The In Search Of Heroes Program Spreads Good News World-wide Using Copywriting, Blogs, RSS Feeds, Photos and Audio and Video Interviews That Tell the Unique Stories of Local and International Heroes Who Help Others In Many Different Ways and Deserve Recognition For Their Good Works.

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June 30, 2005

"Hmmm... Gouda... or... success?" by Craig Garber

There are some people who will absolutely never ever
succeed.

Let me tell you a little story about one of them:

I was going through some feedback forms from one of my
client's recent seminars.

My client's a successful info-marketer in the real estate
area... a VERY sharp guy when it comes to knowing how to
completely avoid paing income taxes... and he also owns a
bank.

No doubt, when this guy opens his mouth -- if you're smart
-- you're going to be paying very close attention to what
he's saying, because it's going to pay off for you in
spades.

Anyhow, one of his seminar participants was complaining on
his feedback form, because -- and I kid you not -- my
client's seminar wasn't "Atkins Friendly".

I'm dead serious.

The guy said "Your seminar breaks are not Atkins friendly.
You should have cheese and club soda."

Now I would bet you a dollar to a hole in a doughnut, the
person who wrote that complaint is one of those types of
people who complains about absolutely everything... who
never takes action on anything because nothing's ever
"right"... and of course, it goes without saying, that all
this stuff is everyone else's fault.

But here's the thing: You are always going to have a few
petty and annoying customers like that. Just don't spend
any of your time worrying about them when you're planning
out your marketing or your sales copy.

People like that are going to be "looking" for something to
aggravate them, so regardless of what you end up doing,
you're going to be doing the "wrong" thing as far as they're
concerned.

When it comes to people like this, there's never any way
you, or ANYONE else, will ever make them happy.

Your job, with PITA's like that (Pains In The Asses), is to
deliver a good service or product... take their money in
exchange for it... and then... completely eliminate any
thoughts of them from your mind, forever.

What I'm saying is, don't sweat the PITA's -- focus on what
matters -- the 99% of your marketplace that's "normal" --
or... at least... "sort of" normal.

And if you haven 't already done so, go ahead and click here right now to sign up for my FREE Tip Of The Week -- it's the Number One Direct-Response Marketing And Copywriting Newsletter for independent business-owners.

“Craig Garber is America's Top Direct-Response Copywriter. You'll find hundreds of marketing tips to increase your sales, and his insanely popular FREE Direct-Response Marketing Tip Of The Week, on his website, www.KingOfCopy.com. Copyright © Craig Garber. All rights reserved.”

Posted by isoh at 07:22 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

"How to Target Your Most Profitable Market" by Michel Fortin

If you already solve a specific problem, then targeting your market as much as possible should be the obvious next step. However, this is where many marketers fail, for they are trying to be "all things to all people" and attempt to market their product to everyone. Instead, try to discover the demographics and psychographics of your niche -- your specific (or greatest) market. Then market to that audience more than any other and as often as possible.

Demographics are the basic qualities and characteristics of your market. They include age, gender, culture, employment, industry, income level, marital status, location, and so on. Does your product cater uniquely to women? Is it more appealing to a specific industry? Does your product complement another type of product? Is your market mostly made up of French Canadians?

In other words, who buys from you specifically? If you were to say “everyone,” then you are falling in the trap mentioned earlier. Avoid it as much as you can. Try to be as specific as possible. But if you do cater to a diverse market, find out who buys from you the most or the most often.

On the other hand, psychographics are made up of the emotional and behavioral qualities of your market. They include the emotions, reasoning, history, psychology, and thought processes behind people's decision to buy your product. For example, they include interests, hobbies, associations to which they belong, previous purchases, other related products your market has consumed, and length of time they remained with a particular company.

Intelligence Gathering
In other words, demographics include the segment of the population that needs your product, while psychographics are those within your demographics that want your product. If you don’t know this, you can easily conduct a survey as part of a marketing research campaign among your current clients, potential clients and clients of other similar products or companies. Don’t underestimate your greatest source for marketing research -- clients!

For example, here’s a list of questions you should ask them:

Why did your clients buy your product? If not, why not?
Why did they buy from you or your competitor specifically?
Why did they not buy from you or the competition?
Why did they buy from you at that specific point in time?
Why did they buy right away (on impulse) or took their time?
If they shopped around, why did they? Where did they go?
What do they like the most and the least about the product?
Would they refer you to others? Why? If not, why not?
What specific benefits do they see in your product?
What specific benefits do they see in your competitor’s product?
And so on.
These are immensely important questions that can help you, guide you, or even cause you to change your approach altogether. Don’t discount the power of doing marketing research, especially within your own backyard. You want to know not only who buys from you but, more important, why they do. In other words, think psychographics and not just demographics.

Target Your Market
To illustrate the difference between demographics and psychographics, hair transplant doctors cater mainly to men who have experienced hair loss and are able to afford such an operation — i.e., men and bald men specifically are potential patients because they may need of more hair. Psychographics, on the other hand, go a little further. In this example, they are comprised of men who not only need but also want more hair -- since not all of them do. (It’s a matter of priorities, just as the type of clothing one chooses to wear).

Therefore, in order to target this market as precisely as possible and thus generate better leads, doctors must take the psychographic element into account, such as their patients’ lifestyle, their interests, the type of industry in which they work (since certain industries are image-related), as well as their previous buying habits (such as men who have already invested in other forms of hair replacement solutions) -- the more information the better.

Nevertheless, arm yourself with as much of this type of information beforehand and your chances of achieving greater success with your product will be virtually guaranteed. While you can’t be everything to everyone, you shouldn’t be targeting everyone for everything.

Michel Fortin is a direct response copywriter, author, speaker and consultant. His specialty are long copy sales letters and websites. Watch him rewrite copy on video each month, and get tips and tested conversion strategies proven to boost response in his membership site at http://TheCopyDoctor.com/ today.

Posted by isoh at 05:43 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 29, 2005

"The Right Way...The Wrong Way...To Use Direct-Response For Your Next Romantic 'Hook-up'!" by Craig Garber

Want to know how to use direct-response in your personal
life, for your next romantic "Hook-Up"?

I saw this posted somewhere on a marketing board a long time
ago and I thought it'd give you a good laugh going into
your weekend.

You see a handsome guy at a party. You go up to him and
say, "I'm fantastic in bed."

That's Direct Marketing.

You're at a party with a bunch of friends and see a handsome
guy. One of your friends goes up to him and, pointing at
you, says, "She's fantastic in bed."

That's Advertising.

You see a handsome guy at a party. You go up to him and get
his telephone number. The next day you call and say, "Hi,
I'm fantastic in bed."

That's Telemarketing.

You're at a party and see a handsome guy. You get up and
straighten your dress. You walk up to him and pour him a
drink. You say "May I?" and reach up to straighten his tie,
brushing your breast lightly against his arm, and then
say, "By the way, I'm fantastic in bed."

That's Public Relations.

You're at a party and see a handsome guy. He walks up to
you and says, "I hear you're fantastic in bed."

That's Brand Name Recognition.

You're at a party and see a handsome guy. You talk him into
going home with your friend.

That's a Sales Rep.

Your friend can't satisfy him so he calls you.

That's Tech Support.

You're on your way to a party when you realize that there
could be handsome men in all these houses you're passing.
So you climb onto the roof of one situated toward the
center and shout out at the top of your lungs, "I'm
fantastic in bed!"

That's SPAM!

Have a great weekend.

Posted by isoh at 07:20 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

"How To Close Sales Using Meta-Channels" by Michel Fortin

Are you a salesperson? Do you "close" sales? Are you often playing psychological tug-of-war with your clients? Most of us do. I did that for the greater part of my sales career. From the "assumptive close," the "trial close," right down to the famous "Benjamin Franklin close," I've used quite a few of them if not all of the tricks in the book. However, things have changed.

Today, the marketplace is just as educated and sophisticated as some of the most cunning sales champions. People hate to be marketed let alone sold, especially based on "needs." And when shrewd salespeople attempt a plethora of sales tactics on their clients, prospects not only see them coming but they also consider such techniques to be insulting.

I've been to all the seminars, heard all the tapes, seen all the videos, and read all the books on selling, negotiating, sales psychology, and sales techniques. And it wouldn't be fair for me to say that this education did not help my career in the last 16 years -- it certainly has. But in the 2,000's and beyond, the days of using 1,001 closing techniques are definitely over.

From Prospecting to Positioning
If you are specialized and focused on a very narrow niche, and have attracted prospects that not only need but also want that which your offer (in other words, they are pre-qualified using techniques such as those described in my book "The 10 Commandments of Power Positioning"), then there is really no longer a need to close. All you need to do is to ask for the order. In fact, all you really need is just one simple yet powerful closing question. What's the question? Before I show it to you, you need to first understand how it works.

We all communicate through different channels, whether verbal or written. But there is also a metachannel (one beyond the channel of communication) that predominates. It is one through which people communicate with and understand others. If you want to appreciate metachannels, close your eyes for a moment and think back to when you were a child.

Either one of three things will happen. For instance, 1) you will remember how your favorite toy used to look like or recognize some familiar faces. 2) You will hear a song on the radio that was popular at the time or remember the voices of some of your childhood friends. Or 3) you will remember a certain pleasant event such as your 8th birthday party, or feel the warm touch of your mother's hand as she walked you to school one cold morning.

Do You See What I Mean?
As you can easily conclude, the three metachannels are:

Visual,
Aural (often mistakenly called "auditory")
And kinesthetic.
People will generally communicate through one predominant metachannel. While they do not use a single channel exclusively, more than any other a person will use a preferred metachannel to sensorially transmit and process information, thought, or feeling so that it is satisfactorily received or understood.

For example, if I called you on the phone and asked you "how's the weather," you will answer in one of three ways. If you're a visual person, you will probably say "looks like it's going to rain." If you're an aural person, you might say "I heard that's it going to be a scorcher." But if you're a kinesthetic person, then "it feels pretty cold" will probably be your answer.

Why are metachannels important in sales? You may have had the experience of once going through a sales presentation that seemed almost perfect. Your client not only needed but also wanted your product or service. A great conversation ensued with all the right questions asked and answered. In your mind, the sale was "in the bag." It was a done deal. However, when came the time to ask for the order, your prospect said "I want to think it over."

The problem may very well be due to poor sales skills or other circumstances. But oftentimes it is also because you were not understood by the prospect. Chances are that, if the presentation went well but did not end positively, your metachannel was not in sync with that of your prospect's. In plain English, you were not communicating on the same wavelength.

Channel Surfing
Metachannels are not limited to oral presentations but also include written ones. The words you use on paper are just as important as the ones you use in person. In either case, when you discover your prospect's metachannel you should choose words -- especially action words, verbs, expressions, and phrases -- that reflect their preferred metachannel.

For example, use words such as "I see," "get the picture," "show me," "focus on," "seeing is believing," "beautiful," "brilliant," or "keep your eyes peeled" with a visual prospect. With aurals, use "I hear you," "fine tune," "sounds good," "tell me," "listen," "hear me out," or "keep your ears open." With kinesthetic individuals, say "I feel," "I sense that," "my point is," "grasp," "sharp," "vibrant," "makes sense," "out of touch," "hold on," or "get a handle."

Nevertheless, one simple closing question is all you really need. In fact, I learned about this technique from Stephan Schiffman, whom I believe to be one of the most up-to-date sales trainers today. Although I adapted his technique to fit the prospect's preferred metachannel, the closing question contains approximately ten words. No more, no less. For visuals, the close is: "Mr. Prospect, it looks good to me; what do you think?" For aurals, it's: "It sounds good to me; what do you think?" For kinesthetics, the close is: "It makes sense to me; what do you think?" That's it.

One Question is All You Really Need
Obviously, one of two things will happen. The prospect will either answer with "yes, it looks good to me" or "no, it doesn't." With such a simple question, you can never go wrong. If the offer does appeal to the prospect, you can then complete the transaction. But if the offer failed to do so, you can then ask why and get as a result something concrete with which to work.

Having a great many closing techniques under your sleeve is still important. In fact, I'm still a firm believer in closing skills -- I've used quite a few in my time and still do in some cases. You should still use some of them as a backup. But by first using one universal closing question makes the sales process easier and less insulting to an informed client. There is indeed a great power in simplicity -- and that will be more evident in the days to come.

As a sales veteran, you might not agree with me on this one. That's fine, as long as you understand that it would be foolish to think that the marketplace will always be behind the times. Nevertheless, if you become a powerful magnet and attract pre-sold prospects, you will soon discover that the need to close will eventually disappear altogether.

Posted by isoh at 05:42 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 28, 2005

"3 Ways to Avoid Using the Wrong Bait" by Craig Garber

Yesterday I promised I'd tell you 3 things you must avoid
doing, if you want your prospects to 'bite' on the bait
you're feeding them, and since I'm a lot of things, but a
liar isn't one of them, here they are:

These are a few of the situations I see most often when
I'm consulting clients - www.KingOfCopy.com/consulting

1. Avoid talking about yourself. Bluntly, your prospects
could care less.

Sure you need to credentialize yourself, but they really
don't need to know about the weird relationship you
had with your mother... your first bi-curious experience...
or that time you got drunk and 'accidentally' spent
the night up in the hills with that 'friendly' little
goat.

Just stick to the what's relevant.

O.K.?

2. Don't focus on what your product or service 'is' --
instead, focus on what it 'does'.

In other words, sell the solution, not the ingredients.

Selling a teeth-whitening system?

Dwell on all the embarrasment your system is going to
allieviate, not all the crap you're going to have to put on
your teeth every night before you go to bed.

3. And lastly, don't hide your flaws -- because we've all
got 'em. Instead, if there's a weakness in your product,
expose it, and justify it.

Your prospects will trust you more for doing so, and that's
nine-tenths of the battle anyway.

Posted by isoh at 07:19 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

"Why Word-of-Mouth Works Wonders" by Michel Fortin

Viral marketing is the process of implementing means through which the knowledge of your existence self-propagates. Like a virus, your visibility spreads throughout a network of people who refer you to each other. Unlike unsolicited advertisements or "spam," which usually stops once it reaches its destination (and the reason spammers must keep spamming in order to remain successful), viral marketing continues to spread almost effortlessly since the people who refer you to others know each other. Also, those who get to know you (or to know about you) through third party referrals grant you a higher level of confidence, credibility and loyalty.

Word-of-mouth advertising is crucial in the offline world. Online, referral or network marketing (as they are commonly known) is vital. Why? The key to marketing success in the offline world is "location, location, location." The Internet is no different. In other words, your marketing success depends highly on the number of locations you appear -- places on which your site, link, company or product name exist. In essence, it is to be in as many places as possible, talked about by as many people as possible and seen by as many eyeballs as possible. Success online is all about "location" too!

Remember a dictum a mentor of mine once told me, which is: "Implication is far more powerful than specification." In other words, if you tell people you're the best, that you're the leader in your field, or that your product is the best solution to their needs, your self-serving promotional bias makes it all suspect. Your statement is rarely believable at face value. And if you do make such claims, you will have your work cut out for you in order to prove them.

However, if someone other than you says to another that you are indeed the best or that you do have the best solution to their problems, how much more believable will that person's statement be? How much more credible? The answer is "definitely more." Accordingly, referrals and networking systems are not only important because they create an awareness of your business (or because they create traffic in the online world), but also they are important to the degree to which third party marketing indirectly communicates greater credibility, superiority and value of the products or services you offer.

In his new book (which I highly recommend) "The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding," Al Ries stresses the importance of leadership and how that leadership is communicated. According to Ries, people never buy the best -- they only think they do. They usually buy the leader (or what they perceive as being the best). And that perception is often molded by what they are told and by what others do, not by what is fact or by what is being advertised.

Coke, for example, outsells Pepsi. But according to Ries, taste tests reveal that Pepsi is the better tasting brand. So, why does Coke still beat Pepsi in sales? It is not because it is the leader in the marketplace or promoted itself as such but because it is known as the leader.

Coke was the first cola "in the mind" of the marketplace and thus the one most talked about, even to this day. When a person is introduced to cola for the first time, he or she is often told to try Coke. People in restaurants still refer to the word "coke" as the generic name for colas, even when only Pepsi is served. Why is that? While other colas are bombarding them with marketing messages, people have heard of Coke first and most likely from other people.

Consequently, if your business or website is unique, focuses on a niche or is the first in some category, the knowledge of your existence will spread quite naturally, almost like wildfire. But creating systems and using specific tools that will leverage the spreading of that message helps to multiply your marketing punch exponentially. Such tools stimulate word-of-mouth advertising, which is more effective than general advertising. For along with communicating your existence to the world, word-of-mouth advertising helps to cast that aura of leadership and superiority.

Networking systems, for example, include strategic marketing alliances, joint ventures, and affiliate programs. Online, they are often called referral traffic generators. And unlike the more traditional traffic generators such as banners and search engines, these specific tools are much more effective since they are used by third parties and not by the original advertiser.

Nevertheless, if you received a call, letter or email from someone you know (and especially trust) referring you to a particular company, how much more credible will that referral be when compared to a blatant advertisement coming from the company itself? You got it… More. Much more.

Posted by isoh at 05:41 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

"Craig Garber's In Search Of Heroes Interview" by Ralph Zuranski

Ralph Zuranski: Hi, this is Ralph: Zuranski, creator of the in search of heroes program; I’m interviewing Craig: Garber today, the King Of Copy. He was a protégé of Gary Halbert for about six months, and is probably the hardest working man in internet copywriting and offline copywriting for a lot of business people that are looking for the best and are wanting a fair price, Craig: how are you doing today.

Craig Garber: Great Ralph:, thanks it’s real nice to be here and real good to be talking to you.

Ralph Zuranski: I appreciate the opportunity to interview you, I wanted to ask you a couple of questions, what is your definition of heroism?

Craig Garber: The definition of heroism, well to me it’s someone who makes life better either by eliminating some of the existing pain your going through or by giving someone a chance to enhance their life in some way, shape, or form. An unexpected opportunity also.

Ralph Zuranski: What is your perspective on goodness, ethics and moral behavior?

Craig Garber: Goodness, ethics, and moral behavior. Well, I guess to me the definition of integrity is doing the right thing when no one’s looking, if you know what I’m saying, so if you maintain your level of integrity, that covers all of it.

Ralph Zuranski: What principles are you willing to sacrifice your life for?

Craig Garber: That’s a good question, I think that’s the kind of question that is really easy to answer on the surface because it’s easy to say ‘well I’d give My life for this’ or ‘I’d give my life for that.’ But I think when your pressed up against the wall in real life situations I don’t think the knee-jerk answer you’d have is the reality.

I think if your pressed up in a situation like this that people who do sacrifice their lives for things, they’re probably not the things that they would’ve imagined they’d be sacrificing their life for. Whether it’s to jump in front of a complete stranger and push him out of the way of a car or something like that that you end up sacrificing your life for.

I think it’s those things you wind up sacrificing your life for. So as far as principals I think that it would be really hard for me to tell you what I would sacrifice my life for, I would say without a doubt that, unquestionably I would always sacrifice my life for my wife and kids, to protect them and keep them safe. So that’s the only realistic answer that I can give you.

Ralph Zuranski: So you’d say that it’s sort of a moment by moment thing, so you’re saying that if somebody’s in danger of being run over by a car or somebody’s in a burning house it would be hard to do it at that time, like a lot of people look at heroes as firemen and soldiers and stuff that are actually being paid to do those types of things, and I think that this person is a much greater hero if they’re not being paid to do a job, but actually you’re willing to sacrifice your life in a moment to save the lives of others.

Craig Garber: Yeah, I think that people who sacrifice their life, most of the time don’t go into something thinking that, Okay, I know I’m going to sacrifice my life for this. So, that’s kind of a hard question to answer, I think about 9/11 for example.

I think in that situation that a lot of the firemen and the cops, and the guys who ran in there, they probably had a conscious level of awareness of, I’m probably going to be sacrificing my life to do this. But that situation doesn’t happen to often, when it’s, ‘I know I’m going to be giving my life up for this cause.’

I think you do things that are important to you and, Hey, Who knows what the outcome of anything is going to be, what actions are going to be taken.

Ralph Zuranski: Yeah, I think that those guys are real heroes because you can just walk off the job, to have the courage to basically go in and know that that may be your last day on Earth, I think that that is real heroism. That’s the same with our troops.

Craig Garber: Absolutely, that’s balls.

Ralph Zuranski: Yeah, so did you have a dream or a vision that set the course of your life?

Craig Garber: I did, but I guess I had two different, you know as you age and evolve or should I say mature instead of age, as you mature, your vision, and what’s important to you changes. That has evolved like that for myself as well. I guess when I was younger my dream or vision was just to get the hell out of where I was.

I had a pretty miserable childhood, I guess. I just wanted to get out of where I was. I grew up in a violent and abusive household with a lower income, you know, you see the projects on T.V. in New York City that’s where I grew up in, the Bronx, that’s where I grew up. I didn’t know the rosy side of the world. I had a sense that better stuff existed out there, but I was never exposed to it, but people will often say, how can these guys in the ghetto be holding people up and be so violent, that’s all they know.

They don’t know that if I work hard and I study, that I can go out and make a million dollars.

No, all they know is that they live in poverty, my mother lived in poverty, my mother’s mother lived in poverty, and my kids will live in poverty. So they’re programmed for all that negative stuff, so I was programmed for that, but in the back of my head I knew that my dream or vision at that time was to get the hell out of that place.

I didn’t know how to do it, I didn’t know what it looked like, didn’t know where it was but I knew I had to do it, and I knew that’s what I wanted.

Ralph Zuranski: You know that’s interesting because the scope of the in search of heroes program is to give those people in the communities that you grew up in hope, that they can compete with the profits in drugs and in crime by marketing the products in their local community on the internet or just come up with products on their own.

Craig Garber: There’s a huge need for that, no doubt about that, if you can reach out and change some lives, you really will be changing the course of the world for these people, because there is a shortage of hope in places like that, I know there was in my neighborhood, in my house, and you know there still is for the rest of my family, I was just fortunate.

Ralph Zuranski: How did you become an optimist? Because, to be able to get out of that situation you had to actually have a positive view of the future and you could change your life.

Craig Garber: I have no idea, I don’t know, I thank God every day to tell you the truth.

I just beat the odds, I really don’t know how I became an optimist, I think how I became an optimist was I had faith in me. I knew I was better than where I was living. Not that I was a better person than the people that were living there, but that I could do better.

I just didn’t know what was out there, I had to know what better looked like, so that was the pain and the growth process for me was how to act in better, how to act when your in better, what does that mean.

The other thing was I realized how little I knew and I always sought out information, I realized the importance of information. I was schooled in everything what “not to do”, which is a valuable lesson, but I had know idea what “to” do.

Ralph Zuranski: Well, obviously it took a lot of courage to pursue new ideas, because most people are trapped in the place where there at for fear of doing anything new, or disrupting their peer group that they hang around with.

Craig Garber: Well, in a way I had it easy that way because I’m a risk taker and I’m at the bottom, so what if I fail at this, where am I gonna’ go? There’s no way that I can be worse off than I am now.

You know, there’s no way that things can be worse than they are now. If I screw up, then just go on to the next thing and maybe that’ll screw up, so you know I think in a way from the fear of failure, you know some people are to lazy to take action, that stuff never bothered me because I had always known that there’s only up. It may not work, but you know I probably couldn’t get further down.

Ralph Zuranski: So you were willing to experience discomfort in pursuit of your dreams?

Craig Garber: Oh yeah, Look you have to, you know everybody sees the end result of people, you know, ‘you’re a success, you’re this, you’re that.’ It’s like a band, these guys came out of nowhere, you don’t know the ten years of sleeping in vans, and laying in vomit in hotel rooms with fifteen other guys.

You have to be willing to sacrifice a little bit, it’s a misnomer and it’s something that people don’t want to believe, but nobody has it easy. Everybody’s had a struggle, some people have to struggle more than others, some have to struggle a lot more than others, but there are very, very few people that are actually given something.

Ralph Zuranski: How important to you, was it to believe that eventually your dreams would turn into reality?

Craig Garber: I had to, I had no choice, what was my choice?
The pain of living in the reality I was, was much greater than the pain of these setbacks on the road ahead. It was easier to go with these wacky thoughts going through my head. I thought, I was put on this Earth to do something a lot better than where I am now, I don’t know what that something is, I don’t know what it’ll be, I don’t know what it will look like, but let me go and find it.

I always believed that.

Ralph Zuranski: You’re paralyzed by doubts and fears and they just won’t let up, most people are afraid and that fear keeps them from being successful. How were you able to overcome your doubts and fears?

Craig Garber: Look, I still have fears when I do things, but they’re not fears of failure.

Like I said that I’ve never had fears of failure. In fact to be perfectly honest with you, I struggled for years and years with fear of success, again because of that programming I had as a kid, that failure, that scarcity mentality, that failure programming, and you know what happens is every time you’re about to embark on a new adventure that can turn out positive that old dodgy, rusty tape recorder in the back of your head flips that play switch.

Flips that negative programming play switch in your head, and it spills that garbage out. So, you have to know, and it takes place now once in a while, but now I’m aware of it, now I’m aware of what’s going on, now that it’s just, I think Steven Pressfield said in the book I don’t know if you’ve read it, “The War Of Art”, he said that’s just resistance coming up, but now I’m aware of it, again as supposedly I’m a mature adult guy and I can talk myself through it, acknowledge it, and recognize it, and I think to some extent it might be healthy because it keeps me hungry.

Ralph Zuranski: Yeah, yeah, I understand that.

Craig Garber: And also the other thing is I’d be lying if I didn’t say my wife had a really big role in this, because there were times I did want to give up, she stuck with me and said Craig: I don’t want you doing this, I don’t want you giving up, I’m willing to hang in no matter how desperate or no matter how bad times get, I’m willing to hang in there as long as you will.

I want to you to do this I believe in you, I know what you can do, and so quite often, there were times where I did want to give up and fold up when things weren’t going well in business.

I said God, I don’t know if I can do this anymore, what a loser I’d be if I didn’t at least try. She deserves this, at least. That got me through a lot of tough times to be honest with you.

Ralph Zuranski: So, she’s the one that gave you the will power to change the things in your life to make it better?

Craig Garber: My wife has been a real strong catalyst for change in my life, and I think we’ve done that with each other, we’ve been real lucky.

I’m one of those one in ten jillion people that actually finds a soul mate, I mean I like hanging out with my life, I mean she’s my best friend, she’s always my first choice of people to hang out with, she’s been a tremendous influence of me, and support of me, my cheering section.

She’s a strong woman too, because I’m the kind of guy, I’m a pretty strong personality, when I’m down I need someone to be there for me. She’s always done that, and I think we’ve done that for each other.

Ralph Zuranski: Yeah, I feel the same way about my wife also. She won’t let you get over on any of your you know what.

Craig Garber: Yeah, I mean look you know, it’s good, if you get something like that, you truly are blessed, you’ve hit the lotto.

Ralph Zuranski: Yeah, that’s the truth in relationships and I’m sure this is true in your relationship also. How important is it to forgive those who upset and oppose you?

Craig Garber: It’s very important, but I got to be honest with you for me very few people upset, offend, and oppose me.

As long as I’ve got my wife and kids, there’s really nothing outside of that nobody can really rub me the wrong way that I’m going to be all up and on them about anything.

Look, in business sometimes people accommodate you and sometimes they don’t, that’s just business, I don’t take any of that stuff personally. You just figure out another way to do things, or you work around it or you work with someone else.

You got to compromise to, you know that’s part of life, you don’t get everything you want, you got to compromise.

Ralph Zuranski: Do you experience service to others as a source of personal joy?

Craig Garber: Yeah man I love helping others, I don’t just like helping people out, I like showing people that they could do things that they thought they couldn’t.

Like when it comes to marketing for example people call me and we’ll have consults, you know they say, I’ve given up, I can’t do this, this, and this. Sometimes it’s a real simple answer, have you ever thought changing x, y, and z.

Or, change your headline, it really puts a spin on it, you see the light go on in peoples lives then. You see them walking around their house and the shades are drawn, and the windows are taped up, and all of a sudden, boom! It’s sunny like it is here in Florida, the windows are open, it’s bright, the house smells good all of a sudden, so yeah I love doing stuff like that.

Ralph Zuranski: How important is it to contain a sense of humor in the face of serious problems, because you know that everybody has serious problems in their lives and, how important is humor in that?

Craig Garber: It’s tremendously important, I mean, people who know me well, know me, I love to cut up and crack jokes at people, I do it with my kids, I do it with my wife, sometimes when you’re down in the skids, that’s the only thing that gets you through, poke fun at your situation and, I think the other thing that gets you through is having a high energy level.

A can-do attitude, a humor, and a high energy level, that’s the kind of thing that gets you through.

Ralph Zuranski: We know your wife’s a hero in your life, who are some of the other people that you consider a hero in your life?

Craig Garber: Other people that are heroes in my life... My older son is probably one of my heroes, he had to deal with some stuff when he was a kid that certainly wasn’t fair, I say that he shouldn’t have had to deal with it, and he did, how he handled himself, I’m real proud of all my kids, but he’s taught me a lot, and he communicates real well, he tells me ‘Dad your screwing up’, you know, I respect that he’s a together neat kid.

Like you said, my wife’s a hero of mine, and she’s definitely been a guiding light for me and has been a huge catalyst for change. That’s probably about it, as far as that goes.

If I use my definition of heroes, to some extent Gary Halbert was a bit of a hero of mine, he came in and gave me the confidence, he took me under his wing and gave me the confidence, switched what I was doing, I owned a financial planning business for 9 years, he told me that I was the greatest copy writer he’d ever met.

That wasn’t a testimonial, he sent me that after I did a couple of jobs I did for him, I thought he was winding me up, I thought he was giving me a bunch of crap.

I called him up and I said I got this e-mail from you, and he said ‘yeah, I meant every word.’ That gave me the confidence to make a change in my life and so I could live the lifestyle that I wanted which was for me, was spending more time with my wife and kids.

Ralph Zuranski: That’s really great so those people have made and continue to make a positive difference in your life.

Craig Garber: Yeah, well I’ll tell you what there’s another guy that, again going by my definition of heroism, is someone who’s unselfishly given from himself, a client of mine, this guy came to me about six or eight months ago, a guy named Chet Roland, you might have heard of him he’s a, Dan Kennedy’s always talking about him.

Anyway he lives down here. He’s a client of mine, and he’s turned out to be, using that definition of a hero, he’s a hero, he’s promoted me, and just so influential in my career with a lot of other things, and a lot of prominent information marketers, and he’s just a great guy to be around, he’s just inspirational, he’s a high energy guy like me, and just a good guy to be around, so I’d have to say Chet’s you know not only a friend, but to some extent using that definition of heroism, a hero as ell.

Ralph Zuranski: That’s great, who do you feel the real hero is in our society today?

Craig Garber: Okay, the real heroes are not Oprah and Doctor Phil, not that they don’t do heroic things. To me I think the real heroes are good parents.

Ralph Zuranski: I do to.

Craig Garber: See, there’s a big difference, Ralph:, and as a parent I know this, it’s not easy.

There’s a huge difference between giving your kids things and giving your kids a sense of independence, the sense of responsibility, and being able to hit the pause button, if you want to call it that, whenever they need to of things going on right then and there and help teach them a life lesson.

Ralph Zuranski: Boy, that’s so important.

Craig Garber: Yeah those are the real heroes, the little, the people doing those little random acts of kindness in your life, especially when they’re being consistent with your kids. Those are the true heroes.

Ralph Zuranski: That is so true. So, why are heroes so important in the lives of young people?

Craig Garber: Well, like I reference myself when you don’t have a guide post when you don’t have someone you can model yourself after, I think a lot of people have role models, but they’re not comfortable with them, like me.

You sort of feel like a sailboat out in the middle of the ocean, without a sail, you’re just going along with the waves, and you’re just trying to figure out what’s going on trying to figure out what is what.

So if a child can get an anchor and someone to help them steer their lives, they’re going to grow much quicker, they’re going to be much more successful people, much earlier, and therefore they can contribute positively to themselves and other peoples lives in their world.

Ralph Zuranski: Why do you think that heroes like the moms, and the dads, and the grandpas, and the grandmas, and the coaches, and the teachers, and the spiritual leaders, that they’re not getting the recognitions that they deserve today?

Craig Garber: You don’t want to see them on the T.V.

Ralph Zuranski: I would, I’d like to see it.

Craig Garber: I’d like to see it to, but it won’t sell.

Ralph Zuranski: Why do you think that is? One of the great people I interviewed, Gregory Allen Williams, was a cop on Baywatch, he said that ‘If it bleeds it leads’.

Craig Garber: Yeah, right, it will sell as a tail end of a show, tonight’s closing story we have grandma Essy, who is 97 years old and takes care of fifteen kids. Yeah, I think that’s too mundane and people discount it. I think that people don’t acknowledge that that’s the way the world goes round. Whether you have different opinions, or similar opinions, but that’s the thing that makes the world a great place to live in. It’s to mundane, people want to see sensational stuff. They’re not going to stop and consider stuff like that.

Ralph Zuranski: Do you think that people’s emotions are so jaded that they need one catastrophe, after another catastrophe just to feel stimulated?

Craig Garber: I think people are busy, I think that people are so caught up in their lives, we talked before about taking action, most people don’t want to take action.

I think that the hustle and bustle of today’s world is so draining on most people that not only do they not have time for other people, but that they don’t have time for themselves, few people take time out during the day to sort of do something for themselves, do something good for themselves, read a book, I mean watching T.V. is not good for you. So, I just think that people are too involved in their lives.

Ralph Zuranski: Watching the shows on T.V. puts fear into a lot of people’s lives, and it’s a fear that they absolutely cannot overcome, why do you think that people have such an addiction to T.V.? I know that some people watch it 40, 50 hours a week.

Craig Garber: I have no idea; I watch 2 hours of T.V. personally, that’s a lot. But, it’s escape, again most people, I think Thoreau said most men lead lives of quiet consternation, quiet desperation, and I think that’s true.

People want to escape, it’s nice to turn to T.V., and imagine, I mean I can’t believe these reality shows, it cracks me up, I see USA TODAY everyday, who got thrown off American Idol or something like that, and to me how you can be preoccupied by other peoples lives that have nothing to do with you, it’s funny, not funny but people do lead lives of desperation.

Too many bills, not enough money to pay it, to much on their plate, schedules are hectic, too many kids, blah, blah, blah. And so hey, I get to watch hot half-dressed women on T.V. or I get to see how someone’s new car is getting pimped, you know.

Ralph Zuranski: How do people become heroes? From your definition.

Craig Garber: Giving hope to others. You introduce hope into other peoples lives, and sometimes, you know where I grew up it was hard to be a hero.

You’ve got to attract those people to you, you can’t go and seek them out because, looking at marketing, you’re talking to an audience that’s not interested. The people who want hope, you’ve got to put that out there and let people come to you, because it’s hard to find people who have hope in those areas.

Ralph Zuranski: You know I’ve been on the internet for the past three years, taking photos of all the seminars, of all the speakers doing their power points, and just to see what kind of people they are and to see who would help out the heroes program. I’m finding out who has followed through with their promises. How does it feel to be recognized on the internet as a hero, because you’re following through in a big way?

Craig Garber: Well, I’m flattered, I really appreciate it. The good thing is, I don’t know what it’s going to do for my life. That’s the beauty of life, and I’m ready for the adventure, I’m ready to find out. Then contribute what I can, and something will come out of it in some way, shape, or form.

