22 responses to “TMD Contest”

1. 1. A) “It’s not about who you know, it is about who knows you.” Changing the approach to work with the current landscape of sales and marketing. I have done a great job creating entry-level awareness with many prospects in my market, but taking it to the next step- comfort-level awareness is something I need to spend more time on so they know the value we can bring them. B) I want to bring in the very best prospects in my market and be the first source for Promotional Products that come to mind. Many of my customers have been using other companies for Promotional Products for so long, it is a habit that they are having a hard time changing- much like you mentioned in your video about using search engines or buying a new cell phone.
   2. Having top of mind awareness would allow me to further position myself as a leader in my market and solidify my success as a salesperson. Our company is well known in our area, in business since 1920 for office supplies. Promotional Products is our newest addition to our offerings and continues to grow. Now, we are at the point where we need to become our client’s first source for promotional products, just as much as we are for office supplies or office furniture.
   3. We began selling promotional products about 5 years ago. When I was brought on in 2014, I was hired part-time with the possibility of going full-time IF sales allowed. We had no idea when this would happen and were not expecting it to occur quickly. Then, just a few short 6 months later I was offered the full time position. Our customers had a need and we were working hard to learn everything we could to help fill that need and to do it better than everyone else. As sales continued to grow we became members of the AIMastermind Buying Group and found great success with that partnership. Our next investment was the Customer Acquisition Training Program, and after implementing the steps laid out for us, we have continued to grow! Last year, we performed better than ever. In 4 years I have grown our annual sales 6 times over where we started, and beat our sales goal last year by 51%! We have for the first time now hired a second employee to assist in keeping up with the demand we now have for Promotional Products. It is the newest and fastest product offering our company has launched.
   We are committed to continuing to grow this department and become the dominant leader in our market. After the success we have found with implementing the Customer Acquisition Training Program, I know we can implement the steps set forward in the Total Market Domination Coaching Program to continue to grow, and take our sales to the next level!

2. 1) what I learned,
   1)Be consistent with your messaging, craft your messages strategically.
   2) I need to be successful so i can have options for my family and me.
   3)
   SUCCESS IS SWEET REVENGE
   Since 1929, Carithers Wallace Courtenay, aka C-W-C, a contract furniture company w/ sales of 100 Million in 2017 and on track to do the same this year. CWC is an established name in the Atlanta market for office furniture. Our client list is a who’s who in business. Clients come to our office showroom to see the furniture and have meetings to discuss. Lunch is served on China- trust me, no detailed is missed.
   My job is managing CWC Business Solutions, it’s a small office supply company CWC bought in 2008 (COPY ATLANTA) because of the poor economy, thinking the 35 furniture sales reps would offer supplies, since a lot of furniture deals were halted. With a turn of events, I was hired in 2012 as GM to grow sales for CWC Business Solutions. We’ve had successful years of steady growth but felt we weren’t capitalizing on all opportunities.
   I approached my boss and the other three owners and asked for 2 things. I said that we can capitalize on the low handing fruit and grow our sales by doing two things. Here is what I asked for…
   1) Since furniture clients visit and walk thru our beautiful furniture showroom daily, I asked, “Can I have a small fraction of the showroom to display apparel and awards?” If our furniture customers see what we do… I’m sure it will create sales. Why wouldn’t it?
   Since aesthetics’ and quality is so important to the CWC Brand, I said it will look like a country club with top name brands only. Crystal awards…first class!

   2) CWC has 12 furniture trucks on the road daily with nice photos of high end office furiture. Can we add the CWC Business Solutions logo and mention what we do decaled on the trucks? If our furniture customers see what we do… I’m sure it would create sales, why wouldn’t it?
   The reply I received was, “We aren’t able to let you have a small portion of the showroom, what we will do is set up a showroom in the office next to yours.” Hum? Now, I sit in the very back of the office and there’s no traffic unless you are going to the warehouse. I thought no one will see it, why waste the effort. So I declined.
   Needless to say, “I didn’t get any messaging on the trucks either.”
   When listening to David, you can tell he is very passionate about this program. I’m sure he wants to see the Top Secret team of distributors have success. The timing is right, I have 3 new specialized markets that I’m supporting with sponsorship and I love the idea of TMD to penetrate them. I’m not the brainy type and I didn’t go to Northwestern and study communications, but I’m not afraid of doing the work.
   They say success is sweet revenge. I’ve always heard if you want to get someone’s attention, set yourself on FIRE…not literally, of course. I’m getting the coals ready.
   Btw, David Blaise went to Northwestern and studied communications.

