The problem in my life and other people's lives is not the
absence of knowing what to do, but the absence of doing it.
-- Peter Drucker
If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be
lost. Now put foundations under them.
-- Henry David Thoreau
It is never too late to be what we might have been.
-- George Eliot
The Dalai Lama argues that, fundamentally, we all seek more
and greater happiness in our lives and that one of the
great questions in life is, 'What makes my life totally
fulfilled and totally happy?'
For many people, happiness is related to money, and
happiness means accumulating wealth. For them, money has
great value and they are motivated to work hard and
smarter, and to use money in ways that make them happy.
But there are thousands of individual differences in how
that works. Some make money and give it all away. Some make
money and hoard it, even burying it in the backyard, while
others invest it, and still others make a show of
displaying a wealth of possessions.
For others, happiness has little to do with money, and they
seek fulfillment in their creativity, or they find ultimate
happiness in family relationships, or by serving others.
There are many paths up the mountain called 'happiness'!
One of the most important distinctions the Dalai Lama makes
is between happiness and pleasure. We can all think of
experiences that bring us delightful pleasure but which
utterly fail to make us 'happy' in life. Almost everyone
enjoys a fine meal, perhaps with good wine, but we all
reject a life of gluttony and drunkenness.
So the question: What makes you truly happy?
This is a central question for the World Class Life
Conference next month, because in order to have a GREAT
life, we must first determine what it might look like. What
are the key pieces of a great and joyful life FOR YOU?
Almost 150 years ago, Henry Thoreau wrote that most people
'live lives of quiet desperation', and sadly, I think
that's still true. All our wealth and freedom, our
education and military power, even our access to the wisdom
and literature of past generations has not created a
society in which most people are 'happy'. Indeed, many
people seem to be incredibly unhappy. With all this freedom
to choose our destiny and create the life we truly want,
why aren't more people happy?
I think this is a vital question. It may even be THE
question for modern adults to ponder and answer. Given that
you can live almost anywhere you choose, read and learn
almost any skill, and have pretty much any reasonable
lifestyle you want, WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?
What are your happiest memories? What are your happiest
fantasies, dreams and aspirations? Who do you know who
seems to be truly, massively happy?
What makes YOU happy? At the end of life, what will allow
you to say, 'I did it right. I made good choices. I am
HAPPY with the way I lived my life!' Whatever your answer,
in the coming days and weeks, do more of it, and do less of
everything else.
Philip Humbert
In this newsletter, you learn how to "tune in" to
yourself so you can make the right decision in every situation.
Using Your Inner Guidance System
We know that the body has a natural bias toward
health and energy. It's designed to last for 100
years with proper care and maintenance. When
something goes wrong with any part of our body,
we experience it in the form of pain or discomfort of some kind.
We know that when our body is not functioning
smoothly and painlessly, something is wrong, and
we take action to correct it. We go to a doctor;
we take pills; we undergo physical therapy,
massage or chiropractic. We know that if we
ignore pain or discomfort for any period of time,
it could lead to something more serious.
How to Tell Right From Wrong
In the same sense, nature also gives us a way to
tell emotionally what's right for us and what's
wrong for us in life. Just as nature gives us
physical pain to guide us to doing or not doing
things in the physical realm, nature gives us
emotional pain to guide us toward doing or not
doing things in the emotional or mental realm.
The wonderful thing is that you're constructed so
that if you simply listen carefully to
yourselfto your mind, your body and your
emotionsand follow the guidance you're given,
you can dramatically enhance the quality of your life.
Just as the natural physical state of your body
is health and vitality, your natural emotional
state is peace and happiness. Whenever you
experience a deviation from peace and happiness,
it's an indication that something is amiss.
Something is wrong with what you're thinking,
doing or saying. Your feeling of inner happiness
is the best indicator you could ever have to tell
you what you should be doing more of and what you should be doing less of.
The Messenger
Unhappiness is to your life as pain is to your
body. It is sent as a messenger to tell you that
what you're doing is wrong for you.
Very often, you'll suffer from what has been
called "divine discontent." You'll feel fidgety
and uneasy for a reason or reasons that are
unclear to you. You'll be dissatisfied with the
status quo. Sometimes, you'll be unable to sleep.
Sometimes, you'll be angry or irritable. Very
often, you'll get upset with things that have
nothing to do with the real issue. You'll have a
deep inner sense that something isn't as it
should be, and you'll often feel like a fish on a
hook, wriggling and squirming emotionally to get free.