Ralph Zuranski: Why do you think you were selected for this unique honor?

Craig Garber: I was thinking about that Ralph:, I met you and we talked real briefly, I would suspect either we had good chemistry, or you saw something in me, or I my voice, or the way I held open the door for somebody, or something in my body language that said “hey I think this is somebody that I might want to get with to help me with this good cause”. I don’t know, why was I selected Ralph?

Ralph Zuranski: You were selected because you volunteered to help, you heard what the program was, to recognize moms and dads, and the people that don’t get the recognition that they deserve, and the impact that they make on the lives of their kids and other people in the community, just by offering, and following through, and that was the reason why I gave you this unique honor, you are a person that follows through, you are a person with integrity, and you do respond to my e-mails, you wanted to give your best on this interview, and you want to do it even when you’re tired, you are a person that should be recognized as a hero, you do love your family, you do love your kids.

You work hard for your family, you take care of your body. That’s the example that I would like to hold up as a role model for young people. You are actually making the world a better place.

Craig Garber: Well I don’t blush too easily but I’m blushing now, and I really appreciate all those things you said. I’m just doing my thing you know, doing what I can to make this little world a better place.

Ralph Zuranski: Well, I know that you’ve been through a lot in your life, and I know that you’re from the projects, and there is always problems facing society. How do you have or do you have any ideas on how to get rid of the problems in the society?

Craig Garber: Okay, well I probably have some thoughts on that, but they’re going to be hard to do.

Number 1, people have got to start taking responsibility for their own actions. It’s so easy to write sales copy, you know, “it’s not your fault”. It’s kind of a funny drop back amongst copywriters. “It’s not your fault”, but it is your fault, it is 100% your fault man.

The sooner you take responsibility, the sooner your life’s going to become better, in everything. “It’s not my fault that I have a low paying job, it’s not my fault that I’m late paying my bills.” So, the first thing, is taking responsibility.

The second thing to deal with some of those problems, child abuse, racism, is just be open-minded a little bit. Understand that not everybody’s going to agree with you. You don’t have to agree with anybody, you don’t even have to like anybody, but you know what? There would be so much less stress in the world and so much less stress in your life if we accepted everybody.

I don’t like all my neighbors, they probably don’t like me, in fact I know they don’t like me. I don’t sit there and obsess about it, hey people are different, you know that’s the way it is, you’re going to disagree with people in your own household sometimes. Just accept that everybody’s got a different opinion and that’s okay. You don’t all have to agree. I you could do those two things, if people can be open-minded, except that things are different, not judge them, and then just take some responsibility, I think you’d eliminate almost all those problems.

Ralph Zuranski: Yeah, I agree, that’s one of my dreams of the heroes program, once it starts going to every community that the kids would realize that, that reading the blogs, from other kids in other communities that they have an open mind and are able to allow new information, and accept that and ponder it, and try to believe that they are good, but may not have the same perspective on life as they do.

Craig Garber: Yeah, see why is it, kids are a perfect example. Kids, you tell a kid hey man would you like to interact with this kid over in England, or this kid in Japan, or Vietnam, or Denmark and kids are like yeah, what’s going on, what’s their world like?

Why is it that adults are like, screw that, I just want to stay in my little corner, or my little block, my neighborhood, or my street, or myself in my house?

Kids are definitely more open and into accepting things, so if we can implement your program, to the kids, that’s where we’ve got to get it. You got to get them open, because they are open minded, they are very open minded, and wide-eyed with anticipation of what the world has top give them, and it’s just... Why do people beat kids? They beat them because they had a rough day, and they can’t handle it, and they don’t know how to deal with the energy.

They’re miserable, and, “It’s not my fault that it happened”, but it is, just fix the freaking problem.

Ralph Zuranski: Yep, you know I really believe that, that’s true. If you had three wishes in your life that would instantly come true what would they be?

Craig Garber: Well they would probably be, number 1 and 2 like you asked me before, is for people to take responsibility for themselves, love their fellow man and start accepting people.

I think that immediately people would chill out a lot. I guess end suffering from poor health -- watching someone suffering -- that’s got to be brutal, and emotionally agonizing. Suffering because of poor health is terrible, it’s brutal. I’ve gone through some of it myself. That would be my third wish I guess.

Ralph Zuranski: What do you think about the search for heroes program and what it’s done for kids, parents and business people?

Craig Garber: Ralph: I think it’s a great program, any time you raise awareness about children’s needs for heroes is fantastic. Getting people talking about those things is great.

Like my son yesterday, he came home from the bus, and he said kids were arguing about the war, or the presidency, and I said look, even if you guys disagree, at least you guys are talking about it, being aware about it.

Either way if you and these kids vote at least you’re getting involved in a positive decision in your life. So, raising awareness is important. Look, you’re trying to save peoples lives, especially young people, as I said before you’re the hero here, not me. You’re the one setting all this up, and making a positive approach to things. I think it’s fantastic.

Ralph Zuranski: We’ve got tell kids that they can change the paradigm that was something great once. Either they were surged on by adrenaline, or make that one act, that it’s more of a daily action, of choosing the way that you’re going to act.

As Gregory Allen Williams said ‘there’s a little bit of good in the worst of us, and there’s a little bit of bad in the best of us.’ The hardest thing about that is finding the equilibrium, I think we all suffer from that.

Craig Garber: Absolutely, absolutely.

Ralph Zuranski: What are the things that parents can do to help their children realize is that they to can make a positive impact on the lives of others?

Craig Garber: That’s a really good question, it’s something I’ve given a tremendous amount of thought to, because having three kids, and knowing all the wrong ways to raise kids I had to because I didn’t want to make those same mistakes with my kids, my own children.

I would say that, my oldest son is fifteen so I would have a bit of experience about this, so if had to sit and reflect, and say the most important thing is let your kids be kids. You only get one childhood, there’s no do-over. Okay, let them be kids. You ask a six year old, why are you doing this, I’m six.

I’ve got a five year old and a fifteen year old, and one in the middle, so believe me, I’m much more realistic of that with my five year old than I was with my fifteen year old, because you’re older and you’ve made these mistakes, so you realize these things. Don’t judge them, don’t judge your kids let them be who they are.

Some kids will not be good students, that’s okay you’ve still got to love them, that’s just the way they are. They’re not into school, are they good people that’s what’s important.

Don’t set expectations for them either, like I said before, your kids are separate individuals from you. I coached all my kids, and my daughter’s five so she’ll be starting to play sports soon.

I coached them in soccer, my wife and I actually coached, and then I coached one or two years after that. And then with my middle son in basketball for years. I see these parents and they live or die with these kids, about foul shooting. It’s almost like the kid is definitely more well received when he’s doing well, than when he’s not.

The parents hang onto their kids. I was the oddball, I could care less of what my kids do. I just wanted them to have fun. They were playing sports, not for me, I could care less of how they did. My kids are in karate, and now I know they’re red belts, but there was a time there when I was sitting in karate one time and someone asked me what belt my kids were, and I didn’t know.

It’s not that I didn’t care about my kids, it’s just that I didn’t care what ranking they were. I think one was orange, I didn’t even know. That’s not why I was there, I was there for them to have fun, and maybe something good would come out of it for their lives.

Ralph Zuranski: So you think that parents are just pushing their kids to hard, and they’re just forcing them to achieve the level of success that they never achieved in their lives?

Craig Garber: Yeah, I think they’re pushing them too hard for the wrong things. These same people that push their kids hard to score another soccer goal, or make sure they make 90% of their lay-ups. Then when the kid’s rude he doesn’t say hey, you know, why don’t you say thank you or please.

In the long run, they’re going to have a lot more easier time getting along in this world learning how to say thank you and please than learning how to make foul shots or getting lay ups in. So, I think they’re looking for things to put on the wall, and I think the mistake that most parents make are looking for tangible signs of evidence of success in your children’s life, I don’t think tangible signs of evidence measures their success.

Now, if you have seen people say ,oh that guy’s lazy, or his kids aren’t performing well, I have wall-fulls of stuff, I don’t care about that stuff though, what means a lot more to me is that when a parent comes to me down the block and says, your son Casey is so polite, all the other kids come to the house, he is such a nice kid, so nice to deal with.

That to me says that Anne and I did a pretty good job of what we’re doing with our kids. It happens with all three of our kids, and I see how they interact with others, they’re polite, they say hello, they care about other people, they don’t step on other people. They care about other kids.

Ralph Zuranski: That’s one of the reasons why I created the In search of Heroes program, is because to honor the moms and dads, and the kids that act that way. I’ve talked a lot with professional sports stars here in San Diego and some of the stars up in L.A., I’ve found that their just absolutely the worst role models possible. You see the kids taking on the same activities that the sports stars that are on steroids or have attitudes that are anything but inspirational for kids.

Craig Garber: Right, because your kids, you know, you don’t realize the role you play in their lives, they will imitate everything you do. You don’t realize this because it’s going on behind the scenes. The other thing that’s really important is that you’ve got to give your kids confidence, and the way to do that is letting them be independent, not doing everything for them.

My son’s working, one of my weekly tips was about the job that I helped him get, he’s almost fifteen, he’s been working almost a year. He’s doing real well. I think it’s important, he’s earning quite a bit, he’s going to get his permit soon, we’re going to have to deal with that, it’s the thing to do, I don’t feel safe putting him on the road, but I do feel safe teaching him how to drive. It’s better to sit out there with me for a year, so I know what he’s got, rather than, “Here’s your license.” -- we’re both screwed then.

I’ve always tried to be there for them, so we can talk about it, but, now they’ve got the courage, the more things you do the more things you think you can do. You just build on that, you build on it, and build on it.

All my kids are extremely independent and I’ve let them fail, as long as we’re here for them that’s all that matters. It’s important to know what’s going on in the world, letting your kids know. Good times, and bad times. My kids have come to me and said they heard me saying that we can’t go out to eat tonight or something like that. They always say if you need any money we’ll give it to you.

Ralph Zuranski: Thank you for contributing your time, I know you’re very busy, and have a tremendous amount of clients that really respect you and appreciate what you do, once again thank you very much.

Craig Garber: Ralph:, I appreciate your time and I appreciate being part of the program, I’m just looking to contribute and help out and I think what your doing is a great thing, thanks very much for including me. Thanks for asking me all these questions. If I could help you out with anything, don’t hesitate to let me know.

Ralph Zuranski: Thanks, I’m really looking forward to looking at your sales letter to promote the In search of Heroes book, which contains the best of the best of what I’ve found in marketing, copywriting, and technology, and just ask for promotion for the foundation thing that will help every community to be successful. I’m just thankful to you and for all the help you offered.

Craig Garber: No problem, take care Ralph.

Posted by isoh at 03:44 PM | Comments (0)

June 27, 2005

"Hook 'Em Dano" by Craig Garber

Remember that old TV show, Hawaii Five-O?

I used to love it.

My favorite part was when they'd catch the criminals, and
Jack Lord would say 'Book 'em Dano.'

One reason I still have such fond memories of that show is
because Anne and I were actually married in Hawaii, on the
island of Maui.

And unless there's some major upheaval in my life, we're
going to be living there, at least part-time, some time in
the future.

Anyway, yesterday my little girl caught her first 'big'
fish.

How'd she catch it?

Simple: She 'hooked' it by using the right bait.

The thing is, NOT using the right bait, is probably the most
common problem I see when I'm consulting clients -
www.KingOfCopy.com/consulting.htm .

And in fact, that's why your existing prospects aren't
biting as much as you'd like, and that's why you're not
getting as many NEW prospects to bite as you'd like.

You've simply got the wrong bait on your hook.

Tomorrow I'm going to tell you the 3 things you must avoid
doing, if you do in fact, want your prospects to bite a
lot more, and... a lot more often.

Posted by isoh at 07:17 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

"How to Increases Sales With Follow-Ups" by Michel Fortin

Have you ever been lucky enough to receive those nice letters from collection agencies? In addition to being persistent on the phone, collection agents are known to be terribly effective when their efforts are combined with a series of letters that seem to be as equally relentless.

First, you get a letter with the typical request to "govern yourself accordingly." If you don't respond, a second letter appearing in the form of a "reminder" is sent to you a few weeks later. And, if you happen to be as persistent as the agency, you would then get a third letter with that big, red (and somewhat intimidating) "Final Notice!" stamped in the upper right-hand corner.

Sequential direct mail has been as profitable an endeavor for entrepreneurs as it has been for collection agencies. And the reason is that a sequence of letters, particularly at least three of them delivered to a same recipient, not only increases the response rate but also multiplies it exponentially. Aside from increased sales, the per capita cost savings is also considerable.

Let's Do The Three-Step
Even though I've first heard of this technique from marketing guru Dan Kennedy at a Toronto convention in 1996 ("Success '96"), I still didn't believe in its effectiveness until I actually used it in my own practice. Tested in one of my client's businesses, our first mailing conducted to approximately 7,000 recipients generated a response rate that was about 1%. It's not much but typical for most one-time direct mail campaigns -- no big "hurrah" there.

However, the surprise came when the rate shot up to about 7% following the second mailing and over 3% after the third, which were targeted to the exact same market. With all three mailings totaling 11%, the overall response was a tenfold improvement over what could have been a single mailing (with only a threefold increase in direct expenses).

The first letter had a special time-sensitive offer and an invitation to enter a draw. The second letter, which was mailed out 15 days after the first one, had a "sorry we missed you" and "we're concerned" flavor to it. It went on to offer several additional incentives in order to help nudge unresponsive recipients into action (a backend product worth only a few dollars).

Thirty days after the initial mailing, the third letter boldly stated "this is your last chance" and "deadline around the corner" right at the top -- similar to the collection agent's "final warning" stamp. The content of the letter reinforced the urgency and, along with an extra incentive, emphasized the negative outcome that would result if the recipient chose to remain idle.

Increased Perceived Value
In essence, I have found and personally experienced that three if not more mailings to a same target market is often more profitable than a single one. If you want to take a look at the numbers, you will see that, while you may have doubled or tripled your direct mail marketing expenditures, you will likely triple the results of all three separate mailings… Combined!

By the way, the prize drawn in the previous campaign was for one of the services offered by my client -- priced at about $1,500. Shortly after the draw, we decided on a fourth mailing to all those who did not respond and offered a discount on the very same service. It said "Congratulations! You've won the second prize -- a $250 rebate on [service]." As a result, the response rate had finally risen to a total of 16% (and sales still kept trickling in way after).

The mailing was indeed a success. But the power of such a process lies in the fact that people who receive a second and third mailing tend to conclude that the offer is more valuable. If you can, transform your next direct mail marketing campaign into a sequence of offers to a same market and you will see a substantial improvement over one-time mailings.

Follow-Up Letters
When an estimate, a special offer or a sales information package has been issued, the process that normally follows is probably more important than the deadline and the reinforcements combined. It's the follow-up.

However, follow-ups are not limited to a single letter. As you may likely know, statistics prove that most sales occur in the follow-up process. In fact, following up is also an art. You need to do so in a timely, consistent, and compelling manner. For example, if you received an inquiry, conducted a sales presentation, gave a product demonstration, or provided an estimate for a service you offer, like a blacksmith you need to "hit the iron while it's hot."

The 10-10-10 Technique
It is a fact that consistent follow-up gets results. And if done at preset times, follow-ups will dramatically increase your sales since some people need to see your offer more than once. Utilizing the combined power of the "thank you" letter and the three-step direct mail sequence described earlier, you can conduct what I call the "10-10-10" technique (although it can be 15, 20, or 30, all depending on your industry or the type of product you sell).

For starters, you'll need to develop your follow-up messages. Your first follow-up letter, within the first 10 days following the initial presentation or meeting, may say something to the effect of "Thank you [for the time we spent together or for your interest in ABC Corporation]." Realize that gratitude goes a long way. And while it may simply be an act of appreciation on your part, it helps to keep your company or product fresh in the prospect's mind.

Your next follow-up message, sent within 10 days after the first letter (or in other words within 20 days after the initial contact) should restate the benefits of your offer as well as stress its deadline. It could list the potential uses for your product or service, and include several additional testimonials from other clients. More important, your letter should give your prospect the ability to focus on the important points, such as with the use of bullets, keywords and action words, quotes and reviews, and benefit-rich paragraph headers.

For your last follow-up message, sent within the final block of 10 days (in between 20-30 days following the initial presentation), you should create a sense of urgency in your prospect's mind. Remember the collection agent's final notice? In this case, remind them that their estimate (or your special, time-limited offer) is about to expire. Make them an even more special offer in order to give them an additional reason to order and to order now.

A Little Nudge is All it Takes
Creating a sense of urgency can be done in many ways. For example, by adding an additional time-sensitive bonus to your offer (one that will now expire quickly since the deadline is even closer), you will give your message weight and nudge unresponsive prospects into action.

This incentive could be many things, such as free delivery, a complementary service, an additional item, a coupon for another product, or an extended guarantee. It could even be a more affordable alternative to the initial offer. But you'll need to look at your product or service and see how you can make your offer more palatable and thus stimulate response.

Finally, if after all three letters your prospect has not responded, you could still send a fourth, fifth, and final letter in order to obtain some useful information. Within 10 days after the offer's expiration, your additional follow-up letter could simply ask why they haven't ordered. Try to get them to respond -- turn the back of the follow-up letter into a survey they can fill out, or include a small notice telling them that you will call in order to gather their feedback.

It's unlikely that people will order from you after all three letters (depending on your product or industry) since 90% of buying decisions, in my experience, are made within those first 30 days. But feedback is precious. It could help you to modify and refine your follow-up letters, your offer, as well as your product or service so that future prospects will indeed order from you. Incomplete sales are wonderful opportunities to gather important marketing intelligence.

Nevertheless, both timing and timeliness are vital. You want your prospects to have more information quickly since they are probably shopping around -- again, "while the iron is hot" in other words. In each of your follow-up letters, tell them why they need to take action soon. Don't just remind them of the deadline. Give them a sincere, logical, and justifiable explanation. As Jim Rohn once said, "Without a sense of urgency desire loses its value."

Whether it's fluctuating prices, a pilot promotion, a quantity-bound offer, or whatever, make sure your explanation is logical and makes sense, and is not a mere cannned attempt at only-trying-to-make-a-quick-sale kind of response. Nevertheless, don't annoy your prospect with too much at once -- make sure your letters are spaced at least 5-10 days apart.

The moral? Be relentless like a collection agency. Send at least three letters instead of one in order to get more mileage out of your campaign. Use the 10-10-10 technique after you've provided an estimate -- or even after someone has requested information about your offer. Remember that the bulk of most sales are usually made in the follow-up phase.

Posted by isoh at 05:40 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 26, 2005

"How To Get to Carnegie Hall and Why You Should Care" by Craig Garber

There's an old joke that goes something like this:

A man is walking down 7th Avenue in Manhattan and he asks a
stranger 'How do you get to Carnegie Hall?'

The stranger tips his hat and politely says, 'Practice...
Practice... Practice.'

Now there are a couple of things I know about:

First of all, I do, in fact, know exactly what it takes to
get to Carnegie Hall, because I played there in 1976, at
the tender age of 13.

Back then I played lead tenor saxophone in the Bronx
Borough-Wide Band, and believe you me, we practiced our
butts off!

The cool thing about Carnegie Hall, is that everything you've
ever heard about the acoustics there, is 100% true.

For instance, a bunch of us kids stood on the stage, speaking
to some other kids who were standing W-A-A-Y back up in the last
row of the highest balcony, and in a voice just slightly louder than
your normal speaking voice, we were able to hear one
another just fine.

It was almost unbelievable!

The other cool thing was, you got to sign your name into a
'history book' when you played there.

I guess they keep records of every performer who entertains
on their stage, and that made you feel pretty special --
especially when you're 13 years old.

Anyway, the other thing I know about, is how to write
winning sales copy.

And what you need to know, is that writing winning sales
copy is a learnable skill you get better at, by
repetition.

The simple truth is, the same way you become a better foul
shooter in basketball, and the same way you become a better
musician, is the exact same way you become a better
marketer, and... a better copywriter.

Practice... practice... practice.

Posted by isoh at 07:15 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

"How to Energize Your Marketing With Colors" by Michel Fortin

I was once asked this question: "In relation to colors on a web site, have you done any research or found any material on what colors are more pleasing to the site visitor, or even what colors tend to produce more sales?" I believe this could be an important area that many of us overlook. Here's my answer.

First, all colors stem from two basic colors, namely red and blue. (Actually, there are three, i.e., red green and blue, as in "RGB." But blue and red are at the ends of the spectrum while green is in the middle.) Blue tones are purple, green, violet, indigo and of course blue. On the other hand, red tones are pink, orange, yellow, fuschia, burgundy and so on. Essentially, red and blue are at opposite ends of the gamma spectrum (e.g., ultraviolet and infrared).

Now, the eye focuses on blue tones in front of the retina. As a result, blue tones move away from the eye or sight. Therefore, they are non-threatening and tend to make you feel drowsy. Blue is a very good color if you wish to communicate professionalism, stability, relaxation, logic, etc. But red tones are focused behind the retina. By moving toward the eye, they communicate aggressiveness, excitement, energy and emotion. Hence the expressions "I've got the blues" and "seeing the world through rose-colored glasses."

In the 70's, a program called "The Body Human" struck me in this regard. On one particular show, scientists conducted tests regarding the psychological impact of colors. The first involved a weightlifter who was given a set of barbells -- if memory serves me correctly, they were about 200-250 pounds. While the exercise was surely not an easy one, the athlete seemed to have no problems in pumping the weights, even raising the weights over his head.

Then, a large red-colored card was placed in front of his face, covering his entire field of vision. But this time, however, he began to pump the weights as if they were feathers -- without any visible signs of physical strain. Things changed dramatically, however, when the red-colored card was replaced by a blue-colored one. Not only was the athlete no longer able to lift the barbells passed his torso, but you can also tell that the level of physical exertion had increased quite a bit by merely looking at his face, arms, and legs.

Moments later, researchers switched back to the red-colored card. And incredibly, things apparently went back to normal. The lifter began to pump the weights with ease as if nothing happened -- let alone the fact that the change seemed also instantaneous. (While other colors were used in the test, the red and blue cards seemed to have made the greatest impact.)

On the same program, a red-lit hospital room was filled with cribs and colicky babies were placed in each one. While newborns naturally cry and particularly colicky ones, the red light seemed to have intensified their incessant weeping. Then, researchers turned the lights to a blue color. Amazingly and in almost an instant, the room went eerily quiet. And similar to the weightlifter test, when the lights went back to red they all started crying again -- as if on cue.

With all this said, the answer to your question is: It all depends on what you're selling, on what you wish to communicate to your visitors, and in what tone or frame-of-mind in which you wish to place them. It has nothing to do with manipulation or some sort of subliminal imagery. Your colors are part of your message. And depending on which message you wish to convey, the colors you choose can either support, emphasize, or contradict your message.

I work mostly with professionals (e.g., doctors, dentists, lawyers and the like). Blue tones are their dominant colors. In the case of surgeons and dentists for example, pain makes people nervous and blue therefore helps to calm them down. (By the way, this is the reason why most medical garment colors, beyond the traditional white, are light blue, dark blue, light green, violet, purple and so on.) If you are trying to get people excited and communicate an emotional message (for example, if you sell items related to sports, cars, games, money, weight-loss, motivation, etc), then reds are a good choice.

In short, remember that blues tend to signify logic while reds equal emotion. However, keep in mind that you can use both colors, depending on your goals or theme. An example is the way villains and heroes are often portrayed in movies (not always but often). Villains appear in dark reddish colors while heroes are in lighter bluish tones. Take the example of the latest Star Wars movie. The antagonist, "Darth Maul," is a devilish-looking character with red and black makeup while his nemesis, "Yoda," is the greenish "Jedi Master."

For example, my site is dominantly blue. But a cosmetic surgeon's site I've recently designed is purple and pink. While pink is a reddish tone, it was used in this case to excite people about the potential changes in one's appearance. Self-esteem and beauty are emotions. And cosmetic surgery is more often than not an emotional choice.

Nevertheless, again it all depends on what you are trying to communicate. Colors (and their variants) each have their respective positive properties. It all boils down to the message and its intended response.

Posted by isoh at 05:39 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 25, 2005

"Acient Chinese Secrets" by Craig Garber

You know, some jobs just stink, and no matter how hard you
try, there's just very little to no redeeming value in them.

For example -- the guy who splits the peas that go into
split-pea soup.

That can't be too much fun, now can it?

Or how about the guy who collects the tolls on the highways,
bridges and tunnels.

That job sucks!

I know -- I used to do that while I was going to college.

And you know what's different between the first car you give
45 cents change to, at 11 pm... and the last car you give 45
cents change to, the following morning at 7 am?

Absolutely... NOTHING!

Anyway, there's a man named Donald Lau, who's vice-president
of Wonton Food, Inc., in Long Island City, New York.
(that's just outisde of Manhattan)

Donald is the guy who's responsible for writing up all the
fortunes that get wrapped up inside the fortune cookies at
your local Chinese restaurant.

In fact, Donald's company cranks out 4 million fortune
cookies a DAY, so Donald just might be the most prolific
writer in history.

Whatever.

Donald never expected to be a fortune-cookie writer, of
course, things just happened that way, as they sort of
do for most people.

Needless to say, now-and-again, Donald suffers from 'writers
block' (No doubt, the thrill is probably 100% gone for
Donald.), and so he's constantly looking around his
environment to pick up little gems he can put on the
fortunes that go inside the cookies his company
manufactures.

Like when he rides the subway to work, for example: 'Beware
of odors coming from strange places.'

My favorite fortune-cookie fortune of all time, is... 'He
who eats jellybeans, farts in technicolor.'

I wonder if Donald wrote that one -- maybe you've cracked
open a fortune-cookie or two and found that one as well?

Donald recently came up with 2 gems I wanted to pass on to
you, about writing, because they are very very relevant to
writing your sales copy.

And here they are:

One, 'Don't have too complicated a mind.'

The simple truth is, the easier you can say it, the easier
your prospect can understand it.

And two, 'Think in ten word sentences.'

You should never go on and on in your writing, just like you
should never go on and on when you're talking to someone.

Ancient Chinese wisdom from Donald, sure makes good sense to
me, no?

Posted by isoh at 07:14 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

"How to Write a Persuasive News Release" by Michel Fortin

The most profitable and often overlooked free publicity generator is the news release. News releases are not only great marketing tools but also far more credible and believable than advertising since they appear to come from an objective third party. All too often, however, business owners view news releases as a form of advertising. If you're guilty of this, the media will most likely tell you that you should have called the advertising department instead.

The media are constantly on the lookout for good stories that are of interest to their audience. Reporters, writers, and particularly editors also have a particular interest in reporting on stories that help to enhance sponsorship interest in the medium that they represent. So, what makes a good story? While the answer to such a subjective question can be difficult, here are a few pointers in order to guide you in writing and targeting your news releases.

Be Newsworthy

More often than not, reporters like stories that are related to a current event or issue, or those that have emotional appeal. They also like stories that appeal to a wide audience, which is particularly true for the larger media. Targeted or specialized media, on the other hand, love to report on stories that appeal to their specific market and in turn help to capture more of it.

A news release should "tickle" reporters. In other words, it should provide enough information to generate interest but just enough to incite them to want to know more. In doing so, it is only logical that it must provide good contact information if they wish to follow-up. (You would be amazed to know how many news releases fail to mention even the simplest of things, like a phone number or a contact name.) It must give all of the relevant data (i.e., phone numbers, email and postal addresses, contact name, dates, references, etc).

More important, your news release must be devoid of any conspicuous fluff. Remember that a reporter is not just a middleperson whose job is to report your story for you. Keep in mind that your release must sell the reporter on your story as well. Therefore, write it to read like a story. Look at it from the reporter's perspective. In other words, write the story for them.

News releases are often used as excellent business tools. They can announce important company changes, new recruits or appointments within the organization, recently or soon-to-be launched products or services, and so on. There are many more ways that new releases may be used, including identity branding or pre-empting negative publicity. In short, it could be anything new -- hence, the preference of the word "news release" over "press release."

Be First

Being the first in some way is an effective tool that can also help spark more interest in your news release. If you can support the fact that your firm is the first to provide a certain product or service, that your product or service is the first in its category, that you're the first to provide an ordinary product or service in a unique way, or that your event is the first or the largest in its category, you can and should use that information in your news release.

A company claiming to be the best is certainly not a news item. But a company claiming to be the first in some way is. Capitalize on that leadership when approaching the media. Try to sell your story in a different way, possibly with a new angle or twist. Adding your unique experience, even blending your story with a current news item or issue, will up your chances.

For example, someone sends out a news release in which he announces the opening of his new company. Sounds like a trivial story? It's not if that person suffers from a disability. In other words, bring your unique angle into your news release. Give it a human feel. The key is to capture the reporter's interest. It must appeal to him or her and not just the marketplace.

Be Unique

For a great example of an effective news release, see one by Leslie Spencer. She sells memberships in her company called "Home-Based Working Moms," which offers information and resources for home-based businesses run specifically by mothers. Her goal was to get exposure to, and to increase memberships of, a specific target market. (By catering to a specific niche, Leslie also follows the first rule.)

She wrote an excellent release that successfully blended the benefits of her business with a current and important social issue: The challenges faced by work-at-home mothers. Her news release, entitled "The New Entrepreneur: Shorts, Shirt and... a Stroller? Moms Find Ways to Combine Career with Children," provides the media with a great story to tell.

Remember that the media get thousands of releases each day. So being unique or having a unique story to tell is what can often captivate attention. For example, if your release is about an event, then how different, unique, or special is your event when compared to any other? Think of it this way: If you were a reporter and had your release in your hands while at the same time there is another interesting story on which you could report, what would cause you to choose your story above the other? The answer is by being different.

Be Focused

Finally, targeting the media is just as important as targeting your market. Special features writers, columnists, radio show hosts, special interest publications, and specific programs are particularly beneficial for two reasons. First, targeting your release to specific reporters, news anchors, or programs (instead of the newsroom or media entity) increases your chances. While it may require a little investigating, remember that the media are made up of people. They like the personalized approach just as much as your clients do.

Second, targeting your news release is more effective for the purposes of marketing since it will be reported in a medium that caters to your specific target market. Ask: "Where does my niche or target market hang out? What publications do they read? What shows do they watch? What radio programs do they prefer?" Your hit ratio will thus increase proportionately.

Targeting your press release is just as important as targeting your market. The media love to report on stories that inform or affect their specific audience. And if that audience matches your own, you'll know that your story will be noticed by people that are in a more qualified position to buy from you. The more focused you are the greater the outcome you will achieve.

Posted by isoh at 05:38 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 24, 2005

"Multi-Levels of Communication" by Maria Boomhower

Who you are and what you do is communicated on so many levels.
The words you speak are but a small aspect of communication. And
learning to have all your communciaion levels in alignment will give you the ability to take command and attract attention.

Many times people have trouble getting across what they want to tell the other people. There can be many reasons for this and it doesn't always come from not knowing what to say.

There are times when it comes from not being clear about who you are, what you want and the exact message that you want to give.

Quite often with either peer pressure or trying to look good to a person client or business, people will not remain true to who they are and what they are about. These incongruencies come across in what you say and do.

People will notice this and they will sense that something is not quite right about your message. This lowers the trust level and creates barriers.

There was a man who asked Mahatma Gandhi how he was able to speak
for hours with out any notes.

He stated that it was because it came from his passion and that he was in alignment with his whole message.

He said that so many people will:

Think one thing
Say another
Feel a third
Then act in a forth manner

They are trying to be too many things to too many people and then they have a hard time keeping it straight in their own mine.
This is why it is important to know and communicate with yourself first and know what it is that you want to state.

And remember the people will pick up your message that you are not
in alignment.

P.S. If you like what you're reading in this newsletter, you'll love the book, 'Perceptions, How to discover what you are really seeing
and how it affects your belief system.'

It's an interactive manual that takes you through the steps to help you overcome challenges in communicating and connecting with others.

All the Best!
Maria Boomhower
The Master Communicator
To sign up for a free report on
'The 7 Secrets to Communication Mastery' go to:
www.falconfreedom.com
Or read past newsletters at:
Master Communicator Blog

Posted by isoh at 06:59 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

"How to Use Guarantees to Increase Sales" by Michel Fortin

While the greater portion of my career has been in business development consulting and speaking, I have spent many years in direct marketing and several years on the Web.

My favorite "guru" is Dan Kennedy, dubbed "The Millionaire Maker." And if there is one lesson that he teaches from which I derive the most profitable results in my direct marketing efforts, one of many from a system he calls "Magnetic Marketing," is the awesome power behind the use of guarantees.

If you offer a product or service without a guarantee, you're losing a great percentage of potential sales. Obviously, the Internet has opened many doors, including those to many unscrupulous entrepreneurs. Scams and snake oils are rampant. Since there is no official police or watchdog on the Internet, such scams are probably even greater as a result. I would even venture as to say that millions of dollars are lost to these scamsters each month.

Guarantees Increase Sales
While there are many regionally accredited entities and watchgroups, it doesn't stop many a crafty entrepreneur to bypass the systems to sell their wares. CBC Radio International news recently reported a scheme in which a weight-loss drug not yet approved in Canada is being sold by a Canadian entrepreneur on the 'Net. The matter is currently under investigation by the pharmaceutical manufacturer and Canadian health officials.

Nevertheless, because of these tricksters and the multitude of challenges presented on the Web, people are leery and will increasingly seek out more secure means to benefit from offers. Guarantees are therefore powerful tools for the prosperity-seeking marketer and can do two very important things that will help grow one's profits: Increase sales and reduce returns.

When you offer a guarantee, you reduce the skepticism around the purchase of your product or service. Consumers are understandably cautious and more so when making purchases via the web. And guarantees give you an almost instant credibility with potential customers. For example, if you have a professionally-looking Web site, an ethical sales approach, and even a proven product or service, the lack of a guarantee will still, particularly on the Internet, cause most prospects to perceive your offer as questionable in the very least.

Guarantees Increase Perceived Value
Chris Ayers, publisher of Unlimited Traffic!, gives an astonishing real-life example. Writes Ayers, "One of my first direct mail products years ago was a self-study program. When I first offered the program in a magazine, my sales weren't even enough to cover the cost of the ad. I changed my ad and sales letter to include a guarantee. The number of responses to the same ad increased by a factor of 20 and my conversion rate from my sales letter rose from 10% to almost 40%."

Take for instance the story of the Monaghan brothers. The two ran a small business in order to pay their way through college. While one worked the day shift in order to attend school at night, the other did the converse. After about a year in the money-losing venture, one of the brothers sold his share of the business for a beat-up old car. The other, however, with a good dose of stick-to-it-iveness, decided to make something of his fledgling pizzeria.

According to some interviews he recently gave, Tom Monaghan said that, at the time, he wasn't quite sure that his decision to put a guarantee on his pizza delivery would change much. But obviously, history tells us that his decision was the greatest one he ever made. By simply marketing the strength of a guarantee, i.e., "Pizza delivered fresh in 30 minutes or it's free," Domino's Pizza became the multimillion dollar franchise operation we know today.

Guarantees Reduce Returns
Guarantees will increase sales. And the stronger the guarantee, the larger the increase. But unbeknownst to many marketers, one of the most important benefits of using a guarantee is the fact that it can actually reduce returns. According to certain successful marketers such as Ayers, a strong guarantee results in fewer returns. For instance, Ayers got fewer returns with a 90 day guarantee than he did with a 30 day guarantee. Others got fewer returns when they offered to let clients keep some bonus items if the product was returned.

