Thanks for running this Stu!

Here is my guess…

1) Autoresponder
2) Write 10 new follow up messages for my products
3) It will generate a bunch of sales without me having to do any extra work

All the best!

Miguel

telephone?

phone
follow up customer calls
personalize and build relationship further

Hey Stu!

Here goes…

1) The Phone
2) Reach out to my client/potential clients
3) I will have a easier time closing the sale

Happy Holidays!

Jay

Using a contest to drive traffic to your website/blog.

Alvaro Mendoza

1. Customer Database.
2. Create a supplementary product to what they already bought, and let them know about it.
3. Increase you’re business’s income. =)

Ryan

Hi Stu,

My client list!

Cheers,
John

Not auto-responder…not every business has that.

But they SURELY have email.

And I KNOW, as someone who writes email copy (as well as more traditional sales pages, etc.) — that they under-utillize it for all purposes.

There are reasons — spammers have made it difficult.

While I dealt with a mediator 7 years ago who didn’t have email (and I thought he was archaic at the time — and further exposure provided me right, LOL.) — it would be hard to find a business without email.

They may not have a website.

But they have email.

2. keep lists of present and past customers and information & keep in contact with them. Make them offers.
3. increase business activity — additional purchases — as well as keep me “upfront” in the customer’s mind.

Live JoyFully!

Judy

Hey Stu,

1) Phone
2) Keep following Alex’s advise
3) Allows us to build relationships with our clients faster, better and with the least amount of human effort

– Pat & Lorna
http://www.PatAndLorna.com

Wow — FOUR people have guessed phone now…

Very popular answer.

Live JoyFully!

Judy Kettenhofen, Profit Strategist/Copywriter
NextDay Copy

Using a follow-up email after making a comment to your blog and sending a link to a free report in the P.S.

I actually found out of this WP plugin thanks to you and your WishList Member software (I bought a multi-site license).

Kudos!

Alvaro

There are several tools I can think of that aren’t used enough, but I will only pick one.

My guess for this contest is: A blog.

It’s a great tool to build a relationship with your current clients and find new clients.

Dan

Adding a P.S. to your emails with a “Call to action”

Happy Thanksgiving!
I will guess postal service – a card sent personally or through a service
is something physical that leaves a distinct impression. You can
celebrate the season, a birthday, or a special offer.
Do you remember someone who has sent you a nice card?
I also like all the previous answers…
Connie

Well…I take a crack. Seeing that the good guesses are taken. Good work guys. Your (MY) brain.

Antwon

Holy cow…

It’s getting hard keeping up with everyone!

Thanks to John, Judy, Pat & Lorna, Antwon, Connie, Alvero, and Daniel for your comments

Great guesses guys, keep them coming.

Remember, I’ll be giving a prize to first person who guesses the right answer and another prize to a random person who left a comment.

BTW – If you haven’t done so yet, read through some of the other comments… lots of great suggestions and ideas.

Hello Stu,
My guess is out of office reply, it might seem annoying to some but it has my signature with links to some of my sites, blogs, hubpages and snapfish.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours and all.
Gary W. Turner

My guess is that it’s

1) The faithful telephone
2) I need to use it more to do follow up calls and more importantly, qualify my consulting clients before I allow them to work with me. It’s hard to judge whether someone is suitable via email. I also need to make more use of teleseminar training whether it’s for prospecting or group coaching.
3) By using the telephone more for prospecting teleseminars, in just one week, I’d increase my client base, get me better quality clients and increase my revenue. I could also cut my time since answering individual emails take time but by doing 1 hr weekly calls, I can answer questions, overcome objections and then take the recording and turn it into a product.

Even if I’m wrong Stu, thanks for the reminder … I’d forgotten what a powerful little tool that telephone is!

Trish

While this isn’t exactly the answer you’re looking for – if I want to increase income – I could just get the ‘almost finished’ products off my hard drive and onto a website!
So, this isn’t a tool per se…
For a tool – I’d say using my camcorder and/or screen capture software to get more ‘personal’ interaction with my prospects and customers.
Great blog post!
Kenny

p.s. you could also make a very good ‘link bait’ blog post, and generate customer interest!

Hey Stu

Here`s mine

1. Cellphone

2.I use everyone else`s to make a residual income.

3.which makes business life a lot easier, as I dont need to work as hard.

WOO HOO

Darren Raines

http://ownacellstore.com

I thought “telephone book” first, but this ground is already being well covered here, it seems.

What about a calculator, to remind yourself how many visitors and sales you need to reach your minimal goal of “X” amount of $$$ income this month?

