My first conversation with John Jantsch happened in April of 2016 at the annual Social Media Marketing World conference in San Diego, CA. I just started my digital marketing consulting business a few months back and to be honest, I had not read his popular book Duct Tape Marketing nor did I know anything about running a successful marketing business.
John’s breakout session at the conference was about developing a “highly profitable marketing consulting practice.” My biggest takeaway was the packaged “value-based” pricing structure they recommended. Afterwards, I went to the Duct Tape Marketing website and liked what I saw. I loved the fact that they kept the pricing of their marketing consulting services out there and had cute names (and icons) for them like “jumpstart,” “catalyst,” and “department.” I remember saying, “I want to model my consulting business like this,” but instead of joining John Duct Tape Marketing Consultant Network I just copied what he was promoting! Long story short, I invented my own similar packages named “Jumpstart,” “Pro,” and “Domination” with similar icons. I also broke some of the terminology of their website. (Sorry, John. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right?)
look familiar? In 2017, long before I became a Certified Duct Tape Marketing Consultant, I was taking them out! (Sorry, John.)
Despite not joining the johns network of consultants At the time, he now had a fanbase, and I went ahead and followed most of his material, including reading duct tape marketing And SEO for Growth, (I also recommend the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast).
I enjoy how John and Duct Tape Marketing explain online marketing in simple terms, specifically Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Marketing strategies like website design, SEO, content creation and social media can be overwhelming, especially for small business owners, but they don’t have to be – Duct Tape Marketing Resources understands it all. They make it so easy!
before joining the network
Fast forward two years and I’ve grown my digital marketing business to a fairly successful location with a monthly average of eight small business clients (ie dentists, home builders, self-storage companies, etc.) with retainers and many other one-time projects Had given. , However, I had to learn a lot of things the hard way, including how to properly price my services, how to tailor my services and find reliable vendors, and how to properly grow my business. In short, I was an entrepreneur on an island figuring it out as I went. More specifically, I could barely bear my workload as I was jumping from one task to another and despite all the work, I was still not making much profit. I had gotten myself so far, but I needed a system.
Enter the Duct Tape Marketing Consultant Network
I don’t know what prompted me to sit down at John’s webinar in June of 2018, because I knew he would be pitching the consulting network I first learned about two years ago—and I knew I was someone. Wasn’t going to invest the money in a training program – but regardless, I attended. And boy, was I wrong. While sitting at John’s webinar I felt something: this was exactly what I needed at this point in my business. A few days later I was signed up, and I haven’t been disappointed since.
I have invested in my fair share of courses and teaching equipment. Some have been good and more have been bad, but most of the training material marketed to me involves a young person (who is apparently short enough to teach me about growing a business or marketing). Have no life experience) He stands in front of some flashy background (sometimes a fancy car or a private jet) and promises to make my business 10 times, usually overnight. If you make the mistake of buying such a program from one Thesis The “so-called” guru, what you usually get is just a “fly-by-night” lead-generation strategy. Trust me, I know.
With duct tape marketing, it was different. no hard sell And Self access to John Jantsch. I mean that person personally stayed with me on two calls before I joined!
What first attracted me to the organization was its network of preferred vendors, a library of marketing materials, and the certification process.
preferred seller
The Duct Tape Marketing Consultant Network has a plethora of preferred vendors and providers (including discounts) to help you complete a range of services including website design, content creation and reputation management. These resources have been vetted by other consultants, so I didn’t have to reinvent the wheel. For example, if I need a copywriter, there are recommended providers for that. Now I didn’t have to take any chances on a vendor on my own to know if they were good (trust me, I went through a lot of resources to get down on what I used before DTM). Even better, I was already using many of my favorite vendors like Collarel, GradU etc which meant I was on the right track, but even more so now I can get discounts with many of these companies. (Yes, duct tape marketing negotiates discounted rates for the group!)
business items
As a member of the organization, you get access to marketing materials such as eBooks, presentations, PDFs, and more. Members may use or co-brand these materials as such.
process certification
If you’ve ever read any of John’s books, you may be familiar with Marketing Hourglass. This is the backbone of the Duct Tape Marketing System that you will learn as part of the consultant certification process. The Marketing Hourglass is a unique approach to map the customer journey that a potential customer knows through a sales funnel, such as, trust, try, buy, repeat and refer. Not only was this valuable to implement with my clients, but I was inspired to do it for my business. During the 90-day certification process, I interviewed my top clients and developed my key marketing message, ideal customer persona, and a workable marketing action plan.
