Get Unlimited Traffic Using The "Block Party" Technique.

One of the biggest questions we get is, "How do I get more traffic?"

Whether it's to your website or to your brick-and-mortar store, it's one of the biggest, if not the biggest, question business owners have.

Imagine if there was a way to create unlimited traffic for your website or store. Imagine if there was a way where people wanted to buy from you even before they saw your product, service or information.

Well, there is...and that's what we're going to cover in this article.

In fact, I will show you at the end of the article how to "short-cut" the strategy to get even faster results and have your colleagues...and even your boss looking at you like you're a marketing genius.

I also said I would share a way of how to get more customers that is so amazing that even Charlie Munger, Warren Buffet's partner in Berkshire-Hathaway, asked if it was actually "legal."

Now comes the "hack" that is so unfair to the competition that you might even feel sorry when you blow by them...well maybe not.

I first learned about this from a guy named Chet Holmes. Chet also writes about this in his book The Ultimate Sales Machine.

The story begins when Chet sold advertising for one of the legal magazines owned by Berkshire-Hathaway. At the time, the magazine was in the last place in sales out of 16 other legal magazines in their market. Chet was working with a prospect database that had several thousand customers. He made calls and sent letters. He tried everything, but nothing seemed to work...they were dead last.

Then Chet got smart. He remembered the Pareto principle which says that 20% of any group is responsible for 80% of the results of that group. Said differently, he identified which companies were spending the most in advertising in the legal magazines. He discovered about 167 companies (of the thousands in his database) were spending about 80-90% of their advertising budgets with his competitors.

From here, Chet's strategy was simple. He would target the 167 companies relentlessly. He sent out direct mail pieces that included some kind of trinket every two weeks and then followed up with phone calls. Twice a month he would mail and four times a month he would call.

The result?

Nothing....for first three months...and then in the fourth month he landed Xerox. It was the biggest advertising contract his magazine had ever received. By the sixth month, Chet had accounts with 28 of the 167.

And with the 28 accounts, Chet was able to double the sales over the previous year. His magazine went from being the last place in the market to number one in just over a year. This is when his boss, Charlie Munger asked him if what he was doing was legal!

According to legend, the sales continued to double every year for the next three years.

So how does all this factor into getting unlimited traffic...using the "Block Party" Technique?

Easy!

The lesson Chet taught us was to first identify who needs to be on our "A-List." Not the A-List to sell as in Chet's case, but a list of people who have influence with OUR PROSPECTS.

It doesn't matter whether you are B2B or B2C. Your ideal prospect...whether person or company...is like a fish. All fish "school" together. They congregate in a "pond." The question is where do they "school" or where's the "pond" and who "owns or controls" that pond?

The owners of the ponds make up your "A-List."

Often these owners may be:

1. List owners - CPA Networks
2. Bloggers - Thought Leaders / Influencers
3. Podcasts - of Thought Leaders
4. Social Media Pages - Don't Forget YouTube
5. Business/Professional Associations

You may also want to think of "pond" owners in other markets/industries who may sell a different product but to the same target market as you.

Now after you have your "A-List," you will want to...

1. Get to know each of them...as much as you can about each of them.
2. Offer value to them - recognize them, reference them, invite them to speak at a conference or on your podcast, offer something that will help them. Contribute articles, columns to their platform. Ask yourself, "How can I offer more value to them?" Communicate with them frequently (Chet Style)
3. After some time doing 1 and 2 and they know your name, now you can ask them to promote your company/offer to their "ponds"...look for ways to partner...joint venture...or ways to create win-wins.

So think of the above 3 steps as a strategic long-term investment for a flow of almost never-ending traffic than can push to the front of your marketplace, but what if you want traffic right now...your boss is waiting.

Good news! Here's how! It's called the "Block Party" Technique.

My business partner of 20 years, Greg Montoya, used to always say, "No one likes to be the first attendee to a block party!" He's right. So I call this the "Block Party" Technique to remind us what must happen first!

The "Block Party" Technique is a tactical "short-cut" to getting traffic right now whereas working your "A-List" as above is strategic for creating virtually unlimited traffic long-term.

The "Block Party" Technique

1. Take your "A-List" and ask how you can expand it (add more names)...even slightly..then do it.
2. Decide something you want to offer of high perceived value to A-List members...contributing a column / content...joint venture...etc.
3. Get your best pitch down on how you want to present this offer to your "A List!"
4. Start by calling the first decision maker on your "A List" and make your pitch. Be prepared to be told no! Then no again! Then no again! And again!
5. Pretty soon, you will come across a yes! The almighty "YES!" Now this is where the fun begins. Remember, no one likes to be first to the party, but once it gets cranking everyone wants to come.
6. Call the next person on the "A List" and give your pitch, BUT THIS TIME, immediately say, "such-and-such is "in," and I wanted to see if you wanted "in?" Repeat this with the next person on your list.
7. Give your pitch and immediately say, "such-and-such is "in," and so-and-so is "in," and I wanted to see if you are "in." Repeat this again with the next person on your A-List.
8. As you get more and more "yeses" there will be a "gravity" of sorts, that attract more "yeses"....just like the block party...the more it's "cranking" the more people want to come...and stay.
9. Lastly, with each yes, you're not going to give a list of 10 of your A-List members who have said yes to the next A-List prospect on your list, rather you'll choose the top 3-5 and most influential "yeses" you have received and you'll only mention them (namedrop their names).

In closing, although I'm a major fan...even a fanatic... of advertising as a primary way to build, ramp and scale your business, developing your "A-List" will bring you virtually unlimited traffic long term - you'll become "known" by thought leaders in your industry or marketplace and may even be recognized as one yourself. You may also become part of the proverbial "Old Boys Club" which is more important than you could ever imagine to your business growth.

The "Block Party Hack" to get traffic now...works great...but you have to do it and put on your thick skin as you are likely to have to "earn" your first "yes" by getting a lot of "nos!" However, the price will be definitely worth it.