3. 1.) Here’s what I learned: (Great videos)
   -Identifying the markets, I want to dominate. I tend to try to be everything to everyone. I spread myself thin to the point I don’t focus on what is important.
   -The video’s helped me want to develop a mindset that I can dominate. It is possible if you really want it and are willing to do the work to be successful.
   2.) Having the ability to create top of mind awareness with my best prospects would cause them to
   think of me first. The greatest challenge is keeping in contact with new prospects, sending timely emails, etc. It’s putting all of the processes together (updating the CRM program, retargeting ads, creating landing pages, website updates, etc.) that is difficult for me. I need help with a proven system.
   3.) I would like to be consider for this opportunity because I need a successful process that I can follow.
   I have tried other marketing programs and they haven’t worked for me. I have a lot of gas in my tank, I’m willing to learn and will diligently work the process.

4. Top things I took from the videos was to look at who my main clients where and the markets they are in. Once I sat down and look I found many were in one market. I have set that as my first market to
   dominate.

   2 I was working to hard in my awareness areas, I setup a email marketing program.

   3 Start a follow up tickler file to keep track of who I need to contact and who I need to wed out.

   Getting top of mind awareness means that many clients feel you are a partner in their plans for the success of their business. We share a common goal to help him reach his goals not just by selling him products but as a sounding board for any aspects of the business.

   Why would YOU be far more likely to follow through, take action

   I already have taken action from just the videos presented.
   Email plan, market to start with and a better follow up plan.

   Not only these but all the videos I have watched to the lectures I have attend David and put on.I have found thing to help me grow.

   From his lessons I no longer “close” my clients on a sale.

   With a thorough investigation of my clients needs I help them find the right products for the right situation.

   First video I ever watched if David taught me to not to sell but ti qualify their needs then offer solutions.

   Who is your customer
   Where are they at when you want or need your service.

   What can we put in their hands at that moment.

   Thanks David

5. Hi David

   Great videos, as always.
   Here are my top lessons:
   1. Make powerful first impression
   2. Follow up strategically. I love release poor quality prospects! I do have a few of them at the moment and would love to say goodbye….:) to them
   3. Automate lead generation. This is a big one, as you never know when they are ready to buy

   The ability to create top of mind awareness ultimately will lead to delivering better campaigns and outcome for our clients. As in my opinion price driven orders rarely get results or WOW factor. And lets face it our Planet does not need another item of meaningless swag.

   Why would YOU be far more likely to follow through.
   I am currently in final stages of Top Secret of Customer Acquisition program and LOVING it. Market Domination would be great next step.
   Also i do think Australia a little behind in this field. So i am ready to learn and implement.
   Thanks for the opportunity to participate.

6. 1. We learned, or should I say the videos reassured us, that this isn’t rocket science. These are simple actions we know we need to take, but don’t give ourselves the time to take which is hindering our growth and greater potential. It also acted as a tie breaker between differing positions in the office of how we should proceed approaching certain markets and clients.
   2. Having top of mind awareness with some of our top clients will make all the difference in our family business. We all know our industry is full of competition, we are all going after those big fish hoping to get in the smallest of cracks in the door to make a name in that prospective organization. Having those prospects think of you first allows us the chance to be more creative and effective in managing that client, when we are concerned they are price searching every potential order and getting quotes from 4 or 5 competitors we are focused more on the price then on the effectiveness of the products we are offering which is a lose-lose situation. That creativity will free us to enjoy the business more thoroughly. Happy business is a winning business.
   3. We are an interesting mix in this industry, the owners started the company 35 years ago and are still going strong, but now they have different perspectives coming in from their children who have been actively involved in the company for the last several years injecting real life and educational experiences in to the business. One son has an MBA from a top tier school and redefining the foundation of the company has been taking place. We are ready to make that next generational jump and having the right clients in place is the only way that jump can take place.

