Jay Abraham's Case Study # 449
From: Trudy Van Buskirk
To: Jay Abraham
Sent: Friday, August 02, 2002 7:25 PM
In 1993, I attended one of your $5,000 3 day workshops in Los Angeles courtesy of Mark Victor Hansen. My presence was the result of Mark putting your practices into play. You and he and Jack Canfield had done endorsements to each others' client databases. Mark had 10 seats that you had "comp'd" him in the class. I was bringing Mark to Toronto for a one day seminar that I was producing and he believed that I would learn a lifetime worth of marketing knowledge that weekend. I did!
That was nearly 10 years ago. For the next 3 years, I taught and mentored new business startups in Canadian federal government sponsored self-employment programs in the Metro Toronto area. I taught business planning, marketing and sales and the "marketing mindset" was behind and all around everything I said to the participants.
Along with these programs and speaking engagements at trade shows and conferences during that same time frame, I introduced you and the "three ways to grow your business" to at least 5,000 people.
But it was in 1994, when I had the opportunity to assist in creating a business in San Francisco with a former colleague who had been one of the first 30 employees at Apple Computer in Silicon Valley in the early 80s that I was really able to put the principles and systems into action with measurable results.
The business was market development in the area of hand-held, mobile and wireless technology - at that time "bleeding edge". Today people say Palm Pilot and almost everyone knows what you mean. In 1994, when we met with Donna Dubinsky, co-founder of Palm who had been an early Apple employee as well, the market was getting negative press constantly.
Apple's Newton couldn't do handwriting "immediately" the way everyone assumed it should and other manufacturers were looking at closing down. Donna and her colleagues were among a small group in the industry who believed things would change - dramatically.
We saw this as a real opportunity. We had both been there at the beginning with microcomputers and Apple - I had co-owned one of the first Apple dealerships in Canada, in Toronto through the 80s - so we were both "early adopters" and knew what COULD be done. We undertook to build a business that would educate the vendors and clients in two vertical markets - utilities and healthcare - on this new technology.
We built events that brought the two groups face to face in intimate (300 person) forums where the customers spoke about their problems and vendors listened. Then they discussed how to build the technology solutions that were needed - together. It was a radical approach to high tech conferences.
Usually the vendor stood up and told everyone what they had thought was "cool" and the customer should buy. We turned the tables because we knew that was what it would take to launch this industry.
The host-beneficiary relationship was one of the cornerstones of our marketing approach. Since we were working only in two vertical markets, we identified the publications who already had our clients as their audience. But -- the publications didn't yet know anything about the technology and how field force automation was the next "big" thing.
We identified and approached these key publications with an offer they couldn't refuse (and none did). We would introduce them to end users of this new technology that they should be writing about who were willing to be interviewed and have their stories written about.
Also, their writer could come to the event and we'd introduce them to even more users. Some of these writers and editors also played the role of facilitator for the panel discussions. That took care of the editorial side. Then we told the advertising group that we would give them the list and detailed contact information about all of our vendor exhibitors who really needed to buy advertising space in their publication - and someone from this group could also come to the event for free.
We would give them sponsor status and put their logo on all marketing materials (and later the web site in 1997). In return, we wanted free ad space - inserts in 3 issues prior to the event and either 1/2 page or full page. Color depended on the publication. Rarely did anyone refuse. We would negotiate and the deal would be done.
The most significant aspect of this is as follows:
WE NEVER PAID FOR PRINT AD SPACE IN THE 5 YEARS THAT I WAS WITH THE COMPANY!
Our only costs were the minimal charge for a graphic designer to create 3 different ads for the 3 issues in a couple of sizes. Advertising (before the internet) and salaries are the most expensive line items in a budget for event production. Our budget was about $1500 per event. Unheard of!
AND our PR was free as well - by getting them to write the stories in one issue prior to the event, THEY SOLD THEIR READERS ON WHY THEY SHOULD ATTEND FOR US.
There are many more stories of how we did the same type of thing with the speakers - not only did we not pay speakers anything, but panelists paid half price to attend because of the value they received. The results of this type of approach to business and marketing translated to the bottom line - 45% profits in years 3, 4 and 5.
I absolutely believe that marketing is a mindset and that I am now a "marketer". I truly cannot NOT think this way. Everyone I meet in my current business where I consult with and train small business owners and professionals on how to create marketing systems has the benefit of this.
Jay, thanks for starting me on my way and "changing my mind". Reconnecting with you and your systems is like coming home - I had forgotten what I know and how simple you can make everything if you just think - mindset and system!
"My story is true and provable and you have my permission to use my testimonial in your promotional and marketing endeavors."
Trudy Van Buskirk
PDA Inc. (1994 - 1998; startup to 10 employees) San Francisco, CA
Market development and event production in mobile and wireless technology