Divine Discontent
And that is a good thing. Divine discontent
always comes before a positive life change. If
you were perfectly satisfied, you would never
take any action to improve or change your
circumstances. Only when you're dissatisfied for
some reason do you have the inner motivation to
engage in the outer behaviors that lead you onward and upward.
Listen to yourself. Trust your inner voice. Go
with the flow of your own personality. Do the
things that make you feel happy inside and you'll
probably never make another mistake.
Action Exercises
Here are three steps you can take immediately to put these ideas into action.
First, listen to yourself and trust your own
feelings. If there is a part of your life that
causes you stress and unhappiness, resolve to deal with it.
Second, identify those areas of your life where
you are dissatisfied or frustrated for any
reason. What changes should you, could you make?
Third, remember that nature wants you to be
happy, healthy, popular and prosperous. Any
deviation from those conditions is a signal to you that action is necessary.
Author: Brian Tracy
"Once you know that what you think about expands, you start
getting real careful about what you think about."
-- Wayne Dyer
"The way we live our days, is the way we live our lives."
-- Annie Dillard
"We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a
big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can
make which, over time, add up to big differences that we
often cannot foresee."
-- Marian Wright Edelman
Except. when it comes to tools for the mind.
Whether it's audio programs or books, or classes or
coaching, as a society too often we "can't afford it". How
many of us will invest in a new laptop, a vacation or new
barbeque grill (I recently bought one) but then look at the
cost of a book and convince ourselves that we can't afford
it, and if we bought it, we "wouldn't have time" to read
it?
We all know that we live in the "information age" and that
continuous learning is the key to the future, and yet as a
practical matter, we are "too busy".
I recently talked with a colleague who coaches real estate
brokers and she noted that her most productive clients
"constantly" listen to audio programs. She noted that "if a
person will not (listen to tapes), I don't think they are
coachable. Listening to tapes is the LEAST they can do to
increase their income potential. If they won't do that, I
won't coach them."
I agree.
We all have areas where we MUST improve our performance.
Whether the challenge is in our careers, our families, our
fitness, communication skills or a hobby, staying where we
are is no longer an option. The world is moving too quickly
and changing too fast. We must improve our skills on a
daily basis.
Fortunately, this is not difficult. What's difficult is
finding time to DO more stuff, but I am not talking about
that. In fact, my point is that we should be doing LESS,
but doing it better, smarter and with more joy. Too often,
we confuse activity with productivity, and they are NOT the
same thing!
There is a old story that one of Henry Ford's early
production lines broke down and after his staff had tried
everything they could think of to fix it, he called a
specialist, who found the problem and fixed it in a few
minutes. Later, he sent Ford a bill for $10,000, which was
a fortune at that time.
Ford refused to pay it, claiming it was far too much for
ten minute's work, so the specialist revised his bill to
read, "Repairs, $10. Knowing HOW to do the repair, $9,990."
Ford quickly paid the bill.
Knowing what to do, when and how to do it, pays off!
One of the great ironies of our age is that for the first
time in history, survival is rarely a question. We have
food, clothing and shelter in abundance and are free to
spend our time pursuing other things. The question becomes,
what will you do with your one and only, marvelous life?
Will you collect things, or memories? Will you pursue more
and better "stuff", or a better life?
In Thomas Leonard's memorable phrase, the choice is between
creating a life or building a lifestyle.
Author: Philip Humbert
Are you aware that your body language reveals your deepest
feelings and hidden thoughts to total strangers?
Body language is a mixture of movement, posture and tone
of voice. It might surprise you to know that research indicates
over 70 percent of our communication is done nonverbally. In
fact, studies show that nonverbal communication has a much
greater impact and reliability than the spoken word. Therefore,
if your prospect's words are incongruent with his or her body
language gestures, you would be wise to rely on their body
language as a more accurate reflection of their true feelings.
Gain the Competitive Edge
Get started on the right foot. Research shows that we decide
in the first few moments whether we like someone or not. Yes,
we also judge a book by its cover too. There is absolutely no
substitute for a positive first impression. Create a favorable
first impression and build rapport quickly by using open body
language.
In addition to smiling and making good eye contact, you
should show the palms of your hands, keep your arms
unfolded and your legs uncrossed.