7. Marty Mac –
   1. The top two or three lessons I have learned from this program as well as your other programs is to have a plan. This program takes your plan to succeed to the next level. The dominate your market strategy is perfect because it provides the road map as well as holding you accountable because of the one on one meetings with David. Our industry is changing. Every week you see on TV or read in the paper a national company jumpin g into the promo industry. Our company needs to be on the cutting edge to make sure we are doing everything we can to keep building our customer base and expanding our reach inside current accounts by penetrating different departments and locations within some of our larger accounts. This program will teach us to do that effectively.
   2. The second question is easy to answer because it would effect my family immensely. My son, who is a recent college graduate, started working for me 19 months ago. To be honest, ( and I told him this ), if he wasn’t my son I would have fired him last year. It was a lack of making calls and being fully engaged in his career. But, in January of 2018 the light bulb went off over his head and he finally “got it”. He realized this is great industry with the potential to make a great living. And besides that…he realized it is a fun! This program would allow both of us the opportunity to grow together and along with meetings with David, to keep each other accountable. Each year we attend the PPAI and ASI and I tell him, look around, there is no one here that is 25 years old. You have a tremendous opportunity. This program will allow us to do that together!
   3. We would be far more likely to follow the program and make it happen for a variety or reasons. First of all, we are both super coachable. Honestly, I think that is a lost art. We are not going to argue with the program, we are going to embrace it and try to incorporate the plan of action.
   We understand the importance of listening, not hearing, but really listening to this program and making it happen in our business. We are both super competitive and will hold each other accountable. We can also be there to support one another and to push each other to be the best. It gives each of us another person to answer to besides David. We will do everything the program asks of us and more.
   Thanks for the opportunity to win this program for free. It could be a life changer for our business. We would be unique participants because we are a father and son team/business. We will bring a happy upbeat attitude as well as a burning desire to DOMINATE OUR MARKET!

8. 1 – The most important lesson I gained from the program was bringing clarity to creating the most powerful first impression on my prospects.
   It also gave me the initiative to really break down the most important things to say and be able to comfortably communicate with anyone when they ask what I do.
   I truly enjoy my line of work but have been guilty of spending too much time on administration and not concentrating enough efforts on prospecting.
   2 – Having the ability to create top of mind awareness with my prospects would help me to become more successful. Creating more financial support for my family is very important to me as well the personal good feelings that will come with helping my clients grow their businesses with my help.
   3 – It’s time for me to walk the walk, I have already started evaluating how I approach my business and I am committed to following through with a step by step program to evaluate prospects – make them aware of who I am – decide whether we are a good fit and then do my best to convince them to give me a chance to help them.
   My goal is to create as close as I can get to a fool proof method of finding good new prospects. After I am confident that it would be successful, I want to hire and train another salesperson to work with the program and keep growing from there.

9. What are the top two or three lessons you learned from watching our free video series:
   1) I need to identify my markets and sub-markets.
   2) Get to the business before the competition by being their first choice.
   3) Follow up correctly
   Having the ability to create Top of Mind awareness would mean I could continue to grow my business. My reentry back into the business has been a steady a slow growth plan. Thanks to David’s programs I have been kept on course and focused. I believe this program would take Purple Snow to the next level.
   Purple Snow is perfectly set to take on a Market Dominator position in our market. We are currently finishing up the construction on our new showroom. We have built great relationships with many of the best clients in the market and with industry suppliers. Plus, from what we see, the competition is still using outdated sales methods and failing to keep up with the latest trends. Purple Snow Promotional has grown not by chance, but because we have strategically implemented the programs that David has presented.
   Best lesson I have learned from David systems work. Once you have a system it Wash, Rinse and Repeat. I would love to have the opportunity to be part of the Market Domination Program. Due to the new showroom expense I wasn’t able to take advantage of the offer but would love to be considered for the program. I will make the most of the opportunity.
   Thanks David for helping me and Purple Snow grow.