The parallel obviously dictates. While people order, especially from the Web because of the convenience it offers, an offer that provides a no-hassle return policy (or risk-free promise) adds to the convenience factor and instills a greater confidence in the buyer's psyche. If you offer a product or service, find ways to offer a guarantee along with it. Rather than taking a risk by removing it from your potential clients' decisions, you will likely be decreasing it.

In other words, use guarantees to guarantee your success.

Posted by isoh at 05:37 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 23, 2005

"How would you feel if you got your ass kicked by a frog?" by Craig Garber

Because that's what happened to the new Coldplay CD that
just came out over in the UK this week -- it was
immediately handed its first setback -- by a frog.

Seems that neither 2 years of pent-up demand from fans nor
several million dollars worth of promotion by Parlophone
records (in the UK) or Capitol EMI (here in the U.S.) could
save X & Y (the new Coldplay CD) from being knocked off
the top of the charts... by a mobile phone ringtone.

According to mobiletracker.net, 'A ringtone made its way to
the top of the British singles chart this Sunday, topping
Brit-rock group Coldplay. Ringtone Crazy Frog Axel F
outsold Coldplay's Speed of Sound 4-1, making for a
disapointing opening weekend for the popular band.

Crazy Frog Axel F is based off the revving sound of a
Swedish mo-ped. It marks the first time a ringtone made it
to the singles chart for conventional music sales.
Interestingly enough, most of the ringtone's sales have
come from a CD, not from digital download.'

'This song is incredibly irritating and puerile and we're
still trying to understand why people like it,' said
Gennaro Castaldo, a spokesman for (British retailer) HMV.

This just goes to show you, you must sell to 'wants' and
not to 'expected wants' or 'needs' if you want to come out
ahead.

And remember this: You can't 'create' demand. It's already
out there, all around you -- and believe me, there's
plenty of it.

All you can do is tap into it, and then use your sales copy
to 'build' this already existing demand, into a hot sweaty
frenzy.

So hop to it.

That'll wrap it up for the weekend, so have a good one.

Posted by isoh at 07:12 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

"Blend Bullets and Benefits to Boost Buyers" by Michel Fortin

One of the greatest tools used by top copywriters is a little known secret that can multiply your response ratio. It's the use of bullets within your marketing copy. Bullets are captivating, short and sweet, intriguing, and pleasing to the eye. But most important, they reinforce the offer, deliver straight-to-the-point benefits, and are clustered for greater impact.

An effective way to use bullets within the heart of your sales copy is when bullets follow the words "you get" or "reasons why." Since people are always looking for what's in it for them, this grants the reader the ability to know exactly what they are getting out of responding to your offer.

Also, keep in mind the copywriter's greatest secret: Long copy always outsells short copy -- this has been proven in my own efforts as well as those of other copywriters. However, bullets, especially in long copy ads, help to give the read a visual break along with strengthening the offer.

Features Versus Benefits
Here's an example. Let's say you sell an exercise machine called the "Abdominoflex." You can say: "With your special Abdominoflex Toning Machine, here's what you get," followed by a set of bullets that list the various benefits one would receive with your machine. If you list the features, always follow each one with its equivalent benefit. Take the following example:

"With your special Abdominoflex Toning Machine, you get:

A toning system that provides an easier yet intense workout that will burn off unwanted calories more rapidly and enjoyably;

A scientifically designed exercise machine that laser-targets specific areas of the body for a faster, firmer, and more shapely figure;

A compact, lightweight, easy-to-assemble, space-saving tool that can literally be stored under your bed and pulled out only when needed;

A free special bonus videotape (valued at $19.95) offering unique workout tips as well as ways to make the best use of your machine…"
A feature from the previous example would be the fact that the machine is lightweight and compact. The equivalent benefit would be the fact that it's easy to use. In other words, you can store it under your bed, pull it out when needed, and use it almost in an instant, without the hassle or inconvenience often associated with larger toning machines.

Ease-of-use is a feature. The feelings that will stem out of the machine's ease-of-use are the benefits. This is why bullets based on "reasons why" is so important. In essence, you are telling your reader the reasons why he or she should take advantage of your offer (and do so now). For example: "Here are the reasons why you should buy your Abdominoflex today."

Magic Words Versus Tragic Words
When describing the benefits of your product or service, try to be as simple and as specific as possible. Even with the headline, the copy, and the offer, use specific descriptions or words. Give detailed benefits and tell the reader what you want him or her to do specifically. For example, use odd, non-rounded numbers instead of generalizations. Odd, non-rounded numbers are more credible and have pulled more than even or rounded numbers.

For example, "Amazing new system helped me earn $3,956.75 in 29 days!" is much more credible than simply "$4,000 in 1 month!" That's why, for example, Ivory is 99 and 44/100% pure. If Ivory said 100%, it wouldn't have been as believable. If one of your benefits states that your offer helped to improve the results of over 1,000 people, use 1,163 people instead.

With your bulleted benefits, use "you," "your," and "yours" rather than "I," "us," "our," or "we." Implicate the reader and infer that he or she has already responded to your offer. Present your benefits as though your prospects are already enjoying them, in other words.

Here are some words you should use or emphasize when describing benefits. They are called magic words, such as: Free, new, you, discover, save, sales, guaranteed, introducing, money, results, benefits, easy, proven, love, alternative, now, win, gain, happy, trustworthy, beautiful, comfortable, proud, healthy, safe, right, security, winnings, fun, value, advice, wanted, announcing, people, and why. Use picture words as well so that people can easily visualize and understand the benefits of your offer.

(See my article on the use of picture words.)

On the other hand, tragic words are: Buy, purchase, obligation, failure, bad, sell, loss, liability, difficult, wrong, decision, deal, hard, death, order, fail, cost, worry, and contract. Essentially, avoid negative words or words that could potentially negate the positive effect (and the effectiveness) of your benefits.

In conclusion, by clustering and focusing on specific benefits through the use of bullets, and by using magic words that positively impact the reader, your chances of a greater response to your offer will multiply exponentially.

Posted by isoh at 05:36 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 22, 2005

"Listening - The Lost Art of Communication" by Maria Boomhower

'One of the greatest gifts you can give to anyone is the gift of attention.'
-- Jim Rohn

Quite often I have people saying to me things like, 'Maria, I just can't seem to get my (kids, spouse, boss, employees, friends etc.) to listen. It is so frustrating, what do I do?'

One reason people have this challenge, is they do not understand that listening is a skill you need to learn. This is essential to be able to connect with others. It's a skill that has many aspects to it.

Listening is considered one of the most important skills in the work force.

Sadly, in most schools, it is never taught. Many teachers believe that if you can hear, then you can listen. But, hearing and listening are two very different functions.

It would be the same as saying, if you can see than you can read. If this were true than we should be able to read anything put in front of us in any language without any training.

Statistics show that many workplace disasters were a result of an inability to listen properly to instructions and then trying to guess what the person said or meant.

Many times people believe if someone is telling them about a challenge that they are having, that it is a cue to jump in and start solving the problem.

However, most people wish only to have a sounding board and just
to have you listen. To take over disempowers the other person.

For a first step on the road to understanding listening, read over this poem that has been used in different communication courses.

Please Listen

When I ask you to listen,
And you start giving advice,
You have not done what I asked.

When I ask you to listen,
And you begin to tell me
Why I shouldn’t feel the way I do,
You are trampling on my feelings.

When I ask you to listen,
And you feel you have to do something
To solve my problem,
You have failed me,
Strange as that may seem.

Listen,
All I asked you to do was listen,
Not talk, or do-
Just hear me.

I can do for myself;
I am not helpless . . .
Perhaps discouraged or faltering,
But not helpless.

When you do something for me
That I need to do for myself,
You contribute to my fear and weakness,

But, when you accept the fact
That I feel what I feel
No matter how irrational,
Then I can get on with understanding
What’s behind that irrational feeling.

And, when that’s clear,
The answers will be obvious,
And I won’t need any Advice.

-Unknown

P.S. If you like what you're reading in this ezine,
you'll love the book, “Overcoming Barriers to Communication.”
It's a manual that helps you overcome the challenges that start with
Intrapersonal to Interpersonal and on to Mass Communication.

Posted by isoh at 06:57 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

"How to Maximize Your Visibility" by Michel Fortin

For a business to survive and thrive in this hypercompetitive world, there are some tools that are considered absolutely essential. These tools, which I call support systems, include search engines, directories, and particularly the yellow pages. However, they are often misused because most businesses misinterpret them as advertising mediums. They are not.

For example, your yellow pages ad, although an essential part of your entire marketing machine, doesn't have to be of a large size, in color, prominently displayed or coupled with other gimmicks that the yellow pages have to offer.

All you really need is to be in there.

When people have seen your ad, heard about you, or have a need for your services at any given time, your contact information may not be available to them at that particular moment. Therefore, you want the yellow pages to be a support system, not a full-blown marketing medium. Their salespeople more than likely don't have to sell you on the need to be in their directory. But where they make their commissions is by making your transaction as hefty as possible by selling you on size, color, and other gimmicks.

Your presence is all that matters.

This goes for online directories as well, including search engines and indices. Many people will not agree with me, but your link doesn't need to be at the very top of a search engine's results, especially based on a vague or obscure word, name, or expression. Instead, you need to be in as many search engine results and in as many Web directories as possible.

Spread it! We're Conducting a Search…
First of all, I'm a fervent believer in support systems since, when positioning your business, you are creating top-of-mind awareness and a special interest among a specific target market. (Market targeting has been thoroughly discussed in my article How to Carve Your Niche in The Marketplace.

However, potential clients may not necessarily need you and respond to you at that moment. They may do so later when your contact information may not be available to them. Therefore, you want to increase your chances of being in front of their eyeballs when that happens. Whether you're listed in local, specialty, association, occupation-specific, or industry-specific directories, the trick is to spread out not only among them but also within them.

Don't be prominent in size or display. Don't even strive to be the biggest or the first one to appear. For print ads such as those in the yellow pages, you can have a small telephone ad, in black and white, carrying the name of your company, your tagline, your specialization, your product or service, and, most important, a special offer for, say, a free report.

However, spreading out especially within a particular directory increases your visibility, which will thus increase your hit-ratio. For example, if you're a hairstylist specializing in onsite services, the yellow pages people might tell you to be in only one particular location of their directory. Don't. Try to be in as many locations that logically relate to your firm or your service. Your ad can be small but it should appear in as many sections of the directory as possible. Beyond the obvious "Hair" section, it can also appear in "Weddings," "Event Planning," "Image Consultants," "Modeling Agencies," "Conference Rooms," "Color Consultants," "Beauty Supplies," "TV Production," "Personal Development," and even "Senior Citizen Services."

Simple Search Savvy
This also applies to the Internet and search engines. You should not only try to be on as many search engines as possible but try to spread out as much as you can among them as well. You might register your Web site according to a specific set of keywords. But if you register your site under numerous keywords, your hit-ratio will increase dramatically.

This is not limited to words that directly relate to your page or its content (let alone your firm as well as the products or services you provide), but should also comprise any word that may indirectly be tied to them somehow. While keyword "spamming" (also called "spamdexing") is discouraged by engine administrators (such as hiding repeated keywords or words hidden in the background), there are many other, more appropriate ways to include them.

For instance, most engines will index your site according to its "META" tags. But many others will also index your site according to your page title, your "ALT" tags (the texts that appear on your screen when a mouse hovers over the graphics images), your source code's comment tags, and the first words of every paragraph if not the entire content itself. In fact, because of the latter, a text-intensive, keyword-rich web page will therefore maximize your results.

In addition, include expressions, both singular and plural versions, different spellings (such as the British and American English versions, like "color" and "colour"), misspellings if they're common and variations of your keywords.

A baker specializes in cookies. She not only bakes different kinds of cookies but also creates different shapes, sizes, designs and arrangements with them. One of her many creations are little cookie baskets with bows and lettering for, among other things, bridal and baby showers. So what does she do? She registered under the keywords: "Cookies," "weddings," "wedings," "wedding bells," "nuptials," "bridal," "mariages," "marriages," "showers," "baby," "babies," "brides," "grooms," "party," "parties," "church," "churches," "gifts," "presents," "family," "families," "famillies," and so on.

Your Sleeping Salesperson
Another support system that is often ignored is the answering machine. Your answering machine should not be regarded as a means of taking your calls and messages. Turn it into a support system as well. In fact, turn it into a salesperson working for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It must somehow invite callers to do something. Does your message ask people to leave a message or does it invite them to place an order for your free report?

Phone companies usually offer multiple voice mailboxes. This is when a caller has the choice to either leave a general message or press a number to leave a message for a another recipient's in the system. But mailboxes don't need to be associated with an actual person. Here's a sample message: "Hi! You've reached Craig Jones of Investment Mastery, Inc. To leave a message for Craig, press 1 now. To order my free report, 'Money-Making Magic: 8 Sure-Fire Strategies for Making Money in Stocks,' press 2," etc.

Ultimately, the object is to seek out support systems and to spread out as much as possible among them. Once you've created top-of-mind awareness, your contact information may not be available to your prospects at the time they've come to buy your products, use your services, or visit your site. Therefore, you want to be as accessible as possible.

In other words, spread yourself thin.

Posted by isoh at 05:35 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 21, 2005

"If It Felt Good the First Time" by Craig Garber

The worst should be behind us -- thanks for being patient.

David Dutton, a subscriber of mine from Nashville,
Tennessee, wrote in and asked me to 'touch on prospecting
with direct mail'.

As you probably know, I love direct mail for loads of
reasons, but mostly I love it because you can use it to say
anything you want or tell any kind of story you want.

There's no limit to the number of pages or words you have to
use, and frankly, it's also a very intimate form of
communicating with your prospects and clients.

After all, when your prospect is reading your message, it's
just you and them, one-on-one.

How cool is that!

Anyway, here's a little story about my younger son Casey.
Pay close attention to it, and see if you can guess the
'moral' of the story here.

When Casey was younger, I always used to say, he'd be
'the perfect salesman'.

Whenever he asked for something, if the answer was 'No',
he'd ask you the exact same question in a different way.

He'd figure out some way to come at you from behind... or
around the sides... or down from up above.

To put this in 'selling' perspective, when Casey asked for
the order, in his mind, 'No' didn't mean he couldn't get it,
it just meant he had to ask for it again... a little
differently.

And see, one of the most critical mistakes people make,
is... they don't ask for the order again, using second and
third (or more) mailings.

You should keep mailing offers, until your mailings aren't
profitable.

For the most part, from a numbers standpoint, you'll get
whatever response you got on your first mailing, on your
second and third mailings combined.

So if you're selling a high-ticket item, or if the lifetime
value of your client is high, you can see how, in some
cases, you can certainly afford to do a dozen or more
mailings, right?

Thanks for your question David.

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"Communication and Humour" by Maria Boomhower

Humor has an amazing ability to build a bond among people.
When people laugh they connect at a higher level due to the
release of endorphins in their system. As well the pleasure
enables what you are learning to enter through your amygdala,
which increases learning and memory capabilities.

There are two aspects to communication and humour. One is more
intentional and the other is a factor of the language itself which
creates puns and faux pas.

I have seen people use humour as a way to calm their nerves
down. They start reciting one-liners that are irrelevant or
unrelated to the subject matter at hand. This generally bombs.
There is nothing worse than trying to sound funny and
finding out you are getting no reaction from the audience.

I have also seen people go into areas that they think are
funny, but the audience does not. These can be in areas such as:
sexist, racial, gender, blonde, cultural etc. It is important to
consider your audience, and even if you think that they would like
them, you don’t always know and it can be a very dangerous area to go into.

Most humour that succeeds are stories that relate either to the subject matter or to help get a point across. I know one man who didn’t even try to be funny. He just related some of his own mishaps along the way to where he had got in life, which came out hilarious. These are things that people can relate to or understand on some level.

The audience generally can see themselves in that predicament or
and visualize it in their heads.

To illustrate this, when we communicate with people there is a high
probability for misunderstandings, which can take on some, very
ironic or funny outcomes.

One area that causes problems for children and many adults,
are the words don’t and not, which are abstract and do not
register in the brain. They just see the words after don’t and not.
For example if you said to a child, 'Don’t spill the milk', their brains see, 'Spill the Milk'. And statistics show that 9 times out of 10 the child will spill the milk.

I remember a time this person was heading to a donut shop and
she asked if anyone would like anything. I said that she could
grab me a muffin. When she asked what type, I said, oh anything
as long as it is not bran or blueberry.

I could see her repeating to her self, no bran, no blueberry. When
she got back, she handed me a large blueberry bran muffin.
The two that I didn’t like nicely combined.

This is why we teach that you should be asking for what you do
want as apposed to what you don’t want.

Metaphors can be great when you enter humour through related
stories, as people tend to listen more intently and remember more
vividly. It is all about keeping it in tune with how you are and what you do.

The second area of humour comes from the fact that we have so
many words with double meanings as well homonyms and synonyms.
Puns for example when used well can have people laughing or have
people wanting to throw things at you.

Humor can also ease the tension in a discussion when there appears to be a conflict. When people are laughing they tend to find the middle ground easier. Sometimes using humor to break a pattern is enough to get the discussion back to problem solving instead of being stuck in an ego battle.

The best type of humor... That is when you can laugh at yourself, any mistakes you've made, continue on with a smile and know that you now have a new learning experience to grow on.

P.S. If you like what you're reading in this ezine, you'll
love the book, 'Overcoming Barriers to Communication.'
It's a manual that helps you overcome the challengers that start
with Intrapersonal to Interpersonal and on to Mass Communication.
Overcoming Barriers to Communication

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"Make Your Benefits Clear!" by Michel Fortin

The process to which is often referred as "institutional" marketing can be extremely seductive, particularly to the small businessperson since it is intoxicatingly flattering to the ego. Small businesses often attempt to copy their larger corporate nemeses in an effort to create strong brands through relatively smaller marketing budgets. Such a tactic unfortunately requires a long period of time and repetitive advertising in order for it to work.

On the other hand, when a business brags itself as being a better company with a better product at a better price, it usually winds up with very poor, long term results. If a statement is made wherein the author proclaims that his company or product is number one in the marketplace, such a statement will all but make that information more suspect. Even though there is evidence to substantiate that claim, there will no doubt be a clear lack of credibility.

In this day and age where consumers are more educated and more sophisticated than ever before, claims of any kind can never be made without them somehow being criticized or at least questioned. Therefore, a better approach is through positioning -- the concept of effectively anchoring a product or service, in the mind of prospects, above the competition.

Implication, Not Specification
Any claim, even if backed up with statistics or surveys, is seldom believable. An old mentor of mine once said, "Implication is remarkably more powerful than specification." In other words, if you specify that you're the best, you'll be questioned. But if your marketing implies that you are, without stating it outright, you will not only get the message across but you will also anchor that message (and position it) more effectively in the minds of your target market.

For instance, when Pepsi doing their famous taste tests in the 80's, Coke thought that a newer, better-tasting Coke would beat Pepsi -- hence, the introduction of the "New Coke." But where is the New Coke today? Not only did Coke reintroduce the older version under the banner "Classic Coke," but the New Coke has also disappeared from the grocery store isles.

Specify Benefits to Imply Superiority
Coke wasn't the only culprit. Pepsi made a similar mistake with its clear brand in the early 90's. Of course, during the last decade there was a fad with clear consumables. Clear soaps, clear deodorants, clear dishwashing liquids, clear sodas, and of course clear foods were stocking up shelves. At first, they were selling quite well. "But what Pepsi didn't count on was the 'curiosity factor' in its research," says Jack Trout in his book "The New Positioning."

In essence, there is no clear benefit in a clear product over its darker version. People are astonishingly attracted to benefits, whether consciously or subconsciously. And clear colas were hip because the initial perception was that "clearer" meant "better," "safer," or "healthier." It was this perception of more benefits that drove their initial success.

However, once the market realized that this was not true in that clear sodas have just as many calories as their darker counterparts, they were dropped. The only clear consumable that stood the test of time was the clear deodorant. Why? The clear deodorant prospered because people can't stand white, powdery residue on their clothes (and it is terribly inconvenient to wait for the deodorant to dry). Thus, clear deodorant has a clear benefit.

Position with Benefits
Having an impressive portfolio, including a slick ad campaign, a superior product or a number one company, will not work for you in the long run -- unless you have a million dollar ad budget with money to invest in repetitious commercials. If you run a business or sell a product or service, make sure that when you position it in the marketplace you do so by marketing its main, core benefit or benefits -- not its features, superiority, or image.

A benefit that is clear, practical, and direct will, in your promotional efforts, naturally convey a sense of superiority -- without having to state it outright. In short, make your benefits clear.

Posted by isoh at 05:34 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 20, 2005

"Enough Already" by Craig Garber

Last week I met up with an old friend of mine at one of the
local cigar retailers.

The store was having a little get together for their
customers, which basically means they had one of the
manufacturers reps there, and they featured a discount on
that brand of cigars, for anyone making a purchase that
particular evening.

I hadn't seen this guy in a long time -- we used to do a lot
of business together years ago -- and even though he's a
lawyer, it was still nice to get together with him again.

Anyway, when I walked into the store, I was immediately
given a ticket for the evening's drawing, and then straight
away into the sales pitch.

It went something like this:

'If you buy La Gloria Cubana cigars, you get one fre.e, and
then you'll get another ticket for the drawing... But if
you buy a box, you get 10% off, and then you'll also get a
discount on your next purchase, plus you'll get 8 or 9
coupons extra, depending on what box you buy... The fre.e
cigar isn't available here, you get it from the girl behind
the counter over there when you pay... now if you buy one
of these 3 boxes over here, you get 9 coupons and a...'

Ay..yai..yai!

At this point, I told the guy he needed to make things
simpler for me, that he was giving me information overload.

I felt like a country boy who had just been dropped off in the
middle of times square!

And see, sometimes, that's exactly what happens when you
give your prospects too many choices to choose from, instead
of, for example, offering them 'This' or 'That'.

Period.

Because when your prospects become overloaded with more
information than they need, you know what happens?

Exactly -- they get put off and then wind up doing nothing.

So whenever your closing, remember to make it short...

And sweet.

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"Intercultural Communication" by Maria Boomhower

Cultural differences are being dealt with more and more now a days and the ability to work well with all types of people enhances you and your business to greater opportunities and success.

As businesses expand globally and participate in outsourcing, there are guidelines to help you along the way.

I have worked in areas where I have had the opportunity to work with and discover different cultural differences in communicating and interacting.

One of those was the commonwealth games; we covered 2 years with the
pre-games and then the actual event.

The people I met with ranged from athletes, coaches, media, production teams, dignitaries and royalties.

In each of the cultures, there were different protocols depending on status, jobs, and how each of them were raised. What mattered to one will be considered irrelevant to another. There was also the matter of how close you were to stand, whether or not you looked them in the eye, and how you you dealt with different issues.

You can try to make everything just right only to find out the something was over looked or incorrectly interpreted or put together. The degree of importance will also vary.

There was one country who was very upset when they saw there flag.
The said it was wrong. Quickly people jumped into place to find out why the wrong one was sent out. When they looked at the flag and the book it appeared to be the correct one. This confused them and when they asked what was wrong with the flag, the reply was look at the color, it is the wrong shade.

This was very important to them. And at an international event you want to make things right. Another flag needed to be brought in.
My point is that you never know what kinds of challenges you will face and if you deal with them calmly, it will take you and your business far and to be able to embrace new opportunities and discover new friends and clients.

P.S. If you like what you're reading in this newsletter, you'll love the book, 'Perceptions, How to discover what you are really seeing
and how it affects your belief system.' It's an interactive manual that takes you through the steps to help you overcome challenges in communicating and connecting with others.

Perceptions-Understanding What you are Really Seeing.

I am looking for your advice!

I have created an on line survey to help me better
serve your communication challenges.
Let your voice be heard and your opinions count.

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"How to Make Your Name Stick" by Michel Fortin

In our overcommunicated society, we are constantly bombarded with messages that seem to be just one big blur of sameness. Limited by society's very short attention span, your marketing message has to be effective to the degree that it must communicate its essence and create top-of-mind awareness within an extremely short amount of time. Names are often the best tools -- and sometimes the only ones -- for accomplishing this efficiently.

When positioning your company or product, your name has to stick firmly in the mind of the marketplace and must do so instantly. While uniqueness is an important factor, there are many other elements that can help the anchoring process -- elements that help a name memorable as well as chosen when a customer experiences a specific need or desire. So, here are some simple rules to follow when choosing a name for your company or product.

What Does it Do?
To make a company or product name truly memorable, it should convey its main feature or benefit. If I give you the word "Die Hard" for instance, you will think of a battery that dies hard. If I tell you "Jiffy Lube," you will naturally assume that it's a garage offering oil changes in a jiffy. If I tell you "Band-Aid," you will picture an adhesive bandage that comes to your aid.

Names that do not convey at least the basic nature of a company will be easily forgotten. This includes hard-to-pronounce words, abbreviations, and acronyms such as "MGF Holdings Limited." It also includes self-titled companies such as "Michel Fortin International" (which was, believe it or not, the name of my original company -- one that nonetheless failed).

Benefits are particularly effective because such a name would make a company or product appear as if it had some added value. When placed alongside a competitor offering an identical product, a benefit-based name positions itself above the competition in the mind. As a result, the name will thus be quickly remembered when people make their decision to buy.

Rhymes Move Minds
Since the invention of the printing press, the written word has made it easy for us to forget names. Consequently, the process of rhyming has in the same way gradually fallen out of favor. But strangely, what we remember the most are, for example, the nursery rhymes that we were told as children. In today's memory management courses, people are told to use rhymes and word association in order to improve their memory. Rhyming is therefore effective because it is pleasing to the ear and helps to hook words easily in the mind.

Beyond ease-of-recall, rhyming also tends to add credibility. Psychology professor Dr. Matthew McGlone has found that rhymes not only make a phrase more memorable, they also make it more believable.

According to his research, people preferred "woes unite foes" over "misfortune unite foes" or "woes unite enemies." As he points out, "People often attribute the aesthetic quality of a rhyme to the statement's validity, which suggests that people may unknowingly equate beauty (a rhyme's singsong quality) with truth." In other words, rhymes confer a greater sense of credibility.

While some names can easily rhyme since they use multiple words (e.g., "Blinds of All Kinds" or "Ronald McDonald"), most names are made up of only one word. If they can not rhyme at least within themselves (e.g., "Rodeo" or "Coca-Cola"), then the job would be conferred unto their taglines -- those small sentences that follow and complement names.

For example, if I said "It takes a licking but keeps on ticking," you will probably remember this phrase if not instantly recognize the product with which this tagline is associated. And if the tagline rhymes with the name (such as "Uh, Oh! Better get Maaco!" or "When you need an edge, use Pledge"), the name will stick even more effectively as a result.

Repetition Resonates
What do "Saran-Wrap," "Coca-Cola," "Willy Wonka," "GI Joe," "Barbie," "Hamburger Helper," "Crispy Crunch," and "Blockbuster" all have in common? Similar to rhymes, the repetition of consonants give a name that pleasant and obviously effective singsong quality. Repetition makes a name memorable by making the pronunciation more simple. In other words, it is definitely easier to remember a string of similar sounds than it is to remember a combination of totally different sounding words. Did you "see the softer side of Sear's" lately?

Rhymes and repetitious consonants used in order to make a name more memorable are called mnemonics. Mnemonics are not only useful but also effective, particularly in the branding process. From the simplest product to the most abstract or complex technical service, a memorable name helps to make the company or product memorable as well.

Posted by isoh at 05:33 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

"In Search Of Heroes Interview With Sharif Khan" by Ralph Zuranski

Sharif Khan is a professional speaker, writer, coach, and author of Psychology of the Hero Soul, an inspirational book on awakening the Hero within and developing people’s leadership potential. Based on over ten years research in human development and leadership, Sharif provides inspirational keynotes and leadership development workshops that empower audiences to unleash their inner hero to live their highest life.

He has spoken to a wide-range of audiences including executives, entrepreneurs, educators, students, and was recently mentioned in USA Today. His vision is to inspire the world and make a positive difference in people’s lives; to help create a global culture of heroes and responsible citizens dedicated to promoting peace and prosperity in the world. For more information visit www.herosoul.com.

What is your definition of heroism?

It stems from the original word ‘hero’ which comes from the Greek roots servos and heros, which means to serve and protect. So self-sacrifice for the higher good and betterment of humanity is at the heart of being a hero.

And what that implies is that the seeds of greatness lie within us all because we all have that innate capacity to serve. Martin Luther King said it best: “Everyone can be great, because anyone can serve. You don’t have to have college degree to serve. You don’t even have to make your subject and verb agree to serve…You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”

Did you ever create a secret hero in your mind that helped you deal with life’s difficulties?

Very interesting question. I have a Council of Light or imaginary team of heroes if you will. I got the concept from Napoleon Hill’s book, Think and Grow Rich, where he talks about creating a team of heroes in your mind, where you go deep within your mind and choose your greatest heroes to sit on your round table and council you.

I actually go to a secret place in my mind in meditation where I have a council of these people. Some include greats like Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, Sinatra, Jodie foster, Oprah, Einstein, and an eclectic mix that changes from time to time. I actually talk to them in my dreams and imagination and they give me answers encouragement and advice.

It may sound strange, but that’s how I’ve developed my own ‘wisdom council’ if you will.

What were or are the qualities and attributes of your secret heroes?

They had a dream, they were determined, and knew exactly what they wanted and they had a larger than life vision.

They went out there with courage and did what they wanted to do and didn’t take “no” from anybody and were able to accomplish their dreams; and so I look up to these role models knowing if they can do it, I can do it.

What is your perspective on goodness, ethics and moral behavior?

That’s a very important question. We need to be able to ask ourselves, in business or in life, “Is it going to be a win-win situation for everyone involved? Is it going to harm anyone?”

If it’s going to harm other people or negatively influence and impact other people around us then we should not pursue that avenue.
It simply comes down to: are we positively impacting other people, are we making a difference, and is it in line with our vision. A lot of people yield to the greed factor and try taking short cuts for immediate gain without consideration of others which leads to lots of problems.

What principles are you willing to sacrifice your life for?

FREEDOM! Freedom is worth sacrificing my life for. Freedom to live our dreams, freedom to imagine, to hope and prosper from doing what we love doing, that is worth giving up our lives for. In North America, we do have economic freedom and political freedom, but that is not normal. We are blessed and privileged because more than half the world does not have the same opportunities.

When was the lowest point in your life and how did you change your life path to one of victory over all obstacles?

As a very young child I grew up with a lot of racial hatred and prejudice because of the color of my skin and being a South Asian. I grew up with a lot of low self-esteem and low self-worth, and carried it all through my young adulthood. There was a tragic time in my life when my father passed away when I was 18 while I was going to high school in the States at that time.

That was a devastating experience for me because my father was my best friend and a beacon of light and hope for me, and he encouraged me to excel and be the best I can be. When my father passed away in a car accident, I fell in to a spiral of deep depression. Because of my low self-esteem and low sense of self-worth, I didn’t see any way out and I was immersed in darkness and didn’t know where to turn. At the time, my father didn’t have any life or car insurance.

I had to pay my way for my last year of high school (a private boarding school). I ended up corking and uncorking blood specimen test tubes, working in a lab, and separating urine and stool samples all day long. Not the most exciting summer job for a student. Within a very short period of time, I became an alcoholic at 18 and I was passed out drunk on the streets of Queens, NY and on the subways and didn’t have a hope in the world.

That was the lowest point in my life and also a turning point in my life, because that was a point I decided. I knew where I was heading and I didn’t want to end up like another statistic. I wanted to get myself out of that situation.

For me personally, it was turning to God. Letting go and letting God and saying, “Let Your will be done. I need Your help and guidance.” And God intervened in my life. That was an incredible turning point in my life and turning to faith and the Higher Power in me was what gave me strength and got me out of that situation.

Do you have a dream or vision that sets the course of your life?

Absolutely. My vision is to inspire the world and make a positive difference in peoples’ lives. To help create a global culture of heroes and responsible citizens dedicated to promoting peace and prosperity in the world. That is a vision that’s larger than life. It gets me going and energizes me whether I’m having a good day or bad day; it gets me up every morning and allows me to stretch and grow.

Do you take a positive view of setbacks, misfortunes and mistakes?

Absolutely! I think it was Mr. Thomas Watson Sr., founder of IBM, who said, “If you want to increase your success rate, double your failure rate.” So failures and setbacks and mistakes are stepping stones towards greater and greater success. We need to ask ourselves: “What can we learn from this experience? How can we grow from this experience?” Because nothing really is a failure; everything is a learning experience.

Are you an optimist?

I am a perpetual optimist. I am always looking at the glass half full versus half empty.

Does it take courage to pursue new ideas?

Yes it does. It takes a lot of courage because typically, in the new development stage of an idea, people tend to bring us down and want to put us at their own level. So having the courage to succeed and not taking “no” for an answer and going beyond is important. Including myself.

Writing has been a passion of mine since I was probably 8 years old, and people around me, especially in South Asian culture, and even sometimes within my family, were admonishing me not to be a ‘writer’ because I’d be a struggling artist all my life and telling me “why don’t you be a doctor, or lawyer, or accountant, or get an MBA, so you can make money.”

It took me courage to say “no” this is what I’m passionate about, this is what I love doing, and this is what I’m going to do and I stuck to it. I disciplined myself to write two hours every day and ten hours on the weekends (not including research) and in a period of about two years, I had a finished book, Psychology of the Hero Soul, which is an inspirational book and awakening the hero within and developing people’s leadership potential.

Were you willing to experience discomfort in the pursuit of your dream?

Yes. That is something that is necessary because it takes a lot of hard work and effort. Nothing really comes easy. Anything worthy of great achievement requires hard work, effort, persistence, and perseverance.

Sometimes things don’t work out the way we expect, but if we let those things bring us down then we’re not able to move forward. For example, in the book publishing world, only 5 % are making it, and 95% aren’t. The reason is the 95% give up within the first year or two, and so it requires continual effort and continual perseverance.

How important is it to believe that your dreams will eventually become reality?

It is very important! I believe you have to taste and feel and smell your dream as if it is a reality right now. I’m a big believer in seeing the reality and the vision and dream right up front, right now, the way it is. If you can’t visualize and see the tears of triumph running down your face when you win that award or get that promotion, nothing will happen.

It doesn’t matter how many goals you set, or how many affirmations you say till you’re blue in the face, if you don’t have that feeling or that knowing that this is going to be a reality, then nothing is going to happen.

Everybody has doubts and fears. In fact a lot of people are paralyzed by those doubts and fears. How are you able to overcome your doubts and fears?

One of the ways I’m able to overcome my doubts and fears is using a technique which I learned from Tony Robbins, where I conditioned myself to feel pain whenever doubts and fears entered my mind. I put a rubber band around my wrist and every time I had a little inkling of doubt or fear of the little voice saying, “Sharif you can’t do this,” I just snapped that rubber band and it produced pain. There are two things that motivate human behavior: the desire to gain pleasure or the desire to avoid pain; the desire to look good or avoid looking bad.

Another way of overcoming my doubts and fears is having a vision for myself of the future and where I expect to be. This would actually be a really good exercise that anyone could do: on a single sheet of paper in the present tense, write down where you want to be ten years from now.

What type of an income level would you want to be making? How would you be perceived and treated? What type of clothing would you be wearing? What type of lifestyle would you be living? Write it all down and then start being that person right now. Start commanding that presence right now and you will attract the circumstances and the people in your life to be able to accomplish that vision. Those are the two ways that I overcome my doubts and fears.

