Tools and Resources will be updated on a continually based upon member suggestion, discovery and stuff that Charlie finds helpful to his own business.
Many of these resources are free … some may require an investment.
>>PLEASE ALSO SEE THIS ARTICLE FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES<<
Marketing Education
WhichTestWon (FREE) – This is one of Charlie’s favorite websites. Each week, Anne Holland sends out a A/B test to determine which website variable leads to the highest conversion (either in leads or sales). You get to see both versions and guess which one you think converts the highest. Needless to say, you will frequently be suprised.
Deliver Magazine (FREE) – In Charlie’s words, he “absolutely loves” this magazine. He says it’s one of the greatest magazines on direct marketing on the market … and, best of all, it’s completely FREE (courtesy of the US Post Office).
Target Marketing Magazine (FREE) – If you’re looking for a few ‘marketing brain teasers’ and ideas from companies that our outside of your industry – Target Marketing Magazine is a great resource!
Marketing Tools
3D Mail Boosters ($) – The first step in direct mail is getting your mail opened! Here’s a way to use creative “lumpy” mail to increase your direct mail success (and, let me tell you, Travis and Keith have one of the BEST customer service records in the industry! These people are extraordinary!)
Click-to-Tweet (FREE) – People who use Twitter love to send ‘tweetables’ – this app allows you to create your own tweetables inside of your blog posts and emails to help spread your good word!
CopyDoodles ($) – Ever wonder how those hand-drawn marketing graphics are made? One of our secret weapons is copydoodles. You can make hand-drawn graphics, custom cartoons and more! This is a resource we use for ourselves and our 6-figure copywriting clients almost every week. This is one tool we wouldn’t want to live without!
Online Advertising Platforms
Perfect Audience ($) and Adroll ($) – Both of these companies offer some of the best retargeting options available on the Internet. What we like most about these platforms is that you can set a very modest budget for testing. GREAT for small businesses.
Office Tools
DropBox (FREE) – We can’t imagine what life was like before Dropbox. We use it to share and back up files plus it allows us access to our most important documents no matter where we are in the world! When you sign up, you get 500MB of free bonus space – that’s HUGE!
FreeConferencing.com (FREE) – Have conference calls, meetings, share your screen, record a call and a lot more with this very cool free conferencing solution! It’s a new tool for Charlie but one that’s already impressed him so he insisted you know about it right away!
Lucidchart($) – This is an online software program we use to create awesome diagrams, graphs and flow charts! We love this program and it makes life soooo much easier! Works with Google Chrome.
GoogleApps ($) – We’ve looked high and low for a spam filter that would eliminate most of our spam. So far, GoogleApps stands as the clear winner. It’s inexpensive and incredibly powerful!
Infusionsoft ($) – Infusionsoft is a linchpin in our organization providing automation, leverage, tracking and communication unavailable with most other affordable CRM-type programs. We use this in our own company and recommend it to all our clients.
Mention.net (FREE) – It’s very helpful to know when someone is talking about you, your company or your competition. For years, we relied on Google Alerts but often missed several media mentions… fortunately, in comes Mention.net. We’ve been using this service since late 2013 and have become raving fans.
WeTransfer (FREE) – Do you have a large file to send? Mike (Charlie’s assistant) discovered this tool and it’s already received two thumbs up from Charlie!
Printer & Fulfillment Services
HelpWithoutHassle ($) – If you have small print runs and expect exceptional service, Michelle Foster from HelpWithoutHassle is your girl! Charlie calls this company “the Zappos of printing” due to their commitment to customer satisfaction… and her prices are very reasonable too!
Selby Marketing Associates ($) – Charlie and most of his private clients use Rich Selby for all their print and fulfillment needs. Whether you’re looking for a direct mail campaign, product printing or even CDs, Rich has some of the best customer service in the industry!! For extra special care, call (585) 377-0750, if you ask for Rich and tell him ‘Charlie sent me!’ he’ll make sure to take really, really good care of you.
Books We Love
Copywriting Nuggets of Gold
My Life in Advertising & Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins – This is one of those classic books copywriters will refer to and read dozens of times! If you’ve spent any time with Charlie, you’ll hear him make reference to Claude Hopkins a lot! It’s a must read for anyone serious about creating marketing copy! (or download FREE by clicking here!)
