ACME company saves Houston from destruction.” Instead, he’ll quote your customer inside the article, and if he’s generous, he’ll put the customer quote in the caption under the photograph. 18. Carefully “dispense” your promotional content.A free report in a consumer or entrepreneurial market can actually be a balls-to-the-wall sales letter, but you can only get away with that in some places. You cannot get away with that in a technical market. With techies, you have to be low-key about outright selling. The person who’s reading your white paper already knows you want to sell something. And it’s OK to be frank about the fact that you have something to sell. However, the selling opportunity comes in stating your case, not making your ‘pitch.’ The reader is basically giving you permission to state your case. Do a good job and don’t annoy him with tasteless commercialism that your case has not yet earned. There’s an example of going right up to the edge with “selling” in


Page 22

a white paper in an exhibit called DeviceNet in 90 days or less: A plan for product developers. 19. Dual Readership Path: To illustrate this graphically: Assume the reader is going to skim. Use headlines and sub-headlines (all of which must pass the headline / title test from #1) to break up the text into bite-sized pieces, so that the reader catches the flow of your message even if she’s just skipping around. When her eye falls on an especially interesting headline

…she’ll stop and read until her curiosity is satisfied. (I write long sales letters, and I’ve bought a lot of stuff from reading those long sales letters. But I’ve rarely read the entire letter – I skipped around until I found the information I wanted. That’s what most people do, so anticipate this and use it to your advantage.) Breaking up the text makes it much easier to read. 20. Trigger curiosity by focusing on “Gray Areas.”The idea is to identify sticky, murky, compromise-laden areas of your business and tell people how to navigate those things in your white papers. I talk about this extensively in subsequent chapters. Tell a Story. 21. product Not only or application stories, either – even aisstory about how the was developed why the company was founded a great thing.

Recently I put a sidebar in a white paper that profiled the president of the company. It told the story of how it was conceived at MIT’s media lab, the paces they put his product through, his partner who used the stuff to measure temperatures on the side of a volcano in Hawaii, and his philosophy about running a company. All very appropriate and interesting. Another great story element is talking about how you do what you do – a subtle distinction that differentiates you from competitors, something that has big implications but is not obvious. Let’s go back to a previous example: For example, let’s say you’re selling against competitors who manufacture in China. Well there’s something that only people who have sourced goods from China would truly understand – all the shortcuts that Chinese vendors usually take with raw materials and product quality. Make a list of all the things that can go wrong in the production and use of your kind of product – then tell the story of your meticulous attention to quality control. Explain it in terms of how much risk the customer incurs by getting a substandard product.


Page 23

22. Define the process. Around any product or service is a set of problems, and a process by which one concludes that those problems should be tackled a certain way. A real estate agent might produce a paper called “17 finishing touches that will increase the listing value of your home by 4-12%” in which there is a natural opportunity for her to make the case for her own process. 23. Make a complex theory simple. One of my favorite formulas for white papers is “Reduce something ugly, scary, abstract and complex to the sixth grade level.” This is very important. Most people think that presenting something complex will impress everyone. Actually, it just alienates people. The best books and writers always reduce huge, complex things to their essence. By the way, this was the intent of my published book The Industrial Ethernet Pocket Guide—I was not an Ethernet expert before I wrote this, so I wrote the book that I would want to buy. The book I wanted to buy didn’t seem to exist. I wanted a book that took all of this hideous complex terminology and explained exactly what it is in as few words as possible. You can learn from this. First, note the Five-Star rating from over a dozen readers on www.amazon.com - and the consistent theme of “wow, somebody made this simple and compact. Also, later in this course I’ll show you the ad copy I wrote to promote this book. Lots of bullets, teasers and questions. 24. What kind of voice should you use? This is a critically important question. Scientific papers always say things like “the reader can see that” or “one experiences such problems” or “it is the author’s opinion that…” which is terribly cold and sterile. It is the author’s opinion that this kind of writing is of low quality. Sorry, I said that the wrong way. That kind of writing sucks. I don’t care what they teach you in college, it’s just bad writing. On the other hand, you can be too informal. In a technical paper with a more sophisticated audience, it’s generally best not to use the word “I,” and by the way, in a sales letter you want to talk about “you and your” a lot and “I, me, my and our” as little as possible. There’s a good middle ground. In my opinion, most of the time it’s OK to talk to the reader as “you” but you can still avoid using the term “I” or “we.” “We” is better than “I” but often it’s best to talk like an objective reporter who never has the need to refer to himself. Actually it’s good discipline to write and avoid using the word “I.” Try it. 25. Use pictures, diagrams and analogies that simplify difficult concepts.


Page 24

26. Use photos, graphics, charts, or other visual devices that prove your point and definitively make your case. White papers are not places to be glitzy and pretty. Everything needs to have a function. 27. Have a clear call to action. One of the ways to do this without being excessively commercial is to ask for a meeting, evaluation, analysis, proposal, discussion or some other kind of next step, not “ask for the order.” Here’s an example of what I did with a client recently. They sell wireless technology to manufacturers of instruments; the white paper had the following “next step” near the end: A Word for OEMs and Device Manufacturers

Advanced connectivity options that have become popular in the last 10 years, especially wireless networks and fieldbuses, change the nature of the sale. They shift the focus from component sales to system sales. These technologies prove their value impressively when the customer looks at the entire picture of total installed cost, lifetime cost of ownership, the value of information and diagnostics, and preventive maintenance. Up front, these technologies may appear are more expensive if considered myopically through a bean-counter’s point of view. But, the networks deliver more value every day the plant operates with equipment embedded with the mesh technology. Thus, your product manager and sales staff are presented with the challenge of proving the value of a more complete solution. If you successfully bridge this gap, you will preserve profit margins and maintain competitive position in your market, even if your industry experiences commoditization. ACME believes this so strongly that it will support its customers in this educational process, through white papers, technology presentations, web- and teleconferences, and, in some cases, person-toperson assistance at sales calls. But, we pledge that if we see an installation that is high risk from an applications point of view, we will steer you from it. Why? Because nobody—you, your customer, or Ember—needs those complications. And, while wireless mesh technology is new to most people and customers may have questions, we will provide satisfying, understandable answers.

A warm, human statement like this is pretty rare in white papers, but it clearly communicates concern, empathy and honesty. Notice how this statement disarms the reader by basically saying “If the application you’re considering isn’t a fit, we’ll come right out and tell you.” 28. How are you going to deliver the white paper?Adobe Acrobat PDF is great, because it to provides instant along gratification. I would suggest also a hard copy the customer, with a sales letterstrongly that directly asks themailing customer to take a next-step action.


Page 25

29. Follow-up sequence after the sales lead comes in.This is very important, and my marketing system toolkit covers this in much more detail. But here’s the executive summary: Within two weeks, after they receive the hard copy in the mail, they should get a follow-up letter, reiterating what was said in the first letter, and asking once again for them to take action. The follow-up letter should be linked to the first letter. “I sent you the first letter, and I haven’t heard back. So I’m writing again…” I also suggest a third and maybe fourth follow-up letter, followed by newsletters, other white papers or reports, and a steady trickle of information that comes probably oncethe a month. OnceOn you’ve got a good prospect, let go and of them. This is where real Return Investment comes in your never marketing, most companies fail to do this. This is where it’s at, folks. You also want to communicate with them through as many media as possible. It’s always a good idea to follow up by phone with a well-thought out process of follow through and upselling. You should use email as tastefully, personally and appropriately as possible. If you’re selling something that’s fairly inexpensive, or dealing with large numbers of people, email autoresponders are great. You can see a very good example of this on my own website – just sign up for the “Nine Great Lies of Sales and Marketing” course and see what happens. The unsubscribe rate on this course is less than 0.4%, which is excellent. Take notes and apply it to your own situation. But if you’re selling something that’s expensive, if you’re dealing with a finite group of people, then as much possible you should be following up personally with email. And in all cases your print and email goodto say, quality. Think quality, not quantity. When you’venewsletters run out of must good be things stop talking. Create something that people will, over time, learn to read when it comes, and if possible, something that people will look forward to receiving. Other forms of media for followup: Fax (use this very carefully, it’s a legal powderkeg – you MUST secure explicit permission first, or you can be sued), seminars, teleseminars (very powerful and not used by most companies), webinars, trade shows, personal visits, hand-written notes and cards (those are so exceedingly rare that they jump out at people when they arrive in the mail), thankyou notes, lunches, dinners, customer appreciation events, rewards for referrals, clubs and memberships. One last note: I’m only going to touch on this, but it’s very, very important. Your objective is not to “get” everybody.That’s impossible. It’s a pipedream that’s entertained by B-School theoreticians and Tom Peters types who have fantasies about running “excellent” businesses. Some of these guys really just fabricate half the stuff they stick in their books. (Just ask John Mendocha, who is one of the most accomplished sales trainers and corporate turn-around artists, to tell you what Peter


Page 26

Drucker said when somebody asked his opinion of Tom Peters.) Don’t get fooled into thinking that all customers and prospects should be treated the same way. For most companies, 80% marketshare is unobtainable, at least in any short period of time. Your real objective is to put as many people as you possibly can into the top of your funnel – which is the primary objective of this course – but after that your job is to narrow the group down and figure out who’s really worth your time and limited resources. Ultimately you’re going to make most of your profits on a very small group of customers. You might as well recognize that right now. All of the subsequent steps will really serve to “stratify” a big group of people into “A customers,” “B customers” and “C customers” --- as well as “A prospects,” “B prospects,” and “C prospects.” You will categorize people according to what they do, not what they say—and treat them accordingly. You must have a contact database which is capable of grading people in some reasonable way, and one of your most important jobs is maintaining that database and keeping it clean and accurate. The Value of a Customer List Most accountants, analysts, bean counters and Wall Street do not recognize this, but in 95% of businesses, the customer database is the most valuable asset the company has. Treat your database like the gold that it truly is. Care for it. Groom it. Prune it. Back it up frequently.

I can tell you that MY database is the most valuable asset I own. It’s more valuable than the intellectual property that I sell, such as this course. It’s not for sale or rent to anybody (except on a very selective, joint-venture basis, and I still retain control) and honestlyorYOU, my customer, are more important to me than any particular transaction product. You must give the vast majority of your precious time and attention to the productive few, not the unproductive many

One of the reasons white papers are important is they do the difficult work of educating un-qualified prospects and qualifying them, so that your sales people spend their time with qualified prospects and paying customers, not doing “missionary work.” This is one of the secrets to making super profits with a small marketing budget.


Page 27

The Amazing Power of Empathy in Marketing and Advertising I just had a conversation with a friend whose wife had a baby about four months ago. It was the kind of conversation that real fathers only have with each other, and only when they’re being honest. He said “The baby’s real close to sleeping all the way through the night, and it won’t before all I get to have wife again. On the surfacebelong everything’s smiles, butlovemaking man, let mesessions tell you,with it’s my incredibly stressful. The first couple of years after you have a baby are tough! Amen, brother. How true, how very true that is. Having a baby is wonderful, and you wouldn’t trade that precious child for the whole world, but man, does life change. It’s very stressful. The wife’s dead tired, the baby’s been screaming all day, they’ve lost income because she quit her job to come home and be a mom, and neither one of them is getting enough sleep. Her hormones are all out of whack and she probably hasn’t felt amorous in ages. And he’s so horny, he could spontaneously combust at any time. There are times when a counselor could lend a great deal of help. The thought flashed through my mind: if you were a counselor who wanted to use postcards to advertise your services, what kind would you send to a couple like that? Put Yourself in Their Shoes

Let’s say you’re a married person in this situation: You’ve just had a huge argument with your wife, she’s in tears, you’re at your wits end, and you know you need some kind of help. Well… you might look in the yellow pages. I’ve attached a clip from my local Yellow Pages. Do you see anything here that jumps out at you? I don’t. Mostly these therapists are just advertising their academic credentials and a list of things they do. You’d think that therapists would create more empathetic ads than this, but instead these advertisements look just like everything else in the Yellow Pages. So I created an ad. I’d send this out as a postcard, as you can see on the page following the yellow pages. It didn’t take me long to come up with it. It drips with empathy – it precisely matches the conversation inside the husband’s or wife’s head, and it offers a free report that addresses their particular problem.

©2003 Perry S. Marshall & Associates www.perrymarshall.com [email protected]

Page 28

Note that mailing lists of families that have recently given birth aren’t all that hard to get. Put this in the mail, and … Bingo. The phone is guaranteed to ring. Here is a slice from my local yellow pages, in the “COUNSELING” category. Notice how much these ads focus on features, not benefits, and how there’s very little empathy:


Page 29

Here’s the postcard I’d send out. I got the images from www.gettyimages.com:

HER

Four hours, fifteen minutes of sleep last night

Stitches still healing from the episiotomy Nipples sore from nursing

Still smarting from the $33,000 of lost income after quitting her job

The First Two Years of Parenting Ain’t No Cakewalk.

HIM

Four hours, thirty minutes of sleep last night

17 minutes late for work today Behind on two credit card payments

Hasn’t had sex in 19 weeks, three days and six hours

Donna Smith Family Counseling 900 Brompton Road Houston, Texas 77777

The new baby is precious, the cards and flowers and calls from friends were special, and there’s nothing like the wonder of a brand new life. But the sleepless nights, the strain on finances and the 24/7 responsibility of parenting can really wear on you. They can drain the joy out of an otherwise healthy relationship. Some days you’re not sure if you can handle it all. You don’t have to do it alone. Ask for our free guide “How to Manage Stress and Build Your Relationship During the First Two Years of Parenting.” It’s free, and your privacy will be completely respected. To receive this free guide, email your street address to [email protected], visit www.sfcounseling.com/guide, call our 24 hour voice mail hotline at (888) 555-5555 or FAX this card to (000) 5555555. If you have an urgent need, call Donna Smith at (877) 555-5555.


Page 30

There are some things I’d like to point out. First, most people are not very comfortable approaching a counselor (or any other kind of consultant or advisor, for that matter). They’re afraid of being condemned or being made to feel stupid. They’re afraid they’re abnormal because their relationship needs help. They’re afraid others may judge them. Especially when you’re working in any kind of consultative role, you must create “buffer zones” which allow people to non-threateningly get your information and become comfortable with you. The more knowledge-oriented your business or profession is, the more important this becomes. People need to know, above all, that you empathize with their circumstances. What to Put in the Free Guide

This is an easy one to come up with. What problems do new parents face in their relationship? Here’s a quick and dirty top ten list: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Lack of Sleep Stress from a sick, cranky or colicky baby Husband is deprived of sex and is angry at the wife Wife feels guilty because she has no desire for sex whatsoever In-law problems Disagreements over parenting styles & how to handle discipline Disagreements over sharing of house work, changing diapers, etc. Lack of quality time together Financial problems nd

10. Wife sometimes feels like mothering is a “2 isolated

rate” career and she’s lonely and

Many books have been written on every one of these subjects, and that makes it all the easier to write a two- to ten-page guide on handling these issues. And the guide should drip with empathetic familiarity – it should not be clinical, sterile or written in psychobabble. It should talk to the audience like Oprah Winfrey would, not like a psychology professor would. Make a top-10 list of problems that your customers deal with – and write them from their point of view, not yours. It’s also worth mentioning that a couple who needs counseling for some of these emotional issues might need other things, too – credit counseling, perhaps; a support group such as Mothers Of Pre-Schoolers; a play group or a nursing mothers group. The guide could come with a list of local resources for young families – where to find companionship and friends to talk to, where to get discounts on baby supplies; perhaps even government aid for low income households. Any one of these problems may be the tip of a bigger iceberg.


Page 31

One time I met with one of my Inner Circle members for his 1-hour fast-start consulting session. He told me that when he listened to my “Guerilla Marketing for HiTech Sales People” CD, I had “tapped into his central nervous system” because I described the exact problems he was having. He described himself as a “fan” of my information. I pointed out to him that we had developed a certain level of rapport, even though I hadn’t solved his problem yet. He was just beginning to work on his marketing, but trust and a bond existed between us because I had empathy for his situation. I had walked in his shoes. This postcard is very short, but it communicates several important things: •

•

•

It’s clearly written by someone who has been through all of this stuff himself / herself (which is, in fact, the case, I’ve been through this several times!) There’s a husband’s point of view and a wife’s point of view, and they are different – which is part of the problem The problems are presented as the result of changing circumstances, not inherent flaws or inadequacies in the people themselves. Now of course this is only partly true – all of us are somewhat to blame for the problems we have. However – to use a different example - it’s never wise to say in your advertising, “Hey pal, the reason you’re fat is because you lay on the couch like a lazy slug and eat Twinkies all day.” You’ll never sell a darn thing with a message like that. You would be much better saying, “Dear friend, the reason your slacks don’t fit anymore is that the diet industry has constructed a conspiracy to rip you off and take all your money, and I’m here to expose them for the crooks they really are.” Please be ethical about this, mind you – but basically what I’m saying is that “Mr. Customer, it’s not your fault…” is a powerful sales message.

•

•

The postcard clearly states that the person’s privacy will be respected. Please don’t underestimate the importance of this. Some people would never want anyone else to know they’re seeing a counselor. (Sales coach John Mendocha has a dickens of a time getting testimonials from his corporate turnaround / rescue clients, because nobody wants to admit that someone had to come in and save their business from total disaster.) It gives them several easy ways to respond, all of them without actually talking to anyone.

So what’s our therapist Donna Smith to do next? She should send a series of follow-up letters – very personal, very empathetic and very non-threatening – to everyone who requested the guide. The templates in my full Marketing System Toolkit have examples of this. Contact my office if you’d like information about that system.


Page 32

Using This in Other Venues

There are a lot of people and businesses other than therapists who could use this postcard or some variation on it. A church with a program for young parents could certainly use it. A local parenting support group could use it. With some modification, even a doctor’s office could use it. Even though most churches would be afraid to use terms like “nipples” and “episiotomy,” they should be bold and do it anyway. Those are power words. They add a HUGE amount punch to this I’m sure a few people here and there might complain, but hey folks,ofthis is reality, andad. reality is gritty and unpleasant sometimes. Note: your ability to endear yourself to one group is often proportional to your willingness to offend another.

You’re much better off dealing with reality than glossing over it – it makes you human and believable. This is a Reliable, Repeatable Formula

This same formula could be applied to hundreds of situations – business to consumer, business-to-business, technical, managerial, whatever. The headline “The first two years of _______ are no cakewalk”is a useful one in all kinds of circumstances. Apply it creatively to your situation.

Part 2: How to Write the Report This is a very easy report to write. It almost writes itself. But you can do much better than simply offering a list of issues and short responses to them. Here’s how I’d do it:

[page 1, inside cover] Dear Parent, I have a passion helping young parents in their are struggle build their family during those vitallyforimportant early years. Families undertoso much stress today, and children are so precious and vulnerable. There is nothing better for a child than a mom and a dad who love each other without reservation.


Page 33

And I know that you do love each other, but doesn’t it sometimes seem like the world is in a conspiracy to tear you apart? Every day when couples visit me and tell me about their struggles, I vividly recall the day I brought my daughter Brooke home from the hospital 22 years ago. My husband Tom was working 2nd shift at UPS and doing remodeling jobs on the weekends to bring in extra income. I was in graduate school at the time and we had no money. Brooke was colicky. She didn’t sleep through thenight until she was eleven months old, andday thestress on hours us andofour marriage was relentless. I wasa dragging through each on a few sleep, and my husband needed lot more TLC from me than I could muster. Sometimes he’d come home at 11:30pm, I would be asleep on the chair in the living room in our 1-bedroom apartment (we turned the ‘dining room’ into a nursery) and the place was an absolute wreck. But once in awhile, when the baby did manage to sleep, and the phone wasn’t ringing with bill collectors or telemarketers, Tom would hold me and reassure me, Donna, I love you, and we’re going to make it. This is going to last for only a little while, and we’re going to give Brooke the kind of home I never had growing up. She’s going to have a father who comes home at six o’clock and plays with her on the floor. She’s going to have a mom and a dad who love each other through thick and thin. We can do this. I don’t know exactly what you’re going through right now, but you can get through the it. There’s light at the end of the tunnel, and I promise you it’s not a train coming other way. If you need a listening ear, someone to lend a bit of sanity to your crazy life, I’m here to help. I’ve been counseling families for sixteen years now,and as their kids are now growing up I’m proud to have been a small help to them. For most couples money is tight at this stage in life, and you’ll be happy to know that my assistant Barbara is very, very sharp when it comes to working with insurance plans. She can always find a way to minimize the impact to your budget. We also have a sliding scalebased on income – we don’t want finances to get in the way of having a healthy family. I’ve written this guide to give you some tips on how to solve the most common problems that youngparents have. Some of the things I’m going to suggest are very simple, yet so powerful. Please take some time out ofyour busy schedule to read this – you’ll be glad you did.


Page 34

My staff and I are here to help you. The first session is free of charge, and if you call and I’m in session, I promise to getback to you within 24 hours. My number is (877) 555-5555. Please enjoy this guide. Sincerely,

Donna Smith

How to Manage Stress and Build Your Relationship During the First Two Years of Parenting By Dr. Donna Smith

1. “How can we maintain health and sanity on four hours a sleep every night?” Loren ipsum loquitor ab virumque et puliment . Binut quo vadis. Arma virum canto, trojae qui primus.Loren ipsum loquitor ab virumque et puliment . Binut quo vadis. Arma virum canto, trojae qui primus. virum canto, trojae qui primus.Loren ipsum loquitor ab virumque et puliment . Loren ipsum loquitor ab virumque et puliment . Binut quo vadis. Arma virum canto, trojae qui primus.Loren ipsum loquitor ab virumque et puliment . Binut quo vadis. Arma virum canto, trojae qui primus. virum canto, trojae qui primus.Loren ipsum loquitor ab virumque et puliment . Binut quo vadis. Arma virum canto, trojae qui primus.Loren ipsum loquitor ab virumque et puliment . Binut quo vadis. Arma virum canto, trojae qui primus.Loren ipsum loquitor ab virumque et puliment . Binut quo vadis. Arma virum canto, trojae qui primus. virum canto, trojae qui primus.Loren ipsum loquitor ab virumque et puliment . .

2. “Our baby is sick all the time, it’s causing my husband to miss days at work, and I don’t know if I can take another day of crying, nursing, filthy diapers and stress.” Loren ipsum loquitor ab virumque et puliment . Binut quo vadis. Arma virum canto, trojae qui primus.Loren ipsum loquitor ab virumque et puliment . Binut quo vadis. Arma virum canto, trojae qui primus. virum canto, trojae qui primus.Loren ipsum loquitor ab virumque et puliment . Loren ipsum loquitor ab virumque et puliment . Binut quo vadis. Arma virum canto, trojae qui primus.Loren ipsum loquitor ab virumque et puliment . Binut quo vadis. Arma virum canto, trojae qui primus. virum canto, trojae qui primus.Loren ipsum loquitor ab virumque et puliment .


Page 35

Binut quo vadis. Arma virum canto, trojae qui primus.Loren ipsum loquitor ab virumque et puliment . Binut quo vadis. Arma virum canto, trojae qui primus.Loren ipsum loquitor ab virumque et puliment . Binut quo vadis. Arma virum canto, trojae qui primus. virum canto, trojae qui primus.Loren ipsum loquitor ab virumque et puliment . .

Notice how I phrased the questions exactly the way the reader would ask them. It draws the reader into the story. If they don’t relate to the first question, they’ll relate to the second, or third … until they find something that clicks. After the end of #10, it’s time for a call to action. In this case, I would reiterate what was said just before question one, about flexible finances, the free first appointment, and the friendly staff. I’d add something about confidentiality and state that it’s really OK to see a counselor – that an experienced therapist can see things from a fresh perspective and help you get past some of these sticky issues. I’d invite the person to make an appointment. Other possibilities: If Donna occasionally does talks or local seminars, she can send out invitations as they come up. If she has a newspaper article she’s written – or that’s been written about her – I’d include that. If she has baby resources, include those as well. She should have a quarterly or bi-monthly newsletter, too. Ultimately, if she continues to make contact, she’ll make customers out of a great many couples. If she does not want couples, then she should mail toof high-income neighborhoods. That’s easylow-income to do, because data on income as a function zip code is plentiful.


Page 36

Writing a White Paper By C. Kenna Amos If someone said that by writing a 10–20 page technical marketing document, a white paper, on the application of one of your company’s hot products, you could get new business leads, snag new investors, and attract trade magazine editors to publish your story—free advertising!—then you’d stop immediately what you’re doing and ask, “When do we start?” Of course you would, wouldn’t you? A white paper is a company’s opinion, overview, or update of some product or service, whether it’s a technology or system. It’s a technical document describing how a product solved a problem. It’s also a marketing document describing the products. And it’s presented usually in print and posted to a company’s website. These dual-purpose documents should—must—credibly inform or educate existing and potential clients that you understand their problems and have solved them or similar ones with your technology or system. To do that goal justice, three things are essential. First, know your audience. Second, put egos aside and use the tried-and-true-but-no-offense-intended KISS formula—Keep It Simple, Stupid! Third, you’ve got to grab readers’ attention immediately and keep it right through to the end. Why Write?

Is there any other more compelling reason to commit resources to a white paper than to showcase your product and its potentialities to gain sales leads or obtain investment, or both? A technical writing firm, Warthman Associates of Palo Alto, Calif., makes a wholly credible suggestion to “address customers as if they were investors.” Because investors look for trust built on things “interesting, relevant, and true,” says the firm, a white paper that convinces prospective investors might convince prospective customers. Your goal is to instill in readers knowledge that you can solve their problem or similar ones, even if the reader is not in the same industry in which your technology or system is being used. When to Write?

The best opportunity to write a white paper is when you have solid, measurable information on how your product solved a real-world problem and why the product will change your client’s lives and businesses. Realistically, your information comes two places. The first, whether called so or not, is from a feasibility study, in which a client identified and examined

©2003 C. Kenna Amos and Perry S. Marshall & Associates. All Rights Reserved.

Page 37

alternatives and selected the best one, yours, for their particular need. The second is from the implementation report, which describes how the application was installed and worked. If you lack this type of solid information but have bench-scale data that suggest the technology is innovative or promising, you could begin then. Later, when other data become available, write a followup white paper. But if you cannot produce either of these two types of supported information, then wait. How to Write? First and foremost: Keep it simple and tell a story.

Use understandable, informal language. That means avoiding fluffy, superlativeladen marketing hypespeak as well as techie jargon, including lots of acronyms. Apply the active voice—we did, the widget fixed, etc.—versus the passive voice—it was done, the situation was fixed by the widget, etc.—as much as absolutely possible. Identify the company in which your application succeeded as well as products or types of products the company makes. If the company won’t allow their name to be used, identify the type of industry. Present specifics. Cloudy, uncertain, general language is not persuasive. Focus on what uniquely differentiates your product from others. Here’s where you emphasize its selling points and what made it attractive to customers. Get to the point. Meanderings and musings may also lead readers to dismiss your work. Use a competent writer and editor—and someone with distance from the subject. That will give a fresher view on what’s being presented. But if you write and/or edit the paper yourself, be an economical writer and hardnosed editor. Avoid overwriting. Exclude anything which does not support your product and its successful application. Use pictures and other graphics to punctuate and brighten your story. Artwork should be uncomplicated, understandable, and relevant. Do frequent reality checks. Ask yourself: Am I writing something I’d make time to read, especially if I’ve got many other things competing for my time? Read aloud what’s written. This will help you be a better editor or reviewer: You’ll hear whether what you’ve written makes sense or not. Tell the truth. You must support everything you’ve written, whether it’s about technical or financial assertions.


Page 38

What Format Works?

The most engaging format is the journalistic model, the ‘inverted pyramid.’ Unlike what’s taught in schools about report writing, it presents critical, bottom-line information first. Then more detailed information is presented in order of declining importance. A workable format is one that follows the progression formula used in trade magazines for applications features: 

introduction or abstract in which the stage is set and the main conclusions



are stated statement of the problem/issue



discussion of potential solutions



discussion of your product’s application to the problem



discussion of how the technology solved the problem



wrapup (i.e., summary and conclusions as well as how to get more information, including more copies of the white paper)

Some things to remember: 

Present measurable, demonstrable, believable data. Because your company’s credibility is at stake, you must show that your product does what you say it has done or will do. Independent (i.e., third-party) data are always desirable; if you don’t have them, use yours. Stories or articles that present hard data are loved by readers and magazine editors who, however, will dismiss marketing fluff in an instant.







Give an overview of your technology or system. You want to entice readers to contact you after they’ve read the white paper. So give them just enough sense of what the technology or system entails to show them how it can solve their problem. Get tangled up in the minutiae and your readers will give up. Describe the circumstance in which the problem existed, clearly and with sufficient detail. This will ground readers in the reality of the product’s application. Doing this will also provoke them to think of ways it can be used in their situation. This also lets the reader know you’ve got a ‘real’ product. Give the white paper a beginning, middle, and end.

Where Are Examples? Go to tradespeak.com for white papers in information technology, business and management, and science and engineering. Papers are rated with 1–5 stars. You can register with them and gain access to their extensive white-paper library. ©2003 C. Kenna Amos and Perry S. Marshall & Associates. All Rights Reserved.

Page 39

Will It Work?

You’ve got to decide that—and then be willing to commit the resources to produce the white paper. But if you follow these suggestions, you’ll have a powerful marketing tool that will broadcast your company’s success in delivering a product or service that works. More business leads, additional investors, increased revenues—what do you have to lose?


Page 40

My Favorite Ultimate, Quick & Dirty, Instant Lead Generation Trick How to get Lotsa Leads Real Fast via Pay-Per-Click Mar keting

You can write a 1-2 page guide, write an enticement, stick it on your website and be collecting sales leads in ONE DAY. Here’s how. “Pay per click” is the concept of getting placement on search engines by bidding on keywords. It’s one of the most revolutionary developments in advertising in the last 100 years – no joke. It allows you to advertise to the exact people you want to market to, only when they’re looking for what you have to sell.

And you can have it up and running in Five Minutes. I’m going to show you an example in a minute. But here’s what you do – I’m going to use Google Adwords for this example. 1) You post an enticement for your white paper on a specific page on your site, which has a contact form. When the person fills in the contact form, they get taken to a download page so they can download your paper. 2) You open an account with Google Adwords by giving them your credit card number. 3) You specify the countries and languages you want to target. 4) You choose keywords that you want to bid on – words that buyers of your product, or seekers of a solution, would type into a search engine. The choice of these words and phrases is very important. Also note that you want to bid on as many combinations of words and phrases that you can think of, so long as they relate to your product. 5) You write a tiny little classified ad that will appear on the upper right of Google Adwords when a person searches on the terms you bid on. The copy you write in this ad is very important, and strongly affects the click-thru rate. 6) You decide which page on your website (it can be ANY page you choose) that you want to send visitors to 7) You choose the per-click bid price and your daily budget 8) You start running your campaign – here come the visitors! 9) You measure the results and calculate the cost per lead. That’s it. This is totally cool. It’s like a magic formula. If your enticement is well-written, and if it matches the keywords and desires of your audiences, you’ll get a double-digit success rate of converting visitors to leads. In some markets,


Page 41

you can get thousands of leads a day. Most people reading this book will be content with a handful of leads a day. It all depends on the size of your company and the size of your market. I’m going to show you two examples. The first is from one of my clients, Real Time Automation. It’s a fairly “techie” example; after I’m done with this, I’ll take you to one of my students, Mark Clark, who wrote a guide for software developers who need to license music for games etc. His is a bit more “mainstream.” In the following pages you’ll see the search on Google. I searched for “DeviceNet” and my clients’ ad came up, it’s the second from the top on the right side. When you click on that link, you get taken to the next page, which is an enticement. When you fill out the form, you are taken to a download page. The white papers that you download are included also for you to see. Now you really don’t have to know anything about DeviceNet to see what’s going on here. But what I would like you to note is the following: •

•

•

•

• •

•

The emphasis is on selling the visitor on the idea of trading his contact information for the info in the white papers – information as a form of currency I’m not allowed to tell you the numbers, but this process converts visitors into leads at very low cost, and the percentage is admirably high. Important: The white paper is a “soft sell” that spells out the basics of the technology and clearly tells people what their options are. It states a case for RTA and informs the reader about what RTA can do, but it’s useful to the reader whether they ever do business with RTA or not. You never want a reader to have an “aw, yuck” reaction when they get your report or white paper. It’s got to have valuable content. Make it something that someone would pass around the office to their colleagues and say “Hey, look at this.” Similarly, the CAN paper (you don’t need to know or care about any of this to get the basic idea) aims at informing readers about something that is, frankly, a very confusing and convoluted technical topic. Whenever we write these papers we try our best to describe complex subjects in the simplest, lowest-commondenominator form. Even the most over-educated and sophisticated readers really do appreciate a simple summary that covers all the bases. We’re offering two papers, not just one – two reasons to download instead of one. As soon as they fill out the form, an email is automatically sent to the client. The prospect is plugged into a sequence of emails and direct mail, focused on engaging him in a conversation about his future projects. Very shortly the customer gets an email from my client that says “I saw you downloaded our white paper, do you have any projects going right now?” The Pay-Per-Click >> White Paper formula is usually the first thing we test. It’s very fast, the numbers are easily measured, and it’s a great way to tweak the sales process inexpensively before we spend money on other things. You can use this kind of experimentation to virtually wring all the waste out of your marketing,


Page 42

•

•

•

•

and make sure that you’ve got a winner before you spend any significant amount of money!!! I would strongly recommend that in all lead generation experiments that you call people who have requested your information – not necessarily to sell them something, but to figure out if you’re getting the kind of people you really want. Visit their website, and do everything you can to assess what you’re really getting, as quick as you can. It’s pretty easy to buy yourself a lot of junky leads on the Internet, and most of them will come from poorly chosen keyword choices. Watch out for that. After the Pay Per Click enticement is working, we put the same basic enticement into postcards, direct mail, card decks, print ads, e-zines, other forms of online advertising, press releases, and any other kind of media that may be appropriate. The dynamics of Pay-Per-Click marketing are beyond the scope of this course. However, for many of you this will prove to be a very productive tool and you’ll do well to learn it – or else outsource it to a specialist. My company does payper-click campaign management and you can contact us for help with this. THE definitive guide to Google Adwords is a superb e-book by Andrew Goodman. This thing is pure gold, and it will pay for itself in a week if you’re serious about this. If you ever spend more than $200 buying traffic (as you almost certainly will), you simply cannot afford NOT to read this book. It will double your reach and cut your costs in half. Find out more about Andrew’s course at http://www.perrymarshall.com/rec

In a nutshell, you can write a 1-2 page guide, write an enticement, stick it on your website and be collecting sales leads in ONE DAY. I just told you how!


Page 43

Google Search: devicenet

Page 1 of 6 Advanced Search

Preferences

Language Tools

Google Search

devicenet

Web Images Groups Directory Searched the web for devicenet.

Search Tips

News Results 1 - 50 of about 79,600. Search took 0.15 seconds. Sponsored Link

Find DEVICENET Suppliers on GlobalSpec www.globalspec.com Category:

View catalogs and technical information, contact suppliers.

Business > Industries > ... > Communications Devices and Networking

Welcome to the ODVA Official Website www.odva.org/ - 2k - Cached - Similar pages

Welcome to DeviceNet/ODVA Official Website www.odva.org/10_2/01a_fp_dn.htm - 1k - Cached - Similar pages [ More results from www.odva.org ]

Sponsored Links Try the CAN Experts! CAN, LIN, J1939, CANopen, Devicenet Analysis tools, consultancy etc.

www.warwickcontrol.com Interest:

????????????????????

DeviceNet Developer Track

The summary for this Japanese page contains characters that cannot be correctly displayed in this language/character set. www.devicenet.co.jp/ - 4k - Mar 21, 2003 - Cached - Similar pages

Six Specific Road Maps For Fast Time to Market

DeviceNet Network ... Network DeviceNet Network ... For more information, see: DeviceNet System Overview, publication DN-2.15. DeviceNet Products Guide. Product, Function, Catalog Number. ... www.ab.com/catalogs/b113/comm/dnet.html - 43k - Cached - Similar pages

www.rtaautomation.com Interest:

Devicenet Suppliers Find the exact supplier you need Contact Suppliers & Search Catalogs

www.globalspec.com Interest:

See your message here...

DeviceNet Home

... Product Support Migration & Upgrade Product Certification Product Testing Customer Training Sales Support Training, DeviceNet Network Providing Users with the ... www.ab.com/networks/devicenet.html - 28k - Cached - Similar pages [ More results from www.ab.com ]

CERC Home ... In 1995, the CAN Centre was awarded funding from ODVA to set-up the European DeviceNet Conformance Test Centre ( DeviceNet Europe). ... www.warwick.ac.uk/devicenet/ - 27k - Cached - Similar pages

DETSC DeviceNet FAQ ... What is DeviceNet? DeviceNet is an ... DeviceNet is now an official CENELEC standard - EN50325. Who developed DeviceNet ? The ODVA is ... www.warwick.ac.uk/devicenet/ devicenet_faq.htm - 23k - Cached - Similar pages [ More results from www.warwick.ac.uk ]

170103 - Hohner Corp. DeviceNet Optical Encoders and Sensors Hohner Corp is a manufacturer Rotary Optical Encoders Hazardous via Incremental, Analog, , USB, SLiN,ofSUCONET, Tachometers, AreasAbsolute, and ... DeviceNet www.devicenet.com/ - 10k - Cached - Similar pages

DeviceNet - Products and Services - National Instruments DeviceNet is a low-level network that connects industrial devices to higher level

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&q=devicenet

3/22/03

Page 44

Devicenet™ – Information for Product Managers, by Real Time Automation

Page 1 of 2

"The Complete Guide to DeviceNet for Product Developers ." Make Y ou r Produ ct DeviceNet Ca

pable in 90 Days or Less

Are you investigating DeviceNet? Do customer requirements dictate compatibility with the protocol? Are you concerned about meeting conformance test requirements and finishing your project on time? These are all important concerns, and DeviceNet itself brings several challenges: l

l

l

l

The CAN hardware is 'cookbook',but the complexity of software implementation can vary drastically, depending on the nature of your device. A master is vastly more complex than a simple "Group 2 only" slave. The DeviceNet protocol is complex, and comes with many surprises, especially if you start "cold" from the spec. ODVA's conformance test labrequirements are much more stringent than they used to be. It has always been normal for products to fail the conformance test the first time or two. But ODVA's conformance committee has raised the bar, and consequently new products are failing the test at a higher rate. How long will it take you to integrate DeviceNet into your product design? It depends on many factors. It's taken some companies as long as 18 months to get a stable DeviceNet implementation–but it

doesn't have to. How can you sidestep these difficult problems?

RTA has written a paper entitled "DeviceNet in 90 Days or Less: A Plan for Product Developers. This paper gives you a complete road map for addressing these concerns. Whether you're writing the code yourself or turning the work over to a third party, this guide discusses the following topics: l

l

l

, whether Six specific road maps for DeviceNet implementation your deadline is 9 months or 90 days from now – or even if it has to be running next week. A complete overview of the DeviceNet / CIP protocol– plainEnglish descriptions of its communication mechanisms, and types of objects. An explanation of CAN networks, including a tutorial on the informative basic operation of DeviceNet, CANopen, J1939 and CAN Kingdom. It's all in plain English–you don't need a Ph.D. in Computer Science to understand it.

Enter your contact information below and you'll be able to download http://www.rtaautomation.com/devicenet/

3/22/03

Page 45

Devicenet™ – Information for Product Managers, by Real Time Automation

Page 2 of 2

DeviceNet in 90 Days or L ess and The Fast Guide to Con troller Area Network (CAN) Application L ayers free. We'll also send you a hard copy in

the mail. Remember that we'll never sell your email address to anybody, and that's a promise! Here's the form: *First Name: *Last Name: *Email: Title: Company: *Address: *City: *State: *Zip: Country: b - Please send me occasional updates for DeviceNet c d e f g product developers. Submit

http://www.rtaautomation.com/devicenet/

Clear Form

3/22/03

Page 46

DeviceNet in 90 Days or Less: A Plan for Product Developers By John Rinaldi and Jamin Wendorf

Real Time Automation 2825 North Mayfair Rd Suite 11 Wauwatosa, WI 53222 +1 (414) 453-5100 Phone (414) 453-5125 Fax www.rtaautomation.com [email protected] [email protected]

© 2002 Real Time Automation.

Page 1 of 11

Page 47

DeviceNet has defined a major trend Industrial Networking

In 1994, DeviceNet was introduced by Allen-Bradley and made an open specification at the request of major automotive customers likeGeneral Motors. Open DeviceNet Vendor Association became the owner of the technology, and within a few years over 300 vendors were producing DeviceNet products. DeviceNet truly “broke the ice” inthe United States for open protocols in automation, just as Profibus had already been doing in Europe before that. In fact, one of the reasons for DeviceNet’s inception was that Profibus was make a major push in the US (thanks to Siemens) and represented a threat to U.S. vendors. Today DeviceNet is very popular in automotive, semiconductor, material handling and many other parts of the automation business. In fact, DeviceNet capability is aprerequisite for participation in many new automation projects. This paper is about getting that capability. Quite frankly, today it is a mistake tonot support DeviceNet. Important Questions You Must Ask Yourself First

Once you decide that your products must support DeviceNet, the big question becomes “how can I get it done and get it done quickly”? Do you have excess Engineering resources tocommit to the project? Can your existing opportunities and customers for DeviceNet beput off until next year? Is your engineering staff intimately familiar with thespecification? Have they followed the nuances discussed by the developers in the ODVA? If you’re having difficulty with any of these issues, then this paperwas written for you. It details the technical information you need to know and gives you practical steps for adding DeviceNet to your existing product in the next 90 Days. “What is DeviceNet, and why do I need it in my product?”

DeviceNet is a low-level industrial application layer protocol for industrial automation applications. Built on CAN (Controller Area Network), ituses all the traditional CAN hardware to define an application layer protocol that structures the task of configuring, accessing and controlling industrial automation devices.


Page 2 of 11

Page 48

What has caused this enthusiasm for DeviceNet?