Who helped give you the willpower to change things in your life for the better?

My father passed on a lot of wisdom and guidance and encouraged me to study the lives of successful people and read successful biographies. My father was a PhD. in Psychology. Ever since I was 8 years old he immersed myself in the classics like James Allen, Wayne Dyer, Shakti Gawain, Dale Carnegie, and all of these personal development greats I started learning at a young age. So he was an inspiration to me.

Another person that was a real inspiration to me is a gentleman by the name of Jim Ross, who I dedicated my book to. He is the founder of the Canadian Academy of Method Acting, and he taught me a lot about the psychology of the hero and psychology of the villain. He was a mentor to me, a messenger, a carrier of truth. He is definitely a hero in my life.

How important is it to readily forgive those who upset, offend and oppose you?

It is absolutely critical to be able to forgive people that have offended or harmed us in any way. It’s a very difficult thing to do, but if we really think about it, harvesting the anger and hatred inside against the other person is not doing anything for that person. It’s only harming us and creating toxins and bad energies in our bodies which is going to ruin our health.

I think there was some study where they said that even ten minutes of feeling angry had enough toxins in the blood to kill a guinea pig. Can you imagine half an hour or an hour or many years of feeling anger and hatred to somebody and what kind of damage that can do to our health and mental well being? So it’s very important to forgive others and be able to let go and move on.

Do you experience service to others as a source of joy?

Yes I do. I sincerely believe the hero’s journey is about following one’s bliss and doing what one loves doing in service to others. That is what really brings the most joy, and that is what really brings the most success as well, because the only way to get what we want is by helping enough people get what they want first. I’m a big believer in serving.

If you want to increase your wealth and influence by ten times, just ask yourself the question, “How can I help ten times as many people as I am helping right now?”

What place does the power of prayer have in your life?

The power of prayer has really changed my life a 180 degrees. I believe at the time when I was at a low point in Queens, NY and had nowhere to turn to, if I had not prayed to God and asked for guidance and intervention, I would definitely not be here today; I would have probably been in an alleyway somewhere with a knife stuck in my back or ended up being a criminal. So prayer has been an important and daily part of my life.

Do you maintain your sense of humor in the face of serious problems?
I try to. Sometimes it’s very difficult when something overwhelming occurs and it’s difficult to laugh in the face of fear and obstacles, but I think it’s important for heroes and leaders to not take themselves seriously; to take their work seriously, but not take themselves seriously. Being able to admit faults and weaknesses is what endears other people to leaders. They can say “he’s one of us. That this person is one of us and we can relate to this person.”

Who are the HEROES in your life?

My father was a hero. Jim Ross, who I dedicated my book, The Hero Soul, has been a hero to me because he was a teacher and a mentor, a messenger, a carrier of truth. I think the people out there making a difference in peoples’ lives, teachers, coaches, entrepreneurs; I think all those people who are serving people or helping solve problems and showing people how to overcome their own problems are the real heroes; and it’s unfortunate that the media doesn’t pay enough attention, which is why I really like your “In Search of Heroes Program” because it’s really unique.

Why are HEROES so important in the lives of young people?

Heroes are so important in the lives of young people because there are not a lot of role models out there. And some of the role models give a very negative impression. So when we see someone in movies or even in school, when we see gang leaders who are profiting from criminal activity and wearing nice clothes and driving a Mercedes, these people have a negative influence on younger people.

I think the younger people really need to see heroes and leaders who are not only making a difference in peoples’ lives but also prospering themselves so they can look to those people as examples and follow in their pursuit. Our children and young ones are going to be the future leaders of tomorrow. So it’s very important to have the right heroes and the right leaders impacting their lives.

Who do you think are the HEROES today that are not getting the recognition they deserve?

As I mentioned before, many of the teachers, many of the coaches, many people who are training and teaching young entrepreneurs, these people are not getting the recognition they deserve because we are all focused on the celebrities or the actors or the sports heroes that we tend to forget our friends and families and the people around us who are making a small difference in people’s lives on a daily basis.

How do people become heroes?

That’s a very good question. To start, self knowledge is really important. On the Greek temple of Apollo there is an inscription that reads, “Know thyself, and you will know the gods and the universe!” To know your strengths and weaknesses, your deepest desires and your deepest fears, really being able to understand where you begin and where you end and beyond.

Self knowledge is so important because through self knowledge we learn what it is that we really want to do, what our calling in life is, what our blessings are. By pursuing those blessings, by following our bliss, and doing what we love doing in service to others, we automatically become heroes.

Do you think heroes are located everywhere?

Absolutely! Heroes are all around us. They are among our friends and family and relatives. They’re in different parts of the world in different cities. People are doing small random acts of kindness every single day. And the media doesn’t go out and video tape them. So when we pick up the newspaper we see all the tragedies and the harm and wars that are going on around the world. But we don’t recognize that heroes are all around us and we don’t have to look far.

With all your world travels would you say that people in different cultures look at heroes differently?

I think so, because people have different connotations of what a ‘hero’ means. For example, in Australia they talk about cutting down the ‘Tall Poppy,’ and so any one who gets to be too ‘heroic’ or too big on themselves, they like to cut down, because they feel that person is trying to be too self-indulging.

People have very different attitudes as to what heroism is and what a hero actually means and who they look up to as heroes. It’s really interesting to see the different world views. I don’t think they share necessarily the common elements because of the different connotations they have about heroes.

With the world the way it is, especially the war against terrorism, you’ve lived in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, do people in Middle Eastern countries look at heroes differently like the bombers or Al Qaeda?

That’s a very difficult question because unfortunately there are some people out there that …I’m not talking about the Middle Eastern culture, the Iraqi culture, or the Pakistani culture in general…but there are some people who have a twisted mentality and see the terrorist, or the Osama Bin Laden’s as heroes.

For example, when Hitler was running Germany, so many German youths had been through propaganda at a very early age, having been set up to view Hitler as a Hero, as a God to be looked up to.

And where I find there is a problem is many of these terrorist operations that are occurring in these countries are sending out this type of propaganda and setting up schools and infiltrating young minds with a lot of garbage and a lot of nonsense about who are heroes and who are not heroes and what are the requirements of heroes.

That’s something that myself, being a South Asian, and having lived in some of those countries, I’m trying to change with my work with The Hero Soul, to let people know that there are options, there are ways of looking at what a true hero really is, where the origin comes from is the Greek root to ‘serve and protect’ and I’m hoping to change perceptions.

How does it feel to be recognized as a ‘hero’?

It’s a really rewarding feeling. Coming from a stage in my life, having grown up in Scarborough here in Ontario, Canada, where I was suffering so much low self-esteem and feelings of worthlessness that I never took any leadership roles at all in school and in my young adulthood; to now come full-circle and be respected as a ‘leader’ as a ‘hero’ training entrepreneurs, executives, and educators and students alike on the qualities of leadership and being a hero…it really is a very rewarding feeling to be held in respect and esteem. Words can’t describe it.

Why do you think you were selected for this unique honor?

I believe that early in life, because of the unique situations that happened in my life, and the tragedies which I suffered, I connected at a deeper level, at a spiritual level, and found out at a very early age what my calling in life is. And my calling, my purpose, is to enrich the lives of as many people as I possibly can, using my God-given talents, writing being the main one. So I think I’ve been privileged because I saw my calling at an early age, and I took action and decided to pursue my calling regardless of what others were saying around me.

How will being recognized as a HERO change your life?

It already has changed my life. I know if I were to pass away right now, that I have already done something that will leave a lasting legacy and a gift to humanity with the work that I’ve already done. And it gives me a great sense of peace. And what really gets me going, the drive, is thinking what will be written on my epitaph when I die, how do I want to be remembered.

That’s what allows me to want to serve as best I can using my God-given abilities to help as many people as I can within the shortest time frame that’s left because life is really fragile. Life is so short.

I heard about Cory Rudl (world-renowned internet marketing expert) who recently passed away in a car accident, I think he was racing with a buddy, he was such an inspiration teaching people about the internet. Life is really fragile and short and we need to make the most of it right now.

Do you have any good solutions to the problems facing society, especially racism, child and spousal abuse and violence among young people?

Our own image is reflected in every single human individual around us. What we do to others we are actually doing to ourselves. And if we mistreat somebody else, or if we call somebody else names or harm somebody, we are actually harming ourselves, because what goes around comes around and the law of motion says, ‘for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.’ If you want to be respected and treated with love and compassion, then you need to treat other people with love and compassion and respect – and you’ll get that back ten times over.

If you had three wishes for your life and the world, that would instantly come true, what would they be?

My first wish would be to have people in the world live in harmony and for people to find ways to be prosperous doing what it is that they really love doing. I’d love to see a world where we can actually accommodate that and help people to do what they love doing and prosper.

I see so many people and see so may youth out there who have all these aspirations and dreams, but they’re not finding an outlet to be able to live those dreams. And they are really perishing inside. It’s so sad to see so many people who don’t find a direction or calling in life and are thinking of committing suicide. That is one wish: to see everyone living a prosperous life doing what they love doing.

My second wish, if there was a magic wand and it was a utopia, to end the wars and famine and disease, and have a world where there is just peace and love and respect for each other.

And finally, my third wish would be to have a world with people dedicated to EXCELLENCE. Because God is Excellence! Being the best of the best, holding ourselves to high standards and to quality.

We would really have a paradise on earth if were committed to excellence – towards truth, and nobility, and something grand.

What do you think about the “In Search Of Heroes” Program and its impact on youth, parents and business people?

I think it’s the greatest thing Ralph! I’m so glad you were able to find me on the web somehow. And when I took a look at your “In search of Heroes Program” and what it’s doing for the youth, as well as for promoting local heroes, and helping their businesses, which will allow them to further give back to their communities and further be mentors to the youth and students, who in turn can learn more about writing and more about becoming heroes; it’s a wonderful positive cycle that you’ve created and I really admire what you’re doing and respect you.

You are a hero in your own right.

What are the things parents can do that will help their children realize they too can be HEROES and make a positive impact on the lives of others?

The #1 thing that parents can do is to be role models for their children by living their own dreams and doing what it is that they love doing; encouraging their children when they have ideas, goals, and aspirations, and instead of putting them down and saying it’s not realistic or that your vision is ‘too big,’ to actually encourage them, and give them hope and inspiration and give them an avenue to go out there and do what they love doing.

Sharif Khan’s website for his work in developing heroes is at www.herosoul.com. He also has a success blog at www.sharifkhan.blogspot.com. His book, The Hero Soul, is available at Amazon, Borders, Barnes & Noble, and Indigo bookstores. To reach Sharif directly, call (416) 417-1259 or email: sharif@herosoul.com.

Posted by isoh at 04:57 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

"Helpful Hints for Writing Articles" by Michel Fortin

An interesting question was recently asked of me in a discussion forum by Yasser Masood. He asked, "I agree with the idea of submitting articles [in order to get] a lot of targeted visitors to a site, however, I was wondering, 'What keeps Michel Fortin writing?' I mean, Michel, what is your 3, 5 or 7 point formula to get an article on paper? What are [some of the specific] steps you follow?"

Here's my answer. I'm subscribed to a ton of ezines.

As an "expert" (if I dare call myself that) in my field, I must keep abreast of my industry -- so should you. But the wonderful byproduct is that something I've read will stir a few ideas in my mind about something worth writing.

The gazillion of ezines to which I'm subscribed are filtered in my email reader into folders for later reading. What I do, however, is filter such articles for keywords that I decide, in advance, about which I feel there's a need to write.

Also, copies of all the issues I receive are filtered into a master folder (i.e., the filtered email is moved into its appropriate folder for later reading and a copy is also placed into this master folder, both simultaneously -- most email filters or rules do this ). In my master folder, I do a text-based search for certain keywords (e.g., topics, ideas, events, etc) about which I can write.

Then, I create an outline -- a skeleton article, if you will. To do this, I write down keywords or keyphrases, in point form, representing future paragraphs and the subjects I'd like to cover in those paragraphs. Then, I just write.

I temporarily put my "critical editor" hat aside and I just keep writing, non-stop. I don't even stop to read what I've written. I just write! Once done, I stop, read again and edit for style and grammar -- of course, with the kind help of my word processor's spellchecker. Sometimes I'll take whole sentences out and add new ones in. I'll rewrite passages I feel aren't clear. I'll cut and paste some paragraphs where I feel they belong best. And then bingo: The final product.

As for the frequency, I write all the time. What I often do is prepare skeleton articles in advance and save them for future use. (The neat thing is that I can create new "temporary" filters. Ezines are filtered into temporary folders in order to research more information on the topics I'd like to cover).

I use Microsoft's Outlook 2000 for my email. One of its neat features is that It has an internal notepad function with which I can jot down URLs and specific data pertaining to articles. If you don't use Outlook for your email, there are several freeware desktop note-making applications on the web, such as notes software from 3M, the makers of Post-It Notes.

I also have with me, most of the time, a small tape recorder or notepad (a cellular phone and Palm Pilot are also good for taking notes). I record some thoughts that pop into my head from time to time. I'll give you an example: I'm driving to a client. While in my car, I listen to the news. Then all of sudden, bang! An idea hits me. I'll record it immediately and use that as a basis for an article -- or for that week's Chronicles' editorial, for example.

In terms of proofreading, what I do, when I have a chance, is have my articles read by friends or associates. But the best method, I've found, is to read the article slowly, to myself, out loud ... Really! If I notice that my speech slurred or fumbled at some point in the article, or that a passage just didn't sound right, then I know that something was poorly written and I'll rewrite it for clarity.

I've used dictation software before but I don't use it normally. I'd like to do so, however. As a professional speaker, I talk a lot . And this would be perfect since I record much of my thoughts on my mini-tape recorder anyway.

But again, my commonest method is the use of skeleton articles -- in other words, writing keywords in point form and then expanding those keywords into full paragraphs. Since the keywords or keyphrases are based on specific topics, the flow seems natural and there is cohesiveness within the article.

What I do is follow the three major steps:

Introduction
Body (Content)
Conclusion
Introduction: I'll start with something that announces the topic, prepares the reader and gently takes them into the body of the article -- something that "tickles" them in order to pull them into the article. (Creating headlines is last.)

Body (Content): Then I prepare the core components of the article (usually, it will be three main points, expanded -- I often use headings for these three core components). Often, I resort to the use of adverbs as bases for expanding on the topics -- my "five honest serving men," as Brian Tracy once said, "which are who, what, why, where and when."

Conclusion: It's a recap or summary of the article, with a final word -- like the "moral of a story" or a "bottom-line," offering an actionable step, a question upon which to ponder or a cliffhanger (maybe leading to another article).

In terms of software, I use a great yet plain text editor TextPad. It's like Notepad but on steroids. It has a spellchecking feature with a lot of macros, file managing functions, integrated character maps, etc. It also has a hard-break feature so that I can split-wrap my articles at 65 characters -- which is the norm.

Finally, I regularly spend 18 to 20 hours a day on my computer and on the web ... Like I said, I write a lot. But I also read a lot -- I'm a virtual sponge. You know, some people call me "expert" or "guru." In reality, I feel that I'm only knowledgeable about my field. I read intensely and I scan a lot too. I usually receive about 2000 emails a day (I'm not kidding) -- and two-thirds of which are ezines in the area of sales, marketing, Internet marketing and ecommerce.

Also, creativity is known to be one of my biggest talents -- as a marketing consultant and being in the advertising industry, creativity is a must. But in terms of writing articles, it's as necessary as oxygen. I always like to write about either what hasn't been written or something that's been scarcely written. (You know as I do that the web is filled of recycled, rehashed content.)

Posted by isoh at 04:52 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 19, 2005

"Now Go Sell Something" by Craig Garber

Ever hear about someone eating something spicy, and once
they get the spices down, it makes them start sweating?

Well, the other day I was eating lunch with a friend of mine
-- Mexican food -- and immediately after gobbling down some
hot salsa, sweat starts pouring down my buddy's face, like
he was a fat man in a sauna.

The truth is, sometimes in anticipation of you crossing the
finish line on a project you're working on, your mind
becomes filled with anxiety and fears -- and suddenly YOU
start sweating.

Some of your fears will be real ('What if your project
fails?')... and... some of them will simply be perceived
('What will my significant other think of me?' and...
ironically, 'What if your project fails?').

Steven Pressfield, in his book, The War Of Art, calls these
fears, thoughts and worries, 'Resistance'.

And 'sensing' Resistance, is actually a good thing.

See, when you feel resistance slowly creeping its way into
the back of your mind, it usually means you're about to do
something with explosive potential -- maybe something that
will even change your life forever.

Hockey great Wayne Gretsky once said, 'You miss 100% of the
shots you never take.'

So start shooting, and don't be afraid.

My mentor once told me, most of the fears that spend their
time preoccupying your thoughts (and wasting your time),
have all been created, from the ground up, by you -- all
inside the walls of your own mind.

And if you think about it -- it's true. After all, what IS
fear?

It's not something you can touch... and it's certainly NOT
something you can predict with great certainty.

It's simply 'resistance' let loose up inside your head.

So don't let all these silly notions... all that other
negative B.S... and of course, 'resistance', hold you back
from anything.

I know, just as well as you do, the tough thing is, these
'energy-sucking' thoughts usually start playing themselves
over-and-over again in the back of your mind, like some kind
of vicious broken tape recorder... usually, at the times
you can LEAST afford to hear them.

But like I tell my kids, 'Whoever said life was easy? If it
was, everyone would win.'

Don't worry though.

When Resistance beckons, that's your cue, that you're
getting a little out of your comfort zone, and that you're
on the right track.

So dive in and don't be so afraid -- even if you are
sweating like the fat guy over in the corner of your sauna.

Now go sell something.

Posted by isoh at 07:02 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

"Conflict Resolution- When Personal Safety is an Issue" by Maria Boomhower

Conflict generally arises by having your needs, desires,
perceptions and values challenged.

When a person feels that their values are being challenged
they generally respond the strongest. Inwardly they feel their
personal safety threatened and desire to stop that threat.

Issues not dealt with, can become a trigger for the people involved.
We can see the reason when we look at the three parts of
the resolution.

Content: Is the issue to be resolved.

Process: How we talk to and treat each other.
Allowing people to feel heard and acknowledged.

Emotion: How we feel about what happened. If we are
angry, we shut down our thinking process and the conflicts
rarely get resolved.

Many things trigger emotions; the history between the people
or organization, the issue or events.

One important aspects is not to jump into solution right away.
Many times important elements or ideas can be over
looked. As well, when we don’t give people a chance to
come up with their own solutions, we disempower them.
It is essential when you want a strong working team to
give the belief of trust in the other person to come up with
his or her own solutions whenever possible.

In business, there are situations where time is of the
essence, and you need to act, however, done too often will
lead to a breakdown in trust and performance by workers
and partners.

It is important not to generalize. Stating observable facts
in a neutral tone with open the doors to resolution. People
who feel attacked will close down and fight and solutions.
There are many aspects to conflict resolution and some
things seem like they are harder to deal with. However, in the
end, when trust and respect are a part of your atmosphere, you
will find greater success and achievements in all of your endeavors.

To read the full story and find out different styles that you
can use, read the ezine article titled
Conflict Resolution Training -When Safety is an Issue at:
EzineArticles.com

P.S. If you like what you're reading in this
newsletter, you'll love the book,
'Perceptions, How to discover what you are really seeing
and how it affects your belief system.'
It's an interactive manual that takes you through the steps
to help you overcome challenges in communicating and
connecting with others.
Perceptions-Understanding What you are Really Seeing.

Posted by isoh at 06:46 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

"Don't be the Best… Be the First!" by Michel Fortin

An Article Inspired By The "Law Of Leadership" From My Two Favorite Marketing Mentors, Jack Trout and Al Ries.
Often, many businesses build their entire marketing strategy around a particular brand and its "better" qualities. Claiming superiority smacks of being untrue and is often a very risky endeavor. In other words, if you claim that you're the best, your statement will be suspect.

Years ago, a mentor once said to me that "Implication is more powerful than specification." It is much more effective to imply superiority -- to be perceived as being a superior company or one with a superior product -- than to simply being (or outright stating that one is) superior. But how do you get others to perceive that you're the best? How does one imply superiority without stating it outright? The following are a few pointers to guide you in that direction.

The First Always Lead
If you're the first in some category, you are also considered as the best. People have the natural tendency to attribute superiority to a product that's first in its category. But if you're not the first, you can usually invent your own position. If there's no category in which you can be first, then create one. By being the first in your very own unique category makes it tremendously difficult for competitors to copy you. But even when your competitors do copy you, their marketing efforts will only help to remind people of you.

Being the first in the marketplace is not as important as being the first in the mind of the marketplace. Working with cosmetic surgeons, I've personally experienced this undeniable truth. A particular hair transplant doctor is one of the first surgeons of this type. While superiority in this field is a matter of artistic ability and not seniority, he is still widely recognized as the best surgeon there is -- even if he still uses outdated techniques.

Jack Trout and Al Ries, the fathers of positioning, developed the category concept into a science. The first law in their book "The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing," which is the law of leadership, is based entirely on the concept of being the first. In essence, the law states that no two bodies can occupy the same space. If you get to a position first, nobody else can ever take your place. Hence, being the first virtually guarantees your position.

You don't have to be the first with a product or service. You only have to be the first in the consumer's mind. By owning the leading position in the mind people will automatically assume that you're the best. Why? It's because uniqueness separates you from the rest rather than compares you to them. It's immensely more effective than actually being the best.

Create Your Own Category
For instance, Ries and Trout prove this point with a very simple question. They ask: "Who was the third person to fly over the Atlantic in a solo flight?" Now, if you're not a history buff like me, you will more than likely be stumped. Almost everyone remembers that Lindbergh was the first because, being the first, he comes to mind immediately. But if you were asked the same question but rephrased in a different way (e.g., "Who was the first 'woman' to fly over the Atlantic in a solo flight?"), your answer will likely be "Amelia Earhart."

Look at your own life. What are the things you remember the most? More than likely, you will remember your first kiss, your first dance, your first love, your first car, your first day of school, your first job, and your first heartbreak. Can you remember your second kiss let alone your fifth one? In all likelihood, you don't. When it comes to marketing the same holds true.

Many people try to compete by comparison and may even generate some recognition as a result of their efforts. But where they often fail is in creating lasting top-of-mind awareness by drowning their image in a currently known category -- or ladder, if you will. Everybody knows who is the first in some category or another, but rarely do people remember who's second let alone third. If you market your company as a better firm with a better product or service at a better price, all you are really doing is reminding others of that which you are better than, which is your competition.

Again, if there's no category in which you can be the first, create one. Having your very own category is powerful because it is impossible for competitors to beat you. Being the first, your place is therefore guaranteed and you will thus be perceived as the best by default -- there's no competition!

Go the Other Way
Coke, which was touted as being "The Real Thing," is an old company with a hundred-year old recipe locked in some secret safe. So, Pepsi decided to go the other way and proclaimed that it was for the "New Generation." On the other hand, 7UP floundered until it became the "Uncola." As a result, the more Coke and Pepsi advertised, the more it helped 7UP.

For a long time, Avis was an unknown car rental agency. One day, it finally conceded that it was number two -- second only after Hertz. Their "we try harder" campaign, which focused on their underdog position, turned the size of their bigger competitor into a negative. Domino's Pizza was surely not the first pizzeria. But by being the first to deliver its pizza "in 30 minutes or it's free," it went from a small restaurant to a multimillion dollar franchise operation. And there are countless other examples.

You can be the first to cater to a specific market, the first to offer an alternative to an existing product or service, or the first to cater to a market in a unique way -- such as by offering an ordinary product or service but with a unique twist. You can also customize a general product or service for a specific market. For example, you might be a travel agency. You could decide on being the first to sell business trips catering exclusively to financial institutions.

However, if you're not the first you might then market yourself as "the first to serve the financially inclined," "the leader in business trips for bankers" or "the first travel agent for the smart financier." In other words, don't be the best in some existing category. Be the first in one -- one you create.

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June 17, 2005

"To Brand or Not to Brand?" by Michel Fortin

The shift that marketers are making from institutional marketing to what I call "directional" marketing is a rather interesting one. While the most notable reason is the fact that the Internet expands one's target market and increases the sales potential, more often than not it is also the fact that it is arguably more cost-efficient than any other medium.

The web is an extraordinary tool that can help most ebusinesses to accomplish various things. One in particular is the reduction of costs that one would have normally incurred when doing business offline. In other words, what better way would there be to advertise, sell and serve the customer as efficiently, errorlessly, timely and economically than through the web?

People assuming that Internet marketers are not making money online (at least not yet, anyway) should think again. Profits are being realized right now in explosive amounts and in multiple ways, and online companies are laughing all the way to the bank as a result. For example, analysts are purporting that the upcoming holiday season will potentially become one of the busiest, most lucrative times in the history of the worldwide network.

But more important, the savings resulting from more efficient marketing intelligence gathering, quicker product roll-outs, expanded market reach, more expedient order fulfillment and greater public relations potential have made ecommerce the most profitable business activity ever. Due to the fact that the Internet is completely user-driven, direct marketing has become not just a tool for brand-builders but also a necessity to their online survival.

A recent article in CyberAtlas, entitled "Internet Advertising Focused on E-Commerce, Not Brands," revealed online advertising statistics amassed through a Strategis Group study. Surprisingly, the study claims that the top 50, most visited web sites on the 'Net as a result of online advertising is not the larger, more branding-oriented companies but the direct marketers -- such as Amazon.com and eToy.com, as opposed to, for example, Procter and Gamble, Ford Motor Company and Coca-Cola.

However, while some of the larger companies are spending huge amounts of advertising dollars to brand their online presence (with institutional marketing), which will devour a significant portion of their profit margins, the cost-savings factor of the web balances it all out in the end -- thus making ecommerce exceptionally attractive, particularly to direct marketers.

Institutional marketing is not a bad concept -- building one's unique identity if crucial. But alone it's very risky and requires a large investment of capital -- something most small to medium-sized businesses can not afford. Therefore, should branding be left out completely of one's marketing strategy? Not really. In fact, it can (and should) become a natural byproduct.

Brand loyalty can come as a result of implementing directional marketing, which is not only a more cost-effective approach but also a natural extension of the web due to its more intimate environment. Click-happy netizens have very short attention spans. Therefore, direct marketing is necessary to take users by the hand and lead them to favorable outcomes.

But the proper use of various elements of online marketing, such as a more professional looking site, benefit-based product and domain names, positive client testimonials and strong guarantees can help to leverage a direct marketer's efforts while creating strong brand preference. For instance, how many sites have lost customers -- sites with great sales copy, reputable products and outstanding offers -- due to sloppy looking design?

Such elements may seem a part of the branding process but in fact they also support the direct marketing process. Take Hotmail for instance, which is now a well-recognized brand on the Internet. Did it arrive at its position through pure branding efforts? Not at all. Through viral marketing, they managed to plaster their brand name at the end of each email they helped to deliver -- which are now numbering in the millions daily -- while gently directing users to their web site and getting them to take action by signing up for their free service.

Nevertheless, cost-efficiency is certainly an important aspect of online marketing, and the goal here is not to negate branding entirely. However, directional marketing can include an array of practices, from response-oriented promotional activities to upselling offers -- all at the same time building brand equity.

Branding should be a byproduct, not a goal in itself.
Take Yahoo!, for instance. In the beginning, this little, unknown Internet directory was not a strong brand but had the capability of attracting hoards of netizens to its site. Today, Yahoo! is almost synonymous with the web. It maintains the recognition as being the leading search engine on the web -- even though it is not an engine at all, which underscores the whole point.

Beyond creating recognition and loyalty, branding also communicates a certain degree of credibility. Often, direct marketers are placed in the same category as sleazy, pushy snake oil peddlers. A century ago, peddlers would travel from town to town selling their wares with the sole goal of selling as much and as fast as possible in order to leave town quickly, thus avoiding the inevitable wrath of their dissatisfied customers. That stigma still exists today.

However, that fear is easily justified. There is no doubt that scamsters exist online. Markets are more accessible, which makes easy prey easier to find. People are still leery of buying on the Internet to a certain degree (and rightfully so) as a result. But a good dose of credibility-building can make a direct marketer shine. This is where branding comes in.

Directional marketing should include various branding elements that are often used in the offline world. (Conversely, institutional marketers are also slowly recognizing the need to implement directional marketing online.) Direct marketers with poorly designed, inconsistent looking sites will have a tough time in building repeat and referral sales. Thus, they may need to spend more dollars and energy upfront on creating new customer relationships.

When visiting Hotmail's website, one can instantly recognize their unique brand: Their logo, their corporate colors and their professional appearance. But at the same time, one is offered a variety of options and links: From reading Hotmail's privacy policy, reasons for signing up, frequently asked questions, to new product offers.

In fact, the latter includes their MSN instant messaging tool, to compete with the Internet's current leader: ICQ owned by AOL. Users are gently directed to sign up for this additional free service. Of course, all of which are aimed at building MSN's (and Microsoft's) brand. But it's direct marketing nonetheless.

In the end, while direct marketing has a firm place on the worldwide web, it does not replace the branding process completely. In fact, strong brands communicate greater perceived value, can defend their offers against price competition, make the direct marketer's job much easier (with repeat and referral sales) and help to curb costs overall. But branding should be an extension of direct marketing -- a byproduct.

Therefore, a direct marketer must be aware of branding, such as a consistent, professionally designed site (i.e., graphics, message, color scheme, etc) as well as benefit-based product and domain names. These are just a few of the elements that, while building strong online brands, can surely help to increase sales -- and save a lot of money down the road.

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June 16, 2005

"How to Name a Product, Service or Company" by Michel Fortin

Today, it is an understatement to say that we are constantly bombarded with information of nuclear proportions. The roles of both the consumer and the entrepreneur have become so immensely challenging that choosing a business from which to buy -- let alone being and remaining in business -- has become a dizzying process. Therefore, how does one survive let alone thrive in today's explosive hypercompetitive, overcommunicated marketplace?

Unfortunately, many businesses still market themselves with institutional approaches (the kind that only says "I'm open for business"). These methods no longer work -- at least not as effectively as before. For instance, while some companies successfully generate a good response from their marketing efforts, it is one from which little or no business is produced.

The key, nowadays, is not to advertise that one is "in" business but that one is "the" business of choice. Where people used to ask "why should I buy this product?" today, that question has changed to "why should I buy this product FROM YOU?" Simply put, today's consumer will choose one company over another because the perceived value in their choice is greater.

The world is so full of raw, unstructured data that people no longer have the time to sift through all the information that is thrown at them let alone to make sense of it all. They no longer have the time or energy to shop around for the best product from the best company at the best price. They usually make a buying decision based on the kind of information that instantly communicates a specific benefit -- one in which there is an implicit added value.

Generating interest from one's marketing is one thing, but getting respondents to actually buy is another. So, how can a company communicate that it is the business of choice? What kind of information will get people to buy what it has to offer and do so instantly, especially in a hypercompetitive, highly marketed world? The answer is through positioning.

Top-of-Mind Awareness
In today's world, top-of-mind awareness is the most effectively provocative form of marketing available. The idea is to create, within the subconscious minds of prospects, a psychological anchor that causes people to choose when a need presents itself a company over another instantaneously.

In reality, the goal is to market one's business in specific ways so that the name, product or service stays at the top of their minds at all times. In other words, since people no longer have the time to shop around, when they do have a certain need they will go to or look for the one company (or product) that happens to be at the top of their minds at that very moment.

Ries and Trout, the fathers of the positioning concept and authors of the bestsellers "Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind" and "The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing," state what I believe to be the most powerful notion in business, in that marketing is a battle of perceptions, not products. In fact, marketing is all about perception. You don't need to be the best company offering the best product at the best price in order to be known as the best. As long as people perceive you're the best there is, you have the upper hand.

However, there is a caveat: People want the best and that has never changed. But if you outright state that you are you then place yourself in a very fragile position, for people will think that you're either exaggerating at best. As an old mentor of mine once said, "Implication is more powerful than specification." If your marketing implies that you are the best without utterly claiming it, people will then perceive that you're the best and you will thus gain a winning edge over your competition. Top-of-mind awareness marketing is to be the best in the consumer's mind -- to win the battle for your clients' thoughts, not dollars.

Now, there are many steps that one can follow in order to effectively achieve top-of-mind awareness, but this deserves a book entirely on its own. So, let me share one of them with you, which is the first and most important step in top-of-mind awareness marketing: Names.

Names
Does the name of your business, product or service intrinsically reflect the nature or benefit of that which you provide? Is it suggestive? I am astounded to see many businesses today that are still called by ordinary or blatantly unappealing names, or names that mean absolutely nothing, such as with acronyms like "MGF Technologies, Inc." I agree that some businesses may have notable or even catchy names. But if they don't create top-of-mind awareness they won't create more business.

Consider this example. Which investment company would come immediately to mind if you were in the market for one: "John Smith Investments" or "Wealth Wise, Inc."? What about "John Smith, Accountant" or "A Knack with Knumbers"? Would you choose "JSI Brokers, Ltd." or "Money Mastery"? You see, your name is extremely important in order to anchor your firm and position it above the competition in the minds of your prospects.

If your name does not tell people who you are and what advantage people have in choosing you (i.e., the added value you bring to the table), consider changing your name, especially to a brand name that reflects the benefits of choosing your firm. Choose a name that communicates your unique competitive edge and does so clearly, effectively, and efficiently.

Today, with their very limited time people would love to skip the inconvenience of searching for that one company that offers exactly what they want. If they've heard of your business and want to know more, however, many will attempt a to go directly to you even before thinking about searching for the appropriate solution. But if they did not hear of you, their search will be vastly more simplified if your name conveys a specific, unique, and direct benefit.

Taglines
Another tip is to add taglines to your business, product, and service names. A tagline is a small sentence, preferably five words or less, that says all that you are in one single swoop. I'm sure you've heard of "The Midas Touch," "Kills Bugs Dead", "Just Do It," or "You deserve a break today." More than likely you know from which company these taglines derive.

Taglines are extremely effective, particularly in casting an aura of superiority or exclusivity without stating it outright. They usually complement business or product names and help to anchor them in the mind more effectively. Taglines are particularly beneficial when one is self-employed, running a home-based business, or limited in making claims due to the type of industry in which one operates. Through a tagline, one can create the perception of superiority and anchor one's firm or product effectively in the minds of prospective clients.

Here are some examples. Rather than saying "John Smith, Business Etiquette Consultant," say "John Smith, Where Protocol Meets Profits." Instead of saying "Jane Smith, Graphic Designer," say "Jane Smith, Great Graphics Guaranteed." Other than saying "John Doe, Fashion Consultant," say "John Doe, Flat-Out Fabulous Fashions." Remember that the more top-of-mind awareness it creates, the simpler the search for your business becomes.

For instance, if you were to put two products from two separate companies side by side, two products that are of the same kind, quality, and price, which one would you buy? Naturally, you would have a tendency to gravitate towards the one whose package is such that it makes the product appear as if there is more value added to its purchase.

This added value may be in the form of guarantees, lower prices, better quality, additional features, faster results, etc. Essentially, put a special name and possibly a tagline on your product or service that communicates this added value. If your product seems ordinary or is similar to that of your competitor's, make it appear extraordinary through its name.

A typical or even nameless product or service may be easier to sell when face-to-face with a consumer. But in the impersonal world of highly competitive marketing, however, the lack of human interaction takes away the emotional element as well as the ability to persuade or overcome objections. Therefore, a name must communicate that emotion. By doing so, it positions the product or service in the prospect's mind and empowers them to buy.

