The small business guru behind Duct Tape Marketing shares his most valuable lesson: how to get your customers to do your best marketing for you. The power of glitzy advertising and elaborate marketing campaigns is on the wane; word- of-mouth referrals are what drive business today. People trust the recommendation of a friend, family member, colleague, or even stranger with similar tastes over anything thrust at them by a faceless company. Most business owners believe that whether customers refer them is entirely out of their hands. But science shows that people can't help recommending products and services to their friends-it's an instinct wired deep in the brain. And smart businesses can tap into that hardwired desire. Marketing expert John Jantsch offers practical techniques for harnessing the power of referrals to ensure a steady flow of new customers. Keep those customers happy, and they will refer your business to even more customers. Some of Jantsch's strategies include: -Talk with your customers, not at them. Thanks to social networking sites, companies of any size have the opportunity to engage with their customers on their home turf as never before-but the key is listening. -The sales team is the most important part of your marketing team. Salespeople are the company's main link to customers, who are the main source of referrals. Getting them on board with your referral strategy is critical. -Educate your customers. Referrals are only helpful if they're given to the right people. Educate your customers about whom they should be talking to. The secret to generating referrals lies in understanding the "Customer Referral Cycle"-the way customers refer others to your company who, in turn, generate even more referrals. Businesses can ensure a healthy referral cycle by moving customers and prospects along the path of Know, Like, Trust, Try, Buy, Repeat, and Refer. If everyone in an organization keeps this sequence in mind, Jantsch argues, your business will generate referrals like a well-oiled machine. This practical, smart, and original guide is essential reading for any company looking to grow without a fat marketing budget.

A step-by-step system for creating customers and clients for life. In a world that’s difficult for business professionals to cut through noise to create relationships with their customers, organizations that focus on converting their customers to members and helping them achieve lasting transformation rather than simply offering the transaction of the moment are winning. The Ultimate Marketing Engine teaches you how to develop a system to take every customer from where they are to where they want to be by building on the innovative principles first brought to the marketing world in Duct Tape Marketing and honed over three decades of working with thousands of businesses. In this book, you will learn: Why strategy must come before tactics. How to narrow your focus and choose only ideal customers. Why no one wants what you sell – and what they actually want. How to use story and narrative as the voice of strategy. How to construct the perfect customer journey. How to grow your business with your customers. This bookintroduces the Customer Success Track, an innovative new approach to marketing strategy that will transform how you view your business, your marketing and how you view every customer. The Ultimate Marketing Engine will help you take control of your marketing while creating ridiculously consistent business growth.

Why are some companies able to generate committed, long-term customers while others struggle to stay afloat? Why do the employees of some organizations fully dedicate themselves while others punch the clock without enthusiasm? By studying the ins and outs of companies that enjoy extraordinary loyalty from customers and employees, John Jantsch reveals the systematic path to discovering and generating genuine commitment. Jantsch's approach is built on three foundational planks, which he calls the clarity path, the culture patron, and the customer promise. He draws on his own experiences and shares true stories from businesses like Threadless, Evernote, and Warby Parker. His strategies include these: Build your company around a purpose. People commit to companies and stories that have a simple, straightforward purpose. Understand that culture equals brand. Build your business as a brand that employees and customers will support. Lead by telling great stories. You can't attract the right people or get them to commit without telling a story about why you do what you do. Treat your staff as your customer. A healthy customer community is the natural result of a healthy internal culture. Serve customers you respect. It's hard to have an authentic relationship with people you don't know, like, or trust. As Jantsch says, "Have you ever encountered a business where everything felt effortless? The experience was perfect, and the products, people, and brand worked together gracefully. You made an odd request; it was greeted with a smile. You went to try a new feature; it was right where it should be. You walked in, sat down, and felt right at home. . . . Businesses that run so smoothly as to seem self-managed aren't normal. In fact, they are terribly counterintuitive, but terribly simple as it turns out." As a follow-up to The Referral Engine, this is about more than just establishing leads- it's about building a fully alive business that attracts customers for life.