It’s no secret that proprietary fiefdoms have dominated the automation business ever since people started networking PLC’s. Hundreds of protocols havecome and gone, and the dominant ones (Remote I/O, DataHighway, Genius I/O, Modbus Plus and others) have protected the turf of the PLC manufacturers. This has resulted in considerable angst from two groups: 1) users, who are tired of being locked into a whole series of decisions just because they bought a PLC; 2) smaller vendors, who often make innovative, advanced products, but are lockedout by proprietary protocols. DeviceNet is a very important technology, not only because it addresses most of the technical concerns of Industrial Networking, but also because it is backed by Rockwell / Allen-Bradley. This gives it an automatic advantage in the marketplace. A Technical Summary of DeviceNet and CIP

The DeviceNet protocol is an application layer protocol based on the Control and Information Protocol (CIP) layer also used in EtherNet/IP™ and ControlNet™. Devices are represented on industrial networks using the identical object model structure as used for EIP and ControlNet devices. The Object Model structure, the way a device presents itself to the network, is in fact one of the real keys to the growing popularity of EtherNet/IP. For the first time, there can be a common infrastructure between the Sensor, Control and Information networks of an installation. With this common messaging structure a device can just as easily request data from another EtherNet/IP device as a device on DeviceNet or ControlNet. Messaging Types Polling: The DeviceNet scanner asks each device to send or receive an update of its status.

An outgoing message and incoming message are required for each node on the network. Strobing: The scanner broadcasts a request to all devices for a status update. Each device

responds in turn, starting with node 1 and going up from there. Node numbers can be assigned to prioritize messages. Polling and Strobing are the most common messaging formats used.


Page 3 of 11

Page 49

Cyclic: Devices automatically send messages on scheduled intervals. This is sometimes

called a 'heartbeat' and is often used in tandem with Change of State messaging to assure that the device is still functional. Change of State: Devices send messages only when their states change. This occupies an

absolute minimum of time on the network, and a large network using Change of State can often outperform a polling network operating at several times the speed. This is the most time efficient but can be the least precise way to obtain information from devices because throughput and response time become statistical instead of deterministic. Explicit Messaging: The explicit-messaging feature is generally used for configuration

instead of process data. For example, complex devices like drives andcontrollers use explicit messages to download parameters that change from time to time but do not change as often as the process data itself. Fragmented Messages: For data that requires more than DeviceNet's maximum 8 bytes of

data per node per scan, the data can be divided into any number of 6 byte segments (there are 2 bytes of additional header information) and re-assembled at the other end. This requires multiple messages to send or receive one complete message. UCMM (Unconnected Message Manager): DeviceNet UCMM is a peer-to-peer messaging

component. Unlike the Master/Slave configuration each UCMM capable device can communicate with another device without havingto a DeviceNet Master. UCMM is a very uncommon feature of DeviceNet devices.


Page 4 of 11

Page 50

User and Application Layer

Transport Layer

Data Link Layer Communicatio ns

PHYSICAL LAYER

Required Objects

Device Specific Objects

Vendor Specific Objects

CIP Communications: Connected, Unconnected, I/O, Explicit DeviceNet Link Layer (CAN)

ControlNet Link Layer

CAN Physical Layer

ControlNet Physical Layer

Encapsulation Layer UDP TCP IP CSMA Link Layer Communications ETHERNET Physical Layer

Figure 1 - Data Layers for DeviceNet, ControlNet and EtherNet/IP in context

What is the CIP protocol?

The Communications and Information Protocol (CIP) is a communications protocol for transferring automation data between devices. In the CIP Protocol, every network device represents itself as a series of objects. Each object is simply a grouping of the related data values in a device. For example, every CIP device is required to make an Identity Object available to the network. The Identity Object contains related identity data values called attributes. Attributes for the Identity Object include the vendor ID, device type, device serial number and other identity data. CIP does not specify at all how this object data is implemented, only what data values or attributes must be supported and that these attributes must be available to other CIP devices. The Identity Object is an example of a required object. There are three types of objects defined by the CIP protocol: Required Objects - Objects required by the specification to be included in every CIP device. These objects include the Identity Object, a Message Router object and a Network object.


Page 5 of 11

Page 51

Application Objects - Objects that define the data encapsulated by the device. These objects are specific to the device type and function. For example, a Motor object on a Drive System has attributes describing the frequency, current rating and motor size. An Analog Input object on an I/O device has attributes that define the type, resolution and current value for the analog input. Just as in DeviceNet, these application layer objects are predefined in a Device Profile for a large number of common device types. A large number of profiles for many device types have been defined. Supporting a device profile allows a user to easily understand and switch between vendors with common device types. A device vendor can also group Application Layer Objects into Assembly Objects. These super objects contain attributes of one or more Application Layer Objects. Assembly Objects form a convenient package for transporting data between devices. For example, a vendor of a Temperature Controller with multiple temperature loops may define assemblies for each of the temperature loops and an assembly with data from all temperature loops. The user can than pick the assembly that is most suited for the application and how often to access each assembly. For example, one temperature assembly may be configured to report every time it changes state while a second may be configured to report every one-second regardless of a change in state. Vendor Specific Objects - Objects not found in the profile for a device class are termed Vendor Specific. A vendor includes these objects as additional features of the device. CIP provides access to these vendor extension objects in exactly the same method as application and required objects. This data is strictly of the vendors choosing and is organized in whatever method makes sense to the device vendor. In addition to specifying how device data is represented to the network, the CIP protocol specifies a number of different ways in which that data can be accessed such as cyclic, polled and change-of-state. What other protocols should you consider?

Profibus is more or less the direct European counterpart to DeviceNet. It is quite popular in the U.S. and dominant in Europe. Modbus RTU/ASCII is themost universal serial protocol, and Foundation Fieldbus is important inprocess control. Various flavors of Industrial Ethernet – Modbus/TCP, EtherNet/IP and ProfiNet – are gaining momentum as well.


Page 6 of 11

Page 52

How to implement DeviceNet quickly & effectively

Once you’ve made a decision to add DeviceNet connectivity you have a number of ways to proceed. The choices vary in time-to-market, supportability, resource requirements and price. 1. Use an off-the-shelf Serial Gateway

An off-the-shelf serial gateway is the least economical approach with the fastest time-tomarket. To implement a serial gateway your product must support a common serial communication protocol such as Modbus, DF/1 or even dumb ASCII. Data from your product will transfer to the gateway at serial baud rates (1200-19200). Other than time-to-market (typically a week or two), there are few real advantages to this approach and many negatives. Gateways require an additional footprint, they can be costly, they rarely support messaging characteristics needed for you data, and the gateway vendor name appears on the screens of network configuration tools. Most importantly, your data is represented as generic data. The characteristics of your device are lost to the network. This option is only attractive if you expect low volume requests for DeviceNet connectivity. 2. Add-on Daughter Boards

An add-on daughter board is another fast time-to-market method of adding DeviceNet to your product. An Add-on PCB plugs into your device internally (usually TTL-level communications) and acts as a serial gateway with less cost and sometimes more benefits. Internal daughter boards contain all the disadvantages described previously for gateways unless the vendor is able to customize the data representation and messaging characteristics. If you product contains a spare communication port and you can get a customized implementation, this approach is great for medium volume applications (i.e. a few hundred units per year). Real Time Automation supplies daughterboards of this kind, not only for DeviceNet but also for other fieldbuses like Lonworks, Industrial Ethernet and Profibus.


Page 7 of 11

Page 53

3. Design in an IC containing CAN

Several companies are offering MPUs (Microprocessor Units) with CAN and other protocols embedded into the MPU. If you are building a new device from scratch and these MPUs fit your budget and taste they can be a very attractive option. You control the Object Model implementation and messaging characteristics without the speed constraints imposed by gateways. It is also possible to create a similar solution by combining a System-On-a-Chip (SoC) with option number four: 4. Purchase a DeviceNet Client or Server Stack for your existing design

When an off-the-shelf MPU with DeviceNet is not within your budget or taste, you could purchase a DeviceNet Master or Slave stack. For a one time charge with no royalties, these stacks offer you the latest in capabilities while giving you absolute control of your development, network presentation and implementation. The advantages to this approach are relative low cost and tightly integrated firmware. Disadvantages include the cost of dedicating internal resources to this effort and the resulting time-to-market issues. 5. Custom PCBs

Contract Engineering companies can provide you with a completely custom communications card for your application usually in 90 days or less depending on the complexity of your application. 6. Do-It-Yourself

The most costly, lengthy and risky approach is to form an internal effort to build it yourself. While this is admittedly what you’d expect to hear from a company whose business is selling custom networking hardware and software, the facts still speak for themselves. Like all complex protocol implementations there are nuances of the DeviceNet specification that are not readily discernable. The internal resources required to staffa project of this nature, train the staff in the specification and manage the project are usually much more costly than using an outside resource or buying a component. The risk of missing seemingly innocuous nuances and missing a ship date is much higher than the cost of outside software or engineering.


Page 8 of 11

Page 54

Your best customer, the Guinea Pig

Anyone who has practiced engineering for any length of time has a healthy respect for Murphy’s Law. On the subject of networking, Murphy’s Law states that when you roll out a new network design, the odds are that you’ll have the opportunity to demonstrate your proficiency. You’ll demonstrate it onsite, in front of your biggest and most important customer as they wait impatiently for their network to return to life. Just a few more things to think about before you take the leap

Another important consideration is testing and certification. Do you have the tools and resources to test, troubleshoot and certify your DeviceNet implementation? A key to selecting a vendor to get “DeviceNet in 90 days” is to make sure that your vendor has all the right tools and can assist you with troubleshooting, locating adequate test tools and the certifying your device. You must consider documentation. There are standard documentation formats for

DeviceNet devices. Your customers will expect your products to follow these standards. To get to market in 90 days, documentation issues need to be addressed early in the process. You must consider certification. Many customers simply will not purchase products

unless they have passed ODVA’s conformance test. It’s not uncommon forproducts to be sent back to the lab a second or third time before they finally pass. If RTA does a DeviceNet implementation for your product, you are guaranteed the same first time success. You must consider Maintenance and Support. There are keys to success for any new

technology. There will be inevitable corrections and revisions tothe initial specifications. How you deal with these changes matters a great deal. You must consider Factory floor Devi ceNet issues: What to do when devices have

duplicate ID’s, what to do when supposedly “compatible” devices still won’t talk to each other, how to use switches and routers on the factory floor, and how to handle device replacement are all very important factors tocarefully consider. Does your DeviceNet vendor offer documentation, tools and assistance with these critical implementation issues?


Page 9 of 11

Page 55

Real Time Automation Guarantees Your Success.

Few people in the automation have the guts to guarantee anything, but Real Time Automation guarantees that your product will be ready for DeviceNet in 90 days or less, or you only pay half. For an additional rushcharge, we can deliver completed DeviceNet implementations in only45 days. We simply require thatyou meet some basic requirements, which means filling out a project application and sending us a sample of your product. Within 7 days we will provide you with a quotation and a guaranteed time line. If we don’t deliver the goods ontime, you get half your moneyback! You can’t lose. What to do next

Call or Email John Rinaldi, DeviceNet Project Manager at (414) 453-5100 / [email protected] and ask for a DeviceNet Project Application. John will be happy to discuss your specific requirements and deadlines, and discuss any aspect of DeviceNet that may still be unclear. The RTA team looks forward toserving you as you tackle oneof the most important new technologies in today’s automation business. Don’t let a shaky economy, protocol confusion or fear of the unknown keep you from participating in new project opportunities! DeviceNet can be an important part of your product success story, too.


Page 10 of 11

Page 56

Production Server

Configuration & MonitoringStation

CIP Msg Packet

ERP System

Ethernet with Ethernet/IP Application Layer

E

Ethernet/IP ControlNet Router

C Ethernet/IP DeviceNet Router

E D

ControlNet

C

CIP Msg Packet

ControlNet DeviceNet Router

D

Programmable Controller

DeviceNet

CIP Msg Packet

I/O

I/O

IDENTICAL CIP MESSAGE PACKETS CAN BE SENT AND RECEIVED TO ANY DEVICE AT ANY LAYER OF THE SYSTEM

Point

Point

ARCHITECTURE. Title

CUSTOMER APPROVAL __________________________

Signature

RTA REV.

DESCRIPTION

DATE

BY

Date ____/____/____ A

Initial Revision

xx/xx

xxx

R E A L T IM E AUTOMATION

Drawing Number

DESCRIPTION

DRAWN BY

xxx

DATE

xx/xx/99 (c) 1999 Real Time Automation LLC.

Page 57

The Fast Guide to Controller Area Network (CAN) Application Layers The Basics of CANopen, DeviceNet™, J1939™ and CAN Kingdom

By John Rinaldi Vince Leslie Real Time Automation 2825 N. Mayfair Rd. Suite 11 Wauwatosa WI 53222 (414) 453-5100 (V) (414-453-5125 (F) www.rtaautomation.com [email protected]

© 2003 Real Time Automation. All Rights Reserved. www.rtaautomation.com

Page 1 of 8 [email protected]

Page 58

Controller Area Networking or CAN is a communications standard with a rather prolific set of offspring. CAN is the proud parent of DeviceNet, Can Open, Can Kingdom and several hundred other about offspring all over the world. In the US, DeviceNet dominates while Can Open and Can Kingdom have made the European mainland a home. But what is this beast and why does it have so many offspring? Controller Area Network is a serial communications standard for intelligent devices to communicate with each other. Unlike many other communication standards that provide fast data rates with thousands or millions of data bytes in a single frame, CAN has a bit rate that max's out at 1 mega baud. Most industrial applications don’t even need that speed. Most use the lowly 125Kbaud. And where other standards move thousands of bytes in a single frame CAN only moves 8 bytes of data. But where speed and capacity are strengths for many of the other standards, CAN’s strength is its low overhead and simple physical interface. With its small packet size, even at 500Kbaud a frame with eight bytes of data is only on the network wire for a quarter of a millisecond. For many control applications this is plenty fast. Additionally the microcontroller, yes an underpowered 8-bit micro can get the job done, needs as little as 4K of program memory and 256 bytes of RAM to support a CAN application. CAN was created by Bosch in Germany in March of 1985. The Bosch Company designed it to replace automotive wiring. In the early days of specification version 1.2, CAN messages contained an eleven bit identifier providing the capability to address 2047 identifiers. In 1992 CAN Specification 2.0 extended the identifier size to 29 bits providing up to 56 million unique identifiers. As both specifications are still in use (sometimes on the same wire) the srcinal 1.2 specification is called Part A and the new specification 2.0 is termed part B. A unique attribute of these CAN specifications is that only two of the OSI Reference Model layers are defined (Figure 1), the Data Link Layer and the Physical Layer. The CAN Data Linker is normally split into two sub layers, the Physical Signaling sub-layer and the Media Access Control (MAC) sub-layer.



Page 59

APPLICATION LAYER Presentation Layer Session Layer Transport Layer Network Layer Media Access Control Data Link

Physical Signalling

Physical

Medium Attachment Transmission Media

OSI REFERENCE MODEL Figure 1 - CAN and the OSI Model Although some developers implement there own proprietary Application Layer on CAN it is most often used with one of the many public domain, higher layer protocols. These protocols include DeviceNet, CAN Open, CAN Kingdom and the J1939 automotive standard.

CAN Open (http://www.can-cia.de/canopen/) The European Community developed the CAN Open standard as a publicly funded project and is now an accepted international standard. The standard is controlled by the non-profit trade association “Can In Automation” (CiA). CiA supports the protocol and provides CAN Open technical and marketing information through its web site, tradeshows, fairs and exhibitions. CAN Open is found in applications as simple as coffee makers and as complex as critical medical and transportation systems. It is also strong in industrial applications. CAN Open refers to a CAN frame as a Communications Object (COB). COB’s normally use the eleven bit CAN identifier but also support the 29 bit identifier. A specific identifier in CAN Open is called the COB-Id. The COB-Id defines the Node address and a function code. The COB-Id specifies if the COB is a Process Data Object (PDO) or a Service Data Object (SDO). PDO’s and SDO’s are types of communication objects which transfer application data between nodes.



Page 60

Service Data Objects Using multiple CAN frames SDO’s move more than eight bytes of data. SDO’s are used for high volume, low priority asynchronous messages. SDO are transferred between a client and a server using three types of transmission methods. - Expedited transfers – used to send small bursts of data - Segmented Transfers – used to send more then four but less then 128 bytes of data - Block transfers – used to send blocks of data with almost no size restraint Expedited transfers require no pre-initialization. Although data is limited to four bytes, initialization and data are sent in the same CAN frame. The first half of the CAN Data field (Byte 0 – Byte 3) is used for message information such as where to store the data and how many bytes in the Data field is NOT data. The second half contains the data. All CAN Open nodes must support Expedited Transfers. Segmented Transfers use a COB almost identical to the Expedited Transfer to initialization the Server node. This first COB prepares the Server node and expects the Server node to reply to the Client whether or not the intended dialog can be preformed. The area of the Expedited CAN Data field normally used for data is used to define the number of bytes to be transferred. Following the initialization frame data is transfer in segments (CAN frames) where one byte (Byte 0) is used to state what segment the CAN frame is and the remaining seven bytes are data. The receiver of the data acknowledges each segment of data by sending a reply. Support of Segmented Transfers is optional. Block Transfers are much like Segmented Transfers in that they both use similar initialization frames and they both send segments of data. Where they differ is Block Transfers send blocks of segmented messages and the receiving node only acknowledges the last segment of each block.

Process Data Objects Process data objects are used for small data transfers (eight bytes or less). PDO’s have the advantage of passing higher priority data. Messages can even be synchronous. PDO’s must be predefined at both the Client and Server using a PDO mapping. The PDO mapping defines whether a PDO is consuming or producing data. A PDO that is mapped to a indicator light is a consuming object. A PDO mapped to a switch is a producing object. Because PDO mapping defines everything about the data, only the COB-Id is used for message data management. The entire eight bytes of the CAN Data frame is used for data. Plus’s • •

Widely accept standard in Europe. Found in many diverse applications include industrial, trains, medical equipment

Minus’s • •

Little to No standard conformance testing available Very Complex Specification



Page 61

DeviceNet (www.odva.org) DeviceNet is a CAN open standard created by Allen Bradley in the mid 1990s. To encourage its development and widespread use, management of the specification was transferred to the Open DeviceNet Vendor Association (ODVA). The ODVA is a non-profit organization that develops and markets DeviceNet and promotes its worldwide adoption. DeviceNet uses abstract object models to describe communication services, data and behavior. A DeviceNet Node is built from a collection of Objects. These objects organize the system behavior and group data using virtual objects much like C++ uses objects and instances to organize data. A node can even have multiple identities. Objects implement services such as Get Attribute and Set Attribute. Required objects are present in all nodes. The Identity and DeviceNet Objects are required objects. The Identity Object contains data such as the Vendor ID, Device Type and Serial Number. The DeviceNet Object contains data describing the DeviceNet CAN connection such as the node address and network baud rate. DeviceNet is based on the Part A specification and uses the eleven bit identifier in four different ways. These “Message Groups” define the structure of communications between any two communicating end points. Each group maps one or more of the highest bits as priority bits. For example, the value of bits nine and ten of the eleven bit ID Field define the Group number giving Group 1 the highest network priority. The remaining bits of the identifier are mapped between a DeviceNet Message ID field and a Media Access Control Identifier (MAC Id). Message Groups support different number of Message ID’s and MAC ID’s. DeviceNet uses two types of messaging schemes, Explicit Messaging and I\O Messaging. Explicit Messages configure end points and provide general communications between any two nodes. Explicit Messages use part of the CAN Data Field for message management. I\O Message is used to transfer data. The entire CAN Data Field can contain message data. Data to be transferred using DeviceNet is defined in Electronic Data Sheets (EDS). EDS’s are very useful because host computers being used as masters can read EDS’s and use this information to configure DeviceNet nodes. Plus’s • • • •

Large Installed Base Very Large Vendor Base (Hundreds) ODVA markets the technology worldwide very effectively Certification Mark available to vendor after a product passes Conformance Testing at a certified test lab.

Minus’s Overly complicated fragmentation schemes •



Page 62

J1939 (http://www.sae.org/products/j1939.htm) J1939 is the automotive CAN standard developed by the Truck & Bus Control and Communications Network Subcommittee of the Society of Automotive Engineers. SAE maintains family of standards which govern the design and use of devices that transmit electronic signals and control information among vehicle components. Planned for use in light, medium and heavy duty trucks it is also now being used in conventional passenger vehicles. J1939 was designed for the CAN 2.0 (CAN Part B) specification. It is unique in that it is the only application layer in this paper that uses the larger 29 bit identifier and the only one that does not require a master. Instead of the traditional Master-Slave relationship, it uses a peer to peer protocol where most messages are broadcasted versus directed to individual nodes. In J1939 each CAN Node is referred to as an Electronic Control Unit (ECU). Every ECU has at least one node address. In certain applications ECUs have multiple node addresses in the same electronic assembly. J1939 uses three methods to communicate over the CAN bus. Destination specific communications use the PDU1 (Protocol Data Unit 1) format to send and receive data. The PDU1 format allows a message to be directed to specific ECU (CAN Node). The destination address is included in the CAN PDU1 CAN frame. Broadcast Communications use the PDU2 (Process Data Unit 2) format to send a message to multiple nodes. The PDU2 message format identifies a message number versus a node number. In these applications receiving ECU’s monitor the CAN bus for specific messages. For example a display unit may ignore all other messages as it monitors the bus waiting for the PDUs containing Fuel Temperature and Fuel Pressure. Proprietary Communications use both PDU1 and PDU2 formats to send data. This is commonly used in service tools. Data transfered on the CAN bus is defined as Parameter Groups (PGs). PG’s define where the data is located in the CAN Data frame, priority and transmission repetition rate. PG’s are identified with Parameter Group Numbers (PGN’s) and are similar to EDS (Electronic Data Sheets) used in DeviceNet. Plus’s • • •

Accepted automobile CAN standard in the USA CAN nodes do not require significant processor resources. Well documented specification containing predefined PGNs for thousands of automotive parameters

Minus’s Identifiers are designed for vehicles with little application outside of automotive industry Cumbersome fragmentation of larger data messages • •



Page 63

CAN Kingdom (http://www.can-cia.org/cankingdom) One of the more unique CAN application layers is CAN Kingdom. Unlike other CAN protocols CAN Kingdom doesn’t use the OSI model. Instead it uses a model organized around the concept of a Nation with a Postal System and Cities, Mayors and Letters as a model for its behavior. In this model the system hardware is called The Capital. System software that controls The

Capital is The King. The CAN Bus and the CAN protocol is called The Postal System. A CAN node is a City which is governed by a Mayor (Application code). And of course each City has a CAN Controller (Post Office) that has certain services (Postmaster) available. CAN messages, (Letters) are always sent as bulk mail. A Letter is one CAN Data frame ( Page) in an Envelope (CAN identifier). Each of the eight CAN bytes of a CAN Data Field is a Line on that Page. If more then eight Lines need to be sent they are included in a Document. A document can have more then one Page. For example, suppose City 1 needs to send a Temperature to City 2. Typically the King assigns the Temperature to Envelope 1 in a Transmit Folder in City 1 and also Envelope 1 to a Receive Folder in City 2. Now City 1 broadcasts the Temperature and City 2 receives it. The King can also send a Form to both Cities that provides them with the procedure to decode the Temperature. In more common CAN terminology nodes in a CAN Kingdom system have no pre-configured address. Messages on the CAN bus use the CAN identifiers as message ID’s. Multiple CAN nodes can even use the same CAN identifier value except for ID 00000000. The King (meaning the Master) reserves ID 00000000 for itself. A CAN node decode forms (set of rules) that instruct it how to code or decode data. The power in a CAN Kingdom system is all in the Master node. The Master transmits a set of rules to nodes that govern how they pass information to each other. A CAN Kingdom Master creates a set of CAN protocol primitives for CAN Nodes in the system. The system designer uses these “forms” as a tool to control the nodes. Plus’s • • • •

CAN node design is completely separate from system design. CAN node designers never concern themselves with Node ID’s Forms can be used to provide Node setup procedure. Other CAN application layer protocols can coexist on the same CAN bus

Minus’s CAN Kingdom’s terminology can be confusing. •

Implementing CAN in Your Product CAN hardware is “cookbook.” CAN software development (DeviceNet, J1939, CANopen, CAN Kingdom…) can be very tedious. If you’re thinking about “rolling your own,” you should carefully consider what’s involved.



Page 64

Do-It-Yourself vs. Outsourcing such development is not a binary decision, though. It’s a continuum. And RTA can assist you with this at any level, whether it’s simply supplying source code to speed your project, or complete turnkey product development. RTA provides a no-charge design review and consultation. To discuss your options and speed the completion of your project, contact Networking Project manager John Rinaldi at +1 (414)4535100 or email [email protected].

Real Time Automation (RTA) is a member of the Profibus Trade Organization (PTO) and an authorized implementation vendor and member of the Open DeviceNet Vendor Association (ODVA). For papers on other technologies see the following: www.rtaautomation.com/devicenet www.rtaautomation.com/ethernetip www.rtaautomation.com/can Or contact John Rinaldi directly at [email protected] or 1-800-249-1612.



Page 65

Pay Per Click Lead Generation With White Papers, Part 2 How to Add Email To The Mix The second example is from one of my members, Mark Clark. Mark did a great job with this; the enticement page is very nicely written, and the white paper is, too. He’s actually got two here, both of them are great, and I’m going to show you both of them. After that I’ll talk about how he used this in an email blast and got a 16% response! Mark’s Brilliant Viral Marketing Strategy

Mark’s Video Production Guide is really clever because it’s not for his customers, but for his customers’ customers. That’s a great strategy, because now his customers are passing his stuff around all over the world. I like the way he wrote this. It’s friendly, it’s informative, it covers a lot of issues, and it points them to his company for any music they need. And since most videos need music, this is excellent. He’s really got the tone of this right. I think you’ll enjoy reading this yourself. The Software Licensing Guide for Product Developers

This guide addresses a different market that Mark serves: Software developers who license music. This is an entirely different market than video producers, and these guys have LOTS of questions to answer before they can license music for this purpose. This guide does a great job of telling them how the sales process works, and what their technical options are. nd

This Guide has a 2 Step – and offers yet another guide

Notice at the end he offers yet another guide, which can only be requested via email or phone. This is appropriate because the person who’s gotten this far is definitely worth talking to in person.

Using Email to Promote a Guide or White Paper Email is a minefield, and you must use it very carefully. People are very sensitive about this, as there are way too many spammers and you can’t afford to be labeled as one. Here’s a sure-fire formula for using email to offer a guide like this.

Page 66

First, let’s talk about the list you use. Mark Clark used his own opt-in email list, which is optimum. Here’s how he did this: Mark sent them an email that looked something like this:

To: Firstname Lastname From: Mark Clark Subject: Video Production Planning Guide for your Customers Dear Firstname, I’m writing to let you know that I’ve just completed an event planning guide for your video production customers. It’s called “How to Prepare for your Video Production.” It contains many helpful tips and suggestions, so that they are prepared when you arrive. It’s got simple worksheets and checklists to help your customers zero in on their main focus. This guide stresses the importance of your customers seeing their message through the eyes of their intended audience. You can print this guide as many times as you like through Adobe Acrobat Reader and give copies to your customers. After reading this guide, your customers will have a better understanding of what they are trying to achieve, how to achieve their intended goal, and they will be very receptive to your expert guidance. This guide is free. it to you.

All you need to do is reply back and I’ll send

Thanks! Mark Clark

Notice how completely personal this is. Dear Steve, I’ve just written this guide, and if you want a copy I’ll send it to you… This does not look like spam, smell like spam, walk like spam or talk like spam. Also notice that it’s plain text, it has no graphics, no glitz, no rich text, no colors, no corporate junk. It’s just a personal email.

And frankly a spammer could never send something like that to millions of people anyway, because he’d have to reply to each person individually.

Page 67

If you know you have a list of video producers – whether you collected the names yourself or if you got the list from somewhere else – as long as they’re video producers, this will work. Fundamentally, in order to make this work with email, here’s what you need: • • •

The person’s first name (This is pretty much mandatory) Their email address, of course And you must be certain that what you’re talking to them about is something they deal with frequently.

I’ve seen this work several times with email addresses collected from trade organizations on very specific subjects, and opt-in lists. Sometimes lists like this are expensive, maybe 50 cents a name, but if you can get 10-20% response then you’re only paying a few dollars for a good quality name of someone who wants your kind of information. Another Option: Buy an Ad in an Ezine

This may be a lot easier for you to do, and less expensive. Most industries have electronic newsletters that are sent out by major publishers and all kinds of other folks, and many times they’ll rent a spot in their newsletter for $50 or $100. So in the Ezine, you place an ad that looks like this:

Pre-Production Guide Eliminates Common Mistakes & Misconceptions For Video Clients

Mark Clark of Instant Access Music has published an event planning guide for your video production customers. It’s called “How to Prepare for Your Video Production.” It contains many helpful tips and suggestions, so that they are prepared when you arrive. It’s got simple worksheets and checklists to help your customers zero in on their main focus. This guide stresses the importance of your customers seeing their message through the eyes of their intended audience. You can print this guide as many times as you like via Adobe Acrobat Reader and give copies to your customers. This guide is free. All you need to do is email [email protected] and he will send it to you.

See the email address [email protected] ? That’s a way to track the source of each request you get – just set up a special email box for each media you place this in. That way you can calculate your ROI, comparing the leads or sales to what you paid for inclusion.

Page 68

As you can see, once you have written a white paper, you can promote it via your website, pay per click traffic, email blast, e-zine placement, postcard or letter, print advertisement (any time you advertise you should include a white paper or report offer), press release… you’ve got four to seven different ways to publicize it. Some of them, like the Pay Per Click traffic, can generate leads for you for years. So as you write more and more papers and publicize them, you have a snowball effect – there’s cumulative value.

Page 69

Free Guides

Page 1 of 1

Additional Pages...

Go

Free Guides Product Developer's Guide choose to Adding Music Your Products A guide to help product developers the right music to supplier, recommendations on music licensing options, and sources where music can obtained. Topics addressed in this guide include: l

l

l

be

Uses of Music in Products Content Creation Products Interactive Products Product Soundtracks Types of Music Licenses Buy Out Licenses Royalty Based Licenses Sources for Product Music Music Libraries (Pros and Cons) Custom Made Music (Pros and Cons) MIDI Files (Pros and Cons)

How To Prepare For Your Video Production A guide for media producer's customers. It contains many helpful tipstoand suggestions, and includes common mistakes your customers will want avoid. Worksheets and checklists are provided to help your customers zero in on their main focus. This guide stresses the importance of your customers seeing their message through the eyes of their intended audience. This guide can be printed as many times as you like through Adobe Acrobat Reader. Give copies to your customers. Ask them to read it through and work with the checklists and worksheets. After reading this guide, your customers will have a better understanding of what they are trying to achieve, how to achieve their intended goal, and be very receptive to your expert guidance. Download This Free Guide

Email This Page To a Friend

Copyright © 1995-2003 . All rights reserved. 44 Music Square Eastiamusic.com # 503 - Nashville, TN 37203 Toll Free: 877-342-6721

http://www.iamusic.com/guide/

3/22/03

Page 70

Free Guides

Page 1 of 1

Additional Pages...

Go

Free Guides All Fields Required Name: Perry Marshall Email: [email protected] Business Name: Perry S. Marshall & Asssociates Address: 1508 Ridgeland City: Berwyn State/Prov: IL Zip/Postal Code:

60402

Phone: 7087884461

How Did You Hear of this Guide? Nice job, mark!

Submit to Download Guide

Reset

Email This Page To a Friend

Copyright © 1995-2003 iamusic.com . All rights reserved. 44 Music Square East # 503 - Nashville, TN 37203 Toll Free: 877-342-6721

http://www.iamusic.com/guide/guide_form.php?id=2

3/22/03

Page 71

How to Prepare For Your Video Production A guide to help you avoid common mistakes and get the most out of your video production. By Mark A. Clark President iamusic.com

The music you need, When you need it ... www.iamusic.com

NOTICE - Legal requirements and ethical standards regardin g advertising, marketin g, and other client or professiona l commun icati ons for your profession may vary from state to state. Neither the author or the publisher make any expressed or implied warranties or guaran tees of, or accept any respon sibi lit y or liabili ty whatsoever for, the material in this guide. 'How to Prepare for Your Video Production' is protected by Interna tional Copyright Laws. © 2002 iamusic. com. All rights reserved. Th is guide may be reproduced and distribu ted freely in it's srcinal unaltered form. All reprints require the display of copyright notice, and the iamusic.com web address. An iam usic.com guide. Published by iamusic.com © 2002.

The music you need, when you need it ... www.iamusic.com Page 72

Introduction This guide will help you understand the effective use of broadcast mediums and see your message through the eyes of your audience. After reading this guide, you will have a better understanding of how to achieve your goals. You will avoid many common mistakes, and focus on getting the most from your production. Your producer has many helpful suggestions. Listen to him/her with an open mind. Remember, you hired them for their expertise. Let him/her do a good job for you and make your production a success. Your producer wants you to get results. This reflects well on them, and they know if you are happy with the results, you will come back again. Print and read this guide. Use the checklist and worksheets before submitting copy points to your producer (Copy points are what you want to say during your production and/or other production notes). You will find this guide useful and helpful. However, if your producer feels there is an area or topic which should be addressed here, have them email me their suggestions. Upon review, I will add them to this guide in the next revision. Thank You, Mark A. Clark President iamusic.com [email protected]

The music you need, when you need it ... www.iamusic.com -2Page 73

Table of Contents Introduction--------- --------------- --------------- --------------- -------------- ------ 2 Table of Contents------------------------------------------------------ -------------- 3 Overview------------ ---------------- --------------- ---------------- --------------- --- 4 Common Mistakes to Avoid---------------------------------------------------------5 Production Checklist-----------------------------------------------------------------8 Project Worksheet----------- ------------------------------------- ------------------ 10


Overview This section applies to anyone engaging in any form of broadcasting or recorded messages and advertising in all areas of broadcast medium. This guide refers mostly to Television commercials, but the principles apply to all areas. There are undoubtedly many businesses in your area that do broadcast advertising on local TV. Some broadcast their message from their web site through Quicktime or Windows Media Player. Most first time advertisers will begin by watching other advertisers who are using the same media. They think, it's on TV so it must be working. This is not always true. Find out what is working and what is not for these advertisers. Call them on the phone or stop by. Study the ones who are having the success and study the ones who aren't. See if you can determine why. This guide will help you identify mistakes your competitors make. Then simply don't make them yourself. FACT - The majority of broadcast advertising does not bring in enough business to pay for the cost of advertising. Why do you think this is? After all, we see McDonalds advertising constantly on TV, nationwide, spending millions, and we all know it is working for them. So why is it not working for most local advertisers? Because most local advertisers do not look at their message from the listener's point of view . It must be of value to the listener, or you end up creating a big 'Who Cares'.

The most important thing to remember is the purpose of your broadcast. You want to connect with your potential customer from THEIR viewpoint. Give them a compelling reason to WANT to do business with you. Never lose site of this mission. Don't give the listener more information than they need. Make it clear, concise, compelling and to the point. Get them interested in what you have to offer, from their point of view.

Withcommon that said,mistakes let's move on to some to avoid:


Common Mistakes to Avoid Great, But Where is it? - Don't forget to tell your listeners how to get in touch with you or where you are located. There is a series of commercials running in the south about a casino. It has great deals, wonderful weekend packages, beautiful images of buffet style eating, and a variety of entertainment. Sounds like fun, but I have no idea where it is or how to get in touch with them. They forgot the most important thing, tell 'em how to find you. The Casting Couch - Being a brilliant business owner does not automatically make you a brilliant spokesperson. Remember, never lose site of why you are broadcasting in the first place. TO BRING IN CUSTOMERS! As an owner, before making yourself the spokesperson for your company, have someone you know with a camcorder record you practicing your presentation. Watch your performance on the tape. How do you look? Show this to other people and ask what they see. Perhaps you are the best candidate. Perhaps you come off stiff, or worse, unbelievable. In that case, maybe you should use an employee with a bubbly personality, good posture and wonderful diction who can deliver your message. If not, consider hiring a local celebrity or professional announcer. First and foremost, you want someone who is friendly, believable and easy to understand. Socialites Seldom Play Banjos - Music can be a very effective tool in your broadcast

and adds the"Oh third-dimension to awill two-dimensional worstNO thing you than can do is just say, yeah, any music be fine." It is medium. far betterThe to have music to have the WRONG music. If you cater to the high society types, choosing country music will NOT speak to your intended listener. You probably need music of an orchestral nature. Strings, woodwinds, french horns and the like. Now if your business deals with race cars, try some Rock. Youth oriented product, try Dance and Techno. We have over 1500 music tracks in all kinds of styles available for download at www.iamusic.com . The Joke's on Mute - Humor in advertising often seems like a good idea, in the beginning. At first, customers will tell you how much they like your new commercial and how funny they thought it was. Ask them again in three weeks what they think of it. Jokes tend to wear out there welcome very fast. Jokes quickly turn into, "Not that again, where is the mute button on this thing?". Web Broadcasts - Create several short clips highlighting a single item or service instead of one long broadcast. This allows your web visitors to click directly on their interest.


Who Goes There? - Do you remember the last commercial you saw where you had no idea who the advertiser was or what product they were selling? I didn't think so. Make sure your product and company are clearly represented. Tell them who you are and what you can do for them. Across the Street From Big Familiar Business - Whenever possible, DON'T advertise another business by saying your location is in some proximity to theirs. Large corporate businesses will do just fine without you paying good money to mention their name. Try something like, one block south of the square on main, or your address, instead. The Televised Grocery List - Instead of rattling off a list of everything you offer or do in one broadcast, consider concentrating on only one item, or group of related items, for your broadcast. If you offer 9 services, consider creating 3 separate broadcasts. Each concentrating on how 3 of these services will help your potential customers. Don't Get a Klunker, Get a Klinker - Believe it or not, this is being used by a car dealership to promote, of all things, used cars! They don't want you to go somewhere else and end up with a Klunker. They want you to come in, look over their used cars, and pick out a Klinker instead. Now, you are probably thinking, "What would I want with a Klinker either? Klinker, Klunker, aren't these both the same thing?". Well, there is a group of people who understand what this is all about. It's their employees! A small percentage of potential customers, as well as their employees, know the dealership is owned by the Klink family. They get the play on words. Problem is, the majority who hear this don't. If you are going to be clever, be clever enough to use material your listeners will find to be clever. The Boy Scouts - A Boy Scout is always prepared. You must be prepared as well. This is one of the secrets to a successful shoot. The more prepared you are, the better the results you'll achieve. Rehearse what you are planning to do with the key people in your production prior to your shoot. Ask everyone to arrive one hour before the shoot. This will give everyone a chance to settle in and prepare for the shoot. Demolition Derby - Just like jokes, whacking merchandise with a hammer and screaming about having some kind of a mental disease wears out real fast. How'd You Get This Number? - Make sure to build in some kind of tracking in ALL your advertising. Otherwise, you will have no idea which advertising is working for you. Did the person standing in front of you come in because of your expensive TV campaign, or because of your flyer, which cost next to nothing?


Smile For the Camera - When you're smiling, the whole world smiles with you. Be sure your representative has an upbeat and positive attitude. Watch Your 'Pro-Nun-Shun' - Pronunciation! Pronounce words correctly and use good diction. Your listeners MUST be able to clearly understand what you are saying. Extra! Extra! - Give yourself plenty of time to round up extras (additional people for filling up your store or other use) should your production need them. Try local groups, colleges, high schools, retirement communities and employees as sources for your extras. You can find people eager to do this for free just to see themselves on TV. I recommend touching base with your extras a few days prior to your shoot. Be diplomatic. Tell them you are calling to let them know there will be a pizza party right after the shoot. Will you be able to stay for the party? We want to get enough pizzas. The ones who are still going to be there will tell you right away. Others will tell you their plans have changed. Good news, you now have plenty of time to find replacements if needed. Best of all, nobody feels like they were being pressured, and happy faces arrive for your shoot. Spend $90,000 Broadcasting a $250 Video - This is another believe it or not, but there are lots of businesses out there who will spend $90,000 to broadcast something they would not spend more than $250 to make. Please don't make this mistake. I am not talking about hiring Spielberg to fly in from Hollywood for your shoot. I am saying to listen to the advice of your producer. They know a lot of things that have worked in the past which can work for you. Set aside some extra funds in anticipation of any production extras. You can always offset the cost by running fewer ads. When done properly, you will find a quality video running less frequently, will out perform a cheap one running more frequently. Let your producer help you in this area. He/She has the expertise you need.

I hope you find this guide useful in helping you get the most out of your production and to obtain the goals you want to achieve. Be sure to use the checklist and worksheets on the following pages. When you are ready to select music for your production, we can help. Just go to www.iamusic.com . Thank you, Mark A. Clark President iamusic.com The music you need, when you need it ... www.iamusic.com -7Page 78

Production Checklist Fill out your Project Worksheet at the end of this document. Use Project Worksheet and this guide to create your message. Remember to stay focused on your goal which is to bring customers in. Try to write as if you are the listener hearing your message over a broadcast. What would interest you enough to make you want to do something about what you are hearing? Time your message. Read it out loud and see if it comfortably fits within the time frame you are working with. Make edits to your message until you can clearly and easily say your message within the time frame you are working with. Do this for timing even if you are not the person who will be reading this in the broadcast. Remember, a pencil has two ends. One of your most creative tools is an eraser. Check your message again against this guide to make sure you are not making any common mistakes. Get opinions about your message from several other people whom you can trust to give you their honest opinion. Ask them to tell you what the message is about, and how it affects them. If most people who hear it don't get the point of your message, it's time for a rewrite. Don't use employees or family members for this. Employees will love everything and your teenage daughter will hate everything. You must test this with neutral parties. Once satisfied with your message, check it again using this guide. Make sure it has no common mistakes. Go over your message with your content producer. They can help you fine tune it more if needed. Decide who is going to be the spokesperson(s) for your broadcast. Refer to "The Casting Couch" in this guide for help in this area. This is a VERY IMPORTANT STEP. Make this decision before scheduling your shoot. Schedule your shoot. Make sure to clear all times and dates with the key players in your broadcast. If needto"extras" people for filling up your or for other use), now is you the time get this(additional done. Refer to "Extra! Extra!" in thisstore guide suggestions. If you need extras, organization is key to your success. The music you need, when you need it ... www.iamusic.com -8Page 79

Rehearse your material with your key players a few times in the days leading up to your shoot. If you have extras, call them about 2 or 3 days before the shoot to confirm as outlined in "Extra! Extra!" in this guide. Make sure everyone involved with the shoot is scheduled to arrive at least 1 hour before the shoot is to begin. Provide soft drinks and snacks to help them settle in and get ready for the shoot.