10. Takeaways from the videos.
    The idea of viewing market domination on different levels. Breaking down that market to the smallest area that will allow you to Achieve the goal. This can be done whatever is your limiting factors are, cost, time etc.

    Creating awareness is a multi level approach as you penetrate a market or prospect client. Thinking of the different stages and marketing differently as you move through each stage.

    Having top of mind awareness would allow me to grow my small business into something more substantial. Help me create the client list that allows me to focus on being the best solution provider and help me cull some of the high time low profit clients.
    Being a leader in the market should lead to financial reward for my family also.

    I am a point in the business development that having a repeatable process would help me and any new sales people that I bring into the company. I am looking for and ready for some guidance from someone that has done this before.

11. 1) Top 3 lessons I learned: It’s OK to dominate in a market and be a leader not a follower; I want my clients to think of ME first; and I therefore need to create a level of awareness in the markets I want to dominate.
    2) What would the ability to do this mean for me?: If you picture the analogy of the horse with the carrot dangling on a stick just out of his reach, or a pregnant woman who is two weeks overdue to give birth OR a wife or girlfriend of a soldier that has been deployed for over a year and she’s waiting for his plane to taxi on the runway…think of the anticipation of each of these scenarios and the feeling that you would have when the horse FINALLY gets the carrot after walking with it taunting him for hours; when the woman FINALLY gives birth and gets to hold that baby in her arms; and when the woman gets to finally embrace her soldier guy after waiting for that moment for so long…WELL, that kind of demonstrates what it would mean to me, my business and family. LOL
    3) Why I be more likely to follow through…because I am like the horse, and the women in my #2 answer…I have been in business 15 years and each year I have increased my business by 10-15% with ONLY me doing the work, running a household with three kids AND helping my husband’s business. I am SOO ready for this! If I could dominate and be top of mind that is motivation enough. While you don’t know me, you will have to just take my word for it…LOL I have been in Topsecrets University for many years, getting everyone one of your teachings and implementing them at a pace I can handle which is why I have a steady growth. But being at this 15 year mark with the years under my belt and not having to “learn from the ground up” I can concentrate on the points you will be sharing and be ready to implement because I am MORE than ready for MARKET DOMINATION!!! Thank you!

12. I love them all.

13. David, Thank you so much for your email’s you send out. Each email has a lot of information. What I have learned from the lessons are: Who are you targeting, top mind awareness, Creating a segmentation, follow up, question 2 , my answer is: It would grow my business by increasing my customer base and help my income for my large family. Question 3 answer is: Having a knowledge is powerful. It would allow me to have a outline of a plan to follow on a consistent bases.

14. 1 – Dominating your market could mean different things – locally, an industry, etc.. Being the place when someone in that market thinks of promotional products, they think of you.
    2 – Being top of mind to my best prospects would certainly make a difference in my business and in the lives of my family and my employee’s families. It would make our jobs easier, allow us to sell more, and accomplish more.
    3 – We already dominate our market in another area that we operate in, so we know what that is like, and, how to keep that going and manage it in a positive, still growing way. This side of our business is related, so not really a stretch for us, and, we already dominate it in terms of one specific industry. We have recently added staff to this side of our business, and, are poised and ready to work to dominate more of our market.

15. I so wanted to sign up for this course by reviewing your materials several times. Two of my biggest clients got bought out leaving me with a financial setback. Our company is small and had to re-evaluate our situation. I believe in what you do and Top of Mind Awareness is what we strive to do. I have purchased CD’s from you in the past and know what you provide works. Lesson 1 – Work hard and pursue a filled pipeline of potential clients. Lesson 2 – Plan. Lesson 3 – Execute. Being top of mind creates more and better business but also gives clients (and ultimately friends) the satisfaction they are dealing with a great vendor and a great company. I’m 65 and really see the potential in working and making a better future for all of us. I have no desire to slow down but to stay creative and vital not only for our company but for the future. Thank you for taking the time to let me know how much your company does care about all of us.