Fun post! Got us all thinking!

Mark

Stu

It the shopping cart!

Most business owners only utilize about 10% of their
Shopping cart system

Get more sales out of your website by
Improving the sales process!

-Christina Hills
“Shopping Cart Queen”

I had two thoughts, but Antwon beat me to one of them.

The other one, of course, is time. More specifically, focus and using it better. Way too easy to get moved off track and spend it on things that don’t increase income. (Yes, Stu, I’m doing this in a break…)

If you were looking for the physical tool part – it’s a kitchen timer/stopwatch.
I set it of a morning, so I get a certain amount of writing done before I leave for work at 6, or 5, or 4. I know that’s what I’m focused on, and I know that when it goes off I’ll be pulled away. It’s amazing how it can boost productivity. It only works if you’re focusing on the right tasks, though, so for that angle I also use Simpleology – the DTP gives me the same level of clarity and focus but lets me do it for several things instead of one, and lock my priorities into my list.

What this already has done is amazing. I’m writing more and better than I ever had before, but at the same time with a long term focus and strategy for growth in mind, and specific actions included that will turn it into income the ethical way – by providing more and more value. I also have a deadline by which I want to have that income to the level of my day job. April next year.

Will your prize help me with that? Or would it be a distraction…

Stu,

The most overlooked tool in front of you I would say is a pen. Write a Good Ol’ Fashioned Letter to your clients and connect with them on deeper level.

Every business owner should be collecting names and addresses they can send a physical Thank You from. The next best thing that’s right in front of you could be a phone but that’s just obvious at this point with everyone saying the phone.

*Personalizing a Holiday Car!*

The #1 Overlooked tool would be a PEN!

Hi Stu,

My guess is a business card. A business card is a great way to promote our business offline and gain more customer.

We can include our website in our business card drive traffic to our website. A really overlook tool.

John

I believe the most overlooked tool is the telephone

persuasion is the tool,

the phone,
the pen,
the web,
are all more of the medium than the tool.
they are like the canvas and persuasion is the brush tool that paints the art.

the art is the sale,
the art is the lead,
the relationship that blossoms into a collaboration.

a medium cant make a relationship without persuasion as the tool.

While a telephone would seem a solid choice, I think we need to look further back and simpler than a phone.

I suggest that the most overlooked business tool is paper and pencil/pen. You can use this tool for various activities, it adjust to your needs and you have a record of the event.

It can help write the script for your phone calls, provide information you may need during the calls and capture notes from your follow up calls. It can help you conceptualize a new marketing campaign. It is there to collect thoughts during a brainstorming session. It can capture images as well as words and provides some security. Sometimes the only one who can read what I wrote is me!

It is portable, you can use it with one hand, it comes in various sizes, is easy to use and gives you a permanent record of your activity. Indeed a tool that people should use more and is vastly overlooked.

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to participate so far!

There are many creative answers that I had never thought of before

Gary, Trish, Kenny, Darren and Mark – You all had excellent responses. I will say this… at least one of those responses made the Top 5!

@Christina – Being the Shopping Cart Queen I wouldn’t have expected any less of any answer from you And it’s true, the Shopping Cart certainly is listed in the Top 10… will it make #1? We’ll see.

@Crystal – I love the creative thought behind the stopwatch. I know I’ve certainly used it to keep me moving in my business.

@Bryan & Ivan – The good old fashioned pen and paper. Nothing beats the personal touch of a handwritten letter, postcard or note. Hmmmm… I wonder if this answer made the Top 5

@John – The business card. How many people neglect to use this little networking tool to it’s full potential? My guess is, LOTS of people. Great answer.

@Bryan – Although I’d argue whether persuasion was a tool vs a skill, I would definitely agree with you that your ability to influence and persuade will immediately impact your bottom line. Excellent response

These are all wonderful responses – it kind of makes you think doesn’t it?

There are a lot of great ideas and suggestions.

Here’s a quick question – of all the answers above, which ones can you use to increase your business right now?

Answer that and you’ll find some big opportunity areas in your business.

I’m going to keep the contest live for a little longer so if you have other ideas, feel free to share them.

Remember, one winner will be the first right answer and there will be a second winner selected at random from all the responses.

Stu,
Not one person mentioned VIDEO
Today I am producing 24 short ones for the 10×10x4 Formula.
Along with the other tools mentioned this will give me
a lot of exposure.
Do you want to mention where the 10×10x4 Formula comes from?

Stu,

I think the right answer is… your creativity (in other words, your BRAIN).

