Alf Marcussen: Audio Interview May 20, 2010

The MP3 Audio File

Here is the MP3 file of our call with Alf Marcussen — inventor of RipCard™ — an ingenious ‘tool’ for helping business people to leverage their relationships and goodwill into referrals and revenues.

Click Here To Listen . . . (Right Click to Download!)

What IS a RipCard™, Really?

For those who may not know already, Alf’s RipCard™ is truly a ‘business’ card — rather than a ‘contact information’ card.

Here’s the basic idea . . .

The RipCard™ is a very high quality businesscard that is perforated . . . as this image shows:

The FRONT SIDE:

The BACK SIDE:

How Does It Work?

As you can see, the card allows a business owner to do the following:

1. RECORD . . . the information about whom they give the card to — a prospect, client or strategic partner
   (you can either have the person write in their information or, even better, just attach their business card to the ‘receive’ half)
   
2. ENABLE . . . the person they give it to to ‘share’ it (and the ‘offer’ you’re making!) to others in that person’s network of contacts

You can either write in an offer ‘on-the-spot’ . . . if you know what will appeal specifically to say, a specific client of one of your strategic partners — e.g. “You can ‘give’ a FREE entree . . . to a client of yours . . . without cost to them . . . as a courtesy from me at my restaurant!”.

If you’re a business coach selling TTI’s DISC Profiles like John Birch, President of The Birch Group, LLC, he might use a RipCard™ to offer a ‘complimentary DISC profile’ so he can learn who’s attracted to the benefit he offers!.  But it can be ANYthing . . . that you’re willing to offer to get a response from a qualified prospect for the beneficial difference you offer.

Another option, is to actually make a specific offer on the card — for example, to download a Special Report you’ve written that should appeal to the need-to-know of someone who is qualified to understand, value and desire the beneficial difference your product, service or expertise can provide.

Here’s an example of how this would work for a marketing company that helps clients build relationships, referrals and revenues . . . (it’s SellMore Marketing’s very own RipCard™, actually!)

The FRONT Side:

The BACK Side:

Tracking Your ‘Profit-Centers’!

One of the really powerful things I like about Alf’s RipCard™ program is that each card has a unique number . . . on both halves.  This allows you to identify not only who YOU give a card to, but who THEY give it to, as well.

For example, if a Dentist who offers Invisalign™ orthodontic services shares this with a patient who’s getting results with the service, the Dentist could give that patient say, 5 RipCards™ and ask that she ‘share these with your friends’.  The Dentist’s offer might be for a “No Charge / No Obligation Invisalign™ Office Consultation — normally a $195 value”.

Now, when a friend of the Dentist’s patient comments on how her teeth are looking so nice, the patient can give her friend a RipCard™ and say, “Look, it may or may not be right for you . . . but if you want to talk about it with a Dentist I trust (literally, she put her money where her mouth is, right?) then use this and you will get a ‘no charge / no obligation’ consultation with Dr. Mendesi to see if Invisalign™ would be of value for you to consider . . . just as I did”.  Nice!

When the patient’s friend uses her RipCard™ and schedules an appointment, Dr. Mendesi’s office asks, “And what number is on the card you’re using to do this?”  That number identifies which patient gave Dr. Mendesi a new, qualified prospect for his services who will soon be sitting in his dental chair for Invisalign™!

“Pay Now and Pray Later” vs. “Cost-of-Sale at the Point-of-Sale”

The real payoff . . . in using a RipCard™ is that Dr. Mendesi may have said to his patient, “Crystal, if you give this (RipCard™) to someone you know AND . . . they use it to meet with me . . . I’ll give you one month of maintenance for your Invisalign™ treatment . . . FREE.  So, here are five (5) cards . . . use them wisely and spread them widely!”.

The good doctor has now just implemented a powerful marketing strategy (word-of-mouth / referrals) with a practical, tactical ‘tool’ (RipCard™) and, in so doing, has just made it possible for his marketing to not cost him a penny unless he’s making a dollar — and lots of dollars are involved in just one Invisalign™ patient (I know . . . personally!).

Summary Thoughts

A word-of-mouth strategy is very important to utilize whenever you can.   A practical and tactical tool like RipCard™ helps you make a ‘good idea’ a ‘money-making’ one . . . for your business.   Just remember to offer something to each person in the plan . . . a ‘reward’ to your client, customer or patient for sharing your RipCard™ with others in their contact network, and an ‘offer’ to the person you seek to attract to your business.

To me, the beauty of Alf’s RipCard™ concept is that he’s helping you push your ‘cost-of-sales’ to your ‘point-of-sale’. Now, instead of the old marketing media mentality to ‘PAY NOW and PRAY LATER for results’ you can ‘PAY OUT only when someone is PAYING YOU’.  That’s huge!

Whether RipCard™ is right for you . . . only YOU can decide.  However, if you like the idea . . . or, just want to know more about it, contact my friend, Alf Marcussen directly or check out his website and videos on YouTube.  I believe you’ll like what you see and can use to grow your relationships, referrals and revenues.

Alf Marcussen, Inventor of RipCard™

WEBSITE:  www.ripcard.com

EMAIL:  ripcard@gmail.com

PHONE:  1 (415) 673-6464