The Robert Collier Letter Book by Robert Collier – While there are many great books on copywriting, this book stands alone on the top shelf as being one of the few truly exceptional books and one of the top books ever written on the topic of copy writing. Read this book and never look at an advertisement in the same way ever again!
Tested Advertising Methods By John Caples – If you are doing any advertising whatsoever and you haven’t read this book, chances are you’re leaving opportunity on the table! It’s a classic from one of the master copywriters himself!
Tested Sentences that Sell By Elmer Wheeler – This is one of Charlie’s favorite “sleeper books” (books that few people know about). It was recommended by Insiders’ Club Member, Tom Trush, and will not only help you improve your copywriting – but it’s also instrumental in helping you succeed at sales. Great book!
Customer Service Gems
Customer Culture: How FedEx and Other Great Companies Put the Customer First Every Day by Michael Basch – Very few people have ever even heard of this book; however, it’s one of Charlie’s favorite books on building a solid customer culture of raving fans!
On Becoming a Saavy Marketer
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini – Charlie says this is the #1 most profound book on understanding the mind of the consumer. When you master and understand Cialdini’s laws of influence, you’ll suddenly find yourself creating marketing materials and campaigns capable of pulling in a lot more money … with happy customers … and more referrals.
Everything by Seth Godin – We recommend getting your hands on every book by Seth Godin. Whether you pick up Tribes, Purple Cow, Permission Marketing, Linchpin or any other book by Seth, you really can’t go wrong!
The “You” Effect by Tom Trush – Tom is one of our VIP Insiders’ Club Members and the author of a book Charlie says is a “must-read for any entrepreneur.” Highly, highly recommend!
Swipe File Resources
American Writers & Artists Institute Hall of Fame (Great Selling Ideas from 50 Super Successful Direct Mail Letters) by John Forde
Bob Bly’s Million-Dollar Email Marketing Swipe File by Bob Bly
Million Dollar Mailings by Denny Hatch
Outrageous Advertising by Bill Glazer
Also, by making a small purchase from an Agora subsidiary and Boardroom – you’ll get on their mailing list and will witness intelligent marketing strategies and mailing pieces from some of the smartest direct response marketing minds on the planet.
Who’s Mailing What by Direct Marketing IQ – if you do any direct mail, this resource is an absolute MUST! You can spy on what other people in your industry are mailing and, by virtue of repeat mailings, determine whether or not they were successful for them. This is a resource you could say is in Charlie’s “secret bag of tricks”.
Productivity Tools
Asana (FREE) – Managing a team (virtual or in person), check out Asana. It’s what Charlie uses to manage his entire team. Sure, there’s a learning curve with this software, but once you master it – it’s addicting!
Enounce ($) – MP4s and videos can drag on forever and especially difficult to complete if you’re as busy as Charlie. So to speed things up, Charlie purchased “MySpeed Premier” – now he can watch videos and listen to Mp4s three times as fast as before. There’s a free trial, check them out!
Feedly (FREE) – There are hundreds of blogs (such as Charlie’s) offering great information – but there’s no way to follow or read every one of those blogs daily…. unless of course, you use Feedly! It’s a great tool downloadable on your phone/ipad or you can log in over the Internet to read all of your blogs in one simple, easy to use, space.
Focus@Will (FREE) – The app uses specially formulated music to boost productivity by way of increased focus – Charlie just started using it and you can count on this paying in his office all day! He loves it!
IFTTT (FREE) – If you do a lot of repetitive daily tasks that could otherwise be automated – chances are IFTTT.com can do it! Careful, when you start using the software – it becomes an addiction!
Hootsuite ($) – Ever wonder how we’re post on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook so regularly? Our secret is Hootsuite. It’s inexpensive but worth it’s weight in gold!
SaneBox ($$) – If you even get half as much email as Charlie does – you need to look at this email filtering program! This program offers way too much benefit to get summed up in a couple sentences – but I will say after spending hundreds of dollars on other email programs, this is easily our favorite!
WinStreak iPhone App (FREE) by Strategic Coach. This is a free app designed by one of the leading entrepreneurial productivity coaches, Dan Sullivan. This app helps you keep focused on what you’ve accomplished and set the intention for what you will accomplish tomorrow.
Zapier (FREE & $$) – For everything IFTTT can’t do… head over to Zapier! These tools alone can squeeze out at least an extra hour of productivity per day automatically!
Technology
NewRainmaker ($$) – This is how we created the main website at PredictableProfits.com. It’s easy, it’s fast and it’s powerful.