Robert Skrob: Grow Your Sales With This Info Marketing and Membership Guru

Jun 30, 2014

Wes Schaeffer

The Sales Podcast Digital Marketing Entrepreneur

About Today's Guest on The Sales Podcast

Information Marketing Expert, Author, Blogger, Speaker, Entrepreneur, Robert Skrob runs the Information Marketing website, is a marketing consultant who does a great deal of work the Dan Kennedy and his team, is the author of four books,

And he's an all-around good guy.

The Nitty Gritty

FSU graduate in 1992 as a CPA.
Was a CPA for two months and realized he didn’t want to do that.
Took a job as a bookkeeper for a company that managed associations.
Worked for them for 5 years then he bought them.

The internet was exploding.

“AskJeeves” was coming along so he was forced to get good at marketing.

Got a $7,500 bonus check from a client and Dan Kennedy was selling his “mother load” of stuff then, which was around $4,500 and that “really began” his education.

He had clients that needed help so this was a little laboratory that helped him grow in his expertise.

Info-marketing is just like an association except you are for-profit instead of being non-profit.

You are always concerned if your advice and recommendations will work.

All situations are a little unique. Use your own skills to get the same types of jobs you want.

Go get a public domain book that you can create on your own with no publishing costs to get the word out.

Start small with new clients as you launch your business before you take on so much you’re losing sleep.

Be clear about the box you can excel in and serve with excellence.

How to price your services:

He tripled his rates when he purchased his company. The new clients don’t know how much the old clients paid.
Have the guts to ask for what you need. If you’re not earning what you want and need, why spend the time and money to go get new clients?
He decided to supply an “art” vs a “science” to his prospects.
He differentiated himself so prospects couldn’t compare apples to apples.
He had two examples of 99% penetration rates so that helped him raise prices through exemplary results.

He enjoyed marketing and was good at it. He was in Amway for about 5 years and had some success but that experience taught him how to approach prospects and make sales.

Do what you enjoy doing.

Like dry cleaners that deliver…create a totally different service that your competition does not do.

Stop the inbreeding when looking for ideas to grow.

Robert has written copy for 50 different industries and they have the same sort of things happening.

Understand how a prospect’s mind goes from being oblivious, to aware to interested to being open to being receptive to a close.

35 Harley-Davidson dealers in Florida. While some struggle and some expand was dependent upon a definable sales process with published numbers. Each sales person needed to log 5 entries per day. Then measure test drives. Next was “sit downs” at the desk. Then write-ups. Then F&I and delivery.

With a system you can create the skill.

You won’t be successful without a sales system and the sales person must take ownership. You can always take control of the number of calls you make. You can get yourself motivated to follow the proper behavior.

Too few businesses market through associations. They have great media and networks. Leverage that to reach your target market. They need content. They’re trying to renew members. Show them how you can help them solve their problems. Their members are paying to receive that content.

Many have started their own associations but it can be tough.

“Your Association Shortcut” - become a member, get on the directory, see what they are talking about, see what problems they are addressing.

Attend their events.

Meet the attendees and leaders.

Spend some time at the bar.

See the trends and opportunities and obstacles.

Get more honest answers at 11 pm at the bar.

Now contribute.

Participate in their meetings. Now partner with them. Offer a product or service at a discount and make the association an affiliate now everybody wins. You will make money and get leads.

Stop worrying about what people think about you. Live your own life. When he sees people that don’t make things happen he sees that beneath it all they are holding themselves back. You have to be a doer! You are living life on a different level. Let people have their own beliefs and attitudes and thoughts about you.