Final Tip - On the day of the shoot, remain calm! The more calm, collected and comfortable you are, the more calm, collected and comfortable everyone else will be. Preparation is the key to success and confidence on the day of your shoot, so take the time to prepare. When working with your crew, be a diplomat. Remember, you want your people to be relaxed and view this as fun. Emotions do come across on tape. If someone is having trouble, don't jump down their throat. Instead, tell them what they are doing right, and offer suggestions you think will make it even better.

When you are ready to select music for your production, we can help. Go to www.iamusic.com .


Project Worksheet Who is your primary target? Be specific. What is their age group? What kind of programming do they watch? Do they need a computer to use your service? Would vegetarians have no need for your product? Should they be married, single or either? This specific information will help you zero in on the best mediums, shows and TV stations for your message. You want to be where your primary target is most likely to hear/see your message. If you are selling something to teenagers, then TV shows like 'Law & Order' are not where you want to be. You want your 'MTV' or other youth oriented programming.

Are their any secondary targets? This group is not your main focus, but there are several in this category who would have an interest in what you do. For example: You market a software game. Your primary target is teenagers. You also get 16% of your sales from the age group between 20 and 35. This would be a secondary target.

The music you need, when you need it ... www.iamusic.com - 10 Page 81

How will your audience view this material? Will they see/hear it on TV, the web, radio, email, presentation, or any combination of these? If you are going to show your material on TV only, you will need one continuos message. It will need to start, grab their interest, and progressively move forward. If streaming from the web, then you can shoot several shorter exerts. Each of these focusing on one service or product. If you are planning both, you should try to create something which will move progressively forward for your TV broadcast, but can be easily segmented for your web casts.

What is the main point you wish to make? Are you having a one-day only sale? Then your audience must know when it is to be held, and what they will miss should they not participate. Are you offering a 'While supplies last' sale? Then you should stress how important it is they contact you right away. When they're gone, they're gone. Offering to winterize a home or car? They need to act now before winter arrives. Avoid high heating bills, frozen pipes, cracked engines, rust, frost bite or the 'hee-bee-jee-bees'.


What additional points do you want to make? Keep this short. If this list is long, this is an indication you may want to create more than one production. Make each production focus on smaller groups of items or services.

What do you want your potential customers to do? Do you want them to call you on the phone, request literature, stop by your location, send you a fax or email? You want to be crystal clear about what you want your listeners to do. Then make it clear to them. Knowing this information will dramatically help you create your message. It keeps unnecessary yacking out, and you focused on your main objective.


Why should the listener WANT to do what you wrote above? This is the most important question in this worksheet. Without a clear understanding of this important question, you will NOT be pleased with your results. What was the last thing you saw which made you take action? What did you feel when you decided you needed to take action? What caused you to feel that way? Was it something which was conveyed to you through a message? More than likely it was. It appealed to you, the listener. There was something in it which spoke to you and made you want to take action. You did! Now, why should the listener WANT to do what you wrote above?

Remember, there are no bad answers, only costly ones.

When you are ready to select music for your production, we can help. Go to www.iamusic.com . The music you need, when you need it ... www.iamusic.com - 13 Page 84

Product Developer's Guide To Adding Music to Your Products A guide to help you choose the right music supplier, recommendations on music licensing options, and sources where music can be obtained. By Mark A. Clark President iamusic.com

The music you need, When you need it ... www.iamusic.com

NOTICE - Neither the author or the publisher make any expressed or mplied i warranties or guarantees of, or accept any responsibility or liability whatsoever for, the material in this guide. "Product Developer's Guide To Adding Music to Your Products" is protected by International Copyright Laws. © 2003 iamusic.com. All rights reserved.

The music you need, when you need it ... www.iamusic.com

Page 85

TABLE OF CONTENTS Overview-------------------------------------------------------------------------2 Uses of Music in Products----------------------------------------------------3 Content Creation Products Interactive Products Product Soundtracks Types of Music Licenses-------------- --------------- --------------- ----------5

Buy Out Licenses Royalty Based Licenses Sources for Product Music--------------------------------------------------- 6 Music Libraries (Pros and Cons) Custom Made Music (Pros and Cons) MIDI Files (Pros and Cons) Conclusion & Contact Information ----------------------------------------10

OVERVIEW This guide has been created as a quick reference for product developers seeking to enhance their products with music. Contained in this guide are some uses of music in products, help in selecting music, recommendations on music license options, and sources where music can be obtained. This guide will be useful in helping you make the right decision about your music needs. If you would like more information on using iamusic.com as your music supplier, please contact us: Phone: 877-342-6721 (Toll Free) Online: www.iamusic.com/contact.php Email: [email protected] Thank you, Mark A. Clark President iamusic.com

The music you need, when you need it ... www.iamusic.com -2-

Page 86

USES OF MUSIC IN PRODUCTS Content Creation Products - This category pertains to products where music will be distributed to the end user to assist them in creating content using your product. For 'bundled music' (music included with your product as a value added service) to be successful in a content creation product, you will need a large number of tracks encompassing a wide variety of styles. You want your end users to have all the styles of music they will need when creating content using your product.

You will want a Music License which will allow you to grant the rights to your customers to create content, using the bundled music, and publish their final creations WITHOUT any additional fees or licenses required to be paid to the music supplier. This is known as a Royalty Free Music License. You will want to be able to grant this Royalty Free Music License to your customers. The music supplier will usually require a statement be added to your software license telling your end user what rights they have to use the music. This would be something similar to, "You may use the music included in this software package royalty free for anything you create using this software package. Any other use is strictly prohibited" . Royalty Free Music Licenses usually have a 'synchronization' (sync) requirement. Synchronization means the music is required to have other audio and/or visual effects (voice overs, animations, etc.) recorded with the music before it can be shown or distributed to third parties. When your customers create using your product, their creations meet the sync requirement. The Music License between you and your music supplier will need to give you the rights to distribute the music WITHOUT synchronization to your customers. The biggest challenge is to find a music supplier who can meet your needs with a large selection of music, is willing to provide you with the Royalty Free Music License you need, and understands the needs of publishers of content creation products.

Examples of Content Creation Products :

Video Creation Software Presentation Software Web Designing Software Animation Software The music you need, when you need it ... www.iamusic.com -3-

Page 87

Interactive Products - Music can be very effective when used as part of an interactive product. The end user makes decisions, or answers questions, invoking a musical response based upon their answers. A good example of interactive use of music in a product would be educational software. The correct response from a child produces one musical effect, while the wrong answer produces another.* Examples of Interactive Products :

Educational Software Interactive Computer Games Educational Toys Interactive Hardware Products Interactive CD-ROM/DVD Titles Product Soundtracks - Soundtracks in products are not unlike soundtracks in your favorite Hollywood movies. You want to set the 'mood' for a scene or event which takes place during the use of your product. Nothing sets the mood for your product like a good musical soundtrack.* Examples of Product Soundtracks :

Games & Toys Kiosks & Virtual Tours CD-Rom Encyclopedias CD-Rom Health Products How-To and Instructional Products Audio Books Educational Titles *These types of products typically meet synchronization requirements (music used in conjunction with other audio and/or visual effects) in a standard music license. You will NOT need rights to distribute the music without synchronization as in content creation products.


Page 88

TYPES OF MUSIC LICENSES BUY OUT LICENSES

Depending on the number of titles needed, and units to be produced, you may want to inquire about a 'blanket buy out license'. A blanket buy out license can provide you with the rights to make unlimited copies of your product for one flat fee. This can save your company a substantial amount of money over the life of your product. You would not have to calculate percentages on sales and make regular payments to the music supplier as you would with royalty based systems. Another variation is to license music for a specified number of copies. This could be the number of units you want to make in your first manufacturing run. This option can allow you to test profitability BEFORE investing in an unlimited blanket buy out license. The initial cost will be much lower than a blanket buy out license, but will be less cost effective over the years with renewals. When choosing a buy out license for a limited number of copies, it is a good idea to spell out the terms for licensing more units down the road. Will the supplier allow you to get additional licenses for another specified number of copies, or will renewal require the payment of the blanket buy out license? Availability of these options will vary between music suppliers.

ROYALTY BASED LICENSES

A royalty based system is best suited for products needing lots of music, or products expected to sell in large quantities. A percentage of each sale (royalty) will be paid to the music supplier at agreed upon times each year. Some music suppliers may only offer this option under certain conditions. With a successful product, royalty based payments will likely exceed that of a blanket buy out license over the years, but provides you with more working capital when launching a new product. This licensing structure does require extra bookkeeping to calculate percentages on sales and make reoccurring payments to the supplier. Some suppliers will require a 'good faith' payment up front against future royalties when the initial agreement is signed, others do not. With a good faith payment against future royalties, no further royalty payments will be made to the music supplier until the initial payment has been depleted. Turnaround time is usually slower with a royalty system as more terms will need to be agreed upon by both parties. The music you need, when you need it ... www.iamusic.com -5-

Page 89

SOURCES FOR PRODUCT MUSIC MUSIC LIBRARIES

A comprehensive production music library can be an excellent source for music. Music Libraries typically offer large selections of music and styles to choose from. With the right music library, you can find all the tracks you need for your product, and license them all from one source. The music is already finished (unlike custom made music), so you know EXACTLY what you are getting BEFORE you license the music. PROS • The music has already been composed, recorded, mastered and ready for delivery. • Unlike custom made music, there will be no risk of getting unwanted surprises when the music is delivered. You know EXACTLY what you are getting ahead of time. • Prerecorded music can be delivered much faster than music which must be created specifically for you. • Libraries offer large selectio ns of music styles to choose from . • Music libraries are much more cost effe ctive than having cu stom made music created for you. • Turnaround time can be as fast as sa me day. • A music library is the most logical approac h for those produ cing content creation software.

CONS • There are not a lot of mus ic libraries that can provide the selection s and sound quality you need, and are willing to work with developers to supply music for use in products.


Page 90

CUSTOM MADE MUSIC

This option's greatest strength is the ability to have music created specifically for your product, and to acquire exclusive rights to its use. The biggest consideration here is the leap of faith required on the part of your company. You have to 'trust' the final product will be finished on time, and be exactly what you had hoped you were going to get. Unlike the cost effectiveness of music obtained through a music library, custom made music can be 40 to 200 times greater in cost per song. You will want to seek out a professional composer who can create music authentically in any style you request. Unfortunately, the majority of composers are only well versed in one or two styles. When choosing the option of custom made music for your products, give yourself plenty of time between the due date for the delivery of music and the release date of your product. Have a back up plan in case the music is not delivered on time, or is not what you expected. Request to hear 'demos' of the music before it goes to the final recording phase. Be prepared to pay the costs to produce these demos. Demo costs are typically nonrefundable, but you should ask for these costs to be deducted from the total license fee if you want the composer to proceed with the recording.

PROS • You can have music created exclusively for yo ur product. CONS • Until the music has been crea ted, you really have no idea what the final product will sound like. • The cost associa ted with custom made music license d exclusively can be excessive compared to a music library. • There are no guarantees the mus ic will be correct, or created at all for that matter, until you have the final product in hand. • Whether or not you are able to meet yo ur product's release date w ill depend greatly on the composer's ability to deliver exactly what you want when you need it. • This option is not practical when you require a fast turnaround time.


Page 91

MIDI FILES

MIDI stands for "Musical Instrument Digital Interface". The most compelling reason to consider using MIDI files are their small footprint. You can also change how loud individual sounds are, change the speed of the song, and remove any unwanted sounds or instruments. The biggest problem is a lack of sources to obtain MIDI files (which will not get you into copyright troubles), and the final sound of your product will be totally dependent upon the end users sound card or other MIDI device. MIDI files contain no audio data, but instead merely provide instructions for a general MIDI device to reproduce the music using the sounds it has available, such as a sound card. While most MIDI files are created using $30,000 MIDI rigs, this means nothing when your customer hears your product through their $19.95 sound card.

PROS • Extremely small footprint compared to audio file s. • You can change volume of individual soun ds (remix), change the speed of the song (tempo), and eliminate any unwanted sounds. CONS • No control over the sound quality experienced by the end user. Sound quality is completely dependent on the equipment owned by the end user. • Not all manufacturers of general MIDI devices adhere to the specifications of general MIDI, nor do all provide the complete set of general MIDI sounds. This can cause incomplete reproductions of the music or incorrect selection of instruments and sounds. Tubas playing flute parts and trumpets playing drums will guarantee a much higher product return rate. • Lack of sources to obtain original MIDI files.

If you are a manufacturer of a General MIDI (GM) Sound Card or GM Tone Generator, MIDI files can really showcase the awesome sounds and capabilities of your product. You have the advantage of knowing how the MIDI files will sound to your end user because they will be playing them with your product.


Page 92

CONCLUSION & CONTACT INFORMATION I hope this guide has given you useful information to assist you in finding your ideal music supplier. On behalf of all of us at iamusic.com, we wish you the best in all your endeavors. If there is anything we can help you with, please do not hesitate to contact us. ARE YOU CONSIDERING IAMUSIC.COM FOR YOUR MUSIC SUPPLIER?

If so, please use one of the contact methods below, and request the document titled: IAMUSIC.COM AS YOUR MUSIC SUPPLIER. This three page document addresses both buy out and royalty based licensing options, and an overview of services available at iamusic.com. If you have any suggestions or comments regarding this guide, please email them to [email protected] . Mark A. Clark President - iamusic.com 44 Music Square East #503 Nashville, TN 37203

Toll Free: 877-342-6721 Email: [email protected] Web Address: www.iamusic.com FAX Number: 215-895-9672 Mailing Address: Instant Access Music 44 Music Square East #503 Nashville, TN 37203 Contact Form: www.iamusic.com/contact.php


Page 93

Promoting Your White Paper With A Press Release I’m going to continue Mark Clark’s example, and show you how to promote a white paper via a press release for that same Video Production Guide. Before I show you Mark’s press release, which follows the template in my toolkit exactly (you can pretty much use this example here as your own template), let me give you a few more tips: • •

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

There are three ways to send a press release: Email, snail mail and FAX. If you are sending an announcement to reporters via email, do not attach the white paper. Give them a hyperlink to it instead, so they can download it from the website. At the bottom of the press release, below the ### or –END- give the editor or reporter a URL from which they can download the white paper WITHOUT registering their contact information. They’re not going to give this out to the rest of the world, but it helps you because they’ll rarely fill out those forms to get it. If you have graphics files (a sharp color, hi-res picture of something specifically related to the announcement is always a winner) provide a hyperlink for download, just as you did with the paper. Do NOT attach it. Send the press release as a plain text email, don’t attach it in a WORD document. Documents can have viruses. Don't ask reporters to RSVP to get the paper unless you are offering them an exclusive on the story. Exclusives given to the press always have time limits. Maybe a week, maybe 3 months – you work it out with them. Picture this: The reporter got 200 emails today, 80 were press releases, she’s only got room for 40 this month and yours has to make the cut. So write your title, subject line of the email message and the enticement for the white paper so it makes it to the top of the pile. If the reporter has undoubtedly heard of your company, then put the company name as the first word in the subject, followed by the news headline. The reporter is looking for story ideas, and if you hand them a well-thought-out headline and they don’t have to think about it, that helps you immensely. For example: “GE Study Reveals 5 Hidden Waste Factors” Don't waste your subject line real estate on "PressRelease," "Announces", or "News From" -- everything in the reporter's inbox says that. Use your space to show why your email is worthy of being opened and read.

•

If someone registers theirfor name your thencome “cookie” (your webmaster should be able to do this you)atso thatsite, if they backthem next month to download another paper, they don’t have to register all over again.


Page 94

•

Even if someone gives you their email in requesting the paper, you still should get their explicit permission to be on your newsletter list. You might put an opt-in check box on the contact form.

You may be wondering, how do you find press contacts? How do you get their email addresses, FAX numbers etc? If you operate in a very specific niche or industry, you should gather these yourself, because the list is likely to only be 10 to 30 publications, maybe even less than that. You just go to the obvious places first. You might want to contact each magazine and ask the appropriate reporter how they prefer to receive their news releases. If you need a bigger pool than that, here are some resources you can check out: A premium service is MediaMap. MediaMap maintains up-to-date records of thousands of publications’ editorial calendars and give you a portal by which you can blast press releases to the appropriate people. It’s an expensive annual subscription, but worth it if you do an awful lot of PR. www.mediamap.com A pay-as-you-go service is MDS Connect, www.mdsconnect.com. You can select from a wide array of magazines and industries, target the press people you want, and give MDS your press release. They will distribute it for you via email, or fax, or snail mail, on a per-piece charge.


Page 95

Date: 3/23/03

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Page 1 of 1

CONTACT: Mark A. Clark, (877) 342-6721 Email: [email protected]

Pre-Production Guide Eliminates Common Mistakes & Misconceptions For Media Producer's Clients (Nashville, TN) "- How To help media producers prepare clients for their production, iamusic.com is offering free guide titled to Prepare For Your Video Production ". This guide stresses the importance ofa clients seeing their message through the eyes of their intended audience. It contains many helpful tips and suggestions including common mistakes to avoid and misconceptions. Worksheets and checklists are provided to help media producer's clients zero in on their main focus. Producers can reprint and distribute "How to Prepare For Your Video Production" to their clients using Adobe Acrobat Reader. Producer's clients will have a better understanding of what they are trying to achieve, how to achieve their goals, and be very receptive to the producer's expert guidance. Items addressed in this guide include: • • • • • • • • • •

How to define the purpose of the project and eliminate distractions How to create content from the audience's viewpoint How pre-production preparation is key to success Critical business information no one should omit Selecting the right music for products and services Choosing the right spokesperson Finding and working with "Extras" Effective use of web broadcasts Pre-Production Checklist Project Worksheet

"How To Prepare For Your Video Production" is FREE and available for download in Acrobat Reader format at www.iamusic.com/guide/

Contact: Mark A. Clark [email protected] 877-342-6721 Iamusic.com 44 Music Square East #503 Nashville, TN 37203 ### Note to editor: You can download this guide directly from the following URL: http://www.iamusic.com/guides_pdf/developer_guide.pdf

Page 96

“Pass-Along Value” It’s usually a con in advertising but it really does apply to white papers, guides and information widgets! If a newspaper or magazine rep comes to visit you, they’ll tell you that half a million people read it even though they only print 150,000 copies each month. That’s hogwash. The truth is, one out of 100 copies gets read by 10 people and half the copies get thrown away before they’re read by anybody. That’s why you have to test your advertising and hold it accountable for results – sales leads and sales – instead of having meaningless conversations about “branding” and “exposure” and “impressions.” In my book, and impression is not made unless somebody responds. But you can legitimately think about “pass-along value” when it comes to white papers and information widgets, because if they’re good, they will get passed around. That’s because Joe Engineer reads it, he sees that you’ve got a valid argument – note that you’ve actually made a valid argument, which few advertisers ever bother to do – and clearly your paper is better at making the argument than he is. So he passes it along to his co-workers and boss. I observed this first hand when I didbook): the email blastget foremails the DeviceNet Trouble Shooting Guide (which comes later in this I would from people who weren’t on the list, and my srcinal message had been forwarded once or twice to the person who was most interested. If you really hit a nerve with good solid information that people want, this will happen to you, too! Think of it as an acid test as to whether or not you’ve truly ‘hit the ball out of the park.’

©2003 Perry S. Marshall & Associates www.perrymarshall.com

Page 97

Using Ambiguity and “Gray Areas” to Add Intrigue and Curiosity to Your Copy – Part 1 There is a lake between sun and moon Not too many know about In the silence between whisper and shout The space between wonder and doubt This is a fine place Shining face Those bonfire lights in to theface mirror of sky The space between wonder and why There is a fine line between love and illusion – A fine place to penetrate The gap between actor and act The lens between wishes and fact -from Between Sun and Moon by Neil Peart and Pye Dubois ©1993 Core Music / Anthem Records

Between Sun and Moon lies the realm of curiosity and discovery. It’s where jagged reality meets the imagination – where practical people understand that there are no perfect solutions, but that interesting compromises exist. This is not an exercise in abstraction. It’s simply an unusual way of pointing out that there are no perfect products or solutions – and this represents a tremendous opportunity if you’re willing to work with reality as it really is.

Between Sun and Moon is about ambiguity. It’s about the gray areas of life. The space between wonder and why. People are weary of companies who pretend that what they’ve got is the perfect solution to All The World’s Problems. They’re much more likely to pay attention to you in the first place if you promise to guide them through a gray area. Concrete Examples

“Bullets” are a great tool for communicating benefits in powerful sentence fragments. Bullets that focus on thorny problems, gray areas and ambiguity are a very powerful tool. Let’s start with some short, easy examples. A few years ago I was promoting a class called DeviceNet Boot Camp. DeviceNet was a networking technology for factories, and my audience was project engineers.


Page 98

I sold DeviceNet, and I wanted people to buy it. And I wanted them to come to my training class first. I engaged their curiosity and built my credibility by openly discussing the fact that there can be serious problems with a DeviceNet installation, and that you need to be prepared; hence the class. At the time, none of the vendors were admitting that DeviceNet had problems, so I did. Here are some bullets I used: •

•

•

Some plants have actually ripped out DeviceNet after installing it, because their electricians could not diagnose and maintain equipment Startups budgeted to take days have ended up taking weeks! PLC problems have been mistakenly blamed on the network

Talking openly about problems like this, and clearly stating that you understand them and are prepared to solve them; being frank about the fact that things may not go right the first time and that you’re well prepared for that possibility – this does so much to build your credibility. Everybody else is wearing a plastic smiley face but you’re a real human being. You’re believable. You’re very honestly asking, “Mr. Customer, everybody else is telling you how wonderful DeviceNet is, and I agree that it is wonderful. But did the other guy bother to mention some of these issues?” Here’s another example of using ambiguity to get people to come to something – in this case, a presentation on the ethics of going to war with Iraq: As I write this, Iraq and North Korea brazenly flex their muscles. World superpowers clash over the deployment of nuclear and biological weapons. Fears reminiscent of Cold War days return as the U.S. government issues safety guides with instructions on what actions to take in case of a strike. If Saddam Hussein unleashes Anthrax on us and on our children, should we "turn the other cheek"? If Kim Jong-il aims his nuclear missiles at us, what can prevent the conflict from escalating out of control? Is there such a thing as a "Just War"? Is there a legitimate argument for pacifism and civil disobedience? If the U.S. were to take up arms against Iraq – even if it were, in principle, "morally justified" – it is still inevitable that thousands of innocent men, women and children would perish. How is an ethical person to think and act regarding such matters? War is a sobering subject, but one that's all too easily avoided in favor of 'lighter fare.' These questions will be the subject of Friday's TruthQuest Coffee House.

See how powerful it is to pose these tough questions? All questions, no answers. Come to this seminar and we’ll tackle these tough issues. Read this paper and you’ll get the real scoop.


Page 99

Ambiguity and tough decisions are great tools for getting people to read or listen to you. What follows is a very detailed example.

Promoting a Controversial, Hot-Potato Topic to a Sophisticated, Skeptical Intellectual Audience So-Young Tikoo’s Talk on Multiculturalism You might have a hard time relating to this one.

Which is exactly why you should pay extra close attention to it. It’s an example from a very tough category to “market” in. This example is all about carefully maneuvering through the minefield of controversy. If there’s anything controversial about what you do (if there’s not, there should be!), then you should pay close attention. I’m the publicity director for TruthQuest, a monthly open forum in the Chicago suburbs on the relationship between theology, philosophy and science. I’m going to present a lead generation campaign that I put together for TruthQuest. This is an extremely useful example because it deals with the #1 hot-potato topic that exists in all of humanity:

Religion. Not only does Miss Manners teach you not to discuss politics or religion in polite company, but we all know also that religion is generally an off-limits subject in daily conversation anywhere you go. Before I launch into the case study, let me give you some vital background. In a world where fewer than 50% of Americans go to church on Sunday, Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois has bucked the trend with a very innovative format. About 20,000 people show up at Willow Creek every weekend and get very basic, traditional spiritual content delivered in an extremely modern, contemporary and “hip” package. It feels more like a theater than a church; the musicians play pop, jazz and grunge; and people come in jeans and t-shirts and visit over coffee and bagels in a spacious atrium. It’s so innovative that Harvard Business School spends a day each fall doing a case history of Willow Creek in their curriculum. Willow’s mission statement is this: “Turning Irreligious People into Fully Devoted Followers of Christ.”


Page 100

Once when senior pastor Bill Hybels spoke at Harvard, a student raised her hand and said, “OK, so basically your mission is to turn atheists into missionaries, right?” “Right.” “That’s a very tough thing to do,” she observed. “Yes, ma’am, it is.” Nomarketers marketer’s– education is complete without a close look Willow .Creek. Listen up, don’t be above learning from anybody and at everybody I’m not putting this in here to promote a church; I’m including this because it’s very instructive. “Changing the World” is hard, hard work. If somebody’s actually doing it, then we need to pay attention. I talk about Willow Creek for the same reason I talk about Cosmopolitan magazine. Even though I don’t agree with hardly anything between the covers of Cosmo, their headlines and copy are superb. (If you want to read the story of Willow Creek as told by its founders, check out “Rediscovering Church” by Bill and Lynne Hybels.) Willow Creek is very, very different than what most people think of when somebody says “church.” And frankly, if you want “Unchurched Harry” (Willow’s term for the average guy who watches ESPN on Sunday morning) to visit your church, you’d darn well better offer him something different than what he probably grew up in. One do of Willow Creek’s core concepts iscater the idea of particular creating a religious church where people who not agree, believe or otherwise to any “party line” are welcomed with open arms. And if a visitor belongs to some other denomination or religion, they are equally welcome. Willow is tolerant of other views. This tolerance could be stated something like this: “Whoever you are, wherever you come from, and whatever you believe, you are welcome here. Doesn’t matter if you’re a Muslim, Atheist, Agnostic, Hindu, Buddhist or Methodist, or if you watch the skies for Superman. You’re welcome to come here as long as you like. I’m a Christian, and the fact that I accept you does not mean that I endorse Islam or Atheism or Hinduism, and it doesn’t mean that I believe those other belief systems are true. “What it does mean is that I accept you as you are. I’m not disturbed or threatened by the fact that there are people in the world who do not believe the same things I believe. And this is a place where we can comfortably, politely and openly discuss our differences in our search for the truth.”


Page 101

The fact that Willow creates space for open discussion is precisely the thing that gives their message a chance to be heard in the vast marketplace of ideas. The Vital Role of “Grey Areas” in Attracting an Audience

Willow Creek has put new dress on an old term, and it has become a household word in some corners of the churching world: the term “seeker.” A seeker is defined as a person who is exploring belief systems – a person who’s in the gray area between Christianity and anything else. Willow is a “seeker-oriented” church. Thisbemakes Willow Creek havedoesn’t to operate in “gray areas” and OK with the idea thata church the guywhere sittingmembers next to them necessarily agree. This has drawn a storm of criticism from other churches, especially highly conservative ones. They insist that if someone who disagrees with you is comfortable in your church, then you must not doing a good job. (I happen to disagree.) In marketing, gray areas – places with differences of opinion, different ways to solve problems, different belief systems – are magnets for people who are dissatisfied with the status quo. People who are ready for change naturallygravitate to gray areas. Gray areas are the places where you’ll most easily find new customers and people who are willing to listen tonew ideas. People who are in transition.

If you’re not willing to enter into a world where your customers or prospects don’t see things your way, then you’re not a salesman – you’re just dogmatic and annoying. When you highlight gray areas in advertising copy and bullets, they make great teasers. They stimulate curiosity and discussion. If you’re a salesperson, curiosity and discussion are exactly what you want. Note: Don’t be confused by the use of gray areas to elicit curiosity, and your ultimate objective of taking a stand and boldly selling something – whether it’s an idea, a product or a service. In business, you have to take sides on something, or you don’t have a business. If you’re David, you have to fight against Goliath. If you’re Goliath, you have to sell against David. If you’re “Open” then you have to fight against “Proprietary.” If you’re Proprietary, then you have to sell against Open. If you’re plaid, you have to sell against stripes. You get the idea. My point is this: In business, at the end of the day you can’t be gray. You have to go into the gray areas, dialogue with people, and then sell them on your point of view. You must presume that you have the right to tell someone else that they need what


Page 102

you’ve got. You must be decisive and you must not be ashamed of taking sides and selling your ideas. Back to those churches that will not welcome or converse with pagans: they’re always extremely ineffective at making new converts. They kill the conversation before it starts. And the preacher preaches to the choir – and hardly anybody else – every Sunday. Don’t forget that most of Jesus’ friends were sinners, prostitutes, tax collectors and ruffians. He hung out in gray areas all the time and was harshly criticized for it. In doing sozone he changed the course of history. He didn’t dowith it byhim. sitting around in hisnobody comfort and talking to people who already agreed Really, almost agreed with him most of the time. Promoting So-Young Tikoo’s talk

Onward with this case study. So-Young Tikoo is a professor of Multi-Cultural studies at DePaul University. Recently she prepared a public talk on the changing definitions of tolerance. As you’ll see in the following pages, I promoted this event in a somewhat ambiguous way. In order for this to make sense, I’m going to cut to the chase and tell you where she really went with this talk. The real point of Dr. Tikoo’s talk was this: Most kids areMost taught in are school thatand right, wrong andAmericans the entire concept are totally relative. kids taught, in fact most believe, of that“truth” there are no absolutes; that people who believe in absolutes are “intolerant.” Dr. Tikoo’s objective was to prove through simple logic was that this is an inherently contradictory and unworkable belief. She went on to discuss her personal observation, from working with many students over the years, that “tolerance” has become a synonym for “spineless” and that our society is producing a generation of kids who have no values. This is not namby-pamby stuff. It’s hot-potato material all the way. Of course she delivered her talk in a very professional and friendly manner; there was not a hint of stridency. But she definitely took a side. And you must take sides when you’re out selling your own ideas to the world as well. Writing the Story

My job was to write an e-mail enticement and press release for this. I decided to add an extra ingredient, an “advance sheet.” This was in order to offer readers or website


Page 103

visitors something in exchange for their contact information and build the e-mail announcement list. I approached this exactly like I approach any other copywriting project: I called So-Young and interviewed her, in this case for about 45 minutes. Hunting for a Hook

The thing you’re looking for in any story or promotion is a hook – something really interesting and attention-getting that you can build a story around. Like the onelegged in John’s famous ad. Many times hook is place at thewhere point of conflict.Golfer It’s the central Carlton’s contradiction in some approach or the belief, the the rubber meets the road. And it often takes a while to find it. In this case, So-Young is a college professor; she’s very smart, and naturally inclined to operate above the level of Joe Average. And despite the fact that TruthQuest draws a “thinking” audience, it’s still essential to reduce things to the “lowest common denominator.” Digging for More

So I called her on the phone and asked her what she was going to talk about. She launched into a discussion of “epistemology.” What’s epistemology? I couldn’t even remember. I had to ask her. She explained that epistemology is the study of knowledge – the whole question of how we know what we know, and whether we really know it or not. Or, you might say, it’s the question of how we come to believe what we believe. From an intellectual point of view, yes, epistemology is so basic to this discussion as to be foundational. But the problem is, nobody knows what that word means, and talking about epistemology for an hour and a half is a great way to put people to sleep. Way too abstract. So I started digging. 30 minutes into our conversation, I found the hook. She said, “I was talking to a class full of students, and we were discussing the idea that what’s right and wrong is relative. So I asked them whether the Holocaust was wrong. They sat there and stared at me for a minute, then a girl said “Well, I wasn’t there and I am not German so I couldn’t really address whether he was wrong or not … and for that matter, who am I to judge what is right and wrong?”


Page 104

That’s scary. And that story was precisely the reason why she wanted people to come and hear this presentation – because there are kids who think that the Holocaust might have been basically OK, depending entirely on your “point of view.” You won’t be surprised to learn that the events of September 11 figured into her presentation as well. When we were done talking, I ended up writing this up in exactly the opposite order that she explained it to me. She started with “epistemology” and worked her way to the fact that most parents would be appalled if they knew what was

being taught in school these days. I turned it upside down – I started with appalled parents, Hitler, September 11 – and worked my way towards the underlying assumptions. Two Kinds of Logic This is the difference between sequential logicand emotional logic. This is a huge distinction that you must understand if you’re going to write appealing copy.

The average sales person fails because he talks to people in sequential logic instead of emotional logic. Let’s illustrate this: Sequential Logic A bad thing >> Which needs to be changed >> creates a condition >> in which a person is feeling pain

Emotional Logic A person is feeling pain >> because of a condition >> which was created by a bad thing >> which needs to be changed

The difference is gigantic. It’s the difference between the person who has to push and shove to get anyone to accept her ideas, and the person who has the world eating out of her hand. Emotional logic is not taught in school, and that’s why highly educated people are almost always “handicapped” in when it comes to sales or marketing. If you want to sell, you have to use emotional logic.


Page 105

Most engineers, if writing a white paper or report, will use completely sequential logic. The last paragraph will say “thus by observing these principles and using this new innovation, one can reduce the possibility of Nuclear War by 90%, thus offering more protection and hope to mankind.” That’s right, the first paragraph is about some new kind of plutonium, and the benefit – the whole point of his gizmo – is the very last thing he mentions in his paper. Often you can just take the last paragraph and put it at the beginning, and it improves it 100%. This goes back to the idea of “The conversation inside your customer’s head.” People are not thinking about causes. They are thinking about effects – whatever effects they’re living in right now. People don’t buy causes, they buy effects. They don’t buy features, they buy benefits. They don’t decide to “change their epistemology.” They decide to call a spade a spade and stop being spineless. They’re going to drop bombs on Osama Bin Laden until his sorry little ass is smeared all over the broiling Afghani desert. The Press Release

You’ll see that the press release that follows is short; it’s to the point, but a bit ambiguous. It’s designed to raise the question “Hmmm … what are they teaching my kidsenough in school that Iaway don’tthe know about?” It offers enough to besheet” intriguing not to give store. And notice thatjust it offers anteaser “advance via e-but mail. This is to give readers an opportunity to give a “shy yes” – they’re possibly interested but not willing to commit, so they can read a short paper. This was distributed by fax to most of the local newspapers in the Chicago metro area. The E-Mail Enticement

The e-mail list goes to a predominately Christian crowd, so the first sentence is deliberate: “Are Christians intolerant?” This is designed to address the fact that all people who have strong views are labeled as intolerant by other people – it empathizes with their feeling of being wrongly or carelessly labeled, simply because they have strong beliefs, morals and values. The “Advance Sheet”


Page 106

So-Young wrote this, and I only made minor edits. I gave her a very specific assignment, too. I told her, “Don’t give ‘em the beer, give ‘em the salty pretzels. Don’t completely show your hand. Leave the reader more agitated after reading this than before – whet their appetite, and don’t satisfy their curiosity.” As I said, this sheet is essentially as she delivered it to me, with almost no changes. It admittedly does not sizzle with intrigue, like it could if we massaged it for awhile. The most important part, up to this point anyway, is that we extracted the streetwise version of the story, instead of the abstract one. What would I do with this if I were to do more edits? A few things come to mind:  





st

She would do best to start at the top with a story. Reversing the order of the 1 and 2nd paragraphs would be the right idea. She refers to academics like “Schmidt” and “Hoffman.” These references are meaningless to the average reader. If you’re going to talk about Schmidt and Hoffman, tell us a tiny bit of a story about them, something with a hook. Like, “Hoffman is known for an experiment in 1988 in which he got six Eskimos, five Absrcines, seven children from Zaire and four Valley Girls from LA and sent them all to summer camp for a week in Idaho. He observed that the closest ties were formed between the Eskimos and the Absrcines.” Adding footnotes would worsen the problem, not improve it. (By the way, you should use footnotes and the like very sparingly. That kind of stuff just alienates people and makes it look boring.) If you’re going to use a footnote, make sure it says something interesting, not “Ibid., p. 556.” I would hit ‘em with a final strong statement that makes it personal. “What are

your children learning? children may in fact beall learning a new system that replaces what Your you have taught them—and the while, it isbelief not at all obvious to anyone that this is actually going on. We will all do well to closely investigate these issues and be fully aware of the pros and cons of ‘multi-cultural’ education.”


Page 107

Willow Creek Community Church South Barrington, IL

October 22, 2002

Multiculturalism: Are You Open-minded and Tolerant? A TruthQuest Coffeehouse

Dr. So-young Tikoo, professor of Multi-Culturalism at DePaul University in Chicago will look at Multiculturalism: Are You Open-minded and Tolerant?at 7:30 p.m. Friday, November 1 at Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington. Korean-born Dr. Tikoo says, “After I graduated from college, I began to realize that most of my values had been fed to me by large institutions and I didn’t have a solid philosophical basis for judging right and wrong,” she says. “Most parents would be shocked if they knew what is being taught in many high school and college classrooms.” Although she applauds Americans for making significant gains against racism in the last 39 years, Dr. Tikoo warns that college-level multiculturalism programs are now distorting the definitions of prejudice, culture, equality and tolerance to such an extent that it’s no longer permissible to even make basic judgments about character. Dr. Tikoo will appear at the TruthQuest Coffeehouse — a monthly forum where people of all points of view discuss topics in theology, philosophy and science. TruthQuest is presented by Willow Creek Community Church, located at 67 East Algonquin Road in South Barrington. The coffeehouse will be in room 100 with a question-and-answer session afterwards. An advance sheet on multiculturalism is available upon request. E-mail [email protected] to receive a copy. Admission is free. Willow Creek Community Church, now in its 27 th year, welcomes people from all backgrounds regardless of where they are on their spiritual journey. — end — Media Contact:

Tammy Kelley, (224) 512-1260 Willow Creek Community Church

67 East Algonquin Road, South Barrington, IL 60010-6143 •• (847) 765-5000

• •

www.willowcreek.org

Page 108

Students and Educators Pressured by Creeping Definitions of “Multi-Culturalism”

So-young Tikoo

Our society has a long road ahead when it comes to addressing social inequalities; there is no question about that. Injustices and more importantly theinner heart condition of humans toward one another is evident every day in prejudice, hate and evil. Though there may be differences in the degree and magnitude with which schools strive to address these social ills, schools in America have functioned as a place by which certain values are taught and encouraged. Universities are among the most powerful institutions that can change how a generation of people think and behave. Multiculturalists, like many other groups in the past, have realized the power of mass education and have undeniably found their niche in chools s at all levels. What has been the result? What do they hope to accomplish? Relativism: Ask the average high school or college student these days whether

Hitler was wrong and you will get a long pause, with maybe an answer similar to this one. “Well, I wasn’t there andI am not German so I couldn’t really address whether he was wrong or not and for that matter, who am I to judge what is right and wrong?” A teacher at Whittier Elementary School in Oakland California who teaches AfricanAmerican history teaches her fourth and fifth graders a different lesson about continents than the one they learned lastyear in a different class. In Ms. Washington’s class children are taught Europe is not a land mass surrounded by water but rather is attached to Asia and instead ofcalling it Europe it is called Eurasia by somepeople. At the end of her lesson, she ends with, “That isanother point of view. No view is right, no view is wrong and you might want to talk it over with your parents.” As a result we have seen terms such as Open Mindedness, Tolerance, Prejudice, and Diversity go through a profound change in their meaning. What has been the essential driving force behind these changes brought about by multiculturalists? The answer I believe lies in our understanding of Epistemology, or how we define knowledge and truth. That is, the shift we have seen from the pre-modern to the modern and now the post-modern account of how we know something is.

Page 109

M ulticultur aliz ing the Curr iculum:

Visit grade school and middle school

classrooms or flip through social studies textbooks today and rarely will you see accounts about the first airplane flight, discovery of penicillin, the invention of the light bulb, or accounts of the founding fathers. Instead you’ll read stories of Nat Turner, a slave who lead a revolt; Anne Morrow Lindberg, wife of Charles Lindberg the famous aviator; a lesson on how half of the fifty states in the United States are derived from Indian names; or a lesson that includes statements such as, “Jefferson certainly meant that only free men were created equal. How could he, a slaveholder, claim that liberty wasa God-given right of all men?” Why? Because the former accounts are all about dead White European men. Good enough reason? What does it mean to multiculturalize the curriculum? Why should we multiculturalizethe curriculum? How should be go about multicultualizing the curriculum? Redefi ni ng Cultur e: At the heart of the first question, “What does it mean to

multi-cultural-ize thecurriculum?” lies the term“culture.” How we understand its meaning, and the reasons why its meaning has changed to fit the multiculturalist discourse, will provide us with answers to this question. Hoffman states, “Anthropologists have criticized the way the concept of culture has been simplified and reified to fit multiculturalist discourse that support visions of personal, ethnic, or national cultural identity that are fixed, essentialized, stereotyped, and normalized.” Schmidt argues that multiculturalists set out to vilify the western culture while regarding non-western cultures as sacred. He sees subcultures and contracultures equated with culture without distinctionsmade. Why is it important for multiculturalists that the meaning of culture change? Th erapeuti c education: Under the banner of multicultural education, teachers are

encouraged to promote open-mindedness, tolerance, to celebrate and appreciate diversity and design lessons that are transformative and will encourage social activism in students and ultimately making them feel good. Many multiculturalistsargue that children need to see themselves in the curriculum, feel good about themselves, know that you do not have to assimilate to the mainstream American culture to be an American or a good

Page 110

person. Poor students, female students, immigrant students, students who are homosexual or come from homosexual parents, should see themselves in the curriculum and feel good about themselves. What is the goal of the cur r iculu m? Is it to make students have high self-esteem,

even if it means distorting history and content just a little bit??? Just enough so that all ethnic, gender, religious, economic, race, language quotas are met. Historian Arthur Schlesinger writes, “Itis unquestionably necessary to provide for global education in anincreasingly interdependent world. Our students should byall means be better acquinted with women’s history, with the history of ethnic and racial minorities, with LatinAmerican, Asian, and African history. Debate alternative interpretations, “multiple perspectives” are allessential to the educational enterprise. I welcome changes that would adapt the curriculum to these purposes. But I fear that much more is implied.”

Tikoo will expand on these ideas in a lecture called Multiculturalism: Are You Openminded and Tolerant?On Friday, November 1 at 7:30 p.m. at the TruthQuest Coffee House.