Create harmony by "matching and mirroring" your prospect's
body language gestures. Matching and mirroring is unconscious
mimicry. It's a way of subconsciously telling another that you
like them and agree with them.
The next time you are at a social event, notice how many
people are subconsciously matching one another. Likewise,
when people disagree, they subconsciously mismatch their
body language gestures.
You can build trust and rapport by deliberately, but subtly,
matching your prospect's body language in the first ten to
fifteen minutes of the appointment. For example, if you notice
that your prospect has crossed his or her arms, subtly cross
your arms to match them. After you believe you have developed
trust and rapport, verify it by uncrossing your arms and see if
your prospect will match and mirror you as you move into a
more open posture.
If you notice your prospect subconsciously matching your
body language gestures, congratulations, because this indicates
you have developed trust and rapport. Conversely, if you notice
your prospect mismatching your body language gestures, you
know trust and rapport has not been established and you need
to continue matching and mirroring them.
Body Language Basics
Be mindful to evaluate the flow of "gesture clusters" rather
than isolated gestures taken out of context. Listed below are
some important body language gestures that will help you close
more sales in less time.
Body Postures: There are two basic categories; Open/Closed
and Forward/Back.
In an open and receptive body posture, arms are unfolded, legs
uncrossed and palms are exposed. In a closed body posture,
arms are folded, legs are crossed and the entire body is usually
turned away.
· Leaning back and closed = Lack of interest
· Leaning back and open = Contemplation and cautious interest
· Leaning forward and closed = Potential aggressive behavior
· Leaning forward and open = Interest and agreement
Head Gestures
· Head neutral = Neutral and open attitude
· Tilted back = Superior attitude
· Tilted down = Negative and judgmental attitude
· Tilted to one side = Interest
Facial Gestures
· Eye rub = Deceit, "see no evil"
· Eye roll = Dismissive gesture that indicates superiority
· Looking over top of glasses = Scrutiny and a critical attitude
· Nose rub = Dislike of the subject
· Hand or fingers blocking mouth = Deceit, "speak no evil"
· Chin stroking = Making a decision
· Thumb under chin with index finger pointing vertically along
the cheek = Negative attitude and critical judgment
Are you missing your prospect's buy signals? As a professional
salesperson you must continuously monitor your prospect's
body language and adjust your presentation accordingly. By
knowing your prospect's body language gestures you will
minimize perceived sales pressure and know when it's
appropriate to close the sale!
ACTION PLAN
1. Keep this article handy and read it again just before your
next client appointment.
2. Before you begin matching and mirroring the body language
gestures of your prospects, first practice by matching and
mirroring family members, friends or associates.
3. During your appointment, make a mental note of your client's
three most frequently used gestures.
4. Identify your three most frequently used gestures and work
on eliminating any negative or intimidating gestures.
author: John Boe
John Boe presents a wide variety of motivational and
sales-oriented keynotes and seminar programs for sales
meetings and conventions. John is a nationally recognized
sales trainer and business motivational speaker with an
impeccable track record in the meeting industry.
The mantra of our age seems to be, 'better, faster, cheaper
and more, more, more!', and the problem is that it's not
always helpful.
This week I told Mary that while the past few weeks have
been unusually busy, and very productive, I'm not having as
much fun as I would like. We are making more, but enjoying
it less, and that's not a good thing!
As we talked it through, it was clear that two different
processes were involved and we had to sort them out.
The first was being clear about our values.
We both love doing stuff, learning things, building things,
starting things. We love things that challenge us or
promise to enrich our lives, so we are suckers for every
great new idea that comes along - and there are lots of
great ideas!
But our values are not around glamour or excitement or
even, primarily around money or success. Our values tend
to be more about relationships, quality time, travel and
education, peace of mind and personal integrity, and the
problem is that our culture rarely encourages or talks
about those things.
The media tends to applaud public displays of wealth or
power or popularity, and our culture celebrates things that
result in 'progress' or tangible profit. And those are
good things! Don't get me wrong - I love both progress
and making a profit!
But, as Emerson observed, 'sometimes money costs too much.'
We noticed that in our rush to jump on several recent
opportunities, we were getting caught up in what Michael
Angier calls 'the thick of thin things' and it wasn't
working for us. A return to personal values is called for.
Secondly, we had failed to plan, and as the saying goes,
'those who fail to plan, are planning to fail.'