16. I would like to take my business to the next level. As a retired attorney and not a true salesperson, I would like to learn marketing from one of the masters. I have read a lot of “How To” books on sales but I think I need something that is within the area of sales I am doing and not generalities. I have learned a lot by reading. However, I think I need something that will truly push me into doing.

    My daughter and I are in the process of redefining my business and Awareness will play a great role in this definition and execution. Although we are a very small company, I think with the help of Awareness, we can dominate a general or niche market.

17. What are the top two or three lessons you learned from watching our free video series on How to Create Top of Mind Awareness and Dominate Your Market?
    I gained better clarity on AWARENESS which is multi-dimensional but previously thought about it as one level rather than 3 levels. In addition to seasoned sales pros, I also have some new salespeople on my team. One is an intern from a local university and the other is a seasoned sales veteran. Because they are new to the printing and promotional products industry without a book of business, they are spending the majority of their sales day hunting. Coincidentally, I was recently talking to them about AWARENESS and so the video was very timely. After viewing the video on Sunday evening in preparation for my sales meeting, I decided to play Video 1 at my sales meeting on Monday of this week and my sales team thought it was GREAT. We talked about this and learned the progression of AWARENESS in the minds of our potential customers. While entry level awareness is important, we also learned we’d need to commit to dominate with comfort level and top of mind awareness in the minds of buyers in our marketplace otherwise, as David says and as we’ve found, we are going to be left fighting for the scraps, and those scraps take up a lot of time and zap a lot of enthusiasm and sales energy. We learned how important initial communication and follow up to creating VALUE IMMEDIATELY, and how important immediate value is in building comfort level awareness. So, I now think about this with new opportunities we have to ensure we are doing the right steps to create immediate value and progress from entry level awareness to comfort level awareness in the minds of our prospective customers…and eventually to top of mind awareness. Excellent lessons learned on these awareness levels.
    2.What would having the ability to create top of mind awareness with your very best prospects do for you, your family and your business? We know there are prospects who would qualify as our very best customers IF we could truly be top of mind with them. Being top of mind with this group (which can be somewhat elusive) would be a big difference maker. We already get lots of great testimonials and we know we can help new prospects if they allow us to help them. Being top of mind with the best prospects would mean we’re converting more prospects to customers and, in doing so, we’re not only helping more customers in the marketplace, but helping our vendors who we know work hard to help us be successful…frankly, it bothers me that I can’t give more business to more of the print vendors who support us and our industry. What an amazing feeling to know we’re growing, our customers are growing, and our business partners and vendors are growing, all together.
    3.Why would YOU be far more likely to follow through, take action and make it happen than anyone else I could possibly give this to? I am active with a local university’s professional sales program. These young sales pros, some of them are already intermediate to advanced in their sales abilities, are hungry for a system to plug into. We want them to achieve a mastery level. As we are looking to connect further with these sales pros, in hopes of building an sought after successful sales team, we must have a program that will help them dominate. The program must be something we can adopt as a company and that each of the salespeople can also adopt individually. Some of the sales interns will go on to have careers in other industries, but we want to retain top interns and top candidates from the degreed pro sales university program. We must have a selling system that dominates not only in the minds of the best prospects but in the minds of salespeople who are hungry for success. I have already developed a recruiting brochure and recruiting flyer to attract new salespeople. I would like to plug these new sales professionals as well as our seasoned sales professionals into an intentional, successful David Blaise selling system so we can triumph together.

    Note: We recently rebranded Presslink Printing, Ltd. and we’re now doing business as Accelerate Print Group.
    http://www.Presslink.com
    http://www.AcceleratePrint.com

18. The top lessons learned from watching the video series include total market domination can be achieved with disciplined strategy, process and execution. Having the ability to create top mind awareness would unleash the potential my company and enable us to help many more customers promote themselves effectively. In terms of follow through, the purpose of my company is to make a meaningful difference in peoples lives. The more people we can help, the better. The program you’re offering is what we need to help advance the cause.