TruthQuest is a monthly forum wherepeople of all backgrounds and pointsof view discuss topics in theology, philosophy and science. Location is Willow Creek Community Church, 67 East Algonquin Road, South Barrington,IL in room 100. A Q&A session will follow. Admission is free and all are invited to attend.

Page 111

Diving into the Gray Areas, Part 2 Remember So-Young Tikoo’s talk on multiculturalism? I talked about using gray areas and controversy as powerful people magnets. That’s a formula I use again and again and again, and it works every time. Here’s another instance from TruthQuest, and it’s a really sticky one. As a matter of fact, it’s one of the trickiest philosophical questions anyone can ask. The question is basically this:

“What would Jesus say about a peace-loving Christian going to war?” Thorny subject, wouldn’t you say? TruthQuest invited So-Young’s husband, Arun Tikoo, to talk on this particular subject. Here’s the email I sent out to announce the event. Notice the deliberate effort to focus on paradoxes, moral quandaries, and questions that have no easy answers. Taking this approach to difficult problems – and openly admitting that the solutions require thought and consideration – is a sure way to get curiosity and win trust at the same time. You’re probably wondering what happened at this event. Arun outlined two general views on the subject – for simplification, I’ll use the terms “Pacifist” (someone who is never in favor of war under any circumstance) and “Just War Advocate” (someone who believes that even someone who earnestly desires peace will still be rightly required to take up arms in some situations). Arun outlined these views and the pros and cons of each approach. What fell out of this was 1) most people agreed that there is no single simple answer, and that it’s all too easy to go to one extreme or the other before all of the issues have been carefully considered, and 2) everyone wanted to come back the next month for another intriguing discussion. And that was and is the goal – to get people coming back every month to the Friday TruthQuest Coffeehouse event. One of the stereotypes that TruthQuest is trying to overcome is the notion that all Christians are non-thinking drones with an oversimplified opinion on everything. One hundred nine people came to this event and most of them stuck around to discuss this hot topic with the other people at their table. The Value of Linking to Current Events

One of the reasons this was such a good topic was the time at which it was presented. The possibility of war with Iraq was (and as I write this, still is) the hottest topic in the news. You should always be looking for other forces in the marketplace (even the marketplace of ideas) that are operating in your favor, and harmonize with them.


Page 112

Subject : To War or Not to War, That is the Question -- Friday 3/7 Date

: Wed, 5 Mar 2003

From

: Perry S. Marshall

To

: Truthquest News

As I write this, Iraq and North Korea brazenly flex their muscles. World superpowers clash over the deployment of nuclear and biological weapons. Fears reminiscent of Cold War days return as the U.S. government issues safety guides with instructions on what actions to take in case of a strike. If Saddam Hussein unleashes Anthrax on us and our children, should we "turn the other cheek"? If Kim Jong-il aims his nuclear missiles at us, what can prevent the conflict from escalating out of control? Is there such a thing as a "Just War"? Is there an argument for Christian pacifism and civil disobedience? If the U.S. were to take up arms against Iraq -even if it were, in principle, "morally justified" -it is still inevitable that thousands of innocent men, women and children would perish. How is a Christian to think and act regarding such matters? War is a sobering subject, but one that's all too easily avoided in favor of 'lighter fare.' These questions will be the subject of Friday's TruthQuest Coffee House. Arun Tikoo will face these daunting issues on Friday March 7, and I hope you'll take the time to think and discuss these matters with us. "To War or Not to War, That is the Question" Friday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m. in room 100 at Willlow Creek Community Church, 67 East Algonquin Road, South Barrington, IL 60010 As usual, the coffee and the conversation will be *hot*. See you Friday, PerryTruthQuest Marshall Announcement Guy The


Page 113

Diving into the Gray Areas, Part 3 Here is my third and final example from TruthQuest. This illustrates again the power of doing the right thing at the right time, in harmony with external events, and using the magnetism of gray areas to draw people in. The subject of this TruthQuest was “The Spirituality of Tolkien: Christian and Pagan to discuss Lord Of The Rings and The Two Towers.” Again, some background. We launched this promotion two days before the box office hit movie The Two Towers hit the theatres. The movie was a smashing commercial success, and there’s a story behind it we wanted to tell. The author of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, J.R.R. Tolkien, was a Catholic, and his work is heavily influenced by scriptural and Biblical themes. We had a college professor, Dr. Jerry Root, who had studied Tolkien’s work extensively and who could talk about this at great length. At the same time, we didn’t want a one-sided conversation. So we deliberately sought out a fiction author who, religiously, is a “pagan” and asked her to present a counterpoint to Dr. Root’s view. The result was an absolutely fascinating presentation by two passionate, articulate individuals. This was exponentially empowered by the release of the movie and the fact that there are literally millions of Hobbit fans lurking all around us. We announced this not only to the local newspapers but also to popular Tolkien fan sites, and people poured in from all over the place. Over 200 people showed up at a church on a Friday night to hear about spiritual themes in Lord of the Rings. The event was an unqualified success. On the following page is the press release I wrote for this event. The page after that is the email I sent to our house email list. Both are instructive. Power Words

In good advertising copy and in all good writing, weak, bland words are replaced with powerful, image-provoking, emotional words. Read a Stephen King novel or a John Carlton ad if you’d like to see good examples of this. For your benefit, I have highlighted the power words I used in the press release and the email announcement. Ordinary writers use adjectives (“this is an excellent movie”) but great writers use verbs (“this film soars!”). Power words are usually verbs, not adjectives. Power words in the email announcement here include gargantuan, marched, toppled, death, decimation, energizing and resonates. These are not words that most people put in an email or a press release, but power words are like spices in a recipe: used in proper measure, they dramatically multiply the effectiveness. P.S.: I thought The Two Towers Rocked. An epic movie if there ever was one!


Page 114

For Immediate Press Release Contact: Mark Ashton, (847) 765-5000

Spirituality of Tolkien Christian and Pagan to discuss Lord Of The Rings and The Two Towers

Is there hidden Christianity in Lord of the Rings? Are Tolkien’s stories of hobbits, warlords, elves and the Middle Earth a spiritual allegory? Did Tolkien have an underlying motive in writing these books? These questions will be the topic of an open forum at Willow Creek on Friday, January 10 at 7:30PM: “Spirituality of Tolkien: A Christian and Pagan discuss Lord of the Rings and The Two Towers.” Dr. Jerry Root, a professor at Wheaton College, notes that Tolkien was Roman Catholic and that his writings incorporate numerous literary elements from Christianity. Root will present letters and other writings by Tolkien which expand on this view. Author Sue Blom of Milwaukee advances a different point of view. “All of the characters in Lord of the Rings who are pushing a ‘monotheistic,’ singular version of truth, or espousing a single loyalty, are villains. Tolkien’s literature, if anything, is pagan.” Blom and Root will offer differing views on Tolkien symbolism in this open forum. Lord of the Rings portrays a battle of good and evil of gothic proportions, and the forthcoming sequel The Two Towers continues the saga. As the movie unfolds, the Dark Lord’s Army marches to Helms Deep. A shadow falls upon Middle-earth as the War of the Ring begins. Is this apocalyptic scene reminiscent of Biblical themes? Are Tolkien’s books a sort of “Gospel tract”? Is there a Christ figure? Does the Ring correspond to an element of Christianity? Or are Tolkien’s works irreligious or even pagan? These questions and many more will be considered at the Friday TruthQuest Coffee House on January 10. Tolkien aficionados and all fans of great literature are invited to attend. TruthQuest is a monthly forum where people of all backgrounds and points of view discuss topics in theology, philosophy and science. Location is Willow Creek Community Church, 67 East Algonquin Road, South Barrington, IL. The time is January 10 at 7:30PM. A Q&A session will follow. Admission is free and all are invited to attend. Information on this event and other TruthQuest topics is available at www.willowcreek.org/truthquest.

# # #


Page 115

Subject : Lord Of The Rings & Two Towers at TruthQuest Date

: Tue, 7 Jan 2003 10:23:00 -0600

From

: Perry S. Marshall

To

: Truthquest News

Just before Christmas, J.R.R. Tolkien's thrilling trilogy "Lord of the Rings" marched out of novels and into the Theatres, toppling box office records and energizing movie fans all over the world. Gargantuan forces of good and evil clash across Middle Earth. The preservation of all that is good hangs by a fragile, silvery thread as Sauron the Dark Lord marches on Helms Deep, leaving only death and decimation in his path. What is it about Tolkien's epic tale that resonates with readers and moviegoers? What is it that makes his characters and themes so compelling, so real? Dr. Jerry Root, professor at Wheaton College, and Ms. Sue Blom, fiction author and long-time Tolkien fan, will face off at Truthquest Coffee House on Friday night. The subject: Is Lord Of The Rings embedded with Christian themes, or is it Pagan? Is it a spiritual allegory, or just a brilliantly spun tale of Good and Evil? That's theon question goingoftoview tackle Truthquest Friday. we're All points willatbe considered, and all are invited to attend. Location is Willow Creek Community Church, 67 East Algonquin Road, South Barrington, IL. The time is January 10 at 7:30PM. A Q&A session will follow. Admission is free. As usual, the coffee and the conversation will be HOT! So bring a friend and join us. See you there! Perry Marshall The Truthquest Announcement Guy P.S.: I'll have a special prize for the first person to show up with a Tolkien cake or Elven cookies. So if the muse moves you to bring treats or snacks, Jan and her able crew will be delighted to serve them to your fellow Tolkien fans!


Page 116

Turning a Magazine Article into a White Paper …and tapping into the curiosity and imagination of engineers by assisting in the fine art of compromise Several times per year I write for Voice Coil magazine, which is the trade journal for the OEM loudspeaker industry. VC is about the woofers and tweeters and crossover components that go inside all the speakers that you buy at the store. Will you indulge me for a minute while I beat my chest? I am a bona-fide expert on loudspeaker design. I studied Electrical Engineering, Fields and Waves, and Acoustics in college. I worked at Jensen from 1993-1995 (famous for those loud 6x9’s with blue surrounds in the ‘80s), where I designed speakers for the 1994 Ford Probe, the 1995 Acura Vigor, the 1995 Jeep Cherokee and a few other projects. I built my first pair of speakers when I was 13 years old and sold my second pair to a paying customer six months later. So I’ve been involved in the speaker business at various levels for 20 years. You could wake me from a deep sleep and I could easily give a meaty, highly technical, two-day seminar on loudspeaker design with no prior preparation. The presentation might be a little rough, but the content would be rock solid. It’s not so common these days, but once upon a time there was a fairly large DoIt-Yourself market for speakers, electronics and all that kind of stuff. Remember Heathkits? I know a lot of people my parents’ age who built TV’s, radios, stereos and any number of other things from Heathkits. The DIY market is still pretty large in Europe, especially Germany, and some developing countries. One of the reasons I’m so effective in marketing to engineers is that I intuitively understand the curiosity, the wonder and the thrill of designing and building something from scratch. When I was in college, I had a co-worker named Jeff Markesi who grew more and more interested in the idea of building himself a pair of speakers. I proselytized him and he became one of my many speaker-building converts. Please slow down for a minute and put yourself inside of Jeff’s head. Jeff works as an engineer at an 8-5 job at a Kelloggs Cereal factory, his desk is next to mine, he’s a musician, he’s got a real nice stereo in his car but not at home, and we start talking about speakers. “You know, Jeff, 90% of the sound quality is in the speaker. You don’t need that fancy of a system if your speakers are really good.”


Page 117

I tell him he could build a pair for himself, and it will cost him a third of what an equivalent design would cost in a store. He asks me what kind of speakers he could build – and we start talking about how big they’ll be, what they will look like, and what customizations we can make to accommodate his exact needs. I bring some parts catalogs and we start rummaging through them during lunch. We stay late after work and draw up plans. We punch numbers into the calculator and figure out the dimensions. We figure out the component values. We make a Bill of Materials. We draw cabinet plans on graph paper. He calls the catalog company and orders his woofers and tweeters. He and his dad cut out the boards on the table saw in his garage. He comes to work a few days later, all jazzed up. “Perry, the parts came yesterday! But I didn’t know what to do with them. I was so excited, I laid awake all night thinking about it. I couldn’t sleep. I’m dead tired but I’m so excited I don’t know what to do with myself!” I go over to his house and he’s got these things half built. We put the crossover together and hook his new speakers up. He gets out Time and Tide by Basia (a great album by any standard) and cranks ‘it up. They sound… awesome. Even in objective terms, these speakers sound very, very respectable – especially considering it’s his first time out. Basia’s voice is clear and natural, sweet as honey. The bass is rich, yet tight and well-controlled. The imaging is transparent and 3-dimensional. The snare drum has a bright, percussive snap that has visceral impact. You can listen to these things for hours. And he only spent a couple hundred bucks doing this. Jeff is SO proud. His dad, too, is amazed at how good these speakers actually sound. Jeff has been bitten by the bug. I’ve permanently messed with his mind. A storebought pair of speakers will never be the same as the ones he lovingly made with his own hands. The thrill of building something. The excitement of figuring out how things really work, making choices, figuring out compromises – all the stuff that’s fun about being an engineer.

This is what engineers like about being an engineer. The thrill of walking through a minefield of compromises and coming up with a really clever, top-performing design.


Page 118

Using The Inevitable Art of Compromise to Your Marketing Advantage

Now one of the first things you learn when you design a speaker is that there are compromises and trade-offs all over the place, and there’s no free lunch. For example: In speakers, there is a triad relationship between bass response, system efficiency and box size. • • •

If you want a small box with deep bass, you must give up efficiency If you want a small box with high efficiency, you must give up deep bass If you want high efficiency and deep bass, you have to have a BIG box.

Every engineering discipline has interlocking tradeoffs like this.Ask any engineer in any field and they’ll tell you about their particular set of compromises they have to work with.

I’ll give you a couple more quick examples from other corners of the world: •

•

•

•

•

•

If you’re investing money, there’s a tradeoff between risk, return and liquidity If you’re designing capacitors, there’s a tradeoff between size, capacitance and voltage rating If you’re designing networks, there’s a tradeoff between bandwidth, length and noise immunity If you’re transmitting data, there’s a tradeoff between distance, speed and the ability to predict response time If you’re shipping packages, there’s a tradeoff between weight, speed and cost. In general, when you buy or sell anything, there’s a tradeoff between quick, cheap and good. Right?

These compromises are usually etched in stone – they’re related to fundamental properties of math and physics. Getting around these is kind of like defying gravity. Engineers hate sales people who don’t understand the fundamental limitations of their discipline, and then try to convince ‘em that they’ve got some kind of holy grail. One of the first things you have to understand when you’re selling a technical product is: 1) What are the fundamental limitations that must be dealt with? 2) What are your company’s clever ways of working within those limitations?


Page 119

Let’s take investments, for example. All investments are subject to the limitations of return, risk and liquidity, but some investments are still vastly better than others. The existence of tradeoffs is an “equalizer” but it still doesn’t make all people or investments equal. It just defines the parameters under which all must work. The more deeply you understand those things, the better an investor you will be. Writing a Sidebar About “Circumventing” Common Limitations

In the following article there is a sidebar called “More Design Options with Wideband Drive Units.” This sidebar is fundamentally about working creatively within the known limitations of speaker design. The subject company, Tang Band, makes a clever line of small, wide range speakers. Other than the fact that this company uses advanced materials and their products are very good, there’s nothing magic about this. Such designs have been around for decades. What’s important here is that their speakers open up some very interesting design possibilities if and only if the designer recognizes what can be done with them. Most companies make the HUGE mistake of assuming that the customer can figure this out for himself – that he can recognize the implications of a different kind of technology. This is a wrong assumption 95% of the time. 95% of people will keep doing things the same way they always did before. You must spell things out in black and white. Pay Close Attention Here!

sidebar reallyto about three and or four different aspects of speaker design, The all ofTB which are is subject rigidtaking limitations tradeoffs, and cleverly combining them so that you get most of the advantages and few of the disadvantages. It says Hey Mr. Customer, you know all those thorny problems that are basically impossible to solve? Here’s a different way to design your system that makes most of those problems effectively go away. Let me explain exactly why and how this works. That, my friend, is a GREAT subject for a white paper.There are no free lunches in this world. There is no way to defy gravity. There is no way to violate the laws of physics or economics.

However, it is always possible to re-arrange the allocation of resources so that you minimize the disadvantages and maximize the advantages. There are always false assumptions that people are laboring under, that keep them from exploiting the full potential of whatever they’re doing.


Page 120

Think in terms of the 80/20 rule. In just about any endeavor, if you take an “average” approach, 80% of your results will come from 20% of your efforts. And there are usually multiple 80/20 factors operating all at the same time. In the TB sidebar, I’m basically showing the designer how to get 80% of the advantages of room boundaries and 80% of the advantages of a 3-way speaker, all at the same time, but with only two drivers. Only 20% of the disadvantages. Or… maybe you could say that with two 80/20’s stacked on top of each other, we’ve got 96% of the advantages and 4% of the disadvantages. No free lunch, just savvy application of 80/20. Take this course for example. If you use white papers and valuable information to attract customers instead of using Madison Avenue techniques, you’ll get many times the results for the same amount of money. You didn’t break any laws of physics to do that; you didn’t suddenly make all your advertising free and you didn’t change the human nature of the customers you deal with. You just took 80/20 and put it in your favor instead of against it. I showed you how to leverage previously unused resources. What you are doing when you use the ideas I teach is you harmonize with existing forces more effectively. You want to do the same thing for your customers. Use your white papers to teach prospective customers how to harmonize with existing forces more effectively – then show them how your products are designed with that goal in mind. Show them how your products are specifically suited for solving the problem that way.

That’s what I did with this article about Tang Band. I was being paid by the magazine, not the company. My job was to be a journalist, not a marketing communications specialist. But as you’ll see here, the two are closer to each other than most people think, if they’re done properly. The journalist’s job is to identify a story that readers would be interested in, and dig and dig and dig until he’s found the real story behind the story. That’s not always easy to do. For example, if some everyday newspaper reporter had visited Tang Band, they wouldn’t have seen what I saw – because I’m a speaker engineer, writing for speaker engineers. An ordinary reporter would have seen a speaker factory, with a certain number of employees and production capacity and certain areas of specialization. What I saw, though, was that this company’s philosophy of wideband speaker designs has enormous implications for designers who want to take advantage of it. Few speakers are designed the way I’m explaining here. The designer can:


Page 121

•

•

•

•

Get more efficiency or bass response without having a bigger box – by using room boundaries more advantageously Get rid of room boundary problems by choosing a different crossover point – only possible by using a different kind of driver Make a 2-way speaker instead of a 3-way speaker, thereby saving money and complexity with no sacrifice in performance Tang Band is uniquely suited to sell them drivers that cater to these design preferences.

The Big Picture

1) There are many, many ways to solve almost any problem. 2) A white paper is your manifesto on solving that problem. 3) Your job is to present a unique, clever and particularly effective way of solving that problem, a method which favors you as a supplier. You must do this carefully, and you must acknowledge any flaws (at least a little). 4) Once you have taught your prospect this new and clever way to solve this problem, your job is to make a persuasive and definitive case that you are uniquely qualified to be the supplier. 5) This is much easier to do if you have done 1, 2 and 3 first. Most companies skip directly to #4 and that’s w hy they get lousy results with their marketing. Journalism vs. Marketing Communications

Like I said, my job was to be the journalist, not a promoter for Tang Band. I was being paid by the magazine, not the company. But please remember that if a company is doing a real bang-up job and has a cool, innovative product that the world doesn’t know about, then a good journalist will shout it from the rooftops and fulfill his duty to his readers to tell them about this great company. That’s what I was doing. I didn’t want readers to miss the implication’s of TB’s technology, so I added the sidebar. An expanded version of this sidebar would be a killer white paper.The article refers to a guy named “Jordan” who developed similar designs back in the ‘60s.


Page 122

He wrote a 40 page paper called “The Jordan Manual” which I read when I was 17. It permanently altered my understanding of loudspeaker design, and made quite an impact in some corners of the speaker industry back in the 70’s and 80’s. A well-publicized paper from TB could do the same thing – in the 21st century. So if I were being paid by TB to turn this into a white paper, here’s what I would do: •

•

•

I would change the title to something like “How you can use wideband driver design to reduce distortion, increase efficiency, extend bass response and cut system cost detail all at the time.” I would the white paper with a list of teasers that the same benefits of each topicpromote in the sidebar I would add a significant number of supporting drawings, charts and graphs for each point that’s being made I would add a sidebar that explains the company’s polymers, materials and plastic technologies and why these unique technologies make their drivers perform better. And I would be as specific as possible about all of these items. Acknowledging Flaws

In the sidebar, I purposefully admitted that there are some drawbacks to the approach I outline—the fact that the crossover may be more expensive, for example. That’s OK. I call that a “damaging admission” and it’s good because it creates trust. When you’re willing to admit that problems do exist, you’re immediately unlike all the other companies out there, and people trust you more. Ways to Recycle this Article

Like I said, there’s much that could be expanded upon here. However, as it is, this is a better telling of this company’s story than exists anywhere else in the world today. Note that this is a Taiwanese company; they don’t have the foggiest idea about how to write good copy or communicate their uniqueness to the rest of the world. To a lesser degree, they even have a difficult time communicating this in person, simply because of the culture and language gap. At the time of this writing, their website only has specifications on their products. It does not explain the technology behind them and it does not explain how engineers can use TB products to make their designs better. So the first thing I’d do if I were them is purchase reprints of this article. If I were designing a ¼ page advertisement for this company, it would offer the reprint of the article, and it might look something like this:


Page 123

Is There Any Such Thing As A “Free Lunch” In Speaker Design? There’s no such thing as a room without troublesome acoustics. There’s no such thing as a miniature 20Hz wavelength. And there’s no such thing as free components and materials. But there are a lot of clever things you can do to increase performance and reduce cost – at the same time – by employing wideband drive units in your design. You can: Get virtually all advantages of a 3-way system in a two way •

design – and cut your cost by as much as 40% Cut midrange IM distortion by a factor of four in your existing 2-way design Reduce lobing and make crossover problems less audible Virtually eliminate destructive room reflections, while increasing system efficiency by 3dB to 9dB without adding a single inch to your box size! Please request our special advisory “More Design Options with Wideband Drive Unit Technology” along with a Voice Coil Magazine’s impressive tour of our production and R&D facilities. To receive your free copy email your street address, [email protected], visit www.tangband.com/report, call 800xxx-xxxx or FAX 555-xxx-xxxx. •

• •

Notice how completely different this is from most advertisements. It’s a whole lot different than the ads TB has been running. It doesn’t really say very much about their products; it’s about cutting system cost by 40% (even though the components might be a bit more expensive BTW) cutting distortion, eliminating reflections and increasing efficiency. Benefits, not features. Two to three times as many people will respond to an ad like this than a traditional one. The result is a growing list of prospective customers to follow up with, send newsletters to, talk to on the phone, etc.

If there is not a newsy hook to a n ad—if it’s just a casual announcem ent that you have x-y-z blah-blah-blah pr oduct, then you have a lousy ad. There is definitely a relationship between good journalism and good advertising – when they’re done well, sometimes the lines between the two get blurred. Last, but not Least: Ways to Recycle the Ad:

This ad can be adapted, with very minor changes, to 1) a press release, 2) an email announcement, 3) a web page, or 4) a letter or postcard. So the ad itself can be recycled until everyone in your ‘universe’ who can be persuaded to respond has a copy of your white paper, is on your mailing list, and continues to get a stream of communication from you.


Page 124

VC Visits Tang Band Advanced materials, unique designs and Asian manufacturing make TB Speaker a distinctive source of drivers for OEMs

By Perry S. Marshall

I

n the 1960’s, Jordan and Lowther acquired a cult following with ultra wide band drivers and unconventional design concepts. Their contention: Crossovers are a necessary evil at best, and most designs make the mistake of placing the crossover at the worst possible place: near 3KHz, where the ear is most sensitive. The solution, they said, was either no crossover at all, or a very low crossover frequency. Indeed, this seemingly simple change has dramatic implications not only in terms of ideals but also gives the designer an unusual degree of latitude in dealing with room boundaries and cabinet geometry.

Tang Band produces 6, 8, 10, 12” and elliptical super long throw woofers (up to 14mm Xmax). TB employs both low mass, highly compliant materials and radial geometry to achieve high efficiency and maximum linearity.

In the 1980s, Bose popularized Jordan’s earlier combination of low crossover frequency and full range drivers in their Acoustimass products,

which continue to be popular. In the last five years, multimedia systems for PC’s have carried the low-crossover two-way system format to every corner of the world, and today this configuration is seeing enormous commercial success. Design Values More Typical of Europe than Asia

Tang Band has carved a niche for itself in the OEM portion of this business, supplying economical, miniature full range drivers with such advanced features as copper clad aluminum wire, proprietary polymers for cone and surround, unusual geometry, and design values more typical of high end European manufacturers than Asian ones. For speaker manufacturers who wish to differentiate their products with innovative technology but are faced with economic pressures, Tang Band is an appealing source. TB also produces dome tweeters, traditional hi-fi and professional woofers, and ultra long-throw designs such as are required in high performance subwoofers. Not only is TB capable of supplying high-end manufacturers with advanced designs, TB is also able to compete, price-wise, in the more sophisticated side of high-volume consumer, PC and multi-media products. They count a number of well-known producers of inexpensive multimedia speakers as customers.


Page 125

Taiwanese-Chinese Joint Venture

Tang Band was Formed in 1996 by Norman Huang in Taipei, Taiwan. Production was srcinally in Taiwan, and many of TB’s molded parts, plastics and special polymers are still manufactured in Taiwan. TB has sister companies in Taiwan which produce custom parts, cones surrounds. Drivers metal are assembled in and Ningbo, south of Shanghai on China’s east coast. Huang is a Chemical Engineer by education. He worked for Exxon and Monsanto, where he did pioneering work on early butyl rubber and Santoprene composites. TB holds nine patents in Asia pertaining to polymer formulations and diaphragm geometry. Given the ongoing commoditization of speaker components, advanced materials can make a substantial contribution to design quality. TB’s focus on unique, high performance rubber and plastic formulations is a key

pair of tiny monitors, featuring TB’s famous 3” full-range drivers. These small speakers were crossed over at 150 Hz, ably reproducing a full seven octaves of music with impressive imaging and dynamic range (see photo).

To reduce mass, minimize asymmetrical vibration modes and improve cosmetics, TB uses Under-The-Cone lead termination on its popular miniature drivers. These 3” drivers feature aluminum phase plugs, flat frequency response across a 7-octave range, and handsome appearance.

advantage, both for themselves and their OEM customers. Speaker Design: More than Chemistry

Huang is a music lover at heart, and the word “Tang” refers to the Tang Dynasty, a period in Chinese history marked by prodigious musical exploration. The name Tang Band portrays the speaker company as an empire’s musical ensemble of choice. Norman Huang is a passionate man, and for him an OEM loudspeaker is not merely an electromechanical device but a musical and technological adventure. When I arrived at his factory in Ningbo, I was immediately ushered to a listening room where I was entertained with opera, pop and rock music on a mighty

Advanced Materials

Huang saw an opportunity for speaker designs to take full advantage of these advanced materials. The company grew out of his work in developing polymers for the loudspeaker industry, and holds a number of patents for this technology. The company is ISO9000/ISO9001 certified, has 170 employees, and produces over 1 million speakers per year. The majority of their customers are in the U.S. and their


Page 126

growth during the last couple of years has been in the double digits. Tang Band innovations include the following: •

•

For years there has been a tradeoff between rubber, which has superior absorption characteristics but is heavy, and foam, which is not as effective in terminating the cone lighter in weight. TB but has isa “Lighter Than Foam” rubber surround which achieves superior longevity and high frequency damping without sacrificing sensitivity.

•

•

and is used on most of their drivers. An unusual ribbed geometry for subwoofer surrounds reduces mass and increases compliance without sacrificing axial stability. The benefits are higher sensitivity, greater compliance and less non-linearity introduced by the surround. Polypropylene is traditionally a poor choice for high frequency applications. TB makes poly cones with substantial crystalline content, though, which extends high frequency response by as much as an octave beyond traditional mica or talc formulations. During my visit, Norman Huang opened a freezer and took out two surrounds: A conventional rubber surround, and a surround made from a new formulation. The conventional surround was very stiff, but this surround was soft and pliable, even at subzero temperatures.

This is an integrated coaxial speaker with a full crossover network on a ledge outside the basket. The tweeter is fitted with a foam diffraction ring, and the frequency response is admirably smooth. •

TB uses a dual-roll surround geometry that terminates the cone at high frequencies and eliminates edge cancellation, but is more linear during long excursions than the familiar single roll surround. This reduces low frequency distortion

•

If you can afford the economic tradeoffs in the motor design, underhung voice coils on full range drivers enable high frequency extension with good low frequency excursion.


Page 127

•

Several of TB’s wideband drivers employ underhung voice coils. TB’s production QC delivers drivers that fall within specified sensitivity, resonance and frequency response tolerances. Customers can specify a window of frequency response and sensitivity requirements and receive products that fall within

distributed throughout the operating range than round drivers. Just as a rectangular room or enclosure has fewer standing wave problems than a square one, an elliptical driver typically has smoother frequency response. Elliptical drivers also have an axis with wider dispersion and an axis with

those specifications.

narrower can be used dispersion, to the which designers’ advantage. TB produces 2”x3” elliptical units with very impressive specifications, as well as an interesting long-throw 6x9” bass unit. TB has a molded modular line array enclosure system using 3” drivers. It has interlocking molded plastic housings which create a completely scalable design. This could be a very interesting product for an OEM in the professional speaker market.

•

Elliptical full range and low frequency drivers offer interesting characteristics

TB employs six engineers and eighteen technicians, and attributes its success to the teamwork of all involved. The company’s sales manager is Diana Huang who works in the company’s office in Taiwan. Diana studied at the University of Iowa in the U.S. and speaks excellent English. Diana welcomes inquiries from both small and large manufacturers. She can be contacted at +886 920-410-001or [email protected]. TB produces both standard and custom products; custom product orders typically range from 500 units to

compared to round ones.is that A rarely discussed advantage elliptical drivers have breakup patterns that are more evenly

hundredsdesigns of thousands year. Their standard can beper a springboard for designers looking for ideas and indications of the company’s

In many Asian companies, where labor is cheap and imported equipment is expensive, adhesive operations are done by hand. However, TB uses automated dispensing machines to ensure consistent quality control. Some of the cones are injection molded as well, improving the consistency of production runs. •


Page 128

capabilities. Information on most of their “off the shelf” products is available at www.tb-speaker.com.

Contact the company for a comprehensive catalog or to discuss specific custom design requirements.

More Design Options with Wideband Drive Units inety percent of hi-fi speaker designs have a tweeter (usually a dome) and a crossover point somewhere between 1,500 and 6,000 Hz. This design is a time-honored tradition with plenty of advantages, including relatively inexpensive crossover components. But this is not the only way to design a 2-way speaker. Using a wideband HF driver enables the designer to move the crossover frequency down a few octaves. This is a very practical way to solve several difficult design problems. A carefully designed 2-3 inch driver can operate effectively from 200 Hz to 20,000 Hz, allowing the designer to place the crossover frequency in the lower midrange instead of the upper midrange. This approach has a number of interesting advantages: You can use a larger woofer in a 2way system without adding a midrange driver. It’s fairly difficult to match a dome tweeter to a 12” woofer, for example. The directivity and breakup modes of the woofer introduce a discontinuity that’s hard to overcome. But a 500 Hz crossover allows the woofer to operate in its piston band, and a larger woofer handles extended deep bass with less distortion than a smaller unit.

This 4” full range speaker has a crystalline poly cone, special ribs for added control of breakup modes, a self-shielding neodymium magnet, a “lighter than foam rubber surround” and achieves flat frequency response over an 8 octave range.

The ear is most sensitive at the exact place most designers put a crossover point. The oft-referenced Fletcher-Munson curves show that we hear best in the 1000 Hz – 5000 Hz band. Any anomalies in the crossover range become especially obvious. Moving the crossover out of that range reduces the severity of the problem. More flexibility with respect to room boundaries. Most commercially available speaker designs attempt to ignore the room, but we all know that room acoustics are as inevitable as death and taxes. Roy Allison’s papers1 on room boundaries back in the 1970’s showed

that low frequencies, walls reinforce bassat response. But especially from 100500 Hz, cancellations occur, wreaking havoc with real-world response in the


Page 129

room. Allison’s recommended solution, also used by Boston Acoustics, Acoustic Research, NHT and others, was a 3-way system that cooperates with room boundaries. He put the woofer very close to room boundaries, and placed mid- and high-frequency drivers far away. This is very effective, and it results in a much more accurate response in the

Modest directivity at high frequencies. Sometimes a bit of directivity is desirable. If all listeners cannot be seated in the “sweet spot,” the speakers can be toed in. Listeners are off-axis from the speaker which are in closer proximity, and on-axis with the speaker that is further away. This maintains more stable stereo imaging throughout the room.

room. But it’s useless you have a 2way speaker with 3000ifHz crossover frequency. If the woofer has to cover that entire range, significant cancellation effects from room boundaries and “floor bounce” are inevitable, no matter how close or far it is from the walls and floor. On the other hand, if the crossover frequency is well below 1000 Hz, you can effectively couple the woofer to the floor, the rear wall and possibly even the corner. Thus you deal with room boundaries much more effectively. By adding a wideband HF driver, you can achieve all of Allison’s goals in a simple 2-way system. Lower THD and IM distortion. If a woofer must reproduce low bass at high SPL’s, it will require long excursions and their associated distortions. All frequencies that it covers will be affected. A low crossover frequency keeps these distortions out of the midrange. More flexibility in cabinet design. To avoid lobing problems at the crossover frequency, you have to locate drivers within one wavelength of each other. At 3000 Hz, the driver centers have to be 4 inches apart – which is often difficult. At 300 Hz, you have 40 inches to work with. The woofer can be placed near the floor (and will be tightly coupled to it) and the HF unit can be much further from the floor, where it is de-coupled.

Line arrays can be an excellent solution for high output, controlled directivity, professional applications. TB produces drivers for this purpose and has a modular enclosure that splays the drivers for enhanced dispersion. TB seeks a pro sound company to partner with in bringing such designs to market in North America. Line arrays. Wideband drivers can be placed very close to each other and used in multiples for higher output and more controlled directivity.


Page 130

Greater Sensitivity, deeper bass extension, or a smaller cabinet. According to Roy Allison, each boundary that the woofer is coupled to adds 3dB to the power response of the system. If the woofer is coupled to nearby room boundaries over its entire operating range, you can buy yourself 3, 6 or even 9 dB more sensitivity. Or you can trade that sensitivity gain for bass

extension a smaller byT/S choosing aorwoofer withcabinet, different parameters. That’s a very significant gain! Disadvantages? In speaker design, there’s no such thing as an advantage that doesn’t come with a disadvantage.

A 2-way system such as described here will typically have more expensive crossover components, and unless arrays are used, will probably also have power handling limitations. However, these disadvantages are offset by not having to purchase a midrange driver, the inherent simplicity of a 2-way crossover, and reduced distortion and better cooperation with the room..

1

Roy F. Allison, “The Influence of Room boundaries on Loudspeaker Output, JAES, June 1974

©2003 Perry S. Marshall & Associates. All Rights Reserved.


Page 131

Using an Application Story as a White Paper This is a good one because it takes a somewhat mundane technology and puts it in an interesting setting. My client, RTA, has a customer in Australia who puts their technology in exotic mining equipment. This one got a lot of press in trade magazines, and it’s an interesting thing to read about.


Page 132

EtherNet/IP Drives Mining Standards Down Under By John Rinaldi, President, Real Time Automation

What do you think of when someone says ‘coal mining’? When we turn up the heat during the winter, most of us give little thought to the coal mining industry. Images of Kentucky coal miners with blackened faces may come to mind – images that are surely out of date. But most of us have no modern images to replace those with.

Here’s a new image to replace the old one: Picture a 90 ton, 50 foot long automated Coal Shearing machine that eats it way through layers of coal underground. In coal strata* the machine moves at a rate of 50+ feet per minute, doing the work of thousands of coal miners with unstoppable force. Such is the state of the art in underground automation equipment. A world which is experiencing a transformation similar to that of factory automation and process control: Open standards are relentlessly marching forward, propelled by expectations of network communication and interoperability. David Reid is the Senior Research Engineer for CSIRO Exploration and Mining at the Queensland Centre for Advanced Technologies in Australia. David is leading the charge to standardize the controls of these machines, and the protocol he has chosen is EtherNet/IP. Reid says, “As part of the Longwall automation project, we are also introducing some enabling technologies, most notably a high-end military grade inertial navigation systems and ruggedized wireless Ethernet gear. “The underground mining environment is incredibly harsh and hostile. The application of even standard technology is a major undertaking and consequently the mining industry tends to lag behind the general industry in technology adoption.

Page 133

“As an indication of the harsh and difficult environment, the inertial navigation system must be located on the moving shearer in a metal constructed from welded sections of solid metal plate – up to 35mm in thickness which is then welded / bolted to the shearer. ”We needed a communications and control standard that would achieve interoperability between the existing and new equipment and would meet the coal mining industry’s requirements for a non-proprietary open system – i.e., no black boxes.” Why EtherNet/IP is well-suited to mining applications

The project as the Landmark project) funded by Australia’s industry and the(known technology being developed mustisbe applicable across of coal mix mining of mining equipment from a number of manufacturers. That was motivation for EtherNet/IP. Existing mining machine designs don't have a common communication interface. EtherNet/IP (EIP) makes that possible. EIP was chosen over other protocols for the following reasons: 1. Though bandwidth requirements initially are modest, the demands will increase dramatically. The specification ultimately calls for on-machine cameras, for example. 2. Condition monitoring will collect vibration data, which involves large file transfers. 3. Not only does the system have the usual hard wired Ethernet, CSIRO also plans to incorporate wireless Ethernet for broadband communications with the moving shearer. Radio waves can withstand the brutal environment better than cables can. 4. Reid says, “Because the team is simple workingprotocol with well known equipment, there was temptation to go for home-spun in TCP/IP. But we avoided that because of our desire to keep the system open, expandable and maintainable for the future. The CIP component (Control and Information Protocol) is well proven in DeviceNet, and the specifications are publicly available and supported” System Architecture

The Landmark project calls for a central process controller that acts as a central EIP client. Existing Longwall devices will be EIP servers, including the shearer and roof support systems; plus the inertial navigation system, which is mounted on the shearer. The navigation system accurately tracks the position of shearer in all three dimensions as it moves. The Landmark project comprises six major components and will be implemented over a three year period. The six major components are: • • •

Face Alignment Horizontal Control Communications and Operator Interface

Page 134

• • •

Information Systems Collision Avoidance Condition Monitoring

The project components are functionally separate but are common at the device and control system level. To achieve the goal of system openness and component interoperability it is necessary to define a control and communication specification for Landmark compliant equipment that is generally applicable across the six components. The type of devices and data are specific to each component. For example, for automated Face Alignment, the primary sensor is the inertial navigation system and the primary actuator is the roof support system. In the Face Alignment control loop, data from the inertial navigation system is stored and processed and position correction information is fed to the roof support system. Closed loop control is maintained by the roof support system, which adjusts the path of the shearer to achieve the desired face alignment. Real Time Automation Chosen For EtherNet/IP Development

Once CSIRO decided on EtherNet/IP, and given tight time frame for the project, the team realized that a lot could be gained by getting an off-the-shelf software stack from someone with in-depth knowledge of the protocol. Real Time Automation’s EIP stack, with only two threads, was clearly easy to implement, could be quickly ported to multiple operating systems and hardware platforms, and had the necessary features. RTA provided an EIP stack which fast-tracked the development. The coal liesstrata. on a well seam there usuallywithin a distinct boundary coal and the underlying* or overlying Theformed operators tryand andso keep theisshearer the coal seam between always asthe shearing outside the seam (into rock, sandstone, mudstone, shale etc) can quickly damage the shearer.

For Further Information and Research For Further Information Visit the Landmark Longwall Automation web site at www.longwallautomation.org Additional general information about the longwall mining process can be found at http://www.uow.edu.au/eng/current/longwall. This site includes downloadable videos, and details on equipment and devices.

EtherNet/IP and Industrial Ethernet Request John Rinaldi’s White Paper: “Industrial Ethernet in 90 Days or Less: A Plan for Product Developers” via email: [email protected].

Page 135

Sales Letter for the Industrial Ethernet Pocket Guide The following letter (which is from my website) illustrates copywriting for an information product. Most white papers do not need this lengthy of an enticement; this would be overkill in most cases. However, it does illustrate a number of things:     



Book chapters are re-written in the form of bulleted teasers Every possible reason for buying this book is fleshed out (almost, anyway) This emphasizes what you don’t need to know as much as what you do need to know It sells the concept of “smaller is better” Notice all the questions it asks the reader. “I bet you don’t know this, but you will after you read this book.” Great formula. For example: Basic Precautions for Network Security: How should you mix your office LAN with your Industrial Control LAN? Where do problems most typically come from? Guess what: The most probable source of disasters foryou isn’t likely to be a hacker in Budapest – it’s well intended but mistaken actions taken by your own staff. Chapter 9 covers the most likely scenarios and tells you how to prevent them. One last note, with many applications beyond this specific example: I needed testimonials for this book, and I didn’t have any. I wanted reviews on Amazon.com. So here’s what I did: I went to an industry newsgroup and posted an email. Here’s what it said: From: Perry Marshall To: [email protected] Subject: COMM: Wanted -- reviews of Industrial Ethernet pocket guide Hi Everyone, I wrote a book called "Industrial Ethernet: A Pocket Guide" which was just published by ISA press. I'd like some of you to review it and post your comments (good, bad or indifferent) on Amazon when the book becomes available there. Here's the deal: I'll send a FREE copy of the book to the first 10 people to contact me and who promise to 1) read this short book, 2) post your candid feedback at Amazon, and 3) agree to let me and the publisher use your comments. The book really is brief and is exactly as described: a little pocket book with just the essentials on Industrial Ethernet system design, product selection and basic Ethernet & TCP/IP concepts. You can find out more at ISA's website http://www.isa.org/Template.cfm?Section=Shop_ISA&Template=/Ecommerce/ProductDisplay.cfm&ProductI D=5734 or my website www.perrymarshall.com/ethernet Thanks very much! To contact me, just visit my website and click on a link to send me an email. Sincerely, Perry Marshall www.perrymarshall.com/ethernet

It worked—very nicely, in fact. I think about 20 people offered to review the book, and there are sixteen reviews at the time of this writing. You can apply this method to your own situation, I’m sure. The following sales letter shows a lot of great formulas that you can use in a white paper enticement. Study this.