Come for the tools, stay for the network
Apart from these three benefits, another selling point for me was that I was one of the youngest members of this network! Let me explain As I mentioned earlier, I have experienced other paid training programs for marketing consultants. Many of these programs seem to be dominated (and sometimes even run) by young “novices” who, in my opinion, are more engrossed in their own self-serving objectives than providing actual price They are the ones to serve for the customers.
The fact that most members of the Duct Tape Marketing Consultant Network have transitioned from successful careers in Corporate America was a positive sign for me. This meant that I was surrounded by people with years of experience, not someone who wanted to get rich quickly. Most importantly, everyone in the network, including John Jansch himself, deeply cares for and provides for each other. actual result for their customers. This organization attracts good people who want to do marketing in the right way.
It’s not a course, it’s a system
In my opinion, the Duct Tape Marketing Consultant Network is part franchise, part course, and part coaching – but more than anything, it’s a system. As John preaches in his books that “marketing is a system,” becoming a Duct Tape Marketing Certified Consultant means you have access to a system for your practice and your clients.
A system for consultants
For consultants, you’ll need a step-by-step formula (accreditation process and online) to attract clients, develop winning strategies for those clients, price your services, meet your deliverables, and grow your business. delivered through training resources) – all the things you really need to develop a successful marketing practice.
A Marketing System for Your Customers
Through the program, you will learn how to deliver proven marketing hourglass systems to your own customers, which will likely earn you long-term satisfied customers who want to keep paying you because you are now essential to their business growth.
one year in review
Here are some of my results since joining the Duct Tape Marketing Consultant Network:
a steady source of possibilities
As a result of applying Marketing Hourglass to my own practice, I have built up a steady source of leads for my business. One strategy is hosting several free marketing workshops in my city (also known as “Speaking for Leads”). Not only has this turned into real paying customers, but it has increased my local influence and even reached organic referrals by becoming better known in the community. I’ve also gained the confidence to create a ton of new web content and YouTube videos, which have garnered a ton of leads from SEO. Needless to say, I no longer need to scratch and claw for new clients, as I have a steady flow of new prospects each month.
40% revenue growth
One of the first advice John gave me was to increase my prices. I increased my base SEO services by 50%, but more importantly, added two new tiers of service for about $2,500-4,000 per month (minimum $1,500 more than my highest services). My confidence in doing this came from the value I was able to add through additional services like reputation management, content writing and social media, leveraging the organization’s preferred vendors. This has resulted in a 40% increase in revenue in the last 12 months. I am on pace for my biggest year ever.
continuing education
The Duct Tape Marketing Consultant Network offers bi-monthly training opportunities in the form of webinars and peer calls. These have been one of the most valuable resources. They also have in-person learning programs once a quarter. In the ever-changing world of Google and online marketing, I have learned a lot and continue to take advantage of these to become a better marketer.
John Jantsch (left) and I (right) during the July 2019 DTMCN masterclass in Colorado.
my advice to you
What you put in comes out. Whether it’s a duct tape marketing consultant network, a book, or any other resource, you’ll get results when you take action. I attribute my success to this. When I joined with Duct Tape Marketing to become a Certified Consultant, I committed to getting my money’s worth and it paid off because I followed the system. (As I heard another member say, “Just do what they tell you to do, and it works.”) Like I said before, I spent two years figuring it out on my own . I wish I had joined early and had a system to plug in.
If you are considering developing a marketing practice, I encourage you to sit in on John’s webinar. Even if you don’t join this organization, take action. There are tons of resources available that can guide you in your entrepreneurial journey, but you won’t be there until you take your first steps. Go out and get it done.
Author Bio:
Since 2005, Michael Quinn has practiced marketing in the following areas: broadcast news, local TV advertising, corporate marketing, and most recently, small business SEO. In 2015, he got the entrepreneurial itch after generating about 500 leads a month for his employer using online marketing. This inspired him to create the Michael Quinn Agency, whose mission was to help 300 small business owners revolutionize their business growth by 2025 using online marketing. Their current team includes PPC experts, web developers and marketing assistants. He lives in Fargo, ND with his wife, stepson and dog Mater.
free ebooks
7 Steps to Grow Your Consulting Practice Without Adding Overhead
The Duct Tape Marketing Consultant Network Has Helped Me Grow My Business 40% in the last 12 months. ~ Michael Quinn – The Michael Quinn Agency, Fargo, ND