The object of names and taglines is not to claim superiority or to make one "look good." It is simply to turn the assumed into the assured in the minds of people (i.e., to make their choice a simpler and more confident one). If they don't have to assume that your firm or product offers a specific process, result, or benefit, they will likely choose you first.

For instance, most mechanics and garages offer free estimates these days. Not only do people assume that most of them do, they also expect it. This once extraordinary service has now become but a cliché. However, let's say you've heard of a garage offering "Free Fee Finders" or "No Guesstimate Estimates," or one whose tagline says "Where Estimates and Smiles are Free." And let's say you had to choose a mechanic and you specifically wanted one that offers free estimates. Let me ask you: Would you go to one you think that offers them or to the one you know that does?

Everybody Can Do It!
This process is amazingly simple yet so remarkably effective. If people don't have to assume that your company, product, or service offers a certain benefit, or in other words if you take the guess work out your prospects' mind, you instantly place it head above your competition. You might think this process is a little silly or even meaningless, but people have made fortunes by simply packaging ordinary companies or products -- even those that are identical to that of their competition -- a little differently. Remember the "pet rock"?

In the beginning, my consulting practice was dedicated to doctors. And during my work I often heard this silliness objection time and time again. But I still say that the above techniques can be applied even in these situations. For example, a dentist offers traditional general anesthesia and nitrous oxide sedation in order to make the process of dental work a pleasant and more comfortable experience. Many if not all dentists in his area offer the very same thing. However, he markets it with two simple words: "Dream Dentistry."

In essence, in today's hypercompetitive, overcommunicated world, top-of-mind-awareness is probably the best marketing tool now available. Through packaging, an ordinary company, product, or service can become irresistibly compelling. This is what I call "Glue for the Mind." So, make the ordinary extraordinary. Make yourself outstanding by making yourself stand out!

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June 15, 2005

"Interviews of Military and Charitable Organization Heroes Coming Soon" by Ralph Zuranski

Recently, two heroes of extraordinary capabilities have come into my life. I am so inspired by their lives and ability to serve and protect others, it is time to kick off the interviews of military heroes and charitable organization heroes.

The first military hero will be Captain Tony Gonzales, the Commander of the Point Loma Naval Base. He has proven to be a man of great integrity and compassion for the members of his family, church and command.

Click Here to see the photo albums of the Grand Re-Opening of the phenomenal "Oceanview Room" on the Point Loma Naval Base that had to be almost completely rebuilt because of major storm damage. Captain Gonzales assembled a crack team of military specialists and civilian contractors to complete the repairs in record time.

Captain Anthony J. Gonzales was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert A. Gonzales. He entered the Navy following High School and commenced his first sea duty in July 1969, aboard USS RUFF (MSCO 54) in Long Beach, California. Following this tour, he then served onboard USS CONSTELLATION (CV 64) and was selected for the Navy Nuclear Power Program as an Electrician's Mate. Following Nuclear Power School and Prototype training, he sailed on USS SKATE (SSN 578), USS PHILADELPHIA (SSN 690) and pre-commissioning unit of USS OMAHA (SSN 692).

Following commissioning as a Limited duty Officer, he served as Electrical Technical Assistant and Electrical Officer onboard USS ENTERPRISE (CVN 65) from June 1980 to July 1983 in Alameda, California. He then served as a Nuclear Ship Superintendent and as the Assistant Nuclear Repair Officer at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington from July 1983 to February 1987.

Captain Gonzales completed his Department Head tour as Auxiliaries Officer onboard USS NIMITZ (CVN 68) from March 1987 to March 1990. From March 1990 to March 1993, he served as the Assistant Material Officer for the Pacific Fleet Trident Submarines on the Staff of Commander, Submarine Squadron 17.

Selected for command, Captain Gonzales took command of the WATERFORD (ARD 5) in Groton, Connecticut, from May 1993 to April 1995. During his tour, WATERFORD was selected as the COMSUBLANT Battle Efficiency "E" recipient for 1994, and the Medical & Supply "E" recipient for 1993 and 1994.

Following his command tour, Captain Gonzales stood up the Naval Intermediate Maintenance Facility, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and served as Production Officer for the Navy's first and only Integrated Surface and Submarine Maintenance Facility in May 1995. During his tour, he established the baseline for regional maintenance in the Navy, and NAVIMFAC was the Secretary of the Navy's nomination for the Department of Defense Maintenance award 2 years consecutively.

Captain Gonzales then served as Executive Officer of USS MCKEE (AS 41) from March 1998 to September 1999. During this tour the MCKEE completed a 6-month MIDPAC Deployment to support regional maintenance and a subsequent homeport shift of the ship from San Diego, CA to Norfolk, VA for decommissioning.

Captain Gonzales then reported to the staff of Commander, Naval Air Forces Pacific Fleet where he served as the Deputy Ship Material Officer from September 1999 until March 2000. Captain Gonzales then served onboard USS JOHN C. STENNIS (CVN 74) as Chief Engineer from April 2000 to June 2003. He completed two extended deployments including a combat deployment for Operation Enduring Freedom. He assumed command of Naval Base Point Loma in August, 2003.

In addition to the Surface Warfare Insignia and the Submarine Warfare Enlisted Insignia, Captain Gonzales is authorized to wear the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal (five awards), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and numerous campaign and unit awards.

Dr. Asa Morton, MD also served time in the military. He is a surgeon who specializes in facial reconstruction. Six years ago he assembled a team of doctors, surgeons, dentists, nurses and civilians to travel to a small city in Guatemala to provide medical and dental care to the community. This program is a part of the HELPS Organization that speicalizes in missions of mercy around the world. Click Here to see the photos of his Special Thank You Event For Donors and Supporters.

Asa Morton, M.D., a native San Diegan, received his undergraduate degree from Revelle College, University of California, San Diego. Prior to pursuing a career in medicine he took time to fulfill a childhood dream of flight and served five years as a Navy jet pilot. Having realized his dream of flight Asa Morton, M.D. was able to pursue his medical training. He received his medical degree from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, F. Edward Herbert School of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland. During this time he was honored with selection to the prestigious Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, later serving as President of the local chapter. Upon graduation Asa Morton, M.D.was awarded the Surgeon General Award for academic excellence, medical professionalism and leadership skills.

Asa Morton, M.D. completed his internship and ophthalmology residency training at the Naval Medical Center San Diego, during which he was selected as the Intern of the Year. Upon completion of his residency Asa Morton, M.D. was assigned to the Naval Hospital Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, where he ran the Ophthalmology Department. Selected for the highly competitive University of Michigan program (Go Blue), Asa Morton, M.D. spent 2 years studying and operating with innovators in the field of Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery of the eyelids, forehead, midface, orbits and lacrimal system.

Asa Morton, M.D. served as the Director of Oculoplastics and Orbital Reconstruction, National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, more commonly known as the "President's Hospital". At present he is on faculty at the Naval Medical Center San Diego and is an Assistant Professor of Surgery at the Uniformed Services University.

Asa Morton, M.D. is committed to volunteering various humanitarian surgical missions and education programs for medical providers in developing nations. Over the past decade he has served as both teacher and surgeon in Pakistan, India, Brazil, Mexico and Guatemala. Asa Morton, M.D. is certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and is a fellow of the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon.

Asa Morton, M.D. brings this extensive training and experience to Eye Care of San Diego / California Laser Vision Inc., offering Facial Rejuvenation services.

Their In Search Of Heroes Interviews will be coming soon. These unique individuals will set the tone of the future interview of individuals who are making the world a better place on a massive scale.

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June 13, 2005

"The Greatest Marketing Secret of All Time" by Michel Fortin

If there is something about which I am pretty adamant, it's the concept of attracting clients that are pre-qualified and willing to do business. And this involves many different things, but most of it comes down to three core practices: 1) Focus, 2) targeting, and 3) multiplication (such as focusing on a niche, market targeting, and multiplying one's marketing efforts).

However, this fundamental magnetism is not only based on pure marketing practices or strategies. It also involves something at a much deeper level that is far more effective than any other marketing tool or process. This "thing" to which I am referring is, I believe, the most important marketing secret that I can ever teach you -- and it's far from being a secret at all.

It is considered as one to a certain degree simply because it is often neglected or ignored by many businesspeople. What is this secret that's so elusive? Before I divulge it to you, I must first admit that it upsets me terribly to see when people tend to scoff their most valuable marketing assets. No, I'm not referring to salespeople or promotional activities. I'm not referring to prospects or clients either. I'm referring to dreams and passions.

"Marketing is not a battle of products, but of perceptions," marketing expert Jack Trout once wrote. If people perceive that doing business with you has an implicit added value, especially when compared to your competitors that are fiercely fighting for your market's attention, you will often end up with their confidence (and their repeat and referral business) as a result.

Of course, there are numerous ways that value can be added to your business -- e.g. by specializing, by branding your products and services, by presenting benefits rather than features, by delivering personalized services, by presenting a professional image, by offering something for free and so on. But the most effective way to communicate this added value is through the genuine, sincere, and passionate zest you have for what you do.

People have a tendency to gravitate toward other people who love what they do -- their enthusiasm, charisma, and authentic desire to serve others are instantly communicated through their actions and particularly their marketing efforts. Sadly, however, the marketplace is filled with so many people who jump into business for one sole purpose: Money.

They work for a pension instead of a passion. They are so profit-minded that they fail to enjoy the process. The great anthropologist, Joseph Campbell, said it best when he said that old cliché: "Follow your bliss" a few decades ago. Actually, that saying is older than you think. Chinese sage Confucius, in 500 B.C., said: "Do what you love and you'll never have to work a day in your life." Author Marsha Sinetar wrote a book, entitled: "Do what you love and the money will follow." Peter McWilliams, author of "Life 101," claimed: "Do what you love and the necessary resources will follow."

Now, it's my turn. I say...

"Do what you love and the business will follow."
Well folks, there you have it. That's the greatest marketing secret of all time. It's to do what you love or to love what you do. And if you don't love what you do, then find it. Make *that* your bliss. As Jim Rohn once said, "If you don't like where you are, then change it! You're not a tree."

Doing what one loves is a fundamental marketing process. For example, when you deal with two people competing for your business, and if one of them has the "fire burning in their belly" (a genuine passion for what that person does), then how much more willing will you be to do business with that person than the other? How much more believable and credible will that person be compared to the other? And most important, how much more value will that person bring to the table than the other? The answer is pretty obvious.

Enough said.

People who love what they do generate far more word-of-mouth advertising. In subtle ways, they communicate that they are experts, that they are interested more in your needs than your money, and that they will go out of their way to please you. And they certainly develop far more enriching and superior customer relationships -- let alone referral-sources.

Entrepreneurialism has increased in fervor these days, and that's good. But as a result, the hypercompetitive nature of the marketplace will in turn increase the demand for more uniqueness, more competitive value, and greater customer service. However, if you love what you do, your passion will intrinsically communicate all of those things combined.

Just as people choose to work in jobs they hate, many will choose a business or an endeavor that gives them absolutely no sense of purpose. They attempt to earn a living and do so with retirement in mind (or the thought of financial independence), anxiously awaiting those golden years when they will finally start to enjoy their lives. (The funny part is that the future is guaranteed to no one. So, the key is to enjoy it now -- later may never come.)

Needless to say, if you do what you love (or focus on a business you enjoy instead of the money you want to earn from it), you will not only make money as a natural byproduct but also enjoy much happiness, satisfaction, joy, inner peace, and of all things, security.

How many millionaires out there have reached phenomenal levels of success but failed in other areas? According to Bob Proctor in his book "Born to be Rich," the list is endless. To make it short, he mentions numerous wealthy and famous Wall Street magnates in the past century alone that have ended up going insane, getting divorced (multiple times), going broke, suffering from heart attacks, committing murder, or even killing themselves.

Ultimately, if you do what you love or love what you do, you will naturally attract more business by the sheer fact that your passion is also communicating to others that you are offering the best solution to their problems. Why? You are offering them the best... YOU.

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June 12, 2005

"How to Work Smarter, Not Harder" by Michel Fortin

Online, I believe business success is certainly easier to achieve than its brick-and-mortar version. It's not a free ride and it definitely requires some time let alone work. But on the web, I also believe that one can easily -- as that famous cliché goes -- work smarter instead of harder.

Yet the challenge that most Internet marketers encounter is the fact that they feel their success is not coming as fast as it should. As Wayne Dyer once said, "They keep striving but never seem to be arriving." Most people jump into business with the hope (and often the erroneous or naive assumption) that their marketing efforts will lead to virtually instant results.

I can certainly appreciate how entrepreneurs, business owners and Internet marketers feel since, in my life, it took me years (and many of them) to finally learn the so-called "secrets" -- and enjoy the fruits -- of success. With two bankruptcies under my belt and numerous sleepless nights, it certainly was not an instantaneous, overnight process.

In fact, I was once interviewed and asked: "Mike, you seem to be an overnight success; how did you do it?" My wife loves that question. With a huge grin on her face, she answers my critics with a simple comment:

"Indeed, it took him many 'overnights' alright."

Experience as Priceless Education
I've lost everything a few different times in my life. I've had my cars repossessed and lost two of my homes. I was once forced to seek shelter at a local YMCA. I was reviled by my peers and persecuted by my own family. I was even forced to -- yes, believe it or not -- find a job. I even once had to work in three of them simultaneously in order to make ends meet.

But I learned from my mistakes. After falling flat on my face, I quickly picked myself back up, dusted myself off, rolled up my sleeves, shifted gears and kept on keeping on. In short, I didn't look at it as failing, but as educating myself and gathering priceless feedback along the way.

The truth of it all is this: Failure is feedback. And failure is probably the most common denominator among the successful. One of my favorite marketing gurus is without a doubt Dan Kennedy. In one of his books, "No B.S. Business Success," Dan explains: "Failure is part of the daily entrepreneurial experience." Therefore, failure is to be expected.

All this is to say that, while success is indeed possible, it is not an instant result like that of winning the lottery. And I'm not saying that you have to fail a lot in order to succeed. Moreover, I certainly am not trying to inculcate some positive, rose-colored glass, pollyannish kind of thinking in you. But as Jim Rohn once wrote: "If the man is going down the wrong road, he doesn't need motivation to speed him up -- what he needs is education to turn him around."

You Need Tools in Order to Build
In other words, there is no such thing as "get rich quick." But with the right tools, the right education and the right attitude, one can definitely get rich quicker. There are many resources and websites that can certainly help. I encourage you to investigate them.

As Bill Gates once said, the Internet will definitely create more millionaires than any other medium in history. Since the Internet is founded on both information and speed, the web's plethora of information and tools grant the entrepreneur the ability to achieve success faster than ever.

It took me years to achieve success in the offline world but only a small fraction of that time to achieve it online. And I believe that it's because, with the Internet, one has the ability to (quickly and efficiently) access knowledge, ideas and resources that were once unavailable to brick-and-mortar business owners. It's all available at the simple click of a mouse.

In essence, and I've said this many times: Learned experience is far better than learning from experience. And you have the ability to learn from other people's failures, setbacks, bouncebacks and successes -- these are, in my opinion, the most powerful weapons you can ever include in your arsenal.

Be a Sponge
The moral of it all? Learn. Keep learning. Use the Internet to learn as much as you can. If you can join the many resources available on the web (especially if they're guaranteed, like my own private website), do so. Attend seminars. Take courses. Listen to audio cassettes while you're surfing the web. Turn your car into a university on wheels by listening to tapes as you drive.

Remember that you can chalk it up to research and education for tax purposes. Personally, I have a library literally filled with thousands of books, videotapes and audiocassette programs, from the motivational to Internet marketing. The most popular ones (ones I often shop myself) are located at:

http://www.audible.com/,
http://www.amazon.com/,
http://www.success.com/ and
http://www.peoplesuccess.com/.
And more important, don't expect an instantly gratifying, panacean solution. It's takes work. Hard work. Like building a house, your Internet success still needs to be built somehow -- it can't be built by itself. But it doesn't always have to be hard work. You can certainly work smarter: With the right tools, your "house" can be built much faster, stronger and straighter.

Don't kid yourself. There is no magic wand out there that will do it for you. And trust me, there are a lot of "smoke and mirrors" out there (get rich quick schemes), especially on the web -- I've been a victim too many times. But also, don't despair after the first setback. Turn your setback into feedback and you will simply add more tools to your toolbox.

Above All, Learn From People
In my life, I was lucky to have several mentors assist me in my beginnings. One in particular will remain in my heart for a long time -- a man, Pierre A., who literally built a multinational empire out of a small, basement apartment business. Online, potential mentors (let alone partners, associates, colleagues, strategic alliances and friends) exist by the thousands.

In my free book, The 10 Commandments of Power Positioning, one should vigorously seek out alliances -- there are as many different forms of strategic alliances out there as there are online businesses. I also firmly believe that the web is an incredibly fertile ground for such arrangements.

Why? It's because the only thing that separates us all are computer screens. Cyberspace is indeed a cold world. And not only customers but also business owners are constantly looking for ways of humanizing their online activities. It makes perfect sense to finally add a voice if not a face to those plain text messages we receive in our email inboxes on a daily basis.

Second, if the online world doesn't know you exist, you don't. Period. But through such alliances you have the ability to leverage your visibility, your sales and eventually your success -- and quite effectively too, I might add. I guess you can say that it all boils down to the famous "Mastermind Group Principle" originally taught by Napoleon Hill. Let me explain.

The Driving Force Behind the Web
Mr. Hill, the grandfather of success principles, wrote in his book "Think and Grow Rich" that successful people are those who develop relationships with like-minded people. While the book was written almost a century ago (long before the Internet or computer), those principles still ring true today.

Strategic alliances thrive on the web. I believe it's part of John Nesbitt's prediction that we're moving towards the high-tech/high-touch, made in his book "Megatrends." Even psychologist Wayne Dyer once said, "We are human BEINGS, not human DOINGS." To paraphrase, we are real people and not just a bunch of commands, scripts and email links.

Lester B. Thurow, in his great book "Building Wealth," mentioned that most of today's billionaires -- including Bill Gates, now the richest man in the world -- do not really own anything. Unlike the rich people of yesteryear, these billionaires do not own oil refineries, gold, manufacturing plants or real estate. They own soft goods: Information. Not only that, what they only exists with the help of some unseen force (i.e., electricity). In short, they own nothing.

With today's knowledge-based economy, more people will become rich than ever before. Whether your business sells a tangible or an intangible product, selling on the web is still a process that's really based on nothing. So the key is to create alliances with the entities behind those nothings: Real people, because they can help turn those nothings into somethings.

It's a Small World After All
This certainly applies to customers and customer service. But it also includes developing solid relationships with other webmasters, Internet marketers and business owners to help build one's business. Of course, email is free for most and therefore an economical means of communication. But surprisingly, online discussions or chats, phone calls and even face-to-face meetings with some of the people behind those electronic veils we call web sites -- key people from whom you can learn -- can become quite positive and richly rewarding.

Being alone in a world of nothingness is indeed a cold prospect. You don't have to be. In fact, if you take a look at the most successful Internet marketers out there you will always find that there are some kind of partnerships, alliances or joint ventures somewhere in the mix. For instance, take the biggest launch in the history of the Internet, John Reese's Traffic Secrets, pulling in over a million dollars in one day... All because of the power of creating alliances.

Another example, my copywriters discussion board is maintained not by one but by a panel of Internet marketers who share their wisdom, successes and mistakes -- people with whom members can easily develop a certain kinship and receive priceless advice. More important, such forums can often become the springboards for many successful and enduring online partnerships -- they have been for me.

In essence, look at ways of building relationships online not only with your customers but also with others who can help you. Networking is not a concept strictly limited to multi-level marketing, affiliate programs and resellers. They also include suppliers, associates, webmasters, non-competing business owners, brick-and-mortar businesses, publication editors and so on.

In the end, realize that success is not an instant process. Most important, it doesn't have to be a lonely one. The most powerful tool that you can ever use to build your "house" is OPE (which stands for two things, namely "Other People's Experiences" and "Other People's Efforts"). But keep in mind that today, OPE also stands for "Online, People Exist."

In closing, here's my favorite quote of all time. It's from Jim Rohn and it's been hanging on my wall, in front of me, for over seven years. It goes something like this: "There are some things in life that you don't have to know how it works. The main thing is that it works. While some are studying the roots, others are picking the fruits. Success just depends on which end you want to be."

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June 11, 2005

"Ralph Zuranski Interviewed by Sharif Khan" by Ralph Zuranski

Sharif Khan, the author of the book Psychology of the Hero Soul is the perfect person to ask Ralph Zuranski the In Search Of Heroes questions he has asked other heroes.

Sharif has followed a similar path. He has spent many years teaching others to find their own heroes within their own minds.

Sharif's definition of heroes is based on the Greek definition that means to protect and serve. He believes real heroes are everyday people who sacrifice something in their lives to help others in their family, community, business and culture. This is similar to my acronym for HEROES (H)elp, (E)nthusiastically, (R)esponsibly, (O)ptimistically, (E)xceptionally, (S)ocially, and or (S)piritually.

One of the original heroes in the first program was the actor Gregory Alan Williams, who was the black cop on the TV series Bay Watch. He actually saved an Asian man's life during the LA riots. When he went into the intersection to rescue the Asian man, that was being beaten to death in his car by an angry mob, he was protecting and serving others.

After he got the Asian man out of the car, the mob was ready to kill them both, but a Mexican man stepped in to take the beating so Gregory could get the man to a neighbor's house, who drove him to the hospital. The Asian man survived a severe concussion through the help of those who were heroes, that protect and serve others, even though they were strangers. In this situation good and evil were in a war where good won.

Gregory Alan Williams said, "There is a little bit of good in the worst of us and a little bit of bad in the best of us. When someone helps another person in any way, they become a hero for that moment in time." You can read the entire story in his book A Gathering Of Heroes.

This is the true definition of the human condition. You can hear Gregory Alan William's interview by former Coronado High School student Dan Mader by Clicking Here. It is an interview every student and adult should listent to at least three times. The wisdom is so profound and well delivered.

This is an excerpt From Publishers Weekly

Alan-Williams is an African American TV actor, who, at the height of the Los Angeles riots nearly two years ago, deliberately set out for the epicenter of the violence, determined to try to restrain his fellow blacks' anger and, if necessary, to save victims of it.

As he did so, he was mindful of the many violences done to him as a young black man growing up in largely white Iowa--and of a time, in the Marine Corps, when he had willingly participated in the beating of a fellow recruit that led to the man's suicide attempt.

At the heart of the book is a searing eyewitness account of the frightful brutality and lawlessness of that day in Los Angeles. Alan-Williams saved two people: a young light-skinned black whose attackers, whom Alan-Williams drove off, mistook for white, and a terribly injured Japanese man he rescued from his smashed car.

Alan-Williams's description of the actions and emotions of the occasion is gripping; his analysis of his own motives and of the senseless brutality of the attackers lacks any trace of the maudlin or the vengeful.

Alan-Williams thinks clearly, standing outside the vagaries of racial politics as a man of hard-won conscience--though he ruefully admits that his own anger and resentment sometimes betray him. His small but intense book is inspirational in the best sense of that much-abused word. Photos not seen by PW.

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"Advertising is a Numbers Game" by Michel Fortin

Ted Turner once said, "Early to bed and early to rise, work like hell and advertise." While the first part of that equation is probably the one I follow the least (sleepless nights working the web are just too many to count), there is an immense truth behind it all. To survive and thrive in today's hypercompetitive online world, one has to both work hard and advertise -- which are in my estimation two key ingredients of continued online business success.

Obviously, in order to put your site on the cybermap you need to promote it. But advertising alone can be a risky endeavor if you lack specific information. You need to know not only if your marketing efforts are working but also how they are working. As the cliché goes, "It is better to work smart and not hard." Well, working smart is where the "how" comes into play.

Most people wrongfully tend to make assumptions by looking strictly at the end results (in other words, sales). They fail to also look at the pipeline results. Pipeline results go beyond tracking the obvious. You need to know the number of leads a specific ad or marketing effort produces, the conversion ratio of those leads into customers, the costs-per-lead, and the value of each and every visitor to your site -- and that, whether they've bought or not.

Armed with this information, you will obtain at least three specific insights into the results of your marketing endeavors. First, you will know if your ad copy is pulling the numbers you anticipated. Second, you will know if your web site copy is successfully converting curious browsers into serious buyers. And third and most important, you will know where your ads are pulling the most leads (i.e., where you're getting the biggest bang for your advertising buck).

According to a study by Cognitiative, Inc.,* consumers felt empowered by vendors that they trusted and with whom they had built up an online relationship. Of course, any relationship based marketing approach (which should be included in one's marketing portfolio) requires repetition, credibility, and time. But relationships, however, must start from somewhere. And the initial steps one must take in order to generate in the very least the knowledge of one's existence are what need to be tracked. Here's what the study found:

- Consumers discover/find new web sites via:

Word-of-mouth (100%),
links (83%),
advertising (67%),
magazine articles (61%),
newspaper articles (50%)
and conferences (17%);
- And business users discover/find new web sites via:

Magazine articles (94%),
links (88%),
advertising (76%),
word-of-mouth (71%),
newspaper articles (53%)
and conferences (47%).
[*Source: Cognitiative.com -- Press release, April 1999]

Consequently, if you're going to advertise, particularly if you're going to invest in paid advertising and take advantage of that potential traffic mentioned above, you will need to know from where your traffic originates. Tracking is imperative to your online business' health.

However, there are a few basics that need to be considered beforehand. First, the problem in many cases is that most advertisers use institutional advertising to promote their site. They also have the tendency to place their dollars on what looks good or what makes them look good, and not on what offers the best potential results. Marketing that simply says "I'm open for business" but does not invite people to do something is impossible to track.

Direct response marketing is the kind that invites people, directly in the ad, to do something. Whether it's to click on a banner, buy a product, subscribe to a list, call for more information, or view a web page, the ad should lead to a clear and specific outcome. Thus, your advertising must contain a command, such as "click here," "buy now," "act today," "subscribe me," or "call for more info" This way, your efforts become quantifiable and measurable.

Next, you should set goals on what amounts of traffic you wish to achieve out of a specific ad or marketing effort. While you should be conservative, your goals must still be good enough so that you have a pretty good benchmark against which to compare your results. That way, if your ad is not producing the quantity of traffic you originally projected you will be able to take corrective action along the way rather than knowing about it when it's too late.

For example, according to the latest data from NetRatings, the average click rate of online ads is about 0.85%. If the traffic of the site on which you wish to advertise is, say, 1,000 visitors a day, that should equal to approximately 8.5 leads per day -- of course, with all things being equal and depending on the quality of your ad.

If you track your visitors and if your ad is not pulling at least 8 visitors a day from the site mentioned above, then you know that something's wrong with either the quality of their visitors (target marketing) or the copy of your ad (copywriting). Eventually, the more information you gather, the better equipped you will be to make more profitable marketing decisions.

For instance, if your ad has produced the expected traffic on one site but the same ad has done poorly on another, then you know that the problem has to do with the site on which your ad appears. But if your ad is not pulling at all, then you know that it may have something to do with the quality of your ad. Either way, it all starts with tracking and compiling the results.

It all boils down to this: Like it or not, advertising of any kind is a risk. But tracking your results and then working around them is to take calculated risks.

Posted by isoh at 05:28 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

"Sharif Khan In Search Of Heroes Interview Set For Saturday" by Ralph Zuranski

Sharif Khan is President and founder of Diamond Mind Enterprises, an organization devoted to transforming coal minds into diamond minds through the applied pressure of higher knowledge, wellness education, and leadership training. His vision is “to inspire the world with hope, faith, love, respect, excellence, and the courage to dream”. He is the author of the inspirational book about Promoting Heroes in the Workplace and Everyday Life "The PSYCHOLOGY OF THE HERO SOUL.

Sharif has dedicated over ten years of research in the field of human potential development and studying great leaders. He is a very dynamic, highly engaging, and much sought after public speaker who lectures about topics on what makes great leaders, the winning qualities of leadership, success, and what makes a hero, to a wide range of audiences from university students to associations to the corporate world.

Having had the opportunity to live abroad in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and America, and experience world travel, Sharif was exposed to people of different faiths at a very early age. In his travels, he saw the shared humanity and divinity within every soul.

Yet, he also saw the hatred in people towards those of a different creed or color. Having been a victim of racial hatred himself, Sharif has embarked on a lifetime quest to understand and share how one overcomes adversity, how one maintains a positive concept of self, and how world leaders triumph over the bonds of ignorance.

The author now also serves as a book consultant specializing in helping people successfully produce, sell, and market their information products. After finishing his Bachelors in Psychology at York University, he went on to successfully manage and operate a Bestsellers Franchise for over five years selling, marketing, and promoting books and various multi-media.

Questions and Answers About Sharif Khan

For the past couple years, there has been, to the author’s delight, much fascination and curiosity with his recent project, Psychology of the Hero Soul.

Because so many people have approached the author with very interesting and penetrating questions about his work, Sharif has decided to share with you some of his personal answers to many of these recurring questions:

1. Q: What originally inspired you to write about this book topic?

A: This book started off as a mini research project to help me create a heroic protagonist in my work of fiction (a novel which I am still working on) that would be unforgettable – a colossal figure that was largess universal as the sun.

I wanted to deliver to my audience a little moment of truth in my fictional character that would be memorable. So I started researching the psychology of heroes around the world and what makes great leaders great. I combined my research with years of study in personal growth, spirituality, psychology, mythology, philosophy, the dramatic arts, and comparative religions.

In my studies I learned that all heroes or leaders share common spiritual values such as respect, justice, industry, humility, generosity, strength, honor, duty, courage, compassion, and love. As I immersed myself in these principles I became inspired. In my inspiration, I was overtaken by a vision. Instead of beckoning the muse, the muse came and beckoned me. My vision was to inspire the world with these tremendous healing principles. I became consumed by this vision every waking day.

2. Q: What genre do you categorize your book?

A: Many people ask me what type of book this is: Is it a self help book? A book on spirituality? Is it a business book on leadership development? Is it a ‘New Age’ title? Is it a book on mythology or the hero’s journey? Is it a motivational book on success, health, and personal growth? Is it a book on Psychology?

My answer is that the book defies traditional categorization because it takes elements from all these areas. It is the most comprehensive, holistic, and integrative approach to heroism and leadership that I have ever come across. My argument here is that one cannot fully understand and intimately connect with a subject matter unless he or she studies all aspects of it.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama, in his recent book, An Open Heart, states, “The more you explore a topic and subject it to mental scrutiny, the more profoundly you understand it.” By studying all aspects of the hero soul you can become a multidimensional leader: a person of rich character, influence, substance, breadth, and scope.

If I were to categorize the book, I would call it a literary non-fiction book written to inspire, entertain, and quietly transform. The main purpose of the book is to awaken and illuminate the hero soul within rekindling the reader’s passion for greatness.

3. Q: Who does this book appeal to? Who can benefit most from reading your book?

The primary readership this book would appeal to most are people who devour inspirational books on personal growth, success, leadership, and enlightened empowerment. This book is for anyone who wants to embark on the hero’s journey in search of greatness and inner fulfillment. Psychology of the Hero Soul is also for political, business, and religious leaders who wish to promote heroes in the workplace and everyday life.

Finally, this book serves as an ideal foundation for writers, playwrights, screen writers, actors, creative directors, marketing executives, producers, and anyone who needs to develop a heroic figure, brand, or protagonist in their creative work.

4. Q: What is your definition of ‘Hero’?

A: The original meaning of the word hero comes from the Greek root servos and heros, which means ‘to serve and protect’ (incidentally the motto of the Toronto Police). Self-sacrifice for the higher good and betterment of humanity is at the heart of being a Hero or Leader. I’ve never met a ‘successful’ person who is living his or her dreams without sacrifice and service to others. To reach the top, they had to serve their clients, their co-workers, their employees, and their people and deliver real value.

A true leader knows their potential while pseudo-leaders ignore their potential. We live in a world of darkness or ignorance. We live in what Alan Greenspan called an era of ‘infectious greed’ that threatens to destroy the social and economic fabric of the world. The hero’s responsibility is to stop and change direction. Excellence is knowledge plus knowledge plus knowledge. Mediocrity is limited knowledge.

A tremendous conscious effort and personal sacrifice is required by the hero to lift oneself out of darkness and into the light, which is a high degree of awareness and self-knowledge. Only then can our heroes raise their station in life and elevate the rest of humanity by illuminating and liberating our collective soul which lies trapped in darkness. It’s time to initiate a new era: this is the Great Revolution of the Soul.

5. Q: What is the first step towards the path of herohood and becoming an effective leader?

A: The first step is awareness and self-knowledge. Know your strengths and weaknesses, your desires and fears. Know yourself, where you begin and end – and beyond. We can learn from the Greeks who said, “Know thyself, and you will know the gods and the universe”.

Once you begin to understand your true potential, a dream or vision will take shape. Go after your dreams. Stick to your dream with focus and determination and never let go. You will become inspired in the process and others will naturally be inspired in your presence. Without even consciously knowing it, you will begin displaying leadership traits and success and success-minded people will begin seeking you out.

There are many ‘steps’ towards developing leadership skills, powerful success strategies, and higher and higher degrees of excellence to be achieved. This is what I teach about in my seminars, key-note speeches, and individualized coaching.

6. Q: What other areas do you teach and speak about?

A: Anybody in the creative world, whether they are writers, actors, directors, Film and English students, creative directors, sales people or marketing executives will benefit greatly from understanding the Psychology of the Hero and the Psychology of the Villain, which is what I teach about.

How can an actor or writer create a believable character that is psychologically true without understanding the psychology of the hero soul? How can you understand the qualities of the hero unless you also understand the psychology of the villain, which is the dark side that lives within us all? Both have to be understood.

Aside from teaching and speaking on topics about the Psychology of the Hero, Leadership, and Psychology of the Villain, I also teach people how to successfully produce, market, sell, and promote their own books and information products. From personal coaching to inspire people to get started on their writing project and developing peak levels of motivation and creativity, to more practical ‘how to’ advice on effectively marketing and selling their information products once they have completed their ‘creative work’.

This teaching comes from my personal experience of working on and completing my book project for Psychology of the Hero Soul as well as drawing from over five years of direct experience managing and operating a Bestsellers (Book and Multi-Media) Franchise where I honed my skills in selling, marketing and promoting books and other information related products.

[To find out more about how you can book Sharif’s seminars, speaking engagements, or to arrange for coaching and book marketing consultations, you can contact him directly by email: sharif@herosoul.com or by phone: 416.417.1259]

7. Q: What was it like working on your book project for Psychology of the Hero Soul?

A: It was challenging yet enormously rewarding. Rewarding in the sense that it opened up my soul, made me a better person, and improved every area of my life. Challenging in the sense that it involved total commitment and SACRIFICE! I learned very early on that if I was going to write and talk about important topics such as inspired leadership, heroes, self-improvement, and personal growth that I would really have to walk my talk and practice what I preach.

Working on this project required a tremendous conscious effort to give the best of the best I had and more. It involved much sacrifice. I sacrificed many evenings, weekends, and holidays spending countless hours reading, studying, attending lectures, and writing and re-rewriting major sections of this book. It required dedication, focus, and self-discipline. Instead of of going out every weekend and partying, I was home writing – slowly and quietly chipping away, one step at a time.

I would not let anything or anyone get in my way, and did not allow too many distractions. The end result has been a finished book that I can really be proud of. It gives me great joy to know that when the Angel of Death meets me in my dreams, and cuts that silver chord between soul and body with a sweet kiss, that I shall have left a lasting gift to humanity.