Your brain controls your ATTITUDE and your MIND-SET.

Your brain filters your perceptions of the world around you (your paradigm) and is the source of all your IDEAS and actions.

And after all… you ARE the IDEA guy….

Ray

I do agree the phone is not used as much as it should be. But there is nothing more annoying to me than picking up the phone and getting a recorded message. I also believe that getting a phone number is 10 times more difficult than getting an e-mail on an opt-in page.

A little used tool I have discovered with a huge following is PodCasts!
I will increase my frequency and quality of my podcasts to drive organic traffic to my site.
Then with split testing I will develop the best converting page I can. When everything is working like a well greased machine, the auto pilot will go on.

Thanks for a very inspirational question.

David

Hey Stu:

How about the fax machine (or eFax)

You coluld use the fax as another vehicle to deliver your sales message since it is readily available but rarely used.

Might get more attention and separate your message from the crowded e-mails.

Just a guess…

Dave

Hi Stu,

The first thought that came to mind was the phone, so I’m sticking with that.

Lots of other great answers are posted in the comments for others too.

Mitch

Reverse marketing? When people send you sales pitches in your inbox, this automatically gives you permission to email them back. You could also use this as not really to toss a sales pitch back to them, but more to build a relationship with them, see if they have a list, and you could possibly JV with them.

While we’re throwing together a list of ’secret weapons’, another one, although admittedly one that probably isn’t at most people’s fingertips, is the mastermind group.

By setting goals, as well as rewards and punishments (doing without chocolate seems to be a universal favourite punishment, for some reason…) and having a date for checking back in, we all usually get about three times normal productivity in the day or two before the call It helps that whoever is chairing sends the reminder email with all our commitments about then too.

It’s amazing how effective accountability and publicizing your goals can be

Crystal

Stu,

The Random House Dictionary includes in its definition for the word “tool”:

“5. anything used as a means of accomplishing a task or purpose: Education is a tool for success.”

Intriguing… The dictionary providing one answer (”education”) to your question.

But I site this definition not to focus on “education” as the answer to your question (although it is, indeed, a powerful tool), but to point out that the telephones, e-mail, faxes, teleconferences, pens and pencils, shopping carts, etc. featured in these guesses are invaluable “things,” none of which have any value except in the context of…

Relationships.

Relationships aren’t just “nouns” – i.e. “things” like inanimate telephones or other physical “tools.” Relationships are VERBS, full of potential and full of promise – business or otherwise.

If your purpose is to serve others (your prospects and customers, specifically as regards your question) with an awareness that meeting customers’ needs and desires is how you generate income and profit – then ask yourself:

How can I serve others with whom I have an existing relationship in such a way that they benefit, and I do, too?

How can I tap into my existing relationships in ways that serves those people, their audience, my audience and me?

Use your relationships with your prospects and customers to ask them: What tool or tools would you like me to use that best serves your needs and desires? Would you like me to use the telephone to call you directly? Would a fax do the trick? Would you like to attend a teleseminar? Let THEM tell you what tools work best, instead of trying to guess at it yourself.

Use your existing relationships (or create new ones) with other authorities in the field of marketing to ask them: What tool(s) work most effectively for you? What tools do you recommend? What’s on the cutting edge, and how can it be applied in service to my prospects and customers? What tools don’t my prospects and customers know about that will blow them away when I introduce those tools to them? Ditto about letting others inform you, instead of trying to make it up inside your own head.

Remember: Don’t innovate; Improve!

“Asking” others can happen in an infinite number of ways. Online surveys. Basic research. A direct call. Or even asking in the context of a blog post contest… (GREAT idea, Stu! Hint, hint to your readers about a “tool” they can use on their own blog…)

So even though I believe that teleconferences (teleseminars, teleclasses, telecoaching, etc.) are the fastest, easiest, least expensive, most effective way to inform, inspire, motivate, promote, market, sell, generate content (that can then be repurposed in a myriad of ways) communicate to the masses or to as few as one other person, (and the list goes on…), I still contend that it all begins and ends with…

Relationships.

OK. So that’s my soap-box post.

Thanks, Stu, for demonstrating your commitment to serving others by helping us to discover more powerful ways to be of service through our businesses.

Jay Aaron

Telephone book, more specifically the yellow pages is the tool.
Make calls to brick and mortar businesses listed, offer to help their online marketing.
Expand your business to include offline.

ok I’ll give it a go..
I was thinking website/blog first but had to back up..my website /lead capture pagey best tool…some times overlooked

Hey Stu,

My answer is pretty simple. I think your customer is the most important thing you have. They are right there in front of you and can provide you with information about what they want. And we are all being your customer as we are giving you all kinds of data that you can now use to come up with a number of products and services.

