http://100startup.com/

1. the secret to a meaningful new career was directly related to making people feel good about themselves.

2. Value means helping people.

3. Many business owners talk about their work in terms of the features it offers, but it’s much more powerful to talk about the benefits customers receive. A feature is descriptive; a benefit is emotional.

4. Strategy 1: Dig Deeper to Uncover Hidden Needs

5. Strategy 2: Make Your Customer a Hero

6. Strategy 3: Sell What People Buy

7. Product 1: Product 2: Product 3: Travel Ninja  Frequent Flyer Master  Travel Hacking Cartel  100 Sales 500 Sales 3,000 Sales

8. Give people what they really want, not just what you think they should have. Give them the fish!

9. The more you can market a core benefit instead of a list of features, the easier it will be to profit from your idea. Core benefits usually relate to emotional needs more than physical needs.

10. Most people want more of some things (money, love, attention) and less of other things (stress, anxiety, debt). Always focus on what you can add or take away to improve someone’s life

11. business succeeds only when it provides real value to clients.

12. Pick something specific

13. charge at least $100 an hour

14. At least two stories of how others have been helped by the service

15. Pricing details (always be up front about fees;

16. Questions like these are good starting points: • What is your biggest problem with ______? • What is the number one question you have about _______? • What can I do to help you with _________?

17. Use surveys to understand customers and prospects. The more specific, the better. Ask: What is the number one thing I can do for you?

18. Use the decision-making matrix to evaluate multiple ideas against one another.

19. Don’t think innovation; think usefulness.

20. Almost everything that is being sold is for either a deep pain or a deep desire.

21. Make sure your solution is different and better. (Note that it doesn’t need to be cheaper—competing on price is usually a losing proposition.)

22. The One-Page Business Plan14 Answer each question with one or two short sentences. OVERVIEW What will you sell? _______________________ Who will buy it? ____________________________ How will your business idea help people? __________ KA-CHING What will you charge? ________________________ How will you get paid? __________________________ How else will you make money from this project? _________ HUSTLING How will customers learn about your business? ____________ How can you encourage referrals? ____________________ SUCCESS The project will be successful when it achieves these metrics: Number of customers _____________________or Annual net income _______________________ (or other metric) OBSTACLES / CHALLENGES / OPEN QUESTIONS

23. Specific concern or question #1 __________________ Proposed solution to concern #1_____________________ Specific concern or question #2 _____________ Proposed solution to concern #2______________ Specific concern or question #3 _____________________ Proposed solution to concern #3___________________ Deadline: I will launch this project into the world no later than

24. Plan as you go to respond to the changing needs of your customers but launch your business as soon as possible, with a bias toward action.

25. As soon as possible, find a way to get your first sale.

26. To avoid overcomplicating things, explain your business with a 140-Character Mission Statement.

27. first you need to sell what people want to buy—give them the fish. Then make sure you’re marketing to the right people at the right time.

28. 1. Understand that what we want and what we say we want are not always the same thing.
       
29. 1. Most of us like to buy, but we don’t usually like to be sold.
       

30. An offer you can’t refuse may apply subtle pressure, but nobody likes a hard sell.

31. Provide a nudge.

32. The very best offers create a You must have this right now! feeling among consumers,

33. Compelling Offer Tool Kit: FAQ, Guarantee, and Overdelivery

34. Frequently Asked Questions, AKA What I Want You to Know

35. The Incredible Guarantee, AKA Don’t Be Afraid

36. Do not make your guarantee complicated, confusing, or boring.

37. Generally, you should offer an incredible guarantee or no guarantee at all. A weak guarantee, or one that is unclear, can work against your credibility instead of helping it.

38. Overdelivering, AKA Wow, Look at All This Extra Stuff I Didn’t Expect

39. As much as possible, connect your offer to the direct benefits customers will receive.

40. When developing an offer, think carefully about the objections and then respond to them in advance.

41. Provide a nudge to customers by getting them to make a decision. The difference between a good offer and a great offer is urgency (also known as timeliness): Why should people act now?

42. Offer reassurance and acknowledgment immediately after someone buys something or hires you. Then find a small but meaningful way to go above and beyond their expectations.

43. As with everything else in life, it’s important to keep your word with launches.

44. the need to tell a good story.

45. relatability and timeliness.

46. Don’t forget to celebrate.

47. It’s much easier to sell to an existing customer than to a new one, so work hard to overdeliver and plan ahead for the next project.

48. good launch is like a Hollywood movie: You first hear about it far in advance, then you hear more about it before the debut, then you watch as crowds of people anxiously queue up for the opening.

49. why questions such as story, offer, and long-term plan. Tactics refers to how questions such as timing, price, and specific pitch.

50. I turn my attention toward my clients. Often, I upgrade someone’s shipping to overnight for free, or double someone’s order, or include a copy of my favorite book with a handwritten note.

51. There’s nothing wrong with having a hobby, but if you want to call it a business, you have to make money.

52. Spend only on things that have a direct relationship to sales.

53. Price your product or service in relation to the benefit it provides, not the cost of producing it. 2. Offer customers a limited range of prices. 3. Get paid more than once for the same thing.

54. Principle 1: Base Prices on Benefits, Not Costs

55. feature is descriptive (These clothes fit well and look nice) and a benefit is the value

56. Option 1: The World’s Greatest Widget Price: $87

57. Option 2: The World’s Greatest Widget Choose Your Preferred Widget Option Below 1. Greatest Widget Ever, Budget Version. Price: $87 2. Greatest Widget Ever, Even Better Version. Price: $129 3. Greatest Widget Ever, Exclusive Premium Version. Price: $199

58. a recurring billing model will produce much more income over time than will a single-sale model.)

59. INTRODUCE THE MOST POWERFUL GUARANTEE YOU CAN THINK OF.

60. ALTERNATIVELY, MAKE A BIG DEAL ABOUT OFFERING NO GUARANTEE.

61. my service costs a lot of money because everything is customized. But if you just need a general solution, you can get this version for much less.

62. Great displays (in store) and great photos (online).

63. To get an unfair advantage, provide remarkable service.

64. Love for customers. Every order sent by mail includes a personalized thank-you note from an employee, encouraging customers to call if they need help with a pattern, plus free samples of other products.

65. The most common advice was to maintain a practice of regular rate increases so that it becomes normal and expected.

66. remember to price on the basis of value, not time.

67. Every morning, set aside forty-five minutes without Internet access. Devote this time exclusively to activities that improve your business—nothing that merely maintains the business.

68. Work on your business by devoting time every day to activities specifically related to improvement, not just by responding to everything else that is happening. • Regularly monitor one or two key metrics that are the lifeblood of your business.

69. You don’t need anyone to give you permission to pursue a dream.

70. the quest for personal freedom lies in the pursuit of value for others. Get this right from the beginning and the rest will be much easier.

71. More than competition or other external factors, the biggest battle is against our own fear and inertia.

72. Give people what they really want. Give them the fish! 2. Sell emotional benefits (Be a cowboy) instead of descriptive features (Ride horses).