Page 136

A message from the author of the Industrial Ethernet Pocket Guide…

“Finally, An Ethernet Book For The Rest of Us!”

Industrial Ethernet: A Pocket Guide covers just the things you need to know, with simple terminology, concise format and vital information for control engineers.

What people are saying about this book: "The Pocket Guide is one of my desk reference books since I got an advance copy of it. It is written so even idiots like me can understand it, and use it. I think it is in the same league as Glover's Pocket Ref, and the Pocket Pal for graphic artists. If you work with Industrial Ethernet, you better buy this book, and stick it in your pocket, briefcase, tool box, or whatever you carry around on the job with you. If you think you need to know about Industrial Ethernet, buy this book and carry it around in your pocket for when you have a chance to catch five minutes and read a few pages. This is the best book published by ISA this year. And that includes my own book, "eBusiness in Manufacturing" so that says a lot." Walt Boyes

If you’re putting Ethernet in your factory, there are some very important things you need to know before you get started. Criteria for selecting cables, hubs, switches and network cards. Important facts about system layout. Questions you should always ask your vendors about application layer protocols. Assignment of IP addresses and best practices for maintaining a healthy system over the long haul. Those things matter a lot! And frankly there are many things about Ethernet that you don’t need to know. You don’t need to know how to write a TCP/IP software stack for some real-time operating system. You don’t need a dissertation on the inner workings of TCP, UDP or TELNET. You don’t need a manual on designing Ethernet circuitry. I own a few 400-500 page tomes on those subjects myself, and although they’re important as reference tools, they mostly just sit on the shelf. Too big. Too heavy. And too much information for the guy who just wants to control a machine. The things that you need to know every day should fit in a pocket-sized book, and you’ll carry around a book like that in your pocket. So that’s exactly the kind of book I wrote. Whether you’re using Ethernet for I/O, linking controllers together, or just sending production data to the accounting department, Industrial Ethernet: A Pocket Guide gives you just the information you really need about Ethernet and TCP/IP for automation and process control. It fits in the palm of your hand and easily travels with you in your toolbox or fits in a control panel. Here are some of the topics that are covered in this book: •

•

A quick and dirty checklist of the questions you need to ask yourself before you get started on a project. A very brief tutorial on digital communication – how networks work, what the major topologies and data formats are, terminology and definitions for the most essential system components. What’s the difference between a protocol and a network? What do all networks


Page 137

SPITZER AND BOYES, LLC

"Perfect Work! A must have! I strongly recommend this book to anybody who deals with Industrial Ethernet in any way."

•

Indiver Divedi, IBM "If you have not installed or maintained an Industrial Ethernet installation yet, you will soon and this guide is a perfect overview to get you started as, well as a handy reference for the "expert". This book has already helped me solve one "real world" problem and has become part of my commissioning/troubleshooting kit."

•

Kevin J. Mahoney, SI Solutions "The only problem with this book is that someone else picks it up every time I lay it down. I'm going to order a few more so I don't have to keep chasing this one." Glenn Boston, Steel Dynamics •

"A must-have reference guide. This book has become one of the few reference guides I keep in my toolbox. Being a former computer network technician (now PLC programmer and technical support) who is very familiar with ethernet, I can say this book contains vast amounts of information organized in a very logical fashion. It's written so even without a PC background a reader can understand everything clearly. There are examples and many tips to follow. It's well worth every penny."

•

•

Chris Kellock, Auburn Armature "A pocket guide worth keeping in my pocket." Daniel Chartier, Logitrol "Great reference and easily understood by the neophyte. A must have for any one working in the controls environment." Robert Dusza, Manchester Water Department "This has been a great book to read and will remain in the front of book case for some time. It was great to read a

•

and fieldbuses have in common? What are the major arbitration mechanisms for competing messages? After reading this chapter you’ll be network-literate. You’ll have a handle on the basics. A very short history of Ethernet and TCP/IP, and a rundown on all the major Ethernet formats and terms. You’ll know where terms like 10BASE2 and 100BASE-T come from and which ones apply to you. How long can a cable run be? How many repeaters can you use in a system? What about half duplex and full duplex? What about collisions on the network? What do the LED’s mean? What information is in an Ethernet packet? How about a working man’s definition of that 7 layer model everyone’s always talking about? Chapter 3 gives you just youreference need about those things, and closes with what a handy on all all of the different connector pinouts, including DB-9’s and the new M12 “euro” design. TCP/IP – Doesn’t the very term sound intimidating? TCP/IP a complex beast, but it’s also the #1 network protocol in the world. And there are some things you will need to need to understand – what it does, what it doesn’t do, how IP addresses are assigned, subnet masks, ports and sockets. There’s a bullet list of the most important flags in a TCP/IP packet, the major services in TCP/IP (DHCP, SNMP, FTP, TELNET and others). And functional descriptions of the major utilities: PING, Traceroute, ARP and Netstat. Basic Ethernet building blocks: Hubs (Workgroup, Segmented, Multi-Speed, Managed Hubs and Repeaters), Bridges, Switches (Full Duplex, Multi-Speed, and different ways that switches prioritize messages), Routers, Gateways and Network Interface Cards. Murky and controversial issues: Determinism, the performance of software drivers, and the cost issues of embedded “smart devices” compared to PC’s. What are the most likely bottlenecks for network speed? You’ll find out in Chapter 5. Network health, monitoring and system maintenance: What is it that makes a network run well? Did you know that studies show that the best run networks have 35 times less down time with less staff-per-user than poorly run networks? What makes the difference? Chapter 6 tells you how to manage the process, plan and prepare for success, quickly isolate problems, and how to properly invest in tools and training. It talks about the major types of network monitoring tools and analyzers, and their strengths and weaknesses. It explains the importance of systematic documentation and tells you what you should track over time. And there’s a list of popular PC-based Ethernet utilities, software and tools. Installation, Troubleshooting and Maintenance Tips: Ethernet grounding rules, linking buildings together, major cable types, reducing Electro Magnetic Interference, and subtle issues you’ll encounter when choosing cables. Did you know that sometimes a higher speed cable can have worse performance than a “low speed” cable? Did you know that obscure issues like


Page 138

book that explains the basics very clearly and in terms anyone can understand. If you are just learning and / or involved in a plant with an ethernet network, this book is a must. The section on industrial ethernet protocols is a must for someone just setting up a network. Great work, Perry."

•

•

Steve Godfrey, Weyerhaeuser "Excellent! The chapter on basic precautions for network security has some good guidlines that you should consider before installing a network." Gary Law, Emerson Process Control "Even though I had planned on using this just for reference, I found so many interesting things in it that I started reading it. I really enjoyed the writing style which, unlike other books, didn't put me to sleep. This book is easy to read and understand, even for an old timer like me." Dan Elsner, SMT Industries

•

•

capacitance imbalance can wreak havoc in your system? What precautions should you take when pulling cables? What about raceways with power lines? Should you ground one end or both? What do you do if codes require you to make less than optimum choices? Fiber optic cables: What are the distance limitations? How do you clean fiber connectors? What are the major connector types? Chapter 7 covers these topics. Ethernet Industrial Protocols, Fieldbuses and Legacy Networks: Here’s a huge issue that’s particular to our industry. You won’t find this information at Barnes & Noble, and most likely you’ll find yourself cobbling together dozens of articles from industry trade journals to fully understand the issues in automation & process control. Chapteryou 8 saves time. It talks about theBut questions must you ask that before selecting any network, whether it’s a serial link, a fieldbus or Ethernet. Then it gives you a very user-friendly summary of all the major Ethernet application layer protocols. Did you know that Modbus/TCP and EtherNet/IP were designed with a completely different purpose in mind than, say, PROFINet? What’s the difference between Foundation Fieldbus High Speed Ethernet, and the European IDA protocol? This section tells you what these protocols do, what they don’t do, and how they organize information. And it tells you what to expect when it comes to compatibility issues. The chapter closes with a quick discussion of Embedded Web Servers and the cost factors of Ethernet intelligent appliances. Basic Precautions for Network Security: How should you mix your office LAN with your Industrial Control LAN? Where do problems most typically come from? Guess what: The most probable source of disasters for you isn’t likely to be a hacker in Budapest – it’s well-intended but mistaken actions taken by your own staff. Chapter 9 covers the most likely scenarios and tells you how to prevent them. Power on Ethernet: Did you know that the telecommunications industry has developed a clever method for powering Internet Appliances with existing Ethernet hardware? There’s a brief appendix that points the way to powered automation devices.

This book is certainly not the last word on Ethernet, TCP/IP or all the possible issues that you might encounter in automation. And it’s probably not the only Ethernet book you would ever care to own. However, I bet you’ll refer to this book more often than most of the others, and a few months from now the pages will be dog-eared with use...and isn’t that what you’re hoping for whenever you buy a book? Order Industrial Ethernet: A Pocket Guide and you’ll have your hands on a simple, concise, informative reference tool for designing, installing, maintaining and trouble shooting realworld Ethernet networks!


Page 139

Sincerely,

Perry S. Marshall Click Here for to get your copyIndustrial Ethernet: A Pocket Guide via secure online ordering For journalists: Click here for a 600dpi (1M byte) image of the book cover. About the Author Perry S. Marshall is an author, speaker and consultant in Chicago. He’s an industrial networking specialist and a veteran of the fieldbus wars. He created Synergetic’s popular DeviceNet and Profibus Boot Camp and Open DeviceNet Vendor Association’s DeviceNet University. His company, Perry S. Marshall and Associates, assists Original Equipment Manufacturers with product definition and marketing strategies. He creates business tools for technical sales people and writes the Perry Marshall Marketing E-letter. Click here to visit the rest of his website, including technical articles and insightful commentary about the industry we work in.


Page 140

Trouble Shooting Guides – For Techies

A wildly successful, meaty “tech guide” The example you’re about to see was enormously successful – lead generation via a pair of DeviceNet Trouble Shooting Guides that I created a couple of years ago. When I started this project, my boss was somewhat disapproving of me spending my time this way, but when the results started coming in, those complaints quickly stopped. This is instructive in a number of respects: First, I had to do quite a bit of research and check with other people to write this. There’s quite a bit of stuff I didn’t know, and I had to get help. Second, other people in the same market had written stuff like this but they’d never promoted it to its true potential . I had the benefit of starting where they left off. Here’s what happened: We sold a trouble shooting diagnostic tool called a “DeviceNet Detective” that cost $1895.00. When I was out demonstrating it, it was obvious that I needed something different than the user manual. Themore user manual you how totowork the tool, people really neededDeviceNet something general.told They needed understand thebut total picture of fixing problems. I reasoned that such a guide would make a great lead generation tool as well. My hunch turned out correct. So here’s what I did – same thing you’ll probably do. I got a couple of other trouble shooting documents from some other companies, I took our own manuals, and I got a power point presentation from a guy I knew who was an expert – and I compiled all this information into a 10 page guide. Then I did something else, which proved to be even more valuable – I condensed all that information from 10 pages down to ONE super-dense page of information. Whether you wanted the short version or the long version, what you got was a step-bystep tutorial on fixing a problem. I promoted this two ways: 1) Email, and 2) a Press Release. I did an email blast, identical in concept to the one in the “Mark Clark Video Guide” example. I got a whopping 27% response. I used a list of several thousand


Page 141

names that we’d compiled from dozens of sources over the previous 3 years – trade organization inquiries, trade show visitors; old, cold leads; existing customers, etc. Most of the names were people who did not really know us. I blasted out the email and I got tons of replies: “Sure, thanks, go ahead and send it to me.” When I emailed the files back to them, I asked them a qualifying question: “What are you doing with DeviceNet right now?” About back yet again, cycle, and whata third kindsreplied of problems they weretelling having.me where they were in the buying What more could a sales person ask for in a sales lead? Then I sent out a press release. Again, it was nearly identical to the one you see in Mark Clark’s section. One magazine ran it as a feature, and we got almost 300 sales leads. Depending on who you are, that might sound like a lot, or it might sound like a little. In our case, this was a very narrow market niche and 300 is almost unheard of for a press release on a specialized product. This promotion also got us invited into Honda, Ford Motor Company and Anheuser-Busch --- Fortune 500 accounts!

After that, a trade organization and a couple of manufacturers even asked us for permission to reproduce this guide and distribute it to their customers. On the following pages you’ll see these guides. Now these documents are pretty “dry” but that’s OK for this audience. I gave them exactly what they wanted. But note two specific things I did to add some “commercial content”: 1. Notice on each section of the guides, it tells you which diagnostic tools you can use to perform that test. Of course our own DeviceNet Detective is, as you would hope, the most commonly useful of all available tools. Thus these guides accomplish the white paper’s goal – to help a person solve a problem, whether they use your stuff or not – and to also make a case for using your stuff to make it easier and more effective. 2. On the back page of the 10 page guide, there’s a product roundup, including a promo for our “DeviceNet Boot Camp” training class.


Page 142

The Fa ctor yCOMM Tools

DeviceN et Trouble Shoo

ting CHE AT SHE ET

1. Work Within DeviceNet’s Capabilities DeviceNet Topology Restrictions

ThickTrunkLength ThinTrunkLength MaximumLengthofaSingleDrop CumulativeLengthofAllDrops

2.

125 Kbps

500m(1640ft) 100m(328ft) 6m(20ft) 156m(512ft)

250 Kbps

500 Kbps

250m(820ft) 100m(328ft) 6m(20ft) 78m(256ft)

100m(328ft) 100m(328ft) 6m(20ft) 39m(128ft)

Ensure That All Devices Have Proper 24 Volt Power(Tools: Vo lt Meter [“VM”], D eviceNet Detective)

(V+ red to V- black): 24 Volts(11V min / 25V max) Power supply voltage: Check network voltage at various points across the network, especially at the ends. If devices on the network draw large amounts of current, then network voltage levels will fluctuate as your equipment cycles. Monitor the network to determine the voltage range of V+ over a period of time. (Note: CAN frame errors are a symptom of grounding problems. Monitor CAN Error Messages with a Detective or CAN bus analyzer.)

(Tools: VM, DeviceNet Detective, O-Scope) It is extremely 3. Check Signal helpful to Voltage check CAN Levels signal levels. These are typical values you should see. Readings more than 0.5V different than the ones on this chart are likely indications of a problem: I f B u s C om m u n i c a t i o n i s O N

If B u sC om m u n icat ion isO FF( id le)

CAN_H (blue ): ~3.0 VDC 1 2.5V min2 4.0V max 2 CAN_L (white ): ~2.0 VDC 1 1.0V min2 2.5V max 2 1 2 DC only, Measured with VM Signal Range Measured with O-scope or Detective

CAN_H

~2.5VDC

CAN_L

~2.5VDC

4. Common Mode Voltage Test for Network Power (Tools: VM, O-S cop e) VM Procedure for Detecting Common Mode Voltage Problems: 1) Turn all network power supplies on. 2) Configure all nodes for their maximum current draw from network power. Turn on outputs that use network power. 3) Measure theDC voltage between Vand the shield . If the difference is: < 4.65 volts: This is the normal range. For reasonable safety margin, keep this value below 3 volts.

5. Test for Termination Resistors(Tools: VM with Resista nce Capability) Stop all Bus communication (Bus Off) and use anOhm Meter to measure the resistance between CAN_H andCAN_L. You should see a value near 60 Ohms. If you see values larger or smaller than that, then you need to add or remove termination resistors (121 ohms at each end of the network.) Larger values: Add terminators. Smaller values: Take away terminators or look for shorts.

6. Check for Noise (Tools: Osc illos cop e, CAN Analyzer, De viceNet Detective) The best way to observe noise itself is with an oscilloscope. However, the most important information is how the noise affects data transmission itself. A ‘scope doesn’t tell you this. The most common symptoms of EMI/RFI problems are CAN FRAME ERRORS which you can monitor with a CAN analyzer or DeviceNet Detective. You may see bursts of CAN frame errors, often connected with specific nodes. Do intermittent problems occur when other, non-related equipment is in use? Use the PROBLEM LIST to track these problems over time, and correlate events with other equipment in your facility, i.e. EMI/RFI from a Variable Frequency Drive that changes state.

7. Verify Proper Communication For Each Node (Tools: Master Configu ration SW, De viceNet Dete ctive

) Create a “Live List” to See Which Nodes Show Also, Up. check to see if nodes on the “Live List” disappear when the network communication is switched on and off. Measure % BUS LOAD. 0% means that the network is idle; 30-70% indicates typical Look For Excessive Message Traffic. network operation, depending on the configuration of each device and the nature of your process. Loads over 90% indicate definite problems. Monitor CAN Error Rate & Total CAN Errors This will show you when the network is in a condition of creating CAN errors and when it is not. Cross-reference this to the DeviceNet Detective PROBLEM LIST and MESSAGE TRAFFIC for a total picture of the problem. Check for Wrong Baud Rates The network cannot communicate properly if some nodes have the wrong baud rate. The Detective will indicate that you have multiple baud rates on the network, but will not be able to resolve the problem beyond that point. You must disconnect the device(s) with the wrong baud rate from the rest of the network, change their baud rates and re-connect them. Check for Duplicate Node Addresses (MACID’s) There is no explicit way to check duplicate addresses. If two nodes are set to the same address, one will go “offline” and just sit there silently. If nodes that should appear don’t show up in the live list, then inspect & look for duplicate addresses for those nodes. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ TM FactoryCOMM Tools A division of Synergetic Micro Systems 2506 Wisconsin Avenue Downers Grove, IL 60515 USA Phone(630) 434-1770 FAX (630) 434-1987 Web: WWW .FACTORYCOMM.COM E-mail:[email protected] §

§

§ §

§ §

§ §

© 2000 FACTORYCOMM LLC. ALL RIGHTS R ESERVED.

Page 143

..….…...…..Fast…………..… DeviceNet Trouble Shooting Guide for Installation & Maintenance Professionals by

____________________________________________________________________________________________

S Y N ERGETI C Fieldbus Communication Technology

© 2000 FactoryCOMM LLC and Synergetic Micro Systems, Inc. www.FactoryCOMM.com www.synergetic.com/education (800)600-0598

Page 144

Basic DeviceNet Tips for Beginners

90% of DeviceNet Problems Are Physical Media Problems You can isolate these problems with simple testsand the right tools. This document walks you through thesetests and shows you which tools you can use to get the job done.

Build Your Network One Node At A Time If you are a first time user, putting in a new system, start by adding one device at a time. Then you can always go back a step, if necessary, and get things working again.

Wherever Possible: Return To The Point Where Everything Worked The first question to ask is “What has changed?”If you have added or replaced nodes, changed wiring, or configured a scanner, go back to where you were working and look for a problem. If you can’t find a problem where you were just making changes, you need to determine if the problem is caused by the physical media , a node communication fault , or the network power distribution .

Purchase ODVA Conformance Tested Products Products with this logo have been conformance tested to ODVA specifications. This dramatically reduces your chances of having network problems!

DeviceNe t Network Comp

on ents

DeviceNet uses a trunk line and drop line topology to connect nodes for communication, as shown:

Component Definitions Trunk Line

The network cable between the terminators. This is usually (but not necessarily) a ‘thick’ cable.

Drop Line

The network cable between the trunk and the nodes.

Tap

A branching point from the trunk line. There may one node on a drop line, as with a tee tap, or multiple drop lines, as with a multi-port junction box.

Terminating Resistor

The 121-ohm resistor that connects to the end of the trunk. There are two terminators per network.

An addressable device that communicates on the network. There may be as many as 64 nodes per network. Power Supply The 24 volt DC source that powers network communication. There may be multiple power supplies on a network, and they may be located anywhere on the network. Node

Page 145

Troubleshooting Existing Installations 1. Know the Layout of Your Network Look at your network, and determine the location of each component. Inspect your network topology þ The trunk cabling connects nodes and taps. A 121 Ohm terminating resistor is needed at each end. þ The drop lines are non-terminated cables that connect nodes to the trunkline. Mark the locations of nodes þ

Count the nodes and note their location on the network, and note assigned node numbers.

Locate power supplies þ

There may be more than one power supply on a network, located at the end middle, or anywhere along the cable. One of the power supplies must be the sole grounding point for all network power DeviceNetTopologyRestrictions ThickTrunkLength ThinTrunkLength MaximumLengthofaSingleDrop CumulativeLengthofAllDrops

125Kbps 500m(1640ft) 100m(328ft) 6m(20ft) 156m(512ft)



Are your drop Lines too long?

If the length of one drop, or the total amount of drops, exceeds the permitted length, you may see large variations on CAN signal amplitude throughout the network. Is your trunk line too long?

Long trunk lines can cause "transmission line problems" in which delays in the network cause faulty reception of messages. You may see this as CAN frame errors. Also, see “Common Mode Voltage Problems” in the Power Supply distribution section below. Tools useful in identifying topology problems

VM (Volt/Ohm/ Current Meter)

Master Configurator

-

-

CAN Bus Analyzer

DeviceNet Detective

O-scope

YYY

___________________________________________________________________________________

DeviceNe t Wiring and Con

nector Pin Definitions

Name

Color

Description

Shield V+ VCAN_H CAN_L

Drain Red Black Blue White

Bare connection to the shielding in the cable 24VDCBusSupply CommonGroundOVDC Highdifferentialdata Low differential data

There are three connector types commonly used on DeviceNet systems: mini, micro, and open (screw terminal). The table below shows the connector pin / color definitions.

Page 146

2. Do All of Your Devices Have Proper 24 Volt Power? Symptoms of Intermittent Network Power Distribution Problems Ifyournetworkisdoingthis… Thendothis… Nodes near the end of the trunk stop communicating after Check the bus voltage at the node and the common mode operating normally voltage at the ends of the bus The scanner or multiple nodes go to the bus-off state after Check common mode voltage and power supply/shield operating normally grounding The scanner does not dete ct properly configured slave nodes Check power supply/shield grounding and common mod e voltage The network communicates only when the number of nodes Check the bus voltage at the node and the common mode is reduced or the trunk length is reduced. voltage at the ends of the bus If devices on the network draw large amounts of current, then network voltage levels may fluctuate as your equipment cycles. þ þ

Check network voltage a various points across the network, especially at the ends. Monitor the network to determine the voltage range of V+ over a period of time. Tools that track network supply voltage over time

VM -

Master Configurator -

CAN Bus Analyzer -

DeviceNet Detective Y

O-scope -

Tips on Power Supply Grounding þ þ

þ

Physically connect DC power supply ground wire and the shield together to earth ground at the location of the power supply. If you use multiple power supplies, connect this ground only at the power supply closest to the middle of the network. Make sure that all nodes on the network connect to the shield, the signal and power lines CAN frame errors are a typical symptom of grounding problems. Monitor CAN Error Messages with a Detective or CAN bus analyzer.

3. Check Signal Voltage Levels It is extremely helpful to check CANsignal levels. Below are typical values you should see. Numb ers differing from this table by mo re than 0. 5V a re likely indications of a prob lem : Power supply voltage: (V+ red to V- black): 24 Volts(11V min / 25V max) I f B u s C o m mu n i c a t i o n i s O N I f B u s C o m m u n i c at i o n i s O F F (i d l e ) CAN_H (white ) ~3.2V DC CAN_H ~2.5VDC CAN_H differentialsignal ~2.5V min (never <2.5V) to CAN_H AC voltage range 2.5V min / 2.5V max (0V p-p) voltage range relative to V4.0V max (Typ. 1.5V p-p) CAN_L (blue ) ~2.2V DC CAN_L ~2.5VDC CAN_L differentialsignal ~1V min and 2.5V max (never CAN_L AC voltage range 2.5V min / 2.5V max (0V p-p) voltage range relative to V>3.0)

Notes: þ

þ

CAN_H should never be lower than CAN_L. If this condition occurs, this is a "CAN signal twist" and you should look for a direct physical cause (CAN_H and CAN_L shorted together; CAN_H shorted to ground; faulty transceiver circuitry). Typically if the lowest value of CAN_L to the highest value of CAN_H is more than 3 volts, this indicates a problem, either physically or with high bus traffic. Tools that show CAN signal levels

Voltages DC AC Voltages

VM Y -


CAN Bus Analyzer -


-

O-scope Y

Y

Y

Page 147

Detecting Intermittent Shorts/Faults

Some shorts may only appear at certain points as a machine cycles, or else randomly. Monitor the network for intermittent shorts to pinpoint the problem Tools that log intermittent shortsand out of range signal voltages

VM -


CAN Bus Analyzer -


O-scope -

How to Detect Ground Loops þ þ þ þ þ

Break the shield at the point where it is connected to the primary GROUND. Use an Ohm Meter to check impedance between the shield and ground. If the readings are high (K Ohms or more) then your network is OK. If the readings are low, then you have other points where the shield is grounded and you’ll have ground loop problems. NOTE: Grounding problems may also result in CAN errors. Monitoring CAN Error Messages may also point to the source of the problem.

Symptoms of Physical Media Problems Ifyournetworkisdoingthis… All of the nodes on a segment of trunk or on a drop stop communicating, then sometimes recover or go bus-off

Youshoulddothis… Check all wiring and connectors on the segment between the power supply and the terminating resistor

Nodes sporadically stop communicating, then recover The network communicates only when the number of nodes is reduced or the trunk length is reduced

Check for loose wiring or a loose connector leading to the node Check CAN DC resistance, and terminating resistor values; Check common mode voltage.

Page 148

4. Common Mode Voltage Test for Network Power Description of the Problem: When current is drawn through the power pair on the DeviceNet trunk line,

resistance from the conductors, and the load on the network, produces the common mode voltage drop. The V+ line decreases from the 24VDC at the power supply as distance to the power supply increases. Most importantly, V- increases from the 0VDC value at the power supply along the length of the trunk line. This test assumes the V+ decrease and V- increase values are equal. Since CAN_H and CAN_L both are referenced to the V- wire (which is grounded at a single point) then, if the voltage on the V- line varies more than 4.65 VDC at any two points, the CAN transceivers will fail to operate properly. VM Procedure for Detecting Common Mode Voltage Problems:

1. Turn all network power supplies on. 2. Configure all nodes for their maximum current draw from network power. Turn on outputs that use network power. 3. Measure and record the DC voltage between V- and the shield. If the difference is:

< 4.65 volts is the normal range. < 3 volts is best. > 4.65 volts: The Network will not operate properly. Possible solutions are: þ þ þ þ þ þ

Shorten the overall length of the network cable. Move the power supply in the direction of the overloaded section. Move nodes from the overloaded section to a less loaded section. Move high current loads close to the power supply. Add a second power supply. Break the network into two separate networks. Tools that can identify Common Mode Voltage problems

VM

Master Configurator

CAN Bus Analyzer

DeviceNet Detective

O-scope

Y

-

-

Y

Y

5. Test for Termination Resistors Stop all Bus communication (Bus Off) and use an Ohm Meter to measure the resistance between CAN_H and CAN_L. You should see a value near 60 Ohms. If you see values larger or smaller than that, then you need to add or remove termination resistors (121 ohms at each extreme on the network.)

6. Check for Noise Of course the best way to observe noise itself is with an oscilloscope. But the other tools will show how the noise affects data transmission while a ‘scope cannot. How to Detect Electrical Interference:

The most common symptom of EMI/RFI problems are CAN FRAME ERRORS that can be found both in the message traffic and problem list menus. You will see bursts of CAN frame errors, often connected with specific nodes. Do intermittent problems occur when other non-related equipment is in use? Use the PROBLEM LIST to track these problems over time, and correlate events with other equipment in your facility, i.e. EMI/RFI from a Variable Frequency Drive that changes state. Tools that log specific network eventsover a period of time

VM --

Master Configurator

CAN Bus Analyzer

DeviceNet Detective

O-scope

Y

Y

-

Page 149

7. Verify Proper Communication For Each Node Create a “Live List” to see Which Nodes Show Up

Scan the network with your master configuration tool and create a “live list” or use the Device Diagnostic menu on the DeviceNet Detective. This will provide a list of each properly connected node and its attributes, as well as verifying that all stations are connected, that MACID’s are correct, and nodes are capable of communicating to the master. þ

Look for “missing” nodes. This indicates physical connection or power problems for that node. Tools that can generate a list of available nodes

þ

VM

Master Configurator

CAN Bus Analyzer

DeviceNet Detective

O-scope

-

Y

-

Y

-

Check to see if nodes on the “Live List” disappear when the network communication is switched on and off.

Look For Excessive Message Traffic

An important indication is the “% BUS LOAD” measurement. þ 0% means that the network is idle. þ 30-70% indicates typical network operation, depending on the configuration of each device and the nature of your process. Numbers higher than 80% should be viewed with concern. Loads over 90% indicate definite problems. High bus loads can indicate any of the following: þ Some nodes are having difficulty making connections with other nodes and have to re-transmit repeatedly to get messages through. Check termination, bus length, topology, physical connections, grounding. þ Defective nodes can “chatter” and put garbage on the network. þ Nodes supplied with corrupt or noisy power may chatter. þ Change Of State (COS) devices may be busy with rapidly changing data & cause high % bus load. þ Large numbers of explicit messages (configuration / diagnostic data) sent can cause high % bus load. þ Note that tools can add traffic of their own. Take care that the diagnostic tool itself is restricting its message output to a safe level. Tools that can monitor % bus load

VM

Master Configurator

CAN Bus Analyzer

DeviceNet Detective

O-scope

-

Y/-

Y

Y

-

Identify Message Traffic and Message Types

You should not normally see much Group 1 traffic on most nodes, unless you have Change of State devices on your network. You should see lots of Group 3 traffic from the master and group 2 traffic from slaves. You should only see Group 4 traffic if there is lots of configuration and diagnostic data being exchanged. Tools that recognize groups of network traffic

VM

Master Configurator

CAN Bus Analyzer

DeviceNet Detective

O-scope

-

Y/-

Y

Y

-

Page 150

Use LED’s to verify which nodes are OK þ þ

The LED’s on DeviceNet nodes are excellent for checking the health/status of your nodes. The “LED Color Codes” menu on the DeviceNet Detective REFERENCE menu helps you interpret the exact meaning of each LED state.

Module Status LED (“MS”)

OFF FLASHING GREEN GREEN FLASHING RED RED FLASHING RED & GREEN OFF FLASHING GREEN

NETWORK STATUS (NS)

I/O STATUS

No Power Standby, incomplete or incorrect configuration Operatingnormally Has a recoverable fault Unrecoverablefault Device in self-test Notonline;Notpowered;Hasnotcompleted duplicate MACID test Device on-line but not connected to other devices

GREEN FLASHING RED

On-lineandconnectedtootherdevices One or more input/output connections in timeout state RED Failedcommunicationscausedbyduplicate MACID or can-bus-off error FLASHING RED & GREEN Failed communications, device responded to an error OFF NoI/Obuspower;allinputsoroutputsinactive FLASHING GREEN One or more outputs are idle no outputs are active or faulted GREEN Some inputs/outputs are active & no inputs are faulted FLASHING RED Some inputs/outputs are faulted and may be in fault states RED Someoutputsareforcedoff Some inputs have unrecoverable faults Note: Combined MS/NS indicators use the Network Status definitions

Scanner/Node communication settings that you should be aware of þ þ þ þ

On a Change Of State network,Packet the device need enough adjustment Devices may time out if(COS) the Expected Rateinhibit (EPR)times is notmay set large On a polled network, the Inter Scan Delay (ISD) may need adjustment Use your configuration tool or Detective to note what communication options your device has available. Tools that can recognize node communication types

VM

Master Configurator

CAN Bus Analyzer

DeviceNet Detective

O-scope

-

Y

-

Y

-

Look for patterns in Intermittent Communication Problems: þ þ þ

Do some nodes communicate properly while others do not? What differences are there between the functioning nodes and the others? (Proximity to the power supply, to the termination resistors, to the master scanner.) Faulty devices may be present (are all of your Devices conformance tested by ODVA?)

Page 151

Monitor CAN Error Rate

Use this field to see when the network is in a condition of creating constant CAN errors and when it is not. Cross-reference this to the PROBLEM LIST and MESSAGE TRAFFIC menu for a total picture of the problem. Tools that report CAN errors per second

VM -

Master Configurator

CAN Bus Analyzer

-Y

DeviceNet Detective

O-scope

Y-

Log Total CAN Errors

You may have a large accumulated number of CAN errors if you have been connecting and disconnecting nodes. However, if you are still accumulating CAN errors while nodes are connected normally, this indicates physical media, EMI/RFI or topology problems. This could also indicate faulty nodes. Tools that log cumulative CAN errors per node

VM

Master Configurator

CAN Bus Analyzer

DeviceNet Detective

O-scope

---Y-

Check for Duplicate Node Addresses (MACID’s)

There is no explicit way to check duplicate addresses. If two nodes are set to the same address, one will go “offline” and just sit there silently. If nodes that should show up but fail to appear in the live list, then look for duplicate addresses for those nodes. Check for Wrong Baud Rates

The network cannot communicate properly if some nodes have the wrong baud rate. The Detective will indicate that you have multiple baud rates on the network, but will not be able to resolve the problem beyond that point. You must disconnect the device(s) with the wrong baud rate, change their baud rates and re-connect them. Tools that can detect conflicting baud rates

VM

Master Configurator

CAN Bus Analyzer

DeviceNet Detective

O-scope

---Y-

Changing MACID or BAUDRATE

Software settable devices can be changed with the master Configurator, or the Detective TASK WIZARDS menu. Note that you cannot use this function when the bus is “live.” The device must be offline. Tools that can change node numbers and baud rates

VM

Master Configurator

CAN Bus Analyzer

DeviceNet Detective

O-scope

-YYY-

Symptoms of Node Problems I fy ou rn o de sar ed o i n gt h i s D ot h i s … Slave node is on-line, but the scanner says it does not exist Change the slave node address to match scanner’s scan list Slave node will not go on-line Change the slave node data rate to match scanner data rate The network communicates only when the node is removed Swap the node out to check for defects

The node is in the I/O timeout state

Reset the scanner and network power

Special thanks to InterlinkBT, Rockwell Automation, ODVA and Device Bus Integration for helpful information in the preparation of this document.

Page 152

DeviceNet Detective

You can solve most DeviceNet problems in 10 minutes or less with this new handheld diagnostic and configuration tool! · · · · · ·

· · ·

·

Configure node addresses & baud rates Monitor power and signal levels Log errors and network events over a period of minutes, hours or days Clearly indicate shorts & miswired connections Detect CAN error messages and assign them to individual nodes Drill down for detailed data on each device, including configuration states, firmware version and serial numbers Boots up instantly & plugs in anywhere on your network Only 8 keys: Very simple operation! To have a network specialist demonstrate the Detective onyour system, call (800)600-0598 or email [email protected] . For more detailed info see www.factorycomm.com

PCAN-EXPLORER

CAN bus monitor, giving developers access to the lowest levels of network information. PCAN-EXPLORER for Windows 95/98 and NT is a universal data stream monitor for all CAN-based networks. It allows you to send and receive CAN messages in real time. You can customize your own identifiers for clear and simple message assignment. You can create your own macros and reserve function keys for sending your own messages. You can record and save the data traffic in the network, so that the process can be analyzed at later time. This software package can be used with Synergetic’s Passive ISA, PC/104 and PCI interface cards, as well as the unique SMS-PCAN-CONNECT parallel port to CAN adapter, to create a powerful hardware/software combination that gives you an in-depth view of network activity. For full details onPCAN-EXPLORER, visit www.synergetic.com/can

SYC ON Configu ration Too l for Wind ow s 95/ 98 /NT SYCON works with all of the Synergetic/Hilscher PC and OEM master and slave interface cards. The following are somenodes of theand DeviceNet tools in SYCON: Commissions maps them to included shared memory in the PC Sets communication attributes for each device, such as node number, baud rate, poll/strobe/change of state/cyclic messaging, expected packet rate, timeouts, explicit messages Indicates which nodes exhibit proper communication connections and which ones are experiencing problems I/O monitor allows you to manually force outputs and read inputs · ·

·

·

In addition to DeviceNet , SYCON also works with other Synergetic fieldbus cards and offers similar diagnostic and configuration capabilities: Profibus, Interbus, ControlNet, CANopen, SDS and AS-I Great for OEMs: One configuration tool, look & feel for all fieldbuses. Shortens your learning curve and shaves cost. No need to purchase separate configuration tools or licenses. Formats: PCI, PC/ISA, PC/104, PCMCIA, STD32,VME and custom OEM/Embedded daughter boards. Windows 95/98/NT, CE, 3.1, DOS, VxWorks, Linux, QNX; OPC and DDE servers. Drivers available for: Custom driver development toolkitsand example code for Visual Basic and Visual C++. Compatible with popular software packages from Steeplechase, Wonderware, Iconics, Intellution and. more Visit www.synergetic.com for more information, or call (800) 600-0598. · ·

· · · · ·

De viceNet Boot Cam

p

A 3 day, intensive, hands-on training course that covers the basics of designing, installing, configuring and trouble-shooting DeviceNet systems. DeviceNet Boot Camp is teamtaught by Synergetic applications engineers and staff from DBI, the #1 DeviceNet integrator in the USA. You’ll get a balanced perspective of both theoretical and practical aspects of using DeviceNetsuccessfully. Backed by a 100% money-back satisfaction guarantee. For more information and dates, see www.synergetic.com/education or call (800)600-0598.

Page 153

A Guide for Sophisticated Loudspeaker Buyers

A Speaker Manufacturer’s Manifesto on How a Problem Should Be Solved As I told you, I have an extensive background in acoustics, and this is a company that I think very highly of. Not only is this a good set of white papers, but the principles that the author is endorsing are rock solid and their speakers are outstandingly good. Notice here how the technical nuances of speaker design are merged with description of the emotional listening experience. Good stuff.


Page 154

What should I look for in a loudspeaker? by William R. Dudleston

“What should I look for in a loudspeaker? ” This is a question that I amasked almost daily. The most complete answer I can give addresses six interrelated loudspeaker parameters; bandwidth (frequency range), amplitude response(smoothness) , dynamic range (contrast), transient response (damping), linearity (an indicator of distortions), and power distribution (directional characteristics). Obviously we would like a speaker system to cover the broadest possible frequency range, have minimal response deviations, sound clean at any reasonable listening level and not be a slave to room placement. But how do we get there from here? We can start by examining some basic principles of loudspeaker design. • A loudspeaker’s radiating area must increase in relation to the size of the wavelength reproduced to have uniform power distributionand linear output. • Efficiency and dynamic range will increase as loud speaker piston area and motor size is increased. • For a given sound pressure level, distortion will decrease as piston area and motor size is increased. • Transient response characteristics usually improve as piston area and motor size is increased.(For you skeptics who still believe that an 8” woofer is “quicker” than a 12” woofer, remember this is a volume velocity issue. I bet you can empty a swimming pool fasterwith a bucket than a teaspoon!) • Low frequency efficiency improves as enclosure cubic volume is increased. This translates to greater extension for a given amount of amplifier power.

An Engineer’s Perspective

Still not convinced? Hold on to your seats for the next attraction. This table lists the lowest frequencies that may be reproduced in a LINEAR fashion by various high quality bass drivers at a given sound pressure when mounted in a sealed enclosure (As a manufacturer of some very fine compact loudspeakers. I must admit it takes some courage to publish these data.). Figure 1 Lowest Frequency Typically Reproduced with Linear Output Woofer Configuration SoundPressure Single Level(@1m)

6.5”

Double

Single

6.5”

10”

Double1 0” orSingle12”

90dB

52Hz

38Hz

30Hz

22Hz

13Hz

100dB

92Hz

59Hz

51Hz

38Hz

23Hz

110dB

165Hz

120Hz

90Hz

70Hz

120dB

300Hz

210Hz

160Hz

120Hz

Triple 12”

39Hz 71Hz

If you find these data shocking, remember that for each octave of bass extension we attempt to achieve, a given loudspeaker would have to increase its air displacement capability by a factor of four to prevent a rise in distortion. What does this mean in the real world? Take for example the B&W Nautilus 802 which measured in at 66% total harmonic distortion when presented with a 100 watt input of low E (41.2 Hz). Or consider the pricier Thiel CS-5 which measured in at 21.6% distortion at 100 dB of level when also presented with a low E (these data from the pages of AUDIO). The same magazine tested our dual 12” woofer configuration which measured an exceptionally low 3% distortion. Clearly we see that frequency response specifications, without reference to loudness or distortion levels do not tell the complete story. Harnessing and Controlling Resonances

• A properly tuned reflex enclosure will typically provide 6 dB more output than a sealed enclosure with a corresponding decrease in distortion due to lower cone displacement. Cascading a high pass filter with the proper Q characteristic will further enhance the low frequency output and extension of a reflex enclosure. Does all this mean that a larger ported multi-way loudspeaker should play cleaner and deeper with better dynamics and more stable imagery? Absolutely.

One way to extend the useful low frequency range of a loudspeaker is through enclosure venting. An optimal fourth-order Butterworth design will provide a significant increase in output over a sealed box design as shown in the pressure response plot below. This additional energy is obtained by inversion of the backwave, which occurs at enclosure resonance. With the help of an electrical high pass filter, a more sophisticated sixth-order alignment can be obtained, providing greater extension and control. The sharply attenuated sixth-order configuration also rejects frequencies that are harmful to the loudspeaker itself.

Page 155


Figure 2

Low Frequency Alignment As a side benefit, the reflex design greatly reduces cone excursion, which in turn minimizes distortion in the octave centered about resonance. The sixth-order alignment further reduces unwanted displacement in the first octave as shown below. Note that the cone displacement is nearly zero at system resonance while the half-power frequency is extended downward by a full octave. How’s that for extension and control?

Figure 4 Dome Tweeter Impedance

The electrical network shown below readily controls this resonance. This circuit is placed in parallel with the tweeter itself, so that transient response is in no way compromised. That’s the good news. Now for the bad news: I have personally examined the internal workings of more than 50 models of high-end loudspeakers and have found only two other manufacturers that bothered to install such networks. At least the other guys spared no expense in their advertising campaigns.