19. I’ve been in this business for over 18 years. I LOVE IT! I have been a sole owner/operator and it has served me well. I have a very high level COO friend that is retiring and REALLY wants to help grow my company and take it to levels I wouldn’t have been able to on my own. I’m excited about the challenge and prospect of doing that. I think this would be instrumental in helping us jump in the right direction.
    Thanks.

20. What would the ability to create Top of Mind Awareness and Dominate Your Market do for you, your family and your business? Tell us in the box below…

    • This would make it possible for me to hire more employees and grow the business. I think the competition will be asking how I did it, and I will tell them go see David Blaise.

    • 1)What are the top two or three lessons you learned from watching our free video series on How to Create Top of Mind Awareness and Dominate Your Market?
      1) To be consistent/persistent in your reach, it should be a strategic contact! (Well Crafted and thought out)
      2) Not only selecting a market is important but breaking it down even further to the sub-market which helps you focus your message to their need. (a specialized segment) you’re able to speak their language and not in a broad manner. Master Segment Strategy.

      #2 What would having the ability to create top of mind awareness with your very best prospects do for you, your family and your business?
      A. It would help give me some options, at work- taking us to the next level would give me satisfaction and confidence that comes with achievement. At home, my wife stays home with my 92 yr old mother, who has failing heath, I don’t want her to have to go back to work when that time comes, unless she wants to.(bigger bonus)

      3) SUCCESS IS SWEET REVENGE
      Since 1929, Carithers Wallace Courtenay, aka C-W-C, a contract furniture company w/ sales of 100 Million in 2017 and on track to do the same this year. CWC is an established name in the Atlanta market for office furniture. Our client list is a who’s who in business. Clients come to our office showroom to see the furniture and have meetings to discuss. Lunch is served on China- trust me, no detailed is missed.
      My job is managing CWC Business Solutions, it’s a small office supply company CWC bought in 2008 (COPY ATLANTA) because of the poor economy, thinking the 35 furniture sales reps would offer supplies, since a lot of furniture deals were halted. With a turn of events, I was hired in 2012 as GM to grow sales for CWC Business Solutions. We’ve had successful years of steady growth but felt we weren’t capitalizing on all opportunities.
      I approached my boss and the other three owners and asked for 2 things. With excitement, I said,”We can capitalize on the low handing fruit and grow our sales by doing two things.”
      So here is what I asked for…
      1) Office furniture clients visit and walk thru our beautiful furniture showroom daily, I asked, “Can I have a small fraction of the showroom to display apparel and awards?” If our furniture customers see what we do… I’m sure it will create sales. Why wouldn’t it?
      Since aesthetics’and quality is so important to most brands and especially, the CWC Brand, I made sure to mention, “it will look like a country club with top name brands and topped off with Crystal awards…it will be first class!”

      2. CWC has 15 huge office furniture trucks with CWC Office Furniture info along with beautiful photos of high end furniture on all sides, They are on the road daily in the Atlanta traffic. So, I asked, “Can we add the CWC Business Solutions logo and mention what we do in colorful decals on the trucks? If our furniture customers see what we do… I’m sure it would create sales, why wouldn’t it?

      The reply I received was, “We aren’t able to let you have a small portion of the showroom, what we will do is set up a showroom in the office next to yours.” Hum? Now, I sit in the very back of the office and there’s no traffic unless you are going to the warehouse. I thought no one will see it, why waste the effort. So I declined.
      We didn’t get any thing put on the trucks either.

      When listening to David, you can tell he is very passionate about this program. I’m sure he wants to see the Top Secret team of distributors have success with it. The timing for me is right, I have 3 new specialized markets that I’m supporting with sponsorship and I love the idea of TMD to penetrate them. I’m not the brainy type and I didn’t go to Northwestern and study communications, but I’m not afraid of doing the work.

      They say success is sweet revenge and I’ve always heard if you want to get someone’s attention, set yourself on FIRE…not literally, of course. I plan on getting the coals ready.

      Btw, David went to Northwestern and studied communications.