8. Q: What is the most important distinction you have learned in all your studies?

A: I would have to say the most important distinction goes way beyond something I ‘learned’. The Power of Faith is the most important thing I have ever experienced in my life. With faith ALL things are possible. With faith even the impossible is made possible. Trusting, believing, and having faith in a Higher Power I call God has made all the difference in the world.

Call it whatever you want, the Creative Genius within, Spirit, Soul, Love, the Divine, it’s there – a powerful force unstoppable. By surrendering myself to a Higher Power, the doors that were once closed now open, the mountains that were once insurmountable, impenetrable, and unmovable, can now, with faith, be surmounted, penetrated, and moved in ways unforeseen. I’m not asking anyone to believe in what I’m saying. I don’t care whether people believe or do not believe, because I ‘know’- I have experienced.

9. Q: What is the most important quality of a Leader?

A: After faith and having a sense of calling or purpose which becomes a vision that sets a leader on fire, HEART is the most important leadership quality. I’m talking about the ability to deeply and genuinely connect with people on an emotional level. Leadership is ultimately about people and relationships.

I once heard someone say, “Love things and use people, you lose both, love people and use things, you gain both” and that is so true. Think about it. Everything we have in life that is meaningful, whether it’s love, relationships, career, health, or wealth, comes from people. Money does not talk. People do. Knowing this, one cannot help but to serve people.

10. Q: Can ‘greatness’ be taught?

A: I believe anything can be taught if one is willing to learn. Greatness is our birthright. It is in every one of us. Unfortunately, it lies dormant in most people from cradle to grave. This is because most traditional educational institutions do not teach this.

I don’t ever recall taking a required or ‘elective’ course on leadership, personal growth, success principles, or ‘awakening the hero soul within’ in high school or university. I had to go out of my way to look for these precious gems of knowledge. Today, it is easier for students to get drugs, cigarettes, or alcohol on or off campus then knowledge that has the power to transform.

11. Q: What are some of your favorite books?

A. Hemingway’s “The Sun Also Rises”, Tolstoy’s “War and Peace”, and recently Herman Hesse’s “Siddhartha”. I also like all the works of Joseph Campbell. Kahlil Gibran’s “The Prophet” also had a profound impact on me. I really enjoy the classics, but also, from time-to-time, will pick up a more ‘contemporary’ book. After all, many of the classics were once contemporary too.

12. Q: What are your hobbies?

A: Believe it or not, ‘personal growth’ is my main hobby! Some people think I’m a bit ‘weird’ in that respect, but I don’t care. I just eat up inspirational books, tapes, videos, and lectures. Ever since I was about 8 years old, when my father enrolled me in a Silva Mind Course on meditation and started handing me books by Dale Carnegie, Napoleon Hill, Wayne Dyer, James Allen, and Shakti Gawain, I got hooked!

A&E’s Biography Channel is also a favorite pastime of mine.

I’m an avid reader and film buff with a wide ranging taste. The term most people and friends use to describe me is “Renaissance Man”.

I love to live life to the hilt. I enjoy plays, Shakespeare, Opera, Comedy, Drama, Classical Symphonies, Rock/Pop Concerts, Yoga, Museums, Jazz, Blues, Techno, Retro, traveling, art, painting, clubs, parties, dancing, a quiet time of reflection by the fireplace, coffee shops, discussing history, politics, and philosophy, and experiencing just about anything that moves and opens the soul.

13. Q: Do you have a motto, a certain philosophy or quote that you live by?

A: “The place is here. The time is now. Just do it!”

14. Q: Can you expand further on that?

A: No.

15. Q: Do you consider yourself to be a hero?

A: No. I am nothing special. I am just an ordinary citizen with an extraordinary vision. I am just a baby while an ocean of wisdom lies before me. I’m still learning to walk spiritually and psychologically. I’m not perfect. There is still much ego in me that needs to be annihilated. There are many inner demons that need to be slayed along the way. A long journey lies ahead. My purpose here on earth is still not done.

16. Q: What is your purpose?

A: My purpose is to use all my God-given talents, in the best way I know how, to enrich the lives of as many people as I possibly can.

My vision is ‘to inspire the world with hope, faith, love, respect, excellence, and the courage to dream”.

Q: What’s next?

A: "Live well, laugh often, love much". (Unknown). That’s what’s next. – Sharif N. Khan

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June 10, 2005

"Common Sense Consensual Marketing" by Michel Fortin

One of the things most if not all Internet marketers come across at least once in their lives is "spam." Whether they've used it, contemplated it, rallied against it, or received it, the deceptively appealing nature of unsolicited commercial email as well as the gut-wrenching, mind-numbing, nerve-racking person-hours it takes to manage spam makes it the most detested form of online marketing. But the question remains: Why is it still being used?

It's Like a Drug
Today, while driving to a client in my consulting practice, I listened to the audio version of one of my favorite books, "The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing" by Al Ries and Jack Trout -- the fathers of positioning. One of their laws struck me in a way it has never struck me before, for I realized, now that I am online, how much these laws apply to Internet marketing as well. It also struck me because the book was written in a time when email was relatively unknown and "WWW" was thought of as an acronym for some new sports organization.

Law number 11, the law of perspective, states: In marketing, "The long-term effects are usually the exact opposite of the short-term effects." Al Ries illustrates this law with sales promotions and the way they work -- and work against you. While sales do help to increase business in the short-term, in the long-term the effect wears off and, like a drug, one has to inject more price based incentives to keep the volume at a certain level. Ultimately, a discount driven company will see its business inevitably decrease. As Ries points out, "Sales tend to educate consumers over time never to buy at regular prices."

Sex, drugs, money, and crime are all typical examples in which short-term gains can lead to long-term losses. But these hedonistic-like marketing approaches are not limited to sales promotions. With the Internet comes along another -- this seemingly unstoppable barrage of unwanted commercial email called "spam." Obviously, spam is effective and very profitable since, if it wasn't, it would have stopped haunting our inboxes long ago. However, in addition to the potential infringement of new business-related laws, the negative consequences of spam with regards to long-term profitability far outweigh the short-term advantages.

Credibility is Crucial
A business' most important asset is its credibility -- and more so online, for the Internet lacks the human element. (By the way, it is this very lack that often makes spam so attractive if not addictive, as some people tend to forget that people receive the mail, not computers.) Nevertheless, credibility in the faceless world wide web is like oxygen in its offline version: It's critically important and inescapably essential. Therefore, a more profitable, long-term solution is the creation of one's own opt-in mailing lists or the use of others that are opt-in, responsible, and targeted.

Consequently, ezines are growing with astonishing fervor. Beyond the fact that they help build trust and credibility, ezines help you to stay in constant touch with your prospects. People want to get to know you. And the level of value they attribute to their purchase from you is -- as unrelated as it may seem -- inextricably tied to the level of trust they place in you.

Sure, short-term band-aid solutions can produce good results. Sales and profits can be made with spam (or without the need for prospects to know you, for that matter). But like drugs, these solutions are only short-lived, which is why they must be continuously repeated in order to remain viable let alone profitable -- hence, the reason why spammers keep spamming.

Knowing you is the basis of any long-term business success. If you're in it for the long haul and if you want to remain profitable for a long period of time, then consider the converse -- short-term losses versus long-term gains. In other words, don't spam. Find ways to stay in contact with eager, interested, and consensual prospects. Publish your own ezine. Buy or rent targeted opt-in lists from reputable mailing list brokers. Get linked on as many other sites as possible. Most important, advertise in ezines... It's your surest and safest bet.

Needless to say, it is commonsensical that, if you sell a product online that helps to make life easier for your prospects, don't market your product in a way that negates or contradicts that very point. Use responsible email marketing strategies. The pitfalls of spam marketing will, in the end, cost you much more than some of its more respectable alternatives.

Posted by isoh at 05:27 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 09, 2005

"How to Multiply Your Marketing Like a Virus" by Michel Fortin

The big talk on the Internet these days is about "Melissa" and its copycat versions, such as "I Love You." No, it's not an adult oriented website or some new software game but a virus. And the devious (or perhaps even brilliant) way it works is that, after opening the email attachment, it sends more virus-infected emails to the first fifty people in your address book without your knowledge.

While we are bombarded with anti-virus warnings telling us to never open an attachment from an unknown person, how can we resist doing so when the email apparently comes from someone we actually do know (since the virus uses personal address books to multiply itself)?

In fact, Melissa uses Microsoft Outlook's mail merge command to actually incorporate the recipient's name within the body of the message, making the seemingly personalized -- and unsuspectingly harmful -- email to be instantly trusted. Because of that vulnerability, Melissa has been purported to be the fastest-spreading virus to ever appear on the cyberscene.

Nevertheless, we can certainly learn the way viruses work -- and, in the same way, apply that process to online marketing. Called "viral marketing," the concept is generally to proliferate the knowledge of your existence on the web through other people's efforts. Be it word-of-eye advertising, referrals, affiliate programs, joint ventures and so on, it all comes down to that fundamental business process called "networking." And according to Jill Griffin's wonderful book "Customer Loyalty: How to Earn it, How to Keep it," we are more open, trusting and loyal when doing business with or being marketed by people we know -- and we certainly refer them to others more often as well.

Make Your Net Work
Online, networking is probably more important if not essential since the web is dimensionless and expansive. It grants you the ability to reach corners untapped -- areas that would have been unreachable otherwise. However, there's a lot of hype lately about the benefits of networking, but I personally don't advocate traditional networking (the "I'm open for business" kind) because, in my experience, it hasn't brought me anything substantial in return.

While it can be a fantastic marketing tool, the way in which networking is conducted is often the reason why it does not produce any favorable results. When you're only networking, more often than not people will want something in return -- otherwise, they will lose interest or stop sending referrals if you don't take the time to recognize their efforts. And if you don't, you will paradoxically need to network even more, which defeats the purpose.

As discussed in one of my articles, a way to consistently reward others is to turn your networking efforts into systems -- in other words, to develop strategic marketing alliances. If you and your alliance share a same target market, you can effectively cross-promote or share markets with each other.

While there are as many different forms of systematized networking systems out there as there are businesses, one of them that has been quite effective for me is what I call "info-networking."

An info-network is one in which information is exchanged in some form or another between parties. It includes qualified leads that you can both share, or information about each other that is promoted to each other's market, clientele or subscribers. As long as your alliance logically shares a same target market but without directly competing with you, it could be potentially rewarding. For example, this includes swapping ad space in ezines, posting reciprocal links, exchanging banners, co-advertising, promoting exclusive offers, submitting articles for publication, participating in discussion lists, and so on.

But info-networking goes further. It also refers to mailing lists where you can swap each other's prospect or client lists. While privacy online is becoming an increasingly important issue, it doesn't mean that there has to be an actual sharing of such lists. For example, website owners and ezine publishers have opt-in lists that range from 100 to 100,000 people. Many cross-market their lists, such as offering single mailing "solo ads" (of course, at a cost). But if you maintain your own ezine or opt-in list, the advantage is that you can swap ads, "solo" mailings or listowner-endorsed exclusive offers with each other.

Joint Ventures, Affiliate Programs, and Exclusive Offers
However, there's another form of networking that may be more effective, particularly for those who do not share or cross-market their lists. I call it "auto-networking," which goes beyond simply submitting your site to search engines, other websites or "free-for-all" links pages -- all with the hope that they will produce something in return. It's a process through which you are constantly and systematically exchanging leads with your alliance. On the Internet, this technique is one in which a systematized method of cross-promotion between you and your alliance through a unique, joint marketing effort is created. It is also often referred to as a "joint venture."

For example, this includes the coupling of complementary coupons or special offers that are exclusively marketed to each other's market. While different, these offers are combined and marketed under the banner of a single promotion. Another is the process of amalgamating products, services or offers that complement each other's portfolio. If your alliance sells a product, they can add to their offer additional bonuses (products or services) from you, which may include an exclusive special offer for one of your products.

You can even create an entirely distinct product, service or information package from both companies and sold simultaneously from both sites. For example, you sell cookware online. You can easily team up with a publisher specializing in cookbooks and throw a book in the mix. While you raise the price and split the profits with the publisher, you instantly raise the perceived value of the cookware through a co-branded approach or a combined package of non-competing products or services. Best of all, you each market the "new" product separately while sharing in each other's traffic, market, lead-base and referral-sources (i.e., network) -- thus doubling the marketing effort.

Here's another: If you're a software programmer and you have created a program that, say, targets businesspeople, don't just give it away. Offer it to other sites that target businesspeople and let them offer it. While your program may not relate to your alliance's product, they both appeal to a same market and together make the offer more irresistible. In addition to the fact that your program makes your alliance's offer more palatable, if your shareware is copyright-free you get your software to multiply itself rapidly -- especially within a higher quality market by virtue of the nature of your alliance's business.

Ultimately, you can create affiliations, alliances, referral-sources, and centers-of-influence that can help propagate the knowledge of your existence on the web and, like a virus, multiply your online marketing punch. Focus on building a successful business using some of these effective strategies and the knowledge of your existence will spread like wildfire.

Posted by isoh at 05:26 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 08, 2005

"Stephen Pierce In Search Of Heroes Interveiw Was Transcendental" by Ralph Zuranski

The interview of Stephen Pierce is incredible. He has the most amazing rags-to-riches story I have ever heard. Stephen went from being a gang-banger to one of the most successful marketing consultants in the internet industry today.

Even at an early age, everyone realized Stephen was brilliant. Unfortunately, he was a problem child. He was so violent his family was kicked out of their apartment because of his actions. Anger, frustration, depression and poor role models launched him into a career of crime and drug dealing at an early age. Hanging with a bad crowd does more damage to young people than you can imagine.

It is a miracle he survived beyond his teenage years. Who would have imagined a gang member could make such a dramatic transformation.

Stephen finally wised up when a bullet missed his head and penetrated his thigh. It is still there as a reminder of the mistakes he made as a teenager.

His life story is definitely worth listening to. In fact, if you are a parent, this story is exactly what young people can benefit from immediately. Every young person should listen to the interveiw at least twice.

Stephen provides advice and information that are priceless. He knows what you need to do to become successful and attain your dreams. His knowledge about so many areas of life is incredible. Don't miss this interview!!!!

Stephen is also the creator of "FibonacciSecrets," "Amazing Trading Plans," "Rapid Fire Swing Trading," "The Whole Truth" and "Smart Pages." In his Secrets of Creating Wealth, Stephen reveals the mindset he personally used to create his massive success personality.

More importantly, he has uncovered the single reason why most people fail to attain their goals in life despite reading all the self-help literature in the world.

It's called the Power of the Third Influence and Stephen reveals exactly how it can be your friend or foe. (It's never neutral.)

Stephen's latest creation has only been available to members of his exclusive coaching club.

Now, you can access the same secrets they have used for less than 1% of what they've had to pay for it.

Now, here's the warning. A huge online company (bigger than Nightingale Conant) has discovered Stephen's Secrets of Creating Wealth and is negotiating to buy the whole inventory lock, stock, and barrel.

Stephen has agreed to set aside some copies of this set for members of my list.

Folks, I urge you to learn more about Stephen's Secrets of Creating Wealth right now.

Posted by isoh at 09:53 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

"Hits, Clickthroughs or Unique Visitors?" by Michel Fortin

There are a lot of misconceptions regarding website traffic. Tracking visitors is often done with many different yardsticks, which vary tremendously from person to person and site to site, not to mention from marketing effort to marketing effort. However, these differences can often be quite misleading, especially for the would-be advertiser and aspiring Internet marketer. And today there is far more involved in the process than that to which most would tend to give credence. So how does one make sense of it all?

The web is evolving at breakneck speeds along with the way we measure it. First, it is not enough to know how many hits, clickthroughs, or unique visitors a site receives. For instance, banner ads that draw a lot of clicks are no longer considered important -- at least not as important as those from which these clicks are translatable into sales. What's important is the quality of those clicks -- or the number of qualified "interactive visitors" a site receives.

A case in point is an interesting article published in a recent issue of Business 2.0. Titled "Web Metrics," Steven Vonder Haar provides some fascinating insights into the erroneous perceptions of Internet traffic. He points out that the most common one is the fact that hits were and still are considered as the measurement of choice. However, with the Internet population exploding along with the dramatic increase of online business competition, added to the fact that netizens are now drowning in an impetuous sea of promotional messages, traffic measurement has significantly evolved.

According to Vonder Haar, "Some banners that draw downright horrible click numbers can actually wind up with more sales than vague online ad messages that get users to click but not buy." Rosa Aguilar, a news anchor at C|Net Radio, concurs. As she explained in a recent piece on "Banner Blindness," "While statistics have shown that click-rates overall are decreasing, clickthroughs are however becoming higher in quality."

In essence, visitors are no longer measured by quantity but by their quality. Although traffic has been long touted to be the key to Internet marketing success, today that's no longer true. What's more important is the conversion rate. In other words, today's Internet marketer must focus more on the percentage of curious browsers that turn into serious, long-term buyers.

Consequently, basing one's website traffic upon mere hits is really a "hit and miss" approach -- and definitely no longer enough. According to Vonder Haar, "Once users click, you want to know where they go." And that's what needs to be measured. Less than five years ago for instance, hits, pageviews, and clickthroughs were the popular measure of website activity. But today the tracking process has shifted to include audience activity and behavior.

In other words, webmasters are slowly realizing the importance of isolating the more important interested prospect who is looking at developing a relationship from the typical surfer. And subsequently, they are realizing the necessity in tracking their visitors' level of interest, loyalty, and activity. Simply put, all pageviews and clickthroughs are not created equal.

For example, if one website is geared toward financial investments and has 1,000 visitors, that number can be made up of teenagers looking for the latest gimmick versus prospective investors requesting stock quotes for a $10,000 trade. Thus, the goal is not to simply advertise but "to reach those would-be investors," illustrates Vonder Haar in his eye-opening article.

It is no longer important to advertise anywhere and everywhere but to advertise in specific places where targeted, prospective, long-term customers are -- that's the key. The successful Internet marketer's bottom-line is to get the biggest bang for every marketing dollar -- let alone every effort -- invested. If you're only counting the number of hits your site receives as well as the number of eyeballs in front of which your site or ad appears, and not the quality of the people behind them, you're wasting both money and energy.

Niche marketing is the latest buzzword -- and with reason. People are now drowning in information. And their resources, including this rare commodity called "time," have been cut extremely short. Therefore, finding a site that caters to specific needs or to a specific group is vastly more efficient than having to search the entire Internet. And consequently, focusing, targeting, qualifying, converting website visitors into customers and developing relationships are now essential to the traffic measurement process.

Here's a mini-lexicon of website traffic terms, including a quick look at the evolution and new methods of website metrics:

1) Hits
Hits are pieces of data (or files) requested from a web host's server. However, this primitive measurement includes not only the web page but also every other file that makes it possible (such as graphics, plug-ins, scripts, text files, style sheets, and so on). In other words, a single web page can easily translate into multiple hits. When one says that one has received over 1,000 hits, that could very well mean that the site received only 100 actual visitors.

2) Pageviews
Similar to hits, pageviews are files requested from the server but are limited to the web pages themselves (i.e., HTM or HTML files, or Hyper Text Markup Language files). While a little more concrete than hits, pageviews do not give specific information about surfers or their behavior -- as, for example, the length of time that they remained on a specific page.

3) Clickthroughs
Clickthroughs are the number of clicks (or responses) to an online advertisement -- often the measurement of choice for online advertisers. Again, while it's definitely a better measurement than the previous two, clicks do not provide in and of themselves enough information regarding the quality, the subsequent activity, as well as the level of interest of the people responding.

4) Unique Visitors
Unique visitors are tracked not according to the files they have requested but by their unique IP (or "Internet Protocol") addresses, which are much like online fingerprints (e.g., 24.112.98.21). However, not only does this process fail to include specific data about the visitors but it can also be very misleading. For example, many Internet service providers use DHCP (or "Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol") -- like AOL, WebTV, and cable modem providers. DHCP uses a different IP address for every file requested, thus making one visitor look like many. In other words, a single IP address may not necessarily reflect a single and truly "unique" visitor.

5) Reach
A site is said to have a certain reach, which is the percentage of visitors randomly surveyed that have visited a specific page in a given month. Similar to the TV's Neilsen ratings, this measurement is very broad and nonspecific. It is purely a estimate and not a measurement. If 50% of randomly sampled netizens have visited a specific page for example, the site is then said to have a 50% reach. It is much like a poll where the numbers are extrapolated and speculative. This vague measurement, however, is often used as a tool for selling advertising space, particularly with the larger portal sites.

6) Interactive Visitors -- The New Breed
This is the type of website traffic in which surfers are measured multifariously to determine their quality and not just their quantity, which at the same time helps to measure the quality of one's marketing efforts. Elements such as length of stay, conversation rates, registrations, subscribers, repeat visits, referrals made, and so on are now part of the tracking process.

Interactive visitors give better clues to their demographic data as well as a site's return on investment. Items tracked include visitor loyalty, site behavior, and online registrations (such as with ezines and contests). While defining specific tactics on how to increase the number of interactive site visitors is far too complex, there are however two important key areas.

First, niche marketing is definitely at the top rung. As Ludwig Van Der Rohe once said, "Less is more." The more competitive the Internet becomes, the narrower your focus should be. And the more specialized your online business becomes, the more visitors let alone the more pre-qualified, loyal, long-term prospective customers your site will receive.

Second, you must enter into a relationship with your visitors. If you plan to increase your sales, you must provide your visitors a way to subscribe themselves to your mailing list -- be it an online community, an announcement list, a discussion board, a contest, or the commonest method, an ezine (newsletter). In essence, you have to start thinking in terms of being interactive with your visitors instead of merely being a silent billboard in cyberspace.

Posted by isoh at 05:25 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 07, 2005

"T. Harv Eker In Search Of Heroes Interview Was Incredible" by Ralph Zuranski

T. Harv Eker is a an amazing person. His best-selling book, "Secrets of the Millionaire Mind" in its first week of publication was number one on the New Yourk Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestsellers list. In a short period of time they have sold over 160,000 copies of this incredible book.

Using the principles he teaches, T. Harv Eker went from zero to millionaire in only 2 1/2 years! He combines a unique brand of ‘street-smarts with heart’. T. Harv Eker is the president of Peak Potentials Training, the fastest growing personal development company in North America.

Eker is the author of the best-selling book, SpeedWealth™ as well as several highly-acclaimed courses such as The Millionaire Mind Intensive, Life Directions, Wizard Training and Train the Trainer. He is also the producer and trainer of the world-famous Enlightened Warrior Training.

T. Harv Eker is considered to be one of North America’s most exciting presenters. He has worked with and shared the stage with some of the top authors and speakers in the world including: Mark Victor Hansen, Jack Canfield, Wayne Dyer, Robert Allen, Jay Abraham, Jay Conrad Levinson and Richard Carlson.

Eker’s high-energy, ‘cut-to-the-chase’ style keeps his audience spellbound. He teaches using ‘breakthrough’ techniques and high involvement, ‘accelerated learning’ technologies so that participants learn faster, remember more and achieve maximum results. The change in people is immediate and permanent.
T. Harv Eker’s motto is “talk is cheap” and his unique ability is getting people to take “action” in the real world to produce real success.

Over 250,000 participants have come from all over the world to attend T. Harv Eker’s seminars. His events change people’s lives!

Posted by isoh at 06:05 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

"Using the Usually Unused Usenet" by Michel Fortin

When it comes to promoting an ebusiness, there are many other components of the online world that can also help to effectively bring traffic to one's site -- and some that are often ignored by most marketers. Aside from the Internet, newsgroups are discussion-centered bulletin boards and part of what is called the Usenet, the predecessor of today's Internet.

According to the Internet FAQ, the Usenet is a "worldwide distributed discussion system." It consists of a set of groups with names that are classified hierarchically by subject. They are similar to discussion groups in that they deal with a wide variety of topics, from the specific to the obscure -- each group being dedicated to a particular theme.

Newsgroups are also wonderful places to get your message out effectively since you can easily participate in those that relate to your expertise, your locale, or your industry. More important, you should participate especially in those in which your target market congregates.

But here's a caveat. Many of these newsgroups are moderated (i.e., your post is filtered by a moderator), and others do not allow promotional messages of any kind. Always check the group's charter, FAQ, or guidelines before posting. In other words, if you wish to participate in any one of them, always ensure that your post is acceptable -- if not, it will be considered as spam and will entail the consequences that spam normally incurs.

Maintain a Consistent Presence
Some groups completely disallow commercial messages of any kind -- including long-winded signature files (the information attached at the end of each message) -- while others are strictly commercial. When participating in moderated discussions, your posts must be on-topic and your signature file may often be restricted to your email address and web site URL.

The flip-side to the conservative nature of such forums is the fact that non-commercial groups can become tremendously effective for developing pre-qualified traffic -- the more focused and specialized the group, the more qualified the participants. If you actively participate by posting at least once a day, you will become known as a credible expert in your field.

"Out of sight is out of mind" is certainly true here too. Since you are not overtly marketing your company or product, you must therefore maintain a consistent presence in order to spark interest. Non-commercial, moderated newsgroups are wonderful platforms through which you can build credibility let alone good, long-term prospect relationships.

On the other hand, commercial newsgroups exist for the sole purpose of advertising. And since your ad will be among a multitude of other ads, a great way to attract the attention of newsgroup readers is to post articles or "advertorials" instead of blatant advertisements.

If you produce your ad to read like an educational tool instead of a hyped-up promotional message, chances are that it will be read by more people more often. Posting some of the articles you've written, sample issues of your ezine(s), long copy special offers, news releases, media kits, and FAQs about your company or product are also potentially effective.

Here's a list of newsgroups to which you can post ads. At the time of writing, most of these groups are identified as commercial or non-moderated, and open to posts of that nature. But please keep this in mind: Some only appear as non-moderated or open to commercial posts, and many change their charters (posting guidelines) from time to time.

(However, please note: Some of these newsgroups may not or may no longer allow such posts. Always -- and I do mean ALWAYS -- check first before posting, either by reading the group's charter or FAQ, or by lurking for a while to get a flavor of what's being posted. Post at your own risk.)

news:alt.free.money,
news:alt.make.money,
news:alt.make.money.fast,
news:alt.makemoney,
news:alt.make.fast.cash,
news:alt.make.money.fast,
news:alt.make.your.own.spam,
news:alt.biz,
news:alt.ads,
news:alt.commerce.misc-ads,
news:alt.business.ads,
news:alt.market.misc,
news:alt.marketing,
news:alt.www.marketing,
news:alt.www.marketing.adverts,
news:alt.business,
news:alt.business.consulting,
news:alt.business.home,
news:alt.business.home.pc,
news:alt.business.misc,
news:alt.business.misc.entrepreneurs,
news:alt.business.multi-level.com,
news:alt.business.multi-level.exceltel,
news:alt.business.multi-level.finl,
news:alt.business.multi-level,
news:alt.business.multilevel,
news:alt.business.seminars,
news:alt.business.services,
news:alt.education.business,
news:alt.mlm,
news:alt.entrepreneurs,
news:alt.internet.commerce,
news:market.internet.free,
news:misc.business.marketing,
news:misc.business,
news:misc.entrepreneurs,
news:misc.entrepeneurs,
news:alt.biz.misc,
news:alt.business.home.pcalt,
news:alt.business.home.pcmisc,
news:alt.business.home.pcmisc.entrepreneurs,
news:alt.business.marketplace,
news:biz.comp.misc,
news:biz.general.biz.newgroup,
news:biz.newgroup,
And news:biz.next.newprod.
Many groups also carry information that may be useful for your business. You could easily find helpful advice on starting a business, selling, marketing, promoting your product, the industry in which you operate, writing, publishing, public speaking, specific software and so on. You can even post topic-oriented questions to which others reply publicly.

Since the Usenet is actually the predecessor of the Internet, there are many participants who do not surf the web at all but remain fairly active in newsgroups. Therefore, by including the Usenet in your online marketing efforts you can reach a potentially larger target market.

Make The Most of Your Post
There are a wide variety of newsgroup topics on the Usenet, which include specific interests, industries, geographic locations, tastes, activities, themes, and so on. Your goal, therefore, is to pick those that are especially frequented by your target market. In other words, you want your post to be read by those that fit within your demographics as much as possible.

If you cater to car manufacturers for example, there are groups dedicated specifically to that very industry. Other groups also include car aficionados, auto mechanics, cities in which car manufacturers operate (e.g., Detroit), car parts suppliers, race cars, and so on. Basically, select appropriate groups for posting your messages so that they are targeted as well.

When posting to commercial (or non-moderated) newsgroups, your signature file should not be limited to your identification. It should also include descriptive information about your product, its special benefits, special offers, free offers (like a free catalog, a free report, or a free newsletter subscription), your physical address, any cross-promotion offers, and so on.

Moderated newsgroups, however, are a little more conservative. Avoid posting messages that appear self-serving or promotional, and use a signature file of no more than 5-7 lines. If these rules are not followed, your post may likely be considered as spam and you'll be banned from the group along with the possibility of losing your Internet connection altogether.

Nevertheless, one of the greatest ways to use targeted newsgroups is to conduct marketing research. Among others, you can obtain ideas for potential new products or services, or suggestions on how to improve your current ones. Ultimately, never underestimate the Usenet for gathering market intelligence let alone for marketing itself. Keep in mind that many potential clients (both Internet and non-Internet users alike) congregate there.

Posted by isoh at 05:24 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 06, 2005

"How to Increase Hits With Traffic Generators" by Michel Fortin

If you don't maintain a key presence online, whether your business is online or offline, your competition will devour you. Because the marketplace has become hypercompetitive and supersophisticated, access to information as vast and as fast as the worldwide web is all the more reason to market your company in cyberspace let alone to put your company in it.

Unlike phone numbers (or directories that list them in alphabetical order), web site URLs are found mainly through keywords (search engines), links, offline marketing, and referrals. In other words, they are found through third parties. Searching for your site will therefore be much more efficient if your company or product is positioned well -- in the mind.

Since the Internet is exploding in population and fast becoming a medium of equal stature to the TV and radio, a company not present on the web can no longer be considered as just plain old-fashioned. It will become easy prey to its competition and, more significant, to the negative perception of the marketplace that the product or service is also not up to par.

It's Not the Size That Counts
One of the biggest advantages of the web is the fact that the small company can look as good and be as effective as the larger ones. Current trends indicate that the demand for personalized services will continue to grow. Web businesses are not only more versatile but can also personalize their offers. Since a small business has the ability to closely tailor its products to specific needs, it is safe to conclude that the future of the web lies in personalized services supplied by small companies and individuals.

However, while they lack advertising budgets similar to those from the big guns, smaller-sized entrepreneurs can still obtain huge amounts of traffic through more economical means of promotion. These are not restricted to banners and search engines either. They comprise of many processes that should be included in one's portfolio of online marketing efforts.

There are emails, signature files, specialized directories, topic-specific indices, Intranets, strategic marketing alliances, links on non-competing web sites, buttons, discussion groups, classified ad sites (both free and paid), "opt-in" mailing lists, reciprocal links, newsgroups, web conferences, Internet chats, community-based sites, and specialized online discussion forums -- all of which can help market a company effectively online.

Think Link
Look at it this way: The greatest rule in marketing often taught in the academic world is "location, location, location." Online, that rule applies even more. In other words, your site must be located in as many places as possible, in front of as many eyeballs as possible and be as easily accessible as possible. Thus, the goal is to get others to link to you. How do you do that? To cover techniques within the scope of this article would be impossible. But let me share one of them with you that has been tremendously successful for me.

A great technique for generating traffic is to offer freebies. If your site offers free information, such as articles, reports, ezines, books, software, and so on, or a special incentive of some kind on a product or service you sell, use the "tradeoff" technique and ask for a link to your site in return. If you offer something of value, not only will people feel the need to reciprocate but also merely asking helps to elevate that value in the mind of the prospect.

In addition to freebies and special offers, you can also provide tools as a great way to get linkedCalled "interactive" traffic generators, some examples of tools include games, quizzes, surveys, polls, form mailers, referral functions, videos, search functions, directories, contests, article archives, and greeting cards. There are also reminder services, message boards and chat rooms.

Other interactive traffic generators help visitors to experience your site rather than just view it. But server-side plug-ins in particular are better since there is no need for a program to enable that experience. In other words, these plug-ins actually work on the site itself and not on the visitor's computer that may not have the needed software in the first place -- which is why I have a penchant for CGI or ASP instead of Java.

If you want to add more interactivity to your site, there are many scripts available that you can use -- and many of them are free. Some include:

http://www.scriptsearch.com,
http://cgi-resources.com,
http://www.sitepoint.com,
http://newmillennium.net,
http://www.codebrain.com/,
http://solutionscripts.com,
http://www.freecode.com,
http://www.freewareweb.com,
http://www.webaddesign.com/scripts/,
http://www.lakeweb.com/scripts/begin.html,
http://www.utoronto.ca/webdocs/CGI/cgi1.html,
http://www.webthing.com/tutorials/cgifaq.html,
http://www.boutell.com/faq/cgiprob.htm,
http://www.extropia.com,
http://www.speakeasy.org/~cgires/cgi-tips.html,
http://worldwidemart.com/scripts/faq
http://www.free-cgi.com/freecgi/
And http://www.worldwidemart.com/scripts.
For JavaScript lovers, there are also:

http://javascript.internet.com,
http://www.javaboutique.com,
And http://www.javascript.com.
Overlooked Traffic Generation Tools
But one of the simplest interactive traffic generators that is often overlooked is the process of delivering pages of consistently updated information -- in short, fresh content. It can be as simple as changing the content of your site to reflect current events and issues, continually adding new articles and special reports, or posting past newsletter issues in a special archive.

The element of scarcity is also a great way to generate an abundance of visitors, such as by offering time-sensitive or password-protected information. With the latter, people who wish to view "secret" information will have to apply for it. For example, if you offer a free report of some kind, don't make it accessible directly to visitors. Have a form on your site that visitors need to fill out in order to gain access or use an auto-responder to deliver it.

Beyond content, offline traffic generation is just as important. And the first rule in doing so effectively is to specialize. The most common mistake newcomers to business make is to think that by expanding their portfolio they will secure more business, and nothing can be further from the truth. Specializing and narrowing one's focus will paradoxically broaden the likelihood of your site getting more hits let alone business.

Specialization is in itself a fundamental marketing process. It's amazingly effective in creating top-of-mind awareness among a very specific target market. For instance, an accountant specializing in car dealerships will get more traffic than a general accountant will. An online clothing store specializing in babies and mothers-to-be will get more business than a typical clothing store will. A photographer specializing in weddings will get more hits than a regular photographer will.

And the list goes on and on.

Specialization is often referred as niche marketing. As more and more businesses populate cyberspace, the less time, energy, and money people will have to spend in making choices for those with whom they will choose to do business. Therefore, have your website focused on a niche, a specific theme, or a particular concept. Think of a laser, which is basically a beam of highly concentrated light. You want to focus like a laser on a specific niche and in so doing burn your site into your visitors' minds.

Nevertheless, the bottom-line is that, while you can and should use them, never rely on search engines and banners alone for generating traffic. If you do, your competition will always be a step ahead of you. Be different, not only in what you offer but in how you generate traffic.