Figure 3 Cone Displacement Figure 5 Resonance Control Network

So far we’ve discussed how resonance can work to our advantage by actually lowering distortion, increasing dynamic range and extending low frequency capabilities. Now let’s look at a way that resonance can actually hinder a loudspeaker’s performance. The impedance curve below belongs to one of our metal dome tweeters. The curve is quite well behaved with the exception of a nasty rise centered at 780 Hz. This impedance bump is indicative of a resonance, natural to the driver’s construction and typical of a well designed 1” dome unit. This resonance, if left untreated, will decrease power handling, increase distortion through diaphragm “breakup”, and cause instability in the crossover network. It can cause vocals to take ona characteristic “honk” that is quite annoying.

Since we’ve already harnessed two kinds of resonance, how about a third? Room resonance. No quite so simple this time. For many years, designers have regarded the listening room as the great unknown. A set of variables involving room geometry, absorption coefficients, and decay patterns. Designers have presented almost as many knee-jerk solutions to room problems as there are rooms. Dipolar, bipolar, cylindrical, omnidirectional, and highly directional radiators to name a few. Page 156


Electrostatic, moving coil dynamic, ionic, planar dynamic, thermodynamic, and even plasmic transducers. Designs that push air, reflect air, heat air, and squeeze air. Ah, the “art” of speaker design. While there have been a number of acoustic studies over the past 50 years that have dealt specifically with the loudspeaker/listening room interface, rarely does such work have a significant influence on speaker design. Sometimes I think that speaker designers are just too flamboyant to pay heed to another designer, let alone learn from his mistakes. About two decades ago Amar Bose convinced himself the stereo(I effect required 1/9 directivity and that 8/9 reflectivity don’t think I’ll ever figure that one out). Peter Walker of Quad assured the world that a dipolar traveling wave srcinating as a point source was the key (Peter’s sonic result is pretty tough to argue with). Roy Allison showed us how to incorporate low frequency reflections as part of our designs (Thank you, Roy). But before I climb upon my soapbox and start preaching the gospel according to Dudleston, might I pose the following questions? Don’t rooms usually have a floor? Isn’t the floor often the nearest room boundary to the listener? Don’t we usually face in the direction of the loudspeakers when we listen to them? Don’t most of us sit about 10 feet from our loudspeakers (+/- 2-ft.)? I once spoke with a 60 year old carpet layer who said that averageone living is aboutand 14’an x 20’ with two the doorways, setroom of curtains, 8’ ceiling. A friend of mine who is a painter suggests that over 90% of living rooms have carpeted floors or at least one large area rug. It seems that the speaker designer has plenty of information before him. Using such a room model would certainly be more ideal than relying exclusively on the laboratory abyss, more commonly known as the anechoic chamber. The speakers that I design provide controlled directivity patterns. My strategy is as follows: include low frequency room gain as part of the speaker system, keep midrange reflections to an absolute minimum, if the midrange reflections can’t be minimized then add enough diffuse high frequency output to balance the mix (via a switchable rear-firing treble unit) without increasing on-axis Whisper behaves as anbrightness. acoustic gun, effectively widening the “sweet spot” and minimizing room interactions. Our FOCUS speaker provides deep nulls at the floor and ceiling to maintain clarity in any size room. The Signature III and Classic provide unusually broad horizontal coverage affording a sense of depth, even in cramped quarters by employing a rear firing ambience tweeter.

Figure 6 Effective Piston Diameter - vs - Frequency

In summary, physics dictates that a loudspeaker’s effective radiating diameter should increase with wavelength of sound to provide low distortion, broad dynamic range and uniform power distribution. I feel that a plot, such as one above, is a very useful in approximating thethe potential performance level oftool a loudspeaker system. ?

Page 157

Acoustical Sense.


by William R. Dudleston

Every day at noon I head down to the corner coffee shop to restore my faith in humanity and get me some common sense. Yep. You heard me right. The 'Coffee Cup' is the joint with the 11 pickups and and my minivan parked out front. Inside you'll find the heart of middle America. Farmers, construction workers and small time mechanics with one thing in common: they've all got real dirt on their clothes and life's wisdom in their eyes. They have the kinds of faces that show up to fix your brokendown car on rainy nights. I try to blend in, but I know they're picturing Joe College back at the office with a pocket protector and a calculator on his belt. I do best at the 'Cup' by sipping my coffee slowly and just listening. Besides, I'm there to get a free education. You just can't get common sense like this by reading journals. After a quarter of a century of working with loudspeakers, I might be able to share some common sense with you about acoustics. Don't mind the sawdust on my clothes. The stereo soundfield created by a pair of loudspeakers is a fragile 3-D illusion built upon auditory clues. But it must be understood that the reproductive task of each individual playback channel is merely two dimensional: amplitude vs. time. It doesn't matter where you are in the chain, whether it's pressure at the microphone, voltage at the mixing console, magnetic flux at the tape, or displacement of a speaker diaphragm; it all comes down to amplitude fluctuating over time. Visualize the reels turning on a tape deck as marking time, and the meters monitoring amplitude. Our brain does the 3-D work, not the playback system. Loudness is varying over time. It's that simple.

Speaker Problems: 1. Speakers typically have 30 dB less dynamic range capability in the deep bass range than they do in the midrange. 2. Speakers typically offer the listener less than 2 dB of channel separation in the far field, compared to the 6-7 dB that a listener would naturally experience in a free field. 3. Speaker clarity is related to the percentage of direct to diffuse sound arriving at the listener. If we consider the direct sound from a speaker as signal and reflected sound as noise, then a typical loudspeaker’s signal could be considered 6 dB into the noise floor at listener position! 4. Like microphones, loudspeakers suffer from proximity effects (sometimes called diffraction loss). This is particularly the case withsmaller speakers. All speakers sound somewhat different as the distance from the listener changes. Microphones often have some adjustment controls to counter this effect. Speakers typically do not. Speakers also receive differing amounts of boundary reinforcement as room sizes change. 5. Since transducers are of a mechanical nature, speakers typically introduce amplitude distortions of a magnitude greater than amplifiers. 6. Listening rooms are so positionally sensitive at low frequencies, that moving a loudspeaker (or listener) a mere 18” will typically introduce power response fluctuations of +/10 dB below 100 Hz. “Loudspeaker design is one of audio’s last frontiers. In a good modern component system, the sound produced will be determined almost entirely by the speakers, the room in which they are located, where they are placed within the room, and the recording itself.… If greater realism is to be attained, it will be through improvements at the two ends of the sound reproduction chain, the microphones and the loudspeakers.” — Michael Riggs, as Editor of High Fidelity (currently Editor-In-Chief of Audio)

Page 158


Legacy Solutions 1. By incorporating more piston area, FOCUS offers 9-12 dB more low frequency dynamic capability than its competitors. 2. Whisper’s differential technology provides 3-4 dB more separation than conventional designs. 3. Our co ntrolled directivity design improves this ratio by nearly 4 dB over conventional designs. 4. Our Steradian environmental processor allows adjustment for separation, proximity and room gain. 5. Increasing piston area prevents rising distortion as frequency decreases. Legacy speakers provide enough piston area to lower distortion levels to typically half that of the competition. 6. Whisper is 5 dB less sensitive to room placement than conventional designs.

The level of signal integrity that a loudspeaker delivers to the listener is dependent on how well the speaker tracks these changes in signal amplitude and how little it engages the listening room surfaces in the process. Any decent speaker today has relatively smooth frequency response on axis. Therefore, the most defining characteristics of a loudspeaker's "sound" are its directivity pattern, bandwidth and dynamic range capabilities. These areas are where loudspeaker designs tend to deviate the most from ideal linearity. Below, you'll find a list of problem areas remaining in loudspeaker designs. Next to this list you'll see examples of how Legacy has addressed these problem areas. Acoustics is by far the simplest science I've studied. There are no chemical reactions of concern, no significant thermal considerations in the working medium (air), no depletion of process elements

(unless you neglected to pay your electric bill), and no physical phase changes such as coalescence, vaporization, sublimation, or condensation. The wavelengths we are dealing with can be easily visualized and measured in feet or inches. Angstroms, microns or parsecs are not required. Yet, loudspeakers remain as strange and mysterious things to most folks - particularlyloudspeaker designers. While we've managed to gather little blocks of knowledge about how loudspeakers should function, rarely do speaker "designers" stack these blocks in a structured manner to take full advantage of what has been learned. Common sense tells me that loudspeakers with adequate piston area, high efficiency, and controlled radiation patterns directed at the listener will deliver better performance. Why should we wait for the other guy to catch on. Sometimes you have to swim upstream to get the job done. We'll continue to do just that at Legacy. You can count on it. ?

Page 159

Perry Marshall’s Manifesto on Solving Marketing Problems

This one tells the sales story of the business I’m in right now! This is the srcinal, uncut version of the book / audiobook I now call “Guerilla Marketing for Hi-Tech Sales People.” It’s called “21 Secrets of High Impact, Low Cost Marketing” and it’s been put in the hands of thousands of people. It’s also earned rave reviews from all kinds of people and helped me sell a lot of toolkits and consulting. The key question here, as with any other paper or report, is the balance between meaty content and commercial interests. In this case, it’s even more delicate, because if I tell ‘em too much, nobody will buy anything. After all, I’m selling information. The way I handle this issue is to focus more on principles than techniques. Nevertheless I err on the meaty side and it’s really the best way to go, even here. You should read this completely, because everything you see here is, all by itself, a valid chapter in this whole White Papers course.


Page 160

21 Secrets of Highly Effective, Results Accountable Marketing How to Eliminate Cold Calls & Wasted Advertising Dollars By Perry S. Marshall 21 Pri ncip les that eliminate sales resistance, acquire new custo mers, bring new techno logy to ch ange- resista nt m arket s, a nd crea te enormous amounts o f fre e publicity

Perry S. Marshall & Associates Marketing & Lead Generation Systems for Technical Sales

© 2002 Perry S. Marshall and Associates www.perrymarshall.com 1508 Ridgeland Avenue Berwyn, IL 60402-1445 USA Phone +1 (708)788-4461 FAX (708)788-4599

Page 161

A message from the author

You’re about to learn about twenty-one powerful ideas that permanently changed my life for the better. The word “Paradigm Shift” is the only wayto describe this radically different understanding of the sales andmarketing process. What you’re about tohear represents a significant departure from conventional thinking, but it is absolutely provably superior to the oldschool method of selling. I’m going to challenge you with some new ideas today, andI invite you to be open-minded and toreally think as I discuss them with you. These ideas will make sense and you’ll intuitively know that they’re true. It’s very important to recognize thedifference between aprinciple and a technique. A technique is a “trick” that you use to get something done, something that works in a very specific situation. A principle, however, is something that’s universally true, something that transcendsany particular company or circumstance. Today we’re going to talk about principles, not techniques. That means that not only does this information apply to my business, it applies to your business, and every other business. Secondly, that means this information will be just as true 20years from now as it is today. Businesses are failing today because they are ignoring principles and trying to replace them with techniques. If you’re struggling to bring a product tomarket, if you’re working harder than you know you should, then pay attention. These 21 powerful secrets have changed my life forthe better, and will change yours, too. Perry S. Marshall Abo ut Perry S. Ma rshall

In four years, Perry Marshall went from being a rank-and-file salesman in Chicago to helping create a high tech success story in the capital equipment and semiconductor component business. He joined a small consulting firm as National Sales Manager and reinvented the company twice, from zero name recognition in aquasi-startup product business toover 2000% growth. He applied his unique marketing system to producing over 100 pages of press exposure in a single year, more sales leadscredibility than the sales could effectively handle, massive amounts upon of website traffic, andfirm enormous in theteam company’s chosen market niche. He departed the sale of the to a publicly traded NASDAQ company for an eight-figure transaction price, and his system continues to generate business there to this day. Today Perry Marshall is anauthor, speaker andconsultant in Chicago. His company, Perry S. Marshall & Associates, develops marketing and lead generation systems for high-tech Original Equipment Manufacturers who sell cutting edgetechnology to business. His clients seek his counsel on product andmessage definition and their sales process. This extends to advertising, publicity, and relationships with the media. Mr. Marshall has been published in over a dozen magazines and trade journals, including Control Engineering, InTech, Sensors Magazine, Electronic Component News, and Voice Coil, and is author of The Industrial Ethernet Pocket Guide, published by ISA press.

Page 162

Guerilla Ma rketing for Hi-T ech Sales Peop

le

1. The old fashioned sales routine of cold calls, telemarketing, pounding the pavement, knocking on doors, ignoring “No Solicitors” signs and trying to visit people who don’t want to see you is DEAD.

I spent nearly ten years of my life making unsolicited calls and visits, trying to beat down doors and windows, climbing over barbed wire fences, burning up shoe leather, and inventing excuses to go see people who didn’t want to see me. Can you relate to this?: You call the guy on the phone: “Hi, I’m going to be in the area next Tuesday and I was hoping I could drop by and see you…” as though you being in his neighborhood constituted any sort of reason for him to change his plans for that day. You only get one chance to make a first impression. If the customers’ first impression of you is that you’re just another sales guy who wants to take away his precious time, then you’ve got one foot in the grave before you’ve even started. Prospecting = Obsolete Sales Technology

If you don’t remember anything else from our time together, remember this: that type of selling is obsolete. Dead. Ancient technology. Irrelevant. It’s like vinyl records, 8 track tapes, carburetors and Disco. Now Vinyl records still have their place in the world; some audio fanatics still think they sound better than CD’s. There are still swap meets where 8 track tape aficionados smoke weed and remember the ‘70’s. There’s probably still a carburetor shop in the town where you live, and as far as Disco is concerned… well, you never know. But no sane person is going to build any kind of real business on those things. There are going to be times when you need to pick up the phone and find someone who will see you. But that should be the exception, never the rule. And if you’re building your business on old fashioned, outdated, manual labor grunt work, then you’re violating every trend. Which means you’re wasting huge amounts of time and money, antagonizing potential customers and missing out on very significant opportunities. Ten years ago, a visionary woman named Faith Popcorn wrote a book called The Popcorn Report. She said the trend in the 1990's was ‘Cocooning’—which basically means people don't want to be bothered! There’s no question, if they were "cocooning" ten years ago, then today they're locking themselves in a fortress! Some people hide behind their computer, reading their e-mails all day long, but won't even answer the telephone. You’ve probably got a lot of customers just like that, don’t you? If you’re going to effectively sell to them, you’re going to have to find a way to get invited – not as an unwelcome pest, but as a welcome guest. Who Finds Who First is Very, Very Important!

Imagine these scenes. It could be any two situations where there's a buyer and a seller... Scene 1: A buyer has a problem and needs to solve it. You get lucky and just happen to call the buyer

that same day. The buyer was on your 'list' and you were able to show him a solution to that very problem. Scene 2: Same buyer. Has the same problem and needs to solve it. He starts keeping an eye out for a

solution. Talks to a friend, or notices an ad, or looks in the yellow pages, reads an article in a magazine – and hears about you. Calls you on the phoneto see if you can help. Which situation is most typical for you? Which one do you like more? Scene 1 or scene 2? Well, unless you enjoy making phone calls that are uncomfortable both for you and the guy on the other end of the line, you'd rather be living in scene #2, wouldn't you? Of course you would. But there’s another factor that's very, very important: In scene 2, you A the chance of getting the buyer's business as you d o in scene 1.

LSO have TWICE

Page 163

Why? Because the buyer found you first. In scene #1 you were prospecting. In scene #2 you were positioning yourself. The buyer naturally has more respect for you in scene #2 because everyone knows you must climb the mountain to find the guru. Gurus don't come down from the mountain hunting for disciples. Who calls who first is very, very important. This leads to the next important principle: 2. A prospect who “finds” you first is more likely to buy from you, than if you find him.

Has your medical doctor ever called you on the phone during dinnertime, asking if you might be looking for help fighting a flu bug? He doesn't find you, you find him. And when you do see him, he tells you what medicine you need you take it. he opinion. says youAnd needmost surgery, seek a second opinion, you're willingtototake payand good money for Ifthat likelyyou youmight end up taking the advice, no but matter how painful or inconvenient it is. Do your customers respect you as much as they respect their doctor? Why not? They don't know him any better than they know you. His diagnosis of problems are not correct more often than yours is. You went to school. You have expertise. You know how to solve difficult problems. So what's the difference? Positioning vs. Prospecting

The difference is positioning. The doctor is perceived to be an expert, so you seek his counsel. You believe what he has to say while your premiums go up every year. The truth is, the medical industry knows things about marketing and positioning that most people in our industry are simply ignorant of. Most people just imitate their competitors, and everyone just gets dumber every year. In the world of corporate sales, people are still doing things the exact same way as they did 20, 30 or even 50 years ago! And they consume enormous amounts of effort! But when you replace manual labor with automation, the difference is dramatic. The Decoy of Sales Motivation

I endured a bitter struggle with this before I finally figured it out. I thought the problem was that I wasn’t motivated enough. I listened to tapes constantly. I learned the Power of Positive Thinking. I smiled everywhere I went and shook people’s hands. I remembered their names. I chatted with them about golf and fishing and their grandkids and the plaques in their office. I looked at myself in the mirror every morning and said “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggonit, people like me.” Isn’t that pretty much what most salespeople learn how to do? Believe great things, be nice to people, work like a banshee and think positive, until success sweeps you off your feet and your bank account is filled with cash? Stop and think about it for a minute. Does it really work? That’s what I did, and I was working very hard at it. But it wasn’t working, and every month I was falling further and further behind. You can only do that for so long before something finally gives. And I knew I was close to the breaking point. “Motivation is NOT your real problem”

But I remember exactly when and where I found the answer I was looking for. It was May 7, 1997. I was at an-all day sales seminar in Peoria, Illinois, where I was, once again, trying to get more motivated. I had robbed Peter to pay Paul, just so I could be there that day. They had all kinds of speakers who were going to motivate me to achieve great things in my career. But the last speaker of the day did not talk about motivation at all. He talked about how to bolt a marketing turbocharger on the front end of your sales organization, so that your customers would call you instead of you having to call them. He said if you had a steady stream of qualified prospects to talk to, you wouldn’t have a motivation problem in the first place.

Page 164

Now I’d be lying to you if I told you that this speech instantly solved all of my problems. But it WAS the tip of the real iceberg. It radically, permanently changed my perspective on the entire problem and finally pointed me in the right direction. I eventually realized that this whole motivation thing was a huge decoy. Why? Because I was already motivated to begin with. The problem was, I was trying to dig a basement with a shovel when I really needed a bulldozer. I didn’t need to be more motivated! Why? Because no matter how motivated you are, the laziest guy in the world can still move more dirt with a borrowed bulldozer than you can with a shovel!

I went on a mission to study the most brilliant minds in marketing today, across dozens of industries and professions. And what I discovered was that with a good marketing system, you can have people lined up to have you help them solve their problems. You can be a welcome guest instead of an unwelcome pest.

Why My Sales Career Was So Miserable

I began to understand why the old way was not working. In hindsight, these were the problems: The companies I was selling for did have marketing and advertising budgets. And they certainly did attempt to generate sales leads. But here’s the problem: Most technical, i ndu strial a nd

·

business-to-busin ess marketing and pub licity is simp ly terrible. Aby smal. Everyone ju s t c o p ie s ev er y o n e el s e, an d th e w h o le in d u s tr y g et s d u m b er an d d u m b er ev er y y ea r.

The sales leads were low quality and there wasn’t nearly enough of them. If you’re going to get better results than everyone else, you’re going to have to do something different. You shouldn’t spend your time prospecting any more than absolutely necessary. Your time is too valuable and expensive. You should only spend time with qualified, interested potential clients, discussing your solutions to their problems. A goo d marketing syste m, which

·

helps customers find the sale sman, can do this for far less money than paying the salesman to find the customers. My problem was that I was spending so much time

prospecting, I didn't have time to sell. Once an effective marketing system is in place, you can spend twice as much time in

·

front of interested customers and double your income.

There's a hidden benefit to this: When the customer finds you, instead of you finding the customer, his perception of you is different. He perceives you as a consultant, not a peddler. Customers don't respect peddlers as reliable information sources. I was improperly positioned as a 'peddler' and could never accomplish what I was trying to achieve.

·

Over time I discovered an arsenal of powerful tools that cause people to see you as a "valuable resource" instead of "unwanted pest." Each customer has a unique category for you in his mind, and you’re no longer “just another salesman.” 3. A true marketing and publicity system delivers a predictable number of quality sales leads to you every day, month after month, year after year, so your salespeople only spend time with people who already understand what you do and who have proactively asked you to help them solve their problem.

Our entire modern world is only possible because we can automate many things. If new cars were assembled by hand instead of machines, they would cost $100,000 instead of $20,000. If we used Pony Express to deliver mail, each letter you send would cost $100 instead of 34 cents. A finely-tuned marketing system is automated. It’s like a machine used in manufacturing: If you power it up and put raw material in one end, it produces qualified results – prospects – on the other end, predictably and reliably, around the clock. Every day when you walk into the office you know it will produce new potential customer relationships for you to cultivate.

Page 165

A Website Can Sell on Autopilot: 24/7/365

One of my most interesting successes early on was creating a web page that sold a product on the Internet. It was a four page sales letter that used those time-tested marketing formulas to move my customer from mere casual interest all the way to typing in their credit card information and ordering the product online. There was no phone number where they could call and ask for more information, and no email address. The website had to do all the work by itself. That web page has hardly been changed in three years, and it is still successfully selling that product to one out of every twenty-five visitors. It literally runs like clockwork, a selling machine that works on autopilot. You can’t do much better than that, can you? The product and the website together are like an annuity that works for me 24/7/365 and puts money in my bank account month after month with 55% gross profit – all with no maintenance and no annoying phone calls. Wouldn’t you like your business to run that way? Wouldn’t you like your sales process to be a machine that runs on autopilot, constantly generating leads or sales orders whether you’re awake or asleep, whether you’re in the office or on the golf course? Sales Leads on Autopilot, 24/7/365

I’m here to tell you that your business CAN run that way. Now please understand, if you sell two million dollar printing presses, nobody’s going to order one from your website with their VISA card, as though it were a $12 book on Amazon.com. However, you CAN get lots of quality sales leads for that printing press, the exact same way, if you know how to do it. Make no mistake: Once you have a system like that in place, your life as a sales professional will change for the better – forever. You will NEVER go back to the old way of selling again! When you have that kind of marketing machine working for you, you’ll make more money, have less stress, experience less month-to-month variation in your sales numbers; your sales people will be more motivated, you’ll attract reps and resellers and get more mind share from your sales people because they don’t have to work nearly as hard to get appointments. Autopilot: Not a Fantasy, But A Necessity

“Marketing on autopilot” is not some fantasy or theoretical ideal. It is a the cornerstone of literally thousands of businesses and it quite literally is the difference between failure and success for many people. If you look around at all the really successful people you know, they all have systems that work for them when they’re playing or working on other projects. Maybe it’s their stock portfolio, growing their money year after year. Maybe it’s real estate income, maybe it’s their employees and the businesses they own. But in any case, they’re not using manual labor. If you can make the transition from manuallabor grunt work sales to marketing on autopilot, you’ve literally built a foundation for business success. Do you or your sales people spend 50% of their time prospecting for new business? There are millions of sales professionals who spend most of their waking hours doing just that. It’s even worse for brand new salespeople, who often spend 80-90% of their time doing prospecting and cold call grunt work. Believe me, I’ve done it. And it was tragically wasteful. What would happen to your commission checks if you could end the never-ending battle with voice mail and eliminate the time wasted getting past gatekeepers and setting up appointments? What if you spent all that time in front of qualified prospects instead? Wouldn’t you double your sales and your income? Convert that wasted prospecting and grunt work time to productive sales time. Generate a steady flow of interested prospects who call you and want you to help them, and make sure your sales people are spending 90% of their time in front of those prospects. You’ll make twice as much money and cut your stress level in half! Eliminate the Stomach Churning Misery of Cold Calls and Rejection

There are several other huge benefits to this, by the way: first, the life of your sales people dramatically changes for the better. The stomach churning rejection and constant stream of no, not interested… not today… call me in three months… you’ll have to talk to the purchasing department about

Page 166

that… all that goes away. It’s far less tempting to procrastinate when you know that everyone you call on the phone is at least somewhat interested in having your help in solving a problem. It’s a lot easier to roll out of bed in the morning when you know that when you get to the office every day, you’re going to have a number of hot leads on your desk that have come in via the website, email, fax machine or voice mail, people who understand what you do and are waiting for you to help them solve their problem. Second, it’s easier to attract and keep good sales people, whether they work directly for you or if they’re commissioned representatives or resellers. Now if you sell a cutting edge, high tech product, then despite the fact that it’s cool and sexy, it’s probably very hard to sell. The world has an overabundance of neat products that nobody feels compelled to use. This forces small, innovative companies to do backbreaking missionary work to sell that neat new product. This is the #1 reason why hi tech companies go out of business – the cost of acquiring new customers is simply too high. Getting Those “Lazy” Distributors to Go Sell Something

Have you ever tried to get your distributors to sell a bleeding edge “missionary work” type of product? It’s like nailing jello to the wall. You can’t get a distributor who’s making maybe 20% gross profit to stock and promote a product that nobody’s eager to buy. It just doesn’t make business sense for him to do so. A lot of manufacturers think it’s just because those distributors are lazy. They think, “These guys are all bozos! They just don’t understand how great our product really is!” No, actually it’s because they’re too smart. They’ve fallen for that before, probably more than once, and they’re not going to do it again. They work on commission; they’ve got car payments and a mortgage. And they don’t like eating baloney sandwiches and ramen soup. So if you have a cool, sexy, cutting edge, high tech product, and if you use my lead generation system, then you won’t have any problem getting serious potential customers to raise their hands and express interest in that product. The system will educate those prospects at very low cost before you make any significant investment in them, and you’ll be certain that they’re pre-disposed to buy before you get in your car and go see them. Your Marketing System Can Protect You From Lousy Prospects

Please listen very carefully: You should not visit anybody, unless on a scale from 1 to 10, they’re at least a five in terms of “likely to give you their money.” Personally, I ain’t even calling a customer on the phoneunless they’re a 5 and they’ve called me first. And I’m not going to actually, physically go see them unless they’re a 7 or 8. You can actually have such a wide funnel that captures so many leads and interested prospects that you then devise second, third and fourth steps in your marketing system that further separates the diamonds from the dirt. You can even make prospects jump through hoops to talk to you, if necessary. A built in feature of a true marketing system is that it qualifies leads for you so you can determine the quality of each lead with a high degree of accuracy. Then you can actually adjust the size of the bottom of your funnel as business conditions change, and literally regulate your sales volume from one quarter to the next. If you’ve got plenty of sales leads that are 4’s, 5’s, 6’s 7’s and 8’s coming in every day – and the occasional 9 or 10 – then you’ll find that VARs, reps, and even your own sales people are much more eager to go see those customers, because they know those customers are genuinely interested. 4. Your marketing & sales message must effectively answer the following four questions: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Why should I Why should I Why should I Why should I

rea d or l isten to you? believe what you have to say? do anything a bout what you’re offe ring? act now?

Page 167

These are very basic questions, but few sales people can fire back fast answers to any of them. There are all kinds of companies who are the greatest in the world, but can’t give you a really solid explanation of what they do or why it matters. Your precise answer to these four questions is your Unique Selling Position. You must have this message clearly defined and focused. It must be written down and you must be able to repeat it in the middle of the night when your spouse wakes you from a deep sleep . Everything you do should answer those questions in a consistent way, whether directly or indirectly. This goes hand in hand with the next principle, which is: 5. Every time you communicate with your customer, you should reinforce the core ingredients of your sales message.

People forget. It’s never good enough to say something just once. Once your prospects have contacted you, they should regularly get things from you that reinforce what you told them the first time, and every time you talk to them, you must communicate your core sales message. It’s easy to get tired of constantly saying the same thing all the time, and it’s easy to stop doing things that work just because you get bored with them. But you must resist this temptation and consistently, persistently reinforce that message. Your message will never be consistent unless everyone in the company agrees on what it is. If you change your message every month, you’ll never get real traction in the marketplace because customers will have only a vague idea of what you do. 6. You are in the best negotiating position with customers when your marketing generates “deal flow” which exceeds your capacity.

Have you ever taken one of those negotiating classes? Who has the most power in a negotiation? It’s the person who has the most options. If your customer has more options than you, then he’s in charge. He can dictate the price and the terms of the deal. I’ve spent a fair amount of time doing deals in Detroit, and it’s ugly. There are ten potential suppliers and only one General Motors. The pricing is cut throat and everyone gets squeezed real hard. You don’t want to be in that situation, and you don’t have to be. If your marketing system delivers good leads to you every day, you’re far less concerned about each deal than if you have to dig them up by hand. And that’s good, because a customer who senses you don’t need him is more likely to buy from you than if you have to beg. An effective marketing system solves a number of very difficult business problems: ·

You have enough “deal flow” that you can choose customers who match your capabilities, rather than taking whoever you can get.

·

You have more negotiating power because you can safely “walk away from a deal.”

·

Clients have more respect for you because you didn’t “chase them down.”

·

·

·

·

You can anticipate variations in your available capacity and revenue stream and open up or tighten your sales funnel as necessary, rather than scrambling at the last minute. You don’t have to alter your manufacturing process or systems to accommodate customers whose needs don’t match your capabilities. Your time with customers is spent productively, because when they call you, they already understand exactly what you do, what’s unique about you and how you can help them. You are able to focus on the nuances of solving your customers’ problems and building personal relationships with them, rather than worrying about whether or not you can close a deal.

7. Marketing is far more systematic and formulaic, than creative

Page 168

Most people in hi tech sales have some sort of technical background and are sometimes engineers who’ve transitioned into a sales role. Many of you own consulting practices, integration companies and service firms, and for you, selling is a necessary evil. Teaching an Technical Person to Sell

The career transition to sales can be a very difficult one, and it often fails. Especially when it is “real” sales, not customer service or tech support --- as in prospecting for new business every day, navigating the complexities of the customer’s organization, dealing with difficult decision makers and actually getting hard purchase orders. It simply is not enough to understand the technical merits of your product. You also must understand the psychology of the sales process and the emotional reasons and motivations that cause people to do what they do. The human side of this equation comes much more naturally to some people than to others. When I went from engineering to sales, I already knew how to dial for dollars, make cold calls and secure appointments – which is ironically what I now teach my clients not to do! But other aspects of the sales process just mystified me. My Friend, the Uneducated Sales Wonder Boy

I had this job at a manufacturer’s rep firm and there was this guy I worked with who was the top salesman in the company. He was personally handling almost ten million of dollars of business at anywhere from 2 to 10% commission, which meant he was easily making several hundred thousand dollars a year. He was selling to some of the biggest companies in Chicago, a fiercely competitive market, in some very competitive product categories. For example, he sold printed circuit boards. In case you’re not familiar, there are literally hundreds of companies who sell circuit boards, but this guy had exclusive contracts with some of his customers, usually at higher prices than some other vendor just down the street. What was really amazing about my friend was that not only was he extremely successful, he hadn’t gone to college, only had a high school diploma, his writing skills were absolutely terrible, he could barely spell and he was a very non-technical person. But none of this seemed to matter. His intuition and ability to think on his feet made up for all that. He would say amazing things to customers that I could never get away with saying. His skill set was the exact opposite of mine, and it was pretty obvious that his skills were helping him sell more than my skills were helping me sell. I desperately needed to know what he knew. I watched him as closely as I possibly could, and what was really frustrating was that he really couldn’t teach me his thinking process. He couldn’t seem to explain what he did or why he did it, he just did it. Meanwhile here I am, furiously searching for a success secret so I can put some money in my checking account and pay for my baby girl’s diapers. How Does a Technical Guy Get the Hang of This, Anyway?

So how does a systematic, technical guy learn those important nuances of the sales process? Well you usually won’t learn it from a ‘natural born salesman’ like my friend at the rep company, because he doesn’t know how to teach you. People who do things that naturally are usually poor teachers. That’s why it’s almost impossible to learn anything from most college professors. However, you can learn it from someone who ‘learned it the hard way’ – someone like me. I say that because I did learn those things. I struggled to learn every bit of it, but I eventually got my arms around this. I actually learned it from people who write highly effective advertising. One of the great misconceptions in business today is that sales and marketing are two different disciplines. This is 100% wrong. Marketing and sales are much closer to each other than most people think, and the separation of the two is the cause of many huge problems. Show me a company with sales on the first floor and marketing on the fourth floor, and I’ll show you a company that’s spending millions of dollars on irrelevant marketing campaigns while the sales people are dialing for dollars to make their numbers every month.

Page 169

You Can Sell With Proven Formulas That Work Again and Again

The good news is that technical people – and anyone else, for that matter – can become very skilled at sales, marketing, and even advertising, once they learn the core principles and formulas. This also means you can take templates and examples that others have used, which are included in my system, and easily adapt them to fit your product or service. You need not, and in fact should not, rest invent the wheel. What worked in 1925 and 1967 still works in the 21 century, because human nature has not changed and never will. As you fine-tune this process over time, you can achieve a level of effectiveness that frustrates and baffles your competitors, because they are not privy to your formula or system. Most of them will think and operate like the rest of the herd – they’ll continue to use the same inefficient, obsolete image advertising / dial for dollars and shoe leather sales formula that simply doesn’t work – and they really won’t understand what you’re doing at all. 8. Advertising is “selling in print.”

Advertising and marketing are selling in print. There should be no fundamental difference between the message in your ads, brochures, website, newsletters, press releases and white papers, and what you tell your customers face to face. If there is a difference, it’s usually because marketing lives in an ivory tower, the ads are written by some agency in LA, and sales has to ignore everyone else in order to get their job done. And oh, by the way, the disconnect between marketing and sales is also a symptom of a bunch of departments who have no collective agreement on what the company’s message really is. But more about that later. If you’re going to successfully sell in print, you need to study the people who make their living by doing just that. And that’s why my discovery of response-based marketing was so crucial. There is an entire industry called response-accountable direct marketing, which I have spent years of my life intensely studying. No person in marketing can afford to not understand the direct marketing industry, but 95% of marketing people have no clue. Who Really Knows How to Sell in Print?

A direct marketing company, by definition, is a company that sells without sales people. Direct marketing companies are the best kind of companies to study, because they’re the only companies who can prove what they got for those dollars. Most companies cannot prove that their marketing works at all, and if you copy them, you’re just following people who are following people who are lost. Response-accountable direct marketing is used to successfully sell almost every conceivable kind of product, from industrial control systems and medical equipment to electronic components to diet plans and magazine subscriptions and the high tech gadgets in those airline catalogs. Now when I say “direct marketing” I’m not talking about how the product is physically delivered to the customer. They can buy it at Wal-Mart for all I care. Direct Marketing simply means: Communicating to the customer in a personal way and asking them to do something. It’s always measurable, and real practitioners always measure it. Therefore it’s really the only kind of marketing that’s rigorous and scientific. It truly separates the men from the boys. True response-based marketing is much more formulaic than creative!

Most people think that advertising people have some esoteric formula for hypnotizing people as they flip through the pages of a magazine or channel-surf on TV. You may imagine that they have some magical, profound wisdom about human psychology that is beyond the realm of mere mortals. People just assume that most advertising must somehow, magically, make people buy stuff. There’s very little truth in this. The Ad Agency Racket

Page 170

I’m going to talk about ad agencies for a minute, and some of this may offend you. And while there are certainly some good agencies out there, most deliberately avoid doing anything that allows their work to be measured. Many ad agency people are really misplaced creative types that should be selling pottery and paintings in craft shows and coffee shops. They have no business selling your product or company to your customers. The fundamental reason for this is that most of them have never, ever had to sell for a living, and in fact most of them think they’re above it. They’ve never been in a situation where if they don’t get the purchase order this month or sell the lady the vacuum cleaner or cookware, they’ll be buying their groceries on Visa next week. So when you see an ad or billboard with some bizarre picture mated with an obtuse slogan and a short, vague message about how xyz company will make you cool, don’t be fooled into thinking it works, because it may not work at all. The Lie About Advertising That 95% Buy Into

Then the agency tells the client The Great Lie: “Advertising cannot be measured. You can’t quantify this or count how many leads come in, that would be very misleading. You just have to get your name out there so people have heard of you when you call them.” And the customer doesn’t have a clue whether the ad really works or if it’s just wasted money. At this point you might be thinking, “Well the advertising guy at least has to sell his advertising services.” No, it’s his salesman that sells the advertising, which further illustrates the problem. Have you ever noticed that ad agencies don’t advertise? Here’s a little experiment: Grab your Yellow Pages book and look up “advertising agencies.” How many ads for ad agencies do you see? Here in Chicago, the number is ZERO. Zip. Nada. They all hire telemarketers and sales people who dial for dollars and pound pavement. They literally knock on doors. So why would you want to buy advertising from a guy who knocks on doors? Fundamentally what the ad agency appeals to is your ego. As long you don’t rigorously hold his advertisements accountable for black-and-white, bottom-line, dollars and cents results, then all he has to do is create pretty ads that make your company “look good”, whatever that means. Sucking up to the Client

He creates stuff that tells everyone how fantastic your company is and strokes your ego and the ego of the VIP’s, who all think it’s great. You can all play golf and congratulate each other on how beautiful the new ad campaign is. But your prospects and customers couldn’t care less. It’s all puffery and meaningless chest beating. And that’s how some artsy ad guy, who couldn’t sell a loaf of bread in a concentration camp, manages to bill big corporations for hundreds of thousands of dollars and keep them happy, despite the fact that those ads may not actually sell anything. Advertising a Mass Market Commodity vs. Technical Specialty

Am I saying that Nike and The Gap and Budweiser are all run by a bunch of yo-yos who are pouring their ad money down the drain? No, I’m not. But these companies sell very simple commodity products that must compete in a broad consumer market, and image is king in that world. You do not live in that world. You are in a technical specialty. So while advertising promotes your brand, it can and should do far more than that. It should educate your customers and position you as an expert at a known Return On Investment. Why Ad Agencies Don’t Advertise

If you want to learn more about this, you’ll enjoy one of the tapes in my system. It’s called “Why advertising agencies don’t advertise” and it’s an intriguing exposé of the shell games and sleight of hand that’s used in one of the world’s most wasteful and deceptive industries. But truly effective advertising is not done that way. Effective advertising nearly always follows time-tested formulas that work again and again and again. It’s very systematic and easily learned by people who have technical and business backgrounds. Creating a marketing message that is well

Page 171

understood, and getting that message to cut through the clutter and noise of the marketplace is a lot less mystical than you may think. Once you understand the formulas, most of which have been used by very successful companies for a century or more, and once you understand why those formulas continue to work, you will have mastered the most difficult elements of the sales process. How a Technical Guy Learned How to Write Great Ads & Give Great Presentations

That’s exactly how I learned the organic nuances of selling. I learned them from the old masters of response-based advertising and direct marketing. I learned some of my most valuable methods from books that have been out of print for thirty or forty years! These old masters explained to me the things that my friend, the #1 salesman at the company could not – by breaking them down into formulas that could be put into an ad, press release, sales letter, brochure or web site. You can use well-proven methods to design a marketing system that works for you by making sure that your sales process works the same way in print as it would work live in person. Your website, sales letter, or brochure has to interact with the customer’s emotional hot buttons and inner motivations and persuade him or her to take action. Technical and business people relate to logical systems and processes, and that’s exactly how a good marketing system really works. It is NOT some wild creative voodoo that’s only understood by people who practice Feng Shui and meditative chants. It is not fundamentally about “image” or “branding.” It is about telling your own unique sales story in a way that matches the wants, needs, loves, hates and fears of YOUR customers. 9. What other people say about you (publicity, referrals and testimonials) is infinitely more believable and less expensive than what you say about yourself (conventional advertising).

This is why advertising isn’t enough – effective publicity is a vital part of any marketing campaign. You can leverage the power of your existing customers and the media to tremendously increase the impact of your marketing message by making it far more credible. Let’s start with the simple press release. Most companies do an absolutely terrible job with this. You can’t begin to imagine the quantity of pure drivel that rolls off of editors fax machines and mail slots every day. Most press releases are poorly written, vague and pompous all at the same time. The Amazing Power of a Great Press Release

Creating a press release does not have to be difficult or complicated, yet a really good one can do amazing things. Once I sent a press release that generated over 200 sales leads from just one trade magazine. These were quality leads, too, because almost every information request came via email. The product we were selling cost well over $1000, and that press release got us into three Fortune 500 companies and many other smaller ones. The best part is, it cost absolutely nothing. Had it been an advertisement, the same amount of space in that particular magazine would have cost six thousand dollars and it wouldn’t have worked nearly as well because it would have been an ad. When I left my post as a corporate employee, one magazine editor, who works at one of the oldest and largest technical trade journals, sent me the following note: Perry, it's been a pleasure working with you. I know you'll be a success at whatever you turn your hand to (although I'll admit to a certain sinking feeling at the thought of one of the few, the proud, the savvy PR people I know leaving me at the tender mercies of people who write bad press releases and then call me up and whine at me...) Anyway, the best of luck to you and don't be a stranger. In my system I teach you the art of writing highly effective press releases, and how to integrate free publicity into all the other things you do, so that synergy exists between all of your marketing systems. Another important skill the system teaches is exactly what kind of relationship you should seek to develop with magazine editors, how they see you and how you should see them.

Page 172

A Real Marketing System is Multi-Faceted

By the way, it’s important to mention that a marketing system is never just one thing. It’s not just advertising, or direct mail, or publicity, or referrals. It’s the combination of all those things working together. I have a friend who helps dentists bring more patients into their practices. He always tells them, “I don’t know one way to get you thirty new patients a month, but I do know thirty ways to bring you one new patient a month.” And that’s the best way I know todescribe how a really good system works. Testimonials are extremely powerful, and a collection of great testimonials is one of the most powerful things you can possibly have. The problem is, especially in Business-to-Business sales, they’re very hard to get. That’s because nobody wants their competitors to know that your product is part of their success formula. Well I’ve learned a trick to getting testimonials that works almost every time, and you’ll find it in my system. 10. Smart marketers know their numbers: How much a customer is worth, what they can afford to spend to get a customer, and the Return On Investment for each ingredient in their marketing mix.