Now, what do I win?

1. Pen and Paper

2. Use it to brain storm and mindmap new ideas. I will then take those ideas and turn them into goals. Having written the goal down is one step closer to achieving that goal.

3.This will help my business become more creative and keep it moving forward in an industry that changes by the day.

Shannon

Hi Stu,

1. What the tool is?
The good old fashion Rol-O-Dex of contacts (lists) from ever and ever.

2. How you will start using it differently in your business?
By writing a physical letter and putting it in an actual envelope and reach out and touch them. Building a better referral network by letting them know of all of my latest products and projects and letting them know who my ideal prospects, clients, partners are so that they can help me get more of them.

3. What this will do for your business
Exponentially increase each of those sources and therefore my revenue.

Referral networking is much better than just going at it alone without a positive endorsed introduction. A lot of our close contacts in our Rol-o-dex or card files make it to our email list but don’t get the proper attention they deserve.

Thanks for the brain exercise.

I have actually started doing this lately and have made some astonishing accomplishments.

J.R. Durruthy

Hello, Stu!

Here’s one that hasn’t been mentioned already — the printer!

I print copies of many of my newsletters to hand out to clients, prospects, and attendees at my presentations, depending on the topic of discussion. (I start off by sending out these newsletters via e-mail, then post them online in HTML format, and finally, save them as PDF files before printing.)

Handing out these printed newsletter copies is a lot faster than writing a new ‘prescription’ each time for consulting purposes. I also save my clients a bundle of money because they don’t need to pay me to teach them the fundamentals of whatever the topic is. (They are very happy about that!)

So, using my printer, I get a lot of bang for my buck by reusing my newsletter content in a printed format. It’s a great marketing tool!

Adele

Hi Stu,
I’d have to say ‘our brains’ would be the best tool often underused. Hope you and Amy are well! God bless! -john

Hi Stu,

Hmmm. I would say it’s pen and paper. Everyday you should have a list of 3 – 5 things to do that day that will improve your business.

As you accomplish each task – you should cross it off the list with flair. Its very fulfilling.

You’d be amazed at how great a productivity tool this is.

I would have to say that it’s the 5.75 inches between my ears…don’t always use it to my fullest capacity.

I’d have to say… A Pencil!

Hello Stu,

The telephone is within view and it is a powerful though overlooked tool, so that’s my guess. Can’t wait for more good tips from you.

Susan

Since traffic and conversions is the key to success in small business the only tool at everyone’s fingertips that comes to mind would be PPC. Having people browse into your store for free is great when it happens. Where as paid traffic can produce instant, targeted and consistent traffic.

GOOGLE

Stu,
I met you in Dallas so I have to say taking advantage of the programs you, Russel and others put together because you give so much of yourselves to help others achieve their goals. The people you meet there are all like minded and those connections are extremely valuable. If we can emulate you and share our knowledge with others with no higher expectations we are wealthy.
Look to your mentors and try to become one.

I suppose what I don’t use enough is Google – anything Google. Yesterday I noticed there were tools I didn’t even know existed – tomorrow I am going to explore them and see what they can do to find some new niches and what they are looking for in the world of wellness!

Then, 2 other things I never use enough are creative energy and appreciation. Both of them juice everything else I do. Stu, thank you for bringing creativity and imagination to a new level in my business, and that has made a big difference in how I support my clients in their well-being!!

Be Well and Have Fun, Everyone.
Kathleen

Hi Stu

1. Web Browser
2. Googling topics which are business related, reporting it on my blog, facebook …and creating an ebook out of my blog entries
3. What this will do for your business: exposure, higher ranking and I am an author in 4-5 months

Have an outstanding day
Elisabeth

Stu:
1.Phone
2. It will let me keep in touch and do teleseminars.
3. It will create customers who know like trust and remember me.

Look fwd to this years Amy-thon. Keep me in the loop.

Rob,
Up the road a few.

Hi

If I look around I see many things not overlooked … but my phone certainly is and it is at my fingertips … literally!

So my answers:
1) My phone
2) Differently? I’ll use it speak to existing customers to elicit testimonials and referrals as well as ‘dead’ customers to revive them
3) This will add a personal touch to my business, increase referrals and revive sleeping customers

Thanks for the nudge….

John Gordon
The Infotainer

It occurred to me that although I have a kitchen timer on my desk, it’s possible that not a lot of other people do (unless they work on laptops in the kitchen). So, with that in mind, I thought I’d take another stab at it.

Hmm. Looking around, there’s not a lot on my desk. I’ve cleared it as part of my simpleology praxis. There’s only 2 things that might be common enough…

First, my speakers. Occasionally I do like to shut out the world and if I have a track on like, say, the MI2 theme, then things seem to happen in fast forward. I also love the high energy brainwave entrainment tracks I have from another subscription site. Same deal.
2. I could put a button on my taskbar or desktop to make it a single-click job
3. What it would do for my business? Wonders on the productivity side. What it would do for my relationship with the neighbours in my unit block isn’t quite so clear…

In conjunction with my webcam, though, there’s a few more interesting possibilities. Skype. Webcasts. Podcasts (if there’s a difference besides the Apple association). One on one conversations.

Secondly, there’s a glass of water. It occurs to me that this could be another underused business motivational tool
2. Obviously, you pour it over yourself if you haven’t got anything done.
3. That would depend on consumable costs if it splashed onto keyboards & the like.

I have two more “guesses”…

1. Your blog.
2. Your audience (customers/readers/prospects).

Thanks for a lively and stimulating discussion.

Ray

The first thought that comes to mind is…

…

….

……

……..

………..

>>CURIOSITY!!<<.

The second is… your signature. (see example below)

~Mike Cowles. <
Over $512 worth of free software
http://www.FreeToolsAndTips.com
~Mike Cowles. <

I am sitting here looking at all the training materials I have invested in over the years. I have listened to all of them and gotten a lot out of them – I wonder what is there now for me to discover in re-listening to them. It is getting to be winter here in the midwest so there will be extra opportunity to keep the recordings contributing. If I were in a summer-headed place I’d be thinking about re-listening to them in the garden! Thanks for the fun and intrigue. Kathleen

Hi Stu,

My guess is going to be your voice, because you can use it to record ideas that turn into profitable products right now. Best of all the cost to do so is free.

S. Yvon Harper
http://www.AskYvon.com

WOWSERS! What a GREAT discussion.

Thank you to everyone who contributed – there are lots of great suggestions and ideas above.

I saw many people like Ray, Crystal, Kathleen and others jump in and give more than one answer – I love it

Hopefully through this exercise you saw some opportunities within your existing business.

I’ll be announcing the winners soon!

Hey Stu,

Just a shot in the dark here. I would say a calender, to promote holidays and special occasions.

Like I said. Shot in the dark.

This may sound vague, but the absolute most
important tool I have available is…

>> MY CREATIVITY & INGENUITY

How can I use it right away?

>> I’m actually devising a new strategy for building
my list (and client base) right now, actually. I threw
away a strategy that wasn’t working very well and
using a little ingenuity, I believe I have a much better
strategy now. We’ll see soon. (By the way, I’ll be
using your WP Wishlist Member software in this new
promotion strategy… Your software rocks.)

What will it mean to my business?

>> If all goes well, I’ll be looking at a BIG BUMP in
my subscriber list over a period of about 1 month…
With any luck, the best list building strategy I’ve
ever done.

Thanks for everything, Stu. =)

Will

Hi Stu,

I would say the tool that most small businesses forget to use is not the Sales Letter, but the Thank You Page. One should monetize that by giving an irresistible one time offer of something that would make the product or service that the customer just bought even better.

The customer has a second ago shown that he/she is willing to buy from us. It is not wise to let them leave without trying to make another sale. Try to make it a nice surprise, not too pushy.

Thanks for the challenge, Stu.
Pirjo

Opintolinkki Oy, Finland
Vertaa ja löydä itsellesi paras koulutus – http://www.opintolinkki.fi – when You want to find the address for your studies in Finland.

Just a quick comment to let you know how informative and helpful your site is! I just kind of stumbled onto it. I’m sure your little contest here is over, but just had to offer one more guess. I believe the most valuable tool that anyone has, a tool that is always available to everyone at any time, costs basically nothing to use, ( but is so often misused, unused, or seldom used ) and that tool is the gray matter that fills a large portion of our skulls–our BRAIN! We just need to provide proper nutrition to fuel it, adequate amounts of rest/sleep to recharge it, try not to damage it by abusing it with harmful substances, and use it to keep it active, and voila! There it is–ready to provide us with a multitude of wonderous ideas, creative thoughts, solutions to problems–whatever we need!

Now if I could just remember where I have stored mine! I’m in a kind of Tin Woodsmanish frame of mind today! “If I only had a brain………”

Namaste!