Posted by isoh at 05:22 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 05, 2005

"Design Your Online Success" by Michel Fortin

Website design has always been a fascinating area for me -- not entirely in the realm of graphics but also of flow, navigation, appearance, and content. I love to surf the web almost exclusively to learn about different feels and flavors. In the process of doing so, it amazes me to see how some sites appear smooth, professional, and refined, while others smack of being put together horrendously quick -- even when the company is reputably of high quality.

But website design is, in itself, a powerful marketing process. Many tend to forget that people make UPAs (unconscious paralleled assumptions) -- in general and especially in business. In other words, when they visit a website they will unconsciously assume that a parallel exists between the website's design and the business behind it -- not to mention the products or services it promotes. So, if the design is poor, unprofessional, or unclear, people will unconsciously assume that the product or company is just the same.

Regard for the human inclination to "judge books by their covers" is of utmost importance on the web, for the appearance of your site (that thing that appears on a person's computer monitor) is the only thing that separates you from your customer and thus is representative of the whole. Therefore, your site can either emphasize, support, or contradict your marketing message -- and do so almost effortlessly, even inconspicuously, and sometimes dramatically.

A large airline company recently conducted a survey among its passengers in order to perform some marketing research. The following question was asked: "If your food trays were dirty, would you assume that the airline also does poor maintenance on its engines?" And the answer was, as illogical as it sounds, "yes" for an overwhelming majority of participants.

In the "The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing," marketing gurus Al Ries and Jack Trout made what I believe to be the most powerful notion ever conceived in the world of business, in that marketing is not a battle of products but a battle of perceptions. My mentor used to say that "perceived truth is more powerful than truth itself." Marketing is all about perception.

A website design can often project greater perceived value. If you place your website side-by-side with a competitor, and both of you offer the same product in the same way at the same price, the company that will win the customer over will be the one that, through its design, communicates to the customer that there is an implied added value in their choice.

In my seminars, I talk about the ketchup principle. Let's say you've just met a salesperson. He is dressed absolutely impeccably, gave a compelling spiel, is knowledgeable about his product, was thoroughly interested in your needs and conducted a perfect meeting with you. But throughout the encounter, you couldn't help but notice that he had a little ketchup stain on his tie. Now, if I were to ask you two weeks later what you remember the most about your meeting, the first thing that would pop into mind will likely be…

The ketchup stain!

As the old saying goes, "You never get a second chance to make a good first impression!" This applies even to the simplest of things. On the Internet, it includes your site's design and the image it projects. Therefore, pay close attention to your website's overall appearance, its appeal, its colors, its layout, its ease-of-navigation, and most important its content.

Posted by isoh at 05:22 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 04, 2005

"The Top Seven Mistakes Websites Make" by Michel Fortin

Throughout my research, I'm always surprised when I stumble onto websites that seem to offer great products and services but lack or fail in certain important elements -- elements that, with just a few short changes, can help multiply the results almost instantaneously. Generally, I have found that there are seven common mistakes that these sites make.

1) They Target the Wrong Audience
Often, this is the number one cause of online business failure. Traffic has been long touted to be the key to online success, but that's not true. If your site is not pulling sales, inquiries, or results, then why would it need more traffic? The key is to turn curious browsers into serious buyers. Target your market by centering on a major theme, benefit, or outcome so that, when you generate pre-qualified traffic, your hit ratio (not your hits) will increase dramatically.

2) They Take a Long Time to Load
Unlike the TV or radio, computers as well as the Internet are still in their infancy. Earlier, less capable browsers and slower modems are still the norm. If your site includes Javascript, frames, plug-ins, and dazzling memory-intensive graphics in an effort to impress, it will work against you. Many potential sales are lost due to a slow-loading, unbrowsable web site.

According to an article published in "Home Business Magazine," research by an on-hold phone message marketing company found that people start hanging up when put on hold for more than 30 seconds. The Internet is no different. If they have to wait for more than 30 seconds for your page to load, visitors will leave. In short, if they have to wait, they won't.

3) They do Not compel Others to Act
While some sites are well-designed and provide great content, their offer may be stale. They do not offer compelling enough reasons for people to buy or at least come forward. Visitors are often left clueless when looking for the answer to that burning question: "Why?"

In other words, why should they buy? Why should they buy that particular product? Why should they buy that product from that particular site? And more important, why should they buy now? Not answering that simple question "why" will deter clients and impede sales. What makes your product so unique, so different, and so special? What's your competitive edge? What's in it for your customers (what are the benefits) that they can't get anywhere else?

4) They Lack Scarcity
Jim Rohn once said that, "Without a sense of urgency, desire loses its value." People fear making bad decisions. And with scams and snake oils being more rampant on the Internet, they do so even more when shopping online. Consequently, they tend to procrastinate and do so even when they're interested. While some sites offer great products and services, they do not effectively communicate a sense of urgency that compels visitors to act.

Use takeaway selling in order to stop people from procrastinating and get them to take action now. In other words, shape your offer -- and not just your product or service -- so that it is time-sensitive or quantity-bound. More important, give a reasonably logical explanation to justify your time-sensitivity or else your sales tactic will be instantly discredited.

5) They Lack Guarantees and Testimonials
Speaking of the fear of making bad decisions, today's consumers are increasingly leery when contemplating offers on the Internet. While many professionally-looking web sites may have an ethical sales approach and offer proven products or services, the lack of a guarantee will still, particularly on the Internet, cause most visitors in the very least to question your offer.

Guarantees and testimonials help to reduce the skepticism around the purchase of your product or service and give almost instant credibility. So, help remove the risk from the buyer's mind and you will thus increase sales -- and, paradoxically, reduce returns as well.

6) They Provide Poor Copy
In cold cyberspace, the lack of human interaction takes away the emotional element in the selling process. A site must communicate that emotion that so empowers people to buy. However, many sites fail to answer a person's most important question: "What's in it for me?" It should cause a person to think: "Wow! This is something I can't pass up! Where do I sign up?" A site's sales copy must be effective enough to make its offer irresistibly compelling.

Some sites get so engrossed in describing companies, products, features, or advantages over competitors that they fail to appeal to the visitor specifically. On the other hand, bullets are captivating, pleasing to the eye, clustered for greater impact, and deliver important benefits. They usually follow the words "you get" or "reasons why," such as "With this product, you get." Therefore, tell the visitor what they are getting out of responding to your offer.

7) Finally, They Lack a Clear Call to Action
Answer this million-dollar, skill-testing question: "What exactly do you want your visitors to do?" Simple, isn't it? But it doesn't seem that way with the many sites I've visited. The KISS principle (keep it simple and straightforward) is immensely important on the 'Net. An effective web site starts with a clear objective that will lead to a specific action or outcome.

If your site is not meant to, say, sell a product, gain a customer, or obtain an inquiry for more information, then what exactly must it do? Work around the answer as specifically as possible. The mind hates confusion. If you try to get your visitors to do too many things, they will do nothing. Keep your message focused or you will overwhelm the reader. Use one major theme. And most important, provide clear instructions on where and how to order.

Posted by isoh at 05:21 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 03, 2005

"How to Drive Traffic With Domain Names" by Michel Fortin

In my consulting practice, I teach my clients about the tremendous importance of communicating credibility. In an overcommunicated, overmarketed society, credibility has become increasingly vital. To a prospect that is receiving your marketing materials for the first time, your company may have little or no believability because you may well be totally unknown to your prospect. Along with the growth of online scams, the hypercompetitive nature of the Internet will make credibility an even more important issue.

One of John Naisbitt's "Megatrends" in his book of the same name is the fact that our society is edging towards what he calls the "high-tech/high-touch." In other words, the fact that we are advancing technologically and the business process is fast becoming almost entirely automated will parallel the need for a more human approach in the business process.

Today, we see that need being filled more and more through niche marketing, personalized services, customer relationship management (or "CRM") and specialization. And due to the lack of human interaction on the Internet, building relationships with your prospects will, as time goes on, become an element of greater importance in the success of any online business.

Brand Your Domain
There are numerous ways to build credibility, namely through the use of testimonials, guarantees and other techniques. These may be the final steps in convincing your prospects that you are credible. But the very first step is sometimes the most obvious -- and that's the image you project, for it is the first thing that is perceived by your prospects and the first step in building relationships with them. Although your goal may be to automate your business, you must remember that you are dealing with real people. There are many fly-by-night businesses and get-rich-quick schemes on the Internet, so anything new will likely be questionable in the very least.

Therefore, your marketing strategy must also include branding your website, which is just as important as branding your company or product. When I started online three years ago, I began with a free host and email account. I didn't see the need to invest in my own domain, having an already profitable offline business at the time. But little did I know however that the lack of credibility they projected was to a great extent the reason for many lost sales.

The reason for this is manifold. In today's world, we are constantly inundated with marketing messages. In his new book "The New Positioning," Jack Trout states that a child in the UK will have seen over 140,000 television commercials by the time he or she reaches 18 years of age -- and according to Trout, the US is "just warming up." The Internet is surely no different. It's literally filled with sites that range from sheer ads to others that are sponsored by them (leading to a phenomena called "Banner Blindness"). Everywhere we turn it seems we are faced with some form of online promotional propaganda.

Our job as consumers has therefore become so immensely challenging that choosing a business from which to buy has become a dizzying process. For a web business to survive and thrive in today's hypercompetitive marketplace, it takes more than mere advertising (the kind that says "I'm open for business") to make a web site successful. As marketing guru Dan Kennedy once said, "Institutional marketing is high-risk marketing," for the message needs to be continuously repeatedly advertised in order to work -- if it ever does.

Become a Traffic Magnet
Although advertising is the lifeblood of any business, today's message must therefore stand out among the commercial quagmire. And it must also do so in such a way that it creates not only traffic but also a need for what it offers. In other words, a company's advertising message must go from being "in" business to being "the" business of choice. Where people used to ask "why should I buy" or "why should I buy this product or service," today that question has changed to "why should I buy this product or service from your site?"

Simply put, today's consumer will choose one company over another because the perceived value in their choice is greater. People are given an increasing multitude of choices on the Internet. Moreover, they no longer have the time to sift through all that is thrown at them -- let alone the time to shop around for the best product from the best company at the best price. So how can a site communicate that its site is "the" site of choice? How can it heighten the perceived value in what they have to offer and stand above the competition?

Ellis Verdi, the once president of the National Retail Advertisers Council, coined the term "top of mind awareness" as the most effectively provocative form of marketing available. The idea is to create, within the subconscious mind, a psychological anchor that causes people to choose when a need presents itself a company over another instantaneously. The goal is to market one's site in specific ways so that it stays active in the minds of visitors.

In other words, since people no longer have the time or energy to shop around, when they do have a certain need they will go to or search for the site that happens to be at the top of their minds at that very moment. They will inevitably choose the site that sticks out the most, especially from all the marketing messages that are so desperately fighting for their attention.

Consequently, effectively creating top-of-mind awareness on the web begins with branding the most important element of a website: The domain name.

Elements of a Good Domain Name
First, top-level domain names have the ability to stick in the mind more effectively. The mind hates confusion. Simplicity is of colossal importance since long or obscure URLs can be easily forgotten. Rather than a name such as http://www.domain.com/subdomain/yourname/~subfolder or http://www.just-too-many-hyphens.com, you should get a simple yourname.com. In fact, more and more companies are dropping the "www."

In essence, the simpler it is the better.

The importance of having your own domain name goes without explanation -- it is the same as branding your business or product. But also realize that a good domain name that effectively sticks in the mind requires more than simply using a fictitious vanity name. There are three key elements that go into an good domain name: Mnemonics, credibility, and positioning.

Instead of going through the inconvenience of numerous search engine results, most people will attempt to skip the process and go to your site directly. They usually do so by guessing your domain name and typing a plausible URL in their browsers. How many times have you done that? Mnemonics are words (or a combination of words) that are easy to remember. A repeatedly visited web site is one whose URL, for example, sticks in the mind. Even if the URL is bookmarked, the site can be easily retrieved and will be visited often. "Yahoo!" (yahoo.com), "HotBot" (hotbot.com) and "Time Magazine" (time.com) are perfect examples of mnemonics.

People often associate long URLs with free sites or those of lesser quality. People have a natural tendency to make what I call UPAs (unconscious paralleled assumptions) where, if people notice that your site is hosted by a free or cheap provider, they will unconsciously assume that a parallel exists (i.e., that your product or service is just as cheap). Your domain name is like the cover of a book and people will likely judge your book by its cover.

Always remember that perceived truth is more powerful than truth itself. A top-level vanity name, especially if it's short and simple, will heighten the perception of the web site's value. As such, the UPA visitors will often make with a short domain name will often be one in which they conclude that the quality of the web site will be as good as the name implies.

Finally, the third element is the actual positioning process. If your domain name reflects your site's nature, result, or core benefit, and if it instantly communicates how different you are from others, your URL will be positioned above the competition in the minds of your market. Since this element is the most important of the three, let's deal with it a little further.

Benefit-Based Domain Names
People usually make a buying decision based on the kind of information that instantly communicates a specific benefit -- one in which there is an implicit added value in making the purchase. So does your domain name intrinsically reflect the benefit or at least the nature of that which you provide and does so in an instant? It should. I am astounded to see many domain names that are still called by ordinary or blatantly unappealing names, such as with hard-to-spell words, numbers, abbreviations or acronyms like "mgf.com."

Let's take the example of two different web sites that promote similar products: Investments. One's address is "wealthwise.com" while the other is "smith-brokerage.com." Now, with all things being equal and when placed side-by-side, which site will be the one more likely to be chosen first? Your domain name must be able to drive traffic to your site on its very own. It must communicate how different and unique your site is, even before it is visited.

Nevertheless, if people do have to resort to an engine, their search will be greatly simplified and vastly more efficient if your domain name intrinsically reflects the core benefit if not the nature of your site. Remember that most searches are conducted by topics or themes and not by names. Therefore, if your site's most popular keyword or benefit is within the domain name itself, that URL has greater chances of being in the top search engine results.

Play a word association game with your web site. Look for the word or group of words that would instantly pop up in the minds of people when a need presents itself, a need that your site likely fills. For example, stock-tips.com, art.com, free-stuff.com, allergy-relief.com, morebusiness.com and fastcar.com are great benefit-based domain names that effectively create more top-of-mind awareness (and consequently more traffic).

Domain Names That Drive Traffic
If the name you want is taken, then you can use the name of your product or service, or your company or product's tagline (or part of it) as a domain name. A tagline is that small sentence that follows your business name, such as "You deserve a break today," "Roaches check in but they don't check out," and "It takes a licking but keeps on ticking." Great examples include:

alwayscoke.com (Coca-Cola),
cavities.com (Crest toothpaste)
And, of course, start.com (Microsoft).
Ultimately, choose a name that people can remember quickly and effectively so that, when you advertise among a thousand of your competitors, your URL stands out and sticks in the mind. It is also good practice to register variations of your name, including different spellings. One of the reasons is to ensure that these unused domain names don't end up falling in the hands of your competitors. But more important, when people enter a variation of your domain name, they will still end up with your site as a result.

It all boils down to the fact that your domain name is a fundamental marketing system in itself. Be short, simple and memorable, and you'll see traffic soar.

Posted by isoh at 05:20 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 02, 2005

"Troy White's In Search of Heroes Interview" by Ralph Zuranski

Ralph: Hi, this is Ralph Zuranski; I’m speaking with Troy White. Troy is the president and founder of “The Fresh Idea Company” and is an internationally known expert in turning your words into wealth. If you run your own business or are planning to, then the ability to market yourself and your business is critically important.

From direct mail sales letters, postcard campaigns, press releases, cover letters, attention grabbing mail outs, new product promotional rollouts, classified adds, space ads, faxes, scripts, web pages, email marketing…anything you need to communicate to your clients Troy can do it for you with the right words.

Troy works with people all over the world in creating marketing programs for them and is one of the best copywriters around. How are you doing today, Troy?

Troy: I’m doing great. Thanks for having me on.

Ralph: Well I appreciate it. You are definitely one of the wonderful people I’ve met going to the different seminars. I appreciate your offering to help with the heroes program.

Troy: Oh, it’s a great cause and I’d love to help.

Ralph: I really appreciated you including me in your Entrepreneurial Spirits book

Troy: Thank you for your fantastic contribution as well.

Ralph: Thank you. It’s always interesting to go back and read what people had to say.

Troy: I’ve met a lot of people who have read what they said and say, “Did I say that?” But yeah, it’s always nice to get the first thoughts down on paper because usually when they go back and re-read it they usually edit it a little too much. But it’s from the heart.

Ralph: That’s absolutely true. What is your definition of heroism?

Troy: To me heroism really means that you put other people’s best interests first before your own. I think that the most important thing is that you put other people before yourself. Also, you need something to aim towards and aspire to.

A lot of people go through life and they really don’t have a big picture that they go after. A real hero is someone, to me, who shows them how to find that big picture and how to bring that into their own life.

Ralph: So do you think that it’s important for people to follow through on what they say where their actions speak as loud as their words?

Troy: Yes, definitely. And that’s a big thing in this day and age. With the internet, it’s easy to say a lot, but what I have found, and I’m sure you have too, there are very few people out there who say one thing and deliver the same thing. It’s usually two very different things that you get.

It’s quite unfortunate, but it’s true. The ones that do deliver what they promise are the ones, interesting enough, that are all in your “In Search of Heroes” program. They’re the ones that do deliver.

Ralph: Well, I chose them very carefully and definitely was looking for people who had integrity. That’s what I think really shows the person’s integrity is what they do when you are at the lowest point in your life, whether they still follow through on what they said they would do.

When was the lowest point in your life and how did you change your life path to overcome all the obstacles?

Troy: I think it probably hit me just over three years ago. I had spent eleven years in sales in the computer industry. I worked for some very large companies like Hewlett Packard. It was an industry that paid very well but I did not enjoy.

Right now my twins are four, so three years ago they were one. I came home from work one day bummed out because I was not enjoying my day and not enjoying my life and the direction of my life. Every time I came home my kids seemed to be getting bigger and I wasn’t seeing any of it, and I think to me that was really when I hit rock bottom.

I decided I was not going to live the rest of my life hating what I do for a living and missing out on everything that is so important to me. It was right then and there that I made a fairly quick decision. I talked with my wife, Kari, and we decided that it was time for me to go off on my own and start following the dream.

I have always had businesses on the side but it was time to commit fully to one. So I kind of took my low point and I said, “Well, what do you really want to do? Who do you really want to be?” And I just started following that dream and never looked back. It’s been the best journey of my life.

Ralph: So what is the dream and vision that sets the course of your life?

Troy: I have what is called a “vision board”. I put pictures up at my work, right in front of my desk, visions or dreams of what I want to be and where I want to live. So I have a definite mission on using words to help other people build their businesses, to help people realize their dreams with strongly worded messages that get the point across and to help entrepreneurs do what they are really supposed to be doing which is helping other people. So my dream is to use the power of words to create an entire network of businesses that I’ve helped to improve their sales and help their customers.

Ultimately where I’m going is I want to create a foundation that helps young entrepreneurs with the marketing side of it and getting their businesses going quickly. Helping them get a business off the ground and getting money in the bank so they can continue to run the business. That’s my ultimate vision is to have a foundation that helps young entrepreneurs because there’s not a lot of good programs out there that do that and they need it.

Ralph: That is one of visions for the “In Search of Heroes” program is to help them with just that same thing, so I really appreciate your help in the program itself. I know you had a fair amount of setbacks and misfortunes and made some mistakes. How important is it to have a positive view?

Troy: I think it is a must. Right on top of my computer screen I have a little card that says, “Believe in yourself. If you think you can, you can.” To me, that’s kind of how I run my life. I believe in myself. I know where I am going.

Right under that I have another little card that says, “Whatever it takes.” Those two things kind of drive my direction. They keep me up on the down times. The entrepreneurial journey is definitely not always positive. There are some negatives you run into, some down times. You’ve been through them, too.

But the main thing is you just have to keep that belief strong. Whatever it takes to keep that belief there and empowering you, then you can get through anything in life. If the belief is there and the passion is there for what you want to accomplish then you can make it through anything.

Ralph: How important was courage to pursue new ideas? When you were doing the job for the computer company, it could have been fairly frightening to make that big change and get into copywriting. How much courage does it take to pursue new ideas?

Troy: It takes a lot. Back to that day when I decided to quit my job, my wife was not working and we had twin one year old girls at home, but the passion was there and the dream was there and I had the support and I just took the plunge.

A lot of people will question you, too, when you do make that bold move. The majority of the people are going to question you and try to deter you because most people are scared of following a dream. They are scared of taking action.

The way I look at it is that the top five percent of the people in the world, the most successful people in the world, have as one of their strongest traits the ability to take action despite what everyone else says, because usually you have to trust your gut instinct above anything else in the world. And when it says to go and go hard, then you are much better off following that than any other piece of advice you can get from people.

Ralph: That’s true. Do you think that a lot of people don’t want to pursue their dream because it’s uncomfortable and that they experience a lot of pressure from people to not make that change?

Troy: Yes. That comfort zone thing is one of our big problems in society. We get so caught up in being comfortable that we don’t strive for being more, for being better. I hate to say it but a lot of our schooling these days teaches us to be mediocre. It doesn’t teach you to strive for bigger things, better things, to visual yourself doing the ultimate dream. And most people are very scared of stepping outside the comfort zone.

I don’t remember the exact percentages, but a prime example is public speaking. A large majority of the population in North America would rather be in a casket lying dead than up in front of a group of people because that is far out of their comfort zone.

That amazes me that people would rather lay in a casket and have nothing else than to get up and push yourself a little bit just to get up in front of a crowd. Public speaking used to be a major fear for me. I enrolled myself in Dale Carnegie and did that as a student and as an assistant trainer for many, many years and it is the best thing I ever did. I still get nervous up there, but I have to push myself. That’s just part of life is that you have to push yourself.

Ralph: How important is it to be able to believe in your dreams that they will actually become reality?

Troy: I almost look at it that you don’t have to believe in them but you just have to know it. I really think you have to know that your dreams will come true, as long as you keep that dream there and in front of you at all times. That’s part of the reason why I use my vision board in front of me with homes and cars and boats. Whatever it is that you want in your dream you have to keep that in front of you. I just know that my dreams will become reality. Maybe not in two months and maybe it’s not even in two years.

But as long as I keep that vision there, and anyone who keeps that vision there on what it is they want to do and what they want to be, it’s a given. It’s the way the universe works. When you visualize something and believe it as being true and know it is true and just trust that it will happen, it will happen. You have probably seen this happen many times, Ralph, and I have too. When you believe something, no matter how impossible it may seem, it can happen and it will happen as long as your belief is there.

Ralph: One thing that fights against belief is doubts and fears and everybody has those on a daily basis. How do you deal with the doubts and fears that come into your life?

Troy: I do a couple of things. Doubts and fears are always there, you can’t get rid of them. Things will just happen. You can’t turn on the television or open a newspaper without getting fearful about something. One of the ways is I eliminate as much of that as I can; I don’t read the newspaper every day. I don’t watch the news every day because very rarely is anything good in there.

So one of the things I do to overcome my doubts and fears is I’ve become a real advocate of just taking action. When I have an inspiration to do something, no matter how scary it may seem, I just do it and try it and see what happens.

This is another thing with schooling. I wish schools would teach kids that there is no such thing as failure, but yet schools pound that into their head. It’s all failure. You would think that after all these years they would have learned their lesson in the education system but they still continue to do it. But there is no such thing as failure in my eyes. You just have to try it and see if it works. If it doesn’t work you just look at it as a lesion.

Ralph: So you believe that it’s just a learning experience of how things don’t work rather than being a failure. You’re only a failure if you just don’t get up and keep on working at it.

Troy: Exactly. There are some prime examples of that. People like Harland Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken. He went to 1001 restaurants before somebody finally said they would carry his recipe. And here’s somebody in his 70’s. If that’s not an inspiration on overcoming fears and doubts and just keeping at it, what is?

Pounding on that 999th door, I’m sure he probably felt like that’s enough. But he kept at it and he finally got it. I think no matter what your situation in life as long as you keep after your dream it is going to happen. There is no other alternative. As long as you keep at it and don’t give up on it, it’s going to happen.

Ralph: Who do you feel are the real heroes in our society today?

Troy: The real heroes to me are a lot of entrepreneurs because they go through a lot to get to that stage where people look at them as successful. A lot of people call it overnight success, but it was never that case. So I look at them as heroes because they are willing to do whatever it takes to keep on going. They fuel our economy. They provide jobs for people. It’s amazing when you really look at what entrepreneurs do for the worldwide economy, how they are the fuel for it.

The second are the parents and friends and family out there who help young people learn more about themselves and more about the universe and more about how to make things happen and more about beliefs and visions. I really think that there is so much opportunity out there now and the people who are working with others, be it children or adults, and showing them how important it is to keep that dream alive and to keep at it, to me those are the real true heroes. They are the ones who will fuel generations of creative thinkers and successful people and amazing success stories, too.

Ralph: Why are heroes so important in the lives of young people?

Troy: Everything in a young person’s life is big, and if somebody is not there to bring it back home, it doesn’t mean that it is insurmountable. Superheroes make it seem like anything is doable and achievable and that’s why I think it’s important because young people need to understand that anything is achievable and heroes can help them see that. They can help them learn that because kids and adults get frustrated and want to give up, but a true hero can say, “Try it again. Try it this way; try it that way.”

I really think that the heroes are so important to kids for that reason: they can just teach them that so critical trait of keeping at it. To me one of the most important things you can have in life is tenacity. There are very few people who have a strong tenacious attitude to keep at it no matter what. But those are the people who succeed, the ones who develop that tenacious attitude, and it can be built at any time in life.

Ralph: Are there any heroes today who are not getting the recognition that they deserve?

Troy: There are a lot of them. And a lot of them are educators. We’ve all had one teacher in our lives, be it at school or a friend or a family friend of something. And it’s funny how all it can take is just one little thing that will stay with you for the rest of your life and drive you to achieve great things.

I had a teacher in university that taught me the power of preparation and visualization and it was because of her that I got a job at Hewlett Packard. I was up against 500 people in the first round and I made it to the final two and got hired. It was because of what she taught me on how to be prepared and then how to visualize that final agreement when they hired me.

It’s people like that who are the true heroes in our lives and it doesn’t take a lot for them to inspire and lead you and take with you the rest of your life. I wish there was some way to get more credit to those people because there’s lots of them out there who have done amazing things for kids.

Ralph: Hopefully through this program they will get the recognition they deserve for helping so many young people in their lives. There are some people who just help tons of kids and change the universe just because of their consideration and strong leadership and integrity which I think is so important in these days and times. Do you think that is what it takes to become a hero: having integrity and following through and thinking about others?

Troy: Yes. I think first it’s getting the big picture. What is your dream? Who do you really want to be? If you had nothing holding you back, unlimited powers, who do you really want to be?

Then, having the will power to just keep going, having a tenacious attitude and following through when you promise things to people, too, and making sure you deliver what you promise. To me those are some of the most important skills anybody can develop, and which I would consider a necessity to being a hero.

One other thing I think that a hero always has is they know their legacy. They know that there is some kind of a legacy that they want to leave to people. It’s a conversation that a lot of people don’t like to talk about. But I’ve thought about this for a long time: what do I want to leave to my kids?

I think if you can think what you want to leave as a legacy to the world, that that is a true hero, because all true heroes have something they want to leave. And your “In Search of Heroes” program is a true legacy that will live on forever.

Ralph: Let’s hope that it does in the hearts and minds of all the people that help and are helped through the program itself.

Troy: Oh, it will. I know that. Definitely.

Ralph: If you had three wishes for your life and the world that would instantly come true what would they be?

Troy: Probably number one would be that everyone in the world could realize that no matter the situation they are in right now that if they put their mind to it and used their inner powers as they can, that they can achieve anything. A lot of people don’t know that because they’ve never been taught that.

I would love to somehow get the word out there to everybody and show them how to do it. That would be number one because if everyone in the world knew how much power they really have with their mind it would not be in the state of affairs it is. I think that would be number one.

Another wish would be for my life and the people I know and work with, I wish they all could understand the power of pigheaded determination. It’s something that very, very few people have and I really wish I could give what I’ve got to the people I know. A lot of people can’t figure Troy out because Troy is like that Energizer bunny that just keeps going. That ability to just implant that determination to keep going, keep after it.

Lastly, on a world scale, it would be to eliminate all the garbage that is going on all over the place. And it happens no matter where you live. I’m in Canada and we have some amazing garbage going on in our politics right now. It doesn’t matter where you are, if we could just eliminate that and people would finally clue in that it’s very unnecessary and that to create a good, solid, advancing society you don’t need that.

Ralph: I totally agree. Sometimes you think the politicians are a part of the problem rather than a part of any solution.

Troy: I think they cause a lot more problems than solve any problems.

Ralph: That’s absolutely the truth, isn’t it? So what do you think about the “In Search of Heroes” program and it’s impact on youth, parents, and business people?

Troy: I think it’s an absolutely wonderful thing you are doing, Ralph, and I look forward to helping spread the word because this is what the world needs. Kids especially need more heroes, and not the video game heroes but real life heroes who having something to teach kids and to share with kids and to leave with kids. It’s an amazing program you’ve got here. It’s going to change a lot of lives.

For those listening, there are some amazing people in this program. Listen to their interviews and listen to their stories and most importantly put into action some of the ideas that they give you.

One thing I do is right next to my vision board in my office I have a sheet with a thousand squares on it. It is my goal to become one of the best writers in the world, so every hour I spend writing I mark an “X” off on that sheet. It’s a painful process to start with a blank piece of paper, but does it ever feel good when you fill up that 1,000th square.

And that can apply to anybody no matter what it is you are trying to do. In 1,000 hours you can become very proficient in something. It’s that simple. Just mark off an “X” every time you spend an hour in whatever it is you are passionate about. And when your 1,000 squares are filled up, start a new sheet because I guarantee that your second sheet will fill up quicker because now you know how good it feels. So that would be something I would like to leave that has made an amazing difference in my life.

Ralph: What are the things that parents can do that will help their children realize that they too can be heroes and make a positive impact on the lives of others.

Troy: As parents it is our responsibility to help our kids understand this; it’s not the school’s responsibility, it’s your responsibility. They don’t have to be difficult things, but simple things such as having your kids take money out of their piggy bank and buying toys for underprivileged kids and then being the ones that deliver the toys to those kids and seeing the look on the faces.

When they see it firsthand you can see the light bulbs going off in your own kids. It’s an amazing thing when it clicks that that little bit of good that they just did brought that other child tears of joy.

Simple things like helping people or helping animals, or helping them understand things like what we’ve been talking about like keeping at it and keep trying. I teach my girls to keep trying. They get frustrated and give up so I show them different angles or different ways to try it just so they get that in their head that there is no failure. They learn that if that way didn’t work, try a different way.

Ralph: If they learn that, that would be one of the most valuable things that kids could learn.

Troy: It’s one of those things I wish they taught more of school, too, so they would have it at home and have it at school. By the time they got out of high school they would be unstoppable.

Ralph: Well, Troy, I really appreciate you taking your time to answer some of these questions because it’s always interesting to hear insights of people that I’ve met on the internet that I recognize as heroes for the good things that they are doing. I just really appreciate you taking your time and wonder if you have one parting shot that you wanted to share with us?

Troy: First, I just want to say thank you, Ralph. This is a wonderful thing you are doing here for the millions of people across the world who will be impacted one way or another through this.

Ralph: Thank you, Troy, for being a part of it.

Troy: One thing I will leave is a quote that I just found but I think it sums it all up for me. It says, “And now here is my secret, a very simple secret. It is only with the heart that one can see rightly which is essentially invisible to the eye.” It’s by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.

Basically what it says is that you have to trust your heart. That will lead you in the right directions. What you see out there is not the way to go. You have to follow what your heart feels. If you follow your heart and your intuition and your gut feelings you will go far in life.

But if all you do is follow what you see in the papers and what you see your friends doing and your family doing and everyone else doing, you are heading in the wrong direction. You have to follow yourself, your true inner feelings. If you follow where those are taking you, you will go far.

Ralph: That’s great.
Troy: Thank you, Ralph. Thank you again. This is fantastic.

Ralph: Thanks again, and I really appreciate your time.

Posted by isoh at 10:51 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

"How to Get People Into Your Site and Respond" by Michel Fortin

Like a newspaper as well as any direct response marketing process, a web site's front page must captivate its audience and cause them to read further. It must first grab a reader's attention and then lead them to a specific outcome. However, when the mechanics of that very first page are ignored, it causes visitors to click out of a site from the moment they arrive.

Although some websites get a large number of hits, many never seem to produce the anticipated level of response. This article does not focus on traffic generation or the programming elements, but on its content, copy, looks and consistency that will effectively captivate that traffic's attention. In other words, it is to compel today's leery and undiscerning audience to surf deeper into your site and to ultimately lead them to buy from you.

Every single day, your customers are bombarded with a continuous flow of information and marketing messages, and that the competition for their attention is exceedingly fierce. Therefore, if your site is but a silent billboard in cyberspace, it won't do you much good. You have to capture their attention so that not only you have them visit deeper into your site and generate sales but also have them visit your site again and again as well as refer your site to others. Here are some basic rules to follow when designing a front page:

Be Focused
Target your market! As the adage goes: "You can not be all things to all people." It's a paradox but you will indeed get more with less. This means focusing on a specific group of visitors. Cater to their unique needs or center your site on a strong, single theme. In other words, focus like a laser on your niche and, consequently, your site will burn into their minds.

J. Nicholas Schmidt is the master when it comes to the "theme store" concept. According to Schmidt, websites centered on a very narrow theme will create visitors of greater interest, and especially will generate leads that are much more pre-qualified and apt to buy. Look at it this way: When you narrow down your message and focus on a niche, visitors will be 50% sold the minute they hit your first page. Naturally, it will then be up to your content (i.e., your copy, offer and call-to-action) to take them through the remaining 50%.

Niche marketing on the web is particularly important since people do not have the time to sift through an entire site -- let alone a search engine or even the Internet for that matter -- to find exactly that for which they are looking. If your site is unique, highly specialized and focused, people will be inclined to surf deeper into your site once they hit the first page. Not only will the content be far more credible but it will also be easier to lead visitors to a successful outcome since visitors are in fact pre-qualified once they hit your site.

Be Specific
What exactly do you want your visitors to do? Simple question, isn't it? But it doesn't seem that way with the many sites I've visited. The KISS principle (keep it simple, straightforward) is immensely important on the 'Net. An effective web site must have a specific goal. It should have a clear objective that will lead to a specific action or outcome. If your site is not meant to, say, sell a product, gain a customer, or obtain an inquiry for more information, then what exactly must it do? Work around the answer as specifically as possible.

Don't be vague. For instance, is your site meant to be like a résumé or billboard that only advertises the fact that you are open for business? It shouldn't, unless you are intimately involved with that specific medium (i.e., you are a web designer or, in other words, your site is the product in itself). If not, is it to generate qualified leads? Is it to sell a particular product? Is it to solicit inquiries? Is it to increase memberships? You get the picture.

The mind hates confusion. Visitors can only do one thing at a time. If they have to do too many things on the front page, they will do nothing. If you want to offer a variety of different options, then try to focus on one alone and create other pages that are each respective to a particular action, and then link them together at the appropriate locations for flow. In essence, keep your message focused. Use one major theme and revolve your message around it.

Be Clear
When you are in the process of buying a book for instance, the one thing that has attracted you is the cover (if you're not aware of the author beforehand, and even then the cover plays a key role). If the proverb "Don't judge books by their covers" exists, it's because we as humans have the natural inclination to do so. Newspapers capitalize on that intrinsic human behavior, which is why front-page headlines, pictures, and news articles are always carefully selected.