In our case, the failures were not obvious. In terms of
profits, we are doing very well, and that is exciting!
It's wonderful to see things come together and to receive
the applause of friends and business associates. It's fun,
it's good - and it's seductive.
We were off balance and off track. We were canceling
private time and postponing important priorities. We were
missing the joy of time together and the daily activities
we value. We had failed to plan, and so the distractions
of life were running away with our schedules, and again,
that is not a recipe for success!
So, we've cut back on activities and are talking about our
values every day. We talk about what we love, what we
cherish, what we stand for. It's not that we had forgotten
these things, but we have realized (again) that it is our
personal responsibility to align ourselves with our values,
and to do it on purpose, every day.
And, we have re-committed to investing time and money and
energy in the things that mean the MOST to us. We have re-
committed to planning our lives, to living from values, and
to making the most of our talents, our relationships, and the
opportunities to live well, rather than to being merely busy.
Philip Humbert, PhD
The situation is familiar: We have a vision or goal, and
we know it is within our reach. It may not be simple or
easy, but we KNOW it's possible - if only we would get
started. But we don't. We procrastinate. We plan and
dream and talk, but we fail to take action. Time passes,
things don't change and we berate ourselves in frustration!
That is no way to live your life! Let's look at some solutions.
Step One: Power comes from Purpose!
This week I talked with three people who have big dreams
and wonderful ideas, but they've taken no action. As we
talked, I realized they have no powerful, passionate
REASONS to succeed. No rational person works long and
hard without a good reason!
They each thought they had reasons. Their dreams are
creative and would make them rich if they succeeded. Their
families support them, and they thought their 'reasons to
succeed' were obvious, but their reasons were really just
cliches, and cliches have no real power in them!
Power comes from purpose! The power to get up early, stay
late, and work hard to achieve a distant goal comes from
your heart. It comes from knowing your purpose, your
REASONS for doing it!
When a teenager wants to make the basketball team, or a
mother wants a doctor for her sick child, or we NEED a
college education, human beings will find a way. But
'nice' goals are not enough.
The power to over-come procrastination, take action, find
solutions and keep going comes from one source: Living
your life on PURPOSE! When you know WHY, you'll find
the HOW!
Step Two: Become a Player!
This is simple: are you an amateur, or a pro? Are you
serious, or are you dabbling? Are you committed, or merely
interested? The answers make all the difference.
Again, I've recently talked with several people who claim
to have a sense of purpose behind their goals, but I don't
think they truly mean it. They 'dabble' and leave no
tracks in the sand.
They tell a great story, and they seem committed, but their
actions are not consistent. At some level, they know that
dabbling rarely brings substantive results, and so they
postpone and procrastinate. Action that has no weight or
substance is hardly worth taking, so over the long-haul,
they make little or no effort to achieve their goals.
Don't be a lightweight! The ancient general, Hannibal, is
famous for taking his troops through impossible mountains
and is remembered for saying, 'We will find a way, or make
one.' He found a way!
To over-come procrastination, be a player! Put some weight
and time and money and skill behind your dreams and make
them happen! Life is not a rehearsal and there are no 'do-
overs'! If you have dreams that call you, be certain you
have enough REASONS to justify the investment, and then go
all out! Put your whole life into it! Procrastination cannot
survive in the face of a committed, determined human will!
Philip Humbert. PhD
You are educated. Your certification is in your degree. You may think of
it as the ticket to the good life. Let me ask you to think of an
alternative. Think of it as your ticket to change the world.
Tom Brokaw, American Television Journalist
Develop Discipline
The achievement of financial independence will require a tremendous
number of small efforts on your part. To begin the process of
accumulation, you must be disciplined and persistent. You must keep
at it for a long, long time. Initially, you will see very little
change or difference but gradually, your efforts will begin to bear
fruit. You will begin to pull ahead of your peers. Your finances will
improve and your debts will disappear. Your bank account will grow
and your whole life will improve.
Build Up Momentum
The first corollary of the Law of Accumulation says: "As your savings
accumulate, you develop a momentum that moves you more rapidly toward
your financial goals."
It is hard to get started on a program of financial accumulation, but
once you do get started, you find it easier and easier to keep at it.
The "momentum principle" is one of the great success secrets. This
principle says that it takes tremendous energy to overcome the
initial inertia and resistance to financial accumulation and get
started, but once started, it takes much less energy to keep moving.
Start Slow, Finish Fast
The second corollary of the Law of Accumulation says, "By the yard
it's hard, but inch by inch, anything's a cinch."
When you begin thinking about saving 10 or 20 percent of your
earnings, you will immediately think of all kinds of reasons that it
is not possible. You might be up to your neck in debt. You might be
spending every single penny that you earn today just to keep afloat.
If you do find yourself in this situation, instead of saving 10
percent, begin saving just 1 percent of your earnings in a special
account, which you refuse to touch.
Increase As You Go Along
This small amount will begin to add up at a rate that will surprise
you. As you become comfortable with saving 1 percent, increase your
savings rate to 2 percent, then 3 percent, then 4 percent and 5
percent and so on. Within a year, you will find yourself getting out
of debt and saving 10 percent, 15 percent and even 20 percent of your
earnings without it really affecting your lifestyle.
Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do to apply this law immediately:
First, decide upon your long-term financial goals and then resolve to
work toward them one step at a time. The first steps are the hardest
and you must discipline yourself to avoid backsliding into old habits.
Second, practice the law of accumulation in other parts of your life
as well. Resolve to master a subject one page at a time. Lose extra
pounds one ounce at a time. Learn a language one lesson at a time.
The cumulative effect can be enormous.
By: Brian Tracy
'If you can DREAM it, you can DO it.'
-- Walt Disney
'A dream is just a dream. A goal is a dream with a plan
and a deadline.'
-- Harvey Mackay
'It only takes one person to change your life - you.'
-- Ruth Casey
The old saying, 'who you are speaks so loud I can't hear
what you say' is very important because it addresses both
the shallowness of words, and the reality that in life we
measure who a person IS by what they DO.
Over a hundred years ago, William James, arguably the
founder of modern Psychology, noted that 'we sing because
we're happy, and we're happy because we sing.' Emotions can
cause behavior (feelings happy makes us smile), but more
importantly, our behavior creates emotions in a reciprocal
relationship that is vitally important.
If you want to feel happy, do the things that MAKE you
happy - tell a joke, attend a concert, tickle a child, fly
a kite. For normal, healthy adults, most of our feelings
are the RESULT of how we think and what we do.
How often have you felt bored or tired, then gotten
involved in some project and discovered that the activity
picked you right up? We've all had that experience because
positive ACTIONS are a reliable source of positive feelings.
Athletes know all about this. It's called a 'runner's high'
and it's caused by chemicals (endorphins) released in the
brain. When you move your body and do stuff and breath
deeply, the brain literally, physically, rejoices!
And that has EVERYTHING to do with success, motivation and
achievement!
Active, highly effective people ARE happier than the rest
of us. They do more. They think and move and create and try
more stuff! They DO more, and as a result they FEEL BETTER.
Now of course some people suffer from depression or other
physical or emotional disorders, and these are serious
medical conditions that must be treated by a professional.
If you suspect you or a loved one has a medical problem,
for goodness sake, see your doctor! Positive thinking will
NOT fix a broken leg and it won't cure depression!
But for the rest of us, I think it's time for a call to
ACTION! As a nation, we have been focused on the war, a
sluggish economy, and of course here in North America, it's
been winter! We have lots of reasons to be cautious, to
stay home, and be careful. But now spring has come. Let's
move it!
A basic law of physics says that an object at rest will
stay at rest, while an object in motion tends to stay in
motion. Let's be objects 'in motion'!
Now is the time to make those calls, write your spring and
summer business plans, set goals, even go outside and plant
some flowers. Create beauty in your yard, bring it into
your office, and add it to your home. Surround yourself
with music and laughter, with inspirational posters and
projects that excite you. It's time to invest in your
future and MAKE IT HAPPEN!
Be an object in motion! Just DO it!
Author: Philip Humbert
I challenged you to write down the first sentence YOU
use when giving a presentation. First sentences are
very important. They determine if your prospect will
lean forward and look for reasons to join . . . or lean
back and look for reasons not to join!
I used trial and error to discover my FIVE best first
sentences, but my friend Joel introduced me to a neat
way to come up with unlimited first sentences in only
30 seconds.
Joel showed me a simple software program that creates
100 first sentences in only 30 seconds. (The software
program only costs $29.)
