Ok this is a WAKE UP CALL to all of you in radio, newspaper or any traditional advertising. Here is the deal. Your products are WAY too overpriced. I am so sick of getting calls from advertisers giving me a pitch of their demographics, how awesome their content is, and how big their reach is. WAKE UP! I actually had a call with a radio station in New Hampshire (a big market of our discount prescription cards) not too long ago and one of the first questions the sales rep asked was how “big is your budget?”

BUDGET! Are you kidding me?

Before I go on, everyone must understand something. First of all, our service is free. We give away these cards at no charge and every time they are used, that particular pharmacy pays us a dispensary fee. In addition to that, we have a tracking system which allows us to track all utilizations. For example, we sent 35,000 cards to the Vermont State Fair which all had the same group number. We can track the exact amount of utilizations from that promotion. Based on those utilizations, we pay the VT State Fair. Their efforts are only worth the utilizations they bring in and we pay them accordingly.

This is what we call return on investment.

Here is my plea: I can spend $5,000 on some random radio advertising in New Hampshire hoping that someone is actually listening and then is compelled enough by the message to go to our site, print a card, and hopefully remember to use it at the pharmacy.

OR

 I can spend $200 on http://www.facebook.com/l/cd7a8-H-358RK49qocUde3gptNg;www.fiverr.com and get 10,000 guaranteed fan page likes. I know have that audience forever. I can send them targeted messages whenever I want and assuming they have an amazing experience saving money at the pharmacy they can share it with all of their friends. Guess what. I don’t have to pay for that!

I sat down tonight and thought about what I should write next. I don’t have writers block I am just not sure what people want to hear next. Please leave some comments (or email chris@honestdiscounts.com) on topics you are researching or ideas you want me to talk about and I will go to town. Keep it classy boys and girls.

Gerry and I are gearing up for a big conference tomorrow, so I am sure I will find some down time to get a new post up.

BAM!

Chris

I just bought www.chris-jacobs.com.  Stay tuned for the launch!

~Chris

www.honestdiscounts.com let us know how we can help!

Hey Mikiclare,

Thanks for reading and the question!  It can work two ways.  1.) If the insurance through your company does not cover a specific medication use can use the card.  I am not sure where you are located but for example in NY no insurance companies cover mental illness medications.  2.) If your deductible is really high.  For example if you buy Lipitor for 90 bucks and your insurance only covers $10…you would be better off not using your insurance and using our card.  Here is a simple answer.  Print off a card and bring it to the pharmacy every time and you will be guaranteed the best price!  If you have any more questions please feel free to email me at any time!  Chris@honestdiscounts.com  Spread the word!

Best,

Chris

Just Do it

I have spent my entire life diving into things that have no predicted outcome in sight.  I guess I pride myself on being able to do this but honestly it’s in my DNA.  My parents (who just celebrated their 25^th wedding anniversary yesterday!!! Whoop whoop congrats mom and dad) pumped so much confidence in me, I am surprised my head hasn’t exploded yet.  That being said, I am very self aware. 

I know who I am. 

I know I am over the top, loud, outgoing, dyslexic and extremely hard working.  I understand that most of the time I am wrong (I learned this through coping with dyslexia) but that has allowed me to develop my resourcefulness.  Inspiring people to work alongside me has always come naturally.  My friend Simon Sinek told me that if you inspire people to work with you, they will work with blood sweat and tears.  If you hire them to do a job they work for your money.  I am not saying all this to brag about my abilities.  I am simply stating that after starting businesses since I was 9 years old, I understand who I am and what I am capable of.  

Understanding your own DNA is what allows you to have the confidence to “Just do it”.    Currently I am half way through Gary Vaynerchuck’s book Crush It.   I love it!  I will let you buy it and read for yourself but here is my take.  The barriers to starting a company around your passion have been completely blown apart.  Think about back in the day what it took to start a business.  Now all you need is a laptop and a work-your-face-off mentality.  We are so blessed to live in this generation.  I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to sit here and write something, that if spread the right way, could be read by millions of people.  Back in the day, you had to get into a major media outlet which the entrance was always blocked by a team of old corporate jerk offs.  Those days are done.  The gate keepers have been kicked square in the balls and thanks to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Viddler, YouTube, FourSquare etc we can all have a voice! 

I this post could go on forever, that’s how fired up I am about this topic.  I will spare you and leave five main points

1.)    If you have a true passion for something, NOW is the freaking time to build a business around it

2.)    The barriers to entry have been smashed by an atomic bomb.  If you think for a second companies are not looking for new ways to spend dollars on your kick ass website, that cult like following (which you worked your face off to build using all the free/ cheap tools out there), you’re dead wrong.  We are in a huge culture shift and the billions spent on billboards will be spent on blogs

3.)    Just do it.  Stop looking around like yeah I wish I could start a business I wish I could find the right idea.  I am waiting until “blah blah blah.”  Look you don’t have to quit your job, just work the 5-9 shift :)

4.)    Just do it

5.)    …..Just do it

PS.  Big shout out to Gerry Praysman who edited this post.  He allows me to spare you all from my dyslexic writing.  You can follow him on twitter @gpraysman

This guy is awesome!