Marketing projects / dollars must be measurable and accountable for ROI just like every other aspect of your business. If you called up your stock broker and said “how much is IBM selling for today?” what would you think if he said “Oh, it’s been doing really well,” but dodged your questions every time you wanted a specific answer? You’d fire him in a heartbeat. You want to know exactly how much the stock is worth, in dollars and cents. That’s the only way you know if you’re making money or not. The same applies to the operation of any aspect of your business – production, sales and customer service. The Numbers You Must Know to Be a Smart Marketer

Well if you want to make your marketing just as accountable as your stock portfolio, you’re going to have to answer tough questions. How much does it cost to get a new customer? How much does it cost to get a sales lead? How much does it cost to send a salesman to an appointment? How much did you spend on your advertising, direct mail and literature fulfillment and what was your Return On Investment? You may have heard the phrase, “I know half of my advertising dollars are wasted, I just don’t know which half.” A company like Coca-Cola that does image advertising of a mass marketed consumer product may have no choice but to accept that answer, but you can do much better than that. Many people are afraid to answer these tough questions, so they just ignore them. But getting down to the truth is very liberating, not only because it prevents you from wasting money, but it also tells you where your money is doing the most good, and where you should put more of it. A symptom of the problem is what happens to advertising budgets during lean times: They get slashed. Now does that make any sense at all? If advertising is where contact with new potential customers is initiated, why would you stop when business is slow? Wouldn’t you want to advertise even MORE? This should be a blazing red flag to everyone, a warning that they don’t know whether their advertising works or not. The Money-Making Secret of Having One Good Ad

Here’s a secret that people in the mail order business have known for decades: One really good ad in the right place can earn you money for years, with no changes or alterations. And when you use rigorous methods to identify advertising formulas that work, then you’re going to do as much of it as you possibly can. Maybe even more if you’re in a recession. Fundamentally what you’re looking for is advertising and marketing mechanisms that give you $2 for every $1 you put in. If advertising is the great hidden waste in corporate America, effective advertising

Page 173

is one of the great success secrets. It’s just like that website I mentioned earlier that sells for me all the time, even though I haven’t changed it in three years. Tapping this goldmine is a huge subject that gets extensive treatment in the system. And when you have a bunch of different media working for you – website, trade journals, direct mail, postcards and more – it’s ridiculously easy to make money. A surprising number of my clients have made the following statement to me: I hired a marketing consultant and spent $50,000, and he never really did anything.” There are probably a zillion possible reasons for this, but I believe it all comes down to the client not having a clear mandate that marketing must be held accountable for concrete results. How much money does it cost us to get a sales lead or a new customer? And how many more can you get by spending that money again? And what can you tweak so the results are even better next time? You Will Sell Yourself the Same Way I Sell Myself

It’s very important to point out that I teach my clients how to market themselves and their businesses the exact same way I market myself and my business. I use the same systems, the same mechanisms, the same techniques and the same criteria. How did you get your hands on this tape or CD? Either you found out about it through some kind of media or someone told you about it, but in any case it probably happened through means that can be replicated in other businesses and situations. My company didn’t contact you; you contacted my company. What you’re reading right now is not a thinly disguised promo. It’s productive information that you can work for you starting right now. I teach you to market yourself the same way I market myself: With results-accountable, response based marketing. And someday when we meet in person, you’ll respect me because you found me and I didn’t hunt you down, and because what I teach and what I do are consistent with each other. 11. All people make buying decisions based on emotion; therefore your marketing must use emotion to sell what people want, not what you think they “need” or want them to need.

Yes, this is really, actually true. Engineers, accountants, executives, attorneys, housewives, and ministers – PhD’s, delivery truck drivers and farmers – and butchers, bakers and candlestick makers – We all fundamentally make all of our decisions based on emotion, not logic. Logic supports our emotions and is used to justify our decisions after we have made them. Logic plays a part, but emotion is the core ingredient. Show me a product that people have little emotion for and I’ll show you a product that’s hard to sell or has very thin profit margins. Show me an ad or brochure that doesn’t provoke any emotion, and I can guarantee you that it doesn’t work. Some people think emotion has no place in business-to-business marketing. Those people are absolutely 100% totally dead wrong. You can use them to write instruction manuals and employee handbooks, but keep them out of your sales and marketing department. This sort of thinking is exactly why most business-to-business marketing is so dull. The Cardinal Sin in Marketing: Being Boring

The greatest sin in marketing is being boring. The world is a busy, cluttered place with advertisements and messages everywhere. If your message is boring, you don’t stand a chance. If you can’t think of anything exciting about your product, then get a different product. But don’t be boring. Please understand, there’s a difference between emotion and hype. Your message doesn’t need to sound like late night television in order to provoke emotion. You need to figure out what your customers love, and what they hate, what keeps them awake at night, what gives them ulcers and what catastrophic events they dread. You’ve got to know what aspects of their job they’re emotional about and design your products, services, and marketing to address those felt needs. All great leaders and managers, all great marketers, all great teachers and all great product designers learn how to harmonize with the emotions of the people they work with and turn them on and off at will. This of all things is the greatest and most profitable art form in marketing, and always will be.

Page 174

In my system there are dozens of examples of advertising and sales messages that are professional, believable and credible, yet illustrate the incredible power of emotional marketing. 12. You will capture the attention of your customers when you enter the conversation already taking place inside their heads .

One of the greatest mistakes companies make is developing products based on a “great idea.” My friend and fellow consultant Rob Olic used to be Marketing Director for small business development at the prestigious Wharton School in Pennsylvania. Every week he had entrepreneurs coming into his office, telling him “Man, my company developed this exciting new product that’s so good, it sells itself. I’ve got a warehouse full of these things, can you help me get rid of them?” Great ideas are a dime a dozen. Even well executed great ideas are on every street corner, but that doesn’t mean they’re successful in the marketplace. Winning products and marketing messages talk to people about things they’re already wanting and thinking about. They address irritations that have been lurking under the surface. They solve problems that people have been laying awake at night wondering about and worrying about. Several years ago I was working with a company whose “great idea” was scheduled delivery of household consumer products. The idea was that just when you were about to run out of something like taco shells or Kleenex or vitamins or peanut butter, the service would replenish your supply automatically. All you had to do was decide on a delivery schedule and you’d never have to think about those items again. It was a great idea because it was convenient for customers and it was an automatic revenue stream for the company. This looked very promising, but nobody was losing sleep because they might run out of toilet paper or shaving cream. Nobody was really thinking about this at all. It was a great idea from a salesman’s point of view but not from the customer’s point of view. It was a flop. I, and a lot of other people, lost money in that business. Why did it fail? Because that business did not enter the conversation that was already going on in customer’s heads. It didn’t harmonize with what they were already thinking about. A very practical example of this is marketing on the Internet. Search engines are a very, very powerful way to obtain new customers, and they’re practically free. They’ve brought me a thousands of customers over the years. If someone types in a specific phrase in a search engine and your product comes up in the first few entries, it’s free advertising. I’ve gotten boatloads of quality sales leads just exactly this way. But as we all know, it’s not as simple as just throwing some information on a website and waiting for the orders to start coming in. There has to be a precise match between the words your customer is typing in, and the content on your website. It’s a very strategic process and it requires that you know exactly what your customers are already looking for. That phrase that they type in Yahoo! or Google is part of the conversation in side their head. Tap into that conversation and your income will grow. 13. You will earn the trust of your customers when you talk to them the same way they talk to each other and themselves.

Americans think in English. Chinese people think in Mandarin. Mexican people think in Spanish. Auto mechanics think in terms of car parts and History teachers think in terms of history. Skateboarders think about skateboards and they use skateboarding words when they talk, even when they’re not talking about skating. There are thousands of tiny subcultures related to various professions, industries, hobbies, passions, cultures and geographies. Each one has its own language, customs and rules. You can be extremely effective selling to a group of people if you understand how they talk to each other. Then you can be one of them instead of being an outsider who’s trying to peddle something. If you deliver products that people truly want, and services that solve problems that they’re genuinely bothered about – AND talk to them about those things in the same language they use when they talk to each other – then sales resistance melts and disappears.

Page 175

14. Your marketing should deliver a concrete explanation and promises of tangible appealing value and specific calls to action; not catchy slogans, clever phrases, puns or abstractions.

Marketing and selling are much more alike than different. So when you’re writing ads, press releases, brochures or anything else that you do, you should always think in terms of what you would tell the person if you were sitting across the table from him. If you began a meeting with a huge potential prospect, would you open your conversation with a pun? Would tell him bizarre jokes and show him abstract pictures? NO. You would start by listening to her – making sure you understand the problems she’s facing and repeat them back to her to verify that you in fact understand what she wants and needs to change. You’d begin your presentation with an attention-getting statement backed up by features and their tangible bottom-line benefits, with as much proof as you could possibly produce. And when you got done, you would ask her to take some sort of action. Yes, Once Again: Marketing is “Selling In Print”

Why should your advertising and sales literature be any different? Most people will not relate to your attempts to be clever or funny. At the moment there are billboards all over Chicago with one of the stupidest ads I’ve ever seen in my life. It’s a picture of a guy sticking a fork in a toaster. It says “Bad idea. Kind of like changing your phone company.” Where’s the tangible appealing value? Where’s the specific call to action? There IS none. More than anything, it’s a temptation to switch to a company that doesn’t put up dumb billboards. If there’s any two people who deserve to be unemployed in the present economic turmoil, it’s the guy that came up with that billboard, and the guy who signed off on the whole thing. Don’t succumb to such ridiculous messages and schemes. Give people strong, solid, concrete reasons to do business with you and they will. 15. Customers should be spoken and written to in a conversational, layman’s tone of voice that strives to build trust, educate and persuade, rather than dazzle and impress.

Do you like to see impressive, amazing things? Do you like to witness jaw dropping, astonishing situations and events? Of course you do. Everybody does. And it only costs eight bucks. That’s right, for eight bucks you can go to a movie theatre and watch Bruce Willis or Arnold Schwarzenegger deliver two solid hours of stunning imagery, special effects, lighting, action and thrills, splashed across the big screen in blazing color and Dolby Surround Sound. These days, with a few thousand dollars of equipment, you can even get the same thing, maybe better, at home. Yes, people like to be impressed, and Hollywood thinks nothing of spending $100 million on a picture so they can give the people just what they want. And they do a great job of it. You Can’t Compete With Hollywood

But one of the worst things you can do is deliberately try to impress your customers. Why? Because you’re not Hollywood and you don’t have $100 million dollars. And impressing people is not your job. Your job is to help them solve problems and capitalize on new opportunities. Here’s what happens, almost on a subconscious level: When you try to impress, instead of building trust, educating and persuading, you immediately cause your customer’s guard to go up. He immediately stops believing you. This is a big, big mistake. Most companies are trying so hard to impress people, nobody can figure out what they do. More importantly, nobody cares how impressive you are. Nobody cares how many billions of dollars of assets some insurance company has. They’d much rather know that you will go to the mat for them when there’s a problem. They’d much rather know that you really care about their problems and that you want to help them.

Page 176

16. The most valuable asset you can own is a well-maintained customer database.

If your company writes software, then your source code is like the family jewels. You’ve probably got a safe somewhere in your building with that code locked inside, and if you’re smart you’ve also got copies at a remote location. Well if your product is that valuable, then how valuable are your customers? It’s easier to get a product than a customer. Therefore your customer list deserves even more reverence, security and protection than your product. That said, it’s simply amazing how many companies are sloppy about what is arguably their most valuable piece of intellectual property: Their customer database. That’s right, no matter what you do, what you make, or how smart you are, the most valuable thing you own is your list of customers. And the second most valuable thing you own is your list of prospective customers, those people who have expressed interest in your product or service. Do you capture the name, address, phone number and email address of everyone who calls you? Do you stay in contact with them, letting them know what’s new and always reinforcing your sales story every time you contact them? If your customer list is the most valuable thing you have, then maintaining it and growing it should be your number one priority. Just doing a good job of this will put you head and shoulders above the crowd. 17. Friends come and go but enemies accumulate. It’s much easier and less expensive to serve existing customers than to get new ones.

Your existing customers are the number one asset you have. Here’s a story about a company that’s has never figured that out. An Internet Tale of Woe

Last year I had an Internet Service provider for my website, who did a very nice job for a long time. I never had to think about them, because the site always worked right. But they started to have problems, and my entire website was down several times, two or three days at a time. I talked to my account rep, who apologized for the inconvenience and said he would help. But the problems didn’t go away. I decided to go above him. I sent the president some very angry emails. The only response: a voice mail from the same account rep, who offered to help again. At about this time I started getting direct mail pieces from this same company, inviting me to use their web hosting services. Clearly whoever sent this mailing did not know I was already an angry customer. I was furious. I called the company, closed the account and switched to a new hosting company. Meanwhile the direct mail pieces still kept coming, and by the way they said “Guaranteed 99.9% uptime” which if you do the math was a blatant lie. Even after I closed the account, they continued to try to draft my credit card for $50 per month. It took more emails and phone calls to straighten that out! And I still get mail from them every few months. Every time I get anything from them it makes me mad. And I swear I will never, ever do business with them again. Now here’s a company with good marketing, good use of direct mail, and good (though otherwise dishonest) advertising, who doesn’t know how to keep a customer happy. They only know how to replace angry customers with ignorant ones. Very, very dumb. And very expensive. We all know it would cost them a lot less money to do a good job for their existing customers than to acquire new ones, set them up, give them web addresses and passwords and transfer their files. It was certainly a major hassle for me to change and start over with a new vendor. Don’t Lose a Friend Over Incompetence and Apathy

Page 177

Friends come and go, but enemies accumulate. You can’t afford to lose a friend, especially over incompetence and apathy. Don’t let this happen to you. Take good care of your customers. Maintain a personal relationship with them. If you do a bad job at this, all the great marketing in the world will just put you out of business faster. Common sense knows better than to treat customers this way, but it’s still worth saying: In your rush to get new customers, don’t forget the old ones. And remember that most of your existing customers are unaware of your entire range of products and services. They need to hear your whole sales story just as much as everyone else does. 18. What you sell should be re-packaged and re-invented to differentiate it from competitive products and make apples-to-apples comparisons difficult or impossible.

The worst thing a business can do is be just like everyone else. And the worst reason your customer can have for buying your product is that it’s the cheapest. Live by cheapest price, die by cheapest price. There are many, many product categories that are commodity items. My definition of a commodity is something that can basically be bought and sold by the pound from a half dozen or more companies. The Pathetic Life of the Lowest Bidder

It’s easy to think customers only want the cheapest price, but that’s only true if nobody gives them a reason to pay extra and get more. Another Internet example: America On Line has done a very admirable job of packaging their service such that it can’t be directly compared to other Internet Service Providers. Features like AOL Instant Messenger have proprietary features that other providers can’t duplicate. AOL has always made it very easy to install their software and they’ve distributed their CD’s to just about every living creature in North America. This is how they’ve maintained a price over $20 while many of their competitors went broke trying to do it for free. Clever, Interesting Packages are not Commodities

Microsoft’s problem with the Federal government is very complex, but the whole debate about packaging Internet Explorer with Windows proves the power of bundling things together. This is so powerful for Microsoft that it had Netscape and all the other enemies of Microsoft screaming bloody murder. Many products and services commodities, and if yours are too, then you need to take drastic measures to change that. You need to learn from Microsoft and AOL and add value, add services, bundle things together and make it so that a true apples to apples comparison with some other brand is difficult or impossible. 19. People are cynical and will only believe what you can prove.

You and I must fundamentally understand the culture and times that we live in. Things change. Techniques that worked 10 years ago may not work now. Do you remember when Richard Nixon left office during the Watergate scandal? The entire nation was in shock that its very own President would tell a bald faced lie on television. Once the truth was known, he had no choice but to resign, because such behavior was totally unacceptable. Richard Nixon Loses & Slick Willie Wins

Fast Forward 24 years to the Clinton / Lewinsky scandal. Clinton was lying, and everyone knew he was lying, but Americans have so little trust for their leaders, and were so desensitized, that he managed to stay in office anyway. George Bush Sr. said “Read My Lips: No New Taxes” and somehow it didn’t seem all that surprising when he raised taxes anyway.

Page 178

Cynicism is at an all-time high. Trust is at an all-time low. And that is very bad for you. Some people might think it’s OK since perhaps they can get away with things they couldn’t before, but this is incorrect. It’s still bad, because true business relationships are always built on trust. What this means is: While you tirelessly go and tell your story every day, you must expect never to be believed the first time. And you must not expect anybody to believe anything you say unless you can prove it. Can what you say be proven? Can you offer a guarantee? Is there a way that you can lay it on the line and visibly demonstrate to your customer that you can deliver the goods? People may be cynical but they still crave trust. They still desperately want to have partners in business who will tell them the truth and keep their promises. If you can do this, you’ll keep your customers for a long time, and you’ll pick up a lot of customers from companies who do not keep their promises. This deserves some serious thought. In my full-marketing system, I show numerous examples of companies who have the cajones to prove that what they say is really true, lay it on the line and guarantee performance. 20. You will dramatically enhance your credibility as a sales person by authoring, speaking and publishing quality information on your field of expertise.

Don’t you hate going to see a customer when you know deep down that he really thinks you’re wasting his time? Don’t you hate being knowledgeable and sincere about your field of expertise but not being believed or trusted? Isn’t it frustrating to be thought of as “just another guy who sells xyz” when deep down you know your product is really superior? You want to be an invited guest, not an unwelcome pest. You want to be an expert problem solver, not an annoying peddler. You want to be a respected authority, not some suspicious car salesman in an ugly polyester suit. Here’s how you can gain extraordinary credibility. This is one of the greatest secrets to marketing success that you can possess. I hope you’re paying attention, because if you truly understand this simple concept, it will change your business life forever. It changed mine. This one principle will give you an edge over everyone else. Write books. Publish magazine articles. Produce white papers. Speak at conferences, organization meetings, trade showsand public events. Get yourself on talk shows. Get yourself quoted by other writers. Make sure magazine editors call YOU when they needinformation on your subject area. Become the most visible person in your field. You Can Be Your Industry’s Media Golden Boy

Most people have never thought about this much. You might have assumed that if you want to be an “expert” then some large institution has to anoint you with that title. Maybe you thought you could only earn that status after years and years of relentless toil in the back office, paying your dues, crawling buck naked over mountains of broken glass, and when you finally have gray hair and a colostomy bag, then they’ll know that you’re an expert and they’ll ask you what you think. Actually this idea is a distant cousin of “invent a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door.” This method of achieving notoriety is way too hard and takes way too long. Not only is it difficult, it’s not even likely to work at all. It might work that way in academia, but not in the entrepreneurial or business world. In the entrepreneurial world, you appoint yourself as the expert and just start acting like one. So what do experts do? They publish their views and opinions. They speak at conferences. They write books. They get on the Oprah Winfrey show. They take phone calls from reporters and magazine editors who want to know the “real” scoop. Being a Commodity Won’t Make You Famous

Page 179

Now if you’re just another Joe who peddles toilet paper or telephone wire, it’s going to be pretty hard to find anyone who’s looking for an expert on those subjects in the first place. Who wants to read about some familiar commodity item that everyone already understands? No, you need to be an expert on something that someone doesn’t know about but wants to – like specialized chemical processes for increasing the yield of toilet paper manufacturing plants. Or the nuances of wire making machinery and why the copper in your special wires last longer when it’s twisted and flexed. Yes, there are interesting angles on even the most “mundane” subjects, angles that somebody really wants to know about. Those people will take you real, real seriously if you can legitimately demonstrate in the media that you understand these problems. Each of those narrow subjects represents a marketing niche that you can capitalize on. There are people who will pay a lot more money for soft toilet paper. There are people who need wire that exceeds the norm by 150%, and all those niches represent an opportunity for you to be a big fish in a little pond by talking about those special problems and how they can be cleverly and creatively solved. If you and your company bring a special angle to some narrow category, as most high tech companies do, you can become a leading recognized expert on that subject in a fairly short period of time. You just need to publish and publicize like a madman. You need to do more of this than your competitors do. Beat Your Competitors to the Punch

Many times your competitors are not even doing it at all. But if there’s any place for creativity in marketing, it’s right here: finding angles on your solutions that create interesting stories and applications. Sales people intuitively collect stories like this. The guy who sells dull grey telephone wire tells you about the customer who spent a little more money to get the premium quality version and cut defects by 5% and saved $300,000 per year in warranty returns. The shrewd marketer takes it a step further – she interviews the customer and puts it in writing, with the whole story of how this new technology saved the day for the ACME company. She engages thousands of readers by explaining how and why it’s possible to produce such “miraculous” results with her unique process. Magazine editors, especially in trade journals, crave stuff like this. Every day they wake up in the morning thinking “OK, how am I going to fill my magazine with interesting stuff this month?” Normally their budgets are thin and they can’t afford to have a platoon of reporters scouring the industry for interesting angles. No, they’re dependent on vendors to help them find interesting content. Infomercials vs. Real Content

Now let’s get something straight here: I’m not talking about thinly disguised infomercials that do little more than tell readers how great your product is. Editors hate that stuff, and the good ones run from it like the plague. No, I’m talking about interesting, informative material that really helps people solve problems and stimulates the customers’ thinking process. Writing magazine articles is not very hard. They don’t have to be long; usually 1-3 pages is plenty. And even if it seems like a lot of trouble to do this, it always pays off in the long run. First, it’s more believable than advertising, because it’s editorial content. That should be reason enough. Second, you can use it for a long, long time. You can get copies of the magazine and show them to customers as a credibility builder. You can reprint them as white papers. You can use the same material in your own literature, and my system discusses many more ways that you can re-cycle the information and use it for other things. Remember: If you go see somebody and talk to them, they forget 90% of what you say within 24 hours. If you write something down, it stays written down as long as someone has the piece of paper. It can be sent to 100 or 100,000 people. Writing takes extra effort but it’s permanent. And you can’t have a marketing system that runs on autopilot unless you get your true sales story down in writing. The Esteemed Published Author

Page 180

It’s even better to write a book. If you write a book, then whether the book sells or not, you’re always “The Guy Who Wrote The Book On ________.” Everyone in your field will always recognize you as an expert. Actually you’ll be amazed at how much more customers believe what you have to say. I’ve experienced this myself. Since I’ve done this I’ve rarely found myself in front of a skeptical customer whose arms are crossed and who looks like he was weaned on a pickle. Instead, he asks me how he should approach the problems that I’ve written about and he takes what I say seriously. It gives me such a consistent advantage over my competitors that I can hardly imagine living without it. I know what you’re thinking: “I can’t write a book. I’m not an author. I hate to write. Heck, if I try to become a published author, my high school English teacher will send me suicide notes.” That’s OK; you might be a terrible writer. But I don’t really care. Quite frankly I’d like to say, “OK, fine, then let somebody else get famous, and you can keep making cold calls, knocking on doors, climbing over barbed wire fences, ignoring ‘no solicitors’ signs, sneaking past gatekeepers and annoying otherwise promising customers.” But please realize: you do NOT have to be a “writer” to do this. You can record yourself talking to a customer on tape and have your secretary transcribe it. You can hire somebody to write it for you. You can write it in your own sloppy, terrible English and pay somebody else to fix it later. You can appoint somebody to be your marketing and publishing person. You can occasionally outsource this to others; Many of my own consulting clients have come to me for this service. It doesn’t really matter how you get it written, just do it. By the way, my system refers you to some excellent speedwriting resources, including a powerful program called “How to Write a Book on Anything in 14 Days or Less.” This is a technology that I personally use every day, and it’s not an exaggeration. If you know a subject well then you really can write an entire book about it in 14 days or less. Charging for Something Others are Doing for Free

Here’s another tip: Give seminars on your subject of expertise. And you should consider charging good money for them, not just doing them for free. I was the first in my niche to do this on a grand scale, charging $1500 for a seminar that some vendors were attempting to give for free. Not only did we make a lot more money that way, we got a lot more respect as well. Fortune 500 companies paid us to teach them how to use our products. People respect what they pay for. Seminars are another way to package your knowledge and build your credibility. The process also helps you organize your knowledge so that it’s more effective in every other venue. My full marketing system explains in detail and with multiple examples how this is done. I used this exact publishing and publicity approach to catapult a tiny company with less than 20 employees to national prominence in its industry with over 100 pages of free press in a single year. This company was very small, with a pittance of an advertising budget and very thin resources, yet we got pictures of our products on the cover of three magazines and stories inside nearly two dozen others. How was this possible? The answer is in the last principle: 21. If you sell a product or service, you should lead with information about solving problems, not information about the product or service itself.

It’s an old cliché, but it bears repeating: Nobody who bought a drill wanted a drill. They wanted a hole. What this means for you is that instead of providing information about drills, you should deliver information about making holes. You’ll get a LOT more sales leads – with fewer literature collectors – and build more rapport with prospective customers that way. This is Massively Huge!

This is NOT an afterthought. It is an entire shift in strategic direction that has created fantastically effective results for me, my clients, and my students. As in thousands of potential customers calling, sending emails, asking you for information. And you should incorporate this into everything you do, from

Page 181

your sales collateral to the presentations your sales people make, to seminars and white papers, to advertisements and press releases. I’ve fine-tuned this to the point where results are 100-1000% better than most marketing initiatives. What if you got 5 to 10 times as many sales leads as you do now? How would that change your revenue forecast for this year? If you diligently apply this principle, you will get phenomenal results. This is absolutely one of the most important concepts in the entire system. Fundamentally you accomplish this by capturing your collective knowledge and expertise, and publishing this knowledge like crazy. You can find an audience for this information through every kind of media that exists, and the results are nothing less than amazing. People constantly ask me how I do this. They marvel at my ability to produce tons of sales leads, but it’s no secret once you use a true marketing system. The system tutorial fleshes out every detail of publicizing yourself and publishing, including: How to get hundreds or thousands of sales leads – before you spend a dime on advertising How to write press releases that make it to the top of the pile on an Editor’s desk – and getting them to read your emails 5 things you should never do to a magazine or newspaper editor How to hire “ghost writers” who can actually write FOR you - inexpensively Insider secrets of the publishing industry – the short cuts that most PR agencies don’t know How to get paid for seminars that others are giving away – and getting your customers to beg you to let them in How to recycle information again and again - without stepping over legal or editorial boundaries How to develop a strategic path for delivering your knowledge at every level of cost and sophistication, from simple short and free to exhaustive and expensive How to literally measure the response rates of various magazines – BEFORE you spend ANY of your money advertising in them How to precisely measure how many people actually read the magazines you work with How to match the tone and content of your articles and publicity to match your readers How to get editors to attend your press conference The one type of voice mail message that’s guaranteed to be deleted by a magazine editor in less

· ·

· · · ·

· ·

·

· · · ·

than 10 seconds Legitimately borrowing the expertise of another person or company and use it to further both of your careers How to become an expert on a subject that you currently don’t know well enough How journalism, marketing, publicity and advertising relate to each other within an industry How to get editors calling you and asking for material - on a regular basis How to use joint ventures to multiply the power of your publicity How to get on the invitation list to speak at seminars and conferences Use seminars and conferences to generate lists of qualified prospects The Gallery of Bad Press Releases – vivid examples of some of the biggest and most common mistakes people make in communicating to the media, as well as some great examples of really good ones. How you can target potential customers with razor’s-edge precision – with an ordinary letter with a stamp How to systematically increase the responsiveness of every marketing dollar by rigorous testing How Internet Search Engines become powerful tools that bring you busloads of potential new customers every month – for free A lead generation tactic for email that consistently generates response rates between 10 and 40% -literally 10 to 100 times better than industry norms – and works for almost any product or service Templates and plug & play formulas that you can instantly apply to what you do to generate instantaneous results.

·

· · · · · · ·

·

· ·

·

·

Page 182

In my consulting work I tackle many kinds of assignments, from the Total Tactical Review in which I analyze the clients' sales process from ship to stern, to copywriting, ghost writing of articles and white papers, newsletters and direct mail campaigns. Most commonly we walk step by step and build their marketing system from the bottom up, sharing the work at every step in the spirit of an apprenticeship. But in any case they must understand my system. Agreement from everyone in the process is crucial, so all marketing and sales decision makers are required to listen to the audios. Your Marketing System Will Do Your Work For You

Regardless of whether you use my consulting services or not, this system takes the principles that you have just learned and teaches you all the techniques behind them, strategies you can put to work immediately. And with it comes help, in the form of critique certificates, telephone coaching sessions and my monthly publication, the Perry Marshall Marketing Letter. This combination of tools will arm you with every strategy you need to eliminate rejection and waste from your sales process and transform your credibility as a manufacturer or service provider. And I offer a very bold money back guarantee, so you are not risking one thin dime by getting started. After have a true marketing system working for you, it’ll be like your microwave oven, your automobile or email: you’ll wonder how you ever survived without it. It changed my life, and it can change yours. What To Do Next

Whether you’re a manufacturer, consultant, systems integrator, design firm, distributor or manufacturers representative; regardless of what kind of hi tech product or service you sell, marketing on auto pilot will create tremendous positive results for you and your business. It will transform your sales activities from manual labor to automation, create more respect, trust and credibility and make your sales numbers more predictable. If you’re struggling, it will put your feet on solid ground. To put the Perry Marshall system to work in your business, purchase the Perry Marshall Marketing System or contact his office [email protected] for a consulting services application. Don’t spend another day doing sales the old fashioned, obsolete way. You can transform your business with powerful marketing and lead generation systems that work for you round the clock and deliver dramatic results every single day. Thank you for reading, and I wish you the very best of success!

Page 183

The excitement & positive response to this book has been overwhelming! From Ray Zimbal, a technical sales rep in Texas:

“I have been on a road trip in Texas this week and havelistened to your CD four times already. I am Extremely impressed with the 21 Secrets you impart ! I am going to take some of your EXPERT advice and forward both the CD + Envelope to the President of my company along with a proposal that I had already been working on, for putting our Sales on AutoPilot for the Parent Company! I have taken your advice and I have begun working with Penwell Publications in Tulsa and had a meeting with a PetroChem editor Monday at ENTELEC in Houston…I also distributed your 6 CD's that you sent me this week, to the management team and 2 other Reps, as we were Exhibiting their LightingProtection Products atENTELEC. And YES… I helped their USA Business Development Manager obtain some FREE advertising inControl Solutions.” From Eric Ruth of Digital Mailer in Virginia, who provides web-base d billing for the banking industry:

“Great stuff, well presented!” Ron Ruiz, of The Business Fastlane in California, is a professional public relations and media consultant. He had this to say:

“Very well done! It looks like you've done a superb job implementing direct response marketing into the technical industry. They sure need it!” From Kevin Paschke, a business coach in North Dakota:

“Perry...I just listened toyour CD...Excellent info. Well presented!” Mark Stremmel, an automation sales representative in Pennsylvania, said:

“Perry, I’m impressed. You are making me want to go back in business as anetwork controls consultant and gladiator! And Paul Tesini, President of Diamond Technologies in Massachusetts, sums it a ll up this way:

“I listened to the extremely professional, extremely entertaining, extremely captivating CD you sent. I have been planning on stepping up marketing this year (keep putting it off).Sign me up! Lets go!”

Perry S. Marshall & Associates

1508 Ridgeland Avenue Berwyn, IL 60402 USA Phone +1(708)788-4461 Fax (708)788-4599 www.perrymarshall.com [email protected]

Page 184

A Report on Generating Sales Leads A manual on lead generation advertising that’s fairly similar to my own formula Here’s a report on doing lead generation advertising, by a specialist who deals with cosmetic surgeons.


Page 185

How to Generate Better Leads

Page 1 of 6

Join My Free Email Newsletter!

Subscribe to theProfit Pill ™ ezine to get Enter Your Email J a free monthly dose of copywriting tricks, Your email is safe.Priv tips and tools!Read the latest issue now...

Copywriting | Samples | Articles | Free Book | Free Quot

March 23, 2003

Copywriting Supercharge your web, direct mail or email sales letter! Click for more...

Copy Review Get a 2nd opinion on your copy with recommendations! Click for more...

Home Free Stuff Article Archive Article

Print This Page

Free R ea dd ,

How to Generate Better Leads A big mistake businesses often make when they market themselves is the fact that many try to sell directly in every communication they produce. And, as a result, they generate huge amounts of "prospects" that lead to little or no business (or what I call "expects"). They think that by selling themselves right in the ad they will get not only an immediate response but also immediate business. This oftentimes backfires and can even take away customers.

f r eel yr 100 of Cl ick fo

Free E Read o m y eb o copies Cl ick fo

Free E Speaking Energize your next business event and fire up your people! Click for more...

Many clients I've dealt with usually get as a result of this type of approach a lot of calls but no clients -- or at least no long term clients. They end up dealing with a lot of people who are merely curious but never serious. Because of hypercompetition and the fact that we are constantly bombarded with information, trying to find qualified

Get y ou m a r k et i of tips C l ic k h e

Hot B See my

Get My Book

Discover how to magnetize your online business! Click for more...

prospects and get them to buy can sometimes be worse than a needle in the haystack.

list of ' m a r k et i Cl ick fo

It's frustrating and often self-effacing. Hot T Needs Versus Wants

Free Stuff! Read, download or reprint my book or from 100+ articles! Click for more...

Who I Am View my bio and a partial sampling of client testimonials! Click for more...

Contact Me! Get in touch...

A concept that's been around for years but has recently become very popular is multi-step marketing. It's a process in which businesses seek an immediate response from their marketing efforts by offering a free report, item, sample or service. Little do people know that the immediate response strategy is usually not the true goal of the advertiser. People who come forward are not unqualified prospects. They are indirectly being screened since, once they "show up," they are pre-qualified. And after they've been enticed with free information, products, or services, they are pre-sold and ready to do business.

See my list of ' m a r k et i Cl ick fo

Hot L See my list of ' favorite Cl ick fo

Tell O Li ke th i th is f r e y ou r f r i Click to

As a consultant to many cosmetic surgeons in my practice, I've realized that this process is obviously essential if not vital. For instance, no one can call a person on the phone and outright ask if that person wants more hair -- especially without knowing if that

file://\\Pls\d%20pls\My%20Documents\fulcrum\system\white%20papers\How%20to%20Gen... 3/23/03 Page 186


Page 2 of 6

person is bald in the first place! However, doctors will first advertise a free information kit offer, explaining the procedure and the potential results, whereby people who respond will naturally fit into that specific demographic. The important thing here is that, not only are they losing hair, they also *want* to do something about their hair loss. The doctor then sends a brochure describing the surgery, the possible risks, and the potential results, but without any pricing -- it is impossible to determine the cost until the doctor personally sees the patient beforehand in order to measure the degree of hair loss. However, the information package along with its lack of pricing causes patients to come forward once more to arrange for a personal consultation with the doctor. Consequently, those who show up are, by and large, practically ready to have surgery -- they fit the surgeon's psychographics (as well as demographics). You see, people who need your products or services may fit your demographics. But people who want what you offer fit your psychographics. As in the previous example, a hair transplant surgeon's demographics encompass those who have hair loss. But psychographics, though, are comprised of people who have hair loss and want to do something about it (since not all of them do, which is a question of priorities). In short, they are not only experiencing hair loss but also suffering from it. This is the awesome power of "funneling" fuel into your marketing and prospecting machine. Lead Generation

In your case, if you offer a specific product that caters to a target market, find ways to make your market come forward with minimal effort on your part. The best way to do this is to offer a freebie. It's a "try-before-you-buy" approach. Being in the age of information, I prefer giving away "free reports." Your free report doesn't have to be product-specific, industry-specific, or benefit-specific. As long as it targets an audience that fits within your demographics (and eventually your psychographics), you're ahead of the game. Let's say you're in financial planning. Your product involves investments, mutual funds, stocks, savings plans and mortgages. Rather than place an ad that directly markets these services, you could advertise a small classified ad promoting a free course, seminar or report helping people save money. Let's say you're a beautician. You could offer a free kit that may include a free makeover, a sample makeup kit, a gift certificate, a free initial consultation or a free report on makeup styles that will match one's unique complexion. Nevertheless, the idea is to have people come to you rather than you to them, and the incentive you offer doesn't have to relate directly to what you do or sell. In general, the portion of the general public that fits into your product's demographics consists merely of suspects (you file://\\Pls\d%20pls\My%20Documents\fulcrum\system\white%20papers\How%20to%20Gen... 3/23/03 Page 187


Page 3 of 6

suspect that they might need what you have to offer). When a portion of them comes forward to get your freebie, you've isolated the prospects from your suspects. Then, if they want more, they're now expects (people expecting to do business with you). The Free Report

I used to work as a salesperson for a music store specializing in pianos. Older pianos usually require considerable repair since the wood inside holding the strings with which the piano creates its sound may be too old and broken beyond repair. Many unscrupulous salespeople will "dope" pianos (such as spraying water on the internal boards so that they expand temporarily, gripping the tuning pegs more firmly and thus staying in tune just long enough for the instrument to be sold). As the water eventually evaporates, the piano returns to its srcinal state -- and the problem is discovered only when it's too late. A salesperson at the store had a small classified ad. It said:

"Beware parents in the market for a piano!" (That was the headline.) "Many parents usually buy used pianos for their kids because they don't know if they'll love music and want to minimize the risk of losing their investment. However, to the unsuspecting buyer many used pianos are internally broken beyond repair and 'doped' in order to be sold quickly, only to become broken again when it's too late. Before you buy any piano at any price, call for our free report,Out 'Don't Let Piano Problems Your Bank Account of Tune: 6 Ways to Find Put Commonly Hidden Problems with Used Pianos'." His report not only explained the hidden faults commonly found in older pianos. But since he was catering to a target market (i.e., parents), his report went on to explain how used pianos fall out of tune quickly causing the child to learn the piano the wrong way and eventually to lose interest -- let alone the parents' money! Of course, what the salesperson really wanted was to get these parents to buy new or professionally refurbished pianos from him. The resulting effect, though, was that the report not only brought prospects to his door but also instilled in them a greater confidence in the salesperson in addition to the reasons for buying a certified piano rather than a used one. He made a fortune using this technique! In essence, look at your free report as a résumé. People often send bulky résumés to potential employers in an attempt to sell themselves as much as possible, when very often their attempts get filed away -the "round" file, that is! Successful career consultants stress the



Page 4 of 6

importance of summarizing a résumé as much as possible, include one's achievements and results (not one's previous duties and responsibilities), and putting it all on one single page. Simply put, the résumé is not meant to land a "job" but to land an "interview." Lead generation should be regarded in the same way. Your free offer must be small, contain a concise message, stress an immediate benefit, and cause the prospect to come forward. What can you offer your prospects to arouse their curiosity and interest? What can you give away for free so to entice them to get more? If you're giving something away, you'll realize that what you're really doing is generating better leads. Nevertheless, realize that the cost of offering freebies is far less than the cost of mass marketing! Specialized Advertising

Now that we've talked about lead generation advertising, the trick to having as many qualified prospects come forward is to have your ad read by such a specific group of people as much, as often and as effectively as possible. General publications won't do that and they certainly cost a lot of money. Many people have their tiny ads published in an ocean of ads found in large, high-circulation, general newspapers or magazines. In the end and for many reasons, the costper-lead can add up significantly. On the other hand, specialized publications have the distinction of appealing to specific, targeted audiences, which increases the chances of your ad being read by higher quality leads. For example, if one publication has where a readership 100,000 but only fit intofit your demographics, anotherofhas only 40,000 but25,000 all of which into your demographics, which one do you think will give you the greatest response? In other words, rather than fishing for minnows in the middle of the ocean, you'll be catching whales in a small pond. Think of the specialized publication as a sonar that will help you to find the kind of fish you really want. This is due to the fact that not only will the readership match your demographics but also people who buy specialized publications have a tendency to read them from cover to cover -- because only parts of a general publication will appeal to any one reader as opposed to a specialized publication, which will appeal to a specific readership in its entirety. Stated differently, unlike a mass-published newspaper that will be skimmed (i.e., it is bought by many but read in its entirety by few), a specialized publication will be read more intensely and thoroughly (i.e., it is bought by few but read in its entirety by many). Target Your Market

If you advertise a free offer to a specific target market, your per capita hit-ratio will dramatically increase than if you would have advertised



Page 5 of 6

your product or service directly in a major publication that's too general or too vague. Your little ad can easily get lost in a sea of ads. These days, however, specialized publications exist by the truckloads! Occupation-specific, topic-specific, special interest or industryspecific publications can include, among others, journals, newsletters, magazines, ezines, websites, trade publications, newsgroups, special reports, corporate email, directories, specialty newspapers, catalogues and communiqués from specific organizations. Publications for uncommon or highly specialized topics are out there in some form or another. If you go to a library you will find newsletters for specific home-based businesses, journals written exclusively for corporate executives, ezines purely about cigars, newspapers strictly published for police officers, and even magazines geared for gerbil breeders. As long as the readership logically fits into your target market and, if possible, into your psychographic criteria, this is where you will get the greatest bang for your marketing buck. For example, an advertising agent specializing in computer-based firms can advertise an offer for a free report in computer magazines or, better yet, in ezines that cater to a same target market. A medical consultant should advertise a free consultation in medical journals, medical association newsletters and medical equipment manufacturer catalogues. The Newsletter

By the way, having your own newsletter is also a powerful way to attract prospects. Yourits newsletter maydistribution be offered for freebut or the at aidea nominal cost to cover printing and costs, is to have the people who read it want more and come forward to get it. As well, you can sell advertising space in your newsletter to firms also catering to your unique clientele. But the obvious advantage is the fact that you can "swap" ads in newsletters written by other firms that cater to your target market. Your newsletter can be strictly information-oriented and your ads can advertise your newsletter offer. However, don't make your free report or newsletter readily available. If you choose to use the multi-step marketing process I described earlier, you want the names and addresses of those coming forward. In this case, have a special application process and a contact management program to mass mail their information to eager subscribers. Remember, you're not trying to advertise with the hope of stumbling onto a trickle of suspects. You want an endless stream of prequalified, pre-screened, and pre-sold expects. Those who request your free report or subscribe to your newsletter will hopefully want more. But even when only a small portion do, you know that they are much more qualified, which saves you a lot of time and effort than trying to fish in a dried up desert of possible suspects. file://\\Pls\d%20pls\My%20Documents\fulcrum\system\white%20papers\How%20to%20Gen... 3/23/03 Page 190


Page 6 of 6

About the Author

Michel Fortin is a master copywriter and consultant dedicated to turning businesses into powerful magnets. Get a FREE copy of his book, "The 10 Commandments of Power Positioning," and subscribe to his FREE monthly ezine, "The Profit Pill," by visiting http://SuccessDoctor.com/ now! Main Archive Menu • Top • Refer Your Friends! Please feel free to reprint or distribute this article! Simply leave the article, author's byline and links intact. If you wish to edit this article for style or length, please let me know for my approval.