I was over-impressed, blown away, and quickly created
hundreds of first sentences for:
* Individual products
* Meeting prospects
* Getting referrals
* Starting presentations
* Headlines
* Business cards
and, the list goes on. It was fun. And, I knew you
might want to get a copy of the software program also.
It's worth a fortune to me, and I hope you use it too.
I hope these FIVE best first sentences make you a
fortune also!
Tom 'Big Al' Schreiter
We know that when our body is not functioning
smoothly and painlessly, something is wrong, and
we take action to correct it. We go to a doctor;
we take pills; we undergo physical therapy,
massage or chiropractic. We know that if we
ignore pain or discomfort for any period of time,
it could lead to something more serious.
I hope you are as excited as I am about the
possibilities of superfast reading with
PhotoReading. If you haven't ordered, please do
today. This is the best way to get through the
top business books of today such as
"Freakonomics," "Good to Great," "The Tipping
Point," "Blink," "Rich Dad, Poor Dad," and of
course, my books "The Power of Charm" and "Focal
Point"… which you probably bought but haven't read!!
With PhotoReading you learn how to process and
understand any book at least three times faster
than you can now… handle incoming mail and email
swiftly and promptly… make informed decisions
with every piece of printed material… be more
relaxed and confident when reading… gain more
pleasure from pleasure reading. This is something
you will even want to share with your entire family.
How to Tell Right From Wrong
In the same sense, nature also gives us a way to
tell emotionally what's right for us and what's
wrong for us in life. Just as nature gives us
physical pain to guide us to doing or not doing
things in the physical realm, nature gives us
emotional pain to guide us toward doing or not
doing things in the emotional or mental realm.
The wonderful thing is that you're constructed so
that if you simply listen carefully to
yourselfto your mind, your body and your
emotionsand follow the guidance you're given,
you can dramatically enhance the quality of your life.
Just as the natural physical state of your body
is health and vitality, your natural emotional
state is peace and happiness. Whenever you
experience a deviation from peace and happiness,
it's an indication that something is amiss.
Something is wrong with what you're thinking,
doing or saying. Your feeling of inner happiness
is the best indicator you could ever have to tell
you what you should be doing more of and what you should be doing less of.
The Messenger
Unhappiness is to your life as pain is to your
body. It is sent as a messenger to tell you that
what you're doing is wrong for you.
Very often, you'll suffer from what has been
called "divine discontent." You'll feel fidgety
and uneasy for a reason or reasons that are
unclear to you. You'll be dissatisfied with the
status quo. Sometimes, you'll be unable to sleep.
Sometimes, you'll be angry or irritable. Very
often, you'll get upset with things that have
nothing to do with the real issue. You'll have a
deep inner sense that something isn't as it
should be, and you'll often feel like a fish on a
hook, wriggling and squirming emotionally to get free.
Divine Discontent
And that is a good thing. Divine discontent
always comes before a positive life change. If
you were perfectly satisfied, you would never
take any action to improve or change your
circumstances. Only when you're dissatisfied for
some reason do you have the inner motivation to
engage in the outer behaviors that lead you onward and upward.
Listen to yourself. Trust your inner voice. Go
with the flow of your own personality. Do the
things that make you feel happy inside and you'll
probably never make another mistake.
Action Exercises
Here are three steps you can take immediately to put these ideas into action.
First, listen to yourself and trust your own
feelings. If there is a part of your life that
causes you stress and unhappiness, resolve to deal with it.
Second, identify those areas of your life where
you are dissatisfied or frustrated for any
reason. What changes should you, could you make?
Third, remember that nature wants you to be
happy, healthy, popular and prosperous. Any
deviation from those conditions is a signal to you that action is necessary.
By: Brian Tracy
What is this skill? First off, let me tell you what it's
not:
It's not engineering ...
It's not public speaking ...
It's certainly not computer programming ...
And it's not website design ...
... it's Copywriting.
Copywriting - very simply, copywriting is the ability to put
words on paper that get people to send you money.
Copywriting creates tremendous leverage, because once you
get the right words on paper, all you have to do is use the
right media to deliver that message to the right person.
Do the work once, use it forever.
Let me tell you a story about a man named Gary. Gary was an
encyclopedia salesman who wanted to get into information
publishing. He was a very good salesman, but he hated the
long days, and hated the rejection.
He made a lot of money, but he hated seeing people face to
face. Hated it.