“Clear, creative, compelling . . . This book is a must read for anybody who wants to power their business through high-octane referrals.” —Ken Samuelson, Principle, The Morehead Group Every business needs referrals from satisfied clients. A good referral can lead to a closed sale faster and easier than any other lead. But let’s face it. Asking for referrals can be awkward. And asking is often ineffective. That’s why Stacey Brown Randall developed a method of getting referrals—without asking. In her book Generating Business Referrals Without Asking, she shares her system for revolutionizing any business. Her structured approach reduces the hustle and increases productivity and profit. With Randall’s system, you can stop wasting time and money marketing to cold leads and stalking would-be clients on social media. And you can start doing what you love most—providing the excellent service that made you go into business in the first place. In Generating Business Referrals Without Asking, you’ll get Randall’s five steps to steady business growth, case studies from business professionals, and a step-by-step roadmap that even the busiest business owner can implement. “Stacey shows you how to unleash a referral explosion by turning your referral strategy on its head . . . You will also learn the steps on how to build a referral generation plan that you can follow for years to come, bringing in more referrals than you can imagine.” —Pat Hiban, New York Times–bestselling author of 6 Steps to 7 Figures

Sales legend Bill Cates uses his experience and expert knowledge to show sales professionals how to work smarter (not harder) by employing "The Four Cornerstones of Referrals" --relationship building and customer service, creating referral alliances and networks, prospecting, and targeting niche markets. Using Cates's easy-to-master referral-based selling techniques, readers: Work less and earn more by getting existing customers to work for them generating high-quality referrals Turn every business contact into a relationship and every relationship into a sales success story

As a renowned marketing guru and small business coach, John Jantsch has become a leading advisor on how to build and grow a thriving business. In his trusted book for small businesses, he challenges readers to craft a marketing strategy that is as reliable as the go-to household item we all know, love, and turn to in a pinch: duct tape. Duct Tape Marketing shows readers how to develop and execute a marketing plan that yields more revenue and ensures the longevity of small businesses. Taking a strategic, systemic approach to marketing rather than being constantly won over to a "marketing idea of the week" helps small business leaders establish a solid--"sticky"--foundation of trust with their customers that only grows stronger with the application of more and more metaphorical tape. You'll learn how to turn your marketing efforts into a lead generation machine and move far beyond your week-to-week strategizing to create long-term plans for your business's continual growth. Plus, the revised and updated edition of this industry-leading book includes all new tools, rules, and tactics that respond to the ways social media and digital developments have shifted and evolved the marketing landscape. Let's face it: as a small business owner, you are really in the business of marketing. This practical, actionable guide includes fresh ideas that stick where you put them--and stand the test of time.

Many of the areas that salespeople struggle with these days have long been the domain of marketers, according to bestselling author John Jantsch. The traditional business model dictates that marketers own the message while sellers own the relationships. But now, Jantsch flips the usual sales approach on its head. It’s no longer enough to view a salesperson’s job as closing. Today’s superstars must attract, teach, convert, serve, and measure while developing a personal brand that stands for trust and expertise. In Duct Tape Selling, Jantsch shows how to tackle a changing sales environment, whether you’re an individual or charged with leading a sales team. You will learn to think like a marketer as you: Create an expert platform Become an authority in your field Mine networks to create critical relationships within your company and among your clients Build and utilize your Sales Hourglass Finish the sale and stay connected Make referrals an automatic part of your process As Jantsch writes: “Most people already know that the days of knocking on doors and hard-selling are over. But as I travel around the world speaking to groups of business owners, marketers, and sales professionals, the number one question I’m asked is, ‘What do we do now?’ “I’ve written this book specifically to answer that question. At the heart of it, marketing and sales have become activities that no longer simply support each other so much as feed off of each other’s activity. Sales professionals must think and act like marketers in order to completely reframe their role in the mind of the customer.”