In fact, the most read part of a newspaper is not only the front page but also the top section (or "above the fold"). Websites are no different. The front page of your site should be treated like the front page of a newspaper. Like the cover of a book, it should entice readers to surf further into the site and not lead them to take action right then and there -- unless your site is a single page. Focus on your site's major benefit "above the fold" and keep your copy to the point. Use bold, attention-grabbing headlines and subheadlines (even surheadlines) to emphasize a major theme and the benefit your site offers.

Why should a visitor surf your site? What's in it for her? Communicate to the visitor the reasons why they should browse further. A great technique for doing so is to use a bulleted list of benefits (such as when it follows the words "with this site, you get," "in this site, you will find," "by visiting this site, you will learn" or "here are the reasons why you should browse this site").

In one of my articles, I described the fact that bulleted benefit lists not only give a visual break but are also effective since they are short, to-the-point, and clustered for greater impact.

Present a problem and emphasize it. Focus on an existing gap -- the gap between a problem that the visitor is currently experiencing (or one that the visitor may experience without the benefits of your offer) and its solution. And then show what your site brings to the table by telling your visitors how, by surfing deeper, they will be able to fill that gap. The first page must confirm that there is a problem and show how you can solve it by surfing deeper.

Be Simple
Unlike the TV or radio, computers are still not considered as household items. While they are well on their way, the computer as well as the Internet are still in their infancy. Earlier computers, less capable browsers, and slower modems are still the norm. As a result, too much background, Javascript, frames, plug-ins, and memory-intensive graphics may work against you. Many potential sales are lost due to a slow-loading, unbrowsable web site.

Your site should download fast. According to an article published in Home Business Magazine, research by an on-hold phone message marketing company found that people start hanging up when put on hold for more than 30 seconds. The Internet is certainly no different. If they have to wait for more than 30 seconds for your page to load, visitors will leave. In short, if they have to wait, they won't.

Often, people say that our society has entered the "information revolution." Not so. It's the "access to information" revolution. The ability to retrieve information in nanosecond speed is the underlying drive behind the Internet. Therefore, anything that slows that ability down (such as by having a memory-intense front page), especially when compared to quicker loading competitor sites, will cost you in lost sales. Nevertheless, always keep in mind that you are allowed but a brief moment to capture your visitors' attention before they leave.

Be Professional
They say that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Good impressions are therefore important to the degree that visitors are positively impacted by the first page. It is where the selling process actually begins. It surprises me when I stumble onto some sites that smack of being put together horrendously quick -- even when the company is reputable.

Presenting a professional image on the Internet is crucial since the computer screen is really the only thing that separates you from the visitor. Consistency, color and content (i.e., the three "Cs") are probably the three most important elements of a repeatedly revisited and often referred web site. The front page must therefore be clean, concise, and clear. It must appeal to your audience by using a language that they can easily understand. Visitors often react with hostility to a site whose message confuses them.

As Og Madino once said, "It's the little things that count."

A final caveat, though. The first page should not be the only one that follows the above rules. Applying most of these pointers to an entire site should be carefully considered. Needless to say, however, that if you are able to make visitors pass through that all-important first page hurdle, then persuading them to take action later on should be a cinch.

Posted by isoh at 10:18 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 01, 2005

"Yanik Silver's In Search of Heroes Interview" by Ralph Zuranski

Ralph: Hi, this is Ralph Zuranski, and I’m on the phone with Yanik Silver. Yanik is just thirty-one years old. He is recognized as the leading expert on creating automatic moneymaking websites. He’s only been online full-time since February of 2000. His friends were rolling on the floor laughing when he told them he was going to put up a website.

They had every right to be amused, since Yanik had absolutely no web skill design experience, zero HTML coding knowledge, in fact, he didn’t have much knowledge about computers. But that didn’t stop him from going ahead with a simple key page website, and the flood of orders hasn’t stopped since.

Yanik is highly sought after speaker, and attendees regularly pay close to $5,000 a person to hear his secrets. He’s the author and co-author of many different books, and has published several best-selling online marketing books and tools, including Public Domain Riches, Instant Sales Letters, Instant Internet Profits, Web Copy Secrets, Mind Motivators, Instant Marketing Toolbox, and Instant Stampede Success.

He has a lot more products that are really great, and you can see them on his heroes’ page. He also, when he’s not working on moneymaking projects, enjoys playing beach volleyball, ice hockey, skiing, and traveling with his wife Missy. Yanik, how are you doing today?

Yanik: I’m doing great. Thanks for having me on Ralph.

Ralph: I really appreciate your taking your valuable time to answer these questions. I know I really enjoyed hearing your presentation at Bob Silber’s seminar down in Florida a couple years ago.

Yanik: Yeah, that was quite a fun time. One of the things that I really loved about that was that was the first time I ever really went deep-sea fishing. I was one of the few people on my boat that wasn’t puking their guts out.

Ralph: Really? So were John and Armand and Alex throwing up?

Yanik: Armand wasn’t on my boat, but John Reese was, and Stephen Pierce was throwing up, and his wife Alicia.

Yanik: It was only Rich Schefren and I who were having a good go at it.

Ralph: Oh boy! That was a beautiful time. Did you guys catch anything?

Yanik: I caught something, yeah. I'm not a real fisherman. It wasn’t a tuna. It was some kind of mackerel.

Ralph: Uh-huh.

Yanik: Spanish mackerel maybe, I don’t know. I probably have it wrong, but it was something good and we had it for lunch.

Ralph: Oh, that’s great. Oh, it was beautiful down there. It was a quite a unique gathering of individuals.

Yanik: Yeah.

Ralph: Well, let me go ahead and ask you a couple questions.

Yanik: Okay.

Ralph: I’m really interested to hear what you have to say. Do you have a dream or vision that sets the course of your life?

Yanik: You know I don’t have a real solid one or something that I would say that runs kind of like the Meta profile on everything that I do. But I have a couple things. I have my values that I look at each and every morning. And that really runs the course of my business life and my personal life.

One of the things in there that I've found especially rewarding has been a statement that says, “I get rich by enriching others ten times to a hundred times what they pay me in return.” Kind of like the Zig Ziglar philosophy of “You can get anything you want by helping enough people get what they want.”

That is one of the things that has really driven a lot of my success, online and offline, is making sure that I'm always, hopefully, over-delivering in value because one of my favorite mentors is Earl Nightingale and he always talks about how the marketplace cannot possibly underpay you if you're delivering great value and over-delivering.

The other thing that I have a vision for really is helping young people becoming more entrepreneurial. I think our society has really just taken a couple steps backwards from when everybody used to be an entrepreneur, when a couple hundred years ago, maybe even as short ago as maybe a hundred years ago. Now, it’s just more of this employee mentality that’s taught in schools, and I can't stand it.

Ralph: Yeah, boy that really destroys the creativity and seems that the school system is just designed to set kids up to be employees.

Yanik: Yeah, absolutely, and something that if I can have my way, is I will always have a soft spot for younger people. And I'm not that old myself. But for instance, one student of mine, he emailed me up and typically I don’t go out to lunch or do coffee with anyone because normally I'm too busy, but I had a real soft spot for this guy.

Actually, it’s two of them, now that I come to think of it. They're both college-aged, and they both had their own little online businesses where they were selling information products based on what I had taught them.

One of them was making about $3,000 a month from his college dorm. I was really impressed and he had driven up about five hours just to see me, so I took the time out and had coffee with him and really helped him out.

Ralph: You know that’s amazing. It seems that that’s one of the themes that went through all the Heroes interviews is that the entrepreneurs, the people that start businesses, that have the courage to do so, are the real heroes to those that I'm interviewing.

Yanik: Yeah, I can see that.

Ralph: You know how important is it to take a positive view of step-backs and misfortunes and mistakes because that seems that’s inherent in being an entrepreneur?

Yanik: Well, you're always going to have set-backs, misfortunes, and mistakes. The real interesting thing is to always think about two things. One, I think about, “How can I turn this problem into an opportunity?” I don’t know where the quote came from and I'm probably going to screw it up, but “Within every problem lays some kind of opportunity.”

If I can figure out the opportunity in there, the faster I can get out the other end of where the problem is. If you look back on your life, in most cases, now obviously there are some things like an illness that is very close to deathbed. When you find out about that, it’s not really a good thing.

But most set-backs or misfortunes or things that are mistakes are, if you look at them in the long run, they are pretty positive. There's an interesting story, and I can't remember the gentleman’s name, but he was a big, either stockbroker or bond broker or some kind of money mover.

He got caught doing something illegal. He went to jail. So he was sitting in jail. He got convicted, I think, maybe a month or two months before 9/11. Maybe you know this story, Ralph. He’s sitting in his jail cell, and 9/11 comes, and obviously the airplanes go smack into the Trade Center, the World Trade Center Buildings.

They came in right where his offices would have been. Everybody in his office perishes and dies who was there. He would’ve been there. So something that looked pretty horrible - he’s going to jail for these investment-related crimes that he’s committed - all of a sudden, didn’t look so bad.

Ralph: Yeah.

Yanik: And there are lots of things where perhaps you're fired from a job and that gives you the freedom to finally start your own thing. There's lots of thing where when you look back at it, it could be a set-back or misfortune and it really is a turning point for you if you just go back and think about it.

For me in my own case, I can't really think of anything too tragic but the only thing that comes to my mind right now is growing up as a kid, I worked for the family business, my father’s business, selling medical equipment. And, every summer, I wanted to live at the beach.

He wouldn’t let me live at the beach. He made me work at the company selling. I was either telemarketing, or out cold-calling on doctors or designing their marketing pieces and so on, but just working there. To me, I thought that that was a horrible, horrible misfortune to befall a young high-school kid, instead of living at the beach and having a lot of fun, I had to work.

But looking back now, it gave me a tremendous head start over anybody else because at the age of fourteen I was telemarketing. At the age of sixteen, I was out doing sales face to face, so it gave me a big head start over almost anybody else.

Ralph: That’s amazing. Well, I guess it’s important to be an optimist. What do you think about optimism?

Yanik: I really would consider myself an optimist, and not kind of a Pollyanna-rose-colored optimist, where everything is great, no matter what’s happening. I’m almost like a pragmatic optimist in a way. So maybe you’ve got you're backup plan. Something that I love, and I’ll go back to Earl Nightingale is, he talks about cheerful expectancy.

To me, that is kind of what optimism is because you have to have something to the foundation of your optimism. It’s like walking into a test when you're a kid, and being really optimistic that you're going to do well.

But guess what? If you didn’t study or you have no clue about what the test is on, or the subject, or the things that are going on there, it’s pretty hard to be optimistic that you're going to get a good grade.

Ralph: Yeah.

Yanik: There's no reason for you to be optimistic. But if you have a reason to be optimistic, let’s say, you’ve studied, and you know your stuff, then you should definitely be optimistic. That’s the way that I think about it, like I talked about cheerful expectancy.

When I first got online, there were a lot of people already in there, and it gets more crowded each and every year, and more competition and so on. But when I got online, I had a very positive, cheerful expectancy that I was going to succeed because I could see some of the models that were successful.

I also saw some of the key course skills that were required, and I already had them, because I had studied like Earl Nightingale. I’ll go back to him again and you can tell he’s been a pretty big influence, where Earl Nightingale talks about, if you want to become an expert, read for one hour a day for three years.

If you want to become a world expert, read for one hour a day for five years. So I thought, “Well, what would happen if you read for two hours a day on a subject, or three hours a day?” So I had the foundation. I had the direct marketing principles down and so that gave me that cheerful expectancy that I can walk in and really do well.

Ralph: So you're dad, making you work during the summertime, gave you a huge foundation. Did you sort of look at him as an ogre at the time that he made you do that and changed your opinion of him later on?

Yanik: Yeah, absolutely. I wasn’t too happy with that. At one point, I even remember quitting and trying to work at TCBY, the little local yogurt store. And I hated it because I had the evening shift after high school, where I’d have to just take apart the yogurt machines and clean them. It was ridiculous for maybe eight dollars an hour, or seven dollars an hour. I thought, “Oh, I'm going back.”

So, yeah, I definitely was not thinking that it was in my best interest to be doing all the stuff that I was doing. But right now I definitely think of my father as one of my heroes.

And he’s got a really interesting story. It’s something that I really enjoy because I think that this applies a lot to entrepreneurs as well. My family is from Russia. We came over from Moscow in ’76 and I was two and a half at the time.

They came over, you know, not really knowing the language, not having any kind of advantage that people who’ve grown up here have. He came with $256 in his pocket for me, my mom, himself, and my mom’s mother.

He went to work at a hospital here. He got a regular job, and on the side, he was moonlighting, repairing doctors’ medical equipment for doctors in the hospital. Pretty soon, the hospital found out about it. This was in 1978.

They said, “Well, you’ve got two choices, Joseph. You can either keep working here and give up what you're doing with the other doctors on the side, or you can be fired. ” And he said, “Well, okay, I’ll start my own thing.”

He’s gone on to build this multimillion dollar business. Just this immigrant-type philosophy is something that I've always been interested in, and entrepreneurs really have the same thing, because it’s starting from nothing and building something. A lot of people who have many advantages and benefits that immigrants don’t have, somehow fail to take advantage of all this.

Look at Arnold Schwarzenegger - perfect example. He came here from Austria. Who would’ve thought that this guy with a very funny accent could become this mega superstar actor and also an Olympian bodybuilder? He proved everyone wrong. There are so many stories like that.

Ralph: Well, how much courage do you think it takes to pursue new ideas?

Yanik: I think it depends on the idea. It depends. If it’s a pretty radical, new idea, I think that then it takes a lot of courage because there are a lot of naysayers. You know what, even if it’s a mildly new idea, it still takes courage, because a lot of times, your friends, your family, they're not going to get it.

It’s kind of like this crab mentality. I'm from Maryland, and Maryland is, I don’t know if it’s official, I think it is the official state slogan, “Maryland is for crabs.” So, I've never been crab fishing, or crabbing, or whatever it’s called.

But I know for a fact that if you have a bucket with one crab in there, he’s going to escape and get out of there. But as soon as you get two crabs in there, you're safe. You don’t need to have a lid on the bucket any more, because as soon as one crab tries to make his way out, the other crab’s going to reach up, grab him, and pull him back down.

Ralph: Really?

Yanik: Oh yeah, and it’s the same way with people, it seems like. If you're not with positive people who are happy and excited about where they're going in life, they want to bring you back down to where they are.

They have something in Australia that my Australian friends told me about this saying, and I can't remember exactly what it is. It’s something about the tallest poppy, that they want to cut down the tallest poppy. And so just like the crab analogy, that if there's a big poppy plant that’s risen above the others, that’s the one they want to cut down.

The courage is you got to be courageous enough to follow your own ideas; follow your own ambitions; follow your dreams and goals, really. And as you start moving up and having these things become a reality, you're going to start hanging out with a whole different group of people. Typically, for them, it’s natural that if you have an idea and you want to make it into reality, it’s natural for them to have that happen.

Ralph: Yeah.

Yanik: That’s one of the things that I absolutely love. I love ideas, but I love even more ideas that I implement and turn into cash, because that’s the way I know that it’s had a profound effect on people.

Ralph: Do you feel that it’s an uncomfortable experience to pursue your dreams?

Yanik: No, I don’t think so.

Ralph: Let me clarify that as far as just the amount of conflict that you have in your circles of your peer group and your family that it is going to be uncomfortable because you're going to make a change. That scares everybody, and so they resist change in most cases. They basically make life uncomfortable for you because you want to do a different thing.

Yanik: Yeah, well, in that case, that is true. Of course, it’s going to depend on your family and your friends, but in most cases, it’s the same thing. They know you as one way and if you start exhibiting different characteristics, they get uncomfortable.

People want you to remain consistent. You decide, “Well, I’m not going to do it this way.” One of my best friends, attorney, CPA, he works now for a government agency, before he was working in private practice and he still doesn’t get what I do.

He doesn’t understand. He just knows that I drive around in a really nice car and take vacations whenever I want. He calls me up and kind of laughs and he’s like, “Do you ever work?”

I’m like, “Yeah, I do work.”

But you definitely are going to experience some discomfort and that’s just kind of par for the course. Like I said, then you're going to start getting around other people who share these same kinds of attitudes and beliefs. There are other people that are just like you.

Some of the best advice, I can't believe how often I've gone back to Earl Nightingale, but Earl Nightingale talks about, I don’t remember which program it is, but you should get everything that he put out, either Lead the Field, or The Strangest Secret, and he has some other, not as widely known, stuff.

He talks about, “If you want to be successful, just look at what the average herd does.” I don’t know if he called them this, but I call them this - it’s the mediocre majority. If you look at what most average people are doing, just do the exact opposite, because most people aren’t successful.

It’s typically only about the top five percent of people. I'm not trying to say this in an elitist type way. It just seems that most people would rather be yakking on the phone, or plopping themselves down in front of the T.V. instead of doing something constructive.

If you do the exact opposite, so let’s say the average person comes home and watches four hours of T.V. at night. Okay, well, I'm going to be successful. I don’t have a successful role model, even though there are tons of books and biographies and different things that you could study if you wanted to.

But let’s just say you don’t have a personal role model in your own life. Just think about what these people are doing and do the exact opposite. So for four hours a night, I would, instead of watching T.V., I’d actually read something productive.

This is not to say that I'm a big nerd and read for four hours every single night. For the people that know me, I'm a pretty social person and I actually love to have a good time. But when you could put the work in once, and that’s a great thing with the Internet business too, is you could put the work in once and profit from it over and over again.

But you’ve got to pay the price initially.

Ralph: Yeah, but did you believe your dreams would eventually become reality?

Yanik: Yeah, like we talked about the cheerful expectancy I had. I had every notion that I would be successful online when I applied what I saw working. I don’t know if I would have imagined what I’ve got right now and where it’s leading up to. That’s one of the things that really stops a lot of the students and clients that I work with is that they don’t see every little step along the way.

My favorite analogy to this is, let’s say you’re walking in a really thick pea soup-type fog. You can only see a hundred yards ahead of you. Well, you know, let’s say your end goal is a mile down the road. You’re not going to be able to see it. So that stops people from going any further, because they can’t see where the end goal is.

But if you go this first hundred yards as far as you can see, you’re going to be able to see the next hundred yards, and then you’ll be able to see the next hundred yards. And that’s what I’ve always believed in.

Ralph: Well a lot of people are paralyzed by doubts and fears. How are you able to overcome your doubts and fears?

Yanik: Well, it would be a lie if I told you I don’t have doubts and fears anymore. I think anyone who tells you that is lying. There’s a great book title, and I can’t remember the name of author, but it’s called Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway.

I really like that because it makes a lot of sense. You’re going to be fearful. Maybe it’s something new, or maybe it’s someone you have to call for business and this person seems completely unreachable, but you feel the fear, dial the number and just do it anyway.

Something that has helped and I don’t do this enough as I should, is some mental rehearsing; vividly imagining what you want the ideal outcome to be. If you do that, you will find that that does help you a bit.

Ralph: Who helped give you the willpower to change things in your life for the better?

Yanik: For me, it’s been listening to a lot of mentors, typically via tape or video program or written material; from trying to study the people that have been really successful and just seeing what they’ve done.

On the more personal level, it’s been my family. My dad, like I mentioned, is an entrepreneur. He came over here as an immigrant and started with nothing, and built up something.

My mother, who just passed away a couple of weeks ago actually, she wasn’t an entrepreneur, but she was incredibly encouraging. It doesn’t matter what kind of silly, dumb idea I had, it didn’t matter to her. As long as I wanted to do it, she was behind me all the way.

She had a long fifteen year battle with cancer. A lot of people, if they have cancer, that’s the end of their lives for them, but that’s not the way that she was. She had cancer, but the cancer didn’t really have her, if that makes sense. She would live life to the fullest. In between chemo treatments, she’d be out there dancing until midnight or 1:00 a.m. having a good time.

So just seeing the strength that she had, with what she was able to overcome, in a way, with what she had been dealt with, made me realize that all the stuff I had been trying to do was a lot easier.

Ralph: Yeah, I can imagine so. Do you think that perseverance is really important?

Yanik: I do think perseverance is important. There are two parts to that for me anyway. I think there is a certain amount of perseverance that is good and then at some point it just becomes banging your head against the wall and you’ll be much better off going in some other direction.

So let’s say you’ve been trying to make a go at your business and you keep trying a bunch of different ways. You keep trying a bunch of different ways and nothing is working. At that point it is time to say, “Okay, well, next. And let’s move on.”

For perseverance to be a positive aspect, from my point of view, you’ve got to be trying something different. You can’t just be – let me do this exact same thing over and over again, because I know perseverance is a good quality. So if you keep doing the exact same thing over and over again, you are going to get the exact same result over and over again.

So to me, perseverance is positive if you are trying new ways to try and get the end goal that you are shooting for.

Now, if you’re not getting your end goal, there are a lot of ways to skin the cat. Let’s say you want to be a millionaire. That’s your goal. There are a whole lot of ways to become a millionaire. It could be through real estate. It could be through stocks. It could be selling your own products like I do. It could be any number of ways. There are tons and tons of different ways.

So like I said, if you are banging your head against a wall, there is a point where you’ve got to say this is not the right course for me.

Ralph: Well, in business, there are a lot of people that you come across that upset you, offend you, and oppose you. How important is it to forgive those people?

Yanik: To me, I’m never one to hold a grudge. I typically think that, not even just in business, but in your personal life, I think it takes a lot more energy to hold a grudge, and to be really pissed off and mad at somebody than it does to just let it go and forget it. Just say I’m not going to do business with this person anymore.

Okay, they’ve proven that they’re not worthy of my trust. Get over it. But a lot of people love to hold on to the negative feelings. To tell you the truth, the negative feelings affect you. It’s not affecting them. They don’t care if you’ve got negative feelings towards them. It’s not bothering them typically. But it bothers you.

Ralph: Yeah, it seems that people who hold on to those feelings are hoping that they can affect you because of the way they are feeling about you.

Yanik: I think it is pretty immature.

Ralph: I agree. Would you experience service to others as a source of joy?

Yanik: I do. That’s one of the things that keeps me going in this business. I probably have enough now that I really don’t need to work too much harder. But I really enjoy meeting with a couple of the college kids that were my students and having them tell me about my influence on their lives.

At the seminar I went to last weekend, I was actually attending, and I ran into one of my students. He told me about how he had no money in his pocket. He bought one of my courses which he really couldn’t afford. It turned the lights on for him. He created his own information product.

I have to give him credit, because it’s not just me. He went out and took action. But he made over one and half million dollars in 24 hours, selling his product. And it came from a starting point. And he was almost getting very emotional about how much it affected his life and how it helped him out.

I felt very grateful for it, but I told him that I can’t take the credit for it. He’d done so much by himself. But if I gave him a nudge in the right direction, then I feel very grateful.

I just had this big seminar a couple of weeks ago called my Underground Online Seminar. We had a real private dinner with just a couple of my friends. It was very spontaneous where a couple of them got up and gave me toasts. I had no idea that they were going to do this. And even at the higher level, it is really rewarding to hear from people who I had no idea I had affected them this much.

It is rewarding to hear even just an email from a customer who tells you that they didn’t think they could do this. Then all of a sudden, they’ve quit their job, and they’re making a hundred thousand dollars a year on the Internet, or whatever the case is. That’s definitely some of the most satisfying, rewarding accolades that I can get.

Ralph: How important is it to maintain a sense of humor in the face of serious problems?

Yanik: I think it is pretty important. I think your sense of humor is important for every aspect. As soon as you start taking yourself too seriously, then there’s a pretty steep decline. Especially, like you said, if you are facing a serious problem, laughter has been proven to be a way to de-stress yourself and sometimes even cure yourself of some major illnesses.

There’s a famous anecdotal evidenced by Norman Cousins. I don’t remember what he had, but…

Ralph: He had cancer.

Yanik: Okay. He was in his hospital room and he sent for all the funny videos he could possibly get and he just watched them nonstop. And he cured himself. So I definitely think there is a very therapeutic value in laughter and trying to find something amusing in your situation.

Ralph: Other than your mom and dad, who are the heroes in your life?

Yanik: Well, definitely my mom and dad. The other heroes in my life have been some of the mentors who I’ve learned a tremendous amount from. They’ve kind of shown me the way, really. I’ve been talking about Earl Nightingale a bunch of times, so he’s definitely up there on the list.

Dan Kennedy, who’s a direct marketing giant, and who I’m fortunate enough to know. It’s interesting how things come full circle. I remember reading all his newsletters and just being blown away and very excited to meet him; I would love to have the opportunity to even work with him. And now I’m running Dan Kennedy’s affiliate program. I even have a page in his monthly newsletter.

So it’s exciting when someone you look up to as a hero, and has influenced your life so much, and when you’re able to now stand on a relatively equal footing.

Some of the other heroes are pretty much the unsung heroes, like entrepreneurs. I think any entrepreneur is a hero to me. Anyone who has the gumption to start their own business and to really decide to go out there and make a go out of it, even if they fail at their business, is a hero to me.

They are providing something of value back to society, or else they’re going to be out of business pretty soon. They’re providing jobs. Our whole economy, or a lot of it, is based on small entrepreneurs. So to me, those people are really deserving of the title of hero.

Ralph: Well, as an entrepreneur, most people, right out of the gate, aren’t successful. A lot of people fail. You’ve heard the statistics of small businesses on how fast they fail. How important do you think it is to be willing to fail at what you do in order to learn how to be successful?

Yanik: I think that you should be willing to fail. You shouldn’t expect to fail. Like we talked about a cheerful expectancy and having a reason for this cheerful expectancy, so do your homework before you go into any venture.

It’s not enough to say, “I want to open a restaurant.” But if you want to open up a restaurant, let’s say, I want to do that. I have not a clue about the restaurant business. I’ve never worked in the restaurant business. I’ve maybe talked to someone who owns a restaurant maybe once in my life. I’ve eaten at a bunch of restaurants. That doesn’t mean that I have the skills necessary to run a successful restaurant business.

Now if you go out and you interview ten top restaurateurs from all over the country, if you sat them down for a day and took copious notes and did a bunch of research. Then you go out and fail, then that’s different than just saying, “Okay, I want to start a restaurant,” and going out and failing.

Though there is something to be said for failing forward as much as possible. I’m a direct response marketer and I like the way direct response marketers look at things. We look at things as tests. We can go out in the market place. We can go out with a new promotion and it could bomb. You know what, it’s not a failure. It’s just an unsuccessful test.

It’s all about the way that you frame things, is the way that to me makes a lot of sense. There is no good or bad value until we attach it to something, to an event, to a situation.

So if you say, “Well, okay, this restaurant went under.” You can say, “Yes, I’m a failure.” And attribute that to it and frame it that way. Or you can reframe it as something else. Here’s all the things that I’ve learned from it and it’s going to make my next entrepreneurial adventure even stronger.

Ralph: So you think it’s important for people to learn from the mistakes that they make?

Yanik: Absolutely. You’ve got to be able to learn from the mistakes that you make, but even more so. This is something that I’ve tried to do is I’ve tried to avoid making the mistakes as much as possible by learning from people that have done it ahead of me.

There are so many books out there that you can learn tremendous amounts of information from. People who have spent twenty, thirty, forty years in their particular business or venture, or whatever, and they have all this information out there for you in a $10 book or $20 book, or in some cases it is a more expensive home study program.

Whatever the case is, it’s all worth it because it shortens your learning curve and you can find out how to avoid those mistakes without having to actually do it yourself. So that’s a smarter way of doing it to me.

Ralph: Yanik, how does it feel to be recognized as an Internet hero?

Yanik: For the people that know me, I’m a pretty modest, humble guy. Like I said, the accolades and the emails and the notes and coming up and meeting people in person who talk about me helping to change their lives is something that is very, very rewarding to me, and the same as this being recognized as an Internet hero is.

Ralph: So by your ability to help others in the success that you’ve had in making them successful, do you think that’s why you recorded this honor?

Yanik: I would have to imagine so. Hopefully that’s the case.

When I sit back and think about some of the people that I’ve helped kind of turn the lights on for, and then they’ve gone out and taught other people, or had tremendous influence in their community, or been able to support their family in new ways, it’s something that really almost boggles my mind. When you think about the kind of influence you can have, by just helping to get people to where they want to be.

Ralph: That’s basically the primary way you’re making the world a better place, by helping people become successful?

Yanik: Yeah, right now that is my primary way. In the future, I’d like to do some other things.

One of the things I don’t publicly talk about, there are certain charities that we donate five percent of every dollar that comes into us, in the business, too. I’ve done other things like, I think you were there Ralph; I had my big 30th birthday bash. I invited all my customers in for a free seminar which typically would have cost about $2,000 or $3,000 and all I asked for was a $50 donation to Make A Wish. We raised $25,000 for Make A Wish Foundation.

So, things like that are some of the ways that I’m trying to make my little contribution in the world if possible.

Ralph: Well, I really appreciate your time, Yanik. Is there any parting piece of wisdom you want to pass on to young people?

Yanik: The only thing that I’ll leave you with is: it doesn’t matter how you start, but just start. Whatever venture you’re trying to get into, even if you do it badly, it is worth doing badly at first.

There’s never going to be a perfect time for anything. I thought when I was starting my business that I would wait until this certain time, or I’d wait until this happened, or whatever happened. And the truth is, there’s never, ever a perfect time. So just get out there, and in the words of Nike, ‘just do it.’

Ralph: Yeah, that seems to be the advice of most of the heroes that I’ve talked to, is just do anything. It doesn’t have to be perfect, nor will it ever be perfect.

Yanik: Nor will it ever be. I still don’t think my business is perfect. There are a lot of things I could do to make it better, but it’s a lot better than when I started. And it’s probably going to be better next year, and the year afterwards, as long as you’re always on this upwards trajectory, where you are kind of improving along the way.

Ralph: Well, I’m amazed at what you’ve accomplished at such a young age. That’s the reason for the Heroes program. It’s to get kids to realize there are people out there that are like you that have incredible information that can help them be incredibly successful before they’re twenty-one.

Yanik: That would be terrific. I’d love to create some new millionaires before they’re even legally able to drink in the United States, before 21, would be really cool.

Ralph: I’ve got the best of the best as far as the heroes in the information we put up in the In Search of Heroes web blog. So I just really thank you for your contribution and just really appreciate what you’re doing for the world.

Yanik: My pleasure. Thanks, Ralph.

==========================================================
Just 31-years old, Yanik Silver is recognized as the
leading expert on creating automatic, moneymaking web
sites...and he's only been online full time since February
2000!

He is the author, co-author or publisher of several best-
selling online marketing books and tools, which can be
found at www.SurefireMarketing.com

Yanik's Awesome Products

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Posted by isoh at 08:42 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

"How to Increase Sales With Payment Options" by Michel Fortin

In today's fast-paced world, ecommerce is growing at an explosive rate and most ebusinesses know that offering visitors the ability to buy online is becoming essential. The Internet is a direct marketer's paradise -- no, make that an impulsive shopper's paradise. And when customers can buy on impulse and do so in the privacy and convenience of their own homes or offices, the likelihood that more sales will be generated will definitely be higher.

Since most impulse orders are processed by credit cards, then having a merchant account is one of the key ingredients to a thriving online business if not an necessity. But if your site is e-commerce-enabled and you do accept credit card orders, your marketing communications should therefore include that availability, especially if you accept most major brands.

There are many reasons for this. Aside from informing clients that they are able to conveniently shop from your web site and process their orders expeditiously, the perception of added value will also increase. Your company and products gain instant credibility by merely "piggy-backing" on brand name credit cards -- even though the two are completely unrelated.

Give Your Customers Credit
When people are offered the benefit of both convenience and immediacy, the quality of your service will perceptually increase. Research has shown that options and value were the top two key factors in the decision to buy from one company over another -- price and quality were at the bottom of the list. (Price is never an issue -- it's the value behind the price that is.) If you offer the same product that a competitor does for instance, but only you provide different payment options, you will undoubtedly be in a much stronger position.

However, obtaining a merchant account and administering an ecommerce-enabled web site require a great investment of both time and money. Many businesses would love to skip the hassle and expense of offering online credit card payments, and others do so for those very reasons -- even when they are fully capable of accepting credit cards.

Moreover, many banks turn down online merchant applications since the Internet is regarded as an increased risk (i.e., the lack of signatures heightens the risk of chargebacks and fraud). In addition, the greatest portion of online commerce is made up of small businesses -- many of which are incapable of obtaining merchant accounts. Fortunately, there are solutions.

You Can Leave Home Without 'Em
Some companies now offer alternate ecommerce solutions where even the single-person business can profit from the web. They act as resellers or third party billing companies that, for an additional fee, will process orders for non-merchant client businesses. Some of these companies also offer a variety of online tools, such as administrative functions, shopping carts, scheduled payouts, and seamless, secure transactions -- often at no extra cost.

Their transaction fees may be substantially higher than those of standard merchant accounts (anywhere between 8 and 15%), but keep in mind that most of them do not require any setup fees, expensive software, equipment leasing, or security deposit. Such companies include:

http://www.ibill.com,
http://www.internetsecure.com,
http://www.ccnow.com,
http://www.2checkout.com,
http://www.stormpay.com,
http://www.payaah.com,
http://www.verza.com,
http://www.clickbank.com,
And http://www.paypal.com.
However, while many people own credit cards there are many others that do not (for one reason or another) or others that will simply refuse to buy online because of security concerns. These potential customers, while a minority, are often ignored as a result. It therefore makes perfect sense to offer clients several payment options -- the more the better.

For instance, some companies offer the ability to accept online checks (or what banks call "demand drafts"). Similar to credit card orders, online checking allows visitors to supply their checking information online (or even by fax or email). Once entered into a specific program, checks are then printed out and then deposited like standard ones. They include:

http://www.paybycheck.com,
http://www.icheck.com,
http://www.validcheck.com,
http://www.ibill.com.
And http://www.checker.net.
Did You Make Your 1-900-PAYMENT?
In addition, some companies grant businesses the ability to process payments by phone where charges for products or services are applied to a client's phone bill, such as with those infamous 1-900 pay-per-call lines (like Verotel.com and eCharge.com). Customers simply dial a specific number assigned to a specific product and the amount of the purchase is charged by their telephone company, which is then responsible for collecting the money.

While these alternate payment processing services may seem particularly appealing to those having problems obtaining or setting up merchant accounts, they shouldn't be discounted by those already accepting credit cards online. With the skepticism around online security, offering more payment options will likely increase potential sales let alone credibility.

Nevertheless, the underlying benefit of the Internet is the speed at which people can obtain information let alone products or services. Therefore, don't let the lack of it hinder your sales. The way to profit more quickly from the Internet is to be able to process orders more quickly.

Read the latest heroes interviews and benefit from tips on how to write better, improve your attitude and market your products successfully in the In Search Of Heroes Blog.

Home|Affiliate Partners|Brain Balancing|Faculty Marketing Resources

Heroes Hall Of Fame|Heroes Interviews|Photo Albums|Sitemap|Testimonials

Ralph Zuranski * 619-990-9492 * E-Mail: ralph@InSearchOfHeroes.com

3639 Midway Dr. Ste. B299 * San Diego * CA * 92110

The In Search Of Heroes Program Spreads Good News World-wide Using Writing, Blogs, RSS Feeds, Photos and Audio and Video Interviews That Tell the Unique Stories of Local and International Heroes Who Help Others In Many Different Ways and Deserve Recognition For Their Good Works.

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Posted by isoh at 05:17 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack