There is a BIG problem among fishing guides here in America…

And it has nothing to do with fishing regulations or restrictions…

It has nothing to do with inflation, the price of gas, the rising costs of boats, gear, etc.

In fact, it has almost nothing to do with fishing…

But then again it has everything to do with fishing…including the future of fishing guides.

And if you are a fishing guide, a fishing captain, charter boat captain, or any kind of first mate, deck hand, or even owner of a fishing fleet, and you have any interest in making more money, helping more people, and enjoying more freedom, then I can assure you that you will benefit by reading this article in its entirety.

So what the heck is the problem you ask?

I will explain in just a few seconds…

But first, let me tell you a true story about a fishing trip I had in Mexico about 7 years ago that will help you understand the big problem at hand…

The Cabo, Mexico Fishing Story

About 7 years ago, I was staying at the Westin Resort & Spa in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico where my old company was entertaining some of our best clients for the week.

On the second day of the trip, we chartered a boat out of the main Cabo San Lucas marina for a full day of fishing in some of the best water in the world (right where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific).

We caught some nice tuna, a few dorado, and enjoyed some cervezas on the perfectly sunny day.

The only person that didn’t have an absolute blast was our friend Doug who spent an hour of the trip with his head hung over the side of the boat “chumming” for fish…

But in my eyes, there was only one thing that I was disappointed about that day…

I didn’t catch my blue or striped marlin that I was dead set on catching this trip…

And this one day of fishing was all that I had planned while down in Cabo (as it was my job to entertain our top clients, and unfortunately not everyone was as excited about fishing as I was).

Although I was disappointed, I wasn’t going to let an elusive marlin ruin my trip…

So off for drinks and dinner!

That evening at dinner, my top clients John and Cathy came over and told me that they had a surprise for me…

After keeping me hanging for what seemed like 10 minutes, they finally told me that they booked another boat for the three of us the next morning, and that they were going to help me get that marlin.

I was so excited that I could barely sleep that night.

This was finally my chance to get my long awaited marlin!

(side note: Ever since I stood next to my dad on the back of a sport fishing boat in the Bahamas back in the 1980s watching him fight and land a blue marlin, I had the bug to catch one myself)

The next morning, Cathy, John, and I hit the Cabo San Lucas Marina, headed out to sea, and ventured out to catch that marlin…

And what a day it was!

After an initial foggy morning, the sun peaked its head out, the wind picked up just enough to give us a nice breeze, and we quickly put out 5 lines as we cruised along the rocky shoreline.

I was up on the top deck with the captain, as I was going to take the last (third) turn at a fish since Cathy and John had graciously surprised me with this fishing trip.

Little did I know, there would be no “third turn”…

Out of nowhere, a line popped the rubber band holding it to the outrigger, and line started screaming out.

Then another.

Then another.

We had three monster fish on, all within seconds of each other.

It was complete pandemonium on the boat!

The first mate was yelling in Spanish, the captain was screaming back, lines were buzzing out, and before you know it, I was being handed a rod while I was up on the first level of the tower next to the captain.

While I watched Cathy and John fight their fish below, I fought my fish from upstairs with a huge smile on my face just taking all of this in below me.

There is just nothing cooler than to be out with friends, all fighting fish at the same time, and all wondering what the heck is on the other end of the line…

Unfortunately, after just a couple of minutes we were pretty certain that none of had a marlin on the line (as there was no jumping going on at all), but we still had something that was fighting hard.

A few minutes later, three nice tuna were brought on board, and we now had enough tuna to take back to the resort to surprise our friends with a huge sushi party (which we did…and it was amazing).

The three of us were all high-fiving as we all knew that not only was this an amazing start of the day, but we still had an entire full day of fishing.

After catching many more tuna and Dorado that afternoon (that we released), we were beginning to run out of time…

In fact, I was checking my watch every 5 minutes…watching it tick closer and closer to heading back in time…

The only good news was that I was in line for the next fish…and I couldn’t stop thinking that this was finally my time to catch my marlin…so I just sat on the back of the boat and kept a keen eye on all of the lines…

And all of a sudden…

SNAP!

We all looked up as one of the lines had snapped the rubber band from the outrigger, and it was screaming out faster than anything we had seen all day.

And then it happened…

A beautiful striped marlin launched into the air just as the first mate was handing me the rod…

This was going to be my day to land my very own marlin.

So are you dying to know what happened?

Well I think this picture below can say 1,000 words…

Without any debate, I tell the captain that I want to get all of the measurements to get it mounted (just like my dad did with his blue marlin), and then back at the docks I was met by Gray Taxidermy, who took down all of the numbers, gave me my estimates, and then we were off to get the tuna cleaned to take back to the resort.

But of course not after tipping the heck out of the captain and first mate of our boat, thanking them for such an amazing day, and then saying adios…

The Big Problem With Fishing Guides

Earlier I told you that there exists a big problem for fishing guides here in America.

Well let me tell you two more brief stories and see if you can guess what the problem with fishing guides is.

Fishing Guide Problem: Story 1

The first story involves the Cabo Mexico “Marty the Marlin” experience that I shared above.

Do you mind if I ask you a couple of quick questions?

Perfect.

Would you agree that I was pretty excited about catching the marlin that day in Cabo?

Of course!

This is something that I have dreamed about since I was a young boy.

Would you also agree that I went back and told EVERYONE within earshot about my experience, showed them pics of the marlin, and even shared fresh sashimi tuna with well over 20 on my top clients (all who made at least multiple six if not seven figures per year, and would be a perfect client for any fishing charter)?

Of course!

And would you not also agree that right after I had one of my most memorable days of fishing of my life that I would be more inclined to flood the captain, first mate, and owner of the fleet with referrals…for YEARS to follow.

Of course!

Yet, neither the captain, nor the first mate, nor the owner of the boat made any attempt to get my contact information.

They never made any attempt to ask us to share photos online, they never asked us to follow them online, they never asks us to fill out a questionnaire on how our experience was, or anything.

Nothing…

NADA!

Sadly, just six months later when “Marty the Marlin finally showed up at my door in a big ol’ crate from Gray Taxidermy, I was still telling the story to all of my friends, yet I had completely forgotten the name of the boat, the guides, the first mate, or the charter.

And now, 7 years later, I couldn’t even give a rough guess of the captain’s name, boat name, etc.

I even went looking through all of my old pictures from that day to see if I had any shots of the back of the boat or of the first mate’s shirt, etc.

Nothing.

Nada…

So here I am, sharing an incredible fishing story online (after telling the story I just shared with you to who knows how many people over the past 7 years) that could have brought this boat in Cabo a TON of free business…yet sadly I can’t even remember who to refer you to.

Fishing Guide Problem: Story #2

As you may or may not know, my brother Luke and I sold our financial marketing company, quit our roles in the financial services industry, and have pursued our dream with Salt Strong as of January 1^st, 2015.

As you can imagine, after being in the financial services industry for 13 years, having published two well known books in the financial industry, published hundreds of blogs, and had thousands of financial advisors as clients, I was overwhelmed with emails, texts, calls, and lots of love when I made the big announcement that I was leaving the industry.

What I found interested is that just about every single person that took the time to call me ended up telling me about a fishing story they had from the past.

And without fail, every single story was a memorable one with their father, mother, family, or grandfather…

And almost all of them occurred when they were out with a fishing guide or charter boat captain.

Now here is what is crazy about the stories that my friends and past clients told me that involved a fishing guide.

Not a single one of them (with the exception of one person) could recall the name of their fishing guide, captain, or charter.

After the first guy (Matt from Illinois) told me his great fishing story followed up by he couldn’t remember the guide that took them out to save his life, I started asking the question to all of my friends that shared fishing stories with me…

“Great story. Do you happen to remember the name of the guide or charter that you used?”

And one after another after another came up blank.

They couldn’t recall the name of the captain, they couldn’t recall the name of the boat, and they couldn’t recall anything else except the awesome memory of catching fish.

Now keep in mind these weren’t just ordinary stories either.

These were fishing stories that clearly had an impact on these people.

Experiences that have shaped them, that created bonds with their friends and family on the boat, and in some cases these stories occurred dozens of years ago.

In a few cases, I could feel these people come alive over the phone while they told their fishing story…

Yet, no one (with the exception of one person) could recall the captain or guide that made the entire experience possible…

So did you figure out the problem with fishing guides yet?

Well here goes…

For the most part, fishing guides are not the best marketers…

The good news is that I want to help you change all of that, and fix this fishing guide problem.

I also want to be the first to tell all of you fishing guides that it is NOT your fault.

I mean lets face it, they don’t exactly teach you marketing when you get your captains’ license.

And you don’t wake up every morning thinking about marketing…

I know this because my brother Luke (the other co-founder of Salt Strong) is just like you.

He lives, breathes, and dreams fishing.

He wakes up wondering how the weather is going to be for the day, how the fish will be biting, and fantasizing about catching a trophy fish that day.

The last thing on his mind is marketing.

However, this is a BIG problem.

Why?

Because at the end of the day, every single transaction and dollar you make begins with a sale.

And every charter you get, every sale of apparel, every sponsor you attract, and every dollar that makes its way into your bank account or pocket involves some sort of marketing.

And the better you can market and promote your services and brand, the easier it is for you to grow your business.

This of course translates into the following for you:

• More money
• More time to spend with family, give back, teach, donate, etc.
• More leverage
• More Authority
• More Freedom in both your personal and business life

So hopefully you can see that Marketing know-how can be the difference between a struggling fishing guide and one that has massive amounts of authority, doors opening up, freedom, and control…

And I intend on helping those of you fishing guides that want help, because I truly believe that you are the backbone of the fishing industry.

Without fishing guides teaching, inspiring, and creating fishing experiences, the entire fishing industry slowly falls apart.

So over the next few months I am going to do my best to pass along to you some of my best marketing tips and solutions that have helped me (and countless others) achieve new levels of success and financial freedom.

More on that in a bit.

Because now, without further adieu…

The 3 Tips That Fishing Guides Can Learn From This Real Estate Agent

Meet Mike Wistrick…

Mike lives in Atlanta, GA with his incredible wife Suzanne, and he is ranked as the top real estate agent in a large (200+ agents) Keller Williams Realty branch.

Mike is in his mid-30s, makes a very comfortable and well deserved six-figure income, gives back to the community, has figured out a system where he doesn’t have to spend much on marketing, is incredible at getting his customers to refer him new clients, and he only works with approximately 75 clients per year.

In fact, by using these 3 very simple marketing tactics that I am going to share with you below, Mike has been able to:

• LEAPFROG his competition. In many cases he is leapfrogging and outselling real estate agents with much more experience (in some cases more than 15+ years experience), more connections, more impressive resumes, and even more listings.
• Make more money while working less
• Create awesome experiences for his clients that most real estates can’t do because they are so busy pounding the pavement trying to drum up new business
• Build long-lasting relationships where many of his clients become his friends, supporters, and biggest advocates of sending him new business

The First Fishing Guide Marketing Tip 

Handwritten notes to all clients AND influencers (Connectors)

That doesn’t sound like an earth shattering, awe-inspiring shortcut to success does it?

Yet it truly is.

And this is one of Mike’s main key to success.

The crazy part is Mike doesn’t even fully “handwrite” messages on every letter he sends out.

Many times it is just the mere exercise of handwriting the person’s name and address on the envelope, and then writing a brief note at the top of the typed letter to let the reader know that it custom made for them.

Sometimes he just sends a printed off letter with a quick post-it note where he scribbles a few words to let his customers know that he cares.

(You will have the opportunity to see exactly what Mike writes to his clients and a handful of friends that is bringing him so many referrals in a little bit) 

This might seem so incredibly simple, yet this has set him apart from everyone else in the industry (as hardly anyone takes the time to write a handwritten note any more).

And let me be repeater and remind you (as I believe this point needs to be repeated), that this one simple marketing method has helped Mike…

• Leapfrog his competition
• Make more money than he probably every dreamed of
• Help more people
• Create awesome experiences where his customers are excited to refer new clients to Mike
• Project Mike as the “go-to” real estate agents that his clients are not only referring other people to, but flat out bragging about him (to the point that they are probably more effective at bringing Mike referrals than if Mike had hired a full-time salesperson to hit the phones all day).

So let me ask you fishing guides, how often do you send handwritten letters to each of your clients?

I am betting not very often (or ever).

Can you imagine what kind of ROI the captain of that boat in Cabo would have had if he had only asked for my address and sent me a thank you card with a few of his business cards?

I can only guess from how many people I have told that story to (in many cases the story came up in conversation as the other person I was speaking to was asking me for recommendations on a fishing charter in Cabo), that it is in the tens of thousands of dollars in revenue..

All for a $.49 stamp, a postcard, and a little bit of time.

I have my own personal proof that a mere handwritten note can move mountains, and make you more money in any business today…

Many years ago I started my very first sales job where I was a wholesaler of financial products over the phone.

My job was to speak with financial advisors (showing them how our safe, “bank CD-like” financial products could help their clients), and to convince them to sell our products.

Now at the time of starting this role, I was the youngest salesman on the team, but I have always been competitive as heck, and I had a secret goal to become the #1 salesman.

But I quickly realized that I was never going to make it to be the #1 salesman of the company if I did things the normal way of “working my way up the ladder”.

No matter how much I grinded away, no matter how many extra hours I worked, I was lucky to be in the middle of the pack every month.

The older guys had too much experience, they had too large of a head start with their books of business, and had so many relationships already built it would take me 10 years to catch them the traditional way.

So what did I do?

I started writing hand written thank you notes every single week.

I would write them to the financial advisors that did business with me for the first time, I would write them to my best clients, and then I would write a couple of handwritten notes to financial advisors that weren’t yet my clients (the ones that I would certainly like to get as clients in the future)…

The results?

I became the #1 salesperson in this billion dollar company in a matter of a few years.

Passing other salesmen that had much more raw sales talent than I.

Passing salesmen that had better resumes, that had more clients, and that had been selling for decades longer than me.

I even broke every sales record this company had all by understanding marketing…

In particular, doing things a little bit different than my competition and taking the time to send out handwritten cards.

And speaking with Mike, he told me that he had the same crazy experience I had with these “magical” handwritten cards…

Every single month he would have people call him or email him THANKING him for the thank you card (Oh, the IRONY).

That is how much of an impact these things can have.

Just imagine, someone getting sold something and then calling the salesperson back (in some cases years after the sale) and thanking the salesperson.

Sadly, most salespeople are “burning and churning” always on the lookout for new blood, and rarely take the time to thank or nurture their old clients.

But not Mike.

He is constantly sending them personalized letters, and continually thanking them for their business.

Mike has been known to even surprise some of his existing clients with small gifts out of the blue (in some cases years later he will just drop by the house he sold them, make sure they are happy, and hand them a little gift).

Do you think they look at and perceive Mike as a little bit more than the average real estate agent?

You darn right they do.

And they should!

He is not only a really stand up guy, he truly does care for his clients, and has forged some great relationships with his clients that go way beyond selling them a house.

But it all started with him creating the trust, and building the relationship foundation with handwritten notes.

Of course, the irony is that 25 years ago, these “handwritten notes” would not have worked as well as they do today.

But today, when everyone else has countless excuses on why they don’t have the time to do this, when everyone else is finding ways to NOT have to write letters (by using email and other non-personal electronic forms of communication), this makes you stand out like a champion.

And if you still doubting that this can work for you, then let’s analyze what is going on here in the very article.

The Facts:

• You are reading this article right now and learning about an awesome real estate agent in Atlanta named Mike Wistrick (and no, he is not paying me to do this. In fact, I surprised him with a phone call this week to let him on what I was going to be writing about him)
• I, the author, have never done business with Mike Wistrick
• Yet, here I am writing about him, bragging about him, and getting him exposure to the 90,000+ people that come to our site every month
• All because he sent me a couple of handwritten notes, as he knew that I was a good connector.
• Well let’s just say it impressed me enough to take the time to write this and share with you.
• Well done Mike!

And you (yes you, the fishing guide) can be doing the same thing starting today!

Still wondering where to get thank you cards?

The steps to handwritten thank you notes that make you money

1. To really stand out, get custom thank you cards with either your name, company name, logo, or brand. You can get these for under $1 per card from VistaPrint. If you don’t want to go that route yet, keep in mind that in many cases, Mike simply prints out 1-page typed letters on nice stock paper, and then writes one sentence at the top, and then handwrites the address on the envelope to make it stand out as personal in the mailbox.
2. Keep it short and sweet. You don’t need to write a novel.
3. Mail them out to all of your clients (unless you don’t like a certain client and never want to work with them again. Hint: Usually people refer people that are similar to them. For instance, a CEO of a company is more likely to send you one of his CEO buddies than he is a bartender. So if you have certain clients/customers that you would give anything to duplicate, you might want to spend a little extra love on them)
4. Send them something between once per month and once per quarter. Mike personally has found his magic sweet spot is 200 handwritten cards per month. And he breaks it down by trying to do 10 per night during the week. This way he never cramps up (or gets carpal tunnel), and it makes sure he never gets burned out trying to do 200 all at once.
5. The key is to make time for this. Set a schedule. Cut out TV for an hour, etc.
6. As far as the ROI…let’s just say this has helped Mike make an extra six figures over the last couple of years…so the $3,600 or so in total postage and personal postcards for 200 letters per month have paid for themselves many times over…
7. Start off small. Don’t burn yourself out trying to do 200 right off the bat. Mike started small, saw how well it worked, and then made his way up to 200 letters per month.

Want to see exactly what Mike sends out to his clients?

Click Here to request to see what he is writing that gets such an incredible response.

Note: this free value is for fishing guides ONLY. Sorry real estate agents, but this stuff if so good I would be doing Mike a disservice if I shared them with you. 

The Second Fishing Guide Marketing Tip

  Good news and bad news…which one do you want first?

Bad news?

Ok, here goes.

The bad news is that as fishing guides, almost 100% of the clients/customers that you take out fishing are more concerned about themselves than they are you.

But no need to sweat about this, its just part of life.

We think more about our own problems, we dwell on our own issues, and we worry about our own bank accounts more than the guy or gal next to us.

So what is the good news?

Well it’s actually great news.

The great news is that as humans, we are also wired with emotions that can be triggered at any time to make a person feel compassion, sympathy, and even a burning desire to give a helping hand.

We see this every year around Christmas time across the country.

People both young an old giving back to their communities, donating presents, money, and their time for the less fortunate, etc.

And keep in mind many of these same people that donate like crazy during the holidays are the same people that will turn their head to a starving bum in the summer without a second thought.

The same people that can go an entire year of hardly donating or giving back to their community or people in need, yet a “flip is switched” during the Christmas holiday that has them bending over backward to give back…

It’s just part of how we are wired.

And most of us (if not all of us) have acted in some similar form or fashion (I am honest enough with myself to openly admit that I have been guilty of this type of lopsided “generosity and giving” in the past). So what is it that Triggers people to actually take action and show generosity like this?

Well it is two things actually.

1. Social proof.

You see other people doing donating, you hear about other people doing donating, or you see or hear about someone you admire or look up to donating.

Social proof is incredibly powerful in every part of our life from stock market bubbles, buying homes in certain areas because other people did, to mania’s, to viral videos, etc.

2. The simple act of disrupting someone’s thought and asking them to take action can many times be all it takes.

So how can you benefit from using these Triggers as a fishing guide?

Let me tell you how Mike Wistrick uses these two “triggers” with his clients and friends to quickly transform their mindset from a “What’s in it for me” mindset, to a compassionate and helpful mindset.

For social proof, he actually lists the names and address of his most recent, happy homeowners on his letter he sends out.

Brilliant!

So imagine this.

You get Mike’s letter and at the bottom you see “Congrats to my newest homeowners” and notice the name of someone you admire and respect is on the list.

How much more likely are you to recommend Mike, send Mike referrals, or even call up your friend to see how their experience was when you see their publicly mentioned on his personal letter to you?

This is social proof at play.

Not only that, this goes two ways.

Think about the reaction of the people that Mike has put on his list for everyone to see (his new “Homeowners”).

At the core, all of us want to be recognized.

It is why trophies work so well on kids, and why promotions (even sideways salary promotions) work so well on adults.

We all love recognition…

So when Mike publicly recognizes these people (which I am certain no other real estate has taken the time to do), these people are blown away by their amazing real estate agent…

Thus further increasing the chances that these new homeowners not only talk about and refer new business to Mike, but I am certain that some of them even slap this letter on their fridge or leave on the counter (for months to come) for all of their friends to see their name listed on there.

We all love recognition and seeing our own name on a list.

Don’t ever forget how something so simple can move mountains. Social proof is powerful stuff people!

Pattern Interrupt…

The second way to get someone to take action is by simply interrupting their thought in a non-pervasive way, and asking them to take action.

Do note that there is a wrong way and a right way to ask.

Just like a charity that rakes in tons of donations vs the charity that struggles to stay afloat, shockingly the success isn’t that dependent upon the actual charity, the real factor revolves around how they frame their story and how they ask for money.

With Mike, he let’s his customers know exactly why they are unique to his business, and even goes on to tell them that “99% of his business is built upon your generous referrals”

See what he did there?

He brilliantly uses both social proof (clearly other people are referring if 99% of his business is based on referrals), while also subtly asking for more referrals without being “salesy”.

Personally, the second that I read this in my own personal letter from Mike, a trigger went off in my head…

I actually stopped what I was doing (aka stopped asking What’s in it for me), and started thinking about who I could refer to Mike.

He had set off a trigger in my own head by framing his request for more referrals in a perfect way.

And please note, there is nothing misleading about this by any stretch of the imagination. It is simply knowing how to frame an offer or a request in a polite and engaging way.

Let me ask you, would you rather deal with salesperson like Mike that is never pushy and always subtly and politely asking for your business and help, or the “pushy, in your face” salesmen that we all try to run away from at parties because we know they are going to “pitch” us something?

Of course we would all like to deal with Mike! He is the type of guy that gives salespeople a good great name.

Here is what you can do as a fishing guide to harness this tip (starting today)

1. Start letting all of your clients know that guided fishing tours is how you make a living.

This might sound obvious to you, but I have met numerous people that just assumed most fishing guides are doing their fishing part time, or get all of their money from sponsorships, and only do the guiding as side hobby.

And I know for the vast majority of you, it is just the opposite.

Chartering your boat is your full time job. You don’t make much money from sponsors, and you can only survive if you have paying customers on your boat.

Let it be known!

Just because it is obvious to you, doesn’t mean it is obvious to the average customer visiting you for the first time.

2. Make it super easy for them to share their fishing experience and your brand/info with their friends (aka Social Proof)

This can be done by making sure they follow you/your company/brand on Facebook and tag any pictures of them catching fish.

You can even make sure to take your own pictures of them catching fish (with your camera) and tag THEM on your page.

And believe you me, they will quickly add this to their Facebook timeline to show off to their friends. And as you learned from my story with the marlin in Mexico, there is no better time to ask for their information, favors, or referrals than right after they have had an incredible experience on your boat.

Of course, ALWAYS get their email address and physical address so that you can add them to your list, invite them to like your social media pages, etc.