Home | Free Stuff! | Copywriting | Copy Review | Speaking | Free Quote | FAQ | Free Ezine | Make Money! | About | Testimonials | Guarantee | News | Sitemap | Privacy | Legal | Contact

863 Glasgow Crescent, Ottawa, Ontario (Canada) K1K-0J5 Telephone: (613) 748-1624 • 24-Hour Fax: (425) 648-7407 Search Email: [email protected]• Web: online form Copyright © 1997-2003 Michel Fortin • All Rights Reserved

Site


Part White Paper, Part Brochure This format isn’t necessarily my favorite format, but if you classified this as a brochure it would qualify as a pretty informative one. This company sells “thin clients,” a technology which is not well understood by most customers. This does a good job of outlining the major advantages. Notice that the company, ACP, has partnered with CONTEC in publishing this white paper. ACP’s primary strategy is teaming up with other hardware vendors in an OEM relationship.


Page 192

White Paper by ACP

CONTEC MICROELECTRONICS USA INC.

Thin Clients in Factory Installations Purpose of Windows Based Software in Manufacturing As manufacturing systems increased

While the flexibility and power of

A Thin Client relies on a Windows

in complexity, traditional methods of

these distributed systems was excit-

Server to actually run the standard

monitoring and controlling production

ing, they created real problems for the

Windows based software, while it han-

(indicator lights, relays, dials, etc.)

people responsible for support and

dles all of the user interface - display-

could not keep up with the requirements of the new machinery.

maintenance. To them, “PC” began to stand for “Problem Center”, as soft-

ing the graphics and getting the user input via the keyboard and touch-

Operators required information about

ware required updates at what seemed

screen. By offloading the majority of

their process that could not be deliv-

like an alarming rate. What was

the processing to the Server, it is able

ered, and Management was demand-

needed was a way for the operator to

to handle all of its tasks with just its

ing real-time quality data. These

see the data that he needed, a way for

limited hardware compliment. Its

requests came amid the growing need

management to collect and store the

requirements are well defined, and

for process optimi zation, which

data that they had come to expect, and

they do not increase even if the user

required the collection and storage of a

both without the problems inherent in

loads a more complex software pack-

great number of data points for future

the PC.

age on the server. This means that the Thin Client hardware will not

analysis.

Definition of a Thin Client

grow obsolete for many years to come.

Fortunately, the advent of the Personal

The Thin Client is based on a central-

Computer allowed highly adaptable computerized process monitors to be

ized computing model. The hardware itself is designed to minimize complex-

Advantages of Thin Clients for Factory Installations

placed alongside each manufacturing

ity, eliminating components prone to

As a platform for industrial software,

line. With the capabilities provided by

failure (such as disk drives) and scal-

the Thin Client simply cannot be beat.

Windows based software, operators

ing back parts (like memory) that are

A Thin Client provides the operator

and managers alike were able for the

required for a traditional PC. On top

with the exact same interface that was

first time to actually “see” a graphical

of this cut-down (or “thin”) hardware a

found on the PC systems, but without

representation of their process, and

minimal operating system is loaded,

any of the drawbacks. Some of the

have instant notifications of product

with just enough power to drive the

most obvious Thin Client advantages:

out of spec conditions. This gave the

graphics card, some I/O and an

plant the means to deploy distributed

Ethernet Port. The Thin Client now

Simple Installation - Once the

control and monitoring centers for

has been streamlined to allow it to do

Windows Server has been configured

every line, and, with the growing

just what it was designed to do - sepa-

and loaded with the application soft-

acceptance of inexpensive network hardware, the ability to share that

rate the application processing layer of a program from the user interface.

ware (HMI, SCADA, ERP, etc.), a new Thin Client is “installed” by plugging

data among other users and systems.

it into the network and turning it on. As none of its software is loaded locally,

Page 193

once it connects to the

device that can be

ning on the Server, displaying the

server it has immedi-

replaced in a matter of

same screens that were shown at the

ate access to all of the

minutes without the

time that it lost power. And if the

applications that have

need for any configura-

plant wants to assure the operation of

been installed and con-

tion. The plant software

the system 24 hours a day, all that is

figured for previous

may have been updated

required is the installation of a redun-

Thin Clients. Where

multiple times, new

dant (or fault-tolerant) server and all

an integrator may take

applications may have

of the clients inherit the Server’s relia-

a day or so to install

been added and new dri-

bility without having to make each of

an operating system

vers

them redundant

with the correct ver-

installed, but a thin clien t

sions of software and drivers when

pulled off the shelf will

independently.

setting up a new PC, he can have a

work exactly like the pre-

Thin Clients are

brand new Thin Client up and fully

vious one as soon as it is

truly the solution

functional in just a few minutes.

plugged in.

that

Increased Security - Data and applica-

Manageable Updates -

been waiting for.

tions stored on PCs scattered through-

One of the most difficult

They provide iden-

out the plant are not only a mainte-

tasks in a distributed PC

nance challenge, they also pose a secu-

system is keeping software current on

rity threat. Operators with idle time

each machine. An update to a soft-

are often tempted to try and hack into

ware package usually results in a

cost savings and reliability that can-

a PC, if for no other reason than the

technician visiting each machine,

not be touched by a traditional distrib-

satisfaction of doing so. A Thin Client

installing and configuring the software

uted computer system. 

has no disk drives of any kind, and no

as he goes. In a Thin Client system,

information is stored locally - it does

the update is made one time, to the

not even “boot”, in the sense that a PC

server, and each client on the network

For more information contact:

boots. At the end of its power-on

has access to the new software. New

ACP (Automation Control Products)

sequence, it just connects to the server,

applications are “distributed” the same

6865 Shiloh Rd. East

which has usually been placed in a

way.

Alpharetta, GA 30005

Manufacturing has

secure environment under the watch-

tical functionality to the standard PC, but bring in a level of

800-846-4655

ful eye of the IT department.

Reliability - The simpler hardware

770-205-2475

Additionally, theft of a Thin Client is

involved in a Thin Client reduces the

www.acpthinclient.com

not practical - taken away from the

chance of system failure. If the client

server they are of no more use then a

looses power or is damaged in some

CONTEC Microelectronics U.S.A. Inc.

telephone is without a phone line.

way, the application continues to run

744 South Hillview Drive

(on the Server) while the client is

Milpitas, CA, 95035

Easy Replacement - A Thin Client

brought back online. Once the client

Tel: 800-888-8884

finally achieves what the plant main-

is up and going, it connects automati-

Fax: 408-719-6750

tenance personnel really want - a

cally to the session that is still run-

www.contecusa.com

Page 194

A Report on Making Content More Engaging This is a nice example of showing visual examples of what can be done with a superior approach. Personally, I think the examples are interesting as well. This company specializes in making content more memorable and easier to comprehend.


Page 195

Titel Untertitel

Bringing culture to hetInterne t Combining Multimedia and Content Management

Authors: Jean Sommier Jr., Mark J. Jaklovsky, Robert Molnar Institution: Polar Design Boston * New York * Bratislava * Moscow Tel: +1-978-682-4211

Fax: +1-978-682-4331

Email: Web: [email protected] www.polardesign.com

Abstract (German):

Abstract (English):

Educational and and cultural organizations communicate effectively when their has content both needs: “informational” “educational.” Such organizations’ audience typically two is distinct acquisition of specific information in response to a query, and general learning where there is no query. As a first step, organizations can improve educational offering with multimedia and enhance relevance and timeliness of informational content with content management. However, organizations can maximize the impact of their communications with content that is informational and educational at the same time – something possible by innovative combination of data-driven multimedia and content management solutions to maintain such multimedia.

© 2002-2003 Polar Design All Rights Reserved. Do not duplicate or redistribute without the express permission of Polar Design. Page 196

809 Turnpike St., Suite 201/203, North Andover, MA 01845 tel.: +1-978-682-4211 ; http://www.polardesign.com

The Dual Nature of Content In order for a online resource to distinguish itself from other resources on the Internet, encouraging users to return and thus strengthening its message, its content needs to be both "informational" and "educational." Whereas informational content answers site visitors‘ questions concerning specific problems or issues, educational content will convey information related to one or more topics, structured to meet the instructional needs of a specific audience (e.g., university students). Informational content is usually delivered through concise text and diagrams, while educational content makes use of interactivity, modularity, and possibly multimedia to accomplish learning objectives. In fact, the two natures are distinguishable from one another by the direction of information flow. The informational nature of content manifests itself as a response to a user's questions, whereas the educational nature content srcinates from the resource itself to the intended audience. 1. Requests information

1. Provides Structured Information

Informational Nature of Content

Educational Nature of Content

User

Resource

2. Provides information

User

Resource

2. Interact with information

Content, in fact, can be simultaneously educational and informational, but the distinction is important in that both natures should be addressed to maximize the effectiveness of organizations’ message. For content to be informational, it should be well-structured, up-to-date, and as extensive as possible. A well-structured customer support web site (an example of a purely informational application) makes content more accessible to a visitor browsing the site with topical navigation and search features, setting it apart as an information resource. An up-to-date support website with extensive content on its products that is updated with each new product version further sets itself apart as a reliable resource worth repeatedly visiting for up-to-date, relevant answers to questions. For content to be educational, it should be conceived to hold visitors‘ attention (i.e., it should entertain), reinforce and expand learning with subtle repetition (modularity), and further reinforce learning with interactive features such as tests, simulations, interactive diagrams, and so on. These qualities will encourage users to come back to the resource if they succeed in learning and remain interested in the topics conveyed. It is commonly accepted that "reading" is only partially effective in learning retention. For this reason, it is important to appeal to all the senses and present the information visually and aurally, combining interaction, to engage the audience.

© 2002-2003 Polar Design All Rights Reserved. Do not duplicate or redistribute without the express permission of Polar Design.

pg. 2 of 9 Page 197


Creating Informational Content As we have seen, informational content needs to be well-structured, up-to-date, and extensive. To accomplish this, site administrators must create a systematic framework for the content structure and process for generating it which involves developing the following documents: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

site maps interface schematics authoring standards content classification/taxonomy content organization contributors and their roles (e.g., "translators" vs. "editors") content scheduling

Without this structure, content development leads to chaos. The above documents set in place processes that help determined how content will be reused accross the website, promote consistency in style and subtance, as well as clarify challenges of multi-lingual resources. Additionally, when many content contributors work together, organization is critical to avoid errors such as duplication of work or missed deadlines which lead to problems of cost, quality and delivery time. Obviously creating this system and the documents listed above is quite time consuming, but can also be quite rewarding if the organization is adhered to. Problems do arise of course even with the best systems that can still lead to disorganization, choas and failure to : 1. no enforcement of standards 2. staff departures, especially the administrators and authors of the documents outlining the site’s structure (listed above) 3. insufficient training of new staff members 4. failure to update the structure documents (listed above) as the organization’s mission and needs change Without enforcement, over time, the online resource may suffer from an increasingly disorganized structure despite the initial plans. Content contributors may put some content in the wrong place or develop content inconsistent with existing standards (leading to visitor confusion). Content contributors may come and go, taking valuable "institutional memory" with them and leading to breakdowns in the workflow and approval processes. These problems and more are remedied by the use of a Content Management Solution (CMS). A CMS not only makes creation of HTML, XML and other web documents easier, but allows an enterprise or organization to quickly the Content conceptual framework, standards; workflow; even prepare everyone forcodify future rules: changes. contributors canauthoring then write content without worrying about the content's structure, stylistic requirements or workflow. Training time is


pg. 3 of 9 Page 198


reduced when new staff are added, or when organizational changes alter the mission and thus conceptual framework initially.

As the screen shot of the "AmericanPresidents.org" web site navigation shows, site administrators can import their conceptual framework for the content into the CMS to specify types of content and the relationships between those types. In effect, a good CMS not only allows input of the rules of how the content should be processed, but also enforces those rules, by forcing content contributors to adhere to that structure. The picture shown here, shows various "content types" illustrated by different icons, as well as their structural relationship.

Because the content is stored in a database, a good CMS also allows organizations to reuse the content across the site. The content can be "repackaged" in different file formats such as multimedia formats, XML, PDF, HTML or any other file format. This means that content is separated from its visual representation which allows for maximum flexibility and scalability. The following diagram shows how one piece of content can be deployed into different file formats. Content that follows a meaningful and logical conceptual framework allows organizations to take full advantage of reuse by resulting in modular content that can be reassembled into various layouts, or recombined with other content as it is added.


pg. 4 of 9 Page 199


A successful CMS is one that can be customized to organize the contributors so that a document follows certain predermined paths up to its completion and publication. Workflow features of a CMS are essential to efficiently coordinate content contributors efficiently, so that no content is ever "forgotten", helping keep content fresh and up-to-date. Finally, and most importantly, a CMS must be easy to use, so that the task of creating new content within the predefined structure is simple. This requires the user interface to offer contributors visual aids and "What You See Is What You Get" editing, minimizing the amount of training required in HTML. .


pg. 5 of 9 Page 200


Producing Educational Content Educational content must effectively "teach" the site visitor. It is commonly accepted that "reading" is only partially effective in learning retention. Of what we learn we retain approximately: 10% of what we Read once 20% of what we Hear 30% of what we See once 50% of what we Hear And See 70% of what we Say 90% of what we Say As We Do

These often cited figures are subject to debate, but the basic premise that multimedia or interactive education is more effective than textbooks in conveying certain material is well established. Multimedia content entertains and at the same time transmits information through more than one sense. Interactive content reinforces learning. Multimedia and interactive content, however, do present several important and undeniable challenges. Such content is expensive to produce because of the special skills, authoring tools, and time required. Secondly, multimedia is difficult to update as rapidly as text. The inability to effectively update multimedia has raised the cost of multimedia due to the extensive costs required to make changes to files. In the past five years, however, overall cost of multimedia has decreased quite significantly. With readily available tools such as Macromedia Flash becoming more and more widespread and affordable, as well as Internet bandwidth prices dropping significantly in past five years, multimedia as a method of content delivery is not only encouraged but sometimes necessary for an organization to distinguish its content from other organizations'. The technology itself has also become easier to use and integrate into existing database and CMS systems. For example, Macromedia Flash can interact with XML documents to create diagrams based on changing data. This updateability of multimedia brings down the cost of multimedia as a file no longer needs to be redeveloped anytime data changes; quite the opposite, as the changing data can automatically modify the multimedia content instead! The following are several ways that multimedia can be used to present content and corresponding examples on the Internet. Presentation Style Visual representations of concepts Visual representation of

Example Logica Presentation Monster 3D

URL www.polardesign.com/test/logica

concepts with voiceover narrative Interactive Training

Presentation

3d.com/layout/presentation/

NYU Online

http://www.polardesign.com/test/nyuonlin e/index1.html

http://www.monster-

© 2002 Polar Design – Proprietary and Confidential Do not distribute to third parties without the express permission of Polar Design.

9 Page 201


Marrying the two natures of content As we have seen, the most effective content is both informational and educational. For this reason, an effective website combines compelling multimedia with well-structured informational content. The following is an example of a website delivering on this promise and pushing the boundaries of combining education and information on the web.

I. America n Pres ident.org URL: www.americanpresident.org Organization: Miller Center of Public Affairs Designed by: Polar Design Content Management: InsightBuilder 2

Before the American President website was implemented, Polar Design and the site owner, the Miller Center of Public Affairs developed a conceptual framework for the site based on two main "pillars": 1) the “Presidency in History” and 2) the “Presidency in Action.” Within each of the two pillars, the structure was further defined, so that each President would have the same set of site sections in the “History” area , so that the “Action” web site would organize information according to "Action Area" (rather than individual Presidencies), and so that certain content would be shared by the sections of both pillars, permitting efficient authoring and reuse of content. In addition, multimedia content was planned, so that presidential timelines, the presidential chooser, and the organizational charts would all be updateable through the content management system, planning an effective marriage of content management and multimedia.

© 2002 Polar Design 1

Page 202


Once the site structure was documented, Polar Design transposed the site structure and the design into InsightBuilder 2, its content management solution (CMS). Polar Design thus cost effectively built timelines and organizational charts for each of the 43 Presidents, (over 200 templates in total) reusing the same Flash files and HTML templates to build all of these assets! Moreover, utilizing InsightBuilder’s XML publishing capability, AmericanPresident.org is able build additional organizational charts, articles and Flash event timelines from the basic Flash templates without Polar Design’s assistance, leading to dramatically lower cost of site maintenance. Polar Design’s attractive multimedia is thus reusable and modifiable, minimizing development time and cost. A – Organization Chart

Each U.S. President has relied on a staff and cabinet which must be documented visually on the site. To automate and streamline production of organization charts for each President, Polar Design built an interactive organizational chart utilizing Flash that derives staff positions and data from external XML documents. Then, using InsightBuilderTM, the client creates new staff positions in the GUI interface and then publishes XML files that determine the positions, look and structure inside the organizational chart. Despite thisabilities, technical accomplishment, the based template takes full Thus advantage of Flash’s interactive with effects that adjust on the data. the organization chart scrolls and adjusts depending on the size of the staff allowing the user to browse the entire chart within an 800 X 600 resolution monitor. Additional information on each staff member is also provided by the XML and made available via attractive window appearances within the interface when a user clicks on an officeholder’s name or position. B – Timeline

This flash component is a horizontally scrollable timeline that spans the entire period of a President’s term. As with the Organizational Chart above, the timeline obtains event dates and information from an XML document published by InsightBuilderTM which © 2002 Polar Design 2

Page 203


means that each of the 43 President’s timelines are easy updated and published via InsightBuilder’s web-accessible interface.

C – President Chooser

This Flash element offers easy access to each President. 1. The user can view presidents by dates 2. The user can click on the “By Last Name” tab and view all presidents by their last name. The President chooser consists of one flash file and one XML file -- the client can add additional, future Presidents to the timeline, via InsightBuilderTM.

Conclusion Utilizing a flexible content management solution (CMS) like InsightBuilder, as well as a design team experienced in integrating multimedia with a CMS, organizations can develop similar results with their websites, providing usable, informative and educational user experiences. Of course obtaining a CMS and design team, whether external or in-house, is only part of the challenge. Developing consistent, logical and useful standards for organizing content and the people that author the content is the essential first step, after which multimedia and a good CMS will enable effective execution.

© 2002 Polar Design 3

Page 204

Scare Tactics “Customer Relationship Management” (CRM) and “Enterprise Resource Planning” (ERP) have been hot topics and a sort of a flop, all at the same time. Many companies have invested gazillions of dollars into CRM and ERP and really not had much to show for it. That’s what this pair of papers by Bob Paley is about. Read these papers and you’ll see why it’s scary. You’ll also see the case he makes for a different approach. In an area as crowded as this, and with as many horror stories, you’d better say something that stands out!


Page 205

The Dark Secret of ERP ROI Want Better “R” ? L ower Your “ I ”

N

o one seems to disagree that typically ROI on ERP has been atrocious. A quick scan of recent

articles comes up with the following limited list: 1. ERP was rushed in for Y2K remediation; (Note 1.) 2. No periodic reconsideration of goals after installation; (1.) 3. Dissolution of ERP team; system turned over to operations; (1.) 4. Unnecessary customization, including replication of legacy systems; (1.) 5. Proliferation of multiple instances of the software; (1.) 6. ERP simply mirrors existing, inadequate business processes; (2.) 7. Organizations unable to conform to best practices templates; (2.) 8. Failure of management to ask “How do we want to run the business?” (2.) 9. Inexperienced consultants/system integrators; (2.) 10. Lack of executive sponsorship; (2.) 11. IT focuses on “technical wizardry,” not business value; (2.) 12. No metrics for intangibles; (2.) 13. Systems are complex and hard to learn; (3.) 14. Companies are naive and optimistic in evaluating software capabilities; (3.) 15. Training that focuses on key strokes, not flow of information; (4.) 16. Failure to educate middle manag ement. (4.) Your personal favorite may not be on the list, but one thing these reasons tend to have in common is that they emphasize the “R”--return--side of the equation. It's astonishing that no one seems to state the obvious: A major reason ROI on ERP has been so bad is that the “I”--investment--is simply way too big. Even now, everyone--industry experts, CEOs, board members, and especially most ERP vendors and consultants--seems to accept that costs will be measured in the millions of dollars. Similarly, there has been only the slightest attention paid to the fact that a typical implementation takes years and that the cost of implementation services is often five or more times the cost of the software. In the late 90s some companies threw up their hands at ROI analysis and accepted that ERP was simply something they needed to do in order to “get in the game;” the real benefit would come from applications such as business intelligence, supply chain management, e-business, and advanced planning and scheduling taking advantage of the data stored in the ERP system. This is actually true, but it does not go far enough in bringing a vital truth to light: ERP systems tend to resemble each other in that they all process transactions, maintain a database of information, and allow standard and ad hoc reporting against that information. The metaphor for ERP is often that of “backbone,” not “brain.” So why would any company spend millions, and years--with no certainty of a successful culmination--to create this infrastructure if it could obtain it at a fraction of the cost, in a fraction of the time, with predictable results? The answer to that question is beyond the scope of this paper. Let's try to answer a better one: How can the monstrous costs of ERP be tamed?

Y

Software cost. The most expensive ERP systems come from a small number of public companies. Like private companies, they have virtually no marginal cost to produce an additional copy of their software. What is at stake for them is the quarterly need to report license revenues against the amortization of development expense. The greater the revenues, the greater the gross margin, and the better the market likes it. However, that is their problem, not yours. Each extra dollar of software revenue boosts their Page 206

gross margin, not the value you receive. Their counter-argument would be that their prices reflect the development expense necessary to provide the functionality included in their product. (You probably won't hear that the bottom line requires that they also recover the cost of the hype that helped to capture mind-share). You need to decide whether what you're receiving is functionality that will add value to your business, or complexity that you don't need, reflecting, among other things, the vendor's trying to be all things to all kinds of companies, rather than concentrating on your industry. A small number of companies (I'm thinking private, but let me know of any public examples) have adopted a different model that has been proven to serve the needs of both customers and company ownership. It helps customers to control costs by providing: Comprehensive, integrated function at one low price Unlimited license: no user- or tier-based pricing New modules at no costto existing users · · ·

Cost to implement and maintain. These costs--as mentioned previously, often a staggering five times or more the (inflated) cost of software--include costs of: 1. Integrating retained legacy systems 2. Integrating “best of breed” point solutions 3. Creating customizations 4. Training users 5. Converting data 6. Creating and administering a project plan 7. Ongoing support (New releases, interim releases and bug fixes, telephone support, etc.) 8. Hiring new personnel Any of these functions might be provided by a “systems integrator”--it's amazing how often the phrase turns up in articles about ERP. What is less often mentioned is the economies that can be realized by minimizing integration and customization: costs 1., 2. and 3. A mature, robust application that is integrated out of the boxis required, as is an experienced, credible consultant who advocates

avoiding: 1) slavish retention of legacy systems, 2) often catastrophic attempts to integrate best of breed, and 3) unnecessary customization.

T As mentioned earlier, ERP ROI has suffered from training users in key strokes, rather than information flow. No matter what system you choose, it is likely that the vendor can have it installed on a server at your facility within days of coming to an agreement. And then what have you got? Empty data files, untrained users, no policies or procedures for using it for decision making in your company, and, usually, no plan for getting from there to the point where you're using it without compromises to run your company. It's clear that the first order of business after installation should be a business simulation workshop that will allow someone familiar with the system to become familiar with your operations and the way in which you do and would like to do business. The outcome of this workshop should be a detailed project plan outlining each party's responsibilities on a day by day basis. There should be no doubt in anyone's mind as to what needs to be done on a particular day. As the project progresses, users of the system can then be trained in the particular way a function is to be performed in your company. Enormous savings in time and money can be realized if neither you nor your vendor has to travel for training. Interactive video conference-based training --available and priced for as little as an hour or two of exactly the training that you need--is highly desirable.

Page 207

Somewhere along the way, yearly maintenance feesof 20% or more of software list became routine. Whether corresponding value is being delivered is problematic, especially since, as previously discussed, the price of the software is frequently arbitrarily high. In negotiations, vendors will often plead they have no control over the costs of providing maintenance and therefore have no ability to adjust the fees charged. This is probably not entirely candid in many cases. Their model for handling updates may be inherently flawed and flabby. Efficient models include electronic transmission of problems from the customer, electronic transmission of updates on a daily basis to all customers, and one-key retrieval and application of updates by the customer. Adherence to best practices like this should allow vendors to maintain yearly maintenance fee percentages in the low teens (even if software prices are not artificially inflated).

3 A Final Note on Hiring and ROI. It's pretty clear that if you're hiring in order to implement or maintain an ERP system, your ROI is headed in the wrong direction. Perhaps the technical infrastructure is too fragile and demanding; anymore, your server and database management system should not require much more attention than a refrigerator (only occasional cleaning required). Your people should be able to learn any new skills required in a short time at a reasonable cost. If you're hiring programmers to rewrite or add functionality, it sounds like you either have not located a vendor who specializes in your industry, or you're helping to subsidize functionality you don't need. With regard to hiring, a story may be in order. A few years back, this writer noticed in the classified ads that a company was looking for both an application programmer and a database administrator for a system whose name even then was synonymous with blown budgets, endless implementations, and bloated infrastructures. A quick and dirty analysis of the costs, with benefits, of those two people (if they could be found) suggested that one year's savings in avoiding their hiring would completely fund a three year lease for the acquisition (including server), implementation and three years of maintenance on a system meeting the guidelines suggested by this paper.

Notes 1. “ERP ROI Depends on Ongoing Planning and Adjustments to Meet Changing Business Needs,” META Group. 2. “Why the Controversy over ROI from ERP?” R. Michael Donovan. 3. “Making ERP Add Up,” Tom Stein, Information Week Online, May 24, 1999. 4. “ERP Training Stinks,” Malcolm Wheatley, CIO Magazine, June 1, 2000. ©2002 CMS Manufacturing Systems

________________

F or six teen year s, CM S M anuf actur in g Systems has deli ver ed its promi se of “E RP M ade Easy” to customer -dr iven discrete manuf acturers op er atin g in tigh t supply-chai n r elati onshi ps. Please contact Bob Paley, CP I M at 303.433.0317 or [email protected]. You may also visit CM S on th e web at www.cms400.com.

Page 208

The Top Ten Things to Look for in ERP

When you look for an ERP system, this report will help you to concentrate on the things that really make the difference between success and failure. You can probably, for example, figure out how to live with x characters in the account number; there is, however, no way anyone can figure out how to l ive with endless implementations, blown budgets, bloated infrastructures, and truncated careers. Good luck in your search. 1. No Proprietary Architectures. This really shouldn't be much of a problem anymore, but you should look for widely used, industry standard hardware and software architectures. Try to get to get (several independent) total cost of ownership (TCO) studies for each solution you look at. 2. Profitable, Focused Partner. Now, more than ever, you need to look for a partner who has shown that they are well managed, know how to make money, and will be in business next year. Additionally, you should ask yourself, and them, whether they are diluting their efforts trying to be all things to all companies, or whether they are leveraging their R&D investment by focusing on your industry. 3. Are the Data Being Captured? Even if you spend megabucks for a “trophy” system, you are still going to find that some data are not being displayed, or not inHow the way Thereports key question is: Are the data being You report youa don't record. questions include: easyyou is itwant. to create and inquiries? How easy is itcaptured? to add new datacan't fields? Orwhat is there simple a way Follow-on to rename existing fields so that they are meaningful to you? 4. Minimize Bolt-ons. The integration of so-called “best of breed” point solutions has been widely shown to be very difficult, expensive, time-consuming, and, usually, unsuccessful. A far better, lower risk approach is to look for a vendor who has most of the functionality you need already integrated into one package. 5. No Hiring. You should be able to implement the system using the people you already have. You should not have to add people to your technical infrastructure; your people should be able to learn any new skills they need in a reasonable time at a reasonable cost. 6. Minimize Cost to Acquire and Maintain. You may have had the experience of being nickel and dimed by a vendor when you wished to add new users, or go to a larger server, or when a new module was introduced. A better, more customer-friendly, model, that helps you to predict and control costs, is unlimited user pricing. You'll have to look hard to find vendors who routinely offer it. Also, you should find out what the vendor's policy is on new modules. Again, the most customer-friendly policy would be giving the new module at no cost to users who are current on their maintenance contract. (By the way, you'll want to look closely at yearly maintenance. Some companies use it as a cash cow and don't deliver much for it. Here's an area where you really should question existing users closely). A word about customization: Don't. Seriously, you should be looking for a system that meets at least 90-95% of your needs out of the box. Customization should be avoided wherever possible. If you feel you need customization, try to avoid it until core, unmodified functionality is implemented. And then make sure you're doing business with a vendor who is both staffed to provide the customization and willing to take on the (greater) burden of ongoing support for it. 7. Minimize Time and Cost to Implement. Even if you adhere to the software cost guideline, in most cases the cost to implement the system should not exceed one dollar for each dollar of software cost. Exceptions might include if you have multiple locations, or locations that are extremely remote, or your current staff is already maxed out. Look for sensible training solutions that minimize travel costs and maximize your training dollar like interactive, video conference-based training. A detailed project plan that is unique to your company and not just a generic template is key to your success. Ask potential vendors what proven methodology they have to understand your company and your objectives and then turn that understanding into a detailed project plan. The plan should precisely lay out tasks, timelines, and your company's and the vendor's responsibilities. On any particular day, there should be no doubt in anyone's mind what they are supposed to do. Remember that your risks increase substantially if your project plan exceeds one year; six to nine months would be a better target to shoot at. Current owners of trophy systems please take note: If your implementation is less than successful for any of the reasons noted here, you may be able to completely fund (software, hardware, services)--and complete within one year-- the implementation of an ERP system that meets these recommendations using only your current projected costs for the coming year. If you feel that you are going to need to hire scarce and expensive resources during the coming year, the savings from avoiding that hiring might also completely fund the implementation of a new system, to be accomplished within that year. 8. Insist on Web Access. The death of “client server” (whatever that means) is well documented. Internet access is ubiquitous. You should be able to get at the system using only a browser. (Decide for yourself if additional applets are worth downloading). And, character-based screens should be available for users who prefer them for head-down data entry. 9. Money-back Guarantee. You won't find much of this out there. But, really, it is the only antidote to endless demos and analysis paralysis. These are costly to the vendor and to you. Within reasonable limits, you should be able to return the software and get your money back. 10. Full Disclosure by Consultants. You may be using a consultant to help you look. Your consultant may offer services in implementing one or moreand ERP packages. sense forare them letchoice you know whatBut those packages are, doesn't it? Now,about it's possible that the package they know their services It inmakes implementing the to best for you. you should have full knowledge potential conflicts of interest. ©2002 CMS Manufacturing Systems

CM S Manu factur ing Systems is a le ading provide r of E RP and Sup ply Chain M anagement (SCM ) solutions to " customer-dr iven" manu f actur er s oper atin g in tigh t supply-ch ain r elation ships. Please contact Bob Pale y, CPIM at 303.433.0317 or 888.4cms400 or by e-mail at [email protected]. You may also visit CM S on the web at www.cms400.com.

Page 209

Software Programs and Cost Calculators We’re all familiar with demo software programs that have disabled features or expire dates, and I won’t go into that other than to say that all of the methods of promoting white papers can also be used to promote demo software – which is really a lot of useful stuff, if you think about it. But what about using demo software to convey ideas, to educate people or to do interesting computations? I’ve got a few recommendations on this. First of all, if you can possibly have the software run on your website, do it that way. If you can do something simple and off the shelf like FLASH If you need to write a software demo program, do it right. In other words, make sure it runs on all the different versions of Windows, make sure it doesn’t crash, and use proper install / uninstall utilities so it goes on easily. Also, remember that most people really don’t like to install software on their computer. If they install it to run something just once, now it’s just sitting there, taking up disk space and putting icons on their desktop. That’s annoying. So if you really need your prospect to install this software, then sell him thoroughly on the benefits of doing so. If you need a relatively simple software program to be written, I suggest you go to www.elance.com and bid out your project. Elance is a sort of “freelance work” equivalent of Ebay, and lots of programmers, web developers, writers and graphic designers sell their services there. Also, most of the people who bid on your project are from places like India, Pakistan and Eastern Europe, and the prices are very cheap. When I wrote my Ethernet book, I hired a guy on Elance, from Pakistan, to go through it with a fine toothed comb and proofread it for accuracy. Cost calculators: Again, best done on the web. A possible alternative is a spreadsheet that the user can open in Microsoft Excel. You might want to have a highly experienced spreadsheet person put it together for you, protect the fields that you don’t want modified, and make it look real sharp. Once again, Elance would be a great place to find such a person.

A very nice example of a web-based cost calculator – and a darn good marketing website in general – is the series of cost calculators you’ll find at www.BigAssFans.com .


Page 210

Tips on “Speed Writing” I do a TON of writing these days – and much of the time I do it very fast. Three or four years ago I was much slower. I’m going to give you some shortcuts that I learned, things that will dramatically speed the process for you. About three years ago I got a course called “How to Write a Book on Anything in 14 Days or Less” by Steve Manning (see www.perrymarshall.com/writeabook to learn more) and Steve gave me some excellent pointers on “speed writing.” This page is a summary of what I’ve learned about this. If you’re at all interested you should pursue it further. 1. The faster you write, the more natural and conversational you will sound. The best stuff is stuff you write fast & then touch up later. 2. It’s easiest to write if you do so as a response to a question. If I send you an email that says “Hey, you never finished telling me about that thing the accounting department screwup last week,” you can very easily bang out an email back to me, telling me all about it. It’s the same thing with whatever your white paper or report is about – if someone sent you an email and asked you some questions, it would be easy. 3. So when you make an outline, convert it to a list of questions. Then answer the questions. Put the most interesting questions first, and the least interesting last. 4. Since we’ve been talking about email, you might check your files and see if most of the answers to questions you want to answer in a white paper aren’t already in a bunch of emails you’ve already sent to people! You can create the first draft of a white paper just by pasting a bunch of emails together.


Page 211

Getting Help Writing Your White Paper Not everyone reading this book considers themselves a writer, and maybe you don’t. That’s not a problem. There are lots of writers around. Of course as you can see, I and my colleagues write a lot of white papers here at Perry S. Marshall and Associates. Naturally you are welcome to come to us with your requirements. But knowing that we’re not the only living writers on the planet, let me also suggest some other options and point out some potential pitfalls. Fortunately, writing a white paper is not as critical as copywriting for an advertisement. Assuming your white paper or report has good, informative content, then promoting and publicizingyour white paper really becomes more important than the paper itself. Obviously you want people to be happy with you for having convinced them to read it, but once you have a decent one written, the really important work has just begun. Most experienced writers and editors can take your “rough draft” and turn the white paper itself into a very nice document. I would discourage you from using someone who has never done advertising copywriting, though, because of the importance of the persuasive elements, especially the very beginning and conclusion. I just mentioned elance.com, and you can find editors and writers there. Be very careful about who you select, and understand that in writing as with most other things, you get what you pay for. Also understand that since this is all about “marketing on autopilot” and getting your sales message down permanently, this is NOT a place to cut corners. I write a lot of advertising copy, and in my humble opinion, most copywriters aren’t all that good. After all, look at all the horrible advertising we all have to live with every day. When it’s time to advertise your white paper, you want the best enticement you can possibly come up with. Now here’s a way to get the best of both worlds: 1. You write a draft 2. A skilled writer / editor cleans it up 3. A super-skilled copywriter adds finishing touches, extra persuasion, and a killer enticement and press release. It’s a good idea to also consult with this person at the beginning of the project as you’re mapping the conceptual aspects and deciding what to write about. Again, if you’d like to discuss a project, call my office (708)788-4461 or email [email protected].


Page 212

Slide Charts and Calculators Slide charts are a very cool tool, and applied correctly, they can get really impressive results. Let me tell you a story. In the spring of 1998, about 3 months after I started my job at Synergetic, we had a marketing consultant named John Fox of Eaglecross helping us out. I’ve learned a number of cool things from John, and this one is the biggest “home run” that John ever hit when he was working with us. It was the “fieldbus comparison chart.” Once again, this is a geeky thing that only a few people in certain corners of the world would ever care about – that’s true of most things that people will write white papers about, by the way – but the principle applies anywhere. At the time, our industry was in a massive race to shake out a bunch of competing standards. There were about ten different networking standards that various manufacturers were promoting, and there was a ton of debate and confusion. We had a chart on the web ( www.synergetic.com/slidechart.htm) that showed the specs of these various networks, and it was very popular. Lots of other sites linked to it, and it was clear people wanted this information. Chaos + Disagreement + Debate + Confusion = A Place Where You Can Raise Your Voice And Be Heard!

Synergetic’s Unique Selling Proposition was the fact that we had computer cards for all these networks, and one software interface. For product developers, we could simplify this ugly situation, because regardless of “who won” (the winners were not to become obvious for another year or so) we could supply you with a solution. So for publicity, we cooked up a fieldbus comparison chartwhich showed all the different networks and what their specs were. At the time all the magazines were writing articles about this stuff, and it was a very hot topic. It was the central debate in the industry. Keep in mind, nobody really knew who we were. We bought a booth at the national manufacturing trade show, the smallest booth they’d sell us, and we brought a couple thousand of these slide charts and started handing them out. It was crazy. People loved these things. By the end of the show, five or six vendors – even trade organizations – were handing out our chart at their booth, too. People would look at them and say “Wow, that could come in really handy.” Sometimes they’d study this chart for a few minutes and ask questions. Of course it had our phone number and website address too.


Page 213

People Took These Things Home – And Kept Them In Their Desks!

That, my friend, is the key. Give them something they will KEEP. So here’s what happened next. First of all, we got sales simply because this created ‘brand recognition’ from the person having something with our name on it. Second, distributors who sold related products would call us up and ask us to send 25 or 50 or 100 of them, because they were giving a seminar or something and they wanted to hand them to their customers. This put us on the map with many of the distributors around theout country. Third, all the trade magazines wrote this up and told the world about it. People were calling and asking for them for six months. (Actually we made these things and sent them out with every catalog for about 2 years.) Finally, we actually had a lady from one company – a Fortune 500 company – call me and ask if she could buy 1000 of them. I don’t know if she even knew they were free. “Hello, I’m calling to ask how much your slide charts cost.” I said “How many do you want?” “We’re having a sales meeting in about 2 weeks, and we need 1000 of them, one for each of the reps that’s coming in. How much are they?” I put the phone on hold and ran into El Presidente’s office. “Mike, a lady wants to buy 1000 of these. How much do they cost us to make?” Mike says, “A little less than a buck.” I thought for a minute, I decided that 93 cents sounded good. I picked up the phone. “93 cents each,” I said. “OK, then I’ll write you a Purchase Order for $930.00, is that OK?” “That’ll be fine.” And that’s how I sold a case of free advertisements for $930 to a Fortune 500 company. If you come up with an information widget that’s as relevant to your market, you’ll hit a home run like that, too.


Page 214

So What Can You Do With Slide Charts?

I’ve included some samples from the Datalizer company (www.datalizer.com) so you can see. I’m not sure there’s any such thing as a “typical example” but some applications are: • • • • •

Selector charts for medical and chemical applications Reference charts for technical subjects Calculators for sizing or parts matching Schedules and timing charts Wheel charts for cataloging various aspects of problems

There are charts for pregnancy stages, sizing tires, nuts and bolts, and even the most detailed math formulas. The possibilities are endless.


Page 215

OPTIONS Courtesy Datalizer Company Folded Paperboard: Our most economical style, folded paperboard is the right choice for light-weight uses, direct mail and higher quantity orders. Add a flap for additional copy / art and a higher perceived value.

Eyeletted Paperboard: Our most popular choice, includes durable paperboard along with edge-glueing and metal eyelets. Durable enough for most applications and looks great!

Wheel Charts: These fun to use dials work well for point-of-purchase applications and portray your information in an easy to use format. No slide to fall out and targets your message right at the point of sale. Plastic Charts: Best for medical or industrial applications and where the slide chart needs to last in a workplace environment. Available in folded, eyeletted and wheel chart formats. Special Features: Many options are available for your special uses. We offer individual packaging with product information sheets, hole punching for binders or hooks and plastic pouches for that up-scale look. Consider a high-gloss U.V. coating or film lamination for moisture protection as well.


Page 216

Page 217

Thanks for Reading! It’s my professional mission in life to show you the shortcuts. You just got a whole bunch of ‘em, and as you can see, you can be off to a great start in just a day or two. I hope you’ll write me with your comments on this system, as well as your success stories. Nothing’s more gratifying than success stories from students and members!

Knowledge is power. . I just did my income taxes for 2002. Last year, I invested $11,670 in my own personal education – seminars, travel, mentoring, coaching, courses, memberships, mastermind groups, teleseminars, and knowledge products like the one you’re holding in your hands right now. And you know what? Just a few days ago, I got most of that investment back in thirty minutes because I applied that knowledge and coaching diligently. That doesn’t include any other profits I’ve earned this month, or this year. I practice what I preach. I market myself the same way I teach my members to market themselves. And not only do I sell knowledge and assistance, I invest heavily in education for myself. That’s how I hone my edges. I would suggest that the same approach will produce tremendous results for you, too. With that in mind, I’d like to tell you about some resources that may help you: •

•

•

•

•

The Perry Marshall Marketing System Toolkit.This is my A-to-Z system for marketing and publicizing your business via Internet, email, direct mail, magazine articles, free publicity, multi-step marketing sequences, and the entire concept of

using information marketing as the front end for a sales organization. Nothing quite like it exists anywhere else. You can find out all about it at www.perrymarshall.com/inabox.htm. Note that there’s a basic, a Gold and a Platinum version. All of these include special consulting credits and critique coupons, and the Gold & Platinum versions entitle you to hands-on assistance with the development of your lead generation systems. This piece of paper entitles you to a $100 discount on that system . Just call or FAX your order in and include this page. The Perry Marshall Marketing Letter and Inner Circle Membership.For only $19.95 a month, Inner Circle members get free call-in days, free teleseminars, regular email updates, and my killer Marketing Letter. Writing that letter is one of the most important things I do, because it keeps you up to date with the latest, most state-of-the-art information and marketing know-how. Of all the dozens of marketing publications and newsletters I subscribe to, the seminars I attend and the discoveries I make in my client work, this newsletter reports only the very best and most productive. Hands-on consulting and coaching. I do a lot of both, and it’s a point of enormous leverage for my clients and members. For more information about any or all of these tools, email [email protected], call (708)788-4461 or FAX (708)788-4599. Thanks!


Page 218

Definitive Guide to Writing and Promoting Your White Paper

Recommend Documents