The reason Gary wanted to get into information publishing
was so that he never had to do face to face selling and
telephone prospecting again.
The idea of sending out a letter in the mail, and having
money come back without ever seeing his customers or even
talking to them on the phone appealed greatly to Gary.
Plus he could have a printer print up all his letters, and
the post office deliver them so that he would never have to
do any work. Write the letter, have others send it out. Gary
is, of his own admission, a somewhat lazy fellow, so you can
see why the information business appealed to him.
So, Gary went to the library, checked out all the books on
direct mail, studied them scrupulously, and then went out
and did exactly what they said to do.
What happened? Gary failed miserably. He didn't get any
orders - not one. He lost his butt doing what the books told
him to do. Now Gary may be, at times, lazy, but he's
certainly not dumb. He quickly came to the conclusion that
the people who wrote the books didn't have a clue what they
were talking about.
So, Gary threw out the books, and used what he had learned
while he was selling encyclopedias to write a letter. He
took all the elements of his sales presentation, and put it
in print. So now, instead of giving a sales presentation one
on one, he could deliver it to millions of people at the
same time.
So Gary had a few of his letters printed, and he mailed them
out. And he did get some orders. And he used the money from
the order to mail more letters. And then he used the money
from those orders to mail even more letters. And so forth.
What was the bottom line? Simply this: Gary was soon able to
mail so many letters, that he brought in over 20,000 checks
per DAY! In fact, he brought in so many orders he had to
hire 35 housewives just to make his bank deposit.
What was Gary selling? It doesn't matter! See, the magic was
not in the product - it was in the letter!
People were sending Gary money because of the words they
contained in the letter. And, the neat part was, Gary only
had to write the letter one time - once it worked all he had
to do was mail it.
That's the power of copywriting. I've never had 20,000
checks per day come in, and quite frankly I'd never want to.
That's too much work to process all those orders. But I do
have, in my possession, several "million dollar" sales
letters I've written - letters that have brought in over one
million dollars.
Whenever top marketers want to make more money, they just
mail these letters and the money comes in. Write the letter
once, collect the checks forever. I do the same thing, and
have with my most successful business ventures and with
clients.
Copywriting truly is the highest paid skill in the world.
Gary, who I just told you about, now charges $25,000 plus 5%
of the gross just to write one ad or letter. And he has a
waiting list - people are standing in line, hoping Gary will
write a letter or ad for them.
Why would they do this? Because they know once the ad or
letter is written, all they have to do is mail it.
In fact, Gary once wrote a diet ad for a client of his that
brought the client over $40 million in sales. The client
happily paid Gary his fee, plus $2 million in royalties.
Heck, wouldn't you?
Gary makes this kind of money because he knows how to put
words on paper that get people to send it money.
I can't think of a better skill to learn.
See, the truth of the matter is, you can't hire many of the
best copywriters. Why? Because they're too busy running
their own businesses and writing for themselves.
That way they get to keep all the money. I've made as much
as $80,000 in a single month due to my copywriting skills -
and I wasn't even in the office! You can't even hire me,
because I make too much money writing copy for myself.
Writing copy is the most exciting business in the world, but
you can't learn to do it in college. You have to learn from
people who are doing it in the real world, people who are
getting real world results. And it's very hard to find these
people.
Yours for smart marketing and making money doing something
you love . . .
Dave Dee
'But client satisfaction is the foundation of my business,'
you exclaim.
So true! Your client's complete satisfaction should be your
ultimate goal. Here is the key question: If a client is
satisfied with your service today, will your service meet
their changing needs tomorrow?
Change is the only constant in business. Your client's needs
change every day and your challenge is to identify those
needs that are causing dissatisfaction in their life.
Finding and solving these elusive needs will lead to more
sales for your business.
Ask yourself, are you searching for new areas of client
dissatisfaction for your service to solve? Are you focusing
your marketing on what they want and desire? Are you
positioning yourself as a solution to their problems?
Clients and prospects are always looking to improve their
life and their business, just as you are. What they
currently possess may satisfy them today but that is sure to
change. Within this change resides opportunities for you.
Your growth and prosperity will come from the unsatisfied
and the needy. These are the people who may or may not know
they need a solution. It is your job to uncover their hidden
needs and supply the solution.
So you ask, 'If they are satisfied now, I need to create a
new dissatisfaction?'