And if someone ever does balk at why you need their physical address (1 in 100 will), simply tell them the truth that you want to send them a thank you card. Remember, everyone loves getting recognized!

Heck, just imagine this after you start collecting a bunch of contact info…

Someone cancels a fishing expedition with you the day before they are going to arrive.

Normally, this means you are out of luck getting a replacement spot in there.

However, when you have a list, one quick email to your database announcing a last minutes spot (with perhaps a small discount – especially if you were able to keep the other person’s deposit for canceling) could have your boat filled within 24 hours. There is a lot of leverage in an email list…don’t forget that.

The Third Fishing Guide Marketing Tip 

The third and final tip is the most rewarding (and simplest) out of the three…yet this is the one that separates the fishing guides with money and freedom, from the guides that struggle to make ends meet… It is having a system and being consistent.

Doesn’t sound very tough, but for some reason it is.

As Mike will quickly tell you, none of this works long term without a system in place.

It can be a simple system of just having a reminder on your phone every night at 8pm to write your letters, or it could be a system where you pay a high school kid $10 per hour to lick envelopes, print everything out, and have it ready for you to do your handwritten magic in.

Regardless, it all falls apart without a system in place to keep you consistent.

Before I leave you here, I want to remind you about power of these simple fishing guide marketing tips that any fishing guide with a burning desire to have more financial and personal freedom can start implementing tonight.

After you finish this article, do the math real quick.

If you send out 20 postcards per month (assuming you take the most expensive option of a $1 per postcard at Vistaprint) you have now spent about $29 including postage.

If you get just one new client coming back, or one new referral coming back paying anywhere from $500 to $1200, this is a huge ROI.

Lifetime Value of a Fishing Guide Client

Something we didn’t talk about above is how these marketing tips also increased the lifetime value of a client for Mike in a HUGE way.

The lifetime value of a client is how much total revenue you make (on average) from your client’s during a long cycle of your business (usually 5, 10, or 20 years).

For instance, if your average client came back 2 times over a 10 year period of time, and each time they paid you $800, then the average lifetime value of your clients is $1,600.

However, by staying in your client’s mind, this trick of simply staying in touch can increase how often they come back…thus increasing the lifetime value of your client base.

And if real estate agents like Mike can get higher lifetime values (and trust me people go fishing more often than they buy a new home), then you can certainly do this as a fishing guide.

Conclusion

As fishing guides, don’t ever forget how important you are to America.

You are creating experiences that people won’t ever forget.

You are bringing families closer together.

You bring business associates closer together.

You get kids outside appreciating what God has created.

You impact people’s lives in ways you don’t even know.

So don’t be like the guides in Cabo that have missed out on thousands upon thousands of FREE referral dollars that I could have sent them had they simply stayed in touch with me.

And although I don’t expect any fishing guide to wake up tomorrow and become marketer of the year, there is no reason why you can’t implement these simple fishing guide marketing tips above, and start having more financial freedom and less stress.

Let’s face it, the entire fishing industry is riding on your shoulders.

We all need you out there inspiring others to fish, teaching your fishing techniques, and creating unforgettable experiences.

A big thanks to all of you fishing guides across the country (and abroad).  

P.S. – If you found any value in this article, please share it with your friends, family, or anyone you know in the fishing community.

P.P.S – For you fishing guides that made it this far, I will have another power-packed article like this coming soon called “How Jerry McGuire Can Help Fishing Guides Make More Money”

If you would like to be the first of your fishing guides to see it, simply Click Here to get early-bird access. And trust me, you don’t want to miss this one

P.P.S. – If you are in the Atlanta area, make sure to reach out to Mike Wistrick. Even if you aren’t about to buy or sell a house yet, he is a great guy to know that truly cares about helping people. Here is his contact info:

Mike Wistrick

(404)932-5564

mike@wistrickhomes.com

www.MikeWistrickTeam.com

And follow him on Facebook here.

Thank you and don’t forget to share this with your fishing guide friends or anyone else you think could benefit from it.