No, you are not necessarily creating the dissatisfaction but
uncovering it for them to see. We don't realize that we need
what we don't have. Simply put, you cannot satisfy a need
until you know that you have one in the first place.
For example, not too long ago there was a time when
computers did not exist. We were unaware of the influence
and benefits that these machines would have on our daily
lives. Yet we survived without them in blissful ignorance
as we plodded through the workday. Today, you can't run a
business without a computer on your desk!
You must find the dissatisfaction and creatively communicate
your solution to the client. Until you make this discovery,
happy clients are not interested in purchasing more from
you. Your goal must be to find an offering that fills a
need, solves a problem, or improves their condition.
Offering services that put an end to their current
dissatisfactions is the best way to insure continued
business growth.
Become a leader and innovator within your service industry.
With this strategy you will position your business as a
valuable resource that is trusted and looked on as the best
choice in the market. This makes sales much easier,
decreases your competition, and greatly increases your
success.
Kick butt, make mucho dee-nero!
~Dave Dee
The Dalai Lama argues that, fundamentally, we all seek more
and greater happiness in our lives and that one of the
great questions in life is, 'What makes my life totally
fulfilled and totally happy?'
For many people, happiness is related to money, and
happiness means accumulating wealth. For them, money has
great value and they are motivated to work hard and
smarter, and to use money in ways that make them happy.
But there are thousands of individual differences in how
that works. Some make money and give it all away. Some make
money and hoard it, even burying it in the backyard, while
others invest it, and still others make a show of
displaying a wealth of possessions.
For others, happiness has little to do with money, and they
seek fulfillment in their creativity, or they find ultimate
happiness in family relationships, or by serving others.
There are many paths up the mountain called 'happiness'!
One of the most important distinctions the Dalai Lama makes
is between happiness and pleasure. We can all think of
experiences that bring us delightful pleasure but which
utterly fail to make us 'happy' in life. Almost everyone
enjoys a fine meal, perhaps with good wine, but we all
reject a life of gluttony and drunkenness.
So the question: What makes you truly happy?
This is a central question for the World Class Life
Conference next month, because in order to have a GREAT
life, we must first determine what it might look like. What
are the key pieces of a great and joyful life FOR YOU?
Almost 150 years ago, Henry Thoreau wrote that most people
'live lives of quiet desperation', and sadly, I think
that's still true. All our wealth and freedom, our
education and military power, even our access to the wisdom
and literature of past generations has not created a
society in which most people are 'happy'. Indeed, many
people seem to be incredibly unhappy. With all this freedom
to choose our destiny and create the life we truly want,
why aren't more people happy?
I think this is a vital question. It may even be THE
question for modern adults to ponder and answer. Given that
you can live almost anywhere you choose, read and learn
almost any skill, and have pretty much any reasonable
lifestyle you want, WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?
What are your happiest memories? What are your happiest
fantasies, dreams and aspirations? Who do you know who
seems to be truly, massively happy?
What makes YOU happy? At the end of life, what will allow
you to say, 'I did it right. I made good choices. I am
HAPPY with the way I lived my life!' Whatever your answer,
in the coming days and weeks, do more of it, and do less of
everything else.
Author: Philip Humbert, PhD
When we buy a product where the features and benefits from
various suppliers are virtually identical, a bargain is
almost always measured in terms of low price. When we buy a
bag of rice or a box of corn flakes, for most of us the
brand makes little difference. We want a low price and will
often buy the brand that is on sale.
On the other hand, when we are buying a product or service
where we believe quality, reliability or other essentials
could vary widely, price becomes secondary. Who shops for
the cheapest brain surgeon?
Many professionals and small business owners make a mistake
in trying to compete on the basis of price, when they would
be far better off emphasizing the qualities that their
customers value most highly.
Everyone can recall choosing a restaurant because of the
atmosphere, superior service or extra attention we
receive. Especially for a special occasion, we may drive
many miles and pay extra to be certain we will get a
'bargain' in terms of a delightful dinner experience.
Most of us hire our attorney, our accountant, dentist
and physician for reasons other than low price. Perhaps
location and convenience were critical factors, or the
recommendation of a trusted friend may have been important.
Perhaps they have a specialty we value, or we may have been
impressed with their competence.
The same principles apply in selling your services! Find
out what your customers want, how they define a 'bargain'
and focus on THAT, every single time, to every single client.
Author: Philip Humbert, Phd
